The largest military operations of the Second World War. Secret operations of the Second World War

The first period of the war (September 1, 1939 – June 21, 1941).

Second period of the war (June 22, 1941 – November 18, 1942).

Battle of Moscow 1941 - 1942

Third period of the war (November 19, 1942-December 31, 1943).

Battle of Stalingrad 1942 - 1943

Battle of Kursk 1943

Belarusian operation (June 23 - August 29, 1944).

Berlin operation 1945

The fourth period of the war (January 1, 1944 – May 9, 1945).

Fifth period of the war (May 9 – September 2, 1945).

Conclusion

Bibliography

German-Polish War

IN In the pre-war years, Poland pursued a policy directed against the USSR. The Beck government's refusal to allow Soviet troops through its territory in the event of war with Germany contributed to the breakdown of Soviet-British-French negotiations on the creation of a collective security system in Europe.

After the “Munich Agreement” of 1938, Poland took part in the division of Czechoslovakia and tore away Teschen Silesia from it. Subsequently, Poland tried to enter into an alliance with Germany and negotiate with it to create a “Greater Poland from the Baltic to the Black Sea” by separating part of the territory of the Soviet Union.

These plans failed, and Poland itself became Germany's first victim in the outbreak of World War II.

On September 1, 1939, Hitler's Wehrmacht launched two powerful attacks (from the north and south) in the general direction of Warsaw. From the north - Army Group North, consisting of two armies (21 divisions, including 2 tank and 2 motorized). She was supported by the 1st Air Fleet. From the south - Army Group South, consisting of three armies (33 divisions, including 4 tank and 2 motorized). She was supported by the 4th Air Fleet. A small number of divisions of German troops pinned down the Polish Army "Poznan" in the center. In total, 62 divisions were allocated for the war against Poland. The invasion force numbered 1.6 million.

By September 1, 1939, the Polish command had managed to deploy 24 infantry divisions, 8 cavalry divisions, 1 armored motorized division, 3 mountain rifle brigades and 56 national defense battalions. The ground forces had 4,300 artillery pieces and mortars, 220 light tanks and 650 tankettes. The Polish Air Force had 824 aircraft, including only 407 combat-ready. The war plan was defensive.

Military operations in Poland are divided into 3 stages. The 1st stage covers the armed struggle from September 1 to 8, the 2nd - from September 9 to 16, and the 3rd - from September 17 to October 6, 1939.

At the 1st stage, the German Air Force launched surprise attacks on Polish airfields, large administrative centers, railway junctions, and troop concentration areas. Following the air strikes, the ground forces went on the offensive, having superiority in the directions of the main attacks: in tanks - 8 times, in field artillery - 4 times, and in anti-tank artillery - 7 times. Within three days, German divisions broke through the defenses of the Polish armies. Tank and motorized formations began to develop their success in depth. The rate of their advance reached 25 - 30 km per day. At the 2nd stage, the defeat of the encircled Polish troops was completed. By September 16, German armies advancing from the north and south had united in the Wlodawa area, completing the encirclement of Polish troops east of Warsaw. German troops reached the line of Lvov, Vladimir-Volynsky, Brest, Bialystok.

At the 3rd stage, starting from September 17, 1939, Red Army troops, by decision of the USSR Government, entered Polish territory to protect the peoples of Western Ukraine and Western Belarus.

German invasion of Western Europe

Although Great Britain and France declared war on Germany on September 3, 1939, they did not take any military action against it until April 9, 1940. It was the so-called “strange war”. The political circles of France and Great Britain tried to push Germany against the USSR in order to themselves remain on the sidelines. The inaction of the Anglo-French allied armies allowed Germany, after the defeat of Poland, to be well prepared for war against France and Great Britain.

