A significant component of the Great Patriotic War played a significant and decisive role in ending one of the bloodiest international conflicts XX century.
Periodization of the Great Patriotic War
A five-year confrontation that took place on the territory of the republics that were part of Soviet Union, historians divide into three periods.
- Period I (06/22/1941-11/18/1942) includes the transition of the USSR to a military footing, the failure original plan Hitler " lightning war", as well as creating conditions for turning the tide of hostilities in favor of the Coalition countries.
- Period II (11/19/1942 - the end of 1943) is associated with a military conflict.
- Period III (January 1944 - May 9, 1945) - the crushing defeat of the Nazi troops, their expulsion from Soviet territories, the liberation of the countries of Southeast and of Eastern Europe Red Army.
How it all began
The major battles of the Great Patriotic War have been briefly and in detail described more than once. They will be discussed in this article.
The unexpected and swift German attack on Poland, and then on other European countries, led to the fact that by 1941 the Nazis, together with the allies, had captured vast territories. Poland was defeated, and Norway, Denmark, Holland, Luxembourg and Belgium were occupied. France was able to resist only 40 days, after which it was also captured. The Nazis inflicted a major defeat and expeditionary after which they entered the territory of the Balkans. The Red Army became the main obstacle in the way of Germany, and the largest battles of the Great Patriotic War proved that the power and indestructibility of the spirit of the Soviet people, who defended the freedom of their Motherland, is one of the decisive factors in the successful fight against the enemy.
"Plan Barbarossa"
In the plans of the German command, the USSR was just a pawn, which was easily and quickly removed from the path, thanks to the so-called blitzkrieg, the principles of which were set out in the "Barbarossa plan".
Its development was carried out under the leadership of the general. According to this plan, the Soviet troops were to be defeated for short term Germany and its allies, and the European part of the territory of the Soviet Union - captured. Further, the complete defeat and destruction of the USSR was assumed.
AT historical order presented, clearly indicate which side had the advantage at the beginning of the confrontation and how it all ended in the end.
The ambitious plan of the Germans assumed that within five months they would be able to capture the key cities of the USSR and reach the Arkhangelsk-Volga-Astrakhan line. The war against the USSR was to end by the autumn of 1941. Adolf Hitler counted on this. By his order to eastbound the impressive forces of Germany and the allied countries were concentrated. What major battles of the Great Patriotic War did they have to endure in order to finally be convinced of the impossibility of establishing world domination of Germany?
It was assumed that the blow would be delivered in three directions in order to defeat the enemy as quickly as possible, standing on the way to world domination:
- Central (Minsk-Moscow line);
- South (Ukraine and the Black Sea coast);
- Northwestern (the Baltic countries and Leningrad).
The largest battles of the Great Patriotic War: the struggle for the capital
The operation to capture Moscow was codenamed "Typhoon". Its beginning was in September 1941.
The execution of the plan to capture the capital of the USSR was entrusted to the Army Group Center, headed by Field Marshal General. The enemy outnumbered the Red Army not only in the number of soldiers (1.2 times), but also in armament (more than 2 times) . Nevertheless, the major battles of the Great Patriotic War soon proved that more does not mean stronger.
The troops of the Southwestern, Northwestern, Western and Reserve Fronts fought the Germans in this direction. In addition, partisans and militias took an active part in hostilities.
The beginning of the confrontation
In October, the central direction was broken through main line Soviet defense: the Nazis captured Vyazma and Bryansk. The second line, passing near Mozhaisk, managed to briefly delay the offensive. In October 1941, Georgy Zhukov became head of the Western Front and declared a state of siege in Moscow.
By the end of October fighting took place literally 100 kilometers from the capital.
However, numerous military operations and major battles of the Great Patriotic War, carried out during the defense of the city, did not allow the Germans to capture Moscow.
Fracture during the battle
Already in November 1941, the last attempts of the Nazis to conquer Moscow were prevented. The advantage turned out to be with the Soviet Army, thus providing it with the opportunity to go on the counteroffensive.
German command the reasons for the failure were attributed to autumn bad weather and mudslides. The largest battles of the Great Patriotic War shook the Germans' confidence in their own invincibility. Enraged by the failure, the Fuhrer gave the order to capture the capital before the winter cold, and on November 15, the Nazis again tried to go on the offensive. In spite of huge losses, German troops managed to break through to the city.
However, their further advance was prevented, and the last attempts of the Nazis to break through to Moscow ended in failure.
The end of 1941 was marked by the offensive of the Red Army against the enemy troops. In early January 1942, it covered the entire front line. The troops of the invaders were driven back 200-250 kilometers. As a result successful operation Soviet soldiers liberated the Ryazan, Tula, Moscow regions, as well as some areas of the Oryol, Smolensk, Kalinin regions. During the confrontation, Germany lost a large number of equipment, including some 2,500 firearms and 1,300 tanks.
The largest battles of the Great Patriotic War, in particular the battle for Moscow, proved that victory over the enemy is possible, despite his military-technical superiority.
One of major battles Soviet wars against countries Triple Alliance- the battle for Moscow was a brilliant embodiment of the plan to disrupt the blitzkrieg. Whatever methods the Soviet soldiers resorted to to prevent the capture of the capital by the enemy.
So, during the confrontation, the soldiers of the Red Army launched huge, 35-meter balloons into the sky. The purpose of such actions was to reduce the aiming accuracy of German bombers. These colossus rose to a height of 3-4 kilometers and, being there, significantly hampered the work of enemy aircraft.
More than seven million people took part in the battle for the capital. Therefore, it is considered one of the largest.
A prominent role in the battle for Moscow was played by Marshal Konstantin Rokossovsky, who led the 16th Army. In the autumn of 1941, his troops blocked the Volokolamsk and Leningradskoe highways, preventing the enemy from breaking through to the city. The defense in this area lasted two weeks: the locks of the Istra reservoir were blown up, and the approaches to the capital were mined.
Another interesting fact in the history of the legendary battle: in mid-October 1941, the Moscow Metro. It was the only day in the history of the metropolitan metro when it did not work. The panic caused by this event led to the so-called exodus of residents - the city was empty, marauders began to operate. The situation was saved by an order to take decisive measures against fugitives and marauders, according to which even the execution of violators was allowed. This fact stopped the exodus of people from Moscow and stopped the panic.
Battle of Stalingrad
The largest battles of the Great Patriotic War took place on the outskirts of the key cities of the country. One of the most important confrontations was the battle for Stalingrad, which covered the segment from July 17, 1942 to February 2, 1943.
The goal of the Germans in this direction was to break through to the south of the USSR, where numerous metallurgical and defense industry, as well as the main reserves of food.
Formation of the Stalingrad Front
During the offensive of the troops of the Nazis and their allies, the Soviet troops suffered significant losses in the battles for Kharkov; the Southwestern Front was defeated; divisions and regiments of the Red Army were scattered, and the lack of fortified positions and open steppes gave the Germans the opportunity to pass almost unhindered to the Caucasus.
This seemingly hopeless situation in the USSR gave Hitler confidence in his imminent success. On his orders, the army "South" was divided into 2 parts - the goal of part "A" was to capture North Caucasus, and part "B" - Stalingrad, where the Volga flowed - the main water artery countries.
In a short period, Rostov-on-Don was taken, and the Germans moved to Stalingrad. Due to the fact that 2 armies were going in this direction at once, a huge traffic jam formed. As a result, one of the armies was ordered to return to the Caucasus. This hitch delayed the offensive for a whole week.
In July 1942, a united Stalingrad Front was formed, the purpose of which was to protect the city from the enemy and organize defense. The whole difficulty of the task was that the newly formed units did not yet have interaction experience, there was not enough ammunition, and there were no any defensive structures.
The Soviet troops outnumbered the Germans in terms of the number of people, but they were almost twice inferior to them in equipment and weapons, which were sorely lacking.
The desperate struggle of the Red Army postponed the enemy's entry into Stalingrad, but in September the fighting moved from the outlying territories to the city. At the end of August, the Germans destroyed Stalingrad, first by bombarding it, and then dropping high-explosive and incendiary bombs on it.
Operation Ring
Residents of the city fought for every meter of land. The result of the months-long confrontation was a turning point in the battle: in January 1943, Operation Ring was launched, which lasted 23 days.
Its result was the defeat of the enemy, the destruction of his armies and the surrender on February 2 of the surviving troops. This success was a real breakthrough in the course of hostilities, shook Germany's position and questioned its influence on other states. He gave the Soviet people hope for a future victory.
Battle of Kursk
The defeat of the troops of Germany and its allies near Stalingrad became the impetus for Hitler, in order to avoid centrifugal tendencies within the union of countries Tripartite Pact decided to implement major operation on the offensive against the Red Army, which received the code name "Citadel". The battle began on July 5 of the same year. The Germans launched new tanks, which did not frighten the Soviet troops, who put up effective resistance to them. By July 7, both armies had lost a huge number of people and equipment, and the tank battle near Ponyry led to the loss of a large number of vehicles and people by the Germans. This turned out to be a significant factor in weakening the Nazis in the northern segment of the Kursk salient.
