31 January 1943

The German Sixth Army surrenders at Stalingrad.

This might be the day that was the beginning of the end of Nazi supremacy. Hitler was determined to take Stalingrad, so much so that he ignored intelligence reports that the Russians were building up troops to make a stand there. When the Germans failed to take it prior to winter setting in, Hitler abandoned the army to its fate. Through the winter the Germans were trapped deep inside Russia, and the siege took a heavy toll. Finally, Field Marshal Friedrich Paulus surrendered, and 91,000 soldiers were taken prisoner. Only 5,000 survived the POW camps and were released after the war. This campaign, among others, inspired Wallace Shawn's classic line: "You fell victim to one of the classic blunders! The most famous is never get involved in a land war in Asia, but only slightly less well-known is this: never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line!" Too bad Hitler never saw The Princess Bride!