Five main battles of the Great Patriotic War. The most famous battles

The heroism and courage of Soviet soldiers shown during the battles of the Great Patriotic War deserve eternal memory. The wisdom of military leaders, which became one of the most important components of the overall victory, continues to amaze us today.

Over the long years of the war, so many battles took place that even some historians disagree on the meaning of certain battles. And yet, the largest battles, which have a significant impact on the further course of military operations, are known to almost every person. It is these battles that will be discussed in our article.

The Second World War left its own small piece in the history of every nation. This truly terrifying and at the same time great period changed the world beyond recognition. Almost every country played its role in this war. For the states of the former USSR, the Second World War occupies a special place in history. It even has a completely different name - the Great Patriotic War. This historical period was truly a turning point for the peoples of modern Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and other countries of the USSR. This war became a test of the courage, bravery and will of the great Soviet people.

The Soviet army proved its professionalism and indestructibility even in the face of such a terrible ideological enemy as Nazism.

Today, historians are constantly discussing the main battles of the Great Patriotic War. Many facts have still not been disclosed, due to the “great love” for the secrets of the Soviet government. we can highlight the main stages and battles of the Great Patriotic War. But, before characterizing them, it is necessary to remember the reasons that led to the military conflict between Hitler's Germany and Stalin's USSR.

Great Patriotic War - reasons

As we know, the Second World War began. The main escalation of the conflict was from Germany in the West. During this time, German Nazism developed in its classical form. Hitler's power was limitless. Although the leader actually declared war on all states, the USSR was in no hurry to enter into it due to the concluded Non-Aggression Pact.

It was signed on August 23, 1939. The agreement stipulated the neutral attitude of the USSR to the war that Germany would wage against Western and European countries. Cooperation with other countries was also approved. Both parties were prohibited from participating in alliances that in one way or another were contrary to their interests. For such “tolerance” on the part of the Soviet Union, Germany pledged to return part of the territory it had lost. There is also a secret protocol in which the parties stipulated the division of power in Eastern Europe and Poland. In fact, this agreement was concluded with the goal of establishing mutual world domination in the future. But there was one problem. From the very beginning, Germany did not want peace with the USSR. Of course, it was beneficial in the early stages of the war, but there was no talk of any mutual domination.

Germany's further actions can only be described in one word - betrayal. This vile step gave rise to the great battles of the Great Patriotic War. Already on June 22, 1941, Germany officially attacked the USSR. From this time on, the Great Patriotic War began. Next, we will look at the main battles of the Great Patriotic War, which play an important role in the history of this period.

Moscow Battle

Wehrmacht troops used specific offensive tactics. Their attack was based on the cooperation of all branches of the military. At first, the enemy was subjected to heavy bombardment from the air. The planes were immediately followed by tanks, which literally burned out the enemy troops. At the very end, the German infantry began its action. Thanks to these tactics, enemy troops, led by General Bock, made their way to the center of the Soviet Union, Moscow, in September 1941. At the very beginning of the offensive, the German army consisted of 71.5 divisions, which is approximately 1,700,000 people. It also included 1,800 tanks, 15,100 guns, and 1,300 aircraft. According to these indicators, the German side was approximately five times larger than the Soviet side.

On September 30, 1941, the Germans launch an attack on Moscow. From the very first stages of the Moscow offensive, the Wehrmacht troops suffered significant setbacks. Already on October 17, the Soviet army under the command of Zhukov stopped the offensive by implementing Operation Typhoon. The bloodless enemy only had the strength to fight a positional war, so in January 1942 the Germans were defeated and driven back 100 kilometers from Moscow. This victory dispelled the myth of the indestructibility of the Fuhrer's army. Moscow was the frontier that had to be overcome on the path to victory. The German army failed to cope with this task, so Hitler ultimately lost the war. But the battles of the Great Patriotic War do not end there. Below we look at the true turning point in this global conflict.

Battle of Stalingrad

Today we can highlight a lot of events for which the Great Patriotic War is known. The Battle of Stalingrad is the turning point that led to a devastating series of failures for the German army. The period of the Battle of Stalingrad can be divided into two stages: the beginning and the counteroffensive. On July 17, 1942, the famous Battle of Stalingrad began.

At this stage, German troops stopped in the city area. The Soviet army did not want to surrender it until the very end. The forces of the Soviet Union were also commanded by Marshal Timoshenko. They managed to completely paralyze the Germans, but the Soviet troops were surrounded. There were constant skirmishes in the city between small groups of Soviet and German soldiers. According to the recollections of veterans: “There was real hell in Stalingrad.” One of the Museums of Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad) houses a rather interesting exhibit: bullets hitting each other. This indicates the intensity of hostilities in the city. As for strategic significance, it actually did not exist. This city was important to Hitler as a symbol of Stalin's power. Therefore, it was necessary to take him, and most importantly, to keep him. It follows that the city became the center of a clash of interests during the period when the Great Patriotic War took place. The Battle of Stalingrad made it possible to evaluate and compare the power of two ideological titans of the 20th century.

Counterattack at Stalingrad

The German army, led by General Paulus, at the time of the counteroffensive numbered 1,010,600 men, 600 tanks, 1,200 combat aircraft and about 10,000 guns. On the Soviet side there was almost the same number of military personnel and military equipment. The significant forces that our side brought up during the siege allowed us to go on the offensive on November 20, 1942 and encircle the Germans.

