Patriotic War 1941 45. Facts

THE GREAT PATRIOTIC WAR of 1941-45, the war of liberation of the peoples of the USSR against Nazi Germany and its allies, the most important and decisive part of the Second World War of 1939-45.

Situation on the eve of the war... The situation in the world in the spring of 1941 was characterized by the complexity of interstate relations, which concealed the danger of expanding the scale of the Second World War, which began in September 1939. The aggressive bloc of Germany, Italy and Japan (see the Pact of the Three Powers of 1940) expanded, and Romania, Bulgaria, and Slovakia joined it. Even before the start of World War II, the USSR proposed creating a system collective security in Europe, however, the Western powers did not support him. Under the circumstances, the USSR was forced in 1939 to conclude a non-aggression pact with Germany (see Soviet-German treaties of 1939), which allowed it to strengthen its defense capability for almost 2 more years. Simultaneously with the agreement, a "secret additional protocol" was signed, which delimited the "spheres of mutual interests" of the USSR and Germany and actually imposed on the latter an obligation not to extend its military and political activity to states and territories that the USSR considered its "sphere of interests."

Germany in 1938-41 annexed Austria (see Anschluss), the Sudetenland, part of the territories of Poland and Lithuania, occupied Denmark, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, a significant part of Poland and France, Yugoslavia, Greece, establishing a "new order" in them ... The militarization of the economy and all life of Germany, the seizure of industry and reserves of strategy, raw materials, the forced use of cheap labor from the occupied and allied states allowed the Nazis to mobilize the enormous military and economic potential of almost all of continental Europe. Germany's military production from 1934 to 1940 increased 22 times. The number of the German armed forces by the middle of 1941 amounted to about 7.3 million people and outnumbered the Soviet armed forces by almost 1.3 times. The ground forces (about 5.2 million people) numbered about 208 divisions (169 infantry, 21 tank, 14 motorized, etc.), 6 separate brigades. The German army had over 5.6 thousand tanks and assault guns, more than 71.5 thousand guns and mortars, about 10 thousand aircraft (including 5.7 thousand combat). By June 1941, the Navy consisted of 207 warships of the main classes, including 122 submarines. The German army had a successful experience of 2 years of war, with the massive use of tanks and aircraft. The military defeat of the USSR was viewed by the Hitlerite leadership as an important stage on the way to conquering world domination. In Germany, the ideological indoctrination of the population and the army was widely carried out, racism, extreme chauvinism - the "superiority" of the Aryan race, the "need" for Germany to conquer "a new living space in the East" were promoted.

By 1941, the territory of the USSR was 22.1 million km 2, the population was 194.1 million. The average annual industrial output in the Soviet Union grew by 13% over the 3 pre-war years, and defense output by 39%. In the production of mechanical engineering products, oil and coal production, the production of tractors, electricity, cast iron, steel and cement, the USSR became one of the leading countries in the world. The Soviet government, taking into account the specifics of the international situation, took measures to strengthen the defense capability of the USSR. The entry into the USSR in 1939-40 of Western Ukraine, Western Belarus, Bessarabia, Northern Bukovina, the Baltic republics, the annexation of the Karelian Isthmus and some territories in the northwest (see the Soviet-Finnish War of 1939-40) had an extremely important military strategic importance. This made it possible to significantly reduce the western border of the USSR, and, consequently, the front of the probable invasion of German troops, to move the state border away from the vital centers of the country (Moscow, Leningrad, Kiev, Minsk, Odessa and Murmansk). The USSR received ice-free ports on the Baltic Sea, which significantly improved the operational capabilities of the Soviet Navy. By the middle of 1941, the Soviet state had the material and technical base that ensured the mass production of military equipment and weapons, the work of industry and transport was being restructured, a defense industry was created, the armed forces were deployed, their technical re-equipment was underway, the training of military personnel was expanded, and appropriations for military needs increased. ... New defense plants were built and existing ones expanded at a rapid pace. By June 1941, the Soviet Armed Forces numbered about 5.7 million people and consisted of the Ground Forces (Land Forces), the Air Force, the Navy, the Air Defense Forces and the NKVD troops (border and internal troops). The ground forces were armed with over 110 thousand guns and mortars, over 23 thousand tanks, of which 18.7 thousand were combat-ready. The Air Defense Forces had 4.5 thousand anti-aircraft guns, the Air Force had about 13 thousand serviceable combat aircraft, the Navy had 276 combat ships of the main classes, including 211 submarines. At the same time, the economic capabilities of the USSR did not allow in a short time to equip the armed forces with new small arms, artillery, tank and aviation weapons and military equipment, to complete the construction of defensive lines on the new border. In the Red Army, after the political "purges" of the late 1930s, there was an acute shortage of experienced command personnel, especially from the division commander and above. The training of junior commanders of the Red Army was at a low level. In order to compensate for the losses in personnel and to meet the growing need for them in connection with the deployment of the armed forces, in 1940-41 the network of military academies, schools, courses was expanded. A significant number of commanders were called up from the reserve, some of the repressed were returned to service. But it was not possible to completely correct the situation with cadres before the start of the war (the shortage of command and control personnel was about 20%).

Germany and its satellites concentrated 182 divisions (including 19 tank and 14 motorized) against the USSR - a total of over 5 million people, about 4.4 thousand tanks and assault guns, 47.2 thousand guns and mortars, about 4.5 thousand combat aircraft and over 190 warships. By the summer of 1941, the German command completed the strategic deployment of troops along the western borders of the USSR in 3 strategic directions. In accordance with the Barbarossa plan, it was envisaged to defeat the USSR in a fleeting campaign: to destroy the main forces of the Red Army west of the Dnieper, Western Dvina line, preventing them from retreating inland. Moscow, Leningrad, Kiev, Donbass were considered the most important strategic objects, with a special role assigned to Moscow. It was assumed that her capture would be decisive for the outcome of the war. 3 groups of troops were created. Army Group North, deployed in East Prussia, was tasked with crushing Soviet troops in the Baltic and seizing ports on the Baltic Sea, including Leningrad and Kronstadt. Army Group Center, concentrated on the main (Moscow) direction, was supposed to cut the strategic defense front, encircle and destroy the Red Army troops in Belarus and develop an offensive against Moscow. Army Group South was deployed in the Kiev direction, with the task of destroying Soviet troops in the Right-Bank Ukraine, reaching the Dnieper and developing an offensive to the east. The German army "Norway" and 2 Finnish armies were deployed on the territory of Norway and Finland. Army "Norway" had the task of capturing Murmansk and Polyarny, Finnish troops - to assist Army Group "North" in the capture of Leningrad. The reserve of the main command of the German ground forces was 24 divisions. In the war against the USSR, the leaders of Germany planned to enslave and physically exterminate millions of Soviet people, which was envisaged by the general plan "Ost", to carry out the ruthless exploitation of the surviving population, natural and industrial resources of the occupied territories. Since from February 1941 German troops were concentrated on the western borders of the USSR, in May, 800 thousand reservists were called up for training sessions to complete a number of Red Army formations, and troops began to move from the internal districts to the west. However, by 22.6.1941, the Red Army did not manage to complete the mobilization measures and the full deployment of the plan to cover the state border.

The first period of the war (22.6.1941 -18.11.1942). At dawn on 6/22/1941, Germany, treacherously violating the 1939 non-aggression pact, attacked the USSR (Italy, Romania, Finland, Hungary and Slovakia soon took their side). Enemy aircraft launched massive strikes against airfields, railway junctions, naval bases, places of permanent deployment of troops and many cities to a depth of 250-300 km from the state border. The Great Patriotic War began, and the Soviet-German front became the main front of World War II. The first to enter the battle were the border troops and divisions of the Red Army, located near the border. The powerful blow of the enemy and the rapid advance of his tank and motorized formations disrupted the control of the Soviet troops, which, with heavy fighting, were forced to retreat inland. In the border battles of 1941, Soviet troops, inflicting counterattacks on the enemy and slowing down his advance, despite numerous encirclements, with staunch defense in the Smolensk forests, near Leningrad and Kiev, did not allow the Wehrmacht to win decisive victories.

The Soviet government and the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) took a number of emergency measures to mobilize all the resources of the state to repel aggression, restructure the life and activities of the country on a war footing.

The Presidium of the USSR Armed Forces announced the mobilization of persons liable for military service born in 1905-18. On the basis of the directorates and troops of the border military districts, the Northern, Northwestern, Western, Southwestern and Southern fronts were created (later other fronts were created, their number changed). The sea borders were defended by the Northern, Baltic and Black Sea fleets. On June 23, the Headquarters of the High Command was created for the strategic leadership of the armed forces (see Headquarters of the Supreme High Command). The General Staff became its working body. Based on the current situation, the Soviet command at the end of June made a decision to go over to strategic defense on the entire Soviet-German front. The troops of the 1st strategic echelon were tasked with preparing a system of echeloned defensive zones and lines in the areas of the enemy's main attacks, relying on them, stopping it and gaining time to prepare a counteroffensive. In the first days of the war, the leadership of the USSR developed a program for restructuring the activities of party and state bodies in accordance with the tasks of mobilizing all forces to fight the enemy, which was set out in the Directive of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR and the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks dated 06/29/1941 to the party and Soviet organizations of the front-line regions ... In order to unite the efforts of the front and rear, all power in the country was concentrated in the hands of the State Defense Committee (GKO) formed on June 30, 1941, consisting of: I. V. Stalin (chairman), V. M. Molotov (deputy chairman), K. Ye. Voroshilov, G.M. Malenkov, L.P. Beria (in February 1942 A.I. Mikoyan, N.A.Voznesensky, L.M. Kaganovich were additionally introduced into the GKO; in November 1944, N. A. Bulganin). The provisions of the Directive were set out in Stalin's radio speech on 3.7.1941. GKO resolutions were binding on party, Soviet, trade union, Komsomol organizations and military bodies, for all citizens of the USSR. On June 23, a mobilization plan for the production of ammunition was put into effect, on June 30, a mobilization National Economic Plan for the 3rd quarter of 1941 was approved. In connection with the threat to important economic regions in the west and south of the country, it was necessary to immediately move industrial enterprises to the Urals, Siberia, the Volga region, Central Asia (see Evacuation 1941-42). On June 24, the Council for the Evacuation of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR was formed, headed by N.M.Shvernik. In the eastern regions in the second half of 1941, according to incomplete data, the equipment of about 2.6 thousand industrial enterprises (including over 1.5 thousand large ones) was relocated, 30-40% of workers, engineers and technicians were evacuated. At the same time, grain and food supplies, tens of thousands of tractors and agricultural machines, and other material and cultural values \u200b\u200bwere taken to the rear. In the second half of 1941, the collective and state farms of the eastern regions of the country received about 2.4 million head of cattle displaced from the front line. Hundreds of scientific institutes, laboratories, schools, libraries, as well as unique works of art from museums in Moscow, Leningrad, Kiev and other cities were evacuated inland. The people's militia was organized. The formation of new formations began in the rear. On July 10, in order to bring the strategic leadership closer to the troops, the High Command of the troops of the North-West, West and South-West directions were created. To improve the material support of the troops of the army in the field, by the decision of the State Defense Committee dated 7/28/1941, the Main Directorate of Logistics and the post of Chief of Logistics of the Red Army (Lieutenant General A.V. Khrulev) were established. At the end of June 1941, a decision was made on the mass mobilization of communists and Komsomol members to the front. On the basis of the decision of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the CPSU (b), the Presidium of the USSR Armed Forces on July 16, 1941 adopted a resolution "On the reorganization of political propaganda bodies and the introduction of the institution of military commissars in the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army", which on July 20 was extended to the Navy. On July 18, the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks adopted a resolution "On organizing the struggle in the rear of the German troops." It obliged the republican, regional and district committees of the party to deploy a network of underground party organizations behind enemy lines, to lead the actions of partisan detachments, sabotage groups, and combat squads (see Partisan movement). On September 17, 1941, universal compulsory military training of the population was introduced (see Vsevobuch), which covered over 9.8 million people.

