Bones on the legs

When was World War 2. Fracture on the Eastern Front. About the signing procedure

The first major defeat of the Wehrmacht was the defeat of the Nazi troops in the Battle of Moscow (1941-1942), during which the Nazi "blitzkrieg" was finally thwarted, the myth of the invincibility of the Wehrmacht was dispelled.

On December 7, 1941, Japan launched a war against the United States with the attack on Pearl Harbor. On December 8, the United States, Great Britain and a number of other states declared war on Japan. On December 11, Germany and Italy declared war on the United States. The entry of the United States and Japan into the war affected the balance of power and increased the scale of the armed struggle.

In North Africa, in November 1941 and in January-June 1942, hostilities were conducted with varying success, then until the autumn of 1942 there was a lull. In the Atlantic, German submarines continued to inflict great damage on the Allied fleets (by the autumn of 1942, the tonnage of ships sunk, mainly in the Atlantic, amounted to over 14 million tons). In the Pacific Ocean, Japan occupied Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Burma in early 1942, inflicted a major defeat on the British fleet in the Gulf of Thailand, the Anglo-American-Dutch fleet in the Java operation and established dominance at sea. The American Navy and Air Force, significantly reinforced by the summer of 1942, defeated the Japanese fleet in naval battles in the Coral Sea (May 7-8) and at Midway Island (June).

Third period of the war (November 19, 1942 - December 31, 1943) began with the counteroffensive of the Soviet troops, culminating in the defeat of the 330,000th German group during the Battle of Stalingrad (July 17, 1942 - February 2, 1943), which marked the beginning of a radical turning point in the Great Patriotic War and had a great influence on the further course of the entire Second World War. The mass expulsion of the enemy from the territory of the USSR began. The Battle of Kursk (1943) and access to the Dnieper completed a radical turning point in the course of the Great Patriotic War. The battle for the Dnieper (1943) overturned the enemy's plans for a protracted war.

At the end of October 1942, when the Wehrmacht was fighting fierce battles on the Soviet-German front, the Anglo-American troops intensified military operations in North Africa, conducting the El Alamein operation (1942) and the North African landing operation (1942). In the spring of 1943 they carried out the Tunisian operation. In July-August 1943, the Anglo-American troops, using the favorable situation (the main forces of the German troops participated in the Battle of Kursk), landed on the island of Sicily and captured it.

On July 25, 1943, the fascist regime in Italy collapsed; on September 3, it concluded a truce with the Allies. The withdrawal of Italy from the war marked the beginning of the disintegration of the fascist bloc. On October 13, Italy declared war on Germany. Nazi troops occupied its territory. In September, the Allies landed in Italy, but could not break the defense of the German troops and in December they suspended active operations. In the Pacific Ocean and in Asia, Japan sought to hold on to the territories captured in 1941-1942 without weakening the groupings near the borders of the USSR. The Allies, having launched an offensive in the Pacific Ocean in the autumn of 1942, captured the island of Guadalcanal (February 1943), landed on New Guinea, and liberated the Aleutian Islands.

Fourth period of the war (January 1, 1944 - May 9, 1945) began with a new offensive of the Red Army. As a result of the crushing blows of the Soviet troops, the Nazi invaders were expelled from the borders of the Soviet Union. During the subsequent offensive, the USSR Armed Forces carried out a liberation mission against the countries of Europe, played a decisive role with the support of their peoples in the liberation of Poland, Romania, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Austria and other states. Anglo-American troops landed on June 6, 1944 in Normandy, opening a second front, and launched an offensive in Germany. In February, the Crimean (Yalta) Conference (1945) was held by the leaders of the USSR, the USA, Great Britain, which considered the issues of the post-war structure of the world and the participation of the USSR in the war with Japan.

In the winter of 1944-1945, on the Western Front, the Nazi troops inflicted a defeat on the Allied forces during the Ardennes operation. To alleviate the position of the allies in the Ardennes, at their request, the Red Army began its winter offensive ahead of schedule. Having restored the situation by the end of January, the Allied forces crossed the Rhine River during the Meuse-Rhine operation (1945), and in April they carried out the Ruhr operation (1945), which ended in the encirclement and capture of a large enemy grouping. During the North Italian operation (1945), the Allied forces, slowly moving north, with the help of Italian partisans, completely captured Italy in early May 1945. In the Pacific theater of operations, the allies carried out operations to defeat the Japanese fleet, liberated a number of islands occupied by Japan, approached Japan directly and cut off its communications with the countries of Southeast Asia.

In April-May 1945, the Soviet Armed Forces defeated the last groupings of Nazi troops in the Berlin operation (1945) and the Prague operation (1945) and met with the Allied troops. The war in Europe is over. On May 8, 1945, Germany surrendered unconditionally. May 9, 1945 became Victory Day over Nazi Germany.

At the Berlin (Potsdam) conference (1945), the USSR confirmed its consent to enter the war with Japan. On August 6 and 9, 1945, for political purposes, the United States carried out atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. On August 8, the USSR declared war on Japan and on August 9 began hostilities. During the Soviet-Japanese War (1945), Soviet troops, having defeated the Japanese Kwantung Army, eliminated the center of aggression in the Far East, liberated Northeast China, North Korea, Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands, thereby hastening the end of World War II. On September 2, Japan surrendered. World War II is over.

The Second World War was the largest military clash in the history of mankind. It lasted 6 years, there were 110 million people in the ranks of the Armed Forces. Over 55 million people died in World War II. The greatest victims were the Soviet Union, which lost 27 million people. The damage from the direct destruction and destruction of material assets on the territory of the USSR amounted to almost 41% of all countries participating in the war.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from open sources

About the main stages of the Second World War in brief

Briefly, the entire course of the Second World War is divided into five main stages. We will try to describe them in an accessible way for you.

The shortest stages in the table for grades 9, 10, 11
The beginning of the European conflict - stage 1 initial
Opening of the Eastern Front - stage 2
Fracture - stage 3
Liberation of Europe - stage 4
End of the war - stage 5 final

Table for the ninth, tenth, eleventh grades

Stages of the Second World War briefly by points - the main
The beginning of the European conflict - The first initial stage 1939 - 1941

The first stage of the largest armed conflict in terms of its scale began on the day when the Nazi troops entered the Polish land and ended on the eve of the Nazi attack on the USSR.
September 1, 1939 is officially recognized as the beginning of the second conflict, which has acquired global proportions. At the dawn of that day, the German occupation of Poland began and the countries of Europe realized the threat posed by Nazi Germany.
After 2 days, France and the British Empire entered the war on the side of Poland. Following them, the French and British dominions and colonies declared war on the Third Reich. The representatives of Australia, New Zealand and India (3.09) were the first to announce their decision, then the leadership of the Union of South Africa (6.09) and Canada (10.09).
However, despite the entry into the war, the French and British states did not help Poland in any way, and in general did not start any active actions for a long time, trying to redirect German aggression to the east - against the USSR.
All this eventually led to the fact that in the first war period, Nazi Germany managed to occupy not only Polish, Danish, Norwegian, Belgian, Luxembourgish and Dutch territories, but also most of the French Republic.
After that, the battle for Britain began, which lasted more than three months. True, in this battle the Germans did not have to celebrate the victory - they never managed to land troops on the British Isles.
As a result of the first period of the war, most European states found themselves in fascist German-Italian occupation or became dependent on these states.

