How the Second World War began. What time did the Great Patriotic War begin?

In the first half of 1941, German troops actually completed fighting on the Western Front. This made it possible to concentrate the bulk of the troops on the borders with the USSR and bring up weapons and logistics to them.

On June 22, 1941, without a declaration of war, German troops began bombing cities and settlements USSR, German ground troops and the troops of their allies (Italy, Romania, Hungary, Finland) crossed the border along its entire length.

Hitler began to implement what was developed in 1940 (it was assumed that the war would end at lightning speed before the onset of winter).

The outbreak of hostilities came as a complete surprise to Soviet troops. In the first days, the Germans managed to destroy 1,200 aircraft and defeat 28 divisions; 70 Soviet divisions lost up to half of their strength and equipment; More than 3 million soldiers were captured.

With their first strikes, the Germans sought to destroy headquarters, communications centers, bridges, and railway communications.

The advancing Wehrmacht formations managed to advance 30-40 km per day. The situation was getting worse complete absence at senior management USSR information on the scale of the invasion and the current situation.

At the beginning of the summer, the bulk of the command and personnel were on vacation, the weapons were in deep conservation in warehouses, the equipment was stored in a disassembled state, the planes were not refueled and equipped with weapons. Panic reigned among the troops, and the retreat of the first days was more likely to be a flight.

The Germans launched an offensive in three directions: “North” (Pskov, Baltic states, Leningrad), “Center” (Smolensk, Moscow), “South” (Kyiv, Crimea).

In three weeks of fighting, they managed to advance 300-600 km deep into Soviet territory. Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Right Bank Ukraine, and Moldova were occupied.

Only in the middle of summer was it possible to organize defense in the Smolensk region and stop the advance of the Center group. However, the situation on the flanks continued to worsen. In the northwest, the Germans reached Leningrad and began its siege. In the southwest, Kyiv was surrendered, and 650 thousand people were surrounded. This defeat greatly complicated the position of the Soviet troops.

Having occupied Donbass and Crimea, the Germans reached Sevastopol by November 1941. At the same time, battles broke out for Odessa, which the 4th Romanian Army immediately tried to take. Despite heroic resistance, the city had to be abandoned in September.

The miscalculation consisted of an incorrect analysis of the international situation, ignoring intelligence data and an erroneous determination of the date for the start of the war, which became the reason tragic events. Being in a state of shock, Stalin hid from the people and gave a speech only on July 3.

Full responsibility for the defeat initial period he transferred it to the army leadership group. The commander of the Western Front, D.G., was accused and shot. Pavlov.

The very next day after the start of the war, general mobilization was announced in the country, and martial law was introduced in the European part. On June 23, the headquarters of the main command was created, which included S.K. Timoshenko, G.K. Zhukov, V.M. Molotov, K.E. Voroshilov, S.M. Budyonny, N.G. Kuznetsov. The headquarters was headed by I.V. Stalin. On June 30, the State Defense Committee (GKO) was formed, which was also headed by Stalin, concentrating all power in his hands.

Realizing the danger of the situation, the Soviet government took measures to rebuild the economy. Under the slogan “Everything for the front, everything for victory!” enterprises were reoriented to produce military products.

In early June, negotiations began on the creation. On July 12, an agreement was signed in Moscow between Great Britain and the USSR on a joint struggle against Nazi Germany.

The date of the start of the Great Patriotic War (1941, June 22) is the day on which, violating the non-aggression agreement, it invaded the territory of the Soviet Union. This battle is considered the most brutal and difficult of all battles in Russian history.

The beginning of the Great Patriotic War was not officially announced. The enemy invaded suddenly, early on Sunday morning.

The beginning of the Great Patriotic War took place according to a previously developed detailed plan. It should be noted that before the attack, Germany possessed the human and industrial resources of the European countries it had previously captured. This certainly strengthened the Germans.

The sudden and lightning-fast start of the Great Patriotic War should have led to the rapid defeat of the Soviet Union. Germany intended, in a short-term campaign, to capture all the most important political and industrial centers and annex the European part of the USSR. Hitler had no doubt about victory. He thought Soviet Union unstable, weak state.

The command of the fascist army sent out instructions to all its members, according to which all German officers were to instill in them that the war was “the liberation of Russia from the Soviet yoke.” In this information, the officers were warned about the need to remain silent about the subsequent alleged dismemberment of Russia.

