So I am very interested in the Eastern Front of WW2. One question keeps popping up in my mind. Why did Case Blue fail and was Stalingrad really that necessary? Was it just a prestige target because of it’s name? Did the Germans reach the Volga in other places? Thank you in advance.
More can always be said, but you might be interested in some of these previous question that tackle very similar topics.
Why wasn't the objective of Fall Blau (Case Blue), focused on cutting off the Caucasus from the USSR? More generally, why didn't the Germans prioritize reaching the Caspian Sea? (More detail in description) by /u/BillyDeeWilliams1990.
Why did the Germans need to occupy Stalingrad? Didn’t they already level the city anyway? by /u/Beemer2.
and The battle of Stalingrad is often considered a turning point of WW2. Why did the Germans enter the streets in the first place rather than surround it like Leningrad? Wouldn't they have an advantage on a field? from /u/facepoundr.