The Allied military leadership believed that defense was the main prerequisite and condition for victory in the war against Germany. It was believed that the Wehrmacht would deliver its main blow through Belgium and Holland. The fortifications of the French Maginot Line were generally considered insurmountable. Allied forces were deployed in three army groups from Switzerland to Dunkirk. On April 9, 1940, Hitler's troops began operations to capture Denmark and Norway, landing sea and airborne assault forces in these countries. Without encountering serious resistance, the Wehrmacht occupied the territories of these states, gaining an important strategic springboard for further expansion of aggression.

The German General Staff planned to deliver the main attack through the Ardennes, and a secondary attack through Holland, Belgium and Northern France. On May 10, German aircraft attacked airfields and the most important centers of Holland, Belgium, and France. Simultaneously with the air strikes, about 4 thousand paratroopers were dropped, who, with the help of the “fifth column,” captured the bridges across the pp. Meuse and Waal, three airfields. To captured airfields transport aircraft 22 thousand soldiers and officers landed. At the same time, ground forces began attacking Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg. They delivered a powerful blow to the center of the Allied armies in the Ardennes, cut the Allied front, pressed the northern enemy group to the English Channel and destroyed it. German tank and mechanized formations entered the operational space. The French command was unable to organize a defense and was forced to begin withdrawing its troops to Paris.

On June 10, fascist Italy entered the war against Great Britain and France. In a week of fighting on two fronts, the French had exhausted all their reserves. On the morning of June 14, Nazi troops entered Paris.

The fighting lasted 40 days and ended in German victory. Belgium, Holland and France capitulated. Their defeat meant the collapse of the anti-Hitler coalition of European states. The French army lost 84 thousand killed, more than 1.5 million soldiers and officers were captured.

On June 22, 1939, in the forest of Compiègne, in the same carriage in which the surrender of Germany after the First World War was signed, Hitler accepted the surrender of France.

The British Expeditionary Force also suffered heavy losses and was evacuated from the continent through the port of Dunkirk.

Military action against Great Britain

To land on the British Isles, the German command planned Operation Seelowe (Sea Lion). On July 16, Directive No. 16 of the Supreme High Command of the Wehrmacht (OKW) was issued on its preparation, in which the landing was scheduled for August 15. According to the 1st version of the Operation Sea Lion plan, up to 38 divisions were to participate in the invasion of Great Britain, of which 6 tank and 3 motorized. Airborne support for the landing was assigned to the 2nd and 3rd air fleets, which had 2.6 thousand aircraft. However, due to a lack of landing assets, the date of the attack was postponed first to September 21, and subsequently to the spring of 1941.

On August 13, 1940, the Germans launched an air offensive against Great Britain. German air raids continued until May 1941. As a result, more than 1 million residential buildings were destroyed, about 40 thousand were killed and 46 thousand were wounded. The British Air Force lost 915 aircraft while repelling air raids, and German aviation (from July to November 1940) lost 1,733 aircraft. But by that time, preparations for the landing in Great Britain and the bombing of its territory had become a screen covering the genuine and carefully developed plans and preparations of Germany for an attack on the Soviet Union.

War in the Balkans

Expanding their expansion on the Balkan Peninsula, Germany and Italy began to conquer Yugoslavia and Greece. For the occupation of Greece, the Italian army was allocated, consisting of two army corps: 87 thousand people, 163 tanks, 686 guns, 380 combat aircraft. In addition, 54 large surface ships (4 battleships, 8 cruisers, 42 destroyers and destroyers) and 34 submarines were involved in the operation. Formations of the 12th German Army, reinforced by the 1st German Tank Group, were advancing on Yugoslavia.

Military operations began on October 28, 1940. On this day, Italian troops crossed the Greek border from Albania on a front of 80 km. The offensive was carried out in separate directions. Greek covering troops, reinforced by five infantry and two cavalry divisions, gave a decisive rebuff to the invaders. Having launched a strong counterattack, on November 5, Greek troops drove the Italians back into Albanian territory.

On November 12, 1940, Hitler signed Directive No. 18 on the preparation of an operation against Northern Greece from Bulgarian territory. By the end of the year, a plan for an attack on Greece was developed under the code name "Marita", closely linked to the Barbarossa plan.

