June 21, 1941, 13:00. The German forces receive the code signal "Dortmund", confirming that the invasion will begin the next day.
Commander of the 2nd Panzer Group of Army Group "Center" Heinz Guderian writes in his diary: “Careful observation of the Russians convinced me that they were unaware of our intentions. In the courtyard of the fortress of Brest, which could be seen from our observation posts, to the sounds of an orchestra, they conducted a set of guards. The coastal fortifications along the Western Bug were not occupied by Russian troops. "21:00. Fighters of the 90th border detachment of the Sokal commandant's office detained a German serviceman who had crossed the border river Bug by swimming. The defector was sent to the headquarters of the detachment in the city of Vladimir-Volynsky.
23:00. German minelayers stationed in Finnish ports began to mine the exit from the Gulf of Finland. At the same time, Finnish submarines began laying mines off the coast of Estonia.
June 22, 1941, 0:30. The defector was taken to Vladimir-Volynsky. During the interrogation, the soldier introduced himself Alfred Liskov, servicemen of the 221st regiment of the 15th infantry division the Wehrmacht. He said that at dawn on June 22, the German army would go over to the offensive along the entire length of the Soviet-German border. The information has been transferred to the higher command.
At the same time, the transmission of directive No. 1 of the People's Commissariat of Defense for parts of the western military districts began from Moscow. “During June 22 - 23, 1941, a surprise attack by the Germans on the fronts of the LPO, PribOVO, ZAPOVO, KOVO, OdVO is possible. An attack can start with provocative actions, ”the directive said. - "The task of our troops is not to succumb to any provocative actions that could cause major complications."
The units were ordered to be put on alert, secretly occupy firing points of fortified areas on the state border, and aviation to be dispersed over field airfields.
It is not possible to bring the directive to the military units before the start of hostilities, as a result of which the measures specified in it are not carried out.
Mobilization. Columns of fighters are moving to the front. Photo: RIA Novosti
"I realized that it was the Germans who opened fire on our territory."
1:00. Commandants of the sections of the 90th border detachment report to the chief of the detachment, Major Bychkovsky: "nothing suspicious was noticed on the adjacent side, everything is calm."
3:05 ... A group of 14 German Ju-88 bombers drops 28 magnetic mines near the Kronstadt raid.
3:07. The commander of the Black Sea Fleet, Vice Admiral Oktyabrsky, reports to the Chief of the General Staff, General Zhukov: “The VNOS [air surveillance, warning and communication] system of the fleet reports on the approach from the sea of a large number unknown aircraft; the fleet is in full combat readiness. "
3:10. The UNKGB for the Lviv region by telephone sends to the NKGB of the Ukrainian SSR information obtained during the interrogation of the defector Alfred Liskov.
From the memoirs of the chief of the 90th border detachment major Bychkovsky: “Without finishing the questioning of the soldier, I heard heavy artillery fire in the direction of Ustilug (the first commandant's office). I realized that it was the Germans who opened fire on our territory, which was confirmed immediately by the interrogated soldier. He immediately began to call the commandant, but the connection was broken ... "3:30. Chief of Staff of the Western District General Klimovsky reports on the enemy air raid on the cities of Belarus: Brest, Grodno, Lida, Kobrin, Slonim, Baranovichi and others.
3:33. The chief of staff of the Kiev district, General Purkaev, reports on the air raid on the cities of Ukraine, including Kiev.
3:40. Commander of the Baltic Military District, General Kuznetsov reports on enemy air raids on Riga, Šiauliai, Vilnius, Kaunas and other cities.
“The enemy raid has been repulsed. An attempt to strike at our ships was thwarted "
3:42. Chief of General Staff Zhukov calls Stalin and informs about the beginning of hostilities by Germany. Stalin orders Tymoshenko and Zhukov to arrive at the Kremlin, where an emergency meeting of the Politburo is called.
3:45. The 1st frontier post of the 86th August border detachment was attacked by an enemy reconnaissance and sabotage group. The personnel of the outpost under the command Alexandra Sivacheva, joining the battle, destroys the attackers.
4:00. The commander of the Black Sea Fleet, Vice Admiral Oktyabrsky, reports to Zhukov: “The enemy raid has been repulsed. An attempt to strike at our ships was thwarted. But there is destruction in Sevastopol. "4:05. The outposts of the 86th August border detachment, including the 1st border post of senior lieutenant Sivachev, are subjected to powerful artillery fire, after which the German offensive begins. Border guards, deprived of communication with the command, engage in battle with superior enemy forces.
4:10. The Western and Baltic special military districts report on the beginning of hostilities by German troops on land sectors.
4:15. The Nazis open massive artillery fire on the Brest Fortress. As a result, warehouses were destroyed, communication was disrupted, there is big number killed and wounded.
4:25. The 45th Infantry Division of the Wehrmacht begins an attack on the Brest Fortress.
The Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. Residents of the capital on June 22, 1941, during the announcement on the radio of a government message about the treacherous attack of Nazi Germany on the Soviet Union. Photo: RIA Novosti
"Protecting not individual countries, but ensuring the security of Europe"
4:30. A meeting of members of the Politburo begins in the Kremlin. Stalin expresses doubt that what happened is the beginning of the war and does not exclude the version of a German provocation. People's Commissar of Defense Tymoshenko and Zhukov insist: this is war.
4:55. In the Brest Fortress, the Nazis manage to capture almost half of the territory. Further advance was stopped by a sudden counterattack of the Red Army.
5:00. German Ambassador to the USSR Count von Schulenburg presents to the People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the USSR Molotov"A note from the German Foreign Ministry to the Soviet Government," which reads: "The German government cannot remain indifferent to the serious threat to eastern border therefore the Fuehrer ordered the German armed forces to avert this threat by all means. " An hour after the actual start of hostilities, Germany de jure declares war on the Soviet Union.
5:30. Reich propaganda minister on German radio Goebbels reads out the appeal Adolf Hitler to the German people in connection with the outbreak of the war against the Soviet Union: “Now the hour has come when it is necessary to oppose this conspiracy of the Jewish-Anglo-Saxon warmongers and also the Jewish rulers of the Bolshevik center in Moscow ... what the world has ever seen ... The task of this front is no longer the protection of individual countries, but ensuring the security of Europe and thus the salvation of all. "7:00. Reich Minister for Foreign Ribbentrop begins a press conference at which he announces the beginning of hostilities against the USSR: "The German army has invaded the territory of Bolshevik Russia!"
"The city is on fire, why aren't you broadcasting anything on the radio?"
7:15. Stalin approves the directive to repel the attack Hitlerite Germany: "The troops by all means and means attack the enemy forces and destroy them in the areas where they violated the Soviet border." Transmission of "directive No. 2" due to the violation of communication lines by saboteurs in the western districts. In Moscow, there is no clear picture of what is happening in the war zone.
9:30. It was decided that at noon the People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs Molotov would address the Soviet people in connection with the outbreak of the war.
10:00. From the memories of the announcer Yuri Levitan: “They call from Minsk:“ Enemy planes over the city ”, they call from Kaunas:“ The city is on fire, why aren't you broadcasting anything on the radio? ”,“ Enemy planes over Kiev ”. Female crying, excitement: "Is it really a war? .." Nevertheless, no official messages were sent until 12:00 Moscow time on June 22.
10:30. From the report of the headquarters of the 45th German division about the battles on the territory of the Brest Fortress: “The Russians are fiercely resisting, especially behind our attacking companies. In the citadel, the enemy organized a defense with infantry units supported by 35-40 tanks and armored vehicles. The fire of enemy snipers led to large losses among officers and non-commissioned officers. "11:00. The Baltic, Western and Kiev special military districts were reorganized into the Northwestern, Western and Southwestern fronts.
“The enemy will be defeated. Victory will be ours"
12:00. People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs Vyacheslav Molotov read out an appeal to the citizens of the Soviet Union: “Today at 4 o'clock in the morning, without making any claims to the Soviet Union, without declaring war, German troops attacked our country, attacked our borders in many places and bombed our our cities - Zhitomir, Kiev, Sevastopol, Kaunas and some others, with more than two hundred people killed and wounded. Enemy aircraft raids and artillery shelling were also carried out from Romanian and Finnish territory ... Now that the attack on the Soviet Union has already taken place, the Soviet government has given an order to our troops to repulse the robbery attack and expel German troops from the territory of our homeland ... The government calls on you, citizens and citizens of the Soviet Union, to rally their ranks even more closely around our glorious Bolshevik Party, around our Soviet government, around our great leader, Comrade Stalin.
Our cause is right. The enemy will be defeated. Victory will be ours" .
