The Turning Point of World War 2
World War 2, one of the most devastating conflicts in human history, lasted for six long years, spanning from 1939 to 1945. During this period, the global balance of power shifted back and forth between the two main adversaries, the Allied forces led by the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union, and the Axis powers dominated by Germany, Italy, and Japan. The outcome of the war was anything but certain, with significant turning points throughout the six years that proved crucial to the ultimate defeat of the Axis powers and the securing of Allied victory.
Contents
Early Years (1939-1941)
Initial German Bluster:
In 1939, Germany, under Adolf Hitler’s Nazi regime, invaded Poland, prompting declarations of war by France, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union. Nazi Germany’s quick victories against Denmark, Norway, France, and Belgium led the world to believe that German forces were nearly invincible. The French and British forces were seen as tired and outdated, while Hitler’s military, fueled by nationalism and military might, seemed unstoppable.
Strategic Mistakes:
Despite initial victories, Axis forces made some crucial errors:
• Hitler’s desire to invade the Soviet Union, Operation Barbarossa (1941), diverted vast resources and resulted in huge losses, both in casualties and material damage.
• The Japanese Navy’s lack of resources led to delaying tactics, leaving the USS Enterprise to damage the German aircraft carrier Admiral Graf Zeppelin in November 1941.
• The Hitler-Stalin non-aggression pact (August 1941) reduced the diplomatic isolation of both Germany and the Soviet Union, although this alliance only lasted till June 1941.
• Overextension:
Germany expanded its colonial empire, maintaining control of Norway, the Netherlands, and parts of France and Poland, increasing the difficulties of maintaining logistical supply chains.
The Russian Winter (1941-1942)
Crisis
Hitler’s invasion of the Soviet Union, initiated in June 1941, seemed poised to grant Germany control of the critical Eurasian steppes. However, the weather and Soviet tenacity held up the attack, making the "Russian winter" a pivotal turning point.
• Soviet forces:
- 3 to 4 million soldiers returned to the frontline after treatment, while approximately 50,000 Russian soldiers arrived on the Leningrad Front.
- Germany suffered 200,000 military casualties alone in Stalingrad (December 1942).
- Key victories:
• Battle of Stalingrad (August-February 1943); 91st Infantry Division of the German Sixteenth Army, trapped from August 23, faced relentless Soviet assault.
• Battle of Leningrad (September 1941-April 1944)
Casino Night (December 23, 1941: Operation Typhoon)
The Unseen Shift in Power Balance:
General Alanbrooke’s British plan to establish a foothold in western North Africa with Operation CRUSADER became a focal point. British forces succeeded in driving out the Panzer Group Crüger with less destruction at
Operation Crusader (November-December 1941
).
The Turning Point Event :
The simultaneous failure in Operation Typhoon (involving Japanese forces landing on the Asian mainland near Wanxian, Sichuan), as well as the fall of Syria-Palestine territories to the French, solidified the Japanese position’s weakening. Allied forces exploited the momentum through Guadalcanal Operation in the Solomons Islands, an amphibious landing made by Lieutenant General Vandergrift with the initial aim of intercepting crucial airfield capabilities.
Major Allies’ responses:
Second Front 1942 (D Day June 1944]
Historic D Day: Opening of the 2nd Front (June 6, 1944)
