1.+Causes

**__ The Causes of Stalingrad __ ** = - June 1941 The Germans launched operation //Barbarossa,// the invasion of the Soviet Union. The armed forces of Germany and its allies quickly advanced deep into Soviet territory. = = -During December, after suffering multiple defeats in the summer and autumn, Soviet forces counter-attacked during the Battle of Moscow and successfully drove the German Army back. By = = -Spring of 1942 in the south the Germans controled most of Ukraine and much of the Crimea, although Sevastopol remained in Soviet hands along with a small portion of the Kerch Peninsula. -The Germans were confident they could master the Red Army when winter weather no longer impeded their mobility. = = -German Army Group Centre had suffered heavy punishment, 65% of its infantry had not been engaged during the winter fighting, and had been rested and reequipped = = **__Importance__** = = - The capture of Stalingrad was important to Hitler for two primary reasons. First, it was a major industrial city on the Volga River – a vital transport route between the Caspian Sea and northern Russia. = = - As a result, the German capture of the city would effectively sever the transportation of resources and goods to the north. = = - Second, its capture would secure the East flank of the German armies as they advanced into the oil-rich Caucasus region – with the strategic goal of cutting off fuel to Stalin's war machine. =