World War II, Great Patriotic War. It was the most brutal and bloody war in human history.

During the period of this massacre, more than 60 million citizens of various countries of the world died. Historians have calculated that every war month, an average of 27,000 tons of bombs and shells fell on the heads of military and civilians on both sides of the front!

Come on today, on Victory Day, let's remember the 10 most formidable battles of World War II.

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It was the largest air battle in history. The aim of the Germans was to gain air superiority over the British Royal Air Force in order to invade the British Isles unhindered. The battle was fought exclusively by combat aircraft of the opposing sides. Germany lost 3,000 of its pilots, England - 1,800 pilots. Over 20,000 British civilians were killed. The defeat of Germany in this battle is considered one of the decisive moments in World War II - it did not allow the elimination of the Western allies of the USSR, which later led to the opening of a second front.

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The longest long battle of World War II. During the naval battles, German submarines tried to sink Soviet and British supply ships and warships. The allies responded in kind. Everyone understood the special significance of this battle - on the one hand, Western weapons and equipment were delivered by sea to the Soviet Union, on the other hand, the UK was supplied with everything necessary mainly by sea - the British needed up to a million tons of all kinds of materials, food, in order to survive and continue the fight . The price of the victory of the members of the anti-Hitler coalition in the Atlantic was huge and terrible - about 50,000 of its sailors died, the same number of German sailors lost their lives.

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This battle began after German troops at the end of World War II made a desperate (and, as history shows, the last) attempt to turn the tide of hostilities in their favor, organizing an offensive operation against the Anglo-American troops in the mountainous and wooded terrain in Belgium under the code called Unternehmen Wacht am Rhein (Watch on the Rhine). Despite all the experience of British and American strategists, the massive German attack caught the Allies by surprise. However, the offensive ultimately failed. Germany in this operation lost more than 100 thousand of its soldiers and officers killed, the Anglo-American allies - about 20 thousand soldiers killed.

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Marshal Zhukov wrote in his memoirs: "When they ask me what I remember most from the last war, I always answer: the battle for Moscow." Hitler considered the capture of Moscow, the capital of the USSR and the largest Soviet city, as one of the main military and political goals of Operation Barbarossa. It is known in German and Western military history as "Operation Typhoon". This battle is divided into two periods: defensive (September 30 - December 4, 1941) and offensive, which consists of 2 stages: the counteroffensive (December 5-6, 1941 - January 7-8, 1942) and the general offensive of the Soviet troops (January 7-10 - April 20, 1942). The losses of the USSR - 926.2 thousand people, the losses of Germany - 581 thousand people.

LANDING OF THE ALLIES IN NORMANDY, OPENING OF THE SECOND FRONT (FROM JUNE 6, 1944 TO JULY 24, 1944)

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This battle, which became part of Operation Overlord, marked the beginning of the deployment of the strategic grouping of the Anglo-American allied forces in Normandy (France). British, American, Canadian and French units took part in the invasion. The landing of the main forces from the Allied warships was preceded by a massive bombardment of German coastal fortifications and the landing of paratroopers and gliders on the positions of selected Wehrmacht units. Allied marines landed on five beaches. Considered one of the largest amphibious operations in history. Both sides lost over 200,000 of their troops.

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The last strategic offensive operation of the armed forces of the Soviet Union during the Great Patriotic War turned out to be one of the bloodiest. It became possible as a result of a strategic breakthrough of the German front by units of the Red Army that carried out the Vistula-Oder offensive operation. It ended with a complete victory over Nazi Germany and the surrender of the Wehrmacht. During the battles for Berlin, the losses of our army amounted to more than 80 thousand soldiers and officers, the Nazis lost 450 thousand of their military personnel.

The battles are very different. Some last a few hours, others stretch for long days and even months. The final outcome of the war depends on some, while others do not decide anything at all. Some are carefully planned and prepared, some break out by accident, as a result of ridiculous misunderstandings. But the battles of all times and peoples have one thing in common: people die in them. We invite you to take a look at the list of the bloodiest battles in human history.

Of course, what was considered a huge loss for the ancient world, in the age of carpet bombing and tank raids, does not look so scary anymore. But each of the battles we have presented for its time was considered a real disaster.

Battle of Plataea (September 9, 479 BC)

This clash decided the outcome of the Greco-Persian wars and put an end to the claims of King Xerxes to dominion over Hellas. In order to defeat a common enemy, Athens and Sparta put aside their eternal feuds and joined forces, but even their joint army was much smaller than the countless hordes of the Persian king.

The troops were located opposite each other along the banks of the river Asop. After several skirmishes, the Persians managed to cut off the Greeks' access to water and force them to start a retreat. Rushing in pursuit, the Persians stumbled upon a tough rebuff from one of the Spartan detachments that remained in the rear. At the same time, the Persian commander Mardonius was killed, which greatly undermined the morale of his army. Upon learning of the successes of the Spartans, the rest of the Greek troops stopped retreating and counterattacked. Soon the Persian army fled, was trapped in their own camp and completely killed. According to Herodotus, only 43 thousand Persian soldiers under the command of Artabazus saved their lives, who were afraid to engage in battle with the Spartans and fled.

Parties and commanders:

Union of Greek Cities - Pausanias, Aristides

Persia - Mardonius

Side strengths:

Greeks - 110 thousand

Persians - about 350 thousand (120 thousand according to modern estimates)

Losses:

Greeks - about 10,000

Persians - 257,000 (about 100,000 according to modern estimates)

Battle of Cannae (August 2, 216 BC)

The largest battle of the Second Punic War was the triumph of the Carthaginian commander Hannibal Barca. Before that, he had already twice won major victories over the proud Romans - at Trebia and at Lake Trasimene. But this time, the inhabitants of the Eternal City decided to repulse the conqueror, who boldly invaded Italy. A huge army was moved against the Punians under the command of two Roman consuls. The Romans outnumbered the Carthaginian forces by more than twice.

However, everything was decided not by number, but by skill. Hannibal skillfully placed the troops, concentrating light infantry in the center, and placing cavalry on the flanks. Having taken the brunt of the Romans, the center failed. At this time, the Punic cavalry pushed through the Roman flanks, and the legionnaires, carried away by the offensive, found themselves inside a concave arc of the enemy forces. Soon they were attacked by sudden blows from both flanks and from the rear. Surrounded and panicked, the Roman army was utterly defeated. Among others, the consul Lucius Aemilius Paul and 80 Roman senators died.

