Wednesday, November 14, 2012

What was the most significant battle in Europe during World War II?

49 comments:

  1. The most significant battle in Europe during the war was undoubtedly the Battle of Stalingrad. The Soviet victory in Stalingrad led to the defeat of some of Hitler's best units and turned the tide on the Eastern Front in the Allies' favour. Germany was forced on the defence for the rest of the war after this victory. Without the victory at Stalingrad the liberation of Eastern Europe may have been halted or never occurred altogether.

    Germany lost some of its best units at Stalingrad. Field Marshal von Paulus and his Sixth Army were some of the Wehrmacht's most disciplined and strongest soldiers on the Eastern Front. Even when they were surrounded by the Soviets they still held out for a number of days. The surrender of these soldiers greatly damaged German morale and the war effort on the Eastern Front. It was also a milestone in the fact that it was the first time a German army had been defeated in Europe during the war.

    The victory at Stalingrad was important in denying the Germans resources while also keeping up the flow of supplies to the Soviet Union. The Soviets successfully denied German access to the Caucasus oil fields through their defence. This denied the Germans a badly needed resource for the continuation of an offensive on the Eastern Front. The Soviet victory also kept the Allied supply route from Iran open. The continuous security of their resources and flow of supplies was vital to the Soviet war effort and their eventual victory in Europe.

    The victory at Stalingrad was also a huge turning point in the war. Germany had now been forced on the defensive by the Soviets. After Stalingrad the Germans would be on the defensive for most of the war too. Stalingrad was the beginning of the liberation of Eastern Europe as the Soviets would push westward towards Germany. The Soviet offensive was near unstoppable after their victory at Stalingrad. This battle was much more important than either Normandy or El Alamein due to its sheer importance in halting the progress of the German war machine.

    The Soviet victory at Stalingrad marked the end of the Third Reich’s dominance over continental Europe. It showed that even the best of German units could be beaten through determination and courage. In a way it also marked the eventual downfall of the Third Reich, because after Stalingrad the Germans would be on the defensive for the rest of the war. The Soviets made sure that the “Thousand Year Reich” was coming to an end early through this victory.

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  2. I believe that the Battle of Stalingrad was the most significant battle during the Second World War. I believe this because it was the turning point of the fight in Europe. The battle was won by the Soviets due to Germany and her Axis' powers many on going mistakes. After the Soviet victory, they built up a sense of morale which lead to many more victories for them down the road.

    In the Battle of Stalingrad, Germany lost many of her best miltiary units. This loss would benefit the Soviets greatly during the battle as well as the Allies in other battles and give them a leg up on the German forces. The German side of the battle was carried out by the German Sixth Army lead by Field Marshal von Paulus. The first four months of the Battle of Stalingrad where going well. von Paulus was successful in leveling the southern part of Stalingrad and creating some amount of chaos and panic. The start of the mistakes was when Hitler decided to divide his troops up into two groups. The first would be left to capture Stalingrad, and the other would advance further south to capture the Soviet's oil fields in the Caucasus region. It was already a tough battle that would take a lot of German force to win over, but now Germany only had half of her troops fighting on their own for Stalingrad. During the fight in the city, the Soviets were building up their forces north and south of Stalingrad greatly, which would lead to defeat of Germany. In November, Soviet General- Zhukov- attacked the Germans and encircled the German Sixth Army which cut off Stalingrad from the Germans through the outside. Despite the fact that the defeat of Germany in Stalingrad was pretty much evidentful, Hitler refused to let von Paulus retreat. Instead, Hitler ordered the German Luftwaffe to supply the army by air. However, the Luftwaffe was unable to provide for the outrageous demands that Hitler required. The Battle of Stalingrad was where some of the best Germany units were lost, and the splitting of the troops is what cost her the battle.

    The Battle of Stalingrad was also the most significant battle in Europe for the Allies because Hitler was denied any access to the Causasus oil that was just south of Stalingrad and the flow of the supply to the Soviets from the Americans and British remained open. If Germany had won the battle, the USSR would have fallen due to lack of oil and supplies from the Allies. The USSR was a major power against Germany and the Axis powers, so if they had failed, the war would have been won by Germany due to the fact that Britain would basically be fighting the war alone.

    The Battle of Stalingrad was the first time the Germany army was defeated in Europe and was forced on the defensive. This was important because now it meant that the Allies had more control of the war.

    The Battle of Stalingrad was hands down the most significant battle in World War Two because Germany lost many of their best military, Hitler was denied access to the Causasus oil, supply routes remained opened, Germany was now on the defensive, and it was the first time Germany lost in Europe.

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  3. The most significant and important battle in World War II was the Battle of Stalingrad. The Germans suffered heavy losses and were forced to retreat as Soviet troops pushed them all the way back to Berlin. This was a major turning point because it forced Nazi Germany to fight a defensive war. They never fully recovered and could not launch many offensives following their loss at the Battle of Stalingrad.

    The Battle of Stalingrad was also the first major defeat faced by Germany during World War II. It showed they weren’t as strong as they appeared to be, and their lack of concern and preparation for the Soviet Union’s cold weather revealed that their plans were not as solid as they seemed.

    If the Nazis had taken over southern Russia, they may have been unstoppable. The natural resources in the area would have strengthened Germany and made it easier for them to continue their conquest of the Soviet Union.

    Finally, the Battle of Stalingrad also softened up the Germans and made it easier for the Allies to launch an offensive in the west. Many skilled German troops were killed or captured, including the 6th Army, which was the first German field army to be destroyed completely. This weakened the German army and dampened their spirits while increasing Soviet and Allied morale.

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  4. The Battle of Britain was the most significant battle in Europe in World War II. Not to downplay the merits of the Battle of Stalingrad, which holds a high place as a turning point in the war. But had the Battle of Britain been lost, had Britain lost, the outcome of the war would have been very different.

    At this point in time, the Soviet Union had just taken eastern Poland, as part of the deal with the Germans. France was defeated as the Nazis trampled through the Maginot Line and therefore no longer an ally. The United States was out of the question since they had not yet entered the war. Britain was basically on her own, against Germany and the Axis.

    Both sides struggled, each racing to build and repair their respective planes. Had the Germans won, the war probably would have ended, because there were no more allies to fight, until Hitler decided to expand eastward. Ultimately, the British Royal Air Force reigned supreme against the Germans. However, for a while, it was close, which meant there would not be the quick and easy war that Hitler had been aiming for, as the Germans were not equipped to fight long term, unlike the British whose assets spanned across its colonies, not just the country.

    The Battle of Britain is marked by a large amount of bombing, which only went on to continue, between German and British cities. It was a change from strategies that were primarily on land, previously seen in World War I. In this battle is where the importance of the aircraft really began to shine through, like the German blitzes. There was also the fact that, whether intentionally or not, the Germans had bombed London – and then simply continued with it. It was a dramatic change as previously, civilians were generally spared if possible. However, instead of undermining morale, British resilience became a source of pride.

    After failing to take Britain, Hitler eventually settled for turning his attention to the Soviet Union. Regardless of the Treaty of Non-Aggression between the Germans and the Soviets, the end was inevitable and that is proven by the invasion of Russia – so one can assume that there would have eventually been an eastern front either way. However, the difference lies in the fact that was the Red Army was fighting, Stalin was counting on the Allies to open up a second front. With no Allies in Europe (and suppose that the U.S. would eventually enter after the attack on Pearl Harbour), it would have been an indefinitely more difficult task. To keep Britain in the game allowed the Allies to alleviate the pressure on the Soviets (through bombing German cities and taking the fighting to North Africa, instead of it all centralized on the eastern front) and would eventually be the strategic position necessary to serve as a base in Europe, before the Allied troops entered the continent.

    All in all, without the British in the way, the Nazi regime would have little obstacle in Europe, save for the Soviets, which, as shown later in the war, was devastating and bloody between the two. The Nazis taking Britain could only be catastrophic – it would have meant the end of democracy and the beginning of a showdown between communism and Nazism in Europe.

