World War II - D-Day Invasion, Battle of the Bulge, and Operation Valkyrie

D-Day Invasion

• D-Day invasion occurred in June 1944.
• Originally planned for June 5th but delayed due to weather conditions.
• Dwight Eisenhower (Ike), the Supreme Allied Commander during World War II and later president of the United States, planned it.
• The Germans anticipated the invasion, with the Luftwaffe conducting reconnaissance missions.
• Allied forces used Patton and decoy props in Eastern England to mislead the Germans.
• Five beaches in the Allied invasion:
  • Omaha: Site of intense fighting, including Pointe du Hoc, which was difficult for the Americans to capture.
• Germany faced a three-front war
  • Soviet Union in the East.
  • Italy in the South.
  • Northern France after D-Day.
• French resistance groups:
  • Aided the Allied efforts by cutting off roads and bridges and destroying railroads.
  • These actions disrupted German tank divisions, facilitating the Allied troops' beachhead consolidation.
• Erwin Rommel, nicknamed the Desert Fox, was the German general protecting the Normandy beaches.
  • Previously fought in North Africa (Operation Torch).
  • Associated with the movie "Valkyrie."

Operation Valkyrie

• Operation Valkyrie: The assassination attempt on Hitler's life.
• Occurred after the start of the third front in 1944, moving into 1945.
• Many in the German high command believed the war was unsustainable and wanted to end it to protect their families and prevent Germany's obliteration.
• German generals planned to kill Hitler to stop the war because he refused to surrender.
• The attempt occurred on July 21st, possibly in 1944 (date to be confirmed).
• The meeting took place in a remote location in Poland, at Hitler's command center called the Wolf's Lair.

Battle of the Bulge

• The Battle of the Bulge was the last major German offensive.
• The name comes from the bulge-like shape on the map, indicating the German advance.
• It was a last-ditch effort by the Nazi regime to hold on, but they ultimately failed.
• Devastating for the United States, with over 14,000 deaths and 80,000 casualties (dead and injured).
• The battle occurred during the coldest temperatures ever recorded in the area.
• The battle took place in the Ardennes Forest, the same wooded area where the war between Germany and France initially started.
• It was difficult for Allied forces to bomb the Germans due to the wooded, mountainous terrain, and weather conditions were brutal (negative 20 degrees).
• Bastogne was a key city surrounded by the Germans during the Battle of the Bulge, isolating the 101st Airborne.

ME 262

• ME 262, the first operational jet fighter.
• Created by Germany, it outmatched Allied airplanes in speed.
• Nazi scientists' expertise in rocket science, which would later fuel the space race.

Assassination Attempt Details

• The assassination attempt occurred after the D-Day invasion and the liberation of Paris.
• As Allied powers advanced close to the German border, Germany launched its last major offensive, the Battle of the Bulge.
• Germany moved troops from the Eastern Front (against the Soviet Union) to the Western Front (against the United States, Great Britain, and France).
• The goal was to break the Western Front, as they believed the Western Allies might be more reasonable to negotiate with than the Soviets, who had suffered over 20,000,000 deaths due to German aggression (Operation Barbarossa).
• German commanders sought a ceasefire to protect their families in cities being bombed by Allied planes.
• Multiple attempts on Hitler's life were made, with Operation Valkyrie being the closest.
• Due to the hot weather on July 21, 1945, the meeting was moved from a bunker to a room with windows and doors.
• Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, a German general who lost an arm and an eye in battle (Operation Torch, Eastern Europe), planned to assassinate Hitler.
• Stauffenberg planned to arm two C4 explosives in his briefcase and detonate them during the briefing.
• Because the meeting was moved to a room with windows and doors, the explosion's force would be diminished.
• Stauffenberg only armed one of the bombs, reducing the explosive power.
• A bodyguard moved Stauffenberg's briefcase, which was meant to be placed near Hitler, to the end of the table.
• The massive oak table absorbed much of the explosion.
• Stauffenberg left the meeting, citing a phone call, and initiated Operation Valkyrie.
• Operation Valkyrie was a contingency plan where the German reserve army would take power after Hitler's death, round up Nazis, and surrender to the Allied powers.
• After the explosion, Stauffenberg returned to Berlin, where the reserve army began rounding up Nazis, but the operation failed when it was discovered Hitler was still alive.
• Stauffenberg and others involved were executed.
• Hitler viewed his survival as a sign from God to continue the war.
• Hitler sustained injuries to his legs but survived, reinforcing his belief in his invincibility.

Battle of the Bulge Strategic Context

• The goal of the Battle of the Bulge was for Germany to reach the English Channel, splitting the Allied advancement.
• Germany hoped to negotiate a ceasefire with the Western Allied powers and redirect their attention to the Soviet Union, viewing communism as the greater threat.
• The battle took place in the Ardennes Forest because its wooded, mountainous terrain made it difficult for the Allied forces to use their air force.
• The offensive occurred during extremely cold weather (December-January 1944-1945), with temperatures reaching record lows.
• The United States lost over 14,000 men due to the cold, lack of supplies, and unfamiliarity with the terrain.
• Germans changed road signs to disorient Allied forces.
• The German offensive was halted due to fuel shortages, leaving their advanced tanks idle.
• Eventually, the weather cleared, allowing the Allied forces to use their air force to bomb German defenses.
• Patton's tank division pushed through the German-held area and relieved the 101st Airborne at Bastogne.