Soviet high command saw an opportunity – effectively a move similar to the German attack on the Kursk salient in 1943, but on a much larger scale. The plan was to distract German high command with offensives to the north and south and draw in German reserves. When these had been committed combatting these incursions, the main Soviet reserves would strike deep into and around Army Group Centre’s salient and cut off the entire army. The codename for this plan was Operation Bagration, after the famous Russian general of the Napoleonic Wars.
In preparation for and throughout Bagration, the Soviets used maskirovka, deception techniques to fool the Germans. These ranged from the strategic, amassing forces near Lvov which seemed to be ready to strike at southern Poland, to the tactical, sending out deserters and spies to misinform the German forces.
On 6 June, the Allies landed in Normandy. This proved to be excellent timing, as any further German reserves would either be drawn to
