WORLD WAR II WAR IN EUROPE

EASTERN FRONT NOVEMBER 1941 – GERMANY INVADED SOVIET UNION (OPERATION BARBAROSSA) AUGUST 1942 – BATTLE OF STALINGRAD MAJOR INDUSTRIAL CITY ON THE VOLGA MASS DESTRUCTION NIGHTLY BOMBING RAIDS ALL BUILDINGS SET ABLAZE SOVIET OFFICERS CONSIDERED BLOWING UP THE REMAINING FACTORIES STALIN – ORDERED TO DEFEND (NO WEAPONS) SEPTEMBER 1942 – 9/10 OF CITY – GERMAN

EASTERN FRONT WINTER OF 1942 - BRUTAL SOVIET COUNTER – ATTACK GERMANS – TRAPPED INSIDE CITY JANUARY 31, 1943 – GERMANS SURRENDER SOVIETS DEAD – 1,100,000 TURNING POINT

STALINGRAD

BATTLE OF STALINGRAD

BATTLE OF STALINGRAD

NORTH AFRICAN FRONT STALIN PRESSURED U.S. & BRITAIN TO OPEN A 2ND FRONT CHURCHILL & FDR – NOT READY TO INVADE EUROPE OPERATION TORCH – INVASION OF AXIS CONTROLLED NORTH AFRICA COMMANDED BY DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER NOVEMBER 1942 – 110,000 ALLIED TROOPS INVADED AXIS POWERS – ERWIN ROMMEL BATTLE AT EL ALAMEIN - 1942 MAY 1943 – ROMMEL SURRENDERS

EISENHOWER

ROMMEL

ITALIAN CAMPAIGN SUMMER 1943 SICILY BATTLE OF ANZIO “BLOODY ANZIO” FOUR MONTHS 25,000 ALLIED DEAD 30,000 AXIS DEAD ITALIAN GOVERNMENT – FORCED MUSSOLINI TO RESIGN

ALLIES LIBERATE EUROPE OPERATION OVERLOAD DIRECTED BY EISENHOWER 3 MILLION BRITISH, AMERICAN, & CANADIAN TROOPS PLAN- ATTACK NORMANDY IN NORTHERN FRANCE ALLIES – SENT RADIO MESSAGES THAT THEY WOULD ATTACK CALAIS

LIBERATE EUROPE OPERATION OVERLORD – PLANNED FOR JUNE 5 WEATHER JUNE 6, 1944 – D-DAY 3 DIVISIONS PARACHUTED BEHIND GERMAN LINES MORNING – THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS REACHED SHORES 5000 SHIPS 11,000 AIRPLANES 150,000 SERVICE MEN LARGEST LAND-SEA-AIR OPERATION IN ARMY HISTORY

D-DAY

D-DAY GERMAN RETALIATION BRUTAL 20 YEARS OLD, CARRYING 80 POUNDS, FACED 200 YARDS OF OPEN BEACH ALLIED FORCES: 10,000 DEAD AFTER 7 DAYS – ALLIES HELD THE BEACH

LIBERATION OF EUROPE GEORGE PATTON – ALLIED GENERAL AUGUST 25, 1944 – PARIS LIBERATED SEPTEMBER 1944 – FRANCE, BELGIUM, AND LUXEMBOURG LIBERATED NOVEMBER – FDR ELECTED TO 4TH TERM

PATTON

BATTLE OF THE BULGE OCTOBER 1944 – ALLIES CAPTURED 1ST GERMAN TOWN AACHEN DECEMBER 1944 – HITLER’S LAST DESPERATE ATTEMPT GERMAN TANK DIVISION BROKE THROUGH AMERICAN DEFENSES 120 AMERICANS CAPTURED (KILLED) MALMEDY MASSACRE BATTLE LASTED 1 MONTH (BASTOGNE) GERMANS HAD BEEN WEAKENED RETREAT

BATTLE OF THE BULGE

FINAL DAYS APRIL 1945 – SOVIETS STORMED BERLIN APRIL 12, 1945 – FDR DIES – TRUMAN BECOMES PRESIDENT APRIL 29, 1945 – HITLER MARRIED EVA BRAUN & WROTE OUT HIS LAST ADDRESS TO THE GERMAN PEOPLE BLAMED JEWS FOR STARTING AND LOSING THE WAR APRIL 30, 1944 – HITLER SHOT HIMSELF & BRAUN POISONED BODIES SOAKED IN GASOLINE AND BURNED MAY 8, 1945 – GERMAN SURRENDERED – V.E. DAY

V.E. DAY