The Forgotten World War II Battle: German Casualties Reach 300,000, with 1.5 Million Soviet Troops Wounded or Killed

“Russia is vast, but we have nowhere to retreat — Moscow is behind us!”

This poignant slogan originated from the WWII Eastern Front and has since become a symbol of the war, echoing across the globe.

The slogan was famously declared by Red Army soldier Klochkov K. Tiev during the defense of Moscow, where he ultimately fell in battle.

It was the end of 1941, and a delay caused by the Battle of Kiev gave the Soviet Union ample time to prepare for the defense of Moscow. During this campaign, two million Soviet soldiers fought valiantly, suffering heavy casualties but ultimately thwarting the German advance.

As 1942 began, both Soviet and German forces faced off along an extended frontline. Operation Typhoon had failed, yet the German Central Group’s vanguard was merely 150 kilometers from Moscow, keeping the Soviet threat alive. In WWII history, the Battle of Stalingrad is often highlighted as a turning point. However, the battles that erupted between early 1942 and the Soviet victory at Stalingrad in 1943 received less attention, sometimes even being selectively forgotten.

This was the year-long Rzhev-Vyazma-Sychevka campaign, where multiple fierce…