Preparation of the Soviet Union for the Great Patriotic War. War. preparation for war in the ussr

The Soviet Union was also preparing for war. For 1939 and 1940 The Red Army increased by more than 3 times and reached the strength of 5 million people. The USSR had the most tanks in the world. Only on the Soviet-German border were placed 10 thousand tanks - 2.5 times more than in Germany. In May-June 1941, military trains from all over the country were moving towards the border. Stalin's advisers assured that Hitler would not have time to attack our country, but they miscalculated.

The beginning of the Great Patriotic War

Early in the morning on Sunday, June 22, 1941, the Germans crossed the border. In Moscow, the German ambassador Schulenburg belatedly announced the start of the war. This was a terrible event for the entire Soviet people.

The first period of the Great Patriotic War

Main events:

The defenders of the Brest Fortress, who entered the battle on the border on June 22, 1941, fought heroically in complete encirclement for more than a month.

In the first days of the war, a large number of Soviet aircraft, tanks, artillery pieces. The Red Army, which had prepared to attack, was unable to defend itself. The control of many formations was lost, which became easy prey for the enemy.

Battles for Smolensk, Kiev, Leningrad in July-September 1941 slowed down the advance of the German troops and disrupted the "blitzkrieg".

In the Leningrad direction, German tank units broke through to Lake Ladoga in September and cut off Leningrad from the rest of the country. The 900-day blockade of the city began.

By decision of the Headquarters, G.K. was appointed Supreme Commander of the Leningrad Front. Zhukov. Thanks to his efforts, the threat of the capture of the city by the Germans was eliminated.

In August, in the southern direction, the German-Romanian troops, 5 times superior to the enemy, made an unsuccessful attempt to capture Odessa. Only the threat of the seizure of the Crimea forced the Headquarters to withdraw troops from Odessa.

In October German troops broke into the Crimea and tried to break through to Sevastopol, the main base of the Black Sea Fleet. All attempts to take the city ended in failure.

To raise the military spirit, Soviet newspapers talked about the exploits of the Red Army. N. Gastello, A. Matrosov, 28 Panfilov heroes, V. Talalikhin, 3. Kosmodemyanskaya and many others sacrificed their lives to stop the enemy, to destroy the conquerors. The words spoken by the warrior V. Klochkov flew around the whole country: “Russia is great, but there is nowhere to retreat, Moscow is behind.” The whole country rose to defend the Motherland. The war has truly become domestic and national.

November 7, 1941 I.V. Stalin on Red Square reminded the Soviet troops leaving for the front the exploits of Alexander Nevsky and Dmitry Donskoy.

Soviet pilots, sacrificing their lives, rammed German aircraft. Air battles gave more and more new heroes.

At the same time, Stalin continued to pursue a policy of repression. Without admitting guilt for the retreat of the Red Army, he found the "real" culprits among the officers of the units. A group of generals of the Western and Northwestern fronts appeared before the court-martial. G.K. Zhukov, despite all the merits, was removed from his post.

Soviet rear during the war Economics

From the very beginning of the war, the restructuring of the economy on a war footing began.

The most difficult war once again showed the ability of the Soviet people to unite in moments of danger. Instead of the men who had gone to the front, women and children stood at the machines. For 1941-1945 in the USSR, 103 thousand tanks and self-propelled artillery mounts, 112 thousand aircraft, 482 thousand guns were produced.

Allied Help

Through the efforts of Soviet and American diplomacy, on August 7, by the decision of President Roosevelt, the USSR was extended the law on lend-lease - the provision of supplies of military equipment, industrial and food products on the terms of loans and leases.

Almost immediately, the US provided the Soviet Union with a $90 million loan for gold supplies and the purchase of strategic raw materials.

From October 1, 1941 to June 3, 1942, the United States and Britain pledged to send 400 aircraft, 500 tanks, anti-aircraft and rocket installations to the Soviet Union every month.

Back from the USSR were supposed to go deliveries from the country's gold reserves.

On August 1, 1941, the British warship Adventure entered Arkhangelsk, accompanied by a Soviet destroyer, which arrived in the USSR with a cargo of depth charges and magnetic mines.

This was the beginning of allied deliveries to the USSR through four main routes:

1) along the Arctic seas, transport convoys went to Murmansk and Arkhangelsk;

2) in the south - from the Persian Gulf through deserts and mountains along railway and air in Transcaucasia;

3) through the ice fields of Alaska and the taiga of Siberia, aircraft delivered cargo;

4) transporters went from California to the Far East. Thousands of Russians, British and Americans - specialists, technicians, translators with the help of representatives of other peoples were closely interconnected for many months. In total, during the war years, about 20 million tons of cargo for various purposes, 22,195 aircraft, 12,980 tanks, 560 ships and vessels were delivered. In addition, industrial equipment was supplied, explosives, railway cars, locomotives, medicines, food.

Evacuation

An evacuation council was created in the country. For 1941-1943 from the frontline and central regions of the country were evacuated to eastern regions 2.5 thousand factories and more than 10 million.

The evacuated enterprises very quickly began to produce the products necessary for the front again.

Agriculture

After the occupation of large agricultural territories by the enemy, the Volga region, the Urals, Siberia, and Central Asia became the main food base for agriculture.

Since the autumn of 1941, a rationing system for the distribution of basic foodstuffs was introduced.

Scientists

Many scientific institutions were transported to the interior of the country. More than 2 thousand employees of the USSR Academy of Sciences fought in units active army, people's militia, partisan detachments.

Scientists have made a huge contribution to the cause of victory. New deposits were discovered - ores and non-ferrous metals, oil and gas.

A major role in the development of new technology was played by discoveries in the field of aerodynamics, chemical and fuel industries.

S. Chaplygin, M. Cheldysh, S. Kharitonovich developed new models of combat aircraft.

A. Ioffe contributed to the creation of domestic radars.

A group of scientists led by I. Kurchatov set about creating nuclear weapons.

Soviet designers developed the T-34 tank, heavy KV and IS tanks, and self-propelled artillery mounts (SAUs). The Jet Institute developed the famous Katyusha.

Publicism. Articles about the events at the front by I. Ehrenburg, A. Tolstoy, L. Leonov, M. Sholokhov.

Significant literary works: M. Sholokhov "They fought for the Motherland"; K. Simonov "Days and Nights"; A. Beck "Volokolamsk Highway".

Poetic works. O. Bergholz "February Diary"; K. Simonov "Wait for me"; A. Tvardovsky "Vasily Terkin".

Cinema. Documentaries filmed directly on the days of the battles; feature films: "Zoya"; "Mashenka"; "Two fighters"; "Invasion".