Record tank battle
July 8 near Prokhorovka began the largest tank battle Great Patriotic War. About 1200 combat vehicles took part in it. The standoff lasted for several days. The climax came on July 12, when two tank battles took place simultaneously near Prokhorovka, ending in a draw. Despite the fact that neither side seized the decisive initiative, the offensive of the German troops was stopped, and on July 17 the defensive phase of the battle turned into an offensive part. Its result was that the Nazis were thrown back to the south of the Kursk Bulge, to their original positions. In August, Belgorod and Orel were liberated.
What major battle ended the Great Patriotic War? This battle was the confrontation on the Kursk Bulge, the decisive chord of which was the liberation of Kharkov on 08/23/1944. It was this event that ended a series of major battles on the territory of the USSR and marked the beginning of the liberation of Europe by Soviet soldiers.
Major battles of the Great Patriotic War: table
For a better understanding of the course of the war, especially with regard to its most significant battles, there is a table reflecting the periodicity of what is happening.
Battle for Moscow | 30.09.1941-20.04.1942 |
Leningrad blockade | 08.09.1941-27.01.1944 |
Battle of Rzhev | 08.01.1942-31.03.1943 |
Battle of Stalingrad | 17.07.1942-02.02.1943 |
Battle for the Caucasus | 25.07.1942-09.10.1943 |
Battle for Kursk | 05.07.1943-23.08.1943 |
The major battles of the Great Patriotic War, whose names are known today to people of any age, have become indisputable evidence of the strength of mind and will. Soviet people, who did not allow the establishment of fascist power not only on the territory of the USSR, but throughout the world.
War is the worst thing that can happen in our lives. This must not be forgotten.
Especially about those five battles. The amount of blood in which is amazing ...1. Battle of Stalingrad, 1942-1943
Opponents: Nazi Germany vs. the USSR
Losses: Germany 841,000; Soviet Union 1,130,000
Total: 1,971,000
Outcome: Victory of the USSR
The German advance began with a devastating series of Luftwaffe raids that left much of Stalingrad in ruins. But the bombing did not completely destroy the urban landscape. As they advanced, the German army became embroiled in violent street fighting with Soviet forces. Although the Germans took control of more than 90% of the city, the Wehrmacht forces were unable to dislodge the remaining stubborn Soviet soldiers.
The cold began, and in November 1942, the Red Army launched a double attack of the 6th German Army in Stalingrad. The flanks collapsed, and the 6th Army was surrounded, both by the Red Army and by the harsh Russian winter. Hunger, cold, and sporadic Soviet attacks began to take their toll. But Hitler did not allow the 6th Army to retreat. By February 1943, after failed attempt Germany break through when the food supply lines were cut, the 6th Army was defeated.
2. Battle of Leipzig, 1813
Opponents: France vs. Russia, Austria and Prussia
Losses: 30,000 French, 54,000 allies
Total: 84000
Outcome: Victory of the Coalition Forces
The Battle of Leipzig was the largest and most powerful defeat suffered by Napoleon, and the largest battle in Europe before the outbreak of the First World War. Faced with attacks from all sides, the French army performed remarkably well, keeping the attackers at bay for more than nine hours before they were outnumbered.
Realizing the imminent defeat, Napoleon began to withdraw his troops in an orderly manner across the only remaining bridge. The bridge was blown up too soon. Over 20,000 French soldiers were thrown into the water and drowned while trying to cross the river. The defeat opened the doors to France for the allied forces.
3. battle of Borodino, 1812
Opponents: Russia vs. France
Losses: Russians - 30,000 - 58,000; French - 40,000 - 58,000
Total: 70,000
Outcome: Various interpretations results
Borodino is considered the bloodiest one-day battle in history. Napoleon's army invaded the Russian Empire without declaring war. The rapid advance of the powerful French army forced the Russian command to retreat inland. Commander-in-Chief M.I. Kutuzov decided to give a general battle not far from Moscow, near the village of Borodino.
During this battle, every hour on the battlefield, about 6 thousand people died or were injured, according to the most conservative estimates. During the battle, the Russian army lost about 30% of its composition, the French - about 25%. In absolute numbers, this is about 60 thousand killed on both sides. But, according to some reports, up to 100 thousand people were killed during the battle and died later from wounds. Not a single one-day battle that took place before Borodino was so bloody.
Opponents: Britain vs. Germany
Casualties: Britain 60,000, Germany 8,000
Total: 68,000
Outcome: Inconclusive
The British Army experienced the bloodiest day in its history on initial stage a battle that would last for several months. More than a million people were killed as a result of the hostilities, and the original military tactical situation remained largely unchanged. It was planned to grind German defense by means of artillery bombardment to such an extent that the attacking British and French forces could simply move in and occupy the opposite trenches. But the shelling did not bring the expected devastating consequences.
As soon as the soldiers left the trenches, the Germans opened fire from machine guns. Poorly coordinated artillery often covered their own advancing infantry with fire or was often left without shelter. By nightfall, despite the massive loss of life, only a few targets were occupied. Attacks continued in this manner until October 1916.
5. Battle of Cannae, 216 BC
Opponents: Rome vs. Carthage
Losses: 10,000 Carthaginians, 50,000 Romans
Total: 60,000
Outcome: Carthaginian victory
The Carthaginian commander Hannibal led his army through the Alps and defeated two Roman armies on Trebia and Lake Trasimene, sought to involve the Romans in the last decisive battle. The Romans concentrated their heavy infantry in the center, hoping to break through the middle of the Carthaginian army. Hannibal, in anticipation of a central Roman attack, deployed the best troops on the flanks of his army.
As the center of the Carthaginian forces collapsed, the Carthaginian parties closed in on the Roman flanks. The mass of legionnaires in the back ranks forced the front ranks to march irresistibly forward, not knowing that they were driving themselves into a trap. Eventually, the Carthaginian cavalry arrived and closed the gap, thus completely encircling the Roman army. In close combat, the legionnaires, unable to flee, were forced to fight to the death. As a result of the battle, 50 thousand Roman citizens and two consuls were killed.
Invaders came from both the West and the East. They spoke to different languages, they had different weapons. But their goals were the same - to ruin and plunder the country, to kill or take away its inhabitants into captivity and slavery.
Today, in connection with this holiday, we decided to recall the most significant battles in the history of our country. If we forgot something, you can write in the comments.
1. The defeat of the Khazar Khaganate (965)
The Khazar Khaganate has long been the main rival of the Russian state. The unification of Slavic tribes around Russia, many of which had previously been dependent on Khazaria, could not but increase tension in relations between the two powers.
In 965, Prince Svyatoslav subjugated the Khazar Khaganate to his power, and then organized a campaign against a strong tribal union of the Vyatichi, who paid tribute to the Khazars. Svyatoslav Igorevich defeated the army of the kagan in battle and raided his entire state, from the Volga to the North Caucasus. Important Khazar cities were attached to Russia - the Sarkel (Belaya Vezha) fortress on the Don, which controlled the route from the Caspian Sea to the Black Sea (now at the bottom of the Tsimlyansk reservoir), and the port of Tmutarakan on Taman Peninsula. The Black Sea Khazars fell into the sphere of Russian influence. The remains of the Kaganate on the Volga were destroyed in the XI century by the Polovtsy.
2. Neva Battle (1240)
The prince of Novgorod was only 19 years old when, in the summer of 1240, Swedish ships, probably led by Birger Magnusson, entered the mouth of the Neva. Knowing that Novgorod was deprived of the support of the southern principalities, the Swedes, instructed from Rome, hoped, at a minimum, to seize all the lands north of the Neva, simultaneously converting both pagans and Orthodox Karelians to Catholicism.
The young Novgorod prince led a lightning attack of his squad and defeated the Swedes' camp before they had time to strengthen it. Going on a campaign, Alexander was in such a hurry that he did not gather all the Novgorodians who wished to join, believing that speed would be of decisive importance, and he turned out to be right. In the battle, Alexander fought in the forefront.
A decisive victory over superior forces brought Prince Alexander great fame and the honorary title - Nevsky.
However Novgorod boyars feared the growing influence of the prince, and tried to remove him from the management of the city. Soon Alexander left Novgorod, but a year later the threat of a new war forced the Novgorodians to turn to him again.
3. Battle on the Ice (1242)
In 1242 the German knights from Livonian Order captured Pskov and approached Novgorod. The Novgorodians, who had quarreled with Prince Alexander a year before, turned to him for help and again transferred power to him. The prince gathered an army, expelled the enemies from the Novgorod and Pskov lands and went to Lake Peipus.
On the ice of the lake in 1242, in a battle known as the Battle of the Ice, Alexander Yaroslavich destroyed an army of German knights. Russian arrows, despite the onslaught of the Germans, breaking through the regiments in the center, courageously resisted the attackers. This courage helped the Russians to surround the knights from the flanks and win. Pursuing the survivors for seven miles, Alexander showed the firmness of the Russian army. The victory in the battle led to the signing of a peace agreement between Novgorod and the Livonian Order.
4. Battle of Kulikovo (1380)
The Battle of Kulikovo, which took place on September 8, 1380, was a turning point that showed the strength of the united Russian army and the ability of Russia to resist the Horde.
