1 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:07,000 Downloaded from YTS.MX 2 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:13,000 Official YIFY movies site: YTS.MX 3 00:03:12,160 --> 00:03:14,134 As the final British and French troops were 4 00:03:14,200 --> 00:03:16,654 evacuated from the beaches of Dunkirk in June 5 00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:19,854 1940, the outlook for the Allies appeared grim 6 00:03:19,920 --> 00:03:22,054 in the early stages of the Second World War. 7 00:03:29,480 --> 00:03:33,214 Shortly after, Hitler's Nazi forces marched into Paris 8 00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:35,820 and France fell under German occupation. 9 00:03:36,720 --> 00:03:40,014 For the German Führer, the United Kingdom, separated 10 00:03:40,080 --> 00:03:42,614 from continental Europe only by the narrow English 11 00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:44,700 Channel, became his next target. 12 00:03:45,720 --> 00:03:48,974 Yet, despite the defeat at Dunkirk, the miraculous 13 00:03:49,040 --> 00:03:52,334 rescue of thousands of Allied soldiers revealed a critical truth. 14 00:03:52,400 --> 00:03:55,920 Hitler was not as invincible as he had seemed. 15 00:03:56,880 --> 00:03:58,854 When the Battle of Britain commenced, a German 16 00:03:58,920 --> 00:04:03,454 victory was far from certain, despite the Luftwaffe's apparent superiority. 17 00:04:17,480 --> 00:04:19,580 The brave pilots of the Royal Air Force, 18 00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:23,860 RAF, defended their island nation with unwavering determination. 19 00:04:24,760 --> 00:04:26,614 But just as the tides of war seemed 20 00:04:26,680 --> 00:04:30,180 focused on Britain, Hitler made an unexpected move. 21 00:04:30,840 --> 00:04:33,894 Turning his attention eastward, he launched a surprise 22 00:04:33,960 --> 00:04:36,854 attack on the Soviet Union, violating the non 23 00:04:36,920 --> 00:04:40,580 aggression pact he had established with Joseph Stalin at the war's outset. 24 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:44,614 Across the vast, frozen plains of Russia, the 25 00:04:44,680 --> 00:04:47,694 German army quickly discovered that swift victory was 26 00:04:47,760 --> 00:04:49,460 far more elusive than anticipated. 27 00:04:50,720 --> 00:04:55,420 Meanwhile, in December 1941, Hitler's Axis partner, Japan, 28 00:04:55,560 --> 00:04:56,374 bombed Pearl Harbour. 29 00:04:56,440 --> 00:04:59,134 This act of aggression dragged the United States 30 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:04,614 into the conflict, transforming the war into a truly global struggle by 1942. 31 00:05:20,080 --> 00:05:22,734 As the world descended into chaos, it became 32 00:05:22,800 --> 00:05:25,814 clear that Hitler had gravely underestimated the strength 33 00:05:25,880 --> 00:05:27,420 and resilience of his enemies. 34 00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:30,814 With America, the Soviet Union and Great Britain 35 00:05:30,880 --> 00:05:34,494 now united against him, the Allies were poised to strike back. 36 00:05:50,760 --> 00:05:53,134 From the scorching deserts of North Africa to 37 00:05:53,200 --> 00:05:55,574 the dense jungles of the Far East, wherever 38 00:05:55,640 --> 00:05:57,694 Hitler and his Axis of Evil sought to 39 00:05:57,760 --> 00:06:00,574 oppress, the Allies stood ready to confront them. 40 00:06:09,400 --> 00:06:14,414 In 1940, the people of occupied Europe were forced to bow to the iron fist of 41 00:06:14,480 --> 00:06:15,220 Nazi rule. 42 00:06:16,760 --> 00:06:20,340 A brutal police state followed swiftly behind the invading armies. 43 00:06:20,960 --> 00:06:24,334 Private transport was banned, independent newspapers were either 44 00:06:24,400 --> 00:06:27,174 shut down or transformed into pro-German propaganda 45 00:06:27,240 --> 00:06:31,900 outlets, and entire populations lived under the constant shadow of fear. 46 00:06:32,160 --> 00:06:36,460 Most horrifying of all, Jewish families vanished from their homes overnight. 47 00:06:40,920 --> 00:06:43,454 Many, like the family of young diarist Anne 48 00:06:43,520 --> 00:06:45,980 Frank in Amsterdam, were driven into hiding. 49 00:06:54,200 --> 00:06:56,580 Concentration camps began to appear across Europe. 50 00:06:57,440 --> 00:06:59,974 Initially used to imprison Hitler's political opponents in 51 00:07:00,040 --> 00:07:05,054 the early 1930s, these camps evolved into centres of unspeakable horror. 52 00:07:12,440 --> 00:07:15,214 Hitler's vision of an Aryan master race demanded 53 00:07:15,280 --> 00:07:18,260 the extermination of anyone he deemed undesirable. 54 00:07:18,880 --> 00:07:24,094 Jews, communists, homosexuals, disabled individuals and ethnic minorities 55 00:07:24,160 --> 00:07:28,134 were systematically rounded up, imprisoned and murdered as 56 00:07:28,200 --> 00:07:31,020 the Nazis tightened their grip on occupied territories. 57 00:07:34,800 --> 00:07:37,500 Governments across Europe fell under Nazi control. 58 00:07:38,080 --> 00:07:40,254 Pro-German leaders were installed in positions of 59 00:07:40,320 --> 00:07:43,134 power, none more infamous than Henri Petain in 60 00:07:43,200 --> 00:07:47,014 France, who led the Vichy government under direct German influence. 61 00:07:52,800 --> 00:07:56,940 Yet, amid the terror and oppression, a flicker of hope remained. 62 00:07:57,560 --> 00:07:59,974 Hitler's failure to conquer Britain and the resilience 63 00:08:00,040 --> 00:08:02,534 shown during the Blitz bolstered the resolve of 64 00:08:02,600 --> 00:08:04,894 the British people to resist Nazi tyranny. 65 00:08:14,320 --> 00:08:17,734 By 1941, Britain had endured the worst of 66 00:08:17,800 --> 00:08:20,640 the Luftwaffe's attacks and was beginning to fight back. 67 00:08:21,480 --> 00:08:24,934 Prime Minister Winston Churchill's stirring speeches echoed across 68 00:08:25,000 --> 00:08:28,414 the continent via BBC broadcasts, rallying the spirit 69 00:08:28,480 --> 00:08:30,454 of resistance with the symbol of V for 70 00:08:30,520 --> 00:08:35,220 Victory, accompanied by the iconic opening notes of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. 71 00:08:36,320 --> 00:08:39,054 Across occupied Europe, people tapped out the victory 72 00:08:39,120 --> 00:08:41,140 rhythm in defiance of their captors. 73 00:08:42,120 --> 00:08:45,414 In London, exiled politicians and military leaders began 74 00:08:45,480 --> 00:08:48,220 to organise and inspire their nations from afar. 75 00:08:51,520 --> 00:08:54,094 Among them was General Charles de Gaulle, who 76 00:08:54,160 --> 00:08:56,974 broadcast messages to the French people, urging them 77 00:08:57,040 --> 00:09:00,020 to hold on to hope and rise against Nazi occupation. 78 00:09:05,280 --> 00:09:07,654 Though resistance movements were still in their infancy 79 00:09:07,720 --> 00:09:10,334 and unlikely to dislodge the Nazis on their 80 00:09:10,400 --> 00:09:14,134 own, Hitler was about to make a catastrophic strategic blunder. 