Overview
The Battle of Stalingrad was one of the major battles of World War II, and is one of the bloodiest battles in history. It took place from July 17, 1942 to February 2, 1943 in Stalingrad, Russia(now Volgograd). During the battle, German forces took over the industrial city of Stalingrad, but were eventually defeated by the Soviets. The battle is often considered the turning point for the eastern front of the war, and sometimes for the entire war. Most importantly, it halted the German advance, allowing Russia to begin to push back the German army.
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Location
The importance of the location of this battle cannot be overstated, as geography is most of the reason why the Soviets won. In the map on the right, Stalingrad is the farthest city on the right. Because it is so far into Russia and so far from German territory, the soldiers there had a difficult time keeping properly supplied. Also, the area that Stalingrad is in is known for its brutally cold winters. While the Soviets were used to the harsh Russian winter, the poorly equipped Germans were not, and much of the reason for their loss was actually the weather, not the fighting. The last bit of important geography is that the city backs up to the Volga River, which provided a slight bit of defense for the Russians, and helped keep the Germans trapped within the city towards the end of the battle.