Today, I'm recommending a Youtube video:
D-Day for the Allies: Gold, Juno and Sword Beach Landings
What's it about? Rickard examines the Anglo-Canadian side of the Normandy invasion, addressing questions like: WHY didn't Monty capture Caen on schedule? WHY didn't the Anglo-Canadians break out before the Americans did? WHY did the repeated Anglo-Canadian offensives have such mixed results? WHY did Monty do what he did?
The video is presented by John Nelson Rickard, a former Canadian armoured officer and historian. If you find the first few minutes of his talk unimpressive, I encourage you to persevere - he's a better speaker than he might seem at first, he knows the material, and he makes some excellent points.
I'm recommending this video because it explained the battle of Normandy more concisely than any history book I've ever read.
Rickard does not focus on the Canadians or British armies only. One of the most important points of his presentation is that the Allied armies in Normandy were A TEAM:
"A lot of World War Two history gets written from nationalist perspectives, but it really was a team effort."
Some highlights:
8:10 - first use of the word "Sorry"
19:17 - the British "should've" broken out to the east and south + the Four Cardinal Directions
22:25 - Rommel's plan to repulse the Allies
30:03 - a reference to Saving Private Ryan
30:38 - Monty's real plan for capturing the Caen airfields
40:34 - Monty's master plan (in Normandy)
45:25 - Operation Goodwood
1:09:33 - the Essential Thing (D +82)
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