Strategic operations of the Red Army in World War II

The strategic operations of the Red Army in World War II were major military events carried out between 1941 and 1945 on the Eastern Front or in 1945 in the Far East during the Second World War. Such operations typically involved at least one Front – the largest military formation of the Soviet Armed Forces. The operations could be defensive, offensive, a withdrawal, an encirclement, or a siege – always conducted by at least two Services of the armed forces (the ground forces and the air forces) and often included the naval forces. In most cases the Stavka divided the strategic operations into operational phases which were large operations in their own right. In very few cases the phases were tactical, such as those requiring amphibious landings.

Introduction[]

In Soviet historiography, the Great Patriotic War is divided into periods:

First (22 June 1941 – 18 November 1942)
Second (19 November 1942 – 31 December 1943)
Third (1 January 1944 – 9 May 1945)

The war with Japan, the Campaign in the Far East including the Manchurian strategic offensive operation, (9 August 1945–2 September 1945) is seen as a separate theater of operations from the Great Patriotic War.

During the course of the Second World War the Red Army carried out a number of different military operations. The scope of these operations, usually known by the major cities around which they took place, was usually termed "operational-strategic" or "strategic", depending on the scale. An "operational-strategic" operation was usually undertaken by at least a group of Armies or a single Front. A "strategic" operation usually demanded cooperation of several Fronts to achieve its objectives. In both cases the operations could last from a week to several months. strategic operations were combined into seasonal campaigns, because weather and ground conditions affected planning.

First period (22 June 1941 – 18 November 1942)[]

Summer–Autumn campaign of 1941 (22 June – 4 December)[]

Axis Operation Barbarossa
22 June – 9 July 1941

22–24 June 1941

Battle of Raseiniai

24–27 June 1941

(ru) : 28-30 June 1941

(ru) : 4-9 July 1941

Battle of Hanko (1941) 22 June – 2 December 1941

German Battle of Białystok-Minsk/Offensive Campaign in Belorussia 22–29 June 1941
(ru) : 22 June – 9 July 1941

22–25 June 1941

Defense of Brest Fortress 22–30 June 1941

(ru) : 6-16 July 1941

(ru) : 6–9 July 1941

(ru) : 22 June – 9 July 1941

22–27 June 1941

Battle of Brody (1941) (26–30 June 1941)

27 June – 2 July 1941

3–6 July 1941

German and Finnish Operation Arctic Fox 29 June – mid-July 1941
(ru) : 29 June – 10 October 1941

Murmansk-Kandalaksha defensive 29 June – 19 September 1941

Vyborg-Keksholm defensive 29 June – 23 September 1941

Kestenga defensive 1 July – 10 October 1941

Defensives on the Petrozavodsk, Ukhinskom-Rugozerskom, and Olonetskom directions 1 July – 10 October 1941

1–26 July 1941
Kiev strategic defensive (1941) 7 July – 26 September 1941

11 July – 20 August 1941

10 July – 20 August 1941

Uman defensive 15 July – 4 August 1941

(ru) : 27 July – 28 September 1941

20 August – 26 September 1941

5–8 August 1941

Leningrad strategic defensive 10 July – 30 September 1941

(ru) : 10 July – 10 August 1941

Evacuation of Tallinn (1941)

Kingisepp–Luga defensive (ru) : 10 July – 23 September 1941

Soltsy-Dno offensive (ru) : 15–20 July 1941

Staraya-Russa offensive (ru) : 8–23 August 1941

(ru) : 6–26 September 1941

First Sinyavino offensive (ru) : 10–26 September 1941

Second Sinyavino offensive (ru) : 20-28 October 1941

Battle of Smolensk 10 July – 10 September 1941

(ru) : 2 July – 16 July 1941

(ru) : 10 July – 10 August 1941

21 July – 7 August 1941

Siege of Mogilev 3 July – 26 July 1941

(ru) : 13–24 July 1941

(ru) : 24 July – 30 August 1941

(ru) : 17 August – 8 September 1941

Yelnya offensive 30 August – 8 September 1941

Roslavl–Novozybkov offensive 30 August – 12 September 1941

Odessa defensive 5 August – 16 October 1941
German operation Wotan (Angriff am Moskow) 9 September
Donbas–Rostov strategic defensive operation (ru) : 29 September – 16 November 1941

Battle of the Sea of Azov 26 September – 11 October 1941

30 September – 30 November 1941

Defence of Kharkov (1941) (20–24 October 1941)