The conflict between Mamai and Dmitry Donskoy escalated more and more. The Moscow principality strengthened, Russia won many victories over the troops of the Horde. Donskoy did not listen to Mamai when he gave Prince Mikhail of Tverskoy a label for Vladimir, and then stopped paying tribute to the Horde. All this could not but lead Mamai to the idea of the need quick victory over a rising enemy.
In 1378 he sent an army against Dmitry, but it was defeated on the Vozha River. Soon Mamai lost influence on the Volga lands due to the invasion of Tokhtamysh. In 1380, the Horde commander decided to attack the Donskoy army in order to finally defeat his forces.
On September 8, 1380, when the armies clashed, it became clear that there would be a lot of losses on both sides. The legendary exploits of Alexander Peresvet, Mikhail Brenk and Dmitry Donskoy were described in The Tale of the Battle of Mamaev. The turning point for the battle was the moment when Bobrok ordered to delay the ambush regiment, and then cut off the retreat of the Tatars, who had broken through to the river, with his forces. The Horde cavalry was driven into the river and destroyed, meanwhile the rest of the forces mixed the other enemy troops, and the Horde began to retreat randomly. Mamai fled, realizing that he no longer had the strength to continue the fight. According to various estimates, on September 8, 1380, from 40 to 70 thousand Russians and from 90 to 150 thousand Horde troops met in the decisive battle. The victory of Dmitry Donskoy significantly weakened Golden Horde which predetermined its further disintegration.
5. Standing on the Ugra (1480)
This event marks the end of the Horde's influence on the politics of the Russian princes.
In 1480, after Ivan III broke the khan's label, Khan Akhmat, having entered into an alliance with Lithuanian prince Casimir, moved to Russia. In an effort to connect with the Lithuanian army, on October 8 he approached the Ugra River, a tributary of the Oka. Here he was met by the Russian army.
Akhmat's attempt to force the Ugra was repulsed in a four-day battle. Then the Khan began to expect the Lithuanians. Ivan III, in order to gain time, began negotiations with him. At this time, the Crimean Khan Mengli Giray, an ally of Moscow, attacked the lands of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which did not allow Casimir to help Akhmat. On October 20, the regiments of his brothers, Boris and Andrei Bolshoi, came to reinforce Ivan III. Upon learning of this, Akhmat turned his army back to the steppe on November 11. Soon Akhmat was killed in the Horde. So Russia finally tore apart Horde yoke and gained independence.
6. Battle of Molodi (1572)
On July 29, 1572, the Battle of Molodi began - a battle whose outcome was decided by the course of Russian history.
The situation before the battle was very unfavorable. The main forces of the Russian army got stuck in a fierce struggle in the west with Sweden and the Commonwealth. Only a small zemstvo army and guardsmen under the command of Prince Mikhail Ivanovich Vorotynsky and governor Dmitry Ivanovich Khvorostinin were able to assemble against the Tatars. They were joined by a 7,000-strong detachment of German mercenaries and Don Cossacks. The total number of Russian troops amounted to 20,034 people.
To fight the Tatar cavalry, Prince Vorotynsky decided to use the "walk-city" - a mobile fortress, behind the walls of which archers and gunners hid. Russian troops not only stopped the six times superior enemy, but also put him to flight. The Crimean-Turkish army of Devlet Giray was almost completely destroyed.
Only 20 thousand horsemen returned to the Crimea, and none of the Janissaries escaped. The Russian army also suffered heavy losses, including the oprichnina army. In the autumn of 1572, the oprichnina regime was abolished. The heroic victory of the Russian army in the Battle of Molodin - the last major battle between Russia and the Steppe - was of great geopolitical significance. Moscow was saved from total annihilation, and Russian state- from defeat and loss of independence. Russia retained control over the entire course of the Volga - the most important trade and transport artery. Nogai horde, convinced of the weakness Crimean Khan, retracted from him.
7. Moscow battle (1612)
The Moscow battle was the decisive episode of the Time of Troubles. The occupation of Moscow was removed by the forces of the Second Militia, led by Prince Dmitry Pozharsky. The garrison, completely blocked in the Kremlin and Kitay-gorod, having received no help from King Sigismund III, began to experience an acute shortage of provisions, it even came to cannibalism. On October 26, the remnants of the occupation detachment surrendered to the mercy of the winner.
Moscow was liberated. “The hope of taking possession of the whole Muscovite state was irrevocably destroyed,” wrote the Polish chronicler.
8. Battle of Poltava (1709)
On June 27, 1709, a general battle of the Northern War took place near Poltava with the participation of 37,000 Swedish and 60,000 Russian armies. Little Russian Cossacks participated in the battle on both sides, but most fought for the Russians. The Swedish army was almost completely defeated. Charles XII and Mazepa fled to Turkish possessions in Moldavia.
The military forces of Sweden were undermined, and its army was forever out of the best in the world. After the Battle of Poltava, the superiority of Russia became obvious. Denmark and Poland resumed participation in the Northern Alliance. An end was soon put to Swedish dominance in the Baltic.
9. Chesme battle (1770)
The decisive naval battle in the Chesme Bay took place at the height of the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774.
Despite the fact that the balance of power in the battle was 30/73 (not in favor of the Russian fleet), the competent command of Alexei Orlov and the valor of our sailors allowed the Russians to take strategic superiority in the battle.
The flagship of the Turks "Burj-u-Zafer" was set on fire, and after it many more ships of the Turkish fleet took up fire.
Chesmen became a triumph for the Russian fleet, secured the blockade of the Dardanelles and seriously disrupted Turkish communications in the Aegean Sea.
10. Battle of Kozludzhi (1774)
During the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774, Russia obtained another major victory. The Russian army under the command of Alexander Suvorov and Mikhail Kamensky near the city of Kozludzhi (now Suvorovo in Bulgaria), with an unequal balance of forces (24 thousand against 40 thousand), was able to win. Alexander Suvorov managed to drive the Turks off the hill and put them to flight without even resorting to a bayonet attack. This victory largely predetermined the outcome of the Russian-Turkish war and forced the Ottoman Empire to sign a peace treaty.
11. Capture of Ishmael (1790)
On December 22, 1790, Russian troops under the command of Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov stormed the hitherto impregnable Turkish fortress of Izmail.
Shortly before the war, with the help of French and German engineers, Izmail was turned into a fairly powerful fortress. Defended by a large garrison, he withstood two sieges undertaken by Russian troops without much difficulty.
Suvorov took command only 8 days before the final assault. He devoted all the remaining time to the training of soldiers. The troops trained to overcome obstacles and ramparts specially created near the Russian camp, practiced techniques hand-to-hand combat on scarecrows.
A day before the assault, a powerful artillery shelling of the city from all guns began. He was shelling both from land and from the sea.
At 3 am, long before dawn, a flare was launched. It was a sign of preparation for the assault. Russian troops left the location and lined up in three detachments of three columns.
At half past six the soldiers went on the attack. The fortress was attacked from all sides at once. By four o'clock the resistance was finally crushed in all parts of the city - the impregnable fortress fell.
The Russians lost over 2,000 soldiers killed and about 3,000 wounded in the battle. Significant losses. But they could not be compared with the losses of the Turks - they only lost about 26,000 people killed. The news of the capture of Ishmael spread like lightning throughout Europe.
The Turks realized the complete futility of further resistance and in next year signed the Treaty of Jassy. They abandoned their claims to the Crimea and the protectorate over Georgia, ceded part of the Black Sea territories to Russia. The border between the Russian and Ottoman empires moved to the Dniester. True, Ishmael had to be returned back to the Turks.
In honor of the capture of Izmail, Derzhavin and Kozlovsky wrote the song "Thunder of victory, resound!". Until 1816, it remained the unofficial anthem of the Empire.
12. Battle of Cape Tendra (1790)
The commander of the Turkish squadron, Hassan Pasha, managed to convince the Sultan of an imminent defeat. navy Russia, and at the end of August 1790 advanced the main forces to Cape Tendra (not far from modern Odessa). However, for the anchored Turkish fleet, the rapid approach of the Russian squadron under the command of Fyodor Ushakov was an unpleasant surprise. Despite the superiority in the number of ships (45 versus 37), the Turkish fleet tried to flee. However, by that time, Russian ships had already attacked the front line of the Turks. Ushakov managed to withdraw all the flagships of the Turkish fleet from the battle and thereby demoralize the rest of the enemy squadron. The Russian fleet did not lose a single ship.
13. Battle of Borodino (1812)
On August 26, 1812, in the battle near the village of Borodino, 125 kilometers west of Moscow, significant forces of the French and Russian armies converged. The regular troops under the command of Napoleon numbered about 137 thousand people, the army of Mikhail Kutuzov with the Cossacks and militia who joined it reached 120 thousand. The rugged terrain made it possible to quietly move reserves, and install artillery batteries on the hills.
On August 24, Napoleon approached the Shevardinsky redoubt, which stood near the village of the same name, three versts in front of the Borodino field.
