Russia celebrated their victory day on the 9th of May 2018 and in what seem more like a show of power and or threat than a celebration of lives, Putin has warned that peace is very fragile, while the world at large might not fully understand what he insinuates, it's not far fetch to know that Putin is not someone you want to cross weapons with.
The parade was to commemorate the capitulation of of Nazi Germany and off course to indirectly tell us, "Do not fuck with Russia" as you would see in a while.
The parade also marks the Allied Victory in world war II and on the 9th of May 1945, the German Act of Capitulation was signed.
Source: Fireworks from the Moscow Victory Day Parade celebrating the defeat of Nazi Germany
Source: Another set of fireworks explode over the St Peter & Paul Fortress
HOW THE RUSSIANS DEFEATED NAZI GERMANY
For Hitler, the world wars where first and foremost a racial struggle. He believed no race is as superior as the German race, so while in a war you might think of just taking over the army of the defending country, Hitler wanted the total annihilation of any race he deemed inferior to the Germans and Russia was one of those races, no wonder he conducted the mass murder of Jews.
So in March of 1941 he planned the invasion of Russia, an invasion he called Operation Barbarossa (Red Beard) after the German ruler Frederick I, nicknamed Red Beard, who had orchestrated a ruthless attack on the Slavic peoples of the East about 800 years before.
With three million soldiers totaling 160 divisions the Germans plunged deep into Russia with plans to reach the Volga River. Although they were far outnumbered, Hitler believed due to the superior race of the Germans, the Russians wouldn't stand a chance.
Source: Russian police women dressed in Soviet Army Uniform taking part in the Victory Parade.
With this believe and also coupled with the Defeat of the Russian army by finish troops two years prior, Hitler and his generals finally had their guns cocked and ready to attack, however somethings happened to upset this plan.
Hitler's chief ally and leader of fascist Italy, Benito Mussolini, launched a surprise invasion on Greece, a foolish act in itself as British troops stationed in the Mediterranean moved in to stop the attack. For Hitler, this was a nightmare in itself as the idea of British troops at his own backyard made Germany's southern flank vulnerable as that region known as the Balkans supplied most of Germany's oil.
In other to quickly protect the Balkan region, Hitler quickly forged an alliance with Bulgaria and Yugoslavia. While this could have ended Hitler's night mare, it was not be cos in Yugoslavia the government was quickly overthrown by its own citizens after its alliance with Hitler. In anger and ruthlessness typical of Hitler, he ordered his generals to completely crush the country, this led to the killing of 17 000 civilians.
However, this attack on Yugoslavia coupled with the Germans taking back Greece and forcing the British troops to retreat let to the delay of Russia for five weeks and also caused a lot of wear and tear on tanks and other armored equipments.
Source: Another set of police women taking part in the parade
June 22 1941, operation Barbarossa was in full effect. At about 3:15 am, 3.2 million German soldiers plunged into Russia, taking Russia by surprise. Sneaky bastards, those Germans. Russian commanders made calls to the headquarters for orders but there was non, Russian soldiers woke up from their tents to find out they have already been surrounded, with nothing else to do, they were forced to surrender.
And so it was that the Germans, began the destruction they were most known for, destroying hundreds of Russian planes. That Morning, Hitler made an announcement to the people of Germany, in his words,
“At this moment a march is taking place that, for its extent, compares with the greatest the world has ever seen. I have decided again today to place the fate and future of the Reich and our people in the hands of our soldiers. May God aid us, especially in this fight.”
Source: I am sure many men have and would die from those legs
Russian soldiers were surrendering in the face of the German destruction and Josef Stalin, Russia's Dictator at that time was at a loss what to do even though he had been previously warned that a German invasion could happen at any time.
The next plan of action for the Germans was to attack the Russia and Ukraine Capital. By mid July, the Russians were still fighting in the face of defeat. Russian resistance emerged from no where more than what the Germans have ever encountered. In addition to this, the Russians once fully mobilized where far more than what the Germans ever bargained for.
Another thing that weakened the German army was the vastness of Russia, this caused worn out foot soldiers and over stretched supply lines.
Stalin also, having recovered from his initial mistake, drafted new measures to tackle the German menace, some of this measure includes the execution of his top commanders and soldiers who had been too eager to retreat. Stalin believed you fight until you die, either that or you die in his hands, there was no room for retreating. With this mentality, new defensive positions where set up and also launched counter attacks against the German troops.
This coupled with the fatigue of the German foot soldiers made the German troop weak.
Source: This Veteran in volgorad, the scene of one of Russia's army victory
The Germans however still marched on, taking strength from their leader. By September they successfully captured the city of Kiev in Ukraine, taking over 650 000 Russians as prisoners. As the Germans approached Leningrad, Hitler ordered the total destruction of the place even though it contained over 5 million inhabitants.
According to him,
“The problem of the survival of the population and of supplying it with food is one which cannot and should not be solved by us.”
