Key Facts
- Duration
- 8 February – 25 March 1945 (~45 days)
- Commanding officer
- General Bernard Montgomery, 21st Army Group
- Number of sub-operations
- 5 (Veritable, Grenade, Blockbuster, Plunder, Varsity)
- Strategic objective
- Occupy entire west bank of the Rhine River
- Higher strategy
- Part of Eisenhower's 'broad front' strategy
Strategic Narrative Overview
The offensive unfolded through five coordinated operations. Operation Veritable launched on 8 February, pushing south from the Nijmegen salient, while Operation Grenade drove north across the Roer River. Operation Blockbuster followed to close the Hochwald gap. Together these operations compressed German defenses and cleared the Rhineland. Operations Plunder and Varsity then executed the set-piece crossing of the Rhine itself, combining an amphibious assault with a large airborne drop on 23–24 March 1945.
01 / The Origins
By early 1945, Allied forces under Supreme Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower were pressing toward Germany's western frontier. Eisenhower's 'broad front' strategy called for clearing the entire west bank of the Rhine before any crossing, ensuring a secure and broad approach into the German heartland. Montgomery's 21st Army Group was tasked with the northern sector, where the Rhine presented a formidable natural barrier defended by German forces of Army Group H.
03 / The Outcome
By 25 March 1945, Allied forces had secured the west bank of the Rhine and established bridgeheads on the eastern side. The successful crossing opened the path into northern Germany, outflanking remaining German defenses. With the Rhine barrier broken, German resistance in the west rapidly collapsed over the following weeks, contributing directly to Germany's unconditional surrender in May 1945.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Bernard Montgomery, Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Side B
1 belligerent
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.