10 Key Dates in World War Two

World War Two was the biggest war ever fought – lasting close to six years in Europe, 80 million people were killed in the conflict.

The most important dates are really about context, and these would be different depending which country you’re from. However, a number of dates are clearly pivotal moments over the course of the entire war, and we’ve collected five from each of the European and Eastern theatres to put into a graphic.

The date for the start of the war is 1-3 September 1939 – when Germany invaded Poland and then France and Britain declared war on Germany.

Frank McDonough, world leading expert on the domestic side of Hitler's Germany, explains why and how Hitler was able to establish and sustain his rule within Germany.

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Dan talks to Dr Bill Frankland, a 106 year old veteran of World War Two who lived through a Japanese prisoner of war camp and who also made important contributions to our understanding of allergies.

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