On April 6, 1941, the Wehrmacht operation against Yugoslavia began. Despite stubborn resistance individual parts, by the end of the second day of fighting, Yugoslav troops in the southeast of the country were defeated. German aviation reigned supreme in the air. On April 17, an act of unconditional surrender was signed in Belgrade.

At the same time, on April 6, hostilities began against Greece from Bulgarian territory in the Thessaloniki direction. Greek troops and the English expeditionary force began to retreat. On April 23, Greece capitulated and British troops were evacuated to the island of Crete.

On May 18-20, after conducting an airborne operation, German troops captured the strategically important island of Crete.

By the summer of 1941, Nazi Germany managed, having captured the Balkan Peninsula, to create a southern strategic bridgehead for the implementation of the Barbarossa plan. In France alone, the Germans captured about 5,000 tanks and armored personnel carriers, as well as 3,000 aircraft. Using vehicles captured and produced in France, the German command equipped 92 divisions with vehicles.

Military operations in other theaters of war

With the defeat of the Anglo-French coalition in Europe in early July 1940, the war moved to the African continent, where the struggle for colonies in North and North-East Africa unfolded between Italy and England, with Germany joining it in March 1941. Italian troops in Egypt were unable to achieve significant success, and only after the transfer of the German expeditionary force of General E. Rommel to Libya did the situation begin to change. The British troops were driven back to the borders of Egypt and suffered significant losses. Subsequent military operations in North Africa were carried out with varying success until the end of 1941.

The war in Asia, started by Japan, continued. By the summer of 1941, the Japanese occupiers had penetrated central regions China, invaded its southern provinces, and after the surrender of France captured the northern part of French Indochina. Vast sea and ocean spaces became the arena for the actions of the naval forces of the warring states. Shipping and traditional trade links between many countries were disrupted.

The first period of World War II was the preparatory stage of aggression against the USSR for German fascism. With this

point of view, the capture of Poland meant the creation of bridgeheads against the Soviet Union in the central direction, the occupation of Norway - in the north, the Balkans - in the south. The war against the countries of Western Europe allowed Germany to largely provide a strategic rear.

The first period of World War II lasted about 22 months. During this time, almost 30 states with a population of over 1 billion people were involved in the war. The natural and human resources of many countries were thrown into support of ongoing or planned military operations. In September 1939, more than 10 million people were put under arms in Germany, Poland, France and Great Britain alone.

During the first period of the war, aggression was not stopped. It continued to grow in Europe, Africa and Asia. In Europe, Romania, Hungary, Finland and Bulgaria joined Hitler's Germany. Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Ireland and Turkey, who were outside the war, collaborated with Germany, although to varying degrees, continuing to provide it, as in peacetime, with strategic raw materials, food, and industrial products.

By mid-1941, Nazi Germany had captured and enslaved Belgium, Holland, Greece, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, France, Yugoslavia, inflicted significant losses on the British army, and achieved major operational successes in the area Mediterranean Sea and North Africa. It used the industrial, raw materials, currency and human resources of the occupied countries to prepare aggression against the USSR. 172 divisions were equipped with weapons, military equipment, ammunition, equipment and transport captured there.

The military actions that unfolded in Europe in 1939-1941 revealed a number of features inherent in this period of the war.

Germany managed to implement the “lightning war” strategy. Relatively easy victories over their opponents finally strengthened the faith of the Nazi command in the success of the blitzkrieg and the methods of warfare that it developed and applied on the battlefields. However, during this period of the war, the Wehrmacht conducted operations against relatively militarily weak or passive opponents, which did not provide strong evidence of the inconsistency of the “blitzkrieg” theory. They appeared later, in the war with the Soviet Union.

The outbreak of World War II showed that war could be started without it being declared. The secret mobilization of troops, their concentration, and the creation of strike groups were carried out even before the start of hostilities. The German army was both strategically and tactically ahead of its opponents. Achieving surprise in initial operations was considered the most important condition for the success of the blitzkrieg and was ensured by the entire sum of political, strategic and operational-tactical measures.

