The Battle of Stalingrad In the fall of 1942, the Battle of Stalingrad was a turning point for the Russians in World War II. World War II was a war almost lost to the Germans. Hitler’s campaign in the east was turning out to be a success. He was moving at incredible speeds for his time. However, Hitler’s army was running out of oil and he originally planned to split his army in two with one group advancing south to capture Russian oilfields, and the other attacking Stalingrad. Hitler changed his mind and diverted all troops to Stalingrad for the city’s strategic industrial resources, and also for personal reasons (he loathed Stalin and the city named after him). This would be a costly mistake for Hitler in the upcoming battle. This battle
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The Russians saw that the Germans were ill prepared for the winter so they conducted several counter attacks from November 1942 to February of 1943. The Russians found another weakness in the German assault. The Italian, Hungarian, and Romanian armies were ordered to protect the German flanks. They were ill equipped with most lacking anti-tank weapons. The Russians began Operation Uranus which targeted the weak flanks. The final part of the battle was German defeat. In Russia, the winter sets in faster than it does in the U.S. and is much harsher. The Germans were not prepared for the winter and made the fighting tough for them. They also started to loose oil and run out of supplies. This allowed the Russians to completely demolish their flanks and surround them completely. Hitler ordered that they stand their ground or they be shot. The Germans requested aid but none came. Finally the general of the German Army was forced to surrender to the overwhelming Russians. These four stages decided the outcome of the battle. This battle would be a major turning point for the Russians. They would no longer defending their homeland but on the offense. Even Hitler admitted defeat saying, “The god of war has gone to the other
The Russians saw that the Germans were ill prepared for the winter so they conducted several counter attacks from November 1942 to February of 1943. The Russians found another weakness in the German assault. The Italian, Hungarian, and Romanian armies were ordered to protect the German flanks. They were ill equipped with most lacking anti-tank weapons. The Russians began Operation Uranus which targeted the weak flanks. The final part of the battle was German defeat. In Russia, the winter sets in faster than it does in the U.S. and is much harsher. The Germans were not prepared for the winter and made the fighting tough for them. They also started to loose oil and run out of supplies. This allowed the Russians to completely demolish their flanks and surround them completely. Hitler ordered that they stand their ground or they be shot. The Germans requested aid but none came. Finally the general of the German Army was forced to surrender to the overwhelming Russians. These four stages decided the outcome of the battle. This battle would be a major turning point for the Russians. They would no longer defending their homeland but on the offense. Even Hitler admitted defeat saying, “The god of war has gone to the other