A turning point in the course of the war. The beginning of a radical fracture. Stalingrad battle. A radical change in the course of the Great Patriotic War

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Lesson type: combined.

Target: show the course of hostilities on the Soviet-German front in the summer of 1942 - autumn 1943, the heroism and courage of Soviet soldiers.

Tasks:

• educational: mastering by students of knowledge about the main events of a radical change during the Great Patriotic War and World War II, the place and role of the USSR in these events; the formation in students of a holistic view of the Great Patriotic War, the fate of the peoples of the USSR, the main stages, major events and major figures in Russian history.
• Educational: education of students in the spirit of patriotism, respect for their Fatherland, in accordance with the ideas of mutual understanding, tolerance and peace between people and nations, in the spirit of the democratic values ​​of modern society.
• Educational: developing the ability of students to analyze the information contained in various sources about events and phenomena of the past and present, guided by the principle of historicism, in their dynamics, interconnection and interdependence.

Equipment:

• Cards:
• a) The Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.
• b) The counteroffensive of the Red Army near Stalingrad.
• multimedia presentation
• Handout
• Dates important to remember

DURING THE CLASSES

I. Survey

1. The German attack on the Soviet Union, the reasons for the failures of the Red Army in the first months of the war.
2. Battle for Moscow, her historical meaning.

II. Assimilation of new material

Plan

1. Battle of Stalingrad and the battle for the Caucasus.

a) Plans of the German command for the summer-autumn of 1942. (slide 1).
b) The summer offensive of the German troops: students are shown footage from a documentary film
c) The battle for the Caucasus.
d) The defense of Stalingrad: shots from the film are shown (slide 2).
e) Preparation of the counter-offensive of the Soviet troops, encirclement and defeat of the Nazi troops near Stalingrad. The beginning of a radical change in the course of the war: shots from the film are shown (slide 3, 4).

2. Battle of Kursk.

a) The plans of the belligerents for the summer of 1943. The ratio of forces.
b) The beginning of the Battle of Kursk. Operation "Citadel" and its failure (slide 5, 6).
c) The counteroffensive of the Soviet army. Tank battle near Prokhorovka. The defeat of the German armies: shots from the film are shown (slide 7).
d) The general offensive of the Soviet troops, the completion of a radical change in the course of the war.

Thesis-main text

1. Battle of Stalingrad

By the beginning of the summer of 1942, Germany maintained a military-strategic advantage over the USSR. Nevertheless, Stalin insisted on a series of major offensive operations in order to achieve a turning point in the war. The Soviet command made a mistake in assessing the strategic plans of the Wehrmacht, assuming that its main forces would concentrate on the Moscow direction. Meanwhile, the Wehrmacht planned to strike in the southeast direction, then to the Caucasus, to the oil-bearing regions of Baku.
In obedience to the directives of the Headquarters, the Soviet troops in May 1942 reptiles went on the offensive in the Crimea and near Kharkov. It ended in a heavy defeat. In July, Sevastopol fell, the Donbass and important agricultural regions of Ukraine and southern Russia were occupied. The enemy went to the North Caucasus, seeking to seize rich oil fields, and at the same time launched an attack on Stalingrad in order to cut one of the key transport arteries of the USSR. From the first days of September, fierce street battles unfolded in Stalingrad.
The transfer of German troops near Stalingrad limited the possibility of developing their offensive in the Caucasus direction. By the end of September 1942, their offensive was suspended, and all further attempts to enter the Transcaucasus ended in failure.
Near Stalingrad, where the 6th army of General Paulus and the tank army of General Goth were bogged down in bloody battles, the Soviet command was preparing a counteroffensive that began on November 19, 1942 and ended on February 2, 1943 with the surrender of the German group of Paulus troops. The offensive also developed successfully in the southern direction, where it was possible to expel the enemy from the North Caucasus and most of the Donbass.
Thus, the Battle of Stalingrad marked the beginning of a radical turning point in the course of the Great Patriotic War and the entire Second World War. The strategic initiative passed to the Red Army.

2. Battle of Kursk

Preparing for the summer campaign of 1943, Nazi strategists focused on the Kursk salient. This was the name of the protrusion of the front line facing the West. It was here that Hitler intended to take revenge for the defeat at Stalingrad. Two powerful tank wedges were supposed to break through the defenses of the Soviet troops at the base of the ledge, surround them and create a threat to Moscow.
The Headquarters of the Supreme High Command, having received information from intelligence about the planned offensive in time, was well prepared for defense and response. When on July 5, 1943, the Wehrmacht attacked the Kursk Bulge, the Red Army managed to withstand it; on July 12, 1943, the Soviet troops launched a strategic offensive. It quickly deployed along a front of 2,000 kilometers. In August 1943, Orel, Belgorod, Kharkov were liberated, in September - Smolensk. At the same time, the forcing of the Dnieper began, in November, Soviet troops entered Kiev, and by the end of the year they advanced far to the west.
The battle near Kursk and the subsequent offensive of the Soviet troops completed a radical turning point in the course of the Great Patriotic War.

Key dates to remember:

1. July-August 1942 - the defeat of the Red Army near Kharkov and in the Crimea, the exit of German troops to the Caucasus and the Volga.
2. September-November 1942, the defense of Stalingrad, fighting in the Caucasus direction.
3. November 19, 1942, the beginning of the counteroffensive of the Soviet troops near Stalingrad.
4. On February 2, 1943, the liquidation of the German group of troops near Stalingrad, the beginning of a radical change in the course of the Great Patriotic War.
5. July-August 1943 Battle of Kursk, the strategic offensive of the Soviet troops, the completion of a radical change in the course of the Great Patriotic War.

III. Anchoring

To consolidate the new material, students are given cards with test tasks and ask the following questions:

• What was the historical significance of the Battle of Stalingrad.
• Show on the map the directions of the main attacks of the German troops on the Kursk salient and the counteroffensive of the Soviet troops.

Test tasks

1. The battle of Stalingrad began

a) in December 1941
b) in August 1942
c) in February 1943

2. Completion of a radical change in the Great Patriotic War is associated with

a) Battle of Kursk
b) the battle of Stalingrad
c) the battle of Moscow

3. Biggest tank battle in the Great Patriotic War happened during the battle

a) Kursk
b) Moscow
c) Stalingrad

4. The Battle of Stalingrad marked the beginning of a radical turning point in the course of the Great Patriotic War, since

a) in the spring of 1943, the Second Front was opened
b) Nazi Germany suffered its first major defeat
c) the strategic initiative passed into the hands of the Red Army
At the end of the lesson, a general summary of the lesson is summed up, and marks are given. The slides are recorded on a CD and are included with this lesson.

The victory near Moscow dispelled the myth of the invincibility of the German troops and buried the "blitzkrieg" plan. The peoples of the whole world have learned that the Red Army is capable of defeating the Wehrmacht. Turkey and Japan refrained from entering the war on the side of Nazi Germany and its allies. In the countries of Western Europe, the anti-fascist resistance strengthened the axis. The victory of the Red Army contributed to the strengthening of the anti-Hitler coalition.

Military operations in the winter - in the spring of 1941. Inspired by success, the Soviet leadership instructed the General Staff to develop a plan for a general offensive on all fronts - from Karelia to the Black Sea. January 5, 1942 at a meeting of the Supreme Headquarters)

Commander-in-Chief Stalin outlined his idea of ​​the further conduct of hostilities. Its essence was to launch an offensive in three strategic directions and defeat the main enemy groupings already in 1942. The main blow was supposed to be delivered in the western direction against Army Group Center. The second most powerful strike was supposed to be delivered in the north-western direction. His goal was to defeat the troops of the Army Group "North" and lift the blockade of Leningrad. In the southern direction, it was supposed to defeat the German troops in the Donbass region and liberate the Crimea. This plan provided for the rapid defeat of the enemy and the liberation of a significant part of the country's territory from the invaders.

However, the main forces of the Wehrmacht had not yet been defeated. In January 1942, the German leadership took a number of emergency measures. A total mobilization was carried out. Significant forces were transferred to Russia from the occupied countries of Europe. Hitler demanded that his troops put up fierce resistance to the Russians.

