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Three mad weeks and we're so happy for your support.
Six Weeks of WW2 and 112,450 Subscribers later and thanks to your support there will be more.
Eleven weeks into World War Two, we're proud to announce upcoming collaborations with The Tank Museum, Bovington and Simon Whistler of Biographics, TopTenz, and Today I Found Out fame. And on 11.11.18 at 11AM CET we will be live here on this channel.
Sabaton in cooperation with Indy Neidell and TimeGhost History will cover the real story behind Sabaton songs - one video every week, starting February 7, 2019. It will be historical! Subscribe now to not miss anything. Sabaton History on YouTube: @sabatonhistory
The T-26 tank was one of the most frequently used tanks during the first battles of World War Two. It saw action in the Soviet Union, Finland and China. In our first collaborative video with the Tank Museum in Bovington, UK, David Willey and David Fletcher talk about the development, production and action of the this tank.
Christmas 1941. A holiday season in a year of darkness and suffering, where Hitler celebrates his own greatness as the world goes up in flames.
The early-war career of Erwin Rommel, German Press on the Invasion of Poland and the birth of Polish resistance movements after the German occupation in 1939.
When the Second World War breaks out, it is at first largely a war between one side of totalitarian aggressors against a portion of the democratic countries of the world defending other totalitarian states. From the first day of the war in Poland, as it already is in China, this will be a war against humanity.
Rationing of goods in Europe started immediately when the war broke out. Lord Woolton, British Minister of Food came up with one of the first substitute dishes... a vegetable pie that was promptly named after him. Our team chef Joram shows you how to do it.
Hi guys and girls! As you might know, we are currently doing a road trip through France to make some interesting specials for this channel. This is the first of our daily videos in which we update you about our adventures and discoveries. Things are good, or as the French say, 'ca va tres bien'. Lets make history!
Another update from la France! Wednesday, we visited some sites around Verdun to film a World War Two special as well as some stuff with the guys from Sabaton. We had a very long but rewarding during which we visited very impactful places. They literally made us shiver and effectively reminded us of the importance of what we are doing here: this history can never be forgotten.
On the third day of our road trip in France, we mainly shot stuff for Sabaton History in the Argonne Forest. Tomorrow, we will spend the whole day on the Maginot Line surrounding Sedan again. But today, we went back to World War One with Sabaton and some of the songs of their upcoming album 'The Great War'.
On the fourth day of our road-trip through France, we visit Sedan and its surroundings together with local expert and guide Richard Tucker. He shows us that many of the common knowledge about the Maginot Line and its effectiveness in wartime is either doubtful or even outright incorrect. We visit several key locations which will play a major role in the coming events in May 1940.
On the fifth and last day of our road-trip through France, we take some time to reflect on what we have seen, and to have some chips, paprika chips.
In April 1940 in Poland, if you are on the list of Nazi or Soviet non-desirables, there three options: run for your life, be shipped off to a camp, or face the execution squad... if you happen to be Jewish it's likely to be the fourth option: the Ghetto.
In this special episode of War Against Humanity, we take a look at the underlying neurological functions that allow us to hate another group of people. Maybe it helps us to understand the ultimate question about WW2; how on earth could all of this happen?
After the Great War was over, the French reconsidered their armies function and the role that tanks would play in future warfare. At the brink of World War Two, the Char B tank is deeply embedded in the structure of the French armored Defences. David Willey from the Tank Museum in Bovington (UK) tells how French politics influenced how the Char B will be used if the Germans attack.
Out of the Foxholes is back to answer your questions about the war. In this episode, we take a look at anti-tank weaponry for infantry, the German defensive lines of the Westwall, the never-finished German aircraft-carrier Graf Zeppelin and the Balkans. The Chieftain, who has his own YouTube channel about tanks and armored vehicles.
The Maginot Line was not the failure many think - in fact it was quite a remarkable feat - find out more in this video.
The Chieftain takes you on an extensive walk through of the armored vehicles used by both sides during the German invasion of France in 1940.
After the German army breaks through the French lines at Sedan, the left flank of the moving army has to be secured. The French Ouvrage la Ferté, part of the Maginot Line Defense works, is subject to this consolidation. But the Germans move with ulterior motives, as to them capturing a Maginot Line fort in the first week of the offensive has a huge propaganda value. Tour guide Richard Tucker shows Indy the grounds of a modern tragedy, where 107 French soldiers gave their lives.
Marc Halter takes Indy and all of us on a tour through the fort at Schoenenbourg on the Maginot Line.
When WW2 breaks out, the belligerents promise to not bomb civilians. The promise is broken, literally within minutes by the Nazis and within weeks by the Soviets. Now, nine months later the Allies are about to follow suite.
You might have heard he a was vegetarian. You might have heard that he shunned alcohol. You might have heard he was anti-tobacco. Then you might think he was against hard drugs as well, but you’d be wrong…
While many armies use performance enhancing drugs during WW2, the Wehrmacht takes it to extremes in 1940, with more than debatable consequences.
When the Nazi German Reich invades western and northern Europe this creates a massive refugee and forced migration crisis all across Europe. In eastern Europe, The Nazis and the Soviets have already been forcing families out of their homes to be relocated, incarcerated and murdered for nine months by now.
After the German army breaks through the French lines at Sedan, the left flank of the moving army has to be secured. The French Ouvrage la Ferté, part of the Maginot Line Defense works, is subject to this consolidation. But the Germans move with ulterior motives, as to them capturing a Maginot Line fort in the first week of the offensive has a huge propaganda value. Tour guide Richard Tucker shows Indy the grounds of a modern tragedy, where 107 French soldiers gave their lives.
Last week YouTube sent us a list of things we could do to make sure our content gets monetized - that list made clear that any historical content is at risk of demonetization. So... is this what you want us to do YouTube?
Some of our comments are worthy of a bigger audience. Thats why we decided to start our sub-series 'Across the Airwaves', where we read to you some of our dear communities comments. This episode includes a roleplay and a touching eyewitness account from the Invasion of the Netherlands.
How young were British soldiers? Could Graf Spee have gotten away? What was the French air force like? Questions, questions, questions - from you no less! With answers from us Out of the Foxholes.
Hermann Göring was one of the most powerful leaders of the Third Reich. He was also a drug addict with some serious problems and a remarkable lifestyle.
Winston Churchill was one of the most influential figures of World War Two. But as a heavy drinker he must have been under influence of constant drunkenness, right?
In another edition of our Q&A format, Indy answers some questions about Greenland after the German occupation of Denmark, the state of Australia and the fate of the French Colonies.
What role did Slovakia play during the invasion of Poland? How did Franco view the war in Europe? And did Greece see an invasion coming? We answer all of this in this episode of Out of the Foxholes.
What happened to Kaiser Wilhelm II after World War One? How did Polish soldiers flee to Allied territories after the 1939 invasion? And did any American volunteers serve in the war in 1939 and 1940? We answer all of this in this episode of Out of the Foxholes.
Strategic bombing was used to destroy the popular support for their governments war effort, and the British boosted that their resistance to bombing was an unique trait. But both are false, based on lies and propaganda.
Where all German faithful Nazis? Not by a stretch, but a resounding majority approved of the Nazis, especially before the war, and again after the victory in France. Anyone that actively opposed Hitler and his gang were not only risking their life, but faced an uphill battle against public opinion. And yet... some people did.
Immediately after France is occupied by the Nazis in 1940, the French are divided about what to do; resist for collaborate? To put it mildly, it's complicated.
We are going to do something special for Christmas! For every day between 24 December and 1 January 2020, we'll have one episode about something that happened on that day in History. Tell your friends and stay tuned on our TimeGhost channel!
It's a new year - and what a year. We're going to make more content and new kinds of content and we will have two new hosts.
Lot of new stuff coming and here's a preview by Indy and Spartacus on some of it - new TimeGhost series, Barbarossa, Pearl Harbor, who knows... well any minute you will.
When the Racism of Naziism hits the Nationalism of Monarchism, it doesn't quite go like Hitler would have imagined.
We want to increase the scope of this channel by visiting locations relevant to World War Two. And for that, we need more financial support. We want to handle that tasteful though, without abandoning the integrity of this channel. This is what we came up with.
This video is sponsored by Paradox Interactive. Indy shares his thoughts on what he thinks would have happened if the Spanish Revolution would have happened differently.
Pearl Harbor is one of the major events of 1941 and World War Two, bringing America into the war and changing history for ever. We want to do it justice by going there with boots on the ground, and by covering it minute-by-minute as it unfolds.
Indy shares his thoughts on what he thinks would have happened if the French would have decided to meddle in the Spanish Civil War – triggering a Civil War.
The war in China already started in 1931 when Japan invaded Manchuria. Early resistance was small and was met by heavy Japanese retaliations. But throughout the 30's, the movement started to grow.
In this episode of Out of the Foxholes, we answer some community questions on what August von Mackensen did in World War Two, if there was a shortage on French wines and what the Axis' perception of the Monroe Doctrine was.
On 7 December 1941, we will cover the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor minute-by-minute.
Carton de Wiart was a remarkable figure in World War One, but his story continues in World War Two, where he rolls from one adventure into the next.
Next week our monthly new sub series On The Homefront premieres hosted by Anna Deinhard. This is why...
The Fallschirmjäger were Germany's own paratrooper branch, designed to deal a swift and fatal blow behind the enemy's lines. They were deployed with great success in Scandinavia and the Benelux, but they come too close to the sun when they attempt to invade Crete.
In this first episode of On the Homefront, Anna tells you about division of labour, food production and rationing in the early years of the war.
In today's episode of Out of the Foxholes, we answer exciting questions concerning Dutch and French colonies in America, British defence strategies in India and French soldiers stuck in Britain post-armistice.
Hans Oster opposed the Nazis and tried to oppose them from early on. As a member of the Abwehr, he tried to do whatever he could. During the war, his efforts increased with a dramatic outcome.
Poland faces two brutal occupiers led by Hitler and Stalin, hellbent on wiping Poland off the map. But the Poles have been preparing to stand up and resist since before the war - and now they do.
The United States of America aims to remain neutral during World War Two. But they see it in their best interest to aid the British in their fight against Nazism. The Lend-Lease Act is designed to do exactly that.
Did the British government know of the German plans for Operation Barbarossa? What happened to Jewish communities in Ethiopia? And to Prisoners of War in occupied countries?
A Serb royal with an English heart sounds pretty romantic, but the story of Prince Paul of Yugoslavia is far from it. Trapped by circumstance, he is forced to make decisions that go against his own personal beliefs and leave him condemned as a traitor.
As Hitler pressured Yugoslavia to join the Axis Powers, Britain tried to gain a Balkan ally. Then Yugoslavia did join then Axis... and then there was an anti-Axis coup in Yugoslavia. But just how much were the British involved in that coup? Let's find out.
Now that the labour-needs and the availability of manpower has changed due to the outbreak of World War Two, Women are required to join the workforce. They're put to work in the Women's Land Army.
Charles De Gaulle is a towering figure in history, and not just because of his height. Becoming increasingly political in the interwar years due to his unorthodox views on military strategy, The Fall of France will thrust him into the limelight.
The Chieftain takes us to North-Africa, where he talks us through the tanks that were used during the first months of the Battles in North-Africa between the Italians and Germans on the one side and British and commonwealth forces on the other.
What did soldiers eat on the frontlines? What happened to the French Foreign Legion? And how is the legacy of Alfred Dreyfus handled in the anti-semitic Vichy France? Find out in this exciting episode of Out of the Foxholes!
Haile Selassie was the Emperor of the Ethiopian Empire. He led the country against the Italians in the Second Italo-Ethiopian War after which he is exiled to Britain.
How were relations between Japan and the United States at the beginning of the war? What were both sides doing to try and make Portugal enter the war? And to what extent did the Kriegsmarine match the Royal Navy? Find out as we answer these questions in this Out of the Foxholes episode!
Georgy Zhukov's rise to one day become the Hero of the Soviet Union did not happen overnight. Instead, the son of a poor tradesman has slowly worked himself up the ranks of the Red Army using his grit, determination, and iron will.
The War Against Humanity is accelerating and accelerating. Across the world, people live under oppression. In Nazi Europe, solutions to the so-called "Jewish Question" has taken on new, fantastical, proportions.
In a series of events, Hitlers second in command Rudolf Hess decides to fly to Britain to enter peace negotiations with the Allies. But the true reasons behind and effects of his action remain ambiguous at best.
The European powers may be at war but there's now thing they can agree on: their young must be protected. So, before the first RAF or Luftwaffe bombs were even dropped on cities, countries are drawing up plans to save as many lives of their youth as they possibly can.
Roald Dahl is not just a beloved author, he is also a wartime adventurer. He saw plenty of action in North-Africa and Greece, where he got the inspiration for many of his work to come.
Indy has been suffering with Covid-19 for the past three weeks, but he seems to be well on the road to recovery. How does this affect the content and scheduling for WW2, TimeGhost, and Sabaton History?
You’re just an average German doing your work when suddenly you’re called up for service and asked to put your life on the line for your country. But how does your country repay you? Find out today as we take a look at the regular German soldier’s salary, the political turmoil in Argentina during the war and the former powerhouse of Europe: the mighty Habsburg dynasty.
For the British, breaking the German's seemingly unbreakable codes is one of the most vital battles of the war. If they fail, there is litte to stop the German U-Boats hunting down Allied shipping in the Atlantic.
The Bismarck is without a doubt a force to be reckoned with. But with the Kriegsmarine experiencing an identity crisis throughout the 1930s, the Bismarcks design and strategic purpose foreshadow a dramatic ending.
As the Blitzes of Britain slow down considerably, violence in Croatia increases dramatically as the Ustaše government purges the country of Jews and Serbs and the Wehrmacht gets deadly instructions for their Invasion of the Soviet Union.
The SS are the elite force of the Third Reich, representing everything good about the German race. But half of them will one day be foreign-born non-Germans. How did this happen?
Did the neutral US discriminate against German- and Italian-Americans? And exactly how pro-Axis was South Africa? And what happened to the Maginot Line after the Fall of France? Find out as Indy answers three more of your interesting questions in this episode of Out of the Foxholes!
What good is your army if you can't supply it? As the German army prepares to invade the massive lands of the Soviet Union, it faces hefty production, logistical and supply challenges.
We take a look at the types and amounts of tanks available to the German and Soviet armies on the eve before Barbarossa.
When the Nazi war machines tears through Poland, France, and the Soviet Union, people will call it Blitzkrieg. But what is Blitzkrieg and is it anything that unique?
The future looks bright for soviet women in the 1910s, they have the right to vote and they're on track for social emancipation. Yet this doesn't last long. Soon, the demands of the nation will rob them of these promises.
Are you new to WW2 in Real Time, or a long time viewer? No matter, now you can see our first 14 weekly episodes in higher quality and with even more detail.
The German Fallschirmjäger target the Cretan civilian population as they take the Island with big losses. But the War Against Humanity intensifies dramatically as Operation Barbarossa is launched on 22nd June, 1941.
Most of the German high-command are not committed National Socialists. So what were like and why did they still serve the Nazi regime?
To celebrate that we have reached the milestone of 500k subscribers, we have a nice message from us for you. And some bloopers.
When WWII breaks out many parts of the world are still missing population wide healthcare. The pressure of the war deteriorates healthcare services even further. By 1941, both the British Commonwealth and Germany are facing an outright healthcare crisis on the home front.
Unlike the German Army, which for the most part had many idle months over the past year, the German Air Force- the Luftwaffe- has seen constant action in the Battle of Britain and the Mediterranean Theater. How did this affect its preparations and plans for the invasion of the Soviet Union?
The career of Duško Popov is probably more exciting than any work of fiction. A glamorous and brave spy who plays a central role in the underground intelligence war of the time.
When the German armed forces invade the USSR, they come with an order to exterminate from Hitler. Now the defending Soviet armed forces receive similar orders from Stalin. The bloodshed that follows defies human imagination.
What did Spanish Republicans do during the Second World War? How would the Axis have divided Africa? And did Hitler plan to keep Mussolini around after the war? Find out as Indy and the Chair of Infinite Knowledge answer three more intriguing questions in this episode of Out of the Foxholes!
The planning for Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, took nearly a year and went through a variety of scenarios. The basic plan was finalized in December 1940, and that month General Friedrich Paulus ran a series of war games to test its feasibility. Today we'll look at his conclusions.
What happened to Allied ambassadors? And how did Hitler react to the Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Pact? And why didn’t he invade Sweden? Once again, Indy is in the Chair of Infinite Knowledge answering all your exciting questions about World War Two!
Josef Stalin was warned time and again from a variety of sources of the German plans for invading the Soviet Union, and yet, he did NOT heed those warnings.
