The End of the War in Europe

1. The End of the War in Europe June 1944 May 1945

2. June 1944 • While the huge invasion force from D-Day is fighting against the German defenders, on the Eastern front Soviet civilian ‘soldiers’ blow up supply and communication lines and create chaos for German forces in the East. • The Soviets create 4 new fronts in the East with 1.2 million soldiers. In two weeks, the Germans report 200 000 casualties. • Hitler takes more and more control of army decisions, especially decisions to retreat and replacing Generals.

3. July 1944 • Polish Army plans its resistance uprising. • British and Canadian armies in Normandy face the toughest German forces but achieve their goals with Air Force help. • Allies on Western Front significantly increase bombing of German cities and control the air completely. • In the East, the Soviets push the Germans out of Russian territory taken in 1941-42 and the Germans suffer over 300 000 casualties in the process, mostly prisoners. • American army opens up the area needed to advance far into France including Paris.

4. August 1944 • Polish Resistance surrenders to Germans after their Allies do not help them by supplying goods. 250 000 Polish soldiers and civilians are taken prisoner. • The Allied army that landed on Normandy pushes into France and creates a pocket known as the ‘Falaise Gap’ to circle around and trap over 50 000 German soldiers. • The Soviet Army has pushed too far and has to stop. • Allies liberate Paris.

5. September 1944 • Allies in the West begin Operation Market Garden that uses paratroopers to capture important areas, mostly in Germany. Fighting is tough but successful. • Polish forces raise a military to form a resistance again. Attempts to supply them fail and they surrender again.

6. October –December 1944 • German command plans and begins an offensive to push back at Allies on Western Front. Successful at first, but Hitler ignored advice from Generals and pushed too far and had no air support. • Bad weather prevents the Allies from using their air support until the week before Christmas. After the weather clears, the RAF, RCAF and USAF launchthousands of ‘sorties’ and help push the Germans back. • In December, Hitler orders his army to halt, but not retreat. They are destroyed in a few weeks.

7. January 1945 • The Allies on both fronts collaborate and launch offensives at the same time. In the East in particular, Stalin creates an enormous front. • Hitler takes more control and reorganizes the army in the East. Attempts an offensive and takes troops away from the West to fight in the East.

8. February – March 1945 • Soviet Army crosses into Germany. • As part of the Allied bombing campaign, they bomb the German city of Dresden. 130 000 residents were killed. City had no strategic value. • Soviets push further into Germany and invade Austria as well. By end of March Soviets are 80km away from Berlin.

9. April 1945 • Soviets continue to push to take Berlin and enter the area on April 20. • April 30 – 10 days after his birthday, Adolf Hitler marries his mistress in the bunker under Berlin. He gives a final speech to his top officials, then poisons his dog, his new wife and commits suicide. • Soviets have complete control of Berlin by April 30

10. May 1945 • Canadian Army had been fighting up the North-Eastern coast of Europe in the Scheldt Estuary pushing the Germans out of northern France, Belgium and the Netherlands, liberating those countries. • With Berlin in Soviet control, the Western Front defeating German offensives, and Hitler dead, the German generals surrender on May 5. • May 8 is VE Day – Victory in Europe Day, and all fighting was stopped. The war continued in Japan for another month and a half.