Play This Animation to Follow the Events of the Battle for Italy

Title / 21. Reading – The Ending of World War II
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Author / Mark Callagher
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Introduction

Important battles had been won over the critical 12 – 18 months from the beginning of 1942. It was now time for the Allies to take the offensive to help bring about the defeat of the Axis powers.
The Western Allies (Britain and the United States) would concentrate their efforts on successful amphibious landings in Europe and the Pacific.
At the same time the Soviet Union would continue its steady advance againstAxis Armies through large scale land battles in the East. /

Italy

After the defeat of the Axis forces in North Africa in May 1943 the stage is set for the Allies to re-enter the occupied European mainland. Churchill had referred to Italy as the “soft underbelly” of Europe meaning that it would be far less difficult to overcome Italian forces than taking on the Germans in France.
American and British forces therefore agreed that an invasion should take place in Sicily, hoping that a defeat would lead to the fall of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini.
The problem with invading Italy was the mountainous terrain which would be easier for Axis forces to defend. Access to the rest of Europe through Italy would also be close to impossible. /
<caption>Map of Italy showing mountainous terrain</caption>

Invasion of Italy

The battle for Italy would last until the end of the European war.

Play this Animation to follow the events of the Battle for Italy:

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Mussolini Sacked

Growing Italian discontent with Mussolini had started with the defeats in North Africa and the Eastern front followed by the invasion of Sicily and Allied bombing of targets on the Italian mainland.
Sacked
Mussolini’s own Fascist Party turned on him which led to his sacking by King Vittorio Emanuele III who said:
“My dear Mussolini, it is no longer any good. Italy has gone to pieces. The soldiers don’t want to fight any more……you are the most hated man in Italy”
Arrested
He was arrested and imprisoned in an isolated mountain resort.
Rescued
While the new Italian Government was negotiating an armistice with the Allies, Mussolini was rescued in a daring raid by German Paratroopers on Hitler’s orders. /
<caption>Mussolini and Hitler – Allied until the end</caption>

Mussolini Executed

German Occupation
Most Italian soldiers went home or switched sides after the Italian surrender. Mussolini was reinstated and German troops occupied Italy to defend it against a future Allied invasion
Executed
In April 1945, when all was lost, Mussolini tried to flee to the Austrian border but was captured by Italian Partisans. He was executed along with other Fascists and hung publicly by his feet. /
<caption>The End of Mussolini</caption>

Teheran Conference

At the end of 1943 the Allied leaders met for the first time, in Teheran (Iran) with the purpose of co-ordinating and planning strategy for the remainder of the war against Nazi Germany.

The Big Three together for the first time – Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill

Second Front

Since 1942 Stalin had been pushing for a second front to be opened up in Western Europe to take pressure off the Red Army.
Britain and America had promised Stalin an invasion in 1943 but had instead fought in North Africa and invaded Italy.
Bombing Campaign
Britain and the US had also kept up a sustained bombing campaign against German’s military industry – this in itself significantly assisted Stalin by weakening Germany’s ability to make war. /
<caption>American bombing of German factories</caption>

Churchill’s Reluctance

Churchill was reluctant to invade France and wanted to go for a safer option of invading through Yugoslavia. Memories of his personal failures at Gallipoli (WWI) and Norway (1940) plus the evacuation at Dunkirk had made him cautious.

However, Roosevelt got his way and assured Stalin that an invasion would take place in the spring of 1944.

“Watershy Little Winston” – German Cartoon, April 1944

Attacking FortressEurope

By spring 1944, the Germans were waiting for the Allies to open another front in the west. There were various points from which they expected assaults to be made (shown by the pink arrows) but the main blow, they knew, would be a cross-Channel invasion.
There was a large area to cover. Fifty-eight divisions were allocated to cover the frontier. /
<caption>Allocation of German Forces prior to the Allied landings</caption>

Atlantic Wall

Hitler’s Fortress Europe had been fortified along the French coast with an “Atlantic Wall”.

Hitler placed Rommel in charge of the defences. Rommel said that the key was to stop the Allies at the landing point and deny them a foothold. He said:

Believe me. The first 24 hours of the invasion will decide it. For the allies as well as for Germany it will be the longest day”

“Atlantic Wall” - German fortifications on the French coast

Preparations for Overlord

Operation Overlord was the name given to the Allied invasion of Western Europe.
American General Eisenhower was named supreme commander of Allied Forces in Europe.
3 million troops would be involved in the invasion.

