This battle was between two powers: The U.S.S.R. and Germany, supported by Romanian and Hungarian armies.
The battle was over the attempted takeover by Germany of the important industrial city of Stalingrad (now known as Volgograd).
Stalingrad was important because it was (i) an industrial city that produced crucial military equipment, (ii) a major rail junction and (iii) the location of major oil fields.
For Germany, capturing Stalingrad would cut off Soviet transport links and cut off important military supplies. It would also be a great personal accomplishment and a major victory for Hitler if he could capture the city named after Joseph Stalin.
Russians consider this battle to be one of the greatest of the whole war. It marked the turning point of WW II because it would stop Germany from proceeding into the Soviet Union.
These are the watershed moments of the battle:
The battle was over the attempted takeover by Germany of the important industrial city of Stalingrad (now known as Volgograd).
Stalingrad was important because it was (i) an industrial city that produced crucial military equipment, (ii) a major rail junction and (iii) the location of major oil fields.
For Germany, capturing Stalingrad would cut off Soviet transport links and cut off important military supplies. It would also be a great personal accomplishment and a major victory for Hitler if he could capture the city named after Joseph Stalin.
Russians consider this battle to be one of the greatest of the whole war. It marked the turning point of WW II because it would stop Germany from proceeding into the Soviet Union.
These are the watershed moments of the battle:
- On April 5, 1942, Hitler launched Operation Blue which was intended to remove Soviet forces in the South.
- Army Group South had split in to A and B.
- Stalin formed the Stalingrad Front by combining the sixty-second, sixty-third, and sixty-fourth armies.
- In July and August 1942, German soldiers pushed deep into Stalingrad.
- Stalin refused to allow the civilians who tried, to leave, because he thought it would provide incentive to fight harder.
- In November Stalin ordered operation Uranus, which was a surprise attack 50 miles south and north of the city.
- As a result of Operation Uranus the Soviet soldiers completely circled the German armies cutting them off from supplies.
- In December Hitler ordered Erich von Manstein to head to Stalingrad to rescue Paulus and his soldiers.
- Paulus's forces failed because Manstein's forces lacked the ability to break through the Soviet encirclement alone.
- Paulus and a few other generals surrendered: disobeying Hitler.