Battle of Kursk

July 5 – August 23, 1943

Part of World War II

Contemporaries

Related events (1 degree away • 2 degrees away)

1942
1943
 
Operation Barbarossa
 
Battle of Kursk

Major Eastern Front battle near Kursk in southwestern Russia in summer 1943, ending in Soviet victory. The largest battle in warfare history and the deadliest armoured battle ever, it began with Germany's Operation Citadel on 5 July to pinch off the Kursk salient, with fierce house-to-house combat; second only to Stalingrad as the most-cited European-theatre turning point.

Commanders

Axis 3

Walter Model Field Marshal, Commander of the 9th Army (northern pincer) · 1891–1945 Günther von Kluge Field Marshal, Commander of Army Group Center · 1882–1944 Adolf Hitler · 1889–1945

Allies 5

Konstantin Rokossovsky Marshal, Commander of the Central Front (northern sector) · 1896–1968 Nikolai Vatutin Army General, Commander of the Voronezh Front (southern sector) · 1901–1944 Ivan Konev Marshal, Commander of the Steppe Front (strategic reserve) · 1897–1973 Georgy Zhukov Marshal, Stavka representative coordinating the front commanders · 1896–1974 Joseph Stalin · 1878–1953

Other 1

Erich von Manstein · 1887–1973

Entities involved

Axis

Allies