Parties and commanders:

Carthage - Hannibal Barca, Magarbal, Magon

Roman Republic - Lucius Aemilius Paul, Gaius Terentius Varro

Side strengths:

Carthage - 36 thousand infantry and 8 thousand horsemen

Romans - 87 thousand soldiers

Losses:

Carthage - 5,700 killed, 10,000 wounded

Romans - from 50 to 70 thousand killed

Battle of Chaplin (260 BC)

At the beginning of the 3rd century BC. Chinese kingdom of qin conquered the neighbors one by one. Only the northern kingdom of Zhou was able to offer serious resistance. After several years of sluggish fighting, the time has come for a decisive battle between these two rivals. On the eve of the pitched battle, both Qin and Zhou replaced commanders-in-chief. The Zhou army was led by a young strategist Zhao Kuo, who knew military theory well, but had absolutely no experience in military operations. Qin, on the other hand, placed at the head of her forces Bai Hi, a talented and experienced commander who earned a reputation as a ruthless killer and a butcher who knows no mercy.

Bai Hui easily deceived an inexperienced opponent. Simulating a retreat, he lured the Zhou army into a narrow mountain valley and locked it there, blocking all the passes. Under such conditions, even small Qin detachments could completely block the enemy army. All attempts to break through were unsuccessful. After sitting in a siege for 46 days, suffering from hunger, the Zhou army surrendered in full force. Bai Qi showed unheard of cruelty - by his order, 400 thousand captives were buried alive in the ground. Only 240 people were released so that they could talk about it at home.

Parties and commanders:

Qin - Bai Hui, Wang He

Zhou - Lian Po, Zhao Ko

Side strengths:

Qin - 650 thousand

Zhou - 500 thousand

Losses:

Qin - about 250 thousand

Zhou - 450 thousand

Battle on the Kulikovo field (September 8, 1380)

Exactly on Kulikovo field the united Russian army for the first time inflicted a crushing defeat on the superior forces of the Horde. From that moment it became clear that the strength of the Russian principalities would have to be taken seriously.

In the 70s of the 14th century, the Moscow prince Dmitry Ivanovich inflicted several minor but sensitive defeats on the Temnik Mamai, who proclaimed himself the head of the Golden Horde. To strengthen his power and rein in the unbelted Russians, Mamai moved a large army. In order to resist him, Dmitry Ivanovich had to show miracles of diplomacy, gathering an alliance. And still, the assembled army was smaller than the Horde.

The main blow was taken by the Big Regiment and the Left Hand Regiment. The battle was so hot that the soldiers had to stand right on the corpses - the ground was not visible. The front of the Russian troops was almost broken through, but they still managed to hold out until the attack on the Mongolian rear of the Ambush Regiment. This was a complete surprise for Mamai, who did not think about leaving a reserve. His army took to flight, and the Russians pursued and beat the fleeing about 50 miles.

Parties and commanders:

Union of Russian Principalities - Dmitry Donskoy, Dmitry Bobrok, Vladimir the Brave

Golden Horde - Mamai

Side strengths:

Russians - about 70,000

Horde - about 150,000

Losses:

Russians - about 20,000

Horde - about 130,000

Tumu catastrophe (September 1, 1449)

The Mongol Northern Yuan Dynasty gained considerable strength in the 15th century and was not afraid to compete with the mighty Chinese Ming Empire. Moreover, the Mongol leader Esentaishi set out to return China to the rule of the Northern Yuan, as it was under Genghis Khan.

In the summer of 1449, a small but well-trained Mongol army invaded China. A huge but extremely poorly organized Ming army moved towards him, commanded by Emperor Zhu Qizhen, who relied on the advice of the chief eunuch of the department of rituals, Wang Zhen, in everything. When the armies met in the Tumu area (the modern Chinese province of Hubei), it turned out that the Chinese had no idea at all what to do with the super-mobile cavalry of the Mongols, which delivered lightning strikes in the most unexpected places. No one understood what to do and in what battle formations to become. A Mongols seemed to be everywhere at the same time. As a result, the Ming army was killed by almost half. The Mongols, on the other hand, suffered minor losses. Wang Zhen died, and the emperor was captured. True, the Mongols did not succeed in completely conquering China.

Parties and commanders:

Northern Yuan - Esentaishi Empire

Ming - Zhu Qizhen

Side strengths:

Northern Yuan - 20000

Losses:

Northern Yuan - unknown

Min - more than 200,000

Naval Battle of Lepanto (October 7, 1571)

Naval battles, due to their specific nature, are rarely very bloody. However, the Battle of Lepanto stands out from the general background. This was one of the main clashes of the Holy League (a union of Catholic states created to combat Turkish expansion) with its main enemy.

Two huge fleets maneuvering in the Mediterranean met unexpectedly near the entrance to the Gulf of Patras - 60 kilometers from the Greek city of Lepanto. Due to the fact that all rebuilding was done on oars, the heavy Turkish galliots fell behind, weakening the front. Nevertheless, the Turks managed to encircle the left flank of the League. But they could not take advantage - the Europeans had stronger and more numerous boarding teams. The turning point in the battle came after the Turkish naval commander Ali Pasha was killed in a skirmish. His head was raised on a long peak, after which panic began among the Turkish sailors. So Europe learned that the previously invincible Turks can be beaten both on land and at sea.

Parties and commanders:

Holy League - Juan of Austria

Ottoman Empire - Ali Pasha

Side strengths:

Holy League - 206 galleys, 6 galleasses

Ottoman Empire - about 230 galleys, about 60 galliots

Losses:

Holy League - about 17 ships and 9,000 men

Ottoman Empire - about 240 ships and 30,000 people

Battle of the Nations at Leipzig (October 16-19, 1813)

This battle was considered the largest in world history until the First World War. Exiled from Russia, Bonaparte did not lose hope of maintaining his dominion over Europe. However, in the autumn of 1813, near Leipzig, he had to meet with the powerful forces of the new coalition, in which Russia, Austria, Sweden and Prussia played the main roles.

The battle lasted four days, during which time the palm of fortune changed hands more than once. There were moments when it even seemed that the success of Napoleon's military genius was inevitable. However, October 18 was a turning point. The successful actions of the coalition on the flanks pressed the French. And in the center, a real disaster broke out for Napoleon - in the midst of the battle, the Saxon division went over to the side of the coalition. It was followed by parts of other German principalities. As a result, October 19 became the day of the chaotic retreat of the Napoleonic army. Leipzig was occupied by coalition forces, and Saxony was completely abandoned by the French. Napoleon soon lost other German principalities.

Parties and commanders:

Sixth Anti-Napoleonic Coalition - Karl Schwarzenberg, Alexander I, Karl Bernadotte, Gebhard von Blucher

French Empire - Napoleon Bonaparte, Michel Ney, Auguste de Marmont, Jozef Poniatowski

Side strengths:

Coalition - about 350,000

France - around 210,000

Losses:

Coalition - about 54,000

France - around 80,000

Battle of Gettysburg (July 1-3, 1863)

This battle doesn't look too impressive already. Most of the casualties are the wounded and missing. Only 7863 people were killed. However, during the entire period of the American Civil War, no more people died in one battle. And this despite the fact that the war itself is considered one of the bloodiest in history, if we consider the ratio of the number of deaths to the total population.