In the summer and autumn of 1941, there were fierce battles on the fronts. In the northwestern direction, the enemy managed to reach the close approaches to Leningrad and cut the land communications connecting the city with the country. The battle of Leningrad in 1941-44 had a significant impact on the course of hostilities in other sectors of the Soviet-German front, fettered large forces of German troops and the Finnish army. On the Moscow direction in the Smolensk battle of 1941, which unfolded on a front up to 650 km and up to 250 km deep, Soviet troops by counterattacks forced German troops to go over to the defensive in the main direction for the first time during World War II. In these battles, the Soviet Guard was born (see Soviet Guard). In July, for the first time, a new Soviet weapon was used - rocket launchers - "Katyusha". In July - September, there were fierce battles in the southwestern direction, where the enemy was rushing to Kiev (see the Kiev operation of 1941). In August, Soviet troops were forced to withdraw to Odessa (see Odessa Defense 1941), and in mid-September they left Kiev, in October - November 1941 - the western regions of Donbass. German troops broke through to the Crimea, the heroic defense of Sevastopol began (see Sevastopol Defense 1941-42), in November 1941 they captured Rostov. In the summer-autumn campaign of 1941, the Soviet Armed Forces suffered the heaviest losses in the entire Great Patriotic War (irrecoverable - over 2.5 million people, sanitary - over 1.1 million people, captured and missing - over 2.2 million people ). The battle of Smolensk and the defense of Leningrad, Kiev, Odessa, Sevastopol contributed to the disruption of the German "blitz-krieg" plan. In late September - early October, the enemy resumed the offensive in the Moscow direction and came close to the capital, in which a state of siege was declared on October 20 (see Battle of Moscow 1941-42). Some government offices were evacuated, buildings in the Kremlin were covered with a camouflage net. In the defensive battle near Moscow, Soviet troops displayed heroism and exceptional fortitude. At the beginning of December, the bloodless shock group of German troops was forced to go on the defensive. The success of the Battle of Moscow was facilitated by the defense of Tula, the Tikhvin offensive operation of 1941 and the Rostov operation of 1941. In early December, the Soviet counter-offensive began near Moscow, which grew into a general offensive, and for the first time since the beginning of World War II, German troops suffered a major defeat. The victory of the Red Army near Moscow finally thwarted the "blitzkrieg" plan and dispelled the myth of the invincibility of the German army. Enemy troops went over to the defensive along the entire Soviet-German front. This made it possible to gain time for the formation of new Soviet units and formations, the restructuring of the national economy on a war footing. However, the military leadership of the USSR overestimated its strength and launched a winter offensive in three strategic directions. Unsuccessful operations in Crimea, to unblock Leningrad (encirclement of the 2nd shock army of the Volkhov Front) and especially near Kharkov in the summer of 1942 (see the Kharkov operation of 1942) again created an extremely difficult situation on the Soviet-German front.

The efforts of Soviet foreign policy in the summer and autumn of 1941 were aimed at creating an anti-Hitler coalition. In July 1941, the Soviet government signed an agreement on joint actions in the war against Germany with the governments of Great Britain, Czechoslovakia and Poland. A significant role in the development of allied relations between the three powers was played by the 1941 Moscow conference of representatives of the USSR, Great Britain and the United States on the issue of military supplies to the USSR (the so-called Lend-Lease), held on 29.9-1.10.1941 (see Moscow conferences 1941-43). In May - June 1942, during negotiations between the USSR, the USA and Great Britain, a decision was reached to create a second front in Europe in 1942.

Despite the unsuccessful operations of the Red Army in the spring of 1942, the German command no longer had the strength to conduct offensive operations simultaneously on the entire Soviet-German front, and in the summer of 1942 concentrated its main efforts in the south in order to reach the oil regions of the Caucasus and fertile regions Don, Kuban, Lower Volga. The German leadership hoped that the victorious end of the campaign would draw Turkey and Japan into the war against the USSR. The enemy again seized the strategic initiative and at the end of June 1942 launched a general offensive. In mid-July, German troops entered the great bend of the Don, creating a real threat of a breakthrough to the Volga and the Caucasus. On July 17, the Battle of Stalingrad 1942-1943 began. During the defense of the Caucasus (see Battle for the Caucasus 1942-43), which lasted from July to December, the Red Army troops thwarted the enemy command's plan to capture the Caucasus, gaining time to prepare for the offensive. In May - September 1942, the Soviet command conducted several offensive operations in the northwestern, western directions (Demyansk and Rzhev-Sychev operations in 1942) and the defensive Voronezh-Voroshilovgrad operation in 1942.

In general, the first period of the war was the most difficult for the Soviet people and their armed forces. German troops seized a part of the territory in which about 42% of the population lived before the war, 1/3 of the gross industrial output of the USSR and a significant part of food were produced. However, the German leadership did not achieve its goals in the war with the USSR. In the winter of 1941/42, German troops were defeated on the Soviet-German front for the first time in the years of World War II. As a result of the heroic efforts of the working people, by the end of 1942 a well-coordinated war economy was created in the USSR. By the end of the first period of the war, the combat skill of the commanders, all the personnel of the Red Army had grown, experience was gained in organizing defense, offensive and all types of support for troops and their combat operations, using reserves, organizing the combat use of various types of troops, as well as types of armed forces.

The second period of the war (11/19/1942 - late 1943). By the second half of November 1942, the situation on the Soviet-German front remained tense. The second front in Western Europe was not opened, the USSR continued to fight alone against the bloc of aggressor states. The enemy additionally transferred 67 divisions to the Soviet-German front, formed 16 new ones, and by November 1942 had 266 divisions here (over 6.2 million men), about 52 thousand guns and mortars, over 5 thousand tanks and assault guns, 3.5 thousands of combat aircraft, 194 warships (the maximum number of enemy troops on the Soviet-German front). However, despite the difficult conditions in which the Soviet state was, already in the second half of 1942, the war industry produced more weapons than the war industry in Germany. By November 1942, the Soviet active army numbered about 6.6 million people, over 78 thousand guns and mortars (excluding anti-aircraft guns), over 7.3 thousand tanks, and over 4.5 thousand combat aircraft. An increase in the production of military equipment and weapons, equipping troops with them made it possible in the second half of 1942 to create tank armies of mixed composition, tank and mechanized corps, artillery reserve divisions of the Supreme High Command (VGK), to form air armies, uniform aviation formations. The organizational structure of the Navy, the country's air defense troops, and special forces received further development, and strategic reserves were created.

Under these conditions, the Headquarters of the Supreme Command set the Red Army the task during the winter of 1942/43 to defeat the enemy troops on the southern wing of the Soviet-German front and at the same time improve the strategic position near Moscow and Leningrad. 11/19/1942 began a counter-offensive by Soviet troops near Stalingrad, during which 22 divisions and 160 separate units of German troops (330 thousand people) were surrounded. The strategic initiative finally passed to the Red Army. The battle of Stalingrad in 1942-43, in which more than 3.2 million people participated on both sides at the same time, was a fundamental turning point in the war. The victory at Stalingrad strengthened the anti-Hitler coalition, intensified the struggle of the peoples of Europe against the occupiers, Turkey and Japan abandoned their intention to oppose the USSR. On the Caucasian direction, Soviet troops, having launched an offensive in January, advanced 500-600 km by early April 1943, liberating most of the North Caucasus. In January 1943, Soviet troops broke through the blockade of Leningrad. In January - February 1943, the Ostrogozh-Rossosh and Voronezh-Kastornen enemy groupings were completely defeated. Despite defeats in the winter of 1942/43, Germany still had great military power. In an effort to regain the strategic initiative, the German leadership, having carried out a total mobilization in Germany and the satellite countries, using the absence of a second front, in the summer of 1943 launched an offensive in the region of the Kursk salient (see Battle of Kursk 1943). As a result of the Battle of Kursk, the last attempt of the German command to seize the strategic initiative was thwarted, the German troops suffered irreparable losses (about 500 thousand people out of 900 thousand people who participated in the battle, a large amount of weapons) and were forced to go over to strategic defense on the entire Soviet-German front. She had a decisive impact on the development of World War II. A general strategic offensive of the Red Army began on a front over 2 thousand km - from Velikiye Luki to the Black Sea. Soviet troops liberated Smolensk (see Smolensk operation 1943) and Bryansk, rapidly advanced towards the middle reaches of the Dnieper (see Battle for the Dnieper 1943), liberated Donbass, the Taman Peninsula, and then Kiev (see Kiev operation 1943). By mid-December, Soviet troops liberated part of the Kalinin region, the entire Smolensk region, part of the Polotsk, Vitebsk, Mogilev and Gomel regions, crossed the Desna, Sozh, Dnieper, Pripyat, Berezina rivers and reached Polesie, the liberation of the eastern regions of Belarus began. From November 1942 to December 1943, the Red Army advanced 500-1300 km and liberated about 50% of the territory occupied by the enemy. During this period, from 236 to 266 divisions of Germany and its allies operated on the Soviet-German front, many of which were defeated. Soviet troops destroyed up to 7 thousand tanks, 14.3 thousand combat aircraft, about 50 thousand guns, sunk 296 ships and vessels of various classes. Partisans inflicted great damage on the enemy. By the middle of 1943, about 250 thousand partisans and underground fighters fought in the occupied territory, partisan territories and districts were created. The centralized leadership of the struggle behind enemy lines was carried out by the republican and regional headquarters of the partisan movement, headed by the Central Headquarters of the partisan movement. Large partisan detachments were transformed into brigades and divisions, military ranks were assigned to the command personnel. In 1943, partisans carried out major operations to destroy communication lines with the code names "Rail War" and "Concert". The defeat of the German troops in the battle of Kursk and the arrival of the Red Army on the Dnieper ended in a radical turning point not only in the Great Patriotic War, but also during the entire Second World War. The successes of the Soviet troops gave impetus to the Resistance Movement in the occupied countries and in Germany itself. The national liberation movement in Poland, Czechoslovakia, the heroic struggle of the peoples of Yugoslavia against the German occupiers intensified, the partisan movement grew in Bulgaria, Greece, Albania, France and other occupied countries. This struggle made the European rear of Germany increasingly fragile. Compared to the Soviet-German front, Allied operations in 1943 were conducted with limited forces and involved a small part of the enemy's troops in active hostilities. British American troops liberated North Africa, landed in Sicily, captured the southern part of the Apennine Peninsula, and pulled Italy out of the war.

For the USSR, the second half of 1943 was a turning point not only at the fronts, but also in the development of the economy. Despite the temporary loss of important economic regions, the front was provided with everything necessary. In the development of the economy, the needs of the military industry, metallurgy, the fuel industry, power plants and railways were primarily satisfied. Women played an important role in the labor feat of the people. They bore on their shoulders the bulk of labor in industry, agriculture, and transport. In 1943, compared with 1942, the total volume of industrial production increased by 17% (in Germany - by 12%). New metallurgical plants were built and those that existed in the Urals and Siberia expanded, coal production in the Kuzbass increased sharply, and new power plants were put into operation. On the basis of the development of heavy industry, military production was developed, its growth made it possible to increase the level of technical equipment of the Red Army, which received more and more military equipment and weapons, superior in a number of indicators to the equipment and weapons of the German army. These are, first of all, self-propelled guns, heavy tanks, fighters, attack aircraft and bombers of new types, as well as artillery pieces. The increase in the production of new types of military equipment and weapons made it possible, during the second period of the war, to restore the rifle corps, abolished in 1941, to create more powerful tank and mechanized formations, tank armies of a uniform composition, which included tank and mechanized corps. Artillery corps and breakthrough divisions, anti-tank artillery formations and units, etc. were formed. In November 1942, the formation of air armies in the fronts was completed. Industrial production was restored in the liberated regions. Agriculture, despite the temporary loss of vast territories, the departure of the most able-bodied and skilled workers to the front, provided the country with food and raw materials. Scientists provided enormous assistance in the development of industry and agriculture. A large role in the patriotic education of the masses was played by the press, radio, literature, and art. The works of K.M.Simonov, V.P.Soloviev-Sedoy, D.A.Shmarinov, M.A.Sholokhov, D.D.Shostakovich, I.G. Ehrenburg and others affirmed the belief in the inevitability of final victory among the Soviet people over the enemy. A striking manifestation of patriotism was the voluntary financial assistance of the working people to the state, as a result of which aircraft, tanks and other military equipment were additionally sent to the front. The collection of things and gifts for soldiers, money from the population to the Defense Fund, donation, which contributed to the return of soldiers after wounds, became widespread. The patriotic position of the ROC was of great importance, which provided not only moral, but also material assistance in the struggle of the Soviet people against foreign invaders. The breakthrough achieved by the USSR in economic combat with the enemy became the material basis for the breakthrough in the course of hostilities.

