The Evacuation of Dunkirk
Research Paper
Through a careful and in depth analysis of the events leading up to the evacuation of Dunkirk and the evacuation itself, it is easy to understand what went wrong and how current leaders could profit from the mistakes made in the past. Few would contest that what happened at the tiny coast town of Dunkirk in May of 1940 was nothing short of a miracle. In military terms, the evacuation was a retreat, yet scholars years later would concur that this retreat was one of the most brilliant moves made by the Allied High Command. In a dazzling display of courage and patriotism, over 330,000 Allied troops were rescued from certain capture and imprisonment during this daunting endeavor. But why was this retreat necessary, what led up to this retreat, and what can we learn from it in modern times? All this and more are important things to consider as we take a closer look at the turning point of World War II, the battle of Dunkirk.
To get a complete understanding of the Battle of Dunkirk, it is vital to know a little bit about why this retreat was necessary in the first place. The first and most openly disputed incident prior to the battle for France is commonly referred to as the Mechelen Affair. An initial analysis would result in a rapid condemnation of the Belgium government, yet with a little insight, it is easy to see why the mistake was made. The Mechelen Affair revolved around the crash landing of an aero plane flown by German aviator Major Erich Hoenmanns. After the major had reportedly gotten lost, he inadvertently cut the fuel supply to his engine and had to crash land his plane in neutral Belgium. The problem arose with the fact that he was carrying a very important passenger. Fifty-year-old Major Helmuth Reinberger was flying as a passenger and was carrying extremely incriminating documents that threatened the national security of both Belgium and Germany itself. Reinberger was currently on the staff of Fliegerfuhrer
Through a careful and in depth analysis of the events leading up to the evacuation of Dunkirk and the evacuation itself, it is easy to understand what went wrong and how current leaders could profit from the mistakes made in the past. Few would contest that what happened at the tiny coast town of Dunkirk in May of 1940 was nothing short of a miracle. In military terms, the evacuation was a retreat, yet scholars years later would concur that this retreat was one of the most brilliant moves made by the Allied High Command. In a dazzling display of courage and patriotism, over 330,000 Allied troops were rescued from certain capture and imprisonment during this daunting endeavor. But why was this retreat necessary, what led up to this retreat, and what can we learn from it in modern times? All this and more are important things to consider as we take a closer look at the turning point of World War II, the battle of Dunkirk.
To get a complete understanding of the Battle of Dunkirk, it is vital to know a little bit about why this retreat was necessary in the first place. The first and most openly disputed incident prior to the battle for France is commonly referred to as the Mechelen Affair. An initial analysis would result in a rapid condemnation of the Belgium government, yet with a little insight, it is easy to see why the mistake was made. The Mechelen Affair revolved around the crash landing of an aero plane flown by German aviator Major Erich Hoenmanns. After the major had reportedly gotten lost, he inadvertently cut the fuel supply to his engine and had to crash land his plane in neutral Belgium. The problem arose with the fact that he was carrying a very important passenger. Fifty-year-old Major Helmuth Reinberger was flying as a passenger and was carrying extremely incriminating documents that threatened the national security of both Belgium and Germany itself. Reinberger was currently on the staff of Fliegerfuhrer