At the beginning 40- 1990s, the main leadership of Germany tried to develop its own unique plan to take over the Soviet Union. The uniqueness of the idea was its time frame. It was assumed that the seizure would last no more than five months. The development of this document was approached very responsibly, not only Hitler himself worked on it, but also his inner circle. Everyone understood that if they did not quickly occupy the territory of a huge state and did not stabilize the situation in their favor, many adverse consequences could occur. Hitler clearly understood that he had already begun the Second World War and quite successfully, however, in order to achieve all the goals set, maximum resources, including mental ones, should be attracted. In the event of a failure in the plan, the Union can be provided with a variety of assistance by other countries that are not interested in the victory of Nazi Germany. Fuhrer understood that the defeat of the USSR would enable Germany's ally to completely untie his hands in Asia and prevent the insidious United States of America from interfering.
The European continent was firmly in Adolf's hands, but he wanted more. Moreover, he was well aware that the USSR was not a powerful enough country (yet) and I. Stalin would not be able to openly oppose Germany, but his interests were in Europe and in order to eliminate any inclinations, it was necessary to eliminate the opponent undesirably in the future.

Adolf Hitler planned to end the war against the Soviet Union before he could end the war against Great Britain. It was going to be the fastest company ever to conquer vast territory in such a short time. The ground forces of Germany were planned to be sent to conduct combat operations. The Air Force will have to fully provide any necessary support in order to cover and protect its military. Any actions that are planned to take place on the territory of the Soviet Union must be fully coordinated with the command and must not interfere with the established interests of capturing Great Britain.
It was said that all large-scale actions aimed at carefully preparing a lightning capture against the USSR should be carefully disguised so that the enemy could not find out about them and not take any countermeasures.

Hitler's Biggest Mistakes

Many historians, who have been studying the situation with the development and implementation of a plan for the instant capture of the Union for several decades, come to one single thought - regarding the adventurism and senselessness of this idea. The commanding fascist generals also gave an assessment of the plan. They considered it the main, one might say fatal mistake - the Fuhrer's keen desire to occupy the territory of the country of the Soviets until the final end of the war with England.
Hitler wanted to start action in the fall of the fortieth year, but his military leaders were able to dissuade him from this crazy idea, citing a lot of convincing arguments. The events described show that Hitler had an obsessive obsession with the establishment of complete world domination and a crushing and intoxicating victory in Europe did not give him the opportunity to thoughtfully make some of the most important strategic decisions.
The second, most important, according to historians, mistake in the plan was that they constantly retreated from it. Hitler changed his instructions several times, because of which precious time was lost. Although he surrounded himself with excellent commanders, whose advice would help him achieve what he wanted and conquer the territory of the country of councils. However, they were opposed by the personal ambitions of the dictator, which were higher for the Fuhrer than common sense.
In addition, an important mistake of the Fuhrer is the involvement of only part of the combat-ready divisions. If all possible forces were involved, the consequences of the war could be completely different, and now history would be written completely different. At the time of the offensive, part of the combat-ready divisions were in Great Britain, as well as North Africa.

Hitler's main idea regarding the lightning speed of the work of the plan

He believed that the important point was the ability to break ground forces with the help of active tank attacks. Adolf saw the purpose of the operation solely as the division of existing Russia into two parts along the Volga and Arkhangelsk. This would allow him to keep the main industrial region of the country in operation, but have full control over it, as well as create an unprecedented shield dividing the country into European and Asian parts.
In addition, the first priority was to deprive the Baltic Fleet of its bases, which would allow the Germans to exclude Russian participation in the battles.
Complete secrecy was given regarding future actions of conquest. Only a certain circle of people were privy to this. They were charged with coordinating actions in preparation for the invasion without unnecessary dissemination of information. It got to the point that the whole country was closely involved in the preparation, and only a few knew exactly what was to happen and what tasks were assigned to the fascist army.

Outcome

The plan failed. In fact, this happened with the consent of Hitler, when he began to retreat from his intended goals. This is a huge plus for the entire Russian people, we don’t know how we would live now if the legendary plan for the instantaneous conquest of Russia, created in the fortieth year of the twentieth century, became successful and achieved all the goals set in it. One can only be glad that the commanders-in-chief of the German troops made several cardinal mistakes that did not allow him to achieve world domination and establish his ideology throughout the globe.

About Lightning War (Blickrig Plan) Briefly

• Japanese blitzkrieg

A brief definition of the concept of a blitzkrieg plan is lightning war. In the modern world, blitzkrieg is a strategy in which large tank formations act autonomously. Deep behind enemy lines, tank units break through. There is no battle for fortified positions. The main ones are the control center and supply lines. If they are destroyed, the enemy will be left without control and supply. Thus, it loses its combat capability.

Germany used this method ("Molnienosnaya vojjna") of waging war in the First World War. The most famous use of Blitzkrieg as a military tactic is seen in the context of World War II. And again the plan of lightning war did not give the desired results.

