The Germans continue their retreat from Russia, but the most significant event at this stage of the war is the second front in Europe with the D-Day landings on June 6th - Operation Overlord.

The Allies continue their eastward push from Normandy and close on the German border; in the east, the Soviet Union unleashes Operation Bagration, the greatest offensive of the war.

The Allies succeed in crossing the Rhine and fight their way through Germany as the Red Army finally forces Axis troops from Soviet territory and closes on the capital, Berlin.

In this two-part series, we reveal the devastation inflicted on medieval Europe by the 14th-century outbreak of the plague that remains the deadliest recorded pandemic in history.

In this two-part series, we reveal the devastation inflicted on medieval Europe by the 14th-century outbreak of the plague that remains the deadliest recorded pandemic in history.

In 1609, in the Basque Country, a local dispute turned into accusations of witchcraft. Between the 15th and 17th centuries, up to 60,000 people were condemned. Historians find out what really happened.

Ancient history knows few rulers like Constantine the Great. This first episode follows archaeologists on the stages of his life from Naissus to Rome.

Constantine's claim to power knew no bounds. This final episode follows the emperor's archaeological traces to the new Rome, Constantinople.

The first empress of Rome, the ruthless Livia Drusilla, carved a corpse-strewn path to putting her own son on the emperor's throne before her golden dynasty descended into an age of terror.

Livia, the first empress of Rome, came to regret the scheming that put her son Tiberius on the throne as he and his heir Caligula dragged the empire into an age of tyranny and shocking depravity.

Claudius rose to the throne but was poisoned by his wife; after his successor Nero alienated Rome, Livia Drusilla's dynasty ended with brutal power struggles but having changed the course of history.

Dec 1944: with Europe in the grip of a terrible winter, Hitler's Panzers spearhead an attack on the Allied frontline in the Ardennes. They are to break through and re-capture the Port of Antwerp.

Feb 1945: A quarter of all the US Marines who died in WWII were killed in Iwo Jima. The Leathernecks were forced to re-think their tactics, as one in three of them became a casualty.

April 1945: Stalin's generals compete to raise the Red Flag over the Reichstag. A Panzer Army, two army groups, and the home guard are locked in a desperate battle with the encircling Red Army.

Deep sea divers hunt for the wrecks of Hitler's dreaded U-Boat fleet off Ireland's Northwest coast while historians unravel the early stages of WWII's longest campaign.

Divers hunt for the wrecks of WWII's longest campaign that lie off Ireland's Northwest coast as historians explore the Allied fight back at sea and the human cost of war.

Ancient history knows few rulers like Constantine the Great. This first episode follows archaeologists on the stages of his life from Naissus to Rome.

Constantine's claim to power knew no bounds. This final episode follows the emperor's archaeological traces to the new Rome, Constantinople.

He is infamous for ordering the murder of all first-born male children in an attempt to prevent the coming of the Son of God Jesus Christ, but Herod may not be as evil as the Bible made out.

What makes a successful war leader? Influential leaders of warfare all share a vision and the ability to inspire others to follow their orders, but how they lead differs hugely.

Secrecy in war can mean the difference between victory and defeat; from spies to sabotage, military commanders often turn to secret plans at the height of war in order to gain a strategic advantage.