1. Dunkirk

In May 1940, a German offensive traps the British on the French coast, but a heroic civilian effort evacuates the troops and inspires an entire nation.

2. The Battle of the Atlantic

U-boat "wolf packs" ravage Allied convoys early in the war, but ingenuity, new technology and a bit of luck help the Allies turn the tide by 1943.

3. The Invasion of North Africa

In late 1942, America enters the war in North Africa, where the British have been battling the Germans and Italians for control of the Suez Canal.

4. The Battle of Kursk

Desperate for a victory in the East, Germany attacks toward Kursk in the summer of 1943 and triggers a monumental tank battle with the Soviet Union.

5. The Invasion of Italy

Hoping for a swift victory, Allied armies invade Italy in September 1943, but the fighting quickly grinds down to a bloody, months long campaign.

6. The Liberation of Paris

Paris suffers under German occupation throughout the war, until Resistance fighters within the city rise up to drive them out in August 1944.

8. Iwo Jima

In early 1945, US Marines invade Iwo Jima and face an appallingly bloody battle for control of the island, to the dismay of the public back home.

9. The Race for Berlin

Angling for power in the postwar world, Stalin tricks the Allies — and his own generals — to ensure the Red Army wins the race to Berlin in April 1945.

10. Okinawa

US forces invade Okinawa in April 1945, and months of fighting and dreadful casualties persuade Truman to drop the bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.