In the second period of the war, the Soviet military art received further development. A distinctive feature of Soviet military strategy was a strategic offensive, which was carried out by conducting successive operations along the front and in depth and, as a rule, by a group of fronts. Soviet troops were enriched by the experience of breaking through enemy defenses and maneuvering in the operational depth of the enemy, conducting operations to encircle and destroy enemy groupings, and forcing large water barriers. As a result of the victories of the Red Army, the USSR's prestige in the international arena and its role in resolving issues of world politics increased. At the Tehran Conference of 1943, the leaders of the three powers - the USSR, the USA and Great Britain - agreed on plans and terms of joint actions to defeat the enemy, the question of opening a second front in Europe during May 1944.

The third period of the war (January 1944 -9.5.1945). By January 1944, German troops continued to occupy Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Karelia, a significant part of Belarus, Ukraine, Leningrad and Kalinin regions, Moldova and Crimea. The enemy's armed forces numbered over 10 million people. However, Germany's position deteriorated sharply. Defeats on the Soviet-German front led to an exacerbation of the internal political situation in Germany itself and in the satellite countries. Despite the continued growth of military production until July 1944, the German economy entered a period of insurmountable difficulties. The situation with human reserves has become extremely aggravated. Losses on the Soviet-German front of experienced personnel, which amounted to over 1.2 million people in July-November 1943, by the beginning of 1944 were compensated for by new mobilizations of less than 3/4. By the beginning of 1944, the German army had 314 divisions and 17 brigades. On the Soviet-German front, there were 198 divisions and 6 brigades, as well as 38 divisions and 18 brigades of its allies. The active army numbered about 6.7 million people, of whom about 5 million were on the Soviet-German front. The enemy had about 54.6 thousand guns and mortars, 5.4 thousand tanks and assault guns, and over 3 thousand aircraft. The general military-political and strategic situation, in comparison with the first years of the war, changed in favor of the USSR and its armed forces. In 1944, the production of steel in the USSR amounted to 10.9 million tons, pig iron - 7.3 million tons, coal - 121.5 million tons, oil - 18.3 million tons. In 1942-44, over 2.2 thousand large industrial enterprises were built in the eastern regions and over 6 thousand enterprises were restored in the liberated regions. In 1944, over 24 thousand km of railways were restored. The defense industry in 1944 produced 5 times more tanks and aircraft monthly than in 1941, reaching the maximum level during the war. Agriculture has achieved an increase in the production of grain and livestock products, in 1944 the sown area of \u200b\u200bthe country increased by 16 million hectares in comparison with 1943. By the beginning of 1944, the active army of the USSR had over 6.3 million people, over 83.6 thousand guns and mortars (excluding anti-aircraft guns and 50-mm mortars), about 5.3 thousand tanks and self-propelled guns, 10.2 thousand combat aircraft. However, there was still no overwhelming superiority over the German troops in manpower and equipment (with the exception of artillery and aviation). The enemy held in his hands a number of Soviet naval bases, as a result of which the basing and operations capabilities of the Baltic and Black Sea fleets were limited. The Red Army was faced with the task of completing the liberation from the invaders of the Soviet land, helping the peoples of Europe in liberating them from the German occupation, and ending the war by defeating the enemy on German territory.

In December 1943 - April 1944, Soviet troops during an offensive in the Right Bank Ukraine (Zhitomir-Berdichev operation of 1944, Kirovograd, Korsun-Shevchenko operation of 1944, Rovno-Lutsk, Nikopol-Krivoy Rog, Proskurovsko-Chernivtsi operation 1944, Umansko-Botoshanskaya, -Snigirevskaya operation 1944, Polesie and Odessa operations), deployed on a front over 1.3 thousand km, defeated the opposing group of German troops, and reached the state border, in the foothills of the Carpathians and on the territory of Romania. As a result of the Leningrad-Novgorod operation of 1944, the blockade of Leningrad was finally lifted. In the spring of 1944, Crimea was liberated. In accordance with the decisions of the Tehran Conference, the armed forces of the United States and Great Britain began an invasion of Northern France on 6/6/1944 (see "Overlord" operation). The landing of the allies in Normandy was favored by the general military-strategic situation that had developed by that time as a result of the actions of Soviet troops on the Soviet-German front. In the winter and spring of 1944, the Red Army defeated over 170 enemy divisions. To restore these losses, the German command transferred about 40 divisions to the Soviet-German front, thereby weakening the grouping of its troops in Western Europe. By the beginning of June 1944, 239 enemy divisions, including 181 German ones, were operating on the Soviet-German front. In France, Belgium and the Netherlands, 58 German divisions remained, more than half of which had almost no vehicles, and about 20 were formed and rebuilt. The landing and subsequent actions of the British-American troops were facilitated by the Red Army, which, according to the decisions of the Tehran Conference, launched a strategic offensive in Karelia in the summer of 1944 (Vyborg-Petrozavodsk operation 1944), Belarus (Belorussian operation 1944), Western Ukraine (Lvov-Sandomierz operation 1944 ) and Moldova (Yassy-Kishinev operation 1944). In Karelia, Soviet troops advanced 110-250 km, which hastened Finland's withdrawal from the war. During the Byelorussian operation, Soviet troops defeated the enemy group defending in the Byelorussian salient and liberated Belarus, most of Lithuania and Latvia, the eastern part of Poland and approached the borders of East Prussia, advancing 550-600 km and expanding the offensive front by more than 1,000 km. Having suffered serious losses during a 2-month offensive, Soviet troops could not immediately break through the German defenses on the Vistula River and provide assistance to the Warsaw Uprising of 1944. As a result of the Lvov-Sandomierz operation, the western regions of Ukraine and the southeastern part of Poland were liberated. During the Jassy-Kishinev operation, 22 German divisions were destroyed and almost all Romanian divisions on the front were defeated. This changed the entire military-political situation in the Balkans and contributed to the victory of the anti-fascist armed uprising in Romania, which withdrew from the war on the side of Germany and declared war on it on August 24. The offensive of the Red Army in the autumn of 1944 in the southern direction provided direct assistance to the Bulgarian, Hungarian, Czech, Slovak peoples and the peoples of Yugoslavia in their liberation from occupation and pro-German regimes. Soviet troops crossed the Romanian-Bulgarian border in September, and on September 9, an armed uprising took place in Sofia under the leadership of the Bulgarian Communist Party. The government of the Fatherland Front came to power, which declared war on Germany. In September - October 1944, Soviet troops carried out the East Carpathian operation of 1944, liberated part of Czechoslovakia and provided assistance to the Slovak national uprising of 1944. In the future, the Red Army, together with the troops of Romania, Bulgaria, and the allied Yugoslavia, which had gone over to the side of the anti-Hitler coalition, continued the offensive in order to liberate Hungary (Debrecen operation 1944, Budapest operation 1944-45) and Yugoslavia (see Belgrade operation 1944). In September-November, Soviet troops carried out the Baltic operation of 1944, which ended in the liberation of almost the entire Baltic region (29 divisions were defeated, about 33 were blocked in Courland). In October, the Red Army and the Navy liberated the Soviet Arctic, northern regions of Norway (see Petsamo-Kirkenes operation 1944). Thus, the Soviet Armed Forces in 1944 defeated the main enemy groupings. In the summer and autumn alone, the enemy lost 1.6 million people. Germany lost almost all of its European allies, the front approached its borders, and stepped over them in East Prussia.

With the opening of the second front, Germany's position deteriorated. Squeezed in the grip of two fronts, she could no longer freely transfer forces from West to East, she had to carry out a new total mobilization in order to to some extent make up for losses at the front. At the same time, the coordination of military actions of the Soviet troops with the armed forces of the Allies was outlined. In the winter of 1944/45, when, as a result of the offensive of German troops in the Ardennes (see the Ardennes operation 1944-45), the British-American troops found themselves in a difficult situation, at the request of W. Churchill, the Soviet troops in January 1945, earlier than the planned time, went on the offensive from The Baltic Sea to the Carpathians, alleviating the position of the allies, and already in early February reached the approaches to Berlin. In January - the 1st half of April 1945, as a result of the strategic offensive of the Red Army on the entire Soviet-German front (see East Prussian operation 1945, Vistula-Oder operation 1945, Vienna operation 1945, East Pomeranian operation 1945, Lower Silesian operation 1945, Upper Silesian Operation 1945), the main groupings of German troops were defeated, almost all of Poland, a significant part of the territory of Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and the eastern part of Austria (with Vienna) were liberated. Soviet troops reached the Oder and captured the Kustrinsky bridgehead on the left bank of the river. The German command, facing a clear threat of defeat, sought to cause a split in the anti-Hitler coalition and achieve a separate peace with the United States and Great Britain (some representatives of the ruling circles of these states secretly from the USSR tried to negotiate with Germany; see Anglo-American-German contacts 1943-45) ... The victories of the Red Army contributed to the success of the 1945 Crimean (Yalta) Conference of the heads of government of the USSR, the USA and Great Britain, at which issues related to the completion of the defeat of Germany and its post-war situation were agreed. An agreement was reached on the entry of the USSR into the war against Japan 3 months after the end of the war in Europe. During the Berlin operation of 1945, Soviet troops captured the capital of Germany, defeated 93 enemy divisions and many separate units, captured about 480 thousand people, and captured a large number of military equipment. Continuing the offensive, the Red Army units met with the Allied forces on the Elbe River. The Berlin operation was characterized by extremely high intensity of the struggle on both sides; was prepared and carried out by the Red Army on the basis of a comprehensive account and creative use of the experience gained during the war. 8.5.1945 in Karlshorst (a suburb of Berlin) the Act of surrender of Germany was signed. On May 6-11, Soviet troops, assisting the insurgent (May 1-5) population of Prague and other regions of Czechoslovakia, defeated the German troops, which refused to surrender (see Prague operation 1945).

May 9 became the Day of Victory over Germany. The Great Patriotic War ended in complete victory, which largely predetermined the outcome of World War II. In connection with the end of the war in Europe, on 17.7 - 2.8.1945, the Berlin (Potsdam) conference of 1945 of the heads of government of the USSR, the USA and Great Britain took place, at which decisions were made on the German question and the problems of the post-war peace settlement in Europe.

Military and political results of the war... The victory of the USSR in the Great Patriotic War was of world-historical significance. By repelling the attack of Nazi Germany and its satellites, the USSR made a decisive contribution to their final defeat and the liberation of the peoples of Europe from German occupation and fascist regimes. About 7 million Soviet soldiers took part in the liberation of 10 European countries. The Great Patriotic War was the most difficult of all wars in world history. The USSR lost about 27 million people in it (some of them were civilians who died in German death camps). These losses accounted for 40% of all casualties in World War II. About 1 million Soviet soldiers gave their lives during the liberation of the peoples of Europe. According to the conclusion of the Extraordinary State Commission for the Establishment and Investigation of the Atrocities of the German-Fascist Invaders (see Extraordinary State Commission 1942-45), the invaders completely or partially destroyed over 1.7 thousand cities and towns, over 70 thousand villages and villages of the USSR, only direct material damage to the state and the population amounted to 679 billion rubles (in 1941 prices). Material losses of the Soviet Armed Forces in the main types of weapons reached: about 96.5 thousand tanks and self-propelled guns, over 317.5 thousand guns and mortars, about 88.3 thousand combat aircraft. On the Soviet-German front, 607 enemy divisions were defeated and captured, while the Allies defeated and captured 176 divisions throughout the war. Irrecoverable losses of Germany and its allies on the Soviet-German front amounted to over 8.6 million people (80% of the total losses). On the Soviet-German front, the bulk of the enemy's military equipment was destroyed - up to 75% of tanks and assault guns, over 75% of aircraft, 74% of guns and mortars.

