The battle of Kursk{4}
The Kursk Front 1943
The battle of Kursk was the largest tank battle of World War Two and marks a turning point for the war where the Nazis were dealt a major defeat, and the Red Army triumphed. The battle of Kursk was initiated by the Nazi aggressors in their eastern front campaign, the Red Army staged one of the greatest resistance and eventual counters of the entire war.
The battle lasted between July 5th and August 23rd, 1943. The Germans had brought an extremely sizable force of tanks, divisions, aircraft, and roughly 900,000 men, however the Russians were able to counter their strength with even more numbers of tanks, aircraft, and men, numbering around 1.3 million troops. The response of Russia to the attack in Kursk was a matter of national pride. The Germans had recently been repelled from Stalingrad and were on the defensive, even though they were attacking in Kursk, modern day Ukraine. Germany invaded the Soviet Union in 1941, dealing great losses to the Red Army. Within two years, Russia was able to mobilize, modernize, and equip their soldiers with weapons and armor to counter the modern and well equipped Nazi attackers. This is indicative of the Soviet system of communism and their ability to rapidly dictate the production of industry and mobilize the population to repel invasion.
German Tanks, Kursk 1943
The battle consisted of daily tank and troop engagement from both sides in a costly and decisive outcome. The soviets succeeded in their mission of preventing further incursion into their lands from Nazi German troops, but at a great cost. The Soviets lost hundreds of thousands of men, roughly half of their tanks, and multiple aircraft. Although they won the battle, their losses were that of five to one for German troop and equipment.
Works Cited:
http://soviethistory.macalester.edu/index.php?page=subject&show=images&SubjectID=1943kursk&Year=1943&navi=byYear
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kursk
http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/avenue/vy75/kursk.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Kursk
October 20, 2014 @ 4:22 pm
I think that it is important to note the superiority of Soviet tanks, especially the T-34. The Germans had Panzers and Tigers, however these were very unreliable compared to the Soviet tanks. German Tanks frequently broke down which affected their abilities and the Nazi battle strategy.
October 21, 2014 @ 12:15 am
I believe one of the most important things I took from this article is the statement that the Russian’s losses were “five to one for German troops and equipment”. Massive amounts of lost lives on the Russian side of the war, military and civilian, was a common occurrence throughout the whole war. Without the number of men the Russian’s could throw at the Germans, there would have been no way they could have defeated the Germans. This is also the reason why an estimated over 20 million Russians loves their lives during World War II. When I was in Russia I visited the Museum of the Great Patriotic War in Moscow I was hit by the reality of how many Russians died during this war when I saw this room:
https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7307/10548929814_fa162bfca4_h.jpg
For reference, each of those beads hanging from those strings represent a Russian who lost their lives.
Victory often can come at a great cost.
October 21, 2014 @ 1:21 am
I appreciated how you connected an important battle with the larger picture as you talked about how the Soviet Union were successful in turning the war around and mobilizing efforts in order to succeed. It is saddening to learn how many lost lives were the consequences of winning battles such as the one at Kursk. It was eye-opening to look at snagy54’s picture of the beads hanging from the ceiling that represented how many Russian lives were lost.
October 21, 2014 @ 2:31 am
Joe also posted about Kursk, its costs and symbolism here: http://blogs.lt.vt.edu/mrussia/2014/10/19/the-breaking-of-the-fascists-back/
Thanks, also to Steve for posting the photo from the Great Patriotic War museum. Having a visual image like the beads helps one get a sense of casualties so staggering they can defy the imagination.