About five and a half million were concentrated along the Soviet border German officers(190 divisions), about five thousand units military aviation and four thousand tanks, more than forty-seven thousand mortars and guns. According to historians, this is the largest invasion army.

There were about 170 divisions (about three million soldiers) at disposal. Not inferior in number of weapons and equipment, it had insufficient military training. In addition, many aviation and tank formations were reorganized or were just at the stage of formation. The country lacked transport and insufficient communications. New models of aircraft, tanks and other equipment were in the development stage.

Stalin's transformations on the eve of the outbreak of hostilities are also of no small importance. According to the army's capacity, it was inflicted serious blow mass repressions against the command staff of the Soviet troops. In addition, despite the obvious preparatory measures of the German units, the mobilization of the Soviet army, the regrouping of formations and bringing them into combat readiness was not carried out until the German invasion.

When the inevitability of the attack became obvious, on June 21, in the evening, an order was sent to the border districts by the Chief of the General Staff Zhukov and People's Commissar Timoshenko. The directive stated a proposal to reach firing positions and bring the units into combat readiness. Many connections were not reached or reached when hostilities had already begun.

In 1941, on June 22 at four o'clock in the morning, Hitler's troops launched an artillery attack on the border regions of the Soviet Union, and then invaded the country. The German army fought in three strategically important directions - Kyiv, Moscow and Leningrad.

The unexpected attack allowed Hitler's army to gain a significant advantage at the initial stage of the war. Air raids and tank breakthroughs contributed to the advance of the aggressor deeper into the Soviet country.

The beginning of the Great Patriotic War was a disaster. A large number of formations and border outposts, having taken the first blow, died. A huge number of Soviet soldiers were captured. A week after the start of the battle, Minsk fell.

Despite the difficult conditions in the Great Patriotic War, Soviet soldiers showed heroism and courage from the very first days of the battle.

143,000,000 killed Soviet citizens, 1,800,000 killed in captivity or immigrated - the Great Patriotic War broke into every home on June 22, 1941. For 4 terrible years at the fronts, fathers, sons, brothers, sisters, mothers and wives remained “lying bones”. The Second World War is called a “terrible lesson of the past,” “a political miscalculation,” and a “bloody massacre.” Why did it start terrible war, what is its progress, what are the results?

Background of the Second World War. Where do “legs grow” from?

The prerequisites are hidden in the Versailles-Washington system established after the First World War. Germany and its ambitions were humiliated and brought to its knees. In the 1920s, the National Socialist German Workers' Party, promoting far-right views, entered the political arena. Party supporters proclaimed the ideas of “revenge for defeat in the First World War” and the establishment of world domination of the German nation. European politicians looked at a "rising Germany" and thought they could govern it. France and Great Britain “pushed” the country towards the borders of the Union, pursuing their own benefits. But they could not think that on September 1, 1939, German troops would invade Poland (the Second World War would begin).

ATTENTION! The Second World War lasted more than 6 years (September 1, 1939 - September 2, 1945). WWII - June 22, 1941 - May 9, 1945.

Why did the Great Patriotic War begin? 3 reasons

Historians talk about dozens of factors that influenced the outbreak of the war. Let's face it, the war began with the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact in 1939. “Behind Europe’s back,” Germany and the Soviet Union agree that they will be “on the same side.” After the outbreak of World War II, the USSR invaded Poland on September 17, 1939. On September 22, 1939, a parade of the Wehrmacht and the Red Army solemnly took place in Brest.

Joseph Stalin did not believe that Hitler would “stick a knife in the back” and attack the USSR. Moreover: when Minsk fell on June 28, 1941, the leader was in a panic (and even thought that he would be arrested for a crime against the people). The first days of the Second World War, the Red Army retreated, and the Germans easily took one city after another.

Let’s not forget that there were massive repressions in the USSR: during the last “purge” in June 1941, experienced military leaders were killed (shot, expelled).

The causes of the Second World War lie in:

1. Hitler's desire for “domination of the whole world” (“Germany from sea to sea”). Resources were needed for conquest, and the territory of the USSR with its natural resources seemed like a “tidbit.”
2. Desires Soviet authorities“crush” Eastern Europe.
3. Contradictions between the socialist system and capitalism.

What plans did Germany have?

U German tacticians and strategists had several plans on the territory of the Soviet Union.

