1945 2016 W 71 The OSCOW News

The 71st Anniversary of the Great Victory! “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few” - Winston Churchill

The war between and the officially began in late June 1941, although the threat of conflict had loomed since the early 1930s. After Germany crushed France, and determined that it could not easily drive Great Britain from , the turned its attention back to the East. Following the conquests of Greece and Yugoslavia in the Spring of 1941, prepared its most ambitious campaign; the destruction of Soviet . The ensuing war would result in a staggering loss of human life, and in the final destruction of the Nazi regime.

Winston Churchill The Fight Against Civilians PM with Franklin Roosevelt and is perhaps the most at the remembered legacy of the War in the Yalta Conference East. The invasions of and the Soviet Union brought the bulk of Eastern ’s Jewish population under Nazi control, facilitating a German policy of extermination. For non-Jews, German occupation policies were nearly as brutal, although populations sympathetic to the anti-Soviet crusade were sometimes spared. The Fight on Land Towards the end of the war, the Soviets On June 22, 1941, the German Wehrmacht did their best to return the favor. Soviet and struck Soviet forces across depredations against the German civilian a wide front along the German-Soviet population of East and Central Europe do frontier. not generally receive the same degree of attention as German actions, in no The course of the war is far too complicated small part because of an enduring (if to detail in this article. Suffice to say problematic) sense that the German that the German enjoyed overwhelming deserved what they got. Other Eastern success for the first five months of the European populations were caught in war, before weather and stiffening Red the crossfire, suffering starvation and Army resistance led to a Soviet victory in other depredations from both sides. the Battle of . Germany resumed Nevertheless, there is no question that the in 1942, only to suffer a major the Soviets (and the peoples of Eastern defeat at Stalingrad. The , Europe) suffered far more deeply from in 1943, ended the Wehrmacht’s offensive the war than the Germans. ambitions. 1943, 1944, and 1945 saw An emaciated the pace of Soviet conquest gradually 18-year-old Russian accelerate, with the monumental offensives girl looks into the of late 1944 shattering the German armed camera lens during forces. The war turned the Wehrmacht and the of the into finely honed fighting Dachau concentra- tion camp in 1945. machines, while also draining both of equipment and manpower. The Soviets enjoyed the support of Western industry, while the Germans relied on the resources of occupied Europe. GERMANY V S

The Fight in the Air That defeat came on May 2nd 1945, when Mercifully, the nature of the war did not offer the German forces in Berlin, the capital of many opportunities for strategic bombing. the Third Reich, surrendered to the forces Russia launched a few sorties against Ger- of the Red Army that had captured the city. man cities in the first days of the war, usually On May 9th the official act of surrender of suffering catastrophic casualties. For their the German government and military forces part, the German Luftwaffe concentrated on took place in Berlin when the Germans sur- tactical support of the Wehrmacht. Germa- rendered to the Soviet commander, Marshal ny did launch a few large air raids against Zhukov, a surrender witnessed by represen- Russian cities, but did not maintain anything tatives of the American, British and French approaching a strategic campaign. forces. This was the end of the war in Eu- Notwithstanding the improvement of the rope. Soviet Air Force across the war, and the ef- fectiveness in particular of attack aircraft, in . general the Luftwaffe mauled its Soviet foe. This remained the case even as the Soviet aviation industry far outstripped the Ger- man, and as the Combined Bomber Offen- sive drew the attention of the Luftwaffe to the west.

On February 2nd, 1943, the 6th German Army, under the command of Field Marshall Von Paulus, and elements of the , surrendered to the Red Army at Stal- ingrad. This stunning victory is considered the turning point in the war in Europe, her- alding the defeat of fascist Germany.

m Comparison of military powers between and Soviet Union during World War II

- 1 thousand - 100 thousand

- 1 thousand - 10 thousand

1.9 million

90 thousand

5 thousand

3 thousand 71 V S RUSSIA

Surrenders of elements of the German armies in Italy and Austria on , and German forces in northern Europe on May 7, at first claimed by the Western allies to be the official surrender of Germany, were not recognised as such by the Soviet gov- ernment, since they were in violation of the agreement of the European Advisory Com- mittee of the three Big Powers which was finalised in March 1944. That agreement required the surrender of the German gov- ernment itself, not just the army elements in impossible positions, and was to take place at the seat of government from which Ger- man aggression had been launched - Berlin “Raising a flag over the ” the photo- graph by Yevgeny Khaldei, taken on May 2, The Western allies had no choice but to 1945. The photo shows Soviet soldiers raising agree, and to regard the May 9th ceremony the flag of the Soviet Union on top of the German as the official act of surrender of the German following the . government. But it was clear even then that the Western allies had tried to arrange a sep- arate peace with the Germans while the So- viets were still fighting and it was made very clear that the Americans and British wanted to steal the show from the Russians. Now 70 years later, the propaganda machine in the west once again claims that the earlier date was the end of the war in Europe.

m

6.4 million

120 thousand

10 thousand

71 4 thousand The Red Army and Navy and the whole Soviet people must fight for every inch of Soviet soil, fight to the last stop of blood for our towns and villages... onward, to victory!” - Joseph Stalin, July 1941

A Tribute To The Illuminated Woman of World War II by Irfanulla Shariff Oh! The emblem of Purest beauty and grace Our humble tribute to you You, the poet and musician The illuminated woman You, the writer and champion of languages Of Word War II Your stunning tales of inspiration Oh! The courageous Miss Noor Inayat Khan Now captivating the children’s attention Great grand daughter You, the amazing air force lady Of the Sufi king Tipu Sultan You, the brilliant wireless operator The Tiger of Mysore Oh! The beloved daughter You are Madeleine and Nora You were bestowed Of the legendary Sufi master The master of disguises and aura With the highest military awards From whom you learned Oh! The dynamic spy For your splendid valor The jewels of spirituality Of World War II Oh! The most charismatic heroine Love, joy, harmony, Of World War II Endurance and beauty And when he passed away You nurtured your mother And siblings with benevolence We truly cherish your munificence Oh! The kind hearted woman Of World War II 71