The battle of Borodino began a day after the battle at the Shevardinsky redoubt and became the largest battle in the war of 1812. The losses on both sides were colossal: the French lost 28 thousand people, the Russians - 46.5 thousand.
Although Kutuzov after the battle gave the order to retreat to Moscow, in a report to Alexander I, he called the Russian army the winner in the battle. Many Russian historians think so too.
French scientists see the battle at Borodino differently. In their opinion, "in the battle near the Moscow River" Napoleonic troops won. Napoleon himself, comprehending the results of the battle, said: "The French in it showed themselves worthy of victory, and the Russians acquired the right to be invincible."
14. Battle of Elisavetpol (1826)
One of key episodes Russo-Persian War 1826-1828 was the battle near Elisavetpol (now the Azerbaijani city of Ganja). The victory then gained by the Russian troops under the command of Ivan Paskevich over the Persian army of Abbas Mirza became a model of military leadership. Paskevich managed to use the confusion of the Persians who fell into the ravine to launch a counterattack. Despite the superior forces of the enemy (35 thousand against 10 thousand), the Russian regiments began to push the army of Abbas Mirza along the entire front of the attack. The losses of the Russian side amounted to 46 killed, the Persians missed 2000 people.
15. Capture of Erivan (1827)
The fall of the fortified city of Erivan was the culmination of numerous attempts by Russia to establish control over the Transcaucasus. Built back in mid-sixteenth For centuries, the fortress was considered impregnable and more than once became a stumbling block for the Russian army. Ivan Paskevich managed to competently besiege the city from three sides, placing cannons around the entire perimeter. “The Russian artillery acted beautifully,” recalled the Armenians who remained in the fortress. Paskevich knew exactly where the Persian positions were located. On the eighth day of the siege, Russian soldiers broke into the city and dealt with the garrison of the fortress with bayonets.
16. Battle of Sarykamysh (1914)
By December 1914, during the First World War, Russia occupied the front from the Black Sea to Lake Van with a length of 350 km, while a significant part of the Caucasian army was pushed forward - deep into Turkish territory. Turkey had a tempting plan to outflank the Russian forces, thereby cutting railway Sarykamysh-Kars.
The persistence and initiative of the Russians defending Sarakamysh played a decisive role in the operation, the success of which literally hung in the balance. Unable to take Sarykamysh on the move, two Turkish corps fell into the arms of an icy cold, which became fatal for them.
Turkish troops in just one day on December 14 lost 10 thousand people frostbitten.
The last attempt of the Turks to take Sarykamysh on December 17 was repulsed by Russian counterattacks and ended in failure. At this, the offensive impulse of the Turkish troops, suffering from frost and poor supplies, was exhausted.
The turning point has arrived. On the same day, the Russians launched a counteroffensive and drove the Turks back from Sarykamysh. The Turkish commander Enver Pasha decided to strengthen the frontal onslaught and postponed main blow to Karaurgan, which was defended by parts of the Sarykamysh detachment of General Berkhman. But here, too, the fierce attacks of the 11th Turkish Corps, advancing on Sarykamysh from the front, were repelled.
On December 19, the Russian troops advancing near Sarykamysh completely surrounded the Turkish 9th Corps, frozen by snow storms. Its remnants after stubborn three-day fighting capitulated. Parts of the 10th Corps managed to retreat, but were defeated near Ardagan.
On December 25, General N. N. Yudenich became commander of the Caucasian Army, who gave the order to launch a counteroffensive near Karaurgan. Having thrown back the remnants of the 3rd Army by 30-40 km by January 5, 1915, the Russians stopped the pursuit, which was carried out in a 20-degree cold. And there was almost no one to follow.
Enver Pasha's troops lost 78 thousand people killed, frozen, wounded and captured (over 80% personnel). Russian losses amounted to 26 thousand people (killed, wounded, frostbite).
The victory near Sarykamysh stopped the Turkish aggression in Transcaucasia and strengthened the positions of the Caucasian army.
17. Brusilovsky breakthrough (1916)
One of the most important operations on the Eastern Front in 1916 was the offensive on the Southwestern Front, designed not only to turn the tide of hostilities on the Eastern Front, but also to cover the Allied offensive on the Somme. The result was the Brusilovsky breakthrough, which significantly undermined the military power of the Austro-Hungarian army and pushed Romania to enter the war on the side of the Entente.
The offensive operation of the Southwestern Front under the command of General Alexei Brusilov, carried out from May to September 1916, was, according to military historian Anton Kersnovsky, "a victory world war we haven't won yet." The number of forces that were involved on both sides is also impressive - 1,732,000 Russian soldiers and 1,061,000 soldiers of the Austro-Hungarian and German armies.
18. Khalkhin-Gol operation
Since the beginning of 1939, in the border area between the Mongolian People's Republic (on whose territory, in accordance with the Soviet-Mongolian protocol of 1936, there were Soviet troops) and the puppet state of Manchukuo, which was actually controlled by Japan, several incidents occurred between the Mongols and the Japanese-Manchus. Mongolia, backed by the Soviet Union, announced the passage of the border near small village Nomon-Khan-Burd-Obo, and Manchukuo, behind which Japan stood, drew the border along the Khalkhin Gol River. In May, the command of the Japanese Kwantung Army concentrated significant forces near Khalkhin Gol. The Japanese managed to achieve superiority in infantry, artillery and cavalry over the Soviet 57th separate rifle corps deployed in Mongolia. However, the Soviet troops had an advantage in aviation and armored forces. Since May, the Japanese have held east coast Khalkhin Gol, but in the summer they decided to force the river and seize a bridgehead on the "Mongolian" coast.
On July 2, Japanese units crossed the "Manchu-Mongolian" border officially recognized by Japan and tried to gain a foothold. The command of the Red Army put into action all the forces that could be delivered to the conflict area. Soviet mechanized brigades, having made an unprecedented march through the desert, immediately entered the battle in the region of Mount Bain-Tsagan, in which about 400 tanks and armored vehicles, over 300 guns and several hundred aircraft participated on both sides. As a result, the Japanese lost almost all of their tanks. During a 3-day bloody battle, the Japanese managed to push back across the river. However, now Moscow was already insisting on a forceful solution of the issue, especially since there was a threat of a second Japanese invasion. G.K. Zhukov was appointed commander of the rifle corps. Aviation was reinforced by pilots with combat experience in Spain and China. On August 20, Soviet troops went on the offensive. By the end of August 23 Japanese troops were surrounded. An attempt to release this group, made by the enemy, was repulsed. Surrounded fought fiercely until 31 August. The conflict led to the total resignation of the command of the Kwantung Army and the change of government. The new government immediately asked the Soviet side for an armistice, which was signed in Moscow on 15 September.
19. Battle for Moscow (1941-1942)
The long and bloody defense of Moscow, which began in September 1941, from December 5 passed into the offensive phase, which ended on April 20, 1942. On December 5, Soviet troops launched a counteroffensive and German divisions rolled west. The plan of the Soviet command to encircle the main forces of Army Group Center east of Vyazma was not fully implemented. The Soviet troops lacked mobile formations, and there was no experience of a coordinated offensive of such masses of troops.
However, the result was impressive. The enemy was pushed back from Moscow by 100–250 kilometers, and the immediate threat to the capital, which is the most important industrial and transport hub, was eliminated. In addition, the victory near Moscow had a huge psychological significance. For the first time in the entire war, the enemy was defeated and retreated tens and hundreds of kilometers. German General Gunther Blumentritt recalled: “Now it was important for the political leaders of Germany to understand that the days of blitzkrieg had sunk into the past. We were confronted by an army far superior in its fighting qualities to all other armies with which we had ever had to meet.
20. Battle of Stalingrad (1942-1943)
The defense of Stalingrad became one of the most fierce operations of that war. By the end of the street fighting, which lasted from August to November, Soviet troops held only three isolated bridgeheads on the right bank of the Volga; in the divisions of the 62nd Army, which defended the city, there were 500-700 people left, but the Germans did not succeed in throwing them into the river. Meanwhile, since September, the Soviet command had been preparing an operation to encircle the German group advancing on Stalingrad.
On November 19, 1942, Soviet troops went on the offensive north of Stalingrad, and the next day, south of it. On November 23, the shock wedges of the Soviet troops met near the city of Kalach, which marked the encirclement of the Stalingrad grouping of the enemy. 22 enemy divisions (about 300 thousand people) were in the ring. This was the turning point of the entire war.
In December 1942, the German command tried to release the encircled group, but the Soviet troops repelled this onslaught. Fighting in the area of Stalingrad continued until February 2, 1943. Over 90 thousand enemy soldiers and officers (including 24 generals) surrendered.
Soviet trophies were 5,762 guns, 1,312 mortars, 12,701 machine guns, 156,987 rifles, 10,722 machine guns, 744 aircraft, 166 tanks, 261 armored vehicles, 80,438 cars, 10,679 motorcycles, 240 tractors, 571 tractors, 3 armored trains and other military equipment .
21. Battle of Kursk (1943)
The Battle of Kursk is one of the greatest in the history of the Great Patriotic War, which marked a radical turning point in hostilities. After it, the strategic initiative completely passed into the hands of the Soviet command.
