Battle Of Stalingrad Research Paper

The Beginning of the End for Hitler When discussing the unprecedented victory of the Soviet Union and its allies over Nazi Germany during the Second World War, the focus must be on the juncture that was the Battle of Stalingrad. This historic battle halted the advancement of Nazi Germany into the Soviet Union and ultimately helped turn the tide against Hitler’s grand ambitions for world domination. Before we examine this turning point, one must look at the dire circumstances the Soviet Union and its leaders found themselves in as Hitler’s forces attempted to create “living space” for the German population. On June 22, 1941, German forces launched a surprise attack on the Soviet Union in an attempt to “destroy the Russian people as a nationality, along with their culture.” This caught the Soviet military and its leaders off guard and they quickly found themselves in a fierce struggle to defend their homeland. As German forces came within 25 kilometers of the capital of Russia, it seemed as if Hitler’s gamble would come to fruition. However, due to the mobilization and sacrifice of millions of Soviet lives, the capital city held up and Soviet military leaders were able to focus their attention elsewhere, most noticeably the city of Stalingrad. …show more content…
The monumental battle lasted hundreds of days and ended with the defeat of the German forces. One of the reasons why the Soviets were victorious in this battle of attrition was due to Stalin’s disregard for human life and the Soviet military’s use of penalty battalions which issued the Order #227, declaring, “Not a single step backward!” The Soviet troops were ordered to defend their homeland at any cost or be executed as traitors. The Red Army’s resiliency and “next man up” motto contributed significantly to the Soviet victory in the Battle of