Politics.

This is coolbert:

From a comment to the blog:

"It was the politician in Ike that got him the job over Devers. Ike would use this political instinct to wage positive 'coalition warfare' and to badly politicize the entire American high command."

As stated in a caption to a photograph from the book: "The Guns at Last Light" by Atkinson:

"President Roosevelt chose Eisenhower to command Operation OVERLORD as the 'best politician among the military men. He is a natural leader who can convince other men to follow him.'"

It having been originally been thought that by virtue of rank and seniority George C. Marshall more likely to command OVERLORD than Ike

Marshall it have been determined and decided as too valuable a formulator of Grand Strategy with regard to the war effort. NO LESS person than John Jacob Pershing agreeing with this assessment.

Those war-time promotions of Dwight David Eisenhower best termed as "meteoric".

That reputation of Ike as a staff officer but not a commander of combat arms stature.

Fighting a coalition war not such an easy task either? Politics an absolutely essential aspect of command when dealing with multi-national military forces?

Eisenhower having for OVERLORD as his immediate subordinates commanding the various services an all-English contingent: Montgomery [ground forces], Ramsay [naval forces], Leigh-Mallory [air forces].

NO ONE can ever suggest that Ike had an easy job. This agreed!

coolbert.