IDHAR UDHAR KI BAAT 81 - KUTTA (DOGGIE) TACTICS - Brig PS Gothra (Retd)

 

 

Zelensky getting humiliated by Trump in full media view. His face had the same expression as a dog that’s gotten stuck while mating, completely out of stamina, while its owner yells at it to hurry up and finish the job and withdraw.(I apologize for the lewd example, but the aim is to make sure you remember this lesson.)

Back in 1943, after getting humiliated at Stalingrad, Hitler and his generals thought, “We need to do something, or this war is slipping out of our hands!” So, they came up with Operation Citadel—a plan that was supposed to be a masterstroke. The idea? Cut off the Soviet bulge at Kursk, trap the Red Army from the north and south, and boom! Game over for the Soviets.

Sounds brilliant, right? But there was one small problem—the Soviets weren’t fools anymore. They had fortified their defenses like crazy, setting up deadly minefields, anti-tank traps, and layer upon layer of resistance. (For those appearing in the staff college entrance exam this year, this was a classical example of a defensive Operational Art.)

So, when the German tanks rolled in, thinking they’d smash through easily, they got absolutely wrecked. What was supposed to be a quick, decisive attack turned into a slow, grinding, and catastrophic battle.

End result? Germany got stuck, their forces were decimated, and the Soviets—well, they didn’t just stop them; they pushed back hard. From that point onward, the Red Army never looked back, and we all know how it ended—Berlin in ruins, Hitler gone, and Germany tasting bitter defeat.

Fast forward to 2024. Ukraine, lured by Russia and  inspired by some bold dreams (also probably some NATO whispers), thought, "Let's launch an offensive at Kursk!" Maybe they imagined rewriting history with themselves as the victors this time. The US and NATO cheered from the sidelines, offering their usual “We stand with you” speeches.

So Ukraine charged in.

But Russia? Russia played it smart. They let Ukraine come in just enough to feel confident. And then? They tightened the noose. Ukraine got bogged down, their forces stretched thin, and just like the Germans back in ‘43, they lost momentum.

Now, Ukraine is stuck in Kursk, drained and exhausted (like the mating dog).  Meanwhile, Russia is hitting them in other areas, playing the long game. And the US? Well, now they’re looking at Ukraine like a worn-out pawn. Instead of unconditional support, they’re saying, “Give us your minerals first, then we’ll talk about help.”

But before laughing at Ukraine’s predicament, let me remind you of something closer to home.

Remember Sri Lanka in the 1980s? We went in as the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF).

• The Sri Lankan government, which initially invited us, started turning against us.
• The LTTE, whom we had trained, fought back fiercely.
• Our own people in Tamil Nadu protested against the IPKF.
• And a large portion of our nation conveniently forgot that we lost our brothers while serving there.

Let me invoke Mirza Ghalib here:

"बड़े बेआबरू होकर तेरे कूचे से हम निकले,
बहुत निकले मेरे अरमान लेकिन फिर भी कम निकले।"

(I left your street disgraced. I fulfilled many of my desires, yet they remained unfulfilled.)

Moral of the Story:

1. Choose your leaders wisely. Elections are not reality shows.
2. Don’t start a war if you don’t know how to end it.
3. Don’t rely on fair-weather friend. Their loyalty lasts only as long as it benefits them.
4. One all-weather friend is better than a hundred fair-weather friends.
5. And you may add some lessons in the comments. (Collective wisdom helps.) 
   

History keeps teaching lessons, but only a few are willing to learn. Jai Hind.

#HistoryRepeats #Kursk #MilitaryStrategy #UkraineWar #RussiaUkraineConflict #OperationCitadel #Geopolitics #WarAnalysis #LessonsOfWar #ModernWarfare