Opening of the Eastern Front - Second stage 1941 - 1942

The beginning of the second stage of the war was June 22, 1941, when the Nazis violated the state border of the USSR. This period was marked by the expansion of the scale of the conflict and the collapse of the Nazi blitzkrieg.
One of the landmark events of this stage was also the support of the USSR by the largest states - the USA and Great Britain. Despite their rejection of the socialist system, the governments of these states declared unconditional assistance to the Union. Thus, the foundation of a new military alliance, the anti-Hitler coalition, was laid.
The second most important point of this stage of the Second World War is the joining of the US military operations, provoked by an unexpected and swift attack by the fleet and aviation of the Japanese Empire on the American military base in the Pacific Ocean. The attack took place on December 7, and the very next day war was declared on Japan by the United States, Great Britain and a number of other countries. And after another 4 days, the German and Italian presented the United States with a note declaring war.

The turning point in the course of World War II - The third stage 1942-1943

The turning point of the war is considered the first major defeat of the German army on the outskirts of the Soviet capital and the Battle of Stalingrad, during which the Nazis not only suffered significant losses, but were also forced to abandon offensive tactics and switch to defensive ones. These events took place during the third stage of hostilities, which lasted from November 19, 1942 until the end of 1943.
Also at this stage, the allies practically without a fight entered Italy, in which a crisis of power was already ripe. As a result, Mussolini was overthrown, the fascist regime collapsed, and the new government chose to sign a truce with America and Britain.
At the same time, a turning point occurred in the theater of operations in the Pacific Ocean, where Japanese troops began to suffer defeat one after another.

Liberation of Europe - Fourth stage 1944-1945

During the fourth military period, which began on the first day of 1944 and ended on May 9, 1945, a second front was created in the west, the fascist bloc was crushed, and all European states were liberated from the German invaders. Germany was forced to admit defeat and sign the act of surrender.

End of the war - Fifth final stage 1945

Despite the fact that the German troops laid down their arms, the world war was not over yet - Japan was not going to follow the example of its former allies. As a result, the USSR declared war on the Japanese state, after which the Red Army detachments began a military operation in Manchuria. As a result, the defeat of the Kwantung Army led to an accelerated end to the war.
However, the most significant moment of this period was the atomic bombing of Japanese cities, which was carried out by the American air force. It happened on 6 (Hiroshima) and 9 (Nagasaki) August 1945.
This stage ended, and with it the whole war on September 2 of the same year. On this momentous day, aboard the US battlecruiser Missouri, the representatives of the Japanese government officially signed their act of surrender.

Main stages of World War II

Conventionally, historians divide the Second World War into five periods:

The beginning of the war and the invasion of German troops in the countries of Western Europe.

World War II began on September 1, 1939 with Nazi Germany's attack on Poland. September 3 Great Britain and France declared war on Germany; the Anglo-French coalition included British dominions and colonies (September 3 - Australia, New Zealand, India; September 6 - South African Union; September 10 - Canada, etc.)

The incomplete deployment of the armed forces, the lack of assistance from Great Britain and France, the weakness of the top military leadership put the Polish army in front of a catastrophe: its territory was occupied by German troops. The Polish bourgeois-landowner government already on September 6 secretly fled from Warsaw to Lublin, and on September 16 to Romania.

After the outbreak of the war until May 1940, the governments of Great Britain and France continued their pre-war foreign policy course only in a slightly modified form, hoping to direct Germany's aggression against the USSR. During this period, called the "strange war" of 1939-1940, the Anglo-French troops were actually inactive, and the armed forces of fascist Germany, using a strategic pause, were actively preparing for an offensive against the countries of Western Europe.

On April 9, 1940, units of the fascist German army invaded Denmark without declaring war and occupied its territory. On the same day, the invasion of Norway began.

Even before the completion of the Norwegian operation, the military-political leadership of fascist Germany began to implement the Gelb plan, which provided for a lightning strike on France through Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands. The German fascist troops delivered the main blow through the Ardennes mountains, bypassing the Maginot Line from the North through Northern France. The French command, adhering to a defensive strategy, deployed large forces on the Maginot Line and did not create a strategic reserve in the depths. Having broken through the defenses in the Sedan area, the tank formations of the German fascist troops reached the English Channel on May 20. On May 14, the Dutch armed forces capitulated. The Belgian army, the British expeditionary force and part of the French army were cut off in Flanders. On May 28, the Belgian army capitulated. The English and part of the French troops, blockaded in the Dunkirk region, managed, having lost all heavy military equipment, to evacuate to Great Britain. In early June, fascist German troops broke through the front hastily created by the French, on the rivers Somme and Aisne.

On June 10, the French government left Paris. Without exhausting the possibilities of resistance, the French army laid down its arms. On June 14, German troops occupied the French capital without a fight. On June 22, 1940, hostilities ended with the signing of the act of surrender of France - the so-called. Compiègne truce of 1940. According to its terms, the country's territory was divided into two parts: a fascist German occupation regime was established in the northern and central regions, the southern part of the country remained under the control of the anti-national government of Pétain, which expressed the interests of the most reactionary part of the French bourgeoisie, oriented towards fascist Germany (t .n Produced by Vichy).

After the defeat of France, the threat looming over Great Britain contributed to the isolation of the Munich capitulators and the rallying of the forces of the British people. The government of W. Churchill, which replaced the government of N. Chamberlain on May 10, 1940, began to organize a more effective defense. Gradually, the US government began to revise its foreign policy course. It increasingly supported Great Britain, becoming its "non-belligerent ally".

Preparing for war against the USSR, fascist Germany carried out aggression in the Balkans in the spring of 1941. On March 1, fascist German troops entered Bulgaria. On April 6, 1941, the Italo-German and then the Hungarian troops launched an invasion of Yugoslavia and Greece, by April 18 they occupied Yugoslavia, and by April 29 the mainland of Greece.

By the end of the first period of the war, almost all the countries of Western and Central Europe were occupied by fascist Germany and Italy or became dependent on them. Their economy and resources were used to prepare the war against the USSR.

The attack of fascist Germany on the USSR, the expansion of the scale of the war, the collapse of the Hitlerite doctrine of Blitzkrieg.

On June 22, 1941, Nazi Germany treacherously attacked the Soviet Union. The Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union of 1941-1945 began, which became the most important part of the 2nd World War.

The entry of the USSR into the war determined its qualitatively new stage, led to the consolidation of all the progressive forces of the world in the struggle against fascism, and influenced the policy of the leading world powers.

The governments of the leading powers of the Western world, without changing their previous attitude towards the social system of the socialist state, saw in an alliance with the USSR the most important condition for their security and the weakening of the military might of the fascist bloc. On June 22, 1941, Churchill and Roosevelt, on behalf of the governments of Great Britain and the United States, issued a statement of support for the Soviet Union in the fight against fascist aggression. On July 12, 1941, an agreement was signed between the USSR and Great Britain on joint actions in the war against Germany. On August 2, an agreement was reached with the United States on military-economic cooperation and the provision of material support to the USSR.