In March 1942, it became clear that the command of the Red Army underestimated the strength of Germany. In April, the Soviet troops stopped) 1 and offensive operations and went over to the defensive on the lines reached.

Military operations in the summer of 1941 When planning military operations in the summer of 1942, the Soviet leadership believed that the enemy would again launch an offensive against Moscow. Large forces of the Red Army, including aviation and tank units, were concentrated around the capital. Subsequent events showed the fallacy of this decision.

At the end of April 1942, the offensive of the Red Army in the Crimea was stopped. Then the defense of the Soviet troops was broken through, and the Crimean front was defeated. Soviet troops, having suffered serious losses, were evacuated from the Crimea to the Taman Peninsula. On July 4, 1942, after a 250-day heroic defense, Sevastopol was abandoned.

In May 1942, near Leningrad, an attempt to break through the blockade ended unsuccessfully. The 2nd shock army of the Volkhov Front was surrounded and defeated.

At the same time, Soviet troops were surrounded, who launched an offensive near Kharkov. Only a few parts were able to escape from the "cauldron". The Red Army suffered heavy losses, the situation in the south changed in favor of the German troops. Developing the offensive, they again occupied the Donbas, recaptured Rostov. Important agricultural areas were occupied. The Germans went to the North Caucasus, made an attempt to block transport along the Volga.

Order of the People's Commissar of Defense Stalin No. 227. Military failures in the summer of 1942 had a negative impact on the defense capability of the Soviet troops. In the retreating units there were cases of violation of discipline, panic. Under these conditions, on July 28, 1942, Stalin, as People's Commissar for Defense, signed Order N!? 227, which received the unofficial name "Not a step back!". The order demanded that the fighters and commanders observe iron discipline. Commanders and political workers who violated discipline were sent to penal battalions, while ordinary soldiers and junior commanders were sent to penal companies. Penal companies and battalions were used on the most difficult sectors of the front. Penitentiaries who were wounded in battle were considered to have served their sentences. The army created special barrage detachments, which were located in the rear of unstable units. They were ordered in case of panic and disorderly retreat of units to shoot alarmists and cowards on the spot.

Along with disciplinary and repressive measures, incentives were also introduced. To reward distinguished officers and generals, the next day after order NQ 227, orders were established in honor of the great Russian commanders - Suvorov, Kutuzov and Alexander Nevsky. Somewhat earlier, in May 1942, the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st and 2nd class, was established. Later, the Order of Bohdan Khmelnitsky and the special naval orders of Ushakov and Nakhimov were established. The highest military award was the Order of Victory, which was awarded to commanders for outstanding success in conducting major operations. To reward ordinary military personnel, a soldier's Order of Glory of three degrees was established, which became a certain likeness of the St. George Cross in the Russian pre-revolutionary army. Persons awarded the Orders of Glory of three degrees were equated with Heroes Soviet Union.

A radical change in the course of the war (November 1942 - late 1943). In September 1942 the Soviet command began to develop a strategic offensive operation in the south. Two stages of the operation were envisaged: at the first it was supposed to encircle the German grouping in the Stalingrad region, and at the second - to destroy the encircled troops. To solve the assigned tasks, the forces of three fronts were involved: the South-Western (commander General N.F. Vatunin), Don (commander General K.K. Rokossovsky) and Stalingrad (commander General A.I. Eremenko). By this time, as a result of bloody battles, the balance of forces on the Soviet-German front had changed in favor of the Red Army. The industry of the USSR, rebuilt in a military way, increased the production of military equipment.

The leadership of the operation was entrusted to the generals G.K. Zhukov and A.M. Vasilevsky. In the interests of the surprise of the counteroffensive, the strictest measures were taken to ensure the secrecy of its preparation. Powerful groupings were created in the directions of the main attacks.

The counteroffensive of the Soviet troops near Stalingrad began on November 19, 1942. The enemy’s defense was broken through on the first day of the offensive. On November 23, the troops of the Southwestern and Stalingrad fronts in the area of ​​​​the cities of Kalach and Sovetsky closed the ring around the German group of 330 thousand people.

In December, an attempt was made to break through the encirclement by forces of a grouping of German troops under the command of E. Manstein. She approached the encircled troops at a distance of 35-40 km, but could not break through the encirclement. The forces of the 2nd Guards Army R.Ya. Malinovsky, the enemy was defeated. On January 10, 1943, Soviet troops under the command of K.K. Rokossovsky attack or To eliminate the encircled German group. On January 31, the main forces of the encircled troops, together with the commander of Field Marshal F. Paulus, surrendered. On February 2, 1943, the remnants of the German troops capitulated. In total, during the strategic operation of the Soviet troops, 2 German, 2 Romanian and 1 Italian armies were defeated. Enemy losses near Stalingrad from November 1942 to February 1943 amounted to over 800 thousand people, about 2 thousand tanks and assault guns, over 3 thousand aircraft.

Three days of mourning has been declared in Germany. Faith in victory among a significant part of the population has noticeably wavered. Germany's allies - Italy, Romania, Hungary - began to think about peace.

The victory at Stalingrad marked the beginning of a radical change in the course of the Great Patriotic War and had a decisive influence on its further course. The Red Army seized the strategic initiative and held it until the complete victory over Germany and its allies.

Battle on the Kursk Bulge. As a result of the winter (1942/43) counteroffensive of the Red Army, the enemy was driven back from the North Caucasus and most of the Donbass. In the central direction, the troops of the Voronezh Front broke through the enemy defenses. The Red Army liberated Rzhev, Voronezh, Kursk.

The blockade of Leningrad was partially broken by the forces of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts. Along the southern shore of Lake Ladoga, a corridor 8-11 km wide was liberated from the enemy. The supply of the city was carried out through this corridor.

At the end of March 1943, a relative calm settled on the Soviet-German front. Both sides were preparing for a decisive battle.

During the summer campaign of 1943, the German command intended to take revenge for the defeat at Stalingrad and seize the initiative again. It was decided to conduct an offensive operation in the Kursk region. In this section, the front line had the character of a ledge, the so-called Kursk Bulge, which was turned towards the enemy. The German troops were tasked with encircling and destroying the Soviet troops stationed in the Kursk region. This operation was called "Citadel". By the beginning of July, powerful strike groups of the Wehrmacht were concentrated on the northern and southern flanks of the Kursk salient. They were based on formations equipped with heavy tanks.

The Soviet leadership managed to unravel the plans of the enemy. It was decided to organize an effective defense in depth, wear down the enemy and go on the counteroffensive. The headquarters concentrated large forces in the Kursk direction. The northern part of the arc was defended by the troops of the Central Front (commander K.K. Rokossovsky), the southern part - by the troops of the Voronezh Front (commander N.F. Vatutin).

The German offensive was to begin in the early morning of July 5, 1943. Having learned from intelligence data the exact time of the start of the German offensive, Soviet artillery, an hour before it began, subjected the German positions to powerful artillery fire. The enemy troops were disorganized, and the offensive had to be delayed in different sectors of the front for 2.5-3 hours.

It began with an artillery strike on Soviet positions. Under the cover of artillery, German tanks rushed to the attack. At the cost of huge losses on the northern flank of the arc, it was possible to advance 12 km. But, having suffered heavy losses in tanks and manpower, the German troops ran out of steam. On the southern flank, the German divisions advanced 30-35 km, but the Soviet troops were not defeated.

The critical moment came on 12 July. On this day, the troops of the Voronezh Front themselves launched a counteroffensive. In the area of ​​the village of Prokhorovka, the largest tank battle of the war broke out. The 5th Guards Tank Army entered the battle against the 2nd SS Panzer Corps (Adolf Hitler and Reich divisions). About 1200 tanks and self-propelled guns participated in it from both sides. On a narrow section of the front, two tank avalanches collided. The battle was fierce. According to the recollections of the participants in the battle, the tankers fought to the death. Even the wrecked tanks continued to fire. Both sides suffered heavy losses. On July 13-15, the enemy continued to advance in separate directions, but in the period from July 12 to July 17, a decisive turning point occurred in the Battle of Kursk. On July 17, Hitler decided to interrupt Operation Citadel. On July 19, the withdrawal of German troops began. The plans of the German command failed.

