Why Did Nazi Germany Abandon Their Plan To Invade Britain? | World War II In Colour | War Stories

Operation Sea Lion, Adolf Hitler's audacious plan to invade Britain during the Second World War. Explore the factors that thwarted Hitler's ambitions, from the resilience of the Royal Navy to the heroic efforts of the RAF during the Battle of Britain. In this documentary, uncover the strategic battles, the technological innovations, and the sheer determination that saved Britain from invasion.
War Stories is your one stop shop for all things military history. From Waterloo to Verdun, we'll be bringing you only the best documentaries and stories from history's most engaging and dramatic conflicts.
Discover the past on History Hit, with ad-free exclusive podcasts and documentaries released weekly and presented by world-renowned historians Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Matt Lewis and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code 'WARSTORIES': historyhit.com/subscription
You can find more from us on:
/ warstoriesdocs
This channel is part of the History Hit Network. For any queries, please contact [e-mail].
#warstories #operationsealion #battleofbritain

[@pocketstring3634]

I love documentaries made like this, narrated, historical footage, no talking heads repeating what the narrator just said, no contemporary investigative “reality tv” interrupting the flow, just old fashion documentary, perfect.

[@garysims2029]

This is a whole series on history channel it's called WW2 in color

[@PcGamerify]

the maps make it fun and easier to follow along and understand

[@darece001]

But how are we going to know what to think without the media elite explaining it to us in the context of today’s “morally superior” point of view?

[@darece001]

But how are we supposed to know what to think without the elite media’s editorial re-interpretation of past events in light of today’s moral superiority

[@jond181]

Couldn’t have said it better myself … Nothing more annoying than shoveling 3-5 talking heads down our throats all saying the same thing in slightly different ways lol.

[@UniqueBovine]

"It would have been faster for a German Commander to ring Bletchly to get his orders" is one of the funniest lines I've heard in a long time. Love British humour.

[@lindamcgough3645]

Right?😂😂😂

[@dy6682]

The invention of radar was truly a remarkable invention.

[@SmackWild-yb1rr]

Even more so the development of the cavity magnetron, which effectively miniaturised radar allowing it to be mounted on aircraft. That was a game-changer, especially in the battle for the Atlantic.

[@bernardedwards8461]

The Germans also had radar, but it was not as good as ours, and we kept a step ahead of them throughot the war..

[@Neat_profile]

Indeed

[@maryclynch9356]

You can't beat the British for their sheer grit, intelligence and fortitude!

[@Neat_profile]

@@maryclynch9356 The French,Scottish,Germans,Alpines, Balkaners by far and objectively beat the British in all three of these things.

[@Wildcat221]

This series is one of the best for WW2, I watch it at least twice a year. I fall asleep to these 😂😂 am i insane? Maybe

[@thefreestylefrEaK]

You're not the only one. I tuck myself into bed many nights re-watching many myself. They are magnificent! 👍

[@teeman3566]

It's like my grandad reading me a story

[@kulio1214]

I fall asleep every night to each episode

[@Wildcat221]

@@kulio1214 same

[@frandsenphilip1]

Seems like a number of others are like you! I'm guessing I've watched the entire series 20+ times. It's so good! And, I too have fallen asleep watching.

[@Badgersj]

I've always known about Bletchley Park's part in the cracking of the Enigma code, but never known about the brilliant, essential Polish groundwork which provided the foundation for that achievement. Fantastic, all of you.

[@iansneddon2956]

It highlights the difference between Britain's approach in the war and Germany's. Britain received aid from Poland, with a Polish government in exile in Britain. Norway joined them. The British war effort was aided by Polish, Norwegian and Czech forces. Their good relations with former colonies (Dominions like Canada, Australia and New Zealand) and support from India who contributed large forces for the war effort as well. And entering into agreements to share all technology helped Britain and USA to leap ahead technologically during the war. German tech gets famous through wonder-weapons. But look at German guided weapons tech - a clumsy guidance system where a bombardier far behind the bomb would backseat-fly it into the target using the "Mark I eyeball." Less than a year later the US Navy deployed the first self-guided weapon - a radar guided bomb that would fly itself to the target allowing the launching aircraft to maneuver/evade after launching it. Look at the list of nations in the United Nations Alliance by the end of the war. The Allies made friends where they went. The Germans turned the world against them. (interesting example, the Americans solved some of their early logistical challenges in North Africa by shipping vehicles over in parts and training locals to assemble the vehicles for them offering higher wages than they were earning before. In contrast, you could look up the sabotage that was done by French workers on the trucks they were forced to build for the German war effort.)

[@Badgersj]

@@iansneddon2956 Interesting points to think about when considering a certain person's threat to leave NATO.

[@joeysausage3437]

​@@BadgersjHe's not the only one.

[@theguy455]

@@iansneddon2956 - South Africa also contributed troops to the war effort as it was a British colony in those days till 1961.

[@video99couk]

It's well worth a visit if you can get there.

[@cw7422]

When I was in the US Navy I was stationed at RAF Edzell. I lived in Brechin on a street named after Watson-Watt.

[@fishingstevie8830]

Im a Scot and certainly heard of RAF Edzell for sure ..Brechin is in the "Angus region " of Scotland not far from Arbroath and Dundee etc . My late Father was in the British Royal Navy and on Russian convoys with the British in war days . Awe the best bud 👍

[@user-ik3mk5vi8m]

Interesting 👍

[@michaelbea6994]

I am 87 years old, college educated and mindful of modern history. Nevertheless, I find these epic stories of WW2 to be most informative and fascinating.Keep 'em coming. -michaelB, Detroit, MI

[@Gee-un6tq]

Watson What?

[@mickeydrago9401]

I lived on that base as a kid. Early seventies. My dad was a dentist there...USN I learned Guy Fawkes Night (bonfire) before I learned Halloween. I learned BBC humor and Monty Python before I learned American humor when we repatriated back to the States We had at least one bunker on that base as a leftover from World War II... People hear about the blitz in London and all that but they don't realize how much Scotland was also bombed

[@josephstumpp8804]

I also love these docs, they show the actual footage . Much respect to all of the brave men who filmed these dangerous times.

[@svenlima]

London Heathrow: Border Controll Officer asks: "Occupation?" German tourist answers: "No, just visiting."

[@user-cx5pl2tu2h]

👍🏻 Got it on 2nd take. 😅😅

[@gavintuesday4959]

Well played, dear boy.

[@saintace1northernsoul]

Bwhahahahaha

[@derka6118]

Lol. Germany and Britain went to war. Now they're friends and 🇯🇲 who was an allied for Britain can't enter Britain without a visa.