On August 14, Roosevelt and Churchill promulgated the Atlantic Charter, which the USSR acceded to on September 24, while expressing a dissenting opinion on a number of issues directly related to the military operations of the Anglo-American troops. At the Moscow meeting (September 29 - October 1, 1941), the USSR, Great Britain and the USA considered the issue of mutual military supplies and signed the first protocol. In order to prevent the danger of creating fascist strongholds in the Middle East, British and Soviet troops entered Iran in August-September 1941. These joint military-political actions laid the foundation for the creation of the Anti-Hitler coalition, which played an important role in the war.

In the course of the strategic defense in the summer and autumn of 1941, Soviet troops offered stubborn resistance to the enemy, exhausting and bleeding the forces of the Nazi Wehrmacht. The fascist German troops were unable to capture Leningrad, as the invasion plan envisaged, they were for a long time fettered by the heroic defense of Odessa and Sevastopol, and stopped near Moscow. As a result of the counter-offensive of the Soviet troops near Moscow and the general offensive in the winter of 1941/42, the fascist plan for a "blitzkrieg" finally collapsed. This victory was of world-historic significance: it dispelled the myth of the invincibility of the fascist Wehrmacht, forced fascist Germany to wage a protracted war, inspired the European peoples to fight for liberation against fascist tyranny, and gave a powerful impetus to the resistance movement in the occupied countries.

On December 7, 1941, Japan launched a war against the United States with a surprise attack on the American military base at Pearl Harbor in the Pacific Ocean. Two major powers entered the war, which significantly affected the balance of military-political forces, the expansion of the scale and scope of the armed struggle. On December 8, the United States, Great Britain and a number of other states declared war on Japan; On December 11, Nazi Germany and Italy declared war on the United States.

The US entry into the war strengthened the anti-Hitler coalition. On January 1, 1942, the Declaration of 26 states was signed in Washington; in the future, new states acceded to the Declaration.

On May 26, 1942, an agreement was signed between the USSR and Great Britain on an alliance in the war against Germany and its partners; On June 11, the USSR and the USA concluded an agreement on the principles of mutual assistance in the conduct of war.

Having carried out extensive preparations, the fascist German command in the summer of 1942 launched a new offensive on the Soviet-German front. In mid-July 1942, the Battle of Stalingrad 1942-1943 began, one of the greatest battles of the 2nd World War. During the heroic defense in July-November 1942, Soviet troops pinned down the enemy strike group, inflicted heavy losses on it, and prepared the conditions for a counteroffensive.

In North Africa, the British troops managed to stop the further advance of the German-Italian troops and stabilize the situation at the front.

In the Pacific Ocean in the first half of 1942, Japan managed to achieve dominance at sea and occupied Hong Kong, Burma, Malaya, Singapore, the Philippines, the most important islands of Indonesia and other territories. The Americans, at the cost of great efforts, in the summer of 1942 managed to defeat the Japanese fleet in the Coral Sea and at Midway Atoll, which made it possible to change the balance of power in favor of the allies, limit Japan's offensive actions and force the Japanese leadership to abandon its intention to enter the war against the USSR.

A turning point in the course of the war. The collapse of the offensive strategy of the fascist bloc. The third period of the war was characterized by an increase in the scope and intensity of hostilities. The decisive events in this period of the war continued to take place on the Soviet-German front. On November 19, 1942, a counter-offensive of the Soviet troops near Stalingrad began, culminating in the encirclement and defeat of 330,000 troops of the pr-ka. The victory of the Soviet troops at Stalingrad shocked Nazi Germany and undermined its military and political prestige in the eyes of its allies. This victory became a powerful stimulus for the further development of the liberation struggle of the peoples in the occupied countries, giving it greater organization and purposefulness. In the summer of 1943, the military-political leadership of fascist Germany made a last attempt to regain the strategic initiative and defeat the Soviet troops.

near Kursk. However, this plan was a complete failure. The defeat of the fascist German troops in the Battle of Kursk in 1943 forced fascist Germany to finally switch over to strategic defense.

The allies of the USSR in the anti-Hitler coalition had every opportunity to fulfill their obligations and open a 2nd front in Western Europe. By the summer of 1943, the number of armed forces of the United States and Great Britain exceeded 13 million people. However, the strategy of the United States and Great Britain was still determined by their policy, which ultimately counted on the mutual exhaustion of the USSR and Germany.

On July 10, 1943, American and British troops (13 divisions) landed on the island of Sicily, captured the island, and in early September they landed amphibious assaults on the Apennine Peninsula without encountering serious resistance from the Italian troops. The offensive of the Anglo-American troops in Italy proceeded in an atmosphere of acute crisis, in which the Mussolini regime found itself as a result of the anti-fascist struggle of the broad masses, led by the Italian Communist Party. On July 25 Mussolini's government was overthrown. Marshal Badoglio, who signed an armistice with the United States and Great Britain on September 3, became the head of the new government. On October 13, the government of P. Badoglio declared war on Germany. The collapse of the fascist bloc began. The Anglo-American forces landed in Italy launched an offensive against the fascist German troops, but, despite their superior numbers, were unable to break their defenses and in December 1943 suspended active operations.

In the 3rd period of the war, there were significant changes in the balance of forces of the belligerents in the Pacific Ocean and in Asia. Japan, having exhausted the possibilities of a further offensive in the Pacific theater of operations, sought to gain a foothold on the strategic lines conquered in 1941-42. However, even under these conditions, the military-political leadership of Japan did not consider it possible to weaken the grouping of its troops on the border with the USSR. By the end of 1942, the United States made up for the losses of its Pacific Fleet, which had begun to surpass the Japanese fleet, and stepped up its operations on the approaches to Australia, in the North Pacific Ocean, and on Japan's sea lanes. The Allied offensive in the Pacific Ocean began in the autumn of 1942 and brought the first successes in the battles for the island of Guadalcanal (Solomon Islands), which was abandoned by Japanese troops in February 1943. During 1943, American troops landed on New Guinea, ousted the Japanese from the Aleutian Islands, and a number of tangible losses to the Japanese navy and merchant fleet. The peoples of Asia rose ever more resolutely in the anti-imperialist liberation struggle.

The defeat of the fascist bloc, the expulsion of enemy troops from the USSR, the creation of a second front, the liberation from the occupation of the countries of Europe, the complete collapse of fascist Germany, and its unconditional surrender. The most important military and political events of this period were determined by the further growth of the military and economic power of the anti-fascist coalition, the growing force of the strikes of the Soviet Armed Forces, and the intensification of the actions of the allies in Europe. On a larger scale, the offensive of the armed forces of the United States and Great Britain unfolded in the Pacific Ocean and in Asia. However, despite the well-known intensification of the actions of the allies in Europe and Asia, the decisive role in the final crushing of the fascist bloc belonged to the Soviet people and their Armed Forces.

