School of War Ep 230: Prit Buttar on the Great Soviet Offensive of 1944
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Sep 12, 2025 Prit Buttar, a historian and former British Army doctor, explores the Great Soviet Offensive of 1944, notably Operation Bagration. He discusses the dramatic impact this offensive had on the German Army and its strategic significance amid WWII. Buttar highlights the interplay of Soviet counterintelligence versus German strategies, the implications of Bolshevism, and the complexities of international relations during this period. He also examines the moral responsibilities of the German officer corps and the chaotic backdrop of the Warsaw Uprising.
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Hitler's West-First Strategic Gamble
- Hitler prioritized the West while keeping just the minimum forces in the East, consuming 70% of Germany's effort to hold the Soviet front.
- That strategic choice tied German resources and aided Allied advances in the West by limiting German reinforcements.
The Flaw Of Fortress Cities
- Hitler's fortress policy demanded garrisons hold cities until relief arrived, a plan ill-suited to mechanized modern warfare.
- The policy ignored logistical limits and lacked the reserves needed for effective relief operations.
Diverging Command Cultures
- Command centralization increased in Germany while the Red Army devolved more initiative to lower commanders.
- This divergence amplified German rigidity and Soviet operational flexibility through 1944–45.
