World War II: Countdown to Victory — Season 1, Episode 3: First Blood

Episode synopsis

Blood, toil, tears and sweat: the story of WWII. Winston Churchill's first task as incoming Prime Minister in May 1940 was the evacuation of Allied soldiers from Dunkirk.

About World War II: Countdown to Victory

Tracking the main events of World War II is a truly fascinating experience, and with the help of remarkable archive footage you can literally see for yourself exactly what happened, and when. From the early battles right through to the complexities of the endgame, this extensive series of 24 programmes will help shine a spotlight on a period of history that should never be forgotten. Each episode spans a few months of the conflict, giving the viewer an incredible level of detail into each and every event. From Adolf Hitler marching his troops into Poland on the 1st of September 1939 to the freezing attacks along the Eastern Front; The sweeping Pacific Naval clashes to that fateful day on the 2nd of September 1945 when World War II was brought to a swift end with the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

More episodes from Season 1

• E1The Road to War
• E2Battle Lines Drawn
• E4Britain Under Attack
• E5Fighting Further Afield
• E6On Land, in the Air and All at Sea
• E7The Blitz, the Bismarck and Barbarossa
• E8Russian Roulette
• E9America at War
• E10The Fall of Singapore
• E11The Battle of Midway and Beyond
• E12El Alamein to Stalingrad
• E13The Tide Begins to Turn