Mussolini Declares War (1:48)
On June 10, 1940, in a rousing speech to his country, Italian dictator Benito Mussolini declares war on France and England.
Speeches & Audio (26)
-
Mussolini Declares War
Mussolini Declares WarAudio Clip (1:48)
Audio Clip (1:48)
On June 10, 1940, in a rousing speech to his country, Italian dictator Benito Mussolini declares war on France and England.
-
Chamberlain Declares War on Germany
Chamberlain Declares War on GermanyAudio Clip (2:58)
Audio Clip (2:58)
On September 3, 1939, in a radio broadcast to his nation, Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain announces that Germany's refusal to withdraw its troops from Poland after its September 1 invasion has pushed Great Britain to war.
-
Cold War Arms Race
Cold War Arms RaceAudio Clip (2:24)
Audio Clip (2:24)
On March 21, 1960, U.S. Vice Admiral Hyman Rickover discusses the importance of keeping abreast of Soviet technological developments.
-
FDR Asks Congress to Declare War on Japan
FDR Asks Congress to Declare War on JapanAudio Clip (7:47)
Audio Clip (7:47)
On the day after the December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt tells a joint session of Congress that the United States must take up arms in response.
-
FDR War Report to Congress
FDR War Report to CongressAudio Clip (1:58)
Audio Clip (1:58)
See this moving video of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's speech to Congress describing the United State's circumstance and the Nazi's eventual downfall.
-
George H. W. Bush Announces Start of Persian Gulf War
George H. W. Bush Announces Start of Persian Gulf WarAudio Clip (6:33)
Audio Clip (6:33)
On the evening of January 16,1991, President George H. W. Bush addresses the nation to discuss the launch of Operation Desert Storm.
-
Israel Fights Arab Nations in Yom Kippur War
Israel Fights Arab Nations in Yom Kippur WarAudio Clip (1:44)
Audio Clip (1:44)
Israeli foreign minister Abba Eban speaks to the media about the origins of the Yom Kippur War.
-
Nixon on the Vietnam War
Nixon on the Vietnam WarAudio Clip (1:06)
Audio Clip (1:06)
While campaigning for reelection in 1972, President Richard M. Nixon promises to end the war in Vietnam in such a way as to ensure a "a full generation of peace."
-
Report on D-Day Invasion
Report on D-Day InvasionAudio Clip (4:23)
Audio Clip (4:23)
Los Angeles Times war correspondent Tom Treanor recounts his firsthand experience landing on the beach at Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944.
-
Report on the Battle of Okinawa
Report on the Battle of OkinawaAudio Clip (1:50)
Audio Clip (1:50)
On April 1, 1945, the U.S. 10th Army under Gen. Simon Bolivar Buckner began the invasion of Okinawa, a Japanese-held island in the Pacific considered the final stepping stone in an advance toward the Japanese mainland. Two days into the invasion, a news report relays the story of the U.S. Army's fast-paced advance.
-
War Report on U.S. Invasion of Grenada
War Report on U.S. Invasion of GrenadaAudio Clip (1:41)
Audio Clip (1:41)
A broadcast from Barbados reports on the events surrounding the U.S. invasion of Grenada on October 25, 1983, and the impending evacuation of American civilians from the island.
-
Westmoreland on the Vietnam War
Westmoreland on the Vietnam WarAudio Clip (2:01)
Audio Clip (2:01)
On April 28, 1967, Gen. William Westmoreland, commander of U.S. operations in Vietnam, describes to a joint session of Congress the challenges of fighting a relentless enemy.
-
Meeting of U.S. and Soviet Forces on the Elbe River
Meeting of U.S. and Soviet Forces on the Elbe RiverAudio Clip (2:17)
Audio Clip (2:17)
NBC News war coverage details the Allied success at the Elbe. On April 25, 1945, American and Russian troops converged at the Elbe River in Germany. By joining forces, the American and Soviet troops dealt a damaging blow to the Germans by cutting their army in two.
-
Franklin D. Roosevelt Delivers D-Day Prayer
Franklin D. Roosevelt Delivers D-Day PrayerAudio Clip (3:37)
Audio Clip (3:37)
In a national radio broadcast on June 6, 1944, as 160,000 Allied troops land in Normandy in an attempt to liberate France, President Franklin D. Roosevelt asks America to join him in a prayer.
