Join us for a lecture by Dr. Mark A. Stoler at the GCMF building in Lexington, Virginia, on Tuesday, March 26, 2024 at 5:30 p.m. A reception will follow the lecture.
Marshall and OVERLORD
For more than two years during World War II George C. Marshall was the major proponent for invading northern France as opposed to British proposals—often endorsed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt–to instead invade French North Africa and Italy in the Mediterranean. This debate quickly became a highly divisive controversy within the Grand Alliance—one that almost wrecked the Allied coalition. Marshall eventually won this debate, only to be denied the actual command of Operation OVERLORD in favor of his protégé Dwight Eisenhower. This presentation will explore Marshall’s pivotal role in the controversy—and the related reasons why he was then denied command of the operation.
How can I attend?
The event is free to the public, but reservations are required. To reserve a seat, or for more information about the event, contact [email protected] or call 540.463.7103, ext. 138.
How can I watch from home?
The presentation will also be livestreamed on the Marshall Foundation YouTube channel (https://bit.ly/2Or0E8D) simultaneously. Viewers of the stream are encouraged to write questions using the live video chat (to the lower right of the video) or via email at [email protected]. Chat will be monitored for abusive comments.
Who is Dr. Mark A. Stoler?
Mark A. Stoler is Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Vermont, where he taught from 1970-2007. He received his B.A. from the City College of New York (1966), and his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (1967, 1971). He is the author of George C. Marshall: Soldier-Statesman of the American Century and Allies and Adversaries: The Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Grand Alliance, and U.S.Strategy in World War II, for which he was awarded the Distinguished Book Award of the Society for Military History. He was editor of The Papers of George Catlett Marshall, vols. 6 and 7, with Larry I. Bland and Daniel D. Holt He has been a visiting professor at the U.S. Naval War College (1980-81), the University of Haifa in Israel (Fulbright, 1984-85), the U.S. Military Academy-West Point (1994-95), the U.S. Army Military History Institute (H. K. Johnson chair, 2004-5), Williams College (Kaplan chair, 2007-9), and Washington and Lee University (Griffith ’52 chair, 2010-19). He has served on the Army’s Historical Advisory Committee, the Board of Trustees of the Society for Military History, the Board of Directors of the World War II Studies Association, the National World War II Museum’s Board of Presidential Advisers, and the Council of the Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations. He was the 2004 President of that Society.