The course of the Great Patriotic War irrefutably proved that the Soviet Union was capable of achieving a complete victory over fascist Germany on its own and liberating the peoples of Europe from the fascist yoke. Under the influence of these factors, there were significant changes in the military-political activities and strategic planning of the United States, Great Britain and other members of the anti-Hitler coalition.

By the summer of 1944, the international and military situation was developing in such a way that a further delay in the opening of the 2nd front would lead to the liberation of all of Europe by the forces of the USSR. This prospect worried the ruling circles of the United States and Great Britain and forced them to hasten their invasion of Western Europe across the English Channel. After two years of preparation, the Normandy Landing Operation of 1944 began on June 6, 1944. Until the end of June, the landing troops occupied a bridgehead about 100 km wide and up to 50 km deep, and on July 25 went on the offensive. It took place in a situation when the anti-fascist struggle of the Resistance forces, which by June 1944 numbered up to 500 thousand fighters, was especially intensified in France. On August 19, 1944, an uprising began in Paris; by the time the allied troops approached, the capital was already in the hands of the French patriots.

At the beginning of 1945 favorable conditions were created for conducting the final campaign in Europe. On the Soviet-German front, it began with a powerful offensive by Soviet troops from the Baltic Sea to the Carpathians.

Berlin was the last center of resistance to Nazi Germany. At the beginning of April, the Nazi command drew up the main forces to the Berlin direction: up to 1 million people, St. 10 thousand guns and mortars, 1.5 thousand tanks and assault guns, 3.3 thousand combat aircraft. enemy grouping. On April 25, Soviet troops reached the city of Torgau on the Elbe, where they connected with units of the 1st American Army. On May 6-11, troops of 3 Soviet fronts carried out the Paris operation of 1945, defeating the last grouping of Nazi troops and completing the liberation of Czechoslovakia. Advancing on a broad front, the Soviet Armed Forces completed the liberation of the countries of Central and South-Eastern Europe. Fulfilling the liberation mission, the Soviet troops met with the gratitude and active support of the European peoples, all the democratic and anti-fascist forces of the countries occupied by the Nazis.

After the fall of Berlin, capitulation in the West took on a massive character. On the eastern front, the fascist German troops continued, wherever they could, fierce resistance. The purpose of the Dönitz production, created after Hitler's suicide (April 30), was to, without stopping the fight against the Soviet Army, conclude an agreement with the USA and Great Britain on partial surrender. As early as May 3, on behalf of Dönitz, Admiral Friedeburg established contact with the British commander, Field Marshal Montgomery, and obtained consent to the surrender of Nazi troops to the British "individually." On May 4, an act was signed on the surrender of German troops in the Netherlands, Northwest Germany, Schleswig-Holstein and Denmark. On May 5, fascist troops capitulated in Southern and Western Austria, Bavaria, Tyrol and other areas. On May 7, General A. Jodl, on behalf of the German command, signed the terms of surrender at Eisenhower's headquarters in Reims, which was to come into force on May 9 at 00:01. The Soviet government expressed a categorical protest against this unilateral act, so the Allies agreed to consider it a preliminary protocol of surrender. At midnight on May 8, on the outskirts of Berlin, Karlshorst, occupied by Soviet troops, representatives of the German high command, headed by Field Marshal W. Keitel, signed an act of unconditional surrender of the armed forces of Nazi Germany. Unconditional surrender was accepted on behalf of the Soviet government by Marshal of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov together with representatives of the USA, Great Britain and France.

Defeat of imperialist Japan. The liberation of the peoples of Asia from the Japanese occupation. End of the 2nd World War. Of the entire coalition of aggressive states that unleashed the war, only Japan continued the struggle in May 1945.

From July 17 to August 2, the Potsdam Conference of 1945 was held by the heads of government of the USSR (JV Stalin), the USA (H. Truman), and Great Britain (W. attention was paid to the situation in the Far East. In a declaration of July 26, 1945, the governments of Great Britain, the United States, and China offered Japan specific terms of surrender, which the Japanese government rejected. The Soviet Union, which denounced the Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Pact in April 1945, confirmed at the Potsdam Conference its readiness to enter the war against Japan in the interests of ending World War II as soon as possible and eliminating the hotbed of aggression in Asia. On August 8, 1945, the USSR, true to its allied duty, declared war on Japan, and on August 9. The Soviet Armed Forces began military operations against the Japanese Kwantung Army concentrated in Manchuria. The entry of the Soviet Union into the war and the defeat of the Kwantung Army hastened Japan's unconditional surrender. On the eve of the USSR's entry into the war with Japan on August 6 and 9, the United States first used a new weapon, dropping two atomic bombs on the cities. Hiroshima and Nagasaki are beyond any military necessity. About 468 thousand inhabitants were killed, wounded, irradiated, missing. This barbaric act was intended, first of all, to demonstrate the power of the United States in order to put pressure on the USSR in solving post-war problems. The signing of the act of surrender of Japan took place on September 2. 1945. The 2nd World War ended.

Ours won

Figase briefly ... To begin with, Stalin and Hitler entered into an alliance and both torn apart Poland. France and England were allies of Poland and declared war on Germany. But Hitler attacked both of them, drove the British across the strait, captured Holland, Belgium, Denmark and half of France. I wanted to cross over to England, but I realized that I would not have enough strength. He went to the Balkans, captured Yugoslavia and Greece. Then he realized that they were close to Stalin on the same planet, and Stalin himself was about to attack him, he decided on an adventure, to attack and defeat the Red Army in order to secure himself for a long time from an attack from the East, and only then deal with England. But he miscalculated, the complete defeat did not work out, and initially he did not have the resources for a long war. At this time, Japan captured everything around itself and also decided to remove a competitor in the Pacific Ocean in the face of the United States - and struck at the American fleet. But they also miscalculated in the end, the Americans quickly recovered and began to push the Japanese around all the islands. Hitler suffered a terrible defeat at Stalingrad, then his plan of attack on Moscow failed in the summer of 1943, and after that, his resources became very bad, all that was enough was fierce resistance on all fronts. In 1944, after the defeat of Army Group Center in Belarus and the landing of the allies in Normandy, things got really bad, and in the spring of 45 it was all over. Japan was finished off in August after the nuclear bombing of their cities .... Well, this is quite already on the fingers and briefly.

1939, September 1 The attack of Germany and Slovakia on Poland - the beginning of the Second World War. 1939, September 3 France and Great Britain (together with the latter its dominions - Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa) declared war on Germany. 1939, September 17, Soviet troops cross the border of Poland and occupy Western Ukraine and Western Belarus. 1939, September 28 Capitulation of Warsaw - the end of the organized resistance of the Polish army. 1939, September-October, the USSR concludes agreements with Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania on the deployment of Soviet military bases on their territory. November 30, 1939 The beginning of the Soviet-Finnish war, which ended on March 12, 1940, with the defeat of Finland, which ceded a number of border territories to the USSR. 1940, April 9 The invasion of German troops in Denmark and Norway - the beginning of the Norwegian campaign. Main events: the capture by the Germans of the main strategic points of Denmark and Norway (by 10.4.1940); landing of allied Anglo-French troops in Central Norway (13-14.4.1940); the defeat of the Allies and the evacuation of their troops from Central Norway (by May 2, 1940); Allied offensive on Narvik (12 May 1940); evacuation of the allies from Narvik (by 8.6.1940). 1940, May 10 Beginning of the German offensive on the Western Front. Main events: the defeat of the army of the Netherlands and its surrender (to 14.6.1940); the encirclement of the British-French-Belgian grouping on the territory of Belgium (by 20.5.1940); surrender of the Belgian army (27.5.1940); evacuation of British and part of French troops from Dunkirk to Great Britain (by 3/6/1940); the offensive of the German army and the breakthrough of the defense of the French army (06/09/1940); the signing of an armistice between France and Germany, under the terms of which most of France was subject to occupation (6/22/1940).

