Battles during the second world war. Major battles of the Great Patriotic War. May: meeting battle

The fascist German troops occupied an advantageous operational-strategic position and had superiority in forces. In total, the enemy ground forces operating against the USSR numbered 4,300 thousand.In the course of the Smolensk battle, the Nazi troops suffered such a loss that at the beginning of September 1941, the forces of the Army Group Center were tasked with encircling and destroying Soviet troops in the region of Bryansk and Vyazma, then tank groups to cover Moscow from the north and south and simultaneous attacks of tank forces from the flanks and infantry in ...

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Introduction

1. Moscow battle

2. Battle of Pearl Harbor

3. Battle of Stalingrad

4. Battle for the Caucasus

5. Battle of the Kursk Bulge

6. Battle for the Dnieper

7. Berlin operation

Conclusion

List of sources and literature

Application

Introduction

World War II began in September 1939 with the invasion of Poland. At dawn that day, German planes roared in the air, approaching their targets - columns of Polish troops, echelons with ammunition, bridges, railways, unprotected cities.

The war has become a fait accompli. World War II - prepared by the forces of international imperialist reaction and unleashed by the main aggressive states - fascist Germany, fascist Italy and militaristic Japan - became the largest of the wars.

61 states took part in the Second World War.

The reasons for the Second World War were the imbalance of power in the world and the problems provoked by the results of the First World War, in particular, territorial disputes.

The victors in the First World War, the USA, England, France concluded the Versailles Peace Treaty on the most unfavorable and humiliating conditions for the losing countries, Turkey and Germany, which provoked an increase in tension in the world.

At the same time, the policy of appeasing the aggressor, adopted in the late 1930s by Britain and France, enabled Germany to dramatically increase its military potential, which accelerated the transition of the Nazis to active military operations.

The members of the anti-Hitler bloc were the USSR, USA, France, England, China (Chiang Kai-shek), Greece, Yugoslavia, Mexico, etc. On the German side, Italy, Japan, Hungary, Albania, Bulgaria, Finland, China (Wang Jingwei), Thailand, Finland, Iraq, etc. participated in World War II.

Many states - participants of the Second World War, did not conduct actions on the fronts, but helped by supplying food, medicine and other necessary resources.

The purpose of this work is to highlight the main battles of the Second World War.

The main tasks on the way to achieving this goal were:

Analysis of the main events of the Second World War;

Theoretical substantiation of the victory of the Soviet people and Western countries in the war against fascism;

The structure of this work includes: introduction, seven chapters, conclusion, list of sources and literature.

1. Moscow battle

“When they ask me what I remember most from the last war, I always answer: the battle for Moscow.”

G.K. Zhukov

One of the first major battles of the Second World War was the battle for Moscow between the USSR and the countries of the fascist bloc, which unfolded in the territories of the USSR. The Moscow battle lasted from September 30, 1941 to April 20, 1942 and ended with the defeat of the Nazi troops.

The period of the battle for Moscow, in turn, can be divided into two large and tactically saturated periods: defensive (September 30 - December 4, 1941) and offensive (December 5, 1941 - April 20, 1942)

The defensive stage of the battle for Moscow is distinguished by the extreme intensity of battles, high mobility and significant troop movements on both sides, and special climatic conditions.

The operational-tactical situation on the Soviet-German front by the end of September 1941 was extremely difficult for the Soviet troops. The fascist German troops occupied an advantageous operational-strategic position and had superiority in forces.

The Red Army, after heavy defensive battles, were forced to retreat to Leningrad, to leave Smolensk and Kiev.

The Wehrmacht, together with the armed forces of Germany's European allies, had 207 divisions here. The average staffing of an infantry division was 15.2 thousand people, a tank division - 14.4 thousand people. and motorized - 12.6 thousand people. In total, the enemy ground forces operating against the USSR numbered 4,300,000 men, 2,270 tanks, over 43,000 guns and mortars, and 3,050 aircraft. 1

Despite the fact that with its heroic struggle the Red Army thwarted the plans of the Hitlerite command to defeat the USSR with lightning speed, the enemy stubbornly continued to move forward, regardless of losses.

During the Battle of Smolensk, the Nazi troops suffered such a loss that at the beginning of September 1941 the Nazi command issued an order to transfer troops in the Moscow direction to temporary defense.

The troops of Army Group Center were tasked with encircling and destroying Soviet troops in the Bryansk and Vyazma region, then with tank groups to capture Moscow from the north and south, and simultaneous strikes by tank forces from the flanks and infantry in the center to capture Moscow. “The enemy's plan was to cut our Western Front with powerful strike forces, encircle the main group of forces in the Smolensk region and open the way to Moscow.

At the walls of the ancient Russian city, once a formidable obstacle on the way of Napoleon's troops to Moscow, a fierce battle unfolded again. It lasted two months ...

During the battle of Smolensk, the troops of the Red Army, the inhabitants of the city and its environs showed the greatest resilience ... ", - recalled Marshal of the USSR G.K. Zhukov. 2

The offensive was well organized logistically. The work of the railways was recognized as good, and there were so many vehicles that part of it was withdrawn to the reserve by the German command.

The Wehrmacht promised the troops an imminent victory. The Hitlerite invaders were ready for desperate efforts in a new battle with the Soviet troops; such a fight seemed to them the last.

The strategic initiative remained with the Hitlerite command, it determined the time and place of strikes, the conditions of the struggle, and this posed many tasks of unprecedented difficulty before the Supreme Command of the Armed Forces of the USSR.

From the first weeks of the war, when the failures of our troops in the western direction were revealed. The State Defense Committee and the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command mobilized construction organizations, engineering troops, and workers' forces to strengthen the defensive lines of the Moscow region. At the call of the Central Committee, the Moscow, Smolensk, Tula and Kalinin regional party committees, hundreds of thousands of workers, collective farmers, office workers, students and housewives took part in the construction of fortifications. They erected dugouts, dug trenches and anti-tank ditches. The Vyazemsk and Mozhaisk lines of defense were created: the latter included the Volokolamsky, Mozhaisky, Maloyaroslavetsky and Kaluga fortified areas.

By the beginning of the offensive of the fascist German troops in the Moscow direction, three Soviet fronts defended themselves on the distant approaches to the capital: Western (I.S. Konev), Reserve (S.M. Budyonny) and Bryansk (A.I. Eremenko). In total, at the end of September 1941, they numbered about 800 thousand people, 782 tanks and 6808 guns and mortars, 545 aircraft. 3

The Red Army concentrated the best aviation forces and guards mortar units on the defense of Moscow. High-power artillery was installed in the most important areas, including heavy batteries of naval artillery. Long-range bomber aviation systematically bombed the deep rear and communications of Army Group Center. Frequent counterattacks by our troops inflicted serious damage on the enemy.

As early as September 27, 1941, the Headquarters of the Supreme Command issued directives to the troops of the Western direction to go over to a tough defense, but the fronts did not have reserves and time to organize it throughout the entire depth. Three to five days later, Army Group Center launched an offensive against Moscow. On September 30, 1941, from the Gadyach-Putivl-Glukhov-Novgorod-Seversky line, the 2nd Panzer Group of Guderian began an offensive on Orel and Bryansk, on Moscow, consisting of 15 divisions, of which 10 were tank and motorized. It was supported by almost all the forces of the 2nd Air Fleet attached to Army Group Center. 4

The Soviet command in this direction, after intense battles and the defeat of the Southwestern Front, did not have operational reserves. The 13th Army of the Bryansk Front and the group of forces of General A.N. Ermakov, operating here, fought heroically, but the enemy, using the superiority of forces, by the end of September 30, 1941, broke through the defenses and, not encountering reserves in its depths, went nonstop to the city of Mt. Eagle. The city was not prepared for defense, there was no time left for its organization, and German tankers broke into its streets on October 3. At the same time, part of the forces of the 2nd tank group, advancing along the rear of the Bryansk front from the south and southeast, captured Karachev on October 6 and captured Bryansk on the same day.

