The desire to seize Leningrad simply pursued the entire German command. In the article we will talk about the event itself, and about how many days the blockade of Leningrad lasted. It was planned with the help of several armies, united under the command of Field Marshal Wilhelm von Leeb and the general name "North", to push the Soviet troops out of the Baltic states and begin to capture Leningrad. After the success of this operation, the German invaders would have gained enormous opportunities to suddenly break into the rear of the Soviet army and leave Moscow without protection.
Leningrad blockade. date
The capture of Leningrad by the Germans would automatically deprive the USSR of the Baltic Fleet, and this would worsen the strategic situation several times. There was no opportunity to create a new front to defend Moscow in this situation, because all the forces had already been used. Soviet troops could not psychologically accept the capture of the city by the enemy, and the answer to the question: "How many days did the blockade of Leningrad last?" would be completely different. But it happened as it happened.
On July 10, 1941, the Germans attacked Leningrad, the superiority of their troops was obvious. The invaders, in addition to 32 infantry divisions, had 3 tank, 3 motor divisions and huge support for aviation. In this battle, German soldiers opposed the northern and northwestern front, where there were much fewer people (only 31 divisions and 2 brigades). At the same time, the defenders lacked neither tanks, nor weapons, nor grenades, and there were 10 times fewer aircraft than the attackers.
The blockade of Leningrad: the history of the first attacks of the German army
Making a lot of efforts, the Nazis pushed the Soviet troops to the Baltic states and launched an attack on Leningrad in two directions. Finnish troops moved through Karelia, and German planes concentrated near the city itself. Soviet soldiers restrained the advance of the enemy with all their might and even stopped the Finnish army near the Karelian Isthmus.
The German army "North" went on the offensive in two directions: Lush and Novgorod-Chudovsky. The main strike division changed tactics and moved to Leningrad. German aviation also went to the city, which significantly exceeded the Soviet one. However, despite the fact that the aviation of the USSR was inferior in many respects to the enemy, it allowed only a few fascist aircraft to enter the airspace over Leningrad. In August, German troops broke through to Shimsk, but fighters of the Red Army stopped the enemy near Staraya Russa. This slowed down the Nazi movement a little and even created a threat to their environment.
Change of direction of impact
The fascist command changed direction and sent two motorized divisions under the support of bombers under Staraya Russa. In August, the cities of Novgorod and Chudovo were captured and the railway lines were blocked. The German command decided to unite their army near the Ladoga Lake with the Finnish army advancing in this direction. Already at the end of August, enemy troops blocked all roads leading to Leningrad, and on September 8 the city was taken by the enemy into a blockade. Keeping in touch with the outside world was possible only by air or by water. Thus, the Nazis "overlaid" Leningrad, began shelling the city and civilians. Regular aerial bombardments took place.
Having not found a common language with Stalin on the defense of the capital, on September 12 G. Zhukov was sent to Leningrad and began to take active measures to protect the city. But by October 10, due to the difficult military situation near Moscow, Zhukov had to go there, and Major General Fedyuninsky was appointed commander in his place.
Hitler transferred additional divisions from other regions in order to completely capture Leningrad and destroy all Soviet troops in a short time. The struggle for the city lasted 871 days. Despite the fact that the advance of the enemy was suspended, the locals were on the verge of life and death. Food supplies were getting smaller every day, but shelling and air raids did not stop.
The road of life
From the first day of the blockade, only one strategic route — the Road of Life — could leave the besieged city. She passed through Lake Ladonezh; it was on her that women and children could flee from Leningrad. Also along this road the city received food, medicine and ammunition. But there was still not enough food, the shops were empty, and a large number of people gathered near the bakeries in order to get their ration on coupons. The "road of life" was narrow and was constantly under the Nazis' sight, but there was no other way out of the city.
Hunger
Soon frosts began, and ships with provisions could not reach Leningrad. A terrible famine began in the city. Engineers and workers at the factories were given 300 grams of bread each, and ordinary Leningraders only 150 grams each. But now the quality of bread has deteriorated significantly - it was a rubber mixture of the remnants of stale bread and other inedible impurities. Rations also cut. And when the frosts reached minus forty, Leningrad during the blockade was left without water and without electricity. But the factories for the production of weapons and ammunition worked without stopping even in such a difficult time for the city.
The Germans were sure that the city would not last long in such terrible conditions, its capture was expected from day to day. The blockade of Leningrad, the start date of which, according to the Nazis, was to become the date of the capture of the city, unpleasantly surprised the command. People did not lose heart and supported each other and their defenders as they could. They were not going to give up positions to the enemy. The siege dragged on, the morale of the invaders gradually subsided. The city could not be captured, and the situation was becoming more complicated every day with the actions of the partisans. Army Group North was ordered to gain a foothold on the spot, and in the summer, when reinforcements arrive, take decisive action.
