Two notable western scholars, david glantz and johnathon house. That said, there has only been deep research on the battle in the last twenty years after the opening of the soviet archives in the early 1990s. Kharkov serves as an outstanding example of a battle in. The battle of kursk was a world war ii engagement between german and soviet forces on the eastern front near kursk in the soviet union during july and august 1943. Six moths after that, the battle of kursk dictated that germanys ultimate defeat would be total. Zapotoczny the wehrmachts strength and combat effectiveness in the east after the battle of kursk entered a period of steady decline. Glantz fights for the truth about stalingrad historynet. The salient was a bulge in the soviet lines that stretched 150 miles 240 km from north to south and protruded 100. It remains the largest armored battle of all time, and included the most costly single day of aerial warfare in history.
The battle of kursk was a grueling monthlong series of engagements lasting from july to august of 1943. The climax of operation citadel, the battle of kursk, involved as many as 6,000 tanks, 4,000 aircraft and 2 million fighting men. Drawing on both german and soviet sources, glantz and house separate myth from fact to show what really happened at kursk and how it affected the outcome of the war. The following units were included in the western front, commanded by colonel general vasily sokolovsky. In the late afternoon of 5th july the general situation of the attacking forces continued to be favourable in the sector of xli panzer corps. The greatest battle of the second world war, warwick 2018. When studying the battle for kursk, one of the climactic engagements in. The deliberate defensive operation that the soviets implemented to repel the german offensive is referred to as the kursk strategic defensive operation. The authors do an excellent and thorough job of establishing the context of the battle battlefield events up to the summer of 1943, as well as the situations that both armies were in, and what their leadership was trying to accomplish. The battle of kursk occurred in july 1943 around the soviet city of kursk in western russia, as germany launched operation citadel, hitlers response to his. The author uses, at the time the book was written, recent access to the soviet archival material to show light on the red armys plans and decision making. Unternehmen zitadelle, on 5 july, which had the objective of pinching off the kursk salient.
Glantz soviet military operations during the sovietgerman war. The day after as well as half of july 14 the tank battle shattered the earth. The battle of kursk july 4 july 20, 1943 was a decisive battle on the eastern front during world war ii. The battle was an attempt by the german side to get on the offensive after defeat in the battle of stalingrad.
Sporadic arrivals of new conscripts and equipment, especially for the mechanized units and the waffen ss, gave the german defenders the means. Near the city of kursk on the eastern front, hundreds of soviet tanks this, in fact, is the biggest tank battle in world war ii, glantz said. Chapter iv shows that by the time the battle of stalingrad was fought the. Where hitlers sixth army tried to take over and tried to occupy to control the rest of the soviet union, but hitler failed. Its vivid portrayals of fighting in all critical sectors place the famous tank battle in its. Going well beyond all previous accounts, david glantz and jonathan house now offer immense in scope, ferocious in nature, and epic in consequence, the battle of kursk witnessed at prokhorovka one of the largest tank engagements vlantz world history and led to staggering lossesincluding nearlysoviet and 50, german casualtieswithin the first ten days of fighting.
The biggest tank battle in history wasnt at kursk war. Analysis and significance of the battle of kursk in july. However, it would be more appropriate to say that germany was defeated by the combined effects of the battles. Could germany have won the battle of kursk if it had. Soviet defensive tactics at kursk, july 1943 army university press. Glantz, available at book depository with free delivery. The german offensive was codenamed operation citadel and led to one of the largest armoured clashes. The battle took place in july and august 1943, opening with a german offensive and culminating in a momentous soviet victory. This website and its content is subject to our terms and conditions. The battle of kursk was a world war ii engagement between german and soviet forces on the eastern front near kursk 450 kilometres or 280 miles southwest of moscow in the soviet union during july and august 1943. The battle began with the launch of the german offensive operation citadel german. The battle of kursk takes readers behind soviet lines for the first time to discover what the red army knew about the plans for hitlers offensive operation citadel, relive tank warfare and handtohand combat, and learn how the tide of battle turned. Going well beyond all previous accounts, david glantz and jonathan house now offer the definitive work on arguably the greatest battle of world war ii.
To feed just enough troops into the city to keep it from. Pdf the battle of kursk download full pdf book download. Operations order 5 had been approved by hitler on and issued by okh on march. This is the definitive book on the battle of kursk. The battle of kursk the gully of death an attempt to separate myth from reality.
After the decisive defeat of a large german force at the battle of stalingrad, the strategic momentum on the eastern front had shifted in favor of soviet forces. The statistics relating to the battle of kurskthe great showdown between nazi germany and soviet russia in july 1943still have the power to astonish, even 70 years later. The soviet counterpart, however, had good intelligence about the german preparations. Immense in scope, ferocious in nature, and epic in consequence, the battle of kursk witnessed at prokhorovka one of the largest tank engagements in. It is by far the most complete assessment of the battle that has yet been offered. House seek to separate myth from fact to show what really happened at kursk and how it affected the outcome of world war ii. With kursk, col glantz uses both soviet and german military archives to give a complete picture of the greatest tank battle of world war ii. In the winter and spring of 1943, after their terrible defeat in stalingrad, clearly outnumbered and losing the initiative in the eastern front, hitler and the german high command were asking themselves what to do next, in the summer of 1943. It was a battle that should not have been fought, at least at the time that it was fought. Following their defeat at stalingrad during the winter of 194243, the german armed forces launched a climactic offensive in the east known as operation citadel on 4 july 1943. Although originally planned as a german offensive, the soviet defense was so successful that they were able to turn it into a rout. The battle of kursk, codenamed operation zitadelle citadelle was the last great blitzkrieg offensive on the eastern front. One of the largest and most decisive confrontations of the war, kursk marked adolf hitlers last serious attempt to regain the strategic initiative against joseph stalins red army. The battle for smolensk, 7 july10 september 1941 7 pages, 34 maps, and opposing orders of battle.
