The battle of stalingrad was primarily fought with

ground troops.
air strikes.
an equal number of ground and air troops.
an equal number of sea, ground, and air troops.

The Battle of Stalingrad is recognized as one of the most atrocious battles in history because most of the battle was fought with ground troops and it caused over 2 million deaths for the Soviet and the German troops. Also, thousands of German soldiers were captured and died afterwards. The German defeat meant a big obstacle in the German expansion and it was seen as the "beginning of the end" of the Nazi government.

i think its the outcome of people's preferences.