Victory at Stalingrad (review)

Geoffrey Roberts's account of the battle of Stalingrad may not be a definitive, groundbreaking account of the oft-described battle; but it does fill an academic niche that will be of value to courses on World War Two. To put it bluntly, there is nothing here that we have not already seen before—but to see it presented so clearly and with such a large array of historiographic arguments, makes this book a worthwhile addition to many undergraduate courses.

Roberts's central argument—that Stalingrad was the turning point, or "decisive" battle of World War Two—is interesting: but not the final word. Certainly, Stalingrad was critical—but was it decisive? The first issue in such a debate is a definition of "decisive." Many historians have argued that there was no single decisive battle or turning point of the war. Roberts struggles with this issue, but he does not wrestle it to the ground. This reviewer is sympathetic to his belief that the Eastern Front was the crucial front of the war, but perhaps the argument should get a little less emphasis in a book that seems designed for undergraduates.

The issue of decisiveness aside, Roberts's book is fertile ground for its student audience. The author deftly integrates a wide variety of the well-known debates over Stalingrad into his narrative with skillful summaries from many secondary sources and insights from several primary sources (the use of Stalin's appointments diary in the discussion of the planning for Operation Uranus is particularly powerful). In addition, Roberts's work covers many issues concerning the Eastern Front beyond the scope of Stalingrad itself, to include the German strategy in Operation Barbarossa, the nature of the "war of annihilation" on the Eastern Front, the fate of Russian prisoners in Germany as well as German civilians at the hands of advancing Soviets, and the symbology of the battle for both sides.

The fact that much of the book is devoted to events before and after the battle might lead some readers to regret the lack of detail on the battle itself. Of the eight chapters of the book, three specifically cover the campaign (87 pages out of about 200 pages of text). However, readers should keep in mind that Roberts's intent is not to provide a detailed operational history of the campaign. In most cases, he captures the essentials of the military action and provides enough information for the reader to understand the historiographic controversies. One possible exception might be the fight for the city itself, which is summarized in only three pages (pp. 83-85). A more detailed, chronological discussion of the city fighting would enhance the themes presented in the rest of the chapter on the "siege."

In sum, while one might quibble with some aspects of this work, Roberts's book must be judged with its audience in mind. As a text for a course on World War Two, Roberts's Victory at Stalingrad would be a superb addition.