Songs. V. Lebedev-Kumach "Holy War"; M. Blanter "In the forest near the front"; N. Bogoslovsky "Dark Night"; K. Sheets "Dugout".

Musical works. D. Shostakovich - Seventh Symphony, written in besieged Leningrad; S. Prokofiev "1941".

Brigades of actors went with concerts to the front, to the home front workers. There are 700 brigades in Moscow, 500 in Leningrad.

Works of art. Campaign posters - "Windows TASS". Poster I. Toidze "Motherland is calling!".

guerrilla war

Resistance groups were organized in the occupied territories, partisan detachments. For their coordination, the Central Headquarters of the partisan movement was created, headed by P. Ponomarenko. Since 1942, the partisans have diverted more than 10% of the German troops. They staged ambushes, sabotage, raids.

During 1942 - the beginning of 1943, the partisans committed 1,500 sabotage on the railways.

The partisans were commanded by V. Begma, P. Vershigora, S. Kovpak, V. Kozlov, V. Korzh, D. Medvedev, A. Fedorov and many other brave commanders.

Russian Orthodox Church during the war years

The Russian Orthodox Church called on believers to defend the Motherland. At the call of Metropolitan Sergius, funds were raised for a tank column named after St. Demetrius of the Don. In September 1943, the leaders of the church met with Stalin, who allowed, after a long break from 1925, to elect a new patriarch. They became Sergius. Church services were allowed throughout the country. Most of all, people prayed for victory and for the salvation of their country.

The second period of the Great Patriotic War

The collapse of the offensive near Moscow

The attack on Moscow began only in 1941. The German Army Group Center carried out Operation Typhoon. On October 20, a state of siege was introduced in the capital. The beginning frosts stopped the Nazis and. allowed to inflict a crushing counterattack on the Soviet troops. The counteroffensive began on December 5, 1941. Kalinin, Klin, Solnechnogorsk, and Istra were liberated. The enemy was pushed back from Moscow by 100-250 km. This was the first major defeat of the German troops in the Great Patriotic War.

The offensive of the Soviet troops

In the winter of 1941-1942. The Red Army delivered a series of powerful blows in the north, south and center. A landing force was landed on the Kerch Peninsula.

At the same time, total mobilization took place in Germany. Almost all divisions were transferred from West to East.

balance of power

The offensive of the Soviet troops gave way to temporary setbacks in the Crimea and near Kharkov. The loss of Crimea dramatically changed the strategic situation in favor of the enemy. Germany rushed to the Caucasus.

1942 German troops went on the offensive in the Kursk-Voronezh direction. Another grouping launched an offensive in a southerly direction. Rostov was surrendered; The Germans occupied the Eastern Donbass.

The main forces of the Red Army escaped encirclement and withdrew to the east and south.

German troops moved to Stalingrad. His defense began.

The third period of the Great Patriotic War. Root fracture

In mid-July 1942, German troops rushed to Stalingrad. They set themselves the goal of cutting off the paths connecting the Caucasus with the center of Russia along the Volga, defeating the forces of the Red Army and capturing the Volga city. The Germans on the outskirts of Stalingrad faced the stubborn defense of the Red Army. They had to transfer divisions from other fronts to Stalingrad. On August 23, after fierce fighting, the 6th Army withdrew to the Volga north of Stalingrad. The city itself was severely bombarded by German aircraft.

The Soviet command developed a plan called "Uranus" with detailed actions of the Soviet troops near Stalingrad.

According to the Uranus plan, double and even triple superiority over the enemy was created in the directions of the main attack of the Soviet troops.

The covert movement of troops made it possible to make the blow of our army sudden for the fascist command.

Stalingrad became synonymous with the mass heroism of Soviet soldiers, entire regiments and divisions.

The 62nd and 64th armies under the command of Generals V.I. covered themselves with unfading glory. Chuikov and M.S. Shumilova.

Battle of Stalingrad

November 19 at 7:30 am Soviet artillery opened heavy fire on the enemy, who was defending on the right bank of the Don. Tank formations and infantry of the Southwestern Front were thrown into the gap. They went towards parts of the South-Western Front. On November 23, the troops of the two Soviet fronts united in the area of ​​​​the city of Kalach. The main forces of the enemy were surrounded - 330,000 soldiers and officers.

An attempt to break through the ring of Soviet troops, undertaken by E. Manstein, ended in failure. January 8 K.K. Rokossovsky offered the German group to surrender, but General F. Paulus did not accept the ultimatum, continuing the fighting until February 2, 1943. After that, the Germans nevertheless capitulated. 91,000 people were taken prisoner, including 24 generals.

In the spring of 1943, the Germans fled from the Caucasus in order not to be surrounded.

This was the beginning of a radical change in the course of the Great Patriotic War.

Kursk Bulge

The German operation "Citadel" provided for the encirclement of Soviet troops in the area of ​​the Kursk Bulge. This was last chance Hitler to crush the USSR.

General Staff led by A.M. Vasilevsky developed an active defense plan in order, after exhausting the enemy, to bring down on him the entire strength of the main and reserve armies. On July 12, 1943, the largest tank battle took place near the village of Prokhorovka, in which 1200 tanks took part.

During Battle of Kursk the partisans carried out Operation "Concert", and then - "Rail War". Hundreds of thousands of railroad tracks were blown up. In a number of places, train traffic was completely paralyzed.

The offensive of the Red Army

On the same day, the Red Army went on the offensive. Soon the cities of Belgorod and Orel were liberated. In honor of this victory, the first victorious salute in the history of the Great Patriotic War was fired in Moscow.

On November 6, Kiev was liberated. A radical turning point in the course of hostilities took place, the Soviet troops were advancing in most directions.

The period of setbacks for the Red Army ended with battles near Stalingrad and in the North Caucasus.

Fourth and fifth periods of the Great Patriotic War

Main events of the fourth period

The blockade of Leningrad, which lasted 900 days and nights, claimed thousands of lives of Leningraders. Food was brought to the city on the ice of Lake Ladoga, but it was not enough. The so-called road of life was bombarded by German aircraft. In January 1944 the blockade was broken.

In the spring, a major offensive was launched in Ukraine.

In March 1944, Soviet troops reached the State border of the USSR on the territory of Moldova.

In May 1944, Sevastopol was liberated Black Sea Fleet.

In June, the "Mannerheim defensive line" was broken through, and Finland began peace negotiations.

The most powerful in 1944 was the operation "Bagration" - the offensive of four fronts in Belarus. Within two weeks, Soviet troops utterly defeated the enemy in the area of ​​Vitebsk, Bobruisk, Mogilev, Orsha. The situation of the beginning of the war was repeated, only, unlike the Red Army, the German troops were in fortified positions and were ready to repel the attack. Operation "Bagration" is the highest achievement of the strategic thought of the Soviet generals, especially K. Rokossovsky.

