Walter S. Dunn, Jr. crafts meticulously researched historical narratives, focusing on the intricate interplay of military strategy, economic forces, and political decision-making, particularly within the contexts of the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. His work is distinguished by a profound engagement with primary sources, allowing him to illuminate pivotal moments that shaped the mid-20th century. Dunn excels at dissecting the complex dynamics that fueled wartime economies and influenced battlefield outcomes. Readers will find his accounts compelling for their analytical rigor and their ability to bring a crucial period of history to life with clarity and depth.
When Hitler invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941, the German Army annihilated a substantial part of the Red Army. Yet the Soviets rebounded to successfully defend Moscow in late 1941, defeat the Germans at Stalingrad in 1942 and Kursk in 1943, and deliver the deathblow in Belarus in 1944.
The battle of Kursk was the last major German offensive on the Eastern Front. The battle began well for the Germans, but the Russians delayed them long enough for reserves to come forward. Soon the defenders outnumbered the attackers, and Hitler called off the attack. The Russian victory at Kursk resulted from a massive rebuilding of the Red Army in 1943, which included new unit organizations and weapons designed to counter the German Tiger and Panther tanks. The German defeat signalled the transfer of the initiative to the Russians and demonstrated to the Western Allies that the Soviet Union could defeat the Germans without a second front. Based on recently declassified Russian information and an analysis of captured German records, this book gives a detailed description of both the German and Soviet forces involved and evaluates the quality of the units on both sides.