81 00:09:21,040 --> 00:09:23,894 Blinded by his hatred of communism, Hitler launched 82 00:09:23,960 --> 00:09:29,014 Operation Barbarossa on 22 June 1941, amassing a 83 00:09:29,080 --> 00:09:33,420 vast army along the Eastern Front to confront Stalin's formidable Red Army. 84 00:09:34,240 --> 00:09:37,580 Having secured alliances with Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria, 85 00:09:38,080 --> 00:09:41,020 millions of German soldiers marched onto Soviet soil. 86 00:09:41,600 --> 00:09:43,774 The invasion sparked the largest land battle in 87 00:09:43,840 --> 00:09:46,654 history, and in the initial months, German forces 88 00:09:46,720 --> 00:09:49,900 made rapid gains, capturing key cities like Minsk, 89 00:09:50,040 --> 00:09:52,654 Kiev and Odessa and pushing towards Moscow. 90 00:10:09,120 --> 00:10:12,420 However, while Nazi generals planned their next moves, 91 00:10:12,760 --> 00:10:14,494 events unfolding on the other side of the 92 00:10:14,560 --> 00:10:17,334 world would dramatically shift the balance of power 93 00:10:17,400 --> 00:10:20,380 in what had, until then, been Hitler's war. 94 00:10:24,640 --> 00:10:27,774 In the Pacific, tensions had escalated between Japan 95 00:10:27,840 --> 00:10:31,900 and the United States, leading to an American oil embargo. 96 00:10:32,320 --> 00:10:36,320 In response, Japan targeted Allied territories for their resources. 97 00:10:40,360 --> 00:10:42,980 With Japan preparing to move its forces south, 98 00:10:43,360 --> 00:10:45,494 Stalin was able to redeploy his troops from 99 00:10:45,560 --> 00:10:49,100 the border with Japanese-occupied northeastern China. 100 00:10:49,800 --> 00:10:53,980 Elite Siberian divisions poured into Moscow and halted the German advance. 101 00:10:58,160 --> 00:11:02,254 By 5 December 1941, the German offensive on 102 00:11:02,320 --> 00:11:06,214 Moscow was abandoned, and the Soviets launched a fierce counterattack. 103 00:11:14,120 --> 00:11:17,760 Meanwhile, Japanese fleets were quietly assembling in the Pacific. 104 00:11:18,400 --> 00:11:22,600 On 7 December 1941, they changed the course of history. 105 00:11:25,640 --> 00:11:28,654 In the early morning hours, waves of Japanese 106 00:11:28,720 --> 00:11:33,134 aircraft descended upon Pearl Harbour, devastating the US Pacific fleet. 107 00:11:52,560 --> 00:11:56,294 Battleships were bombarded, airfields destroyed, and over 2 108 00:11:56,360 --> 00:11:58,934 ,000 American lives were lost in just 90 109 00:11:59,000 --> 00:12:01,734 minutes as the skies filled with smoke and fire. 110 00:12:07,800 --> 00:12:09,460 The attack didn't end there. 111 00:12:09,960 --> 00:12:13,880 Japanese forces launched assaults across Allied territories in the Pacific. 112 00:12:14,440 --> 00:12:18,454 The following day, on 8 December, President Franklin D. 113 00:12:18,520 --> 00:12:20,420 Roosevelt declared war on Japan. 114 00:12:21,960 --> 00:12:25,134 The United States, long adhering to an isolationist 115 00:12:25,200 --> 00:12:28,400 stance, was now fully engaged in the global conflict. 116 00:12:29,160 --> 00:12:31,174 Not only were the Americans prepared to confront 117 00:12:31,240 --> 00:12:36,060 Japan, but they also turned their focus towards Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany. 118 00:12:37,400 --> 00:12:40,174 The German nation now faced an adversary far 119 00:12:40,240 --> 00:12:43,820 greater than anything Hitler or his supporters had ever anticipated. 120 00:12:45,480 --> 00:12:48,054 Having signed the Tripartite Pact with Japan and 121 00:12:48,120 --> 00:12:52,220 Italy the previous year, Hitler was now obligated to honour the agreement. 122 00:12:54,720 --> 00:12:57,214 The United States, with its vast resources and 123 00:12:57,280 --> 00:13:01,460 enormous population ready for war, presented a formidable challenge. 124 00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:04,814 Yet, from his Wolf's Lair headquarters in Eastern 125 00:13:04,880 --> 00:13:07,140 Europe, Hitler remained jubilant. 126 00:13:08,120 --> 00:13:11,054 With Japan locked in conflict with America, he 127 00:13:11,120 --> 00:13:13,340 believed victory was within his grasp. 128 00:13:13,600 --> 00:13:17,014 On 11 November 1941, in a move that 129 00:13:17,080 --> 00:13:20,334 surprised few, he declared war on the United States. 130 00:13:30,080 --> 00:13:32,814 It was precisely the response President Franklin D. 131 00:13:32,880 --> 00:13:36,980 Roosevelt had anticipated and, to some extent, welcomed. 132 00:13:37,840 --> 00:13:41,774 Hitler's declaration provided the justification Roosevelt needed to 133 00:13:41,840 --> 00:13:44,534 send American troops into the European theatre of 134 00:13:44,600 --> 00:13:47,574 war, offering critical support to Winston Churchill and 135 00:13:47,640 --> 00:13:50,120 the British in their fight against the Third Reich. 136 00:13:50,840 --> 00:13:53,494 Roosevelt and Churchill had forged a strong bond 137 00:13:53,560 --> 00:13:56,734 since Churchill assumed office in 1940, but by 138 00:13:56,800 --> 00:13:59,934 entering the war against Hitler, Roosevelt found himself 139 00:14:00,000 --> 00:14:04,860 allied with an unexpected partner, the Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. 140 00:14:07,520 --> 00:14:10,694 This alliance was extraordinary, given the stark political 141 00:14:10,760 --> 00:14:12,860 differences between Roosevelt and Stalin. 142 00:14:13,680 --> 00:14:15,774 While Roosevelt placed a degree of trust in 143 00:14:15,840 --> 00:14:19,534 the Soviets, Churchill remained cautious, willing to leverage 144 00:14:19,600 --> 00:14:22,700 Soviet strength, but ever wary of Stalin's intentions. 145 00:14:28,400 --> 00:14:31,694 As the war progressed towards its conclusion, tensions 146 00:14:31,760 --> 00:14:35,180 between the United States and the Soviet Union would begin to surface. 147 00:14:35,960 --> 00:14:38,894 But for now, the combined military power of 148 00:14:38,960 --> 00:14:41,574 the so-called Big Three rendered Hitler's dreams 149 00:14:41,640 --> 00:14:43,734 of conquest increasingly unattainable. 150 00:14:57,200 --> 00:14:59,814 On the Russian front, as battles raged around 151 00:14:59,880 --> 00:15:02,934 Moscow and the tide turned against Germany, Hitler's 152 00:15:03,000 --> 00:15:04,740 decisions grew more erratic. 153 00:15:05,560 --> 00:15:08,934 Refusing to accept defeat, he declared himself commander 154 00:15:09,000 --> 00:15:13,300 in-chief of the German army, assuming full control over military strategy. 155 00:15:13,960 --> 00:15:15,774 He ordered that there would be no retreat 156 00:15:15,840 --> 00:15:18,100 from Moscow or the broader Eastern Front. 157 00:15:18,920 --> 00:15:22,174 This stubbornness frustrated his generals, who began to 158 00:15:22,240 --> 00:15:25,894 lose faith in their Fuhrer's leadership as the situation deteriorated. 