1941 major events. The Great Patriotic War: main stages, events, reasons for the victory of the Soviet people

The attack on the Soviet Union took place without a declaration of war in the morning hours of June 22, 1941. Despite the long preparations for war, the attack turned out to be completely unexpected for the USSR, since the German leadership did not even have a pretext for an attack.

The military events of the first weeks inspired full hope for the success of the next "blitzkrieg". Armored formations advanced quickly and occupied vast expanses of the country. In major battles and in encirclement, the Soviet Army suffered millions of casualties in killed and captured. A large number of military equipment was destroyed or captured as trophies. Again, it seemed that the doubts and feelings of fear that had spread in Germany, despite careful ideological preparation, were disproved by the successes of the Wehrmacht. The Church Board of Trustees of the German Evangelical Church expressed the feelings that gripped many, assuring Hitler by telegraph that "he is supported by all the evangelical Christianity of the Reich in the decisive battles with the mortal enemy of order and Western Christian culture."

The successes of the Wehrmacht caused various reactions Soviet side. There were manifestations of panic and confusion, the soldiers left their military units. And even Stalin first addressed the population only on July 3. In areas captured or annexed by the Soviet Union in 1939/40. part of the population welcomed the Germans as liberators. Nevertheless, from the first day of the war, Soviet troops offered unexpectedly strong resistance even in the most hopeless situations. And the civilian population actively participated in the evacuation and movement of militarily important industrial facilities beyond the Urals.

Persistent Soviet resistance and the heavy losses of the German Wehrmacht (until December 1, 1941, about 200,000 killed and missing, almost 500,000 wounded) soon disproved the German hopes for an easy and quick victory. Autumn mud, snow and a terrible cold in winter interfered with the military operations of the Wehrmacht. The German army was not prepared for the war in winter conditions, it was believed that by this time victory would have been achieved. An attempt to capture Moscow as political center The Soviet Union collapsed, although German troops approached the city at a distance of 30 kilometers. In early December, the Soviet Army unexpectedly launched a counteroffensive, which was successful not only near Moscow, but also in other sectors of the front. Thus, the concept of blitzkrieg was finally wrecked.

In the summer of 1942, new forces were accumulated to advance in a southerly direction. Although the German troops managed to capture large territories and advance as far as the Caucasus, they could not fortify anywhere. The oil fields were in Soviet hands, and Stalingrad became a foothold on the western bank of the Volga. In November 1942, the line of the German fronts in the territory of the Soviet Union reached its greatest extent, but there could be no question of a decisive success.

Chronicle of the war from June 1941 to November 1942

22.6.41. The beginning of the German attack, the advancement of three army groups. Romania, Italy, Slovakia, Finland and Hungary entered the war on the side of Germany.

29/30.6.41 The Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks (b) declares war a "patriotic" war of all the people; formation of the State Defense Committee.

July August. The German offensive along the entire front, the destruction of large Soviet formations in the environment (Bialystok and Minsk: 328,000 prisoners, Smolensk: 310,000 prisoners).

September. Leningrad is cut off from the rest of the country. East of Kyiv, over 600,000 Soviet soldiers were captured and surrounded. The general offensive of the German troops, which are suffering heavy losses, is slowed down due to the constant resistance of the Soviet Army.

2.10.41. The beginning of the offensive on Moscow, some sections of the front line at the end of November were 30 km from Moscow.

5.12.41. The beginning of the Soviet counter-offensive with fresh forces near Moscow, the German retreat. After the intervention of Hitler, the stabilization of the defensive positions of Army Group Center in January 1942 at the cost of heavy losses. Soviet success in the south.

12/11/41. Germany declares war on the USA.

In 1941, the Soviet Army lost 1.5 - 2.5 million soldiers killed and about 3 million prisoners. The number of civilian deaths is not precisely established, but it is estimated in the millions. Losses of the German army - about 200,000 people killed and missing.

January - March 1942 A wide winter offensive of the Soviet Army, partly successful, but not reaching its goals due to heavy losses. The losses of the German army in manpower and equipment were also so great that the continuation of the offensive on a wide front turned out to be this moment impossible.

May. The failure of the Soviet offensive near Kharkov; during the counteroffensive, 250,000 Soviet soldiers were surrounded and taken prisoner.

June July. The capture of the fortress of Sevastopol and thus the entire Crimea. The beginning of the German summer offensive, with the aim of reaching the Volga and capturing oil fields in the Caucasus. The Soviet side, in view of the new victories of Germany, is in a state of crisis.

August. German troops reach the Caucasus Mountains, but fail to inflict a decisive defeat on the Soviet troops.

September. The beginning of the battles for Stalingrad, which in October was almost completely captured by the Germans. Nevertheless, the Soviet bridgehead on the western bank of the Volga under the command of General Chuikov could not be destroyed.

