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8th Army (Soviet Army)
The 8th Army was a field army of the Soviet Red Army during the Second World War. Winter War The 8th Army was formed in October 1939 (or 14 September 1939) from the Novgorod Army Operational Group of the Leningrad Military District with the task of providing security of the Northwestern borders of the USSR. (The Novgorod Group had been created a month before, on 13 August 1939 by the order No. 0129 of the Chairman of the People's Commissariat for Defence, Marshal of the Soviet Union K.E. Voroshilov. The Group was created for operations in Estonia and Latvia.) On 30 November 1939 the Soviet Union attacked Finland in the Winter War. The strength of the 8th Army, or overall the Red Army, in the north of Lake Ladoga (Ladoga Karelia), surprised the Finnish general staff. The Finns deployed only two divisions, and they had a support group of three brigades, bringing their total strength to over 30,000 uniforms. The Soviets had a division for almost all roads leading west to the F ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national republics; in practice, both its government and its economy were highly centralized until its final years. It was a one-party state governed by the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, with the city of Moscow serving as its capital as well as that of its largest and most populous republic: the Russian SFSR. Other major cities included Leningrad (Russian SFSR), Kiev (Ukrainian SSR), Minsk ( Byelorussian SSR), Tashkent (Uzbek SSR), Alma-Ata (Kazakh SSR), and Novosibirsk (Russian SFSR). It was the largest country in the world, covering over and spanning eleven time zones. The country's roots lay in the October Revolution of 1917, when the Bolsheviks, under the leadership of Vladimir Lenin, overthrew the Russian Provisional Government ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Latvia
Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the Baltic states; and is bordered by Estonia to the north, Lithuania to the south, Russia to the east, Belarus to the southeast, and shares a maritime border with Sweden to the west. Latvia covers an area of , with a population of 1.9 million. The country has a temperate seasonal climate. Its capital and largest city is Riga. Latvians belong to the ethno-linguistic group of the Balts; and speak Latvian, one of the only two surviving Baltic languages. Russians are the most prominent minority in the country, at almost a quarter of the population. After centuries of Teutonic, Swedish, Polish-Lithuanian and Russian rule, which was mainly executed by the local Baltic German aristocracy, the independent R ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ridge
A ridge or a mountain ridge is a geographical feature consisting of a chain of mountains or hills that form a continuous elevated crest for an extended distance. The sides of the ridge slope away from the narrow top on either side. The lines along the crest formed by the highest points, with the terrain dropping down on either side, are called the ridgelines. Ridges are usually termed hills or mountains as well, depending on size. Smaller ridges, especially those leaving a larger ridge, are often referred to as spurs. Types There are several main types of ridges: ;Dendritic ridge: In typical dissected plateau terrain, the stream drainage valleys will leave intervening ridges. These are by far the most common ridges. These ridges usually represent slightly more erosion resistant rock, but not always – they often remain because there were more joints where the valleys formed or other chance occurrences. This type of ridge is generally somewhat random in orientation, often ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kollaa River
The Kollaa (russian: Колласйоки, fi, Kollaanjoki or ') is a long river in the Republic of Karelia, Russia. It starts from Lake Kollasjärvi in the Suoyarvsky District and flows to Lake Tulmozero ( fi, Tulemajärvi) in the Pryazhinsky District. Before World War II, the source of the river was a part of the Finnish municipality Suistamo and it flowed further through Suojärvi to Tulemajärvi on the Russian side. Battle During the Winter War in 1939, the area was a scene of the Battle of Kollaa. The river became part of Finnish history, as the Red Army failed to break through there. A memorable quote, "Kollaa holds" ('), became a legendary motto for the Finns. The river and area are associated with the exploits of the Finnish marksman Simo Häyhä, dubbed "the White Death", the gunman with the highest number of confirmed kills in any major war. Captain Aarne Juutilainen, dubbed "the Terror of Morocco", was also remarkable figure in the battle. The battle areas arou ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Air Supremacy
Aerial supremacy (also air superiority) is the degree to which a side in a conflict holds control of air power over opposing forces. There are levels of control of the air in aerial warfare. Control of the air is the aerial equivalent of command of the sea. Air power has increasingly become a powerful element of military campaigns; military planners view having an environment of at least air superiority as a necessity. Air supremacy allows increased bombing efforts, tactical air support for ground forces, paratroop assaults, airdrops and simple cargo plane transfers, which can move ground forces and supplies. Air power is a function of the degree of air superiority and numbers or types of aircraft, but it represents a situation that defies black-and-white characterization. The degree of a force's air control is a zero-sum game with its opponent's; increasing control by one corresponds to decreasing control by the other. Air forces unable to contest for air superiority or a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Joensuu