First attempts to free the city
In 1942, Soviet troops tried several times to liberate the city, but the breakthrough of the siege of Leningrad failed. Although all attempts failed, the offensive nevertheless weakened the enemy’s position and made it possible to try to lift the blockade again. Voroshilov and Zhukov were engaged in this process. On January 12, 1944, the troops of the Soviet Army, with the support of the Baltic Fleet, launched an offensive. Heavy fighting forced the enemy to use all his strength. Powerful attacks on all flanks forced Hitler's troops to retreat, and in June the enemy was driven back 300 km from Leningrad. The breakthrough of the siege of Leningrad was a triumph and a turning point in the war.
Blockade duration
History did not know such a fierce and prolonged military siege of a settlement as in Leningrad. How many disturbing nights the inhabitants of the besieged city had to endure, how many days ... The siege of Leningrad lasted 871 days. People have suffered so much pain and suffering that the whole world would have sufficed until the end of the century! The blockade of Leningrad - the years are truly bloody and dark for everyone. It was broken through by the dedication and courage of Soviet soldiers who were ready to sacrifice their lives in the name of their homeland. After so many years, many historians and ordinary people were interested in only one thing: was it possible to avoid such a cruel fate? Probably not. Hitler simply dreamed of the day when he could take possession of the Baltic Fleet and block the road to Murmansk and Arkhangelsk, where reinforcements for the Soviet army came from. Was it possible to design this situation in advance and to prepare for it in the least? "The blockade of Leningrad - the history of heroism and blood" - this could be described as a terrible period. But let's look at the reasons why the tragedy unfolded.
Prerequisites for the blockade and causes of hunger
In 1941, in early September, the city of Shlisselburg was captured by the Nazis. Thus, Leningrad was surrounded. Initially, Soviet people did not believe that the situation would lead to such disastrous consequences, but nevertheless the panic swept the Leningraders. The store shelves were empty, all the money was taken from savings banks in just a few hours, the bulk of the population was preparing for a long siege of the city. Some citizens even managed to leave the village before the Nazis launched massacres, bombings and executions of innocent people. But after the brutal siege began, it was already impossible to get out of the city. Some historians argue that the terrible famine in the siege days arose due to the fact that at the beginning of the blockade all Badayev’s warehouses burned , and with them food stocks designed for the whole city.
However, after studying all the documents on this topic, which, incidentally, had until recently been classified, it became clear that there were no “food deposits” in these warehouses initially. In the difficult war years, the creation of a strategic reserve for the 3 million residents of Leningrad was an impossible task. Locals ate imported food, and they were missing for no more than a week. Therefore, the following tough measures were applied: grocery cards were introduced, all letters were strictly monitored, schools were closed. If in any of the messages any attachment was noticed or the text contained a decadent mood, it was destroyed.
Life and death within the beloved city
The blockade of Leningrad - the years over which scientists are still arguing. After all, by looking at the surviving letters and notes of people who survived this terrible time, and trying to answer the question “how many days did the blockade of Leningrad last”, historians revealed the whole terrible picture of what was happening. Immediately hunger, poverty and death fell upon the inhabitants. Money and gold have depreciated completely. Evacuation was planned as early as the fall of the 41st, but only by January next year it became possible to remove most of the inhabitants from this terrible place. Near bread stalls, where people received rations on cards, incredible lines lined up. In this frosty time, not only hunger and invaders killed people. A record low temperature lingered for a long time on the thermometer. It provoked the freezing of water pipes and the rapid use of all available fuel in the city. The population was left in the cold without water, light and heat. Hordes of humans were hordes of hungry rats. They ate all stocks of food and were carriers of terrible diseases. For all these reasons, people weakened and exhausted by hunger and disease died in the streets, they did not even have time to bury them.
The life of people in blockade
Despite the severity of the situation, local residents supported the life of the city as best they could. In addition, Leningraders helped the Soviet Army. Despite the terrible living conditions, the factories did not stop their work for a moment and almost all produced military products.
People supported each other, tried not to drop the city’s culture in the mud, restored the work of theaters and museums. Everyone wanted to prove to the invaders that nothing could shake their faith in a brighter future. The most striking example of love for his native city and life was shown by the history of the creation of the “Leningrad Symphony” by D. Shostakovich. The composer began work on it in the besieged Leningrad, and ended in evacuation. After completion, it was transferred to the city, and the local symphony orchestra played a symphony for all Leningrad residents. During the concert, Soviet artillery did not allow a single enemy aircraft to break through to the city so that the bombing would not disrupt the long-awaited premiere. The local radio did not stop working, which gave the locals a sip of fresh information and extended the will to live.
