What territories did the Russian Empire lose. They returned, but not yet! What territories does Russia have full historical right to?

02.07.2020

, "the cruelty of the occupation regime was such that, according to the most conservative estimates, one in five of the seventy million Soviet citizens who found themselves under occupation did not live to see the Victory."

The inscription on school board: "The Russian must die so that we can live." Occupied territory of the USSR, October 10, 1941

According to Taylor, the U.S. prosecution representative at the Nuremberg Trials, “the atrocities committed by the armed forces and other organizations of the Third Reich in the East were so amazingly monstrous that the human mind can hardly comprehend them ... I think analysis will show that these were not just madness and bloodlust. On the contrary, there was a method and a goal. These atrocities took place as a result of carefully calculated orders and directives issued before or during the attack on the Soviet Union and which constitute a coherent logical system.

As the Russian historian G. A. Bordyugov points out, in the cases of the Extraordinary State Commission "on establishing and investigating the atrocities of the Nazi invaders and their accomplices" (June 1941 - December 1944), 54,784 acts of atrocities against the civilian population in the occupied Soviet territories were recorded . Among them are such crimes as "the use of the civilian population in the course of hostilities, the forcible mobilization of the civilian population, the execution of civilians and the destruction of their homes, rape, the hunt for people - slaves for the German industry."

Additional images online
	On the occupied territory, the thematic catalog of photographic documents of the Rosarchive.

The Nazi occupation of the USSR and its initiators were publicly condemned by an international tribunal during the Nuremberg trials.

War objectives

As the German historian Dr. Wolfrem Werte noted in 1999, “the war of the Third Reich against Soviet Union was from the very beginning aimed at capturing the territory up to the Urals, exploitation natural resources The USSR and the long-term subordination of Russia to German domination. Not only the Jews, but also the Slavs who inhabited the Soviet territories occupied by Germany in 1941-1944 faced a direct threat of systematic physical destruction ... The Slavic population of the USSR ... along with the Jews was proclaimed an "inferior race" and was also subject to destruction.

The following documents, in particular, testify to the military-political and ideological goals of the "war in the East":

The chief of staff of the operational leadership of the OKW, after the corresponding correction, returned the draft document “Instructions on the special problems of Directive No. this project may be reported to the Führer after revision in accordance with the following provision:

“The upcoming war will be not only an armed struggle, but at the same time a struggle of two worldviews. To win this war in conditions where the enemy has a huge territory, it is not enough to defeat him armed forces, this territory should be divided into several states, headed by their own governments, with which we could conclude peace treaties.

The creation of such governments requires great political skill and the development of well thought out general principles.

Every revolution on a large scale brings to life phenomena that cannot simply be brushed aside. Socialist ideas in today's Russia can no longer be eradicated. These ideas can serve as an internal political basis for the creation of new states and governments. The Jewish-Bolshevik intelligentsia, which is the oppressor of the people, must be removed from the scene. The former bourgeois-aristocratic intelligentsia, if it still exists, primarily among emigrants, should also not be allowed to power. It will not be accepted by the Russian people and, moreover, it is hostile to the German nation. This is especially noticeable in the former Baltic states. In addition, we must by no means allow the replacement of the Bolshevik state by a nationalist Russia, which in the end (as history testifies) will once again oppose Germany.

Our task is precisely to create these socialist states dependent on us as quickly as possible and with the least expenditure of military effort.

This task is so difficult that one army is not able to solve it.

30.3.1941 ... 11.00. Big meeting with the Fuhrer. Almost 2.5 hour speech...

The struggle of two ideologies... The great danger of communism for the future. We must proceed from the principle of soldier's camaraderie. The communist has never been and never will be our comrade. It's about fighting for destruction. If we do not look like this, then, although we will defeat the enemy, in 30 years the communist danger will arise again. We are not waging war in order to conserve our enemy.

Future political map of Russia: Northern Russia belongs to Finland, protectorates in the Baltic States, Ukraine, Belarus.

The struggle against Russia: the destruction of the Bolshevik commissars and the communist intelligentsia. The new states must be socialist, but without their own intelligentsia. We must not allow a new intelligentsia to form. Here only the primitive socialist intelligentsia will suffice. We must fight against the poison of demoralization. This is far from a military-judicial issue. Unit and subunit commanders are required to know the aims of the war. They must lead in the struggle ..., firmly hold the troops in their hands. The commander must give his orders, taking into account the mood of the troops.