12:30. Advanced German units break into the Belarusian city of Grodno.
13:00.
The Bureau The Supreme Council The USSR issues a decree "On the mobilization of those liable for military service ..."
"On the basis of article 49, clause" o "of the Constitution of the USSR, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR announces the mobilization in the territory of military districts - Leningrad, Baltic special, Western special, Kiev special, Odessa, Kharkov, Oryol, Moscow, Arkhangelsk, Ural, Siberian, Volga, North -Caucasian and Transcaucasian.
13:30. The Chief of the General Staff, General Zhukov, flies to Kiev as a representative of the newly created Headquarters of the High Command on the Southwestern Front.
Photo: RIA Novosti
14:00. The Brest Fortress is completely surrounded by German troops. The Soviet units, blocked in the citadel, continue to offer fierce resistance.
14:05. Italian Foreign Minister Galeazzo Ciano declares: "In view of the current situation, due to the fact that Germany declared war on the USSR, Italy, as an ally of Germany and as a member of the Triple Pact, also declares war on the Soviet Union from the moment German troops entered Soviet territory."
14:10. 1st frontier post of Alexander Sivachev has been fighting for more than 10 hours. Having only small arms and grenades, the border guards destroyed up to 60 Nazis and burned three tanks. The wounded head of the outpost continued to command the battle.
15:00. From the notes of the commander of Army Group "Center" Field Marshal Boca von: “The question of whether the Russians are carrying out a systematic withdrawal is still open. At present, there is ample evidence both for and against this.
It is surprising that nowhere is it noticeable in any way significant work their artillery. Heavy artillery fire is being conducted only in the north-west of Grodno, where the VIII Army Corps is advancing. Apparently, our air Force have an overwhelming superiority over Russian aviation. "Of the 485 attacked frontier posts, not one left without an order
16:00. After a 12-hour battle, the Nazis took up the positions of the 1st frontier post. This became possible only after all the border guards who defended it were killed. The head of the outpost Alexander Sivachev was posthumously awarded the order World War I degree.
The feat of the outpost of senior lieutenant Sivachev became one of hundreds committed by border guards in the first hours and days of the war. On June 22, 1941, the USSR state border from the Barents Sea to the Black Sea was guarded by 666 border outposts, 485 of which were attacked on the very first day of the war. None of the 485 outposts attacked on June 22 withdrew without an order.
The Hitlerite command set aside 20 minutes to break the resistance of the border guards. 257 Soviet frontier posts held the defense from several hours to one day. Over one day - 20, more than two days - 16, over three days - 20, more than four and five days - 43, from seven to nine days - 4, over eleven days - 51, over twelve days - 55, over 15 days - 51 outposts. Up to two months 45 outposts fought.
Great Patriotic War 1941-1945. The working people of Leningrad listen to the news about the attack of Nazi Germany on the Soviet Union. Photo: RIA Novosti
Of the 19,600 border guards who met the Nazis on June 22 in the direction of the main attack of Army Group Center, more than 16,000 were killed in the first days of the war.
17:00. Hitler's units manage to occupy the southwestern part of the Brest Fortress, the northeast remained under the control of the Soviet troops. Stubborn battles for the fortress will continue for weeks.
"The Church of Christ blesses all Orthodox to protect the sacred borders of our Motherland"
18:00. The Patriarchal Locum Tenens, Metropolitan Sergius of Moscow and Kolomna, addresses the believers with a message: “Fascist robbers attacked our homeland. Trampling on any agreements and promises, they suddenly fell upon us, and now the blood of peaceful citizens is already irrigating their native land ... Our Orthodox Church has always shared the fate of the people. Together with him, she bore trials, and was consoled by his successes. She will not leave her people even now ... The Church of Christ blesses all Orthodox to defend the sacred borders of our Motherland. "
19:00. From the notes of the Chief of the General Staff ground forces Wehrmacht colonel-general Franz Halder: “All armies, except for the 11th Army of Army Group South in Romania, went on the offensive according to plan. The offensive of our troops, apparently, was a complete tactical surprise for the enemy on the entire front. The border bridges across the Bug and other rivers have been captured everywhere by our troops without a fight and in complete safety. The complete surprise of our offensive for the enemy is evidenced by the fact that the units were taken by surprise in the barracks position, the planes stood at the airfields, covered with tarpaulins, and the forward units, suddenly attacked by our troops, asked the command about what to do ... The Air Force command reported, that today 850 enemy aircraft have been destroyed, including whole squadrons of bombers, which, having taken off without fighter cover, were attacked by our fighters and destroyed. "20:00. Directive No. 3 of the People's Commissariat of Defense was approved, ordering the Soviet troops to launch a counteroffensive with the task of defeating the Nazi troops on the territory of the USSR with a further advance into enemy territory. The directive ordered to capture the Polish city of Lublin by the end of June 24.
Great Patriotic War 1941-1945 June 22, 1941 Nurses provide assistance to the first wounded after the Nazi air raid near Chisinau. Photo: RIA Novosti
"We must provide Russia and the Russian people with all the assistance we can."
21:00. Summary of the Red Army High Command for June 22: “At dawn on June 22, 1941, the regular troops of the German army attacked our border units on the front from the Baltic to the Black Sea and were held back by them during the first half of the day. In the afternoon, German troops met with the advanced units of the field forces of the Red Army. After fierce fighting, the enemy was repulsed with heavy losses. Only in the Grodno and Kristinopol directions did the enemy manage to achieve minor tactical successes and occupy the townships of Kalwaria, Stoyanov and Tsekhanovets (the first two are 15 km away and the last 10 km from the border).
Enemy aircraft attacked a number of our airfields and settlements, but everywhere they met a decisive rebuff from our fighters and anti-aircraft artillery, which inflicted heavy losses on the enemy. We shot down 65 enemy aircraft. "
23:00. Message from the Prime Minister of Great Britain Winston Churchill to the British people in connection with the German attack on the USSR: “At 4 o'clock this morning, Hitler attacked Russia. All his usual formalities of treachery were observed with scrupulous precision ... suddenly, without a declaration of war, even without an ultimatum, German bombs fell from the sky on Russian cities, German troops violated Russian borders, and for an hour later ambassador Germany, which literally the day before had lavished its assurances of friendship and almost alliance with the Russians, paid a visit to the Russian Foreign Minister and declared that Russia and Germany were at war ...
No one has been a more staunch opponent of communism for the past 25 years than me. I will not take back a single word said about him. But it all pales before the spectacle unfolding now.The past, with its crimes, follies and tragedies, is receding. I see Russian soldiers, how they stand on the border of their native land and guard the fields that their fathers plowed from time immemorial. I see them guarding their homes; their mothers and wives pray - oh, yes, because at such a time everyone is praying for the preservation of their loved ones, for the return of their breadwinner, patron, their defenders ...
We must give Russia and the Russian people all the help we can. We must call on all our friends and allies in all parts of the world to adhere to a similar course and pursue it as steadfastly and unswervingly as we will, to the very end. ”
June 22 has come to an end. There were still 1,417 days of the worst war in the history of mankind ahead.
The Great Patriotic War began on June 22, 1941 - on the day when the German fascist invaders, as well as their allies, invaded the territory of the USSR. It lasted four years and became the final stage of the Second World War. In total, about 34 million Soviet soldiers took part in it, more than half of whom died.
Causes of the Great Patriotic War
The main reason for the outbreak of World War II was the desire of Adolf Hitler to bring Germany to world domination by capturing other countries and establishing a racially pure state. Therefore, on September 1, 1939, Hitler invaded Poland, then Czechoslovakia, initiating the Second World War and conquering more and more territories. The successes and victories of Nazi Germany forced Hitler to violate the non-aggression pact concluded between Germany and the USSR on August 23, 1939. He developed a special operation called "Barbarossa", which implied the capture of the Soviet Union in a short time. This is how the Great Patriotic War began. It took place in three stages
Stages of the Great Patriotic War
Stage 1: June 22, 1941 - November 18, 1942
The Germans captured Lithuania, Latvia, Ukraine, Estonia, Belarus and Moldova. The troops moved inland to capture Leningrad, Rostov-on-Don and Novgorod, but main goal the fascists were Moscow. At this time, the USSR suffered heavy losses, thousands of people were taken prisoner. On September 8, 1941, the military blockade of Leningrad began, which lasted 872 days. As a result, the Soviet troops were able to halt the German offensive. The Barbarossa plan failed.
