Question

i present this scroll to the city of stalingrad to commemorate our admiration for its gallant defenders whose courage, fortitude, and devotion during the siege of september 13, 1942 to january 31, 1943 will inspire forever the hearts of all free people. their glorious victory stemmed the tide of invasion and marked the turning point in the war of the allied nations against the forces of aggression.
—franklin d. roosevelt, 1944
why does president roosevelt describe this battle as a \turning point\?
○ the soviets had declined to join the axis powers.
○ the soviets had successfully stopped the german invasion.
○ the soviets had shown more bravery than other allied troops.
○ the soviets had fought the longest battle in the war at that point.

Explanation:

To determine the answer, we analyze each option:

• Option 1: The Soviets declining to join the Axis is not related to the battle of Stalingrad being a turning point.
• Option 2: The Battle of Stalingrad was a major Soviet victory that stopped the German advance into the Soviet Union and shifted the momentum of World War II in favor of the Allies, which matches the idea of a "turning point" as it stemmed the tide of invasion.
• Option 3: The description of bravery relative to other Allied troops is not the reason for it being a turning point; the turning point is about the strategic impact on the war's momentum.
• Option 4: The length of the battle does not make it a turning point; the strategic outcome (stopping the invasion) is what matters.

Answer:

B. The Soviets had successfully stopped the German invasion.