May 10, 1940 Formation of a British government led by Winston Churchill, a resolute supporter of a war to victory. 1940, June 16 The entry of Soviet troops into Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. 1940 June 10 Italy declares war on Great Britain and France. 1940, June 26, the USSR demands that Romania transfer Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina, which it seized in 1918 (the Soviet demand was satisfied on 28.6.1940). 1940, July 10 The French Parliament transfers power to Marshal Philippe Petain - the end of the III Republic and the establishment of the "Vichy regime" 1940, July 20 Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania become part of the USSR. 1940, August 1 The beginning of the air battle for Great Britain, which ended in May 1941 with the recognition by the German command of the impossibility of achieving air superiority. 1940, August 30 Romania cedes part of its territory to Hungary. 1940, September 15, Romania cedes part of its territory to Bulgaria. 1940, October 28 Italian attack on Greece, spreading the war to the Balkans. December 9, 1940 The beginning of the offensive of the British troops in North Africa, which led to a heavy defeat of the Italian army. 1941, January 19 Beginning of the offensive of the British army in East Africa, which ended by 18.5.1941 with the surrender of the Italian troops and the liberation of the Italian colonies (including Ethiopia). 1941, February Arrival of German troops in North Africa, which went on the offensive on 31/3/1941 and defeated the British. 1941, April 6 Offensive of the German army with the assistance of Italy and Hungary against Yugoslavia (its army capitulated on 18.4.1940) and Greshi (its army capitulated on 21.4.1940). 1941, April 10 Proclamation of the "Independent State of Croatia", which included the Bosnian lands in its composition. 1941, May 20 German parachute landing on Crete, culminating in the defeat of the British and Greek troops. 1941, June 22 The attack of Germany and its allies (Finland, Romania, Hungary, Italy, Slovakia, Croatia) on the Soviet Union. ..Further from the source..

The Second World War was prepared and unleashed by the states of the aggressive bloc led by Nazi Germany. Its origin was rooted in the Versailles system of international relations, based on the dictates of the countries that won the First World War and put Germany in a humiliating position.

This created the conditions for the development of the idea of revenge.

German imperialism, on a new material and technical basis, created a powerful military and economic base, and the Western countries rendered assistance to it. Terrorist dictatorships dominated Germany and Italy and Japan allied to it, racism and chauvinism were planted.

The aggressive program of the Nazi Reich was aimed at the destruction of the Versailles order, the seizure of vast territories and the establishment of dominance in Europe. For this, the liquidation of Poland, the defeat of France, the displacement of England from the continent, the seizure of the resources of Europe, and then the “campaign to the East”, the destruction of the Soviet Union and the establishment of a “new living space” on its territory were envisaged. After that, she planned to subjugate Africa, the Middle East and prepare for war with the United States. The ultimate goal was to establish the world domination of the "Third Reich". On the part of Hitlerite Germany and its allies, the war was imperialist, predatory, and unjust.

England and France were not interested in the war. They entered the war, based on the desire to weaken competitors, to maintain their own positions in the world. They staked on the clash of Germany and Japan with the Soviet Union and their mutual exhaustion. The actions of the Western powers on the eve and at the beginning of the war led to the defeat of France, the occupation of almost all of Europe, and the creation of a threat to the independence of Great Britain.

The expansion of aggression threatened the independence of many states. For the peoples of the countries that fell victim to the invaders, the struggle against the invaders from the very beginning acquired a liberating, anti-fascist character.

There are five periods in the history of the Second World War: I period (September 1, 1939 - June 21, 1941) - the beginning of the war and the invasion of the Nazi troops into the countries of Western Europe. II period (June 22, 1941 - November 18, 1942) - the attack of Nazi Germany on the USSR, the expansion of the war, the collapse of Hitler's plan for a lightning war. III period (November 19, 1942 - December 1943) - a radical turning point in the course of the war, the collapse of the offensive strategy of the fascist bloc. IV period (January 1944 - May 9, 1945) - the defeat of the fascist bloc, the expulsion of enemy troops from the USSR, the opening of a second front, the liberation from the occupation of European countries, the complete collapse of fascist Germany and its unconditional surrender. End of the Great Patriotic War. V period (May 9 - September 2, 1945) - the defeat of imperialist Japan, the liberation of the peoples of Asia from the Japanese invaders, the end of World War II.

Confident that England and France would not provide real help to Poland, Germany attacked it on September 1, 1939. Poland became the first state in Europe whose people rose up to defend their national existence. Having an overwhelming superiority of forces over the Polish army and concentrating a mass of tanks and aircraft on the main sectors of the front, the Hitlerite command was able to achieve important operational results from the beginning of the war. The incomplete deployment of forces, the lack of assistance from the allies, the weakness of the centralized leadership put the Polish army in front of a catastrophe. The courageous resistance of the Polish troops near Mlawa, on the Bzura, the defense of Modlin, Westerplatt and the heroic 20-day defense of Warsaw (September 8-28) wrote bright pages in the history of the Second World War, but could not prevent the defeat of Poland. On September 28, Warsaw capitulated. The Polish government and military command moved to the territory of Romania. In the tragic days for Poland, the troops of the allies - England and France - were inactive. On September 3, England and France declared war on Germany, but did not take any active steps. The United States declared its neutrality, hoping that the military orders of the warring states would bring huge profits to industrialists and bankers.

The Soviet government, using the opportunities provided by the "secret additional protocol", sent its troops into Western Ukraine and Western Ukraine on September 17.

Belarus. The Soviet government did not declare war on Poland. It motivated its decision by the fact that the Polish state ceased to exist, its territory turned into a field for all sorts of surprises and provocations, and in this situation it is necessary to take the population of Western Belarus and Western Ukraine under protection. According to the Treaty of Friendship and Border, signed by the USSR and Germany on September 28, 1939, the border was established along the Narew, San and Western Bug rivers. Polish lands remained under the occupation of Germany, Ukraine and Belarus went to the USSR.

The superiority of Germany in forces and the lack of help from the West led to the fact that in late September-early October 1939 the last centers of resistance of the Polish troops were suppressed, but the Polish government did not sign the act of surrender.

