457 I Have Returned
On October 20, 1944, Douglas MacArthur made good on his famous promise.
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The History of the Twentieth Century
A chronicle of the history of the twentieth century, including art, music, popular culture, science, religion, and, of course, politics and war.
Episodes
20 of 462 episodes456 A Bridge Too Far
Bernard Montgomery proposed a risky operation that just might have allowed the Allies to break through the German defensive line. Meanwhile,...
455 Up Against the Wall
The Western Allied advance in August 1944 was breathtaking, but it stopped short at the German border as the German Army rebuilt its defense...
454 The Altar of Alliance
By 1944, a German defeat seemed inevitable. In August, Romania defected from the Axis and joined the Allies. Within weeks, Bulgaria followed...
453 The Panacea Target
The British view on aerial bombing over Germany held that area attacks on German cities were the only effective form of attack. The American...
452 The Double V
The Second World War offered African Americans new opportunities and new political clout.
451 Wonder Weapon
The United States had its Manhattan Project. Germany had its rockets.
450 The Gadget
By 1944, the United States had developed the facilities to produce U-235 and plutonium in sufficient quantities. The last problem was how to...
449 All For the Front
The war made life in the Soviet Union very difficult. Even by Soviet standards, the government took an unprecedented degree of control over...
448 Keep Calm and Carry On
The British had to deal with many more shortages of food and fuel and consumer goods than did Americans. And they had to worry about the Luf...
447 Don't You Know There's a War On?
The war put Americans in the unfamiliar position of enduring limits on what they could buy or eat, even how much they could drive their cars...
446 Is Paris Burning?
The Allies invade southern France, close the Falaise pocket, and the German line collapses. Soon the Allies are advancing on Paris.
445 Breakout and Pursuit
When Patton's Third Army broke through the front line, the Germans had a serious problem.
444 Tempest
The Polish Home Army makes a last-ditch effort to assert the authority of the government in exile, while Romania successfully switches sides...
443 Shoot the Works
Hitler exacts retribution for the assassination attempt against him, while in France, the Americans break out of Normandy.
442 Make Peace, You Fools
Bloody inconclusive fighting in Normandy, and the Democratic Party nominates Roosevelt for a fourth term.
441 The Plot to Assassinate Hitler
There had been grumbling about Hitler in the Army since 1938, but by 1944 a group of officers were determined to get rid of him and overthro...
440 The Destruction of Army Group Center
The Soviet summer offensive of 1944, "Operation Bagration," costs the German Army virtually an entire army group.
439 Doctor Win-the-War
In 1944, Franklin Roosevelt's health began to fail, while Stalin made good on his pledge to begin a Soviet offensive in June.
438 A Bill of Goods
The China and Burma fronts remained relatively quiet for two years. That changed in 1944.