Immortalised by numerous films, including the star-studded thriller Enemy at the Gates, the Battle of Stalingrad was one of the most decisive clashes of the Eastern Front in World War Two and ended in a catastrophic defeat for the Nazis. Here are 10 facts about it.
1. It was sparked by a German offensive to capture Stalingrad
The Nazis launched their campaign to capture the south-west Russian city – which bore the name of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin – on 23 August 1942. It was part of a wider German campaign that summer to destroy what was left of the Soviet Army and to ultimately gain control of the Caucasus oilfields.
