The winter at the end of 1944 in Western Europe felt a bit like Eastern Europe!
All of Western Europe was hit by the harshest winter in fifty years—biting winds and fierce blizzards made people wonder if they'd somehow ended up in Russia.
That year, winter came early, and the snowfall was heavy.
By November, northern France was already blanketed in snow.
Despite the heavy snow and freezing weather, people's spirits were burning hot.
Just half a year earlier, on June 6th, the Normandy landings had begun. In just two months, the Allies quickly liberated vast areas of France and Belgium from German control.
The entire Allied world was still basking in the glow of victory. The overwhelming success led some in the Allied ranks to believe that the war was nearly over, and that advancing into the heart of the Third Reich was just a matter of time.