The Confederate army of Northern Virginia under the command of General Lee encountered the Northern Army of the Potomac at Gettysburg unexpectedly. The armies approached very cautiously, and battles broke out between separate detachments. At first, success accompanied the southerners. This was too reassuring for Lee, who misjudged the enemy's numbers. However, when it came to a close encounter, it became clear that the northerners (who also took up a defensive position) were stronger. Having exhausted his army by storming the fortified positions, Li tried to provoke the enemy into a counterattack, but did not succeed. As a result, he retreated. Only the indecision of General Meade saved the army of the southerners from complete annihilation, but they had already lost the war.

Parties and commanders:

United States of America - George Meade, John Reynolds

Confederate States of America - Robert Lee

Side strengths:

USA - 93921 people

KSA - 71699 people

Losses:

USA - 23055 people

KSA - 23231 people

Battle of the Somme - (July 1 - November 18, 1916)

Is it worth comparing a multi-month operation with battles that lasted one or several days? More than a million people died in the Battle of the Somme, and about 70,000 of them - on the very first day, July 1, 1916, which forever remained inscribed in bloody letters in the history of the British army.

The British relied on massive artillery preparation, which was supposed to smash the German defensive positions to dust, after which the British and French forces were to calmly take a foothold in northern France. The artillery preparation lasted from June 24 to July 1, but did not bring the expected effect. The British units that went on the offensive came under machine-gun fire, which literally mowed down their ranks. And the German snipers opened a real hunt for officers (their uniform stood out strongly). Things were a little better for the French, but still, by dark, only a few of the intended targets were occupied. Four months of bitter trench warfare lay ahead.

Parties and commanders:

Entente (Great Britain and France) - Douglas Haig, Ferdinand Foch, Henry Rawlinson, Emile Fayol

Germany - Ruprecht of Bavaria, Max von Galwitz, Fritz von Below

Side strengths:

Entente - 99 divisions

Germany - 50 divisions

Losses:

Entente - 623,907 people (about 60,000 - on the first day)

Germany - about 465,000 (8-12 thousand - on the first day)

Battle of Stalingrad (July 17, 1942 - February 2, 1943)

The largest land battle in the history of mankind is also the bloodiest. Stalingrad was a principled position - letting the enemy through here meant losing the war and devaluing the feat accomplished by the Soviet soldiers in the defense of Moscow, therefore, throughout the operation, the fighting was extremely fierce. Despite the fact that the Luftwaffe bombardment turned Stalingrad into ruins, and the enemy troops were able to occupy about 90 percent of the city, they did not succeed in winning. At the cost of incredible efforts, in the most difficult conditions of urban battles, the Soviet troops managed to hold their positions.

In the early autumn of 1942, preparations for a Soviet counterattack began, and on November 19, Operation Uranus began, as a result of which the city was liberated and the enemy defeated. About 110 thousand soldiers, 24 generals and Field Marshal Friedrich Paulus were captured. But this victory was bought at a high price...

Parties and commanders:

USSR - Alexander Vasilevsky, Nikolai Voronov, Konstantin Rokossovsky

Axis countries (Germany, Romania, Italy, Hungary, Croatia) - Erich von Manstein, Maximilian von Weichs, Friedrich Paulus

Side strengths:

USSR - 1.14 million (386,000 at the beginning of the operation)

Axis countries - 987,300 people (430,000 at the beginning of the operation)

Losses:

USSR - 1129619 people

Axis countries - 1,500,000 people

Magazine: Military History, No. 10 - October 2015
Category: The most, the most



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Great battles of the Great Patriotic War

Great battles of WWII

Moscow battle 1941 - 1942 There are two main stages in the battle: defensive (September 30 - December 5, 1941) and offensive (December 5, 1941 - April 20, 1942). At the first stage, the goal of the Soviet troops was the defense of Moscow, at the second - the defeat of the enemy forces advancing on Moscow.

By the beginning of the German offensive on Moscow, the Army Group Center (Field Marshal F. Bock) had 74.5 divisions (approximately 38% of the infantry and 64% of the tank and mechanized divisions operating on the Soviet-German front), 1,800,000 people, 1,700 tanks, over 14,000 guns and mortars, 1,390 aircraft. The Soviet troops had 1,250,000 men, 990 tanks, 7,600 guns and mortars, and 677 aircraft in the Western direction as part of three fronts.

At the first stage, the Soviet troops of the Western Front (Colonel General I. S. Konev, and from October 10 - Army General G. K. Zhukov), (Bryansk (until October 10 - Colonel General A. I. Eremenko) and Kalininsky ( from October 17 - 8. S. Konev) of the fronts stopped the offensive of the troops of the Army Group "Center" (the implementation of the frequent operation "Typhoon") at the turn: south of the Volga reservoir, Dmitrov, Yakhroma, Krasnaya Polyana (27 km from Moscow), eastern Istra, west of Kubinka, Naro-Fominsk, west of Serpukhov, east of Aleksin, Tula. During the defensive battles, the enemy was significantly bled white.On December 5-6, Soviet troops launched a counteroffensive, and on January 7-10, 1942 launched a general offensive on the entire front. In January-April 1942, the troops of the Western, Kalinin, Bryansk (from December 18 - Colonel General Ya. T. Cherevichenko) and the North-Western Lieutenant General P. A. Kurochkin) fronts defeated the enemy and drove him back 100 -250 km. 11 tank, 4 motorized and 23 infantry divisions were defeated. The losses of the anti-terrorist only for the period of January 1 - March 30, 1942 amounted to 333 thousand people.

The Moscow battle was of great importance: the myth of the invincibility of the German army was dispelled, the plan for a lightning war was thwarted, and the international position of the USSR was strengthened.

Battle of Stalingrad 1942 - 1943 Defensive and (July 17 - November 18, 1942) and offensive (November 19, 1942 - February 2, 1943) operations carried out by Soviet troops in order to defend Stalingrad and defeat a large enemy strategic group operating in the Stalingrad direction.

In defensive battles in the Stalingrad region and in the city itself, the troops of the Stalingrad Front (Marshal S. K. Timoshenko, from July 23 - Lieutenant General V. N. Gordov, from August 5 - Colonel General A. I. Eremenko) and the Don Front (from September 28 - Lieutenant General K.K. Rokossovsky) managed to stop the offensive of the 6th Army, Colonel General F. Paulus and the 4th Tank Army. By July 17, the 6th Army included 13 divisions (about 270 thousand people, 3 thousand guns and mortars, about 500 tanks). They were supported by aviation of the 4th Air Fleet (up to 1200 aircraft). The troops of the Stalingrad Front numbered 160 thousand people, 2.2 thousand guns, about 400 tanks and 454 aircraft. At the cost of great efforts, the command of the Soviet troops managed not only to stop the advance of German troops in Stalingrad, but also to gather significant forces for the start of the counteroffensive (1,103 thousand people, 15,500 guns and mortars, 1,463 tanks and self-propelled guns, 1,350 combat aircraft). By this time, a significant grouping of German troops and forces of Germany's allied countries (in particular, the 8th Italian, 3rd and 4th Romanian armies) was sent to help the troops of Field Marshal F. Paulus. The total number of enemy troops at the start of the Soviet counteroffensive was 1,011,500 men, 10,290 guns and mortars, 675 tanks and assault guns, and 1,216 combat aircraft.

