Politics & War

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The Battle of the Philippine Sea was a turning point in the Pacific Theatre of the Second World War as the Imperial Japanese Navy was never able to recover from the losses inflicted upon them. The aerial battle was so one sided it became known as the Great Marianas Turkey Shoot. War Stories is your one stop shop for all things military history. From Waterloo to Verdun, we'll be bringing you only the best documentaries and stories from history's most engaging and dramatic conflicts. You can find more from us on

The 10 Key Causes of the Second World War' After the Great War of 1914-18, European powers were desperate to avoid another conflict of that scale. But just 20 years later, they found themselves plunged into catastrophe on an even greater scale. The outbreak of World War Two has been blamed on the policy of 'appeasement' - with the Great Powers of Europe failing to stand up to German leader Adolf Hitler's aggressive foreign policy until it was too late. Tim Bouverie, author of 'Appeasing Hitler: Chamberlain, Churchill and the Road to War', comments on the gathering storm of the 1930s, unleashed in September 1939.

The battle of Naseby was fought on the foggy morning of 14th June 1645 and is considered one of the most important battles in the English Civil War. Sir Thomas Fairfax, Captain-General of Parliament's New Model Army, led his troops to victory over King Charles I. Charles escaped, but the destruction of his forces meant that his ultimate defeat was simply a question of time.

Brutal Reality of Eastern Front Exposed by Lost German Diaries' On 22 June 1941, Hitler's Germany launched ‘Operation Barbarossa’, the attack of the Soviet Union, the largest invasion in military history. In June 2019, twelve dusty notebooks and a wealth of loose paperwork were discovered in Germany; the diaries of Oberleutnant Wilhelm Sander, a young officer in the 11th Panzer-Regiment who took part in the enormous campaign. On every single day Sander, in a brutally honest manner, elaborately recorded his experiences, impressions and the events he witnessed. Now transcribed and translated for the first time, they offer a brutally honest, intimate and fascinating view into the murderous and unforgiving nature of war on the Eastern Front from the summer of 1941 to the eventual German retreat in the terrible winter of 1941/1942, while offering a unique glimpse into the world of thought of a highly politicised officer of the German Wehrmacht and member of the NSDAP. In the first part of a two-part film, we follow Leutnant Sander on the strenuous, and costly race towards Leningrad and learn about the

CUBA: THE FORGOTTEN REVOLUTION tells the virtually unknown story of Cuban revolutionaries Frank Pais and Jose Antonio Echeverria - a school teacher and architecture student - whose names seldom appear alongside their more famous contemporaries, Fidel Castro and Che Guevara. These young men, who worked independently from each other, played critical roles in the eventual overthrow of dictator Fulgencio Batista y Zaldíva in 1950s Cuba. New scholarship and recently accessed footage challenge the prevailing view - in part advanced by Che Guevara - that Castro's army of 200 guerillas single-handedly defeated tens of thousands of Batista's professional soldiers and liberated the people of Cuba. In actuality, Pais and Echeverria's insurgencies in Santiago and Havana held the key to generating popular support for resistance and undermining the authority of Batista and his secret police. Both Pais and Echeverria rivaled Castro in popularity and power during the height of the Revolution, yet neither man lived to see the movement succeed.

In October 1642, the forces of King Charles I descended on Edgehill to fight the parliamentarian army of the Earl of Essex. This battle brought a shattering end to more than 130 years of peace.

The Secret Nuclear Bunker Built For the British Government' In the wake of the Second World War, Britain moved to cement itself as one of the world's main nuclear powers. The erection of a series of nuclear bunkers followed across the UK, tasked with protecting a fortunate few against any devastating nuclear attack. Sarah Agha explores Britain's secret nuclear bunker at Kelvedon Hatch and how the Government would have used it, if Britain had suffered a nuclear attack during the Cold War. Film directed by Mark Bowsher.

Known by few, a small group of Westerners grew up and lived inside Mao's China. Starting in 1966, they witnessed first hand the upheaval of the Cultural Revolution. At the same time young leftist activists In Western Europe idolized Mao as a harbinger of a utopian society. As China eased its isolation in the early 1970's, both groups were in for a harsh reality check.

