School of War Ep 248: Marc Milner on D-Day and the US-UK Battle for Hegemony
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Nov 14, 2025 Marc Milner, Emeritus Professor of History and author specializing in WWII, shares intriguing insights on the Anglo-American rivalry during the war. He delves into how 1917 shaped political tensions and the ambivalence of American attitudes toward Nazi fascism. The discussion unfolds around FDR's strategic decisions at the Tehran Conference and the delay of the Western second front. Milner also addresses the complexities behind Allied choices and how D-Day symbolized a shift in global power dynamics, revealing the intricate balance of imperial politics.
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America's Separate Path In WWI
- The US entered WWI as an 'associated power' refusing to have its troops absorbed into Allied units.
- That separation sowed early Anglo-American tension over credit, control, and war debts.
Battle Monuments Spark Diplomatic Friction
- The American Battle Monuments Commission envisioned extensive U.S. memorials across France, provoking local pushback.
- Europeans complained about over-memorializing and even import duties on monument stone.
Economic Rift Shaped Prewar Strategy
- FDR disliked empires and saw British imperial protectionism as a threat to global economic stability.
- The 1930s trade blocs and unpaid war debts deepened distrust between Britain and the U.S.
