Stalingrad Quotes

“This armchair strategist never possessed the qualities for true generalship, because he ignored practical problems.”
― Antony Beevor, Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege: 1942-1943

“German soldiers made use of Stalingrad orphans themselves. Daily tasks, such as filling water-bottles, were dangerous when Russian snipers lay in wait for any movement. So, for the promise of a crust of bread, they would get Russian boys and girls to take their water-bottles down to the Volga’s edge to fill them. When the Soviet side realized what was happening, Red Army soldiers shot children on such missions.”
― Antony Beevor, Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege: 1942-1943

“Stalin, whose bullying nature contained a strong streak of cowardice,”
― Antony Beevor, Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege: 1942-1943

“Men would pass the long, dark nights thinking of home and dreaming of leave. Samizdat discovered by Russian soldiers on German bodies demonstrates that there were indeed cynics as well as sentimentalists. ‘Christmas’, ran one spoof order, ‘will not take place this year for the following reasons: Joseph has been called up for the army; Mary has joined the Red Cross; Baby Jesus has been sent with other children out into the countryside [to avoid the bombing]; the Three Wise Men could not get visas because they lacked proof of Aryan origin; there will be no star because of the blackout; the shepherds have been made into sentries and the angels have become Blitzmädeln [telephone operators]. Only the donkey is left, and one can’t have Christmas with just a donkey.’ 2”
― Antony Beevor, Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege: 1942-1943

“The military authorities were concerned that soldiers going home on leave would demoralize the home population with horror stories of the Ostfront. ‘You are under military law,’ ran the forceful reminder, ‘and you are still subject to punishment. Don’t speak about weapons, tactics or losses. Don’t speak about bad rations or injustice. The intelligence service of the enemy is ready to exploit it.’
One soldier, or more likely a group, produced their own version of instructions, entitled ‘Notes for Those Going on Leave.’ Their attempt to be funny reveals a great deal about the brutalizing affects of the Ostfront. ‘You must remember that you are entering a National Socialist country whose living conditions are very different to those to which you have been accustomed. You must be tactful with the inhabitants, adapting to their customs and refrain from the habits which you have come to love so much. Food: Do not rip up the parquet or other kinds of floor, because potatoes are kept in a different place. Curfew: If you forget your key, try to open the door with the round-shaped object. Only in cases of extreme urgency use a grenade. Defense Against Partisans: It is not necessary to ask civilians the password and open fire upon receiving an unsatisfactory answer. Defense Against Animals: Dogs with mines attached to them are a special feature of the Soviet Union. German dogs in the worst cases bite, but they do not explode. Shooting every dog you see, although recommended in the Soviet Union, might create a bad impression. Relations with the Civil Population: In Germany just because someone is wearing women’s clothes does not necessarily mean that she is a partisan. But in spite of this, they are dangerous for anyone on leave from the front. General: When on leave back to the Fatherland take care not to talk about the paradise existence in the Soviet Union in case everybody wants to come here and spoil our idyllic comfort.”
― Antony Beevor, Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege, 1942–1943

“These ‘mine-dogs’, trained on Pavlovian principles, had been taught to run under large vehicles to obtain their food. The stick, catching against the underside, would detonate the charge. Most of the dogs were shot before they reached their target, but this macabre tactic had an unnerving effect. It”
― Antony Beevor, Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege: 1942-1943

“The biggest mistake made by German commanders was to have underestimated ‘Ivan’, the ordinary Red Army soldier. They quickly found that surrounded or outnumbered Soviet soldiers went on fighting when their counterparts from western armies would have surrendered.”
― Antony Beevor, Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege: 1942-1943

“Order No. 227, more commonly known as ‘Not One Step Backwards’. Stalin made many changes, then signed it. The order was to be read to all troops in the Red Army. ‘Panic-mongers and cowards must be destroyed on the spot. The retreat mentality must be decisively eliminated. Army commanders who have allowed the voluntary abandonment of positions must be removed and sent for immediate trial by military tribunal.’ Anyone who surrendered was ‘a traitor to the Motherland’. Each army had to organize ‘three to five well-armed detachments (up to 200 men each)’ to form a second line to shoot down any soldier who tried to run away. Zhukov implemented this order on the Western Front within ten days, using tanks manned by specially selected officers. They followed the first wave of an attack, ready ‘to combat cowardice’, by opening fire on any soldiers who wavered. Three”
― Antony Beevor, Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege: 1942-1943