Stage 2: 1942-1943
During this period, the USSR continued to build up its military power, industry and defense grew. Thanks to the incredible efforts of the Soviet troops, the border of the front was pushed back to the west. The central event of this period was the greatest Battle of Stalingrad in history (July 17, 1942 - February 2, 1943). The goal of the Germans was the capture of Stalingrad, the great bend of the Don and the Volgodonsk isthmus. During the battle, more than 50 armies, corps and divisions of enemies were destroyed, about 2 thousand tanks, 3 thousand aircraft and 70 thousand vehicles were destroyed, German aviation was significantly weakened. The victory of the USSR in this battle had a significant impact on the course of further military events.
Stage 3: 1943-1945
From defense, the Red Army gradually goes over to the offensive, moving towards Berlin. Several campaigns were implemented aimed at destroying the enemy. A partisan war broke out, during which 6,200 detachments of partisans were formed, trying to independently fight the enemy. The partisans used all available means, including clubs and boiling water, set up ambushes and traps. At this time, the battles for the Right-Bank Ukraine, Berlin, take place. The Belarusian, Baltic, Budapest operations were developed and put into action. As a result, on May 8, 1945, Germany officially declared defeat.
Thus, the victory of the Soviet Union in the Great Patriotic War became, in fact, the end of the Second World War. The defeat of the German army put an end to Hitler's desire to gain dominion over the world, universal slavery. However, victory in the war came at a heavy price. Millions of people died in the struggle for the Motherland, cities, villages and villages were destroyed. All the last funds went to the front, so people lived in poverty and hunger. Every year on May 9 we celebrate the Day of the Great Victory over fascism, we are proud of our soldiers for giving life to future generations and ensuring a bright future. At the same time, the victory was able to consolidate the influence of the USSR on the world stage and turn it into a superpower.
Briefly for children
More details
The Great Patriotic War (1941-1945) is the most terrible and bloody war for the entire time of the USSR. This war was between two powers, the mighty power of the USSR and Germany. In a fierce battle, over the course of five years, the USSR nevertheless defeated its adversary worthily. Germany, when attacking the union, hoped to quickly capture the whole country, but they did not expect how powerful and selenium slavic people... What has this war led to? First, let's look at a number of reasons, why did it all start?
After the First World War, Germany was greatly weakened, the strongest crisis overcame the country. But at this time Hitler came to rule and introduced a large number of reforms and changes, thanks to which the country began to flourish, and people showed their trust in him. When he became a ruler, he pursued a policy in which he informed people that the nation of Germans is the most excellent in the world. Hitler was fired up with the idea of revenge for the First World War, for the terrible one to lose, he had an idea to subjugate the whole world. He began with the Czech Republic and Poland, which later grew into the Second World War.
We all remember very well from history textbooks that before 1941 an agreement was signed not to attack the two countries, Germany and the USSR. But Hitler still attacked. The Germans had a plan called "Barbarossa". It clearly stated that Germany must capture the USSR in 2 months. He believed that if at his disposal all the strength and power of the strange, then he could fearlessly enter the war with the United States.
The war began so lightning fast, the USSR was not ready, but Hitler received not what he wanted and expected. Our army put up a lot of resistance, the Germans did not expect to see such strong rival in front of. And the war dragged on for 5 long years.
Now let's look at the main periods during the entire war.
The initial stage of the war is June 22, 1941 to November 18, 1942. During this time, the Germans captured most countries, as well as Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus. Further, the Germans already had Moscow and Leningrad before their eyes. And they almost succeeded, but the Russian soldiers turned out to be stronger than them and did not allow them to capture this city.
To their great regret, they captured Leningrad, but what is most surprising, the people living there did not let the invaders into the city itself. The battles for these cities took place until the end of 1942.
The end of 1943 and the beginning of 1943 were very difficult for the German army and at the same time happy for the Russians. The Soviet army launched a counteroffensive, the Russians began to slowly but surely recapture their territory, and the invaders and their allies slowly retreat to the west. Some of the allies were destroyed on the spot.
Everyone remembers perfectly well how the entire industry of the Soviet Union switched to the production of military supplies, thanks to which they were able to repulse the enemies. The army grew from retreating to attackers.
The final. 1943 to 1945. The Soviet soldiers gathered all their strength and began to recapture their territory at a high rate. All forces were directed towards the occupiers, namely Berlin. At this time, Leningrad was liberated, and other previously captured countries were recaptured. The Russians were decisively heading for Germany.
The last stage (1943-1945). At this time, the USSR began to take its land piece by piece and move towards the invaders. Russian soldiers conquered Leningrad and other cities, then they proceeded to the very heart of Germany - Berlin.
On May 8, 1945, the USSR entered Berlin, the Germans announce their surrender. Their ruler could not stand it and left on his own.
And now the worst thing about the war. How many people died for the fact that we would now live in the world and enjoy every day.
In fact, history is silent about these terrible numbers. For a long time the USSR hid the number of people. The government hid data from the people. And people then understood how many died, how many were taken prisoner, and how many missing people to this day. But after a while, the data still surfaced. According to official sources, up to 10 million soldiers died in this war, and about 3 million were in German captivity. These are terrible numbers. And how many children, old people, women died. The Germans shot everyone mercilessly.
It was a terrible war, unfortunately it brought a lot of tears to families, the country was still in ruin long time, but slowly the USSR was getting back on its feet, post-war actions subsided, but did not subside in the hearts of people. In the hearts of mothers who did not wait for their sons from the front. Wives who have remained widows with children. But what a strong Slavic people are, even after such a war they rose from their knees. Then the whole world knew how strong the state is and how strong in spirit people live there.
Thanks to the veterans who defended us when they were very young. Unfortunately, at the moment there are only a few of them left, but we will never forget their feat.
- Bats - Post Grade 7 Biology Report
The order of bats includes mammals adapted to active flights. The creatures belonging to this large order are very diverse. They are found on all earthly continents.
- Report Mushroom Camelina Post
Among the mushrooms, there are different specimens: edible and poisonous, lamellar and tubular. Some mushrooms grow everywhere from May to October, others are rare and considered a delicacy. The latter includes the mushroom mushroom.
- Romanticism - message report
Romanticism (from the French. Romantique) is something mysterious, unreal. As a literary trend formed at the end of the 18th century. in European society and has become widespread in all areas
- Writer Georgy Skrebitsky. life and creation
The world of childhood in the life of every person is extraordinary. The best impressions of these years last a lifetime thanks to many factors, including the influence of literary works.
- Glaciers report (geography report)
Glaciers are collections of ice that move very slowly across the surface of the Earth. It turns out due to the fact that a lot of atmospheric precipitation (snow) falls
The Great Patriotic War, which lasted almost four years, affected every home, every family, and claimed millions of lives. This applied to everyone, because Hitler did not just go to conquer the country, he went to destroy everything and everyone, not sparing anyone or anything. The first information about the attack began to arrive at 3:15 am from Sevastopol, and already at 4 am the entire western land of the Soviet state was attacked. And at the same time, the cities of Kiev, Minsk, Brest, Mogilev and others were subjected to aerial bombardment.
For a long time it was believed that the top leadership of the Union, headed by Stalin, did not believe in the attack of Hitler's Germany in the summer of 1941. However, recent research archival documents allowed a number of historians to believe that the order to bring the western districts to combat readiness was given by the Directive of the General Staff of the Red Army on June 18, 1941.
This Directive appears in the interrogation protocols of the former commander of the western front Pavlov, although the Directive itself has not been found so far. According to historians, if it had been completed a few days before the start of hostilities, then by the winter of 1941 the Germans would have reached Smolensk.
In the first months of border battles, the Red Army lost about 3 million people killed and taken prisoner. Against the background of the general retreat stand out the Brest Fortress, which heroically defended for a month, Przemysl - the city where the Soviet not only withstood the blow of the German troops, but also managed to inflict a counterattack and throw it back two kilometers deep into Poland.
The troops of the southern front (the former Odessa military) repulsed enemy attacks and penetrated into the territory of Romania for several kilometers. Soviet Navy and the naval aviation, put on full alert several hours before the attack, did not lose a single ship or aircraft on that tragic day. And naval aviation in the fall of 1941 Berlin.
One of the most significant events of the beginning of the war was the capture of the suburb of Leningrad by German troops on September 8, 1941 and the capture of the city in a dense one. Blockade that lasted 872 days and was lifted Soviet troops only in January 1943, caused colossal damage to the city and its inhabitants. Unique architectural monuments were destroyed, palaces and temples, which were considered the pride of the Russian people, were burned. 1.5 million people, including young children, have died from hunger, cold and constant bombing.
Selfless and heroic resistance, which was simple at the very beginning of the war, thwarted the Germans' attempt to conduct a blitzkrieg on the territory of the USSR and put great country on knees.
