One of the most important battles of World War II was the Battle of Normandy (the first day of which is commonly referred to as D-Day). Nearly three million troops were deployed for the invasion. Those deployed consisted primarily of American and British soldiers, but Canadian, French, Polish, Belgian and Czech forces were also represented (Jensen). The battle was fought in an attempt to gain ground in Europe and reduce the German potential to invade Russia (Lucas). The Battle of Normandy was significant in that it was a turning point in World War II, resulted in heavy losses on both sides, and was the largest amphibious landing in history (Cohen). Perhaps just as important are the events leading up to the Battle of Normandy. as important as the battle itself. Hitler's hold on Europe had to be broken. The decision was made to invade Europe across the English Channel between May 15 and 25, 1943, when Winston Churchill (British wartime leader and Prime Minister) met with the President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, at the Trident conference in Washington DC (Newark 144). After this meeting, planning for the invasion began immediately and May 1944 was initially chosen as the date for the attack. American forces were then transported to Britain to begin intensive training (Newark 144). A campaign was created with the sole purpose of confusing German intelligence. It was called Operation Bodyguard and included the construction of fake installations and shipping in addition to disinformation (Newark 144-145). Preparing to breach the wall Hitler had erected across the Atlantic was a huge obstacle for the invading forces to overcome. The wall spanned 2,600...... middle of paper......): 38-42. Academic research completed. Internet. November 18, 2011. Jensen, Elizabeth. "Remembering D-Day: Part 1 - The Allies Plan and Prepare for the Invasion, page 4 of 5 - Associated content from Yahoo! - Associatedcontent.com." Related content from Yahoo! - contentassociate.com. Np, May 21, 2007. Web. November 12, 2011. “June 6, 1944: The greatest maritime invasion of all time. » European (London, England). June 3-9, 1994: Mag. Second. 8. Researcher on SIRS issues. Internet. November 16, 2011. Lucas, Susan. “Why we remember D-Day.” Welcome to Branch 122 of the Royal Canadian Legion. Np, nd Web. November 12, 2011. .Newark, Timothy. Turning the Tide of War: 50 Battles That Changed the Course of Modern History. London: Hamlyn, 2001. Print.