Key Battles of WWII
Battle of Britain (1940)
First major military campaign fought entirely by air forces.
British Royal Air Force (RAF) successfully defended against the German Luftwaffe.
Prevented a German invasion of Britain.
Operation Barbarossa (1941)
Largest military invasion in history: Germany invaded the Soviet Union.
Failed to capture Moscow; marked the beginning of Germany’s downfall in the East.
Battle of Stalingrad (1942–43)
Turning point on the Eastern Front.
Brutal urban combat; Soviet Union defeated the Germans.
Huge casualties on both sides.
Battle of Midway (1942)
Major naval battle in the Pacific.
U.S. Navy destroyed 4 Japanese aircraft carriers.
Turned the tide in the Pacific War.
D-Day / Normandy Invasion (June 6, 1944)
Allied forces landed on the beaches of Normandy, France.