A fifth of Europeans simply do not know anything about the events of 70 years ago, and only one in eight believes that the Soviet army played a key role in the liberation of Europe from fascism. For decades, Europeans have been corrected in their consciousness regarding the role of the USSR and Russia in the history of the twentieth century. Thus, the goal is achieved to belittle the importance of our country, even at the cost of falsifying the results of the Second World War and the Victory of the Soviet people, and send Russia to the back of history. Nothing personal just business.
Europeans prefer the American army
From March 20 to April 9, 2015 in the UK, France and Germany, ICM Research conducted a survey for Sputnik. Three thousand people (1000 in each country) answered the question: who, in your opinion, played a key role in the liberation of Europe in World War II? Most of the respondents named the American and British armies as the main liberators. In general, the responses looked like this:
Soviet army - 13 percent;
American army - 43 percent;
British Army - 20 percent;
Other armed forces, 2 percent;
I don't know - 22 percent.
At the same time, in France and Germany, 61 and 52 percent, respectively, consider the American army to be the main liberator (only in the UK, 46 percent preferred their own, rather than the American army). Judging by the results of the survey, the most misinformed are the inhabitants of France, where only 8 percent of respondents are aware of the true role of the Soviet army.
One fifth of Europeans have a significant gap in their knowledge of the events of 70 years ago. This forgetfulness is all the more striking against the background of well-known and indisputable historical facts. Investments in oblivion, false historical landmarks can cost Europeans dearly.
Figures and facts: troops, front line, equipment
It was the Soviet Union that stopped the victorious march of Nazi Germany across Europe in 1941. At the same time, the power of the Nazi military machine was the greatest, and the military capabilities of the United States and Great Britain remained modest.
The victory near Moscow dispelled the myth of the invincibility of the German army, contributed to the rise of the resistance movement and strengthened the anti-Hitler coalition. After the defeat at Stalingrad, Germany, followed by Japan, switched from an offensive war to a defensive one. In the Battle of Kursk, Soviet troops finally undermined the morale of the Nazi army, and the crossing of the Dnieper opened the way to the liberation of Europe.
The Soviet army led fighting against the bulk of the troops of Nazi Germany. In 1941-1942, more than 75 percent of all German troops fought against the USSR; in subsequent years, about 70 percent of Wehrmacht formations were on the Soviet-German front. At the same time, in 1943, it was the USSR that achieved a radical change during World War II in favor of the anti-Hitler coalition.
By the beginning of 1944, Germany had suffered significant losses, and yet remained a strong adversary - it kept 5 million people on Eastern Front. Almost 75 percent of German tanks and self-propelled artillery installations (5.4 thousand), guns and mortars (54.6 thousand), aircraft (more than 3 thousand) were concentrated here.
And after the opening of the second front for Germany, the Eastern Front remained the main one. In 1944, over 180 German divisions operated against the Soviet army. Anglo-American troops were opposed by 81 German divisions.
On the Soviet-German front, military operations were carried out with the greatest intensity and spatial scope. Out of 1418 days, active battles went on for 1320 days. On the North African front, respectively, out of 1068 days, 309 were active, on the Italian of 663 days - 49.
The spatial scope of the Eastern Front was: along the front 4 - 6 thousand km, which was four times greater than the North African, Italian and Western European fronts combined.
The Red Army defeated 507 Nazi divisions and 100 divisions of its allies - 3.5 times more than the allies on all fronts of World War II. On the Soviet-German front, the German armed forces suffered more than 73 percent of losses. Here the main part of the Wehrmacht military equipment was destroyed: about 75 percent of aircraft (70 thousand), tanks and assault guns (about 50 thousand), artillery pieces (167 thousand).
The continuous strategic offensive of the Soviet army in 1943-1945 shortened the duration of the war, saved millions of British and American lives, and created favorable conditions for our allies in Europe.
In addition to its territory, the USSR liberated 47 percent of the territory of Europe (the Allies liberated 27 percent, 26 percent of European territory was liberated by the joint efforts of the USSR and the Allies).
The Soviet Union abolished fascist domination over most of the enslaved peoples, preserving their statehood and historically fair borders. If counted by current state Europe (separate Bosnia, Ukraine, etc.), the USSR liberated 16 countries, the allies - 9 countries (jointly - 6 countries).
The total population of the countries liberated by the USSR is 123 million, the allies liberated 110 million, and almost 90 million people were liberated through joint efforts.
Thus, it was the Soviet army that ensured the victorious course and outcome of the war, defended the peoples of Europe and the world from Nazi enslavement.
