The largest war in human history, the Second World War became a logical continuation of the First World War. In 1918, the Kaiser's Germany lost to the Entente countries. The result of the First World War was the Treaty of Versailles, according to which the Germans lost part of their territory. Germany was prohibited from having a large army, navy and colonies. An unprecedented economic crisis began in the country. It became even worse after the Great Depression of 1929.
German society barely survived its defeat. Massive revanchist sentiments arose. Populist politicians began to play on the desire to “restore historical justice.” The National Socialist German Workers' Party, led by Adolf Hitler, began to enjoy great popularity.
Causes
Radicals came to power in Berlin in 1933. The German state quickly became totalitarian and began to prepare for the upcoming war for dominance in Europe. Simultaneously with the Third Reich, its own “classical” fascism arose in Italy.
The Second World War (1939-1945) involved events not only in the Old World, but also in Asia. In this region, Japan was a source of concern. In the Land of the Rising Sun, just like in Germany, imperialist sentiments were extremely popular. China, weakened by internal conflicts, became the object of Japanese aggression. The war between the two Asian powers began in 1937, and with the outbreak of conflict in Europe it became part of the overall Second World War. Japan turned out to be an ally of Germany.
During the Third Reich, it left the League of Nations (predecessor of the UN) and stopped its own disarmament. In 1938, the Anschluss (annexation) of Austria took place. It was bloodless, but the causes of World War II, in short, were that European politicians turned a blind eye to Hitler’s aggressive behavior and did not stop his policy of absorbing more and more territories.
Germany soon annexed the Sudetenland, which was inhabited by Germans but belonged to Czechoslovakia. Poland and Hungary also took part in the division of this state. In Budapest, the alliance with the Third Reich was maintained until 1945. The example of Hungary shows that the causes of the Second World War, in short, included the consolidation of anti-communist forces around Hitler.
Start
On September 1, 1939, they invaded Poland. A few days later, France, Great Britain and their numerous colonies declared war on Germany. Two key powers had allied agreements with Poland and acted in its defense. Thus began the Second World War (1939-1945).
A week before the Wehrmacht attacked Poland, German diplomats concluded a non-aggression pact with the Soviet Union. Thus, the USSR found itself on the sidelines of the conflict between the Third Reich, France and Great Britain. By signing an agreement with Hitler, Stalin was solving his own problems. In the period before the start of the Great Patriotic War, the Red Army entered Eastern Poland, the Baltic states and Bessarabia. In November 1939, the Soviet-Finnish war began. As a result, the USSR annexed several western regions.
While German-Soviet neutrality was maintained, the German army was engaged in the occupation of most of the Old World. 1939 was met with restraint by overseas countries. In particular, the United States declared its neutrality and maintained it until the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
Blitzkrieg in Europe
Polish resistance was broken after just a month. All this time, Germany acted on only one front, since the actions of France and Great Britain were of a low-initiative nature. The period from September 1939 to May 1940 received the characteristic name of the “Strange War”. During these few months, Germany, in the absence of active actions by the British and French, occupied Poland, Denmark and Norway.
The first stages of World War II were characterized by transience. In April 1940, Germany invaded Scandinavia. Air and naval landings entered key Danish cities without hindrance. A few days later, monarch Christian X signed the capitulation. In Norway, the British and French landed troops, but they were powerless against the onslaught of the Wehrmacht. The early periods of World War II were characterized by the general advantage of the Germans over their enemy. The long preparation for future bloodshed took its toll. The whole country worked for the war, and Hitler did not hesitate to throw more and more resources into its cauldron.
In May 1940, the invasion of Benelux began. The whole world was shocked by the unprecedented destructive bombing of Rotterdam. Thanks to their swift attack, the Germans managed to occupy key positions before the Allies appeared there. By the end of May, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg had capitulated and were occupied.
During the summer, the battles of World War II moved into France. In June 1940, Italy joined the campaign. Its troops attacked the south of France, and the Wehrmacht attacked the north. Soon a truce was signed. Most of France was occupied. In a small free zone in the south of the country, the Peten regime was established, which cooperated with the Germans.
Africa and the Balkans
In the summer of 1940, after Italy entered the war, the main theater of military operations moved to the Mediterranean. The Italians invaded North Africa and attacked British bases in Malta. At that time, there were a significant number of English and French colonies on the “Dark Continent”. The Italians initially concentrated on the eastern direction - Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya and Sudan.
Some French colonies in Africa refused to recognize the new French government led by Pétain. Charles de Gaulle became the symbol of the national struggle against the Nazis. In London, he created a liberation movement called "Fighting France". British troops, together with de Gaulle's troops, began to recapture the African colonies from Germany. Equatorial Africa and Gabon were liberated.
