The Russian experience in WW II is too often ignored in the West as more attention is given to campaigns in the Mediterranean leading up to D-Day and the success of the Western Front. Since the war, Russians have often expressed their resentment and even hostility to the West by making references to lack of appreciation for the level of suffering and sacrifice represented by Stalingrad. This course intends to introduce students to the war on Germany's Eastern Front in greater depth than usually found in American histories and, through this, help students understand Russian feelings toward Nazism and the horror of war in general. These Russian feelings continue and must be taken into account by current Russian leadership as it seeks to assert world leadership.

A lecture presentation using slides will: (1) explain the progress of WW II leading to the decision to attack Russia; (2) explain the purposes of the German attack and what they expected to happen; (3) explain why the attack stalled after initial success; (4) describe the 5-month long battle and why it made such a deep impact on Russian consciousness; (5) explain how Stalingrad turned the tide of the war in Europe two years before D-Day; and (6) how Stalingrad compares to D-Day, and how together they were the two most important contributors toward winning WW II in Europe.

The presentation will seek to engage students through a slide show with maps and historical pictures joined to a teaching style that asks engaging questions as information is presented. The slide show will be given to students at the end of the class to encourage further study.