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) →

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

(Tuesday, May 7, 1940, 2:45 p.m. BST; during the Norway Debate, part of World War II) — The Norway Debate, sometimes called the Narvik Debate, a momentous debate in the British House of Commons during the Second World War, began this afternoon in London. Continue reading Norway Debate begins in British House of Commons 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (May 7 1940) →

Video: 'The Invasion of Norway and Denmark - WW2 - 033 - April 13 1940' (Apr. 9, 1940, at 3:57)

(Tuesday, April 9, 1940, 5:15 a.m. Central European Time; during Operation Weserübung, part of World War II) — Nazi Germany occupied Denmark and invaded Norway early this morning, ostensibly as a preventive manoeuvre against a planned, and openly discussed, Franco-British occupation of Norway known as Plan R 4.

German envoys in Oslo and Copenhagen had presented the Norwegian and Danish governments with a German ultimatum demanding that they immediately accept the “protection of the Reich.”

Video: 'The World At War 1973(World War II Documentary) 02.Distant War (September 1939 – May 1940)' (Operation Weserübung at 36:31)

Denmark capitulated so as to not provoke mass bloodshed at the hands of the Germans, and the country was invaded in six hours.

Norwegian Foreign Affairs Minister Halvdan Koht, however, responded with the defiant words “Vi gir oss ikke frivillig, kampen er allerede i gang” (“We will not submit voluntarily; the struggle is already underway”).

Video: 'World War II - Blitzkrieg to the Bomb Documentary' (Operation Weserübung at 10:29)

The entire Norwegian government including King Haakon VII fled the capital this morning for the mountains in the north.

Video: 'Hitler & Mussolini at Brenner Pass - 1940 | Today In History | 18 Mar 17'

(Monday, March 18, 1940, morning local time; during World War II) — German Führer Adolf Hitler and Italian Duce Benito Mussolini met today at the Brenner Pass in the Alps to celebrate their Pact of Steel, a military and political alliance between Italy and Germany. Continue reading Hitler and Mussolini plot war strategy at Brenner Pass 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Mar 18 1940) →

Video: 'The Soviets Finish a Costly Winter War - WW2 - 029 - March 16 1940'

(Wednesday, March 13, 1940, 11:00 a.m. Eastern European Time; during the Winter War, part of World War II) — The 105-day Winter War, a war between the Soviet Union (USSR) and Finland, ended today after both sides signed the Moscow Peace Treaty, which gave Russia 16,000 square miles of Finnish territory. Continue reading Winter War ends as Finland agrees to cede 16,000 square miles to Soviets 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Mar 13 1940) →

Video: 'The World At War 1973(World War II Documentary) 02.Distant War (September 1939 – May 1940)' (Feb. 23, 1940, at 26:46)

(Friday, February 23, 1940; during World War II) — The Lord Mayor of London gave a luncheon party today at the Guildhall to officers and ratings of the Exeter and Ajax to celebrate their Dec. 13, 1939, victory at the Battle of the River Plate. Continue reading London acclaims naval heroes from crusiers Exeter and Ajax 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Feb 23 1940) →