The failure of the Blitzkrieg in World War II

The outbreak of World War II showed that the Blitzkrieg plan was Germany's military strategy. European states surrendered to the Nazis one by one. After the declaration of war on the USSR, the German leadership was confident that the Soviet Union would succumb to them quickly enough, namely in two weeks. Of course, they understood that the Russian people would not submit so easily, but they were sure that they would be able to deal with the Union quickly enough with the help of their plan. Why was the blitzkrieg plan ineffective when applied to the Soviet Union? There are many answers. It is worth briefly understanding the reasons for the collapse of the blitzkrieg in World War II.

Having entered the territory of the USSR, the German army sent its troops straight inland. The tank troops could not move as fast as the German command would like, due to the slow advance of the infantry. The infantry was given the task of eliminating the remnants of Soviet forces in the west.
So why did the blitzkrieg succeed? Of course, the huge territory of the USSR could be considered the cause, but, by no means, this was not the reason. The distance between Berlin and Moscow could be compared with what the German invaders had already passed in Europe, capturing a number of countries.
And back to the tanks and infantry. The soldiers were exhausted by the constant movement on foot and on horseback. The infantry did not keep up with the tank troops. The front expanded, which complicated the advance. Roads, or rather their absence, also played a role.

Very soon, logistics problems began to arise in the German army. There were hardly enough vehicles and modern weapons for half of the divisions. I had to use weapons recaptured from the enemy and their own transport, which was simply abandoned. Since the Blitzkrieg plan is a lightning war, and in the USSR, the German troops had to face difficulties, and it took longer than planned. The soldiers began to experience a shortage of simple essentials.

It is worth noting that the German army was slowed down not only by Russian off-road. Stalin was preparing for war as a possible prospect. Therefore, in the border areas there was a place for the deployment of Soviet soldiers. The purges and repressions in the 1930s led to the weakening of the officer corps of the Red Army. That is why the concept was developed for enhanced defense of the front line. This explained the heavy losses at the initial stage of the war. Since the USSR was a prosperous country with a large population, the army had no problems with either material or human resources.

Although the German army was moving east, as required by their concept, this was not enough to reach Moscow on time. In numerical terms, the Germans were also inferior. It soon became clear that it would not be possible to capture both Kiev and Moscow at the same time. So tank troops began to fight for Kiev. The German infantry began to retreat.

The end of September urged the German command to make a decision: to attack Moscow at a rapid pace or start preparing for winter. The decision was made in favor of Moscow. Again, the soldiers were exhausted by a many-kilometer throw. The weather took its toll, and the mud slowed down any forward movement of the Nazi troops. With the onset of winter, the Soviet troops launched a counteroffensive. Again, the unsuccessful "Blitzkrieg" could be attributed to weather conditions or the numerical superiority of the enemy. But it was the overconfidence of the German leadership. Having captured a number of European countries, they were sure of their lightning victory on the territory of the USSR. In addition, the lightning-fast capture of European countries became possible thanks to luck. Breaking through the Ardennes was a very risky move, but after its successful completion, propaganda about a lightning victory did its job.

Germany at that time was not ready for war. Her resources were limited. The unfinished war with England also made its contribution, and not so little was left before the victory over it.
The Nazi command remembered the victories in the First World War. Arrogance and arrogance played into the hands of the Soviet army, as they were not considered a strong and worthy opponent.
The German army, hoping for good luck in the blitzkrieg, came to the territory of the Soviet Union unprepared for winter. They were not prepared for the fact that they would stay for a long time, to conduct military operations. As a result, the plan to quickly conquer Moscow turned into a shortage of equipment, food and banal socks.

Blitzkrieg as a military tactic in the ancient world

Rome already had the ability to defeat its opponents in a war of attrition. A protracted war was the best solution for fighting with an adequate enemy. But, in aggressive wars, a bet was made on blitzkrieg. Even the "barbarian" states of that time understood this. In defensive terms, the border fortresses were surrounded by walls to disrupt the enemy blitzkrieg.
There are many examples in history in which the aggressors both won and lost with the help of blitzkrieg.
The Scythians in the wars used all their military power in one battle. They departed from the classical understanding of warfare and instead of the "main battle", the population skillfully mobilized at a rapid pace. Thus, they used blitzkrieg to defend against the aggressor.
Reasons that can disrupt the blitzkrieg
Any tactic of warfare is not perfect. There are factors hindering military plans. Therefore, choosing one or another strategy, you need to weigh all the factors. Let's try to explain using the example of the failure of the blitzkrieg in the Second World War on the territory of the USSR.

The first factor is the location. On a specific example of the Second World War, you can see that the German troops simply confused the Russian impassability and the vastness of the territory. If the territory is hilly, swampy or wooded, then heavy tanks in close combat with infantry noticeably lose. Of course, the mountains of the Ardennes did not prevent the victory over France. But this is mere luck, rather than an axiom. In addition, one should not rely only on natural conditions, because if France had left a more powerful military fortification in that area, and not a light defensive system, then the victory of the German army would not have been so obvious. Weather conditions can also slow down the enemy's blitzkrieg plan.

