World War II: Battles Won and Lost

In every battle lies victory and defeat, and the strategic results determine the outcome of World War II.

Sudden Attacks

S1 E1

Mechanized warfare aids Germany's advance into France; a look at the way commando raids, blitzkrieg, mobile desert warfare and amphibious landings changed warfare.

Overwhelming Force

S1 E2

The battles of World War II increase in sheer size of the forces involved as well as the power of their weapons; a look inside German strategies for Operation Barbarossa, as they attempt to invade the Soviet Union.

Flexible Strategies

S1 E3

British forces are cut off at Dunkirk as unstoppable Nazi forces tear through Western Europe.

Seizing Territory

S1 E4

German invaders become surrounded and doomed to capture or death at the hands of the Soviet Red Army during the Battle of Stalingrad.

Fragmentation

S1 E6

In actions large and small, forces, climate, geography and problems of supply must all be managed; Japan gathers naval strength for an attack on Midway Island in an attempt to lure U.S. naval vessels into a trap.

Multidimensional Warfare

S1 E7

Combat conditions range from freezing temperatures to humid jungles, snowy hills arid deserts; Allied and Japanese forces struggle through the steep, muddy terrain of the Kokoda track for control of Port Moresby.

Turning Points of History

S1 E8

After Japan attacks Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, the United States enters World War II.