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Real Time History (N/A)
Season 2025 • Episode 18 • First Year of WW2 1939-1940
Real Time History Season 2025, Episode 18: First Year of WW2 1939-1940
In 1939, Germany plunges Europe into war by breaking their promises for peace and marching into Poland. By the end of 1940 though, Britain is the only Great Power still standing against a seemingly invincible German juggernaut. On the surface, the war’s opening phase seems like Hitler’s crowning achievement, but did the first 16 months of WW2 actually lay the groundwork for his ultimate defeat? Watch Real Time History Season 2025, Episode 18 First Year of WW2 1939-1940 in HD free online. Enjoy high-quality streaming of Real Time History Season 2025, Episode 18 and share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Episodes
21 episodesU-Boats Unleashed: Battle of the Atlantic 1940
In the summer of 1940, Great Britain is under attack in the air and at sea. German U-Boat wolf packs prowl the Atlantic and sink over a million tons of shipping. German skippers call this the “happy time” — but was the German Navy actually that successful early in the Battle of the Atlantic?
22 min
Does Russia Always Win Its Wars?
The Russian Federation is at war with Ukraine, and some of its supporters insist it will win because Russia doesn’t lose wars. They point to its vast territory, its cold climate, its manpower reserves, or its people’s ability to endure hardship and accept death – and they point to great Russian victories of the past. So let’s put this claim to the test and see what history has to say about Russia’s record on the battlefield.
23 min
Origin of the China-Taiwan Conflict: Chinese Civil War 1945-1949
With the Japanese surrender in September 1945, the Second World War comes to an end. But for China there won't be peace right away because the nationalists under Chiang Kai-Shek and the communists under Mao Zedong still haven't resolved their struggle and so the Chinese Civil War will flare up once again.
41 min
Grave of the German Navy - Battle of Norway 1940
The Battle of Norway in Spring 1940 cemented the reputation of the daring and invincible German war machine under Adolf Hitler. But while Denmark and Norway were successfully occupied by Germany, the campaign came at a heavy cost. This was especially true for the German Kriegsmarine which lost a significant amount of warships including the Blücher - losses that essentially crippled them for the remainder of the war.
23 min
The Last Total War? - Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988
In September 1980, Iraq invades Iran. Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein is convinced that now is the time to strike, since Iran is still shaken by its Islamic Revolution, and he expects victory within weeks. Instead, the conflict will last 8 years, cost hundreds of thousands of lives , threaten world oil markets, and draw the US into the Persian Gulf for good. It’s the last total war of the 20th century.
41 min
Mussolini's Blunder: Greece and North Africa 1940
Hitler's victories in 1940 present a historic opportunity to Italian Dictator Benito Mussolini to expand the Italian Empire. Instead, Italy suffers a series of humiliating disasters in Greece and North Africa. So why did Mussolini declare war on the Allies at this moment, and could Germany be ultimately responsible for the Italian fiasco?
26 min
Rise of Japan: 1st Sino-Japanese War 1894-95
In 1894, tensions are rising in East Asia. There’s trouble in the small but strategically-located Kingdom of Korea, as rival factions in the royal family fight for power and against popular uprisings. Shaken by a major revolt, Korea’s King Kojong calls on China for help – but Japan intervenes, setting off a war that will devastate Korea and upend the old order in Asia.
25 min
The Mexican-American War 1846-48
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51 min
Yom Kippur War 1973
On October 6, 1973, Israelis celebrating the holiday of Yom Kippur are shocked by news of a mass two front attack in the Sinai and Golan Heights. Egypt and Syria, two nations still reeling from their humiliating defeat by Israel in 1967, smash through Israeli defenses.
29 min
Why didn’t the Allies Attack Germany in 1939?
On September 1, 1939, Germany invades Poland, setting off the Second World War. Two days later, Britain and France declare war on Germany. As the German army races towards Warsaw, many German generals are worried the French might simply walk into western Germany, and there’s not much the Wehrmacht can do about if they do. But instead of a powerful Allied counteroffensive, the French and British mostly sit back and wait during the so-called Phoney War – so why didn’t the Allies attack Germany in 1939?
21 min
Britannia Rules the Mediterranean Sea: British Empire at War 1940
In the summer of 1940, the British Empire faces German attacks against the home islands a new Italian adversary in the Mediterranean Sea, the lifeline to its colonies around the globe. In a series of campaigns the British beat back the Italians and eliminate parts of the French fleet. But the service of its overseas subjects won't come for free.
36 min
Battle of Peleliu 1944
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23 min
German-Soviet Invasion of Poland 1939
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26 min
Rise of Mao: The Wars for China 1927-1949
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175 min
Why Japan Lost the Battle of Leyte Gulf 1944
In Fall 1944, Japan is set on stopping the US from re-capturing the Philippines, a vital trade route between the Japanese home islands and the resource rich occupied territories to the south. With a complex plan they want to strike the US Navy as it's landing on Leyte island. The resulting series of battles is today known as the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the biggest naval battle in history.
36 min
Battle of Manila 1945
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26 min
Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan 1979
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30 min
First Year of WW2 1939-1940
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219 min
Why the US Invaded Iraq
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29 min
Battle of Tarawa 1943
The Marine and US Army landing on the Tarawa Atoll's Betio and Makin islands were the first operations in the new Central Pacific front of the Pacific War. Tarawa was one of the deadliest amphibious landings for the Marine Corps which hadn't yet perfected such complex operations. But the lessons learned at Tarawa would already be applied a few months later at Kwajalein and Eniwetok.
26 min
Why the 1979 Iranian Revolution Happened
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22 min