THE BEGINNING OF THE GREAT PATRIOTIC WAR
Eve of the war. In the spring of 1941, the approach of war was felt by everyone. Soviet intelligence almost daily reported to Stalin about Hitler's plans. For example, Richard Sorge (Soviet intelligence officer in Japan), reported not only about the transfer of German troops, but also about the timing of the German attack. However, Stalin did not believe these reports, as he was sure that Hitler would not start a war with the USSR as long as England resisted. He believed that a clash with Germany might not happen. before summer 1942 Therefore, Stalin strove to use the remaining time to prepare for war with maximum benefit. On May 5, 1941, he assumed the powers of the Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars. He did not rule out the possibility of a preemptive strike against Germany.
There was a concentration of a huge number of troops on the border with Germany. At the same time, it was impossible to give the Germans a reason for accusing them of violating the non-aggression pact. Therefore, despite the obvious preparation of Germany for aggression against the USSR, Stalin only on the night of June 22 gave the order to bring the troops of the border districts on alert. The troops received this directive already when the German aircraft bombed Soviet cities.
The beginning of the war. At dawn on June 22, 1941, the German army with all its might fell on Soviet soil. Thousands of artillery pieces opened fire. Aviation attacked airfields, military garrisons, communications centers, command posts of the Red Army, the largest industrial facilities in Ukraine, Belarus, and the Baltic states. The Great Patriotic War of the Soviet people began, which lasted 1418 days and nights.
The country's leadership did not immediately understand what exactly happened. Still fearing provocations from the Germans, Stalin did not want to believe what had happened even in the conditions of the outbreak of war. In a new directive, he ordered the troops to "defeat the enemy", but "not to cross the state border" with Germany.
At noon on the first day of the war, the First Deputy Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars, People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the USSR, VM Molotov, addressed the people. Calling on the Soviet people to resolutely rebuff the enemy, he expressed confidence that the country would defend its freedom and independence. Molotov ended his speech with the words that became the programmatic directive for all the years of the war: "Our cause is just. The enemy will be defeated. Victory will be ours."
On the same day, a general mobilization of those liable for military service was announced, martial law was introduced in the western regions of the country, and the Northern, Northwestern, Western, Southwestern, and Southern fronts were formed. To guide them, on June 23, the Headquarters of the High Command was created (later - the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command), which included I.V. Stalin, V.M. Molotov, S.K. Timoshenko, S.M.Budyonny, K.E. Voroshilov, B. M. Shaposhnikov and G. K. Zhukov. JV Stalin was appointed Supreme Commander-in-Chief.
The war demanded the abandonment of a number of democratic forms of governing the country, provided for by the 1936 Constitution.
On June 30, all power was concentrated in the hands of the State Defense Committee (GKO), whose chairman was Stalin. At the same time, the activities of the constitutional authorities continued.
Forces and plans of the parties. On June 22, the two largest military forces by that time clashed in mortal combat. Germany and Italy, Finland, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, which took its side, had 190 divisions against 170 Soviet ones. The number of opposing troops on both sides was approximately equal and totaled about 6 million people. The number of guns and mortars was approximately equal on both sides (48 thousand for Germany and the Allies, 47 thousand for the USSR). In terms of the number of tanks (9.2 thousand) and aircraft (8.5 thousand), the USSR surpassed Germany and its allies (4.3 thousand and 5 thousand, respectively).
Taking into account the experience of hostilities in Europe, the Barbarossa plan envisaged waging a "lightning-fast" war against the USSR in three main directions - to Leningrad (Army Group North), Moscow (Center) and Kiev (South). V short term with the help of mainly tank strikes, it was supposed to defeat the main forces of the Red Army and reach the line Arkhangelsk - Volga - Astrakhan.
The basis of the tactics of the Red Army before the war was the concept of warfare " with little blood, on foreign territory. "However, the attack of the Hitlerite armies forced to reconsider these plans.
The failures of the Red Army in the summer and autumn of 1941. The suddenness and power of the German blow were so great that after three weeks Lithuania, Latvia, Belarus, a significant part of Ukraine, Moldova and Estonia were occupied. The enemy advanced 350-600 km deep into Soviet soil. In a short time, the Red Army lost more than 100 divisions (three-fifths of all troops in the western border districts). More than 20 thousand guns and mortars, 3.5 thousand aircraft (of which 1200 were destroyed right at the airfields on the first day of the war), 6 thousand tanks, more than half of the logistics depots were destroyed or captured by the enemy. The main forces of the troops of the Western Front were surrounded. In fact, in the first weeks of the war, all the forces of the "first echelon" of the Red Army were defeated. It seemed that a military catastrophe for the USSR was inevitable.
However, the "easy walk" for the Germans (which the Hitlerite generals hoped for, intoxicated with victories in Western Europe) did not work out. In the first weeks of the war, only killed the enemy lost up to 100 thousand people (this exceeded all the losses of the Nazi army in previous wars), 40% of tanks, almost 1 thousand aircraft. Nevertheless, the German army continued to maintain a decisive superiority of forces.
Battle for Moscow. The stubborn resistance of the Red Army near Smolensk, Leningrad, Kiev, Odessa, in other sectors of the front did not allow the Germans to implement their plans to seize Moscow by the beginning of autumn. Only after the encirclement of large forces (665 thousand people) Southwestern Front and the capture of Kiev by the enemy, the Germans began preparations for the capture of the Soviet capital. This operation was named Typhoon. To implement it, the German command ensured a significant superiority in manpower (3-3.5 times) and equipment in the directions of the main strikes: tanks - 5-6 times, artillery - 4-5 times. The dominance of German aviation also remained overwhelming.
On September 30, 1941, the Nazis launched a general offensive against Moscow. They managed not only to break through the defenses of the stubbornly resisting Soviet troops, but also to encircle four armies west of Vyazma and two - south of Bryansk. In these "cauldrons" 663 thousand people were taken prisoner. However, the surrounded Soviet troops continued to pin down up to 20 enemy divisions. A critical situation has developed for Moscow. The fighting was already 80-100 km from the capital. To stop the advance of the Germans, the Mozhaisk line of defense was hastily strengthened, reserve troops were pulled up. GK Zhukov, appointed commander of the Western Front, was urgently recalled from Leningrad.
Despite all these measures, by mid-October the enemy had come close to the capital. Through German binoculars, the Kremlin towers were clearly visible. By the decision of the State Defense Committee, the evacuation of government agencies, the diplomatic corps, large industrial enterprises, and the population from Moscow began. In case of a breakthrough by the Nazis, all the most important objects of the city were to be destroyed. On October 20, a state of siege was introduced in Moscow.
A colossal exertion of forces, unparalleled courage and heroism of the defenders of the capital, the offensive of the Germans in early November was stopped. On November 7, as before, a military parade took place on Red Square, the participants of which immediately went to the front line of the front.
However, in mid-November, the offensive of the Nazis resumed with new strength... Only the stubborn resistance of Soviet soldiers saved the capital again. Particularly distinguished was the 316th Rifle Division under the command of General IV Panfilov, which repulsed several tank attacks on the most difficult first day of the German offensive. The feat of the Panfilov group led by political instructor V.G. Klochkov, who for a long time detained more than 30 enemy tanks, became legendary. Klochkov's words, addressed to the soldiers, spread throughout the country: "Russia is great, but there is nowhere to retreat: behind is Moscow!"
By the end of November, the troops of the Western Front received significant reinforcements from the eastern regions of the country, which made it possible on December 5-6, 1941, to launch a counteroffensive by Soviet troops near Moscow. In the very first days of the Moscow battle, the cities of Kalinin, Solnechnogorsk, Klin, Istra were liberated. In total, during the winter offensive, Soviet troops defeated 38 German divisions. The enemy was driven back from Moscow to 100-250 km. This was the first major defeat of the German forces during the entire Second World War.
The victory at Moscow had a huge military and political significance... She dispelled the myth about the invincibility of the Hitlerite army and the hopes of the fascists for a "lightning war". Japan and Turkey finally refused to enter the war on the side of Germany. The process of creating the Anti-Hitler coalition was accelerated.
GERMAN OFFENSIVE 1942 BACKGROUND OF Fracture
The situation at the front in the spring of 1942. The parties' plans. The victory at Moscow gave the Soviet leadership illusions about the possibility of a quick defeat of the German troops and the end of the war. In January 1942, Stalin assigned the Red Army the task of going over to a general offensive. This task has been repeated in other documents as well.
The only one who opposed the simultaneous offensive of the Soviet troops in all three main strategic directions was G.K. Zhukov. He rightly believed that there were no prepared reserves for this. However, under pressure from Stalin, the Headquarters nevertheless decided to advance. Diffusion of already modest resources (by this time the Red Army had lost up to 6 million people killed, wounded, prisoners) inevitably had to lead to failure.
