Fighting during World War II. Interesting facts about the Great Patriotic War

World War II began on September 1, 1939. It's official. Unofficially, it began a little earlier - from the time of the Anschluss of Germany and Austria, the annexation by Germany of the Czech Republic, Moravia and the Sudetenland. It began when Adolf Hitler came up with the idea of ​​​​restoring the Great Reich - the Reich within the borders of the shameful Treaty of Versailles. But, since few of those living then could believe that war would come to their home, it never occurred to anyone to call it a world war. It looked only like small territorial claims and “restoration of historical justice.” Indeed, in the annexed regions and countries that were previously part of Greater Germany, many German citizens lived.

Six months later, in June 1940, the USSR authorities, having quite treacherously established state elections in Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia, forced the governments of the Baltic countries to resign, and uncontested elections were held at gunpoint, in which the communists expectedly won, since other parties were allowed to vote were not. Then, the “elected” parliaments declared these countries socialist and sent a petition to the Supreme Soviet of the USSR to join.

And then, in June 1940, Hitler ordered preparations to begin for an attack on the USSR. The formation of the blitzkrieg plan “Operation Barbarossa” began.

This redivision of the world and spheres of influence was only a partial implementation of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact concluded between Germany and its allies and the USSR on August 23, 1939.

Beginning of the Great Patriotic War

For citizens of the Soviet Union, the war began treacherously - at dawn on June 22, when a small border river The Bug and other territories were crossed by the fascist armada.

It would seem that nothing foreshadowed war. Yes, the Soviets who worked in Germany, Japan, and other countries sent dispatches that war with Germany was inevitable. They, often at the cost of their own lives, managed to find out both the date and time. Yes, six months before the designated date and especially closer to it, the penetration of saboteurs and sabotage groups into Soviet territories. But... Comrade Stalin, whose faith in himself as the Supreme and unsurpassed ruler on one sixth of the land was so enormous and unshakable that at best these intelligence officers simply remained alive and worked on, and at worst they were declared enemies of the people and liquidated.

Stalin's faith was based both on the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact and on Hitler's personal promise. He could not imagine that someone could deceive him and outplay him.

Therefore, despite the fact that on the part of the Soviet Union regular units were gathered on the western borders, ostensibly to increase combat readiness and planned military exercises, but on the recently annexed western territories From June 13 to 14, the USSR carried out an operation to evict and clear out the “socially alien element” deep into the country; the Red Army was not prepared at the beginning of the aggression. The military units received an order not to succumb to provocations. Command staff in large quantities from senior to junior commanders of the Red Army were sent on leave. Perhaps because Stalin himself expected to start a war, but later: at the end of July - beginning of August 1941.

History does not know the subjunctive mood. That's why this happened: in the early evening of June 21, the Germans received the Dortmund signal, which meant a planned offensive for the next day. And on a fine summer morning, Germany, without war, with the support of its allies, invaded the Soviet Union and struck a powerful blow along the entire length of its western borders, from three sides - with parts of three armies: “North”, “Center” and “South”. In the very first days, most of the Red Army's ammunition, ground military equipment and aircraft were destroyed. Peaceful cities, guilty only of the fact that strategically important ports and airfields were located on their territories - Odessa, Sevastopol, Kyiv, Minsk, Riga, Smolensk and other settlements were subjected to massive bombing.

By mid-July, German troops captured Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, a significant part of Ukraine, Moldova and Estonia. They destroyed most of the Red Army on the Western Front.

But then “something went wrong...” - the activation of Soviet aviation on the Finnish border and in the Arctic, a counterattack by mechanized corps on the Southwestern Front, stopped the Nazi offensive. By the end of July - beginning of August, Soviet troops learned not only to retreat, but also to defend themselves and resist the aggressor. And, although this was only the very, very beginning, and until the end of the Second World War there would be another four terrible years, but even then, defending and holding Kyiv and Minsk, Sevastopol and Smolensk with their last strength, the Red Army troops felt that they could win, ruining Hitler’s plans for the lightning-fast seizure of Soviet territories.

Looking back, these events seem to be centuries old. Life is in full swing around, everyone is fussing, in a hurry, and sometimes even the events of a year ago have no meaning and are ingloriously covered with dust in memory. But humanity has no moral right to forget the 1418 days of the Great Patriotic War. Chronicles of the war 1941-1945. - this is just a small echo of that time, a good reminder to the modern generation that war has never brought anything good to anyone.

Causes of the war

Like any armed confrontation, the reasons for the outbreak of the war were very banal. The chronicle of the Great War of 1941-1945 indicates that the battle began because Adolf Hitler wanted to lead Germany to world domination: to seize all countries and create a state with pure races.

Years later he invades the territory of Poland, then goes to Czechoslovakia, conquers more new territories, and then violates the peace treaty concluded on August 23, 1939 with the USSR. Intoxicated by his first successes and victories, he developed the Barbarossa plan, according to which he was supposed to capture the Soviet Union in a short time. But that was not the case. From this moment begins a four-year chronicle of the events of the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945).

