Final answer:
Volgograd is the city formerly known as Stalingrad, known for its pivotal role in the Battle of Stalingrad during World War II where Soviet forces achieved a significant victory over the German army.
Step-by-step explanation:
The City Formerly Known as Stalingrad
The city formerly called Stalingrad, and even earlier as Tsaritsyn, is now known as Volgograd. This city is renowned for its heroic defense during the Battle of Stalingrad, one of the major turning points of World War II. The battle began in August 1942 when the German army sought to seize control of Stalingrad.
Despite early German success, Soviet forces were determined to defend the city at all costs, motivated by a personal oath to Stalin and the strategic importance of Stalingrad as a key industrial hub and its position on the Volga River, granting access to vital oil reserves.
The battle culminated in a brutal winter siege that resulted in over 2 million casualties and ended with a decisive Soviet victory, marking the first significant defeat for the German army on the Eastern Front. After a 199-day confrontation, which involved intense street-to-street fighting, the German 6th Army was forced to surrender, with only a fraction of its troops surviving the war.
The resistance of the Soviet Union at Stalingrad was both symbolic and strategic. It represented a staunch refusal to let a city named after the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin fall into enemy hands. Moreover, the victory at Stalingrad halted the German advance and precipitated the push back that would eventually lead to Berlin.