By the end of 1941, Germany occupied large parts of Europe. Planning for D-Day began when Stalin called for the UK and US to open a second front in Western Europe to ease pressure on Russian forces fighting Germany. Key decisions included choosing Normandy's beaches as invasion sites. Extensive preparations involved thousands of personnel, vehicles, and equipment transported by sea. The Allies also developed strategies like using aluminum strips to confuse German radar and prefabricated Mulberry harbors were towed across the English Channel. While risks were high if the landings failed, the invasion succeeded and marked the beginning of the campaign in Western Europe to defeat Germany.