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By the summer of 1944, the Allied invasion of Normandy had shattered Hitler’s grip on Western Europe. But while all eyes were on the battles raging in the north, another critical offensive was about to unfold in the south—one that would accelerate the collapse of German control in France. Operation Dragoon, launched on August 15, 1944, was the long-awaited Allied invasion of southern France, an operation that would open a second front and lead to the rapid liberation of vast territories. Though overshadowed by the Normandy landings, it proved to be a resounding success and played a vital role in the final defeat of Nazi Germany.
Originally, the plan to invade southern France had been conceived alongside Operation Overlord. However, disagreements between the Allies—particularly between American and British leadership—nearly doomed the idea. Winston Churchill strongly opposed it, believing that resources should instead be focused on Italy and the Balkans. But General Dwight D. Eisenhower and the Americans saw immense strategic value in capturing southern France, securing vital ports, and linking up with forces advancing from Normandy. In the end, the American perspective prevailed, and Operation Dragoon was given the green light.
The invasion force was formidable. Nearly 880 Allied warships and over 1,500 landing craft carried three divisions of American, French, and British troops onto the beaches of Provence. Unlike the brutal resistance seen in Normandy, the German defenders were significantly weaker. Many of their best units had been diverted north to deal with the crisis in Normandy, leaving only scattered, poorly equipped divisions behind.
As dawn broke on August 15, 1944, waves of Allied troops stormed the beaches near Saint-Tropez, Le Lavandou, and Saint-Raphaël. Airborne forces had already landed inland, securing key roads and disrupting German defenses. Resistance was sporadic, and within hours, the beachheads were secured. The Germans, caught off guard and outnumbered, were unable to mount an effective counterattack.
What followed was one of the fastest and most successful campaigns of the war. French resistance fighters, who had been waiting for this moment, rose up across the region, sabotaging German supply lines and ambushing retreating forces. Meanwhile, the Free French Army, under General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny, surged forward, capturing key cities with remarkable speed.
Marseille and Toulon—both critical port cities—fell within two weeks. The liberation of these harbors provided the Allies with much-needed logistical support, allowing supplies to pour in and reinforcing the push northward. As the German forces in the south collapsed, the remnants of their army fled in disarray, retreating toward the German border.
By mid-September, the troops from Operation Dragoon had linked up with those advancing from Normandy. France was now effectively liberated, and the road to Germany lay wide open. Hitler’s hopes of holding France had been shattered, and the Third Reich was now firmly on the defensive.
Operation Dragoon may not have had the fame of D-Day, but it was a masterstroke of strategy. In just a few weeks, it had liberated vast swathes of France, crushed German resistance in the south, and accelerated the final push toward victory. It was proof that Hitler’s empire was collapsing from all sides, and nothing could stop the Allies from marching into the heart of Germany itself.