Day of the liberation of Belgrade

Presidents of Russia and Serbia Boris Tadić and Dmitry Medvedev laid wreaths at the Monument to the Liberator of Belgrade in World War II. Today celebrates the 65th anniversary of the liberation of Belgrade in World War II.

Serbia today, 20 October, celebrates the 65th anniversary of the liberation of Belgrade in World War II.

Presidents of Russia and Serbia Boris Tadić and Dmitry Medvedev laid wreaths at the Monument to the Liberator of Belgrade in World War II.

Wreath was laid and Belgrade Mayor Dragan Djilas and the delegation of veterans who participated in the battles for the release of the capital.

With intoniranje national anthem, Tadic and Medvedev praised the tribute to liberators of Belgrade and then enrolled in the memorial book dedicated to fallen soldiers.

President of the two states applause and calls "Serbia - Russia welcomed several hundred citizens, who carried the Serbian and Russian flags and banners with pictures of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and Medvedev.

Tadic and Medvedev are, after the ceremony, a short while in a conversation with former fighters, liberators of Belgrade.

For this occasion, the first time after the 1985th The monument in front of the liberators of Belgrade were set flags partisan units that participated in the liberation of the capital.

Disclosure of honor ceremony was also attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Ivica Dacic, Dragan Šutanaovac ministers, Vuk Jeremic, Rasim Ljajic, president of City Assembly Aleksandar Antic, Russian Ambassador to Belgrade Alexander Konuzin, as well as members of the state of the Russian delegation.

Belgrade operation, is one of the largest and most important battles in the Balkans in World War II, is guided by the 11 to 22 October 1944. and it killed 20,000 people.

From that killed 15,000 of the German occupation forces, while nearly 9000 taken prisoner. First Army Group NOVJ had about 3,000 killed and 4,000 wounded, and four corps of the Red Army lost 960 soldiers and officers.

Agreement on a joint offensive with the Russians scored NOVJ supreme commander Josip Broz Tito, when he realized that nothing of the British landings in the Adriatic and the country should enter the Red Army that is unstoppable progress on all fronts.

Conclave Tito and Stalin

In secret, without the knowledge of British, Tito was the night between 18 and 19 September flew to Romania and then in Moscow, where the 21 September, made a deal with Stalin on joint operations in Yugoslavia.

Tito was the Russians won all the logistical and material support, and the idea of Belgrade operation exposed the Soviet generals of the Third Ukrainian Front, while the Chief of Staff Gen. Sergei Semjonivičem Biriuzov made a detailed plan of the offensive.

When the Red Army 6th September 1944. defeated Romania and Bulgaria and the outbreak of the Yugoslav border, while the eight partisan divisions progressed from Sandzak through western and north central Serbia and Belgrade.

Members NOVJ and the Red Army from the composition of the Third Ukrainian Front met on 11 October morning on the left bank of the Morava and jointly moved the battle for Belgrade, which was conducted in three stages.

The battles have participated NOVJ First Army Group commanded by General Peko Dapcevic and 12 strike corps with General Danilo Lekic the head, while the Red Army forces were under a piece of General Vladimir Ivanovich Zhdanov.

About 80,000 of our members and the Soviet army led 11 days of heavy fighting with around 55.000 members of the German Army Group "Sumadija" commanded by General Hans Felber.

The introductory battles to 14 October NOVJ units mastered the German resistance to the approaches and Belgrade broke out at the periphery of the city.

Won a well-established Obrenovac and extend towards Belgrade, to Zarko and Cukarica. On the other hand, the Yugoslav forces and the Russians jointly release the Topola and Lion, to the night between 13 and 14 October took Avala, the last German foreign backing.

Heavy street fighting

Offensive for liberation of the town, which has been mined from the inside, started on 14 October and the end of the guided heavy street fighting.

German forces attempted to maintain brokenly, with the German command decided to Serbia and Belgrade defend at any cost in order to draw about 300,000 Army soldiers, "E" from Greece.

On the first day and night in fierce fighting to take the Banjički jump, and Dedinje Topcider and liberators arrived to the center. At the same time is 15 October prevented an attempt to breakthrough the German reinforcements from Pozarevac to enter Belgrade.

Evening of the day, arrived to the building of the National Theater and the corner of King Street and Milan Knez Milos, 17 October is a busy Igumanova Palace, and the next day and the National Theater.

The last phase of liberation of the city began on 18 October, when he destroyed several thousand German soldiers in the area of Avala and the Vrčin. In the town particularly bloody fighting on 19 October at the railway museum and the hotel "Moskva".

That day and the buildings are exempt from City Administration, Ministry of Transport and the railway station, and the remaining German units were compressed to Kalemegdan and narrow area around the Sava bridge.

In the night between 19 and 20 August began their retreat across the Sava, and liberators take about two hours of the morning, Kalemegdan, and about eight hours and I made the bridge and bridgehead on the left bank of the Sava.

After an unsuccessful attempt to strike at Zemun and Bezanijska hair, the Germans on 22 October retreat to Rumi.

Liberators help Belgrade

In fighting for Belgrade, liberators mass podršu provided its residents, many of them are stupali Brigade NOVJ, bringing the weapons that were seized from the Germans, while the organized groups of resistance from demolition to save the water supply headquarters on white water, the building of Radio Belgrade operator in Palmotićevoj ...

One of these groups in the streets of Vuk Karadzic formed a hospital for veterans NOVJ and the Red Army, and organized the seizure of weapons by the city medical and material storage.

Belgrade operation ended 1287 on a long German occupation, created a great liberated territories and the withdrawal of disabled groups "E" of the German Army from Greece, the shortest direction, which was of great importance for further fighting in Yugoslavia, but the south wing of the Red Army in further operations the collapse of the Wehrmacht.

The Liberator Belgrade cemetery lies 961 champion and 2994 the Red Army members NOVJ, of which most (2092) in a common grave.

Russian generals and Biriuzov Zhdanov, who participated in the liberation of Belgrade, were killed in the fighting, but, unfortunately, left him in life.

Died on 20 October 1964th when is the rainy and misty weather, their plane hit the Avala upon arrival at the anniversary of the liberation of our capital.