"Stalingrad and the Evolution of Soviet Urban Warfare" Topic

"Examining Soviet urban warfare at Stalingrad, particularly in comparison to pre-war Soviet doctrine on combat in cities, suggests a number of conclusions about Soviet military performance. Soviet victory was not simply a matter of enormous human sacrifice, but also required winning the production battle with Nazi Germany. The Red Army also had to master the tactics of urban warfare from bitter experience, given the underdeveloped state of Soviet doctrine before the war and lack of relevant experience before Stalingrad. Despite that, the Soviets proved to be highly skilled at urban warfare. Given that fighting in cities requires great initiative and improvisation on the part of individual soldiers and junior officers, the Soviet victory further undermines the outdated conventional wisdom of stolid and faceless Russian soldiers.

The story of Stalingrad has been told many times. 1 Too often in the past, that story has focused on the German experience, given the relative ease of access to German sources. This analysis will specifically examine Soviet urban warfare, using Stalingrad as a laboratory and testing ground, much as the Soviets themselves did. What this investigation will show is the improvised, ad hoc nature of much Soviet thinking about urban warfare before and during Stalingrad, as well the surprising effectiveness of that improvisation. It will undermine some of the older conventional wisdom about the fighting in Stalingrad, and about the Soviet Army itself. Contrary to a picture drawn from German sources, Stalingrad shows the Soviet Army as analytical and innovative, understanding technology and employing resources effectively, and relying heavily on the initiative and flexibility of individual soldiers and junior officers…"
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Amicalement
Armand

Classic study for urban warfare …

(smile)

Amicalement
Armand