1. War plan "Barbarossa". In the summer of 1940, a “blitzkrieg” plan was developed: in 10 weeks (i.e., 2.5 months), German troops were supposed to paralyze the industry of the Urals, crush the European part of the country and reach the Arkhangelsk-Astrakhan line. On June 17, 1941, Hitler signed the very order that launched the offensive.
2. "Ost." Jews and Gypsies were completely destroyed; Belarusians, Russians and Ukrainians turned into “slaves” who served the German invaders. Up to 140,000,000 people were to be destroyed. Mass genocide, violence, murder, concentration camps, torture, medical “experiments” - all this awaited those who live today in Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine.
3. "Oldenburg" and "Goering's Green Folder". Cultural and historical values ​​were to be exported to Germany. Soviet museums were simply robbed, and the gold gems, art and antiques were sent by train to the West.

By the summer of 1941, there were 5,500,000 soldiers trained to kill at the borders of the USSR, versus 2,900,000 Soviet (this is the number of military personnel concentrated in the border districts). There’s no point in talking about weapons: one rifle for three, limited quantity bullets, “rusty iron” - all this “came up” more than once in the memories of veterans.

The Soviet Union was not ready for war:

1. Stalin ignored memos about “pulling up” German armies to the boundaries. It seemed to the leader that Germany would not invade and fight on 2 fronts.
2. Lack of talented military leaders. Technique "War" little blood" turned out to be a failure. The idea that the Red Army would move to the West, and the workers of the whole world would join its ranks, also turned out to be unfounded.
3. Problems with army supplies. According to some information, the Wehrmacht had 16 times more rifles (not to mention tanks and aircraft). The warehouses were located close to the borders, so they were quickly captured by the enemy.

Despite all the miscalculations and problems, soviet soldiers with sweat and blood they snatched victory. In the rear, women, children, old people, and disabled people produced weapons day and night; The partisans risked their lives trying to collect as much information as possible about enemy groups. The Soviet people stood up to defend their Motherland.

How did events develop?

Historians talk about 3 main stages. Each of them is divided into dozens of small stages, and behind every success of the Red Army there are shadows of dead soldiers.

Strategic defense. June 22, 1941 – November 18, 1942

At this time, the Barbarossa plan collapsed. In the first stages, enemy troops took Ukraine, the Baltic states and Belarus without any problems. Moscow was ahead - an important geopolitical and economic goal. The capture of Moscow would automatically mean the fragmentation of the Red Army and the loss of control.

September 30, 1941 – January 7, 1942, i.e. almost 4 months went by heavy fighting with varying degrees of success, but Soviet troops were able to push back the enemy.

The Battle of Moscow was Hitler's first failure. It became clear that the Blitzkrieg had failed; Western world saw that the “invincible Adolf” could lose; The morale and fighting spirit of the people rose.

But ahead were Stalingrad and the Caucasus. The victory near Moscow provided a “respite.” The partisan struggle is gradually unfolding, anti-Hitler coalition. The USSR is transferring the economy to a military footing, so the supply of the army is improving (KV-1 and T-34 tanks, Katyusha rocket launcher, IL-2 attack aircraft).

Radical fracture. November 19, 1942 – end of 1943

Until the fall of 1942, victories were either on the side of the USSR or on the side of Germany. At this stage, the strategic initiative passes into the hands of the Soviet Union: 26 strategic operations (23 of them offensive), assistance from allies and Lend-Lease, “first news” of the collapse of the Hitler coalition, strengthening the authority of the USSR.

All results were given with sweat and blood. At this stage, a number of major battles, which “turned” the course of the war.

• The Battle of Stalingrad and the defeat of German troops;
• battle for the Dnieper;
• Kursk Bulge.

The stage ends at the end of 1943 with the liberation of Kyiv and the “crossing of the Dnieper.”

Europe liberated from Nazism. January 1944 – May 9, 1945

Let us remember that World War II ended on September 2, 1945. But Europe freed itself from the shackles of Nazism in the spring.

In the fall of 1944, the Soviet command carried out a number of operations to liberate the country from enemy armies: Korsun-Shevchenkovskaya, Lvov-Sandomierz, Yassko-Kishinevskaya. Siege Leningrad, which found itself “cut off” from food and security, was liberated. Thanks to the East Prussian, Vistula-Oder, and West Carpathian operations, it was possible to create all the conditions to “go to Berlin.”

