1349 IB WORLD SCHOOL

To what extend the Battle

Of Stalingrad to the final
collapse of the Third Reich.
Piotr Grobelny
2015-05-01

At the end of August 1942 Sixth Army of Marshal Friedrich Paulus fought in the one
of the greatest battles in the Eastern Operation called "Operation Barbarossa". The Hitlers
aim on the Eastern Front was the annihilation of the Red Army and the destruction of the
Soviet economy. Despite the advice of the German staff to strengthen the positions acquired
and prepare for the coming winter, Fuhrer considered Stalingrad, where the peak phase of the
battle fought nearly two million soldiers, for the main purpose, because seizure of this point
was both symbolic and strategic1. In this city were placed important Soviet factories such as
"Barrkikady", "Red October" and the country's largest production line of tractors, which, if
necessary, has been able to produce tanks. The acquisition of the points would have a
devastating effect on the morale of Soviet troops and would accelerate the progress of the
Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front.
German offensive was the first phase of the battle of Stalingrad, which lasted from the
end of the June to the middle of November. The second is Soviet counteroffensive which
ended in February 1943 and resulted in the surrender of General Friedrich Paulus, head of
German Sixth Army2. After the first phase, bursting with many successes of Wehrmacht,
came the Russian winter, which greatly hampered any combat actions and pinned German
army logistic. In a result Soviets gathered their forces and conducted an immediate
counteroffensive, which led to encirclement and destruction of the German Sixth Army. It
caused the reversal of the situation on the Eastern Front, and retaking the initiative by the Red
Army, which eventually led to the defeat and fall of the Third Reich.
The Battle of Stalingrad was of great importance to the final outcome of World War II,
mainly by the symbolic aspect. Russians managed to stop the German blitzkrieg, to defend the
city and carry out an effective counteroffensive that ended in the capture of the capital of the
Reich. With the right dose of propaganda3, the whole event has become the driving force that
pushed the Russian society to a more intense and fierce fight against the aggressor,
strengthened the morale of the Red Army and lifted the spirits of all the people in the hope
that the Germans can be beat. This psychological aspect caused that civilians no longer seen
German soldiers as liberators from the Stalinist tyranny, and the Wehrmacht began to suffer
from guerrilla attacks4 that have been stimulated to attack the German positions by the about
defeat in a challenge with the Soviet army.

1
Stephane Audoin-Rouzeau, Wielkie Bitwy, Hachette Livre Polska, Warszawa, (2008), p. 244
2
Stephane Audoin-Rouzeau, Wielkie Bitwy, Hachette Livre Polska, Warszawa, (2008), p. 244
3
Michael Spilling, Wielkie Bitwy, Parragon Books, (2009), p. 218
4
Christopher Ailsby, Operacja Barbarossa. Niemiecka inwazja na Zwizek Radziecki, 1941, Buchmann,
Warszawa, (2010), p. 161

A very important reason why Germany wanted to get Stalingrad at any price, was an
Hitlers order to destroy the Soviet industry as much as possible. Please keep in mind that the
Soviet factories produced twice as many weapons and ammunition than German ones
dispatching the occasion of fewer natural resources5. Stalingrad has one of the biggest
production line of tractors, which in time of war produced tanks at very high speed of up to a
few vehicles a day. Hitler were the most afraid of the Soviet industrial colossus. He knew that
the Red Army is able to sink his troops in their own blood or oil (which is confirmed by the
ratio of losses on both sides after the Battle of Stalingrad). This caused the seizure and
destruction of these factories was the key task for the Wehrmacht. Suffering defeat by the
German side meant that the Soviet industrial giant was still able to support the Red Army by
providing it with countless quantities of arms and ammunition, which Germans slowly began
to run out.
Despite the fact that the Russian victory at the Battle of Stalingrad was paid for with a
huge expense (about half a million soviet soldiers were) is the diplomatic point of view was
the tangible evidence of an improvement in the Soviet Unions situation in the international
arena. In negotiations with the allies of the USSR could henceforth be in the position of world
power power, Stalin and became a full-fledged ally of Churchill and Roosevelt, allowing him
to more right to speak at conferences in Tehran and Yalta6. Thus he was able to negotiate the
initiate a procurement of supplies of equipment from the Americans and the British, making it
easier for him to carry out operations on the Eastern Front.
In addition, the Wehrmacht defeat at Stalingrad German chances of rapid defeat of the
USSR were shattered, the closure of the Eastern Front and the passing all of his forces to the
west and to Africa in order to help troops fighting on those fronts. Taking the initiative by the
Russians meant that Hitler had to send more of his forces east, making it easier for the Allies
to win in Africa. Nevertheless, the additional German troops in the east, after the Stalingrad
victory, the Red Army was unstoppable and inevitable neared the German border.
Defeat of Marshal Friedrich Paulus at the Battle of Stalingrad was a major
breakthrough and a surprising twist in Operation Barbarossa, both as in the whole World
War II. Counteroffensive carried out by the Red Army reached up to the Berlin, and bound
the majority of the German army by the Allies successfully resulted in "Operation Overlord"
and the opening of a second front in Europe. In this situation, the chances of any victory of
the Third Reich were equal to zero. The need to fight on two fronts significantly reduced the
combat potential of the German forces which ultimately led to a number of Allied victories in
1945 and the collapse of the Third Reich.

5
David Jordan, Dzieje II Wojny wiatowej, Bellona S.A., Warszawa, (2008), p. 77
6

Stephane Audoin-Rouzeau, Wielkie Bitwy, Hachette Livre Polska, Warszawa, (2008), p. 244
3

Bibliography:
1. Chris Bishop, Chris McNab, Kampanie II Wojny wiatowej dzie po dniu,
Wydawnictwo Dragon, Bielsko-Biaa, (2009)
2. Christopher Ailsby, Operacja Barbarossa. Niemiecka inwazja na Zwizek
Radziecki, 1941, Buchmann Sp. z. o. o., Warszawa, (2010)
3. David Jordan, Dzieje II Wojny wiatowej, Bellona S.A., Warszawa, (2008)
4. Michael Spilling, Wielkie Bitwy, Parragon Books, (2009)
5. Stephane Audoin-Rouzeau, Wielkie Bitwy, Hachette Livre Polska, Warszawa,
(2008)