In September the Italians invaded Greece. The attack took place against the backdrop of the fighting for North Africa. Many fronts and stages of the Second World War began to intertwine with each other due to the increasing expansion of the conflict. The Greeks managed to successfully resist the Italian onslaught until April 1941, when Germany intervened in the conflict, occupying Hellas in just a few weeks.
Simultaneously with the Greek campaign, the Germans began the Yugoslav campaign. The forces of the Balkan state were split into several parts. The operation began on April 6, and on April 17 Yugoslavia capitulated. Germany in World War II increasingly looked like an unconditional hegemon. Puppet pro-fascist states were created on the territory of occupied Yugoslavia.
Invasion of the USSR
All previous stages of World War II paled in scale compared to the operation that Germany was preparing to carry out in the USSR. War with the Soviet Union was only a matter of time. The invasion began exactly after the Third Reich occupied most of Europe and was able to concentrate all its forces on the Eastern Front.
Wehrmacht units crossed the Soviet border on June 22, 1941. For our country, this date became the beginning of the Great Patriotic War. Until the last moment, the Kremlin did not believe in the German attack. Stalin refused to take intelligence data seriously, considering it disinformation. As a result, the Red Army was completely unprepared for Operation Barbarossa. In the first days, airfields and other strategic infrastructure in the western Soviet Union were bombed without hindrance.
The USSR in World War II faced another German blitzkrieg plan. In Berlin they were planning to capture the main Soviet cities in the European part of the country by winter. For the first months everything went according to Hitler's expectations. Ukraine, Belarus, and the Baltic states were completely occupied. Leningrad was under siege. The course of World War II brought the conflict to a key point. If Germany had defeated the Soviet Union, it would have had no opponents left except overseas Great Britain.
The winter of 1941 was approaching. The Germans found themselves in the vicinity of Moscow. They stopped on the outskirts of the capital. On November 7, a festive parade was held dedicated to the next anniversary of the October Revolution. Soldiers went straight from Red Square to the front. The Wehrmacht was stuck several tens of kilometers from Moscow. The German soldiers were demoralized by the harsh winter and the most difficult battle conditions. On December 5, the Soviet counteroffensive began. By the end of the year, the Germans were driven back from Moscow. The previous stages of World War II were characterized by the total advantage of the Wehrmacht. Now the army of the Third Reich stopped for the first time in its global expansion. The Battle of Moscow became the turning point of the war.
Japanese attack on the USA
Until the end of 1941, Japan remained neutral in the European conflict, while at the same time fighting China. At a certain point, the country's leadership faced a strategic choice: to attack the USSR or the USA. The choice was made in favor of the American version. On December 7, Japanese aircraft attacked the Pearl Harbor naval base in Hawaii. As a result of the raid, almost all American battleships and, in general, a significant part of the American Pacific fleet were destroyed.
Until this moment, the United States had not openly participated in World War II. When the situation in Europe changed in favor of Germany, the American authorities began to support Great Britain with resources, but did not interfere in the conflict itself. Now the situation has changed 180 degrees, since Japan was an ally of Germany. The day after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Washington declared war on Tokyo. Great Britain and its dominions did the same. A few days later, Germany, Italy and their European satellites declared war on the United States. This is how the contours of the alliances that faced head-to-head confrontation in the second half of World War II were finally formed. The USSR had been at war for several months and also joined the anti-Hitler coalition.
In the new year of 1942, the Japanese invaded the Dutch East Indies, where they began to capture island after island without much difficulty. At the same time, the offensive in Burma was developing. By the summer of 1942, Japanese forces controlled all of Southeast Asia and large parts of Oceania. The United States in World War II changed the situation in the Pacific theater of operations somewhat later.
USSR counter-offensive
In 1942, the Second World War, the table of events of which usually includes basic information, was at its key stage. The forces of the opposing alliances were approximately equal. The turning point occurred towards the end of 1942. In the summer, the Germans launched another offensive in the USSR. This time their key target was the south of the country. Berlin wanted to cut off Moscow from oil and other resources. To do this, it was necessary to cross the Volga.
In November 1942, the whole world anxiously awaited news from Stalingrad. The Soviet counter-offensive on the banks of the Volga led to the fact that since then the strategic initiative was finally in the hands of the USSR. There was no bloodier or larger-scale battle in World War II than the Battle of Stalingrad. The total losses on both sides exceeded two million people. At the cost of incredible efforts, the Red Army stopped the Axis advance on the Eastern Front.