159 00:15:38,080 --> 00:15:40,140 While the Soviets held firm in the East, 160 00:15:40,400 --> 00:15:43,020 Japan was making rapid advances in the Pacific. 161 00:15:43,600 --> 00:15:48,100 The Japanese military had seized a string of territories rich in resources. 162 00:15:48,720 --> 00:15:53,380 Guam, the Philippines, Malaya, Hong Kong and Singapore all fell swiftly. 163 00:15:54,000 --> 00:15:56,174 Japanese forces pushed as far south as the 164 00:15:56,240 --> 00:15:59,020 Solomon Islands, threatening Australian territory. 165 00:16:00,160 --> 00:16:02,534 Confident in their momentum, they set their sights 166 00:16:02,600 --> 00:16:06,180 on the small but strategically critical Midway Atoll. 167 00:16:10,400 --> 00:16:13,734 However, the Battle of Midway in June 1942 168 00:16:13,800 --> 00:16:15,380 marked a turning point. 169 00:16:16,160 --> 00:16:19,614 After six months of unbroken victories, Japan suffered 170 00:16:19,680 --> 00:16:22,820 a devastating defeat, forcing them onto the defensive. 171 00:16:23,640 --> 00:16:26,494 As American forces surged into the Pacific, the 172 00:16:26,560 --> 00:16:29,180 United States prepared for its first major offensive, 173 00:16:29,760 --> 00:16:32,174 the Battle of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. 174 00:16:42,800 --> 00:16:45,574 For many American servicemen, the horrors of jungle 175 00:16:45,640 --> 00:16:47,420 warfare were a rude awakening. 176 00:16:47,960 --> 00:16:51,014 The dense, disease-infested forests of Guadalcanal presented 177 00:16:51,080 --> 00:16:55,180 brutal challenges, and the fighting was fierce and unforgiving. 178 00:16:56,240 --> 00:16:59,974 Meanwhile, 800 miles to the west, Australian soldiers 179 00:17:00,040 --> 00:17:01,900 faced their own gruelling battle. 180 00:17:06,120 --> 00:17:09,694 General Douglas MacArthur had mobilised Australian troops to 181 00:17:09,760 --> 00:17:13,700 defend the vital stronghold of Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea. 182 00:17:14,560 --> 00:17:16,974 He feared that if the port fell, Northern 183 00:17:17,040 --> 00:17:19,340 Australia would be vulnerable to invasion. 184 00:17:19,920 --> 00:17:22,574 The Japanese had previously attempted to capture Port 185 00:17:22,640 --> 00:17:27,494 Moresby in May 1942, but were repelled in the Battle of the Coral Sea. 186 00:17:34,200 --> 00:17:37,220 This time, rather than launching a seaborne assault, 187 00:17:37,680 --> 00:17:40,894 Japanese commanders opted for a land invasion, sending 188 00:17:40,960 --> 00:17:44,620 Imperial troops over the treacherous Owen Stanley Mountain Range. 189 00:17:45,320 --> 00:17:48,654 Australian and American forces responded, embarking on one 190 00:17:48,720 --> 00:17:52,300 of the most arduous campaigns of the war along the Kokoda Track. 191 00:17:53,320 --> 00:17:56,420 Battling through unforgiving jungles and over towering ridges, 192 00:17:56,760 --> 00:17:58,860 the soldiers faced extreme conditions. 193 00:17:59,760 --> 00:18:01,974 By the time they completed the trail, the 194 00:18:02,040 --> 00:18:05,240 survivors were so exhausted they could barely continue the fight. 195 00:18:06,320 --> 00:18:08,854 Meanwhile, at Milne Bay, on the eastern tip 196 00:18:08,920 --> 00:18:12,660 of New Guinea, the Allies confronted yet another Japanese assault. 197 00:18:13,640 --> 00:18:16,894 As reinforcements flooded into the Pacific theatre, another 198 00:18:16,960 --> 00:18:18,780 front of the war was drawing attention. 199 00:18:19,120 --> 00:18:21,340 The barren expanses of North Africa. 200 00:18:22,360 --> 00:18:25,334 In the subterranean war rooms beneath Whitehall, Winston 201 00:18:25,400 --> 00:18:28,494 Churchill watched events in Africa with mounting concern. 202 00:18:33,840 --> 00:18:37,214 The famed Nazi commander Erwin Rommel, known as 203 00:18:37,280 --> 00:18:40,214 the Desert Fox, had seized Tobruk, a critical 204 00:18:40,280 --> 00:18:42,380 port in Libya, from Allied forces. 205 00:18:43,480 --> 00:18:45,614 Tobruk was a key strategic asset in the 206 00:18:45,680 --> 00:18:48,614 North African campaign, and its proximity to Egypt 207 00:18:48,680 --> 00:18:51,260 posed a dire threat to the Suez Canal, 208 00:18:51,800 --> 00:18:55,260 a lifeline for British supply routes and control over the Middle East. 209 00:18:55,840 --> 00:18:57,734 The fall of British-held Singapore to the 210 00:18:57,800 --> 00:19:01,094 Japanese in February, coupled with a humiliating defeat 211 00:19:01,160 --> 00:19:04,334 in North Africa, left Churchill deeply concerned about 212 00:19:04,400 --> 00:19:07,460 the future of the British Empire and the free world. 213 00:19:08,240 --> 00:19:10,840 He feared that Cairo would be the next target. 214 00:19:13,480 --> 00:19:15,774 Determined to turn the tide, he sent General 215 00:19:15,840 --> 00:19:18,974 Bernard Montgomery to North Africa to revitalise the 216 00:19:19,040 --> 00:19:21,620 Eighth Army and prepare for a counter-offensive. 217 00:19:23,440 --> 00:19:26,820 At the same time, Churchill sought support from his allies. 218 00:19:29,240 --> 00:19:31,294 He pushed for a large-scale Anglo-American 219 00:19:31,360 --> 00:19:34,094 landing in North West Africa, but he knew 220 00:19:34,160 --> 00:19:36,654 that Stalin had been demanding a second front 221 00:19:36,720 --> 00:19:40,614 against Germany since mid-1941, while Roosevelt was 222 00:19:40,680 --> 00:19:42,854 eager to strike directly at occupied Europe. 223 00:19:48,360 --> 00:19:51,534 In August 1942, Churchill travelled to Moscow to 224 00:19:51,600 --> 00:19:54,054 meet Stalin in person and justify his strategy. 225 00:19:54,120 --> 00:19:58,900 If the Allies could, as he put it, 226 00:19:59,200 --> 00:20:01,420 end the year in possession of North Africa, 227 00:20:02,040 --> 00:20:05,180 Hitler's so-called soft underbelly would be exposed. 228 00:20:09,160 --> 00:20:10,734 This would pave the way for an invasion 229 00:20:10,800 --> 00:20:15,420 of Italy, and Churchill reassured Stalin that a landing in France would follow. 230 00:20:18,920 --> 00:20:21,100 Stalin, though sceptical, agreed. 231 00:20:21,840 --> 00:20:24,094 He pledged that Soviet forces could hold out 232 00:20:24,160 --> 00:20:26,060 against Hitler's army through the winter. 233 00:20:26,760 --> 00:20:29,134 Yet even as Churchill flew home, the German 234 00:20:29,200 --> 00:20:31,980 advance on Stalingrad was reaching a critical point. 235 00:20:32,840 --> 00:20:35,094 Over a million Axis troops were just 50 236 00:20:35,160 --> 00:20:38,060 miles from the city, but this was no ordinary battle. 237 00:20:38,320 --> 00:20:41,100 Stalingrad held symbolic and strategic importance. 238 00:20:41,920 --> 00:20:44,300 Hitler, consumed by his hatred for the Soviets, 239 00:20:44,600 --> 00:20:46,740 saw its capture as a personal victory. 240 00:20:47,760 --> 00:20:50,220 For Stalin, it was equally significant. 