June 6, 1944, is the day forever known as D-Day and which is synonymous with the day that the Allied powers traveled across the English Channel, landing on the shores of Normandy Beach in France. This marked the beginning of the liberation of Western Europe from control of the Nazis and Adolf Hitler during World War II. Within three months of that day, the northern section of France was free and the forces that invaded were making preparations to invade Germany. There, they teamed up with troops from the Soviet Union that were approaching from the eastern direction.
By that point, Hitler’s forces had control of the majority of Europe proper, and the Allies were aware that in order to win the war, it was necessary to have a successful invasion of the continent. Hitler was aware of this also, and expected that there would be an attack on the northwestern part of Europe during the spring of 1944. His plan was to resist the Allies with a major counterattack that would deter all future attempts to invade. He believed this would provide them with enough time to use his forces to triumph over the Soviet Union. In Hitler’s plan, when he could accomplish that he would be able to completely triumph over that part of the world.
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"D-Day and the Liberation of Europe".
The day before D-Day, on June 5, Gen. Eisenhower who was in the role of Supreme Commander Of Allied Forces in Europe approved the plan for “Operation Overlord,” which was the largest amphibious military endeavor in the history of warfare. He ordered 6000 airplanes, ships, and other vessels loaded with more than 175,000 troops to depart from England to cross the Channel to France. At night, more than 800 aircraft transporting parachutists were heading towards drop points in Normandy and an extra 13,000 aircraft began to prepare to give air cover and support for the incursion.
On June 6, 1944, before dawn the parachutists had already landed on the ground, beginning the invasion by 6:30 AM. Canadian and British forces defeated minimal opposition to capture beaches at Gold, Juno, and Sword, and the Americans did so at Utah. At Omaha Beach, the fighting was much more difficult, and 2000 troops were killed. Essentially, it was by sheer tenacity and ingenuity of the troops stationed on the ground that the goal was accomplished. By the end of the day, 155,000 American, British, and Canadian troops had stormed beaches at Normandy with tremendous success.
As a result, the Germans experienced a substantial amount of confusion in their ranks which was compounded by the absence of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, who had taken leave. Initially, Hitler believed that the invasion was a distraction from an impending attack north of the Seine River, and he was unwilling to release divisions located nearby to participate in the counterattack. In addition, he had to call in reinforcements that were located far away, and were delayed in arriving. The Germans were thwarted by the highly effective Allied aircraft which eliminated many of the major bridges, forcing the Germans to travel using long detours. In addition, there was very responsive naval support by the Allies, which served to protect troops that were advancing towards Normandy.
The invasion at Normandy Beach on D-Day emboldened the Allied forces to continue marching across Europe, ultimately putting an end to the Nazi regime. What followed was the liberation of Europe, which had been occupied and terrorized by Hitler and the Nazi party from 1933 through 1945.
- Beevor, Anthony. “Freedom Sweeps Europe–but at What Cost?” 10 September 2009. The Guardian.com. Web Will. 14 April 2017.
- “D-Day: June 6, 1944.” 2017. This Day in History. Web. 14 April 2017.
- “This Day in History: 1944 D-Day.” 2017. History.com. Web. 14 April 2017.
