Sixty-three years ago, the world finally breathed a sigh of relief as the Red Army planted the Red hammer and sickle flag on the Reichstag building. The forces of fascism had been thoroughly defeated. Thousands will gather once again in Red Square to commemorate the historic event. Others will join the commemoration electronically and/or spiritually.
On June 22nd, 1941 shortly past three a.m. German troops invaded Soviet territory. The invasion forces had 4.6 million men, 190 divisions, more than 4 thousand tanks, over 47 thousand guns and mortars, about 5 thousand aircraft and up to 200 ships. Soviet forces had 2 million 680 thousand men, 37.5 thousand guns and mortars, 1475 new tanks, 1540 new combat aircraft and a considerable number of older tanks and planes. In some areas the aggressor outnumbered Soviet troops by 3 or 4 times.
In the first three weeks after the invasion, German troops advanced 20 or 30 kilometers daily into Soviet territory. By mid-July German troops occupied Latvia, Lithuania, Western Ukraine and Belorussia. Then the Germans began their offensive on Leningrad. By November, people had begun to starve. For 900 days, the hero city of Leningrad suffered death, starvation and misery. It was not until the end of January 1943 that Soviet troops restored Leningrad's land link with the rest of the country. Until then, the city had been connected with the rest of the country only by the "Road of Life" across the Lake Ladoga.
On September 30th, 1941 the Germans launched "Operation Typhoon" to ultimately surround and eliminate Soviet troops near Moscow in order to take the city. Moscow residents were quick to build defense lines. In the suburbs of Moscow and in the city itself 450 thousand people, mainly women, erected defense fortifications.
Weapons and ammunition plants worked in three shifts around the clock during the war to provide defenders with everything necessary to resist the enemy.
By the end of October, the enemy advanced 230 to 250 kilometers towards Moscow. On November 7th a traditional parade of the Red Army on the occasion of 24th anniversary of the October Revolution took place on Red Square in Moscow. Army units left for the front right from the parade. .By December 25th the threat of Moscow being encircled had finally been removed. The Battle of Moscow lasted until April 20th , 1942. More than 3 million people were involved in the battle on both sides.
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