The Battle of Kursk
Dan Snow's History Hit
History Hit
4.7 • 13.7K Ratings
🗓️ 5 July 2023
⏱️ 51 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Dan explains Operation Citadel. In July and August of 1943, it was the last major attempt by the Nazis to turn the tide of the war in the East. Millions of soldiers and thousands of tanks would go head-to-head across the vast steppes around the Russian city of Kursk. The Soviets would emerge victorious from the bloody fighting and carry the momentum westwards, eventually reaching Berlin in 1945. So why did the Germans choose to undertake an offensive at Kursk? And how exactly did the Soviets manage to weather the storm?
In this Explainer, Dan delves into the preparations for the battle and the fighting itself, drawing on first-hand accounts to bring us closer to this crucial turning point in the Second World War.
Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome to Dan Snow's History It. To listen to all of our episodes, |
| 0:04.1 | ad-free, get bonus content and watch hundreds of history documentaries. |
| 0:08.6 | Download the History It app or go to historyit.com slash subscribe. |
| 0:12.6 | And if you're an Apple listener, you can subscribe for new ad-free episodes |
| 0:16.4 | within the Apple app. |
| 0:20.4 | Recently for this podcast, I have been out exploring the new forest in southern England. |
| 0:25.3 | To look for secret World War II bunkers, |
| 0:27.8 | target the height of the invasion scare in 1940, |
| 0:30.7 | with a fight our way through dense undergrowth. |
| 0:33.5 | I was climbing trees. I pulled up a huge concrete slab. |
| 0:37.1 | It required a lot of energy. |
| 0:38.2 | But I noticed I wasn't as tired as I'd usually be after a day like that |
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| 0:55.6 | Having done their tests, it's given me personalized recipes for what works best for my body. |
| 1:00.8 | Knowing the best way to fuel up has improved my energy levels, |
| 1:04.1 | I sleep better, and I feel ready to hurl concrete slabs across the new forest. |
| 1:09.6 | In a safe manner. |
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... |
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