The next strategically important success of the Soviet troops was the Battle of Kursk in June - July 1943. That summer, the Germans tried for the last time to seize the initiative and launch an attack on Soviet positions. The Wehrmacht's plan failed. The Germans not only did not achieve success, but also abandoned many cities in central Russia (Orel, Belgorod, Kursk), while following the “scorched earth tactics.” All tank battles of World War II were bloody, but the largest was the Battle of Prokhorovka. It was a key episode of the entire Battle of Kursk. By the end of 1943 - beginning of 1944, Soviet troops liberated the south of the USSR and reached the borders of Romania.
Allied landings in Italy and Normandy
In May 1943, the Allies cleared the Italians from North Africa. The British fleet began to control the entire Mediterranean Sea. Earlier periods of World War II were characterized by Axis successes. Now the situation has become exactly the opposite.
In July 1943, American, British and French troops landed in Sicily, and in September on the Apennine Peninsula. The Italian government renounced Mussolini and within a few days signed a truce with the advancing opponents. The dictator, however, managed to escape. Thanks to the help of the Germans, he created the puppet republic of Salo in the industrial north of Italy. The British, French, Americans and local partisans gradually conquered more and more cities. On June 4, 1944, they entered Rome.
Exactly two days later, on the 6th, the Allies landed in Normandy. This is how the second or Western Front was opened, as a result of which the Second World War was ended (the table shows this event). In August, a similar landing began in the south of France. On August 25, the Germans finally left Paris. By the end of 1944 the front had stabilized. The main battles took place in the Belgian Ardennes, where each side made, for the time being, unsuccessful attempts to develop its own offensive.
On February 9, as a result of the Colmar operation, the German army stationed in Alsace was surrounded. The Allies managed to break through the defensive Siegfried Line and reach the German border. In March, after the Meuse-Rhine operation, the Third Reich lost territories beyond the western bank of the Rhine. In April, the Allies took control of the Ruhr industrial region. At the same time, the offensive continued in Northern Italy. On April 28, 1945 he fell into the hands of Italian partisans and was executed.
Capture of Berlin
In opening a second front, the Western Allies coordinated their actions with the Soviet Union. In the summer of 1944, the Red Army began to attack. Already in the fall, the Germans lost control over the remnants of their possessions in the USSR (with the exception of a small enclave in western Latvia).
In August, Romania, which had previously acted as a satellite of the Third Reich, withdrew from the war. Soon the authorities of Bulgaria and Finland did the same. The Germans began to hastily evacuate from the territory of Greece and Yugoslavia. In February 1945, the Red Army carried out the Budapest operation and liberated Hungary.
The route of Soviet troops to Berlin ran through Poland. Together with her, the Germans left East Prussia. The Berlin operation began at the end of April. Hitler, realizing his own defeat, committed suicide. On May 7, the act of German surrender was signed, which came into force on the night of the 8th to the 9th.
Defeat of the Japanese
Although the war ended in Europe, bloodshed continued in Asia and the Pacific. The last force to resist the Allies was Japan. In June the empire lost control of Indonesia. In July, Great Britain, the United States and China presented her with an ultimatum, which, however, was rejected.
On August 6 and 9, 1945, the Americans dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. These cases were the only ones in human history when nuclear weapons were used for combat purposes. On August 8, the Soviet offensive began in Manchuria. The Japanese Surrender Act was signed on September 2, 1945. This ended the Second World War.
Losses
Research is still being conducted on how many people suffered and how many died in World War II. On average, the number of lives lost is estimated at 55 million (of which 26 million were Soviet citizens). The financial damage amounted to $4 trillion, although it is hardly possible to calculate exact figures.
Europe was hit hardest. Its industry and agriculture continued to recover for many years. How many died in World War II and how many were destroyed became clear only after some time, when the world community was able to clarify the facts about Nazi crimes against humanity.
The largest bloodshed in human history was carried out using completely new methods. Entire cities were destroyed by bombing, and centuries-old infrastructure was destroyed in a few minutes. The Third Reich's genocide of World War II, directed against Jews, Gypsies and Slavic populations, is horrifying in its details to this day. German concentration camps became real “death factories,” and German (and Japanese) doctors conducted cruel medical and biological experiments on people.
Results
The results of the Second World War were summed up at the Potsdam Conference, held in July - August 1945. Europe was divided between the USSR and the Western allies. Communist pro-Soviet regimes were established in eastern countries. Germany lost a significant part of its territory. was annexed by the USSR, several more provinces passed to Poland. Germany was first divided into four zones. Then, on their basis, the capitalist Federal Republic of Germany and the socialist GDR emerged. In the east, the USSR received the Japanese-owned Kuril Islands and the southern part of Sakhalin. The communists came to power in China.