241 00:20:51,440 --> 00:20:54,094 Positioned on the Volga River, Stalingrad was a 242 00:20:54,160 --> 00:20:57,780 key transport hub linking the Caspian Sea to northern Russia. 243 00:21:01,640 --> 00:21:03,774 If it fell, the Germans would have a 244 00:21:03,840 --> 00:21:06,654 direct route into the oil-rich Caucasus, cutting 245 00:21:06,720 --> 00:21:09,414 off vital fuel supplies to the Soviet war effort. 246 00:21:19,360 --> 00:21:21,894 While Churchill and Roosevelt finalised plans for North 247 00:21:21,960 --> 00:21:24,894 Africa, Stalin prepared for a desperate defence. 248 00:21:31,920 --> 00:21:35,134 Civilians, including women and children, were forced to 249 00:21:35,200 --> 00:21:40,100 dig trenches and fortifications, while Stalin decreed that no one was to flee. 250 00:21:40,640 --> 00:21:43,254 Retreat, he feared, would demoralise his troops. 251 00:21:53,280 --> 00:21:57,014 On 23rd August 1942, the Luftwaffe unleashed a 252 00:21:57,080 --> 00:21:59,060 devastating aerial assault on the city. 253 00:21:59,680 --> 00:22:03,660 Thousands perished in the firestorm as entire districts were reduced to rubble. 254 00:22:04,760 --> 00:22:07,420 Despite the Soviet air force outnumbering the Germans, 255 00:22:07,800 --> 00:22:13,100 the Luftwaffe dominated the skies, relentlessly bombing Stalingrad for weeks. 256 00:22:13,800 --> 00:22:17,494 By 13th September, General Friedrich Paulus and the 257 00:22:17,560 --> 00:22:20,854 German 6th Army launched their ground assault, marking 258 00:22:20,920 --> 00:22:23,620 the start of one of the war's most brutal battles. 259 00:22:24,280 --> 00:22:27,174 As the fight raged on, Stalingrad itself became 260 00:22:27,240 --> 00:22:31,054 the battlefield, soldiers engaged in savage, street-by 261 00:22:31,120 --> 00:22:33,860 street, hand-to-hand combat amid the ruins. 262 00:22:34,640 --> 00:22:38,340 Civilians fought alongside the Red Army, determined to defend their city. 263 00:22:39,000 --> 00:22:41,894 By mid-September, the Germans had seized 90 264 00:22:41,960 --> 00:22:45,254 % of Stalingrad, splitting Soviet forces into two 265 00:22:45,320 --> 00:22:47,300 isolated pockets along the Volga. 266 00:22:47,840 --> 00:22:50,614 Hitler was on the brink of a long -coveted victory. 267 00:22:57,480 --> 00:23:01,020 But as the Russian winter set in, the tide began to turn. 268 00:23:01,600 --> 00:23:04,214 Bitter winds froze the Volga, and thick fog 269 00:23:04,280 --> 00:23:07,700 crippled the Luftwaffe's ability to supply German troops on the ground. 270 00:23:08,160 --> 00:23:10,414 While Hitler waited for better weather in his 271 00:23:10,480 --> 00:23:14,900 Ukrainian headquarters, his forces in Africa were suffering a similar reversal. 272 00:23:15,920 --> 00:23:18,734 In the blistering desert, Montgomery's 8th Army was 273 00:23:18,800 --> 00:23:21,540 pushing back Rommel's forces at El Alamein. 274 00:23:21,920 --> 00:23:23,854 Hitler had ordered his troops to stand and 275 00:23:23,920 --> 00:23:26,494 fight to the death, but Rommel, unwilling to 276 00:23:26,560 --> 00:23:30,014 sacrifice his men needlessly, made the decision to withdraw. 277 00:24:08,800 --> 00:24:12,020 Rommel's forces retreated to Tunisia, and for Churchill, 278 00:24:12,320 --> 00:24:13,740 it was a decisive victory. 279 00:24:14,520 --> 00:24:20,260 Reflecting on the moment, he famously wrote, Before Alamein, we had no victory. 280 00:24:20,880 --> 00:24:22,940 After it, we had no defeats. 281 00:24:24,160 --> 00:24:26,974 Determined to capitalize on this success, the Allies 282 00:24:27,040 --> 00:24:30,260 pressed forward with the long-planned invasion of North Africa. 283 00:24:33,160 --> 00:24:36,374 Under the careful command of American General Dwight D. 284 00:24:36,440 --> 00:24:39,054 Eisenhower, the plan was to seize key ports 285 00:24:39,120 --> 00:24:41,734 and airfields in Morocco and Algeria in a 286 00:24:41,800 --> 00:24:45,374 simultaneous assault on Casablanca, Oran and Algiers before 287 00:24:45,440 --> 00:24:46,820 advancing into Tunisia. 288 00:24:47,480 --> 00:24:50,014 The operation was codenamed Operation Torch. 289 00:24:57,720 --> 00:25:00,020 With the French still dominant in North Africa, 290 00:25:00,280 --> 00:25:02,980 the Allies hoped for cooperation from Vichy France. 291 00:25:03,680 --> 00:25:06,774 However, Roosevelt was wary of British involvement in 292 00:25:06,840 --> 00:25:10,060 the initial invasion, fearing it would reignite tensions. 293 00:25:11,040 --> 00:25:13,254 Just two years earlier, after the fall of 294 00:25:13,320 --> 00:25:15,974 France, Churchill had ordered the destruction of the 295 00:25:16,040 --> 00:25:19,940 French fleet at Oran to prevent it from falling into German hands. 296 00:25:20,440 --> 00:25:23,860 The resulting bitterness between the two nations was still raw. 297 00:25:28,200 --> 00:25:31,854 To navigate this delicate situation, Roosevelt decided that 298 00:25:31,920 --> 00:25:34,334 British forces would delay their involvement by a 299 00:25:34,400 --> 00:25:38,460 week, giving the Americans time to negotiate with Vichy commanders. 300 00:25:39,640 --> 00:25:42,574 Roosevelt sought to sideline Charles de Gaulle, presenting 301 00:25:42,640 --> 00:25:46,340 General Henri Giraud as an alternative leader for the French forces. 302 00:25:47,320 --> 00:25:50,174 Giraud, though aligned with Vichy, had refused to 303 00:25:50,240 --> 00:25:54,060 cooperate with the Nazis and had spent two years as a prisoner of war. 304 00:25:54,920 --> 00:25:57,374 While Roosevelt reached out to Marshal Pétain, the 305 00:25:57,440 --> 00:26:00,014 leader of Vichy France, in October, he also 306 00:26:00,080 --> 00:26:03,574 dispatched General Mark Clark, America's youngest three-star 307 00:26:03,640 --> 00:26:05,500 general, on a covert mission. 308 00:26:06,560 --> 00:26:09,454 Smuggled into Algeria by submarine, Clark met with 309 00:26:09,520 --> 00:26:12,454 Vichy officials in Churchill, attempting to secure their 310 00:26:12,520 --> 00:26:14,380 cooperation ahead of the invasion. 311 00:26:15,160 --> 00:26:16,260 The stakes were high. 312 00:26:16,640 --> 00:26:18,894 French forces in the region far outnumbered the 313 00:26:18,960 --> 00:26:20,860 combined British and American troops. 314 00:26:21,240 --> 00:26:24,974 Clark's negotiations made progress, with senior French commanders 315 00:26:25,040 --> 00:26:26,580 agreeing to work with Giraud. 316 00:26:27,120 --> 00:26:30,420 But Roosevelt's plan faced an unexpected complication. 317 00:26:31,280 --> 00:26:34,894 Admiral François Darlan, the second highest-ranking officer 318 00:26:34,960 --> 00:26:38,580 in Vichy France, was in Algiers at the time of the landings. 319 00:26:39,480 --> 00:26:43,920 Moreover, Pétain had flatly rejected Roosevelt's appeal for support. 320 00:26:44,760 --> 00:26:47,980 Despite the uncertainties, the operation moved ahead. 