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The Crusade in Europe

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Documentary

TV-PG

1 Season

19m

Based on the title of General Eisenhower's book, combat film from from World War II. This was the first documentary series produced for television.

Season 1, 24 Episodes

season 1 (24 episodes)

Prelude to War,

The film dissolves from the surrender to Hitler in his early years of power, follows the rise of Nazism through the Munich Pact, the attack on Poland, the fall of France, and the Battle of Britain.

America's Unpreparedness,

The draft law of 1940 is passed and American men are inducted into the Army. Large-scale maneuvers are held in 1941. Pearl Harbor is bombed and Franklin Roosevelt asks Congress for a declaration of war.

America Goes to War,

President Roosevelt lectures Americans on their conduct. Churchill visits the U.S. American troops are deployed to England, and Eisenhower gets command of the European Theater of Operations.

Platform for Invasion,

Americans arrive in Britain, try to get along with the British civilians, and are made ready physically and mentally to fight the Germans. The Eighth Air Force begins its bombing offensive, and the decision is made to invade French North Africa.

Africa: Our First Offensive,

The Troops of Operation Torch come from the U.S. and Britain. U.S. industry is shown going to full war production. Equipment is shown being loaded up for transport to North Africa, and the landings are made successfully.

This episode will take you on a journey through the Allied campaign in North Africa, from the daring Operation Torch to the triumphant defeat of the infamous Afrika Korps.

Eisenhower describes how the Allies squeezed Rommel's forces in Tunisia. The Afrika Korps attacks to the Kasserine Pass but is pushed back thanks to Patton. Allied air power helps win the day, the U.S.

Sicily: Operation Husky,

This episode takes you on the Allies' brave campaign to invade Sicily and defeat the Axis forces in July 1943.

Assault on Italy,

General Montgomery attacks Italy across the Strait of Messina. A landing is made at Salerno to coincide with Italy's surrender, after Italy's fleet surrenders at Malta.

Rise and Fall of a Dictator,

On July 25th, 1943, Benito Mussolini is ousted from power. We then flashback to his rise to power, including the Fascist march on Rome in November, 1922. In 1936 Ethiopia is invaded.

The G.I.: Hero of the War,

In this compelling episode, join a GI as he reflects on his experiences during the toughest campaign of World War II, the Italian campaign.

Victory in Italy,

This episode will take you on a brave campaign covering the Allied campaign in Italy from December 1943 to June 1944.

Preparation for Invasion,

This episode takes you through the planning and preparation of the Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe, which was codenamed Operation Overlord.

This episode takes you through the tense hours of the largest seaborne invasion in history: Operation Neptune, often referred to as D-Day.

Beachhead and Breakthrough,

Eisenhower inspects the landing beaches and we see the 'Mulberry' harbors put in place along the Normandy beaches. Airfields are built and supplies are offloaded. V-1 rockets attack London.

The Battle of Supply,

This episode takes you through the challenges that the Allied forces had to overcome in order to continue their chain of supply through Europe.

The episode explains how the Royal Air Force and the US Eighth Air Force helped win the war by bombing Germany day and night after the Battle of Britain.

The Battle of the Bulge,

The episode explains the American capture of Strasbourg from the Germans followed by the German surprise attack on the Battle of the Bulge.

Crossing the Rhine,

The Allies cross the Rhine River into Germany in the early part of 1945.

Overrunning Germany,

The Western Allies entrap a large part of the German Army in the Ruhr Pocket, and captures some 325,000 enemy soldiers. The Americans and Russians meet at Torgau on the Elbe River.

Victory's Aftermath,

This installment talks about the lessons learned, both military and diplomatic, about coalition warfare. It includes a reenactment of the Alamogordo atomic bomb test, as well as its use against Japan.

American Military Government,

The post-war government of Germany is shown. The U.S. in Cologne puts things in order. The Potsdam Conference and Nuremberg War Crimes Trials are shown.

Russian and American attitudes about war are compared. The Germans surrender to Zhukov, and Eisenhower goes to Moscow. The Berlin Blockade is mentioned, and the UN founding conference is shown.

This final installment is review of the entire series. Highlights deal with the rise of Naziism, concluding with the burning of London.

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Details

The Crusade in Europe

Documentary

TV-PG

1 Season

19m

Based on the title of General Eisenhower's book, combat film from from World War II. This was the first documentary series produced for television.

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