Churchill on the Battle of France
In May 1940, Winston Churchill speaks on national radio for the first time as prime minister and calls for a struggle to the last breath against Nazi conquest and oppression.
Related Speeches & Audio (10)
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Churchill on the Battle of France
Churchill on the Battle of FranceAudio Clip (7:40)
Audio Clip (7:40)
In May 1940, Winston Churchill speaks on national radio for the first time as prime minister and calls for a struggle to the last breath against Nazi conquest and oppression.
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Churchill Prepares for German Invasion of Britain
Churchill Prepares for German Invasion of BritainAudio Clip (0:21)
Audio Clip (0:21)
On the final day of the evacuation of Dunkirk, June 4, 1940, Prime Minister Winston Churchill speaks before the House of Commons, triumphant over the rescue of 338,226 Allied troops from advancing German forces. In the address he warns the nation to expect a German invasion and defiantly declares that Hitler's troops will meet an enemy prepared to "defend our island whatever the cost may be."
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Winston Churchill Rallies British Citizens
Winston Churchill Rallies British CitizensAudio Clip (1:36)
Audio Clip (1:36)
In one of his greatest speeches, delivered first before the House of Commons on June 18, 1940, and then broadcast to the nation, Winston Churchill inspires his countrymen to soldier on after the fall of France, assuring them that if Great Britain upholds its duty to fight, "men will still say, 'This was their finest hour.' "
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King George VI's Empire Day Address
King George VI's Empire Day AddressAudio Clip (3:28)
Audio Clip (3:28)
In an address delivered on Empire Day, May 24, 1940, King George VI describes Adolf Hitler's intention to conquer not only the British empire but also the world.
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Franklin D. Roosevelt on American Progress in World War II
Franklin D. Roosevelt on American Progress in World War IIAudio Clip (1:00)
Audio Clip (1:00)
With the United States now entered into World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt uses the occasion of Washington’s birthday to broadcast to the nation on February 23, 1942, an outline of America’s progress in the war.
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Franklin D. Roosevelt's 1941 Labor Day Speech
Franklin D. Roosevelt's 1941 Labor Day SpeechAudio Clip (1:37)
Audio Clip (1:37)
In his Labor Day radio broadcast in 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt reminds his fellow citizens of the need to devote America’s industrial effort to building weaponry in order to "crush Hitler and his Nazi forces."
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Franklin D. Roosevelt Reports on Teheran and Cairo Conferences
Franklin D. Roosevelt Reports on Teheran and Cairo ConferencesAudio Clip (2:36)
Audio Clip (2:36)
Following the 1943 Big Four meetings in Teheran and Cairo, President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivers a Christmas Eve broadcast promising the nation that they can look forward to peace, though at a high cost.
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James Byrnes on the Postwar Treaty Talks in Paris
James Byrnes on the Postwar Treaty Talks in ParisAudio Clip (0:18)
Audio Clip (0:18)
Upon his return from the post-World War II Paris Peace Conference of 1946, Secretary of State James Byrnes discusses the few gains and many disappointments of the meeting.
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Franklin D. Roosevelt's Fourth of July Address
Franklin D. Roosevelt's Fourth of July AddressAudio Clip (2:07)
Audio Clip (2:07)
In a broadcast from his home in Hyde Park, New York, on July 4, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt warns Americans who wish not to get involved in the war that "the United States will never survive as a happy and fertile oasis of liberty surrounded by a cruel desert of dictatorship."
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Franklin D. Roosevelt Encourages Greek Resistance
Franklin D. Roosevelt Encourages Greek ResistanceAudio Clip (1:37)
Audio Clip (1:37)
On June 10, 1943, the United States transferred a 173-foot anti-submarine patrol ship named King George II to Greece to aid in their resistance efforts. At the ceremony, President Franklin D. Roosevelt expresses hope that Greece will soon be liberated from the control of Axis powers.
Related Videos (10)
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Franklin D. Roosevelt at the Moscow Conference
Franklin D. Roosevelt at the Moscow ConferenceVideo Clip (1:15)
Video Clip (1:15)
Watch the speech given by Franklin D. Roosevelt at the Moscow Conference during World War II.
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Franklin D. Roosevelt Warns of Difficult War
Franklin D. Roosevelt Warns of Difficult WarVideo Clip (0:57)
Video Clip (0:57)
Watch as Franklin D. Roosevelt declares war on Japan in the wake of Pearl Harbor and warns the American public to steel themselves for the difficulties that lie ahead.
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USS Texas Under Attack
USS Texas Under AttackVideo Clip (2:27)
Video Clip (2:27)
What is it like to be onboard an American military ship under attack? Find out firsthand from a serviceman who was on the USS Texas when it was hit by enemy fire in the English Channel in June 1944. From Hero Ships.
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Strange Nazi Sabotage
Strange Nazi SabotageVideo Clip (2:24)
Video Clip (2:24)
During WWII the Allies made some strange attempts to sabotage German infrastructure, including the use of explosive rats.
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D-Day Documented by Newsreel Cameras
D-Day Documented by Newsreel CamerasVideo Clip (8:56)
Video Clip (8:56)
Footage of the historic D-Day invasion from the United News. The best known D-Day is June 6, 1944 the day on which the Invasion of Normandy began. This video clip is courtesy of The History Channel.
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Bombing Hamburg
Bombing HamburgVideo Clip (1:35)
Video Clip (1:35)
During World War II, especially in 1943, Hamburg was severely damaged by aerial bombardment, and some 55,000 persons were killed.
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Hitler Launches the Battle of Britain
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Video Clip (2:11)
Britain's Royal Air Force staves off destruction at the hands of the German Luftwaffe.
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ODESSA
ODESSAVideo Clip (2:48)
Video Clip (2:48)
Hitler's elite paramilitary unite, the SS, is hunted after the end of World War II. What is ODESSA and did it help the SS escape the hands of Nazi hunters?
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Adolf Hitler's Parkinson's
Adolf Hitler's Parkinson'sVideo Clip (2:55)
Video Clip (2:55)
As the allies closed in on Germany in early 1945, Adolf Hitler was reduced to a physical wreck. Among other symptoms, he suffered from tremors that made him seem weak and frail. Was it Parkinsons Disease?
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Foo Fighters
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Did Nazi Germany use alien technology to disrupt allied bombers during WWII?
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World War II Political Leaders
World War II Political Leaders(9 Photos)
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View photos of World War II political leaders.
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