American, Canadian, British and free French Troops would take part
Over 1.5 million American troops were shipped to Britain

The south of England became a massive training camp and supply depot
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Caption / Popular US wartime song - "Over There"
Link to player / False
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<caption>Allied Supreme Commander General Eisenhower – later becomes US President</caption>

D-Day Invasion

Operation Overlord was launched on the morning of 6th June 1944 which was called D-Day. The day saw the largest amphibious assault ever launched. 7000 ships or landing craft went to an assembly point called Piccadilly Circus to begin the operation. The Allies had air superiority: 12,000 aircraft to Germany’s 170.

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Play this Animation to follow the events of D-Day:

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D-Day Movie Clip

Play this BBC Stills Movie Clip of the D-Day events

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Securing the Beachheads

The success of the invasion depended on securing the beachheads. This occurred on 7th June. 156,000 Allied soldiers had landed with about 10,000 casualties.
Mulberry Harbours
Mulberry Harbours were towed across the Channel. This enabled the rapid troop and supply reinforcement. It was important to land as many tanks as possible to face the assault of the German Panzer Divisions that had been held in reserve. /
<caption>FloatingMulberryHarbour(background) with Ramp (foreground) used to offload equipment ontoOmahaBeach</caption>

Operation Overlord

After securing the beachhead it was important for the Allies to break out from Normandy before the German Army could box them in.

Play this Animation to follow the events of Operation Overlord:

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Paris Liberated

The Liberation of Paris took place in late August 1944, marking the end of Operation Overlord. Despite orders from Hitler that Paris should be held to the last and to destroy the city, German forces surrendered on 25th August. Joyous crowds greeted the American and Free French forces as liberators, as they marched down the Champs Elysees (Main Avenue in Paris).

<caption>American troops marching down the Champs Elysees</caption> /
<caption>General DeGaulle walking amongst the joyous Parisians</caption>

Hollywood

Many movies have been made by Hollywood about the events surrounding D-Day and the subsequent battles.

Some of the best and most well known are:

<caption>Movie produced in 1962 starring John Wayne, Henry Fonda and Robert Mitchum</caption> /
<caption>1998 Movie produced by Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Hanks</caption> /
<caption>2001 Movie Series featuring Easy Company from the 101st Airborne Division as they land behind enemy lines and battle through to victory in Germany</caption>

Fighting Back

Hitler survived an assassination attempt on 20th July 1944. He and his fellow Nazi leaders were determined to fight to the end. There was no consideration to surrender.
As autumn set in they tried to paint an optimistic picture and urged the German people to redouble their efforts to repel the Second Front invasion and the Russian advance from the east. /
<caption>“German Autumn” by T.T. Heine 1944 – This German cartoonist could see the writing on the wall. He fled to Stockholm</caption>

V1 and V2

By 1944 Germany had developed the technology to launch long range rockets against Allied targets. The V2 rocket was the most feared travelling faster than the speed of sound with no warning before impact.
London’s Second Blitz
London was the chosen target.After D-Day several thousand were fired from mobile launch pads with over 2000 reaching their target. London had to endure its second “blitz”. Over 100,000 were killed or wounded by the rocket attacks. /
<caption>A German V2 Rocket about to be fired from its mobile launcher</caption>

Battle of the Bulge

The Allies were hoping that the war would be over by Christmas of 1944. But Hitler had other ideas. As the Allies advanced towards the German border he launched an unexpected counter offensive through the ArdennesForest. Hitler had been successful here when attacking France in 1940.
The US Army just managed to scramble to stop the German Army from breaking through. The battle lasted two months, December1944 to January 1945, and had the effect of prolonging the war.
By the beginning of February the Allies would reach the RhineRiver inside Germany. /
<caption>The Ardennes Offensive – Battle of the Bulge</caption>

Eastern Europe

No more German offensives against Russia would take place after the defeat at Kursk in July 1943. /

Russians Advance

Twice as many German Divisions were kept in the East to hold back the Red Army than were facing the Allied invasion in France.
Despite Russia launched offensives across the whole front and steadily drove the German Army back towards the Polish and Romanian borders /

Warsaw Rising

The Polish saw that the Russians would reach Warsaw before the British. Poland was fearful of a Russian occupation.Britain had gone to war to defend Polish independence whereas Russia had initially collaborated with Germany and occupied Eastern Poland.

With the Russians on the outskirts of Warsaw, the Polish Home Army (underground) launched a massive uprising against the Germans on 1st August 1944. The battle raged for 2 months with the Russian Army controversially failing to assist. The Germans finally managed to put down the rising. Thousands of Polish and German soldiers died in the battle. The main casualties were the cities residents. Over 250,000 were killed, mostly in mass executions conducted by advancing German troops. Under Hitler’s orders over 85% of Warsaw was burnt to the ground.