The Battle of Marston Moor on July 2nd, 1644 was one of the most important of the entire English Civil War. It was here that a force of some 27,000 Parliamentarian and Scottish troops routed an army of just 18,000 Royalists. Crucially, the Royalist stronghold of York was lost and King Charles' cause in the north virtually collapsed. It was a defeat from which the King would never recover.

During the Vietnam War, the U.S. dropped more than 2.5M tons of ordnance on Laos during - equal to a planeload of bombs every eight minutes, 24 hours a day, for nine years - making Laos the most heavily bombed country per capita in history. Australian bomb disposal specialist Laith Stevens has to train a new young "big bomb" team to deal with bombs left from the US "Secret War", but meanwhile, the local children are out hunting for bomb scrap metal. Vividly depicting the consequences of war with the incredible bravery of those trying to clear up the mess. War Stories is your one stop shop for all things military history. From Waterloo to Verdun, we'll be bringing you only the best documentaries and stories from history's most engaging and dramatic conflicts. You can find more from us on

In 1936, 3 years before the start of WW2, Germany seized it's chance to showcase their Nazi ideology to the world. Hitler and Goebbels embraced the spectacle of the Olympic Games to prove that their twisted vision of the world is superior. However, not all would go to plan and Hitler would be embarrassed by a young athlete called Jesse Owens.

A full series of History Hit the original video platform exclusive videos on the rarest vehicles of the Second World War. From halftracks and battle cruisers to bombers and gyroplanes, join presenters Luke Tomes, Louee Dessent and James Rogers as they discover the extraordinary vehicles of World War Two. In episode one, Luke and Louee attempt to track down the greatest monster vehicle of World War Two at Armour & Embarkation 2022, an immersive historic event which brings together dozens of original vehicles from the Second World War. The team's challenge was to find some of the biggest, rarest and most impressive vehicles of the Second World War. Among the contenders were the M26 Pacific Dragon Wagon, the M4 High Speed Tractor, the Lloyd Carrier and the Mack NO 7½-ton 6x6 truck pulling a "Long Tom". Military historian James Rogers then dives into the story of one of the world’s best known warships, HMS Belfast. The ship's service in the Royal Navy extended from the beginning of the Second World War to the height of the Cold War, during which

Are these the best World War Two air combat scenes in movies? War historian, NATO Advisor and presenter of History Hit’s Warfare podcast James Rogers reviews scenes from films about World War Two that show aerial combat. First up, he reviews scenes from Memphis Belle (1990) which depict the famed B-17F being attacked by a fleet of German planes, praising the film for its historical accuracy in telling the story of the iconic bomber. Next, he rates the scene from Dunkirk (2017) where a dogfight takes place over the English Channel. While he likes the film, he points out that there are a few factual inconsistencies, including the lack of diversity in the actors chosen to portray pilots. James then reviews the Japanese surprise attack from Pearl Harbour (2001), so important in history as it was the trigger for drawing the United States into the war. James praises the film for its accuracy in showing the level of destruction enacted on the harbour. Next, it’s the ending scene from Saving Private Ryan (1998) where Tom Hanks faces off against a

A full series of History Hit the original video platform exclusive videos on the most fascinating megastructures of the Second World War. Join presenters Dan Snow and James Rogers as they travel across Europe to discover the monumental physical remains of World War Two. In episode one, James heads to Normandy to explore shipwrecks left over from the Dunkirk evacuation of 1940. He then sees the huge bunkers of Hitler's Atlantic Wall on a stretch of coastline in Denmark, entering the ruins to see German graffiti and other evidence of the soldiers' daily lives. Dan Snow then lands in the Channel Islands, exploring the warren of World War Two defences built by the Wehrmacht on Alderney. The concrete bunkers and tunnels even incorporate earlier defences built during the Napoleonic Wars. James then visits one of the most impressive underground fortresses in the world, Eben-Emael in Belgium. This impressive subterranean megastructure was built to prevent a land invasion, but was captured in one of the first attacks by German paratroopers. Moving forward to D-Day and Operation Overlord, James views the surviving

