Hitler's War Against the Partisans During the Kursk Offensive: The Third Reich's Last Offensive on the Eastern Front, Spring to Autumn 1943

By the summer of 1943, the Soviet partisan forces had grown from small, disorganized groups into a formidable fighting force. Hitler, still holding some advantages, hoped to crush a Red Army salient near Kursk and shorten the front lines with a localized offensive. However, the Soviets anticipated the attack and built extensive defense lines to thwart it, employing large numbers of partisans to disrupt German preparations.

The critical period of 1943 saw intense fighting behind German lines,...