End of the War in Europe
Red Army was winning major wars in the Balkans
Germans evacuated Greece in October of 1944
Tito’s partisans captured Belgrade
In the North, Finns forced to surrender and Russian occupied Baltic states
Feb 1945 – Russians captured Budapest and Austrians surrendered
By March 1945, Zhukov was poised along the River Oder for the final assault on
Berlin – Germans hemmed in between Rhine and Vistula Rivers
Germany now an open target
In March of 1945 – Americans crossed the Rhine at Coblenz and Montgomery is
150 miles downstream – met little resistance as Germans would rather surrender
to Allies on the west side
By April 11th – Americans had reached the River Elbe
Eisenhower’s decisions
US and USSR now equidistant from Berlin
Churchill suspected Russians of wanting to dominate post-war Europe
He urged Eisenhower to resume his advance
Eisenhower refused to satisfy what he considered “Churchill’s groundless
suspicion of Stalin’s intentions”
Reasons for Eisenhower’s decisions:
1. Stalin had made it clear he wanted Berlin as his purge
2. He saw River Elbe as a good demarcation line between US and USSR
troops
3. Roosevelt died on April 12, 1945 and Truman as President was optimistic
that Russians and US could agree on a post war Europe – didn’t want
to damage US-USSR relations
Events from late April to May 1945
Russian troops reach Berlin suburbs
28th April – Mussolini killed by Italian partisans
30th – Hitler commits suicide in his bunker… appointed Admiral Donitz as his
successor
7th May – Donitz agrees to unconditional surrender – war ends in Europe