DOCSLIB.ORG

Second Fronts: Factors in Success and Failure and Implications for the Future

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Second Fronts: Factors in Success and Failure and Implications for the Future Second Fronts FACTORS IN SUCCESS AND FAILURE AND IMPLICATIONS FOR THE FUTURE By P HILLIP S. MEILINGER U.S. Army U.S. bomber hits mark deep in Germany 100 JFQ / issue 70, 3 rd quarter 2013 ndupress.ndu.edu MEILINGER ome argue that the best way to which had an uneasy truce with Athens, Athens saw this as a preventive war confront an enemy is to face him and involve a major war with Syracuse, a to abort the presumed union of Sicily and head on. At times, however, a bel- useful trading partner. The expedition would Sparta against it. But there was little indica- S ligerent realizes that he cannot involve enormous risk but offer little gain. In tion such an alliance would have occurred. strike the enemy directly because he is not a prescient comment, Nicias stated: “I affirm Indeed, it was the expedition itself that drove strong enough, it involves unacceptable risks, . that you leave many enemies behind you Syracuse into the arms of Sparta. or he believes greater gains can be made by here [the Spartans and their Corinthian opening a “second front.” The purpose of allies] to go there far away and bring more Wellington in the Peninsula second front operations may be to strike a back with you.”3 Nicias urged his fellow citi- After the Peace of Tilsit in 1807, blow to enemy strength, gain resources such zens to focus on Sparta, the main threat close Napoleon controlled most of Europe. Britain as oil while denying them to the enemy, split at hand. Alcibiades argued instead that Sicily still held out, and in an effort to break its the enemy alliance by knocking out a weaker would be an easy conquest that would heap economy, Napoleon instituted the Continen- member, assist an ally under attack by divert- glory on Athens while intimidating Sparta. tal System. He ordered Europe not to trade ing the enemy, or influence a third party, Alcibiades was the more persuasive.4 with Britain, hoping this policy would so perhaps deterring that party from entering The invasion was launched in 415 injure the British economy as to force sur- the war. BCE. Nicias, Alcibiades, and Lamachus were render.9 A tiny country on the periphery of Following are four examples of such chosen as joint commanders, and 136 war- Europe, Portugal, refused to obey Napoleon’s second front maneuvers. Two succeeded and ships—carrying 5,100 hoplites but only 30 decree.10 To teach it a lesson, the Emperor two failed. These operations have implica- horses—set sail.5 Soon after landing in Sicily, sent 30,000 men to conquer it, and they took tions for the way America will fight for the Alcibiades was recalled to Athens to stand Lisbon on November 30, 1807. foreseeable future. Our wars are now wars trial on charges of blasphemy.6 Believing he Napoleon then installed his brother of choice, and the motives and constraints would be found guilty, Alcibiades fled to Joseph on the Spanish throne. To his surprise, driving such conflicts are comparable to Sparta and offered his services. the Spanish population rose up against him those of belligerents seeking to open second fronts throughout history. second front maneuvers have implications for the way The Sicilian Expedition During the America will fight for the foreseeable future Peloponnesian War The Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta was in its 16th year when Thucydides argues that had the in May 1808. This resistance movement, one Athens decided to invade Sicily. Its rationale Athenians moved quickly, they would have of the bloodiest and most effective guerrilla for invasion concerned Egesta—a city-state in overcome Syracusan resistance. Instead, they wars in centuries, became a long-term drain western Sicily allied with Athens. It was being dallied, partly because of Alcibiades’s recall on French resources. The “Spanish Ulcer” harried by Selinus, a nearby city, and asked and partly due to the cautiousness of Nicias. lasted for 6 years.11 the Athenian Assembly to send aid while also Things quickly turned sour. Egesta did not The French army sent to pacify Spain warning of Syracuse, the most powerful city- have the promised money. Horses were in initially numbered 120,000 and was led by state on Sicily. Syracuse, the envoys claimed, short supply so the army had little cavalry. proven commanders. In July 1808, however, was bent on dominating the entire island and The Sicilians did not welcome their liberators an army of 18,000 surrendered to the Spanish was friendly toward Sparta. This meant that and instead the Athenian force united Sicily at Bailen. Europe was stunned; it was the Sparta would have access to huge resources as nothing else could have.7 The Syracusans first surrender by a French army in 7 years. in grain, soldiers, and ships, resources that proved tough adversaries, especially after Napoleon was furious: “I realize that I must could be used against Athens.1 Sparta sent one of its generals, Gylippus, to go there myself to get the machine working Such catastrophizing on what might assist them, along with a contingent of Corin- again.”12 By October 1808, he would have occur was hardly a justification for war. thian hoplites. Sparta then invaded Attica, 270,000 men in Iberia. Nonetheless, the Athenians, led by a gifted the area surrounding Athens, and laid it to A British army under Lieutenant scoundrel named Alcibiades, pushed for waste. As Nicias predicted, Athens was fight- General Arthur Wellesley landed in Portugal an invasion of Sicily to defeat Syracuse and ing a two-front war against two formidable in 1809 and built formidable fortifications conquer the