Today is the Day of Victory in the Battle of Stalingrad

UFA, 2 February 2015. /Bashinform News Agency, Arina Rakhimkulova/. Today, on February 2, a defeat of fascist troops in the Battle of Stalingrad in 1943 is marked in Russia.

In honour of the anniversary in schools and museums throughout Bashkortostan meetings with veterans, exhibitions, tours are held. Interest in this topic is not accidental - thousands of our natives took parts in the Battle of Stalingrad. A heroic battle path of the 112th Bashkir Cavalry Division started with it.

Plans of fascist command scheduled for the summer of 1942 assumed the defeat of the Soviet troops in the south. On July 17, 1942 the first stage of the Battle of Stalingrad began.

Just four months later, Soviet troops gave a decisive rebuff to the enemy – on November 19, 1942 Soviet troops launched a counteroffensive at Stalingrad.

Abandoning of the city then equated not only to the military, but also to the ideological defeat. There were battles for each quarter, for each house, the central station of the city passed from one part to another 13 times. On January 31, 1943 the commander of the German troops Paulus surrendered.

200 days of heroic defense of Stalingrad went down in history as the most bloody and brutal. In the defense of the city more than seven hundred thousand Soviet soldiers and officers were killed and wounded.

The victory in the Battle of Stalingrad marked the beginning of a turning point in World War II and was of great international importance. Under the influence of victories of the Red Army the international prestige of the Soviet Union increased. At the same time the Germany's influence on its allies began to fall, the fascist bloc cracked. It was a new impetus to the expansion of the resistance movement, guerrilla movement in Europe and Asia.

A feeling of deep admiration for courage and heroism of the Soviet soldiers was expressed by the allies of the USSR - the United Kingdom and the United States at a conference in Tehran in 1943.