The Second World War left a small piece in the history of each nation. This truly terrifying and at the same time great period has changed the world beyond recognition. Almost every country played a role in this war. For the states of the former USSR, World War II occupies a special place in history. It even has a completely different name - the Great Patriotic War. This historical period was truly a turning point for the peoples of modern Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and other countries of the USSR. This war became a test of courage, courage and the will of the great Soviet people.
The Soviet army proved its professionalism and indestructibility even in the face of such a terrible ideological enemy as Nazism.
Today, historians are constantly discussing the main battles of the Great Patriotic War. Many facts have not yet been disclosed, due to "great love" for the secrets of the Soviet government. Nevertheless, we can highlight the main stages and battles of the Great Patriotic War. But, before characterizing them, it is necessary to recall the reasons that led to the military conflict between Nazi Germany and the Stalinist USSR.
World War II - reasons
As we know, on September 1, 1939 , the Second World War began. The main escalation of the conflict was from Germany in the West. At this time, German Nazism developed in its classical form. Hitler's power was limitless. Although this charismatic leader actually declared war on all states, the USSR was in no hurry to join it because of the non-aggression pact.
It was signed on August 23, 1939. The agreement stipulated the neutral attitude of the USSR to the war that Germany would wage against the countries of the West and Europe. Cooperation in the field of activity with other countries was also approved. Both parties were forbidden to participate in unions that in one way or another contradict their interests. For such "tolerance" on the part of the Soviet Union, Germany undertook to return part of the territory it had lost. There is also a secret protocol in which the parties stipulated the division of power in Eastern Europe and Poland. In fact, this treaty was concluded with the aim of further establishing mutual world domination. But there was one problem. From the very beginning, Germany did not want peace with the USSR. Of course, it was beneficial in the early stages of the war, but there was no question of any mutual domination.
Further actions of Germany can be called just one word - betrayal. This sneaky step spawned the great battles of World War II. Already on June 22, 1941, Germany officially attacked the USSR. From this time begins the Great Patriotic War. Next, we will consider the main battles of the Great Patriotic War, which play an important role in the history of this period.
Moscow battle
Wehrmacht troops used specific offensive tactics. Their attack was based on the interaction of all military branches. First, the enemy was subjected to powerful shelling from the air. Tanks immediately followed the planes, which literally burned out enemy troops. At the very end, German infantry began to operate. Thanks to this tactic, the enemy troops, led by General Bok, already in September 1941 made their way to the center of the Soviet Union - Moscow. At the very beginning of the offensive, the German army consisted of 71.5 divisions, which is approximately 1,700,000 people. Also in its composition, there were 1800 tanks, 15 100 guns, 1300 aircraft. According to these indicators, the German side was about five times larger than the Soviet side.
On September 30, 1941, the Germans launched an attack on Moscow. From the very first stages of the Moscow offensive, the Wehrmacht troops suffered significant setbacks. Already on October 17, the Soviet army, under the command of Zhukov, stopped the offensive by implementing Operation Typhoon. The bloodless enemy had only forces left for a positional war, therefore, in January 1942, the Germans were defeated and driven back 100 kilometers from Moscow. This victory dispelled the myth of the invincibility of the Fuhrer army. Moscow was the line that needed to be overcome on the road to victory. The German army did not cope with this task, so Hitler eventually lost the war. But the battles of World War II do not end there. Below we will look at a truly turning point in the course of this global conflict.
Battle of stalingrad
Today, one can single out a lot of events that are known for the Great Patriotic War. The battle of Stalingrad is the turning point that entailed a crushing series of failures of the German army. The period of the Battle of Stalingrad can be divided into two stages: the beginning and the counteroffensive. On July 17, 1942, the famous Battle of Stalingrad began.
At this stage, German troops stopped in the area of the city. The Soviet army did not want to surrender it to the last. The forces of the Soviet Union were commanded by
Lieutenant General Vatutin and Marshal Tymoshenko. They managed to completely paralyze the Germans, but the Soviet troops were surrounded. Skirmishes between small groups of Soviet and German soldiers constantly took place in the city. According to the memoirs of veterans: "In Stalingrad there was a real hell." In one of the Museums of Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad), an interesting exhibit is stored: bullets that hit each other. This indicates the intensity of hostilities in the city. As for strategic importance, it actually did not exist. This city was important to Hitler as a symbol of Stalin's power. Therefore, it was necessary to take it, and most importantly, to keep it. It follows that the city became a center of clash of interests in the period when the Great Patriotic War took place. The battle of Stalingrad made it possible to evaluate and compare the power of two ideological titans of the 20th century.
Counterattack near Stalingrad
The German army, led by General Paulus, at the time of the counteroffensive totaled 1,010,600 people, 600 tanks, 1,200 combat aircraft and about 10,000 guns. The Soviet Union had almost the same number of military and military equipment. Significant forces that our party pulled up during the siege allowed November 20, 1942 to go on the offensive and surround the Germans.
By the evening of January 31, 1943, the Stalingrad German group was liquidated. Such results were achieved thanks to the coordinated work of the three main fronts of the USSR. The battle of Stalingrad is glorified along with other main battles of the Great Patriotic War. Because this event significantly undermined the forces of the German army. In other words, after Stalingrad, Germany was never able to resume its combat power. In addition, the German command could not even imagine that the city would leave the encirclement. But this happened, and further events were not in favor of the Führer.
The Great Patriotic War: Battle of Kursk
After the events in the city of Stalingrad, the German army was never able to recover, however, it still posed a serious threat. On the Kursk Bulge (the formed front line after the victory at Stalingrad), German troops gathered a significant amount of their forces. The Soviet side was going to carry out a powerful attack in the area of the city of Kursk. In the early stages, German troops had significant victories. They were commanded by such famous German military leaders as G. Kluge and Manstein. The main task of the USSR troops was to prevent a new advance of the Nazi army "Center" deep into the mainland. The situation changed radically on July 12, 1943.
The battle of Prokhorov in 1943
The great battles of World War II were unpredictable. One of these battles is the tank confrontation near the village of Prokhorovka. It was attended by over 1000 tanks and self-propelled guns from both sides. After this battle, there were no questions about who would prevail in the war. The German army was defeated, although not completely. After the battle of Prokhorov, Soviet troops were able to launch a large-scale attack on Belgorod and Kharkov. This actually ends the story of the Kursk confrontation, the largest battle of the Great Patriotic War, which opened the doors of the USSR to conquer Berlin.
The capture of Berlin 1945
The Berlin operation played a final role in the history of the German-Soviet confrontation. The purpose of its holding was the defeat of German troops, which were formed near the city of Berlin.
The army of the Center group, as well as the Wisla military group under the command of Heinitz and Sherner, were located near the city. From the side of the USSR, an army of three fronts came under the command of Marshals Zhukov, Konev and Rokossovsky. The capture of Berlin ended with German surrender on May 9, 1945.
The main battles of World War II at this stage end. Just a few months later, namely September 2, 1945, the Second World War ended.
Conclusion
So, the article examined the most important battles of the Great Patriotic War. The list can be supplemented with other equally important and famous events, but in our article the most epic and memorable battles are indicated. Today it is impossible to imagine a person who would not know about the feat of the great Soviet soldiers.