The 11 most significant battles of the Second World War

I may not be much of a historian - but the nuclear strikes on Hiroshima and Nagasaki might be counted as among the most significant in the Pacific Theatre. They ended the conflict that would have continued far longer fighting men, women, and children on street to street and home to home basis - saving many lives on both sides of the war. Warmest Regards, Sandy :)

While it may not be considered a "battle," the bombings of Germany and Japan certainly had an effect on the overall war. Especially in Germany where their ability to manufacture equipment was greatly diminished. Certainly the bombings of Tokyo, Hiroshima and Nagasaki had an impact on Japan.

Yes, they missed the most pivotal battle in the early war in the Pacific, Guadalcanal. It was the first time the Japanese were defeated after sweeping across the pacific, defeating everyone, by American forces after a brutal land and naval engagement lasting months.

Had we lost Guadalcanal and the 1st Marine division we were in real trouble for many years in the pacific war. We shattered the Japanese there, their invincibility was shattered and they learned about American grit and resolve. They lost many troops, ships and aircraft. Leaving Guadalcanal in Japanese hands left Australia fully exposed to attack as well. We needed Australia as a staging point in the Pacific. A pretty big miss in my opinion.