The political and strategic situation during World War II changed significantly due to events in the second half of 1944. The strengthening of the union of states and peoples, which rallied in confronting the common enemy, continued.
The leading role in the anti-Hitler coalition belonged to the Soviet Union. The USSR made a decisive contribution to the confrontation of the Nazi forces.
The government of the Soviet Union hoped to open a second front of WWII. But the allied armies limited their actions to air rear attacks, offensive operations in Italy. The countries participating in the anti-Hitler coalition, of course, understood that the opening of a second front in the West would soon be required. In this regard, Britain and America soon launched large-scale preparations for this.
The Tehran Conference had a great influence on the accelerated opening of the second front . At it, the heads of the USA, Great Britain and the USSR considered the main political and strategic issues of continuing allied actions. The problem of opening a second front was also resolved.
Successful offensive operations of the Soviet army, the landing of allied forces in Europe contributed to the deterioration of the situation of Nazi Germany. The opening of the second front was the main event of the summer of 1944. From that moment, Germany had to wage war in two directions. At the same time, according to some historians, the opening of a second front (due to its belatedness) was to some extent limited in the issue of the outcome of the war as a whole. The USA and Great Britain, according to researchers, pursued mainly political goals - to strengthen their positions.
However, on June 6, Anglo-American forces launched a landing from the British Isles to Northern France. The operation was conventionally called "Overlord" (its marine part was called "Neptune").
The expeditionary forces of the Allied armies, having landed on the Norman coast, were to seize the bridgehead, after which, having accumulated material resources and necessary forces, move further eastwards, occupying the northeastern territory of France.
Along with the movement of the sea landing, the Allied aircraft began bombarding artillery batteries, individual resistance units, enemy rear lines, headquarters, and also troop accumulations. The blows in the areas of Boulogne and Calais were strong enough. Thus, the enemy’s attention was diverted from the actual landing area.
As a result, by July 24th, the allied expeditionary forces, having landed in Normandy, occupied almost a hundred-kilometer bridgehead along the front. However, the operation plan provided for a size two times larger. The complete domination of the allied forces at sea and in the air ensured a high concentration of resources and forces.
The Allied landing on the Norman coast was the largest strategic landing operation that had a strategic purpose. In the process of preparation, the Allied forces were able to solve many problems. As a result, the surprise of the offensive, the clarity of the interaction between aviation and ground forces, the Navy and the Airborne Forces were ensured.
Quite successful implementation of the operation was also facilitated by the summer military operations of the Soviet troops. The offensive of the Red Army forced the German command to transfer the main reserves to the eastern part of the front.
In the second half of 1944, the military cooperation of the allied states markedly increased, and the strategic interaction between the Soviet and Anglo-American troops in Europe expanded.
As a result of joint actions towards the end of 1944, the German army was completely expelled from Belgium, France, Luxembourg, from some Italian regions and areas of the Netherlands. Thus, the combined forces made it possible to clear the territory of the area of about 600 thousand kilometers from the invaders.