Forgotten battles of the German‐Soviet War (1941–45), Part I

Abstract

For over 50 years, major gaps have existed in the historical record of operations on the German‐Soviet front during World War II. This has been so largely because archival evidence has been lacking on the Soviet side regarding the Soviet High Command's (Stavka) strategic intent and the Red Army's performance in operations that generally failed. It is indeed sad but true that failed operations often vanish from history without a trace. Unless archival data exists about them, historians can scarcely detect or reconstruct their futile course. This is especially the case in the summer‐fall campaign of 1941, when the brilliance of German Operation ‘Barbarossa’ eclipsed the frequent but feeble Soviet attempts to thwart the German juggernaut. Today, however, it is finally possible to reconstruct the bitter experiences the Red Army suffered while it attempted to counter Operation ‘Barbarossa’. We can do so, first, and with limited certitude, by more thorough analysis of German archival materials and the existing ...