island.2 opponents. there. From this sanctuary he repulsed Nicias warned that an expedition made Nicias, the sole commander after the French assaults.13 Wellesley was aided by the little strategic sense. It would anger Sparta, departure of Alcibiades and the death of tenacity of the Spanish army, which struck Lamachus in battle, continued to delay, continually at the French and their supply pleading for either reinforcements or evacu- lines. Indeed, 70 percent of all French casual- Colonel Phillip S. Meilinger, USAF (Ret.), served in ation. The Assembly sent another army but ties sustained during the war were inflicted 14 the U.S. Air Force for 30 years. He holds a Ph.D. in it made little difference. In 413, Gylippus by the Spanish army and guerrillas. history from the University of Michigan. His latest defeated the Athenians, Nicias was butch- Throughout 1810 and 1811, Wellesley (soon book is Bomber: The Formation and Early Years of ered, and at least 7,000 Athenians were cap- to be the Duke of Wellington) coordinated Strategic Air Command (Air University Press, 2012). tured and enslaved. It was a horrendous loss.8 with the Spanish to pressure the French. ndupress.ndu.edu issue 70, 3 rd quarter 2013 / JFQ 101 RECALL | Second Fronts Royal Navy Panoramic view of Dardanelles Fleet, 1915–1916 It was a hard-fought war, but everything would quickly silence the enemy cannon. The was intended to bypass. Five more Allied divi- changed in 1812. strait was also heavily mined. No matter, the sions were sent, to no avail. Admitting defeat, Napoleon invaded Russia that year armada would include minesweepers to clear the Allies evacuated in December 1915. with an army of 500,000. Iberia was then a the way. The battleships would confront Con- Overall, the Gallipoli operation was a sideshow. Wellington invaded Spain and over stantinople and shell it if necessary and then disaster for the Allies. It cost nearly 400,000 the next year won a series of battles, liberat- accept the Ottoman surrender. casualties and gained virtually nothing. The ing Madrid in August. The following year, A fleet was raised consisting of 82 ships Ottoman Empire remained in the war, Russia Wellington crossed through the mountains including 18 battleships.19 On February 19, remained largely cut off from its allies, and and invaded France. By then Napoleon was 1915, warships entered the strait and began the Western Front remained stagnant. fighting for his throne in Germany, a fight he shelling the forts. It was expected the enemy would soon lose. guns, numbering over 230, would be silenced North Africa, Operation Torch, 1942 Napoleon’s foray into Iberia was a huge by naval gunfire within a month. That first When the United States entered the war miscalculation. The French suffered 250,000 day, however, no enemy guns were destroyed against Germany in December 1941, Allied casualties, a high price for a failed effort. At despite a barrage lasting 7 hours.20 Several fortunes were at low ebb. Most of Europe was the same time, the war occupied 200,000 more forays were launched into the straits under Axis control and the Soviet Union was troops annually that France desperately but achieved meager results. Clearly, naval reeling. In the Pacific, Singapore was about needed against Russia, Austria, and Prussia gunfire was insufficient to knock out heavily to fall to the Japanese as were the Philippines in Central Europe. Spain was truly an ulcer defended forts. and Dutch East Indies. The Allies needed that bled the Napoleonic Empire white. On March 18, 1915, the ships went in victories. again but this time they hit mines. Three The American and British combined Gallipoli, 1915 battleships were sunk and three others were chiefs of staff met, confirmed a “Europe First” World War I deteriorated into a blood heavily damaged. A third of the Allies’ capital strategy, and discussed taking the offensive. bath by the end of 1914, and a line of trenches ships were put out of commission in a day.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Manhattan Project and Its Legacy
    Transforming the Relationship between Science and Society: The Manhattan Project and Its Legacy Report on the workshop funded by the National Science Foundation held on February 14 and 15, 2013 in Washington, DC Table of Contents Executive Summary iii Introduction 1 The Workshop 2 Two Motifs 4 Core Session Discussions 6 Scientific Responsibility 6 The Culture of Secrecy and the National Security State 9 The Decision to Drop the Bomb 13 Aftermath 15 Next Steps 18 Conclusion 21 Appendix: Participant List and Biographies 22 Copyright © 2013 by the Atomic Heritage Foundation. All rights reserved. No part of this book, either text or illustration, may be reproduced or transmit- ted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, reporting, or by any information storage or retrieval system without written persmission from the publisher. Report prepared by Carla Borden. Design and layout by Alexandra Levy. Executive Summary The story of the Manhattan Project—the effort to develop and build the first atomic bomb—is epic, and it continues to unfold. The decision by the United States to use the bomb against Japan in August 1945 to end World War II is still being mythologized, argued, dissected, and researched. The moral responsibility of scientists, then and now, also has remained a live issue. Secrecy and security practices deemed necessary for the Manhattan Project have spread through the govern- ment, sometimes conflicting with notions of democracy. From the Manhattan Project, the scientific enterprise has grown enormously, to include research into the human genome, for example, and what became the Internet. Nuclear power plants provide needed electricity yet are controversial for many people.
