Historical+Backround

By mid 1941 the Axis Powers are clearly winning WWII, and Germany has been successful in its early attempts to take over Poland in 1939. German troops have been known to be much better trained and much better equipped than any other (country) in the war. By this time, the U.S. had not entered the war against Nazi Germany; this would not happen until months later one day after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Hitler and Stalin had a non-aggression pact with each other, hoping to last for at least ten years. Hitler soon broke this agreement in two years and began to plan Operation Barbarossa in which Germany would invade the U.S.S.R. His main objective was to take the city of Stalingrad because of the “name of the city and his hatred of Joseph Stalin” (Trueman 1). Hitler also attacked this city because it would allow him to obtain access to the oil fields in the Caucasus Mountains and travel farther east hoping to also capture the city of Moscow (Trueman 1). In 1941, Adolf Hitler achieved Supreme Commander of Germany's Armed Forces, after Von Brauchitsch was made a scapegoat for his failures as Supreme Commander. Hitler, having control of the German Military, “ignored wise advice given by senior officers whose lifetimes had been spent studying the science of war” (Ray 98). Hitler disagreed with any sources of advice given by his officers, and believed his decisions where best. This decision to ignore his senior officers guided Germany as a nation into extreme trouble (Ray 98). **__ Operation Barbarossa __** On June 1,1941 German forces crossed the Russian border initializing Operation Barbarossa. Operation Barbarossa was a military strategy developed by the Germans to attack the Soviet Union, hoping to gain the Caucasus oil fields. In a Blitzkrieg air attack, the Germans destroyed the majority of the Russian Air Forces, which was on the ground, within two days. Now the Germans would be able to move their army where they pleased because they were safe from any Russian air attacks. Army Group  North attacked from Prussia, toward s the Baltic port of Leningrad trying to connect to the Finnish army, which was already inside Stalingrad. Along with Army Group North, Army Group Centre came from Poland with their objective of taking Moscow, Capital of the U.S.S.R. Also along with Group Centre and North was Army Group South, which was driving towards the oil fields in the Caucasus (Yoder 1).
 * Historical Backround **

**__ Objectives __** After initializing Operation Barbarossa, the Germans “casualties totalled over 32,000 officers and one million other ranks (infantry), which was about one-third of those who started ‘Barbarossa’” (Ray 98). Hitler’s reasoning for attacking the Caucasus was ecause he wanted to gain control of their oil fields. And without oil, Hitler believed that he would have to end the war, He said “the German war machine was running short of oil” (Ray 98). This meant without oil, Germany wouldn’t be able to continue on and win the war. H itler then decided to divide Army Group South into two different groups, on into a North Group and the other   into a South Group. The South Group went south towards the oil fields in Caucasus, but will turn out to be loss for Germany due to the poor decision of sending them south without supplies, and lack of men and vehicles (Ray 98). The South group was defeated and didn't reach their objective, which was the the oil fields. Hitler finally decided to take Stalingrad, before he advanced any farther into the east. Stalin, Soviet Union Communist dictator, knew the consequences if he were to lose Stalingrad. With German Panzer tanks called the Sixth Army on the move and already near, Stalin would have to make his decision quickly. The Germans eventually captured most of Stalingrad, but the U.S.S.R. was still hanging on with it’s 62nd Army, which was being led by General Chuikov (Ray 100). The Decision