Building on the success achieved at Stalingrad, Soviet troops launched a large-scale offensive on the front from Voronezh to the Black Sea. Simultaneously, in January 1943, besieged Leningrad was released.
Only by the spring of 1943 did the Wehrmacht manage to stop Soviet offensive in Ukraine. Although units of the Red Army occupied Kharkov and Kursk, and the advanced units of the South-Western Front were already fighting on the outskirts of Zaporozhye, the German troops, transferring reserves from other sectors of the front, pulling up troops from Western Europe, actively maneuvering mechanized formations, launched a counteroffensive and re-occupied Kharkov . As a result, the front line on the southern flank of the confrontation acquired characteristic shape, which later became known as the Kursk Bulge.
It was here that the German command decided to inflict a decisive defeat on the Soviet troops. It was supposed to cut it off with blows to the base of the arc, surrounding two Soviet fronts at once.
The German command planned to achieve success, among other things, through the widespread use of the latest types of military equipment. It was on the Kursk Bulge that heavy German Panther tanks and Ferdinand self-propelled artillery guns were first used.
The Soviet command knew about the plans of the enemy and deliberately decided to concede strategic initiative enemy. The idea was to wear out the shock divisions of the Wehrmacht in pre-prepared positions, and then go on the counteroffensive. And it must be admitted that this plan was successful.
Yes, not everything went as planned, and on the southern face of the arc, German tank wedges almost broke through the defenses, but in general Soviet operation developed according to the original idea. One of the largest tank battles in the world took place near the Prokhorovka station, in which more than 800 tanks took part simultaneously. Although the Soviet troops in this battle also suffered heavy losses, the offensive potential of the Germans was lost.
More than 100 thousand participants in the Battle of Kursk were awarded orders and medals, more than 180 were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. In honor of the victory in the Battle of Kursk, an artillery salute sounded for the first time.
22. Capture of Berlin (1945)
The assault on Berlin began on April 25, 1945 and continued until May 2. The Soviet troops had to literally gnaw through the enemy defenses - the battles went for every intersection, for every house. The garrison of the city consisted of 200 thousand people, who had at their disposal about 3000 guns and about 250 tanks, so the assault on Berlin was an operation comparable to the defeat of the encircled German army near Stalingrad.
On May 1, the new Chief of the German General Staff, General Krebs, informed the Soviet representatives about Hitler's suicide and offered a truce. However Soviet side demanded unconditional surrender. In this situation, new German government headed for an early surrender to the Western allies. Since Berlin was already surrounded, on May 2, the commander of the city garrison, General Weindling, capitulated, but only on behalf of the Berlin garrison.
Characteristically, some units refused to comply with this order and tried to break through to the west, but were intercepted and defeated. Meanwhile, negotiations between German and Anglo-American representatives were going on in Reims. The German delegation insisted on the surrender of troops on the western front, hoping to continue the war in the east, but the American command demanded unconditional surrender.
Finally, on May 7, the unconditional surrender of Germany was signed, which was supposed to come at 23.01 on May 8. From the USSR, this act was signed by General Susloparov. However, the Soviet government considered that the surrender of Germany should, firstly, take place in Berlin, and secondly, be signed by the Soviet command.
23. Defeat of the Kwantung Army (1945)
Japan was an ally during World War II Nazi Germany and waged a war of conquest with China, during which all known types of weapons of mass destruction were used, including biological and chemical weapons.
Commander-in-Chief of the Soviet Forces Far East Marshal Vasilevsky was appointed. In less than a month, Soviet troops defeated the millionth Kwantung Army stationed in Manchuria and liberated the entire Northern China and part of Central China.
A highly professional army fought against the Kwantung Army. It was impossible to stop her. The military textbooks included the operation of the Soviet troops to overcome the Gobi Desert and the Khingan Range. In just two days, the 6th Guards Tank Army crossed the mountains and found itself deep behind enemy lines. During this outstanding offensive, about 200 thousand Japanese were taken prisoner, many weapons and equipment were captured.
The heroic efforts of our fighters also took the heights of "Acute" and "Camel" of the Khutous fortified area. The approaches to the heights were located in hard-to-reach wetlands and were well protected by scarps and barbed wire. The firing points of the Japanese were cut down in a granite rock massif.
The capture of the Khutou fortress cost the lives of over a thousand Soviet soldiers and officers. The Japanese did not negotiate and rejected all calls for surrender. During the 11 days of the assault, almost all of them died, only 53 people surrendered.
As a result of the war, the Soviet Union returned to its territory the territories lost Russian Empire in 1905 following the results of the Portsmouth peace, however, the loss of the South Kuriles by Japan has not been recognized by her until now. Japan capitulated, but the peace treaty with the Soviet Union was not signed.
Business card
Great battles of the Great Patriotic War
Great battles of WWII
Moscow battle 1941 - 1942 There are two main stages in the battle: defensive (September 30 - December 5, 1941) and offensive (December 5, 1941 - April 20, 1942). At the first stage, the goal of the Soviet troops was the defense of Moscow, at the second - the defeat of the enemy forces advancing on Moscow.
By the beginning of the German offensive on Moscow, as part of the Army Group Center (Field Marshal F. Bock), there were 74.5 divisions (approximately 38% of infantry and 64% of tank and mechanized divisions operating on Soviet-German front), 1,800,000 people, 1,700 tanks, over 14,000 guns and mortars, 1,390 aircraft. The Soviet troops had 1,250,000 men, 990 tanks, 7,600 guns and mortars, and 677 aircraft in the Western direction as part of three fronts.
At the first stage, the Soviet troops of the Western Front (Colonel General I. S. Konev, and from October 10 - Army General G. K. Zhukov), (Bryansk (until October 10 - Colonel General A. I. Eremenko) and Kalininsky ( from October 17 - 8. S. Konev) of the fronts stopped the offensive of the troops of the Army Group "Center" (the implementation of the frequent operation "Typhoon") at the turn: south of the Volga reservoir, Dmitrov, Yakhroma, Krasnaya Polyana (27 km from Moscow), eastern Istra, west of Kubinka, Naro-Fominsk, west of Serpukhov, east of Aleksin, Tula. During the defensive battles, the enemy was significantly bled white.On December 5-6, Soviet troops launched a counteroffensive, and on January 7-10, 1942 launched a general offensive on the entire front. January-April 1942, the troops of the Western, Kalinin, Bryansk (from December 18 - Colonel General Ya. T. Cherevichenko) and the North-Western Lieutenant General P. A. Kurochkin) fronts defeated the enemy and drove him back 100 -250 km. 11 tank, 4 motorized and 23 infantry divisions were defeated. The losses of the anti-terrorist only for the period of January 1 - March 30, 1942 amounted to 333 thousand people.
The Moscow battle had great value: the myth of the invincibility of the German army was dispelled, the plan for a lightning war was thwarted, the international position of the USSR was strengthened.
Battle of Stalingrad 1942 - 1943 Defensive and (July 17 - November 18, 1942) and offensive (November 19, 1942 - February 2, 1943) operations carried out by Soviet troops in order to defend Stalingrad and defeat a large enemy strategic group operating in the Stalingrad direction.
In defensive battles in the Stalingrad region and in the city itself, the troops of the Stalingrad Front (Marshal S. K. Timoshenko, from July 23 - Lieutenant General V. N. Gordov, from August 5 - Colonel General A. I. Eremenko) and the Don Front (from September 28 - Lieutenant General K.K. Rokossovsky) managed to stop the offensive of the 6th Army, Colonel General F. Paulus and the 4th Tank Army. By July 17, the 6th Army included 13 divisions (about 270 thousand people, 3 thousand guns and mortars, about 500 tanks). They were supported by aviation of the 4th Air Fleet (up to 1200 aircraft). The troops of the Stalingrad Front numbered 160 thousand people, 2.2 thousand guns, about 400 tanks and 454 aircraft. At the cost of great efforts, the command of the Soviet troops managed not only to stop the advance of German troops in Stalingrad, but also to gather significant forces for the start of the counteroffensive (1,103 thousand people, 15,500 guns and mortars, 1,463 tanks and self-propelled guns, 1,350 combat aircraft). By this time, a significant grouping of German troops and forces of German allied countries (in particular, the 8th Italian, 3rd and 4th Romanian armies). Total enemy troops to the beginning Soviet counteroffensive was 1,011,500 people, 10,290 guns and mortars, 675 tanks and assault guns, 1,216 combat aircraft.
On November 19-20, the troops of the Southwestern Front (Lieutenant General N. F. Vatutin), the Stalingrad and Don Fronts went on the offensive and surrounded 22 divisions (330 thousand people) in the Stalingrad area. Having repelled an enemy attempt to free the encircled grouping in December, the Soviet troops liquidated it. January 31 - February 2, 1943 the remnants of the 6th Army of the enemy, led by Field Marshal F. Paulus, surrendered (91 thousand people).
The victory at Stalingrad marked the beginning of a radical change in the course of the Great Patriotic War and the Second World War.
