World War II

European Theater
Prelude & November 1942-May 1945
22 June – The Battle of France ends. After
Sept
March
1933 – 1938
1939
1 September
The – 1939
Nazi –Munich
Germany
Germany
Party Agreement.
came seized
invaded
to powerthe
the disaster in the Low Countries, the French
GERMAN EXPANSION
Poland
in9German
April
March
Army
April
Britain with
1941.
Germany
10
20-31
–
and
1936
May
becomes
May
two
June
Germany
Army
1940France
remainder
–(the Army
German
Group
almost
1941.
Battle
Groups.
goes forces
Awestern
agreed
of
Third
–Germans ofReich
totally
Germany
On
to
France.
17of
occupied
tooccupied
the
(containingaid Sept
the
Hitler’s
forms).
ineffective,
seized
Italy
Thethe
Crete
and
the Soviet
Denmark Union,
& Norway.
byCzechoslovakia.
majority invading
of the Greece,
Panzer who had
and
Units) previously
These two
consequently
attacks signed
actions
through NOT SHOWN:
demands
Hitler
the
aMarch
began
Rhineland
Germans
Germans to
1938
‘free’
towith
invaded
easily
–Forrest
oppressed
rebuild
the The
troops
attack
Austria
the
Netherlands
through German
western
–military
again andin
northern October Sept 1940-Nov
1939-April 1942:The
1940.
with an Ardennes
almost
non-aggression
protect
Yugoslavia
the the purely
whenGerman theAirborne
agreement andwas
trade
Yugoslav annexed
Assault.
with
routesGermany
with
government
cuts off two They
andpeople
suffered
easternthat
democracies
direct
violating
Belgium
such lived
violation
the
France.
(Molotov-Rippentropgreat finally
Treaty
(bypassing within
of
losses,
Pact: realized
of
the
France the the
Treaty
Versailles
Maginot Czech
Hitler’s
surrenders
they
23 never
August of and
Line). and
again
1939)
North‘Phony
Africa Campaign. A series
War’. Germany of up
built
Sweden
French (Iron
Armies Ore)
byFrance
was overthrown, the and
andThirdthe assisted
cancelling
BEFReich. herGermany
from previous
the rest of to
Britain
Vichy
Republic.
again true and
France
Versailles German
intention
resulting was
(secretly moved
established,
oftroops to
conquest.
insubmarine
no at first,
reaction counter
which
occupied
andThe
from this
isthe
inthe see-saw battles between
theconducted
invaded
execute
agreement
French
Southern
and
her aoccupied
future
to major
allow
Forces.
France,portion
theairborne
These
attack.
Corsica
eastern
Germans assault.
troops
andweeks
Poland.
campaign
to pass
either
the French
in forces to invade France while
Sudetenland
southeastern
France public
and
surrendered by
Western 1935
Britain
through
or were in the
– the first
democracies.
thedeclared
Atlantic.
their became
Western
war
county.
evacuated on the
Germany
at Dunkirk.of German/Italian Forces (Libya) and the
Colonies that now became essentially allied
two October.
days
France established defenses
British (Egypt).
Slovakdemocracies
Republic, dolater.
allied
with Germany.
with Germany.
nothing).
behind her Maginot Line (a
series of strong fortifications on
the French-German Border).
Since the Maginot Line did not
extend beyond that border, the
French positioned their more
mobile forces, including the
British Expeditionary Force, on
October 1940. Italy attempted to
invade Greece, but failed miserably. the Belgium Border, which
They actually lose half of Albania, and would cross that border should
July – October 1940. Battle of Britain. An
the British sent forces to defend the Germans
attempt by Germany attempt ain repeat
to gain air superiority,
Greece. order to invadeofBritain
the Schlieffen
(Operation Seaplan
Lion).they had
The Germans failed and eventually called
executed at the beginning of off
the Operation.
WW I. This, the Dyer Plan,
22 June – December 1941. Operation
would meet and defeat any
Barbarossa. Three German Army Groups
27 September 1940. Tripartite Pact: The German
attacked into the Sovietattack trying
Union, but wereto swing
Axis Powers formally came into being. around
finally stopped just short ofthe Maginot
Moscow by stiffLine,
April 1939. Similarly,
Germany,Italy invaded
