The Germans surrounded Leningrad with a tight cordon and for 879 days besieged the city, which was then home to 3.1 million people. The blockade began in September 1941 and ended in January 1944. There was a shortage of food, and 640.000 people died of starvation. 90% died of malnutrition, and only 10% died of warfare. The Germans never succeeded in capturing the city.