Air superiority is also an integral part of Blitzkrieg's success. Again, the example of World War II shows that the success of the invaders in Europe, in part, depended on the inability of the Allies to deploy for defense in the air. One of the main reasons was the lack of air combat tactics in the current situation. When trying to destroy the German pontoon bridges, everything turned into the defeat of the French aviation, and the safety of the bridges. On the territory of the USSR, the Germans faced the vastness of the territory and, accordingly, the dispersal of the army. As a result, allied aviation made it impossible for German troops to move during daylight hours. Initially, it was planned to attack in bad weather in order to exclude air interference, however, it was not assumed that bad weather would slow down the advance of their own troops.

Despite the effectiveness of rapid campaigns against Poland and France, mobile operations could not succeed in the following years. Such a strategy must take into account that the enemy can retreat in order to regroup forces, and only then strike. The German command did not think about it, so the army was cut off from the supply of fuel, ammunition and food.

Japanese blitzkrieg

In 1941, the Japanese government decided to secretly increase its military training. They planned to wait until they needed to start military operations in the Far East and Siberia to strengthen their own borders.
The strategic idea of ​​the Japanese.

The strategy consisted in a series of successive strikes by the Japanese army against the Red Army in the areas of Primorye, Amur and Transbaikalia. As a result, the Red Army had to capitulate. The plan also included the capture of the most important strategic objects: military, industrial, food bases and communications.
. In the first hours of the offensive, it was planned to defeat the Air Force of the Soviet Union, by surprise.
. The entire operation to advance to Lake Baikal was calculated for six months.

The first stage of the plan came into effect, namely, the mobilization of the Kwantung Army began, and its increase by 2 divisions. For the whole world, Japan held training camps. The population was warned that in no case should there be a send-off, and the term "mobilization" was replaced by the term "extraordinary formations".

By the end of July, Japanese troops began to concentrate near the borders with the Soviet Union. However, such large-scale gatherings were difficult to disguise as exercises. It was reported to Berlin that a little less than a million people were called up and to the territory of Northern China, people who spoke Russian were sent.
The result of the planned lightning attack was the complete surrender of Japan and the defeat of the Kwantung Army.

The art of war is a science in which nothing succeeds except what has been calculated and thought out.

Napoleon

The Barbarossa plan is a plan for Germany's attack on the USSR, based on the principle of lightning war, blitzkrieg. The plan began to be developed in the summer of 1940, and on December 18, 1940, Hitler approved a plan according to which the war was to be ended by November 1941 at the latest.

Plan Barbarossa was named after Frederick Barbarossa, a 12th century emperor who became famous for his conquests. This traced elements of symbolism, to which Hitler himself and his entourage paid so much attention. The plan received its name on January 31, 1941.

Number of troops to implement the plan

Germany prepared 190 divisions for war and 24 divisions as a reserve. For the war, 19 tank and 14 motorized divisions were allocated. The total number of the contingent that Germany sent to the USSR, according to various estimates, ranges from 5 to 5.5 million people.

The apparent superiority in the technology of the USSR should not be taken into account, since by the beginning of the wars, German technical tanks and aircraft were superior to Soviet ones, and the army itself was much more trained. Suffice it to recall the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-1940, where the Red Army demonstrated weakness in literally everything.

Direction of the main attack

The Barbarossa plan defined 3 main directions for the strike:

• Army Group South. A blow to Moldova, Ukraine, Crimea and access to the Caucasus. Further movement to the line Astrakhan - Stalingrad (Volgograd).
• Army Group Center. Line "Minsk - Smolensk - Moscow". Advance to Nizhny Novgorod, leveling the line "Wave - Northern Dvina".
• Army Group North. Attack on the Baltic states, Leningrad and further advance towards Arkhangelsk and Murmansk. At the same time, the army "Norway" was to fight in the north together with the Finnish army.

Table - offensive goals according to the Barbarossa plan

	SOUTH	CENTRE	NORTH
Target	Ukraine, Crimea, access to the Caucasus	Minsk, Smolensk, Moscow	Baltic States, Leningrad, Arkhangelsk, Murmansk
population	57 divisions and 13 brigades	50 divisions and 2 brigades	29 division + army "Norway"
Commanding	Field Marshal von Rundstedt	Field Marshal von Bock	Field Marshal von Leeb
common goal	Get on line: Arkhangelsk - Volga - Astrakhan (Northern Dvina)

Approximately by the end of October 1941, the German command planned to reach the Volga-Northern Dvina line, thereby capturing the entire European part of the USSR. This was the plan of the blitzkrieg. After the blitzkrieg, the lands beyond the Urals should have remained, which, without the support of the center, would quickly surrender to the winner.

Until about mid-August 1941, the Germans believed that the war was going according to plan, but in September there were already entries in the diaries of officers that the Barbarossa plan had failed and the war would be lost. The best proof that Germany in August 1941 believed that only a few weeks were left before the end of the war with the USSR is the speech of Goebbels. The Minister of Propaganda suggested that the Germans additionally collect warm clothes for the needs of the army. The government decided that this step was not necessary, since there would be no war in the winter.

