The epic battles fought at Stalingrad and Kursk were pivotal events in
the war on the Eastern Front. After the catastrophic failure of the
German offensives of 1942 and 1943, the Wehrmacht was forced onto the
defensive. Never again would it regain the initiative against the
seemingly inexhaustible forces of the Red Army. But how did this
decisive shift in the balance of military power on the Eastern Front
come about? This question has intrigued historians ever since.
In this original and thought-provoking new study Geoffrey Jukes
reconstructs Soviet strategy and operations at Stalingrad and Kursk in
vivid detail. He looks behind the scenes at the workings of the Soviet
high command, at the roles played by the principal Red Army generals,
and at the overriding influence of Stalin himself. There is an equally
acute insight into German war aims and military planning as Hitler's
armies geared themselves up to launch a sequence of massive offensives
that would have a decisive impact on the outcome of the war.
This authoritative and highly readable reassessment of the turning point
in the war on the Eastern Front is a major contribution to the debate
about the reasons for the military defeat of Nazi Germany.