On May 1, 1945, Adolf Hitler takes poison and leaves the people “to their fate.” The provisional government, which “by chance” was headed by K. Doenitz, in its “death convulsions”, tries to negotiate a separate peace with Great Britain and France, but fails. Tribunals ahead high-profile scandals, trials and verdicts. On May 8, 1945, the Act of Unconditional Surrender was signed in Karlshorst (a suburb of Berlin). Germany is defeated.

May 9, 1945 becomes Victory Day, a symbol of endless courage, unity and the ability to repel the enemy.

The Great Patriotic War is a terrible lesson in history, for which the Soviet Union paid too high a price. The exact number of deaths is impossible to calculate (figures in different sources differ). But before Soviet people Another task arose - to raise the destroyed economy from its knees.

The confrontation of the Russian people with the aggression of Germany and other countries that sought to establish a “new world order.” This war became a clash between two opposing civilizations, in which the Western world set as its goal the complete destruction of Russia - the USSR as a state and nation, the seizure of a significant part of its territories and the formation of puppet regimes subject to Germany in the remaining parts. Germany was pushed to war against Russia by the Judeo-Masonic regimes of the USA and England, which saw in Hitler an instrument for carrying out their plans for world domination and the destruction of Russia.

On June 22, 1941, German armed forces consisting of 103 divisions, including 10 tank divisions, invaded Russian territory. Their total number numbered five and a half million people, of which more than 900 thousand were military personnel of Germany's Western allies - Italians, Spaniards, French, Dutch, Finns, Romanians, Hungarians, etc. This treacherous Western international was assigned 4,300 tanks and assault guns, 4980 combat aircraft, 47200 guns and mortars.

The Russian armed forces of the five western border military districts and three fleets opposing the aggressor were twice as inferior to the enemy in manpower, and in the first echelon of our armies there were only 56 rifle and cavalry divisions who found it difficult to compete with tank corps Germans. The aggressor also had a great advantage in artillery, tanks and aircraft of the latest designs.

By nationality, more than 90% of the Soviet army opposing Germany were Russians (Great Russians, Little Russians and Belarusians), which is why, without exaggeration, it can be called the Russian army, which in no way detracts from the feasible contribution of other peoples of Russia in confronting the common enemy.

Treacherously, without declaring war, concentrating overwhelming superiority on the direction of attacks, the aggressor broke through the defenses of Russian troops, seized strategic initiative and air supremacy.

The enemy occupied a significant part of the country and advanced inland to 300 - 600 km. On June 23, the Headquarters of the High Command was created (from August 6 - the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command). All power was concentrated in the one created on June 30 State Committee Defense (GKO). From August 8 I.V. Stalin became the Supreme Commander-in-Chief. He gathered around him outstanding Russian commanders G.K. Zhukov, S.K. Timoshenko, B.M. Shaposhnikov, A.M. Vasilevsky, K.K. Rokossovsky, N.F. Vatutin, A.I. Eremenko, K. A. Meretskov, I. S. Konev, I. D. Chernyakhovsky and many others. In their public speaking

Stalin relies on the feeling of patriotism of the Russian people, calling on them to follow the example of their heroic ancestors. The main military events of the summer-autumn campaign of 1941 were the Battle of Smolensk, the defense of Leningrad and the beginning of its blockade, the military disaster of Soviet troops in Ukraine, the defense of Odessa, the beginning of the defense of Sevastopol, the loss of Donbass, the defensive period of the Battle of Moscow. The Russian army retreated 850-1200 km, but the enemy was stopped in the main directions near Leningrad, Moscow and Rostov and went on the defensive. The winter campaign of 1941-42 began with a counter-offensive of Russian troops in the western strategic direction. During it, a counteroffensive near Moscow, the Lyuban, Rzhevsko-Vyazemskaya, Barvenkovsko-Lozovskaya and Kerch-Feodosia landing operations were carried out. Russian troops removed the threat to Moscow and, eased the situation in Leningrad, completely or partially liberated the territory of 10 regions, as well as over 60 cities. The blitzkrieg strategy collapsed. About 50 enemy divisions were defeated. The patriotism of the Russian people, which was widely manifested from the first days of the war, played a major role in the defeat of the enemy. Thousands folk heroes, like A. Matrosov and Z. Kosmodemyanskaya, hundreds of thousands of partisans behind enemy lines already in the first months greatly shook the morale of the aggressor.