1941st. Start

In June the war began. During this month, five defense fronts were formed, each of which was responsible for its own territory:

• Northern front. Defended Hanko (from 22.06 to 02.12) and the Arctic (from 29.07 to 10.10).
• Northwestern Front. Immediately after the attack, he began to carry out the Baltic strategic defensive operation (06.22-09.07).
• Western Front. The Bialystok-Minsk battle took place here (06.22-07.09).
• Southwestern front. The Lviv-Chernivtsi defensive operation was launched (06.22-06.07).
• Southern front. Founded 25.07.

In July, defensive operations continued on the Northern Front. On the Northwestern Front, the Leningrad defensive operation began (from 10.07 to 30.09). At the same time, the Battle of Smolensk begins on the Western Front (10.07-10.09). On July 24, the Central Front was founded and took part in the Battle of Smolensk. On the 30th the Reserve Front was formed. The Kiev defensive operation began in the South-West (07.07-26.09). The Tiraspol-Melitopol defensive operation begins on the Southern Front (07.27-28.09).

In August the battles continue. The forces of the Reserve Front join the Battle of Smolensk. On the 14th, the Bryansk Front was founded, and the city was defended in the Odessa defensive region (05.08-16.10). On August 23, the Transcaucasian Front is formed, two days later the Iranian operation begins.

Entries for September in documentary chronicles of the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945) indicate that most defensive battles have ended. The forces of the Soviet Union changed their location and began new offensive operations: Sumy-Kharkov and Donbass.

In October, the Sinyavskaya and Strelninsk-Peterhof operations were carried out on the Leningrad Front, and the Tikhvin defensive operation began (from October 16 to November 18). On the 17th, the Kalinin defensive front was formed, and the defensive operation of the same name began. On the 10th, the Reserve Front ceased to exist. The Tula defensive operation began on the Bryansk Front (10.24-05.12). Crimean troops began a defensive operation and entered the battle for Sevastopol (10/10/1941-07/09/1942).

In November, the Tikhvin offensive operation began, which ended by the end of the year. The battles went on with varying degrees of success. On December 5, the Kalinin offensive operation began, and on the 6th, the Klin-Solnechnaya and Tula offensive operations began. On December 17, the Volkhov Front was formed. The Bryansk Front was formed again, and the Kerch landing operation began in the Transcaucasus (December 26). The defense of Sevastopol continued.

1942 - a brief military chronicle of the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945)

On January 1, 1942, an anti-German bloc was formed, which included 226 countries. Meanwhile, on January 2, the city of Maloyaroslavets was liberated, on the 3rd, near the city of Sukhinichi, the Russian army defeated the Germans, and on January 7, the German shock forces were defeated near Moscow.

New offensive operations begin. On January 20, Mozhaisk was completely liberated. At the beginning of February, the entire Moscow region was liberated from the Germans. Soviet troops advanced 250 km in the Vitebsk direction. On March 5, long-range aviation was created. On May 8, the German offensive in Crimea begins. Fighting is underway near Kharkov, and on June 28 a large-scale offensive by German troops begins. The forces were mainly directed to the Volga and the Caucasus.

On July 17, the legendary Battle of Stalingrad begins, which is mentioned in all chronicles of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 (photos of the confrontation are attached). On August 25, a state of siege was introduced in Stalingrad. On September 13, fighting began at Mamayev Kurgan. November 19 The Red Army begins an offensive operation near Stalingrad. On December 3, a group of German troops was defeated in the Shiripin area. December 31 troops Stalingrad Front liberate the city of Elista.

1943

This year has become a turning point. On January 1, the Rostov offensive operation began. The cities of Mozdok, Malgobek, and Nalchik were liberated, and Operation Iskra began on January 12. The military personnel who took part in it must have been in Leningrad. Five days later, the city of Velikiye Luki was liberated. On January 18, it was possible to establish contact with Leningrad. On January 19, an offensive operation began on the Voronezh Front and managed to defeat a large enemy military group. On January 20, enemy troops were defeated near the city of Velikoluksk. On January 21, Stavropol was liberated.

On January 31, German troops surrender at Stalingrad. On February 2, it was possible to liquidate the army at Stalingrad (almost 300 thousand fascists). On February 8, Kursk was liberated, and on the 9th, Belgorod. The Soviet army advanced towards Minsk.

Krasnodar liberated; 14th - Rostov-on-Don, Voroshilovgrad and Krasnodon; On February 16, Kharkov was liberated. On March 3, Rzhevsk was liberated, on March 6, Gzhatsk, and on March 12, the Germans abandoned their positions in Vyazma. On March 29, the Soviet flotilla caused significant damage to the German fleet off the coast of Norway.

On May 3, the Soviet army won the air battle, and on July 5, the legendary Battle of Kursk began. It ended on August 22, during the battle 30 German divisions. By the end of the year, successful offensive operations were carried out, one after another, the cities of the Soviet Union were liberated from the invaders. fails.

1944

According to the chronicle of the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945), the war took a turn favorable for the USSR. Offensive operations began on all fronts. Ten so-called Stalinist strikes helped completely liberate the territory of the USSR; military operations were now carried out on the territory of Europe.

Path to Victory

The German command understands that it cannot seize the strategic initiative and begins to take defensive positions in order to preserve at least those territories that they managed to capture. But every day they had to retreat further and further.