The second stage of the Battle of Kursk - the counteroffensive of the Soviet troops in the Oryol direction - took place from July 12 to August 23, 1943. Orel was liberated on August 5. During the strategic offensive operation "Kutuzov" by August 18, Soviet troops defeated the enemy forces and advanced 150 km to the west. As a result, the situation on the central sector of the Soviet-German front changed in favor of the Red Army. For the Soviet troops, the prospect opened up to develop an offensive in the direction of Eastern Belarus.

Less well developed events on the southern flank. During the Belgorod-Kharkov offensive operation "Rumyantsev" from August 3 to 23, Soviet troops fought heavy battles with the enemy. Belgorod was liberated on August 5. By August 23, enemy resistance in this direction was broken. Kharkov was liberated, which changed hands four times during the war years. Soviet troops defeated a powerful enemy grouping and advanced into the depth of defense by about 150 km. Conditions were created for the liberation of the Left-Bank Ukraine and access to the Dnieper.

As a result of the Battle of Kursk, Germany's attempt to seize the initiative by conducting a major offensive operation was thwarted. Near Kursk, the best armored forces of Germany were defeated. Of the 30 divisions defeated, 7 were armored. Having suffered heavy losses, the enemy was forced to go on the defensive. The morale of the German troops was largely undermined, but Germany still had the strength and means to continue hostilities.

The Soviet troops also suffered huge losses, which even exceeded the losses of the German troops. There are several reasons for this. Among them - a more flexible and skillful control of the German troops. In the field of military equipment, the latest German tanks "Tigers" and "Ferdinands" had more powerful guns than the 76-mm gun of the Soviet T-34 tank. It was later reinforced.

The defeat of the Nazi troops near Kursk had military, political and diplomatic consequences. He influenced the course of not only the Great Patriotic War, but also the Second World War. In the Soviet Union, this victory contributed to the growth of the moral and political unity of the people and to raising the morale of the army. More than 100 thousand soldiers, officers and generals were awarded orders and medals. 180 people became Heroes of the Soviet Union. The struggle against the invaders in the occupied territory intensified.

The international prestige of the Soviet Union as a decisive force in the fight against fascism has grown. The victory at Kursk marked the beginning of the disintegration of the Nazi coalition. Germany's allies - Spain, Hungary, Finland - tried to reconsider their relationship with Germany. In Italy, hostilities unfolded. Anglo-American troops in August 1943 liberated Sicily and entered the Apennine Peninsula.

Results of the third year of the war. By the end of 1943, during the summer-autumn offensive, the Red Army liberated two-thirds of the territory occupied by the Germans. The morale of the Wehrmacht was undermined. The Red Army defeated 118 divisions - half of all Wehrmacht forces located on the Eastern Front. The enemy lost 3.2 thousand tanks, about 10 thousand aircraft.

As a result of the defeat on the Eastern Front, the position of Nazi Germany worsened. On September 8, 1943, Italy capitulated. The ruling circles of Romania, Hungary, and other allies of Germany have lost faith in victory.

The successful completion of the summer-autumn offensive of the Red Army created favorable conditions for the complete liberation of the territory of the USSR from fascist occupation.

The final period of the Great Patriotic War. Towards victory! By the beginning of 1944, the troops of Germany and its allies still held a significant part of the territory of the USSR. Although the blockade of Leningrad was partially broken, the enemy was still near the city on the Neva. Hitler's Germany still occupied almost all of Europe. However, the peoples of the world no longer doubted that Nazi Germany was doomed to defeat. BUT it was also clear that the enemy would resist to the end.

In 1944, Germany still had a significant military potential. The economy supplied the front with modern weapons. A total mobilization was carried out.

The Soviet command chose the tactics of consistently conducting combat operations in different sectors of the front. This tactic completely deprived the initiative of the German command.

The combat skill of the Red Army by this time had grown significantly. The will to win, hatred for the fascist invaders made her invincible.

near Leningrad and Novgorod. The first blow to the German troops in January 1944 was inflicted near Leningrad and Novgorod. The forces of the Leningrad (commander L.A. Govorov) and Volkhov (commander K.A. Meretskov) fronts, with the support of ships and aircraft of the Baltic Fleet, defeated the enemy. On January 27, the 900-day blockade of Leningrad ended.

The expulsion of fascist troops from the territory of the USSR. Liberation of the countries of South-Eastern and Central Europe. On July 13, the capital of Lithuania, Vilnius, was liberated. The troops of the l-th Belorussian Front entered the territory of Poland. The Baltic grouping of German troops was dissected. On the southern flank in July - August, the troops of the l-th Ukrainian front(Commander I.S. Konev defeated the Northern Ukraine Army Group. On July 27, Lvov was liberated.

In August, the troops of the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian fronts (commanders R.Ya. Malinovsky and F.I. Tolbukhin) defeated the German-Romanian troops in the area of ​​​​the cities of Chisinau and Yass. During this operation, 22 divisions were liquidated. Soviet troops liberated Moldova and entered the territory of Romania. On August 31, Soviet troops entered Bucharest. In early September, the troops of the 3rd Ukrainian Front crossed the Bulgarian border. The pro-German government of Bulgaria was overthrown. As a result of the victory of the Red Army in the Balkans, Romania and Bulgaria joined the anti-Hitler coalition. The loss of the Romanian oilfields deprived Germany of fuel supplies for tanks and aircraft. The victory in the Balkans was a step towards the liberation of Yugoslavia, Greece and Albania.

The result of the summer (1944) offensive of the Red Army was a radical change in the military situation in favor of the Soviet Union, as well as the creation of conditions for the defeat of Germany and the liberation of the occupied European countries.

In the autumn of 1944, the Red Army carried out an offensive operation in the Baltic states against Army Group North. Estonia and most of Latvia were liberated. The Baltic grouping of German troops, consisting of 33 divisions, was surrounded and blockaded. However, as the Red Army approached the borders of Germany, the resistance of the fascist troops intensified.

As a result of offensive operations in 1944, the territory of the Soviet Union was almost completely liberated from the fascist invaders, and the State border of the USSR was restored. Romania and Bulgaria, part of Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia were liberated from German troops. The former allies of Germany - Romania, Bulgaria, Italy and Finland - not only left the Nazi bloc, but also entered the war against Germany. The internal situation of Germany testified to its crisis state. After the unsuccessful assassination attempt on Hitler on July 20, 1944, repressions against all opponents of the regime intensified in the country.

In conditions when it became clear that the USSR was capable of independently defeating Germany and its allies, the governments of the United States and Britain intensified preparations for the opening of a second front in Western Europe. At dawn on June 6, 1944, an amphibious landing began on the coast of Normandy in France. The fighting took on a protracted character. The summer offensive of the Red Army did not allow the German command to transfer the necessary forces to the west. By the end of 1944, the Allied troops had liberated France, Belgium, Luxembourg and part of Holland. The German offensive in the Ardennes, launched on December 16, 1944, came as a complete surprise to the Allies. Only the lack of reserves did not allow the German command to build on the initial success.

To Berlin! The final operations of the Great Patriotic War. As a result of offensive operations in 1944, the Soviet army approached the borders of Germany and was preparing to deliver the last blows to the enemy.

In January 1945, the troops of the l-th Belorussian Front under the command of G.K. Zhukov liberated Warsaw and with a swift blow reached the Oder River. In February, the Budapest grouping of German troops was defeated. In the area of ​​​​Lake Balaton, German troops attempted a counteroffensive, but were defeated. In April, the capital of Austria, Vienna, was liberated and the city of Konigsberg in East Prussia fell.

On April 16, the Berlin operation began. In the same month, the Allied troops in the anti-Hitler coalition met on the Elbe River. Two weeks later, Soviet soldiers hoisted the Red Banner over the Reichstag in Berlin.

On the morning of May 9, troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front entered Prague. On the night of May 8-9, 1945, in the Berlin suburb of Karlhost, representatives of the German command signed an act of unconditional surrender. The war in Europe is over.

The historical significance of the Victory. The price of the victory of the Soviet people. The merit of the Soviet Union and its armed forces before mankind lies in the fact that they made a decisive contribution to the defeat of German fascism and its allies. The Soviet Union blocked German fascism's path to world domination. The Eastern Front was the main front of World War II. On this front, the armed forces of fascist Germany lost more than two-thirds of their personnel, tanks, guns and aviation. On the Soviet-German front, 507 divisions of the Wehrmacht and 100 divisions of Germany's allies were defeated. And US and British troops destroyed 176 divisions.

