John Rhodes on History

In March 1945, 80 years ago this month, the US Air Force launched an attack even more destructive than Hiroshima or Nagasaki. In the episode, John explores the firebombing of Tokyo.

John explores the controversial bombing of the city of Dresden in 1945, 80 years ago this month.

John analyses the Yalta conference and its long-term impact on the Cold War.

John examines Eisenhower's risks and opportunities at the beginning of 1945.

John examines the joint Anglo-American airborne operation Market Garden, the biggest paratroop operation of Word War II.

John describes how Paris was liberated during the global conflict that was World War II and the major players involved.

John describes some of the crucial battles that were also raging in other parts of the world at the same time as the Allies and Hitler’s armies were fighting in Normandy in the summer of 1944.

John tells the stories of the airborne troops who landed in Normandy on the night before D Day and paid a fearsome price. The American 82nd and 101st Airborne landed to the west of the beaches and the British 6th Airborne to the east.

John takes you to the five D Day beaches in Normandy. Through his eyes, we see the men who landed and fought there, the men who tried to repel them, and what happened that fateful day. The photograph in the episode image is Courtesy of The National WWII Museum.

The invasion of Normandy in June 1944 was one of the greatest battles in history. John begins the story by examining Adolf Hitler’s rise to power and the events that made D Day necessary and inevitable. John Rhodes covers what led up to this historic event on this week's episode. The photograph in the episode image is Courtesy of The National WWII Museum.