Implementation of the plan

The first three weeks of the war assured Hitler that everything was going according to plan. The army advanced rapidly, winning victories, the Soviet army suffered huge losses:

• 28 divisions out of 170 disabled.
• 70 divisions lost about 50% of their personnel.
• 72 divisions remained combat-ready (43% of those available at the start of the war).

During the same 3 weeks, the average rate of advance of German troops inland was 30 km per day.

By July 11, the army group "North" occupied almost the entire territory of the Baltic states, providing access to Leningrad, the army group "Center" reached Smolensk, the army group "South" went to Kiev. These were the last achievements that fully corresponded to the plan of the German command. After that, failures began (still local, but already indicative). Nevertheless, the initiative in the war until the end of 1941 was on the side of Germany.

German failures in the North

The army "North" occupied the Baltic states without problems, especially since there was practically no partisan movement there. The next strategic point to be captured was Leningrad. It turned out that the Wehrmacht was not capable of this task. The city did not capitulate to the enemy, and until the end of the war, despite all efforts, Germany failed to capture it.

Failures of the Army Center

The "Center" army reached Smolensk without any problems, but got stuck under the city until September 10. Smolensk resisted for almost a month. The German command demanded a decisive victory and the advance of the troops, since such a delay under the city, which was planned to be taken without heavy losses, was unacceptable and cast doubt on the implementation of the Barbarossa plan. As a result, the Germans took Smolensk, but their troops were pretty battered.

Historians today evaluate the battle for Smolensk as a tactical victory for Germany, but a strategic victory for Russia, as they managed to stop the advance of troops on Moscow, which allowed the capital to prepare for defense.

Complicated the advance of the German army deep into the country partisan movement of Belarus.

Failures of the Army of the South

The "South" army reached Kiev in 3.5 weeks and, like the "Center" army near Smolensk, got stuck in battles. In the end, it was possible to take the city in view of the clear superiority of the army, but Kiev held out almost until the end of September, which also made it difficult for the German army to advance, and made a significant contribution to the disruption of the Barbarossa plan.

Map of the advance plan of the German troops

Above is a map showing the plan of the German command for the offensive. The map shows: green - the borders of the USSR, red - the border to which Germany planned to reach, blue - the deployment and the plan for the advancement of the German forces.

General state of affairs

• In the North, it was not possible to capture Leningrad and Murmansk. The advance of the troops stopped.
• In the Center, with great difficulty, we managed to get to Moscow. At the time the German army entered the Soviet capital, it was clear that no blitzkrieg had happened.
• In the South, they failed to take Odessa and capture the Caucasus. By the end of September, the Nazi troops had only captured Kiev and launched an offensive against Kharkov and the Donbass.

Why did the blitzkrieg fail in Germany?

Germany failed the blitzkrieg because the Wehrmacht was preparing the Barbarossa plan, as it later turned out, on false intelligence. Hitler admitted this by the end of 1941, saying that if he had known the real state of affairs in the USSR, he would not have started the war on June 22.

The lightning war tactics were based on the fact that the country has one line of defense on the western border, all large army units are located on the western border, and aviation is located on the border. Since Hitler was sure that all Soviet troops were located on the border, this formed the basis of the blitzkrieg - to destroy the enemy army in the first weeks of the war, and then rapidly move inland without encountering serious resistance.

In fact, there were several lines of defense, the army was not located with all its forces on the western border, there were reserves. Germany did not expect this, and by August 1941 it became clear that the lightning war had failed, and Germany could not win the war. The fact that World War II lasted until 1945 only proves that the Germans fought very organized and brave. Due to the fact that they had the economy of the whole of Europe behind them (speaking of the war between Germany and the USSR, many for some reason forget that the German army included units from almost all European countries) they managed to fight successfully.

Did Barbarossa's plan fail?

I propose to evaluate the Barbarossa plan according to 2 criteria: global and local. Global(landmark - the Great Patriotic War) - the plan was thwarted, because the lightning war did not work, the German troops were bogged down in battles. Local(landmark - intelligence data) - the plan was implemented. The German command drew up the Barbarossa plan on the basis that the USSR had 170 divisions on the country's border, there were no additional defense echelons. There are no reserves and reinforcements. The army was preparing for this. In 3 weeks, 28 Soviet divisions were completely destroyed, and in 70, approximately 50% of the personnel and equipment were disabled. At this stage, the blitzkrieg worked and, in the absence of reinforcements from the USSR, gave the desired results. But it turned out that the Soviet command has reserves, not all troops are located on the border, mobilization brings quality soldiers into the army, there are additional lines of defense, the “charm” of which Germany felt near Smolensk and Kiev.

Therefore, the disruption of the Barbarossa plan must be regarded as a huge strategic mistake of German intelligence, led by Wilhelm Canaris. Today, some historians associate this person with the agents of England, but there is no evidence for this. But if we assume that this is indeed the case, then it becomes clear why Canaris slipped Hitler an absolute “linden” that the USSR was not ready for war and that all troops were located on the border.