The peoples of the USSR paid dearly for the Victory. According to the latest estimates, during the war years our army lost 11.944 million people. Of these, 6.885 million people were killed and died from wounds and diseases, 4.559 million people were captured or surrendered to the axis. On the way to the front, 500 thousand reservists who were drafted into the army, but not yet enrolled in the lists of active troops, died. 1.836 million people returned from captivity to their homeland. 939 thousand people (they were considered missing) were again drafted into the army. Thus, the total losses of our army amount to 9.168 million people. In total, the country lost 26 million 600 thousand citizens, of which 17.4 million civilians were killed or died. Yes, the price of Victory is bitter.

During the war years, fascist troops destroyed 1,710 cities, over 70 thousand, villages and villages, 32 thousand factories and factories, 65 thousand km of railway lines were destroyed. Huge cultural values ​​- museums, libraries, historical monuments - were destroyed.

During the war years, Germany and its allies lost over 15 million people, 8.645 million of them on the Eastern Front.

US and British losses amounted to several hundred thousand people. In total, more than 50 million people died during the Second World War.

1. THE BEGINNING OF A RADICAL TURNING DURING THE WAR AND THE LIBERATION OF THE EASTERN REGIONS OF THE UKRAINIAN SSR

Prerequisites for a turning point in the course of the war. The creation of the prerequisites for a radical change took place in incredibly difficult conditions. During the hostilities, the Soviet Union suffered huge losses in people and military equipment. The enemy captured the most important economic regions, which before the war provided 71% of the all-Union production of cast iron, 58% of steel, 63% of coal, 60% of aluminum, and 42% of electricity. These areas accounted for 47% of the most productive crop areas.

No capitalist country would have been able to continue the struggle with such losses. The advantages of the socialist system were obvious. They found their expression both in the planned development of heavy industry in the East of the country in prewar years, and in the ability to maximize the mobilization of all available resources for the war. Despite the fact that fascist Germany produced 4 times more steel, the Soviet industry in 1942 produced 15,000 more tanks than the German one. Although Germany produced several times more aluminum, the Red Army received 10,027 more aircraft than the Nazi Wehrmacht. In 1942, Soviet industry produced 22,000 more field guns with a caliber of 76 mm and above. This victorious gap was preserved in subsequent years.

The entire industrial output of Western Siberia in 1942 doubled as compared to 1940, and the production of armaments increased 27 times here. In the Volga region, with an increase in production by 3 times compared to 1940, the production of weapons increased by 9 times. Of particular importance was the Ural industry, which during the war years became the main arsenal of the country. In the Urals, with a general increase in production by 3 times, the output of military equipment increased by 5 times and in terms of its volume far exceeded the total production of weapons in other industrial regions.

It was very important that the new military equipment, which went to the troops in a wide stream, fully met the requirements of the war, it equaled the enemy's weapons, and in some cases surpassed them qualitatively. These successes were achieved with the utmost effort of all the forces of the Soviet rear, primarily thanks to the unparalleled labor heroism of the working class. In the autumn of 1941 and during the Battle of Moscow, the output of military products in the Soviet Union fell to the lowest level in the entire war. The evacuated enterprises were then only located in new places or were still on wheels. The industry of the eastern regions could not bear the entire burden of supplying the vast front. In a year the situation has changed radically. In the second half of 1942, the enterprises relocated from Ukraine and other western regions of the USSR were fully operational. Therefore, it was during that period that the largest increase in the production of military equipment occurred.

The gradual change in the balance of forces in military equipment was of decisive importance for the further course of the war. By the end of autumn 1942, fascist Germany and its satellites had 6.2 million soldiers and officers, 51.7 thousand guns and heavy mortars, 5080 tanks and self-propelled guns, 3.5 thousand combat aircraft on the Soviet-German front. In the active troops of the Red Army, there were 6.6 million fighters and commanders, 4544 combat aircraft. The reserve had 27 rifle divisions and six brigades, five tank and mechanized corps, four air corps, four separate air divisions and 10 separate aviation regiments.

In addition to eliminating the technical advantage of the enemy, a radical improvement in the leadership of troops, an increase in their combat skills and stamina, was of enormous importance.

During the war, the youngest and most talented generals among the armies of all the warring countries formed in the Red Army. The process of nominating capable and energetic young military leaders and commanders began from the first days of the war, but it became especially intense in 1942. People who showed themselves in the best way in the conditions of war with the strongest army of the capitalist world were resolutely appointed to command posts. These were cadres educated by the Party in the pre-war period, who mastered the heights of military science. They combined boundless devotion to the cause of communism with high professional training. The entire army learned to fight in a new way, at the level of the harsh requirements that the war set. New military manuals issued in 1942 summarized the experience gained by the best commanders on the battlefield. During 1942, 575,000 new commanders were trained, more than in any other year. The officer corps of the Red Army grew quantitatively and qualitatively, tempered and enriched with experience in heavy battles. The day-to-day political and educational work of the party, aimed at strengthening the fighting spirit of Soviet soldiers, also brought results. The defense of Stalingrad showed a new, qualitatively increased stamina of the Soviet troops in battle. Its role in the further course of the war cannot be overestimated.

The combat skill of Soviet soldiers has risen, the level of Soviet military art has risen. New methods of warfare were worked out and tested in combat, and the structure of the Armed Forces was improved. Of great importance, in particular, was the creation of artillery divisions and breakthrough corps based on the idea of ​​General N. N. Voronov, Commander-in-Chief of Red Army Artillery. These formations became the main striking force of the army and, together with the infantry units, ensured a breakthrough of the enemy front. The newly created tank and mechanized corps, which had already begun to unite in the army, when introduced into the gap, were able to carry out deep maneuvers behind enemy lines and surround his troops.

Thus, through the tireless efforts of the Party and the people, the Red Army was transformed into an army capable of carrying out the most complex combat missions. The growing strength of the Red Army, based on the unity and might of the Soviet rear, gave grounds for the Soviet Supreme High Command to look confidently into the future at the most difficult moment of heavy defensive battles in Stalingrad.

“The enemy has already once experienced the power of the Red Army’s strikes near Rostov, near Moscow, near Tikhvin,” said the order of the People’s Commissar of Defense I.V. Every dog ​​has his day!" These words found a deep response in the hearts of the soldiers of the Red Army, all Soviet people. The historical gains of the Land of Soviets, which in those terrible days celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Great October Revolution, and the patriotic duty of every Soviet citizen in the fight against the hated enemy were the content of the mass political work of the Communist Party in the army and rear. The Party directed the Soviet people and their Armed Forces to achieve a turning point in the war. United around the Leninist party, the Soviet soldiers were preparing to move from defense to offensive and were determined to drive the enemy from Soviet soil, free millions of their brothers and sisters, and achieve victory over the fascist invaders.

The enormous world-historical significance of the defensive actions of the Red Army, the heroic struggle of the Soviet people against the fascist invaders, was that they created the prerequisites for a radical change in the course of the entire Second World War in favor of the states of the anti-fascist coalition. In fierce battles, the enemy's forces were undermined, and his advance stopped. The strength of the Red Army had grown so much that it was already in a position to move from defense to a decisive offensive.

Victory at Stalingrad. Even during the fierce battles in the south, the Soviet command purposefully prepared a counteroffensive. The general plan for the offensive in the Stalingrad direction, which became the key sector of the Soviet-German front due to the concentration of the main strike group of fascist troops here, arose as early as September 1942. Preparations were carried out in the conditions of a tense and difficult defensive battle for the Soviet troops. It was possible to complete it in a short time, by mid-November 1942.

The purpose of the counteroffensive was to encircle and defeat the shock grouping of the Nazi troops near Stalingrad as a prerequisite for the defeat of the entire southern wing of the enemy front. The troops of three fronts were to strike at the Stalingrad grouping of the enemy: the South-Western (commander - General N.F. Vatutin), Donskoy (commander - General K.K. Rokossovsky) and Stalingrad (commander - General A.I. Eremenko). General management of the preparation and coordination of fronts during the offensive was entrusted to the representatives of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command G.K. Zhukov and A.M. Vasilevsky.

