Will history repeat itself at Kursk?
Published: 06 Nov. 2024, 19:45
The author is the international news editor of the JoongAng Ilbo.
Kursk has been at the center of attention as a Russian territory occupied by Ukraine in August and as the destination of North Korean troop dispatch nowadays. Not so familiar with world history, it is a region that I didn’t know much about. I looked up history books and found that it is a place of considerable significance in world history as well as Russian history. As the battleground between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union more than 80 years ago, it was a place that determined the direction of World War II.
In July 1943, 800,000 troops of Hitler’s German Army and 1.9 million troops of Stalin’s Red Army gathered around Kursk. War history records that it was the largest single battle where 8,000 tanks and 5,000 aircraft were mobilized. After the crushing defeat at Stalingrad, Hitler needed one shot to reverse the tide and planned a large-scale offensive on the frontline. Anticipating the attack, Stalin mobilized 300,000 civilians to build 3,000-mile long trenches and 400,000 landmines in defense. The German forces failed to break through the defense line and repeatedly retreated due to fierce Soviet counterattacks. It was an inflection point that signaled the defeat of the Nazis.
Russia, the successor of the Soviet Union, holds a ceremony every year in Prokhorovka. It was the site where 294 Nazi SS tanks and 793 Soviet tanks faced off on July 12, 1943. In a small space of 3 square kilometers (1.15 square miles), a war of tanks was waged, and more than 700 tanks were destroyed in eight hours. Equipped with Tiger tanks, the strongest at the time, the German forces nearly destroyed the Soviet tank unit. However, as they suffered tremendous damage from the Soviet’s offensive of material superiority, the German forces could not advance further. Ever since that day, Prokhorovka has become a symbol of patriotism and overcoming the national crisis for Russians. On the day when Yevgeny Prigozhin, the organizer of an armed rebellion, died in a plane crash last year, Putin presided over the ceremony at Prokhorovka and emphasized “dedication to fatherland.”
Eighty years later, wars and international relations have changed. Instead of tanks and aircraft, drones have become the main players in the battlefield. The U.S. and Britain, which provided weapons, war supplies and information to the Soviet Union against the common enemy of Nazi Germany, are supporting Ukraine against Russia. The fact that war takes away people’s lives remains the same. Russia’s “meat grinder” tactic is feared by both the Russian military and opponents.
On Nov. 4, the U.S. confirmed that the number of North Korean troops deployed in Kursk has increased to 10,000. The North Korean soldiers have already been deployed in combat, and there are casualties already. The close relationship between North Korea and Russia is a serious security threat to not only Europe but also the Korean Peninsula. What will future historians say about North Korea’s participation and South Korea’s response?
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
To write comments, please log in to one of the accounts.
Standards Board Policy (0/250자)