On October 2, 1941, the 3rd and 4th tank groups went on the offensive, the 9th and 4th field armies — the rest of the forces of Army Group Center. Its command concentrated the main efforts of the troops on the direction of the cities of Bely, Sychevka and along the Roslavl-Moscow highway. The strongest blows fell on the junction of the 30th and 19th armies of the Western Front, where 4 Soviet divisions were attacked by 12 enemy divisions, including 3 tank divisions (415 tanks), and against the 43rd Army of the Reserve Front, where against 5 Soviet divisions operated by 17 enemy divisions, of which 4 were tank. Their offensive was supported by hundreds of aircraft from the 2nd Air Fleet.

The shallow defenses of the Soviet divisions could not withstand the massive attacks of aviation, tank groups and army infantry corps. They broke through in the center of the Western Front and on the left flank of the Reserve Front and went deep into their operational rear. In sectors where enemy attacks were repelled, enemy tank formations bypassed the positions of staunchly defending armies and divisions, enveloping their flanks.

The autumn days of 1941 were one of the most formidable in the history of our Motherland. The German command was unanimous in its optimistic assessment of the prospects for an offensive against Moscow. But the encircled armies of the Western and Reserve fronts pinned down the enemy forces in battles at Vyazma. Attacked from all sides by tanks and infantry, under massive air and artillery attacks, deprived of ammunition supplies, they continued an unequal heroic struggle. This struggle was of great operational and strategic importance: the enemy suffered losses in men and military equipment and wasted time, during which the Soviet command let down reserves, created new centers of defense, and then a continuous front.

On October 4, 1941, by decision of the Supreme Command Headquarters, the Tula combat area was formed. On October 6, 1941, the Supreme Command Headquarters issued a directive to stop the enemy on the Mozhaisk defense line. On October 10, 1941, the troops of the Western and Reserve fronts were united into one Western. General G.K. Zhukov was appointed commander of the front. In connection with the approach of hostilities to Moscow, by the decision of the State Defense Committee of October 12, another line of defense was created on the direct approaches to the capital, in the construction of which the working people of the city and the region took an active part. On October 17, the Kalinin Front was formed under the command of General I. S. Konev. Despite the complexity of the situation, firm command and control of the troops was re-organized by the front-line commands and Headquarters. All these critical days and nights, reserves were tirelessly formed, which promptly, on the move, entered the battle on the most dangerous sectors.

By the second half of October 1941, when the armies of the Center group, breaking the resistance of the units encircled near Vyazma, moved to Moscow, they again met an organized defense front and were forced to break through it again. From October 13, 1941, fierce battles unfolded on the borders of Mozhaisk and Maloyaroslavets, and from October 16, 1941, and Volokolamsk fortified areas.

For five days and nights, the troops of the 5th Army of the Red Army repelled the onslaught of the motorized and infantry army corps. Only on October 18, 1941, enemy tanks broke into Mozhaisk. On the same day, Maloyaroslavets fell. The situation near Moscow has deteriorated. The enemy suffered irreparable losses in men, military equipment and in time, but his forces were still far superior to those of the Western Front.

Formidable communications from the fronts near Moscow mobilized all the working people of the capital. Hundreds of thousands of Muscovites joined the divisions of the people's militia, extermination detachments, and built fortifications. Moscow responded to the increased danger with new tens of thousands of volunteers. From October 20, 1941, by decision of the State Defense Committee, the capital and the surrounding areas were declared a state of siege. By that time, Moscow had transformed, became a front-line city, bristling with steel anti-tank "hedgehogs" and gouges. Barricades blocked the streets and entrances to the capital. There was a mass evacuation of the population, institutions and enterprises, and at the same time in the shops of the evacuated factories, the production of military products was again adjusted. Moscow became a reliable rear of the front. She supplied him with weapons, ammunition, reserves, inspired the soldiers to feats, strengthened their faith in victory: “On the initiative of the Muscovites, 12 divisions of the people's militia were formed in the first months of the war. The military bodies and party organizations continued to receive thousands of applications from citizens with a request to send them to the front. ”- G.K. Zhukov recalled. 5

Every day, the enemy's offensive became slower, he suffered more and more losses. The entire center of the Western Front survived. Although the enemy tried to bypass Moscow from the north, this turned out to be impossible, because the Kalinin Front pinned down the German 9th Army with defense and counterattacks and threatened the northern flank of Army Group Center. It was not possible to break through to the Soviet capital from the south.

By the end of October and the beginning of November, Army Group Center began to run out of steam. Its attack on Moscow was stopped by the iron fortitude of our soldiers.

On November 7, 1941, a military parade of the Red Army troops took place on Red Square in Moscow. The German command urgently gave an order to their aviation to bomb Red Square, but German aircraft failed to break through to Moscow.

After the October offensive, Army Group Center required a two-week pause to prepare for a new offensive. During this time, the enemy troops were put in order, replenished, regrouped, were reinforced from the reserve by people, tanks, artillery. They strove to occupy initial positions that were advantageous for the offensive. The Hitlerite command was preparing to break, finally, the resistance of the Soviet troops and seize Moscow.

In the November 1941 offensive, 51 divisions took part directly on Moscow, including 13 tank and 7 motorized, armed with a sufficient number of tanks, artillery and supported by aviation.

The Soviet Supreme High Command, having correctly assessed the situation, decided to strengthen the Western Front. From November 1 to November 15, 1941, rifle and cavalry divisions and tank brigades were transferred to him. In total, the front received 100 thousand soldiers, 300 tanks and 2 thousand guns. At that time, the Western Front already had more divisions than the enemy, and Soviet aviation was 1.5 times superior to the enemy. But in terms of the number of personnel and fire resources, our divisions were significantly inferior to the German ones.

The Soviet troops were faced with extremely responsible and difficult tasks. The enemy approached Moscow in a number of places by 60 km, and its breakthrough by tanks could become extremely dangerous in any operational direction. The Soviet fronts did not have sufficient reserves. There were not enough stocks of weapons. In these conditions, it was necessary to repel the onslaught of the enemy, defend Moscow, their positions, gain time before the arrival of decisive reserves.

The offensive on Moscow began on November 15, 1941, the 3rd Panzer Group of General Hoth in the zone between the Moscow Sea and Klin. To the south, the position of the Soviet troops was attacked by the 4th Panzer Group of General Hepner. The blows fell on the 30th army of General Lelyushenko and on the 16th army of General Rokossovsky. The tank groups had the task of separating both of these armies, pushing back the 30th army to the Moscow Sea and the Volga, crossing the Moscow-Volga canal, and the 16th army, covering its northern flank, pushing back from the Leningradskoye and Volokolamskoye highways, along which to break through to the northern outskirts of the capital.