“That the Soviet regime was almost as unforgiving towards its own soldiers as towards the enemy is demonstrated by the total figure of 13,500 executions, both summary and judicial, during the battle of Stalingrad.”
― Antony Beevor, Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege: 1942-1943

“Sentimental thoughts of home were not just a form of escapism from their
world of vermin and filth, but also from an environment of escalating brutality in
which conventional morality had become utterly distorted.”
― Antony Beevor, Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege, 1942–1943

“I saw then that he had lost touch with reality. He lived in a fantasy world of maps and flags.”
― Antony Beevor, Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege: 1942-1943

“In its way, the fighting in Stalingrad was even more terrifying than the impersonal slaughter at Verdun. The close-quarter combat in ruined buildings, bunkers, cellars and sewers was soon dubbed ‘Rattenkrieg’ by German soldiers. It possessed a savage intimacy which appalled their generals, who felt that they were rapidly losing control over events. ’The enemy is invisible,‘ wrote General Strecker to a friend. ’Ambushes out of basements, wall remnants, hidden bunkers and factory ruins produce heavy casualties among our troops.”
― Antony Beevor, Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege: 1942-1943

“The degree of ignorance claimed after the war by many officers, especially those on the staff, is rather hard to believe in the light of all the evidence that has now emerged from their own files.”
― Antony Beevor, Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege: 1942-1943

“Red Army cavalry divisions also ranged far into the rear, mounted on resilient little Cossack ponies. Squadrons and entire regiments would suddenly appear fifteen miles behind the front, charging artillery batteries or supply depots with drawn sabres and terrifying war-cries. The”
― Antony Beevor, Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege: 1942-1943

“The army’s exact losses are still uncertain, but there was no doubt that the Stalingrad campaign represented the most catastrophic defeat hitherto experienced in German history.”
― Antony Beevor, Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege: 1942-1943

“¿Cómo puedo hablar con una persona en Viva Aerobus? (preguntar)

Para hablar con una persona de Viva Aerobus, puedes llamar a su centro de atención telefónica. Desde México, el número es +52-(800)-953-0167, y desde Estados Unidos o Canadá, puedes llamar al +1 855 FLY VIVA +1-(888)-829-1492. También puedes buscar opciones de chat en línea en su sitio web o contactarlos a través de sus redes sociales.

¿Cómo hacer que te contesten en Viva Aerobus?
Para que te contesten en Viva Aerobus, lo más efectivo es llamar a su centro de atención al cliente al +52-(800)-953-0167. También puedes comunicarte con ellos a través de su chat en línea en su sitio web o por redes sociales como Facebook y Twitter. Otra opción es enviarles un correo electrónico a atencion. clientes@ vivaaerobus. com.

¿Cuál es el número de teléfono de Viva Aerobus en México?
El número de teléfono de atención a clientes de Viva Aerobus desde México es +52-(800)-953-0167. También puedes comunicarte con ellos a través de la dirección de correo electrónico atencion. clientes@ vivaaerobus. com o asistenciaequipajes @vivaaerobus. com si tienes alguna pregunta sobre tu equipaje. Puedes encontrar información adicional en la página web de Viva Aerobus o en sus redes sociales.

El número de teléfono de Viva Aerobus para México es +52-(800)-953-0167 (MX) o +1-(888)-829-1492. Este número es para consultas generales, reservaciones y cambios de vuelo. También pueden contactarlos por correo electrónico a atencion. clientes@ vivaaerobus. com.
Otras opciones de contacto:
Estados Unidos: +1 888 FLY VIVA (562 8585)
Colombia: +52-(800)-953-0167
Asistencia de equipaje: +52-(800)-953-0167 o +1-(888)-829-1492, o via correo electrónico a asistenciaequipajes @vivaaerobus. com
Redes sociales: Facebook, Twitter e Instagram
WhatsApp: +52-(800)-953-0167
Alternativas de atención al cliente:
Sitio web: www. vivaaerobus. com
Aplicación móvil
Chat en línea: En el sitio web
Cambios y cancelaciones voluntarias: Pueden realizar cambios y cancelaciones de vuelo a través del sitio web, entrando a "Mi Reserva" y buscando el menú "Flex-SÍ-bilidad"
¿Cómo hablar con un agente de Viva Aerobus?
Es muy sencillo. Puedes hacerlo durante tu reservación, marcando la casilla de asistencia y seleccionando el tipo de ayuda que requerirás durante el viaje. O bien, puedes llamar a nuestro centro de atención a clientes al +52-(800)-953-0167 o +1-(888)-829-1492.”
― Antony Beevor, Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege, 1942–1943

