the end is near 1944 · siegfried line in western germany. the beginning of october saw the end of...

The End is Near InJanuaryof1944,theAlliedForcescontinuedtheirdriveintoItaly,landingatAnzio.ThiswouldleadtomonthsofbattlesinAnzioandMonteCassinoinanefforttopushintoRome.Alsothismonth,theSiegeofLeningradendedafter900days.Itwouldbethedeadliestandmostcostlybattleinthehistoryofwarfare.

MarchsawthecontinuedbombardmentofGermancitiesthroughaerialraids,butthefirstday-timeraidsbeganonGermancitiesthismonth.

ThroughoutAprilandMay,TheSovietUnionbegantheiroffensivetotakebacklandsconqueredbyGermany.TheywillgetbackCrimeaandSevastopol,amajorportcityintheCrimeanpeninsula.InMay,theAlliescontinuedtopushtowardRome.TherewillbeseveralattemptstotakeAnzioandMonteCassino,withGermansfinallyretreating.IntheUnitedStates,therationingofmeatendsaswell.

Junewastobecomeoneofthemostimportantmonthsintheentirewar.TheAlliesenteredRomeonJune4th,afterfiercefighting.TheymayhavebeenabletoliberateRome,buttheywereunabletotraptheretreatingGermanarmy,leavingGermantroopstofightanotherday.Twodayslater,markedthestartoftheAlliedinvasionatNormandy.ThequesttoreopentheWesternFrontandliberateFrancehadbegun.D-DaylandingbeganonthenortherncoastofFrance.Morethan175,000troopslandedatNormandy,anditwasthelargestinvasionforceinhistory.ThiswouldrenewfightingontheWesternFront.

AlsoinJune,TheGermanswillusetheV-1rocketforthefirsttimeagainstBritain.ThiswasatypeofcruisemissilethatwaslaunchedfromtheFrenchandDutchcoasts.Meanwhile,backintheUnitedStates,PresidentRooseveltsignedtheGIBill.Thisprovidedbothhousingandeducationfundsforsoldiersafterthewar.InthePacific,theBattleofSaipanbegins.

AtthebeginningofJuly,theBattleofSaipanwillend.Inthelastdaysofthebattlearound1,000civilianswillcommitsuicideattheencouragementofEmperorHirohito.UStroopshadbuiltcivilianprisonercampsthatenticedthepoorJapanesecommunitylivinghere.TheideaofthreewarmmealsandsafetyfromfightingcouldbeenoughtocauseJapanese

civilianstodefect.ThebattlewasastrategicvictoryfortheUnitedStates,asitputTokyowithinreachofAlliedbombers.

OperationValkyrie(alsoknownasthe20JulyPlot)wasaplottoseizecontrolofthegovernment,overthrowtheNaziParty,andobtainpeacewiththeAlliedforces.PartofthisplanwastoassassinateAdolfHitler.TheplanwasorchestratedbytheGermanResistance.OnJuly20th,ClausvonStauffenbergarrivedforamilitaryconferencewithHitlerandotherofficialswithabombinhisbriefcase.Duringthemeeting,Stauffenbergreceivedaplannedtelephonecall,butlefthisbriefcasenexttoHitlerandexitedtheroom.Itispresumedthatanotherofficerunknowingly

1944

V-1Rocket

Theconferenceroomaftertheblast.

movedthebriefcasebehindalegoftheconferencetable.Whenthebombdenoted,itkilledthisofficerbutshieldedHitler.Theconferenceroomwasdestroyedandfourpeoplewerekilled.Hitlersufferedaperforatedeardrumbutsurvived.Asecondbombwasnotabletobeprimedand,thus,didnotgooff.Itisbelievedthathadthissecondbombdetonated,everyoneintheroomwouldhavebeenkilled.

AttheendofJuly,theSovietsliberatedthefirstconcentrationcampatMajdanek.ThiswasalsoanexterminationcampandGermantroopstriedtodestroyevidenceofcrematoriabutwereunabletofinish.Itwasthemostwell-preservedoftheconcentrationcampsandgaveampleevidencetothemassmurderthatoccurredthere.Thehorrorsofthecampwerewidelypublicizedaftertheliberation.

