Operation Barbarossa 1941: Army Group South (Praeger Illustrated Military History)

Praeger Publishers. Fine. 2004. First Edition. Hardcover. 0275982823 . This specific hardback book is in fine condition with a hard board cover that has sharp edges and corners and has a tight binding.The pages are clean, crisp, unmarked and uncreased with no underlining, highlighting, or notes but with an inkless embossed seal on the title page. That is the only defect that takes this book out of a new rating. We package all books in custom cardboard book boxes for shipment and ship daily with tracking numbers. ; "Germany's surprise assault on the Soviet Union in June 1941, Operation Barbarossa, aimed at nothing less than the destruction of the Soviet Union. Adolf Hitler saw this as the last vital step in the establishing of "Lebensraum" for the German people in the East. South of the Pripyat Marshes Field Marshal von Rundstedt's powerful Army Group South was responsible for the capture of the Ukraine and the Crimea including the important cities of Kiev and Odessa. Von Rundstedt's force faced the Soviet Southwestern and Southern Fronts containing many of the best, equipped, trained and commanded units in the Soviet order of battle. The initial fighting in the south was characterized by fierce and effective Soviet resistance, and the German timetable was badly disrupted. Nevertheless, German superiority began to tell, and the entire Soviet 6th and 12th Armies were encircled and destroyed at Uman. In addition, Adolf Hitler directly ordered General Heinz Guderian's 2nd Panzer Group to turn south from Army Group Center to assist. This resulted in a still greater encirclement at Kiev that eliminated four entire Soviet field armies consisting of more than 600,000 men. By the beginning of October 1941, it appeared that the Red Army was in the final stages of collapse and nothing could stop the German juggernaut."; 9.80 X 7.30 X 0.50 inches; 96 pages .