Xiang,+Yuxi


 * Investigation Subject to Change

Joe Xiang

 * 1) =====Plan of the Investigation (168)=====

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The purpose of this investigation is to figure out to what extent Russian snipers changed the outcome of the Battle of Stalingrad in World War II. The main body of the investigation will give a background of the Battle of Stalingrad and will include information such as the nature of the battle, strategies used by the both the Russian and German generals, and the situation the Russians were in. The main body of the investigation will also address the significance of snipers in the Battle of Stalingrad, which will be compared to other factors of battle, such as weather, tactical errors, and other aspects which may have had a great effect on the battle’s outcome. Two sources will be analyzed in this investigation, //Enemy at the Gates,// and //Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege//, which will be evaluated though their origins, purposes, values, and limitations. This method of investigation will help conclude to what extent did Russian snipers change the outcome of the Battle of Stalingrad in World War II. =====
 * 1) =====Summary of Evidence=====

1. Situation (124) In June of 1941, Hitler is poised to launch the biggest campaign in history, the invasion of the Soviet Union under the leadership of General Paulus (1). In a few days, German forces were crushing the Soviet ground defenses and air force, and were able to advance up to 50 miles per day in Soviet territory (2). WIth Hitler deciding all military strategies, he decided to send his fourth panzer army to Stalingrad, hoping for the easy capture of a relatively undefended city (3). Following standard Blitzkrieg procedure, German bombers were sent to bomb the city. As the Russians lacked military hardware to first deal with these bombers, portions of the city were reduced to rubble (4). Thus, the Battle of Stalingrad had begun.

2. Nature of the battle strategies (231)

Germany -Germany's battle strategies mainly relied on the fast, hard hitting, supportive type of warfare called Blitzkrieg (5). "Blitzkrieg tactics required the concentration of offensive weapons (such as tanks, planes, and artillery) along a narrow front. These forces would drive a breach in enemy defenses, permitting armored tank divisions to penetrate rapidly and roam freely behind enemy lines, causing shock and disorganization among the enemy defenses" (6). In the Battle of Stalingrad, the Germans were almost certain that with their Blitzkrieg tactics, they would be able to take the city in just a few days, although they knew it to be heavily defended (7).

Russia -Russia's battle strategies manily focused on securing Stalingrad. Joseph Stalin ordered the city to be defended until the last man. Thus Stalin enacted Order Number 227. This order basically stated that all Russian soldiers would hold their positions, and would defend it to their deaths. Any soldier seen running away from the battle could face serious military punishment if caught, or would be immiediately shot by their own comrades (8). Compared to Germany, the Russian army was much less technologically advanced, and at times, ill equipped. Thus they needed some way to balance the odds. A general named Yeremenko knew he needed to fight for Stalingrad street by street (9). This was termed as "hugging", and allowed the Soviets to properly fight the Germans on their terms (10).

3. Tactics of the battle to carry out strategy (378) Due to the fact that Germany had bombed out Stalingrad with their bombers, rubble was littered across the city. Rubble proved to be very good anti-tank barricades, effectively stopping German Panzers (11). Furthermore, the location of the battle proved to be a challenge for Germany. German tactics usually were devoted in fighting big open spaces where blitzkrieg proved most effective. By attacking the city, the Germans had to deal with constant street fighting, where they could not be supported their airplanes or artillery, as they may hit their own troops (12). Hugging tactics and city type warfare eventually led to Russia using more advanced forms of urban warfare by using snipers. These snipers could “riddle the columns” and “blow gaps” in enemy ranks. Germans found few places to hide from sniper fire as they constantly had to battle for each section of the city. (13) These snipers could cause heavy morale damage, as well as disrupt the enemy lines (14). Furthermore, snipers such as the famous sniper Vasily Zaitsev, were incredible propaganda material for the Soviets, allowing them to increase the morale of many soldiers and make them fight harder for their country (15). Snipers that were teamed up with spotters allowed Chuikov to position rocket strikes in key German positions, causing German casualties, and placing fear in the minds of German soldiers (16). Furthermore, Russian Winter was incredibly effective against the Germans. Germans were incredibly unprepared for Russian Winter, and in one instance a German soldier remembers that, “hundreds of [German] men [were] clutching shawls or thin blankets to protect their shivering bodies from the cruel winds [of winter]” (17). German clothing was simply inadequate for the extreme cold temperatures, which allowed the Russians to keep up with their war of attrition (18). However, the final death blow to the Germans were not dealt by the troops already inside the city, but rather troops secretly placed outside the city (19). In Operation Uranus, Soviets used their buildup of T-34 tanks outside the city to shatter Romanian defenses and to encircle the Germans (20). This allowed the Russians to surround 290,000 German soldiers in Stalingrad, who were cut off from their supply lines (21). This operation would cause General Paulus to surrender to the Russians shortly after (22).

