Where and when did World War II end? The World History

WWII is the largest historical event 20th century. It lasted for a long time, covered almost all continents and oceans, 61 states participated.

The reasons:

WWII arose as a result of the uneven decision of the countries, because of which sharp contradictions arose between them, and opposing coalitions are formed. The states of the "axis countries" were dissatisfied with the existence of the Versailles-Washington system as a world order, hence the desire to redistribute the world, seize colonies, and expand the sphere of influence. On the other hand, the Versailles-Washington order was not an effective way to protect against such aspirations and practically did not work by the beginning of the 1930s (which was proved by Italy's invasion of Ethiopia, Germany's buildup of armaments and its entry into the territory of the Rhine demilit. zone: the League did not accept sanctions and created a precedent of impunity for the aggressor). An attempt to create a system of collective. security failed (England and France pursued their own goals - they pursued a political “appeasement of the aggressor”, in order to negotiate with Germany on the terms of mutual concessions and direct Germany to the East). Each country, therefore, pursued its own Goals and WWII was the result of the purposeful activity of a small group of aggressor states.

In foreign ISG a number of t.z on the causes of the war: F. Meynene ("German catastrophe") - the cause of the war - Hitler's personal ambitions. Ritter - was considered the aggressor of the USSR, and that Germany launched a preemptive strike; Lidel Gardt - war - a product of the results of WWI; Belov (professor of Oxford) believed that WWII was the result of the policy of the USSR, allegedly refused to meet the Western powers halfway.

Stages:

Stage 1. September 1, 1939 - June 22, 1941 (from the German attack on Poland to the start of the Second World War). Developments: attack on Poland, from 1940 - a "strange war" on the western front (France and England are at war with Germany, but do not conduct military operations in it), Germany's invasion of the Scandinavian countries; Captain Holland, Belgium. The encirclement of the Franco-English forces near the city of Dunkirk; the capture of France and its division into 2 parts. England fought in North Africa p / in Italy. June 22, 1941 - attack on the USSR; creation of the Tripartite Pact; Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Stage 2: June 22, 1941 - November 1942 on the Moroccan coast, fighting in the north and east of Africa. US entry into the war. On the Eastern Front: Battle of Moscow, Offensive German troops to Stalingrad, the defense of the Caucasus. Stage 3: November 1942 - December 1943 (the period of a radical change). Stalingrad and the Battle of Kursk meant the final transfer of the initiative into the hands of the Red Army on the Soviet-German front. The heaviest defeat of Japan at Midway Island; surrendered to German troops in Tunisia. Tehran Conference (it was decided to open the 2nd front). Stage 4: January 1944 - May 9, 1945 (Allied landing in Normandy, liberation of France; successful American military operations in pacific ocean; successful offensive operations of the USSR p / in Germany; Yalt. conference - (the final defeat of Germany is necessary). Stage 5: May 9, 1945 -September 2, 1945. (The final defeat of Germany and Japan. Potsdam Conference - German. Question).

Results:

1. WWII brought about a change in growth. forces in the world. 2 superpowers appeared, the definition of separation. forces. 2. The collapse of the "axis" states; 3. Changing state borders, in particular in Europe; 4. Ideological split, the emergence and folding of the socialist camp; 5. Huge human casualties of WWII gave rise to quality. a new trend in the development of capitalism: the MMC is taking shape, the emergence of TNCs, which tied the capitalist world into a single mechanism; 6. Destruction colonial system and the emergence of new states (the British Empire). Fash and right-winger. groups have left the political arena. The prestige of the communes is growing; a multi-party system is emerging.

Background of World War II

Main Events foreign policy 1930s were:

1933 - the establishment of the Nazi-militarist dictatorship of Hitler in Germany and the beginning of preparations for the Second World War.

1934 - admission of the USSR to League of Nations – international organization European countries, created after the First World War.

1938 - The Munich Agreement between the leading Western powers (England and France) and Hitler to stop his seizures in Europe in exchange for tacit consent to aggression against the USSR. The collapse of the policy of collective security → the policy of "appeasement of the aggressor".

1939, August - non-aggression pact between the USSR and Germany (Molotov-Ribbentrop pact) with a secret protocol on the division of spheres of influence in Europe. The moral side of this treaty, which liberal, and especially Western, historians and politicians pay intense attention to, remains undoubtedly controversial, but it should be recognized that objectively The main culprit of the incident turned out to be the great powers of the West, who hoped to protect themselves from Hitler's aggression with the help of the Munich deal and direct it against the USSR, pitting two totalitarian regimes against each other - communist and Nazi. However, they severely deceived in their calculations.

September- the beginning of World War II (originally - Germany against England and France).

1939-1941 - German occupation or actual subjugation of almost the entire European continent, including the defeat and occupation of France in 1940.

1939-1940 - accession to the USSR, in accordance with the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, Western Ukraine (the result of the division of Poland with Hitler), the re-annexation of the Baltic countries (Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia) and Moldova (torn away from Romania). Aggression against Finland and the exclusion of the USSR from the League of Nations. At the same time - the beginning of the preparation of the USSR for the "big war", which primarily resulted in an increase in the military budget by 3 times and the restoration of universal military duty, canceled earlier (in 1924).

Causes of World War II can be formulated as follows:

1. Germany's desire for revenge for the defeat in the First World War, which was facilitated by: a) the preservation of its economic potential; b) infringed national feelings of the Germans; c) the establishment of the militant fascist dictatorship of A. Hitler in 1933 Consequently "great depression" - world economic crisis 1929-1933, from which democratic governments failed to lead the country.

2. The attempts of the democratic countries - the winners of the First World War and guarantors formed after it Versailles system international relations - to push the other two camps together, turned around in the end against them .

Unlike the First World War, the outbreaks of the Second World War arose gradually, and this is more evidence that it could have been prevented. Let's trace the main stages of the collapse of the Versailles-Washington system international relations:

1931 - the occupation of Manchuria (Northeast China) by the militaristic-samurai imperial Japan.

1935 - Restoration by Hitler of universal conscription in Germany and deployment mass army (Wehrmacht) in violation of the terms of the Treaty of Versailles.

1937 - the beginning of the Japanese aggression for the capture of all of China.

1938 - Hitler's annexation of Austria.

In the same year - Munich Agreement between England and France, on the one hand, and Hitler, on the other, giving Germany part of Czechoslovakia on condition not to make more seizures in Europe (about the USSR it is significant was silent).

1939 - Hitler's capture of all of Czechoslovakia contrary to the treaty.

In the same year, August - Molotov-Ribbentrop pact on non-aggression between Germany and the USSR with a secret protocol on the division of spheres of influence in Europe.

September Hitler's conquest of Poland start of World War II England and France against Germany.

The result was the bankruptcy of Western foreign policy. But even despite this, in the first period of the war, England and France actually did not conduct hostilities(so-called. "strange war"), hoping to still come to an agreement with Hitler and thereby giving him the opportunity to strengthen even more.

1939-1941 - Hitler's conquest of most of Europe (following Austria, Czechoslovakia and Poland - Denmark and Norway, Belgium and Holland, in 1940 France, then Yugoslavia and Greece) and the creation of a fascist bloc of Germany, Italy and the countries that joined them - satellites (Hungary, Romania, Finland). Parallel (in 1939-1940) - the occupation by the Soviet Union of Western Ukraine, the Baltic states and Moldova.

The bloody war of the USSR against Finland in the winter of 1939/40 showed the relative backwardness of Soviet military equipment and the weakness of the military organization. After that, from 1939, serious preparations were made by the USSR for the “big war”: the military budget increased by 3 times, the general military duty, plans are made preventive(preemptive) strike against Germany (kept in deep secrecy and declassified only after the collapse of the Soviet system, they refuted the popular version that Stalin "did not prepare" for war).

June 22, 1941 attack Nazi Germany and its satellites Soviet Union(in violation of the non-aggression pact) began The Great Patriotic War, which became a defining component of the Second World War (no matter how they tried to belittle its significance for political reasons Western historians).

extraordinary governing bodies of the country during the war years become: economic(under the conditions of the transfer of the economy to the service of the front) - GKO(State Defense Committee), military –Bid Supreme Command. I.V. Stalin (during the war he became a marshal of the Soviet Union, and at the end of it - a generalissimo).

Hitler's war plan plan "Barbarossa"”) consisted in a simultaneous powerful strike to a continuous depth along the entire length of the front, in which the main role was played by cutting tank wedges, with the aim of quickly encircling and defeating the main forces of the Soviet army already in border battles. This plan, brilliantly tested by the Germans in previous military campaigns against Western countries, was called "blitzkrieg" ( blitzkrieg). Upon achieving victory, it was planned to partially exterminate, partially enslave the Slavic peoples, according to Hitler's "racial theory" considered an "inferior race" (below them in the "racial pyramid" of the Nazi "ideologists" were only some peoples of Asia and Africa, as well as Jews and gypsies who were subject to complete annihilation).

The initial period of the war (summer-autumn 1941) was marked by the retreat of the Soviet troops along the entire front, a series of "cauldrons" and encirclements Soviet armies, the largest of which was the Kyiv "cauldron", where the entire South-Western Front was surrounded. During the first 3 months of the war, the Germans occupied all the western republics of the USSR and part of the interior territories of Russia, reaching Leningrad in the north, Moscow in the center, and the Don in the south (and in 1942, the Volga).

