Historical commemoration on D-Day
Seventy years ago, the Allies landed in Normandy.
For Europe the landing of the Allied forces on 6 June 1944 on the beaches of Normandy in northern France is a historic date. On this day they succeeded in opening a second front in World War II against Nazi Germany. As a result, occupied France was liberated and the Allies advanced from the west against Hitler’s troops. Major celebrations are therefore held every year in memory of D-Day.
On the tenth anniversary in 1954, the French President René Coty laid a simple wreath in Colleville in Normandy. In 1984, President François Mitterrand received American President Ronald Reagan and crowned heads of Western states such as Queen Elizabeth II in Normandy for the 40th anniversary. Ten years later, in addition to twelve other heads of state and government, Mitterand invited Helmut Kohl to the observances, the first time a Federal Chancellor had been asked. Mitterrand explained that the struggle in 1944 was fought against “Nazism”, not against the Germans as a people. Federal Chancellor Kohl, however, discreetly declined to attend the memorial celebrations. It would be another ten years, on the 60th anniversary on 6 June 2004, until nearly 20 heads of state and government, including for the first time the then German Federal Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and Russian President Vladimir Putin, were to gather together in Normandy.
In 2014 everyone is looking to Putin
Because of the Ukrainian crisis, the focus of interest in 2014 is Putin’s participation in the D-Day commemoration. The Kremlin chief has accepted the invitation of the French President François Hollande. In view of the conflict in the Ukraine, the celebration of the 70th anniversary has gained a particular significance. The French government has affirmed that it looks upon Putin’s taking part as appropriate. “In such moments of commemoration it is important that all the countries which were party to the war are present”, said French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian about the joint ceremony of remembrance. Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel and American President Barack Obama, both of whom are also expected in Normandy, welcomed Putin’s participation.
