The most remembered by experts is the Battle of Stalingrad, fought between 1942 and 1943 in this Russian city – now renamed Volgograd. “In absolute numbers killed, wounded and missing, it was the bloodiest of all, with around 2 million casualties, including civilians,” says Dutch military historian Hans Wijers, author of several books on the subject. The sea of blood took place during World War II (1939-1945) and began on August 21, 1942, when German troops began the attack on Stalingrad – a strategic city for the conquest of the then Soviet Union. The Nazis reached the city center by the end of October, but faced fierce resistance, having to fight for every house in the area.
The effort exhausted the troops and brought the offensive to a halt, but Adolf Hitler, the Nazi leader, ordered the attacks to continue despite the onset of winter. The Soviets took advantage of the blizzards to counterattack, and in late November they surrounded enemy forces at Stalingrad. New German troops tried to break out of the encirclement, but were repulsed by the Soviets. Hitler refused to surrender in the city, but with German soldiers without ammunition and supplies, the Soviets achieved victory on February 2, 1943, imprisoning thousands of enemies. “The destruction of the Nazi Sixth Army at Stalingrad represented the turning point of World War II in Europe,” says Hans Wijers.
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Horror in World War II
Germans had to eat rats and more than 1 million Soviets died in Stalingrad
strategic point
The city’s main factories were on the banks of the Volga River, which turned the area into the scene of bloody fighting, involving tanks and infantry troops. Deposits of oil and other combustible materials exploded, sending thick columns of smoke that lingered over Stalingrad for weeks.
Despair Diet
As the battle dragged on, Nazi troops who were surrounded by the Soviets faced severe supply problems. There was a lack of medicine, ammunition and food. To face starvation, many Germans were forced to eat horses, rats or anything they could find in the rubble of the city.
resistance heroes
The Soviet forces that fought in the city and eventually surrounded the Germans included not only regular soldiers but also hastily mustered civilians and women who had volunteered. It is estimated that around 1.1 million Soviets died in the campaign to defend Stalingrad.
infernal bombardment
In the first days of the struggle to conquer the city, bombs dropped by German planes killed around 40,000 civilians. The Nazi air force attacks reached up to 2,000 raids in a single day and completely destroyed the wooden houses on the outskirts. Only the skeletons of the masonry buildings were left standing.
summary judgment
Nazi troops hanged and shot a large number of civilians who were taken prisoner, including women and children, on charges of spying for the enemy. Soviet soldiers, in turn, also executed many compatriots, suspected of cowardice, desertion or collaboration with the invaders.
throwing panic
As the fighting was fought house to house, Soviet and Nazi snipers came into action. They prevented any movement through the streets, which made it difficult to care for the wounded. Snipers did not want to conquer military objectives, but to terrify the enemy. Caused many casualties among soldiers and the civilian population