logo
episode-header-image
May 2023
11m 32s

World War II victory in North Africa

Bbc World Service
About this episode
tail spinning
Up next
Apr 2025
The Cu Chi tunnels of the Vietnam War
During the Vietnam War, North Vietnamese VietCong guerrillas built a vast network of tunnels in the south of the country as part of the insurgency against the South Vietnamese government and their American allies. The tunnel network was a key base and shelter for the North Vietna ... Show More
9m 43s
Today
Casablanca: Making one of Hollywood’s greatest movies
When Warner Bros assigned twin brothers and screenwriters Julius Epstein and Philip Epstein to adapt a stage play for the big screen in 1942, no one could have predicted the impact it would have. Casablanca has since become one of the most recognisable and quotable films of all t ... Show More
10m 2s
Yesterday
How Rang De Basanti inspired a generation
Released on India’s Republic Day in January 2006, the Hindi film Rang De Basanti, exploded onto the cultural landscape. In its first week, it shattered box office records and inspired thousands of young Indians to pour into the streets, marching for justice.The movie's message be ... Show More
10m 37s
Recommended Episodes
May 2023
World War II victory in North Africa
Peter Royle, 103, endured a month of solid fighting in the hills outside of Tunis in 1943. Eventually the Allies prevailed and took more than 250,000 German and Italian prisoners of war. They declared victory in Tunisia on 13 May. Peter came close to dying many times. He recalls ... Show More
11m 32s
Nov 2021
The Last Battle of the First World War
November 11, 1918. At exactly 11 AM local time, the shooting stops. It’s eerily quiet for the first time in a long time. World War I has finally come to an end today after Germany and the Allied nations signed an armistice not long before. The final battle of the war, known today ... Show More
34m 7s
Oct 2023
205 - Victory to Defeat: The British Army 1918-40
<p>As some of you may know, I am also a First World War historian, and the academic history of the war can be very different from the public perspective, which dwells on the first two years of the war. </p> <p>Forgetting the victories of 1917 and 1918 is not new; it is something ... Show More
56m 31s
Nov 2023
207 - Tank Warfare in North Africa, 1942-43
<p>If you cast your mind back to episode 187, I discussed the war in the North African desert in 1940-41 with Robert Forczyk. The war in the North African desert was pure mechanised warfare and, in many respects, the most technologically advanced theatre of World War II. It was a ... Show More
1h 6m
Oct 2022
Battle of El Alamein Explained
<p>Fought in the second half of 1942, the Battles of El Alamein were a series of climactic confrontations in Egypt between British Imperial and Commonwealth forces, and a combined German and Italian army. Intended as a last-ditch attempts by the British to halt German gains in No ... Show More
44m 45s
Nov 2023
Love, Lust & Fighting in World War II
<p>It can be hard to comprehend the magnitude of historical events, with World War Two a prime example of this.</p><br><p>By 1945, some 3 million British people had served. As such, the rich diversity of masculinity and sexuality of those men is often reduced or hidden from the h ... Show More
42m 1s
Dec 2023
399. The Savage Storm: World War II and The Battle for Italy
The Battle for Italy in 1943 proved to be one of the bloodiest and most brutal episodes of the Second World War. Following hot on the heels of their recent victory in Sicily, the Allies crossed the Straits of Messina and entered Italy in September, to fight their way up the Itali ... Show More
49m 15s
Apr 2018
EP4 Exposing the Hart of The Great War
Dan and the British Imperial War Museum's famed First World War historian Peter Hart talk about one of their favorite mutual interests...World War One. The Last Battle: Victory, Defeat, and the End of World War I by Peter Hart The Great War: A Combat History of the First World Wa ... Show More
57m 9s
Mar 2024
The Battle of the Somme
The Battle of the Somme was supposed to be the joint British-French offensive that would win the First World War. A string of battles spread over five months, it involved everything from cavalry charges, poison gas, and the debut of the tank. But the Somme was anything but victor ... Show More
53m 56s
Sep 2023
WW2: How The War Ended
The Second World War officially ended on September 2nd 1945 - and it's estimated that around 3% of the Earth's population perished during the conflict. But what ultimately bought WW2 to an end - and how vital a role did the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki play in obtaining a J ... Show More
38m 16s