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Great battles of the Great Patriotic War

Great battles of WWII

Battle of Moscow 1941 - 1942 The battle has two main stages: defensive (September 30 - December 5, 1941) and offensive (December 5, 1941 - April 20, 1942). At the first stage, the goal of the Soviet troops was the defense of Moscow, at the second - the defeat of enemy forces advancing on Moscow.

By the beginning of the German offensive on Moscow, Army Group Center (Field Marshal F. Bock) had 74.5 divisions (approximately 38% infantry and 64% tank and mechanized divisions operating on the Soviet-German front), 1,800,000 people, 1,700 tanks, over 14,000 guns and mortars, 1,390 aircraft. Soviet troops in the Western direction, consisting of three fronts, had 1,250 thousand people, 990 tanks, 7,600 guns and mortars and 677 aircraft.

At the first stage, Soviet troops of the Western Front (Colonel General I.S. Konev, and from October 10 - Army General G.K. Zhukov), (Bryansk (until October 10 - Colonel General A.I. Eremenko) and Kalinin ( from October 17 - 8.S. Konev) fronts stopped the advance of the troops of Army Group Center (the implementation of the frequent Operation Typhoon) at the line: south of the Volga Reservoir, Dmitrov, Yakhroma, Krasnaya Polyana (27 km from Moscow), eastern Istra, west of Kubinka, Naro-Fominsk, west of Serpukhov, eastern Aleksin, Tula. During the defensive battles, the enemy was significantly drained of blood on December 5-6, and on January 7-10, 1942 they launched a general offensive along the entire front. January-April 1942, troops of the Western, Kalininsky, Bryansk (from December 18 - Colonel General Ya. T. Cherevichenko) and North-Western Lieutenant General P. A. Kurochkin) fronts defeated the enemy and threw him back 100 -250 km. 11 tank, 4 motorized and 23 infantry divisions were defeated. Protiik losses only for the period January 1 - March 30, 1942 amounted to 333 thousand people.

The Battle of Moscow was of great importance: the myth of the invincibility of the German army was dispelled, the plan for a lightning war was thwarted, and the international position of the USSR was strengthened.

Battle of Stalingrad 1942 - 1943 Defensive and (July 17 - November 18, 1942) and offensive (November 19, 1942 - February 2, 1943) operations carried out by Soviet troops in order to defend Stalingrad and defeat a large enemy strategic group operating in the Stalingrad direction.

In defensive battles in the Stalingrad area and in the city itself, troops of the Stalinrad Front (Marshal S.K. Timoshenko, from July 23 - Lieutenant General V.N. Gordov, from August 5 - Colonel General A.I. Eremenko) and the Don Front (since September 28 - Lieutenant General K.K. Rokossovsky) managed to stop the offensive of the 6th Army of Colonel General F. Paulus and the 4th Tank Army. By July 17, the 6th Army included 13 divisions (about 270 thousand people, 3 thousand guns and mortars, about 500 tanks). They were supported by aviation of the 4th Air Fleet (up to 1200 aircraft). The troops of the Stalingrad Front numbered 160 thousand people, 2.2 thousand guns, about 400 tanks and 454 aircraft. At the cost of great efforts, the command of the Soviet troops managed not only to stop the advance of German troops in Stalingrad, but also to gather significant forces for the start of the counteroffensive (1,103 thousand people, 15,500 guns and mortars, 1,463 tanks and self-propelled guns, 1,350 combat aircraft). By this time, a significant group of German troops and forces of countries allied to Germany (in particular, the 8th Italian, 3rd and 4th Romanian armies) was sent to help the troops of Field Marshal F. Paulus. The total number of enemy troops at the beginning of the Soviet counteroffensive was 1,011,500 people, 10,290 guns and mortars, 675 tanks and assault guns, 1,216 combat aircraft.

On November 19 - 20, the troops of the Southwestern Front (Lieutenant General N.F. Vatutin), Stalingrad and Don Fronts went on the offensive and surrounded 22 divisions (330 thousand people) in the Stalingrad area. Having repelled an enemy attempt to liberate the encircled group in December, Soviet troops liquidated it. January 31 - February 2, 1943, the remnants of the enemy’s 6th Army, led by Field Marshal F. Paulus, surrendered (91 thousand people).

The victory at Stalingrad marked the beginning of a radical change in the course of the Great Patriotic War and the Second World War.

Battle of Kursk 1943 Defensive (July 5 - 23) and offensive (July 12 - August 23) operations carried out by Soviet troops in the Kursk region to disrupt a major offensive by German troops and defeat the enemy’s strategic grouping. After the defeat of its troops at Stalingrad, the German command intended to conduct a major offensive operation in the Kursk region (Operation Citadel). Significant enemy forces were involved in its implementation - 50 divisions (including 16 tank and mechanized) and a number of individual units of Army Group Center (Field Marshal G. Kluge) and Army Group South (Field Marshal E. . Manstein). This accounted for about 70% of tank, up to 30% of motorized and more than 20% of infantry divisions operating on the Soviet-German front, as well as over 65% of all combat aircraft. About 20 enemy divisions operated on the flanks of the strike groups. The ground forces were supported by aviation from the 4th and 6th Air Fleets. In total, the enemy strike forces numbered over 900 thousand people, about 10 thousand guns and mortars, up to 2,700 tanks and self-propelled guns (most of them were new designs - “tigers”, “panthers” and “Ferdinands”) and about 2050 aircraft (including the latest designs - Focke-Wulf-lQOA and Heinkel-129).

The Soviet command entrusted the task of repelling the enemy offensive to the troops of the Central (from Orel) and Voronezh (from Belgorod) fronts. After solving the defense problems, it was planned to defeat the enemy’s Oryol grouping (Kutuzov plan) by troops of the right wing of the Central Front (Army General K.K. Rokossovsky), Bryansk (Colonel General M.M. Popov) and the left wing of the Western Front (Colonel General V. D. Sokolovsky). The offensive operation in the Belgorod-Kharkov direction (the “Commander Rumyantsev” plan) was to be carried out by the forces of the Voronezh (Army General N.F. Vatutin) and Steppe (Colonel General I.S. Konev) fronts in cooperation with the troops of the Southwestern Front (General army R. Ya. Malinovsky). The general coordination of the actions of all these forces was entrusted to the representatives of the Headquarters, Marshals G.K. Zhukov and A.M. Vasilevsky.