Hero children. Ensemble A.E. Obranta
The most painful topic at all times was the theme of the salvation of suffering children. The beginning of the siege of Leningrad hit everyone, and the smallest in the first place. The childhood spent in the city left a serious imprint on all Leningrad children. They all matured earlier than their peers, since the Nazis brutally stole their childhood and carefree time. Kids along with adults tried to bring Victory Day closer. Among them are those who were not afraid to give their lives for the approaching of a happy day. They remained heroes in many hearts. An example is the history of the children's dance ensemble A.E. Obranta. In the first blockade winter, the bulk of the children were evacuated, but, despite this, there were still a lot of them in the city. Even before the war began, the Song and Dance Ensemble was founded in the Palace of Pioneers. And in wartime, teachers who remained in Leningrad searched for their former students and resumed work of ensembles and circles. The choreographer Obrant also did the same. From the remaining children in the city, he created a dance ensemble. In these terrible and hungry days, children did not give themselves time to relax, and the ensemble gradually got on its feet. And this despite the fact that before the rehearsals began, many of the guys had to be saved from exhaustion (they simply could not bear even the slightest load).
After some time, the team has already begun to give concerts. In the spring of 1942, the guys started touring, they tried very hard to raise morale for the soldiers. The soldiers looked at these courageous children and could not restrain their emotions. For the entire time that the blockade of the city lasted, children with concerts traveled all garrisons and gave more than 3 thousand concerts. There were times when performances were interrupted by bombing and air raids. The guys were not even afraid to go to the front line to cheer up and support their defenders, although they danced without music, so as not to attract the attention of the Germans. After the city was liberated from the invaders, all the children of the ensemble were awarded medals "For the Defense of Leningrad".
The long-awaited breakthrough!
A turning point in favor of the Soviet troops occurred in 1943, and the soldiers were preparing for the liberation of Leningrad from the German invaders. On January 14, 1944, the defenders embarked on the final stage of the liberation of the city. They dealt a crushing blow to the enemy and opened all the land roads connecting Leningrad with other settlements of the country. Soldiers of the Volkhov and Leningrad Front broke through the blockade of Leningrad on January 27, 1944. The Germans began to gradually retreat, and soon they completely lifted the blockade.
This tragic page in the history of Russia, sprinkled with the blood of two million people. The memory of the dead heroes is passed down from generation to generation and lives in the hearts of people to this day. The number of days the blockade of Leningrad lasted, and the courage shown by people, even Western historians delight.
Blockade Price
On January 27, 1944, at 8 o’clock in the evening in liberated Leningrad from blockade, festive fireworks soared. Selfless Leningraders lasted 872 days under the difficult conditions of the siege, but now everything is left behind. The heroism of these ordinary people still amazes historians, the defense of the city is still being studied by researchers. And there is a reason! The blockade of Leningrad lasted almost 900 days and claimed many lives ... How much is hard to say.
Despite the fact that more than 70 years have passed since 1944, historians cannot voice the exact number of victims of this bloody event. Below are some data taken from the documents.
So, the official death toll in the blockade is 632,253 people. People died for several reasons, but mainly from the bombing, cold and hunger. Leningraders hard survived the cold winter of 1941/1942, in addition, the constant interruptions in food, electricity and water completely tormented the population. The blockade of the city of Leningrad experienced people not only mentally, but also physically. Residents received a scanty ration of bread, which was scarcely enough (and sometimes not enough at all), so as not to starve to death.
Historians conduct their research on documents from the regional and city committees of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks that have been preserved since the war. Such information is available to employees of the registry office, which recorded the number of dead people. Once these papers were secret, but after the collapse of the USSR, archives were declassified, and many documents became available to almost everyone.
The above-mentioned death toll is very different from reality. The liberation of Leningrad from the fascist blockade was given to ordinary people at the cost of numerous lives, blood and suffering. Some sources say about 300 thousand dead, while others say 1.5 million. They included only civilians who did not have time to evacuate from the city. The dead soldiers from parts of the Leningrad Front and the Baltic Fleet are included in the list of “Defenders of the city”.
The Soviet government did not disclose the true number of the dead. After the blockade of Leningrad was lifted, all data on the dead were classified, and with each passing year the mentioned figure changed with enviable constancy. At the same time, it was alleged that about 7 million people died in the war between the USSR and the Nazis on our side. Now they are voicing the figure of 26.6 million ...
Naturally, the number of deaths in Leningrad was not particularly distorted, but, nevertheless, was revised several times. In the end, they stopped at around 2 million people. The year of lifting the blockade was both the happiest and the saddest for people. Only now came the realization of how many people died from hunger and cold. And how many more have given their lives for liberation ...
Discussions about the death toll will be held for a long time. New data and new calculations appear, the exact number of victims of the Leningrad tragedy, it seems, will never be known. Nevertheless, the words "war", "blockade", "Leningrad" evoked and will cause future generations to feel pride in people and a feeling of incredible pain. This is something to be proud of. The year of lifting the siege of Leningrad is the year of the triumph of the human spirit and the forces of goodness over darkness and chaos.