Despite stubborn resistance, the 30th Army was unable to repel the blow of the superior enemy forces. Its front was broken through, and one part of the army fought heavy battles south of the Moscow Sea and was pushed back to the Volga, while the other withdrew from the Leningradskoe highway to the canal. The northern flank of the 16th Army was exposed. Foreseeing the offensive of the enemy, the Stavka ordered General Rokossovsky to forestall the enemy and attack him with its left flank in the direction of Volokolamsk, the 16th Army struck, but at the same hours the 4th Panzer Group of the enemy began the offensive. Oncoming battles unfolded, in which Hepner's troops attacked the right flank of Rokossovsky's army, and the latter attacked the right flank of the enemy tank army. At the same time, fierce heavy battles broke out for Klin, Solnechnogorsk, Istra, on the Leningradskoye and Volokolamskoye highways.

Possessing superiority, especially in tanks, the enemy broke through to the Rogachev, Yakhroma area. He managed to force the Moscow Canal in one of the sections and seize a bridgehead for an offensive bypassing the Soviet capital from the northwest. Having achieved success northeast of Volokolamsk, seizing Klin, Solnechnogorsk, Yakhroma and reaching the eastern bank of the channel, the enemy sharply increased the onslaught on Volokolamsk highway, trying to break through to the northern outskirts of Moscow.

In the Volokolamsk direction, formations of the 16th Army were defended. With their struggle, they slowed down the offensive of the 4th Panzer Group. Only at the cost of huge losses did the enemy manage to seize Istra, break through to Kryukov, thus approaching Moscow from the north at a distance of 25 km. The enemy intended to begin shelling the city from here with heavy long-range guns. “The battles on November 16-18 were very difficult for us. The enemy, regardless of losses, climbed ahead, trying to break through to Moscow with his tank wedges at any cost, ”Zhukov recalled. 6

The enemy attack northwest of Moscow was supported by an offensive south of Volokolamskoe highway, which began on November 19, 1941 and did not stop for a single day. Here the 9th and 7th Army Corps attacked the troops of the 5th Army of General L.A. Govorov. Having seized a number of settlements, the enemy approached Zvenigorod, broke through to the north of it into the area of ​​Pavlovskaya Sloboda. From here the infantry divisions, whose blow now merged with the onslaught of tank divisions operating in the Istra region, were very close to Krasnogorsk and Tushin - to the western outskirts of Moscow.

The 4th Field Army of General Field Marshal Kluge in November 1941 limited itself to an offensive on and to the north of Zvenigorod, as well as to constraining actions in the center of the Western Front. But with the exit of the 4th Panzer Group to the Moscow-Volga Canal and the 2nd Panzer Army to Kashira, when it seemed that conditions for bypassing Moscow were created on the flanks, the enemy struck on December 1, 1941, in the center as well. Two infantry divisions with 70 tanks broke through the front of the 33rd Army in the sector of the 222nd Infantry Division north of Naro-Fominsk. They rushed to Kubinka, and then to Golitsyn and Aprelevka, threatening the rear of the 33rd and 5th armies.

Looking for weak points defense, the fascist troops tried to break through to Nakhabino and Khimki, but were thrown back. Failed to develop an offensive bypassing Moscow and the tank unit of the 4th tank group, crossing the channel. On its western bank, it was counterattacked by the defense forces, and from the bridgehead on the eastern bank, it was dropped by rifle brigades that arrived in time by order of the Supreme Command Headquarters.

Meanwhile, by order of the Supreme Command Headquarters, the 1st Guards Cavalry Corps of General P.A. Belov and the 112th Panzer Division of Colonel A.L. Getman were hastily thrown into the Kashira direction. The enemy was thrown back and began to retreat by flanking attacks of tankers and attacks of horsemen. Cavalry divisions pursued him. And the 112th Panzer Division, advancing towards the village. Revyakino attacked the enemy on the move, intercepting the highway and the railway from Tula to Moscow. The defenders of the city attacked the tankers. The enemy was defeated, and communications linking the city of gunsmiths with Moscow were restored.

In the second half of November 1941, the Soviet command was faced with the task: along with the defense of the main, Moscow strategic direction, to take urgent measures to ensure the flanks of the Soviet-German front. To accomplish this task, all available opportunities were used.

The crushing blows of the Red Army in December 1941 led to the defeat of the enemy and the retreat of his troops from Moscow, Rostov and Tikhvin. But despite this, the situation in our country remained dangerous. The main forces of the Hitlerite army - Army Group Center - were at such a distance from Moscow that the capital of our Motherland could again be under their attack. The Soviet command was faced with the task of thwarting the enemy's plans, preventing its troops from gaining a foothold on the lines to which they were thrown back by the December counteroffensive, and defeating them in new battles.

In January 1942, following the directive of the Supreme Command Headquarters, the soldiers of the Red Army again went on the offensive against the enemy. Having defeated and thrown the enemy back 150–400 km, the Red Army eliminated the immediate threat to the capital. All Moscow, Tula, Ryazan regions were liberated. During the winter offensive in the northern and southern sectors of the front, a significant part of the regions of the Kalinin, Leningrad, Smolensk, Oryol, Kursk, Kharkov, Stalin, Rostov regions, and the Kerch Peninsula were cleared of the enemy.

The defeat of the Nazi troops in the winter of 1941-1942. radically changed the situation on the Soviet-German front. However, for all the enormous significance of these events, they could not yet finally turn the course of the war in favor of the USSR. Although the Red Army inflicted strong blows on the enemy, this was still not enough to disable the Hitlerite war machine.

The victory near Moscow raised the political and moral state of the Red Army, the fighting spirit of its soldiers, who saw the "invincible" Nazi troops fleeing in panic under their blows. She strengthened my faith Soviet people to her Red Army, to its victory, inspired new efforts to help the front. 7

The defeat of the Nazis near Moscow stirred up all progressive mankind, increased sympathy for the USSR and faith in it on the part of the working people of the whole world. The forced transfer of German divisions from the countries of occupied Europe to the Eastern Front made it easier for the peoples of these states to resist the invaders. The military-political situation of Hitlerite Germany deteriorated.

2. Battle of Pearl Harbor

A surprise combined attack by Japanese carrier-based aircraft of the aircraft carrier formation of Vice Admiral Tuichi Nagumo and Japanese ultra-small submarines, delivered to the site of the attack by submarines of the Imperial Japanese Navy, on the American naval and air bases located in the vicinity of Pearl Harbor on the island of Oahu (Hawaii ), happened on Sunday morning December 7, 1941.

The attack consisted of two air raids involving 353 aircraft from 6 Japanese aircraft carriers. The result of the attack was the sinking of 4 battleships of the US Navy (2 of which were restored and returned to service at the end of the war), 4 more were damaged.

The Japanese sank or damaged 3 cruisers, 3 destroyers, 1 minelayer; destroyed 188 - 272 aircraft (according to various sources). The losses of the US armed forces in people amounted to 2402 people. killed and 1282 people. - wounded.

At the same time, it should be noted that mainly combat units of the US Army, Air Force and Navy were subjected to air strikes. The power plant, shipyard, fuel and torpedo storage, piers, as well as the headquarters building were not damaged by the attack.

Japan's losses in this battle were minimal: 29 aircraft, 4 small submarines, along with 65 dead or injured soldiers.

The Japanese kamikaze attack was a preventive measure against the United States, aimed at eliminating the American navy, gaining air supremacy in the Pacific region and then conducting military operations against Burma, Thailand, and the western US possessions in the Pacific Ocean.

It was the attack on the US naval base - Pearl Harbor that caused the US to enter World War II - on the same day the US declared war on Japan and entered World War II.

