Normandy at 80: World marks victory against Nazis amid spectre of World War III

On June 6, 1944,  80 years to the day, Allied forces landed on the beaches of German-occupied France. 

The Allied armies, which included the US, the then Soviet Union, and the UK, delivered naval assault divisions to the beaches of Normandy, France. The operation, given the codename OVERLORD, turned out to be a significant turning point in the war, leading to the defeat of Nazi Germany. 

Around 156,000 Allied troops with 20,000 vehicles landed in Nazi-occupied northern France by the end of what became known as "the longest day". The troops faced a hail of bullets, artillery and aircraft fire as they marched into France by sea and air to drive out the Nazis. Many lost their lives. 

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On Thursday, world leaders including US President Joe Biden and British monarch King Charles III commemorated D-Day's 80th anniversary and expressed a "profound sense of gratitude" to veterans who fought during the Normandy landings. 

"How fortunate we were, and the entire free world, that a generation of men and women in the United Kingdom and other Allied nations did not flinch when the moment came to face that test," said King Charles. 

"It is with the most profound sense of gratitude that we remember them, and all those who served at that critical time. We recall the lesson that comes to us, again and again, across the decades: free Nations must stand together to oppose tyranny," the monarch added. 

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Nazi Germany's great fall 

Germany feared an Allied invasion of occupied Europe and was ready with everything it had to stop it, with Adolf Hitler even ordering in 1942 the building of a 5,000-kilometre coastal defence system studded with bunkers, gun emplacements, tank traps and other obstacles. 

Germany used more than 20 million cubic metres of concrete and 1.2 million tonnes of steel to build thousands of fortifications linked by barbed wire along the Atlantic and North Sea coasts. It stretched from France to Belgium, the Netherlands, and Denmark to Norway. 

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The Allied forces were attacking from the western front and Russian forces on the eastern front. The Allies coordinated their efforts effectively and also outproduced Germany in terms of war material and technological advancements. 

Towards the end of World War II, Germany faced significant shortages of critical resources such as oil, food, and raw materials. Meanwhile, the US and Soviet Union's industrial capacity played a significant role in producing vast quantities of weapons, vehicles, and other supplies necessary for a sustained war effort. 

Did the world learn lessons from WWII? 

This year's D-day commemoration is happening amid global worries of a Third World War. 

Amid the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which has the potential to spread to other parts of Europe, the question should be asked about the lessons from WWII. 

As King Charles marked 80 years since the landings in Normandy, he called for unity. Meanwhile, Pope Francis regretted that the lessons had not been learned, warning against the threat of the new widespread conflict. 

French President Emmanuel Macron is hosting US President Joe Biden, King Charles and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will join the Western leaders in Normandy, northern France. 

But notably, no Russian officials have been invited because of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine at a ceremony. Allies that once fought together, are now at odds, which can be seen as a precipice of a greater war.

(With inputs from agencies)