When there was World War 2. The beginning of World War II - Russia, Russia

The terrible war with massive human losses began not in 1939, but much earlier. As a result of the First World War in 1918, almost all European countries acquired new borders. Most were deprived of part of their historical territory, leading to small wars in conversation and in the minds.

In the new generation, hatred of enemies and resentment about the lost cities were brought up. There were reasons for the resumption of the war. However, in addition to psychological reasons, there were also important historical prerequisites. The Second World War, in short, involved the entire globe in hostilities.

Causes of the war

Scientists identify several main reasons for the outbreak of hostilities:

Territorial disputes. The winners of the 1918 war, England and France, divided Europe with their allies at their own discretion. The collapse of the Russian Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Empire led to the emergence of 9 new states. The lack of clear boundaries gave rise to great controversy. The defeated countries wanted to return their borders, and the victors did not want to part with the annexed territories. All territorial issues in Europe have always been resolved with the help of weapons. It was impossible to avoid the outbreak of a new war.

Colonial disputes. The defeated countries were deprived of their colonies, which were a constant source of replenishment of the treasury. In the colonies themselves, the local population raised liberation uprisings with armed clashes.

Rivalry between states... Germany after the defeat wanted revenge. It was the leading power in Europe all the time, and after the war it was largely limited.

Dictatorship. The dictatorial regime has grown significantly in many countries. The dictators of Europe first developed their army to suppress internal uprisings, and then to seize new territories.

The emergence of the USSR. The new power was not inferior to the might of the Russian Empire. She was a worthy competitor to the United States and leading European countries. They began to fear the emergence of communist movements.

The beginning of the war

Even before the signing of the Soviet-German agreement, Germany planned an aggression against the Polish side. At the beginning of 1939, a decision was made, and on August 31, a directive was signed. The state contradictions of the 30s led to the Second World War.

The Germans did not admit their defeat in 1918 and the Versailles Accords, which oppressed the interests of Russia and Germany. Power went to the Nazis, blocs of fascist states began to form, and large states did not have the strength to resist German aggression. Poland was the first on Germany's path to world domination.

At night September 1, 1939 German special services have launched Operation Himmler. Dressed in Polish uniforms, they seized a radio station in the suburbs and called on the Poles to rebel against the Germans. Hitler announced the aggression from the Polish side and began hostilities.

After 2 days, Britain and France declared war on Germany, which had previously concluded agreements with Poland on mutual assistance. They were supported by Canada, New Zealand, Australia, India and the countries of South Africa. The outbreak became a world war. But Poland did not receive military and economic aid from any of the supporting countries. If British and French troops were added to the Polish forces, the German aggression would be instantly stopped.

The population of Poland was delighted with the entry of its allies into the war and was waiting for support. However, time passed, and help did not come. The weak point of the Polish army was aviation.

Germany's two armies "South" and "North", consisting of 62 divisions, opposed 6 Polish armies from 39 divisions. The Poles fought with dignity, but the numerical superiority of the Germans proved to be the decisive factor. In almost 2 weeks, almost the entire territory of Poland was occupied. The Curzon line was formed.

The Polish government left for Romania. The defenders of Warsaw and the Brest Fortress went down in history thanks to their heroism. The Polish army lost its organizational integrity.

The stages of the war

From September 1, 1939 to June 21, 1941 the first stage of the Second World War began. Characterizes the beginning of the war and the entry of the German military into Western Europe. On September 1, the Nazis attacked Poland. After 2 days, France and England declared war on Germany with their colonies and dominions.

The Polish armed forces did not have time to deploy, the top leadership was weak, and the allied powers were in no hurry to help. The result was a complete docking of Polish territory.

France and England did not change their foreign policy until May next year. They hoped that German aggression would be directed against the USSR.

In April 1940, the German army entered Denmark without warning and occupied its territory. Norway fell immediately behind Denmark. At the same time, the German leadership was implementing the Gelb plan, it was decided to unexpectedly attack France through the neighboring Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. The French concentrated their forces on the Maginot Line, rather than in the center of the country. Hitler attacked across the Ardennes behind the Maginot Line. On May 20, the Germans reached the English Channel, the Dutch and Belgian armies surrendered. In June, the French fleet was defeated, part of the army was evacuated to England.

The French army did not use all the possibilities of resistance. On June 10, the government left Paris, which was occupied by the Germans on June 14. After 8 days, the Armistice of Compiegne was signed (June 22, 1940) - the French act of surrender.

Great Britain was to be next. There was a change of government. The United States began to support the British.

In the spring of 1941, the Balkans were captured. On March 1, the Nazis appeared in Bulgaria, and on April 6, already in Greece and Yugoslavia. Western and Central Europe was dominated by Hitler. Preparations began for an attack on the Soviet Union.

June 22, 1941 to November 18, 1942 the second stage of the war lasted. Germany invaded the territory of the USSR. A new stage began, characterized by the unification of all military forces in the world against fascism. Roosevelt and Churchill openly announced their support for the Soviet Union. On July 12, the USSR and England signed an agreement on general military operations. On August 2, the United States pledged to provide military and economic assistance to the Russian army. Britain and the United States on August 14 promulgated the Atlantic Charter, which was later joined by the USSR with its opinion on military issues.

In September, the Russian and British military occupied Iran to prevent the formation of fascist bases in the East. The Anti-Hitler Coalition is being formed.

The German army met strong resistance in the fall of 1941. The plan to take Leningrad could not be implemented, since Sevastopol and Odessa resisted for a long time. On the eve of 1942, the plan for a "lightning war" disappeared. Hitler was defeated near Moscow, and the myth of German invincibility was dispelled. Germany was faced with the need for a protracted war.

In early December 1941, the Japanese military attacked a US base in the Pacific. Two powerful powers entered the war. The United States has declared war on Italy, Japan and Germany. Thanks to this, the anti-Hitler coalition has grown stronger. A number of mutual assistance agreements were concluded among the allied countries.

From November 19, 1942 to December 31, 1943 the third stage of the war lasted. It is called the turning point. The hostilities of this period acquired enormous scale and tension. Everything was decided on the Soviet-German front. On November 19, Russian troops launched a counteroffensive at Stalingrad (Stalingrad battle July 17, 1942 - February 2, 1943)... Their victory served as a strong incentive for the next battles.

To return the strategic initiative, Hitler carried out an attack near Kursk in the summer of 1943 ( Battle of Kursk July 5, 1943 - August 23, 1943). He lost and went into a defensive position. However, the allies of the Anti-Hitler coalition were in no hurry to fulfill their duties. They were waiting for the exhaustion of Germany and the USSR.

On July 25, the Italian fascist government was liquidated. The new head has declared war on Hitler. The fascist bloc began to disintegrate.

Japan did not weaken the grouping on the Russian border. The United States replenished its military strength and launched successful offensives in the Pacific.

January 1, 1944 to May 9, 1945 ... The fascist army was driven out of the USSR, a second front was created, European countries were liberated from the fascists. The joint efforts of the Anti-Fascist Coalition led to the complete collapse of the German army and the surrender of Germany. Great Britain and the United States carried out large-scale operations in Asia and the Pacific.

May 10, 1945 - September 2, 1945 ... Armed actions are carried out in the Far East, as well as the territory of Southeast Asia. The United States has used nuclear weapons.

Great Patriotic War (June 22, 1941 - May 9, 1945).
World War II (September 1, 1939 - September 2, 1945).

Results of the war

The greatest losses fell on the Soviet Union, which took the brunt of the German army. 27 million people have died. The resistance of the Red Army led to the defeat of the Reich.

Military action could lead to the collapse of civilization. War criminals and fascist ideology were condemned in all world processes.

In 1945 in Yalta, a decision was signed to establish the UN to prevent such actions.

The consequences of the use of nuclear weapons over Nagasaki and Hiroshima forced many countries to sign a pact banning the use of weapons of mass destruction.

The countries of Western Europe lost their economic dominance, which passed to the United States.

The victory in the war allowed the USSR to expand its borders and strengthen the totalitarian regime. Some countries have become communist.

At first glance, this question is absolutely simple. Any resident of Europe who graduated from a middle-level school will confidently answer that the beginning of World War II is considered the day of the invasion of the German Nazis into Poland ...

At first glance, this question is absolutely simple. Any resident of Europe who graduated from a middle-level school will confidently answer that the beginning of World War II is considered the day of the invasion of the German Nazis into Poland. People who are a little more educated will say that the correct date is September 3, when five other countries declared war on Nazi Germany (France, England, India, Australia and New Zealand) and the war really became world war.

Evacuation of Luchou residents. November 1944

However, these countries have not yet entered into military battles, but were expecting further developments. In western Europe, hostilities unfolded only in the spring of 1940, when the Germans moved on April 9 to Norway and Denmark, and from May 10, Hitler led his comrades-in-arms to Belgium, Holland and France.

At the same time, during this period, the two largest states - the Soviet Union and the United States - did not take part in the war yet. And, taking into account this circumstance, the date of the beginning of the Second World War, which was determined by the historians of Western Europe, is being questioned.

For this reason, according to some pundits, or rather, the date of the outbreak of world war can be called precisely June 22, 1941, when the USSR, one of the superpowers, entered this planetary massacre. And some Americans generally express the opinion that the war received the status of a truly world war in the full sense of the word only after Japan's attack on the American Pearl Harbor in the Pacific Ocean and the fact that the United States declared war on the Japanese, Germans and Italians in the last month of 1941.

At the same time, prominent politicians and historians from the Celestial Empire are even more convinced of the incorrectness of the date for the start of World War II, defined by the Europeans as September 1, 1939. The author of the article heard this opinion many times at world symposia and conferences, where Chinese officials confidently voice the version adopted in their homeland that the starting point in World War II should be considered July 7, 1937, when Japan attacked the Chinese people. And some scholars from China even believe that the landmark date in this topic is September 18, 1931, when Japanese troops launched an offensive against Manchuria (North-East of the Celestial Empire).

Among the first, this information was taken into account in all seriousness the special opinion of the Chinese about the historical beginning of World War II, the authors of the scientific monograph “Score of World War II. Thunderstorm in the East "(Author-comp. AA Koshkin. M., Veche, 2010).

Japanese military in China

This scientific work was published by the Historical Perspective Foundation. Its leader, a prominent Russian scientist N.A. Narochnitskaya, wrote in the foreword that the overwhelming majority of historians and ordinary people around the world consider September 1, 1939, the day of the beginning of World War II, when the Germans entered the territory of Poland, as a result of which England was the first country -the allies declared war on Hitler. But it should also undoubtedly be recognized that several years before that, large military conflicts had taken place in other regions of the planet, which in the countries of Europe, which consider themselves the center of the world, are judged as events of secondary importance, since for prim Europeans, China is a periphery.

The scientist also writes that in fact, even before September 1939, there were real world battles in Asia. In China alone, since the mid-1930s, Japanese militarists have killed 20 million people. And during these few years, the fascist countries - Germany, Japan and Italy - set their ultimatums, took away territories, and introduced their armies to other states. The Nazis then crushed Austria and Czechoslovakia, Italy established control over Albania and fought in North Africa, destroying two hundred thousand Abyssinians.

And since the end of the Second World War is considered the day when the Japanese surrendered, and military operations in Asia are also, therefore, attributed to the Second World War, the question of the date of its beginning also remains, in fact, open. Many Russian scholars believe that the periodization of World War II needs to be revised. Because the scale of military clashes and the change in the borders of world countries clearly indicate that this war started precisely in the Asian region of our planet, and this happened several years before the German occupation of Poland and before the USSR and the USA entered the war. This concludes the speech of the scientist Narochnitskaya.

Chinese officers. Quailin, June 1944

The author of the article also considers it necessary to note that if world scientific circles nevertheless take up the revision of this date, then this will certainly cause discontent and active opposition from the official representatives of Japan, since their politicians and historians have not officially recognized their aggression in China and do not even call it a war. the fact that for 8 years they systematically destroyed and plundered the people of the Celestial Empire. They confidently call these military clashes an "incident" started by the Chinese side, although anyone understands that this full-scale aggression, during which tens of millions of Chinese were killed, was indeed a war. Also, the Japanese do not want to recognize their punitive operations in China as part of the Second World War, since they declare that in the world war they fought only with England and the United States.

We also want to remind you once again that in the USSR in all historical periods they recognized and appreciated the help of the Chinese to the allied countries that defeated Hitler and his henchmen.

The courage and strength of the Chinese fighters during their participation in World War II and in today's Russia are also highly appreciated. This is recognized by both scientists and politicians in our country, up to the very top leadership. This is covered in a significant amount in the work published by the Russian Ministry of Defense for the 70th anniversary of the Victory. This is a 12-volume book by recognized historians entitled “The Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945”.

Neither geographically nor chronologically, the history of World War II is comparable to. On a geopolitical scale, the events of the Great Patriotic War unfolded on the Eastern Front, although these events, undoubtedly, most of all influenced the outcome of this global military-political crisis. The stages of the Second World War also coincide with the general stages of the Great Patriotic War.

In contact with

The alignment of forces

How the Second World War took place, briefly about its main participants. 62 states (out of 73 existing then) and almost 80% of the population of the entire globe took part in the conflict.

All participants had one or another relation to two clearly formed coalitions:

• anti-Hitler,
• the Axis coalition.

The creation of the Axis began much earlier than the formation of the anti-Hitler coalition. In 1936, the anti-Comintern pact was signed between Japan and Berlin. This was the beginning of the formation of the union.

Important! A number of countries at the very end of the confrontation changed their coalition orientation. For example, Finland, Italy and Romania. A number of puppet countries formed by the fascist regime, for example, Vichy France, the Greek Kingdom, have completely disappeared from the geopolitical map of the world.

