Season 1
Synopsis
Greatest Events of World War II in Colour, Season 1 — watch online on iFILM: 10 episodes, a 2019 British documentary narrated by Sir Derek Jacobi. Each episode takes one major turning point and follows it from the decision that set it in motion to its outcome.
The ten events run roughly chronologically: the Wehrmacht's blitz through the Ardennes, the RAF holding the skies over Britain in summer 1940, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the sea battle at Midway, the siege of Stalingrad, D-Day, Hitler's last counteroffensive in the Ardennes, the Allied firebombing of Dresden, the liberation of Buchenwald, and the atomic bombs over Japan. The defining feature is the colourised archive footage — familiar black-and-white images look different in colour, less like a textbook entry and more like something that happened to real people within living memory.
A strong choice for viewers who know the war's broad outline and want to understand what drove the biggest individual decisions. Stream Season 1 of Greatest Events of World War II in Colour online on iFILM.
10 episodes
S1·E1Blitzkrieg
The Lightning War was one of the most extraordinary events of the Second World War. Now, expertly restored footage from around the world shows the story in a new light.
S1·E2Battle of Britain
In 1940, France has fallen and Hitler orders Operation Sealion: the invasion of Great Britain. Rare, expertly-restored footage tells the story in a new light.
S1·E3Pearl Harbor
Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor was one of the greatest gambles in military history. Rare, expertly-restored footage recounts the extraordinary event.
S1·E4Battle of Midway
Expertly-restored colour footage retells the dramatic story of a Japanese attack on the US-held Pacific island of Midway which triggers an extraordinary chain of events.
S1·E5Siege of Stalingrad
The battle of Stalingrad was one of the bloodiest of the entire war and turned the tide for the Germans. Colourised footage retells the dramatic story.
S1·E6D-Day
The D-Day invasion fleet was the largest in history and one of the most audacious events of WWII. But landing was just the beginning, as rare footage reveals.
S1·E7The Battle of the Bulge
High on cocaine, Hitler hatched a daring plan to change the course of the war. Colourised archive depicts the Germans’ artillery barrage against the Allies.
S1·E8Firestorm Over Dresden
Pushing for a German surrender, Allied forces firebomb the city of Dresden, killing thousands of civilians and unleashing a storm of controversy.
S1·E9Buchenwald Liberation
Hitler's rise to power led to the slaughter of millions as concentration camps revealed the Nazi empire's true evil. Rarely-seen archive recounts the atrocities.
S1·E10Hiroshima
The final hours of WWII changed the course of history with President Truman's fateful decision to use the deadliest weapon ever created: the atom bomb.
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