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  5. The most significant battle in Europe during WWII was most definitely the Battle of the Atlantic. An extremely vital factor in prolonged war is the MASS production of war material. Britain would not have been able to stay in the war had it not been given food, fuel, and raw materials from the Americans, and it was this weakness that Germany was determined to exploit. The battle was fought in the Atlantic Ocean between German submarine 'wolf packs' and Allied merchant convoys that were protected by naval escorts and anti-submarine aircraft. German U-boats came close to forcing Britain out of the war by sinking their merchant ships and bringing British imports down from an annual 50 million tonnes to 22 million tonnes. With the use of sonar and acoustic homing torpedoes, the larger convoy escorts and patrols craft were able to locate the German submarines while they were sweeping across sea lanes and were eventually sunk with the Allies anti-submarine warfare devices. Had Germany been successful in exploiting British imports in the prolonged war, Britain would not have been able to gain victory in the Battle of the Atlantic and other battles after it. The significance of the Battle of the Atlantic meant that the Allied powers were still able to receive supplies and resources from the U.S.. The British would not have been able to keep up such naval superiority, and fight against the Germans if they were deprived of war materials.

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  7. The most significant battle in the European theater during World War II was the Battle of Britain. If Germany had been victorious in her campaign, the whole course of the war would have been drastically different, not to mention the aftermath in Europe and the rest of the world.

    The British effort was integral in the war, and it could not have continued to be as strong as it was if Britain was invaded. Even if Hitler did not succeed in taking over the whole island and the British Empire, the Britons would have been preoccupied with fighting for their territory. They would have held back large portions of their air force, navy, and army, as they did when German invaded France earlier that year, for defense on their own soil. This would have rendered them unable to make as much of a difference as they did in other theaters of war, such as in North Africa or in the Pacific, or in the bombing campaign of Germany. A German invasion of Britain also would have decreased the amount of supplies that could be sent to Russia, as British ports and sea lanes would be even more obstructed in the North, and weakened the Allied forces on the eastern front.

    In addition, the Allied effort was founded on the idea that Germany could be prevented from taking over Europe and that Nazism would not win in the end; if Britain had failed to prevent a German invasion in the summer of 1940, this principal may have been shattered. As it was, the Battle of Britain served as a basis for Allied confidence, and bombing raids that were meant to break British morale actually increased their desire to continue the fight. If British armed forces had failed to keep their enemy off their island, that would have been a true test of British resilience.

    Probably the most important component of the failure of Operation Sea Lion was the remaining base from which the Allies could launch their campaigns in Europe. The ports and air bases in southern Britain were monumentally important in the Allied bombing campaign of Germany and in the invasion of Northern France. If the island had been invaded by the Germans, it could not have been used for these purposes, as the ports and air bases would surely have been occupied right away. The absence of enemy forces in Britain also allowed the delivery of necessary supplies and of troops to Europe, which could not have been done otherwise; no collection of mulberry harbors and aircraft carriers would have been able to substitute for such an island, specifically in Operation Overlord, with the troops and supplies it required. Even if the Allies did attempt to launch their inevitable and necessary invasion of Europe from North Africa, the Germans would have had much more time to assemble their defenses, and the Italians could have made trouble (although not very much). When considering this option, though, it must be taken into account that the Battle of El Alamein and the offensives that followed which secured North African ports were dependent on the British forces in North Africa, and may not have been quite so successful if they were holding back forces for home defense.

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  8. Even in the case that the subtraction of a great amount of the Allied forces did not cost them the war, the world would be a totally different place. With France and Britain out of the picture for all intents and purposes, all the countries in Europe would be occupied by either fascists or communists, if they didn’t all kill each other first. It would be total bloodbath, and they’d never agree on a peace, or at least it wouldn’t last very long. The Non-Aggression Pact ended after not even 2 years, and from there escalated to battles like Stalingrad; let’s just say that it wouldn’t get any better if Russia and Germany fought it out. On the other side of the world, the war in the Pacific may have turned out differently. The Americans did have an industrial capacity a great deal larger than that of the Japanese, but if Britain wasn’t helping out, they would have been using more of their resources in the European theater. In addition, if Russia was too busy killing Nazis and ‘liberating’(a.k.a taking over) Europe, the invasion of Manchuria might not have been carried out as strongly as it was. In fact, Russia may not have even joined the war in the Pacific without Britain being in the position she was at the Potsdam conference, considering how well Truman and Stalin got along. At any rate, both the invasion of Manchuria by the Russians and the British forces were factors in ending the war in the Pacific, and if the Americans had to do it by themselves, the outcome may have been much different, including the political situation.

    To conclude, Britain was vital for the outcome of World War II as we know it, as a military base, a supply source, a democracy, a military force, and a player in international politics. If the Britons had lost the Battle of Britain and failed to prevent Germany from invading, the war may have been radically changed.

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  9. The battle of Stalingrad was the most significant battle in Europe during WWII. With Stalingrad playing a huge role of its location to the oil fields in the south, and Moscow in the north. Have Stalingrad been taken, U.S.S.R would have been in an awful position of defending Moscow. The defeat that Hitler took was his very first. This came at a cost to Hitler as well, with a number of resources drained and perhaps his best unit in the whole war, the 6th Army was harshly defeated. Proving that that the Wehrmarcht ground troops can be stopped; this turned the whole momentum around on the eastern front, and eventually caused the liberation of Eastern Europe and the downfall of Nazi Germany. All together, Stalingrad was turned into rubble, but with the city held and Germans retreating back, Stalingrad was the beginning of an end for Hitler’s domination of Eastern Europe.

    Hitler wanted to take Stalingrad due to its location, and war material production. Hitler was after the oil fields in Caucasus, which would boost his resources. With the loss in this battle, Hitler was never able to recover the oil he was after, which in the long run hurt his war effort, with the resources being low. Also Stalingrad is in a position not far from Moscow, and with the take of Stalingrad, surely Hitler would have invaded Moscow again, and perhaps this times with much more success. Stalin ordered to defend Stalingrad until the last man; he knew that this is a vital battle, which cannot be lost.

    With the soviets battling hard, and eventually completely defeating the 6th army, which was known to be one of the top army’s in all of Germany, it was proven that the Germans can be defeated on the ground, as it was for the first time ever the Wehrmarcht ground forced were defeated. The loss was a heavy outcome for Hitler, as of his best men were either dead or captured. All the resources that were spent just on this battle were now seen as a waste, and the Soviets were finally pushing the Germans out of Russia. After the Battle of Stalingrad, Hitler only managed to throw a few offensives, which also failed.

    With the Russians launching their offensive on Germany, they were liberating the U.S.S.R and eventually all the countries on the way to Berlin. It was very important for the Russian`s to liberate Eastern Europe, and end Nazi occupation. With the Russian`s heading towards Berlin, the allies were starting their attacks on the Western Front. All of this momentum was grabbed from the Battle of Stalingrad.

    The Battle of Stalingrad was perhaps one of the greatest urban fighting battles of all time. With nearly 2 million deaths that took place it became one of the bloodiest battles as well. With this battle being won, the Soviets did not look back, as now it was all out attack on suddenly vulnerable Germans. For the first time in the war Germans were retreating for their lives. It was clear, times have changed and powers have switched, there was a light at the end of this long tunnel. All factors included, the Battle of Stalingrad was by far the most significant battle in Europe.

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  10. The most significant battle in WW2 to me is the battle of Britain. The battle of Britain had the most significance because the effort and strength Britain proved that wasn’t going to be an easy war and it was also the first time Hitler was denied conquest. Germany may have had more materials and troops (975 bombers, 326 dive bombers and 930 fighters while Britain had 650 fighters) yet the British were the victorious.

