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The defeat in North Africa was punishing, but it was on the Eastern Front against the Soviets that the great bulk of the Wehrmacht was deployed. The Germans after Stalingrad fell back, but began amassing their forces for a third summer offensive of the Russian campaign. The offensive this time was even more limited than in 1942. The target was a buldge in the Soviet line, the Kursk salient. The effort was code named Citidel. The fighting on the huge Eastern Front involved vast armies in some of the most savage fighting ever recorded and Kursk may well have been the most vicious fighting of the War. Hitler delayed the offensive until the Wehrmacht could be equipped with the new Panzer Mark IV tanks. The Mark IV could take on the Soviet T-34, but it was a mich more complicated tank. Not only could it not be produced in the numbers of T-34s, but it required much more intensive maintenance than the T-34. The Offensive was overseen by von Manstein. Guderian objected to the plan for the battle approved by Hitler. It was to be a set piece battle. Guderian argued that the battle plan deprived the Panzers from the mobility which was their greatest advantage. The Soviet defense was planned by Zukov. The delays in the Germany preparations gave the Soviets the time to lean of the German plans and to prepare both defenses and to reinforce the forces around Kursk. The result was the largest tank battle in history. Although D-Day was a year in the future, the estern Allies played a major role in the battle. Not only was American Lend Lease playing a majopr role in supplying Soviet armies, but the Allied strategic bombing campaign had forced the Luftwaffe to devote substantial resources to defend German cities. Thus Luftwaffe support for the German offensive was limited. Although not yet on the Continent, the Allied invasion of Soicily caused Hitler to pull our of the offensive two key SS armoured divisions (Das Reich and Yoten Kompf). While quickly returned to the battkle when the offensive bogged down, the loss of position and tctical advantage was considerable. At Kursk, the Wehrmacht suffered losses from which they never recovered. It was their last important offensive on the Eastern Front. Without the Soviet defeat of the Wehrmacht, the Western Allies would have been hard pressed to contain the Germans or cross the Channel. A victorious Russian ally, however, meant that peace following the War would be far from ideal and leave the peoples of Eastern Europe locked into a new totalitarian dictatorship for a half a century.
The defeat in North Africa was punishing. This was in part because Hitler rush the Wehrmach's limited strategic reserve in a doomed effort to save Tunisia. Here the Luftwaffe's limited air lift capability had to be use to rush in and supply German troops at a time the position in Stalingrad was deteriorating. While the German deployment in Tunisia, Sicily, and Itlaly are a fraction of the Wehrmacht's strength on the Eastern Front, when combined with the need to strengthen the Atlantic Wall along the Chnnel coast, the Germans wee unable to bring the full force of their military strength to bear on the Red Army in the East. And it was on the Eastern Frount that World War II would be decided.
The battle of Stalingrad is generally seen as the turning point in the Second World War. The German summer 1942 offendive spearedheaded by the 6th Army aimed south at the Ukraine, the Causeses, and reaching the Volga at Stalingrad. Here in a giant pincer movement, Marshll Zukov suounded and destroyed the 6th Army--the strongest formation in the German order of battle. Göring's pledge to supply the 6th Army by air proved hollow. The men and equipment that the Wehrmacht loss were impossible to replace. At the same time, the Soviets and Western Allies were steadily building their forces and equipment. The loss of the 6th Army tore a huge hole in the German lines. The Germans had to withdraw from the Caucauses and withdraw into the Ukraine.
The German in furious fighting falling Stalingrad managed to stabilize the Eastern Front. The Germans even managed to take back some Ukranian cities such as Karkov. NAZI propaganda proclaimed the successes as if they were major accomplishments. Veterans of the effort to retake Karkov were pictured being hosted by the Goebbels family (June 1943).
The conduct of World War was largely determined by Hitler and the Wehrmact through a series of Summer offensives. The War was launched by Hitler in the late September offensive in Poland (1939). Next came the Western Offensive that defeated the French rmy and gave Hitler control of Western Europe (1940). This was followed by two massive offensives in the East to destroy the Soviet Union. First came Barbarossa (1941) and then the southern offensive (1942). Both of the two German offensive in the Soviet Union ended disastrously, but the NAZIs stull geld much of the western Soviet Union. The Western Allies began to take the iniative with the victory at El Alemain (October 1942) and the Torch landings (November 1942). The bulk of the Wehrmacht, however, was still deployed on the Eastern Front and the NAIs still had the strength for one final summer offensive.
