In this episode, we explore the first few years on the European battlefield, from the invasion of France and the subsequent Dunkirk evacuation to Hitler's betrayal of his pact with Stalin.

We examine key movements in the Pacific Theatre - the Fall of Singapore, the Battle of Midway and the Kokoda Campaign - Rommel's offensives in Africa, and the Allied bombing campaign over Europe.

The Axis forces begin to lose hold on their previous triumphs; between Japan's loosening hold on southeast Asia and Germany's growing defeats in Europe, we begin to see WW2's turning of the tide.

This episode explores moments of the war where Allied forces started to push back: the relief of Leningrad, the liberation of Paris, D-Day and the liberation of the Nazi extermination camps.

Boarding a traditional gullet yacht, Bettany sets sail along the coast of Mediterranean Turkey and visits ancient sites including Halicarnassus, Patara, Myra, Ephesus and the world-famous Troy.

Bettany travels to Azerbaijan, which sits between the Caspian Sea and the Caucasus Mountain range; it was a strategic position on the ancient Silk Roads that left a legacy of diverse cultures.

Archaeologist Zahi Hawass hopes to discover the tomb of Imhotep, the architect of the Step Pyramid of Djoser, and aims to unearth the many secrets of the Egyptian mummies with his team.

Zahi Hawass is excavating an enclosure called Gisr El-Mudir where sarcophagi containing mysterious mummies and rich painted tombs are discovered; will these treasures lead them to Imhotep?

In 1798, Napoleon invaded Egypt with soldiers and scholars. As Denon risked his life recording ancient wonders, the Rosetta Stone promised to unlock the mystery of hieroglyphs.

After France's defeat, British and French consuls battled for Egypt's antiquities. Explorer Belzoni joined the race to seize the colossal Young Memnon as their ruthless rivalry intensified.

Belzoni uncovered Egypt's ancient wonders while Champollion raced Thomas Young to decipher the Rosetta Stone. His breakthrough gave a civilisation silent for 1,400 years its voice again.

Champollion travelled up the Nile to test his decipherment of hieroglyphs, bringing forgotten pharaohs back to life. His triumphant expedition came at a devastating cost to his health.

Vyse blasted into Giza's pyramids as Lepsius and Prisse d'Avennes competed for Karnak's royal list. Their clash embodied an emerging Egyptology torn between preservation, science and plunder.

The inter-war years saw the rise of dictators, appeasement and the policies of the Third Reich until the invasion of Poland, and Japan's 1937 invasion of China escalated into a full-scale conflict.

The invasion of Poland forces even resistant nations into declaring war, Chamberlain is replaced by Winston Churchill, and hardly-remembered early naval encounters start to shape the war.

War explodes across western Europe; the Germans' mobile armour, airborne troops and airpower on the battlefield makes their assault unstoppable, and France is ready to fall to the Nazis.

Germany seeks to neutralise British strength from the air in the Battle of Britain; the Luftwaffe has been deterred, but the Blitz begins as the Germans move to support their allies in North Africa.

The war in Europe is transformed when Hitler unleashes Operation Barbarossa on the 22nd of June 1941; the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union has begun.

Actor Jason Watkins and historian Tracy Borman investigate the final mystery of Stonehenge: the altar stone. Discovering its source could be the key to understanding why Stonehenge was built.

We follow scientists on a 30-year quest to uncover who created the Chauvet cave paintings; we learn how it survived millennia and how to protect this archaeological wonder for future generations.

For decades most experts have been convinced that Africa is the cradle of mankind, but researchers have come across more finds in recent years that cast doubt on this well-established theory.

By the end of WWII, the tank had evolved from its trench-crossing beginnings; it had turned into a vision of armoured warfare that carried on through the Cold War and into the present day.