儘管此役和美軍在南太平洋擊敗日軍的瓜達康納爾戰役，以及英聯邦在北非擊敗納粹德國隆美爾的艾拉敏戰役，被史家並稱擊敗軸心國的三大扭轉戰略的關鍵戰役 但後兩者無論就規模和傷亡程度都遠不及史達林格勒慘烈。

蘇聯前後動員130萬軍人和強迫與城市共存亡的數十萬居民，納粹則集合德國精銳和義大利、羅馬尼亞、匈牙利、克羅埃西亞的百萬大軍，爭奪這座以蘇聯領袖史達林為名的城市。

軍事上看史達林格勒，它是蘇聯南部的工業重地及交通樞紐，但當地工廠早因開戰時就東遷。地理上，德國戰略目標是高加索油田，史達林格勒只是側翼，留少部精銳對付，繞道而行即可，並非一定要攻占它。

但攻占它有強烈政治意涵。希特勒認為，如能攻占這座以對手命名城市，將是對蘇聯重大羞辱和宣傳上重大勝利。史達林也同樣認知，失掉它，自己顏面掃地，民心重創。

史市爭奪成為領導人個人威望象徵，超過戰略價值。但德軍優勢，在於機動力強，步兵、戰車、砲兵、戰機聯合作戰，在原先蘇聯開闊平原如魚得水，但到了建築林立、街道橫貫的史達林格勒完全吃不開，最後只有拚人命。

為了一個人的顏面，史達林下達「不准退後一步」的命令，蘇軍為此槍決1萬3000多人，相當於一個師的兵力。有段時間，蘇軍新兵存活率不到24小時，軍官則不到三天。有的重要據點，短短幾小時易手十幾次。可見戰爭激烈程度。

太 專注史達林格勒得失，這個獨裁者大意將城市周邊側翼交給戰力較弱的軸心國部隊防守 。漏洞被史達林獲悉後，最後發動大軍擊潰側翼，反將史市徹底包圍兩圈。執迷不誤的希特勒，仍不准德軍撤退和突圍，異想天開希望用空運方式補給，結果只達到 八分之一運量，天寒地凍，飢寒交迫，運輸機落地後更發現部分地面人員甚至餓得搬不動補給品。

俄羅斯現任總統普亭日前說，應該盡一切努力，讓史達林格勒攻防戰的記憶和真相永不磨滅。但這場為了一人顏面、死傷200萬人戰爭的教訓，才是應記憶。

The Battle of Stalingrad was a major and decisive battle of World War II in which Nazi Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad (now Volgograd) in the southwestern Soviet Union. The battle took place between August 23, 1942 and February 2, 1943[6][7][8][9] and was marked by constant close-quarters combat and lack of regard for military and civilian casualties. It is among the bloodiest battles in the history of warfare, with the higher estimates of combined casualties amounting to nearly two million. The heavy losses inflicted on the German army made it a significant turning point in the whole war.[10] After the Battle of Stalingrad, German forces never recovered their earlier strength, and attained no further strategic victories in the East.[11]

The German offensive to capture Stalingrad commenced in late summer 1942, and was supported by intensive Luftwaffe bombing that reduced much of the city to rubble. The German offensive eventually became mired in building-to-building fighting; and despite controlling nearly all of the city at times, the Wehrmacht was unable to dislodge the last Soviet defenders clinging tenaciously to the west bank of the Volga River.

On 19 November 1942, the Red Army launched Operation Uranus, a two-pronged attack targeting the weaker Romanian and Hungarian forces protecting the German 6th Army's flanks.[12] After heavy fighting, the weakly held Axis flanks collapsed and the 6th Army was cut off and surrounded inside Stalingrad. As the Russian winter set in, the 6th Army weakened rapidly from cold, starvation and ongoing Soviet attacks. Command ambiguity coupled with Adolf Hitler's resolute belief in their will to fight further exacerbated the German predicament. Eventually, the failure of outside German forces to break the encirclement, coupled with the failure of resupplying by air, led to the final collapse. By the beginning of February 1943, Axis resistance in Stalingrad had ceased and the remaining elements of the 6th Army had either surrendered or been destroyed.[13]:p.932 The battle lasted a grueling 5 months, 1 week, and 3 days.