The idea that the Battle for Stalingrad was waged in terms of a battle between two egos [i.e.Hitler and Stalin] is well known in the West but it is not accurate. Hitler did not attack Stalingrad only because it was named after Stalin and the Red Army did not fight until victory came in Stalingrad in order to fulfil Stalin’s wish. Instead, the fall of the Stalingrad would have opened the door for Hitler’s total domination of Europe. Perhaps Sean Thomas need to know the other side of the Volga is Asia and that too played a key role in the Germany's decision to attack Stalingrad in 1942. Stalingrad's strategic location was the key to the Germany invasion of Stalingrad. The symbolic meaning of the city mattered but it was not the main reason why the Soviet army had to hold Stalingrad. The whole Soviet Victory over the Nazi army would not have happened if the Red Army did not hold Stalingrad until victory.