German First Battle of Kharkov

Axis Crimean Campaign 26 September 1941 – 15 May 1942

(ru) : 29 September – 4 November 1941

(ru) : 5–16 November 1941

Moscow strategic defensive 30 September – 5 December 1941

(ru) : 30 September – 23 October 1941

(ru) : 2–13 October 1941

(ru) : 10 October – 4 December 1941

(ru) : 10–30 October 1941

(ru) : 24 October – 5 December 1941

(ru) : 15 November – 5 December 1941

(ru) : 1–5 December 1941

(ru) : 16 October – 18 November 1941
Crimean defensive 18 October – 16 November 1941
Defense of Sevastopol 30 October 1941 – 4 July 1942
(ru) : 10 November – 30 December 1941

(ru) : 12 November – 30 December 1941

(ru) : 10 November – 30 December 1941

Rostov strategic offensive 17 November – 2 December 1941

17–27 November 1941

27 November – 2 December 1941

Winter campaign of 1941/42 (5 December 1941 – 30 April 1942)[]

Moscow strategic offensive 5 December 1941 – 7 January 1942

(ru) : 5 December 1941 – 7 January 1942

(ru) : 6–25 December 1941

(ru) : 6–16 December 1941

(ru) : 17 December 1941 – 5 January 1942

: 24 December 1941 – 8 January 1942

Kerch–Feodosia amphibious operation 25 December 1941 – 2 January 1942

Kerch landing 25 December 1941 – 2 January 1942

Feodosia landing 25 December 1941 – 2 January 1942

(ru) : 3–26 January 1942
Lyuban offensive 7 January – 30 April 1942
Demyansk offensive – first phase (1942) 7 January – 20 May 1942
8 January – 28 April 1942
Rzhev–Vyazma strategic offensive (ru) : 8 January – 20 April 1942

Sychyovka–Vyazma offensive 8 January – 28 February 1942

(Operation Jupiter)10 January – 28 February 1942

Toropets–Kholm offensive 9 January – 6 February 1942

Vyazma Airborne 18 January – 28 February 1942

Rzhev–Vyazma offensive (1942) 3 March – 20 April 1942

Demyansk offensive – second phase (1942) 7 January – 20 May 1942

Barvenkovo–Lozovaya offensive 18–31 January 1942
Crimean offensive 27 January – 15 April 1942
24 March – 3 April 1942

Summer–Autumn campaign of 1942 (1 May – 18 November)[]

German Demjansk Pocket 8 February – 21 April 1942
Volkhov offensive 24 March – 3 April 1942
(ru) : 28 April – 13 May 1942
Battle of the Kerch Peninsula 8–19 May 1942
Izium bridgehead offensive 12–29 May 1942
(ru): 13 May – 10 July 1942
Axis 10 June – 15 June 1942
Axis 22 June – 25 June 1942
Axis Case Blue 28 June – 19 August 1942

German ("Case Kremlin" in English) was a German deception for a summer offensive aimed at Moscow

Axis Army Group B

Axis Case Blue – Stalingrad 6th Army

Axis Army Group A

Voronezh–Voroshilovgrad strategic defensive 28 June – 24 July 1942

28 June – 10 July 1942

9–24 July 1942

28 June – 24 July 1942

7–24 July 1942

(ru) : 7–24 July 1942

Battle of Rostov (1942) 19-24 July 1942

German Operation Seydlitz 12 July 1942
Stalingrad strategic defensive 17 July – 18 November 1942

(ru) : 17 July – 17 August 1942

19 August – 18 November 1942

First Rzhev–Sychyovka offensive 30 July – 1 October 1942
Sinyavino offensive 19 August – 10 October 1942
Kozelsk offensive 22 August 1942 – 9 September 1942
Axis Operation Braunschweig 23 July 1942 –
Axis Operation Edelweiss 23 July – 21 August 1942
North Caucasian strategic defensive 25 July – 31 December 1942

: 25 July – 5 August 1942

(ru) : 6–17 August 1942

(ru) : 7–14 August 1942

(ru) : 19 August – 26 September 1942

(ru) : 1–28 September 1942

1940–44 insurgency in Chechnya

Axis Operation Blücher 2 September 1942

(ru) : 25 September – 20 December 1942

(ru) : 25 October – 12 November 1942

Second period (19 November 1942 – 31 December 1943)[]

Winter campaign of 1942–1943 (19 November 1942 – 3 March 1943)[]

