The Battle of Kursk: A Comparative Analysis to Stalingrad, Study on Memory, and Russian Environmental Preservation

The Eastern Front of World War Two is one of the most studied elements of the Second World War. On the Eastern front, some battles stand out more than others. Most notably the Battle of Stalingrad stands out as being the ultimate turning point where the Eastern Front was lost and unable to be revived from the perspective of the Germans. When studying the numbers and accounts, the Battle of Kursk trumps the Battle of Stalingrad as the true turning point. While the Battle of Stalingrad simply changed the direction of the war, the Battle of Kursk is the last time the Germany Army could have turned the tides of the war. However, historians and society do not see it that way. Through various means of popular culture and speeches, the rhetoric that Stalingrad is the battle that changed the course of history is constantly reinforced. Furthermore, a more contemporary look at environmental history will illustrate how the bogs and marshes Russian countryside act as natural museums. Preserving anything that falls into their clutches, mother nature not only prevails, but preserves for future generations.