In the wake of the Red Army's signal victory at Stalingrad, which began when its surprise counteroffensive encircled German Sixth Army in Stalingrad region in mid-November 1942 and ended when its forces liquidated beleaguered Sixth Army in early February 1943, the Soviet High Command (Stavka) expanded its counteroffensive into a full-fledged winter offensive which nearly collapsed German defenses in southern Russia. History has recorded the many dramatic triumphs the Red Army achieved during the initial phases of this winter offensive, culminating with its rapid advance deep into the Donbas and Khar'kov regions in February 1943. As is so often the case, however, history has misled its audience for several cogent reasons. This volume restores the lost and concealed to the historical record. Exploiting newly-released Russian archival materials, it reveals the unbounded ambitions that shaped the Stavka's winter offensive and the full scope and scale of the Red Army's many offensive operations. -- From the publisher.

Originally published: 2009. This new study includes over 100 operational maps to highlight key aspects of the offensives. Includes maps of: Soviet Counteroffensive at Stalingrad, 19 November 1942-2 February 1943; Soviet Ostrogozhsk-Rossosh Offensive, 13-27 January 1943; Soviet Voronezh-Kastornoe Offensive, 24 January-2 February 1943; Army Group South Counteroffensive, 19 February-18 March 1943; Winter Campaign, November 1942-March 1943; Operation Mars, the Rzhev-Sychevka Operation, 24 November-December 1942; Sychevka Sector, Dispositions on 24 November 1942; Belyi Sector, Planning and Dispositions on 24 November 1942; Luchesa River Sector, Dispositions on 24 November 1942; Molodoi Tud Sector, Dispositions on 24 November 1942; Sychevka Sector, Situation Late on 25 November 1942; Sychevka Sector, Situation Late on 27 November 1942; Sychevka Sector, Situation on 28 November 1942; Belyi Sector, Situation Late on 26 November 1942; Belyi Sector, Situation Late on 27 November 1942; Belyi Sector, Situation Late on 28 November 1942; Belyi Sector, Situation Late on 30 November 1942; Luchesa River Sector, Situation from 25-27 November 1942; Luchesa River Sector, Situation from 28-30 November 1942; Molodoi Tud Sector, Situation Late on 25 November 1942; Molodoi Tud Sector, Situation Late on 27 November 1942; Molodoi Tud Sector, Situation Late on 29 November 1942; Sychevka Sector, Situation from 29 November-1 December 1942; Belyi Sector, Situation from 1-6 December 1942; Belyi Sector, Situation from 7-10 December 1942; Luchesa River Sector, Situation from 1-3 December 1942; Luchesa River Sector, Situation from 3-11 December 1942; Molodoi Tud Sector, Situation from 30 November-5 December 1942; Sychevka Sector, Situation from 2-10 December 1942; Sychevka Sector, Situation from 11-14 December 1942; Belyi Sector, Situation from 11-16 December 1942; Molodoi Tud Sector, Situation from 7-23 December 1942; Overview of Operatoin Mars; German Operations around the Demiansk Salient, 27 September-9 October 1942; Army Group North's Situation int he Demiansk Region, 1-30 November 1942; Army Group North's Situation in the Demiansk Region, 1-31 December 1942; Stavka Strategic Offensive Planning, 13 December 1942-20 January 1943; Stavka Strategic Offensive Planning, 20-26 January 1943; Southwestern Front's Plan for Operation Gallop, 20 January 1943; Donbas Operation, Situation on 5 February 1943; Donbas Operation, Situation on 9 February 1943; Donbas Operation, Situation on 15 February 1943; 8th Cavalry Corps' Advance to Debaltsevo, 10-13 February 1943; 7th Guards Cavalry Corps' Battle in Encirclement, 14-18 February 1943; Stavka's Concept for the Donbas Operation, February 1943; Donbas Operation, Situation on 20 February 1943; 7th Guards Cavalry Corps' Escape from Encirclement, 20-24 February 1943; German XXX Corps' Situation, 22 February 1943; Donbas Operation, Situation on 22 February 1943; Donbas Operation, Situation on 25 February 1943; Donbas Operation, Situation on 28 February 1943; Donbas Operation, Situation on 5 March 1943; 4th Guards Mechanized Corps' Advance to the Mius River, 12-16 February 1943; Southern Front's Assigned Objectives on 14 February 1943; Southern Front's Operational Plans and Objectives, 16 February 1943; 