Stalin believed that in the spring and summer of 1942 the Germans would launch a new offensive against Moscow, and ordered to concentrate on westward significant reserve forces. Hitler, on the other hand, believed strategic goal the forthcoming campaign is a large-scale offensive in the southwestern direction with the aim of breaking through the defenses of the Red Army and capturing the lower Volga and the Caucasus. In order to hide their true intentions, the Germans developed a special plan to misinform the Soviet military command and political leadership under codename"Kremlin". Their plan was largely successful. All this had grave consequences for the situation on the Soviet-German front in 1942.
German offensive in the summer of 1942. Start Battle of Stalingrad... By the spring of 1942, the preponderance of forces was still on the side of the German forces. Before starting a general offensive on southeast direction, the Germans decided to completely seize the Crimea, where the defenders of Sevastopol and the Kerch Peninsula continued to offer heroic resistance to the enemy. The May offensive of the Nazis ended in tragedy: the troops of the Crimean Front were defeated in ten days. The losses of the Red Army here amounted to 176 thousand people, 347 tanks, 3476 guns and mortars, 400 aircraft. On July 4, Soviet troops were forced to leave the city of Russian glory, Sevastopol.
In May, Soviet troops launched an offensive in the Kharkov region, but suffered a severe defeat. The troops of the two armies were surrounded and destroyed. Our losses amounted to 230 thousand people, more than 5 thousand guns and mortars, 755 tanks. The strategic initiative was again firmly seized by the German command.
At the end of June, German troops rushed to the southeast: they occupied the Donbass and reached the Don. An immediate threat to Stalingrad was created. On July 24, Rostov-on-Don fell - the gates of the Caucasus. Only now did Stalin understand the real purpose of the German summer offensive. But it was already too late to change anything. Fearing a quick loss of the entire Soviet South, on July 28, 1942, Stalin issued Order No. 227, in which, under the threat of execution, he forbade the troops to leave the front line without instructions from the higher command. This order went down in the history of the war under the title "Not one step back!"
In early September, street fighting broke out in Stalingrad, which was destroyed to the ground. But the perseverance and courage of the Soviet defenders of the city on the Volga did what seemed impossible - by mid-November, the offensive capabilities of the Germans had finally dried up. By this time, in the battles for Stalingrad, they had lost almost 700 thousand killed and wounded, over 1 thousand tanks and over 1.4 thousand aircraft. The Germans not only failed to occupy the city, but also went over to the defensive.
Occupation regime. By the fall of 1942, German troops managed to capture most of the European territory of the USSR. In the cities and villages they occupied, a tough occupation regime was established. The main goals of Germany in the war against the USSR were the destruction of the Soviet state, the transformation of the Soviet Union into an agrarian and raw material appendage and a source of cheap work force for the "third reich".
In the occupied territories, the previous governing bodies were eliminated. All power belonged to the military command of the German army. In the summer of 1941, special courts were introduced, which were given the right to pass death sentences for disobedience to the invaders. Death camps were created for prisoners of war and those Soviet people who sabotaged the decisions of the German authorities. Everywhere the invaders staged demonstrative executions of party and Soviet activists, members of the underground.
All citizens of the occupied territories between the ages of 18 and 45 have been affected by labor mobilization. They had to work 14-16 hours a day. Hundreds of thousands of Soviet people were sent to forced labor in Germany.
The plan "Ost", developed by the Nazis before the war, contained a program of "development" of Eastern Europe... According to this plan, it was supposed to destroy 30 million Russians, and turn the rest into slaves and resettle them to Siberia. During the war years in the occupied territories of the USSR, the Nazis killed about 11 million people (including about 7 million civilians and about 4 million prisoners of war).
Partisan and underground movement. The threat of physical violence did not stop the Soviet people from fighting the enemy, not only at the front, but also in the rear. The Soviet underground movement arose in the first weeks of the war. In the places subjected to occupation, party organs operated illegally.
During the war years, more than 6 thousand partisan detachments were formed, in which more than 1 million people fought. Representatives of the majority of the peoples of the USSR, as well as citizens of other countries, acted in their ranks. Soviet partisans destroyed, wounded and captured more than 1 million enemy soldiers and officers, representatives of the occupation administration, disabled more than 4 thousand tanks and armored vehicles, 65 thousand vehicles and 1,100 aircraft. They destroyed and damaged 1600 railway bridges, derailed over 20 thousand railway trains. To coordinate the actions of the partisans, the Central Headquarters was created in 1942. partisan movement headed by P.K.Ponomarenko.
The underground heroes acted not only against the enemy troops, but also carried out death sentences to Hitler's executioners. The legendary intelligence officer N.I.Kuznetsov killed the chief judge of Ukraine Funk, the vice-governor of Galicia Bauer, and abducted the commander of Germany's punitive forces in Ukraine, General Ilgen. The General Commissioner of Belarus in Cuba was blown up by an underground worker E. Mazanik right in bed in his own residence.
During the war years, the state awarded orders and medals to more than 184 thousand partisans and underground fighters. 249 of them were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. The legendary commanders of partisan formations S. A. Kovpak and A. F. Fedorov were presented for this award twice.
Formation of the Anti-Hitler Coalition. From the very beginning of the Great Patriotic War, Great Britain and the United States announced their support for the Soviet Union. British Prime Minister W. Churchill, speaking on the radio on June 22, 1941, said: "The danger for Russia is our danger and the danger of the United States, just as the cause of every Russian fighting for his land and home is the cause of free people and free peoples in any part of the world. "
In July 1941, an agreement was signed between the USSR and Great Britain on joint actions in the war against Hitler, and in early August, the US government announced economic and military-technical assistance to the Soviet Union "in the fight against armed aggression." In September 1941, the first conference of representatives of the three powers was held in Moscow, at which issues of expanding military-technical assistance from Great Britain and the United States to the Soviet Union were discussed. After the United States entered the war against Japan and Germany (December 1941), their military cooperation with the USSR expanded even more.
On January 1, 1942, in Washington, representatives of 26 states signed a declaration in which they pledged to use all their resources to fight a common enemy and not to conclude a separate peace. The agreement signed in May 1942 on the alliance of the USSR and Great Britain and in June - the agreement with the United States on mutual assistance finally formalized the military alliance of the three countries.
Results of the first period of the war. The first period of the Great Patriotic War, which lasted from June 22, 1941 to November 18, 1942 (before the transition of Soviet troops to the counteroffensive at Stalingrad), was of great historical importance. The Soviet Union withstood a military blow of such force that no other country could withstand at that time.
The courage and heroism of the Soviet people thwarted Hitler's plans " lightning war"Despite the heavy defeats during the first year of the struggle against Germany and its allies, the Red Army showed its high fighting qualities. By the summer of 1942, the transition of the country's economy to a war stage was basically completed, which laid the main precondition for a radical change in the course of the war. At this stage, the Anti-Hitler coalition was formed, which possessed enormous military, economic and human resources.
What you need to know on this topic:
Socio-economic and political development of Russia at the beginning of the XX century. Nicholas II.
Domestic policy tsarism. Nicholas II. Increased repression. "Police Socialism".
Russo-Japanese war... Reasons, course, results.
Revolution 1905 - 1907 Character, driving forces and features of the Russian revolution of 1905-1907. stages of the revolution. The reasons for the defeat and the significance of the revolution.
Elections to the State Duma. I State Duma. The agrarian question in the Duma. Dispersal of the Duma. II State Duma. Coup d'état on June 3, 1907
Third June political system. Electoral law June 3, 1907 III State Duma. The alignment of political forces in the Duma. The activities of the Duma. Government terror. The decline of the labor movement in 1907-1910
Stolypin agrarian reform.
IV State Duma. Party composition and Duma factions. The activities of the Duma.
The political crisis in Russia on the eve of the war. The labor movement in the summer of 1914 The crisis at the top.
The international position of Russia at the beginning of the XX century.
The beginning of the First World War. The origin and nature of the war. Russia's entry into the war. The attitude of parties and classes to the war.
The course of hostilities. Strategic forces and plans of the parties. Results of the war. The role of the Eastern Front in the First World War.
Economy of Russia during the First World War.
The workers 'and peasants' movement in 1915-1916 Revolutionary movement in the army and navy. Growth of anti-war sentiment. Formation of the bourgeois opposition.
Russian culture XIX- the beginning of the XX century.
