June 6, 1944, remains to be one of the most important and highly celebrated days in the history of military operations and it is now commonly known as the D-Day. On the same day, the Allies troops that which mainly comprised of American, British, and Canadian soldiers decided to invade Normandy, which was being controlled by Nazi Germany. The D-Day was a must-win invasion, especially based on the statements that were given by General Dwight Eisenhower, who was leading the operations (Lamothe, 2014). Failure to will the battle could have led to severe effects, especially on the nature of World War II. Thus, to ensure success, a comprehensive plan was conducted, and allied countries contributed many resources that were required on the battlefield. Even though the Allies won the battle, they faced many challenges and a strong encounter from the Nazi soldiers.
The desire to succeed in the Normandy invasion was seen in the nature of investment the Allied countries sacrificed for the battle. It is estimated that about 150,000 Allied troops landed in Normandy on the day of invasion alone, which was the largest military landing ever (Lamothe, 2014). The number of Allied soldiers had increased to nearly 1.5 million in six weeks as more countries were offering their soldiers to participate in the invasion. Apart from soldiers, tons of military equipment, including fuel and food supplies, were made available for the Allied troops. Besides, to enhance the chances of success, Allies used both secrecy and trickery to weaken German soldiers. For instance, an Air Force officer known as Jon S. Wendell was used to deceive Hitler about the plan and the nature of invasion (Lamothe, 2014). Wendell falsely informed Hitler that Allied troops would invade the Nazis in Norway in 1944. As a result, Hitler increased the number of troops in Norway, an area he had seized in 1940. Therefore, Allies used effective resources and strategies to come out victorious in the D-Day invasion.
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Also, many factors contributed to the success of the D-Day invasion. The economic factor influenced the success of the invasion significantly because it made it possible for Allied troops to access and utilize the required resources to win the battle. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Allies was more than twice that of Axis powers while at the same time the former enjoyed a high human population by the time of invasion ( Harrison, 2014) . The Allied war production was also more than that of Axis. As a result, Allies were able to put their military and non-military resources together to win the battle. Economic and military resources gave Allies a higher fighting power than Axis ( Harrison, 2014) . America, for instance, contributed a lot of economic resources towards the invasion, boosting the chances of success significantly. Economic factors increased the success of the D-Day invasion.
At the same time, Germany was already sensing defeat because it was facing many battles, which demanded a lot of resources and time. For instance, by the time of the D-Day invasion, Germany had been defeated by the Soviet Army, specifically in the eastern front. Also, a significant number of German soldiers had been killed in the previous war ( Harrison, 2014) . Thus, with a reduced number of soldiers and many battles, Axis powers found it difficult to launch a fierce and aggressive attack against the Allied troops who were many and well-trained and equipped. Axis powers lacked military resources to counter the Allied invasion, forcing them to retreat. Moreover, the success of Allied troops was enhanced by their ability to accurately predict the weather forecast ( Welker et al., 2014) . The success of the D-Day invasion largely depended on the accurate weather predictions. As a result, Allied powers employed the expertise of highly-skilled meteorologists who were tasked with the responsibility of ensuring accurate weather prediction in the day of the invasion. Cyclonic weather was a major challenge on the D-Day and Allies that it could jeopardize the success of the invasion ( Welker et al., 2014) . However, meteorologists ensured that weather conditions favored Allied troops by conducting accurate and reliable weather predictions, leading to the success of the invasion.
Many mistakes that were done by Germany troops also made it easy for Allied soldiers to win the battle. For instance, Germany soldiers launched counter-attacks later in the day when Allied troops had already set foot in Normandy ( Welker et al., 2014) . Hitler also did not treat the D-Day invasion a major military attack that needed a strong counter-attack. Consequently, he did not employ the best soldiers and military personnel during the attack. Nonetheless, although Allied soldiers won the battle, they faced fierce attacks from Nazis and Axis troops. About 9,000 Allied troops were killed on the day of invasion alone, even though they managed to create a foothold in Normandy (Lamothe, 2014). Germany had some of the best war machines and highly trained soldiers that made the D-Day invasion a costly military attack, especially based on the number of soldiers who lost their lives. Also, to effectively counter Allied troops, German soldiers responded quickly to the airborne invasion, and they got the support of the 21st Panzer division, which helped to contain the invasion.
D-Day invasion is also remembered by the steep casualties that occurred, which affected both the Allied and Axis powers. It is estimated that about 12,000 soldiers died, while thousands of others could not be accounted for ( Welker et al., 2014) . The USA alone lost nearly 8,230 soldiers ( Welker et al., 2014) . Importantly, D-Day is celebrated by many people because it contributed to the end of WWII significantly. The invasion weakened the military power and ability of German soldiers and demoralized Axis powers from continuing with the war. The invasion, therefore, contributed to the downfall of Nazism, which had dominated Europe and many parts of the world for many years. As a result, the D-Day still acts as a symbol of World War II.
In conclusion, June 6, 1944, remains to be the most important day, especially among countries that formed the Allied power. All Allied forces commemorated the day of June 6, 1945, which became a trend for many years. At the same time, it is still the most colorful memorial services in many countries that participated in the invasion. Even though the number of World War II veterans is diminishing, soldiers who did not participate in the invasion embrace and uphold its importance. The invasion did not only change the political landscape in Europe, but it also shaped how the USA is relating to many European countries. The D-Day proved that proper planning and effective strategies are essential in any military operation. People will continue to remember June 6, 1944, because of the role it played in the mid-20 th century, especially concerning World War II.
References
Harrison, M. (2014, June 6). The military power, economics, and strategy that led to D-Day. The Conversation . Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/the-military-power- economics-and-strategy-that-led-to-d-day-27663
Lamothe, D. (2014, June 6). Remembering the military secrecy and lies that made D-Day successful. The Washington Post . Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2014/06/06/remembering-the- military-secrecy-and-lies-that-made-d-day-successful/
Welker, C. S., Bieli, M., Piaget, N., & Sprenger, M. (2014). The D-Day landing of June 1944: extratropical cyclones and surface winds in June 1944 compared with a climatology based on the Twentieth Century Reanalysis. Weather , 69 (7), 176-180.
