As the world marks the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the warmth and energy in the stone-clad villages up and down the Normandy coastline is stirring. British, US and Canadian flags line garden gates and lampposts, while country lanes are filled with column-upon-column of World War Two-era military jeeps driven by men and women from across Europe. Germans, Dutch, Belgians, and Brits have donned Second World War Allied military uniforms to honour the 150,000 soldiers who landed in Nazi-occupied France on 6 June 1944. These soldiers changed the course of 20th Century Europe, which we enjoy today.
It’s noteworthy how times have changed. After decades of Europeans pledging “never again,” war has returned to this continent on a scale not seen since World War Two, with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Eighty years ago, Germany was the enemy, while Russia was a key ally. Russia’s victory on the Eastern front, like the Western front Allied assault that followed D-Day, was fundamental in bringing Nazi Germany to its knees. However, today, at the official international D-Day ceremony, Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with France’s President Emmanuel Macron, US President Joe Biden, and the heir to the British throne, Prince William, but Russia’s Vladimir Putin was not invited.
The surviving D-Day veterans are the star attraction in Normandy this week, where they’re feted, photographed and fawned over. They travel the coast and meet with enthusiastic, warm people from all over the world. For many French people, D-Day events marking the contribution of French men and women who worked for the French Resistance may seem muted compared to the events commemorating Allied soldiers. Yet the influence of the Resistance is evident in modern-day France, where most of its members were left-leaning, with a considerable proportion being communist. They helped set up the new French Republic, implementing France’s strong welfare and health system which is still firmly in place today.
As the world marks the D-Day anniversary, storm clouds hang heavy over Europe. If President Putin wins the war in Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania fear that they may be next. Since World War Two, Europe has relied on the US to ensure its security. However, elections in Washington are fast approaching. If Donald Trump returns to the White House, he’s made it clear to Europe’s leaders they should take nothing for granted. It’s important for younger generations to appreciate the Allied soldiers’ sacrifices and bravery to ensure that the lessons learned from World War II do not go unheeded
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