D-Day
6/6/20266 min
June 5, 2026
In his June 5th, 1944 Fireside Chat, FDR let Americans know that Rome had fallen to Allied troops, He emphasized how troops from many nations had worked together to defeat the forces of fascism, And he warned that this was just the beginning of the path to victory, FDR knew, but did not tell his audience, that the Allies were on their way into France, That evening, General Dwight D Eisenhower’s order read that the eyes of the world were upon the Allies, and he assured the troops that they were on their way to victory, Eisenhower’s confidence disguised his appreciation of the risks of the operation, Eisenhower had written a letter, to be sent if the invasion failed, In the letter he took full responsibility and praised the members of the military, But the letter was never delivered as on June 6, 1944, in the largest amphibious invasion in military history, the Allies had successfully stormed the beaches of Normandy, Thousands died or were wounded, but the operation established an essential foothold in France.
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Transcript preview
First 90 secondsHeather Cox Richardson0:07
June 5th, 2026. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt had good news for the American people when he gave his 29th fireside chat on June 5th, 1944. The day before, June 4th, Rome had fallen to Allied troops. The first of the Axis capitals is now in our hands, Roosevelt said. The president pointed out that it is significant that Rome has been liberated by the armed forces of many nations. The American and British armies who bore the chief burdens of battle found at their sides our own North American neighbors, the gallant Canadians, the fighting New Zealanders from the far South Pacific, the courageous French and the French Moroccans, the South Africans, the Poles and the East Indians. All of them fought with us on the bloody approaches to the city of Rome. The Italians, too, for swearing a partnership in the Axis which they never desired, have sent their troops to join us in our battles against the German trespassers on their soil. This group of ordinary men from many different countries had worked together to defeat the forces of fascism. For all that the fascists boasted of the superiority of their form