The Soviet Sixty-second Army under the command of General Vasili I. Chuikov, was charged of defending the city at all cost. The Soviets fought the Germans street for street, house for house and sometimes room for room. General Chuikov’s army was successful in defending the city and holding the German Sixth Army in Stalingrad, allowing the Soviets to conduct a counteroffensive that took the Germans by surprise. The Soviets attacked from two flanks and within four days the German’s Sixth Army was completely encircled. General Paulus was then forced to surrender his army after two months of the encirclement. Each side lost over one million Soldiers between dead, wounded, missing, or captured, thus making it the bloodiest battle in the war. General Vasili I. Chuikov was key to the successful defense of Stalingrad and the surrender of the German Army. General Chuikov understood the operational environment, visualized his end state, directed all aspects of this battle, he led the Sixty-second Army to victory, assessed every operation and changed his plans