ABSTRACT
As 1943 opened, the successful Soviet counteroffensive at Stalingrad expanded into a general counteroffensive aimed at pushing German forces as far westward as possible while Soviet forces destroyed the German 6th Army at Stalingrad. The Middle Don operation of December sealed the fate of German 6th Army by disrupting German relief attempts. With these German relief operations thwarted, German concerns focused on bolstering their front and safely extracting their large forces which were increasingly threatened with isolation in the northern Caucasus region.
