The liberation of Stalingrad is a large-scale military operation of the Soviet troops in order to rescue the city from a large strategic German group. It must be said that the battle of Stalingrad is considered the largest land battle in the history of all mankind.
Causes of the Battle of Stalingrad
April 20, 1942 ended the fierce battle for the capital - Moscow. Initially, it seemed that the German troops were simply unstoppable, and it was impossible to beat them. However, the Soviet troops managed not only to defeat the enemy, but also to push him back 150-300 km from the capital of the Soviet Union. The enemy suffered considerable losses, but was still strong, but even this did not help him simultaneously advance on all sectors of the Soviet-German front.
It must be said that the Nazis developed the Blue Plan. Their goal was to conquer the oil fields of Grozny, as well as Baku, followed by an attack on Persia. It must be said that the Soviet command did not sit idly by. They were going to conduct an offensive in the zone of the Bryansk, South-Western and Southern fronts. It is important that the Sovietthe troops were the first to strike at the Germans and were able to push them back to Kharkov. However, the Germans managed to defeat the Red Army and reach the Don.
Mistake for Hitler in Blue Plan
It is important that it was at this moment that Hitler did something irreparable for the whole of Germany. He decided to amend the "Blue Option", according to which the Army Group "South" was divided into 2 parts. He believed that the first group "A" should have continued the offensive in the Caucasus, while the group "B" should have attacked and captured Stalingrad.
This city was very important for Hitler, because Stalingrad was a major industrial center. However, there was another reason: the capture of Stalingrad was symbolic for him, because the city was called the name of the main enemy of the Third Reich. The capture of Stalingrad would have been a huge achievement for Hitler.
The liberation of Stalingrad was a joyful event that has not been forgotten and will never be forgotten. The courage and bravery of the Red Army soldiers are worthy of respect, because they defended their native land and were never ready to give it into the hands of the enemy.
The superiority of the Nazis over the Red Army
It must be said that the number of German troops many times exceeded the number of Red Army soldiers. The Nazis numbered 270,000 soldiers, while the number of Soviet troops was only 160,000. There were also much fewer guns and military equipment than the enemy. WithWith such an unequal number of soldiers and equipment, the Red Army was forced to defend Stalingrad. It is important that another problem was the steppe terrain, because the enemy tanks could operate here in full force.
The attack on Stalingrad. First stage
On July 17, 1942, the Nazi offensive against Stalingrad began. By July 22, the German troops managed to push the Red Army almost 70 km. The German command expected to take the city at lightning speed, as a result of which they decided to create two strike groups that attacked from the south and north.
On July 23, the northern group struck and was able to break through the front of the defense of the Soviet troops. Already on July 26, the Nazis reached the Don. The command organized a counterattack.
On the territory of Kalach, the villages of Trekhostrovskaya and Kachalinskaya, fierce battles lasted until August 7-8. The Soviet troops only managed to release the Nazis, but there was no talk of defeating them. The level of preparation and errors in coordination of actions affected the course of hostilities.
August 30 Offensive
The Soviet command ordered to strike at the German army in the area of the village of Nizhne-Chirskaya no later than August 30th. The combat capabilities of the Red Army suffered because of the entry into battle on the move, but they still managed to push the Nazis and even create a threat to their environment. But the German army still managed to help their group. They brought in fresh troops, after which the fighting near Stalingrad became even fiercer.
The liberation of Stalingrad is a battle that is rightfully considered the largest of the land battles. For all the time she claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, many tears of mothers, daughters and wives were shed because of her. The courage of the Soviet army will forever remain in the hearts of everyone.
On August 16, Soviet troops retreated beyond the Don, and on August 23, the Nazis reached the Volga.
Fighting for Stalingrad in the city
Later, on September 5, and then on September 18, the Red Army was able to weaken the onslaught of the German troops thanks to two major operations.
From September 13, fighting began in the city, which lasted until November 19. Then the Soviet troops launched a counteroffensive.
The battle for the station was the fiercest, as it changed hands several times on September 17.
Fierce fighting continued from September 27 to October 4. It was during this period that the battles that everyone knows about lasted. They cause a storm of emotions and experiences even in a person with strong nerves. After such battles, the German troops began to run out of steam.
The operation to liberate Stalingrad will not leave anyone indifferent. The fortitude and courage of the Soviet troops makes them admire.
Operation Uranus
On November 19, the Red Army launched an offensive operation called "Uranus".
On December 12, Operation Winter Storm began. After it, the Germans returned to their initial positions, their forces were exhausted, and the army suffered hugelosses.
On January 10, 1943, Operation Ring began, which was the final one. The German troops resisted to the last, and from January 17 to January 22 they managed to stop the Red Army.
1943 - the year of the liberation of Stalingrad. On February 2, the battle near the city finally ended, and the Germans were defeated.
The long-awaited release was a joyful event for everyone. The battle for Stalingrad was very fierce. Both Soviet and German troops suffered a huge number of losses. This battle will not leave anyone indifferent. The heroism and courage of the Red Army must be admired. Despite the fact that the German troops were superior in numbers and training, the soldiers of the Red Army still managed to repel all blows and courageously stand in the battles for Stalingrad.
Joyful, long-awaited and heroic was the liberation of Stalingrad. Photos of the battle are fascinating and convey all the emotions of the soldiers. The photographs in which the Soviet troops rejoice in victory carry extraordinary energy. They cannot be compared with any work of art, because the real human emotions conveyed in the photo cannot leave absolutely no one indifferent.
Medal for the liberation of Stalingrad
It is worth noting that the battle of Stalingrad was considered the largest and fiercest. All participants in the defense of the city received a medal for the liberation of Stalingrad. However, it is worth noting that it was awarded not only to the military personnel of the Red Army, the Navy and the NKVD troops, but alsocivilians who took part in the defense of the city and fierce battles near Stalingrad.
This battle became a turning point in the course of hostilities, and it was after it that the German troops lost their strategic initiative. The liberation of Stalingrad will remain in memory for a long time, because it is simply impossible to forget such events, the number of human losses and grief.
