Battles of the Great Patriotic War. The main battles, operations and battles of the Great Patriotic War

The Second World War left its small part in the history of each nation. This truly horrifying 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 historic period has become truly a watershed for the peoples of modern Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and other countries of the USSR. This war was a test of courage, bravery and will of the great Soviet people.

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

To date, historians are constantly discussing the main battles of the Great Patriotic War. Many facts have not been disclosed so far, because of "great love" for the secrets of the Soviet government. Nevertheless, we can distinguish the main stages and battles of the Great Patriotic War. But before describing them, it is necessary to recall the reasons that led to the military conflict between Hitler's Germany and the Stalinist USSR.

The Great Patriotic War - reasons

As we know, September 1, 1939 , the Second World War began. The main escalation of the conflict was on the part of Germany in the West. At this time, German Nazism developed in its classical form. The power of Hitler was boundless. Although this charismatic leader actually declared war on all states, the USSR was not in a hurry to join it because of the concluded non-aggression pact.

It was signed on August 23, 1939. The treaty stipulated a neutral attitude of the USSR towards war, which Germany will conduct against the countries of the West and Europe. Cooperation in the field of activities with other countries was also approved. Both sides were forbidden to participate in alliances, which somehow contradict their interests. For such a "tolerance" on the part of the Soviet Union, Germany pledged to return part of its lost territory. There is also a secret protocol, in which the parties stipulated the division of power in Eastern Europe and Poland. In fact, this treaty was concluded with the goal of further establishing mutual world domination. But there was one problem. From the very beginning, Germany did not want peace with the USSR. Of course, it was profitable in the early stages of the war, but there was no question of any mutual domination.

The further actions of Germany can be called only one word - betrayal. This dastardly step gave rise to the great battles of the Great Patriotic War. Already on June 22, 1941, Germany officially attacks the USSR. Since that time, the Great Patriotic War begins. Next, we will consider the main battles of the Great Patriotic War, which play an important role in the history of this period.

The Moscow battle

The Wehrmacht troops used specific offensive tactics. Their attack was based on the interaction of all kinds of troops. At first the enemy was subjected to a heavy bombardment from the air. The tanks immediately followed the tanks, which literally burned out enemy troops. At the very end, the German infantry began to operate. Thanks to this tactic, enemy troops, led by General Bock, already in September 1941 made their way to the center of the Soviet Union - Moscow. At the very beginning of the offensive, the German army numbered 71.5 divisions, which is approximately 1,700,000. Also in its composition, there were 1,800 tanks, 15,100 guns, 1,300 aircraft. According to these indicators, the German side was more than the Soviet side about five times.

September 30, 1941, the Germans launched an offensive against 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 was left with forces only for a positional war, so in January 1942 the Germans were routed and thrown 100 kilometers from Moscow. This victory dispelled the myth of the invincibility of the Fuhrer's army. Moscow was the frontier that needed to be overcome on the road to victory. The German army did not cope with this task, so the war eventually Hitler lost. But the battles of the Great Patriotic War do not end there. Below we will consider a truly crucial moment in the course of this global conflict.

The Battle of Stalingrad

Today we can single out a lot of events that the Great Patriotic War is known for. The Battle of Stalingrad is the turning point, which led to a devastating number of failures of the German army. The period of the Battle of Stalingrad can be conditionally divided into two stages: the beginning and the counter-offensive. July 17, 1942 began the famous battle of Stalingrad. At this stage, German troops stopped in the vicinity of the city. The Soviet army did not want to surrender it to the last. The forces of the Soviet Union were commanded by Lieutenant-General Vatutin and Marshal Timoshenko. They managed to completely paralyze the Germans, but the Soviet troops were surrounded. In the city there were constant skirmishes between small groups of Soviet and German soldiers. According to memories of veterans: "In Stalingrad was a real hell." In one of the Museums of Volgograd (the former Stalingrad) is stored quite an interesting exhibit: bullets that hit each other. This indicates the intensity of military operations in the city. As for strategic importance, it actually did not exist. This city was important to Hitler as a symbol of Stalin's power. Therefore, it was necessary to take it, and most importantly, to keep. It follows that the city became the center of a clash of interests during the period of the Great Patriotic War. The Battle of Stalingrad made it possible to evaluate and compare the might of the two ideological titans of the 20th century.

Counterattack near Stalingrad

The German army headed by General Paulus, at the time of the counteroffensive, numbered 1,010,600 people, 600 tanks, 1,200 combat aircraft and about 10,000 guns. The Soviet Union had practically the same number of military and military equipment. Significant forces, which our party brought up during the siege, allowed November 20, 1942 to go on the offensive and encircle the Germans.

By the evening of January 31, 1943, the Stalingrad German grouping had been liquidated. Such results were achieved thanks to the well-coordinated work of the three main fronts of the USSR. The Battle of Stalingrad is glorified on a par 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 resume its combat power. Moreover, the German command could not even imagine that the city would leave the encirclement. But it happened, and further events did not develop in favor of the Fuhrer.

The Great Patriotic War: The Battle of Kursk

After the events in the city of Stalingrad, the army of Germany was never able to recover, yet it still posed a serious threat. On the Kursk Bulge (the formed front line after the victory at Stalingrad), German troops collected a considerable number of their forces. The Soviet side was going to conduct a powerful attack in the region of the city of Kursk. At the first stages, the German troops had significant victories. They were commanded by such famous German commanders as G. Kluge and Manstein. The main task of the Soviet troops was to prevent the new advance of the Nazi army "Center" deep into the mainland. The situation changed radically on July 12, 1943.

The Battle of Prokhorov, 1943

Great battles of the Great Patriotic War were unpredictable. One of these battles is the tank confrontation under the village of Prokhorovka. It was attended by more than 1,000 tanks and ACS from both sides. After this battle, there are no questions about who will win the war. The German army was defeated, although not completely. After the Battle of Prokhorov, Soviet troops were able to launch a large-scale offensive on Belgorod and Kharkov. This actually ends the history of the Kursk confrontation, the most massive battle of the Great Patriotic War, which opened the doors of the USSR for the conquest of Berlin.

The Taking of Berlin in 1945

The Berlin operation played a final role in the history of the German-Soviet confrontation. The purpose of its conduct was the defeat of the German troops, which were formed near the city of Berlin.

Near the city the army of the group "Center" was stationed, as well as the military group "Vistula" under the command of Heinrits and Scherner. On the part of the USSR, an army consisting of three fronts under the command of marshals Zhukov, Konev and Rokossovsky took the lead. The capture of Berlin ended in German surrender on May 9, 1945.

The main battles of the Great Patriotic War are being completed at this stage. Already literally a few months later, on September 2, 1945, the Second World War ended.

Conclusion

So, in the article were considered the most important battles of the Great Patriotic War. The list can be supplemented by other equally important and famous events, but our article lists the most epic and memorable battles. For today it is impossible to imagine a person who would not have known about the exploit of the great Soviet soldiers.