Western European countries lost much of their political influence after World War II. The former dominant position of Great Britain and France was occupied by the United States, which suffered less than others from German aggression. The process of disintegration began. In 1945, the United Nations was created, designed to maintain peace throughout the world. Ideological and other contradictions between the USSR and Western allies caused the start of the Cold War.
The first major defeat of the Wehrmacht was the defeat of the fascist German troops in the Battle of Moscow (1941-1942), during which the fascist “blitzkrieg” was finally thwarted and the myth of the invincibility of the Wehrmacht was dispelled.
On December 7, 1941, Japan launched a war against the United States with the attack on Pearl Harbor. On December 8, the USA, Great Britain and a number of other countries declared war on Japan. On December 11, Germany and Italy declared war on the United States. The entry of the United States and Japan into the war affected the balance of forces and increased the scale of the armed struggle.
In North Africa in November 1941 and in January-June 1942, military operations were carried out with varying success, then until the autumn of 1942 there was a lull. In the Atlantic, German submarines continued to cause great damage to the Allied fleets (by the fall of 1942, the tonnage of sunk ships, mainly in the Atlantic, amounted to over 14 million tons). In the Pacific Ocean, at the beginning of 1942, Japan occupied Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Burma, inflicted a major defeat on the British fleet in the Gulf of Thailand, the Anglo-American-Dutch fleet in the Javanese operation, and established supremacy at sea. The American Navy and Air Force, significantly strengthened by the summer of 1942, defeated the Japanese fleet in naval battles in the Coral Sea (May 7-8) and off Midway Island (June).
Third period of the war (November 19, 1942 - December 31, 1943) began with a counteroffensive by Soviet troops, which ended with the defeat of the 330,000-strong German group during the Battle of Stalingrad (July 17, 1942 - February 2, 1943), which marked the beginning of a radical turning point in the Great Patriotic War and had a great influence on the further course of the entire Second World War. The mass expulsion of the enemy from the territory of the USSR began. The Battle of Kursk (1943) and the advance to the Dnieper completed a radical turning point in the course of the Great Patriotic War. The Battle of the Dnieper (1943) upset the enemy’s plans for waging a protracted war.
At the end of October 1942, when the Wehrmacht was fighting fierce battles on the Soviet-German front, Anglo-American troops intensified military operations in North Africa, conducting the El Alamein operation (1942) and the North African landing operation (1942). In the spring of 1943 they carried out the Tunisian operation. In July-August 1943, Anglo-American troops, taking advantage of the favorable situation (the main forces of the German troops took part in the Battle of Kursk), landed on the island of Sicily and took possession of it.
On July 25, 1943, the fascist regime in Italy collapsed, and on September 3, it concluded a truce with the Allies. Italy's withdrawal from the war marked the beginning of the collapse of the fascist bloc. On October 13, Italy declared war on Germany. Nazi troops occupied its territory. In September, the Allies landed in Italy, but were unable to break the defenses of the German troops and suspended active operations in December. In the Pacific and Asia, Japan sought to retain the territories captured in 1941-1942, without weakening the groups on the borders of the USSR. The Allies, having launched an offensive in the Pacific Ocean in the fall of 1942, captured the island of Guadalcanal (February 1943), landed on New Guinea, and liberated the Aleutian Islands.
Fourth period of the war (January 1, 1944 - May 9, 1945) began with a new offensive of the Red Army. As a result of the crushing blows of the Soviet troops, the Nazi invaders were expelled from the Soviet Union. During the subsequent offensive, the USSR Armed Forces carried out a liberation mission against European countries and, with the support of their peoples, played a decisive role in the liberation of Poland, Romania, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Austria and other states. Anglo-American troops landed on June 6, 1944 in Normandy, opening a second front, and began an offensive in Germany. In February, the Crimean (Yalta) Conference (1945) of the leaders of the USSR, USA, and Great Britain took place, which examined issues of the post-war world order and the participation of the USSR in the war with Japan.
In the winter of 1944-1945, on the Western Front, Nazi troops defeated the Allied forces during the Ardennes Operation. To ease the position of the Allies in the Ardennes, at their request, the Red Army began its winter offensive ahead of schedule. Having restored the situation by the end of January, the Allied forces crossed the Rhine River during the Meuse-Rhine Operation (1945), and in April carried out the Ruhr Operation (1945), which ended in the encirclement and capture of a large enemy group. During the Northern Italian Operation (1945), the Allied forces, slowly moving north, with the help of Italian partisans, completely captured Italy in early May 1945. In the Pacific theater of operations, the Allies carried out operations to defeat the Japanese fleet, liberated a number of islands occupied by Japan, approached Japan directly and cut off its communications with the countries of Southeast Asia.