The operation was planned to be carried out by strikes against the enemy grouping from the flanks. This option was dictated by the front line and the location of the Nazi troops. The enemy offensive led to a deep bending of the front at an angle to the east. At the top of the corner, resting on Stalingrad, stood the main forces of Army Group "B" - the 6th field army and formations of the 4th tank army of the Nazis. The northern flank of the army group, starting from Voronezh, was occupied by the 2nd Hungarian, 8th Italian and 3rd Romanian armies, the southern flank - by the 4th Romanian army. The troops of the Nazi satellites were not distinguished by high combat capability, and this facilitated the implementation of the plan.

At the first stage of the offensive, the Soviet troops were tasked with enveloping counter strikes from areas in the northwest and south of Stalingrad to break through the front and encircle the main forces of the enemy grouping. On the northern flank from the Serafimovichi-Kletskaya area, the strike was assigned to the troops of the left wing of the Southwestern Front together with the right wing of the Don Front. On the southern flank - from the Sarpinsky Lakes region - to the troops of the left wing of the Stalingrad Front. Near Kalach-on-Don, the southern and northern strike groups were to link up and close the encirclement.

The balance of forces in the Stalingrad direction before the start of the Soviet counteroffensive was as follows. Our three fronts numbered 1103 thousand people, 15.5 thousand guns and heavy mortars, 1463 tanks, 1350 combat aircraft; enemy troops - 1011.5 thousand soldiers and officers, 10.3 thousand guns and mortars, 675 tanks, 1216 combat aircraft. Thus, our troops did not have overwhelming superiority, and victory could only be achieved through a bold maneuver. In order to ensure the success of the offensive, the Soviet command concentrated most of its available forces in the strike directions by weakening other sectors of its front.

The preparations for the counteroffensive were carried out in strict secrecy. Only a narrow circle of senior leadership knew about the plans of the command and the general course of preparation. All orders for the regrouping of troops, the creation of the necessary supplies, starting positions, etc. were given only orally and in a form that could not reveal the plan of the command. Every effort was made to disguise the preparations for a counteroffensive. In the first half of November 1942, the Red Army did not conduct particularly active operations in the Stalingrad direction. However, in the central sector, the Kalinin and Western fronts launched stubborn battles to eliminate the Rzhev salient of the enemy front, from where the German Army Group Center still threatened Moscow. This disorientated the fascist leadership.

Expecting the offensive of the Red Army in the Moscow direction, the enemy command sent its reinforcements and reserves there. In October and the first half of November, when the preparations for the Soviet counteroffensive near Stalingrad were coming to an end, the enemy pulled up 12 additional divisions to the central front, concentrating almost half of all his tank and motorized forces there. In early November, fascist intelligence established an increase in the number of bridges across the Don northwest of Stalingrad. Based on these data, the Nazi command concluded that the Red Army was preparing to intensify local operations against the 3rd Romanian Army. It was convinced that the Soviet side did not have sufficient forces here for extensive offensive operations.

The offensive of the troops of the South-Western and Don Fronts was planned to be carried out 120-140 km deep, the Stalingrad Front - 110-120 km. In order to coordinate the actions of both groupings of Soviet troops and to disrupt the enemy's countermeasures, the strike of the Stalingrad Front was planned a day later. The offensive was planned to be carried out in the shortest possible time: the breakthrough of the enemy defense and the closure of the encirclement were to occur in 2-3 days.

The carefully prepared operation began exactly as planned. At 7:30 am on November 19, 1942, Soviet artillery opened heavy fire, concentrated in the breakthrough areas northwest of Stalingrad. On the positions of the Nazi troops that day, 689 thousand shells fell, which, during transportation, occupied over 1,300 railway cars. At 0850 hours, infantry units supported by tanks went on the offensive. Fierce battles ensued. In order to quickly complete the breakthrough of the tactical zone of the enemy defense, tank corps were brought into battle, and on November 20 cavalry corps. On November 20, unexpectedly for the enemy, the troops of the Stalingrad Front went on the offensive from the south. The strike grouping of the left wing of the front quickly advanced through the gaps in the enemy defenses towards the troops of the northern strike group.

The mobile formations of the Soviet troops had to overcome the defensive lines and the desperate resistance of enemy units urgently transferred by the Nazi command to the places of the breakthrough. The enemy sought counterattacks on the bases of the Soviet tank wedges to disrupt their advance and close the breakthroughs. However, these attempts were reflected in pre-allocated parts. On the right flank of the shock grouping of the Southwestern Front, there were strong barriers of rifle and cavalry formations. They moved to the west and south-west, to the border of the Krivaya and Chir rivers, to reliably support the entire operation by creating an external front as far as possible from the encirclement boiler. The left flank of the strike force of the Stalingrad Front was covered by troops advancing in a southwestern direction on the Korobkin-Aksai line.

The enemy front was broken through in seven sectors at once. This upset the counter-actions of the Nazi command and led to a number of local encirclements. At the same time, the heroic defenders of Stalingrad began offensive operations, holding down the forces of the Nazis. Fierce fighting unfolded along the entire front. Realizing the threat of a gigantic encirclement, the command of the enemy's Stalingrad group threw its troops into counterattacks in almost all directions, trying to save room for maneuver and prevent the ring from closing. Overcoming the fierce resistance of the enemy, the Soviet troops continued to advance in accordance with the plan. On November 23, the mobile formations of the Southwestern and Stalingrad fronts closed in the Kalach area. The Stalingrad group of Nazi troops was in the boiler.

The Red Army dealt a blow of unprecedented force. For 4.5 days, 11 infantry, two tank, one cavalry divisions of the enemy were defeated. Fascist troops lost 95 thousand soldiers and officers killed, 72.4 thousand wounded. Over 300 thousand enemy troops, hundreds of tanks, 6.7 thousand guns, 61 thousand vehicles - 22 divisions, nine artillery and mortar regiments of the high command reserve and one and a half hundred units and reinforcement units - were clamped in pincers.

Soviet troops continued to strike in order to narrow the encirclement as much as possible. Initially covered in an area of ​​9 thousand km 2, the enemy grouping was compressed until November 30 in an area of ​​1.5 thousand km 2. The operational encirclement became tactical: shot through by Soviet artillery to the full depth. The enemy was deprived of the opportunity to freely maneuver forces inside the encirclement.

In early December 1942, the troops of the Stalingrad and Don Fronts launched offensive operations in order to eliminate the encircled group. The lack of strength made it impossible to immediately achieve success. The destruction of the encircled group had to be postponed for a while because of the need to reliably ensure the repulsion of enemy attacks from the outside.

The fulfillment of this task became the content of the second stage of the counteroffensive. The Soviet command foresaw that after the encirclement near Stalingrad, the enemy would seek to release his troops. To prevent this, the troops of the outer flanks of the Southwestern and Stalingrad dandies were to form a wide gap between the encircled grouping and the main (outer) front of the enemy troops. By the end of November, it ranged from 40 to 140 km.

The first attempts of the Nazi command to release the encircled troops did not pose a great danger. The enemy did not yet have enough troops in those areas from which he had to attack. The situation worsened with the approach of reserves and the regrouping of forces that remained with the Nazi command in the Stalingrad direction. Fascist troops began to concentrate in the areas of Tormosin and Kotelnikovsky, southwest of Stalingrad. The Tormosinskaya group had one tank and four infantry divisions, three of which were delivered by plane from Germany. The Kotelnikovskaya group consisted of three tank divisions deployed from France, the North Caucasus and from near Bryansk. It also included the remnants of the 4th Romanian army. These troops, along with those surrounded at Stalingrad, were included in the newly created Army Group Don. This group was headed by the headquarters of the 11th Army, together with its commander, Field Marshal E. Manstein. The 11th Army itself, after Sevastopol, was sent near Leningrad, and was also partially used to patch up various sectors of the Nazi Eastern Front. The task of Army Group "Don" was to release the grouping surrounded by Stalingrad and restore the situation that existed before November 19.

