Battle of Stalingrad

The Battle of Stalingrad was an armed conflict fought between Nazi German forces and their allies on one side, and the Soviet Red Army on the other, taking place in and around the city of Stalingrad (now Volgograd). The battle began in summer 1942 and ended in February 1943 when the German forces surrounding the city surrendered.

Stalingrad was an industrial and transport hub on the western bank of the Volga River. Its capture would have given Germany control of the waterways and rail routes carrying supplies to southern Russia, particularly oil from the Caucasus. The city's name, associated with Joseph Stalin, also gave the battle political significance.

Origins and German Plans

In 1942, after the assault on Moscow stalled, Germany shifted its focus southward. The plan was to reach the oil fields of the Caucasus and sever the Volga crossing. German forces reached Stalingrad in late summer 1942, and began an intense aerial bombardment that destroyed much of the city.

House-to-House Fighting

Fighting within the city became a building-by-building contest: both sides fought in factories, ruined houses, and along the river banks. This situation is noted as having reduced the advantage Germany derived from tanks and aircraft, because the opposing forces were in close proximity. Soviet forces continuously received reinforcements and supplies across the eastern bank of the Volga.

Soviet Counteroffensive and Encirclement

In November 1942, the Red Army launched a two-pronged offensive that broke through the flanks of Germany's allied forces. This encircled a large number of troops in and around the city. Attempts to break through the encirclement and supply the trapped forces by air failed. In February 1943, the encircled forces, commanded by Friedrich Paulus, surrendered.

Impact

The German defeat at Stalingrad is regarded by most historians as a turning point in the war in Eastern Europe: afterward, the Red Army largely advanced forward. The battle also held great significance in the official memory and symbolism of the Soviet Union and later Russia.