Battle of Stalingrad was one of the most important events of the XX century.As a result, it lost 16% of the Wehrmacht personnel and a huge amount of military equipment.After this battle throughout the world, it became clear that Hitler did not win the war, but its collapse - it is only a matter of time.
Today, however, some historians argue that the Red Army's victory could lead to the complete defeat of Nazism in 1943, and they have a good reason for this.
Battle of Stalingrad became the verge of collapse which began Hitlerism.It can be divided into two stages: defensive and offensive.Since mid-July 1942 to November 18, the troops of General Weiss, commander of Army Group "B", attacked the Stalingrad front.The enemy had some superiority in manpower and equipment, and within a month he was able to oust the position of defenders of the city.At this point, namely July 31, Hitler made a strategic error that could lead to a complete Wehrmacht military defeat.He broke the fourth Panzer Army from the Caucasus to the Volga direction in the hope of extra effort to break the resistance.
German command felt that a battle for Stalingrad is about to be completed successfully.The city was able to break into, and even capture it most.After a massive bombing attacks and persistent semicircle advancing its edges boils down to the river.Ministry of Propaganda Goebbels boasted that the tankers 4th Army poured into the radiators of the cars Volga water, and it was true.Defenders of the city have been unable to land supply and delivery of ammunition, medicines and food on the water was extremely difficult.
In the heat of triumphant reports only some military experts drew attention to the fact that the battle for Stalingrad took positional, and the German 6th Army lost its room for maneuver, bogged down in street fighting among the ruins of houses.Her forces were scattered in the tens and hundreds of destinations.The huge loss of life, which bore the Wehrmacht in the course of hundreds of attacks depleted offensive potential.
At this point, the Soviet General Staff developed a plan under which the army of Paulus was to be surrounded and destroyed, and the subsequent impact on the Rostov entire Caucasian group also cut off and blocked, which would mean the complete collapse of the German war machine.In the strategically important region were up reserves, forces of the parties in the millions categories, and the odds were already on the Soviet side.To implement this ambitious plan should apply counter-attacks by the Don Front Rokossovsky and Southwestern Front Vatutin.The main part of the plan was a battle for Stalingrad.Date of November 19 was the beginning of an offensive to encircle the German 6th Army.
contributed to the success of the weather conditions (frost, combined with a small amount of snow), the next strategic mistakes Hitler forbade Paulus to retreat, weak fighting qualities of the Romanian and Italian soldiers of Germany's allies, defending the flanks.The station Kalach November 23 countered the Southwestern and Don fronts closed the encirclement.Gotta Panzer Army, tried to break the blockade, "has suffered the embarrassment."
Soviet offensive on the growth did not take place due to persistent and prolonged resistance surrounded by German troops.The soldiers of the Wehrmacht, and there were more than 300 thousand, fought a hopeless position until February 1943, supplied with only the air.In order to avoid huge losses the Red Army stormed the city, limited to shelling and bombs.Seven of the Soviet Army held in German encirclement, preventing escape from there.
stubborn resistance Paulus helped the German command to save and withdraw troops from the Caucasus group, without which further fighting would be doomed to an early defeat.
History does not tolerate the subjunctive mood.That would have been if Paulus surrendered earlier today can only make a bold assumption.The facts say that the battle of Stalingrad became so abroad, after which the Soviet people and their allies to victory is no longer questioned.
