Battle of Stalingrad

(noun)

A major battle (August 23, 1942 – February 2, 1943) on the Eastern Front of World War II, in which Nazi Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad (now Volgograd) in Southern Russia, on the eastern boundary of Europe.

Related Terms

(noun)

A major and decisive battle of World War II in which Nazi Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad in southwestern Russia.

Related Terms

Examples of Battle of Stalingrad in the following topics:

  • The Battle of Stalingrad

  • Slowing Momentum

    • The Battle of Stalingrad and setbacks in the North Africa Campaign represented a major defeat for the Axis forces.
    • The Battle of Stalingrad and setbacks in the North Africa Campaign represented a major defeat for the Axis forces.
    • The Battle of Stalingrad lasted from July 17, 1942 to February 2, 1943, and was marked by brutality and disregard for military and civilian casualties, which placed it among the bloodiest battles in the history of warfare, with the higher estimates of combined casualties amounting to nearly two million.
    • In Libya,the Afrika Korps (the German expeditionary force in Libya and Tunisia during the North African Campaign) failed to break through the line at First Battle of El Alamein (July 1-27 1942), having suffered repercussions from the Battle of Stalingrad .
    • Assess how the Axis forces were slowed by the Battle of Stalingrad, setbacks in North Africa, the bombings in Germany, the D-Day landings, and Operation Bagration.

  • The Allied Push

    • After the 1943 Battle of Stalingrad and the June 1944 Allied invasion of France, the Allies gradually defeated Germany in Europe while in the Pacific, the United States and the Soviet Union continued to fight Japan until Japanese surrender in August 1945.
    • By mid-November, the Germans had nearly taken Stalingrad when the Soviets began their second winter counter-offensive, starting with an encirclement of German forces at Stalingrad and an assault on the Rzhev salient near Moscow, though the latter failed disastrously.
    • Although Germans continued fighting on the Eastern Front, the Battle of Stalingrad, marked by constant close quarters combat and direct assaults on civilians by air raids, is often regarded as one of the single largest (nearly 2.2 million personnel) and bloodiest (1.7–2 million wounded, killed or captured) battles in the history of warfare.
    • The heavy losses inflicted on the German Wehrmacht make it arguably the most strategically decisive battle of the whole war.
    • In late October, American forces invaded the Filipino island of Leyte; soon after, Allied naval forces scored another large victory in the Battle of Leyte Gulf, one of the largest naval battles in history.

  • War Aims and Strategy

    • Premier Joseph Stalin had declined to attend, citing the ongoing Battle of Stalingrad as requiring his presence in the Soviet Union.
    • One of the critical outcomes was agreement on Operation Overlord (Battle of Normandy) and general war policy.
    • The priority of the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany.
    • Citizens of the Soviet Union and of Yugoslavia were to be handed over to their respective countries, regardless of their consent.
    • The goals of the conference also included the establishment of post-war order, peace treaty issues, and countering the effects of the war.

  • Blitzkrieg

    • The word, meaning "lightning war," is associated with a series of quick and decisive short battles to deliver a knockout blow to an enemy before it can fully mobilize.
    • Despite the term blitzkrieg being coined by journalists during the Invasion of Poland of 1939, historians Matthew Cooper and J.
    • In the summer of 1942, Germany launched another offensive in the southern USSR against Stalingrad and the Caucasus, the Soviets again lost tremendous amounts of territory, only to counter-attack once more during winter.
    • German gains were ultimately limited by Hitler diverting forces from the attack on Stalingrad and driving towards the Caucasus oilfields simultaneously.
    • Many of the German participants who wrote about the operation after the war make no mention of blitzkrieg in their accounts. 

  • The Collapse of Nazi Germany

    • The joined efforts culminated in the final defeat of Germany at the Battle of Berlin.
    • The Battle of Berlin, designated the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation by the Soviet Union, was the final major offensive of the European theater.
    • Before the main battle in Berlin commenced, the Red Army encircled the city after successful battles of the Seelow Heights and Halbe.
    • Before the battle was over, German Führer Adolf Hitler and some of his followers committed suicide.
    • As the situation became desperate with Allied forces in control of most of Italy, and from February 1945 resumed to pushing the Axis forces to North of Gothic Line, Mussolini declared that "he would fight to the last Italian" and spoke of turning Milan into the "Stalingrad of Italy," where Fascism would make its last glorious fight.

  • The European Theater

    • The operations of the Luftwaffe against the Royal Air Force became known as the Battle of Britain (according to British historians: July 10 - October 31, 1940).
    • As the battle progressed, the Luftwaffe also targeted factories involved in World War II aircraft production and strategic infrastructure and, eventually, it employed terror bombing on areas of political significance and civilians.
    • The Eastern Front became the site of some of the largest battles, most horrific atrocities, and highest casualties for Soviets and Germans alike, all of which influenced the course of both World War II and the subsequent history of the 20th century.
    • By mid-November, the Germans had nearly taken Stalingrad when the Soviets began their second winter counter-offensive, starting with an encirclement of German forces at Stalingrad and an assault on the Rzhev salient near Moscow, though the latter failed disastrously.
    • German troops at Stalingrad had been forced to surrender and the front-line had been pushed back beyond its position before the summer offensive.

  • The Battle of Britain

  • The Battle of Midway

  • The Battle of Leyte Gulf

    • The Battle of Leyte Gulf is generally considered the largest naval battle of World War II and possibly the largest naval battle in history.
    • The Battle of Leyte Gulf, also called the Battles for Leyte Gulf, and formerly known as the Second Battle of the Philippine Sea, is generally considered to be the largest naval battle of World War II and, by some criteria, possibly the largest naval battle in history.
    • The Battle of Leyte Gulf consisted of four separate major engagements between the opposing forces: the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea, the Battle of Surigao Strait, the Battle of Cape Engaño, and the Battle of Samar; there were also other lesser actions.
    • Kamikaze strikes were first used by the Japanese in the Battle of Leyte Gulf
    • Identify the notable facts and the four major engagements of the Battle of Leyte Gulf.