At War's Summit: The Red Army and the Struggle for the Caucasus Mountains in World War II [Hardcover]

Recreates the harsh mountain warfare during the Wehrmacht's and Red Army's clash on the highest battlefield of World War Two.This is the story of the highest battlefield of World War Two, which brings to life the extremes of mountain warfare. The Caucasus Mountains became the battleground between elite German mountain divisions and the untrained soldiers of the Red Army, as they fought each other, the weather and the terrain.This is the story of the highest battlefield of World War Two, which brings to life the extremes of mountain warfare. The Caucasus Mountains became the battleground between elite German mountain divisions and the untrained soldiers of the Red Army, as they fought each other, the weather and the terrain.This is the story of the highest battlefield of World War Two, which brings to life the extremes endured during this harsh mountain warfare. When the German war machine began faltering from a shortage of oil after the failed Blitzkrieg against the Soviet Union, the Wehrmacht launched Operation Edelweiss in the summer of 1942, a bold attempt to capture the Soviet oilfields of Grozny and Baku and open the way to securing the vast reserves of Middle Eastern oil. Hitler viewed this campaign as the key to victory in World War Two. Mountain warfare requires unique skills: climbing and survival techniques, unconventional logistical and medical arrangements and knowledge of ballistics at high altitudes. The Main Caucasus Ridge became the battleground that saw the elite German mountain divisions clash with the untrained soldiers of the Red Army, as they fought each other, the weather and the terrain.List of figures; List of maps; List of tables; Acknowledgements; List of abbreviations; Introduction: the path towards the top summits of World War II; 1. Russia's historical experience in mountain warfare; 2. Soviet preparations for war in the mountains; 3. First battle tests and the handicaps of selective learning; 4. Contest of follies: plan Edelweiss and thlã<