1. European Theater of Operations

2. Pacific or Europe
In the months after Pearl Harbor, Hitler’s eastern-front armies marched deeper into the Soviet Union while his western forces prepared to invade Britain.
Nazi U-boats were pushed from the North Atlantic in late May 1943.
Where to open a second front against the Nazis.

3. North Africa
The U.S. advocated an invasion of France ASAP whereas the British felt that an invasion of Italy would deal a major morale blow to the Nazis.
Stalin wanted either one.
North Africa it was.
By May 1943, the Allied armies had defeated the Germans in North Africa, made the Mediterranean safe for Allied shipping, and opened the door for an Allied invasion of Italy.

4. Invasion of Sicily July – August 1943
On July 10, 1943, combined American and British amphibious forces landed 160,000 troops in Sicily.
The battle for the island provides experience for opposed amphibious assaults and also the first coordinated airborne drop.
Though the island is captured, most of the Germans and Italians are able to escape to Italy by ship during night evacuations.

6. Invasion of Italy September ’43 – May ‘45
Allies land on September 3, 1943
The Italian government surrendered unconditionally, but German troops dug into strong fortifications and fought to defend every inch of Italy ’s rugged terrain for the remainder of the war.
The Germans put up stiff resistance at Salerno and almost throw the Allies back to the sea.
The Allied advanced was bogged down due to the difficult and rugged terrain of the Italian Apennine Mountains

7. Monte Cassino January – May 1944
The allies approached the historic town of Cassino with the Monastery founded by St. Benedict overlooking the town.
The Monastery provided a perfect perch for spotters and snipers.
The allies bomb the monastery and create an even more impregnable fortress for the German paratroopers.
After a long and costly battle, the allies win.

9. Gothic Line
The Allies would continue to push across the grueling Italian terrain until they hit the Gothic Line in northern Italy.

10. Bombing of Germany and Tehran
While the Allied campaigns in North Africa and Italy were underway, British and American pilots flew bombing missions from England to the continent as an airborne substitute for the delayed second front on the ground.
In November 1943, Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin met in Teheran, Iran, to plan the Allies’ next step.
Roosevelt and Churchill conceded to Stalin that the Soviet Union would exercise control of the eastern European countries that the Red Army occupied as it rolled back the German military and promised that they would at last launch a massive second-front assault in northern France.

11. D-Day Invasion June 1944
Operation Overlord called for a combined sea, air and land invasion of Nazi occupied France.
German forces, commanded by General Erwin Rommel, fortified the cliffs and mined the beaches of northwestern France.
The allies were able to secure a foothold in France and the beginning of the end began.

13. Operation Market Garden September 1944
Allies go with Monty’s ambitious plan for the largest airborne operation in history.
Drop thousands of paratroopers into the Netherlands in order to capture key bridges going into Germany.
Due to logistical issues and over confidence the Allies fail and are not able to cross the Rhine river until March 1945

15. Battle of the Bulge December 1944
The Germans make a last ditch effort counter offensive in the Ardennes Forest in Belgium.
Catches the allies completely off guard.
Coldest winter on record in Europe.
Combination of weather and confusion hampers the allied reaction.
The Germans literally are running out of fuel and unexpected resistance halts the counter offensive.
This depletes German forces to a severe level that they are not able to recover from.

17. Battle of Remagen March 1945
On March 7, 1945 the Americans entered the German town of Remagen in an attempt to capture Ludendorff Bridge.
The Germans tried to evacuate as many German soldiers and civilians as possible before blowing the bridge.
As the American began to cross the Germans detonated the explosives, but most failed. Leaving the bridge intact.
The Americans were able to send armor across the Bridge into Germany proper for the first time.
The Bridge collapses on March 17 but 3 pontoon bridges had already been built.