BBC - History - World War Two

Women in a cattle wagon on route to death camps

Genocide under the Nazis
Sixty years on from the liberation of Auschwitz, a new section examines the horrors of Nazi persecution and the descent into genocide.


		Origins of World War Two Resentment at the harsh peace of World War One fuelled the rise of Adolf Hitler. Anxious to avoid war, Britain and France chose to appease German territorial demands before finally 'drawing a line in the sand' over Poland. The Ending of World War One, and the Legacy of Peace by Professor Martin Kitchen Germany: Rise of Hitler and the Nazis by Professor Jeremy Noakes Hitler's Leadership Style by Dr Geoffrey Megargee Japan's Quest for Empire 1931 - 1945 by Susan Townsend Churchill - The Gathering Storm by Professor John Charmley Countdown to World War Two World War Two Summary by Bruce Robinson


		Fall of Poland to the Fall of France The speed and ferocity of the German army's victories caught the Allies by surprise and rendered their outmoded military tactics redundant. France fell and Britain retreated across the Channel. Blitzkrieg: Origins of Lightning War by Robert T Foley The Invasion of Poland by Bradley Lightbody The Norway Campaign by Dr Eric Grove Spinning Dunkirk by Professor Duncan Anderson The Fall of France by Dr Gary Sheffield


		Battle of Britain to the Blitz Alone in Europe and faced with the prospect of invasion, Britain turned to the inspirational leadership of Winston Churchill. War raged in the air and at sea, while German bombers pounded British cities. Winston Churchill: Defender of Democracy by Dr Geoffrey Best The Battle of Britain by Dr Chris Bellamy The German Threat to Britain by Dan Cruickshank The Blitz: Sorting Myth from Reality by James Richards The Battle of the Atlantic by Dr Gary Sheffield Vichy Policy on Jewish Deportation by Paul Webster


		Barbarossa, Pearl Harbor and Dieppe With Britain contained, Hitler launched a massive invasion of the Soviet Union. In the Pacific, Japan's surprise naval attack brought the United States into the war. The first Allied raid on 'Fortress Europe' ended in disaster. Lebensraum: Hitler's Obsession with the East by Jeremy Noakes Pearl Harbor: A Rude Awakening by Bruce Robinson War in the South China Sea: The Sinking of Force Z by Lieutenant Commander Geoffrey Brooke The Dieppe Fiasco by Julian Thompson The Burma Campaign 1941 - 1945 by Michael Hickey Colonies, Colonials and WW2 by Marika Sherwood Malta: 'The Verdun of the Naval War' by Dr Eric Grove Rommel in the Desert by Dr Niall Barr


		El Alamein, the Atlantic and Stalingrad The Allies inflicted the first major land defeats on Germany, in North Africa and the Soviet Union. In the Atlantic, victories in the desperate struggle against the U-boat menace relaxed Germany's stranglehold on Britain. Battle of Midway by Andrew Lambert Battle of El Alamein by Professor Richard Holmes The Soviet-German War 1941 - 1945 by Richard Overy The Battle of the Atlantic by Dr Gary Sheffield Partisans by Dr Stephen A Hart


		Italy, the Pacific and the Eastern Front The 'Axis' of Germany, Italy and Japan was thrown back on all fronts. Italy was invaded, the Germany army was in full retreat on the Eastern Front, and defeated Japanese soldiers fought to the death in Burma and the Pacific. Battle of Monte Cassino by Professor Richard Holmes The 'D-Day Dodgers' by Professor Richard Holmes The Burma Campaign 1941 - 1945 by Michael Hickey The Sinking of the Scharnhorst by Norman Fenton British Bombing Strategy by Detlef Siebert The Air War and British Bomber Crews by Mark Fielder Germany's Final Measures by Louise Wilmot Japan: No Surrender by David Powers


		From D-Day to VJ Day The D-Day invasions began the liberation of Europe, while the Soviet Union continued its relentless march on Berlin. Within a year, Germany and Japan were defeated, and six years of bloody, bitter warfare were at an end. D-Day: Beachhead by Professor Duncan Anderson GI Joe: US Soldiers of WW2 by Captain Dale Dye USMC (Retd) Operation Overlord: D-Day to Paris by Lloyd Clark The Allies at War by Simon Berthon Battle of Arnhem by Mark Fielder Battle of the Bulge: Germany's Last Throw by Robin Cross Liberating the Concentration Camps of Nazi Germany by Dr Stephen A Hart Battle for Berlin by Tilman Remme VE Day and the Surrender of Germany by Dr Gary Sheffield How the Allies Won by Professor Richard Overy


	Share your wartime story with the nation - every account is vital.


	'Luck, guts and planning' - how the liberation of Europe began.


	Civil defence, rationing and evacuation - how the people did their bit.


	The Special Operations Executive - a war fought behind the scenes.



Battlefield Academy Use military strategy to do battle across four historic time periods.

D-Day Clockwatch Track the Allied invasion's progress, with snapshot headlines as they happened on that historic day.

Destination D-Day Find out the techniques and gadgets used by SOE agents during wartime.

World War Two Movies WW2 through the eyes of soldiers, secret agents, pilots and evacuees.

Battle of the Atlantic Uncover the tactics employed by Allied convoys to avoid the U-boat threat.

Animated Maps Follow key campaigns: Dunkirk, D-Day, Italy, Africa and Burma.

Battles of WW2 Chart the progress of the battles of El Alamein and Arnhem.



Voices of D-Day Veterans remember the terrifying events of D-Day.

D-Day to Berlin Gallery Follow the troops as they journey from the beaches to Berlin.

Voices of Dunkirk Listen in as veterans recall the events of the Dunkirk evacuation.

No 1 Squadron Gallery Explore the stories behind this leading British fighting scout unit of WW2.

Reconnaissance Gallery Allied aerial photos offer a bird's eye view of such events as D Day.

The Saboteurs Gallery See some of the gadgets that were available to the SOE.

Child Survivors of the Holocaust Gallery Survivors of the Kindertransport reflect on their experience.

Nazi Propaganda Gallery Cartoons and posters aimed at the masses.

Churchill Audio Wartime speeches that inspired the nation.

Hitler Audio Hitler speaking about the Jews, with English translations.

Advertising and Information Posters A fascinating insight into the social attitudes of wartime Britain.

Children of WW2 A website for 7- to 9-year-olds looking at British children's experiences on the Home Front.



On This Day Wartime reportage from the BBC News archives. BBC News D-Day commemorations: features past and present. BBC Radio 4 Historic events and commentary on the D-Day anniversary. BBC Shop DVD available: The World At War: Special Collectors Edition. BBC FOUR Director interview and quiz on the documentary, The Other Side of Dunkirk.