The End of the War

After D-Day, the Allied troops were still trying to reclaim France

The Allies outnumbered the Germans, but the Germans were stout defenders

The Allies pushed forward and recaptured France at heavy costsBattle of Caen July 10, 1194

casualties July 25 Battle at Verrieres

Ridge, the Black Watch Battalion was almost entirely annihilated

It took two months to liberate France, July 25 Americans and French troops liberated Paris

Assaulting the RhineMarch 1945 – 9th Canadian Infantry

Brigade (the first Parachute Battalion) attacked the Rhineland

Allies pushed the Western Front, and the Russians from the East

Canadians were charged with clearing the Germans out of the Netherlands

The Germans controlled the Scheldt River’s mouth (Belgium & Netherlands) At the time, the Dutch were

starving, thousands had already died from starvation

Canadian troops defeated the Germans at the Battle of the Scheldt in November 1944

Canadians continued to clear the Germans from the Netherlands

A few days later, food and supplies distributed

This build rapport with the Netherlands and Canadian soldiers- similarly to the inhabitants of Normandy

It also granted the Allies access to Germany

Princess Margaret Queen Juliana had her

baby in Canada in 1942 They made Canada a

Dutch Protectorate so Princess Margaret could be born on Dutch soil

To thank Canada for Liberating them and for being a Protectorate, they send tulip bulbs to Ottawa every year

This is how the Tulip Festival originated

Victory in Europe Finally, the Allied entered Germany,

and moved to surround Berlin On April 30th 1945, the Soviets

entered the city In an underground bunker, Hitler

committed suicide On May 5th a ceasefire was

declared On May 7th German forces

surrendered unconditionally Some Nazi commanders were shot,

some escaped, very few were captured

Yalta ConferenceFebruary 4-11, 1945The “Big Three” government leaders

from the US, Soviet Union, and Britain met up in Yalta to discuss what to do with GermanyThey decided to “cut” up Germany

and each country would monitor different sections

This they felt, would avoid the failures and problems that the Treaty of Versailles led to

Stalin wanted to expand the Communist regimes

US and Britain wanted to create peace and install democratic nations

Churchill, Truman, & Stalin

Germany was denazified and demilitarized

Poland’s borders was reorganized; they received territory from Germany Poland’s communist party was instated as

the government Stalin wanted the Soviet Union members

to be granted membership in the UN Nazi war criminals were to be tried and

prosecuted Nuremberg Trials