Before the turn: the advance and the stop
Germany attacked the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941 and advanced deep into the country. In December 1941 the attack was stopped near Moscow. In summer 1942 the enemy tried again in the south, aiming for the big river Volga and for the oil of the Caucasus. The army reached the Volga at the city of Stalingrad.
Stalingrad: the ring closes
For months there was hard street fighting in the city. Then, on 19 November 1942, Soviet armies attacked the weaker sides of the enemy line, north and south of the city, and met behind it. This is called encirclement: a ring that cuts the trapped army off from food, fuel and shells.
The trapped army could not break out. It surrendered between 31 January and 2 February 1943. Never before had such a large part of the enemy army been lost in one place. Stalingrad is called the turning point because from here on the invader was losing, not winning.
Kursk: the biggest tank battle
In summer 1943 the enemy tried one more big attack, at the bulge of the front near the city of Kursk. This time the Soviet side knew, and had dug deep lines of defence and kept strong reserves. The battle began on 5 July 1943. Around Prokhorovka on 12 July one of the largest tank clashes of the war took place.
The attack failed, and the Soviet armies began their own advance that August. After Kursk the enemy never again had the strength for a big attack in the East. The lead had passed to the Soviet side for good.
Liberation of Europe, 1944-45
In January 1944 the long siege of Leningrad was lifted. In June 1944 a huge Soviet offensive freed Belarus. The same month, on 6 June, the Western Allies landed in Normandy and opened a second front in the west. Soviet armies then entered the lands of central and south-east Europe, step by step, and in April-May 1945 they fought the battle for Berlin. Many people in those lands were freed from occupation.
The Soviet Union was not alone: its Allies sent trucks, food and metals, bombed enemy industry and fought on other fronts. But for most of the war the biggest part of the enemy army was fighting in the East.
Victory, losses and memory
Germany signed its surrender late on 8 May 1945. In Moscow the date was already 9 May, so Victory Day is on 9 May in Russia and some other countries, and 8 May in much of Western Europe. Japan surrendered on 2 September 1945, which ended the whole world war.
The cost was huge. Historians say about 27 million Soviet people, soldiers and civilians, died. Many cities and villages were destroyed. People remember them with monuments, an eternal flame, minutes of silence and family stories of grandparents. Remembering is not only about pride in victory; it is also a promise to keep peace.
Try it: build your own timeline
Take a long strip of paper. Mark five dots: Nov 1942, Feb 1943, July 1943, June 1944, May 1945. Write one event under each dot. Then draw an arrow from each event to the next and write one word on the arrow: "so", "then", "after". Check your chain with the slider in the 3D.
Key formulas and definitions
- Stalingrad: 19 Nov 1942 counter-attack; surrender 31 Jan - 2 Feb 1943.
- Kursk: 5 July 1943 start; tank clash at Prokhorovka 12 July 1943.
- Normandy landing (second front): 6 June 1944. Berlin: April-May 1945.
- Surrender signed late 8 May 1945 (9 May in Moscow). Japan: 2 Sep 1945.
- Soviet deaths: about 27 million (soldiers and civilians).
- Encirclement: a ring that cuts an army off from food, fuel and ammunition.
Worked examples
1. Why is Stalingrad called the turning point of the war in the East?
Before it, the invader kept winning and moving east. At Stalingrad a whole enemy army was surrounded and surrendered. After it, the Soviet side kept pushing the front west.
2. What changed after the Battle of Kursk?
The enemy lost its last big attack in the East. From August 1943 the Soviet armies attacked and kept the lead until the end of the war.
3. Why is Victory Day on 9 May in Moscow but 8 May in much of Western Europe?
The surrender was signed late on 8 May by central European time. In Moscow, which is ahead in time, the date had already changed to 9 May.
4. The Soviet counter-attack began on 19 Nov 1942 and the trapped army surrendered on 2 Feb 1943. How many days is that?
19 Nov to 30 Nov = 11 days, December = 31, January = 31, and 2 days of February. Total 11 + 31 + 31 + 2 = 75 days.
Common mistakes
- Mixing up the two battles: Stalingrad (1942-43) was an encirclement; Kursk (1943) was a failed attack met by deep defence.
- Saying one battle won the war. Stalingrad was the turning point, but the war lasted until 1945.
- Forgetting the Allies. Western Allies, Lend-Lease supplies and D-Day also mattered.
- Writing only one Victory Day date. It is 8 May in much of Western Europe and 9 May in Russia and some other countries.