What's the big deal with D-day Normandy?

The real Reason for D Day was to ensure that the Russians actually stopped at the Line drawn in the sand

the Russians had ammased 7.5 million men and stalin sid a second front by June 1944 or i do the Job myself

can you imagine the USA Allowing the communists to have free Reign in Contenential europe

No Nether can I and Funny enough the USA provided the least amount of Men

The conquest of Italy was a sideshow in the war. Even Hitler realized that. The war would be decided in the east by the USSR and in the west after the invasion of France.

Both were equally important: without the second front (Overlord) the Germans could have held the USSR at bay long enough for the miracle weapons to come on line. Without the Russian juggernaut hammering at the Eastern Front the invasion would not have been possible.

It signalled the beginning of the end of Nazi Germany. Allied troops, from Britain, France, the Empire and Commonwealth, as well as Polish and others from occupied Europe, began to pour across the channel - not just Americans, please do not forget that more British troops were involved in the landings, and more were killed on D Day, than Americans.

In Normandy you will see flags flying of ALL the countries involved, and there are cemeteries containing the bodies of men from around the World who died in the fighting.

BTW - the Canadians liberated the Netherlands, not the yanks

The war in Italy certainly was intense, but Allies would not have been able to defeat Germany through Italy.... traversing the Alps would have been strategically impossible. To defeat Germany it was necessary to have a broad presence in Europe. Hence the necessity for the invasion. Had it not occurred in all likelihood Germany could have devoted more forces to stop the Soviets who were already pushing the Germans back on the Eastern Front, and would have given them all the time they needed to develop nuclear weapons. They already had plans for a rocket which could have reached New York. Without D-Day there would have been a far greater possibility of a different flag floating over the White House today.

I was privileged to go to Normandy for both the 50th. (1994) and 60th. (2004) Anniversary of D - Day with the 82nd. Airborne Paratroopers and their families. During the 50th. we were placed with the locals because the hotels were full of Government big shots.

I was an American history teacher at the time. There were several tour buses. We went from Great Britain to Normandy to Belgium to The Netherlands. I found out how truly accurate the John Wayne's "Longest Day" really is. They did a good job of telling both sides of story.

We talked to the local host families about why they were being so kind to the Americans in general and the Veterans in particular. Many had individual stories about how the Germans had treated them as individuals or their towns when they helped Americans or British. But the information we got was that the older generation of Europeans were grateful that the Americans helped Liberate them from the Germans.

When I came home from the two trips, I really understood the word Liberate. All Americans asked for was enough land to bury our dead.

Every year in The Netherlands they have some 8,000 or more Dutch at our American Cemetery on Memorial Day thanking us that they do not speak German.

D-Day was the beginning of the end. Many Americans died that day trying to LIBERATE other nations, not just France but also other European Nations.

Map

D-day was such a big deal because it was the beginning if the end for Axis Germany. With the Red Army closing in from the East and now (thanks to allied troops landing on the French coast) Americans closing in from the West, Germany was rapidly loosing control. They were loosing land they had occupied and taken over, as well as supporters, soldiers and time. They were being sandwiched and everybody knew

D-day was such a big deal because it was the beginning if the end for Axis Germany. With the Red Army closing in from the East and now (thanks to allied troops landing on the French coast) Americans closing in from the West, Germany was rapidly loosing control. They were loosing land they had occupied and taken over, as well as supporters, soldiers and time. They were being sandwiched and everybody knew from that point on that it was all over.