On April 16, 1945, Soviet troops surround Berlin. The Nazi army is defeated. April 30 Hitler commits suicide. On May 7, Germany announced its surrender to the Western Allied forces, and on May 9, it capitulated to the Soviet Union.

In the chronicles (1941-1945), the war is presented to the reader as a list of dates and events. But we must not forget that behind every date there are hidden human destinies: unfulfilled hopes, unfulfilled promises and unlived lives.

Much has been written about the war in the Soviet Union. Memoirs of commanders, notes of officers and soldiers, prose, poetry, historical research. There are also memories of home front workers (both ordinary workers and managers, plant directors, people's commissars, aircraft designers). All this makes up an impressive library, from which it would seem possible to reconstruct historical facts with complete certainty. In addition, films were shot - feature and documentary, short and serial. In schools, technical schools and institutes, students discussed all stages in detail with teachers great battle, which claimed tens of millions of lives. And with all this, it turned out that our people know surprisingly little about what happened during the Great Patriotic War.

Two calendar dates - black and red

Two main dates are firmly entrenched in the consciousness of the masses - June 22, 1941 and May 9, 1945. Unfortunately, not everyone knows about what exactly happened during these days. In the early summer morning, “Kyiv was bombed, they declared to us...”, and the general summary is that the Germans attacked suddenly, they did not declare war. This is all about the first date. The information is not entirely true. The declaration of war was German Ambassador Schulenburg handed the note to Molotov. True, this did not matter; at that moment the Junkers and Henkels were already gaining altitude above the border, and there was no time left to prepare to repel the attack. But that’s what war is for, so as not to warn about an attack in advance. Why they didn’t prepare for defense is a different matter.

At first glance, more is known about what year the Great Patriotic War ended and on what day. But not everything is clear here either.

Start

On June 22, something happened for which the USSR had been preparing for a long time. An unprecedented modernization of industrial potential took place, called industrialization. Peasant life was radically restructured, and the basis for private initiative in the village was eliminated. This led to a sharp decline in the well-being of the entire people. Large-scale efforts, since they did not lead to an increase in living standards, could be aimed at only one thing - defense. Propaganda persistently instilled the idea of ​​the inevitability of war and at the same time the peacefulness of the world's first state of workers and peasants. The scenario of future fateful events was described in a feature film with the eloquent title “If there is war tomorrow.” The insidious enemy attacked, and he was immediately overtaken by retribution of terrible force. He was completely destroyed, and his land came real freedom, like in the USSR. Why did things turn out a little differently in June 1941?

Almost the entire military power of the Red Army as of mid-June 1941 was concentrated near the western borders of the USSR. There were also reserves of weapons, fuel, ammunition, medicines, food and everything necessary for waging war on foreign territory with little loss of life. The airfields were also pushed as far as possible into the border strips. The equipment was not completed; the delivery of military cargo and trains with equipment continued. All this was covered in works of art, and in many memoirs.

We can conclude that the Patriotic War to defend his country was not planned by Stalin.

What did Hitler count on?

The German Fuhrer was hoping mainly, apparently, for the dissatisfaction of the population with the Soviet regime. The agents reported on the terrible consequences of more than twenty years of communist rule, the repressions that had decapitated the Red Army, millions of starving peasants on collective farms, a frightened working class and suppressed intelligentsia. The Fuhrer had virtually no doubt that when the Wehrmacht approached the borders of the USSR, the population would come out to joyfully greet the “liberators.” Similar situations, by the way, occurred in some western regions, but in general, hopes did not come true.

How Germany prepared for war

If it were not for the hope of the speedy destruction of the “colossus with feet of clay,” Adolf Hitler would hardly have decided to attack. The situation in Germany at the beginning of the summer of 1941 could not be called brilliant. Against the backdrop of successful actions in Europe, not very pleasant processes took place. Half of France remained “under-occupied”, one hundred percent control over Yugoslavia was never established, in North Africa things were going badly maritime operations also passed with varying degrees of success. America did not enter the war, but in fact already participated in it, helping Britain with its practically inexhaustible material resources.

Germany's allies - Romania, Italy and Japan - were more trouble than they were worth. against the USSR in such conditions could be considered a crazy step. Practically no preparation was carried out; the Wehrmacht soldiers did not even have warm clothes and shoes (they never appeared), frost-resistant fuel and lubricant. Soviet intelligence knew about this and reported to the Kremlin.

However, the war began for the USSR in a completely unexpected way and in an extremely unfavorable situation for us. The Germans quickly advanced deeper into the territory, the situation became more and more threatening. It became clear that without the participation of the entire people in the defense it would be impossible to win. And the war became Patriotic.

Patriotic War

Almost immediately after Hitler's attack, the war was declared Patriotic. This happened for the second time in Russian history. A threat arose not just to some social system, but to the very existence of the country and the Eurasian civilization. How was it the first time, under the Tsar-Liberator?

The Patriotic War with France took place in 1812 until Napoleonic hordes were expelled from Russian soil. They drove Bonaparte all the way to Paris, reached it, and, having captured it in 1814, did not find the usurper emperor there. We spent a little time “visiting” and then returned home to brave songs. But after crossing the Berezina, all this was just a campaign. Only the first year, while battles were raging along Borodino and Maloyaroslavets, and partisans were advancing on the invaders from the forests, was the war considered Patriotic.