Areas covered by hostilities

There were 5 main theaters of military operations in total:

• Western European - France, Great Britain, Norway; active hostilities were conducted throughout the Atlantic;
• Eastern European - the USSR, Poland, Finland, Austria; military operations were conducted in such parts of the Atlantic as the Barents Sea, Baltic Sea, Black Sea;
• Mediterranean - Greece, Italy, Albania, Egypt, all of French North Africa; all countries that had access to the Mediterranean Sea, in the waters of which active hostilities were also taking place, joined the hostilities;
• African - Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and others;
• Pacific - Japan, China, USSR, USA, all the island countries of the Pacific basin.

The main battles of the Second World War:

• Battle for Moscow,
• Kursk Bulge (turning point),
• Battle for the Caucasus,
• Ardennes operation (Wehrmacht blitzkrieg).

What provoked the conflict

You can talk a lot about the reasons for a long time. Each country had objective and subjective reasons to become a participant in the military conflict. But in general, it all boiled down to the following:

• revanchism - the Nazis, for example, tried in every possible way to overcome the conditions of the Versailles Peace of 1918 and again take a leading position in Europe;
• imperialism - all major world powers had certain territorial interests: Italy launched a military invasion of Ethiopia, Japan was interested in Manchuria and North China, Germany was interested in the Ruru region and Austria. The USSR was worried about the problem of the Finnish and Polish borders;
• ideological contradictions - two opposing camps have formed in the world: communist and democratic-bourgeois; the countries-members of the camps dreamed of annihilating each other.

Important! The ideological contradictions that existed the day before did not make it possible to prevent the conflict at the initial stage.

The Munich Agreement was concluded between the fascists and the democracies of the West, which ultimately led to the Anschluss of Austria and the Ruhr. The Western powers effectively disrupted the Moscow conference, at which the Russians planned to discuss the possibility of creating an anti-German coalition. Finally, in defiance of the Munich Treaty, the Soviet-German Non-Aggression Pact and the secret Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact were signed. In such difficult diplomatic conditions, it was impossible to prevent war.

Stages

The entire Second World War can be roughly divided into five main stages:

• the first - 09.1939 - 06.1941;
• the second - 07.1941 - 11.1942;
• the third - 12.1942 - 06.1944;
• fourth - 07.1944 - 05.1945;
• 5th - 06 - 09.1945

The stages of the Second World War are conditional, they include events of some importance. When did World War II start? How did the Second World War begin? Who started World War II? The beginning is considered September 1, 1939, when German troops invaded Poland, that is, in fact, the Germans took the initiative.

Important! The question of when the Second World War began is understandable, here you can give a direct and accurate answer, but it is more difficult to say who started the Second World War, it is impossible to answer unequivocally. All the powers of the world are to some extent guilty of unleashing a global conflict.

The Second World War ended on September 2, 1945, when the act of surrender of Japan was signed. We can say that Japan has not yet completely closed the page of the Second World War. A peace treaty has not yet been signed between the Russian Federation and Japan. The Japanese side disputes the belonging of the Russian Federation to the four South Kuril Islands.

First step

The main events that unfolded at the first stage can be presented in the following chronological order (table):

War theater	Local Territories / Battles	Dates	Axis countries		Outcome
Eastern European	Western Ukraine, Western Belarus, Bessarabia	01.09. – 06.10. 1939	Germany, Slovakia, USSR (as an ally of the Germans under the 1939 treaty)	England and France (nominally as allies of Poland)	Complete occupation of Polish territory by Germany and the USSR
Western European	Atlantic	01.09 -31.12. 1939	Germ.	England, Franz.	England suffered heavy losses at sea, a real threat to the economy of the island state was created
Eastern European	Karelia, North Baltic and Gulf of Finland	30.11.1939 – 14.03.1940	Finland	USSR (within the framework of an agreement with Germany - the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact)	The Finnish border was moved 150 km away from Leningrad
Western European	France, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg (European Blitzkrieg)	09.04.1940 – 31.05.1940	Germ.	Franz., Netherlands, Denmark, Britain	The seizure of the entire territory of tribute and Norway, Belgium and the Netherlands, "Dunker tragedy"
Mediterranean	Franz.	06 – 07. 1940	Germany, Italy	Franz.	The seizure of the territories of southern France by Italy, the establishment of the regime of General Petain in Vichy
Eastern European	Baltic States, Western Belarus and Ukraine, Bukovina, Bessarabia	17.06 – 02.08. 1940	USSR (as an ally of the Germans under the 1939 treaty)	____	Joining the USSR of new territories in the west and southwest
Western European	English Channel, Atlantic; air battles (Operation Sea Lion)	16.07 -04.09. 1940	Germ.	Britannia	Great Britain managed to defend the freedom of navigation on the English Channel
African and Mediterranean	North Africa, Mediterranean	07.1940 -03.1941	Italy	Britain, France (troops independent from Vichy)	Mussolini asked for help from Hitler and General Rommel's corps was sent to Africa, stabilizing the front until November 1941
Eastern European and Mediterranean	Balkans, Middle East	06.04 – 17.09. 1941	Germany, Italy, Vichy France, Iraq, Hungary, Croatia (Nazi Pavelic regime)	USSR, England, Free France army	Complete seizure and division between the Axis countries of Yugoslavia, an unsuccessful attempt to establish a Nazi regime in Iraq. , the partition of Iran between the USSR and Great Britain
Pacific	Indonesia, China (Sino-Japanese, Franco-Thai wars)	1937-1941	Japan, Vichy France	____	Seizure of southeastern China by Japan, loss by Vichy France of part of the territories of French Indochina

The initial stages of the war

Second phase

It became a turning point in many ways. The main thing here is that the Germans lost the strategic initiative and speed characteristic of the 40-41 years. The main events take place in the Eastern European theater of operations. The main forces of Germany were also concentrated there, which can no longer provide large-scale support in Europe and North Africa to its coalition allies, which, in turn, led to the success of the Anglo-American-French forces in the African and Mediterranean theaters of operations.

War theater		Dates	Axis countries	Countries of the anti-Hitler coalition	Outcome
Eastern European	USSR - two main companies:	07.1941 – 11.1942			The capture by German troops of a large part of the European territory of the USSR; blockade of Leningrad, seizure of Kiev, Sevastopol, Kharkov. Minsk, stopping the advance of the Germans near Moscow
	The offensive on the USSR (", Battle of Moscow)	22.06.1941 – 08.01.1942	Germ. Finland	the USSR
	The second "wave" of the offensive on the USSR (the beginning of the battles in the Caucasus and the beginning of the Battle of Stalingrad)	05.1942 -01.1943	Germ.	the USSR	An attempt at a counteroffensive by the USSR in the southwestern direction and an attempt to unblock Leningrad were unsuccessful. German offensive in the south (Ukraine, Belarus) and the Caucasus
Pacific	Hawaii, Philippines, Pacific Ocean	07.12.1941- 01.05.1942	Japan	Great Britain and its dominions, USA	Japan, after the defeat of Pearl Harbor, takes full control of the region
Western European	Atlantic	06. 1941 – 03.1942	Germ.	America, Great Britain, Brazil, Union of South Africa, Brazil, USSR	The main goal of Germany is to disrupt ocean communication between America and Britain. It was not achieved. In March 1942, British aircraft began bombing strategic targets in Germany.
Mediterranean	Mediterranean Sea	04.1941-06.1942	Italy	United Kingdom	Due to the passivity of Italy and the transfer of German aircraft to the Eastern Front, control of the Mediterranean Sea is completely transferred to the British
African	North Africa (territories of Morocco, Syria, Libya, Egypt, Tunisia, Madagascar; fighting in the Indian Ocean)	18.11.1941 – 30.11. 1943	Germany, Italy, Vichy government of French North Africa	Great Britain, USA, Free French Army	The strategic initiative passed from hand to hand, but the Territory of Madagascar was completely occupied by the Free French troops, and the Vichy government in Tunisia capitulated. German forces led by Rommel relatively stabilized the front by 1943.
Pacific	Pacific Ocean, Southeast Asia	01.05.1942 – 01. 1943	Japan	America, Great Britain and its dominions	The transfer of the strategic initiative into the hands of the members of the anti-Hitler coalition.

Second stage of the war

Important! It was at the second stage that the Anti-Hitler coalition was formed, the USSR, the USA, China and Great Britain signed the Declaration of the United Nations (01/01/1942).

Stage Three

It is marked by the complete loss of strategic initiative from the outside. On the eastern front, Soviet troops launched a counteroffensive. On the Western, African and Pacific fronts, the allies in the anti-Hitler coalition have also achieved significant results.

War theater	Local territories / company	Dates	Axis countries	Countries of the anti-Hitler coalition	Outcome
Eastern European	South of the USSR, northwest of the USSR (Left-bank Ukraine, Belarus, Crimea, Caucasus, Leningrad region); Battle of Stalingrad, Kursk Bulge, crossing the Dnieper, liberation of the Caucasus, counteroffensive near Leningrad	19.11.1942 – 06.1944	Germ.	the USSR	As a result of an active counteroffensive, Soviet troops reached the Romanian border
African	Libya, Tunisia (Tunisian Company)	11.1942-02.1943	Germany, Italy	Free French Army, USA, UK	Complete liberation of French North Africa, surrender of German-Italian troops, the Mediterranean Sea is completely cleared of German and Italian ships
Mediterranean	Territory of Italy (Italian operation)	10.07. 1943 — 4.06.1944	Italy, Germany	USA, Great Britain, Free French Army	Overthrow of B. Mussolini's regime in Italy, complete cleansing of the Nazis from the southern part of the Apennine Peninsula, Sicily and Corsica
Western European	Germany (strategic bombing of its territory; Operation Point Blank)	01.1943 to 1945	Germ.	Great Britain, USA, Franz.	Massive bombing of all German cities, including Berlin
Pacific	Solomon Islands, New Guinea	08.1942 –11.1943	Japan	USA, Great Britain and its dominions	Liberation from Japanese troops of the Solomon Islands and New Guinea

An important diplomatic event of the third stage was the Tehran Conference of the Allies (11.1943). At which joint military actions against the Third Reich were agreed.

Third stage of the war

These are all the main stages of the Second World War. In total, it went on for exactly 6 years.

Fourth stage

It meant a gradual cessation of hostilities on all fronts, except for the Pacific. The Nazis suffer a crushing defeat.

War theater	Local territories / company	Dates	Axis countries	Countries of the anti-Hitler coalition	Outcome
Western European	Normandy and all of France, Belgium, Rhine and Ruhr regions, Holland (landing in Normandy or "D-Day", crossing the "West Wall" or "Siegfried Line")	06.06.1944 – 25.04.1945	Germ.	USA, Great Britain and its dominions, in particular Canada	Complete liberation by the allied forces of France and Belgium, crossing the western borders of Germany, seizing all northwestern lands and reaching the border with Denmark
Mediterranean	Northern Italy, Austria (Italian company), Germany (continuation of the wave of strategic bombing)	05.1944 – 05. 1945	Germ.	USA, UK, Franz.	Complete cleansing of the north of Italy from the Nazis, the capture of B. Mussolini and his execution
Eastern European	Southern and Western territories of the USSR, Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, Yugoslavia, Hungary, Poland and West Prussia (Operation Bagration, Yasso-Chisinau operation, Battle of Berlin)	06. 1944 – 05.1945	Germany	Soviet Union	As a result of large-scale offensive operations, the USSR withdraws its troops abroad, Romania, Bulgaria and Finland withdraw from the Axis coalition, Soviet troops occupy East Prussia and take Berlin. German generals, after the suicides of Hitler and Goebbels, sign the act of surrender of Germany
Western European	Czech Republic, Slovenia (Prague operation, Battle of Polyana)	05. 1945	Germany (remnants of the SS forces)	USA, USSR, liberation army of Yugoslavia	Complete rout of SS forces
Pacific	Philippines and Mariana Islands	06 -09. 1944	Japan	USA and Britain	Allies control the entire Pacific Ocean, South China and former French Indochina

At the allied conference in Yalta (02.1945), the leaders of the United States, the Soviet Union and Britain discussed the post-war structure of Europe and the world (the main issue was the creation of the UN). The agreements reached in Yalta influenced the entire course of post-war history.

Fifth stage

The last stage of the war

Effects

How the Second World War ended, briefly about the main results

In July 1945 (exact date -17.07), the Potsdam Conference began, at which:

• the fate of Berlin was determined (four-sided occupation);
• a 4D plan was developed (demilitarization, democratization, denationalization, demonopolization);
• resolved the issue of reparations in favor of the Union;
• new borders of Poland were determined (East Prussia was withdrawn to the Union of SSR).

The aftermath of the war

The outbreak of World War II

World War II: Events in Europe in 1939-1941.

Output

In total, 65 million people died, with only 27 of them at the front. Despite this tragedy, the world after 1946 (W. Churchill's speech in Fulton) entered a new era, a period of unspoken confrontation between the two camps began: the socialist and the democratic.

