Why was the Soviet victory at Stalingrad the most important turning point in the European Theater of World War II in 1943?

The Battle of Stalingrad ended in a decisive Soviet victory in February 1943. The Axis suffered enormous losses—often estimated at about 800,000 casualties—and lost the strategic initiative on the Eastern Front, as Soviet forces began pushing westward. This is why the victory is considered a major turning point. The Allies did not regain France and Belgium at Stalingrad; that happened later in the war.

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