The Rzhev Slaughterhouse: The Red Army's Forgotten 15-Month Campaign Against Army Group Center, 1942-1943

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Historians consider the Battle of Rzhev "one of the bloodiest in the history of the Great Patriotic War" and "Zhukov's greatest defeat". Veterans called this colossal battle, which continued for a total of 15 months, "the Rzhev slaughterhouse" or "the Massacre", while the German generals named this city "the cornerstone of the Eastern Front" and "the gateway to Berlin". By their territorial scale, number of participating troops, length and casualties, the military operations in the area of the Rzhev - Viaz'ma salient are not only comparable to the Stalingrad battle, but to a great extent surpass it. The total losses of the Red Army around Rzhev amounted to 2,000,000 men; the Wehrmacht's total losses are still unknown precisely to the present day. Why was one of the greatest battles of the Second World War consigned to oblivion in the Soviet Union Why were the forces of the German Army Group Center in the Rzhev - Viaz'ma salient not encircled and destroyed Whose fault is it that the German forces were able to withdraw from a pocket that was never fully sealed Indeed, are there justifications for blaming this "lost victory" on G.K. Zhukov In this book, which has been recognized in Russia as one of the best domestic studies of the Rzhev battle, answers to all these questions have been given. The author, Svetlana Gerasimova, has lived and worked amidst the still extant signs of this colossal battle, the tens of thousands of unmarked graves and the now silent bunkers and pillboxes, and has dedicated herself to the study of its history. 112 b/w photos, 8pp colour maps, 12 tables

Reviews

"...this is an outstanding piece of historical research worthy of any library or collection. It provides valuable insight into the Soviet war leadership and operational execution. Her work is very balanced and insightful. The Rzhev campaign was a slaughter in every sense of the word. Survivors from both sides recalled the fighting years later as the worst they had experienced at any time throughout the war." * Sabretache *
"... a slim volume that goes over many of the operations undertaken by the Red Army in and around the Rzhev salient, which also highlights the numerous issues Soviet/Russian and western historians face when attempting to research and write about certain battles/campaigns of the Great Patriotic War...numerous passages that offer new, original, and a somewhat objective look at how the Red Army performed throughout 1942 and 1943, and what Soviet commanders considered their weaknesses and strengths. ....the information presented makes it obvious that there are still many questions that historians cannot adequately answer without relevant access to Soviet era archives. * Kunikovs Reviews *
"As Gerasimova observes, recent work on the Russo-German War of 1941-45 is rewriting the Soviet version of the war. Her work certainly makes a major contribution to this ongoing effort." * The Russian Review *
" a testament to one of the most forgotten of battles of the eastern front in the Second World War." * War in History *
It is of utmost importance that books like this are written which uncover massive human tragedies like the Battle of Rzhev. * Books Monthly *
the author not only meets her objectives but has done an enormous service to those of us interested in this phase of the Second World War * Globe at War *

Author Bio

Svetlana Aleksandrovna Gerasimova is a historian and museum official. After graduating from Leningrad State University with a history degree, she worked in the Urals as a middle school history teacher, before moving to Tver, where she taught a number of c Stuart Britton is a freelance translator who resides in Cedar Rapids, IA. He is responsible for a growing number of translated Russian military memoirs, battle histories and operational studies, which saw an explosion in Russia with the opening of secret military archives and the emergence of new Russian scholars who take a more objective look at the events and historical figures. Two works that received prizes or prominent acclaim were Valeriy Zamulins Demolishing a Myth: The Tank Battle at Prokhorovka, Kursk 1943 and Lev Lopukhovskys The Viazma Catastrophe, 1941: The Red Armys Disastrous Stand Against Operation Typhoon. Notable recent translations include Valeriy Zamulins The Battle of Kursk: Controversial and Neglected Aspects and Igor Sdvizhkovs Confronting Case Blue: Briansk Fronts Attempt to Derail the German Drive to the Caucasus, July 1942. Future translated publications include Nikolai Ovcharenkos analysis of the defense, occupation and liberation of Odessa, 1941-1944, and Zamulins detailed study of 7th Guards Armys role and performance in the Battle of Kursk against Army Detachment Kempf.