Version one: 1944

If we draw historical analogies, then the question of what year the Great Patriotic War ended should be answered: in 1944, in the fall. It was then that the last armed German, Romanian, Spaniard, Italian, Hungarian and any other soldier who fought on the side of Nazi Germany left the territory of the USSR. Prisoners and dead don't count. The war itself continued, but it had ceased to be domestic; it entered the phase of finishing off the enemy in his lair while simultaneously liberating the peoples he had enslaved. The threat to the existence of the USSR had passed; the only question was the timing of the final defeat of the enemy and the conditions of the subsequent peace.

Version two - May 8, 1945

True, this version also has opponents, and their arguments deserve respect. The end of the Second World War, in their opinion, chronologically coincides with the moment of signing the surrender in Karlshorst, a suburban district of Berlin. On our side, Marshal G.K. Zhukov and other military leaders took part in the ceremony, on the German side - Keitel with officers and generals of the German General Staff. Hitler had been dead for eight days. Date historical event- May 8, 1945. A day earlier, there was another signing of surrender, but the high Soviet command was not present at it, so J.V. Stalin did not recognize it and did not give an order to stop hostilities. The victorious end of the Great Patriotic War on May 9 became a national holiday; all radio stations of the Soviet Union announced it. The people rejoiced, people laughed and cried. And someone else had to fight...

Fights on May 9, after the Victory

The signing of the act of surrender of Germany did not yet mean the end of the war. Soviet soldiers also died on May 9. In Prague, the German garrison, consisting of selected SS men, refused to lay down their arms. The situation became acute; the townspeople tried to resist the Nazi fanatics, who understood that their days were numbered, and they had nothing to lose. The rapid rush of Soviet troops saved the Czech capital from a bloodbath. The outcome of the battles was a foregone conclusion, but there were losses. On the ninth of May it all ended. It was a shame to die on the last day of the war, but such is a soldier’s lot...

There was also a little-known war on Far East. Quickly and decisively, the Soviet Army defeated the Kwantung group of Japanese armed forces, reaching Korea. There were also losses, although they were incomparably smaller than during the war with Germany.

Patriotic War front and rear

The ninth of May is the day of the end because, although it was carried out since the fall of 1944 not on our territory, in fact the efforts of the entire country were aimed at overcoming the enemy’s resistance. The entire economic potential of the USSR worked according to the principle “everything for the front, everything for victory.” The fighting took place to the west of the Soviet borders, but in the rear there was a battle of its own. Tanks, planes, guns, ships that were destined to crush the Wehrmacht, Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine - everything was built in the rear.

The workers, including many women and teenagers, spared no effort to supply their native Red Army with everything necessary; they fought their war, crying a lot over the funeral and not eating enough. Victory in the Great Patriotic War was the result of the efforts not only of soldiers, officers, generals, admirals and sailors, but also of the rest of the Soviet people. In this sense, the war was domestic from the first to the last day.

Version three - 1955

The signing of Germany's surrender took place in a difficult and nervous environment. The defeated enemy tried to maintain the appearance of some kind of dignity, Keitel even saluted the victors. The allies added tension, they tried to maintain their own geopolitical interests, which, in general, is quite natural. Mutual wariness interfered with the celebration of the expected great holiday. It is not surprising that in this situation they forgot about very important document, namely the peace treaty. Wars end, but what comes next? That's right, peace. But not some abstract one, but one that the winners will agree on. The vanquished can only accept the conditions offered to them. The end of the Great Patriotic War in May 1945 was de facto, but there was no legal formalization; it was simply forgotten.

Legal snag

They realized it almost ten years later. On January 25, 1955, by a Decree of the Presidium of the USSR Supreme Soviet signed by the Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR K. Voroshilov and the Secretary of the Presidium N. Pegov, the state of war with Germany was ended. Of course this one legislative act was symbolic, and even the defeated state itself did not exist in its previous form at that time - it was divided into two parts, the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic, but teachers for history students had a question to fill out: “In what year did the Great Patriotic War end in the legal sense ? And the correct answer, which not everyone knew, is: in 1955!

Legal subtleties today no longer matter much; they are important only for those who consider themselves experts and want to show off their erudition to others. Today, when not every graduate high school knows in what year the Great Patriotic War ended, it’s not so difficult. A couple of decades ago, everyone knew this. The events of history are becoming more and more distant from us, and fewer and fewer eyewitnesses can tell about them. The date of the end of the Great Patriotic War is written in textbooks, but it is also on the pedestals of monuments.

Known catchphrase one of the great commanders that so far at least one dead soldier not buried, the war cannot be considered over. Unfortunately, our country has lost so many sons and daughters that to this day search teams find their remains in places of past battles. They are escorted to last path with military honors, relatives learn about the fate of their fathers and grandfathers, fireworks thunder... Will we ever be able to say that all the soldiers who gave their lives for their Motherland found a worthy rest? This is unlikely, but you should strive for it.

Everyone knows that this terrible period left an indelible mark on world history. Today we will look at the most amazing historical facts about the Great Patriotic War, which are rarely mentioned in conventional sources.

