GCSE Coursework-Russias victory at Stalingrad
GCSE Coursework-Russia's victory at Stalingrad
. Early in the morning the German army launched a large blitzkrieg attack
on the Russians. In the early hours they managed to capture a lot of
Russian territory. The Russians were not expecting this as they had signed
a non aggression pact just years earlier. The attack consisted of attacks
on airdromes and villages, which was to destroy aircraft and resources.
There were thousands of gun shots as armoured tanks and convoys rolled
onto Soviet soil. The Russian government did not even know they were at
war until an hour and a half after the first attack.(S1)
The Russian infantry forces were out numbered by the Germans and
divisions from assisting countries e.g. Finland, Hungary. On paper the
Russians had more tanks but in fact most of these were obsolete. It was
the same with planes, the Germans had modern aircraft as most of the
Russians were obsolete. There were still cavalry divisions used by the
Russians, showing how poorly equipped they were for war.(3a). The army
had also lost many of its leading Officers and Generals, during Stalin's
purges, meaning that they would possibly perform poorly.(S3b)
2. Hitler showed no regard for the Russian people as he decimated any
village that the army came across, killing the innocent inhabitants. He
gave orders to his generals to execute any young partisans that they came
across, this was his idea to send a message that he had the power to kill
the Russian people. He treated the people so badly because he saw them
fit only for slave labour.(S6,4)
Hitler completely despised communism and saw it as a threat to his
government so he saw it necessary to destroy it. As well he did not worry
or care about the Russian people as they were his enemy, he was
attacking them to gain land for his country of superior people. Finally
they were also in a state of war and he was not worried about what was
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the Russian people. He treated the people so badly because he saw them
fit only for slave labour.(S6,4)
Hitler completely despised communism and saw it as a threat to his
government so he saw it necessary to destroy it. As well he did not worry
or care about the Russian people as they were his enemy, he was
attacking them to gain land for his country of superior people. Finally
they were also in a state of war and he was not worried about what was
happening to them as they were the enemy.(S5,6)
His attitude could be regarded as a mistake because when he reached
the Baltic's the people saw him as a liberator.(S6).But Hitler did not turn
this opportunity to help himself as he did not think highly of the people,
the people that could have fought under him against Russia. After the
way he treated the people the illusion was destroyed.(S6B)
3. The Russian people worked very hard to try and rearm the army.
People in the factories were working 12 to 15 hours a day. They did not
grumble about this as they saw it as their input into the war. They were
very determined to do their bit as many walked 6 miles every day to
work, month after month.(S7B)
The weather helped them in the winter months as it did against Napoleon,
as temperatures were recorded as low as -40. This almost halted the
German attack as they could not get guns to fire or tanks to move as
they had frozen. This gave Russia time to build up armament factories
and time to get supplies to the soldiers. Many German soldiers died in the
extreme weather.(S10). The five year plans that had been in action had
dramatically increased industry all over Russia meaning that they could
produce supplies and equipment quickly and get it to the soldiers.
Production in raw materials had risen dramatically after the five year
plans.(S8,9)
4. The posters are made for propaganda, with the purpose to boost
morale. The posters cannot be relied on as reliable evidence as they are
Russian. They were drawn by a Russian artist who was paid to draw what
the government told him. The lack of detail, and the fact that it doesn't
show the reality of war questions it reliability. There is no insight into the
German perspective of war just a Russian one, no balance is offered about
the two sides. The posters are not factually correct as one is making
presumptions, they are biased, one sided, and exaggerating limiting the
reliability,
On the other hand they are useful as they show an insight into how
Stalin's government wanted and tried to boost moral. It also tells us by
keeping the moral up that it was one of the factors in the victory at
Stalingrad. Some of the posters contain some historical truth which has
been backed up by other sources. And probably most important is that
the posters are primary sources, meaning they are from the WW2 period,
and that they have not been changed or distorted.
5. The film Stalingrad was produced to entertain people and make money.
Therefore it can not be considered as a piece of historical evidence.
Throughout the film there were a number of points that did not look real.
For example the blood that came out of the soldiers when shot was bright
red and watery, not what real blood looks like. When it was winter time
the soldiers did not seem to be suffering the effects of winter, they
were not cold and there was not frost visible on the face, like you see in
many of the pictures.
Another part was when there was a battle there were 20 German soldiers,
0 Russian tanks and 50 soldiers .The Russians were better equipped here,
yet the German soldiers still won. There was also dubbing throughout the
film which makes it less believable if you don't know what they are really
saying.
Although it is not considered evidence you can see the happenings in
motion picture which helps historians and bits of the film were based on
real evidence. All throughout the producer was trying to emphasise that 1
message, that it was the Nazi's who were the evil ones not the soldiers,
that the German army suffered large casualties and fatalities and that it
was the insufficient supply line that lead to there defeat.(S<Stalingrad
video)
6. The Russian industry was the most important factor in Russia's victory.
This is because they were able to manufacture large amounts of goods in
little time.(S7B). They did this because the Russian people put every
effort in , every minute and hour into producing goods. The factory
workers by the end of the war were producing more advanced weaponry
which helped the German retreat.(S16). Major industry was also built up
east of the Urals, well out of Hitler's reach.(S8). This would not have
been possible though unless there were the five year plans had taken place
as it was a good foot hold for industry to grow on.(S8)
Weather was another key factor which had halted the German advance as
the had to travel, on foot, as vehicle had frozen. Propaganda posters
were made of these walking Germans and many other different one, to
help keep the people's moral up, which lead to a boost in industrial
production as the were cheerful.(S7A,10B,,11). The people then did as
much to help the Army as possible and gave them over welling support.
The decimated left overs in Staligrad, Gave the Russian army places to
hide and fight from. The German tanks could not get through the rubble
and the Russians were aided by this as they were trained in 1 on 1
combat (S13D,15).It was here in Stalingrad that the first signs of
Russia's superior weaponry showed.(S16)
The Germans suffered allot from bad leadership as Hitler was willing to
sacrifice every German life so no one would surrender.(S13C,14). Their
supply line was stretched that supplies rarely got to the soldiers.
(S:Stalingrad video)
All these factors lead to the retreat and eventual defeat of the Nazi
government.