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This source explains what D- Day is and the specific causes of D- Day in a readable, good format.

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D-Day June 6, 1944 What is D-day? Causes of D-day The End D-day is the allied invasion of Nazi occupied France during World War 2. Most people think D-day started on June 6th 1944, but it actually started on June 5th 1944.

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This History.com source is useful because it has a lot of ideas and a lot of information about D-Day.

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During World War II (1939-1945), the Battle of Normandy, which lasted from June 1944 to August 1944, resulted in the Allied liberation of Western Europe from Nazi Germany's control. Codenamed Operation Overlord, the battle began on June 6, 1944, also known as D-Day, when some 156,000 American, British and Canadian forces landed on five beaches along a 50-mile stretch of the heavily fortified coast of France's Normandy region. The invasion was one of the largest amphibious military assaults in history and required extensive planning. Prior to D-Day, the Allies conducted a large-scale deception campaign designed to mislead the Germans about the intended invasion target. By late August 1944, all of northern France had been liberated, and by the following spring the Allies had defeated the Germans. The Normandy landings have been called the beginning of the end of war in Europe.
READ MORE: D-Day Facts About the Epic Invasion
Preparing for D-Day

After World War II began, Germany invaded and occupied northwestern France beginning in May 1940. The Americans entered the war in December 1941, and by 1942 they and the British (who had been evacuated from the beaches of Dunkirk in May 1940 after being cut off by the Germans in the Battle of France) were considering the possibility of a major Allied invasion across the English Channel. The following year, Allied plans for a cross-Channel invasion began to ramp up. In November 1943, Adolf Hitler (1889-1945), who was aware of the threat of an invasion along France's northern coast, put Erwin Rommel (1891-1944) in charge of spearheading defense operations in the region, even though the Germans did not know exactly where the Allies would strike. Hitler charged Rommel with finishing the Atlantic Wall, a 2,400-mile fortification of bunkers, landmines and beach and water obstacles.

In January 1944, General Dwight Eisenhower (1890-1969) was appointed commander of Operation Overlord. In the months and weeks before D-Day, the Allies carried out a massive deception operation intended to make the Germans think the main invasion target was Pas-de-Calais (the narrowest point between Britain and France) rather than Normandy. In addition, they led the Germans to believe that Norway and other locations were also potential invasion targets. Many tactics were used to carry out the deception, including fake equipment; a phantom army commanded by George Patton and supposedly based in England, across from Pas-de-Calais; double agents; and fraudulent radio transmissions.

A Weather Delay: June 5, 1944

Eisenhower selected June 5, 1944, as the date for the invasion; however, bad weather on the days leading up to the operation caused it to be delayed for 24 hours. On the morning of June 5, after his meteorologist predicted improved conditions for the following day, Eisenhower gave the go-ahead for Operation Overlord. He told the troops: "You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you."

Later that day, more than 5,000 ships and landing craft carrying troops and supplies left England for the trip across the Channel to France, while more than 11,000 aircraft were mobilized to provide air cover and support for the invasion.

D-Day Landings: June 6, 1944

By dawn on June 6, thousands of paratroopers and glider troops were already on the ground behind enemy lines, securing bridges and exit roads. The amphibious invasions began at 6:30 a.m. The British and Canadians overcame light opposition to capture beaches codenamed Gold, Juno and Sword, as did the Americans at Utah Beach. U.S. forces faced heavy resistance at Omaha Beach, where there were over 2,000 American casualties. However, by day's end, approximately 156,000 Allied troops had successfully stormed Normandy's beaches. According to some estimates, more than 4,000 Allied troops lost their lives in the D-Day invasion, with thousands more wounded or missing.

Less than a week later, on June 11, the beaches were fully secured and over 326,000 troops, more than 50,000 vehicles and some 100,000 tons of equipment had landed at Normandy.

For their part, the Germans suffered from confusion in the ranks and the absence of celebrated commander Rommel, who was away on leave. At first, Hitler, believing the invasion was a feint designed to distract the Germans from a coming attack north of the Seine River, refused to release nearby divisions to join the counterattack. Reinforcements had to be called from further afield, causing delays. He also hesitated in calling for armored divisions to help in the defense. Moreover, the Germans were hampered by effective Allied air support, which took out many key bridges and forced the Germans to take long detours, as well as efficient Allied naval support, which helped protect advancing Allied troops.