The war will be very different from the war in the West. In the East, cruelty is a boon for the future. Commanders must make sacrifices and overcome their hesitation...

Diary of the Chief of the General Staff of the Ground Forces F. Halder

The economic goals are formulated in the directive of Reichsmarschall Goering (written no later than June 16, 1941):

I. According to the orders of the Führer, all measures must be taken to immediately and as soon as possible full use occupied areas in the interests of Germany. All activities that could hinder the achievement of this goal should be postponed or abandoned altogether.

II. The use of the areas subject to occupation should be carried out primarily in the field of the food and oil sectors of the economy. Get as much food and oil for Germany as possible - this is the main economic goal campaigns. Along with this, other raw materials from the occupied regions must also be provided to German industry, insofar as this is technically possible and with due regard for the preservation of industry in these regions. As regards the type and scope industrial production occupied areas that must be preserved, restored or reorganized, this should also be determined in the very first place in accordance with the requirements that the use of Agriculture and the oil industry for the German war economy.

German propaganda poster "Hitler's soldiers are friends of the people".

This clearly expresses the guidelines for managing the economy in the occupied regions. This applies both to the main goals and to individual tasks that help achieve them. In addition, it also suggests that tasks that are not consistent with the main goal setting or prevent it from being met should be abandoned, even if their implementation in certain cases seems desirable. The point of view that the occupied regions should be put in order as soon as possible and their economy should be restored is completely inappropriate. On the contrary, the attitude towards separate parts countries should be differentiated. The development of the economy and the maintenance of order should be carried out only in those areas where we can extract significant reserves of agricultural products and oil. And in other parts of the country that cannot feed themselves, that is, in the Middle and Northern Russia, economic activity should be limited to the use of discovered reserves.

Main economic tasks

Baltic region

Caucasus

In the Caucasus, it was supposed to create an autonomous region (Reichskommissariat) as part of the Third Reich. The capital is Tbilisi. The territory would cover the entire Soviet Caucasus from Turkey and Iran to the Don and Volga. As part of the Reichskommissariat, it was planned to create national entities. The economy of this region was to be based on oil production and agriculture.

Preparation for war and the initial period of hostilities

As the Russian historian Gennady Bordyugov writes, “the political and military leadership of Germany from the very beginning ... demanded that the soldiers be ready for unlawful, criminal, in fact, actions. Hitler's ideas on this subject were a consistent development of those political principles that he outlined in his books written back in the 1920s ... As mentioned above, on March 30, 1941, at a secret meeting, Hitler, speaking to 250 generals, whose troops were to participate in Operation Barbarossa, called Bolshevism a manifestation of " social crime“. He stated that " it's about the fight to the annihilation“».

According to the order of the head of the Wehrmacht High Command, Field Marshal Keitel of May 13, 1941 “On military jurisdiction in the Barbarossa region and on the special powers of the troops”, signed by him on the basis of Hitler’s orders, a regime of unlimited terror was actually declared on the territory of the USSR occupied by German troops . The order contained a clause that actually freed the occupiers from responsibility for crimes against the civilian population: “ It is not mandatory to prosecute acts committed by military and service personnel against hostile civilians even if these acts simultaneously amount to a war crime or misdemeanor.».

Gennady Bordyugov also points to the existence of other documentary evidence of the relationship German military leaders to the civilian population who found themselves in the combat zone - for example, the commander of the 6th Army, von Reichenau, demands (July 10, 1941) to shoot " plainclothes soldiers, easily recognizable by their short hair", and " civilians whose manners and behavior appear to be hostile", General G. Hot (November 1941) -" immediately and ruthlessly stop every move of active or passive resistance", Commander of the 254th division, Lieutenant General von Weschnitta (December 2, 1941) -" fire without warning at any civilian of any age or gender who approaches the front line" and " immediately shoot anyone suspected of espionage».

Administration of the occupied territories

There was no food supply to the population by the occupying authorities, and urban residents found themselves in especially difficult conditions. In the occupied territories, fines, corporal punishment, natural and cash taxes were established everywhere, the amounts of which were for the most part set arbitrarily by the occupying authorities. The invaders applied various repressions to tax evaders, up to execution and large-scale punitive operations.