Stalingrad strategic offensive 19 November 1942 – 2 February 1943

Operation Uranus 19–30 November 1942

12–31 December 1942

Tatsinskaya Raid 16–28 December 1942

Operation Winter Storm 12–23 December 1942

Middle Don offensive (Operation Little Saturn) 16–30 December 1942

Operation Koltso (Operation Ring) 10 January – 2 February 1943

Second Rzhev–Sychyovka offensive (Operation Mars) 25 November – 20 December 1942

24 November – 14 December 1942

25 November – 16 December 1942

25 November – 11 December 1942

25 November – 23 December 1942

Velikie-Luki offensive 24 November 1942 – 20 January 1943

North Caucasian strategic offensive 1 January – 4 February 1943

(or ) : 1 January – 4 February 1943

: 1–24 January 1943

: 11 January – 4 February 1943

: 24 January – 4 February 1943

Axis Defence of the Kuban bridgeheads
Operation Iskra (Operation Spark, breaking of the Leningrad Blockade) 12–30 January 1943

Krasnoborsko-Smerdynskaya offensive

Voronezh–Kharkov strategic offensive (ru) : 13 January – 3 March 1943

Ostrogozhsk-Rossosh offensive 13–27 January 1943

Voronezh-Kastornoye offensive 24 January – 2 February 1943

Voroshilovgrad offensive (Operation Skachok)^[1] 29 January – 18 February 1943

Kharkov offensive (Operation Zvezda) 2 February – 3 March 1943

(ru) : 5–28 February 1943

15 February – 1 March 1943

16–23 February 1943
(ru) : 9 February – 24 May 1943
Operation Polar Star 10 February – 1 April 1943

Battle of Krasny Bor 10-13 February 1943

Demyansk offensive 15–28 February 1943

(ru) : 4-19 March 1943

German Operation Büffel 1–22 March 1943

Rzhev–Vyazma offensive (1943) 2–31 March 1943

(ru) : 24 February – 28 March 1943
Kharkov defensive 4–25 March 1943
German Third Battle of Kharkov
4 April – 10 May 1943

26 May 1943 – 22 August 1944

Summer–Autumn campaign of 1943 (1 July – 31 December)[]

German Operation Citadel
Kursk strategic defensive (ru) : 5–23 July 1943

(ru) : 5–11 July 1943

5–23 July 1943

Orel strategic offensive (Operation Kutuzov) 12 July – 18 August 1943

12 July – 18 August 1943

15 July – 18 August 1943

Donbas strategic offensive (July 1943) 17 July – 2 August 1943

Izyum-Barvenkovo offensive (ru) : 17–27 July 1943

Mius offensive (ru) : 17 July – 2 August 1943

1st Mga offensive (ru) (or Fifth Sinyavino offensive) : 22 July – 22 August 1943
Belgorod–Khar'kov strategic offensive (Operation Rumyantsev) 3–23 August 1943

Belgorod–Bogodukhov offensive 3–23 August 1943

Belgorod–Kharkov offensive 3–23 August 1943

12–23 August 1943

Mirgorod direction offensive 3–25 August 1943

Smolensk strategic offensive (Operation Suvorov) 7 August – 2 October 1943

Spas–Demensk offensive (ru) : 7–20 August 1943

Dukhovshchina–Demidov offensive 1st Stage 13–18 August 1943

Yelnia–Dorogobuzh offensive (ru) : 28 August – 6 September 1943

Dukhovshchina–Demidov offensive 2nd Stage (ru) : 14 September – 2 October 1943

Smolensk–Roslavl offensive (ru) : 15 September – 2 October 1943

Bryansk offensive 17 August – 3 October 1943

Donbas strategic offensive (August 1943) 13 August – 22 September 1943

13 August – 22 September 1943

18 August – 22 September 1943

(ru) : 26 August 1943 – 30 September 1943

(ru) : 26 August – 30 September 1943

(ru) : 10 September – 9 October 1943

(ru) : 10–16 September 1943

10 September – 9 October 1943

2nd Mga offensive 15–18 September 1943
Operation Concert (partisan offensive in support of Operation Suvorov) 19 September 1943
Lower Dnieper offensive 26 September – 20 December 1943