    On August 23rd when German bombers mistakenly bombed London, Churchill retaliated by bombing Berlin. This caused Hitler to order the Luftwaffe to shift from its attack on air fields to the bombing of London (The Blitz). This shift was a turning point in the battle because it spared fighter command from upcoming destruction and provided the RAF with an opportunity to rebuild and rest. When the fighter command was released from defending its bases it began to inflict heavier casualties on the German bombing squadrons.

    The British won because of their strong determination, the RAF, radar, the ultra which intercepted and deciphered German signals. Britain’s sneaky advantages were what gave them the upper hand to gain victory.

    To me the Battle of Britain was the most significant in WW2 because it set the bar to what pace and level World War 2 was going to be and also after this battle, people realized it was going too much longer than they thought.

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  11. The most significant battle in World War 2 is The Battle of Stalingrad. If Hitler had captured Stalingrad, first, the land route carrying British and American supplies to the Russians and provide Germans with a base for attacks on the Russian's second industrial center, which produced most of the Soviet Union's war equipment. Second, if Hitler had accomplished Stalingrad he would have had an open target on Moscow, guaranteeing that he would have invaded again, and that would have much changed the outcome of the War in Europe. The Soviet victory at Stalingrad was the prelude to the Russian counter-offensive in 1943.

    Hitler wanted the oil fields in the south in Caucasus, and if he achieved them, it would have made a big difference in his war effort, as he would have accomplished more resources. He also wanted Moscow. With the resources, if he had gotten the oil fields, Hitler would have had a greater chance on attempting to capture Moscow again, which would have changed the war in Europe big time. As the Russians began to push Germany back towards Berlin, Hitler was merely facing his first defeat, and a turning point in the war, in which Russia would not let off and let Germany stand back up.

    Along with Russia pushing Hitler back towards Berlin, the allies began to move in on Western Germany. Also, possibly Hitler's best ground force - The 6th Army, was captured and destroyed, which helped prove that the German forces were not unbeatable. The top notch German force being captured also helped the momentum build for Russia. This momentum was all caused by Stalingrad, and would keep going finally until the German defeat.

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  12. The most significant battle in Europe during World War II was the Battle of Britain. Although there were many significant battles, like Stalingrad, the Battle of Britain was most significant because of the determination and morale it brought to the British people and soldiers. Winning the Battle of Britain was the most important battle because it was the first battle Hitler was "denied conquest." The British morale had been trampled over by the Germans from the start of the war; Germany would continue to fight with everything they had, and if the outcome had been in Germany's favour the layout for the rest of the war would have been completely different.

    Germany had come into the war with full force and dragged Britain into the war by invading Poland. Once Germany defeated Belgian and France, Britain felt like it was on its own. They were running out of determination, Germany was slowly taking over most of Europe and it was getting harder and harder for people to imagine Britain defending all the invaded countries. Britain needed to win a battle to get their spirits back up, and the Battle of Britain did just that. Britain had to defend its own land and they were not going to give up that easily.

    Hitler wanted to attack Britain by land, sea, and air forces. He wanted to destroy the Royal Air Force, so he brought in his toughest and best soldiers to do the job. The British soldiers had the determination to fight hard and they didn't back down. Hitler couldn't take over Britain's air force and he postponed his invasions several times, until he finally backed down from the battle. One of the biggest reasons why the Battle of Britain was such a significant battle was because this was Hitler's first real failed attempt to take over a country. So because of this, it gave the Allies hope and brought higher morale thinking that they have a chance to defeat Hitler. They had the confidence they needed to continue to take on the Nazis.

    Imagine what the outcome of World War II would be like if Germany had won the Battle of Britain. Britain was and had been the biggest empire in the world, so who knows what would have happened if they lost the Battle of Britain. If they lost, the large empire it was, countries and people would have lost hope. People wouldn't have faith in defeating Germany, because "if Britain was defeated, any other country who tried would be too." The rest of World War II would have been so different and the Germans would have continued to gain confidence from every battle, prompting them to keep going. The world today would be extremely different. It could have been possible that most of Europe would be under Germany. The Battle of Britain beyond significant, because of the British victory it gave the world hope, and it stopped Germany from invading the rest of Europe.

    The Battle of Britain was shown to be the biggest turning point as well as the most significant battle that came out of World War II. The British fought their way to fight on top and never let Germany take over. They needed this battle to go in favour of Britain, or people's hopes and determination of defeating Germany would no longer be recoverable. Knowing that Britain denied Hitler and Germany's conquest not only brought hope to all of Britain, but the entire world. Winning this battle showed the world that Germany would and could be denied. The Battle of Britain was so important because it paved out how the Allies would go on with confidence, determination and hope that they could bring down Germany.

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  13. If one had to think of the most significant battle in all of World War II a popular choice would be the Battle of Stalingrad. The Battle of Stalingrad was the first time Germany had ever been defeated in battle, and not just defeated but pushed on the defensive for the rest of the war. Operation Barbarossa started out hugely successful for the Germans, however that all turned around at the battle for Stalingrad. Feeling that all the city needed was one final push and it would be his Hitler ordered all of his best soldiers to the front lines to make a final push for the city, only leaving the Hungarians, Austrians and Italians to cover the flanks. The Russians launched a counter attack and the flanks collapsed, trapping the entire Sixth Army in a kill zone. Within a few days the Sixth Army was forced to surrender, causing Hitler to loose most of his best and most skilled soldiers. This marked the downfall of the German war effort, leading to defeat after defeat. This was compounded on by the fact that Hitler was counting on resources from Russia to fuel his campaign in the west, if he had succeeded on taking Russia Hitler would have had the space and resources to literally fight off the world. The defeat at Stalingrad also had the effect of weakening the German defense in the west, making it much easier for the Allies to win the war.

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  14. Without a doubt, the most significant battle in Europe during World War II was the Battle of Stalingrad. It is considered by historians to be one of, if not the most, important battle and turning point of the war. This was the first major battle that Germany suffered a defeat in World War II, and it showed to the Allies that they could beat the strong German forces as well as that the Germans were not as strong as they were believed to be.
    Hitler wanted access to the Caucasus oil fields that were south of Stalingrad in order to continue the German offensive. Also, Stalingrad was important as a transportation and communication centre for the flow of supplies along the route that carried supplies from Britain and the United States via Iran to the USSR would continue as long as the route remained open. This continuous flow of supplies to the Soviets was vital to the Soviet war effort and its capture would be disastrous for the Allies.
    During the battle of Stalingrad the German army was drained, as Germany lost some of its strongest units. This would benefit the Soviets during the battle and later on the Allies in other battles, giving them the advantage over the Germans. After the first four months of the battle of Stalingrad events turned in the Allies favour when Hitler decided to divide his forces into two groups – one to focus on capturing Stalingrad, and one advancing further to the south in hopes of capturing the Soviet’s oil fields of the Caucasus. The battle in Stalingrad was already in need of a lot of German force, but it was made tougher as Germany only had half of their forces in the city. As the battling in the city continued, the Soviets were building up their forces to the north and south of Stalingrad. In November, General Zhukov attacked along the flanks of the German Sixth Army – of only some 250,000 to 300,000 men - using six armies of one million men, encircling them, and then struck deep behind the German lines in December, completing a ‘pincer’ movement to cut them off Stalingrad from the outside. The Germans in Stalingrad were essentially trapped. As time progressed, the Germans had to contend with the severity of the Russian winter, as well as limited supplies and ammunition. Despite that the Allied victory was inevitable; Hitler did not allow Field Marshal von Paulus and the German Sixth Army - who were some of Hitler’s strongest soldiers – retreat. Eventually von Paulus surrendered in February 1943, along with the 90,000 men who had survived, which was a huge blow to German morale.
    Stalingrad was significant because it was a turning point in the war. After the Allied victory, Germany was forced into retreat and on the defensive for the rest of the war. This meant the Allies had more control over the war, and the Soviet force soon became unstoppable. The victory also began the road to the liberation of Eastern Europe, which would eventually lead to the German troops being pushed back into German boarders by the Soviet troops coming from the west. The German losses at Stalingrad had been so great that they did not have the capacity to resist the Russian advance.
    This battle was most important as it stopped what seemed to be the unstoppable monster that was the German “war machine”, and contributed greatly to the end of World War II.

