This year marks 80 years since one of the more ferocious clashes of the Second World War: the Battle of Kursk. With a combined 8,000 tanks between the German Wehrmacht and the Soviet Red Army, it became the largest tank battle in history.

This week, James is joined by historian James Holland. Together, they unpack the wider context of this confrontation, what drove the Germans to take on such a battle, and ultimately, what led to a Soviet victory, marking a significant turning point on the Eastern Front.

You can pre-order James Holland's new book The Savage Storm: The Battle for Italy 1943, here.

Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code WARFARE. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up here.

You can take part in our listener survey here.

For more Warfare content, subscribe to our Warfare Wednesday newsletter here.

E136: "Was hat dich politisiert?"