What kept Russian morale up during the Battle for Stalingrad?

Question

Knowing the harsh winter, and terrible conditions, it seems amazing they were able to keep on fighting.

Well, yes, I was aware of the commissars, but they slipped my mind. I know the commissars used to shoot retreaters.

Answer 1

The greatest meat product EVER! SPAM! Spam saved the lives of Russian soldiers.

Answer 2

When the battle started,and well into it,Germany was at the peak of its power,it had 325 divisions(USA in 1945 fielded 97..!.) in its order of battle and couldn't care less if some country called USofA was in the war or not.The war would be decided (and it was decided) in the east where 3 million German soldiers plus allies in 243 divisions were deep into Russia.
The capture of Stalingrand by the 6th army was not in the plans of the campaign,since Stalingrant is a big city full of concrete,hardly a place for speedy results by the german armour units wich excelled in the summer campaign;the same
applies for the Luftwaffe which would be ineffectual against a concrete city(see bombing of London) so Stalingrad developed into the greatest and most decisive battle of the war with the best elements of the German army under a unique disadvantage.It developed worse than Verdun inWW1
most times combatants separated by a single wall in battles for a factory that would go on for weeks..germans taking a bulding and the russians coming behind them by using the sewer net-work..the perseverence and bravery of the Russian
soldier was never in doubt;retreat was as dangerous as advance in many parts of the city and the only place for Russian resupply was at the Volga docks constantly on fire.
Allready Stavka was preparing its counterattack on the northern front which crumbled the Romanians and bottled the 6th army and adjacent units into the city.
Stalingrad was the key city for supply and communications in USSR from north to south;its fall would have resulted in the capture of the oilfields in the south by army group Kleist and the inevitable German drive the same winter against Moscow
and its inevitable suurender through lack of supplies and probably the end of the war so the savagery of the battle on both sides was unavoidable...
The surrender of the 6th army in Stalingrad(2/2/43)open wide
gap in the south front that was never replaced and despite Manstein's counterattacks and battles of epic proportions in 1943 which probably elevated him to the finest operational general in WWII,the balance of power was irrevocably tipped
and the Russians who now had decisive superiority started their counteroffensives in all three theatres wich led to the final defeat of Germany.The stories about the Russians were shooting retreaters are wildly exaggerated here and snipers don't decide battles...commissars did some executions but Stalin had already decided the abolition of commissars in the military units.

Answer 3

HOWDY!!! Darth,

The Russian's survived because they disliked the Germans as much as many of our troops did. The Russian's knew that if Hitler won that they would be slaughtered just like the Jews were. I think that they also knew that the Allies were on the other side pushing the Germans back and the Germans could do nothing but surrender or die. The Germans were trapped by the BEAR and THE EAGLE. not much choice for the Germans. I also believe that they knew the War was almost over, just hold on a little longer and it paid off.

STAY SAFE!!!
Bulldog

Answer 4

1.Like someone before me said, Rodina. For the Rodina russian soldiers would give thier last breath.
2. Soviets were used to russian winter, they knew what they were doing there. They knew how to survive the cold, and fight the enemy in it.
3. Russian machine gun work better on retreaters than nazis

Answer 5

They loved their country and hated the Germans. Also, they could get shot if they ran away, which not too many did.

These soldiers were often very very poor peasant stock. A warm uniform, food every day and a submachine gun probably wasn't so bad compared to the horrible life they had before the Army.

And they could become heroes and defenders of their native soil. These are strong motivators.

Answer 6

There is a Russian word: "Rodina". Although many think it just means country, it has a deeper meaning. The best translation is: Holy Motherland. Russians believe that every hectare in their land was personally blessed by God.
The defense of Stalingrad and surviving the lengthy siege of Leningrad had little to do with a love of communism or even Stalin. It had to do with the defense of the Holy Motherland.

Answer 7

A Propaganda
B Lots of political commisars with machine guns to shoot you if you retreated
C The amazing Soviet Sniper Corps especially Vasily Zeitsev

Answer 8

The fact that if they looked back all they would see before they died was the smiling sadistic face of Stalins Commissars.

These politically motivated communist vermin were given the power of life and death over the common soviet soldier and officers for the smallest of imagined slacking off, many were sadists, who in turn would die at the hands of their own comrades.

Answer 9

The Soviet propaganda corps was second to none. The fact that people who retreated were shot on the spot for desertion did not hurt their cause.

Answer 10

The Russian soldiers all had one of two choices...
German bullets or Russian bullets.
Not much of a choice, but it is a motivator.