Japan and Italy signed this Soviet resistance, strategic overreach
through Belgium/Netherlands. and
Albania and agreement
then become officially
to mutually support each other in the winter.
allied with Germany
their with
questthe “Pact of
to conquer their spheres of
influence.
Steel” Hungary and Romania joined in
in May.
November ’40 and Bulgaria joined in March
41.
 Rommel proposed that the combined
German Armies1942:
attackGermans
the weakoccupied
allied right
NORTH AFRICA & ITALY
10 November
flank to attempt
FrancetoandcutCorsica
the 1 Br
st
asArmy from
Southern
its supply lines prior to the 8 Army’s
the Vichy 3November
Sept 43: 1942 British – The8th Army
allies
(due arrival
th
government began to topple to 8Just
16invaded
Sept
advanced prior
November
– the8 Oct to
‘toe’
toward the
1942: Salerno
Operation
43:ofTunisia
Italy as
Movement to a
in force.
defections [the July-Nov
Feb 1943.
desertionBattle43: defeat
of of
one's Afterfortwo
Kasserine
country or failed
Pass: This battle was a tactical
cause in favor of an opposing one] in N. invasion,
to theTorch. Italy
diversion
seize
Gustav Knowing
critical surrendered
(Operation
supply
Line. The they to
that ports. arethe
British
German
the Americans, an offensives
butAfrica).
operational failure (Stalingrad
for in not yet strong enough for a th
the Germans who are unable to follow up on 1943),
Allies.
However,
8th Baytown).
Army This
linked thewas Germans
The
up announced
US
with 5
therushed
th
Army
US 5
1942 and Kursk in July direct assault into Europe, but
their initial success. The 8 Army finally
th
during
(Clark)
Army the
troops then
by invasion
into
16 Tunisia
made
Sept tofrom
the
and create
Allied
theth
the and
arrived in force Sovietthe two Union
Germanbegin Armies the 1 of
st
realizing they must attack
havoc
10 main
GermansJuly for
Italy/Sicily the
–amphibious and
17 August
(under Germans.
form 43:the
assault 5The
Sicily
surrendered
their major in May 1943.
offensives to push somewhere, thLuftwaffe
the Allied Field
10Panzer
July
Germans, 43:
Army. 15 Army
The
however, GermansGroup
had
the Germans back to Germany. was(Operation
Marshallconquered.
Kesselring)
Combined The withdrew
Avalanche)
Chiefs US of 7th Army
th Staff at to
(AG)
anticipated with
successfully the
this US
halted 7
submission the Army
Allied and
This offensive occurred along attacked
Salerno
and held
decided
advance up
on the
to
just9the
attack
shortwestern
September,
Gustav North
of line
their side
while
by
Africa
goal. of
8to
(Patton)
rapidly and the
disarmed British
the 8 th
th Italian
Army
the majority of the eastern front the
the island,
1
Theassist
st
British
Britishprotecting
the 1British
Airborne
October.st
Army 8thewasArmyflank
now of
Division
(Montgomery)
destroy forces. invade Sicily
and reached the Dnieper River. the British
conducted
forced 8ththe
to go ArmyGerman/Italian
that
a supporting
on the attacked
defense
(Operation
Forces that Husky).
were fighting 505 in
th
the
upand
amphibious thewait eastern
assault
for supplies side.
(OperationThe
and
Parachute Regt
vicinity of Egypt. (82 nd
Airborne
At three
reinforcements
Germans
Slapstick) were
at stable
the to‘heel’
arrive
to offrom
evacuate
Italy.
Division)
landing
their and
sights,
veryof long 1 British
the
supply Allies Airborne
landed
lines, as
much
Salerno was theira men
very and
difficult
With in
wellthe asDivision
Morocco
Allies
wait for and
still
equipment.
assist.
Algeria
unprepared
better and
weather.to
operation
invadequickly
Europe, for
defeat the allies,
the Vichy
a decision but
wasforcespoor
made
A French and American Corps
German
atoccupied coordination
the Casablanca there.
positions
resultedtoin
Conference
to the south
ofathe
attack successful
intomainSicily (the
British invasion.
decisionInto
Corps.
invade Italy was made
early February, Panzer with
Armythe
Montgomery
success
Afrikaof(Rommel)
the Sicilian operation)
arrived in
Clark 515th Army Grp
Alexander Tunisia after being driven from
Center Eastern 1 Abn Div
Egypt by the 8th Army.
th