Aggravation of socio-political contradictions in the country in January-February 1917. The beginning, prerequisites and nature of the revolution. The uprising in Petrograd. Formation of the Petrograd Soviet. Provisional Committee of the State Duma. Order No. I. Formation of the Provisional Government. Abdication of Nicholas II. The reasons for the emergence of dual power and its essence. February coup in Moscow, at the front, in the provinces.
From February to October. The policy of the Provisional Government in relation to war and peace, on agrarian, national, labor issues. Relations between the Provisional Government and the Soviets. V. I. Lenin's arrival in Petrograd.
Political parties (Cadets, Socialist-Revolutionaries, Mensheviks, Bolsheviks): political programs, influence among the masses.
Crises of the Provisional Government. An attempt at a military coup in the country. The growth of revolutionary sentiments among the masses. Bolshevization of the metropolitan Soviets.
Preparation and conduct of an armed uprising in Petrograd.
II All-Russian Congress of Soviets. Decisions about power, peace, land. Formation of bodies of state power and administration. The composition of the first Soviet government.
The victory of the armed uprising in Moscow. Government agreement with the Left SRs. Elections in constituent Assembly, its convocation and dispersal.
The first socio-economic transformations in the field of industry, agriculture, finance, labor and women's issues. Church and State.
Brest peace treaty, its conditions and meaning.
The economic tasks of the Soviet government in the spring of 1918. Aggravation of the food problem. The introduction of the food dictatorship. Workers' food detachments. Comedies.
The revolt of the Left SRs and the collapse of the bipartisan system in Russia.
First Soviet Constitution.
Reasons for the intervention and civil war... The course of hostilities. Human and material losses during the civil war and military intervention.
Domestic policy of the Soviet leadership during the war. "War Communism". GOELRO plan.
Politics new government in relation to culture.
Foreign policy. Agreements with border countries. Russia's participation in the Genoa, Hague, Moscow and Lausanne conferences. Diplomatic recognition of the USSR by the main capitalist countries.
Domestic policy. Socio-economic and political crisis of the early 20s. Famine 1921-1922 Transition to new economic policy... The essence of the NEP. NEP in the field of agriculture, trade, industry. Financial reform. Economic recovery. Crises during the NEP period and its curtailment.
Projects for the creation of the USSR. I Congress of Soviets of the USSR. The first government and the Constitution of the USSR.
Lenin's illness and death. Internal party struggle... The beginning of the formation of Stalin's regime of power.
Industrialization and collectivization. Development and implementation of the first five-year plans. Socialist competition - purpose, forms, leaders.
Formation and strengthening of the state system of economic management.
A course towards complete collectivization. Dekulakization.
The results of industrialization and collectivization.
Political, national-state development in the 30s. Internal party struggle. Political repression. Formation of the nomenclature as a layer of managers. The Stalinist regime and the USSR Constitution of 1936
Soviet culture in the 20-30s.
Foreign policy of the second half of the 20s - mid 30s.
Domestic policy. The growth of military production. Emergency measures in the field of labor law. Measures to solve the grain problem. Military establishment. The growth in the number of the Red Army. Military reform. Repressions against the commanding personnel of the Red Army and the Red Army.
Foreign policy. Non-aggression pact and treaty of friendship and borders between the USSR and Germany. Entry of Western Ukraine and Western Belarus in USSR. Soviet-Finnish war... Inclusion of the Baltic republics and other territories into the USSR.
The periodization of the Great Patriotic War. The initial stage of the war. The transformation of the country into a military camp. Military defeats 1941-1942 and their reasons. Major military events. Capitulation of Nazi Germany. Participation of the USSR in the war with Japan.
Soviet rear during the war.
Deportation of peoples.
Guerrilla warfare.
Human and material losses during the war.
Creation anti-Hitler coalition... Declaration of the United Nations. The problem of the second front. Big Three conferences. Problems of the post-war peace settlement and all-round cooperation. USSR and UN.
Start " cold war". The contribution of the USSR to the creation of the" socialist camp. "The formation of the CMEA.
Domestic policy of the USSR in the mid 40s - early 50s. Restoring the national economy.
Social and political life. Science and culture policy. Continued repression. "The Leningrad Affair". Campaign against cosmopolitanism. "Doctors' case".
Socio-economic development of Soviet society in the mid-50s - first half of the 60s.
Social and political development: XX Congress of the CPSU and condemnation of the personality cult of Stalin. Rehabilitation of victims of repression and deportation. Internal party struggle in the second half of the 50s.
Foreign policy: the creation of the Department of Internal Affairs. The entry of Soviet troops into Hungary. Aggravation of Soviet-Chinese relations. The split of the "socialist camp". Soviet-American relations and the Cuban missile crisis. USSR and the countries of the "third world". Reduction of the size of the armed forces of the USSR. Moscow Treaty of Restriction nuclear tests.
USSR in the mid 60s - first half of the 80s.
Socio-economic development: economic reform 1965
Increasing difficulties economic development... Decline in the rate of socio-economic growth.
USSR Constitution 1977
Social and political life of the USSR in the 1970s - early 1980s.
Foreign Policy: Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Securing post-war borders in Europe. Moscow treaty with the FRG. Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE). Soviet-American treaties of the 70s. Soviet-Chinese relations. The entry of Soviet troops into Czechoslovakia and Afghanistan. Aggravation of international tension and the USSR. Strengthening of the Soviet-American confrontation in the early 80s.
USSR in 1985-1991
Domestic policy: an attempt to accelerate the country's socio-economic development. Attempt to reform political system Soviet society. Congresses of People's Deputies. Election of the President of the USSR. Multiparty system. Aggravation political crisis.
Aggravation of the national question. Attempts to reform the national state structure of the USSR. Declaration on State Sovereignty of the RSFSR. "Novoogarevsky process". The collapse of the USSR.
Foreign Policy: Soviet-American Relations and the Problem of Disarmament. Treaties with leading capitalist countries. The withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan. Changing relations with the countries of the socialist community. Disintegration of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance and the Warsaw Pact Organization.
Russian Federation in 1992-2000
Domestic policy: "Shock therapy" in the economy: price liberalization, stages of privatization of commercial and industrial enterprises. Fall in production. Increased social tension. Growth and deceleration of the rate of financial inflation. Aggravation of the struggle between the executive and legislative branches. Dissolution of the Supreme Soviet and the Congress of People's Deputies. October events 1993 Abolition local authorities Soviet power... Elections to the Federal Assembly. Constitution of the Russian Federation 1993 presidential republic... Aggravation and overcoming of ethnic conflicts in the North Caucasus.
Parliamentary elections 1995 Presidential elections 1996 Power and opposition. Attempt to return to course liberal reforms(spring 1997) and its failure. The financial crisis of August 1998: causes, economic and political consequences. "The second Chechen War". 1999 parliamentary elections and early presidential elections 2000 Foreign policy: Russia in the CIS. The participation of Russian troops in the "hot spots" of the near abroad: Moldova, Georgia, Tajikistan. Relations of Russia with non-CIS countries. The withdrawal of Russian troops from Europe and neighboring countries. Russian-American agreements. Russia and NATO. Russia and the Council of Europe. Yugoslavian crises (1999-2000) and the position of Russia.
- Danilov A.A., Kosulina L.G. History of the state and peoples of Russia. XX century.
More and more time removes us from the events of May 1945. But in the CIS countries, events dedicated to various historical dates of the Patriotic War of 1941-1945 are gaining momentum. For example, in Ukraine, almost every other day, the date of the release of the next settlement, reconstructions of hostilities are being carried out, etc. He does not regret all this c I have neither the strength nor the means. Of course, the crown of these celebrations is Victory Day - May 9. Moreover, at present, this holiday is actually the only common ideological symbol for the CIS countries. It is not surprising that with a rare full quorum of the presidents of 12 CIS countries at their Ashgabat Summit on December 5, 2012. The issue of organizing in 2015 jubilee celebrations in connection with the 70th anniversary of the end of the 1941-1945 Patriotic War was considered. There is no doubt that the elaboration of the general concept of the summit was determined primarily by the Russian side, which had already declared the corresponding point of view earlier. In the author's Internet publication “Patriotic Wars of 1812 and 1941-1945. (site: http: / nedyuha. livejournal. com and in "Igor Nedyukha's blog") a response was given to the well-known statement in 2011 by the then Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin regarding the allegedly insignificant role of Ukraine in the 1941-1945 Patriotic War. against the background of Putin's leitmotif "Russia-Victory". According to the author, such a position of the Russian leadership actually turns the peoples of the rest of the CIS countries only into admirers of the “great destiny of the Russian people”. In the absence of a proper reaction to this by the then leadership of Ukraine, the author proposed to the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin to apologize for belittling the historical national dignity of the Ukrainian people. After all, the losses of "insignificant" Ukraine only in killed Ukrainian servicemen (3.5 million people) more than three times exceeded the "losses in World War II of such" significant "allies as the United States, Britain and France combined. It is characteristic that the former allies in the anti-Hitler coalition have now transformed the Victory Day into the Day of Reconciliation and Remembrance of the Victims of World War II. Against the background of Ukrainian declarations about the desire to "associate with" Europe ", the above-noted excitement about the upcoming anniversary celebrations in connection with the 70th anniversary of Victory Day is in sharp contrast.
