Russia to mark 70 years since Battle of Stalingrad

[Gerald]

Up to a million soldiers died in the six months of intense warfare

Russian President Vladimir Putin will lead tributes to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of the Battle of Stalingrad.

The city of Stalingrad, which was renamed Volgograd in 1961, will regain its wartime name for the event, following a council decision.

Around one million people are thought to have died in the battle, as Soviet troops defeated the Germans.

It is considered one of the major turning points of World War II.

The vast death toll is not the only reason why the battle has huge significance in Russia, the BBC's Moscow correspondent Daniel Sandford reports.

It is seen as the moment when the tide was turned against the Nazis.

From Stalingrad some Soviet soldiers fought all the way to Berlin, he adds.

The defeat threw Hitler's offensive in the Soviet Union into disarray.

The victory in World War II is one of the things that unites all Russians, our correspondent adds.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21303886


Note: 2 February 2013 Last updated at 03:13 GMT

[Cybermat47]

Commemorating 70 years since the definition of hell became one word.

[Stealhead]

In my opinion Leningrad or rather the 872 day long siege of Leningrad is a better one definition of Hell it does not get the attention that Stalingrad does which is a shame there was much more to the
war on the Eastern Front than just Stalingrad.

People in Leningrad truly suffered. Leningraders had to work every single day helping defend the city but they had to do this while starving to death so each day when people went out to do their job several of thier co-workers simply dropped dead and they left the body to sit because another might expire just digging the grave that's hell.In Stalingrad people dealt with this for a few months while in Leningrad they had to suffer for 2 years, 4 months, 2 weeks and 5 days.

[BossMark]

One of WW2 greatest and bloodiest battles.

[kranz]

Originally Posted by Stealhead

Leningraders had to work every single day helping defend the city but they had to do this while starving to death so each day

while trains loaded with food stood on sidings in the suburbs of the city.

[Skybird]

And the rennaissance of Stalin cult is blossoming on. Archconservative veteran orgainstions managed to push through a bill at court that renames the city Stalingrad for several days per year. Throughout Russia, report Russian newspaper, busses with Stalin portraits are to be seen. A critical discussion abo9tu the fact that stalin belongs amongst the greatets m,ass murderers and war criminals of all time, does not take place.

Since many years, Stalin is becoming en vogue again. There are musicals about him, school books gloss over his murderous acting and glorify him, he is very popular with many young ones.

Hm.

These days I read a report that the Russian airforce is reintroducing the red star on its planes.

Hm.

And of Putin one can safely say that he has completely abandoned his 15+ years ago attempts to bring Russia closer to Europe, and now has plotted a determined course back into the past.

Remembrance all this is not. It is abuse. It is transfiguration.

[Oberon]

Putin tried to get closer to Europe, Europe told Putin where he could stick it. Russia was great in the past, is it any wonder that Russians want to return to it? Of course, the brutality of Stalins rule is forgotten by many, who just remember the times when the word 'Russia' meant more than drunken brawlers and mafia but that's how it goes in most countries, Japan is another good example of this.

Anyway, that's off topic.

What is on topic is the fact that Stalingrad was one of the big turning points of World War II, along with Midway, where the Axis suffered major defeats. From 1943 it was pretty much all over for Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan, they both would put up major battles, and claim victories, but the tide had turned.

[Jimbuna]

The Sixth Army could well have been saved had pig headed Hitler allowed a tactical withdrawal.

[August]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

The Sixth Army could well have been saved had pig headed Hitler allowed a tactical withdrawal.

It would have just only slightly prolonged the inevitable though. The German wave had crested and I don't think another couple hundred thousand troops, assuming they all got out of the trap, was going to make much difference.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by August

It would have just only slightly prolonged the inevitable though. The German wave had crested and I don't think another couple hundred thousand troops, assuming they all got out of the trap, was going to make much difference.

True that...nor did it help relying on the Italians and Rumanians to cover your flanks.

Battle for Stalingrad aftermath

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

The Sixth Army could well have been saved had pig headed Hitler allowed a tactical withdrawal.

it's too easy to judge historical decissions when you already know the whole picture. In early years of war Hitlers war tactics prooved to be successfull, when even greatest generals were often unsure about the success. Hitler refused the retreat of sixth army just because he couldn't believe his Blitzkrieg has been halted.

[Jimbuna]

Little coverage of this momentous date at all in our media, except a short report on the BBC the other night. All Geman military activity had petered out completely by Feb 2nd. From the German 6th Army- same guys seen marching in triumph through Paris in 1940 newsreels- of about 91,000 POWs captured, only 5-6000 ever made it back to Germany after 7-12 years in Soviet prison camps. Around 1.7-2 million Axis and Soviet casualties in total over the 6 months of the battle.

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

Little coverage of this momentous date at all in our media, except a short report on the BBC the other night. All Geman military activity had petered out completely by Feb 2nd. From the German 6th Army- same guys seen marching in triumph through Paris in 1940 newsreels- of about 91,000 POWs captured, only 5-6000 ever made it back to Germany after 7-12 years in Soviet prison camps. Around 1.7-2 million Axis and Soviet casualties in total over the 6 months of the battle.

BtW German POW's were forced to rebuild Stalingrad during prison time..

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Troublous_Haze

it's too easy to judge historical decissions when you already know the whole picture. In early years of war Hitlers war tactics prooved to be successfull, when even greatest generals were often unsure about the success. Hitler refused the retreat of sixth army just because he couldn't believe his Blitzkrieg has been halted.

On the contrary....in the early days Hitler took the advice of his generals and the results are there in the history books but after the attempt on his life he never fully trusted them again and took on most of the tactical and strategic decisions...the rest as you rightly say is history.