1. Arguably the largest, bloodiest, and most desperate battle of World War II. Occured in 1942-1943 when A Nazi German Army Group South, initially 500,000 men strong, had pushed south of Moscow into the Caucasus, fighting their way to the city of Stalingrad (former Tsaritsyn and modern-day Volgograd), where they were intercepted by the re-organized Soviet armies, about 1,000,000 men (and women) strong.
Both sides failed to claim a decisive victory; the German forces occupied 90% of the city at their peak, but never managed to completely eliminate resistance, while the Soviet armies kept sending reinforcements. Both sides indiscriminately air-bombed and howitzer-shelled the city; in fact, despite the freezing temperature of -30 centigrade, air within the city was hot from the constant gunpowder explosions. Eventually, the fighting degenerated into a bloody meatgrinding house-to-house warfare, dubbed by the Germans as rat-war.
The Soviet reserves eventually broke through the outer defences, and encircled the city, trapping the Germans in a pocket. The German commander, von Paulus, repeately argued before Hitler that a breakthrough retreat was vital to the German survival, but the madman Hitler prohibited retreat, which eventually caused the entire German army group to collapse.
At over a million casualties from each side, the battle of Stalingrad was perhaps the bloodiest battle of the war. It was especially devastating to the Germans, however, as they lost their best equipment, and unlike the Soviets, did not have the reserve manpower to replace the terrible losses. The battle of Stalingrad is considered the most important turning point on the Eastern front, and quite possibly the single most important battle of the war.
Both sides failed to claim a decisive victory; the German forces occupied 90% of the city at their peak, but never managed to completely eliminate resistance, while the Soviet armies kept sending reinforcements. Both sides indiscriminately air-bombed and howitzer-shelled the city; in fact, despite the freezing temperature of -30 centigrade, air within the city was hot from the constant gunpowder explosions. Eventually, the fighting degenerated into a bloody meatgrinding house-to-house warfare, dubbed by the Germans as rat-war.
The Soviet reserves eventually broke through the outer defences, and encircled the city, trapping the Germans in a pocket. The German commander, von Paulus, repeately argued before Hitler that a breakthrough retreat was vital to the German survival, but the madman Hitler prohibited retreat, which eventually caused the entire German army group to collapse.
At over a million casualties from each side, the battle of Stalingrad was perhaps the bloodiest battle of the war. It was especially devastating to the Germans, however, as they lost their best equipment, and unlike the Soviets, did not have the reserve manpower to replace the terrible losses. The battle of Stalingrad is considered the most important turning point on the Eastern front, and quite possibly the single most important battle of the war.
The movie "Enemy at the Gates", although way over-romanticized and hollywoodised, nevertheless manages to show a small glimpse of what fighting in Stalingrad was like.
by Elvarg October 3, 2005
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Get the Smiling Goku mug.Born Iosif Visarionovich Dzhugashvili in 1879. His birthplace was a town called Gori in Georgia. Born into crushing poverty, and beaten by his drunken father, he was steered with the help of his stern mother into education at a Seminary during his teens.
Here he disovered literature (then banned) by Karl Marx and became influenced by a small group who met secretly to discuss his concepts. From these experiences, being exposed to Marxist ideology, he rejected his religious education and became an atheist and professional revolutionary.
Firstly adopting the pseudonym Koba, a romantic fictional character of Georgian novels he read, he became obsessed with Lenin and the revolutionary movement occurring against the Tsars in Russia.
A bank robber, and ruthless agitator, he spent alot of time in Siberian exile, earning himself a reputation as a committed revolutionary.
Later he changed his pseudonym to Stalin, meaning Man Of Steel, and rose through the ranks of the Bolshevik faction of the Social Democratic Workers Party, although he was not able to fully penetrate the inner intellectual circles of the movement until the Bolsheviks took full power in 1917.
He was never considered a theorist or fellow intellectual by members of the top ranks in the movement, but his genius was demonstrated in the loyalty and influence he had garnered when orgainsing the rank and file of the revolutionary movement. His power base lay firmly in the grass roots. He used this to gain control of the Party and rid the revolution of his Nemesis, Leon Trotsky.
