The Battle of Stalingrad

Short History Of...

Noiser

History

4.8 • 4.1K Ratings

🗓️ 24 February 2025

⏱️ 58 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

During World War Two, the Battle of Stalingrad was one of the most brutal engagements of the entire conflict, and would go on to be one of the bloodiest battles in the history of warfare. Over a course of six months, Soviet forces fought to defend their city against the German Army, where an estimated 1 million Soviet soldiers, and 800,000 Axis troops were killed, wounded or captured. But why was a modest little city in southern Russia so important to Stalin and Hitler? Who were the soldiers who fought in the battle, and the civilians caught in the crossfire? And what impact did the fighting have on the outcome of the war, and the future shape of the world? This is a Short History of The Battle of Stalingrad. A Noiser production, written by Martin McNamara. With thanks to Sir Antony Beevor, a world-renowned expert on the Second World War, and author of the award-winning book, Stalingrad. Get every episode of Short History Of a week early with Noiser+. You’ll also get ad-free listening, bonus material, and early access to shows across the Noiser network. Click the Noiser+ banner to get started. Or, if you’re on Spotify or Android, go to noiser.com/subscriptions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:22.9	entrepreneurs like you. Sign up for your $1 a month trial at Shopify.com slash setup. It's November 1942 in the Soviet city of Stalingrad.
0:40.3	A seven-year-old child crawls around the half-demolished walls and mangled machinery
0:46.3	of a bombed-out tractor factory.
0:49.3	The boy, dressed in filthy rags, is on an unending quest for any scrap of food he can find.
0:57.0	He's one of scores of orphans, living like rats in what's left of this once proud city.
1:05.0	The afternoon quiet is broken by sporadic bursts of machine gun fire, single rifle shots, and the heavy thud of artillery.
1:13.6	The child listens carefully before deciding that this current skirmish is at least four or five blocks to the north.
1:23.6	After months of living alongside near constant street battles, he has become adept at assessing where the greatest danger lies.
1:31.3	He continues picking through the ruined building until he hears a sound that makes him freeze.
1:39.3	The whistle comes from the corner of the factory floor, where two metal cabinets sit toppled together.
1:47.0	The boy creeps closer until he sees that there's a man there, a German soldier.
1:54.0	He waves at the boy and holds up a dirty crust of bread.
1:59.0	The boy's instinct is to run at the sight of a German uniform,
2:02.6	but he's mesmerized by that scrap of food.
2:05.6	He hasn't eaten since yesterday morning.
2:08.6	Smiling, the soldier now raises an army canteen too,
2:13.6	and shakes it to indicate that it's empty.
2:16.6	The boy gets the message.
	...

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