Turning Points in a War:

A turning point in a war is when the outcome of the war shifts towards a clear winner. Even if the war continues after this battle, the outcome has become inevitable. Most wars throughout history have a turning point. Here are some major ones from major U.S. wars:

1.      The Battle of Saratoga, The American Revolutionary War- The Battle of Saratoga was fought September 19 and October 7, 1777 and was the turning point of the American Revolutionary War. British General, John Burgoyne goal was to seize Lake Champlain and the Hudson River corridor by capturing Albany, effectively isolating New England from the rest of the Colonies. Burgoyne’s march was extremely slow since Americans had literally knocked down trees in his path. An American army of 8,000 men, commanded by General Horatio Gates, met the British forces about 10 miles south of Saratoga, New York.  The British army surrendered to the American forces on October 17, after a decisive American victory. Saratoga was the turning point of the war. Revolutionary confidence and determination was renewed. The victory encouraged France to finally make an alliance with the Americans which was essential for victory.

2.      Gettysburg and the Capture of Vicksburg, The American Civil War- The Battle of Gettysburg was fought July 1-3 1963 around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Union Major General George Gordon Meade’s Army of the Potomac defeated attacks by Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s Army of the Northern Virginia, ending Lee’s invasion of the North. After many successes, Lee invaded the North in an attempt to defeat the Union army and lead to the end of the war. The battle of Gettysburg was a major defeat for the Confederates that resulted in the Confederates retreating back to Virginia. The Siege of Vicksburg, under Union Major General Ulysses S. Grant, ended on July 4, 1963.  The city had been under siege for forty days. The capture of Vicksburg left the control of the Mississippi River in the Union’s hands. These two victories for the Union electrified the North. The Confederates lost politically as well as militarily, foreign support, which was on the verge of happening, was withdrawn after the battle of Gettysburg and the defeat at Vicksburg.

3.      Battle of Stalingrad, the European Theater, World War II- The Battle of Stalingrad in World War II was between Germany and the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad, Russia. The battle took place between July 17 1942 and February 1943. The battle was among the bloodiest battles in the history of warfare with casualties nearing two million. The outcome was disastrous for Germany and is considered the turning point in the European theater in World War II. Germany decided to invade Russia in 1942. The German wanted to capture Stalingrad and the city was reduced to rubble through bombing. The German offensive was bogged down in house-to-house fighting and despite controlling over 90% of the city at one time; the Germans were never able to completely control the city. After the Russian army attacked the Germans in November 1942, the success of these attacks caused the weakly held flanks to collapse and the German army to be cut off and surrounded inside Stalingrad. As the winter set in, the German army was weakened from cold, starvation and attacks. By February the German army had either been destroyed or surrendered. The defeat at Stalingrad halted the German’s offensive into Russia and seriously weakened the German army which made eventually victory possible.

4.      Battle of Midway, The Pacific Theater, World War II- The Battle of Midway took place between June 4 and 7 1942, and it is the turning point for World War II in the Pacific Theater. In the Battle of Midway, The United State Army divisively defeated an Imperial Japanese Navy attack against Midway Atoll. Before the Battle of Midway, the Japanese had naval superiority over the US, but during the Battle of Midway the US Navy inflicted irreparable damage to the Japanese fleet. 4 Japanese aircraft carriers and a heavy cruiser were sunk. The Japanese navy was never able to replace these losses. This was the US’s first victory in the Pacific and weakened the Japanese’s navy.

5.      Battle of Incheon, The Korean War- The Battle of Inchon was amphibious invasion in the Korean War that resulted in a decisive victory and is considered the turning point of the war for the United Nation forces. The battle happened between September 15, 1950 and September 17, 1950. Incheon was secured by the UN forces under the leadership of General Douglas MacArthur. The battle ended a string of victories by the invading North Korean People’s Army and soon the UN forces had recaptured Seoul, Korea. The majority of the ground forces were U.S. Marines. The battle of Incheon is considered one of the most decisive military operations in modern warfare. The battle helped the combined UN forces gain back territory they had lost.