By the beginning of July, the Central and Voronezh Fronts had 1,336 thousand people, over 19 thousand guns and mortars, 3,444 tanks and self-propelled guns (including 900 light tanks) and 2,172 aircraft. In the rear of the Kursk salient, the Steppe Military District was deployed (from July 9 - the front), which was the strategic reserve of Headquarters.

The enemy offensive was to begin at 3 a.m. on July 5. However, just before it began, Soviet troops carried out artillery counter-preparation and inflicted heavy damage on the enemy in places where they were concentrated. The German offensive began only 2.5 hours later, and its course was different from what was planned. Thanks to the measures taken, it was possible to restrain the enemy’s advance (in seven days he managed to advance only 10–12 km in the direction of the Central Front). The most powerful enemy group was operating in the direction of the Voronezh Front. Here the Germans advanced up to 35 km deep into the defense of the Soviet troops. On July 12, a turning point occurred in the battle. On this day, in the Prokhorovka area, the largest oncoming tank battle in history took place, in which 1,200 tanks and self-propelled guns took part on both sides. The enemy lost here on this day alone up to 400 tanks and self-propelled guns and 10 thousand people killed. On July 12, a new stage began in the Battle of Kursk, during which the counteroffensive of Soviet troops developed as part of the Oov and Velgorod-Kharkov operations, which ended with the liberation of Orel and Belgorod on August 5, and Kharkov on August 23.

As a result of the Battle of Kursk, 30 enemy divisions (including 7 tank divisions) were completely defeated. The enemy lost over 500 thousand people, 1.5 thousand tanks, over 3.7 thousand aircraft, 3 thousand guns. The main result of the battle was the transition of German troops in all theaters of military operations to strategic defense. The strategic initiative finally passed into the hands of the Soviet command. In the Great Patriotic War and the Second World War, the radical change begun by the Battle of Stalingrad was completed.

Belarusian operation (June 23 - August 29, 1944). Code name: Operation Bagration. One of the largest strategic offensive operations undertaken by the Soviet high command with the aim of defeating the Nazi Army Group Center and liberating Belarus. The total number of enemy troops was 63 divisions and 3 brigades with a strength of 1.2 million people, 9.5 thousand guns, 900 tanks and 1350 aircraft. The enemy group was commanded by Field Marshal General E. Bush, and from June 28 by Field Marshal General V. Model. It was opposed by Soviet troops of four fronts (1st Baltic, 3rd Belorussian, 2nd Belorussian and 1st Belorussian) under the command, respectively, of Army General I. Kh. Bagramyan, Army General I. D. Chernyakhovsky, Army General G. F. Zakharov and Marshal of the Soviet Union K.K. Rokossovsky. The four fronts united 20 combined arms and 2 tank armies (a total of 166 divisions, 112 tank and mechanized corps, 7 fortified areas and 21 brigades). The total number of Soviet troops reached 2.4 million people, armed with about 86 thousand guns, 5.2 thousand tanks, 5.3 thousand combat aircraft,

Based on the nature of the combat operations and the achievement of the assigned objectives, the operation is divided into two stages. At the first (June 23 - July 4), the Vitebsk-Orsha, Mogilev, Bobruisk and Polotsk operations were carried out and the encirclement of the enemy’s Minsk group was completed. The second stage (July 5 - August 29) involved the destruction of the encircled enemy and the entry of Soviet troops to new frontiers during the Siauliai, Vilnius, Kaunas, Bialystok and Lublin-Brest operations. During the Belarusian operation, the enemy completely lost 17 divisions and 3 brigades, and 50 divisions lost more than 50% of their strength. The total enemy losses amounted to about 500 thousand killed, wounded and prisoners. During the operation, Lithuania and Latvia were partially liberated. On July 20, the Red Army entered the territory of Poland and on August 17 approached the borders of East Prussia. By August 29, she entered the outskirts of Warsaw. In general, on a front with a length of 1100 km, our troops advanced 550 - 100 km, completely cutting off the enemy’s northern grouping in the Baltic states. For participation in the operation, over 400 thousand soldiers and officers of the Red Army were awarded military orders and medals.

Berlin operation 1945 The final strategic offensive operation carried out by Soviet troops from April 16 to May 8, 1945. The objectives of the operation were the defeat of the group of German troops defending in the Berlin direction, the capture of Berlin and access to the Elbe to connect with the Allied forces. In the Berlin direction, troops of the Vistula group occupied the defense "and the Center group under the command of Colonel General G. Heinritz and Field Marshal F. Scherner. The total number of enemy troops was 1 million people, 10,400 guns, 1,500 tanks, 3,300 aircraft. In the rear of these army groups there were reserve units consisting of 8 divisions, as well as the Berlin garrison of 200 thousand people.

To carry out the operation, troops of three fronts were involved: 2nd Belorussian (Marshal K.K. Rokossovsky), 1st Belorussian (Marshal G.K. Zhukov), 1st Ukrainian (Marshal I.S. Konev). In total, the attacking troops included up to 2.5 million soldiers and officers, 41,600 guns and mortars, 6,250 tanks and self-propelled guns, 7,500 aircraft, as well as part of the forces of the Baltic Fleet and the Dnieper Military Flotilla.

Based on the nature of the tasks performed and the results, the Berlin operation is divided into 3 stages. 1st stage - breakthrough of the Oder-Neissen line of enemy defense (April 16 - 19); 2nd stage - encirclement and dismemberment of enemy troops (April 19 - 25); Stage 3 - destruction of the surrounded groups and capture of Berlin (April 26 - May 8). The main goals of the operation were achieved in 16 - 17 days.