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  15. The most significant battle in Europe was the Battle of Britain. It was common knowledge that, for the first part of World War II, Britain was the force that was keeping the Allies from succumbing to the German rampage. They were the ones that managed to hold on and keep their foot in the door when no other nation did.

    The Battle of Britain was an instrumental victory for the Allies because after the German occupation of France, “the Allies” had been demolished and the duty of resisting Hitler was passed solely on to Britain. If England hadn’t had the stronger, longer lasting air force then the battle would have been lost and, one can believe, as would the war for there would be no more enemies left to fight.

    In planning Operation Sea Lion, Hitler had relied on defeating Britain and thus shortening the war. However, because the RAF was able to last long enough to deny Hitler a victory over England, the estimated war time went from several months to several years. The fact that Britain remained a strong force ensured that the resistance would be much stronger and that the war would take more time to end. This gave the English an advantage and Hitler a disadvantage because he was neither prepared nor able to fight a prolonged war.

    It is also important to note the different technologies that were used during this battle. Aircraft played the biggest role on both the side of the Allies and German forces, for it was the main mean by which the bombing raids were accomplished and all the fighting that went on was in the air. For a side to have victory and supremacy over the other, it was crucial for them to have the better planes, and because the nation that possessed the more adept machinery was the side that would come out on top. Also there was the use of the radar. Though it was primitive to what we use nowadays, it played a key role in allowing the British to detect incoming enemy aircraft, thus preparing them for attack and giving them the necessary edge they needed.

    Later in the war it was important that Britain stayed open because it played a significant role in being the launch spot for the Normandy Landings and a continual air base for bombing raids on German cities. Not only this, but had the island been seized by the Germans, any Allied attempt at an advance from the South of Italy would have been easily thwarted because Hitler would have all the resources necessary to counter an attack from such a distance.

    Had the results from the Battle of Britain been reversed, one can only assume that the U.S. would have never entered the war in Europe therefore Britain would be alone and much too weak to defeat Hitler’s army and bring his string of conquests to a halt. This battle was the most important victory for the Allies because it meant that Hitler would not go unchallenged for the remainder of the war and the island would remain a priceless asset to the Allied war effort.

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  16. The Battle of Stalingrad was the most significant battle in Europe during WWII. There are two reasons why it is the most significant. The first reason is that the battle was Hitler's first defeat in Europe, which would lead to many more battles being won by the allies. The second reason was that the Germans were now on the defensive rather than the offensive on the eastern front. After Stalingrad the Russians were able to push the Germans out further and further until eventually reaching Germany and capturing the Reichstag in Berlin. If the Russians were not able to push back the Germans at Stalingrad the war would have ended much differently.

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  17. The most significant battle in Europe during World War II was the Battle of Stalingrad.

    This was the first time in continental Europe that Hitler was defeated, and the Allied victory in this battle showed that the Germans could be beaten, which issued a great change in morale for the Allies. As the best and most elite German troops were sent to Stalingrad, they were taken out of the war effort once they were defeated, which also contributed to the Allied victory as the German army was now devastated by heavy losses. These soldiers could no longer be used as part of the German defence, and German morale also suffered as a result of their defeat in Stalingrad.

    This battle also forced the Germans to be on the defensive, which was a change from their long line of victorious offensives before in the war. They were never able to recover fully after Stalingrad, which helped the Allies to begin the liberation of Eastern Europe. Hitler was denied the oil in Russia, which was much needed at the time to fuel the German army, and the supply route through Iran for the Allies was kept open. Without supplies, there is no doubt that an Allied victory would not have been possible in Europe. This also made it easier for the Allies to start focusing on their battle on the Western Front, as the Eastern Front was now taken care of, and the Germans had to defend on both fronts.

    Had the Germans taken Stalingrad, an industrial city, many of the industries and factories that were used towards the war effort would have been turned over to them. This meant that Hitler would have had many more resources to fight the war, which could have eventually meant his victory over the Allies. This loss would have also broken Russian moral past what was deemed normal after a defeat, as since the city was named after their leader, the Russians would have taken a huge psychological blow.

    Without this turning point in the war, Germany would have continued to conquer the Eastern Front, which ultimately could have meant their own victory in the war. This battle took away many of the most elite Germany soldiers, and denied Hitler the oil (in the Caucasus oil fields) and supply routes (in Iran) that could have been used as a great contributor to his potential victory.

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  18. Out of all of the battles during world war two, I found it to be that the Battle of Britain was the most significant battle. Although other battles such as Stalingrad, El Alamein etc were significant as well, the Battle of Britain had great proof in showing that Britain was ready to fight a war full force with much determination. The Battle of Britain’s outcomes were very important, because had they turned out differently, it could have completely turned around the final outcomes of the war.

    Hitler’s plan was to invade Britain not only by land, but by sea and aircraft as well. But before doing so, he had to establish superiority to Britain over the English Channel if he wanted success. Germany’s military such as bombers and fighters were superior to Britain giving them strength. So by the time the Luftwaffe began bombing convoys in the channel, and then the three week attack on Britain known as Eagle Day, Britain was losing men and were unable to train replacements.

    But on august 23 when German bombers accidentally bombed London, Churchill retaliated by bombing Berlin. This caused Hitler to fight back using the Blitz technique. This turned everything around at this point giving the RAF and an opportunity to regain strength and rebuild. Although London had to be bombed, causing civilian losses, it caused Britain to be able to regain strength enabling them to win this battle.

    This battle is significant because Britain’s victory in this battle because it was the first time Hitler was denied conquest, meaning that the war would be much longer than expected. This was a great advantage to Britain once the United States came into the war. It gave Britain and the Allies a starting to point to be able to invade Europe.

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  19. The most significant battle of World War II was the battle of the Atlantic. Not only did the theatre of war cover hundreds of thousands of kilometres and last the entirety of the war, in Churchill’s own words, the Battle of the Atlantic “was the dominating factor all throughout the war. Never for one
    moment could we forget that everything that happened elsewhere, on land, at sea, or in the air,
    depended on its outcome, and amid all our other cares, we viewed its changing fortunes day by
    day with hope or apprehension” . He believed that while the allies may win battles and territory during the way, without the shipping lanes and channels guaranteed by the Battle of the Atlantic, the Allies would not have been able to carry on the war.

    The German U-boats using the wolf pack tactic brought English imports down by half; an incredible and potentially devastating sum for a country in wartime. The end of U-boat domination allowed the war to continue on indefinitely and the sinking of the warship Bismark led to the end of warship raids in 1942. In turn, the British blockade of Germany led to the need to search elsewhere for resources, such as the two failed attempts to reach oil fields, in the Middle East and Russia, depleting German resources and some of their best troops in the process. A clear English Channel also meant that the Allies would meet very little sea-based resistance should they plan a landing, which they executed in 1945.

    For a large portion of the war, the British were forced onto the defensive. They had lost their French allies, the Americans had not yet entered, and the Germans were pushing into Russia. The assurance of supplies awarded them by clear Atlantic waters was invaluable. Without the allied victories during the battle of the Atlantic, the German blockade of Britain would have been successful, and the war for the British would have ended very quickly indeed.

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  20. The battle of Stalingrad was the most significant and important battle of the Second World War. The battles of Britain and the Ardennes have their places but Stalingrad was the point at which the Soviets, who would ultimately be the first to occupy Berlin, went on the offensive. Without this battle and its outcome, the war in Europe would certainly have taken longer, as Stalingrad was the major roadblock in the way of the Germans reaching the oil of the Caucasus region which would have supplied their war effort for many years to come. Also, the Russians tasted victory at Stalingrad and Germany lost some of its best task forces as a result of the battle of Stalingrad. Without the Russian victory at Stalingrad, the Russians may never have pushed through Eastern Europe to Berlin and the outcome of the war would have been drastically different; and no other battle in Europe could have had such a profound effect on the outcome of the Second World War.

