D-Day History: Nazi Germany with John Owen

Perhaps the greatest truism in history - that it is written by the victors - has often led to discussions of events on the Western Front, in which Nazi Germany plays no role. This conversation will attempt to explore and examine some of the perspectives which arise from this, most notably the polarized opinions which either see the Western Front as the only Second World War, or as a total irrelevance in the context of the War in Eastern Europe.

John will attempt to show that neither of these polarised perspectives reflects the importance of D-Day in Nazi Germany, and will show how the events of 6th June 1945 had ramifications in Germany which went far beyond the purely military defeat which resulted in the establishment of bridgeheads on the Normandy beaches. This will be a talk which looks at nuance in history and attempts to build a broader picture of this complex history.

John studied History and German at the University of Oxford, eventually specializing in German-Jewish history and the history of the Third Reich. He has been coming to Berlin since he was a teenager and moved to the city permanently a couple of years ago. The tangibility of history, especially that of the twentieth century, never ceases to thrill him in Berlin.

This conversation is suitable for all ages.

90 minutes, including a 30 minute Q&A.