Fatal date: Why Russia was twice attacked on June 22
This year marks 80 years since our homeland was treacherously attacked by the hordes of Nazi Germany, as well as its many allies and satellites. This terrible and sorrowful date is forever kept in our memory, in our hearts. And even though it was then that the path to the victorious May 9, 1945 began, the pain and horror of this day will never be forgotten. It is impossible not to mention one more thing - exactly 209 years ago, on the same day, the French Empire (and, in fact, Europe united under its scepter) declared war on the Russian Empire. This is how the first Patriotic War in our history began, which also ended in the complete defeat of the foreign invaders who encroached on our land.
What kind of date is this? Why is it that it is necessary to unleash two large-scale aggression against our country, two invasions of the largest enemy armies that managed to seize vast territories, but later not only shamefully expelled from them, but also paid for their encroachments by taking their own capitals. What is this - a coincidence, mysticism, some mysterious "finger of fate", as some people think? Or is it a pattern that has purely practical reasons?
"Rock attracts Russia ..."
These are the words from the appeal of the Emperor of France Napoleon Bonaparte to his Grand Army, signed by him on June 22 at his Polish headquarters in Vilkoviski. The first French soldiers pushed through the Niemen the next day, and already on June 24, regiments and corps poured in a stream along the crossings that were directed across this river. The "invasion of two ten languages" began on Russia. Emperor Alexander I found out about him on the evening of the 24th, but this is solely because the emperor was at that moment not in the capital, but in Vilna (modern Vilnius). In fact, the French envoy, Jacques de Lauriston, handed a note on the declaration of war to the head of the government of the Russian Empire, Count Nikolai Saltykov on the evening of the 22nd. So the "official" beginning of the Patriotic War of 1812 should be counted from this date.
Times then, of course, were different - the war was first declared gallantly and decorously, and only then real hostilities were unleashed. And France, after all, was not the Third Reich. And Napoleon is by no means Hitler. To tell the truth, he did not intend to "capture" our country (at least, according to the numerous historical evidences). Russia in the form of ashes, strewn with corpses, Bonaparte, apparently, absolutely did not need. He wanted her to participate in the "continental blockade" of Great Britain and the upcoming campaign in India, by capturing which the French emperor hoped to seriously undermine the financial and economic the power of their main enemies - the British. Napoleon had no idea to occupy and "colonize" Russia, knowing full well that no one could do it.
Preserved his own words that, having crossed the Niemen, the Great Army had to reach a maximum of Smolensk and Minsk and "stop" there. Bonaparte planned, utterly defeating the Russian army in one (two - maximum) large-scale border battles, to force Alexander I to an enslaving peace on the terms of Paris and continue his mortal battle with London. True, when our armies, not accepting the general battle, began to roll back deep into the immense Russian expanses, the plans had to be corrected and the emperor, who was dumbfounded by such a maneuver so much that he spent 18 days in Vilna in complete inactivity, already started talking about going to Moscow , in order to “strike Russia into the very heart”, he was eager to “burn Tula”, and thereby “disarm the Russians”, while continuing to assert that the war would “be over in one or two battles”. Naive…
Ahead were Borodino, the senseless Moscow "victory", humiliating pleas for peace "at any cost" ignored by Alexander, the horrors of the Old Smolensk road and the shame of the Berezina. Fate is very evil and deservedly will amuse the Corsican who imagines himself to be the ruler of the world - on June 22, 1815, he will have to sign his last abdication from the French throne, before that, having experienced a triumphant return for exactly 100 days and a crushing defeat at Waterloo. It is unknown whether Bonaparte was thinking about this coincidence, being in his last refuge - on the island of St. Helena and slowly dying of poison. Quite possible. In the summer, addressing his marshals and soldiers, who then seemed invincible to him, the emperor promised to "decide the fate of Russia", but, in fact, it was at that moment that he ordered his own fate - and in the most unreasonable way.
"Russia must be liquidated!"
Adolf Hitler, who spoke almost incessantly about the attack on our country in 1941, was extremely frank in his plans and intentions. "Complete defeat of the entire state", "war of annihilation", "absolute extermination of all hostile elements", "dismemberment into many parts" and so on. They went not only to conquer and conquer us, but in the most literal sense of the word to wipe out the country and its inhabitants from the face of the earth. In this case, a military defeat would mean not the loss of geopolitical independence and sovereignty, as in 1812, but the complete disappearance of the Soviet, and, first of all, the Russian people. Repeating the mistakes of his predecessor, Hitler and his associates in all seriousness hoped to defeat the USSR in a "short summer campaign", in no case bringing military operations to the onset of late autumn and winter.
