Another factor which suggests that the Battle of Britain was a turning point in the war, is the fact that Britain’s survival was vital to the Allies. Britain was used as a main base for the Allies, when Roosevelt and Churchill made the decision in 1942 to start the allied bombing campaign against the Germans. If Britain had lost the Battle of Britain, most likely, they would have lost resources and Britain would have been occupied by the Germans. The allied bombing simply wouldn’t have been possible without Britain as a base. As Germany was also currently fighting the USSR, they had to fight on two fronts. This meant that the Germans needed to concentrate more on the British advance, and the USSR had some breathing space. For D-Day, the USA and Britain issued a counter attack on Europe (mainly France where German troops were). Through 1942-43, the US forces had built up along British mainland and Northern Island. Operation Torch (1942) drove the Axis forces from South Africa and Italian troops were also invaded in 1943. By September 1943, the North was occupied by German troops. D-Day (6th June 1944) was the liberation of France. Germans had occupied France since 1940, and their troops were trained and experienced. D-Day was mainly air attacks on radar installations, rail links and bridges using approximately 13,000 aircraft against 400 German aircraft. When the Allies managed to cut off German defenders in Normandy, Allied troops needed to leave as soon as possible. They used Britain as that base, and D-Day marked the beginning of the end for Germany. The Battle of Britain made the D-Day events and the Allied bombing possible. In this way, the Battle of Britain was a turning point in the war, as D-Day was dependent on it, and the results of D-Day also continued the victory for Britain. If Britain had lost the Battle of Britain, D-Day and the Allied bombing, which marked the start of Germany’s real defeat, would not have been possible.
Another factor which contributes to the reason the Battle of Britain could be considered a turning point in the war, was that Germany was not used to long drawn out confrontations. Germany had previously fought very short quick confrontations and simply was not able to cope with a long drawn out war. The major reason that Germany was not able to cope with a long war, was because they had previously used Blitzkrieg to defeat their opponents. Blitzkrieg meant quick, practical tactics which usually meant that the fast moving troops had a devastating effect on the opponent. Blitzkrieg couldn’t be used to attack Britain, and therefore it was not a quick procedure for either Germany, or Britain. Britain was obviously much more experienced, and able to cope with a long drawn out confrontation. Germany however, demonstrated that they didn’t not have the preparations for a long war and neither did they have good tactics for a long war. Before the Battle of Britain, Germany’s victories were quick, and casualties were low. After the Battle of Britain, they suffered a high number of casualties. Also, the Battle of Britain showed that the German resources were stretched and they didn’t have a strong leadership, as it was inconsistent. In conclusion, it seems that Germany’s incapability to deal with long drawn out war, contributed to Britain winning the Battle of Britain. Therefore, it also seems that Britain’s victory was a turning point in the war. Germany was unable to cope with the length of the Battle of Britain, as their tactics were not good enough for a long war, and they had to stretch their resources. This effectively led to the victory for Britain.
One other contributing factor which could also provide evidence that the Battle of Britain was a turning point in the war was the fact that the USA would be vulnerable if Britain had lost. Before the Battle of Britain, the USA was concentrating on a war with Japan. The USA didn’t actually enter the war until 1941, as President Roosevelt did not want a war with Germany. He knew that the Americans would not support a war, but it seemed inevitable. The USA helped Britain by sending supplies previously, and if they were to enter the war, it was obvious that they would join Britain. In 1936, Japan signed a pact with Germany, and afterwards, on the 8th December, USA declared war on Japan. On the 11th of December, Hitler declared war on the USA. If the Battle of Britain had not been a success for Britain, Britain would have been occupied by Germany, who could have then used it as a base for attacks on the USA. Also, if Britain had lost, the USA would be fighting alone, as the Germans had a pact with Japan. Without the victory for the Battle of Britain, the Allies may well have lost World War Two, as the USA would be vulnerable to attack, and Germany would occupy most of Europe, and Britain included.
Another factor which helps determine whether the Battle of Britain was a turning point in the war is the fact that Britain improved their tactics. Before the Battle of Britain, one of Britain’s weaknesses, was that they simply did not have good enough tactics to defeat the Germans. This weakness was exposed in the battle at Dunkirk. Allied troops effectively allowed the Germans to push their troops back to Dunkirk, where they would be trapped. When leaving Dunkirk, Britain left with over a third less men. There were many less troops left in general. Nearly 70,000 men were killed or wounded and the survivors of Dunkirk left behind 2500 large guns, 90,000 rifles and 64,000 vehicles. Germany was able to use these weapons to their advantage. Also, the Allies abandoned 150,000 French troops to become German prisoners. After the Battle of Britain, it had been a different story, as Britain had managed to have superior tactics to the Germans. They developed their technology during the Battle of Britain, and used much more successful tactics. Britain used radar to spot German planes. This was one of the most successful projects for the British, as the Germans did not have the technology of radar, and the Germans also called off attacks on radar systems which helped the British. The Allies also created bullet proof window screens which helped reduce the amount of casualties and deaths. Spitfire and Hurricane planes were introduced, and were effectively better than the German Luftwaffe. Britain’s advantage of developing superior tactics effectively seemed to help them win the Battle of Britain, and also meant that after the battle, they would still have the advantage of superior tactics, and would be able to use effective tactics in the remainder of World War Two. It demonstrates that the Battle of Britain was a turning point in the war, because if Britain had not been able to develop good tactics and better equipment for future battles.
