| Operation Barbarossa While the Americans and English fought in North Africa, the Soviets were dying in the east. After attacking the Soviet Union in July1 941, the Nazis had employed their blitzkrieg against the Red Army to devastating effect, forcing the Soviets to fall back. Stalin evacuated vital factories to cities behind the Ural Mountains, while Soviet troops left nothing behind for the Nazis—a “scorched earth” policy.  Hitler planned a new offensive against the Soviets in the summer of 1942. Two German army groups would advance across the Don River, and then close in a vice around the city of Stalingrad on the Volga River. Then, the army could sweep southward and capture the vital Caucasus oil fields at Grozny and Maikop. Everything went according to plan—until the Germans advanced beyond their supply lines. Without gasoline to fuel the panzers, the German offensive temporarily ground to a halt. This gave the Red Army time to regroup and prepare to defend Stalingrad. |
| Siege of Stalingrad The Soviet leaders determined to hold Stalingrad at all costs. Pounded to rubble by incendiary bombs of the Luftwaffe, the Soviet defenders and inhabitants lived in cellars like rats. As winter closed in, the Soviets turned the tide by using the rubble to their advantage—they employed snipers in a guerilla war, making it unsafe for Germans to exist comfortably even in areas of the city under their control.  On November 19, the Soviets launched their counterattack, punching through the German lines north of the city and linking up with reinforcements. By November 30, the Soviets had retaken almost 10,000 square miles and squeezed 250,000 Germans into a tiny pocket west of Stalingrad. Unable to obtain supplies, the German commander, General Paulus, asked Hitler to let him surrender. Instead, Hitler promoted him to Field Marshal—on the premise that no German of that rank had ever surrendered—and then ordered Paulus to fight to the death.  Encircled by the Red Army and
with his men starving, Paulus surrendered his army on January 31,
1943. The Soviets took 91,000 Germans and 60,000 Italians
prisoner. (Half would die in temporary camps, and many more would
perish in labor camps in Siberia.) It was the largest German
surrender of the war. By February 2, the last shot had been fired
in
the 126-day siege of Stalingrad.No one will ever know the cost of Stalingrad. Ninety-nine per cent of the city lay in ashes—41,000 homes, 300 factories, 113 hospitals and schools. The human casualties—dead, wounded,missing, and taken prisoner—could only be estimated: 300,000 Germans, 200,000 Rumanians, 130,000 Italians, 120,000 Hungarians. The Soviet forces lost approximately 750,000 men. Stalingrad was the turning point of the war for Germany. From this point forwards, the Germans would no longer advance but retreat. |
[WWII in Europe: III] [WWII in Europe: V]