What happened in the battle of stalingrad?

Question

I need 3 points for a powerpoint for history

Answer 1

Hitler was obsessed with the idea of capturing the city that had Stalin's name, that he over committed his troops, and supplies to a battle that could not be won.
While he was trying to capture the city, the Russian army surrounded his army, and cut their supply lines off.

Goering assured Hitler that he could resupply the German army, from the air, but this was just rhetoric, and a pipe dream on his part.
The Russians overwhelmed the Germans, and many who did not die in battle, either froze to death, or starved.
It was one of the definitive battles of the war, and helped to decisively turn the tide, and lead to the German defeat.

Answer 2

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 the defeat at Stalingrad 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 in '41, 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.

Answer 3

Between August 1942 and February 1943 the Germans attempted to capture Stalingrad and nearly succeded it was a strategic city on th Volge and its capture would have opened up a vast area of Russia .
The Russians just managed to hang on to a small section on the west bank and by heroic defense fought the Germans to a standstill.
With the coming of winter the initiative shifted to the Russians and they advanced from north and south in a pincer movement that surrounded Von Paulus's Sixth Army.
The only way to supply them was by air and this was unsuccessful due to the bad weather.
By the beginning of Februrary the entire army was forced to surrender and many thousands were made prisoner.
It was the turning point of the war on the Eastern Front and the Germans never recovered from it.

Answer 4

The Battle of Stalingrad was a battle between Germany and its allies and the Soviet Union for the Soviet city of Stalingrad (today known as Volgograd) that took place between August 21, 1942 and February 2, 1943, as part of World War II.

It is often considered the turning point of World War II in the European Theater and was arguably the bloodiest battle in human history, with combined casualties estimated above 1.5 million. The battle was marked by brutality and disregard for military and civilian casualties on both sides. The battle is taken to include the German siege of Stalingrad, the battle inside the city, and the Soviet counter-offensive which eventually trapped and destroyed the German Sixth Army and other Axis forces around the city.

Answer 5

Stalingrad was important since it gave the Russians oil flow. The Germans wanted it so they could have an easy way to get oil for their war effort in invading Russia.

The battle was terrible. Both sides suffered terrible casualties. The Russians fought from building to building as they were driven back, each step of the way cost German lives.

In the end, after months of combat and huge amounts of casualties, the Germans had pushed the last of the Russian defenders into a little area, trapped by a river at their back. At the same time the Russian army was maneuvering to the north and south of Stalingrad and preparing to encircle the Germans.
The Germans saw the Russians coming with only a little time to spare. They ran as fast as they could, but a lot of them still were trapped and captured.

The battle was a success for the Russians, though it cost them a lot of life and the city was rubble. The Russian prevented the Germans from getting the oil they wanted and stopped that offensive.

Answer 6

One other important fact about the battle of Stalingrad is that it was the first time in the war that one of Germany's field marshals surrendered to the enemy. Up until then, none had done so. Hitler, in his way of thinking, felt that if Paulus, the commander of the 6th Army, was promoted to that rank then he would have held on to the last bullet as ordered.

Answer 7

After reading the other answers (adequate and good) I thought I can add a geographical note. In such a war a correct geographic setting becomes important. Stalingrad (Volgograd before & now) is nearly a thousand miles in the north as the bird flies, from Leningrad (St.Petersburg or Petrograd before & now), via Moscow that is about a third of distance from Leningrad. Leningrad is at maritime location, at the head of the Gulf of Finland, a big inlet of the Baltic Sea; between Finland with its ten thousand lakes and Estonia. It has a huge lake Ladoga just behind to east. On 60deg.N Leningrad is not far from the lands of midnight Sun. Stalingrad (48.5deg.N) with inland (continental) location is on River Volga (longest European river), at sea level, three hunderd miles before the river joins Caspian sea. 'Volgodonsk' reservoir by damming River Don is nearby, connected by a shipping canal. On river barges, via such linking canals one can go to Moscow.

Answer 8

The german advance was stalled, more than a million (est ~ 1.5 mil) troops died, the russian counter-offensive trapped and killed or captured a large pocket of german soldiers and generals.
Considered the bloodiest battle in human history. (most fatalities)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_stalingrad