In China, and the Soviet Union, all sides are causing widespread death to the local civilians. The defending forces are scorching the earth and plundering their own civilians, the attacking armed forces of Japan and Germany are executing planned genocide and mass destruction.
George Orwell is one of the most famous English writers in the modern age. But how did he become the man who would coin so many of the words we still use in our political debates?
Leni Riefenstal's film techniques were groundbreaking and are still influential today. She did, though, create her most famous works in the service of Adolf Hitler.
While battles rage across the world, women at home are fighting for their basic emancipation. In Egypt, Huda Shaarawi stands at the center of this struggle.
As Barbarossa unfolds and the Germans take ever more Soviet territory, they have ever fewer planes with which to fly over it. What does this mean for the forces on the ground? What does this mean for their other theaters of war?
What happened to deserters in the British Army? Did Chinese and Japanese troops ever engage in sword to sword combat? Why didn’t Germany use poison gas on the battlefield? Find out the answers to all these questions in today’s Out of the Foxholes!
Indy and Sparty are back again for ‘Across the Airwaves,’ where we look at interesting and unique comments from our videos and forums. In this episode, we will look at foreign volunteers in the SS, and the Polish experience in World War Two.
Join us for a progress update of the intense and thrilling work with the Pearl Harbor minute-by-minute special! Indy and Spartacus will - in their own special way - walk you through what's going on with this MEGA DOCUMENTARY. Indy and Astrid will also let you know the status of the ties from Indy's Tie Barn that have been auctioned off so far.
Not all plans for Operation Barbarossa are as successful as hoped. In August 1941, Adolf Hitler and Heinrich Himmler push forward their plans to wage war on all Jews, unleashing the Einzatsgruppen and the SS Cavalry Brigade of Hermann Fegelein on the Jewish people of Eastern Europe.
After being taken in by Himmler as a sort of apprentice, Reinhard Heydrich rapidly climbed the Nazi political hierarchy. With the outbreak of World War Two, he expands his political power by ruthlessly carrying out political repression on the home front and genocidal racial policies of the Third Reich.
Fegelein's and Himmler's actions to 'comb' the Pripet Marshes for Jews continues. The largest mass-murder yet is committed in Kamianets-Podilskyi, while new methods to commit genocide on an industrial scale are being devised.
Chieftain is back on the World War Two channel with a deep-dive into the Soviet armour in the first months of war on the Eastern Front. Remember that this is only Part 1 and covers armoured cars and light tanks. Part 2 comes out next week and focuses on medium and heavy tanks.
While the Second World War grows ever more destructive, some nations take advantage of the global chaos to settle old disputes. In Peru and Ecuador, long standing territorial disputes turn violent.
Chieftain returns to the World War Two channel this week for Part 2 of his deep-dive into the Soviet armor in the first months of war on the Eastern Front. This week, the focus is on medium and heavy tanks.
How did Alexander Kerensky react towards the invasion of the Soviet Union? How were French musicians working during the war? How did Germans get to Africa in 1940? Find out from Indy the answers to all these questions in Out of the Foxholes!
Claude Auchinleck put military matters over that of politics. Although this angered some, mainly Churchill, Auchinleck still found himself in India, and later facing down Rommel in North Africa.
In the first half of September, Nazi murder campaigns in Vilnius and the Pripet Marshes continue. In the rest of Europe, the Germans tighten their grip on the occupied countries, taking away media privileges and further restricting the freedoms of Jewish populations.
In 1941, the question of whether America should join the European War still isn't settled. Different groups whip up opposition to it, and those such as the America First Committee seem suspiciously sympathetic to Hitler's message and cause.
Killing Jews by the thousands becomes the main way of eradicating the Jews in Eastern Europe in August and September 1941. The Mass Murder at Babi Yar in Kiev is yet another escalation in that process.
What were the Bonapartes up to during World War Two? How were the German casualties of Operation Barbarossa reported, if at all, in Germany? And what exactly was the relationship between China and Germany in World War Two? Join Indy in the Chair of Infinite Wisdom to find out.
Resistance has been brewing since the Axis invasion in April 1941. Multiple resistance groups fight for very different reasons and with different methods. When they launch a big offensive against the occupier, lines between friend and foe become blurry.
German U-Boats were a big threat to Allied shipping across the Atlantic. New inventions and tactics triggered a race to outsmart the opponent, dramatically changing the tides of the Battle of the Atlantic every few months.
The Wehrmacht is deeply involved with the Nazis' War Against Humanity. They are complicit in the murder of thousands of Jews in the 'Holocaust of Bullets', and the severe treatment of Soviet Prisoners of War. In October 1941, Wehrmacht General Walther von Reichenau issues the 'Severity Order', taking away any ambiguity there may be as to the Wehrmacht's vision.
When the Yugoslav Partisans and Chetniks liberate a large part of modern-day Serbia, the Partisans found the Republic of Užice, complete with its own governmental structure, education and cultural policy and weapons factory.
A spy who is famous for warning Stalin about Hitler's plan to invade the Soviet Union. But he was so much more than that. His fascinating life begins in the Cacuausases and eventually leads him to Tokyo.
A man who was both Japan's War Minister and Prime Minister, who played a large role in escalating the already daunting scale of the war in China to a world war against multiple world powers. We learn about his life from his birth in Tokyo in 1884 to his execution at Sugamo prison in Tokyo in 1948.
French resistance members liquidate a high-ranking German officer, triggering a series of retaliatory actions by the German occupiers. Meanwhile, actions in the 'Holocaust of Bullets' continue in the east as German forces move further into the USSR, taking Odessa.
Hitler and German High Command had expected the invasion of the Soviet Union to be an easy victory and for the Red Army to quickly collapse. Yet here we are, with millions of Soviet soldiers captured, wounded or killed and the Red Army still holding fast.
Cordell Hull is the face of American diplomacy in 1941 as it navigates the precarious road to war against Imperial Japan.
As German troops pull into eastern Ukraine, locals fight back in any way they can. Some of them have been the target of Soviet brutalization for decades. For many who are deemed 'enemy of the Third Reich', the first two weeks of November 1941 are their last, as the 'Holocaust of Bullets' continues.
December 7th is one of the pivotal dates in world history. That day, Japan launched offensives all over Southeast Asia and the Pacific to secure the resources that embargo had denied them. They also- more famously- launched a surprise attack against the American Pacific Fleet at anchor at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii- the only naval power with any realistic chance of stopping them. The United States was neutral, but this "Day of Infamy" brought the US very much into World War Two. We are covering the events of that day for five hours in real time as they happen, and have recreated many of the action sequences in collaboration with World of Warships using their game engine. It's going to be very cool; it's going to be very good; and it's going to happen December 7th.
When Allies and Axis clash on the deserts of North Africa, harsh and unique conditions force them to develop new tactics. From misdirection to new ways to move across the desert, all to gain an advantage over the enemy.
How did the non-German Axis fare against the Soviet Union? What was the intelligence agency of the Free French like? And what were the Louisiana Maneuvers? All these questions are answered in this edition of Out of the Foxholes.
After the fall of France in June 1940, neutral Switzerland found itself surrounded on all sides by a hostile expansionist power. The small nation would have been a valuable possession but the jaws of the Reich hesitated to swallow it. How did Switzerland manage to exit the conflict intact and largely unscathed?
Japanse deploys Biological Weapons in China, leading to un unspecified number of deaths. Meanwhile, European Jews from Germany and their occupied territories are deported to Eastern Europe, where Jews are already being killed by the thousands.
During their occupation of large parts of Europe, the Nazis systematically looted foreign countries for art, gold and other items holding financial or cultural value. Often for any larger purpose, but for their own, egocentric, criminal gain.
Contrary to popular belief, Imperial Japan was not an absolute monarchy marching (or sailing) to war with singular vision and purpose. Rather, it was a dysfunctional government of competing factions, players and interests.
December 1941 marks the shift to a new chapter in the War Against Humanity. New fronts open up, exposing millions more to the horrors of war. Other developments continue their path of continuous escalation.
The NKVD started out as your regular old Ministry of the Interior. But over time, they grew out to a hugely influential and highly lethal weapon for some of the Soviet Union's leaders.
Following the German declaration of war on America on the 11th of December 1941, Britain gained an invaluable ally. Securing a joint military command between the new partnership will be central to its success, the question is, how can this be achieved?
Kido Butai was the fleet that launched the surprise attack on the US Pacific Fleet at anchor at Pearl Harbor and followed that up with a string of victories in 1942. But how was it commanded, both as a whole and in the high and even mid level command? Today we'll look at that.
Christmas 1941. A holiday season in a year of darkness and suffering, where Hitler celebrates his own greatness as the world goes up in flames.
As the United States enter World War Two, a huge industrial giant awakens from hibernation. This episode covers Industrial Mobilization plans, their execution, and their potential.
The early weeks of 1942 show how much of a global War Against Humanity this really is. People in occupied zones across the globe suffer under the boot of their tormentors. In Greece, thousands die in a famine, while repressive tactics claim the lives of many more in the Balkans. The Holocaust continues in cities and the extermination camp of Chełmno, while the Japanese army wreaks havoc in South-East Asia as they advance on Allied positions.
The structure of decision-making in the Nazi Party and the German government is clouded in ambiguity and implicit power-structures. We explore how this leads to a. rat-race, resulting in an endless spiral of irrational decisions and violence.
Thailand's prime minister and de-facto dictator Plaek Phibunsongkhram imported European fascism, nationalism and militarism to his country. But when Japan's threat to South-East Asia became imminent, Phibun didn't know what to do. His story is one of utter indecisiveness and opportunism.
This week we will start a series of videos where you get to know the team that makes this magnificent content.
Access to scarce natural resources and labor was a big reason for the Japanese to invade numerous South-East Asian countries. But was that necessary? And did the benefits outweigh the risk? Let's find out!
In our second episode of TimeGHost WW2 Cribs we have a look at some behind the scenes footage and we get to see Iryna host in Ukrainian.
To most, the Wannsee Conference is synonymous with the moment the Holocaust started. In fact, the meeting is mainly designed to formalise policy, and to involve political and governmental organisations in the crime.
All Nazi transit, concentration, labour and extermination camps were led by Nazi officers. In this episode, we're taking a look at some of them to see what kind of people rose to those positions and what impact they made.
Where is Kurdistan and how were it's people involved in World War Two? Did Germany try to annex South Tyrol from Italy? And why did Hitler have that Moustache? Find out in this episode of Out of the Foxholes.
Astrid, our producer and Queen of F-ing Everything asked you guys if you wanted spy stories. Well... you did. Also, today we start auctioning off Indy's ties every week. See the pinned comment for more info.
Another edition of Across the Airwaves, where Indy and Sparty look at interesting and unique comments from our videos. In this episode, they look at gentlemanly declarations of war, Partisan memories, and LSD.
As the winter of 1942 continues, many Soviet civilians suffer under the German Siege of Leningrad. Meanwhile, the British are shifting their bombing strategy from targeting factories to targeting homes.
Hundreds of thousands of Soviet Women were deployed in the Red Army and Red Navy during World War Two. They served in a multitude of functions, from traditional roles like nurses to roles previously associated with men. They were pilots, snipers, tank-crews, and fought on the very front of the lines.
The name of Norwegian National Socialist Politician Vidkun Quisling became synonymous with 'traitor' and 'collaborator'. In this gallery episode, we'll cover some of the most prominent Quislings in World War Two.
As one of the few nations during World War Two, Japan made expensive use of biological and chemical weapons, both on and off the battlefield. Unit 731 is their special bio-warfare department, which conducts testing on living human civilians.
Franklin D. Roosevelt signs an order to intern all Japanese-American citizens on the West Coast of the United States, while the Italians open up new concentration camps to deal with their ethnic enemies in the Balkans. At the same time, a large group of Jews attempts to escape Europe by boat, with disastrous consequences.
The geisha class has long been a feature of Japanese society. In the 1920s, they were caught between the struggle for women's liberation and the rising sexual demand of powerful men. This crossfire only becomes more intense as war sweeps the Pacific.
Without the incredible support and sacrifice of troops from British and French colonies, the Allies would be having an even harder time withstanding the Axis onslaught. This episode looks at their formation and their fighting style.
West Point and Annapolis are two of the most iconic military academies in America - maybe even the world. The two institutions have produced the men who are leading America's fight against the Axis powers.
The crackdown on 'undesired' ethnic populations in the Balkans continues as Mario Roatta issues 'Circular 3C'. The Germans kill 5000 German Jews in the 'Dünamünde Action', and the Japanese purge the Chinese communities of Singapore in the 'Sook Ching' massacre. Additionally, the new camp of Auschwitz Birkenau opens its doors in Poland.
South-America is home to one of Germany's most effective spy-networks. In Operation Bolivar, dozens of German operatives transmit information from and to the USA, Brazil, Argentina, and other South and Central American countries, giving the Abwehr and SD access to crucial information on politics, economics, and military business.
Ever wonder if the Kriegsmarine saw any action in the Pacific Ocean? Or if the average Soviet soldier ever get a vacation from the most destructive conflict in the history of humanity? You can find out the answers in this episode of Out of the Foxholes!
Adolf Eichmann was one of the masterminds behind the 'Final Solution of the Jewish Question'. Or was he? In his trial, he argued to be merely a bureaucrat who was following orders. This episode attempts to shine a light on the real role of this controversial figure.
A report on the effect of strategic bombing called the 'Dehousing Paper' is spread to justify the targeting of the civilian population of Germany. In Poland, one by one, extermination camps are starting construction. This month, a new one is finished, named Belzec. Here, Jews and other minority undesirables from Poland are gassed.
After the German take over continental Europe, the British invent the commando, a new soldier type to raid and harass German installations in occupied Europe.
Censorship was not just a practice in totalitarian regimes. During World War Two, democratic liberties in Allied countries often clashed with propaganda and restrictions of the press.
Patriotism and war enthusiasm sweeps through the totalitarian countries in the run-up to the second world war. This doesn´t leave out children either, who are supposed to become the prime soldiers of the future.
Under the violent occupation by Axis forces, dozens all over the globe resisted or took up arms to fight for the survival of their nation, ethnicity, ideology or ideals.
Another edition of Across the Airwaves, where Indy, Sparty, and Astrid look at interesting and unique comments from our videos. In this episode, some amazing war stories that we didn't get to tell.
Malta and British cities are victim to German bombs, while the Japanese advance in Burma causes a refugee crisis. In the Philippines, 80,000 Allied POWs walk the Bataan Death March.
Indy, Sparty, and Astrid discuss TimeGhost after WW2, and the launch of our new TimeGhost Collectibles.
On paper, Hitler never made a lot of money. Yet he became one of the wealthiest people of his time. This is how he stole his fortune.
Ever wonder what life was like in Taiwan during the Second World War? Or if German U-Boats were active in the Mediterranean? You can find out the answers in this episode of Out of the Foxholes!
From inspiring their subjects to plotting international strategy, the world's monarchies still have a crucial role to play in their country's war effort during the Second World War. As you'll find out, some sovereigns are much more successful at this than others.
April 1942 sees bombing campaigns in Germany and Britain, as well as German anti-partisan actions in the Balkans and Eastern Europe.
A spy story almost forgotten to history that is key to understanding the espionage campaign that was waged as Hitler, Stalin, Roosevelt, and Churchill publicly directed the frontlines. Coming together here are the histories of cryptography, Nazi double-agents, and nuclear weapons.
What would happen if Nazi Germany invaded Canada? You don't need to imagine. In 1942, the government of Mackenzie King launch a propaganda effort that simulates Canada falling under Hitler's yoke. Why? For the war economy of course!
She is much more than the wife of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and once she tasted political life, she soon followed her own interests, changing what it means to be a politician's wife.
A large number of European and asian inhabitants of South-East Asia are locked up in Japanese prison camps, while in Burma, a big refugee crisis claims the lives of thousands. In Auschwitz-Birkenau and Sobibor, gassing Jews on an immense scale begins.
While the US was fighting for freedom and liberty across the globe, their home country and armies are still deeply segregated, causing minority groups in the USA to fight not one but two wars.
The inhuman, torturous, and deadly Japanese PoW Camps famous from “Bridge over the River Kwai,” “Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence,” “Empire of the Sun,” and more recently “Unbroken” are a world of abuse and mistreatment managed by willfully incompetent and sadistically brutal men.
Before the infamous day that was Pearl Harbor, US and Japanese military planners worked to envision what a future war in the Pacific would look like. With the entire region now a war zone, it is time to put their theories to the test. Watch the video to find out what these are.
Arthur Harris and his RAF Bombers carry out a massive bombing raid on Cologne. Meanwhile, one of the architects of the Holocaust, Reinhard Heydrich is the target of a spectacular assassination attempt.
