After being formed in the far east of the USSR just months before the German invasion it was moved to the northern Ukraine where it soon joined the 5th Army north of Kiev.

In September the latter Group was turned south to encircle the Soviet forces defending Kiev and in the process the 200th was cut off and destroyed.

From November 1943 until the end of the war the 200th was moved extensively among several commands as it took part in fighting near Nevel and on into the Baltic states, where it won a battle honor, Poland, and eastern Germany.

In April and May its four regiments were each decorated for their roles in the East Pomeranian campaign and the division itself won the Order of the Red Banner in June.

The division officially formed on March 14, 1941, in the Far Eastern Front but almost immediately began moving west by rail intending to reach Korosten in the Kiev Special Military District.

[2] The Corps was soon alerted to move west from Korosten and by the end of June 27 the 200th was approaching Rozhyshche, which had just been captured by the 14th Panzer Division.

By the end of July 7 the two divisions were attempting to hold an extended front along the Sluch River northwest of Novohrad-Volynskyi against the XXIX Army Corps but a week later the 200th had been forced back to north of Yemilchyne.

After recovering from wounds suffered during his escape from the Kiev Pocket Lyudnikov would go on to lead the 138th Rifle Division in the fighting for the Barricady Factory in the Battle of Stalingrad, becoming a Hero of the Soviet Union and reaching the rank of colonel general before the end of the war.

The commander of Southwestern Front, Marshal S. M. Budyonny, signalled the STAVKA that this Army's divisions were withdrawing to a line some 20 km north of the Repki region where the 200th was organizing defenses.

At this time the 200th was attempting to hold positions west of Chernihiv from elements of the XXIII Army Corps outflanking it to the east.

The Soviet forces continued the assault for two weeks but could not cut the 4 km-wide pathway, although artillery fire prevented German supply convoys from using it most of the time.

This was a highly dangerous situation as German command of the heights near the latter village would effectively cut the only supply road to the Soviet forces south of Pustoshka.

Krasnov had previously been chief of staff, and briefly in acting command, of 93rd Corps; he would be promoted to the rank of major general on June 3, 1944.

However this was preempted beginning on December 29 when Field Marshal G. von Küchler, commander of Army Group North, began a phased withdrawal which took place over six days.

This caught the Soviets by surprise and while 3rd Shock and 6th Guards Army hastily organized a pursuit this did nothing but harass the retreating Germans.

[38] Two days later General Krasnov was killed in action in the vicinity of the village of Zvaniga;[39] he was replaced by Maj. Gen. of Technical Troops Efim Antonovich Lyashenko.

By the second week of July the 200th had pushed through the Panther Line to a position due north of Polotsk and east of the Drissa River in cooperation with the 16th Lithuanian Rifle Division.

Prior to the start of the Vistula-Oder Offensive the 70th Army had been substantially reinforced and now contained nine rifle divisions organized in three corps.

The Army's task was to attack on a 3 km-wide front in the direction of Nasielsk on the first day, outflank Modlin from the north and then drive west to help prevent the German Warsaw grouping from retreating behind the Vistula.

The Front's objective was now to reach the mouth of the Vistula and the Baltic coast, thus cutting off the German forces in East Prussia.

[46] During the last week of January the Army seized a bridgehead over the lower Vistula between Fordon and Chełmno and was fighting to widen it while also blockading the German garrison of Toruń.

The 200th, which was in the Army's second echelon on the western bank of the Vistula about 15–20 km west of Kulm, was immediately directed to intercept the escaping grouping and was soon joined by four other rifle divisions and some of the armor of 1st Guards Tank Corps.

During the following week nearly all the forces of 70th Army were involved in containing and eventually eliminating this breakout which was completed on February 8; only small groups succeeded in escaping to the west.

By this time the 1st Belorussian Front had reached the Oder River and appeared poised to advance on Berlin but the STAVKA was concerned about the potential of German counteroffensive action driving south from Pomerania and ordered the commander of 2nd Belorussian Front, Marshal K. K. Rokossovsky, to complete the isolation of East Prussia and eliminate this flank threat.

[53] The 661st Rifle Regiment was granted the same decoration and the 400th Sapper Battalion was given the Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky, 3rd Degree, both for their roles in the battles for Baldenburg and several other towns in Pomerania.

[57] Shortly before this took place, on June 4 the division was decorated with the Order of the Red Banner for its part in the capture of the towns of Eggesin, Torgelow and Templin, west of the Oder in the Berlin campaign.