Posted: Thu Jul 05, 2007 12:41 pm Post subject: What was the turning point of WWII?
During the war the Germans suffered many defeats such as Kursk, D-Day and many others. But my opinion is that the turning point of the Second World War is the Battle of Stalingrad against the Red Army. This was the first time in the war when a German army was defeated.
The Germans had been fighting against the Russians in Stalingrad for most of the war. Battles were fought in order to gain control of key positions in the city such as the hill at Mamayev Kurgan, Red Square, and the factories based all over the city. On one occasion the fighting was so fierce that Russian workers from the factories would run out onto the battlefield while the Germans were being fired on by the soldiers and repair damaged T-34 tanks.
The Germans had been taking heavy casualties by the time America had joined the war. The German 6th Army at Stalingrad had been forced into a pocket in the city. About 250,000 German troops were trapped by the Red Army. The Luftwaffe had tried to re-supply the surrounded Germans and failed. The Russians captured the commander of the Germans in Stalingrad and defeated the 6th Army at Stalingrad in early March of 1943.
The Germans were being defeated on all fronts after the battle of Stalingrad. The Americans had pushed the Germans out of North Africa and begun to liberate France and the rest of Europe. The Russians were advancing into Germany and the Germans were being massacred everywhere they were fought.
The Russians suffered thousands of casualties in Stalingrad and were keen on defeating the Germans. They had lost an entire division of 10,000 men at Mamayev Kurgan and wanted revenge on the Germans. This is what I think was the turning point of the war.
An excellent, well-balanced report. I agree with your judgment as well. The defeat at Stalingrad was a body blow not just to the physical military might of Germany, but to the morale of the people.
There is an excellent scene in the film 'Europa Europa' which shows the reaction of young Germans to the news.
8/10
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