The Battle of Stalingrad was a battle between Germany and its allies and the Soviet Union for the Soviet city of Stalingrad (now Volgograd) that took place between August 21, 1942 and February 2, 1943, as part of World War II. It was the turning point of World War II in Europe and was arguably the bloodiest battle in human history, with combined casualties estimated above 1.5 million. The battle was marked by brutality and disregard for military and civilian casualties on both sides. The battle is taken to include the German siege of the southern Russian city of Stalingrad (now Volgograd), the battle inside the city, and the Soviet counter-offensive which eventually trapped and destroyed the German Sixth Army and other Axis forces around the city.

As a result of the battle, the Axis powers suffered roughly 850,000 casualties (one-quarter of their strength on the Eastern Front), and lost a huge amount of supplies and equipment. The Axis forces were never able to fully recover from this loss and were eventually forced into a long retreat out of Eastern Europe, after the great battles of 1943-1944. For the Soviets, who also suffered great losses during the battle, the victory at Stalingrad marked the start of the liberation of the Soviet Union, leading to eventual victory over Nazi Germany in 1945.

Das Leben der Anderen (The Lives of Others)

By: Andrew Moran

4 ½ Stars out of 5 Stars

Starring (Alphabetical Order): Hans-Uwe Bauer, Matthias Brenner, Martina Gedeck, Charly Hubner, Volkmar Kleiner, Sebastian Koch, Ulrich Muhe, Thomas Thieme & Ulrich Tukur

By: Adam Grant

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By: Adam Grant

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