The Great Patriotic War (1941-1945) is one of the most important events in the history of the Russian people, which left an indelible mark on the soul of every person. In a seemingly short four years, almost 100 million human lives were lost, more than 1,500 cities and towns were destroyed, more than 30,000 industrial enterprises and at least 60,000 kilometers of roads were disabled. Our state was going through a severe shock, which is hard to comprehend even now, in peacetime. What was the war like 1941-1945? What stages can be identified in the course of hostilities? And what are the consequences of this terrible event? In this article we will try to find answers to all these questions.
The Second World War
The Soviet Union was not the first to be attacked by fascist troops. Everyone knows that the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 began only 1.5 years after the start of the World War. So what events started this terrible war, and what kind of hostilities were organized by fascist Germany?
First of all, it is worth mentioning the fact that on August 23, 1939, a non-aggression pact was signed between Germany and the USSR. Along with it, some secret protocols were signed regarding the interests of the USSR and Germany, including the division of Polish territories. Thus, Germany, which had the goal of attacking Poland, secured itself against retaliatory steps on the part of the Soviet leadership and, in fact, made the USSR an accomplice in the partition of Poland.
So, on September 1, 1939, the fascist invaders attacked Poland. The Polish troops did not put up adequate resistance, and already on September 17, the troops Soviet Union entered the lands of Eastern Poland. As a result, the territories of the West of Ukraine and Belarus joined the territory of the Soviet state. On September 28 of the same year, Ribbentrop and V.M. Molotov signed an agreement on friendship and borders.
Germany failed to carry out the planned blitzkrieg, or lightning-fast outcome of the war. Military operations on the Western Front until May 10, 1940 are called the "strange war", since no events occurred during this period of time.
Only in the spring of 1940, Hitler resumed the offensive and captured Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and France. The operation to capture England "Sea Lion" was unsuccessful, and then the plan "Barbarossa" for the USSR was adopted - the plan for the start of the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945).
Soviet preparation for war
Despite the non-aggression pact concluded in 1939, Stalin understood that the USSR would in any case be drawn into a world war. Therefore, the Soviet Union adopted a five-year plan to prepare for it, carried out in the period from 1938 to 1942.
The primary task in preparing for the war of 1941-1945 was the strengthening of the military-industrial complex and the development of heavy industry. Therefore, during this period, numerous thermal and hydroelectric power stations were built (including those on the Volga and Kama), coal mines and mines were developed, and oil production increased. Also, great importance was given to the construction of railways and transport hubs.
The construction of backup enterprises in the eastern part of the country was carried out. And the costs of the defense industry have increased several times. New models were also released at this time. military equipment and weapons.
Equally important was the preparation of the population for war. The workweek now consisted of seven eight-hour days. The size of the Red Army was significantly increased due to the introduction of mandatory conscription from 18 years old. It was mandatory for workers to receive special education; criminal liability was introduced for violations of discipline.
However, the real results did not correspond to the planned management, and only in the spring of 1941, an 11-12-hour working day was introduced for workers. And on June 21, 1941, I.V. Stalin gave the order to put the troops on alert, but the order reached the border guards too late.
USSR entry into the war
At dawn on June 22, 1941, fascist troops attacked the Soviet Union without declaring war, from that moment the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 began.
At noon of the same day, Vyacheslav Molotov spoke on the radio, announcing the beginning of the war to Soviet citizens and the need to resist the enemy. The next day, the Top Bet was created. high command, and on June 30 - State. The Defense Committee, in fact, received all the power. I.V. became the Chairman of the Committee and the Commander-in-Chief. Stalin.
Now let's move on to a brief description of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.
Plan "Barbarossa"
Hitler's plan "Barbarossa" was as follows: he assumed the rapid defeat of the Soviet Union with the help of three groups of the German army. The first of them (northern) would make an attack on Leningrad, the second (central) - on Moscow and the third (southern) - on Kyiv. Hitler planned to complete the entire offensive in 6 weeks and reach the Volga strip Arkhangelsk-Astrakhan. However, the confident rebuff of the Soviet troops did not allow him to carry out a "blitzkrieg".
Considering the forces of the parties in the war of 1941-1945, we can say that the USSR, although slightly, was inferior to the German army. Germany and its allies had 190 divisions, while the Soviet Union had only 170. 48,000 German artillery were fielded against 47,000 Soviet artillery. The number of enemy armies in both cases was approximately 6 million people. But in terms of the number of tanks and aircraft, the USSR significantly surpassed Germany (in the amount of 17.7 thousand against 9.3 thousand).
At the first stages of the war, the USSR suffered setbacks due to incorrectly chosen tactics of warfare. Initially, the Soviet leadership planned to wage war on foreign territory, not letting fascist troops into the territory of the Soviet Union. However, such plans were not successful. Already in July 1941, six Soviet republics were occupied, the Red Army lost more than 100 of its divisions. However, Germany also suffered considerable losses: in the first weeks of the war, the enemy lost 100,000 men and 40% of its tanks.
The dynamic resistance of the troops of the Soviet Union led to the disruption of Hitler's plan for a blitzkrieg. During the Battle of Smolensk (July 10 - September 10, 1945), the German troops needed to go on the defensive. In September 1941, the heroic defense of the city of Sevastopol began. But the main attention of the enemy was concentrated on the capital of the Soviet Union. Then preparations began for an attack on Moscow and a plan to capture it - Operation Typhoon.
Battle for Moscow
The battle for Moscow is considered one of the most important events of the Russian war of 1941-1945. Only the stubborn resistance and courage of the Soviet soldiers allowed the USSR to survive in this difficult battle.
On September 30, 1941, German troops launched Operation Typhoon and launched an offensive against Moscow. The offensive began successfully for them. The fascist invaders managed to break through the defenses of the USSR, as a result of which, having surrounded the armies near Vyazma and Bryansk, they captured more than 650 thousand Soviet soldiers. The Red Army suffered significant losses. In October-November 1941, battles were fought only 70-100 km from Moscow, which was extremely dangerous for the capital. On October 20, a state of siege was introduced in Moscow.
From the beginning of the battle for the capital, G.K. was appointed commander-in-chief on the Western Front. Zhukov, however, he managed to stop the German offensive only by the beginning of November. On November 7, a parade was held on the capital's Red Square, from which the soldiers immediately went to the front.
In mid-November it started again German advance. When defending the capital, the 316th Infantry Division of General I.V. Panfilov, who at the beginning of the offensive repulsed several tank attacks of the aggressor.
On December 5-6, the troops of the Soviet Union, having received reinforcements from Eastern Front, launched a counteroffensive, which marked the transition to a new stage in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. During the counteroffensive, the troops of the Soviet Union defeated almost 40 German divisions. Now the fascist troops were "thrown back" from the capital by 100-250 km.
