# Battle of Kursk (1943)

URL: https://history-russia.com/timeline/1943-battle-of-kursk
Categories: battle

Germany's last strategic offensive in the east, Operation Citadel, struck the Kursk salient on 5 July 1943. Soviet defences held, including at Prokhorovka on 12 July, and counter-offensives liberated Oryol, Belgorod and Kharkov. The Soviet Union recovered much of Ukraine by the end of the year. After Kursk the Red Army held the strategic initiative for the rest of the war.

## Why it matters
After Kursk the Red Army held the strategic initiative for the rest of the war.

Ruler at the time: [Joseph Stalin](https://history-russia.com/rulers/joseph-stalin)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Battle of Kursk](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Kursk)
- [Wikipedia — Battle of Prokhorovka](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Prokhorovka)
- [Wikipedia — Eastern Front (World War II)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Front_(World_War_II))
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Battle of Kursk](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Battle+of+Kursk)
- [Wikipedia — Timeline of Russian history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Russian_history)