Stalingrad: Dogs, Do You Want to Live Forever?

While waiting for orders after hospital discharge, German Lieutenant Gerd Wisse arranges for a pretty Russian woman named Katja to get a job. This move aims to prevent her deportation to Germany. The decision shows Wisse using personal connections to secure survival in a grim war.

Wisse is sent to serve as a liaison officer with a Romanian division near Stalingrad. He operates under Major Linkmann, who looks down on their ally. Romanian General Codreanu fears the front is overextended and under-equipped.

Linkmann resents Wisse's status and independence, creating friction within the joint command. Wisse refuses to be treated as a subordinate, widening the rift with his German colleague. The strain is exacerbated by Codreanu's concerns about reserves and a long front.

The Red Army launches offensives to the north and south of Stalingrad, breaking through German lines. The German forces retreat into the city, and the Romanian division is driven east into the pocket. The situation rapidly becomes dire for the trapped troops.

During the retreat, Linkmann attempts to desert from the encircled force. Wisse confronts him and prevents the escape, demonstrating his willingness to enforce discipline in a collapsing situation. The episode underscores the fragility of leadership within the pocket.

Wisse coerces a sergeant to ignore orders to burn down a supply depot. He allows soldiers to carry off food and other supplies without restriction, preserving some strength for the fight ahead. Finally, he torches the depot to ensure the supplies do not fall into Soviet hands.

Hitler refuses to authorize a breakout, insisting the line must hold. The Luftwaffe attempts to supply the surrounded troops but can deliver only a fraction of what is needed, and airfields fall to the Soviets. The pinched pocket receives dwindling relief as time runs out.

Field Marshal Hoth moves to reach the trapped men with his panzer army, trying to link up with forces inside Stalingrad. Paulus, however, refuses to disobey Hitler's order to stand firm. As the front buckles, Hoth withdraws after his flanks are exposed.

Inside the city, Wisse is placed under Linkmann's command, heightening personal and professional tensions between them. The deteriorating morale and supply shortages worsen the nexus of rival leadership. The command dynamics become a barrier to any coherent defense.

Pursued by Soviet forces, Wisse disguises himself as a Russian soldier to survive. He stumbles into a group of Russians being fed, and Katja is among them. She does not betray him and instead directs him back toward German lines.

Linkmann makes a last bid to desert, seeking to abandon the doomed defense. Wisse shoots him, removing a potential threat to the fragile German hold. The act further consolidates Wisse's position amid the collapsing defense.

Field Marshal Paulus commands his troops to fight to the last man, but ultimately orders surrender. Wisse and about 90,000 other survivors trudge into captivity. The siege ends with the German army's capitulation at Stalingrad.