    [Show full text]
  • Surviving Antigone: Anouilh, Adaptation, and the Archive
    SURVIVING ANTIGONE: ANOUILH, ADAPTATION AND THE ARCHIVE Katelyn J. Buis A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS May 2014 Committee: Cynthia Baron, Advisor Jonathan Chambers ii ABSTRACT Dr. Cynthia Baron, Advisor The myth of Antigone has been established as a preeminent one in political and philosophical debate. One incarnation of the myth is of particular interest here. Jean Anouilh’s Antigone opened in Paris, 1944. A political and then philosophical debate immediately arose in response to the show. Anouilh’s Antigone remains a well-known play, yet few people know about its controversial history or the significance of its translation into English immediately after the war. It is this history and adaptation of Anouilh’s contested Antigone that defines my inquiry. I intend to reopen interpretive discourse about this play by exploring its origins, its journey, and the archival limitations and motivations controlling its legacy and reception to this day. By creating a space in which multiple readings of this play can exist, I consider adaptation studies and archival theory and practice in the form of theatre history, with a view to dismantle some of the misconceptions this play has experienced for over sixty years. This is an investigation into the survival of Anouilh’s Antigone since its premiere in 1944. I begin with a brief overview of the original performance of Jean Anouilh’s Antigone and the significant political controversy it caused. The second chapter centers on the changing reception of Anouilh’s Antigone beginning with the liberation of Paris to its premiere on the Broadway stage the following year.
    [Show full text]
  • The London School of Economics and Political Science the New
    The London School of Economics and Political Science The New Industrial Order: Vichy, Steel, and the Origins of the Monnet Plan, 1940-1946 Luc-André Brunet A thesis submitted to the Department of International History of the London School of Economics for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, London, July 2014 1 Declaration I certify that the thesis I have presented for examination for the MPhil/PhD degree of the London School of Economics and Political Science is solely my own work other than where I have clearly indicated that it is the work of others (in which case the extent of any work carried out jointly by me and any other person is clearly identified in it). The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. Quotation from it is permitted, provided that full acknowledgement is made. This thesis may not be reproduced without my prior written consent. I warrant that this authorisation does not, to the best of my belief, infringe the rights of any third party. I declare that my thesis consists of 87,402 words. 2 Abstract Following the Fall of France in 1940, the nation’s industry was fundamentally reorganised under the Vichy regime. This thesis traces the history of the keystones of this New Industrial Order, the Organisation Committees, by focusing on the organisation of the French steel industry between the end of the Third Republic in 1940 and the establishment of the Fourth Republic in 1946. It challenges traditional views by showing that the Committees were created largely to facilitate economic collaboration with Nazi Germany.