In the wrong hands, propaganda is a powerful tool that can trick whole countries into supporting a dictator, go to war, or even commit genocide.
The war is getting bigger and bigger, and we must grow with it. That's where the TimeGhost Army, our tie auctions, and our collectibles store comes in.
All belligerents are working hard to develop a powerful nuclear super-weapon. The Americans wonder how far along the Germans are, and send in their spies.
Carl Gustaf Mannerheim is a national hero after his service in everything from the Finnish Civil War to the Winter War. But did he plan a war of aggression with Nazi Germany against the Soviet Union? And if so, did Hitler and Stalin even give him any choice in the matter?
Naval infantrymen have long been a feature of warfare. In the build-up to 1939, they took on new functions and tactics. The Royal Marines, the US Marine Corps, Black Death, Kaiheidan, and more are ready for all-out amphibious warfare in the Pacific Theatre and beyond.
Reinhard Heydrich is fighting for his life, as the hunt of his assassins continues. Meanwhile, news of the nazi atrocities starts to reach the Allied countries.
What aircraft are being sent out by commanders like Hermann Göring and Arthur Harris to blitz and firebomb enemy cities? Watch the video to learn the specs of the Handley Page Halifax, Avro Lancaster, Junkers Ju-88, Dornier Do-17, Dornier Do-217, and Heinkel He-111 as they fly in their respective 1,000 Bomber Raids and Baedeker Blitz.
When nuclear fission was discovered, scientists theorized if it could be used in an atom bomb. Thus, American Army sets up one of the biggest research projects in history: The Manhattan Project.
An extensive network of spies and radio operators are gathering intelligence and sending it to Moscow from Western Europe. They are a colourful group of people who go by the name of Die Rote Kapelle, or Red Orchestra.
A year ago we covered the largest invasion in history: Operation Barbarossa - the Axis invasion of the Soviet Union. Here is the time-lapse map of the whole one year campaign in the USSR.
During the occupation of South-East Asia, Japan builds a large system of institutionalized rape to 'keep their soldiers happy'. Meanwhile, Allied refugees from Burma find a safe haven in India, but for some, hardship continues.
The Polish played a big part in cracking the Enigma codes. From there, the Polish spy and intelligence operation became even bigger.
From the Battle of Shanghai to the Burma Campaign and beyond, Western military advisors have played a big role in the actions of East Asian armies in the Pacific Theatre. Watch the videos to learn the stories of Joseph Stilwell, Claire Lee Chennault, the Flying Tigers, the Chindits, and more.
How did Germans with Jewish heritage still serve in the Luftwaffe? And what happened to the Allied POW's from the German invasions of France and Belgium? And what the hell happened with those tiny Vichy islands near Canada? We answer all of this in today's Out of the Foxholes.
Operation Millennium is discontinued, while in Poland the Auschwitz Birkenau camp starts to systematically gas thousands of people a week. Some who aren't murdered on arrival are subjected to horrific medical and sterilization experiments.
The Abwehr was the German military intelligence agency during World War Two. At the same time, it was the home of some high-ranking anti-nazi resistance members.
Here is another installment of Across the Airwaves where Indy and Sparty take the opportunity to directly address some of the comments left by our community. In this episode, we take a look at some of the more controversial comments left on our videos.
It is what it says it is, the front line deployments of the Axis and Soviet forces in the Southern Part of the Eastern Front in late July 1942. Hitler's forces invading, and Josef Stalin's on defense.
The extermination camps of Operation Reinhard are ready to start killing hundreds of thousands of inhabitants of the Warsaw Ghetto, starting the deadliest 100 days of the Holocaust.
Well, we all know by know that the Wehrmacht is driving into the Caucasus to try and take the Soviet oilfields, but how bad is their oil situation, actually? And how will they get it out of the ground if the Soviets sabotage the fields and wells? What exactly is the plan? Let's find out.
Leningrad’s Dmitri Shostakovich has risen from a child prodigy to be one of the Soviet Union’s most celebrated composers, having rescued his career from Stalin’s interference along the way. Desperate to defend Russia after the German invasion, he fights back, not with a rifle, but with music.
With the scarce food supply brought about by war, many turn to the black market and its astronomic prices as supplements. It is a place for opportunists and patriotic protesters, but mainly it's a means to survive.
The Big Action at the Warsaw Ghetto continues, while The Japanese carry out retaliations against the Chinese for aiding American airmen. Dmitri Shostakovich's 'Symphony no. 7' premieres in the besieged city of Leningrad.
Astrid talks about spying all the time, but what was it actually like for people on the ground? We look through the lens of the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) to find out!
What weapons are in the hands of Japanese and American infantrymen during the bloody island warfare of Guadalcanal? Watch this special hardware episode to find out.
When Germany and Japan mobilize huge numbers of well-trained conscripts and sweep across Europe and Asia, Britain and America are forced to devote huge resources to closing the gap. But how far should the rights of those who refuse to fight be respected?
Answering Questions
The daily death rates in the Nazi genocide of the Jews that began on June 22, 1941 and lasted all the way until the last weeks of the war in April 1945 are staggering for the entire duration. But the average rate of murder is dwarfed by the 100 deadliest days of the Holocaust in the second half of 1942.
No overview available.
The Eastern Front is a battleground of Blitzkrieg and Deep Battle; Panzers vs. T-34s; Nazism and Communism. You'd think that there would be no place for cavalry tactics here. But the Wehrmacht, Red Army, and Regio Esercito do still use centuries-old cavalry tactics in their waging of war.
No overview available.
Brazilian President, Getúlio Vargas, has led his country as dictator since the 1930s. He has embraced European fascist ideas and fostered close ties with Germany and Italy. Yet, he also maintains a close relationship with the United States. After skilfully playing both sides, he must now choose Axis or Allies.
German military doctrine is all about mobility and operational maneuverability, but there comes a time in this war, well, several times, when an actual classic siege is called for. So how does the Wehrmacht respond to that call? Find out today.
No overview available.
Citizens in Stalingrad face German bombs as Soviet officials refuse to evacuate. The German counter-insurgency effort increases, but people continue to resist against all odds. The Treblinka camp breaks down under the ambitions of its commandant, Irmfried Eberl.
World War Two gave birth to a new American Centralised Intelligence Agency: The OSS. Led by "Wild Bill" Donovan, it is the cradle of many outrageous plans, spy stories, and gadgets.
To fuel the German war economy, the Nazis force millions of Prisoners of War, Concentration Camp inmates and civilians from all over Europe to work for in their factories and on their farms as slave laborers under harsh circumstances.
There is more to war on merchant shipping than U-Boats and the Battle of the Atlantic. Raiders disguised as innocent traders also play the role of privateers; stalking vessels, approaching with a false flag, and then striking before anyone can react. Here's the story of one: Kormoran.
Ever wonder what would have happened if Japan just never attacked Pearl Harbor but invaded the Indies anyway? Or how the people of Cyprus are faring in the war? Or if the Chinese armies had any specialized combat forces? Find out in this Out of the Foxholes!
We've got a lot of comments along these lines. Here is Indy's response on why D-Day matters and why we're covering it in this special way.
The Nazi German occupiers have kept increasing their pressure in occupied territory, and fooled their victims to still have hope, but at some point when the oppression gets unbearable, or all hope is lost, people will resist.
What is left of the Red Army after the smashing offensives of Operation Barbarossa and Fall Blau, and what have Stavka done to rebuild it? As the war on the Eastern Front goes on, more men and materiel stream to the frontlines, stemming the onslaught of the Wehrmacht.
People in India are increasingly fed up with their British rulers and calls for independence grow. Resistance against the Nazis is also growing in Eastern Europe, which causes ruthless retaliations against the civilian population.
We all know that penicillin is a wonder drug, it shortened the war, and assured Allied victory. Or did it, is that just a myth? The Allies are certainly much further ahead than the Axis, but even with accelerated wartime development, will it come into service quick enough to make a difference?
The Soviet Union is built on distrust and paranoia, giving birth to a system of intelligence and a huge spy network ran by agencies such as the GRU and NKVD. But what good is all that information if you don't believe it
In the history of European-style warfare, there has always been the ideal of "rules of warfare". The horrors of the Eastern Front and the Pacific prove how hollow this ideal can be, but there is one theatre where some officers are trying to maintain it: North Africa.
Resistance against occupation starts rising in the Autumn of 1942. It faces opposition not only from the occupiers, but also from collaborators killing their own countrymen.
With the ascent of the radio, popular music became an important cultural phenomenon for the masses throughout the world. Therefore, it is the perfect mouthpiece for Allied war propaganda during the Second World War.
The Higgins Landing Craft, Higgins Boat, Landing Craft, or whatever you would like to call it, is one of the most important vehicles of the Second World War - perhaps just as much as tanks, planes, and warships. In a war full of amphibious invasions, landing on beaches in a safer and more efficient way is crucial to victory. So let's find out the history of this war machine and it's use by the World War Two Allies?
How do you convince your people to hate and fear their neighbors, to support a genocidal war of aggression, and see you as their only hope? If you are Adolf Hitler or Joseph Goebbels, the answer is simple. You send them to the cinema.
For our groundbreaking project on D Day, we need you to join our research efforts. Check out our forum via how to do this: https://community.timeghost.tv/t/d-day-research-contribution-here/7854
As the war intensifies on all fronts, the occupied world is aflame with resistance and reprisals. From Paris to Papua New Guinea, Humanity is under attack - but it is also fighting back.
Georgy Zhukov told Josef Stain in September that if the Red Army could just hold out until November, he could put together a counteroffensive that would defeat the enemy. Well, November is here, and that counteroffensive is ready to kick off, but how was it put together? Let's find out.
With men away at the front, couples have to separate and manage the struggle of war on their own. For women, who stay at home, this is not any easier than for the man: Worry, longing, loneliness, meaningless sex, the temptation of falling in love with others – it is an emotional rollercoaster.
Welcome to WW2. This channel follows the Second World War as it unfolds, week by week, in real time. We began in 2018, by 2023 we will have created more than 300 hours of content documenting the war, making it the biggest documentary series of any kind about this conflict. Join us on this journey.
The TimeGhost Army is a community which comes together to make history so that future generations can learn the crucial lessons of the past. Without it, the content on this channel would not exist, and we would not have the large and expert team that is capable of doing the history justice. The TimeGhost Army allows us to stay independent ambitious, and free to take risks. Join now, and let's make history.
Chieftain returns to the North African theatre to talk us through the armored fighting vehicles in action around the time of Operation Torch. This episode is part one of two with Chieftain covering the German and Italian vehicles. Here, Chieftain looks at everything from the fearsome Tiger to the nemesis of LRDG: the Sahariana.
To smooth the way for the Allied invasion off French North Africa, Operation Torch, a massive spy operation is set up in 1941 and 42.
1942 is drawing to a close, and the TimeGhost crew, that's us who bring you World War Two in Real Time and TimeGhost History have some big plans for 1943 and beyond. You can find out what they are right here.
As the Winter of 1942/43 is beginning, the German Nazis are under more and more pressure, both on the frontlines and in the occupation zones.
How did the ‘Nazi pirates’ treat their captured crewmen? Why didn’t the Soviets just bomb the motionless German armies stuck in a traffic jam? And how did the Nazi government convince parents to allow their children to go to ‘evacuation’ camps? Find out the answers in this latest edition of Out of the Foxholes!
The second front has been opened, and Allied forces are invading Vichy French Northwest Africa. But did you know that it could very well have been an invasion of Europe taking place right now instead? Let’s examine how this idea came about, and why it never worked out.
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In November 1942 the resistance fight in many parts of Europe becomes a part pf the regular military war. In Germany the Germans discover humanity while the German mass murders see no end.
Part two of Chieftain's return to the North African campaign. Here he looks at the armored fighting vehicles of the British and Americans with a small bit on the French as well. We see the introduction of the iconic Sherman and the varied fortunes of British design.
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It might only be tangentially relevant to the war as a whole, but the Battle for Reunion Island is not only interesting in and of itself, it serves as a microcosm for the war for the French in general. Check it out!
America shares a language and large parts of its culture with Britain and Australia. But when tens of thousands of US troops arrive in 1942, things will be far from smooth. While the alliance remains firm, their soldiers will spend almost as much time fighting each other as they do the Axis.
For the past months, we have continuously mentioned the fighting on the Kokoda Track, but it was often a mere footnote next to the colossal battles happening throughout the world. Today, we give you a unique recap of all that’s been going on in this remote theater of war.
Japanese spy rings were somewhat successful up until December 1941, but after Pearl Harbor, Japanese intelligence remains only a shell of its former self.
It is one of the deadliest battles of the Eastern Front and entire conflict, yet it is often overlooked next to the fighting at Stalingrad. Today, we will take a look at the 1942 Summer Battles of Rzhev.
In predicament due to the extreme situation of war, people are in dire need for a working system of social security. Therefore, Beveridge is instructed by the British government to draw up a report on the state of the country´s insurance schemes. But in his opinion, a war is no time for patching up a collapsing system – and he is ready to make some waves.
The Stahlhelm. Perhaps the most iconic symbol of German military power, ever present in images of the war. Hitler believes it strikes fear in his enemies and makes his own troops fearless. But where does it come from and why is it so enduring?
It's late1942 and the German Army is close to ruin. The Ostheer alone has suffered more than a million casualties in its fight against the Red Army. If the Wehrmacht can not find a way to return to its former strength or reap decisive strategic benefits in the near future, it will ultimately face destruction in a war of attrition.
Despite Allied occupation, the situation of the Jews in North Africa hardly improves, in newly German-occupied Tunisia it deteriorates. Meanwhile, the world learns more of the details of the Holocaust - they cannot believe their ears.
Amin al-Husseini is one of the leading figures in global Islam. He’s an Arab nationalist, an anti-Semite, and anti-Zionist. But he’s also willing to work with imperialist powers if it suits him. He’s been loyal to the Ottomans and the British. In 1941, he throws his lot in with Hitler and the Nazis.
They might be four of the most powerful politicians and/or military leaders on earth, but they are also citizens of their respective countries and today we take a look at what they do over the traditional Christmas holidays in 1942.
As we go into the second half of this epic series, the TimeGhost Army has made sure that we get better armed for the fight. Bigger studio means nicer pictures, but also more and better content as we can work more efficiently. Heartfelt thanks for 1942/2021 and we will see you in 1943/2022.
The 1841 poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow “Excelsior” has both been parodied endlessly, and lambasted both for being Panglossian and misanthropic. We just think that striving onwards and upwards when facing impossible odds anyway is a really healthy attitude.
Quantity had a quality of its own. 1942 was the year in which the dimensions of the Second World War became truly apparent. The US and its unmatched economic power began to outproduce any other warring nation, manufacturing a fleet of ships and aircraft in record time. In the east Soviet industry began recovering itself, producing tens of thousands of tanks despite tremendous losses. All the while the German logistic system got overwhelmed by the vastness of the occupied territory.
The world learns more details of the War Against Humanity in Occupied Poland, while in China and India starvation looms.
During World War Two, china was ripped up by many different warring parties, all of which were also playing spy games with crosses, double-crosses and triple-crosses.
North Africa. The Axis and Allies are fighting each other but even more, they’re fighting the desert itself. The men of the desert burn during the day and freeze at night. They do most of their fighting on a litre of water and a packet of army biscuits. What is life in such a hostile environment?
From the woods of the Urals to the burning city of Stalingrad, Vasily Zaitsev went out to hunt his prey. As a sniper, he learned his trait in the grim reality of Stalingrad street fighting. Deep in the ruins of the factories, he stalked his enemies with a team of battle-hardened snipers. For days on end, they would lay in wait for valuable targets to show up. With a finger on the triggers, they would decimate the German ranks within a few deadly moments.
Even the best sniper needed a reliable and accurate rifle. During the Second World War, all warring nations fielded designated sniper and marksman rifles, but different manufacturers had different ideas, from optical sights to breech-loading mechanisms, to gas-piston systems. Some preferred traditional bolt-action, others favored the new semi-automatic approach.
While Nazi Germany keep on escalating its War Against Humanity, the United Nations Alliance decides that they will escalate their war on Germany.
Tens of thousands of Japanese soldiers were fighting over the jungles and beaches of Guadalcanal. To supply them with food, ammunition and medicine, the Japanese Navy had to resort to a series of daring supply runs - nicknamed the “Tokyo Express”. In the face of overwhelming American air superiority, the Tokyo Express had to find a tactic to overcome their enemy’s advantage, or it would doom its soldiers stranded on the island.
With high losses of German soldiers and low birth rates, the Nazis worry about who will inherit the Nazi paradise they are fighting to build. One of their ideas to breed a new Aryan generation is the Lebensborn association.
