D-Day: A Turning Point in World History

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On June 6, 1944, in the midst of the Second World War, the Allied forces brought in "the largest amphibious assault in the history of war."(World History Chronology) from various countries including Great Britain, the United States, and Canada stormed the beaches of Normandy hoping to overthrow the German forces occupying France. Years of meticulous planning and seemingly endless training had finally come together to form the operation known as D-Day, the invasion of Normandy. Many different operations and brilliant leaders helped to contribute to the victory at Normandy. D-Day was not only a turning point in the War, but it forever changed the course of history. For years, the entire world passively watched Adolf Hitler's rise to power. After the annexing of France other countries woke up to the reality that global domination by Germany was inevitable. The development of Germany's secret V1 and V2 rockets pressured the Allies to react quickly and reclaim a foothold in continental Europe. The fate of Western Europe lied in the hands of three men: Winston Churchill, Franklin Roosevelt, and Joseph Stalin. Winston Churchill (1874 - 1965) was Great Britain's greatest 20th Century statesman. Franklin Roosevelt (1882 -1945), the thirty-second President of the United States, served longer than any other U.S. president and during his presidency faced the two greatest crises of American history: the Great Depression and World War II. Joseph Stalin (1879 - 1953), the secretary of the communist party in Russia, had a very strong influence in the reconstruction of Europe after World War II. (Microsoft Encarta) President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill's first choice to lead the invasion of Normandy was U.S. Army Chief of Staff General George C. Marshall who played an important role in designing the overall American Military effort in Europe. After much consideration, Roosevelt decided that Marshall's presence in Washington was indispensable. The Allies soon agreed that General Dwight D. Eisenhower, another well-experienced officer, would be the Supreme Overall Commander of the Allied troops in Europe. Eisenhower accepted the job assignment and became the supreme commander of the invasion and commanding general of all United States forces in all European Operations.(AJP Taylor) ... ... middle of paper ... ...thehistorychannel.co.uk/classroom/gcse/dday.htm> This is where most of my information came from. I got stuff about fake radio signals and the weather on the days before D-Day. Maule, Henry. The Great Battles of World War II. England: The Hamlyn Publishing Group Limited, 1972 I got information out of this book on how the attack came about to be on June 6. "Patton,George S." American Lives. Unit 5, Chapter 17, Section 2, Page 36 All of the information of George S. Patton gave from this one piece of paper that you gave me. Taylor, AJP. The History in World War II. England: Octpus Books, 1974 I got information on how it came about that Eisenhower was picked to lead the battle. The 50th Anniversary of the Invasion of Normandy:Operation Overlord. 17 Nov. 1999 This packet told me that Germany surrendered eleven months after D-Day. World History Chronology. North Park Education. 17 Nov. 1999 This told me how D-Day was the largest amphibious assault in the history of war.

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