When Hitler announced the final date of the attack - June 22, the head of the High Command of the Wehrmacht Ground Forces (OKH), Field Marshal von Brauchitsch, cheerfully reported to the Fuhrer that the "defensive battles of the Red Army in the border areas" would last, at most, a month. After that, only "isolated cases of sluggish resistance" are possible. Well, yes, well, yes ... Building insane plans for an attack on the Soviet Union for almost a whole year (the first concrete sketches of them began to be created at the end of July 1940), the generals and field marshals of the Wehrmacht, as well as the Nazi leadership of the Third Reich, could not even imagine that they will have to deal not only with the Red Army, the Navy, the NKVD troops, but with the entire Soviet people, who, having risen from small to large, will not "offer sluggish resistance", but will fight to the death for every inch of their native land.
And yet, why exactly on June 22? In the ominous "Directive No. 18" "Barbarossa" signed by Hitler on December 1940, 21, a different date was listed - May 15. However, in the period from April 7 to April 30, 1941, it was adjusted. On this occasion, there are many explanations, and of various kinds. First of all, the attack had to be postponed due to the fact that the Wehrmacht was "stuck" in the Balkans, having run into a fierce rebuff there (primarily in Yugoslavia), which was not expected. This is true and is confirmed by the relevant OKH directives. But why exactly 22, and not 21 or, say, 23? Some people assure that the mysticism of the “great Fuhrer” played its role, who was really almost obsessed with astrology, numerology, all sorts of symbols and “signs”. He was especially attracted by various pagan cults. The ancient feast of the Solstice may well have seemed to the possessed fanatic the best day to start a campaign to the East. Moreover, it was on June 22, 1940 that even France, which did not particularly try to resist the Wehrmacht, shamefully surrendered before the Third Reich.
The corresponding process was most carefully staged and corrected by the Nazis in order to make it as humiliating as possible for the former winners in the First World War. Not everyone knows, but the representatives of Germany put their autographs under the treaty that almost destroyed their state, officially signed at Versailles on June 28, 1919, a week earlier. Yes, yes - on June 22 ... And even though there were no representatives of the victorious powers of Russia (at that time the RSFSR) among those present in Versailles, Corporal Schicklgruber remembered the defeats received in the First World War from Russian weapons. Was he taking revenge subtly, "getting attached" to a shameful date for his country? Why not.
Without a doubt, first of all, we should talk about the motives and reasons of a purely materialistic nature. Yes, it was wiser to launch an offensive against Russia with its endless fields (either in 1812 or in 1941) after these fields were sown and produce grain crops, which the conquerors could later profit from by feeding their army. Yes, June 22 in 1941 was a Sunday, the only day off in the USSR at that time, for which the Nazis undoubtedly also made a calculation (in many respects, alas, it was justified). Well, and, of course, it is well known that it is on this date that the longest day of the year falls. When transferring huge masses of troops across the border, deploying large-scale offensive operations, this is, of course, very important. And still…
Both Patriotic Wars, which have become the most tragic and heroic pages in the history of our Motherland, our people, began on June 22, and not a day earlier or later. Is this day really some kind of sacred date, bearing the grain of incredible trials, sacrifices and victories? With all the absolute dissimilarity of the imperial France of the 1812th century and Nazi Germany of the XNUMXth century, not only this number is striking, but also something else. Napoleon in XNUMX, justifying his aggressive campaign, wrote about the need to "put an end to the disastrous influence that Russia has on all the affairs of Europe."
In a note handed at 5.30 am on June 22, 1941 to the USSR People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs Vyacheslav Molotov by German Ambassador Werner von Schulenburg about the declaration of war, our country was reproached for "conducting propaganda subversive activities", "attempts to expand", as well as "espionage and sabotage in Europe" , "Pulling troops to their Western borders" and the like. Does this remind you of anything ?! To the pain, to the eerie, to the gnashing of the teeth? At least quotes from a recent speech by the EU's chief diplomat Borrell on the "concept of deterring and countering Russia", which Brussels is going to adopt, again, in the 20th of June? When will they calm down? The answer, I'm afraid, is never.
That 80, that 209 years ago, on June 22, the entire "united Europe" rose up against us, for which campaigns to the East invariably ended in the most nasty way. This day eventually became the day of our triumph and celebration. On June 22, 1945, Supreme Commander-in-Chief Joseph Stalin signed an order for the Victory Parade. So it was and so it will be.
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