Summary Of Eisenhower And Overlord

“Eisenhower and Overlord” is a excerpt from General Dwight Eisenhower’s private journal. This particular entry from the journal comes from three days before the infamous invasion of Normandy by the Allied forces that began to spell the end of the conflict in Europe during World War II. What can we learn from this document? Several things actually, by examining the author, context and audience for this document, historians are able to gain a deeper understanding of the document or the events that occurred within history. To begin let us examine the author and find out why their account is valued in our study of World War II. General Dwight Eisenhower was selected by President Roosevelt as the supreme commander for the Allied forces against Nazi Germany. Previously Eisenhower had risen through the ranks of the United States Military and oversaw the successful execution of operations torch and avalanche in northern africa. Operation Overlord was Eisenhower’s first obligation
Eisenhower also laments that while the politicians are debating when to strike, the urgency to begin the operation grows greater with the passage of time. He wants to keep the balance between the nations that comprise the allied forces, however the need for swifty ending this conflict before the enemy forces are too entrenched is a struggle for him. However at the end of the document, Eisenhower decides to end this on a more positive note, saying that with the weather, the invasion of northern France will end in