In the summer-autumn campaign of 1942, the main military events unfolded in the southwestern direction: the defeat of the Crimean Front, the military disaster of Soviet troops in the Kharkov operation, the Voronezh-Voroshilovgrad, Donbass, Stalingrad defensive operations, the battle in the North Caucasus. In the northwestern direction, the Russian army carried out the Demyansk and Rzhev-Sychevsk offensive operations. The enemy advanced 500 - 650 km, reached the Volga, and captured part of the passes of the Main Caucasus Range. The territory was occupied, where before the war 42% of the population lived, a third of the gross output was produced, and more than 45% of the sown areas were located. The economy was put on a war footing. A large number of enterprises were relocated to the eastern regions of the country (2,593 in the second half of 1941 alone, including 1,523 large ones), and 2.3 million heads of livestock were exported. In the first half of 1942, 10 thousand aircraft, 11 thousand tanks, approx. 54 thousand guns. In the 2nd half of the year, their production increased by more than 1.5 times.

In the winter campaign of 1942-43, the main military events were the Stalingrad and North Caucasus offensive operations and the breaking of the blockade of Leningrad. The Russian army advanced 600 - 700 km westward, liberating a territory of over 480 thousand square meters. km, defeated 100 divisions (40% of the enemy forces on the Soviet-German front). In the summer-autumn campaign of 1943, the decisive event was the Battle of Kursk.

During the winter campaign of 1943-44, the Russian army carried out an offensive in Ukraine (10 simultaneous and sequential front-line operations, united by a common plan). Completed the defeat of Army Group South, crossed the border with Romania and transferred the fighting to its territory. Almost simultaneously, the Leningrad-Novgorod offensive operation unfolded; Leningrad was finally released. As a result of the Crimean operation, Crimea was liberated. Russian troops advanced westward by 250 - 450 km, liberating approx. 300 thousand sq. km of territory, reached the state border with Czechoslovakia.

In June 1944, when the USA and England realized that Russia could win the war without their participation, they opened a 2nd front in France. This worsened the military-political situation in Germany. During the summer-autumn campaign of 1944, Russian troops carried out the Belarusian, Lvov-Sandomierz, East Carpathian, Iasi-Kishinev, Baltic, Debrecen, East Carpathian, Belgrade, partially Budapest and Petsamo-Kirkenes offensive operations. The liberation of Belarus, Little Russia and the Baltic states (except for some regions of Latvia), partially Czechoslovakia was completed, Romania and Hungary were forced to capitulate and entered the war against Germany, the Soviet Arctic and the northern regions of Norway were liberated from the occupiers.

The 1945 campaign in Europe included the East Prussian, Vistula-Oder, completion of the Budapest, East Pomeranian, Lower Silesian, Upper Silesian, West Carpathian, Vienna and Berlin operations, which ended unconditional surrender fascist Germany. After the Berlin operation, Russian troops, together with the 2nd army of the Polish Army, the 1st and 4th Romanian armies and the 1st Czechoslovak corps, carried out the Prague operation.

Victory in the war greatly raised the spirit of the Russian people, contributed to the growth of their national self-awareness and faith in own strength. As a result of the victory, Russia regained most of what was taken from it as a result of the revolution (except for Finland and Poland). The historical Russian lands in Galicia, Bukovina, Bessarabia, etc. returned to its composition. Most of the Russian people (including Little Russians and Belarusians) again became a single entity in one state, which created the preconditions for their unification in a single Church. The fulfillment of this historical task was the main positive outcome of the war. The victory of Russian weapons created favorable conditions for Slavic unity. At some stage, the Slavic countries united with Russia in something like a fraternal federation. For a period of time, the peoples of Poland, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, and Yugoslavia realized how important it was for the Slavic world to stick together in the fight against Western encroachment on Slavic lands.

On Russia's initiative, Poland received Silesia and a significant part of East Prussia, from which the city of Königsberg with its surrounding territory came into the possession of the Russian state, and Czechoslovakia regained the Sudetenland previously captured by Germany.

The great mission to save humanity from the “new world order” was given to Russia at a huge price: the Russian people and the brotherly peoples of our Fatherland paid for this with the lives of 47 million people (including direct and indirect losses), of which approximately 37 million people were Russians themselves (including Little Russians and Belarusians).

