Battle of Stalingrad (Military History)

Introduction

The battle of Stalingrad was part of the strategic conflict that occurred in the southwestern Soviet Union in 1942–1943. One of the largest and longest battles in history, it encompassed both maneuver and static warfare, steppe and urban fighting, and summer and winter conditions. It began with Operation Blau (Blue), the German summer offensive in 1942, aimed at capturing the oilfields in the Caucasus region, and it ended with massive Soviet counteroffensives in November, culminating in the surrender of the German 6th Army in February 1943. Casualty figures range from 1 to 2 million civilian and military deaths. These events were a turning point in the war—some say, the turning point. After Stalingrad, Germany never regained the strategic initiative. Stalingrad (now called Volgograd) was not, in fact, Germany’s primary objective when it first planned Operation Blau, but a secondary objective designed to protect the flank of the forces engaged in the Caucasus and to prevent Soviet reinforcements. It achieved primary importance, largely because of the symbolism of its name, by the late summer of 1942. After a fighting retreat across the steppe from the Don River to the Volga, the Red Army made a stand at Stalingrad, as directed by Stalin’s Order No. 227, often referred to as “Not a Step Back.” The German attack on the city began in late August with massive Luftwaffe bombing, turning the buildings and extensive industrial facilities to rubble. Fighting degenerated into urban warfare, with the Red Army desperately holding its bridgeheads and the Wehrmacht equally desperately trying to take control of the entire city. The 62nd Army was sent just enough reinforcement to prevent a collapse, while the Soviets channeled their main effort into building forces for the counteroffensive. Operation Uranus, launched on 19 November 1942, was a major success, easily blowing through the Axis forces on the German flanks and leaving the 6th Army encircled and trapped. Subsequent Soviet operations reduced the “ring” and forced the surrender of an entire German army, and its field marshal commander, for the first time in history. The battle of Stalingrad has achieved mythic proportions, eclipsing the massive operations that preceded it (Operation Blue) and those that ended it (operations Uranus and Saturn). Popular histories in particular have tended to focus on the dramatic urban warfare phase, neglecting the much larger operations that occurred before and after. Many of the best works are available only in Russian or German.

World War II Histories

The battle of Stalingrad cannot be understood outside the broader context of World War II, so a necessary first step in research is to read two or three good general histories of the war, especially the war on the Eastern Front. Erickson 1984 is the foundation on which all other works in English are built, and this and its companion volume Erickson 1983 (see General Overviews) are must-reads for anyone researching this topic in depth. Bellamy 2007 is the best overall history of the war and an excellent introduction to the war on the Eastern Front in broad context. Overy 1997 should be read for its analysis. Mawdsley 2007 is the best source, with a stronger military focus especially at the strategic level, and focuses solely on the Eastern Front, as does Glantz and House 1995, the best single volume that emphasizes details of military operations at the operational level. Dunn 1994 is the best source for understanding the wartime transformation of the Red Army in economic and institutional contexts. The essays in Stone 2010 bring fresh perspectives based on recent research to a variety of war-related topics. Boog 2001 presents the best of recent German scholarship.

Bellamy, Chris. Absolute War: Soviet Russia in the Second World War. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2007.
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Excellent survey of the war as a whole, with an emphasis on military aspects and a more extensive discussion of the first two years than of the latter half of the war. Incorporates recently available Russian sources and fresh interpretations; useful for researchers at all levels.
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Boog, Horst. Germany and the Second World War. Vol. 6, The Global War. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001.
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Justifiably called “monumental,” this series, edited by the Militärgeschichtliches Forschungsamt (Research Institute for Military History), is the best to date on its topic. This volume includes coverage of Stalingrad. Extensive citations and maps.
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Dunn, Walter S. Hitler’s Nemesis: The Red Army, 1930–1945. Westport, CT: Praeger, 1994.
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Essential economic and institutional history. Excellent coverage of the immediate prewar reforms, details on Red Army rifle divisions, tank and artillery forces and their increasing emphasis at the expense of infantry, and the Red Army’s replacement system. Argues, controversially, that after 1943, Stalin no longer needed a second front to defeat Germany.
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Erickson, John. The Road to Stalingrad: Stalin’s War with Germany. Boulder, CO: Westview, 1984.
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Continued in The Road to Berlin: Continuing the History of Stalin’s War with Germany (Boulder, CO: Westview, 1983). This classic set continues to offer much to readers willing to delve deeply into Soviet military operations. Erickson set the standard for astute analysis of Soviet sources and accurate and balanced description of Soviet military activities. The preface is a guide to using sources that every researcher should read. Best for graduate students and above.
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Glantz, David M., and Jonathan M. House. When Titans Clashed: How the Red Army Stopped Hitler. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 1995.
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The best overview of military operations. A single, accessible book, focusing on the transformation of the Red Army from a “stumbling colossus” to a strategically savvy, well-organized, and combat-capable force. Excellent appendix on archival sources, and no serious researcher should fail at least to skim the extensive, substantive notes.
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Mawdsley, Evan. Thunder in the East: The Nazi-Soviet War 1941–1945. London: Hodder Arnold, 2007.
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A broader overview than Glantz and House 1995, incorporating diplomatic and economic aspects of the war, and adding material from another decade’s worth of Soviet archival materials. Accessible and nicely structured to keep readers on track. A glossary, chronology, and other supporting appendices are useful. More appreciative of Zhukov’s abilities than is Glantz.
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Overy, Richard. Russia’s War. New York: Penguin, 1997.
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Although not based on Russian sources, Overy’s work is a masterpiece of objectivity, insight, and brevity. Focuses on key historiographical issues, the brutality of the war, and effects on civilian populations. Overy emphasizes the continued use of terror and repression by the Soviet state.
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Stone, David R., ed. The Soviet Union at War, 1941–1945. Barnsley, UK: Pen & Sword, 2010.
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New collection of essays, including Mark Harrison on industry and the economy; Reina Pennington on women’s roles, both military and civilian; and several essays focused on effects on civilians, nationalities, and the rural population. Many essays refer to Stalingrad.
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General Overviews

There is still no single-volume scholarly overview of this key event, which unfortunately has left the field to popular writers (see Popular Histories). Samsonov 1989 is the best single source in Russian, while Kehrig 1974 merits the same ranking among German publications. Boll and Safrian 2000 presents some of the latest German historical thinking, translated into English. Citino 2007 covers the Stalingrad and Caucasus campaigns with a focus on the Germans; the author’s footnotes offer useful bibliographic comments. Erickson’s two-volume set (Erickson 1983 and Erickson 1984) is the classic study of the Soviet side; one must read both volumes (the end of the first, the beginning of the second). Wegner 1990 provides an article-length overview, as does Hayward 1995, a succinct analysis of Germany’s strategic imperatives.