	Europe, East and South-East Asia, North, North-East and West Africa, Middle East, Atlantic, Indian, Pacific and Arctic oceans, Mediterranean.
	The politics of many states; the consequences of the Versailles-Washington system; world economic crisis.
	Russia's victory
Territorial changes:	The victory of the anti-Hitler coalition. Creation of the UN. Prohibition and condemnation of the ideologies of fascism and Nazism. The USSR and the USA are becoming superpowers. Reducing the role of Great Britain and France in global politics. The world is splitting into two camps with different socio-political systems: socialist and capitalist. The Cold War begins. Decolonization of vast colonial empires.
Opponents
	Italian Republic (1943-1945)
France (1939-1940)
Belgium (1940)	Kingdom of Italy (1940-1943)
Netherlands (1940-1942)
Luxembourg (1940)
	Finland (1941-1944)
	Romania (Under Antonescu)
Denmark (1940)	French state (1940-1944)
Greece (1940-1941)	Bulgaria (1941-1944)
States that emerged from the Nazi bloc:	States that supported the Axis:
Romania (Under Antonescu)
Bulgaria (1941-1944)
Finland (1941-1944)
Those who declared war on Germany, but did not participate in hostilities:
Russian empire
Commanders
Joseph Stalin	Adolf Gitler †
Winston Churchill	Empire of Japan Tojo Hideki
Franklin Roosevelt †	Benito Mussolini †
Maurice Gustave Gamelin	Henri Philippe Pétain
Maxim Veygan	Miklos Horthy
Leopold III	Risto Ryti
Chiang Kai-shek	Ion Victor Antonescu
John Curtin	Boris III †
William Lyon McKenzie King	Joseph Tiso
Michael Joseph Savage †	Ante Pavelic
Josip Broz Tito	Ananda Mahidol

(September 1, 1939 - September 2, 1945) - an armed conflict between two world military-political coalitions, which became the largest war in the history of mankind. 62 states out of 73 that existed at that time took part in the war. The fighting was conducted on the territory of three continents and in the waters of four oceans.

Participants

The number of participating countries varied during the course of the war. Some of them waged active military operations, others helped their allies with food supplies, and many participated in the war only nominally.

The anti-Hitler coalition included: Poland, Great Britain, France (since 1939), the USSR (since 1941), the USA (since 1941), China, Australia, Canada, Yugoslavia, the Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, the South African Union, Czechoslovakia, Belgium, Greece, Ethiopia, Denmark, Brazil, Mexico, Mongolia, Luxembourg, Nepal, Panama, Argentina, Chile, Cuba, Peru, Guatemala, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Albania, Honduras, El Salvador, Haiti, Paraguay , Ecuador, San Marino, Turkey, Uruguay, Venezuela, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Nicaragua, Liberia, Bolivia. During the war, they were joined by some states that emerged from the Nazi bloc: Iran (since 1941), Iraq (since 1943), Italy (since 1943), Romania (since 1944), Bulgaria (since 1944), Hungary (in 1945), Finland (in 1945).

On the other hand, the countries of the Nazi bloc participated in the war: Germany, Italy (until 1943), the Japanese Empire, Finland (until 1944), Bulgaria (until 1944), Romania (until 1944), Hungary (until 1945), Slovakia, Thailand (Siam ), Iraq (until 1941), Iran (until 1941), Manchukuo, Croatia. On the territory of the occupied countries, puppet states were created that were not actually participants in World War II and joined the fascist coalition: Vichy France, Italian Social Republic, Serbia, Albania, Montenegro, Inner Mongolia, Burma, Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos. On the side of Germany and Japan, many collaborationist troops also fought, created from citizens of the opposing side: ROA, RONA, foreign SS divisions (Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Estonian, 2 Latvian, Norwegian-Danish, 2 Dutch, 2 Belgian, 2 Bosnian, French , Albanian), "Free India". Also, in the armed forces of the countries of the Nazi bloc, volunteer forces of states that formally remained neutral fought: Spain (Blue Division), Sweden and Portugal.

Who declared war	Who was war declared
United Kingdom	Third Reich
	Third Reich
	Third Reich
	Third Reich
	Third Rey
	Third Reich
	Third Reich
	United Kingdom
Third Reich

Territories

All hostilities can be divided into 5 theaters of operations:

• Western European: West Germany, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, France, United Kingdom (aerial bombardment), Atlantic.
• Eastern European theater: USSR (western part), Poland, Finland, Northern Norway, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Austria (eastern part), East Germany, Barents Sea, Baltic Sea, Black Sea.
• Mediterranean theater: Yugoslavia, Greece, Albania, Italy, Mediterranean islands (Malta, Cyprus, etc.), Egypt, Libya, French North Africa, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, Mediterranean Sea.
• African Theater: Ethiopia, Italian Somalia, British Somalia, Kenya, Sudan, French West Africa, French Equatorial Africa, Madagascar.
• Pacific Theater: China (eastern and northeastern parts), Japan (Korea, South Sakhalin, Kuril Islands), USSR (Far East), Aleutian Islands, Mongolia, Hong Kong, French Indochina, Burma, Andaman Islands, Malaya, Singapore, Sarawak , Dutch East Indies, Sabah, Brunei, New Guinea, Papua, Solomon Islands, Philippines, Hawaii, Guam, Wake, Midway, Mariana Islands, Caroline Islands, Marshall Islands, Gilbert Islands, many small Pacific islands, more part of the Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean.

Preconditions for the war

Preconditions for the war in Europe

The Versailles Treaty severely limited Germany's military capabilities. In April-May 1922, the Genoa Conference was held in the northern Italian port city of Rappalo. Representatives of Soviet Russia were also invited: Georgy Chicherin (chairman), Leonid Krasin, Adolf Ioffe and others. Germany (Weimar Republic) was represented by Walter Rathenau. The main topic of the conference was the mutual refusal to put forward claims for compensation for damage caused during the hostilities in the First World War. The result of the conference was the conclusion of the Rapallo Treaty on April 16, 1922 between the RSFSR and the Weimar Republic. The treaty provided for the immediate restoration of full diplomatic relations between the RSFSR and Germany. For Soviet Russia, this was the first international treaty in its history. For Germany, which until now was outside the law in the field of international politics, this agreement was of fundamental importance, since by doing so it began to return to the number of states recognized by the international community.

Of no less importance for Germany were the secret agreements signed on August 11, 1922, in accordance with which Soviet Russia guaranteed the supply of strategic materials to Germany and, moreover, provided its territory for testing new types of military equipment banned from development by the Treaty of Versailles in 1919 year.

On July 27, 1928, the Briand-Kellogg Pact was signed in Paris - a treaty on renunciation of war as an instrument of national policy. The pact was to enter into force on July 24, 1929. On February 9, 1929, even before the pact officially entered into force, the so-called Litvinov Protocol was signed in Moscow - the Moscow Protocol on the early entry into force of the obligations of the Briand-Kellogg Pact between the USSR, Poland, Romania, Estonia and Latvia. On April 1, 1929, Turkey joined it and on April 5, Lithuania.

On July 25, 1932, the Soviet Union and Poland conclude a non-aggression pact. Thus, Poland is to some extent freed from the threat from the East.

With the coming to power of the National Socialist Workers' Party led by Adolf Hitler in 1933, Germany begins to ignore all the restrictions of the Treaty of Versailles - in particular, it restores conscription and rapidly increases the production of weapons and military equipment. October 14, 1933 Germany leaves the League of Nations and refuses to participate in the Geneva Conference on Disarmament. On January 26, 1934, the Non-Aggression Pact was signed between Germany and Poland. On July 24, 1934, Germany made an attempt to carry out the Anschluss of Austria, instigating an anti-government putsch in Vienna, but was forced to abandon its plans due to the sharply negative position of the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, who moved four divisions to the Austrian border.

In the 1930s, Italy pursued an equally aggressive foreign policy. On October 3, 1935, she invades Ethiopia and by May 1936 captures it (see: Italian-Ethiopian War). In 1936, the Italian Empire was proclaimed. The Mediterranean Sea is declared "Our Sea" (lat. Mare nostrum). The act of unreasonable aggression provokes discontent among the Western powers and the League of Nations. The deterioration of relations with the Western powers is pushing Italy towards a rapprochement with Germany. In January 1936, Mussolini agrees in principle to the annexation of Austria by the Germans, provided they refuse to expand on the Adriatic. On March 7, 1936, German troops occupy the Rhine Demilitarized Zone. Great Britain and France do not offer this effective resistance, limiting themselves to a formal protest. On November 25, 1936, Germany and Japan conclude the Anti-Comintern Pact on a joint struggle against communism. Italy joins the pact on November 6, 1937.

British Prime Minister Chamberlain and Hitler signed a declaration of non-aggression and peaceful settlement of disputes between Great Britain and Germany on September 30, 1938. In 1938, Chamberlain met with Hitler three times, and after meeting in Munich he returned home with his famous statement "I brought you peace!"

In March 1938, Germany freely annexes Austria (see: Anschluss).

Georges Bonnet, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the French Republic, and Joachim Ribbentrop, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the German Reich, on December 6, 1938, sign the Franco-German Declaration.

In October 1938, as a result of the Munich Agreement, Germany annexed the Sudetenland that belonged to Czechoslovakia. England and France give their consent to this act, and the opinion of Czechoslovakia itself is not taken into account. On March 15, 1939, Germany, in violation of the agreement, occupies the Czech Republic (see German occupation of the Czech Republic). A German protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia was created on Czech territory. Hungary and Poland participate in the partition of Czechoslovakia. Slovakia is declared an independent pro-Nazi state. On February 24, 1939, Hungary joins the Anti-Comintern Pact, on March 27 - Spain, where Francisco Franco came to power after the end of the civil war.

Until now, Germany's aggressive actions have not met with serious resistance from Great Britain and France, which do not dare to start a war and are trying to save the Versailles Treaty system with reasonable, from their point of view, concessions (the so-called "policy of appeasement"). However, after Hitler's violation of the Munich Treaty in both countries, the need for a tougher policy is becoming increasingly recognized, and in the event of further German aggression, Great Britain and France give military guarantees to Poland. After the capture of Albania by Italy on April 7-12, 1939, Romania and Greece received the same guarantees.

As MI Meltyukhov believes, objective conditions also made the Soviet Union an enemy of the Versailles system. Due to the internal crisis caused by the events of the First World War, the October Revolution and the Civil War, the level of the country's influence on European and world politics has significantly decreased. At the same time, the strengthening of the Soviet state and the results of industrialization stimulated the leadership of the USSR to take measures to return the status of a world power. The Soviet government skillfully used official diplomatic channels, the illegal capabilities of the Comintern, social propaganda, pacifist ideas, anti-fascism, assistance to some victims of the aggressors to create the image of the main fighter for peace and social progress. The struggle for "collective security" has become Moscow's foreign policy tactics, aimed at increasing the weight of the USSR in international affairs and at preventing the consolidation of the other great powers without its participation. However, the Munich Agreement clearly showed that the USSR is still far from becoming an equal subject of European politics.

After the war alarm in 1927, the USSR began to actively prepare for war. The possibility of an attack by a coalition of capitalist countries was replicated by official propaganda. In order to have a trained mobilization reserve, the military began to actively and everywhere train the urban population in military specialties, and training in parachutism, aircraft modeling, etc., became widespread (see OSOAVIAKHIM). It was honorable and prestigious to pass the TRP standards (ready for labor and defense), to earn the title and badge of "Voroshilov shooter" for accurate shooting, and, along with the new title "order bearer", there was also the prestigious title "badge".

As a result of the Rapallo agreements and subsequent secret agreements, an aviation training center was created in Lipetsk in 1925, in which German instructors trained German and Soviet cadets. A training center for commanders of tank formations (the secret training center "Kama") was created near Kazan in 1929, in which German instructors also trained German and Soviet cadets. Many graduates of the Kama tank school became outstanding Soviet commanders, including Hero of the Soviet Union, Lieutenant-General of Tank Forces Krivoshein S.M. 30 Reichswehr officers were trained for the German side during the operation of the school. In 1926-1933, German tanks were also tested in Kazan (the Germans called them "tractors" for secrecy). A chemical weapons training center was established in Volsk (Tomka facility). In 1933, after Hitler came to power, all these schools were closed.

On January 11, 1939, the People's Commissariat for Ammunition and the People's Commissariat for Armaments were created. Trucks were painted exclusively in khaki green.

In 1940, the USSR began to tighten the labor regime and increase the working day of workers and employees. All state, cooperative and public enterprises and institutions were transferred from a six-day week to a seven-day week, considering the seventh day of the week - Sunday - a day of rest. The responsibility for absenteeism has increased. On pain of imprisonment, dismissal and transfer to another organization without the permission of the director were prohibited (see "Decree of the Presidium of the USSR Armed Forces of 06/26/1940").

The army hastily adopted and began mass production of the new YAK fighter, without even completing state tests. 1940 is the year of mastering the newest T-34 and KV in production, revision of SVT and adoption of submachine guns.

During the political crisis of 1939, two military-political blocs emerged in Europe: Anglo-French and German-Italian, each of which was interested in an agreement with the USSR.

Poland, having concluded allied treaties with Great Britain and France, which are obliged to help her in the event of German aggression, refuses to make concessions in negotiations with Germany (in particular, on the Polish Corridor).

On August 19, 1939, Molotov agreed to receive Ribbentrop in Moscow to sign the Non-Aggression Pact with Germany. On the same day, an order is sent to the Red Army to increase the number of rifle divisions from 96 to 186.

Under these conditions, on August 23, 1939, in Moscow, the USSR signed a Non-Aggression Pact with Germany. The secret protocol provided for the division of spheres of interest in Eastern Europe, including the Baltic states and Poland.

The USSR, Germany, France, Great Britain and other countries are beginning to prepare for war.

Background of the war in Asia

Japan's occupation of Manchuria and North China began in 1931. On July 7, 1937, Japan begins an offensive deep into China (see Sino-Japanese War).

The expansion of Japan met with active opposition from the great powers. The United Kingdom, the United States and the Netherlands have imposed economic sanctions on Japan. The USSR also did not remain indifferent to the events in the Far East, especially since the Soviet-Japanese border conflicts of 1938-1939 (of which the most famous were the battles at Lake Khasan and the undeclared war at Khalkhin Gol) threatened to escalate into a full-scale war.

In the end, Japan was faced with a serious choice in which direction to continue its further expansion: to the north against the USSR or to the south. The choice was made in favor of the "southern option". On April 13, 1941, an agreement was signed in Moscow between Japan and the USSR on neutrality for a period of 5 years. Japan began preparations for a war against the United States and its allies in the Pacific region (Great Britain, the Netherlands).

On December 7, 1941, Japan strikes at the American naval base at Pearl Harbor. Since December 1941, the Sino-Japanese War has been considered part of World War II.

