Turning Points: What Were the Turning Points of the Second World War? Historians Speak

-


Turning Points: What Were the Turning Points of the Second World War? Historians Speak


Turning points, within the historiography of the Second World War, are still debated by many historians from the past and present today. Each geographic theater contains turning points and many are argued and debated to this day. In the Pacific several arguments exist between Guadalcanal, the Battle of the Coral Sea, and the Battle of Midway.

The Battle of Britain, the defeat of the Luftwaffe in 1940 is a turning point in the European theater. In North Africa, Rommel’s defeat serves as a turning point. The Allied invasion of Italy in 1943 and the Battle of Stalingrad in February 1943 serve as examples of turning points.

Militarily speaking, the offensive reigns supreme. The offensive is proactive with the attacking force or state possessing the initiative; selecting time, place, and applying the principles of mass at the decisive point or center of gravity. Typically, those in the defense are reactionary, holding, securing, unable to exercise freedom of maneuver. These attributes then, applied across the various theaters of the Second World War help to bring into sharp focus the various turning points of that conflict.

R.A.C. Parker posits that “the great Russo-German land battle determined the whole course of the war.”[1] Indeed, many historians today have come to recognize that the colossus that was the ‘Red Army’ held the German Army in the East; preventing German reinforcements from the Balkans, North Africa, and Italy. Within the Russo-German war, the Battle of Stalingrad probably serves as the turning point of that conflict in the East. Stalingrad surely represents the first major defeat of the Wehrmacht (German Armed Forces) and specifically, the Heer (Army) in the Russo-German war. The surrender of General von Paulus and the 6th Army was experienced as a tremendous shock in Berlin and the German Army was no longer this unbeatable machine.

In an excellent article from HISTORYNET, Dr Laurence Rees, formerly of the BBC and a noted British historian of the Second World War, asked several historians for their opinion as to ‘what was the turning point of the war?’ A majority stated ‘Stalingrad.’ Rees, on the other hand, posited that the Battle of Moscow was the turning point. Rees further noted that “of course, there is no right answer.”[2] 

Other historians argue that five months after the 6th Army’s collapse in Stalingrad, the German Army’s defeat in the Battle of Kursk, July 1943, signaled the ultimate transition of the offensive to the defensive between the Russians and the Germans. From August of 1943 forward, the Red Army transitioned from the defense to the offense whereas the Wehrmacht, in the East, went over to the defensive.

1943 was a pivotal year in the Second World War. Round the clock strategic bombing by the Royal Air Force Bomber Command the United States Air Force was conducted against Germany as the U.S. Eighth Air Force came on line. The Germans were completely defeated in North Africa in May and in July the Allies invaded Sicily followed by the mainland of Italy in September.

For the Anglo-American Alliance, 6 June, 1944 marks the beginning of then end for the Wehrmacht in the West. D-Day, however, is illuminated by that cold hard defeat of the German Army in February 1943. The defeat of the German 6th Army serves as serious turning point in both the

[1] R.A.C. Parker, The Second World War: A Short History, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1989) 106.

[2] Laurence Rees, “What was the Turning Point of World War II?” HISTORYNET, https://www.historynet.com/what-was-the-turning-point-of-world-war-ii.htm

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

“U.S. MARINE CORPS PRE-WAR TRAINING AND THE BATTLE OF BELLEAU WOOD: 1917-1918”

-
Image
I : Introduction                     The fighting in Belleau Wood, France, in  June, 1918 saw the command of the U.S. Marine 6th Machine Gun Battalion change hands four times in 11 days. Such was the nature of the vicious fight between the 4th Marine Brigade of the 2nd Infantry Division (U.S. Army) and the Germans pushing towards Paris. By all accounts, this first real test of the U.S Marines in the First World War, was a bloodletting that should have ended in a rout as the experienced and veteran German machine gunners tore into the inexperienced U.S. Marines. Rather than collapse, the 4th Marine Brigade withstood the German assaults and not only held firm, but triumphed. The U.S. Marine Corps 5th and 6th Marine Regiments in 1918 fought against the veteran and very experienced German infantry. This study seeks to identify how ad hoc Marine Corps infantry battalions and the newly formed 4...
Read more

Clausewitz and Jomini: Drawing the Line between Art and Science

-
Image
  Clausewitz and Jomini: Drawing the Line between  Art  and Science In the West, two military philosophers have had much influence on the military arts and, will remain influential for time to come. But both are influential for different reasons. And many immediately see their similarities but their differences, however, are very nuanced. Jomini has had many readers, and simultaneously, critics as well. Especially when compared against Clausewitz. And “ most of what Jomini had to contribute that was of real value—which was a great deal—has long since been absorbed into the way we write practical doctrine.” [1] Jomini thought warfare as the ultimate drama to be conducted between geniuses. And Jomini surely saw (or preferred) combat between ‘chivalrous’ hosts. “As a soldier, preferring loyal and chivalrous warfare to organized assassination.” [2] Both men were ‘of their time’ however, Clausewitz, being heavily influenced by such ‘Continentalist’ philosophers such as Immanue...
Read more

"Conventional Commanders in an Unconventional War: The U.S. Army in Vietnam 1965-1972"

-
Image
 This is the introduction to "Conventional Commanders"... Introduction “More combat battalions from the U. S. are necessary. A total of 13 additional battalions need to be sent now. On June 15, we announced 75,000 men or 15 battalions. A total of 28 battalions is now necessary.”   Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara National Security Council Meeting, July 27, 1965 [1]   On a cold February afternoon in 1966, Marlys Lippman held a weathered package in her hands. Marked with the word “DECEASED,” she had mailed to her brother two months prior. Her brother, Lieutenant Colonel Gordan Lippman, a native of South Dakota, was killed in South Vietnam on 11 December 1965. He was serving as the Executive Officer (XO) of the 1 st Brigade, 1 st Infantry Division, one of the first two infantry divisions sent to South Vietnam in mid-1965.   LTC Lippman was killed by an enemy sniper one evening on the firebase. [2] Forty-one years old, LTC Lippman was deployed to ...
Read more
-
Image
           Interview with Ms Trisha Sicilia, Senior Supplier Quality Engineer, Lockheed Martin Corporation By Patrick Eaton INTERVIEW LINKS: (3 Part Recordings) ABSTRACT: The topic of the final research is the Bell Aircraft Corporation and the Air Force Plant #6 in Smyrna/Marietta, Georgia. During the Second World War II, Bell Aircraft won a contract to produce the B-29 Superfortress. Cobb County Georgia and the Governor of Georgia lobbied to have Bell Aircraft produce the B-29 in Marietta Georgia. As Bell Aircraft ended operations in 1945, Lockheed Aircraft picked up operations in Marietta and continues to operate in Marietta. I conducted an interview of Ms. Trisha Sicilia who is a Senior Supplier Quality Engineer in support of the Joint Strike Fighter (F-35), the F-22 Raptor, the F-15C Eagle, and the C-130 Hercules aircraft. Ms. Sicilia has been involved in the aviation industry for well over 20 years and has previously worked at Pratt & Whitney ...
Read more