All-Time Classic Battle Records: The Battle of Kursk

Author: Ye Pifan Makalev (Original), Sun Peng (Translated)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-09-01
Features:
1.1 thousand tanks and self-propelled guns triggered the largest tank battle of World War II. A brutal clash of flesh and steel between the Soviet Union and Germany, the roar of 224 ceremonial cannons in Red Square announced the victory of the Red Army. "If Stalingrad battle foretold the decline of the fascist German army, the Kursk battle brought it to its utter ruin." — Soviet Supreme Commander Stalin "Due to the failure of the 'Fortress' offensive operation, we suffered a decisive defeat. After going through such hardships to build up our armored forces, heavy losses in personnel and technical weapons left them unable to fight for a long time. The initiative finally shifted to the Russians." — German 'Father of the Panzer Troops' Guderian "The Kursk battle ended with the unprecedented annihilation of German forces, which affected the entire process of the armed conflict between the Third Reich and the Allies." — French military historian Konstantin
World War II was the largest military conflict in human history. It lasted six years, swept across five continents, and caused the death of 50 million people and countless economic losses. The battles on the Eastern Front during World War II were not only on an unprecedented scale but also extremely fierce. In January 1941, after Hitler issued the order to begin the "Barbarossa" operation, the iron hooves of 138 German divisions entered the Soviet Union, marking the start of this unprecedented invasion war. This book begins with the Soviet-German battlefield after the Stalingrad battle and follows the objective progress and chronological order of the Kursk battle, interspersed with a wealth of historical facts from the Soviet-German battlefield. Using a documentary style and a panoramic scanning approach, it introduces the Kursk battle. It not only presents a grand picture of the Soviet-German battlefield and the Kursk battle but also provides detailed insights into the decisions made by both sides before and after the battle. It compiles a wealth of precious historical materials scattered across military archives around the world and reveals many little-known behind-the-scenes secrets.