Stalingrad Ends: Soviet Victory Turns WWII Tide
The German 6th Army under Field Marshal Friedrich Paulus surrendered at Stalingrad on February 2, 1943, after five months of fighting that killed nearly two million soldiers and civilians combined. Hitler had forbidden any retreat or breakout, condemning 300,000 encircled troops to starvation and Soviet artillery. Paulus became the first German field marshal ever to surrender, a fact that enraged Hitler, who had promoted him specifically expecting he would commit suicide instead. The Soviet victory at Stalingrad destroyed Germany's best-equipped army and eliminated any possibility of a German offensive victory in the East. The battle forced Hitler to shift to a purely defensive strategy that would steadily hemorrhage territory until Berlin fell two years later. Soviet losses were equally staggering, with over 1.1 million casualties, but the strategic initiative permanently shifted to the Red Army.
February 2, 1943
83 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on February 2
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