9.11.42. Beginning of the Soviet counter-offensive at Stalingrad.

50 The Soviet population listens in the street to the government message about the beginning of the war, 22.6.1941.

Text 33
From a speech on the radio by People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs Molotov on 22 June 1941

Citizens and citizens of the Soviet Union! The Soviet government and its head, Comrade Stalin, have instructed me to make the following statement:

Today, at 4 o'clock in the morning, without declaring any claims against the Soviet Union, without declaring war, German troops attacked our country, attacked our borders in many places and bombed our cities - Zhitomir, Kiev, Sevastopol, Kaunas and some others, moreover, more than two hundred people were killed and wounded. Enemy aircraft raids and artillery shelling were also carried out from the Romanian and Finnish territories. This unheard-of attack on our country is treachery unparalleled in the history of civilized peoples. The attack on our country was carried out despite the fact that a non-aggression pact was concluded between the USSR and Germany, and the Soviet government fulfilled all the conditions of this pact in all good faith. The attack on our country was carried out despite the fact that during the entire period of the validity of this treaty the German government could never make a single claim against the USSR regarding the fulfillment of the treaty. All responsibility for this robbery attack on the Soviet Union will fall entirely on the German fascist rulers. [...]

This war was imposed on us not by the German people, not by the German workers, peasants and intelligentsia, whose sufferings we understand very well, but by a clique of bloodthirsty fascist rulers of Germany who enslaved the French, Czechs, Poles, Serbs, Norway, Belgium, Denmark, Holland, Greece and other peoples . [...]

This is not the first time our people have had to deal with an attacking, conceited enemy. At one time, our people responded to Napoleon's campaign in Russia with a Patriotic War, and Napoleon was defeated and came to his own collapse. The same will happen to the arrogant Hitler, who has announced a new campaign against our country. The Red Army and all our people will once again wage a victorious patriotic war for the Motherland, for honor, for freedom.

Text 34
An excerpt from the diary of Elena Scriabina dated 22.6.1941 about the news of the German attack.

Molotov's speech sounded haltingly, hurriedly, as if he were out of breath. His encouragement sounded completely out of place. Immediately there was a feeling that a monster was approaching menacingly, slowly and terrified everyone. After the news, I ran out into the street. The city was in a panic. People hurriedly exchanged a few words, rushed to the shops and bought everything that came to hand. As if beside themselves, they rushed about the streets, many went to the savings banks to collect their savings. This wave swept over me too, and I tried to get rubles from my passbook. But I came too late, the cashier was empty, the payment was suspended, everyone around was noisy, complaining. And the June day was blazing, the heat was unbearable, someone felt ill, someone cursed in despair. All day the mood was restless and tense. Only in the evening it became strangely quiet. It seemed that everyone was somewhere huddled with horror.

Text 35
Excerpts from the diary of NKVD major Shabalin from 6 to 19 October 1941

Major Shabalin died on 20.10. when trying to get out of the environment. The diary was transferred to the German army for military analysis. Back translation from German; the original is lost.

A diary
Major NKVD Shabalin,
head of the special department of the NKVD
at 50 army

for the accuracy of transmission
Chief of Staff of the 2nd Tank Army
Signed Frh.f. Liebenstein
[...]

The army is not what we used to think and imagine at home. Huge lack of everything. The attacks of our armies are disappointing.

We are interrogating a red-haired German prisoner, a shabby guy, covered in shrouds, extremely stupid. [...]

The situation with the personnel is very difficult, almost the entire army consists of people whose native places have been captured by the Germans. They want to go home. Inactivity at the front, sitting in the trenches demoralize the Red Army. There are cases of drunkenness of command and political personnel. People sometimes do not return from reconnaissance. [...]

The enemy has encircled us. Continuous cannonade. Duel of artillerymen, mortarmen and submachine gunners. Danger and fear almost the whole day. I'm not talking anymore about the forest, the swamp and the lodging for the night. Since the 12th I have not slept any more, since October 8th I have not read a single newspaper.

Creepy! I wander, around the corpses, the horrors of war, continuous shelling! Again hungry and without sleep. He took a bottle of alcohol. Went to the forest to explore. Our complete annihilation is evident. The army is defeated, the convoy is destroyed. I am writing in the woods by the fire. In the morning I lost all the Chekists, I was left alone among strangers. The army collapsed.

I spent the night in the forest. I haven't eaten bread for three days. There are a lot of Red Army soldiers in the forest; there are no commanders. Throughout the night and in the morning the Germans shelled the forest with weapons of all kinds. At about 7 o'clock in the morning we got up and went north. Shooting continues. At the halt, I washed up. [...]

All night we walked in the rain through the swampy terrain. Endless darkness. I was soaked to the skin, my right leg was swollen; terribly hard to walk.

Text 36
Field mail letter from non-commissioned officer Robert Rupp to his wife dated July 1, 1941 about the attitude towards Soviet prisoners of war.

They say that the Fuhrer's order was issued that prisoners and those who surrender are no longer subject to execution. It makes me happy. Finally! Many of the executed, whom I saw on the ground, were lying with their hands raised up, without weapons and even without a belt. I have seen at least a hundred of them. They say that even a truce envoy walking with a white flag was shot dead! After dinner, they said that the Russians were surrendering in whole companies. The method was bad. Even the wounded were shot.

Text 37
Diary entry of the former ambassador Ulrich von Hassell dated 18.8.1941 regarding the war crimes of the Wehrmacht.

Ulrich von Hassell took an active part in the anti-Hitler Resistance of conservative circles and was executed after the assassination attempt on Hitler on July 20, 1944.

18. 8. 41 [...]

The whole war in the east is terrible, the general savagery. One young officer received an order to destroy 350 civilians driven into a large barn, among whom were women and children, at first refused to do this, but he was told that this was a failure to comply with the order, after which he asked for 10 minutes to think and finally did it , sending together with some other machine-gun bursts in open door shed into a crowd of people, and then, finishing off the still alive from machine guns. He was so shocked by this that later, having received a slight wound, he firmly decided not to return to the front.