Since being introduced in WW1, the tank changed war forever. However one tank was at the forefront of a revolution in modern warfare, the Panzer. Leading the relentless charge of Blitzkrieg, the Panzer is responsible for some of the most innovative military tactics of the 20th century. War Stories is your one stop shop for all things military history. From Waterloo to Verdun, we'll be bringing you only the best documentaries and stories from history's most engaging and dramatic conflicts. You can find more from us on

In the 1930s, civil war tore through Spain. The left leaning Republicans flight against the far right forces of dictator Francisco Franco in a huge clash of ideologies that would determine the fate of the country for decades to come. This documentary looks at the huge mix of left leaning groups that made up the Republican force and how they united for a common cause. War Stories is your one stop shop for all things military history. From Waterloo to Verdun, we'll be bringing you only the best documentaries and stories from history's most engaging and dramatic conflicts. You can find more from us on

Would Britain Have Surrendered to Nazi Germany Without Churchill? The host of History Hit's 'Warfare' podcast James Rogers sits down with author and military historian John Buckley in the (IWM) Churchill War Rooms to discuss his new book: 'The Armchair General: Can You Defeat the Nazis?' In this episode, the two discuss why and how Winston Churchill was chosen to replace Neville Chamberlain, whose policy of appeasement had failed to secure peace in Europe, and how his characteristics enabled him to lead Britain through its so-called Darkest Hour. How did Churchill manage to defeat his greatest political rival Lord Halifax to become prime minister? And what might have happened if Churchill hadn't been chosen to lead the country? How close was he to making a peace deal with Hitler? When was Britain closest to losing the war? What made Winston Churchill the ideal wartime leader? Find out in this video! John's book invites you to take the hotseat and make the key decisions that swung the result of the Second World War. It focusses on eight pivotal moments: Britain's Darkest

How the Russian Civil War Led to the 'Red Terror' and Infamous Gulag' Host of History Hit podcast 'Warfare' Dr James Rogers sits down with military historian and author of 'Russia: Revolution and Civil War, 1917—1921', Antony Beevor to discuss the causes and major events of the Russian Civil War between 1919 and 1922. Speaking in the Three John's pub in Islington, allegedly where Vladimir Lenin and Leon Trotsky met in 1903 and sowed the seeds of one of the most significant revolutions in history, James and Antony cover the bloody aftermath of the Russian Revolution - a civil war fought between those loyal to the Tsar or simply hostile to Bolshevism and the newly formed Red Army under the leadership Vladimir Lenin, Leon Trotsky, Joseph Stalin and others. But how did Russia descend into such a chaotic conflict? How did the Red Army defeat an overwhelming White Army coalition attacking on three fronts? Where did the 'Gulag' come from? And what made Lenin commit to a campaign of political repression and executions on a scale never seen before, carried

Fidan arrives in Yangon on the eve before the latest elections. The military regime has promised fair elections but who can tell what will really happen? There is one television station that has committed itself to monitoring the election process and uncovering all irregularities that may occur: The Democratic Voice of Burma. Than Win Htut and the staff of DVB have trained hundreds of citizens all over the country to film with their smartphones during the elections. On election day the system functions flawlessly. The Democratic Voice of Burma has helped in enforcing fair elections by literally controlling the powers that be. But there is a dark side to the success stories in Myanmar. The new democratic forces have not been very attentive to the Muslim minorities that have been discriminated and killed by Buddhist nationalists. It is not a popular subject, and journalists who draw attention to it can get into a lot of trouble. But in Sittwe, in a closed refugee camp for Muslim Rohinya, a lone blogger manages to send his reports into the world with his

