Soviet victory over Germany was the most fateful development of World War II. The purpose of this book is to investigate one aspect of the Soviet victory - how the war was won on the battlefield. The author sought, in following the march of the Soviet and German armies from Stalingrad to Berlin, to depict the war as it was and to describe the manner in which the Soviet Union emerged as the predominant military power in Europe.Content:InvasionRetreatStalingrad the EncirclementStalingrad the Turning PointThe CountermarchThe Center and the North Operation Zitadelie The First Soviet Summer OffensiveThe Battle for the Dnepr Line.The Rising Tide Offensives on Both Flanks- the South FlankOffensives on Both Flanks-the North FlankPaying the PiperPrelude to DisasterThe Collapse of the CenterThe South FlankRetreat and EncirclementDefeat in the NorthThe January OffensiveThe Defense of the ReichEarl F. Ziemke is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin, where he received a Ph. D. degree in history. In World War II he served with the U.S. Marine Corps in the Pacific theater.