On November 19-20, the troops of the Southwestern Front (Lieutenant General N.F. Vatutin), the Stalingrad and Don Fronts went on the offensive and surrounded 22 divisions (330 thousand people) in the Stalingrad area. Having repelled an enemy attempt to free the encircled grouping in December, the Soviet troops liquidated it. January 31 - February 2, 1943 the remnants of the 6th Army of the enemy, led by Field Marshal F. Paulus, surrendered (91 thousand people).

The victory at Stalingrad marked the beginning of a radical change in the course of the Great Patriotic War and the Second World War.

Battle of Kursk 1943 Defensive (July 5 - 23) and offensive (July 12 - August 23) operations carried out by Soviet troops in the Kursk region to disrupt a major German offensive and defeat the enemy's strategic grouping. The German command, after the defeat of its troops at Stalingrad, intended to conduct a major offensive operation in the Kursk region (Operation Citadel). Significant enemy forces were involved in its implementation - 50 divisions (including 16 tank and mechanized) and a number of separate units of the Army Group Center (General Field Marshal G. Kluge) and Army Group South (General Field Marshal E . Manstein). This amounted to about 70% of tank, up to 30% of motorized and more than 20% of infantry divisions operating on the Soviet-German front, as well as over 65% of all combat aircraft. About 20 enemy divisions operated on the flanks of the strike groupings. The ground forces were supported by aviation of the 4th and 6th air fleets. In total, the enemy strike groupings included over 900 thousand people, about 10 thousand guns and mortars, up to 2700 tanks and self-propelled guns (most of them were new designs - "tigers", "panthers" and "Ferdinands") and about 2050 aircraft (including the latest designs - Focke-Wulf-lQOA and Heinkel-129).

The Soviet command assigned the task of repelling the enemy offensive to the troops of the Central (from the side of Orel) and Voronezh (from the side of Belgorod) fronts. After solving the problems of defense, it was planned to defeat the Oryol grouping of the enemy (Plan "Kutuzov") by the troops of the right wing of the Central Front (General of the Army K. K. Rokossovsky), Bryansk (Colonel General M. M. Popov) and the left wing of the Western Front (Colonel General V. D. Sokolovsky). The offensive operation in the Belgorod-Kharkov direction (the plan "Commander Rumyantsev") was to be carried out by the forces of the Voronezh (General of the Army N. F. Vatutin) and the Steppe (Colonel General I. S. Konev) fronts in cooperation with the troops of the South-Western Front (General Army R. Ya. Malinovsky). The overall coordination of the actions of all these forces was entrusted to the representatives of the Stavka marshals G.K. Zhukov and A.M. Vasilevsky.

By the beginning of July, the Central and Voronezh Fronts had 1336 thousand people, over 19 thousand guns and mortars, 3444 tanks and self-propelled guns (including 900 light tanks) and 2172 aircraft. In the rear of the Kursk ledge, the Steppe Military District (from July 9 - the front) was deployed, which was the strategic reserve of the Headquarters.

The enemy offensive was to begin at 3 o'clock in the morning on July 5. However, just before it began, the Soviet troops carried out artillery counter-preparation and inflicted heavy damage on the enemy in the places of his concentration. The German offensive began only after 2.5 hours, and its course was different from what was planned. Thanks to the measures taken, it was possible to hold back the advance of the enemy (in seven days he managed to advance only 10-12 km in the direction of the Central Front). The most powerful enemy grouping operated on the direction of the Voronezh Front. Here the advance of the Germans amounted to 35 km deep into the defense of the Soviet troops. On July 12, there was a turning point in the course of the battle. On this day, the largest oncoming tank battle in history took place in the Prokhorovka area, in which 1200 tanks and self-propelled guns took part on both sides. The enemy lost here only on this day up to 400 tanks and self-propelled guns and 10 thousand people were killed. On July 12, a new stage began in the Battle of Kursk, during which the counteroffensive of the Soviet troops developed as part of the Oovskaya and Velgorod-Kharkov operations, culminating in the liberation of Orel and Belgorod on August 5, and Kharkov on August 23.

As a result of the Battle of Kursk, 30 enemy divisions (including 7 tank divisions) were completely defeated. The enemy lost over 500 thousand people, 1.5 thousand tanks, over 3.7 thousand aircraft, 3 thousand guns. The main outcome of the battle was the transition of German troops in all theaters of operations to strategic defense. The strategic initiative finally passed into the hands of the Soviet command. In the Great Patriotic War and the Second World War, a radical change started by the Battle of Stalingrad ended.

Belarusian operation (June 23 - August 29, 1944). The code name is Operation Bagration. One of the largest strategic offensive operations undertaken by the Soviet high command to defeat the Nazi Army Group Center and liberate Belarus. The total number of enemy troops was 63 divisions and 3 brigades of 1.2 million people, 9.5 thousand guns, 900 tanks and 1350 aircraft. Field Marshal E. Bush commanded the enemy grouping, and from June 28, Field Marshal V. Model. She was opposed by the Soviet troops of four fronts (1st Baltic, 3rd Belorussian, 2nd Belorussian and 1st Belorussian) under the command of General of the Army I. Kh. Baghramyan, General of the Army I. D. Chernyakhovsky, General of the Army G. F. Zakharov and Marshal of the Soviet Union K. K. Rokossovsky. Four fronts united 20 combined arms and 2 tank armies (a total of 166 divisions, 112 tank and mechanized corps, 7 fortified areas and 21 brigades). The total number of Soviet troops reached 2.4 million people, armed with about 86 thousand guns, 5.2 thousand tanks, 5.3 thousand combat aircraft,

According to the nature of the hostilities and the achievement of the tasks set, the operation is divided into two stages. At the first (June 23 - July 4), the Vitebsk-Orsha, Mogilev, Bobruisk and Polotsk operations were carried out and the encirclement of the enemy Minsk grouping was completed. At the second stage (July 5 - August 29), the encircled enemy was destroyed and the Soviet troops entered new lines during the Siauliai, Vilnius, Kaunas, Bialystok and Lublin-Brest operations. During the Belarusian operation, the enemy completely lost 17 divisions and 3 brigades, and 50 divisions lost more than 50% of their composition. The total losses of the enemy amounted to about 500 thousand killed, wounded and captured. During the operation, Lithuania and Latvia were partially liberated. On July 20, the Red Army entered the territory of Poland and on August 17 approached the borders of East Prussia. By August 29, she entered the suburbs of Warsaw. In general, on a front with a length of 1100 km, our troops advanced 550-100 km, completely cutting off the northern enemy grouping in the Baltic states. For participation in the operation, over 400 thousand soldiers and officers of the Red Army were awarded military orders and medals.

