Due to the poor performance of the U.S. forces in the North African Campaign, Field Marshall Montgomery is made Supreme Allied Commander.
The invasion of Sicily bogs down after Montgomery relieves Patton of his command, and orders all U.S. forces to guard the flank of the British 8th Army. Once again he blames the Americans for the escape of the bulk of the German forces.
Progress in Italy only comes when Montgomery returns to England to head up the Invasion for France. His replacement, General Mark Clark of the U.S. Fifth Army, manages to take Rome by June 5.
Montgomery's command style alienates his American counterparts, and he had placed the leadership of the entire operation in British hands. While General Eisenhower, chief of American forces, has come up with a broad front assault plan, Montgomery prefers the narrow thrust approach.
Under tremendous pressure from Churchill, and believing that the invasion should take place as soon as possible, D-Day is launched on May 15, 1944. Rommel manages to convince Hitler to release the Panzer reserves in time to block any advancement past the bocage country. Efforts by Eisenhower to bring tank expert Patton back into the ETO are blocked by Montgomery.
The invasion of Southern France is cancelled, and all forces scheduled to make those landings are instead committed to the Normandy front.
By November 1944 the Allies reach Paris, and savage house to house fighting takes place. With news of a disaster in the Pacific at Leyte Gulf just a week before the election, and the European War seemingly stalled, President Roosevelt loses his bid for a fourth term to New York Governor Tom Dewey.