The Battle of Stalingrad: Turning Point of the Second World War

The Battle of Stalingrad, fought from 23 August 1942 to 2 February 1943, is widely regarded as the turning point of the Second World War in Europe, with combined casualties estimated at nearly two million.

In November 1942, the Soviet Union launched Operation Uranus — a massive encirclement that trapped the entire German 6th Army. On 2 February 1943, Field Marshal Paulus surrendered.

The victory shattered the myth of German invincibility and marked the beginning of the Soviet advance westward that would end in Berlin in May 1945.