Text 38
Excerpts from the order of the commander of the 17th Army, Colonel General Hoth, dated 11/17/1941, regarding the basic principles of warfare.

Command
17th Army A.Gef.St.,
1a No. 0973/41 secret. dated 17.11.41
[...]

2. The campaign to the East must end differently than, for example, the war against the French. This summer it becomes more and more clear to us that here, in the East, two internally irresistible views are fighting against each other: the German sense of honor and race, the centuries-old German army against the Asiatic type of thinking and primitive instincts, fueled by a small number of mostly Jewish intellectuals: fear of whip, disregard for moral values, equalization of the lower, neglect of one's life of no value.

51 German Junkere Ju-87 (Shtukas) dive bombers take off from a field airfield in the Soviet Union, 1941.

52 German infantry on the march, 1941

53 Soviet prisoners dig their own grave, 1941.

54 Soviet prisoners before execution, 1941. Both photographs (53 and 54) were in the wallet of a German soldier who died near Moscow. The place and circumstances of the execution are unknown.

More strongly than ever, we believe in a historical turning point, when the German people, by virtue of the superiority of their race and their successes, will assume control of Europe. We are more clearly aware of our calling to save European culture from Asiatic barbarism. Now we know that we have to fight an embittered and stubborn enemy. This struggle can only end in the annihilation of one side or the other; there can be no agreement. [...]

6. I demand that every soldier of the army should be imbued with pride in our successes, with a sense of unconditional superiority. We are the masters of this country which we have conquered. Our feeling of dominance is expressed not in satiety, not in contemptuous behavior, and not even in selfish abuse of power by individuals, but in a conscious opposition to Bolshevism, in strict discipline, inflexible determination and tireless vigilance.

8. There should be absolutely no place for sympathy and gentleness towards the population. The Red soldiers brutally killed our wounded; they dealt cruelly with the prisoners and killed them. We must remember this if the population, which once endured the Bolshevik yoke, now wants to receive us with joy and worship. The Volksdeutsche should be treated with a sense of self-awareness and with calm restraint. The fight against impending food difficulties should be left to the self-government of the enemy population. Any trace of active or passive resistance, or any machinations of Bolshevik-Jewish instigators, must be eradicated immediately. The need for harsh measures against elements hostile to the people and our policy must be understood by the soldiers. [...]

Behind everyday life, we should not lose sight of the worldwide significance of our struggle against Soviet Russia. The Russian masses have been paralyzing Europe for two centuries now. The need to take Russia into account and the fear of her possible attack constantly dominated political relations in Europe and hampered peaceful development. Russia is not a European, but an Asian state. Each step into the depths of this dull, enslaved country allows you to see this difference. From this pressure and from the destructive forces of Bolshevism, Europe and especially Germany must be liberated forever.

For this we fight and work.

Commander Hoth (signed)
Send to the following units: regiments and separate battalions, including construction and service units, to the commander of the patrol service; distributor 1a; reserve = 10 copies.

Text 39
Report of the commander of the rear of the 2nd Panzer Army, General von Schenckendorff dated 24. 3. 1942 regarding looting.

Commander of the 2nd Panzer Army 24.3.42
Rel.: unauthorized requisition;
Appendix

1) The commander of the rear of the 2nd Panzer Army in a daily report dated 23.2.42: “Unauthorized requisition by German soldiers near Navlya is increasing. From Gremyachey (28 km southwest of Karachev), soldiers from the area of ​​Karachevo took away 76 cows without a certificate, from Plastovoye (32 km southwest of Karachev) - 69 cows. Not a single head of cattle remained in either place. In addition, the Russian law enforcement service was disarmed in Plastovoi; the next day the settlement was occupied by partisans. In the Sinezerko area (25 km south of Bryansk), the soldiers of the platoon commander Sebastian (code 2) wildly requisitioned cattle, and in the neighboring village they shot at the village headman and his assistants. [...]

Increasingly, these cases are being reported. In this regard, I especially point out the issued orders on the conduct of troops and their supply in the country in accordance with the order. They are once again reflected in the application.

with all its horrors became possible not only because of the aggression on the part of Nazi Germany, but also because of the cowardly compliance of the Western powers to Hitler, their stubborn unwillingness to unite with the Soviet Union to fight against this aggression.

(Boris Efimov "Ten Decades")

Events of World War II in 1941. Briefly

• January 10 - Another secret agreement between the USSR and Germany, which stipulated the amount of compensation that the USSR government had to pay Germany for the territory of Lithuania, a trade agreement on the supply of grain to Germany
• January 20 - The British recapture the Libyan city of Tobruk, an important port in the Mediterranean Sea, from the Italians.
• January 24 - The formation of British troops invades Italian Somalia and moves to Addis Ababa and Mogadishu
• February 5-April 1 - Battle of Karen between English and Italian troops. The city of Karen occupied a strategically important position in Italian Eritrea, covering its capital Asmara and the port of Massawa from the north. Italian defeat
• March 2 - German fascists entered Bulgaria, which joined the Berlin Pact
• March 5 - In England, it is forbidden for workers to leave factories without permission from the Ministry of Labor
• March 6 - the beginning of the Battle of the Atlantic (the term was introduced by Churchill in a speech on March 6) - the confrontation between the naval forces of Germany and the Allies. went on throughout the war
• March 11 - the United States passed the law on Lend-Lease - a program for the supply of equipment by the United States of America to allied countries during the war with Hitler
• April 6-30 - German occupation of Greece
• March 31-June 18 - the successful offensive of the Italo-German troops under the command of Rommel in East Africa. Tobruk blocked
• March 27 - The pro-German government of Yugoslavia is overthrown in a coup d'état.
• April 2 - Pro-German coup d'état in Iraq
• April 6-17 - German occupation of Yugoslavia