It was on the Eastern Front that the fate of the Third Reich would be decided. The Wehrmact after Stalingrad fell back, but began amassing their forces for a third summer offensive of the Russian campaign. Hitler badly needed a victory after the succive defeats of El Alemaine, Stalingrad, and Tunisia). He needed to regain that would regain the initiative on the Eastern Front. The effort was code named Citidel--Zitadelle.
The offensive this time was even more limited than in 1942. The target was a buldge in the Soviet line, the Kursk salient. The area around the western Russian city of Kursk was taken by the Soviets, creating an exposed salient into the German lines.
The Wehrmact had misgivings about the offensive. The famed Panzer commander question committing the Wehrmacht's strength to a goal of such limited importance. Heinz Guderian Hitler delayed the offensive until the Wehrmacht could be equipped with the new Panzer Mark IV tanks. The Mark IV could take on the Soviet T-34, but it was a mich more complicated tank. Not only could it not be produced in the numbers of T-34s, but it required much more intensive maintenance than the T-34. The Offensive was overseen by von Manstein. Guderian objected to the plan for the battle approved by Hitler. It was to be a set piece battle. Guderian argued that the battle plan deprived the Panzers from the mobility which was their greatest advantage.
The Soviet defense was planned by Zukov. The delays in the Germany preparations gave the Soviets the time to lean of the German plans and to prepare both defenses and to reinforce the forces around Kursk. The result was the largest tank battle in history.
One of the least understood apects of World War II is Soviet intelligence. We know a great deal about Western intelligence and the cracking of the Enigm Machies. We also know about German intelligence. The piece of the puzzle that we do not know about is Soviet intelligence. Yet the Soviets had perhaos the most effective intelligence operation of the War. Incredibly, Soviet intelligence even informed Stalin about Barbarossa. He chose not to believe the reports. We know that the Soviets were well informed about the planning or Operation Citedel. Much information came from battlefield intelligence. The Soviets, however, had much more information and were able to prepare defenses in depth for the German offensdive.
Although D-Day was a year in the future, the estern Allies played a major role in the battle. Not only was American Lend Lease playing a major role in supplying Soviet armies, but the Allied strategic bombing campaign had forced the Luftwaffe to devote substantial resources to defend German cities. Thus Luftwaffe support for the German offensive was limited. Although not yet on the Continent, the Allied invasion of Soicily caused Hitler to pull our of the offensive two key SS armoured divisions (Das Reich and Yoten Kompf). While quickly returned to the battkle when the offensive bogged down, the loss of position and tctical advantage was considerable.
The Battle of Kursk developed into the geatest tank battle of World War II and the largest armored clash until the Persian Gulf battles which liberated Kuwait (1991).
The fighting on the huge Eastern Front involved vast armies in some of the most savage fighting ever recorded and Kursk may well have been the most vicious fighting of the War. German Panzer forces struck noth and south to seal off the Kursk salient. The meant stiff Soviet resistance from well prepared defensive positions. The Germans pressed forward although encountering serious losses in men and armor.
At Kursk, the Wehrmacht suffered losses from which they never recovered. It was their last important offensive on the Eastern Front. Without the Soviet defeat of the Wehrmacht, the Western Allies would have been hard pressed to contain the Germans or cross the Channel. A victorious Russian ally, however, meant that peace following the War would be far from ideal and leave the peoples of Eastern Europe locked into a new totalitarian dictatorship for a half a century.
Davidson, The Unmaking of Adolf Hitler (The University of Missouri Press: Columbia, 1996), 519p.
Domarus, Max. Hitler: Reden: und Proklamationen 1932-1945 kommentiert von einem deutschen Zeitgwenossen, 2 vols, (Würzburg, 1962-63).
Fest, Joachim C. Hitler (Vintage Books: New York, 1973), 844p.
Schneider, franz, Charles Gullans, and S. L. Marshall. Last Letters from Stalingrad (Greenwood Publishing Group June, 1974).
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