On December 12, the Kotelnikov group under the command of General G. Goth went on the offensive, striking on a narrow front along the Tikhoretsk-Stalingrad railway. For the first time, a battalion of new heavy tanks of the Tiger type operated in its composition. They had 120 mm frontal armor, an 88 mm gun and at that time were the most powerful tanks in the world. With massive tank strikes, the enemy managed to advance 45 km in 3 days. The troops of the 51st Army, weakened in previous battles, defending this sector of the front, had half as many guns and 5 times fewer tanks. But by that time, Soviet soldiers had gone through the school of the Stalingrad battle and showed truly iron stamina. Despite the huge superiority in tanks, the enemy met fierce resistance everywhere and paid dearly for every kilometer.

The most fierce battle was on December 18 near the Verkhnekumsky farm. Hill 137.2, which was defended by a rifle company, a platoon of armor-piercers and a battery of anti-tank guns, was attacked by 30 enemy tanks and an infantry battalion. Soviet soldiers, commanded by Senior Lieutenant P.N. Naumov, repelled three attacks. Many fighters died, but those who still could hold weapons remained in the ranks. The enemy managed to capture the height only when there was no one to defend it. Here he lost 18 tanks and about 300 soldiers and officers. But by the end of the day, the Nazis were driven back from a height by a counterattack of Soviet tanks and infantry, and our defense was completely restored.

The shock group of General Hoth suffered heavy losses, but continued to rush towards the encircled troops. To reinforce it, another tank division was thrown into battle.

On December 19, the enemy crossed the river on ice. Myshkov and overcame two-thirds of the way to the encircled troops, from which Gotha was now separated by 35-40 km. The Tormosinskaya group was also completing preparations for the offensive. There was a real threat of release of the encircled Stalingrad grouping of the enemy. The commander of the encircled troops, General F. Paulus, that day received an order to prepare for a counterattack, but he could not carry it out due to the lack of fuel for the tanks.

According to the first plan of the Soviet command, after the encirclement of the enemy near Stalingrad, the troops of the Voronezh and the right flank of the Southwestern Fronts were to advance from the Middle Don, south of Voronezh, to Rostov. Such a blow - at the root of the Hitlerite summer offensive of 1942 - was supposed to completely cut off all enemy armies that had broken through to the east. The implementation of this plan could lead to the encirclement and complete destruction of the entire southern wing of the enemy front. However, due to the aggravation of the situation in December, the plan was changed. The offensive from the Middle Don was now carried out not to the south (Rostov), ​​but to the southeast, to the rear of the enemy army group "Don", in order to eliminate the danger of its breakthrough to the Stalingrad group of fascists. The flexible strategy of the Soviet command thwarted the enemy's actions to release Paulus' troops.

On December 16, the Voronezh and Southwestern fronts went on the offensive. For 3 days, the enemy defenses on the Middle Don for 200 km, from Novaya Kalitva to Chernyshevskaya, were broken through in five places. The Soviet tank corps overcame from 100 to 200 km and in the rear of the Don Army Group, at the turn of Millerovo - Tatsinskaya - Morozovskaya, started fighting with four enemy infantry divisions intended to release the troops of the Stalingrad group. The 24th tank corps of General V. M. Badanov, during a deep daring raid, captured one of the main airfields near Tatsinskaya, through which the troops encircled near Stalingrad were supplied. Tank caterpillars at the airfield destroyed about 350 transport aircraft. Huge stocks of food, fuel, ammunition of the enemy became prey to fire. As a result of the strikes of Soviet troops on the Middle Don, by the end of December, 11 Italian, Romanian and German divisions and two brigades were defeated. During these battles, the Tormosinskaya group of fascist troops ceased to exist. A 350-kilometer enemy front along the Don and Chir rivers was liquidated. The enemy command lost a territory 150-200 km deep and the last hope of releasing the troops encircled near Stalingrad.

Fierce battles continued with the grouping of General Goth. Opa stormed the defense of the Soviet troops along the river. Myshkova, southwest of Stalingrad, trying at any cost to break through to the encircled troops. The fighting reached unprecedented intensity on December 19, when General Hoth threw 300 tanks into the offensive. Never since the beginning of the war had the Nazi command delivered such a massive tank strike on a limited sector of the front. Soviet soldiers heroically repulsed the furious attacks of the enemy. Units of the 2nd Guards Army of General R. Ya. Malinovsky, transferred from the northern front of the Stalingrad cauldron, came up to the aid of the units of the 51st Army in a forced march. The balance of power was rapidly changing in favor of the Soviet troops.

On December 24, the troops of the Stalingrad Front under the command of General A.I. Eremenko went on the offensive against the Gotha army group. Two rifle corps of the 2nd Guards Army attacked Kotelnikovo from the north, two mechanized corps from the south, and the 51st Army attacked from the northeast. As a result of heavy fighting, which lasted until December 31, the enemy Kotelnikovskaya grouping was defeated, its remnants were driven back 200 km southwest of Stalingrad.

Thus ended the second stage of the Stalingrad counter-offensive of the Soviet troops. The blows of the troops of three Soviet fronts nullified the efforts of the fascist command to free their encircled group. By that time, it was compressed in a section that resembled a rhombus elongated from west to east, the sharp end of which clung to Stalingrad. The position of the encircled troops worsened every day. They lacked food, medicine, and warm clothing. A huge number of vehicles and military equipment was idle due to lack of fuel. Paulus' troops were blocked from the air. Soviet aviation and anti-aircraft gunners tightly blocked the path of enemy aircraft. Fascist aviation, supplying the encircled group, suffered heavy losses and instead of the minimum required daily 500 tons of cargo delivered no more than 100 tons. Diseases spread among the encircled troops, cases of frostbite became more frequent.

The command of the encircled group repeatedly raised the question of organizing a breakthrough from the ring. Hitler did not accept such proposals, promising outside help. However, the victories of the Soviet troops on the Middle Don and southwest of Stalingrad made the position of the encircled enemy divisions hopeless.

By the beginning of 1943, the number of encircled troops had drastically decreased. The enemy suffered significant losses during the November and December battles. Fascist soldiers died by the thousands from bombardments, artillery shelling, and diseases. Over 20 thousand wounded were taken out by air. But in general, the encircled group still numbered 250 thousand people. This mass of troops maintained discipline and, following the orders of the command, put up fierce resistance. The liquidation of the encircled group was a difficult task, since the Soviet troops did not have a noticeable numerical superiority.

This task was entrusted to the troops of the Don Front. The general management of the operation was carried out by the representative of the General Headquarters, General N. N. Voronov. The operation to eliminate the encircled group, which consisted of three successive phases, became the third stage of the Soviet offensive near Stalingrad. In the first phase, the task was to eliminate the western and northeastern parts of the encircled grouping, in the second - the southern part, in the third - to complete the rout.

The start of the offensive was scheduled for 10 January. On January 8, in order to avoid unnecessary bloodshed, the Soviet command, by radio and through parliamentarians, delivered an ultimatum to the command of the encircled troops. The enemy was asked to stop hopeless resistance. The Nazi command rejected the ultimatum.

On the morning of January 10, the thunder of 2 thousand Soviet guns, 3 thousand mortars and a large number of rocket launchers heralded the beginning of the final offensive of the Red Army near Stalingrad. After 55 minutes, at 9 o'clock in the morning, rifle units and tanks, supported from the air by bomber and ground attack aircraft, went on the attack. By January 17, the enemy pulled his troops into the former Stalingrad bypass. Encirclement radius decreased from 27 to 16 km. Regrouping forces, the Soviet troops on January 22 launched the last phase of the offensive. By evening, they captured the fortifications of the inner contour, and on January 24 they broke through to the western and southwestern outskirts of Stalingrad. The next day, fierce fighting began on the streets of the city. The 62nd Army of General V.I. Chuikov was advancing from the east. Soldiers of General A.I. F. E. Dzerzhinsky. On January 26, the shock group of the 62nd Army connected with the troops of the 21st, which were breaking through from the west. The enemy troops were divided into northern and southern parts.

The Nazis fought back with the fury of the doomed, but every hour of the battle inevitably brought the end of the Stalingrad epic closer. Hitler's orders to continue the fanatical struggle to the last soldier and last cartridge and the assignment of the rank of field marshal to Paulus, commander of the 6th Army, could not change anything. On the morning of January 31, the troops of the 64th Army captured Paulus along with his headquarters. By 1 pm, the entire southern part of the encircled Nazi troops capitulated. On February 1, a powerful fire strike by Soviet artillery crushed the ability to resist and the northern part.

