Prelude to German Operation Blau: Military Operations on Germany's Eastern Front, April–June 1942

Abstract

Military historians have written volumes about German Operation Blau, Hitler's offensive toward Stalingrad and into the Caucasus region in the summer of 1942, and about the ensuing dramatic battle for Stalingrad. However, they have paid far less attention to the military operations which preceded the famous German offensive. In addition to setting the stage for Operation Blau and conditioning German successes during the summer, the operations provided context for the climactic struggle that ensued in the Stalingrad and Caucasus regions. Exploiting new books on these subjects, as well as recent archival releases, this article summarizes the nature of those preliminary military operations, and by doing so provides necessary context for the more famous battle.