As the first batch of new-model bullets was transported to the European Balkan battlefield, the war between the European countries became markedly more brutal.
After the countries tore off their masks, they began using the forbidden weapons they had originally banned. Their sole purpose was to inflict greater losses on the enemy.
Against this backdrop, the casualties borne by the countries in launching their campaigns became even heavier, and the number of dead and wounded continued to climb.
More importantly, the Germans had tasted the sweetness of success. They quickly discovered the ingenious design of the enemy's bullets and began using it on a large scale in their own weapons and equipment.
After the Germans extensively deployed more lethal weapons, the Russians became the ones forced to bear the brunt of everything, as Germany's primary target.
During the German and Russian offensives, large quantities of weapons were used in the assault on Smolensk. The Germans committed nearly 800,000 troops to the battle, while the Russian Army defending Vitebsk and Smolensk also numbered more than 500,000.
The two sides committed more than 1.3 million troops to this offensive and defensive battle. The devastation of the result could not possibly be described by the word "brutal" alone.
The Germans lost more than 200,000 men in the campaign, along with hundreds of tanks and over a hundred aircraft.
The Russians suffered even worse. The reserve forces they had painstakingly mobilized were almost completely wiped out, and of the 500,000 troops stationed there, fewer than 100,000 withdrew to the rear at Moscow.
On June 3, 1937, Army Group South successfully captured Kyiv, completing its primary initial offensive.
After that, Army Group South split into two forces. The first advanced north along the northeastern route toward Moscow, where it would link up with Army Group