World War 2

[JamesM]

I would agree with orpheum about Kursk being THE turning point in the war. Generally, Hitler's eastern ambitions were his downfall.

Because Marky B was being ironic, he was not really advancing a suggestion that Hitler warrants any credit.

As for the Polish food (which adorns my local shop shelves), can anyone tell what the polish for "vegetarian" is?

[Aaryk Noctivagus]

Originally Posted by JamesM ...can anyone tell what the polish for "vegetarian" is?

Apparently it is 'wegetariański', 'wegetarianin', or 'jarosz'. Hey, I'm only the messenger, don't shoot me just because it appears they have three words for it.

[Moor Larkin]

Originally Posted by dylan the real turning point was a few months earlier at Stalingrad when the Germans sufferered their first major defeat in the war.

The real turning-point of the war actually took place in May and June of 1940 when the British Army left mainland Europe, allowing Hitler and his military cronies to bask in Continental domination. Their belief that they had won led them to attack Russia a year later, turning their faces from the treaty with their dictator comrade. Germany's failure to finish off the British Isles allowed the USA free access to re-supply their European ancestors.

Sometimes it is by not fighting that you win.

[Steve Crook]

Originally Posted by Moor Larkin The real turning-point of the war actually took place in May and June of 1940 when the British Army left mainland Europe, allowing Hitler and his military cronies to bask in Continental domination. Their belief that they had won led them to attack Russia a year later, turning their faces from the treaty with their dictator comrade. Germany's failure to finish off the British Isles allowed the USA free access to re-supply their European ancestors. Sometimes it is by not fighting that you win.

As Churchill said "Wars are not won by evacuations"
But it did let us fight on and was one of the many significant events in the war. But there was no one turning point. It was a slow steady slog

Steve

[hankoler]

I think the turning point of the war was largely due to the defeat of the u-boats during the battle of the atlantic, without this victory ,this country would have been brought to its knees.

[Aaryk Noctivagus]

I think there was no single turning point in WWII but many factors which all contributed to each other.

Not meaning to appear to criticise anybody here, but I think its a bit of a folly to try and nail it down just to one event... or even a handful of events.

[Moor Larkin]

Originally Posted by Steve Crook As Churchill said "Wars are not won by evacuations"

But then Churchill was not noted personally for his tactical military expertise was he. It crossed my mind that his objections to the Blimp movie might have been because he thought Blimp's jumping-off point in the Boer War was a getting a little close to home..........

Dunkirk (and the subsequent Battle of Britain) and Stalingrad had much in common. Defenders who fought after a fashion, but whose primary strength was their simple refusal to surrender. Similarly it was Stalin's ruthless evacuation of Western Russia that really defeated the Wermarcht, just as the Czar had 'defeated' Napoleon.

In due course wasn't it America's fear that Japan might adopt this proven tactic of declining to accept that they had lost, which led to the atom bomb being used? It took two, even then.

[DB7]

Originally Posted by hankoler I think the turning point of the war was largely due to the defeat of the u-boats during the battle of the atlantic, without this victory ,this country would have been brought to its knees.

I'd say late '42/early '43 after El Alamein, Stalingrad and the tide turning against Donitz in the Atlantic.

[Steve Crook]

Originally Posted by Moor Larkin But then Churchill was not noted personally for his tactical military expertise was he. It crossed my mind that his objections to the Blimp movie might have been because he thought Blimp's jumping-off point in the Boer War was a getting a little close to home..........

That is one of the various theories as to why he was against it.
But remember that he was against it before he saw it or even read a treatment, let alone a full script. It was just précised for him and he objected based on the recommendation to stop it that went along with the précis.

Churchill had a very basic set of tactics.
1. Win at all costs
2. Get the Americans involved
3. Errm, that's it

Steve

[knobbykins]

Ooh,a real meaty discussion off topic!

Germany lost the war by making one bad mistake after another and i agree with Moor Larkin,it all stems from immediately after Dunkirk.Their failure to secure the back door by invading and neutralising Britain allowed it to be a focus for all the disaffected of Europe to gather in,re-supply of Russia and,mostly,a sodding great aircraft carrier on Adolfs doorstep!
After this monumental blunder Germany just kept compounding the error with all the above mentioned events.

[willan]

The turning point for me in World War Two was in 1942 when my mum met my dad at work in the aircraft factory and sixteen years later I was born. The rest as they say is just history!

[Harleybloke]

If the EU figures on migration are to be believed and who could EVER doubt EU figures? Poland has the last laugh...........................

[orpheum]

There is the theory that Hitler let the BEF off the hook at Dunkirk as he really didnt want to Defeat us,This theory has had much speculation and no one has been able to prove or disprove it.If however The Panzers had not stopped and driven on to the sea then we could have been looking at a vastly different war inthe second half of 1940.

[Moor Larkin]

Originally Posted by orpheum If however The Panzers had not stopped and driven on to the sea then we could have been looking at a vastly different war inthe second half of 1940.

Yes, they would have sunk and then we would have won easy-peasy...............

On a serious note..... what do you mean he didn't want to defeat Britain? Do you mean he wanted it to surrender, rather than that he had to destroy it? I suppose he'd defeated every other European Army and then seen the respective governments capitulate. So he expected Britain to do so too?

[orpheum]

He actually admired Britain and the British Empire.In fact it is a possibility that he didnt really want war with Britain and thought that war would not be declared over the invasion of Poland>if it were not for a mini revolt by influential Conservative backbenchers who went to 10 Downing Street and insisted that if Chamberlain did not issue an ultimatum there would be a revolt in the Commons.So Chamberlain then issue the ultimatum.If he Halifax and Horace Wilson had their way there would have been no ultimatum.Again who knows what might have happened then.