Approximately 5,000 ships, 13,000 aircraft, 2 million men, and about 3,500 soldiers killed in the first hours of the landings. Those are some of the numbers behind the D-Day invasion of Normandy, codenamed Operation Overlord, the military campaign that changed the course of the Second World War and the destiny of the whole of Europe, the 80th anniversary of which is being celebrated today. On 6 June 1944, the Allies launched the largest military operation in history. But it was actually launched on 14 January 1943 at the Casablanca Conference in Morocco, where the first official Allied strategic plans for the liberation of north-western Europe were set in motion. Eighty years on from D-Day, which marked the beginning of the end of the Second World War, SIR interviewed Agostino Giovagnoli, Professor of Contemporary History at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, on the significance of the day and its historical impact over time.
Professor, what is the historical significance of that day?
The Normandy landings was the largest military operation ever attempted and the most important. That operation changed the course of the Second World War and of history. It had been planned since 1941, but there were many reservations about it, especially on the part of the British, while the Americans urged that it be carried out without delay, partly because they feared that the Eastern Front, which saw the clash between Germany and the Soviet Union, would eventually collapse. In fact, the Soviets managed to maintain their positions at the cost of enormous losses (20 million men), with the Battle of Stalingrad. In January 1943, the decision was taken in Casablanca to launch the invasion, which took place on D-Day in June 1944. The landing cost many lives but proved crucial to defeating the Germans.
Eighty years on from that day, it seems that such events, which are so important to the world today, are not accorded the historical importance they deserve.
Unfortunately, these very important events risk being forgotten; people tend to live in the now without remembering the greatest lessons taught by history, such as the Second World War. Fifty million dead, six million of them Jews, a terrible lesson, an unprecedented tragedy. Remembering this is fundamental. In the end, it is here that peace is born: when people understand the full extent of the tragedy of war, especially in today’s world, where war can be waged by the most horrific means. That is why it is so important to remember this battle, which cost so much in terms of human sacrifice, but which was decisive for peace. So let us remember that war should never be a goal, but let us also remember what is necessary to build a future of peace.
Would a situation similar to that of eighty years ago be possible today, given the winds of war that have been blowing from the east for more than two years?
The situation today is very different. That military operation was carried out entirely by the Western Allies and in the context of an alliance with the Soviet Union. It was an incredibly important military and political achievement. It is worth remembering that the foundations of the peace that followed the Second World War were laid by this very cross-party alliance against the Nazi-Fascist invasion.
In spite of very different political systems, the war was won by the Allies, just as peace has prevailed for many decades since. Sadly, the capacity for understanding between the West and Russia has disappeared today. That is the major difference and the reason why war has returned to Europe.
Looking ahead, there can be no peace in Europe without renewed understanding between those very different worlds.
