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

• 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.

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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