Hidden in the rainforest, Tikal was the capital of the most powerful kingdom built by the Maya; now new technologies such as LiDar allow researchers to reveal new secrets about this exceptional place.

Chambord is the largest of the Loire castles; with 220,000 tons of stone needed for its construction, it is one of the most important building sites of the Renaissance.

Germany continues to build its empire in Europe, occupying Poland, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Luxembourg, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands and Belgium; Churchill rejects any attempt at an armistice.

Hitler had outwardly emphasised his will for peace, yet he committed his top commanders once he came to power to a war of extermination that would secure the German Reich's supremacy in Europe.

June 1944 - American, British and Canadian troops stormed the Normandy beaches along a 50-mile stretch. We look at the amphibious tanks and the heavy kit that weighed them down as they waded ashore.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is the most sacred Christian site in the world; defied by time, wars and earthquakes, it was rebuilt many times and now excavations reveal its secrets as never before.

In the aftermath of Japan's attack at Pearl Harbor, the Navy moves in for a knockout blow. Japan's next strike is thrown into chaos when its plans are unearthed by an American codebreaker.

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.

How did Hitler succeed in transforming a republic into a 'Führer state' in such a short time, how did the 'enforced conformity' of society take place, and how willingly did the Germans fall in line?

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is the most sacred Christian site in the world; defied by time, wars and earthquakes, it was rebuilt many times and now excavations reveal its secrets as never before.

The Sphinx is the most monumental ancient sculpture in the world at 73 metres long, 20 metres high and 14 metres wide. Who commissioned it, how was it erected, and what is its significance?

Hidden in the rainforest, Tikal was the capital of the most powerful kingdom built by the Maya; now new technologies such as LiDar allow researchers to reveal new secrets about this exceptional place.

Chambord is the largest of the Loire castles; with 220,000 tons of stone needed for its construction, it is one of the most important building sites of the Renaissance.

1942: Hitler pits the forces of the German Fatherland against those of the Soviet Motherland at Stalingrad. Stalin's fiercely patriotic army will fight the Nazis to the last drop of blood.

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.

In the final episode, we explore how Hitler dragged the world to war; fresh from invading Czechoslovakia, Hitler now turned to his next target - Poland.

Hitler had outwardly emphasised his will for peace, yet he committed his top commanders once he came to power to a war of extermination that would secure the German Reich's supremacy in Europe.

Germany continues to build its empire in Europe, occupying Poland, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Luxembourg, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands and Belgium; Churchill rejects any attempt at an armistice.

The Sphinx is the most monumental ancient sculpture in the world at 73 metres long, 20 metres high and 14 metres wide. Who commissioned it, how was it erected, and what is its significance?

Hitler had outwardly emphasised his will for peace, yet he committed his top commanders once he came to power to a war of extermination that would secure the German Reich's supremacy in Europe.

Chambord is the largest of the Loire castles; with 220,000 tons of stone needed for its construction, it is one of the most important building sites of the Renaissance.

The Mayan city of Chichen Itza was the capital of a powerful civilisation - the 'water wizards' of the Itzas - but was mysteriously abandoned between the 11th and 13th centuries.