Secrets of Stalingrad by Hayden, Jim
The German invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941 was the largest troop offensive in military history. The Battle of Stalingrad saw over two million soldiers fighting for two hundred days in the most nightmarish conditions imaginable. The true story of the Battle of Stalingrad has remainded schrouded in mystery. Until now, our understanding of this crucial battle has been based on German materials and on Stalins own censored version of the battle. It is only since the collapse of the Soviet Union that it has been possible to dig into Russian archives and uncover the truth.
Historic Relevance
The battle of Stalingrad was a major battle of World War two in which Nazi Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad (now Volgograd) in southwestern Russia. The battle took place between 17 July 1942 and 2 February 1943 and was among the largest on the Eastern Front. The offensive started with Operation Barbarossa, and with its success Operation Blau was started. Initially the German offensive was very successfull but the Soviet resistance in Stalingrad called Operation Uranus appeared to be too tough for the German troops.