#redarmy

Battle of Kursk: Largest Tank Battle in History

The Battle of Kursk (Jul-Aug 1943), which involved nearly 6,000 tanks, was the largest tank battle in history and ended in a decisive victory for the Red Army in WWII (1939-45). Two Axis armies had attempted to cut off a Red Army bulge in the Eastern Front but were defeated due to the Soviets possessing pre-battle intelligence, excellent ground defences, and superior numbers. The Soviet victory at Kursk, which includes for some historians the taking of Orel (Oryol) and Kharkov (Kharkiv) immediately after, was "the decisive turning-point of the German-Soviet war, the point after which the Soviet forces permanently held the initiative" (Dear, 516).

The German-Soviet War

Adolf Hitler (1889-1945), the leader of Nazi Germany, had launched Operation Barbarossa, the code name for the attack on the USSR, on 22 June 1941. Early victories such as the Battle of Kiev in 1941 led to great territorial gains and the capture of some 2 million Red Army soldiers, but still the Soviet Union fought on. Joseph Stalin (1878-1953), the Soviet leader, reacted to the initial defeats and brutal nature of the campaign by declaring this a 'Patriotic War' where everyone must offer nothing less to the enemy than a 'relentless struggle'. The Red Army won its first victory at the Battle of Moscow in January 1942, successfully held out in the siege of Leningrad (Saint Petersburg), and destroyed Hitler's Sixth Army at the Battle of Stalingrad (Volgograd) in February 1943. As the Axis invaders were pushed back westwards, the Red Army struck again in the summer of 1943, this time in the largest tank engagement in history.

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The Red Army in WWII

The Red Army of the USSR began the Second World War (1939-45) with a series of shocking defeats, but from late 1942, it rallied and held on to key cities like the capital Moscow, Leningrad (Saint Petersburg), and Stalingrad (Volgograd). Then, through 1943 to the war's end, the Red Army accumulated a string of major victories such as the battles of Smolensk, Kursk, and Berlin, which saw the defeat of Nazi Germany in May 1945.

Formation & Evolution

The Soviet Union's Red Army was formed in 1918 following the Bolshevik October Revolution of 1917, which swept away the rule of the tsars. The Red Army was officially called the RKKA or Red Army of Workers and Peasants (Raboche-Krest'yanskaya Krasnaya Armiya), red being the colour most associated with Bolshevism. It officially became the Soviet Army in 1944.

The Red Army was immediately required to fight the White Army, that is, supporters of the monarchy and anti-Bolsheviks, in a fierce civil war (1917-22). The Bolshevik victory in this war was achieved thanks to the increasing professionalism of the Red Army. The move from a revolutionary militia to a professional national army is credited to Leon Trotsky (1879-1940) and the incorporation of around 48,000 officers and over 200,000 non-commissioned officers from the old imperial army.

In its daily operations, the Red Army was heavily influenced by the ideas of Bolshevism. For example, the word 'officer' was prohibited and only reinstated in 1935. Rather, the term 'commander' was used, and each commander was obliged to report to a political commissar, who would give their approval to the commander's orders. This dual system was weakened considerably through practical realities and by the demands of WWII, when most commanders were left to make military decisions while the commissars restricted themselves to political instruction and party work. When the USSR was attacked by Nazi Germany in June 1942 (Operation Barbarossa), the dual system was revived somewhat before weakening again as the war progressed. Nevertheless, there remained, throughout the conflict, tensions between these two different groups of command personnel.

The leader of the USSR from 1924 was Joseph Stalin (1878-1953), and he harboured a serious distrust of his own army, especially when he thought it was supporting his chief political rival Nikolai Bukharin (1888-1938). For this reason, Stalin purged the Red Army:

Some 35,000 officers out of an officer corps of roughly 80,000 fell victim to the purges; among them three of the five Marshals of the Soviet Union, all eleven deputies of the commissar for war, 75 of the 85 corps commanders, and 110 out of the 195 divisional commanders were killed.

(Dear, 962)

In 1941, seeing the damage he had done to the Red Army's ability to actually function, Stalin brought back around 4,000 officers who had been sent to prison camps.

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Battle of Stalingrad

The Battle of Stalingrad (now Volgograd, July 1942 to February 1943) was an attempt by Adolf Hitler (1889-1945) to control the USSR's access to the Caucasus oil fields. Fierce street-fighting by the Soviet Red Army saw the city withstand the attack until a massive counteroffensive was launched, which encircled Hitler's Sixth Army.