    [Show full text]
  • 75Th Anniversary Debate on 4 June 2019
    D-Day and the Battle of Normandy: 75th Anniversary Debate on 4 June 2019 Summary This year will mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day: the landings of Allied forces on the Normandy coast during the Second World War.1 On 6 June 1944, the Allies launched a combined naval, air and land attack on Nazi-occupied France. Codenamed Operation ‘Overlord’, the landings on the beaches of Normandy marked the start of a “long and costly campaign” to liberate north-west Europe from German occupation.2 On the morning of D-Day, airborne forces parachuted into drop zones across northern France and ground troops landed across five assault beaches. Naval vessels escorted and landed ground troops, carried out bombardments on German coastal defences and provided artillery support for the invading troops. By the end of the day, the Allies had established a foothold along the coast and began their advance into France. By the end of August 1944, the “Germans were in full retreat out of France”.3 To mark the 75th anniversary, the Ministry of Defence in collaboration with the Royal British Legion and Portsmouth City Council have planned a series of events to take place in Portsmouth and Normandy in June 2019. This will include a specially-chartered ship, which will carry 300 D-Day veterans. On 4 June 2019, the House of Lords is scheduled to debate a motion moved by the Deputy Leader of the House of Lords, Earl Howe, to take note of the 75th anniversary of D-Day. Preparations for Invasion The defeat of Germany was acknowledged as the western Allies’ principal war aim
    [Show full text]
  • Operation Overlord James Clinton Emmert Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College
    Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Master's Theses Graduate School 2002 Operation overlord James Clinton Emmert Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_theses Part of the Arts and Humanities Commons Recommended Citation Emmert, James Clinton, "Operation overlord" (2002). LSU Master's Theses. 619. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_theses/619 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Master's Theses by an authorized graduate school editor of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. OPERATION OVERLORD A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Liberal Arts in The Interdepartmental Program in Liberal Arts by James Clinton Emmert B.A., Louisiana State University, 1996 May 2002 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis could not have been completed without the support of numerous persons. First, I would never have been able to finish if I had not had the help and support of my wife, Esther, who not only encouraged me and proofed my work, but also took care of our newborn twins alone while I wrote. In addition, I would like to thank Dr. Stanley Hilton, who spent time helping me refine my thoughts about the invasion and whose editing skills helped give life to this paper. Finally, I would like to thank the faculty of Louisiana State University for their guidance and the knowledge that they shared with me.
    [Show full text]
  • Synarchy Movement of Empire Book Ii
    SYNARCHY MOVEMENT OF EMPIRE BOOK II THE MODERN SYNARCHY INTERNATIONAL by Pierre Beaudry LAVAL BEASTMAN OF VICHY LEESBURG, Va. June 20, 2005 1 DEDICATION This book is dedicated to the LaRouche Youth Movement (LYM) worldwide, and particularly to the French LYM, who deserve to know the truth about French history and world affairs. Previous generations of French citizens had settled their accounts with their immediate past history by either going to war, or by getting involved into absurd coups d'Etat, however, they never knew why they were doing so. My generation of Bohemian Bourgeois (BoBos) has not done that; it didn't care to do anything for history, nor for the future generations. It was only interested in lying and in taking care of "Me, Me, Me!" The problem that the youth of today are face with is that the truth about the French Revolution, about Napoleon Bonaparte, about the Synarchy, about the destruction of the Third Republic, or about Vichy has never been told. So, either the truth comes out now, and finally exorcises the French population as a whole, once and forever, or else the French nation is doomed to repeat the same mistakes of the past, again and again. 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS BOOK II THE MODERN SYNARCHY INTERNATIONAL 1.1 SAINT YVES D'ALVEYDRE: THE SYNARCHY OF A ONE-WORLD EMPIRE …………… 8 ***** 1.2 INTRODUCTION 2.2 AGAINST THE PEACE OF WESTPHALIA AND AMERICA 3.2 A SYNARCHIST CONSTITUTION FOR EUROPE 4.2 SYNARCHIST ALLIANCE AGAINST ISLAM AND THE "TARTARS" 5.2 THE EXCLUSION OF ISLAM 6.2 SAINT-YVES D'ALVEYDRE, A VICTIM OF BIPOLARITY 7.2 THE HATRED OF PLATO AND OF {AGAPE} 8.2 THE CREATION OF THE {ORDRE MARTINISTE ET SYNARCHIQUE} 9.2 THE MYSTICAL ORIGINS OF THE SYNARCHY DOCTRINE 10.2 EISENHOWER INVITED TO HEAD THE AMERICAN SYNARCHY .