Soviet defensive tactics at kursk, july 1943 colonel david 81. Battle of kursk, july 5august 23, 1943, unsuccessful german assault on the soviet salient around the city of kursk, in western russia, during world war ii. In this latest account of what was arguably world war iis most critical european engagement david m. The battle of kursk was one of the most important clashes in the second world war partly because of the impressive amount of armored units taking part in the conflict and partly because it represented a turning point for the soviets, as their victory played an essential role in the war. Whenever i think of this attack, my stomach turns over. The battle of kursk comprised a failed german offensive operation and a successful soviet defensiveoffensive operation, 5 july to 23 august 1943, on the eastern front in world war ii. Seventy years ago, on july 12, soviet soldiers managed to wreak havoc on the german forces morale in the battle of the prokhorovka, a very important moment of the. Glantz director of research soviet army studies office combined arms center combat studies institute u. Eyewitness accounts of the battle of kursk russia beyond. Abstract the battle of kursk on germanys eastern front in world war ii was one of the most important battles in world history and a major. Tes global ltd is registered in england company no 02017289 with its registered office. While the germans consider the battle occurred from july 515, 1943 and the soviets from july 5august 23, 1943, both agree it began on july 5, when germany launched its third and final offensive during its war against the soviet union, an operation code named operation citadel zitadelle. The battle of kursk is probably one of the best known eastern front battles in the west. Henceforth hitlers nazis will meet equally well armed, and perhaps better armed troops.
The wehrmacht was outnumbered and deficient in weapons in comparison to the red army, thus the german attempt to retake the initiative by attacking the vulnerable salient around kursk represented a real gamble. The german offensive was codenamed operation citadel german. See also the atlas of the battle of smolensk, 7 july10 september 1941. Army command and general staff college september 1986 90. German forces westward across the dnepr river, raising the siege of leningrad, and. Citadel was the decisive battle on the eastern front in world war ii because after this battle the initiative passed to the soviets, who would never lose it again. The battle of kursk was a second world war engagement between german and soviet forces on the eastern front near kursk 450 kilometres or 280 miles southwest of moscow in the soviet union, during july and august 1943. The german army after the battle of kursk by walter s. As a result, the battle of kursk was the first and last occasion when these giant tanks with the cosysounding name made an appearance as a solid force. I think that with the revisionist zeal of the s, we threw the baby out with the bathwater.
The battle of kursk was a decisive nazisoviet tank gllantz at prokhorovka, which went on for days, wreaked massive destruction on both sides, and turned the tides of the war from then on the nazi army was in retreat, with the soviets hot on their heels. The battle of kursk was a decisive battle of world war ii. There werent thousands of tanks clashing into each other at prokhorovka. Goldin on glantz and house, the battle of kursk hwar hnet. The battle of kursk order of battle is a list of the significant units that fought in the battle of kursk between july and august 1943. Kursk was to be the biggest tank battle of world war two and the battle resulted in a severe crisis for nazi germanys war machine in russia. The battle of kursk an analysis of strategic and operational. It was high risk operation with minimal payoff should it succeed. The greatest tank battle of world war 2 the last major german offensive in the east. The battle of kursk word search teaching resources.
A successful german offensive had obvious military consequences for the germans. The battle of kursk was the climactic battle on the eastern front from which the germans never recovered. After repelling the german offensive, the red army launched two powerful counteroffensives. The catastrophe of world war i vindicated clausewitz and grotesquely mocked those who placed such high hopes in the utility of the offensive. To this day, the battle remains the greatest tank conflict in the history of mankind. David glantz and jonathan house in november of 1942, winston churchill said, now this is not the end. Unternehmen zitadelle was a german offensive operation against soviet forces in the kursk salient during the second world war on the eastern front that initiated the battle of kursk.
The battle of kursk was a second world war engagement between german and soviet forces on the eastern front near kursk 450 kilometres or 280 miles southwest of moscow in the so. Combat documents on the struggle for stalingrad city, volume 1. The soviet victory at the battle of kursk would have lasting effects on. Kursk 1943 wasnt the greatest tank battle of all times. The greatest tank battle, 1943 provides a complex account of the conflict and. History informs us that the titanic battle of stalingrad altered the course. Glantz, 9780700609789, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Which took place in kursk eastern front soviet union 1943. The battle of kursk and stalingrad were known as the turning pionts in the war. Those readers wishing an almost minutely detailed narrative but from a slightly russian view read the glantz house battle of kursk, or valeriy samulin demolishing the myth. Going well beyond all previous accounts, david glantz pdf and jonathan house now offer the definitive work on arguably the greatest battle of world war ii. Kursk the german pictures of the biggest tank battle in. Unternehmen zitadelle and led to one of the largest armoured clashes in history, the battle of prokhorovka. Units smaller than division size and soviet aviation divisions are not shown in this order of battle.
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