Turning Point for America During World War II - Research Paper Example

Was D Day a turning point for America during World War 2? In the of Leningrad, in the Soviet Union, on the 27th day of January in the year 1944, people were saved from the shackles of death that the second world war cast on them (Gunther, 6). Previously, one million people died from disease, starvation, poor shelter- conditions that came with the severity of the war. The rescue came after 900 days of encirclement, in a victorious coup that could later define the course of takeovers leading to the D Day invasion, hence the ultimate end of the World War 2 (Gunther, 51). This rescue marked the conclusion of a series of suffering, in a disheartening harassment of the old in favor of the young Soviets Union citizens. This restructured the view of total war where every citizen became a victim of the war. Such ultimatums obliged the citizens to take utmost responsibility in defending their city (Brasch, 35). The events that followed shaped the year 1944 into a combatant year, with every nation asserting pressure to the field of war. The war lasted between four and three years, in the process subjecting the citizens to travel restrictions, slavery in factories or fields, air defense blackouts and ceaseless rationing. The wars impact on the budgetary allocation of the European countries ate up two thirds of the national product (Simpson, 27). Soviet Union and the Nazi Germany had mobilized approximately 46 million men and women between them in the armed war. These conditions prompted a stop in the trends, as the populations fast depreciated (Eisenhower, 24). The total war, for instance included the massive participation of women. Women constituted 35% of the American and British workforce, and up to 50% in the USSR and Nazi Germany. The American population was lucky enough to escape these restrictions, because of the geographical immunity (Brown and Andrew, 32). The war affected the economic balance of America, as the economy strained to afford the high technology expensive armaments, hence straining to maintain a reasonable living standard for the population. The first six months of 1944 were slow to ambushes on the Axis, as forces slowly move towards Europe’s West (Weintraub, 12) with the aim of finishing the European allies of Nazi Germany. The preparations included invasion of France, at the same time prolonged wars continued against other allied forces. The Italian siege was tough as the German resurgence stuck high in mountains to provide strong resistance against confronting forces (Brasch, 22). The assault continued until Polish assault broke the German line to secure Italy. America forced her way through to Rome, forcing the Germans to move upwards. The D Day was liberation of the American army from years of hardship and uncertainty. The war killed many young men who were devoted to the protection of their countries’ prestige. This inflicted rebellion amongst the bereaved families, in most cases losing hope in the countries’ military structural base. The end of the World War 2 marked the end of the outrageous force on the American soldiers, and in a way stopping further bloodshed and taming the spurring animosity amongst the American citizens (Brown and Andrew, 17). The American interest in the military books is explained by the victory at the D Day invasion. The war strategized the position of the American Army as the strongest in the world. The training of the American army enabled the success of the D Day invasion (Stolley, 23). This marked the turnaround in the American history as the greatest nation with the strongest military weaponry. The success of the D Day marked a turnaround in the World War 2 (Simpson, 36). The failure of the D Day would affect the Germans more. The Allies of the Nazi Germany continued to fight, but their victory would mean that they retake Italy. This could spark more invasions on the Balkans, or Norway, or southern France. This strategy could take more time to mount the operations, but the American army was ready with immediate fallback plans in case the D Day plan failed (Stolley, 37). The D Day marked the end of the World War 2 as the Americans destroyed the atomic bombs that the Germans threatened to use to inflict more misery on the world (Ryan, 28). This milestone led to the surrender of German forces, as the rebelling forces had better machinery to combat their large armies. This was a major indication that the war was ending, as the German forces begun to shrink, with the allies losing faith in the leadership of Germany in the war. The success of the D Day is pegged on the advanced air and naval bombardment tactics that the American Army used to exert frustration on Germany. This machinery blunted the Panzer counter attack, with the swift movement of information on the battlefield being an attribute to the success as well. In addition to the victory, the D Day was a revenge for the loss of the Canadian army that lost a war in France. In mid 1942, a battalion consisting mainly of the Canadians launched an attack on the French port of Dieppe, a confrontation that registered the worst casualty rate of any major battle of the entire World War 2 (Stolley, 38). More than 3600 men succumbed in the War, forcing them to surrender 1942 and 1943 to restructure and strategize their attacks. Under the command of General Dwight Eisenhower, the US planned the attack. He was appointed the Allied Forces supreme Commander (Eisenhower, 46) courtesy of his diplomatic and organizational skills. This leadership was key in the success of the D Day execution, with the date planned for May as the General Eisenhower appointed secret juniors who would foil the information f low of the Allies when the invasion begun. These actions all mount to prove the United States as the main terminator of the World War 2 (Brasch, 13). The turn around that the Day invasion caused in the realization of human rights is immense. This marked the end of recruitment and under age adolescents and women in the major wars. War was left as a preserve for fully-grown men, as America illustrated in the tactical invasion of the Allied territory (Ryan, 19). The realization of the human rights became more of an emphasis after the incidents of the D Day invasion. Many nations grappled from the economic effect of the war. America surprised the warring factions with its immense financial (Weintraub, 10) capability. However, the war drained the economies of most of the countries; America managed to maintain a stable economy despite the heavy expenditure on the war. This argument place America as the strongest financial powerhouse of the world, with Germany and the USSR following (Brown and Andrew, 51). This helped to ease the tension off the need to fight over the economic strength in Europe as America had proven her might. The unity displayed in the takeover of the Allied territory created the need for international diplomatic relationships (Simpson, 39). The information lapse in the German and USSR camps played a huge role in their failure in the war, with the American allies taking full advantage of the situation to stage their attacks. These two different perspectives have enables the world to build relationships between countries, with the emphasis of strong regional cooperation. This cooperation marked the turnaround in the World War (Eisenhower, 64). The previous feeling of detachment from the loss of troops by the American citizens was a major reason why the D Day success marked a turnaround in the war. The fear of joining the army, and the constant criticism from the bereaved families were silenced by the victory that the American army registered over the Allies. The war ranked the United States not only as the strongest economy, but also as the strongest military muscle. This increased the interest of the youth in military recruitments, as the soldiers who passed on in the World War 2 received state send offs and accolades for the surviving heroic troops (Ryan, 72). This further widened the military numbers of the United States as those of the German, French, and USSR shrunk even further due to their failure in the World War 2. The D Days Impact on the history of America is evident. The recognition of America by the world as the strongest nation of the world is because of the events of the D Day. The World War 2 was the last war that America promised to fight, and winning the war gave the world peace as the United State enjoys geographical immunity unlike her European counterparts. Conclusion In conclusion, the principles of operational planning assisted the American army to conclude the World War 2, with the flexibility of personnel, the tactical decision-making, clarity of leadership and contingency planning assisting the US in the D Day invasion (Weintraub, 34). The Normandy campaigns are celebrated in America to honor the brave American, Canadian, and British soldiers who sacrificed on the Normandy beaches to secure the freedom of the world. References Brasch, Nicolas. World War 2 1939-1945. Port Melbourne, Vic.: Pearson Education Australia, 2009. Brown, Don, and Andrew Arnold. America Is Under Attack. New York: Roaring Brook Press, 2011. Eisenhower, Dwight D. Crusade in Europe. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1948. Gunther, John. D Day. New York: Harper & Bros, 1944. Ryan, Cornelius. The Longest Day. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1959. Simpson, Elizabeth. The Spoils of War. New York: H.N. Abrams in association with the Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the Decorative Arts, 1997. Stolley, Richard B. World War 2. Boston: Little, Brown, 2001. Weintraub, Stanley. The Last Great Victory. New York: Truman Talley Books/Dutton, 1995. Read More