For the success of the operation, 1,082 thousand soldiers were awarded the medal “For the Capture of Berlin.” More than 600 participants in the operation became Heroes of the Soviet Union, and 13 people were awarded the second Gold Star medal. Significant dates of the Great Patriotic War

December 5 - The day of the start of the counter-offensive of Soviet troops against the invaders in the Battle of Moscow

The day of the start of the counteroffensive of Soviet troops against Nazi troops in the battle of Moscow.

In terms of the number of troops, military equipment and weapons, the scope and intensity of hostilities, the Battle of Moscow in 1941 -1942. was one of the largest in the history of the Second World War. It took place over an area of ​​up to 1 thousand km along the front and up to 350 - 400 km in depth, which was equal in area to England, Ireland, Iceland, Belgium and Holland combined. For over 200 days there were furious, bitter and bloody battles, in which over 7 million soldiers and officers, about 53 thousand guns and mortars, about 6.5 thousand tanks and assault guns, and more than 3 thousand combat aircraft fought on both sides. The Battle of Moscow was a decisive military event in the first year of the Great Patriotic War.

Even in Directive No. 21, the Wehrmacht was tasked with reaching Moscow as quickly as possible. After the first successes, Hitler demanded from the command and troops “to occupy Moscow on August 15, and end the war with Russia on October 1.” However, Soviet troops stopped the enemy with active and decisive actions.

By December 5, the German offensive was in crisis. Having suffered heavy losses and exhausted their material capabilities, the enemy began to go on the defensive. At the same time, by the beginning of December, the Supreme Command Headquarters near Moscow had concentrated significant strategic reserves.

On December 5-6, the troops of the Kalinin, Western and Southwestern Fronts launched a decisive counteroffensive. Despite the stubborn resistance of the enemy, severe frosts and deep snow cover, it developed successfully. By January 7, 1942, Soviet troops advanced westward by 100 - 250 km.

For valor and courage shown in fierce and bloody battles, 40 formations and units were awarded guards ranks, 36 thousand soldiers and officers were awarded orders and medals. The Battle of Moscow was the beginning of a radical turning point in the Great Patriotic War.

Federal Law of March 13, 1995 N 32-FZ “On the Days of Military Glory (Victory Days) of Russia”

The victory of Soviet troops over the Nazi troops at Stalingrad is one of the most glorious pages in the annals of the Great Patriotic War. For 200 days and nights - from July 17, 1942 to February 2, 1943 - the Battle of Stalingrad continued with a continuously increasing tension of forces on both sides. During the first four months there were stubborn defensive battles, first in the big bend of the Don, and then on the approaches to Stalingrad and in the city itself. During this period, Soviet troops exhausted the Nazi group that was rushing to the Volga and forced it to go on the defensive. In the next two and a half months, the Red Army, launching a counteroffensive, defeated enemy troops north-west and south of Stalingrad, encircled and liquidated a 300,000-strong group of fascist German troops.

The Battle of Stalingrad is the decisive battle of World War II, in which Soviet troops won their largest victory. This battle marked the beginning of a radical change in the course of the Great Patriotic War and the Second World War as a whole. The victorious offensive of the Nazi troops ended and their expulsion from the territory of the Soviet Union began.

The Battle of Stalingrad surpassed all battles in world history at that time in terms of the duration and ferocity of the fighting, the number of people and military equipment involved. It unfolded over a vast territory of 100 thousand square kilometers. At certain stages, over 2 million people, up to 2 thousand tanks, more than 2 thousand aircraft, and up to 26 thousand guns took part in it on both sides. The results of this battle also surpassed all previous ones. At Stalingrad, Soviet troops defeated five armies: two German, two Romanian and one Italian. The Nazi troops lost more than 800 thousand soldiers and officers killed, wounded, and captured, as well as a large amount of military equipment, weapons and equipment.

The Battle of Stalingrad is usually divided into two inextricably linked periods: defensive (from July 17 to November 18, 1942) and offensive (from November 19, 1942 to February 2, 1943).

At the same time, due to the fact that the Battle of Stalingrad is a whole complex of defensive and offensive operations, its periods, in turn, must be considered in stages, each of which is either one completed or even several interrelated operations.

For the courage and heroism shown in the Battle of Stalingrad, 32 formations and units were given the honorary names “Stalingrad”, 5 - “Don”. 55 formations and units were awarded orders. 183 units, formations and formations were converted into guards. More than one hundred and twenty soldiers were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, about 760 thousand participants in the battle were awarded the medal “For the Defense of Stalingrad.” On the 20th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War, the hero city of Volgograd was awarded the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal.

August 23 - Day of the defeat of Nazi troops by Soviet troops in the Battle of Kursk

Fierce battles on the ground and in the air on the Kursk Bulge lasted 50 days (5.07 - 23.08 1943). Through Oboyan and Prokhorovka, the Nazis rushed to Kursk. On July 12, 1943, the largest oncoming tank battle in history took place near Prokhorovka, in which more than 1,200 tanks and self-propelled guns took part on both sides. The Wehrmacht lost about 500 thousand people, 1.5 thousand tanks, over 3.7 thousand aircraft, 3 thousand guns.

His offensive strategy was a complete failure. The Soviet tank crews won, destroying up to 400 enemy tanks. During the Battle of Kursk, Soviet troops liberated the Russian cities of Orel and Belgorod. On this day, for the first time during the war, Moscow saluted the heroic soldiers, announcing to the world the victory at the Kursk Bulge. The last attempt of the enemy command to regain the strategic initiative and take revenge for Stalingrad failed. The Nazi army was faced with disaster. The mass expulsion of the Nazi invaders from the USSR began.

