The attempt of German Officers against Hitler

The Battle of Stalingrad are a series of battles that took place in 1942 and 1943. German troops were coming of a great victory in the blitzkrieg and were advancing but there was a time when the German army was divided, with the objective of occupying the city of Stalingrad. In August 1942, the German Sixth Army, under the command of General Friedrich von Paulus, advanced toward Stalingrad, initiating a period of terrible street fighting to try to bring out to the Russian forces in the city.

It didn’t seem difficult to occupy that city, but at the first sign of invasion population and the Red Army showed a sign of great resistance. at the beginning 500,000 inhabitants of Stalingrad showed great courage and offer but when Paulus, German general, start the assault all Russian not useful for resistance had already been evacuated. During the battle the Russians crossed the Volga all night to leave wounded on the other side and pick up supplies and ammunition and through the river also arrive reinforcements.

On September 22 "Messerschmitt clouds" were launched against Stalingrad. Tens of bombers attacked the city's neighborhoods. Following the air strike began advancing infantry troops. In October, more than a thousand of the aircraft bombed daily. As of October the Nazis were bombing the territory of the factory Barricade. But the Nazis failed to break the resistance of the Red Army soldiers.

Von Paulus's army, increasingly exhausted and demoralized, unable to prevent the Soviet encirclement. On 23 November the German Sixth Army was completely surrounded. More than a quarter of a million German troops and other Axis allies had been fenced. Hitler ordered Von Paulus continue resistance.

Since the last offensive of the Red Army started, the Germans do not fought only died, on December 18 Paulus inspected his front and saw that the fighting spirit and the general physical condition of his men slowly disintegrated. Strict rationing was imposed to try to spend the winter. Paulus who was a great admirer of Hitler, he realized that for the Führer or what was left of him, the sixth Army was nothing more than an expendable piece in the game of war, the lives of the soldiers had no significance for him .

Hitler's refusal to give up the important city of Stalingrad, meant the death of hundreds of thousands of soldiers on both sides, and more than one million Russian civilians. Stalingrad marked the end of German hopes of capturing the Caucasus and Volga river control. In addition, many German army officers were convinced that Hitler was leading Germany to disaster, some participating in the 1944 attempt on Hitler.

In July 1944, the unrest had become a principle of conspiracy. On the 20th, at Wolfsschanze, Hitler's headquarters in East Prussia, Lieutenant Colonel Stauffenberg of Staff, entered a conference room where Hitler was meeting with the supreme commanders.

Stauffenberg mission was to make the attempt on Hitler that would allow an exit from the war negotiated with the Allies. However, the conspiracy failed. The explosion occurred, injuring 19 officers and multiple damages caused, but Hitler was not dead. Soon after, Hitler unleashed a chase that ended with the murder and imprisonment of numerous and experienced officers.

Since then Hitler preferred to surround himself with controls were he rescued because of their devotion to his leadership. Hitler, meanwhile, felt safer. His decision, was frankly unfortunate for their purposes.

By: Maria Claudia Villar