Rhineland

Crossing the Rhine under enemy fire at St. Goar, Germany, March 1945,

US Army, Office of War Information, National Archives

Quick Facts

Location:

World War II

The Rhineland, a historic region in western Germany, has long been a contested area in European conflicts. Following World War I, it became a key occupation zone for the U.S. Army under the Treaty of Versailles. By the final stages of World War II, the Rhineland emerged as a critical battleground, with the Rhine River serving as Germany’s last major defensive barrier in Western Europe. After the Battle of the Bulge, Allied forces pushed German troops back toward the Rhine, aiming to breach this final obstacle. 

During the war, the Rhineland housed much of Germany’s vital war industry, particularly the crucial Ruhr industrial complex. The Allies launched extensive air campaigns to cripple Nazi production, but German forces fiercely defended the region. Despite their efforts, the Allies prepared for their final advance toward Berlin. 

In early 1945, under General Eisenhower’s "broad front" strategy, Allied troops secured the Rhine’s west bank before crossing the river. The fighting grew increasingly brutal as they pushed beyond the Siegfried Line, or West Wall, and deeper into the Rhineland. By spring 1945, the region became the scene of some of the war’s most intense combat as the Allies closed in on the Rhine, marking a decisive phase in the defeat of Nazi Germany.