Boll, Bernd, and Hans Safrian. “On the Way to Stalingrad: The 6th Army in 1941–42.” In War of Extermination: The German Military in World War II, 1941–1944. Edited by Hannes Heer and Klaus Naumann, 237–271. New York: Berghahn, 2000.
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Addresses the way in which the 6th Army has been characterized as a victim in the Stalingrad tragedy; establishes the full context of events.
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Citino, Robert Michael. Death of the Wehrmacht: The German Campaigns of 1942. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2007.
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Argues that a German obsession with operations and tactics led to a neglect of strategic concerns, not the least of which was logistics. This tradition led the Wehrmacht to pursue only one solution to the failure of Blitzkrieg in 1941: launch another one in 1942. The refusal of the Red Army to cooperate in being encircled caused the failure of Operation Blau.
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Erickson, John. The Road to Berlin: Continuing the History of Stalin’s War with Germany. Boulder, CO: Westview, 1983.
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The second volume, completing Erickson 1984. Outstanding bibliography and essay on sources, which in themselves make the book worth buying. Erickson set the standard for astute analysis of Soviet sources and accurate and balanced description of Soviet military activities. The preface is a guide to using sources that every researcher should read. Best for graduate students and above.
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Erickson, John. The Road to Stalingrad: Stalin’s War with Germany. Boulder, CO: Westview, 1984.
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Erickson’s keen insight and analysis are the foundation to understanding Soviet military institutions. The focus is on the events of the war, but prewar preparation and high-level decision making are given appropriate emphasis. All researchers must read this set before turning to works that incorporate most recently available sources. The lack of standard footnotes is mostly alleviated by the outstanding 97-page “Sources and References” section. Continued in Erickson 1983.
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Hayward, Joel. “Hitler’s Quest for Oil: The Impact of Economic Considerations on Military Strategy, 1941–42.” Journal of Strategic Studies 18.4 (1995): 94–135.
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Concise and important analysis of the strategic considerations that led to the German offensive in southern Russia, and thereby to Stalingrad.
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Kehrig, Manfred. Stalingrad: Analyse und Dokumentation einer Schlacht. Stuttgart: Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, 1974.
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Considered to be the best work by a German historian on the battle of Stalingrad; authoritative and still relevant. Includes dozens of crucial documents. It unfortunately has never been translated into English.
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Samsonov, Aleksandr Mikhailovich. Stalingradskaia bitva. 4th rev. ed. Moscow: Nauka, 1989.
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Originally published in 1960 and often reprinted, this is still the best Russian-language operational history, and the one used by all academic historians. Samsonov is a model of what Soviet-era historians were able to achieve with archival sources and the careful use of memoirs. Translated into German and Italian, but never into English.
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Wegner, Bernd. “The Road to Defeat: The German Campaigns in Russia 1941–43.” Journal of Strategic Studies 13.1 (1990): 105–127.
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A handy article-length overview of the German point of view, by a respected scholar.
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Popular Histories

Stalingrad has attracted dozens of popular writers, many of whom do not have the language skills to work directly in Russian and/or German sources. The products of their work are often based in unsystematic research and translated materials, used uncritically, and they rarely cite their sources adequately, making verification impossible. Few are experts in Soviet or German history, yet they rarely avail themselves of recent scholarly work, and their interpretations often lack context or cultural understanding. Thus, these books often perpetuate myths, hagiography, and misperceptions. At the same time, the best of these authors write in a compelling and engaging way that causes unwary readers to confuse entertainment with authority; such is the case with Beevor 1998, Craig 2001, and Hoyt 1999. Roberts 2002 is a cut above the others in overall accuracy, as the author is a scholar; his work is listed here because of its lack of proper citation. Jones 2007 is an essential corrective to the narrative popular histories; he offers persuasive evidence that the Red Army at Stalingrad was characterized as much by strong morale and cohesion as by desperation, and its leaders, though ruthless, were also innovative and created a powerful rapport with soldiers. Hamilton 2011 covers Italian soldiers at Stalingrad.

Beevor, Antony. Stalingrad, the Fateful Siege: 1942–1943. New York: Viking, 1998.
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Beevor cites only direct quotations, virtually all taken from his own interviews or work in the NKVD archives. He does not cite sources for actual military operations, which all seem to be taken from the works of Erickson and Glantz.
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Craig, William. Enemy at the Gates: The Battle for Stalingrad. New York: Penguin, 2001.
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A well-balanced and highly readable popular account of the battle, based on numerous interviews with veterans from both sides. An excellent example of “history from below,” giving the soldiers’ point of view. Good photos and maps, bibliography, chapter notes, index. Originally published in 1973.
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Hamilton, Hope. Sacrifice on the Steppe: The Italian Alpine Corps in the Stalingrad Campaign, 1942–1943. Philadelphia: Casemate, 2011.
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An account of one Italian unit, based largely on interviews, memoirs, and letters. Although lacking strategic or tactical context, the individual stories and experiences offer insight into the neglected allies of Germany. This corps comprised 60,000 of the quarter-million Italian soldiers in the Italian 8th Army.
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Hoyt, Edwin Palmer. 199 Days: The Battle for Stalingrad. New York: Tor, 1999.
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Not drawn from archival sources, as the publisher suggests, but a rehash of very good secondary sources. Mostly from the German point of view; some excellent detail and strong narrative.
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Jones, Michael K. Stalingrad: How the Red Army Survived the German Onslaught. Philadelphia: Casemate, 2007.
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Compelling study based on newly accessed documents and interviews—but, maddeningly, does not cite sources except in the briefest of chapter notes. Corrects many myths and misinterpretations propagated in popular works such as Beevor 1998. Excellent coverage of command relationships and developing Red Army capabilities under the most harrowing of circumstances. Jones’s approach is that of a “battle psychologist” with a focus on leadership and morale.
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Roberts, Geoffrey. Victory at Stalingrad: The Battle That Changed History. London: Longman, 2002.
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A useful introductory overview of the battle. Better than most syntheses thanks to the author’s academic credentials and use of Russian-language sources. Good maps. Indicates sources for most of his material in a general way. The best book for undergraduate classroom use.
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Journalistic Accounts

Journalists, particularly war correspondents who were on the scene, provide some of the most important sources of information. Most focus on the city fighting. Soviet journalists were more prolific. Schröter 1958 and Werth 2001 are in some ways counterparts, both being contemporary accounts by journalists who were in Germany and Russia, respectively, during the battle. Kerr 1978 was also written by someone who was in country at the time. Sevruk and Vasilevskii 1970 includes essays by journalists and military leaders alike. Grossman 2005 introduces the reader to the work of the most important Soviet war correspondent.

