August 18th, 1943 – October 30th, 1943: Bratwurst und sauerkraut in Berlin, Oktoberfest in Bayern
US war propaganda poster in 1943
August 18th, 1943 – While the US army was closing in on Berlin, 2nd Corps in particular, the Soviet army was still fighting towards the Oder River, east of Berlin and advancing towards Italy. On August 21st, part of 2nd Corps reached the outskirts of the German capital. Sadly the city was too well defended and 2nd Corps tried to defend its position while maintaining an open supply line. Patton forced the rest of his army to push them towards Berlin to make sure the US army would still get there first. The landings near Hamburg proved to be the right decision and while it was a great risk, the reward was as sweet as candy. In the days that followed, more German troops arrived in, north and south of Berlin to defend the capital. Simultaneously, more US forces arrived to prepare for the final fight.
2nd Corps at the gates of Berlin
The road to Berlin was not the only successful campaign, also the road to Paris was an open one. Germany recalled more of its troops to the Motherland in an desperate attempt to save the Motherland from falling in either US or Soviet hands. With a direct road cut off at the end of August, US army occupied the Maginot line from Belgium to Switzerland, all Germany could do was to retreat or surrender.
Advance in Europe, August 30th, 1943
The battle for Berlin was a tough nut to crack. The German army had no intention to surrender and it took several attacks from different directions to finally capture the German capital. With the Soviet army also closing in from the east, the Germans decided they rather surrendered to the Americans than surrender to the ones they had betrayed. After days of fighting, the Germans left the capital and US soldiers raised the stars and stripes on top of the Reichstag on September 11th, 1943. A few days later the Germans still left in France surrendered to the US and the day after that Germany itself surrendered unconditionally. Territory occupied by the Soviets would remain under their control for the time being though they claimed more territory after the German betrayal and the damage they had done after executing operation Barbarossa. President Willkie refused to give in to Soviet demands as long as they did not release the nations they occupied in eastern Europe and the Balkans.
Berlin captured by the US Army on September 11th, 1943
Germany surrenders and Denmark liberated, September 16th, 1943
While the leader of the Axis was knocked out of their alliance, Italy assumed command and desperately tried to save their selves to no avail. With the Soviets coming in from the east and the US from the North, they would soon see no other option than to surrender…. But to who? While France made a deal with the Vichy regime and unifying the separate nations into one, the Soviets tried to make their way to Rome and the so did the Americans. The freshly trained paratroopers would have to jump in to make sure the Soviets would not get too much, of not the whole of Italy under their command. The paratroopers established a small border from the Alps to the Adriatic Sea, cutting off the road to Rome for the Soviets. Again Stalin protested and said that this would not be the end……
Unification of France – October 1943
US – Soviet border had been established