In April-May 1945, the Soviet Armed Forces defeated the last groupings of Nazi troops in the Berlin Operation (1945) and the Prague Operation (1945) and met with the Allied forces. The war in Europe is over. On May 8, 1945, Germany unconditionally surrendered. May 9, 1945 became Victory Day over Nazi Germany.
At the Berlin (Potsdam) Conference (1945), the USSR confirmed its agreement to enter the war with Japan. For political purposes, the United States carried out atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9, 1945. On August 8, the USSR declared war on Japan and began military operations on August 9. During the Soviet-Japanese War (1945), Soviet troops, having defeated the Japanese Kwantung Army, eliminated the source of aggression in the Far East, liberated Northeast China, North Korea, Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands, thereby accelerating the end of World War II. On September 2, Japan surrendered. The Second World War is over.
The Second World War was the largest military conflict in human history. It lasted 6 years, 110 million people were in the ranks of the Armed Forces. More than 55 million people died in World War II. The Soviet Union suffered the greatest casualties, losing 27 million people. Damage from direct destruction and destruction of material assets on the territory of the USSR amounted to almost 41% of all countries participating in the war.
The material was prepared based on information from open sources
When the war (World War II) began for the USSR, fighting on the world stage had been going on for about two years. This is the bloodiest event of the twentieth century, which will remain in the memory of all people.
World War II: when did it start and why?
Two concepts should not be confused: which denotes this phenomenon in the USSR, and “World War II,” which denotes the entire theater of military operations as a whole. The first of them began on the famous day - 22.VI. 1941, when German troops, without any warning or announcement of their invasion, dealt a crushing blow to the most important strategic targets of the Soviet Union. It is worth noting that at that moment the non-aggression treaty between the two states was in force for only two years, and the majority of residents of both countries were confident in its effectiveness. However, the leader of the USSR, Stalin, guessed that war was just around the corner, but consoled himself with the thought of the strength of the two-year treaty. Why did World War II start? On that fateful day - 1. IX. 1939 - fascist troops also invaded Poland without any warning, which led to the beginning of terrible events that lasted for 6 years.
Reasons and background
After defeat in the First World War, Germany temporarily lost its power, but a few years later it regained its former strength. What were the main reasons for the conflict that broke out? Firstly, this is Hitler’s desire to subjugate the whole world, eradicate certain nationalities and make him the strongest state on the planet. Secondly, the restoration of Germany's former authority. Thirdly, the elimination of any manifestations of the Versailles system. Fourth, the establishment of new spheres of influence and division of the world. All this led to the height of hostilities in different parts of the planet. What goals did the USSR and its allies pursue? First of all, this is the fight against fascism and German aggression. Also to this point we can add the fact that he fought against the forced change in the delimitation of spheres of influence. That is why we can conclude: when the war (World War II) began, it became a war of social systems and their manifestations. Fascism, communism and democracy fought among themselves.
Consequences for the whole world
What did the bloody clashes lead to? When the war (World War II) began, no one could imagine that everything would drag on for such a period of time: Germany was confident in its lightning-fast plan, the USSR and its allies were confident in their strength. But how did it all end? The war claimed a huge number of people: there were losses in almost every family. Enormous damage was caused to the economies of all countries, as well as to the demographic situation. But there are also positive aspects: after all, the fascist system was destroyed.
Thus, when the war (World War II) began for the whole world, few were able to immediately appreciate its strength. These bloody events will forever remain in the memory of every person and in the history of many states whose citizens fought against the terror and aggression of the fascists.
The Second World War(September 1, 1939 – September 2, 1945) is a military conflict between two world military-political coalitions.
It became the largest armed conflict in humanity. 62 states took part in this war. About 80% of the total population of the Earth participated in hostilities on one side or another.
We present 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. In this regard, after 2 days, war was declared on Germany.
The Wehrmacht troops did not meet worthy 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 also occupied Denmark. After this, the army annexed. It is worth noting that none of the listed states was able to adequately resist the enemy.
Soon the Germans attacked France, which was also forced to capitulate less than 2 months later. 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 found themselves head and shoulders above all their opponents. During the French campaign, Germany became an ally, led by.
After this, 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 fascists began to take over 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 German and Japanese troops was to take place.
Second period of World War 2
The battalion commander leads his soldiers into the attack. Ukraine, 1942 This came as a complete surprise to Soviet citizens and the country's leadership. As a result, the USSR united against Germany.
