The subject is often treated like if the eastern front had a linear story.

Indeed this is the case when we (I am included in "we") say Germany lost its war against USSR from the start.

But there are many occurences, up to Kursk un july 43, when the Red Army got spanked and suffered terrible losses (mainly failed counterstrikes) entire land or air armies were smashed, entire Fronts (more or less = army groups) almost vanished.

I'm not only talking about the firts months of Barbarossa, nor the famous Mars operation, but also the sate of the Red Army in the center zone in february 1942, depleted and exhausted, the southern and caucasian sectors in summer 1942, when land and air armies were disbanded if not decimated, what about eastern Crimea in may-june 42, the almost total destruction of the "southern" VVS over Stalingrad area in september 42 etc etc

It's easy to say now that the game was won from the begining but I think, in these circumstances, Germany might have been pretty close to have the Red Army collapse and the rushed stop gap measures dictated by Stalin and his HQ prove the situation might have looked close to desperate for USSR in several occasions.



Of course, I agree the reasons and explanations given here for the outcome of this part of WWII, but the "Germany had no way to win this war from the start, which is proven by the fact they NEVER were close to win at any moment" theory is a little disturbing.

It sounds a little like if Germany had lost against himself and forgetting a key factor : Red Army.