Thread by @bonesoflasalle

Stalingrad: It is remembered as a battle between the Germans and the Russians, which it mostly was. However, other Axis armies did take part Many Germans would later blame them, often unfairly, for their defeat. Here is a look at who led the other Axis armies at Stalingrad … 👉🏻

Italo Gariboldi led the Italian 8th Army at the Battle of Stalingrad. He had previously led Axis forces in North Africa but clashed with Rommel and was transferred out. Hitler awarded him the Knight’s Iron Cross for his leadership during the battle. …👉🏻

Gusztáv Jány commanded the Hungarian 2nd Army which was tasked with holding the northern flank at Stalingrad. This was a 400km front which meant his troops were stretched dangerously thin and lacked heavy ordinance. The Russians were certainly aware of this.
…👉🏻

Petre Dumitrescu commanded the Romanian 3rd Army at Stalingrad. He had had great success early in the invasion and was highly decorated by Hitler and Antonescu but his warnings about his depleted forces and Soviet troops massing on his front went unheeded.
…👉🏻

Constantin Constantinescu-Claps was in charge of the Romanian 4th Army charged with holding the southern flank of the Stalingrad position and they too were stretched very thin. The Romanian 3rd Army in the north and 4th Army in the south were targeted by the Soviets.
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Soviet Marshal Georgy Zhukov targeted the non-German armies north and south of Stalingrad in Operation Uranus because he knew them to be less well armed than the Germans. Breaking through with superior forces, he was able to surround the German 6th Army.
🇮🇹 🇭🇺 🇷🇴