Giffard Le Quesne Martel the Head of the Military Mission to the Soviet Union. He assessed the effectiveness of the Soviet order of battle and tactics during a visit to the frontline in the Kursk-Oryol region between 11 and 19 May 1943. In his autobiography, Martel describes advising the Soviet High Command, Stavka, to allow the Germans to strike first at the Battle of Kursk. To what extent his advice affected the course of the battle is debatable since his first conference with Stavka did not occur until late May 1943 while the Soviet Western Front commander, Marshal Georgy Zhukov, had been advocating the
Kursk Oblast the railroads in Kursk Oblast is one of the highest in Russia. The largest railway junctions are Kursk, Lgov, and Kastornoye. Oblast's railroads are a part of the Moscow and South Eastern Railway systems. The largest universities of Kursk Oblast is Kursk State University, Kursk State Technical University, Kursk State Medical University and Kursk State Agricultural Academy which are located in the city of Kursk. There are also 19 other higher education facilities in Kursk Oblast. Kursk Oblast's natural attraction is the Central Black Earth Nature Reserve, which offers great opportunity for hiking. Oblast's forests and others undeveloped areas are