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  21. The Battle of Stalingrad is by far the most important battle in Europe during World War II, for numerous reasons. It was a major defeat for Germany- they lost supplies, men and the advantage in the war.

    The Germans were unable to achieve their goals at Stalingrad. They had set out to gain the oil of the Caucasus region but failed. Their plan would have severely disabled the Soviet Union’s ability to fight effectively, as oil was needed to continue. The German not receiving the Caucasus oil hurt them as well, as they needed more raw resources to fight a longer war. Stalingrad was the industrial heart of the U.S.S.R, and provided the majority of war materials. It was essential to Stalin’s defense against Germany.

    Germany also lost a significant number of men, in this battle.
    Stalingrad was the first battle to which a German Field Marshall was taken prisoner; this was Freidrich Von Paulus, leader of the 6th army. The 6th army was filled with Germany’s strongest men, so it was a huge blow when they were defeated. They surrendered on the 31st of January 1943, making Stalingrad the first time Germans had ever lost on land.

    This battle put Germany on the defense for the rest of World War II, which was a huge blow to the morale of the citizens. Stalingrad was also the Soviet Union’s first major victory in the war, boosting their spirits and giving them an advantage for the future battles. If the Germans had won Stalingrad, it is possible that they could have overtaken the entire U.S.S.R.

    Hitler had decided to take on too much, fighting on the East and the West; it put a strain on their supplies and their men which led to them having a major disadvantage for the rest of the war.

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  23. he most significant battle of World War II was definitely the Battle of Stalingrad. Obviously it is not only significant because it was a turning point, but that does play a large role. Stalingrad was the first battle that Hitler actually lost, and from then on, the German army was on the defensive. Can you even imagine the wonders that would do to the Allies’ morale? Germany had a string of wins, but suddenly the tides change and from then on, it’s all uphill.

    The Germans needed to win this battle to capture the Caucus oil fields and other essential natural resources. Germany was not that large of a country, and their resources were limited. They knew that beating the Allies (with America and the USSR both having vast a vast amount of, well, everything) meant getting more resources.

    Hitler put forth all of his best soldiers in this battle, which proved to be an enormous mistake. The Russians pushed back and managed to trap the majority of the German Sixth Army, forcing them to surrender. From then on, the Germans lost battle after battle. Evidently, this was a great blow to the German morale.

    In short, he Battle of Stalingrad was the most significant battle in Europe during WWII because the Germans were now on the defensive for the rest of the war and it proved that the very best of the German army was not unstoppable.

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  24. The most significent battle in Europe during World War II was the battle of Stalingrad because it was where the Germans retreated for the first time in Europe and it served as a major turning point. The momentum completely shifted to the Allied side and the Germans were put on the defense for the first time in the war.

    Hitler made a crucial mistake in Stalingrad by dividing his troops. He sent one group to capture Stalingrad and the other to take the Caucasus oil fields. The groups sent to take the oil fields was halted in October by the Soviets before they were able to reach their objective. This left the Germans without the oil fields and only half their force to capture Stalingrad. German officer Von Paulus knew that the Germans could not win and wanted to retreat but Hitler refused. He ordered the Luftwaffe to supply the army by air, an order which the Luftwaffe were unable to follow. Eventually Von Paulus surrendered but not before he and his troops were trapped, leading to major losses to German units.

    Some of the best German units were lost in the battle which resulted in more loss for the Germans throughout the rest of the war. Von Paulus and his army wre one of the best units Germany had adn the loss of them to surrender damaged the German morale more then anything.

    Another major reason the battle of Stalingrad was most significent was because with the win the Allies were able to secure a major supply route from Britain to the USSR through Iran.

    The most important reason the battle of Stalingrad was the most significent was because it was Germany's first major defeat in Europe. The momentum of the European war shfited to the Allies and the Germans were put on the defensive. This allowed the Allies to begin liberating eastern Europea conutries and ultimately gain control of the war.

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  25. The Battle of Stalingrad was one of the biggest battles between Germany and the Allies in World War 2. Capturing Stalingrad, one of the Soviets greatest industrial centers, would mean access to factories, war equipment, and oil. This was the first time the German army would be defeated and hereafter they would be on the defensive.

    Germany lost some of her best units and generals. 91,000 soldiers were taken prisoner after von Paulus surrendered, of which only 6,000 ever returned. Losing the sixth army and Von Paulus was a huge loss to the German army, which would prevent them from being able to defend against the Soviet and Allied advance into Germany. The defeat was humiliating for Hitler; he lost trust in his generals. Hitler distrusted Von Paulus, who he soon fired: “The God of War has gone over to the other side.”

    Because of the Soviet victory, the supply route from Britain and America would continue to reach the USSR. Also, Germany was denied access to resources they were desperate to obtain. Because of the strong Soviet defense, Germany was not able to obtain the Caucasus oil fields.

    The Allies success in World War 2 would begin after the Battle of Stalingrad. Step by step, the Soviets advanced into East Germany pushing the Germans back while Britain and America would head into North and West Germany.

    The Soviet victory at the Battle of Stalingrad allowed the Allies to free thousands of Jews held prisoner at concentration camps. The Allies would find a number of concentration camps and would free the prisoners. The Soviets found thousands of Jews in Auschwitz and soon after encountered other camps in the Baltic States, Poland, Stutthof, Sachsenhausen, and Ravensbrueck. US and Britain liberated camps in North and West Germany.

    The Battle of Stalingrad weakened Hitler’s confidence and would set the tone for the rest of the war. The oil shortage Germany was facing and the massive loss to the German army would prevent them from being able to defend against the Allies.

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  26. The most significant battle to occur during World War II was the Battle of Stalingrad. It proved to be a major turning point of the war, as it was where the Germans were forced to retreat for the first time, and had been put on the defensive side, giving the Allied side an advantage. In Stalingrad, Hitler made a very large mistake, by dividing his troops, sending one to capture Stalingrad, and the other to take the Caucasus oil fields. The troops that had been sent to get the oil had been halted by Soviets and were unable to reach their goal, leaving the Germans without oil and other essential resources, and half of their troops trying to capture Stalingrad. German officer Von Paulus was aware that Germany could not win, and wanted to retreat, but Hitler refused, and ordered the Luftwaffe to help. The Luftwaffe was unable to follow this order, and as a result Von Paulus surrendered. However, he and his troops got trapped, and as a result had a great loss of German units. During this battle, Hitler lost some of his best units. This was all a large blow to German morale. This battle was also the most significant because the Allies were able to acquire a supply route that ran from Britain to the USSR through Iran. It was Germany’s first major loss during the war in Europe, and proved that even their strongest forces could be defeated.

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  27. I believe the most significant battle during world war 2 was the Battle of The Atlantic. If the allies had lost in the Atlantic, or even lost more footing then they did and didn't gain it back then the entire tide of the war would change. America and Canada kept Britain well supplied during the war, with men, munitions and materials. If the Germans had dominated the Atlantic and the Allies hadn't gotten the upper hand against the U-Boats then supplies wouldn't reach Britain and they would've ended up like France and Russia would've been on it's own.

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  28. The most significant battle in Europe during World War II was the battle at Stalingrad. This is because the Axis’ best forces had been defeated; Germany had been denied ever needed oil and had been forced to be on the defensive.
    With Stalin’s forces surrounding the city of Stalingrad in a counter-attack after the axis’ best forces, known as the sixth army, implemented operation Barbarossa, the most powerful of the axis forces, had been captured and now had significantly weakened Hitler’s forces to the point where they could not recover for the remainder of the war. This was done by Stalin having his forces defeat the weaker defending Austrian, Italian, and Hungarian flanks, and attacking the Sixth army from the flanks. This caught the Axis off-guard and gave Stalin enough of an edge to defeat the enemy in a couple days.
    Germany was also desperate for oil; with their loss at Stalingrad, and denial for oil, they could not continue battling on the offensive.

