The Second World War was decided in a handful of vast battles on land, at sea and in the air. This is a guide to the greatest and most decisive of them, from the air defence of Britain in 1940 to the fall of Berlin in 1945, roughly in the order they were fought, each linked to its full story.
| Battle | Year | Front |
|---|---|---|
| Britain | 1940 | Air war |
| Pearl Harbor | 1941 | Pacific |
| Moscow | 1941 to 1942 | Eastern |
| Midway | 1942 | Pacific |
| El Alamein | 1942 | North Africa |
| Stalingrad | 1942 to 1943 | Eastern |
| Kursk | 1943 | Eastern |
| Monte Cassino | 1944 | Mediterranean |
| Normandy (D-Day) | 1944 | Western |
| Market Garden | 1944 | Western |
| Leyte Gulf | 1944 | Pacific |
| The Bulge | 1944 to 1945 | Western |
| Iwo Jima | 1945 | Pacific |
| Berlin | 1945 | Eastern |
The Battle of Britain, 1940. The first major battle fought entirely in the air; the RAF held off the Luftwaffe and denied Germany the invasion of Britain.
The Attack on Pearl Harbor, 1941. Japan's surprise strike on the US Pacific Fleet brought the United States into the war.
The Battle of Moscow, 1941 to 1942. The Soviet stand before Moscow halted the German advance and ended the hope of a quick victory in the east.
The Battle of Midway, 1942. US carriers sank four Japanese carriers, three of them within a few decisive minutes, turning the tide of the Pacific war.
The Second Battle of El Alamein, 1942. Montgomery's victory in the desert turned the tide of the war in North Africa.
The Battle of Stalingrad, 1942 to 1943. Often called the deadliest battle in history and the great turning point of the war in Europe.
The Battle of Kursk, 1943. The largest tank battle in history broke the last major German offensive in the east.
The Battle of Monte Cassino, 1944. A brutal series of assaults in Italy, finally carried by the Polish II Corps.
D-Day and the Battle of Normandy, 1944. The largest seaborne invasion in history opened the Western Front against Nazi Germany.
Operation Market Garden, 1944. The Allied airborne attempt to seize the Rhine bridges in the Netherlands failed at Arnhem, the "bridge too far".
The Battle of Leyte Gulf, 1944. Generally regarded as the largest naval battle in history, it destroyed Japan's remaining fleet.
The Battle of the Bulge, 1944 to 1945. Germany's last major offensive in the west struck through the Ardennes; American troops held at Bastogne and the attack failed.
The Battle of Iwo Jima, 1945. One of the fiercest battles of the Pacific, and the image of the raised flag became its symbol.
The Battle of Berlin, 1945. The final Soviet assault on the German capital ended the war in Europe.
The battles that decided the war
The war turned on a few of these: Midway in the Pacific, Stalingrad in the east, El Alamein in the desert, and D-Day in the west. Together they carried the Allies from the brink to the fall of Berlin. Explore more in the greatest battles of all time or the deadliest battles in history.
Sources
Every battle above links to its own page, each with its own sources. We give figures as the ranges the sources use and never invent numbers; see our editorial approach.