Nazi demonstration on Freedom Square in Minsk, 1943.

Repression

The operation proceeded according to plan, excluding shifts in some of its stages in time. Their main reason was as follows. On the map, the settlement of Borki is shown as a compactly located village. In fact, it turned out that this village extends for 6 - 7 km in length and width. When this was established by me at dawn, I expanded the cordon on the eastern side and organized the coverage of the village in the form of pincers while increasing the distance between the posts. As a result, I managed to capture and deliver to the gathering place all the inhabitants of the village, without exception. It turned out to be favorable that the purpose for which the population was rounded up was unknown to him until the last moment. Calm reigned at the gathering place, the number of posts was reduced to a minimum, and the released forces could be used in the further course of the operation. The team of gravediggers received shovels only at the place of execution, thanks to which the population remained in the dark about what was to come. Imperceptibly mounted light machine guns suppressed the panic that had risen from the very beginning, when the first shots were fired from the place of execution, located 700 meters from the village. The two men tried to run, but after a few steps they fell down, hit by machine-gun fire. The firing started at 9:00. 00 min. and ended at 6 pm. 00 min. Of the 809 rounded up, 104 people (politically reliable families) were released, among them were the working estates of Mokrana. The shooting took place without any complications, preparations turned out to be very useful.

The confiscation of grain and implements took place, except for a shift in time, systematically. The number of supplies turned out to be sufficient, since the amount of grain was not large and the points for pouring unthreshed grain were not very far ...

Household utensils and agricultural implements were taken away by carts with bread.

I give the numerical result of the execution. 705 people were shot, including 203 men, 372 women, and 130 children.

The number of livestock collected can only be determined approximately, since no censuses were made at the collection point: horses - 45, cattle - 250, calves - 65, pigs and piglets - 450 and sheep - 300. Poultry could be found only in separate cases. What was found was handed over to the released residents.

Collected from inventory: 70 carts, 200 plows and harrows, 5 winnowers, 25 straw cutters and other small inventory.

All the confiscated grain, implements and livestock were handed over to the manager of the Mokrana state estate...

During the operation in Borki, the following were used up: rifle cartridges - 786, cartridges for machine guns - 2496 pieces. There were no losses in the company. One shiftmaster with suspected jaundice was sent to a hospital in Brest.

Deputy company commander chief lieutenant security police Muller

In the occupied territory of the USSR, the destruction of Soviet prisoners of war, who fell into the hands of the advancing German troops, was going on.

Exposure and punishment

In art

"Come and See" (1985) - a Soviet feature film directed by Elem Klimov, which recreates the terrible atmosphere of the occupation, the "everyday life" of the Ost plan, which assumed the cultural devastation of Belarus and physical destruction most of its population.
Checking on the roads of Alexei German.

Abolition of serfdom. History of appearance catchphrase. Ilya Efimovich Repin. Reforms. Foreign policy. Engelhardt. Bakunin M.A. Battle of Borodino. Savva Ivanovich Mamontov. Berlin Congress. A reminder of the times of serfdom. Petr Yakovlevich Chaadaev. Kazan Cathedral. Personalities. Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin. The theory of official nationality. Excerpt from M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin. Mikhail Semyonovich Shchepkin.

"History quiz questions" - The title of captain-scorer clearly did not correspond to its value in Russian history. Unicorn. Kozhedub, Pokryshkin, Zhukov. Quadriga. Berlin. Sevastopol. "Whoever comes to us with a sword will perish by the sword!" "About the one I loved..." Where did the Battle of the Ice take place? “You, my love, I know you are not sleeping…”. How to determine the affiliation of a Russian soldier to the Guards unit. “Maybe it starts with that song…”.

"Lesson-game in history" - What parties existed in England since the 17th century? Monopoly. Name the place of conclusion of transactions for the purchase and sale of goods in bulk. Who was Cromwell's confessional affiliation? What were the names of the participants in the partisan movement during the era of the Dutch Revolution? Bourbons. Heinrich of Bourbon (Navarsky). Which state succeeded in capturing Berlin during Seven Years' War? What was the name of Cromwell's detachment?

