Dwight D. Eisenhower

=== Liberation of France and victory in Europe ===
[[File:Allied Commanders after Germany Surrendered.jpg|thumb|left|Eisenhower with Allied commanders following the signing of the [[German Instrument of Surrender]] at Reims]]
{{cquote|Every ground commander seeks the battle of annihilation; so far as conditions permit, he tries to duplicate in modern war the classic example of [[Battle of Cannae|Cannae]].|source=Eisenhower{{sfn|Grant|2001}}}}

Once the coastal assault had succeeded, Eisenhower insisted on retaining personal control over the land battle strategy and was immersed in the command and supply of multiple assaults through France on Germany. Field Marshal Montgomery insisted priority be given to his [[21st Army Group]]'s attack being made in the north, while Generals [[Omar Bradley|Bradley]] ([[Twelfth United States Army Group|12th US Army Group]]) and [[Jacob L. Devers|Devers]] ([[Sixth United States Army Group|Sixth US Army Group]]) insisted they be given priority in the center and south of the front (respectively). Eisenhower worked tirelessly to address the demands of the rival commanders to optimize Allied forces, often by giving them tactical latitude; many historians conclude this delayed the Allied victory in Europe. However, due to Eisenhower's persistence, the pivotal supply port at [[Antwerp]] was successfully, albeit belatedly, [[Battle of the Scheldt|opened in late 1944]].<ref>{{harvnb|Ambrose|1983|pp=340–354}}</ref>

In recognition of his senior position in the Allied command, on December 20, 1944, he was promoted to [[General of the Army (United States)|General of the Army]], equivalent to the rank of [[Field Marshal]] in most European armies. In this and the previous high commands he held, Eisenhower showed his great talents for leadership and diplomacy. Although he had never seen action himself, he won the respect of front-line commanders. He interacted adeptly with allies such as [[Winston Churchill]], Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery and General [[Charles de Gaulle]]. He had serious disagreements with Churchill and Montgomery over questions of strategy, but these rarely upset his relationships with them. He dealt with Soviet [[Georgy Zhukov|Marshal Zhukov]], his Russian counterpart, and they became good friends.<ref>Jean Edward Smith, ''Eisenhower in War and Peace'' (2012) p. 451.</ref>

In December 1944, the Germans launched a surprise counteroffensive, the [[Battle of the Bulge]], which the Allies turned back in early 1945 after Eisenhower repositioned his armies and improved weather allowed the [[United States Army Air Forces|Army Air Force]] to engage.<ref>{{harvnb|Ambrose|1983|pp=375–380}}</ref> German defenses continued to deteriorate on both the [[Eastern Front (World War II)|Eastern Front]] with the [[Red Army]] and the [[Western Front (World War II)|Western Front]] with the Western Allies. The British wanted to capture [[Berlin]], but Eisenhower decided it would be a military mistake for him to attack Berlin and said orders to that effect would have to be explicit. The British backed down but then wanted Eisenhower to move into [[Czechoslovakia]] for political reasons. Washington refused to support Churchill's plan to use Eisenhower's army for political maneuvers against [[Stalin's First Government|Moscow]]. The actual division of Germany followed the lines that Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin had previously agreed upon. The Soviet Red Army captured Berlin in a [[Battle of Berlin|very bloody large-scale battle]], and the Germans finally surrendered on May 7, 1945.<ref>{{harvnb|Ambrose|1983|pp=395–406}}</ref>

In 1945, Eisenhower anticipated that someday an attempt would be made to recharacterize [[Nazi crime]]s as propaganda ([[Holocaust denial]]) and took steps against it by demanding extensive photo and film documentation of [[Extermination camp|Nazi death camps]].<ref>{{harvnb|Hobbs|1999|p=223}}</ref>