Prague Uprising
On May 4, Prague citizens took to the streets in a massive demonstration that surprised those planning to organize an uprising. The citizens of Prague appealed to the Russians and Americans for help. The Russian slogan even appealed to the "Vlasov Army" for support for the Prague uprising.
The "Vlasov Army" helped the Czechs and severed ties with the SS in order to protect themselves. Germany announced its surrender on May 8 and soon entered into force in Prague. Marshal Konev advanced toward Prague on 6 May, and on 9 May the Soviet vanguard tank force arrived in Prague to join Malinowski's division to the southeast.
Above: Prague citizens take to the streets. The news of the arrival of American troops in Bohemia excited the populace, who tore down German road signs or painted patriotic slogans on them. On 5 May, Radio Prague issued an appeal for support for the uprising and for roadblocks.
Above: Martha! Marshal Konev enters Prague. On the last day of the war, Konev's tanks burst into Prague from Saxony in the north, and in the early morning of May 9, 1945, Soviet tanks arrived in Prague at a breakneck speed. Shortly after afternoon, Marshal Konev met marshal Malinovsky's troops.
Above: No one is happier than this Soviet soldier. At 20:00 on 8 May, Marshal Konev ordered all German troops in western Czechoslovakia to surrender. He gave the Germans three hours.
Above: Prague. A solemn funeral for a Soviet soldier. Important civilian and political leaders were present at the ceremony. The First, Second and Fourth Ukrainian Fronts of the Red Army took part in the Battle of Prague, with a total of 49,348 dead, wounded and missing.
Revenge and punishment
In May 1945, General Vlasov fell into Soviet hands in Czechoslovakia. The "Vlasovists" who initially supported the Prague uprising fled south, hoping to join the Americans. The First Division was disarmed by the Americans in the Schlusselburg area, and Vlasov came here. However, the Soviets were informed that the Americans would evacuate Shrusherburg and hand over the town to the Red Army. Vlasov and his men left Schlusselburg in hopes of entering the American-occupied zone, but were intercepted by the Red Army. In Moscow, Vlasov and 11 others were charged with treason and hanged on August 2, 1946. Vlasov refused to confess his guilt, even though he was told he would be tortured to death without trial.
Above: Lieutenant General Vlasov and his party (front row left to right): Andrey Vlasov, Zhrenkov G.N., Zverev, Malzev.
Above: Defendant in German uniform; From top to bottom: Major General Georgy Zhilenkov, former Communist Party member and director of Vlasov's propaganda department; Former Red Army Division Commander Major General Zverev, who was appointed commander of the Second Division of the Russian Liberation Army; Former Soviet Red Army Air Force Commander in Central Asia and Commander of Vlasov Air Force Squadron V.l. Major General Maltsev.
Above: Just like that, Vlasov died on the Lubyanka River. The Soviets had good reason to avoid "public trials", as it would evoke the memories of millions of Russians who had lived on occupied territory and remind them of their former cooperation with the Germans.
Salute to victory
On June 24, 1945, a march was held in Moscow to celebrate the victory of the Soviet Union over German fascism, and Marshal Zhukov appeared on a white war horse. Stalin accepted the salute. The military parade was a comprehensive review of the Soviet armed forces, representing all aspects of the army by a "mixed regiment" led by senior Soviet generals. On 20 June, the victory flag, once planted on the roof of the Reichstag, was sent to Moscow for a military parade, an honor guard commanded by the captain of the honor guard, Valentin Valennikov, and the flag bearer was the Soviet hero, Tuas F.A. Shkirev served.
Above: A rare group photo of Stalin (front row, second from right) with senior commanders of the Red Army. Stalin was promoted to marshal in 1943, and now he has received the historic title of Grand Marshal. To Stalin's left is Marshal Voroshilov, who was a close friend of Stalin; on the right is Marshal Zhukov; next to Zhukov is Marshal Vasilevsky. The two men at the top left in the front row: artillery commander Vorronov and another veteran: Marshal Budyonny.
Above: Victory parade in Moscow, June 24, 1945. From left to right: Marshal Budyonny, Marshal Stalin and Marshal Zhukov review the Victory Day military parade on the Kremlin's observation deck.
Above: Red Army tanks sail to Red Square for the victory parade. The wartime "learning curve" of Soviet tanks was both cruel and expensive, and the result of the study was the reorganization of the Red Army's mobile combat forces and the increase in the proportion of armored units.
Above: May 9, 1945, Moscow, Red Square, celebration of Victory Day.
Above: Muscovites sing and dance in the streets on May 9.
Above: Veterans of the Red Army marching through in neat formations at the parade. Soviet infantry bore the brunt of the attack on the Eastern Front, suffering the heaviest casualties. In 1941 the "common people" in those infantry divisions took a long time to grow into a well-trained combat unit, and after the Battle of Stalingrad, the Soviet infantry obtained more heavy weapons, but there were still many "on the front line" and the casualties were still very large.
Above: At the victory parade, the square representing all sides of the army was a mixed regiment led by a senior commander. Marshal Marinowski led the Second Ukrainian Front, led by five senior generals and the flag bearer was Lieutenant Colonel Konitunyak of the Guards. Infantrymen are armed with SVT-40 automatic rifles equipped with fixed bayonets.
Above: The mixed regiment representing the Soviet naval phalanx was led by The Integrated Regiment representing the Navy by Vice-Admiral V.G. Fadeyev. During the war, the Soviet Navy fought tenaciously with the German Navy, in addition to naval battles, but also undertook the tasks of escorting, defending naval bases and performing amphibious operations, with a total of 238,614 killed, missing and wounded.
Above: "Dedicated to the victorious warriors, the love of all!" "Poster art flourished in the Soviet Union during the war, and many of the posters were real works of art, and they were written by prominent Artists and Famous Cartoonists of the Soviet Union.
Above: Nazi flag. Sergeants and soldiers from the 1st Infantry Division of the People's Commissariat of the Interior. In the front row from left to right are: Sergeant F.A. Legkoshkur, Sergeant B.M. Lugovoi, Sergeant V.F. Beloshnikov, S.G. Kartsev Sergeant.
Last photo. Nikolai Woznesensky welcomed soldiers returning home after the war. Woznesensky was one of the main architects of the Soviet war economy, a member of the National Defense Committee, responsible for the production of weapons and ammunition. In 1949 he offended Stalin, became involved in the "Leningrad Incident" and was shot. In 1954, he was "restored to his reputation".