Berlin operation 1945 The final strategic offensive operation carried out by the Soviet troops on April 16 - May 8, 1945. The objectives of the operation were to defeat the group of German troops defending in the Berlin direction, to capture Berlin and reach the Elbe to connect with the Allied forces. In the Berlin direction, the troops of the Vistula group occupied the defense "And the Center group under the command of Colonel General G. Heinritz and Field Marshal F. Scherner. The total number of enemy troops was 1 million people, 10,400 guns, 1,500 tanks, 3,300 aircraft. In the rear of these army groups were reserve units consisting of 8 divisions, as well as the Berlin garrison of 200 thousand people.

The troops of three fronts were involved in the operation: the 2nd Belorussian (Marshal K.K. Rokossovsky), the 1st Belorussian (Marshal G.K. Zhukov), the 1st Ukrainian (Marshal I.S. Konev). In total, the advancing troops included up to 2.5 million soldiers and officers, 41,600 guns and mortars, 6,250 tanks and self-propelled guns, 7,500 aircraft, as well as part of the forces of the Baltic Fleet and the Dnieper military flotilla.

According to the nature of the tasks performed and the results, the Berlin operation is divided into 3 stages. 1st stage - breakthrough of the Oder-Neissen line of defense of the enemy (April 16 - 19); 2nd stage - encirclement and dismemberment of enemy troops (April 19 - 25); 3rd stage - the destruction of the encircled groups and the capture of Berlin (April 26 - May 8). The main goals of the operation were achieved in 16-17 days.

For the success of the operation, 1082 thousand soldiers were awarded the medal "For the Capture of Berlin". More than 600 participants in the operation became Heroes of the Soviet Union, and 13 people were awarded the second Gold Star medal. Significant dates of the Great Patriotic War

December 5 - Day of the beginning of the counter-offensive of Soviet troops against the invaders in the battle of Moscow

The day of the beginning of the counter-offensive of the Soviet troops against the Nazi troops in the battle near Moscow.

In terms of the number of troops, military equipment and weapons, the scope and intensity of hostilities, the battle near Moscow in 1941-1942. was one of the largest in the history of the Second World War. It took place on the territory up to 1 thousand km along the front and up to 350 - 400 km in depth, which was equal in area to England, Ireland, Iceland, Belgium and Holland combined. Fierce, fierce and bloody battles went on for more than 200 days, in which more than 7 million soldiers and officers, about 53 thousand guns and mortars, about 6.5 thousand tanks and assault guns, more than 3 thousand combat aircraft fought on both sides. The Battle of Moscow was the decisive military event of the first year of the Great Patriotic War.

Even in Directive N 21, the Wehrmacht was tasked with reaching Moscow as soon as possible. After the first successes, Hitler demanded from the command and troops "on August 15 to occupy Moscow, and on October 1 to end the war with Russia." However, the Soviet troops stopped the enemy with active and decisive actions.

By December 5, the German offensive was in crisis. Having suffered heavy losses and having used up material resources, the enemy began to go over to the defensive. At the same time, by the beginning of December, the Headquarters of the Supreme Command had concentrated significant strategic reserves near Moscow.

On December 5-6, the troops of the Kalinin, Western and Southwestern Fronts launched a decisive counteroffensive. Despite the stubborn resistance of the enemy, severe frosts and deep snow cover, it developed successfully. By January 7, 1942, Soviet troops advanced 100-250 km to the west.

For valor and courage shown in fierce and bloody battles, 40 formations and units were awarded guard ranks, 36 thousand soldiers and officers were awarded orders and medals. The battle near Moscow was the beginning of a radical turning point in the Great Patriotic War.

Federal Law of March 13, 1995 N 32-FZ "On the days of military glory (victory days) of Russia"

The victory of the Soviet troops over the Nazi troops near Stalingrad is one of the most glorious pages in the annals of the Great Patriotic War. For 200 days and nights - from July 17, 1942 to February 2, 1943 - the Battle of Stalingrad continued with the continuously increasing tension of the forces of both sides. During the first four months, stubborn defensive battles went on, first in the big bend of the Don, and then on the outskirts of Stalingrad and in the city itself. During this period, Soviet troops exhausted the German fascist grouping that was rushing to the Volga and forced it to go on the defensive. In the next two and a half months, the Red Army, going on the counteroffensive, defeated the enemy troops northwest and south of Stalingrad, surrounded and liquidated the 300,000-strong group of Nazi troops.

The Battle of Stalingrad is the decisive battle of the Second World War, in which the Soviet troops won the biggest victory. This battle marked the beginning of a radical change in the course of the Great Patriotic War and World War II in general. The victorious offensive of the Nazi troops ended and their expulsion from the territory of the Soviet Union began.

The battle of Stalingrad in terms of the duration and fierceness of the fighting, in terms of the number of people and military equipment participating, surpassed at that time all the battles of world history. It unfolded over a vast territory of 100,000 square kilometers. At certain stages, more than 2 million people, up to 2 thousand tanks, more than 2 thousand aircraft, up to 26 thousand guns participated in it on both sides. According to the results, this battle also surpassed all previous ones. Near Stalingrad, Soviet troops defeated five armies: two German, two Romanian and one Italian. The fascist German troops lost more than 800 thousand soldiers and officers, as well as a large number of military equipment, weapons and equipment, killed, wounded, captured.

The battle for Stalingrad is usually divided into two inextricably linked periods: defensive (from July 17 to November 18, 1942) and offensive (from November 19, 1942 to February 2, 1943).

At the same time, due to the fact that the Battle of Stalingrad is a whole complex of defensive and offensive operations, its periods, in turn, must be considered in stages, each of which is either one completed or even several interrelated operations.

For courage and heroism shown in the Battle of Stalingrad, 32 formations and units were given the honorary titles "Stalingrad", 5 - "Don". 55 formations and units were awarded orders. 183 units, formations and associations were transformed into guards. More than one hundred and twenty soldiers were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, about 760 thousand participants in the battle were awarded the medal "For the Defense of Stalingrad." On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War, the hero city of Volgograd was awarded the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal.

August 23 - Day of the defeat of the Nazi troops by the Soviet troops in the Battle of Kursk

Fierce battles on the ground and in the air on the Kursk Bulge lasted 50 days (5.07 - 23.08, 1943). Through Oboyan and Prokhorovka, the Nazis rushed to Kursk. On July 12, 1943, the largest oncoming tank battle in history took place near Prokhorovka, in which more than 1,200 tanks and self-propelled guns participated on both sides. The Wehrmacht lost about 500 thousand people, 1.5 thousand tanks, over 3.7 thousand aircraft, 3 thousand guns.

His offensive strategy was completely defeated. The victory was won by Soviet tankers, who destroyed up to 400 enemy tanks. During the Battle of Kursk, Soviet troops liberated the Russian cities of Orel and Belgorod. On this day, for the first time during the war, Moscow saluted the heroic soldiers, announcing the victory at the Kursk Bulge to the world. The last attempt by the enemy command to regain the strategic initiative and take revenge for Stalingrad failed. The fascist German army was placed before a catastrophe. The mass expulsion of the Nazi invaders from the USSR began.

