This monograph is the first experience in Russian history of a comprehensive analysis of one of the most important pages of the battle for the Caucasus in 1942–1943. – Malgobek defensive operation carried out by troops of the Northern Group of Forces of the Transcaucasian Front in September - October 1942 with the aim of repelling the offensive of German troops and disrupting their attempt to break into the oil regions of the Caucasus. The book presents an analysis of the course of hostilities in the Malgobek region in the fall of 1942, examines in detail the features of military art and the use of individual branches and branches of the armed forces of the USSR and Germany, and shows the life of the population of the front-line areas. The research is based on a wide range of archival sources, both Russian and German.