The Battle of Kursk marked an unsuccessful German offensive against Soviet forces in 1943. With the Soviet line at Kursk protruding into enemy territory, the Germans attempted to attack from different directions. Given time to reposition their defenses, the Soviets held off the offensive before launching a counterattack, and reclaimed the cities of Orel and Kharkov. Facing the Anglo-American invasion of Sicily and the threat of an Italian collapse, Hitler decided to call off operations at Kursk, its failure shifting the balance of power on the Eastern Front to the Soviets.