Grossman, Vasilii Semenovich. A Writer at War: Vasily Grossman with the Red Army, 1941–1945. Translated by Antony Beevor and Luba Vinogradova. New York: Pantheon, 2005.
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An excellent edited compilation of some of Grossman’s wartime essays and diaries. Part 2, “The Year of Stalingrad,” pp. 110–212, focuses on Stalingrad. Includes descriptions of various soldiers and their achievements, for example, the top-scoring 62nd Army sniper, Anatolii Chekhov. Unique for Grossman’s discussion of deserters. Much of the material is previously published, but the weaving of Grossman’s varied writings with editorial comment makes this a useful resource.
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Kerr, Walter Boardman. The Secret of Stalingrad. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1978.
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A well-written popular account. Kerr was a reporter for the New York Herald Tribune who was in Russia in 1942. To research this book, he made five trips to the Soviet Union during 1967–1972, visiting Moscow and Volgograd. Readable maps, good photos, bibliography, and index.
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Schröter, Heinz. Stalingrad. New York: Dutton, 1958.
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An account by a German war correspondent who was with the 6th Army at Stalingrad. Schröter is generally considered a German apologist. The first version of the book was written as a report for Goebbels, but never published. As in many such accounts, the interesting material is marred by inaccuracies and unidentified sources.
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Sevruk, Vladimir, and Aleksandr Mikhailovich Vasilevskii. Moscow-Stalingrad 1941/1942: Recollections, Stories, Reports. Moscow: Progress, 1970.
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Translated essays by marshals Vasilevskii, Zhukov, and Rokossovskii, as well as contributions by journalists such as Konstantin Simonov, make this a useful collection. Includes an essay by Vassily Grossman on Gurtev’s Siberians at Stalingrad.
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Werth, Alexander. The Year of Stalingrad: A Historical Record and a Study of Russian Mentality, Methods and Policy. Safety Harbor, FL: Simon, 2001.
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Written by one of the outstanding war journalists who reported from Russia, this study combines material from Werth’s wartime diaries and notes with commentary written shortly after the war. Establishes the cultural context of the battle. Excellent observations of the Soviet people, what they knew during the battle, their moods and motivations. Much of this material was incorporated into Werth’s 1964 Russia at War. Originally published in 1946.
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Operational Histories

Operational histories provide essential detail on military actions, soundly based in archival and documentary sources, but they usually omit the human aspect of warfare and the broad strategic context. They are rarely “a good read” but are vital references. Comparing these works with popular histories can reveal many errors in the latter regarding unit placements, actions, and numbers. Glantz and House’s two-volume set (Glantz and House 2009a and Glantz and House 2009b) are the most in-depth studies of the battle to date, and essential for anyone researching actual military operations. Mark 2003 and Mark 2007 provide almost blow-by-blow coverage of German units in Stalingrad, but with little analysis and no context. Raus 2002 and Sadarananda 1990 both focus on German attempts to relieve the encircled 6th Army. Rokossovskii 1965 still holds up as an operational history by a key Soviet general. Dunn 2006 is an essential source that explains how the Soviets raised new divisions. Seydlitz 1977 offers the German perspective.

Dunn, Walter S. Stalin’s Keys to Victory: The Rebirth of the Red Army. Westport, CT: Praeger, 2006.
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Analyzes the formation and deployment of new divisions and brigades. A significant weakness is the lack of citation; the author says that an extensive database of some nine thousand units is the basis for the study. Even so, the chapter on Stalingrad is extremely useful, charting the increase in troops and weapons that enabled the defense to hold on and the counteroffensive to succeed.
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Glantz, David M., and Jonathan M. House. The Stalingrad Trilogy. Vol. 1, To the Gates of Stalingrad: Soviet-German Combat Operations, April-August 1942. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2009a.
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Takes battle history to a new level of exhaustive study. Argues that in the summer of 1942, the Germans were forced into a “stop-and-start method of conducting offensive operations”; the Soviets did not simply retreat but fought hard to stall the German army, which drained German resources so that it would be nearly impossible for them to prevail at Stalingrad. Continued in Glantz and House 2009b.
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Glantz, David M., and Jonathan M. House. The Stalingrad Trilogy. Vol. 2, Armageddon in Stalingrad: September-November 1942. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2009b.
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Places the battle in the context of the broader war and the urban fighting in the context of the campaign. Layers upon layers of information are presented: maps, orders of battle, biographies. No previous work matches, or even approaches, the accuracy, detail, and fresh interpretation, and the trilogy is rightly described as magisterial. Continued from Glantz and House 2009a.
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Mark, Jason. Death of the Leaping Horseman: 24. Panzer-Division in Stalingrad. Sydney, Australia: Leaping Horseman, 2003.
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Based on documents, unit histories, and firsthand reports, this day-by-day operational history recreates the fighting of one German division. Weaves a wide variety of primary sources into a chronological account. Photos, maps, biographies, and other extensive supporting materials make this a valuable resource. However, analysis and interpretation are lacking, and the author does not discriminate between the critical and the trivial.
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Mark, Jason. Island of Fire: The Battle for the Barrikady Gun Factory in Stalingrad, November 1942–February 1943. Sydney. Australia: Leaping Horseman, 2007.
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Based on German and Soviet archival materials, this day-by-day operational history recreates the fighting in the Barrikady Factory in painstaking detail at the divisional level.
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Raus, Erhard. Panzers on the Eastern Front: General Erhard Raus and His Panzer Divisions in Russia, 1941–1945. Edited by Peter Tsouras. London: Stackpole, 2002.
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Operational history of the German effort to relieve Stalingrad. Raus was commander of the 6th Panzer Division.
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Rokossovskii, Konstantin Konstantinovich, ed. Velikaia pobeda na Volge. Moscow: Voenizdat, 1965.
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Outstanding source that still tallies closely with recently available archival materials, since it was based on those materials. Critical of the senior leadership, including Stalin and the Stavka. Good maps.
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Sadarananda, Dana V. Beyond Stalingrad: Manstein and the Operations of Army Group Don. New York: Praeger, 1990.
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Covers the German attempt to relieve the 6th Army at Stalingrad; pro-Manstein bias.
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Seydlitz, Walther von. Stalingrad, Konflikt und Konsequenz: Erinnerungen. Oldenburg, Germany: Stalling, 1977.
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Still available only in German, this is a firsthand account of the battle from a key German general.
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Anthologies and Bibliographies

There are few anthologies devoted strictly to the battle of Stalingrad; the best have come from Germany, of which Wette, et al. 1992 is an excellent example. Muller and Ueberschar 2002 is one of the few formal bibliographies that is both current and has good coverage of Stalingrad. Wieder and Einsiedel 1995 (cited under German) includes an excellent examination of sources on Stalingrad, as does Roberts 2002 (cited under Popular Histories). Abalikhina 1994 is an example of a number of conference proceedings published in post-Soviet Russia. Erickson and Erickson 2005 includes two important essays on the battle.

