The+Battle+of+Stalingrad

=Introduction=

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The Battle of Stalingrad was a battle in WWII where the Germans and the Soviets for control of Stalingrad (now Volgograd) by the Volga river in southwest Russia. This took place between August 23, 1942 and February 2, 1943 and was a major turning point in the war. The Germans took Stalingrad at first and defeat for the USSR seemed imminent, but Stalin’s perseverance eventually defeated the German 6th Army (which was 22 divisions). This was the first substantial German loss in the war.

=Previous Non-aggression Pact with Russia=

Hitler signed a non-aggression pact with in 1939. This non-aggression pact was important to both Germany and Russia – it prevented a two front war for both sides (France/Russia for Germany and Germany/Japan for Russia). Stalin hoped that he could stay uninvolved with WWII while Europe fights with itself; Hitler however, never planned to follow through with this pact – he wanted to finish off France and Britain and then focus all his troops on Russia.

=Hitler's Russian invasion plan=

Hitler invaded the USSR on June 22, 1941 since his plan for Britain to beg for mercy by capturing France failed. German forces quickly reach Moscow and Leningrad, but stalled during the rough Russian winter. Hitler assigned the 6th Army and the 4th Panzer Army as the main efforts for a new plan to invade Stalingrad. Hitler thought that capturing Stalingrad would have three different effects: lower the Soviet Army’s morale, choke one of Russia’s main trade routes and make Stalin look weak (since the city bore his name). Then, Hitler could capture the rich oil fields in the Caucasus region.

=The Battle Begins=

By August 1942, the Germans advanced to the western part of Stalingrad. Soviet defenders west of the city had to fall back into the city. In the last weeks of August, the Germans pushed into the city itself and the main fighting was in the center of the city. There were wooden buildings and factories in the center of the city that were destroyed in a matter of weeks by the fighting. Paulus had captured most of Stalingrad by mid-September and hoped to end the siege as soon as possible, but Stalin had a different plan.

=Soviet Counter-attack and Victory=

Stalin wanted to attempt a bold counter-attack; he wanted the Soviet Sixty-second army to crush the Germans in the city while other Soviet troops marched around the city and surround the Germans. This plan need a lot of soldiers so Stalin called in reinforcements and was personally managing the defense plans.

Stalin told his soldiers to take “not a step backward.” He closely monitored his troops for any loss of morale or plans of retreat. The Germans were close to capturing the city; most of the city was burned down in the fighting. On November 24, 1942, Stalin’s plan had paid off – Soviet forces had encircled Paulus and the 6th Army.

Hitler, in spite of pleas from his generals, ordered Paulus to stand fast and not retreat. Hitler also sent the German Army Group Don as a relief force and ordered for supplies to be brought by the //Luftwaffe//, the German air force.

It became apparent that the Luftwaffe couldn’t bring any supplies to the 6th Army, so Field Marshal Erich von Manstein, Commander of the German Army Group Don, asked Hitler to order Paulus to break free and join Manstein. Hitler refused this request and by January 1943, Paulus’ troops were hungry, tired, cold, and out of ammunition – they had no chance of breaking out. Paulus finally surrendered on February 2.

After this battle, the Germans never won a major battle in the east and the Russians advance for two years until they enter Berlin by April 1945

=Citations=

"Battle of Stalingrad." Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. History: War. Ed. Anne Marie Hacht and Dwayne D. Hayes. Detroit: Gale, 2008. Student Resource Center - Gold. Gale. Dublin Jerome High School. 8 May. 2010 Web.

"Germany Defeated at Stalingrad, November 19, 1942-January 31, 1943." DISCovering World History. Online ed. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Student Resource Center - Gold. Gale. Dublin Jerome High School. 9 May. 2010 Web.

Shabaka, Dahia Ibo, et al. Modern World History. Evanston, IL:McDougal Littell. 2005, Print.

Wikimedia Commons, 2010. Web. 9 May. 2010.