Severity of losses
The Soviet Union made the greatest contribution to the armed struggle, defeated the main forces of the Nazi bloc, and ensured the complete and unconditional surrender of Germany and Japan. And the number of our losses in World War II is several times greater than the losses of other countries (even combined) - 27 million Soviet citizens against 427 thousand people in the United States, 412 thousand people in Great Britain, 5 million people in Germany.
During the liberation of Hungary, our losses amounted to 140,004 people (112,625 people died), and almost the same in Czechoslovakia. In Romania - about 69 thousand people, in Yugoslavia - 8 thousand people, in Austria - 26 thousand people, in Norway - more than 1 thousand people, in Finland - about 2 thousand people. During the fighting in Germany (including East Prussia), the Soviet army lost 101,961 people (92,316 dead).
In addition to the 27 million dead, tens of millions of our citizens were injured and maimed. On June 22, 1941, there were 4,826,907 servicemen in the Red Army and Navy according to the list. During the four years of the war, another 29,574,900 people were mobilized, and in total, together with the personnel, 34 million 476 thousand 752 people were involved in the army, navy and military formations of other departments. For comparison: in Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia in 1939, there were 24.6 million German men aged 15 to 65.
Huge damage has been done to the health of several generations, the standard of living of the population and the birth rate have fallen sharply. During the war years, millions of people experienced physical and moral suffering.
Huge damage has been done to the national economy. Our country has lost a third of the national wealth. 1,710 cities and towns, more than 70 thousand villages, 6 million buildings, 32 thousand enterprises, 65 thousand km were destroyed railways. The war devastated the treasury, prevented the creation of new values, and led to negative consequences in the economy, psychology, and morality.
Western propagandists deliberately hush up or distort all these facts, attributing the decisive contribution to the victory to the USA and Great Britain, in order to belittle the role of our country in the international arena. Nothing personal just business.
Each country contributed to the victory over German fascism. This historical mission determines the authority of the state in the post-war world, its political weight in resolving international issues. Therefore, no one is allowed to forget or distort the exceptional role of our country in the Second World War and the victory over German fascism.
A fifth of Europeans simply do not know anything about the events of 70 years ago, and only one in eight believes that the Soviet army played a key role in the liberation of Europe from fascism. For decades, Europeans have been corrected in their consciousness regarding the role of the USSR and Russia in the history of the twentieth century. Thus, the goal is achieved to belittle the importance of our country, even at the cost of falsifying the results of the Second World War and the Victory of the Soviet people, and send Russia to the back of history. Nothing personal just business.
Europeans prefer the American army
From March 20 to April 9, 2015 in the UK, France and Germany, ICM Research conducted a survey for Sputnik. Three thousand people (1000 in each country) answered the question: who, in your opinion, played a key role in the liberation of Europe in World War II? Most of the respondents named the American and British armies as the main liberators. In general, the responses looked like this:
Soviet army - 13 percent;
American army - 43 percent;
British Army - 20 percent;
Other armed forces, 2 percent;
I don't know - 22 percent.
At the same time, in France and Germany, 61 and 52 percent, respectively, consider the American army to be the main liberator (only in the UK, 46 percent preferred their own, rather than the American army). Judging by the results of the survey, the most misinformed are the inhabitants of France, where only 8 percent of respondents are aware of the true role of the Soviet army.
One fifth of Europeans have a significant gap in their knowledge of the events of 70 years ago. This forgetfulness is all the more striking against the background of well-known and indisputable historical facts. Investments in oblivion, false historical landmarks can cost Europeans dearly.
Figures and facts: troops, front line, equipment
It was the Soviet Union that stopped the victorious march of Nazi Germany across Europe in 1941. At the same time, the power of the Nazi military machine was the greatest, and the military capabilities of the United States and Great Britain remained modest.
The victory near Moscow dispelled the myth of the invincibility of the German army, contributed to the rise of the resistance movement and strengthened the anti-Hitler coalition. After the defeat at Stalingrad, Germany, followed by Japan, switched from an offensive war to a defensive one. In the Battle of Kursk, Soviet troops finally undermined the morale of the Nazi army, and the crossing of the Dnieper opened the way to the liberation of Europe.
The Soviet army fought against the bulk of the troops of Nazi Germany. In 1941-1942, more than 75 percent of all German troops fought against the USSR; in subsequent years, about 70 percent of Wehrmacht formations were on the Soviet-German front. At the same time, in 1943, it was the USSR that achieved a radical change during World War II in favor of the anti-Hitler coalition.
By the beginning of 1944, Germany had suffered significant losses, and yet remained a strong enemy - it kept 5 million people on the Eastern Front. Almost 75 percent of German tanks and self-propelled artillery installations (5.4 thousand), guns and mortars (54.6 thousand), aircraft (more than 3 thousand) were concentrated here.