By the evening of January 31, 1943, the Stalingrad German group was eliminated. Such results were achieved thanks to the coordinated work of the three main fronts of the USSR. The Battle of Stalingrad is glorified along with other major battles of the Great Patriotic War. Because this event significantly undermined the strength of the German army. In other words, after Stalingrad, Germany was never able to restore its fighting power. In addition, the German command could not even imagine that the city would emerge from encirclement. But this happened, and further events were not in the Fuhrer’s favor.

Great Patriotic War: Battle of Kursk

After the events in the city of Stalingrad, the German army was never able to recover, however, it still posed a serious threat. On (the formed front line after the victory at Stalingrad) German troops gathered a significant number of their forces. The Soviet side was going to carry out a powerful attack in the area of ​​​​the city of Kursk. In the early stages, German troops had significant victories. They were commanded by such famous German military leaders as G. Kluge and Manstein. The main task of the USSR troops was to prevent a new advance of the Nazi Army Center into the interior of the mainland. The situation changed radically on July 12, 1943.

Battle of Prokhorov 1943

They were unpredictable. One of these battles is the tank confrontation near the village of Prokhorovka. Over 1,000 tanks and self-propelled guns from both sides took part in it. After this battle, there were no questions left about who would prevail in the war. The German army was defeated, although not completely. After the Battle of Prokhorov, USSR troops were able to launch a large-scale attack on Belgorod and Kharkov. This actually ends the story of the Kursk confrontation, the largest battle of the Great Patriotic War, which opened the doors of the USSR to the conquest of Berlin.

Capture of Berlin 1945

The Berlin operation played the final role in the history of the German-Soviet confrontation. Its purpose was to defeat the German troops that had formed near the city of Berlin.

Near the city, the army of the "Center" group was stationed, as well as the military group "Vistula" under the command of Heinritz and Scherner. From the USSR side, an army came out consisting of three fronts under the command of Marshals Zhukov, Konev and Rokossovsky. The capture of Berlin ended with German surrender on May 9, 1945.

The main battles of the Great Patriotic War are ending at this stage. Just a few months later, namely on September 2, 1945, the Second World War ended.

Conclusion

So, the article examined the most important battles of the Great Patriotic War. The list can be supplemented with other equally important and famous events, but our article identifies the most epic and memorable battles. Today it is impossible to imagine a person who would not know about the feat of the great Soviet soldiers.

Invaders came from both the West and the East. They spoke different languages, they had different weapons. But their goals were the same - to ruin and plunder the country, to kill or take its inhabitants into captivity and slavery.

Today, in connection with this holiday, we decided to remember the most significant battles in the history of our Fatherland. If we forgot something, you can write it in the comments.

1. Defeat of the Khazar Kaganate (965)

The Khazar Khaganate was for a long time the main rival of the Russian state. The unification of Slavic tribes around Rus', many of which had previously been dependent on Khazaria, could not but increase tension in relations between the two powers.

In 965, Prince Svyatoslav subjugated the Khazar Khaganate to his power, and then organized a campaign against the strong tribal union of the Vyatichi, who paid tribute to the Khazars. Svyatoslav Igorevich defeated the Kagan’s army in battle and raided his entire state, from the Volga to the North Caucasus. Important Khazar cities were annexed to Rus' - the fortress of Sarkel (White Vezha) on the Don, which controlled the route from the Caspian Sea to the Black Sea (now at the bottom of the Tsimlyansk Reservoir), and the port of Tmutarakan on the Taman Peninsula. The Black Sea Khazars fell into the sphere of Russian influence. The remnants of the Kaganate on the Volga were destroyed in the 11th century by the Polovtsians.

2. Battle of the Neva (1240)

The Novgorod prince was only 19 years old when, in the summer of 1240, Swedish ships, probably led by Birger Magnusson, entered the mouth of the Neva. Knowing that Novgorod was deprived of the support of the southern principalities, the Swedes, instructed from Rome, hoped, at a minimum, to seize all the lands north of the Neva, simultaneously converting both pagans and Orthodox Karelians to Catholicism.

The young Novgorod prince led a lightning attack by his squad and destroyed the Swedes' camp before they could strengthen it. When getting ready for the campaign, Alexander was in such a hurry that he did not gather all the Novgorodians who wanted to join, believing that speed would be decisive, and he turned out to be right. In the battle, Alexander fought in the front ranks.

The decisive victory over superior forces brought Prince Alexander great fame and the honorary nickname - Nevsky.

However, the Novgorod boyars feared the growing influence of the prince and tried to remove him from governing the city. Alexander soon left Novgorod, but a year later the threat of a new war forced the Novgorodians to turn to him again.

3. Battle of the Ice (1242)

In 1242, German knights from the Livonian Order captured Pskov and approached Novgorod. The Novgorodians, who had quarreled with Prince Alexander a year before, turned to him for help and again transferred power to him. The prince gathered an army, expelled the enemies from the Novgorod and Pskov lands and went to Lake Peipsi.

On the ice of the lake in 1242, in a battle known as the Battle of the Ice, Alexander Yaroslavich destroyed an army of German knights. The Russian riflemen, despite the onslaught of the Germans who were breaking through the regiments in the center, bravely resisted the attackers. This courage helped the Russians surround the knights from the flanks and win. Pursuing the survivors for seven miles, Alexander showed the firmness of the Russian army. Victory in the battle led to the signing of a peace agreement between Novgorod and the Livonian Order.

4. Battle of Kulikovo (1380)

The Battle of Kulikovo, which took place on September 8, 1380, was a turning point that showed the strength of the united Russian army and the ability of Rus' to resist the Horde.