    If I do not get the oil of Maikop and Grozny then I must finish [liquidieren] this war.
    —Adolf Hitler

    This had destroyed all chances for Germany to recover from their defeat and put them on the defensive for the remainder of the war, until Stalin pushed Hitler’s forces all the way back to Berlin.
    Without Hitler’s defeat at Stalingrad, Hitler could have been able to fight off the invading forces from the western front, effectively winning World War II. The Battle of Stalingrad had starved the Axis forces of much needed resources, which essentially was the deciding factor on who would win the war. Russia had prevailed against Hitler’s best forces, they had effectively put Germany on the defensive and were now on their way towards defeat.

    ---Antony Czeto---

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  29. The most significant battle of world war 2 was Stalingrad. I believe that Stalingrad was the turning point for Russia because if they did not defeat Germany the Nazis would have taken over even more of German Territory. The German Air force and Navy have been defeated but this battle, the battle of Stalingrad was the First time that the German Army was defeated. Germany lost many military units This loss would benefit the Soviets greatly during the battle as well as the Allies in other battles and give them an advantage on the German forces. Hitler made a few mistakes which ended up costing the Germans the battle. The first mistake Adolf Hitler made was to divide his troops up into two groups. The first would be left to capture Stalingrad, and the other would advance further south to capture the Soviet's oil fields in the Caucasus region. If the Nazis won the battle of Stalingrad with the resources that were in the soviet unions oil fields it would have only mad Germany even stronger then they already were and would have made it easier for the Nazis to continue west on Hitler’s mission to take over Europe. The Battle of Stalingrad was the most important because it was the Very first time the German army was defeated, they lost top military groups such as their 6th army. The fighting tactics were very unique, the fighting was house to house and used as bases. Bottom line the German Army was weakened so that they could not have continued their dominance in Europe.

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  30. The most significant battle of world war 2 would have to have been the Battle of Britain.This battle is significant because Britain’s victory in this battle because it was the first time Hitler was denied conquest, and it meant that war was going to be longer then they expected. this was an advantage to Britain because once the united states came into the war it would britaina and the future allies a base to which they can start a plan the invasion of Europe. great Britains air defences remained intact because they had a time to rest and rebuild, and Germany's invasion plan (Operation Sealion) was called off indefinitely. The Battle of Britain was germanys first deaft in the second world wae, this outcome held important implications for the rest of the war and with the liberation of Western Europe ultimately possible as the British remained unconquered.

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  31. The most significant battle of World War II was the Battle of Stalingrad. Not only was it one of the most significant battles in Europe, but also one of the three biggest turning points in the whole war. The Battle of Stalingrad was so significant because it was the first time the German armed forced had completely lost a battle, and the first time German had been put on the defensive. Sure they has lost the Battle of Britain, but they has only lost their aircrafts. The Battle of Stalingrad killed of some of Germany's top troops and crippled them supplies wise, making it a more devastating defeat. The German's were then put on the defensive, and were pushed out of Russia, ending the war on the Eastern Front. Afterwards, the German's did not win many battles and were pushed further and further back.

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  32. The battle of the Atlantic was the most significant battle in Europe and the longest continuous military campaign of WW2. It ran from 1939 to the defeat of Germany in 1945.Britain needed a safe path between itself and the United States to be able to receive supplies from them. The Germans wanted the Atlantic because they knew that if Britain was unable to receive supplies for war, they would have to surrender.
    Germans wanted to cut off the supplies coming in from North America to Britain. In doing so they used U-boats. The Germans developed a method known as the wolf pack tactic. Their goal would be to sink as many Merchant ships as they can. Britain knew how important the supplies were to them. Britain started developing better ships. Sonar also helped the allies locate and destroy the German U-boats. Aircrafts also gave convoys valuable air cover in helping locate them after all a submarine has to be near the surface to use torpedoes. British and their allies gradually were able to take control of the Atlantic. The allies were able to establish the blockade of Germany. This prevented Germany from importing oil by sea, but the effect of sea power on the allied side was at all times to keep the UK and USSR in the war. The naval blockade played an important role in the Allies' strategy, since it helped to disorganize German economy, which was also dependant on the import of strategic raw materials from overseas.
    Allies were determined to keep fighting and winning this battle, they broke the enigma machine codes and stopped effectiveness of the German Uboats. In addition the allies would not have been successful on land without the materials they needed. The precious imported materials were an essential to winning the war. Not only where the allies able to keep their materials and resources safe they were able to cut Germany of from theirs. This ultimately led to Germany being weaker and to have to face problems it didn’t have to deal with before.

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  33. The battle of Stalingrad is the most significant battle in Europe during World War II. Stalingrad was strategically important as it was the gateway to oil rich areas. A victory at Stalingrad for the German’s would mean the capture of the Soviet Union’s oil fields, giving Germany the oil supplies they needed to continue further on into the war, it would cut off the soviet war machine, and finally would cause a huge embarrassment for the U.S.S.R to lose the city named after their leader.

    Because of Hitler’s over-confidence, he did not expect for the battle to last until winter, which the German army had not prepared for. Now Germany was stuck in a battle the Russians refused to give up. Hitler refused to give up and started to run out of food and ammunition before he had no other choice.
    After Stalingrad, Germany lost control of the Eastern Front and was never able to fully recover. This battle also increased Soviet morale and ruined Germany’s image as invincible. Everything had been going Germany’s way until Stalingrad. Both Stalin and Hitler would put everything they had into defeating or capturing this city. Because of Russia’s large numbers, eventually, the German’s were brought to a defeat making the German’s now on the defensive, being pushed farther and farther back. Not only was Stalingrad a large turning point, it also is significant because it convinced the western allies to open up the Western Front against Germany because the Russians may have ended pushing Germany back to Western Europe.
    The battle had disseminated a complete army which had never happened before. The battle of Stalingrad was the beginning of many defeats. Because Stalingrad was named after Stalin, it became the most important battle for both Russia and Germany to win and Stalin would sacrifice anything to protect his name.

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  34. The Battle of Stalingrad was the most significant battle in World War 2. If Germany was to win this battle, they would have access to Russia's oil fields. Without that, Russia would be very weak since they don't have a supply of oil. Also, they would have access to a supply route carrying supplies to Britian and U.S.

    With the Russian defeat of the German's, it was the first time Germany was defeated in Europe, since they weren't defeated, only denied in the Battle of Britain. Germany was forced on the defense and lost some of their best units. This is the start of many defeats and was a definite turning point in Germany's reign of World War 2.

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  35. The most significant battle fought was the battles fought at the D-day landings. With those beaches secured they were in a good strategic position to win back Europe from Hitler.
    It was a crucial position to win because if that failed then the quest to get back France and other parts of Europe would have had no hope because the D-day landings was such a big invasion with so many troops that they would probably not be able to put together another crew for that raid.

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  36. In my opinion, the most significant battle in Europe was the Battle of Stalingrad. Firstly, Stalingrad was a turning point in the war because the Soviet’s defeated some of Hitler’s best units. The Germans never seemed to recover from this loss. Stalingrad was also significant because unlike the Battle of Britain, where Germany’s air force was defeated, in Stalingrad, Germany’s army was defeated. This is significant because Germany’s army was know to be the unbeatable force in the war, while their air force wasn’t know to be as powerful. This was a major victory for the Soviets.

    Stalingrad was also an industrial city which provided the Soviets with their military equipment such as tanks, guns etc. If Germany had won this war, the chances of the Soviets fighting an effective war would have been greatly diminished. Had Hitler won at Stalingrad, it would have lead to the access of the Caucus oil fields which the Germans desperately needed because they were running out of resources. Oil was a resource they needed desperately if they had any chance at winning future battles. Had the Germans won the battle and cut off any oil supply to the Soviets, this would have weakened the Soviet’s position and increased Germany’s chances of winning the war.