Axis Defence of the Panther–Wotan line

26 September – 10 October 1943

Melitopol Offensive (ru) : 26 September – 5 November 1943

(ru) : 10–14 October 1943

(ru) : 15 October – 3 November 1943

(ru) : 23 October – 23 December 1943

14–21 November 1943

14 November – 23 December 1943

14 November – 31 December 1943

(ru) : 22 November – 9 December 1943

10–19 December 1943

Kiev strategic offensive (October 1943) 1–24 October 1943

1–4 October 1943

3–8 October 1943

11–24 October 1943

12–15 October 1943

21–24 October 1943

3 October – 31 December 1943

30 September – 30 October 1943

Nevel offensive 3–12 October 1943

1st Orsha offensive 3–26 October 1943

Battle of Lenino 12-13 October 1943

18–30 October 1943

2–21 November 1943

(ru) : 10–30 November 1943

2nd Orsha offensive 14 November – 5 December 1943

22–30 November 1943

8–11 December 1943

(ru) : 13–31 December 1943

16 December 1943 – 15 January 1944

20–27 December 1943

Kerch–Eltigen operation 31 October – 11 December 1943
(ru) : 3–13 November 1943
(ru) : 13 November – 22 December 1943

Third period (1 January 1944 – 9 May 1945)[]

Winter Spring campaign of 1944 (1 January – 31 May)[]

Dnieper–Carpathian offensive 24 December 1943 – 17 April 1944

Zhitomir–Berdichev offensive 24 December 1943 – 14 January 1944

Kirovograd offensive 5–16 January 1944

Korsun–Shevchenkovsky offensive 24 January – 17 February 1944

German Korsun–Cherkassy Pocket

Rovno–Lutsk offensive 1 Stage 27 January – 11 February 1944

Nikopol–Krivoi Rog offensive 2 Stage 30 January – 29 February 1944

Proskurov–Chernovtsy offensive 4 March – 17 April 1944

Uman–Botoşani offensive 5 March 1944 – 17 April 1944

Bereznegovatoye–Snigirevka offensive (ru) : 6–18 March 1944

Polesskoe offensive (ru) : 15 March – 5 April 1944

Odessa offensive 26 March – 14 April 1944

(ru) : 8–30 January 1944

16-30 January 1944

(ru) : 3 February – 13 March 1944
Leningrad–Novgorod strategic offensive 14 January – 1 March 1944

Krasnoye Selo–Ropsha offensive 14–30 January 1944

(ru) : 14 January – 15 February 1944

Kingisepp–Gdov offensive 1 February – 1 March 1944

(ru) : 18 February – 1 March 1944

German: Battle of Narva 2 February – 10 August 1944

Battle for Narva Bridgehead 2 February – 26 July 1944

Narva offensive (15–28 February 1944)
Rogachev–Zhlobin offensive (ru) : 21–26 February 1944
Narva offensive (1–4 March 1944)
Narva offensive (18–24 March 1944)
Crimean strategic offensive 8 April – 12 May 1944

8 April – 12 May 1944

11 April – 12 May 1944

First Jassy–Kishinev offensive 8 April – 6 June 1944

First Battle of Târgu Frumos : 9–12 April 1944

Battle of Podu Iloaiei : 12 April 1944

Second Battle of Târgu Frumos : 2–8 May 1944

Summer–Autumn campaign of 1944 (1 June – 31 December)[]

Vyborg–Petrozavodsk offensive : 10 June – 9 August 1944

Vyborg offensive (ru) : 10-20 June 1944

Koivisto landing operation (ru) : 20-25 June 1944

Battle of Tienhaara : 22 June 1944

Battle of Tali-Ihantala : 25 June – 9 July 1944

Battle of Vyborg Bay (1944) : 30 June 30 – 10 July 1944

Battle of Vuosalmi : 4–17 July 1944

Svir–Petrozavodsk offensive (ru) : 21 June – 9 August 1944

Tuloksinskaia landing offensive (ru) : 23–27 June 1944

Battle of Nietjärvi : 15–17 July 1944

Battle of Ilomantsi : 6 July – 13 August 1944

Byelorussian strategic offensive (Operation Bagration) 23 June – 29 August 1944

Vitebsk–Orsha offensive 23–28 June 1944

Mogilev offensive 23–28 June 1944

Bobruysk offensive 24–29 June 1944

Polotsk offensive 29 June – 4 July 1944

Minsk offensive 29 June – 4 July 1944

Vilnius offensive 5–20 July 1944

Šiauliai offensive 5–31 July 1944

Belostock offensive 5–27 July 1944

Lublin–Brest offensive 18 July – 2 August 1944

Battle of Radzymin (1944)