Joensuu (; krl, Jovensuu; ) is a city and municipality in North Karelia, Finland, located on the northern shore of Lake Pyhäselkä (northern part of Lake Saimaa) at the mouth of the Pielinen River (''Pielisjoki''). It was founded in 1848. The population of Joensuu is (), and the economic region of Joensuu has a population of 115,000. It is the largest city in Finland. The nearest major city, Kuopio in North Savonia, is located to the west. From Joensuu, the distance to Lappeenranta, the capital of South Karelia, is along Highway 6. As is typical of cities in Eastern Finland, Joensuu is monolingually Finnish. Along with Kuopio, Joensuu is one of major urban, economic, and cultural hubs of Eastern Finland. Joensuu is a student city with a subsidiary of the University of Eastern Finland, which has over 20,000 enrolled students, and a further 4,000 students at the Karelia University of Applied Sciences. Heraldry The explanation of the coat of arms of Joensuu reads: ”shie ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sortavala
Sortavala (russian: Сортавала; Finnish and krl, Sortavala; sv, Sordavala); till 1918 Serdobol (russian: Сердоболь) is a town in the Republic of Karelia, Russia, located at the northern tip of Lake Ladoga near the Finnish border, west of Petrozavodsk, the capital city of the Republic of Karelia. The closest city on the Finnish side of the border is Joensuu, which is located from Sortavala. In 2021 the population of Sortavala was 19,215. History The district of Sortavala was first recorded in Swedish documents dating to 1468. Russian documents first mention it as Serdovol or Serdobol in 1500. It was ceded to Sweden after the Ingrian War. With the 1721 Treaty of Nystad, the settlement was joined to Russia along with the rest of Old Finland and was given the Russian name Serdobol. It became known for its marble and granite quarries which provided materials necessary for construction of imperial palaces in St. Petersburg and its neighborhood. In 1812, alon ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vladimir Kurdyumov
Vladimir Nikolayevich Kurdyumov (russian: Владимир Николаевич Курдюмов 1 October 1895, Ilmen14 February 1970) was a Soviet Lieutenant General. Kurdyumov served in the Red Army since 1918 in World War I and the Russian Civil War. He graduated from the Frunze Military Academy in 1925 and served as military attaché in the Baltic countries. From August 1931 Kurdyumov was a commander and commissar of the 25th Rifle Division. In 1935 he was made commander and military comissar of the 1st Rifle Corps of the Leningrad Military District. During the Winter War, Kurdyumov was the Vice Commander of the Southern Group under the 8th Army from December 1939 and later the Vice Commander of the 15th Army. Kurdyumov was appointed as the Commander of the 15th Army on 25 February 1940. Kilin and Raunio 2007, p. 211 He was promoted as Lieutenant General in 1940. Kurdyumov was Red Army Director of Combat Training 1940–41. Later Kurdyumov served as Deputy Commander of Lo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Grigori Shtern
Grigory Mikhailovich Shtern (russian: Григорий Михайлович Штерн; – 28 October 1941) was a Soviet officer in the Red Army and military advisor during the Spanish Civil War. He also served with distinction during the Soviet-Japanese Border Wars and the Winter War. The Soviet authorities accused him of treason and had him shot during Stalin's military purge of 1941. Career Shtern was born into a Jewish family in Smila, Kiev Governorate in 1900. He started his military career as a Commissar of a Red Army brigade in 1919, the same year he joined the Communist Party. Shtern graduated from the Military Academy of the Red Army in 1929 and worked for the People's Commissariat for Military Affairs. He was appointed commander of the 7th Cavalry Division in 1936. Shtern served as a Soviet military advisor to the Spanish Republican Army during the Spanish Civil War between January 1937 to April 1938. After returning from Spain, Shtern became chief of staff of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ivan Khabarov
Ivan Nikitich Khabarov (russian: Иван Никитич Хабаров 12 November 1888, in Ryazan Oblast – 1960) was a Soviet Army Commander during World War II. Kilin and Raunio 2007, p. 68 In the beginning of the Winter War, Khabarov was the Commander of the 8th Army. He was removed from the post 13 December 1939 due to failures, and Khabarov served in the Military logistics for the rest of the war. Khabarov was replaced by Grigory Shtern. During the German-Soviet War The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of conflict between the European Axis powers against the Soviet Union (USSR), Poland and other Allies, which encompassed Central Europe, Eastern Europe, Northeast Europe (Baltics), and Sout ..., Khabarov was the leader of the Military School in the Ural Military District. In December 1943, he was appointed as a Vice Commander of the 2nd Shock Army. Khabarov resigned for health reasons on 26 May 1950. References Citations Bibliography * 1888 bi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or Formation (military), formation, usually consisting of between 6,000 and 25,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades; in turn, several divisions typically make up a corps. Historically, the division has been the default combined arms unit capable of independent Military tactics, operations. Smaller combined arms units, such as the American regimental combat team (RCT) during World War II, were used when conditions favored them. In recent times, modern Western militaries have begun adopting the smaller brigade combat team (similar to the RCT) as the default combined arms unit, with the division they belong to being less important. While the focus of this article is on army divisions, in naval usage "division (naval), division" has a completely different meaning, referring to either an administrative/functional sub-unit of a department (e.g., fire control division of the weapons department) aboar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
