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Reasons for failures at the beginning of the war. Why? On the reasons for the defeat of the Red Army at the beginning of the war Help is needed to study any topic

21.07.2021

Our failures and defeats at the beginning of the war were due to a number of factors. First of all, the power of a country super-prepared for war was brought down on the USSR. The fascist regime that came to power directed all its efforts towards the development of military production. During the period from 1934 to 1940, it increased 22 times, and the size of the German armed forces increased 35 times. In 1941, the industry of practically all of Europe worked for Hitler's Germany, and neutral countries supplied it with raw materials. By the spring of 1941, the German armed forces were serving nearly 5,000 enterprises in the occupied territories. Its industrial potential was 1.5-2 times higher than the Soviet industry.

The Germans were outnumbered in manpower. Using the population of the satellite countries to work in the military industry, the Nazis put most of the German population under arms. In 1941, Hitler threw his main forces against the USSR, leaving only the occupation troops in Western Europe. In June 1941, the invasion army numbered 5.5 million against 3 million Soviet troops in the western border districts.

Fascist Germany possessed a wealth of combat experience accumulated over two years of waging a war in Europe. The high technical equipment of the German army made it mobile.

Unlike the Wehrmacht, the Red Army on the eve of the war was in the process of reorganization and rearmament, which was not completed. Modern types of weapons in the Red Army were lacking, which made the troops inactive and reduced their combat effectiveness. Nevertheless, by the summer of 1941, the Red Army as a whole even had a numerical superiority over the Wehrmacht in tanks and aircraft. She was not inferior in artillery. Proceeding from this, the reasons for the defeat of our army in the initial period of the war should be sought not so much in the balance of forces and means as in the ability to dress up with them.

The fighting efficiency of the army was significantly reduced by Stalin's repressions. According to the calculations made by General A.I. Todorsky, the Stalinist repressions carried away: out of five marshals - three (A.I.Egorov, M.N. Tukhachevsky, V.K.Blyukher); out of five army commanders - three; out of ten commanders of the 2nd rank - all; out of 57 corpsmen - 50; out of 186 divisional commanders - 154; out of 456 colonels - 401. Our army did not bear such large losses of the senior and senior command personnel even during the war. By the beginning of the war, only 7% of the commanders had a higher education. Most of the repressed knew the art of war and the German military organization well. In fact, the commanding staff of the Red Army in their training was thrown back to the level of the end of the civil war. It is difficult to find a precedent in world history when one of the parties on the eve of a deadly battle would have weakened itself so much. By the summer of 1941, about 75% of the commanders had been in their posts for less than one year. In total, 70 thousand commanders were repressed before the war, of which 37 thousand were in the army and 3 thousand in the navy. Meanwhile, it takes 10-12 years to train a major, and an army commander 20. Even G.K. Zhukov at the beginning of the war in his training was not equal to Tukhachevsky or Yegorov.

Commanders who did not have time to acquire experience immediately found themselves in a difficult situation at the beginning of the war. Confusion, inability to organize the interaction of troops, loss of control are not uncommon phenomena of the first battles. The proactive actions of the commanders were shackled by an atmosphere of universal fear and suspicion, by the unlimited regime of Stalin's personal power.

In connection with the repressions on the eve of the war, the development of military theory was suspended. The theoretical developments of M.N. Tukhachevsky, who back in 1936 reasonably warned about a possible war in 1939-1940. in Europe and the possibility of a surprise attack by Germany on the USSR. On the contrary, K.E. Voroshilov was a champion of the outdated military doctrine. The military doctrine formulated in the 1920s with the active participation of MV Frunze was practically not revised. Only the theses were put forward that we would wage a war with "little blood", transferring it to the enemy's territory, and turning it into a war between the world proletariat and the world bourgeoisie. Such installations did not allow the possibility of a breakthrough of large enemy forces to great depths, so the army mastered offensive tactics, and meanwhile, in the first months of the war, we were forced to retreat and conduct defensive battles. Marshal I.Kh.Bagramyan admitted: “Before the war, we mainly learned to attack. And such an important maneuver as retreat was not given due importance. Now we are paying the price. " Due to the fact that it was supposed to repel the enemy's attack with a powerful blow and transfer the hostilities to its territory, more than half of our ammunition, equipment, fuel was stored near the border and in the first week it was largely either destroyed or captured by the enemy. The repressive policy caused enormous damage to Soviet military science. Many leading designers of military equipment (A.N. Tupolev, P.O. Sukhoi and others) developed samples of new technology while in prison.

One of the factors of our failures is, to a certain extent, the surprise for the Soviet people of Germany's attack on the USSR. The popular consciousness was deformed by the attitude towards friendship with fascist Germany. The Soviet press and propaganda presented Germany as a "great peace-loving power." Until June 22, 1941, in accordance with the Soviet-German economic agreement signed in 1940, echelons with bread and raw materials went to Germany. And although many clearly realized that war with Germany could not be avoided, nevertheless, in the eyes of the Soviet people, the German attack on June 22 was both treacherous and sudden. However, strategically and tactically, this attack was not sudden. Another thing is that the Soviet troops of the border regions, not put on alert, did not have time to take all countermeasures, stretched along the entire border, under the blows of the Wehrmacht, were taken by surprise.

Information about the impending attack on the USSR came from a variety of sources, ranging from intelligence officers and ending with some statesmen. Already 11 days after Hitler's approval of the "Barbarossa" plan, information was received in Moscow about the beginning of Germany's preparations for a war against the USSR. In the spring of 1941, the intelligence department reported to I.V. Stalin, V.M. Molotov, K.E. Voroshilov, S.K. Timoshenko data on the build-up and distribution of the German armed forces in the theaters of operations. Soviet intelligence officers (R. Zorge, L. Trepper and others) warned about the impending attack by Stalin. The information came from the ambassadors in England and Germany. W. Churchill warned about the movement of German troops and even the German ambassador to the USSR Schulenberg hinted at the imminent start of the war. However, Stalin mistakenly assessed the current situation, obviously hoping to postpone through diplomatic negotiations a clash with Germany of a country that was not prepared for war. He refused to believe the facts. Thus, accurate and reliable intelligence has proven useless in the face of ineffective policies. For the mistakes and miscalculations made by the leadership, the soldiers paid with their lives, holding back the strongest army of the enemy with heroic efforts.

History falsifiers. Truth and lies about the Great War (collection) Starikov Nikolai Viktorovich

The reasons for the temporary failures of our army

All this is true, of course. But it is also true that along with these favorable conditions there are also a number of unfavorable conditions for the Red Army, due to which our army suffers temporary setbacks, is forced to retreat, is forced to surrender a number of regions of our country to the enemy.

What are these unfavorable conditions? Where are the reasons for the temporary military failures of the Red Army?

