See how German troops parachuted behind the Maginot Line as part of the blitzkrieg against Allied forces
The German invasion of France, May 1940; from The Second World War: Triumph of the Axis (1963), a documentary by Encyclopædia Britannica Educational Corporation.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
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Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.Maximilien Robespierre was a radical democrat and key figure in the French Revolution of 1789.
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Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.Spanish Republicans, abandoned by the democracies and relying on aid from the communists, carried on a losing struggle against fascism. From The Second World War: Prelude to Conflict (1963), a documentary by Encyclopædia Britannica Educational Corporation.
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Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.He did not say “The British are coming.”
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© Civil War Trust (A Britannica Publishing Partner)Learn how the American Revolution and the War of 1812 fit into broader global conflicts involving Great Britain and France.
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Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.Still with the hope of not directly engaging in the war, the United States provided defense materials and other support systems for the Allied forces at the dawn of the 1940s.
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National Archives, Washington, D.C.B-25 bombers lined up on the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Hornet during the Doolittle Raid, April 18, 1942.
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Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz; Thumbnail Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.Discussion of German and Soviet POWs during World War II.
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Transcript
[Music in]
NARRATOR: As in Poland, the blitzkrieg was violent--ruthless--and efficiently executed. Parachutists, dropping behind the lines, took strategic bridges. The French had been sure that their famous Maginot Line would protect them; but the Germans merely bypassed it. Within weeks they cut the Allied forces to pieces.
[Music out]
NARRATOR: As in Poland, the blitzkrieg was violent--ruthless--and efficiently executed. Parachutists, dropping behind the lines, took strategic bridges. The French had been sure that their famous Maginot Line would protect them; but the Germans merely bypassed it. Within weeks they cut the Allied forces to pieces.
[Music out]
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