Because of the attack, especially because of its nature, public opinion in America changed dramatically from an isolationist stance in the mid-1930s to direct participation in hostilities. On December 8, 1941, US President Franklin Roosevelt addressed a joint meeting of both houses of Congress. The President demanded from December 7, from "the day that will go down in history as a symbol of shame", to declare war on Japan. The Congress adopted a corresponding resolution.

3. Battle of Stalingrad

The Battle of Stalingrad began in July 1942. Having suffered a heavy defeat in the battle of Moscow, Germany decided to send all its forces to Stalingrad in order to cut off the central part of the USSR from the grain regions and oil of the Caspian Sea.

To this end, the German fascist invaders launched a massive offensive against Stalingrad, the number of their soldiers significantly exceeded the number of the Red Army. The battle for Stalingrad lasted over 200 days and nights.

On August 28, 1942, the Germans reached the Volga and began endless attempts to storm the city. In the autumn, at the beginning of October 1941, large areas of Stalingrad fell into the hands of German soldiers. The defenders of Stalingrad bravely defended the city, thanks to their fierce resistance, the Germans did not manage to fully capture Stalingrad, the advance of the German group slowed down.

The Soviet troops, stopping the offensive impulse of the Germans, decided to go over to the offensive. The offensive was developed in an atmosphere of the strictest secrecy, for almost three long months.

At Stalingrad, the Germans concentrated significant forces. The number of their army reached more than a million people. In the Battle of Stalingrad, the command of the Soviet troops concentrated their forces on two main directions south and north of Stalingrad.

From the south, the troops of the Red Army attacked the Romanian detachments, whose morale was low. The offensive was preceded by a hurricane of artillery fire. After the artillery preparation, tanks went into battle.

The command of the enemy group gave the order to hold on to the last soldier. After two days of rapid Soviet advance, the German armies were surrounded.

Immediately after this, an offensive began near Rzhev in the northern sectors of the Stalingrad Front, in order to prevent the Germans from transferring forces from there to Stalingrad.

An enemy grouping of troops under the command of Meinstein tried to break through the encirclement. Their plans were greatly interfered with by partisan detachments.

In January 1943, the outer ring of the encirclement went to the west, in a new offensive. The position of the troops encircled under the command of Paulus deteriorated sharply. He decided to surrender.

From January 31 to February 2, 1943, the Germans surrendered. In the Battle of Stalingrad, 32 German divisions were destroyed. The enemy lost more than 1.5 million people. Near Stalingrad, a huge amount of equipment was also destroyed, 3,500 tanks and guns, 12,000 cannons and mortars, 3,000 aircraft. In Germany, a 3-day mourning period was declared.

The Battle of Stalingrad was of great importance in the development of further events of the Great Patriotic War. Due to the defeat of the German troops at Stalingrad, discord began in the command of the allied forces. And in the occupied territories, the partisan movement grew. The position of the Germans deteriorated sharply. After the victory of the USSR in the Battle of Stalingrad, faith in the final victory over fascism grew.

4. Battle for the Caucasus

Simultaneously with the Battle of Stalingrad, there were fierce battles in the North Caucasus. On June 23, 1942, the German command issued secret directive No. 45 outlining the Edelweiss plan.

In accordance with this plan, the Nazis sought to seize the entire eastern coast of the Black Sea in order to deprive the USSR of ports and the Black Sea Fleet.

At the same time, another group of German-fascist troops in the Caucasus advanced towards the Georgian Military Highway in order to capture the oil-bearing regions of Baku.

The enemy was opposed by the troops of the Red Army of the Southern Front, under the command of Lieutenant General R. Ya. Malinovsky, and part of the forces of the North Caucasian Front, under the command of Marshal S.M. Budyonny, with the support of the Black Sea Fleet and the Azov Military Flotilla.

From July 25 to December 31, 1942, the Red Army troops fought heavy defensive battles in the North Caucasus. Under the onslaught of superior enemy forces, the troops of the Red Army were forced to leave the regions of the North Caucasus and retreat to the passes of the Main Caucasian ridge and the Terek River.

In November-December 1942, the advance of the enemy troops was stopped. The plans of the fascist German command to seize the oil-bearing regions of the Caucasus and draw Turkey into the war remained unsuccessful.

From January 1 to February 4, 1943, the North Caucasian offensive operation was carried out under the code name "Don". It was attended by the troops of the Transcaucasian, Southern and North Caucasian fronts with the assistance of the forces of the Black Sea Fleet.

In the course of the unfolding offensive, the troops of the Red Army inflicted a major defeat on the enemy's Army Group "A" and reached the approaches to Rostov northeast of Krasnodar and to the line of the Kuban River. However, in the Kuban and Taman Peninsula, the enemy created powerful defensive fortifications - the "Blue Line" - from the Sea of ​​Azov to Novorossiysk. The Soviet troops were unable to immediately overcome the defense of the "Blue Line" and the offensive stopped.

Despite the fact that the plan of the offensive operation was not fully completed, and the main enemy forces managed to retreat to the Donbass, avoiding complete defeat, the plans of the German command to seize the Caucasus and its oil regions failed. The Red Army liberated the Stavropol Territory, the Chechen-Ingush, North Ossetian and Kabardino-Balkarian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republics, part of the Rostov Region and the Krasnodar Territory from the invaders. As a result of the offensive of the Red Army in January 1943, the Elbrus region was cleared of enemy troops.

On September 10, 1943, the Novorossiysk-Taman offensive operation of the Red Army began - the final operation of the battle for the Caucasus, which lasted until October 9, 1943. It was carried out by the troops of the North Caucasian Front, the forces of the Black Sea Fleet and the Azov military flotilla.

Red Army troops and naval forces defeated the formations of Army Group A of the enemy, liberated Novorossiysk by landing strikes from the sea and by army units from land, reached the coast of the Kerch Strait and completed the liberation of the Caucasus.

The enemy's Kuban bridgehead, which provided him with the defense of the Crimea, was eliminated. Clearing Novorossiysk and the Taman Peninsula from enemy troops significantly improved the basing of the Black Sea Fleet and created favorable opportunities for strikes against the Crimean enemy grouping from the sea and through the Kerch Strait.

For battles in the Caucasus, thousands of soldiers and officers of the Red Army and navy sailors were awarded orders and medals. By the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of May 1, 1944, the medal "For the Defense of the Caucasus" was established, which was awarded to 600,000 people. In May 1973, Novorossiysk was awarded the title of Hero City.

5. Battle of the Kursk Bulge

The Battle of the Kursk Bulge occupies a special place in World War II. It lasted 50 days and nights, from July 5 to August 23, 1943. In its ferocity and stubbornness of the struggle, this battle is unmatched.

The general plan of the German command was to encircle and destroy the troops of the Central and Voronezh fronts of the Red Army that were defending in the Kursk region. If successful, it was supposed to expand the front of the offensive and return the strategic initiative.

To implement their plans, the enemy concentrated powerful strike groups, which numbered over 900 thousand people, about 10 thousand guns and mortars, up to 2,700 tanks and assault guns, about 2,050 aircraft. Great hopes were pinned on the latest Tiger and Panther tanks, Ferdinand assault guns, Focke-Wulf-190-A fighter planes and Heinkel-129 attack aircraft.

The Soviet military command decided to first bleed the enemy strike forces in defensive battles, and then go over to the counteroffensive.

The battle that began immediately took on a grand scale and was extremely tense. The Soviet troops did not flinch. They met the avalanches of enemy tanks and infantry with unprecedented stamina and courage. The offensive of the enemy strike groups was suspended. Only at the cost of huge losses did he manage to break into our defenses in some areas. On the Central Front - by 10-12 km, on the Voronezh - up to 35 km.