The final factor which could suggest that the Battle of Britain was a turning point in the war is that the morale of Britain was raised when Britain won the battle. Before the Battle of Britain, Britain’s morale was very low, although it was slightly boosted by the evacuation of Dunkirk. Germany had a very high morale after having many previous victories. After the Battle of Britain, Germany’s confidence had decreased and put in a lot less war effort. Their reaction to the allied bombing meant that they were not as involved in the war. Britain on the other hand, got more involved in the war, and threw their efforts towards supporting Winston Churchill and the war effort. The British people believed they couldn’t be beaten. The rising of the British morale meant that after the Battle of Britain, British people were more involved in the war, and made more effort to support it. The effort from the people meant that people fighting the war felt generally much better knowing that there was more support. The more support the British had, the more they believed in victory. This is a factor which supports that the Battle of Britain was a turning point in the war as the morale status changed for the better.
Aside from factors which support the idea that the Battle of Britain was a turning point in the war, there are also factor which go against this idea. One of these factors is that the navy could have held off invasion during the Battle of the Atlantic. Apart from the Battle of Britain, there was the war at sea, the Battle of the Atlantic. Some historians suggest that the Battle of the Atlantic may have helped Britain, even if they had lost the Battle of Britain. Britain became much more effective from 1941, and may have been able to use those tactics used in 1941, for the Battle of the Atlantic. Although the German U-Boats had a devastating effect upon the ships in the Battle of the Atlantic, British ships were eventually able to deal with the effects that the U-Boats caused, and may have been able to hold them off. Also, the Navy were able to keep the supply lines open, which was crucial as Canada and the USA were sending vital supplies to Britain. After the Battle of Britain, Britain was still able to get supplies from the USA and Canada, and the Battle of the Atlantic carried on until 1944. If the Battle of Britain had changed the outcome of the Battle of the Atlantic, then it could be considered as a turning point in the war, however the Battle of the Atlantic carried on just the same as it had done previously. This means that the Battle of Britain did not have much of an effect on the Battle of the Atlantic, and World War Two may have still been a success, even if the Battle of Britain wasn’t.
Another factor which goes against the idea that the Battle of Britain was a turning point in the war is the fact that Britain had only avoided defeat. Before the Battle of Britain, Britain was fighting alone and Hitler was the one in control. Germany dominated mainland Europe. Although the Battle of Britain was a success, it didn’t change the fact that Britain was still fighting alone and Hitler was still in control. Britain effectively only held off Hitler, and did not defeat him. The war continued after the Battle, which meant that the Battle of Britain did not really have much of an effect on World War Two, and therefore it could be said that the Battle of Britain was not considered as a turning point in the war.
The final factor which suggests that the Battle of Britain was not a turning point in the war was that the Empire and the Commonwealth would have been able to launch a counter attack anyway. There were many other people in the Empire who helped in World War Two. Troops from America, India (2 ½ million people), New Zealand and Africa (120,000 people) helped in the war alongside the Allies. These troops contributed to the war effort by helping in armed forces, and spending their wealth on the war. If the Battle of Britain had not been a success, there still would have been a counter attack on the Germans with millions of troops.
In conclusion, it is clear that the Battle of Britain was a turning point in the war. There is much evidence to suggest this, as many achievements were made following the Battle of Britain, which effectively led to the success of World War Two. There is much significant change from the beginning of the Battle of Britain, and afterwards. Before the Battle of Britain, Britain was not in the lead, and the war seemed to be going in Germany’s favour. Britain made many significant achievements, including development of weaponry and superior tactics. If the Battle of Britain had not been a success, Germany may well have won it, and gone on to win the war as winning the battle meant that Germany had suffered their first defeat. Their morale became low and they were not equipped for further stages in the war. The success was significant also because if Britain had been defeated, the USA would be vulnerable, and World War Two may also have been a victory for Germany. Although there are a few factors which show that the War could have been won without the Battle of Britain, there are more significant factors that suggest the Battle of Britain was vital. Also, the factors which suggest the Battle of Britain was not a turning point, are not as significant and it is not certain whether the war would have been in Germany’s favour if the Battle of Britain had not occurred. After looking at the evidence, it is clear that the Battle of Britain was a turning point in the war and without it, Britain may well have gone on to lose World War Two.
