British troops were the first to step on Normandyshore as operation Overlord started on June 6. Allied aviation delivered massive strikes as the British 6^th Airborne Division landed to the north-east of Caenand the US82^nd and 101^st airborne divisions hit the beach to capture positions to the north of Carentin. The next day the 82nd Airborne captured its primary objective at Sainte-Mère-Église, the first French city to liberate, and worked to protect the western flank.That’s how operation Overlord (June 6 1944 – July 1944) began. It was the largest amphibious landing operation to open the long-awaited second front against Germanyin Europe. The planning of landing in Western Europe started on December 24 1943 as General Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was appointed Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe. With El Alamein victory behind British General Bernard Montgomery assumed the command of allied ground forces during the invasion phase. Two field armies made the assault – First American Army on the west and the Second British Army to the east were to strike first followed by the 1^st Canadian army. The US Third Army was in reserve under Dwight Eisenhower to land in July 1944.  The operation was to wind up in 90 days with the Allied armies advancing towards the rivers Seine and Loire. The Allied Command planned to approach German borders by winter.

As the operation Overlord planning was over the allied leadership suddenly faced difficulties related to the operation Anvil (then renamed as Operation Dragoon) – the allied landing in southern Francein August 1944. Winston Churchill argued against it on the grounds that it diverted military resources that were better deployed in the on-going Allied operations in Italy. As US – historian Forrest Carlisle Pogue noted the British Prime Minister steadfastly opposed Anvil. He strongly wanted allies to reach South-Eastern Europe before Soviet troops.  It mismatched with the plans of the American ally. The United States considered West Europeas a priority for establishing its domination in the region after the war.  The only thing the allies agreed about was the advance to the west to get more territory under their control as the Soviet forces were in offensive from the other direction.

In case of Germany’s collapse the allies planned to use all the resources for massive invasion of the continent to be ahead of the Soviet troops. Eventually, as of late May, 1944, the allies assembled 2 million troops of numerous nationalities, nearly 5,000 ships of all types and sizes (537 major warships) and 11,000 aircraft.  They succeeded in convincing the Germans that the landing was to take place in the area of Pas de Calais, not Normandy. The alert for the German 7^th army responsible for shore defense was sounded at 2.15 a.m. as the allied aviation was already delivering preliminary strikes and air borne troops had landed to take positions.  

Germany lacked forces to repel the invasion. The shore fortifications were only 18% ready. The German propaganda told over and over again about the Atlantic Wall. Field Marshal von Rundstedt, Commander in Chief in the West, said it was an illusion.  In his memories he wrote that it exasperated him to read about the unassailable defense. It was ridiculous to call it a wall. 

Nearly 160,000 troops crossed the English Channelon June 6 including five infantry and three air-borne divisions. By the end of the day they got hold of a springboard of 2-9 kmin depth. Around 900 tanks and armor vehicles, 600 artillery pieces and many transport vehicles were transported to the beach. In his situation reports General Eisenhower wrote the enemy was caught unprepared and its counter strikes were ineffective.

By the end of June the beachhead expanded the front line length to 100 kmand was 40 kmin depth. Totally the 1^st US and 2d British armies strength exceeded 875 thousand. There were 23 air strips to host tactical aviation. The force was opposed by 18 German divisions that had suffered losses before. The situation was critical and the German command had no reinforcements to defend the flanks from assaults in the south and south-east of France.

The Soviet Unionmade a great contribution by acting in unison with allied efforts. According to the Tehran accords, reached about a half – year before, the command intensified the activities at the front to prevent Germans from sending any reinforcements to Normandy. 

One day before the operation Overlord began, Stalin informed Churchill that according to Tehran agreements, the Soviet offensive would start in mid-July at one of decisive sections of the front. The armies would gradually switch to offensive actions.  In the period late June – end of July the Soviet forces would start overall offensive. He meant operation Bagration launched on June 23, 1944 in Belorussiain concert with the actions of allies fighting at the second front. Hitler was encircled by the coalition forces and his collapse was inevitable.

History allows drawing lessons. No matter the differences between political systems, the USSR and Western allies could unite against the common enemy – German Nazism threatening human civilization. 

What about Neo-Nazism emerging in Ukraine?  Few in the West share the opinion it must be opposed. The events of the 1930s are repeated again… The US monopolies cooperated with Nazi while Western democracies tried to appease Hitler in an attempt to direct the expansion to the East.

Today many Western leaders easily forget the WWIII lessons. The US President will not meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Normandy on June 6 where the world leaders will gather to commemorate the date. But European leaders have made independent decisions, for instance German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French president François Hollande and UK Prime Minister David Cameron  plan meetings with the Russian head of state. Europeans know better what it’s like when fierce battles are taking place on your soil and they better realize what threat is posed to humanity by Nazi revival after 70 years since May 1945. Incase of those willing to learn history lessons stand them in good stead. Those who refuse to make conclusions pay a heavy price.