And after the opening of the second front for Germany, the Eastern Front remained the main one. In 1944, over 180 German divisions operated against the Soviet army. Anglo-American troops were opposed by 81 German divisions.
On the Soviet-German front, military operations were carried out with the greatest intensity and spatial scope. Out of 1418 days, active battles went on for 1320 days. On the North African front, respectively, out of 1068 days, 309 were active, on the Italian of 663 days - 49.
The spatial scope of the Eastern Front was: along the front 4 - 6 thousand km, which was four times greater than the North African, Italian and Western European fronts combined.
The Red Army defeated 507 Nazi divisions and 100 divisions of its allies - 3.5 times more than the allies on all fronts of World War II. On the Soviet-German front, the German armed forces suffered more than 73 percent of losses. Here the main part of the Wehrmacht military equipment was destroyed: about 75 percent of aircraft (70 thousand), tanks and assault guns (about 50 thousand), artillery pieces (167 thousand).
The continuous strategic offensive of the Soviet army in 1943-1945 shortened the duration of the war, saved millions of British and American lives, and created favorable conditions for our allies in Europe.
In addition to its territory, the USSR liberated 47 percent of the territory of Europe (the Allies liberated 27 percent, 26 percent of European territory was liberated by the joint efforts of the USSR and the Allies).
The Soviet Union abolished fascist domination over most of the enslaved peoples, preserving their statehood and historically fair borders. If we consider the current state of Europe (separate Bosnia, Ukraine, etc.), then the USSR liberated 16 countries, the allies - 9 countries (jointly - 6 countries).
The total population of the countries liberated by the USSR is 123 million, the allies liberated 110 million, and almost 90 million people were liberated through joint efforts.
Thus, it was the Soviet army that ensured the victorious course and outcome of the war, defended the peoples of Europe and the world from Nazi enslavement.
Severity of losses
The Soviet Union made the greatest contribution to the armed struggle, defeated the main forces of the Nazi bloc, and ensured the complete and unconditional surrender of Germany and Japan. And the number of our losses in World War II is several times greater than the losses of other countries (even combined) - 27 million Soviet citizens against 427 thousand people in the United States, 412 thousand people in Great Britain, 5 million people in Germany.
During the liberation of Hungary, our losses amounted to 140,004 people (112,625 people died), and almost the same in Czechoslovakia. In Romania - about 69 thousand people, in Yugoslavia - 8 thousand people, in Austria - 26 thousand people, in Norway - more than 1 thousand people, in Finland - about 2 thousand people. During the fighting in Germany (including East Prussia), the Soviet army lost 101,961 people (92,316 dead).
In addition to the 27 million dead, tens of millions of our citizens were injured and maimed. On June 22, 1941, there were 4,826,907 servicemen in the Red Army and Navy according to the list. During the four years of the war, another 29,574,900 people were mobilized, and in total, together with the personnel, 34 million 476 thousand 752 people were involved in the army, navy and military formations of other departments. For comparison: in Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia in 1939, there were 24.6 million German men aged 15 to 65.
Huge damage has been done to the health of several generations, the standard of living of the population and the birth rate have fallen sharply. During the war years, millions of people experienced physical and moral suffering.
Huge damage has been done to the national economy. Our country has lost a third of the national wealth. 1,710 cities and towns, more than 70 thousand villages, 6 million buildings, 32 thousand enterprises, 65 thousand km of railways were destroyed. The war devastated the treasury, prevented the creation of new values, and led to negative consequences in the economy, psychology, and morality.
Western propagandists deliberately hush up or distort all these facts, attributing the decisive contribution to the victory to the USA and Great Britain, in order to belittle the role of our country in the international arena. Nothing personal just business.
Each country contributed to the victory over German fascism. This historical mission determines the authority of the state in the post-war world, its political weight in resolving international issues. Therefore, no one is allowed to forget or distort the exceptional role of our country in the Second World War and the victory over German fascism.
Fresh review
A couple of articles have already been written about high-rise Sharjah - and. Now it's time to talk and look at simpler buildings - one-story cottages and simple streets.
Although I will start with cars - usually in the Emirates there are always a lot of good cars and our people love to look at them. I also have a few of these photos. I didn't aim to shoot cool cars, so there are few photos and the cars on them are not the coolest of those that I managed to see. I'm more impressed in this regard, but new cars are also interesting.
Random entries
The main attraction of Akhaltsikhe is the fortress. For the first time, a fortress called Akhaltsikhe ("New Fortress") was mentioned in chronicles in 1204. Apparently, before that there was an "old" one, the places here are borderline (it's a stone's throw from Turkey - about 20 km), and the rock above the quiet river Potskhovi was directly created for the construction of a fortification. But it is reliably known that the real fortress was built in the 12th century by the Jakeli princely family and served them as a family residence for 3 centuries.
