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1.  The Historical World 2.  Where in the World? 3.  What's in a Map? 4.  Mapping History 5.  Humans Settle Down 6.  Marking Mesopotamia 7.  How to Build an Empire 8.  Follow the Yellow Silk Road 9.  Mapping Rome's Influence 10.  Before Mexico 11.  Montezuma Meets Cortes 12.  The Battle Begins 13.  Fast Forward 14.  D-Day Arrives 15.  Now What? (Or Where?) 16.  A Blast to End All War 17.  Turn It In
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Let's look at a much more recent turning point.

Caesar crossing the Rhine and Cortés crossing the Atlantic were remarkable in their own way, but our next turning point is considered by some historians to be even more astounding and significant. For this event, we'll fly back over to Europe and jump ahead about 500 years to June 6th, 1944, a day that put an end to Hitler's hopes of conquering the world.

Starting in September of 1939, the German war machine had beaten country after country in Western Europe, until it controlled almost all the land between Spain and the USSR. Most alarming was Hitler's occupation of France, since any attempt to invade Germany from Great Britain would mean breaking through the fearsome Atlantic Wall. The Atlantic Wall was a 1,670-mile fortress of guns, tanks, and cement that covered the entire Northwest coast of Europe. The Nazis had spent years reinforcing the wall until it was the strongest man-made barrier on Earth.

If the Allies wanted to defeat Hitler, they had no choice but to try to find a crack in the Atlantic Wall. If they broke through, they could march into Berlin and force Germany to surrender, but if they failed, the Nazis would become unstoppable. Many historians consider the Allies' attempt to enter German-occupied France as the greatest invasion in the history of the world.

Click the map of The Atlantic Wall to the right to see a full-size version.

 Atlantic Wall

Question

The map on this page uses color a bit differently than most you have seen. The area that is shaded blue does not represent an ocean. Instead, it shows the size and location of the German occupation during World War II. This "empire" included all of the countries that Hitler was able to defeat and occupy. Why do you think Switzerland appears in white, not blue, on this map?

Switzerland managed to remain "neutral" during World War II. It was not occupied by the German army, but it also did not side with the Allied Forces that included the United States, Great Britain, France, and Russia.