One of the reasons for the failure of the Red Army is the absence of a second front in Europe against the German fascist troops. The fact is that at present there are no armies of Great Britain or the United States of America on the European continent that would wage a war with German fascist troops, so the Germans do not have to split their forces and wage a war on two fronts, in the west and in the east. Well, this circumstance leads to the fact that the Germans, considering their rear in the west secure, have the opportunity to move all their troops and the troops of their allies in Europe against our country. The situation is now such that our country is waging a war of liberation alone, without any military assistance, against the combined forces of the Germans, Finns, Romanians, Italians and Hungarians. The Germans boast of their temporary successes and praise their army beyond measure, assuring that it can always defeat the Red Army in one-on-one battles. But the assurances of the Germans represent empty boasting, for it is not clear why, in this case, the Germans resorted to the help of the Finns, Romanians, Italians, Hungarians against the Red Army, which is fighting exclusively on its own, without military assistance from outside. There is no doubt that the absence of a second front in Europe against the Germans greatly facilitates the position of the German army. But there can be no doubt that the emergence of a second front on the continent of Europe - and it certainly should appear in the near future ( thunderous applause), - will significantly ease the position of our army to the detriment of the German one.

Another reason for the temporary setbacks of our army is the lack of tanks and, in part, aviation. In modern warfare, it is very difficult for infantry to fight without tanks and without sufficient air cover. Our aviation surpasses German aviation in quality, and our glorious pilots have covered themselves with the glory of fearless fighters. ( Applause). But we still have fewer planes than the Germans. Our tanks are superior in quality to German tanks, and our glorious tankmen and artillerymen have repeatedly put to flight the vaunted German troops with their many tanks. ( Applause). But we still have several times less tanks than the Germans. This is the secret of the temporary successes of the German army. It cannot be said that our tank industry is performing poorly and is supplying few tanks to our front. No, it works very well and produces quite a few excellent tanks. But the Germans are producing much more tanks, for they now have at their disposal not only their own tank industry, but also the industries of Czechoslovakia, Belgium, Holland and France. Without this circumstance, the Red Army would long ago have defeated the German army, which does not go into battle without tanks and cannot withstand the blow of our units if it does not have superiority in tanks. ( Applause).

There is only one means necessary to nullify the superiority of the Germans in tanks and thereby radically improve the position of our army. It, this means, consists not only in increasing several times the production of tanks in our country, but also in sharply increasing the production of anti-tank aircraft, anti-tank guns and guns, anti-tank grenades and mortars, building more anti-tank ditches and all kinds of other anti-tank obstacles.

This is the task now.

We can accomplish this task, and we must accomplish it at all costs!

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Our baby is already one year old when we decided to christen her. For a long time they could not decide on the godparents, because they had no idea by what criteria they should be chosen. Everything became clear after going to the priest's church, where we were going to baptize Sonechka. Father Alexy suggested who can be godparents and who is not allowed, and I will tell you so that you do not waste time.

Baptism at any age will mark a spiritual birth, it becomes the day of the establishment of the Guardian Angel's guardianship over a person. The thoughts and motives of the people taking part in the ceremony must be full of sincerity and purity, therefore the choice of godparents for a child must be conscious and combined with the rules of the Orthodox Church.

Who is suitable for the role of godparents

Responsibility to God at the moment of baptism is borne by both real parents and godparents, therefore, the important point is the sincere faith of the parents in Christ, backed up by leading a full-fledged church life. They are the ones who take Orthodox vows instead of a child. In addition, godparents should know the Symbol of Faith and be ready to engage in the spiritual upbringing of the little man in the future.
If there is an opportunity to invite only one godfather, it is preferable to choose a person of the same gender as the child (the boy has a man, the girl has a woman), but no one forbids a woman to baptize a boy or a man a girl.
Pregnancy and the absence of a ring on a finger and a stamp in a passport give women the opportunity to become godmothers for both boys and girls.

Who is forbidden to be god

Believers who have fallen away from the Orthodox Church, representatives of other confessions, atheists cannot become godparents.
Actually, the parents of the child, unlike other relatives, cannot take on the role of godparents.
Spouses and couples intending to marry are prohibited from being godparents of one baby.
Monks and nuns cannot become receivers. In Ancient Russia, there was no such church rule, and they became godfathers of many princes and representatives of royal dynasties. Many years later, a rule appeared prohibiting this action, so that the monks would not be involved in worldly affairs.
People who have not reached the age of majority themselves still understand little both in terms of life and spiritual knowledge. In addition, in the event of the death of the parents, they will not be able to take responsibility for the baby.
People who have shrouded themselves in debauchery.
For women during menstruation, it is better to refrain from baptismal rites.
You should not take strangers or unfamiliar people as godparents.
Disabled, mentally ill people, clear violators of God's commandments, criminals and people in a state of alcoholic intoxication are not suitable for the role of recipients.

Any of these cases is considered a sufficient reason for refusing to conduct the Epiphany rite. Of course, who can prevent you from not saying something, but is it really worth it? After all, you go to the temple not to deceive the priest, but to tie the fate of your child with two worthy people.

How many babies can be a god

There is no clear guidance in this regard: the number of baptisms depends directly on a person's desire. If you want - there will be one, if you want - at least ten. At the same time, one should not forget that the vows brought before God are inviolable and provide for responsibility for the spiritual future and moral character of the little Christian. You will have to answer for the undertaken obligations throughout the entire life path.

The church myth says: the godmother, taking vows for the second child, “removes the cross” from the first. The Church strongly disagrees, citing the example of the birth of another child. A mother who has a second child does not abandon the first. The situation is similar with the godmother: being at least four times a recipient, she is equally responsible for each of the children. It is quite difficult to devote time to all godchildren, so consider who can be the godparents of the child, whether the person has enough strength, energy and time, and only after that offer such a responsible post.

Some useful information about baptism

After the Epiphany Sacrament, personnel changes cannot be made: the godmother and godmother of the child are alone and for life, even if the person disappeared or left the church.
The presence of the godparents at the church baptismal procedure is mandatory. Extreme cases provide for the performance of the Sacrament without godparents.

Summing up

You should not choose for the role of a godmother who has no idea about church traditions. His main duty is to teach the basics of religion to a little Christian, and what will he teach who does not know anything himself?

It is reckless to accept responsibility for the upbringing of a child in the traditions of the Orthodox faith, whose father and mother are unchurched and are not going to change the order of things, also not attaching importance to the spiritual upbringing of the child and teaching him the basics of religion.

When accepting an invitation to become a godfather or mother of a baby, whose parents support the idea of the Orthodox baptism of their child and are ready to join in the church, before making your own vows, you should take from them promises to follow the Commandments, pray for your child every day, attend services and churches, try to take communion daily ... Advise parents to attend Sunday school or kakhetiz lessons in advance in order to understand how serious their desire to enter the Orthodox Church is, whether they consider the Sacrament of Baptism as a tradition of the past, some kind of magical rite.

Are you preparing to become a godfather or godmother? Do you know the duties of godparents? Ready to take responsibility for spiritually nurturing your baby? In this article, we will tell you whether it is necessary to be baptized in childhood, by what criteria to select recipients, and why it is so important to raise a child in faith.

The future godparents, together with the baby in their arms, approach the church. One of the recipients asks:

Does anyone know "I Believe"?
“I know,” the second responds.
- Fuh, well, if the priest asks, you will tell.

Unfortunately, this is far from an anecdote, but a situation that is often repeated in real life. Many recipients do not understand their function at all and do not know what responsibilities fall on godparents. We will talk about the meaning of baptism, the role of recipients for babies and the responsibility of fathers and mothers later.