Victory Day

It’s hard to imagine, but there was a 17-year period in the history of the USSR when Victory Day was not celebrated. Since 1948, May 9 was a simple working day, and January 1 (since 1930 this day was a working day) was made a day off. In 1965, the holiday was returned to its place again and marked with a wide celebration of the 20th anniversary Soviet victory. Since then, May 9 is again a day off. Many historians attribute such a strange decision of the Soviet government to the fact that it was afraid of active independent veterans on this significant day off. The official order said that people needed to forget about the war and devote all their strength to rebuilding the country.

Imagine, 80 thousand officers of the Red Army during the Second World War were women. Overall in different periods During the war, there were from 0.6 to 1 million women at the front. Of the fairer sex who voluntarily came to the front, the following were formed: rifle brigade, 3 aviation regiments and a reserve rifle regiment. In addition, a women's sniper school was organized, the students of which went down in the history of Soviet military achievements more than once. A separate company of female sailors was also organized.

It is worth noting that women at war carried out combat missions Not worse than men, as evidenced by the 87 titles of Hero of the Soviet Union awarded to them during the Second World War. In world history, this was the first case of such a massive struggle of women for the Motherland. In the ranks Great Patriotic War soldier representatives of the fairer sex have mastered almost all military specialties. Many of them served shoulder to shoulder with their husbands, brothers and fathers.

"Crusade"

Hitler viewed his attack on the Soviet Union as a Crusade in which terrorist methods could be resorted to. Already in May 1941, when implementing the Barbarossa plan, Hitler relieved his military personnel of any responsibility for their actions. Thus, his charges could do whatever they wanted to civilians.

Four-legged friends

During the Second World War, more than 60 thousand dogs served on different fronts. Thanks to four-legged saboteurs, dozens of Nazi trains were derailed. Tank destroyer dogs destroyed more than 300 enemy armored vehicles. Signal dogs obtained about two hundred reports for the USSR. On ambulance carts, dogs carried at least 700 thousand wounded soldiers and officers of the Red Army from the battlefield. Thanks to bomb disposal dogs, 303 mines were cleared settlements. In total, four-legged sappers examined more than 15 thousand km 2 of land. They discovered more than 4 million units of German mines and landmines.

Kremlin disguise

As we look, we will more than once encounter the ingenuity of the Soviet military. During the first month of the war, the Moscow Kremlin literally disappeared from the face of the earth. At least that's what it seemed from the sky. Flying over Moscow, the fascist pilots were in complete despair, since their maps did not coincide with reality. The whole point is that the Kremlin was carefully camouflaged: the stars of the towers and the crosses of the cathedrals were covered with covers, and the domes were repainted black. In addition, three-dimensional models of residential buildings were built along the perimeter of the Kremlin wall, behind which even the battlements were not visible. Manezhnaya Square and the Alexander Garden were partially decorated with plywood decorations for the buildings, the Mausoleum received two additional floors, and a sandy road appeared between the Borovitsky and Spassky Gates. The facades of the Kremlin buildings changed their color to gray, and the roofs to red-brown. Never before during its existence has the palace ensemble looked so democratic. By the way, V.I. Lenin’s body was evacuated to Tyumen during the war.

Feat of Dmitry Ovcharenko

Soviet exploits in the Great Patriotic War repeatedly illustrated the triumph of courage over weaponry. On July 13, 1941, Dmitry Ovcharenko, returning with ammunition to his company, was surrounded by five dozen enemy soldiers. The rifle was taken from him, but the man did not lose heart. Snatching an ax from his wagon, he cut off the head of the officer who was interrogating him. Dmitry then threw three grenades at the enemy soldiers, which killed 21 soldiers. The rest of the Germans fled, with the exception of the officer, whom Ovcharenko caught up with and also beheaded. For his bravery, the soldier was awarded the title

Hitler's main enemy

History of the Second World War He doesn’t always talk about this, but the Nazi leader considered his main enemy in the Soviet Union not Stalin, but Yuri Levitan. Hitler offered 250 thousand marks for the announcer's head. In this regard, the Soviet authorities guarded Levitan very carefully, misinforming the press about his appearance.

Tanks made from tractors

Considering interesting facts about the Great Patriotic War, we cannot ignore the fact that due to an acute shortage of tanks, in emergency cases, the USSR Armed Forces made them from simple tractors. During the Odessa defensive operation, 20 tractors covered with armor sheets were thrown into battle. Naturally, the main effect of such a decision is psychological. By attacking the Romanians at night with sirens and lights on, the Russians forced them to flee. As for weapons, many of these “tanks” were equipped with dummies heavy guns. Soviet soldiers of the Great Patriotic War These cars were jokingly called NI-1, which means “For fright.”

Son of Stalin

Stalin's son, Yakov Dzhugashvili, was captured during the war. The Nazis offered Stalin to exchange his son for Field Marshal Paulus, who was being held captive by Soviet troops. The Soviet commander-in-chief refused, saying that a soldier could not be exchanged for a field marshal. Shortly before arrival Soviet army, Yakov was shot. After the war, his family was exiled as a prisoner of war family. When Stalin was informed about this, he said that he would not make exceptions for relatives and break the law.