[@jamesbutler6253]

Give credit to Frank Sanazi the creator of that joke.

[@clinthowe7629]

this is my favorite series, I love the intro.

[@AKCB4LIFE]

Yes. This intro is like a lullaby

[@arnepietruszewski9255]

There is one reason why we germans did not invade Britain. We did not have the capacity to do so. We lacked the transport capacity and the naval strenght to block the channel. We could not have used "little ships" to invade Britain cause the little ships could not transport heavy equipment and therefore an invasion was an illusionary plan.

[@johnnyb8412]

If you gained air dominance over English Channel then our navy would have been sitting ducks and an invasion would have been inevitable but thanks to RAF giving it there all and keeping air dominance over English Channel was absolutely vital.

[@aa1415]

Also, as my mother pointed out, the documentary Hogan's Heroes demonstrated how stupid we were.

[@arnepietruszewski9255]

@@aa1415 I second that.

[@13thbiosphere]

Adolf Hitler's main goal was always to conquer Russia Britain was just a distraction, it was too expensive

[@Alakablam]

After the invasion of the netherlands, and the amount of junkers our ancient air force managed to down before we surrendered (174 transport planes in 5 days) any para drop invasion of the UK was deemed way to risky anyway, and by boat.. yeah gl vs the british navy

[@gordonpeden6234]

Excellent Vid. Thanks for the upload.

[@thefreestylefrEaK]

Thank you War Stories. ALWAYS looking forward to your new episodes with eager anticipation!

[@ColinFreeman-kh9us]

Bot

[@user-wo4kn6ge6j]

Some historians, such as David Holland, state that the RAF actually had more than 700 fighters as of August 1940. England was also significantly out producing Germany in fighters. Under Lord Beaverbrook, they also developed an excellent fighter repair program. Dowding was actually more worried about the number of rested and healthy pilots than about the number of RAF fighters.

[@lyndoncmp5751]

And by the end of August the RAF had more available pilots than the Luftwaffe according to Bungay. It was the Luftwaffe that was losing the attrition rate in airmen, and aircraft. The RAF was stronger in September than in July. The opposite was the case for the Luftwaffe.

[@boxlabs]

we had lots of pilots but not enough planes. there were spitfires and hurricanes sitting on the runways without parts, manufacturing was also being bombed. we lost something like 300+ spitfires in 1940 alone. This was before the US helped a year later with shipments of stock and we were on our own as they attempted isolationism.

[@DannyBoy777777]

​@@boxlabsNonsense. The depots were over flowing. Britain produced 10,000 in 1940. Far more than 300 Spitfires were lost in 1940. A pittance considering 20,000 were produced during the war.

[@DannyBoy777777]

​@@lyndoncmp5751According to serving records this is the case. To be specific, the British had more fighter pilots than the Germans by that time.

[@boxlabs]

@@DannyBoy777777 that sounds like unrealistic propaganda, simply because there would be alot more spitfires at museums today.

[@stevenewman1393]

This is truly one of my all time favorite TV series indeed on WW2 along with The World At War series and all the various others, I used to watch them all endlessly back in my much younger years indeed!👌😉👍.

[@ruud9767]

Much impressed by the quality of this documentary. Thanks for sharing!

[@brianmacadam4793]

While the British army WAS short on Equipment, the Weremacht was COMPLETELY unsuited to a channel crossing. On top to that the Royal Navy was a superpower, AND the RAF was well prepared with it's fleet of Hurricanes and the newer spitfires, AND it's vastly superior command and control system, and of course the RADAR chain home system. The chances of Germany even launching an invasion were slim and there was no real chance of success. The allies were well aware of Germany's lack of amphibious equipment, and if Germany were to attempt a crossing Britain had the forces in its navy and airforce to stop any attempt.

[@Bullet-Tooth-Tony-]

Yeah the Royal Navy alone had around 75 destroyers off the coast of kent, the Germans would be screwed if they tried it.

[@iansneddon2956]

Only temporarily short of equipment. By August 1940 the British Army troops in UK were fully equipped. 21 infantry divisions. 2 armored divisions. A third armored division training up. Surplus tanks and artillery were being sent to Egypt to bolster the defense of the vital Suez canal. So over 400,000 troops of the British Army ready to meet an invasion of their homeland. Germany couldn't reasonably hope to get more than a quarter of this number across the Channel.

[@iansneddon2956]

@@Bullet-Tooth-Tony- I have read it was 67 destroyers stationed around the UK for the Home Fleet. It would take time to get this force in the Channel but after that Germany could not resupply or reinforce its vastly outnumbered invasion force.

[@kensvay4561]

My dad was involved in all this. He was a brilliant mathematician as is my son. Even today his war record is not available to us, his family. Ultra won the war in Europe and the Pacific.

[@MangoTroubles-007]

Yeah stop lying 🤥

[@stevefox7566]

No doubt Ultra was a great innovation. But what won the war for the Allies (on both fronts) was America's ability to out manufacture war materials better than anyone else on the planet.

[@ianworley8169]

​@@MangoTroubles-007You base your response on nothing but your own ignorance and tendency towards rudeness.

[@FaithnGod1558]

😂😂😂

[@FaithnGod1558]

@@ianworley8169oh my, ewwwww

[@ENGBriseB]

Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.

[@GeorgeConwell]

This is very well done.I had a number of relatives who were in the military in WWII. I even had an uncle in the Marines who met his wife,an Australian female soldier during the fighting.They had each other's back for the rest of their lives.❤😢

[@mattomite9097]

“Australian female soldier” I would love to hear more about her and what she did. Aussies are good people and have always helped us here in the US. They are tough, resourceful, have integrity, and a true grit.

[@billballbuster7186]

This the great, the colour in so well done. I hate the fact that the two men who did the most to win the Battle of Britain, Sir Hugh Dowding and Keith Park were stabbed in the back by Trafford Leigh-Mallory and Douglas Bader. Their "Big Wing" tactics were grossly over exaggerated both men lied to get Dowding and Park fired and succeeded. The Big Wing when used in 1941 resulted in the greatest loss of RAF fighter pilots in the whole war.

[@jacksprat9172]

Mallory was a confident moron with power, that's always a disaster. Beggars belief people like that are tolerated when the countries future is at stake.

[@briansanderson480]

I thought the Poles won the battle of Britain on there own

[@billballbuster7186]

@@briansanderson480 It seems like that but 303 Polish Squadron were combat experienced at a time when most RAF pilots were green. The RAF soon caught up.

[@peterm3964]

Beautiful quality . Well done Thanks .