Even Joseph Stalin did not consider it appropriate to celebrate the end of the 1941-1945 Patriotic War with such “pomp” from such a perspective and with such "pomp", which brought innumerable sacrifices and destruction to the Soviet people. For the first time, Victory Day - May 9 as a public holiday was introduced in 1965 by Leonid Brezhnev, who replaced Nikita Khrushchev in 1964 as General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee. Apparently, Leonid Ilyich was eager to go down in history as a participant in hostilities on Malaya Zemlya.
As for the aforementioned "victorious" enthusiasm, it seems that it seems that many "enthusiasts" are going to "outstrip" the Northern Irish "Orangemen" in the future, celebrating once a year the victory in 1690 of the Protestant stadtholder of Holland William of Orange over Irish Catholics. In this regard, it should be recalled that the solemn marches of the "winners" have created a hotbed of constant tension in Ulster and complicated relations with neighboring Ireland. Nowadays it is practically forgotten that in fact May 9 is celebrated throughout the vast Euro-Asian space of the CIS countries.
Officially, Victory Day - May 9, traces its "genealogy" to the signing of the Berlin Act of the unconditional surrender of Germany and its armed forces. Unlike the CIS countries, the West celebrates Victory Day on May 8, associating it with the signing of the first "surrender" Act of Reims. On May 6, 1945, the Reich Chancellor of Germany, Grand Admiral Dennitz, sent his representative, Colonel General Jodl, to the Allied headquarters in Reims (France) to negotiate the surrender of Germany. The main task of Colonel General Jodl was to obtain the consent of the commander of the Allied Expeditionary Forces in Europe, General of the Army Dwight Eisenhower, so that the Act of Germany's surrender, proposed by the German side, would enter into force no earlier than May 10, 1945. But General of the Army Dwight Eisenhower refused to fulfill this German condition and on May 6, 1945, informed Colonel General Jodl of his readiness to sign the Act of Unconditional Surrender of Germany. The allies unraveled the plan of Reich Chancellor of Germany Dennitz to provide temporary conditions for the complete completion of the withdrawal of German troops from Czechoslovakia with their subsequent surrender to American, and not to Soviet, captivity. Colonel General Jodl had to obey the demands of the commander of the Allied forces, General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower. On the same day, May 6, 1945, Dwight Eisenhower summoned Joseph Stalin's permanent representative to the allies of General Ivan Susloparov to his headquarters in Reims. The latter was informed about the stay in Reims of Colonel-General of the Wehrmacht Jodl and was offered to sign from the Soviet side the Act of unconditional surrender of Germany and its armed forces. Joseph Stalin undoubtedly figured out the purpose of the proposal of General of the Army Dwight Eisenhower, alternative to his own plans. According to the official Soviet version, General Ivan Susloparov was then unable to contact Moscow and independently signed, together with American General Walter Smith, the well-known Reims "surrender" Act, signed from the German side by Colonel-General of the Wehrmacht Jodl on May 7, 1945 at 2:41 am upon his entry effective 8 May 1945 at 23:01 CET. But judging by the fact that General Ivan Susloparov was not punished for his more than daring independence, his actions were not impromptu. After all, it was thanks to such "independence" of Ivan Susloparov that Joseph Stalin got the opportunity to declare that he did not authorize the signature of his permanent representative under the Reims Act, questioning the de jure legality of this act. For this reason, Joseph Stalin demanded that the allies repeat the procedure for signing the "surrender" act precisely in the capital of Germany, taken by the Soviet troops, - Berlin. In order to somehow appease the "angry" Joseph Stalin and at the same time preserve the priority importance of the Reims Act, the allies in the anti-Hitler coalition sent their representatives, far from the first rank, to Berlin to participate in the signing of the second "surrender" Act.
On May 8, 1945 at 22:43 CET (May 9, 1945 at 00:43 Moscow time), Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel, as well as the representative of the Luftwaffe, Colonel General Stumpf and Admiral von Friedeburg, who had the appropriate powers from the Reich Chancellor Germany's Grand Admiral Donnitz signed another act of unconditional surrender of Germany and its armed forces, which entered into force at the same time as an act of time. Marshal Georgy Zhukov and representatives of the Allies put their signatures only as official witnesses of the very fact of the signing by the German side on May 8, 1945 in Berlin of the Act of Germany's surrender. The Act itself is dated May 8, 1945, with a mark in the text of the document of the Central European time of its entry into legal force - 23:01 on May 8, 1945. In an objective interpretation of the events of May 1945, one should take into account the undoubted fact that the Berlin Act as such was signed only by the German side with the fixation of the Berlin (Central European) time, and not Moscow time. Even if we proceed from only one fundamental principle of the unity of time and space (when fixing time at the place of the “capitulation” event in Berlin, and not in Moscow), the signing of the Berlin Act of surrender cannot in any way be associated with Moscow time, but only with central -European. All the more so with its aforementioned simultaneous entry into force with the Reims Act, which is dated precisely in Central European time.
In general, there is every objective reason to state that the entire two-stage procedure for accepting the surrender of Germany and its armed forces took place in unified system time coordinates with a starting point on May 7, 1945 at 02:41 am CET - the moment of signing the first Reims Act of Germany's surrender. Naturally, the latter has nothing to do with Moscow time. In turn, the subsequent signing of the Berlin Act (May 8, 1945 at 22:43) was already initially tied precisely to Central European time, since it could take place only before the entry into force of the surrender
Reims Act - 8 May 1945 at 23:01 CET. Indeed, from this (central European) moment, according to the Reims Act, the powers of the Reich Chancellor of Germany Dönnitz were terminated, and, accordingly, the powers sent to them by representatives to sign the Berlin Act.
In this context, it is more than symbolic that speaking on Moscow radio, already at the beginning of the third night of May 9, 1945, the announcer Yuri Levitan broadcast an urgent (not yet corrected) official message: “On May 8, 1945, an act of unconditional surrender of Germany was signed in Berlin and its armed forces. " Only later was an instruction from “above” received to introduce a “domestic” amendment - changing the date of Victory Day from May 8 to May 9. All countries in the Western world celebrate Victory Day on May 8, associating it with the simultaneous entry into force on May 8, 1945 at 23:01 CET of both the Reims and Berlin Acts of the unconditional surrender of Germany and its armed forces. The purpose of the de jure formalized synchronization of the entry into force of the Reims and Berlin Acts was to create legal prerequisites for the celebration of the common Victory Day over Nazi Germany among the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition on May 8, 1945, Central European Time, and not according to the "separate" Moscow time or an alternative to it. such as Washington time.
However, in order to satisfy the ambitions of Joseph Stalin through the efforts of the Soviet propaganda machine, the Berlin Act, the signing of which was actually artificially transformed from May 8 (Central European) to May 9 (Moscow time), became a Soviet "separate" symbol not only of the end of the Patriotic War of 1941-1945 years, but in general the Second World War on the territory of Europe.
Only Supreme Commander-in-Chief Joseph Stalin could postpone Victory Day from May 8 to May 9, 1945, effectively disavowing the signature of the representative of the Soviet Union, Marshal Georgy Zhukov, when drawing up the Berlin Act on May 8, 1945, with its officially recorded binding to Central European time. Moreover, this position of Joseph Stalin is, in principle, tantamount to the denunciation by the Soviet Union of the Berlin Act itself.
The willful postponement by Joseph Stalin of the Victory Day over Nazi Germany from 8 to 9 May 1945 is explained by his desire not to share the winner's laurels with the allies. But this could be realized only in the presence of Victory in the "personal" war, which actually became the Patriotic War of 1941-1945. with a "personal" Victory Day on May 9, 1945. Joseph Stalin acted according to the principle: the one who laughs last laughs victoriously. Until now, in the CIS countries, the "strong-willed" version of I. Stalin has not lost its supporters that in May 1945 Germany surrendered twice: first in Reims to the Western allies, and then in Berlin, the Soviet Union's "surrender" turn came. It was for this that the aforementioned incident was provoked with Stalin's actually deliberate discrediting of the legality of signing his permanent representative to the allies of General Ivan Suslov under the Reims "surrender" Act.