4th Guards Mechanized Corps' Penetration of the Main Enemy Defensive Belt on the Mius River and Its Combat in Encirclement, 17-23 February 1943; Southern Front's Operations and the 4th Mechanized Corps' Exploitation, 18-19 February 1943; 4th Mechanized Corps' Escape Route from Encirclement, 21-24 February 1943; Strategic Situation on 6 February 1943; Stavka's Overall Strategic Concept, 6 February 1943; 13th and 48th Armies' Operations, Situation from 6-8 February 1943; 13th and 48th Armies' Operations, Situation from 9-12 February 1943; Soviet Strategic Offensive Plan for the Briansk-Smolensk Offensive - Phase One, 12-17 February 1943; Soviet Strategic Offensive Plan for the Briansk-Smolensk Offensive - Phase Two, 17-25 February 1943; Soviet Strategic Offensive Plan for the Briansk-Smolensk Offensive - Phase Three, 25 February-Mid-March 1943; 13th and 48th Armies' Operations, Situation from 12-14 February 1943; 13th and 48th Armies' Operations, Situation from 15-17 February 1943; 13th and 48th Armies' Operations, Situation from 18-20 February 1943; 13th and 48th Armies' Operations, Situation 21-23 February 1943; Strategic Situation on 15 February 1943; 16th Army's (Western Front) Operations, Situation on 21 February 1943; 16th Army's Operations, Situation 23 February 1943; 16 Army's Operations, 25-26 February 1943; 61st and 3rd Armies' (Briansk Front) Operations, Situation on 21 February 1943; 61st and 3rd Armies' Operations, Situation on 23 February 1943; 61st and 3rd Armies' Operations, Situation from 27 February-1 March 1943; 13th and 48th Armies' Operations, Situation from 24-26 February 1943; Strategic Situation on 25 February 1943; Sevsk-Trubchevsk Operation, Situation on 24 February 1943; Sevsk-Trubchevsk Operation, Situation on 26 February 1943; 13th and 48th Armies' Operations, Situation from 27 February-1 March 1943; Sevsk-Trubchevsk Operation, Situation on 1 March 1943; Sevsk-Trubchevsk Operation, Situation on 4 March 1943; Strategic Situation on 6 March 1943; Stavka's Plan for the Orel Operation, 7 March 1943; Rzhev-Viazma Offensive [Pursuit] Operation, 9-31 March 1943; 4th Army's Situation on 18 March 1943 (the Dorogobuzh and Spas-Demensk Operations); 4th Army's Defense (the Spas-Demensk Operation), 18 March 1943; 4th Army's Defense, 25 March 1943 (the Dorogobuzh and Spas-Demensk Operations); Fourth Army's Situation on 25 March 1943 (the Dorogobuzh and Spas-Demensk Operations); Orel Operation, Situation on 7 March 1943; Orel Operation, Situation on 10 March 1943; 13th and 48th Armies' Operations, Situation from 8-10 March 1943; 16 Army's (Western Front) Operations, Situation on 2 March 1943; 16th Army's (Western Front) Operations, Situation on 10 March 1943; 16 Army's (Western Front) Operations, Situation on 19 March 1943; Orel Operation, Situation on 12 March 1943; Orel Operation, Situation on 14 March 1943; Strategic Situation on 15 March 1943; Orel Operation, Situation on 16 March 1943; Orel Operation, Situation on 18 March 1943; Orel Operation, Situation on 21 March 1943; Orel Operation, Situation from 23-25 March 1943; Strategic Situation, 21-28 March 1943; Army Group North's Situation in the Demiansk Sector, 31 January 1943; Marshal Zhukov's Plan for Operation Polar Star; Combat Operations at Leningrad from February-December 1943; Army Group North's Situation at Leningrad, 10-24 February 1943; Northwestern Front's Operational Plan, 14 February 1943; Army Group North's Withdrawal from the Demiansk Salient, 14 February-6 March 1943; Northwestern Front's Situation, 28 February 1943; Army Group North's Situation in the Demiansk Sector, 28 February 1943; Northwestern Front's Operations, 7-18 March 1943; Army Group North's Withdrawal from the Demiansk Salient, 7-18 March 1943; Army Group North's Situation at Leningrad, 19 March-5 April 1943; Army Group North's Situation at Leningrad, 31 March 1943; Red Army's Winter Offensive, 26 January-28 March 1943.

Soviet offensive operations within the context of the Stalingrad offensive (November 1942-January 1943) -- Soviet offensive operations along the southwestern axis (February-March 1943) -- Soviet offensive operations along the western (central) axis (February-March 1943) -- Soviet offensive operations along the northwestern axis (February-March 1943).