In early 1943 Nazi German propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels is preparing to rally the German people behind an unrestrained war - or “total war” as he puts it. It’s unclear what that means, Nazi Germany is long waging an unrestrained war, and it seems that the United Nations Alliance is now ready to do the same on Germany.
"Who dares, wins”. Nowadays the British SAS - Special Air Service is considered one of the best special forces in the world. Yet its wartime origins are shrouded in mysteries and legends. From the first ideas of top-secret “special raiding squadrons”, to the first raids in North Africa accompanying the Long Range Desert Group, the SAS’s beginnings resemble one big experiment. An experiment from which a truly legendary special service would emerge.
Britain's MI6 is caught off guard when war breaks out. As the Germans advance across Western Europe MI6’s networks collapse, and Britain becomes almost blind. MI6 have their secret weapons at Bletchley Park but they now face a painful struggle to rebuild their eyes in Europe.
As the United Nations Alliance, and the Resistance in occupied Europe increase their pressure on Nazi Germany, they continue to escalate their war on humanity. Meanwhile, in more and more parts of the world there is little to eat.
Another installment of Across the Airwaves, where we highlight some of the best viewer comments under our videos. It's Valentine's Day and we're feeling pretty romantic, so Indy and Spartacus will be reading comments that are all about love, humanity, and relationships.
It’s 1943, the preparations for D-Day have already begun: deceive the Wehrmacht. Here at TimeGhost, we have begun to prepare our D-Day for 2023, and we want you to join us! Find out how in the pinned comment.
Outnumbered, outgunned, and outproduced by the Allies, the noose seems to be tightening slowly but surely around the Third Reich. For Joseph Goebbels, salvation lies in a radical transformation of the economy and society – Total War. But first, he must sell it to the German people.
Humanity has spent millennia developing ever more efficient ways to kill. This reaches its apogee in WWI and WWII, the most terrible conflicts in human history. Broken bodies bring with them broken minds. The trauma of war brings with it the mysteries of shell shock, war neurosis and PTSD.
What if there was a plane that the enemy could neither catch nor reach? One that fully relied on speed instead of defensive armaments? The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was the first multi-role aircraft developed during World War Two. Made mostly out of wood, the “Wooden Wonder” could be easily converted into different roles - a fighter, a fighter-bomber, a bomber, and a reconnaissance aircraft.
Germany declares total (unconditional war) putting its economy on a full war footing over three years into the war. Given the unconditional war they are already waging, and the resistance and opposition they now face, it’s unclear what it shall mean.
This war has seen a huge amount of scientific and technological innovation. New ways of taking lives, and new ways of saving lives abound. But what about the more ordinary, everyday, products of the war? Would you be surprised to hear that people in the 21st century will still be using WWII inventions in daily life.
By 1943 the German “Uranium-Club” was hoping to harvest the energy of the atoms. One of the things they still needed for their experiments was the moderator “heavy water”, which was produced for them in the hydro-plant “Vemork” in occupied Norway. British High Command authorized a top-secret mission to prevent it from ever reaching Germany. A group of highly trained commandos was to parachute in and destroy the heavy water facility by any means necessary.
As a neutral country surrounded by occupied and axis countries, Switzerland was a major spy hub during World War Two. Surrounded by the Swiss Alps, the Axis and Allies fought a paralel spy war to get the upper hand.
Right from the start of World War Two, there has been little distinction between combatant and civilian. While bombs keep falling, people in Great Britain and in Germany are sitting in bunkers, basements and underground tunnels. We are taking a look at live inside those shelters.
In the weeks after Goebbels' Sportpalast speech, we realize that Total War might mean an apocalyptic end for Germany, with Hitler's blessing. No wonder that some Germans are looking to end Hitler before he ends them, and what a blessing that at least one Nazi with influence on the fate of thousands of Jews turns out to have a heart and soul.
Did Turkey plan to invade the Soviet Union if Stalingrad fell to Germany? Did the Allies ever consider building a railway in North Africa? And what happened to the Freemasons in Nazi Europe? Find out the answers to these fascinating questions in our latest edition of Out of the Foxholes!
Along with its arsenal of carriers, bombers, and tanks, America has perhaps the most powerful weapon of all. Hollywood. Hollywood is pumping out American and Allied propaganda as quickly as it can. But was this always the case?
Boots on the ground! Despite all the mobility provided by tanks, trucks and planes, the infantryman had to rely on his own two feet above all else. To march, run and fight, soldiers needed sturdy and comfortable footwear. Choosing between ankle-boots, service-shoes and jackboots, the warring nations were looking for the perfect combat-boot for their soldiers.
The Nazis and the Soviets discover each other's atrocities, while resistance is on the rise, and a half dormant conspiracy against Hitler comes back to life to take his life.
TimeGhost Army members get priority by tier
Few things of the Second World War are more intimidating than the iconic German Bunker. Made out of reinforced concrete with a thickness of up to 3.5 meter, these casemates and pillboxes were incredibly tough to destroy. Built to withstand shells and bombs, they provided shelter to troops and civilians alike. But there were also some even larger super-structures. From giant U-Boat shelters and fearsome Flak-Towers, to the ultimate Führerbunker, the Germans perfected the art of bunker building.
“Bicycling to victory! Soldiers were moved by trucks and trains to the front, transported on the backs of tanks and armoured vehicles into combat. But sometimes they also went by using the good old bicycle. Pedaling over the paved roads of Western Europe and East Asia, specialised bicycle-companies surprised through mobility and independence. Bikes were comparatively cheap to mass produce and did not need fuel nor fodder. So they proved a real alternative to those nations, that had to budget their oil resources.” Have you forgotten yet?... For the world's events have rumbled on since those gagged days, Like traffic checked while at the crossing of city-ways: And the haunted gap in your mind has filled with thoughts that flow Like clouds in the lit heaven of life; and you're a man reprieved to go, Taking your peaceful share of Time, with joy to spare. But the past is just the same--and War's a bloody game... ...........
No overview available.
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The German U-Boats were one of the most dangerous armed forces of World War II. From the North Sea to the Mexican coast to the Cape of Good Hope, everywhere they put fear into the Allied merchant marine. But what was life like on a German submarine? What dangers did the crew face? How did they endure the long voyages far away from home?
There are cracks in the alliances on both sides. Hitler’s allies are refusing to do his every bidding, and the revelations about the Soviet massacre of Poles in Katyn has set a wedge between Poland and the USSR.
Nikita Khrushchev has served Joseph Stalin faithfully for the past decade. He’s a career commissar and party man. So, when war breaks out, are commissars like Khrushchev little more than Stalinist enforcers? Or is there more to the institution than that?
The war against Naziism is escalating on all fronts - in the War Against Humanity the main battleground is now the Warsaw Ghetto.
Serving on board a merchant-ship during the Second World War is a hazardous endeavor. Stalked by submarines, attacked by surface raiders, and hunted by bombers, the convoys and individual cargo ships face constant danger on their routes across the seas. And that is in addition to the job’s typical hazards. But what is life like for a regular sailor on board these ships? And what motivates a man to sign up for such a dangerous job?
We’ve seen it time and time again in this war. Supposed Allies arguing with each other instead of fighting the enemy. But when SOE and MI6 begin vying for leadership of Britain’s secret war, it’s more than cross words. Now there are lives at stake.
As the SS continues to crack down on the uprising in the Warsaw Ghetto, Great Britain and the US decide not to help Jewish refugees.
We’ve heard how German forces are fuelled by stimulants like Pervitin. But are the Allies doing the same thing? Of course! Their drug of choice is Benzedrine. It’s in use as the RAF bomb German cities, as Monty’s tanks push Rommel back, and as US Marines take the fight to the Japanese.
Europe is burning and it seems there is little that will end the suffering except victory over Naziism.
We’ve encountered plenty of different secret agents. Men, women, Allied, Axis, Partisans. They all fight for different reasons: patriotism, vengeance, or cold hard cash. But they’ve all had one thing in common. They’ve been alive. We’ve never had a dead secret agent. Yet...
As the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising is being quashed, there are renewed Japanese atrocities in China, and the RAF sets a world record by bombing German civilians.
Washington, May 1943. It was the largest Anglo-American conference of the war so far. With the Axis being defeated in North Africa, the Mediterranean, and New Guinea, the need to agree on new strategic goals arose inside the Combined Chiefs of Staff. A new course of action was to be set against Italy, Japan, and Germany, to capitalize on the recent successes. But debates and old dilemmas heated up when it came to resources, manpower, and the question: “where to attack next”.
When Air Marshal Arthur Harris and Reichspropagandaminister Joseph Goebbels agree that a lot of death and destruction is not enough death and destruction, the world is in trouble.
We’ve already seen the power of signals intelligence. Churchill loves being fed information from MI6’s Ultra. Now it brings a vengeance for his American allies. They manage to bag the scourge of Pearl Harbor, C-in-C of the Imperial Japanese Navy, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto.
D-Day was a day when the news rang freedom, and a new hope was born for a world torn apart by violent conflict. It was not just a monumental event in the history of the Second World War and military logistics. It was also a historic day for journalism and international cooperation.
Arthur Harris and the RAF set another record in bombing Germany, and the outnumbered Yugoslav Partisans show the Axis that numbers mean little when you’re clever.
How to kill a U-Boat? The threat of the elusive and nearly undetectable submarines had been on the mind of every Allied naval planner since the Great War. As the Kriegsmarine once more unleashed its wolfpacks to the high seas, it became a race against time to find a way to stop the deadly stalkers from beneath the surface.
Despair in Germany, more death in the Jewish ghettos, and Dr. Mengele tales command in Auschwitz-Birkenau.
The thousand-bomber offensive was about to begin as Air-Marshall Harris was assembling his forces. Yet one man was to challenge his strategy. The aircraft designer Barnes Wallis thought: “What if there was a way to destroy Germany’s industrial might not by simply dropping thousands of bombs over its cities, but by a precision strike against its dams?” For this, a new kind of bouncing bomb was to be delivered.
In the Balkans, the Axis powers fail to rout Yugoslav and Greek Partisans. In Bengal, British India starvation is spreading, and in the Netherlands, the Nazis send 1,296 children and infants from the Vught Camp to the gas chambers at Sobibor.
Neutral Turkey appears to be an island of peace in a sea of war. But if you look a little closer though and there’s another story. Assassins ply their deadly trade. Spies slip in and out of occupied Europe. The Allies and Axis battle for influence. The secret war is in full swing.
Pope Pius XI is the first Pope to guide the Catholic Church through the age of fascism. How has his Vatican responded to Fascists Italy and Nazi Germany, and what is the geopolitical position of the Papacy on the eve of war of World War Two?
Pope Pius XII never publicly spoke out against the Holocaust. Why? Did he not care? Was he a coward? Or did he think his silence was saving lives and Catholic souls?
The Vatican and the Nazis have had an uneasy truce throughout the 1930s. But that ends now. As ever more of Europe’s Catholics come under attack from Hitler’s war machine, the Pope finds himself supporting the German resistance in their plot to kill the Führer.
The Vatican and the Nazis have had an uneasy truce throughout the 1930s. But that ends now. As ever more of Europe’s Catholics come under attack from Hitler’s war machine, the Pope finds himself supporting the German resistance in their plot to kill the Führer.
As the people of Bengal and Iran continue to be tormented by hunger, so are the people of Germany and Yugoslavia by bombs. In Eastern Europe, the Germans continue to kill anyone they deem an enemy.
Most videos on this channel have a few blooper gems that need to be cut, here are some of our favourite from Spies and Ties
The best tank of World War Two or a piece of junk? Using the original held at the U.S. Army Armor & Cavalry Collection, Chieftain and Rob Cogan take you on a literal deep dive into the iconic Tiger I.
Glyndwr Michael, the dead secret agent, has deposited his deceptive letters in Spain. Now the next phase of Operation Mincemeat begins. If Charles Cholmondely of MI5 and Ewen Montagu of Naval Intelligence have done their job right, the letters should make their way into Hitler’s hands.
The Gestapo deals a devastating blow to French Resistance, and in Bengal, British India the famine is only getting worse.
No overview available.
Over the last few weeks entire cities worth of troops along with all the logistical support needed to support them have gathered in and around the Kursk salient. Here's how they've been deployed, and where they could go from here.
The Polish and French resistance find themselves weakened by the lots of their leaders. Hitler decided to give Werner von Braun hundreds of thousands of slaves to launch the German rocket program.
How many Irishmen are fighting for Britain and why? And what did Chuikov do during Operation Uranus? And what role has Mexico played in the fighting so far? Find out the answers to these fascinating questions in our latest edition of Out of the Foxholes!
This week, we see a contrast in the way different civilians behave within occupied Ukraine, Patton order war crimes, and Jewish resistance give up one of their own fighters.
With American men going off to fight the war, there are concerns about a labor shortage. Enter Rosie the Riveter. The women who answered the "We Can Do It" call and entered the factories. But did she really exist?
The occupation of a neutral country by the United Nations Alliance potentially killed millions of innocent people. Few seemed to care at the time and it has gone largely unreported in traditional historiography. This is the forgotten famine of World War Two. The Iranian Famine.
This week, civilians are on the frontlines once again. Children man the flak guns of German cities and Soviet laborers build defenses around battle-scarred Kursk. On-going tragedies also continue their relentless unfolding, from Bengal to Warsaw.
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Being allies does little to discourage Moscow from recruiting double agents in the British establishment. The most famous of them all, Kim Philby and the Cambridge Five, penetrate deep into MI5, MI6, and Bletchley Park. With friends like the NKVD, who needs enemies?
In Italy the Fascists fall from power in a peaceful coup, while in Germany the RAF and USAAF bring down a rain of fire of biblical proportions in Operation Gomorrah, launching the Firestorm of Hamburg.
No overview available.
The typical image of the French Resistance is of a man, beret at an angle, cigarette hanging from his bottom lip, captured MP40 across his chest. But one of the most successful resistance leaders is a woman – Marie-Madeline Fourcade. And right now, the Germans have her on the run!
We have some fan meet-ups planned for September. Join us in Normandy, Munich, or even at Oktoberfest! Tickets are exclusively available to members of the TimeGhost Army, and there is an exclusive auction for a seat with the team in an Oktoberfest beer hall.
While enslavement, and mass murder continues unabated in August 1943, at the Treblinka Death Factory the forced laborers decide that enough is enough, and bring battle to the SS in a daring escape attempt.
The reality of war finally seeps through to the majority of Germans, and it didn’t match up with the propaganda. Meanwhile resistance is increasing, and part of that is a classic money carriers when the Polish Home Army robs a money transport.
The NKVD have wormed their way into British society. Across the pond, America is also teeming with communist spies. They’re in the government, military, even OSS, and the FBI. Now they’re going for the biggest secret of all – the atomic bomb.
How accurate is that famous beach scene in Saving Private Ryan? Is it true to the history or just another Hollywood story? Seeing as we're about to start the filming for our massive D-Day project, we figured we'd break it down, shot by shot.
We have some fan meet-ups planned for September, but the crown jewl is a spare seat at the TimeGhost Teambuilding in Munich on Oktober first. Join the bidding for this seat live on Friday, 19/August/2022, at 8PM CEST (German) time.
The auction and tickets are available for sale exclusively to TimeGhost Army Members
The aerial bombing of Germany takes a new turn but continues to fail to bring long-term results. In occupied Greece and Poland, over a thousand children are murdered by the Nazis.
In 1943, the British are working on a radical plan which could revolutionize the Allies' productive capacity. It might sound crazy, but ice might be the magic material they need.
While the RAF and USAAF continue to try to bomb Germany into submission, the German Nazis move their war production underground. In the process they create an underground slave camp that defies imagination.
Lights, Camera, Action - CUT!
While the Allies give up on the first Battle of Berlin, Amon Göth goes on a murderous rampage in the Tarnow Ghetto.
This is an intimate story inspired by real events (notably inspired by the story of a member of the Danish resistance and grandmother of Hans von Knut Skovfoged, Head of Development at PortaPlay. A story told not on the front line, but in the intimate setting of a small Danish village.
When Italy leaves WW2, The Nazi German Reich immediately begins occupying the country, and the occupied nations it has held until now.
We're on the road right now, and filmed a little behind the scenes for all of you. Stay tuned for part 2!
The German Nazi Genocide of the Jews surpasses four million deaths, while the Soviet Union and US step up oppression against some their own citizens.
The TimeGhost crew continue exploring the D-Day sites with Paul Woodadge, have a BBQ, and show you the very historical bed and breakfast, La Ferme aux Chats that they live in while in Normandy.
The German Panzers are high on the list of the most feared and respected weapon systems of the Second World War. Much of their effectiveness however did not simply stem from technical or tactical superiority, but was achieved through rigorous training and the tight camaraderie of their crews. Days, weeks, or even months on end, the men operating a Panzer would stay together, maintaining the tank, and training for the battle to come. Through summer and winter, heat and snow, mud and rain, the tank would become their home.