Pershing's Paths of Glory is a celebratory presentation of contemporary inspiration and American history. It combines the past glory and achievements of GENERAL JOHN J. PERSHING (1860-1948) with his modern day impact upon young Americans. Inspired by Pershing's numerous civil and military accomplishments, a diverse group of young American cadets follow his global footsteps learning why his leadership still influences our society today. War Stories is your one stop shop for all things military history. From Waterloo to Verdun, we'll be bringing you only the best documentaries and stories from history's most engaging and dramatic conflicts. You can find more from us on

The Cold War saw a huge espionage on both sides of the iron curtain, with each superpower doing anything it could to gain the upper hand on its enemy. One of the more inventive methods of spying that the Soviet Union implemented was training "Romeos". These men would be moulded into the perfect man and sent to win the hearts of lonely female office workers in government institutions in order to steal confidential information.

Antony Beevor Breaks Down the Russian Revolution of 1917' Host of History Hit podcast 'Warfare' Dr James Rogers sits down with military historian and author of 'Russia: Revolution and Civil War, 1917—1921', Antony Beevor to discuss the causes and major events of the Russian Revolution. Speaking in the Three John's pub in Islington, allegedly where Vladimir Lenin and Leon Trotsky met in 1903 and sowed the seeds of one of the most significant revolutions in history, the pair cover the February and October Revolution of 1917, the fall of a weak Tsar Nicholas II, the failure of Kerensky's provisional government and the role of the First World War in creating discontent, providing Vladimir Lenin the opportunity to capitalise on chaos.

By looking through secret footage that was taken by Hermann Goering, we're able to take a deep dive into the life of one of the most prominent figures of the Nazi Party. From his early days as a WW1 pilot to his rise to power as Hitler's right-hand man, we examine Goering's key role in the establishment and operation of the Nazi regime. We also explore his downfall, eventual capture by the Allies at the end of WWII and how he met his end during the Nuremberg trials. War Stories is your one stop shop for all things military history. From Waterloo to Verdun, we'll be bringing you only the best documentaries and stories from history's most engaging and dramatic conflicts. You can find more from us on

How did the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United decision change political campaigns in America? In 2012, FRONTLINE and APM’s Marketplace investigated how the controversial ruling was playing out in Montana, an epicenter of the campaign finance debate. (Aired 2012) As this documentary, “Big Sky, Big Money,” explored, the Citizens United decision held that political spending is a form of protected speech, and let corporations and unions spend unlimited amounts of money in campaigns. But to avoid corruption, the court said the money can't go directly to candidates; it has to go to independent outside groups. What did that mean in reality? As the 2012 election loomed, correspondent Kai Ryssdal traveled to Montana, then a battleground over campaign finance, and uncovered startling new evidence of outside interest groups’ influence on local campaigns. The documentary raised questions about how secret “dark money” was transforming U.S. politics, looked at a boom in ads made by tax-exempt nonprofits known as 501(c)(4)s — which generally weren’t required to disclose their donors publicly — and probed evidence that appeared to show possible coordination with campaigns. “Big

While the diplomats wrangle and the negotiators argue, the fighting in the blighted Korean countryside continues. Towns and villages lay in ruins, the hillsides and valleys are scarred by bomb craters, as negotiators attempt to handle the sensitive issue of the repatriation of prisoners of war. War Stories is your one stop shop for all things military history. From Waterloo to Verdun, we'll be bringing you only the best documentaries and stories from history's most engaging and dramatic conflicts. You can find more from us on

Join Guy Martin as he takes a closer look at the intense and brutal training that the D-Day paratroopers went through in preparation for the Normandy invasion. This video features footage of the training exercises as well as interviews with veterans who recount their own experiences. Guy Martin hopes to complete this training in order to pull off his own sky dive into the Normandy countryside. War Stories is your one stop shop for all things military history. From Waterloo to Verdun, we'll be bringing you only the best documentaries and stories from history's most engaging and dramatic conflicts. You can find more from us on

