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A Brief Description of The Turning Point
A Brief Description of The Turning Point
What was the most significant turning point of the Second World War?
A. A brief description of the turning point, with a diagram or
map
Event:: D - Day
When and where it happened
Operation Neptune 1944 June 6th ~ 30th in Normandy, France
Why it happened (i.e. what caused it)
To end WWII and the Nazi domination of Europe.
Who was involved
Millions of men and women in the Allied countries were involved in the
preparations for D-Day.
What happened i.e. what were the key events
1. The attack began when allied planes and warships bombarded German
positions along the coastline. This was to damage the defences making it
easier for the troops to get ashore.
2. At the same time planes and gliders dropped tens of thousands of allied
soldiers behind the German defences.
3. The naval force crossed the channel overnight.
4. By the end of D-Day the allies had put 156,000 troops ashore in
Normandy.
What were the consequences
German Lost confidence :: They became totally defensive.
Allies Gain Confidence :: It will affect the rest of WWII!!
What was the most significant turning point of the Second World War?
Lieutenant Welsh remembered walking around among the sleeping men, and
thinking to himself that 'they had looked at and smelled death all around them all day
but never even dreamed of applying the term to themselves. They hadn't come here
to fear. They hadn't come to die. They had come to win.
--Stephen E. Ambrose
Why it changed the course of the war
: It led to the end of the war
We know that Operation Overlord was extremely successful and that it led to the
liberation of France, which gave the Allies a place to fight from in Europe. This was a
huge breakthrough for the Allies and it was due to D-Day. D-Day therefore led to
Germany being challenged in the war and it could be due to this that the Allies were
able to win the war.
C. To what extent was this THE most significant turning point of the war?
Explain your reasoning using precise supporting evidence.
To what extent did it change the course of the war (size and breadth of
effect)
It affected the entire course of the war, because the times before D-day were the
black days for Allies.
Germany: They managed to break through Hitler's fortress Europe. It also opened a
second front in Europe, helping to take pressure of the Red Army to the east. Now
Hitler had to deal with Britain, the Free French, the Americans, and the Canadians
coming in from the west, while Stalin's Red Army moves in from the East. So his forces
were weakened because he had to split them up.
How does it link with and potentially influence other events
Moderate impact
Vital impact
Major impact
What was the most significant turning point of the Second World War?