I don't even know if Byala is a city or a village. In size, it is not much smaller than Obzor, but in Obzor there is a sign in the center that it has been awarded the title of a city, but I have not seen such a thing in Byala. And the locals call it a village.
In this part about this resort town, we will talk about the surroundings, the general plans of the city and a little about greenery.
I'll start from the coast, from where you can clearly see the city of Obzor.
Our journey through the Borjomi Gorge continued, ahead should be an acquaintance with a city known for its mineral waters— Borjomi. But the weather turned bad again, it began to rain and the guide decided to leave Borjomi for a "snack". And we went straight to the final destination of our tour - Akhaltsikhe. On the site of the town, people settled from time immemorial, there was a settlement of the Kuro-Arak culture, dating back to 4000-2200 BC. The name of the city was given by a fortress built in the first half of the 12th century (ახალციხე, literally means New Fortress). From the 14th to the 16th centuries Akhaltsikhe was the center of the Meskheti region. In 1579 he fell under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. It was returned to the bosom of Georgia during the Russian-Turkish war of 1828-29, when it had already become part of the Russian Empire.
Sharjah at night is certainly not the same as Dubai, but also very pretty. In addition, Ramadan and life begins only at sunset. The variety of photographs is not very encouraging, because the night walks were almost in one place - in the area that I already wrote about.
And I’ll start not quite with night photography - the moon is sometimes visible during the day. And the country is Islamic, and the holy month of Ramadan. In general, let's start with the crescent.
I can’t say that since childhood I dreamed of visiting Hollywood, but since we are close, we simply must see it, if only in order to say later: “Yes, there is nothing special there.” So we went there in the morning. And we decided to start the tour from the observation deck at the well-known inscription "HOLLYWOOD". But we were not lucky, on that day some kind of marathon was held and the road there was closed, besides, cars cannot enter there at all. By the way, about the roads, how do they understand the directions in these heaped viaducts? I don’t drive a car and I’m more used to seeing all sorts of interchanges on the plan, maybe because of this, when I see multi-level road structures in nature, I lose spatial thinking.
After standing on the bridge, waving to the passing ships and surveying the near and far neighborhoods, we decided to return home, fry the chicken and prepare a farewell dinner. But Alex drew our attention to a road bridge located upstream of the Elbe. It was crowded with trucks, which practically did not move. Apparently, something happened on the autobahn and a traffic jam formed. It was problematic to return to Magdeburg, we decided to take another walk, and what if it “dissolves” ... And we went to inspect the village, which was first mentioned in the records of Magdeburg Archbishop Albrecht in 1225. Apparently, little has survived from those times, but here brickwork this house reminded me of a monastery in . According to 2012 data, 1459 people live here and live quite well.
Santa Ana is the county seat of Orange County. The area where the town now stands, the Spaniards in 1769 called Vallejo de Santa Ana - the Valley of St. Anne. The settlement of Santa Ana in 1886 received city status. To be honest, we did not bother to see the city itself, but we looked at the zoo with pleasure. The zoo is small, it occupies only 8 hectares, but there are also enclosures and cages for animals, playgrounds and cafes, and the composition of animals is very unusual. The opening of the zoo took place in 1952 on the territory of Prentice Park. The philanthropist Joseph Prentice donated part of his land to the zoo on the condition that the management provide for the maintenance of at least 50 monkeys at any time, and this condition is still being met.
The last part was mostly about . Now it will be about the stones themselves and science. Of course, I learned more about the rocks not when visiting this national park, but from the museum of the city of Byala, where part of the exposition is dedicated to this particular place.
I'll start, though, I'm still with photos of the rocks themselves, but the text will mostly be from the museum. Although it is quite general. So:
The White Cliffs in Byala are the fourth place in the world that testifies to a gigantic cosmic cataclysm that led to the extinction of the dinosaurs and also gave the opportunity for mammals to develop. The White Cliffs represent a continuous geological rock profile with a Cretaceous-Tertiary geochronological boundary and an accompanying iridium anomaly. The rocks are a relatively new geotope protected within the framework of the development of the Register and Cadastre of Geological Phenomena in Bulgaria at the initiative of the Varna Regional Council. This place has a high scientific and ecological value.
October 14 p. In Prague, at a meeting of the Prime Ministers of the Visegrad Four countries (Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary), the creation of the Platform of European Memory and Conscience was announced. The corresponding document was signed by the leaders of 19 organizations from 13 EU countries, including Germany. The platform intends to coordinate the work of governmental and non-governmental organizations in order to "actively study the history of totalitarian regimes."
