1st Ukrainian Front

Wartime: Content

← Previous revision Revision as of 09:12, 4 April 2026 Line 44: Line 44: On October 20, 1943, the [[Voronezh Front]] was renamed to the 1st Ukrainian Front. This name change reflected the westward advance of the Red Army in its campaign against the German ''[[Wehrmacht]],'' leaving [[Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic|Russia]] behind and moving into [[Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic|Ukraine]]. During 1944, the front participated with other fronts in the battles of [[Korsun Pocket|Korsun-Shevchenkivsky]], and the battle of [[Hube's Pocket]] in Ukraine. It conducted the [[Lvov-Sandomierz Offensive]], during which the Front was controlling the [[Soviet 1st Guards Tank Army]], [[3rd Guards Tank Army (Soviet Union)|3rd Guards Tank Army]], [[4th Tank Army (Soviet Union)|4th Tank Army]], [[Soviet Third Guards Army|3rd Guards]], [[5th Guards Army (Soviet Union)|5th Guards Army]], [[13th Army (Soviet Union)|13th]], [[38th Army (Soviet Union)|38th]], and [[60th Army (Soviet Union)|60th Armies]] and [[1st Guards Cavalry Corps]]. It then took part in the battle for Ternopil'. The front participated or conducted battles in Ukraine, [[Poland]], [[Nazi Germany|Germany]], and [[Czechoslovakia]] during 1944 and 1945. The 1st Ukrainian often spearheaded the whole [[Eastern Front (World War II)|Eastern Front]]. The 1st Ukrainian and the 1st Belorussian Fronts were the largest and most powerful of all Soviet fronts as they had the objective of reaching Berlin and ending the war. On October 20, 1943, the [[Voronezh Front]] was renamed to the 1st Ukrainian Front. This name change reflected the westward advance of the Red Army in its campaign against the German ''[[Wehrmacht]],'' leaving [[Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic|Russia]] behind and moving into [[Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic|Ukraine]]. During 1944, the front participated with other fronts in the battles of [[Korsun Pocket|Korsun-Shevchenkivsky]], and the battle of [[Hube's Pocket]] in Ukraine. It conducted the [[Lvov-Sandomierz Offensive]], during which the Front was controlling the [[Soviet 1st Guards Tank Army]], [[3rd Guards Tank Army (Soviet Union)|3rd Guards Tank Army]], [[4th Tank Army (Soviet Union)|4th Tank Army]], [[Soviet Third Guards Army|3rd Guards]], [[5th Guards Army (Soviet Union)|5th Guards Army]], [[13th Army (Soviet Union)|13th]], [[38th Army (Soviet Union)|38th]], and [[60th Army (Soviet Union)|60th Armies]] and [[1st Guards Cavalry Corps]]. It then took part in the battle for Ternopil'. The front participated or conducted battles in Ukraine, [[Poland]], [[Nazi Germany|Germany]], and [[Czechoslovakia]] during 1944 and 1945. The 1st Ukrainian often spearheaded the whole [[Eastern Front (World War II)|Eastern Front]]. The 1st Ukrainian and the 1st Belorussian Fronts were the largest and most powerful of all Soviet fronts as they had the objective of reaching Berlin and ending the war.

In 1945, the front participated in the [[Vistula-Oder offensive]], and conducted the [[Silesian Offensives|Silesian]] and [[Prague Offensive|Prague]] Operations, and the siege of [[Breslau]]. It also participated in the [[Battle for Berlin|Berlin]] operations in Germany and Poland. The front also conducted the major part of the [[Battle of Halbe|Halbe Encirclement]], in which most of the German 9th Army was destroyed south of Berlin. By this time the [[Polish Second Army]] was operating as part of the Front. Finally, the 1st Ukrainian Front provided the defence against the counter-attacks by Armee Wenck which aimed to relieve Berlin and the [[9th Army (Wehrmacht)|9th Army]], later uniting with the Americans on the Elbe River. The front then completed the [[Prague Offensive]] which became the final battle of [[World War II]] in [[Europe]], therefore ending the war. In 1945, the front participated in the [[Vistula-Oder offensive]], and conducted the [[Silesian Offensives|Silesian]] and [[Prague Offensive|Prague]] Operations, and the siege of [[Breslau]].
In April 1945, 19th Guards Rifle Division reached the [[Elbe]] River and took part in the Allied–Soviet link-up before advancing toward Berlin. The meeting between elements of the 19th Guards Rifle Division and the U.S. 69th Infantry Division was one of several contacts that established the Allied–Soviet link-up in central Germany.{{sfn|Ziemke|1975|pp=287–302}}
[[File:East Meets West April 25 1945 when Russian and American soldiers finally joined linkup dividing WWII German into two regions.jpg|thumb|right|alt=Black and white photo of a Soviet officer standing center-frame behind a handshake between a US and Soviet soldier on a wrecked bridge.|Russia Lt Thau (center) behind the handshake, 25 April 1945]]

It also participated in the [[Battle for Berlin|Berlin]] operations in Germany and Poland. The front also conducted the major part of the [[Battle of Halbe|Halbe Encirclement]], in which most of the German 9th Army was destroyed south of Berlin. By this time the [[Polish Second Army]] was operating as part of the Front. Finally, the 1st Ukrainian Front provided the defence against the counter-attacks by Armee Wenck which aimed to relieve Berlin and the [[9th Army (Wehrmacht)|9th Army]], later uniting with the Americans on the Elbe River. The front then completed the [[Prague Offensive]] which became the final battle of [[World War II]] in [[Europe]], therefore ending the war.

Following the war, the Front headquarters formed the [[Central Group of Forces]] of the Red Army in [[Austria]] and [[Hungary]] until 1955, and re-instituted in 1968 in [[Czechoslovakia]] as a legacy of the [[Prague Spring]] events. Following the war, the Front headquarters formed the [[Central Group of Forces]] of the Red Army in [[Austria]] and [[Hungary]] until 1955, and re-instituted in 1968 in [[Czechoslovakia]] as a legacy of the [[Prague Spring]] events.