Abalikhina, B. S. Stalingradskaia bitva: materialy nauchnykh konferentsii, proshedshikh v Moskve i Volgograde k 50-letiiu srazheniia. Volgograd: ST “Vale,” 1994.
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Interesting collection of articles that illustrates the newly critical tone of Russian historical analysis in the post-Soviet era. Based on a conference commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the battle.
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Erickson, Mark, and Ljubica Erickson, eds. Russia: War, Peace and Diplomacy—Essays in Honour of John Erickson. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2005.
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Although not devoted solely to Stalingrad, this collection includes relevant essays by Antony Beevor (“Stalingrad and Researching the Experience of War”) and Reina Pennington (“Women and the Battle of Stalingrad”), and several other essays mention the battle.
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Muller, Rolf-Dieter, and Gerd R. Ueberschar, eds. Hitler’s War in the East, 1941–1945: A Critical Assessment. 2d rev. ed. New York: Berghahn, 2002.
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Crucial; lists some 200 publications on Stalingrad.
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Wette, Wolfram, Gerd R. Ueberschär, and Sabine R. Arnold, eds. Stalingrad: Mythos und Wirklichkeit einer Schlacht. Frankfurt am Main: Fischer Taschenbuch Verlag, 1992.
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Excellent collection of articles by the editors, Manfred Kehrig, and others. Some articles focus on memory, others on Soviet and German historiography of the battle.
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Documents

Published documents make archival resources readily available and are a key resource. German documents have been available for years, but only a few Soviet documents had been published until glasnost and the post-Soviet era. Since then, a steady flow, if not quite a flood, has appeared. Pagonii 2000 is the most important source to date of Soviet documents; Samsonov, et al. 1968 (with the same title) was a key collection of documents released during the Soviet era. Zhilin 2002 also published hundreds of key documents. Rotundo 1989 is an essential primary source in English. Hill 2009 is the best collection for use in the classroom. Captured German and Related Records is the major resource for German materials outside the archives in Freiburg.

Captured German and Related Records on Microform in the National Archives. College Park, MD: National Archives.
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The National Archives holds more than 70,000 rolls of microfilm reproducing captured German and related records.
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Hill, Alexander. The Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union, 1941–45: A Documentary Reader. New York: Routledge, 2009.
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A useful, selective collection of primary sources, especially for teaching purposes. The chapter on Stalingrad includes the infamous Order 227 and reports by NKVD blocking detachments.
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Pagonii, Ia. F. Stalingradskaia epopeia: Materialy NKVD SSSR i voennoi tsenzury is Tsentral’nogo arkhiva FSB RF. Moscow: Zvonnitsa-MG, 2000.
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An absolutely essential source that includes many NKVD reports on the mood of Soviet soldiers and civilians during the battle. Also includes diaries and letters of both Soviet and German soldiers, intelligence messages, interrogation reports, and military memorandums. Of particular interest are data on executions for cowardice and desertion; the figures given here (fewer than 2,000) are considerably lower than the often cited number of 13,500.
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Rotundo, Louis, ed. The Battle for Stalingrad: The 1943 Soviet General Staff Study. Washington, DC: Pergamon-Brassey’s, 1989.
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Essential document for the study of the battle of Stalingrad. One of a series of studies produced by the Soviet General Staff during the war. English translation of unpublished 1943 manuscript, designed to analyze combat experiences and derive lessons learned for the military leadership.
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Samsonov, Aleksandr Mikhailovich, Vitol’d Kazimirovich Pechorkin, and M. V. Zakharov. Stalingradskaia epopeia. Moscow: Nauka, 1968.
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Collection of documents and memoirs of senior commanders, including M. I. Kazakov on Operation Saturn, M. M. Popov on the 5th Shock Army, and others.
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Zhilin, V. A., ed. Stalingradskaia bitva: khronika, fakty, liudi. 2 vols. Moscow: Olma-Press, 2002.
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One of the best of the wave of Russian-language Great Patriotic War studies published in post-Soviet Russia. Zhilin, a retired general, edited this collection of archival materials, including operational reports, directives of the Supreme Command, Sovinformburo reports, and captured German documents.
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Leaders and Leadership

The memoirs of German generals, especially those of Manstein 2004 (cited under German), have been widely published and studied in English. The memoirs of Soviet commanders have also been available in English but have received much less attention because of Cold War skepticism. The test of time has shown that both sets suffered primarily by sins of omission, with the Germans ignoring military actions against civilians and emphasizing Hitler’s influence on strategy over their own, and the Soviets ignoring some of their failures and, in particular, casualties.

German

Görlitz 1974 covers Paulus; Manstein and Seydlitz wrote their own memoirs (see Manstein 2004 and Seydlitz 1977; the latter is cited under Operational Histories). Barnett 2003 covers most senior German officers who were involved at Stalingrad, while Wieder and Einsiedel 1995 (cited under German) includes chapters on Paulus, Manstein, and Seydlitz. Megargee 2000 sets the context and is necessary background for reading about any German senior officer.

Barnett, Correlli. Hitler’s Generals. New York: Grove, 2003.
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Paulus is profiled, as is Kleist. Originally published in 1989.
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Görlitz, Walter. Paulus and Stalingrad: A Life of Field-Marshal Friedrich Paulus, with Notes, Correspondence and Documents from His Papers. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1974.
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An authorized biography, still considered one of the best works on Paulus, who never wrote his own memoir. Includes many useful documents. Originally published in German as “Ich stehe hier auf Befehl!” Lebensweg des Generalfeldmarschalls Friedrich Paulus (Frankfurt am Main: Verlag für Wehrwesen Bernard & Graefe, 1960).
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Manstein, Erich von. Lost Victories. Edited and translated by Anthony G. Powell. St. Paul, MN: Zenith, 2004.
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Originally published in 1958, this controversial memoir has been the subject of much criticism. It has been highly influential on most English-language histories, though scholars have pointed out its many errors (mostly those of omission). This memoir is one of the key sources of the “good soldiers in a bad war” view of the Wehrmacht.
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Megargee, Geoffrey. Inside Hitler’s High Command. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2000.
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This groundbreaking book argues that the senior military leadership was as responsible for military failures as was Hitler. Particularly useful as a corrective to the memoirs of German generals regarding Stalingrad.
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Soviet

All researchers should begin with the memoirs of Marshal Zhukov (see Zhukov and Salisbury 2002). Chuikov 1963 and Rokossovskii 1985 stand the test of time and correspond well to newly available archival materials; Chuikov is one of the most direct and compelling memoirs. Eremenko 1971 is often at odds with the work of contemporaries, such as Vasilevskii 1981, regarding responsibilities and decision making. Rodimtsev 1973 is an important view from a division commander. Shukman 1993 offers biographical portraits of twenty-five key leaders, written by top scholars. Druzhinin 1970 offers a selection of essays by senior officers.