Liberation Mission of the Red Army

In the autumn of 1944, the German troops left the Baltic states, only in Latvia separate units fought in encirclement until May 1945.

In June 1944, Soviet troops began the Vistula-Oder operation - the liberation of Poland.

In August, after the Iasi-Kishinev operation, Romania entered the war on the side of the USSR.

In September, as a result of a popular uprising, Bulgaria overthrew the fascist government.

In October, Soviet troops and Yugoslav patriots liberated Belgrade.

Allied actions. Creation of the anti-Hitler coalition

The attack of Germany and its allies on the USSR, and then the aggression of Japan against the USA and Great Britain led to the unification of all the forces that fought against the fascist aggressors into a single anti-fascist coalition. Its most important document was the Atlantic Charter, signed by W. Churchill and F. Roosevelt in August 1944, and later by the Soviet Union. The charter spoke of the need to disarm the aggressors and create a reliable security system. As a result of the signing of these and other documents, a military-political alliance of three great powers was formed: the USSR, Great Britain and the USA.

The main factor that united the states of the anti-fascist coalition was the joint struggle against the aggressors.

The first joint action of the USSR and Great Britain was the occupation of Iran in order to prevent its rapprochement with Nazi Germany.

In November 1941, the Lend-Lease Act was extended to the USSR.

On January 1, 1942, 26 states signed the Declaration of the United Nations, acceding to the Atlantic Charter.

In the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition, the output of military production increased.

In 1942-1943. of great importance was the resistance movement, which became the reaction of the occupied countries to the order established by the aggressors. The forms of resistance were various: partisan movement, sabotage, disruption of military supplies, and much more.

A meeting of the leaders of the 3 main states of the anti-Hitler coalition - Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin - took place in Tehran. It was decided to open the 2nd Front no later than May 1944.

At this time, the Allied landing in Normandy was landed - 3 million soldiers, supported by aircraft and ships. The allies also advanced in France, supported by anti-fascist uprisings.

At the Crimean Conference in February 1945, Allied relations developed.

In February 1945, Anglo-American troops under the command of Eisenhower and Montgomery launched a new offensive on the Western Front. Soviet troops under the command of marshals G. Zhukov, I. Konev and other Soviet commanders were moving towards them.

On April 25, on the Elbe in the Torgau region, Soviet troops joined forces with the Allied troops and began the assault on Berlin - this event remained in history under the name "meeting on the Elbe".

Capture of Berlin

Attacking Berlin:

1st Belorussian (G.K. Zhukov);

2nd Belorussian (K.K. Rokossovsky);

1st Ukrainian (I.S. Konev) fronts.

On April 25, a meeting of Soviet and Anglo-American troops took place. Berlin was surrounded and taken by Soviet troops. Hitler committed suicide. On the eve of May 1, 1945, soldiers of the 150th Infantry Division M.A. Egorov and M.V. Kantaria hoisted the Red Banner of Victory on the Reichstag.

On June 24, 1945, the Victory Parade took place on Red Square in Moscow. He commanded the Parade K.K. Rokossovsky, hosted the Parade G.K. Zhukov.

Fifth period of the Great Patriotic War.

Defeat of Japan

3 months after the defeat of Germany, on August 8, 1945, the USSR declared war on Japan and in 3 weeks defeated the 1 millionth Kwantung Army. Soviet troops liberated Manchuria, North Korea, seized South Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands.

The results of the war

The Nuremberg trials, which began in December 1945, were not only a punishment for war criminals. It became a fact of condemnation of fascism and Nazism by the world community. This was the beginning of the process of liberation of Europe from fascism. In addition, the verdict International Tribunal put an end to centuries of impunity for aggression and aggressors.

The losses of the USSR during the war years amounted to about 30 million people (of which 10 million were in hostilities, almost 6 million were in German captivity, 1 million were in besieged Leningrad; 1.5 million were victims of the Gulag). A third of the national wealth was destroyed.

In the western regions of the country, 1,710 towns and urban-type settlements, 70,000 villages and hamlets were destroyed.

Remember from the course of Modern History what goals A. Hitler hatched in relation to the Slavic peoples.

USSR and Germany: diplomatic maneuvers

A. Hitler's plans did not include long-term cooperation with the USSR. At a meeting with the top of the German generals on November 23, 1939, he announced a speech against Russia, which would be carried out immediately after he managed to put an end to resistance in the West.

In the spring of 1940, Germany captured Denmark, Norway, Holland and Belgium. This was followed by a lightning-fast defeat of France, which was unexpected for the leadership of the USSR.

By the autumn of 1940, Germany had only one enemy left - England. However, in conditions when the British fleet dominated the sea, the invasion of the British Isles for Germany turned out to be impossible. In this situation, Hitler tried to achieve victory by other means. In November 1940, during the visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the USSR V.M. Molotov in Berlin, he received a proposal to join the Soviet Union to the Tripartite Pact. For speaking out against England, the USSR was offered a sphere of influence in the region southern seas, due to Iran and India. However, the USSR did not agree to this agreement.

Plan "Barbarossa"

After the failure of negotiations with the USSR, A. Hitler on December 18, 1940 approved the Barbarossa plan developed by the German General Staff from July 22, 1940. He envisioned a blitzkrieg against the Soviet Union in 1941. Within three months, German troops were to reach the Arkhangelsk-Astrakhan line. Having seized the resources and industrial potential of the USSR, Hitler and his entourage hoped in 1942 to reach Iran through Soviet territory and capture the "pearl of the British crown" - India, forcing England to stop fighting.

From a military point of view, this plan was adventurous from the very beginning. The German command underestimated the military power of the USSR, its mobilization capabilities, the cohesion of the people, and set deliberately unrealistic rates for the advance of its troops to the East.

Leaders Nazi Germany First of all, they hoped to use the multinational character of the Soviet state. It was assumed that the USSR, as in the years civil war, will break up into national-state formations.

Subsequently, the calculations for an explosion of nationalism in the USSR were only partially justified. In the Baltic states, in Western Ukraine, among Crimean Tatars, Chechens and Kalmyks, movements arose whose leaders believed that with the help of Germany they would be able to realize their nationalist ideas. but most of the population of these regions participated in the resistance to German aggression, defending their homeland.