Many experts express the opinion that the Platform will prepare an analogue of the Nuremberg trials in relation to the USSR and Russia as its legal successor.
Chief Editor IA Regnum Modest Kolerov believes that the goal of the new "condemnation of totalitarianism" will be the presentation of claims to Russia for the payment of reparations for the "crimes of Stalinism" in the countries of Eastern Europe. Researcher at the Institute of Slavic Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences Oleg Nemensky notes that “the West has a huge need to condemn the actions of the USSR in World War II. Without condemning Russia, the West cannot be sure of a positive self-assessment.”
Dancing in Liberated Vienna.
And the head of the research programs of the Historical Memory Foundation, Vladimir Simindey, believes that “within this so-called. The "Platform of European Memory and Conscience" is an attempt to ... ostensibly scientifically substantiate why the Nazi regime and Soviet socialism are fully comparable, ”and on the basis of this to put pressure on Russia. He calls "to anticipate some things at the diplomatic level, as well as to engage in active information support of one's position."
Taking into account recent trends, especially in connection with the adopted on August 23 this year. d. by the Ministers of Justice of the EU countries in Warsaw Declaration on the occasion of the European Day of Remembrance for Totalitarian Regimes, which refers to the responsibility of Soviet communism along with fascism “for the most shameful acts of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes”, the forecasts made by experts look very likely.
In this regard, it is necessary to recall what actually political changes for most countries of Eastern Europe accompanied the end of the Second World War. For example, in all these countries, with the exception of Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia, the first free multi-party elections after the 20-30s. fascist dictatorships were established there, they passed only after the Soviet troops entered their territory. With full right, we can consider the events of 1944-1945. in these countries, not by the "establishment of totalitarianism", but by the liberation of the peoples of these countries from political, social, and in some cases, national oppression.
Let us analyze the situation in these states separately.
the Baltics
In 1926, the Lithuanian Nationalist Party, supported by the military, carried out a coup d'état. Party leader and president Antanas Smyatona was proclaimed "leader of the nation" in 1928, and practically unlimited power was concentrated in his hands. In 1936, all parties were banned in Lithuania, except for the Nationalist Party. In 1934, Latvian Prime Minister Karlis Ulmanis staged a coup, dissolved parliament, banned all parties and received the title of "leader of the people" and unlimited power. In the same year, a triumvirate of President and Prime Minister Päts, Commander-in-Chief Laidoner and Minister of the Interior Eerenpalu seized power in Estonia, dissolved parliament and banned all parties except the Fatherland Union. All these coups were marked by repressions against the political opposition and the destruction of the rights and freedoms of citizens. Trade unions were banned, strikers were severely persecuted. In 1940, after the entry of Soviet troops, elections to the Seimas were held in the Baltic republics, which approved the accession to the USSR.
In 1926, Jozef Piłsudski staged a coup d'état, became president for life and proclaimed the establishment of a "rehabilitation regime" (recovery). One of the symbols of "reorganization" was the concentration camp in Bereza-Kartuzskaya (now the Brest region of Belarus) for the political opposition. The concentration camp was built in 1935 with the help of Nazi "specialists" as a copy of the Oranienburg concentration camp near Berlin. Under the new constitution of 1935, the president was responsible only "to God and history." The legal opposition remained, but the results of the elections to the Sejm were shamelessly falsified. Therefore, more than half of the voters ignored them. The "Second Commonwealth" was characterized by the suppression of ethnic and religious minorities (Ukrainians, Belarusians, Lithuanians, Jews), which accounted for up to 40% of the country's population; forced linguistic assimilation. Before the Second World War, the ruling circles of Poland repeatedly discussed with the leaders of Nazi Germany, democratic England and France the question of deporting all Polish Jews to Madagascar. Poland participated in the dismemberment of Czechoslovakia following the Munich Agreement of 1938. From October 1920 to September 1939, it occupied the Vilna region from Lithuania.
Czechoslovakia
Soviet tanks in Prague.
It was one of the few European countries that managed to maintain a competitive multi-party system until 1939. At the same time, the liquidation of Czechoslovakia and its transition into the orbit of influence of Nazi Germany were formalized in a completely legitimate way by the democratic institutions of this state. The agreement on the occupation of the Czech Republic by the Wehrmacht and the transformation of the Czech Republic into a protectorate of the Third Reich Bohemia and Moravia was signed by the legitimate president of the Czechoslovak Republic, Emil Hacha, who was appointed president of the protectorate by the Nazis as a reward. The parliament of autonomous Slovakia proclaimed the independence of the country, due to a close alliance with Nazi Germany (in fact, vassal dependence on it). The Slovak motorized corps took part in the Nazi aggression against the USSR.
