The War's Turning Point

The War's Turning Point is the pivotal reversal in the War of the Ring, the moment when the long shadow of Sauron's power, which had seemed to engulf all hope, is irrevocably broken. It is not a single battle but a convergence of events, culminating in the destruction of the One Ring, that changes the course of the Third Age and determines the fate of all the Free Peoples of Middle-earth. This turning point is defined by the fall of Barad-dûr and the passing of Sauron, a cataclysm that transforms despair into victory and sets the stage for the crowning of King Elessar and the beginning of a new age.

The Desperate Gamble at the Black Gate

The turning point is set in motion by the desperate strategy of the Captains of the West. Knowing that victory cannot be achieved by arms, Gandalf counsels them to march on the Black Gate, to draw Sauron's Eye away from his true peril: the Ring-bearer's quest. They must make themselves the bait, walking open-eyed into a trap, with small hope for themselves. As the army of the West, less than six thousand strong, stands before the Morannon, the Mouth of Sauron presents the tokens of Frodo's supposed capture—his mithril-coat, his elven-cloak, and his sword—and offers terms of surrender. Gandalf rejects them utterly, and Sauron springs his trap, unleashing a host ten times their number. The battle seems lost, and Pippin, crushed by despair, thinks of Merry and prepares to die.

The Destruction of the Ring and the Fall of Barad-dûr

At the very moment of the West's greatest peril, the true turning point occurs far away. At the Sammath Naur, the Chambers of Fire, Frodo, exhausted and overcome by the Ring's power, claims it for his own, putting it on his finger. This act of claiming the Ring reveals his presence to Sauron, who, in a blinding flash, perceives the magnitude of his own folly. His mind is shaken free from all his policies and wars, and his entire will is bent upon the Mountain. But Gollum, who has followed them, attacks Frodo, biting off his finger and seizing the Ring. In his mad triumph, Gollum steps too far and falls into the Cracks of Doom, taking the Ring with him. The Ring is destroyed, and with it, the foundation of Barad-dûr. The Dark Tower crumbles, the Black Gate is hurled in ruin, and the realm of Sauron is ended.

The Collapse of Sauron's Power and the Victory of the West

As the Ring is unmade, Sauron's power is utterly broken. The Nazgûl, caught in the fiery ruin, are consumed and go out like flames. The hosts of Mordor, bereft of their master's will, are scattered and mindless, some fleeing, some slaying themselves. The Captains of the West witness the great shadow of Sauron rise and then be blown away by a great wind. The victory is complete. The turning point is not merely a military triumph but a cosmic one, as the power that had dominated the Third Age is removed from the world. The armies of the West, who had been on the brink of annihilation, are saved, and the way is opened for the restoration of the King.

The Aftermath and the New Age

The turning point's consequences are immediate and far-reaching. The Ring-bearers, Frodo and Sam, are rescued from the slopes of Mount Doom by the Eagles and borne to the Field of Cormallen, where they are honoured before the assembled host. The war is over, and the long labour of the Free Peoples has been rewarded. The destruction of the Ring also marks the end of the power of the Three Elven Rings, and with it, the fading of Lothlórien and the departure of the Elves. The turning point thus ushers in the Dominion of Men, as Aragorn is crowned King Elessar, and the Fourth Age begins. The victory, however, is not without its own sorrows, as the scars of war and the personal wounds of the Ring-bearers remain, a testament to the cost of the turning point that saved the world.