In the absence of a land front in Europe, the German leadership decided to defeat the Soviet Union during a short campaign in the summer and autumn of 1941. To achieve this goal, the most combat-ready part of the German armed forces was deployed on the border with the USSR 1.
Wehrmacht
For Operation Barbarossa, out of the 4 army group headquarters available in the Wehrmacht, 3 were deployed (North, Center and South) (75%), out of 13 field army headquarters - 8 (61.5%), out of 46 army corps headquarters - 34 (73.9%), out of 12 motorized corps - 11 (91.7%). In total, 73.5% of the total number of divisions in the Wehrmacht were allocated for the Eastern campaign. Most of the troops had combat experience gained in previous military campaigns. So, out of 155 divisions in military operations in Europe in 1939-1941. 127 (81.9%) participated, and the remaining 28 were partially manned by personnel who also had combat experience. In any case, these were the most combat-ready units of the Wehrmacht (see table 1). The German Air Force deployed to support Operation Barbarossa 60.8% of the air units, 16.9% of the air defense forces and over 48% of the signal troops and other units.
Satellites of Germany
Together with Germany, its allies were preparing for war with the USSR: Finland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Italy, which allocated the following forces for waging the war (see table 2). In addition, Croatia has allocated 56 aircraft and up to 1.6 thousand people. By June 22, 1941, there were no Slovak and Italian troops on the border, which arrived later. Consequently, the troops of Germany's allies deployed there included 767,100 people, 37 calculation divisions, 5502 guns and mortars, 306 tanks and 886 aircraft.
In total, the forces of Germany and its allies on the Eastern Front numbered 4 329.5 thousand people, 166 calculated divisions, 42 601 guns and mortars, 4364 tanks, assault and self-propelled guns and 4795 aircraft (of which 51 were at the disposal of the main command of the Air Force and together with 8.5 thousand people of the air force personnel are not taken into account in further calculations). 
Red Army
The armed forces of the Soviet Union under the conditions of the outbreak of war in Europe continued to increase and by the summer of 1941 were the largest army in the world (see table 3). In the five western border districts, 56.1% of the ground forces and 59.6% of the air force were stationed. In addition, in May 1941, 70 divisions of the second strategic echelon from the internal military districts and from the Far East began to concentrate in the Western theater of military operations (TMD). By June 22, 16 divisions (10 rifle, 4 tank and 2 motorized) arrived in the western districts, in which there were 201,691 people, 2,746 guns and 1,763 tanks.
The grouping of Soviet troops in the Western theater of operations was quite powerful. The general balance of forces on the morning of June 22, 1941 is presented in Table 4, judging by the data of which the enemy was superior to the Red Army only in terms of the number of personnel, for his troops were mobilized.
Mandatory clarifications
Although the above data give a general idea of the strength of the opposing groups, it should be borne in mind that the Wehrmacht completed its strategic concentration and deployment in the theater of operations, while this process was in full swing in the Red Army. As figuratively described this situation A.V. Shubin, "a dense body moved from West to East with great speed. From the East a more massive, but looser block, whose mass was growing, but not at a fast enough pace, slowly advanced 2. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the balance of forces on two more levels. Firstly, this is the balance of forces of the parties in different strategic directions on the scale of the district (front) - army group, and secondly, in individual operational directions in the border zone on the scale of the army - army. In this case, in the first case, only the ground forces and the air force are taken into account, and for the Soviet side there are also border troops, artillery and naval aviation, but without information on the personnel of the fleet and internal troops of the NKVD. In the second case, only ground forces are counted for both sides.
Northwest
In the North-West direction, the troops of the German Army Group North and the Baltic Special Military District (PribOVO) confronted each other. The Wehrmacht had a fairly significant superiority in manpower and some in artillery, but inferior in tanks and aviation. However, it should be borne in mind that only 8 Soviet divisions were located directly in the 50 km of the border strip, and another 10 were located 50-100 km from the border. As a result, Army Group North managed to achieve a more favorable balance of forces in the direction of the main strike (see Table 5).
Western direction
In the Western direction, the troops of the German Army Group Center and the Western Special Military District (ZAPOVO) with part of the forces of the 11th Army of the PribOVO confronted each other. For the German command, this direction was the main one in Operation Barbarossa, and therefore Army Group Center was the strongest on the entire front. It concentrated 40% of all German divisions deployed from the Barents to the Black Sea (including 50% motorized and 52.9% armored) and the largest Luftwaffe air fleet (43.8% of aircraft). In the offensive zone of Army Group Center, in the immediate vicinity of the border, there were only 15 Soviet divisions, and 14 were located 50-100 km from it. In addition, troops of the 22nd Army from the Ural Military District were concentrated on the territory of the okrug in the Polotsk region, from which by June 22, 1941, 3 rifle divisions arrived in place, and the 21st mechanized corps from the Moscow military okrug, with a total strength of 72,016 people. 1241 guns and mortars and 692 tanks. As a result, the ZAPOVO troops contained in the peacetime states were inferior to the enemy only in personnel, but surpassed him in tanks, aircraft and insignificantly in artillery. However, unlike the troops of Army Group Center, they did not complete the concentration, which made it possible to smash them in parts.
Army Group Center was supposed to carry out a double coverage of the ZapOVO troops located in the Bialystok salient with a blow from Suwalki and Brest to Minsk, so the main forces of the army group were deployed on the flanks. The main blow was delivered from the south (from Brest). On the northern flank (Suwalki), the 3rd Panzer Group of the Wehrmacht was deployed, which was opposed by units of the 11th Army of the PribOVO. Troops of the 43rd Army Corps of the 4th German Army and the 2nd Panzer Group were deployed in the zone of the Soviet 4th Army. In these areas, the enemy was able to achieve significant superiority (see table 6).