Finally, Hitler's operation "Citadel" was buried, the largest oncoming tank battle near Prokhorovka in the entire Second World War. It took place on July 12, 1943. 1200 tanks and self-propelled guns participated in it from both sides at the same time. This battle was won by the Soviet soldiers. The Nazis, having lost up to 400 tanks in a day of battle, were forced to abandon the offensive.

On July 12, 1943, the second stage of the Battle of Kursk began - the Soviet counteroffensive. On August 5, 1943, Soviet troops liberated the cities of Orel and Belgorod. On the evening of August 5, 1943, in honor of this major success, a victorious salute was given in Moscow for the first time in two years of war. Since that time, artillery salutes have constantly announced the glorious victories of Soviet weapons. On August 23, Kharkov was liberated. So the battle on the Kursk fiery arc ended victoriously.

During the Battle of the Kursk Bulge, 30 elite enemy divisions were defeated. The Nazi troops lost about 500 thousand people, 1500 tanks, 3 thousand guns and 3700 aircraft.

For courage and heroism, over 100 thousand Soviet soldiers - participants in the Battle of the Arc of Fire, were awarded orders and medals. The Battle of Kursk ended with a radical turning point in the Great Patriotic War.

6. Battle for the Dnieper

The Battle for the Dnieper is an operation by Soviet troops to liberate the Left-Bank Ukraine from the German invaders. Fighting in the Battle of the Dnieper operation lasted from August to December 1943.

Soldiers from the Voronezh, Central, Steppe, Southern and Southwestern Fronts took part in the operation to liberate the Left-Bank Ukraine. The total number of Soviet soldiers and officers who took part in the Battle of the Dnieper was approximately 2.5 million. The active army included 51 thousand guns, more than 2.5 thousand tanks and about 3 thousand aircraft.

In the Battle of the Dnieper, Soviet troops were opposed by the 2nd German Army from Army Group Center and the entire Army Group South. The number of the German army in the areas where the fighting took place was 1.5 million soldiers and officers, who had 13 thousand guns, 2 thousand tanks and the same number of aircraft at their disposal. German troops were stationed along the Dnieper River, in well-fortified positions.

Even during the Stalingrad offensive operation of the Red Army, the eastern parts of Donbass were liberated. By mid-August 1943, the Red Army reached the town of Zmiev. On the river Northern Donets created a staging area for a successful future offensive. On August 16, 1943, Soviet troops launched a new offensive. The German defenses were well organized, and the Soviet offensive eventually collapsed. The main result of the offensive was that the German command had to strengthen this sector of the front at the expense of other armies.

By the end of August 1943, the bridgehead of the Soviet troops was expanded to 100 km. wide, and up to 70 km. - in depth. Soviet troops liberated the cities of Ukraine one by one - Kharkov, Verkhnedneprovsk and others.

In mid-September 1943, there was a respite in the battle for the Dnieper River. Fighting resumed in mid-September 1943 Soviet troops liberated the city of Chernigov, and soon reached the r. Dnieper, near Velikiy Bukrin. Here the preparation of troops for crossing the river began.

The battle for the Dnieper continued until December 1943. Soviet troops created bridgeheads through which they could continue to advance to the west. The Germans tried to destroy these bridgeheads.

Bloody and fierce battles unfolded near the city of Kiev. Kiev was planned to be taken by the Red Army troops in October 1943, but these attempts failed.

On November 3, 1943, a new offensive of the Soviet troops began. The German command feared that their armies operating near Kiev would be surrounded. The enemy was forced to retreat. Kiev was taken by Soviet troops on November 6, 1943.

By the end of December 1943, as a result of the operation "Battle for the Dnieper", the entire lower reaches of the river. The Dnieper was cleared of German troops. Also, German units were blocked in the Crimea.

During the offensive in Ukraine, the efforts of five Soviet fronts created bridgeheads for a further offensive against the Germans in Belarus and the liberation of Right-Bank Ukraine. During the operation Battle of the Dnieper, Soviet troops liberated 38 thousand settlements and 160 cities.

7 the Berlin operation

In November 1944, the General Staff of the Soviet Army began planning military operations on the outskirts of Berlin. It was necessary to defeat the German Army Group "A" and complete the liberation of Poland.

At the end of December 1944, German troops launched an offensive in the Ardennes and pushed the Allied troops, putting them on the brink complete defeat... The leadership of the United States and Great Britain turned to the USSR with a request to conduct offensive operations to divert enemy forces.

Fulfilling the allied duty, the Soviet units went on the offensive eight days ahead of schedule and pulled back part of the German divisions. The offensive launched ahead of time did not make it possible to fully prepare it, which led to unjustified losses.

As a result of the rapidly developing offensive, already in February, Red Army units crossed the Oder - the last major obstacle in front of the German capital - and approached Berlin at a distance of 70 km.

The battles on the bridgeheads captured after the crossing of the Oder were fierce. Soviet troops conducted a continuous offensive and pushed the enemy all the way from the river. Vistula to Oder.

At the same time, an operation began in East Prussia. Its main goal was the capture of the Konigsberg fortress. Perfectly defended and provided with everything necessary, with an elite garrison, the fortress seemed impregnable. The strongest artillery preparation was carried out before the assault. After the capture of the fortress, its commandant admitted that he did not expect such a rapid fall of Konigsberg.

In April 1945, the Soviet army began direct preparations for the storming of Berlin. The leadership of the USSR believed that delaying the end of the war could lead to the opening of the front by the Germans in the west, the conclusion of a separate peace. The danger of the surrender of Berlin to the Anglo-American units was considered.

The Soviet offensive on Berlin was carefully prepared. A huge amount of ammunition was transferred to the city and military equipment... Troops of three fronts took part in the Berlin operation. The command was entrusted to Marshals G.K. Zhukov, K.K. Rokossovsky and I.S. Konev. On both sides, 3.5 million people took part in the battle.

The assault began on April 16, 1945. At 3 am Berlin time, under the light of 140 searchlights, tanks and infantry attacked the German positions. After four days of fighting, the fronts commanded by Zhukov and Konev, with the support of two armies of the Polish Army, closed the ring around Berlin. 93 enemy divisions were defeated, about 490 thousand people were taken prisoner, a huge amount of captured military equipment and weapons. On this day, a meeting of Soviet and American troops took place on the Elbe River.

On April 21, 1945, the first assault detachments reached the outskirts of the German capital and started street battles. German soldiers put up fierce resistance, surrendering only in desperate situations.

On April 29, 1945, the storming of the Reishstag began, on April 30, 1945 the Red Banner was hoisted over it.

On May 1, 1945, General Krebs, Chief of the General Staff of the German Ground Forces, was delivered to the command post of the 8th Guards Army. He said that on April 30, Hitler committed suicide, and offered to start negotiations on an armistice.

The next day, the Berlin Defense Headquarters ordered the end of resistance. Berlin fell. When it was taken, the Soviet troops lost 300 thousand people. killed and wounded.

On the night of May 9, the act of unconditional surrender of Germany was signed. The war in Europe is over.

Conclusion

The Second World War had a huge impact on the fate of mankind. Military operations were conducted on the territory of 40 states. 110 million people were mobilized into the armed forces. The total human losses reached 60-65 million people, of whom 27 million people were killed on the fronts, many of them citizens of the USSR. Also, China, Germany, Japan and Poland suffered heavy casualties.