The conflict between Mamai and Dmitry Donskoy became more and more aggravated. The Principality of Moscow strengthened, Rus' won many victories over the troops of the Horde. Donskoy did not listen to Mamai when he gave Prince Mikhail Tverskoy a label for Vladimir, and then stopped paying tribute to the Horde. All this could not help but lead Mamai to the idea of ​​the need for a quick victory over the enemy who was gaining strength.

In 1378, he sent an army against Dmitry, but it was defeated on the Vozha River. Soon Mamai lost influence on the Volga lands due to the invasion of Tokhtamysh. In 1380, the Horde commander decided to attack the Donskoy army in order to completely defeat his forces.

On September 8, 1380, when the armies clashed, it became clear that there would be a lot of losses on both sides. The legendary exploits of Alexander Peresvet, Mikhail Brenok and Dmitry Donskoy were described in “The Tale of the Massacre of Mamaev.” The turning point for the battle was the moment when Bobrok ordered to delay the ambush regiment, and then cut off the retreat of the Tatars who had broken through to the river. The Horde cavalry was driven into the river and destroyed, meanwhile the remaining forces mixed up other enemy troops, and the Horde began to retreat in disorder. Mamai fled, realizing that he no longer had the strength to continue the fight. According to various estimates, on September 8, 1380, from 40 to 70 thousand Russians and from 90 to 150 thousand Horde troops fought in the decisive battle. The victory of Dmitry Donskoy significantly weakened the Golden Horde, which predetermined its further collapse.

5. Standing on the Ugra (1480)

This event marks the end of the Horde's influence on the politics of the Russian princes.

In 1480, after Ivan III tore up the khan's label, Khan Akhmat, having concluded an alliance with the Lithuanian prince Casimir, moved to Rus'. Seeking to unite with the Lithuanian army, on October 8 he approached the Ugra River, a tributary of the Oka. Here he was met by the Russian army.

Akhmat's attempt to cross the Ugra was repulsed in a four-day battle. Then the khan began to wait for the Lithuanians. Ivan III, in order to gain time, began negotiations with him. At this time, the Crimean Khan Mengli Giray, an ally of Moscow, attacked the lands of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which did not allow Casimir to help Akhmat. On October 20, the regiments of his brothers, Boris and Andrei Bolshoi, came to reinforce Ivan III. Having learned about this, Akhmat turned his army back to the steppe on November 11. Soon Akhmat was killed in the Horde. So Rus' finally broke the Horde yoke and gained independence.

6. Battle of Molodi (1572)

On July 29, 1572, the Battle of Molodi began - a battle whose outcome decided the course of Russian history.

The situation before the battle was very unfavorable. The main forces of the Russian army were stuck in a fierce struggle in the west with Sweden and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. It was possible to gather only a small zemstvo army and guardsmen under the command of Prince Mikhail Ivanovich Vorotynsky and governor Dmitry Ivanovich Khvorostinin against the Tatars. They were joined by a 7,000-strong detachment of German mercenaries and Don Cossacks. The total number of Russian troops was 20,034 people.

To fight the Tatar cavalry, Prince Vorotynsky decided to use the “walk-gorod” - a mobile fortress, behind the walls of which archers and gunners took refuge. Russian troops not only stopped the enemy, which was six times superior, but also put him to flight. The Crimean-Turkish army of Devlet-Girey was almost completely destroyed.

Only 20 thousand horsemen returned to Crimea, and none of the Janissaries escaped. The Russian army, including the oprichnina army, also suffered heavy losses. In the fall of 1572, the oprichnina regime was abolished. The heroic victory of the Russian army in the Battle of Molodin - the last major battle between Rus' and the Steppe - was of enormous geopolitical significance. Moscow was saved from complete destruction, and the Russian state from defeat and loss of independence. Russia retained control over the entire course of the Volga - the most important trade and transport artery. The Nogai horde, convinced of the weakness of the Crimean Khan, broke away from him.

7. Battle of Moscow (1612)

The Battle of Moscow became the decisive episode of the Time of Troubles. The occupation of Moscow was lifted by the forces of the Second Militia, led by Prince Dmitry Pozharsky. The garrison, completely blocked in the Kremlin and Kitai-Gorod, having received no help from King Sigismund III, began to experience an acute shortage of provisions, it even reached the point of cannibalism. On October 26, the remnants of the occupation detachment surrendered to the mercy of the winner.

Moscow was liberated. “The hope of taking possession of the entire Moscow state collapsed irrevocably,” wrote a Polish chronicler.

8. Battle of Poltava (1709)

On June 27, 1709, the general battle of the Northern War took place near Poltava with the participation of 37,000-strong Swedish and 60,000-strong Russian armies. Little Russian Cossacks participated in the battle on both sides, but most fought for the Russians. The Swedish army was almost completely destroyed. Charles XII and Mazepa fled to Turkish possessions in Moldavia.

Sweden's military forces were undermined, and its army was forever left among the best in the world. After the Battle of Poltava, Russia's superiority became obvious. Denmark and Poland resumed participation in the Nordic Alliance. Soon the end of Swedish domination in the Baltic was put to an end.

9. Battle of Chesme (1770)

The decisive naval battle in Chesme Bay took place at the height of the Russian-Turkish War of 1768-1774.

Despite the fact that the balance of forces in the battle was 30/73 (not in favor of the Russian fleet), the competent command of Alexei Orlov and the valor of our sailors allowed the Russians to gain strategic superiority in the battle.

The Turkish flagship Burj u Zafer was set on fire, followed by many more ships of the Turkish fleet.

Chesmen was a triumph for the Russian fleet, secured the blockade of the Dardanelles and seriously disrupted Turkish communications in the Aegean Sea.