With the defeat of the vaunted armies of fascist Germany, the unfinished "strategists" of Hitler, who found shelter with former allies, rushed to write memoirs and books, shielding themselves and blaming either the weather, or Hitler, or fatal circumstances and the Almighty himself for the failure of the aggression against the USSR. Franz Halder, Chief of the General Staff of the Wehrmacht Ground Forces, one of the authors of the development of a strategic plan for a "blitzkrieg" with the USSR called "Barbarossa" can be attributed to such beaten "strategists". Franz Halder kept daily notes from 1939 to 1942. In fact, it was a diary. But, before proceeding to an analysis of some of Halder's notes and conclusions, I will remind you of what these "enlightened Europeans" or "exceptional Aryan nation" were preparing for the Soviet People, as arrogant and self-confident as the nation that the American president is now talking about. Obama. From Obama's conclusion - "Americans are an exceptional nation!" - I have nothing against the Americans, I even have some respect for this self-satisfied people, but they are clearly out of luck with Obama. He, a man with obvious gaps in knowledge of history, geography and much more, just wants to say - “Mr. Obama! Do not follow the example of Hitler! You what? How did Tarzan descend from the liana to the ground or overeat bananas? It is because of such “exceptional” politicians like you that “exceptional human tragedies” happen in the history of nations.”
So, what did the new barbarians in the face of fascist Germany prepare for the Soviet people? From the notes of Halder dated July 8, 1941, after a report to Hitler on plans to encircle Moscow, it follows: “The Fuhrer’s decision to raze Moscow and Leningrad to the ground is unshakable in order to completely get rid of the population of these cities, which otherwise, we will then be forced to feed during the winter. The task of destroying these cities must be carried out by aviation. Tanks should not be used for this. It will be a "people's disaster" that will deprive the centers not only of Bolshevism, but of Russians in general."
Hitler's strategic task was to ensure that no more than 40 million slaves lived from Poland to the Urals in the person of the Slavs, who would be controlled by about five million tons. Aryans. It can be considered that the current arrogance of the Poles, Estonians, Lithuanians and Latvians is based on delusion and conceit. Germany prepared a humiliating fate for them.
Let us return to Halder, to his diary entries and the name of the so-called plan. "lightning war". Who is Barbarossa? Frederick I Barbarossa was born in 1122. It was he who created the German knightly host. According to him, each knight had to possess seven qualities, including the ability to write poetry and swim. Barbarossa, having become Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire in 1152, pursued an aggressive and conquest policy that met the interests of the German feudal lords. During the Third Crusade to the Holy Land, crossing the Selif River, Barbarossa drowned. This was the teacher of the German knights. The plan of the war against the USSR called "Barbarossa", based on the fate of the drowned warriors, was doomed to adventure and failure by the Providence of God and the feat of the Russian people.
So, Halder's diary entries. On June 22, 1941, he wrote: “All armies 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 complete surprise of our offensive for the enemy is evidenced by the fact that the units were taken by surprise in the barracks, the planes were at the airfields, and the advanced units, suddenly attacked by our troops, asked the command what to do. One can expect an even greater influence of the element of surprise on the further course of events. After the initial "tetanus" caused by the suddenness of the attack, the enemy moved to active operations. There were cases of tactical withdrawal, albeit disorderly. There are no signs of an operational withdrawal.”
On June 24, 1941, he writes: “It should be noted the stubbornness of individual Russian formations in battle. There were cases when the garrisons of bunkers blew themselves up along with the bunkers, not wanting to surrender. In general, it has now become clear that the Russians are not thinking about retreat, but, on the contrary, are throwing everything they have at their disposal towards the wedged German troops.
From his diary we learn about the behavior of some European states. Neutral Sweden, as it was written in the diary, “will not object to the transfer of the 163rd Infantry Division through Swedish territory. Permission has been received for the flight of our aircraft through Swedish territory. Russian planes will be fired upon.” In addition, Hungary and Croatia wished to take part in the war against the USSR on the side of Germany.
Already on June 27, 1941, Halder writes in his diary: “At the front, under the influence of changes in the situation, the state of roads and other circumstances, events are not developing at all as planned in the higher headquarters, which creates the impression that orders are not being carried out.” And on June 28, 1941 he notes that the German units captured a large amount of trophy property, but "a small number of prisoners is typical in all areas."
On June 29, 1941, he writes: “Information from the front confirms that the Russians are fighting everywhere to the last man. Only in places they surrender, primarily where there is a large percentage of Mongolian peoples in the troops. It is striking that when artillery batteries are captured, only a few surrender. Part of the Russians fight until they are killed. Inspector General of the Infantry Ott reported on his impressions during the offensive in the Grodno region. The stubborn resistance of the Russians forces us to fight according to all the rules of our combat regulations. In Poland and in the West, we could afford certain liberties and deviations from the statutory principles. Now this is unacceptable."
On the same day, he notes with satisfaction that the Hungarian Carpathian corps will be able to launch an offensive on July 2, and Italy has increased the number of its corps for operations against the USSR to forty thousand. Spain intends to send a 15,000-strong legion to the front against the USSR. Finland submitted a plan for an offensive with at least six divisions in the area of ​​Lake Ladoga.
Halder is so satisfied with the victorious reports from the Eastern Front that he allows himself to celebrate his 57th birthday. He writes in his diary on June 30, 1941: “In the morning before breakfast, the personnel of my headquarters met me. After the solemn formation, he brought his congratulations. The dining room was festively decorated. The Commander-in-Chief sent me a bouquet of red roses, strawberries and a very friendly letter. During the morning report, Paulus congratulated me. The Commander-in-Chief wished me happiness and said that today's visit to the Fuhrer in the afternoon primarily concerns me. So far, only one conclusion can be drawn - a complete idyll and confidence in an early victory over the USSR. So the fascist generals were going to fight, celebrating birthdays.
On the 12th day of the war, July 3, Halder writes: “The Hungarian troops are still fighting for exits from the mountains, but so far they have not achieved significant success. The 17th Army, on the right flank of which two Slovak divisions arrived, continues to pursue the retreating enemy. This "pursuit" is constantly delayed by stubborn resistance from the enemy, whose individual groups are constantly moving into counterattacks, mostly on the flank of the advancing troops and, as a rule, with the support of tanks. On the same day, he wrote with pathos: “It would not be an exaggeration to say that the campaign against Russia was won within 14 days. Of course, it's not finished yet. The vast extent of the territory and the stubborn resistance of the enemy, using all means, will fetter our forces for weeks to come.
What self-conceit and self-confidence, what ignorance of the Russian people and the true possibilities of the USSR! Russia and Napoleon "won" in 14 days, but where is he - Napoleon? Where is his arrogance and arrogance?
On the same day, Halder estimates the losses from 22 to 30 June: "The total losses are 41,087 people, which is equal to 1.64% of the available strength, with a ground force strength of 2.5 million people."
On July 5, 1941, his concern is read: “In the south, our troops are moving forward slowly due to the poor condition of the roads and the stubborn resistance of the enemy. The Commander-in-Chief, who returned from a trip to the headquarters of Army Group Center, the 4th Army and the 2nd Panzer Group, reported that the 18th Panzer Division had suffered heavy losses in the forest battle. In the diary of July 6, a comparative assessment of the hostilities on the Soviet Front and in the campaign in the West appears: “From the units they report that in some areas the crews of enemy tanks leave their vehicles, but in most cases they lock themselves in tanks and prefer to burn themselves along with the car. In the campaign against Russia, the percentage of officer casualties in relation to the total number of casualties is higher than in previous campaigns. In the campaign against Russia, so far the loss of officers is 3.8%. In the campaign against Poland, the loss of officers was 1.95%.
On July 9, in Halder's diary we find an amazing entry that crushes many of the conjectures of the fighters against Stalinism to dust. Remember how our scoundrels and falsifiers of the Great Patriotic War claimed that the Soviet Union won thanks to detachments that allegedly drove a Soviet soldier to slaughter? These notes by Halder, in which they involuntarily pay tribute to the heroism of Soviet soldiers, already refute the speculations of our home-grown provocateurs, and the following entry puts a lot in its place: "General Bule noted that the organization of penal battalions turned out to be a good idea." If Hitler had at the very beginning of the war penal battalions appeared, which means that something was wrong among the vaunted warriors and conquerors of miserable Europe.
Let me remind scoundrels and haters of everything Soviet, everything Russian, that only more than a year later, by Order of the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR Joseph Stalin No. 227 of July 28, penal companies and penal battalions were introduced into the Soviet Forces. At the same time, detachments were introduced.
Even in Germany itself, whose population reveled in the speedy victory over the USSR and ate the looted food, the first notes of doubt and disappointment appeared. One of the leading fascist newspapers wrote on July 2, 1941: “The fighting in the East is of a very special character. The battle that is taking place on the entire Eastern Front is distinguished by the fact that the Russians are everywhere stubborn and fierce resistance. What is it? Have you seen the light? No! Just trying to justify themselves! How hard it is for them, the Nazis!
On July 14, 1941, the following entry appears in Halder's diary: "The Fuhrer's constant interference in matters the essence of which he does not understand turns into some kind of torment, which is already becoming unbearable."
One feels like exclaiming: “Sir, unfinished fascist! It is not the Fuhrer's fault for what is now happening on the Soviet Front! Look for other reasons! You, vile scoundrels, simply did not take into account, due to your eternal huge vanity and arrogance, the Russian soul of the Soviet Soldier and the fortress of the foundations of the new State, created on the ruins of the Great Empire! You, one to one, repeat the actions and desires of the beaten Napoleon!
Since November 1941, Halder has constantly noted the deterioration in the position of the fascist troops on the Eastern Front. Thus, the losses of the German ground forces on November 26, 1941 reached 743,112 people, or 23.12 percent of the total. Incredible supply difficulties arose: there is an acute shortage of food, fodder, and fuel. Of the 500,000 vehicles, thirty percent can no longer be repaired, forty percent of them require major repairs. Over a thousand horses die every day. But the most important thing, as he notes, is that the fascist troops began to lose confidence in the command.
What can be added to this? Lord! It did not work out for you with the capture of Moscow and with the end of the Eastern campaign within 14 days! It didn't work!
The shameful defeat of the vaunted fascist army near Moscow was a shock to Germany! The most acute problem of increasing the size of the fascist army arose. On December 20, 1941, in order to save the situation on the Soviet Front, Hitler immediately issues an order: "All available units located in the homeland and in the West should be sent to the Eastern Front." The same order prescribes: "Unconditionally take away winter clothes from prisoners and local residents, burn villages left." It's almost a panic!
At the same time, Halder meets with the Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces Brauchitsch and leaves the following entry in his diary: “The Commander-in-Chief looks dejected. He sees no other means by which to bring the army out of its present plight."
It is quite understandable that fascist Germany suffered not only a moral collapse near Moscow, but also lost the best officer cadres who started a perfidious war against the USSR. I just want to say something sharp like a soldier to these vaunted winners of Europe and the beaten bastards near Moscow:

