World War II D-Day Invasions

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The Battle of Caen Alexandra Younan AP US History 11-1 April 9, 2014 When you think of the World War II D-day Invasion, what comes through your mind? Most Americans vividly remember the brave and heroic part of the American soldiers, and never forget those who tragically lost their lives. Overall, the invasion under Roosevelt’s Administration is seen to be a major victory and an effective milestone for the United States effort to end German domination, despite the great Allied losses. The Normandy landings, also named Operation Neptune, were the “landing operations of the Allied invasion in Normandy during World War II. Conduced in an air-bone assault,” the landings consisted of United States and Canadian troops, as well as “an amphibious…show more content…
"French civilians, caught in the middle of these battlefields or under Allied bombing, endured terrible suffering. Even the joys of liberation had their darker side. The war in northern France marked not just a generation, but the whole of the postwar world, profoundly influencing relations between America and Europe. As seen before, American forces began to foolishly kill innocent lives, both French civillians and Axis. This began to severley mark and tarnish American relations with European nations, as American soldiers were seen to be careless and vengeful. “There were more than 2,000 casualties [at the Battle of Caen] on the first two days, and in a way it was miraculous that more people weren't killed when you think of the bombing and the shelling which carried on for days afterwards. Eight hundred civilians lost their lives in the 48 hours following the invasion, and 15,000 took refuge for more than a month in the tunnels to the south of the city.” The civilian population drastically fell, immediately following these intense bombings, proving to be living evidence of the mistakes made by Allied forces. “Caen had fallen from 60,000 to 17,000 civilians, causing great resentment” between the two powers, furthering that American-European…show more content…
Able to achieve their desired purpose by eventually breaking through to the south and east, Americans were able to threaten to encircle German forces in Normandy from behind. However, this came at a great price of innocent civilians’ and soldiers’ lives. This ultimately resulted in the destruction of Caen due to bombing and fighting, and great casualties were a major result of this intense combat. Much of the destruction and death on Caen could have been prevented if the Allies had ultimately been more careful with following through orders, and had they taken more precaution in bombing the entire city, many civilians wouldn’t have had to pay the price. In conclusion, the Battle of Caen should be remembered for the great efforts of the Allied forces in preventing German expansion, however many should be informed on the opposing side in which the Allied forces created a great deal of the tragedy due to negligence, rage, and severe
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