Considered a turning point of the German-Soviet War, Stalingrad resulted in the destruction of an entire army and the surrender of 91,000 troops, including field marshal Friedrich Paulus (1890-1957). One of the greatest victories of the USSR in the Second World War (1939-45), Hitler's armies never recovered and thereafter fought a defensive war of retreat.

The Campaign So Far

Adolf Hitler, the leader of Nazi Germany, had launched his attack on the USSR, Operation Barbarossa, in June 1941. Sweeping victories soon followed thanks to Blitzkrieg ('Lightning war') tactics, which combined air support with fast-moving armoured and infantry divisions advancing on narrow fronts. When it came to taking large cities, though, the invaders were less successful. The Battle of Moscow (October 1941 to January 1942) was won by the Soviet Red Army. The siege of Leningrad dragged on for years as that city held out, too. Stalingrad, in the south of the USSR, would prove an equally tough objective for the Axis armies to take.

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Battle of Moscow in 1941-2

The Battle of Moscow (Oct 41 to Jan 42) was Germany's first major land defeat in the Second World War (1939-45). Although Axis panzer divisions reached within 20 miles (32 km) of the Soviet capital, the USSR's Red Army, led by Marshal Georgi Zhukov (1896-1974), launched a series of counterattacks in December 1941 that pushed the invaders back westwards.

Moscow itself saw no fighting, and the push for the capital was one advance too many for the Axis armies as Operation Barbarossa ended in a whimper. Despite a string of huge victories earlier in the campaign, the invaders had lost too many men and too much material to continue the operation effectively. Poor roads and winter weather meant fresh Axis troops and supplies could not reach the front in sufficient quantities. The Red Army fought its best battle of the war so far, and the Soviet Union's victory meant Moscow was saved.

Operation Barbarossa

Adolf Hitler (1889-1945), the leader of Nazi Germany, was confident after swift Axis victories in the Low Countries and France in 1940 that he could make even greater gains in territory and resources by attacking the USSR. Hitler, as he had always promised, was determined to find Lebensraum ('living space') for the German people, that is, new lands in the east where they could find resources and prosper. Hitler was convinced that by destroying the Red Army and taking prestige cities like Leningrad (Saint Petersburg) and Moscow, the USSR would collapse. Accordingly, Operation Barbarossa, the code name for the attack on the USSR, was launched on 22 June 1941.

The invading force, made up of German, Slovakian, Italian, Romanian, and Finnish forces, amongst others, consisted of 3.6 million men. The overall commander was Field Marshal Walter von Brauchitsch (1881-1948). The Axis force was divided into three massive army groups. Army Group North (AGN) was tasked with taking Leningrad. Army Group South (AGS) moved to conquer Ukraine. Army Group Centre (AGC), commanded by Fedor von Bock (1880-1945), punched through the Soviet defensive lines in the summer, using Blitzkrieg ('Lightning war') tactics, which combined air support with fast-moving armoured and infantry divisions advancing on narrow fronts. Great victories were achieved at the Battle of Białystok-Minsk (Jun-Jul) and the Battle of Smolensk in 1941 (Jul-Sep).

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Siege of Leningrad: A City's Epic Stand Against Nazi Forces

The siege of Leningrad was one of the most brutal campaigns of World War II, lasting from September 1941 to January 1944. Adolf Hitler believed that capturing the city, along with Moscow, would cripple the Soviet Union. However, Leningrad's resilience in the face of extreme hardship—resulting in over one million civilian deaths—became a powerful symbol of Soviet defiance. Despite being vastly outnumbered and outgunned, the city survived thanks to Red Army counterattacks and vital supply lines across frozen Lake Ladoga.

Key Facts:

Duration: September 8, 1941, to January 27, 1944

Casualties: Approximately one million civilian deaths

Supply Routes: Trucks and boats used to deliver vital supplies via Lake Ladoga

Nazi Forces: Over 500,000 troops in Army Group North alone

Historical Context

The siege began during Operation Barbarossa, Hitler's massive invasion of the USSR, involving forces from several Axis countries. The operation aimed to capture key Soviet cities and exploit natural resources.

Historical Significance

The siege of Leningrad remains one of the longest and deadliest in history, highlighting the resilience and strategic brilliance of the Soviet people. It marked a significant turning point in World War II, as the Axis forces' failure in Leningrad weakened their control over Eastern Europe. The story of Leningrad's siege is both a testament to human endurance and a pivotal moment in modern history.