The tank battle of Kursk, which took place July 5-13 (1943), is considered to be the largest in history. Having suffered a great loss at Stalingrad, Germany decided it was do or die, and concentrated up to 50 divisions, including 16 tank and mobilized units, around 150 miles north of Kharkiv. Troops and aviation had to be pulled from the Mediterranean. But the Russians saw the attack coming and took counter measures.
The first days of fighting were intense. In less than a week, the Germans had already lost two-thirds of their armor. On July 12th, Germany lost 350 tanks and over 10,000 men. This would be the turning point in the war, as the Germans were once again forced back to the defensive. Not only did the battle help the cause of the British and American forces fighting in the Mediterranean, but the Russian air force was able to take back control of the skies.
Kursk is widely considered to be the coming of age of the Russian Red Army. In employing a new concept of anti-tank warfare, the Russians were able to overcome one of their faults at the beginning of the war, which was a lack of tactics. The rest of the battle lasted almost until the end of August, costing the Germans 500,000 men and making defeat imminent.
On July 16, 1990, the Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic proclaimed Ukraine's state sovereignty. A total of 355 people's deputies voted in favor, and four against. When the results of the vote were announced, lawmakers responded with a standing ovation. The country would gain full independence just over a year later.
Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky died on July 27, 1657. Khmelnytsky was educated at the Jesuit College in Lviv, served in several Cossack raids against Turkish fortresses and, in 1637, was made a regiment scribe. From 1638-46, he served as lieutenant of Chyhyryn, and in 1648 was made Hetman of Ukraine. In response to Polish persecution, Khmelnytsky led the revolt that initiated Ukraine's war of independence (1648-54). Among Khmelnytsky's victorious battles were Korsun' (1648) and Zboriv (1649). Khmelnytsky was a noted diplomat, leading negotiations with the Russian government in 1653 and skillfully taking advantage of the discord between Poland and the Ottoman Empire. Under Khmelnytsky's leadership, the Pereyaslav Treaty (1654) was concluded, which conceded Russian hegemony.
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