D-Day and the Liberation of Europe

Wednesday, June 3, 2020 
1 p.m. (Eastern Time) 

On June 6, 1944, Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy in the largest seaborne invasion in history. On May 8, 1945, the world celebrated VE Day—the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany.

Today, we look back with awe and reverence for the brave soldiers who managed to establish a foothold and liberate Europe in less than a year. It is a story of heroism and wise leadership – but also of near catastrophe, with the freedom of an entire continent hanging in the balance. To better understand how D-Day ultimately turned defeat into victory, Ashbrook hosted this webinar on Wednesday, June 3 with World War II historian, Dr. John Moser. Dr. Moser is a Professor of History at Ashland University, where he teaches in Ashbrook’s undergraduate and graduate programs.

Executive Director Jeff Sikkenga joined Dr. Moser for a lively and insightful discussion. They discussed the following documents:

• Fuhrer Directive 51, Adolf Hitler, 3 November 1943
• Combined Chiefs of Staff Directive for Operation Overlord, 12 February 1944
• D-Day Statements, General Dwight Eisenhower, 6 June 1944
• Robert Edlin’s Account of D-Day
• Memo to Gen. George Marshall, Dwight Eisenhower, 6 June 1944

A recording of the webinar is available below.