Baptism - Spiritual Birth

The sacrament opens for the baptized the door into the life of the Church. From that moment on, a person becomes a Christian, can fully participate in the Sacraments.

Moreover: it is no coincidence that baptism is also called the second, or spiritual birth of a person. According to Christian teaching, a person's life does not end with earthly boundaries. We are all called to eternity. A true Christian - a believer who has received holy baptism, participating in the Sacraments, fulfilling the commandments - is called to eternal abiding in the Kingdom of Heaven together with the Most Holy Trinity, the Mother of God and the saints.

This hope for eternal joy in paradise was given to mankind by the resurrected Christ. He is the Son of God who is with the Father. But if we follow Christ, we will also become sons and daughters of God and without remorse we will be able to do the “Lord's Prayer” (referring to God with the words “Our Father”).

What is needed for this? Baptism and life according to the commandments.

In the letter to the Galatians, the apostle Paul writes:

The elites were baptized into Christ, put on Christ / all of you who were baptized into Christ, put on Christ (Gal. 3:27).

Baptizing in infancy or at a conscious age?

For many years, disputes have continued even among believers: is it possible to baptize a baby? Or is it worth waiting for the child to grow up and come to this consciously?

If you are religious parents, full-fledged members of the Church, who want to raise their own children in the Christian spirit, then there are no questions for you. You are quite capable of yourself vouching before God for your children.

It is a different matter if parents baptize their children just because “everyone does it” or “the child will not get sick”.

It is more like some kind of magical-ritual attitude to the Church: a child is sick - he needs to be christened, he is sick again - to receive the Holy Communion. Who thinks that a baptized boy or girl was born to eternal life? That at the Last Judgment he will be judged already as a Christian, and not according to his conscience?

Therefore, parents, when answering the question “Is it possible to baptize a baby?”, Should not forget about responsibility. Yes, it is possible to baptize in infancy, but then the responsibility for the spiritual development of the child falls on the family and godparents. But on the other hand, they open a new world and a door to a new life for this baby. In the Gospel of John, Christ directly says:

unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God (John 3: 5).

Are parents ready to bear such a responsibility? Or perhaps you also need to prepare yourself? To do this, it is worth at least to visit the catechumens, which are nowadays held in many churches. At such meetings, priests or competent lay people will talk about faith, the Church, the meaning of the Sacraments, and eternal life.

Responsibilities and duties of godparents

If the father and mother nevertheless decided to baptize the child, then they must decide on the place of the sacrament and the recipients. Recipients are not just some good friends or promising people who can then be called to all the holidays and called "godfathers."

First of all, these are believers who are ready to vouch for your baby before the Lord. A newborn does not yet have his own faith, therefore, baptism is performed according to the faith of parents and recipients.

Who can be godparents?

Only Orthodox Christians, and ideally not nominally believers, because otherwise they will not be able to fulfill the duties of godparents. How can you tell your child about God if you have no personal relationship with Him? How to bring a godson to Communion if you yourself do not confess and do not receive Communion?

Atheists, heterodox, criminals cannot become recipients. In our time, monks and nuns are also not allowed to be accepted. Previously, such a prescription did not exist. But today such a ban is explained by the fact that participation in baptism distracts monks, brings them closer to the secular environment.

How many godparents should we take?

Another popular question: how many godparents should there be? In fact, only one, and the same sex as the baptized one. It is he who makes the vows on behalf of the baby, which will be discussed below.

But today the practice has spread to take a couple of godparents: a woman and a man. Some parents even invite two or even three couples. But such an act is hardly dictated by piety. Most often, parents cannot decide or even do so for mercantile purposes. But we are not talking about that now.

What vows does the godfather / godmother give?

For some reason, many believe that the duties of godparents include only the unmistakable recitation of the "Creed." Yes, indeed, during the Sacrament of Baptism, the recipients usually read the "Symbol of Faith", thereby testifying to their involvement in the Church. But that is not all. In addition to agreeing with the main church dogmas, they boldly indicate participation in Christ and renunciation of Satan. The priest asks the godfather or godmother three times:

Do you deny Satan, and all his works, and all his aggels (demons), and all his ministry, and all his pride?

And the recipient also answers three times: "I deny."

Then the priest again asks the question: "Have you denied Satan?" And the godfather or mother must consciously answer: "Renounced / Renounced." All this ends with the words of the priest: "And duni, and spit on him."

Please note: on behalf of the baptized person, the recipient testifies that the devil no longer has any power over him. If you do not have faith, you do not want to live like a Christian, then can you dare to spit on the devil, completely renounce him? Can you be united with Christ?

It is about the latter that the priest further asks: are you united with Christ? Do you believe Him? If a person answers: I am combined, I believe Him, like Christ and God, then he makes a serious vow. A vow to participate in the spiritual upbringing of a child, to teach him the basics of faith, so that a baptized baby grows up as a Christian and be grateful that an excellent choice was made in his place as a child.

As you can imagine, not every person is suitable for such a responsible mission. To select worthy candidates, study the responsibilities of godparents in detail.

Responsibilities of the receivers

As a believer, the recipient must teach the basics of faith and his godson: it is easy to talk about God, the Church.
The prayer responsibility also falls on the godparents: from that day on, they also pray for the baby. And when the child grows up, they explain to him the meaning of the prayers, help him learn the first prayer texts.
Together with the parents, he gives communion to the child.
By his own example, he shows the meaning of Christian virtues and life according to the commandments. It is much easier for a child to see through the example of godparents what love, mercy, and benevolence are than to hear it in a moralizing conversation.

To fulfill these duties of godparents, the recipient needs to work on himself all the time. Much still depends on the parents: if they are believers not only in words, then the child will absorb the faith along with the atmosphere in the family.

If the parents are only formally Orthodox, or, even worse, they behave like a Christian only on Sundays in church, and on the street and at home "as it is necessary", then it will be much more difficult for children to come to God. But worst of all, if the parents at one time answered positively to the question "Is it possible to baptize a baby?", But were absolutely not ready for this. They do not live in a Christian way, they do not educate a child in the faith. In this case, it will be very difficult for the godparents to fulfill their duties.

You will learn how to prepare godparents for baptism in this video:

Baptism is one of the important events in the life of an Orthodox person. It is believed that he receives a kind of pass to the Kingdom of God. This is the moment of a person's spiritual birth, when his previous sins are forgiven, and the soul is purified. Particular attention should be paid to the choice of godparents for the child, since they have an influence on the spiritual life and salvation of the believer. Therefore, the godfather, whose duties and responsibilities lie in all of the above, must be worthy.

The role of the godfather in a child's life

Now let's take a closer look at what role the godfather plays in Orthodoxy, whose duties are not only gifts for the holidays. The most important thing he must do is to help in the spiritual life of his godson. So, let's look at the responsibilities in order:

Set a worthy example for him with your life. This means that in the presence of the godson, you cannot drink alcohol and smoke cigarettes, speak swear words. You need to be noble in your actions.
Prayers for your godson are obligatory, especially in difficult moments.
Visit the temple with your child.
Spiritual education of the godson is obligatory (stories about God, teaching the Bible, etc.). If there are problems in life situations, then provide all possible help.
The duties of the godfather also include material support if necessary (if the parents have a difficult situation with money or work).