Battle of Kursk 1943 Defensive (July 5 - 23) and offensive (July 12 - August 23) operations carried out by Soviet troops in the Kursk region to disrupt a major German offensive and defeat the enemy's strategic grouping. The German command, after the defeat of its troops at Stalingrad, intended to conduct a major offensive operation in the Kursk region (Operation Citadel). Significant enemy forces were involved in its implementation - 50 divisions (including 16 tank and mechanized) and a number of separate parts Army Group Center (Field Marshal G. Kluge) and Army Group South (Field Marshal E. Manstein). This amounted to about 70% of tank, up to 30% of motorized and more than 20% of infantry divisions operating on the Soviet-German front, as well as over 65% of all combat aircraft. About 20 enemy divisions operated on the flanks of the strike groupings. Ground forces supported by aviation of the 4th and 6th air fleets. In total, the enemy strike groupings included over 900 thousand people, about 10 thousand guns and mortars, up to 2700 tanks and self-propelled guns (most of them were new designs - "tigers", "panthers" and "Ferdinands") and about 2050 aircraft (including latest designs- "Focke-Wulf-lQOA" and "Heinkel-129").
The Soviet command assigned the task of repelling the enemy offensive to the troops of the Central (from the side of Orel) and Voronezh (from the side of Belgorod) fronts. After solving the problems of defense, it was planned to defeat the Oryol grouping of the enemy (Plan "Kutuzov") by the troops of the right wing of the Central Front (General of the Army K. K. Rokossovsky), Bryansk (Colonel General M. M. Popov) and the left wing of the Western Front (Colonel General V. D. Sokolovsky). The offensive operation in the Belgorod-Kharkov direction (the plan "Commander Rumyantsev") was to be carried out by the forces of the Voronezh (Army General N.F. Vatutin) and the Steppe (Colonel-General I.S. Konev) fronts in cooperation with the troops of the South-Western Front (General Army R. Ya. Malinovsky). The overall coordination of the actions of all these forces was entrusted to the representatives of the Stavka marshals G.K. Zhukov and A.M. Vasilevsky.
By the beginning of July, the Central and Voronezh Fronts had 1336 thousand people, over 19 thousand guns and mortars, 3444 tanks and self-propelled guns (including 900 light tanks) and 2172 aircraft. In the rear of the Kursk ledge, the Steppe Military District (from July 9 - the front) was deployed, which was the strategic reserve of the Headquarters.
The enemy offensive was to begin at 3 o'clock in the morning on July 5. However, just before it began, the Soviet troops carried out artillery counter-preparation and inflicted heavy damage on the enemy in the places of his concentration. The German offensive began only after 2.5 hours, and its course was different from what was planned. Thanks to the measures taken, it was possible to hold back the advance of the enemy (in seven days he managed to advance only 10-12 km in the direction of the Central Front). The most powerful enemy grouping operated on the direction of the Voronezh Front. Here the advance of the Germans amounted to 35 km deep into the defense of the Soviet troops. On July 12, there was a turning point in the course of the battle. On this day, in the Prokhorovka area, the largest in the history of the oncoming tank battle, in which 1200 tanks and self-propelled guns took part on both sides. The enemy lost here only on this day up to 400 tanks and self-propelled guns and 10 thousand people were killed. Started July 12 new stage in the Battle of Kursk, during which the counteroffensive of the Soviet troops developed as part of the Oovskaya and Velgorod-Kharkov operations, which ended with the liberation of Orel and Belgorod on August 5, and Kharkov on August 23.
As a result Battle of Kursk 30 enemy divisions were completely defeated (including 7 tank divisions). The enemy lost over 500 thousand people, 1.5 thousand tanks, over 3.7 thousand aircraft, 3 thousand guns. The main outcome of the battle was the transition of German troops in all theaters of operations to strategic defense. The strategic initiative finally passed into the hands of the Soviet command. In the Great Patriotic War and the Second World War, a radical change started by the Battle of Stalingrad ended.
Belarusian operation (June 23 - August 29, 1944). The code name is Operation Bagration. One of the largest strategic offensive operations undertaken by the Soviet high command to defeat the Nazi Army Group Center and liberate Belarus. The total number of enemy troops was 63 divisions and 3 brigades of 1.2 million people, 9.5 thousand guns, 900 tanks and 1350 aircraft. Field Marshal E. Bush commanded the enemy grouping, and from June 28, Field Marshal V. Model. She was opposed by the Soviet troops of four fronts (1st Baltic, 3rd Belorussian, 2nd Belorussian and 1st Belorussian) under the command of General of the Army I. Kh. Baghramyan, General of the Army I. D. Chernyakhovsky, General of the Army G. F. Zakharov and Marshal of the Soviet Union K. K. Rokossovsky. Four fronts united 20 combined arms and 2 tank armies(total 166 divisions, 112 tank and mechanized corps, 7 fortified areas and 21 brigades). The total number of Soviet troops reached 2.4 million people, armed with about 86 thousand guns, 5.2 thousand tanks, 5.3 thousand combat aircraft,
According to the nature of the hostilities and the achievement of the tasks set, the operation is divided into two stages. At the first (June 23 - July 4), the Vitebsk-Orsha, Mogilev, Bobruisk and Polotsk operations were carried out and the encirclement of the enemy Minsk grouping was completed. At the second stage (July 5 - August 29), the encircled enemy was destroyed and the Soviet troops entered new lines during the Siauliai, Vilnius, Kaunas, Bialystok and Lublin-Brest operations. During the Belarusian operation, the enemy completely lost 17 divisions and 3 brigades, and 50 divisions lost more than 50% of their composition. Total losses the enemy amounted to about 500 thousand killed, wounded and captured. During the operation, Lithuania and Latvia were partially liberated. On July 20, the Red Army entered the territory of Poland and on August 17 approached the borders East Prussia. By August 29, she entered the suburbs of Warsaw. In general, on a front with a length of 1100 km, our troops advanced 550-100 km, completely cutting off the northern enemy grouping in the Baltic states. For participation in the operation, over 400 thousand soldiers and officers of the Red Army were awarded military orders and medals.
Berlin operation 1945 The final strategic offensive operation carried out by the Soviet troops on April 16 - May 8, 1945. The objectives of the operation were to defeat the group of German troops defending in the Berlin direction, to capture Berlin and reach the Elbe to join up with the allied forces. In the Berlin direction, the troops of the Vistula group occupied the defense "And the Center group under the command of Colonel General G. Heinritz and Field Marshal F. Scherner. The total number of enemy troops was 1 million people, 10,400 guns, 1,500 tanks, 3,300 aircraft. In the rear of these army groups were reserve units consisting of 8 divisions, as well as the Berlin garrison of 200 thousand people.
The troops of three fronts were involved in the operation: the 2nd Belorussian (Marshal K.K. Rokossovsky), the 1st Belorussian (Marshal G.K. Zhukov), the 1st Ukrainian (Marshal I.S. Konev). In total, the advancing troops included up to 2.5 million soldiers and officers, 41,600 guns and mortars, 6,250 tanks and self-propelled guns, 7,500 aircraft, as well as part of the forces of the Baltic Fleet and the Dnieper military flotilla.
According to the nature of the tasks performed and the results, the Berlin operation is divided into 3 stages. 1st stage - breakthrough of the Oder-Neissen line of defense of the enemy (April 16 - 19); 2nd stage - encirclement and dismemberment of enemy troops (April 19 - 25); 3rd stage - the destruction of the encircled groups and the capture of Berlin (April 26 - May 8). The main goals of the operation were achieved in 16-17 days.
For the success of the operation, 1082 thousand soldiers were awarded the medal "For the Capture of Berlin". More than 600 participants in the operation became Heroes of the Soviet Union, and 13 people were awarded the second Gold Star medal. Significant dates of the Great Patriotic War
December 5 - Day of the beginning of the counter-offensive of Soviet troops against the invaders in the battle of Moscow
The day of the beginning of the counter-offensive of the Soviet troops against the Nazi troops in the battle near Moscow.
In terms of the number of troops, military equipment and weapons, the scope and intensity of hostilities, the battle near Moscow in 1941-1942. was one of the largest in the history of the Second World War. It took place on the territory up to 1 thousand km along the front and up to 350 - 400 km in depth, which was equal in area to England, Ireland, Iceland, Belgium and Holland combined. Fierce, fierce and bloody battles went on for more than 200 days, in which more than 7 million soldiers and officers, about 53 thousand guns and mortars, about 6.5 thousand tanks and assault guns, more than 3 thousand combat aircraft fought on both sides. The Battle of Moscow was the decisive military event of the first year of the Great Patriotic War.
Even in Directive N 21, the Wehrmacht was tasked with reaching Moscow as soon as possible. After the first successes, Hitler demanded that the command and troops "occupy Moscow on August 15, and end the war with Russia on October 1". However, the Soviet troops stopped the enemy with active and decisive actions.
By December 5, the German offensive was in crisis. Having suffered heavy losses and having used up material resources, the enemy began to go over to the defensive. At the same time, by the beginning of December, the Headquarters of the Supreme Command had concentrated significant strategic reserves near Moscow.
