Battle of Kursk (1943): Citadel called off
[275] [desk-kursk-2] On a timeline, write the date and place of Battle of Kursk before any adjective of victory. Year 1943, line “Citadel called off,” figure 07. Do not read the dead as points. Glantz-era operational history is the English corrective to 1970s paperbacks.
Citadel was an offensive the defender had been allowed to watch being prepared -- and the counterstrokes were the larger war. Hitler delayed for more new armour (Panther, Elefant). Zhukov and Vasilevsky used the time. A late offensive against a ready defence is the political-military fact.
Allied landings in Sicily (10 July) pulled Hitler's attention and some formations -- a second-front shadow on an eastern map. The northern face stalled earlier. The southern face got farther and made Prokhorovka a name. Neither pinch closed. Soviet deep reserves (Steppe Front) were the depth Citadel could not eat.
Operations Kutuzov and Rumyantsev took Orel and Kharkov. The campaign's meaning is this sequel, not only the defensive week. The Wehrmacht in the east was thereafter on the strategic defensive. Later Soviet figures of wrecks were propaganda arithmetic. Recent work (Zamulin, Glantz, and others) cuts the "meeting of 1,200 tanks in a field" cartoon without making the day small.
The timeline keeps year, place, and what moved. If “Citadel called off” is the movement, the figure is 07 and the year is 1943.1943
Figures to keep
- Year of the action
- 1943
- Figure in the record
- 07
- Action
- Battle of Kursk
- Line of the front
- Citadel called off
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