Causes heavy defeats of the Red Army on initial stage wars were:

1) the suddenness of the German attack (Stalin hoped to the last to delay the war for at least another year);

2) the best organization and most advanced tactics of the German army;

3) combat experience worked out during the conquest of Europe;

4) almost double superiority of the Wehrmacht in terms of numbers and technology, Consequently the fact that, firstly, Germany began preparations for war earlier, and secondly, all conquered Europe worked for it;

5) the weakening of the Red Army by mass repressions of the late 30s (most liberal historians consider this reason to be decisive, but this opinion is refuted by the catastrophic defeat of the potentially powerful and repressive democratic France in 1940).

However, already in the autumn it became clear that the idea blitzkrieg fails (Hitler's previous military campaigns in the West lasted no more than a month and a half each). It was finally thwarted by two major events.

The first event was lasting from September 1941 to January 1943. Leningrad blockade, squeezed into the ring of the environment. Despite hundreds of thousands of victims of a terrible famine, the second capital withstood an incredible, unparalleled siege in history and was not surrendered to the enemy.

The main event that marked the collapse blitzkrieg, became Battle for Moscow, the main events of which unfolded from October to December 1941. Having bled the Nazi troops in fierce defensive battles (besides, the latter, like the Napoleonic soldiers in 1812, were not ready for the harsh Russian winter), the Soviet army launched a counteroffensive and threw them back from Moscow. The battle for Moscow became first strategic defeat of the Germans during the entire Second World War.

During this most difficult period of the war, Stalin twice secretly offered peace to Hitler: during the battle for Moscow - on terms close to the Brest peace, and after the victory near Moscow - on the terms of pre-war borders. Both proposals were rejected, which was the beginning of the end of the Third Reich. Hitler repeated the mistake of Napoleon, deepening into Russia and not calculating either its vast expanses or human potential.

Despite the defeat near Moscow, the German army regrouped its forces and inflicted new major defeats on the Red Army in the spring and summer of 1942, the largest of which was the encirclement near Kharkov. After that, the Wehrmacht launched a new powerful offensive in the south and reached the Volga.

To raise discipline in the Soviet troops, the famous Stalinist order "Not a step back!" Was issued. NKVD detachments were introduced to the front, which were placed behind military units and which machine-gunned units retreating without orders.

played a pivotal role in the course of the war Battle of Stalingrad (July 1942 - February 1943) - the bloodiest battle of World War II. After a long fierce defense, the Soviet troops, pulling up reserves, launched a counteroffensive in November and surrounded the German army of Paulus, which, after fruitless attempts to break through the encirclement, freezing and starving, capitulated.

After that, the war finally acquired a global character, all the great powers of the planet were drawn into it. In January 1942 finally took shape anti-Hitler coalition led by the USSR, the USA and England (since France was defeated and mostly occupied by the Germans). Under an agreement with the Allies lend-lease The USSR received military and food supplies from them (primarily from the USA).

However, they did not play the decisive role, but mobilization of the Soviet economy for the needs of the war. The country literally turned into a single military camp. Factories were transferred to the production of military products, the centralization of management and production discipline were sharply tightened, and the 8-hour working day was canceled during the war. In the militarization of the economy Stalin's regime proved to be unsurpassed: for the first six months war, in conditions of severe defeats and occupation of a third of the European part of the country, were evacuated to the east 1.5 thousand factories. And already in 1943, despite on the continued occupation of a significant part of the country and all of Europe by the Germans, the USSR reached advantage in the production of military equipment over Germany and caught up with it in quality, and in certain types weapons and surpassed (suffice it to recall the legendary T-34 tank and the first jet mortars - "Katyushas"). At the same time, despite the formation of the anti-Hitler coalition, the Soviet Union continued to bear on its shoulders the brunt of the war with the main aggressor - Nazi Germany.

The war has become wars of extermination. Now Soviet authority contributed to the rise of patriotism. Under the influence of the collapse of the idea of ​​world revolution and the experience of Hitler, the turn begun by Stalin before the war was completed. in the national question from the traditional Marxist-Leninist cosmopolitanism to patriotism, up to the revival of imperial national traditions (shoulder straps in the army, the renaming of people's commissars into ministers in 1946, the cult of Russian historical heroes, etc.). Integral part this process was the cessation of the persecution of the church and usage her in patriotic work, while saving strict control over it (up to forcing priests to inform on parishioners, following the model of Peter's times).

During the Great Patriotic War, talented commanders came forward who learned how to defeat the best German army in the world: marshals G.K. Zhukov, K.K. Rokossovsky, I.S. Konev, A.M. Vasilevsky and others.

The turning point in the course of the war in favor of the Soviet Union, begun by the Battle of Stalingrad, ended battle on Kursk Bulge (July-August 1943) - the largest battle in the history of wars in terms of the number of military equipment. After it, the Soviet army goes on the offensive along the entire front, the liberation of the territory of the USSR begins. Hitler's Wehrmacht finally loses the initiative and goes over to total defense.

Parallel starts collapse of the fascist bloc: one after the other in 1943–1945 Italy, Romania, Finland, Hungary withdraw from the war.

Of crucial importance for the peoples of Europe were three conferences of the heads of the great powers of the anti-Hitler coalition– Soviet Union, United States of America and Great Britain (England). The first of these was Tehran Conference(November-December 1943), the main participants of which were I.V. Stalin, US President F. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister W. Churchill. It agreed on the terms for the Allies to open a second front in Europe in exchange for Stalin's statement about the dissolution of the Comintern; formally, it really was dissolved, but actually Stalin retained control over all foreign communist parties and lost nothing.

In June 1944, the Allies finally opened second front in Europe: Anglo-American troops landed in France. Nonetheless, and after that The main theater of the Second World War was the Soviet-German front, on which 2/3 of the German armies continued to be. And even under this condition the Germans in the winter of 1944/45 dealt a crushing blow to the Americans in the Ardennes; only the Russian offensive in Poland in response to the panicked calls of the allies for help saved them from destruction.

Autumn 1944 the liberation of the territory of the USSR was completed, and also spring the same year, the liberation of Europe by Soviet troops from fascism began.

In February 1945 took place Yalta Conference heads of the great allied powers (in the Crimea) with the same main characters - I.V. Stalin, F. Roosevelt and W. Churchill. She made decisions about the post-war order of the world. The most important of them were: 1) the demilitarization (disarmament) and democratization of Germany; 2) the punishment of Nazi war criminals (the main of them were convicted in 1945-1946 by an international tribunal on Nuremberg Trials), ban worldwide fascist organizations and fascist ideology; 3) the division of Germany after the war into 4 temporary zones of allied occupation (Soviet, American, British and French); 4) the entry of the USSR into the war against Japan 3 months after the victory over Germany; 5) creation United Nations (UN, created in pursuance of the decision of the conference in April 1945); 6) collection reparations from defeated Germany in compensation for the material damage inflicted by it on the winners.

In April-May 1945, there was storming of berlin Russian Soviet troops. Despite the fierce resistance of the German troops to the end, who fought on the orders of Hitler for every house, the capital of the Third Reich was finally taken on May 2. On the eve of Hitler, seeing the hopelessness of the situation, committed suicide.

On the night of May 9, 1945 in the suburbs of Berlin, Potsdam, Germany's unconditional surrender to the USSR and its allies was signed (Marshal Zhukov accepted it from the USSR). This date has become a national holiday of the Russian people - Victory Day. On June 24, a grandiose Victory Parade was held in Moscow, commanded by Marshal Rokossovsky, and Marshal Zhukov hosted the parade.

In July-August 1945, the third and final Potsdam Conference heads of the great victorious powers. Its main participants were: from the USSR - I.V. Stalin, from the USA - G. Truman (who replaced Roosevelt, who died on the eve of the Victory), from Great Britain - first W. Churchill, who, after losing the parliamentary elections, was replaced at the conference by K. Attlee . The Potsdam Conference determined the post-war borders of Europe: East Prussia (now the Kaliningrad region of Russia) was transferred to the Soviet Union, and the Baltic States and Western Ukraine were also recognized as part of it.

In August 1945, in accordance with the decision of the Yalta Conference, the USSR entered the war with Japan and a powerful blow from its armies transferred from Europe, with a multiple superiority of forces and equipment, contributed to its final defeat in less than 3 weeks. At the same time, the Americans for the first time in the world used atomic weapon, dropping two atomic bombs on peaceful Japanese cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki with colossal human losses. Although the psychological effect of these barbaric bombardments contributed to the surrender of Japan, they were also aimed at intimidating the whole world, and above all the Soviet Union, with a show of US power.

September 2, 1945 Japan's unconditional surrender was signed end of World War II. As a reward for helping the Americans defeat Japan, the USSR regained southern Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands, lost after the Russo-Japanese War in 1905.

Main results of the Great Patriotic War can be divided into two groups.

Positive for the USSR:

1) gigantic growth the international weight and military-political power of the Soviet Union, its transformation into one of the two world superpowers (along with the USA);

2) the above-mentioned territorial acquisitions and the establishment actual control Russia over the countries of Eastern Europe - Poland, the GDR (East Germany), Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria, on which communist regimes were imposed with the help of the Soviet troops that liberated them.

Negative:

1) 26 million killed by the USSR - the largest number of victims among all the countries participating in the Second World War (55 million in the world);

2) huge material damage caused by the war (during the retreat, the Germans destroyed cities, industrial enterprises and railways, burned villages);

3) a new, post-war split of the world into 2 hostile camps - intensified many times over totalitarian-communist led by the USSR and bourgeois-democratic led by the United States, which led to many years of confrontation on the brink of nuclear war;

12. World War II World War II: Causes, Course, Significance

Reasons and move. "Strange War" Wehrmacht Blitzkrieg. Changes in the system of international relations with the entry into the war of the USSR and the USA. Anti-Hitler coalition. Lend-Lease. Military operations in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, in Africa and Asia. "Second Front" in Europe. Technology war. The world order of Yalta and Potsdam. The emergence of a bipolar world.

