Invasion of Europe

Report Outline
Invasion of Europe
Invasions of Continent in Previous Wars
Problem of Invading Europe in Present War

Invasion of Europe

Hitler's address to the Reichstag, April 26, plainly implied the existence of difficulties and dissension within Germany and at the same time carried a virtual admission that the Nazi campaign against Russia might be prolonged into next winter. A few days later Rome allowed release of reports of internal unrest in Italy. Whether the Axis purpose in thus creating an impression of weakness was to try to convince advocates of the opening of a second front in Western Europe that they might as well let Russia finish the job single-handed, or whether, on the contrary, it was to tempt the Allies into a premature attempt to launch an offensive in the west, the actual effect was to stimulate demands in Britain and the United States for an invasion of Europe. Political and military leaders in the two countries, while avowing every desire to take the offensive at the earliest moment possible, have cautioned that such moves must not be initiated until sufficient force can be mobilized to give them a fair chance of success.

Three days before Hitler addressed the Reichstag, Lord Beaver brook, London newspaper proprietor and Great Britain's Lend-Lease Coordinator in Washington, said in a forthright speech in New York that “the passion to set up a western fighting front in aid of the Russians is deep in the hearts of all our people.”

I believe [Beaverbrook said] in the Russian system which holds to the faith that the best form of defense is attack. And I believe that Britain should adopt it by setting up somewhere along the two thousand miles of coastline now held by the Germans, a second front in Western Europe …