p;it

THE SECOND WORLD WAR

THE EUROPEAN THEATER

1942 - 1945

EDEI\l\<&

Helsinki

[ockholm

LĄTIVA

Memel

Smoleńsk

GREAT BRITAIN

London Amsterdam.

♦ Hamburg

FAST S 7/ PRUSSIA^ ' _/ ,<GER> '

SOVIET UNION

Eisenhower

English Chahnel^*^^ { .

Invasion of Normandy -    * ^N- •    •^aV-'

(D-Day, 6 fune 1944k"

TJjKT »Vbn Rundstedt ^ ^ Boi

in GERMANY

*>^«rRemafjen

_A\ęvJ^<*Daltle of the Bulge    ,    *

^(D.I_!ąy_;6,|,el9«₎    ^

V /    ^»v

\ / >,

/ (Sept. 194*?

N C /C May 1945)

Warsów

POLAND

ischweitz

lunich

^■Cf*    * " Gomel

/

' J«v\S^N-C*^K,eV

Kursk. 1943

Kharkoy

Vichya

f Vionna^

AUSTRIA^

^Ol/AKIA

, Xm,ngahy

•Ttieste

ROMANIA

Pal dl

Sovostopol_#

t. Trapez, 1944 n

Belgradem •^JJ'g

YUGOSLAVIA ^'v

Coreica

_r BULGARI,

' *Sofia

'Romo

Prani Great Britain (

Salemo. 1943,

Krom U.S.

Rydor 7Ńov. iwij

Ąegean.

Sea

Port Lyaute/

MOROCCO

Predendall (Nov. 11142)

Algiers

ALGERIA

(FRANCE)

Btferte

Bono'

Invasion of Sicily, 1943

Kasserine Pass, 194:

DODCCANCSr ISIAND

nuii

, TUNISIA^

/ (FRANCC)/

V\_S

Mareth. 1943 .

CYPRUS

ow*t ottr.n:

• City orTown ® National Capital -—National Boundaries

& Battle Site

—► Axis Advance —► Allied Advance

I    1    Neutral    Countrios

1    I    Axis Controlled    (Max. Extent)

I    1    Axis

I    I    Allics

L I B Y A

(ITALY)

Benghazi

Tobruk, 1942

WORLD WAR TWO IN EUROPE

World War II h>s-in in Europo on 1 September 1939 with Germany lnvadlng Poland. Llnlt»:*d States' involvement atarted on II Decembor 1941. only lour days aft er |.ipan's nttnck on 1’corl I larl>or. when Germany and Italy unwpoctedly dedored war on tho United States. Biitish Primo Minister Churchill moet with Prosident Rooaovelt in Washington D.C. (22 Decombor 1041 - 14 January 1942). and dedded to defeut Germany fint.

TIMELINE

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&

NORTH AFRICA

The Ameriuins wanted to irwade Continental Europo in 1043, but this idea was docnicd promature and was cnncellcd in favar of nn Allieil invasion of Fronr.h Nortb Aftina. Operat!on TOKCH consited of Ihm task foro:«s which landed on 8 Novemboi 1942. Moving east, those forors linked up with generał Montgomery s Eighth Army in April 1943. becomlng I8tb Artny Group undcr tho ov«iall command of General Alexander. By 12 May 1943 this unit bad forcod the suriondtT of all A.xts foro.n in Noith Africa

NORMANDY LANDING

RoswoJt and Cliuichlll doclded at tho TWdent Conferon<x< (15-25 May 1943) to mnduct a major cross-Gliannel inrasion of Europo in June 1944. General Eisenhower was derignated to command Operation 0VERLX1RD. The greatost antblbioua asaault yet known to bisiory l>egan on the Normandy osaat in oamplete lactical sarpriw on D-Day, 6 June 1944. To proted Ei«mhowi<r’s flank. th« U.S. Sosonth Army landed in southom l^,,ianc» (O|x'iation DRAGOONJon 15 August 1944.

ITALIAN LANDINGS

Operation HUSKY" tho invasion of Sicily, began on 9 Jnly 19-13. and aftiT tliat island was il«iiw<l. tlu* mainland of Italy was assaultcd on 3 Septemlx-r 1943. Alliod foroos continuod lo "slog" their way up tho Italian poninsula until 2 May 1945. Amphibious opeuationa at salemo and at Anzlo weto atternpts to ontflank the Gcruians in Italy.

THE BREAKOUT

The bronkom froni th« Nomiamly bendibead took |ilar» in Jnly 1944. and tho offensiyy continuesl using Ceneial Eisenhower'* "broad front" strategy. Attcni|>ts to lireacli the Cornun Siegfriod Linę bluntod the Alliod offensire. Tho Gennaos ihen lannoh«d en offensi ve - the emsuing liglu Iwing the “Battle of the Bulge” - through the thlnly hołd Ardonnos Fonwt in Docember 1944.

The Alliiss hahed the German offonsivo in Jamnuy liM.” and conlinuod tho attack, cłoeaing the Kltine River in Marclt 1945 and enclrding the the Ruht are in April 1945. This lesulted. along with the Soviet pmMii« from the east. in the C^imuin collapso aml suirender on b May 1945.