during the peak of the German offensive against Moscow. Just as it

had Napoleon's armies in the century before, the Russian winter

conditions had stopped the advance on Moscow. Hitler had not planned

on a winter war, and thus had not properly equipped his troop

frostbite, and thousands of them died of exposure. Indeed, it was this

biting winter which had provided the Russians with an opportunity to

gather themselves, and prepare for one of the most heroic

counter-offensives of World War II - known to the Russian people as

It would be wrong to attribute the German failure at this time

solely to the harsh winter; the main failure was that of misjudgment

and mistiming. The offensive had been launched too late in the year,

at a season where the weather was due to break up. The Germans had

underestimated the effects of the harsh weather and terrain on their

motorized units, and had poorly rationed their resources - too much

had been asked of the German troops, and strengths had been allowed to

Despite a few more victories by German forces in November and

that morning, Hitler himself had issued three telegrams: one removing

and with the addition of several infantry corps, its mobile strength

widespread collapse. Nevertheless, they paid a heavy price indirectly

In October and early November, a few German battalions still

handbook on the Soviet Armed forces which contrasted the report put

Armies East intelligence), was to issue a rewrite of the German Army

armies had been trained, and were being deployed throughout the

it became an exponentially more difficult task for him - one which he

reduced to barely a third of their original strength, and they were

their winter front despite the fact that the Soviets had often

districts in Central Russia, and Siberia.

perhaps double that in casualties on the Leningrad, Muscovite, and

forces on the east flank, and was fighting to hold his ground. The 2

, they would never again substantially advance into the areas

Some common words found in the essay are:
Red Army, Red Army's, Panzer Army, Tula Voronezh, Patriotic War, Rzhev Salient, Soviet Command, October November, Eastern Western, Quarter-master-General Khrulev, army center, red army, panzer army, german forces, german offensive, russian winter, german troops, 5 panzer army, november german, rzhev salient, winter campaign,
Approximate Word count = 1910
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)