Transcript World War 2 - European and Middle Eastern History HL

D-Day
6 June 1944
Actions and Implications
Thomas and Anthony
Situation
France was conquered in 1940, and by 1941 all allied
troops were forced completely out of continental
Europe.
In 1942 the idea of an invasion of France was placed
on hold by Churchill. Churchill had argued for delay
until victory could be assured, preferring to attack
Italy and North Africa first.
Hitler launched Operation Barbarossa in 1942,
invading the USSR
Political precursors
The USSR had been alone fighting on continental
Europe since 1942
Stalin was pressing the Western Allies to launch a
'second front', and asked for it in 1943 Tehran
conference. This was to relieve Soviet forces, and
because Stalin thought it unfair that the USSR had to
fight practically alone
Winston Churchill believed that the invasion would
allow the allies to reach Berlin first
Motives
John Campbell (Revisionist, 1989):
Create another front that would counter the Soviet advance
Eisenhower’s statement, “Let’s go”, on the morning of June the 6th was
fueled by strengthening Russian front that was gaining ground every
day.
John Merriman (Orthodox):
Eisenhower was sincere in his address to the Allied troops
“Elimination of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny
over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a
free world.”
Preparations
Disagreement over landing areas due to
logistics
British created two fully equipped mobile
ports
British double agents turned over false
information about the invasion location to
the Nazi’s
Decoys set up
Event
Bombing raids were carried out first, followed by
paratroopers inland
Free French Forces disrupted German communications
in France
Invasion carried out simultaneously on all 5 beaches
Initial objectives not completed in desired time,
delaying entire operation and allowing some German
forces to regroup
Effects on the war
USSR had become powerful
enough to defeat Germany
alone, only 20% of Reich
forces were in the west
Liberated France and the
Low Countries
Counterbalanced
Soviet
advance into Europe
Immediate post-war
Attack by the west prevented the Red army from expanding
further west than East Europe
Allied forces were in territory promised to the USSR in the
Yalta conference, so restricted soviet bargaining
Allied forces supported the recreation of democracies in
countries they controlled, such as France, Italy, and Western
Germany
Creation of a
bipolar world
Acted as a counterbalance to
initial Soviet power in
Europe, if they had not
attacked the USSR could
have expanded its influence
further.
The landing served to hinder
Stalin’s ultimate conquest
of European and the
imposition of communist
ideals.
Opinion on significance
Brett Phaneuf: D-Day was significant in that it
symbolized the combined Allied forces of democracy
and freedom combating oppressive totalitarian
regimes, such as Nazism and Communism.
In conclusion
List of sources
Bigelow, Barbara C. World War 2: Primary Sources. London: Gale Group, 2000. 173-77. Print.
Campbell, John. The Experience of World War 2. New York: Oxford University Press, 1989. 74-81. Print.
D-Day." Stephen E. Ambrose. Copyright 1994 by Ambrose-Tubbs, Inc.
Decision in Normandy, Carlo D'Este, London, 1983.
"D-Day - The Untold Story." Brett Phaneuf. Published on BBCi History: 01-06-2002.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/archaeology/marine_dday_underwater_print.html
"Dwight D. Eisenhower, supreme Allied Commander." June 5th, 1945. The History Channel
http://www.thehistorychannel.com/speeches/archive/speech_83.html
"First Wave at Omaha Beach." Brig. Gen. S.L.A. Marshall, USAR (Ret.) Reader's Digest Illustrated Story of WWII. Published
by the Reader's Digest Association. Copyrighted 1969.
"Modern British History - The Greatest Deception of all Time: Britain, Ultra, and D-Day." Joseph Sramek. October 2, 1988.
"Overlord: The Allies' Triumph in Normandy." Kenneth S. Davis. Reader's Digest Illustrated Story of WWII. Published by the
Reader's Digest Association. Copyrighted 1969.
The Second World War. John Keegan, Hutchinson, 1989
"Untold Stories of D-Day." National Geographic. Published by the National Geographic Society. Copyright 2002.
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/british_history/7260