The story of the 20 momentous years from 1936 to 1956 that changed the course of history, as told by Jonathan Dimbleby and through the words of remarkable BBC correspondents.
From Hiroshima to Cold War
The annihilation of Hiroshima ends the war with Japan, but peace brings new enmities and flashpoints: Divided Berlin, Korea, Hungary and Suez. With Jonathan Dimbleby.
8/28/2015 • 17 minutes, 46 seconds
Burma, Berlin and Belsen
The Allied advance through Germany recaptures Berlin, but uncovers the atrocities of the Holocaust, as war in the Far East rages on. With Jonathan Dimbleby.
8/26/2015 • 14 minutes
Paris Liberated; Allied defeat at Arnhem
As Paris falls to the Allies and German resistance in Italy falters, the defeat at Arnhem in the Netherlands is a major setback for the Allies. With Jonathan Dimbleby.
8/24/2015 • 13 minutes, 26 seconds
D-Day and the Liberation of Normandy
1944’s hush-hush Allied plans to invade occupied France bring success, but hard fighting, as Hitler’s troops are well dug in in Normandy. With Jonathan Dimbleby.
8/23/2015 • 13 minutes, 18 seconds
Dunkirk and the Fall of Paris
The German army outflanks the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) and forces the epic retreat of Dunkirk as Paris falls to Hitler’s forces.
8/12/2015 • 14 minutes, 1 second
The Phoney War
WW2 begins quietly with little actual fighting, but BBC reporters develop brilliant skills at telling the story of ‘the Phoney War’. With Jonathan Dimbleby.
8/10/2015 • 13 minutes, 38 seconds
The Spanish Civil War and beyond
Jonathan Dimbleby listens to the 1930s drumbeat of war through the burgeoning reporting skills of the BBC’s newly-appointed reporter corps.