Most of the deaths were not of the military directly involved in the hostilities, but of civilians, the civilian population of our country. The irretrievable losses of the Russian army (killed, died from wounds, missing in action, died in captivity) amount to 8 million 668 thousand 400 people. The remaining 35 million are the lives of civilians. During the war years, about 25 million people were evacuated to the East. Approximately 80 million people, or about 40% of the population of our country, ended up in the territory occupied by Germany. All these people became “objects” of the implementation of the misanthropic Ost program, were subjected to brutal repressions, and died from famine organized by the Germans. About 6 million people were driven into German slavery, many of them died from unbearable living conditions.

As a result of the war, the genetic fund of the most active and viable part of the population was significantly undermined, because in it, first of all, the strongest and most energetic members of society, capable of producing the most valuable offspring, died. In addition, due to the falling birth rate, the country is missing tens of millions of future citizens.

The huge price of victory fell most heavily on the shoulders of the Russian people (including Little Russians and Belarusians), because the main hostilities were carried out on their ethnic territories and it was towards them that the enemy was especially cruel and merciless.

In addition to the enormous human losses, our country suffered colossal material damage. Not a single country in its entire history and in the Second World War had such losses and barbaric destruction from the aggressors that befell Great Russia. Russia's total material losses in world prices amounted to more than a trillion dollars (US national income for several years).

The years 1941-1945 became a terrible test for the USSR, which the citizens of the country passed with honor, emerging victorious from the armed confrontation with Germany. In our article we will briefly talk about the beginning of the Great Patriotic War and its final stage.

Start of the war

Since 1939, the Soviet Union, acting in its territorial interests, tried to adhere to neutrality. But when the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 began, it automatically became part of the Second World War, which was already in its second year.

Assuming possible collision with Britain and France (capitalist countries opposed to communism), Stalin had been preparing the country for war since the 1930s. In 1940, the USSR began to consider Germany as its main enemy, although a Non-Aggression Treaty was concluded between the countries (1939).

However, thanks to clever disinformation, the invasion of German troops Soviet territory It was June 22, 1941, without official warning, that came as a surprise.

Rice. 1. Joseph Stalin.

The first, by order of Rear Admiral Ivan Eliseev at three o'clock in the morning, was the Black Sea Fleet to repel the Nazis, firing german planes, invading Soviet airspace. Border battles followed later.

Officially the start of the war Soviet ambassador in Germany it was announced only at four in the morning. On the same day, the Germans' decision was repeated by the Italians and Romanians.

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A number of miscalculations (in military development, timing of attacks, time of deployment of troops) led to losses for the Soviet army in the first years of resistance. Germany captured the Baltic states, Belarus, most of Ukraine, and southern Russia. Leningrad was besieged (from 09/08/1941). Moscow was defended. In addition, military operations began again on the border with Finland, as a result of which Finnish troops recaptured the lands captured by the Union during the Soviet-Finnish War (1939-1940).

Rice. 2. Siege Leningrad.

Despite the serious defeats of the USSR, the German Barbarossa plan to occupy Soviet lands in one year failed: Germany was bogged down in war.

Final period

Successfully conducted operations at the second stage of the war (November 1942-December 1943) allowed Soviet troops to continue the counteroffensive.

In four months (December 1943-April 1944), Right Bank Ukraine was recaptured. The army reached the southern borders of the Union and began the liberation of Romania.

In January 1944 the blockade of Leningrad was lifted, in April-May the Crimea was recaptured, in June-August Belarus was liberated, and in September-November the Baltic states were liberated.

In 1945, liberation operations of Soviet troops began outside the country (Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Austria).

04/16/1945 the USSR army began Berlin operation, during which the German capital surrendered (May 2). Planted on May 1st on the roof of the Reichstag (Parliament building), the assault flag became the Victory Banner and was transferred to the dome.

05/09/1945 Germany capitulated.

Rice. 3. Victory Banner.

When the Great Patriotic War ended (May 1945), World War II was still ongoing (until September 2). Having won the liberation war, Soviet army according to preliminary agreements of the Yalta Conference (February 1945), it transferred its forces to the war with Japan (August 1945). Having defeated the most powerful Japanese ground forces (Kwantung Army), the USSR contributed to the rapid surrender of Japan.