Explain the main turning points of the war, including the invasion of the Soviet Union, Stalingrad, and the entry of the United States

What this dot point is asking

This dot point asks you to explain the main turning points of the Second World War, the moments when the war changed from going Germany and Japan's way to going against them. You should be able to explain a few key turning points, especially the German invasion of the Soviet Union, the Battle of Stalingrad, and the entry of the United States after Pearl Harbor, with Midway as the Pacific turning point. The key idea is that the war turned mainly because two huge new powers, the Soviet Union and the United States, were brought fully into the fight against the aggressors, with their vast resources and manpower.

The answer

Why "turning points" matter

For the first part of the war, Germany and Japan won victory after victory. By around 1941 to 1942, however, the war began to turn against them. A turning point is a moment that changes the direction of events. Understanding the turning points helps you explain why the aggressors, who had seemed almost unstoppable, ended up defeated. The biggest reason is that the war grew from a smaller conflict into a truly global one in which the Allies could call on far greater resources than the Axis powers of Germany, Italy and Japan.

The German invasion of the Soviet Union

A major turning point was Hitler's decision to invade the Soviet Union in 1941, breaking the earlier Nazi-Soviet Pact. At first the Germans advanced deep into Soviet territory using blitzkrieg. But the Soviet Union was enormous, with a huge population and vast resources, and the Soviet people resisted fiercely. As the freezing Russian winter set in, the German advance stalled. By attacking the Soviet Union, Hitler had taken on a giant enemy in the east, opening a second great front that would slowly bleed German strength.

The Battle of Stalingrad

The clearest turning point in Europe was the Battle of Stalingrad in 1942 to 1943. The Germans attacked the city of Stalingrad, but the Soviets fought for every street and refused to give up. Then the Soviet army surrounded the German forces in the city, trapping them with no food, fuel or escape in the bitter winter. Eventually a whole German army was forced to surrender. Stalingrad was a catastrophic defeat for Germany. After it, the Soviets began the long advance westward that would eventually carry them all the way to Germany.

Pearl Harbor and the entry of the United States

In the Pacific, the great turning point began with Japan's surprise attack on the American naval base at Pearl Harbor in 1941. Japan hoped to cripple the United States Pacific fleet, but the attack instead brought the full might of the United States into the war on the Allied side. The United States was a giant in industry, wealth and population. Its entry transformed the war by adding enormous resources and manpower to the Allies, both against Japan in the Pacific and against Germany in Europe.

The Battle of Midway

The turning point in the Pacific war itself came at the Battle of Midway in 1942, a great sea and air battle between the American and Japanese navies. The Americans won a decisive victory, sinking several Japanese aircraft carriers. After Midway, Japan was no longer able to expand and was forced onto the defensive. Just as Stalingrad turned the tide in Europe, Midway turned the tide in the Pacific, marking the point where Japan began to lose.

Why the war turned

To explain why the war turned, focus on the big picture. Germany and Japan had won early because of surprise and bold tactics, but they were smaller powers taking on the world. By 1942 they faced the combined strength of the Soviet Union, the United States and the British Empire, whose resources and manpower they could not match. The turning points of 1941 and 1942, the invasion of the Soviet Union, Stalingrad, Pearl Harbor and Midway, are the moments when this overwhelming Allied strength was brought to bear, and from then on the Axis powers were on the road to defeat.

Examples in context

Example 1. The Russian winter. When the Germans invaded the Soviet Union, they expected a quick victory and were not prepared for the brutal Russian winter. Their soldiers froze, their vehicles broke down, and their supply lines stretched too far. The vastness of the country and the harsh weather helped the Soviets survive the first onslaught and turn the tables, showing why invading the Soviet Union was such a costly mistake for Hitler.

Example 2. American industry. Once in the war, the United States turned its huge factories over to making weapons, producing enormous numbers of ships, aircraft, tanks and supplies. This flood of equipment armed not only American forces but also helped supply the other Allies. The sheer scale of American production is a clear example of how the entry of the United States shifted the balance of the war.

Try this

• Cue. Explain why Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941 was a turning point, mentioning the size of the country and the winter.

• Cue. Describe the Battle of Stalingrad and explain why it was such an important defeat for Germany.

• Cue. Explain why Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor backfired and how the Battle of Midway turned the war in the Pacific.