World War II: Witness to War

Recounting the German capture of France, survivors share first-hand accounts of the incredible sacrifices and momentous feats endured by the Allies, alongside the invasion's devastating consequences.

As the war carries on, the battle progresses from the ground to the sky. The British begin to face the Germans over the buildings of London and other British towns, and brave young pilots give their all for the Allied cause.

The global reach of the war reveals itself through the incredible stories of those who experienced it at sea. Relentless attacks by German U-boats push the British to develop new strategies to defeat this evil empire.

The Japanese attack on the US Pacific fleet changed the course of the war. Witnesses tell their stories about that day, and how the momentum behind it pushed the world's greatest superpower to join the Allied forces.

With the US as a newly-engaged ally, the devastation of the war starts to touch the German homeland. The Allies bring the fight to the Axis' doorstep, but with extreme costs for both Allied airmen and German civilians.

The Empire of Japan is determined to conquer Southeast Asia. The Allies attempt to block their aggressive expansion, subjecting their troops to the ruthlessness and brutality of Japanese tactical warfare.

The war that has encompassed the globe takes root in Africa. An ambitious Mussolini expands the war into North Africa, but when he sends ill-prepared soldiers, Hitler is forced to come to his ally's aid.

In the Pacific, Japanese and US forces face off. Both sides have an intense determination and will to survive, but only the Japanese have been trained to choose death over surrender.

The war reaches a critical turning point as Hitler expands the war to a second front. German soldiers endure the unrelenting climate of the Eastern Front, and face the full force of angry Red Army fighters.

The liberation of France begins with an Allied invasion that the Germans didn't see coming, and ends in a triumphant victory after a bitter fight through the French countryside.

The Allies continue the push to Berlin, the US and British from the west and the Soviets from the east. Survivors recount the horrors of German concentration camps, while their liberators recall their shock upon discovering them.

Some of the bloodiest and most brutal battles of the war still rage in the Pacific, months after Allied victory in Europe. The US decides to use a drastic and decisive tactic that will end the war and usher in the nuclear age.