The early years of WWII caused devastation throughout Europe; the 1939 non-aggression pact between the Germans and Russians had promised safety for the Soviet Union, but Hitler was not to be trusted.

Nazi Germany's fate was all but sealed by late 1944, but Hitler's manic denial of this impending defeat would lead to his final gamble at the Battle of the Bulge.

The war in Europe was over, but heavy fighting continued in the East and President Truman was desperate to bring the war to a close in the Pacific.

The emergence of the Cold War wasn't due to one single event; it was born from a series of steps laid by the United States and the Soviet Union, the two main powers of the alliance of WWII.

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.

Science was a tool to help the war effort for the Nazis; how could a Nazi soldier and its leadership be optimised, and what secret Nazi plans can we glean from a hidden crypt in Thuringia?

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.

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.

The emergence of the Cold War wasn't due to one single event; it was born from a series of steps laid by the United States and the Soviet Union, the two main powers of the alliance of WWII.

The Berlin Olympics of 1936 were innovative, introducing television coverage and the torch relay. We show the highlights, but also how Hitler used the Games as propaganda for his brutal regime.

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.

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.

Professor Salima Ikram shows us an extraordinary series of reliefs and inscriptions about Ramses' battles with the 'Sea People' at Ramses III's mortuary temple at Medinet Habu in Egypt.

Around 1200 B.C. / B.C.E.: Bronze Age people are on the move across the Eastern Mediterranean and sacking and burning the great centres of civilisation as they go.

We witness the final moments and aftermath of World War II with the establishment of war crime trials - such as the ones in Nuremberg - and move towards peace with the creation of the United Nations.

This episode traces the war in the West and how the geography of Western Europe provided both the Nazis and the Allies with advantages and disadvantages.

Bettany visits Turkey to witness settlements such as Cappadocia and Göbeklitepe up close; she also explores Urfa (Şanlıurfa), one of the most significant pilgrimage cities of the Middle East.

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?

The Nazis built a number of radar stations and systems harnessing the power of frequencies to help them plot their next move; were they also harnessing the power of the Sun itself?

Auguste Mariette discovered Saqqara's Serapeum and pioneered a more scientific Egyptology. Once a looter, he created Egypt's Antiquities Service and Cairo's first museum to protect its heritage.

What is a tank? From the early concepts to the first tank prototype, we examine how the battlefields of WWI set the scene for the mechanised warfare of WWII.

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.