321 00:26:48,680 --> 00:26:51,980 The invasion was set for November 8th, 1942. 322 00:26:52,760 --> 00:26:56,254 The Western Naval Task Force, comprising 102 ships 323 00:26:56,320 --> 00:26:59,214 and over 24,000 American troops under the 324 00:26:59,280 --> 00:27:01,974 command of the fiercely determined General George S. 325 00:27:02,040 --> 00:27:06,260 Pétain, set sail across the treacherous, U-boat -infested Atlantic. 326 00:27:07,440 --> 00:27:10,694 Pétain's forces targeted Casablanca, while a central force 327 00:27:10,760 --> 00:27:14,520 of 18,500 American troops was bound for Oran. 328 00:27:15,160 --> 00:27:18,374 Meanwhile, the Eastern Task Force, consisting of British 329 00:27:18,440 --> 00:27:21,300 and American troops under Major General Charles Ryder, 330 00:27:21,600 --> 00:27:23,460 prepared to land in Algiers. 331 00:27:24,520 --> 00:27:27,054 As the largest amphibious assault since the war 332 00:27:27,120 --> 00:27:31,260 began, Operation Torch was about to reshape the course of the conflict. 333 00:27:34,720 --> 00:27:37,974 Following the successful landings, British General Kenneth Anderson 334 00:27:38,040 --> 00:27:41,294 took command, while American ex-stunt pilot Jimmy 335 00:27:41,360 --> 00:27:43,934 Doolittle oversaw air operations for Pétain. 336 00:27:54,840 --> 00:27:58,174 Just days after Montgomery's victory at El Alamein 337 00:27:58,240 --> 00:28:00,654 on the eve of the invasion, Giraud was 338 00:28:00,720 --> 00:28:04,020 taken by submarine to Eisenhower's headquarters in Gibraltar, 339 00:28:04,360 --> 00:28:06,020 buried deep within the rock's base. 340 00:28:07,120 --> 00:28:08,934 Under the impression that he would be leading 341 00:28:09,000 --> 00:28:12,980 the invasion, Giraud was momentarily confused as Eisenhower, 342 00:28:13,160 --> 00:28:16,240 through an interpreter, outlined the true nature of the mission. 343 00:28:17,120 --> 00:28:20,614 Eventually, Giraud accepted a more passive role, preparing 344 00:28:20,680 --> 00:28:24,260 to step in later as the administrator of French North Africa. 345 00:28:30,640 --> 00:28:33,014 In the early hours of 8th November, Allied 346 00:28:33,080 --> 00:28:36,980 ships approached the African coast, but the operation was far from seamless. 347 00:28:37,720 --> 00:28:39,694 A coup to overthrow the Pro-Vichy commander 348 00:28:39,760 --> 00:28:43,014 in Casablanca had failed, leaving French defences fully 349 00:28:43,080 --> 00:28:44,534 prepared for Pétain's forces. 350 00:29:08,920 --> 00:29:11,740 American troops and destroyers came under intense fire, 351 00:29:12,120 --> 00:29:14,974 but despite the resistance, Pétain's men secured the 352 00:29:15,040 --> 00:29:19,174 beachhead, and within two days, US troops entered Casablanca. 353 00:29:28,520 --> 00:29:31,894 Meanwhile, the Central Attack Force faced difficulties landing 354 00:29:31,960 --> 00:29:33,894 near Oran due to shallow waters. 355 00:29:47,440 --> 00:29:49,774 But after some damage to the landing crafts and 356 00:29:49,840 --> 00:29:52,574 a brief skirmish with French defenders, Allied troops 357 00:29:52,640 --> 00:29:54,014 pushed inland through the desert. 358 00:30:05,240 --> 00:30:08,180 In contrast, Algiers saw a more successful coup, 359 00:30:08,560 --> 00:30:11,534 with some French generals even welcoming the invading forces. 360 00:30:24,480 --> 00:30:27,974 With swift victories secured in Casablanca, Oran and 361 00:30:28,040 --> 00:30:32,280 Algiers, Eisenhower emerged as a highly capable military leader. 362 00:30:35,680 --> 00:30:38,494 Despite these triumphs, political tensions remained. 363 00:30:54,680 --> 00:30:57,574 Upon entering Algiers, the Allies discovered that Admiral 364 00:30:57,640 --> 00:31:01,900 Darlan, a senior Vichy figure, was in the city on a private visit. 365 00:31:03,000 --> 00:31:07,140 Recognising an opportunity, Eisenhower opened negotiations with Darlan, 366 00:31:07,520 --> 00:31:11,254 offering him continued command of French forces if he sided with the Allies. 367 00:31:24,680 --> 00:31:28,180 This move sparked outrage among free French supporters, 368 00:31:28,600 --> 00:31:30,894 particularly Charles de Gaulle, who was incensed at 369 00:31:30,960 --> 00:31:33,694 the idea of maintaining Vichy rule, complete with 370 00:31:33,760 --> 00:31:36,100 its oppressive policies and concentration camps. 371 00:31:37,520 --> 00:31:40,414 Hitler and Mussolini were equally furious when they 372 00:31:40,480 --> 00:31:43,654 learned of Darlan's betrayal, prompting the immediate occupation 373 00:31:43,720 --> 00:31:45,020 of Vichy France. 374 00:31:49,760 --> 00:31:53,374 Meanwhile, in North Africa, Rommel realised the threat 375 00:31:53,440 --> 00:31:56,534 posed by advancing American forces which could trap 376 00:31:56,600 --> 00:32:00,020 him between Montgomery's Eighth Army and the new Allied front. 377 00:32:02,960 --> 00:32:06,054 In response, Hitler dispatched thousands of troops and 378 00:32:06,120 --> 00:32:08,580 Tiger tanks to reinforce Axis positions. 379 00:32:13,160 --> 00:32:16,574 Uncertainty in Tunisia allowed German battalions to flood 380 00:32:16,640 --> 00:32:18,180 the region by air and sea. 381 00:32:18,680 --> 00:32:21,700 Planes from Italian bases bombarded the advancing Allies, 382 00:32:22,000 --> 00:32:24,374 while the onset of torrential December rains turned 383 00:32:24,440 --> 00:32:28,580 the terrain into a muddy quagmire, significantly slowing their progress. 384 00:33:07,600 --> 00:33:10,614 By Christmas Eve, another unexpected event added to 385 00:33:10,680 --> 00:33:12,540 the political chaos in Algiers. 386 00:33:13,160 --> 00:33:15,694 A young French student, enraged by the Nazi 387 00:33:15,760 --> 00:33:17,894 occupation of Paris and a supporter of the 388 00:33:17,960 --> 00:33:21,100 free French, assassinated Darlan at his headquarters. 389 00:33:23,840 --> 00:33:28,174 The assassin was swiftly executed, but few mourn the fallen Vichy commander. 390 00:33:36,080 --> 00:33:40,254 With Darlan gone, Giraud finally took charge, yet he immediately 391 00:33:40,320 --> 00:33:44,454 caused further discord by imprisoning leaders of the Algerian resistance. 392 00:33:54,160 --> 00:33:57,880 At the Casablanca conference in January, tensions came to a head. 393 00:33:58,440 --> 00:34:01,374 De Gaulle, initially refusing to attend, was forced 394 00:34:01,440 --> 00:34:03,974 by Churchill to cooperate under the threat of 395 00:34:04,040 --> 00:34:07,540 Giraud being officially recognised as the leader of the free French. 396 00:34:09,080 --> 00:34:12,214 Their meeting was tense and awkward, but ultimately 397 00:34:12,280 --> 00:34:16,774 they agreed to share command, with Giraud overseeing military operations. 398 00:34:29,800 --> 00:34:33,254 Although Giraud maintained Vichy policies initially, he gradually 399 00:34:33,320 --> 00:34:36,814 shifted towards the Allied cause, eventually releasing prisoners 400 00:34:36,880 --> 00:34:38,254 from the concentration camps. 