Soon they joined this alliance, agreeing to provide military, food and economic assistance. Thanks to this, countries were able to rationally use their own resources and provide support to each other.
Stylized photo "Hitler vs. Stalin" At the end of the summer of 1941, British and Soviet troops entered, as a result of which Hitler encountered certain difficulties. Because of this, he was unable to place military bases there necessary for the full-fledged 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, thereby marking the beginning of the Anti-Hitler Coalition. Later, 22 more countries joined it.
Germany's first serious defeats in World War II began with the Battle of Moscow (1941-1942). Interestingly, Hitler's troops came so close to the capital of the USSR 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 when he entered the year.
The Germans were so self-confident that they did not even bother to provide appropriate winter clothing for the soldiers, because they thought that the war was practically 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.
Column of German prisoners on the Garden Ring, Moscow, 1944. During this period, Soviet soldiers won one after another victory over the Wehrmacht. Soon they were able to completely liberate the territory of the USSR. Moreover, the Red Army played a vital role in the liberation of most European countries.
On June 6, 1944, one of the most significant events took place in the history of World War II. Anglo-American troops, having landed in Normandy, opened a second front. In this regard, the Germans had to leave many territories and retreat back.
In February 1945, the famous Yalta Conference took place, which was attended by the leaders of three states:, and. It raised the most important issues related to the post-war world order.
In the winter of 1945, the countries of the Anti-Hitler Coalition continued their offensive against Nazi Germany. And although the Germans sometimes managed to win certain battles, in general they understood that the history of World War II was coming to an end, and would soon be taken.
Soviet soldiers in the trenches on the outskirts of Berlin. A captured German Panzerfaust grenade launcher, 1945, is visible in the background. In 1945, during the Northern Italian Operation, the Allied forces managed to take control of the entire territory of Italy. It is worth noting that Italian partisans actively helped them in this.
Meanwhile, Japan continued to suffer serious losses at sea, and was forced to retreat to its borders.
On the eve of the end of World War II, the Red Army won brilliant victories in the Berlin and Paris operations. Thanks to this, it was possible to finally defeat the remnants of the German groups.
Red Army soldier Shirobokov met his sisters who had escaped death. Their father and mother were shot by the Germans On May 8, 1945, Germany unconditionally surrendered, and the next day, May 9, was proclaimed Victory Day.
Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel signs the act of unconditional surrender of the German Wehrmacht at the headquarters of the 5th Shock Army in Karlshorst, Berlin Jubilant cries were heard on all the streets of the country, and tears of joy were visible on people's faces. The last time in this way was China.
The military operation, which lasted less than 1 month, ended with the surrender of Japan, which was signed on September 2. The largest war in human history has ended.
Results of World War II
As stated earlier, World War II is the largest military conflict in history. It lasted for 6 years. During this time, a total of more than 50 million people died, although some historians cite even higher numbers.
The USSR suffered the greatest damage from World War II. The country lost about 27 million citizens and also suffered severe economic losses.
On April 30 at 10 p.m. the Victory Banner was hoisted over the Reichstag. In conclusion, I would like to say that the Second World War is a terrible lesson for all humanity. A lot of documentary photographic and video material has still been preserved, helping to see the horrors of that war.
What is it worth - the angel of death of the Nazi camps. But she wasn’t the only one!
People must do everything possible to ensure that such tragedies of a universal scale never happen again. Never again!
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Commanders
Strengths of the parties
The Second World War(September 1, 1939 - September 2, 1945) - the war of two world military-political coalitions, which became the largest war in human history. 61 states out of 73 existing at that time (80% of the world's population) participated in it. The fighting took place on the territory of three continents and in the waters of four oceans.
Naval warfare in World War II
Participants
The number of countries involved varied throughout the war. Some of them were actively involved in military operations, others helped their allies with food supplies, and many participated in the war only in name.
The anti-Hitler coalition included: the USSR, the British Empire, the USA, Poland, France and other countries.
On the other hand, the Axis countries and their allies participated in the war: Germany, Italy, Japan, Finland, Romania, Bulgaria and other countries.
Prerequisites for the war
The preconditions for the war stem from the so-called Versailles-Washington system - the balance of power that emerged after the First World War. The main winners (France, Great Britain, USA) were unable to make the new world order sustainable. Moreover, Britain and France were counting on a new war to strengthen their positions as colonial powers and weaken their competitors (Germany and Japan). Germany was limited in participation in international affairs, the creation of a full-fledged army and was subject to indemnity. With the decline in the standard of living in Germany, political forces with revanchist ideas, led by A. Hitler, came to power.
