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D-Day: The Invastion of Normandy
This was when the Allied which invaded France on 5 seperate beaches. The weather was bad so the Germans didn't expect an attack. Hitler was convinced that the attack would take place at Pas-de-Calais but the Allies landed on different beaches instead. Although it left 4600 soldiers dead, it was helpful because the Allies got 155000 troops in France. -
Liberation of Paris
With lots of war occuring, the Germans were getting weak. A french resistence rebeled against german occupiers. Von Choltitz concluded a truce with the rebels which forced him to surrender some resistance. -
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Allied Offensive in the Saar Valley
The Allied troops focused their efforts on Germans clearing the Low Countries. There was a line of defense on the border between France and Germany. There was bad weather, but Gerneral Patton decided to push on. The Allies took control of Metz but then they reached the West wall, they were faced with the strong Germans. This was important because they were the first time on Allied troops -
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The Battle of the Bulge
Hitler wanted revenge for the attacks the Allies made. He launched an attack through the Ardennes and managed to hit deep in Allied territory, which created a massive gap in American lines. This hit the Allies hard because it cut off air support and it was a suprise. The Allies then planned an attack the scared teh Germans becuase they were about to be cut off. By the end of this event, the us had gained back all of the land that they lost -
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Closing of the Ruhr Pocket
The Allied forces swarmed across the Rhine which caused the Germans to drop back in the Ruhr Valley. Instead of the us planning a direct, front on attack to the Germans, they went around the valley. This meant that the Germans were surrounded and they had no way out of the situation. The German commander comitted suicide and their army surrendered. This was important becuase it destroyed the German efforts in the East. -
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The Battle of Berlin
The Soviet Army was moving quickly, retaking all their land that they had once lost. They backed the Germans up into Berlin, where the Germans formed a ring of defense. Hitler knew that they were going to lose, as several Soviet tanks overtook the city. Hitler stated that they would stay in Berlin till the end, but then committing suicide a week later. The German Army surrendered on May 2, 1945.
