Dr. Bill Nance: “Brittany to the Elbe: 9th Army’s Invasion of Europe in World War II”

“Brittany to the Elbe: 9th Army’s Invasion of Europe in World War II”
Dr. Bill Nance
Thursday, February 2, 2023 | 3 p.m.

While the 1944-45 campaign to liberate France is well known in general detail, many of the specifics are unclear. In this talk, we will explore the liberation of Western Europe through the eyes of a lesser-known American Army that played a large, but mostly unheralded, role in this effort. From its activation in Brittany in September of 1944 to its final limit of advance on the Elbe River, the US Ninth Army ground through some of the fiercest fighting of the war, while establishing a reputation for not only good teamwork, but doing things in a calm, thoughtful manner. By the end of the war, Omar Bradley would state that “unlike the noisy and bumptious Third, or the temperamental First, the Ninth Army remained uncommonly normal.”

Dr. William (Bill) Nance recently retired from the United States Army, having served in Iraq and Saudi Arabia. He has taught history at the United States Military Academy and at the Command and General Staff College (CGSC). He is currently serving as a civilian Associate Professor of History at CGSC.

The Ft. Leavenworth Series

The Ft. Leavenworth Series is an annual roster of lectures focusing on significant historical events, usually with an emphasis on military history. Each lecture is presented by faculty from the United States Army Command and General Staff College in Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. Established by General William Tecumseh Sherman in 1881, the CGSC is the graduate college for U.S. Army and sister service officers. The esteemed faculty and guests of the CGSC provide unique and captivating insights into the history of military conflict from the ancient to the modern ages at the Dole Institute of Politics.

The Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics is dedicated to promoting political and civic participation as well as civil discourse in a bipartisan, philosophically balanced manner. It is located on KU’s West Campus and houses the Dole Archive and Special Collections. Through its robust public programming, congressional archive, and museum, the Dole Institute strives to celebrate public service and the legacies of US Senators Bob Dole and Elizabeth Dole.