401 00:34:46,160 --> 00:34:49,734 However, the ongoing instability among the French leadership 402 00:34:49,800 --> 00:34:52,254 would contribute to the eventual loss of their 403 00:34:52,320 --> 00:34:56,534 North African empire, setting the stage for Algerian resistance in the future. 404 00:35:03,320 --> 00:35:06,294 While General Anderson pressed forward through the treacherous 405 00:35:06,360 --> 00:35:09,934 mud towards Rommel's forces, events in Stalingrad took 406 00:35:10,000 --> 00:35:11,374 a dire turn for the Germans. 407 00:35:21,480 --> 00:35:24,574 With the Volga frozen, Soviet supply lines remained 408 00:35:24,640 --> 00:35:27,934 intact and Marshal Zhukov encircled the city with 409 00:35:28,000 --> 00:35:30,374 a formidable force of one million troops. 410 00:35:42,600 --> 00:35:45,374 The German 6th Army found itself trapped with 411 00:35:45,440 --> 00:35:47,980 little food, fuel or medical supplies. 412 00:35:48,720 --> 00:35:52,140 As thousands succumbed to frostbite, malnutrition and disease, 413 00:35:52,480 --> 00:35:55,294 the Soviets offered General Friedrich Paulus the opportunity 414 00:35:55,360 --> 00:35:58,340 to surrender on 8th January 1943. 415 00:36:02,320 --> 00:36:05,854 However, Hitler promoted Paulus to Field Marshal, making 416 00:36:05,920 --> 00:36:09,100 it clear that he expected him to fight to the last man. 417 00:36:09,560 --> 00:36:12,094 Realising that their commander had chosen personal honour 418 00:36:12,160 --> 00:36:16,700 over their survival, the German troops continued to suffer devastating losses. 419 00:36:19,760 --> 00:36:22,894 As Soviet forces reclaimed more territory, another surrender 420 00:36:22,960 --> 00:36:25,620 offer was made, but Hitler refused once again. 421 00:36:30,080 --> 00:36:32,654 Unlike Rommel, who prioritised the welfare of his 422 00:36:32,720 --> 00:36:37,940 men, Paulus felt bound by Hitler's orders, even as the battle became hopeless. 423 00:36:39,720 --> 00:36:42,414 Soviet forces finally crushed the last remnants of 424 00:36:42,480 --> 00:36:46,174 German resistance, and on February 2nd, over 90 425 00:36:46,240 --> 00:36:47,740 ,000 survivors surrendered. 426 00:36:48,480 --> 00:36:53,140 These were all that remained of the original 220,000-strong 6th Army. 427 00:36:53,680 --> 00:36:57,254 Many had perished in combat, from starvation or by suicide. 428 00:37:05,160 --> 00:37:07,814 Of the captured soldiers, only 5,000 would 429 00:37:07,880 --> 00:37:12,014 survive the brutal conditions of Soviet captivity to see their homeland again. 430 00:37:19,520 --> 00:37:22,214 The loss of the men of Stalingrad, senselessly 431 00:37:22,280 --> 00:37:25,214 and irresponsibly driven to death, has shaken our 432 00:37:25,280 --> 00:37:28,260 people, read a statement from the White Rose, 433 00:37:28,760 --> 00:37:32,094 a student-led resistance group opposing the Nazi regime. 434 00:37:38,880 --> 00:37:41,614 The defeat at Stalingrad marked a crucial turning 435 00:37:41,680 --> 00:37:45,654 point in the war, dealing an enormous psychological blow to German morale. 436 00:37:54,880 --> 00:37:58,174 As resistance against Hitler intensified, his physical and 437 00:37:58,240 --> 00:37:59,900 mental health deteriorated. 438 00:38:00,960 --> 00:38:03,934 Some historians suggest that he exhibited early signs 439 00:38:04,000 --> 00:38:07,414 of Parkinson's disease, evident in his declining handwriting 440 00:38:07,480 --> 00:38:08,860 and impaired speech. 441 00:38:09,760 --> 00:38:12,534 This growing frailty led the Fuhrer to retreat 442 00:38:12,600 --> 00:38:15,534 further from public view, while his once unstoppable 443 00:38:15,600 --> 00:38:17,420 war machine began to crumble. 444 00:38:20,840 --> 00:38:23,214 While Hitler refused to accept the defeat at 445 00:38:23,280 --> 00:38:27,520 Stalingrad, resistance to German occupation was growing across Europe. 446 00:38:31,880 --> 00:38:33,974 One of his generals had been assassinated in 447 00:38:34,040 --> 00:38:38,094 Prague, Yugoslav partisans had united under Tito, and 448 00:38:38,160 --> 00:38:40,494 resistance movements in France were merging into de 449 00:38:40,560 --> 00:38:41,934 Gaulle's Free French Forces. 450 00:38:50,040 --> 00:38:53,454 Meanwhile, the Japanese were also feeling the strain of war. 451 00:38:59,560 --> 00:39:03,214 On 9 February 1943, after months of brutal 452 00:39:03,280 --> 00:39:07,374 fighting, US troops claimed victory in Guadalcanal, inflicting 453 00:39:07,440 --> 00:39:08,894 heavy casualties on Japan. 454 00:39:15,680 --> 00:39:17,894 Just two months later, the Allies dealt another 455 00:39:17,960 --> 00:39:22,460 blow by taking down Admiral Yamamoto, the mastermind behind Pearl Harbor. 456 00:39:25,080 --> 00:39:26,814 His plane was shot down over the Solomon 457 00:39:26,880 --> 00:39:29,054 Islands, crashing into the jungle below. 458 00:39:39,480 --> 00:39:42,694 As the Imperial Army lost ground, General Douglas 459 00:39:42,760 --> 00:39:45,814 MacArthur and Admiral Chester Nimitz launched invasions across 460 00:39:45,880 --> 00:39:48,174 the Pacific, edging closer to Japan. 461 00:39:53,400 --> 00:39:55,814 Yet, with every soldier bound by duty to 462 00:39:55,880 --> 00:39:58,174 the Emperor, the fight was far from over. 463 00:40:04,400 --> 00:40:07,054 In North Africa, Patton faced his first battle 464 00:40:07,120 --> 00:40:09,980 against German forces, suffering heavy casualties. 465 00:40:11,000 --> 00:40:13,014 Fresh from the US, his troops lacked the 466 00:40:13,080 --> 00:40:15,734 experience of Montgomery's men, but once they joined 467 00:40:15,800 --> 00:40:17,860 the forces, progress was swift. 468 00:40:22,440 --> 00:40:25,134 The final push for Tunisia began on 19 469 00:40:25,200 --> 00:40:29,860 April, and by 7 May, Tunis had been seized from Hitler's control. 470 00:40:32,160 --> 00:40:35,174 Just six days later, the last Axis resistance 471 00:40:35,240 --> 00:40:37,414 in Africa crumbled, with a quarter of a 472 00:40:37,480 --> 00:40:39,454 million German and Italian troops captured. 473 00:40:45,640 --> 00:40:49,454 Eisenhower celebrated alongside Giraud as triumphant troops paraded 474 00:40:49,520 --> 00:40:56,454 through the streets, knew the fight was far from over. 475 00:41:04,160 --> 00:41:07,094 At the Casablanca Conference, following the success of 476 00:41:07,160 --> 00:41:11,254 Operation Torch, the Allies agreed that their next target would be Sicily. 477 00:41:18,400 --> 00:41:20,294 Seizing the island would grant them naval and 478 00:41:20,360 --> 00:41:22,614 air dominance in the Mediterranean and put pressure 479 00:41:22,680 --> 00:41:24,414 on Mussolini's weakening regime. 480 00:41:36,560 --> 00:41:39,500 By summer 1943, Italy was struggling. 481 00:41:40,120 --> 00:41:43,094 The defeat in Tunisia had been devastating, and 482 00:41:43,160 --> 00:41:45,534 Italian troops were faltering on the Eastern Front. 