Throughout the war, the front and rear constituted a single multinational battle camp. Victory in the Great Patriotic War was ensured by the military and economic superiority of the USSR over Germany and its allies. During the war years, Soviet industry produced weapons and military equipment 2 times more and of better quality than Germany. From 1.7.1941 to 1.9.1945, 112,100 combat aircraft, about 102,800 tanks and self-propelled guns, over 830,000 guns and mortars were produced in the USSR. People's Commissars B. L. Vannikov, V. V. Vakhrushev, P. N. Goremykin, A. I. Efremov, A. G. Zverev, V. A. Malyshev, P. I. Parshin made a great contribution to the organization of the war economy. M. G. Pervukhin, I. F. Tevosyan, D. F. Ustinov, A. I. Shakhurin and others. The Soviet Armed Forces in 1941-45 received over 10 million tons of food and fodder, about 13.5 million tons of other property. Agriculture, in spite of all the difficulties of wartime, in 1941-44 gave the country about 70 million tons of grain. Transport endured a colossal burden in the war. Railroad transportation, which accounted for 85% of the total freight turnover, delivered over 19 million freight cars to the front. The results of the activities of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR and other scientific institutions made it possible to continuously expand the production and raw material base, the scope of work on the design and modernization of military equipment, and its mass production. The centralized system of state administration subordinated the activities of all party, Soviet, economic bodies to the solution of the main task - the defense of the Fatherland and the defeat of the enemy, fully mobilized the resources of the state, achieved the production of the required amount of military products, but at the same time, meeting the needs of the front led to a sharp deterioration in the financial situation inside the country. Despite this, the voluntary financial assistance of the working people to the state made it possible to send an additional 2,565 aircraft, several thousand tanks and many other military equipment to the front. Cash receipts from the population to the Defense Fund, the Red Army Fund, etc., through loans and lotteries, amounted to over 100 billion rubles. The ROC made a significant material and spiritual contribution to the common cause. Writers, actors, painters, and musicians helped the people to keep faith in victory. Many compatriots in exile who took part in the Resistance Movement made their contribution to the common cause of the struggle against Nazism. During the war years, the United States (to a lesser extent Great Britain and Canada) provided assistance to the USSR under the so-called Lend-Lease program. Although deliveries of the main types of weapons accounted for a relatively small share of the total volume of Soviet military production (for aircraft - 13%, for tanks - 7%, for anti-aircraft guns - 2%), supplies of automotive equipment (about 427 thousand vehicles), fuel, food and technological materials (machine tools, locomotives, rails, etc.).

For deeds on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War over 11 thousand Soviet soldiers were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, 104 of them received this title twice, and GK Zhukov, IN Kozhedub and AI Pokryshkin - three times. Four Heroes of the Soviet Union - artillerymen A.V. Alyoshin, N.I. Kuznetsov, pilot I.G. Drachenko and commander of a rifle platoon P.Kh. Dubinda were also awarded the Orders of Glory of three degrees. More than 7 million people were awarded orders and medals. During the war, more than 204 thousand home front workers were awarded orders and medals, 201 people received the title of Hero of Socialist Labor, over 16 million workers were awarded the medal "For Valiant Labor in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945".

Victory in the Great Patriotic War was also ensured by the superiority of the Soviet Armed Forces over the Wehrmacht in combat power, moral and political qualities, organizational development and military art. Despite the heavy defeats of the first years, the Red Army turned the tide of the war and achieved victory over the enemy. During the war years, a brilliant galaxy of commanders and naval commanders grew up, who successfully led large operations and were awarded the highest military order "Victory" - A. M. Vasilevsky, G. K. Zhukov (both - twice), A. I. Antonov, L. A. Govorov, I. S. Konev, R. Ya. Malinovsky, K. A. Meretskov, K. K. Rokossovsky, S. K. Timoshenko and F. I. Tolbukhin. JV Stalin was also awarded the Order of Victory twice.

As a result of the victory in the Great Patriotic War, the authority of the USSR in the world increased, its ties with other states expanded (diplomatic relations with 25 states at the beginning of the war, with 49 at the end). The balance of military and political forces in the world has radically changed.

The Great Patriotic War once again confirmed that the people are the decisive force of history and the main creator of victory in the war. She convincingly showed that the strength of the people lies in their unity, in their spiritual cohesion, in the justice of those goals for which the people are waging an armed struggle.

Lit .: 1941: Sat. documents: In 2 kn. / Edited by A. N. Yakovlev. M., 1998; Vishnev OV On the Eve of June 22, 1941: Documentary Sketches. M., 2001; Kulkov E. N., Myagkov M. P., Rzheshevsky O. A. War 1941-1945: Facts and documents. M., 2001; World wars of the XX century. M., 2002. Book. 3: Second world War: Historical sketch. Book. 4: World War II: Documents and Materials; Axel A. Heroes of Russia, 1941-1942. M., 2002; Werth A. Russia in the war 1941-1945. M., 2003; Orlov A.S. Stalin: on the eve of the war. M., 2003; Roberts J. Victory at Stalingrad. M., 2003; War and Society 1941-1945: In 2 kn. / Ed. editor G. N. Sevostyanov. M., 2004; Koshkin A.V. Japanese Front of Marshal Stalin. M., 2004; Rzheshevsky O.A. Stalin and Churchill. M., 2004; History of the Great Victory 1941-1945 / Edited by V. A. Zolotarev. M., 2005; Dean J. Strange Union. M., 2005; Zolotarev V.A., Nevzorov B.I., Orlov A.S., Frolov B.P. Sacred War. M., 2005.

war of owls. people against Germany and its allies during the Second World War 1939-45.

The situation on the eve of the war. 1/1/1939 Germany unleashed hostilities in Europe. In a short time, 10 Euros were occupied. state-in. By 1941 Germany had created a huge military economy. potential. Her military. production from 1934 to 1940 increased 22 times. In addition, the occupier. countries were captured by many troops. equipment and weapons. Hitler in the war against the USSR. the leadership set the goal of eliminating the Sov. state-in, take possession of his wealth, exterminate DOS. part of the citizens of the USSR and "Germanize" ter. countries up to the Urals.

German Armed Forces to the middle. 1941 had 7.3 million people. They included 208 divas. (including 21 tanks and 19 motorized vehicles) and 6 brigades. There were 5.6 thousand tanks and assault rifles. op., approx. 10 thousand s-coms (including 5.7 thousand combat), 71.5 thousand op. and mine. The Navy had 4 battleships, 4 heavy. and 4 light cruisers, 33 destroyers and destroyers, 122 submarines and 40 torpedo boats. For the war against the USSR, 182 divas were exhibited. (including 19 tanks and 13 motor vehicles), 20 brigades - a total of 5 million people, approx. 4.4 thousand tanks and assault. op., 47.2 thousand op. and mines., 4.4 thousand combat units, 192 combat corps. St. 4 million people deployed in the 1st ash.
USSR in pre-war. years also made efforts to improve economies. and military. the power of the state. Wed-year. release prom. products for 3 last years increased by 13.2%, and defense - by 39%. However, the Sov. The union could not by the beginning. war, surpass Germany in terms of the most important types of products and create all the necessary conditions for repelling aggression. Ext. the policy of the Sov. The Union focused on creating a collective security system. However, the attempts of the Sov. Prospect Island to conclude watered. and military. the treaty with Great Britain and France failed (see Moscow Soviet-Anglo-French negotiations 1939). Under these conditions, the Sov. The Union accepted Germany's offer to conclude a non-aggression pact, which allowed it to postpone the start of the war and gain time to increase its defense capability (see Soviet-German treaties of 1939). In connection with the transfer of borders and the withdrawal of part of the troops, the military. districts on ter. Zap. Ukraine, Zap. Belarus, the Baltic republics and Bessarabia began to take measures to prepare a new theater of operations. Sov. the leadership admitted the strategist. an error in determining the probable timing of Germany's attack on the USSR.

The composition of the Soviet Armed Forces on the eve of the war and their deployment. By the beginning. wars of owls. The armed forces numbered 5.7 million people. SV had 303 div. (including 61 tanks and 31 motor vehicles), 3 dep. brigades, St. 110 thousand op. and min., St. 23 thousand tanks, of which 18.7 thousand were combat-ready. The air defense forces had 4.5 thousand zen. op., in the Air Force - approx. 13 thousand serviceable combat units. The Navy included 3 battleships, 7 cruisers, 54 leaders and destroyers, 211 submarines and 2 experienced submarines, 22 watchmen. cor., 80 minesweepers, 269 torpedoes. boats, 2.8 thousand combat units. Border. the troops had St. 127 thousand people, internal troops - 14 divisions, 18 brigades and a number of other units.

For the war in the west, approx. 70% of manpower and resources, incl. 240 div. Since from Feb. 1941 pr-k began concentrating its troops at the west. borders of the USSR, in May 1941, a number of connections were completed. due to the call to study. fees of 800 thousand reservists, began the advance of troops from internal. districts in the west. To the beginning. During the war, 186 divas were concentrated. (instead of 240 according to the plan). Sov. troops were deployed according to the plan to cover the state. borders, which largely predetermined the unsuccessful outcome of the border battles of 1941. Wehrmacht troops were in full combat readiness.

6/22/1941 Germany, violating Soviet-German. treaties of 1939, attacked the Sov. Union. On her side on the same day were Italy, Romania, June 23 - Slovakia, June 25 - Finland, June 27 - Hungary, August 16. - Norway. Having created ch. blows overwhelming superiority, it. the troops suddenly attacked the covering troops, which were moving out of their places of permanent deployment to the border to occupy the defense lines, and captured the strategist. initiative and air supremacy, and in the first days they wedged themselves into the depths of the owls. ter. 300-600 km. To repel an attack based on the app. nibbled. military. districts were created North. (General - L. M.M. Popov), North-West. (general-p. F.I. Kuznetsov), Zap. (Army General D.G. Pavlov), South-West. (general-item M.P. Kirponos) and Yuzh. (General of the Army I.V. Tyulenev) fronts. Mor. the borders were defended by the North. (Ph.D. A.G. Golovko), Balt. (V.F. Tributs), Chernomor. (V.-Adm. F.S. Oktyabrsky) fleets. For a strategist. of the leadership of the Armed Forces on June 23, the Headquarters of Ch. Command (from Aug. 8 - Headquarters of the Supreme High Command) in Ch. with I.V. Stalin. All power was concentrated in the State Defense Committee (GKO) created on June 30. In order to stabilize the front, urgent measures were taken to strengthen the most important group of troops, to partially replenish the losses incurred, and to prepare reserves. For 5 months. managed to send 291 divas to the active army. and 94 brigades. Troops were transferred from the Far East and South. To the most dangerous west. the reserve was deployed in the direction. armies, united 30.7.1941 in the Reserve. front. organized a struggle in the rear of the German troops. The most important area of \u200b\u200bwork in the rear of the country was the transfer of the economy to meet the needs of the war. Main military. the events of the summer-autumn campaign of 1941 were border battles, the Battle of Smolensk, the Elninskaya opera-I, the Kiev defense. opera, the battle that began for Leningrad (St. Petersburg). Fierce battles unfolded on the flanks of the Soviet-German. front. On the Right Bank. Ukraine and Moldova, the avenue surrounded 6A and 12A South-West. front in the Uman region. Sov. the troops continued to hold Kiev, Odessa. The defeat of the South-West. front allowed the pr-ku to re-deploy the offensive in all three directions. Sep 30 Moscow began. battle. The pr-k surrounded the owls. troops at Vyazma and Bryansk. Cr. the army retreated 850-1200 km. By Nov. 1941 the enemy was stopped at the main. directions near Leningrad, Moscow, and near Tikhvin and Rostov launched a counteroffensive.

The 1941/42 winter campaign began with a counterattack by the Sov. troops to the West. strategist. the direction that went over to the general offensive. In the course of it implemented: Mosk. 1941-42, Lyubanskaya 1942, Rzhevsko-Vyazemskaya 1942, Barvenkovo-Lozovskaya 1942 offensive and Kerch-Feodosiya des. 1942 operas (see the corresponding article). The threat to Moscow and North was removed. Caucasus, the position of Leningrad was eased, ter. 10 regions, as well as St. 60 cities, crushed approx. 50 div. pr-ka. Hitler collapsed. blitzkrieg strategy.