ThestartofAugustalsosawthestartofanuprisinginPoland.ThePoles,eventhosewhowerenotJewish,weretreatedverypoorlybytheGermanswhooccupiedtheirhome.APolishResistancegroupcalledHomeArmywaslookingtoliberateWarsaw,thecapitalofPoland,fromNazicontrol.InAmsterdamAnneFrankandherfamilywerearrestedbytheGestapo.TheywereputonthelastconvoyoftruckstoAuschwitz.Onlyherfather,Otto,survived.

InAugust,theAlliedinvasionofsouthernFrancebegan.SoonresistanceuprisingsbeganinParis.PariswouldbeliberatedonAugust25thafterfouryearsofGermanoccupation.TheSovietscontinuedtheoffensiveefforts.ThistimeintheBalkansbyattackingRomania.

BySeptember,theAllieswerepushingfartherintoWesternEurope.PlaceslikeVerdun,Antwerp,andBrusselswereliberatedbytheAllies.TheAllieshadpushedsofarintoEurope,thatbySeptember13th,theAllieshadreachedtheSiegfriedLineinwesternGermany.

ThebeginningofOctobersawtheendoftheWarsawUprisingwiththeResistancesurrenderingtotheGermans.TheAllieswereabletoliberateAthensastheItaliancampaigncontinued.Meanwhile,ErwinRommelisforcedtocommitsuicidebytakingacyanidecapsuleafteritisdiscoveredthathemayhavebeenpartofaplottoassassinateHitler.InthePacific,AlliedforcesinvadethePhilippines.AndinEurope,thegaschambersareusedforthelasttimeatAuschwitz.

InNovember,RooseveltwaselectedtoafourthtermasPresidentoftheUnitedStates.HarryTrumanbecomeshisvicepresident.

DecemberseestheBattleoftheBulgetakeplaceinBelgium.TheGermansarehopingtostalltheinvasionofGermanybytheAlliedforces.

TheSovietUnionisontheattackduringJanuary1945.SoviettroopswillcaptureWarsaw,Poland.TheywillalsoliberateAuschwitz.TheRedArmywillfindlessthan3,000survivors.ManyprisonersweremovedtocampsinsideGermanypriortoliberation.Thereaslittlecoverageoftheliberation.

InEarlyFebruaryRoosevelt,Churchill,andStalinmetatYaltatodiscussEurope’spost-warre-organization.Itwasthesecondofthreeconferencesbetweenthe“BigThree.”Acrosstheglobe,GeneralMacArthurwaspushingAmericantroopsfurtherintothePhilippines.TheywillenterManila,thecapital,onFebruary4th.InEurope,thefirebombingofDresdentakesplaceinthemiddleofFebruary.Anglo-Americanaerialbombingattackscreatedafirestormthatkilled22,000-25,000people.

MarchsawbombingsinthePacific,aswell.BombingsoverTokyowillkill120,000thismonth.AlsointhePacific,theBattleofIwoJimatakesoutJapan’slastlineofradardefensetowarnagainstAmericanattacks.

AsAprilbegan,theendwasnearinEurope.AsAlliedforcespushedon,theydiscoveredstolenNaziartandwealthhiddeninsaltmines.Moreconcentrationcampswereliberatedaswell.TheAlliespushedintonorthernItaly,whileUStroopsmovedfurtherintoGermany,stoppingtomeetupwithSoviettroops.

1945

OnApril12,1945,PresidentRooseveltdiedafteramassivecerebralhemorrhage.Hisvicepresident,HarryTruman,willbesworninaspresident.Hehasservedmoretermsaspresidentthananyother.

