The Red Army conducted its first successful summer offensive in 1943.

The German army began a withdrawal, but the Red Army kept coming.

Welcome to the history of the 20th century.

Music Welcome to the history of the 20th century. Episode 408, The Great Retreat.

In episodes 395 and 96, I told you about Operation Citadel, the unsuccessful German-1943 summer offensive,

and then the successful Soviet counter-offensives.

I ended by telling you of the Soviet recapture of Karkoff on August 23, 1943.

That was the end of the episode, but it wasn't the end of the Soviet offensive.

The Red Army continued to apply pressure to the German army

for several more weeks, harrying it as the Germans retreated. I want to begin today by focusing

on the Donbos, the Donets Basin, roughly the region from Karcoff south to the Sea of Azov. The Donbos represents eastern Ukraine, and it was a region Hitler valued for its coal mines and industry.

He impressed upon his commanders repeatedly that the Donbos was too valuable to surrender and must be held at all costs.

Even as Red Army units farther north began their advance on Karkov,

here the Red Army attempted to push the Germans out of the Donbos.

Hitler reluctantly approved the movement of reinforcements to this sector of the front

to reinforce the German line.

I say reluctantly because they were just as badly needed farther north to defend Karkov,

but he chose to make the Donbass a higher priority.

With the aid of these reinforcements, and with the support of the Luftwaffe,

the Germans were able to turn the tide.

They encircled and captured five Red Army divisions and pushed to the Soviet side back to the

starting line. Soviet losses were heavy. It was a German victory, a victory of the sort that reminded one of the glory days of 1941

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