Although the German
offensive at Kursk was probably a strategic
fool's paradise, with little hope of causing the defeat of the
Soviet Union even if the Germans had won,
Adolf Hitler ensured a German defeat by critically weakening the force at the last moment.
As Western
Allies had recently forced the
Wehrmacht out of
Africa, and were busy conquering
Sicily, the people of
Italy developed a sudden case of war fatigue.
Fascist leader
Benito Mussolini was deposed on
July 25. Hitler pulled a large number of German troops from the Kursk offensive to reinforce German positions in Italy.
Left to fight in their place were
Axis troops from
Hungary and
Romania. These troops were less-experienced and less willing to die for the glory of a fictitious
Aryan race they wouldn't have belonged to anyway.
Note: Most of this information comes from History Channel documentaries. I can find little on the Web to back it up.