-
Clark Gable reports on the WWII air war
Clark Gable reports on the WWII air warAudio Clip (1:35)
Audio Clip (1:35)
Clark Gable served in the U.S. Army Air Corps by dividing his time between military documentaries and combat. Gable participated in bombing raids over Nazi Germany, rose to the rank of major, and received the Air Medal and Distinguished Flying Cross.
-
German V-2 Attacks on Britain
German V-2 Attacks on BritainAudio Clip (0:33)
Audio Clip (0:33)
On September 8, 1944, Germany launched an aerial attack on London with V-2 ballistic missiles. A U.S. broadcast describes the varying reports coming from Germany and England of the damage. The V-2, developed by German rocket scientist Wernher von Braun, was more technologically advanced than any other rocket of the era.
-
Allied Advances Against Germany
Allied Advances Against GermanyAudio Clip (2:18)
Audio Clip (2:18)
By March 26, 1945, the main body of U.S. and British forces in Europe had crossed the Rhine, their last major obstacle in the conquest of Germany. Advancing as much as 50 miles a day, the U.S. First and Ninth armies encircled the Ruhr.
-
John F. Kennedy on Coup in South Vietnam
John F. Kennedy on Coup in South VietnamAudio Clip (6:06)
Audio Clip (6:06)
On October 29, 1963, President John F. Kennedy meets with the National Security Council to discuss whether to support the overthrow of South Vietnam's President Ngo Dinh Diem. During the secretly recorded conversation, Secretary of State Dean Rusk and the president craft a detailed plan involving Henry Cabot Lodge, ambassador to South Vietnam, Gen. Paul D. Harkins and the general of the South Vietnamese military, hoping to avoid setting off a civil war in the country.
-
Douglas MacArthur Receives the Japanese Surrender
Douglas MacArthur Receives the Japanese SurrenderAudio Clip (1:21)
Audio Clip (1:21)
On September 2, 1945, aboard the U.S.S. Missouri in Tokyo Bay, World War II comes to a close when Japanese officials sign the unconditional surrender. Gen. Douglas MacArthur presides over the signing and delivers a short speech on the momentous occasion.
-
U.S. Goals in World War II
U.S. Goals in World War IIAudio Clip (0:31)
Audio Clip (0:31)
In his speech delivered July 23, 1942, Secretary of State Cordell Hull explains the aims of the United States in World War II.
-
War Report on B-29 Use
War Report on B-29 UseAudio Clip (2:36)
Audio Clip (2:36)
Brig. Gen. H.S. Hansell delivers a report in June 1944 on American B-29 bomber strikes against Germany and Japan.
-
Schwarzkopf on Liberation of Kuwait
Schwarzkopf on Liberation of KuwaitAudio Clip (0:58)
Audio Clip (0:58)
Once President George H.W. Bush declares that "Kuwait is liberated" and Iraq's army defeated, Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf holds a press conference on February 27, 1991, and expresses his admiration for the U.S. troops.
-
Korean War Progress Report
Korean War Progress ReportAudio Clip (3:57)
Audio Clip (3:57)
Upon his return from the Far East, Supreme Commander of U.N. forces Gen. Matthew Ridgeway addresses a joint session of Congress on April 22, 1952, and recounts stories of Allied bravery on the battlefield.
-
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.
-
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."
-
North Vietnam Disregards Ceasefire Agreement
North Vietnam Disregards Ceasefire AgreementAudio Clip (4:44)
Audio Clip (4:44)
In an October 12, 1973, interview, Col. Le Gran, U.S. deputy director of intelligence, discusses the discovery that North Vietnam installed SA-2 missiles in the southern city of Khe Sanh shortly after a ceasefire agreement prohibiting military incursion in South Vietnam was signed on January 27 of that year.
Videos (47)
-
Spartans
SpartansVideo Clip (2:13)
Video Clip (2:13)
They were fierce warriors who prized military strength, but they were also the world's first democracy.
-
Napoleon
NapoleonVideo Clip (2:58)
Video Clip (2:58)
Small in stature, Napoleon Bonaparte left behind a huge legacy.
-
America and the Civil War
America and the Civil WarVideo Clip (4:04)
Video Clip (4:04)
Discover how the bloodiest war in American history transformed the face of the nation.