The first period of the war (September 1939 - June 1941)

Invasion of Poland

On May 23, 1939, a meeting was held in Hitler's office in the presence of a number of senior officers. It was noted that “the Polish problem is closely linked with the inevitable conflict with Britain and France, a quick victory over which is problematic. At the same time, Poland is unlikely to be able to play the role of a barrier against Bolshevism. At present, the task of German foreign policy is to expand living space to the East, ensure a guaranteed food supply and eliminate the threat from the East. Poland should be captured at the first opportunity. "

On August 31, the German press reported: "... on Thursday at about 20:00 the premises of the radio station in Gleiwitz were seized by the Poles."

On September 1, at 4:45 am, a German training ship, the outdated battleship Schleswig-Holstein, arrived in Danzig on a friendly visit and was enthusiastically greeted by the local population, and opened fire on the Polish fortifications on Westerplatte. German armed forces invade Poland. The troops of Slovakia are taking part in the hostilities on the side of Germany.

On September 1, Hitler in a military uniform speaks in the Reichstag. Hitler cites the Gleiwitz incident to justify the attack on Poland. At the same time, he carefully avoids the term "war", fearing entry into the conflict between England and France, who gave Poland the appropriate guarantees. The order issued by him spoke only of "active defense" against Polish aggression.

On the same day, England and France, under the threat of declaring war, demanded the immediate withdrawal of German troops from Polish territory. Mussolini proposed to convene a conference for a peaceful solution of the Polish question, which met with support from the Western powers, but Hitler refused, saying that it was useless to represent what was gained by diplomacy that was won by weapons.

On September 1, universal military service was introduced in the Soviet Union. At the same time, the draft age has been reduced from 21 to 19 years, and for some categories - to 18 years. The law immediately took effect and in a short time the size of the army reached 5 million, which was about 3% of the population.

On September 3 at 9 o'clock England, at 12:20 France, as well as Australia and New Zealand declared war on Germany. Within a few days, Canada, Newfoundland, the Union of South Africa and Nepal are joining them. World War II began.

On September 3, in Bromberg, the city of East Prussia, which was transferred to Poland under the Treaty of Versailles, the first massacre on a national basis in the outbreak of war took place. In the city, the population of which was 3/4 of the Germans, of their number, the Poles killed at least 1,100 people, which was the last of the pogroms that had been going on for a month.

The offensive of the German troops developed according to plan. The Polish forces proved to be a weak military force in comparison with the coordinated tank formations and the Luftwaffe. However, on the Western Front, the allied Anglo-French troops are not taking any active action (see Strange War). Only at sea did the war begin immediately: on September 3, the German submarine U-30 attacked the British passenger liner Atenia without warning.

In Poland, in the first week of fighting, German troops in several places cut through the Polish front and occupied part of Mazovia, western Prussia, the Upper Silesian industrial region and western Galicia. By September 9, the Germans manage to break the Polish resistance along the entire front line and approach Warsaw.

On September 10, the Polish commander-in-chief Edward Rydz-Smigly gave the order for a general retreat to southeastern Poland, but the main part of his troops, unable to withdraw beyond the Vistula, was surrounded. By mid-September, without receiving support from the West, the Polish armed forces cease to exist as a single whole; only local centers of resistance remain.

On September 14, Guderian's 19th Panzer Corps captured Brest from East Prussia. Polish troops under the command of General Plisovsky defended the Brest Fortress for several more days. On the night of September 17, its defenders in an organized manner leave the forts and retreat beyond the Bug.

On September 16, the Polish ambassador to the USSR was told that since the Polish state and its government had ceased to exist, the Soviet Union was taking under its protection the life and property of the population of Western Ukraine and Western Belarus.

On September 17 at 6 o'clock in the morning, Soviet troops in two military groups cross the state border. On the same day, Molotov sent the German Ambassador to the USSR Schulenburg congratulations on the "brilliant success of the German Wehrmacht." In the evening of the same day, the Polish government and the high command fled to Romania.

On September 28, the Germans occupy Warsaw. On the same day, the Treaty of Friendship and the Border Between the USSR and Germany was signed in Moscow, which established a line of demarcation between German and Soviet troops on the territory of former Poland along the "Curzon Line".

Part of the western Polish lands becomes part of the Third Reich. These lands are subject to the so-called "Germanization". The Polish and Jewish population is deported from here to the central regions of Poland, where a general government is created. Massive repressions are being carried out against the Polish people. The most difficult is the situation of the Jews driven into the ghetto.

The territories that fell into the zone of influence of the USSR were included in the Ukrainian SSR, the Byelorussian SSR and at that time independent Lithuania. In the territories included in the USSR, Soviet power is established, socialist transformations are carried out (nationalization of industry, collectivization of the peasantry), which is accompanied by deportation and repression in relation to the former ruling classes - representatives of the bourgeoisie, landowners, rich peasants, part of the intelligentsia.

On October 6, 1939, after the end of all hostilities, Hitler came up with a proposal to convene a peace conference with the participation of all major powers to resolve the existing contradictions. France and Great Britain declare that they will agree to the conference only if the Germans immediately withdraw their troops from Poland and the Czech Republic and return their independence to these countries. Germany rejects these conditions, and as a result, the peace conference never took place.

Battle of the Atlantic

Despite the rejection of the peace conference, Great Britain and France from September 1939 to April 1940 continue to wage a passive war and do not undertake any offensive attempts. Active hostilities are being conducted only on sea lanes. Even before the war, the German command sent 2 battleships and 18 submarines to the Atlantic Ocean, which, with the opening of hostilities, began attacks on the merchant ships of Great Britain and its allied countries. From September to December 1939, Great Britain loses 114 ships from attacks by German submarines, and in 1940 - 471 ships, while the Germans in 1939 lost only 9 submarines. The attacks on the sea communications of Great Britain led to the loss of 1/3 of the tonnage of the British merchant fleet by the summer of 1941 and created a serious threat to the country's economy.

During the Soviet-Finnish negotiations of 1938-1939, the USSR is trying to get Finland to surrender part of the Karelian Isthmus. The transfer of these territories tore the Mannerheim Line in the most important direction, Vyborg, as well as the lease of several islands and part of the Hanko (Gangut) peninsula for military use base. Finland, not wanting to cede territory and assume military obligations, insists on concluding a trade agreement and consent to the remilitarization of the Aland Islands. On November 30, 1939, the USSR invades Finland. On December 14, the USSR was expelled from the League of Nations for unleashing a war. When the USSR began to be expelled from the League of Nations, 12 of the 52 states that made up the League did not send their representatives to the conference at all, and 11 did not vote for the exclusion. And among these 11 - Sweden, Norway and Denmark.

From December to February, Soviet troops, consisting of 15 Soviet rifle divisions, made many attempts to break through the Mannerheim Line, defended by 15 Finnish infantry divisions, but they did not achieve much success in this. In the future, there was a continuous build-up of the forces of the Red Army in all directions (in particular, at least 13 divisions were additionally transferred to the Ladoga and North Karelia). The average monthly number of the entire force grouping reached 849 thousand.

Great Britain and France decide to prepare a landing on the Scandinavian Peninsula in order to prevent the capture of the Swedish iron ore deposits by Germany and at the same time to provide ways for the future transfer of their troops to help Finland; also begins the transfer of long-range bomber aviation to the Middle East, for the bombing and seizure of the oil fields of Baku, in the event of England entering the war on the side of Finland. However, Sweden and Norway, striving to maintain neutrality, categorically refuse to accept Anglo-French troops on their territory. On February 16, 1940, British destroyers attack the German ship Altmark in Norwegian territorial waters. On March 1, Hitler, previously interested in maintaining the neutrality of the Scandinavian countries, signed a directive to seize Denmark and Norway (Operation Weserubung) to prevent a possible Allied landing.

In early March 1940, Soviet troops broke through the Mannerheim Line and captured Vyborg. On March 13, 1940, in Moscow, a peace treaty was signed between Finland and the USSR, according to which Soviet requirements were satisfied: the border on the Karelian Isthmus in the Leningrad region was moved to the northwest from 32 to 150 km, a number of islands in the Gulf of Finland went to the USSR.

Despite the end of the war, the Anglo-French command continues to develop a plan for a military operation in Norway, but the Germans manage to get ahead of them.

During the Soviet-Finnish war, the Finns invented the Molotov Cocktail, and the Belka mines were invented.

European Blitzkrieg

In Denmark, the Germans by sea and air assault forces freely occupy all the most important cities and destroy Danish aircraft in a few hours. Under the threat of bombing the civilian population, Danish King Christian X is forced to sign a surrender and orders the army to lay down its arms.

In Norway, on April 9-10, the Germans seize the main Norwegian ports of Oslo, Trondheim, Bergen, Narvik. On April 14, the Anglo-French troops landed near Narvik, on April 16 - in Namsus, on April 17 - in Ondalsnes. On April 19, the Allies launch an offensive against Trondheim, but fail and in early May are forced to withdraw their forces from central Norway. After a series of battles for Narvik, the allies are also evacuated from the northern part of the country in early June. On June 10, 1940, the last units of the Norwegian army surrender. Norway is ruled by the German occupation administration (Reichskommissariat); Denmark, declared a German protectorate, was able to maintain partial independence in internal affairs.

Simultaneously with Germany, British and American troops stabbed Denmark in the back and occupied its overseas territories - the Faroe Islands, Iceland and Greenland.

On May 10, 1940, Germany invades Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg with 135 divisions. The 1st Allied Army Group moves into Belgium, but does not have time to help the Dutch, since the German Army Group "B" makes a swift rush into southern Holland and already on May 12 captures Rotterdam. The Netherlands surrenders on May 15. It was believed that in revenge for the stubborn resistance of the Dutch, which was unexpected for the Germans, Hitler, after signing the act of surrender, ordered Rotterdam to be subjected to massive bombing (eng. BombingofRotterdam), which was not caused by military necessity and led to enormous destruction and casualties among the civilian population. At the Nuremberg trials, it turned out that the bombing of Rotterdam took place on May 14, and the Dutch government surrendered only after the bombing of Rotterdam and the threat of the bombing of Amsterdam and The Hague.

In Belgium, on May 10, German paratroopers seize the bridges over the Albert Canal, which makes it possible for large German tank forces to force it before the Allies approach and reach the Belgian Plain. Brussels fell on May 17.

But the main blow comes from Army Group A. Occupying Luxembourg on 10 May, Guderian's three panzer divisions cross the southern Ardennes and on 14 May cross the Meuse River west of Sedan. At the same time, Hoth's tank corps breaks through the northern Ardennes, which are difficult to pass for heavy equipment, and on May 13 forces the Meuse River north of Dinan. The German armada of tanks is heading west. The belated attacks of the French, for whom the blow of the Germans through the Ardennes is a complete surprise, are unable to contain it. On May 16, parts of Guderian reach the Oise; On May 20, they reach the Pas-de-Calais coast near Abbeville and turn north to the rear of the allied armies. 28 Anglo-French-Belgian divisions are surrounded.

An attempt by the French command to organize a counterattack at Arras on May 21-23 could be successful, but Guderian, at the cost of an almost completely destroyed tank battalion, stops it. On May 22, Guderian cuts off the allies' retreat to Boulogne, on May 23 - to Calais and goes to Gravelin 10 km from Dunkirk, the last port through which the Anglo-French troops could evacuate, but on May 24 he was forced to stop the offensive for two days for a personal Hitler's order ("Miracle at Dunkirk") (according to another version, the reason for the stop was not Hitler's order, but the entry of tanks into the area of ​​action of the British naval artillery, which could shoot them with almost impunity). The respite allows the Allies to strengthen the defenses of Dunkirk and launch Operation Dynamo to evacuate their forces by sea. On May 26, German troops break through the Belgian front in West Flanders, and on May 28, Belgium surrenders, contrary to the demands of the allies. On the same day, in the Lille area, the Germans surround a large French group, which surrenders on May 31. Part of the French troops (114 thousand) and almost the entire British army (224 thousand) were taken out on British ships through Dunkirk. The Germans capture all British and French artillery and armored vehicles, vehicles abandoned by the Allies during the retreat. After Dunkirk, Great Britain was practically unarmed, although it retained the personnel of the army.

On June 5, German troops begin an offensive in the Lan-Abbeville sector. The attempts of the French command to hastily patch up the breach in the defense with unprepared divisions were unsuccessful. The French are losing one battle after another. The French defense disintegrates, and the command hastily withdraws troops to the south.

June 10 Italy declares war on Britain and France. Italian troops invade the southern regions of France, but cannot advance far. On the same day, the French government is evacuated from Paris. On June 11, the Germans cross the Marne at Château-Thierry. On June 14, they entered Paris without a fight, and two days later they left for the Rhone Valley. On June 16, Marshal Pétain forms the new government of France, which already on the night of June 17 appeals to Germany for an armistice. On June 18, French General Charles De Gaulle, who fled to London, calls on the French to continue their resistance. On June 21, the Germans, meeting almost no resistance, reached the Loire on the Nantes-Tours sector, on the same day their tanks occupied Lyon.

On June 22, in Compiegne, in the same carriage in which the surrender of Germany was signed in 1918, the Franco-German armistice was signed, according to which France agrees to the occupation of most of its territory, the demobilization of almost the entire land army and the internment of the navy and aviation. In the free zone, as a result of the coup d'état on July 10, the authoritarian regime of Pétain (Vichy regime) is established, which has set a course for close cooperation with Germany (collaboration). Despite the military weakness of France, the defeat of this country was so sudden and complete that it defied any rational explanation.

The commander-in-chief of the Vishite troops, François Darlan, gives the order to withdraw the entire French fleet to the shores of French North Africa. Fearing that the entire French fleet could fall under the control of Germany and Italy, on July 3, 1940, British naval forces and aircraft, as part of Operation Catapult, attacked French ships in Meers el Kebir. By the end of July, the British have destroyed or neutralized nearly the entire French fleet.

