Eisenhower’s Six Great Decisions: Europe, 1944–1945

By: General Walter Bedell Smith

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Synopsis: Eisenhower's Chief of Staff reviews the six turning points of the European war that took the Allies from Normandy to the heart of Germany in only 11 months.War, as in life, turns on decisions taken and opportunities taken; the decisions of General Eisenhower as supreme commander of the Allied effort in Europe shaped the lives of millions of soldiers and tens of millions of civilians. The strain of these decisions was shared with many of the top allied commanders, but few will have understood Eisenhower's thought processes than his trusted friend, confidante and chief of staff General Walter Bedell "Beetle" Smith. A shrewd and intelligent man in his own right, the "Beetle" would be constantly by Eisenhower's side as he directed the huge Allied armies against the Wehrmacht across France, Belgium, Holland and finally into Germany itself. He set out to describe the events through the eyes of his friend and superior as they appeared at the time; the six 'Great Decisions' that he decided on as the turning points of the conduct of the war were:1 - The Decision Of The Timing Of Operation Overlord [The Normandy Landings]2 - How To Break Out Of Normandy Bocage3 - How To Deal With The Ardennes Counteroffensive [Battle Of The Bulge]4 - How To Destroy Or Capture All German Forces Against The West Of The Rhine5 - How To Encircle The Industrial Heartland Of Germany - The Ruhr.6 - How To End The War.A must read for anyone interested in the Second World War.