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A successful German offensive would have greatly improved Germany’s strategic position on the Easter Front. The Germans believed that the Soviet leadership had become increasingly disenchanted with their western Allies<ref> George, p. 167</ref>. Despite constant demands, the British and the Americans had failed to open a ‘second front’ in western Europe. If the Nazi German forces inflict inflicted a devastating defeat on Stalin’s armies, then the Soviets would be more likely to enter into peace negotiations with the Germans and end their alliance with Britain and the United States. This could have allowed the Germans to keep many of their gains in the east and to concentrate on their war with the western allies. Then the Germany was becoming increasingly confident, despite Despite the recent setbacks on the Eastern Front and in North Africa. This was because, by Germany remained confident that they could turn the spring tide of 1943, the German armed forces were war back in their favor. The Germans believed that their army was better armed in 1943 than ever beforeat any other time of the war. Hitler had appointed Albert Speer as head of the armaments industry and he had massively dramatically increased production.  Germany, despite constant air attacks and limited natural resources, increased the number of munitions and weapons, greatly<ref> Barbier, Mary Kathryn, Kursk: The Greatest Tank Battle, 1943 (Zenith Imprint 2002), p. 113.</ref>.. In 1943 the Nazi armaments sector produced almost 12,000 tanks and had increased by 100% the number of planes made by manufacturers. Not only did the German industrial sector produce more of everything, but also they produced more advanced weaponry. The Germans had developed new tanks such as the Tiger, King Tiger, and the Panther tanks. The Luftwaffe (German air force), had the new Fokker-Wolfe 190A fighter and the Herschel 129<ref> Barbier, p. 117</ref>. The Germans since the loss of North Africa meant that they could concentrate the majority of their army on the Eastern Front. The failure of the allies to open up a second front, allowed Hitler to station two-thirds of the German Army in Russia, by the Spring of 1943. However, the new weapons and extra manpower caused the German High Command to engage in over-optimistic planning. Based on their new weaponry they assumed that they could inflict a serious defeat on Stalin and led them to underestimate the enemy.