Our people sacredly honor the memory of heroic warriors. Along the line of the Kursk Bulge from Orel to Belgorod, monuments and obelisks of military glory were erected at the sites of battles of 1943. At the 624th kilometer of the Moscow-Simferopol highway, not far from Prokhorovka (Belgorod region), in honor of the heroic tankmen who participated in the defeat of fascist troops on the Kursk Bulge, the famous Soviet T-34 tank was installed on a pedestal in 1954. In 1973, a memorial complex was opened.

From the first days of the war, one of the strategic directions, according to the plans of the Nazi command, was Leningrad. Leningrad was among the most important targets targeted for capture.

The Battle of Leningrad, the longest during the entire Great Patriotic War, lasted from July 10, 1941 to August 9, 1944. During the 900-day defense of Leningrad, Soviet troops pinned down large forces of the German army and the entire Finnish one. This undoubtedly contributed to the victories of the Red Army in other sectors of the Soviet-German front. Leningraders showed examples of perseverance, endurance and patriotism.

During the blockade, about 1 million inhabitants died, including more than 600 thousand from hunger. During the war, Hitler repeatedly demanded that the city be razed to the ground and its population completely destroyed. However, neither shelling and bombing, nor hunger and cold broke its defenders.

Already in July - September 1941, 10 divisions of the people's militia were formed in the city. Despite the most difficult conditions, the industry of Leningrad did not stop its work. Assistance to the blockade survivors was carried out on the ice of Lake Ladoga. This transport route was called the “Road of Life”. On January 12-30, 1943, an operation was carried out to break the blockade of Leningrad (“Iskra”).

It was a turning point in the battle for Leningrad. The entire southern coast of Lake Ladoga was cleared of the enemy, and the initiative to conduct military operations in this direction passed to the Red Army. During the Leningrad-Novgorod strategic offensive operation from January 14 to March 1, 1944, Army Group North was severely defeated.

On January 27, 1944, Leningraders celebrated the lifting of the blockade. In the evening, a salute of 324 guns took place, about which our famous poetess A. A. Akhmatova wrote the following unforgettable lines: “And in the starless January night, marveling at its unprecedented fate, Returned from the mortal abyss, Leningrad salutes itself.” As a result of powerful attacks, almost the entire Leningrad region and part of the Kalinin region were liberated, and Soviet troops entered Estonia. Favorable conditions have developed for the defeat of the enemy in the Baltic states.

Victory Day of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.

One of the days of military glory of Russia.

Victory Day is a non-working day and is celebrated annually with a military parade and artillery salute.

The military parade is held in the capital of the Russian Federation, Moscow, using symbols from the times of the Great Patriotic War.

Artillery salutes are held in hero cities, as well as in cities where the headquarters of military districts and fleets are located. The procedure for holding festive processions, meetings, rallies and demonstrations dedicated to Victory Day is determined in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation.

This Day was established by Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of April 2, 1996 N 489 in connection with the signing of the Treaty between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus, ensuring the further integration of fraternal peoples.

Prisoners of fascist death camps still have difficult dreams. 55 years have passed until the day of liberation, from the time when we lived with the only thought - to endure everything and not give up. They persevered and did not give up. Having failed to achieve their goal, the executioners sent everyone who resisted and fought against fascism during the period of Hitler’s terror to be exterminated in death camps.

18 million prisoners from 23 countries of the world with the stamp “not subject to return” entered the gates of concentration camps and only seven million waited for freedom. Auschwitz alone, a veritable death factory, claimed the lives of four million. How many were there?! Mauthausen, Dachau, Sachsenheisen...

The international women's concentration camp Ravensbrück, hell, lived up to its name: in Russian its name translates as “crow bridge”. There, behind a brick wall four and a half meters high with a wire energized by six thousand volts, the “medical luminaries” of the Third Reich did their dirty work: they inoculated with cancer, gas gangrene, chopped off legs, and took all the blood from children. No one could escape from here to tell what was happening behind these walls. Many women were sterilized, saying: “You will be a slave, but never a mother!”

A significant component of the Great Patriotic War played a noticeable and decisive role in the outbreak of one of the bloodiest international conflicts of the 20th century.

Periodization of the Second World War

The five-year confrontation that took place on the territory of the republics that were part of the Soviet Union is divided by historians into three periods.

1. Period I (06/22/1941—11/18/1942) includes the transition of the USSR to a war footing, the failure of Hitler’s original “blitzkrieg” plan, as well as the creation of conditions for turning the tide of hostilities in favor of the Coalition countries.
2. Period II (11/19/1942 - end of 1943) is associated with military conflict.
3. Period III (January 1944 - May 9, 1945) - a crushing defeat of the Nazi troops, their expulsion from Soviet territories, the liberation of the countries of South-Eastern and Eastern Europe by the Red Army.

How it all started

The largest battles of the Great Patriotic War have been described briefly and in detail more than once. They will be discussed in this article.

Germany's unexpected and rapid attack on Poland, and then on other European countries, led to the fact that by 1941 the Nazis, together with their allies, captured vast territories. Poland was defeated, and Norway, Denmark, Holland, Luxembourg and Belgium were occupied. France was able to resist for only 40 days, after which it was also captured. The Nazis inflicted a major defeat and the expeditionary force then entered the territory of the Balkans. The main obstacle on Germany's path was the Red Army, and the largest battles of the Great Patriotic War proved that the power and unbroken spirit of the Soviet people who defended the freedom of their Motherland is one of the decisive factors in the successful fight against the enemy.

"Plan Barbarossa"

In the plans of the German command, the USSR was just a pawn that was easily and quickly eliminated from the path, thanks to the so-called lightning war, the principles of which were set out in the “Barbarossa Plan”.

Its development was carried out under the leadership of the general. According to this plan, Soviet troops were to be defeated in a short time by Germany and its allies, and the European part of the territory of the Soviet Union was to be captured. Further, the complete defeat and destruction of the USSR was assumed.

Presented in historical order, they clearly indicate which side had the advantage at the beginning of the confrontation and how it all ended in the end.