USSR during the Great Patriotic War

Society during the war. Attitudes towards the war of various national, cultural and social groups: the priority of patriotism or communist ideals? Propaganda and counter-propaganda. The role of traditional values ​​and political stereotypes. Soviet culture and ideology during the war. Everyday life at the front and in the rear. population in the occupied territories. partisan movement. National Policy.

The main stages of military operations. Soviet military art. The heroism of the Soviet people during the war. The role of the Soviet rear.

Political system. The militarization of the apparatus. Economic management in war time. The impact of pre-war modernization of the economy on the course of hostilities.

The decisive role of the USSR in the defeat of Nazism. The meaning and price of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War.

Basic concepts: blitzkrieg, anti-Hitler coalition, bipolar world, partisan movement, militarization, heroism, patriotism.

Section 13. The world in the second half of the 20th century "Cold War"

Superpowers: USA and USSR. Mutual interest in shaping the image of the enemy. Contradictions: geopolitics or ideology? Arms race and local conflicts. military blocs. Two Europes - two worlds.

The collapse of the colonial system. Military and political crises in the framework of the Cold War. information wars. Technogenic civilization "on the warpath". The collapse of the bipolar world. Consequences of the Cold War.

Toward the Common Market and the Welfare State

European integration. "Welfare State". The role of political parties. Christian Democracy. Mass movements: ecological, feminist, youth, anti-war. consumer world. Culture as a way to stimulate consumption. A New Look on human rights.

Scientific and technical progress

Transport revolution. Qualitatively new level society's power supply, nuclear energy. Breakthrough into space. Development of means of communication. Computer, information networks and electronic media. Modern biotechnologies. Automated production. Industry and nature. Formation of a new scientific picture of the world. Dehumanization of art. Technocracy and irrationalism in the public consciousness of the XX century.

Asia, Africa and Latin America

The Second World War - the crisis of the mother countries. The American "Grand Project" and the "Old" Empires. Soviet anti-colonialism. Destruction of the colonial myth. Exhaustion of mandate terms in the countries of the Middle East. China is among the winners. The National Liberation Struggle in the Japanese "Prosperity Sphere" and Its Consequences in the Pacific Basin. Liberation of India. Middle East conflict. Asian and African countries in the system of the bipolar world. Non-Aligned Movement. Doctrines of the third way. Problems of developing countries. Latin America. Socialism in the Western Hemisphere.

Key concepts: superpower, local conflicts, "cold war", information war, technogenic civilization, scientific and technological progress, internationalization, "conservative wave", ecumenism, biotechnology, ecology, modernism, technocracy, irrationalism, anti-colonialism, national liberation struggle, non-aligned movement.

44. World War II: causes, periodization, results. Great Patriotic War of the Soviet people.

The Second World War was the bloodiest and most brutal military conflict in the history of mankind and the only one in which nuclear weapons were used. 61 states took part in it. The dates of the beginning and end of this war, September 1, 1939 - 1945, September 2, are among the most significant for the entire civilized world.

Causes World War II was the imbalance of power in the world and the problems provoked by the results of the First World War, in particular territorial disputes. The United States, England, France, who won the First World War, concluded the Treaty of Versailles on the most unfavorable and humiliating conditions for the losing countries, Turkey and Germany, which provoked an increase in tension in the world. At the same time, adopted in the late 1930s by Britain and France, the policy of appeasing the aggressor made it possible for Germany to sharply increase its military potential, which accelerated the transition of the Nazis to active military operations.

The members of the anti-Hitler bloc were the USSR, the USA, France, England, China (Chiang Kai-shek), Greece, Yugoslavia, Mexico, etc.

From Germany, Italy, Japan, Hungary, Albania, Bulgaria, Finland, China (Wang Jingwei), Thailand, Finland, Iraq, etc. participated in World War II. Many states - participants in the Second World War, did not conduct operations on the fronts, but helped by supplying food, medicines and other necessary resources.

Researchers identify the following main stages Second World War.

First stage from September 1, 1939 to June 21, 1941. The period of the European Blitzkrieg of Germany and the Allies.

Second phase June 22, 1941 - approximately mid-November 1942 Attack on the USSR and the subsequent failure of the Barbarossa plan.

Third stage the second half of November 1942 - the end of 1943 A radical turning point in the war and the loss of Germany strategic initiative. At the end of 1943, at the Tehran Conference, in which Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill took part, a decision was made to open a second front.

Fourth stage lasted from the end of 1943 to May 9, 1945. It was marked by the capture of Berlin and the unconditional surrender of Germany.

Fifth stage May 10, 1945 - September 2, 1945 At this time, the fighting is fought only in Southeast Asia and the Far East. The United States used nuclear weapons for the first time.

The beginning of World War II fell on September 1, 1939. On this day, the Wehrmacht suddenly began aggression against Poland. Despite the retaliatory declaration of war by France, Great Britain and some other countries, no real assistance was provided to Poland.

Already on September 28, Poland was captured. The peace treaty between Germany and the USSR was concluded on the same day. Having thus received a reliable rear, Germany begins active preparations for war with France, which capitulated as early as 1940, on June 22. Nazi Germany begins large-scale preparations for war on the eastern front with the USSR. The Barbarossa plan was approved already in 1940, on December 18th. The Soviet top leadership received reports of the impending attack, but fearing to provoke Germany, and believing that the attack would be carried out at a later date, deliberately did not lead to combat readiness border areas.

In the chronology of the Second World War, the period of June 22, 1941-1945, May 9, known in Russia as the Great Patriotic War, is of the utmost importance.

Major battles of World War II, which were of great importance for the history of the USSR, are:

The Battle of Stalingrad July 17, 1942 - February 2, 1943, which marked a radical turning point in the war;

Battle of Kursk July 5 - August 23, 1943, during which the largest tank battle of World War II took place - near the village of Prokhorovka;

The Battle of Berlin - which led to the surrender of Germany.

But events important for the course of World War II took place not only on the fronts of the USSR. Among the operations carried out by the allies, it is worth noting in particular: the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, which caused the United States to enter World War II; the opening of a second front and the landing of troops in Normandy on June 6, 1944; application nuclear weapons August 6 and 9, 1945 to attack Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

The date of the end of the Second World War was September 2, 1945. Japan signed the act of surrender only after the defeat of the Kwantung Army by the Soviet troops. The battles of the Second World War, according to the most rough estimates, claimed, on both sides, 65 million people. The Soviet Union suffered the greatest losses in World War II - 27 million citizens of the country were killed. It was he who took the brunt. This figure is also approximate and, according to some researchers, underestimated. It was the stubborn resistance of the Red Army that became the main reason for the defeat of the Reich.

Results World War II horrified everyone. Military operations have put the very existence of civilization on the brink. During the Nuremberg and Tokyo trials, fascist ideology was condemned, and many war criminals were punished. In order to prevent such a possibility of a new world war in the future, at the Yalta Conference in 1945 it was decided to create the United Nations (UN), which still exists today. results nuclear bombing The Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki led to the signing of pacts on the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, a ban on their production and use. It must be said that the consequences of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are felt today.

Serious were economic consequences Second World War. For Western European countries, it turned into a genuine economic disaster. Country influence Western Europe decreased significantly. At the same time, the United States managed to maintain and strengthen its position.

Meaning The Second World War for the Soviet Union is enormous. The defeat of the Nazis determined the future history of the country. According to the results of the conclusion of the peace treaties that followed the defeat of Germany, the USSR significantly expanded its borders. At the same time, the totalitarian system was strengthened in the Union. In some European countries, communist regimes were established. Victory in the war did not save the USSR from the mass repressions that followed in the 1950s.

The Great Patriotic War(1941-1945) - the war between the USSR and Germany within the framework of the Second World War, which ended with the victory of the Soviet Union over the Nazis and the capture of Berlin. The Great Patriotic War became one of the final stages of World War II.

Causes of the Great Patriotic War

After the defeat in the First World War, Germany remained in an extremely difficult economic and political situation, however, after Hitler came to power and carried out reforms, the country was able to build up its military power and stabilize the economy. Hitler did not accept the results of the First World War and wanted to take revenge, thereby leading Germany to world domination. As a result of his military campaigns, in 1939 Germany invaded Poland and then Czechoslovakia. A new war has begun.

Hitler's army was rapidly conquering new territories, but until a certain point between Germany and the USSR there was a non-aggression peace treaty signed by Hitler and Stalin. However, two years after the start of World War II, Hitler violated the non-aggression agreement - his command developed the Barbarossa plan, which involves a swift German attack on the USSR and the seizure of territories within two months. In case of victory, Hitler got the opportunity to start a war with the United States, and he also had access to new territories and trade routes.

The company, designed for several months, turned into a protracted war, which later became known as the Great Patriotic War.

The main periods of the Great Patriotic War

The initial period of the war (June 22, 1941 - November 18, 1942). On June 22, Germany invaded the territory of the USSR and by the end of the year was able to conquer Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus - the troops moved inland to capture Moscow. Russian troops suffered huge losses, the inhabitants of the country in the occupied territories were captured by the Germans and were driven into slavery in Germany. However, despite the fact that the Soviet army was losing, she still managed to stop the Germans on the way to Leningrad (the city was taken under blockade), Moscow and Novgorod. The Barbarossa plan did not give the desired results, the battles for these cities continued until 1942.