Accession of the Baltic States, Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina to the USSR

Back in the fall of 1939, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania signed agreements of mutual assistance with the USSR, also known as base agreements, in accordance with which Soviet military bases were located on the territory of these countries. On June 17, 1940, the USSR issues an ultimatum to the Baltic states, demanding the resignation of governments, the formation of people's governments in their place, the dissolution of parliaments, the holding of early elections and consent to the introduction of an additional contingent of Soviet troops. In the current situation, the Baltic governments were forced to accept these demands.

After the introduction of additional units of the Red Army into the Baltic States, in mid-July 1940, in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, in the conditions of a significant Soviet military presence, elections to the supreme authorities were held. According to a number of modern researchers, these elections were accompanied by violations. In parallel, mass arrests of Baltic politicians are carried out by the NKVD. On July 21, 1940, the newly elected parliaments, which included a pro-Soviet majority, proclaim the creation of Soviet socialist republics and send petitions to the Supreme Soviet of the USSR to join the Soviet Union. August 3, Lithuanian SSR, August 5 - Latvian SSR, and August 6 - Estonian SSR were admitted to the USSR.

On June 27, 1940, the government of the USSR sends two ultimatum notes to the Romanian government, demanding the return of Bessarabia (annexed in 1812 to the Russian Empire after the victory over Turkey in the Russo-Turkish War of 1806-1812; in 1918, taking advantage of the weakness of Soviet Russia, Romania sent troops to the territory of Bessarabia, and then included it in its structure) and the transfer of Northern Bukovina to the USSR (which was never part of the Russian Empire, but inhabited mainly by Ukrainians) as “compensation for the enormous damage that was caused to the Soviet Union and the population of Bessarabia by the 22-year-old domination of Romania in Bessarabia ". Romania, not counting on support from other states in the event of a war with the USSR, is forced to agree to meet these requirements. On June 28, Romania withdraws its troops and administration from Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina, after which Soviet troops are brought in there. On August 2, the Moldavian SSR was formed on the territory of Bessarabia and part of the territory of the former Moldavian ASSR. Northern Bukovina is organizationally included in the Ukrainian SSR.

Battle of Britain

After the surrender of France, Germany offers Great Britain to make peace, but is refused. On July 16, 1940, Hitler issues a directive to invade Great Britain (Operation Sea Lion). However, the command of the German Navy and ground forces, referring to the power of the British fleet and the Wehrmacht's lack of experience in amphibious operations, requires the Air Force to first ensure air supremacy. Since August, the Germans begin bombing Britain with the aim of undermining its military and economic potential, demoralizing the population, preparing an invasion and ultimately forcing it to surrender. The German Air Force and Navy are systematically attacking British ships and convoys in the English Channel. On September 4, German aircraft began massive bombing of British cities in the south of the country: London, Rochester, Birmingham, Manchester.

Despite the fact that the British suffered heavy losses among the civilian population during the bombing, they essentially manage to win the Battle of Britain - Germany is forced to abandon the landing operation. Since December, the activity of the German Air Force has been significantly reduced due to worsening weather conditions. The Germans did not succeed in achieving their main goal - to withdraw Great Britain from the war.

Battles in Africa, the Mediterranean and the Balkans

After Italy entered the war, Italian troops began fighting for control of the Mediterranean, North and East Africa. On June 11, Italian aircraft attack the British naval base in Malta. On June 13, Italians bombard British bases in Kenya. In early July, Italian troops invade the British colonies of Kenya and Sudan from Ethiopia and Somalia, but due to indecisive actions they cannot advance far. On August 3, 1940, Italian troops invade British Somalia. Using their numerical superiority, they manage to push the British and South African troops across the strait to the British colony of Aden.

After the surrender of France, the administrations of some colonies refused to recognize the Vichy government. In London, General De Gaulle formed the Fighting France movement, which did not recognize the shameful surrender. The British Armed Forces, together with the units of the "Fighting France", begin to fight the Vichy troops for control of the colonies. By September, they manage to peacefully establish control over almost all of French Equatorial Africa. On October 27, the supreme governing body of the French territories occupied by De Gaulle's troops was formed in Brazzaville - the Empire Defense Council. On September 24, British-French troops are defeated by fascist troops in Senegal (Dakar operation). However, in November they manage to capture Gabon (Gabon operation).

On September 13, Italians invade British Egypt from Libya. Having occupied Sidi Barrani on September 16, the Italians stop, and the British retreat to Mersa Matruh. To improve their position in Africa and the Mediterranean, the Italians decide to invade Greece. After the refusal of the Greek government to let Italian troops enter its territory, on October 28, 1940, Italy begins an offensive. The Italians manage to seize part of Greek territory, but by November 8 they were stopped, and on November 14 the Greek army launched a counteroffensive, completely liberating the country and entering Albania.

In November 1940, British aircraft attacked the Italian fleet in Taranto, making it extremely difficult for the Italian troops to transport cargo to North Africa by sea. Taking advantage of this, on December 9, 1940, British troops launched an offensive in Egypt, in January they occupied the whole of Cyrenaica, and by February 1941 they reached the El Ageila area.

In early January, the British also launched an offensive in East Africa. Having recaptured Kassala from the Italians on January 21, they invade Eritrea from Sudan, capture Keren (March 27) Asmara (April 1) and the port of Massawa (April 8). In February, British troops from Kenya infiltrate Italian Somalia; On February 25, they occupy the port of Mogadishu, and then turn north and enter Ethiopia. On March 16, an English assault force lands in British Somalia and soon defeats the Italians there. Emperor Haile Selassie, overthrown by the Italians in 1936, arrives with British troops in Ethiopia. The British are joined by numerous detachments of Ethiopian partisans. On March 17, British and Ethiopian troops occupy Jijiga, March 29 - Harar, April 6 - Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. The Italian colonial empire in East Africa ceases to exist. The remnants of the Italian troops continued to resist in Ethiopia and Somalia until November 27, 1941.

In March 1941, in a naval battle near Crete, the British inflicted another defeat on the Italian fleet. On March 2, British and Australian troops begin to land in Greece. On March 9, Italian troops launched a new offensive against the Greeks, but during six days of fierce fighting, they were completely defeated and were forced to retreat to their original positions by March 26.

Having suffered complete defeat on all fronts, Mussolini is forced to ask Hitler for help. In February 1941, a German expeditionary force under the command of General Rommel arrived in Libya. On March 31, 1941, the Italian-German troops went on the offensive, recaptured Cyrenaica from the British and went to the borders of Egypt, after which the front in North Africa stabilized until November 1941.

Expansion of the block of fascist states. Battles in the Balkans and the Middle East

The US government is gradually beginning to revise its foreign policy. It increasingly actively supports Great Britain, becoming its "non-belligerent ally" (see Atlantic Charter). In May 1940, the US Congress approved an amount of $ 3 billion for the needs of the army and navy, and in the summer - $ 6.5 billion, including $ 4 billion for the construction of a "fleet of two oceans." The supply of weapons and equipment to Great Britain is increasing. On September 2, 1940, the United States transferred 50 destroyers to Great Britain in exchange for the lease of 8 military bases in the British colonies in the Western Hemisphere. According to the law passed by the US Congress on March 11, 1941, on the transfer of military materials to the belligerent countries on loan or lease (see Lend-Lease), Great Britain was allocated $ 7 billion. Later, the lend-lease is extended to China, Greece and Yugoslavia. The North Atlantic has been declared a "patrol zone" for the US Navy, which is simultaneously starting to escort merchant ships bound for the UK.

On September 27, 1940, Germany, Italy and Japan signed the Triple Pact: delimitation of zones of influence in the establishment of a new order and military mutual assistance. At the Soviet-German talks held in November 1940, German diplomats suggested that the USSR join this pact. The Soviet government refuses. Hitler approves the plan of attack on the USSR. For these purposes, Germany begins to look for allies in Eastern Europe. Hungary joins the Triple Alliance on November 20, Romania on November 23, Slovakia on November 24, and Bulgaria, Finland and Spain in 1941. On March 25, 1941, Yugoslavia joins the pact, however, on March 27, a military coup takes place in Belgrade, and the Simovic government comes to power, which declares young Peter II king and proclaims the neutrality of Yugoslavia. On April 5, Yugoslavia concludes a treaty of friendship and non-aggression with the USSR. In view of the undesirable development of events for Germany, Hitler decides to conduct a military operation against Yugoslavia and help Italian troops in Greece.

On April 6, 1941, after a massive bombardment of major cities, railway junctions and airfields, Germany and Hungary invade Yugoslavia. At the same time, Italian troops, with the support of the Germans, are conducting another offensive in Greece. By April 8, the armed forces of Yugoslavia are divided into several parts and actually cease to exist as a whole. On April 9, German troops, passing through Yugoslav territory, enter Greece and capture Thessaloniki, forcing the Greek East Macedonian army to surrender. On April 10, the Germans capture Zagreb. On April 11, the leader of the Croatian Nazis, Ante Pavelic, proclaims the independence of Croatia and calls on the Croats to leave the ranks of the Yugoslav army, which further undermines its combat effectiveness. On April 13, the Germans capture Belgrade. On April 15, the Yugoslav government flees the country. On April 16, German troops enter Sarajevo. On April 16, the Italians occupy Bar and the island of Krk, and on April 17, Dubrovnik. On the same day, the Yugoslav army surrenders, and 344 thousand of its soldiers and officers are captured.

After the defeat of Yugoslavia, the Germans and Italians throw all their forces into Greece. On April 20, the Epirus army surrenders. An attempt by the Anglo-Australian command to create a defensive line at Thermopylae to close the Wehrmacht's path to central Greece was unsuccessful, and on April 20, the Allied command decided to evacuate its forces. On April 21, Janina was taken. On April 23, Tsolakoglu signs an act of general surrender of the Greek armed forces. On April 24, King George II, together with the government, flees to Crete. On the same day, the Germans capture the islands of Lemnos, Pharos and Samothrace. Athens is captured on April 27.

On May 20, the Germans land troops in Crete, which is in the hands of the British. Although the British navy thwarts an attempt by the Germans to deliver reinforcements by sea, on May 21, paratroopers capture the Maleme airfield and ensure the airlift of reinforcements. Despite a stubborn defense, British troops are forced to leave Crete by 31 May. By June 2, the island is fully occupied. But in view of the large losses of German paratroopers, Hitler abandons plans for further landing operations to capture Cyprus and the Suez Canal.

As a result of the invasion, Yugoslavia was dismembered. Germany annexes northern Slovenia, Hungary - western Vojvodina, Bulgaria - Vardar Macedonia, Italy - southern Slovenia, part of the Dalmatian coast, Montenegro and Kosovo. Croatia is declared an independent state under the Italian-German protectorate. The collaborationist government of Nedić is established in Serbia.

After the defeat of Greece, Bulgaria annexes eastern Macedonia and western Thrace; the rest of the country is divided into Italian (western) and German (eastern) occupation zones.

On April 1, 1941, as a result of a coup in Iraq, the pro-German nationalist group Rashid Ali-Gailani seized power. Under an agreement with the Vichy regime, Germany on May 12 will begin transporting military equipment to Iraq through Syria, under the French mandate. But the Germans, busy with preparations for war with the USSR, are not in a position to provide significant assistance to the Iraqi nationalists. British troops invade Iraq and overthrow the Ali-Gailani government. On June 8, the British, together with units of the "Fighting France", invade Syria and Lebanon and by mid-July are forcing the Vichy troops to surrender.

According to the assessments of the leadership of Great Britain and the USSR, there was a threat of being drawn into the side of Germany in 1941 as an active ally of Iran. Therefore, from August 25, 1941 to September 17, 1941, a joint Anglo-Soviet operation was carried out to occupy Iran. Its purpose was to protect Iranian oil fields from their possible capture by German troops and to protect the transport corridor ( south corridor), according to which the allies carried out lend-lease deliveries for the Soviet Union. During the operation, the Allied armed forces invaded Iran and established their control over the railways and oil fields of Iran. At the same time, British troops occupied southern Iran. Soviet troops occupied northern Iran.

Asia

In China, the Japanese captured the southeastern part of the country in 1939-1941. China, due to the difficult internal political situation in the country, could not provide a serious rebuff (see: The Civil War in China). After the surrender of France, the administration of French Indochina recognized the Vichy government. Thailand, taking advantage of the weakening of France, made territorial claims to part of French Indochina. In October 1940, Thai troops invaded French Indochina. Thailand managed to inflict a number of defeats on the Vichy army. On May 9, 1941, under pressure from Japan, the Vichy regime was forced to sign a peace treaty, according to which Laos and part of Cambodia ceded to Thailand. After the Vichy regime lost a number of colonies in Africa, there was also a threat of the capture of Indochina by the British and De Gaulleans. To prevent this, in June 1941, the fascist government agreed to the introduction of Japanese troops into the colony.

Second period of the war (June 1941 - November 1942)

Prehistory of the invasion of the USSR

In June 1940, Hitler orders the preparations for an attack on the USSR to begin, and the OKH on 22 July begins developing a plan of attack, codenamed Operation Barbarossa. On July 31, 1940, at a meeting with the high command at the Berghof, Hitler declared:

[…] The hope of England is Russia and America. If hope for Russia falls away, America will also fall away, for the falling away of Russia will unpleasantly increase the importance of Japan in East Asia, Russia is the East Asian sword of England and America against Japan. […] Russia is the factor that England is most committed to. Something like that happened in London! The British were already completely down *, and now they are up again. From listening to the conversations, it is clear that Russia is unpleasantly struck by the rapid course of developments in Western Europe. […] But if Russia is defeated, England's last hope will fade away. Then Germany will become the ruler of Europe and the Balkans. Solution: This clash with Russia must be ended. In the spring of the 41st. […] * Below (eng.)

