Eastern Front #67 A furious Führer Takes Control

The Eastern Front Week by Week · Sep 17, 2026 · 52m

Last time we spoke about the beginning of the battle of Stalingrad. Between August 30 and September 5, 1942, Paulus's and Hoth's armies finally converged outside Stalingrad, reaching Gonchary on September 3rd—but the Soviet 62nd and 64th Armies slipped away just in time, escaping the encirclement the Germans had hoped to spring. Believing victory near, Paulus even began planning winter quarters, though his troops still stood kilometers from the city center. Inside Stalingrad, defenses were alarmingly incomplete, while Luftwaffe bombing crushed civilians and hampered reinforcements. To the…