The ambitious plan of the Germans assumed that within five months they would be able to capture key cities of the USSR and reach the Arkhangelsk-Volga-Astrakhan line. The war against the USSR was supposed to end by the fall of 1941. Adolf Hitler was counting on this. On his orders, impressive forces of Germany and allied countries were concentrated in the eastern direction. What major battles of the Great Patriotic War did they have to endure in order to finally become convinced of the impossibility of establishing world domination in Germany?

It was assumed that the blow would be delivered in three directions in order to quickly defeat the enemy who stood on the path to world domination:

• Central (Minsk-Moscow line);
• Yuzhny (Ukraine and the Black Sea coast);
• Northwestern (Baltic countries and Leningrad).

The largest battles of the Great Patriotic War: the struggle for the capital

The operation to capture Moscow was codenamed “Typhoon”. It began in September 1941.

The implementation of the plan to capture the capital of the USSR was entrusted to Army Group Center, headed by Field Marshal General. The enemy outnumbered the Red Army not only in the number of soldiers (1.2 times), but also in weapons (more than 2 times) . And yet, the major battles of the Great Patriotic War soon proved that more does not mean stronger.

The fight against the Germans in this direction was carried out by troops of the South-Western, North-Western, Western and Reserve Fronts. In addition, partisans and militias took an active part in hostilities.

Beginning of the confrontation

In October, the main line of Soviet defense was broken in the central direction: the Nazis captured Vyazma and Bryansk. The second line, passing near Mozhaisk, managed to briefly delay the offensive. In October 1941, Georgy Zhukov became the head of the Western Front, who declared a state of siege in Moscow.

By the end of October, fighting took place literally 100 kilometers from the capital.

However, numerous military operations and major battles of the Great Patriotic War, carried out during the defense of the city, did not allow the Germans to capture Moscow.

Turning point during the battle

Already in November 1941, the last attempts of the Nazis to conquer Moscow were prevented. The Soviet Army had the advantage, thereby providing it with the opportunity to launch a counteroffensive.

The German command attributed the reasons for the failure to bad autumn weather and muddy roads. The largest battles of the Great Patriotic War shook the Germans' confidence in their own invincibility. Enraged by the failure, the Fuhrer gave the order to capture the capital before the winter cold, and on November 15 the Nazis again tried to go on the offensive. Despite huge losses, German troops managed to break through to the city.

However, their further advance was prevented, and the last attempts of the Nazis to break through to Moscow ended in failure.

The end of 1941 was marked by the Red Army's offensive against enemy troops. At the beginning of January 1942, it covered the entire front line. The occupying troops were thrown back 200-250 kilometers. As a result of a successful operation, Soviet soldiers liberated the Ryazan, Tula, Moscow regions, as well as some areas of the Oryol, Smolensk, and Kalinin regions. During the confrontation, Germany lost a large amount of equipment, including about 2,500 firearms and 1,300 tanks.

The largest battles of the Great Patriotic War, in particular the Battle of Moscow, proved that victory over the enemy is possible, despite his military-technical superiority.

One of the most important battles of the Soviet war against the countries of the Triple Alliance, the Battle of Moscow, was a brilliant embodiment of the plan to disrupt the blitzkrieg. Soviet soldiers resorted to whatever methods they could to prevent the enemy from capturing the capital.

So, during the confrontation, Red Army soldiers launched huge, 35-meter balloons into the sky. The purpose of such actions was to reduce the targeting accuracy of German bombers. These colossuses rose to a height of 3-4 kilometers and, while there, significantly hampered the work of enemy aviation.

More than seven million people took part in the battle for the capital. Therefore, it is considered one of the largest.

A significant role in the battle for Moscow was played by Marshal Konstantin Rokossovsky, who led the 16th Army. In the fall of 1941, his troops blocked the Volokolamsk and Leningrad highways, preventing the enemy from breaking through to the city. The defense in this area lasted two weeks: the locks of the Istrinsky reservoir were blown up, and the approaches to the capital were mined.

Another interesting fact in the history of the legendary battle: in mid-October 1941, the Moscow metro was closed. This was the only day in the history of the capital's metro when it did not work. The panic caused by this event entailed the so-called exodus of residents - the city was empty, looters began to operate. The situation was saved by the order to take decisive measures against fugitives and looters, according to which even the execution of violators was allowed. This fact stopped the mass flight of people from Moscow and stopped the panic.

Battle of Stalingrad

The largest battles of the Great Patriotic War took place on the approaches to key cities of the country. One of the most important confrontations was the Battle of Stalingrad, which spanned the period from July 17, 1942 to February 2, 1943.

The Germans' goal in this direction was to break through to the south of the USSR, where numerous enterprises in the metallurgical and defense industries were located, as well as the main food reserves.

Formation of the Stalingrad Front

During the offensive of the fascist troops and their allies, Soviet troops experienced significant damage in the battles for Kharkov; the Southwestern Front was defeated; divisions and regiments of the Red Army were scattered, and the lack of fortified positions and open steppes gave the Germans the opportunity to almost unhindered passage into the Caucasus.

This seemingly hopeless situation in the USSR instilled in Hitler confidence in imminent success. By his order, the Army “South” was divided into 2 parts - the goal of part “A” was to capture the North Caucasus, and part “B” was to capture Stalingrad, where the Volga, the main waterway of the country, flowed.

In a short period, Rostov-on-Don was captured, and the Germans moved to Stalingrad. Due to the fact that 2 armies were moving in this direction at once, a huge traffic jam formed. As a result of this, one of the armies was ordered to return to the Caucasus. This hitch delayed the offensive for a whole week.

In July 1942, a united Stalingrad front was formed, the purpose of which was to protect the city from the enemy and organize defense. The whole complexity of the task lay in the fact that the newly formed units did not yet have experience in interaction, there was not enough ammunition, and there were no defensive structures.

The Soviet troops outnumbered the Germans in numbers, but were inferior to them by almost half in equipment and weapons, which were sorely lacking.

The desperate struggle of the Red Army delayed the enemy's entry into Stalingrad, but in September the fighting moved from the outlying territories to the city. At the end of August, the Germans destroyed Stalingrad, first by bombing it and then dropping high explosive and incendiary bombs on it.

