The End of the War

1. The End of the War

2. After D-Day, the Allied troops were still trying to reclaim France • The Allies outnumbered the Germans, but the Germans were stout defenders • The Allies pushed forward and recaptured France at heavy costs • Battle of Caen July 10, 1194 casualties • July 25 Battle at Verrieres Ridge, the Black Watch Battalion was almost entirely annihilated • It took two months to liberate France, July 25 Americans and French troops liberated Paris

3. Assaulting the Rhine • March 1945 – 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade (the first Parachute Battalion) attacked the Rhineland • Allies pushed the Western Front, and the Russians from the East • Canadians were charged with clearing the Germans out of the Netherlands

4. The Germans controlled the Scheldt River’s mouth (Belgium & Netherlands) • At the time, the Dutch were starving, thousands had already died from starvation • Canadian troops defeated the Germans at the Battle of the Scheldt in November 1944 • Canadians continued to clear the Germans from the Netherlands • A few days later, food and supplies distributed • This build rapport with the Netherlands and Canadian soldiers- similarly to the inhabitants of Normandy • It also granted the Allies access to Germany

7. Princess Margaret • Queen Juliana had her baby in Canada in 1942 • They made Canada a Dutch Protectorate so Princess Margaret could be born on Dutch soil • To thank Canada for Liberating them and for being a Protectorate, they send tulip bulbs to Ottawa every year • This is how the Tulip Festival originated

8. Victory in Europe • Finally, the Allied entered Germany, and moved to surround Berlin • On April 30th 1945, the Soviets entered the city • In an underground bunker, Hitler committed suicide • On May 5th a ceasefire was declared • On May 7th German forces surrendered unconditionally • Some Nazi commanders were shot, some escaped, very few were captured

10. Yalta Conference • February 4-11, 1945 • The “Big Three” government leaders from the US, Soviet Union, and Britain met up in Yalta to discuss what to do with Germany • They decided to “cut” up Germany and each country would monitor different sections • This they felt, would avoid the failures and problems that the Treaty of Versailles led to • Stalin wanted to expand the Communist regimes • US and Britain wanted to create peace and install democratic nations

11. Churchill, Truman, & Stalin

13. Germany was denazified and demilitarized • Poland’s borders was reorganized; they received territory from Germany • Poland’s communist party was instated as the government • Stalin wanted the Soviet Union members to be granted membership in the UN • Nazi war criminals were to be tried and prosecuted • Nuremberg Trials