483 00:41:52,520 --> 00:41:55,774 At home, Allied bombings were relentless, food was 484 00:41:55,840 --> 00:41:58,580 scarce, and strikes had erupted in the north. 485 00:42:04,440 --> 00:42:06,534 With factories grinding to a halt and public 486 00:42:06,600 --> 00:42:10,574 trust in fascist propaganda fading, Mussolini realised his 487 00:42:10,640 --> 00:42:14,734 alliance with Hitler had brought Italy neither glory nor victory. 488 00:42:21,680 --> 00:42:24,134 The Allies began their assault by targeting the 489 00:42:24,200 --> 00:42:27,894 small but strategically vital island of Pantelleria, which 490 00:42:27,960 --> 00:42:30,494 disrupted British sea and air routes in the Mediterranean. 491 00:42:56,520 --> 00:42:59,174 Over May and June, Allied bombers dropped more 492 00:42:59,240 --> 00:43:02,414 than 6,000 tons of explosives, weakening defences. 493 00:43:16,280 --> 00:43:19,534 On 10th June, Italian forces, overwhelmed by the 494 00:43:19,600 --> 00:43:22,820 relentless bombardment, surrendered without a ground invasion. 495 00:43:25,320 --> 00:43:28,294 The first time in history such a feat had been achieved. 496 00:43:33,880 --> 00:43:36,734 With the island secured, Eisenhower turned his attention 497 00:43:36,800 --> 00:43:38,174 to the Sicilian invasion. 498 00:43:38,240 --> 00:43:42,494 To mislead the Germans, the Allies staged an elaborate deception. 499 00:43:54,920 --> 00:43:57,174 They planted fake invasion plans on a corpse 500 00:43:57,240 --> 00:44:00,780 dressed as a British officer, which washed up on the Spanish coast. 501 00:44:05,320 --> 00:44:08,414 Nazi generals fell for the ruse, diverting defences 502 00:44:08,480 --> 00:44:10,374 to Sardinia instead of Sicily. 503 00:44:19,720 --> 00:44:22,460 On 9th July, Operation Husky began. 504 00:44:27,640 --> 00:44:32,020 Fierce winds made the landings perilous, with many aircraft blown off course. 505 00:44:35,200 --> 00:44:38,174 However, the unexpected storm worked in the Allies' 506 00:44:38,240 --> 00:44:40,294 favour, catching the enemy off guard. 507 00:45:25,720 --> 00:45:28,414 By the first day, Syracuse had fallen, and 508 00:45:28,480 --> 00:45:30,774 within two weeks, the Allies entered Palermo. 509 00:45:40,400 --> 00:45:43,654 Italian civilians largely welcomed the invaders, hoping for 510 00:45:43,720 --> 00:45:44,694 an end to their suffering. 511 00:45:52,080 --> 00:45:55,374 By mid-July, Montgomery's 8th Army had taken 512 00:45:55,440 --> 00:45:58,134 Catania, pressing north towards Mount Etna. 513 00:46:14,920 --> 00:46:17,694 Patton, advancing from the west, was furious when 514 00:46:17,760 --> 00:46:19,780 Montgomery's forces cut off his route. 515 00:46:22,600 --> 00:46:25,334 Determined to reach Messina first, Patton drove his 516 00:46:25,400 --> 00:46:27,894 troops hard, seeing the invasion as a competition 517 00:46:27,960 --> 00:46:29,940 between British and American forces. 518 00:46:33,760 --> 00:46:36,614 In the end, Patton won the race, entering 519 00:46:36,680 --> 00:46:41,374 Messina just hours before the last Axis forces escaped to mainland Italy. 520 00:46:50,720 --> 00:46:53,700 The fall of Sicily had a profound effect. 521 00:46:54,480 --> 00:46:56,300 Italians knew their country was next. 522 00:47:02,960 --> 00:47:06,180 With pressure mounting, Mussolini was overthrown and imprisoned, 523 00:47:06,560 --> 00:47:10,120 while an armistice was secretly negotiated with the Allies. 524 00:47:13,040 --> 00:47:15,734 Bombing raids on Italy ceased, offering civilians a 525 00:47:15,800 --> 00:47:19,620 brief respite, yet Hitler was not ready to abandon his ally. 526 00:47:20,760 --> 00:47:23,654 Furious at Italy's betrayal, he ordered troops from 527 00:47:23,720 --> 00:47:25,980 the Eastern Front to reinforce the country. 528 00:47:26,680 --> 00:47:29,780 The Luftwaffe targeted Italian ships fleeing to Malta, 529 00:47:30,040 --> 00:47:32,174 while German soldiers marched into Rome. 530 00:47:41,800 --> 00:47:44,614 In a dramatic operation, Mussolini was freed from 531 00:47:44,680 --> 00:47:47,174 captivity and installed as the leader of a 532 00:47:47,240 --> 00:47:49,540 German-controlled puppet state in the north. 533 00:47:50,480 --> 00:47:53,894 Despite these complications, the Allies pushed forward with 534 00:47:53,960 --> 00:47:55,494 plans to invade mainland Italy. 535 00:48:07,680 --> 00:48:10,500 Roosevelt, eager to launch a campaign in France, 536 00:48:10,600 --> 00:48:14,854 hesitated, but the swift success in Sicily convinced him to proceed. 537 00:48:40,000 --> 00:48:43,014 The mission, codenamed Operation Baytown, was led by 538 00:48:43,080 --> 00:48:46,374 Montgomery, whose troops gathered in Messina, poised to 539 00:48:46,440 --> 00:48:48,820 cross the narrow strait of Messina to Calabria, 540 00:48:49,280 --> 00:48:50,734 the toe of Italy's boot. 541 00:48:59,400 --> 00:49:02,174 On 3rd September, the first Allied troops landed 542 00:49:02,240 --> 00:49:05,534 unopposed, with Rommel reassigned to Northern Italy and 543 00:49:05,600 --> 00:49:08,720 General Kesselring commanding the German forces in the south. 544 00:49:08,840 --> 00:49:09,654 The tension grew. 545 00:49:14,600 --> 00:49:17,894 Meanwhile, British and American forces assembled in North 546 00:49:17,960 --> 00:49:21,094 Africa, ready for a second, larger invasion at 547 00:49:21,160 --> 00:49:23,814 Salerno, 35 miles south of Naples. 548 00:49:33,960 --> 00:49:36,854 On 9th September, the main attack force, led 549 00:49:36,920 --> 00:49:39,454 by General Mark Clark, landed under the cover 550 00:49:39,520 --> 00:49:42,774 of darkness, setting the stage for a gruelling battle ahead. 551 00:50:45,440 --> 00:50:48,534 The invasion of the Italian mainland had begun, and the 552 00:50:48,600 --> 00:50:52,900 beaches of Salerno erupted into chaos as the Allies came under heavy fire. 553 00:50:53,880 --> 00:50:56,500 German artillery rained down upon the landing troops, 554 00:50:56,720 --> 00:51:00,260 and fierce counterattacks turned the coastline into a brutal battlefield. 555 00:51:00,880 --> 00:51:02,974 But as the Allies fought desperately to hold 556 00:51:03,040 --> 00:51:06,014 their positions, resistance against the Germans was also 557 00:51:06,080 --> 00:51:07,700 growing within Italy itself. 558 00:51:08,280 --> 00:51:12,254 In Naples, a spontaneous uprising saw ordinary citizens 559 00:51:12,320 --> 00:51:15,620 take to the streets, determined to drive out their oppressors. 560 00:51:16,320 --> 00:51:18,654 For three days, the people of Naples battled 561 00:51:18,720 --> 00:51:22,254 against the occupying forces, facing brutal reprisals as 562 00:51:22,320 --> 00:51:24,660 the Germans sought to crush their defiance. 563 00:51:25,400 --> 00:51:27,980 Yet against all odds, they succeeded. 564 00:51:28,800 --> 00:51:31,380 When the Allies finally entered the ancient city, 565 00:51:31,680 --> 00:51:33,740 they found a scene of utter devastation. 