On February 2, 1943, at 4 p.m., the historical Battle of Stalingrad ended. It was an outstanding victory for Soviet weapons. The color of the Nazi Wehrmacht found a grave near Stalingrad. During the fighting since the beginning of the Soviet counter-offensive, the enemy lost over 800 thousand people killed, wounded and captured, over 10 thousand guns and mortars, more than 70 thousand vehicles, about 2 thousand tanks and self-propelled guns, 3 thousand combat and transport aircraft . 32 divisions and three brigades were destroyed, another 16 divisions lost more than half of their strength. The German army had never suffered such a catastrophe before. A forced recognition of its size was a three-day mourning in Germany, announced by the Nazi leaders on the occasion of the death of the 6th Army.

The defeat of the enemy at Stalingrad was a triumph of Soviet military art. Skillful leadership of the troops, the ability to focus all efforts on achieving a turning point in the war allowed the Soviet command to organize and carry out a powerful counteroffensive in the conditions of the most difficult defensive battle.

The elimination of the enemy's superiority in military equipment by the time the Soviet troops went on the counteroffensive near Stalingrad provided the Soviet command with the opportunity to deliver massive strikes with artillery, tanks, and aircraft. Eternal glory was earned by the main workers of the war - the Soviet infantrymen.

In the course of battles, the close interaction of all branches of the armed forces was combined with the fullest use of the combat capabilities of each of them.

The mighty Soviet artillery played a huge role in the defeat of the Nazi troops near Stalingrad. The day of November 19, when the enemy front near Stalingrad was hacked, began to be celebrated annually in our country as Artillery Day (later - and missile troops).

In the Battle of Stalingrad, Soviet troops showed the whole world examples of boundless courage, steadfastness, endurance, mass heroism. The soldiers of Stalingrad were the force against which the avalanche of the enemy offensive finally broke.

Russians and Georgians, Ukrainians and Kazakhs, Bashkirs and Belarusians and representatives of other nationalities stood shoulder to shoulder in the ranks of the immortal defenders of Stalingrad in the people's memory. As always, the communists, the sons of the great party of Lenin, went ahead, organizing and leading everyone. In the days of fierce battles for Stalingrad, the flow of applications for joining the party intensified. “If I die, please consider me a communist,” wrote many of them. The defenders of Stalingrad knew that each of them could die in battle, but they were convinced of the victory of their just cause.

The Soviet Motherland adequately appreciated the feat of the Stalingrad heroes. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers were awarded orders and medals, about a hundred were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, 55 formations and units were awarded orders, 179 became guardsmen. Stalingrad became one of the hero cities, awarded with the order Lenin and the Gold Star medal.

The power of the strike of the Soviet troops near Stalingrad shocked the whole world. The news of the transition of the Red Army to the counteroffensive was broadcast with enthusiasm by all the radio stations of the countries of the anti-fascist coalition. Each message of the Soviet Information Bureau was met with enthusiasm by the masses of the allied states. The European peoples enslaved by Hitler followed with hope the heroic struggle of the Red Army, expecting from it liberation from the fascist yoke.

In the days when the whole world rejoiced over the Stalingrad victory, the holiday of the Soviet people, who celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Red Army, turned into a national holiday of the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition.

In England, the anniversary of the Red Army was solemnly celebrated throughout the country. Mass rallies took place in Manchester, Sheffield, Cardiff, Newcastle and other cities. There was even a parade in honor of the Red Army - an unprecedented fact. On February 24, 1943, representatives of military units stationed in southern and central England arrived at the parade in Oxford on February 24, 1943. “Every Englishman instinctively understood,” wrote general secretary The Communist Party of Great Britain G. Pollit, - that the battle of Stalingrad was not only a battle for the Soviet Union, but also a battle for England.

At the Tehran Conference of the Three Powers, in November 1943, British Prime Minister W. Churchill handed JV Stalin an honorary sword from King George VI to the citizens of Stalingrad in commemoration of the victory over the Nazi invaders. Honorary weapons were solemnly displayed in the main cities of the United Kingdom. Hundreds of thousands of British flocked to the demonstration sites, expressing deep gratitude and respect for the Soviet ally. The sword of honor to Stalingrad was a gift from the British people to the heroic Soviet people.

In the United States, the anniversary of the Red Army was also widely celebrated by the public. Speaking at a crowded meeting in New York, Senator K. Pepper said: “Everyone who will enjoy freedom in the future will remain indebted to the Red Army. We have the honor not only to express our respect for the Red Army, but also to be its allies and friends. The courage, endurance and heroism of the Red Army will forever remain a source of inspiration for all people.”

This was a recognition of the world-historical significance of the Stalingrad victory of the Red Army and the decisive contribution of the Soviet people to the defeat of the fascist powers. The President of the United States F. Roosevelt in May 1944 sent to Stalingrad special letter. Its text read: “On behalf of the people of the United States, I present this charter to the city of Stalingrad to celebrate our admiration for its valiant defenders, whose courage, fortitude and selflessness during the siege from September 13, 1942 to January 31, 1943, will forever inspire the hearts of all free people. Their glorious victory stopped the tide of invasion and became the turning point of the Allied Nations' war against the forces of aggression."

The World-Historical Significance of the Battle of Stalingrad. In the winter of 1942/43, the Red Army completely destroyed the 6th field and 4th tank armies of the Germans, the 3rd and 4th Romanian, 8th Italian and 2nd Hungarian armies. In total, Soviet troops defeated 100 enemy divisions. The enemy lost over 3.5 thousand tanks and 4.3 thousand aircraft.

The central place in the winter campaign of 1942/43 belonged to the Battle of Stalingrad, which undermined the forces of the Nazi Wehrmacht. For 6.5 months of fighting, the fascist bloc lost over a quarter of all its troops operating on the Eastern Front near Stalingrad. About 1.5 million enemy soldiers and officers were killed, wounded or captured. The success at Stalingrad made it possible to carry out a broad offensive, during which the Soviet troops liberated more territory than the enemy managed to capture during the entire 1942. The beginning was laid for the liberation of the Ukrainian land from the fascist invaders.

Immortal for centuries, the defense and victory of the Red Army at Stalingrad was the initial basis for the success of Soviet weapons in the winter campaign of 1942/43. History knows no other battle that would be of such tremendous importance for the fate of mankind. The victory of the Soviet troops at Stalingrad decisively turned the course of World War II in favor of the anti-Hitler coalition.

The first period of the war, the period of retreat and defense of the Soviet troops, is over. A new stage of the war began - the expulsion of the invaders from Soviet soil. The course of the war testified that as a result of the full deployment of forces, the Soviet Union was becoming stronger than the entire Nazi bloc. The triumph of the Soviet troops at Stalingrad showed that the offensive power of the Hitlerite military machine had been undermined, and the strike force of the Red Army had increased, that all the prerequisites had been created for its further victorious offensive.

The defeat of the fascist troops at Stalingrad caused a cruel political crisis in fascist Germany, undermined the position of the Hitlerite clique inside the country, dealt a powerful blow to the military machine of German imperialism, had a detrimental effect on the morale of the army, and weakened the front and rear of the enemy.

In the winter of 1942/43, units of the Italian, Romanian and Hungarian armies - allies of Nazi Germany - were defeated on the Soviet-German front. This led to an acute crisis in the camp of the Nazi vassals. As a result of the brilliant victories of the Red Army, the entire Hitlerite bloc, which had been held together by the temporary successes of the German fascist troops in the first period of the war, found itself in a state close to collapse.

The victory of the Red Army at Stalingrad deepened the foreign policy isolation of Nazi Germany. Anti-German tendencies intensified in the policy of neutral states. Hitler's satellites began to look for ways to save themselves from the catastrophe that was inevitable if they continued the war on the side of Germany. Of great importance was the fact that after the Battle of Stalingrad, Japan was forced to completely abandon all thoughts of attacking the USSR. Thus, the victory at Stalingrad saved the Soviet Union from the threat of fighting on two fronts.