His second wife, Nadezhda Alliluyeva became his lover while he fought against Tsarist forces during the Russian civil war following the revolution. She shot herself dead in despair during the 1930's, during the time of the Ukrainian famine, a result of Stalin's polices of forced collectivisation. And, vindictive subjugation of those who opposed him.
When he took power, Stalin then ruled with ruthless disregard for human life for nearly quarter of a century until 1953. The revolution was turned into his own tool of revenge and narrowmindedness, the state reorganised into his own personality cult.
Killing millions with his polices of modernisation and collectivisation, he transformed the Soviet Union into a major world power, and at one time the second largest industrial giant (America being No 1). But the human cost leaves his achievments tainted permanently.
The Soviet Union's role in the Second World War was instrumental in defeating the Nazis, and this is sorely and disrespectfully not recognized.
A great man, no doubt, but great for too many wrong reasons. A Modernizer, and mass murderer.
He had the affectionate name Uncle Joe attached to him by American propagandists who wanted to create an image of the man in which the American people could trust, while the anti-communist USA was allied with the USSR during WWII.
Here he disovered literature (then banned) by Karl Marx and became influenced by a small group who met secretly to discuss his concepts. From these experiences, being exposed to Marxist ideology, he rejected his religious education and became an atheist and professional revolutionary.
Firstly adopting the pseudonym Koba, a romantic fictional character of Georgian novels he read, he became obsessed with Lenin and the revolutionary movement occurring against the Tsars in Russia.
A bank robber, and ruthless agitator, he spent alot of time in Siberian exile, earning himself a reputation as a committed revolutionary.
Later he changed his pseudonym to Stalin, meaning Man Of Steel, and rose through the ranks of the Bolshevik faction of the Social Democratic Workers Party, although he was not able to fully penetrate the inner intellectual circles of the movement until the Bolsheviks took full power in 1917.
He was never considered a theorist or fellow intellectual by members of the top ranks in the movement, but his genius was demonstrated in the loyalty and influence he had garnered when orgainsing the rank and file of the revolutionary movement. His power base lay firmly in the grass roots. He used this to gain control of the Party and rid the revolution of his Nemesis, Leon Trotsky.
His second wife, Nadezhda Alliluyeva became his lover while he fought against Tsarist forces during the Russian civil war following the revolution. She shot herself dead in despair during the 1930's, during the time of the Ukrainian famine, a result of Stalin's polices of forced collectivisation. And, vindictive subjugation of those who opposed him.
When he took power, Stalin then ruled with ruthless disregard for human life for nearly quarter of a century until 1953. The revolution was turned into his own tool of revenge and narrowmindedness, the state reorganised into his own personality cult.
Killing millions with his polices of modernisation and collectivisation, he transformed the Soviet Union into a major world power, and at one time the second largest industrial giant (America being No 1). But the human cost leaves his achievments tainted permanently.
The Soviet Union's role in the Second World War was instrumental in defeating the Nazis, and this is sorely and disrespectfully not recognized.
A great man, no doubt, but great for too many wrong reasons. A Modernizer, and mass murderer.
He had the affectionate name Uncle Joe attached to him by American propagandists who wanted to create an image of the man in which the American people could trust, while the anti-communist USA was allied with the USSR during WWII.
"Lenin left the people a great legacy, and we his heirs have fucked it up"
Stalin upon hearing of the Nazi invasion of the USSR- 1941.
Stalin upon hearing of the Nazi invasion of the USSR- 1941.
by Jim Jammy December 31, 2004
Get the stalin mug.This is not mostly known among people...but this is when your suffering depression and hides it with a smile...the fake smile is like your audience mask and you take it off when your by yourself...this type of depression if more dangerous than other types because most type don't have the energy to actually do it...but when people have smiling depression they actually plan it out and we'll try it...
This girl can be smiling and laughing but behind her mask she can be suffering from smiling depression...she can be broken and crying out for help...but how do we know what's she's carrying?
Don't judge people by there smiles....the prettiest smile hides the deepest secret...the prettiest eyes had cried the most...the kindest hearts have felt the most pain...
Don't judge people by there smiles....the prettiest smile hides the deepest secret...the prettiest eyes had cried the most...the kindest hearts have felt the most pain...
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