Southwest
In the South-West direction, Army Group South, which united German, Romanian, Hungarian and Croatian troops, was opposed by units of the Kiev Special and Odessa Military Districts (KOVO and ODVO). The Soviet grouping in the South-West direction was the strongest on the entire front, since it was she who was supposed to deliver the main blow to the enemy. However, even here the Soviet troops did not complete their concentration and deployment. So, in KOVO, in the immediate vicinity of the border, there were only 16 divisions, and 14 were located 50-100 km from it. In the OdVO, in the 50-km border strip, there were 9 divisions, and 6 were located in the 50-100-km strip. In addition, troops of the 16th and 19th armies arrived on the territory of the districts, of which 10 divisions (7 rifle, 2 tank and 1 motorized) were concentrated by June 22, with a total strength of 129 675 people, 1505 guns and mortars and 1071 tanks. Even without being staffed in wartime, the Soviet troops outnumbered the enemy grouping, which had only some superiority in manpower, but was significantly inferior in tanks, aircraft and somewhat less in artillery. But in the direction of the main attack of Army Group South, where the Soviet 5th Army was opposed by units of the 6th German Army and the 1st Panzer Group, the enemy managed to achieve a better balance of forces for themselves (see Table 7).
Situation in the North
The most favorable for the Red Army was the ratio on the front of the Leningrad Military District (LVO), where it was opposed by Finnish troops and units of the German army "Norway". In the Far North, the troops of the Soviet 14th Army were opposed by German units of the Norway Mountain Corps and the 36th Army Corps, and here the enemy had superiority in manpower and insignificant in artillery (see Table 8). True, it should be borne in mind that, since military operations on the Soviet-Finnish border began in late June - early July 1941, both sides were building up their forces, and the given data do not reflect the number of troops of the sides by the beginning of hostilities.
Outcomes
Thus, the German command, having deployed the main part of the Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front, was unable to achieve overwhelming superiority not only in the zone of the entire future front, but also in the zones of individual army groups. However, the Red Army was not mobilized and did not complete the process of strategic concentration and deployment. As a result, units of the first echelon of covering troops were significantly inferior to the enemy, whose troops were deployed directly at the border. Such an arrangement of Soviet troops made it possible to smash them in parts. In the directions of the main strikes of the army groups, the German command managed to create superiority over the troops of the Red Army, which was close to overwhelming. The most favorable balance of forces developed for the Wehrmacht in the zone of Army Group Center, since it was in this direction that the main blow of the entire Eastern campaign was dealt. In other directions, even in the zones of the covering armies, the Soviet superiority in tanks affected. The general balance of forces allowed the Soviet command to prevent enemy superiority even in the directions of its main attacks. But in reality the opposite happened.
Since the Soviet military-political leadership incorrectly assessed the degree of threat of a German attack, the Red Army, having begun strategic concentration and deployment in the Western theater of operations in May 1941, which was to be completed by July 15, 1941, was caught on June 22 by surprise and did not have neither an offensive nor a defensive group. Soviet troops were not mobilized, did not have deployed rear structures and were only completing the creation of command and control bodies in the theater of operations. On the front from the Baltic Sea to the Carpathians, out of 77 divisions of the covering forces of the Red Army in the first hours of the war, only 38 incompletely mobilized divisions could repulse the enemy, of which only a few managed to take equipped positions on the border. The rest of the troops were either in places of permanent deployment, or in camps, or on the march. If we take into account that the enemy immediately threw 103 divisions into the offensive, then it is clear that the organized entry into the battle and the creation of a continuous front of the Soviet troops was extremely difficult. Having preempted the Soviet troops in strategic deployment, creating powerful operational groupings of their fully combat-ready forces in the selected directions of the main attack, the German command created favorable conditions for seizing the strategic initiative and successfully conducting the first offensive operations.
Notes (edit)
1. For more details see: M.I. Meltyukhov. Stalin's missed chance. Clash for Europe 1939-1941 (Documents, facts, judgments). 3rd ed., Revised. and add. M., 2008.S. 354-363.
2. Shubin A.V. The world is on the edge of the abyss. From global crisis to world war. 1929-1941 years. M., 2004.S. 496.
On June 22, early in the morning, having carefully prepared the air and artillery forces, German troops crossed the borders of the Soviet Union. After 2 hours, V.M. Molotov has already received the ambassador of Germany V. Schulenberg. This visit took place at exactly 05:30, as evidenced by the entries in the visitors' book. The German ambassador provided an official statement, which contained information about the sabotage actions of the USSR against Germany. The documents also mentioned the political manipulations of the Soviet Union against Germany. The essence of this statement was that Germany was taking military action to counter the threat and defend its territory.
Molotov officially announced the beginning of the war. And this fact raises many questions. First, the announcement was made much later. The population of the country heard the speech on the radio only at 12:15. More than 9 hours have passed since the beginning of hostilities, during which the Germans bombed our territory with might and main. On the German side, the appeal was recorded at 6:30 (Berlin time). It was also a mystery that the beginning of hostilities was reported by Molotov, and not by Stalin. Modern historians put forward more than one version. Some argue that the head of the USSR was on vacation at the time. According to the version of foreign historians Brackman and Payne during this period, Stalin rested in Sochi. There is also an assumption that he was there and simply refused, shifting all responsibility to Molotov. This statement is based on entries in the visitors' log - on that day, Stalin hosted a reception and even received the British ambassador.
