Photo credit: RIA Novosti archive / Soviet anti-aircraft gunners on the roof of the Moscow Hotel / (CC BY-SA 3.0) / ru.wikipedia.org
The Battle of Moscow, one of the key events of the Great Patriotic War and World War II, started 80 years ago. The defensive operation started on September 30, 1941, and lasted until April 20, 1942. The Soviet army managed to frustrate the Nazi's attack on Moscow, the Parlamentskaya Gazeta newspaper reports.
The German strategic offensive, named Operation Typhoon, was meant to seize control of Moscow and force an end to major operations on the eastern front. The Germans concentrated significant military forces on the approaches to Moscow to reach this goal.
The attack, which began on the last day of September, soon allowed the Nazis to encircle the Soviet armies. But the offensive was disrupted by Soviet military units - once surrounded, they fiercely fought the enemy and were able to hold back about twenty enemy divisions for two weeks.
it bought the needed time for the reserve troops and allowed them to strengthen the defense line. In November, the Red Army stopped the Nazis on the outskirts of Moscow. At the beginning of winter, Soviet troops went on the offensive and defeated the Nazi troops. It was a major setback for the Germans, which largely predetermined the outcome of the war.
Russkiy Mir