The allies have probably figured out the true meaning of Stalin's maneuver. This conclusion logically follows even from the text of the Berlin "surrender" Act, which the Allies agreed to endorse. Indeed, the German side, directly signing the Berlin Act, in accordance with its Clause 2 de jure, only confirmed its readiness, previously recorded in the Reims Act, to surrender exactly at the “Reims” time - on May 8, 1945 at 23:01 CET, with an accuracy of the minute. which was endorsed by representatives of the anti-Hitler coalition, including Marshal Georgy Zhukov. That is why the "Stalinist" historiography had to separate the Patriotic War from the general framework of the Second World War in Europe. Until now, the official point of view of a purely Russian (previously Stalinist) Victory has been preserved, naturally not in the Second World War (in the presence of "significant" allies), but in a "separate" Patriotic War. As if these two wars were fought in isolation from each other and not against the same "monster" - Hitlerite Germany. But according to Western historiography, the events of the Patriotic War are interpreted as taking place on the Eastern Front of the Second World War in Europe. In general, Western historiography had all the objective grounds for an "offensive" (by Soviet standards) interpretation of the signing of the Berlin Act on May 8, 1945, only as a ratification of the original source - the Reims Act of May 7, 1945.
There are methodological features in the classification of Patriotic wars in comparison with conventional ones. According to the academic explanatory dictionary"The Patriotic War is a just war for the freedom and independence of the Fatherland against foreign invaders."
The classic standard of the Patriotic War as such is the Patriotic War of 1812. December 25, 1812 Russian emperor Alexander I published the Manifesto on the end of the Patriotic War of 1812. In January 1813, the official Foreign campaign of the Russian army began, which ended with the storming of Paris and the surrender of its garrison on March 31, 1814, followed by the abdication of power by Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte of France on April 6, 1814.
Classical historiography has always considered the above-mentioned events of 1813-1814. both de jure and de facto - those that took place outside the "space-time" framework of the Patriotic War of 1812. Therefore, the Stalinist interpretation of the storming of "foreign" Berlin and the no less "foreign" Berlin Act (as fundamental symbols of the End of the 1941-1945 Patriotic War) there is reason to consider it as a violation of the traditional principles of classification of the Patriotic War as such, conditioned by Joseph Stalin's ambitions. In the above-mentioned Internet publication in the development of the classic "domestic" principle, a transformed definition of the concept of Patriotic War is given: "The Patriotic War begins and ends at the borders of the Fatherland."
In this regard, the fact that the Wehrmacht Army Group "Courland" at the beginning of May 1945 occupied and completely controlled the western part of Latvia in the region of the Courland Peninsula, including the corresponding section of the maritime border of the "socialist Fatherland" - the then Soviet Union, acquires extraordinary historical significance. which also included Latvia as a union republic.
It is the de jure “domestic status” of the Courland Peninsula at the time of June 22, 1941 that allows, in the canons of classical historiography, to interpret the date of the signing of the surrender of the Wehrmacht Army Group “Courland” as the actual date of the end of the Patriotic War of 1941-1945, that is, when the entire territory of the Soviet Union. Within the framework of this interpretation, it is more than symbolic that the real finals of the Patriotic Wars of 1941-1945. and 1812 took place in the same Baltic region, when the last column of retreating French troops in December 1812 crossed the border river Neman near the town of Kovno (present-day Kaunas).
But unfortunately, even in Russian historiography, there is no generally accepted point of view regarding the conditions and date of the surrender of the Wehrmacht Army Group Kurland in May 1945, not to mention the differences with Western authors. First of all, it should be noted that there is no serious information interpreting the surrender of the Kurlyansk group of the Wehrmacht as an allegedly unregulated spontaneous process after the signing of the surrender “Berlin Act. For example, in the official Internet publication "Courland Cauldron" it is recorded: "Upon learning of the surrender, the majority German soldiers(135 thousand) surrendered, but numerous groups tried to hide. " In the official Internet publication "Army Group Courland", in fact, only the fact of its surrender is stated: "On January 25, 1945, Army Group North, which retreated to Courland, was renamed to Army Group" Courland "held the defenses in the Courland cauldron. She surrendered on May 9, 1945 ". More "organized" information is presented in the official Internet publication "Leningrad Front": "In connection with the unconditional surrender of Geremania, the Leningrad Front accepted the surrender of this group." The above is also consistent with the message of the then Sovinforburo that on May 9, 1945, the Courland Group of the Wehrmacht surrendered. Alternative information about the date of surrender of the Kurland group is presented in the official Internet publication dedicated to the personally commander of the Leningrad Front, Leonid Aleksandrovich Govorov: “On May 8, 1945, the command of Army Group Kurlyadiya accepted the terms of the Soviet ultimatum and surrendered.”
The version about the surrender of the Army Group "Kurlyadiya exactly on May 8, 1945 is presented in more detail in the Internet publication of V.Y. Volkov." The Liberation of the Baltic States.
The main point of this information is the statement that Army Group "Kurlyadiya" surrendered at 14:00 on May 8, 1945 at the request (ultimatum) of the commander of the Leningrad Front Marshal L.A. Govorov. The ultimatum was broadcast by radio at 7 a.m. on May 7, 1945. Both the ultimatum itself and further radio communications were carried out on the wave of the radio station of the 2nd Baltic Front. According to V.Y. Volkov, in connection with the Soviet ultimatum, the commander of the Kurlyadiya Army Group, General of the Infantry Gilpert, sent a special mission for negotiations, transmitting his response, addressed specifically to the commander of the 2nd Baltic Front.
The terms of surrender of Army Group Kurland were signed by the chief of its rear, Major General Rauser, directly at the headquarters of the Leningrad Front, being sure that he was dealing with the 2nd Baltic Front. But not properly coordinating with their command the impromptu appearance of the "Leningrad factor". The commander of Army Group Kurland, General of the Infantry Karl Hilpert, surrendered at 10.40 am on May 9, 1945, directly in his personal dugout in Pelchi, where the headquarters of the German group was located. Among those who evaded voluntary captivity was Lieutenant General of the SS troops, the commander of the 19th SS Infantry Division, Gruppenführer Strekanbach.
But the information of V.Y. Volkov. is in complete contradiction with the online publication "Lechaim!" and a tank crew "( http: www. lechaim. ru / ARHIV / 157 / mail. htm ) of a direct participant in the Courland events of May 1945, tanker M. Kugelev: “On May 9, the Germans signed the Act of surrender, and on the front sector against the Courland grouping, the enemy met us with dense fire. Only on May 11 in the morning was the sound of a bugle heard, a soldier with a white flag appeared. A passenger car followed. The German general was met by our Lieutenant General. The car with the translator got stuck somewhere and I accidentally became a participant in the peace negotiations. "
From German sources it is known that the commander of the Kurland Army Group Karl Hilpert, referred to by V.Y. Volkov as an infantry general, as early as May 1, 1945, was promoted to Colonel-General of the Wehrmacht by the Reich Chancellor of Germany Dennitz. On May 9, 1945, his name was mentioned in the Wehrmacht report: “As a forward bastion, our armies in Courland under the experienced command of Colonel General Helpert for months they held back the superior forces of Soviet rifle and tank units, and gained immortal glory in six major battles. "
Even in Soviet captivity, he still tried to defend his soldiers, which led to his transfer to a Moscow prison in April 1946.
According to his comrades, he allegedly died there on Christmas Day 1948.
Regarding the events of Courland in May 1945, one of the most authoritative German historians, former Lieutenant General of the Wehrmacht, Kurt von Kippelskirch, in his classic book History of the Second World War. The crash states that the commander of Army Group Kurland, Colonel-General Karl August Hilpert, surrendered the group entrusted to him on May 10, 1945 on the basis of the then general surrender of Germany.
Since 1995, when the 50th anniversary of the Victory Day in the Patriotic War was celebrated, the author has published a whole series of articles concerning the events of May 1945 in Courland. The fact is that it was my father - in May 1945, the commandant of the 2nd Baltic Front, Lieutenant Colonel Mikhail Nedyukha, as an authorized representative of the 2nd Baltic Front, on May 5, 1945, on a U-2 biplane, was transferred across the front line and taken to the group headquarters armies "Courland" to negotiate the terms of its surrender to the troops of the 2nd Baltic Front. The generalized conclusions of the author, based on the combat memories of Lieutenant Colonel Mikhail Nedyukha and other veterans of the 1st and 2nd Baltic fronts, are presented in the Internet publication “The Truth about the 2nd Baltic Front. Baltic Final of the Patriotic War "(November 28, 2012) ( http: // blog. i. ua / user / 5541869 / or Igor Nedyukha's blog).