There are also disagreements regarding the authorship of the text, which was compiled for the official speech. According to G. N. Peskova, who worked to restore the chronology of events, the text of the message was written by hand by Molotov. But according to the style of presentation and the corrections made later in this text, they came to the conclusion that the content of the text was edited by Stalin. Subsequently, Molotov spoke on the radio with a mention that he was acting on behalf of Joseph Vissarionovich. Later, comparing the content of the written text and the delivered speech, historians found some differences, which mainly related to the scale of the territories that were attacked. There were other inconsistencies, but they were not of strategic importance. In any case, the fact that the war began earlier than the time indicated in official sources has been documented by researchers.
It is believed that in December 1941, when the German army was rushing to Moscow, Siberian divisions saved it. These were fully completed formations arriving from the east along the Siberian railway. Therefore, they were called Siberian. But this is not the case. In reality, these were Far Eastern divisions, and they arrived from the farthest borders of the Soviet Union and entered the battle straight from the wheels.
An extra straw breaks the back of the camel. The entire art of war is based on this postulate. At the right time, you need to have this straw and put it on the appropriate ridge. Stalin had such a straw, and later there were many, many more straws. This indicates the inexhaustible reserves of a huge country. But Germany did not have such straws. So why did Hitler attack the Soviet Union if he did not have the appropriate resources and capabilities?
The protracted war with the USSR was fatal for Germany. But Hitler had no intention of waging a protracted war: he was counting on a blitzkrieg. But was it possible in those conditions? The Germans defeated France, but they did not have the strength to capture it entirely. And even more so, there was no strength to seize the French colonies. Germany did not even have the strength to completely occupy tiny Holland. This required two divisions, and Hitler allocated only one.
In 1941, the Germans could no longer fully control what they managed to capture. And then there was the war with Britain, behind which was "neutral" America. German troops were scattered from Northern Norway to North Africa, and the fleet fought from Greenland to the Cape of Good Hope. And in such a difficult situation, Hitler began a blitzkrieg against the Soviet Union.
What is the Soviet Union? This is a huge country in which only four months are favorable for hostilities - from mid-May to mid-September. The rest of the time is rains, impassable mud, and then snow and frost. Hitler started the war on June 22, that is, he basically had only three normal months left. And for this insignificant period he was going to reach the Urals?
A full-scale war on two fronts poses a mortal danger to any country, no matter how powerful in military and industrial respects it may be. And Germany found itself in just such a situation. On the one hand, Britain, and on the other hand, the USSR. In addition, a liberation movement began in the occupied territories, which only exacerbated the position of the aggressor.
Back in January 1941, the Chief of the General Staff of the German Ground Forces, Colonel-General Halder, wrote in his diary: “The meaning of Operation Barbarossa is unclear. He does not affect England in any way. This will not improve our economic base in the least. If our troops are pinned down in Russia, the situation will become even more difficult. The operation is very risky and does not bring any strategic benefits to Germany. "
However, the true state of affairs was fully outlined only after June 22, 1941. The same Halder on July 12 recorded that tank losses were 50%, and the troops were badly exhausted. And on August 7, he announced that the fuel situation was catastrophic. The Germans planned to defeat the USSR in three months, and by August 7 they had already run out of fuel. And how were they going to get to the Urals? On carts and carts.
As early as December 2, 1941, Halder believed that Stalin had no reserves. But already on December 5, fresh divisions appeared, and a grandiose counteroffensive began near Moscow. Subsequently, Halder admitted that the level of equipment of the German soldiers and the motorization of the army did not correspond to the Russian winter. There was no frost-resistant fuel, winter clothing, which had a devastating effect on the general course of military battles in the winter of 1941-1942.
Yes, the Germans carried out blitzkriegs in Poland, France, they captured almost all of Europe, but with their visible power they deceived only faint-hearted journalists. That is why the blitzkrieg did not work out in Russia. Only individual military operations were lightning-fast, and the whole war took on a protracted nature. Therefore, it became murderous for Germany, which did not have inexhaustible manpower and corresponding industrial capacities. So why did Hitler attack the Soviet Union? What was he missing? Maybe living space or mind?
As for the territories, Germany was faced with a defenseless and unoccupied south of France with vineyards, fine wines and beautiful women. Before Germany lay French and Dutch colonies with a heavenly climate and luxurious beaches. Take it all and use it. But no, the Germans for some reason dreamed of the Astrakhan reeds and the Arkhangelsk swamps. These dreams, absolutely incomprehensible to anyone, ruined Germany.
As for human resources, in the Soviet Union they were really inexhaustible. By July 1, 1941, 5.3 million people had been mobilized into the Red Army. At the same time, mobilization continued in July, and in August, and in September, etc. The total mobilization resource of the USSR was 10% of the population. All of it was used during the war. The Soviet country lost 35 million people in four nightmarish years, but this did not affect its combat effectiveness. In August 1945, the Soviet army defeated the millionth Japanese army in just two weeks and liberated China.
And what about the Germans? Their mobilization resource was an order of magnitude lower. In 1945, adolescents and old people began to be drafted into the army. They fought on a par with mature men and died in the same way. But this did not save fascist Germany from complete collapse and shame. So why did Hitler attack the Soviet Union, to whom and what was he trying to prove?
In politics, it is very important who you are considered in the world - a villain or an innocent victim and protector of the oppressed. The whole planet considered Hitler a villain and wished him death. And everyone considered Stalin a victim of aggression. On his side were the sympathies of all countries, all peoples, all governments. Stalin was wished for success by both the proletarians and the bourgeois. He was assisted by the richest countries in the world. Who sincerely helped Hitler? No one.
Here is what Winston Churchill wrote about Stalin: “ This man made an indelible impression on us. When he entered the hall of the Yalta conference, we all, as if on command, stood up and for some reason kept our hands at the seams. He possessed deep wisdom and logic alien to any panic. Stalin was an unsurpassed master of finding the right way out of desperate situations. He was always restrained and never succumbed to illusions. It was a complex personality, the greatest, unparalleled».
