The Battle of Moscow in 1941 was one of the largest battles of World War II. German forces launched a massive attack, sending over 1 million soldiers, 2,700 tanks, and 2,000 aircraft toward the Soviet capital. The Soviets defended with roughly 1.3 million troops and built strong fortifications around the city. The Germans got as close as 30 km (19 miles) from Moscow, but the harsh winter and Soviet counterattacks stopped them. The battle lasted from October 1941 to January 1942, with hundreds of