June 5, 1944 will forever be etched in the annals of history. Under the command of General Eisenhower, the Allied forces attempted the impossible: an invasion of France under German control. In Jean Smith's book, Eisenhower: In War and Peace, the Combined Chiefs of Staff told General Eisenhower: "You will enter the European continent and undertake operations aimed at the heart of Germany and the destruction of its armed forces” (318). General Eisenhower and Allied forces assembled “the largest maritime invasion force in history” (Culpepper 40). The troops received inspiring words from General Eisenhower before the invasion. He said: “You are about to embark on the Great Crusade, towards which we have been striving for many months. The eyes of the world are on you” (“D-Day”). The invasion of Normandy was the turning point of World War II. All Allied military forces came together to execute an unprecedented assault on the Normandy beaches. The Allies made full use of deception. The Allies had to force the Germans to expand their line of defense. If the Allies attacked a position where the Germans were waiting with a mass of troops, they would be crushed. Spreading out the German lines was the main objective of the Allies. To achieve this, the Allies needed the Germans to believe that the attack would take place in a different location than the actual location of the attack (Michie 121). The chess game had begun. The Allies' target was Normandy, southern France, on the English Channel. However, the Allies convinced the Germans that the target was Pas de Calais. In German minds, Pas de Calais was an obvious choice because of its short distance to Britain across the English Channel (“D-Day”). Deception...... middle of paper ......the strength and power of the Allied Forces. The absolute mastery of invasion planning was superb. The Allies broke the Atlantic Wall. For the duration of the war, continental Europe was under German control. Nothing stopped German control. Once the invasion of Normandy occurred, Germany fell within months, proving Normandy's crucial role in tipping the scales in favor of the Allies. The invasion of Normandy gave our soldiers experience. The invasion of Normandy gives dynamism to the Allied soldiers. The invasion of Normandy finally gave the Allies the advantage in the war. Germany has fallen. Today, the Normandy American Cemetery honors our fallen heroes. Located on Omaha Beach, it is home to more than 9,300 fallen American heroes who paid the ultimate price on D-Day and the rest of the invasion (“D-Day”). Normandy changed the course of World War II and led to Allied victory.