German Prisoners of War After the Battle of Stalingrad Wrapped in coats and blankets to protect against the bitter Russian winter, these German prisoners of war were marched through the destroyed streets of Stalingrad in February 1943 after their defeat. The battle was a major turning point that marked the start of the destruction of Nazi Germany. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers on both sides lost their lives, and of the approximately 100,000 German prisoners taken by the Red Army only about 5,000 returned home after the war.