Most films about D-Day take us to the beaches of Normandy. Pressure takes us somewhere very different: into the rooms where, in the final hours before the invasion, military commanders and meteorologists tried to answer a deceptively simple question. What would the weather be?&nbsp;&nbsp;Directed by Anthony Maras and adapted from David Haig’s stage play, Pressure focuses on the tense days preceding 6 June 1944. Andrew Scott plays Scottish meteorologist <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="Hyperlink SCXW7518203 BCX0" href="https://www.europeremembers.com/fr/stories/536">James Stagg,</a> while Brendan Fraser takes on the role of General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force. Kerry Condon, Chris Messina and Damian Lewis complete a cast, bringing to life the people involved in one of the most consequential decisions of the Second World War.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The result is an unusual war film. There are no great battles to win, at least not yet. Instead, the tension comes from weather charts, conflicting forecasts and the knowledge that a wrong decision could place tens of thousands of lives, and the entire invasion of Western Europe, at risk. And while Pressure is based on real people and real events, it is still a historical drama. To understand what is true -and what has been compressed or changed - it helps to look at the story behind the film.&nbsp;When the Weather Decides&nbsp;Operation Overlord depended on an extraordinary combination of conditions. Tides had to allow troops and landing craft to approach the Normandy coast. Winds could not be too strong. Visibility and cloud cover mattered for aircraft. Waves in the English Channel could determine whether soldiers reached the beaches at all.&nbsp;The invasion was originally planned for 5 June. But the weather was deteriorating rapidly. Stagg advised Eisenhower that conditions would be too dangerous, helping persuade him to postpone the landings. By the evening of 4 June, however, the forecasters identified a brief improvement expected on 6 June. Eisenhower made the decision to go.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;What makes the story remarkable today is how little information the meteorologists had at their disposal. There were no weather satellites and no computer models. Forecasts depended on surface observations of pressure, temperature, wind and humidity, supplemented by reports from ships and aircraft and the judgement of experienced forecasters. Allied intelligence even provided access to German weather observations intercepted through the breaking of the Enigma code.&nbsp;&nbsp;The contrast with modern forecasting is striking. Researchers who advised the filmmakers have since tested the conditions of June 1944 with contemporary systems. Even modern AI-based forecasting models have struggled to reproduce an unequivocal prediction using only the data that was available at the time. In other words, the uncertainty at the heart of Pressure is not simply a dramatic invention. It reflects a genuine problem faced by the Allied meteorologists.&nbsp;The People Behind the Forecast&nbsp;Pressure places James Stagg at the centre of this story, and Andrew Scott portrays a man carrying an almost impossible responsibility: translating uncertain science into a recommendation on which an enormous military operation depended.&nbsp;Reality was more complicated than any two-hour film can easily convey. Three separate meteorological teams contributed forecasts to Stagg, although only two are represented in the film. Their methods differed and, crucially, so did their conclusions. Stagg’s task was not simply to predict the weather himself, but to assess contradictory information, find a position he believed could be defended and present it to Eisenhower.&nbsp;&nbsp;D-Day is often remembered through enormous numbers, famous commanders and iconic photographs of the Normandy beaches. Pressure instead draws attention to the specialists working behind those events: forecasters, observers, intelligence personnel and others whose decisions rarely occupy centre stage in our memory of the war. Their work was invisible when it succeeded. Had the forecast been disastrously wrong, it would have been impossible to ignore.&nbsp;History Under Pressure&nbsp;Like most historical dramas, Pressure compresses events and simplifies relationships. Stagg had in fact been working with the Allied forecasting organisation since late 1943, rather than arriving only days before the invasion as the film suggests. The real forecasting operation also involved more people and competing interpretations than the film can accommodate.&nbsp;&nbsp;Yet this compression points towards something valuable. Pressure reminds us that history is not inevitable simply because we know how it ended.&nbsp;From our perspective, 6 June 1944 is fixed on the calendar as D-Day. For those sitting around the table in June 1944, it was not. They were working with incomplete information, uncertain forecasts and consequences they could only imagine. The decision to proceed was taken without knowing what the next morning would bring.&nbsp;That uncertainty is perhaps the film’s most powerful contribution to our understanding of D-Day. It restores something that historical memory often removes: the possibility that events might have happened differently.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Pressure: The True Story Behind the Film & the D-Day’s Weather Forecast 