So here it is! December is not summer
And the war is not over
But of all signs - a sign:
Sun, snow and silence
Nearby are joyful faces,
Together - the warrior and the people,
And Moscow is forever the Capital,
Where did the turn take place?
Where you can't see the pre-war
Raznosolov-pies,
But almost without counting the prisoners,
Former reptiles and enemies!
The bullies subdued
And lowered the dirty banner -
Not! They are no longer warriors.
Kohl in the eyes of insane fear!
Kind of pointlessly miserable,
But captivity for them - in price:
Turned out to be a short journey
On the bloody ground!
What to say? "To beat the bastard,
To give in a knightly grin! -
The political instructor said, “Don't!
Nevsky released prisoners!
What is an ancient custom now?
What is Slavic - "Forgive me!"
I would have evil spirits in the village
Conduct under escort!
Through potholes, potholes,
Where resentment is unrelenting,
Let the women look at them
With the eyes of little orphans!
What? Do you want lands?
Al go over the heads?
You drank, you ate -
Did it seem a little to you?
Under the enemy - burning straw
And the bricks are smoldering
Yes, not you, would sit at home
On the great-grandfather's stove!
God! Affairs for a long time up to the throat,
What are these gentlemen to me?
Well, where? Where did you go
Miscellaneous horde?
Maybe for a funeral?
Maybe dispel the heat?
Counts! Knights! barons,
With vile and sick blood!
What, drooping, be silent?
Knot untie?
Oh, bandits, sorry -
You don't have anything to say to me!?
What they could - already said
And they came here with fire
They tied the Motherland with pain,
Bombed the cities
They took the devs full of the godless,
Ripped off the ground
What they could - they stole,
Whatever they can do, they took it away!
Walking here is not in Europe,
Here the Soviet Regiments -
You would be in coal mines,
You, reptiles, in the mines,
You would be driven by a long road,
So that you are unbearable
And then another cudgel
On the legs and on the ridge!
We now build huts,
Revive the old garden
What? Are you all to blame?
Hitler? Is Hitler to blame?
You hard workers
You have nothing to do with today?
You, in the madness of courage,
Lured with a roll?
“We don’t need other people’s opinions,
But remember the thief and boor -
Up to ten generations
He is repaid for sins!”
So here it is! And that's the consolation -
We have fulfilled the order!
... We do not need more,
If the Lord himself is for us!