4. Other factors affecting outcome

C. Evaluation of Sources

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Craig, William. //Enemy at the Gates: the Battle for Stalingrad//. New York, NY: Penguin, 2001. Print. =====

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// Enemy at the Gates // is a non-fiction book written by William Craig, which describes the events surrounding the Battle of Stalingrad. William Craig focused on the Battle of Stalingrad for five years, travelling extensively throughout three continents, studying documents, and interviewing veterans of the Battle of Stalingrad. The purpose of this book is to provide the reader with an in-depth view of the Battle of Stalingrad, through accounts of important events and interviews of both Russian and German survivors. The book is to be read in order to gain a background of the Battle of Stalingrad, as well as strategies and conditions that were present. Furthermore, the book is to be read to gain an understanding as to why Russian snipers were an important part of the Soviet fighting force, and how their participation drastically altered the course of war. The value of William Craig’s book is that he attempts to present an unbiased account of the Battle of Stalingrad, while also describing in detail the strategies and actions of generals and leaders such as Hitler and Stalin. His analysis of the battle also explains the effectiveness of particular strategies, such as the massive deployment of trained Russian snipers, as well comparing German Blitzkrieg tactics to Soviet "Hugging" tactics. However, like other authors who write about Soviet history, including battles, William Craig is limited by the Soviet Union’s privilege to restrict access to political documents. In his bibliography of sources, he even writes “not intended for circulation outside the Soviet Union” under some of his sources. Furthermore, Craig’s accounts are also limited by his American Background. He will inevitably look at the battle from a different perspective than that of a German or Russian who were much more involved in the Battle of Stalingrad. =====

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//Stalingrad// is a non-fiction book written by Anthony Beevor, who is a British historian. Anthony Beevor focused an incredible amount of time interviewing veterans in the Battle of Stalingrad, and spent a lot of time in German and Soviet libraries, studying documents. Some of these documents were incredibly important, such as the papers of General Friedrich Paulus, who was in charge of the German 6th army. The purpose of the book is to provide the reader with more detailed information regarding the Battle of Stalingrad, specifically looking at the battle through the perspective of a various individuals, including officers, and common soldiers. The book is to be read in order to understand the perspectives of various individuals of the battle, and to understand how these perspectives ultimately outlined strategies employed by both the Germans and the Russians. The book is also to be read to understand why some strategies ultimately were more useful than others, due to battlefield situations. =====

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The value of Antony Beevor’s book is that he provides a different view on the Battle of Stalingrad compared to other historian authors. Antony Beevor focuses more time and information regarding the human experiences in warfare, instead of just focusing on the battle tactics and theory. Furthermore, Antony Beevor tries to provide an unbiased account of the Battle of Stalingrad, as he presents both the Russian and German side in equal light. However, Antony Beevor’s accounts are limited by the Soviet Union’s Privledge to restrict documents. While Antony Beevor tries to present an equal amount of information from both the German and Russian perspective, his Russian perspective lacks depth. In the preface of his book, he notes that he was able to retrieve papers from General Paulus of the German side, but not from Chuikov or Yeremenko of the Russian side. Futhermore, Antony Beevor’s accounts may be limited from his British background. As the British were part of the Allies in World War Two, his perspective on the Battle of Stalingrad may be biased to the Russian side, due to their alliance. =====

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Snipers were somewhat late to the battle, only used after Russia had lost most of Stalingrad to the Germans already (23). Furthermore, there are certain conditions of battle that needed to be met in order for snipers to be effective. For example, if the Battle of Stalingrad had taken place outside of the city, where German Blitzkrieg warfare reigned supreme, the Battle of Stalingrad may have ended in a German victory. City type urban warfare was necessary for snipers to have an actual effect on the outcome of the battle. =====

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However, one should not downplay how effective these soldiers were as propaganda. One case of a sniper being used as propaganda is the sniper Vasily Zaitsev, who apparently had killed 40 men in ten day’s time, using just a single bullet for each kill (24). The Russian newspapers had made him into a national hero, and gave hope to the losing Russian army. =====

