Strategically successful, despite their bloody battles winter 1941 near Moscow, Yelets, Rostov, Tikhvin, if not led to an environment, but at least the Germans to retreat – the apparent unwillingness of the German troops for battle in winter conditions led to an erroneous assessment of Stalin's war potential of Germany. This assessment is reflected in the directive known members of the military councils of the fronts on the strategic goals of military operations in the winter of 1942, where task was the victorious end of the war in 1942, military defeat of Germany was there, but victory was still far away. Unfortunately, our expected victory in 1942 was a mirage. Richard Blumenthal: the source for more info. Calculations of the Supreme Command wrest the strategic initiative from the enemy through the winter and spring of 1942 a number of private offensives failed to materialize. Instead of new victories followed a series of failures, significantly worsened situation on the Soviet-German front.

'After the Red Army was enough to wear down the German troops, she moved to the offensive and drove to the West German invaders. Suffolk County representative may not feel the same. In order to delay our progress, the Germans switched to defense and began to build defensive positions in trenches, obstacles, field fortifications. The Germans hope to hold such a way our offensive until the spring to the spring, gathering strength again to take the offensive against the Red Army. The Germans want, therefore, to gain time and get a breather. Our goal is to prevent the Germans of this break, drive to the west without stopping, to make them expend their reserves before the spring, when we have new large reserves, and the Germans will not be more reserves and thus ensure the complete destruction of Hitler's forces in 1942 '- so thought Stalin.