10. Battle of Kozludzhi (1774)

During the Russian-Turkish War of 1768-1774, Russia achieved another important victory. The Russian army under the command of Alexander Suvorov and Mikhail Kamensky near the city of Kozludzha (now Suvorovo in Bulgaria), with an unequal balance of forces (24 thousand versus 40 thousand), was able to win. Alexander Suvorov managed to knock the Turks out of the hill and put them to flight without even resorting to a bayonet attack. This victory largely determined the outcome of the Russian-Turkish war and forced the Ottoman Empire to sign a peace treaty.

11. Capture of Ishmael (1790)

On December 22, 1790, Russian troops under the command of Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov stormed the previously impregnable Turkish fortress of Izmail.

Shortly before the war, with the help of French and German engineers, Izmail was turned into a fairly powerful fortress. Defended by a large garrison, it withstood two sieges undertaken by Russian troops without any particular difficulties.

Suvorov took command just 8 days before the final assault. He devoted all the remaining time to training soldiers. The troops trained to overcome obstacles and ramparts specially created near the Russian camp, and practiced hand-to-hand combat techniques on stuffed animals.

A day before the assault, a powerful artillery shelling of the city began from all guns. It was fired upon both from land and sea.

At 3 a.m., long before dawn, a flare was launched. This was a sign of preparation for the assault. Russian troops left the location and formed into three detachments of three columns.

At half past five the soldiers launched an attack. The fortress was attacked from all sides at once. By four o'clock the resistance was completely suppressed in all parts of the city - the impregnable fortress fell.

The Russians lost more than 2,000 soldiers killed and about 3,000 wounded in the battle. Significant losses. But they could not be compared with the losses of the Turks - they only lost about 26,000 people killed. The news of the capture of Ishmael spread throughout Europe like lightning.

The Turks realized the complete futility of further resistance and signed the Treaty of Jassy the following year. They renounced claims to Crimea and a protectorate over Georgia, and ceded part of the Black Sea region to Russia. The border between the Russian and Ottoman empires moved towards the Dniester. True, Ishmael had to be returned back to the Turks.

In honor of the capture of Izmail, Derzhavin and Kozlovsky wrote the song “Thunder of Victory, Ring Out!” Until 1816 it remained the unofficial anthem of the Empire.

12. Battle of Cape Tendra (1790)

The commander of the Turkish squadron, Hasan Pasha, managed to convince the Sultan of the imminent defeat of the Russian navy, and at the end of August 1790 he moved the main forces to Cape Tendra (not far from modern Odessa). However, for the anchored Turkish fleet, the rapid approach of the Russian squadron under the command of Fyodor Ushakov was an unpleasant surprise. Despite the superiority in the number of ships (45 versus 37), the Turkish fleet tried to flee. However, by that time, Russian ships had already attacked the front line of the Turks. Ushakov managed to remove all the flagship ships of the Turkish fleet from the battle and thereby demoralize the rest of the enemy squadron. The Russian fleet did not lose a single ship.

13. Battle of Borodino (1812)

On August 26, 1812, significant forces of the French and Russian armies clashed in the battle near the village of Borodino, 125 kilometers west of Moscow. The regular troops under the command of Napoleon numbered about 137 thousand people, the army of Mikhail Kutuzov with the Cossacks and militia that joined it reached 120 thousand. The rugged terrain made it possible to move reserves unnoticed, and to install artillery batteries on hills.

On August 24, Napoleon approached the Shevardinsky redoubt, which stood near the village of the same name, three miles in front of the Borodino field.

The Battle of Borodino began a day after the battle at the Shevardinsky redoubt and became the largest battle in the War of 1812. The losses on both sides were colossal: the French lost 28 thousand people, the Russians - 46.5 thousand.

Although Kutuzov gave the order to retreat to Moscow after the battle, in his report to Alexander I he called the Russian army the winner of the battle. Many Russian historians think so.

French scientists see the battle at Borodino differently. In their opinion, “in the Battle of the Moscow River” Napoleonic troops won. Napoleon himself, reflecting on the results of the battle, said: “The French showed themselves worthy of victory, and the Russians acquired the right to be invincible.”

14. Battle of Elisavetpol (1826)

One of the key episodes of the Russian-Persian War of 1826-1828 was the battle near Elisavetpol (now the Azerbaijani city of Ganja). The victory then achieved by Russian troops under the command of Ivan Paskevich over the Persian army of Abbas Mirza became an example of military leadership. Paskevich managed to use the confusion of the Persians who had fallen into the ravine to launch a counterattack. Despite the superior enemy forces (35 thousand against 10 thousand), the Russian regiments began to push back Abbas Mirza’s army along the entire front of the attack. The losses of the Russian side amounted to 46 killed, the Persians were missing 2,000 people.

15. Capture of Erivan (1827)

The fall of the fortified city of Erivan was the culmination of numerous Russian attempts to establish control over the Transcaucasus. Built in the middle of the 16th century, the fortress was considered impregnable and more than once became a stumbling block for the Russian army. Ivan Paskevich managed to competently besiege the city from three sides, placing cannons along the entire perimeter. “The Russian artillery acted wonderfully,” recalled the Armenians remaining in the fortress. Paskevich knew exactly where the Persian positions were located. On the eighth day of the siege, Russian soldiers burst into the city and dealt with the fortress garrison with bayonets.

16. Battle of Sarykamysh (1914)

By December 1914, during the First World War, Russia occupied a 350 km front from the Black Sea to Lake Van, while a significant part of the Caucasian Army was pushed forward - deep into Turkish territory. Turkey had a tempting plan to outflank the Russian forces, thereby cutting the Sarykamysh-Kars railway.