The victory of the Soviet troops in the Stalingrad epic undermined the European rear of Nazi Germany, caused a mighty upsurge in the national liberation struggle in all the occupied countries. The peoples of these countries, inspired by the heroic example of the Soviet Union, launched an active struggle against the invaders, striving to hasten the final victory over the enemy and their liberation.

The world-historic victory of the Red Army at Stalingrad inspired the peoples of the anti-Hitler coalition to further struggle against fascism, raised the international prestige of the USSR, and strengthened its leading position in the coalition. The democratic forces of the world have rallied more closely around the Soviet state, the standard-bearer of the struggle against fascism and aggression, for the freedom and independence of peoples.

But the significance of the Battle of Stalingrad does not end there. The Soviet-German front was the main front of World War II. He was the axis around which the whole system of events revolved in the Second World War after the German attack on the USSR. In the overall balance, the African, Pacific, Chinese, and Burmese fronts were minor theaters of war. The outcome of the struggle on each of them depended on the balance of forces of the parties, but the result of the world war as a whole was decided on the Soviet-German front. The USSR took upon itself the blow of the main forces of the entire fascist bloc, and its struggle was of worldwide significance, because only the Soviet Union proved capable of repulsing the fascist aggressors. Therefore, the radical turning point in the course of the Great Patriotic War as a result of the counter-offensive and the victory of the Soviet troops at Stalingrad also meant a turning point in the course of the entire Second World War.

General offensive of the Red Army. The victory at Stalingrad and the change in the overall balance of forces at the front in favor of the Red Army made it possible for the Soviet command to launch new operations. The center of gravity of offensive operations remained in the south. Gam developed especially favorable conditions for new attacks on the enemy. They promised the greatest strategic effect: the completion of the defeat of the southern wing of the enemy front, the return of the most important industrial and agricultural regions of the country, the complete collapse of Hitler's plans related to the offensive in the Caucasus.

By the end of 1942, the fascist German troops of Army Group A were stopped at the approaches to Ordzhonikidze and Grozny, on the passes of the Main Caucasian Range and in the Novorossiysk region. The march on Baku failed, but the enemy command expected to resume it in the spring. The events near Stalingrad, on the Don - in the deep rear of the Caucasian grouping of fascist troops - crossed out these calculations.

On January 1, 1943, the Southern Front (renamed Stalingrad), having regrouped its troops after the defeat of Goth's tank divisions, launched a new offensive. Its purpose was to cut the rear communications of the Caucasian group of fascists. Initially, this task was assigned to the troops of the Voronezh and Southwestern fronts, which were supposed to attack Rostov from the north. Now the attack on Rostov was delivered from the east by the troops of the Southern Front from the region of the Salsky steppes, south of Kotelnikovsky.

The offensive of the troops of the Southern Front along the Lower Don to the Sea of ​​Azov forced the Nazi command to take urgent measures to save their Caucasian grouping. It immediately began a phased withdrawal of the 1st Panzer Army from the Caucasus. Behind her, along the Baku-Rostov railway, the troops of the northern group of the Transcaucasian Front, allocated on January 24 to the North Caucasian Front, advanced. On January 28, the situation forced the enemy command to order the withdrawal of the 1st Tank Army to the Donbass region, and the 17th Field Army to the Lower Kuban and the Taman Peninsula. Now the 17th Army had communication with its rear only through the sea and Kerch Strait. Clinging to the Taman bridgehead, Hitler still harbored the hope of returning to the Caucasus.

On February 9, the Black Sea Group of Soviet troops transferred to the North Caucasian Front launched an offensive against the 17th Army. For 3 days of fighting, she liberated Krasnodar - the administrative center of the Kuban. The enemy foothold was narrowed.

At the same time, stubborn battles near Novorossiysk continued. On February 4, on the western shore of the Tsemesskaya Bay, south of Novorossiysk, occupied by the enemy, a detachment of marines under the command of Major Ts. L. Kunikov landed. The paratroopers recaptured the suburb of Novorossiysk - the village of Stanichka - from the Nazis. Reinforcements delivered under heavy enemy fire made it possible to expand the bridgehead, which held out in the rear of the Nazis for 7 months, until the liberation of Novorossiysk. Its creation and defense became one of the most heroic pages in the history of the Great Patriotic War. 21 defenders of the "Malaya Zemlya" near Novorossiysk were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, over 2 thousand were awarded orders and medals, and Novorossiysk was awarded the title of "Hero City" for the exploits of small-landers with the award of the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal. This expressed the gratitude of the Soviet people, the party and the government, gave a high assessment of the feats of arms of all those who, not sparing their lives, showed unparalleled courage, steadfastness and heroism near the walls of the city, blocking the enemy's path to the North Caucasus.

In mid-January 1943, Soviet troops launched an offensive on the Upper Don, south and west of Voronezh. His goal was primarily to capture the Voronezh-Millerovo railway, which was necessary to supply the Soviet troops, who were to advance on Kharkov and the Donbass. On January 13-26, the troops of the Voronezh Front under the command of General F.I. Golikov surrounded and destroyed up to five enemy divisions in the Ostrogozhsk region and up to eight enemy divisions in the Rossosh region. In total, 15 enemy divisions were eliminated in this operation.

At the same time, the troops of the Voronezh Front, together with the Bryansk Front, surrounded about 10 enemy divisions between Voronezh and Kastorna. The victory in the Ostrogozh-Rossosh operation created the prerequisites for an offensive against Kharkov and Donbass, and as a result of the Voronezh-Kastornenskaya operation, which ended on February 17, Voronezh was liberated and the prerequisites for an offensive against Kursk were created. The enemy suffered new heavy losses. This made it impossible for him to provide effective resistance to further offensive actions of the Soviet troops in the south.

One of the most important successes achieved by the Soviet troops in the winter campaign of 1942/43 was the breakthrough of the enemy blockade of Leningrad. Of all the immeasurable difficulties and terrible hardships that the Soviet people had to endure in the war, the most difficult fell on the lot of the inhabitants of Leningrad. The huge city besieged by the enemy did not have the necessary supplies of food and fuel. Already in the first blockade winter, hundreds of thousands of Leningraders died of hunger and cold. However, the fascists did not succeed with the bony hand of hunger to force the capitulation of the city of Lenin, which they could not defeat by force of arms. The “Dear Life” through Lake Ladoga maintained a minimum level of supply, but only a breakthrough of the enemy blockade could radically improve the position of Leningrad.

Despite the efforts made, the troops of the Volkhov and Leningrad fronts in 1942 were unable to complete this task. Now they were to eliminate the protrusion of the enemy front, which reached Lake Ladoga, in the Shlisselburg-Sinyavino region with counter strikes from the east and west, repel railway Leningrad - Volkhov and in this way to restore contact with Leningrad by land.

In a week of heavy fighting, Soviet troops overcame the powerful defenses created by the Nazis. On January 18, 1943, the 2nd shock army of the Volkhov Front, General V.Z. Romanovsky, joined in the Sinyavin area with the 67th Army of the Leningrad Front, General M.P. Dukhanov. Along the southern shore of Lake Ladoga, a narrow strip of land 8-11 km wide was recaptured from the enemy. Thus the blockade of Leningrad was broken. Despite the fact that the enemy still continued the siege and shelling of the hero city, his position now changed radically.

Important developments have taken place in other areas as well. The troops of the Kalinin Front recaptured Velikiye Luki from the enemy in an enveloping maneuver. A large ledge of the enemy front, covering Vyazma, Rzhev, Gzhatsk, only 150 km west of Moscow, was a particular threat. Therefore, throughout the autumn of 1942, Soviet troops fought stubborn, bloody offensive battles here, but did not achieve success. Fighting resumed in November. At the end of February 1943, the troops of the Kalinin Front launched a decisive offensive against Rzhev. This time, neither the powerful defense system nor the fierce counterattacks of the Nazis could stop the Soviet soldiers. Rzhev was surrounded and stormed on March 3. After 3 days, tank and rifle units of the Western Front liberated Gzhatsk, which was an outpost of enemy positions near Moscow. On March 13, they completed their success by driving the enemy out of Vyazma. The most important foothold of the enemy aimed at Moscow ceased to exist. The Soviet troops won a major victory, seriously improving the situation on the central sector of the front.