In addition, the fascist leaders relied on the internal weakness of the Soviet government, moral and political factors. Trials of 1937-1938 were perceived by them as an indicator of the existence in the USSR of opposition to the regime of I.V. Stalin. Fascist leaders did not expect that patriotic feelings would be much stronger than political differences. During the war years, many political prisoners were released from the camps and made a feasible contribution to the victory.

Sympathy and support for the Motherland was expressed by many Russian emigrants during the Civil War. They refused to cooperate with the German authorities.

Preparing the USSR for war with Germany

The USSR began to strengthen its defense capabilities from the mid-1930s, when the growing military danger in Europe and Asia became obvious. During the years of the second five-year plan, it was planned to increase the production of military products by almost 300%. Since 1939, universal military service has been introduced in the Soviet Union. In the summer of 1940, a law was adopted, according to which, instead of a 7-hour working day, an 8-hour one was established, and a day off was canceled. Violations of labor discipline, lateness and absenteeism were equated to a criminal offense.

Given the likelihood of a war with the powers of the Anti-Comintern Pact, the Soviet leadership sought to create an army that, in terms of the main types of equipment and weapons, would not be inferior to the total power of the troops of Germany and its allies combined. The backlog in the number of personnel was supposed to be overcome after the mobilization.

In 1940-1941. The USSR continued to strengthen its military power. The army was being re-equipped with more advanced equipment, in particular, the T-34 and KV tanks, which were much superior to the German ones. The rearmament was to be completed in 1942. The troops received new aircraft, which were not inferior to the German ones in speed and armament (in total, by the beginning of the war, there were 1540 of them).

The basis of the striking power of the Red Army, like that of Germany, was large mechanized formations capable of a rapid offensive. However, by the beginning of the war, many of them were only at the stage of formation.

The success of Soviet diplomacy was the signing in April 1941 of a neutrality treaty with Japan. Although the leadership of the USSR was not sure that this treaty would be respected, it still partly ensured the security of the Far East.

table

Forces and means		Germany				Finland		Total, countries of the fascist bloc
People (million)
Guns and mortars (thousand)
Tanks (thousand)
Combat aircraft (thousand)

Reasons for the failures of the Red Army in the initial period of the war

In the spring of 1941, both the US and British governments and Soviet intelligence informed I.V. Stalin about the possibility of a German attack on the USSR. These warnings were taken with disbelief.

I.V. Stalin believed that the source of the rumors about the impending attack was England, which was in a difficult situation and was interested in a clash between the USSR and Germany. He underestimated the adventurism of Hitler and did not believe that Germany would decide to fight on several fronts (in 1941 she continued to air and naval war with England; conducted, jointly with Italy, operations in North Africa; campaigned in the Balkans against Yugoslavia and Greece).

Stalin and his entourage, who knew that the Red Army needed at least another year to complete rearmament and reorganization, still hoped to delay the start of the war. political means. Based on the fact that these possibilities had not yet been exhausted, Stalin rejected the proposals of the General Staff put forward in May 1941 on delivering a preemptive strike against the German troops deployed on the Soviet border. Any measures to increase the combat readiness of the border districts were forbidden so as not to provoke an attack by the German troops.

Nevertheless, in April 1941, 800,000 reservists were drafted into the Red Army. In May, additional forces secretly advanced from the internal military districts to the border.

After the conflict with Finland, which revealed the unpreparedness of the Red Army for a serious war, its top command was changed. People's Commissar of Defense instead of K.E. Voroshilov was appointed S.K. Timoshenko (1895-1970), who commanded the front, whose troops broke through the Mannerheim Line. G.K. became the Chief of the General Staff. Zhukov (1896-1974), who distinguished himself in battles with Japan at Khalkhin Gol.

Their analysis of the state of the army showed that, although it was a formidable force in terms of staffing, its level of readiness for conducting military operations was insufficient.

The highest commanding staff of the army was weakened by repression. By the beginning of the war, 70-80% of the commanders of districts, armies, corps and division commanders had been in their positions for less than a year and did not have time to gain experience in leading troops. Only 4.3% of the officers had a higher military education, 15.9% of the commanders did not undergo military training, the rest completed short-term military courses. However, conditions modern war demanded from commanders the ability to establish interaction between various branches of the armed forces (armored, infantry, artillery, aviation), coordinate actions with neighbors along the front line, and take the initiative in difficult situations. In addition, the equipment of the troops with means of communication was very weak.

Ordinary military personnel did not have experience in using modern military equipment. Only 15% of pilots underwent retraining for flights on new, high-speed aircraft. Much of the equipment was faulty. By the beginning of the war, tank units were only 25-30% equipped with repair equipment. The army experienced an acute shortage of vehicles, with 45% of them in need of repair. Identified shortcomings required a long time to correct them.

G.K. Zhukov. 1941

The military leadership of the country made a gross miscalculation in the deployment of large forces of the Red Army near the new state border. This deployment of troops was determined by the military doctrine adopted in the USSR, which required responding to an enemy strike with a counterattack (or a counterattack). She rejected the possibility of a strategic retreat and underestimated the importance of defense. Plans for the construction of defensive lines on new frontier were only 25% completed. On the old border, previously dismantled defensive structures were restored, but by the beginning of the war they had not been fully restored.

Frontline airfields were overloaded. On many of them, the norms for placing aircraft were exceeded by 4-6 times, which facilitated the destruction of most of the aircraft by the first enemy strike. Stockpiles of fuel and ammunition were too close to the border. They were immediately captured by the advancing German tank columns.

All this made it easier for the Wehrmacht to defeat the main forces of the Red Army on initial stage war.

§ 23 Questions and tasks

1 How did German-Soviet relations develop in 1939-1940?

2 Tell us about the preparation of the USSR for war with the countries of the Anti-Comintern Pact. What circumstances led to the fact that the German attack on the Soviet Union was unexpected?

3 Describe the plan "Barbarossa". What were the calculations of fascist Germany in preparation for aggression against the USSR?