And such a man, who stood at the head of a huge country with inexhaustible resources, Hitler decided to attack. Until June 22, 1941, Stalin did not believe that the Third Reich would decide to commit suicide. But what happened happened. Hitler and his entourage doomed themselves to death on the specified date. It doesn't matter that the war lasted four years, it was already initially lost at the very moment when German planes dropped the first bombs on Soviet territory. Everything else can be called the slow agony of the fascist regime.
And therefore, answering the question of why Hitler attacked the Soviet Union, one can enumerate many options. But as a result, only one rational answer suggests itself: the Fuhrer wanted to die beautifully in an underground bunker with a pistol in his hand. Nothing else comes to mind.
The German attack on the USSR can be safely considered insanity. It turned into a terrible and absolutely senseless massacre that claimed tens of millions of lives. And the only one who I sincerely feel sorry for is the people who died at the behest of a stupid and absolutely short-sighted dictator..
After raising this topic, which will be discussed below, a completely predictable reaction will follow: that this issue has been discussed for a long time and the topic of war is already clear to everyone. And this is true! And it is true that after so many years passed, we are still picking at these incurable wounds. But the problem is that to this day we have to prove the truth about the impudent invasion of the Nazis in the USSR. Until now, words and phrases have repeatedly surfaced that Stalin wanted to strike first. Time and again the significance of Stalingrad in the turn of the war is being questioned. And no one will argue that abroad the Second World War has been corrected and corrected in its own way.
On June 22, 1941, early Sunday morning on the summer solstice, German Luftwaffe bombers violated the state border of the USSR. At about 0330 hours, Goering's aircraft began bombing industrial areas, airfields and the Black Sea Fleet base in Sevastopol. At 4:00, after a powerful shelling, the advance units of the Wehrmacht moved forward, followed by the main strike forces. This is how the Great Patriotic War began for the Soviet people.
In fact, the war began long before the Nazi invasion of the USSR. First of all, the countries neighboring Germany were in the occupation of the Nazis. The ashes of bodies burnt in crematoria were already scattered in the air over European soil, and the horror that gripped suppressed Europe spread - from Warsaw to Foggy Albion.
In Soviet times, we were absolutely sure that the German attack was treacherous. Our grandparents' parents explained to us that the Nazi troops broke into our land without any forced reasons. But at the turn of the 80s - 90s of the last century, these facts began to be refuted, they were used to undermine socialism, dressing them in the ideological Soviet system. In part, those who accused communism of lying were right, but while changing the country, they did not think that they were deciding the fate of millions of Soviet citizens. Note that they are also victors, but we judge them and judge them severely, as the destroyers and traitors of the USSR.
Today history has been turned upside down and gutted, and myths lovers have stained the memory of the true heroism of our soldiers. Today, some historians, journalists and simply lie-makers argue that the Germans were only defending themselves against Soviet Bolshevism. Disputes and disagreements sometimes look simply ridiculous, and can it be called disputes - rather, an unfounded and despicable falsification of the truth. Today there are historians who doubt that the German Fuhrer was the initiator of the war. Today they write and say that each of the two sides (Stalin and Hitler) was sure that they would strike first. For those who do not believe me, I advise you to broaden your horizons and look at historical information: on the Internet, in books and other literature.
In general, to prove to adherents of a preconceived opinion that the Germans were the first to invade Soviet soil is already a completely ridiculous matter, there are many facts confirming that the leader of the USSR did not want to fight. But since the media touch on this topic, it means that it is beneficial for someone that the Victory in the war does not belong to us.
Let's look at the three main questions about the German invasion in June 1941.
1. Hitler attacked without warning
After an unsuccessful attempt to destroy the British air force, the German high command planned to move its troops east. In Germany, Soviet diplomats knew about this. Since the spring of 1941, Soviet intelligence reported a significant movement of German echelons with military equipment. Beginning from June 6, the Germans attempted to fire at border posts. Luftwaffe aviation has repeatedly violated the state border. To the German ambassador to the USSR F. Schulenburg many times they made claims and demanded explanations about the insolent behavior of the Germans. On the night of June 21-22, German soldiers crossed the border, discovering and cutting off headquarters communication lines - all this could not be ignored. From the memoirs of Marshal K. Rokossovsky, it is clear that he was informed about the delay of a German defector in the military rank of corporal, who reported the attack on June 22. So why are we arguing that the Germans attacked without warning?
Before brazenly invading someone else's territory, the enemy declares war and makes claims explaining the reasons for the invasion. No claims were made from the German side. Starting the offensive, Goebbels dictated on German radio that the Soviets were the first to violate its borders, but nothing of the kind happened at the border between the USSR and German-occupied Poland.
The Second World War was significantly different from previous wars, its nature was called "lightning-fast" and this effect brought the Germans victory, so notifying the enemy about the invasion and making any claims to him means reducing the surprise effect of the attack. Only after the breakthrough into the territory of the USSR was made and the Nazis fired at our borders, the war was officially declared ...
An excerpt from V. Molotov's speech, delivered on the first day of the Patriotic War:
"... Today at 4 o'clock in the morning, without making any claims to the Soviet Union, without declaring war, German troops attacked our country ..."
2. The Soviet generals and Stalin did not know about the date of the invasion
It is perhaps not entirely fair to accuse the Kremlin of not knowing the exact date. Of course, when breaking through the state border, no one will report the date of the invasion. The date of the invasion is kept a great secret and only the high command knows about it, unless, of course, there were no Soviet agents in Hitler's inner circle. The approximate date is another matter, and the estimated date was known in the range of 15 days. The first reliable report came on May 30, 1941, from a Soviet agent in Japan, Richard Sorge. It reported that the German offensive against the USSR would begin in the second half of June. On June 16, a new report came from NKGB agents working in Berlin, giving an approximate date in the region of the week, i.e. in the next seven days.
