In my recent blogs we have been examining the last months of World War II, which ended, in the words of Winston Churchill, in both triumph and tragedy. My new book will be published on May 8th, VE Day, and I borrowed Churchill’s words as the title. Two stories play...

In our last blog we saw the Allies successfully crossing the Rhine into western Germany in March 1945 and it was clear that Hitler’s Third Reich would soon be defeated. In the Pacific, on the other hand, the war was far from over. Here is a key event in that long...

Crossing the Rhine March 1945A 30-ton Sherman tank crosses the Ludendorff bridge while, to the right, welders work to prevent the bridge from collapsing—eventually it did.In March 1945, 81 years ago this month, the western allies were able, at long last, to cross the...

In February 1945, 81 years ago this month, the Allied armies in Europe were poised to achieve a final victory over Nazi Germany.   As we discussed in my last blog, the Russian army had made dramatic advances across Poland in January—advancing 400 miles in less than...

Surrender to Montgomery, Hammer and Sickle over the Reichstag, Keitel signs the document of unconditional surrenderIn January 1945, 81 years ago this month, victory in Europe seemed almost within the Allies’ grasp yet remained frustratingly out of reach. Over the next...