    [Show full text]
  • Judgment International Military Tribunal for the Far East, Volume II
    JUDGMENT INTERNATIONAL MILITARY TRIBUNAL FOR THE FAR EAST PARTB CHAPTER VU THE PACIFIC WAR PARTB CHAPTER VIII CONVENTIONAL WAR CRIMES (Atrocities) November 1948 CONTENTS Chapter VII - Pages 843-1,000 Chapter VIII - Pages 1,001-1,136 843 PART B - CHAPTER VII PACIFIC WAR The failure 1n 1938 of tbt Japanue · attack at Lake lihassan had. revealed tbe unexpeet.d military strength or the u.s.s.R. 1n the par East, The eonelus1on on 23rd August 1939 of the Non­ Aggression Paet between Germany llll.d the u.s.s.R. and the preoeeupation of Germmi7 with her war ag~inst Britain am Franee had freed the u.s.s.R, for the time being of anxiety- as to her Western frontier. Japan's advanee to the North, hitherto intended to be the first step 1n the realization or her national policy, was now deferred until a better opportunit7 presented itself, Aa the door of opportunity closed 1n the ¾for th tm Southern gatea began to open am Japan took various steps prel1minal"f to the realization of the second major part of her national policy, the advance to the south. France and Britain suffered a grave rebuff at Munich in September 1938. Thereafter Prince Kono7e, on 3rd November 1938, publicly declared Japan's intention to establish the l!J ew Order in East Asia, and in that same month Japan announced that she oould no longer appl7·the Treaty System unconditionally, She ea.id that the application of the princii,les of "The Open Door" and '1Equ11l "Opportunity" !'light have to yfeld in face of the changed conditions in China, In that same Month of November 1938 the Five Ministers' Conference decided to capture Hainan Island.
    [Show full text]
  • Personalities and Perceptions: Churchill, De Gaulle, and British-Free French Relations 1940-1941" (2019)
    University of Vermont ScholarWorks @ UVM UVM Honors College Senior Theses Undergraduate Theses 2019 Personalities and Perceptions: Churchill, De Gaulle, and British- Free French Relations 1940-1941 Samantha Sullivan Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/hcoltheses Recommended Citation Sullivan, Samantha, "Personalities and Perceptions: Churchill, De Gaulle, and British-Free French Relations 1940-1941" (2019). UVM Honors College Senior Theses. 324. https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/hcoltheses/324 This Honors College Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Undergraduate Theses at ScholarWorks @ UVM. It has been accepted for inclusion in UVM Honors College Senior Theses by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ UVM. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Personalities and Perceptions: Churchill, De Gaulle, and British-Free French Relations 1940-1941 By: Samantha Sullivan Advised by: Drs. Steven Zdatny, Andrew Buchanan, and Meaghan Emery University of Vermont History Department Honors College Thesis April 17, 2019 Acknowledgements: Nearly half of my time at UVM was spent working on this project. Beginning as a seminar paper for Professor Zdatny’s class in Fall 2018, my research on Churchill and De Gaulle slowly grew into the thesis that follows. It was a collaborative effort that allowed me to combine all of my fields of study from my entire university experience. This project took me to London and Cambridge to conduct archival research and made for many late nights on the second floor of the Howe Library. I feel an overwhelming sense of pride and accomplishment for this thesis that is reflective of the work I have done at UVM.
    [Show full text]
  • The Dutch Strategic and Operational Approach in the Indonesian War of Independence, 1945– 1949
    Scientia Militaria, South African Journal of Military Studies, Vol 46, Nr 2, 2018. doi: 10.5787/46-2-1237 THE DUTCH STRATEGIC AND OPERATIONAL APPROACH IN THE INDONESIAN WAR OF INDEPENDENCE, 1945– 1949 Leopold Scholtz1 North-West University Abstract The Indonesian War of Independence (1945–1949) and the Dutch attempt to combat the insurgency campaign by the Indonesian nationalists provides an excellent case study of how not to conduct a counter-insurgency war. In this article, it is reasoned that the Dutch security strategic objective – a smokescreen of autonomy while keeping hold of political power – was unrealistic. Their military strategic approach was very deficient. They approached the war with a conventional war mind- set, thinking that if they could merely reoccupy the whole archipelago and take the nationalist leaders prisoner, that it would guarantee victory. They also mistreated the indigenous population badly, including several mass murders and other war crimes, and ensured that the population turned against them. There was little coordination between the civilian and military authorities. Two conventional mobile operations, while conducted professionally, actually enlarged the territory to be pacified and weakened the Dutch hold on the country. By early 1949, it was clear that the Dutch had lost the war, mainly because the Dutch made a series of crucial mistakes, such as not attempting to win the hearts and minds of the local population. In addition, the implacable opposition by the United States made their war effort futile. Keywords: Indonesian War of Independence, Netherlands, insurgency, counter- insurgency, police actions, strategy, operations, tactics, Dutch army Introduction Analyses of counter-insurgency operations mostly concentrate on the well- known conflicts – the French and Americans in Vietnam, the British in Malaya and Kenya, the French in Algeria, the Portuguese in Angola and Mozambique, the Ian Smith government in Rhodesia, the South Africans in Namibia, et cetera.