Meeting of the Liberators.
After the suppression of the Hungarian Soviet Republic in 1919, Miklós Horthy became ruler with the title of regent. There was limited legal opposition and parliamentary structures in Hungary, but left-wing parties were driven underground. The regime fought against political opponents by all means, including the death penalty. Before World War II, Hungary became close to Nazi Germany, thanks to which in 1938-1940. seized Transcarpathian Ukraine and the border regions of Slovakia from Czechoslovakia, and Transylvania and Banat from Romania. However, in the spring of 1944, Horthy's attempt to enter into peace negotiations with the Western powers led to the direct occupation of the country by German troops. Horthy nominally remained in power, the government was headed by a Hitler protege. The Holocaust began in Hungary, with 600,000 Jews killed in less than a year. In October 1944, with the support of the SS, the fascist organization Arrow Cross, led by Salashi, carried out a pro-Nazi coup. Hungarian troops in 1941-1945 took an active part in the war against the USSR, and their numbers steadily increased: one corps - in the summer of 1941, one army - in the summer of 1942, three armies - in the fall of 1944. Among the troops that occupied the USSR, Hungarian, according to eyewitnesses, distinguished by the greatest cruelty, horrifying even the Nazis.
Brutal repression by the royal government of Romania in the 20-30s. both left and right opposition forces were exposed. In 1940, all actual power was transferred to General Antonescu. The only legal party remained in the country; trade unions were banned, instead of them "corporations" were created on the model of fascist Italy. Romanian troops were the most numerous among Germany's allies on the Eastern Front of World War II. In August 1944, when Soviet troops entered the territory of Romania, King Mihai organized the overthrow of the dictator (similar to the way the King of Italy overthrew Mussolini a year earlier) and declared war on Germany. The Red Army was greeted with jubilation by the Romanian people.
Bulgaria
Sofia - the first day of freedom.
In 1923, a military coup took place, during which the democratic government headed by the leader of the People's Agricultural Union Stamboliysky was overthrown (he was killed at the same time). In 1934, another coup took place, as a result of which all parties were dissolved. In 1935, an absolute monarchy was established in Bulgaria, headed by Tsar Boris. The tsar became an ally of Germany and in 1941 achieved significant territorial gains at the expense of the victims of Hitler's aggression - Yugoslavia and Greece. Participation in hostilities against the USSR and occupation Soviet territory Bulgaria did not officially accept, but the Bulgarian Navy and Air Force repeatedly sank Soviet submarines that ended up near Bulgarian waters. All these years in Bulgaria did not stop folk wrestling against the monarcho-fascist regime, often taking the form guerrilla war. In September 1944, when the Soviet troops entered Bulgaria, the regime, hated by the Bulgarian people, collapsed overnight and without resistance.
Yugoslavia
The presence of parliamentary structures did not interfere executive power pursue a policy contrary to the interests of the people. When the government entered into a military alliance with Hitler in March 1941, it caused a storm of indignation, in the wake of which a new government came to power, and the regent was forced to flee the country. The Nazis created a puppet state in Croatia, marked by genocide against Serbs, Gypsies, Jews, the victims of which were hundreds of thousands of people. Croatia throughout the war was a loyal ally of Nazi Germany. She left the war only on the day of the surrender of the Wehrmacht - on May 8, Tito's anti-fascist troops took Zagreb.
The backward feudal monarchy under the de facto protectorate of Italy was in 1939 directly occupied by Italian troops. The unfolding nationwide resistance movement from the very beginning adopted the communist ideology.
The USSR sought to prevent direct copying by the countries of "people's democracy" of its model. In Yugoslavia, the one-party model was established without the participation of the USSR, since Tito already in 1945 began rapprochement with the West, which ended in 1948. In Hungary and Romania, the one-party system was not established immediately, but only after several elections, the last of which was won by a landslide victory united parties of communists and former left socialists. In Poland, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, and the GDR, parties other than the communist (workers') parties operated throughout the years of the socialist system.
It is impossible to deny that the Soviet Union exerted pressure on the "countries of people's democracy", contributing to the establishment of political forces friendly to the Soviet Union in power there. These were the communists and some parties close to them. But in this case, the policy of the USSR did not essentially differ from the policy of the USA and England in the countries of Western and Southern Europe after the war.
