Hitler launched a disastrous attack on the city of Stalingrad in September 1942, hoping to capture it before winter set in. However, Hitler refused to allow troops to retreat or surrender, even as they became surrounded, under-supplied, and suffered heavy losses from the bitter cold and fierce Soviet resistance. By February 1943, over 290,000 German troops had been trapped and killed or forced to surrender, marking a major defeat that halted the German advance into Russia.

1. Hitler attacks Stalingrad
“I saw then that Hitler had lost touch with reality. He lived
in a fantasy world of maps and flags.”

2. Hitler Strikes EastHitler Strikes East
The Battle of StalingradThe Battle of Stalingrad

3.  Operation Barbarossa:
Blitzkrieg invasion of the
Soviet Union
 Barbarossa June 1941
Violation of the Hitler-
Stalin non-aggression pact
 Battle of Stalingrad:
September 1942 – Feb 1943

4. Overview
 Turning point in European war :
– Germany loses battle and entire 6th
Army.
 Hitler unreasonably wanted troops to hold
Stalingrad and dismissed commanders at
will, so few dared to tell him the truth
about conditions and losses.
 Germans too far from supply lines, end up
surrounded by enemy and starved and
froze to death.

5.  Germans advanced quickly at first, but
were unprepared for the Russian winter
and did not have proper winter gear.
 Soviets:
– Fought with penal units
– Had little to ammo
– no radio contact
 Soviets killed 13,000 of their own troops
for deserting and running away.
 However, Germany underestimated the
Soviet will to fight

7.  290,000 Germans trapped behind enemy
lines.
 Urban fighting (far from WW1 trench
warfare)
 Snipers well supplied with ammunition
 No fuel meant no water
 German troops began to starve to death
 Dead bodies not buried
Battle of StalingradBattle of Stalingrad

8. Casualties
German’s 91,000 POWs
 Soviets suffered 1.1 million
casualties including civilians
–485,751 were deaths
Battle of StalingradBattle of Stalingrad