The experience of military operations in Europe revealed some features in the organization of armed forces and the use of types and branches of troops. New and most significant was the sharp increase in the technical equipment of the armies of industrially developed countries. The number of types of military equipment entering service with the troops has increased many times, and their motorization has increased. Tanks and aircraft have achieved a significant share in the armed forces. 5.7 thousand tanks and 7.6 thousand combat aircraft took part in the French campaign on both sides.

The experience of armed struggle in Europe has shown that, thanks to the massive use of tanks and aircraft, and the increased motorization of troops, the conditions and nature of military operations have changed significantly. The increase in the mobility of ground forces in the presence of a large number of aviation made it possible to quickly concentrate troops in decisive directions, deliver sudden powerful strikes, and quickly transfer efforts into the depths of the enemy’s defenses or to other directions, which had a great influence on the entire course of military operations.

The war in Western Europe revealed the increased role of strategic and operational reserves in offense and defense.

Instructive conclusions emerged from the defensive actions of the armies of countries that were attacked by Hitler's troops. The military actions of the first period of the war refuted generally accepted views on the conduct of defense. The reliance on positional, passive strategic defense did not pay off. The shortcomings of the defense of the Polish and Anglo-French troops were single-echelon formation, weak reserves, low densities of anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons, decentralized use of tanks and insufficient activity.

In preparation for the attack on the Soviet Union, Hitler's military leadership acquired rich combat experience in organizing and carrying out large-scale offensive operations, including the use of large tank and motorized formations in close cooperation with aviation. However, it failed to critically evaluate this experience. Convinced of the correctness of the developed methods of waging war against the relatively poorly trained and technically equipped troops of the anti-Hitler coalition, with insufficiently high morale, it hoped in short term win a victory over the Soviet Armed Forces.

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The Second World War was fought on the territory of 40 countries, and 72 states took part in it. In 1941, Germany had the strongest army in the world, but several critical battles led to the Third Reich's defeat.

Battle of Moscow (blitzkrieg failure)

The Battle of Moscow showed that the German blitzkrieg failed. In total, more than 7 million people took part in this battle. This is more than the Berlin operation, listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest battle of World War II, and more than the enemy forces on the western front after the Normandy landings.

The Battle of Moscow was the only major battle of World War II that was lost by the Wehrmacht despite its overall numerical superiority over the enemy.

Moscow was defended “by the whole world.” Thus, the feat of the senior groom of the village of Lishnyagi, Serebryano-Prudsky district, Ivan Petrovich Ivanov, who on December 11, 1941 repeated the feat of Ivan Susanin, having led a German convoy of 40 vehicles into the deep ravine “Belgorod Pines”, has remained in history.

The victory over the enemy was also helped by a simple teacher from Krasnaya Polyana, Elena Gorokhova, who informed the Red Army command about the redeployment of German units with long-range artillery batteries.

As a result of the counter-offensive near Moscow and the general offensive, German units were thrown back 100-250 km. The Tula, Ryazan and Moscow regions, and many areas of the Kalinin, Smolensk and Oryol regions were completely liberated.

General Günter Blumentritt wrote: “It was now important for German political leaders to understand that the days of the blitzkrieg were a thing of the past. We were confronted by an army whose fighting qualities were far superior to all other armies we had ever encountered on the battlefield. But it should be said that german army demonstrated high moral fortitude in overcoming all the disasters and dangers that befell her.”

Battle of Stalingrad (radical turning point)

The Battle of Stalingrad was the main turning point battle Second World War. The Soviet military command made it clear: there is no land beyond the Volga. The assessments of this battle and the losses that Stalingrad suffered from foreign historians are interesting.

The book “Operation Survive,” published in 1949 and written by the famous American publicist Hessler, who is difficult to suspect of a pro-Russian position, stated: “According to the estimate of the very realistic scientist Dr. Philip Morrison, at least 1000 would be required atomic bombs, to cause Russia the damage caused during the Stalingrad campaign alone... This is significantly more than the number of bombs that we have accumulated after four years of tireless efforts.”