Kaunas offensive 28 July – 28 August 1944

Osovets offensive 6–14 August 1944

(ru) : 10–27 July 1944
(ru) : 11–31 July 1944
German – Operation Doppelkopf 16–27 August 1944
Lemberg–Sandomierz strategic offensive 13 July – 29 August 1944

(ru) : 13–27 July 1944

13–27 July 1944

28 July – 29 August 1944

Narva offensive 24–30 July 1944
German: Battle of Tannenberg Line 26 July – 10 August 1944
(ru) : 1–28 August 1944
Tartu offensive 10 August – 6 September 1944
Jassy–Kishinev strategic offensive 20–29 August 1944

20–29 August 1944

Bucharest–Arad offensive (or the Romanian operation) (ru) : 30 August – 3 October 1944
(ru) : 8–28 September 1944

Carpathian–Dukla offensive 8–28 September 1944

(ru) : 9–28 September 1944

Baltic offensive 14 September – 24 November 1944

Riga offensive 14 September – 24 October 1944

Tallinn offensive 17–26 September 1944

Moonsund landing 5–22 October 1944

Memel offensive 27 September – 24 November 1944

Courland Pocket 9 October 1944 – 8 May 1945
Belgrade offensive 14 September – 24 November 1944
- Niš operation 8–14 October 1944
- Battle of Batina 11–29 November 1944
Debrecen offensive 6–28 October 1944
Petsamo–Kirkenes strategic offensive 7–29 October 1944
16–30 October 1944
Budapest strategic offensive 29 October 1944 – 13 February 1945

29 October – 10 December 1944

1 November – 10 December 1944

(ru) : 7 November – 31 December 1944

20 December 1944 – 15 January 1945

20 December 1944 – 13 February 1945

Assault on Budapest 27 December 1944 – 13 February 1945

German: Operation Konrad : 1–27 January 1945

Campaign in Europe 1945 (1 January – 9 May)[]

Vistula-Oder strategic offensive 12 January 1945 – 3 February 1945

Warsaw-Posen offensive (ru) : 14 January – 3 February 1945

Battle of Posen 24 January – 23 February 1945

Sandomierz–Silesian offensive 12 January – 3 February 1945

Western Carpathian strategic offensive (ru) : 12 January – 18 February 1945

12–28 January 1945

29 January – 18 February 1945

12 January – 18 February 1945

East Prussian strategic offensive 13 January – 25 April 1945

(ru) : 14–26 January 1945

27 January – 12 February 1945

Braunsberg offensive 13–22 March 1945

German Heiligenbeil Pocket

Königsberg offensive 6–9 April 1945

Samland offensive 13–25 April 1945

Lower Silesian offensive 8–24 February 1945

German Siege of Breslau 13 February – 6 May 1945

East Pomeranian strategic offensive 10 February – 6 March 1945

10 February – 6 March 1945

German counteroffensive Operation Solstice 15–18 February 1945

(ru) : 7–31 March 1945

Arnswalde–Kolberg offensive operation 1–18 March 1945

18 March – 4 April 1945 (near Stettin)

German Counteroffensive in Hungary Operation Southwind : 17–24 February 1945
German Lake Balaton counteroffensive Operation Frühlingserwachen : 6 – 16 March 1945
Balaton defensive 6–15 March 1945

Bulgarian Battle of the Transdanubian Hills 6–21 March 1945

Moravian-Ostrau offensive (ru) : 10 March – 5 May 1945
Vienna offensive 13 March – 15 April 1945

13 March – 4 April 1945

16–25 March 1945

26 March – 4 April 1945

Nagykanizsa–Körmend offensive 26 March – 15 April 1945

(ru) : 4–13 April 1945

Upper Silesian offensive 15–31 March 1945
Bratislva–Bruenn offensive 25 March – 5 May 1945
(ru) : 15 April – 9 May 1945
Berlin strategic offensive 16 April – 8 May 1945

German Defence of the Oder–Neisse Line

(ru) : 16 April – 8 May 1945

German Defense of Schwedt Bridgehead 1 February – 3 March 1945

Seelow-Berlin offensive 16 April – 2 May 1945

Battle of Halbe (Russian: Хальбский "котел", Halbe cauldron) 24 April – 1 May 1945

(ru) : 16 April – 8 May 1945

(ru) : 16 April – 5 May 1945

Battle of Bautzen 21–30 April 1945

3–8 May 1945

Prague offensive 6–11 May 1945

6–11 May 1945

6–9 May 1945