History of World War 2

Britain's response to Germany's Blitzkrieg invasion of Poland, in 1939, was the British Expeditionary Force, sent to Europe to prevent the German following their successful airborne invasion of the Low Countries, with an armoured assault against France. The BEF's enforced, heroic withdrawal at Dunkirk left the RAF, under Sir Hugh Dowding, to win the Battle Of Britain and postpone invasion plans indefinitely. As World War Two entered its second, decisive phase, the British Army showed its teeth at El Almein where Montgomery's victory halted Rommel's armoured sweep through North Africa. Further East, Hitler's attack on the Soviet Union proved suicidal: German surrender at Stalingrad left Russia poised to punch into the heart of the Reich. In the Far East, Japan followed their pre-emptive strike at Pearl Harbour with rapid territorial gains before being pushed back from Midway by American naval might. In Europe, RAF Bomber Command blitzed German cities as the D-Day invasion of Normandy was taking shape. By April 1945, American and Russian forces had Berlin surrounded – the liberation of Europe was complete. These momentous events are portrayed through front-line film footage and carefully researched contemporary.