Battle of STALINGRAD: causes and consequences
The big changes in wars They can happen for any number of reasons, from a nation's change of side to an atmospheric crisis. But, without a doubt, one of the most relevant changes in any conflict are the great battles, being moments in which a victory can define the war. To talk about one of the main battles in the history of the Second World War In this lesson from a TEACHER we should talk about Battle of Stalingrad: causes and consequences.
All battles arise from a series of causes and antecedents that start the confrontation and that can be more or less numerous. For all this, we must list the many causes that led to this battle so vital to the history of the Second World War, being these Causes the following:
- At the start of World War II, both Germany like the USSR were feared, being by number of soldiers and strategic position very dangerous for the interests of each nation.
- The USSR and Germany reached an agreement in the so-called Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, according to which both nations they would not face during World War II and therefore both were able to pursue their interests without the intervention of the other nation.
- After obtaining key states for his victory in the war, Hitler changed his mind on his alliance with Russia, since he considered the Slavs as a people who should disappear.
- The summer of 1941 Hitler started the Operation Barbarossa to attack the Russian nation, breaking the alliance and starting a dangerous conflict.
- The arrival of the cold it made the Germans unable to achieve great victories against the Russians, failing in great battles like the one in Moscow.
- To try to end the war, the Germans started the Operation Blue, in his quest to strike a heavy blow against the city of Stalingrad.
The battle of Stalingrad It began when, after fleeing the Battle of Moscow, the germans regroup to start the attack on the city of Stalingrad thought that it was the best place to start a new attack. The Germans were located in the Caucasus area, being a key re-supply place due to the amount of oil in the area and how important this resource was for the war.
In this situation, Hitler again planned a lightning attack, being a resource that had given him great victories such as that of France. The lightning attack was against the Russian city of Stalingrad and it was called Operation Blue and Hitler's idea was that a victory in this region would turn the war in his favor.
The call battle of Stalingrad took place between August 1942 and February 1943, being considered as one of the great battles of World War II and one of the events in those that more soldiers lost their lives, and as we can see by its duration it did not have any attack flash of lightning.
The decline of the battle
The idea of the attack that had worked in France it was a failure and the Germans had to start a guerrilla confrontation going house to house, being more of an improvised attack than something that was really thought and meditated.
The battle of Stalingrad it was lengthening and the Russian reinforcements were increasing, since the idea of the blitzkrieg was that the Russians could not receive help, but as the war dragged on in time there came a time when the Russians had almost a million mens. But even in this situation in which everything seemed lost, Hitler ordered his troops to endure the attack of the USSR in the city and wait for the German reinforcements, which had to come from far away, this time being guilty of the death of thousands of germans
The cold was key again for the Russians to gain positions, which together with the delayed arrival of the Germans made the German general von Paulus surrendered, thus ending one of the key battles of World War II and initiating the counterattack against the Germans.
Image: War History
To finish this review of the consequences of the Battle of Stalingrad, we must talk about the main consequences which had the end of this battle for World War II and for both powers. The main consequences were the following:
- The victory of the USSR caused a turning point in the war, being this battle the one that is considered that finished with the German dominion and began the counterattack of the allied forces.
- As revenge against the German attack, the USSR joined to side of the Allies, initiating an attack against the German-dominated states and gradually approaching German soil.
- The USSR played an important role in subsequent years alongside the Allies, not only in battles, but also as a signatory to some of the main peace treaties at the end of the war.
- In the battle took place the defeat from one of the greats german armies, causing Hitler to have to move many troops between his bases throughout Europe due to the heavy blow that was all of it.
- Germans they lost thousands of lives, being possibly the most painful battle in that aspect in all the war.
- Germany had to go backwards from Russia and towards her nation, ending in her capital where I would lose the war.