Bringing History to Life

In 1933, Adolf Hitler seizes power in Germany, where he has seduced the population with golden promises of a restoration of the Great German Empire. He allies himself with Mussolini's fascist Italy, Stalin's communist Soviet Union and the military dictatorship in Japan, which has the same dreams of grandeur as Germany. In this series, you get a thorough review of World War II - from the birth of fascism through the war's many dramas to the aftermath, where the victors deal with the war's worst criminals.

Special status in the armed forces

ADMIRED AND DESPISED • Throughout history, skilled marksmen have played a crucial role on the battlefield. For just as long, there has been a love-hate relationship between the military establishment and these lone wolves. For the sniper, war is a hunt, akin to the sanctioned murder of targeted individuals.

ELITE TROOPS AT THEIR BEST • Peak physical training enabled the Gebirgsjäger – mountain hunters – to carry out their assignments in snow and freezing temperatures. They were one of the Third Reich’s elite forces, able to fight in challenging terrain – from Narvik to the Caucasus.

LIVING HIGH ON A LEGEND • US paratroopers’ efforts during World War II are famous, thanks to TV shows and movies. In reality, however, their operations were fiercely debated and rarely went as planned.

ATTACK FROM BELOW • Concealed underwater, K-Verband frogmen struck key targets with explosive devices. The German amphibious force played key roles in Market Garden and other operations.

SPIES AND SABOTEURS • The British secret Special Operations Executive was formed to carry out clandestine missions deep behind enemy lines. The motley crew that made up the organisation had mixed success.

Scarred colonel: Europe’s most dangerous man • He freed Mussolini, tried to assassinate Churchill and dispatched commandos dressed in US uniforms behind enemy lines. Towards the end of World War II, Otto Skorzeny was seen as a serious threat to the Allies’ plans.

HOW THE MARINES BECAME AN ELITE UNIT • Despite being sent to fight bloody battles on barren beaches against a fanatical foe, the US Marines accomplished their mission. That’s why these battle-hardened troops are now considered an elite unit.

TECH ON THE BATTLEFIELD • Specialist regiments constructed bridges, blew up bunkers, built airfields and frequently fought on the front line. But despite being one of World War II’s most important military branches, combat engineers are often overlooked by historians.

ROMMEL’S SPEARHEAD • During the invasion of France in 1940, Rommel took bold risks and pushed the 7th Panzer Division to its limit. It would make a name for itself as one of the greatest armoured units in history when the French thought its soldiers appeared out of nowhere – like ghosts.

DESERT WAR MASTERS • The LRDG had licence to roam freely in its specialist vehicles, wreaking havoc behind German and Italian lines in the Libyan desert. This British special force was founded by Major Ralph Bagnold, a pioneer of desert exploration.

BLITZKRIEG FROM ABOVE • The German air landing on the Danish island fort of Masnedø was the first time paratroopers were used in war. One month later, the Green Devils paved the way for German divisions again, this time in the Netherlands and Belgium.

At the front to free France • Almost 200 French commandos scrambled ashore at Sword Beach on D-Day. They were a small but symbolically important part of the Allied force that liberated France from German occupation.

Bringing History to Life