Operation Dragoon: The Allied Invasion of the South of France

Although few people know about Operation Dragoon, it remains one of the most controversial military decisions of WWII. Critics of the operation claim that it set the stage for Russian domination of the Balkan region; those who support it state that it helped to cripple the remnants of the German army already bloodied by the Overlord Invasion at Normandy. Quarterbacking from a vantage point of 50 years is always a bit self serving, but the producers of this video have done an admirable job in seeking out details of ‘Dragoon' and in locating newsreel footage taken at the time. The operation came very dose to being a disaster for the Allies and this video points out some of the serious leadership problems and political in-fighting that flawed the final months of the war. Technically, the presentation is a bit on the boring side, and there are better WWII videos available; but this may be the only one devoted to a battle that almost never took place....and perhaps should never have taken place. Recommended for libraries with strong WWII collections. Aud: P. (J.Carlson)