The German battleship Schleswig-Holstein fires at Polish positions
1939 campaign
Capture of Poland
World War II began on September 1, 1939 with a surprise German attack on Poland. The Polish naval forces did not have large surface ships, were not ready for war with Germany and were quickly defeated. Three Polish destroyers left for England before the start of the war, German aircraft sank a destroyer and a minelayer Gryf .
The beginning of the struggle at sea
Actions on communications in the Atlantic Ocean
In the initial period of the war, the German command hoped to solve the problem of fighting on sea communications, using surface raiders as the main striking force. Submarines and aircraft were assigned a supporting role. They had to force the British to carry out transportation in convoys, which would facilitate the actions of surface raiders. The British intended to use the convoy method as the main method of protecting shipping from submarines, and to use the long-range blockade as the main method of combating surface raiders, based on the experience of the First World War. To this end, at the beginning of the war, the British established sea patrols in the English Channel and in the Shetland Islands - Norway region. But these actions were ineffective - surface raiders, and even more so German submarines, actively operated on communications - the allies and neutral countries lost 221 merchant ships with a total tonnage of 755 thousand tons by the end of the year.
German merchant ships had instructions about the start of the war and tried to reach the ports of Germany or friendly countries; about 40 ships were sunk by their crews, and only 19 ships fell into enemy hands at the beginning of the war.
Actions in the North Sea
With the beginning of the war, large-scale laying of minefields in the North Sea began, which constrained active operations in it until the end of the war. Both sides mined the approaches to their coasts with wide protective belts of dozens of minefields. German destroyers also laid minefields off the coast of England.
German submarine raid U-47 at Scapa Flow, during which she sank an English battleship HMS Royal Oak showed the weakness of the entire anti-submarine defense of the English fleet.
Capture of Norway and Denmark
1940 campaign
Occupation of Denmark and Norway
In April - May 1940, German troops carried out Operation Weserubung, during which they captured Denmark and Norway. With the support and cover of large aviation forces, 1 battleship, 6 cruisers, 14 destroyers and other ships, a total of up to 10 thousand people were landed in Oslo, Kristiansand, Stavanger, Bergen, Trondheim and Narvik. The operation was unexpected for the British, who got involved belatedly. The British fleet destroyed German destroyers in Battles 10 and 13 in Narvik. On May 24, the Allied command ordered the evacuation of Northern Norway, which was carried out from June 4 to 8. During the evacuation on June 9, German battleships sank the aircraft carrier HMS Glorious and 2 destroyers. In total, during the operation the Germans lost a heavy cruiser, 2 light cruisers, 10 destroyers, 8 submarines and other ships, the Allies lost an aircraft carrier, a cruiser, 7 destroyers, 6 submarines.
Actions in the Mediterranean. 1940-1941
Actions in the Mediterranean
Military operations in the Mediterranean theater began after Italy declared war on England and France on June 10, 1940. The combat operations of the Italian fleet began with the laying of minefields in the Strait of Tunis and on the approaches to their bases, with the deployment of submarines, as well as with air raids on Malta.
The first major naval battle between the Italian Navy and the British Navy was the Battle of Punta Stilo (also known in English sources as the Battle of Calabria. The collision took place on July 9, 1940, off the southeastern tip of the Apennine Peninsula. As a result of the battle, neither side suffered casualties did not suffer. But Italy had 1 battleship, 1 heavy cruiser and 1 destroyer damaged, and the British had 1 light cruiser and 2 destroyers.
French fleet at Mers-el-Kebir
Surrender of France
On June 22, France capitulated. Despite the terms of surrender, the Vichy government did not intend to give up the fleet to Germany. Distrusting the French, the British government launched Operation Catapult to capture French ships located in different bases. In Porsmouth and Plymouth, 2 battleships, 2 destroyers, 5 submarines were captured; ships in Alexandria and Martinique were disarmed. In Mers el-Kebir and Dakar, where the French resisted, the British sank the battleship Bretagne and damaged three more battleships. From the captured ships, the Free French fleet was organized; in the meantime, the Vichy government broke off relations with Great Britain.
Actions in the Atlantic in 1940-1941.
After the surrender of the Netherlands on May 14, German ground forces pinned the Allied forces to the sea. From May 26 to June 4, 1940, during Operation Dynamo, 338 thousand Allied troops were evacuated from the French coast in the Dunkirk area to Britain. At the same time, the Allied fleet suffered heavy losses from German aviation - about 300 ships and vessels were killed.
In 1940, German boats ceased to operate under the rules of prize law and switched to unrestricted submarine warfare. After the capture of Norway and the western regions of France, the system of basing German boats expanded. After Italy entered the war, 27 Italian boats began to be based in Bordeaux. The Germans gradually moved from the actions of single boats to the actions of groups of boats with curtains that blocked the ocean area.
