I understand my orders just fine, and I'll carry them out.

I'll do what I can.

I'll either keep them out of Stalingrad or die trying.

Soviet General Vasili Ivanovich Chukov, upon taking command of the 62nd army.

Welcome to the history of the 20th century.

The 20th century. Episode 3. Episode 374, a step too far.

We last talked about the Eastern Front back in episode 370.

In that episode, the Germans began their 1942 offensive in the South,

Plan Blue, and Stalin issued his famous Not One Step Back decree. I want to begin today by winding

the clock back a little bit and telling you a story that took place on June 19, 1942,

11 days before Plan Blue was set to begin.

An officer in the German 23rd Panzer Division, a part of the first Panzer Army,

which was meant to play a key role in Plan Blue, flew that day to the front line to visit one of the

division's units. Quite contrary to proper procedure, he carried with him a detailed

description of the coming Plan Blue offensive. The Soviets shot down his plane. It crashed just

beyond the German front line. The Germans hastily

organized a patrol and sent it to reclaim the plans, but when they reached the crash site,

they discovered the Russians had gotten there first. Hitler was furious when he heard the news,

no surprise there, and ordered that the dead

officer's superior be court-martialed. News of the captured plans reached Stalin, but Stalin being

Stalin assumed they were a deception and continued to believe that the 1942 German offensive

would be directed toward Moscow.

...