On December 5-6, the troops of the Kalinin, Western and Southwestern Fronts launched a decisive counteroffensive. Despite the stubborn resistance of the enemy, severe frosts and deep snow cover, it developed successfully. By January 7, 1942, Soviet troops advanced 100-250 km to the west.
For valor and courage shown in fierce and bloody battles, 40 formations and units were awarded guard ranks, 36 thousand soldiers and officers were awarded orders and medals. The battle near Moscow was the beginning of a radical turning point in the Great Patriotic War.
Federal Law No. 32-FZ of March 13, 1995 “On Days military glory(victorious days) of Russia"
The victory of the Soviet troops over the Nazi troops near Stalingrad is one of the most glorious pages in the annals of the Great Patriotic War. For 200 days and nights - from July 17, 1942 to February 2, 1943 - the Battle of Stalingrad continued with the continuously increasing tension of the forces of both sides. During the first four months, stubborn defensive battles went on, first in the big bend of the Don, and then on the outskirts of Stalingrad and in the city itself. During this period, Soviet troops exhausted the German fascist grouping that was rushing to the Volga and forced it to go on the defensive. In the next two and a half months, the Red Army, going on the counteroffensive, defeated the enemy troops northwest and south of Stalingrad, surrounded and liquidated the 300,000-strong group of Nazi troops.
The Battle of Stalingrad is the decisive battle of the Second World War, in which the Soviet troops won biggest win. This battle marked the beginning of a radical change in the course of the Great Patriotic War and World War II in general. The victorious offensive of the Nazi troops ended and their expulsion from the territory of the Soviet Union began.
The battle of Stalingrad in terms of the duration and fierceness of the fighting, in terms of the number of people and military equipment participating, surpassed at that time all the battles of world history. It unfolded over a vast territory of 100,000 square kilometers. At certain stages, more than 2 million people, up to 2 thousand tanks, more than 2 thousand aircraft, up to 26 thousand guns participated in it on both sides. According to the results, this battle also surpassed all previous ones. Near Stalingrad, Soviet troops defeated five armies: two German, two Romanian and one Italian. The fascist German troops lost more than 800 thousand soldiers and officers, as well as a large number of military equipment, weapons and equipment, killed, wounded, captured.
The battle for Stalingrad is usually divided into two inextricably related period: defensive (from July 17 to November 18, 1942) and offensive (from November 19, 1942 to February 2, 1943).
At the same time, due to the fact that the Battle of Stalingrad is a whole complex of defensive and offensive operations, its periods, in turn, must be considered in stages, each of which is either one completed or even several interrelated operations.
For courage and heroism shown in the Battle of Stalingrad, 32 formations and units were given the honorary titles "Stalingrad", 5 - "Don". 55 formations and units were awarded orders. 183 units, formations and associations were transformed into guards. More than one hundred and twenty soldiers were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, about 760 thousand participants in the battle were awarded the medal "For the Defense of Stalingrad." On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War, the hero city of Volgograd was awarded the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal.
August 23 - Day of the defeat of the Nazi troops by the Soviet troops in the Battle of Kursk
Fierce battles on the ground and in the air on the Kursk Bulge lasted 50 days (5.07 - 23.08, 1943). Through Oboyan and Prokhorovka, the Nazis rushed to Kursk. On July 12, 1943, the largest oncoming tank battle in history took place near Prokhorovka, in which more than 1,200 tanks and self-propelled guns participated on both sides. The Wehrmacht lost about 500 thousand people, 1.5 thousand tanks, over 3.7 thousand aircraft, 3 thousand guns.
His offensive strategy was completely defeated. The victory was won by Soviet tankers, who destroyed up to 400 enemy tanks. During the Battle of Kursk, Soviet troops liberated the Russian cities of Orel and Belgorod. On this day, for the first time during the war, Moscow saluted the heroic soldiers, announcing the victory at the Kursk Bulge to the world. The last attempt by the enemy command to regain the strategic initiative and take revenge for Stalingrad failed. The fascist German army was placed before a catastrophe. The mass expulsion of the Nazi invaders from the USSR began.
Our people sacredly honor the memory of warrior-heroes. Along the line of the Kursk Bulge from Orel to Belgorod, monuments and obelisks of military glory were erected at the sites of battles and battles in 1943. At the 624th kilometer of the Moscow-Simferopol highway, not far from Prokhorovka (Belgorod Region), in honor of the tank heroes who participated in the defeat of the Nazi troops on the Kursk Bulge, in 1954 the famous Soviet T-34 tank was installed on a pedestal. In 1973 the memorial complex was opened.
From the first days of the war, one of the strategic directions, according to the plans of the Nazi command, was Leningrad. Leningrad was one of the most important objects scheduled for capture.
The battle for Leningrad, the longest in the course of the entire Great Patriotic War, went on from July 10, 1941 to August 9, 1944. During the 900-day defense of Leningrad, Soviet troops pinned down large forces of the German army and the entire Finnish army. This undoubtedly contributed to the victories of the Red Army in other sectors of the Soviet-German front. Leningrad residents showed examples of steadfastness, endurance and patriotism.
During the blockade, about 1 million inhabitants died, including more than 600 thousand from starvation. During the war, Hitler repeatedly demanded that the city be razed to the ground and its population completely destroyed. However, neither shelling and bombing, nor hunger and cold broke its defenders.
Already in July - September 1941, 10 divisions of the people's militia were formed in the city. In spite of the most difficult conditions, the industry of Leningrad did not stop its work. Assistance to the blockade was carried out on the ice of Lake Ladoga. This highway was called the "Road of Life". On January 12-30, 1943, an operation was carried out to break the blockade of Leningrad ("Iskra").
She came turning point in the battle for Leningrad. The entire southern coast of Lake Ladoga was cleared of the enemy, and the initiative to conduct military operations in this direction passed to the Red Army. During the carrying out from January 14 to March 1, 1944 of the Leningrad-Novgorod strategic offensive operation a heavy defeat was inflicted on Army Group North.
On January 27, 1944, Leningraders celebrated the lifting of the blockade. In the evening, a salute of 324 guns took place, about which our famous poetess A. A. Akhmatova wrote such unforgettable lines: “And in the starless January night, Marveling at an unprecedented fate, Returned from the mortal abyss, Leningrad salutes itself.” As a result of powerful blows, almost the entire Leningrad region and part of Kalininskaya, Soviet troops entered Estonia. formed favorable conditions to defeat the enemy in the Baltic.
Victory Day of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.
One of the days of military glory of Russia.
Victory Day is a non-working day and is celebrated annually with a military parade and artillery salute.
The military parade is held in the capital of the Russian Federation, Moscow, using the symbols of the Great Patriotic War.
Artillery salute is held in hero cities, as well as in cities where the headquarters of military districts and fleets are deployed. The procedure for holding festive processions, meetings, rallies and demonstrations dedicated to Victory Day is determined in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation.
This Day was established by Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of April 2, 1996 N 489 in connection with the signing of the Treaty between Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus, which ensures the further integration of the fraternal peoples.
The prisoners of the fascist death camps still have heavy dreams. 55 years have passed until the day of liberation, from the time when we lived with the only thought - to endure everything and not give up. They persevered and did not give up. Having not achieved their goal, the executioners sent for destruction to the death camps everyone who resisted, who fought against fascism during the period of Nazi terror.
18 million prisoners from 23 countries of the world with the heading "not subject to return" entered the gates of concentration camps and only seven million waited for freedom. Auschwitz alone, a real factory of death, claimed the lives of four million. And how many were there? Mauthausen, Dachau, Sachsengeisen...
International female concentration camp death, Ravensbrück, hell, lived up to its name: its name is translated into Russian as "crow's bridge". There, behind a brick wall four and a half meters high with a wire under voltage of six thousand volts, the “medical luminaries” of the Third Reich did their dirty work: they instilled cancer, gas gangrene, chopped off their legs, and they took all the blood from children. No one could run away from here to tell what was going on behind these walls. Many women were sterilized, saying: “You will be a slave, but never a mother!”
As sad as it is to admit, it is impossible to deny the fact that numerous wars have played an important role in shaping our world. They have shaped our history by creating and destroying entire nations. Society has been changing for thousands of years precisely with the help of wars.
There are many small battles in the history of mankind, but there are also battles that have significantly influenced the course of the whole history. The ten battles listed are perhaps not the largest in history in terms of the number of people involved.
But it was they who changed history, the consequences of which we feel to this day. A different outcome of these battles has made us the current world in which we live, completely, completely different.
Stalingrad, 1942-1943. This battle effectively put an end to Hitler's plans for world domination. Stalingrad became Starting point for Germany on its still long road to defeat in World War II. German troops sought to capture the city on the Volga and the left bank of the river at any cost. This would cut off the oil fields of the Caucasus from the rest of the country. But the Soviet troops withstood and during the counterattack surrounded a significant part of the Nazi group. The battle lasted from July 1942 to February 1943. When the battle ended, the death toll from both exceeded 2 million people. 91 thousand German soldiers and officers were taken prisoner. From such heavy losses, Germany and its allies were never able to recover, waging essentially only defensive battles until the very end of the war. Major offensives were undertaken only twice - during the Battle of Kursk in July 1943 and in the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944. Although it is unlikely that the German victory at Stalingrad would have led the USSR to a general defeat in the war, it would undoubtedly have dragged on for many more months. Perhaps it was precisely this time that the Germans did not have enough to create their own version of the atomic bomb.
