Hitler - The 'Final battle' approaches

3rd October 1941: Hitler boasts of the enormous German advance into Russia

German progress seemed incredible when viewed on a map. Field Marshal von Rundstedt shows Hitler and Mussolini the territory ‘conquered’ in the area of Army Group South, August 1941. A subsequently colourised image.

Hitler meets German troops on the Eastern Front, late August 1941

On 2 October, Hitler launched Operation Typhoon, intended as the final knockout blow against Moscow. Over a million men from Army Group Centre launched a new blitzkrieg assault - the 'final battle of the year'.

The following day, he boasted to the German nation about the magnitude of what had already been achieved in Russia. It was true that the Wehrmacht had captured an extraordinary expanse of territory as well as inflicting terrible casualties, alongside taking millions of prisoners of war.