Battle of Stalingrad

• The Battle of Stalingrad: August 1942 to January 1943


  Reasons for battle:

  • Question of national survival for Soviets
  • Germans hoped for quick victory but instead faced a war of attrition, so they needed oil.
  • Stalingrad was an industrial area so getting to it meant access to oil.
• The German advance to Stalingrad was initially successful, and so Germans had high confidence.

  The ruined city provided excellent territory for Soviet snipers

  • One sniper killed 225 enemies in this battle alone
• November - German advance stopped

  • Operation Uranus - counter attack: Secret army of 1 million men.
  • Collapse of German army: surrendered on 31 January 1943.
• Significance of Stalingrad


  Half a million soviet soldiers died in total - cities bombed out also

  Germany's first ever great defeat - proved that they were not 'unbeatable'

  Key turning point in the war.
• Stalingrad was also labelled a "Hero City" in 1945