4 What can you say about the combat readiness of the Red Army, its readiness for war with Germany?



War. Preparing the USSR for war.
From the moment Stalin came to power in the ruined agrarian Russia, he directed all his efforts to raising the economy and, first of all, to creating powerful armed forces that would protect the first socialist state - the USSR from the invasion of capitalist armies. He carried out industrialization and created the basis of a powerful industrial base for the production of means of production, primarily for the production of military equipment, weapons and ammunition. He implemented Lenin's GOELRO plan, i.e., the electrification of the entire country, to create modern military technologies: "winged metal" aluminum was obtained only by electrolysis.
aluminum plant. Stalin carried out the collectivization of the countryside with the formation of collective farms and state farms in order to eliminate private ownership of land, and at the same time transfer huge amounts of money and masses of people from the village to industry.
In the first half of the 1930s in the USSR, millions of peasants cut off from the land built powerful power plants, new mines and mines, the world's largest metallurgical plants for the production of metals, from which all kinds of machines would be made, but mainly military equipment and weapons. In a completely illiterate country, hundreds of universities appeared, which prepared thousands of engineers: metallurgists, designers, technologists, chemists, engine builders, military men, radio engineers, etc. At the same time, huge factories were laid down to produce in the future products, mainly military, in unprecedented quantities: tanks, aircraft, warships and submarines, guns, small arms, cartridges, bombs, shells and mines, gunpowder and explosives.
By the mid 30s. the industrial base was basically created, and the production of weapons proper began. Soviet designers have developed the most modern military equipment, weapons and ammunition. Trained personnel were needed for the Red Army, and thousands of military schools, colleges and academies sprang up in the country to train combat commanders, pilots, tankers, navigators, artillerymen, naval specialists, radio engineers, and sappers.
In every major city, parachute towers have grown in parks to train future paratroopers. It was considered indecent for young men to appear without a TRP badge, "Voroshilovsky shooter", "Osoaviakhim", a parachutist badge. Young people and girls were recommended to go in for parachuting after work and study, learn to fly gliders, and then transfer to planes. The standard of living in the country has steadily declined, light industry And Agriculture more and more served the army.
Stalin saw the growth of Germany's military power and understood that sooner or later Hitler would attack the USSR, Germany needed Russian natural and human resources. Stalin invited the European leaders to discuss joint actions in the event of German aggression. Delegations from France and England arrived in Moscow. They insisted on military assistance from the USSR in the event of a German attack on one of the contracting countries. Since the USSR had no common borders with either England or France, the head of the Soviet delegation, People's Commissar of Defense Voroshilov, demanded that the Red Army pass through Poland. The French and British delegations categorically refused. This ended the negotiations.
Stalin understood that Germany would soon attack Poland, and then inevitably go east, and he offered Hitler negotiations. German Foreign Minister von Ribbentrop came to the USSR. On August 23, 1939, the Non-Aggression and Mutual Assistance Pact between Germany and the USSR (Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact) was signed.
On September 1, 1939, Hitler attacked Poland, but Stalin said that the Red Army was not yet ready for war. So Hitler was the only culprit of the war, England and France declared war on Germany. September 17th only Polish army was defeated, the Red Army entered the territory of Poland to protect its borders from German aggression.
USSR annexed Western Belarus and Western Ukraine, pushed its border 200-300 km to the west. Thousands of Polish officers ended up in Soviet captivity. They were offered to join the Red Army. Part agreed, and they organized the Polish Army, which later fought successfully against the Nazis along with the Red Army. Those who did not agree were shot at Katyn.
The United States had a great influence on drawing the USSR into the war. Hitler's inhuman policy, his bloody anti-Semitism frightened all the capitalists of the world. But the oligarchs of the world, especially the American ones, were even more afraid of the communist threat from the USSR. Indeed, according to the theory of Marx and Lenin, the USSR was supposed to destroy the entire capitalist society as a result of the world revolution and build a World Communist society without private property and without the exploitation of man by man.
Back in the 1930s, at the Congress in the United States, a call was made to draw the USSR into a war with Hitler and for this to provide all kinds of assistance to the USSR in strengthening its military power. And when both sides exhaust themselves mutually, the United States, in alliance with European countries, will destroy both the fascist and communist threats. Congressman G. Truman, with the approval of Roosevelt, said: “Let Germany and Russia fight among themselves. If we see that Russia is winning, we will help Germany. If we see that Germany is winning, we will help Russia. And let them kill each other as much as possible."
Long before the war, American technologies, American materials and American equipment began to flow into the USSR. American specialists helped build the latest factories in the USSR and master them. America even supplied military equipment to the USSR. So, under the guise of agricultural tractors, the United States sold unique high-speed BT tanks to the USSR. The USSR paid for all this at speculative prices in gold, works of art and valuable raw materials.
Major Western countries correctly assessed US policy and, instead of the previous boycott, also began to help Stalin in the construction of factories, sold to the USSR the latest technology and valuable raw materials. Even Hitler supplied the USSR unique equipment and military equipment - in exchange for valuable raw materials, grain and timber, which were not in Germany.
September 1, when the world did not yet suspect that the Second World War, the 4th extraordinary session of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR was held. The main decision of the session was the introduction of the military age from 18 years. Prior to that, the draft age was 21 and not everyone was drafted into the Army, but selectively. Now, during 1939-40, all conscripts of 4 conscript years at once were mobilized into the Red Army: 21st, 20th, 19th and 18th years of birth, and at the same time all men who had not been called up before. It was a gigantic call, the magnitude of which no one can still name. These conscripts should have been demobilized after 2 years, i.e. at the end of 1941. It was impossible to repeat such a set. That is, Stalin already in 1939. planned to enter the Second World War in 1941 and no later.
Taking advantage of the Pact with Germany, Stalin continued to push back the western border. The border with the Finns was only 30 km from Leningrad. On November 1, 1939, Stalin declared war on Finland, but the Red Army was stuck in front of the Mannerheim Line, which the Finns had been building for 20 years, and which was considered absolutely insurmountable all over the world. Frosts below -40 degrees, snow 1.5-2 meters deep, huge boulders under the snow, on which tanks and cars broke down, unfreezing swamps and lakes under the snow. And the Finns covered all this with minefields, mined bridges. Columns of our troops turned out to be locked on narrow forest roads, and Finnish snipers - "cuckoos" - accurately knocked out our commanders, drivers, sappers. The wounded died from loss of blood in severe frost, from frostbite.
The Red Army suffered heavy losses, but managed to completely rebuild, commissioned the invulnerable KV-1 and KV-2 tanks, the maneuverable T-34, and crushed the theoretically impassable Mannerheim Line by March. The Finns asked for peace, and our border here was pushed back by almost 200 km. Militarily, it was the most brilliant victory of the 20th century, but it went unnoticed because The West raised a noisy scandal about Soviet aggression, and the League of Nations expelled the USSR from its membership as an aggressor.
Stalin did not pay much attention to this noise and continued his policy. He demanded that Romania return Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina to the USSR. On June 28, 1940, these territories became part of the USSR.
Stalin demanded from the Baltic countries (Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania) consent to the entry of Red Army garrisons into big cities. The Balts, unlike other countries, perfectly understood the significance of the victory of the Red Army in Finland and did not object. And soon the workers here demanded to join the USSR, and these countries became part of the USSR in 1940: Lithuania - August 3, Latvia - August 5, Estonia - August 6.
As a result, the USSR came into direct contact with Germany along the entire western border. This made it possible in the event of war to immediately transfer military operations to German territory, but also created a serious danger of a sudden German attack on the USSR.