The victory of the USSR significantly influenced the spirit of the soldiers and the entire Russian people. The defeat of Germany made it possible for other countries to begin to form anti-Hitler coalition states.
Battle of Stalingrad
The successes of the Soviet troops made a deep impression on the leaders of the state. I.V. Stalin began to count on a speedy end to the war of 1941-1945. He believed that in the spring of 1942, Germany would repeat the attack on Moscow, so he ordered the main forces of the army to be concentrated precisely on the Western Front. However, Hitler thought differently and prepared a large-scale offensive in the south.
But before the start of the offensive, Germany planned to capture the Crimea and some cities of the Ukrainian Republic. Thus, the Soviet troops on the Kerch Peninsula were defeated, and on July 4, 1942, the city of Sevastopol had to be abandoned. Then Kharkov, Donbass and Rostov-on-Don fell; created a direct threat to Stalingrad. Stalin, who realized his miscalculations too late, on July 28 issued the order "Not a step back!", Forming barrage detachments for unstable divisions.
Until November 18, 1942, the inhabitants of Stalingrad heroically defended their city. Only on November 19, the troops of the USSR launched a counteroffensive.
Three operations were organized by the Soviet troops: "Uranus" (11/19/1942 - 02/2/1943), "Saturn" (12/16-30/1942) and "Ring" (11/10/1942 - 02/2/1943). What was each of them?
The plan "Uranus" assumed the encirclement of fascist troops from three fronts: the front of Stalingrad (commander - Eremenko), the Don Front (Rokossovsky) and Southwestern Front(Vatutin). Soviet troops planned to meet on November 23 in the city of Kalach-on-Don and give the Germans an organized battle.
Operation "Small Saturn" was aimed at protecting oil fields located in the Caucasus. Operation "Ring" in February 1943 was the final plan of the Soviet command. The Soviet troops were supposed to close the "ring" around the enemy army and defeat his forces.
As a result, on February 2, 1943, the enemy group surrounded by Soviet troops surrendered. The commander-in-chief of the German army, Friedrich Paulus, was also captured. The victory at Stalingrad led to a radical turning point in the history of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. Now the strategic initiative was in the hands of the Red Army.
Battle of Kursk
The next most important stage of the war was the Battle of Kursk, which lasted from July 5 to August 23, 1943. The German command adopted the Citadel plan, aimed at encircling and defeating Soviet army on the Kursk Bulge.
In response to the enemy's plan, the Soviet command planned two operations, and it was supposed to start with active defense, and then bring down all the forces of the main and reserve troops on the Germans.
Operation Kutuzov was a plan to attack German troops from the north (the city of Orel). Sokolovsky was appointed commander of the western front, Rokossovsky was appointed commander of the Central, and Popov was appointed commander of the Bryansk. Already on July 5, Rokossovsky delivered the first blow to the enemy army, ahead of his attack by only a few minutes.
On July 12, the troops of the Soviet Union launched a counteroffensive, marking a turning point in the course of Battle of Kursk. On August 5, Belgorod and Orel were liberated by the Red Army. From August 3 to 23, the Soviet troops carried out an operation to finally defeat the enemy - "Commander Rumyantsev" (commanders - Konev and Vatutin). It was a Soviet offensive in the area of Belgorod and Kharkov. The enemy suffered another defeat, while losing more than 500 thousand soldiers.
The troops of the Red Army managed to liberate Kharkov, Donbass, Bryansk and Smolensk in a short period of time. In November 1943, the siege of Kyiv was lifted. The war of 1941-1945 was drawing to a close.
Defense of Leningrad
One of the most terrible and heroic pages of the Patriotic War of 1941-1945 and of our entire history is the selfless defense of Leningrad.
The blockade of Leningrad began in September 1941, when the city was cut off from food sources. The most terrible period was the very cold winter of 1941-1942. The only way to salvation was the Road of Life, which was laid on the ice of Lake Ladoga. At the initial stage of the blockade (until May 1942) under constant enemy bombing Soviet troops managed to deliver more than 250 thousand tons of food to Leningrad and evacuate about 1 million people.
For a better understanding of what hardships the inhabitants of Leningrad endured, we recommend watching this video.
Only in January 1943, the blockade of the enemy was partially broken, and the supply of the city with food, medicine, and weapons began. A year later, in January 1944, the blockade of Leningrad was completely lifted.
Plan "Bagration"
From June 23 to August 29, 1944, the USSR troops carried out the main operation on the Belarusian front. It was one of the largest in the entire Great Patriotic War (WWII) 1941-1945.
The goal of Operation Bagration was the final crushing of the enemy army and the liberation of Soviet territories from the fascist invaders. Fascist troops in the areas of individual cities were defeated. Belarus, Lithuania and part of Poland were liberated from the enemy.
The Soviet command planned to proceed with the liberation of the peoples of European states from the German troops.
Conferences
On November 28, 1943, a conference was held in Tehran, which brought together the leaders of the "Big Three" countries - Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill. At the conference, the dates for the opening of the Second Front in Normandy were set and the obligation of the Soviet Union to enter the war with Japan after the final liberation of Europe and defeat the Japanese army was confirmed.
The next conference was held on February 4-11, 1944 in Yalta (Crimea). The leaders of the three states discussed the conditions for the occupation and demilitarization of Germany, held talks on convening a founding conference of the United Nations and adopting a Declaration on a Liberated Europe.
The Potsdam Conference took place on July 17, 1945. Truman was the leader of the United States, and K. Attlee spoke on behalf of Great Britain (since July 28). At the conference, new borders in Europe were discussed, a decision was made on the size of reparations from Germany in favor of the USSR. At the same time, already at the Potsdam Conference, the prerequisites for a Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union were outlined.
End of World War II
According to the requirements discussed at conferences with representatives of the Big Three countries, on August 8, 1945, the USSR declared war on Japan. The USSR army dealt a powerful blow to the Kwantung Army.
In less than three weeks, Soviet troops under the leadership of Marshal Vasilevsky managed to defeat the main forces Japanese army. On September 2, 1945, the Japanese Surrender Act was signed on the USS Missouri. Ended Second World War.
Consequences
The consequences of the war of 1941-1945 are extremely diverse. First, the military forces of the aggressors were defeated. The defeat of Germany and its allies meant the collapse of dictatorial regimes in Europe.
The Soviet Union ended the war as one of the two superpowers (along with the United States), and the Soviet army was recognized as the most powerful in the world.
In addition to the positive results, there were incredible losses. The Soviet Union lost approximately 70 million people in the war. The economy of the state was at a very low level. suffered terrible losses big cities The USSR, which took on the strongest blows of the enemy. The USSR was faced with the task of restoring and confirming the status of the world's greatest superpower.
