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End of the Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a surprise attack launched on the Allied powers. The battle was located in the Ardennes mountains found in Belgium. Since the battle took place during winter, the battlefield was covered in a deep blanket of snow. Early in the battle, times seemed dark for the Allies, as they were not prepared for battle. But, eventually supplies were dropped from Allied planes, increasing their strength. The Germans soon ran out of ammunition leading to a victory for the Allies. -
Liberation of Auschwitz
On January 27, 1945 the USSR fought through the doors of Auschwitz finding 6,000 living prisoners. They also found the death chambers, showing that the stories of German genocide completely true. The Nazis had been told to destroy the gas chambers, just days before the invasion of the camp. The Nazis were also supposed to murder the remaining prisoners to remove proof of the camp. The prisoners fit enough to walk were sent on death marches to other local cleared camps. -
Start of the Yalta Conference
The Yalta Conference was a metting in Crimea between Franklin D. Rosevelt, Winston Chirchill, and Joesph Stalin, the leaders of the major Allied powers. The topic of dicussion was what was to happen to Europe after the war. It was very productive, and several excellent decisions were made, such as how Nazi war criminals would be procecuted and the groundwork for the UN. Sadly, debate over the ideology and influence of liberated nations caused enough conflict to set the Cold War in motion. -
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Yalta Conference
The Yalta Conference was a metting between Franklin D. Rosevelt, Winston Chirchill, and Joesph Stalin, the leaders of the major Allied powers. -
End of Yalta Conference
The Yalta Conference was a metting between Franklin D. Rosevelt, Winston Chirchill, and Joesph Stalin, the leaders of the major Allied powers. The topic of dicussion was what was to happen to Europe after the war. It was very productive, and several excellent decisions were made, such as how Nazi war criminals would be procecuted and the groundwork for the UN. Sadly, debate over the ideology and influence of nations liberated from Germany caused enough conflict to set the Cold War in motion. -
End of Battle of Hürtgen Forest
The Hürtgen Forest was a 50 square mile wooded forest, that seemed like a secret doorway to Germany for the Allies. The US attempted a surprise attack on Germany in the forest only to come to a standstill. The Germans were very well prepared, and the US suffered 4,500 casualties during the first month, and had not gained much territory. The Germans boobietrapped the forest, using many mines causing many American deaths. The Germans also had control of the dams, and could flood the forest at will -
Start of the Battle of Groningen
This battle took place in the urban area of the city of Groningen. Here, the German military was deployed in hopes of conquering the city, in one of their last offensive attacks. The Germans saw the city as unprotected and believed it would be an easy target. The Allies brought in local Canadian and Dutch troops to fend off the Germans. The battle quickly ended in a German defeat after only four days. Many buildings in the city had been destroyed from German attack, but the Allies lost few men. -
Liberation of Bergen-Belsen
During April, the Allies were pushing hard into German territory. The United Kingdom came across the camp by mistake and unprepared for a battle, so the Germans did not surrender immediately. Many of the German guards had fled the camp in hopes of saving their lives. The UK found around 13,000 of rotting corpses, and 60,000 of starved and sick prisoners. Evacuation of the camp began six days later on April 21. 500 prisoners were dying each day after liberation due to disease. -
Start of the Battle of Berlin
By early 1945, Allied powers had liberated France, and were charging towards Berlin to hopefully win the war. The Allied powers had fought through the brutal winter, fighting very hard. As the Allies fought further into Germany and into Berlin, they discovered many horrible things. Once in Berlin, an all out battle for Germany’s capital took place. 20 German men once walked out with white flags in hopes to show a surrender, but were instantly killed. The German army had vowed to never surrender. -
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Battle of Berlin
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End of Battle of Groningen
Here, the German military was deployed in hopes of conquering the city, in one of their last offensive attacks. The Germans saw the city as unprotected and believed it would be an easy target. The Allies brought in local Canadian and Dutch troops to fend off the Germans. The battle quickly ended in a German defeat after only four days. Many buildings in the city had been destroyed from German attack, but the Allies lost few men. -
Death of Benito Musilini
Benito Musilini, the dictatorial ruler of facist Italy and political ally of Hitler, was at his time of death essentially powerless. As the Allies successfully had liberated all of southern Italy, incuding Rome, leaving Musilini only in control of the north and militarily weak. Knowing that it was almost a matter of time before his Italy fell, he devised a plan to escape to Switzerland. He was not sucessful at this, as anti-facists were able to capture and kill him via firing squad in Giulino. -
Dachau Liberated
The Dachau concentration camp was the very first of its kind in Nazi Germany. By April, the German military was well aware that the Allies were liberating and discovering their camps. They wanted these camps to remain unfound, so the Nazis forced 7,000 prisoners on a death march out of Dachau to Tegernsee. Most guards left the camp too, leaving 30,000 severely emaciated prisoners behind. The Allies went into the camp with some restraint, but they soon conquered the camp, freeing those remaining. -
Death of Adolf Hitler
In early 1945, Hitler began to realize the Axis would not win the war. He started to become very fearsome of becoming captured by the Soviet Union. He decided he would rather die than become captured by the Red Army. He created a chamber in his bunker specifically for his death. He married his long time companion, Eva Braun, on the day before his demise. When the Red Army pushed far enough into Berlin, Hitler decided it was the end, and he and Eva committed suicide by gunshot. -
End of the Battle of Berlin
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Nazi Germany Surrenders
The successful invasion of Berlin proved to be too much for Nazi Germany, and it became clear that the war needed to end. As Germany mostly was destroyed to the Allies, they were in no posistion to negociate their fate. President Dönitz signed an instument delcaring abosulte, unconditional surrender of Germany. This was to be effective the next day, know known as Victory in Europe Day. It was initially signed in itn the French city of Reims. The war in Europe was now, for the most part, over. -
Berlin Declaration of 1945
The Berlin Declaration was a declaration confirming the Allied victory, and granting the Allied nations authority over the German territory. Dispite this, it also confirmed that Germany still existed dispite the loss, and would remain a sovereign state. It did not detail exactly what the political future of Germany would be, which would need to wait untill the Potsdam Conference. -
Start of Potsdam Conference
Another meeting of the Allied powers, this time spearheaded by Truiman, Attlee, and Stalin. It was primarily held to determine what Germany's post-war fate was to be. In it, Germany was formerly divided up, Poland's future was determined, and the terms of surrender for Japan were formed. Britain had a new Prime Minister, the Soviets took control of eastern Europe, and Truman was giving hints to the developement of the atomic bomb. It resulted in the Potsdam Treaty. The post-war world was born. -
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Potsdam Conference
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Potsdam Agreement
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Paris Peace Treaties
These treaties functioned as the offical peace treaties for World War II. Essentially, it allowed the axis countries to remain independant states, and it organized those countries' reparations for the war. It changed the borders of several countries, and relinquished Italian control over its overseas colonies. Now, the war was truly over.
