Difficult Victory

Milorad ILOVAYSKIY

«War is ordeal of all economic and organizational forces of each nation».
Vladimir Lenin

It is a paradox, but there is a difficult situation at veterans who were at war for the country which got the Victory very hardly on the eve of regular anniversary of a victory in Great Patriotic War (22nd of June 1941 — 9th of May 1945). Even if the Soviet Union is not present more, a distress of the people who have protected the country from Hitlerite aggression is one of the strongest reproaches though to last country leaders, though operating political elite.

There is no unified view at war of 1941-45 for many years on the post-Soviet territory, and as the result the total memory is not presents. In this the fundamental difference from other participants of an Antihitlerite coalition and even from Germany. The main reason in that the full truth about that enormous war of Soviet side has not been told. The ruling regime of USSR did not open the truth itself and not allowed to make it to simple people (to front-line soldiers, inhabitants of occupied territories, townspeople of blockade Leningrad and all the rest). Veterans had their victory stolen, but also effect «the country of the empty sky» (where there is no truth, there is no also justice) accelerated disorder of the Soviet Union.

Kazakhstan was a constituent part of the USSR and has brought the feasible contribution to a general victory. Fortunately of republic, its territory was not grasped by a loop of Nazi occupation which strengthened a victim and suffering of ordinary people. Independent Kazakhstan did not avoid the general fate of the Post-Soviet states the war perceived differently in it. Along with respected memory signs on the other hand are the majority of the Kazakhstan society monuments to guardsmen-panfilovs or Manshuk Mametova and Aliya Moldagulova. The monument to Mustafa Chokay was set up, one of the founders of the Turkestan legion, who was at war on the side of Hitler. Certainly, the monument was set up not for the Second World War, but for struggle of Chokay against Bolshevism in 20-30-s' years of the XX century, but nevertheless, nevertheless, nevertheless ...

The part of the persons working on a historical field offers the formulation «Participation of Kazakhs in the Second World War» instead of «Kazakhstan in the Great Patriotic War». However the overwhelming majority citizens of the republic in their historical memory are on the Soviet side. When Kazakh uses a word «ours» about those times in 99 % of cases he means Red Army.

The Chinese saying says that throwing the tyros into the fray is all the same that to betray them. In this respect among those who have accepted the first (and for a large quantity simultaneously last) fight on summer 1941, very many had weak military preparation. There were such military men in 1942 and 1943. Thus we do not deny at all that fact that during storm of Keninsberg in 1945 the German command recognized: «Though we have considered all moments, but we underestimated fighting experience of the Soviet soldiers».

There is a lot of treachery from powers side concerning people who won that war. Here and reprisals of regular army in 1937-39, and «treacherous attack» on 22nd of June because of Stalin's paranoia, and a spread myth that the Red Army is stronger than the opponent simply because the socialism is in the USSR.

All aforesaid absolutely not belittle the merits of soldiers, officers, guerrillas and workers of rear, who voluntary and who is not, but have brought the contribution to a victory. There was no simply an alternative to defeat «Fascism» at that historical moment. Kazakhs were at war on all fronts and in all combat arms. From 1 million 200 thousand mobilized inhabitants of republic (with 7 million population) half did not returned from military fields. Nowadays the total value of human losses of the Soviet Union comes nearer to 27 million persons. This is not fault of veterans, and their tragedy, that the regime had stolen a victory from them and for a feat has not rewarded according to their merits.

From the first hours of war the Soviet soldiers have let know to the opponent, that its «walks» will not turn out. It is known, how enemies through the propaganda services addressed to defenders of the Brest fortress. At first: «Surrender! Otherwise we will sweep out you and mercy will not be». Then: «Shoot commissioners and communists who deceive you, and run across to us». Further: «Courageous defenders of a fortress. Surrender. We guarantee a life». And defenders sent last cartridge to the opponent, not to itself as that was demanded by the operating Soviet military charter.

And here the statement of the German general Manteyfel, who was at war on different fronts of the second world war (the text as in the original): «European cannot imagine offensive of Russian army. The huge horde is slides after tank columns basically on horses. There is a holdall behind the back of the soldier, in which crackers and the crude vegetables collected along the road on fields and in villages. The horse eats straw from roofs it is practically impossible to get other fodder. So in offensive Russian can stand about three weeks. They cannot be stopped, as stop usual army, cutting supply ways, because there are not enough supply columns to which it would be possible to strike blow».

Wars of such type and scale are not won alone, even if on East front at Wehrmacht it was more than 90 % of the general losses (only on Naval Forces a picture on the contrary). The considerable contribution to a victory was brought by allies. The Great Britain declared about solidarity with the USSR since first days of Great Patriotic War, and the USA extended to Soviet Union a land-lease regime since August. It is enough to recall that the considerable part of food resources, fuel, practically half of motor pool was supplied by allies.
War in the West, especially on the sea had the severe «face». The escorts delivering necessary cargoes to USSR floated in the Arctic climate conditions, among the storm sea. There was only one unique prevention of approaching danger usually it was the gnash of the torpedo punching a covering of the ship. Those who were possible to be saved remained in open boats in the middle of storming ocean where they went mad and died from overcooling. The opponent sank 98 transports with cargoes and 18 fighting ships, including two cruisers among more thousand courts sent to the Soviet Union during war. The victory in war with a Hitlerite regime and its satellites was gotten by extremely high value. For many other States it would appear very heavy. Poland, Norway, France and other countries from the moral point of view had the same rights to a victory, than Nazi Germany. However the one correctness was not enough, corresponding resources were required. The USSR had no right to lose that war as it threatened with physical destruction to its population, but also those who would lead the country to real progress and prosperity have taken advantage of Victory fruits at all.

And the echo of that Great War continues to operate in today's political processes. It lives under the laws, not paying attention whether they like somebody or not.