[@mohammedsaysrashid3587]

It was informative and wonderful historical coverage video about that matter.

[@markcooke5270]

Churchills speech still makes me shiver today .... Be the best 🇬🇧

[@hotchihuahua1546]

History and the preservation of these historical events cannot be underestimated for their value for future conflicts ! As it’s always been , history repeats itself !

[@RubberToeYT]

This has made me want to go watch the film battle of britain

[@RYUEN765]

Fantastic movie they don’t make them like that anymore

[@davidshattock9522]

Still a great film enjoy the aircraft in the film no CGI then they were loaned by air forces and museums etc

[@dantevxv1501]

The greatest story never told is even better, or europa the last battle/battle europa. If you've got the fortitude and integrity Hellstorm is a must watch

[@craiglarge5925]

When the British were brave, resourceful, and resolute.

[@dantevxv1501]

And blinded by false media lies to fight the wrong enemy

[@davidshoup3856]

"1930's appeasement", Sept. 3, 1939 when Poland fought alone, the Phoney War 1939-40, Dunkirk June 1940 ??? Or after when they got back to the UK and didn't have to stand, fight, stop and defeat the German Army anymore? Russia did that

[@dantevxv1501]

@@davidshoup3856 people seem to forget the jewish bolsheviks in russia were the aggressor in the east and the jewish crimes against german civilians in territory given to the polish in the versailles treaty

[@The_Orgazoid]

get a grip

[@matt.willoughby]

It's weird how some people think that the citizens of England past were somehow different to us today 🤔 This is not the case, we are exactly the same as our grandparents generation and they would behave exactly as we do now in our environment.

[@shirleydrury5565]

Thank you for upload much enjoyed😊😊

[@thisissoeasy]

Outstanding documentary! Thank you.

[@You-in6lm]

We’ve let these men down who fought for this country the state it’s in today.

[@unnamedchannel1237]

Ironically they fought for exactly this , the right for people to live how they want .

[@seane6616]

@@unnamedchannel1237 I dont want to be censored by youtube and all other media

[@frankfurter63]

You got that right. We are going down.

[@derka6118]

That's a fact!

[@wimschmied3800]

The state of the country is exactly what they fought for, albeit unknowingly.

[@chriswood8970]

Very interesting video. Loved it

[@jakemoore6288]

bro watched a 52 minute video in 3 minutes

[@user-gf7kj5vj3p]

Funny how Churchill saying "We will never surrender" and yet when Japanese had the same principle it's seen as fanatic.

[@gibson617ajg]

What a puzzling comparison. The troops under Churchill's command didn't bayonet women and children.

[@user-gf7kj5vj3p]

@@gibson617ajg sounds like Japanese soldiers knew you have to defeat the enemy

[@johnmichaelson9173]

It only works when you win.

[@johnmichaelson9173]

@@gibson617ajg I thoroughly agree & truth be told he's just wrong. There were many at the beginning of the war, especially in the upper & political class who thought Churchill was a fanatic & crazy. Lord Halifax & Edward the former King to name but two. Apparently the & I paraphrase "If this long island story of ours is to end, let it end when we are choking on our own blood upon the ground" speech, didn't go down at all well with the crowd that Halifax, Eddy & Wallis represented.

[@accesscrimea]

Funny if you have the intelligence of a mouse.

[@petermalloy5360]

Polish,NewZealand,Australian and South African pilots also answered the call and fought for England in the battle of Britain

[@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684]

I thought I'd create a simple "visual aid" in order to assist people learning about the history of the battle of Britain. There is much ongoing debate about the nationalities and proportions of RAF fighter pilots who took part in the battle, with occasionally a furtive aspect which attempts to portray the battle as a victory of "mostly Foreign pilots". Below is an accurate graphical representation of the proportion of pilot nationalities serving within RAF Fighter Command during the summer of 1940. Each flag is roughly equivalent to 30 pilots, The numbers after each nation are the actual number of pilots from that country, and the approximate percentage of RAF Fighter Command's establishment in the summer of 1940 that they represented. 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧 UK (2342) (80%) 🇵🇱🇵🇱🇵🇱🇵🇱🇵🇱 Poland (145) (5%) 🇳🇿🇳🇿🇳🇿🇳🇿 New Zealand (127) (4%) 🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦 Canada (112) (4%) (1940 flag emoji not available) 🇨🇿🇨🇿🇨🇿 Czechoslovakia (88) (3%) 🇦🇺 Australia (32) (1%) 🇧🇪 Belgium (28) (1%) 🇿🇦 S. Africa (25) (1%) (1940 flag emoji not available) 🇺🇳 Other nations (France (13), R o Ireland (10), USA (9), Rhodesia (3), Newfoundland (1), Jamaica (1), Barbados (1)) (1%) (And just to preempt any wandering idiot lefty "Identity warriors" from protesting about "The lack of credit given to the black pilots who fought in the battle of Britain"... the pilots from South Africa, Rhodesia & the Caribbean were all of white descent).

[@BingoFrogstrangler]

@@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684Brilliant,thank you for putting the record straight.

[@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684]

@@BingoFrogstrangler The British historic record has never attempted to airbrush the commonwealth and foreign pilots who flew with RAF Fighter Command that summer out of history... but there's an increasing number of revisionist anti-Brit commenters who brazenly try to over represent the foreign contribution and downplay the overwhleming role of British born pilots..... attempting to snidily portray the situation as one where "Europe saved Britain" when the opposite is FAR closer to the truth. For further information search out the "Battle of Britain Historical Society" and the "Battle of Britain Memorial Trust" who continue to catalogue and honour the lives of ALL those who took part in the British side of the struggle in 1940.

[@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684]

@@BingoFrogstrangler The British historic record has never attempted to airbrush the commonwealth and foreign pilots who flew with RAF Fighter Command that summer out of history... but there's an increasing number of revisionist anti-Brit commenters who brazenly try to over represent the foreign contribution and downplay the overwhleming role of British born pilots..... attempting to snidily portray the situation as one where "Europe saved Britain" when the opposite is FAR closer to the truth. That was my motivation to quickly assemble my post above. For further information search out the "Battle of Britain Historical Society" and the "Battle of Britain Memorial Trust" who continue to catalogue and honour the lives of ALL those who took part in the British side of the struggle in 1940.

[@gameofpawns2264]

And then Churchill kicked the Poles out of the country, lied about the Russian massacre of Polish citizen in the Katrina forest and gave Poland to Russia

[@-DC-]

My Great Grandfather personally took out at least ten Luftwaffe Aircraft, He always was a Terrible Mechanic.