Operation Ring

City residents fought for every meter of land. The result of the months-long confrontation was a turning point in the battle: in January 1943, Operation Ring began, which lasted 23 days.

Its result was the defeat of the enemy, the destruction of his armies and the surrender of the surviving troops on February 2. This success was a real breakthrough in the course of military operations, shook the position of Germany and called into question its influence on other states. He gave the Soviet people hope for future victory.

Battle of Kursk

The defeat of the troops of Germany and its allies at Stalingrad became the impetus for Hitler, in order to avoid centrifugal tendencies within the alliance of the countries of the Tripartite Pact, to decide to carry out a major operation to attack the Red Army, codenamed “Citadel”. The battle began on July 5 of the same year. The Germans launched new tanks, which did not frighten the Soviet troops, who offered them effective resistance. By July 7, both armies had lost a huge number of people and equipment, and the tank battle at Ponyri led to the loss of a large number of vehicles and people by the Germans. This turned out to be a significant factor in weakening the Nazis in the northern part of the Kursk salient.

Record tank battle

On July 8, the largest tank battle of the Great Patriotic War began near Prokhorovka. About 1,200 combat vehicles took part in it. The confrontation lasted several days. The climax came on July 12, when two tank battles took place simultaneously near Prokhorovka, ending in a draw. Despite the fact that neither side gained the decisive initiative, the German offensive was stopped, and on July 17 the defensive phase of the battle turned into an offensive phase. Its result was that the Nazis were thrown back to the south of the Kursk Bulge, to their original positions. In August, Belgorod and Orel were liberated.

What major battle ended the Great Patriotic War? This battle was the confrontation on the Kursk Bulge, the decisive chord of which was the liberation of Kharkov on August 23, 1944. It was this event that ended a series of major battles on the territory of the USSR and marked the beginning of the liberation of Europe by Soviet soldiers.

Major battles of the Great Patriotic War: table

For a better understanding of the course of the war, especially with regard to its most significant battles, there is a table reflecting the periodicity of what was happening.

The major battles of the Great Patriotic War, the names of which are known today to people of any age, became indisputable evidence of the strength of spirit and will of the Soviet people, who did not allow the establishment of fascist power not only on the territory of the USSR, but throughout the world.

Good afternoon, dear friends!

In this post we will talk about such an important topic as the Great Patriotic War. Due to the fact that the topic is very broad, in this post we will only reveal my main recommendations on this topic, and also learn in practice how to solve Unified State Exam tests on this topic. In addition, at the end of the post you will find a stunning, detailed table on the Great Patriotic War. How does one cope with such a serious topic? Read on and find out!

The Patriotic War was in 1812 with revolutionary France, the Great Patriotic War was with the Nazi-fascist invaders in 1941 - 1945.

Unfortunately, there are still students who confuse these two completely different wars and make serious mistakes when solving the exam in history.

The reasons for the defeat in the first months of the war are the following: the country's leadership did not accept the possibility of starting a war with Nazi Germany in 1941, ignoring facts that contradicted this attitude. Why did the Soviet leadership ignore the facts of the accumulation of enemy forces near the borders of the USSR? There are many versions given in textbooks on the history of the Unified State Examination online, I will name one: that according to the calculations of the Soviet leadership, it would be absurd for Germany to leave undefeated England in the rear, and Germany carried out a competent operation to disinform the Soviet leadership, announcing Operation Sea Lion, aimed at on the conquest of England.

The nature of the war was popular, that is, a people's war is characterized by mass heroism, when the question of whether the Russian people will continue to exist under the sun or not will be decided.

Table. The main battles during the Second World War and their results:

The Second World War left its own small piece in the history of every nation. This truly terrifying and at the same time great period changed the world beyond recognition. Almost every country played its role in this war. For the states of the former USSR, the Second World War occupies a special place in history. It even has a completely different name - the Great Patriotic War. This historical period was truly a turning point for the peoples of modern Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and other countries of the USSR. This war became a test of the courage, bravery and will of the great Soviet people.

The Soviet army proved its professionalism and indestructibility even in the face of such a terrible ideological enemy as Nazism.

Today, historians are constantly discussing the main battles of the Great Patriotic War. Many facts have still not been disclosed, due to the “great love” for the secrets of the Soviet government. we can highlight the main stages and battles of the Great Patriotic War. But, before characterizing them, it is necessary to remember the reasons that led to the military conflict between Hitler's Germany and Stalin's USSR.

Great Patriotic War - reasons

As we know, the Second World War began. The main escalation of the conflict was from Germany in the West. During this time, German Nazism developed in its classical form. Hitler's power was limitless. Although the leader actually declared war on all states, the USSR was in no hurry to enter into it due to the concluded Non-Aggression Pact.

It was signed on August 23, 1939. The agreement stipulated the neutral attitude of the USSR to the war that Germany would wage against Western and European countries. Cooperation with other countries was also approved. Both parties were prohibited from participating in alliances that in one way or another were contrary to their interests. For such “tolerance” on the part of the Soviet Union, Germany pledged to return part of the territory it had lost. There is also a secret protocol in which the parties stipulated the division of power in Eastern Europe and Poland. In fact, this agreement was concluded with the goal of establishing mutual world domination in the future. But there was one problem. From the very beginning, Germany did not want peace with the USSR. Of course, it was beneficial in the early stages of the war, but there was no talk of any mutual domination.

Germany's further actions can only be described in one word - betrayal. This vile step gave rise to the great battles of the Great Patriotic War. Already on June 22, 1941, Germany officially attacked the USSR. From this time on, the Great Patriotic War began. Next we will look at the main battles of the Great Patriotic War, which play an important role in the history of this period.