"History quiz games" - Section "Historical". Religion of the New Age. Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Army Kutuzov. Bagration. Compilation of assignments. Organization of educational quizzes within project activities. The fate of post-war Germany. Konrad Adenauer. Popular Chancellor of Germany. Alexandra Feodorovna, wife of Nicholas II. Yalta conference. Romanov dynasty. German Chancellor. Telephone. Raging junker. Who is in this photo.

"Crosswords on history" - Kazakhstan in the era of early iron. Kangyuy. Piece of metal. Neolithic site. An object that protected the nomad from difficulties. Religion and culture. The main occupation of the Neolithic people. Eneolithic. Huns. Saki. Monuments of Andronovo culture. Life ancient people. Sarmatians. Mesolithic. History of ancient Kazakhstan. The man whose remains were found in the Cro-Magnon cave. A tool that allowed hunting small animals.

"History Game" - 16 December. Get to know the historical face. When is the Independence Day of the Republic of Kazakhstan celebrated? Arystanbab. In 1925 he began to draw for the first time. Open Classroom hour quiz game "experts in history". From 1912 to 1927 he worked as a shepherd and in his spare time was engaged in stone carving. Abylkhan Kasteev. homework "In search of the unknown." December 16, 1991 At the origins of modern Kazakh painting. He was the first in the republic to be awarded the title of People's Artist of the Kazakh SSR.

If we do not take into account the collapse of the Russian Empire and the collapse of the USSR, then the most famous (and largest) territorial loss of Russia is Alaska. But our country was losing other territories as well. These losses are rarely remembered today.

Southern coast of the Caspian (1723-1732)

Having cut through, as a result of the victory over the Swedes, "a window to Europe", Peter I began to cut a window to India. For this purpose, he undertook in 1722-1723. campaigns in strife-torn Persia. As a result of these campaigns, the entire western and southern coast of the Caspian Sea came under Russian rule.

But Transcaucasia is not the Baltics. It turned out to be much easier to conquer these territories than the Baltic possessions of Sweden, but it was more difficult to keep. Due to epidemics and constant attacks by the highlanders, the Russian troops were reduced by half.

Russia, exhausted by Peter's wars and reforms, could not keep such a costly acquisition, and in 1732 these lands were returned to Persia.

Mediterranean: Malta (1798-1800) and the Ionian Islands (1800-1807)

In 1798, Napoleon, on his way to Egypt, defeated Malta, which was owned by the knights of the Order of the Hospitallers, founded back in the days of crusades. Having come to their senses after the pogrom, the knights elected the Russian Emperor Paul I as the Grand Master of the Order of Malta. The emblem of the Order was included in the State Emblem of Russia. This, perhaps, limited the visible signs that the island is under Russian rule. In 1800, the British captured Malta.

Unlike the formal possession of Malta, Russian control over the Ionian Islands off the coast of Greece was more real.
In 1800, the Russian-Turkish squadron under the command of the famous naval commander Ushakov captured the island of Corfu, which was heavily fortified by the French. The Republic of the Seven Islands was established, formally, as a Turkish protectorate, but in fact, under Russian rule. According to the Treaty of Tilsit (1807), Emperor Alexander I secretly ceded the islands to Napoleon.

Romania (1807-1812, 1828-1834)

The first time Romania (more precisely, two separate principalities - Moldavia and Wallachia) was under the rule of Russia in 1807 - during the next Russian-Turkish war(1806-1812). The population of the principalities was sworn allegiance Russian emperor; direct Russian rule was introduced throughout the territory. But the invasion of Napoleon in 1812 forced Russia to conclude an early peace with Turkey, according to which only the eastern part of the Principality of Moldavia (Bessarabia, modern Moldova) departed to the Russians.

The second time Russia established its power in the principalities during the Russian-Turkish war of 1828-29. At the end of the war, the Russian troops did not leave, the Russian administration continued to manage the principalities. Moreover, Nicholas I, who suppressed any sprouts of freedom inside Russia, gives his new territories a Constitution! True, it was called "organic regulations", since for Nicholas I the word "constitution" was too seditious.
Russia would willingly turn Moldavia and Wallachia, which it actually owned, into its de jure possessions, but England, France and Austria intervened in the matter. As a result, in 1834 the Russian army was withdrawn from the principalities. Russia finally lost its influence in the principalities after the defeat in Crimean War.