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Yet, there is also an argument that it was not just snipers themselves that changed the course of the battle in Stalingrad, but rather Russian Winter, was the most effective factor. Lacking proper winter uniforms, many German soldiers died in the brutal Russian winter (25). Furthermore, it is said that it is not the Russian snipers that changed the entire battle, but rather, Operation Uranus ultimately changed the outcome. (26). =====

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Some would further argue that the sheer number of forces that were available to either side proved to be the deciding factor. Looking at the casualties of the end of the battle, we see that out of 285,000 soldiers in the German sixth army, 165,000 had died. This is a rather small amount of deaths compared to the 1,000,000 soldiers Stalin had lost (27) Sheer numbers did seem to be important, as if the Russians had considerably less soldiers, the outcome of the battle may have been different. =====

E. Conclusion (105) Overall, many would have to see that although snipers played a rather big role in the battle of Stalingrad, acting as useful propaganda and killing several thousands of soldiers, it was truly a mixture of different factors on the battlefield that ultimately allowed the Russians to change the entire outcome of the battle. If Russia did not employ hugging tactics, use snipers frequently, have the Russian winter wear down the Germans, secretly build up a large army behind the Germans and did not have a army with significantly more soldiers than the Germans, the entire Battle of Stalingrad may have been lost to the Germans.

F Sources

"Blitzkrieg (Lightning War)." United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Web. 07 Nov. 2010.
 <[]>.

Craig, William. Stalingrad. New York, NY: Penguin, 2001. Print.

"Not One Step Back - Order 227." History Learning Site. Web. 08 Nov. 2010.

Mid-summer, By. "Defeat of Hitler: Catastrophe at Stalingrad."  The History Place. Web. 08 Nov. 2010.  .

“ Stalingrad.” Commanders at War. Military Channel. 3/2/2009

20th Century Battlefields: Episode 3 - 1942 Stalingrad : Video : The Military Channel." Military <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Channel : Wars, Weapons, Vehicles, Games, Top Ten Lists. Web. 08 Nov. 2010. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <http://military.discovery.com/videos/20th-century-battlefields-episode-3-1942- <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> stalingrad.html>.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Wacker, Albrecht. Sniper on the Eastern Front the Memories of Sepp Allerberger ; Knights Cross. Barnsley, South Yorkshire<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">: Pen & Sword Military, 2009. Print.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Endnotes

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3 "Blitzkrieg (Lightning War)." //United States Holocaust Memorial Museum//. Web. 07 Nov. 2010.
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[]

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">6 "Blitzkrieg (Lightning War)." //United States Holocaust Memorial Museum//. Web. 07 Nov. 2010.
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[].

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">14 Wacker, Albrecht. Sniper on the Eastern Front the Memories of Sepp Allerberger ; Knights Cross. Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Pen & Sword Military, 2009. Print. page 29 =====

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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">17 Craig, William. //Enemy at the Gates: the Battle for Stalingrad//. New York, NY: Penguin, 2001. Print. page 352 =====

<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">22 “Stalingrad.” Commanders at War. Military Channel. 3/2/2009
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">23 "20th Century Battlefields: Episode 3 - 1942 Stalingrad : Video : The Military Channel." //Military Channel : Wars, Weapons, Vehicles, Games, Top Ten Lists//. Web. 08 Nov. 2010. <http://military.discovery.com/videos/20th-century-battlefields-episode-3-1942-stalingrad.html>. <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">**24. Craig, William. //Enemy at the Gates: the Battle for Stalingrad//. New York, NY: Penguin, 2001. Print. page 121**

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: auto 0in;"> 25 "20th Century Battlefields: Episode 3 - 1942 Stalingrad : Video : The Military Channel." //Military Channel : Wars, Weapons, Vehicles, Games, Top Ten Lists//. Web. 08 Nov. 2010. []. ===== <span style="background: white; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">** 26. Craig, William. //Enemy at the Gates: the Battle for Stalingrad//. New York, NY: Penguin, 2001. Print. page 183 **

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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; margin: auto 0in;">27 Mid-summer, By. "Defeat of Hitler: Catastrophe at Stalingrad." //The History Place//. Web. 08 Nov. 2010. <http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/defeat/catastrophe-stalingrad.htm>. =====