AUGUST 1942

BATTLE OF STALINGRAD

One of the most famous (and decisive) battles of the war began on 23 August 1942 in what is now the Russian city of Volgograd. Then named Stalingrad after the Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin, the city was strategically important for both Axis and Soviet forces due to its location on the River Volga.

Hitler had ordered a major offensive into southern Russia during the