It is difficult to give an unambiguous answer to the question: "What is the war of 1941-1945?" The main task of the Russian people is to never forget about greatest feats our ancestors and proudly and "with tears in their eyes" to celebrate the main holiday for Russia - Victory Day.
The Great Patriotic War (1941-1945) - the war between the USSR, Germany and its allies in the framework of World War II on the territory of the USSR and Germany. Germany attacked the USSR on June 22, 1941 with the expectation of a short military campaign However, the war dragged on for several years and ended in the complete defeat of Germany.
Causes of the Great Patriotic War
After the defeat in the First World War, Germany remained in a difficult situation - the political situation was unstable, the economy was in a deep crisis. Around this time, Hitler came to power, who, thanks to his economic reforms, was able to quickly bring Germany out of the crisis and thereby gain the trust of the authorities and the people.
Standing at the head of the country, Hitler began to pursue his policy, which was based on the idea of the superiority of the Germans over other races and peoples. Hitler not only wanted to take revenge for losing the First World War, but also to subjugate the whole world to his will. The result of his claims was the German attack on the Czech Republic and Poland, and then (already within the framework of the outbreak of World War II) on other European countries.
Until 1941, there was a non-aggression pact between Germany and the USSR, but Hitler violated it by attacking the USSR. In order to conquer the Soviet Union, the German command developed a swift attack, which was supposed to bring victory within two months. Having seized the territories and wealth of the USSR, Hitler could have entered into an open confrontation with the United States for the right to world political domination.
The attack was swift, but did not bring the desired results - the Russian army put up stronger resistance than the Germans expected, and the war dragged on for many years.
The main periods of the Great Patriotic War
First period (June 22, 1941 – November 18, 1942). Within a year after the German attack on the USSR, the German army conquered significant territories, which included Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Moldova, Belarus and Ukraine. After that, the troops moved inland to capture Moscow and Leningrad, however, despite the failures of the Russian soldiers at the beginning of the war, the Germans failed to take the capital.
Leningrad was taken under blockade, but the Germans were not allowed into the city. The battles for Moscow, Leningrad and Novgorod continued until 1942.
The period of a radical change (1942-1943). The middle period of the war got its name due to the fact that it was at this time that the Soviet troops were able to take the advantage in the war into their own hands and launch a counteroffensive. The armies of the Germans and the allies gradually began to retreat back to the western border, many foreign legions were defeated and destroyed.
Due to the fact that the entire industry of the USSR at that time worked for military needs, the Soviet army managed to significantly increase its weapons and put up decent resistance. The army of the USSR from the defender turned into an attacker.
The final period of the war (1943-1945). During this period, the USSR began to recapture the lands occupied by the Germans and move towards Germany. Leningrad was liberated, Soviet troops entered Czechoslovakia, Poland, and then into Germany.
On May 8, Berlin was taken, and the German troops announced their unconditional surrender. Hitler, having learned about the lost war, committed suicide. War is over.
The main battles of the Great Patriotic War
- Defense of the Arctic (June 29, 1941 - November 1, 1944).
- Siege of Leningrad (September 8, 1941 – January 27, 1944).
- Battle for Moscow (September 30, 1941 – April 20, 1942).
- Battle of Rzhev (January 8, 1942 - March 31, 1943).
- Battle of Kursk (July 5 - August 23, 1943).
- Battle of Stalingrad (July 17, 1942 – February 2, 1943).
- Battle for the Caucasus (July 25, 1942 – October 9, 1943).
- Belarusian operation (June 23 - August 29, 1944).
- Battle for Right-Bank Ukraine (December 24, 1943 – April 17, 1944).
- Budapest operation (October 29, 1944 - February 13, 1945).
- Baltic operation (September 14 - November 24, 1944).
- Vistula-Oder operation (January 12 - February 3, 1945).
- East Prussian operation (January 13 - April 25, 1945).
- Berlin operation (April 16 - May 8, 1945).
The results and significance of the Great Patriotic War
Although the main goal of the Great Patriotic War was defensive, as a result, the Soviet troops went on the offensive and not only liberated their territories, but also destroyed the German army, took Berlin and stopped Hitler's victorious march across Europe.
Unfortunately, despite the victory, this war turned out to be devastating for the USSR - the country's economy after the war was in a deep crisis, since the industry worked exclusively for the military industry, many people were killed, and the rest were starving.
Nevertheless, for the USSR, victory in this war meant that now the Union was becoming a world superpower, which had the right to dictate its terms in the political arena.
With the beginning of September 1939, the short period of peace between the two great wars of the 20th century ended. Two years later, under the rule of fascist Germany, there was a large part of Europe with a huge production and raw material potential.
A powerful blow was brought down on the Soviet Union, for which the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945) began. A summary of this period in the history of the USSR cannot express the scale of the suffering endured by the Soviet people and the heroism they displayed.
On the eve of military trials
The revival of the power of Germany, dissatisfied with the results of the First World War (1914-1918), against the background of the aggressiveness of the party that came to power there, led by the possessed Adolf Hitler, with its ideology of racial superiority, made a threat new war for the USSR more and more real. By the end of the 1930s, these sentiments more and more penetrated the people, and the all-powerful leader of a vast country, Stalin, understood this more and more clearly.
The country was getting ready. People left for construction sites in the eastern part of the country, military factories were built in Siberia and the Urals - backups of industries located near the western borders. Significantly more financial, human and scientific resources were invested in the defense industry than in the civilian one. To increase the results of labor in the cities and in agriculture, ideological and harsh administrative means were used (repressive laws on discipline in factories and collective farms).
The reform in the army was served by the adoption of the law on universal conscription (1939), and widespread military training was introduced. It was in shooting, parachute circles, in flying clubs at OSOAVIAKhIM that future soldiers-heroes of the Patriotic War of 1941-1945 began to study military science. New military schools were opened, the latest types of weapons were developed, combat formations of a progressive type were formed: armored and airborne. But there was not enough time, the combat readiness of the Soviet troops was in many respects lower than that of the Wehrmacht - the army of Nazi Germany.
Stalin's suspicion of the power ambitions of the highest command staff did great harm. It resulted in monstrous repressions that wiped out up to two-thirds of the officer corps. There is a version of a planned provocation by German military intelligence, which put many heroes under attack civil war victims of the purges.
Foreign policy factors
Stalin and the leaders of countries that wanted to limit Hitler's European hegemony (England, France, the USA) were unable to create a united anti-fascist front before the start of the war. The Soviet leader, in an effort to delay the war, tried to contact Hitler. This led to the signing in 1939 of the Soviet-German non-aggression pact (agreement), which also did not contribute to the rapprochement of the anti-Hitler forces.