On December 18, 1940, the "Barbarossa" plan was approved by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Wehrmacht by Directive No. 21. The approximate deadline for the completion of military preparations is May 15, 1941. From the end of 1940, a gradual transfer of German troops to the borders of the USSR began, the intensity of which increased sharply after May 22. The German command tried to create the impression that this was a diversionary maneuver and "the main task for the summer period remains the operation to invade the islands, and measures against the East are only defensive in nature and their scope depends only on Russian threats and military preparations." A disinformation campaign began against Soviet intelligence, which received numerous conflicting reports about the timing (late April - early May, April 15, May 15 - early June, May 14, late May, May 20, early June, etc.) and the conditions of war ( after and before the start of the war with England, various requirements for the USSR before the start of the war, etc.).

In January 1941, the USSR held headquarters games under the general title "Offensive Operation of the Front with a Breakthrough of the UR", in which the actions of a large strike group of Soviet troops from the state border of the USSR in the direction (respectively) of Poland - East Prussia and Hungary - Romania were considered. The development of defense plans was not carried out until June 22.

On March 27, a coup takes place in Yugoslavia and anti-German forces come to power. Hitler decides to conduct an operation against Yugoslavia and help Italian troops in Greece, postponing the spring attack on the USSR until June 1941.

In late May - early June, the USSR holds training camps, according to which 975,870 persons liable for military service were to be called up for a period of 30 to 90 days. Some historians see this as an element of hidden mobilization in a difficult political situation - thanks to them, rifle divisions in the border and internal districts received 1,900-6,000 people each, and the number of about 20 divisions has practically reached the wartime staffing table. Other historians do not associate fees with the political situation and explain them by retraining the staff "in the spirit of modern requirements." Some historians find in the collections signs of the USSR preparing for an attack on Germany.

On June 10, 1941, the Commander-in-Chief of the German Ground Forces, Field Marshal Walter von Brauchitsch, issued an order on the date for the start of the war against the USSR - June 22.

On June 13, directives were sent to the western districts ("To increase combat readiness ...") on the beginning of the advancement of units of the first and second echelons to the border, at night and under the guise of exercises. On June 14, 1941, a TASS report was issued that there was no reason for a war with Germany and that rumors that the USSR was preparing for a war with Germany were false and provocative. Simultaneously with the TASS report, a massive covert transfer of Soviet troops to the western borders of the USSR begins. On June 18, an order was issued to bring some parts of the western districts to full combat readiness. On June 21, after receiving several reports of tomorrow's attack, at 23:30, Directive No. 1 was sent to the troops, containing the probable date of the German attack and the order to be on alert. By June 22, Soviet troops were not deployed and began the war divided into three unconnected operational echelons.

Some historians (Viktor Suvorov, Mikhail Meltyukhov, Mark Solonin) consider the movement of Soviet troops to the border not as a defensive measure, but as a preparation for an attack on Germany, calling different dates for the attack: July 1941, 1942. They also put forward the thesis of Germany's preventive war against the USSR. Their opponents argue that there is no evidence of preparation for an attack, and all signs of preparation allegedly for an attack are preparation for war as such, regardless of attack or repulse aggression.

Invasion of the USSR

On June 22, 1941, Germany, with the support of its allies - Italy, Hungary, Romania, Finland and Slovakia - invaded the USSR. The Soviet-German war began, in Soviet and Russian historiography referred to as the Great Patriotic War.

German troops deliver a powerful surprise strike along the entire western Soviet border with three large army groups: North, Center and South. On the very first day, a significant part of Soviet ammunition, fuel and military equipment was destroyed or captured; destroyed about 1200 aircraft. On June 23-25, Soviet fronts try to launch counter-attacks, but fail.

By the end of the first decade of July, German troops captured Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, a significant part of Ukraine and Moldova. The main forces of the Soviet Western Front were defeated in the Bialystok-Minsk battle.

The Soviet North-Western Front was defeated in a border battle and driven back. However, the Soviet counterattack at Soltsy on July 14-18 led to the suspension of the German offensive on Leningrad for almost 3 weeks.

On June 25, Soviet planes bombed Finnish airfields. On June 26, Finnish troops launched a counteroffensive and soon regained the Karelian Isthmus, previously captured by the Soviet Union, without crossing the old historical Russian-Finnish border on the Karelian Isthmus (north of Lake Ladoga, the old border was crossed to a great depth). On June 29, German-Finnish troops launched an offensive in the Arctic, but the advance into Soviet territory was stopped.

In the Ukraine, the Soviet Southwestern Front is also defeated and driven back from the border, but the Soviet mechanized corps counterattack does not allow German troops to make a deep breakthrough and capture Kiev.

In a new offensive in the central sector of the Soviet-German front, undertaken on July 10, Army Group Center seized Smolensk on July 16 and surrounded the main forces of the re-established Soviet Western Front. In the wake of this success, and also taking into account the need to support the offensive on Leningrad and Kiev, on July 19, Hitler, despite the objections of the army command, gave the order to transfer the direction of the main attack from the Moscow direction to the south (Kiev, Donbass) and north (Leningrad). In accordance with this decision, the tank groups advancing on Moscow were withdrawn from the Center group and directed to the south (2nd tank group) and north (3rd tank group). The offensive on Moscow was to be continued by the infantry divisions of Army Group Center, but the battle in the Smolensk region continued, and on 30 July Army Group Center was ordered to go over to the defensive. Thus, the attack on Moscow has been postponed.

On August 8-9, Army Group North resumed its offensive against Leningrad. The front of the Soviet troops was cut, they were forced to retreat in diverging directions to Tallinn and Leningrad. The defense of Tallinn pinned down part of the German forces, but on August 28, Soviet troops were forced to begin evacuation. September 8, with the capture of Shlisselburg, German troops take Leningrad in the ring.

However, a new German offensive with the aim of capturing Leningrad, undertaken on September 9, did not lead to success. In addition, the main shock formations of Army Group North were soon to be released for a new offensive against Moscow.

Unable to take Leningrad, Army Group North launched an offensive in the Tikhvin direction on October 16, intending to link up with Finnish troops east of Leningrad. However, a counterattack by Soviet troops near Tikhvin stops the enemy.

In the Ukraine, in early August, the troops of Army Group South cut off from the Dnieper and encircle two Soviet armies near Uman. However, they again failed to capture Kiev. Only after the turn of the troops of the southern flank of Army Group Center (2nd Army and 2nd Panzer Group) to the south did the position of the Soviet Southwestern Front deteriorate sharply. The German 2nd Panzer Group, repelling the counterstrike of the Bryansk Front, crosses the Desna and on September 15 joins up with the 1st Panzer Group, which was advancing from the Kremenchug bridgehead. As a result of the battle for Kiev, the Soviet South-Western Front was completely defeated.

The catastrophe near Kiev opened the way for the Germans to the south. On October 5, the 1st Panzer Group reached the Sea of ​​Azov near Melitopol, cutting off the troops of the Southern Front. In October 1941, German troops captured almost the entire Crimea, except for Sevastopol.

The defeat in the south opened the way for the Germans to Donbass and Rostov. On October 24, Kharkov fell, by the end of October, the main cities of Donbass were occupied. Taganrog fell on October 17. On November 21, 1st Panzer Army entered Rostov-on-Don, thus achieving the objectives of the Barbarossa plan in the south. However, on November 29, Soviet troops knock the Germans out of Rostov (See Rostov operation (1941)). Until the summer of 1942, the front line in the south was established at the turn of the river. Mius.

On September 30, 1941, German troops begin an offensive against Moscow. As a result of deep breakthroughs by German tank formations, the main forces of the Soviet Western, Reserve and Bryansk fronts were surrounded in the Vyazma and Bryansk areas. In total, more than 660 thousand people were captured.

The remnants of the Western and Reserve Fronts on October 10 are united into a single Western Front under the command of General of the Army G.K. Zhukov.

On November 15-18, German troops renewed their offensive against Moscow, but by the end of November they were stopped in all directions.

On December 5, 1941, the Kalinin, Western and Southwestern Fronts launched a counteroffensive. The successful advance of Soviet troops forces the enemy to go over to the defensive along the entire front line. In December, as a result of an offensive, the troops of the Western Front liberated Yakhroma, Klin, Volokolamsk, Kaluga; Kalinin Front liberates Kalinin; Southwestern Front - Efremov and Yelets. As a result, by the beginning of 1942 the Germans were thrown back 100-250 km to the west. The defeat at Moscow was the first major defeat for the Wehrmacht in this war.

The success of the Soviet troops near Moscow prompts the Soviet command to launch a large-scale offensive. On January 8, 1942, the forces of the Kalinin, Western and Northwestern Fronts went over to the offensive against the German Army Group Center. They fail to complete the assigned task, and after several attempts, by mid-April, they have to stop the offensive, having suffered heavy losses. The Germans retain the Rzhev-Vyazemsky bridgehead, which poses a danger to Moscow. The attempts of the Volkhov and Leningrad fronts to unblock Leningrad were also unsuccessful and led to the encirclement in March 1942 of part of the forces of the Volkhov front.

Japanese offensive in the Pacific

On December 7, 1941, Japan strikes at the American naval base at Pearl Harbor. During the attack, which involved 441 aircraft based on six Japanese aircraft carriers, 8 battleships, 6 cruisers and more than 300 US aircraft were sunk and seriously damaged. Thus, in one day, most of the battleships of the US Pacific Fleet were destroyed. In addition to the United States, the next day, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands (government in exile), Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Union of South Africa, Cuba, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Honduras and Venezuela declare war on Japan. On December 11, Germany and Italy, and on December 13 - Romania, Hungary and Bulgaria - declare war on the United States.

On December 8, the Japanese blockade the British military base in Hong Kong and begin the invasion of Thailand, British Malaya and the American Philippines. The British squadron, which has entered the interception, is subjected to air strikes, and two battleships - the British strike force in this region of the Pacific Ocean - are sinking.

Thailand, after a short resistance, agrees to conclude a military alliance with Japan and declares war on the United States and Great Britain. Japanese aircraft from Thailand begin bombing Burma.

On December 10, the Japanese captured the American base on the island of Guam, on December 23, on Wake Island, and on December 25, Hong Kong fell. On December 8, the Japanese break through the British defenses in Malaya and, with a swift advance, push the British forces back to Singapore. Singapore, which until then the British considered "an impregnable fortress", fell on February 15, 1942, after a 6-day siege. About 70,000 British and Australian soldiers are captured.

In the Philippines, at the end of December 1941, the Japanese capture the islands of Mindanao and Luzon. The remnants of American troops manage to gain a foothold on the Bataan Peninsula and Corregidor Island.

On January 11, 1942, Japanese troops invade the Dutch East Indies and soon seize the islands of Borneo and Celebes. On January 28, the Japanese fleet defeats an Anglo-Dutch squadron in the Java Sea. The allies are trying to create a powerful defense on the island of Java, but surrender by March 2.

On January 23, 1942, the Japanese captured the Bismarck archipelago, including the island of New Britain, and then captured the western part of the Solomon Islands, in February - the Gilbert Islands, and invaded New Guinea in early March.

On March 8, advancing in Burma, the Japanese captured Rangoon, at the end of April - Mandalay, and by May they captured almost all of Burma, defeating British and Chinese troops and cutting off southern China from India. However, the beginning of the rainy season and lack of strength did not allow the Japanese to build on their success and invade India.

On May 6, the last grouping of American and Filipino forces in the Philippines surrenders. By the end of May 1942, Japan, at the cost of minor losses, manages to establish control over Southeast Asia and Northwest Oceania. American, British, Dutch, and Australian forces are crushingly defeated, having lost all of their main forces in the region.

Second stage of the Battle of the Atlantic

Since the summer of 1941, the main goal of the actions of the German and Italian fleets in the Atlantic has been the destruction of merchant ships in order to hinder the delivery of weapons, strategic raw materials and food to Great Britain. The German and Italian command uses mainly submarines in the Atlantic, which operate on the communications linking Great Britain with North America, the African colonies, the Union of South Africa, Australia, India and the USSR.

From the end of August 1941, in accordance with an agreement between the governments of Great Britain and the USSR, mutual military deliveries began through the Soviet northern ports, after which a significant part of German submarines began to operate in the North Atlantic. In the fall of 1941, even before the United States entered the war, German submarine attacks on American ships were noted. In response, the US Congress on November 13, 1941, adopts two amendments to the neutrality law, according to which the ban on the entry of American ships into war zones is lifted and it is allowed to arm merchant ships.

With the strengthening of anti-submarine defense on communications in July-November, the losses of the merchant fleet of Great Britain, its allies and neutral countries are significantly reduced. In the second half of 1941 they amounted to 172.1 thousand gross tons, which is 2.8 times less than in the first half of the year.

However, the German fleet soon seized the initiative for a short time. After the United States entered the war, a significant part of German submarines began to operate in the coastal waters of the Atlantic coast of America. In the first half of 1942, the losses of Anglo-American ships in the Atlantic increased again. But the improvement of anti-submarine defense methods has allowed the Anglo-American command, since the summer of 1942, to improve the situation on the Atlantic sea communications, to deliver a series of retaliatory strikes to the German submarine fleet and push it back to the central regions of the Atlantic.

German submarines operate practically throughout the entire Atlantic Ocean: off the coast of Africa, South America, in the Caribbean. On August 22, 1942, after the Germans sank a number of Brazilian ships, Brazil declares war on Germany. After that, fearing an unwanted reaction from other countries in South America, German submarines reduce their activity in the region.

In general, despite a number of successes, Germany was never able to disrupt Anglo-American shipping. In addition, in March 1942, British aircraft began strategic bombing of important economic centers and cities in Germany, allied and occupied countries.