Military spending and military losses totaled $ 4 trillion. Material costs reached 60-70% national income warring states. The industry of the USSR, USA, Great Britain and Germany alone produced 652.7 thousand aircraft (combat and transport), 286.7 thousand tanks, self-propelled guns and armored vehicles, over 1 million artillery pieces, over 4.8 million machine guns (excluding Germany) , 53 million rifles, carbines and machine guns and a huge amount of other weapons and equipment. The war was accompanied by colossal destruction, destruction of tens of thousands of cities and villages, innumerable calamities of tens of millions of people.

As a result of the war, the role of Western Europe in global politics has weakened. The USSR and the USA became the main powers in the world. Great Britain and France, despite the victory, were significantly weakened. The war showed the inability of them and other Western European countries to maintain huge colonial empires. The anti-colonial movement intensified in the countries of Africa and Asia. As a result of the war, some countries were able to achieve independence: Ethiopia, Iceland, Syria, Lebanon, Vietnam, Indonesia. In Eastern Europe, occupied by Soviet troops, socialist regimes were established. One of the main outcomes of the Second World War was the creation of the United Nations on the basis of the Anti-Fascist Coalition, formed during the war, to prevent world wars in the future.

In some countries, partisan movements that developed during the war tried to continue their activities after the end of the war. In Greece, the conflict between the communists and the pre-war government escalated into a civil war. For some time after the end of the war, anti-communist armed groups operated in Western Ukraine, the Baltic States, and Poland. China continued Civil War, lasting there since 1927.

Fascist and Nazi ideologies were declared criminal at the Nuremberg Trials and banned. In many Western countries, support for the communist parties has grown, thanks to their active participation in the anti-fascist struggle during the war.

Europe was divided into two camps: the western capitalist and the eastern socialist. Relations between the two blocs deteriorated sharply. A couple of years after the end of the war, the Cold War began.

List of sources and literature.

1. Grechko A.A. War years: 1941 - 1945 / A.A. Grechko. - Moscow: VOENNOE PUBLISHING HOUSE OF THE MINISTRY OF DEFENSE OF THE USSR, 1976. - 574 p.
2. Zhukov, G.K. Memories and reflections / G.K. Zhukov. - M .: Publishing house of the news agency press, 1970. - 702 p.
3. Isaev A. Five circles of hell. Red Army in "boilers" / A. Isaev. - M .: Yauza: Exmo, 2011 .-- 400 p.
4. History of the Second World War: Vol. 1. - M .: VOENNOE PUBLISHING HOUSE OF THE MINISTRY OF DEFENSE OF THE USSR, 1973. - 366 p.
5. History of the Second World War: Vol.2. - Moscow: VOENNOE PUBLISHING HOUSE OF THE MINISTRY OF DEFENSE OF THE USSR, 1973. - 365 p.
6. History of the Second World War: Vol.4. - M .: VOENNOE PUBLISHING HOUSE OF THE MINISTRY OF DEFENSE OF THE USSR, 1975. - 526 p.
7. History of the Second World War: Vol.5. - M .: VOENNOE PUBLISHING HOUSE OF THE MINISTRY OF DEFENSE OF THE USSR, 1975. - 511 p.
8. History of the Second World War: V.6. - M .: VOENNOE PUBLISHING HOUSE OF THE MINISTRY OF DEFENSE OF THE USSR, 1976. - 519 p.
9. History of the Second World War: Vol.7. - M .: VOENNOE PUBLISHING HOUSE OF THE MINISTRY OF DEFENSE OF THE USSR, 1976. - 552 p.
10. 1418 days of war: From the memoirs of the Great Patriotic War. - M .: Politizdat, 1990 .-- 687 p.

1 History of the Second World War: 1939 - 1945: vol. 4. - M .: Orders of the Red Banner of Labor MILITARY PUBLISHING HOUSE OF THE USSR MINISTRY OF DEFENSE. - 1975 .-- p. 90.

4 Zhukov G.K. Memories and reflections / G.K. Zhukov. - Publishing house of the news press agency. - M .: 1970. - S. 320.

5 Zhukov G.K. Memories and reflections / G.K. Zhukov. - Publishing house of the news press agency. - M .: 1970. - S. 330.

6 Zhukov G.K. Memories and reflections / G.K. Zhukov. - Publishing house of the news press agency. - M .: 1970. - P.274-275.

7 Zhukov G.K. Memories and reflections / G.K. Zhukov. - Publishing house of the news press agency. - M .: 1970. - S. 359.

The most violent and destructive conflict in human history was the Second World War. It was only during this war that nuclear weapons were used. 61 states became participants of the Second World War. It began on September 1, 1939 and ended on September 2, 1945.

The causes of the Second World War are quite varied. But, first of all, these are territorial disputes caused by the results of the First World War and a serious imbalance of power in the world. The Versailles Treaty of England, France and the United States, concluded on extremely unfavorable terms for the losing side (Turkey and Germany), led to a constant increase in tension in the world. But, the so-called policy of appeasement of the aggressor, adopted by Britain and France in the 1030s, entailed an increase in the military power of Germany and led to the beginning of active hostilities.

The anti-Hitler coalition included: the USSR, England, France, USA, China (Chiang Kai-shek's leadership) Yugoslavia, Greece, Mexico and so on. On the side of Nazi Germany, Japan, Italy, Bulgaria, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Albania, Finland, China (the leadership of Wang Jingwei) Iran, Finland and other states took part in the Second World War. Many powers, not taking part in active hostilities, helped by supplying the necessary medicines, food and other resources.

Here are the main stages of the Second World War, which are currently identified by researchers.

• This bloody conflict began on September 1, 1939. Germany and its allies committed the European blitzkrieg.
• The second stage of the war began on June 22, 1941 and lasted until mid-November of the following 1942. Germany attacks the USSR, but Barbarossa's plan fails.
• The next in the chronology of the Second World War was the period from the second half of November 1942 to the end of 1943. At this time, Germany is gradually losing its strategic initiative. At the Tehran Conference, in which Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill took part (late 1943), it was decided to open a second front.
• The fourth stage, which began at the end of 1943, ended with the capture of Berlin and the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany on May 9, 1945.
• The final stage of the war lasted from May 10, 1945 to September 2 of the same year. It was during this period that the United States used nuclear weapons. Military operations were conducted in the Far East and Southeast Asia.

The outbreak of the Second World War 1939-1945 took place on September 1. The Wehrmacht launched an unexpected large-scale aggression against Poland. France, England and some other states declared war on Germany. But, nevertheless, no real help was provided. By September 28, Poland was completely under German rule. On the same day, a peace treaty was concluded between Germany and the USSR. Fascist Germany thus provided itself with a fairly reliable rear. This made it possible to begin preparations for war with France. By June 22, 1940, France was captured. Now nothing prevented Germany from starting serious preparations for military operations against the USSR. Even then, a plan for a lightning war against the USSR, "Barbarossa", was approved.

It should be noted that in the USSR, on the eve of World War II, they received intelligence about the preparation of the invasion. But Stalin, believing that Hitler would not dare to attack so early, did not give the order to put the border units on alert.

The actions that unfolded between June 22, 1941 - May 9, 1945 are of particular importance. This period is known in Russia as the Great Patriotic War. Many of the most important battles and events of World War II took place on the territory of modern Russia, Ukraine, Belarus.