But the Soviet command looked somehow too free and it even seemed that the war had taken them all by surprise. But in reality, there was no liberty - instructions were given: not to succumb to provocations from the Germans. The Germans constantly tried to provoke the Soviet troops into conflict. In the event of shelling of German troops on the border, Hitler could easily declare an enemy violation of the line by Soviet border guards (although he did so). If Soviet troops would have opened fire first, then we would have been the culprits for the outbreak of war.
The head of state I. Stalin was afraid of panic - and this is quite fair. Panic would be more harmful not only for the Soviet people, but very useful for the Germans: it would create a potential threat of civil strife. In addition, if the Red Army had succumbed to the provocations and started the fire first, the history of the Second World War would have had a completely different result - Stalin would have been accused of unleashing the war. Therefore, for the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU (b), peace on the border was so important. The Soviet Union could bear the grave stigma of the culprit in the outbreak of war, and then many countries of the world would turn their backs on it.
There is evidence that the Wehrmacht was supposed to invade before June 1941, and since it did not attack in May, the war was definitely postponed to the next year. But you can't believe it - there have been too many alarm calls from abroad. Firstly, in the spring of 1941, German troops were transferred to the Polish line, and this was not some kind of inspection - this was: the placement of guns, the use of transport echelons, the mobilization of the army, the transfer and execution of documents. Such actions will not go unnoticed. Secondly, if intelligence reported about the postponement of dates, then the approximate date of the invasion should have been reported for sure - which they did. Thirdly, the delay for the Third Reich could cost significant setbacks, the Romanian, Finnish, Hungarian, Slovak and Italian armies were at the ready. The last three have allocated one army corps. Japan also envisioned an attack on the USSR. And finally, the fourth reason, which means that the attack on the USSR will be quick, is the flight of Rudolf Hess to Britain, the meaning of this flight in the Soviet Union could not help but guess. The purpose of Hess's "visit" to Britain was an attempt to conclude an alliance with the British for a joint campaign against the USSR. The flight cost Hess great losses, and from this its importance only increased.
On June 10, 1941, the Deputy Fuehrer offered cooperation to the British Prime Minister. Soviet intelligence reported on the negotiations between the German and the British; they published about Missy Hess in Pravda. To all this, you can add what is written above: deserters, shelling of border posts, violation of the state line by the Luftwaffe - all this was supposed to alert the commanders of the troops and bring them into constant combat readiness.
There is another argument in favor of Stalin's knowledge that the Nazis would launch an offensive in June 1941. It says that back in April 1941, W. Churchill personally informed the Soviet leader about the attack. In the end, the excessive flow of information could seriously complicate the preparations being made to repel the offensive. Joseph Stalin in those days had a lot of doubts and troubles, and he had no reason to believe the British and their agents. The British planted information on the concentration of Soviet troops on the border to the Germans. The Kremlin had other information from London: German troops were taking up positions to prepare the army for an attack on the USSR.
According to some information taken from modern literature, you can find out that the directive to the troops on the border was still followed. But the Kremlin's actions were taken with a delay: on the night of June 21-22. The order read: to bring the Red Army units to full combat readiness.
If you accuse the leader of the Soviets of ignorance, then it is preferable to think about the imperfect methods of work of the Soviet agents in Berlin, which Stalin trusted. The body of the Nazi intelligence Abwehr under the direction of V. Canaris could use as misinformation the most important communication channel, acting on the duties and instructions of L. Beria. But let us question the latter.
In any case, not knowing the date is no excuse: troops are on the border to guard us. The main miscalculation that resulted in the non-combat capability of the army in the early days of the war is the absence of a defense line, the positions of which were to be located in the deep rear. Without declaring war on the USSR, the Germans used the surprise effect. The suddenness sowed confusion in the ranks of the Red Army, the consequences of confusion did not pass for several months. Confusion gripped half of the generals and commanders, spreading to the soldiers, bewildering them and plunging them into doubt. It should be admitted that defense in the rear would have reduced the effect of surprise to zero.
3. Treacherous attack
After a vain attempt to create a joint resistance to the Nazis with Europe, Stalin accepts Hitler's proposal to sign a mutual treaty of friendship and non-aggression. Everyone knows without a doubt that in August 1939, a meeting between the German ambassador and the People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the USSR, Molotov, took place in Moscow. After that, an unexpected treaty for Europe was published, i.e. non-aggression pact - Molotov-Ribbentrop pact. The vile and cynical violation of the pact meant a treacherous attack by the Nazis on the USSR. Today we are absolutely sure that Hitler was the first to break his oath.
But this does not mean that you need to blindly follow a convincing fact. Everyone is judged, including the winners, because not a single victory comes at a small price. The more expensive the price, the stronger the enemy, and if you keep silent about all the failures and defeats, then it is not worth saying that the enemy was in some way stronger than us. The victor also bears considerable losses and losses, leaving a deep imprint on our land and in human memory.
No matter how humiliating it may sound to the USSR, it was the Soviet ideology that kept silent about the defeats of the Red Army. It was the organs of the CPSU that concealed the volume of losses that occurred during the retreat to the east. But how to explain the fact that the forces of the Red Army began the stage of liberation from the city of Stalingrad? The Battle of Stalingrad became a turning point in World War II, but the Hero City was basely erased from the map of the USSR by Nikita Khrushchev.
There are a great many films about the war made during the Soviet era, but the theme of defeat in most film productions was either bypassed or shown crumpled or in passing. In the memoirs of Soviet commanders, the truth about the enormous losses is either pushed back or diminished. But it is good that they did not hide the knowledge of the alleged date of the invasion, and it was foolish to hide it, demonstrating the excellent ability of Soviet intelligence.
