On this day, 83 years ago, on August 21, 1942 (July 10, 1942, the Battle of Stalingrad broke out. Soviet soldiers in the Battle of Stalingrad in 1942 The Battle of Stalingrad (August 21, 1942-February 2, 1943), also known as the Battle of Stalingrad, was the main turning point of World War II and one of the bloodiest and largest Army battles in human history. The main troops participating in the war were the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. This battle became a famous battle in the history of human warfare due to its heavy casualties on both sides and its disregard for civilian sacrifices. It is generally believed that the battle included the following parts: a large-scale German bombing operation on the southern Soviet city of Stalingrad (now known as "Volgograd"); German invasion of the city; street fighting in the city; encirclement by the Soviet Red Army; and the final annihilation of the German army and the Axis Allies. The total number of casualties in the war is estimated to exceed 2 million. The Soviet government refused to provide detailed casualty data at the time because it was afraid that too high casualty statistics would affect the people. This battle was an important strategic turning point in the European battlefield of World War II: the Axis lost one-quarter of its troops on the Eastern Front in this battle and never recovered until it was finally defeated. For the Soviet Union, victory in this battle marked the beginning of the recovery of the occupied territory and ultimately ushered in the final victory over Nazi Germany in May 1945. Comment: The turning point of the Second World War