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Stalingrad 1942-1943

The Battle of Stalingrad is by far the most important battle in World War II and is considered the bloodiest battle in human history, with more combined casualties than any recorded battle before or after. The battle was also the marker of the major turning point of the war, since it's outcome was one of the major reasons why the German invasion of Russia was unsuccessful. The battle started with the German invasion and siege of the city of Stalingrad in the south of Russia. Soon, however, the Germans gained entry to the city and confronted the waiting Soviet counter-offensive. After approximately 2 million casualties: approximately 850,000 Axis casualties and 1,250,000 Soviet casualties, the Soviets managed to eventually trap and destroy the German Sixth Army and the other Axis forces in the city. The Soviets destroyed ¼ of German power on the Eastern Front as well as huge sums of German supplies and equipment. The Axis forces were therefore never able to recover from this major loss and were eventually forced to retreat out of Eastern Europe. Also, the victory marked the beginning of the increasing Soviet glory, leading to the eventual victory over Nazi Germany in 1945, marking the end of the war. Stalingrad was an extremely decisive target for Germany for multiple reasons. Firstly, and most importantly, it was a major industrial city on the banks of the river Volga, which was a vital transport route between the Caspian Sea and Northern Russia. Therefore, capturing Stalingrad would slowly deprive the Russian mainland of all supplies from the south, which would be devastating to the Russian Army and civilians. Less importantly, the fact that the city bore the name of Josef Stalin, the leader of the Soviet Union, would make a German capture of the city an ideological and propaganda coup. Therefore, the Soviet Red Army was ordered to defend Stalingrad from the Germans at all costs. The battle began with the heavy bombing of the city by the German Air Force, or Luftwaffe, causing many casualties. However, Stalin prevented the civilians from leaving the city in hope that their presence would increase the morale of the city's defenders. All civilians, even including women and children, were put to work building trenches and protective fortifications. However, a massive German air bombardment caused a massive firestorm, killing thousands and completely destroying the city. As the Germans advanced through the city, they were met with fierce opposition by city defenders as well as ordinary civilians. Bitter fighting raged everywhere, killing thousands of soldiers and civilians from both sides. With no end in sight, the Germans started transferring heavy artillery to the city, including a gigantic 800 mm mortar. However, the Germans made no effort to send forces across the Volga river, therefore allowing the Soviet defense to position a number of artillery batteries there. As a result, the Soviet artillery on the Eastern bank continuously bombarded the Germans on the Western bank. The Soviet defenders also used the city ruins as defensive positions. Due to the sometimes 8-meter high heaps of rubble, the German tanks were often useless amid the ruins. When the Germans advanced, they came under massive Soviet military and anti-tank fire, and constant sniping from the building wreckage. Therefore, they couldn't advance without suffering extremely heavy casualties. For the German and Soviet leaders, the battle of Stalingrad soon became the most crucial and important issue of the war. In response, Stalin moved the Red Army's strategic reserves from the capital, Moscow, to the lower Volga region and transferred aircraft from the entire country to the Stalingrad region. In November, the Germans finally reached the riverbanks, capturing 90% of the ruined city and splitting the remaining Soviet forces in half. In addition, ice flows on the Volga prevented boats from supplying the Soviet defenders from suppliers on the other side of the river. Nonetheless, fighting for the various factories, such as the famous Red October steel factory, became ever the more fierce and bloody. The Soviet counter-offensives bravely and gallantly held off the advancing German Army with whatever troops and equipment they had. They mercilessly bombarded the powerful German Army with various raids and gallantly fought them under extremely low odds. However, in the wintertime, the odds began to change and the tides began to turn. The Volga froze solid, allowing the Soviet suppliers to supply their forces in the city defense more easily. The now trapped Germans quickly exhausted their supply of heating fuel and medical supplies, and therefore began dying by the thousands from frostbite, malnutrition, and disease. The Soviets were then able to force the Germans back out of Stalingrad, forcing them to retreat. Therefore, the Soviet Winter was the main cause the Soviet Army defeated the superior German Army at the battle of Stalingrad. On February 2, 1943, the remnants of the German forces in Stalingrad officially surrendered the city. 91,000 tired, ill, and starving German soldiers, including 22 generals, were taken captive after an extraordinary 199 days of fierce combat and a countless number of casualties, making the battle the single largest battle in human history. Overall, the battle of Stalingrad was without doubt the most devastating and decisive turning point battle during World War II and possibly even the history of the world.

German Newsreel

Deutsche Wochenschau 1942 - runtime: 17m 55s	Monatsschau 1942 - runtime: 18m 5s

Rusian Newsreel

Soviet defence of Stalingrad	Surrender of 6th Army

 

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MOVIES

Stalingrad (1993) A depiction of the brutal battle of Stalingrad, the Third Reich's 'high water mark', as seen through the eyes of German officer Hans von Witzland and his battalion. "Stalingrad" follows the progress of a German Platoon through the brutal fighting of the Battle of Stalingrad. After having half their number wiped out and after being placed under the command of a sadistic Captain, the Lieutenant of the platoon leads his men to desert. The men of the platoon attempt to escape from the city which is now surrounded by the Soviet Army.

Enemy at the Gates (2001) In the winter of 1942, the German and Russian Armies meet in the great Battle of the Stalingrad, one of the most vicious engagements of the Second World War. Enter into this horror a young Russian soldier, formerly a peasant boy with an extraordinary ability to sharpshoot a rifle from far distances. The Russian sniper soon gains fame after killing a record number of German officers causing the Germans to bring in their own sniper expert: a war weathered Major who always accomplishes his mission no matter what the cost. With the Battle of Stalingrad raging around them, these two men must now fight each other.

 

 

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