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Omar Bradley (1893–1981), American general, who was the senior commander of U.S. ground troops in the invasion of Europe in 1944. Bradley was born on Feb. 12, 1893, in Clark, Mo., and educated at the U.S. Military Academy. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army in 1915. By the end of World War I he had advanced to the rank of major. Between the two world wars, Bradley was on duty at various army posts and attended successively the Infantry School, Fort Benning, Ga.; the Command and General Staff School, Fort Leavenworth, Kans.; and the Army War College, Washington Barracks, D.C. (now at Carlisle Barracks, Pa.). He attained the rank of major general in 1942. In 1943 he assumed command of the U.S. II Corps in the North African campaign of World War II. Later in 1943 he participated in the invasion of Sicily and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general. In 1944 Bradley commanded the U.S. First Army throughout the Normandy campaign and the newly created U.S. Twelfth Army Group throughout the remainder of the war. He was made a full general in March 1945; three months later he was appointed head of the Veterans Administration. Named by President Harry S. Truman to succeed General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower as chief of staff of the U.S. Army, Bradley assumed the position in 1948. From 1949 until his retirement from the army in 1953, Bradley was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the principal group of military advisers to the president. Bradley was promoted to the rank of General of the Army in 1950. He died in New York City on April 8, 1981. An autobiography, A Soldier’s Story, was published in 1951 Bernard Montgomery 1887–1976), British military leader, who played a prominent role in the Allied victories in Africa and Europe during World War II. He was born in London on Nov. 17, 1887, and educated at the Royal Military College. He entered the British army in 1908 and served in World War I as a captain. In 1942, during World War II, he was appointed commander of the British Eighth Army in Africa; two months later he began an offensive at al-Alamayn (el-Alamein), Egypt, which resulted in the expulsion of the German-Italian forces under the German general Erwin Rommel, first from Egypt and then from Cyrenaica and Tripolitania in Libya. In 1943 he gained another victory over Rommel at the Battle of the Mareth Line in southern Tunisia. As commander in chief of the British armies on the western front, he served under the supreme commander of Allied forces, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, from December 1943 to August 1944, when he was promoted to field marshal in command of English and Canadian troops. In 1946 Montgomery was created viscount and made chief of the imperial general staff. He was deputy supreme commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization forces from 1951 to 1958. Montgomery died in Alton, England, on March 25, 1976. His writings include his memoirs, published in 1958, and The Path to Leadership (1961). Charles de Gaulle (1890–1970), French general and statesman, the architect of the Fifth French Republic and its first president (1959–69). De Gaulle was born on Nov. 22, 1890, in Lille and educated at Saint-Cyr Military Academy. During World War I he served with distinction at Verdun, was three times wounded, and was finally taken prisoner by the Germans. After the war he was aide-decamp to Marshal Henri Pétain. De Gaulle won prominence by his advocacy of a highly mechanized French army, such as described in his books on military tactics. Early in World War II he attained the rank of brigadier general. After the fall of France he escaped to London, where he announced the formation of a French national committee in exile. In 1942 this committee was officially recognized by the Allied governments and the Resistance leaders in France. As its president de Gaulle commanded French troops fighting with the Allied armies as well as those participating in the Resistance in German-occupied France. Leader of the Free French Forces. The forces under de Gaulle's command, including French colonials and a considerable part of the French fleet, made an unsuccessful attack on Dakar (now in Senegal) in September 1940, joined the British forces in the conquest of Syria (1941), and took control of Madagascar (1942). In June 1943 de Gaulle joined the French Committee of National Liberation in Algiers, capital of the French colony of Algeria as copresident with Gen. Henri Giraud. After maneuvering Giraud out, in 1943, de Gaulle became sole president of the committee, which moved its headquarters from Algiers to London in May 1944 and to Paris in August 1944, after the liberation of France by the Allies. The following month the committee was recognized by the U.S. government as the de facto government of France. De Gaulle became provisional premier-president in November 1945. Two months later he resigned, his proposals for increasing the powers of the president having met with hostility from the people and the legislature of France. In 1947 he organized a new political movement, the Rassemblement du Peuple Français (Rally of the People of France), or RPF. Under his leadership, the RPF worked to strengthen the central government, balance the budget, promote private enterprise, and remove state controls on the economic life of France. By 1953, however, the strength of the movement had so declined that de Gaulle disavowed it and went into retirement. Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov 1896–1974), Soviet military officer, born near Moscow. He served in the Russian imperial army during World War I, joined the Red Army in 1918, and fought as a cavalry commander in the Russian Civil War. After the war, he studied armored warfare at the Frunze (now Bishkek) Military Academy. In 1939, using tanks, he was victorious during the Soviet-Japanese clashes on the Manchurian border; the following year, he was made chief of staff while fighting in the Russo-Finnish War. During World War II, Zhukov commanded the defense of Moscow; he was involved in most other important Soviet battles and led the final attack on Berlin. A marshal since 1943, he remained in Germany to head the Soviet occupation forces. Shortly after his triumphant return to Moscow in 1946, he was demoted to a regional post by Premier Joseph Stalin, who resented the marshal’s prestige. Following Stalin’s death in 1953, Zhukov became first deputy minister of defense in 1955 and a member of the executive committee of the Communist party in July 1957; three months later he was dismissed from both offices for allegedly giving military affairs priority over party concerns. Marshal Zhukov’s Greatest Battles, an English translation of articles by Zhukov that appeared in Soviet periodicals between 1965 and 1968, was published in 1969; the first American edition of The Memoirs of Marshal G. Zhukov was published in 1971. Erwin Rommel (1891–1944), German field marshal, renowned for his African desert victories during World War II. Born in Heidenheim, he joined the German army in 1910. After winning awards for bravery in World War I, he taught in military academies. In the German push to the English Channel in 1940 Rommel headed the victorious 7th Tank Division. He was made a lieutenant general the following year and placed in command of the Afrika Korps in North Africa. He achieved a brilliant record as a tactician in desert warfare, driving the British from Libya to el-Alamein (al-Alamayn) by June 1942; his victories earned him promotion to field marshal as well as the nickname the Desert Fox. Subsequent reverses forced him back to Tunis, and he returned home in March 1943 before the final surrender of the Afrika Korps. In 1944 he commanded the German armies charged with the defense of northern France. Accused of complicity in the attempt on Hitler's life in July 1944, he chose to take poison rather than stand trial. Herman Goering (1893–1946), also spelled Goering, German field marshal, commander in chief of the German air force, and the second most powerful leader of Nazi Germany. Göring was born on Jan. 12, 1893, in Rosenheim, Bavaria, and educated at the cadet college in Karlsruhe and the officers' school at Lichterfelde, near Berlin. During World War I he served in the German air force, and in 1918, upon the death of his squadron leader, Baron Manfred von Richthofen, he became squadron leader. Göring met Adolf Hitler in 1921 and a year later became a leader of the National Socialist (Nazi) party. He was wounded in the unsuccessful Munich beer-hall Putsch of 1923, and morphine given to ease his pain from the wound made him a permanent drug addict. After an exile in nearby countries for four years, he was elected a member of the Reichstag, the German parliament, in 1928 and became president of that body in 1932. Göring became Reich minister for air forces upon the National Socialist accession to power early in 1933; he also served as premier of Prussia and, for one year, as minister of the interior and head of all German police forces. In 1936 he became economic “dictator” of Germany. As commander in chief of the German air force, Göring planned much of the strategy, involving close and highly effective coordination between the German ground and air forces, that resulted in the rapid conquests of Poland, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France in 1939 and 1940. He also devised the policy of terror bombing, whereby entire cities, such as Rotterdam, Holland, and Coventry, England, were nearly leveled by aerial bombardment as a means of subjugating their civilian populations. He used his position to enrich himself and systematically looted the art treasures of the Nazi-occupied countries for his private collection. Göring surrendered to U.S. forces in 1945 and was tried, with other German war leaders, by the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg. Found guilty on all counts and sentenced to death by hanging, he poisoned himself on Oct. 15, 1946, hours before his scheduled execution. Karl Doenitz (1891–1980), German admiral, who briefly headed the Nazi state after Adolf Hitler’s suicide in April 1945. Having served as a submarine commander in World War I, he became chief of the German submarine service in 1935 and was naval commander in chief during the last two years of World War II. Designated by Hitler as his successor, Doenitz presided over Germany’s surrender to the Allies in May 1945. He was convicted of war crimes at the Nuremberg trials in 1947 and was imprisoned until 1956; thereafter he lived in retirement. Dwight Eisenhower Service in World War II. During training exercises in 1940–41, Eisenhower won praise in several army staff positions, culminating in that of chief of staff of the Third Army; at the same time he was promoted to brigadier general. Called to the War Department as a Philippines expert a few days after the attacks on Pearl Harbor and the Philippines, he won further promotion to major general and was named chief of the newly organized Operations Division of the General Staff three months later. By this time the army's top planner, he then prepared plans for the European theater of operations, and in June 1942 he was given command of U.S. forces in Europe by Army Chief of Staff George C. Marshall. Subsequently as Allied commander in the invasions of North Africa, Sicily, and Italy, he demonstrated outstanding