In the ensuing weeks, the Allies fought their way across the Normandy countryside in the face of determined German resistance, as well as a dense landscape of marshes and hedgerows. By the end of June, the Allies had seized the vital port of Cherbourg, landed approximately 850,000 men and 150,000 vehicles in Normandy, and were poised to continue their march across France.

Victory in Normandy

By the end of August 1944, the Allies had reached the Seine River, Paris was liberated and the Germans had been removed from northwestern France, effectively concluding the Battle of Normandy. The Allied forces then prepared to enter Germany, where they would meet up with Soviet troops moving in from the east.

The Normandy invasion began to turn the tide against the Nazis. A significant psychological blow, it also prevented Hitler from sending troops from France to build up his Eastern Front against the advancing Soviets. The following spring, on May 8, 1945, the Allies formally accepted the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany. Hitler had committed suicide a week earlier, on April 30.

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Codenamed Operation Overlord, the invasion began on June 6, 1944, also known as D-Day, when some 156,000 American, British and Canadian forces landed on five beaches along the heavily fortified coast of France's Normandy region during World War II.

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This is a useful source because it lays out the causes and effects without them being jumbled into one long article making them easy to separate.

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Cause And Effect of D-day By: Jack Schwieso Germany invaded northern France because they set the law of the treaty of Versailles to make them pay for the damage of WWI. The Invasion: Cause Thousands of paratroopers and gliders were already on the enemy lines ready to attack.

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My fourth source, a CNN article, is a good source because it has the "fast-facts" and timeline laid out in a bullet point format making it easy to read. This is also a good source because CNN is a pretty credible source.

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The largest amphibious invasion in history.

The invasion's code name was Operation Overlord.

General Dwight D. Eisenhower commanded the operation, and plans were made to land in Normandy, west of where the German troops and artillery were built up.

The "D" stands for Day. D-Day and H-Hour stand for the secret day/time an operation is scheduled to begin.

Code names for the five beaches where the Allies landed: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword.

The date June 5, 1944, was originally chosen for the invasion, but bad weather forced the Allies to postpone a day.

More than 13,000 aircraft and 5,000 ships supported the operation.

August 19, 1942 - A raid on the French port of Dieppe resulting in heavy losses convinces D-Day planners to land on the beaches, so discussions and preparations begin for an Allied invasion across the English Channel.

May 1943 - The Trident Conference, a British and American strategy meeting on the war. In Washington, DC, Winston Churchill, President Roosevelt and their military advisers discuss, among other things, crossing the English Channel.

August 1943 - The Quadrant Conference, where the British and American military chiefs of staff outline Operation Overlord.

November and December 1943 - The Sextant and Eureka Conferences, where the British and American military chiefs discuss the specifics of the assault on France.

1944 - The Germans expect an invasion along the north coast of France, but they do not know where. They build up their troops and artillery near Calais, where the English Channel is the narrowest.

June 5, 1944 - Allied paratroopers and gliders carrying heavy equipment leave England to begin the invasion of France by air.

In a broadcast message to troops before they leave, Eisenhower tells them, "The tide has turned! The free men of the world are marching together to victory.... We will accept nothing less than full victory!"

June 6, 1944 - Overnight, a military armada and more than 160,000 troops cross the English Channel. Minesweepers go ahead to clear the waters in preparation for the thousands of landing crafts that will be carrying men, vehicles and supplies.

Between midnight and 8 a.m., Allied forces fly 14,674 sorties.

6:30 a.m. - Troops begin coming ashore on a 50-mile front.

In a broadcast to the people of occupied Europe, Eisenhower says, "Although the initial assault may not have been made in your own country, the hour of your liberation is approaching."

More about World War II and veterans:

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The largest amphibious invasion in history. The invasion's code name was Operation Overlord. General Dwight D. Eisenhower commanded the operation, and plans were made to land in Normandy, west of where the German troops and artillery were built up. The "D" stands for Day.

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This is a good source because it has pictures and lot of good information about the effects of D-Day. This source is also very credible because it's from a .edu site which are credible.

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D-Day was the beginning of the end for not only the Germans but Hitler most of all. D-Day forced the Germans to fight a two front war again just as they had in WWI. Yet again the Germans could not handle war on both sides of them.