What were the most significant WW2 battles?

What were the most significant WW2 battles?

There were no insignificant battles in the war. However, there is clear proof that particular wars are more significant then other wars. The wars that would be classified as significant are the wars that are the most important and caused the most impact and maybe change the course of a whole war.

Many historians have described Stalingrad as the turning point of World War 2. It has been described as the Hitler’s demise. The war began with the axis powers heading into the Soviet Union (which at the time was classed as a superpower) on June 22nd 1941. The axis powers tried to siege the Russian city, Stalingrad. The war was the soviets against the Nazis and its allies (Romania, Italy, Slovakia etc.). Stalingrad was an industrial city and it also held the name of his rival Stalin. Stalin realised this and forced anyone who was able to hold a rifle to fight. This is seen as one of the most significant battles of World War 2 because Hitler lost 850,000 men. This is a quarter of the men fighting in the western front. They also lost a significant amount of supplies that they couldn’t recover. They were forced to retreat out of Eastern Europe causing the collapse of the Nazi empire. Stalingrad is arguably ‘the bloodiest battle in human history’.

Pearl Harbour is known for Japan’s surprise attack on America to cause immense destruction on Pearl Harbour. Pearl Harbour was a military bas in Hawaii. It was the base for the US Military action in the pacific. On December 7, 1941 the Japanese completely destroyed Pearl Harbour with dive bombers and fighter planes. The Americans were very angry with this and President Franklin Roosevelt declared war after Pearl Harbour. On December 11, 1941 Germany declared war on the US as Japan and Germany were in alliance. The attack on Pearl Harbour caused the Americans to lose 21 warships, 177 planes (on the ground) and over 2000 men. The Japanese lost only 29 planes and 100 people which seems a small price to pay for the damage dealt to the US. The main significance of the battle is that the US were involved in the war and that they declared war on Japan on the 7th December and the axis powers declared war on the US on 9th December.

Hiroshima and Nagasaki are best known for the droppings of atomic bombs. August 6, 1945 an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima and on august 9, 1945, an atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. The droppings of the bombs forced the Japanese to surrender and they had no option as they thought the Americans had more atomic bombs (even though the Americans only had 2 atomic bombs). The Americans believe that the bombings prevented the deaths of many people from both armies. The Japanese think otherwise. The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were the finishing part of the war that lead to the surrender of Japan and it is significant due to the impact that it had on Japan. As well as 214,000 people dying from the explosion the radioactive particles gave the bomb its venom. Many people were killed by the effects of radiation a long time after the war and at the time no one knew how severe the bombings were and how to cure or improve the conditions from radiation exposure. Due to the sheer power of the atomic bombs the Japanese were forced to surrender as they could not sustain another blow from an atomic bomb which gives this battle its significance as it ties up Japan and removes them from the war.


It would be foolish to say that any of the wars in world war 2 were insignificant but I have chosen these three wars to be the most significant because of the impact that they caused (especially Hiroshima, Nagasaki and Pearl Harbour) also the loss of men contributed to the significance for these wars and also in terms of the war Stalingrad was seen to be the bloodiest war ever and the turning point in the war. Pearl Harbour led to the introduction of the US and this lead to Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Hiroshima and Nagasaki was the major blow that forced the Japanese to surrender. For these very reasons I would say that the three most significant battles were Stalingrad, Pearl Harbour and Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

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