    [Show full text]
  • Vichy Against Vichy: History and Memory of the Second World War in the Former Capital of the État Français from 1940 to the Present
    Vichy against Vichy: History and Memory of the Second World War in the Former Capital of the État français from 1940 to the Present Audrey Mallet A Thesis In the Department of History Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (History) at Concordia University Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne December 2016 © Audrey Mallet, 2016 CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES This is to certify that the thesis prepared By: Audrey Mallet Entitled: Vichy against Vichy: History and Memory of the Second World War in the Former Capital of the État français from 1940 to the Present and submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (History) complies with the regulations of the University and meets the accepted standards with respect to originality and quality. Signed by the final examining committee: Chair Dr. G. LeBlanc External Examiner Dr. E. Jennings External to Program Dr. F. Chalk Examiner Dr. D. Peschanski Examiner Dr. C. Claveau Thesis Co-Supervisor Dr. N. Ingram Thesis Co-Supervisor Dr. H. Rousso Approved by: Dr. B. Lorenzkowski, Graduate Program Director December 5, 2016 Dr. A. Roy, Dean, Faculty of Arts & Science Abstract Vichy against Vichy: History and Memory of the Second World War in the Former Capital of the État français from 1940 to the Present Audrey Mallet, Ph.D. Concordia University & Paris I Panthéon Sorbonne, 2016 Following the June 22, 1940 armistice and the subsequent occupation of northern France by the Germans, the French government left Paris and eventually established itself in the city of Vichy.
    [Show full text]
  • View/Print Page As PDF
    MENU Policy Analysis / Articles & Op-Eds Operation Torch and the Birth of American Middle East Policy, 75 Years On by Robert Satloff Oct 9, 2017 Also available in Arabic ABOUT THE AUTHORS Robert Satloff Robert Satloff is executive director of The Washington Institute, a post he assumed in January 1993. Articles & Testimony In a radical rethinking of the origins of U.S. Middle East policy, Robert Satloff suggests that two key ideas guiding Washington's actions in the region for the past three-quarters of a century were born in the bargain U.S. leaders made with Vichy French officers after Allied troops landed in North Africa during World War II. "THE JEWS WILL HAVE TO WAIT" n November 8, 1942, a full year-and-a-half before the Allies invaded Normandy, about 110,000 American O and British troops invaded North Africa. They had set out in more than 850 ships from U.S. and British ports, sailed for up to 4,500 miles through treacherous Atlantic waters teeming with Nazi U-boats, and, once at their destination, put ashore in three landing zones spread across more than 900 miles of coastline, from south of Casablanca to east of Algiers. This was Operation Torch, America's first offensive operation in the European theater of war and, until Operation Overlord's Normandy landings, the greatest amphibious attack in history. Today, it is all but forgotten. And yet, aside from rivaling Overlord in terms of its enormity, complexity, and peril, Torch was also vastly consequential, for it helped to determine the future course and ultimately successful conclusion of the war.
    [Show full text]
  • Operation Dragoon Liberation of Guam the ASC HISTORY
    Operation Dragoon Operation Dragoon was the code name for the Allied wounded, a vast difference from the Normandy landings. invasion of Southern France that took place on 15 August Due to Allied pressure, the Germans withdrew to the north 1944. Originally, the invasion was planned to coincide with through the Rhone valley, to establish a stable defense line 1676 King Philip ’ s War ends. Operation Overlord, better known as the “D-Day” invasion near Dijon, France. Allied units were able to overtake the of Normandy. However, the Allies lacked enough landing Germans and partially block their route. The battle led to a craft to conduct both invasions simultaneously. After the 1786 Shays Rebellion begins. stalemate with both sides struggling to achieve any decisive Operation Overlord landings were successfully carried out, advances. Eventually, the Allied pressure became too much on 6 June 1944, the final date for Operation Dragoon was and the Germans ordered a complete withdrawal from 1814 Washington D.C. is burned. finally set. The intent for this invasion was to secure vital Southern France. The fighting ultimately came to a stop at ports on the Mediterranean coast while also increasing the Vosges mountains, where the Germans were finally able 1941 The Atlantic Charter is issued. pressure on the already stretched German Army. This to establish a stable defense line. After link-up with Allied invasion would also involve a large number of Free French units from Operation Overlord, the Allied forces were in Soldiers and sought to mobilize, in large numbers, the 1943 The Allies complete the liberation of Sicily.
    [Show full text]