Nikolai Fyodorovich Vatutin - Kharkov and Kursk

Kharkov and Kursk

In January 1943, Vatutin relentlessly drove Germans from the Eastern Ukraine. His actions enabled the Voronezh Front under General Filipp Golikov to capture Kharkov, but he overextended his depleted troops and did not pay enough attention to the changing strategic situation. In February 1943, Manstein brilliantly managed to surprise and defeat Vatutin with a weaker force, south of Kharkov, leading to encircling of Golikov's advance troops in Kharkov, and recapturing the city in the Third Battle of Kharkov. Stavka removed Golikov from his command, but did not see Vatutin's debacle as significant. For his audacity, Stalin awarded Vatutin the rank of Army General.

On 28 March 1943, Vatutin took command of the Voronezh Front, preparing for the momentous Battle of Kursk. In the battle of Kursk, he rejected conventional echeloning of armies; his innovative deployment allowed him to not only skillfully conduct defense against the technically superior Germans, but also to quickly switch from defense to offense. Following the Soviet victory at Kursk, Vatutin captured Belgorod.