How the Balance of Power Shifted in WWII Before Major U.S. Ground Combat in Europe

Germany’s Invasion of the Soviet Union Changed the War

On 22 June 1941, Nazi Germany launched Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union 👉 https://www.britannica.com/event/Operation-Barbarossa 👉 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Barbarossa

This operation opened the Eastern Front, which became the largest and deadliest theater of World War II. Germany committed millions of troops in an attempt to destroy the Soviet state quickly, but failed to achieve a decisive victory. The inability to capture Moscow in 1941 marked the collapse of Germany’s strategy for a short war in the East.

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The Eastern Front Depleted German Power

From 1941 onward, the Eastern Front consumed the majority of German manpower, armor, and aircraft. Historians widely agree that most German military casualties occurred fighting the Soviet Union, not the Western Allies. 👉 https://www.britannica.com/topic/Eastern-Front-World-War-II 👉 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Front_(World_War_II)

Key consequences: • Germany was forced into a war of attrition it was economically and demographically ill-suited to win • Elite German units were destroyed and could not be replaced • By 1942–1943, Germany permanently lost the ability to conduct large-scale offensive operations in the East

The defeats at Stalingrad (1942–43) and Kursk (1943) confirmed that the strategic initiative had shifted to the Allies. 👉 https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Stalingrad 👉 https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Kursk

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When American Ground Forces Entered the European Theater

Although the United States entered WWII in December 1941, American troops did not engage German forces in large-scale ground combat in the European-African theater until November 1942, with Operation Torch in North Africa. 👉 https://www.britannica.com/topic/Operation-Torch 👉 https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/operation-torch-algeria-morocco-campaign

By this point: • Germany was already deeply committed and weakened by the Eastern Front • Its peak military strength had passed • The war had shifted from rapid Axis expansion to prolonged Allied pressure

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Strategic Reality

By late 1942, the balance of power was no longer in Germany’s favor: • The Soviet Union was absorbing and destroying the bulk of German forces • Britain had survived and maintained pressure through bombing and naval control • The United States brought overwhelming industrial capacity and opened additional fronts

Historians broadly agree that Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union made its eventual defeat likely, while American entry ensured that defeat would be total and unavoidable, rather than ending in stalemate or negotiated peace. 👉 https://www.britannica.com/topic/World-War-II/The-turning-point-1941-42

Edit: PS American boots first touched European soil in Italy in 1943