[@marksretrogames9297]

I have watch so many ww2 documents never get Bored of them love ww2 history

[@iambiggus]

A very enjoyable watch. Thank you.

[@user-pk7fe9ok8r]

the presentation this documentary….. such a perfect way of making a video. don’t even have to look at his channel, it’s an instant sub. 🙏❤️

[@yankee_tango]

There is one aircraft not mentioned in this documentary that was crucial to the winning of the air war with Germany. It is the De Haviland Mosquito (DH98). It was an aircraft made out of wood was very fast and could be used as either a fighter or as a bomber. They were used mainly for night fighting when equipped with radar, which the British had, it would also fly out ahead of several bombing missions and as the Germans got airborne they would ambush them and destroy many of the fighters. So you could say the British had discovered stealth technology when this plane was built because the Germans had radar shortly after taking over France, with the DH98 being made from wood and some plastics it had a smaller than normal radar signature and it was ignored.

[@PreservationEnthusiast]

It's not mentioned because you are wrong with respect to the question of what stopped Hitler's invasion plans. The Mosquito did play a part later in the war but that was after the end of 1941 when the Americans were on board and the threat of invasion had subsided. Also the Mosquito was not designed as a fighter. It was a stealth bomber against specific targets. Fighter capability was later added, but it was not designed as a dog fight plane relying on speed not manoeuvrabiluty or armour. So your mention of the Mosquito with regard to the topic in question is entirely wrong.

[@arnepietruszewski9255]

I think they ignored the mosquitos cause they were not the most dangerous targets in the sky. Why should you attack some small squadrons of mosquitos if you can attack a 1000 bomber swarm? The mosquitos did not have the carry capacity of B-17 or B-24 or the heavy british bombers which makes it a less viable target also it was fast sometimes even as fast as a fighter. Dont get me wrong, the Mosquito was the best twin engine plane of WW2 but it was not decisive in any way. The Mosquito was somewhat of a special operations plane used for special tasks like shooting down fighters that were returning to base or bomb special targets that could only be attacked by fast low flying planes. If they had used it like an heavy bomber we would look different at it.

[@wobblybobengland]

Like the chap stated it did come later, but the brilliance of the thing, stopping a Göring speech on live radio and the Goebbels speech too. Göring said of it: In 1940 I could at least fly as far as Glasgow in most of my aircraft, but not now! It makes me furious when I see the Mosquito. I turn green and yellow with envy. The British, who can afford aluminium better than we can, knock together a beautiful wooden aircraft that every piano factory over there is building, and they give it a speed which they have now increased yet again. What do you make of that? There is nothing the British do not have. They have the geniuses and we have the nincompoops. After the war is over I'm going to buy a British radio set - then at least I'll own something that has always worked

[@yankee_tango]

@@wobblybobengland That is the genius of it, plus the fact it could not be seen on radar either.

[@wweminehead5458]

Love listening to these while I try to sleep

[@axelamps1279]

Utterly superb, engaging, factual, and inyeresting piece with original footage. Perfect!

[@GA-fz2wt]

My Grandads both fought,im very proud of all the men and women who served and assisted. 🇬🇧 God bless them. Enjoyed the video.

[@KipIngram]

So many heroes, most of whom we'll never hear of. In a real way we owe them our continued freedom - let's not squander it. They deserve a better legacy than that.

[@user-po3ev7is5w]

Two reasons: No air dominance and no sea dominance over the invasion area.

[@jebbroham1776]

They had air dominance over Southern England until the decision was made to switch bombing priorities to the London area. In fact prior to that fateful order the RAF was less than a week from total collapse in the South and even Churchill remarked that the accidental bombing of Berlin was a Godsend to their survival because it drew Hitler's rage away from their already crippled air bases and gave them the breathing room the RAF needed.

[@user-po3ev7is5w]

@@jebbroham1776 WRONG! They NEVER had even air superiority over South England. They ALWAYS lost more pilots than the British did. LMAO

[@jebbroham1776]

@@user-po3ev7is5w WRONG, the RAF in September 1940 was on it’s last gasp when Goering switched targets to London and other major cities.

[@philliphall5198]

Plus transportation, Hugh number of very large ships

[@user-po3ev7is5w]

@@philliphall5198 Yes, they completely lacked landing craft of all types

[@MrPete1x]

Excellent, thank you for showing this

[@chrisvickers7928]

I read William L Shirer's autobiography. Volume 2 covered his years as a radio correspondent for CBS in Berlin. The Germans in 1940 toured the foreign press around the channel ports to show how many barges they had prepared for Operation Sealion. Shirer, who was familiar with the area from his many years in France, wondered why what should have been a trip of minutes by car took hours. The he realized the barges from port to port had the same registration numbers. In his broadcast about what he saw, he compared the barges to certain American baseball players, a reference the German censors completely missed, but American audiences realized the players in question had kept the same uniform numbers when traded from team to team. The Germans had no where near enough transport for 20 divisions.

[@dovetonsturdee7033]

'The Germans had no where near enough transport for 20 divisions.' The assault wave was to consist of nine divisions and a seriously under strength parachute division. Walter Ansel, who had access to Kriegsmarine records at the end of the war, determined that the Germans had requisitioned 180 transport ship (largely small coasting vessels), just over 2,100 converted barges, 400 tugs/trawlers, and 1,200 motor boats, The first wave was to consist of around 850 barges, towed in pairs by the tugs/trawlers and the transports, would carry the leading elements of each division. The Germans had enough vessels to carry out their alloted tasks. What they did not have, of course, was any means of protecting this ramshackle flotilla from the 70 RN cruisers and destroyers which were based some five hours steaming from Dover, supported by around 500 or so smaller warships.

[@iansneddon2956]

@@dovetonsturdee7033 And I would add that with 21 infantry divisions and 2 armored divisions of the British Army (all fully equipped) that's over 400,000 troops defending Britain against a force that wouldn't be much (if any) over 100,000 men.

[@Bullet-Tooth-Tony-]

@@iansneddon2956 Churchill apparently was even willing to go as far as to use chemical weapons on the beach landings, that's the kind of measures he would have took if it meant stopping a German invasion.

[@charlesburgoyne-probyn6044]

Well observed and a skilled way of divulging 🫡

[@TheBestDog]

Please stop blurring the images that display the human casualties of war. I don’t mind tapping ‘OK’ to proceed. It’s not a bother at all.