What do you need to know to choose godparents?

So how do you choose a godfather, or a recipient? What should be guided by? First, you should know that in the spiritual life of a child, the most important is the godfather of the same sex (for a boy, a godfather, for a girl, a godmother). However, according to an established tradition, two are chosen as godfathers.

Of course, the decision on who will be the spiritual educator of the child throughout his life is made at the family council. If there are any difficulties in choosing, then consult with the priest or spiritual father. He will probably suggest a suitable candidate, because this is a rather honorable duty.

It is very important that godparents are not lost in life, so that they continue to spiritually nourish the child throughout life. Both the godmother and the godfather, whose duties and functions are described above, have their own responsibility to the Lord.

Based on all this, Christians who are over fourteen years old are suitable for the role of spiritual parents. They take responsibility for the child's further spiritual life, making prayers for him, and then teaching him to live in the Lord.

Who can't be godfather?

When choosing a godfather or mother, you need to know who cannot be one for your child:

Those who are going to become spouses in the future or are already such in the present.
Parents of the kid.
Those who took monastic vows.
Unbaptized people or unbelievers in the Lord.
You cannot take people who have a mental illness as godparents.
Those who profess a different faith.

All of this should be considered before a godfather is chosen. His responsibilities are quite extensive, so a person who has agreed to be one must be clearly aware of everything.

Required items for the ceremony

It should be told in more detail about what items are needed for this rite:

Kryzhma. This is a special towel on which a cross is embroidered or simply depicted. A child is wrapped in it during chrismation, as well as when prohibitive prayers are read. Sometimes the name of the baby and the date of his baptism are embroidered on this towel.
Baptismal diaper. This is not really a necessary attribute, but should be when it is cold. The baby is wiped with this diaper after dipping into the baptismal font, and then wrapped in a canyon again.
Christening clothes. This can be a baptismal set (dress) for a girl or a special shirt for a boy. It is desirable that these clothes be purchased as a gift by the child's recipient.
It is necessary to have a pectoral cross with you for a future Christian. The godfather usually buys it. The baptismal duties for him, of course, are not limited only to this acquisition, but they will be written about them below.
It is necessary to take with you an envelope for your baby's cropped hair.
You should also purchase icons for the child and make a donation to the temple (this is an optional condition).

Is there any special preparation for the recipients before the ceremony?

You should also pay attention to the preparation for christening. The most correct step would be to turn to a confessor or priest for advice. However, you should know that it is usually necessary to confess and receive communion before the sacrament. Before that, you need to observe the fast (the father should tell you about the number of days). You may need additional actions, such as reading prayers, spiritual literature, etc. It is also advisable not to attend noisy parties, various entertainment establishments at this time, refuse to watch TV. It is advisable to devote all free time to prayer.

If this is your first time in the role of godfather, then it is advisable to get acquainted with how the sacrament goes, what prayers are read, what is the order of the chants. This is necessary because when you become the spiritual educator of a small person, you need more than just a formal presence. A sincere prayer is needed, which should not stop even after the completion of the sacrament, because this is the essence of becoming a godfather.

In more detail about what the godfather has duties during the performance of this rite, will be described below.

Gifts

Considering the question of the duties of the godfather at the christening, it should be said that on this day it is customary to give gifts, both to the baby and to the godfather. If you wish, you can present a gift to your parents.

It is appropriate for a child to give both an educational toy and something more important for spiritual life, for example, a Bible for children with pictures. By the way, the gift can be negotiated with the parents in advance, because something else may be more important at this moment.

There is one main gift that the godfather should give the baby. The responsibility during baptism is not only to hold the baby, but also to show the first example of honoring the Lord. After all, children understand everything from birth at the level of feelings. In addition to reading prayers, such a gift becomes a pectoral cross, which is a baptismal one. It must be bought and donated by the recipient.

For parents, especially for the baby's mother, a prayer book will be a good gift, where there will be necessary prayers for the whole family.

How were christenings celebrated in ancient times?

Earlier, as now, christenings were a very significant event in the life of people. This sacrament was performed necessarily no later than two months from the birth of the baby, and sometimes even earlier, on the eighth day. This happened because there used to be a high mortality rate for babies, so it was very important for loved ones to baptize the child before the irreparable happens, so that his soul goes to heaven.

The celebration of the introduction of the little man to the church was performed with a large number of guests. This was especially noticeable in large villages. A lot of people gathered for such a holiday, who came with gifts and best wishes to the baby. At the same time, they brought mainly various pastries - pies, pies, pretzels. In the house where the little man lived, a magnificent table was laid for the guests, and there was practically no alcohol (there could only be red wine in very small quantities).

There were traditional holiday dishes. For example, a rooster baked in porridge for a boy or a chicken for a girl. There were also a lot of curly pastries, which symbolized wealth, fertility, and longevity.

It was customary to invite the midwife who took the baby to the table. They could also call the priest, who performed the rite of baptism. During the festival, they sang numerous songs, thus wishing the child all the best. They saw off all the guests, presenting everyone with sweets.

How is baptism going? Duties of the Godfather

Now we will consider how the ceremony itself goes, what should be done at this time and what responsibilities each of those present has. In our time, this ordinance usually takes place on the fortieth day after birth. Parents or future godparents should go to the chosen temple in advance and sign up for the chosen date, as well as agree on the process itself. After all, you can hold individual christenings or general ones.

The duties of the godfather at the baptism of a girl are one, a boy - others (although they differ slightly). If the child is not yet a year old and cannot stand on his own, then he is held in his arms all the time. The first half of the ceremony (before dipping into the baptismal font), the godmothers hold the boys, and the fathers hold the girls. After the dive, everything changes. Since the father is the main thing for the boy, he is the one who accepts the baby, and the mother accepts the girl. And until the end of the ceremony, everything continues.

The service itself lasts about forty minutes (more time is required if there are a lot of people). It begins after the celebration of the Liturgy. The celebration of the sacrament begins with the laying on of hands on the baptized person and reading a special prayer. After that, you should renounce Satan and his works. Adults are responsible for the kid who cannot speak.

The next step in the ceremony will be the consecration of the water in the font. Before immersing the baptized person in it, he should be anointed with oil (back, chest, ears, forehead, legs and arms.) Only after this is immersion in the font. The priest reads prayers at the same time. This action symbolizes dying to the world and resurrection to the Lord. So there is a kind of cleansing.

Then the child is transferred to the godfather, he is wrapped in a canyon (as mentioned above, the boy is transferred to the father, and the girl to the mother). Now the baby is anointed with myrrh.

So now you know the duties of a godfather when a boy and a girl are baptized. As you can see, they are slightly different.

Baptism at home

In addition to being baptized in the temple, it will not be reprehensible to perform this sacrament at home, with your family. However, it is better to do it in the right place. This is based on the fact that after the baptism of the boys, it is imperative that they be brought to the altar (girls simply kiss the icons).

After the ceremony is completed, the little man becomes a full member of the church. This can be felt most strongly only in the temple. Therefore, home christenings are possible only if the infant is unable to endure the ceremony in the church. They are also performed when the child is in mortal danger (illness, etc.). If the entire sacrament takes place at home, then the godfather has the same duties for baptism as if the rite was performed in a church.