The tenacity and initiative of the Russians who defended Sarakamysh played a decisive role in the operation, the success of which literally hung by a thread. Unable to take Sarykamysh on the move, two Turkish corps fell into the arms of an icy cold, which became fatal for them.

Turkish troops lost 10 thousand people due to frostbite in just one day, December 14th.

The last Turkish attempt to take Sarykamysh on December 17 was repulsed by Russian counterattacks and ended in failure. At this point, the offensive impulse of the Turkish troops, suffering from frosts and poor supplies, was exhausted.

The turning point has arrived. On the same day, the Russians launched a counteroffensive and drove the Turks back from Sarykamysh. The Turkish military leader Enver Pasha decided to intensify the frontal attack and transferred the main blow to Karaurgan, which was defended by parts of the Sarykamysh detachment of General Berkhman. But here, too, the fierce attacks of the 11th Turkish Corps, advancing on Sarykamysh from the front, were repelled.

On December 19, Russian troops advancing near Sarykamysh completely surrounded the 9th Turkish Corps, frozen by snow storms. Its remnants, after stubborn three-day battles, capitulated. Units of the 10th Corps managed to retreat, but were defeated near Ardahan.

On December 25, General N.N. Yudenich became commander of the Caucasian Army, who gave the order to launch a counteroffensive near Karaurgan. Having thrown back the remnants of the 3rd Army by 30–40 km by January 5, 1915, the Russians stopped the pursuit, which was carried out in a 20-degree cold. And there was almost no one to pursue.

Enver Pasha's troops lost 78 thousand people (over 80% of their personnel) killed, frozen, wounded and captured. Russian losses amounted to 26 thousand people (killed, wounded, frostbitten).

The victory at Sarykamysh stopped Turkish aggression in Transcaucasia and strengthened the position of the Caucasian Army.

17. Brusilovsky breakthrough (1916)

One of the most important operations on the Eastern Front in 1916 was the offensive on the Southwestern Front, designed not only to turn the tide of military operations on the Eastern Front, but also to cover the Allied offensive on the Somme. The result was the Brusilov breakthrough, which significantly undermined the military power of the Austro-Hungarian army and pushed Romania to enter the war on the side of the Entente.

The offensive operation of the Southwestern Front under the command of General Alexei Brusilov, carried out from May to September 1916, became, according to military historian Anton Kersnovsky, “a victory such as we have never won in a world war.” The number of forces that were involved on both sides is also impressive - 1,732,000 Russian soldiers and 1,061,000 soldiers of the Austro-Hungarian and German armies.

18. Khalkhin-Gol operation

Since the beginning of 1939, several incidents between the Mongols and the Japanese-Manchus occurred in the area of ​​​​the border between the Mongolian People's Republic (on whose territory, in accordance with the Soviet-Mongolian protocol of 1936, Soviet troops were located) and the puppet state of Manchukuo, which was actually ruled by Japan. Mongolia, behind which stood the Soviet Union, announced the passage of the border near the small village of Nomon-Khan-Burd-Obo, and Manchukuo, behind which stood Japan, drew the border along the Khalkhin-Gol River. In May, the command of the Japanese Kwantung Army concentrated significant forces at Khalkhin Gol. The Japanese managed to achieve superiority in infantry, artillery and cavalry over the Soviet 57th separate rifle corps deployed in Mongolia. However, Soviet troops had an advantage in aviation and armored forces. Since May, the Japanese held the eastern bank of Khalkhin Gol, but in the summer they decided to cross the river and seize a bridgehead on the “Mongolian” bank.

On July 2, Japanese units crossed the “Manchurian-Mongolian” border officially recognized by Japan and tried to gain a foothold. The command of the Red Army brought into action all the forces that could be delivered to the conflict area. Soviet mechanized brigades, having made an unprecedented forced march through the desert, immediately entered the battle in the area of ​​Mount Bayin-Tsagan, in which about 400 tanks and armored vehicles, over 300 guns and several hundred aircraft took part on both sides. As a result, the Japanese lost almost all of their tanks. During the 3-day bloody battle, the Japanese were pushed back across the river. However, now Moscow was insisting on a forceful solution to the issue, especially since there was a threat of a second Japanese invasion. G.K. Zhukov was appointed commander of the rifle corps. Aviation was strengthened by pilots with experience of fighting in Spain and China. On August 20, Soviet troops went on the offensive. By the end of August 23, Japanese troops were surrounded. An attempt to release this group made by the enemy was repulsed. Those surrounded fought fiercely until August 31. The conflict led to the complete resignation of the command of the Kwantung Army and a change of government. The new government immediately asked the Soviet side for a truce, which was signed in Moscow on September 15.

19. Battle of Moscow (1941-1942)

The long and bloody defense of Moscow, which began in September 1941, moved into the offensive phase on December 5, ending on April 20, 1942. On December 5, Soviet troops launched a counteroffensive and German divisions rolled west. The plan of the Soviet command - to encircle the main forces of Army Group Center east of Vyazma - could not be fully implemented. The Soviet troops lacked mobile formations, and there was no experience of a coordinated offensive of such masses of troops.

However, the result was impressive. The enemy was driven back 100–250 kilometers from Moscow, and the immediate threat to the capital, which was the most important industrial and transport hub, was eliminated. In addition, the victory near Moscow had enormous psychological significance. For the first time in the entire war, the enemy was defeated and retreated tens and hundreds of kilometers. German General Gunter Blumentritt recalled: “It was now important for Germany’s political leaders to understand that the days of the blitzkrieg were a thing of the past. We were confronted by an army whose fighting qualities were far superior to all other armies we had ever encountered.”

