As Allied troops took control of the invasion beaches of Normandy in the aftermath of D-Day, their commanders had every reason to feel confident. With the landings of 6 June 1944 deemed a success, many – including General Bernard Montgomery, Commander in Chief of Allied Ground Forces – believed that victory must now be near at hand, and that the greatest war in human history would finally be over by Christmas.
Of course, things did not turn out that way, and World War II would grind on until May 1945. In our cover story — the first part of a series to mark the 80th anniversary of those tumultuous final months – Taylor Downing asks whether an early defeat of Nazi Germany was ever a real possibility.
Elsewhere, in our latest two-part special feature, Stephen Roberts explores the controversial history of Robert Clive in India, and reveals how his landmark victory at the Battle of Plassey on 23 June 1757 helped launch Britain’s empire on the subcontinent.
Also in this issue, Graham Goodlad continues his fascinating series on Napoleon by examining his extraordinary military successes in the first decade of the 19th century; David Flintham reveals how issues beyond the battlefield affected the British Civil Wars; and David Porter returns to the last days of WWII, to tell the largely forgotten story of Germany’s ‘Little Dunkirk’.
And finally, as you may have noticed, MHM has a smart new masthead, and a cleaner, fresher, more modern look. We have taken the opportunity as well to introduce some new features, including a podcast guide (p.59) and ‘My Military History’ (p.74), a regular interview slot.
We hope you like our new appearance — but do rest assured: we have also worked hard to ensure that the style and content of the magazine remain largely unchanged, with the same mix of news, features, and reviews that have helped over the years to make MHM the leading publication for anyone interested in the history of warfare.
As always, we hope you enjoy the issue!