Why was Stalingrad so furiously fought over? Why did both sides pour so much effort into an isolated town? I expect KGB Agent to get this right.
That was really one question asked two different ways. Mostly it was the symbolism because of Stalin's name on the town. The city did have some manufacturing facilities for Russia, and some would argue that it is a mistake to leave an enemy stronghold behind your side of the line, but mostly it was the name I think.
You're probably right about the name. For the Russians I would have to say that it was because it was their home. Enjoy!
It doesn't take a genius. It was all about oil. Capturing Stalingrad >> cutting USSR out of 80% of it's oil supplies>> no oil >>no fuel for tanks and aircraft>>win.
Hitler issued no retreat orders to the 6th Army against the better judgement of his staff who wanted to withdraw, tighten up their lines and prepare defenses for the eventual Russian spring offensive . Hence the Germans were stuck with what became their tomb and the Russians obliged them.
The Soviets abandoned Stalino (to the west of Stalingrad) without a fight. It wasn't about the name. KGB was right. Oil from the Baku oil fields was not shipped by pipeline in 1941. It was brought to Astrakhan by small tankers built for the Caspian Sea and transloaded onto river barges for shipment into the Volga valley refineries. Furthermore the left bank of the Volga at Stalingrad is a swamp. The Red Army could not just drag artillery over and bombard the town. It was the decisive point. The Volga is Russia's analog of the Mississippi and Stalingrad was the "Vicksburg" of the Volga. If the Germans could hold the bluff at Stalingrad, regular artillery made the Volga impassable. Alittle of the oil went up the Ural River but nothing major. Further, if the Germans could hold Stalingrad their aircraft could bomb shipping at Astrakhan. Hitler didn't really have to take the Baku oil fields. Just denying Stalin the oil would strangle Stalin's mechanized forces. If Stalingrad fell, Stalin would have to seek peace - - if he could.
I think there is general agreement that the Wehrmacht had multiple options to deny the USSR oil from the oil fields in the Caucasus. While Stalingrad was initially important only as a strategic link between the Don and Volga rivers, and by extension the oil fields to the south, the great failure came later as Hitler's obsession with capturing the city named after Stalin completely denied Paulus any ability to maneuver and improve his army's tactical situation. Common sense says that a bombed-out city is not conducive to fighting a maneuver war with tanks and close air support.