Moscow Battle

Wehrmacht troops used specific offensive tactics. Their attack was based on the cooperation of all branches of the military. At first, the enemy was subjected to heavy bombardment from the air. The planes were immediately followed by tanks, which literally burned out the enemy troops. At the very end, the German infantry began its action. Thanks to these tactics, enemy troops, led by General Bock, made their way to the center of the Soviet Union, Moscow, in September 1941. At the very beginning of the offensive, the German army consisted of 71.5 divisions, which is approximately 1,700,000 people. It also included 1,800 tanks, 15,100 guns, and 1,300 aircraft. According to these indicators, the German side was approximately five times larger than the Soviet side.

On September 30, 1941, the Germans launch an attack on Moscow. From the very first stages of the Moscow offensive, the Wehrmacht troops suffered significant setbacks. Already on October 17, the Soviet army under the command of Zhukov stopped the offensive by implementing Operation Typhoon. The bloodless enemy only had the strength to fight a positional war, so in January 1942 the Germans were defeated and driven back 100 kilometers from Moscow. This victory dispelled the myth of the indestructibility of the Fuhrer's army. Moscow was the frontier that had to be overcome on the path to victory. The German army failed to cope with this task, so Hitler ultimately lost the war. But the battles of the Great Patriotic War do not end there. Below we look at the true turning point in this global conflict.

Battle of Stalingrad

Today we can highlight a lot of events for which the Great Patriotic War is known. The Battle of Stalingrad is the turning point that led to a devastating series of failures for the German army. The period of the Battle of Stalingrad can be divided into two stages: the beginning and the counteroffensive. On July 17, 1942, the famous Battle of Stalingrad began.

At this stage, German troops stopped in the city area. The Soviet army did not want to surrender it until the very end. The forces of the Soviet Union were also commanded by Marshal Timoshenko. They managed to completely paralyze the Germans, but the Soviet troops were surrounded. There were constant skirmishes in the city between small groups of Soviet and German soldiers. According to the recollections of veterans: “There was real hell in Stalingrad.” One of the Museums of Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad) houses a rather interesting exhibit: bullets hitting each other. This indicates the intensity of hostilities in the city. As for strategic significance, it actually did not exist. This city was important to Hitler as a symbol of Stalin's power. Therefore, it was necessary to take him, and most importantly, to keep him. It follows that the city became the center of a clash of interests during the period when the Great Patriotic War took place. The Battle of Stalingrad made it possible to evaluate and compare the power of two ideological titans of the 20th century.

Counterattack at Stalingrad

The German army, led by General Paulus, at the time of the counteroffensive numbered 1,010,600 men, 600 tanks, 1,200 combat aircraft and about 10,000 guns. On the Soviet side there was almost the same number of military personnel and military equipment. The significant forces that our side brought up during the siege allowed us to go on the offensive on November 20, 1942 and encircle the Germans.

By the evening of January 31, 1943, the Stalingrad German group was eliminated. Such results were achieved thanks to the coordinated work of the three main fronts of the USSR. The Battle of Stalingrad is glorified along with other major battles of the Great Patriotic War. Because this event significantly undermined the strength of the German army. In other words, after Stalingrad, Germany was never able to restore its fighting power. In addition, the German command could not even imagine that the city would emerge from encirclement. But this happened, and further events were not in the Fuhrer’s favor.

Great Patriotic War: Battle of Kursk

After the events in the city of Stalingrad, the German army was never able to recover, however, it still posed a serious threat. On (the formed front line after the victory at Stalingrad) German troops gathered a significant number of their forces. The Soviet side was going to carry out a powerful attack in the area of ​​​​the city of Kursk. In the early stages, German troops had significant victories. They were commanded by such famous German military leaders as G. Kluge and Manstein. The main task of the USSR troops was to prevent a new advance of the Nazi Army Center into the interior of the mainland. The situation changed radically on July 12, 1943.

Battle of Prokhorov 1943

They were unpredictable. One of these battles is the tank confrontation near the village of Prokhorovka. Over 1,000 tanks and self-propelled guns from both sides took part in it. After this battle, there were no questions left about who would prevail in the war. The German army was defeated, although not completely. After the Battle of Prokhorov, USSR troops were able to launch a large-scale attack on Belgorod and Kharkov. This actually ends the story of the Kursk confrontation, the largest battle of the Great Patriotic War, which opened the doors of the USSR to the conquest of Berlin.

Capture of Berlin 1945

The Berlin operation played the final role in the history of the German-Soviet confrontation. Its purpose was to defeat the German troops that had formed near the city of Berlin.

Near the city, the army of the "Center" group was stationed, as well as the military group "Vistula" under the command of Heinritz and Scherner. From the USSR side, an army came out consisting of three fronts under the command of Marshals Zhukov, Konev and Rokossovsky. The capture of Berlin ended with German surrender on May 9, 1945.

The main battles of the Great Patriotic War are ending at this stage. Just a few months later, namely on September 2, 1945, the Second World War ended.

Conclusion

So, the article examined the most important battles of the Great Patriotic War. The list can be supplemented with other equally important and famous events, but our article identifies the most epic and memorable battles. Today it is impossible to imagine a person who would not know about the feat of the great Soviet soldiers.

Although it is not easy to say, no one can deny that wars have played an important role in shaping our world. This determined our history, entire nations were born and destroyed over thousands of years. Although history is replete with battles big and small, there are still only a few that played a big role in shaping the course of human history. The following list consists of the ten most important ones. There were battles that may not have been the largest battles in the history of warfare in terms of numbers involved, and not all of them were even land battles, but each of them had serious consequences in history that continue to be felt today. If either of them had had a different outcome, the world we live in today would look very different.

Stalingrad, 1942-1943


This was the battle that effectively ended Hitler's strategic initiative for world domination and set Germany on the long road to final defeat in World War II. The battle lasted from July 1942 to February 1943, the Battle of Stalingrad is the bloodiest battle in the history of mankind, both sides lost a total of over 2 million people killed and wounded, about 91,000 Germans were captured. The Germans suffered serious losses from which the German army never fully recovered and was forced to remain largely on the defensive for the rest of the war. While it is unlikely that an eventual German victory at Stalingrad would have cost the Russians the war, it would certainly have prolonged it for many months, perhaps even giving the Germans the time needed to perfect their own atomic bomb.