The period of a radical change (1942-1943) On November 19, 1942, the counteroffensive of the Soviet troops began, which yielded significant results - one German and four allied armies were destroyed. The Soviet army continued to advance in all directions, they managed to defeat several armies, start pursuing the Germans and push the front line back towards the west. Thanks to the build-up of military resources (the military industry worked in a special mode), the Soviet army was significantly superior to the German one and could now not only resist, but also dictate its terms in the war. From the defending army of the USSR turned into an attacker.

The third period of the war (1943-1945). Despite the fact that Germany managed to significantly increase the power of its army, it was still inferior to the Soviet one, and the USSR continued to play a leading offensive role in hostilities. The Soviet army continued to advance towards Berlin, recapturing the occupied territories. Leningrad was recaptured, and by 1944, Soviet troops moved towards Poland, and then Germany. On May 8, Berlin was taken, and the German troops declared unconditional surrender.

Major battles of the Great Patriotic War

The results and significance of the Great Patriotic War

The main significance of the Great Patriotic War was that it finally broke the German army, preventing Hitler from continuing his struggle for world domination. The war became a turning point in the course of the Second World War and, in fact, its completion.

However, the victory was given to the USSR hard. The country's economy was in a special regime during the war, the factories worked mainly for the military industry, so after the war they had to face a severe crisis. Many factories were destroyed most of the male population died, people were starving and could not work. The country was in the most difficult condition, and it took many years for it to recover.

But, despite the fact that the USSR was in a deep crisis, the country turned into a superpower, its political influence on the world stage increased sharply, the Union became one of the largest and most influential states, along with the United States and Great Britain.

Please help me, I got a ticket from history!

1. Great geographical discoveries. The beginning of the formation of the colonial system.
2. World War II: causes, stages, resistance movement, results.

Rastago†h

2.briefly
The Second World War began on September 1, 1939 with the perfidious invasion of Nazi Germany troops into Poland. Officially started in 1939. September 3, when the English. and France declared war on Nazi Germany.
Possible REASONS: Germany's acceptance of the humiliating terms of the Peace Treaty (deprivation of most territories, colonies, huge reparations, complete demilitarization)
KEY DATES: 1939 September 3 - Eng. + French declares war on Germany
1940 - "Strange War". The Germans occupy Norway and Denmark. Evacuation from Durkirk. Defeat of France. Italy enters the war. Battle for England.
1941 - Nazis take over Yugoslavia and Greece. Rommel's offensive in the north. Africa. German invasion of the USSR. The Japanese attack Pearl Harbor.
1942 - the defeat of the Germans near Moscow. Rommel's defeat at El Alamein. Allied invasion of French North. Africa.
1943 - the defeat of the Germans near Stalingrad. Allied landing in Italy. The overthrow of Mussolini (in fascist. Italy), the surrender of Italy. The Germans occupy the north of the country
1944 Red Army liberates Ukraine and Belarus. Allied landing in Normandy. Warsaw revolt. Breakthrough of German troops in the Ardennes.
1945 death of Mussolini and Hitler (suicide). Capitulation of Germany.
61 states participated, 80% of the world's population.
3 main periods, STAGES:
one). September 1, 1939 - June 1942 the expanding scale of the war while maintaining the superiority of the forces of the aggressors.
2). June 1942 - January 1944 - a turning point in the course of the war, initiative and superiority in the hands of the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition
3). January 1944 - September 2, 1945 - the final stage of the war, the absolute superiority of the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition, the defeat of the enemy armies, the crisis and the collapse of the ruling regimes of state-in-aggressors.
P.S. Something from NO:
RESISTANCE MOVEMENT is a patriotic anti-fascist movement. The participants published illegal newspapers and leaflets, helped prisoners of war, engaged in reconnaissance, and prepared for armed struggle. People of various political and religious views participated in the resistance movement: communists, social democrats, protestants, Catholics and Orthodox, trade unionists and non-party members. Initially, these were a few scattered groups that had no connection with each other. An important condition deployment of the resistance movement was the unification of anti-fascist forces. Communist parties in 1942 - 1943 after the dissolution of the Comintern, they were able to act as independent national forces. They are actively involved in the resistance movement. The forms of resistance were different:
collection and transfer of valuable information to allies
sabotage
disruption of military supplies
sabotage
In the same years, the first partisan detachments began to be created in Poland, Yugoslavia, Albania, and Greece. One of the first acts European resistance was the uprising in the Warsaw ghetto in 1943. For almost a month, the poorly armed inhabitants of the ghetto, doomed to destruction, fought heroic battles with the German troops. The overwhelming majority of the participants in the Resistance sought the liberation of their countries, but did not want a return to the pre-war order. All of them wanted to put an end to fascism, restore and expand democratic freedoms, and carry out profound social transformations. At the second stage (approximately from 1942-1943) the resistance movement acquired a more organized character (the creation of governing bodies, the formation of armed detachments), and its participants began a partisan struggle against the invaders. Active participation in this struggle was taken by Russian emigrants and Soviet citizens who were captured or driven away by the occupiers for forced labor, and then fled from places of detention.
RESULTS:
The deepening of the global crisis capitalist system. Start cold war, myoitarization, the split of the world into 2 opposites. military -polit. systems (under the influence of the USA and the USSR)

Neither geographically nor chronologically, the history of the Second World War is comparable with. On a geopolitical scale, the events of the Great Patriotic War unfolded on Eastern Front, although these events, no doubt, 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

balance of power

How World War II went, briefly about its main participants. The conflict was attended by 62 states (of the then existing 73) and almost 80% of the population of the entire globe.

All participants had something to do with two distinct coalitions:

• anti-Hitler,
• Axis coalition.

The creation of the "Axis" began a lot before education 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 disappeared altogether from the geopolitical map of the world.

Territories covered by hostilities

In total there were 5 main theaters of war:

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

Major battles of World War II:

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

What triggered the conflict

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

• revanchism - the Nazis, for example, tried their best to overcome the conditions of the Treaty of Versailles in 1918 and again take a leading position in Europe;
• imperialism - all the major world powers had certain territorial interests: Italy launched a military invasion of Ethiopia, Japan was interested in Manchuria and Northern 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 member countries of the camps dreamed of destroying each other.

Important! The ideological contradictions that existed the day before made it impossible to prevent the conflict at the initial stage.

Between the Nazis and the democratic countries of the West, the Munich Agreement was concluded, 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 a war.

Stages

The entire Second World War can be conditionally 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;
• fifth - 06 - 09. 1945

The stages of the Second World War are conditional; certain events of significance are inscribed in them. When did World War II start? How did World War II start? 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 about who started the Second World War, it is impossible to answer unambiguously. 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 ownership of the four South Kuril Islands by the Russian Federation.

First stage

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

Initial etam 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 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.

Second phase 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).

Third stage

It is marked by a 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 also achieved significant results.

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

Third stage of the war

These are all the main stages of the Second World War. In total, she walked exactly 6 years.

Fourth stage

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

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 (it was also about the main thing - the creation of the UN). The agreements reached at Yalta influenced the entire course of post-war history.

Part 2

Chronicle of major events during World War II(1939-1945)

Chronicle of war
1941 year

§ May-June 1941 d. There are numerous reports of an imminent German attack.

§ June 22, 1941 g. - At four o'clock in the morning the fascist Germany treacherously attacked the USSR. Operation started" Barbarossa".

started The Great Patriotic War (WWII) - 1941-1945 - the war of the USSR against Nazi Germany and its allies.

As you know, August 231939 g in the Kremlin Germany and USSR concluded Non-aggression pact.
The Soviet Union was able to strengthen its defense capability for almost two years. However, by the beginning of the war, the western border districts did not have time to complete preparations on the new borders and fully bring the troops to combat readiness. Miscalculations also played a role in assessing the possible time of the attack ...
Muscovites listen to the message about the beginning of the war

22nd of June issued a Decree on the mobilization of those liable for military service born in 1905-1918.
British Prime Minister W. Churchill makes a statement promising to assist the USSR in the fight against German aggression.

§ 24 June President of the United States F.D. Roosevelt makes a statement about rendering assistance to the USSR and a credit to the USSR in the amount of 40 million dollars.

§ June 1941 g. - enter the war against the USSR Romania, Italy, Finland, Hungary.

§ July 10 - September 10, 1941 - Smolensk battle. Operations of the Soviet troops of the Western, Central and Bryansk fronts, which stopped the offensive of the German Army Group Center.

By the end first decade of July German troops take over Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, part of Ukraine, Moldova and Estonia. The forces of the Soviet Western Front were defeated in the Battle of Belostok-Minsk.

§ July 10, 1941 – Beginning Defense of Leningrad.

The Soviet Northwestern Front was defeated in frontier battle and discarded. However, the Soviet counterattack near Soltsy on July 14-18 led to the suspension of the German offensive on Leningrad for almost 3 weeks.
§ July-September - Heroic defense of Kyiv.

§ August 5 - October 16 - Heroic defense of Odessa.
On September 4, the Chief of Staff of the German Armed Forces, General Jodl, receives from Marshal Mannerheim refusal advance further on Leningrad.
8 September, with the capture of Shlisselburg, German troops take Leningrad in the ring.

The beginning of the blockade of Leningrad(lasted until January 1944).

September 1941 near Smolensk

§ September 30th - The beginning of the battle for Moscow. Since October 2, the German offensive has been developing (operation " Typhoon"), which then slows down.

§ October 7, 1941 - Encirclement of four Soviet armies Western and Reserve Fronts near Vyazma and two armies of the Bryansk Front south of Bryansk.

§ November 15, 1941 - Beginning of the second German offensive against Moscow.