WW2 historians Indy Neidell, Spartacus Olsson, and Paul Woodadge moderated by Ryan Socash discuss the meaning and significance of D-Day from historical, current, and future perspectives. Recorded on the road while shooting in Normandy for TimeGhost’s 24-hour documentary on the events of June 6, 1944.
As the first D-Day recording session concludes, Indy, Sparty, and Paul go look at the Hedge Rows, and Utah Beach. The grand finale is a meetup and dinner with the TimeGhost Army… with oysters!
The Wehrmacht continues Operation Axis and its slaughter of Italian soldiers. In Western Europe, the situation of the Jews becomes increasingly precarious, especially so in Denmark.
As the Allies advance in southern Italy, the people of Naples join them in fighting the Wehrmacht. In Denmark, the biggest rescue operation of Jews thus far begins.
Where man goes, so does man’s best friend. Across the globe, tens of thousands of dogs are called up. They play their part in tales of heroism and joy. But without any agency over their own lives, they also experience fear, death, and cruelty.
In today's episode of Out of the Foxholes, we discuss the role of Chinese warlords played in the war against Japan, while also shining a bit more light on the Canadian Navy and its impact on WW2.
This week the Nazis go on the record about their genocide of the Jews. Meanwhile the Jews in Denmark are coming closer to safety, and the Roman Jews are again at peril.
They say every masterpiece has its cheap copy. Well, the German Sicherheitsdienst are trying to copy the success of the Soviet Partisans. With Walter Schellenberg, Heinrich Himmler, and Reinhard Heydrich in charge, you know it’s going to be a bloody affair.
The German Nazis and their helpers are facing increasing resistance, this week in Rome from the Vatican, and at the Sobibor extermination camp from their victims.
SOE agents come from all walks of life but very few can claim to be royalty. Few except Noor Inayat Khan. She’s been sent as a radio operator to France, arriving right in the middle of a German crackdown on the resistance. Now she is the sole link between London and Paris.
Trainload after trainload arrives at the slave and murder factories in Auschwitz, and a fire storm is created in Kassel, while the United Nations War Crimes Committee UNWCC is formed.
From a conference in Moscow the United Nations Alliance issues a warning to Nazi Germany about their atrocities, while those atrocities continue unabated.
No overview available.
Indy and Sparty pick out some of the best, most interesting, and even controversial comments by you under our videos. Stay for the PJs.
Even as the Allied powers condemn the German crimes against humanity, their recent victories are in part thanks to the massive system of forced labour built by Joseph Stalin’s Soviet Union. Over one million prisoners work in the Gulag to power the Soviet war economy.
The genocide of the Jews of Eastern Europe concludes with Operation Harvest Festival - Aktion Erntefest when 42,000 are murdered in the Lublin district.
Hitler commemorates the twentieth anniversary of the failed Beer Hall Putsch, in Auschwitz 50 men are shot in celebration, and Arthur Liebehenschel replaces Rudolf Höss as commandant.
The murder of the Jews of Europe is not simply conducted alongside the military and political war aims of the Third Reich. For Hitler and the Nazis, the murder of the Jews of Europe is the military-political aim of the war. It confounds all logic, but in the twisted worldview of Nazi ideology, it makes perfect sense. This is a war on the Jewry.
How do you motivate men to leave home and go fight in a foreign land? Send them packing with Betty Grable, Rita Hayworth, and Irene Manning, of course! It helps if you include an Esquire magazine and girlie cartoons from the infamous Alberto Vargas.
Hitler forces Himmler to betray his promise of independence for the Baltic states, despite giving the Waffen-SS 40,000 of their young men. Ion Antonescu of Romania decides to save the remaining Romanian Jews to save his own ass.
In Auschwitz the inmates gathering evidence of Nazi crimes score two successes, while the RAF score a direct hit on Goebbels as they set Berlin aflame. In the Pacific the accidental sinking of the SS Suez Maru triggers a Japanese war crime.
Rommel disliked Italian officers, but how bad were the troops during the North Africa Campaign? DID German pilots use skip-bombing in the Atlantic? AND what kind of wartime songs did soldiers sing? Find out in this episode of Out of the Foxholes!
Colonel Reinhard Gehlen is head of German military intelligence in the East. He likes to think he’s a master of his craft. But all along he’s been a victim of the NKVD and a man named Max. Gehlen thinks he can hold off the Red Army. But as things go from bad to worse his thoughts will start to turn to the possibility of a new world…
Ed Murrow accompanies the RAF on a bombing raid on Berlin, and files one of his most iconic broadcasts with CBS. In Teheran, Winston Churchill walks out on a dinner with Joseph Stalin, after the USSR Premiere suggests mass murdering German officers.
Outnumbered and outproduced, the once mighty Luftwaffe is battling to hold its own across three fronts. Every month brings new pain for the force. But the Luftwaffe still has a few tricks up its sleeves and can make the Allies bleed heavily. If only Hitler and the Nazi leadership weren’t sabotaging its chances…
Japanese planes bomb Calcutta when it is still being crushed by the weight of the Bengali famine. Adolf Hitler and Albert Speer are obsessively trying to increase war production so Germany can begin launching its vengeance weapon against Britain. The wars of resistance continue across the Balkans with continued brutality and a new resistance force emerges in Italy.
The Polish state was the first to fall in this war, yet across the globe Polish soldiers are fighting on land, air, and sea as part of the United Nations alliance. The story of the tens of thousands of men and women fighting for Polish liberation is equal parts hope and hardship as they battle the enemy and even sometimes their own allies.
The United Nations Allies has some success bombing the Nazi German Reich, but it comes at a heavy price. In the village Kalavryta in Greece, the Wehrmacht massacre hundreds of men and boys.
Books, films, and comics are filled with Nazi scientists and explorers travelling the globe to get their hands on ancient artifacts or summoning daemons with black magic. But how much of it is grounded in reality? Well, some of it. In the neo-pagan religion invented by Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler, the world can only be explained through the occult.
Two escapes, one from the Nazis in Kovno (Kaunas) Lithuania, from the prison at Fort IX, and one from Japanese terror on Panay in the Philippines this week, will help to document the crimes of the Axis powers.
The popular image of the Gestapo is as black leather-jacketed fiends whose spies keep the nation under constant surveillance. They are so powerful that the terrified population has no choice but to sell out its family and friends. But how true is this? Are all Germans living in fear of the Gestapo all the time?
The last week of 1943 is a busy one. Stalin deports the Kalmyk minority from Kalmykia, the escapees from Fort IX get away, and the US President moves to found the post-war UN.
This war is massive. Our chronological coverage helps give us an understanding of it, but sometimes statistics help us understand the bigger picture.
The last week of 1943 is a busy one. Stalin deports the Kalmyk minority from Kalmykia, the escapees from Fort IX get away, and the US President moves to found the post-war UN.
While the Soviet Union declared they will annex parts of Poland, the Western Allies fear that the broken French Resistance may ruin the plans for D-Day.
There is a second war raging on the Eastern Front. From the huge expanses of no man’s land behind the German lines, Moscow’s battle-hardened and well-armed partisan bands are waging a Rail War in support of Red Army offensives. But every successful mission brings down the wrath of the genocidal Axis war machine.
The internal conflict between Poland and the other United Nations Allies deepens as Churchill faces them with diplomatic defeat over Soviet land grab. In the Occupied Netherlands and Poland the Nazis continue their atrocities.
Indy and Sparty are locked up in a mountain house working away at D-Day, and it's all thanks to those of you who have joined us on Patreon and booked memorials!
Young, daring, and handsome, the Allied fighter aces of World War Two have captivated the public with their thrilling exploits. Join us as we take a look at the top scorers! Thanks to Curiosity Stream for sponsoring today’s video.
Poland, occupied, abandoned or even threatened by her allies is left to fight her own war. A war that under the influence of internal and external forces looks more and more like a full blown civil war inside the world war.
We're excited to finally answer all your questions about where Indy lives, how we produce the series, and how many of us there are in the TimeGhost Team!
Does Adolf Hitler like Duke Ellington? No, and nor do many National Socialists. But the story of the music in the Third Reich is more complicated than you might think. What if we told you that Joseph Goebbels has tried to create a Nazi-approved swing band tasked with bringing the Jazz War to the Allies?
This is our last day of the TimeGhost Fundraising week. You saw what goes on behind the scenes, and now we want to show you what you've made possible over the last seven days.
We've covered in great depth the Battle of the Atlantic and the war by and against German U-Boats, but what about the other side of the world? Why has the war on Japanese shipping been so much quieter? There are several very specific reasons for that, which we look at today.
Across Europe the anti-Nazi Resistance continues to rise as does the infighting. In France the RAF carry out Operation Jericho to break out captured resistance members held at the prison in Amiens.
Even as the Allied and Axis commanders focus on the sweeping warfare of the Eastern Front and the planning for the invasion of Europe, their men continue to fight a grinding war of attrition high in the Italian mountains. It’s a war of merciless terrain, brutal close-quarters combat, and vast quantities of artillery and bombs. They may be playing second fiddle, but the soldiers on the Italian front will never forget these battles.
Allied and German Air Forces fight fierce battles over Europe with civilians caught in the crossfire, while Joseph Stalin and Lavrenti Beria deport two entire ethnicities of half a million in just one week.
How did the British manage their multinational Merchant Navy who are the non-American operators of Liberty Ships? How did Kenyans, South Africans, and others from Britain’s Sub-Saharan Empire view the war? And what is going on in Slovakia and Hungary right now? Find out in this episode of Out of the Foxholes.
Across Europe, non-Germans are filling the ranks of Heinrich Himmler’s forces. These foreign fighters certainly don’t meet the racial standards of the SS but times are tough and the Reichsführer-SS needs warm bodies. So, does that mean Himmler’s given up on the idea of a Germanic master race? Not at all. And he uses all sorts of twisted esoteric logic to justify his latest moves.
Authoritarian regimes on both sides, in the Soviet Union, Nazi Germany, and Imperialist Japan the terror is once again escalating. The bombing war from both sides see continued death of civilians, while Harris of the RAF, Spaatz of the USAAF, and Supreme Allied Commander Eisenhower are getting into a fight about how the bombers should be used for the upcoming D-Day.
The United States Army Air Forces, USAAF, is the most powerful air force in the world. Alongside the Royal Air Force, it is winning the air war against the Luftwaffe. But things weren’t always like this. At the outbreak of war, the USAAF could not hold a candle to its allies or enemies. How have the Americans managed to turn things around?
The Finns have been fighting the Soviet Union since the Winter War. But now, Marshal Mannerheim and Prime Minister Risto Ryti look like they might pull out of the Eastern Front commitments they agreed upon with their Axis allies. German-Finnish relations seem to be at breaking point, and Red Army troops are threatening the borders. How long will Finland stay in this war?
We are getting closer and closer to D-Day and the potential liberation of Nazi Europe. But how much do the Germans know about this? Is the leak inside the British Embassy in Ankara enough to thwart the efforts of Operation Bodyguard, Operation Fortitude, and everything else the Allies are doing to deceive Adolf Hitler? Let's find out. This is the story of Cicero
We often see comments asking why we don't cover the war in China. Chiang Kai-shek is one of the major Allied leaders - so why don't you hear about him as much as Stalin, Roosevelt, or Churchill? Let us explain.
As the RAF closes in on Berlin and the German Army is running dangerously low on men, the Nazi leadership is determined to use their resources to spread their crimes deeper into Hungary and Italy.
D-Day is almost here and we're putting our faith in all of you to join us in making it happen: https://dday.timeghost.tv/
Roberta Capa has gone down in history as one the most groundbreaking war correspondents in all of journalism. His account of what happened on D-Day was something we wanted to share with all of you.
D-Day is just around the corner, we're in the end game now. You can learn more about the project and how to get involved at http://DDay.TimeGhost.tv
In the early hours it is up to the Allied airborne troops to secure the battlefield perimeter, and protect the operation. Now they will find out if the Germans have been deceived, or are ready and waiting with mortal force.
When the amphibious landings begin, they run straight into Hitler’s Atlantic Wall. Eisenhower has predicted a third of his troops may fall. While they land, the news breaks across the world.
With wide gaps struck in the Atlantic Wall, it is now up to the Allies to secure the beachheads and move inland. There they will face off with new German defences, and the Norman geography.
It has taken all day for Rundtsedt, Hitler and the rest of German command to gather their wits, but now the Panzers are rolling - will the beachheads hold?
How do you blast through the obstacles and minefields on the beaches Normandy? How do you get thousands of tonnes of tanks, guns, and men into the fight? And what about reopening the shattered French ports? You need men who are as skilled in construction as they are destruction. You need the engineers.
After years of undermining the Nazi regime and aiding the resistance, Abwehr Chief Wilhelm Canaris finally loses his battle with Heinrich Himmler and the SS. The Abwehr Trojan Horse is no more, and German intelligence is at death’s door at the most crucial moment.
Until now Miklos Horthy’s Kingdom of Hungary has been a rare sanctuary where most Jews have lived in relative safety. That changes with the German occupation. Now Adolf Eichmann. the Nazis, and their Hungarian allies bring the Holocaust to Hungary.
Bombing enemy civilians does nothing to advance a nation’s war effort. But now, Adolf Hitler believes that the V-1 flying bomb, the first of the Vengeance Weapons, will bring London to its knees and unite the German population behind the war effort as never before. The missiles are ready for launch and thousands more civilians will die to satisfy the Führer’s delusions.
So far, the German resistance haven’t had much luck with their attempts to kill the Führer, Adolf Hitler. But now, the German war hero Claus von Stauffenberg, together with Friedrich Olbricht and Henning von Tresckow, drives the resistance forward. It’s time to kill Hitler. It’s time for Operation Valkyrie.
Hungary's Jews are facing a Holocaust machine in overdrive. The deportation trains are arriving in such volume that even the extermination factory of Auschwitz can barely keep up with the pace. The entire country swiftly becomes Judenfrei and the Jews of Budapest sit helplessly as Adolf Eichmann and his Hungarian collaborators tighten the noose around them. Admiral Miklós Horthy is one of the few who can save them, but so far he has done nothing. Will that change?
Stauffenberg, Olbricht and the plotters launch Operation Valkyrie. The army moves in to seize power, troops surround the government quarter in Berlin, and Joseph Goebbels is arrested. But things start going wrong pretty much immediately and far away in East Prussia the Nazi fightback begins.
The destruction of German cities has shown how difficult it is for the heavy bombers of the RAF and USAAF to hit small targets with precision. Things will be no different when these big beasts go into action to support the D-Day landings. Thousands of French civilians will pay the price for the flawed logic of Allied bombing.
Today we sat down with James Newman - our soon-to-be Head of Writing department and talked about the exciting D-Day adventure which had its spectacular finale last month.
The Home Army has fought hard to earn Poland its freedom from both Nazi and Soviet domination in Operation Tempest. But has it worked? Operation Bagration has seen the Red Army punching into Polish lands so what will become of Wilno, Lwów, and Lublin? And is the time right for an uprising in Warsaw?
The Allied Strategic bombing campaign has claimed hundreds of thousands of civilian lives across Europe and has made little real impact on the Axis war machine. Even so, the United States is determined to extend the campaign to Japan. Until now, the vast distances of the Asia-Pacific theatre have protected the imperial enemy. That all changes when the USAAF unleashes the Superfortress.
In Poland, the SS and Wehrmacht unleash their most sadistic fighters to crush the Warsaw Uprising and massacre tens of thousands of people. In Amsterdam, the German security forces finally discover Anne Frank and her fellow fugitives. Against this backdrop, Heinrich Himmler talks of an irreversible ‘racial realignment’, and the Soviets discover the horrors of Majdanek.
In Normandy, the Waffen SS butcher their military and civilian enemies while some Allied soldiers play fast and loose with the laws of the war. In China, hundreds of thousands flee their homes as friend, foe, and famine take their toll. Meanwhile, the spectre of deportation haunts Eastern Europe as Stalin reshapes his new empire.
The Nazis love to spread the myth that they have transformed the German capital from a city of sin, unemployment, and Marxist street violence to the centre of a glorious new Reich. But the reality is that right now, Berliners are trapped between the Allied bombing and the Nazi regime’s tightening grip. And yet, the men and women of Berlin continue to support this war. For them, it’s a war of survival.
Fierce fighting continues in Warsaw as German forces battle the Home Army’s uprising. Frustrated by a determined foe, the SS continues to retaliate against civilians, including Polish children. The Home Army calls for help but finds that London is silent. In Paris, the Resistance has their revenge against collaborators. The death factory at Auschwitz continues to burn as the Nazis start to evacuate the camps in the East.
