Stalingrad: The Last Letters, a History Hit Original feature-length documentary, revealing newly translated, never-before heard accounts that shed light on the agonising final moments of the men trapped in the ruins of Stalingrad during the Second World War.

Discovered and translated by renowned German historian These deeply personal writings, penned in the face of inevitable defeat, offer a raw glimpse into the horrors of the Eastern Front and unique insights into the lives of the men that fought and died for Hitler

1941 was a failure for Nazi Germany. After invading the Soviet Union in June, they had expected to defeat the Red Army in 6 weeks. But by December, German forces had been thrown back by the Soviet winter counter-offensive. And there were even bigger problems. Germany had previously relied on the Soviets themselves for supplies of raw materials. But now, at war with their former ally, those supplies were running short.

For Hitler the extensive oilfields of the southern Caucasus were the key to victory, without them the war could not be won.

The campaign to capture that oil would culminate in the bloodiest battle of the Second World War, the Battle of Stalingrad.

00:00:00 INTRO
00:01:57 1942 AND RECAP OF 1941
00:03:30 OBJECTIVES OF FALL BLAU
00:07:18 LAUNCH OF FALL BLAU
00:13:15 FUHRER DIRECTIVE no 45
00:14:51 ADVANCE TOWARDS STALINGRAD
00:26:00 CROSSING THE VOLGA
00:26:30 AERIAL ASSAULT ON STALINGRAD
00:30:45 GERMAN TROOPS ENTER STALINGRAD
00:42:22 LOSSES
00:45:37 HITLERS SPEECH 30TH SEPTEMBER 1943
00:50:09 OPERATION HUBERTUS & SECOND HITLER SPEECH 8TH NOVEMBER 1943
00:57:49 SOVIETS LAUNCH OPERATION URANUS
01:01:38 ENCIRCLEMENT COMPLETE
01:07:18 SUPPLY BY AIR
01:11:55 EVERY SEVEN SECONDS A GERMAN SOLDIER DIES
01:14:00 WINTER STORM
01:28:58 CHRISTMAS IN STALINGRAD
01:34:30 SOVIET ATTACKS RESUME
01:36:10 GERMAN AIRFIELDS FALL
01:41:20 GOERING SPEECH INFORMING GERMAN PUBLIC OF DEFEAT
01:48:05 SURRENDER

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