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Equal in death, unequal in life. This website tells the tale of the african americans, who played a roll in the liberation of Europe

Discover the stories and experiences of both African Americans soldiers and Dutch citizens at the end of the war.

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02. Historical context:

Operation Market Garden

At the end of August 1944 Operation Market Garden was mapped out by Eisenhower and Montgomery, which was aimed at invading the Ruhr held by the Germans and to forge ahead to Berlin. Montgomery wanted airborne troops to storm the bridge at Arnhem and several other important bridges on the way which ran through the east of North Brabant. This part of the plan was called Market. Simultaneously ground troops would attack from northern Belgium and then would advance via Brabant and north and west Limburg to Arnhem. This was operation Garden.

Kaart Market Garden

On the way ground troops would maintain contact with units of the airborne troops. Montgomery assumed that the bridges would be taken. This way the area around the Ruhr could be surrounded from the north. At the same time the Americans were to cross over the Rhine between Cologne and Bonn, and in the way the Ruhr would be completely surrounded. The plan failed due to strong resistance from German units in and around Arnhem which drove the airborne troops back by the end of September.

Operation Market Garden was the last German victory in West Europe. The allies lost 17,000 men in less than ten days and it is estimated that the Germans lost 13,000 men.The main aim of the operation, which was to end the war in 1944, was not successful. The Second World War would drag on for more than six months.