    Another reason why Stalingrad was a significant turning point was because at this time, the Russians were on the defensive and Germans on the defensive. After the battle was over, the tides had turned, making the Soviets on the offensive and Germans on the defensive. This was quite significant because after the battle of Stalingrad, the Germans remained on the defensive for the rest of the war and failed to ever win a major battle.

    At Stalingrad Hitler lost some of his best units, which included the 6th army and Field Marshal von Paulus. These losses not only hurt the German’s ability to fight and win key battles, it damaged the moral of the fighters and of the German people. The Battle of Stalingrad is considered to be one of the last battles the Axis powers had to win if they had any chance of winning the win. This battle was extremely important to Hitler because the city was named after Soviet dictator Stalin, one of Hitler’s fierce enemies. Hitler wanted to destroy both the man and the city. The loss at Stalingrad war was a big blow to the German morale as they were no longer the most powerful force.

    In summary, Stalingrad was the most significant battle because Germany lost some of its best units and it was the first time Germany’s army was defeated. The battle also forced Germany on the defensive, denied Germany access to the Caucasus oil, and deflated the German’s morale.

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  37. The battle of the Atlantic was the most significant battle in Europe during World War II. It may not have been a turning point in the war, but it prevented British surrender and allowed the Allies to continue on in the war.
    In order to fight a war, a country must have the resources and supplies needed to produce war materials. If the allies had lost the Battle of the Atlantic, they would not have had the materials necessary to continue on in the war. Without food, fuel, and raw materials, Britain would have surrendered. Britain came close to surrendering from 1941-1943. During this time British imports decreased by 28 million tonnes, 2943 merchant ships were lost, and Germany controlled the sea lanes from Quebec City to Bermuda. By defeating the German U-boats, Britain was able to get supplies once again.
    It is the battle of the Atlantic that allowed Britain to have such successful battles later on such as the Battle of Britain and El Alamein. With more secure sea lanes, the Allies were then able to focus on other aspects of the war, including planning the Normandy Landings which were so crucial to the end of the war. Therefore, because it affected so much of the Allies war effort, the Battle of the Atlantic was the most significant.

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  38. The most significant battle in World War II was the Battle of Stalingrad. The battle of Stalingrad was one of the biggest battles between Germany and the Allies. If Germany was able to defeat the Russians then that would mean that Germany would have access to a strategic transportation an communication hub and its capture would cut off the land route providing the Soviets supplies from Britain and U.S. furthermore, the Germans would be able to have a base for attacks on the Soviets second industrial centre east of the Ural Mountains which produced most of the Soviets war equipment. This would result in Russia becoming immensely weak. The most significant factor of the Battle of Stalingrad is that this was the first time the German army would retreat and be defeated, which ultimately, was a major turning point in World War II.

    Hitler divided his forces into two groups- one group was sent to capture Stalingrad and another group was sent further south to capture the oil fields of the Caucasus. However, this group was halted in October before reaching its objective. Hitler’s decision was a major set back and was one of Hitler’s biggest mistakes he made in this battle. Because of his decision in splitting his forces into two groups it cost Germanys chances of winning the Battle of Stalingrad.

    German Field Marshall, Freidrich Von Paulus, leader of the 6th army was taken prisoner in the Battle of Stalingrad. Freidrich Von Paulus was the leader of the 6th army and this army consisted of Germany’s strongest men. The Battle of Stalingrad also lost a significant number of men in this battle, therefore, it was such a huge blow when the Germans were defeated for the first time because this was the first time that the German had ever lost on land.

    The victory at Stalingrad was such a huge turning point in the war. Germany had now been forced on the defensive by the Soviets. Stalingrad was the beginning of the liberation of Eastern Europe as the Soviets would push westward towards Germany. The Soviet offensive was filled with determination and courage after their victory at Stalingrad against Germany, in a way, it helped contribute to a confidence boost for the Soviets. Compared to the Battle of Normandy or El Alamein, the Battle of Stalingrad is way more important and significant due to its determination of halting the progress of the German war machine before they could have access to Russia’s war equipment, oil resources, and access to a supply route carrying supplies.

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  39. The most significant battle of WWII was the Battle of Stalingrad. The Battle of Stalingrad was the reason the Soviets were able to turn the war in the eastern front around in their favor, and it was the first time the German army had been defeated in their conquest in Europe. Various reasons lie under why the Battle of Stalingrad is indeed the most notable battle, an example being the Germans losing some of their best forces, and the denial to the natural resources of the vast Russia.

    As stated above, the Germans lost many of their best men due to their losses in Stalingrad. Namely, the Sixth Army led by von Paulus. The Sixth Army was surrounded by the Red Army near Stalingrad, which led to their eventual surrender. This defeat, in turn, forced the South Army that was attempting to take over the oil fields of the Caucasus to retreat.

    The retreat of Hitler’s forces from the oil fields of the Caucasus is arguably one of the most important reasons why the Battle of Stalingrad was so significant. Hitler was running low on resources, especially oil, to fund his campaigns. The rich oil fields of Caucasus would have fueled all his needs, and should he have won and pushed through conquering the rest of the USSR, he would have enough resources from the vastness of Russia to even win the war in the western front as well. As such, should Hitler have won this battle, the outcome of the war would have been completely different. Thus this denial of the Caucasus region and the Soviets forcing Germany into a defensive position was a great achievement in the Battle of Stalingrad.

    The Battle of Stalingrad was able to give the Soviets the much-needed momentum to turn the war in the east around, which had been largely dominated by the German presence to that point. Eventually, the Soviets would be able to drive the Germans back into Europe, and liberate the majority of Eastern Europe. The Battle of Stalingrad was the deciding factor in the war in Eastern Europe. Hitler’s failure to take over the USSR would force him to fight a long, ill-equipped war on two fronts, and he would end up losing on both sides. Due to these factors, the Battle of Stalingrad was the most significant battle in WWII.

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  40. The Battle of Stalingrad was the most significant battle in Europe during World War II. This was the first battle a German army was defeated in Europe. Hitler lost some of his best German units and this defeat now forced Germany on the defensive for the rest of the war. Had Hitler achieved his objectives – capturing Stalingrad and gaining the Caucasus oil – Russia would not have been able to push back and Hitler would have had the resources to keep fighting, resulting to a different end to the war entirely. But the Soviet victory gave the Russians the momentum to drive the Germans out and changed the course of the war to the Allies’ favour.

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  41. The Most significant battle in Europe during WWII would be the battle of Stalingrad. It was a majour turning point because Hitler once again was not able to capture a vast amount of oil from the Caucasus fields; it also gave the Allies a huge morale booster and from here on out Hitler and the Nazis would be on the defensive. Hitler made a crucial mistake in the Battle of Stalingrad. He divided his forces into two groups. One group was to capture Stalingrad and the other was to advance south to capture the oil fields of the Caucasus but was stopped in October. This ended up costing the Germans the battle. Oil is a main one of the most critical factors in war and Hitler was short from proceeding through Russia getting to Stalingrad. That is why he should of focused on getting the oil from the Caucasus fields then fire upon Stalingrad full force. The battle was a huge morale booster because the Allies were facing off against some of the best German units and were able to defeat them as well as making Von Paulus surrender on February 22 1943 with 90,000 troops. It was the first loss of many more to come because from here on out Germany would now be on the defensive. The battle of Stalingrad was the most significant battle in Europe during WWII because Germany lost some of its best units, once again Hitler could not gain control of critical oil and war ammunition from the Caucasus and Germany would now be on the defensive end and eventually lose the war.

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  42. The most significant battle in Europe during WWII is most definitely the battle of Stalingrad. The battle of Stalingrad is only significant because the Germans lost. It was a turning point battle because the soviets defeated the seemingly invincible German army, for the first time this battle marked the place where the German army was defeated in Europe, forcing Germany on the defensive.