Western Task Force

Task Force
Task Force

1 7 8
Patton Montgomery
15 Army Grp
th

Alexander
 ALLIED INVASION OF 6 June
6 June 44: Operation
June-Oct
44: Operation
44: After theOverlord
fall of –
Overlord –
EUROPE 21 Allied
st
3Rome,
Airborne air forces
AG landed
the 15thinAG
Divisionssuccessfully
Normandy
was
(82ndable on
, 101 tost5
conducted
pushbeachheads: strikes
the6thGermans
and British) which
Utah (4thslowed
north
landed ID),
onin the
and even
Omaha
Italian
Normandy prevented
(1in
st
and
the 29
Peninsula.
th
They
early German
ID), Goldto
quickly
hours,
reinforcements
break (50
theBritish
th
protect German from
the ID), arriving
Juno,
Gothic
flanks (3rd at
line
of the but
the
cannot Normandy
Canadian push
amphibious ID)muchbeachheads.
and Sword
further
landing sites.(3
and
rd

the opposing British

forcesID).
settled into a
8
22 Jan 1944: After continuously th
21 Army Grp static line for the winter/spring of
unsuccessful attacks 1on 2the Montgomery
44/45.
Monte Casino and the rest of
the Gustav Line, the 15th AG
attempted to break the
stalemate by conducting
another major amphibious
landing with the US VI Corps at
Anzio (Operation Shingle).
While
16-19
19-25 the
Feb landing
Feb 44:1943:
The
44: was virtually
Germans
Bomber
24 December Montgomery th
15 Army Grp
Jan-Apr
unopposed, 44: Soviet
the US Spring
Corps Alexander

counter-attacked
isOffensive.
named theThe 21st US AGthe turn UStheir
commander
Offensive
Commander, frees Leningrad
General from
Lucas, it’s 8 Montgomery
beachhead,
efforts
(the US to1thest and almost
destruction
Army and the pushed
ofBritish
the 5 15
two
Fall year
1943: siege
failed
Withto and
theadvance.pushes
capture of into in Italy, theClark
Foggia US Army
th
Air Force now had two locations to
15 Army Grp
them
German back
aircraft to
2 Army) and the final
nd the sea,
industry. but The Alexander

Simultaneously,
conduct
11
US May –
Fighterthethe
4 June Ukraine.
Strategic
Planes the
44: wereIndrive
Bombing
attempt
now by the
of to
to
able the
draw German
German
escort the industry
units
bombers and
into the
all resources.
theItalian
way to Thetargets
Theater
their 8(and
th
Airthus
Force had
and away
back
ultimately
scale and
preparations failed.
success for Anzio
of
the the now
attacks
invasion of
begunUS
from
(due limited
5 th
the
to Army
drop operations
Overlord (to
tanks). link from
up
Invasion)
They England
with
the
(and VI
15
the th in the summer of 1942, and now with the 15 Air Force in
AG conducted
heavily defended Operation
bombers) Diadem
destroyed and finally
so many
th
broke the
German
turned
resulted
Europe
Italy, into
thein a
it siege
being
(Operation
US Strategic until
called May.
Overlord)‘Big
bombers conducted large,
Corps)
Gustav
fighter failed
Line.
planes, Theagain
that 5
airth
tofact.
Army break
linkedthe
superiority wasup with the VI
assured for the 1000
Corps bomber
at Anzio
coming andraids
Overlord (withRome
entered
invasion.emphasis
The 4 on
onGermans
June
Week’
transportation and after
began.
oil the
production) deep into enemy territory. These initial raids proved to be very
Gustav can now only defend
line. (two days theirprior
mosttocritical
Overlord).
industrial locations.
costly, but continued through the rest of the war.
 1-25 25 August
July 1944. Operation
44: Patton’s 3rd
BREAKOUT Cobra. After an immense
25Army
15 August
August poured
44: through
– 15Operation
September and
Anvil44:
buildup
Operation
exploits of
the forces
Market-Garden:
breakout and the
createdslow21st
Eisenhower
(Dragoon)
17-20 September – US takes7 th over
44: Army direct
landed
Operation
1 AG’s
August
August expansion
attempt44: With
– December ofCobra
to this
the 44:
rapidly breakout,
alliedSoviet
cross
control
in by
Southern Operation
of the ground
th - France in battleand
support fromof
the Garden
US
offensive
beachhead, 12 to British
Army
clear
the Group
the
US XXX 8 Corps
(Bradley)
Balkans.
th
and 9 th
many
attacked
Montgomery
the attack rivers/canals
in (1
two directions
in–September)
Normandy. in the –and
Romania
Air attacks
was
forces formed
and to link
Bulgaria
(strategic up
US with
1
and st the
Army
surrender
tactical)
Netherlands
Brittany
the 21 st and the
and (2 thpart
12 Seine
Army operation)
River.
Airborne (ABN) units rdGroups
and cross
(Hodges)
conduct and join
arapid and the
concentratedUSAllies.3 Army
‘carpet
With
attacked this along movement,
a ‘Broad the
Front’
8 the captured
bombing’ bridges.
(Patton).
mission which TheassistedXXX
21 Army Grp th 17toward
Sept 44:
German the 7Operation
th
and 5River.
Rhine th Market
Panzer Theit -
Montgomery Corps
in the is
breakoutfinally stopped
attack after
st of the US
1 2 Armies
12 101
th
Army
st
, 82
are nd
Group, and
almost 1cut
linked British
off,
upABN but
the
21 Army Grp
links up with the US 82
th
nd
Montgomery
9 1 st
Army
Airborne
escape through
divisions
with the
th are
a 6large very difficult
dropped
portion of
2 1 newly
just formed
short of the AG
British (Devers)
1 st
ABN
112 Army Grp th

