Question

Give an account of the Allied campaign against Germany from the Normandy Landing of June, 1944 to the final surrender in May, 1945.

Answer 1

The Allied campaign against Germany from the Normandy Landings in June 1944 to the final surrender in May 1945 was a decisive phase in World War II:

1. Normandy Landings (D-Day – 6th June, 1944): The Allied forces began a huge attack from both land and sea on the beaches of Normandy, France. With this, the Western Front was officially open, and Western Europe was freed from Nazi rule.
2. Liberation of France: After intense fighting in August 1944, the Allies successfully saved Paris. The Allies pushed the Germans out of France by moving them eastward.
3. Battle of the Bulge (December 1944 – January 1945): Germany launched a surprise counteroffensive in Belgium, but in one of the bloodiest battles of the war, the Allies held their ground and beat the Germans.
4. Crossing the Rhine (March 1945): The Allies got into Germany by taking over the Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen. This made it possible for the invasion of Western Germany.
5. Advance into Germany: The Allies advanced from the west, while the Soviet Union attacked from the east, squeezing Germany from both sides.
6. Fall of Berlin and Hitler’s Death: Soviet troops captured Berlin in April 1945. Adolf Hitler committed suicide on 30th April, 1945.
7. Germany’s Surrender (8th May, 1945): Known as V-E Day (Victory in Europe Day), Germany formally surrendered, bringing the war in Europe to an end.