The following article discusses the partisan movement and the struggle of the Soviet people during one of the most bloody wars.
One of the common forms of confrontation between the Soviet people and German enemies was the well-known partisan movement. The program of its existence and activity was specified in the directive of the Council of People's Commissars and the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks of June 29, 1941. Some time later, on July 18, the Central Committee adopted a special decree "On the organization of the struggle in the rear of the German troops." These documents carried various instructions on the preparation of the party underground, organizations, the acquisition and arming of partisan detachments, and additionally formulated the tasks and progress of the movement.
Based on the scale of the occupied territories of the USSR, the scope and volume of party struggle was predetermined and designated. Initially, measures were taken that related to the evacuation of the population, however, approximately 62 million people, which makes up about 33% of the pre-war population, should have remained living in territories that were occupied by the enemy.
Initially, the Soviet leadership predetermined and made a bet on permanent partisan formations, which were formed with the active participation and under the strict guidance of the NKVD. One of the most famous was the "Victors" detachment, whose commander was D.N. Medvedev. His actions spread to Smolensk, Oryol and Mogilev regions, and then to Western Ukraine. This squad consisted of athletes, NKVD employees, and verified local personnel. The partisan movement in Belarus was well developed. The people of this country put up worthy resistance to the enemy.
The regional, city and district chairmen of the party’s executive committees, as well as the secretaries of the regional committee, city committee and district committee of the Komsomol, led the partisan movement. General strategic leadership was provided by the Supreme Command. Direct interaction with the local forces was carried out by the Central headquarters of the partisan movement (TsShPD). Its creation was facilitated by the decision of the GKO on May 30, 1942, and its functioning was carried out until January 1944. The main task of the Central Military Command was to establish contacts with various partisan formations, direct and coordinate their immediate actions, supply weapons, drugs, train personnel and make interactions between partisans with some parts of the standing army.
The partisan movement in the rear of the enemy totaled about 6.5 thousand different units, the battles in which were fought by more than 1 million people. During the necessary operations, partisans destroyed, captured and wounded about 1 million fascists, disabled about 4 thousand military equipment, 65 thousand cars, 1,100 aircraft, destroyed and damaged more than 1,650 railway bridges.
The partisan movement during the Second World War - that we did not know about it
The main objects of combat and military activity of partisan movements during the Second World War were communications, in particular, railways. They conducted a series of large-scale operations that were associated with the incapacitation or breakdown of a large number of enemy communications, the activities of which were closely related to the functioning of the regular army unit.
Between August 3 and September 15, 1943, the occupied territories of the RSFSR, Belarus, and some part of Ukraine, aiming to help certain parts of the Soviet Army, carried out Operation Rail War during the demonstration of the defeat of the German army during the Battle of Kursk . Certain sections and objects were created at the scene, the actions of each of them were predetermined by 167 partisan movements planned for this. The actions of these people significantly hindered the regrouping and supply of enemy troops, which were forced to retreat.