The Battle of Westerplatte has become a symbol of courage and determination of the Polish defenders in the face of overwhelming enemy force. On the anniversary of Nazi Germany’s invasion of Poland in 1939, view the updated infographic “Westerplatte 1939 – the first battle of WWII. View our latest Westerplatte battle infographic

In September 1940, Italian troops operating from Libya attacked the British forces stationed in Egypt. The British stood in defence of the strategically important  Suez Canal and the oil fields of Arabia and Mesopotamia. In December 1940, however, following the defeat of the Italian army, Hitler ordered General Erwin Rommel’s  Afrika Korps to be sent […]

Narvik is a non-freezing all-year-round Norwegian port, which meant it was possible to transport Swedish iron ore from it throughout winter. This was  important to the German war machine for the production of reinforced steel. “The effective stoppage of iron ore supplies to Germany via the Norwegian transit should be considered one of the most […]

In about 6 or 7 AD, Quintilius Varus became the governor of Germania. His leadership was inept, introducing policies towards the conquered population such as levying high taxes, unjustified cruelty and attempts to force the Germans to adapt too quickly to Roman customs. This was resented by the Germans who wanted to remember their own […]