Germans used the document for propaganda about Soviet repression and transported them back to Germany. The Battle of Smolensk was another severe defeat for the Red Army in the opening phase of Operation Barbarossa. For the first time, the Soviets tried to implement a coordinated counter-attack against a large part of the front; although this counter-attack turned into a military disaster, the stiffening resistance showed that the Soviets were not yet defeated and that the Blitzkrieg towards Moscow was not going to be an easy undertaking. Dissent within the German high command and political leadership was exacerbated. The leaders of the General Staff, Franz Halder and Brauchitsch and commanders like Bock, Hoth and Guderian counselled against dispersing the German armoured units and to concentrate on Moscow. Hitler reiterated the lack of importance of Moscow and of strategic encirclements and ordered a concentration on economic targets such as Ukraine, the Donets Basin and the Caucasus, with more tactical encirclements to weaken the Soviets further. The German offensive effort became more fragmented, leading to the Battle of Kiev and the Battle of Uman. The battles were German victories but costly in time, men and equipment on their approach towards Moscow, allowing the Soviets time to prepare the defenses of the city. See also Battle of Smolensk (1812) Battle of Smolensk (1943) Notes David Glantz wrote that "although the two [7th and 5th Soviet] mechanized corps fielded a total of over 1,500 tanks on paper, it is likely as many as two-thirds of their tanks broke down due to mechanical problems even before they reached the battlefield". In Soviet and post-Soviet military historiography, the term "srazheniye" traditionally describes the complex of battles, that take place on a wide front and consist of a number of separate battles and operations linked by the general plan. The term "bitva" (that also translates as a "battle") refers to the most important events. In the historiography of the Great Patriotic War, the Battle of Moscow, the Battle of Stalingrad and the Battle of Kursk are known. A certain struggle is being waged for the recognition of the operations in the Rzhev area as a "bitva". References Bibliography Conflicts in 1941 1941 in the Soviet Union Encirclements in World War II Battles and operations of the Soviet–German War Battles of World War II involving Germany Battles involving the Soviet Union July 1941 events August 1941 events History of