Summer-autumn campaign 1942, founded. military. events a cut unfolded to the south-west. direction ended for Kr. army tragically (see Battle of Kharkov 1942, Kerch operation 1942). 2.7.1942 Sov. the troops left Sevastopol. Fierce began. battles on stalingr. and cauc. directions. To the north-west. direction of Kr. the army conducted the Demyansk and Rzhev-Sychev operations in 1942. The pr-k advanced 500-650 km, reached the Volga, captured the Donbass, captured a number of passes of Ch. Kavk. ridge, occupied ter., where 42% of us lived before the war. USSR, 33% of gross production was produced, St. 45% of the sown area. However, during this period, the troops of Kr. armies inflicted great damage on pr-ku: approx. 1 million people, 20.4 thousand rubles and mines., more than 1.5 thousand tanks and St. 4 thousand s-comrades

In the winter campaign 1942/43, the main. military. the events were Stalingr. and North Caucasus. will come. operas, breaking the blockade of Leningrad. Sov. troops advanced 600-700 km westward, liberating ter. St. 480 thousand km 2, destroyed 100 div. (40% of the troops of the pr-ka on the Soviet-German front).

In the summer-autumn campaign of 1943, the decisive event was the Battle of Kursk, which marked a radical turning point in the war. After the defeat at Kursk it. the command tried to give the war a protracted character. An important role in this was assigned to the r. Dnieper, where it was supposed to create an insurmountable defense. But this attempt failed (see Battle of the Dnieper 1943). The owls were advancing successfully. troops and in other directions. In oct. they liberated the Taman Peninsula, held the Smolensk Opera. Cr. During this period, the army marched up to 500-1300 km in battles, defeated 218 divas. pr-ka.

During the winter campaign 1943/44 Cr. the army conducted a number of advances. opera-th fronts and groups of fronts, during which the Right Bank was liberated. Ukraine and Crimea, the blockade of Leningrad is finally lifted, owls. troops went to the state. border, in the foothills of the Carpathians and on ter. Romania. The enemy suffered huge losses. To restore them, the command of the Wehrmacht was transferred to the east from Zap. Europe and Africa more than 34 div., Part of the av-i, so. number of weapons and military equipment. This made it easier for the Anglo-Amer. troops offensive in the North. Africa, landing in Sicily and South. Italy.

In June 1944, the Allies opened the 2nd front in France, which worsened the military-political. position of Germany. In the summer-autumn campaign of 1944 owls. the command planned to defeat the enemy troops in the center. direction. For this, troops of 11 fronts and forces of 3 fleets were involved. On June 23-24, Belarus began. opera-I, in the course of a cut, the liberation of Belarus and part of the Baltic States was completed. July 20 owls. troops entered Poland. Gr. armies "Center" was defeated. July - Aug. owls. troops reached the Vistula and seized a bridgehead on its left bank (see Lvov-Sandomierz operation in 1944). The success of the owls. troops to the center. plot of Sov.-German. front worsened the position of the enemy in Moldova and Romania. In aug. - Sept. the Yassko-Chisinau Opera was held. 23 Aug Fasc was overthrown in Romania. J. Antonescu's regime. Aug 31. owls. troops entered Bucharest, and 8 Sept. crossed the rum.-bulg. border. The liberation of Belarus, Ukraine and the Baltic States (except for some districts of Latvia), partly of Czechoslovakia was completed, Romania and Hungary were forced to surrender and entered the war against Germany, the Sov. Arctic and North. Norway.

The 1945 campaign was opened by the East Prussian and Vistula-Oder operas, to-rye at the request of the West. Allies were launched earlier than scheduled. term, since the Allies were defeated in the Ardennes. In Poland, owls. troops broke through the defenses of the avenue in the strip up to 500 km, 17 January. liberated Warsaw, by 3 Feb. advanced 400-500 km, reached the Oder. On Feb. - Apr troops of Kr. armies in the course of the East Pomeranian operas and reached the Baltic coast. m. In the beginning. March Kr. the army, having carried out the Balaton opera-th, repelled a counter-offensive by the pr-ka in the region of the lake. Balaton. The onset of the owls. troops to Berlin. direction began on April 16. By May 1, the circle was eliminated. Frankfurt-Guba group, and in May the remnants of Berlin surrendered. garrison (see Berlin Operation 1945). On the night of May 9, the Act of Surrender of Arms was signed in Karlshorst. forces fasc. Germany. On May 6-11, a group of pr-ka in Czechoslovakia was defeated at the Prague Opera House. V.O.V. owls. the people ended in complete victory. In Sov.-German. front, 607 divas were captured and defeated. pr-ka. Irrecoverable losses of Germany and its allies in Sov.-German. front amounted to 8649.5 thousand people. More than 75% of all weapons and military were captured and destroyed. enemy techniques. The victory of the Sov. Union. The total loss of life (directly during the entire war) owls. people amounted to approx. 27 million people The occupiers completely or partially destroyed 1,710 cities and towns, St. 70 thousand villages and villages. The amount of damage caused by the Sov. Union, amounted to 679 billion rubles. Material losses owls. Aircraft based on types of weapons reached: 96.5 thousand tanks and self-propelled guns, 317.5 thousand op. and mines., 88.3 thousand combat units.

Victory in V.O.V. provided by the superiority of econom. and the combat power of the USSR over Germany. During the war years, owls. the industry produced weapons and military. equipment is 2 times larger and of better quality than fasc. Germany. Agriculture gave the country 70.4 million tons of grain, which was sufficient to provide the front with food. Substantial mater. assistance to the USSR was provided by the USA and Great Britain, although their deliveries amounted to a relatively small share of the total volume of owls. military. production-va. An important role in the leadership of arms. the fight was played by the Supreme Command Headquarters. and its working body is the General Staff. Were mastered the ways of conducting a strategist. defense, the transition from defense to counteroffensive. During the war years Kr. army carried out 14 strategists. will defend. and 37 strategists. will come. opera th. Solved such difficult problems as reaching strategist. and opera. surprise strike, crushing strategist. front of defense, development of operations. success in strategic, use of strategist. and opera. reserves for increasing the efforts of troops, flexible maneuver with a rapid transfer of efforts from one direction to another, the organization of interaction is different. genera and types of aircraft. Strategist. offensive operas, as a rule, were deployed on the front of St. 1000 km and to a depth of. 500-800 km. Cr. the achievement was the carrying out of operas on the environment. Opera was dynamically developing. lawsuit and tactics. On the basis of the development of ideas for a deep operation, new methods of conducting the attack have been developed. opera-th armies, fronts and deep echelonir breakthrough. defense pr-ka, practically solved the problem of entering into the battle of the second ash. and mobile groups, landings and actions of the sea. landing forces. Owl tactics. troops were enriched by different. methods and techniques for performing combat missions, a creative approach to the formation of battle formations, a clear organization of interaction, the use of a covert concentration of troops and a sudden transition to the attack, the skillful use of forward detachments. Means. the development received the military. Art of the Armed Forces, combat arms. Air began to be carried out. operas, anti-aircraft were born. The effectiveness of the operational fleets and the fleet of various forces has increased. During the war years, a galaxy of generals and naval commanders grew up, to-rye were awarded hordes. "Victory": A.M. Vasilevsky, G.K. Zhukov (both twice), A.I. Antonov, L.A. Govorov, I.S. Konev, R. Ya. Malinovsky, K.A. Meretskov, K.K. Rokossovsky, S.K. Timoshenko and F.I. Tolbukhin. Twice hordes. "Victory" was awarded to I.V. Stalin.

Ch. the creator of the victory in the war was the owl. people. For heroic deeds on the fronts of V.O.V. St. 11 K people awarded the title of Hero of Owls. Union, St. 100 of them received this title twice, and G.K. Zhukov, I.N. Kozhedub and A.I. Pokryshkin - three times. More than 7 million people were awarded orders and medals. During the war, they were awarded orders and medals of St. 204 thousand home front workers and 201 people. received the title of Hero of Socialist. Labor. Victory Day (May 9) is celebrated annually as a state. holiday and day of remembrance for those killed in the Great Patriotic War

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Introduction

The epic about the Great Patriotic War has been going on for over 67 years. A lot of loud and bright words were said about the laboring Urals.

Purpose: to study the life and work of the Ural workers during the Great Patriotic War.

1. To study the industry of the Ural district in wartime.

2. Trace the process of agricultural production in wartime.

In this research work, the following methods were applied: analysis, analysis, comparison, informational, questioning.

The topic is relevant, since during the war the Urals were the country's stronghold, and it was in the Urals that all products intended for the front were produced.

Throughout the war, progressive workers, collective farmers, engineers and technicians and scientists overcame the greatest difficulties, showing tremendous fortitude, selflessly forging the instruments of victory. “Everything for the front, everything for victory!”, “In labor as in battle!”, “Work not only for yourself, but also for the comrades who went to the front!” - our people worked in the rear under such slogans.

1. Ural industry

1.1 Evacuation of factories to the Urals

The largest industrial evacuation point was the Urals region, which by the fall of 1942 had located equipment and labor force of more than 830 enterprises on its territory. Plants and factories that arrived in the Urals used three main options for their arrangement: some occupied the premises of related enterprises; others were forced to develop areas that were not very suitable for industrial production; still others were located in the voids and themselves erected workshops and administrative buildings.

The Urals were deep in the rear, where the build-up of defense potential was very intensive, requiring the use of a significant amount of manpower. Initially, the mobilization of workers to the front significantly outstripped their replacement, which gave rise to an acute shortage of production personnel. The evacuation has greatly facilitated the expansion of this problem.

The Urals, having absorbed all the forces and means of enterprises that arrived from areas captured by the enemy or under the threat of occupation, increased industrial production by 7 times compared with the pre-war indicators. The Urals gave the country 40% of all military products, produced 70% of all tanks, including: 60% - medium, 100% - heavy.

In connection with the rapid advance of German troops to the east, there was an urgent need to evacuate the population, factories and plants, valuables from territories that were in danger and could pass into the hands of the enemy.

The evacuation was carried out in two stages: summer-autumn 1941 and summer-autumn 1942. The first stage was especially difficult, since the leadership did not have experience in such matters. Often, when evacuating especially important objects, the enemy "stepped on the heels", people forgot about fatigue and sleep. Working to rescue industry and values \u200b\u200bfrom the enemy became the meaning of their lives in those days.

During the Leningrad evacuation, 7 million people were evacuated in 1941 and 4 million people in 1942. Relocation of productive forces to the Urals and Trans-Urals. The heroic efforts of the Ural workers, engineers, production commanders, railway workers ensured the evacuation of many hundreds of large enterprises and more than 11 million people to the Urals. In fact, an entire industrial country has been moved thousands of kilometers. There, in uninhabited places, often in the open air, cars and machine tools were literally put into operation from a railway platform.

1.2 Production of military equipment during the Great Patriotic War

There were no such types of military products that were not manufactured in the Urals. Before the war, armored steel was not produced in the Urals. To meet the needs of the front in special grades of ferrous metals, metallurgists of the Magnitogorsk Metallurgical Combine had to master the technology of smelting armor steel in large open-hearth furnaces in a short time. For the first time in history, blooming was used to obtain tank armor, making a technical revolution in the metallurgical business. Every second shell fired at the enemy was made of Ural steel.

As a result of the experience of mass production of the Urals and first-class vehicles of the Leningraders, the necessary prerequisites for the rapid release of tanks began to be created. In total, over the years of the war, scientists and designers have developed about a hundred new combat vehicles. Most of them were produced by conveyor production. The Urals were the first in the world to put the production of tanks on stream. On December 8, 1941, the Ural Tank Plant produced the first T-34 tank.

In Chelyabinsk, at the plant. Kolyuschenko, produced the legendary Katyusha, and at the former tobacco factory - shells for them and torpedoes for submarines.

At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, in just a few months, the workshops intended for the production of metallurgical equipment according to individual projects were reconstructed - in them large-scale production of armored vehicles was organized. In parallel with the release of tank equipment, the production of armored hulls did not stop, including for heavy tanks IS-2, IS-3 and self-propelled guns ISU-152.

In total, over 19,000 armored hulls of medium and heavy tanks, as well as self-propelled artillery units, were manufactured during the war years; about 6000 units of armored vehicles were produced.

2. Agriculture

2.1 Restructuring the national economy on a war footing

The Urals national economy had to solve many complex problems in those days, and one of the most pressing was the issue of labor, since a huge mass of people had to be mobilized into the army. In addition, the country, due to the occupation of part of its territory, temporarily lost significant human contingents.