FRONTLINE told the story of Food and Drug Administration Commissioner David Kessler’s bold attempt to regulate the tobacco industry — which had defied regulation for more than thirty years. (Aired 1995) The documentary details the FDA’s efforts to prove that cigarette manufacturers were manipulating nicotine in cigarettes to keep smokers hooked and examines the political headwinds the FDA faced at the time. FRONTLINE is produced at GBH in Boston and is broadcast nationwide on PBS. Funding for FRONTLINE is provided through the support of PBS viewers and by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Additional funding is provided by the Abrams Foundation; the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; Park Foundation; and the FRONTLINE Journalism Fund with major support from Jon and Jo Ann Hagler on behalf of the Jon L. Hagler Foundation. CHAPTERS: Prologue - 00:00 FDA Makes a Case to Regulate Nicotine in Tobacco Like a Drug In 1994 - 00:45 Why Is It So Hard to Quit Smoking Cigarettes? - 09:57 FDA Commissioner Takes On the Tobacco Industry and Nicotine - 18:15 What Did the Tobacco Industry

We met up with Jonathan Ferguson, Keeper of Firearms & Artillery at the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds, to learn about a weapon that was made famous by the Boer and Zulu Wars: the Martini-Henry rifle. During the 1860s, several European armies began to equip their troops with modern breech-loading rifles, leaving behind the now-outdated muzzle-loading musket. By the turn of the decade the British had adopted a breech-loading single-shot lever-action rifle - the Martini-Henry, named after Friedrich von Martini, a Swiss engineer and Alexander Henry, a Scottish gunsmith. Produced at the Royal Small Arms Manufactory at Enfield, the Martini-Henry Rifle became the standard issue weapon for the British army from 1871 until 1889 and was used in campaigns across the British Empire, in Afghanistan, the far east, Sudan and South Africa. The speed of innovation during the mid-19th Century was truly staggering. Within a few decades of the Napoleonic Wars, the British army’s standard issue weapon had evolved from a heavy, smoothbore Brown Bess musket to a deadly rifle equipped with a new breech-loading, ignition and rifling system. The

Experience the turmoil and resilience of London during World War II in this powerful documentary. From the bombings of the Blitz to the heroism of the city's residents, this video takes a closer look at one of the darkest periods in London's history. Witness first-hand accounts and archival footage as we delve into the daily struggles and remarkable spirit of the Londoners who faced the relentless bombing campaign. War Stories is your one stop shop for all things military history. From Waterloo to Verdun, we'll be bringing you only the best documentaries and stories from history's most engaging and dramatic conflicts. You can find more from us on

The story of the Korean War is told through powerful color imagery, dramatic musical score and sound-scape. In the first episode, the summer of 1950 sees the people of Korea trapped in the vice-like grip of the beginnings of the Cold War, as the two new superpowers of the postwar world flex their muscles--the United States and the Soviet Union. War Stories is your one stop shop for all things military history. From Waterloo to Verdun, we'll be bringing you only the best documentaries and stories from history's most engaging and dramatic conflicts. You can find more from us on

Military history expert and TV presenter Dan Snow reviews the most realistic movie battle scenes of all time. Spanning the ancient world to the Second World War, he chooses some of the most iconic scenes from cinema history, and a few surprises. First up, he reviews The Battle of Gaugamela 331BC as recreated in the movie Alexander (2004). He praises the film for its attention to historical accuracy, faithfully depicting the climactic clash between the Macedonian Alexander the Great and the Persian king Darius III. Next, it's the Battle of Loudoun Hill as portrayed in Outlaw King (2018), which took place in May 1307. Although the movie has Robert the Bruce's Scottish force facing off against Edward, Prince of Wales (who wasn't actually there), Dan still rates the film highly for its vision of a northern European medieval battlefield. Dan then reviews the ambush scene from one of his favourite movies, Last of the Mohicans (1992), in which a Britsh redcoat column is wiped out in the forests near Fort William Henry. Although this large scale battle never took place

Operation Valkyrie: The Plot To Kill Hitler is the definitive film on Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg and the 'Valkyrie' conspiracy to assassinate Hitler on 20th July, 1944. Produced in collaboration with the official German Foundation dedicated to the memory of the conspirators, it features testimonials and eyewitness accounts from all of the aristocratic families involved in the plot, including the last living conspirator to escape Hitler's wrath, and Maria Countess von Stauffenberg who knew Claus all her life. War Stories is your one stop shop for all things military history. From Waterloo to Verdun, we'll be bringing you only the best documentaries and stories from history's most engaging and dramatic conflicts. You can find more from us on

