Status Updates From Eisenhower at War 1943-1945

I'm done!

I'm at the last chapter. The end is in sight. VE day is approaching. And the Cold War has officially started. As the Soviets want to keep Poland and other eastern European nations under their control. Ike's star continues to rise. Monty finally is able to progress and is racing toward the area between Berlin and Denmark. Funny how the Germans want to surrender to the Allies, not the Russians.

The Allies are in full march in Germany. Berlin is no longer a strategic prime target by now. Ike is now calling the shots pretty well by now. They are running into concentration camps...grisly business. Interestingly, not much was said about FDR's death. Ike and Bradley did not have a high opinion about Truman, for now anyway.

By now, Ike has grown into his role as supreme commander, in spite of all the bumps and bruises that he has endured. Bradley, Patton, and the rest of the generals are doing well. Some have crossed the Rhine and threaten Berlin. Yet, Berlin is not Ike's main objective. He has decided to let the Soviets get to Berlin first. Monty seems to still struggle to advance. Ike even took a couple of days off at Cannes. Nice.

Now Ike and the Allies have beaten back the Nazis in the Ardennes (aka The Battle of the Bulge). Still, all is not well in paradise. The British were considering removing command from Ike. Incredible as it seems. For a country whose fat was removed from the fire, they sure are an arrogant lot. This was a growing opportunity for Ike. He grew confident in himself after this episode.

What I find most interesting is the part of history that one doesn't learn in history class. The Allies won WWII, this is true. But it was no cake walk. They were in a constant state of tension from before OVERLORD. Ike was the right guy for this job. Soothing egos, being pragmatic, using all his resources to get the job done, not being confrontational. He had to, in order to make things happen. what a PITA!