To provide personnel for the military industry and related industries, it was necessary to rationally distribute the remaining labor reserves, to involve new segments of the population in production. Of great importance in solving this problem was the arrival in production of women, high school students, students, and retired cadre workers, who stood at the machines to replace their husbands, fathers, sons, brothers who went to the front. Hundreds of thousands of young people joined the ranks of the home front workers.

The workers of the Trans-Ural villages also had to solve major economic problems in extremely difficult and unfavorable conditions. The war tore away the most able-bodied and qualified part of the rural population from peaceful creative work. Due to conscription into the army, mobilization for the construction of fortifications, industry and transport, as well as due to the temporary occupation of parts of the country, the number of people able to work in agriculture has sharply decreased.

A large number of tractors, cars and horses were transferred to the front, which, naturally, significantly weakened the material and technical base of agriculture. The supply of fuel, spare parts, lubricants, and mineral fertilizers also fell sharply.

The first summer of war was very difficult. It was necessary to bring into action all the reserves of the village in order to harvest the crop and carry out state procurements and purchases of grain in the shortest possible time. The entire rural population, from teenagers to old people, went to the fields of the country.

Women have always played an important role in collective and state farms, but now the worries that were placed on men in peacetime have almost entirely fallen on their shoulders. Hundreds of thousands of women have mastered tractors and combines. Labor heroism has become a daily occurrence on collective and state farm fields.

2.2 Mishkinsky district

soviet military ural

I would like to pay attention to my small homeland.

The rear road went to the soldier everything that was needed for victory, and the metal of the steelmaker, and the bread of the collective farmer, and the lines of a loving heart. Was it easy for those who, in the harsh years, shoulders the heavy burden of a home front worker? From early morning until late at night, they worked to feed, clothe, and arm the huge army of defenders of the Motherland. They didn’t say “I can’t”, they knew “I must”.

In the Mishkinsky district in 1941-1945 there were 64 collective farms and 3 state farms. Despite the difficulties of wartime, MTS improved their equipment in workshops, acquired new machine tools, electric welding machines and other equipment; during this time, new cadres of turners and locksmiths have grown, mastered the new equipment and showed excellent examples of work.

All collective farms until 1943 were served by two MTS: Mishkinskaya and Korovinskaya.

The Mishkinsky MTS was organized in 1932 and served 35 collective farms with a total area of \u200b\u200barable land of 29.9 thousand hectares, with a sown area of \u200b\u200b13.4 thousand hectares in 1942, with 82 tractors and 44 combines.

Korovinskaya MTS was organized in 1933 and served 29 collective farms with a total arable land area of \u200b\u200b80 thousand hectares, with a sown area in 42 of 8.7 thousand hectares. With 81 tractors and 43 combines.

But still there were difficulties due to which 100% of the plan was not fulfilled.

The main reasons for the failure to fulfill the plan of tractor works for 1942 were: the low quality of repairs of tractors and trailed implements, the restoration of individual parts was not really organized, poor technical control during repairs, and delaying repairs before sowing. Then, the rapid completion of machines with old parts that had not been tested, led to the fact that individual tractors were unable to reach the designated work areas.

The training of personnel was also important; insufficiently trained tractor drivers were sent to collective farms. As a result, the tractors were idle for various reasons. Of course, among the tractor drivers and combine operators there were also good specialists who, on average, saved up to 193 kilograms of fuel per tractor. Some tractor drivers for their shift gave even higher indicators: Sablukov saved 284 kilograms, Anna Mikhaleva 216 kilograms.

In 1943, a decision was made to organize the Karasinskaya MTS. The service of this MTS included 12 collective farms, which were previously served by the Mishkinskaya and 9 collective farms of the Korovinskaya MTS. A total of 21 collective farms: "Imeni Molotov", "May 1", "Projector", "Red Plowman", "Voskhod", "Ray", "Red Field", "Anchor", "Iskra", "Trud", "Bolshevik" and others.

The state farm "Imeni 8th March" had 14 tractors. By April 10, 1943, 13 tractors had been repaired.

In 1944, in preparation for sowing, 64.1% of the tractors were repaired. Trailed implements were repaired: plows 38%, seeders 55%, cultivators-29.8%, cultivators -18.9%.

There was no fuel supply for the sowing company. Such a situation with the delivery of fuel for the spring sowing threatened to disrupt the sowing campaign. It was decided to secure the representative of the regional committee, Mrykhin, until the end of the repair of tractors and trailers. In addition, it was proposed to send 10 tons of kerosene and 10 tons of gasoline for the Mishkinsky region.

In 1944, the main types of work were not completed by 100%, plowing was carried out by Mishkinskaya MTS - 41%, Korovinskaya MTS - 54%, sowing in Mishkinskaya MTS - 41%, Korovinskaya - 63%. The average output for a tractor in the Mishkinsky MTS is 115 hectares, for a combine harvester 38 hectares. The results for Korovinskaya MTS were better. Average output per tractor 151 hectares, harvester 90 hectares. The main reasons for such unsatisfied work of the machine and tractor stations were the poor quality of the repair of tractors and trailed implements. The repair of tractors was delayed in winter, and then, before sowing, they were hastily equipped with low-quality parts. This led to the fact that some tractors that were out of repair were not even able to reach the collective farm fields. Many of them underwent repeated repairs in the furrow and as a result, half of them were idle.

Despite a significant decrease in the working population, the collective and state farms in 1942 even managed to increase the sown area, for example, for winter crops by 66%. The leading collective farms of the region completed the harvest by September 25, 1942, although the entire sown area was harvested by simple harvesting machines and manually scythes.

In the dry summer of 1943, a high yield of tomatoes and cabbage was grown by the 2-ya Pyatiletka vegetable growers.

Despite the decline in the workforce, 1944 was a better year in agriculture than 1943. The sowing of spring crops was increased by 2,619 hectares. A rich harvest has been grown. Due to the deterioration of the machine and tractor fleet of 19,300 hectares, the harvesters harvested grain only on 5,700 hectares, the rest - with simple harvesting machines Kolkhoz woman Pakazanyeva Maria from the Yakor collective farm manually mowed 48 hectares of grain. A member of the Krasnoe Pole artel, Krivoshchekov self-dumped 150 hectares.

We need machine operators - and sat down at tractors and combines on the collective farm "Commune Shoots" of the Ostrovsky Village Council Anna Mikhailovna Bargina, Daria Semenovna Khudorozhkova, Evdokia Egorovna Khudozhkova, Maria Konstantinovna Fomina, Nadezhda Sergeevna Bragina, Anna Yakovlevna Chudinova, Evdokia Vasilievna Barkina. Anna Pavlovna Ivanova from the village. Sunrise fifteen-year-old girl got behind the wheel of a tractor. There were no self-propelled combines at that time; tractors pulled them. In the Korovinskaya MTS, a tractor driver - stakhanovka Maria Ivanovna Lomova, fulfilled two annual norms (302 hectares instead of 180). Anna Andreevna Yakovleva (village of Myrkai) plowed 5.5 hectares on the SKHTZ tractor for a shift. In 1942, Ulyana Nikiforovna Saunina threshed the mown grain on 600 hectares. They became machine operators on the collective farm of the Ivanovo village council Proskofya Ivanovna Chernova, Ksenia Pavlovna Krivolapova, Anna Fedorovna Popova. Vikhoreva Tatyana Mikhailovna worked in Sosnovo as a combine operator.

Collective farmers Spirin, Zayats, Galkina, Chichilava, Kabanova, Nesterenko worked at the "Trudovik" collective farm of the Butyrka Village Council for the day and went out on the night shift to clean the grain. Collective farmers from the village. Karasi Strunin Ilya, Kadakov A.F., Korobeynikov A.M., Kandakova M.A., Nosov N.A. and others, having mowed one hectare of bread during the day, went out to stack it at night and fulfilled three norms. Collective farmers of the Fakel collective farm of the Rechkalovsky village council, Pokazaniev, Rechkalov, and Zubkov, daily gave one and a half to two norms.

Sixteen-year-old Komsomol member of the Krasnaya Polyana collective farm Leonid Sysuev in 1943 mowed 171 hectares of grain with a horse harvester.

Combineers of the state farm "Imeni March 8" Pozhilenko for 4 days of work on the combine "Kommunar" harvested 63 hectares, saving 110 kg of fuel. Mikhail Yegorovich Smirnov harvested 181 hectares on the Kommunar combine, saving 93 kg of fuel. Gridin Afanasy Yermolaevich harvested 157.5 hectares, saving 136 kg of fuel.

Combine operator of the state farm "2nd Five-Year Plan" Smetanin Mikhail Mikhailovich harvested 415 hectares and saved 115 kg of fuel. Stepan Dudin harvested 552 hectares and threshed 226 hectares. Mikhail Ionin harvested 463 hectares and threshed 179 hectares of grain. Gornykh Ivan harvested 360 hectares with the Kommunar combine, which was 200% of the plan. Combine harvester Bulygin with the plan of 200 hectares on the Stalinets combine harvested 362 hectares - 181%.

The leaders of the Korovinskaya MTS understood correctly that tractors were the decisive force in carrying out spring sowing in the conditions of the Mishkinsky district. They drew conclusions from past years, when poorly repaired tractors, more than half were idle. In the spring of 1945, the repair of tractors was really organized. Each week they followed the set schedule. MTS achieved these indicators as a result of the fact that many machine operators overfulfilled the production rates during repairs. Particularly distinguished were the filler Tyupyshev, the locksmith Shaburov, the foreman of Mirovshchikov, who systematically gave norms of at least 150%.

On the contrary, the leaders of the Mishkinsky MTS did not take into account the lessons of the past. Here the repair of tractors and trailed implements took a long time. By February 1945, only 28% of tractors, plows - 11%, cultivators - 8%, seeders - 4% were repaired. However, it was found that insufficient attention was paid to the quality of the repair. Poor working conditions were created in MTS. This, of course, had a serious impact on the quality of repairs and on labor productivity.

From the memoirs of workers with. Krasnoznamenskoe:

Shalashova Valentina Borisovna - from the age of 16 she began her labor activity as a worker. The collective farm sent Valentina Borisovna to study in Kurtamysh as an accountant. She lived from hand to mouth, but since she studied well, they began to give her 400 g of bread a day. The agricultural department of Mishkino sent her to the Lenin collective farm, where she worked for three years as an accountant and bookkeeper in a tractor brigade. Then he was sent to the Krasnaya Polyana collective farm, later to the Novy Put collective farm.

Makeeva Tatyana Mikhailovna - she went to work from the age of nine at the warehouse to sort bread. In the summer, she plowed, filled the tractor with chocks, knitted sheaves of grain and put them in the wort. In winter they threshed bread with a combine and sent it to the front. At the age of fifteen, my family and I moved to the village of Krasnoznamenskoye. Later she worked as a milkmaid and a pig shepherd.

Strunin Georgy Alekseevich - in 1944, after finishing five classes of a seven-year school, Georgy Alekseevich began to work in the construction shop of the state farm "2nd Five-Year Plan". Then he was transferred to a field crew brigade, where he worked for 4 years. Today Georgy Alekseevich lives in the village of Krasnoznamenskoye.

Panikhidin Vasily Yegorovich - from the age of 11 he began his career. He carried water to tractors, herded pigs. They lived from hand to mouth, but since Vasily Yegorovich worked, he was given 500g of rations. of bread.

Shumkov Kipriyan Pakhomovich - at the age of 8 he began to work in the fields: he harrowed on horses, transported grain from combines, transported fuel and water for tractors. A little boy was given 200g for a day. of bread. Currently, Kipriyan Pakhomovich lives in the village. Krasnoznamenskoe.

The war demanded the greatest self-denial from the village workers. The required minimum workday has been increased. The products of collective farms and state farms were completely and practically free of charge surrendered to the state.

The war demanded, in addition to the continuous increase in military production, to feed, shoe, dress the country's defenders. And all this inexpressibly hard peasant, peasant labor fell on the shoulders of women, teenagers and old people.

Conclusion

The purpose of this work was to study the life and work of the Urals during the Great Patriotic War. In the course of the study, the following tasks were completed: the industry was studied, agriculture during the war was considered.

The analysis performed allows us to say that:

The Middle Urals were deep in the rear, where the building up and strengthening of industrial potential, requiring the use of a significant amount of labor resources, was very intensive.