On 5 May, the Netherlands marked 80 years since liberation, but that was not the end of the story. For the entire Kingdom of the Netherlands, freedom did not begin on 5 May. It came later, on 15 August 1945.&nbsp;From 5 May to August 15&nbsp;During the Second World War, Japan, an ally of Nazi Germany, occupied the former Dutch East Indies (Indonesia). The European community was separated from the Asian population and imprisoned as prisoners of war or in civilian internment camps. Millions of Indonesian men, along with Dutch and Allied prisoners of war, were forcibly put to work—for example, on the Burma Railway. Many lost their lives, and millions of others endured the consequences of hunger, violence, humiliation, and terror.&nbsp;On 15 August 1945, shortly after the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan capitulated. This marked the official end of the Second World War, even though it did not bring peace for all. Two days later, on 17 August 1945, Sukarno and Hatta declared Indonesia’s independence. What followed was a period in which the Netherlands attempted to reverse Indonesia’s independence through the mobilisation of military troops and the use of great violence. Under international pressure, they withdrew, and in December 1949 the Netherlands recognised Indonesia’s independence.&nbsp;From that point, many residents chose to relocate to the Netherlands, creating an active community of Indo-Dutch, Moluccans, Papuans, Peranakan Chinese, and many other indigenous groups from modern Indonesia.&nbsp;This group of people shared the same history: the loss of their motherland, the experience of the war in Asia, the impact of extensive displacement, and the cold welcome they encountered in the Netherlands. These experiences lived on in the generations that followed. Even 80 years later, the scars of the Second World War remained visible among this group of Dutch citizens—both in the families who lost loved ones in the violence, and on a broader scale, in the way the war continued to shape perspectives on the world.&nbsp;How young people keep the Indies heritage alive&nbsp;Who was born in the Netherlands after the war know freedom as a given fact. But in Indo families, another history lives on. From occupation, to repatriation and years and years of silence. &nbsp;Many of those who experienced this are no longer with us, but their stories should live on. Like Maddy Batelaan (then 17 y/o) said at the Indies Monument: “Trust us with your story, we will carry it along.” Maddy is a member of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/jong.1508/">Jong 1508</a>, a young people’s initiative that organises the Indies Generation Tables, where young and old come together to talk about trauma, but also about traditions and memories that were never written down. &nbsp;That’s how Maddy and many other young people keep the past alive. Because freedom is not something you only receive, you also pass it on.&nbsp;

Why August 15 Matters [Article written and kindly shared by the Dutch National Committee for 4 and 5 May]

We started in Sicily in July 2023 and continued in Normandy for the D-Day anniversary on 6 June 2024. From there, we went to the Netherlands for commemorations of Operation Market Garden and the Battle of the Scheldt, and later to Belgium for events marking the Battle of the Bulge. Most recently, we were in the Netherlands again for the national remembrance and liberation days on 4 and 5 May 2025. From Amsterdam to Groningen, Apeldoorn, and the Freedom Ride in Arnhem, the spirit of remembrance and unity was deeply felt.In addition to these major milestones, the Europe Remembers online campaign covered many more local and regional commemorations, anniversaries, and remembrance initiatives across Europe. From small community events to large international ceremonies, we aimed to highlight the wide range of efforts being made to remember and honour the history of WWII. Throughout the campaign, we created and shared a broad range of content: historical videos, interviews, reportages, and short documentaries. We spoke with veterans, re-enactors, organisers, writers, and participants—bringing these stories to a broad audience on <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://europeremembers.com">europeremembers.com</a>, Facebook, and Instagram. The website also served as a collaborative platform where people could find and explore WWII-related events organised across Europe. It helped connect organisations, institutions, and the public with accessible information about commemorations and activities taking place throughout the 80th anniversary period.The campaign is now entering its final phase, with a focus on audience engagement through the #IRemember initiative. This phase invites people to share their personal or family memories of the war. The campaign will continue through to September, marking the anniversary of the end of WWII.After that, we will take time to look back at the past years, assess the wide range of activities we’ve carried out, and consider how Europe Remembers can best grow and evolve in the future. Our goal is to ensure that this campaign continues to serve as a meaningful platform for remembrance and education. We want to thank all the partners who worked with us over the past months: Vfonds, the Nationaal Comité 4 en 5 mei, Region Gelderland, Brabant Remembers, Region Zeeland, the Bastogne Memorial and WWII Reference Center, as well as the many museums and local partners we met along the way. Thank you for following and supporting Europe Remembers. You can continue to explore our stories, videos, and commemorations on social media and at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://europeremembers.com">europeremembers.com</a>.