Chuikov, V. I. The Beginning of the Road. Translated by Harold Silver. London: MacGibbon & Kee, 1963.
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Several of Chuikov’s works have been translated into English; this is one of the best. The original Russian Nachalo puti is best read in the 1959 “thaw” era version, which was less edited than later reprintings. This translation was based on the 1962 version. Focuses on Chuikov’s early days as commander of the 62nd Army at the battle of Stalingrad. Interesting coverage of the roles of military women.
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Druzhinin, B. V., ed. Two Hundred Days of Fire: Accounts by Participants and Witnesses of the Battle of Stalingrad. Moscow: Progress, 1970.
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Excellent collection of essays, including contributions by important commanders such as Vasilevskii, Voronov, Eremenko, Batov, and Rodimtsev. English translation of Dvesti ognennykh dnei (1968).
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Eremenko, A. I. Stalingrad. Moscow: Nauka, 1971.
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Never translated into English, Marshal Eremenko’s memoir provides the view of the commander of the Stalingrad front. Published in the Khrushchev era, there is an emphasis on both the author’s and Khrushchev’s role in the battle that is disputed by most other military leaders who published in the post-Khrushchev time frame.
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Rodimtsev, Aleksandr Il’ich. Gvardeitsy stoiali nasmert’: O 13-i gvardeiskoi strelkovoi divizii. 2d ed. Moscow: Izdatel’stvo DOSAAF, 1973.
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Originally published in 1969, this is Rodimtsev’s account of the 13th Guard Rifle Division, one of the key units of the 62nd Army.
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Rokossovskii, Konstantin Konstantinovich. A Soldier’s Duty. Moscow: Progress, 1985.
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Originally published in Russian in 1962 and often reprinted. Important discussion of the counteroffensive operations at Stalingrad.
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Shukman, Harold, ed. Stalin’s Generals. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1993.
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Essential reading on the Soviet high command. Includes portraits of many key leaders who were involved with the fighting at Stalingrad, including Chuikov, Novikov, Rokossovskii, Vasilevskii, and Zhukov. In the absence of English-language translations of memoirs or full-length biographies of most key leaders, this is indispensable.
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Vasilevskii, Aleksandr Mikhailovich. A Lifelong Cause. Moscow: Progress, 1981.
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The memoir of the well-respected marshal of the Soviet Union. As the new chief of the General Staff, Vasilevskii together with Zhukov planned Operation Uranus, and Vasilevskii was on scene during the counteroffensive. His version of the events at Kotelnikovo, when he diverted the 2nd Army from the assault on the Stalingrad pocket, is criticized by Rokossovskii and Eremenko. English translation of Delo vsei zhizni (Moscow: Politizdat, 1974).
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Zhukov, Georgi Konstantinovich, and Harrison Evans Salisbury. Marshal Zhukov’s Greatest Battles. New York: Cooper Square Press, 2002.
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This translation includes a portion of Zhukov’s memoirs published in various sources up to 1969, including an article on Stalingrad. Controversial assertions and contradictions to Chuikov and Rokossovskii. Some of Zhukov’s memoirs are available in Russian online.
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Memoirs

Bastable 2006 is an outstanding, rare example of a work that tries to balance both German and Russian firsthand accounts.

Bastable, Jonathan. Voices from Stalingrad. Cincinnati, OH: David & Charles, 2006.
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An outstanding compilation of both German and Soviet firsthand accounts. The author speaks both languages and served as a journalist in Russia. His eccentric system of citation makes it possible to track down the source of most of the information, which includes archival documents from the Volgograd Panorama Museum and the Bundesarchiv at Freiburg.
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German

Holl 2005, Wieder and Einsiedel 1995, and Wüster 2007 are outstanding examples of what can be done with a careful translation and editing job. Sajer 1990 is an example of how a memoir that is not carefully checked against documentary sources can become the target of severe criticism; the collection of letters offered in Schneider and Gullans 1974 shares the same notoriety. Koschorrek 2002 is one of the better examples.

Holl, Adelbert. An Infantryman in Stalingrad: From 24 September 1942 to 2 February 1943. Translated and edited by Jason D. Mark and Neil Page. Sydney, Australia: Leaping Horseman, 2005.
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Leutnant Holl gives the perspective of a junior infantry officer in Stalingrad. Supported by photos, maps, and some forty documents. English translation of Als Infanterist in Stalingrad: Bericht (Erlangen: Müller, 1978).
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Koschorrek, Gunter K. Blood Red Snow: The Memoirs of a German Soldier on the Eastern Front. London: Greenhill, 2002.
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A vivid memoir written fifty years after the war, based on a wartime diary by a German machine gunner who fought at the battle of Stalingrad.
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Sajer, Guy. The Forgotten Soldier: Washington, DC: Brassey’s, 1990.
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An engrossing and controversial memoir by a Frenchman enlisted in the SS Grossdeutschland Division, marred by apparent exaggeration and sensationalism.
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Schneider, Franz, and Charles B. Gullans, eds. Last Letters from Stalingrad. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1974.
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A highly dramatic and controversial book, purportedly the last letters written by German soldiers in Stalingrad. Heinz Schröter, a journalist who wrote a book on Stalingrad (see Schröter 1958 in Journalistic Accounts), is thought to be the actual author. Some defend the forgery as an accurate reconstruction of the thoughts and feelings of the soldiers known to Schröter. First published in 1954.
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Wieder, Joachim, and Heinrich Einsiedel. Stalingrad: Memories and Reassessments. Translated by H. Bogler. London: Arms and Armour, 1995.
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This memoir of a Stalingrad veteran combines his own memoir with assessments of Paulus, Manstein, and Seydlitz. This work is distinguished by its critical analysis, citations, and reviews of the literature.
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Wüster, Wigand. An Artilleryman in Stalingrad: Memoirs of a Participant in the Battle. Translated by Torben Laursen, Jason D. Mark and Harald Steinmüller. Sydney, Australia: Leaping Horseman, 2007.
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Narrative supported with extensive photos and several maps. Wüster was a young officer; this readable memoir recounts his experiences from August 1942 through his capture and captivity.
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Soviet

A number of Russian-language Internet sites that include memoir material have sprung up, of which I Remember/Ia pomniu is the best. Abdulin 2004 and Kobylyanskiy 2008 are just two examples of the dozens of memoirs that include something about Stalingrad. Lemport 1991 is notable for its humor about frontline life. Zaitsev, et al. 2009 (cited under Snipers) is important as the memoir of one of the most mythologized Red Army soldiers of the war.