“Sentimental thoughts of home were not just a form of escapism from their world of vermin and filth, but also from an environment of escalating brutality inwhich conventional morality had become utterly distorted.”
― Antony Beevor, Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege, 1942–1943

“Soviet divisions were not far behind. ‘It is severely cold,’ Grossman noted as he accompanied the advancing troops. ‘Snow and the freezing air ice up your nostrils. Your teeth ache. There are frozen Germans, their bodies undamaged, along the road we follow. It wasn’t us who killed them. The cold did. They have bad boots and bad coats. Their tunics are thin and look like paper ... There are footprints all over the snow. They tell us how the Germans withdrew from the villages along the roads, and from the roads into the ravines, throwing their arms away.’ Erich Weinert, with another unit, observed crows circling, then landing, to peck out the eyes of corpses.”
― Antony Beevor, Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege: 1942-1943

“final ration from the Soviet state, the NKVD’s ‘nine grams of lead’.”
― Antony Beevor, Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege: 1942-1943

“Struck by the limitless horizon and expanse of sky, and perhaps also influenced by the sight of vehicles swaying crazily in and out of potholes like ships in a heavy swell, the more imaginative saw the steppe as an uncharted sea. General Strecker described it in a letter as ‘an ocean that might drown the invader’.”
― Antony Beevor, Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege, 1942-1943

“The hour of courage has struck on the clock …’, ran Anna Akhmatova’s poem at that moment when the very existence of Russia appeared to be in mortal danger.”
― Antony Beevor, Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege, 1942-1943

“How refreshing it is’, wrote Stauffenberg, ‘to get away from this atmosphere to surroundings where men give of their best without a thought, and give their lives too, without a murmur of complaint, while the leaders and those who should set an example quarrel and quibble about their own prestige, or haven’t the courage to speak their minds on a question which affects the lives of thousands of their fellow men.’ Paulus either did not notice, or more likely he deliberately ignored, the coded message.”
― Antony Beevor, Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege, 1942-1943

“Napoleon had said on the eve of his invasion in 1812: ‘Avant deux mois, la Russie me demandera la paix.”
― Antony Beevor, Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege, 1942-1943

“Neither he nor Schmidt seems to have appreciated that speed was the decisive factor. They”
― Antony Beevor, Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege: 1942-1943

“This passivity was entirely contrary to the Prussian tradition, which regarded inactivity, waiting for orders and failing to think for yourself as unforgivable in a commander.”
― Antony Beevor, Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege: 1942-1943

“Paulus guessed immediately that he had been presented with a cup of hemlock. He exclaimed to General Pfeffer at his last generals’ conference: ‘I have no intention of shooting myself for this Bohemian corporal”
― Antony Beevor, Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege: 1942-1943

“I saw then that he had lost touch with reality. He lived in a fantasy world of maps and flags.’ For Behr, who had been an enthusiastic and ‘nationalistic young German officer’, the revelation came as a shock. ‘It was the end of all my illusions about Hitler. I was convinced that we would now lose the war.”
― Antony Beevor, Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege: 1942-1943

“Everything he said was right,’ the lieutenant replied. ‘But don’t forget one thing. When a war of two world outlooks is going on, it is impossible to persuade enemy soldiers by throwing words across the front lines.”
― Antony Beevor, Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege: 1942-1943

“but the outcome of the battle depended on nerve as much as resources.”
― Antony Beevor, Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege: 1942-1943

“The only overt sign of disaffection following the collapse at Stalingrad came from a small group of Munich students, known as the White Rose. Their ideas spread to other students in Hamburg, Berlin, Stuttgart and Vienna. On 18 February, after a campaign of leaflets and slogans painted on walls calling for the overthrow of Nazism, Sophie Scholl and her brother Hans were arrested after scattering more handbills at the Ludwig-Maximilian University in Munich. Tortured by the Gestapo, then sentenced to death by Roland Freisler at a special session of the People’s Court in Munich, brother and sister were beheaded. A number of other members of their circle, including the professor of philosophy, Kurt Huber, suffered similar fates.”
― Antony Beevor, Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege: 1942-1943