In the USSR with the help Western countries continued intensive production of military equipment. Ammunition for all types of weapons was produced in unimaginable quantities: shells, bombs, mines, grenades, cartridges. Huge batches were produced of light tanks T-26 (under an English license), which made up the bulk of Soviet tanks, and high-speed wheeled-tracked light tanks BT (according to American technology) - for swift raids along the highways of Europe. Factories produced in large quantities the latest and best guns, howitzers and mortars in the world.
The Red Army, the only one in the world, had powerful all-terrain tanks running on hardly flammable diesel fuel: invulnerable heavy tanks KV, medium tanks T-34, light tanks T-50, amphibious tanks T-37 and T-40, high-speed wheeled-tracked tanks BT-7m, which on European highways developed speeds of up to 140 km / h on wheels. For comparison: in addition to the USSR, England had heavy tanks "Matilda", but they could only move on level ground and could not climb a single hill, and their armor on rivets was loosened by shells and fell off.
USSR began mass production modern aircraft. The Yak-1, LaGG-3, MiG-3 fighters were not inferior to the German Messerschmitts, Focke-Wulfs and Heinkels. The fully armored attack aircraft Il-2, the "flying tank", had no analogues in the world at all. The Pe-2 front-line bomber remained the best in the world until the end of the war. The DB-3F (IL-4) long-range bomber was superior to all German bombers. The Pe-8 strategic bomber had no equal in the world. On it, the People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs, V.M. Molotov, flew twice through Germany to England and the USA and back during the war, and the German air defense forces did not notice him.
Gunsmiths have developed the world's best and easiest-to-manufacture Shpagin submachine guns (PPSh) - the most massive in the Red Army; Degtyarev (PPD); Goryunova (PPG); Sudayev (PPS) - recognized as the best in the 2nd World War - which any bed workshop could produce, and prepared their mass production. One such production of PPSh began to operate before the war in Zagorsk (ZEMZ, - "Skobyanka").
For the first time in the world, RS rockets were developed for aviation, with which all fighters and attack aircraft were armed. On June 21, 1941, a fundamentally new weapon was adopted by the Red Army: ground-based multiple launch rocket launchers BM-13 (caliber 130 mm) and BM-8 (caliber 68 mm), the famous Katyushas.
At the urgent request of Prime Minister Churchill, with the unspoken pressure of the United States, I.V. Stalin finally agreed to open a Second Front against Hitler in July 1941 if the Wehrmacht attacked England. Stalin began to concentrate troops near our Western border, the Red Army was gathering gigantic forces for offensive operations. However, this concentration of the Red Army at the eastern border of Germany alarmed Hitler. In July 1940, he issued an order to develop a plan for war with the USSR. In December 1940 this Barbarossa plan was ready. Hitler began to prepare a "blitzkrieg" against the USSR and to gather troops to our border. The real competition has gone ahead.
Hitler won the competition, because our General Staff, headed by G.K. Zhukov, was blindly guided by Stalin's statement that Hitler would not dare to start a war on two fronts. But Stalin is not a military man, but a politician. G.K. Zhukov, as a strategist ex officio, was obliged to convince Stalin or at least on his own initiative to prepare measures for the defense of the country. But this did not happen, the chief of the General Staff of the Red Army did not dare to object to Stalin and only agreed with him. The Red Army did not prepare for defense at all. As a result, on June 22, 1941, Hitler delivered an unexpected blow to the Red Army, which was practically all on the move - on the march, in echelons. This blow turned out to be crushing and ultimately fatal for the USSR.

Russia. WWII. Soviet preparation for war

Preparation of the Red Army for war:

Since 1931, on the initiative of Tukhachevsky, mechanized corps, massive airborne forces. The total strength of the Armed Forces of the USSR in 1938 reached 1.5 million people. But in 1937-1938. there were repressions on the military elite of the country. In 1940, 70 commanders and chiefs of staff did not have basic military training, they completed only short-term courses. They had no combat experience.

IN 1940 S.K. was appointed People's Commissar of Defense. Timoshenko, General of the Army G.K. Zhukov, who proved himself at Khalkhin Gol.

Building up the military-economic potential of the country. In the 3rd five-year plan (1938-1942) the main funds were directed to the developmentheavy industry , especiallymilitary . In the Urals and Siberia were built backup enterprises. Warehouses were set up. Formed state reserves of metal, oil, coal, food. The increase in defense production in 1939-1840 amounted to. 39%.

Walked militarization of labor in 1940 d.: a 7-day working week was established, an 8-hour working day was introduced (before that it was a 7-hour working day), a ban under the threat of criminal punishment of dismissal on own will and the transition from one enterprise to another without the permission of the administration. The official attachment of workers and employees to their jobs was carried out. Being late for work was punishable by the criminal code. Delays over 20 min. equated to walking. The release of substandard products was considered an "anti-state crime." Thus, the industry has established itself team leadership style .

IN 1939 introduced universal conscription. The size of the Red Army was increased to 5.5 million people. The draft age has been reduced from 21 to 18 years, the service life has been increased to 3-5 years, the term of the state in the reserve has been increased from 40 to 50 years.

Shortage of command personnel. In 1937-1938. was arrested, expelled from the party and dropped out of the army 35 thousand human. Of the 733 people in the top command leadership, 579 people died. Of the 16 army commanders, 15 were killed .. Of the 169 division commanders - 136. Thousands of commanders of regiments, battalions, squadrons were arrested and shot. deficit command staff was partially reimbursed the return to the army of part of the repressed officers (12 thousand). In 1938 - 1940. combat experience was gained at Khalkhin Gol, Poland, Finland

The rearmament of the Red Army with new military equipment began(from 1939-1940). The serial production of aircraft began (Yak-1, MiG-3 fighters, Il-2 attack aircraft, Pe-20 bombers; tanks (T-34 and KV), which were not inferior to the German ones. However, the equipment of the troops with them was unsatisfactory.

Developedstrategy coming war. Stalin insisted on an offensive strategy, but did not seriously consider defensive plans. Operational plans were developed to deliver a preemptive strike. But they were not approved. However, serious miscalculations were made. Management believed that A. war will be waged on two fronts, against Germany and Japan. B) The concept of retaliation: it was assumed that The Red Army will repel an enemy attack near the western border of the USSR, transfer military operations to enemy territory. IN). Main battles deploy on the border. The idea of ​​the possibility of the retreat of the Red Army deep into the country was not allowed.. It was believed that the war will be waged on the territory of the enemy "with little blood". D) defensive structures on the old border of the USSR were dismantled. But they did not have time to build defensive structures on the new borders. E). It was assumed that Germany will try to seize the lands and resources of Ukraine and inflict its main blow South. Therefore, the main forces of the Red Army were concentrated in the South-Western direction.. According to Zhukov, by June 22, 1941, there were no operational and mobilization plans approved by the government.

