The Significance of D-Day :: essays research papers

D-Day Description Before I begin I must tell you of the start of World War II. August 1939, Hitler sends a secret telegram to Joseph Stalin, the Soviet leader. In the secret telegram Hitler writes that the tension between Germany and Poland is unbearable. Stalin replies to Hitler a few days later with his word that he will not interfere with their plans. Britain and France here about this and warns Hitler that if Germany invades Poland that they are prepared to go to war. On September, 1st Germany, using blitzkrieg tactics, invades Poland. The Poles, being very unprepared, suffer the ferocity of the Germany?s attack. Two days later Britain and France declare war against the Axis. This would be the beginning of WWII. In order to tell you about D-Day, I must tell of the events that led up to it. In 1942 the British were being pressured by leaders of the United Sates to commence a massive attack against Germany across the English Channel into occupying France by the spring of 1943. Hesitantly, ?Operation Roundup? was scheduled to commence in 1943 by the British. Soon after, the British realized that the massive cross-channel attack required an extremely more abundant amount of massive forces, ships, landing craft and supplies. This changed the course for British allied forces from France to an attack against the Germans in North Africa. This would be a victory on the allies? part in May 1943. This victory delayed the battle of D-Day by a year and affected it in another way as well. Even though the German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel had lost the battle in North Africa, people still regarded him as a hero. An invasion across the English Channel was well known by the Nazis. Therefore Rommel wa s tasked with ultimate responsibility for defending Northern France, Belgium and Holland against the allies. Rommel, with pride, willingly made improvements to defence and artillery stations such as casements along the coast and attempted to predict the Allies next move. Although the Allies invasion plans were well underway, they were unsure whether a cross-channel invasion would be possible in the spring of 1943. Under Sir Frederick E Morgan?s command a planning team was assembled to study the possibilities in March 1943. By this time the Americans were becoming more impatient. By June 1943, German U-boats had been largely destroyed by Allied anti-submarine sea and air and had withdrawn from the North Atlantic.