The war between Finland and the USSR, which began at the end of November 1939, occupied a significant place in the plans of Britain and France. The Western powers sought to turn a local armed conflict into the beginning of a united military campaign against the USSR. The unexpected rapprochement between the USSR and Germany left Finland face to face with a powerful enemy. The "winter war", which lasted until March 12, 1940, demonstrated the low combat capability of the Soviet Army and a particularly low level of training of command personnel, weakened by Stalin's repressions. Only due to the heavy loss of life and a clear superiority in strength, the resistance of the Finnish army was broken. Under the terms of the peace treaty, the territory of the USSR included the entire Karelian Isthmus, the northwestern coast of Lake Ladoga, and a number of islands in the Gulf of Finland. The war significantly worsened relations between the USSR and Western countries - Great Britain and France, which planned to intervene in the conflict on the side of Finland.

At the time when the Polish campaign and the Soviet-Finnish war were taking place, amazing calm reigned on the Western Front. French journalists called this period a "strange war." The obvious unwillingness of Western government and military circles to aggravate the conflict with Germany was explained by a number of reasons. The command of the British and French armies continued to focus on the strategy of positional warfare and hoped for the effectiveness of the Maginot defensive line covering the eastern borders of France.

The memory of the colossal losses of the First World War also forced one to exercise extreme caution. Finally, many politicians in these countries counted on the localization of the outbreak of war in Eastern Europe, on Germany's readiness to be satisfied with the first victories. The illusory nature of such a position was shown in the very near future.

The attack of the Nazi troops on Denmark and Norway in April-May 1940

It led to the occupation of these countries. This strengthened the German positions in the Atlantic and Northern Europe, and brought the bases of the German fleet closer to Great Britain. Denmark capitulated almost without a fight, and the armed forces of Norway put up stubborn resistance to the aggressor. On May 10, the German invasion began in Holland, Belgium, and then through their territory - and into France. German troops, bypassing the fortified Maginot Line and overcoming the Ardennes, broke through the Allied front on the Meuse River and reached the English Channel coast. The English and French troops were pressed to the sea at Dunkirk. But unexpectedly, the German offensive was suspended, which allowed the British troops to be evacuated to the British Isles. The Nazis launched a further attack on Paris. On June 10, 1940, Italy declared war on the Anglo-French coalition, striving to establish dominance in the Mediterranean basin. The French government betrayed the interests of the country. Paris, declared an open city, was given to the Nazis without a fight. The new government was formed by a supporter of surrender - Marshal Petain, associated with the Nazis. On June 22, 1940, an armistice agreement was signed in the Compiègne forest, which meant the surrender of France. France was divided into occupied (northern and central parts) and unoccupied, where the regime of the puppet government of Petain was established. In France, the resistance movement began to develop. In exile, the patriotic organization "Free France" began to operate, headed by General Charles de Gaulle.

Hitler hoped that the defeat of France would force England to withdraw from the war, and peace was offered to her. But German successes only strengthened the desire of the British to continue the fight. On May 10, 1940, a coalition government was formed headed by the adversary of Germany, W. Churchill. The new government cabinet took emergency measures to strengthen the defense system. England was supposed to turn into a "hornet's nest" - a continuous expanse of fortified areas,

anti-tank and anti-amphibious lines, deployment of air defense units. The German command was really preparing at that time an operation to land on the British Isles ("Zeelowe" - "Sea Lion"). But in view of the clear superiority of the English fleet, the task of crushing the military power of Great Britain was entrusted to the air force - the Luftwaffe under the command of G. Goering. From August to October 1940, the "battle for England" broke out - one of the largest battles in the air during the Second World War. The fighting went on with varying success, but by mid-autumn it became obvious that the plans of the German command were not feasible. The transfer of attacks on civilian targets, massive bombardments of intimidation of English cities also did not give any effect.

In an effort to strengthen cooperation with its main allies, Germany signed in September 1940 a tripartite pact on political and military-economic union with Italy and Japan, directed against the USSR, Great Britain, and the USA.

As the activity of military operations in Western Europe decreased, the attention of the German leadership again focused on the eastern direction. The second half of 1940 and the beginning of 1941 became a decisive time for determining the balance of power on the continent. Germany could firmly rely on the occupied territories of France, Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Poland, the Czech Republic, as well as the dependent regimes of Quisling in Norway, Tiso in Slovakia, the Vichy in France and the “exemplary protectorate” of Denmark. The fascist regimes in Spain and Portugal preferred to remain neutral, but for the time being this was of little concern to Hitler, who fully counted on the loyalty of the dictators Franco and Salazar. Italy independently carried out the capture of Albania and began aggression in Greece. However, with the help of English formations, the Greek army repelled the offensive and even entered the territory of Albania. In this situation, much depended on the position of the government circles of the countries of South-Eastern Europe.

Back in the second half of the 1930s, military-authoritarian nationalist regimes either came to power or further strengthened their positions in Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Yugoslavia. Nazi Germany considered this region as a sphere of its direct influence. However, since

At the beginning of the war, the states of South-Eastern Europe were by no means in a hurry to assume any obligations in relation to the belligerents. Forcing events, the German leadership decided in August 1940 to prepare an open aggression against the least loyal Romania. However, in November, a coup d'état took place in Bucharest and the pro-German Antonescu regime came to power. At the same time, fearing the growing influence of Romania, Hungary also announced its readiness to join the German bloc. Bulgaria became another satellite of the Reich in the spring of 1941.

Events unfolded differently in Yugoslavia. In March 1941, the Yugoslav government signed an alliance pact with Germany. However, the patriotic command of the Yugoslav army carried out a coup d'état and terminated the treaty. Germany's response was to start hostilities in the Balkans in April. The huge superiority in forces allowed the Wehrmacht to defeat the Yugoslav army within a week and a half, and then crush the pockets of resistance in Greece. The territory of the Balkan Peninsula was divided among the countries of the German bloc. However, the struggle of the Yugoslav people continued, the resistance movement was expanding in the country - one of the most powerful in Europe.

With the end of the Balkan campaign, only three truly neutral, independent states remained in Europe - Sweden, Switzerland and Ireland. The Soviet Union was chosen as the next target of aggression. Formally, the Soviet-German treaty of 1939 was still in effect, but its true potential had already been exhausted. The division of Eastern Europe into spheres of influence allowed the USSR to freely include Western Belarus and Western Ukraine, the Baltic republics - Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina, which were occupied by Romania in 1918, and in June 1940 were occupied by Romania. at the request of the USSR were returned to him; through military measures to achieve territorial concessions to Finland. Germany, using the treaty with the USSR, conducted the first and most important campaigns in Europe, avoiding the dispersion of forces on two fronts. Now nothing separated the two huge powers, and the choice could only be made between further military-political rapprochement or an open clash. The decisive moment was the Soviet-German negotiations in November 1940 in Berlin. At them, the Soviet Union was invited to join the Steel Pact.

The refusal of the USSR from the obviously unequal union predetermined the inevitability of war. On December 18, the secret plan "Barbarossa" was approved, which provided for a blitzkrieg against the USSR.

, Asia, Africa, as well as all four ocean theaters (Atlantic, Pacific, Indian and Northern).

