Battle of Kursk
Kursk, Kursk Oblast, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
What happened
Soviet commanders Georgy Zhukov, Konstantin Rokossovsky and Nikolai Vatutin fought the German armies of Erich von Manstein and Walter Model. In July 1943 Germany launched Operation Citadel, attacking from the north and south to cut off a bulge in the front line around the city of Kursk. Soviet spies had warned of the plan, so the Red Army built deep defences with thick minefields and several lines of fortifications to wear down the German tanks. After the German attack stalled, the Soviets counter-attacked, including a huge tank clash at Prokhorovka on 12 July, and Hitler called off the offensive about a week after it began.
Why it matters
Result: Soviet victory. Leaders: Adolf Hitler / Kurt Zeitzler against Joseph Stalin / Georgy Zhukov. Why it matters: Kursk was Germany's last great offensive in the East. After it, the Red Army kept the initiative until the end of the war.
What came next
Hitler cancelled Citadel partly because the Allies had invaded Sicily. Soviet counter-offensives drove the Germans back through the summer of 1943.
Did you know?
The clash at Prokhorovka is often called one of the largest tank battles in history, though historians now debate that claim.
Timeline
- 5 July 1943Germany launches Operation Citadel.
- 12 July 1943Soviet and German tanks clash at Prokhorovka.
- 23 August 1943The battle ends with a Soviet victory.