Transcript Allies Achieve Victory in Europe

Allies Achieve Victory in Europe
North Africa
• By 1943, the Western Allies
decided that North Africa must be
taken over so an invasion of Italy
and Germany from the South
could be undertaken.
• Note: The USSR did not like this.
• In early May, 1943, the Germans
and Italians found themselves
caught between two Allied armies
led by Gen. Montgomery of
England, and Gen. Eisenhower of
the US.
Importance of Victory in North Africa
• With the victory in North
Africa, the Allies
captured over 250,000
troops.
• More importantly, the
Allies now controlled the
Mediterranean Sea.
• In June, 1943, the Allies
started bombing Sicily
and Italy to prepare for
an invasion.
Invasion of Italy
• The Italian Campaign was one
of the longest and most difficult
of the war.
• An American army under the
command of Mark W. Clark was
an important part of the
invasion.
• It was not until June 4, 1944
that the Allies entered the city of
Rome.
Significance of US Victory in Italy
• 1. Allies strengthened their
control of the Mediterranean
Sea.
• 2. Loss of Italy deprived
Germany of many soldiers.
• 3. From Italian bases,
American fliers could now
bomb Southern Germany.
• 4. Germans had to move
troops off of the Soviet front
to stop the Allies in Italy.
Invasion of France
• Next, the Allies began
heavy bombing of German
transportation centers,
industrial plants and military
installations.
• This led the way to an Allied
invasion of France called
“Operation Overlord.”
• The Supreme Commander
of the Allied invasion forces
was General Eisenhower.
• We didn’t want the
Germans to know exactly
where the invasion of
France would occur, so:
“Fooling the Germans”
Invasion of France
• On June 6, 1944, called D-Day,
over a million troops landed on
the heavily fortified beaches of
Normandy.
• Despite barbed wire, mines and
heavy artillery, the Allies overran
the Germans.
• By August 25, 1944, the city of
Paris fell to the Allies.
• By this time, the Allies had
landed over 2 million troops.
Normandy Invasion
• Within 6 months after D-Day, France
had been liberated and the Allied
forces had stated to invade
Germany.
• At this point the Allies stopped to
regroup.
• The Germans counterattacked.
• On December 16, 1944, 24 German
armored divisions struck a weakly
held point on the Allied line.
• The Germans broke through
temporarily.
• This was known as the Battle of
• the Bulge.
• The Allies were finally able to stop
the Germans and push them back.
• This defeat cost the Germans many
troops, and much equipment.
• It also helped break the spirit of the
German army
End of the War in Europe
• The US, France, and
England from the West
and the Soviets from the
East, invaded Germany.
• On May 1, 1945, Hitler
reportedly committed
suicide.
• On May 2, Soviet troops
entered Berlin and nearly
1 million German soldiers
surrendered.
• Within one week, German
forces in the Netherlands,
Denmark, and Germany
stopped fighting.
Victory in Europe!!!
• On May 8, 1945, called
V-E Day, the German High
Command surrendered
unconditionally.
• This formally ended World
War II in Europe.
• The US and Soviet Armies
met at the Elbe River,
southwest of Berlin.
V-E Day