Our people sacredly honor the memory of warrior-heroes. Along the line of the Kursk Bulge from Orel to Belgorod, monuments and obelisks of military glory were erected at the sites of battles and battles in 1943. At the 624th kilometer of the Moscow-Simferopol highway, not far from Prokhorovka (Belgorod Region), in honor of the tank heroes who participated in the defeat of the Nazi troops on the Kursk Bulge, in 1954, the famous Soviet T-34 tank was installed on a pedestal. In 1973 the memorial complex was opened.

From the first days of the war, one of the strategic directions, according to the plans of the Nazi command, was Leningrad. Leningrad was one of the most important objects scheduled for capture.

The battle for Leningrad, the longest in the course of the entire Great Patriotic War, went from July 10, 1941 to August 9, 1944. During the 900-day defense of Leningrad, Soviet troops pinned down large forces of the German army and the entire Finnish army. This undoubtedly contributed to the victories of the Red Army in other sectors of the Soviet-German front. Leningrad residents showed examples of steadfastness, endurance and patriotism.

During the blockade, about 1 million inhabitants died, including more than 600 thousand from starvation. During the war, Hitler repeatedly demanded that the city be razed to the ground and its population completely destroyed. However, neither shelling and bombing, nor hunger and cold broke its defenders.

Already in July - September 1941, 10 divisions of the people's militia were formed in the city. Despite the most difficult conditions, the industry of Leningrad did not stop its work. Assistance to the blockade was carried out on the ice of Lake Ladoga. This highway was called the "Road of Life". On January 12-30, 1943, an operation was carried out to break the blockade of Leningrad ("Iskra").

It was a turning point in the battle for Leningrad. The entire southern coast of Lake Ladoga was cleared of the enemy, and the initiative to conduct military operations in this direction passed to the Red Army. During the course of the Leningrad-Novgorod strategic offensive operation from January 14 to March 1, 1944, Army Group North was severely defeated.

On January 27, 1944, Leningraders celebrated the lifting of the blockade. In the evening, a salute of 324 guns took place, about which our famous poetess A. A. Akhmatova wrote such unforgettable lines: “And in the starless January night, Wondering at an unprecedented fate, Returned from the mortal abyss, Leningrad salutes itself.” As a result of powerful blows, almost the entire Leningrad region and part of the Kalinin region were liberated, Soviet troops entered Estonia. Favorable conditions developed for defeating the enemy in the Baltic.

Victory Day of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.

One of the days of military glory of Russia.

Victory Day is a non-working day and is celebrated annually with a military parade and artillery salute.

The military parade is held in the capital of the Russian Federation, Moscow, using the symbols of the Great Patriotic War.

Artillery salute is held in hero cities, as well as in cities where the headquarters of military districts and fleets are deployed. The procedure for holding festive processions, meetings, rallies and demonstrations dedicated to Victory Day is determined in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation.

This Day was established by Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of April 2, 1996 N 489 in connection with the signing of the Treaty between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus, which ensures the further integration of the fraternal peoples.

The prisoners of the fascist death camps still have heavy dreams. 55 years have passed until the day of liberation, from the time when we lived with the only thought - to endure everything and not give up. They persevered and did not give up. Having not achieved their goal, the executioners sent for destruction to the death camps everyone who resisted, who fought against fascism during the period of Nazi terror.

18 million prisoners from 23 countries of the world with the heading "not subject to return" entered the gates of concentration camps and only seven million waited for freedom. Auschwitz alone, a real factory of death, claimed the lives of four million. And how many were there? Mauthausen, Dachau, Sachsengeisen...

The international women's death camp Ravensbrück, hell, justified its name: its name is translated into Russian as "crow's bridge". There, behind a brick wall four and a half meters high with a wire energized by six thousand volts, the “medical luminaries” of the Third Reich did their dirty work: they instilled cancer, gas gangrene, chopped off their legs, and they took all the blood from children. No one could run away from here to tell what was going on behind these walls. Many women were sterilized, saying: “You will be a slave, but never a mother!”

The bloodiest battle in the history of mankind is Stalingrad. Nazi Germany lost 841,000 soldiers in the battle. The losses of the USSR amounted to 1,130,000 people. Accordingly, the total death toll was 1,971,000 people.

By the middle of the summer of 1942, the battles of the Great Patriotic War had reached the Volga. The German command also included Stalingrad in the plan for a large-scale offensive in the south of the USSR (Caucasus, Crimea). Hitler wanted to carry out this plan in just a week with the help of the 6th Paulus Field Army. It included 13 divisions, where there were about 270,000 people, 3 thousand guns and about five hundred tanks. From the side of the USSR, the forces of Germany were opposed by the Stalingrad Front. It was created by decision of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command on July 12, 1942 (commander - Marshal Timoshenko, from July 23 - Lieutenant General Gordov).

On August 23, German tanks approached Stalingrad. From that day on, fascist aviation began to systematically bomb the city. On the ground, battles did not stop either. The defending troops were ordered to hold the city with all their might. With each passing day, the fighting became more and more fierce. All houses were turned into fortresses. Fights went for floors, basements, separate walls.

By November, the Germans had captured almost the entire city. Stalingrad was turned into solid ruins. The defending troops held only a low strip of land - a few hundred meters along the banks of the Volga. Hitler hurried to the whole world to announce the capture of Stalingrad.

On September 12, 1942, at the height of the battles for the city, the General Staff began to develop the offensive operation "Uranus". It was planned by Marshal G.K. Zhukov. The plan was to hit the flanks of the German wedge, which was defended by the Allied troops (Italians, Romanians and Hungarians). Their formations were poorly armed and did not have a high morale. Within two months, under conditions of the deepest secrecy, a strike force was created near Stalingrad. The Germans understood the weakness of their flanks, but could not imagine that the Soviet command would be able to collect such a number of combat-ready units.

On November 19, the Red Army, after a powerful artillery preparation, launched an offensive with the forces of tank and mechanized units. Having overturned Germany's allies, on November 23, Soviet troops closed the ring, surrounding 22 divisions numbering 330 thousand soldiers.

Hitler rejected the option of retreat and ordered the commander-in-chief of the 6th Army, Paulus, to begin defensive battles in the environment. The command of the Wehrmacht tried to release the encircled troops with a strike by the Don army under the command of Manstein. There was an attempt to organize an air bridge, which our aviation stopped. The Soviet command presented an ultimatum to the Surrounded units. Realizing the hopelessness of their situation, on February 2, 1943, the remnants of the 6th Army in Stalingrad surrendered.

