former soviet union where, basically, you had a german and soviet joint cemetery now outside of stalingrad. that only took place in the last , but before, the russians had completely desecrated graves of the germans there. only in the last 15 years of for back and mask greatest the germans. they had an architectural competition between the two sides to see you or do better in the commemoration. how's that different from what we are talking about with the western nations at d-day today? i'm not sure the question is directed to me, but i think the question points toward something that i should have pointed out that of course, german memory considers the eastern front to be much more important than the western front. indeed, for most of the war, that is where most of the german dying happened. some 200 or so divisions fought in the soviet union for almost three years. millions of german soldiers lost their lives there, which is to say that of course, the families on thet loved ones eastern front, have a much more intense interest in the eastern front. i think that is still true for germany to

hudson going on in stalingrad, these joint cemetery is now being constructed, but it took a very long time, and of course it took the post-cold war period to reach a better understanding about what the war was about. these joint cemeteries are very much efforts in russian/german reconciliation. maybe just a final word. russian memory of d-day and the chapter in this book that we are talking about today points this out very clearly. it is an erratically different trajectory than all the other memories. the russians never really could understand and never appreciated the american and british obsession with d-day memories. they always thought their effort of defeating the germans was written out of history. i was just thinking yesterday, when one soldier appear, a veteran, said, what do you date -- what d-day to him also meant was, if they had not succeeded, people of france would speak german today. i actually think he was wrong. if he would not have succeeded, if the allied invasion would not have succeeded, i think the chances would be much bigger to -- that the people of germany and

the turning point happened earlier, stalingrad, other places like that. it's the pivot point.after normandy, the germans are not going to win this war. it's just a matter of time. but it also doesn't mean it's over now. there's plenty of hard fighting again so this is the beginning 60 an american military, economic, and political superpower that has now accepted that baton to lead this western allied coalition and in a longer view it's the beginning of a major american military presence in europe that will remain to this day through nato. it really is a seminal moment in american history. so the battle of normandy it's fair to say is probably the most significant in the entire history of campaign in northwest europe. thank you. [ applause ] >> we have time for two questions for dr. mcmanus. >> dr. mcmanus. we were building up in normandy and slowly grinding the germans down which you see on the map, the 15th army. how long did it take the germans to figure out that maybe normandy was the real invasion and not secondary? >> right. the allies had hoped to deceive the germans abo

the turning point happened earlier, stalingrad, other places like that. it's the pivot point. after normandy, the germans are not going to win this war. it's just a matter of time. but it also doesn't mean it's over now. there's plenty of hard fighting again so this is the beginning 60 an american military, economic, and political superpower that has now accepted that baton to lead this western allied coalition and in a longer view it's the beginning of a major american military presence in europe that will remain to this day through nato. it really is a seminal moment in american history. so the battle of normandy it's fair to say is probably the most significant in the entire history of campaign in northwest europe. thank you. [ applause ] >> we have time for two questions for dr. mcmanus. >> dr. mcmanus. we were building up in normandy and slowly grinding the germans down which you see on the map, the 15th army. how long did it take the germans to figure out that maybe normandy was the real invasion and not secondary? >> right. the allies had hoped to deceive the germans ab