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.

Battling both sand and heat

LAWRENCE OF ARABIA • British adventurer and officer TE Lawrence fought for a free Arab empire during World War I. His tactics in the desert skirmishes became a template for modern irregular warfare.

Hubris destroyed British campaign • The offensive against Baghdad was stopped in the trenches at Kut al-Amara, where the British found themselves under siege. It was one of the Allies’ worst defeats in WWI.

Desert Fox’s fatal error • In his daring attack at Gazala in 1942, Erwin Rommel demonstrated his tactical brilliance by turning a disadvantage into an advantage and defeating an enemy twice his size. Yet Rommel’s greatest challenge lay not on the battlefield, but in supplying his troops.

DESERT WAR IN THE AIR • At the outbreak of World War II, the Royal Air Force lacked the ability to provide close air support. It was only during the war in North Africa that it learned how to coordinate air and ground forces effectively. These skills would prove crucial to the Allied victory in Western Europe.

BRITISH WATERSHED • Under General Bernard Law Montgomery, the fractured British Army regained confidence and turned the tide of the war by defeating Rommel’s German-Italian forces in North Africa.

US FACED DESERT BAPTISM OF FIRE • It was in North Africa that the United States entered the war against Germany. Despite initial success, the operation was beset by serious leadership issues, which almost cost the Allies victory in the important Battle of Kasserine Pass.

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

Picked up Willys for Sahara missions • US-made jeeps adapted to the North African climate became an effective weapon for the elite SAS (Special Air Service).

LIGHTNING ISRAELI ATTACK • During six days in June 1967, Israel’s army defeated its neighbours Jordan, Egypt and Syria at breakneck speed. Israeli forces attacked pre-emptively, fearing that the Arab world wanted to wipe them out. The war had an influence on the situation in the Middle East that continues to this day.

Waging war with trucks • A series of conflicts were fought between Chad and Libya in 1978-87. The last year of fighting was characterised by the Chadian army’s use of armed Toyota pickup trucks – which gave the Toyota War its name.

OPERATION DESERT STORM • The conflict between Saddam Hussein’s Iraq and the allied coalition led by the United States was the first live-broadcast high-tech war in history. The US, in particular, was surprised by its own successes.

Bringing History to Life