What event was the turning point of world war 2?

Question

Many believe it was D-day while others say the Battle of El Alamein, pearl harbor, or the battle of midway. Of those 4, which do you think was the most significant and why?

Answer 1

Those are all good choices, and I believe fair arguments could be made for all of them.

I'm going to say that the turning point of WWII was the attack of Pearl Harbor. One could argue that if the Japanese had not attacked Pearl Harbor, the entry of the United States into the war would have been delayed indefinitely, giving Germany time to finish conquering Europe, including Great Britain, and leaving Japan to continue unopposed throughout the western Pacific and Asia.

Up until the attack on Pearl Harbor, even though the United States was supplying the Allies, a great many Americans still considered it to be "their" war and not "our" war, and thus, our involvement needed to be limited to supplying the Allies and defending our own shores. The attack on Pearl Harbor made it "our" war.

Answer 2

Battle of El Alamein was the beginning of the end of Germany in North Africa and the retreats for the Germans would continue throughout the rest of the war. Combined with the stalemate at Stalingrad and eventual German defeat . With the success at Normandy for the Allies, a costly success but a success the German fate was sealed.
If you add up the war in Europe and what was at the same time the beginning of the end for Japan at the Battle of Midway. The Battle of Midway proved that despite of Pearl Harbor the US Navy recoverd quite completely on an united American front. With the death of General Yamamoto alongside the victory at Midway for the Allies, the Japanese were on the defensive for the majority part of the war, the Americans were able to successfully island hopped to eventually reach Okinawa in April 1945. Japan knew from Yamamoto'scomments that the Japanese had to strike quickly and completely if the Japanese were going to have success against the megalith superpower of the US. The failure at Pearl Harbor in getting only part of the fleet and their failure to destroy strategic oil supplies would come back to haunt Japan for not only did they not destroy the fleet but also awoke the sleeping giant.

Answer 3

There is no doubt that the Battle of Midway was the turning point of the war in the Pacific. Before it, nobody could foresee how the war would turn out. After it, everybody including the Japanese knew how it would turn out.

Churchill certainly regarded El-Alamein as the turning point of the war in North Africa and Europe. As another answerer has quoted him, it was "not the end, nor even the beginning of the end; but it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning". He understated it, because for Germany it was indeed the beginning of the end.

Answer 4

In Europe there were actually two turning points. For the Soviet Union, the turning point would be the Victory in the Battle of Stalingrad, after which, the Red Army would never have to yield territory to Nazi troops. For the Western Allies, it was the end of the North African campaign, in which the last of the vaunted Afrika Korps surrendered with El Alamain as the starting point as this gave the British the confidence that could fight the Germans effectively far away from home, and gave the Americans valuable training.

In the Pacific Theater, the turning point was the Battle of Midway. It was the last battle of Japanese expansion, after which, every battle that Japan fought would be defensive, and in the end, pointless.

Answer 5

I believe the Battle of Midway was the most significant. In that battle, the Japanese Navy lost four (Akagi; Kaga; Soryu; Hiryu) of the six aircraft carriers that Admiral Yamamoto used to launch the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, which began the United States' involvement in the Pacific War.

Hitler committed the huge blunder of declaring war on the United States on December 8, 1941, just as President Roosevelt was addressing Congress, asking for a declaration of war by the United States on Japan. When Churchill heard of Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, he wrote later that he went home that night and "slept the sleep of the saved," for he knew that from that moment on Britain would not be defeated.

After the Battle of Midway, which took place in early June of 1942, barely six months after Pearl Harbor, the Japanese Navy was put on the defensive for the balance of the Pacific War, unable to launch another offensive of any significant size. The Japanese estimated that they would be unable to replace the four lost carriers until at least 1946. Of course they weren't given that much time: General MacArthur presided over Japan's unconditional surrender on the deck of the battleship Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945.

After Midway, the ultimate outcome of the Pacific War was ordained; Japan could not win. I don't recall any battle in the European Theatre that had the same impact on Germany, which maintained a very dangerous and disciplined fighting force right up until the very last days of the war in Europe.

Answer 6

it depends on what theatre you are looking at. in the pacific it would definitely by midway. In africa el alamein was a decisive victory for the war but not the major turning point. The key turning point in Europe would be split between Operation Overlord, which opened a two front war and took pressure off the Eastern Front, and Stalingrad, which was the beginning of Russia pushing Germany back.

Answer 7

The turning point of World War 2 was Battle if El-Alamein. The battle occured near the small town of El-Alamein.Success in the battle turned the tide in the North African Campaign. Allied victory at El Alamein ended German hopes of occupying Egypt, controlling access to the Suez Canal, and gaining access to the Middle Eastern oil fields. The German defeat at El Alamein marked the end of German expansion.

Sir Winstone Churchill, the patriotic leader of Britain was immensely exited about the victory in the desert town of El-Alamein, and was quick to realise the huge impact that this victory had achieved. he is quoted to have said,
"This is not the end, nor is it even the beginning of the end, but it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning."

His prophetic words came to haunt Hitler, as he lost his iron grip over Europe, and the end of the war in Europe was in sight.

Answer 8

I believe that Pearl Harbor was the turning point of WWII. With that the U.S. was able to supply their industrial power and manpower to the Allied war effort. Hitler mistakenly declared war on the U.S. right after Pearl Harbor. Also the lack of a coordinated effort by Germany and Japan was a detriment to the Axis effort.
There were several setbacks previous to December 7 by the Germans, such as Dunkirk and the loss of the Battle of Britain which also contributed to the decisive turning point of December 7,1941. After that date the eventual fate of the war was decided since the Axis powers would be eventually overwhelmed by the Allied superior resources in all respects., All the enemy could do was to possibly delay the inevitable such as Stalingrad or Kursk on the Eastern Front or the repulsion of the Allies on D-Day in Normandy

Answer 9

Those are all important events but I don't think there was one that was more important than the other. They all depended on an accumulation of factors and are all linked to the final outcome.
As far as the war in Europe is concerned The Battle of Stalingrad is probably the most crucial. If the Soviets had lost that one then Hitler would have been too strong for D-Day to succede.

Answer 10

The more I think about it, the more I think that Pearl Harbor was the turning point of the entire war. Because of it, The US entered the war, and I believe, it was the reason the allies were victorious. This was asked yesterday and I have been thinking about my answer. Pearl Harbor would be what I would answer in a test.