The fate of prisoners of war

There are historical facts that make things especially unpleasant. Here's one of them. About 5.27 million Soviet soldiers were captured by the Germans and kept in terrible conditions. This fact is confirmed by the fact that less than two million Red Army soldiers returned to their homeland. Reason ill-treatment with prisoners on the part of the Germans, the USSR refused to sign the Geneva and Hague conventions on prisoners of war. The German authorities decided that if the other side did not sign the documents, then they may not regulate the conditions of detention of prisoners by international standards. In fact, the Geneva Convention governs the treatment of prisoners regardless of whether countries have signed the agreement.

The Soviet Union treated enemy prisoners of war much more humanely, as evidenced at least by the fact that died in the Great Patriotic War 350 thousand German prisoners, and the remaining 2 million returned home safely.

The feat of Matvey Kuzmin

During times Great Patriotic War, interesting facts about which we are considering, 83-year-old peasant Matvey Kuzmin repeated the feat of Ivan Susanin, who in 1613 led the Poles into an impassable swamp.

In February 1942, a German mountain rifle battalion was stationed in the village of Kurakino, which was tasked with breaking through to the rear of Soviet troops planning a counteroffensive in the Malkin Heights area. Matvey Kuzmin lived in Kurakino. The Germans asked the old man to act as a guide for them, offering food and a gun in return. Kuzmin agreed to the proposal and, having notified the nearest part of the Red Army through his 11-year-old grandson, set off with the Germans. Having led the Nazis along roundabout roads, the old man led them to the village of Malkino, where an ambush awaited them. Soviet soldiers met the enemy with machine gun fire, and Matvey Kuzmin was killed by one of the German commanders.

Air ram

On June 22, 1941, Soviet pilot I. Ivanov decided on an aerial ram. This was the first military feat marked by the title

Best tanker

The most qualified tank ace during the Second World War, those who served in the 40th were rightfully recognized tank brigade. During three months of battles (September - November 1941), he took part in 28 tank battles and personally destroyed 52 German tanks. In November 1941, the brave tanker died near Moscow.

Losses during the Battle of Kursk

USSR losses in the war- a difficult topic that people always try not to touch upon. Thus, official data on the losses of Soviet troops during the Battle of Kursk were published only in 1993. According to researcher B.V. Sokolov, German losses in Kursk amounted to approximately 360 thousand killed, wounded and captured soldiers. Soviet losses exceeded the Nazi losses seven times.

The feat of Yakov Studennikov

On July 7, 1943, at the height of the Battle of Kursk, Yakov Studennikov, a machine gunner of the 1019th regiment, fought independently for two days. The rest of the soldiers from his crew were killed. Despite being wounded, Studennikov repelled 10 enemy attacks and killed more than three hundred Nazis. For this feat he was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union.

Feat of the 1378th Regiment of the 87th Division

On December 17, 1942, near the village of Verkhne-Kumskoye, soldiers of the company of Senior Lieutenant Naumov defended a height of 1372 m with two crews of anti-tank rifles. They managed to repel three enemy tank and infantry attacks on the first day and several more attacks on the second. During this time, 24 soldiers neutralized 18 tanks and about a hundred infantrymen. As a result, the Soviet braves died, but went down in history as heroes.

Shiny Tanks

During the battles at Lake Khasan, Japanese soldiers decided that the Soviet Union, trying to outwit them, was using tanks made of plywood. As a result, the Japanese fired at Soviet equipment with ordinary bullets in the hope that this would be enough. Returning from the battlefield, the tanks of the Red Army were so densely covered with lead bullets melted from the impact on the armor that they literally sparkled. Well, their armor remained unharmed.

Camel help

This is rarely mentioned in the history of the Second World War, but the 28 reserve Soviet army, formed in Astrakhan during the battles of Stalingrad, used camels as draft force to transport guns. Catch wild camels and tame them Soviet soldiers had to due to an acute shortage of automotive equipment and horses. Most of the 350 tamed animals died in various battles, and the survivors were transferred to economic units or zoos. One of the camels, who was given the name Yashka, reached Berlin with the soldiers.

Removal of children

Many little-known facts about the Great Patriotic War cause sincere sorrow. During World War II, the Nazis took thousands of children of “Nordic appearance” from Poland and the Soviet Union. The Nazis took children from two months to six years old and took them to a concentration camp called Kinder KC, where the “racial value” of the children was determined. Those children who passed the selection were subjected to “initial Germanization.” They were called and taught German language. The child’s new citizenship was confirmed by forged documents. Germanized children were sent to local orphanages. Thus, many German families did not even realize that the children they adopted were of Slavic origin. At the end of the war, no more than 3% of such children were returned to their homeland. The remaining 97% grew up and aged, considering themselves full-fledged Germans. Most likely, their descendants will never know about their true origins.

Underage Heroes

Finishing by looking at interesting facts about The Great Patriotic War, it should be said about child heroes. Thus, the title of Hero was awarded to 14-year-old Lenya Golikov and Sasha Chekalin, as well as 15-year-old Marat Kazei, Valya Kotik and Zina Portnova.