At the centre of his shrinking empire, Hitler plans his legacy. Together with his genocidal accomplice Heinrich Himmler, these two top murderers plan the destruction of the imagined creature of Judeo-Bolshevism. This week the children of Warsaw, the people of London, the peasants of Italy, and the souls condemned to slavery and death at Auschwitz pay the price for their warped worldview.
The Germans are assaulting London with waves of V-1 flying bombs. But Eddie Chapman, a career criminal, serial womaniser, and masterful double agent working for MI5’s Double Cross is fighting a secret battle to beat the bombs. When he’s done with that, he pulls the wool over Reich’s eyes to help Britain beat the Kriegsmarine. This is Agent Zigzag.
The hour of resistance is here. Across Western Europe, armies of resistance fighters rise up to meet the Allied armies and sabotage the Axis war machine. In Slovakia, a secret army fights to restore Czechoslovak independence. But against this hopeful backdrop, the Axis forces strike back hard. And, all around, the spectre of communism strikes fear in the Western Powers.
Working via YouTube has always been a bit a of wrestling match, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for fighting in our corner.
Fight the Nazis or fight your countrymen? From Marshal Tito's Partisans in Yugoslavia to the ELAS fighters in Greece, that is the animating question among the Balkans resistance movements. For many, the question is already answered. It is Mihailović and his Chetniks and EDES, EKKA, and the Greek royalist government who must be outmanoeuvred first. British foreign policy has so far failed to change this state of affairs, can Churchill get his SOE officers to stop these civil wars?
The imperial dreams of Germany and Japan are in tatters. But the expansionist beasts do their best to drag their enemies down with them. Across Europe the cycle of resistance and retaliation continues. Paris is free but Warsaw burns. V-1s rain down on innocent civilians in London. The Japanese cleanse West Borneo of opposition. The genocide of the Jews continues. For so many people, liberation is now so near yet so far away.
It’s time for another instalment of Across the Airwaves, where Indy and Sparty highlight some of the most interesting comments under our videos. In this episode they cover Patton losing his pilot’s license, the history of Polish 303 Squadron, the military irrationality of committing war crimes, and the community we’re creating here on the channel.
How did the Allies build and manage an enormous railway supplying the Soviet Union through Iran? How did the Red Cross deliver aid parcels through enemy territory to Allied POWs? And, how effective were the rear gunners in ground attack aircraft like the Stuka and Sturmovik? Find out in this episode of Out of the Foxholes
Even as they battle an uprising in Slovakia, the Nazis see the opportunity to continue their racial realignment of Europe. The latest victims of this genocidal legacy are Anne Frank and her family, who arrive at Auschwitz. In Britain, the V-1 menace is defeated. But as London breathes a sigh of relief, the Nazis and their allies reduce Warsaw to rubble in a rampage of burning, looting, rape, and murder.
It's been a while since our last one, but we're back with a fresh episode of the TimeGhost Breakfast Club! This episode has a look behind the scenes of TimeGhost, a short snippet of our team trip to Oktoberfest and an enticing sneak peek into the thrilling projects on the horizon. All whilst having breakfast between our latest filming!
Jet planes and jet engine technology revolutionized air travel, as we are all well aware. However, the development of jet planes during WW2 was fraught with all sorts of obstacles and hurdles. Let's take a look at it.
In the New Mexico desert, a secret team of scientists is working flat out to develop atomic bombs. It’s the most important American military project in history. But one of those scientists lives a double life. Klaus Fuchs has decided to betray his country and share America’s most secret technology with the Soviet Union. But is he the only person who has turned traitor?
Occupied Paris, a paradoxical city of banality and brutality, of resistance and collaboration. Join Anna as she takes you on a tour of the city from occupation, the establishment of the Pétain regime and collaboration, the growth of resistance, and finally liberation. But the story doesn’t end there and into the 21st century, the city of lights is haunted by its occupation.
Last episode we saw Klaus Fuchs steal details of the American atomic bomb for the Soviet Union. But he’s only one component of a much bigger conspiracy. Today, Astrid introduces you to the mysterious web of Soviet atomic spies. Their work will change our world forever.
In this conflict, we’ve seen armoured warfare on a greater scale than anything before or since. Indy takes a look at some of the tanks slugging it out on the Eastern Front, from the long-serving Panzer III and IV, to the newer and more powerful Tiger and T-34 85, and the monstrous IS-2.
In a re-upload of one of our D-Day 24 Hour videos, Astrid introduces you to the war’s most effective counter-espionage and deception programme, The Double Cross system. Today she’ll talk about their operations before and during D-Day and introduce you to some of the most important double agents. Their mission - fool the Führer.
She’s the gambler with a hotline to the Abwehr. The party girl tearing up the London social scene. Now she’s doing her bit to hold back the Panzer Divisions and pave the way for D-Day. This is the story of Elvira Concepcion Josefina de la Fuente Chaudoir, Double Cross’s most flamboyant double agent.
Since the earliest days of humanity, where there has been war, there has been rape. This war is no different. As vast armies battle across Europe, the chaos in their wake breeds an epidemic of rape. In its action and its punishment the European rape wave is also highly racialised. It adds up to a storm of suffering.
Juan Pujol Garcia’s neighbours think nothing of the new Spanish family that moves in during the war. But this quiet man who lives in suburban London and works for the BBC is a master of military deception. He runs a Double Cross network of invisible men who run rings around the Germans before, during, and after D-Day.
The problem with some Double Agents is that it’s very hard to trust them. After the mercurial Polish pilot and spymaster Roman Czerniawski offers his service to the Allies, MI5 and Double Cross worry that their new man will turn out to be a Triple Agent! But they’ll have to learn to trust agent Brutus because he might just hold the key to success in Operation Fortitude.
The intrigue of espionage lies in the shadows of trust. When the enigmatic Russian-born Nathalie Sergueiew is caught between German recruitment and British counter-intelligence, MI5 faces a quandary. Agent Treasure's unpredictable nature makes her a challenging asset, teetering between an invaluable ally and a potential risk. Yet, amidst the dance of deception, it becomes clear: Treasure's role is more golden than her codename suggests.
Dusko Popov and Johnny Jebsen, Double Cross and Abwehr resistance working in perfect harmony. Together they forge a friendship that outfoxes the Nazis. But Popov and Jebsen are just a small part of a much wider story that goes to the heart of the anti-Nazi resistance and brings in our old friends Admiral Canaris and Hans Oster.
Here near the end of 1944, we look at the development of the atomic bomb. What different methods of creating a nuclear reaction are being developed? How close are they to development? How does it work? Will they be able to make one in 1945? Will it go boom?
When Marine Corps General Holland Smith removed Infantry General Ralph Smith from command in 1944 during the Battle of Saipan, it began a controversy that soon snowballed, threatening to sabotage Army-Marine relations at a time when cooperation was the key to victory.
They used to say that an army marches on its stomach. No so much anymore. These days armies march on oil. But how do the Allies get vast quantities of the stuff to their tanks and lorries across the Channel? Simple, they use the latest technology to lay a giant flexible pipeline across the sea. The armies of liberation are fuelled and ready.
Indonesian nationalists initially welcomed Japan’s promises of pan-Asianism. But now, these have been shown to be entirely hollow. While Indonesian nationalist leaders continue to support the new occupier, it’s clear that the country is simply under new colonial management. But the dream of Indonesian independence is still alive and this war will bring that day closer.
Military deception is tricky. Sometimes you need to destroy a crucial piece of war industry or make an entire harbour disappear. Who do you call for this sort of job? Well, someone who knows a thing or two about tricking the eye. You need a professional magician. You need Jasper Maskelyne. But is there more to this illusionist than meets the eye?
This "corrupt" episode has been removed from YouTube and replaced by episode 463. Indy takes a look at the armoured beasts battling it out on the Western Front. On the German side we have vehicles like the long-serving Panzer IV, the sleek and modern Panther, and the obnoxiously heavy King Tiger. These are arrayed against the American stalwart, the M4 Sherman, and British tanks like the up-gunned Firefly, Cromwell, and Churchill.
Organized resistance movements in Axis-occupied territory are often associated with beret-sporting, trench-coated Frenchmen. A far less known, but larger and more effective resistance movement existed in the Philippines.
The Japanese decided that the Western civilians living in their new imperial territories threatened the Empire. Over one hundred thousand of these people now live in misery in concentration camps across Asia. Disease, overwork, hunger, and brutalisation are all taking their toll. Can the Allies free their civilians before time runs out?
What if I told you that a new conflict will sweep the globe in less than a year? It will open not with gunshots but with silent, shadowy espionage. The man who will kick off the Cold War is a quiet Canadian pilot, millionaire, and spymaster. A trusted aide to Churchill and FDR. I bet you haven’t heard this name before. William Stephenson.
The Nazis have ripped the cultural and artistic treasures of Europe from their homes and brought them to the Reich to grace the walls of museums and the palaces of the criminal leadership. Now, with Germany on the ropes, those treasures are hidden away deep underground. But the Monuments Men, teams of Allied men and women fighting for art, are on the case. They will track down, preserve, and return these precious items.
This "fixed" episode replaces the corrupt episode 458. Indy takes a look at the armoured beasts battling it out on the Western Front. On the German side we have vehicles like the long-serving Panzer IV, the sleek and modern Panther, and the obnoxiously heavy King Tiger. These are arrayed against the American stalwart, the M4 Sherman, and British tanks like the up-gunned Firefly, Cromwell, and Churchill.
No overview available.
You might think that the Cold War starts after this war ends. But already, as the Germans withdraw from Greece, the ideologically opposed Greek resistance groups ELAS and EDES are at each others’ throats. It all culminates in Athens in December 1944; British troops fire some of the first shots of the Cold War as Greece descends into Civil War.
What is the best way to extract information from enemy spies? British interrogator Robin “Tin Eye” Stephens reckons that physical torture is pretty useless. Instead he has great success with a method of psychological terror that breaks the spy’s will and even turns some of them into double agents. But when the war is over, will he stick to his principles?
Camouflage comes in many forms, shapes, disguises, and even processes, for there are indeed many ways to hide your soldiers, guns, tanks, and even ships at sea. Today we take a wee look at camouflage during the war.
Should spies be suave gentlemen or streetwise crooks? Today, Astrid and Anna introduce you to two of MI6's original gangster spies, Walter Dicketts and Arthur Owens. They quickly bring some impressive results. But, the thing about criminals is that it can be hard to trust them. Just a couple of years into the war, MI6's Double Cross System might be in a lot of trouble…
After the first waves of Hungarian Jews were deported in the summer, Miklos Horthy halted Eichmann’s trains. Into the autumn of 1944 a coalition of diplomats, aid workers, and states attempts to save the Jews still surviving in Budapest. But when the SS launch a coup in Budapest and bring the Hungarian fascists come to power, time runs out.
Curtis LeMay orders his B-29s to begin the firebombing of Japanese cities. This begins a campaign that will destroy the Japanese economy but leave hundreds of thousands dead. Meanwhile, the radicalisation of Japanese society continues at all levels as the Kamikaze suicide-pilots attack Allied warships and school-children build vengeance weapons.
The RAF and USAAF reopen the Combined Bomber Offensive against Germany in autumn 1944. The Allied heavy bombers are targeting a German economy that is churning out more war materiel than ever before, fuelled by German Armaments Minister Albert Speer’s army of slaves. But, as 1944 turns to 1945, the bombers finally start to break the German vampire economy. But, at what cost to civilian life?
How often have you heard that the German population was unaware of the horrors of the Nazi camp system? Well, the opening months of 1945 destroys that myth once and for all as the SS force hundreds of thousands of Jews and other prisoners to march across the Reich and into the vast network of sub-camps. All of this happens in in full view of the German people.
The Soviets are just about to kick off a series of enormous offensives all along the Eastern Front. Here's a look at the forces who are to attack, and those who will be defending.
What convinces a Nazi spy switch sides? For some it’s a deeply held opposition to the murderous ideology of the Third Reich. Sometimes it’s a love of money, adventure, or an affinity with Britain. But for others, the reason is simple: to save their own skin. One of those is Agent Tate, a man who never renounces his Nazi beliefs.
How did Finland treat its Jews, and what did Finnish people know about the Holocaust? Who were the mysterious Polish Silent Unseen? And, what sort of rations did soldiers carry? Find out in this episode of Out of the Foxholes.
Geoffrey Pyke is remembered as an eccentric scientist who spewed out ideas like giant aircraft carriers made of icy Pykerete. But there was much more to him than that. He was a spy, a special operations mastermind, and his novel ideas contributed to the success of D-Day.
When the SS evacuate the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp complex in the second half of January 1945, their intent is to make sure that no live prisoners get into the hands of the approaching Red Army. The death marches that follow are a final act of mass murder at the camp, that brings the death toll to close to 1.1 million murdered.
While World War Two looks like it is about to end, the belligerent powers have vastly different goals for that end. Differences that may or may not prolong the war, will decide the survival of tens of millions of people, and the future fate of all of Humanity.
Indy and Sparty take you through the negotiations at Yalta as The Big Three thrash out the shape of the post war world. As the splits between East and West continue to deepen, who will come out on top?
When the Red Army invades the Eastern German Reich provinces, and occupied Poland, years of war, anti-German agitprop, and the general misery of being a Soviet soldier has whipped them into a frenzy of bloodthirsty revenge. It’s the women of all ethnicities who pay the heaviest price as German and Polish women, even liberated Soviet victims of Nazi terror are subjected to repeated mass rapes day in and day out
The modern artillery of the Great War was responsible for the vast majority of military deaths in that conflict, but how has artillery developed from that war to this one? Today we take a look at some of the artillery of WW2.
Italy, 1945. Karl Wolff of the SS is looking for a way to save his skin. In his desperation he turns to Allen Dulles and the American OSS. Wolff’s bargaining chip? The surrender of German forces in Italy. The price? Escape from the hangman’s noose. Is it a price worth paying? And what will Joseph Stalin say when he finds out his allies are talking to the Nazis?
Did the Western Allies commit war crimes? What did Latin American troops do during the war? And, how did the top-secret proximity fuze change the face of warfare? Find out in this episode of Out of the Foxholes
The Red Army taking Budapest launches a huge wave of crime by the soldiers and the Soviet state - the most famous crime will be when Moscow disappears Raoul Wallenberg. But he is not the only neutral country diplomat who has worked to save Budapest’s Jews threatened by the Soviets.
No overview available.
Hitler hopes that the V-2 rocket will turn the tide of the war. It’s cutting edge technology and impossible to intercept. Right now, the first long-range ballistic missile is raining death on London and Antwerp. But is it too little, too late? Find out the backstory to this powerful weapon.
As the Allies advance further into Germany, they turn their eyes to a new objective: recovering as much of the Nazi science and as many of the scientists as they can. Advances in jet fighters, chemical and biological weapons, rockets, all of these will be useful in the inevitable future confrontation between East and West.
This week yet another bloody urban battle draws to its conclusion. In Manila, despite clear orders from Tomoyuki Yamashita against wanton violence, his subordinates and superiors chose to ignore him. The Japanese defenders massacre, rape, loot and then burn the remains of the city.
So, you think you know the Enigma Story? The Poles, the French, Bletchley Park, Alan Turing, and daring raids on sinking U-Boats. Well, there’s one figure you may never have heard of. Today, Anna and Astrid tell the story of a German Double Agent named Hans Thilo-Schmidt and his vital but forgotten part in the Enigma story.
In March 1945 the first Jewish unit in the Allied forces reaches the frontline. Before fighting the Nazis, the men spent years battling against the policies of the British government. After the war, they will take vengeance on the perpetrators of the Holocaust and join the Zionist movement in building and fighting for Israel.
On a snowy night, two tall men are walking along the highway on the coast of Maine. They could hardly be more suspicious. They wear light European coats, no hats, large suitcases, and they leave a trail of footprints down to the beach… These strange men are German spies on the hunt for America’s biggest secrets!
The Volkssturm is the last-ditch people’s army of the Third Reich. Sure, on paper, there are millions of old men and boys ready to defend Germany. But how will they be armed? Are they truly willing to die for Hitler? Will they make any difference at all?
The bombing war in Europe comes to an end in a fury of fire and destruction. Spartacus takes stock of the human toll of this campaign and assesses the near futility of it all. On the other side of the globe, the USAAF ratchets up the firebombing of Japan further still. Countless more civilian lives will be cut short.
What happened to Italian Soldiers overseas after the fall of Mussolini? What about the French soldiers left over in Indochina after the Japanese “occupation by invitation”? And, what did the Allies think of the Italian Communist movement and its partisan forces?
