Why Stalingrad Was the Bloodiest Battle of World War II (and Perhaps of All Time)

[rangerrebew]

Why Stalingrad Was the Bloodiest Battle of World War II (and Perhaps of All Time)
[1]
Main Image

No battle was more intense.
Daniel L. Davis [2]

Since July 2012, the world has watched in horror as the once-beautiful [3] and vibrant Syrian city of Aleppo has been transformed into a perpetual battlefield. Those killed in Aleppo, as well as throughout the rest of Syria during the civil war, are reported to be approximately three hundred thousand [4]. During the U.S.-led war in Iraq from 2003–11, one study reported that 405,000 Iraqis were killed [5] as a direct result of combat, and from 2001–15, an additional 91,991 [6] people were killed due to war in Afghanistan, for a three-country total, over a fifteen-year period, of 796,991. As staggering as the death toll in these wars have been, it pales in comparison to what remains the world’s most barbaric city fight, the Battle of Stalingrad, in which an incomprehensible 1.9 million [7] German and Soviet soldiers and civilians are estimated to have been killed in six months.

In June 1941 Hitler ordered a surprise invasion of the Soviet Union, and for most of the next year the German army routed the Soviet troops, capturing thousands of square kilometers of their country in the process. In August 1942 the German VI Army had pushed all the way to the banks of the Volga River, near the industrial heartland of the USSR. Once captured, the Nazis could sever the Volga, and potentially destroy Moscow’s ability to continue fighting. All they had to do was take one more city. Stalingrad.
 
Source URL (retrieved on December 1, 2016): http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-skeptics/why-stalingrad-was-the-bloodiest-battle-all-world-war-ii-18535

[Hondo69]

I've long been a fan of Dan Carlin's Hardcore History podcasts.  He does an excellent job of painting the big picture as well as tossing in thoughtful tidbits throughout.

If you have a strong constitution I highly recommend his Hardcore History – Ghosts of the Ostfront Series.
http://www.dancarlin.com/product/hardcore-history-ghosts-ostfront-series/

Be forewarned, however, it will shake you to the core.

[Hondo69]

As a side note I find it interesting that Stalin refused to believe Hitler would attack Russia.  Both the Americans and British were warning Stalin well in advance of the actual invasion.  They had been intercepting German communications and piecing together Hitler's plans long before the Enigma code was cracked.  The secret intelligence network was 100% convinced of Hitler's plans, but Stalin would have none of it.

On one hand it is easy to understand Stalin's viewpoint.  A two-front war would be suicidal for Germany, and even if they did invade Russia the winter weather would eventually present at least as big a foe as Russian manpower (and woman power too.)  Only a crazy fanatic would attempt such a foolish foray.

But Roosevelt and Churchill had irrefutable intelligence that left no doubt an invasion was imminent.  The exact timing was the only doubt.  The two leaders correctly calculated that Hitler would first step into Yugoslavia and then onto Russia.  The best they could hope for was a plan to marshal enough resistance forces in Yugoslavia to slow Hitler down.  By doing so it would upset Hitler's timetable, delaying the Russian invasion by several months.

Their plan worked.  Operating behind the scenes, Roosevelt and Churchill utilized a network of spies to slow the Nazis at every turn.  Hitler was furious and ordered mass executions throughout Yugoslavia.  Yet he did not alter his plans even though it became obvious Operation Barbarossa would now bleed into the winter months in Russia.

The stakes were high on all sides.  Churchill was hoping to buy Britain precious time.  Roosevelt was hoping he would not be impeached for violating U.S. neutrality laws.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

As a side note I find it interesting that Stalin refused to believe Hitler would attack Russia.

Perhaps Stalin was a student of history and read what an utter failure Napoleon's march on Russia was?

[Lando Lincoln]

For later.  Thanks for posting and the links.

[Cripplecreek]

I loved the scene in Enemy At The Gates where the Russians were handing out weapons.

They gave the first man in line a loaded rifle and the next man a full magazine. They told the second man "When the rifleman falls you pick up the gun and keep moving forward.

It was basically the extent of their training. Vasily Zaytsev had years of experience with a rifle and that's what made him an effective sniper.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

I loved the scene in Enemy At The Gates where the Russians were handing out weapons.

They gave the first man in line a loaded rifle and the next man a full magazine. They told the second man "When the rifleman falls you pick up the gun and keep moving forward.

It was basically the extent of their training. Vasily Zaytsev had years of experience with a rifle and that's what made him an effective sniper.

Just saw the movie last night.  What a thriller.  Somber reminder of the horrors of WWII.

Was Nikita really a leader in that seige?

[dfwgator]

Just saw the movie last night.  What a thriller.  Somber reminder of the horrors of WWII.

Was Nikita really a leader in that seige?

Khrushchev was at Stalingrad, more as Stalin's liaison,  but his role was fairly minor, other than going around and inspecting troops and reporting back to Stalin what was going on.