1938. World War II looms on horizon. In this time an unlikely hero emerges. He tries to save Europe by killing Hitler.
In these series we will examine several "brilliant" plans to win World War II and see why they failed. This video shows how France planned to win the upcoming confrontation with Germany and how it all went wrong.
With the help of the Enlightenment, World War I and the Colonialism the kings and emperors of the Earth have vanished. In this video you'll learn why Sweden has a king and Romania has not.
This video is about the male lineages of Estonians - a people from Northeastern Europe. Its purpose is to promote Estonians living abroad to participate in the genetic research.
Asia and Africa were historically ruled by different dynasties, but by now most of them have lost their power. This video answers the question why did the political structure change and why some of the monarchs have kept their position.
During World War II Germany attempted to defeat the Great Britain by sinking its merchant fleet with its U-boat arm. This drew it into a prolonged struggle for technological supremacy with the Allies. The video discusses how new weapons and technologies influenced the Battle of Atlantic.
Estonian War of Independence (1918-1920) took place in the aftermath of the Great War. Republics of Estonia and Latvia seek to become independent states and have to oppose the Bolsheviks who want to make them part of Soviet Russia. Meanwhile Germany seeks to expand its influence in the region relying on the Freikorps and the local Baltic German nobility and the White Russian forces prepare to capture Petrograd - the former capital of Russia and to overthrow the Bolsheviks.
In the summer of 1941 German army was the strongest in Europe and was preparing to use its superiority to defeat the Soviet Union in a three-month lightning campaign. The Soviets, on the other hand, were preparing for a long war and had built up a strong war economy, but the modernization and expansion of the Red Army was still underway and its methods and organization were not yet fully tested in battle. Can the Wehrmacht damage the Soviet Union enough to prevent a recovery or can the Soviets hold until their long-term advantages start to have a strong impact on the war?
In the autumn of 1941 the Germans had underestimated Red Army's strength and began an offensive that was supposed to deliver a mortal blow to the Soviet Union. This miscalculation resulted in a situation where German troops found themselves in an unfavourable position. This gave the Red Army an opportunity to trap and destroy the German Army group Centre and decide the outcome of the war.
The initial Axis invasion of the Soviet Union had ended with their forces being overextended and the Red Army counterattacked them during the winter. The fighting eventually became a stalemate. During the summer of 1942 both sides planned to undertake a major offensive in order to inflict a decisive defeat on their opponent. The question was - who would be able to gain the initiative first.
The outbreak of World War I demonstrated changes in warfare and warplans of both sides were thrown into disarray. This video looks on a strategic level how Germany attempted to find its path to victory in this new situation.
As 1942 ended, it became clear that Germany would not be able to defeat the Red Army. The question was, now that the resources of the Soviet Union had been greatly reduced and the Germans had the defensive advantage, did the Red Army have the strength to push the Germans back and avoid a stalemate?
In 1944 Germany still refuses to surrender. This means that the Red Army and the Western Allies must move into the Reich to end the war. If before the Germans had to fight on foreign soil with extended supply lines, then now the tables are turned. The Allied numerical superiority of just 2:1 may give Germany a fair chance in conducting a defense.
By 1656 the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was mostly occupied by Sweden, Russia and the Cossacks. In this episode the Commonwealths forces will struggle against the most elite force in Europe - the Swedish Army.
During the second year of World War Two Germany invaded and defeated France in a campaign lasting six weeks. This video is a summary of the Battle of France. Each second represents one day in real time.
It is early 1940. The Allies are counting on a long war and are slowly building up their forces to go on offensive the next year. It is in Germanys interests to attack the Allies as soon as possible to have the best chance for victory. On May 10th 1940 it launches an all out attack on France and the Low countries, beginning the Battle of France.
By 1660 the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth had a monumental task ahead of itself. Two things would have a profound influence on its future - the Reconquest of its Eastern territories and the Reform of its political system.
For three and a half months in 1941 Estonia became a battleground between Germany and the Soviet Union. Being on the left flank of the German drive on Leningrad the country became split between the German forces and the Red Army in mid July 1941. After that both sides attempted to capitalize on the limited maneuvering room to encircle and destroy each others forces as Germany attempted to capture the Soviet naval bases in Estonia while Red Army did everything to retain them.
This video covers the Western Front of the Second World War in real time, with one second representing one day.
It has been said that the generals fight the last war. The US foreign wars provide a good example of this concept. This video looks at how the experience of the previous US foreign war influenced the decisions made in the next one.
In June of 1944 the Allies had gathered an overwhelming force in Britain and were preparing to begin the decisive campaign against Germany in Western Europe. They planned to land their forces in France and reach the German border by May of 1945. For Germany the only path to victory was pushing the Allied landings into the sea and destroying their forces.
By November 1944 Nazi Germany was on the brink of defeat and the Allies were preparing to unleash the final offensive in some months. The Germans put all of their hope on a desperate counterattack on the Western Front.
On the 1st September of 1939 Germany invaded Poland and with that World War Two began. This video looks at the Polish campaign on an animated map and attempts to answer the question: Why did Poland fall so quickly?
Original Title: Why Russia invaded Ukraine?