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The Battle of Alsace was a military campaign between the Allies, mainly French, and the Germans in Alsace, eastern France, from 20 November 1944 to 19 March 1945. It led to the liberation of Alsace by the Allies.[2]
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Context
editDuring the second phase of World War II, the Allies landed in Normandy starting from 6 June 1944 and in Provence starting from 15 August 1944. These two new fronts have expanded and allowed the liberation of a large part of the French territory within the span of a few months. Exceptions were the "Atlantic pockets" and Alsace, the latter region being where the Allied troops, mainly French troops, focused their efforts starting in November 1944.[3]
Course of the battle
editThe operations were launched from the Vosges and the Belfort Gap. Mulhouse was liberated on 21 November 1944, by General Béthouart, and Strasbourg on November 23 by General Leclerc while leading the 2nd Armored Division.[4]
The Germans resisted and launched a strong counteroffensive, Operation Nordwind, on 1 January 1945. At that time, Eisenhower, the commander in chief, wanted to retreat and temporarily evacuate Alsace, but General de Gaulle opposed it and sent reinforcements to defend Strasbourg. The German counterattack was stopped.[2][5]
General de Lattre, commanding the French 1st Army, launched a double offensive with his two army corps to defeat the Colmar Pocket. The 1st army corps operated from Mulhouse; the 2nd army corps, assisted by the XXI Corps, advanced from the northwest towards Neuf-Brisach. The French entered Colmar on 2 February 1945; the Colmar Pocket was cleared on February 9.[5][6]
The last part of Alsace, from the Moder to the border, was liberated from March 15 to 19, 1945.[5]
Notes and references
edit- ^ Dufour, Pierre (2014). La campagne d'Alsace: automne 1944-hiver 1945. Paris: Grancher. ISBN 978-2-7339-1278-2.
- ^ a b Rowley 2002, p. 32.
- ^ Rowley 2002, pp. 32, 594–595.
- ^ Rowley 2002, pp. 32, 595.
- ^ a b c Larousse.
- ^ Rowley 2002, pp. 239–240, 595.
Bibliography and sources
edit- Rowley, Anthony, ed. (2002). Dictionnaire d'histoire de France. Paris: Perrin. p. 32. ISBN 9782262013219. OCLC 301690235.
- Larousse, Éditions. "Campagne d'Alsace novembre 1944-mars 1945 - LAROUSSE". www.larousse.fr (in French). Retrieved 2024-04-01.
- Vonau, Jean-Laurent (2022). L'Alsace annexée: 1940-1945. Strasbourg: Signe. pp. 416–461. ISBN 978-2-7468-4242-7.
See also
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