Kars (1877-1918)

In 1877, during the Russian-Turkish war (1877-1878), Kars was taken by Russian troops. According to the peace treaty, Kars, together with Batum, went to Russia.
The Kars region began to be actively populated by Russian settlers. Kars was built according to the plan developed by Russian architects. Even now Kars with its strictly parallel and perpendicular streets, typical Russian houses, erected in the con. XIX - beginning. XX centuries., in sharp contrast with the chaotic buildings of other Turkish cities. But it is very reminiscent of the old Russian cities.
After the revolution, the Bolsheviks gave the Kars region to Turkey.

Manchuria (1896-1920)

In 1896, Russia received from China the right to build railway through Manchuria to connect Siberia with Vladivostok - the Chinese Eastern Railway (CER). The Russians had the right to lease a narrow territory on both sides of the CER line. However, in fact, the construction of the road led to the transformation of Manchuria into a territory dependent on Russia, with a Russian administration, army, police and courts. Russian settlers poured in there. The Russian government began to consider the project of incorporating Manchuria into the empire under the name "Zheltorossiya".
As a result of Russia's defeat in Russo-Japanese War, the southern part of Manchuria fell into the sphere of influence of Japan. After the revolution, Russian influence in Manchuria began to wane. Finally, in 1920, Chinese troops occupied Russian installations, including Harbin and the CER, finally closing the Zheltorossiya project.

Southern coast of the Caspian (1723-1732)

Russia, exhausted by Peter's wars and reforms, could not keep such a costly acquisition, and in 1732 these lands were returned to Persia.

Mediterranean: Malta (1798-1800) and the Ionian Islands (1800-1807)

In 1798, Napoleon, on his way to Egypt, defeated Malta, which was owned by the knights of the Order of the Hospitallers, founded back in the time of the Crusades. Having come to their senses after the pogrom, the knights elected the Russian Emperor Paul I as the Grand Master of the Order of Malta. The emblem of the Order was included in the State Emblem of Russia. This, perhaps, limited the visible signs that the island is under Russian rule. In 1800, the British captured Malta.

Romania (1807-1812, 1828-1834)

The first time Romania (more precisely, two separate principalities - Moldavia and Wallachia) was under the rule of Russia in 1807 - during the next Russian-Turkish war (1806-1812). The population of the principalities was sworn allegiance to the Russian emperor; direct Russian rule was introduced throughout the territory. But the invasion of Napoleon in 1812 forced Russia to conclude an early peace with Turkey, according to which only the eastern part of the Principality of Moldavia (Bessarabia, modern Moldova) departed to the Russians.

Kars (1877-1918)

Manchuria (1896-1920)

In 1896, Russia received from China the right to build a railway through Manchuria to connect Siberia with Vladivostok - the Chinese Eastern Railway (CER). The Russians had the right to lease a narrow territory on both sides of the CER line. However, in fact, the construction of the road led to the transformation of Manchuria into a territory dependent on Russia, with a Russian administration, army, police and courts. Russian settlers poured in there. The Russian government began to consider the project of incorporating Manchuria into the empire under the name "Zheltorossiya".
As a result of Russia's defeat in the Russo-Japanese War, the southern part of Manchuria fell into the sphere of influence of Japan. After the revolution, Russian influence in Manchuria began to wane. Finally, in 1920, Chinese troops occupied Russian installations, including Harbin and the CER, finally closing the Zheltorossiya project.

Thanks to the heroic defense of Port Arthur, many people know that this city belonged to the Russian Empire before the defeat in the Russo-Japanese War. But less well known is the fact that at one time Port Arthur was part of the USSR.
After the defeat of the Japanese Kwantung Army in 1945, Port Arthur, under an agreement with China, was transferred to the Soviet Union for a period of 30 years as a naval base. Later, the USSR and the PRC agreed to return the city in 1952. At the request of the Chinese side, due to the difficult international situation ( Korean War) Soviet armed forces lingered in Port Arthur until 1955.