Church life of new Christians

You should know that after baptism for a person, his spiritual life only begins. The first acquaintance with church rules begins with the prayer of the mother and godmother. This is how the word of God is invisibly instilled in a baby. And in the future, when he sees everything himself, you can slowly introduce him to family prayer, explaining its value.

Special mention should be made of baptismal accessories. Kryzhma and special clothing (if you purchased one) should be stored separately and not used in everyday life. The baptismal shirt (dress) can be worn in moments of illness of the child (or simply wrapped in it). The icon that was used during the sacrament must be placed near the baby's bed or on the home iconostasis (if any). The candle is used on special occasions and is also kept for life.

The duties of a godfather at baptism are just beginning. In the future, when the child grows up, it will be necessary to go to church with him, to receive communion and to services. Of course, this can be done with the parents, but it is better if it is the godfather. By the way, you need to take a child to church from an early age. It is there, in the bosom of the church, that he will be able to realize all the greatness of God. If he does not understand something, you need to patiently explain the difficult moments.

This is how addiction and beneficial effects on the human soul take place. Church chants and prayers are calming and strengthening. As you grow up, difficult questions can arise. If godfathers or parents cannot give answers to them, then it is better to turn to the priest.

Conclusion

So now you know what the godfather's responsibilities are. They need to be taken seriously from the very beginning, as soon as you are offered such an offer. If necessary, consult with the priest about what you should do for the baby, how to educate in the spiritual life, and what kind of support to provide. Be careful, because from now on you and your godson are spiritually bound forever. You will also be responsible for his sins, so upbringing should be treated with special importance. By the way, if you are not confident in your abilities, then it is better to refuse it.

Historians and military leaders of the Great Patriotic War are practically unanimous in the opinion that the most significant miscalculation that predetermined the tragedy of 1941 was the outdated doctrine of warfare adhered to by the Red Army.
Historians and military leaders of the Great Patriotic War are practically unanimous in the opinion that the most significant miscalculation that predetermined the tragedy of 1941 was the outdated doctrine of warfare adhered to by the Red Army.

Researchers V. Soloviev and Yu. Kirshin, blaming Stalin, Voroshilov, Timoshenko and Zhukov, note that they "did not understand the content of the initial period of the war, made mistakes in planning, in strategic deployment, in determining the direction of the main attack of the German troops."

An unexpected blitzkrieg

Despite the fact that the blitzkrieg strategy was successfully tested by the Wehrmacht troops in the European campaign, the Soviet command ignored it and counted on a completely different start of a possible war between Germany and the USSR.

"The People's Commissar of Defense and the General Staff believed that the war between such major powers as Germany and the Soviet Union should begin according to the previously existing scheme: the main forces enter the battle a few days after the border battles," Zhukov recalled.

The command of the Red Army assumed that the Germans would launch an offensive with limited forces, and only after the border battles would the concentration and deployment of the main troops be completed. The General Staff hoped that while the covering army would conduct an active defense, exhausting and bleeding the fascists, the country would be able to carry out a full-scale mobilization.

Nevertheless, an analysis of the strategy of waging war in Europe by German troops shows that the success of the Wehrmacht was primarily associated with powerful attacks by armored forces supported by aircraft, which quickly cut through the enemy's defenses.

The main task of the first days of the war was not to seize territory, but to destroy the defenses of the invaded country.
The miscalculation of the command of the USSR led to the fact that on the very first day of the war, German aviation destroyed more than 1200 combat aircraft and, in fact, secured air supremacy. As a result of the surprise attack, hundreds of thousands of soldiers and officers were killed, wounded or taken prisoner. The German command achieved its goal: the command and control of the Red Army troops was disrupted for some time.

Unsuccessful placement of troops

As many researchers note, the nature of the disposition of Soviet troops was very convenient for attacking German territory, but detrimental for a defensive operation. The deployment that took shape at the beginning of the war was formed earlier in accordance with the General Staff's plan to deliver preventive strikes on German territory. According to the September 1940 version of the Fundamentals of Deployment, such a deployment of troops was abandoned, but only on paper.

At the time of the attack of the German army, the military formations of the Red Army were not with deployed rear services, but were divided into three echelons without operational communication with each other. Such miscalculations of the General Staff allowed the Wehrmacht army to achieve a numerical superiority quite easily and destroy Soviet troops in parts.

The situation was especially alarming on the "Bialystok salient", which for many kilometers went towards the enemy. This arrangement of troops created a threat of deep coverage and encirclement of the 3rd, 4th, and 10th armies of the Western District. The fears were confirmed: literally in a matter of days, three armies were surrounded and defeated, and on June 28 the Germans entered Minsk.

Reckless counterattacks

On June 22, at 7 o'clock in the morning, Stalin issued a directive, which said: "The troops with all their might and means attack the enemy forces and destroy them in the area where they violated the Soviet border."

Such an order testified to the lack of understanding by the Supreme Command of the USSR of the scale of the invasion.
Six months later, when German troops were driven back from Moscow, Stalin demanded a counteroffensive on other fronts. Few could argue with him. Despite the unwillingness of the Soviet army to conduct full-scale military operations, a counteroffensive was launched along the entire length of the front - from Tikhvin to the Kerch Peninsula.

Moreover, the troops were ordered to dismember and destroy the main forces of Army Group Center. The headquarters overestimated its capabilities: the Red Army at this stage of the war was unable to concentrate sufficient forces in the main direction, could not use tanks and artillery on a massive scale.
On May 2, 1942, one of the planned operations began in the Kharkov region, which, according to historians, was carried out while ignoring the enemy's capabilities and neglecting the complications that an unfortified bridgehead could lead to. On May 17, the Germans struck from both sides and a week later turned the bridgehead into a "cauldron". As a result of this operation, about 240 thousand Soviet soldiers and officers were taken prisoner.

Inaccessibility of inventories

The General Staff believed that in the conditions of an impending war, the material and technical means should be pulled closer to the troops. 340 of the 887 stationary warehouses and bases of the Red Army were located in the border districts, including more than 30 million shells and mines. In the area of the Brest Fortress alone, 34 wagons of ammunition were stored. In addition, most of the artillery of corps and divisions was not in the front-line zone, but in training camps.
The course of hostilities showed the rashness of such a decision. It was no longer possible to withdraw military equipment, ammunition and fuels and lubricants in a short time. As a result, they were either destroyed or captured by the Germans.
Another mistake made by the General Staff was a large accumulation of aircraft at the airfields, while camouflage and cover by air defense means were weak. If the advanced units of the army aviation were based too close to the border - 10-30 km., Then the units of the front-line and long-range aviation were located too far - from 500 to 900 km.

Main forces to Moscow

In mid-July 1941, Army Group Center rushed into the gap in the Soviet defenses between the Zapadnaya Dvina and Dnieper rivers. Now the way to Moscow was open. Predictably for the German command, the Stavka placed the main forces in the Moscow direction. According to some reports, up to 40% of the personnel of the Red Army, the same amount of artillery and about 35% of the total number of aircraft and tanks were concentrated on the way of Army Group Center.
The tactics of the Soviet command remained the same: to meet the enemy head-on, wear him out, and then, with all available forces, launch a counteroffensive. The main task - to keep Moscow at any cost - was accomplished, but most of the armies concentrated on the Moscow direction fell into the "boilers" near Vyazma and Bryansk. In two "cauldrons" were 7 field directorates of armies from 15, 64 divisions from 95, 11 tank regiments from 13 and 50 artillery brigades from 62.
The General Staff realized the possibility of an offensive by German troops in the south, but most of the reserves were concentrated not in the direction of Stalingrad and the Caucasus, but near Moscow. This strategy led to the successes of the German army in the South.