<caption>Polish Free Forces fighting the German Army</caption> /
<caption>Destruction of Warsaw during the Uprising</caption>

Changing sides

While the Allies were advancing through France the Red Army crossed into Poland and Romania. Germany’s Axis Allies, Romania and Bulgaria and Hungary, were persuaded to change sides and join the Red Army in its advance on Germany.

“Make up your mind, Bulgaria – you’ll be better off in my bus” by Stephen, 1944

Fighting on Two Fronts

Germany continued to resist the advance of the Red Army, but a two front war would always be difficult to maintain.

“The Man in Possession” by Strube, 1944

Victory in Europe against Hitler’s Armies was only months away.
Before then many more thousands of troops and civilians were to die. Hitler was determined to destroy the enemy along with the German people who he blamed for failing him. /
<caption>“Last fearful hours” by Carey Orr, Chicago Daily Tribune, 1945</caption>

Yalta Conference

The Big Three met again on 4th February 1945 at Yalta on the CrimeanPeninsula.At the time of Yalta, Russian Marshall Zhukov was only forty miles from Berlin.
Each of the three powers brought his own agenda to the Yalta Conference:

Roosevelt wanted Soviet support in the Pacific War concerning the invasion of the Empire of Japan
Churchill was pressing for free elections and democratic institutions in Eastern Europe, specifically Poland
Stalin was attempting to establish a Soviet sphere of influence in Eastern Europe which the Soviets thought was essential their national security.

Stalin said that:
"For the Russian people, the question of Poland is not only a question of honour but also a question of security. Throughout history, Poland has been the corridor through which the enemy has passed into Russia. Poland is a question of life and death for Russia." /
<caption>The Big Three at Yalta – Roosevelt’s health was clearly failing him</caption>

Agreements

Soviet Union to Join Pacific War

Stalin agreed that the Soviet Union would help invade Japanese territory 90 days after the defeat of Germany.

Democracies to be established

It was agreed that democracies would be established in Europe. The official statement said:

"The establishment of order in Europe and the rebuilding of national economic life must be achieved by processes which will enable the liberated peoples to destroy the last vestiges of Nazism and fascism and to create democratic institutions of their own choice."

The United Nations

It was also decided that a new organisation, the United Nations, should be set up to replace the failed League of Nations.

Roosevelt returned to Washington saying that:

“The Crimean Conferenceought to spell the end of a system of unilateral action, the exclusive alliances, the spheres of influence, the balances of power, and all the other expedients that have been tried for centuries — and have always failed. We propose to substitute for all these, a universal organisation in which all peace-loving nations will finally have a chance to join.”

Roosevelt dies

Roosevelt died of ill health on 12th April 1945. The news came as a shock to the people at home and the soldiers abroad.
FDR had pulled the American people out of the Great Depression and to victory in war. He was the most popular American President of the Twentieth Century and one of the world’s greatest statesmen. He remains the only American President to serve more than two terms in office.
Churchill’s reaction was one of deep sadness:
“I send my most profound sympathy in your grievous loss. It is also the loss of the British nation and of the cause of freedom in every land”
Stalin said:
“The Soviet people highly valued President Roosevelt as a great organiser of the struggles of the freedom-loving nations against the common enemy and as the leader in the cause of insuring the security of the whole world”
Harry Truman
Roosevelt’s replacement was the relatively unknown and inexperienced Senator from Missouri, Harry Truman. He had been elected vice-president in the previous year’s election. He now had big shoes to fill at a very important time. /
<caption>The new President – Harry Truman</caption>

East meets West

On the 27th April American and Russian troops met for the first time at the ElbeRiver south of Berlin. Before they met there had been fears that they might mistake each other for the enemy.

An American and Russian soldier share stories of how far they have come

Battle of Berlin

Entering Berlin
On 21st April the Red Army entered the outskirts of Berlin. The Russians had the City, along with Hitler, completely surrounded. The Nazi minister of propaganda, Goebbels, issued a statement saying “Berlin will be defended to the last”.
The fighting was fierce and every street was taken at a terrible cost. The Red Army lost 70,000 troops in the process.
Hitler dead
Hitler and his mistress Eva Braun committed suicide in his bunker on 30th April only hours after they were married.
By 2nd May the old German parliament building, the Reichstag, had fallen. /
<caption>The Soviet Flag is hoisted above the Reichstag with Berlin laid waste in the background</caption>

VE Day

The German forces in Europe surrendered to the Allies on 7th May 1945.
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The following day Churchill declared a day of celebration, VE Day.
During the celebrations Churchill appeared on the balcony of the British Parliament Buildings, to speak to the vast crowd. After the words 'This is your victory!', the crowd roared back, 'No - it is yours!' /
<caption>Churchill celebrating with the British crowds</caption>