In the early hours of the 22nd of June 1941, Germany and its allies invaded the Soviet Union. The Soviets were not prepared for the coming war, even though British intelligence had pre-warned Stalin of decoded German messages.

Russian troops in Soviet occupied Poland noticed the German build up of forces, but Stalin was certain that the Hitler would not break the Ribbentrop-Molotov pact of 1939, which carved up Poland and the Baltic states and guaranteed peace between the two Countries.

Stalin's naivety led to the German forces driving deep into the USSR. Stalin's commanders on the ground urged the Soviet leader to reinforce the border, if only as a precaution, but Stalin was afraid to provoke the Nazis and refused outright.

By the Winter of 1941, the germans had inflicted numerous defeats on the Red Army and had even reached the outskirts of Moscow, where recon troops could actually see the towering Kremlin from their forward positions.

It was here that the Russians gained their first victory. Fighting in icy, freezing conditions the German attack was repelled and the Soviets taking advantage of the Germans over-stretched supply lines and lack of winter equipment counter attacked. The German drive towards Moscow was stopped in its tracks and the Russians had safe-guarded their capital.

By Spring of 1942 however, the Germans had stabilised their lines and were deciding on their next push. An attack on Moscow was decided against as it was presumed that the Russians would be expecting that, plus the Army Group Centre was heavily weakened from the previous years fighting.

The decision was made to focus the next German to aim for the city of Stalingrad. The United States had just entered the war and Hitler wanted to drive deep into Russia before the Americans could make any difference on the war in Europe.

Stalingrad was an importnat objective for the advancing German Army. If the City was taken it would secure the left flank of the Army Group South which was driving towards the oilfileds of the Caucasus.

Straddling the Volga River, Stalingrad was an important junction for supplies from the south reaching Northern Russia. If the Germans managed to capture the City, then the suppy line would be cut and help German Forces elsewhere in the theatre.

Another reason for Stalingrads importance has been mentioned by many historians and that is the name. Stalin was in command of Revolutionary troops during the civil war and was charged with the defence of Tsaritsyn from the White Army.

In thanks for his work and in keeping with the Soviet fondness for naming Cities after prominent party memebers, the name was changed to Stalingrad. This weighed heavily on his mind when the battle commenced and it is said he was adamant it must not fall to the Germans.

This must of had implications for Hitler and the Germans also. If they had managed to capture the City bearing Stalin's name, it would of been a major political and propaganda coup. It seems that this, along with tactical and strategic reasons, could of been why it turned into such a barbaric battle.

When the Germans first reached Stalingrad, it was a mishmash of destroyed buildings, craters and hovels where the City's population sheltered.

The City was bombed instensively by the Luftwaffe and nothing much was left standing by the time the first German ground units arrived.

Stalin had ordered that no civilians were allowed to leave the area, his thoughts being that the defenders of the City would fight harder and guerilla groups would be formed by the local population.

Once the fight entered the City proper it became a game of cat and mouse, with snipers ruling the battlefield. A perfect (although very hollywood) example is the film 'enemy at the gate' starring Jude Law.

Eventually a Soviet counter attack was organised and the resulting pincer movement trapped around 250,000 German and Axis troops in a pocket in the centre of Stalingrad. The Germans did attempt a breakout to rescue the beleagured troops but Hitler had already said that the German Army would never leave the City.

The Fuhrer had been told by the head of the Luftwaffe, Jeschonnek that the soldiers trapped in Stalingrad could be supplied by air whilst a relief force was prepared. This was not thoroughly thought through.

The Sixth Army was the biggest force in the German order of battle, being much stronger than any other army and being reinforced by the fourth Panzer Army.

It would prove impossible to airlift in enough supplies to satisfy such a large force. In the end, due to bad weather, intense anti-aircraft fire and the re-emergence of the Russian Airforce, only 10 percent of supplies actually needed was dropped.

It is said that of the supplies dropped to the trapped soldiers, much of it was near useless with crates of summer uniforms and vodka being amongst the supplies recovered by troops on the ground.

The Russian started an offensive in Decemeber 1942 to shrink the pocket and to finally eliminate the Germans left inside Stalingrad.

One final attempt was made by the Germans to save the Sixth Army and this came with Operation Wintergewitter. This took place in late December and was sucessfully fended off by the Soviets. This left the Sixth Army in peril and with no chance of escaping the Russian onslaught.

The Germans in Stalingrad retreated from the suburbs into the City proper and the loss of the two airfields meant no more supplies and no more flying out of the wounded. They were on their own.

The German and Axis forces stubbornly fought on, mainly due to the thinking that if they surrendered thne they would be executed by the Russians.

General Paulus was promoted to Field Marshall by Hitler on the 30th of January 1943 after he siad he would never surrender. However, the next day the Russians attacked his headquarters in the old GUM building and Paulus surrendered. This infuriated Hitler, but Paulus was not going to risk the lives of his soldiers any longer for a worthless cause.

It is estimated that around 850,000 Axis troops were casualites of the battle, as well as around 50,000 Russians who fought for the Germans.

The Russians had over 1.1 million casualties, with an estimated 475,000 killed. This was the bloodiest battle of all time.

Stalingrad was a turning point. The Russians went on the offensive and pushed the Axis from Mother Russia's soil. The blow to German morale after the capitulation was devastating and never recovered.

Everyone knows what happened next. The Russians pushed from the east, North Africa was evacuated and the Americans and British invaded Italy.

1944 brought D Day and the Normandy landings, intense battles on the Eastern Front and the surrender of Italy. It was the beginning of the end for Nazi Germany!

It is a lot easier to visit the battleground of Stalingrad now that Russia has opened up after the fall of the Soviet Union.

Volgograd, as the City is now called, is quite a pleasant place though rebuilt as a stereotypical Soviet style City.

The memorials for the battle are noticable everywhere and many local tour agencies offer visits to the sights.

There are many places to stay in Volgograd, from cute little family run pensions to big soviet monoliths. Where you stay will depend on budget and your own preference.

There is plenty to see in Volgograd regarding the Battle of Stalingrad. One of the most popular sights is that of Mamayev Kurgan.

It is a massive monument to the fallen Soviet soldiers and civilians of Stalingrad. There are some ruins from the battle which remain exactly as they were. This has been done deliberately so to show the devastating horror of the battle.

Another sight from the battle is Pavlov's House. This building was used as a stronghold by Soviet troops during the intial german attacks. The Russians held out for two months until relieved.

The people of Volgograd/Stalingrad hold a special fondness for this building and it was the here that the reconstruction of the City started.

The Avenue of Heroes, near the central quay is a monument to 127 men and women who were proclaimed heroes for their participation in the Battle of Stalingrad. Their names are carved on to the memorial along with other 'heroes' who came from the Volgograd region.

The City's museum is extremely fascinating, covering the Battle of Stalingrad, as well as the defence of Tsaritsyn during the Civil War. You will learn a lot from the museum and it may be best to visit first and then take a walk around the City.