    I believe if Hitler had of listened to his generals on splitting his forces to fight on two different fronts, one group to capture Stalingrad and the other to advance further south to capture the oil fields of the Caucasus, he would have had a chance to win the battle; since he failed to do so, that cost him the fight. Hitler dedicated a huge amount of troops to this particular battle, that once he had failed pull a victory, his power was brutally weakened. He took a risk, which would have been genius if he had succeeded, but he lost. The Germans taking this loss meant that Hitler was denied access to the Caucasus oil fields, meaning that the supplies from Britain and the U.S via Iran to the USSR remained open. If German had of won this battle, they would have blocked off the Caucasus from the Soviet Union, and the Soviets would have lost of massive majority of their supply of materials.

    This battle really broke the morale of Hitler’s forces, and increased the morale of the Soviets. The loss the German army took, began the road to liberation in Eastern Europe. I believe if the soviets had of lost Stalingrad, they would have lost the war, and the supplies they would need would be in the hands of the axis. However the soviets won, and went from being an defensive to an offensive.

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  43. The most significant battle is the battle of Stalingrad because it was the turning point in World War 2. The location in this battle alone was huge, with the oil fields in the south and Moscow to the north; because of this Hitler wanted this to boost his power with having the oil supply. It would also give Germany more access to the supply routes in which were carrying supplies to Britain and the US. This battle was the first battle that Hitler had lost in Europe and the first time that the Germans would have to be on the defensive. The Germans had gotten pushed out of Russia which ending the war on the eastern front. After this battle the Germans did not win and then continued getting pushed back more and more.When Germany lost this I feel like it really back fired on Germany and really affected them in the long run

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  45. The closest turning point in the war was the almost-surrender of Britain during the battle of Britain. During the time which the Germans had started bombing the RAF and were crippling the machine that was the Brits. The Germans bombed anything that was of importance to the British war effort to demoralise them. This would be the bombing of factories and warehouses. During this battle most of the British spitfires that were being made were destroyed. A German bomber mistake had led to the bombing of cities and had turned the war to total war. Everyone was now involved and Germans were bombing major cities, like London. The blitz this had created had lead to an ever decreasing morale in the British public and a imminent surrender. This battle ties into the battle of the Atlantic, and was a severe turning point during the war. When the Atlantic war was won, the British morale had increased tremendously and had a major push on the Germans. When the Battle of Britain had been won, the course for the Normandy landing would be planned out. France would be recovered by invasion, and the Germans would be forced by a second front to retreat.

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  46. The most significant battle was the by far the Battle of Stalingrad. The Battle was most definitely a turning point in the allies favor, it showed that some Germany's best unit's could be defeated, Made Germany go on the defensive, denied Hitler access to the Caucasus oil fields, and it was the first time that Germany had been defeated in Europe. Germany lost very good units in this battle. The losing of some of their best units hurt German morale and Germany's whole eastern front. Another reason why the Battle of Stalingrad was the most significant battle is because it denied Hitler access the to Caucasus oil fields. Hitler needed this to be a short and fast war because he was limited on supplies. If They had won the Battle of Stalingrad then Hitler would have been able to access the oil fields and would've been able to supply their army for longer. The Battle of Stalingrad was the beginning step to the liberation of Eastern Europe. If the Soviets had not won this battle then only god knows if Eastern Europe would've been able to be liberated. Another important contributing factor as to why it is so important is because it Stalingrad was a strategic transportation and communication area and if it had been captured then it would've cut off the land route that supplied the Soviets with supplies from the U.S. and Britain. If the soviets had not been able to get supplies then they would've had troubles supporting their troops to fight the war, and could've been a reason for them losing the war.

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  47. I believe that the most important battle during World War II was the Battle of the Atlantic.
    Due to the prolonged war after the Battle of Britain, resources would be necessary to stay in the long War.
    Production of war material would prove vital to stay in the war and the victory in the Atlantic could help the Allies. Britain couldn’t stay in the war had it not been given food, fuel, and raw materials among other resources from the US. The battle was fought in the Atlantic Ocean. A wolf pack of German submarines would try to prevent Britain from obtaining resources. Allied merchant convoys were protected by naval escorts and anti-submarine aircrafts. With the use of sonar and homing torpedoes, the larger convoy escorts and patrols craft were able to locate the German submarines in within the sea lanes and were eventually sunk. This would clear routes/sea lanes for providing resources among the Allies. This would also give the Allies more time to efficiently and effectively plan and organize for operations such as D-Day. Had Germany been successful Allies may have not been able to keep up in the war, eventually not lead up to Normandy Landings as well as other battles. The significance of the Battle of the Atlantic meant that the Allied powers were to receive supplies and resources. With the sea lanes secure, this would be possible and would eventually help give time to plan the Normandy Landings, which I believe without this, it may have not come to that point without the new superiority Allies would have with the War Materials to stay in the long war.

    --Jay Tandel

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  48. It is without a doubt in my mind that the most important battle of World War II was the battle for Stalingrad. Not only did the Soviet triumph in Stalingrad play a significant role in the Allied victory of World War II, but it was this battle that created the turning point for the war in Eastern Europe. This is shown by the fact that Germany saw the loss of some of her best units, she was denied access to vital resources, and that it began the road to the liberation of Eastern Europe.

    After this battle Germany saw that many of its best units had been all but destroyed. The most significant of these losses were that of the German Sixth army, the strongest and most disciplined soldiers on the Eastern Front; their loss greatly damaged German morale on the Eastern Front. Their defeat was also a landmark for the allies as this was the first time that a German army had been defeated in Europe during the war.

    The victory at Stalingrad was greatly important as it denied the Germans access to valuable resources while additionally keeping up the flow of supplies to the Soviet Union. One such resource that was successfully denied to Germany was the Caucasus oil fields. This deprived the Germans of a badly needed resource to help fuel further conquest in the Eastern Front. The Soviet’s success also kept the supply route via Iran open which brought in badly needed resources from the other allied countries. This flow of resources and supplies was essential to the Soviets and led to their eventual victory in Europe.

    After the Soviet victory German forces were forced onto the defensive and required to retreat back to Germany. From this point on Germany would be, for the most part, on the defensive for the remainder of the war. This victory began the road to the liberation of Eastern Europe as the Soviets would now push towards Germany, retaking their lost land in the process and freeing people of Nazi oppression.

    The Battle for Stalingrad was the most important battle of World War II due to its sheer importance and effectiveness in halting the progress of the German war machine in Europe. The allied victory at Stalingrad marked the end of the German oppression over Europe the eventual downfall all German subjugation and repression.

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  49. The most significant battle in World War II was ultimately the battle of Stalingrad. This battle served as a turning point in the war as it was the first time a German army had tasted defeat which meant from there on out Germany was going to be on the defensive.
    In the battle of Stalingrad, Germany lost some of its best units such as the German Sixth Army whose defeat was the first of its kind and was a hard blow to the morale of the German people. The German Sixth Army was supposed to be undefeatable, unbreakable, even invincible; but all of that changed during the battle of Stalingrad. All in all, the total loss was more than ninety thousand units.
    Furthermore, Hitler was now denied access to precious ressources such as the Caucasus oil fields which was a detremental factor in their success on the Eastern Front. Without fuel their efforts were strained and would be impossible. On the other hand the supply route from Britain and the U.S. to the Soviets that carried supplies even more essential to their victoryon the Eastern front remained open insuring them an advantage. With ressources cut off and denied, the Germany was surely in destress.
    The Battle of Stalingrad also meant another step toward liberation of Eastern Europe as the Soviets moved in liberating people from the Nazi regime. Throughtout this time, Germany remained on the defensive. There was nothing more it could do besides try to defend its territory.
    Due to the sheer military and strategic importance the Battle of Stalingrad brought about it is the most significant battle in World War II as it remains the ultimate turning point for the Germans as fighters to defenders.

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