[@BostonsF1nest]

This series has been uploaded 10 other times at least on other channel’s uncensored

[@ryanm2648]

It's because ads wont be shown and it will not reach as many people. The video would get way less views thanks to youtubes policies

[@philliphall5198]

I guess there waiting for us to witness it again before long and we will 😢😢😢

[@matt.willoughby]

Why do you want to see that? It says a lot about you tbh

[@ryshellso526]

​@matt.willoughby it's human history. Stop censoring it.

[@dont_step_on_my_crep]

Never forget Squadron 303 of the RAF

[@dovetonsturdee7033]

But, presumably, forget the other 70 RAF fighter squadrons?

[@Luke_Sandy_High_Ground]

@@dovetonsturdee7033 Did you forget the Poles won the Battle of Britain all by themselves /s

[@dovetonsturdee7033]

@@Luke_Sandy_High_Ground Must have slipped my mind. I always thought the Battle of Britain would have been won more quickly if British & Commonwealth pilots had not just stood back and left it entirely to the Poles and Czechs.

[@johnshaw359]

A well resolved documentary of the standard we used to get. Reminded me of the World-At-War series from the 70s.

[@SaulEmerson]

I was once tootling about the A5 - as you do - exploring for photography - & end up on a smaller road with what at first glance looked like a standard WW2 memorial stone - with writing on it. It was just sat there by a gate to a very small field - about as innocuous as it gets! I thought that I should at least take the trouble to stop & read it. Turns out - it was the Birth of Radar Memorial!! In that very field, they set up the first tower - to demonstrate the concept - as it needed a direct line of sight to the second tower, in Daventry. It was just awesome to think what the goings-on on that field represented & were - so many moons ago.

[@Man2quilla]

This has been my go-to wwii documentary for years

[@dantevxv1501]

Check hellstorm or europa the last battle

[@unnamedchannel1237]

Be kind , re-wind

[@kingdad8457]

American industrial strength was and still is, mindblowing

[@seane6616]

Still is? How do you figure that?

[@ohasis8331]

Excellent, thank you.

[@earlshaner4441]

Outstanding video

[@ColinFreeman-kh9us]

Bot

[@earlshaner4441]

Not even close my friend and friends take care of friends

[@ColinFreeman-kh9us]

Your friends are a strange lot , others call them collaborators or those who look the other way meekly allowing tyranny to happen

[@earlshaner4441]

I'm not surprised my friend we love history and weapons and want everyone to know American history and this scares people who don't want to know American history and right and wrong

[@rinusbeckers119]

They lost about 30% of their transport aircraft fleet (150 planes) in the fighting around The Hague in May 1940 and 25% of the 8000 German paratroopers employed were captured and shipped to Britain by the Dutch before the Dutch capitulation. This was a serious setback for any German plans for an airborne assault on the UK in the summer of 1940.

[@bhanson4917]

As a Canadian who's both Grandfather's fought on the war from well before the US became involved, I find statements like "Britain fought on alone" pretty f'n ignorant and ungrateful. As do many Australians and New Zealanders I imagine. Where were those convoys leaving from? With food and supplies from where? Who was escorting them? The Royal Canadian Navy. Who was building Dehaviland Mosquitoes? Training the aviators who flew them? Look it up.

[@dovetonsturdee7033]

Who was building those Mosquitoes in 1940? Actually, no-one was. At the time of the Sealion threat, the only Commonwealth troops in Britain were 1 Canadian Division & 2 Australian/New Zealand Brigades. Moreover, the Canadian Navy at the time consisted of one flotilla of destroyers. The Commonwealth & Empire made a huge contribution later, but not as early as 1940.

[@patrickchilds2987]

I understand your point but at the time common wealth troops were still informally known and identified as British Empire or British troops. The self governing dominions such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa as well as the other British government ruled regions such as India were all under British command so referred to organisationaly as part of British forces. This should not be seen as a slight in any way

[@bhanson4917]

@@patrickchilds2987 it's actually a huge f'n slight and the fact you don't get that shows you don't "understand my point". Would love to see you go back and tell my grandad that to his face.

[@skscotch]

Absolutely amazing

[@ericscottstevens]

13:00 Grandfather participated on the radar and infrastructure attacks with I./StG 77 at Thorney Island. Late fighter cover in and not enough fighter cover outbound meant it was a run for their lives back across the channel in slow Stukas. His pilot out of their last attack dive , dove low again and went very low over the channel and survived with the help of a Stuka defensive technique known as steep curves.

[@Busybee-tt1qu]

Often forgotten is at that time the U.K. had a huge navy. Hitlers generals knew that any attempt to cross the channel the ships in Scapa flow would move into the channel and under cover of the Air Force would decimate the German troops in there barges. Also at that time the U.K. standing army saved from Dunkirk would have dispatched any airborne troops ,together with a population who hated the Nazis. So it’s easy to see why operation sea lion was cancelled .

[@galdessa1]

There is another operation going on these days and seems to be a bit slower, but its working. Nostradamus wrote about it, The invasion of Europe from the south.

[@arnepietruszewski9255]

Which barges? The ones germany did not have?

[@Busybee-tt1qu]

@@arnepietruszewski9255 The Germans had assembled 2,400 barges for the invasion 860 from Germany, 1200 from the Netherlands and Belgium and 350 from France . 800 were powered .The plan was to tow all the barges by tugs to the U.K. shore the powered ones would then make there way ashore the unpowered ones would be towed ashore by the tugs.

[@anteep4900]

@@arnepietruszewski9255 The Germans had assembled 2,400 barges for the invasion 860 from Germany, 1200 from the Netherlands and Belgium and 350 from France . 800 were powered .The plan was to tow all the barges by tugs to the U.K. shore the powered ones would then make there way ashore the unpowered ones would be towed ashore by the tugs.

[@vitanus]

The battle of britain was, after the battle for Moscow, the second most important win for the allies in WW2. I don´t want to go into any details, but if you want to know why Germany lost the war, you need to understand these two battles/campaigns.

[@smith8840]

The Germans thought they were the playground bully, then they got cracked in the jaw.

[@seansmith445]

"Judea declares war on Germany" Daily Express 1933. Germany wasn't a bully they were acting defensively.

[@joeymurdazalotmore6355]

this is on military channel weekly

[@hello7533]

It just didnt feel reich

[@richardcottrell7182]

Hahahaha

[@kensvay4561]

My dad was intelligence officer on the Loftenen Raid. He later lived in the mountains in Norway with the resistance and learned to speak Norwegian. He was on of the 20 officers sent from Afghanistan to England because of a shortage of officers with war experience. They knew all the dirty tricks from the Afghans. One of their first operations in Norway involved an ambush of 60 Germans on bicycles. They killed all of them.

[@brushwolf]

Interesting stuff!