§ November 22, 1941 - Opening of the ice trails across Lake Ladoga to Leningrad ("road of life").

§ November 29, 1941 - As a result of the Rostov operation, the city was liberated Rostov-on-Don

§ 5-6 December 1941 The defeat of the Nazi troops near Moscow.

December 7, 1941 d Without declaring war, the Japanese attacked the naval base USA at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. A day later, the US declared war on Japan. Germany and Italy declared war on the United States.

§ December 1941 - The number of Soviet prisoners of war reaches 2 million people.

1942

January 1, 1942 years in Washington USSR, USA, UK and China signed Declaration of the United Nations, laying the foundation for the Anti-Hitler Coalition. Later, 22 more countries joined it.

§ May 30, 1942 - Creation of the Central Headquarters of the partisan movement at the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command.

§ June 11, 1942 - Signing in Washington of an agreement between the USSR and the USA on mutual assistance during the war and on cooperation after the war.

§ July 17-November 18, 1942 - Defensive period Battle of Stalingrad.

§ August, 26th - The appointment of G.K. Zhukov Deputy Supreme Commander.

§ November 1942 - General von Paulus' 6th Army takes possession most of Stalingrad, however, she never managed to cross the Volga. In Stalingrad, there was a battle for every house

§ November 19, 1942 - February 2, 1943 - counteroffensive Soviet troops of the Southwestern, Stalingrad and Don fronts.

§ November 23, 1942 d. In the area of ​​the city of Kalach, units of the Southwestern Front (commanded by General N.F. Vatutin) met with units of Stalingrad (commanded by General A.I. Eremenko). Completion encirclement of the 330,000th German group near Stalingrad.
§ December 1942 - The failure of the counter-offensive of the German units of Field Marshal Manstein to liberate the encircled Paulus group near Stalingrad.

Paulus testifies


In captivity, the field marshal began to criticize the Nazi regime. Subsequently, he appeared as a witness for the prosecution at the Nuremberg Trials.

December 2nd- In Chicago began to act world's first nuclear reactor. One of its creators was a physicist who emigrated from Italy. Enrico Fermi.
..............
Photo collage: Clockwise starting from the top left corner
- Soviet Il-2 attack aircraft in the sky over Berlin, German Tiger tank in the Battle of Kursk, German Ju 87 bombers (winter 1943-1944), execution of Soviet Jews by Einsatzgruppe soldiers, Wilhelm Keitel signs the act of surrender of Germany, Soviet troops in the battle for Stalingrad .

.....................

1943

January 14 A conference was opened in Casablanca with the participation of Roosevelt and Churchill. They decided on joint actions and planned major operations in North Africa.

§ January 1943 - The retreat of the German armies in the Caucasus.

§ January 1943 - Troops of the Don Front under the command of General Rokosovsky launched Operation "Ring" with the aim of completely defeating the encircled 6th German army of Paulus.

§ January 12-18, 1943 G. - Partial breakthrough of the blockade of Leningrad after the capture of Shlisselburg by Soviet troops.

§ January 31-February 2, 1943 G. - Surrender of Field Marshal Paulus near Stalingrad. 91 thousand soldiers, 24 generals and 2500 officers were taken prisoner.

§ February 1943 - Soviet troops take Kursk, Rostov and Kharkov.

April 19 - Beginning uprisings in the Warsaw ghetto. During the suppression of the uprising, more than 56 thousand Jews were killed.

§ May 6, 1943 – Beginning of formation 1st Polish division them. Kosciuszko on the territory of the USSR.

§ July 12, 1943 - Biggest tank battle World War II in the village area Prokhorovka.

§ July 12-August 23, 1943 - Soviet counteroffensive Bryansk, Western, Central, Voronezh and Steppe fronts in the Battle of Kursk. After the Battle of Kursk, final change of situation on the Soviet-German front.

§ August 3 - November 1, 1943 -" rail war": a powerful blow of the Soviet partisans on the enemy's railway communications.

§ August 5, 1943 - First fireworks in Moscow in honor of the victories of the Red Army - liberation Orel and Belgorod.

§ October 19 - Moscow conference Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the USSR, Great Britain, USA

§ November 28-December 1, 1943 - Tehran Conference of the Heads of Government of the USSR, Great Britain and the USA (Stalin-Churchill-Roosevelt).

Resolved a number of issues of war and peace:
The exact date for the opening of the Second Front by the Allies in France has been set
After a long debate the problem of "Overlord" (Second Front) was at an impasse. Then Stalin got up from his chair and, turning to Voroshilov and Molotov, said: “We have too much to do at home to waste time here. Nothing worthwhile, as I see it, does not work. The critical moment has come. Churchill understood this and, fearing that the conference might be disrupted, he compromised.
About borders.
Was taken W. Churchill's proposal that Poland's claims to the lands of Western Belarus and Western Ukraine would be satisfied at the expense of Germany, and as a border in the east should be Curzon line.
De facto assigned to the Soviet Union the right to as an indemnity attach after winning part East Prussia.

1944

§ January 14 - March 1, 1944 - The defeat of the Nazi troops near Leningrad and Novgorod.

§ January 24-February 17 - Korsun-Shevchenko operation of the Soviet troops: encirclement and the defeat of the divisions of the Army Group "South".

§ January 27, 1944 G. - The final liquidation of the blockade of Leningrad.
Salute from the cruiser Kirov in honor of the lifting of the blockade


Baltic sailors with the girl Lyusya, whose parents died in the blockade

§ February - March 1944 Spring offensive of the Soviet troops. Red Army liberated right-bank Ukraine, crossed the Dnieper and Prut.

§ March 26, 1944 G. - Exit of Soviet troops to the state border of the USSR along the river Rod.

June 6, 1944- Allied landings in Normandy. Opening of the Second Front.

§ June 23-August 29 - The offensive of the Soviet troops in Belarus (Operation "Bagration").
Katyusha

Start Warsaw Uprising headed by a general Polish army Tadeusz Bor-Krajewski. The hopes of the rebels for support from the USSR and Great Britain did not materialize.

§ September 8 - Entry of Soviet troops to Bulgaria.
Rally in Bulgaria

§ September-October 1944 Liberation Transcarpathian Ukraine

§ 28 September-20 October 1944 - Liberation of Belgrade units of the People's Liberation Army of Yugoslavia under the leadership of Tito and Soviet units.

§ October 9-18 1944- Meeting of Stalin and Churchill in Moscow. Distribution of zones of influence in the Danubian countries of Europe and the Balkans. To the zone of interests of the Soviet Union were to withdraw: 90% of Romania, 75% of Bulgaria, 50% of Yugoslavia and Hungary, 10% of Greece.

§ October 29, 1944 - February 13, 1945 - The offensive of the Soviet troops in Hungary. Budapest operation to eliminate the enemy grouping.

§ November 14, 1944 - "Prague Manifesto": General A. Vlasov, who was captured in 1942, calls for a fight against "Stalin's tyranny" and forms parts of the Russian Liberation Army.
1945

§ January 12-February 3, 1945 - Vistula-Oder operation(in Prussia, Poland and Silesia).

January 27, 1945
Red Army liberated Auschwitz concentration camp(Auschwitz).
By the time of liberation there were about 7 thousand prisoners. Auschwitz has become a symbol of the atrocities of fascism. The number of prisoners in this camp exceeded 1 300 000 human. 900 thousand were shot or sent to the gas chambers. Another 200 thousand died due to disease, hunger, inhuman treatment.
Liberation Soviet soldiers of the surviving prisoners of the Auschwitz concentration camp. Above the gate is the famous sign " Arbeit macht fry“Work sets you free.”

§ January 30-April 9, 1945 - The defeat of the German group in Koenigsberg troops 3rd Belorussian Front.

§ 4-11 February 1945 G. - Yalta (Crimean) Conference,Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill participate. Discussed questions: occupation of Germany, moving the borders of Poland, organization of elections in Eastern Europe, UN conference, entry of the USSR into the war with Japan.
The decisions taken at the Yalta Conference determined the course of post-war history for a long time.

§ February 10 - April 4, 1945 - East Pomeranian operation of the 2nd and 1st Belorussian fronts.

February 13-14 - Allied aviation bombed attacks on Dresden. The death toll, according to various sources, ranges from 60,000 to 245,000.

April 12th US President Franklin Roosevelt dies. His successor was Harry Truman.

§ April 16 - May 8, 1945 G. - Berlin operation 1st, 2nd Belorussian and 1st Ukrainian fronts.

The released child prisoners of Buchenwald leave the main gate of the camp, accompanied by american soldiers. 04/17/1945 Buchenwald.

§ 25th of April 1945 - Meeting of Soviet and American troops in Torgau (on the river Elbe). Encirclement of Berlin by Soviet troops.


.

§ May 2, 1945 G. - Completion of the defeat of the encircled Berlin group Nazi troops troops of the 1st Belorussian and 1st Ukrainian fronts.

§ May 2, 1945 - Capitulation of Berlin

§ May 8-9, 1945 - The signing of the Act of unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany in the Berlin suburb of Karlshorst. All parts of the Wehrmacht were ordered to stop hostilities in 23.01 according to Central European time.

Having won military victory over Germany, The Soviet Union made a decisive contribution in the defeat of Nazism in Europe.
Salute of Victory

……………………..

June 5- The victorious powers assumed complete power in Germany. The country was divided into four zones. Berlin - into four sectors.

§ June 6, 1945 G. - Quadripartite Berlin Declaration on the management of Germany (signed by the USA, Great Britain, France and the USSR).
Meeting of the winners

§ June 24, 1945 - Victory Parade on Red Square in Moscow.

