Our planet has known many bloody battles and battles. Our entire history consisted of various internecine conflicts. But only human and material losses in World War II made humanity think about the importance of everyone's life. Only after it did people begin to understand how easy it is to unleash a bloody carnage and how difficult it is to stop it. This war has shown to all the peoples of the Earth how important peace is for all.
The value of studying the history of the twentieth century
The younger generation sometimes does not understand how the Great Patriotic War and the Second World War differ. Over the years since their end, history has been rewritten many times, so young people are no longer so interested in those distant events. Often these people do not even really know who took part in those events and what losses humanity suffered in World War II. But the history of your country must not be forgotten. If you watch American films about the Second World War today, you might think that only thanks to the US Army was the victory over Nazi Germany possible. That is why it is so necessary to convey to our younger generation the role of the Soviet Union in these sad events. In fact, it was the people of the USSR that suffered the greatest losses in World War II.
Preconditions for the bloodiest war
This armed conflict between the two world military-political coalitions, which became the largest massacre in the history of mankind, began on 01.09.1939 (in contrast to the Great Patriotic War, which lasted from 22.06.1941 to 08.05.1945 G.). It ended only on 02.09.1945 Thus, this war lasted 6 long years. There are several reasons for this conflict. These include: a deep global economic crisis, the aggressive policy of some states, the negative consequences of the Versailles-Washington system in force at that time.
Participants in the international conflict
62 countries were involved in this conflict to one degree or another. And this despite the fact that at that time there were only 73 sovereign states on Earth. Fierce battles took place on three continents. Naval battles were fought in four oceans (Atlantic, Indian, Pacific and Arctic). The number of opposing countries changed several times during the entire war. Some states took part in active hostilities, while others simply by any means helped their coalition allies (equipment, equipment, food).
Anti-Hitler coalition
Initially, this coalition consisted of 3 states: Poland, France, Great Britain. This is due to the fact that it was after the attack on these countries that Germany began to conduct active hostilities on the territory of these countries. In 1941, countries such as the USSR, the USA, and China were drawn into the war. Further, the coalition was joined by Australia, Norway, Canada, Nepal, Yugoslavia, the Netherlands, Czechoslovakia, Greece, Belgium, New Zealand, Denmark, Luxembourg, Albania, the Union of South Africa, San Marino, Turkey. To one degree or another, countries such as Guatemala, Peru, Costa Rica, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Brazil, Panama, Mexico, Argentina, Honduras, Chile, Paraguay, Cuba, Ecuador, Venezuela, Uruguay, Nicaragua have become allies in the coalition , Haiti, El Salvador, Bolivia. They were joined by Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, Lebanon, Liberia, Mongolia. During the war years, those states that had ceased to be allies of Germany joined the anti-Hitler coalition. These are Iran (since 1941), Iraq and Italy (since 1943), Bulgaria and Romania (since 1944), Finland and Hungary (since 1945).
On the side of the Nazi bloc were such states as Germany, Japan, Slovakia, Croatia, Iraq and Iran (until 1941), Finland, Bulgaria, Romania (until 1944), Italy (until 1943), Hungary (until 1945), Thailand (Siam), Manchukuo. In some occupied territories, this coalition created puppet states that had practically no influence on the world arena of battles. These include: Italian Social Republic, Vichy France, Albania, Serbia, Montenegro, Philippines, Burma, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos. Various collaborationist troops, created from among the inhabitants of the warring countries, often fought on the side of the Nazi bloc. The largest of them were RONA, ROA, SS divisions created from foreigners (Ukrainian, Belarusian, Russian, Estonian, Norwegian-Danish, 2 Belgian, Dutch, Latvian, Bosnian, Albanian and French). The volunteer armies of such neutral countries as Spain, Portugal and Sweden fought on the side of this bloc.
The aftermath of the war
Despite the fact that over the long years of World War II the alignment on the world arena changed several times, its result was the complete victory of the anti-Hitler coalition. Following this, the largest international United Nations Organization (abbreviated - UN) was created. The result of the victory in this war was the condemnation of fascist ideology and the prohibition of Nazism during the Nyurberg trial. After the end of this world conflict, the role of France and Great Britain in world politics decreased significantly, and the USA and the USSR became real superpowers, dividing among themselves new spheres of influence. Two camps of countries with diametrically opposite socio-political systems (capitalist and socialist) were created. After World War II, a period of decolonization of empires began across the planet.
War theater
Germany, the Second World War for which was an attempt to become the only superpower, was fighting in five directions at once:
- Western European: Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, Belgium, Netherlands, UK, France.
- Mediterranean: Greece, Yugoslavia, Albania, Italy, Cyprus, Malta, Libya, Egypt, North Africa, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Iraq.
- Eastern European: USSR, Poland, Norway, Finland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Austria, Yugoslavia, Barents, Baltic and Black seas.
- African: Ethiopia, Somalia, Madagascar, Kenya, Sudan, Equatorial Africa.
- Pacific (in collaboration with Japan): China, Korea, South Sakhalin, Far East, Mongolia, Kuril Islands, Aleutian Islands, Hong Kong, Indochina, Burma, Malaya, Sarawak, Singapore, Dutch East Indies, Brunei, New Guinea, Sabah, Papua, Guam, Solomon Islands, Hawaii, Philippines, Midway, Mariana and numerous other Pacific islands.
