Stalingrad Verdun Comparison - 1448 Words

The Battle of Verdun and the Battle of Stalingrad may well be the most gruesome battles in recent history. Both are excellent examples of how important morale is in winning a war. If either of these cities would have fallen to the Germans, history might have unfolded in a very different way than what we see here today. The Battle of Verdun and the Battle of Stalingrad both have significant similarities. The most important of these is the fact that both cities grew to hold a great importance in both societies history which led to them becoming distinct symbols of public pride. If these cities had fallen to the enemy its possible that Frances and/or Russias morale of troops stationed all over the Europe would have fallen†¦show more content†¦Men who retreated were even mowed down by their own machine gun fire. General Nivelle, of the 2nd Army that was defending Verdun issued the order: ‘No surrender; no retreat, not even an inch: die where you stand. Imagine being in a battle where the only way you might survive is by running forward into machine gun fire because you know if you run back youll for surely be killed. Some may consider this to be barbaric and a violation of rights and freedoms but think what may have resulted if it was not done. Perhaps during WWII Stalingrad would have fallen to the Germans and which eventually might have led to the entire eastern front to be taken and German occupation of soviet territory. This would have allowed them to re-concentrate their armies to the western front and perhaps led to a defeat of the allies. The same goes for Verdun. If the Germans had succeeded in taking Verdun the French would have completely lost their spirit. Since France was also an important British ally if the French were to lose morale and essentially give up, it may have led to different outcomes in the battle of the Somme and other important battles that may have changed the course of history. Another similarity is the fact that in both battles the defenders only had one major supply route. During the battle of Verdun the French only had one road that was constantly being worn down and having to be prepared. This soon became dubbedShow MoreRelatedOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pagesspecialize in one or the other of what have been viewed as very different wars, Morrow not only compares the two conflicts in detail, but also approaches each war and its linkages from a thoroughly global perspective. This combination of rigorous comparison and breadth allows him to repeatedly challenge longestablished myths, provide alternatives to narrowly conceived interpretations, and offer quite an original take on the most extensively covered conflicts in human history and the decades of unprecedented