Alsace

January 1945, US 714th Tank Battalion moving from Bischweiler to Drusenheim, Germany

OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF MILITARY HISTORY DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY WASHINGTON, D.C., 1993

Quick Facts

Location:

World War II

As you walk along the base of the fountain, you’ll notice the name Alsace inscribed. Alsace is a historic region in eastern France that has long been a point of contention between France and Germany, particularly during the 19th and 20th centuries. It witnessed fierce battles in the Franco-Prussian War (1871), World War I, and World War II, becoming a recurring battleground between the two nations. 

In 1940, following Germany’s invasion of Western Europe, Alsace—along with the rest of France—fell under Nazi occupation. The region remained under German control until the Allies launched the Normandy invasion on June 6, 1944. After liberating much of France that summer, Allied forces advanced toward Alsace in the fall. The region was finally freed in March 1945, marking the end of its wartime suffering.