[citation needed] As one of the largest industrial centers in the Soviet Union, Kharkov played a significant role in contributing to the country's military capabilities.

In particular, the Kharkov Tractor Plant was instrumental in the design and development of the Soviet T-34 tank, and the highly productive facility and a symbol of the city's industrial prowess.

[1] Adolf Hitler himself emphasized the importance of capturing these military installations, recognizing that the region, especially the Donets Basin extending from the Kharkov area, was the foundation of the Russian economy.

The Germans believed that control of this vital economic center would inevitably lead to the collapse of the entire Russian economy.

By September of that year, however, the population had swelled to 1.5 million due to an influx of evacuees from other cities seeking refuge from the ongoing war.

After enduring years of deadly conflict, Kharkov's population dwindled significantly to between 180,000 and 190,000 by the time the city was retaken in August 1943.

[citation needed] To stabilize its southern flank, Stavka (the Soviet High Command) poured reinforcements into the area between Kursk and Rostov at the expense of its forces in front of Moscow.

[citation needed] During the Battle of Moscow, the Germans found it crucial to protect their flanks, and they applied these lessons in their march towards Kharkov.

As the Battle of Moscow approached, the Soviet Red Army suffered major defeats at Vyazma and Bryansk, resulting in 700,000 casualties.

In addition to protecting the flanks of their motorized spearheads, the Germans valued Kharkov for its industrial importance and its role as a critical rail junction.

Capturing the city would push the Soviet armies of the Southwest and Southern Fronts back toward Voronezh and Stalingrad, cutting off their main transportation hubs.

By the second week of October, however, the German offensive was hampered by the Rasputitsa mud season and logistical challenges in the area between the Dnieper River and the front lines.

[6] After 17 October, night frosts improved road conditions, but the autumn-equipped Germans were hampered by snow and cold, partially because they had prepared under the expectation that the entire Barbarossa invasion could be completed before winter.

During this time, the anti-tank company, which had been stuck in the mud in the rear, finally reached the front and was ordered to provide a 37mm AT gun platoon to each frontline battalion.

Generalmajor Anton Dostler held the position of Stadtkommandant until 13 December, when he was succeeded by Generalleutnant Alfred von Puttkamer.

[citation needed] German troops, acting under the authority of the Reichenau-Befehl of 10 October (effectively an order to execute anyone associated with Communism), terrorized the remaining population after the battle.

[citation needed] In the early morning hours of 14 November, several buildings in the city center were detonated by timer devices left behind by the retreating Red Army.

Sonderkommando 4a, commanded by SS-Standartenführer Paul Blobel of Einsatzgruppe C, began shooting them in December and continued the killings throughout January using a gas van.