As it turned out, the country's leadership was mistaken about the value of a peace agreement with Hitler. On June 22, 1941, the Wehrmacht and the Luftwaffe, without declaring war, attacked the western borders of the USSR throughout. This was a complete surprise for the Soviet troops and a strong shock for Stalin.
tragic experience
In 1940, Hitler approved the Barbarossa plan. According to this plan, three summer months were allotted for the defeat of the USSR, the capture of its capital. And at first the plan was carried out with precision. All participants in the war recall the almost hopeless mood of the middle of the summer of 1941. 5.5 million German soldiers against 2.9 million Russians, total superiority in armaments - and in a month Belarus, the Baltic states, Moldova, almost all of Ukraine were captured. Losses of Soviet troops - 1 million killed, 700 thousand prisoners.
The superiority of the Germans in the skill of command and control was noticeable - the combat experience of the army, which had already passed half of Europe, had an effect. Skillful maneuvers surround and destroy entire groups near Smolensk, Kyiv, in the Moscow direction, and the blockade of Leningrad begins. Stalin is dissatisfied with the actions of his commanders and resorts to the usual repression - the commander of the Western Front was shot for treason.
people's war
Still, Hitler's plans fell apart. The USSR quickly embarked on a war footing. Stavka created Supreme High Command for the management of armies and a single governing body for the whole country - State Committee Defense, headed by the all-powerful leader Stalin.
Hitler believed that Stalin's methods of governing the country, illegal repressions against the intelligentsia, the military, wealthy peasants and entire nationalities would cause the collapse of the state, the emergence of a "fifth column" - as he was used to in Europe. But he miscalculated.
The invaders were hated by men in the trenches, women at the machines, old people and small children. Wars of this magnitude affect the fate of every person, and victory requires a universal effort. Sacrifices for the sake of a common victory were made not only because of ideological motives, but also because of innate patriotism, which had roots in pre-revolutionary history.
Battle of Moscow
The invasion received its first serious rebuff near Smolensk. By heroic efforts, the attack on the capital was delayed there until the beginning of September.
By October, tanks with crosses on their armor come out to Moscow, with the goal of capturing the Soviet capital before the onset of cold weather. The most difficult time for the years of the Great Patriotic War was coming. A state of siege is declared in Moscow (10/19/1941).
The military parade on the anniversary of the October Revolution (11/07/1941) will forever remain in history as a symbol of confidence that Moscow will be able to defend. The troops left Red Square directly to the front, which was located 20 kilometers to the west.
An example of the resilience of Soviet soldiers was the feat of 28 Red Army soldiers from the division of General Panfilov. For 4 hours they delayed a breakthrough group of 50 tanks at the Dubosekovo junction and died, destroying 18 combat vehicles. These heroes of the Patriotic War (1941-1945) are only a small part of the Immortal Regiment of the Russian army. Such self-sacrifice gave the enemy doubts about victory, strengthening the courage of the defenders.
Recalling the events of the war, Marshal Zhukov, who commanded the Western Front near Moscow, whom Stalin began to promote to the first roles, always noted the decisive importance of the defense of the capital for achieving victory in May 1945. Any delay of the enemy army made it possible to accumulate forces for a counterattack: fresh parts of the Siberian garrisons were transferred to Moscow. Hitler did not plan to wage war in winter conditions, the Germans began to have problems with the supply of troops. By the beginning of December, there was a turning point in the battle for the Russian capital.
Root turn
The offensive of the Red Army (December 5, 1941), unexpected for Hitler, threw the Germans back a hundred and fifty miles to the west. The fascist army suffered its first defeat in its history, and the plan for a victorious war failed.
The offensive continued until April 1942, but it was far from irreversible changes during the war: major defeats followed near Leningrad, Kharkov, in the Crimea, the Nazis reached the Volga near Stalingrad.
When historians of any country mention the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945), summary its events are not complete without the Battle of Stalingrad. It was at the walls of the city, which bore the name of Hitler's sworn enemy, that he received the blow that eventually led him to collapse.
The defense of the city was often carried out hand-to-hand, for every piece of territory. Participants in the war note an unprecedented number of human and technical means, attracted from both sides and burned in the fire of the Battle of Stalingrad. The Germans lost a quarter of the troops - one and a half million bayonets, 2 million - our losses.
The unprecedented resilience of the Soviet soldiers on the defensive and the irrepressible fury on the offensive, together with the increased tactical skill of the command, ensured the encirclement and capture of 22 divisions of the 6th Army of Field Marshal Paulus. The results of the second military winter shocked Germany and the whole world. The history of the war of 1941-1945 changed the course, it became clear that the USSR not only withstood the first blow, but would inevitably strike the enemy with a powerful retaliatory strike.
The final stage of the turning point in the war
The Great Patriotic War (1941-1945) contains several examples of the military leadership talent of the Soviet command. A summary of the events of 1943 is a series of impressive Russian victories.
The spring of 1943 began with a Soviet offensive in all directions. The configuration of the front line jeopardized the encirclement of the Soviet Army in the Kursk region. The German offensive operation called "Citadel" had precisely this strategic goal, but the Red Army command provided for reinforced defenses in the places of the alleged breakthrough, while at the same time preparing reserves for the counteroffensive.
The German offensive in early July managed to break through the Soviet defenses only in sections to a depth of 35 km. The history of the war (1941-1945) knows the date of the start of the largest oncoming battle of self-propelled combat vehicles. On a sultry July day, on the 12th, in the steppe near the village of Prokhorovka, the crews of 1200 tanks began the battle. The Germans have the latest "Tiger" and "Panther", the Russians have the T-34 with a new, more powerful gun. The defeat inflicted on the Germans knocked out the offensive weapons of the motorized corps from Hitler's hands, and the fascist army went over to the strategic defense.
By the end of August 1943, Belgorod and Orel were recaptured, and Kharkov was also liberated. For the first time in years, the Red Army seized the initiative. Now the German generals had to guess where she would start the fighting.
In the penultimate military year, historians single out 10 decisive operations that led to the liberation of the territory occupied by the enemy. Until 1953, they were called "10 Stalinist blows."
The Great Patriotic War (1941-1945): a summary of the military operations of 1944
- Lifting of the Leningrad blockade (January 1944).
- January-April 1944: Korsun-Shevchenko operation, successful battles in the Right-Bank Ukraine, March 26 - access to the border with Romania.
- Liberation of the Crimea (May 1944).
- The defeat of Finland in Karelia, its exit from the war (June-August 1944).
- The offensive of four fronts in Belarus (Operation Bagration).
- July-August - fighting in Western Ukraine, the Lvov-Sandomierz operation.
- Iasi-Kishinev operation, the defeat of 22 divisions, the withdrawal of Romania and Bulgaria from the war (August 1944).