-
WWI Firsts
WWI FirstsVideo Clip (1:18)
Video Clip (1:18)
WWI may have been the war to end all wars, but it was also the beginning of many military and civilian technologies.
-
Women in the Cockpit
Women in the CockpitVideo Clip (3:52)
Video Clip (3:52)
Dawn Letson befriended a World War II veteran who was a member of the Women's Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) program, and shares her films from WASP training camp.
-
American Revolution
American RevolutionVideo Clip (3:20)
Video Clip (3:20)
Get the story of how a fledgling, largely disconnected nation won its freedom from the greatest military force of its time.
-
The French Revolution
The French RevolutionVideo Clip (2:49)
Video Clip (2:49)
Step into the the excitement and chaos of the French Revolution as told by musician and artist Jeffrey Lewis.
-
Vietnam
VietnamVideo Clip (1:42)
Video Clip (1:42)
Whether they volunteered or were drafted, 1 out of 10 soldiers did not survive Vietnam.
-
The Peloponnesian War
The Peloponnesian WarVideo Clip (2:22)
Video Clip (2:22)
Athens' military campaign against the Peloponnesian League that eventually ended the Greek Golden Age, as told by musician and artist Jeffrey Lewis.
-
Cold War
Cold WarVideo Clip (2:31)
Video Clip (2:31)
The Cold War is over, but what it left behind may surprise you.
-
D-Day Invasion
D-Day InvasionVideo Clip (3:07)
Video Clip (3:07)
On June 6, 1944, Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy and turned the tides of World War II.
-
Deconstructing History: Samurai
Deconstructing History: SamuraiVideo Clip (2:35)
Video Clip (2:35)
The Samurai were fearsome warriors whose traditions of honor and discipline live on in the study of jujitsu and kendo today.
-
Grant or Lee?
Grant or Lee?Video Clip (2:19)
Video Clip (2:19)
Which of the admired Civil War generals would you want to lead your country?
-
WWII Spy Strategy
WWII Spy StrategyVideo Clip (2:37)
Video Clip (2:37)
The Allies use double agents, code breakers and spies to undermine the German military throughout WWII, but cracking the Enigma code proves to be their greatest breakthrough.
-
Sitting Bull
Sitting BullVideo Clip (2:54)
Video Clip (2:54)
The tragic, yet true tale of Sitting Bull, the leader of the Hunkpapa Lakota Sioux tribe who led his people's resistance against the United States, sung by musician and artist Jeffrey Lewis.
-
Flying in the South Pacific
Flying in the South PacificVideo Clip (3:31)
Video Clip (3:31)
Fred Linden's father was a PBY naval aviator during World War II and left behind two reels of film documenting his service in the South Pacific.
-
World War II Medic
World War II MedicVideo Clip (2:37)
Video Clip (2:37)
Michael Curry's grandfather was a medic during World War II and left behind meticulous notes to guide Michael through the films of his war experience.
-
Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthurVideo Clip (3:27)
Video Clip (3:27)
The general gains fame in World War II, then infamy when he is removed from his command in the Korean War.
-
MacArthur and Me
MacArthur and MeVideo Clip (3:44)
Video Clip (3:44)
Judy Kent's neighbor, George Dibbs, was a combat photographer follwing General MacArthur during WWII and shared his films with her.
-
Trench Warfare
Trench WarfareVideo Clip (1:14)
Video Clip (1:14)
Although best known for its role in the long slog of World War I, trench warfare actually got its start on the battlefields of the American Civil War. Find out how new weapons and technology played a part in both its development and destruction.
-
Causes of World War I
Causes of World War IVideo Clip (2:17)
Video Clip (2:17)
By 1914, military tensions and a series of alliances have Europe on the edge of war. In August, the fuse is lit by an assassination in Sarajevo. By war's end, more than 100 countries would be involved in the conflict.
-
Confederate vs. Union Soldiers
Confederate vs. Union SoldiersVideo Clip (2:39)
Video Clip (2:39)
Find out what divided the men of the Civil War, and how in many ways they were more alike than different.
-
Civil War Tech
Civil War TechVideo Clip (2:17)
Video Clip (2:17)
The Civil War saw the rise of major technological advances in warfare.
-
America Divided
America DividedVideo Clip (3:54)
Video Clip (3:54)
America is at the brink of a Civil War as cotton spreads west and threatens to expand slavery into new territories.