Battle of Stalingrad

In August 1942, Adolf Hitler ordered his troops heading to Stalingrad to “leave no stone unturned.” In fact, the Germans succeeded. When the brutal battle was over, the Soviet government concluded that rebuilding the city from scratch would be cheaper than rebuilding what was left. Nevertheless, Stalin unconditionally ordered the city to be rebuilt literally from the ashes. During the clearing of Stalingrad, so many shells were thrown at Mamayev Kurgan that for the next two years even weeds did not grow there.

For some unknown reason, it was in Stalingrad that the opponents changed their methods of fighting. From the very beginning of the war, the Soviet command adhered to flexible defense tactics, retreating in critical situations. Well, the Germans, in turn, tried to avoid mass bloodshed and bypassed large fortified areas. In Stalingrad, both sides seemed to have forgotten their principles and tripled the fierce battle.

It all started on August 23, 1942, when the Germans launched a massive air attack on the city. As a result of the bombing, 40 thousand people died, which is 15 thousand more than during the Soviet raid on Dresden in early 1945. The Soviet side in Stalingrad used methods of psychological influence on the enemy. Popular German music sounded from loudspeakers installed right on the front line, which was interrupted by reports of the latest successes of the Red Army at the fronts. But most effective means psychological pressure on the Nazis was the sound of a metronome, which after 7 beats was interrupted by the message: “Every seven seconds, one Nazi soldier dies at the front.” After 10-20 such messages they started tango.

Considering interesting facts about the beginning of the Great Patriotic War and, in particular, about Battle of Stalingrad, one cannot ignore the feat of Sergeant Nuradilov. On September 1, 1942, the machine gunner independently destroyed 920 enemy soldiers.

Memory of the Battle of Stalingrad

The Battle of Stalingrad is remembered not only post-Soviet space. In many European countries(France, Great Britain, Belgium, Italy, and others) named streets, squares and gardens in honor of the Battle of Stalingrad. In Paris, “Stalingrad” is the name given to a metro station, square and boulevard. And in Italy, one of the central streets of Bologna is named after this battle.

Victory Banner

The original Victory Banner is kept in the Central Museum of the Armed Forces as a sacred relic and one of the most striking memories of the war. Due to the fact that the flag is made of fragile satin, it can only be stored horizontally. The real banner is shown only in special cases and in the presence of a guard. In other cases, it is replaced with a duplicate, which is 100% identical to the original and even ages the same way.

When, on the western border of the USSR, the sun's rays were just about to illuminate the earth, the first soldiers of Hitler's Germany set foot on Soviet soil. Great Patriotic War (WWII) had been going on for almost two years, but now a heroic war had begun, and it would not be for resources, not for the dominance of one nation over another, and not for the establishment of a new order, now the war would become sacred, popular, and its price would be life, real and life of future generations.

Great Patriotic War 1941-1945. The beginning of the Second World War

On June 22, 1941, the countdown began to four years of inhuman efforts, during which the future of each of us hung practically by a thread.
War is always a disgusting business, but Great Patriotic War (WWII) was too popular for only professional soldiers to participate in it. The entire people, young and old, stood up to defend the Motherland.
From day one Great Patriotic War (WWII) heroism of the simple Soviet soldier became a role model. What is often called in literature “to stand to death” was fully demonstrated already in the battles for the Brest Fortress. The vaunted Wehrmacht soldiers, who conquered France in 40 days and forced England to cower cowardly on their island, faced such resistance that they simply could not believe that ordinary people were fighting against them. As if these were warriors from epic tales, they stood up to protect every inch with their chests native land. For almost a month, the fortress garrison repelled one German attack after another. And this, just think about it, is 4,000 people who were cut off from the main forces and who did not have a single chance of salvation. They were all doomed, but they never succumbed to weakness and did not lay down their arms.
When the advanced units of the Wehrmacht reach Kyiv, Smolensk, Leningrad, Brest Fortress Fighting is still ongoing.
Great Patriotic War are always characterized by manifestations of heroism and resilience. No matter what happened on the territory of the USSR, no matter how terrible the repressions of tyranny were, the war equalized everyone.
A striking example of a change in attitude within society, Stalin’s famous address, which was made on July 3, 1941, contained the words “Brothers and Sisters.” There were no more citizens, there were no high ranks and comrades, it was huge family, consisting of all peoples and nationalities of the country. The family demanded salvation, demanded support.
And on the eastern front the fighting continued. The German generals encountered an anomaly for the first time; there is no other way to describe it. Designed by the best minds of Hitler's General Staff, a lightning war built on quick breakthroughs of tank formations, followed by the encirclement of large enemy units, no longer worked like a clock mechanism. When surrounded, Soviet units fought their way through rather than lay down their arms. To a serious extent, the heroism of soldiers and commanders thwarted plans German offensive, slowed down the advance of enemy units and became turning point war. Yes, yes, it was then, in the summer of 1941, that the German army’s offensive plans were completely thwarted. Then there were Stalingrad, Kursk, the Battle of Moscow, but all of them became possible thanks to the unparalleled courage of an ordinary Soviet soldier, who stopped the German invaders at the cost of his own life.
Of course, there were excesses in the leadership of military operations. It must be admitted that the command of the Red Army was not ready for WWII. The USSR doctrine assumed a victorious war on enemy territory, but not on its own soil. And in technical terms, the Soviet troops were seriously inferior to the Germans. So they went into cavalry attacks on tanks, flew and shot down German aces in old planes, burned in the tanks, and retreated, not giving up a single piece of land without a fight.