- Help to the Yugoslav partisans I.B. Tito (September 1944).
- Liberation of the Baltic states (July-October of the same year).
- October - the liberation of the Soviet Arctic and the north-east of Norway.
End of enemy occupation
By the beginning of November, the territory of the USSR within the pre-war borders was liberated. The period of occupation for the peoples of Belarus and Ukraine has ended. The current political situation forces some "figures" to present the German occupation almost as a boon. It is worth asking the Belarusians about this, who have lost every fourth person from the actions of “civilized Europeans”.
It is not for nothing that partisans began to operate in the occupied territories from the first days of the foreign invasion. The war of 1941-1945 in this sense became an echo of the year when other European invaders did not know peace on our territory.
Liberation of Europe
The European liberation campaign demanded unthinkable expenditures of human and military resources from the USSR. Hitler, who did not even allow the thought that a Soviet soldier would enter German soil, threw all possible forces into battle, put old men and children under arms.
move final stage war can be traced by the name of the awards established by the Soviet government. Soviet soldiers-liberators received such medals of the war of 1941-1945: for (10/20/1944), Warsaw (01/07/1945), Prague (May 9), for the capture of Budapest (February 13), Koenigsberg (April 10), Vienna (13 April). And finally, military personnel were awarded for the storming of Berlin (May 2).
... And May came. The victory was marked by the signing on May 8 of the Act of unconditional surrender of the German troops, and on June 24 a parade was held with the participation of representatives of all fronts, types and branches of troops.
a great victory
Hitler's adventure cost mankind very dearly. The exact number of human losses is still debated. The restoration of the destroyed cities, the establishment of the economy required many years of hard work, hunger and deprivation.
The results of the war are now being assessed differently. The geopolitical changes that took place after 1945 had different consequences. Territorial acquisitions The Soviet Union, the emergence of the socialist camp, the strengthening of the political weight of the USSR to the status of a superpower soon led to confrontation and increased tension between the allied countries in World War II.
But the main results are not subject to any revision, do not depend on the opinion of politicians who are looking for immediate benefits. In the Great Patriotic War, our country defended freedom and independence, a terrible enemy was defeated - the bearer of a monstrous ideology that threatened to destroy entire nations, the peoples of Europe were delivered from him.
The participants in the battles go down in history, the children of the war are already elderly people, but the memory of that war will live on as long as people are able to appreciate freedom, honesty and courage.
On June 22, 1941, Nazi Germany attacked the Soviet Union. At 3:30 am when Nazi German troops received a prearranged signal "Dortmund", an artillery strike was suddenly launched at the Soviet border outposts and fortifications, and a few minutes later the enemy hordes invaded the USSR. Large forces of German aviation brought down thousands of tons of deadly cargo on Soviet airfields, bridges, warehouses, railways, naval bases, lines and communication centers, on sleeping cities. A giant fiery tornado raged in the border regions of the country. For the Soviet people, the cruel and incredibly difficult Great Patriotic War began.
At 12 noon, Molotov made an official address to the citizens of the USSR on the radio, announcing the German attack on the USSR and announcing the start of a Patriotic War. I think everyone has heard and knows the text of this appeal to the Soviet people:
Citizens and citizens of the Soviet Union!
The Soviet government and its head comrade. Stalin instructed me to make the following statement:
Today, at 4 o'clock in the morning, without presenting any claims against the Soviet Union, without declaring war, German troops attacked our country, attacked our borders in many places and bombed our cities - Zhytomyr, Kiev, Sevastopol, Kaunas from their aircraft. and some others, more than two hundred people were killed and wounded. Enemy aircraft raids and artillery shelling were also carried out from Romanian and Finnish territory.
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. The entire responsibility for this predatory attack on the Soviet Union falls entirely on the German fascist rulers.
"Today, at 4 o'clock in the morning ..." - this particular hour is considered the beginning of the Great Patriotic War. However, the Great Patriotic War began 47 minutes earlier, and not in Brest or on the Prut River, but in Sevastopol.
The war began for Sevastopol at 03:13 on June 22, 1941 with a German air raid. The first bombs flew on the city, mines were dropped into the water area of the bay.
The first mine fell directly into the waters of the Sevastopol Bay - in order to prevent the ships of the Black Sea Fleet from entering the sea. She fell almost at the very place where in the Crimean War, during the defense of Sevastopol, old wooden ships were flooded in order to prevent the Anglo-French squadron from entering the bay. There is also a monument, which is called just that - "Monument to the Scuttled Ships" (it is he in the picture). It was here that the Great Patriotic War began.
The second mine was also thrown for this purpose, but did not hit the water area, but fell on the street. Podgornaya and brought the first victims (about 20 people were killed and wounded). These were the first victims of the Great Patriotic War.
Mines descended on parachutes and exploded when they fell to the ground, several of them fell into the sea. Military experts have suggested that the enemy is dropping conventional anchor mines. On the evening of June 22, as a result of an underwater explosion, the SP-12 tugboat was killed, two days later - a 25-ton floating crane, then the destroyer Bystry. It turned out that the German troops used a new type of weapon - non-contact bottom magnetic mines, which exploded under the influence of the mass of ships passing over them. By placing electromagnetic mines in the fairways, the German command hoped to clog the main base of the Black Sea Fleet, and then destroy the ships with bomber strikes.
However, as a result of the successful work of the air defense forces, the Germans did not complete the task of blocking the Sevastopol bays with mines in order to destroy the fleet with bomber aircraft in the future. For a long time, enemy planes tried to mine the bay, the main fairway.
A means of combating non-contact mines was found by boatmen of the Division for the Protection of the Water Area. At high speed, the boats passed over the places where the fall of mines was noted, and dropped depth charges, from the explosion of which the mines detonated and exploded. But this method was not absolutely reliable and fraught with huge risks.
In order to quickly solve a complex problem, the headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet created a group of military engineers in early July. They were greatly assisted by the scientists of the Leningrad Institute of Physics and Technology E.E. Lysenko, Yu.S. Lazurkin, A.R. Regel, P.G. Stepanov and laboratory assistant K.K. Shcherbo. Soon the first electromagnetic trawl was created.
On August 9, 1941, physicists, later academicians, A.P. Aleksandrov and I.V. Kurchatov arrived in Sevastopol. The days of intense work came (after the departure of A.P. Aleksandrov, the leadership was carried out by Igor Vasilyevich Kurchatov). In a small house on the shore of Holland Bay, I.V. Kurchatov and his group managed to develop a demagnetization system in a uniquely short time. Scientists, together with specialists from the Black Sea Fleet, having carefully and comprehensively studied the fundamental foundations of the new weapon, theoretically substantiated the method of mine protection of ships by demagnetizing them. Based on their research, the special anti-mine treatment of warships before they go to sea gave positive results. The surface and submarine ships of the fleet treated in this way were not afraid of enemy magnetic mines.