On the same topic:

The main reasons why the Red Army failed in 1941 How the Red Army defended the Brest Fortress in 1941

2. On the morning of June 22, 1941, fascist Germany invaded the USSR without declaring war. At the beginning of the war, the Nazis suffered heavy losses. In the first 20 days of the war, Germany lost more equipment and people than in two years of war in Europe. However, our Army suffered even greater losses. Until December 1, 1941, the losses in killed, missing and captured amounted to 7 million people, about 22 thousand tanks, up to 25 thousand aircraft. In the first months of the war, the country lost up to 40% of its economic potential.

The failures of the Red Army were due to the following reasons:

1. Miscalculation in determining the timing of the likely collision with Germany. Stalin was sure that the attack would not take place until the end of the spring of 1942. By this time, it was planned to complete all preparations for the war.

2. The main reason for the failures of K.A. at the beginning of the war there were unreasonable repressions in the country. Only for 1937-1938. more than 40 thousand commanders and political workers were exterminated. In 1937-1940. out of 264 military leaders (from marshal to division commander) 220 were repressed, out of 108 representatives of the highest political composition of the Red Army - 99. The command and political composition of brigades and regiments was subjected to widespread repression.

3. The inability to organize the available resources to repel the enemy.

4. K.A. was in a state of reorganization and rearmament. The reorientation of the defense industry to the production of military equipment began with a delay. Subjectivist assessments and Stalin's incompetence in assessing the situation played an extremely negative role.

5. On the eve of the attack, the troops of the border military districts were not put on high alert. This allowed the enemy to easily win border battles and inflict heavy damage on K.A.

6. The construction of defensive lines on the new border of the USSR was not completed, and the fortifications on the former border were mostly dismantled.

7. It is also negative that the army and the people were oriented towards an easy victory. They said that the war, if it did, would be fought on the enemy's territory and would end with little bloodshed.

However, Stalin believed that the main reason for the retreat was the betrayal of the commanders and the Red Army. On August 16, an order was issued for the troops of the western direction. By this order, a large group of military specialists, heads of military production facilities, generals were arrested: People's Commissar of Armaments B.L. Vannikov, deputy. People's Commissar K.A. Meretskov, designer Taubin, more than 10 military generals. Many of them were shot on October 28, 1941 in Kuibyshev and Saratov.

12. Restructuring the life of the country in a military manner. 1941 g.

On June 30, 1941, the State Defense Committee (GKO) was formed under the chairmanship of J.V. Stalin. All power was concentrated in the hands of the GKO. The main principle of leadership was centralization even more than before the war. The entire military organizational work has been seriously rebuilt, which has acquired enormous proportions:

1. Only in the first 7 days of the war, 5.3 million people were drafted into the army. The call was announced for 32 ages (from 1890 to 1922, the reserve was large, 30 million).

2. The Headquarters of the Supreme Command was created.

3. The institution of military commissars was introduced.

4. A system for training command personnel and reserves has been created and adjusted (universal compulsory military training has been introduced).

5. Parts of the military militia from the people began to form.

6. The redistribution of communists from territorial to military party organizations began, the conditions for admission to the party at the front were facilitated.

7. From the first days of the war, the organization of the partisan movement behind enemy lines began. There were 70 million people in the occupied territory. They behaved differently: some went to the partisans, and some went over to the side of the enemy. Those and others were about the same - about 1 million people. The partisan movement in Ukraine was attended by 500 thousand, in Belarus - 400 thousand. There were few partisans in the newly annexed (before the war) territories.

The country's economy was transferred to a war footing, its main directions were:

1. Redistribution of material and financial resources for the needs of the front.

2. Strengthening centralization in economic management.

3. Solving the problem of workers: legislative consolidation in production, mobilization to the labor front, attracting housewives, pensioners, adolescents (13-16 years old), cancellation of vacations, days off. The working day was 11 hours.

4. Tightening of sanctions for violation of labor discipline: for being late from 3 months to 1 year in prison, for unauthorized leaving the enterprise from 6 to 8 years.

5. Taxes, loans were introduced, deposits were frozen, income tax was doubled, a card system was introduced.

6. Churches, prayer houses were opened, some clergymen returned from the Gulag.

7. There was a relocation to the east of industrial enterprises. In July - November 1941 alone, 1,523 enterprises were evacuated to the east, incl. 28 in Tyumen. Production was getting started in the shortest possible time.

8. The party leadership of the national economy has sharply increased.

Inside the country, the party and state leadership of the USSR focused on the total mobilization and use of all available resources in order to repel aggression. In this respect, the USSR surpassed all other countries participating in the Second World War. The AKC has demonstrated its advantages in the extreme conditions of war. The Soviet government was able to determine the main directions of the people's activity. Even slogans were developed for each category of the population: for the army - to fight to the last drop of blood; for the rear - everything for the front, everything for victory; for the occupied territories - the creation of a party-Komsomol underground and partisan movement.

In the military history literature and in the memoirs of the participants in the Great Patriotic War, many different reasons for the failures and defeats of the Red Army at the beginning of the war are named.

Military experts say that one of the main reasons for the failure is the miscalculations of the country's military-political leadership in assessing the timing of Nazi Germany's attack on the Soviet Union. Despite the regular flow of information from the Soviet intelligence service since mid-1940 about the preparation of Nazi Germany for an attack on the USSR, Stalin did not exclude the possibility that in 1941 the war could be avoided and various political maneuvers to delay its beginning until 1942. For fear of provoking a war, the Soviet troops were not tasked with bringing the border districts to full combat readiness, and the troops did not occupy the intended defensive lines and positions before the enemy attack began. As a result, the Soviet troops were actually in a peacetime position, which largely predetermined the unsuccessful outcome of the 1941 border battles.

Of the 57 divisions intended to cover the border, only 14 calculated divisions (25% of the allocated forces and assets) managed to occupy the designated defense areas, and then mainly on the flanks of the Soviet-German front. The construction of the defense was designed only to cover the border, and not to conduct a defensive operation in order to repel the offensive of superior enemy forces.

Before the war, the military-political leadership of the USSR did not sufficiently develop and master the forms and methods of strategic and operational defense. The methods of conducting operations in the initial period of the war were assessed incorrectly. The possibility of the enemy going over to the offensive at once by all the previously deployed groupings of troops simultaneously in all strategic directions was not envisaged.

Difficulties in the preparation of the theater of military operations (theater of operations) created the transfer of the border and the withdrawal of the bulk of the troops of the western military districts to the territory of Western Ukraine, Western Belarus, the Baltic republics and Bessarabia. A significant part of the fortified areas on the old border was mothballed. The need arose for the urgent construction of fortified areas on the new border, the expansion of the airfield network and the reconstruction of most airfields.

