Allies Move Forward

1. Allies Move Forward • In January 1944, the Allies launched a series of attacks in Italy on the line of Monet Cassino • By the end of January, the Soviets had completely expelled the Nazis from Leningrad • The Soviets recaptured Crimea • Had trouble with the Estonians • Rome was captured on June 4

2. Operation Overlord • On June 6, 1944, a joint task force of British, Canadian, and American troops landed on the beaches of Normandy • Juno: British • Gold: Britsh • Sword: British • Utah: American • Omaha: American • The Germans had expected the Allies to cross the English channel at the shortest point, however this was not the case • The weather was also extremely inhospitable during this time in June

3. The Allies Close in on Hitler • The Americans and British began to move eastward and eventually liberated Paris with the aid of the Free French Forces • The Soviet Union began to move eastward, pushing for the complete destruction of Army Group Centre • The Soviets also had much help in liberating Yugoslavia, in the form of the communist-led Tito’s Partisans • The Soviets attempted to take over and occupy Finland, but again failed • This led to a Soviet-Finnish armistice and signaled the switch of the Fins to the Allied side

4. Japan’s Downward Spiral • Utilizing the Island hopping technique, the Americans began to quickly close in on Japan • The Chinese were beginning to win more battles against the Japanese and by mid-December, were able to link up their forces with those located in Indochina • The Japanese were also decisively defeated in several key naval battles: • Battle of the Philippine Sea • Battle of Leyte Gulf • These defeats led to the resignation of Hideki Tojo from Prime Minister of Japan

5. Germany’s Last Ditch Efforts • In December 1944, Hitler mounted his final large scale counter-offensive • It took place near the Ardennes forest and was named the “Battle of the Bulge” • The Germans ran out of gas • Both the Soviet Union and Anglo-American forces crossed into Germany proper, and met at the Elbe river on April 25 • On April 30, 1945, the Reichstag was captured • This signaled the military defeat of Germany • The official German surrender took place on May 7 in Reims

6. Change in Leadership • On April 12, 1945, Franklin D. Roosevelt died of Polio • He was replaced by Harry Truman • Benito Mussolini was hanged by Italian partisans on April 28 • Two days later, Hitler and his wife Eva Braun, committed suicide in their underground bunker • He was replaced by Grand Admiral Karl Donitz

7. Japan Capitulates • The US was able to capture Manila in January 1945 • The Australians overran the Japanese in Borneo • American-Chinese forces defeated the Japanese in Burma • By the end of June, American forces had captured Iwo Jima and Okinawa • But both these islands came at a great cost of American lives • The United States then, after warning the Japanese several times of the danger dropped the atomic bomb: • First: Hiroshima • Second: Nagasaki • Stalin Invaded Manchuria and defeated the Kwantung Army • The Japanese formally surrender aboard the USS Missouri in Sep.

8. Nuremberg Trials • Following the 2nd World War, the remaining Nazi leaders were put on trial for war crimes committed • Many of the high ranking Nazis had committed suicide before being captured • Adolf Hitler • Heinrich Himmler • Joseph Goebbels • Many of the crimes mentioned had to do with the mass killings and genocide that occurred throughout the duration of the war