Transcript Battle of Stalingrad

Battle of Stalingrad
August 19, 1942- February 2, 1943
Battle of Stalingrad in action
Location of the Battle of
Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad took place in and around the Russian city
from August of 1942 to February of 1943.
What is the Battle of Stalingrad?
The Battle of Stalingrad was
considered the turning point in
World War Two in Europe and is
considered one of the bloodiest
battles in human history. It was a
battle between Germany and its
allies and the Soviet Union for the
Soviet city of Stalingrad that took
place between August 21, 1942
to February 2, 1943. When the
German advanced into the
Soviet territory they were halted
by the severe resistance of the
Red Army.
Why did Hitler choose Stalingrad to
attack?
The capture of Stalingrad was important
to Hitler for two primary reasons. Firstly, it was
a major industrial city on the Volga River— a
vital transport route between the Caspian
Sea and Northern Russia. Secondly, its
capture would secure the left flank of the
German armies as they advanced into the
oil-rich Caucasus region — with a goal of
cutting off fuel to Stalin's war machine.
What happened at the Battle of
Stalingrad and how did it start?
At the Battle Of Stalingrad on August 23, 1942 at
around six P.M., one thousand airplanes began to drop
bombs on Stalingrad. Against the advice of his generals
Hitler attacked Stalingrad. The German forces took
much of the city. German armies surrounded the city
and so the Russians were trapped and would remain so
for several months. When reinforcements arrived for the
Soviets they surrounded the Germans and forced them
to surrender. The Germans side lost around 300,000 and
the Russian side lost around 500,000. Russian soldiers
were very proud of their victory.
What happened at The Battle of
Stalingrad continued..
The Luftwaffe went on nightly bombing
raids that set much of the city ablaze and
reduced the rest to rubble. On November
19, Soviet troops outside the city launched
a counterattack, trapping the Germans
inside Stalingrad.
Soldiers fighting in the Battle of
Stalingrad
What happened at the end of
The Battle of Stalingrad?
At the end of the battle, the city of
Stalingrad was 99% destroyed. By the end of
1943, more than two-thirds of what the
Germans occupied was recovered by the
advancing Red Army. Eventually, the
Soviets succeeded in defeating the entire
German Army in the Eastern Front, which
would have failed if the Nazis had reached
the Caucasus and controlled the Caspian
oil wells. The Battle of Stalingrad was then
known as one of the bloodiest battles.
Adolf Hitler
•Adolf Hitler was the leader of Nazi Germany.
He was born April 20, 1889.
•Many historians believe that Hitler ordered the
taking of Stalingrad simply because of his hatred
toward Joseph Stalin.
•The tables were turned when Hitler set in
motion one of the bitterest conflicts of the
20th century - the Battle of Stalingrad.
Joseph Stalin
•He adopted the name Stalin which translated as
“Man of Steel.” His surname was Djugashvili.
•Joseph Stalin was the leader of Russia when Hitler
was in power. The city of Stalingrad was named after
Joseph Stalin. Some believe that Adolf Hitler chose
Stalingrad to attack just because of his hatred
toward Joseph Stalin.
•He lead Russia throughout World War Two and up
to his death in 1953.
Georgy Zhukov
Georgy Zhukov was the
most successful Russian
general in World War
Two. He was born 1896
and served as an officer
in the Russian Imperial
Army during World War
One.
In 1940, he was
appointed chief of
staff by Joseph Stalin.
He accomplished many
victories assigned for
him to do including the
Battle of Stalingrad.
Message from Hitler to generals in
meeting on February 1, 1943
He'll be brought to Moscow - and imagine that rat-trap there. There he
will sign anything. He'll make confessions, make proclamations you'll see. They will now walk down the slope of spiritual bankruptcy
to its lowest depths. You'll see - it won't be a week before Seydlitz and
Schmidt and even Paulus are talking over the radio.
They are going to be put into the Liublanka, and there the rats will eat
them. How can they be so cowardly? I don't understand it. What is
life? Life is the Nation. The individual must die anyway. Beyond the life
of the individual is the Nation. But how can anyone be afraid of this
moment of death, with which he can free himself from this misery, if
his duty doesn't chain him to this Vale of Tears.
So many people have to die, and then a man like that besmirches the
heroism of so many others at the last minute. He could have freed
himself from all sorrow and ascended into eternity and national
immortality, but he prefers to go to Moscow!
What hurts me most, personally, is that I still promoted him to fieldmarshal. I wanted to give him this final satisfaction. That's the last
field-marshal I shall appoint in this war.
Primary Source
Timeline
August 25, 1942- The Battle of Stalingrad begins
September 23, 1942- The German advance in
Stalingrad is stopped.
November 19, 1942- Russian forces hold Stalingrad
December 19, 1942- The Germans fail to break the
encirclement of their army in Stalingrad
February 2, 1943- German troops at Stalingrad
surrender after three months of extremely intense
fighting
Cites
"World War Two Timeline." Aviation During World War Two. 9 May 2008
<http://www.centuryflight.freeola.com/Aviation%20history/WW2/world_war_2
_timeline.htm>.
"Letters of Melvin Johnson." Battle of Stalingrad. 2006. 9 May 2008
<http://www.privateletters.net/stalingrad.html>.
"Battle of Stalingrad." BBC News. 2 Feb. 1998. 12 May 2008
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/background/52495.stm>.
"Battle of Stalingrad." Wikipedia. 13 May 2008
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Stalingrad>.
"Battle of Stalingrad WW2." 13 May 2008 <http://www.battlefleet.com/pw/his/stalingrad.htm>.