The territory of Yugoslavia was divided: the northern part of Slovenia was included in Germany; the southern part of Slovenia and Dalmatia - as part of Italy; most of Vardar Macedonia and the eastern regions of Serbia - into Bulgaria; Kosovo and Metohija, western regions Macedonia and the eastern regions of Montenegro are part of Albania, Vojvodina (Bačka) and the northeastern part of Slovenia are part of Hungary. Were formed Independent state Croatia, including Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Kingdom of Montenegro, the Republic of Serbia. Montenegro was occupied by Italian troops, Serbia by German troops, but local governments and administrative-state structures were created there, as well as armed forces

• April 13 - Non-aggression pact between the USSR and Japan
• May 6 - Stalin becomes Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars, that is, Prime Minister
• May 15 - In connection with reports of the deployment of German troops near the borders of the USSR, Stalin also received the Chief of the General Staff of the Red Army with considerations on the plan for the strategic deployment of the armed forces Soviet Union in case of war with Germany and its allies ( Military Historical Journal. 1992, No. 2. S. 17-19., “1941. Documents”, International Foundation “Democracy” publishing house, 1998)

  “I am reporting for your consideration the considerations on the plan for the strategic deployment of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union in the event of a war with Germany and its allies ... In total, Germany and its allies can deploy up to 240 divisions against the USSR.
  Considering that Germany currently keeps her army mobilized, with rears deployed, she is in a position to forestall our deployment and launch a surprise attack.
  In order to prevent this [and defeat the German army], I consider it necessary in no case to give the initiative of action to the German command, to preempt the enemy in deployment and attack the German army at a time when it will be in the deployment stage and will not have time to organize the front and interaction types of troops.
  II. The first strategic goal of the actions of the Red Army troops was to defeat the main forces of the German army deployed south of Deblin, and reach the front of Ostrolenka, r. Narew, Lovich, Lodz, Kreutzburg, Oppeln, Olomouc.

• May 20-June 1 - Battle of Crete. Evacuation of British troops, including from the northwestern part of Egypt
• June 8-July 14 - The occupation of Syria by British and Free French troops to prevent the Axis states from doing the same
• June 13 - Mass deportation of people to Siberia begins in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia
• June 14 - TASS statement about the falsity of rumors about the allegedly impending German attack on the Soviet Union
• June 18 - according to Churchill, the end
• June 18 - Germany and Turkey sign a treaty of friendship.
• June 22 - final of the German football championship "Rapid" (Vienna) - "Schalke-04" 4:3
• June 22 - Germany attacked the USSR,
• June 22 - Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR "On the mobilization of persons liable for military service in the Leningrad, Baltic special, Western special, Kiev special, Odessa, Kharkov, Oryol, Moscow, Arkhangelsk, Ural, Siberian, Volga, North Caucasian and Transcaucasian military districts ... Mobilization is subject born from 1905 to 1918 inclusive"
• June 24 - US President F. Roosevelt announced his readiness to provide assistance to the USSR
• June 25 - Finland declares a state of war with the Soviet Union.
• June 26 - Hungary declares war on the USSR
• June 28 - the song "Holy War" was played for the first time
  
• June 30 - Wehrmacht units entered Lviv, including the Ukrainian battalion "Nachtigal". In the center of Lviv, the "Act of the Restoration of the Ukrainian State" was read
• June 30 - Created State Council defense led by Stalin
• July 3 - Stalin's speech
  
• July 7 - American units landed in Iceland and Greenland
• July 10-September 10 - defense of Smolensk
  
• July 12 - agreement between the USSR and Great Britain on joint actions against Hitler
• July 29 - Japan begins invasion of South Indochina.
• August 1 - The United States imposed a ban on the export of all goods to Japan, primarily oil, with the exception of cotton and food.
• August 8 - Soviet bombing of Berlin
• August 11 - Decree No. GKO-459ss “On the Formation of Rifle and Cavalry Divisions”: “... Approve the formation of 85 rifle and 25 cavalry divisions with the following distribution of them by military districts ... To ensure the staffing of new formations and spare parts with personnel, allow NGOs:
  a) unbooking from National economy 50000 people commanders (of which 35,000 people for the formation of divisions);
  b) to produce, as needed, the call of citizens born in 1904-1895. and the call of recruits born in 1922 and 1923 "
• August 14 - The United States and Great Britain agreed on the provisions of the common struggle against Germany (Atlantic Charter)
• August 15-26 - Resolutions No. GKO-452ss, 488ss, 506s, 533ss, 585ss "On the Mobilization of Conscripts Born in 1904-1890 and Conscripts Born in 1922-1923 on the Territory": Crimean ASSR; Kirovograd, Nikolaev, Dnepropetrovsk regions and areas to the west of Lyudinovo - Bryansk - Sevsk, Oryol region; 40 thousand miners of Donbass and their staffing of four rifle divisions; Zaporozhye region; Sumy and Poltava regions"
  (“In general, taking into account GKO resolution No. 459 of August 11, 1941, by the end of 1941, after mobilization, more than 14 million people were presented to the People’s Commissariat of Defense from the total mobile resource (32 ages) of 20 million people” (“1941 - lessons and conclusions, publishing house Voenizdat, 1992)
• August 21 - The first of the Arctic convoys under the Lend-Lease program left Iceland for Arkhangelsk. There were 42 convoys in total. The last one left Scotland on 12 May 1945.
• September 19 - The Red Army left Kyiv
• September 24 - The Soviet Union joins the Atlantic Charter
• September 29-30 - Babi Yar. Over 30,000 Jews exterminated
• August 5 - October 16 - defense of Odessa
  
