WW2 Begins: The First Year (1939-1940) | Full Documentary

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In 1939, Germany plunges Europe into war by breaking their promises for peace and marching into Poland. By the end of 1940 though, Britain is the only Great Power still standing against a seemingly invincible German juggernaut. On the surface, the war’s opening phase seems like Hitler’s crowning achievement, but did the first 16 months of WW2 actually lay the groundwork for his ultimate defeat?

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CHAPTERS:
00:00 German-Soviet Invasion of Poland 1939
24:54 Soviet-Finnish Winter War 1939/40
46:26 Phoney War 1939/40
01:05:39 Battle of the Atlantic 1939
01:11:30 German Invasion of Norway and Denmark 1940
01:31:54 German Invasion of France, Belgium and the Netherlands 1940
01:58:06 Soviet Occupation in Eastern Europe 1940
02:02:41 British Empire 1940
02:09:41 Mediterranean Theatre 1940
02:18:34 Battle of Britain 1940
02:44:09 African Theatre 1940
02:47:22 Italian Invasion of Greece 1940
02:54:52 Taranto Raid 1940
02:58:26 British Counterattack in North Africa 1940
03:02:16 Battle of the Atlantic 1940
03:15:36 German Occupation of Poland 1939/40
03:20:09 German Occupation of Western Europe 1940
03:23:30 Conclusion

» SOURCES (Selection)
Mason, Francis K. Battle over Britain, McWhirter Twins Ltd., 1969

Holland, James, The War in the West, Atlantic Monthly Press, 2015

Mawdsley, Evan, The War for the Seas: A Maritime History of World War II, Yale University Press, 2020

Burgwyn, H. James, Mussolini Warlord: Failed Dreams of Empire, 1940-1943, Enigma Books, 2012

Latimer, Jon, Operation Compass 1940: Wavell’s Whirlwind Offensive, Osprey Publishing Ltd, 2013

Bosworth, Richard & Joseph Maiolo (eds.), The Second World War: Volume III – Part III - Occupation, Collaboration, Resistance and Liberation, Cambridge University Press, 2015

Frieser, Karl-Heinz, Blitzkrieg-Legende. Der Westfeldzug 1940, 5. Aufl., Berlin/Boston 2021.

Ferris, John Robert and Evan Mawdsley, eds. The Cambridge History of the Second World War Vol I. Cambridge University Press, 2015.

Jackson, Julian. The Fall of France : The Nazi Invasion of 1940. Oxford University Press, 2004.

Moorhouse, Roger. The Devils’ Alliance: Hitler's Pact with Stalin, 1939-1941. Basic Books, 2014.

Rentola, Kimmo. How Finland Survived Stalin. From Winter War to Cold War, 1939-1950. Yale University Press, 2024.

Symonds, Craig L., World War II at Sea: A Global History. Oxford University Press, 2023.

Overy, Richard., Blood and Ruins: The Great Imperial War, 1931-1945”, Penguin 2022.

»CREDITS
Presented by: Jesse Alexander
Written by: Jesse Alexander, Mark Newton
Director: Toni Steller
Editing: Toni Steller
Motion Design: Toni Steller
Mixing, Mastering & Sound Design: http://above-zero.com
Research by: Jesse Alexander, Mark Newton
Additional research by: Philipp Trzaska, Sofia Shirogorova, Roman Töppel, Christoph Bergs, Markus Linke, Athanasiou Valantis, Dr. Vanda Wilcox and Florian Wittig
Fact checking: Florian Wittig
Executive Producer: Florian Wittig

Channel Design: Simon Buckmaster

Contains licensed material by getty images, picture alliance, and Reuters
Maps: MapTiler/OpenStreetMap Contributors & GEOlayers3
Music Library: Epidemic Sound

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