The Battle at Stalingrad

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Stalingrad

The Battle Stalingrad, from the September of 1942 to February of 1943 was one of the bloodiest battles ever fought, and occurred between the Wehrmacht of Germany and the Red Army of the Soviet Union. Heavy losses were inflicted on both sides, and in total upwards of 2 million casualties accumulated. After five months of fighting, the Germans 6th army was finally forced to surrender, halting Hitlers push into Russia and providing the Red Army with momentum for the remainder of the war. What started as an attempt to take control of a city on the Volga river, turned into the turning point of the entire war for Hitler.

Although Operation Barbarossa failed to defeat the Russians earlier in the war, victories by Rommel in Northern Africa, had stabilized the front in Russia, and provided Hitler with confidence he could cripple the Red Army. Hitler decided on a strategy that would place the bulk of his forces attacking the southern regions of the USSR and not towards Moscow where Stalin would be expecting the offensive. Stalingrad, was a small city on the Volga River was in this region and the initial intent was to take the city, so that Axis forces could control the river and disrupt shipments between the Caspian Sea and Northern Russia.

Early success with the offensive led to a decisive error by Hitler when he expanded the the objectives mission and now wanted his forces to occupy the city. Soon, both sides were adding value to the city based on political reasons. Holding the city would strengthen the German flank, and aid them in securing the oil fields in the Caucasus. Hitler split his army and half went south and the other half under the command of Friedrich Paulus advanced towards Stalingrad. Under his command wa...

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...successful repelled of the Germans due to superiority in numbers. Overall about 2 million lives were lost defending a city that before was just a stepping stone to controlling the Volga River. Instead it became a battle of honor that cost both sides staggering casualties and ultimately Hitler the war.

Works Cited

"Battle of Stalingrad." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2014.fv

"Battle of Stalingrad." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 25 Apr. 2014. Web. 25 Apr. 2014.

Hickman, Kennedy. "Battle of Stalingrad." About.com Military History. About.com, n.d. Web. 24

Apr. 2014.

Mann, Chris. Great Battles of Wwii. N.p.: Parragon, 2013. Print.

"The Battle of Stalingrad." The Battle of Stalingrad. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2014.Hun

"WW II: Behind Closed Doors." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2014.

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