On June 22, 1941, fascist Germany treacherously attacked the USSR without declaring war. The Great Patriotic War has begun. It has influenced not only the fate of the Soviet people, but also the fate of all mankind.
This grandiose battle ended in May 1945 with the defeat and surrender of the fascist evil spirits in their lair, in Berlin. A little later, Soviet troops also crushed the millionth Kwantung army, which played a decisive role in the complete military collapse of the fascist ally, militaristic Japan.
The victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War is one of the brightest pages in the history of our Motherland.
Many countries fought against fascism, but the peoples of the Soviet Union made a decisive contribution to the Great Victory. On the Soviet-German front, up to 75% (607) of the enemy divisions were defeated. The Allies defeated 176 divisions in North Africa and Western Europe. Even after the opening of the second front in June 1944, the number of fascist troops on the Eastern Front was 2–2.5 times higher than the forces of the Nazis operating in the Western European and Italian theaters of operations.
In the battles on the Soviet-German front, fascist Germany and its satellites lost more than 10 million people (out of total losses of 13.6 million), 77 thousand aircraft (over 75%), about 55 thousand tanks and assault guns (up to 75%), 167 thousand artillery pieces (74%), more than 2,500 different ships and auxiliary vessels ...
During the war years, Soviet partisans destroyed, wounded and captured 5 million invaders and their accomplices, made more than 20,000 train crashes, destroyed over 2,300 tanks and armored vehicles, 1,100 aircraft, more than 65,000 vehicles, saved tens of thousands of Soviet people from hijacking to Germany
Only in June 1944, seeing the unprecedented success of the Soviet armed forces, the Allies opened a second front.
Over 20 million Soviet citizens gave their lives for the freedom of our Motherland, for the salvation of all the peoples of the world from enslavement by the Nazis. The losses of the United States amounted to 400 thousand people, England - 375 thousand ...
The fascists on the Eastern Front completely or partially destroyed and burned more than 1,700 cities and towns, more than 70,000 villages, over 6 million buildings, leaving 25 million Soviet citizens homeless. 32,000 industrial enterprises, 65,000 kilometers of railway lines were destroyed, 98,000 collective farms, 1,876 state farms and 2,890 machine and tractor stations were ruined. Direct damage to the USSR and the population amounted to 679 billion rubles at pre-war prices.
The entire Soviet people showed miracles of heroism in this battle with the fascists. More than 200 soldiers of different nationalities repeated the feat of the fearless soldier Alexander Matrosov during the Great Patriotic War. About 12,000 Soviet people received the high title of Hero of the Soviet Union. There are representatives of all peoples inhabiting our multinational homeland among them. Hundreds of thousands were awarded orders and medals. The capital of our Motherland - Moscow - was defended by a glorious cohort of Soviet military leaders of different nationalities: Russian Govorov, Pole Rokossovsky, Ukrainian Lelyushenko, Belarusian Dovator, Georgian Leselidze, Kazakh Mamysh-Uly, Armenian Martirosyan and our other illustrious generals.
Our women, home front workers, made an invaluable contribution to the common victory. Over 200,000 Soviet women were awarded military orders and medals for their service to the Motherland, feats of arms performed in its defense, 51 were awarded the high title of Hero of the Soviet Union. 650 women were awarded orders and medals of foreign countries.
The entire Soviet country, united by a great love for their Motherland, won this historic victory. This love gave strength to raise from the ruins thousands of destroyed cities, villages, industrial and agricultural facilities. Thanks to this victory, all the peoples of our country are building a new Russia today, overcoming all the difficulties of a difficult historical period.
Noting the contribution of all the peoples of the anti-Hitler coalition to the common victory over fascism, the peoples of Russia, the descendants of the victors will always remember the decisive role of the Soviet people in that Great Victory.
The leaders of the anti-Hitler coalition also recognized the decisive contribution to the victory of the USSR. For example, Winston Churchill, in a message to Joseph Stalin in February 1945, wrote: "Future generations will recognize their debt to the Red Army as unconditionally as we do, who have lived to witness these magnificent victories."
Professor D.S. Akopov
Academician of the International Academy of Literary Documentary
member of the Union of Writers of the Russian Federation
member of the Union of Journalists of the Russian Federation