The Battle of Stalingrad
Turning Point of WWII
Losses
1,400,000
1,200,000
1,000,000
800,000
Germany
Soviet Union
600,000
400,000
200,000
0
Losses
Basic Information
• The Battle started on September 3rd 1942
and ended on January 31st 1943
• Nazi Germany vs Soviet Union
Issues
• Strategic/Tactical (Military)
• Political
• Importance to Today (Relevance)
Strategic/Tactical (Military)
• Why Stalingrad?
• Strategic Mistake?
• Paulus vs Zhukov
• The Luftflottle
Strategic/Tactical (Military)
• Soviet Tactical
Success
• Axis Satellite Troops
• General Winter
• Lack of Food and
Ammunition
• Defensive Tactics
• Surrender
Political
• Nazism vs Communism
• Hitler vs Stalin
• Orders from the VERY top
Importance to Today (Relevance)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Rise of the Eastern Block & NATO
United Nations
Cold War
Military Spending
Fall of Communism
Economic Aid
One World Government?
Punitive Taxation?
Lecture Notes
• Paulus commands the • Soviets surround from
6th German Army
north and south, and
then push back to
• Satellite troops include
Stalin grad from the
Roumanian, Italian,
west
and Hungarian
Lecture Notes (cont.)
• 80% of the city
captured
• Victory illusory
• Stalin grad's
recourses?
• Yes, but not compared
to Baku’s.
• Strength needed to
hold on to positions in
Army Group North,
Army Group South,
and Army Group A.
Lecture Notes (cont.)
• Strategic Mistake
because a complete
conquest of the
Caucus would have
secured the southern
border, and prevented
any Soviet flanking
there
• The Uranus reserves
were heavy all over
the Caucus mts also,
conquest was not
certain there, either.
• Although more likely
Lecture Notes (cont.)
• Goering’s promise of
enough air support
being brought in.
• Hitler’s refusal to give
any ground.
• Tactical impossibility
of surrounded defense
in enemy territory in
winter.
• Loss of men… one
side irreparable
• The other side… more
of the same.
Lecture Notes (cont.)
• WWII brings stability,
but not a reduction in
arms.
• It is that increase in
military spending that
we are still at
• Conflicting nature of
the UN and
NATO/Eastern Bloc.
• Will the lack of an
opposition lead to oneworld govt.
• UN/NATO expansion
• Int’l Law