§ June 29, 1945 - Treaty of the USSR and Czechoslovakia on reunification Transcarpathian Ukraine with the Ukrainian SSR.

§ July 17-August 2, 1945 - Berlin (Potsdam) Conference in which they participate Stalin, Truman and Churchill (later Attlee).

Among the issues discussed: reparations, the device and the new borders of Germany.
The objectives of the occupation of Germany by the Allies proclaimed its demilitarization, democratization and decentralization.

By decision Potsdam Conference Germany's eastern borders were moved to the west to the line Oder-Neisse, which reduced its territory by 25% compared to 1937. The territories east of the new frontier consisted of East Prussia, Silesia, West Prussia, and parts of Pomerania.

Most of the territories taken away from Germany became part of Poland. Part USSR together with Königsberg(was renamed Kaliningrad) included one third East Prussia, where the Königsberg (from March 1946 - Kaliningrad) region was created RSFSR.

In the east of the pre-war territory of Poland, the Poles were a national minority among Ukrainians and Belarusians. Until 1939, the eastern border of Poland was practically under Kyiv and Minsk, and the Poles also owned the Vilna region, which is now part of Lithuania. USSR received western border with Poland on Curzon lines", established in 1920.

……………………….

In the US, in the New Mexico desert, the world's first nuclear test.

On August 9, the US dropped atomic bomb on Nagasaki. More than 36 thousand people died.

§ August 9-September 2, 1945 - Manchurian operation to defeat the Kwantung (Japanese) army.

§ 11-25 August - Yuzhno-Sakhalinskaya offensive operation of the 2nd Far Eastern Front and the Pacific Fleet.

§ August 18 - September 1 - Kuril landing operation of the 2nd Far Eastern Front and the Pacific Fleet.
Port Arthur

In Tokyo bay aboard the USS Missouri Japanese representatives signed the Act of Unconditional Surrender.
USSR in fact returned to its territory, annexed by Japan from the Russian Empire at the end of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 years at the end of the Portsmouth Peace ( southern Sakhalin and, temporarily, Kwantung with Port Arthur and Dalniy), as well as previously ceded to Japan in 1875, the main group of the Kuril Islands.

End of World War II!!!


…………………..

Nuremberg Trials- international litigation over the former leaders of Nazi Germany. Passed from November 20, 1945 to October 1, 1946 in Nuremberg.

Accusations: Unleashing a war by Germany, genocide, mass extermination of people in "death factories", murders and ill-treatment of civilians in the occupied territories, inhuman treatment of prisoners of war.
The process was named process about the main war criminals, and the court was given the status military tribunal.

The International Military Tribunal sentenced:

To death by hanging: Hermann Goering, Joachim von Ribbentrop, Wilhelm Keitel, Ernst Kaltenbrunner, ... Martin Bormann (in absentia) and Alfred Jodl.
Goering

To life imprisonment Story by: Rudolf Hess, Walter Funk and Erich Raeder.

The death sentences were carried out on the night of October 16, 1946. Their ashes were scattered from the plane into the wind. Goering poisoned himself in prison shortly before his execution. It is believed that he received a poison capsule from his wife during the last date with a kiss.
……………..

The results of the war

The Second World War had a huge impact on the fate of mankind. 72 states participated in it. Military operations were conducted on the territory of 40 states. 110 million people were mobilized. The loss of life has reached 60-65 million people, of which killed on the fronts 27 million people, many of them citizens of the USSR. Suffered heavy losses China, Germany, Japan and Poland.

It should be noted that 70-90% of the losses during the entire Second World War, the German armed forces suffered on the Soviet front. On the Eastern Front, in the struggle against the USSR, during the war, German troops lost 507 divisions, 100 divisions of Germany's allies were completely defeated.

The war showed the inability of Western European countries to support colonial empires . Some countries have achieved independence: Ethiopia, Iceland, Syria, Lebanon, Vietnam, Indonesia.
A political map of the World has undergone significant territorial changes.

In the countries of Eastern Europe, occupied by Soviet troops were established socialist regimes. Was created United Nations.

Fascist and Nazi ideologies were recognized as criminal on Nuremberg Trials. Support has increased in many countries communist parties thanks to their active participation in the anti-fascist struggle during the war.

But Europe was divided into two camps: west capitalist and Oriental socialist. Relations between the two blocs worsened, and cold war...
………………………

Happy Victory Day!!!
And peace to all of us!!
................

Photos of World War II and the Great Patriotic War (1939-1945) by topic
http://waralbum.ru/catalog/
Cycle "Chronicles of World War II"20 parts
http://fototelegraf.ru/?tag=ww2-chronics
The Second World War in 108 photos:
http://www.rosphoto.com/best-of-the-best/vtoraya_mirovaya_voyna-2589

Background of the war, alleged allies and opponents, periodization

The First World War (1914-1918) ended with the defeat of Germany. The victorious states insisted that Germany sign the Versailles Peace Accords, according to which the country pledged to pay multimillion-dollar indemnities, renounced its own army, military developments, and agreed to seize certain territories from it.

The signed agreements were in many ways predatory and unfair, since the Russian empire, which by this time had changed the political structure from a monarchy to a republic. In view of the ongoing political events and the outbreak of the civil war, the government of the RSFSR agreed to sign a separate peace with Germany, which subsequently served as a pretext for excluding Russians from the number of peoples who won the First World War and an impetus for the development of economic, political and military relations with Germany. The Genoa Conference of 1922 laid the foundation for such relations.

In the spring of 1922, former allies and enemies from the First World War met in the Italian city of Rapallo to work out an agreement regarding mutual refusal from any claims against each other. Among other things, it was proposed to abandon the demand for indemnity from Germany and its allies.

During mutual meetings and diplomatic negotiations, the representative of the USSR, Georgy Chicherin, and the head of the delegation from the Weimar Republic, Walter Rathenau, signed the Rapallo Agreement, restoring diplomatic ties between the signatory countries. The Rapallo Accords were received in Europe and America without much enthusiasm, but did not meet with significant obstacles. Some time later, Germany received an unofficial opportunity to return to building up weapons and creating its own army. Fearing the communist threat posed by the USSR, the parties to the Versailles agreements successfully turned a blind eye to Germany's desire to take revenge for losing the First World War.

In 1933, the National Socialist Workers' Party, led by Adolf Hitler, came to power in the country. Germany openly declares its unwillingness to comply with the Versailles agreements and withdraws from the League of Nations on October 14, 1933, without accepting the proposal to participate in the Geneva Disarmament Conference. The expected negative reaction from the Western powers did not follow. Hitler was unofficially given free rein.

January 26, 1934 Germany and Poland sign the Non-Aggression Pact. March 7, 1936 German troops occupy the Rhineland. Hitler enlists the support of Mussolini, promising him help in the conflict with Ethiopia and renouncing military claims in the Adriatic. In the same year, the Anti-Comintern Pact was concluded between Japan and Germany, obliging the parties to take active measures to eradicate communism in the territories under their control. Italy joins the pact the following year.

In March 1938, Germany carried out the Anschluss of Austria. Since that time, the threat of the Second World War has become more than real. With the support of Italy and Japan, Germany no longer saw any reason to formally comply with the Versailles Protocols. Sluggish protests from Great Britain and France did not bring the expected effect. On April 17, 1939, the Soviet Union offers these countries to conclude a military agreement that would limit Germany's influence on the Baltic countries. The government of the USSR sought to protect itself in case of war, having received the opportunity to transfer troops through the territory of Poland and Romania. Unfortunately, it was not possible to achieve agreement on this issue, the Western powers preferred a fragile peace with Germany to cooperation with the USSR. Hitler hastened to send diplomats to conclude an agreement with France and Great Britain, later known as the Munich Pact, which included the introduction of Czechoslovakia into Germany's sphere of influence. The territory of the country was divided into spheres of influence, the Sudetenland was ceded to Germany. Hungary and Poland took an active part in the section.

In the current difficult situation, the USSR decides to go for rapprochement with Germany. On August 23, 1939, Ribbentrop, endowed with emergency powers, arrives in Moscow. A secret agreement is concluded between the Soviet Union and Germany - the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. At its core, the document was an attack treaty for a period of 10 years. In addition, he distinguished between the influence of Germany and the USSR in Eastern Europe. Estonia, Latvia, Finland and Bessarabia were included in the sphere of influence of the USSR. Germany received rights to Lithuania. In the event of a military conflict in Europe, the territories of Poland, which were part of Belarus and Ukraine under the Riga Peace Treaty of 1920, as well as some of the original Polish lands of the Warsaw and Lublin provinces, were ceded to the USSR.

Thus, by the end of the summer of 1939, all major territorial issues between allies and rivals in the proposed war were resolved. The Czech Republic, Slovakia and Austria were controlled by German troops, Italy occupied Albania, and France and Great Britain provided protection guarantees for Poland, Greece, Romania and Turkey. At the same time, clear-cut military coalitions, similar to those that existed on the eve of the First World War, had not yet been formed. The obvious allies of Germany were the governments of the territories it occupied - Slovakia and the Czech Republic, Austria. Military support was ready to provide the regime of Mussolini in Italy and Franco in Spain. In the Asian direction, the mikado of Japan took a wait-and-see position. Having secured himself from the side of the USSR, Hitler put Great Britain and France in a difficult position. The United States was also in no hurry to enter into a conflict ready to unleash, hoping to support one of the parties whose economic and political interests would be most in line with the country's foreign policy.