Europe Remembers: Update on the 80th Anniversary Campaign

The silhouettes, known as "Giants," stand as silent witnesses to history, creating a visual and emotional connection to the hanging paratroopers in the Eusebiuskerk’s council chapel and the Battle of Arnhem Experience in the church tower. This exhibition invites visitors to reflect on the value of freedom and the enduring legacy of those who fought for it.&nbsp;Practical Information&nbsp;<ul><li>Dates: 28 August 2026 – 27 September 2026</li></ul><ul><li>Location: Eusebiuskerk, Arnhem, Netherlands&nbsp;</li></ul><ul><li>Opening Hours: Daily, 10:00–17:00&nbsp;</li></ul><ul><li>Organizers: Stichting Bridge to Liberation, Stichting Citymarketing Arnhem, Platform Binnenstad Arnhem, Stiching Eusebius Arnhem&nbsp;</li></ul><ul><li>More Information: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://www.intoarnhem.nl/airborne">www.intoarnhem.nl/airborne</a>&nbsp;</li></ul>

The Netherlands

Standing With Giants – The Battle of Arnhem

The exhibition “My Childhood, 1939-1945” explores the daily lives of French and Canadian children during the Second World War and the war’s impact on civilian populations, particularly on youth.How did youth navigate this era, how were they transformed by the war, and how, for French children, did they experience the Occupation, the liberation, the battles, and the post-war reconstruction?Through immersive modules and testimonies, the exhibition compares the realities of the Occupation in France and the impact of the war on children in Canada.Visitors will better understand how childhoods were disrupted, their adaptations to new daily routines and how they experienced grief, gratitude toward Canadian soldiers, and regained freedom.The stories will be presented through several key themes:<ul><li>The Weight of Occupation (1940–1944) at school and at home</li><li>D-Day (June 6, 1944)</li><li>The Battle of Normandy (June–September 1944)</li><li>Liberation and the scars of war (1944 to today)</li><li>The “absences” experienced by French and Canadian children</li></ul>Learn more here: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.junobeach.org/exhibitions/my-childhood-1939-1945/">https://www.junobeach.org/exhibitions/my-childhood-1939-1945/</a>

France

Exhibition: "My childhood, 1939-1945" at Juno Beach Centre

More than just an episode of the Second World War, captivity was an unprecedented social phenomenon that became part of the trauma of France's defeat. Nearly every family was affected, either directly or indirectly. The absence of so many able-bodied men weighed heavily on society, leaving women and children to cope with the hardships of everyday life.Initially confined in the Frontstalags (prisoner-of-war camps in occupied France), the prisoners were later dispersed among the Stalags and Oflags across Germany, forming part of the vast internment system established by the Third Reich throughout the territories under its control, including Poland, Austria, and Czechoslovakia. Their lives were shaped by the demands of the German war economy, which alternately welcomed and distrusted this forced labor force. The fate of the prisoners became a major concern for the Vichy government, which pursued every possible compromise in an effort to improve their situation. Deprived of their freedom for five years, exiled in a foreign land, and separated from their families, the prisoners had to draw on their inner strength to endure this ordeal with dignity.<h5>Discover the Exhibition as a Family!</h5>Step into history alongside Jean, our prisoner-guide and the exhibition's mascot. Children aged 7 and up are invited to explore the exhibition in a fun and interactive way. By scanning QR codes throughout the exhibition, they can download smartphone content created especially for them.Inside the exhibition, a dedicated children's area offers:<ul><li>A reconstructed prisoner barracks room (chambrée)</li><li>Hands-on exploration of replica historical documents and objects</li><li>Board games</li><li>Self-guided workshops and activities</li></ul>Together, these features provide an immersive and educational experience for the whole family.

