The Nazis first attacked the city by air, bombing the Volga River and then the city of Stalingrad, leaving much of the city in ruins.
The Nazis first attacked the city by air, bombing the Volga River and then the city of Stalingrad, leaving much of the city in ruins. Stalin demanded workers take up fighting and women dig trenches at the front lines. On July 28, 1942, he famously declared his Order No. 227, which forbade troops from leaving the city. "Not one step backward!" he said. Those who surrendered faced military tribunal and possible execution.