Victory in Europe

1942-1943Allies turned back the axis advances

1944-1945 – Huge advances for allies!

D-DayJune 6th, 1944

Allies took Germany by force – attacking the beaches of Normandy

Crossed over the English Channel

5 Beaches planned – 50 miles

Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword

Four beaches – landed at 6:30 am – casualties relatively low

Omaha – Germans very tough!

Built trenches and concrete boxes on hill to fire from

Mines placed all over the beach

Some soldiers dropped too far from the beach and drowned

Fierce fighting but allies gained stronghold!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPA6kRuhKks

Germans now fighting a two front war!

Soviets coming from the East and US, Britain and France from the West

August 1944 – Allies liberate France!!!

Plots to overthrow HitlerJuly 20, 1944 – a bomb planted at Hitler’s headquarters

20 wounded or killed – Hitler survived

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xITUH2gGMZU

Battle of the BulgeDecember 1944 – Hitler ordered counter attacks of allied troops in Belgium

Fierce fighting back and forth – Allies eventually pushed the Germans back!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBeXRvdlmyY

January, 1945Soviets reach Berlin!

Italy captured too! Mussolini tried to escape to Switzerland!

Captured and executed!

By now, British and Americans in Germany!

Hitler a WRECK!People no longer taking orders from him

Paranoid from all the drugs he took

Believed he still could win!

April 30th – committed suicide

May 7th – Germany surrendered

V-E Day

May 7th, 1945 – Victory in Europe Day!

FDR had died a few weeks earlier so he did not get to see the end of the war – failing health led to stroke

Truman in power

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg-eIL59rrY&safe=active