[@user-hu1yi8ox9z]

Good bless your father.

[@janinapalmer8368]

Excellent documentary...

[@American_Goverment]

How the heck are you able to drop so many awesome vids in such a short amount of time

[@breamoreboy]

Extremely easily, as this was first shown on TV years ago 😊

[@user-xh3lz9xt4l]

It wasnt only the South East it was all over the UK there are still 5 pill boxes within walking distance of my home in Sunderland

[@dianeirvine7624]

Perhaps Adolph after looking in his crystal ball seeing the future with rishi in charge caused him to change his mind to invade

[@sudsysutherland359]

Every time I hear the Winston Churchill speech at the beginning of this documentary I think of the “Iron Maiden” song “2 Minutes To Midnight” lol

[@VintageVVVV888]

The old switch the sign post trick wouldn’t work these days

[@peternagy-im4be]

That's pretty funny and you're a funny guy

[@c.LOSER.to.G0.d]

TL;DR: Water. There was water in the way!

[@davidmcmaster7688]

Ok, now I remember, this is the World at War series but colorized

[@Laurenciusthefifth]

If you want to have a stomach ache then watch Europa The Last Battle, Hellstorm and A.H. the greatest story never told.

[@unnamedchannel1237]

The enigma was a bit more complex than just the three rotors there were other variants that could be used by changing the cables on the front of the machine

[@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684]

Ringstellung and steckerbords.

[@minhthunguyendang9900]

The colorization is perfect

[@jeffyoung60]

I blame the emotional, obstinate French. They were willing to allow the entire French Navy to fall into the hands of the Germans rather than join their English Allies to continue the fight. Is this what counts for Gallic reasoning? As a result the French harbored a bitter grudge against Britain for the next four years. The French largely swallowed their grudge when the Americans joined the war and became the dominant partner in the alliance because of the vast size of the American contribution. Hence the liberated French and resurrected French Army were willing to join the alliance and cooperate. But it was clear the small French Army would be the junior partner. The once 600,000 man French Military with its thousands of tanks of 1940 was no more.

[@iansneddon2956]

They wanted to preserve Vichy independence, such as it was, and didn't want to hand over ships to be used against the Germans as this might invite reprisals. The British gave the French a number of options which included them steaming their navy to stay at a French colony in the Caribbean (far from the Germans), park them in British ports where they would be held and not used and the British would compensate them for damage, or steam the ships to New York and park them there. What the French admiral communicated to his superiors was "The British demand we hand over our ships or they will sink them" and then the fight started. Give the French some credit. The British doubted the French promise that they would scuttle their ships rather than allow the Germans to seize them. The Germans did eventually try to seize the French Navy ships in Toulon, and the French scuttled them first. A total of 77 vessels destroyed by the French. Of course this was a waste. If they had been sent to Algiers instead they could have been used by the Free French. It would have given de Gaulle more bargaining power in influencing Allied plans.

[@peterkiviat9969]

The French committed the consumate military mistake. If you fight the next war, identically as you fought the last one, you lose.

[@gameofpawns2264]

Because both nations were bitter rivals from the colonial days.

[@lepersonnage371]

T Even after Britain was bombing Germany for 8 days, Germany was offering peace all this time, and only after the 8th day the order was issued. AH even excluded people from the party for wanting to strike back at Britain before that.

[@XXXTENTAClON227]

I couldn’t disagree more but I’m going to like because they call us Perfidious Albion so it’s their turn for irrational name calling

[@fullthrottle2008]

Great documentary. Eric “winkle” brown interviewed Goring about the Battle of Britain and Goring said it was a no score draw because the effort was directed towards the Eastern front instead 😅

[@dovetonsturdee7033]

Really? Even if the war against Russia didn't begin until over six months after the Battle of Britain & Sealion had been abandoned?

[@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684]

More completely ignorant BS from "fullthrottle".

[@iansneddon2956]

Yes, Goering claiming that the Luftwaffe wasn't beaten, but was re-assigned to the East before they could achieve their victory. I can see him claiming that. But fact is that the depleted Luftwaffe had to switch to night bombing to stem their losses as their numerical advantage had pretty much evaporated by September 1940 and with new pilots starting to arrive from training programs in Canada and elsewhere in the Commonwealth and with UK aircraft manufacturing far ahead of German production, it was just getting worse. The numbers of operational aircraft over time demonstrate this. By June 1941 the Luftwaffe in total was smaller than the force they sent against Britain in July 1940. Meanwhile the RAF had more single engine fighters in Britain (with most of them Spitfires at this point) than the Luftwaffe had single engine fighters in total. I guess the Luftwaffe could have started the Battle of Britain all over again in June 1941 if there was no invasion of USSR, but it wouldn't have gone better than the 1940 version.

[@fullthrottle2008]

@@iansneddon2956Thanks for that analysis -he seemed a bit of a character! (prob an understatement)

[@Jonesy19696]

Great documentary 😊

[@geoffreymarshall639]

The Germans needed to gain more than control of the air to launch an invasion. They also needed naval superiority which they did not have. They only had 10+ destroyers having lost ten at Narvick. Without them they had nothing to defend the landing barges with, especially at night. Also the barges he wanted to use came from the Rhine and apart from a lot of them not having a reverse German industry needed those barges to function. The window for the Germans was extremely narrow.

[@mrbaab5932]

The thing was that the British home fleet was way up in Northern Scotland Scapa Flow. It would take days for them to arrive. By that time most of the German troops would have landed. The British home fleet would have been able to block resupply.

[@brianmacadam4793]

@@mrbaab5932 The Navy was well informed of Germany's amphibious abilities, and would have been able to have a fleet in place in ample time to respond to any invasion attempt. It would take weeks to assemble an invasion force and the concentrated army would be an easy target to locate, although it would be costly to assault

[@fuzzyhair321]

Home fleet would of thrown themselves into a German invasion. The destroyer captains tended to be little cooked

[@meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee2]

Also read up on the seaborne part of the German invasion of Crete. Royal Navy destroyers got in amongst the barges and it was a disaster. The airborne part of the Crete operation that did succeed was however so costly that the Germans never tried it again. Attacking Britain where there were more forces available to resist would have been even more costly.

[@Crashed131963]

Germany lost the air war over Britain and you can not do a amphibious landing without complete air superiority .