566 00:51:34,440 --> 00:51:37,334 In a scorched earth retreat, Kesselring had ordered 567 00:51:37,400 --> 00:51:39,260 the destruction of all infrastructure. 568 00:51:39,880 --> 00:51:42,734 Bridges were bombed, railway tracks torn up, and 569 00:51:42,800 --> 00:51:47,100 the port left in ruins, its waters filled with the wreckage of sunken ships. 570 00:51:48,120 --> 00:51:50,534 Even Naples' water and power supplies had been 571 00:51:50,600 --> 00:51:54,320 obliterated, leaving its people in desperate need of aid. 572 00:51:54,920 --> 00:51:57,774 To the credit of the Allies, despite persistent 573 00:51:57,840 --> 00:52:00,494 German air raids, the port was reopened within 574 00:52:00,560 --> 00:52:03,980 a week, though rebuilding the city would take far longer. 575 00:52:04,800 --> 00:52:08,094 With nearly 800,000 Neapolitans now dependent on 576 00:52:08,160 --> 00:52:12,534 Allied support, soldiers worked tirelessly alongside civilians to 577 00:52:12,600 --> 00:52:13,460 restore order. 578 00:52:13,920 --> 00:52:18,334 But there was no time to pause, and as soon as Naples was secure, the troops 579 00:52:18,400 --> 00:52:19,420 pressed north. 580 00:52:20,440 --> 00:52:22,454 By mid-October, the battle lines had been 581 00:52:22,520 --> 00:52:24,860 drawn along the Volturno and Trigno rivers. 582 00:52:25,440 --> 00:52:28,300 The Volturno itself was a formidable natural barrier, 583 00:52:28,640 --> 00:52:30,820 stretching up to 200 feet across in places, 584 00:52:31,200 --> 00:52:33,820 with floodwaters swelling to depths of 15 feet. 585 00:52:34,800 --> 00:52:37,494 The Allies struggled through torrential rain and fierce 586 00:52:37,560 --> 00:52:41,574 winds, desperately trying to build pontoon bridges while under enemy fire. 587 00:52:57,120 --> 00:53:00,334 Progress was painfully slow, and as one frustrated 588 00:53:00,400 --> 00:53:04,014 soldier remarked, every river in this crazy country 589 00:53:04,080 --> 00:53:06,140 seems to be called Volturno. 590 00:53:07,280 --> 00:53:09,734 The swift victory the Allies had achieved in 591 00:53:09,800 --> 00:53:12,494 Sicily now seemed a distant memory, and And 592 00:53:12,560 --> 00:53:14,974 with every passing day, the struggle for Italy 593 00:53:15,040 --> 00:53:17,060 became an exhausting war of attrition. 594 00:53:17,680 --> 00:53:20,494 The dream of capturing Rome slipped further from reach. 595 00:53:25,640 --> 00:53:27,614 The month-long battle to push from the 596 00:53:27,680 --> 00:53:30,574 Volturno to the Bernhardt Line stretched both the 597 00:53:30,640 --> 00:53:32,454 Fifth and Eighth Armies to their limits. 598 00:53:39,640 --> 00:53:42,694 Meanwhile, on the Eastern Front, Stalin continued to 599 00:53:42,760 --> 00:53:46,900 drive the Germans south, bringing the war to the doorstep of the Balkans. 600 00:53:47,360 --> 00:53:49,974 Winston Churchill, though satisfied with the progress in 601 00:53:50,040 --> 00:53:53,014 Africa, Russia and the Pacific, was growing frustrated 602 00:53:53,080 --> 00:53:54,700 by the stalemate in Italy. 603 00:53:58,440 --> 00:54:00,214 Yet as the battle for the mainland raged 604 00:54:00,280 --> 00:54:04,100 on, the Allied leaders prepared for a more decisive confrontation. 605 00:54:07,400 --> 00:54:12,214 On November 28th, 1943, Roosevelt, Stalin and Churchill 606 00:54:12,280 --> 00:54:16,860 met in Tehran, determined to chart the course of the war's final phase. 607 00:54:19,160 --> 00:54:21,934 Stalin was adamant that an Anglo-American invasion 608 00:54:22,000 --> 00:54:24,214 of France was the key to victory, and 609 00:54:24,280 --> 00:54:27,560 Roosevelt was ready to commit, pressing Churchill to agree. 610 00:54:30,160 --> 00:54:32,980 A reluctant to divert British forces from Italy, 611 00:54:33,400 --> 00:54:36,214 Churchill argued for continued pressure on Rome, but 612 00:54:36,280 --> 00:54:38,300 in the end, he accepted the inevitable. 613 00:54:39,200 --> 00:54:41,574 The Allies set their sights on the Normandy 614 00:54:41,640 --> 00:54:46,100 landings, promising a full-scale assault by the spring of 1944. 615 00:54:47,040 --> 00:54:49,134 With Italy's capital still locked in a bitter 616 00:54:49,200 --> 00:54:52,454 struggle, Churchill vowed to commit all available forces 617 00:54:52,520 --> 00:54:54,174 to France once Rome had fallen. 618 00:54:54,240 --> 00:54:56,854 But the battle for Italy continued to drain 619 00:54:56,920 --> 00:55:01,220 resources, and casualties mounted as the Allies inched their way north. 620 00:55:02,240 --> 00:55:05,094 By December, Eisenhower was recalled from the Italian 621 00:55:05,160 --> 00:55:08,240 front, summoned to America for a brief family visit. 622 00:55:09,040 --> 00:55:13,020 It was there, in Massachusetts, that he received news of his next assignment. 623 00:55:13,480 --> 00:55:15,060 He would not be returning to Italy. 624 00:55:15,920 --> 00:55:17,774 Instead, he was to take up the role 625 00:55:17,840 --> 00:55:20,934 of Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, tasked with 626 00:55:21,000 --> 00:55:23,460 leading the most ambitious invasion of the war. 627 00:55:24,040 --> 00:55:28,174 The fate of the conflict now rested on his shoulders, and he was not the only 628 00:55:28,240 --> 00:55:29,260 leader to leave. 629 00:55:34,600 --> 00:55:37,374 Just two days after Christmas, Montgomery was also 630 00:55:37,440 --> 00:55:40,960 recalled to Britain, ordered to begin preparations for D-Day. 631 00:55:44,880 --> 00:55:49,780 As the new year of 1944 dawned, fresh victories buoyed the Allied cause. 632 00:55:50,280 --> 00:55:53,134 The siege of Leningrad was finally broken, and 633 00:55:53,200 --> 00:55:56,334 across the continent, from Crimea to Italy, German 634 00:55:56,400 --> 00:55:58,094 forces were beginning to surrender. 635 00:55:58,160 --> 00:56:02,020 The once unshakable grip of the Third Reich was faltering. 636 00:56:02,960 --> 00:56:05,854 Then, on June 5th, the moment Churchill had 637 00:56:05,920 --> 00:56:09,220 been waiting for arrived, the Allies entered Rome. 638 00:56:09,760 --> 00:56:12,054 The Eternal City, once the heart of an 639 00:56:12,120 --> 00:56:14,660 empire, now witnessed the fall of another. 640 00:56:15,800 --> 00:56:19,340 Jubilant crowds filled the streets as the Nazi occupation crumbled. 641 00:56:19,760 --> 00:56:22,020 The path to victory was finally opening. 642 00:56:22,720 --> 00:56:25,374 And just across the Channel, the greatest invasion 643 00:56:25,440 --> 00:56:27,300 in history was about to begin. 644 00:56:27,880 --> 00:56:30,894 British, American, and Commonwealth forces had gathered in 645 00:56:30,960 --> 00:56:35,334 their hundreds of thousands, ready to storm the beaches of Normandy. 646 00:56:48,800 --> 00:56:50,774 As the Allies took their first steps into 647 00:56:50,840 --> 00:56:53,460 Rome, France stood on the brink of liberation. 648 00:56:54,240 --> 00:56:56,294 The final battle for Europe had begun.