Why are the battle of britain and the battle of midway considered turning points in the war? (world war II)?

They were both the first major defeats for the Germans and Japanese. In the battle of Britain, the German Luftwaffe (air force) lost the bulk of its fighters and bombers and was unable to achieve its main objective - to destroy the British air force. With the British air forces still intact and German air forces crippled, the allies were able to launch extensive bombing runs in Germany. This paved the way for the allied ground forces to advance into France and then later Germany, bringing an end to the Nazi regime. Midway was also a major turning point in the war between Japan and US. At the battle of Midway, the US crushed the Japanese naval fleet. Although American losses were heavy during the battle, the destruction of the Japanese navy allowed the US to begin invading the islands offshore of Japan, which eventually lead to Japan's downfall.