Participants in the work on degaussing ships. In the first row - A.R. Regel, Yu.S. Lazurkin, V.D. Panchenko. In the second row - P.G. Stepanov, D.M. Gitelmacher. In the third - I.V. Kurchatov. 1941
Undermining an underwater mine produced by a special trawl developed by the group of I.V. Kurchatov.
The physical principle, in general, is quite simple - the mine sensor reacts to the ship's magnetic field, just like a compass needle. The idea underlying the work on protecting ships from non-contact mines was to demagnetize the ships. It was assumed that this could be done by compensating the magnetic field of the ship using special windings fixed on it, through which a direct current was passed. In this case, the magnetic field of the ship can be compensated by the magnetic field of the current to such an extent that the passage of the ship over the mine will not trigger the fuse, which has limited sensitivity.
The first work on degaussing ships was carried out even before the war, but in Sevastopol they worked with larger mines of a new design. By a decree of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR of April 10, 1942, A.P. Aleksandrov, I.V. Kurchatov and six other participants in the work were awarded the Stalin Prize of the first degree for the creation of effective methods for degaussing ships and their practical implementation. October 4, 1944 I.V. Kurchatov was awarded the order Red Banner of Labor for solving the same problem. The command of the Black Sea Fleet presented Kurchatov for the medal "For the Defense of Sevastopol". So we can say that the demagnetization of ships in order to protect them from mines also began to actively develop after this work by Alexandrov and Kurchatov in 1941 in Sevastopol.
On land, the enemy came out to Sevastopol only in October 41. Already in mid-September, German and Romanian troops began preparations for the invasion of the peninsula. Until mid-October, our troops managed to keep the enemy on the outskirts of the Crimea. However, on October 22, the Germans reached the last, Ishun line of defense of the Crimean isthmuses and, having captured them, on October 28 broke through to the steppe expanses of the peninsula, developing an offensive in the direction of Sevastopol and Kerch.
On October 29, 1941, a state of siege was introduced in Sevastopol. On October 30, 1941, the second heroic defense of Sevastopol began, which lasted 250 days - until July 4, 1942. From the first battles to last days defense defenders of the city showed dedication, unparalleled stamina and heroism. On November 4, the Sevastopol Defensive Region (SOR) was created to unite all the forces of the Main Base of the Black Sea Fleet. General management of the Main Base of the Black Sea Fleet and its defense was carried out by the Military Council of the Black Sea Fleet. As in the first defense of Sevastopol, Soviet sailors commanded the defense - the successors of Nakhimov, Kornilov, Istomin.
A. A. Deineka, "Defense of Sevastopol" (1942)
The city withstood two assaults (the first was an attempt by German troops to capture the city on the move during October 30 - November 21, 1941, the second - December 17-30). The last, summer assault began on June 7th. For the last, June, assault, both sides were preparing with all their strength: the Sevastopol residents - with the courage of despair, the Germans - with unprecedented frenzy. Their grouping was strengthened to 200 thousand people. The latest weapons were brought near Sevastopol, including the largest cannon of the Second World War "Dora", which was served by a whole division led by a general. One shell weighed 7 tons - it was visible in flight. But only 3 weeks later, from June 30, street fighting began. On the same day, an order was received from the Stavka to leave Sevastopol. However, organized resistance ended on 3 July. Separate centers resisted until June 12. The last defenders of Sevastopol fought on the Kherson Peninsula, on the legendary 35th battery (now there is a unique museum complex dedicated to the heroic defenders of Sevastopol - I recommend visiting everyone, you will not see this anywhere else).
If the defense of Sevastopol lasted 250 days, then the liberation took only a week. On May 5, as a result of a powerful offensive, German fortifications near the Mekenziev Mountains were broken through, and on May 7, Sapun Mountain was taken by storm. After 58 hours, by the end of the day on May 9, 1944, the city was liberated. Sevastopol. May 8, 1965 Sevastopol was awarded the title of Hero City (among the first 7: Leningrad, Odessa, Stalingrad, Kyiv, Brest Fortress and Moscow).
Memorial wall in honor of the heroic defense of Sevastopol and the Alley of Hero Cities Sevastopol (Republic of Crimea) (my photo). Two bayonets reflected by a soldier symbolize two reflected assaults.
Today, June 22, 2015 at 03:13 at the Memorial of the Heroic Defense of Sevastopol in 1941-1942, the All-Russian action "Candle of Memory" will take place.
On June 22, 1941, the German army invaded the territory of the USSR, and the Great Patriotic War began, in which about 27 million Soviet citizens died. This is a tragic date - sacred for each of us, today, on the Day of Memory and Sorrow, we remember and honor the feat of those who died in the Great Patriotic War.
The longest day of the year
With its cloudless weather
He gave us a common misfortune
For all, for all four years.
She so pressed the trace of the tour of the Reichstag
- Causes and preconditions of the war
- Nazism in Germany
- The beginning of the war
- Stages of war
- in the rear
- Soldiers of the invisible front
Addendum to the article:
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- The Great Patriotic War, in short, is the last major military conflict in which the USSR participated. The war was waged against Germany, which treacherously attacked the territory of the Soviet Union and violated the peace treaty.
- Speaking briefly about the Great Patriotic War, it is worth noting that at the same time it is one of the main stages of World War II.
Causes and preconditions of the war
- The fact is that the countries that lost the war found themselves in an extremely humiliated state, and did not agree with the conditions Treaty of Versailles. Germany, the instigator of the war, found itself in a particularly difficult situation, which was obliged to pay an indemnity that was beyond its strength, and did not have the right to have its own armed forces. In addition, she was excluded from participation in international affairs.
Nazism in Germany
- Not surprisingly, the population grew increasingly sympathetic to the National Socialist Party and its leader, Adolf Hitler. He refused to accept the results of the First World War and called on Germany for revenge and world domination. The humiliated country accepted these calls. With the advent of Hitler to power in 1933, Germany began to increase its military-industrial turnover at a gigantic pace.
The beginning of the war
- In 1939, Germany occupies Czechoslovakia and begins to make claims against Poland. The USSR proposes to create an alliance between England and France, but they do not dare to take this step. Churchill later admitted that this proposal should have been accepted.
- September 1, 1939, after the attack of Nazi Germany on Poland, the Second World War begins. The allies of the Polish state, England and France, also enter the war.
- By 1941, all of Europe, with the exception of Great Britain, is in the hands of Germany. After that, Hitler, in violation of all treaties, starts a war with the Soviet Union.