-
D-Day Deception
D-Day DeceptionVideo Clip (3:24)
Video Clip (3:24)
During WWII, a shrewd deception dubbed "Operation Fortitude" convinces the German military command that Allied forces will land at Pas de Calais rather than Normandy.
-
Coroner's Report: Atomic Bomb
Coroner's Report: Atomic BombVideo Clip (2:17)
Video Clip (2:17)
In August 1945, the United States dropped two atomic bombs over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. What happened to people on the fringes of the blasts?
-
Coroner's Report: Guillotine
Coroner's Report: GuillotineVideo Clip (3:14)
Video Clip (3:14)
The guillotine, the notorious killing machine of the French Revolution, was used to behead thousands, including King Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette. Why was it a humane form of execution for its time, and did victims' brains continue functioning after decapitation?
-
Coroner's Report: Julius Caesar
Coroner's Report: Julius CaesarVideo Clip (2:01)
Video Clip (2:01)
The Roman leader Julius Caesar was stabbed 23 times by a mob of mutinous senators in 44 B.C. Could he possibly have survived long enough to utter his famous last words?
-
Coroner's Report: Stonewall Jackson
Coroner's Report: Stonewall JacksonVideo Clip (2:35)
Video Clip (2:35)
The Confederate general Stonewall Jackson was accidentally shot by his own men during a major Civil War battle, but it wasn't his wounds that killed him eight days later. How exactly did the commander die?
-
Coroner's Report: Seppuku
Coroner's Report: SeppukuVideo Clip (2:26)
Video Clip (2:26)
Seppuku was a ritual form of suicide used by samurai warriors to avoid surrender or atone for a shameful act. What were their painful final moments really like?
-
Deconstructing History: Spartans
Deconstructing History: SpartansVideo Clip (2:06)
Video Clip (2:06)
Ten-thousand strong, the Spartan army was highly skilled and technologically advanced for its time.
-
Andrew Jackson Defends New Orleans in War of 1812
Andrew Jackson Defends New Orleans in War of 1812Video Clip (3:41)
Video Clip (3:41)
-
Cuban Missile Crisis
Cuban Missile CrisisVideo Clip (2:22)
Video Clip (2:22)
Get the story of the dramatic face-off that nearly ended in nuclear war, as told by musician and artist Jeffrey Lewis.
-
D-Day Invasion of Normandy
D-Day Invasion of NormandyVideo Clip (3:19)
Video Clip (3:19)
On June 6, 1944, Allied troops invade German-occupied France and face near certain death on the beaches of Normandy.
-
Samurai
SamuraiVideo Clip (1:34)
Video Clip (1:34)
Honor was so much a part of Samurai life that warriors would commit ritual suicide if ever the code was broken.
-
The Mayans
The MayansVideo Clip (1:36)
Video Clip (1:36)
The growth of the great Mayan civilization is as much a mystery as its disappearance.
-
The Aztecs
The AztecsVideo Clip (1:20)
Video Clip (1:20)
Though they could build complex suspension bridges, the Aztecs could not ward off diseases brought over by the Spanish.
-
The Fall of Rome
The Fall of RomeVideo Clip (3:12)
Video Clip (3:12)
Musician and artist Jeffrey Lewis sings about the factors that brought down an empire.
-
Hitler's Military Blunders
Hitler's Military BlundersVideo Clip (3:27)
Video Clip (3:27)
During WWII, Hitler's decentralized and paranoid military command structure spells disaster on the battlefield.
-
Vietnam in HD Classroom Preview
Vietnam in HD Classroom PreviewVideo Clip (5:26)
Video Clip (5:26)
Watch a short preview of Vietnam in HD, a gripping portrait of the war told through the stories of those who experienced it firsthand
-
Mankind Decoded Sneak Peek
Mankind Decoded Sneak PeekVideo Clip (5:03)
Video Clip (5:03)
Check out a sneak peek of the upcoming series Mankind Decoded.
-
Mankind in 2 Minutes
Mankind in 2 MinutesVideo Clip (2:12)
Video Clip (2:12)
Experience the story of Mankind in 2 Minutes.
-
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.
-
Eisenhower Leads America
Eisenhower Leads AmericaVideo Clip (3:21)
Video Clip (3:21)
This five-star general and 34th U.S. president launched the Space Race and created the federal interstate highway system.