German auxiliary cruisers successfully operated on ocean communications - by the end of 1940, 6 cruisers captured and destroyed 54 ships with a displacement of 366,644 tons.
1941 campaign
Actions in the Mediterranean in 1941
Actions in the Mediterranean
In May 1941, German troops captured the island. Crete. The British Navy, which was waiting for enemy ships near the island, lost 3 cruisers, 6 destroyers, and more than 20 other ships and transports from German air attacks; 3 battleships, an aircraft carrier, 6 cruisers, and 7 destroyers were damaged.
Active actions on Japanese communications put the Japanese economy in a difficult situation, the implementation of the shipbuilding program was disrupted, and the transportation of strategic raw materials and troops was complicated. In addition to submarines, surface forces of the US Navy, and primarily TF-58 (TF-38), also actively participated in the battle on communications. In terms of the number of Japanese transports sunk, aircraft carrier forces ranked second after submarines. Only in the period 10 - 16 October, aircraft carrier groups of the 38th formation, having attacked naval bases, ports and airfields in the Taiwan region, Philippines, destroyed about 600 aircraft on the ground and in the air, sank 34 transports and several auxiliary ships.
Landing in France
Landing in France
On June 6, 1944, Operation Overlord (Normandy landing operation) began. Under the cover of massive air strikes and naval artillery fire, an amphibious landing of 156 thousand people was carried out. The operation was supported by a fleet of 6 thousand military and landing ships and transport vessels.
The German navy offered almost no resistance to the landing. The Allies suffered the main losses from mines - 43 ships were blown up by them. During the second half of 1944, in the landing area off the coast of England and in the English Channel, 60 Allied transports were lost as a result of the actions of German submarines, torpedo boats, and mines.
German submarine sinks transport
Actions in the Atlantic Ocean
German troops began to retreat under pressure from the landing Allied troops. As a result, the German Navy lost its bases on the Atlantic coast by the end of the year. On September 18, Allied units entered Brest, and on September 25, troops occupied Boulogne. Also in September, the Belgian ports of Ostend and Antwerp were liberated. By the end of the year, fighting in the ocean had ceased.
In 1944, the Allies were able to ensure almost complete security of communications. To protect communications, they at that time had 118 escort aircraft carriers, 1,400 destroyers, frigates and sloops, and about 3,000 other patrol ships. Coastal PLO aviation consisted of 1,700 aircraft and 520 flying boats. The total losses in allied and neutral tonnage in the Atlantic as a result of submarine operations in the second half of 1944 amounted to only 58 ships with a total tonnage of 270 thousand gross tons. The Germans lost 98 boats at sea alone during this period.
Submarines
Signing of the Japanese surrender
Actions in the Pacific
Possessing an overwhelming superiority in forces, the American armed forces, in intense battles in 1945, broke the stubborn resistance of Japanese troops and captured the islands of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. For landing operations, the United States attracted huge forces, so the fleet off the coast of Okinawa consisted of 1,600 ships. During all the days of fighting off Okinawa, 368 Allied ships were damaged, and another 36 (including 15 landing ships and 12 destroyers) were sunk. The Japanese had 16 ships sunk, including the battleship Yamato.
In 1945, American air raids on Japanese bases and coastal installations became systematic, with attacks carried out by both shore-based naval aviation and strategic aviation and carrier strike formations. In March - July 1945, American aircraft, as a result of massive attacks, sank or damaged all large Japanese surface ships.
On August 8, the USSR declared war on Japan. From August 12 to August 20, 1945, the Pacific Fleet carried out a series of landings that captured the ports of Korea. On August 18, the Kuril landing operation was launched, during which Soviet troops occupied the Kuril Islands.
September 2, 1945 aboard the battleship USS Missouri The act of surrender of Japan was signed, ending World War II.
Results of the war
The Second World War had a huge impact on the destinies of mankind. 72 states (80% of the world's population) took part in it; military operations were carried out on the territory of 40 states. The total human losses reached 60-65 million people, of which 27 million people were killed at the fronts.
The war ended with the victory of the anti-Hitler coalition. As a result of the war, the role of Western Europe in global politics weakened. The USSR and the USA became the main powers in the world. Great Britain and France, despite the victory, were significantly weakened. The war showed the inability of them and other Western European countries to maintain huge colonial empires. Europe was divided into two camps: Western capitalist and Eastern socialist. Relations between the two blocs deteriorated sharply. A couple of years after the end of the war, the Cold War began.
History of world wars. - M: Tsentrpoligraf, 2011. - 384 p. -