skill in forging the allies into an effective fighting force and managing the large-scale operations. Appointed supreme commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force for the invasion of France, Eisenhower, by then a full general, began his new assignment in January 1944. In the months prior to the invasion, on June 6, 1944, he supervised the preparation of air, sea, and land forces and all other strategic planning and made the crucial decision on the date of the assault. During the fighting that ensued until the end of the war in Europe, Eisenhower, who became General of the Army in December 1944, had the overall responsibility of strategic and administrative control of an Allied force that eventually numbered more than 4,500,000. Because it was strategically safer and logistically sounder, Eisenhower employed a broad-front strategy, requiring all his armies to advance more or less simultaneously. This caused disagreement with the British commander, Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, who favored the risky single-thrust theory of concentrating the attack in one area. As supreme commander, Eisenhower prevailed, skillfully using his knowledge and experience combined with charm and tact to achieve success in his task, which involved not only fighting the Germans but also dealing with sometimes difficult allies and troublesome subordinates. Omar Bradley 1. What rank did Bradley become in 1942? 2. In 1943, Bradley helps lead the invasion of what island? 3. Where did Bradley fight in 1944? 4. What title did Bradley take in 1948? 1. 2. 3. 4. Major general Sicily Normandy Chief of Staff of U.S. Army Bernard Montgomery 1. Montgomery was from what country? 2. In 1942, Montgomery was fighting in what continent? 3. What German general did Montgomery compete against in Africa? 4. Montgomery was commander of what organization from 1951-1958? 1. 2. 3. 4. England Africa Rommel North Atlantic Treaty Organization forces Charles de Gaulle 1. De Gaulle was from what country? 2. Where does De Gaulle go once France falls to the Nazis? 3. De Gaulle helped conquer what two pieces of land in 1941 and 1942? 4. De Gaulle’s headquarters was changed in August 1944 when what country was liberated? 1. 2. 3. 4. France London Syria (1941) Madagascar (1942) France Georgi Konstantinovich Zhukov 1. Zhukov was from what country? 2. What clashes was Zhukov victorious at in 1939? 3. What city did Zhukov help defend during WW II? 4. What leader passed away in 1953? 1. 2. 3. 4. Soviet Union Soviet Japanese forces Moscow Stalin Erwin Rommel 1. Rommel was from what country? 2. What kind of division did Rommel command in 1940? 3. What was Rommel’s nickname? 4. What ultimately happened to Rommel 1. 2. 3. 4. Germany Tank division Desert Fox Took poison instead of standing trial for Hitler’s assassination plot Herman Goering 1. What did Goering command (what branch of the military)? 2. When did Hitler meet Goering? 3. What kind of “treasures” did Goering take for himself? 4. What ultimately happened to Goering 1. 2. 3. 4. Air force (Luftwaffe) 1921 Art treasures Poisoned himself October 15th 1946, hours before his execution Karl Doenitz 1. What was Doenitz’s job after Hitler was dead (very brief)? 2. What branch of the military did Doenitz command? 3. When does Doenitz surrender to the Allies? 4. What was Doenitz convicted of in 1947? When was he released? 1. 2. 3. 4. Lead the Nazi state Submarine May 1945 War crimes, released in 1956 Dwight Eisenhower 1. Eisenhower led the invasion of what country June 6th, 1944? 2. What title did Eisenhower have in December 1944? 3. How many people did he command? 4. What British commander did Eisenhower disagree with? 1. 2. 3. 4. France General of the Army 4.5 million Montgomery Name _______________ Important Military Leaders of World War II Directions: You will work at 8 stations for about 4 minutes each to complete the questions below. Use the readings you will find at the stations. Please leave the readings on the desks, do not take them with you. Omar Bradley 1. What rank did Bradley become in 1942? 2. In 1943, Bradley helps lead the invasion of what island? 3. Where did Bradley fight in 1944? 4. What title did Bradley take in 1948? Bernard Montgomery 1. Montgomery was from what country? 2. In 1942, Montgomery was fighting in what continent? 3. What German general did Montgomery compete against in Africa? 4. Montgomery was commander of what organization from 1951-1958? Charles de Gaulle 1. De Gaulle was from what country? 2. Where does De Gaulle go once France falls to the Nazis? 3. De Gaulle helped conquer what two pieces of land in 1941 and 1942? 4. De Gaulle’s headquarters was changed in August 1944 when what country was liberated? Georgi Konstantinovich Zhukov 1. Zhukov was from what country? 2. What clashes was Zhukov victorious at in 1939? 3. What city did Zhukov help defend during WW II? 4. What Soviet leader passed away in 1953? Erwin Rommel 1. Rommel was from what country? 2. What kind of division did Rommel command in 1940? 3. What was Rommel’s nickname? 4. What ultimately happened to Rommel? Herman Goering 1. What did Goering command (what branch of the military)? 2. When did Hitler meet Goering? 3. What kind of “treasures” did Goering take for himself? 4. What ultimately happened to Goering? Karl Doenitz 1. What was Doenitz’s job after Hitler was dead (very brief)? 2. What branch of the military did Doenitz command? 3. When does Doenitz surrender to the Allies? 4. What was Doenitz convicted of in 1947? When was he released? Dwight Eisenhower 1. Eisenhower led the invasion of what country June 6th, 1944? 2. What title did Eisenhower have in December 1944? 3. How many people did he command? 4. What British commander did Eisenhower disagree with?