Phase 4: Consolidation and the Soviet Collapse (1943)
With oil from the Caucasus and the Middle East secured, the dynamics of the war shifted dramatically. Germany now had the resources to sustain a lengthy conflict, while the Soviet Union, disconnected from Lend-Lease through the Persian Corridor (now under Axis control), confronted a supply crisis.
The Soviet Winter Offensive of 1942 to 1943 sought to encircle the German salient at Stalingrad. However, in this alternate timeline, rather than