Astrid and Anna take a break from tales of espionage to bring you one of international cooperation. Developed by a small group of highly driven individuals working in top secret, Proximity Fuzes are the new Allied super weapon changing the face of warfare forever. They’re just one of many impressive new developments which are helping the Allies win the war. Defeating the Axis is a righteous cause of course. But at its core, so much of our scientific progress is in the service of finding more effective ways to kill one another. What does this mean for our future?
He lead his nation through the Great Depression, transformed it into a war-winning titan, and is working to shape the coming postwar world in his image. But today, 4,422 days into his record breaking presidency, Franklin Roosevelt dies. What was his final year really like?
The man who one conquered Europe, Adolf Hitler now cowers underground in the Fuhrerbunker as bombs and artillery rain down on the ruins of the Reich. Today Sparty gives you a tour of the damp and claustrophobic concrete maze that will soon become the dictator’s coffin.
As the war turns ever more against Germany, Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler keeps loosening the racial standards of his Waffen SS. More and more non-Germans fill the ranks of his forces. Some of these non-German fighters will be among the last defenders of the Third Reich.
Is it a tank? Is it a truck? No, it’s a half-track! Nicholas Moran aka The Chieftain stops by to cover this Frankenstein of a vehicle. He looks at their origins at the turn of the twentieth century, their heyday as troop transporting, artillery towing, flak gunning, jacks-of-all-trades during the war, and their sudden decline after the war.
It has been the most effective torture and murder machine in human history. Over 17 million have perished, but now freedom comes for the small portion who have managed to survive: the Nazi concentration camps are liberated.
Jewish-American intelligence officers return to their homeland in Germany to fight the Nazis and find their families. As they advance they discover the true horror of the Holocaust. When the war is over, they have a chance for some justice.
During the Battle of Okinawa, the Japanese see the opportunity to cripple the core of the Allied navies. With their conventional air and naval forces unable to challenge the Allies, the Japanese unleash a wave of mass Kamikaze attacks. Hundreds of suicide pilots smash their aircraft into the Allied fleet. This is Operation Kikusui.
So, what's next for us? Is this the end of the World War Two Channel?
Prominent Nazis flee the retribution that they have provoked. Meanwhile, they deploy greater levels of violence than ever before against the German people. With nothing left to lose, just how depraved will Nazi "justice" become? The regime's final farewell to its people will be a bloody one indeed.
In the final months of the war, Partisan leader Josip Tito and his forces complete their conquest of Yugoslavia. They destroy Draza Mihailovic’s Chetniks and Ante Pavelic’s Croatian Independent State and they outmanoeuvre King Peter. As Tito’s forces take revenge on their vanquished foes, Socialist Yugoslavia is born in a cradle of fire and blood.
How did so many Nazi war criminals escape to Argentina? The answer is the infamous network of ratlines stretching from Europe to South America. Joseph Mengele, Adolf Eichmann, Ante Pavelic, all of these monsters escape justice thanks to the efforts of former SS men, Juan Peron, the Red Cross, and perhaps even the pope.
This September will be the sixth year since our coverage of World War Two began, and the culmination of six long hard years of fighting. We think a celebration is in order, don’t you?
Recently, we had the privilege of interviewing Dr. Joachim Hess, who fought on the German side during World War II. He shared his unique perspective, outlining the life of a Wehrmacht soldier during the conflict.
Now that Japan is the only Axis power still in the fight, Allied forces- especially American ones- must redeploy to prepare for the final invasion of the Japanese Home Islands. But how do you move millions of men halfway around the globe? And which ones go- veterans or new recruits, or some combination? Who decides? Where exactly do you send them to prepare too, with some many eastern ports like Manila a shambles? Let's take a look.
Once again, we have a unique opportunity to share with you another portion of our interview with Dr. Joachim Hess. Today, we hear the story of his daring escape from the Soviet prison camp.
The guns are silent in Germany but the Allied Forces suffer continue to suffer a flurry of bombings, assassinations, and shootings. Who is to blame? Well, the press suspects the Nazi Werwolves - terroristic bands of men, women, and children determined to carry on Hitler’s war. But just how serious is this violence really, and how many of the attackers are true believing Nazi fanatics?
No overview available.
Joseph Stalin claims that Adolf Hitler managed to escape Berlin and is now living somewhere in hiding. It’s complete nonsense of course. But it raises some interesting questions. What remains do we have of Hitler? How do we know they belong to the Fuhrer? And, why is Stalin spreading these far-fetched lies?
No overview available.
The US bombers continue destroying Japanese cities with a rain of firebombs. As the country burns, the Japanese leadership and Emperor Hirohito finally realise they must seek peace.
What did the RAF and Luftwaffe think of each other’s toys? Who were the Zirkus Rosarius and the RAFwaffe? And what happens when American and German engineers team up to save the Luftwaffe’s wonder weapons? Deception, trickery, and subterfuge await once again in another instalment of Spies & Ties.
How did the carrier task force come to be the premiere weapon in the US Navy’s arsenal, eclipsing the mighty battleship? Today Indy takes a look at how the Navy worked overtime to produce flattops, train the men who sailed them, and develop new doctrine for the war against Japan. What does the future hold for the carrier force?
Why do so many famous American scientists have German names, just like Wernher von Braun? Well, the answer lies in a decade-spanning secret operation conducted by the USA to recruit and harness the intellectual prowess of Nazi Scientists. Stay tuned to learn how Truman, the State Department, and the military all played their parts!
Indy, Spartacus, and Astrid- the trio behind TimeGhost- began changing the way the world made documentaries ten years ago when they created ‘the Great War’. Since then, it’s been ten years of real time, chronology based, global, free historical documentaries with ‘World War Two in Real Time’ the greatest- and bravest- of them all. This is the story of how it all began.
Strap in and prepare yourself to find out how Paperclip manages to navigate through the shitstorm, and how its fate becomes inexorably intertwined with the new cool Kid on the Block, the CIA. This sinister partnership soon involves former Nazi top scientists in some of America's shadiest programs.
The governments of central Europe take revenge on their German populations. From Poland, Czechoslovakia, and elsewhere, millions of people are thrown from their homes and banished to the shattered remains of Germany. This will be the largest forced migration in history.
In August 1945, the United States became the first, and to this day only, nation ever to employ nuclear weapons in war. After The fledgling technology proves itself on the testing ground, it is ready for immediate use. The price for this innovation is paid by hundreds of thousands of Japanese civilians who are blinded, burned, crushed, irradiated, and finally burned in a humanitarian crisis never seen before and never since. Join us to hear the gut-wrenching accounts of survivors and understand the motivations behind this tragic outcome to ensure that the horrors of nuclear war are never forgotten and never again unleashed upon the world and its people.
We just finished shooting the final episode in our WW2 chronology. The next morning we sat down for coffee, croissants and some reminiscing.
In this eye-opening episode, we delve into the secretive Soviet operation known as Operation Osoaviachim—often dubbed “the Soviet Paperclip.” As World War II draws to a close, the alliance between east and west begin to fracture, and the race for scientific supremacy intensifies. This video explores how the Soviet Union strategically “recruited” German scientists to gain an edge over the West, setting the stage for the future conflicts. Join us as we uncover the intricate details of this clandestine mission and its far-reaching implications.
As the war comes to a close, the death continues and millions of people around the globe face starvation and famine. Today Sparty looks at the situation in Europe and Asia as the crisis of hunger grows and even drives some nations to revolution.
How do you eradicate an ideology from an entire nation without destroying that nation? That’s the challenge faced by the Allies as the seek to Denazify Germany. Very soon, fervent ideological opposition to Nazism runs into the everyday realities of restoring a broken country and the emerging Cold War rivalry.
We have now been making history for over ten years, and together with you we’re now gearing up for the next ten years and beyond.
In this episode, we dive deep into the lives of Elizaveta and Vasili Zarubin, the Soviet Union’s most notorious espionage power couple. From their early days in pre-WW2 Soviet Russia to working in key positions in Europe, China, and, ultimately, the United States, the Zarubins played a pivotal role in Soviet intelligence during the rise of modern espionage. Discover how their undercover missions influenced global events, including their involvement in the Manhattan Project, as we explore the origins of Soviet spycraft in part one of this two-part special.
The war is over and the occupation of Japan has begun. The country has largely been destroyed by Allied bombs, and shall be rebuilt, physically, economically, and even governmentally. But what will the new government be? What shall become of the Emperor? Who is to actually do the occupation? Today we look at all this and more.
In the summer of 1940, Hitler was at the peak of his popularity as he conquered Germany’s enemies seemingly at will. But just how quickly did this approval decline as the war turned further and further against Germany? What did the Germans think of him by the end of the war? Is there any love left for Hitler in postwar Germany? Today Spartacus answers these questions.
No overview available.
It’s time for another exciting episode of Out of the Foxholes! What sort of questions will Indy tackle today? Well, there’s a big one - are there any countries still at war from WW2? There’s another about the role of the Italian Mafia in the war, and one on Japan’s extra Special Naval Landing Forces.
This past week we gathered in Munich with parts of our team and members of the TimeGhost Army to celebrate the conclusion of the chronological WW2 coverage and our future projects.
Was J. Robert Oppenheimer secretly aiding the Soviets? In this episode, we dig into his alleged connections with the Soviet Spy Couple, the Zarubins, his involvement in the Manhattan Project, and the mystery surrounding his true loyalties.
The Allies’ occupation of Germany was marked by competing visions for its future, ranging from France’s focus on security to the Soviet push for reparations. This episode dives into the complex negotiations that determined Germany’s borders, industrial disarmament, and economic management, all of which would shape Europe’s post-war order and fuel the East-West divide.
After the war, millions of Soviet citizens are left over in Germany. Some of them are traitors, some are prisoners, some women and children. Stalin wants them back and the Western Allies are happy to help.
Igor Gouzenko, a Soviet cipher clerk in Canada, defected in 1945, bringing with him documents that revealed a massive Soviet espionage network in the West. His actions forced the world to confront Soviet infiltration, shifting global politics and igniting early Cold War tensions. This episode uncovers how one man’s bravery exposed a hidden war.
After the war, the Allies face the new challenge how to bring home the tens of millions of troops they have deployed across the globe. Today Indy examines this massive logistical effort, looking at the American Operation Magic Carpet, the British government’s slow but steady approach, and the devastation that Soviet troops returned home too.
World War II wasn’t just the deadliest conflict in history—it was a war of unprecedented scale. From staggering casualty numbers to military production and economic costs, this episode breaks down the biggest statistics that defined the global conflict.
Millions of Germans continue to be expelled from their homes in Central and Eastern Europe. They run a gauntlet of violence, robbery, and even murder before arriving in the shattered remains of Berlin. By the end of 1945, the Allied Powers have at least agreed that further expulsions must be ‘orderly and humane’. But isn’t that a contradiction in terms?
Elizabeth Bentley’s defection in 1945 didn’t just expose a Soviet spy network—it fueled America’s second Red Scare and a wave of anti-communist paranoia. Her revelations about Soviet infiltration within the U.S. government became a catalyst for McCarthyism, reshaping American politics and society in an era defined by fear and suspicion.
After the fall of the Third Reich, many of Hitler’s generals are convicted as war criminals by the Allies and condemned to prison and disgrace. Yet, within a few years, the Western Powers embrace them Cold War partners against the Soviet Union. In this new alliance, they rewrite history and create the enduring myth of the ‘clean Wehrmacht’.
From the Bolshevik Revolution to post-war dominance, Stalin’s plans forever changed Europe’s political landscape. Discover how the Soviet Union used ideology, diplomacy, military power, and ruthless suppression to control Eastern Europe and establish a new world order.
Today Indy and Spartacus sit down to answer all kinds of questions about the first year of WW2. How phony was the Phony War? How do you go around the Maginot Line? And much more! Also, Indy sings a song about Charles Huntziger.
No overview available.
German tanks advance on Kursk, smashing through Soviet defences and setting the stage for one of history’s most legendary tank battles - The Battle of Prokhorovka. In this six part miniseries we will cover the fierce fighting, the strategies, and the men and machines that take part in this battle.
In the early hours of July 12, 1943, the Waffen SS and the Red Army are ready for battle. SS General Paul Hausser has his armoured spearheads ready to strike at Prokhorovka while Soviet commander Pavel Rotmistrov’s 5th Guards Tank Army readies his counterattack. Today, Indy walks you through the enormous armoured fleets deployed for the coming fight.
On the morning of July 12, 1943, the Battle of Prokhorovka begins! Pavel Rotmistrov’s 5th Guards Tank Army charges into a storm of anti-tank fire from Paul Hausser’s Waffen SS divisions. As vehicles clash and burn, fierce hand-to-hand combat rages all around. In this episode, Indy takes you into the heart of the action as one of history’s most ferocious battles unfolds hour by hour.
A mass of Soviet armour charges at the Leibstandarte Division, it looks like they might smash through the German lines. Then, Michael Wittmann’s Tiger tanks go into action. Will the Waffen SS be able to turn the tide at Prokhorovka? Indy reveals all.
No overview available.
A shocking twist at Prokhorovka as the Germans unleash a new weapon - captured T-34s! As Das Reich tries to hold the line, these iconic Soviet tanks turn their guns on former comrades. On the other side of the Psel, Totenkopf’s Tiger tanks lead the drive forward.
This episode of Out of the Foxholes dives deep into your WWII questions. From LGBTQ+ persecution during and after the war, to the potential impact of diverting Battle of the Bulge troops to the Eastern Front, and Ukrainian collaboration with the Germans, we unravel the complexities of war. Join us as we tackle the secrets, strategies, and untold stories of WWII.
As the dust settles on the fields of Prokhorovka, Indy takes a look at the losses suffered by the Red Army and the Waffen-SS. But we soon see that Rotmistrov and the Soviets have launched a calculated propaganda operation to distort the numbers and paint the battle as a crushing victory.
Mark your calendars! War 2 War launches February 1st with new episodes releasing every week.
At 02:00 on May 19, 1941, Germany’s most powerful battleship ever sets sail. Bismarck will sail out into the North Atlantic, evade the Royal Navy and tear apart Britain’s Atlantic Convoy’s. At least that’s the plan… pretty soon things start to go wrong.
On May 24, 1941, the Kriegsmarine’s mighty battleship Bismarck goes head to head with the Royal Navy’s HMS Hood. Seventeen minutes later, just one of the steel titans is left afloat and 1,400 men are dead.
Indy and Sparty chat to Juergen Bollmeyer about the failure of the German elite to control Hitler, the German resistance to Nazism, and the failure of the Western Powers to contain Hitler or take the resistance seriously.
Reeling from the loss of HMS Hood, the Royal Navy chases Bismarck across the Atlantic Ocean. Battleships and search planes comb the vast expanses of water. Finally, they spot the German behemoth. It’s time to unleash the Swordfish!
It is the end for the Bismarck; crippled by airstrikes, there is no hope of salvation. As the British battleships close in, Admiral Gunter Lutjens gives a final Sieg Heil, readies his guns, and prepares to meet his destiny.
In 1945, Berlin is a city in ruins—but for the world’s spies, it’s a goldmine. As the Soviets, Americans, British, and French carve up the capital, they scramble to seize Nazi secrets, recruit informants, and outmaneuver each other in an intelligence war that will define the Cold War. From stolen blueprints to fabricated reports, Berlin becomes the world’s first battleground of espionage.
In their struggle to defeat German and Japanese espionage efforts, the Allied intelligence agencies of the KGB, CIA, MI6 and DGSE are all transformed into modern, global, espionage forces. But even as East and West work together to defat the Axis, they are fighting the first underground battles of a new Cold War against one another.
Indy and Sparty answer questions about the Battle of Britain! Spitfire vs Bf 109, the Big Wing Debate, and whether Goering had any kind of plan for the battle.
Today Sebastian puts Indy and Sparty in the hot seat for questions about the war in China and North Africa. Just what is the deal with the Italian Army anyway? How much fighting did the CCP do against the Japanese? And what’s the most overlooked event of the first year of war?
Anna sits down to quiz Indy and Sparty about the Winter War! Did Simo Hayha really kill 500 men? Who’s to blame for the Soviet farce? And what was the Sausage War?
Today Indy and Sparty answer your questions about the Italian invasion of Greece, Hitler and Mussolini’s relationship and the different types of fascism!
Outside a gas station in the south of Germany, a sequence of events is put into motion that will change the course of history (or at least TimeGhost History) forever. March 29th marks our greatest defeat, our most egregious setback. SD-Day is here.
Today Astrid and Anna explore the Simple Sabotage Field Manual, a top-secret WWII guide that taught ordinary people how to disrupt the Nazi war machine. From factory slowdowns to derailed trains, they show how small acts of sabotage targeted Hitler’s regime, and how resistance often came from unexpected places.