On the part of the states of the fascist bloc, it was a war of conquest and predatory, it was waged in order to establish world domination, enslave and destroy entire peoples. The fascist bloc was opposed by the anti-Hitler coalition, which came out in defense of the freedom and independence of their countries and peoples.

There are 5 periods of war.

First period (September 1, 1939 - June 21, 1941)

The first period is associated with the beginning of the war, Germany's invasion of the countries of Western Europe, the occupation of 13 European states.

In the face of a common threat, an anti-Hitler coalition began to form. Great Britain and the USA declared their support for the USSR. In August, the Soviet Union and Great Britain, on the basis of a joint agreement, sent their troops into Iran to prevent the creation of fascist strongholds in the Middle East.

In the summer of the year, the Nazi military-political leadership attempted to organize another (third) offensive in the Kursk region (Operation Citadel), but suffered a crushing defeat and was forced to head for a protracted defensive positional war. In the subsequent battle for the Dnieper, the Soviet Army frustrated the enemy's intention to hold the occupied territories on the line of the so-called "Eastern Wall".

As a result, a radical change was made in the Great Patriotic War and the entire Second World War. Irreversible changes took place in the military-political and strategic situation in favor of the anti-Hitler coalition. The collapse of the fascist bloc began. Germany faced the prospect of imminent defeat.

In Africa, British troops inflicted a major defeat on the Italo-German troops in the El Alamein area. At the same time, a large contingent of American troops was landed in Casablanca (Morocco). In the subsequent North African and Tunisian operations, the Allies defeated the expeditionary German-Italian troops and forced them to surrender (220 thousand people). In the middle of summer, as a result of the Sicilian and South Italian operations, the allied forces captured the island of Sicily and landed in Italy, which led to the latter's withdrawal from the war.

In the Asia-Pacific region, Japan switched to strategic defense, trying to hold on to the conquered territories. For their part, the Anglo-American troops, going on the offensive, seized the initiative in the air and at sea, inflicted a number of defeats on the Japanese fleet (sea battles off Midway Island and in the Solomon Islands), landed in New Guinea and liberated the Aleutian Islands. In this period of the war, in all the territories occupied by Germany, the partisan and people's liberation movements sharply intensified, major air operations of the allies were undertaken with attacks on cities and industrial facilities on German territory.

At the same time, the situation in the Atlantic also changed radically in favor of the Western powers.

Fourth period (January 1, 1944 - May 9, 1945)

This period is characterized by the creation of a second front in Europe, the final expulsion of the Nazi invaders from the territory of the USSR, the liberation of the occupied countries of Western Europe, the complete collapse of Nazi Germany and its unconditional surrender.

The main events, as in previous periods, took place on the Eastern Front. The Soviet Army, by carrying out major strategic offensive operations in the city, defeated the most important groupings of German troops, liberated the Baltic States, Belarus, Left-Bank Ukraine, Moldova, and carried military operations beyond its state borders.

In the operations that followed, they were withdrawn from the war

The Second World War is rightfully the biggest tragedy of mankind that happened in the 20th century. In terms of human casualties, it confidently occupies a leading position in the history of all armed conflicts that have ever taken place on our planet. The memory of those terrible events will live forever and be passed on from one generation to another, since such things must not be forgotten so as not to repeat the mistakes of past years again and never experience this again.

World War II periods

Officially, World War II began with the German invasion of Poland. This fateful event took place on September 1, 1939. It was then that France and Great Britain declared war on the Germans.

Also, in the first period of the world armed confrontation, fascist troops landed on the territory of Denmark, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. In the middle of 1940, without much resistance, all these states fell before the might of the German war machine. France tried to defend its freedom, but it also turned out to be powerless in the fight against well-trained and organized German military units.

June 10, 1940 Italy openly supports Hitler. And by the joint efforts of these two countries, in April of the following year, the territory of Yugoslavia and Greece was seized. A military operation was also launched by the fascist coalition in North Africa.

The second period of the Second World War (the date of its beginning became one of the most terrible and bloody in the history of our country) takes its countdown from the moment the USSR entered the war. On June 22, 1941, Germany invaded the territory of the Soviet Union without declaring war, and the surprise effect made itself felt for a long time. The Red Army was forced to retreat for a long period and surrender new territories to the Nazis.

On July 12, 1941, the USSR concluded an agreement with England on joint actions against Germany, and already on September 2, military-economic cooperation began with the United States. On September 24, the Soviet Union successfully acceded to the Atlantic Charter, the purpose of which was to organize the supply of weapons.

The third period of World War II (1939-1945) begins from the moment when the Nazi offensive in the USSR bogged down and they lost their global strategic initiative. This happened after the grandiose Battle of Stalingrad, when a large German grouping of 330 thousand soldiers and officers found itself in a dense ring of Soviet troops. The turning points in World War II were 1942 and 1943.

And at the final fourth stage of the bloodthirsty World War II, hostilities were carried out outside the territory of the Soviet Union. It was then that the German troops gradually retreated to the west, leaving large cities and fortified points, since they were no longer able to hold them. This period ended with the final defeat of fascist Germany and the signing of its final surrender.

How did the war affect the distribution of forces on the world stage

During the years of World War II, many events took place in the world that led to fundamental changes in the political sphere of most states. For example, the bloody actions of Germany became a kind of punishment for her. In the post-war years, the country was divided into two separate republics - the FRG and the GDR.

Poverty flourished in the country, so riots were a kind of norm for it. The events of World War II were a direct consequence of such a sad fate for Germany, which lost all its powerful industrial potential. Therefore, it took many years to stabilize the German economy and ensure its steady annual growth.

Berlin itself was divided into spheres of influence between the countries that were part of the anti-Hitler coalition. The eastern part was occupied by the Soviet military, while the western part was dominated by the law enforcement agencies of the representative offices of France, Great Britain and the USA.

The USSR played a key role in World War II. A lot has already been said about what unprecedented feats Soviet soldiers performed in an effort to protect their land from the Nazis. Perhaps it was thanks to these desperate actions that it was then possible to stop the Germans, the first serious defeat for which was the battle near Moscow.

The great merit of the Soviet Union should be considered the fact that Hitler collapsed on its territory precisely at the time when the military power of his troops was at its maximum level! Before that, no one could match the strength of the German army, so everyone resignedly yielded under its pressure.

The myth of Germany's invincibility was finally dispelled only after the Battle of Kursk, which became famous throughout the world. Soviet soldiers, waging desperate tank battles on the outskirts of Kursk, proved that they were in no way inferior to the enemy in terms of technical equipment. Having suffered colossal losses, both in tanks and in manpower, the Germans for the first time felt how dangerous and disastrous for them the actions of the opposing side could be.