20. Battle of Stalingrad (1942-1943)

The defense of Stalingrad became one of the most fierce operations of that war. By the end of the street fighting, which lasted from August to November, Soviet troops held only three isolated bridgeheads on the right bank of the Volga; There were 500–700 people left in the divisions of the 62nd Army defending the city, but the Germans failed to throw them into the river. Meanwhile, since September, the Soviet command had been preparing an operation to encircle the German group advancing on Stalingrad.

On November 19, 1942, Soviet troops launched an offensive north of Stalingrad, and the next day - south of it. On November 23, the striking wedges of the Soviet troops met near the city of Kalach, which marked the encirclement of the enemy’s Stalingrad group. 22 enemy divisions (about 300 thousand people) were surrounded. This was the turning point of the entire war.

In December 1942, the German command tried to release the encircled group, but Soviet troops repelled this onslaught. The fighting in the Stalingrad area continued until February 2, 1943. Over 90 thousand enemy soldiers and officers (including 24 generals) surrendered.

Soviet trophies included 5,762 guns, 1,312 mortars, 12,701 machine guns, 156,987 rifles, 10,722 machine guns, 744 aircraft, 166 tanks, 261 armored vehicles, 80,438 cars, 10,679 motorcycles, 240 tractors, 571 tractors, 3 armored trains and other military property .

21. Battle of Kursk (1943)

The Battle of Kursk is one of the greatest in the history of the Great Patriotic War, marking a radical turning point in hostilities. After it, the strategic initiative completely passed into the hands of the Soviet command.

Building on the success achieved at Stalingrad, Soviet troops launched a large-scale offensive on the front from Voronezh to the Black Sea. At the same time, in January 1943, besieged Leningrad was released.

Only in the spring of 1943 did the Wehrmacht manage to stop the Soviet offensive in Ukraine. Although units of the Red Army occupied Kharkov and Kursk, and the advanced units of the Southwestern Front were already fighting on the outskirts of Zaporozhye, German troops, transferring reserves from other sectors of the front, pulling up troops from Western Europe, actively maneuvering mechanized formations, went on a counteroffensive and re-occupied Kharkov . As a result, the front line on the southern flank of the confrontation acquired a characteristic shape, which later became known as the Kursk Bulge.

It was here that the German command decided to inflict a decisive defeat on the Soviet troops. It was supposed to cut it off with blows at the base of the arc, encircling two Soviet fronts at once.

The German command planned to achieve success, among other things, through the widespread use of the latest types of military equipment. It was on the Kursk Bulge that heavy German Panther tanks and Ferdinand self-propelled artillery guns were used for the first time.

The Soviet command knew about the enemy's plans and deliberately decided to cede the strategic initiative to the enemy. The idea was to wear down the Wehrmacht shock divisions in pre-prepared positions and then launch a counteroffensive. And we must admit: this plan was a success.

Yes, not everything went as planned and on the southern front of the arc German tank wedges almost broke through the defense, but on the whole the Soviet operation developed according to the original plan. One of the largest tank battles in the world took place in the area of ​​Prokhorovka station, in which over 800 tanks simultaneously took part. Although Soviet troops also suffered heavy losses in this battle, the Germans lost their offensive potential.

More than 100 thousand participants in the Battle of Kursk were awarded orders and medals, more than 180 were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. In honor of the victory in the Battle of Kursk, an artillery salute was fired for the first time.

22. Capture of Berlin (1945)

The assault on Berlin began on April 25, 1945 and lasted until May 2. Soviet troops had to literally chew through the enemy’s defenses - battles took place for every crossroads, for every house. The city's garrison numbered 200 thousand people, who had about 3,000 guns and about 250 tanks, so the assault on Berlin was an operation quite comparable to the defeat of the encircled German army at Stalingrad.

On May 1, the new chief of the German General Staff, General Krebs, informed Soviet representatives about Hitler's suicide and proposed a truce. However, the Soviet side demanded unconditional surrender. In this situation, the new German government set a course for achieving an early surrender to the Western allies. Since Berlin was already surrounded, on May 2 the commander of the city’s garrison, General Weindling, capitulated, but only on behalf of the Berlin garrison.

It is characteristic that some units refused to carry out this order and tried to break through to the west, but were intercepted and defeated. Meanwhile, negotiations between German and Anglo-American representatives were taking place in Reims. The German delegation insisted on the surrender of troops on the western front, hoping to continue the war in the east, but the American command demanded unconditional surrender.

Finally, on May 7, the unconditional surrender of Germany was signed, which was to occur at 23.01 on May 8. On behalf of the USSR, this act was signed by General Susloparov. However, the Soviet government considered that the surrender of Germany should, firstly, take place in Berlin, and secondly, be signed by the Soviet command.

23. Defeat of the Kwantung Army (1945)

Japan during World War II was an ally of Nazi Germany and waged a war of conquest with China, during which all known types of weapons of mass destruction were used, including biological and chemical weapons.

Marshal Vasilevsky was appointed commander-in-chief of the Soviet troops in the Far East. In less than a month, Soviet troops defeated the million-strong Kwantung Army stationed in Manchuria and liberated all of Northern China and part of Central China from Japanese occupation.

The Kwantung Army was fought by a highly professional army. It was impossible to stop her. Military textbooks include the operation of Soviet troops to overcome the Gobi Desert and the Khingan Range. In just two days, the 6th Guards Tank Army crossed the mountains and found itself deep behind enemy lines. During this outstanding offensive, about 200 thousand Japanese were captured and many weapons and equipment were captured.

