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please and thank you?

2007-04-11 06:18:13 · 3 answers · asked by Tete 1 in Politics & Government Military

3 answers

Stalingrad was only significant if the Germans lost, which they did. The Soviets destroyed the 6th Army, which, in turn, forced the other half of Army Group South (engaged in capturing the Caucasus and Baku oil fields) to withdraw to the north-west to regroup and form a new defensinve line. The failure to capture the oil fields cut off the Axis powers from any hope of finding a large enough fuel source to continue an effective war, essentially sealing their fate with that of the 6th Army.

If the Soviets lost, the war was not lost as they had plenty of room to retreat further into the hinterland. Their resources in manpower, tanks, war factories, etc., meant they would've enventually won the war by sheer weight of numbers.

From that point onward the Germans lost the strategic offensive. The outcome of the war was still up for grabs after the defeat at the gates of Moscow, but after Stalingrad, it was all but over. The localized battles at Kursk, D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge were fought when the outcome was no longer in doubt. The loss of the Sixth Army, men and material, was something the Wehrmact never recovered from.

In scope, the Battle of the Bulge did not compare to Stalingrad, not in the number of deaths (38,000 to 1.8 million) or significance. Prior to Stalingrad, the outcome of the war was still in doubt. Prior to the Bulge, there was no question as to the outcome, all it did was waste Germany's last reserves that could've been used to stem the Red Army tide in the east; instead it accelerated their end.

2007-04-11 09:28:37 · answer #1 · answered by Its not me Its u 7 · 0 0

Battle of Stalingrad: German and Romanian armies tried crossing the Volga river at the riverside city of stalingrad to capture russian oil fields and force the red army into an all or nothing fight. Russian anticipated move, laid trap and enveloped the German army in Stalingrad and forced the whole army to surrender. A turning point in WW2.
Battle of Bulge. British and American forces were advancing toward Germany through Belgium and France. Germans launced a desperate counter-offensive to try to push them back. The thrust of this offensive caused the allied lines to 'bulge' from part of the line being pushed back. The germans ran out of fuel however, and were forced to abandom the offensive securing allied victory.

2007-04-11 06:34:40 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

This:

http://www.stalingrad.net/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Bulge

2007-04-11 11:57:17 · answer #3 · answered by S c a l p e r 3 · 0 0

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