Christopher Nolan’s “Dunkirk” is lighting up the box office, with star turns by Mark Rylance and Kenneth Branagh. Is there a consensus among historians about why the German military halted outside Dunkirk on May 24, 1940? Remember, Hitler’s May 24 Haltbefehl (“stop order”) did not stop the Panzers from attacking the Dunkirk beachhead. But often, German commanders worked at cross-purposes with one another, requiring a strong hand on the rudder, if you will. Did what happened at Dunkirk between Hitler and his generals have any impact on German decision-making later?

Source: The Nation Bangkok July 25, 2017 18:11 UTC