• September 8 - German troops reached Lake Ladoga near Shlisselburg. The beginning of the blockade of Leningrad
• August 25-September 17 - Parts of the British and Red armies entered Iran
• August 28 - in the USSR, a decree on the deportation of Germans
• September 3 - the first test of the gas chamber in Auschwitz, 600 Soviet prisoners of war and 250 Polish prisoners, mostly sick, were destroyed
• September 30 - the beginning of the battle for Moscow
• October 1 - Lend-Lease Law extended to the USSR
• October 13 - British bombardment of Nuremberg
• October 24 - The Red Army left Kharkov
• October 26 - Arkady Gaidar was killed in a battle with the Germans
• October 30 - the beginning of the defense of Sevastopol
• October - the beginning of the construction of the Auschwitz-2 death camp (60 km west of Krakow, Auschwitz-2, or like Birkenau, or Brzezinka)
• November 7 - military parade in Moscow, dedicated to the anniversary of the October Revolution
  
• November 18-December 7 - the offensive of the British in North Africa. Deblockade of Tobruk
• November 20 - for the fifth time the population of Leningrad and for the third time the troops were reduced the norms for issuing bread. On the front line they began to receive 500 grams per day; workers - 250 grams; employees, dependents - 125 grams. Nothing but bread.
• December 7 - Japanese attack on the naval base of Pearl Harbor
• December 5 - the offensive of the Red Army near Moscow
• December 8 - the beginning of the Japanese invasion of the Philippines, Malaya, Thailand, Hong Kong, the Wake Islands and Guam, the declaration of war on Japan against the Allies and vice versa
• December 9 - China declares war on Japan and Germany.
• December 10 - Japanese aircraft attack the British fleet in the South China Sea.
• December 11 - Italy and Germany declare war on the United States.
• December 15-16 - the beginning of the executions of Jews in Drobitsky Yar near Kharkov
• December 25 - in besieged Leningrad, the norms for issuing bread were increased: 350 gr for a work card, 200 for an employee, child and dependent.
• December 26 - Kerch-Feodosiya landing operation, briefly liberated Kerch and Feodosia

Looking back, it seems that these events are several 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 in dust in memory. But mankind has no moral right to forget 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 the war never brought anything good to anyone.

Causes of the war

Like any armed confrontation, the reasons for the start of the war were very banal. In the chronicle of the Great 1941-1945) it is indicated 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.

For a year he invades 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 the 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 it was not there. 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 defensive fronts were formed, each of which was responsible for its own territory:

• northern front. He 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 conduct the Baltic strategic defensive operation (22.06-09.07).
• Western front. Here the Bialystok-Minsk battle unfolded (22.06-09.07).
• Southwestern front. Launched the Lvov-Chernivtsi defensive operation (22.06-06.07).
• Southern front. Founded on 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 on Western front The Battle of Smolensk begins (10.07-10.09). July 24 founded the Central Front, he took part in the battle of Smolensk. On the 30th, the Reserve Front was formed. In the South-West, the Kyiv defensive operation began (07.07-26.09). On the Southern Front, the Tiraspol-Melitopol defensive operation begins (27.07-28.09).

In August, the battle continues. The forces of the Reserve Front join the battle of Smolensk. On the 14th, the Bryansk Front was founded, the defense of the city was carried out in the Odessa defensive region (05.08-16.10). On August 23, the Transcaucasian Front is formed, two days later the Iranian operation begins.

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

In October, the Sinyavskaya and Strelna-Peterhof operations are carried out on the Leningrad Front, and the Tikhvin defensive operation begins (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 (24.10-05.12). The 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 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 (26.12). 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, German shock groups near Moscow were defeated.

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

On July 17, the legendary Battle of Stalingrad begins, which is mentioned in all the 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 begins at Mamaev Kurgan. On 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. On December 31, the troops of the Stalingrad Front liberate the city of Elista.

1943

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

On January 31, German troops capitulate at Stalingrad. On February 2, it was possible to liquidate the army near Stalingrad (nearly 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, they liberated Rzhevsk, on the 6th - Gzhatsk, on March 12, the Germans left their positions in Vyazma. On March 29, the Soviet flotilla inflicted significant damage on the German fleet off the coast of Norway.

May 3 Soviet army won the battle in the air, and on July 5 the legendary Battle of Kursk began. It ended on August 22, during the battle 30 German divisions were defeated. By the end of the year, successful offensive operations are being carried out, one by one the cities of the Soviet Union are being liberated from the invaders. suffers defeat.

1944

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

Way to victory

The German command understands that it cannot seize the strategic initiative and begins to take up 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.

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 - 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 human destinies are hidden behind each date: unfulfilled hopes, unfulfilled promises and unlived lives.

