World War 2: 1939

In January 1939, many Europeans dared to hope the worst was over. They were wrong. This is the story of the year that changed everything — from the intensifying clashes on the Soviet-Japanese frontier, to Hitler and Stalin’s secret pact to carve up Eastern Europe, and their invasion of Poland that plunged the world into its most devastating conflict. We explore World War 2's opening moves, as the Soviet Union invades Finland and the Allies prepare for battle on the Western Front.