German Occupation of Kursk 1942 World War 2

During World War II, Kursk was occupied by Germany between 4 November 1941 – 8 February 1943. The occupiers operated a Jewish forced labour battalion in the city. In July 1943, the Germans launched Operation Citadel in an attempt to recapture Kursk. During the resulting Battle of Kursk, the village of Prokhorovka near Kursk became the center of a major armoured engagement – the Battle of Prokhorovka – between Soviet and German forces: one of the largest tank battles in history. Operation Citadel was the last major German offensive against the Soviet Union.