2 "Verdun meat grinder"

The Battle of Verdun is one of the largest and one of the bloodiest military operations in the First World War. It took place from February 21 to December 18, 1916 between the troops of France and Germany. Each side unsuccessfully tried to break through the enemy's defenses and launch a decisive offensive. During the nine months of the battle, the front line remained virtually unchanged. Neither side achieved a strategic advantage. It was not by chance that contemporaries called the battle of Verdun a "meat grinder". 305,000 soldiers and officers from both sides lost their lives in a useless confrontation. The losses of the French army, including those killed and wounded, amounted to 543 thousand people, and the German one - 434 thousand. 70 French and 50 German divisions passed through the Verdun meat grinder.

After a series of bloody battles on both fronts in 1914-1915, Germany did not have the forces to attack on a wide front, so the goal of the offensive was a powerful blow on a narrow sector - in the area of ​​​​the Verdun fortified region. The breakthrough of the French defense, the encirclement and defeat of 8 French divisions would mean free passage to Paris, followed by the surrender of France.

On a small section of the front, 15 km long, Germany concentrated 6.5 divisions against 2 French divisions. Additional reserves could be brought in to maintain a continuous offensive. The sky was cleared of French aircraft for the unhindered work of German fire spotters and bombers.

The Verdun operation began on 21 February. After a massive 8-hour artillery preparation, the German troops went on the offensive on the right bank of the Meuse River, but met stubborn resistance. The German infantry was advancing in tight battle formations. During the first day of the offensive, the German troops advanced 2 km and took the first position of the French. In the following days, the offensive was carried out according to the same scheme: during the day, the artillery destroyed the next position, and by the evening the infantry occupied it.

By February 25, the French had lost almost all of their forts. Almost without resistance, the Germans managed to take the important Fort Douaumont. However, the French command took measures to eliminate the threat of encirclement of the Verdun fortified area. On the only highway connecting Verdun with the rear, troops from other sectors of the front were transferred in 6,000 vehicles. During the period from February 27 to March 6, about 190,000 soldiers and 25,000 tons of military cargo were delivered to Verdun by motor vehicles. The offensive of the German troops was stopped by almost one and a half superiority in manpower.

The battle took on a protracted character, since March the Germans suffered the main blow to the left bank of the river. After intense fighting, the German troops managed to advance only 6-7 km by May.

The last attempt to capture Verdun was made by the Germans on June 22, 1916. They acted, as always, according to the pattern, at first, after a powerful artillery preparation, the use of gas followed, then the thirty thousandth vanguard of the Germans went on the attack, which acted with the despair of the doomed. The advancing avant-garde managed to destroy the opposing French division and even take Fort Tiamon, located just three kilometers north of Verdun, the walls of the Verdun Cathedral were already visible ahead, but there was simply no one to continue the attack further, the advancing German troops died almost completely on the battlefield, reserves ran out, the general offensive bogged down.

The Brusilovsky breakthrough on the Eastern Front and the Entente operation on the Somme forced the German troops to go on the defensive in the autumn, and on October 24, the French troops went on the offensive and by the end of December reached the positions they occupied on February 25, pushing the enemy back 2 km from Fort Douaumont.

The battle did not bring any tactical and strategic results - by December 1916, the front line had moved to the lines occupied by both armies by February 25, 1916.

3 Battle of the Somme

The Battle of the Somme is one of the largest battles of World War I, with over 1,000,000 killed and wounded, making it one of the bloodiest battles in human history. Only on the first day of the campaign, July 1, 1916, the English landing lost 60,000 people. The operation dragged on for five months. The number of divisions participating in the battle increased from 33 to 149. As a result, the French losses amounted to 204,253 people, the British - 419,654 people, a total of 623,907 people, of which 146,431 people were killed and missing. German losses amounted to more than 465,000 people, of which 164,055 were killed and missing.

The offensive plan on all fronts, including the Western one, was developed and approved as early as early March 1916 in Chantilly. The combined army of the French and British was to launch an offensive against the fortified German positions in early July, and the Russian and Italian 15 days earlier than this date. In May, the plan was significantly changed, the French, who had lost over half a million soldiers killed near Verdun, could no longer put up in the upcoming battle the number of soldiers that the allies demanded. As a result, the length of the front was reduced from 70 to 40 kilometers.

On June 24, British artillery began heavy shelling of German positions near the Somme River. As a result of this shelling, the Germans lost more than half of their entire artillery and the entire first line of defense, after which they immediately began to pull reserve divisions into the breakthrough area.

On July 1, as planned, the infantry was launched, which easily overcame the almost destroyed first line of German troops, but when moving to the second and third positions, lost a huge number of soldiers and was thrown back. On this day, over 20 thousand English and French soldiers died, more than 35 thousand were seriously injured, some of them were taken prisoner. At the same time, the small French not only captured and held the second line of defense, but also took Barlet, however, leaving it a few hours later, since the commander was not ready for such a quick turn of events and ordered to retreat. A new offensive on the French sector of the front began only on July 5, but by this time the Germans had pulled several additional divisions to this area, as a result, several thousand soldiers died, but the city, abandoned so recklessly, was not taken. The French tried to capture Barlet from the moment they retreated in July until the month of October.

Already a month after the start of the battle, the British and French lost so many soldiers that 9 additional divisions were brought into battle, while Germany transferred as many as 20 divisions to the Somme. By August, against 500 British aircraft, the Germans were able to field only 300, and against 52 divisions, only 31.

The situation for Germany became much more complicated after the implementation of the Brusilov breakthrough by the Russian troops, the German command depleted all its reserves and was forced to switch to planned defense from the last forces, not only on the Somme, but also near Verdun.

Under these conditions, the British decided to make another attempt at a breakthrough, scheduled for September 3, 1916. After the artillery shelling, all available reserves, including the French, were thrown into action, and on September 15, tanks went into battle for the first time. In total, the command had at its disposal about 50 tanks with a well-trained crew, but only 18 of them actually took part in the battle. A big miscalculation of the designers and developers of the tank offensive was the rejection of the fact that the terrain near the river was swampy, and bulky, clumsy tanks simply could not get out of the swamp. However, the British were able to advance deep into the enemy positions for several tens of kilometers and on September 27 they were able to capture the heights between the Somme River and the small river Ancre.

A further offensive did not make sense, since the exhausted soldiers would not be able to hold the recaptured positions, therefore, despite several offensive attempts made in October, in fact, no military operations had been conducted in this area since November, and the operation was completed.

4 Battle of Leipzig

The Battle of Leipzig, also known as the Battle of the Nations, is the largest battle in the Napoleonic Wars and in world history before the First World War. The French army, according to rough estimates, lost 70-80 thousand soldiers near Leipzig, of which about 40 thousand were killed and wounded, 15 thousand prisoners, another 15 thousand were captured in hospitals, and up to 5 thousand Saxons went over to the Allied side. According to the French historian T. Lenz, the losses of the Napoleonic army amounted to 70 thousand killed, wounded and captured, another 15-20 thousand German soldiers went over to the side of the Allies. In addition to combat losses, the lives of the soldiers of the retreating army were carried away by a typhus epidemic. Allied losses amounted to 54 thousand killed and wounded, of which up to 23 thousand Russians, 16 thousand Prussians, 15 thousand Austrians and 180 Swedes.

