In August 1940 the continent of Europe was all but conquered by the Nazis. There was no army left to fight the Germans on the Western front. Adolf Hitler's troops had pushed 340,000 English soldiers off the coast at Dunkirk, back across the channel to England. The British Isles was the only conquest left for the Nazi Empire. France had crumbled to the pressure of German blitzkrieg only months before, and the English were next on the list. The Battle of Britain in 1940-41, proved to be the first unsuccessful German campaign of World War II. According to the film, "Why We Fight," the battle was won not only over the skies of England by the Royal Air Force, but also by the people on the ground. The film argues that the English people's remarkable fortitude in the face of constant bombin
g, was a main factor in keeping Nazi soldiers and panzers off the shores of Britain. Although there were nearly 40,000 English citizens killed during the infamous "Blitz", Hitler and the Nazis were stopped when push came to shove.
The film presents both the RAF and the "Civilian Army" as the reasons for Germany losing the Battle of Britain. Hitler had under-estimated the determination and mental toughness of the a unified English culture. Not one Nazi soldier crossed the English Channel, and the idea of German invincibility was debunked. As London burned, the people only seemed to grow stronger. This victory in the sky and on the homefront, served as the first step toward German surrender in 1945.
The Luftwafe began attacking urban centers and non-military targets in hopes off breaking the English morale, and thus f
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