Stages of war
- The Great Patriotic War, in short, lasted 4 long years. As you know, the Soviet Union was practically not ready for war, because Stalin refused to believe the reports of counterintelligence about the exact date of the attack by the Nazi troops. He was offered a plan for a pre-emptive strike against Germany, but he rejected it. Germany itself was fully prepared to strike at the USSR (Blitzkrieg plan, Barbarossa plan), and preparations for war had been in full swing since 1940. In relation to the USSR, many plans were created.
- Near Leningrad, the enemy got stuck, unable to capture the city. started Leningrad blockade.
- By December 1941, German troops captured the territory of the Baltic republics, Belarus, part of Ukraine and advanced deep into the USSR by about 1200 km.
- The biggest and most significant battle of the Great Patriotic War, in short, this period, was battle for Moscow.
- For Hitler, this was the main event of his operation to seize the USSR. The battle for Moscow is divided into two stages - defense and offensive. Until December 1941, Soviet troops held the enemy on the outskirts of the capital. On December 5, a counteroffensive began, which developed into a general offensive of all troops. The German troops lost the battle for Moscow. It showed that the German army was not invincible.
- Stage 2 is associated with a radical change in the war in favor of the USSR. During this period from 1942 to 1943, two hardest battles took place, won by the Soviet troops very at a great cost- Stalingrad and Kursk.
- On the night of May 8-9, 1945, Germany signed the act of surrender.
- The history of the Great Patriotic War, briefly outlined, can describe the severity of this time extremely sparingly. In numbers, it looks like this: the total loss of life among the military and civilian population of the USSR amounted to almost 27 million people.
Major battles and combat operations
- Defense of the Brest Fortress
According to the plan developed by Hitler, to capture the first Soviet strategic object of the Brest 
the fortress was given only a few hours. The defenders of the fortress held out, despite the numerical superiority of the fascist invaders, for several days. Only after a week of incessant attacks and bombardments did the Nazis manage to capture part of the fortification. But even after the German units entered the territory of the fortress, they had to fight for almost a month with separate groups of soldiers of the Soviet army in order to gain a foothold in it.
- Smolensk battle
Twice as many people and 4 times as many tanks. The Nazis had such superiority when they launched an offensive on the Western Front, hoping to divide it in a short time and gain unhindered access to the country's capital.
But here, too, they miscalculated. Smolensk battle
, which was supposed to open the way to Moscow for enemy invaders, lasted two months.
Having suffered huge losses, the Soviet defenders, however, knocked down the arrogance of the enemy and significantly exhausted him.
- Fights for Ukraine
The capture of the largest industrial and agricultural Ukrainian region was one of the 
priority tasks of the Nazi army.
But even here the plans of the Fuhrer were violated. Fierce battles claimed hundreds of lives of the defenders of Ukraine.
But when they died, they took with them a lot of fascists.
As a result, the allied forces were forced to retreat, pushed back by superior enemy forces.
But the forces of the invaders were significantly undermined.
- Leningrad blockade
On the outskirts of Leningrad, the fascist army also met a completely unexpected obstacle. For about a month, despite all their efforts, they could not capture the city. Realizing the futility of their attempts, they decided to change tactics.
A long siege began, accompanied by almost incessant artillery strikes.
But the Nazis did not have to march in a victorious march along the Leningrad streets.
Steadfastly enduring all the hardships, the besieged continued to fight, and did not surrender the city.
The powerful ring of the blockade was broken only after almost a year and a half, and finally lifted a year later.
- Battle for the capital
After a long, exhausting and bloody 4 months (instead of the planned few days), the German 
the invaders were on the outskirts of Moscow. Fierce battles began to pave the way to this coveted goal.
At the end of October, the capital goes into a state of siege. A number of institutions were evacuated, many valuables were taken out. The defenders prepared to defend the heart of the Motherland to the last breath, to the last drop of blood.
Having begun the second stage of the offensive in November, the Nazis realized after a few weeks that they did not have enough strength to carry out their plan, and began to retreat. The myth of the invincibility of the Nazi army was finally debunked.
- Crimean direction. Sevastopol
At the end of October of the first year of the war, battles for Sevastopol began. Unable to enter the city immediately, the invaders decided to besiege it. The siege lasted 9 months.
In May 1942, several units of the Wehrmacht army concentrated on the approaches to the Crimean peninsula. Using aviation, they broke through the defenses of the Soviet troops, capturing Kerch, and then the entire peninsula.
After that, the defense of Sevastopol became even more complicated, and the Soviet troops were forced to retreat.
- Stalingrad
Deciding to take revenge for the failure at the approaches to the capital, the German invaders decided to isolate the south of the country, and 
cut it off from the central region and capture the largest waterway - the Volga.
In order to prevent these plans from being realized, Soviet troops begin preparations for defense in the Stalingrad direction.
Two major operations, lasting a total of 125 days, led to the fact that the invaders' troops were encircled by Soviet troops.
As a result, almost a hundred thousand Germans were captured.
There were a few fewer killed.
It was the most crushing defeat of the army of the Third Reich.
- Caucasian direction
More than a year there were battles in the North Caucasus direction.
Retreating at first, and leaving more and more cities to the enemy, the Soviet troops at the beginning of 1943 launched a counteroffensive.
It's time for the fascists to retreat.
Despite losses and difficulties, units of the allied army pressed the enemy until 10 months later they completed the liberation of the region.
- Fight for Kursk
Hitler's next plan of conquest, concerning the capture of Kursk, also ended in failure.
As part of 
defense offensive operations on the outskirts of the city, one of the largest tank battles in the history of this war took place (the Battle of Prokhorovka).
Here the Germans used their new tanks "Tiger" and "Panther", but due to the numerical superiority of both people and equipment, the Soviet troops managed to win.
As a result, starting in July 1943 with a large-scale offensive by the invaders, the operation ended 10 months later with an equally large retreat.
This defeat hastened the collapse of the Nazi coalition.
- Operation to liberate Smolensk
After a radical change, the army of the Soviet Union moved from defensive actions to an active offensive.
One of the first offensive operations was the Smolensk campaign.
Carefully thought out, it consisted of three stages, the consistent and systematic implementation of which led to the liberation of the city and the advance of the Red Army several hundred kilometers to the west.
- Left bank of Ukraine
The Nazis attached great importance to the Donbass, and after the Soviet troops went on the offensive, they all 
they tried to keep this city for themselves.
But, when the risk of a new encirclement and a repetition of the events near Stalingrad arose, the German troops began to retreat.
At the same time, they tried to devastate the territories they left as much as possible. Destroying industrial enterprises and all infrastructure, they exterminated the population or drove it to Germany.
Only the too rapid advance of the Soviet army prevented them from completely destroying the region.
Donbass, Bransk, Sumy - cities one after another were freed from the fascist yoke.
