World War 2: Ending Phase 1943-1945

You know the start? If not take a look at last week's post on World War 2: Opening Phase 1939-1940 Now for the ending...

By 1943, people were fed up with Mussolini and war. Italy had gone into war when it was not militarily prepared and suffered many war defeats and hardships. The Oct 1940 invasion of Greece was repulsed. The September 1940 North African campaigns also failed disastrously. Italians were infuriated when Germany was using Italy as a resource rather than an ally. Mussolini was eventually dismissed by the King. In July 1943, Allies landed on Sicily and captured it within 38 days. Sicily was used to launch an attack in the mainland, and this factor caused Mussolini’s fall from power. Badoglio replaced Mussolini and went for negotiations to arrange for Italy’s surrender. Germany lost an ally as a result. Allies landed at Salerno and met up with very.... strong German defense line, the Gustav Line, but still managed to overcome the German defense after several months of bitter fighting. After the Allied defeat at Anzio on February 1944, the Allies continued the inch-by-inch battle until they overcame the Germans at Monte Cassino by May 1944. The Germans then set up their next line of defense at the Gothic Line after Rome’s fall in winter June 1944, in order to resist Allied attacks. This Italian invasion tied down soldiers from Operation Overlord. meant that Germany was under attack from all directions by 1945. Resistance movements in Europe by the Allies, especially the French Marquis, sabotaged road and railway links to prevent Germans from transporting soldiers. On D-Day 6th June 1944, the allies launched a barrage of balloons and aircraft near Calais, where a heavy metallised paper was dropped, showing up as an invasion fleet on German radar screens. Large number of tanks and soldiers were stationed at English port of Dover, all these to trick the Germans the invasion would occur elsewhere. Hitler would not allow Rommel any more panzer divisions closer to the beaches. Rommel erected steel and wooden obstacles along the beaches to prevent the landing of crafts. However, the Allies used a floating harbor, towing them from Britain, through the Channel and reassembling them at beach of Normandy. This allowed huge ships to unload stores and gave Allies a deep port before their recapture of other French ports. A pipeline, PLUTO, extended from Britain, under the Channel to Normandy supplying oil. Paratroops landed in the rear to help cut off German lines of communication, making landings a success. Allies were able to capture the port at Omaha beach which was most well defended, as there was a lack of panzer divisions. Allies established foothold in northern France, and captured Cherbourg, an important port which served as landing site for more allied soldiers. Americans captured Paris on the 24th August, and moved towards French-German border. Another front was opened in the south of France in mid-August as French and American soldiers landed at Toulan. By end of September, the Germans were driven from France. Canadian and British forces moved along coast of France towards Germany and took control of V1 and V2 missile sites. There were no more of V missile threats. By end of September, Belgium and Luxembourg had been liberated, and Allies moved in to Holland before main assault on Germany. The allied advance halted at Rhine, September 1944, and allowed a German counter-attack. The Battle of Bulge which begun in December 1944 the German defense crumble quickly. In Feb 1945, the Allied forces reached the Siegfried line and by March established a Bridgehead on east side of River Rhine. Allies were closing in on Berlin by April, but Russians reached it first. Following Hitler’s suicide, Germany surrendered by May 1945.

So why did Hitler lose? There are theories...

1. Shortage of Raw materials.
2. The survival of Britain
3. Axis powers spread themselves too thinly on the Russian front
4. Tactical errors of Hitler

These are just theories but nevertheless worth considering...