D-Day: The Total Story

June 6, 1944. The day the military might of the Allies combined for the most extensive aerial and sea borne assault ever planned. The D-Day invasion at the beaches of Normandy, France changed the direction of World War II, and the history of the twentieth century. Planned for over two years by the Allied Forces, the D-Day Invasion was an intricate coordination of the world's greatest military forces, and an exercise in cooperation that marked the turning point of war, and the world's history. D-Day: The Total Story would be useful for classes on American History, World History, Military History and Cultural History. It is appropriate for middle school and high school.

Breakout

D-Day: Breakout explores the full fury of the monumental attack. Hitler reinforced his defenses with the strength of his Panzer division. What remained was an all-out attack. With their backs to the sea, the Allied Forces broke away from the beaches and forged inland to Paris and to ultimate victory.

• attrition
• decimated
• impenetrable
• improvisation
• intelligence
• methodical
• moral
• obliterated
• pre-fabricated
• reconnaissance
• stalemate
• validate

Discussion Questions

1. The Allied Forces faced tremendous resistance from the German Army. Why did the German Army put up so much resistance in light of the overwhelming numerical superiority of the Allied Forces?

2. How does an army utilize the terrain of its position for defense?

3. Tanks played an important role in the Battle of Normandy. What were the differences between the German Panzer tanks and the American Sherman tanks?

4. The Allied Forces conducted extensive aerial bombings of the French town of Caen. Although this attack aided the Allied ground troops, the attack was controversial because of the amount of civilian causalities. Were the Allied Forces justified in their aerial attack?

5. Many soldiers were killed during the Battle of Normandy by "friendly fire." What does the term "friendly fire" mean? Why is it so dangerous?

6. Why was the Breakout a bittersweet event for the Americans?

7. Graphic pictures can help convey the horrors of war. But soldiers interviewed for this documentary speak about the even more impressive smells of war. Discuss how the odors of war attest to the horrors of war, and how the sense of smell can trigger memories.

8. Wally Pare, RAF 6th Airborne, summed up the war experience as "the most personal impersonal experience." Discuss what Pare means by this statement.

Extended Activities

1. Imagine that you are a German soldier captured during the Battle of Normandy. Create a diary or journal that tells of your experience.

2. On a map of France, trace the route of the Breakout to the liberation of Paris.

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