The Nuremberg Trials begin. Twenty-four of Hitler’s closest Nazi allies face judgment for crimes of aggressive war, mass enslavement, and genocide. At stake is more than justice for the dead; it’s the birth of a new legal order. We examine the trials, the accused, and whether Nuremberg delivered justice or simply vengeance.
Watch our six-part miniseries on the Battle of Prokhorovka in one video! From the buildup and deployments to the frenzied fighting and controversial aftermath, join Indy as he takes you hour by hour through one of the most legendary battles not just of World War Two but of all military history.
Watch our four-part miniseries on Bismarck’s first and final mission right here in one convenient video! Follow the legendary warship as it embarks on its first and last operational mission, engages its formidable adversary HMS Hood, and is ultimately hunted down by the full might of the Royal Navy.
Today Indy and Sparty answer questions on the French colonies, Pykrete and iceberg aircraft carriers Japan’s invasion of India, and they talk about Britain’s misguided strategic bombing strategy.
Is AI killing real history? It certainly looks that way; just spend a few minutes on YouTube Shorts, TikTok or Insta. But we reckon that in the right hands, AI can be a powerful tool to lead the fight back. Today Indy and Sparty show you how we use AI responsibly to create real history.
Indy and Sparty bring you another episode of Out of the Foxholes Live! Today they talk about Thailand’s relationship with Japan, ask why the Americans firebombed Japanese cities even after cutting off the country’s supplies, and they tackle a big one: would the Allies have nuked Germany?
Indy and Sparty tackle some more of your interesting questions in another live Out of the Foxholes. Today they look at loss rates of B-17 crews, the myth of the clean Wehrmacht, and ask why the West was apparently so unprepared for Japan's attack.
In this Fireside Chat, Indy and Sparty answer questions on the German invasions of Yugoslavia and Greece. Why did the Yugoslav state fall so quickly? Why were the Greeks able to hold out so much better? And why was the airborne assault on Crete so chaotic on both sides?
Indy introduces the next miniseries on this channel! We'll be heading back to May 1940 to cover the German breakthrough at Sedan and its aftermath. Over the course of ten episodes we'll see Panzers rolling through the Ardennes, French troops fighting bravely even as their high command lets them down, and all the action as the fate of France is sealed. We'll also have a long format documentary covering the crucial days at Sedan in more detail.
Today, Indy and Sparty tackle some questions on the North African theatre. Why did the Italians think invading was a good idea in the first place? Was Allied treatment of Axis POWs a war crime? How did Italian and Allied tanks stack up?
Indy and Sparty handle your questions on the German intervention in North Africa. Why did Rommel make such an impact so quickly? What was the war like for the local populations? How deeply involved was Rommel in the persecution of North African Jews?
May 10, 1940. A new kind of warfare comes to the fore as a German Panzer Group rumbles through the Ardennes towards Sedan. Heinz Guderian has one goal in mind - Get to the Meuse! If he can manage that, then the Battle of France may be over before it even begins. Can the Allies hold back the armoured armada?
May 11, 1940: Our WW2 documentary continues as the Battle of France rages and German Panzers rumble through the Ardennes. The Battle of Sedan is on the horizon and Heinz Guderian has one objective: break the French defences! But all is not well for the Germans as Europe’s largest ever traffic jam threatens to stall the blitzkrieg.
May 12, 1940: Blitzkrieg, WW2's new form of war, arrives in Sedan as Heinz Guderian's Panzers capture the town and prepare to cross the river. Further north, Erwin Rommel drives toward the Meuse in the face of fierce French resistance. With the Luftwaffe dominating the skies and French reinforcements en route, the battle for Sedan is about to ignite.
May 13, 1940: In today’s episode of our WW2 documentary, Ten Days in Sedan, the German Blitzkrieg reaches its climax. Guderian’s Panzers launch a daring river assault as the Luftwaffe pounds French lines into chaos. Away from Sedan itself, Rommel and Reinhardt strike further north, opening new fronts. France scrambles to counterattack, but the German bridgeheads are growing fast.
May 14 1940. The blitzkrieg continues in today's episode of Ten Days in Sedan. British and French bombers roar over Sedan, braving curtains of flak and German fighters in a bid to smash Guderian’s hastily built bridges across the Meuse. Further north, French infantry and tanks battle against the German crossings at Houx, Dinant, and Monthermé. German general Erwin Rommel has a narrow escape as the French nearly blow him and his tank to pieces!
Is AI rewriting history? Indy, Anna, Sebastian, Sparty, and Iryna tackle some tricky questions about the future of history, our channels, and the world in general. We discuss our recent use of AI in the Rise of Hitler series, animating portraits, and the use of large language models in research. What risks and opportunities are there for TimeGhost in the future?
May 15 1940—Ten Days in Sedan, continues as our WW2 Blitzkrieg documentary follows Germany’s drive through France. Today French 2nd Army chief Charles Huntziger faces a pivotal choice: try and contain the German bridgeheads at Sedan, where Heinz Guderian is trying desperately to breakout, or pivot south to shield the Maginot forts he still trusts. His choice may just decide the fate of France.
In this special “Out of the Bullpen” episode, we answer your burning questions about Weimar Germany’s most turbulent years. From clandestine military pacts with the Soviets to the creative ways Germany sidestepped Versailles, we dig into aspects which shaped a republic on the brink.
May 16 1940: Our WW2 Blitzkrieg documentary, Ten Days in Sedan, continues as Winston Churchill arrives in Paris. The Prime Minister still has hope but he's shocked to see the French burning documents and preparing to evacuate. Meanwhile French and German tanks slug it out in Stonne, Guderian reaches Montcornet, and Rommel leads his Ghost Division far behind French lines.
Ten Days in Sedan continues as our WW2 Blitzkrieg documentary follows the first serious counterblow against the German spearhead. Colonel Charles de Gaulle leads the 4th Armoured Division in an attack against the German flank. De Gaulle’s units are understrength and his assault is improvised but he catches Heinz Guderian by complete surprise. Is this just a fleeting gesture of defiance, or a new kind of French resistance?
In Lines of Fire: Prokhorovka, the TimeGhost Army Map Service brings World War II’s Eastern Front to life with precision cartography and dynamic animation. Follow Soviet commander Pavel Rotmistrov and German commander Paul Hausser as their armored forces collide in one of the most debated clashes of the war. No fluff. Just tactics, terrain, and movement — map by map.
May 18, 1940. Our coverage of the German blitzkrieg in France continues. But today, we take a break from the panzers for a spot of old-fashioned siege warfare. At Ouvrage La Ferté, a small garrison of French troops makes a doomed last stand against overwhelming German firepower. We follow their final hours, the decisions that sealed their fate, and what their sacrifice meant for the collapsing French front.
May 19, 1940. Ten days into Fall Gelb, Guderian’s panzers thunder toward the Channel, poised to slam a steel ring around nearly half a million Allied troops. In Paris, Paul Reynaud ousts Daladier and Gamelin, calling back Marshal Pétain and General Weygand as France’s last throw of the dice. The pocket is almost shut, yet the story is far from over. Is there time for one more twist? Keep watching as we follow the fight to its end and discuss the aftermath of this campaign.
Indy and Sparty sit down to chat about the planning stages of Operation Barbarossa. They discuss how genocide was intrinsic to the plan from the start, whether invading Yugoslavia and Greece ruined the timetable, and whether the whole plan was even feasible.
Did the Germans invade the Soviet Union without winter coats? How quickly did the Partisan resistance movement get going? And how did Germans and their local allies work together in the Holocaust? Indy and Sparty tackles these questions and more today!
No overview available.
Indy and Sparty dig into the Battle of Moscow. Was this the Soviet defence of the city the turning point of WW2? What if the Germans had taken Moscow in December 1941? How did the Holocaust transition from bullets to gas?
No overview available.
People think that we're perfect hosts, almost robotic in our perfection in our task of presenting history. Well, that is true. We are perfect. However, there are some people out there that look just like us, and they screw up all the time. Here's a chance to see them in action.
In this episode of Out of the Foxholes, we dive into your community questions about World War II. How did Hermann Göring manage to get the cyanide capsule that ended his life at Nuremberg? What role did Slovakia really play in 1939? Why didn’t the Allies invade the Balkans instead of France, and why didn’t Japan use its submarines like Germany did?
In this episode of Out of the Foxholes, we dive into your community questions about World War II. Why did fascists and communists despise each other? Was Barbarossa a pre-emptive strike by Hitler? How did forced repatriations at the end of the war influence the 1951 Refugee Convention? How did Hitler and Mussolini's cults of personality compare?
In this Out of the Foxholes Q&A, Indy and Sparty dive into some of the most intriguing questions about World War Two. Why didn’t Hitler invade Switzerland, what was going through the minds of the German High Command as defeat loomed, and why didn’t the Germans use the Vichy French Army in Operation Barbarossa? Three questions that shed light on the strategies, choices, and mysteries of the war.
As Italy’s war effort collapses across Greece and North Africa, Hitler is forced to intervene. This episode explains why German troops are sent to Africa in early 1941 and sets the stage for Rommel’s arrival and the birth of the Desert War. The North African campaign begins not with a plan—but with a crisis.
Is democracy collapsing? Are we already in World War III? At TimeGhost we uncover history’s lessons to navigate today’s crises. Join the TimeGhost Army and be part of keeping history alive. Find us at TimeGhost.tv or Patreon.com/TimeGhost.
North Africa, February 1941. Operation Compass has shattered the Italian 10th Army, capturing over 100,000 men and pushing deep into Libya. But just as Britain celebrates its first major land victory of World War II, a new threat arrives: Erwin Rommel. Sent by Hitler to salvage the collapsing Italian front, the “Desert Fox” lands in Tripoli with orders to hold Libya — and immediately begins pushing east. At the same time, British commanders face tough choices: should they secure North Africa, or divert their best troops to Greece as Churchill demands? With overstretched Commonwealth divisions left behind in the desert and fresh German forces arriving, a new campaign begins — one that will decide the future of the Mediterranean war.
Feb 19, 1941 - North Africa flares up as German air and naval pressure around Tripoli and Benghazi intensifies and the first ground clashes break out near El Agheila. This episode follows X Fliegerkorps strikes, Royal Navy submarine successes (including the sinking of the cruiser Armando Diaz), and the shipment of men and matériel that leads to the new Deutsches Afrikakorps. British command, distracted by events in Greece, underestimates Axis moves, setting the scene for an ambush of Commonwealth patrols and the opening shots of the Desert War.
In May 1940, a period of ten days flipped the world order on its head. France, the titan of the Great War, was carved apart by the armored fist of the Wehrmacht: Panzergruppe Kleist. Now, in this new feature-length production, we explore why it happened, whether this was ever avoidable, and whether France's flaws stemmed from incompetence, or something far more sinister.
Late Feb–early Mar 1941: Convoys from Naples build up 5th Light as MG Battalion 8 and artillery arrive; Rommel wins deployments and edges the line from Nofilia toward Arco dei Fileni. Luftwaffe raids batter Malta, mines choke Suez, RAF assets drain to Greece, and Axis forward probes tighten the noose around El Agheila while Britain improvises under strain.
Tripoli hums as staff and both battalions of Panzer-Regiment 5 bolster Rommel; Ariete is formally pulled under his hand to guard the rear while he eyes Marada. Malta’s Wellingtons and Sunderlands withdraw under X. Fliegerkorps pressure, a British war council prioritizes Greece, and HMS Greyhound bags Anfitrite as both sides struggle to hit each other’s convoys.
Rommel pushes his HQ toward the front, seizes the oasis at Marada, and sends a long-range Italo-German column deep toward Murzuk to harden his forces for true desert warfare. A brutal Ghibli sandstorm shows how the Sahara itself is a third enemy, choking engines, wrecking vehicles, and nearly killing Rommel in the air. At the same time, ULTRA intelligence finally reaches Wavell, Malta’s bombers are forced off the island under relentless Luftwaffe pressure, and Rommel is already ordering preparations to hit El Agheila despite supposedly leaving for Berlin.
Rommel is called to Berlin, where he’s told to wait until May and settle for Benghazi, but he rejects that plan and decides to strike sooner. In Cairo, Wavell reads ULTRA decrypts and realizes the Luftwaffe is preparing something, while admitting he has almost nothing left to hold Cyrenaica. On the ground, the Australians storm Giarabub in a sandstorm, El Agheila is snatched after a botched British ambush, and Rommel orders preparations to hit Mersa Brega before the British can dig in.
At Mersa Brega a thin British screen, one reinforced battalion with guns, holds a superb defensive choke point until Stukas, artillery, and Panzer Regiment 5 grind it down. Cemetery Hill falls under bombardment, counterattacks stall, and a northern flank probe finally forces a retreat: Rommel’s first major victory in the desert, bought against strong ground and stubborn infantry.
April 1941, North Africa. The British forward line at Mersa Brega has collapsed, 2nd Armoured Division is in retreat, and Erwin Rommel’s Afrika Korps is on the move. What was supposed to be a cautious blocking force has turned into a fast-moving desert offensive threatening Benghazi, Mechili, and all of Cyrenaica.
This episode, Rommel sets up a “Cannae, modern style” at Mechili, a three-pronged encirclement with Wechmar pressing from the west, Schwerin/Ariete and MG 8 driving up from the south, and Olbrich’s panzers meant to close the center. A Ghibli, fuel chaos, and delays upset the timing, but Ponath cuts the Derna road and captures Generals Neame and O’Connor. And after failed breakout attempts against Fabris, the Bersaglieri, and Streich, Gambier-Parry surrenders about 1,700 men and Mechili falls, opening the road to Tobruk.
On the WW2 channel in 2026 Spartacus will follow how democracy died a slow death at the hands of the Nazis and Adolf Hitler between 1933 and 1939. We will also revisit the stories of various battles and topics of WW2 with Indy.
From the legendary Erich Hartmann to the intense but brief career of Hans-Joachim Marseille, today we dive into the lives of five of Germany's most elite pilots from World War 2. This is the first gallery episode we've done in some time, but there could be more in the pipeline: that all depends on you. If you like this format, let us know in the comments. We'd love to hear what you've got to say, and whether you want us to cover Allied and other Axis aces too.
We're back with another helping of fighter ace tales, this time taking us to the USSR. From the personal brilliance of Ivan Kozhedub, to the cerebral genius of Alexander Pokryshkin, come with us as we explore five more individual stories of skill, determination, self-sacrifice, and tragedy, who defined a generation of Soviet aviation in a theatre of WW2 where the aerial campaign is so often overlooked in favor of the ground war.
In this gallery special, we examine five of Britain’s leading fighter aces: Archie McKellar, James MacLachlan, Robert Stanford Tuck, John Braham, and James Edgar Johnson. From the Battle of Britain to night fighting, Intruder missions, and offensive sweeps over occupied Europe, their careers reflect the RAF’s transformation from desperate air defense to sustained air superiority. These pilots did more than accumulate victory claims. Their experiences illuminate the evolution of air combat, showing how individual skill, technology, and strategy intersected in the broader history of the Second World War. Which of these careers best captures the changing nature of air power in World War Two?
Belgium might have been quickly overrun by the Germans in 1940, but many Belgian airmen continued the fight by flying with Britain's RAF, and quite a few of them were good enough to score five or more aerial victories and become Flying Aces. Here are a few of their stories.
Early in World War II, German U-boats came dangerously close to starving Britain into submission. The Type VII submarine - especially the VIIC—became the backbone of the Kriegsmarine’s Atlantic campaign, sinking thousands of Allied ships and threatening to win the Battle of the Atlantic. But despite its devastating effectiveness, the U-boat war ultimately failed—and not just because of Allied countermeasures. In this documentary, Spartacus Olsson breaks down how Adolf Hitler’s strategic miscalculations, competing naval doctrines, and direct interference undermined Germany’s most effective naval weapon. From the clandestine development of submarines after the Treaty of Versailles, through Admiral Karl Dönitz’s vision of a tonnage war, to the catastrophic losses of German submariners, this episode examines how Nazi rearmament translated into wartime reality - and failure.
Why didn’t Germans resist Hitler? Were they all Nazis, or were they terrorized into silence by the Gestapo? The truth is more unsettling. The Nazi regime ruled through a combination of targeted terror, social atomization, propaganda, popular support, opportunism, and broad accommodation. This episode examines why mass resistance never emerged — and why millions of ordinary Germans accepted, enabled, or benefited from the Third Reich.
Magda Goebbels was one of the most infamous women in Hitler’s inner circle. Known as the wife of Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels and often treated as an unofficial “First Lady” of the Third Reich, she helped project an image of family, elegance, and loyalty while standing beside one of history’s most murderous regimes. But her story ends in one of the darkest acts of the Second World War.
