The Establishment of Scientific Periodization on the Example of Activity of Meteorological Service for the Support of the Red Army air Force During the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945

Relevance. The scientific periodization of past events is one of the most common results obtained in the course of historical research. At the same time, sometimes applicants make serious mistakes when formulating it. In this regard, consideration of the requirements for the establishment of scientific periodization and their illustration by a specific example seems relevant. The purpose: of the article is to familiarize the professional community of historians with the experience of es-tablishing scientific periodization of the subject of research on a specific example. The objective of the article is to establish the periodization of the activities of the meteorological service to support the Air Force of the Red Army during the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 and demonstrate by its example the practical application of the historical and genetic method. Methodology. During the preparation of the article, methods peculiar to military-historical research were used. In particular, the historical-genetic method was used to establish the periods. The result of the conducted research was the establishment of a scientific periodization of the activities of the meteorological service to provide the Air Force of the Red Army during the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. In the process of work, the basic requirements for scientific periodization were taken into account. It is characterized by a unified approach to dividing the chronological framework into successive intervals, has a clearly formulated and theo-retically justified basic criterion on the basis of which this division is performed, has clear boundaries between periods marked by significant events, and correlates with the periodization of a larger historical process. The identified periods are numbered, named, outlined chronologically and characterized. As a basic criterion, the subordination of the meteorological service of the Red Army Air Force was proposed. Conclusion. It is established that modern historical science has the necessary methodological apparatus and clear ideas about the formulation of scientific periodization. Using the example of a specific subject of research, it was revealed that the key component of the success of periodization is the correct definition of the basic criterion.