Due to the loss of the country's most important agricultural regions, the role of agriculture in the east has increased. This caused a number of changes in the organization and structure of agricultural production in the Urals.

Only the selfless selfless feat of the home front workers can be compared with the greatness of the feat of arms on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War. It was precisely this labor heroism that allowed our army to build up its military power day by day and by the end of 1942 to overcome the superiority of Nazi Germany in the production of basic types of weapons.

Summing up the study, we can conclude that during the war the Urals became the newest industrial power and agricultural support, thanks to which the war was won.

Literature

1. Arefieva S.A. History of the Kurgan land. Part III (from 1917 to 1998) Kurgan Publishing house "Zauralie" 2001 - from 90.

2. Bubnov V.I. On the sources on the history of plants and factories during the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945) From the history of plants and factories: Sat. Art. Issue 1. - Sverdlovsk: Book Publishing House, 1960. - S. 113-118.

3. Ginzburg S. About the past for the future: Memories of the People's Commissar. - Politizdat, 1984. Everything for the front, everything for victory: On the location of enterprises. - S. 219-256.

4. Izakov Ya.I. Born in a shirt. Yekaterinburg, 1993 .-- from 120.

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GREAT PATRIOTIC WAR 1941-45

war of the peoples of the Sov. Union for freedom and independence against Nazi Germany and its allies, the most important and decisive part of the second world. wars 1939-45.

A significant contribution to the common cause of victory over the enemy was made by Ur. region, incl. into itself in 1941-45 Molotovskaya (now Perm.), Sverdl., Chelyab., Chkalovskaya (now Orenb.), Kurg. (formed in February 1943) obl., ed. rep. Bash. and Udm. Rub it. by 1941 reached 856.9 thousand square meters. km, where 13.5 million people lived. By the beginning. war U. was one of the main. bases of heavy industry, primarily mechanical engineering and met. prom. During the prewar five-year plans, more than 400 large industrial enterprises were built and reconstructed in the Ukraine. enterprises. The flagships of the domestic industry were commissioned: Chelyab. tractor, Lv. mechanical engineering, Perm. motor-building, Pervouralsk Novotrubny, Krasnouralsk copper-smelting plant, Bereznikovskiy chemical plant, Magnitogorsk metallurgical plant, Solikamsk, Kamsky pulp and paper combines. For 1928-37 founded. funds ur. prom. grew 12 times, and its gross output 7 times. Lvl. met. gave 18.1% of the all-Union output. pig iron, 21.4% steel, 21.2% rolled products. In the region. engineering U. ranked fourth after Moscow., Leningrad and Ukrainian prom. r-new. Stalin's state, based on the theory of an inevitable armed conflict with the outside. enemy, on ideological dogmas and polit. ambitions of the leader, developed ur. prom. only in order to increase their military power. Therefore, investment in production. means of consumption in the pre-war period were only a few. percent, which led to a low standard of living for us. W.

During the Second World War, the role of Ukraine in the country's economy increased even more. By November. 1941 the enemy occupied Ter., Where 40% of the population lived. More than 60% of the metal was produced, 42% of the electricity of the entire country was generated. As a result, W. was forced to take on Ch. the severity of the supply of the Armed Forces of the USSR. In a short time, the redistribution of material and technical, financial, labor resources in favor of defense production was carried out. Was placed and put into operation evauded from the front line prom. enterprises, construction of new plants, f-k, mines began. By the fall of 1942, 788 enterprises had been relocated to Ukraine, including in Sverdl. region - 212, Chelyab. - 200, Perm. - 124, Orenb. - 60, Bashk. - 172, Udm. - 20. Chebarkulsky and Chelyab were built. met. s-dy, Chelyab. pipe-rolling plant, expanded power. Magnitogorsk met. Combine, Novotagilskiy, Zlatoustovskiy, Chusovskiy met. s-dov. Chelyab was built by high-speed methods. and Solikamskaya CHPP, expanded Kizelovskaya GRES and other power plants. In the coal bass. U. put into operation 69 mines and 9 sections of the total annual capacity. 16250 thousand tons of fuel. This process was not a military restructuring of the economy, but was only an accelerated continuation of the transition to the Nar. x-va on the military track, undertaken by J.V. Stalin in the pre-war period. He did not break the established forms of hands., Fully retained central planning and distribution. The industrial upsurge that took place in the U. in the Second World War was ensured by tough command and control. methods, combined with the labor upsurge of the population. Numerous patriotic movements that arose during the Second World War at the factories and factories of U., were skillfully used by state structures in production. process, which contributed to an increase in labor productivity and an increase in the output of military products. Izv. the whole country labor initiatives A. Sorokovy, D. Bosogo, P. Podzharov, P. Spekhov, E. Agarkov, T. Abramenko, N. Bazetov allowed to release thousands of slaves. and donate RUB million to the defense fund. oversized products. The authorities demanded from the workers ur. the rear of the fulfillment and overfulfillment of planned targets in an environment of a sharp decline in the standard of living, when production. food products decreased by 2 times, and market prices for them increased 13 times, when the problem of industrial deficit arose. goods, and many others. enterprises, in order to somehow shoe and dress their slaves., were forced to organize workshops for the production. bast shoes, sewing workshops, etc. And yet, despite the hardships, industrial workers. enterprises U., showing amazing patience and unpretentiousness, fulfilled their patriotic duty, managed to turn ur. region in ch. arsenal of the Armed Forces of the country. Military manuf. U. during the Second World War has grown 6 times. Region and rep. the region produced 40% of all military products of the country, 60% of medium, 100% of heavy tanks. Only three g-giants - Lv. car building, Chelyab. tractor (Kirovsky) and Uralmash gave 2/3 of all tanks and self-propelled guns produced in the USSR.

Loss by the country at the beginning. war 47% of sowing area. forced the Soviet state to take measures for the food supply of the army and us., the provision of raw materials for the industry.

The workers of ur. villages. They were forced to solve the assigned tasks in a situation of a sharp reduction in mat.-tech. base and a significant decrease in the number. us. During the war years, the machine and tractor fleet of collective and state farms in the region decreased by 15.7%. The social and demographic structure of the agricultural sector has undergone serious changes. During the period of hostilities, there was a large outflow of us. from the countryside, which was associated with mass mobilizations in French, with the redistribution of villages. us. between industry., transport and p. Extremely negatively affected the demographic situation in ur. village a sharp decline in the birth rate and migration processes associated with evacuation and re-evacuation. As a result, the number. sat down. us. Y. for years. war decreased by 25.3%. This tendency was especially manifested among the able-bodied male population, which decreased by 76.9%. The huge scale of loss of the able-bodied us. have sharply exacerbated the problem of labor resources with. There was an acute shortage of not only qualified personnel, but also just workers. Abbreviation for mat.-tech. the base and labor force of the U. agrarian sector forced the authorities to look for more efficient ways of functioning with. x-va within a single military economy. Unfortunately, all searches were reduced to strengthening the state. regulation of agricultural production. Tough planning was carried out, rough intervention of parties. -state. organs in production. processes, direct repression against villagers. terrain. To compensate for the lack of slave. forces, the authorities vigorously used the patriotic enthusiasm of the workers with. Women played a leading role in the development of the agricultural sector. They labored selflessly in all industries, often performing traditionally male duties. The share of women in agricultural production U. accounted for almost 80%. Among them Naib. Tractor drivers D. Larionova, K. Sklyueva, A. Maksimova were distinguished by their labor activity. Field growers P. Marusina, E. Pochitaylo, milkmaid M. Dunaeva and others achieved a high production rate. Selflessness, enthusiasm of the workers p. kh-va U. made it possible to make a significant contribution to the provision of food for the townspeople and military personnel. During the Second World War, the collective and state farms of the U. handed over to the state of St. 12 million tons of bread, more than 1.5 million tons of milk, 1 million tons of potatoes, 736 thousand tons of vegetables. And yet the reduction in mat.-tech. funds, labor overstrain of the labor force, adm. centralism of management did not allow to maintain the volume of production. agricultural products in ur. region at the pre-war level. Decreased productivity and gross harvests in agriculture, fell productivity of livestock and production. livestock products. The volume of agricultural production in Uzbekistan decreased by 18.5%. Sowing pl. pulses decreased by 33.2%, and their gross harvest by 44.8%. The number of cattle decreased by 3.8%, pigs - by 55.9%, horses - 44.6%, sheep and goats - by 34.2%. T. about. throughout the war in the agricultural sector ur. region there was a drop in agricultural production.

Self-giving sat down. us., the attempts of the authorities to stabilize the situation by administrative-legal methods contributed only to a certain slowdown in this process. As a result, the Ukrainian collective and state farms, which worked for wear and tear, came to the end of the war weakened, with destroyed productive forces.

Despite the extreme difficulties of ur. region in years. war continued to be one of the largest scientists. and cult. c. Moreover, his spiritual potential has increased significantly due to evacuated research institutes, laboratories, design bureaus, uch. head., theaters and other cultural institutions. In years. war in Sverdl. actively worked Prez. Academy of Sciences of the USSR. The activity of the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine continued in Ufa. The science of the wartime was oriented primarily towards the needs of the French and was closely related to military production. An example of this was the activities of the Commission of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR for the mobilization of resources of Ukraine for defense needs, headed by Acad. V.L. Komarov. Its work was attended by 60 scientific. institutions and prom. enterprises, more than 800 specialists decomp. branches of science and technology, represented. commissariats, military organizations. Among them worked such outstanding scientists as Acad. acad. I. Bardin, E. Britske, A. Baikov, V. Obraztsov, L. Shevyakov and others.

The Second World War made serious adjustments to the activities of the bunkers system. education W. Overcoming difficulties early. period of the war, associated with the reduction of mat.-tech. base, a decrease in the contingent of students and the body of teachers, it ultimately not only fully restored its potential, but even significantly increased it. This is plural. contributed to the evacuation to the U. of a large number of higher, secondary specialized and general education schools. head For years. During the war, 46 universities were evacuated to the U. When re-evacuating pl. of them left h. uch. equipment, teaching staff and students. On this basis, the process of organizing new higher education took place. head So, in Ufa aviation and oil institutes were opened, in Chelyab. - honey. and mechanical engineering, in Orenb. - honey., in Kurgan - agricultural. In total, during the Second World War, the number of universities in the U. increased from 48 to 60. Higher academic. head region in years. war trained 20 thousand specialists, including 7 thousand doctors, 5 thousand teachers, 3 thousand engineers, more than 1 thousand agricultural specialists. By the end of the war at ur. the region was expanded and the network cf. schools. So, if at the beginning. military operations, there were 15733, then in 1944/45 academic. their number increased to 16694.

The Second World War had a severe impact on the cult. life W. However, its development did not stop. In all regions. and rep. Writers' organizations worked actively in the region. In Sverdl. Lv. was created. lit. c., headed by P. Bazhov and A. Karavaeva. Ch. the attention of writers was drawn to the heroism of the labor and military life of the fighting people. U. received 25 evacuated theaters, among which were the Moscow Art Theater, Moscow. theater Kr. Army, Moscow. theater of satire, Leningrad. theater op. and ballet to them. S.M. Kirov, Leningrad Maly theater op. and ballet, etc. A significant concentration of theatrical forces in the U. contributed to the development of ur. theatrical school, increasing audience interest in this type of art. In 1945 60 theatrical collectives worked in Ukraine, which accounted for 15.6% of the total number of theatrical institutions of the RSFSR. The first theater institute in the history of the region was created (Sverdl., 1945), openly famous today Perm. choreographic school (Perm, 1945). All performances of local and evacuated theaters were sold out. During the war years. 3,700 plays were staged in Ukrainian theaters, 65,600 performances were staged, reaching 28.5 million spectators. The “tetralny boom” in the Ukraine was caused by the renewal of the repertoire, the improvement in the quality of performances, and the strengthening of the role of theatrical collectives in military patronage. For years. WWII artists of Sverdl. region more than 20 thousand concerts were held in fr. and in the rear.

