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

by Walter Bedell Smith

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 Bocage
3 – 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 Rhine
5 – 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.

215 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1956

About the author

General Walter Bedell "Beetle" Smith, US Army

Veteran of WWI and WWII. Served as Chief of Staff at Allied Forces Headquarters (AFHQ) and subsequently Chief of Staff of Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF), post-war Ambassador to the Soviet Union, and later Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

Recipient of the Distinguished Service Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, Distinguished Service Medal (Navy), Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Among his foreign honours, he was invested an honourary Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB, Great Britain), honourary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE, Great Britain), and a Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour (France).

Reviews

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing details about the planning and execution of the D-Day invasion of Normandy and the continued operations that culminated in the destruction of Nazi Germany's war making power causing their surrender and the end of WWII in Europe. It is told by the Chief of Staff of the Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Europe, General Dwight D Eisenhower. It is quite fascinating that essentially all operations for D-Day followed by the drive to force the Nazi surrender were planned out before leaving England. These plans were executed with almost no deviation. The author also gives us great insight into Eisenhower's thought process as someone who worked very close with him on a daily basis. This is a must read for anyone interested in WWII, the war in Europe, D-Day planning and war strategy.

[Mr. Ethan Mingerink · Rating 3 out of 5]

1. Three Stars - I give the book Eisenhower’s Six Great Decisions a 3-star rating for a few reasons. This book was a pretty good book, but it wasn’t always very clear with what the six decisions actually were. However, this book was pretty good in the sense that it gave good detailed descriptions of the situations and the troop movements and the battles that took place. Another thing that makes this book good is that it was written by Walter B Smith; this man was one of Eisenhower’s Chief of Staff and was really there in Europe when these decisions were made. WARNINGS: The only thing i would worry about is a little language from the people on the book, this book involves military men and the language that they use isn’t always good. - Joel B

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a first-hand account of the WWII Western front from pre-D-Day until after the German surrender. It is written by Eisenhower's Chief of Staff. The writing is simple and straightforward. Very easy read, which I can't always say about historical nonfiction. If you want a detailed analysis of every battle and troop movement, then you should look elsewhere. I would recommend it