By 1941, the USSR was a state with a rapidly developing industry, primarily heavy and defense. Much attention was also paid to science. Discipline on collective farms and in production was as strict as possible. A whole network of military schools and academies was created in order to replenish the ranks of the officer corps, more than 80% of which had been repressed by that time. But, these personnel could not receive full training in a short time.

For the world and Russian history the main battles of the Second World War are of great importance.

• September 30, 1941 - April 20, 1942 - the first victory of the Red Army - the Battle of Moscow.
• July 17, 1942 - February 2, 1943 - a radical turning point in the Great Patriotic War, the Battle of Stalingrad.
• July 5 - August 23, 1943 - Battle of Kursk. During this period, the largest tank battle of the Second World War took place - near Prokhorovka.
• April 25 - May 2, 1945 - Battle of Berlin and the subsequent surrender of Nazi Germany in World War II.

Events that had a serious impact on the course of the war took place not only on the fronts of the USSR. Thus, Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 led to the entry of the United States into the war. It is worth noting the landing in Normandy on June 6, 1944, after the opening of the second front and the use of nuclear weapons by the United States to strike at Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

September 2, 1945 was the end date of the Second World War. After the Kwantung Army of Japan was defeated by the USSR, an act of surrender was signed. The battles and battles of World War II claimed at least 65 million lives. The USSR suffered the greatest losses in the Second World War, having taken the main blow of the Hitlerite army. At least 27 million people died. But, only the resistance of the Red Army made it possible to stop the powerful military machine of the Reich.

These terrible results of the Second World War could not but horrify the world. For the first time, war threatened the existence of human civilization. Many war criminals were punished during the Tokyo and Nuremberg trials. The ideology of fascism was condemned. In 1945, at a conference in Yalta, a decision was made to establish the UN (United Nations). The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the consequences of which are still palpable, eventually led to the signing of the Rada of pacts on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.

The economic consequences of the Second World War are also obvious. In many countries of Western Europe, this war provoked economic decline. Their influence declined, while the credibility and influence of the United States increased. The significance of the Second World War for the USSR is enormous. As a result, the Soviet Union significantly expanded its borders and strengthened the totalitarian system. Friendly communist regimes have been established in many European countries.

World War II began as a war between the bourgeois-democratic and fascist-militarist blocs.

The first stage of the war (September 1, 1939 - June 21, 1941) The German army occupied part of Poland until September 17, entering the line (the cities of Lvov, Vladimir-Volynsky, Brest-Litovsk), indicated by one of the secret protocols of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.

Until May 10, 1940, England and France did not practically conduct military operations with the enemy, therefore this period was called the "strange war". Germany took advantage of the Allies' passivity, expanding their aggression, occupying Denmark and Norway in April 1940 and launching an offensive from the shores of the North Sea to the Maginot Line on May 10 of the same year. During May, the governments of Luxembourg, Belgium and Holland surrendered. And on June 22, 1940, France was forced to sign an armistice with Germany in Compiegne. As a result of the actual surrender of France, a collaborationist state was created in its south, headed by Marshal Pétain (1856-1951) and the administrative center in Vichy (the so-called "Vichy regime"). Resisting France was led by General Charles de Gaulle (1890-1970).

On May 10, there were changes in the leadership of Great Britain, Winston Churchill (1874-1965) was appointed head of the country's War Cabinet, whose anti-German, anti-fascist and anti-Soviet sentiments were well known. The "strange war" period is over. From August 1940 to May 1941, the German command organized systematic air raids on the cities of England, trying to force its leadership to withdraw from the war. As a result, during this time about 190 thousand high-explosive and incendiary bombs were dropped on England, and by June 1941 a third of the tonnage of its merchant fleet had been sunk at sea. Germany intensified the onslaught on the countries of South-Eastern Europe. Joining to

The Berlin pact (an agreement between Germany, Italy and Japan of September 27, 1940) of the Bulgarian pro-fascist government ensured the success of the aggression against Greece and Yugoslavia in April 1941.In 1940, Italy developed military operations in Africa, attacking the colonial possessions of England and France ( East Africa, Sudan, Somalia, Egypt, Libya, Algeria, Tunisia). However, in December 1940 the British forced the Italian troops to surrender. Germany hastened to help the ally.

Second stage of the war (June 22, 1941 - November 1942) characterized by the entry into the war of the USSR, the retreat of the Red Army and its first victory (the battle for Moscow), as well as the beginning of the intensive formation of the anti-Hitler coalition. So, on June 22, 1941, England declared its full support for the USSR, and the USA almost simultaneously (June 23) expressed its readiness to provide him with economic assistance. As a result, on July 12 in Moscow, a Soviet-British agreement was signed on joint actions against Germany, and on August 16, on trade between the two countries. In the same month, as a result of a meeting between F. Roosevelt (1882-1945) and W. Churchill, the Atlantic Charter was signed, to which the USSR joined in September. However, the United States entered the war on December 7, 1941 after the tragedy at the Pacific naval base Pearl Harbor, attacked by the Japanese. On January 1, 1942, in Washington, 27 states that were at war with the countries of the so-called "fascist axis" signed the Declaration of the United Nations, which completed the difficult process of creating an anti-Hitler coalition.

Third stage of the war (mid-November 1942 - end of 1943) was marked by a radical change in its course, which meant the loss of strategic initiative by the countries of the fascist coalition at the fronts, the superiority of the anti-Hitler coalition in the economic, political and moral aspects. On the Eastern Front, the Soviet Army won major victories at Stalingrad and Kursk. Anglo-American forces successfully advanced in Africa. In Europe, the allies forced Italy to surrender. In 1943, the allied relations of the countries of the anti-fascist bloc were strengthened: at the Moscow Conference (October 1943), Britain, the USSR and the United States adopted declarations on Italy, Austria and on general security (also signed by China), on the responsibility of the Nazis for the crimes committed.

At the Tehran Conference (November 28 - December 1, 1943), where F. Roosevelt, I. Stalin and W. Churchill met for the first time, a decision was made to open a Second Front in Europe in May 1944 and a Declaration on Joint Actions in the war against Germany and post-war cooperation.

At the fourth stage of the war (from the end of 1943 to May 9, 1945) there was a process of liberation by the Red Army of the western regions of the USSR, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, etc. In Western Europe, with some delay (June 6, 1944), the Second Front was opened, the countries of Western Europe were liberated. In 1945, 18 million people participated on the battlefields in Europe, about 260 thousand guns and mortars, up to 40 thousand tanks and self-propelled artillery mounts, over 38 thousand aircraft.

At the Yalta Conference (February 1945), the leaders of England, the USSR and the United States decided the fate of Germany, Poland, Yugoslavia, discussed the creation of the United Nations Organization (created on April 25, 1945), and concluded an agreement on the USSR's entry into the war against Japan. joint efforts was the complete and unconditional surrender of Germany on May 8, 1945, signed on the outskirts of Berlin Karlhorst.

Final, fifth stage World War II took place in the Far East and Southeast Asia (from May 9 to September 2, 1945). After the defeat of the USSR by the Kwantung Army (August 1945), Japan signed an act of surrender (September 2, 1945)

World War II, Great Patriotic War. It was the most brutal and bloody war in human history.

During the period of this massacre, more than 60 million citizens of various countries of the world were killed. Historians have calculated that every month of war, an average of 27 thousand tons of bombs and shells fell on the heads of military and civilians on both sides of the front!

Let's remember today, on Victory Day, the 10 most formidable battles of World War II.