On September 1, 1939, the combined forces of Germany and Slovakia invaded Poland. This date can be considered the beginning of World War II, which lasted for 5 years and affected the interests of more than 80% of the world's population. 72 states and over 100 million people took part in the military conflict. Not all of them directly participated in the hostilities, some were engaged in the supply of goods and equipment, others expressed their support in monetary terms.

The periodization of the Second World War is rather complicated. The conducted research allows us to distinguish at least 5 significant periods in the Second World War:

September 1, 1939 - June 22, 1944 The attack on Poland - aggression against the Soviet Union and the beginning of the Great Patriotic War.

June 1941 - November 1942. The "Barbarossa" plan for the lightning-fast capture of the territory of the USSR within 1-2 months and its final destruction in the battle of Stalingrad. Japanese offensives in Asia. United States entry into the war. Battle of the Atlantic. Battles in Africa and the Mediterranean. Creation of the anti-Hitler coalition.

November 1942 - June 1944. German losses on the Eastern Front. The actions of the Americans and the British in Italy, Asia and Africa. Fall of the fascist regime in Italy. The transition of hostilities to the territory of the enemy - the bombing of Germany.

June 1944 - May 1945. Opening of the second front. The retreat of German troops to the borders of Germany. Capture of Berlin. Capitulation of Germany.

May 1945 - September 2, 1945. The fight against Japanese aggression in Asia. Japanese surrender. Nuremberg and Tokyo Tribunals. Creation of the UN.

The main events of World War II took place in Western and Eastern Europe, the Mediterranean, Africa and the Pacific.

Beginning of World War II (September 1939-June 1941)

September 1, 1939 Germany annexes Poland. September 3, the governments of France and Great Britain, connected with Poland by peace treaties, announce the start of hostilities directed against Germany. Similar actions followed from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the Union of South Africa, Nepal and Newfoundland. The surviving written eyewitness accounts suggest that Hitler was not ready for such a turn of events. Germany hoped for a repeat of the events in Munich.

The well-trained German army occupied most of Poland in a matter of hours. Despite the declaration of war, France and Great Britain were in no hurry to start open hostilities. The government of these states took a wait-and-see attitude, similar to that which took place during the annexation of Ethiopia by Italy and Austria by Germany. In historical sources, this time was called the "Strange War".

One of the most important events of this time was the defense Brest Fortress, which began on September 14, 1939. The defense was led by the Polish General Plisovsky. The defense of the fortress fell on September 17, 1939, the fortress actually ended up in the hands of the Germans, but already on September 22, units of the Red Army entered it. In compliance with the secret protocols of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, Germany transferred the eastern part of Poland to the USSR.

On September 28, an agreement on friendship and the border between the USSR and Germany is signed in Moscow. The Germans occupy Warsaw and the Polish government flees to Romania. The border between the USSR and Poland occupied by Germany is established along the Curzon Line. The territory of Poland, controlled by the USSR, is included in Lithuania, Ukraine and Belarus. The Polish and Jewish population in the territories controlled by the Third Reich are deported and subjected to repression.

October 6, 1939 Hitler proposes opposing sides to enter into peace negotiations, desiring thereby to consolidate the official right of Germany to the annexation she had accomplished. Having not received a positive answer, Germany refuses any further actions for the peaceful resolution of the contradictions that have arisen.

Taking advantage of the employment of France and Great Britain, as well as Germany's lack of desire to enter into an open conflict with the USSR, on November 30, 1939, the Government of the Soviet Union gives the order to invade the territory of Finland. During the outbreak of hostilities, the Red Army managed to get islands in the Gulf of Finland and move the border with Finland 150 kilometers from Leningrad. On March 13, 1940, a peace treaty was signed between the USSR and Finland. At the same time, the Soviet Union succeeded in annexing the territories of the Baltic States, Northern Bukovina and Bessarabia.

Considering the refusal of the peace conference as a desire to continue the war, Hitler sends troops to capture Denmark and Norway. On April 9, 1940, the Germans invade the territories of these states. On May 10 of the same year, the Germans occupied Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. Attempts by the combined Franco-English troops to oppose the capture of these states were not successful.

On June 10, 1940, Italy joins the fighting on the side of Germany. Italian troops occupy part of the territory of France, providing active support to the German divisions. On June 22, 1940, France made peace with Germany, with most of the country's territory under the control of the German-controlled Vichy government. The remnants of the resistance forces under the leadership of General Charles de Gaulle took refuge in the UK.

On July 16, 1940, Hitler issues a decree on the invasion of Great Britain, the bombing of English cities begins. Great Britain finds itself in the conditions of an economic blockade, but its advantageous insular position does not allow the Germans to carry out the planned capture. Until the end of the war, Great Britain resisted the German army and navy not only in Europe, but also in Africa and Asia. In Africa, British troops clash with Italian interests. Throughout 1940, the Italian army is defeated by the combined forces of the allies. In early 1941, Hitler sent an expeditionary force to Africa under the leadership of General Romel, whose actions significantly shook the position of the British.

In the winter and spring of 1941, the Balkans, Greece, Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Lebanon were engulfed in hostilities. Japan invades the territory of China, Thailand acts on the side of Germany and receives part of the territories of Cambodia, as well as Laos.

At the beginning of the war, hostilities are conducted not only on land, but also at sea. The inability to use land routes for the transport of goods, forcing the UK to strive for dominance at sea.

The US foreign policy is changing to a large extent. The American government understands that it is no longer profitable to stay away from the events taking place in Europe. Negotiations begin with the governments of Great Britain, the USSR and other states that have expressed a clear desire to counteract Germany. Meanwhile, the confidence of the Soviet Union in the ability to maintain neutrality is also weakening.

German attack on the USSR, eastern theater of operations (1941-1945)

Since the end of 1940, relations between Germany and the USSR have been gradually deteriorating. The government of the USSR rejects Hitler's proposal to join the Triple Alliance, since Germany refuses to consider a number of conditions put forward by the Soviet side. Cool relations, however, do not interfere with the observance of all the conditions of the pact, in which Stalin continues to believe. In the spring of 1941, the Soviet government began to receive reports that Germany was preparing a plan to attack the USSR. Such information comes from spies in Japan and Italy, the American government, and is successfully ignored. Stalin does not take any steps towards building up the army and navy, strengthening the borders.

At dawn on June 22, 1941, German aviation and ground troops cross the state border of the USSR. On the same morning, German Ambassador to the USSR Schulenberg read out a memorandum declaring war on the USSR. In a matter of weeks, the enemy managed to overcome the insufficiently organized resistance of the Red Army and advance 500-600 kilometers inland. In the last weeks of the summer of 1941, the Barbarossa plan for a lightning-fast takeover of the USSR was close to being successfully implemented. German troops occupied Lithuania, Latvia, Belarus, Moldova, Bessarabia and the right bank of Ukraine. The actions of the German troops were based on the coordinated work of four army groups:

The Finnish group is commanded by General von Dietl and Field Marshal Mannerheim. The task is the capture of Murmansk, the White Sea, Ladoga.

Group "North" - Commander Field Marshal von Leeb. The task is the capture of Leningrad.

Group "Center" - commander-in-chief von Bock. The task is the capture of Moscow.

Group "South" - Commander Field Marshal von Rundstedt. The task is to take control over Ukraine.

Despite the creation of the Evacuation Council on June 24, 1941, more than half of the strategically important resources for the country, enterprises of heavy and light industry, workers and peasants, fell into the hands of the enemy.

On June 30, 1941, the State Defense Committee was created, headed by I.V. Stalin. Molotov, Beria, Malenkov and Voroshilov were also members of the Committee. Since that time, the State Defense Committee has been the most important political, economic and military institution of the country. On July 10, 1941, the Headquarters of the Supreme Command was created, including Stalin, Molotov, Timoshenko, Voroshilov, Budyonny, Shaposhnikov and Zhukov. Stalin assumed the role of People's Commissar of Defense and Supreme Commander.

On August 15, the battle of Smolensk ended. On the outskirts of the city, the Red Army for the first time dealt a tangible blow to the German troops. Unfortunately, already in September-November 1941, Kyiv, Vyborg and Tikhvin fell, Leningrad was encircled, the Germans launched an attack on the Donbas and Crimea. Hitler's goal was Moscow and the oil-bearing veins of the Caucasus. On September 24, 1941, the attack on Moscow began, ending in March 1942 with the establishment of a stable front border along the Velikiye Luki-Gzhatsk-Kirov, Oka line.

Moscow managed to be defended, but significant territories of the Union were controlled by the enemy. On July 2, 1942, Sevastopol fell, the path to the Caucasus was opened to the enemy. On June 28, the Germans launched an offensive in the Kursk region. German troops took the Voronezh region, the Northern Donets, Rostov. Panic broke out in many parts of the Red Army. To maintain discipline, Stalin issues order No. 227 "Not a step back." Deserters and soldiers simply lost in battle were not only reprimanded by their comrades, but were also punished to the fullest extent of wartime. Taking advantage of the retreat of the Soviet troops, Hitler organized an offensive in the direction of the Caucasus and the Caspian Sea. The Germans occupied the Kuban, Stavropol, Krasnodar and Novorossiysk. Their offensive was stopped only in the region of Grozny.

From October 12, 1942 to February 2, 1943, there were battles for Stalingrad. Trying to take over the city, the commander of the 6th Army, von Paulus, made a number of strategic mistakes, due to which the troops subordinate to him were surrounded and were forced to surrender. The defeat at Stalingrad was the turning point of the Great Patriotic War. The Red Army moved from defense to a large-scale offensive on all fronts. The victory raised morale, the Red Army managed to return many strategically important territories, including the Donbass and Kurs, and the blockade of Leningrad was broken for a short time.