The beginning and end of the war
They began to count from the moment the German troops invaded Poland. Hitler had been preparing the ground for an attack on this state for a long time. 31.08.1939 the German press reported on the seizure of the radio station in Gleiwitz by the Polish military (although it was a provocation of saboteurs), and already at 4:00 am on 01.09.1939 the battleship Schleswig-Holstein began shelling the fortifications in Westerplatte (Poland). Together with the troops of Slovakia, Germany began to occupy foreign territories. France and Great Britain demanded that Hitler withdraw troops from Poland, but he refused. Already 03.09.1939 France, Australia, England, New Zealand declared war on Germany. Then they were joined by Canada, Newfoundland, the Union of South Africa, Nepal. So the bloody Second World War began to quickly gain momentum. The USSR, although it urgently introduced general military duty, until 22.06.1941 did not declare war on Germany. 
In the spring of 1940, Hitler's troops began the occupation of Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Then she went to France. In June 1940, Italy began to fight on Hitler's side. In the spring of 1941 it quickly captured Greece and Yugoslavia. On 22.06.1941 she attacked the USSR. On the side of Germany in these hostilities were Romania, Finland, Hungary, Italy. Up to 70% of all active Nazi divisions fought on all Soviet-German fronts. The defeat of the enemy in the battle for Moscow thwarted Hitler's notorious plan - "Blitzkrieg" (lightning war). Thanks to this, already in 1941, the creation of the anti-Hitler coalition began. 7. 12. 1941, after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States also entered the war. For a long time, the army of this country fought with its enemies only in the Pacific Ocean. Great Britain and the United States promised to open the so-called second front in the summer of 1942. But, despite the fierce fighting on the territory of the Soviet Union, the partners in the anti-Hitler coalition were in no hurry to engage in hostilities in Western Europe. This is due to the fact that the United States and Britain were waiting for the complete weakening of the USSR. Only when it became obvious that they began to liberate not only their own territory, but also the countries of Eastern Europe at a rapid pace, did the Allies rush to open the Second Front. This happened on 06.06.1944 (2 years after the promised date). From that moment on, the Anglo-American coalition sought to be the first to free Europe from German troops. Despite all the efforts of the allies, the Soviet Army was the first to occupy the Reichstag, on which it mounted its own. But even Germany's unconditional surrender did not stop the Second World War. For some time there were military actions in Czechoslovakia. Also, in the Pacific Ocean, hostilities almost did not stop. Only after the atomic bombing of the cities of Hiroshima (06.08.1945) and Nagasaki (09.08.1945) carried out by the Americans, the Japanese emperor realized the whole pointlessness of further resistance. As a result of this attack, about 300 thousand civilians were killed. This bloody international conflict ended only on 09. 1945. It was on this day that Japan signed the act of surrender.
Victims of World Conflict
The first large-scale losses in World War II were suffered by the Polish people. The army of this country was unable to withstand a more powerful enemy in the person of German troops. This war has had an unprecedented impact on all of humanity. About 80% of all people living on Earth at that time (more than 1.7 billion people) were involved in the war. Military operations took place on the territory of more than 40 states. For 6 years of this world conflict, about 110 million people were mobilized into the armed forces of all armies. According to the latest data, human losses amount to about 50 million people. At the same time, only 27 million people were killed at the fronts. The rest of the victims were civilians. Most of all human lives were lost by countries such as the USSR (27 million), Germany (13 million), Poland (6 million), Japan (2.5 million), China (5 million). The casualties of other belligerent countries were: Yugoslavia (1.7 million), Italy (0.5 million), Romania (0.5 million), Great Britain (0.4 million), Greece (0.4 million). ), Hungary (0.43 million), France (0.6 million), USA (0.3 million), New Zealand, Australia (40 thousand), Belgium (88 thousand), Africa (10 thousand .), Canada (40 thousand). More than 11 million people were killed in the Nazi concentration camps.
Losses from international conflict
It is simply amazing what losses the Second World War brought to humanity. History bears witness to $ 4 trillion in military spending. For the warring states, material costs amounted to about 70% of the national income. For several years, the industry of many countries was completely reoriented to the production of military equipment. Thus, the USA, USSR, Great Britain and Germany have produced more than 600 thousand combat and transport aircraft during the war years. The weapons of World War II have become even more effective and deadly in 6 years. The most brilliant minds of the belligerent countries were concerned only with improving it. A lot of new weapons were forced to come up with the Second World War. The tanks of Germany and the Soviet Union were constantly modernized throughout the war. At the same time, more and more advanced machines were created to destroy the enemy. There were thousands of them. So, only armored vehicles, tanks, self-propelled guns were produced more than 280 thousand. More than 1 million different artillery pieces came off the conveyors of military factories; about 5 million machine guns; 53 million submachine guns, carbines and rifles. World War II brought colossal destruction and destruction of several thousand cities and other settlements. The history of mankind without it could have followed a completely different scenario. Because of her, all countries were thrown back in their development for many years. To eliminate the consequences of this international military conflict, colossal resources and efforts of millions of people were spent.
Losses of the USSR
A very high price had to be paid for the faster end of the Second World War. The losses of the USSR amounted to about 27 million people. (last count 1990). Unfortunately, it is unlikely that it will be possible to get accurate data, but this figure is most consistent with the truth. There are several different estimates of the losses of the USSR. So, according to the last method, about 6.3 million are considered killed or died from their wounds; 0.5 million people who died from diseases, were sentenced to be shot, who died in accidents; 4.5 million missing and prisoners. The total demographic losses of the Soviet Union amount to more than 26.6 million people. In addition to the huge number of people killed in this conflict, the USSR suffered enormous material losses. According to estimates, they amounted to more than 2600 billion rubles. During the Second World War, hundreds of cities were partially or completely destroyed. More than 70 thousand villages were wiped off the face of the earth. 32 thousand large industrial enterprises were completely destroyed. Agriculture of the European part of the USSR was almost completely destroyed. It took several years of incredible efforts and enormous costs to restore the country to the pre-war level.