Building such a biased basis led us to questions about the Patriotic War, and since that part of the inadmissible truth was hidden from us then - now it breaks out and hits sore spots.
Yes, after the works of art and films of the USSR, it was hard to believe in the incompetence of the then military leaders. Soviet cinema "picturesquely" reflected the feelings of the heroes of the war, but only one side of them - an advantageous one. But what about those who died at the border? What to think of those who fell victim to the carelessness of their commanders? Is it worth continuing to search for the one who remained a missing soldier for all of us?
We are accustomed to talking only about winners, but we do not know how to admit defeat. War is not a game, you cannot sacrifice a pawn in order to eliminate a rook later. But if you still dare and decompose the battle between Germany and the USSR into rounds, then we lost the first round. Yes, you can say: Nothing! We survived! But every blow is someone's life, and every fight is millions of lives.
In World War II, we were not supposed to fight, but they forced us, the Germans forced us. The "Millennium Reich" involved the whole of Europe and the Soviet Union in a bloody carnage. And it was not the Soviet Union that unleashed the war, but Europe - they did it in 1812, they did it in 1914. In 1941, the Soviet people acted as a liberator, saving the world from the plague and the cudgel of Nazi treachery.
June 21, 1941, 13:00. The German forces receive the code signal "Dortmund", confirming that the invasion will begin the next day.
Commander of the 2nd Panzer Group of Army Group "Center" Heinz Guderian writes in his diary: “Careful observation of the Russians convinced me that they were unaware of our intentions. In the courtyard of the fortress of Brest, which could be seen from our observation posts, to the sounds of an orchestra, they conducted a set of guards. The coastal fortifications along the Western Bug were not occupied by Russian troops. "
21:00. Fighters of the 90th border detachment of the Sokal commandant's office detained a German serviceman who had crossed the border river Bug by swimming. The defector was sent to the headquarters of the detachment in the city of Vladimir-Volynsky.
23:00. German minelayers stationed in Finnish ports began to mine the exit from the Gulf of Finland. At the same time, Finnish submarines began laying mines off the coast of Estonia.
June 22, 1941, 0:30. The defector was taken to Vladimir-Volynsky. During the interrogation, the soldier introduced himself Alfred Liskov, servicemen of the 221st regiment of the 15th infantry division of the Wehrmacht. He said that at dawn on June 22, the German army would go over to the offensive along the entire length of the Soviet-German border. The information has been transferred to the higher command.
At the same time, the transmission of directive No. 1 of the People's Commissariat of Defense for parts of the western military districts began from Moscow. “During June 22 - 23, 1941, a surprise attack by the Germans on the fronts of the LPO, PribOVO, ZAPOVO, KOVO, OdVO is possible. An attack can start with provocative actions, ”the directive said. - "The task of our troops is not to succumb to any provocative actions that could cause major complications."
The units were ordered to be put on alert, secretly occupy firing points of fortified areas on the state border, and aviation to be dispersed over field airfields.
It is not possible to bring the directive to the military units before the start of hostilities, as a result of which the measures specified in it are not carried out.
Mobilization. Columns of fighters are moving to the front. Photo: RIA Novosti
"I realized that it was the Germans who opened fire on our territory."
1:00. Commandants of the sections of the 90th border detachment report to the chief of the detachment, Major Bychkovsky: "nothing suspicious was noticed on the adjacent side, everything is calm."
3:05 ... A group of 14 German Ju-88 bombers drops 28 magnetic mines near the Kronstadt raid.
3:07. The commander of the Black Sea Fleet, Vice Admiral Oktyabrsky, reports to the Chief of the General Staff, General Zhukov: “The VNOS [air surveillance, warning and communication] system of the fleet reports on the approach from the sea side of a large number of unknown aircraft; the fleet is in full combat readiness. "
3:10. The UNKGB for the Lviv region by telephone sends to the NKGB of the Ukrainian SSR information obtained during the interrogation of the defector Alfred Liskov.
From the memoirs of the chief of the 90th border detachment major Bychkovsky: “Without finishing the questioning of the soldier, I heard heavy artillery fire in the direction of Ustilug (the first commandant's office). I realized that it was the Germans who opened fire on our territory, which was confirmed immediately by the interrogated soldier. He immediately began to call the commandant, but the connection was broken ... "3:30. Chief of Staff of the Western District General Klimovsky reports on the enemy air raid on the cities of Belarus: Brest, Grodno, Lida, Kobrin, Slonim, Baranovichi and others.
3:33. The chief of staff of the Kiev district, General Purkaev, reports on the air raid on the cities of Ukraine, including Kiev.
3:40. Commander of the Baltic Military District, General Kuznetsov reports on enemy air raids on Riga, Šiauliai, Vilnius, Kaunas and other cities.
“The enemy raid has been repulsed. An attempt to strike at our ships was thwarted "
3:42. Chief of General Staff Zhukov calls Stalin and informs about the beginning of hostilities by Germany. Stalin orders Tymoshenko and Zhukov to arrive at the Kremlin, where an emergency meeting of the Politburo is called.
3:45. The 1st frontier post of the 86th August border detachment was attacked by an enemy reconnaissance and sabotage group. The personnel of the outpost under the command Alexandra Sivacheva, joining the battle, destroys the attackers.
4:00. The commander of the Black Sea Fleet, Vice Admiral Oktyabrsky, reports to Zhukov: “The enemy raid has been repulsed. An attempt to strike at our ships was thwarted. But there is destruction in Sevastopol. "
4:05. The outposts of the 86th August border detachment, including the 1st border post of senior lieutenant Sivachev, are subjected to powerful artillery fire, after which the German offensive begins. Border guards, deprived of communication with the command, engage in battle with superior enemy forces.