The Battle of Stalingrad was a fight for survival.

The beginning was made on August 23, 1942, when German aircraft carried out a massive bombing of the city. 40,000 people died. This exceeds the official figures for the Allied air raid on Dresden in February 1945 (25,000 casualties).

In Stalingrad, the Red Army used revolutionary innovations psychological pressure on the enemy. From loudspeakers installed at the front line, favorite hits were heard German music, which were interrupted by reports of victories of the Red Army in sectors of the Stalingrad Front. The most effective means psychological pressure was the monotonous beat of the metronome, which was interrupted after 7 beats by a commentary on German: “Every 7 seconds one dies at the front German soldier" At the end of a series of 10-20 “timer reports,” a tango sounded from the loudspeakers.

During the Stalingrad operation, the Red Army managed to create the so-called “Stalingrad cauldron”. On November 23, 1942, the troops of the Southwestern and Stalingrad fronts closed the encirclement ring, which contained almost 300,000 enemy forces.

In Stalingrad, one of Hitler’s “favorites,” Marshal Paulus, was captured and became a field marshal during the Battle of Stalingrad. By the beginning of 1943, Paulus's 6th Army was a pitiful sight. On January 8, the Soviet military command addressed the German military leader with an ultimatum: if he does not surrender by 10 o’clock the next day, all the Germans in the “cauldron” will be destroyed. Paulus did not react to the ultimatum. On January 31 he was captured. Subsequently, he became one of the USSR's allies in the Cold War propaganda war.

In early February 1943, units and formations of the 4th Luftwaffe Air Fleet received the password “Orlog”. It meant that the 6th Army no longer existed, and the Battle of Stalingrad ended in the defeat of Germany.

Battle of Kursk (transition of initiative to the Red Army)

The victory in the battles on the Kursk Bulge was of cardinal importance due to a number of factors. After Stalingrad, the Wehrmacht had another chance to change the situation on the Eastern Front in its favor; Hitler had high hopes for Operation Citadel and stated that “The victory at Kursk should serve as a torch for the whole world.”

The Soviet command also understood the importance of these battles. It was important for the Red Army to prove that it could win victories not only during winter campaigns, but also in summer, so not only the military, but also the civilian population invested in the victory at Kursk. In record time, in 32 days, it was built Railway, connecting Rzhava and Stary Oskol, called the “road of courage.” Thousands of people worked day and night on its construction.

A turning point Battle of Kursk was the battle of Prokhorovka. Largest tank battle in history, more than 1500 tanks.

Memories of that battle still boggle the mind. It was real hell.

Commander tank brigade Grigory Penezhko, who received the Hero of the Soviet Union for this battle, recalls: “We lost the sense of time, did not feel thirst, heat, or even blows in the cramped cabin of the tank. One thought, one desire - while you are alive, beat the enemy. Our tankers, who got out of their wrecked vehicles, searched the field for enemy crews, who were also left without equipment, and beat them with pistols, grappling hand-to-hand...”

After Prokhorovka, our troops launched a decisive offensive. Operations “Kutuzov” and “Rumyantsev” allowed the liberation of Belgorod and Orel, and Kharkov was liberated on August 23.

Oil is called the “blood of war.” From the very beginning of the war, one of the general routes of the German offensive was directed towards the Baku oil fields. They were in control priority for the Third Reich.
The Battle of the Caucasus was marked by air battles in the skies over the Kuban, which became one of the largest air battles of World War II. For the first time in history, Soviet pilots imposed their will on the Luftwaffe and actively interfered with and opposed the Germans in carrying out their combat missions. From May 26 to June 7, the Red Army Air Force conducted 845 sorties against Nazi airfields in Anapa, Kerch, Saki, Sarabuz and Taman. In total, during the battles in the skies of Kuban, Soviet aviation carried out about 35 thousand sorties.

