Most Important Battle in History

Battle of Stalingrad (July 17, 1942-Feb. 2, 1943)Combatants: Nazi Germany vs. The Soviet UnionCasualties: Appx. 2,000,000 [1] Outcome: USSR victoryThe Battle of Stalingrad is the most important battle in history for a number of reasons. It influenced WWII immensely but it's ramifications go far beyond the pure military aspect of the battle. I. Military InfluenceAfter months of bitter fighting the German army was surrounded and slaughtered by the Soviet forces. This victory was key for a number of reasons. First, the Nazi army in Russia was completely destroyed. The victory here essentially crushed Nazi power in the Eastern Front leading to the slow but steady march of the Soviets back West into Germany itself. Without such a decisive victory the Nazi's could have retreated and drawn out the war effort in the East both prolonging the war and giving Hitler a chance to focus more on the advancing forces on his West. Not only was this battle one of the bloodiest in recorded history (disputed by some to be the bloodiest) but it was the first truly crushing blow Hitler faced since North Africa. The German advance and occupation of Russia had ended in a spectacular fashion.If Hitler had won the battle then the USSR would have surely collapsed from poor morale and a continuously advancing German army. The Eastern Front would have been all but wrapped up leaving Hitler to commit the bulk of his attention and resources to the incoming Allied forces via Italy and France. If Hitler could have used the reinforcements from the East and given more air power and supplies to his Western armies then the course of World War Two could have been very different. The key downfall to the Nazi regime was the pincer movement that the USSR and the Allied forced created around Berlin as they marched almost simultaneously from both East and West forcing Hitler to divide everything between the two advancing fronts. Without the Battle of Stalingrad the Eastern Front would have collapsed destroying the decisive pincer movement thus altering history in Hitler's favor. II. Psychological InfluenceThe Battle of Stalingrad influenced more than just military affairs. It had a potent psychological effect on both sides involved. After the defeat Hitler became more mistrusting of his generals [2] thus weakening the chain of command and faith in his military superiority. Hitler's illogical treatment and paranoia surrounding some of his best and most trusted generals is determined a big factor in his downfall. This faith was severely eroded by this loss in the Soviet Union. [2] On the other side it gave the Soviets confidence that Germany was beatable. It also made the Russians extremely angry and passionate about beating the Germans for the first time. This passion, rage and confidence boost unleashed a terrifying force starting here with the Battle of Stalingrad that swept all the way to Berlin. After the victory at Stalingrad the morale of the Russians was soaring enabling them to fight bravely all the way back through Russia and into Germany. Without this morale boost and victory the Russians would never have risen up as they did. The psychological effect was massive. Not only did it undermine Hitler's confidence and chain of command thus weakening his war effort from the inside it gave the Russians a huge boost - the huge boost - they needed to win the war. This change on both sides was massively influential in the war as a whole.III. HistoricallyThe World War 2 is the bloodiest war in human history. The stakes were immense and it was surely the most influential war in recent history and arguably world history. World War 2 put an end to fascism, it put an end to war in Europe, it crushed European dominance in the world, set up the US and USSR as global superpowers leading to the Cold War as well as creating the most civilian casualties of all time. The nuclear bomb came out of WWII along with countless other deeds and technologies (such as new anti-air ammunition). And Stalingrad is considered both a turning point and most influential battle of the war. [1][2][3] Considering that WWII was hugely historical, bloody, influential and that Stalingrad is considered by many many historians to be "the turning point" and most influential battle of the entire war it is safe to say that the Battle of Stalingrad is the most important battle in history. Thank you.[1] http://en.wikipedia.org...[2] http://www.history.com...[3] http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk...