Download Operation Citadel: THE BATTLE OF TANKS

By: Mitchell S, Hari M, Avi R, Mark M, Ben R
THESIS
Operation Citadel, being the last major German offensive
on the Eastern front, was a great factor in the outcome of
the war in in its entirety. The operation greatly diminished
chances of the Germans winning again on the Eastern
front. The fact that the Soviets had won this battle had
helped them advance and capture Berlin, a crucial turning
point in the war.
Background Info:
● German Offensive
● To regain prestige that was lost from Battle
of Stalingrad
● Germans postponed attack multiple times to
stack up on tanks
o
Allowed Soviet Union to gain control of certain areas
Timeline for the Battle of Kursk
April 15: Hitler
orders Operation
Citadel
March 27: Soviet
intelligence finds
out about possible
invasion at Kursk
May 3: Operation
Citadel supposed
to begin
April 12: Soviet
start setting up
defenses at Kursk
July 5: Operation
Citadel begins
July 16: German
offensive ends and
forced to retreat
July 12: Soviet
counterattack starts
August 23: Soviet
counterattack ends
Tactics:
U.S.S.R. (FORTIFICATION):
● In the 4 months leading to the offensive, General Zhukov was able to heavily fortify the area
surrounding Kursk in order to insure that German troops would not be able to push farther. The
● Soviets could then launch a full frontal attack on the Germans. The Soviets’ primary goal was to
mount a counteroffensive to the German strike.
Germans (STRIKE AND EXPLOIT):
● The Germans' goal during Citadel was to pinch off a large salient (wanted to vulnerable area in
which the enemy can surround the enemy from 3 sides) in the Eastern Front that extended 70
miles toward the west (HistoryNet).
● The Germans used separate army groups to attack from the north, right, and left flank of the
Bulge.
Tactics
U.S.S.R (Fortification)
● 4 months of setting up
defenses
● mines, trenches, and
barbed fences
● Counter-offensive
capabilities
Germany (Strike and Exploit)
● Pincer attack
o
To take out bulge in Eastern Front
● 3-pronged
Erich von Manstein
● German field commander and mobile warfare strategist from
World War II
● Very talented German Marshall
● Commanded the 56th Panzer Corps in the invasion of the
Soviet Union
● Managed to take 430,000 Soviet prisoners and nearly
captured Leningrad
● He won a decisive victory in the Third Battle of Kharkov
before commanding the southern pincer of the massive
Kursk Offensive
● He was VERY angry after Hitler called off the offensive and
believed the Germans could’ve won
Georgy Zhukov
● Soviet career officer in the Red Army
● Lead the Red Army through much of Eastern Europe
● Liberated the Soviet Union and nations occupied by
Nazi powers
● Conquered Berlin
● Most decorated general officer in the history of the
Soviet Union and Russia.
Gunther von Kluge
● German field marshal who was one of Adolf Hitler’s ablest
commanders on the Eastern Front during World War II.
● Successfully led an army in the Polish, French, and early
Russian campaigns.
● Was largely successful in containing the massive Soviet
offensives against his forces.
● Hitler dismissed him because he was suspicious that Kluge
was involved in an assassination plot or that he was
contacting the allies.
● Leader of the Soviet Central Front
● He always fought under Zhukov
● He counter-attacked the Germans in the north
area of Kursk:
● Defended until the Germans wore themselves out
and then attack when they’re weak
● 29 Jun 1944-Konstantin Rokossovsky promoted
Marshal of Soviet Union
Outcomes and Casualties:
Germany
● Lost!
● Hitler ends attack here
because of Allied forces
landing; began withdrawal on
July 17
● German losses=70,000 troops
killed and captured; 2,950
tanks and 1,400 aircraft
● Southern Sector: had 300,000
men and about 600 tanks left
Soviet Union
● Won!
● Red Army was able to push
the Germans out of the Soviet
Union
● U.S.S.R. Losses= around
300,000 troops killed and
captured;
● Had nearly 1 million men in
the region, including
reserves, and many more
tanks
Legacy:
Since Operation Citadel was the BIGGEST tank war in history, there were great developments the build of tanks. Some
of these developments are still used today when building modern tanks.
“After their defeat at Kursk, the Germans never again looked like they might win the war on the Eastern Front, the
theater that held the key to overall victory in the war” (TheDailyBeast).
● Due to this, Germany wouldn’t have won the war that may have ultimately changed the course of history
●
Kursk was the last straw that decided Germany’s fate in the war
since Germany was militarily “impaired” for the wars afterwards
Works Cited:
"Battle of Kursk: Germany's Lost Victory in World War II." History Net Where History Comes Alive World US History Online
Battle of Kursk Germany’s Lost Victory in World War II Comments. HistoryNet, 12
July 2006. Web. 11 Mar. 2015.
“Erich Von Manstein." HISTORY. N.p., 28 June 2013. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.
"Gunther Von Kluge." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.
"History of Russia." History of Russia. Genesis Framework, 2015. Web. 17 Mar. 2015.
Overy, Richard. "Soviet-German War." BBC News. BBC, Web. 11 Mar. 2015.
Parada, George. "Erich Von Manstein!" Achtung Panzer! Achtung Panzer!, 2007. Web. 25 Mar. 2015.
Polmar, Norman, and Thomas B. Allen. World War II: The Encyclopedia of the War Years, 1941-1945. New York: Random
House, 1996. Print.
Roberts, Andrew. "WWII’s Greatest Battle: How Kursk Changed the War." The Daily Beast. Newsweek/Daily Beast, 8 Aug. 2013.
Web. 23 Mar. 2015.