Through the heroic efforts of our soldiers, the “Ostraya” and “Camel” heights of the Khutou fortified area were also taken. The approaches to the heights were in hard-to-reach swampy areas and were well protected by scarps and wire fences. The Japanese firing points were carved into granite rock.

The capture of the Hutou fortress cost the lives of over a thousand Soviet soldiers and officers. The Japanese did not negotiate and rejected all calls for surrender. During the 11 days of the assault, almost all of them died, only 53 people surrendered.

As a result of the war, the Soviet Union regained the territories lost to the Russian Empire in 1905 following the Peace of Portsmouth, but Japan has not yet recognized the loss of the Southern Kuril Islands. Japan capitulated, but a peace treaty with the Soviet Union was not signed.

A significant component of the Great Patriotic War played a noticeable and decisive role in the outbreak of one of the bloodiest international conflicts of the 20th century.

Periodization of the Second World War

The five-year confrontation that took place on the territory of the republics that were part of the Soviet Union is divided by historians into three periods.

1. Period I (06/22/1941—11/18/1942) includes the transition of the USSR to a war footing, the failure of Hitler’s original “blitzkrieg” plan, as well as the creation of conditions for turning the tide of hostilities in favor of the Coalition countries.
2. Period II (11/19/1942 - end of 1943) is associated with military conflict.
3. Period III (January 1944 - May 9, 1945) - a crushing defeat of the Nazi troops, their expulsion from Soviet territories, the liberation of the countries of South-Eastern and Eastern Europe by the Red Army.

How it all began

The largest battles of the Great Patriotic War have been described briefly and in detail more than once. They will be discussed in this article.

Germany's unexpected and rapid attack on Poland, and then on other European countries, led to the fact that by 1941 the Nazis, together with their allies, captured vast territories. Poland was defeated, and Norway, Denmark, Holland, Luxembourg and Belgium were occupied. France was able to resist for only 40 days, after which it was also captured. The Nazis inflicted a major defeat and the expeditionary force then entered the territory of the Balkans. The main obstacle on Germany's path was the Red Army, and the largest battles of the Great Patriotic War proved that the power and unbroken spirit of the Soviet people who defended the freedom of their Motherland is one of the decisive factors in the successful fight against the enemy.

"Plan Barbarossa"

In the plans of the German command, the USSR was just a pawn that was easily and quickly eliminated from the path, thanks to the so-called lightning war, the principles of which were set out in the “Barbarossa Plan”.

Its development was carried out under the leadership of the general. According to this plan, Soviet troops were to be defeated in a short time by Germany and its allies, and the European part of the territory of the Soviet Union was to be captured. Further, the complete defeat and destruction of the USSR was assumed.

Presented in historical order, they clearly indicate which side had the advantage at the beginning of the confrontation and how it all ended in the end.

The ambitious plan of the Germans assumed that within five months they would be able to capture key cities of the USSR and reach the Arkhangelsk-Volga-Astrakhan line. The war against the USSR was supposed to end by the fall of 1941. Adolf Hitler was counting on this. On his orders, impressive forces of Germany and allied countries were concentrated in the eastern direction. What major battles of the Great Patriotic War did they have to endure in order to finally become convinced of the impossibility of establishing world domination in Germany?

It was assumed that the blow would be delivered in three directions in order to quickly defeat the enemy who stood on the path to world domination:

• Central (Minsk-Moscow line);
• Yuzhny (Ukraine and the Black Sea coast);
• Northwestern (Baltic countries and Leningrad).

The largest battles of the Great Patriotic War: the struggle for the capital

The operation to capture Moscow was codenamed “Typhoon”. It began in September 1941.

The implementation of the plan to capture the capital of the USSR was entrusted to Army Group Center, headed by Field Marshal General. The enemy outnumbered the Red Army not only in the number of soldiers (1.2 times), but also in weapons (more than 2 times) . And yet, the major battles of the Great Patriotic War soon proved that more does not mean stronger.

The fight against the Germans in this direction was carried out by troops of the South-Western, North-Western, Western and Reserve Fronts. In addition, partisans and militias took an active part in hostilities.

Beginning of the confrontation

In October, the main line of Soviet defense was broken in the central direction: the Nazis captured Vyazma and Bryansk. The second line, passing near Mozhaisk, managed to briefly delay the offensive. In October 1941, Georgy Zhukov became the head of the Western Front, who declared a state of siege in Moscow.

By the end of October, fighting took place literally 100 kilometers from the capital.

However, numerous military operations and major battles of the Great Patriotic War, carried out during the defense of the city, did not allow the Germans to capture Moscow.

Turning point during the battle

Already in November 1941, the last attempts of the Nazis to conquer Moscow were prevented. The Soviet Army had the advantage, thereby providing it with the opportunity to launch a counteroffensive.

The German command attributed the reasons for the failure to bad autumn weather and muddy roads. The largest battles of the Great Patriotic War shook the Germans' confidence in their own invincibility. Enraged by the failure, the Fuhrer gave the order to capture the capital before the winter cold, and on November 15 the Nazis again tried to go on the offensive. Despite huge losses, German troops managed to break through to the city.

However, their further advance was prevented, and the last attempts of the Nazis to break through to Moscow ended in failure.

The end of 1941 was marked by the Red Army's offensive against enemy troops. At the beginning of January 1942, it covered the entire front line. The occupying troops were thrown back 200-250 kilometers. As a result of a successful operation, Soviet soldiers liberated the Ryazan, Tula, Moscow regions, as well as some areas of the Oryol, Smolensk, Kalinin regions. During the confrontation, Germany lost a large amount of equipment, including about 2,500 firearms and 1,300 tanks.

