The turning point of World War II

[Seanie Lemass]

There are various opinions as to the turning point of WW II. Many believe the Soviet victory at Stalingrad was the turning point, some believe the turning point only came at the battle of Kursk in July 1943 and there are probably some who would argue the turning point came with the success of D-Day in 1944. This author believes the turning point of the war came when the Soviet forces launched the counterattacks to drive the Germans back from the approaches to Moscow in December 1941.

70 Years Ago, December 1941: Turning Point of World War II

All thanks to Comrade Stalin eh?

Of course the Soviets would never have lost 23 million people nor would Hitler have come within an ace of winning the war the Summer and Autumn previously had Stalin not made an alliance with him to butcher the Poles and the Balts and to allow Hitler a free hand in the west.

Right up to the very day of the German invasion Stalin was ignoring grade one intelligence reports about what was about to happen (from Richard Sorge and others) and was still murdering and torturing Red Army officers as imperialist spies (they couldn't be Nazis again until after June 21).

God Bless You Comrade Stalin

[paddyrebel]

the first real Hitler cock block was the battle of Britain. the Germans were shown not be invincible and it demonstrated the last and only democracy still in the fight a resolution to the world that reversed accepted opinion

[Dylan2010]

A boot on your neck, is a boot on your neck.

I fully agree

[APettigrew92]

The turning point was indeed the failure to take Moscow, the Declaration against the Americans and the results of Moscow.

Hitler blamed everyone else (as usual) and went on his own purge of the army.

His complete hatred for the Army High Command was born here, and he soon appointed himself head.

If you think for a few seconds. He immediately fired Von Brauchistch (C in C) and would simply use Keitel and Jodl like puppets.
He then put a Quartermaster in charge of the most powerful German Army ever assembled, the 6th.
He would then overrule the likes of Mannstein, Rommel and Guderian. Some of the finest commanders in leading memory.

Til the point where he assigned Heinrich Himmler his own Army Group in 1945.

Moscow triggered Hitler's insanity like no other event. The culling of the German Armies sovereignty was the fatal blow.

[niall78]

The turning point was indeed the failure to take Moscow, the Declaration against the Americans and the results of Moscow.

Hitler blamed everyone else (as usual) and went on his own purge of the army.

His complete hatred for the Army High Command was born here, and he soon appointed himself head.

If you think for a few seconds. He immediately fired Von Brauchistch (C in C) and would simply use Keitel and Jodl like puppets.
He then put a Quartermaster in charge of the most powerful German Army ever assembled, the 6th.
He would then overrule the likes of Mannstein, Rommel and Guderian. Some of the finest commanders in leading memory.

Til the point where he assigned Heinrich Himmler his own Army Group in 1945.

Moscow triggered Hitler's insanity like no other event. The culling of the German Armies sovereignty was the fatal blow.

Funnily enough it was the semi-successful defence by the Germans of the Russian 1941 winter offencive that lead Hitler to believe that his 'last man, last bullet, not an inch of ground' strategy held merit. This lead to many disasters later in the war when instead of tactical or strategic withdrawals, stand or die orders were given. It completely reduced the effectiveness of German defencive operations throughout the war.

[History Student]

when the brits decided to fight on after the fall of france

[FakeViking]

Slightly off-topic, but Ian Kershaw's recent book The End (The End: Hitler's Germany, 1944-45 by Ian Kershaw) is a real page-turner covering the events from the assasination attempt on Hitler in '44 until the final collapse in Berlin.

[APettigrew92]

Funnily enough it was the semi-successful defence by the Germans of the Russian 1941 winter offencive that lead Hitler to believe that his 'last man, last bullet, not an inch of ground' strategy held merit. This lead to many disasters later in the war when instead of tactical or strategic withdrawals, stand or die orders were given. It completely reduced the effectiveness of German defencive operations throughout the war.

Agreed.
Mannstein especially favoured an "elastic" defence, where he used to the mobility of the German army to counter the sluggishness of the Soviets due to supply and administration defects.

Hitler fired him and demanded the insane "stay perfectly still until Ivan has wasted all your bullets then die for me" approach.

Had Hitler died mysteriously before December 1941, i can't see Germany losing.

[APettigrew92]

when the brits decided to fight on after the fall of france

They probably sensed Hitler's weakness.

Had he crushed them at Dunkirk it was curtains.

[kerdasi amaq]

Maybe it was Ernst Udet's decision that the Luftwaffe didn't need a propellerless aircraft(Heinkel 290) that doomed the Third Reich.