Abdulin, Mansur. Red Road from Stalingrad: Recollections of a Soviet Infantryman. Edited by Artem Drabkin. Barnsley, UK: Pen & Sword Military, 2004.
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Abdulin, a Siberian-born Tatar, has produced a highly readable account of one soldier’s mostly post-Stalingrad experiences, including the battle of Kursk. Discusses unit cohesion and the daily life of the soldier in somewhat more detail than most memoirs. Excellent for use in teaching. If you read only one memoir, start here.
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I Remember/Ia pomniu.
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This outstanding site collects interviews and memoirs by Soviet women and men who participated in the war; all branches and types of service are represented. The Russian-language site is more extensive, but some entries are available in translation on the English-language site. A search on “Stalingrad” will bring up the relevant interviews (four times as many, including women, on the Russian site).
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Kobylyanskiy, Isaak. From Stalingrad to Pillau: A Red Army Artillery Officer Remembers the Great Patriotic War. Edited by Stuart Britton. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2008.
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Memoir of an artillery officer in the 2nd Guards Army. Topics include his experiences as a Jew in the Red Army, perceptions of the enemy, attitudes toward political officers, unauthorized retreats, and rape.
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Lemport, Vladimir. “A Lousy Story.” MHQ: Quarterly Journal of Military History 3.2 (1991): 86–91.
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A survivor of the Stalingrad front recalls some of the hardships of frontline life; humorous.
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Italian

Few memoirs of Axis allies from Stalingrad have been translated into English; Corti 1997 is one exception.

Corti, Eugenio. Few Returned: Twenty-Eight Days on the Russian Front, Winter 1942–1943. Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 1997.
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A memoir by a young Italian artillery officer, first published in 1947 and now translated into English. A good depiction of conditions for Germany’s allies, though it is not particularly well written.
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Aviation

The extensive attention devoted to ground combat at Stalingrad has not been matched by equal study of aviation. Most overviews, such as those of Glantz, ignore aviation altogether. These works reveal the complex and critical role played by aviation in both armies throughout the battle. Most German air-unit war diaries were destroyed in 1945, which has hindered the writing of unit histories; such is not the case in the Soviet Union. Most Soviet air armies produced unit histories, as did a number of lower-level units; Boikov 1984 and Skomorokhov 1973 are examples. Hardesty 1982 is the best source in English for an overview of Soviet Air Force operations, and includes extensive discussion of Stalingrad; Muller 1992 is its counterpart for the Luftwaffe. Hayward 1998 is the best and practically the only source in English on German aviation operations during the battle; however, the Soviet side of the story as Hayward tells it is not based in Russian materials, and readers must turn to Hardesty or Bergström instead. Bergström 2007 provides an in-depth examination of the role of aviation at the tactical and operational level. Corum 2008 and Corum and Muller 1998 are works that focus on the Luftwaffe, with important sections on the Stalingrad campaign.

Bergström, Christer. Stalingrad—The Air Battle: 1942 through January 1943. Hinckley, UK: Midland-Ian Allen, 2007.
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This extensively researched book is the first in English to focus on the role of military aviation at Stalingrad. The Soviet Air Force was at first overwhelmed in both quantity and quality, but by the end of the battle prevailed over the Luftwaffe in both regards. Concisely covers key units and aircraft, leadership, aerial resupply, Lend-Lease, and more. Essential corrective to other works that generally overlook air operations. Lacks strategic context.
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Boikov, P. M. No glavnykh napravleniiakh: Boivoi put’ 10-i gvardeiskoi istrebitel’noi aviatsionnoi Stalingradskoi Krasnozanmennoi, orden Suvorova II stepeni divizii. Moscow: Voenizdat, 1984.
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Combat record of the 10th Guards Stalingrad Red Banner, Order of Suvorov II, class Fighter Aviation Division, a unit that received a special designation for its work at Stalingrad.
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Corum, James S. Wolfram von Richthofen: Master of the German Air War. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2008.
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The first scholarly biography of Richthofen, backed by solid research and set into the context of the broader history of the Luftwaffe. As commander of 4th Luftflotte, Richthofen was a key figure during the Stalingrad campaign.
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Corum, James S., and Richard Muller, eds. The Luftwaffe’s Way of War: German Air Force Doctrine, 1911–1945. Baltimore: Nautical & Aviation, 1998.
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Excellent collection of key German documents, with extremely useful commentaries by the editors.
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Hardesty, Von. Red Phoenix: The Rise of Soviet Air Power, 1941–1945. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1982.
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Although written before the opening of the archives, this book stands the test of time. Its exhaustive research and accessible style make it the standard work on the Soviet Air Force. One chapter focuses on Stalingrad.
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Hayward, Joel S. A. Stopped at Stalingrad: The Luftwaffe and Hitler’s Defeat in the East, 1942–43. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 1998.
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Outstanding study of aviation operations during the battle of Stalingrad, especially those of Richthofen’s 4th Air Fleet. Sets the strategic context. Extensively researched and a pleasure to read. Contradicts Soviet assessment that 40,000 people died in the 23 August 1942 bombing of Stalingrad; Hayward believes 25,000 is more realistic. Excellent maps.
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Muller, Richard. The German Air War in Russia. Baltimore: Nautical & Aviation, 1992.
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The best overall book on the Luftwaffe in World War II, this book provides the strategic context for the Luftwaffe’s actions at Stalingrad.
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Skomorokhov, N. M. 17’Aia vozdushnaia armiia v boiakh ot Stalingrada do Veny: Voenno-istoricheskii ocherk o boevom puti 17-i vozdushnoi armii g gody VOV. Moscow: Voenizdat, 1973.
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This history of the 17th Air Army in battles from Stalingrad to Vienna is typical of Soviet official histories—detailed and surprisingly frank about most operational problems, though ignoring political issues such as penal units.
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Snipers