Everyone knows that Alaska, Poland, and Finland were once part of Russia. In addition to these territories, there were, of course, others. Although they did not differ so much in large sizes, they still had importance. Malta, Kars, Manchuria, Moldavia, Wallachia, Port Arthur - all these territories were lost by Russia for various reasons. Something was given away as a result of diplomatic games, something was used as a bargaining chip.

In 1986, Russia agreed with China to build a railroad that would link Siberia with the Far East through Manchuria. This is how the epochal project of the Chinese Eastern Railway appeared.
Since Russia received the right to lease from China the territory on both sides of the CER line, Manchuria soon became a dependent territory. The Russian administration, army, police and even courts appeared there. Of course, settlers moved there. Therefore, it is not surprising that the empire began to consider Manchuria as a territory that could potentially be part of Russia. There was even a special term - "Zheltorossiya".

Manchuria wanted to be renamed Zheltorossiya

But the defeat in the war with the Japanese put an end to the ambitious plan. This territory fell into the sphere of influence of the Land of the Rising Sun. During the revolution in Russia, many of those dissatisfied with the new government settled in Manchuria. Therefore, the young Soviet Union had no levers of influence there, in fact. Well, China has put the final point. In 1920, the troops of the Celestial Empire occupied Harbin and the CER. The Zheltorossiya project was closed.

In 1877 during the war with Ottoman Empire Kars was captured by Russian troops. And only a year later, when the Turks admitted defeat, this city, together with Batum, became part of the Russian Empire.

Kars was returned to Turkey in 1918

A stream of Russian settlers poured into the newly formed Kars region. And the city itself began to actively build up. Moreover, this was done not in a chaotic manner, but according to a plan developed by Russian architects.
The Kars region was given to Turkey by the Bolsheviks in 1918.

Before the defeat in the war with Japan, this city belonged to the Russian Empire. And the history of its defense has become legendary thanks to the bravery of Russian soldiers.
But then, after 40 years, the city again became part of Russia, only not imperial, but communist. After the surrender of Japan in 1945, Port Arthur, under an agreement with China, was leased to the Soviet Union for a period of 30 years. A Soviet naval base was stationed there.

Port Arthur before the war with Japan was part of the Russian Empire

But the "red" Port Arthur did not stay long - until 1952. By mutual agreement, the USSR returned the city to China. But the Soviet military, nevertheless, stayed there until 1955.

The principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia came under the rule of the Russian Empire at the beginning of the 19th century during another war with the Turks. The local population took an oath and was directly subordinate to Russian rule.
But because of the war with Napoleon, Alexander I was forced to hastily "make friends" with the Turks. As a result of the peace treaty, Russia withdrew only the eastern part of Moldova - Bessarabia.

After the defeat in the Crimean War, Russia abandoned Moldavia and Wallachia

At the end of the 20s of the 19th century, the Russian Empire for the second time established its power in Moldavia and Wallachia. And again, thanks to the war with the Turks. And Nicholas I even gave the new territories “organic regulations”.
The Russian Empire finally lost its influence in those lands after the Crimean War.

Moving to Egypt, Napoleon defeated Malta along the way, where the nest of the knights of the Order of the Hospitallers was located. Moreover, the French emperor did this thanks to the cunning and weakness of the Grand Master Ferdinand von Hompesch zu Boleim. The latter surrendered to Napoleon, declaring that the charter of the order forbade knights from fighting Christians.
After such a serious blow, the order was never able to recover. It significantly decreased in size and continued to exist by inertia. Of course, the knights tried to rectify the situation. They understood that they could not do without an influential patron. And Emperor Paul I approached this role best of all. He was elected Grand Master. The emblem of the Order "settled" in the state emblem of the Russian Empire. This, in fact, ended the signs that Malta had come under the rule of the Russian emperor.

Paul I was the Grand Master of the Order of the Hospitallers

Malta soon came under the rule of the British. And after the death of Paul in Russia, no one remembered the distant knights.
As for the Ionian Islands, the power of the Russian Empire over them was more obvious. In 1800, the naval commander Ushakov managed to capture the island of Corfu. And although the newly formed Republic of the Seven Islands was formally considered a Turkish protectorate, in fact, Russia took over the role of manager there. But already 7 years later, Alexander I ceded the islands to Napoleon following the results of the Treaty of Tilsit.