German generals urged Hitler to focus on attacking the capital, Moscow, since Leningrad was now been surrounded but he refused. Hitler wanted to attack Russia on all three fronts, Leningrad, Stalingrad and Moscow at the same time. By October 2 of 1941, and with winter been around the corner, German troops quickly defeated the Russian soldiers defending Moscow, taking over 660 000 prisoners.
Source: Russian President, Vladmir Putin attends a wreath laying ceremony.
With Confidence, Hitler announced to the German People,
“I declare today, and I declare it without any reservation, that the enemy in the East has been struck down and will never rise again…Behind our troops already lies a territory twice the size of the German Reich when I came to power in 1933.”
By the middle of October, German troops had already reached Moscow, 40 miles away and with just 90 000 soldiers defending the Russia's capital the Russia's government had begun planing to evacuate the capital.
But Something happened.
Source: Female cadets displaying during the parade celebration
Source: Is it me or do this ladies look really mean.
Source: Veterans of World War 2 attending the parade celebration
By the middle of October, German troops had already reached Moscow, 40 miles away and with just 90 000 soldiers defending the Russia's capital the Russia's government had begun planing to evacuate the capital.
But Something happened. ( I did not forget you)
The weather changed.
It started with weeks of unending rain, creating mud so deep there was no way for anything on wheels to move. The rain also soaked the foot soldiers with thick muds up to their knees. By November, snow came with the sub zero temeperatures, soldiers suffered from frost bite and other cold related sickness.
With mechanical and auto mobile failures, and the strength of its foot soldiers down by like 50% the Germans were now at the mercy of the Russians. According to a soviet commander,
"I remember very well the Germans in July 1941. They were confident, strong tall guys. They marched ahead with their sleeves rolled up and carrying their machine-guns. But later on they became miserable, crooked, snotty guys wrapped in woolen kerchiefs stolen from old women in villages...Of course, they were still firing and defending themselves, but they weren't the Germans we knew earlier in 1941."
However, Hitler been the sonofabitch that he is, ordered his troops to attack Moscow, ignoring the conditions of his soldiers and believing total victory can still be had. By the 1st of December 1941, German tanks attacked fromt the north and south of Moscow while infantry men took the east.
Due to the delay suffered from the harsh weather conditions, the Russians at this time where already gunned, ready, prepared and loaded with massive re-enforcements which included 30 Siberian divisions specially trained for winter warfare, what this implies was the Germans was about to get their asses fed to them.
Source: Soldiers in combat gear matching through Volgograd
Hitler having pushed his army to the limits now suffered a terrible blow when on the 6th of December, a 100 Russian divisions under the command of General Georgi Zhukov, the Red Army's new leader counter attacked the Germans all around Moscow.
The counter attack was devastating to say the least, now the Germans were been fed in their own plate, by mid- December, the German forces cold, battered, bruised, bombarded and bombed, had no option but to retreat; even that was a luxury only few could afford.
Mikoyan MiG-31 interceptor aircraft fly in formation over Red Square during the parade
Russia's MiG-29 jet fighters of the Strizhi aerobatic team and Su-30 jet fighters of the Russkiye Vityazi aerobatic team
An opportunity for Russia to display its military hardware, such as these Msta-S self-propelled tracked howitzers
The Iskander-M missile launcher
Soldiers taking part in the parade
More soldiers Matching
Women soldiers also taking part in the parade.
The first public outing of the Kinjal (Dagger) hypersonic missile, carried by advanced MiG-31K interceptor jets
Servicemen carry a Russian national flag and Victory Banner as they march in Red Square to the accompaniment of a military band
The honour guard line up in Red Square, Russia also gets an opportunity to display weapons to potential buyers
That smile though.
A girl in an army uniform stands in Red Square front of a military band
A veteran holding a young girl in an Army attire
Soldiers responding to President Putin's speech, in which he also warned against 'aggressive nationlism'
Russian anti-aircraft systems in Arctic camouflage were among the armoured vehicles that took part in the parade
A young boy watching the parade with a Binoculars and a fighter jet's helmet.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu makes the sign of the cross at the start of the proceedings
Russian Su-25 assault aircraft release smoke in the colours of the Russian flag while flying above the parade
Source of All the Images above
source: Cadets of the Moscow Military School
The Germans once thought to be invisible under the iron rule of Adolf Hitler, now suffered the greatest defeat they would ever face. Hitler blamed the loss on the leadership of his generals, he then went ahead to dismiss some of these generals including the then commander in chief of the Army and took the rank for himself.
The defeat of the Germans brought a ray of hope to other European countries, however despite this defeat, there was still much suffering and repairs needed in the areas the German troops had previously captured and Hitlers campaign of total annihilation of inferior races was still well underway, heralding a period of military savagery in human history, the effect of which we still feel till today.
References
1. How Russia Defeated Germany
2. Pictures from the Victory Parade
3. Moscow Victory Parade