StalingradThe Battle of Stalingrad, from September 1942 to February 1943, was one of the bloodiest battles ever fought and occurred between the German Wehrmacht and the Soviet Union's Red Army. Both sides were inflicted heavy losses and in total more than 2 million casualties accumulated. After five months of fighting, the German 6th Army was finally forced to surrender, halting Hitler's advance into Russia and providing momentum for the Red Army for the rest of the war. What began as an attempt to take control of a city on the Volga River, turned into the turning point of the entire war for Hitler. Although Operation Barbarossa had failed to defeat the Russians early in the war, Rommel's victories in North Africa had stabilized the front in Russia and gave Hitler the confidence that he could cripple the Red Army. Hitler decided on a strategy that would place the bulk of his forces attacking the southern regions of the USSR and not towards Moscow where Stalin would have expected the offensive. Stalingrad, was a small city on the Volga River that was located in this region and the initial intent was to conquer the city, so that the Axis forces could control the river and disrupt shipping between the Caspian Sea and Russia northern. Early successes with the offensive led to a decisive mistake by Hitler when he expanded the objectives of the mission and now wanted his forces to occupy the city. Soon both sides began adding value to the city for political reasons. Holding the city would strengthen the German flank and help them protect oil fields in the Caucasus. Hitler divided his army and half went south while the other half, under the command of Friedrich Paulus, advanced towards Stalingrad. Under his command......middle of paper......successfully repelled the Germans due to numerical superiority. Overall, around 2 million lives were lost defending a city that was previously only a stepping stone to control the Volga River. Instead it became a battle of honor that cost both sides staggering casualties and, ultimately, war for Hitler. History.com. A&E and Web television networks. April 24, 2014.fv"Battle of Stalingrad." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, April 25, 2014. Web. April 25, 2014. Hickman, Kennedy. "Battle of Stalingrad." About.com Military History. About.com and Web. April 24, 2014.Mann, Chris. Major battles of the Second World War. Np: Parragon, 2013. Print."The Battle of Stalingrad." The Battle of Stalingrad. Np, nd Web. April 27, 2014.Unno"World War II: Behind Closed Doors." PBS. PBS and Web. April 27. 2014.