-
Top Shot: The Long Shot
Top Shot: The Long ShotVideo Clip (44:12)
Video Clip (44:12)
Sixteen skilled shooters arrive from around the country to live together, put their marksmanship skills to the test, and compete for the $100,000 prize and title of Top Shot.
-
Browning 50-Caliber Machine Gun
Browning 50-Caliber Machine GunVideo Clip (1:42)
Video Clip (1:42)
Discover how the Browning 50-caliber machine gun changed the face of U.S. combat, from its inception during World War II to its continued role in obliterating large targets.
-
Submarine Shooter
Submarine ShooterVideo Clip (3:20)
Video Clip (3:20)
Tom Southwick's father caught amazing moments of life on a submarine on film as a naval photographer during World War II.
Photo Galleries (11)
-
Roman Leaders and Emperors
Roman Leaders and Emperors(12 Photos)
12 Photos
Examine some of Ancient Rome's most influential leaders and emperors, and discover how they affected this great empire.
-
American Revolution: Events and Battles
American Revolution: Events and Battles(12 Photos)
12 Photos
Explore Revolutionary battle sites such as Lexington, Concord and Yorktown, and learn how the events that took place there shaped the course of the war.
-
French Revolution
French Revolution(9 Photos)
9 Photos
The French Revolution
-
Civil War: Gettysburg
Civil War: Gettysburg(12 Photos)
12 Photos
Explore the historic Civil War battle of Gettysburg through photographs of the battlefield, the soldiers, and the memorials.
-
Civil War: Artifacts
Civil War: Artifacts(9 Photos)
9 Photos
Explore Civil War artifacts, from medical kits and personal hygiene items, to carbines and currency.
-
Civil War: Confederate Leaders
Civil War: Confederate Leaders(13 Photos)
13 Photos
View images of Confederate leaders from the Civil War, like Robert E Lee and Stonewall Jackson, and learn more about the roles they played protecting the southern states.
-
World War I: Trench Warfare
World War I: Trench Warfare(11 Photos)
11 Photos
Trench warfare reached its highest development on the Western Front during World War I (1914–18), when armies of millions of men faced each other in a line of trenches extending from the Belgian coast through northeastern France to Switzerland.
-
World War II Damage and Destruction
World War II Damage and Destruction(7 Photos)
7 Photos
View photos of the damage and destruction from World War II.
-
Korean War
Korean War(15 Photos)
15 Photos
On June 25, 1950, the Korean War began when communist North Korea invaded South Korea. The United States, fighting under United Nations command, would lose more than 36,000 soldiers in one of the first clashes of the Cold War.
-
Vietnam War
Vietnam War(14 Photos)
14 Photos
The Vietnam War lasted longer than any other war in U.S. history and cost 58,000 American lives
-
Vietnam War: Leaders
Vietnam War: Leaders(15 Photos)
15 Photos
View images of the Presidents, politicians, and military leaders who influenced American involvement in the Vietnam War.
Interactives (6)
-
Civil War 150
Civil War 150Interactive
-
Inside WWII
Inside WWIIInteractive
-
Warriors Game
Warriors GameInteractive
-
Sherman's March
Sherman's MarchInteractive
-
Dogfights The Game
Dogfights The GameInteractive
-
Vietnam Veterans Memorial: Infographic
Vietnam Veterans Memorial: InfographicInteractive
Most Popular Videos on History.com
-
D-Day Invasion
(3:07)
-
Hitler's Military Blunders
(3:27)
Newest Videos on History.com
-
Vietnam in HD Preview
(2:00)
-
Two For the Road
(1:48)
-
HISTORY says Thanks
(2:47)
Read More about History of War
Fought over resources, land or ideological differences, wars have continued to redraw the world map.
GoRelated Shows
-
WWII in HD
See World War II as never before, in stunning, full-color high definition.
Shop HISTORY
-
WWII in HD DVD Set
The only people to see the war like this were the ones who lived it. Until now… Own this best-selling series today!
$17.77
Buy Now -
Tales of the Gun DVD
Explore the history of the firearm and see some of the most revolutionary designs ever created in this 32-episode series!
$59.99
Buy Now -
Swamp People Troy Mask
Want the ultimate Big Head? The Swamp People Troy Mask is for Cajuns and Cajuns at heart.
$44.99
Buy Now
Email Updates
Keep up with the latest History shows, online features, special offers and more.
Sign up
