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Tag: katyusha

  • Victory Day(9th May)

    What is victory day in Russia & why its celebrated on 9th may?

    9th of may every year since 1945 is celebrated as victory day in Russia to mark their glorious victory over Nazi Germany. The war in Europe was literally over by 30th April 1945 with the suicide of Adolf Hitler the German dictator & Nazi capital berlin surrendered to soviet union on 2nd may1945 but the German Instrument of surrender was signed on late evening of 8th may 1945.The following day on 9th may 1945 a huge celebration was held in soviet russia to commemorate the russian victory over Nazi Germany.After few years it was declared as a national holiday in memory of its great victory.

    Parade at Red Square

    Celebrated gloriously

    In world war ii all in total 22.7 millions(2.27 crore) Russians perished to achieve a decisive victory over Nazi Germany. It was the highest casualty that any nation suffered during world war ii. In-fact during world war ii period or in present day world no nation except Russia have the mentals to give such a staggering sacrifice of its human population for a national cause. In mid world war ii during 1941 whole world thought that time was ticking against Russia & it will fall within a few months to Nazi control. The Nazi onslaught on soviet Russia started on 22nd june1941 & by October 1941 Nazi troops were knocking on the doors of Moscow. By mid October 1941 Germans were so close to Moscow that even Stalin the soviet the soviet General secretary was able to see Nazi troops with his personal military binoculars. Imagine a country in this stage that is continuously loosing battels after battels to enemy who is now standing on its door and are highly advance in modern day warfare having advance tanks, aircraft & guns.

    Russian katyusha barrage raining on Nazi forces

    Still Russians did the unthinkable they turned the Tide of world war ii & forced western powers like USA to drop atom bomb in Japan a already dead opponent only to shadow its failure against Nazi Germany. From the outskirts of Moscow Russians pushed the Nazi troops approx. 1900 kms to their own capital city of berlin & gave them a final blow in the war of Berlin to mark the rise of a new power in the world that is the Soviet Russia(Soviet Union).

    How its celebrated.

    9th of May in Russia is a non working holiday & celebrated through out Russia in all provinces with fire crackers, songs & decorations. But in Moscow its a huge celebration the whole city is decorated & every year a massive military Parade is organized by the Russian army in red square of Moscow to show its strength to whole world.

    How it will be celebrated this year 2022.

    This year on the back drop of Russia-Ukrain war Russia had planned a huge show of strength through this military parade, constituting a show of new advance weaponry that will be warning signal for its enemies. All countries in the world believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin is planning some thing big for Ukraine & that shall be announced on 9th may the victory day.

    Vladimir Putin

  • The mother of all battles

    Battle of Stalingrad

    The mother of all battles that shaped the future of the world & reversed the course of World War-II.

    The whole war drama in the eastern front unfolded on 22nd June 1941 when two nations having friendly terms and non aggression pact turned arch foes. It was Nazi Germany who kept all treaties and pacts on the edge of its heels and launched human history’s largest land conquest campaign called Operation Barbarosa to conquer the largest country in the world the Soviet Union. With their blitzkrieg (lightening war) & scorch earth strategy Nazi army roared across Soviet territory achieving victories after victories. Thanks to Joseph Stalin’s great purge of 1937 & miscalculation of German friendly treaties Soviet military structure collapsed in front of fast moving German onslaught. It seemed that Hitler was right about Soviet Union that they are a rotten system we just need to kick on its door & the whole system will fall like a house of cards. Within 4 months from attack Nazi troops reached Moscow the Soviet capital even Stalin saw German troops from Kremlin top.

    But Hitler had other ideas in mind that were to reach quickly to southern oil rich region of Soviet Union and on its way conquer the city of Stalingrad a major industrial hub and pride of Stalin. Hitler wanted to capture and destroy this city to destroy the morale of soviets and Stalin wanted to defend the city to boost the already shattered Soviet morale as his name was associated with the city. The German mayhem upon Stalingrad started in august 1942 and the whole city was brought to ground by heavy ariel bombardment. But with nothing to lose Soviets held their ground & even citizens came forward to defend their city. By November the whole battle turned into an urban Guerilla war. Soviets were determined to stop the Germans which led to severe house to house pitch battle. But Soviets had different plans. They were planning to encircle Germans by cutting off their supply line as it was hugely stretched and was guarded by weak German allies like Italy, Hungary & Romanian army at their flanks.

    On 19th November 1941 operation Uranus was launched & thousands of Soviet artillery, katyusha rockets poured upon the non German axis segments protecting the German flanks and quickly decimated them & by 23rd November encirclement was completed effectively cutting off the whole German 6th army division consisting of over 4lakh men.

    For the next three months Germans tried desperately to break through the encirclement & the Soviets gave all they got to hold the encirclement. Both Hitler & Stalin ordered strict laws to get over each other. Hitler ordered to stand till last bullet till last men & Stalin ordered the famous order no 227 not a step back: generals were ordered to shoot anyone who tried to retreat.

    Finally the German 6th army under Friedrich Paulus surrendered on 2nd February 1943 violating Hitler’s order & brought an end to the bloodshed at Stalingrad.