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Invasion of Poland
Soviet troops invaded Poland from the East which made Polish defense doomed -
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Winter War
Soviet Union invaded Finland; Karelia was ceded, but the Red Army suffered heavy, unproportional casualties. -
Beginning of Operation Barbarossa
Nazi Germany invaded USSR despite non-aggression pact, the effects were catastrophic -
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First Battle of Kyiv
Led to the fall of Kyiv and biggest encirclement in history -
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Siege of Leningrad
Germans could not take the city but cut all the communications with the mainland. Led to numerous civilians' deaths -
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Battle of Moscow
A decisive battle of 1941, Wehrmacht could not crush Soviet defense of the capital. -
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Battle of the Caucasus
Initiated by Germans to get access to Caucasian oil reserves, but this goal was never reached -
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Battle of Stalingrad
Biggest battle of the Eastern front and a decisive Soviet victory, Field marshal von Paulus and his troops were encircled. -
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Battle of Budapest
Battle between the Red Army and Wehrmacht which led to destruction of the city, and its occupation by the Soviets -
Balaton defensive operation
Last major German counter-offense attempt on the Eastern front -
Vienna Offensive
Soviet troops storming Vienna and other Austrian territories -
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Battle of Berlin
Soviet troops storming the Berlin and taking control of the most important administrative buildings -
Hitler's suicide
Hitler committed suicide in his bunker in Berlin after realizing the war is lost, not to get in hands of the Soviets -
Victory Day
After unconditional surrender of Germany the war in Europe ended