It was for the battles over Kuban that Alexander Pokryshkin, the future three-time Hero of the Soviet Union and an air marshal, was awarded the first Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union.

On September 9, 1943, the last operation of the battle for the Caucasus began - Novorossiysk-Taman. Within a month, German troops on the Taman Peninsula were defeated. As a result of the offensive, the cities of Novorossiysk and Anapa were liberated, and the prerequisites were created for a landing operation in Crimea. In honor of the liberation of the Taman Peninsula on October 9, 1943, a salute of 20 salvos from 224 guns was given in Moscow.

Operation of the Ardennes (disruption of the “last blitzkrieg” of the Wehrmacht)

The Battle of the Bulge is called “the last blitzkrieg of the Wehrmacht.” This was the last attempt of the Third Reich to turn the tide on Western Front. The operation was commanded by Field Marshal V. Model, who ordered it to begin on the morning of December 16, 1944; by December 25, the Germans had advanced 90 km deep into the enemy’s defenses.

However, the Germans did not know that the Allied defenses were deliberately weakened so that when the Germans broke through to the West 100 kilometers, they would be surrounded and attacked from the flanks. The Wehrmacht did not foresee this maneuver.
The Allies knew about the Ardennes operation in advance, since they could read the German Ultra codes. In addition, aerial reconnaissance reported on the movements of German troops.

Despite the fact that the Allies initially had the initiative, the Germans were well prepared for the Ardennes. The timing of the offensive was chosen to ensure that Allied aircraft could not provide air support. The Germans also resorted to a trick: everyone who knew English language, dressed in American uniforms and, under the leadership of Otto Skorzeny, created assault troops from them so that they would sow panic in the American rear.
Some of the Panthers were disguised as American tanks; they had bulwarks attached, muzzle brakes were removed from the guns, the turrets were covered with sheet metal, and large white stars were painted on the armor.

With the beginning of the offensive, the “false panthers” rushed to the rear of the American troops, but the Germans’ cunning was “seen through” due to stupidity. One of the Germans asked for gas and said “petroleum” instead of “gas”. The Americans didn't say that. The saboteurs were discovered, and their cars were burned with bazookas.

In American historiography, the Battle of the Bulge is called the Battle of the Bulge. By January 29, the Allies completed the operation and began the invasion of Germany.

The Wehrmacht lost more than a third of its armored vehicles in the battles, and almost all the aircraft (including jets) participating in the operation used up fuel and ammunition. The only “profit” for Germany from the Ardennes operation was that it delayed the Allied offensive on the Rhine for six weeks: it had to be postponed to January 29, 1945.

The Second World War is a military conflict on a planetary scale between Germany and its allies on the one hand and the USSR, Great Britain, France, the USA and their allies on the other. The war unfolded from 1939 to 1945 and ended with the defeat of Germany and its allies.

Major operations and battles of World War II.

War on the Atlantic Ocean

The Allied forces won at the cost of the lives of 50 thousand soldiers - approximately the same losses were suffered by the Navy of the Third Reich.

Battle of Britain

The defeat of Germany over the English Channel was one of the reasons for the failure of Hitler's plan to eliminate enemies on the Western Front, after which all forces had to be transferred to the war against the USSR.

During the battle, the forces of the Third Reich lost about 3 thousand aircraft, while the British lost approximately 1.8 thousand aircraft.
It should be noted that the Nazi planes were not only more numerous, but also much newer - Britain was saved only by the courage and dedication of the pilots.

Battle for Moscow

Battle of Stalingrad

During the battle, the opponents lost more than 1 million soldiers, as a result of which the Battle of Stalingrad became the bloodiest battle in history. During this battle, Germany lost as many as five armies and practically exhausted its attacking potential.

Battle of Kursk

Germany's defeat at the Battle of Kursk was a decisive battle on the Eastern Front, from which the Wehrmacht forces were never able to recover.

Opening of the Second Front or Allied landing in Normandy

Ardennes operation

Battle of Berlin