MILITARY UNITS FROM KAZAKHSTAN AT THE FIRST STAGE OF MILITARY UNITS FROM KAZAKHSTAN AT THE FIRST STAGE OF THE AXIS AGGRESSION AGAINST THE USSR (22 June 1941 – 18 November 1942))

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to analyse the formation of rifle and cavalry divisions, brigades, regiments and battalions in the territory of Soviet Kazakhstan in 1941-1942, as well as their role in the first period of the Axis aggression against the USSR. The topicality of the research was determined by the necessity to study the history of military formations from Kazakh Soviet Republic from the day of issuing orders of the Supreme Command of the USSR; the execution of those orders by the leadership of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic; the organisation of interaction with the command of Stalingrad, Ural, South Ural, Central Asian military districts; as well as the combat path of military units from Kazakhstan in the first year and a half of the War. The study of the said theme was worked out by both Soviet-system authors and those working in the conditions of modern national states – Kazakhstan and Russia. Collective works of researchers dedicated to World War II East Front events; Kazakhstani President’s Archive historical documents; as well as those from the Russian State Archive of Social and Political History; and combat documents of military units from Soviet Kazakhstan stored in the Russian Federation’s Defence Ministry Central Archive, are used in the work. The peculiarities of the work held for formation of military units and formations are given; the trends of staffing the division military units by senior, junior commanding personnel, and also by privates, are outlined. The combat path of Kazakhstani divisions and brigades in the first period of the War is traced; numerous pages of heroism of soldiers and commanders on the battlefields are outlined. The conclusion, that military formations from Kazakhstan significantly contributted to repelling Hitler’s troops near Moscow and Leningrad; as well as to defence of Stalingrad; just the same as the fact that they created the conditions for a fundamental turning point in the War in favour of the USSR, is made.