So, in 1945-1946. under direct pressure from the Anglo-Saxon powers, the communists were expelled from the governments of France, Italy, and Belgium. In November 1944, British troops landed in Greece, where they began to suppress the democratic wing of the anti-fascist resistance. On December 3, 1944, the British invaders shot down an opposition demonstration in Athens. There was still a war with Hitler ... The actions of the British military caused a storm of indignation in Western countries, in particular, in the American public circles of that time.
The active military intervention of England in Greece lasted until 1949 and ended with the establishment of a dictatorial regime in power. The loyalty of most other countries of Western Europe to the alliance with the Anglo-Saxon democracies was ensured by the constant presence of American troops on their territory. An objective view is not able to see any fundamental difference between the measures by which each of the great powers - the victors in the Second World War, tried to ensure their geopolitical interests in the countries of Europe.
As rightly noted in the 1970s. English historian Alan Taylor, "the establishment of communist rule in the states bordering Russia was a consequence of the Cold War, not its cause."
At the same time, one should not forget for a moment the main fact - without the Soviet Union, Nazism would not have been crushed. Europe (not only its eastern part) in the event of such a development of events, a very sad fate awaited. However, neither those who today are ready to present claims to Russia as the heir of "Soviet totalitarianism", nor those who stand behind them, prefer not to remember this.
In the spring of 1944, a radical change occurred during the Great Patriotic War. On March 26, 1944, the troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front under the command of Marshal Ivan Konev, during the Uman-Botoshansky operation, reached the Prut River - the state border of the USSR and Romania. In honor of this event, an artillery salute was given in Moscow.
The troops of the Red Army began the liberation of Europe from the "brown plague". More than 1 million Soviet soldiers gave their lives in the struggle to save the enslaved European peoples.
Almost simultaneously with the beginning of the offensive operations of the Red Army in Europe, the allies of the USSR - the USA, England and Great Britain - opened a second front. On June 6, 1944, Anglo-American troops launched Operation Overlord, landing in Normandy.
Romania: request for help
As a result of the Iasi-Kishinev operation, carried out from August 20 to 29, 1944, the German-Romanian group of troops was destroyed and the territory of Moldova was liberated. The crushing victory of the Red Army became the impetus for the overthrow of the pro-fascist regime of Ion Antonescu in Romania. On August 23, an uprising was raised in the country, as a result of which the dictator Antonescu was arrested and a new government was formed. The new authorities announced the withdrawal of Romania from the war on the side of Germany, the acceptance of peaceful conditions, and also asked the USSR military aid. On August 31, the troops of the 2nd Ukrainian entered Bucharest. September 12, 1944 in Moscow Soviet government signed an armistice agreement with Romania.
Bulgaria: with hope for the Russians
The liberation of Bulgaria passed almost bloodlessly during the Bulgarian operation, carried out on September 5-9, 1944. Formally, Bulgaria did not participate in the war against the USSR because of the sympathy of the country's population for the Russians, who liberated the country from the Ottoman yoke in 1878. Nevertheless, the country was headed by a pro-fascist government, the Bulgarian army served as the occupying troops in Greece and Yugoslavia, and the German troops used the entire transport infrastructure of the country. On September 8, the advanced units of the troops of the 3rd Ukrainian Front and the Black Sea Fleet entered Bulgaria without encountering resistance.
On September 9, a popular uprising took place in the country, the pro-fascist government was overthrown and the government of the Fatherland Front was formed. Subsequently, it declared war on Germany and its ally, Hungary.
On the picture: Residents of Sofia greet the units of the Soviet Army that entered the city, November 20, 1944.
Yugoslavia: together with the partisans
On April 6, 1941, Nazi troops invaded Yugoslavia; on April 17, the country capitulated. On July 8, 1941, the People's Liberation War of Yugoslavia began against the Nazi invaders, which was expressed in a mass partisan movement. It had the same significance as the Great Patriotic War in the history of Russia.
The population of the country sympathized with the Russians and the USSR. The Soviet Union sent instructors to the fraternal people of Yugoslavia to teach military affairs.
On September 28, during the Belgrade operation, the Red Army launched an assault on Belgrade, in which Yugoslav partisans also participated. October 20, 1944 the capital of Yugoslavia was completely liberated from the invaders.
On the picture: The commander of the rifle battalion, Major V. Romanenko, tells the Yugoslav partisans and residents of the village of Starchevo about the military affairs of the young scout corporal Viktor Zhayvoronka, September 15, 1944.
Norway: royal recognition
Northern Norway was liberated as a result of the Petsamo-Kirkenes offensive operation, in which the troops of the Karelian Front and the Northern Fleet of the USSR Navy took part in northern Norway from October 7 to 29, 1944.
