As France fell to the German armies in May 1940, 400,000 Allied troops were trapped on the beaches of Dunkirk. Their annihilation seemed certain—a disaster that could have led to Britain’s surrender. But then, in a last-minute rescue, Royal Navy ships and a flotilla of tiny civilian boats evacuated hundreds of thousands of soldiers to safety across the Channel—the legendary “miracle of Dunkirk.”
“The Machine of Time” is a Greek documentary series that explores history, shedding light on unknown aspects of events, people, and social phenomena. Through interviews, archival footage, and investigative research, it reveals the human stories behind major historical moments.
This documentary from the History Channel takes an in-depth look at some of the major battles and incidents that figured prominently in World War II, focusing on the ground-level experiences of soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines, who endured unspeakable hardship and often sacrificed their lives for the sake of their cause.
Hitler had proclaimed that Nazi conquered Europe was an impenetrable fortress. On the 6th of June 1944, the Allies launched the largest combined land, air and sea operation ever. This invasion, designed to begin the liberation of Europe, would forever be known as D-Day. The years leading up to 1944 had seen total domination of Europe by Nazi Germany. Despite the entry of America into WWII, strategic bombing, the invasions of North Africa and Italy, Germany remained in control and was able to strength its coastal defenses, The Atlantic Wall, in preparation for the inevitable Allied invasion. Operation Overlord was the Allied plan to defeat those defenses and open a Western Front. The hard lessons learned at Anzio, Dieppe and Salerno were about to be brought into focus with the greatest invasion the world had ever seen. But how had the Allies come to this point? Who were the personalities and what compromises were made to forge this great alliance?
On 1 September 1939, Hitler started the most fatal war in world history – a war waged to plunder, dispossess, enslave and eliminate entire ethnic groups. This German-Polish series reconstructs how Hitler triggered a chain of events that sparked a global conflagration and the intense suffering of the Polish people, the first victims of the war.
Nazi war criminals are hunted down and put on trail for atrocities committed during WWII. Contains Film of the concentration camps with survivors interviewed. These films follow the rise and fall of Nazism from the Munich beer halls to the Nuremberg War Trials. Includes flashbacks of a variety of Nazi war crimes against humanity.
Twenty minutes of “television substitute.” TV dismantled, reassembled, and laid bare through editing to reveal what the video and its everyday protagonists are really telling us.
Relive the greatest crisis ever faced by the United States as this unique documentary traces the history of the Civil War from its origins through to the final tragic act of Lincoln's assassination. Witness four years of terrible campaigns that cut a swath of destruction from Virginia to the Mississippi River and Beyond. Recounted in over six captivating hours, the battles and leaders of the new American Civil War are brought to life with fresh perspectives and new insight. Come with us as we unlock the secrets of this fascinating time, a crucible of violence from which a stronger nation emerged, ready to face the challenges of a changing world.
AJP Taylor, the renowned historian, appraises the performance of World War Two leaders. In this series he delivers his lectures to camera and without an autocue.
Witness the Vietnam War, its roots, its battles, its heroes and the price paid in the name of freedom. This stunning, detailed collection shows the war with heartbreaking realism. It looks at troubling questions about America's justification for the conflict, the horrors of jungle warfare and the human calamity of the war. Ultimately, it profiles the courage of the soldier who put their lives on the line in the name of patriotism.
The figures are stark and almost impossible to comprehend: military deaths estimated between 21-25 million, civilian deaths between 50-55 million. The greatest manmade event in history was also the most lethal, taking far more lives away from the battlefield than on it. “Hell on Earth” tells the story of The Second World War” from a perspective that recognises these overwhelming facts: war as a human experience.
They were U.S. paratroopers, Norwegian operatives, and British Commandos, Allied teams leading high-risk operations throughout Europe, Africa, and Asia to fight Hitler and turn the tide of the war. WWII's Most Daring Raids puts you in the heart of the action, giving you a minute-by-minute account of the most astonishing surprise attacks against the Third Reich. We forensically examine how exactly these assaults played out, through expert analysis and testimonies from the brave men who carried them out.
Over 100 years ago, humanity witnessed the greatest war that had ever occurred: World War I. Nearly two million men from across Asia were recruited to fight in the war. They were Indian soldiers from remote communities, Chinese farmers from rural outposts who worked as laborers, Vietnamese fishermen participating on behalf of their French colonial masters, and Japanese sailors in service of their emperor. But today, few remember them or their sacrifices. From India's Forgotten Army to the Chinese Labor Corp, Vietnam's war and rebellion to Japan's alliance and subsequent imperialism, this program examines Asia's war effort and how it...
The story of Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, and Josef Stalin; but also reveals those strong men, autocrats, and despots that followed in their footsteps. How did these men take absolute power, and what did they do with it? ‘Rise of the Dictators’ provides a compelling insight into the fragility of democracy, and the frightening resilience of authoritarianism.
The 20th century began with America on the sidelines of world conflict, but before the end of the century, America would stand alone as the most powerful military nation in the history of the world. This documentary explores America's rise, from the horse-drawn cannons of World War I to the laser guided missiles of Desert Storm. Century of Warfare chronicles the crucial battle engagements that shaped the outcomes of the great conflicts of the 20th century, changing the world and the face of America forever. Beginning with the events preceding World War I, Century of Warfare details the combat history of World War I, World War II, Vietnam, Korea, and Operation Desert Storm, using authentic archival footage and extensive interviews with veterans and historians.