The World War 2 Archives – Victory In Europe

This series of programmes tells the complete story of World War II through fascinating archive footage that has become a living history of the incredible series of events that shaped the future of the entire human race. After the success of the Normandy Invasion of June 1944 the Allies truly had turned the course of World War II, and even many high-ranking Germans realised that Adolf Hitler s days of supremacy were numbered. As Paris was liberated and the Allied forces had Berlin in their sights, the Russians were also targeting the city at the heart of the Third Reich s power, from the east. Yet like any wounded animal, Adolf Hitler and his Nazi war machine could still inflict terrible wounds, and there was no room for complacency. German resistance was fierce and they were still capable of going on the offensive as the American forces in the Ardennes discovered to their cost in the Battle of the Bulge. Nevertheless, the writing was on the wall, and as the Battle for Berlin began on April the 16th 1945, Victory in Europe was assured, and it was simply a question of when. With Hitler taking refuge in his Berlin bunker, as the Russians drew ever closer, his suicide heralded the dawn of a new age as Europe celebrated freedom from tyranny.