Chronicle of the Great Patriotic War

June 22, 1941
Nazi Germany attacked the Soviet Union without declaring war

Despite the heroism and self-sacrifice of soldiers and officers, it was not possible to repel the treacherous attack. In the first weeks of the war, the Soviet army and navy suffered catastrophic losses: from June 22 to July 9, 1941, more than 500,000 servicemen died.

Units of the 6th and 42nd rifle divisions, the 17th border detachment and the 132nd separate battalion of the NKVD troops, totaling 3,500 people, were among the first to meet the enemy. Despite the enormous numerical superiority of the Germans, the defenders of the fortress resisted for a whole month.

The German Army Group "North" under the command of Field Marshal von Leeb captured the city of Shlisselburg (Petrokrepost), taking control of the source of the Neva and blockading Leningrad from land. Thus began the 900-day blockade of Leningrad, which claimed the lives of about a million people.

According to the plan of operation "Typhoon", approved by Hitler in September, Moscow was subject to complete destruction along with the entire population. But the plans of the Nazis were not destined to come true. The words of political instructor Vasily Klochkov flew around the whole country: “Russia is great, but there is nowhere to retreat: behind is Moscow!”

The troops of the 11th German Army, which broke through to the Crimea in October 1941, tried to capture the city on the move. Despite a twofold superiority of the enemy in manpower and a tenfold superiority in tanks and aircraft, the defense of Sevastopol lasted 250 days. This episode of the war went down in history as an example of mass heroism and self-sacrifice of the city's defenders.

This military parade was of particular importance - it was necessary to tell the world that Moscow stands and will stand firm. Right from the parade on the main square of the country, the soldiers of the Red Army went to the front, which was only a few kilometers from the center of Moscow.

The victory of the Soviet army in Battle of Stalingrad became a turning point in the war. The USSR snatched the strategic initiative from the enemy and did not let it go again. In honor of the feat of the heroes of Stalingrad, the memorial complex "The Motherland Calls!" was built on Mamaev Kurgan in the 1960s.

Battle of Kursk, which lasted 49 days, fixed a radical change in the course of the Great Patriotic War. Having won, the Red Army pushed the enemy back 140-150 kilometers to the west and liberated Orel, Belgorod and Kharkov.

July 12, 1943
Battle of Prokhorovka - the largest tank battle of World War II

In the battle, 1.5 thousand tanks and self-propelled guns met on both sides. The Nazis lost over 350 tanks and over 10,000 men. On the same day, our troops launched an offensive and in less than a week defeated the Oryol grouping of the enemy.

January 27, 1944
The final liberation of Leningrad from the fascist blockade

The strategic operation to lift the blockade, called the "January Thunder", involved three fronts: Leningrad, Volkhov and 2nd Baltic. Particularly successful were the actions of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts, which pushed the enemy back 70-100 kilometers from the city.

April 9, 1945
Soviet troops occupied the fortress city of Koenigsberg (Kaliningrad)

The troops of the 3rd Belorussian Front, after stubborn street fighting, completed the defeat of the Koenigsberg group of German troops and stormed the fortress and the main city of East Prussia, Koenigsberg, a strategically important German defense center on the Baltic Sea.

The Berlin offensive operation of the 2nd Belorussian, 1st Belorussian and 1st Ukrainian fronts is one of the last strategic operations of the Soviet troops, during which the Red Army occupied the capital of Germany and victoriously ended the Great Patriotic War and the Second world war in Europe.

May 8, 1945
Signing of the Act of unconditional surrender Nazi Germany

At 22:43 local time (May 9 at 0:43 Moscow time) in the building military engineering school Berlin suburb of Karlshorst signed the final act of unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany and its armed forces. Great Patriotic War ended.

The Great Patriotic War is the most important period in modern history, demonstrating the feat and resilience of the Russian people.

After the attack of the fascist army on the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941, the country was in a deplorable state. The military forces of the USSR were much inferior to the power of the Nazi army, and Stalin himself could not believe for several days that the war had begun.

The first battles were lost in disgrace, which convinced the Germans to the effectiveness of the Barbarossa plan. However, the events of the winter of 1941 and subsequent battles showed that it would not be so easy to capture the Soviet Union. Now historians often call the early stage of the war the most tragic and bloody.