Pontius Pilate is presented in the Bible as a weak bureaucrat with little power of his own. But how true is this? Delve into the politics of Ancient Judea and discover the real Pilate and why he wanted Jesus Christ out of the way. Odyssey is your journey into the world of Ancient History; from the dawn of Mesopotamia to the fall of Rome. We'll be bringing you only the best documentaries that journey into the mysteries and ruins of worlds long lost.

Throughout 1941, the Soviet Union had been losing city after city to Nazi Germany. This all changed when Hitler set his sights on Leningrad. Despite laying siege to the city and starving its citizens for 872 days, Hitler's army could not capture the city. What was it that made Leningrad so incredibly resilient? War Stories is your one stop shop for all things military history. From Waterloo to Verdun, we'll be bringing you only the best documentaries and stories from history's most engaging and dramatic conflicts. You can find more from us on

Are These The Rarest Planes of World War Two?' In this History Hit exclusive video, Luke Tomes and Louee Dessent travel to the Battle of Britain Airshow at Imperial War Museums Duxford to find the rarest, whackiest and most unique aircraft that saw active service in the Second World War. Starting their day at the Aircraft Restoration Company hangar, Luke and Louee are shown two incredibly rare British World War Two planes by director and pilot John Romain MBE. First, Luke sees a restored Bristol Blenheim fighter-bomber, used in the early years of the war and during the Battle of Britain, which remains the only aircraft of its kind in the world. John then takes Louee around a Westland Lysander, used to rescue pilots and transport spies in occupied Europe. The Lysander is one of only three planes of its kind that remain airworthy in the world. Louee then makes his way to the Fighter Collection hangar where dozens of unique aircraft spanning both world wars are in the process of reconstruction. There he stumbles upon and half-built Fiat CR.42

With the controversial 2022 Qatar World Cup underway we're taking a look back at one of the most scandalous sporting events in history. This is the story of the 1936 Olympics in Berlin and how Nazi Germany took advantage of the event for propaganda purposes. War Stories is your one stop shop for all things military history. From Waterloo to Verdun, we'll be bringing you only the best documentaries and stories from history's most engaging and dramatic conflicts. You can find more from us on

Norm Christie concludes his examination of the First World War's Western Front, as he recalls one of the largest peacetime armada in Canadian history when, in 1936, more than 50,000 veterans travelled to Normandy for the unveiling of the war memorial at Vimy Ridge, created in tribute to the lives lost in the conflict. War Stories is your one stop shop for all things military history. From Waterloo to Verdun, we'll be bringing you only the best documentaries and stories from history's most engaging and dramatic conflicts. You can find more from us on

One of the legacies of WW1's western front are the hundreds of war cemeteries that mark the old battlefields. As no remains could be repatriated these cemeteries are time capsules that allow us to understand the grief and sacrifice of that period. Norm explains how these incredible cemeteries came about and what each grave and each cemetery tells us about the First World War. War Stories is your one stop shop for all things military history. From Waterloo to Verdun, we'll be bringing you only the best documentaries and stories from history's most engaging and dramatic conflicts. You can find more from us on

How did Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn go from being an elite soldier overseas to waging a “spiritual war” in America? An investigation with the Associated Press. In “Michael Flynn’s Holy War,” FRONTLINE and the Associated Press examine how the retired three-star general and first national security adviser to former President Donald Trump has emerged as a leader in a far-right movement that seeks to put its brand of Christianity at the center of American civic life and institutions and is attracting election deniers, conspiracists and extremists from around the country. Drawing on interviews with 125 people, including Flynn’s family, friends, critics, current and former colleagues — and Flynn himself — the documentary illustrates how Flynn’s influence has grown since the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol — and how his pedigree and military career, combined with his connection to high-powered, well-financed political groups, have allowed him to travel the country and advance his movement since January 6. In the run-up to the 2022 midterm elections, “Michael Flynn’s Holy War” is a revealing look at the rise of one