4:10. The Western and Baltic special military districts report on the beginning of hostilities by German troops on land sectors.
4:15. The Nazis open massive artillery fire on the Brest Fortress. As a result, warehouses were destroyed, communications were disrupted, and there were a large number of killed and wounded.
4:25. The 45th Infantry Division of the Wehrmacht begins an attack on the Brest Fortress.
The Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. Residents of the capital on June 22, 1941, during the announcement on the radio of a government message about the treacherous attack of Nazi Germany on the Soviet Union. Photo: RIA Novosti
"Protecting not individual countries, but ensuring the security of Europe"
4:30. A meeting of members of the Politburo begins in the Kremlin. Stalin expresses doubt that what happened is the beginning of the war and does not exclude the version of a German provocation. People's Commissar of Defense Tymoshenko and Zhukov insist: this is war.
4:55. In the Brest Fortress, the Nazis manage to capture almost half of the territory. Further advance was stopped by a sudden counterattack of the Red Army.
5:00. German Ambassador to the USSR Count von Schulenburg presents to the People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the USSR Molotov"A note from the German Foreign Ministry to the Soviet Government," which says: "The German government cannot be indifferent to the serious threat on the eastern border, so the Fuehrer ordered the German armed forces to ward off this threat by all means." An hour after the actual start of hostilities, Germany de jure declares war on the Soviet Union.
5:30. Reich propaganda minister on German radio Goebbels reads out the appeal Adolf Hitler to the German people in connection with the outbreak of the war against the Soviet Union: “Now the hour has come when it is necessary to oppose this conspiracy of the Jewish-Anglo-Saxon warmongers and also the Jewish rulers of the Bolshevik center in Moscow ... what the world has ever seen ... The task of this front is no longer the protection of individual countries, but ensuring the security of Europe and thus the salvation of all. "7:00. Reich Minister for Foreign Ribbentrop begins a press conference at which he announces the beginning of hostilities against the USSR: "The German army has invaded the territory of Bolshevik Russia!"
"The city is on fire, why aren't you broadcasting anything on the radio?"
7:15. Stalin approves the directive on repelling the attack of Hitlerite Germany: "For the troops with all their forces and means to attack the enemy forces and destroy them in the areas where they violated the Soviet border." Transmission of "directive No. 2" due to the violation of communication lines by saboteurs in the western districts. In Moscow, there is no clear picture of what is happening in the war zone.
9:30. It was decided that at noon the People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs Molotov would address the Soviet people in connection with the outbreak of the war.
10:00. From the memories of the announcer Yuri Levitan: “They call from Minsk:“ Enemy planes over the city ”, call from Kaunas:“ The city is on fire, why aren't you broadcasting anything on the radio? ”,“ Enemy planes over Kiev ”. Female crying, excitement: "Is it really a war? .." Nevertheless, no official messages were sent until 12:00 Moscow time on June 22.
10:30. From the report of the headquarters of the 45th German division about the battles on the territory of the Brest Fortress: “The Russians are fiercely resisting, especially behind our attacking companies. In the citadel, the enemy organized a defense with infantry units supported by 35-40 tanks and armored vehicles. The fire of enemy snipers led to large losses among officers and non-commissioned officers. "
11:00. The Baltic, Western and Kiev special military districts were reorganized into the Northwestern, Western and Southwestern fronts.
“The enemy will be defeated. Victory will be ours"
12:00. People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs Vyacheslav Molotov read out an appeal to the citizens of the Soviet Union: “Today at 4 o'clock in the morning, without making any claims to the Soviet Union, without declaring war, German troops attacked our country, attacked our borders in many places and bombed our our cities - Zhitomir, Kiev, Sevastopol, Kaunas and some others, with more than two hundred people killed and wounded. Enemy aircraft raids and artillery shelling were also carried out from Romanian and Finnish territory ... Now that the attack on the Soviet Union has already taken place, the Soviet government has given an order to our troops to repulse the robbery attack and expel German troops from the territory of our homeland ... The government calls on you, citizens and citizens of the Soviet Union, to rally their ranks even more closely around our glorious Bolshevik Party, around our Soviet government, around our great leader, Comrade Stalin.
Our cause is right. The enemy will be defeated. Victory will be ours" .
12:30. Advanced German units break into the Belarusian city of Grodno.
13:00.
The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR issues a decree "On the mobilization of those liable for military service ..."
"On the basis of article 49, clause" o "of the Constitution of the USSR, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR announces the mobilization in the territory of military districts - Leningrad, Baltic special, Western special, Kiev special, Odessa, Kharkov, Oryol, Moscow, Arkhangelsk, Ural, Siberian, Volga, North -Caucasian and Transcaucasian.
13:30. The Chief of the General Staff, General Zhukov, flies to Kiev as a representative of the newly created Headquarters of the High Command on the Southwestern Front.
Photo: RIA Novosti
14:00. The Brest Fortress is completely surrounded by German troops. The Soviet units, blocked in the citadel, continue to offer fierce resistance.
14:05. Italian Foreign Minister Galeazzo Ciano declares: "In view of the current situation, due to the fact that Germany declared war on the USSR, Italy, as an ally of Germany and as a member of the Triple Pact, also declares war on the Soviet Union from the moment German troops entered Soviet territory."
14:10. 1st frontier post of Alexander Sivachev has been fighting for more than 10 hours. Having only small arms and grenades, the border guards destroyed up to 60 Nazis and burned three tanks. The wounded head of the outpost continued to command the battle.