Mediterranean-African campaigns

In the summer of 1941, all German aviation operating in the Mediterranean was transferred to the Soviet-German front. This facilitates the tasks of the British, who, taking advantage of the passivity of the Italian fleet, seize the initiative in the Mediterranean. By mid-1942, the British, despite a series of setbacks, completely disrupt the sea communication between Italy and Italian troops in Libya and Egypt.

By the summer of 1941, the position of British forces in North Africa had improved significantly. This is largely due to the complete defeat of the Italians in Ethiopia. The British command now gets the opportunity to transfer forces from East Africa to North.

Taking advantage of the favorable situation, the British troops on November 18, 1941 went over to the offensive. On November 24, the Germans tried to launch a counterstrike, but it ended in failure. The British unblock Tobruk and, developing an offensive, occupy El Ghazal, Derna and Benghazi. By January, the British again take possession of Cyrenaica, but their troops are dispersed over a vast area, which Rommel took advantage of. On January 21, the Italo-German troops go on the offensive, break through the British defenses and rush to the northeast. At El Ghazal, however, they were stopped, and the front stabilized again for 4 months.

On May 26, 1942, Germany and Italy renew their offensive in Libya. The British suffer heavy losses and are forced to retreat again. On June 21, the English garrison in Tobruk surrenders. The Italian-German troops continue to successfully advance and on July 1 they are approaching the British defensive line at El Alamein, 60 km from Alexandria, where, due to heavy losses, they are forced to stop. In August, the British command in North Africa is replaced. On August 30, Italian-German forces again try to break through the British defenses near El Khalfa, but fail completely, which becomes a turning point in the entire campaign.

On October 23, 1942, the British went on the offensive, broke through the enemy's defenses and by the end of November liberated the entire territory of Egypt, entered Libya and occupied Cyrenaica.

Meanwhile, in Africa, fighting continues for the French colony of Madagascar, which was under Vichy rule. The reason for the conduct of hostilities against the former ally's colony for Great Britain was the potential threat of the use of Madagascar by German submarines as a base for operations in the Indian Ocean. On May 5, 1942, British and South African troops land on the island. French troops show stubborn resistance, but by November they are forced to surrender. Madagascar comes under the control of the Free French.

On November 8, 1942, the US-British landing begins in French North Africa. The next day, the commander-in-chief of the Vichy forces, François Darlan, negotiates an alliance and ceasefire with the Americans and assumes full power in French North Africa. In response, the Germans, with the consent of the Vichy government, occupy the southern part of France and begin the transfer of troops to Tunisia. On November 13, the allied forces begin an offensive into Tunisia from Algeria, on the same day the British captured Tobruk. The allies reached western Tunisia and by November 17 they faced German troops, where by that time the Germans had managed to occupy the eastern part of Tunisia. By November 30, due to bad weather, the front line stabilized until February 1943.

Creation of the Anti-Hitler Coalition

Immediately after the German invasion of the USSR, representatives of Great Britain and the United States declared their support for the Soviet Union and began to provide him with economic assistance. On January 1, 1942, in Washington, representatives of the USSR, the USA, Great Britain and China signed the Declaration of the United Nations, thereby laying the foundations of the Anti-Fascist Coalition. Later, 22 more countries joined it.

Eastern Front: Second German Large-Scale Offensive

Both the Soviet and German sides expected from the summer of 1942 the implementation of their offensive plans. Hitler focused the main efforts of the Wehrmacht on the southern sector of the front, pursuing primarily economic goals.

The strategic plan of the Soviet command for 1942 was that “ consistently carry out a series of strategic operations in different directions in order to force the enemy to disperse his reserves, not to allow him to create a strong grouping to repel the offensive in any of the points».

The main efforts of the Red Army, according to the plans of the Supreme Command Headquarters, were supposed to be concentrated on the central sector of the Soviet-German front. It was also planned to carry out an offensive near Kharkov, in the Crimea and to break the blockade of Leningrad.

However, the offensive near Kharkov undertaken by the Soviet troops in May 1942 ended in failure. German troops were able to parry the blow, defeated the Soviet troops and themselves went on the offensive. The Soviet troops also suffered a crushing defeat in the Crimea. For 9 months, Soviet sailors held Sevastopol, and by July 4, 1942, the remnants of Soviet troops were evacuated to Novorossiysk. As a result, the defense of the Soviet troops in the southern sector was weakened. Taking advantage of this, the German command launched a strategic offensive in two directions: Stalingrad and the Caucasus.

After fierce battles near Voronezh and in the Donbass, the German forces of Army Group B managed to break into the great bend of the Don. In mid-July, the Battle of Stalingrad began, in which the Soviet troops, at the cost of heavy losses, managed to pin down the enemy's strike group.

Army Group A, attacking the Caucasus, took Rostov-on-Don on 23 July and continued its offensive on the Kuban. On August 12, Krasnodar was taken. However, in battles in the foothills of the Caucasus and near Novorossiysk, Soviet troops managed to stop the enemy.

Meanwhile, in the central sector, the Soviet command undertook a major offensive operation to defeat the Rzhev-Sychev enemy grouping (9th Army of Army Group Center). However, the Rzhev-Sychev operation, carried out from July 30 to the end of September, was not crowned with success.

It was also not possible to break through the blockade of Leningrad, although the Soviet offensive forced the German command to abandon the storming of the city.

Third period of the war (November 1942 - June 1944)

The turning point on the Eastern Front

On November 19, 1942, the Red Army launched a counteroffensive near Stalingrad, as a result of which it was possible to encircle and defeat two German, two Romanian and one Italian armies.

Even the failure of the Soviet offensive in the central sector of the Soviet-German front (Operation Mars) does not lead to an improvement in Germany's strategic position.

In early 1943, Soviet troops launched a counteroffensive along the entire front. The blockade of Leningrad was broken, Kursk and many other cities were liberated. In February-March, Field Marshal Manstein again intercepts the initiative from the Soviet troops and throws them back in some areas of the southern direction, but he fails to build on his success.

In July 1943, the German command for the last time tries to regain the strategic initiative in the battle of Kursk, but it ends in a serious defeat for the German troops. The retreat of German troops began along the entire front line - they had to leave Oryol, Belgorod, Novorossiysk. The battles for Belarus and Ukraine begin. In the battle for the Dnieper, the Red Army inflicts another defeat on Germany, liberating the Left-Bank Ukraine and Crimea.

At the end of 1943 - the first half of 1944, the main hostilities took place in the southern sector of the front. The Germans leave the territory of Ukraine. The Red Army in the south goes to the border of 1941 and enters the territory of Romania.

Anglo-American landing in Africa and Italy

On November 8, 1942, a large Anglo-American assault force lands in Morocco. Having overcome the weak resistance of the troops controlled by the Vichy government, by the end of November, having overcome 900 km, they entered Tunisia, where by that time the Germans had transferred part of their troops from Western Europe.

Meanwhile, the British army goes on the offensive in Libya. The Italian-German troops located here could not hold out at El Alamein and by February 1943, having suffered heavy losses, they were retreating to Tunisia. On March 20, the combined Anglo-American forces launch an offensive deep into Tunisia. The Italian-German command is trying to evacuate their troops to Italy, but by that time the British fleet completely owned the Mediterranean and cut off all retreat paths. On May 13, Italian-German troops surrender.

On July 10, 1943, the Allies land in Sicily. The Italian troops located here surrender almost without a fight, and the German 14th Panzer Corps resisted the allies. On July 22, American forces captured the city of Palermo, and the Germans retreated northeast of the island to the Strait of Messina. By August 17, the German units, having lost all armored vehicles and heavy weapons, crossed over to the Apennine Peninsula. Simultaneously with the landing in Sicily, the Free French forces landed in Corsica (Operation Vesuvius). The defeat of the Italian army sharply worsens the situation in the country. Dissatisfaction with the Mussolini regime is growing. King Victor Emmanuel III decides to arrest Mussolini and puts the government of Marshal Badoglio at the head of the country.

In September 1943, Anglo-American troops land in the south of the Apennine Peninsula. Badoglio signs a truce with them and announces the withdrawal of Italy from the war. However, taking advantage of the confusion of the allies, Hitler frees Mussolini, and the puppet state of the Republic of Salo is created in the north of the country.

US and British forces advance north in the fall of 1943. On October 1, the allies and Italian partisans liberated Naples, by November 15, the allies broke through the German defenses on the Volturno River and crossed it. By January 1944, the Allies had reached the German fortifications of the Winter Line near Monte Cassino and the Garigliano River. In January, February and March 1944, they attacked German positions three times in order to break through the enemy's defenses on the Garigliano River and enter Rome, but due to worsening weather and heavy rains, they failed and the front line stabilized until May. At the same time, on 22 January, the Allies land troops at Anzio, south of Rome. In Anzio, the Germans launched unsuccessful counterattacks. By May, the weather improved On May 11, the Allies launched an offensive (Battle of Monte Cassino), they broke through the German defenses at Monte Cassino and on May 25 joined up with an earlier landing at Anzio. On June 4, 1944, the Allies liberated Rome.

In January 1943, at the Casablanca Conference, it was decided to start strategic bombing of Germany by joint Anglo-American forces. The targets of the bombing were to be both the objects of the military industry and the cities of Germany. The operation was codenamed "Point Blank".

In July-August 1943, Hamburg was subjected to a massive bombardment. The first massive raid on targets deep in Germany was the double raid on Schweinfurt and Regensburg on 17 August 1943. Units of unguarded bombers were unable to protect themselves from attacks by German fighters, and the losses were significant (about 20%). Such losses were deemed unacceptable and the 8th Air Force halted air operations over Germany until the arrival of P-51 Mustang fighters with sufficient range to reach Berlin and back.

Guadalcanal. Asia

From August 1942 to February 1943, Japanese and American forces fought for control of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands archipelago. In this battle of attrition, the United States ultimately prevails. The need to send reinforcements to Guadalcanal weakens Japanese forces in New Guinea, which contributes to the liberation of the island from Japanese forces, which ends in early 1943.

In late 1942 and throughout 1943, British forces launched several unsuccessful counter-offensives in Burma.

In November 1943, the Allies manage to capture the Japanese island of Tarawa.

Conferences in the third period of the war

The rapid development of events on all fronts, especially on the Soviet-German one, required the Allies to clarify and agree on plans for waging war for the next year. This was done at the November 1943 conference in Cairo and the Tehran conference.

The fourth period of the war (June 1944 - May 1945)

Western front of Germany

On June 6, 1944, the allied forces of the United States, Great Britain and Canada, after two months of distraction, conduct the largest landing operation in history and land in Normandy.

In August, American and French troops landed in southern France, liberating the cities of Toulon and Marseille. On August 25, the allies enter Paris and liberate it together with the French resistance units.

In September, the allied offensive begins on the territory of Belgium. By the end of 1944, the Germans are struggling to stabilize the front line in the west. On December 16, the Germans launched a counteroffensive in the Ardennes, and the Allied command sent reinforcements from other sectors of the front and reserves to the Ardennes. The Germans manage to advance 100 km deep into Belgium, but by December 25, 1944, the German offensive was stalled, and the Allies launched a counteroffensive. By December 27, the Germans did not hold the captured positions in the Ardennes and began to retreat. The strategic initiative irrevocably goes to the allies, in January 1945, German troops launched local diversionary counterattacks in Alsace, which also ended unsuccessfully. After that, American and French troops surrounded the units of the 19th German army near the city of Colmar in Alsace and defeated them by February 9 ("Colmar Cauldron"). The Allies broke through the German fortifications ("Siegfried Line" or "West Wall") and began an invasion of Germany.

In February-March 1945, during the Meuse-Rhine operation, the Allies captured the entire territory of Germany west of the Rhine and crossed the Rhine. German troops, having suffered heavy defeats in the Ardennes and Meuse-Rhine operations, retreated to the right bank of the Rhine. In April 1945, the Allies encircled German Army Group B in the Ruhr and defeated it by April 17, and the Wehrmacht lost the Ruhr Industrial Region, the most important industrial region in Germany.

The Allies continued their advance deep into Germany, and on April 25 they met with Soviet troops on the Elbe. On May 2, British and Canadian forces (21st Army Group) captured the entire northwest of Germany and reached the Danish borders.

After the completion of the Ruhr operation, the freed American units were transferred to the southern flank in the 6th Army Group, to capture the southern regions of Germany and Austria.

On the southern flank, the American and French forces, advancing, captured the south of Germany, Austria, and parts of the 7th American army, crossed the Alps along the Brenner Pass and on May 4 met with the troops of the 15th Allied Army Group advancing in Northern Italy.

In Italy, the Allied offensive advanced very slowly. Despite all attempts, they did not manage to break through the front line and force the Po River at the end of 1944. In April 1945, their offensive resumed, they overcame the German fortifications ("Gothic Line"), and broke into the valley of the Po River.

On April 28, 1945, Italian partisans capture and execute Mussolini. Northern Italy was completely cleared of the Germans only in May 1945.

In the summer of 1944, the Red Army began an offensive along the entire front line. By the fall, almost all of Belarus, Ukraine, and the Baltic States had been cleared of German troops. Only in the west of Latvia, the encircled group of German troops was able to hold out until the end of the war.

As a result of the Soviet offensive in the north, Finland announced its withdrawal from the war. However, German troops refuse to leave the territory of Finland. As a result, the former "brothers in arms" are forced to fight against each other. In August, as a result of the offensive of the Red Army, Romania withdraws from the war, in September - Bulgaria. The Germans begin the evacuation of troops from the territory of Yugoslavia and Greece, where the people's liberation movements take power into their own hands.

In February 1945, the Budapest operation was carried out, after which Germany's last European ally, Hungary, was forced to surrender. An offensive begins in Poland, the Red Army occupies East Prussia.