The possibility of conducting military operations on its territory was practically ruled out. All this had a negative impact on the preparation of not only defense, but also theaters of military operations in the depths of its territory as a whole.

It was also wrong to concentrate the main forces of Soviet troops in the southwestern strategic direction by the start of the war, i.e. in the Ukraine, while the main blow of the fascist troops in June 1941 dealt in the western direction - in Belarus. Also unjustified was the decision to bring stocks of material and technical means closer to the border, which made them vulnerable with the outbreak of war.

Not enough attention was paid to the mobilization preparation of the industry. The developed mobilization plans for the transfer of the national economy to a war footing were calculated for too long periods.

Before the war, a major organizational and technical reorganization of the Soviet Armed Forces began, which was planned to be completed before 1942. A radical restructuring of the system of operational, combat and political training of the armed forces began. And here there were major mistakes. Overly cumbersome formations and formations were created without taking into account the real possibilities of equipping them with modern weapons and staffing. The timing of the completion of the formation of most of the new connections turned out to be unrealistic. As a result, by the beginning of the war, a significant part of them could not be formed, equipped with equipment and trained. This happened, for example, with almost simultaneously formed new mechanized corps, many of which turned out to be incapable of combat.
Soviet troops were not fully staffed with command and enlisted personnel, as well as tanks, aircraft, anti-aircraft guns, cars, means of propulsion for artillery, fuel supply, equipment repair and engineering weapons.

The Red Army did not have in sufficient quantity such important technical means as radio, engineering equipment, automobiles, and special tractors for artillery.

Soviet troops were inferior to the enemy in the number of personnel and artillery, but outnumbered him in the number of tanks and aircraft. However, the qualitative superiority was on the side of Germany. It was expressed in better technical equipment, higher coordination, training and manning of the troops. The enemy had tactical and technical superiority in the main aircraft fleet.

Most of the Soviet tanks were no worse, and the new ones (T34, KB) were better than the German ones, but the main tank park was badly worn out.
On the eve of the war, huge damage was inflicted on the personnel of the Soviet armed forces and intelligence: almost 40 thousand of the most qualified commanders and political workers were subjected to massive repressions. Most of the commanders of the troops of military districts, fleets, armies, corps, divisions, regiments, members of military councils, and other party and political workers were arrested and destroyed. Instead of them, military cadres who did not have the necessary practical experience were hastily promoted to leading posts.
(Military encyclopedia. Military. Moscow, in 8 volumes. 2004)

In the control system of the Armed Forces, there were continuous changes in the leadership of the central apparatus and military districts. So, in the five pre-war years, four chiefs of the General Staff were replaced. For a year and a half before the war (1940-1941) five times (on average every 3-4 months) the chiefs of the air defense directorate were replaced, from 1936 to 1940 five chiefs of the intelligence directorate were replaced, etc. Therefore, most officials did not have time to master their duties associated with the implementation of a wide range of complex tasks before the war.

By this period, the commanding staff of the German army had acquired the necessary practical skills in troop command and control, in organizing and conducting major offensive operations, and in using all types of military equipment and weapons on the battlefields. The German soldier possessed combat training. As the events of the first weeks of the war showed, the German army's combat experience played an important role in the first successes of the fascist troops on the Soviet German front.

As a result of the defeat suffered by the states of Europe in the first period of the Second World War, the economic and military resources of almost all of Western Europe were in the hands of Nazi Germany, which significantly increased its military-economic potential.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from open sources.

Detailed solution paragraph § 26-27 on history for students of grade 11, authors Danilov D.D., Petrovich V.G., Belichenko D.Yu., Selinov P.I., Antonov V.M., Kuznetsov A.V. Basic and Advanced Level 2016

EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL

These points of view differ from each other in the following: the reasons for the defeats of the Red Army

Formulate the problem and compare your version with the authors' version.

What are the reasons for the defeats of the Red Army at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War?

REPEAT NECESSARY KNOWLEDGE

List the main events that led humanity to the beginning of the global conflict in the late 1930s.

Versailles-Washington system of international relations

The economic crisis has contributed to the radicalization (application of tough drastic measures) of many political regimes

Aggressive plans and mistrust of each other between "Western democracies", fascist dictatorships and the communist Soviet Union.

Immediate events that led to the war:

1936 entry of German troops into the Rhine demilitarized zone

Treaty on the alliance of Germany and Italy (Berlin-Rome axis); "Anti-Comintern Pact" of Germany and Japan

1937 - the beginning of the Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945).

1938 - the victory of Franco's fascists in the Spanish Civil War.

Accession ("Anschluss") of Austria to Germany.

summer - Germany's demand for Czechoslovakia to transfer the border territories inhabited by Germans.

September - Munich agreement between England, France and Germany on the transfer of the last part of Czechoslovakia. The USSR is ready to defend Czechoslovakia, but Poland does not allow troops through its territory. The Czechoslovakians allow the Germans to occupy the border areas.

March 10 - Stalin at the Congress of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) accuses Britain and France of provoking the war, says that the USSR is ready "to pursue a policy of peace and strengthening business ties with all countries in the future." Ribbentrop in Germany takes this as an invitation to negotiate.

March 15 - the occupation of the whole of Czechoslovakia by Germany (violation of the Munich agreements without the reaction of England and France).

March 21 - Germany demands from Poland to transfer the lands inhabited by the Germans and "pursue a joint anti-Soviet policy."

May 17-22 - the beginning of the Soviet-Japanese armed conflict on the river. Khalkhin Gol in Mongolia (until August 1939)

August 23 - the signing of the Soviet-German non-aggression pact (Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact) and secret protocols to it on the division of spheres of influence in Europe.

What are the main measures to prepare the USSR for entry into the war in 1939-1941?

Army modernization

Industrialization of the economy

Conclusion of the Non-Aggression Pact of the USSR and Germany

The annexation of the territories of Belarus, the Baltic states, Poland in order to push back the western borders of the USSR

Large-scale redeployment of troops to the western borders

1. By May-June 1941 on the borders of the USSR, fascist Germany with the help of allies (Italy, Hungary, Romania, Finland) concentrated 190 divisions - 5.5 million soldiers and officers. The USSR had 170 divisions - 2.9 million fighters - in five military districts bordering on Germany. But being inferior to the Germans in strategic directions in manpower almost 2 times, the divisions of the Red Army significantly outnumbered the invading army in the number and quality of tanks and aircraft, were not inferior in artillery, the provision of troops with other equipment.

2. A feature of the administrative-command system that existed at that time with a totalitarian basis was its rigid pyramidal structure. In other words, all the fateful decisions were made by one person - I.V. Stalin. For a long time, he did not react to conflicting intelligence reports, considering them to be British disinformation or provocations of German generals. According to the most common version explaining this behavior, Stalin tried by any means to delay the outbreak of hostilities.

3. Only in June 1941, the Soviet leadership (primarily in the military) realized that an attack by Germany was inevitable. Secretly, under the guise of military training, the call-up to the army of reservists (previously trained fighters) began. A large-scale redeployment of troops to the western borders began. On June 21, in the evening, a directive was sent to the field on bringing the personnel of the units to combat readiness and possible provocations from the German side. But not all military units even managed to receive this directive: German sabotage units "Brandenburg-800", disguised in Soviet military uniforms, penetrated the territory of military camps, cut telephone lines. In the early morning of June 22, 1941, an air raid began on border towns, fortified areas, and communication facilities.