Of all the events at Stalingrad, the Soviet sniper movement has received the most attention. Vasilii Zaitsev has received the most attention, although he was not the highest-scoring sniper. The “sniper duel” between Zaitsev and an unknown German sniper (one of many sniper duels) has achieved mythical proportion. The myth originated in the Soviet press and has been perpetuated in many works since. Zaitsev and Okrent 2010 recounts the story of a sniper duel with an anonymous German. Other sources have attributed a name and status to the German sniper that cannot be verified in any contemporary source; the idea that a top German sniper was sent to specifically take on Zaitsev appears to have no foundation in reality. Craig 2001 (cited under Popular Histories) and Robbins 1999 are sources that exaggerate the duel; the film Enemy at the Gates (cited under Film) took the myth to new levels. Jones 2007 (cited under Popular Histories) devotes a full chapter to the sniper movement and is a powerful corrective to the myth by setting the actual context of “sniperism” and by highlighting the activities of lesser known snipers. The role of women snipers has also been portrayed in wildly varying ways. Enemy at the Gates depicts women snipers as incompetent and hysterical, and they never actually fire a weapon. Beevor 1998 (cited under Popular Histories) ignores them altogether. Craig and Robbins are more accurate on this point. Pennington 2005 is the best source for documented information on this topic.

Pennington, Reina. “Women and the Battle of Stalingrad.” In Russia: War, Peace and Diplomacy—Essays in Honour of John Erickson. Edited by Mark Erickson and Ljubica Erickson, 169–211. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2005.
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Includes a detailed discussion of the role of female snipers at Stalingrad; in particular, the truth about Tania Chernova, Zaitsev’s pupil, is discussed. A necessary corrective for the portrayals of Chernova and other women snipers in most of the sources discussed above.
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Robbins, David L. War of the Rats. New York: Bantam, 1999.
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Robbins went to Russia and interviewed veterans, including sniper Vasilii Zaitsev. This novel centers around the apocryphal sniper duel between Zaitsev and a German sniper.
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Zaitsev, Vasily Grigorevich, and Neil Okrent. Notes of a Russian Sniper: Vassili Zaitsev and the Battle of Stalingrad. Translated by David Givens, Peter Kornakov, and Konstatin Kornakov; edited by Neil Okrent. London: Frontline, 2010.
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At last Zaitsev’s memoir has been translated. Zaitsev became famous for his activities at the battle of Stalingrad, including the possibly apocryphal “sniper duel.” Uncritical and practical description of his training and how he conducted his sniper school; a useful antidote for the film Enemy at the Gates (cited under Film).
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Women

Soviet women, as civilians and soldiers, were extensively involved throughout all phases of this battle. It was not an all-male event, as it is usually depicted. Thousands of women—up to 60,000 military women and several thousand civilians—participated in the battle from start to finish. Women in the Red Army served as pilots, snipers, scouts, interrogators, anti-aircraft crews, communications and medical personnel, and even tank drivers. Women’s participation is mentioned in most Soviet sources; Chuikov 1963 (cited under Leaders and Leadership) devotes an entire chapter, “Women in the Defense of Stalingrad,” to women’s role in the battle, and they are mentioned in the memoirs of Eremenko, Rodimtsev, and others (see Eremenko 1971 and Rodimtsev 1973, both cited under Soviet). Ovchinnikova 1987 focuses solely on women’s combat roles, while Pennington 2005 examines all women’s roles in the battle. Murmantseva 1974 is the best Russian source, while Zarubina 1958 is a useful early work. War of the Century (cited under Film) includes a chilling interview with a female NKVD interrogator and women civilian survivors.

Murmantseva, Vera Semenova. Sovetskie zhenshchiny v Velikoi Otechestvennoi voine 1941–1945. Moscow: Mysl’, 1974.
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Murmantseva, a noted academic author on military women, notes that “entire units and subunits of women took part in the battles for Stalingrad: anti-air divisions, aviation regiments, communications subunits. Women fought at the walls of the tractor factory, the Red October metallurgical factory, at Mamaev Kurgan, and on the streets of the city.” This classic work sets the context of women’s participation in the war, with a great deal of discussion of Stalingrad.
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Ovchinnikova, L. P. Zhenshchiny v soldatskikh shineliakh. Volgograd: Nizhne-Volzhskoe, 1987.
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Rare Russian book that chronicles some of the women who fought during the battle of Stalingrad.
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Pennington, Reina. “Women and the Battle of Stalingrad.” In Russia: War, Peace and Diplomacy—Essays in Honour of John Erickson. Edited by Mark Erickson and Ljubica Erickson, 169–211. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2005.
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In-depth study by an academic scholar of the varied roles played by Soviet women, both civilian and military. Thoroughly researched and based on a wide variety of cited sources.
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Zarubina, Anastasiia Dmitrievna. Zhenshchiny na zashchite Stalingrada. Stalingrad: Stalingradskoe knizhnoe izdatel’stvo, 1958.
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A short book that covers women’s roles.
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Fiction

As with journalism, Russian-language fiction on Stalingrad seems to exceed that in German and English, which is largely popular and not recommended for use by historians. A few highly regarded Soviet writers, most veterans or journalists, produced works that are rightly regarded as classics, and despite their publication in the Soviet Union, they are frank about the fighting conditions of the Red Army. Alekseev 2000, Grossman 1985, Grossman 2010, Nekrasov 1962, and Simonov 1945 are examples of the best of Soviet fiction. Gerlach 2002 is the best of German fiction on the topic, as is Robbins 1999 for English, despite some shortcomings in the realm of historical accuracy.

Alekseev, Mikhail. Moi Stalingrad: Roman. Moscow: Druzhba Narodov, 2000.
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Alekseev is a well-known editor, writer, and Stalingrad veteran, who has become known for advocating that Volgograd be renamed Stalingrad once more to honor the thousands who died there. His novel focuses on the experiences of the Soviet soldier.
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Gerlach, Heinrich. The Forsaken Army. Translated by Richard Graves. London: Cassell, 2002.
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First published in 1957, this “documentary novel” written by a Stalingrad veteran has been described as objective, instructive, shattering, and “meticulously accurate.” The focus is on the human experience of German soldiers.
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Grossman, Vasilii Semenovich. The Road: Stories, Journalism, and Essays. Translated by Robert Chandler, Elizabeth Chandler and Olga Mukovnikova. New York: New York Review of Books, 2010.
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This annotated collection of Grossman’s fiction and journalism includes the title story about a mule at Stalingrad.
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Grossman, Vasily. Life and Fate. Translated by Robert Chandler. London: Collins Harvill, 1985.
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One of the most perceptive and powerful novels about Stalingrad, and an excellent translation. The focus is not on the battle as much as the effects of the battle on several individuals and their families. Banned in the Soviet Union for its explicit comparison of Nazi and Soviet political tyranny, the book was first published in Switzerland in 1980 and not until 1988 in the Soviet Union.
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Nekrasov, Viktor. Front-Line Stalingrad. London: Harvill, 1962.
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Considered a classic, honest work about the battle from the Soviet point of view.
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Robbins, David L. War of the Rats. New York: Bantam, 1999.
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Part of a trilogy on the Eastern Front, this book focuses on the urban warfare at Stalingrad, especially the work of snipers. Written from a Russian point of view.
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Simonov, Konstantin. Days and Nights. Translated by Joseph Barnes. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1945.
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A favorite of many Russians, and considered one of the most realistic portrayals of events at Stalingrad, written by a war correspondent who was there.
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Film