Military historian Norm Christie examines the First World War from a Canadian perspective. He's on a journey that will take him through the the Battle of the Ypres to the Battle of Vimy Ridge as he follows the life of General Sir Arthur Currie. He rose through the ranks to lead the Canadian Corps to several victories during the conflict that began in 1914, however, over the years his story has been forgotten. War Stories is your one stop shop for all things military history. From Waterloo to Verdun, we'll be bringing you only the best documentaries and stories from history's most engaging and dramatic conflicts. You can find more from us on

Could You Survive as a Spitfire Pilot in World War Two? Arguably the most famous British fighter aircraft in history, the Spitfire, also called Supermarine Spitfire, was the most widely produced and strategically important British single-seat fighter of World War Two. Over 22,000 Supermarine Spitfires were built during the course of the Second World War. The iconic fighter aircraft won immortal fame during the summer months of 1940 by helping to defeat the German air attacks, proving an overwhelming match for the Luftwaffe's Messerschmitt 109's during the Battle of Britain. The original prototype, designed by engineer Reginald Joseph Mitchell CBE, made its first flight four years earlier as Britain’s industry geared up to re-arm against the threat from Nazi Germany. From the beginning pilots recognised it as a thoroughbred combining a perfection of design with superb handling characteristics. In this video, History Hit presenter Luke Tomes visits the Battle of Britain Airshow at Imperial War Museums Duxford to learn about the battle that cemented the Spitfire’s place in history, the pilots who flew in them during the Second World War

In an era of fierce conflict and global chaos, the U.S. Navy SEALs stand ready to answer their nation’s call. Honed and hardened in the flames of combat, they descend from the night sky and rise from the ocean depths to strike their targets with deadly efficiency. This is a compilation of all episodes from Navy Seals season one. WONDER is packed with binge worthy reality documentaries for hours of entertainment. Check out our hub of diverse and empowering stories which explore the extreme side of life!

The Battle of Stalingrad, the offensive at Kursk and the Battle of the Ardennes all rank among the most disastrous decisions taken by Hitler. As his blunders piled up the Second World War gradually started to turn against the tyrant. War Stories is your one stop shop for all things military history. From Waterloo to Verdun, we'll be bringing you only the best documentaries and stories from history's most engaging and dramatic conflicts. You can find more from us on

In 1944, the British considered assassinating Adolf Hitler. But then they decided that he was such a useless warlord, he was more useful alive than dead. The "Halt Order" at dunkirk, the Battle of Britain, and Operation Barbarossa all rank among the most disastrous decisions taken by Hitler. War Stories is your one stop shop for all things military history. From Waterloo to Verdun, we'll be bringing you only the best documentaries and stories from history's most engaging and dramatic conflicts. You can find more from us on

As the Battle of the Bulge raged on into 1945, the U.S. battled stiff resistance on Leyte and Iwa Jima in the Pacific, and Americans brought the war into the Fatherland while mourning President Roosevelt, who did not live to see their final victory, signaled by the deaths of Mussolini and Hitler and the atomic bombs that defeated Japan.

On April 30th 1945 and with Soviet forces closing in, Adolf Hitler committed suicide. Soon after Germany surrendered, and the only Axis power left standing was the Japanese Empire. Rather than risk a land invasion that could cost millions of lives, the US unleashed a never before seen power on Hiroshima and Nagasaki that brought the bloodiest war in history to an end. War Stories is your one stop shop for all things military history. From Waterloo to Verdun, we'll be bringing you only the best documentaries and stories from history's most engaging and dramatic conflicts. You can find more from us on

In the spring of 1944, America and its allies waged global warfare on an unprecedented scale, pushing towards the inevitable fall of Rome and on "the road back" in the Pacific. Here at home, months of planning and preparation paid off on June 6th with the D-Day landings in Normandy, unleashing the most massive invasion in history.