On This Day - What happened 26 September 1944 AD

An attempt to advance into northern Germany spearheaded by a major airborne operation in the Netherlands failed. Operation Market Garden was a failed military operation fought in the Netherlands from 17 to 25 September 1944.

On 26 September 1944 Hitler ordered Himmler to create special army units, the Volkssturm ("People's Storm" or "People's Army"). All males aged sixteen to sixty were eligible for conscription into this militia, over the protests of Armaments Minister Albert Speer, who noted that irreplaceable skilled workers were being removed from armaments production. Hitler confidently believed six million men could be raised, and the new units would "initiate a people's war against the invader".