A significant contribution to the overall victory was made by ur. thin They created portraits of heroes of the war, decorated squares, railway stations, propaganda centers with visual agitation. Cinema played an important role in the mobilization of home front workers. Lvl. filmmakers successfully solved the problem of increasing the number and improving the quality of film production, energetically contributed to the advancement of cinema to the masses. Sverdl worked actively. newsreel studio that produced 242 newsreels during the war period. From Feb 1943 in Sverdl. the film studio began its activity. films, in 1944 she shot the first picture "Silva", which was released on the screens of the country at the end of the war. Its place in the cult. The life of the region was occupied by Ur. bunk bed chorus. Of course, the productions created by pre. thin intellectuals U. in years. WWII, bore the stamp of a totalitarian culture. Creative workers were not completely free in their activities, they experienced fasting. ideological pressure from the command-admin. systems. However, the paradox of the development of the artistic potential of culture in the years. war was that the direction of this pressure coincided with the patriotic feelings of the people. Hood. manuf., created in years. wars in the U., expressed the desire of the whole country for victory, and in many others. contributed to its achievement.

Gg. wars have become a period of change in the policy of the state in relation to religion. The Bolshevik regime, seeking to use the authority of the church in the process of consolidating all patriotic and anti-fascist forces, took a number of liberal steps in relation to the clergy. The opening of churches was allowed, the possibility of legal worship appeared. In the U. for years. During the war, services were resumed in 88 Orthodox churches and 17 places of worship of other religions. The activity of clergy and believers was distinguished by the desire to unite the forces of the people in repelling the enemy, to weaken the moral suffering of people, to make a concrete contribution to the defense of the country. So, only to the Defense Fund parishes ur. dioceses surrendered approx. RUB 14 million

The hard trials that befell the whole country in the Second World War hardened the inhabitants of ur. region, increased their polit. activity. The Urals took part in the voluntary collection of warm clothes for front-line soldiers, money for the Defense Fund, for tank columns, air squadrons, and artillery batteries. During the war, only the workers of Bash. and Udm. collected 3.5 billion rubles for the Defense Fund. At the expense of voluntary contributions from the Urals, the 30th Volunteer Tank Corps, tank columns "Sverdlovsk Komsomolets", "Chelyabinsk Collective Farmers", "Collective Farmer of Udmurtia", them. Chkalov, them. Chelyabinsk Komsomol; air squadrons "Bashkir fighter", "Komsomolets of Bashkiria", "Komsomolets of Udmurtia", "Sverdlovsk collective farmer", "Kurgan state farms", "Molotovsky Osoaviakhimovets", them. Komsomol of the Molotov Region, Shadrinsky Rabochy; sixteen artillery batteries, a submarine "Chelyabinsk Komsomolets", a link of boats "Sea Hunter" and many others. other military units. During the Second World War, U. rendered great assistance to the districts of the USSR that suffered from the German occupation: personnel, prom. equipment, agricultural machinery, seeds, etc. U. made a significant contribution to the feat of arms committed by the country in the years. WWII. On his ter. more than 500 military units and formations were formed. Among them there are 3 buildings, 78 div., A large number of dep. brigades, regiments, battalions, divisions and companies. In fr. it took approx. 2 million residents of the Urals, of which more than 600 thousand did not return home. Lvl. subdivisions took part in pl. major battles. Most of them, having shown heroism and valor, became guards, received awards. Almost all the units and formations formed in the Ukraine were given the honorary names of the cities liberated by them: Lvov, Vitebsk, Kiev, Leningrad, Nikolaev, Sumy, Kharkov, Pskov, Budapest, Berlin, Prague, etc. In the battles of the Second World War, the Urals showed personal courage and courage. 1005 rep. U. were awarded the title of Hero of the Owls. Union. Among them are I. Zolin, A. Burdenyuk, who sent their wrecked planes to the accumulations of equipment and soldiers of the enemy, A. Matrosov, J. Paderin, G. Kunavin, who covered the embrasures of enemy pillboxes with their bodies, twice Heroes of the Sov. Union, fearless pilots K. Evstigneev, G. Rechkalov, E. Kungurtsev, M. Odintsov, G. Sivkov, tankers S. Khokhryakov, V. Arkhipov and many others. dr.

Lit .: Ural - to the front. M., 1985; A.A. Antufiev Ural industry on the eve and during the Second World War. Yekaterinburg, 1992; Kornilov G.E. Ural village and the war. Yekaterinburg, 1993; The Urals forged victory. Chelyabinsk, 1994; Ural in the Great Patriotic War. Yekaterinburg, 1995; Speransky A.V. In the crucible of trials. Culture of the Urals during the Great Patriotic War. Yekaterinburg, 1996.

Speransky A.V., Kornilov G.E.. Institute of History and Archeology, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 1998-2004 .

When the sun's rays were just about to illuminate the land on the western border of the USSR, the first soldiers of Hitlerite Germany set foot on Soviet soil. The Great Patriotic War (WWII) has been going on for almost two years, but now a heroic war has begun, and it will go not for resources, not for the domination of one nation over another, and not for the establishment of a new order, now the war will become sacred, popular and its price will be life, real and life of future generations.

Great Patriotic War 1941-1945. The beginning of the Second World War

On June 22, 1941, the countdown began for four years of superhuman efforts, during which the future of each of us hung practically in the balance.
War is always a disgusting business, but The Great Patriotic War (WWII) was too popular for only professional soldiers to participate. All the people, young and old, stood up to defend the Motherland.
From the first day Great Patriotic War (WWII) the heroism of a simple Soviet soldier became a role model. The fact that in literature is often called "to die" was fully demonstrated already in the battles for the Brest Fortress. The vaunted Wehrmacht soldiers, who conquered France in 40 days, and forced England to cowardly huddle on their island, faced such resistance that they simply could not believe that ordinary people were fighting against them. As if they were warriors from epic legends, with their bosom they stood up to defend every inch of their native land. For almost a month, the garrison of the fortress repulsed one German attack after another. And this, just think about it, 4000 people who were cut off from the main forces, and who did not have a single chance of salvation. They were all doomed, but they never succumbed to weakness, did not lay down their arms.
When the advanced units of the Wehrmacht reach Kiev, Smolensk, Leningrad, battles are still continuing in the Brest Fortress.
Great Patriotic War all the time are characterized by manifestations of heroism and resilience. No matter what was happening on the territory of the USSR, no matter how terrible the repression of tyranny, the war made everyone equal.
A striking example of changing attitudes within society, Stalin's famous address, which was made on July 3, 1941, contained the words “Brothers and Sisters”. There were no more citizens, no high officials and comrades, it was a huge family consisting of all the peoples and nationalities of the country. The family demanded rescue, demanded support.
And on the eastern front, fighting continued. For the first time, German generals encountered an anomaly, and there is no other name for it. Developed by the best minds of the Hitlerite General Staff, lightning war, built on the rapid breakthroughs of tank formations, followed by the encirclement of large enemy units, no longer worked like a clock mechanism. Once surrounded, Soviet units fought their way through, and did not lay down their arms. To a serious extent, the heroism of the soldiers and commanders thwarted the plans of the German offensive, slowed down the advance of enemy units and became a turning point in the war. Yes, yes, it was then, in the summer of 1941, that the plans for the offensive of the German army were completely disrupted. Then there was Stalingrad, Kursk, the Moscow battle, but all of them became possible thanks to the unparalleled courage of a simple Soviet soldier who, at the cost of his own life, stopped the German invaders.
Of course, there were excesses in the leadership of military operations. It must be admitted that the command of the red army was not ready for WWII... The doctrine of the USSR assumed a victorious war on the territory of the enemy, but not on its own land. And technically, the Soviet troops were seriously inferior to the Germans. So they went into cavalry attacks on tanks, flew and shot down German aces on old aircraft, burned in tanks, and retreated without giving up a piece without a fight.

Great Patriotic War 1941-1945. Battle for Moscow

The plan for the lightning-fast capture of Moscow by the Germans finally crashed in the winter of 1941. Much has been written about the Moscow battle, films have been made. However, every page of what was written, every shot from the footage is saturated with the unparalleled heroism of the defenders of Moscow. We all know about the November 7 parade, which marched across Red Square as German tanks marched towards the capital. Yes, this was also an example of how the Soviet people were going to defend their country. The troops left for the front line immediately from the parade, immediately engaging in battle. And the Germans could not stand it. The iron conquerors of Europe stopped. It seemed that nature itself came to the aid of the defenders, severe frosts hit, and this was the beginning of the end of the German offensive. Hundreds of thousands of lives, widespread manifestations of patriotism and devotion to the Motherland of soldiers in encirclement, soldiers near Moscow, residents who for the first time in their lives held weapons in their hands, all this became an insurmountable obstacle on the enemy's path to the very heart of the USSR.
But after the legendary offensive began. German troops were driven back from Moscow, and for the first time experienced the bitterness of retreat and defeat. We can say that it was here, in the snow-covered areas under the capital, that the fate of the whole world was predetermined, and not just war. The brown plague, until this time devouring country after country, people after people, found itself face to face with people who did not want to, could not bow their heads.
The 41st was coming to an end, the western part of the USSR lay in ruins, the occupying troops were furious, but nothing could break those who ended up in the occupied territories. There were traitors, what can we hide, those who went over to the side of the enemy, and forever branded themselves with shame and the rank of "policeman". And who are they now, where are they? The Holy War does not forgive traitors on its land.
Speaking of the "Holy War". The legendary song very accurately reflected the state of society in those years. The People's and the Holy War did not tolerate the subjunctive declension and weakness. The price of victory or defeat was life itself.
g. allowed to change the relationship between the government and the church. Persecuted for many years, during WWII The Russian Orthodox Church helped the front with all its might. And this is another example of heroism and patriotism. After all, we all know that in the West, the Pope simply bowed to Hitler's iron fists.

Great Patriotic War 1941-1945. Guerrilla war

Separately, it should be said about the partisan war during WWII... For the first time, the Germans met with such fierce resistance from the population. Regardless of where the front line passed, hostilities were constantly conducted in the rear of the enemy. The invaders on Soviet soil could not get a moment of rest. Whether it was the swamps of Belarus or the forests of the Smolensk region, the steppes of Ukraine, death awaited the invaders everywhere! Whole villages went to the partisans, together with families, with relatives, and from there, from the innermost, ancient forests, they attacked the fascists.
How many heroes the partisan movement gave birth to. Both old and very young. Young boys and girls who went to school yesterday have matured today and performed feats that will remain in our memory for centuries.
While the fighting was on the ground, the air, in the first months of the war, was completely owned by the Germans. A huge number of aircraft of the Soviet army were destroyed immediately after the start of the fascist offensive, and those who managed to get into the air could not fight on equal terms with the German aviation. However, heroism in WWII manifests itself not only on the battlefield. All of us who live today give a low bow to the logisticians. In the most severe conditions, under constant shelling and bombing, factories and factories were exported to the east. Immediately upon arrival, on the street, in the frost, workers stood at the machines. The army continued to receive ammunition. Talented designers created new models of weapons. They worked in the rear for 18-20 hours a day, but the army did not need anything. Victory was forged at the cost of tremendous efforts of each person.

Great Patriotic War 1941-1945. Rear

Great Patriotic War 1941-1945. Siege Leningrad.

Siege Leningrad. Are there people who would not have heard this phrase? 872 days of unparalleled heroism have covered this city with eternal glory. German troops and allies were never able to break the resistance of the besieged city. The city lived, defended itself and retaliated. The road of life that connected the besieged city with the mainland for many became the last, and there was not a single person who would refuse, who would have chickened out and did not take food and ammunition to Leningraders along this ice ribbon. Hope never died. And the merit in this belongs entirely to ordinary people who value the freedom of their country above all!
All history of the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945 written in unprecedented feats. Covering the embrasure of an enemy pillbox with your body, throwing grenades under a tank, going to ram in an air battle - only real sons and daughters of their people, heroes, could.
And they were rewarded! And even though the sky over the village of Prokhorovka turned black with soot and smoke, even though the waters of the northern seas received dead heroes every day, nothing could stop the liberation of the Motherland.
And there was the first fireworks, August 5, 1943. It was then that the fireworks began to count down in honor of the new victory, the new liberation of the city.
The peoples of Europe today no longer know their history, the true history of the Second World War. It is thanks to the Soviet people that they live, build their lives, give birth and raise children. Bucharest, Warsaw, Budapest, Sofia, Prague, Vienna, Bratislava, all these capitals were liberated at the cost of the blood of Soviet heroes. And the latest shots in Berlin mark the end of the 20th century's worst nightmare.