Important dates and events	Description of ongoing military events
Early stage of hostilities (summer 1941-winter 1942).	The German attack was sudden and unpredictable, especially in light of the prisoners peace treaties between the USSR and Germany. The Baltic countries, Ukraine and Belarus were the first to be attacked. Since the Germans operated on several fronts, it was difficult to conduct a logical defense, the army was not mobilized. Due to the surprise of the attack, the Soviet troops could not carry out a competent defense for a long time and invariably retreated.
	Almost immediately after the Nazi attack on the USSR, the defense of Hanko began. Despite the stubborn struggle of the Soviet soldiers and parts of the Finnish army, the base was taken, and all the locals were evacuated.
	One of the first battles in the history of the Great Patriotic War. On the morning of June 22 Brest Fortress was attacked, and local military units heroically defended it for nine days. Despite the heroism of the locals and the military, the fortress was taken.
	The Baltic military operation became one of the bloodiest in the history of the Great Patriotic War. Despite the efforts of the soldiers, the Soviet army was forced out of the Baltic by the Germans.
	After fierce fighting, Minsk was taken.
	Defense of the Arctic, which ended with the victory of the USSR. The Soviet troops, at the cost of incredible losses, managed to push the Germans back.
	Due to the unpreparedness of the Soviet troops for the war, Kyiv was eventually taken by the Germans, and at the cost of huge losses on both sides. The city was destroyed almost to the ground, and the Southwestern Front of the USSR suffered a crushing defeat.
	It was on July 10 that the stoic defense of Leningrad began, which continued with a 3-year blockade. The Soviet troops were defeated, and the Germans managed to quickly capture the main strategic positions. Since the city was attacked from the air, Leningrad suffered the first losses in terms of its architectural appearance. At the end of the war, some parts of the city will be razed to the ground.
	The most important event in the early period of the Great Patriotic War. Despite the final defeat of the Soviet troops and thousands of losses, the USSR managed to thwart the blitzkrieg plan. The quick capture of Smolensk did not work out, despite the well-thought-out German tactics. It was this battle that showed the Germans that it would not be as easy to capture the USSR as the countries of Europe.
	Soviet troops were defeated, the Kherson and Nikolaev regions of the Ukrainian SSR were captured.
	The heroic defense of Odessa ended in the defeat of the USSR. Local residents were evacuated as planned, but the Soviet units still had huge losses. Odessa was captured and destroyed.
	The Germans won another victory, and the Soviet troops were driven far back. However, the long defense of Tallinn once again disrupted the blitzkrieg, the war became protracted.
	The war was becoming protracted, and the German plan to quickly capture the Soviet Union turned out to be irrelevant. Gradually, the USSR begins to win important strategic victories, for example, in the Yelnin operation. And even though the preponderance of forces is still on the side of the Germans, the Soviet Union manages to provide worthy resistance.
	The Soviet troops suffered a crushing defeat, the losses near Roslavl and Vyazma were horrendous, and the preponderance of forces continued to remain on the side of the Germans.
	After fierce defensive battles, the Germans still managed to encircle Leningrad, organizing the longest and most tragic blockade of the city in the history of Russia. During the blockade of Leningrad, thousands of local residents died, and most often people died not from live shells, but from elementary hunger. The city itself was constantly bombed, many architectural monuments were destroyed. Only thanks to the functioning of the "road of life" and rare transmissions from outside the blockade, Leningrad managed to survive. This period is very important for the analysis of the history of the Great Patriotic War, because the long-term blockade demonstrated the strength of the Russian people.
	The defense of Moscow consisted of several stages, and until December 5, 1941, the Soviet troops only defended themselves, but it was on that day that they went on the offensive. Defensive actions near the capital of the USSR are often called the turning point of the Great Patriotic War. Despite the fact that Germany was militarily and strategically stronger, the USSR managed to win an unconditional victory. The Barbarossa plan collapsed, and the Germans had to urgently come up with new ideas for an attack on the Soviet Union.
	The Red Army suffered a crushing defeat, and the Germans managed to advance even further inland.
	The Germans were able to win a fairly quick and confident victory.
	Despite the fact that the forces of the USSR and Germany were equal, the Soviet Union managed to win a strategic victory. The Soviet troops once again showed their endurance, but the positions of the USSR were still weak and shaky.
	The Soviet troops managed to push the Germans a little further, but the operation itself had a dual meaning. Because of the defense of Tikhvin, it was not possible to organize a blockade of Leningrad. The constant resistance of the Soviet troops led to the fact that German communications were greatly stretched. In the future, this will affect the deterioration of Germany's military maneuverability.
	The failure of the Soviet troops in the Crimea led to an early defense of Sevastopol and further defeats on the Southern and Western fronts. Ukraine was literally on fire because of the German attacks, but the stoic defense of some areas continued.
	Sevastopol has always been considered an important strategic point, because it was here that sea communications were provided, and important military units were located here. After the failure of the Crimean defensive operation, the Soviet troops had to move to Sevastopol. The defense of the city became one of the bloodiest periods in the history of the war. Despite the stubbornness of the Soviet soldiers, Sevastopol was nevertheless captured and plundered. Thousands of local residents did not have time to evacuate, and the Germans, angry with such a long defense of the city, began to repair robbery, killing both children and adults. The defeat at Sevastopol is still considered one of the most tragic pages in the history of the Great Patriotic War.
	This battle is considered one of the most important strategic victories of the Soviet Union. Despite the fact that the German troops were better equipped, and even outnumbered by the Russian units, the USSR managed to win a landslide victory. This victory was important from a moral point of view, because it strengthened the morale and convinced the Soviet soldiers that the Germans could be defeated.
	During this operation, the Soviet troops managed to prevent an attack on Moscow from the north and, in principle, curtail German offensive operations on the capital. In addition, this victory created the conditions for the counteroffensive of the Soviet troops.
	The most important strategic victory of the USSR helped push the Nazis back, free Yelets and Efremov.
	The German units retreated 130 kilometers, and the Soviet troops finally eliminated the possibility of an attack on the capital.
	The Soviet troops were defeated, but still managed to help the Leningrad occupiers a little, diverting the attention of the German units. The losses were huge, but at the same time, the Soviet troops failed to recapture even a small part of the occupied territories.
	Exhausting battles lasting more than a year brought victory to the USSR. The Red Army managed to defeat large parts of the German army, which were stationed precisely near Rzhev.
	The Soviet troops managed to temporarily delay the advance of the Germans on the North-Western Front. However, the German army managed to win a strategic victory, breaking through the encirclement of the Red Army.
	Despite all efforts, the Soviet troops failed to break through the German defenses on the Bryansk and Western fronts. At the cost of huge losses, only an advance of 5-20 kilometers forward was achieved.

