1. The Liberation of Europe and End of the War

2. Map of Allied Advance: 1944-1945

3. German Resistance Following the D-Day invasion of France in June of 1944, Germany mounted a determined resistance 12 th S.S. Hitler Jugend – fanatics who refused to surrender New German weapons – VI and V2 rockets

4. Meanwhile in Germany… Allied strategic bombing weakens Germany German army officers attempted to assassinate Hitler (failed) Poor German morale, but Hitler refused to surrender German cities, such as Dresden (above) were bombed by Allied forces, 1944-1945. Was this ethical?

5. Liberation D-Day forces secured coastal towns and fought their way through France July 9, 1944 –Canadians fought and captured Caen –cost nearly 1200 men August 1944 - Liberation of Paris by American troops

6. 1945 Discovery of Nazi Death Camps - Holocaust discovered

7. Liberation of the Netherlands April 1945 - Canadians given task to liberate Netherlands 1944-45 called “Hunger Winter” for the Dutch, who were starving

8. A Joyous Welcome Dutch Teen: "As the (Canadian) tank came nearer... there was a big hush over all the people, and it was suddenly broken by a big scream, as if it was out of the earth. And the people climbed on the tank... and they were crying. And we were running with the tanks and the jeeps all the way into the city."

9. Berlin falls Soviets entered Berlin (German capital) and met up with Americans – captured city April 30, 1945 –Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun committed suicide Hitler’s last public appearance

10. Soviet (Red) Flag waving over Berlin as it burns, 1945

11. May 8, 1945 VE Day (“Victory in Europe” Day) - Germany surrendered

12. Atomic Bombs After Germany fell, the Allies were still at war with Japan August 6, 1945 - atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan (killed 70000 people) August 9, 1945 - atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki, Japan

13. VJ DAY – WWII officially ends August 10, 1945 - VJ Day (“Victory in Japan” Day) - Japan surrendered