The troops did not study the experience of the Wehrmacht fighting in Europe in 1939-1940.

Ideological and moral preparation for war. A) 1934, Stalin's work “A Short Course in the History of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks” was published. It developed the idea of ​​continuity between the Russian Empire and the USSR in confronting external enemies. It was intended to form a patriotic worldview. In the 1930s Stalin wrote the work "Fundamentals of Marxism-Leninism", creating his own image of the main theoretician of Marxism in the USSR, the successor of the work of Marx and Lenin. B) The prestige of the Red Army was rising (the film "Tractor Drivers"; songs that stated that "the armor is strong and our tanks are fast"). People were sure that if the war starts, it will be fought on foreign territory and with "little bloodshed."

However, according to Zhukov, on the eve of the war, the organization and armament of our troops were not up to par, air defense remained at an extremely low level, and there were practically no mechanized formations.

Before the war, Soviet aviation was inferior to German, artillery was poorly provided with tractors.

The miscalculations of Hitler and his entourage(did not doubt a quick victory):

1. They underestimated the strength of the Red Army, believing that the repressions led to the loss of its combat effectiveness. The rearmament of the army has just begun.

2. They underestimated the economic potential of the USSR.

3. They underestimated the patriotism of the peoples who lived in the USSR. They hoped for an explosion of ethnic strife in the USSR.

4. They hoped for the support of collective farmers who were forcibly driven into collective farms. It was believed that the collective farmers were opposed to the Soviet regime

Before the German invasion

Stalin hoped to be able to delay the war at least until 1942. He doubted the reliability of the information about Germany's preparations for an invasion of the USSR. He was sure that Germany would attack the USSR only after the defeat of England and the conquest of the Middle East, i.e. in 1942, Stalin considered the information of intelligence officers (Richard Sorge) as disinformation.

Stalin and his entourage made serious political and military-strategic miscalculations in the analysis of the pre-war situation. The country was preparing for war, but the war was quick and victorious. These miscalculations resulted in huge losses. Preparations for war were not completed.

In order to avoid a war on two fronts, in 1941 a neutrality pact was concluded between the USSR and Japan.

To strengthen the central leadership, Stalin was appointed in May 1941 Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR.

Balance of forces in June 1941 before the invasion

The Red Army was inferior to the enemy in numbers, motorization of troops.

In the early days of the war, the Soviet leadership did not understand the scale of the German invasion. This is evidenced by the directive sent at 7 o'clock. On the morning of June 22, 1941: "... troops to attack enemy forces with all their might and means and destroy them in areas where they violated the Soviet border."

© Copyright Arkhangelsk: Publishing house KIRA, 2004.

Boldyrev R.Yu. Unknown known war: World War II and the Great Patriotic War. Tutorial. All rights reserved

Email: [email protected]

§6. "If there is war tomorrow"

Preparing the USSR for war with Germany

Economy

Back in 1929, Stalin declared that the Soviet Union was in a hostile capitalist encirclement, and set the task of overcoming the technical and economic backwardness of the country within 10 years, "otherwise we will be crushed." During the years of the first two five-year plans, emphasis was placed on the development of the country's raw material and industrial base: new mineral deposits were discovered, thousands of new factories were built. The military industry did not play a major role at this stage.

The situation changed in 1938, when the world smelled distinctly of war. In the plan for the III Five-Year Plan (1938-1942) there were serious changes in priorities. Distinctive features this five-year plan steel: construction backup enterprises 8 , development of the eastern territories (the Volga region, Central Asia, Siberia and the Far East), an increase in military spending (42% of the budget in 1940) 4 . Oil fields were developed "second Baku"(Bashkiria, the Volga region), large tank factories were completed and rebuilt in Kharkov, Stalingrad and Chelyabinsk, shipyards in Molotovsk and Komsomolsk-on-Amur, a copper-nickel plant in Norilsk, etc. To speed up the pace, they again resorted to the help of the Gulag, which provided “ great construction projects” with free labor.

Serious changes have also taken place in labor relations. Labor productivity at Soviet enterprises remained low, financial and time resources for further extensive development of the economy were exhausted, therefore, in order to ensure growth, it was necessary to resort to emergency measures. In September 1939, all workers were assigned to the place of work, in June 1940 the working day was increased to 11 hours, and the working week was made 6-day. A fierce struggle began with absenteeism and being late for work (being late for 15 minutes was equated with sabotage and sentenced to 5 years in camps under article 58-14 of the Criminal Code of the RSFSR). The preparation of labor reserves began: in the event of a war, women and children were to replace the men mobilized for the front in production. A network has been set up throughout the country schools of factory training (FZO), in which children from the age of 14 received the skills of any profession in 6 months.

Rearmament and reorganization of the army

After the repressions against the military in 1937-1938. marshals at the head of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army (RKKA) K.E. Voroshilov and S.M. Budyonny. They built their military strategy based on the experience of the Civil War, where the main role was played by cavalry and infantry. The Second World War that began in Europe and the war with Finland won by the USSR with great sacrifices refuted these ideas. It became clear that only a highly maneuverable army with large tank and motorized formations, as well as strong aircraft, could win the war. One of critical tasks the army was equipped with the latest types of weapons. To "push" Soviet designers resorted to harsh measures. Many talented designers and engineers were repressed, special design bureaus were created for them in prisons and camps - "sharashki". For good work, you could get a quick release.

Significant progress has been made in the aircraft industry. Talented designers S.V. Ilyushin, S.A. Lavochkin, A.I. Mikoyan, V.M. Petlyakov, A.N. Tupolev and A.S. Yakovlev developed new aircraft that were not inferior in their characteristics to the German ones: fighters 8 MiG-3, LaGG-3, Yak-1; bombers 8 - IL-4, Pe-2, Pe-8; first in the world attack aircraft 8 - IL-2. However, the transition to the production of these aircraft led to a decrease in production volumes. New equipment was produced piece by piece, serial production was only established in 1941. By the beginning of the war, 1946 new fighters, 458 bombers, 249 attack aircraft were ready. Border military districts were the first to receive new aircraft, but even there their share was only 22%.

