n June 6, 1944 (known as D-Day), the western Allies launched the single largest amphibious invasion force in world history, landing almost 150,000 soldiers under the command of U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower on the beaches of Normandy, France. By the end of the month, more than 850,000 American, British, and Canadian troops had come ashore to embark upon what Eisenhower called the "Great Crusade," the "destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world."
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Scroll down the list below and choose a liberating division.
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On June 22, 1944, Soviet forces opened a major offensive that crushed the German forces defending the center of the eastern front in western Belorussia, sweeping the line of the front into central Poland by early August.
As Allied and Soviet troops moved across Europe in a series of offensives against Nazi Germany, they encountered concentration camps, mass graves, and numerous other sites of Nazi crimes. Soviet forces were the first to overrun a major Nazi concentration camp, Lublin/Majdanek, near Lublin, Poland, in July 1944.
On January 27, 1945, Soviet troops liberated the Auschwitz concentration camp complex, where they discovered some 7,000 prisoners, including young children, who had not been evacuated by the SS. American soldiers, too, witnessed evidence of the Holocaust and Nazi atrocities as they marched into the interior of Germany, liberating the major concentration camps such as Buchenwald, Dachau, and Mauthausen as well as hundreds of subcamps, including Ohrdruf (a subcamp of Buchenwald). Though the liberation of Nazi camps was not a primary objective of the Allied military campaign, U.S, British, Canadian, and Soviet troops freed prisoners from their SS guards, provided them with food and badly needed medical support, and collected evidence for war crimes trials
On May 8, 1945, less than one year after D-Day, Nazi Germany's unconditional surrender became official, and the world could celebrate the liberation of Europe from Nazi rule.
In 2004, with the 60th anniversary of D-Day, the nation honored veterans of World War II with a memorial on the national mall. 2005 marked the 60th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany and the end of World War II. Explore the links on this page to learn about the liberators' experiences as Allied troops moved across Europe during the war.
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MAP
View maps about World War II and liberation.
View maps
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VIDEO
View film footage of D-Day and the liberation of the camps.
View videos
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PHOTO
View photographs showing the liberation of the camps.
View photos
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TESTIMONY
Listen to survivors and liberators describe their experiences.
View testimonies
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Did you know...
- As Allied troops moved across Europe, they encountered concentration camps, mass graves, and numerous other sites of Nazi crimes. However, the liberation of Nazi camps was not a primary objective of the Allied military campaign.
- Soviet forces were the first to approach a major Nazi camp, reaching Majdanek near Lublin, Poland, in July 1944.
- Disease remained an ever-present danger and liberators had to burn down many of the camps to prevent the spread of epidemics.
- Though most American GIs did not have access to a camera, some did and took their own photos as they encountered the camps and other sites of atrocities.
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At the Museum
In 2005 the world marked the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe—and the liberation of Nazi concentration camps by Allied forces. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum commemorates this landmark season in its redesigned Wexner Learning Center (Second Floor, No Passes Required).
- See the Museum’s special tribute display, “Witness to History—Documenting the Path of American Liberators.” Learn more about the trek of American troops across “Fortress Europe” and their encounter with the concentration camps through the camera lenses of U.S. Army Signal Corps photographers. Explore animated maps, wartime accounts, and historical photographs on interactive multimedia stations.
- Hear the voices of survivors and soldiers in eyewitness video testimony about liberation of the concentration camps.
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Background photo: An American soldier and liberated prisoners of the Mauthausen concentration camp. Austria, May 1945. USHMM #74456
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LATEST WORLD NEWS |
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2008-01-24
A story of heroism too long delayed
Mid Columbia Tri City Herald
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2008-01-22
The National World War II Museum to Host Film Conference Examining ...
PR Newswire (press release)
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2008-01-21
Journey to remember
Regina Leader
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2007-11-05
Jewish Vets In WWII Lauded
Hartford Courant
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2007-10-22
Montreal Jews honour Mohawk war hero who helped liberate Dachau
CBC Montreal
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2007-10-22
WWII vet’s diary tells tales from the front lines
Northwest Herald
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2007-10-15
Hope amidst Holocaust
Manchester Evening News
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2007-09-24
Tott family interview to air Tuesday on NPR
Sioux City Journal
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2007-09-24
After 61 years, World War II veteran, 82, finally opens up about ...
Villages Daily Sun
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2007-09-23
Winter of Our Warriors
Burlington Times News
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2007-09-23
World War II veteran to be inducted in French Legion of Honor
Bradenton Herald
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2007-09-21
Series Overview: World War II Stories
NPR
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2007-09-08
Soviet prisoner meets Iowans who liberated him
Radio Iowa
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2007-09-03
Flight of a lifetime
Sand Mountain Reporter
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View Archived Stories
This listing is provided to promote discussion of the commemoration of the end of World War II and the liberation of Nazi camps. The opinions expressed within these articles are solely those of the authors. Inclusion within the listing does not represent endorsement by the USHMM.
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D-Day
(Holocaust Learning Center article)
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