their boscage
to capture
men (but countryside.
a series
notthe of
equipment) bridges at
9
3
Bradley
which
at Arnhem. contained Only 2,200US 7
of
th
and
that
12 Army Grp
th

6 Army Grp th located

French 1between
the Falaise st
Armies.GapArnhem when
Also, the
the and 9th
surrounded division escaped
Bradley
Devers
1
Army the
Canadian British
(Simpson) front
1st Army lines. to
failed
is formed
back to British lines. inrd5
rapidly link up
September andwith clears the the US rest 3
Army.
of BrittanyParis (The was liberated
port of Brest). on 25
7 5
8 General Clark August.became the 15th
15 Army Grp June-August
AG commander
th 44: The Soviets
in October.
Alexander
Clark
crush the German Army Group
Nov 8 – 15 Dec 44: Eisenhower shifted the Main 15Effort Centertoand thereach 12 AG. theBoth outskirts the 3of rd

and 7th Armies attacked to the German “West Wall”. This was Warsaw. also the time that 1st
Army fights the costly battle of the Hurtgen Forrest. The 9th Army, initially paced
between 1st and 3rd Armies, was moved to the 12 AG’s northern boundary. Bradley,
anticipating a future transfer of forces to Montgomery, made the shift as he did not
want to lose his veteran Army.
Battle of The Bulge and Final German Defeat
Ardennes Offensive (Operation
Watch on the Rhine) The
AsGermans
20-21 theDec1st and
44: 9rdth Armies
3
massed Army 6are
th cut
thedisplacedSS
offDec
from
26 from
its –
Panzer, the
front 512
7 Feb lines
th AG
Panzer
th
45: and (due andtoof7ththe
reoriented
Battle the
22 Feb
‘bulge’), – 21
command March: ofRhineland
these st two
to attack
Armies
22
Bulge & 23 (2)into
for
March: the
- athefinal12 southern
The
th
andUS 213portion
counter-attack rd
and
AGs
Campaign. All Army Groups
of armies
the
British
pushed nd shift
‘bulge’.
against
2the the
Armies
Germans to the
Patton
Western 21
conductedbegan
back AG.
Allies.
st
his
to river
their
8 pushed forward to the Rhine
attack
Hitler
crossings on
plannedstart22ofto December.
the
line.split the US
Rhine.
River. By chance, the US 1st
from the British at the lightest
21th Army Grp 1 2
Army was able to capture a
Montgomery
1 9 defended portion of the
1 bridge still intact on 7 March at
12th Army Grp American line – the Ardennes
Bradley
3 Remagen and created an
7 (the same location that they
6th Army Grp
unexpected bridgehead on the
Devers
1 concentrated their panzer
east side of the Rhine River.
forces to defeat the French in
(The 1st Army was returned to
1940). This attack would then
12 AG after the Battle of the
28 continue
March – to the coast
7 May: Attack andand
5
8
15-24 Dec Bulge)
44:Germany.
Battle of the
capture
occupation the critical
of supply port
The
15th Army Grp
Clark Bulge
of Antwerp.
German (1)
Army- This
Germany
GroupwouldBattacked
become
(Model)
15 Apr
andknown –
created6 May:athe Soviets
‘bulge’ in ofattacked
the allied
15 is captured asin theBattle
Rhur the
Pocket.
Jan into Eastern Germany
line. and
The–15 Aprth 45:made
AG The
Bulge. Soviets
a final push pushed to
captured
to the Oder Berlin. Hitler
riverofinItaly committed
the andnorth,
capture the rest the
suicide
followed on 30 April and the
US 5th and 7th Armies linked and
by attacks in Hungry up
Germans Austriasurrendered on 7 May.
onin4 the May. south.