It has long been known that victory has too many parents, while failure and defeat have only those who are guilty, who always try to shift their own miscalculations and blame onto someone else's shoulders. The same thing happened after the failure near Moscow and in Nazi Germany. Disagreements among the fascist leaders were outlined even before the defeat near Moscow. Here is Halder's entry of September 4, 1941: “The Fuhrer was pissed off by Guderian, who does not want to part with his offensive plan. Tensions also developed between Guderian and von Bock. The latter requires the commander-in-chief to order the removal of Guderian from the command of the tank group.
The defeat near Moscow forces the beaten warriors to confess the most important thing, which has always been the key to any victory - faith in it. On December 9, 1941, Halder wrote down a report from Guderian, who said - "The troops are losing confidence in their command!" The recent self-satisfied and brazen warriors of Germany are trying in any way to settle down in the rear organs. The same Guderian informs - “Events are being carried out to comb the rear. It has been found that an additional 1,600 bayonets can be recruited in a panzer division alone. In fact, this is sabotage and desertion in a special form.
And on January 3, 1942, we find the following entry: “A dramatic scene again played out at the Fuhrer's headquarters. He expressed doubts about the courage of the generals. This fact is the beginning of the end of the fascist adventure! On January 14, 1942, the losses of the ground forces amounted to 867,966 people, or 27.12 percent of the total number of all troops on the Eastern Front of 3.2 million. And on March 5, 1942, the losses amounted to 1,005,636 people, or 31.40 percent.
A diary entry dated September 11, 1942 testifies to Hitler's active use of barrage detachments: “Do not leave Voronezh voluntarily. The creation of a defensive position is approved.
After the defeat near Moscow, in Halder's diary there are only dry conclusions, figures, suggestions. There is no impudent self-confidence and fascist pathos. “Steep hills rolled Sivka!” The diary records pessimism, panic and fatigue of the troops.
On July 14, 1942, on the day when Halder's 40th anniversary of service in the army was celebrated, Field Marshal Brauchitsch sent him a portrait of Frederick the Great, Keitel and Jodl presented a silver tray, and Paulus an album of photographs of the battle near Kharkov. Hitler gave him his portrait in a silver frame with his own signature. The last entry in the diary dated September 24, 1942 reads: "After the afternoon report - the resignation handed over by the Fuhrer."
It was not his conflict with Hitler that caused the resignation, but the failure of the Barbarossa plan. Halder was one of the developers of this adventurous "blitzkrieg" plan.
As a result of the failure near Moscow, Hitler dismissed 177 generals from service, including 66 from the active army, and 8 generals received a dismissal warning. Paulus was going to be replaced by General Seidlitz.
If Stalin had arranged such a rout of the Soviet generals, then our liberal scoundrels would have found a reason to debunk the “Stalinist regime” and Stalin himself. Did not happen.
How did the further fate of the author of the diary? On June 23, 1944, Halder was arrested on suspicion of involvement in the assassination attempt on Hitler. There was no direct evidence of his involvement in the conspiracy. But on January 31, 1945, he was dismissed from active military service with deprivation of awards and the right to wear a military uniform. At the Nuremberg trials, he testified as a witness, where he blamed Hitler for many decisions. Since 1950 he has lived in the USA. He was an expert with the US government, and until 1959 he worked in the historical department of the US Army. Died in 1972.