Source: realitypod.com/

It was the largest aerial battle in history. The goal of the Germans was to gain air superiority over the British Royal Air Force in order to invade the British Isles without hindrance. The battle was fought exclusively by the combat aircraft of the opposing sides. Germany lost 3,000 pilots, England 1,800 pilots. Over 20,000 British civilians were killed. The defeat of Germany in this battle is considered one of the decisive moments in World War II - it did not allow the elimination of the Western allies of the USSR, which later led to the opening of a second front.

Source: realitypod.com/

The longest running longest battle of World War II. During naval battles, German submarines tried to sink Soviet and British supply vessels and warships. The allies responded in kind. Everyone understood the special significance of this battle - on the one hand, Western weapons and equipment were supplied to the Soviet Union by sea, on the other hand, Great Britain was supplied with everything necessary mainly by sea - the British needed up to a million tons of all kinds of materials and food in order to survive and continue the fight ... The price of the victory of the members of the anti-Hitler coalition in the Atlantic was enormous and terrible - about 50,000 of its sailors died, the same number of German sailors lost their lives.

Source: realitypod.com/

This battle began after German forces at the end of World War II made a desperate (and, as history shows, the last) attempt to turn the tide of hostilities in their favor, organizing an offensive against Anglo-American forces in the mountainous and wooded areas in Belgium under the code the name Unternehmen Wacht am Rhein (Guard on the Rhine). Despite all the experience of British and American strategists, the massive German attack took the allies by surprise. However, in the end, the offensive failed. Germany in this operation lost more than 100 thousand of its soldiers and officers in killed, the Anglo-American allies - about 20 thousand soldiers killed.

Source: realitypod.com/

Marshal Zhukov wrote in his memoirs: "When I am asked what I remember most from the last war, I always answer: the battle for Moscow." Hitler viewed the capture of Moscow, the capital of the USSR and the largest Soviet city, as one of the main military and political goals of Operation Barbarossa. In Germanic and Western military history it is known as Operation Typhoon. This battle is divided into two periods: defensive (September 30 - December 4, 1941) and offensive, which consists of 2 stages: the counteroffensive (December 5-6, 1941 - January 7-8, 1942) and the general offensive of the Soviet troops (January 7-10 - April 20, 1942). The losses of the USSR - 926.2 thousand people, the losses of Germany - 581 thousand people.

Disembarkation of ALLIES IN NORMANDY, OPENING OF THE SECOND FRONT (FROM JUNE 6, 1944 TO JULY 24, 1944)

Source: realitypod.com/

This battle, which became part of Operation Overlord, marked the beginning of the deployment of a strategic group of Anglo-American allied forces in Normandy, France. The invasion was attended by British, American, Canadian and French units. The landing of the main forces from the Allied warships was preceded by a massive bombardment of German coastal fortifications and the landing of paratroopers and gliders at the positions of selected Wehrmacht units. Allied marines landed on five beaches. It is considered one of the largest amphibious operations in history. Both sides lost more than 200,000 of their troops.

Source: realitypod.com/

The last strategic offensive operation of the armed forces Soviet Union the period of the Great Patriotic War turned out to be one of the most bloody. It became possible as a result of the strategic breakthrough of the German front by the Red Army units carrying out the Vistula-Oder offensive. It ended with a complete victory over Nazi Germany and the surrender of the Wehrmacht. During the battles for Berlin, the losses of our army amounted to more than 80 thousand soldiers and officers, the Nazis lost 450 thousand of their servicemen.

Read about how the Second World War began 70 years ago in the material "Union of Wrong Forces". The magazine ranks 10 of the bloodiest battles.

1. Stalingrad battle

Meaning: The battle of Stalingrad was the most bloody battle in world history. At this city on the Volga, seven Soviet armies (plus the 8th Air Army and the Volga Flotilla) were deployed against the German Army Group B and their allies. After the battle, Stalin said: "Stalingrad was the decline of the German fascist army." After this massacre, the Germans could never recover.

Irrecoverable losses: USSR - 1 million 130 thousand people; Germany and allies - 1.5 million people

2. Battle of Moscow

Meaning: the commander of the German 2nd Panzer Army, Guderian, assessed the consequences of the defeat near Moscow: “All the sacrifices and efforts were in vain, we suffered a serious defeat, which, due to the stubbornness of the high command, led to fatal consequences in the coming weeks. , the strength and morale of the German army is broken. "

Irrecoverable losses: USSR - 926.2 thousand people; Germany - 581.9 thousand people

3. Battle for Kiev

Meaning: the defeat near Kiev was a heavy blow for the Red Army, it opened the way for the Wehrmacht to Eastern Ukraine, to the Azov and Donbass regions. The surrender of Kiev led to the actual collapse of the Southwestern Front, Soviet soldiers began to drop their weapons en masse and surrender.

Irrecoverable losses: USSR - 627.8 thousand people. (according to German data, the number of prisoners was 665 thousand people); Germany - unknown.

4. Battle for the Dnieper

Meaning: up to 4 million people took part in the battle for the liberation of Kiev on both sides, and the front of the battles stretched for 1400 km. Front-line writer Viktor Astafyev recalled: "Twenty-five thousand soldiers enter the water, and three thousand come out on the other side, maximum five. And after five or six days all the dead surface. Can you imagine?"

Irrecoverable losses: USSR - 417 thousand people; Germany - 400 thousand killed (according to other sources, about 1 million people).

5. Battle of Kursk

Meaning: The largest battle in the history of World War II. The troops of the Central and Voronezh fronts defeated two of the largest army groupings of the Wehrmacht: Army Group Center and Army Group South.

Irrecoverable losses: USSR - 254 thousand people; Germany - 500 thousand people (according to German data, 103.6 thousand people).

6. Operation "Bagration"

Meaning: one of the largest military operations in the history of mankind, during which the forces of the 1st Baltic, 1st, 2nd and 3rd Belorussian fronts defeated the German Army Group Center and liberated Belarus. In order to demonstrate the importance of success, after the battle, more than 50 thousand German prisoners captured near Minsk were taken through the streets of Moscow.

Irrecoverable losses: USSR - 178.5 thousand people; Germany - 255.4 thousand people

7. Vistula-Oder operation

Meaning: the strategic offensive of the 1st Byelorussian and 1st Ukrainian fronts, during which the territory of Poland to the west of the Vistula was liberated. This battle went down in the history of mankind as the most rapid offensive - for 20 days, Soviet troops were advancing at a distance of 20 to 30 km per day.

Irrecoverable losses: USSR - 43.2 thousand people; Germany - 480 thousand people

8. Battle of Berlin

Meaning: The last battle of the Soviet troops in Europe. For the sake of storming the capital of the Third Reich, the forces of the 1st Ukrainian, 1st and 2nd Belorussian fronts were united, divisions of the Polish Army and sailors of the Baltic Fleet took part in the battles.

Irrecoverable losses: USSR and its allies - 81 thousand people; Germany - about 400 thousand people

9. Battle of Monte Casino

Meaning: The bloodiest battle involving Western allies, during which the Americans and the British broke through the German Gustav Line defensive line and took Rome.

Irrecoverable losses: USA and allies - more than 100 thousand people; Germany - about 20 thousand people

10. Battle of Iwo Jima

Meaning: The first military operation of the US forces against Japan on land, which also became the bloodiest battle in the Pacific theater of operations. It was after the storming of this small island 1250 km from Tokyo that the US command decided to conduct a demonstration atomic bombing before landing on the Japanese islands.

Irretrievable losses: Japan - 22.3 thousand people; USA - 6.8 thousand people

The material was prepared by Victor Bekker, Vladimir Tikhomirov