Transcript Conquering Europe

Conquering Europe
Germany’s Early Success
• Plan depended on speed & accuracy
– Allies surprised.
• English speaking German soldiers
spied behind the lines.
• The weather: cold / low fog.
– No Allied air support
Germany Slowly Losing: 1944
• Russian Red Army
closing in on the
Eastern Front
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• U.S. bombing of
German cities
• Italian Peninsula under
Allied control
• September: France
liberated.
• FDR re-elected in
November to a 4th term
in Nov.
Battle of the Bulge
• Largest land
offensive of the war.
• Oct. 1944: 1st
German town taken
by the Allies
• Dec. 16: 8 German
tank divisions were
to break through
Allied defenses /
destroying supply
lines.
Battle of the Bulge
• Germany advanced
60 miles = creating a
“bulge” in the line.
– Success lasted only
2 days = lack of fuel
• Fog lifted = Allied air
power used
• German resistance
pushed back =
Allied air power,
lack of fuel.
Massacre at Malmedy
V-E Day
• April 12: FDR dies
• April 25, 1945:
Soviets stormed
Berlin.
• Hitler commits
suicide
• May 7: Ike accepts
Germany’s
surrender: V-E Day