[@iansneddon2956]

Complete naval inferiority presented a "bit of a challenge" (in the style of British understatement). Germany: We'll send our forces over on un-seaworthy riverboats and barges with relatively no defense and assume a few mines we scatter around and our 800 or so bombers escorted by 600 or so fighters will frighten the Royal Navy away. RAF: We're still here. We have several hundred fighters ready to go and could make it a thousand if we send up our reserves. We're not going to just sit back and watch. Royal Navy: They call it the ENGLISH Channel. Rule Britania, Britania Rule the Waves. Britons Never Never Never Shall Be Slaves. Fight! Fight! Fight! (would pity the officers and crew of the last destroyers to get to the Channel who would have had nothing left to attack and would have to hang their heads when asked "How many German boats did you sink?")

[@dovetonsturdee7033]

@@iansneddon2956 Earl St. Vincent's statement to the House of Lords in 1801, 'I do not say, my Lords, that they will not come. I only say, they will not come by sea,' still held good in 1940. Or, as the remarkably named C-in-C at the Nore, Sir Reginald Plunkett-Ernle-Earle-Drax, remarked, rather less elegantly 'To defeat the invasion force, we need gunfire and plenty of it.' The fact that the Royal Navy Pink List from 16 September, 1940, shows some seventy destroyers and light cruisers within five hours steaming of the Straits of Dover suggests that his wish might well have been granted.

[@iansneddon2956]

@@dovetonsturdee7033 I recall the Admiralty said they could not guarantee that the Germans would not be able to land forces in the South of England. Due to the hours needed to assemble in strength. But they would ensure that whatever landed would not be reinforced or resupplied. For gunfire, it would be everything from the 8 inch, 6 inch and 4.7 inch main guns down to an abundance of 2 pounder pom-poms. But with the potential for a, in some context, significant force landed and fighting the British Army, I think the biggest battle would be after the smoke cleared and the Royal Navy and British Army argue about who the monument should be dedicated to (with the RAF wanting to weigh in too).

[@user-hu1yi8ox9z]

Britain didn't have the man power to launch an Invasion force on its own. While Britain provided the majority of ships on D day, the U.S had allot more Soldiers

[@dovetonsturdee7033]

@@user-hu1yi8ox9z Actually, for every two US soldiers who landed on the beaches of Normandy, there were three British & Canadians.

[@paulbromley6687]

When you can’t gain overall air superiority and you know your main enemy is behind you you rethink your priorities and go for your nemesis .

[@fxtblues]

Bloody wonderful video

[@rossmcclure5618]

Captain of the French ship needed that graph of f&$@ around and find out. He miscalculated how much find out he was going to get.

[@peters620]

It was badly handled by the British commander who couldn't put his arrogance aside for a minute. Instead he sent a lower officer who ended up offending the French commander. The French were ready to sail to the French Caribbean Islands.

[@user-wo4kn6ge6j]

The Luftwaffe fighter pilots were being badly stressed by repeated small RAF bombing raids on German fighter bases.

[@andyreidsmustache9247]

I really like these videos. I just watched Band of Brothers and am watching the Pacific and it increased my interest in WW2.

[@polygamous1]

Because once the RAF beat the German air force over Britain, the German navy had No chance against the RN without total air superiority, not only in a strong navy but in the amazing amount of experience the RN no other navy on earth ever had

[@hyrondongle2473]

Thank Mr Felton!

[@philandrawis6232]

if anyone has visited the coast of England facing Europe and saw the cliff of Dover or the seven sisters stretch it's a formidable wall that can't be breached or broken yes there are gaps in between but those had artillery covering those gaps + mine and rows of barbed wire yes a bunch of comando can get throw those gaps but that is all they can't get tank support or heavy armour to cross farther inland they would have held their ground for a day or 2 but thereafter they would have been eliminated totally, the alternative is to find open beaches but that meant longer travel time by the sea and the English Channel can be really an obstacle by itself and a tempremental one too, there were sea mines in the areas were a landing can be a possibility and those barges would have been blown up with their occupants to kingdom kan, as for paratrooper landings well that would have been possible and could have caused some problems but even 10,000 or 20,000 landing would have been a total mascara for them, because practically every town and village had armed guards, and as each day passed by thousands of troops were coming in from commonwealth and other nations to help by ships, boat and fishing boats although the numbers cna't be confirmed acuratly but they figured their is around 500,000 fighting men ready and if you add the home guards another 150,000 fully armed

[@eric7922]

This series is very well done but The World at War is the definitive WWII series in my opinion. WWII in Colour borrows heavily from it on multiple levels.

[@seansmith445]

I prefer "Europa the last battle" Much more factual.

[@11sutty]

Put some more adds on please

[@leewarwick6592]

Fantastic in colour,

[@EQOAnostalgia]

They never wanted war with them. . . they tried to maintain peace the entire time. They never teach you that though lol.

[@dovetonsturdee7033]

Using your skill and judgement, would you be good enough to explain how invading Czechoslovakia, Poland, Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Belgium, all without declaration of war, shows that 'they tried to maintain peace the entire time?' I must lack your erudition, as it really doesn't seem that way to me.

[@donrobertson4940]

Churchill's beaches speech wasn't recorded or broadcast at the time. Extracts were read out by BBC newsreaders. It was recorded in 1949.

[@terryoneil6209]

Never figured out how the RAF was close to defeat when it had more available fighters in Setember than in July.

[@iansneddon2956]

As the battle progressed, the Luftwaffe became more focused on the RAF and started making up for reduced numbers by concentrating their forces and flying multiple missions per day. So while the total number of Luftwaffe was declining it looked like it was growing when totaling the number of attacking aircraft for any given day (because they were counting the same aircraft multiple times). Which was wearing out aircraft faster which reduced strength more which required more sorties. Flying 4 times a day could mean 10+ hours in the cockpit per day. They were getting exhausted. But British intelligence tended to err on the side of caution and overstated Luftwaffe capabilities. Rumours spread at one point that the Luftwaffe had 10,000 aircraft in reserve that they would soon be sending against Britain - against which the RAF had no hope. So the RAF was still seeing themselves as the underdog, and kept directing a lot of their resources (including many experienced pilots) into training replacements for the heavy losses they still expected to take. The RAF was growing, but they always felt they weren't growing fast enough. (btw, those 10,000 Luftwaffe aircraft never existed). Another question was why the Luftwaffe leadership thought they were always close to crushing the RAF as their force shrank from continued losses and shortages of replacement pilots, spare parts, replacement aircraft and the RAF was still fighting? Better to overestimate your enemy and rise to that challenge than think your enemy is weak and near defeat and not preparing for a longer war.

[@terryoneil6209]

@@iansneddon2956 Thank you for your reasoned reply,I do remember many years ago reading Dowdings book and was rather surprised that he never mentioned any BoB just what he refferd to as ''the summer air battles over southern England''not more than a page and half given to that time period,also the fact they new war was coming and fighter aircraft production was given priority.