4. The German invasion took many Soviet military units by surprise; in the very first days, the control of units, communication between them, the supply of ammunition, fuel, etc. was disrupted. There is evidence of both courageous resistance and panic and confusion of commanders and soldiers. Contradictory orders forced tank and motorized rifle divisions to make grueling marches. The equipment that had fallen into disrepair and stalled was simply thrown, in some units up to 80% of the losses were non-combat. In the first days of the fighting, the Germans managed to ensure complete air supremacy.

5. The mid-level commanders acted clumsily and lack of initiative, trying with all their might not to take responsibility upon themselves; mass surrender became the norm (the German command spoke of more than 3 million prisoners of war in 1941).

Draw a conclusion: why at the initial stage of the war (1941-1942) the USSR suffered terrible defeats and suffered huge losses?

Conclusion: at the initial stage of the war (1941-1942), the USSR suffered terrible defeats and suffered huge losses because the country's leadership did not believe in the German attack, the German army had a numerical superiority, the attack caught the border troops by surprise, the inexperience and lack of professionalism of the Red army, silence until July 3, Stalin, who gave the main orders. Nevertheless, fascist Germany did not succeed in the plan of a lightning war; Soviet society preserved and increased its opportunities for resistance.

Analyze the events of 1942 and draw a conclusion: why, at the initial stage of the war (1941–1942), the USSR suffered terrible defeats and suffered huge losses?

Conclusion: at the initial stage of the war (1941-1942), the USSR suffered terrible defeats and suffered huge losses because the country's leadership did not believe in the German attack, the German army had a numerical superiority, the attack caught the border troops by surprise, the inexperience and lack of professionalism of the Red army, silence until July 3, Stalin, who gave the main orders. Nevertheless, fascist Germany did not succeed in the plan of a lightning-fast war, Soviet society retained and increased its opportunities for resistance.

PROFILE MATERIAL

Analyze the texts of the sources and, on their basis, draw a conclusion about the reasons for the failures of the Soviet troops in the initial period of the war.

F. Halder, chief of the German General Staff: ... 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 airfields, covered with tarpaulins, and the forward units, suddenly attacked by our troops, asked the command about what to do.

Order of a member of the Military Council of the 16th Army: ... I have information that some servicemen of the division entrusted to you express negative sentiments, show cowardice and there are cases of drunkenness

... The Russian soldier surpasses our enemy in the West with his contempt for death. Endurance and fanaticism make him hold on until he is killed in a trench or falls dead in hand-to-hand combat.

.... If (by the Germans) an alternative Russian government is nevertheless created, many Russians may believe that the Germans are really fighting only against the Bolshevik system, and not against Russia. Maybe other generals think the way I do; I know some of them who really dislike communism; but today they can do nothing else but support him.

Major General K.D. Golubev. Report of the commander of the 43rd Army I.V. Stalin. November 8, 1941

This document testifies to the presence of disagreements and the struggle for leadership among the top leadership of the army, which is also the cause of defeats and losses.

Memories of veterans N. Makarenko about the battles for Moscow and V.V. Karpov about the battles in 1942, N.M. Yaganov.

This document testifies to the courage and heroism of ordinary soldiers.

This order was called "Not a step back!", Tightened discipline in the Red Army, prohibited the withdrawal of troops without an order, introduced penal companies and battalions, as well as detachments. Published after the defeat of the Red Army near Kharkov (Kharkov cauldron, 1942). In classical historiography, it is generally accepted that this order was necessary in the current situation, but also caused huge losses.

V.A. Nevezhin, Russian historian, on various versions of the beginning of the Great Patriotic War.

Despite the obvious disagreements between the participants in the polemic in assessing the activities of I.V. Stalin in preparation for armed confrontation with Germany on the eve of June 22, 1941, this polemic showed the following. Stalin and the Soviet leadership undoubtedly had their own "scenario" for the coming war. They imagined this war as an all-crushing, offensive one.

P.N. Bobylev about the beginning of the Great Patriotic War.

... The existence of the May plan of the General Staff and the beginning of its implementation does not change anything in assessing the German attack on the USSR as an aggression. There can be no talk of a preemptive attack by Hitler here, for it has already been proven that the German leadership, either earlier or in June 1941, had no data on the preparation of the Red Army for offensive actions. In this regard, the very version of Germany's preventive war looks utterly absurd: it turns out that Hitler thwarted the Soviet attack, about the preparation of which he knew nothing. Any reasoning about what would have happened if Hitler had postponed the attack on the USSR for two months are already in the field of fortune-telling. In reality, from June 22, 1941, the Red Army had to repel the German aggression.

A.I. Utkin, a modern Russian historian, on the reasons for the defeats and heroic resistance of the Red Army.

I tried to look at this war through the eyes of the Germans. The first week of the war, hot, July, the Germans are moving very quickly, already on the outskirts of Minsk. And here in the notebook of the German lieutenant: on the left, the neighbors have already moved 100 km ahead, on the right, the neighbors are also moving forward, and we stopped, it is not clear what the matter is. We are trying to bypass the positions of the Russians on the left - a minefield, we go to the right - an ambush, and we stand for a whole week, delaying the whole front. All this opened quite unexpectedly, because the chef decided to get into a Russian tank. A Soviet tank was hit on a hillock, when it was rising, a blow was made directly at it, the armor was pierced, and the cook decided to take something: a watch, some things, souvenirs, nothing special. And when he opened the hatch, everything became clear. Below in the tank was a dead Russian captain kneeling, he had a radio in his hand, and he was in the blinds, as the hole in the tank is called, he saw the whole position, he stood above, and everything was visible, and he coordinated the actions of the Russians during the hot weeks. Nearby, the corpses of his comrades were decomposing, he died, being wounded and in this stench, but he held out to the end. This astonished the Germans, and it seemed to them that this war would not be similar to the one that was in Poland and France. And the German chief lieutenant writes that he felt cold in his legs, he felt that this time it would not be so easy.

A. Filippov, on the readiness of the Red Army for war in June 1941 (1992)

.... The Soviet military leadership, preparing for war with Germany, strenuously sought by 1941 a quantitative superiority over the Wehrmacht, especially in tanks and aircraft, but it remained a secret for him the multiple lag of the Red Army from the German as troops, headquarters, command staff ...

The troops were poorly trained in the methods of modern warfare, poorly put together, and insufficiently organized. At a low level were radio communications, control, interaction, reconnaissance, tactics.

The main reason for the defeat of our troops in the summer of 1941 was the unpreparedness of the Red Army to wage a modern mobile war with an enemy perfectly prepared for just such a war.

A. Smirnov, modern Russian historian, on the publication of the memoirs of General Illarion Tolkonyuk. 2005 year

Memories of Tolkonyuk once again confirm that numerous cases of the voluntary surrender of the Red Army soldiers in 1941, described in German literature, are by no means a propaganda invention.<.>

He paints a picture of extremely inflexible, overly centralized command and control of troops, which does not allow lower-level commanders to influence the development of events in time, and forces higher ones to replace lower-level ones.

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