The Invasion of Normandy

June 5, 1944 will be forever etched in the annals of history. Under the command of General Eisenhower, the Allied forces attempted the impossible--an invasion of German-controlled France. In Jean Smith’s book Eisenhower: In War and Peace, the Combined Chiefs of Staff told General Eisenhower, ‘You will enter the continent of Europe, and undertake operations aimed at the heart of Germany and the destruction of her armed forces” (318). General Eisenhower and the Allied forces assembled “The greatest seaborne invasion force in history” (Culpepper 40). Troops received inspirational words from General Eisenhower before the invasion. He said, “You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you” (“D-Day”). The Invasion of Normandy was the turning point of World War II.
All the forces of the Allied military assembled together to execute an unprecedented assault on the beaches of Normandy. The Allies made full use of deception. The Allies needed to force the Germans to expand their line of defense. If the Allies attacked a position where the Germans waited with a mass of troops, the Allies would be crushed. Spreading out the German lines was the main goal of the Allies. To achieve this, the Allies needed the Germans to believe that the attack would occur in a location different than the actual place of attack (Michie 121). The chess game had begun. The target for the Allies was Normandy, the southern part of France, on the English Channel. However, the Allies convinced the Germans that the target was Pas de Calais. In the German minds, Pas de Calais was the obvious choice because of its short distance across the English Channel from Britain (“D-Day”). The decep...

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...e strength and power of the Allied forces. The absolute mastery in planning of the invasion was superb. The Allies shattered the Atlantic Wall. For the entire war mainland Europe was under German control. Nothing stopped German control. Once the invasion of Normandy occurred, Germany fell within a few months, proving Normandy’s crucial role in tipping the scales in the Allies favor. The invasion of Normandy gave experience to our soldiers. The invasion of Normandy gave drive to Allied soldiers. The invasion of Normandy ultimately gave the Allies the upper hand in the war. Germany fell. Today, the Normandy American Cemetery honors our fallen heroes. Lying on Omaha Beach, it is the home for over 9,300 fallen American heroes who paid the ultimate price on D-Day and the rest of the invasion (“D-Day”). Normandy changed the tides of World War II and led to Allied victory.