15:00. From the notes of the commander of Army Group "Center" Field Marshal Boca von: “The question of whether the Russians are carrying out a systematic withdrawal is still open. At present, there is ample evidence both for and against this.
It is surprising that nowhere is any significant work of their artillery noticeable. Heavy artillery fire is being conducted only in the north-west of Grodno, where the VIII Army Corps is advancing. Apparently, our air force has an overwhelming superiority over the Russian aviation. "
Of the 485 attacked frontier posts, not one left without an order
16:00. After a 12-hour battle, the Nazis took up the positions of the 1st frontier post. This became possible only after all the border guards who defended it were killed. The head of the outpost, Alexander Sivachev, was posthumously awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st degree.
The feat of the outpost of senior lieutenant Sivachev became one of hundreds committed by border guards in the first hours and days of the war. On June 22, 1941, the USSR state border from the Barents to the Black Sea was guarded by 666 border outposts, 485 of them were attacked on the very first day of the war. None of the 485 outposts attacked on June 22 withdrew without an order.
The Hitlerite command set aside 20 minutes to break the resistance of the border guards. 257 Soviet frontier posts held the defense from several hours to one day. Over one day - 20, more than two days - 16, over three days - 20, more than four and five days - 43, from seven to nine days - 4, over eleven days - 51, over twelve days - 55, over 15 days - 51 outposts. Up to two months 45 outposts fought.
The Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. The working people of Leningrad listen to the news about the attack of Nazi Germany on the Soviet Union. Photo: RIA Novosti
Of the 19,600 border guards who met the Nazis on June 22 in the direction of the main attack of Army Group Center, more than 16,000 were killed in the first days of the war.
17:00. Hitler's units manage to occupy the southwestern part of the Brest Fortress, the northeast remained under the control of the Soviet troops. Stubborn battles for the fortress will continue for weeks.
"The Church of Christ blesses all Orthodox to protect the sacred borders of our Motherland"
18:00. The Patriarchal Locum Tenens, Metropolitan Sergius of Moscow and Kolomna, addresses the believers with a message: “Fascist robbers attacked our homeland. Trampling on any agreements and promises, they suddenly fell upon us, and now the blood of peaceful citizens is already irrigating their native land ... Our Orthodox Church has always shared the fate of the people. Together with him, she bore trials, and was consoled by his successes. She will not leave her people even now ... The Church of Christ blesses all Orthodox to defend the sacred borders of our Motherland. "
19:00. From the notes of the Chief of the General Staff of the Land Forces of the Wehrmacht, Colonel-General Franz Halder: “All armies, except for the 11th Army of Army Group South in Romania, went on the offensive according to plan. The offensive of our troops, apparently, was a complete tactical surprise for the enemy on the entire front. The border bridges across the Bug and other rivers have been captured everywhere by our troops without a fight and in complete safety. The complete surprise of our offensive for the enemy is evidenced by the fact that the units were taken by surprise in the barracks position, the planes stood at the airfields, covered with tarpaulins, and the forward units, suddenly attacked by our troops, asked the command about what to do ... The Air Force command reported, that today 850 enemy aircraft have been destroyed, including whole squadrons of bombers, which, having taken off without fighter cover, were attacked by our fighters and destroyed. "
20:00. Directive No. 3 of the People's Commissariat of Defense was approved, ordering the Soviet troops to launch a counteroffensive with the task of defeating the Nazi troops on the territory of the USSR with a further advance into the enemy's territory. The directive ordered to capture the Polish city of Lublin by the end of June 24.
Great Patriotic War 1941-1945 June 22, 1941 Nurses provide assistance to the first wounded after the Nazi air raid near Chisinau. Photo: RIA Novosti
"We must provide Russia and the Russian people with all the assistance we can."
21:00. Summary of the Red Army High Command for June 22: “At dawn on June 22, 1941, the regular troops of the German army attacked our border units on the front from the Baltic to the Black Sea and were held back by them during the first half of the day. In the afternoon, German troops met with the advanced units of the field forces of the Red Army. After fierce fighting, the enemy was repulsed with heavy losses. Only in the Grodno and Kristinopol directions did the enemy manage to achieve minor tactical successes and occupy the townships of Kalwaria, Stoyanov and Tsekhanovets (the first two are 15 km away and the last 10 km from the border).
Enemy aircraft attacked a number of our airfields and settlements, but everywhere they met a decisive rebuff from our fighters and anti-aircraft artillery, which inflicted heavy losses on the enemy. We shot down 65 enemy aircraft. "
23:00. Message from the Prime Minister of Great Britain Winston Churchill to the British people in connection with the German attack on the USSR: “At 4 o'clock this morning, Hitler attacked Russia. All his usual formalities of treachery were observed with scrupulous accuracy ... suddenly, without a declaration of war, even without an ultimatum, German bombs fell from the sky on Russian cities, German troops violated Russian borders, and an hour later the German ambassador, who literally the day before, generously lavished his assurances to the Russians in friendship and almost alliance, paid a visit to the Russian foreign minister and declared that Russia and Germany were at war ...
No one has been a more staunch opponent of communism for the past 25 years than me. I will not take back a single word said about him. But it all pales before the spectacle unfolding now.The past, with its crimes, follies and tragedies, is receding. I see Russian soldiers, how they stand on the border of their native land and guard the fields that their fathers plowed from time immemorial. I see them guarding their homes; their mothers and wives pray - oh, yes, because at such a time everyone is praying for the preservation of their loved ones, for the return of their breadwinner, patron, their defenders ...
We must give Russia and the Russian people all the help we can. We must call on all our friends and allies in all parts of the world to adhere to a similar course and pursue it as steadfastly and unswervingly as we will, to the very end. ”
June 22 has come to an end. There were still 1,417 days of the worst war in the history of mankind ahead.
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