From August 23, 1942 to February 2, 1943 the Battle of Stalingrad took place. This battle was the start of the downfall of the Axis Powers —which included Japan, Germany, and Italy. These 3 countries single handedly started World War 2 (WWII) and came to a point where the Axis Powers were tremendously likely to be victorious. Using a new technique called Blitzkrieg developed by the Germans, the Germans were looking unstoppable. This tactic was exploited at the start of the Battle of France May 10, 1940. Taking down one of the Allied Powers which included Great Britain, The United States, The Soviet Union, and France, the Axis Powers were put in a very advantageous position. Then later Germany set their sights on the Soviet Union. This started …show more content…
This let the Germans advance deep into the Soviet Union and set the stage for the Battle of Stalingrad. August 23, 1942 The battle of Stalingrad was a pivotal turning point where the Soviet Union successfully defended the city of Stalingrad named after Joseph Stalin. One reason why the Battle of Stalingrad was a turning point in WWII is because it forced the Germans to expend a great quantity of time, soldiers, and resources. According to an article named Battle of Stalingrad: World War II by Eva-Maria Stolberg and Spencer C. Tucker explains that during the Battle of Stalingrad the “casualties in Allied units and the rescue attempts, Axis forces lost upward of half a million men” (Stolberg, Tucker). Half a million men may not seem like a large amount, however, this significantly weakened Germany’s Eastern Front and reduced its offensive power. Furthermore, when comparing the population of Germany and the population of the Soviet Union, this is a massive difference. This insinuates that the loss of half a million to Germany is far greater than if the Soviet Union lost half a …show more content…
Also, because the Germans were winning dominantly, it was only natural to think they would win again and develop an ego. Additionally, when comparing a photo before and after the Battle of Stalingrad, the picture before the Battle of Stalingrad was a picture of a German soldier smiling and posing for the picture (Kaufmann). For the picture after the Battle of Stalingrad it shows “German Field Marshal Friedrich Paulus, Major General Arthur Schmidt, and Paulus' adjutant Colonel Wilhelm Adam after their surrender” (Peter). In that picture it shows all three men looking disappointed and looking down on the ground. When comparing these pictures, people can see an immense change in facial expressions for after the battle and before the battle. This mental damage, which is showing even in the soldiers, may have affected the downfall of Germany. This is because morale and reason to fight may have gone down when losing this battle after losing a lot of men and being publicly humiliated. Ultimately, the Battle of Stalingrad was significant for the massive psychological damage done to the Germans because of their