In Norway, the Germans established a strict occupation regime; they used the country's territory as a military base for operations against the northern allied convoys, thanks to which Lend-Lease deliveries were made to the USSR. The Soviet troops were to liberate the Arctic (the cities of Luostari and Pechenga) and Kirkenes in Northern Norway from the Nazis.
On October 18, 1944, soldiers of the Red Army landed in Norway. On October 25, during fierce fighting, Kirkenes was liberated.
“We followed with admiration and enthusiasm the heroic and victorious struggle of the Soviet Union against our common enemy,” noted Norwegian King Haakon VII in his radio speech on October 26, 1944. “It is the duty of every Norwegian to give maximum support to our Soviet ally.”
On the picture: Northern Fleet. Boats with Soviet paratroopers go to the shores of Northern Norway, October 15, 1944. Reproduction TASS.
The Baltics: a strategic breakthrough
Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia were liberated from the Nazis during the Belarusian (June 23 - August 29, 1944) and Baltic (September 14 - November 24, 1944) offensive operations.
On July 13, 1944, Vilnius was liberated from the Nazi invaders. Tallinn was liberated on September 22, and the entire territory of Estonia by September 26, 1944. Soviet troops entered Riga on October 15, 1944, and by October 22 most of Latvia had been cleared of the invaders.
Having lost the Baltic States, the Wehrmacht lost a profitable strategic area, which served as an important industrial, raw material and food base for the Germans.
On the picture: Soviet infantry during an offensive southeast of the city of Klaipeda, October 26, 1944.
Hungary: supported by volunteers
From October 29, 1944 to February 13, 1945, the Budapest offensive operation was carried out, in which the troops of the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian fronts took part. Bloody battles for Budapest lasted a month and a half. The Budapest operation ended with the capture of SS Obergruppenführer Karl Pfeffer-Wildenbruch, who commanded a 188,000-strong group of German troops. Thus, Hungary ceased to participate in the war.
Hungarian volunteers fought in the ranks of the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian fronts - soldiers and officers of the Hungarian army who went over to the side of the Soviet troops.
On the picture: A boy in one of the liberated cities of Hungary with a soldier of the Red Army, March 1, 1945.
Poland: road to Berlin
Large industrial centers were located in Poland, which were of strategic importance for the Germans, so the Wehrmacht tried to create a powerful, in-depth defense in the country. Enemy resistance was broken during the Vistula-Oder strategic offensive operation, carried out by the forces of the 1st Belorussian and 1st Ukrainian fronts and lasting from January 12 to February 3, 1945.
Soldiers of the Polish Army fought side by side with the soldiers of the Red Army. It was they who, on January 17, 1945, were given the opportunity by the Soviet command to be the first to enter Warsaw completely destroyed and plundered by the Nazis.
Over 600,000 people gave their lives in 23 days of bloody battles for Poland. Soviet soldiers and officers. As a result of the Vistula-Oder operation, favorable conditions were created for an attack on Berlin, to which the Red Army approached at a distance of 60-70 km.
Austria: restoration of sovereignty
The Vienna offensive operation began on March 16, 1945 and lasted until April 15. The troops of the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian fronts and the Danube military flotilla participated in it.
Given that Vienna was the last frontier on the outskirts of Germany, the city was an impregnable fortress with anti-tank ditches and anti-personnel barriers. The fierce resistance of the German garrison was broken thanks to the courage and bravery of the paratroopers and assault squad Marine Corps of the Danube Flotilla. On the night of April 13-14, 1945, Vienna was completely cleared of the German garrison defending it. On April 27, a provisional government was established, promulgating a declaration of independence, which the country lost in 1938.
On the picture: An armored personnel carrier of the Red Army clears the streets of Vienna from the enemy. Austria, April 12, 1945.
CZECHOSLOVAKIA: INTERNATIONAL OPERATION
The Prague offensive operation, which lasted from May 6 to May 11, 1945, was the last in the course of the Great Patriotic War. Already after the signing of the surrender of fascist Germany in Czechoslovakia, there remained a powerful grouping of troops of the Army Groups "Center" and "Austria", numbering about 900 thousand people. In early May, anti-Nazi demonstrations began in various cities of Czechoslovakia, and on May 5, 1945, the Czech Resistance raised an armed uprising of the population of Prague. A mass exodus of Nazi troops from the city began. On May 7, Marshal of the USSR Ivan Konev gave the order to pursue the enemy. On May 8, the German garrison in Prague capitulated, and on May 9, the Red Army entered Prague. Within a few hours, the city was cleared of the remnants of German troops.
As a result of the Prague operation, about 860 thousand German soldiers and officers surrendered. The soldiers and officers of the USSR, Czechoslovakia, Romania and Poland participated in the liberation of Czechoslovakia from the Nazis.
