Lvov–Sandomierz Offensive — military offensive that lasted from 13 July 1944 – 29 August 1944
A major Soviet offensive that expelled German forces from Ukraine and Eastern Poland, securing Vistula bridgeheads and enabling further advances westward.
Key Facts
- Start Date
- 13 July 1944
- End Date
- 29 August 1944
- Duration
- Approximately 47 days
- Sub-operations
- Lvov, Stanislav, Sandomierz offensive operations
- Soviet propaganda designation
- One of Stalin's Ten Blows
- Strategic deception used
- Maskirovka (concealment/deception doctrine)
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
By mid-1944, the Soviet Union sought to expel German forces from Ukraine and Eastern Poland. The Red Army employed Maskirovka, concentrating forces in southern Poland and Ukraine to draw German mobile reserves southward, thereby leaving Army Group Centre exposed. This deception was coordinated with the concurrent Operation Bagration to maximize pressure across the entire Eastern Front.
Launched on 13 July 1944, the Lvov–Sandomierz offensive comprised three sequential operations: the Lvov offensive, the Stanislav offensive (both 13–27 July), and the Sandomierz offensive (28 July–29 August 1944). Soviet Red Army and Red Air Force forces drove German troops from western Ukraine, secured bridgeheads on the Vistula River, and gained a foothold threatening Romania.
The offensive successfully cleared German forces from Ukraine and secured critical Vistula bridgeheads in Eastern Poland by late August 1944. The crisis created on the Eastern Front forced German Panzer reserves back to the central sector, leaving Soviet forces free to consolidate gains in western Ukraine and position themselves for further advances into Central Europe.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent