Sat, 15 April 2006
The Battle of Stalingrad (1942-43) in WWII is a prime example of urban warfare. It was initiated due to Operation Barbarossa, the German push eastward towards Moscow. Stalingrad was a key target due to its symbolic name and its industrial capacity. Initially, the Russians under Zhukov were almost completely pushed out of the city by Paulus's Sixth Army. However, powerful Russian tank, skilled Russian snipers, and masses of Russian soldiers (whose life expectancy was less than 24 hours) fought back and even surrounded the Germans in Operation Uranus. Eventually, after a failed rescue attempt by Manstein's German Army, Paulus surrendered and the Russians won the battle. Military History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine For more information, read: The Dictionary of Battles by David Chandler The Guinness Book of Military Blunders: Operation Barbarossa by Geoffrey Regan http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/wwii/stalingrad/default.aspx |