The Battle of Kursk in July and August of 1943 was the last major attempt by the Nazis to turn the tide of the war in the East. Millions of soldiers and thousands of tanks would go head-to-head across the vast steppes around the Russian city of Kursk. The Soviets would emerge victorious from the bloody fighting and carry the momentum westwards, eventually reaching Berlin in 1945. So why did the Germans choose to undertake an offensive at Kursk? And how exactly did the Soviets manage to weather the storm?
In this Explainer, Dan delves into the preparations for the battle as well as the fighting itself, drawing on first-hand accounts to bring us closer to this crucial turning point in the Second World War.
Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.
Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world-renowned historians like Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code DANSNOW. Download the app or sign up here.
We'd love to hear from you! You can email the podcast at ds.hh@historyhit.com.
You can take part in our listener survey here.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Rise of the Tudors
Secret Origins of the SAS
Ivan the Terrible
Charlie Chaplin
How Brutish were our Ancestors?
WWII Britain: The Home Guard's Silent Assassins
Chairman Mao
Elizabeth I's War with Ireland
The Ancient Greek Computer: The Antikythera Mechanism
Battle of Gettysburg
The Rise of the Taliban
Scottish Clans
Archimedes and the Siege of Syracuse
Surviving Hitler and Stalin
Genghis Khan
Attila The Hun
The Great Train Robbery
Ragnar Lothbrok: Viking Legend
History's Greatest Commanders
Good King Wenceslaus
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
History Extra podcast
Battleground
Gone Medieval
Key Battles of American History
WW2 Pod: We Have Ways of Making You Talk