Click2History - Normandy Invasion: The Story of D-Day - Chapter 4 - Who Will Command?

<body link="0000ff" alink="ff0000" vlink="000000" bgcolor=000033><table width="100%" bgcolor=000033><tr> <td align=center valign=top> <table width=90% bgcolor=ffffff> <tr> <td align=center valign=top> <tr> <td> <div align=center><p><b><font face="arial, helvetica" size=5 color=000000><b>D-DAY</p> <p><font size=4>CHAPTER 4 - WHO WILL COMMAND?</font></p> </font> </div> <center> <table width="90%"> <tr> <td align="left" valign="top"> <div align="justify"> <p><font face="arial, helvetica" color="000000" size="3">Once the Allies agreed to launch an invasion, when would it occur? A staggering amount of planning was needed. Approximately 156,000 men would eventually <a target="_blank" href="images/storm.jpg"><b>storm</b></a> the beaches of Normandy. How would such a plan remain secret? An enormous amount of resources - men and <a target="_blank" href="images/material.jpg"><b>materiel</b></a> - would be required. Who would supply them? And, significantly, who would be in charge of the entire operation?</p> <p>During the "<a href="http://www.normandiememoire.com/NM60Anglais/2_histo2/histo2_p2_gb.htm#" target="_blank"><b>Trident Conference</b></a>," held in Washington during May of 1943, the Allies agreed to launch the invasion one year later - in May of 1944. A <a target="_blank" href="images/meeting.quebec.jpg"><b>meeting in Quebec</b></a> the following month, referred to as the <a href="http://history.acusd.edu/gen/WW2Timeline/quebec.html" target="_blank"><b>Quadrant Conference</b></a>, reaffirmed that decision. In November of that year, Joseph Stalin pushed for the appointment of a Supreme Commander who would head the operation.</p> <p>Because so many American resources would be involved in the attack, Roosevelt and Churchill agreed the chief commander would be an American. Initially, they thought the main coordinator of the U.S. military efforts - Army Chief of Staff General <a target="_blank" href="images/marshall.jpg"><b>George C. Marshall</b></a> - would be the best choice. Although the position was offered to him, Marshall told the President the selection decision was his. Deciding to find someone else, FDR reportedly told Marshall:</p> <center><font face="Times New Roman"><b><i>I feel I could not sleep at night with you out of the country.</i></b></font></center> <p align="justify"><font face="arial, helvetica">In December of 1943, the job went to General <a target="_blank" href="images/dwight.eisenhower.jpg"><b>Dwight D. Eisenhower</b></a>, then commander of Allied Forces in North Africa and the Mediterranean. As Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, Eisenhower was also commanding general of all U.S. forces in the European Theater of Operations. He was given responsibility for the “direction” of strategic air forces as well.</p> </div> <p align="center"><font size="2"><a href="normandy_invasion_ch3.htm">GO TO LAST CHAPTER</a>   <a href="normandy_invasion_ch1.htm">BACK TO FIRST CHAPTER</a>   <a href="normandy_invasion_ch5.htm">GO TO NEXT CHAPTER</a></p><br> </font> </td> </tr> </table> </center> </td> </tr></table></td></tr></table></body>