WWII European Theater

Alliances

Axis

Soviet Union
Allies

Germany

Britain

Italy

France

Japan

U.S.

Click ‘Prior to 1936’ Map to begin

Prior to 1936
After 1940

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•Supreme Commander of Allied Forces

•Planned D-Day

•Responsible for ALL Allied operations

Profile of a Hero
General Dwight D. Eisenhower

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•US Army Chief of Staff

•Senior military advisor to President Roosevelt and later President Truman

•Responsible for “running” the war from Washington, DC

Profile of a Hero
George C. Marshall

• ​Led the First US Army at D-Day

• Led the First and 8th US Army at the Battle of the Bulge

Profile of a Hero
General Omar Bradley

 FDR decide to focus on defeating Germany 1st

 1941: Hitler had control over majority of Europe- France to

the outside of Moscow, Russia

 Allies pledge to open 2ndfront war to ease German pressure

off Russia

 George Patton commanded US forces thru North Africa &

Sicily; 3rdArmy would advance thru Europe

​Deception:

Ghost Army

The closest point of invasion into Europe was Calais, France.

The Allies created a fake invasion force to fool the Nazis- It worked.

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 6/6/1944- Allied invasion

of France

 US troops led by Gen.

Dwight Eisenhower

 Troops landed on 5

beaches in northwest
France

 Largest amphibious

operation

 Victory resulted in Allied

liberation of France

Medal of Honor

1st Lt. Vernon Baker

• ​The US Army initially denied MOH awards due to race

• The US Army contracted Shaw University to look into records

• Lt. Baker awarded for taking command of a platoon after the OIC left.

• "Baker accounted for nine enemy dead soldiers, elimination of three machine gun positions, an observation post, and a dugout. On the following night, Lieutenant Baker voluntarily led a battalion advance through enemy mine fields and heavy fire toward the division objective."

 German counter attack

 Gen. Omar Bradley and Gen. Patton

pushed troops thru
Germany

 Allied defense push
the Germans back-

Considered the TURNING POINT in the European Theater

​Gen. Patton meets

Gen. Bradley at the

Bulge

• As the Soviet Red Army infiltrates Berlin, Hitler hides in the Führer Bunker

• Hitler and Eva Braun commit suicide

• Hitler orders his body to be burned

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​The Death of Adolph Hitler