Between December 1943 and November 1945, General George C Marshall, Chief of Staff, United States Army, and General Dwight D Eisenhower, Supreme Commander, Allied Expeditionary Forces, were two of the most important military figures in the war against the Nazis in Europe. On campaign the communicated through top secret channels, their letters rated 'Eyes Only', the highest security rating. These documents have remained unpublished, until now. In Eyes Only, this correspondence which charts the war in Europe, reveals the true feelings of these men, their most candid opinions on the progress of the campaign, the organisation of SHAEF headquarters, the planning for the invasion of the continent and the day-to-day problems which arose during the arduous engagements across France and into Germany. They also cover the surrender negotiations with the Nazis and the Soviets, culminating in the huge problem of rebuilding Europe, and give a unique insight into their attitudes towards the statesmen, politicians, generals and the press of the day. This is the story of the battle for Europe in the words of those who fought it, day by day, as it happened.
Auteur
ANDREW RAWSON is a freelance writer who has written several books, covering campaigns from the Napoleonic Wars, World War I and World War II, including the 'British Army Handbook, 1914-1918', 'Vietnam War Handbook' and 'The Third Reich 1919-1939' for The History Press.
Résumé
When you arrived at work today, what was on your to-do list? On 6 February 1944, this landed on the desk of General George C. Marshall, Chief of Staff of the United States Army, a request from General Dwight D Eisenhower, Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe: 'Count up all the divisions that will be in the Mediterranean, including two newly arrived U.S. divisions, consider the requirements in Italy in view of the mountain masses north of Rome, and then consider what influence on your problem a sizable number of divisions, heavily engaged or advancing rapidly in southern France, will have on OVERLORD.' It puts that late delivery or forgotten invoice into perspective. Eyes Only is not a history of the campaigns that swept across Europe between June 1944 and May 1945 it is military command at its rawest, in real time and with no benefit of hindsight. It follows the planning, execution and aftermath of the campaigns through the highest security level day-to-day correspondence between the two Generals; the 'Eyes Only' cables. These candid words passed over their desks between December 1943 and December 1945, here fully annotated with background information. The cables start with the fraught six-month planning period for D-Day, followed by the establishment of the beachhead and the exhilarating advance across France. A difficult winter followed, culminating in attack and counterattack in the Ardennes. As Germany's collapse became imminent, attention focused on how to conclude the war without coming into conflict with the Soviet Army. After V-E Day, the problems of occupying Germany, de-Nazification, redeployment and humanitarian efforts are all on the agenda. Messages from the key politicians Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin are included. The two Generals have to deal with differences between the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the British Chiefs of Staff, the effect of the Mediterranean battles on the Western Front campaign and of course 'man management' of figures such as Patton, Montgomery and de Gaulle. Judge for yourself how two of the United States' greatest military leaders dealt with the burden of command in the eye of the storm of history.