In Defence of the Reich: Hitler's Atlantic Wall
From the Archive
•
22m
In 1942, Hitler ordered the construction of an extensive system of coastal defences and fortifications along the coast of continental Europe and Scandinavia as a defence against an anticipated Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe from the United Kingdom during the Second World War. The Atlantic Wall covered 1,670 miles and stretched all the way from Norway, along the Belgium and French coastline to the Spanish border.
In this documentary James Rogers vists Esbjerg harbour on west coast of Denmark, where around 300 bunkers, concrete roads, canons, railroads, anti-armoured vehicle trenches, personnel buildings and mines were established. He is joined by Danish World War Two historian Rune Edberg who shows him around some of these impressive fortifications and explains the history behind their construction.
Up Next in From the Archive
-
Okinawa and Victory
The final of five episodes documenting the history of the US Marines in the Pacific theatre of WW2. This episode tells the tale of the Marines during, and after, the Okinawa campaign at the end of World War Two.
-
Salisbury Plain: Training for War
Salisbury Plain is the Ministry of Defence's largest training ground, covering an area the size of the Isle of Wight. Dan Snow is shown around the Plain by MOD archaeologist Richard Osgood, to explore how British, Commonwealth and Allied troops prepared for the two great wars.
-
Know Your Ally: Britain
Made in 1944, this documentary was produced by the United States War Department to boost Anglo-American relations. It relates the similarities and differences between American and British culture and seeks to demystify certain aspects of British life for an American audience. It's a rather rose t...
