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D-Day
The U.S. sent troops by air into France. These people were called paratroopers. After the paratroopers landed, Ally planes started bombing France where the Germans were stationed. After bombing the Germans the Allied troops came on shore to battle the Germans. This was important because this tactic threw off the Germans allowing the Allies to get the upper hand in the battle. -
Liberation of Paris
Germans were in a bad position to defend Paris after D-Day. The Allies launched another attack, Operation Dragoon, which allowed the Allies to attack Paris from the south. The Germans were being attacked from all directions. In the end the Germans surrendered Paris to the Allies. This was important because Paris was a major city that the Germans controlled, but now lost. This helped the Allies moral and helped them cut deeper into France. -
Allied Offensive in the Saar Valley
Patton and the Third Army were in charge of penetrating the West Wall to get into Germany. Even though the weather was bad general Patton forced the troops to stay on the offensive. Both sides fought fiercely, but the Allies were able to work their way onto German soil. This was important because no other army has been able to break its way into Germany. This gave the Allies some control over Germany as the German forces kept getting pushed back to where they started. -
The Battle of Bulge
Hitler tried to get the Germans back on the offensive by attacking the Allies in Belgium. The Germans were trying to take control of Antwerp. This city was where the Allies were getting most of their resources. The Germans made huge progress in their attack, but in the end the Allies were able to battle them off and continue their offensive. This was important because it showed that the Ally armies were now stronger than the dwindled down German armies. -
Closing of the Ruhr Pocket
As the Allies approaced the Germans in Ruhr the German army began to retreat. Instead of just going straight ahead and attacking the Germans, the Allies decided to go around behind the Germans to catch them off guard. This tactic worked. The German army was circled by the Allies. Inside this Ruhr Pocket Adolf Hitler, the German commander, committed sucide because there was no hope for the Germans. This was important because this event basically ended the war and the Germans reign of terror. -
The Battle of Berlin
Hitler ordered a defensive wall be built around Berlin to fight off attacks from the Soviet Union. Hitler commanded his army in an underground bunker under Berlin. The soviet army ended up breaking into the city and fought violently against the Germans for weeks. Hitler promised that he would stay in Berlin, which he did because he committed suicide. This basically ended world war 2.