M.I. Koshkin and N.L. spirits designed new, unparalleled in the world, types of tanks: medium tank T-34 and heavy tanks KV-1 and KV-2. The problem in their production was the same as with aviation. By June 22, 1941, 1225 T-34 and 639 KV tanks were produced. In terms of the total number and quality of tanks, the USSR surpassed Germany. Even obsolete Soviet tanks (T-26, T-28, BT-7) were not inferior to the German ones in terms of their characteristics.

In the prewar years, installations for firing rockets were designed BM-13 ("Katyusha"). They did not have time to establish their production, so the tests were carried out already during the war.

However, along with such impressive successes, there were also significant shortcomings in the production of weapons. Priority was given to offensive types of weapons, the production of machine guns and machine guns was reduced V.A. Degtyarev(PPD) and G.S. Shpagina(PPSh), because, from the point of view of our “theorists”, their shortcomings were the high consumption of cartridges and the lack of a bayonet. In general, anti-tank guns and guns, mines (they were contemptuously called “weapons for the weak”) were discontinued. The real scourge of the Soviet military industry was lobbying 8 individual state and party figures of military orders, which led to the disorganization of production.

The military has undergone major changes organizational plan. Previously, they tried to save money on the armed forces, so the size of the army did not exceed 500-700 thousand soldiers. In the conditions of growing aggression of the fascist states, a large army became necessary. In 1935-1938. The USSR made the transition from territorial police 8 and personnel 8 systems of organization of the Armed Forces to a full-blooded army. For this, it was necessary to increase the number of conscripts. In August 1936, the draft age was reduced to 19 years, and in September 1939, the service life was increased from an average of 2 to 3 years. 4 . These measures made it possible to raise the size of the army to 5.4 million people.

Disadvantages of preparing for war

Events held in the 30s. to strengthen the army, did not help to overcome a number of significant shortcomings.

The level of training was very low. During the repressions of 1937-1938. 82% of the commanders were destroyed, many new commanders did not even have a completed secondary education. The training of soldiers and officers was stereotyped; they did not receive practical skills in action in a combat situation. 4 .

military doctrine 8 was offensive, preparing for “War with little blood on foreign territory” 4 . In accordance with this, weapons were developed, according to mobilization plans, army formations, reserves and rear services (warehouses for food, equipment, ammunition, weapons and fuel) were concentrated in the border zone. Soviet propaganda disoriented the soldiers and the population, suggesting to them: “Our forces are innumerable”, “The Red Army is the strongest of all”, “German proletarian soldiers will turn their weapons against their masters”, etc. An example of such propaganda was the popular pre-war film “If there is war tomorrow” 4 .

The defensive fortifications were not ready. "Stalin Line" on the old border was disarmed and partially blown up, and "Molotov line" on the new frontier was not yet ready.

The production of ammunition, fuels and lubricants, and other items necessary to supply the army lagged far behind real needs. 4 .

Stalin stubbornly ignored the warnings Soviet intelligence, who reported on Germany's preparations for an attack on the USSR. He believed that the Red Army still had enough time to prepare to repel aggression.

4 Witnesses and Documents

Provisions of the law "On universal military duty".

All citizens who are 19 years old and who have graduated high school-18 years old, fit to military service are required to serve in the armed forces. The law establishes the following periods of active service: land and internal troops- 2 years, Air Force and border troops- 3 years, Navy - 5 years. Those arrested, exiled and deported, as well as those deprived of voting rights, are not drafted into the army.

S.K. Timoshenko on the readiness of the troops, December 1940

1. Commanders and headquarters of regiments do not always organize reconnaissance correctly. As a result, the attackers often acted blindly .... In the war, we will be forced to pay dearly because of this.

2. The interaction of infantry with artillery, tanks and aircraft is bad ... This should be treated not formally, but in essence.

3. Units do not always use advantageous approaches and neglect maneuvers to envelop and bypass enemy positions. The disguise breaks at times.

The main disadvantage during the offensive is the crowding of battle formations and the lag of the second echelons. The offensive must be based on precise knowledge of the situation and terrain conditions...

Soviet propaganda about the Red Army.

During the period from 1934 to 1938, the Red Army more than doubled in numbers. During this time, the technical power of the Red Army also increased quantitatively and qualitatively ... At present, the Red Army is the strongest army in the world not only in terms of combat training, but also in terms of the wealth of technology ... In the event of an attack on the USSR, the Red Army will destroy the enemy in the territory from which he dares to attack us ...

Red Army song "If there is war tomorrow".

If there is war tomorrow, if the enemy attacks.

If the dark force comes,

As one person, the entire Soviet people

Stand up for a free Motherland.

On earth, in heaven and at sea

Our response is both powerful and harsh.

If tomorrow is a war, if tomorrow is a campaign.

We are ready to go today.

If tomorrow there is a war, the country will stir

From Kronstadt to Vladivostok.

The country will shake up, and it will be able to

For the enemy to pay dearly.

Chorus.

A plane will fly, a machine gun will rumble,

Iron tanks roar

And the battleships will go, and the infantry will go,

And dashing carts will rush.

Chorus.

There is nowhere in the whole world such a force,

To destroy our country.

Stalin is with us, dear, and with an iron hand

Voroshilov is leading us to victory.

Chorus.

Support for the 33rd tank division of the Western Special Military District.

Division security percentage:

Petrol tankers - 7%

Water and oil tankers - 9%

Iron barrels - 85%

1st grade gasoline -15%

Motor gasoline - 4%

Kerosene - 0%

Diesel fuel - 0%

Cartridges 7.62 mm rifle - 100%

Mines 50 mm and 82 mm -100%

Shells 37 mm anti-aircraft - 0%

Shells 45 mm artillery - 100%

Shells 76 mm tank - 3%.

8 Our vocabulary

Bomber - a combat aircraft designed to destroy enemy ground and sea targets with bombs.

Military doctrine - a system of views and positions that establishes the direction of military development, the preparation of the country and the army for a possible war, and the methods of its conduct.

Fighter - a combat aircraft designed to destroy enemy aircraft. Armed with cannons and machine guns.

Personnel system - army organization based on maintenance in Peaceful time minimum quantity military formations.

Lobbying - the impact of individuals, private and public organizations on the process of making important government decisions.

Understudy enterprises - enterprises that are the same or similar in their organization and purpose, located in different parts country. They were supposed to replace each other in the event of the capture of any area by the enemy.

Territorial militia system - the organization of the army, based on the maintenance in peacetime of military units with the minimum amount regular military personnel (mainly command personnel) and in the training of variable composition assigned to these formations.

Stormtrooper - a combat aircraft designed to destroy small and mobile ground targets. Armed with cannons and machine guns, aerial bombs and rockets. IL-2 for the first time had an armored cockpit that protected the pilot. Received the nickname "flying tank".