InEurope,theSovietsbegantheirfinalattackonBerlin.Meanwhile,Mussoliniiscapturedandshot,whiletheAlliestakeVenice.ThebodiesofMussolini,hismistress,andotherofficialswithinhispartyweretruckedtoMilanwheretheyweredumpedinthecenterpiazza(square).Theywouldbestrungupforalltoseeonmeathooks.Thebodieswerespatonandstonedbyciviliansoverthecourseoftheday.Thenextday,GermantroopssignedpapersinItalythattheywillunconditionallysurrender.ThetermsofthesurrenderwouldgointoeffectonMay2nd.ThebattlefortheItalianPeninsulawasnowover,andtheAlliescouldfocustheirattentiononBerlin.

Anotherdeathcamp,DachauwasalsoliberatedbyUStroops.Travelingwiththisarmydivisionwasagroupofreporters;therefore,theliberationofDachaureceivedinternationalattention.

Asbombsfelloverhead,HitlerremainedprotectedinsidehisbunkerinBerlin.Itwasherethathemarriedhismistress,EvaBraun.InsidethebunkerHitlerlearnedofthedeathofMussolini.Thenextday,onApril30th,hepoisonedhisnewwifeandcommittedsuicide.

WiththeendoffightinginEuropenear,theAlliescontinuedtohitBerlin.OnMay7th,GermantroopsunconditionallysurrenderedtoGeneralEisenhowerinRheims,FranceandtotheSovietsinBerlin.PresidentTrumanpronouncedthatthefollowingdaywouldbeV-EDay,meaningVictoryinEurope.FollowingV-EDay,majorNaziofficialswerearrested,includingHermannGoring.Himmler,theheadoftheSS,committedsuicide.

InJune,theAlliesbegintocarveupGermanyandtakeovertheirgovernment.Onthe26thofthemonth,theUnitedNationsCharterwassignedinSanFrancisco.AsthefoundationaltreatyoftheUnitedNations,themembersareboundbywhatitsaysinitsarticles.51countriesoriginallysigned.ThetreatywasratifiedbytheoriginalSecurityCouncil(China,France,SovietUnion,UK,andUnitedStates)inOctober.

American,British,andFrenchforcesenteredintoBerlinonJuly1stinanefforttomaintainstabilitywithinGermany.Alsothismonth,theUnitedStatesrantheirfirstatomicbombtest.

ThePotsdamConference,thethirdandfinaloftheseconferences,tookplacewiththeBigThreetonegotiatethetermstotheendofthewar.ItwasduringthisconferencethatWinstonChurchillwouldbereplacedasPrimeMinisterofGreatBritain.ClementAtleereplacedChurchillasBritishPrimeMinister.InthePacific,USairattackscontinuedonTokyo.LeafletsweredroppedthreateningdestructionfromtheairiftheJapanesedonotagreetounconditionalsurrender.

AfternoprogressismadewithJapan,theEnolaGaydroppedthefirstatomicbombonHiroshimaonAugust6th.Itisestimatedthat100,000peoplewerekilledimmediately.Another100,000diedlaterfromradiationsicknessandburns.OnAugust8th,theSovietsdeclaredwaronJapan.ThishadnothingtodowiththedroppingoftheatomicbombsandeverythingtodowiththeYaltaConferenceinwhichtheSovietsagreedtoenterintowaragainsttheEmpireinJapan.OnAugust9th,asecondatomicbombwasdroppedonNagasaki.TheJapaneseagreedtoanunconditionalsurrenderonAugust14th.

AformalsurrenderceremonytookplaceonSeptember2ndaboardtheUSSMissouri(MightyMo).Inthisceremony,GeneralDouglasMacArthuracceptedJapan’sformalunconditionalsurrender.ThisdaywasdesignatedasV-JDay(VictoryoverJapan).

InOctober,theUnitedNationswasofficiallybornafterthecharterwasratified.AndinNovember,sugarremainedtheonlyitemstillrationedintheUnitedStates.Also,theNurembergwarcrimetrialsbegantotryNaziofficialsthatparticipatedinandorchestratedtheHolocaustandotherwarcrimes.

ThemushroomcloudsatHiroshimaandNagasaki.