French Prisoners of War: History of a Captive Community (1940–1945)

The exhibition covers the period from the mid-17th century, when a sandbank known as the Western Bank formed at the mouth of the Vistula River, to mid-1941, when the Westerplatte branch of the German Stutthof concentration camp for civilian prisoners was closed.The location of the exhibition is not coincidental – it is the historic former Power Plant building of the Polish Military Transit Depot, renovated and arranged for exhibition purposes. The exhibition features the archaeological discoveries related to the site, the everyday life of the depot, the difficult and responsible service of Polish soldiers in the face of growing hatred of the Germans towards Polish presence in the area of the Free City of Gdańsk, and the camp for Polish civilian prisoners set up by the Germans after the seven-day battle (1–7 September 1939). The curators aim to make visitors aware that Westerplatte is not only a peninsula heroically defended by a small unit of Polish soldiers, but also the site of German crimes against Polish civilians. The exhibition also intends to highlight the symbolic significance of Westerplatte as the place where the Second World War began.Start your visit at Westerplatte with the Visitor Centre [Centrum Obsługi Zwiedzających ‘Pole Bitwy Westerplatte’]. At the information desk, you will obtain information related to the history of Westerplatte. Assistance in planning the route, finding a guide and information will help discover the monuments in the area. The building overlooking the sea provides visitors with a rest stop. It is adapted for people with disabilities.

Poland

Exhibition ‘Memory buried beneath the surface. Archaeology of Westerplatte’

Medicine Behind the Barbed Wire was organized for the first time in 2018 in Kraków, Poland. In 2022, the 4th edition featured the first&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://mra.piebm.org/conference/ryn_award">Z.J. Ryn Award</a> ceremony for unique contribution to the Medical Review Auschwitz project and for the best lecture at the conference. The 5th edition attracted over 100 hundred participants from around the world.&nbsp;&nbsp;The conference is organized by the Polish Institute for Evidence Based Medicine in collaboration with the Kraków Medical Society, Institute of National Remembrance and Jagiellonian University Medical College. Conference partners include the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum, University of Colorado Center for Bioethics and Humanities, Harvard Medical School Center for Bioethics and the International Chair in Bioethics (WMA Cooperation Center).&nbsp;Target audience&nbsp;Clinical practitioners of various specialties; members of ethical committees at medical institutions; medical educators working in bioethics, medical ethics and history of medicine programs; residents and fellows in training interested in the legacy of the Holocaust for clinical practice, professional ethics, physician-patient relationship and bioethics.&nbsp;The conference is open to allied medical professionals, including psychotherapists and psychologists, nurses, midwives and paramedics. The program is also directed to students of medicine and related disciplines as well as ethicists, bioethicists and historians of medicine.&nbsp;All informations at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://mra.piebm.org/conference/#title">https://mra.piebm.org/conference/#title</a>

Conference Medical Review Auschwitz: Medicine Behind the Barbed Wire 

Many of you visited this fantastic event in 2025! See you in December 2026 for the 82nd anniversary!<ul><li>Recreated period camps</li><li>Exhibition of vintage vehicles</li><li>Convoys of historic vehicles and armoured vehicles</li><li>Roadbook route for period vehicles</li><li>Introduction to an engineering unit</li><li>Visit to the Manhay History 44 Museum</li><li>Battlefield re-enactment with pyrotechnic show</li><li>WWII shop and militaria fair</li><li>Mass for those who fell in battle</li><li>Tributes to the liberators</li><li>1940-45 musical entertainment</li><li>Bar and catering on site</li></ul>Free admissionFull programme and registration : <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.ardennes-history-remember.be/en/programme-2026/">https://www.ardennes-history-remember.be/en/programme-2026/</a>

Belgium 

Battle of the Bulge Manhay 2026

Interview with multimedia artist  Natalia Grezina

Today, on the 80th anniversary, people gather at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park to remember one of the most devastating choices of the Second World War. Designed by architect Kenzō Tange, the park honors the countless lives lost and forever changed, and carries a message to the future: No more Hiroshimas. No more war. 🕊️ Join us in remembering, and in committing to peace.

Commemorate the end of WWII – 80 years later

Featured events

Standing With Giants – The Battle of Arnhem

Exhibition: "My childhood, 1939-1945" at Juno Beach Centre

French Prisoners of War: History of a Captive Community (1940–1945)

Exhibition ‘Memory buried beneath the surface. Archaeology of Westerplatte’

Next events

Conference Medical Review Auschwitz: Medicine Behind the Barbed Wire

Battle of the Bulge Manhay 2026

Our videos

Interview with multimedia artist Natalia Grezina

Hiroshima, 80 years later

Blog

Pressure: The True Story Behind the Film & the D-Day’s Weather Forecast

Why August 15 Matters [Article written and kindly shared by the Dutch National Committee for 4 and 5 May]

Europe Remembers: Update on the 80th Anniversary Campaign

Register your event on Europe Remembers