Our story in Faces in the Window begins while the World War II battle of Stalingrad is raging. Franz Maedler, wounded in the battle, has managed to escape the city when it was still possible. Now he is on his way home to a desk posting in Berlin, which may wind up being as dangerous as leading a Wehrmacht infantry battalion on the Russian Front.
The battle of Stalingrad was entering its final stages in January 1943—eighty years ago. Ultimately, the city was devastated and hundreds of thousands of Axis and Soviet troops died. The exertion by both sides was out of proportion to the strategic significance of the location. The Germans could have bypassed the city, and the Soviets could have made their stand elsewhere. Because the city was named after Hitler’s rival Stalin, the Führer could not let it go. Neither could Stalin.
Today, the battle for Bakhmut in Eastern Ukraine bears some resemblance to Stalingrad. Now the Russian army plays the role of the Germans, ordered by their dictator to fight to the last to take a city of questionable military significance. Vladimir Putin has decreed that his forces will extend Russian control to the borders of the Donetsk Oblast, which Russia has illegally annexed. Bakhmut must fall to meet that symbolic objective. The Ukrainians, for their part, continue to fight hard for Bakhmut because now it has become a test of wills. Recent reports indicate that 60 percent of the city has been destroyed by Russian artillery, just as Stalingrad was leveled by German artillery and aerial bombardment. Ironically, in both cases, the destruction provided defenders with ready-made barricades and obstacles.
The Germans were ultimately defeated in Stalingrad, which served as one of the key turning points of World War II. Now, reports from the Institute for the Study of War hypothesize that the Russian offensive against Bakhmut may be running out of steam as Ukraine prepares another offensive. Our Franz returns to Berlin disillusioned. Perhaps there are Russian Franzes returning to Moscow now?
History truly does repeat itself…if only we would learn. Thanks for the reminder and sharing this valuable lesson.