The alignment of forces was clearly in favor of fascist Germany, because the USSR was inferior to the opponent both in terms of the number of soldiers and the number of military equipment. However, the true heroism of the Soviet people helped to hold back the enemy for months, preventing the Germans from advancing even a kilometer.

The mercilessly cold winter also had its effect. Thousands of Germans froze in the Russian forests, and by the winter of 1942, the Nazi command was finally convinced that the Barbarossa plan had not justified itself. Ahead, both sides expected bloody battles that finally changed the international alignment of military forces.

(1 ratings, average: 5,00 out of 5)

1. Alla

   The biggest problem and question of this period can be considered why the leadership of the USSR, knowing about the impending danger, allowed such a rout at the first stage of hostilities. Of the two points of view, I cannot lean towards either: 1) The leadership of the USSR was too self-confident, knew about the attack, but overestimated its strength. 2) They simply did not know about a possible attack.

2. Amirlan

   Of all the stages of the war, it is the first stage that is the most disastrous - they gave away Ukraine, Belarus, Leningrad fell into a blockade, almost lost Moscow + entire divisions that were surrounded near Rzhev and Vyazma. Undoubtedly, the most difficult and disastrous stage of the war.

3. Grunge66

   The first stage is universally considered a failure, on the Soviet side. But if you look at the heavy losses of the Germans, it becomes clear that Blitzkrieg is not so Blitzkrieg. The failed game of the Abwehr and total partisanship showed from the first days of the war that the German side would sooner or later give up its positions. Of course, the Nazis had winning moments, but if you think about who the “attacker” is, then the “soviets” were more likely to have a head start. The first stage was the least disastrous for the Germans, in relation to the rest of the "stages".

4. Viktor Sh

   The author of the article written above is nothing more than an eccentric with the letter “M” after the written phrase: “The first battles were lost in disgrace, which convinced the Germans of the effectiveness of the Barbarossa plan ... If the author of the article came to this conclusion, then he simply did not read the German memoirs generals. And it's not about ideology. Yes, the battles of the summer of 41 were lost. But they were lost with great bloodshed not only for the Red Army, but also for the Wehrmacht.
   For mediocrity Soviet generals, there was a massive feat of ordinary Red Army soldiers and junior commanders. Just after the first days and weeks of fighting, the Germans came to the conclusion that "Barbarossa" was different from walking around Europe. Where the Western European countries were just shamefully surrendered.
   My grandfather fought from July 1941, in August of the same year he was seriously wounded, and then from the spring of 42 to the spring of 45 he fought in one of tank brigades. It was a shame that individual fighters and commanders went over to the side of the Nazis under one pretext or another. Everything else is considered a shame - it is really a shame for those descendants who did not even bother to study historical documents in more detail.

5. Ivan

   Gentlemen, how can you argue with a person who believes that the USSR fought against the Nazis ...

6. Valery Petrakov

   The mediocrity of the political leadership, the command of the Red Army (there were persistent rumors among the people about the betrayal of some of them), the concentration of strategic reserves, warehouses, directly on the border - a kind of "gift" to the aggressor, "offensive" strategy and dozens of other factors led to our great tragedy — disaster in 1941. Many millions of lives of our heroic people have been paid for it. We have been lied to for decades that we had fewer troops, tanks, artillery, aircraft - everything is exactly the same, many times, on the contrary. The Germans in 1941, even in their dreams, did not have our equipment, which we had: KV-1, T-34 tanks, amphibious tanks. Even the BA-10 armored car had 45 mm. cannon, and the German HEAVY tank T - 4 is just a 50 mm gun with a short barrel (the Germans themselves called it "cigarette butt" and "stump"). During the entire war, the Nazis could not create an attack aircraft like the IL-2, the B-13 Katyusha rocket launcher, and much more that was in the Red Army at the beginning of the war. Why was the beginning of the Great Patriotic War so mediocre? There are many reasons. From 1917 began (and did not end until the age of 41), the extermination royal officers- professional defenders of the Fatherland. Instead of them, people (ideologically motivated) who were not militarily educated were “promoted” as commanders. In the Red Army there was an institution of "commissars", there was no unity of command. They commanded: a battalion, a regiment, a division - two - a commander and a commissar. And Napoleon said: "One bad commander in chief is better than two good ones." Poor training of commanders, poor communications, dominance of party ideology instead of a clear defensive strategy. The offensive doctrine proclaimed: “The Red Army will be the most offensive army in the world” and “We will fight with little bloodshed on foreign territory.” For all this mediocre leadership (the Bolsheviks), many millions of our best people were put into the furnace of war. The great tragedy of 1941 - the gene pool of our people was undermined!

7. Oleg

   Incomprehensible selection of events of the first half of the war. For example, the battle for Moscow is highlighted separately, which is of course correct, but at the same time, Kalinin, Vyazemskaya, Oryol-Bryansk, Rzheskaya, Tula - these are all operations that are part of the very battle for Moscow. The period from January 7 - May 25, 1942 is not written that this is the Demyansk operation. The reader has to guess. The author’s defense of Leningrad generally began on June 10, that is, before the start of the war.