Stalingrad, July 1942 – February 1943
The city of Stalingrad, perched on the banks of the Volga River, became the epicenter of a battle that would define the fate of the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany.
Hitler's obsession with capturing the city named after Stalin drove the German 6th Army deep into Soviet territory.
Urban warfare turned the city into a shattered battlefield — rubble, fire, and death everywhere.
Soviet defenders, led by commanders like Vasily Chuikov and Georgy Zhukov, fought with relentless tenacity.
The brutal winter compounded suffering, but also trapped the German forces in a tightening encirclement.
The Soviet counteroffensive, Operation Uranus, encircled and ultimately forced the surrender of the German 6th Army in February 1943.
The defeat at Stalingrad marked the beginning of the relentless Soviet push westward.
The battle was a symbol of sacrifice and resilience, remembered as one of the bloodiest and most decisive of World War II.