Completely liberating left-bank Ukraine, formations of the USSR army went to the Dnieper.
- Crossing the Dnieper
Hitler was sure to the last that the Soviet troops would not be able to cross the Dnieper.
However, here, too, he miscalculated.
Not giving the German units a solid foothold on the opposite bank, the allied army began forcing the water barrier.
On September 21, under heavy Nazi fire, the forward detachments, having crossed the river, entered into fierce battles, thereby allowing the rest of the troops and equipment to freely pass the river barrier.
The crossing continued for several days, and following its results, more than 2 thousand of its participants were awarded the high title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
- Crimean liberation
From the beginning of April 1944, a number of Soviet military formations began the systematic implementation of the plan for 
liberation of Sevastopol and the entire Crimean peninsula.
Reclaiming one settlement after another, they moved towards the goal.
As a result of the assault, Sevastopol was liberated (May 9, 1944).
The Nazis tried to hide from the victors at Cape Khersones, but were finally defeated.
More than 20 thousand people, as well as hundreds of pieces of military equipment and weapons, ended up in the hands of Soviet soldiers.
- Liberation of Europe
After the lifting of the Leningrad blockade and the liberation of Russian territories everywhere from the Nazi invaders, the Soviet army continued its march through the territory of neighboring and then other foreign countries occupied by the Nazis.
Among the largest liberation-offensive operations of the military units of the Soviet Union, Minsk and Polotsk (carried out simultaneously), Vilnius, Narva, Yassko-Chisinau, East Carpathian, Baltic and others are noted.
The East Prussian operation was of particular importance, since the territory of this country served not only as a springboard for an attack on the USSR, but also reliably blocked access to the center of Germany.
One of the main points that the Nazis held on to was Koenigsberg. It was considered the best German fortress and impregnable bastion.
But as a result of a three-day assault, both this stronghold and Hitler's hope threw out the white flag.
- Final (Berlin) operation
The apogee of the entire offensive campaign of the Soviet army was the battle for Berlin, on which, in fact, depended 
final outcome of the war.
Fights were fought for every house, for every street, the shots did not stop day or night, until the complete surrender of the Nazis.
in the rear
The victory of the Soviet army in the Great Patriotic War would have been impossible without a reliable rear. "Everything for the front!" This idea was lived by millions of Soviet people in regions that were not directly affected by hostilities.
One of the priority tasks from the first days of the war was the restructuring of the entire national economy and industry in a new direction.
Many enterprises hastily evacuated from hot battlefields to more peaceful areas of the country: Central Asia, Kazakhstan, to the Urals and Western Siberia.
At the new location, the enterprises were assembled in a short time and began to issue products for the front. Sometimes 
machine tools and machines began to work long before factory walls and roofs were erected around them. In parallel, the training of new specialists in the operation of equipment from among the local population was going on.
Wives, sisters, children replaced their husbands, fathers and brothers, leaving for the front, at the machines.
12-13-year-old teenagers who did not reach the working part of the equipment made footrests for themselves and worked on an equal basis with adults. After intense shifts, many of them stayed in the workshop and went to bed here, so that in a few hours they would start the next work shift again.
Most of the engineering enterprises during the war produced various types of weapons.
By the middle of the second year of the war, it was possible to fully adapt the economy to the realities of wartime. By this time, more than 1,000 evacuated enterprises have resumed their work in a new place. In addition, another 850 new facilities were created (factories, power plants, mines, etc.)
According to the results of the second half of the year, 1.1 times more weapons were produced in the country than in the first half of the same year. The production of mortars increased 1.3 times, the production of mines and shells almost doubled, and the production of aircraft increased 1.6 times. Significant progress was also made in the assembly of tanks.
An equally important area of rear work was the preparation of reserves for the front. Therefore, from the first days of 
military training included not only professional educational institutions, but also volunteer organizations that trained shooters, machine gunners and other specialists. At the same time, medical and sanitary personnel were trained.
The agricultural complex also faced a difficult task. Despite the reduction in the number of collective farms and the deterioration of their material and technical base, it was necessary to supply the population and the front with food, and industry with raw materials. At the cost of incredible efforts, sown agricultural areas were increased in areas remote from the front line. And here, women who replaced men who had gone to war mastered new professions of combine operators, tractor drivers, drivers, etc. And together with their children, without sleep and rest, they worked in the fields and farms in order to give the front and industry everything they needed.
Soldiers of the invisible front
The partisans made a great contribution to the common victory in the Great Patriotic War. These invisible fighters did not give the Nazis any sleep or rest, constantly carrying out sabotage activities in their rear.
At times, the population of entire villages adjoined the partisan detachments. Hiding in hard-to-reach forests and swamps, they constantly dealt tangible blows to the invaders.
The armament of the partisans consisted, most often, of light rifles, grenades, carbines. However, large groups sometimes even had mortars and artillery pieces. In general, the equipment depended on the region where the detachment was stationed, and on its purpose.
Men, women, old people and children - in total on the territory of the Union, captured by the Nazi occupiers 
more than 6,000 units were active. And the total number of partisans was 1 million people. Many of them, following the results of the war, were awarded various orders and medals, and 248 received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
Partisan detachments during the Second World War were not scattered, spontaneously created groups of discontented population. On the contrary, they were part of one large, well-organized and well-functioning structure. She had her own command, she existed quite legally and obeyed the leadership of the country.
All activities of the movement were controlled by special bodies, and were regulated by a number of legislative acts.
To the main goals guerrilla war included causing the greatest damage to the military infrastructure of the Nazis, violating the frequency of food supplies, etc. - everything that could destabilize the work of the Nazi well-established system.
In addition to sabotage activities, the partisans also participated in reconnaissance operations. They made every effort and invented hundreds of ways to get papers and documents with plans for the Wehrmacht leadership to deploy military operations.
At the same time, partisan formations carried out their subversive activities not only in the occupied territory of the Union, but also in Germany. All obtained documents were forwarded to the headquarters so that the Soviet command was aware of when and where to expect an attack, and the troops could be redeployed and prepared in a timely manner.
At the beginning of the war average population partisan detachment could be 10-15 people. Later this number 
increased to 100 or more. Sometimes several detachments were combined into brigades. Therefore, if necessary, the partisans could also accept an open battle. Although very few such cases are known.
In addition, the participants in the partisan movement were active in propaganda and agitation among the population, especially those living under occupation. The country's leadership was well aware that in order to win the war, it is necessary that the population unconditionally believe and trust the state. Members partisan detachments they even tried to organize uprisings of the population against the hated fascist invaders.
In fairness, it should be noted that not all partisan formations supported the Soviet regime. There were also those who fought for the independence of their region from both the Nazis and the USSR.