Description & Facts: Volgograd (used to be Stalingrad). Famous not only by it's name (after Stalin) but also for the battle of Stalingrad in 1942-'43. The Battle of Stalingrad was a battle between Nazi Germany and its allies and the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad, which took place between 17 July 1942 and 2 February 1943, during World War II.