The largest battles of the Great Patriotic War, in particular the Battle of Moscow, proved that victory over the enemy is possible, despite his military-technical superiority.

One of the most important battles of the Soviet war against the countries of the Triple Alliance, the Battle of Moscow, was a brilliant embodiment of the plan to disrupt the blitzkrieg. Soviet soldiers resorted to whatever methods they could to prevent the enemy from capturing the capital.

So, during the confrontation, Red Army soldiers launched huge, 35-meter balloons into the sky. The purpose of such actions was to reduce the targeting accuracy of German bombers. These colossuses rose to a height of 3-4 kilometers and, while there, significantly hampered the work of enemy aviation.

More than seven million people took part in the battle for the capital. Therefore, it is considered one of the largest.

A significant role in the battle for Moscow was played by Marshal Konstantin Rokossovsky, who led the 16th Army. In the fall of 1941, his troops blocked the Volokolamsk and Leningrad highways, preventing the enemy from breaking through to the city. The defense in this area lasted two weeks: the locks of the Istrinsky reservoir were blown up, and the approaches to the capital were mined.

Another interesting fact in the history of the legendary battle: in mid-October 1941, the Moscow metro was closed. This was the only day in the history of the capital's metro when it did not work. The panic caused by this event entailed the so-called exodus of residents - the city was empty, looters began to operate. The situation was saved by the order to take decisive measures against fugitives and looters, according to which even the execution of violators was allowed. This fact stopped the mass flight of people from Moscow and stopped the panic.

Battle of Stalingrad

The largest battles of the Great Patriotic War took place on the approaches to key cities of the country. One of the most important confrontations was the Battle of Stalingrad, which spanned the period from July 17, 1942 to February 2, 1943.

The Germans' goal in this direction was to break through to the south of the USSR, where numerous enterprises in the metallurgical and defense industries were located, as well as the main food reserves.

Formation of the Stalingrad Front

During the offensive of the fascist troops and their allies, Soviet troops experienced significant damage in the battles for Kharkov; the Southwestern Front was defeated; The divisions and regiments of the Red Army were scattered, and the lack of fortified positions and open steppes gave the Germans the opportunity to enter the Caucasus almost unhindered.

This seemingly hopeless situation in the USSR instilled in Hitler confidence in imminent success. By his order, the army “South” was divided into 2 parts - the goal of part “A” was to capture the North Caucasus, and part “B” was to capture Stalingrad, where the Volga, the main waterway of the country, flowed.

In a short period of time, Rostov-on-Don was captured, and the Germans moved to Stalingrad. Due to the fact that 2 armies were moving in this direction at once, a huge traffic jam formed. As a result of this, one of the armies was ordered to return to the Caucasus. This hitch delayed the offensive for a whole week.

In July 1942, a united Stalingrad front was formed, the purpose of which was to protect the city from the enemy and organize defense. The whole difficulty of the task was that the newly formed units did not yet have experience in interaction, there was not enough ammunition, and there were no defensive structures.

The Soviet troops outnumbered the Germans in numbers, but were inferior to them by almost half in equipment and weapons, which were sorely lacking.

The desperate struggle of the Red Army delayed the enemy's entry into Stalingrad, but in September the fighting moved from the outlying territories to the city. At the end of August, the Germans destroyed Stalingrad, first by bombing it and then dropping high explosive and incendiary bombs on it.

Operation Ring

City residents fought for every meter of land. The result of the months-long confrontation was a turning point in the battle: in January 1943, Operation Ring began, which lasted 23 days.

Its result was the defeat of the enemy, the destruction of his armies and the surrender of the surviving troops on February 2. This success was a real breakthrough in the course of military operations, shook Germany's position and questioned its influence on other states. He gave the Soviet people hope for future victory.

Battle of Kursk

The defeat of the troops of Germany and its allies at Stalingrad became the impetus for Hitler, in order to avoid centrifugal tendencies within the alliance of the countries of the Tripartite Pact, to decide to carry out a major operation to attack the Red Army, codenamed “Citadel”. The battle began on July 5 of the same year. The Germans launched new tanks, which did not frighten the Soviet troops, who offered effective resistance to them. By July 7, both armies had lost a huge number of people and equipment, and the tank battle at Ponyri led to the loss of a large number of vehicles and people by the Germans. This turned out to be a significant factor in weakening the Nazis in the northern part of the Kursk salient.

Record tank battle

On July 8, the largest tank battle of the Great Patriotic War began near Prokhorovka. About 1,200 combat vehicles took part in it. The confrontation lasted several days. The climax came on July 12, when two tank battles took place simultaneously near Prokhorovka, ending in a draw. Despite the fact that neither side gained the decisive initiative, the German offensive was stopped, and on July 17 the defensive phase of the battle turned into an offensive phase. Its result was that the Nazis were thrown back to the south of the Kursk Bulge, to their original positions. In August, Belgorod and Orel were liberated.

What major battle ended the Great Patriotic War? This battle was the confrontation on the Kursk Bulge, the decisive chord of which was the liberation of Kharkov on August 23, 1944. It was this event that ended a series of major battles on the territory of the USSR and marked the beginning of the liberation of Europe by Soviet soldiers.

Major battles of the Great Patriotic War: table

For a better understanding of the course of the war, especially with regard to its most significant battles, there is a table reflecting the periodicity of what was happening.

The major battles of the Great Patriotic War, the names of which are known today to people of any age, became indisputable evidence of the strength of spirit and will of the Soviet people, who did not allow the establishment of fascist power not only on the territory of the USSR, but throughout the world.