[@iansneddon2956]

@@terryoneil6209 I think the popular "Battle of Britain" came after with reference to a speech by Churchill. It makes sense that Dowding would see each day's attack(s) or each attacking group as a separate battle as this is how they fought them. Overall, a better word would be that this was a campaign. Dowding had a long career which culminated in the defense of Britain. If this is the book I am thinking of, it was written during the war and perhaps he omitted most details on this recent fighting (self-censorship) to allow the book to be published which still wasn't allowed until after the war. Brilliant man but a bit too opinionated and outspoken - or perhaps the right amount for the time but put out to pasture when he wasn't needed (or when they thought he wasn't needed). But his criticism of Stanley Baldwin's claim that the bomber would always get through probably played very well for Neville Chamberlain and may have helped get RAF fighter command established in the first place. Neville Chamberlain's support for increased fighter aircraft to defend against bombers dates back to at least 1936 and he was a great supporter of Dowding's work. A quote attributed to Neville Chamberlain in July 1940 (around the time he was being blamed in the press for Britain's un-readiness for war after the debacles in France) was “If I am personally responsible for deficiencies in tanks and guns, I must equally be responsible for the efficiency of the RAF”. He didn't accomplish this directly but he certainly ensured that RAF Fighter Command was a funding priority and ensured Dowding had the authority he needed.

[@Deejaybor]

@7:12 That crystal meth look

[@petervote7914]

Because he was pro British, that's why.

[@beyondthedetails]

WWII is the most interesting yet terrifying historical event in history(arguably).

[@berserker4940]

Now London is not British anymore

[@Pongle1234]

It's a Roman city

[@skillfuldabest]

@@Pongle1234 And it's populated with foreigners.

[@dantevxv1501]

AH said in 1930 Paris would be a black city in 100 years if europeans didnt stand up to the small hat banking kabbalists, i get the feeling a lot of old men wish they were speaking german now.

[@mrmajeika6101]

@@skillfuldabest Yes the Anglo-Saxons

[@skillfuldabest]

@@mrmajeika6101 46% of Londoners are Black and Minority Ethnic, compared to 14% of England as a whole. West London has the highest proportion (53%) of its population that are Black and Minority Ethnic, followed by East London (50%).

[@ChrisJensen-se9rj]

Why did they "abandon plans"? Because the " plans" were half hearted " pie in the sky"! The Kriegsmarine was in no way equipped with the specialist landing and support craft necessary to not only ferry across the initial assault waves, but maintain and supply them once ashore. The Luftwaffe was basically a tactical ground support element, not equipped for strategic bombing or even able to secure the air superiority that was an absolute essential. The Norwegian campaign was a disaster for the Kriegsmarine, an arm of service that found itself unable to support let alone supply any landing of any description. Any troops landed or parachuted in would have found themselves quickly running out of everything necessary for sustainable operations, with even an airlift campaign unable to deliver the necessary quantities. Any troops would have been stranded with no way back to mainland Europe other than swimming there. This would have handed Britain a MASSIVE propaganda victory, a defeat that might well have stopped " Barbarossa" altogether and brought the " run" of German victories to a dead halt War over for Germany on the spot

[@drstrangelove4998]

The Austrian painter had absolutely no intention of invading Britain. They were hoping to sue for peace with the UK. They had neither the naval capacity nor resources to remotely invade, especially as the war with the USSR was imminent.

[@dovetonsturdee7033]

Isn't invading Czechoslovakia, Poland, Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, & Belgium not really the most obvious way of demonstrating peaceful intentions? Oh, and Barbarossa was more than six months later. Didn't your neo handbook tell you that, herr obergruppenfuhrer?

[@johnmadara1252]

germany wanted eventual peace with britain, they did not want to fight them to begin with

[@dovetonsturdee7033]

Then ignoring French & British warnings that they would declare war if Germany invaded Poland was an odd way of demonstrating peaceful intentions, I suggest.

[@charlesmartella]

The Germans saw the British as an equal and not ' untermenchen '.

[@johnmadara1252]

@@dovetonsturdee7033 french blamed britain for war over some random country in europe

[@dovetonsturdee7033]

@@johnmadara1252 No, they didn't. France & Britain formed an alliance with Poland, to the effect that both would declare war if Germany invaded Poland. It was an attempt to prevent a wider European war by putting an end to German military aggression.

[@wimschmied3800]

@@dovetonsturdee7033 Germany believed the war would be a regional German-Polish conflict, not a global one. AH himself responded with shock and was quoted as stating "now what?" when he received the French and British declarations of war. The Germans did not think France and Britain would assist Poland for multiple reasons. 1. Poland was located east of Germany, there would be no way assistance could be sent to Poland, as you'd have to pass through Germany itself or German controlled waters. 2. Germany underestimated the British and French willingness to start a world war over something the Germans believed was minor. 3. Germany believed many in France and Britain would sympathise with Germany's wish to re-incorporate former German territories and cities into its country (Such as Danzig). 4. Germany had united Austria with Germany, taken the Sudetenland and other lost WWI territories, so the Germans wrongfully assumed their previous success could be repeated with Poland.

[@user-np3uh4xk7k]

The germans DID invade great Britain. They landed on Guernsey island.

[@dovetonsturdee7033]

The Channel Islands are Crown Dependencies, and not actually part of Great Britain.

[@charlesmartella]

Yes they did invade and occupy some islands that were part of Great Britain. I saw a Doco on it.

[@dovetonsturdee7033]

@@charlesmartella But as I commented earlier, the Channel Islands were, and are, Crown Dependencies, not part of Great Britain.

[@charlesmartella]

@@dovetonsturdee7033 yes you are correct. But the inhabitants are British citizens.

[@iansneddon2956]

The Channel islands were British territory with British citizens, just not part of Great Britain. Great Britain is just a subset of Britain. Britain collectively refers to the British Isles. These islands include Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, and thousands of other islands. But Guernsey and the other Channel Islands are not part of Britain, they are part of Normandy. They were subject to the Crown due to the past kings of England also having the title Duke of Normandy. When the French drove the English out after the 100 years war, the Channel islands were the last of the French holdings of the British crown. Rather than just think of them as being south of England and north of France, you should also think of them as being west of France. Most of the Channel Islands are further south than the French port of Cherbourg. They lie west of the Normandy coast. Guernsey island is about 120 km from England, but is a mere 50 km from the French coast. Which puts into perspective why the Channel islands were occupied by the Germans. The UK considered them indefensible. While of symbolic importance, the islands didn't do much for the Germans.