To the 40th anniversary of the Great Victory The great liberation mission carried out in Europe by the Soviet Armed Forces in 1944-1945 was a vivid embodiment of Lenin's principles of proletarian internationalism. The U.S.S.R. honourably fulfilled its international duty to the peoples enslaved by fascism, a duty that fully corresponded to the liberation character of the Great Patriotic War of the Soviet people. Soviet social scientists, including military historians, have done a great deal of research on the liberation mission of the Soviet Armed Forces in the countries of Central and South-Eastern Europe during World War II .1 Much attention is paid to this mission in the memoirs of Soviet commanders and military leaders .2 There are also special works dedicated to it3 . In the last 10 years alone, the Soviet historiography of this problem has been supplemented by a number of monographic studies4 and popular science writings5 . 1 Istoriya Velikoi Otechestvennoi voyni Sovetskogo Soyuza 1941-1945. Tt. 4-5. M. 1962; Istoriya Kommunisticheskoi partii Sovetskogo Soyuza. T. 5, kn. 1. M. 1970; Istoriya SSSR s drevneyshikh vremeni do nashih dni. T. Kh. M. 1973; Istoriya vtoroi mirovoi voyni 1939-1945. Tt. 9-12. Moscow, 1978-1982; Sovetskaya voennaya entsiklopediya, vol. 6. Moscow, 1978; Vtoraya mirovaya voina. Brief History, Moscow, 1984; Velikaya Otechestvennaya voina Sovetskogo Soyuza 1941-1945. Brief History, Moscow, 1984; Zhilin P. A. O voine i voennoi istorii, Moscow, 1984; Samsonov A.M. Vtoroi mirovoi voina 1939-1945. Essay on the most important events, Moscow, 1985. 2 Konev I. S. Notes of the front commander. 1943-1945. Ed. 3-E. M. 1982; Zhukov G. K. Memoirs and reflections. Vol. 3. Ed. 5-E. M. 1983; Vasilevsky A.M. Delo vse zhizni. Ed. 5-E. M. 1984; Rokossovsky K. K. Soldatsky dolg. M. 1984; et al. 3 Chuikov V. I. The end of the Third Reich. Book 3. Moscow, 1975; Moskalenko K. S. Prague operation. - Military Historical Journal, 1975, N 5; Tolubko V. F. Internationa ... Read more