The Battle of Stalingrad, 1942

What was the Battle of Stalingrad?

The Battle of Stalingrad was the largest confrontation of the Second World War between Nazi Germany and the USSR.

When was the Battle of Stalingrad?

The Battle of Stalingrad lasted from 23rd August, 1942, until 2nd February, 1943.

Why did the Nazis begin the Battle of Stalingrad?

The German 6th Army, led by General Friedrich von Paulus, wanted to take command of Stalingrad so it could provide supplies to its armies in the south. In particular, the Nazis wanted oil from Baku, in Azerbaijan.

What were the main events of the Battle of Stalingrad?

There were 6 key events of the Battle of Stalingrad:

• ❖ The German Army attacked in June 1942 and reached the outskirts of Stalingrad in August.
• ❖ The German Army used tanks to try and push through to the Volga River. This did not work very well in the bombed out city.
• ❖ The Red Army responded with night attacks, snipers and close combat.
• ❖ The German attack had ground to a halt by November 1942.
• ❖ The Red Army launched its counter-attack, Operation Uranus, on 19th November. It attacked Nazi Germany's allies in the north and the south of the city, causing them to collapse.
• ❖ General von Paulus, the commander of the Sixth Army, surrendered to the Soviets on 31st January, 1943.

How did the Soviets respond at the Battle of Stalingrad?

The Soviets responded in the following 4 main ways:

• ❖ The Red Army used a tactic called 'fighting retreat'.
• ❖ This is a planned retreat, where a force can still fight while falling back to a more pragmatic position.
• ❖ This put a strain on supply lines to the German Army.
• ❖ Stalin forbade an evacuation of Stalingrad to prevent the Germans from taking it over.

How did the Germans react to the Battle of Stalingrad?

There were 2 main reactions of the German Army:

• ❖ The Germans were surprised by how the Soviets fought back, as they had never faced such determined resistance.
• ❖ The Germans were not prepared for either the strength of the Soviet forces or the harshness of the winter.

Why was the Battle of Stalingrad significant?

The Battle of Stalingrad was significant for 5 main reasons:

• ❖ It massively boosted the morale of the USSR and Stalin's reputation because it was Nazi Germany's first major defeat in Europe.
• ❖ It was a turning point because after the battle the German Army slowly retreated back to Germany.
• ❖ Nazi Germany lost a large number of soliders and a vast amount of equipment. Approximately 500,000 soldiers were either killed, injured or captured.
• ❖ It shattered the Sixth Army, which was an elite part of the German Army.
• ❖ The human cost to the Soviet Union was horrific with 500,000 soldiers lost and around 800,000 civilians dead from starvation, the cold or bombs.