Midway. The battle at Midway Atoll became a kind of "Stalingrad" for the Japanese. This naval battle took place from 4 to 6 June 1942. According to plans Japanese admiral Yamamoto's fleet was to capture a small atoll four hundred miles west of the Hawaiian Islands. The atoll was planned to be used in the future as a springboard for attacking the strategically important islands of the Americans. However, the US was able to intercept the radiogram and decode it. The emphasis of the Japanese on surprise did not materialize. They were met by the US fleet, ready for battle, under the command of Admiral Nimitz. During the battle, the Japanese lost all 4 of their aircraft carriers, all the aircraft on them, and some of their best pilots. The Americans lost only 1 aircraft carrier. It is curious that only the ninth attack by US aircraft on the Japanese fleet was crowned with a decisive success, and even then only due to chance. Everything was decided by minutes, the Americans were just very lucky. The defeat effectively meant the end of Japan's Pacific expansion. From him, the islanders have never been able to recover. This is one of the few battles of the Second World War in which the numerical superiority was on the side of the opponents of the Americans, but the United States still won.
Shares 31 BC At that time, the Roman Republic was ruled by two people - Anthony controlled Egypt and the eastern provinces, and Octavian controlled Italy, the western territories and Africa. Powerful rulers eventually converged in a deadly battle for power over the entire vast empire. On the one hand, the combined fleet of Cleopatra and Mark Antony came forward, and on the other, smaller ones naval forces Octavian. The decisive naval battle took place near the Greek cape of Actions. The Roman troops under the command of Agrippa defeated Antony and Cleopatra. They lost two-thirds of their fleet, and about 200 ships. In fact, it was not even a battle, but an attempt by Anthony to break through the encirclement to Egypt, where he still had troops. But the defeat actually put an end to the hopes of the politician to become emperor of Rome - a mass desertion of soldiers to Octavian's camp began. Antony did not have a plan "B", he had to commit suicide along with Cleopatra. And Octavian, who became emperor, received sole power in the country. He turned the republic into an empire.
Waterloo, 1815 The battle was the result of Napoleon's attempt to regain power lost during the war against all of Europe. The link to the island of Elba did not break the imperial ambitions of Bonaparte, he returned to France and quickly seized power. But he was opposed by the combined army of the British, Dutch and Prussians under the command of the Duke of Wellington. She greatly outnumbered the French troops. Napoleon had only one chance - to break the enemy piece by piece. To do this, he moved to Belgium. The armies met near the small settlement of Waterloo, in Belgium. During the battle, Napoleon's troops were defeated, which led to the imminent fall of his reign. To a large extent, the power of Bonaparte was shaken after his campaign in Russia in 1812. Then, during the retreat in the winter, he lost a significant part of his army. But it was this last setback that drew the final line under Napoleon's rule. He himself was sent to another place of exile, much more remote - to the island of St. Helena. History cannot tell what would have happened if Napoleon had won over Wellington. However, a confident victory could be the starting point for Bonaparte's plans to retain power. The history of Europe could have taken a completely different path.
Gettrysburg, 1863 This battle took place between the troops of the Confederates and the Unionists during civil war in America. If the plans of the southerners were destined to be fulfilled, then General Lee could break through to Washington and force Lincoln and his associates to flee from there. Another state would appear - the Confederation of the States of America. But on the other side of the battle was George Meade, who, albeit with difficulty, did not allow these plans to come true. The battle lasted three hot July days. On the third, decisive day, the Confederates launched their main attack on Pickett. The troops were advancing open area on the fortified elevated positions of the northerners. The southerners suffered huge losses, but showed unheard of courage. The attack bogged down, becoming the largest defeat for the Confederacy in that war. Northern casualties were also heavy, preventing Meade from completely destroying the Southern army, much to Lincoln's displeasure. As a result, the Confederacy was never able to recover from that defeat, fighting more and more defensive battles. The defeat of the South during the war became inevitable, because the North was both more densely populated, more industrialized, and simply richer. But history great country could have followed a completely different scenario.
Battle of Tours, 732. This battle is often referred to by Europeans as the Battle of Poitiers. You may have heard little about her. A different outcome of this battle would have led to the fact that the Europeans would now bow five times a day towards Mecca and diligently study the Koran. Few details of that battle have come down to us. It is known that about 20 thousand francs fought on the side of Charles Martel Carolingian. On the other hand, 50,000 Muslims under the command of Abdur-Rahman ibn Abdallah acted. He sought to bring Islam to Europe. The Franks were opposed by the Umayyad troops. This Muslim empire stretched from Persia to the Pyrenees, the caliphate had the most powerful military force in the world. Despite the numerical superiority of the opponents, Martell, with his skillful leadership, managed to defeat the Muslims and kill their commander. As a result, they fled to Spain. The son of Charles, Pepin the Short, then completely ousted the Muslims from the continent. Today, historians praise Charles as a champion of Christianity. After all, his defeat in that battle would mean that Islam would become the main faith of Europe. As a result, it is this faith that would become the main one in the world. One can only guess how Western civilization would then develop. Most likely, she would have gone down a completely different path. The victory also laid the foundations for the dominance of the Franks in Europe for a long time.
Battle of Vienna, 1683. This battle is a later "remake" of the Battle of Tours. Muslims again decided to prove that Europe is a territory for Allah. This time, the eastern troops marched under the flag of the Ottoman Empire. Under the command of Kara-Mustafa, from 150 to 300 thousand soldiers marched. They were opposed by about 80 thousand people under the leadership Polish king Jan Sobieski. The decisive battle took place on September 11, after a two-month siege by the Turks of the Austrian capital. The battle marked the end of Islamic expansion into Europe. A turning point has come in the almost three-century history of the war between the countries of Central Europe and Turkey. Austria soon recaptured Hungary and Transylvania. And Kara-Mustafa was executed by the Turks for his defeat. Meanwhile, history could have turned out quite differently. If the Turks had arrived at the walls of Vienna before July, the city would probably have fallen before September. And so the Poles and their allies got time to prepare to break the blockade and provide the necessary forces and equipment. Nevertheless, it is worth noting the courage of the Christians, who were able to win, despite the two- or even three-fold superiority of the Turks.
Yorktown, 1781 In terms of the number of people fighting, this battle was quite small. On the one hand, thousands of Americans and the same number of French fought, and on the other, 9 thousand British. But by the time the battle ended, the world could be said to have changed forever. It would seem that the powerful British Empire, the superpower of that time, should have easily defeated a handful of colonists led by George Washington. This was the case for most of the war. But by 1781, those upstart Americans had learned to fight. In addition, they also came to the rescue sworn enemies English - French. As a result, the American forces were small, but well trained. The English under the command of Cornwallis captured the town. However, the troops were trapped. The peninsula was closed by the Americans, and from the sea it was blocked french navy. After several weeks of fighting, the British surrendered. The victory demonstrated that the new territories had military power. The battle was a turning point in the war for the independence of the new state - the United States of America.
Battle of Salamis, 480 BC To imagine the scale of this battle, it is only necessary to mention that almost a thousand ships took part in the battle. Naval Forces united Greece under the command of Themistocles was opposed by the Persian fleet of Xerxes, which by that time had captured part of Hellas and Athens. The Greeks understood that on the high seas they could not resist the enemy that outnumbered them. As a result, the battle took place in the narrow Strait of Salamis. A long winding path along it in every possible way deprived the Persians of an advantage. As a result, their ships entering the Eleusinian Gulf were immediately attacked by many Greek triremes. The Persians could not turn back, because their other ships were following them. As a result, Xerxes' fleet turned into a chaotic mass. The light Greek ships willed into the strait and destroyed the opponents. Xerxes suffered a humiliating defeat that stopped the Persian invasion of Greece. Soon the conquerors were finally defeated. Greece was able to preserve its culture, and it was she who served as the basis for the whole Western civilization. If events had turned out differently then, then Europe today would be different. This is what makes us consider the Battle of Salamis one of the most significant in history.
Adrianople, 718. Like the Battle of Tours and the Battle of Vienna for Central Europe, the Battle of Adrianople was a turning point for Eastern Europe in the struggle against the armies of Islam. At that time, Caliph Suleiman started the conquest of Constantinople, which the Arabs had not been able to do before. The city was surrounded by a huge army, and from the sea it was surrounded by 1800 ships. If Constantinople, the largest Christian city at that time, fell, then the hordes of Muslims would flood the Balkans, Eastern and Central Europe. Until then, Constantinople, like a bottle in a cork, did not allow Muslim armies to cross the Bosphorus. Their ally, the Bulgarian Khan Terver, came to the aid of the defending Greeks. She defeated the Arabs near Adrianople. As a result of this, as well as the enemy fleet, which was also destroyed by the Greeks a little earlier, the 13-month siege was lifted. Constantinople continued to play an important political role for another 700 years, until it fell to the Ottoman Turks in 1453.
