In which battle did German forces face their first major defeat in WWII?

The first major defeat for German forces in World War II occurred at the Battle of Stalingrad. This battle, fought between August 1942 and February 1943, marked a significant turning point in the war on the Eastern Front. The German army, initially making swift advances into Soviet territory, faced fierce resistance from Soviet troops. The encirclement of the German Sixth Army and the harsh winter conditions contributed to their surrender in February 1943. This defeat not only halted the German advance into the Soviet Union but also began a series of Soviet offensives that would push German forces back for the remainder of the war.

In contrast, the Battle of Dunkirk primarily involved the evacuation of Allied forces in 1940 and, while it was a critical moment, it was not a definitive defeat for the German military. The Battle of Britain, fought in 1940, showcased the resilience of the Royal Air Force against the Luftwaffe but did not constitute a defeat for German ground forces. The Battle of the Bulge, launched in December 1944, was the last major German offensive on the Western Front but occurred much later in the war. Therefore, Stalingrad is recognized as the moment when the tide began to turn against Germany in