At the end of April 1945, the Battle of Berlin begins. Realizing their complete defeat, Hitler and Goebbels committed suicide. On May 8, after a stubborn two-week battle for the German capital, the German command signed an act of unconditional surrender. Germany is divided into four zones of occupation: Soviet, American, British and French.

On May 14-15, the last battle of World War II in Europe took place in northern Slovenia, during which the People's Liberation Army of Yugoslavia defeated German troops and numerous collaborators.

Strategic bombing of Germany

When the Pointblank operation (eng. CombinedBomberOffensive) was officially completed on April 1, 1944, with the Allied Air Force on track to gain air superiority over all of Europe. Although strategic bombing continued to some extent, the Allied Air Force switched to tactical bombing as part of the Normandy landings. Only in mid-September 1944, strategic bombing of Germany again became a priority for the Allied Air Force.

Large-scale round-the-clock bombing - by the US Air Force during the day, Great Britain - at night - was the subject of many industrial areas in Germany, mainly the Ruhr, followed by attacks directly on cities such as Kassel (eng. bombingofKasselinWorldWarII), Pforzheim, Mainz and the often criticized raid on Dresden.

Pacific theater of war

In the Pacific, the hostilities were also quite successful for the allies. In June 1944, the Americans took possession of the Mariana Islands. In October 1944, a major battle took place in Leyte Gulf, in which US forces won a tactical victory. In land battles, the Japanese army acted more successfully and they managed to capture all of South China, and join up with their troops, which were operating at that time in Indochina.

Conferences of the fourth period of the war

By the end of the fourth period of the war, the victory of the Allies was no longer in doubt. However, they had to agree on the post-war structure of the world and, first of all, Europe. The discussion of these issues by the heads of the three allied powers took place in February 1945 in Yalta. The decisions taken at the Yalta Conference for many subsequent years determined the course of post-war history.

Fifth period of the war (May 1945 - September 1945)

End of the war with Japan

After the end of the war in Europe, Japan remained the last enemy of the anti-fascist coalition countries. By that time, about 60 countries had declared war on Japan. However, despite the current situation, the Japanese were not going to surrender and declared the war to be waged to a victorious end. In June 1945, the Japanese lost Indonesia and were forced to leave Indochina. On July 26, 1945, the United States, Great Britain and China presented an ultimatum to the Japanese, but it was rejected. On August 6, atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima, and three days later on Nagasaki, and as a result, two cities were almost wiped off the face of the earth. On August 8, the USSR declared war on Japan, and on August 9 launched an offensive and within 2 weeks inflicted a crushing defeat on the Japanese Kwantung Army in Manchuria. On September 2, the act of Japan's unconditional surrender was signed. The largest war in human history is over.

Opinions and ratings

They are extremely ambiguous, which is caused by the great richness of events in a relatively short historical period and a huge number of characters. Leaders often attracted their countries against the opinion of the majority of the population, maneuvering and duplicity were in the order of things.

• The future Reich Chancellor of Germany, Adolf Hitler, announced the need for the Germans to conquer "living space in the East" back in 1925 in his book "Mein Kampf".

• British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, as Minister of War, in 1918 was one of the main supporters and main initiators of the military intervention in Russia, declaring the need to "strangle Bolshevism in the cradle." Since that time, Great Britain and France with their satellites have consistently sought the international isolation of the USSR, as a result of which the Munich Agreement was signed in September 1938, directly called the Munich Agreement by the USSR, which actually freed Hitler's hands for aggression in Eastern Europe. Nevertheless, after the failures of Great Britain and the allies in almost all theaters of military operations and the German attack on the USSR in June 1941, Churchill declared that "to fight the Huns (ie the Germans) he is ready for an alliance with anyone, even with the Bolsheviks." ...

• Already after the German attack on the USSR, Churchill, irritated by the Soviet ambassador Ivan Maisky, who demanded more help than Great Britain could provide, and unequivocally hinted at a possible defeat for the USSR in case of refusal, said:

Here Churchill was lying: after the war he admitted that 150,000 soldiers would have been enough for Hitler to seize Great Britain. However, Hitler's "Continental Politics" demanded first the capture of most of the largest continent, Eurasia.

• Regarding the beginning of the war and the successes of Germany in its initial phase, the head of the Operations Department of the German General Staff, Colonel-General Jodl, Alfred noted:

Results of the war

The Second World War had a huge impact on the fate of mankind. It was attended by 62 states (80% of the world's population). Military operations were conducted on the territory of 40 states. 110 million people were mobilized into the armed forces. The total human losses reached 50-55 million people, of which 27 million people were killed on the fronts. The greatest casualties were suffered by the USSR, China, Germany, Japan and Poland.

Military spending and military losses totaled $ 4 trillion. Material costs reached 60-70% of the national income of the warring states. The industry of the USSR, USA, Great Britain and Germany alone produced 652.7 thousand aircraft (combat and transport), 286.7 thousand tanks, self-propelled guns and armored vehicles, over 1 million artillery pieces, over 4.8 million machine guns (excluding Germany) , 53 million rifles, carbines and machine guns and a huge amount of other weapons and equipment. The war was accompanied by colossal destruction, destruction of tens of thousands of cities and villages, innumerable calamities of tens of millions of people.

As a result of the war, the role of Western Europe in global politics has weakened. The USSR and the USA became the main powers in the world. Great Britain and France, despite the victory, were significantly weakened. The war showed the inability of them and other Western European countries to maintain huge colonial empires. The anti-colonial movement intensified in the countries of Africa and Asia. As a result of the war, some countries were able to achieve independence: Ethiopia, Iceland, Syria, Lebanon, Vietnam, Indonesia. In Eastern Europe, occupied by Soviet troops, socialist regimes were established. One of the main outcomes of the Second World War was the creation of the United Nations on the basis of the Anti-Fascist Coalition, formed during the war, to prevent world wars in the future.

In some countries, partisan movements that developed during the war tried to continue their activities after the end of the war. In Greece, the conflict between the communists and the pre-war government escalated into a civil war. For some time after the end of the war, anti-communist armed groups operated in Western Ukraine, the Baltic States, and Poland. In China, the civil war continued, which lasted there since 1927.

Fascist and Nazi ideologies were declared criminal at the Nuremberg Trials and were banned. In many Western countries, support for the communist parties has grown, thanks to their active participation in the anti-fascist struggle during the war.

Europe was divided into two camps: the western capitalist and the eastern socialist. Relations between the two blocs deteriorated sharply. A couple of years after the end of the war, the Cold War began.

It would seem that the answer to this question is absolutely clear. Any more or less educated European will name the date - September 1, 1939 - the day of the attack of Nazi Germany on Poland. And the more prepared will explain: more precisely, world war began two days later - on September 3, when Great Britain and France, as well as Australia, New Zealand and India declared war on Germany.

True, they did not immediately participate in hostilities, waging a so-called wait-and-see strange war. For Western Europe, the real war began only in the spring of 1940, when German troops invaded Denmark and Norway on April 9, and from May 10 the Wehrmacht launched an offensive in France, Belgium and Holland.

Let us recall that at this time the largest powers in the world - the USA and the USSR - remained out of the war. For this reason alone, doubts arise about the complete justice of the date of the beginning of the planetary massacre established by Western European historiography.

And therefore, I think, by and large, it can be assumed that it would be more correct to consider the date of the involvement of the Soviet Union in hostilities - June 22, 1941, as the starting point of the Second World War. Well, and I have heard from the Americans that the war acquired a truly global character only after the treacherous Japanese attack on the Pacific naval base at Pearl Harbor and Washington's declaration of war on militaristic Japan, Nazi Germany and fascist Italy in December 1941.

However, the most persistent and, say, from their own point of view, convincingly defend the illegality of the world war countdown adopted in Europe from September 1, 1939, Chinese scientists and politicians. I came across this many times at international conferences and symposia, where the Chinese participants invariably defend the official position of their country that the beginning of World War II should be considered the date when militarist Japan unleashed a full-scale war in China - July 7, 1937. There are historians in the "Celestial Empire" who believe that this date should be September 18, 1931 - the beginning of the Japanese invasion of the northeastern provinces of China, then called Manchuria.

One way or another, it turns out that this year the PRC will celebrate the 80th anniversary of the start of not only Japanese aggression against China, but also World War II.

The authors of the collective monograph “Score of World War II. Thunderstorm in the East "(Auth.-comp. A.A. Koshkin. M., Veche, 2010).

In the foreword, the head of the Foundation, Doctor of Historical Sciences N.A. Narochnitskaya notes:

“According to the ideas established in historical science and in the public consciousness, World War II began in Europe with an attack on Poland on September 1, 1939, after which Great Britain was the first of the future victorious powers to declare war on the fascist Reich. However, this event was preceded by large-scale military clashes in other parts of the world, which are unreasonably viewed by Eurocentric historiography as peripheral, and therefore secondary.

By September 1, 1939, a truly world war was already in full swing in Asia. China, fighting Japanese aggression since the mid-1930s, has already lost twenty million lives. In Asia and Europe, the Axis countries - Germany, Italy and Japan - have issued ultimatums for several years, deployed troops, and redrawn borders. Hitler, with the connivance of Western democracies, seized Austria and Czechoslovakia, Italy occupied Albania and waged a war in North Africa, where 200 thousand Abyssinians were killed.

Since the end of World War II is considered the surrender of Japan, the war in Asia is recognized as part of World War II, but the question of its beginning needs a more substantiated definition. The traditional periodization of World War II needs rethinking. In terms of the scale of the redistribution of the world and military operations, in terms of the scale of the victims of aggression, World War II began in Asia long before Germany's attack on Poland, long before the Western powers entered the world war. "

The word in the collective monograph was also given to Chinese scientists. Historians Luan Jinghe and Xu Zhimin note:

“According to one of the generally accepted points of view, the Second World War, which lasted six years, began on September 1, 1939 with the German attack on Poland. Meanwhile, there is a different view of the starting point of this war, in which more than 60 states and regions participated at different times and which disrupted the lives of over 2 billion people around the world. The total number of mobilized from both sides was more than 100 million people, the death toll was more than 50 million. The direct cost of the war was $ 1.352 trillion, and the financial loss reached $ 4 trillion. We are citing these figures to once again indicate the scale of the enormous disasters that the Second World War brought to mankind in the twentieth century.

There is no doubt that the formation of the Western Front meant not only the expansion of the scale of hostilities, it also played a decisive role in the course of the war.

However, an equally important contribution to the victory in World War II was made on the Eastern Front, where the Chinese people waged an eight-year war against the Japanese invaders. This resistance became an important part of the world war.

An in-depth study of the history of the Chinese people's war against the Japanese invaders and understanding its meaning will help to create a more complete picture of World War II.

This is what the proposed article is devoted to, which argues that the real date of the outbreak of World War II should be considered not September 1, 1939, but July 7, 1937 - the day when Japan unleashed a full-scale war against China.

If we accept this point of view and do not strive to artificially divide the Western and Eastern fronts, there will be all the more reasons to call the anti-fascist war ... the Great World War ”.

The author of the article in the collective monograph, a major Russian Sinologist, a full member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, V.S. Myasnikov, who does a lot to restore historical justice, to properly assess the contribution of the Chinese people to the victory over the so-called "Axis countries" - Germany, Japan and Italy, who were striving for the enslavement of peoples and world domination. An authoritative scholar writes:

“As for the outbreak of World War II, there are two main versions: European and Chinese ... Chinese historiography has long argued that it is time to move away from Eurocentrism (which, in essence, is similar to negro people) in assessing this event and admit that the beginning of this war is falling on July 7, 1937 and is associated with the open aggression of Japan against China. Let me remind you that the territory of China is 9.6 million square meters. km, that is, approximately equal to the territory of Europe. By the time the war began in Europe, most of China, where its largest cities and economic centers were located - Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Nanjing, Wuhan, Guangzhou, was occupied by the Japanese. Almost the entire railway network of the country fell into the hands of the invaders, and its sea coast was blocked. Chongqing became the capital of China during the war.

It should be borne in mind that China lost 35 million people in the war of resistance to Japan. The European public is not sufficiently aware of the monstrous crimes of the Japanese military.

So, on December 13, 1937, Japanese troops captured the then capital of China - Nanjing and carried out mass extermination of civilians and robbery of the city. The victims of this crime were 300 thousand people. These and other crimes were convicted by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East at the Tokyo Trial (1946-1948).

But, finally, objective approaches to this problem began to appear in our historiography ... The collective work provides a detailed picture of military and diplomatic moves, which fully confirms the necessity and validity of revising the outdated Eurocentric point of view. "

For my part, I would like to note that the proposed revision will cause resistance from pro-government historians of Japan, who not only do not recognize the aggressive nature of their country's actions in China and the number of victims in the war, but also do not consider the eight-year destruction of the Chinese population and the all-round plundering of China as a war. They stubbornly refer to the Japanese-Chinese war as an "incident" allegedly caused by China, despite the absurdity of such a name of military and punitive actions, during which tens of millions of people were killed. They do not recognize the aggression of Japan in China and an integral part of the Second World War, claiming that they participated in the world conflict, opposing only the United States and Great Britain.

In conclusion, it should be admitted that in our country the contribution of the Chinese people to the victory of the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition in World War II has always been objectively and comprehensively assessed.

High assessments of the heroism and self-sacrifice of Chinese soldiers in this war are also given in modern Russia, both by historians and by the leaders of the Russian Federation. Such assessments are duly contained in the 12-volume work of prominent Russian historians "The Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945" issued by the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation for the 70th anniversary of the Great Victory. Therefore, there is reason to expect that our scientists and politicians, during the measures planned for the upcoming 80th anniversary of the beginning of the Sino-Japanese war, will treat with understanding and solidarity the position of the Chinese comrades, who consider the events that took place in July 1937 to be the starting point that then fell on almost the entire a world of unprecedented planetary tragedy.