There can be quite a lot of reasons that tipped the scales in this bloody confrontation on the side of the Soviet Union. However, military historians distinguish the following main ones:

The cohesion of society for the sake of achieving victory, thanks to the fact that every Soviet citizen (in some cases even children) made the maximum effort at the front or in the rear that was required of him. Ultimately, this brought the sweet moment of triumph over fascism closer.
Build the country. Taking into account the fact that the people radiated full confidence in the authorities and did not oppose it, all forces, without exception, were devoted to the fight against the occupier.
The role of the communist party. Those people who were communists were always ready to take on the most dangerous tasks and work, while not sparing their health and not worrying about the safety of their own lives.
Military art. Thanks to the well-coordinated work of the senior command staff and military units, the Soviet side was able to constantly disrupt all the strategic goals of the Wehrmacht. Each operation, organized by the command of the USSR army, was distinguished by creativity and ingenuity. It is also hard to do without inspiration in this case, so the commanders tried to raise the morale of the fighters before any offensive operations.

Interesting facts about World War II

Historians are now arguing among themselves who can really be called the side that has achieved the greatest success in the well-known bloody confrontation. Many Western analysts try to play down the role of the Soviet Union in the global victory over Nazism. They base their arguments on the following facts:

numerous losses of Soviet people;
superiority in the military force of the USSR over the military potential of Germany;
severe frosts, which led to the mass death of German soldiers.

Of course, facts are stubborn things, and it is useless to argue with them. But here it is necessary to connect the logic already. The mass death of Soviet citizens during World War II occurred due to the fact that people were exhausted by hunger and bullying in concentration camps. In many cases, the Nazis deliberately killed a large number of civilians, fearing that they would organize riots and uprisings.

Superiority in military force took place, but only locally. The fact is that in the first years of the confrontation, the Soviet Union was significantly inferior to Germany in the technical equipment of weapons.

During the Second World War, the Germans constantly improved their military equipment and purposefully developed a strategy for the upcoming war with the Soviet Union, which they considered the highest priority for them. The leadership of the Communist Party, on the contrary, considered a possible confrontation with Germany as something unlikely. This erroneous opinion was largely facilitated by the non-aggression pact signed by Ribbentrop and Molotov.

As for the frosts during the Second World War, there is also an ambiguous opinion here. To a certain extent, low air temperature contributed to a decrease in the overall functional state of the German army, but the Soviet soldiers were also in similar conditions. Therefore, the chances in this aspect were completely equalized, and this factor could not play a dominant role in the victory of the USSR over Germany.

The most influential commanders of that era

The history of the Second World War is very unusual and multifaceted, so it should be considered in many contexts at once. One among them is the importance of the individual in the success of the entire military operation.

The charisma of one or another high military leader largely contributed to the maintenance of high morale within the military units. It was also very important to draw up the correct offensive strategy or conduct any defensive actions that would hold the enemy at a certain line.

In this regard, it is extremely important to highlight the commanders of the Second World War, who actively contributed to the proper organization of their units:

Georgy Zhukov - Marshal of the Soviet Union. He led the most important combat battles, showing enviable tactical flexibility in building his military units. Even at the most critical moments, he always maintained his composure and purposefully implemented global strategic plans. He led the operation to take Berlin and accepted the final surrender of Germany.
Konstantin Rokossovsky is also a marshal of the Soviet Union. He commanded the Don Front, which completed the final defeat of the Stalingrad group of Nazis. Also in the success of the battle of Kursk there is a considerable contribution of Konstantin Konstantinovich. The fact is that Rokossovsky, in some incredible way, managed to convince Stalin that the best strategy for the line of conduct before the battle was to provoke the Germans into action.
Alexander Vasilevsky - Marshal of the Soviet Union was the Chief of the General Staff, a position he held from 1942. Led the assault on Köningsberg after General Chernyakhovsky was killed.
Montgomery Bernard Low - British Field Marshal. After the crushing defeat of France, Montgomery facilitated the evacuation of allied forces. Since 1942, he became the commander of the British troops operating in North Africa, which eventually led to a radical change in this sector of the front.
Eisenhower is a general in the US Army. Under his leadership, Operation Torch was carried out, which involved the landing of the armed forces of the military coalition in North Africa.

Main types of weapons

The weapons of the Second World War at the present time already seem obsolete and of little use for practical use. Now it is an excellent exhibit to replenish the military museum. However, during the Second World War, these weapons were in great demand to eliminate enemy forces.

Most often, tanks, combat aircraft, and cannons were used during combat battles. Among the infantrymen, such small arms as machine guns, pistols, and rifles were used.

Varieties of military aircraft and their role

Among the aircraft that the Nazis widely used to carry out their combat missions, there are such varieties of them:

Bombers: Junkers-87, Dornier-217, Henkel-111.
Fighters: "Messerschmitt-110" and "Henschel-126".

But the Soviet Union, as a counterbalance to the German air forces, put the MiG-1, I-16, Yak-9, La-5, Pe-3 fighters and many others. The bombers were U-2, DB-A, Yak-4, Su-4, Yer-2, Pe-8.

The most famous Soviet attack aircraft are the Il-2 and Su-6.

The role of aircraft in World War II cannot be underestimated, as they were an excellent tool for eliminating large enemy groups, as well as for destroying any strategically important objects through direct bombing.

The best tanks in the war

Tanks of the Second World War were the main ground weapons for offensive battles. It was with their assistance that large cities were conquered, and enemy troops were crowded in all directions. Repulsing a well-organized attack was a rather difficult task, requiring considerable training and courage.

The following types of tanks are recognized as the best at that time:

Kv-1. Its weight is 45 tons. The car is sheathed around with steel, the thickness of which is 75 millimeters. It was hard for anti-tank guns to penetrate such a "monster" even at close range. However, among its main disadvantages should be considered a tendency to breakage.
T-34. It incorporates wide tracks and armor with a thickness of 76 millimeters. It was considered the best tank of that era, in terms of performance, which could not be compared with any other similar vehicle.
H1 "Tiger". The main "pride" of this unit is the 88-mm gun, which was created on the basis of the "anti-aircraft guns".
V Panther. It weighed 44 tons and developed a maximum speed of up to 60 kilometers per hour. This tank was equipped with a 75 mm cannon, thanks to which the projectile fired from this gun could cope with virtually any armor.
Is-2. This heavy tank was equipped with 122 howitzers. A projectile fired from it could turn any building into solid ruins. Also, a DShK machine gun functioned here to exterminate enemy infantry.

Losses

To understand the full scale of the tragedy that befell mankind in the 20th century from the devastating impact of the Second World War, it is enough to look only at the statistics of those who died in this bloody massacre. In total, during the war years, irretrievable losses among the population of the USSR amounted to 42 million people, and the total - more than 53 million.

Unfortunately, the exact number of those who lost their lives due to destructive actions during the Second World War is simply impossible to calculate physically. Scientists are trying to recreate the integrity of those events based on facts, to compile lists of the dead and missing as accurately as possible, but this is a very painstaking task, and the implementation of this idea is almost unrealistic.

Features of this world conflict

The essence of the Second World War was to establish dominance on the entire planet. In any case, the German side adhered to this particular principle, unleashing active hostilities on the territories of other countries.

It was this radically absurd ideology, which Hitler so propagated in his speeches to the public, that became the main reason that in the post-war years Germany lagged far behind in its development and was economically extremely weak.

No world conflict has ever been a guarantee of improving the life of mankind. Therefore, the Second World War (1945 - the year of its end), apart from death and grief, did not give anything good to people in the global plan.