Midway, 1942



What Stalingrad was to the Germans, to the Japanese it was a major naval battle that raged between Japan and the United States for three days in June 1942. Admiral Yamamoto's plan was to capture the Midway Islands, a tiny atoll about four hundred miles west of the Hawaiian Islands, which he planned to use as a springboard for attacks on the strategic islands later. To his surprise, he was met by a group of American carriers under the command of Admiral Chester Nimitz, and in a battle that could easily have gone either way, he lost all four of his carriers, as well as all of his aircraft, some of his best pilots. The defeat effectively meant the end of Japanese expansion across the Pacific Ocean and Japan would never recover from this defeat. It is also one of the few battles in World War II in which the Americans were victorious, even though the Japanese outnumbered the Americans and yet they still won.

Battle of Actium



The Battle of Actium (lat. Actiaca Pugna; September 2, 31 BC) is the last great naval battle of antiquity between the fleets of Ancient Rome at the final stage of the period of civil wars. The decisive naval battle near Cape Actium (northwestern Greece) between the fleets of Mark Antony and Octavian Augustus ended the period of civil wars in Rome. Octavian's fleet was commanded by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, and Antony's ally was the Egyptian queen Cleopatra. Ancient accounts of this battle are probably not completely objective: most of them claim that at the climax of the battle, Cleopatra fled with her fleet to Egypt, and Antony followed her. However, the main goal that Antony set for himself when entering the battle could have been to break the blockade, but the idea was implemented extremely unsuccessfully: a smaller part of the fleet broke through, and the main part of the fleet and Antony’s ground army, being blocked, surrendered and went over to Octavian’s side. Octavian won a decisive victory, achieved unconditional power over the Roman state and eventually became the first Roman emperor from 27 BC. e. under the name Augusta.

Waterloo, 1815



The Battle of Waterloo is the last major battle of the French Emperor Napoleon I, the greatest commander of the 19th century. The battle was the result of Napoleon's attempt to regain power in France, lost after the war against a coalition of major European states and the restoration of the Bourbon dynasty (“Hundred Days”) in the country. The Seventh Coalition of European Monarchs acted as Napoleon's opponent.
Waterloo (Dutch Waterloo) is a village on the territory of modern Belgium, 20 km from Brussels, on the high road from Charleroi. At the time of the battle, the territory of modern Belgium was part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The battle took place on June 18, 1815. Prussian troops also called this battle the Battle of Belle-Alliance (Schlacht bei Belle-Alliance), and the French called it Mont Saint-Jean.

Gettysburg, 1863



If this battle had been lost, General Lee would have marched to Washington, putting Lincoln and his army to flight and forcing a confederacy on the country. In a battle that lasted 3 sweltering days in July 1863, two massive armies clashed, pulverizing each other. But the Union still held the superior position, and General Lee's misguided decision to send General Pickett to the Union center line resulted in the greatest defeat in Confederate history. Although Union losses were also significant, the North was able to quickly recover, which could not be said about the South.

Battle of Poitiers, 732

You may have never heard of this battle, but if the Franks had lost it, perhaps now, you and I would be bowing to Mecca 5 times a day and learning the Koran. The Battle of Poitiers was fought by about 20,000 Carolingian Franks under the command of Charles Martel and 50,000 soldiers under the command of Abdur-Rahman ibn Abdallah. Although the enemy forces outnumbered the Frankish army, Martel proved himself a capable commander and defeated the invaders, pushing them back into Spain. After all, if Martel had lost the battle, Islam would most likely have settled in Europe, and perhaps in the world.

Battle of Vienna, 1683


As in the previous case, the Muslims again tried to take over Europe. This time, under the banner of the Ottoman Empire. The army of 150,000-300,000 soldiers of the vizier Kara Mustafa clashed with the army of the Polish king John III Sobieski of 80,000 people one fine day in September 1683... and lost. This battle marked the end of Islamic expansion across Europe. If the Vizier had attacked Vienna when he first approached the city in July, Vienna would have fallen. But since he waited until September, he unwittingly gave time to the Polish army and its allies to break the siege and defeat the Turks.

Siege of Yorktown, 1781


By the numbers, it was a fairly modest battle (8,000 American soldiers and 8,000 French against a British army of 9,000), but when it ended in October 1781, it changed the world forever. The indomitable British Empire should have easily defeated some colonists under the command of George Washington, and for most of the war it was so. By 1781, however, the new Americans understood how to wage war and, asking for help from England's eternal enemy, France, they became a small but very effective force. As a result, the British under Cornwallis found themselves trapped on the peninsula between the determined Americans and the French fleet. After 2 weeks of fighting, the British troops surrendered. This is how the Americans defeated world military power and won the independence of the future USA.

Battle of Salamis, 480 BC.

Imagine a battle involving 1000 ships. Then the scale of the battle between the Greek fleet under the command of Themistocles and the naval force controlled by the king of Persia, Xerxes, becomes clear. The Greeks cunningly lured the Persian fleet into the narrow straits of Salamis, where the enemy's numerical superiority was leveled out. As a result, Xerxes was forced to retreat back to Persia, thus leaving Greece to the Greeks. Some historians believe that a Persian victory would have stopped the development of Ancient Greece, as well as the entire Western civilization.

Battle of Adrianople


What the Battle of Poitiers meant for Western Europe, and the Battle of Vienna for central Europe, the Battle of Adrianople meant the same for Eastern Europe. Islamic forces were stopped in their attempt to conquer all of Europe. If this battle had been lost and Constantinople had been captured by the Muslims, the Islamic armies would have crossed the Balkan Peninsula unhindered and entered Central Europe and Italy. However, Constantinople played the role of a buffer, preventing the Muslim army from crossing the Bosporus and conquering Europe, a role that lasted for 700 years until the fall of the city in 1453.