The film "Stalingrad" depicts the horrors of war through the story of Lieutenant Hans von Witzland and his fellow German soldiers. After a successful campaign in North Africa, they are sent to Stalingrad, where they face harsh reality. The film shows the atrocities committed by both sides, including the killing of civilians and prisoners of war. Witzland and his comrades try to survive the siege, but many are killed or captured. The film ends with the defeat of the German army and the death of over a million people, including Witzland and his friends. Only a few thousand Germans return home, highlighting the devastating consequences of war.
1. A group of German soldiers, including Lieutenant Hans von Witzland, Reiter Fritz Reiser, and non-commissioned officer Manfred Rolleder, were sent to the Soviet Union as part of the Sixth Army of Paulus.
2. The soldiers were initially confident of victory and believed the Soviet Union would be easily conquered.
3. Lieutenant Witzland was not carried away by the general mood and wrote a letter home about his business trip to Russia.
4. The German troops faced harsh reality in Stalingrad and were wounded and demoralized.
5. Lieutenant Witzland stood up for a captured Russian soldier who was being beaten by a German officer.
6. Witzland's complaints to higher authorities about the officer's actions did not bring results.
7. The soldiers were told that their campaign was protected by God.
8. The first battle dispelled this statement, and the Russians fought desperately.
9. Many German soldiers tried to escape or shot at their own people out of fear.
10. Lieutenant Witzland ordered his soldiers not to shoot at the Russians who were trying to carry their wounded from the battlefield.
11. A young German soldier killed a Russian soldier and admitted to putting "grace" in his pants.
12. The Germans captured a Russian boy, and Witzland treated him well and even offered him food.
13. The boy refused the food and behaved indifferently until he saw a photo of a rabbit.
14. The roller received a letter from home, stating that his wife had started dating a French prisoner of war.
15. The soldiers went on the offensive against the Germans, and communication was lost.
16. A small detachment, including Witzland, Dreiser, and Emigolds, left through the sewers.
17. Emigolds injured his leg and had to be dragged by Witzland.
18. The Germans managed to get out and find a hospital, but Emigolds died.
19. The soldiers were arrested and sent to the penal battalion.
20. Even a conversation with the general did not help rectify the situation.
21. The soldiers in the penal battalion were starving, and their limbs were frozen.
22. The penal battalion was sent to the front, where Witzland met Hauptmann Hermann Muesch.
23. The Germans encountered Russian tanks in a difficult battle and managed to gain the upper hand.
24. The Germans took many prisoners from Russian villages, including old men, women, and children.
25. The prisoners were eventually shot as a firing squad due to lack of food.
26. Hauptmann Haller chose people from the penal battalion to shoot the prisoners.
27. Lieutenant Witzland refused to shoot, but the riser had a different opinion.
28. The prisoners were shot, and the riser finished off those who survived.
29. The riser wanted to desert and called Widsland and Müller to join him.
30. The three of them agreed and entered Russian territory, where they created a road to the airfield.
31. They found many German corpses and took papers with notes of wounds to disguise themselves as wounded.
32. The Widsland group got to the airfield but were not the only ones imitating combat wounds.
33. They convinced the inspectors they were really wounded and went to the plane.
34. However, the plane flew off without them due to overcrowding.
35. The three had to return to the ranks of the German army.
36. They found a helicopter that dropped provisions and awards.
37. Most soldiers threw away the awards and pounced on the food.
38. Hauptmann Haller appeared, and a fight ensued, resulting in Haller's death.
39. The former deserters went to Haller's warehouse, where they found provisions and Irina, a Russian girl tied up by Haller.
40. The Vidsland group decided to take Irina, and she was appointed lieutenant as the senior in rank.
41. The group found a way to escape, but Irina was killed by Soviet soldiers while crossing the snow-covered steppe.
42. Riser and Witzland froze in the steppe.
43. Over a million people died in the Battle of Stalingrad, including Russians, Germans, Romanians, Italians, Hungarians, and Austrians.
44. An army of 260,000 soldiers came to Stalingrad, and 91,000 were captured.
45. Only 6,000 Germans returned home.