Strategy

Blitzkrieg is based on the close interaction of infantry and tank formations with the support of aviation. The blitzkrieg strategy is similar to the theory of a deep offensive operation adopted in the USSR on the eve of the Great Patriotic War (S. N. Ammosov, V. K. Triandafillov, K. B. Kalinovsky and others). According to the blitzkrieg strategy, tank units, supported by infantry, break through behind enemy lines, bypassing and surrounding heavily fortified positions. Encircled enemy formations that are experiencing difficulties with the supply of ammunition, equipment and food are easily achieved by the advancing or surrendered.

An important feature of the blitzkrieg is that the main enemy forces are not the main targets of the offensive. After all, the battle with them gives the enemy the opportunity to use most of his military potential, which means unjustifiably dragging out the military operation. The priority task of the blitzkrieg is to deprive the enemy of the opportunity to continue successful combat operations even while maintaining manpower, equipment and ammunition. And for this it is necessary, first of all, to capture or destroy control systems, transport infrastructure, supplies and transport hubs.

Practical use

One of the first attempts to conduct a blitzkrieg was made by German troops during the First World War on the Western Front. According to the Schlieffen plan, it was supposed to deliver a lightning strike on France, end the war with her by signing a victorious peace in 1.5-2 months, and then switch to the Eastern Front. However, the resistance of the French and Belgian troops thwarted these plans, the lack of tanks and the imperfection of aviation of that era, as well as the successful offensive of the Russian army in East Prussia, played a role, which required the transfer of part of the forces to repel it. All this led to the fact that the German troops advanced too slowly, and the Allies managed to pull up their forces and win the Battle of the Marne in September 1914. The war took on a protracted character.

For the first time, a blitzkrieg in practice was brilliantly carried out by German military strategists (Manstein, von Kleist, Guderian, Rundstedt and others) at the beginning of World War II during the capture of Poland: by the end of September, Poland ceased to exist, although more than a million non-mobilized people of military age remained in it. In France, the manpower reserves were also not exhausted by the time the armistice was signed. The entire campaign in France took only 6 weeks: from May 10 to June 21, 1940, and in Poland - 5 weeks from September 1 to October 5 (the date the resistance of the last regular units of the Polish army ceased) 1939. At the beginning of World War II, the blitzkrieg strategy allowed the Nazi Germany to quickly destroy the Soviet troops in the strip 100-300 km east of the border between the USSR with Germany and its allies. However, the loss of time by the Nazis to destroy the encircled Soviet troops, the wear and tear of equipment and the resistance of the defenders ultimately led to the failure of the blitzkrieg strategy on this front.

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See what "Lightning War" is in other dictionaries:

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Books

• Blitzkrieg Hitler. "Lightning War", Baryatinsky Mikhail Borisovich. This book is the most in-depth study of the strategy of "blitzkrieg", a story about the rise and fall of the Panzerwaffe, about the grandiose triumphs and crushing collapse of Hitler's blitzkrieg. ...