War of the Century (Rees 2005) is the best documentary and the first any researcher should watch; veterans from both sides talk frankly about their actions during the war. Russia’s War: Blood Upon the Snow (Overy 2009) is not up to the quality of War of the Century, but can be used to supplement it. Stalingrad: Der Angriff, der Kessel, der Untergang (Dehnhardt, et al. 2003) is distinguished only by some footage shot during the conflict. Battlefield Detectives: Stalingrad (Wright 2006 is useful for its detailed analysis of a few aspects of the battle, such as the physical destruction of the city and how weapons worked in winter. The three main cinematic efforts differ widely, and none gets it quite right. All completely lack strategic context. Enemy at the Gates (Annaud 2001) is a misleading and highly inaccurate film, especially in terms of military tactics. The two German films do a better job of realistic portrayal of military events but are controversial for their political tone. Hunde, wollt ihr ewig leben (Wisbar 1959) takes the “good soldier in a bad war” approach. Stalingrad: Der Angriff, der Kessel, der Untergang is the best in its portrayal of tactical-level fighting, but its “good men in a bad army” tone is seen today as inaccurate. It is also the best film for combat action; it still shows mostly “good soldiers” but, unlike Hunde, these lose their devotion to duty. None of the films tackles the issue of war crimes in a serious way, or the issue of “Where are the Nazis?” Hunde shows the Nazis at Hitler’s headquarters; in Stalingrad, only a few officers are Nazis; in Enemy, the entire Wehrmacht are faceless Nazis.

Annaud, Jean Jacques, dir. Enemy at the Gates. DVD. Hollywood, CA: Paramount, 2001.
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The film gets the look and feel of the city and the soldiers right, but everything else wrong. It does not reflect events from the book of the same title. The historical characters depicted in it do a disservice to the actual human beings. Its portrayal of both the Red Army and the Wehrmacht, especially in terms of combat, is just plain wrong.
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Dehnhardt, Sebastian, Manfred Oldenburg, Christian Deick, and Jörg Müllner, dirs. Stalingrad: Der Angriff, der Kessel, der Untergang. DVD. Cologne: German United Distributors, 2003.
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Three-part TV documentary series, originally aired in Germany and Russia, that attempts a balanced portrayal of both sides of the battle. Notable for being filmed on location in Russia, it also includes contemporary and archival footage.
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Overy, Richard, dir. Russia’s War: Blood Upon the Snow, 1997. DVD. London: Entertainment One, 2009.
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Part 3 of this series focuses on Stalingrad, using eyewitness interviews, archival photography, and other materials. Not up to the quality of War of the Century.
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Rees, Laurence, prod. War of the Century, 1999. DVD. London: BBC Video, 2005.
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Hands down, this television series is the best documentary on the Eastern Front, primarily for its interviews with veterans of both armies, subtitled but undubbed, allowing the viewer to hear the exact words in the original languages. Compelling and frank. One episode focuses on the battle of Stalingrad, and offers useful correctives to the nature of the fighting, the river crossing, life in the sewers, the experiences of children trapped in the city, and women’s roles.
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Vilsmaier, Joseph, dir. Stalingrad, 1992. DVD. Munich: Bavaria Film, 1998.
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Overall, the best Stalingrad film in terms of its depiction of combat, with realistic scenes of urban fighting, engagements in the sewer system, and winter warfare during the Soviet counteroffensive. Controversial for its portrayal of the moral disintegration of its soldiers, hastened when they are forced to shoot civilians, and the decision of some to desert. The second German film about the battle of Stalingrad (Wisbar 1959 was the first).
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Wisbar, Frank, dir. Hunde, wollt ihr ewig leben. Hamburg: Deutsche Film Hansa, 1959.
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This early German film (Dogs, do you want to live forever?) is generally considered to be frank and realistic for its time in its portrayal of poor morale and the real hardships on the front. Tells the story of a German officer serving as an advisor to a Romanian unit and focuses on the Soviet encirclement of Axis forces. The Wehrmacht is seen as doing its job, betrayed by Hitler to its doom. The first German film about the battle of Stalingrad.
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Wright, David. Battlefield Detectives: Stalingrad. DVD. New York: New Video Group, 2006.
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Episode from the History Channel’s “forensic documentary television series.” Uses structural forensics to analyze how buildings were destroyed; shows how the Red Army adapted to winter using improved weapons lubrication.
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Photographs

Photographic collections are very useful for their visual impact but often lack adequate commentary and analysis. Drabkin 2010, Einsiedel and Archiv für Kunst und Geschichte 1985, Mark 2008, and Walsh 2000 are all valuable. Drabkin and Mark stand out for the quality of their commentary and attempts at historical accuracy.

Drabkin, Artem. The Red Army at War: Images of War: Rare Photographs from Wartime Archives. Barnsley, UK: Pen & Sword Military, 2010.
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Excellent collection of 200 photos of daily life, organized topically. Chapters include “Training,” “Entertainment,” “Food,” “Sleeping,” “Personal Hygiene,” “Women at the Front,” and several combat-related subjects.
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Einsiedel, Heinrich, and Archiv für Kunst und Geschichte. The Onslaught: The German Drive to Stalingrad, Documented in 150 Unpublished Colour Photographs from the German Archive for Art and History. Translated by Arnold J. Pomeraus. New York: W. W. Norton, 1985.
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A typical collection of photographs. Introduction by well-known British historian Max Hastings and commentary by a German war journalist.
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Mark, Jason. Angriff: The German Attack on Stalingrad in Photos. Sydney, Australia: Leaping Horseman, 2008.
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Seven hundred photos from the German perspective, many from private collections taken by soldiers rather than combat photographers. The editor has attempted to research and caption every photo with more accuracy than is often the case in such collections. Notable for the attempt to identify the precise location of each image, linked to a map. Organized chronologically.
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Walsh, Stephen. Stalingrad 1942–1943: The Infernal Cauldron. London: Simon & Schuster, 2000.
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A brief overview of the battle by a Sandhurst lecturer; its main value is in its photographs.