From October 16 to October 19, 1813, a battle took place near Leipzig between the armies of Napoleon I and the sovereigns united against him: Russian, Austrian, Prussian and Swedish. The forces of the latter were divided into three armies: the Bohemian (main), Silesian and northern, but only the first two of them participated in the battle on October 16. The bloody actions of that day did not bring any significant results.

On October 17, both warring parties remained inactive, and only on the north side of Leipzig did a cavalry skirmish occur. During this day, the position of the French deteriorated significantly, since only one Renier corps (15 thousand) came to reinforce them, and the allies were strengthened by the newly arrived northern army. Napoleon found out about this, but did not dare to retreat, because, retreating, he left the possessions of his ally, the king of Saxony, in the hands of the enemies, and finally abandoned the French garrisons scattered at various points on the Vistula, Oder and Elbe to the mercy of fate. By the evening of the 17th, he pulled his troops to new positions, closer to Leipzig, on October 18, the allies resumed the attack along the entire line, but, despite the enormous superiority of their forces, the result of the battle was again far from decisive: on the right wing of Napoleon, all the attacks of the Bohemian army were repulsed; in the center, the French lost several villages and retreated back to Leipzig; their left wing held its ground north of Leipzig; in the rear, the French retreat route to Weissenfels remained free.

The main reasons for the small success of the Allies were the timing of their attacks and the inactivity of the reserve, which Prince Schwarzenberg did not know how or did not want to properly use, contrary to the insistence of Emperor Alexander. Meanwhile, Napoleon, taking advantage of the fact that the retreat route remained open, began to send back his carts and separate parts of the troops before noon, and on the night of 18-19 the entire French army retreated to Leipzig and beyond. For the defense of the city itself, 4 corps were left. The commander of the rear guard, MacDonald, was ordered to hold out until at least 12 noon the next day, and then retreat, blowing up the only bridge on the Elster River behind him.

On the morning of October 19, a new Allied attack followed. About one o'clock in the afternoon, the allied monarchs could already enter the city, in some parts of which fierce fighting was still in full swing. Due to a disastrous mistake for the French, the bridge on the Elster was blown up prematurely. The cut off troops of their rearguard were partly taken prisoner, partly died, trying to escape by swimming across the river.

The battle at Leipzig, in terms of the size of the forces of both sides (Napoleon had 190 thousand, with 700 guns; the allies had up to 300 thousand and more than 1300 guns) and due to its enormous consequences, is called by the Germans the "battle of the peoples." The consequence of this battle was the liberation of Germany and the falling away from Napoleon of the troops of the Confederation of the Rhine.

5 Battle of Borodino

The battle of Borodino is considered the bloodiest one-day battle in history. During it, every hour, about 6 thousand people died or were injured, according to the most conservative estimates. During the battle, the Russian army lost about 30% of its composition, the French - about 25%. In absolute numbers, this is about 60 thousand killed on both sides. But, according to some reports, up to 100 thousand people were killed during the battle and died later from wounds.

The battle of Borodino took place 125 kilometers west of Moscow, near the village of Borodino, on August 26 (September 7, old style), 1812. French troops under the leadership of Napoleon I Bonaparte invaded the territory of the Russian Empire in June 1812 and reached the capital itself by the end of August. Russian troops constantly retreated and, naturally, caused great discontent both in society and in Emperor Alexander I himself. To turn the tide, the commander-in-chief Barclay de Tolly was removed, and Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov took his place. But the new head of the Russian army also preferred to retreat: on the one hand, he wanted to wear down the enemy, on the other, Kutuzov was waiting for reinforcements to give a general battle. After the retreat near Smolensk, Kutuzov's army settled down near the village of Borodino - there was nowhere to retreat further. It was here that the most famous battle of the entire Patriotic War of 1812 took place.

At 6 am, the French artillery opened fire on the entire front. The French troops lined up for the attack launched their onslaught on the Life Guards Jaeger Regiment. Desperately resisting, the regiment retreated across the Koloch River. The flashes, who would become known as the Bagrationovs, protected the chasseur regiments of Prince Shakhovsky from being bypassed. Ahead, the huntsmen also lined up in a cordon. The division of Major General Neverovsky took up positions behind the flushes.

The troops of Major General Duka occupied the Semyonov Heights. This area was attacked by the cavalry of Marshal Murat, the troops of Marshals Ney and Davout, and the corps of General Junot. The number of attackers reached 115 thousand people.

The course of the Battle of Borodino after the repulsed attacks of the French at 6 and 7 o'clock continued with another attempt to take flushes on the left flank. By that time, they were reinforced by the Izmailovsky and Lithuanian regiments, the Konovnitsin division and cavalry units. On the French side, it was in this sector that serious artillery forces were concentrated - 160 guns. However, subsequent attacks (at 8 and 9 in the morning) were, despite the incredible intensity of the fighting, completely unsuccessful. The French briefly managed to take possession of the flushes at 9 am. But, soon they were knocked out of the Russian fortifications by a powerful counterattack. The half-ruined flushes held on stubbornly, repelling subsequent attacks from the enemy.

Konovnitsin withdrew his troops to Semyonovskoye only after the holding of these fortifications ceased to be a necessity. Semyonovsky ravine became a new line of defense. The exhausted troops of Davout and Murat, who did not receive reinforcements (Napoleon did not dare to bring the Old Guard into battle), were unable to carry out a successful attack.

The situation was extremely difficult in other areas as well. The barrow height was attacked at the same time that the battle for the capture of flushes was in full swing on the left flank. Raevsky's battery held the height, despite the powerful onslaught of the French under the command of Eugene Beauharnais. After reinforcements arrived, the French were forced to retreat.

Actions on the right flank were no less intense. Lieutenant General Uvarov and Ataman Platov, with a cavalry raid deep into the enemy positions, made at about 10 o'clock in the morning, pulled back significant French forces. This allowed to weaken the onslaught along the entire front. Platov was able to reach the rear of the French (the Valuevo area), which suspended the offensive in the central direction. Uvarov made an equally successful maneuver in the Bezzubovo area.

The battle of Borodino lasted all day and gradually began to subside only by 6 pm. Another attempt to bypass the Russian positions was successfully repulsed by the soldiers of the Life Guards of the Finnish Regiment in the Utitsky forest. After that, Napoleon gave the order to withdraw to their original positions. The Battle of Borodino lasted more than 12 hours.

The heroism and courage of Soviet soldiers shown during the battles of the Great Patriotic War deserve eternal memory. The wisdom of military leaders, which has become one of the most important components of the common victory, does not cease to amaze even today.

Over the long years of the war, so many battles took place that even some historians disagree on the interpretation of the meaning of certain battles. And yet, the largest battles, which have a significant impact on the further course of hostilities, are known to almost every person. It is these battles that will be discussed in our article.