Great Patriotic War 1941-1945. Battle for Moscow

The plan for the lightning capture of Moscow by the Germans finally collapsed in the winter of 1941. Much has been written about the Moscow battle and films have been made. However, every page of what was written, every frame of what was filmed is imbued with the unparalleled heroism of the defenders of Moscow. We all know about the parade on November 7, which took place across Red Square, while German tanks went to the capital. Yes, this was also an example of how Soviet people going to defend his country. The troops left for the front line immediately after the parade, immediately entering the battle. And the Germans could not stand it. The iron conquerors of Europe stopped. It seemed that nature itself came to the aid of the defenders, severe frosts struck, and this was the beginning of the end of the German offensive. Hundreds of thousands of lives, widespread manifestations of patriotism and devotion to the Motherland of soldiers surrounded, soldiers near Moscow, residents who held weapons in their hands for the first time in their lives, all this became an insurmountable obstacle to the enemy’s path to the very heart of the USSR.
But after that the legendary offensive began. German troops were driven back from Moscow, and for the first time experienced the bitterness of retreat and defeat. We can say that it was here, in the snowy areas near the capital, that the fate of the whole world, and not just the war, was predetermined. The brown plague, which until that time had been consuming country after country, nation after nation, found itself face to face with people who did not want, could not, bow their heads.
41st was coming to an end, western part The USSR lay in ruins, the occupation forces were fierce, but nothing could break those who found themselves in the occupied territories. There were also traitors, needless to say, those who went over to the side of the enemy and forever branded themselves with shame and the rank of “policeman.” And who are they now, where are they? The Holy War does not forgive traitors on its land.
Speaking of “Holy War”. The legendary song very accurately reflected the state of society in those years. The People's and Holy War did not tolerate the subjunctive and weakness. The price for victory or defeat was life itself.
g. allowed the relationship between the authorities and the church to change. Exposed for many years persecution, during WWII Russian Orthodox Church I helped the front with all my might. And this is another example of heroism and patriotism. After all, we all know that in the West the Pope simply bowed to the iron fists of Hitler.

Great Patriotic War 1941-1945. Guerrilla warfare

It is worth mentioning separately guerrilla warfare during WWII. This was the first time the Germans encountered such fierce resistance from the population. Regardless of where the front line was, fighting was constantly taking place behind enemy lines. The invaders on Soviet soil could not get a moment of peace. Whether it was the swamps of Belarus or the forests of the Smolensk region, the steppes of Ukraine, death awaited the occupiers everywhere! Entire villages joined the partisans, together with their families, with relatives, and from there they struck at the fascists from the hidden, ancient forests.
How many heroes has it given birth to? partisan movement. Both old and very young. Young boys and girls who went to school just yesterday have grown up today and performed feats that will remain in our memory for centuries.
While there were battles on the ground, the air, in the first months of the war, completely belonged to the Germans. A huge number of Soviet army aircraft were destroyed immediately after the start of the fascist offensive, and those who managed to take to the air could not fight on equal terms with German aviation. However, heroism in WWII manifests itself not only on the battlefield. All of us living today pay our deepest respects to those in the rear. In the most severe conditions, under constant shelling and bombing, plants and factories were transported to the east. Immediately upon arrival, outside, in the cold, the workers stood at their machines. The army continued to receive ammunition. Talented designers created new models of weapons. They worked 18-20 hours a day in the rear, but the army did not need anything. Victory was forged at the cost of enormous efforts of every person.

Great Patriotic War 1941-1945. Rear

Great Patriotic War 1941-1945. Siege Leningrad.

Siege Leningrad. Are there people who have not heard this phrase? 872 days of unparalleled heroism covered this city with eternal glory. German troops and allies were unable to break the resistance of the besieged city. The city lived, defended itself and struck back. The road of life that connected the besieged city with the mainland became the last for many, and there was not a single person who would refuse, who would chicken out and not carry food and ammunition along this ice ribbon to the Leningraders. Hope never died. And the credit for this goes entirely to ordinary people who valued the freedom of their country above all else!
All history of the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945 written with unprecedented feats. Cover the embrasure of the enemy pillbox with your body, throw yourself under the tank with grenades, go to ram air combat- only real sons and daughters of their people, heroes could.
And they were rewarded! And even though the sky over the village of Prokhorovka became black from soot and smoke, even though the waters of the northern seas received dead heroes every day, nothing could stop the liberation of the Motherland.
And there was the first fireworks, on August 5, 1943. It was then that the fireworks countdown began in honor of the new victory, the new liberation of the city.
The peoples of Europe today no longer know their history, true history Second World War. It is thanks to the Soviet people that they live, build their lives, give birth and raise children. Bucharest, Warsaw, Budapest, Sofia, Prague, Vienna, Bratislava, all these capitals were liberated at the cost of blood Soviet heroes. And the last shots in Berlin mark the end of the worst nightmare of the 20th century.