Photo credit: Creative Club Constellation / youtube.com
The 80th anniversary of the victory in the Battle of Kursk is celebrated on Wednesday, August, 23, RIA Novosti reports. Experts note that in terms of scale it has practically no analogues in history. Its results played a key role during the Great Patriotic War.
About four million Soviet and German military personnel met in the Battle of Kursk, about 13,000 tanks and self-propelled guns, about 12,000 aircraft were involved in the battles. The successes of the Red Army near Kursk allowed it to go on the offensive and liberate the territories occupied by the Nazis, which was a turning point in the Great Patriotic War.
The Soviet troops finally secured the strategic initiative and completed a radical turning point in the entire war, forcing Nazi Germany and its allies to go on the defensive.
In the summer of 1943, the Nazis still continued their offensive on the Soviet front, but after the Battle of Stalingrad it became obvious that the capabilities of the German army were running out. The Battle of Kursk was the last hope for the Nazis to regain the initiative, the invaders intended, as part of Operation Citadel, to defeat two Soviet fronts - Voronezh and Central - and continue the offensive on Moscow and Leningrad.
The command of the Soviet army received information about the operation in a timely manner and prepared for it. The Germans relied on the latest technology, used their reserves, but miscalculated - the heroism of Soviet tankers, pilots and other soldiers nullified the technical advantage of the enemy.
Thanks to the high level of Soviet military art, by August 23, 1943, the Red Army liberated Belgorod and Kharkov and created favorable conditions for the liberation of the Left-Bank Ukraine. This successful offensive ended the Battle of Kursk.
As a result of the battle, more than 100,000 people received orders and medals. 231 people were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
Russkiy Mir
