The colossally heavy and bloody defense of Stalingrad by the Soviet troops, as well as further successful operations in the spring and summer of 1943, turned the Wehrmacht from the victorious and strongest military force in the world into a retreating army. In the middle of the year, the offensive initiative finally passed into the hands of the Red Army. In turn, the landing in Normandy of the allied forces marked
the final stage of the Second World War, culminating in the final defeat of the Nazi forces and the occupation of Germany.
Tehran conference and preparations for the Second Front
At the end of 1943, the Soviet army was close to the final liberation of its own pre-war territories and the direct entry of its military formations into the territory of European countries. The participation of the Western allies in the war until that time was only a diversion of part of the German troops to themselves (primarily the Luftwaffe that participated in the battle for England) and the provision of material support to the USSR according to the Lend-Lease plan. However, the successes of the Soviet army in battles opened up for it a tempting (and gloomy for Western leaders) prospect of establishing socialist regimes throughout liberated Europe. Under these conditions, the leaders of Great Britain and the United Statesthe question of our own offensive operation in Europe became tough, the result of
which was the landing in Normandy.
It is not surprising that this topic was one of the most controversial at the Tehran Conference (November 28 - December 1, 1943). In particular, Winston Churchill stubbornly insisted on the opening of a Second Front in the Balkans, which allowed the West to take part in the occupation of Eastern Europe. However, the unshakable position of Stalin, the intransigence of Roosevelt and lengthy discussions led to an agreement that there would be a landing in Normandy in May 1944. The operation was codenamed "Overlord". In turn, the Soviet leadership promised to start a war against the Japanese Kwantung Army in the east after the final defeat of the Wehrmacht.
D-Day - Normandy D-Day
It happened on June 6, 1944. Numerous forces of allied troops crossed the English Channel, landed in northern France and launched an offensive against German positions. This was preceded by an Allied air operation that destroyed almost all the fuel plants in the region. This was done so that the German tanks and other motorized forces could not resist. The landing in Normandy had as its main goal the creation of a bridgehead for a further offensive deep into the continent. By the evening of June 6, the Anglo-American formations managed to take advantageous positions, despite the desperate resistance of the Germans. Creationbridgehead continued until the twentieth of July. The second stage of Operation Overlord, which began at the end of July, was a breakthrough into French territory, its liberation and access to the French-German border. The landing of troops in Normandy was the largest amphibious operation in the history of mankind.