In July-August 1943, the Battle of Kursk took place, ending with another devastating defeat for the German troops. From that time on, the operational initiative passed forever to the Red Army, the few victories of the Germans could no longer pose a threat to the conquest of the country.

On January 27, 1944, the blockade of Leningrad was lifted, which claimed the lives of millions of civilians and became the starting point for the Soviet offensive along the entire front line.

In the summer of 1944, the Red Army crosses the state borders and forever drives the German invaders out of the territory of the Soviet Union. In August of this year, Romania capitulated and the Antonescu regime fell. Fascist regimes actually fell in Bulgaria and Hungary. In September 1944, Soviet troops entered Yugoslavia. By October, almost a third of Eastern Europe was controlled by the Red Army.

On April 25, 1945, the Red Army and the troops of the Second Front, discovered by the Allies, met on the Elbe.

On May 9, 1945, Germany signed the act of surrender, which marked the end of the Great Patriotic War. Meanwhile, World War II continued.

The creation of the anti-Hitler coalition, the actions of the allies in Europe, Africa and Asia (June 1941 - May 1945)

Having developed a plan to attack the Soviet Union, Hitler counted on the international isolation of this country. Indeed, the communist power was not very popular in the international arena. The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact also played a decisive role in this. At the same time, already on July 12, 1941, the USSR and Great Britain signed an agreement on cooperation. Later, this agreement was supplemented by an agreement on trade and the provision of loans. In September of the same year, Stalin for the first time turned to Great Britain with a request to open a second front in Europe. Requests, and subsequently the demands of the Soviet side, remained unanswered until the beginning of 1944.

Before the US entered the war (December 7, 1941), the British government and the French government in London, headed by Charles de Gaulle, were in no hurry to reassure the new allies, limiting themselves to the supply of food, money and weapons (lend-lease).

On January 1, 1942, the Declaration of 26 states was signed in Washington and the official formation of the anti-Hitler coalition was actually completed. In addition, the USSR became a party to the Atlantic Charter. Agreements on cooperation and mutual assistance were concluded with many countries that by this time were part of the anti-Hitler bloc. The undisputed leaders are the Soviet Union, Great Britain and the United States. A declaration on the achievement of a lasting and just peace was also signed between the USSR and Poland, but due to the execution of Polish soldiers near Katyn, really strong relations were not established.

In October 1943, the British, US, and Soviet Foreign Ministers met in Moscow to discuss the forthcoming Tehran Conference. Actually the conference itself was held from November 28 to December 1, 1943 in Tehran. It was attended by Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin. The Soviet Union managed to achieve a promise to open a second front in May 1944 and various kinds of territorial concessions.

In January 1945, the allies of the anti-Hitler coalition gathered in Yalta to discuss further actions after the defeat of Germany. The Soviet Union undertook not to stop the war, directing military power to achieve victory over Japan.

The rapid rapprochement with the Soviet Union was of great importance for the Western European countries. A broken France, a besieged Great Britain, a more than neutral America, could not pose a serious threat to Hitler. The outbreak of war on the Eastern Front diverted the main forces of the Reich from events in Europe, Asia and Africa, gave a tangible respite, which the Western countries did not fail to take advantage of.

On December 7, 1941, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, which was the reason for the US entry into the war and the start of hostilities in the Philippines, Thailand, New Guinea, China and even India. At the end of 1942, Japan controls all of Southeast Asia and Northwestern Oceania.

In the summer of 1941, the first significant Anglo-American convoys appeared in the Atlantic Ocean, carrying equipment, weapons, and food. Similar convoys appear on the Pacific and Arctic Oceans. Until the end of 1944, a fierce confrontation between German combat submarines and Allied ships was going on at sea. Despite significant losses on land, the right to dominate the sea remains with Great Britain.

Enlisting the support of the Americans, the British made repeated attempts to oust the Nazis from Africa and Italy. This was done only by 1945 in the course of the Tunisian and Italian companies. Since January 1943, regular bombardments of German cities have been carried out.

The most significant event of World War II on its Western Front was the landing of the allied forces in Normandy on June 6, 1944. The appearance of the Americans, British and Canadians in Normandy marked the opening of the Second Front and marked the beginning of the liberation of Belgium and France.

The final period of World War II (May - September 1945)

The surrender of Germany, signed on May 9, 1945, made it possible to transfer part of the troops that took part in the liberation of Europe from fascism to the Pacific direction. By this time, more than 60 states took part in the war against Japan. In the summer of 1945, Japanese troops left Indonesia and liberated Indochina. On July 26, the allies in the anti-Hitler coalition demanded that the Government of Japan sign an agreement on voluntary surrender. There was no positive response, so the fighting continued.

On August 8, 1945, the Soviet Union also declares war on Japan. The transfer of units of the Red Army to Far East, the Kwantung army located there is defeated, and the puppet state of Manchukuo ceases to exist.

On August 6 and 9, American aircraft carriers drop atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, after which there is no longer any doubt about the victory of the allies in the Pacific direction.

On September 2, 1945, the act of unconditional surrender of Japan is signed. World War II ends, between former allies Negotiations begin on the anti-Hitler bloc regarding the future fate of Germany and fascism itself. In Nuremberg and Tokyo, tribunals are beginning to operate, designed to determine the degree of guilt and punishment for war criminals.

World War II claimed the lives of 27 million people. Germany was divided into 4 occupation zones and for a long time lost the right to independently make decisions in the international arena. In addition, the size of the indemnity assigned to Germany and its allies was several times greater than that determined at the end of the First World War.

Opposition to fascism in the countries of Asia and Africa took shape in the anti-colonial movement, thanks to which many colonies acquired the status independent states. One of the most important outcomes of the war was the creation of the United Nations. The warm relations between the allies, established during the war, cooled noticeably. Europe was divided into two camps - capitalist and communist.

World War II (September 1, 1939 - September 2, 1945) is a military conflict between two world military-political coalitions.

It has become the largest armed conflict in mankind. 62 states took part in this war. About 80% of the entire population of the Earth participated in hostilities on one side or another.

We bring to your attention a brief history of World War II. From this article you will learn the main events associated with this terrible tragedy on a global scale.

First period of World War 2

September 1, 1939 The armed forces entered the territory of Poland. In this regard, after 2 days, France and Germany declared war.

The Wehrmacht troops did not meet decent resistance from the Poles, as a result of which they managed to occupy Poland in just 2 weeks.

At the end of April 1940, the Germans occupied Norway and Denmark. After that, the army annexed. It is worth noting that none of the listed states could adequately resist the enemy.

Soon the Germans attacked France, which was also forced to capitulate in less than 2 months. This was a real triumph for the Nazis, since at that time the French had good infantry, aviation and navy.

After the conquest of France, the Germans turned out to be head and shoulders stronger than all their opponents. In the process of conducting the French campaign, Italy became an ally of Germany, headed by.

After that, Yugoslavia was also captured by the Germans. Thus, Hitler's lightning offensive allowed him to occupy all the countries of Western and Central Europe. Thus began the history of World War II.

Then the Nazis began to seize African states. The Fuhrer planned to conquer countries on this continent within a few months, and then launch an offensive in the Middle East and India.

At the end of this, according to Hitler's plans, the reunification of the German and Japanese troops was to take place.

Second period of World War 2

This came as a complete surprise to Soviet citizens and the country's leadership. As a result, the USSR united against Germany.

Soon, the United States joined this alliance, agreeing to provide military, food and economic assistance. As a result, countries have been able to rationally use their own resources and support each other.

At the end of the summer of 1941, British and Soviet troops entered Iran, as a result of which Hitler had certain difficulties. Because of this, he was unable to place military bases there, necessary for the full conduct of the war.

Anti-Hitler coalition

On January 1, 1942 in Washington, representatives of the Big Four (USSR, USA, Great Britain and China) signed the Declaration of the United Nations, thus laying the foundation for the Anti-Hitler coalition. Later, 22 more countries joined it.

The first serious defeats of Germany in World War II began with the Battle of Moscow (1941-1942). Interestingly, Hitler's troops approached the capital of the USSR so close that they could already see it through binoculars.

Both the German leadership and the entire army were confident that they would soon defeat the Russians. Napoleon once dreamed of the same thing, entering during the year in.

The Germans were so overconfident that they didn't even bother with appropriate winter gear for their soldiers, because they thought the war was almost over. However, everything turned out quite the opposite.

The Soviet army accomplished a heroic feat by launching an active offensive against the Wehrmacht. He commanded the main military operations. It was thanks to the Russian troops that the blitzkrieg was thwarted.

Fifth period of World War 2

So, in 1945, at the Potsdam Conference, the Soviet Union announced its intention to go to war with Japan, which did not surprise anyone, because the Japanese army fought on the side of Hitler.

The USSR was able to defeat the Japanese army without much difficulty, freeing Sakhalin, the Kuril Islands, and some territories.

The military operation, which lasted less than 1 month, ended with the surrender of Japan, which was signed on September 2. The biggest war in human history is over.

Results of World War II

As mentioned earlier, World War II is the largest military conflict in history. It lasted for 6 years. During this time, more than 50 million people died in total, although some historians give even higher numbers.

The USSR suffered the most damage from the Second World War. The country lost about 27 million citizens, and also suffered severe economic losses.

In conclusion, I would like to say that the Second World War is a terrible lesson for all mankind. Until now, a lot of documentary photo and video material has been preserved, helping to see the horrors of that war.

What is worth - the angel of death of the Nazi camps. But she was not alone!

People should do everything possible so that such tragedies of a universal scale never happen again. Never again!

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