Video: 'The World At War 1973(World War II Documentary) 03.France Falls (May – June 1940)' (June 10, 1940, at 46:00)

(Monday, June 10, 1940; during the Battle of France, part of the Western Front of the World War II) — As troops from Nazi Germany approached the “City of Light” from the north and west, the French government fled Paris today, first to Tours and then to Bordeaux. Continue reading French government flees Paris ahead of approaching Nazi Germany forces 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Jun 10 1940) →

Video: 'Will Britain Remain?! - WW2 - 041 - June 8 1940' (June 5, 1940, at 6:17)

(Wednesday, June 5, 1940, 4:00 a.m. Western European Summer Time; during the Battle of France, part of Western Front of the World War II) — The Germans began the second phase of the invasion of France, codenamed Fall Rot (Case Red), launching an offensive on a front of 120 miles from the Channel coast to Laonby across the Somme and Aisne rivers this morning with 130 divisions plus 10 Panzer divisions reequipped with fresh tanks. Continue reading Nazis attack French on a 120-mile front toward Paris 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Jun 5 1940) →

Video: 'We Shall Fight On The Beaches'

(Tuesday, June 4, 1940, 3:40 p.m. British Summer Time; following the Dunkirk evacuation, part of Battle of France on the Western Front of World War II) — Prime Minister Winston Churchill delivered his moving and dramatic “We shall fight on the beaches” speech to the British House of Commons this afternoon, declaring that even if the motherland had to fight alone against the German military machine, the British fleet and empire would fight on to the bitter end. Continue reading ‘We shall fight on the beaches’ Churchill declares following ‘Miracle of Dunkirk’ 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Jun 4 1940) →

Video: 'Will Britain Remain?! - WW2 - 041 - June 8 1940' (June 3-4, 1940, at 1:37)

(Tuesday, June 4, 1940, 3:40 a.m. Western European Summer Time; during the Dunkirk evacuation, part of Battle of France on the Western Front of World War II) — The Dunkirk evacuation, the rescue of 338,226 Allied soldiers during World War II from the beaches and harbor of Dunkirk, in the north of France, by a hastily assembled fleet of over 800 vessels, ended early this morning when the destroyer HMS Shikari departed for Dover with German infantry firing only a few streets away from where she was moored. Continue reading Evacuation of 338,226 Allied troops from Dunkirk, France, completed 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Jun 4 1940) →

Video: 'The First Brexit? - The Dunkirk Evacuation - WW2 - 040 - June 1 1940' (Belgium surrenders at 1:18)

(Tuesday, May 28, 1940, 4:00 a.m. Western European Summer Time; during the Battle of Belgium, part of Battle of France, part of the Western Front of the World War II) — Leopold III, king and commander in chief of the Belgian army, surrendered personally to German forces today, contrary to the advice of his government, led by Hubert Pierlot, having personally decided that the Allied cause was lost. Continue reading King Leopold III orders Belgian Army to unconditionally surrender to Nazi Germany 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (May 28 1940) →

Video: 'The First Brexit? - The Dunkirk Evacuation - WW2 - 040 - June 1 1940' (May 26, 1940, at 3:32)

(Sunday, May 26, 1940, just before 7:00 p.m. BST; during the Dunkirk evacuation part of Battle of France, part of the Western Front of the World War II) –British Prime Minister Winston Churchill tonight ordered Operation Dynamo, the evacuation of some 338,000 Allied troops from Dunkirk, France, to begin. Continue reading Evacuation of 338,226 Allied troops from Dunkirk, France, begins 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (May 26 1940) →

Video: 'The Allied Clusterf**k - The Battle of France - WW2 - 039 - May 25 1940' (Germans reach English Channel at 5:47)

(Monday, May 20, 1940, 7:00 p.m. Western European Summer Time; during the Battle of France, part of the Western Front of the World War II) — In a crowning series of staggering blows dealt to the Allies in the last few days, the German army reached the English Channel tonight at Abbeville, France, severing all communication between the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in the north and the main French army in the south. Continue reading Germans reach English Channel at Abbeville, France 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (May 20 1940) →

Video: 'Blitzkrieg in the West - The Invasion of France - WW2 - 038 - May 18 1940' (May 14, 1940, at 3:35)

(Tuesday, May 14, 1940, 7:00 p.m. NET; during the Battle of the Netherlands part of Battle of France , part of the Western Front of the World War II) — All but a small part of the Netherlands capitulated to the invading German Army tonight “to prevent further bloodshed and annihilation” as General Henri Gerard Winkelman, the Commander in Chief, called upon his troops to lay down their arms after only five days of fighting. Continue reading Dutch military ends resistance against Germans except in Zealand 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (May 14 1940) →

Video: 'Hitler Strikes in the West - The Invasion of the Benelux - WW2 - 037 - May 11 1940' (Churchill replaces Chamberlain at 1:11)

(Friday, May 10, 1940 approximately 6:25 p.m. Western European Summer Time; during Battle of France, part of the Western Front of the World War II) — British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain resigned tonight and Winston Churchill agreed to form a new government. Continue reading Churchill replaces Chamberlain as British Prime Minister 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (May 10 1940) →

Video: 'Hitler Strikes in the West - The Invasion of the Benelux - WW2 - 037 - May 11 1940' (May 10, 1940, at 6:25)

(Friday, May 10, 1940 approximately 4:00 a.m. Western European Summer Time; during Battle of France , part of the Western Front of the World War II) — Nazi Germany invaded without warning Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands shortly before dawn today, swinging 89 army divisions around France’s so-called impregnable Maginot Line. Continue reading Nazi Germany invades Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (May 10 1940) →