World War II with Tom Hanks
The HISTORY Channel | Back Pocket Studios | Audacy
For eighty years, the Second World War has remained the most devastating and defining conflict in human history. World War II with Tom Hanks reexamines the war through the lens of a new century. Told over twenty hours and guided by Tom Hanks, whose lifelong passion for this history has shaped some of the most profound screen portrayals of the era, the series captures the full arc of the war — from the rise of fascism in Europe to the fall of Berlin, from Pearl Harbor to Hiroshima, and the uneasy peace that follows. Each episode uncovers new dimensions of the conflict: the decisions that shaped the battlefield, the unseen networks that sustained the war effort, and the aftershocks that still shape our world today. World War II with Tom Hanks is the definitive retelling of that story for a new generation: a sweeping, deeply human portrait of how the modern world was forged in the fires of global war.
Recent Episodes
4 episodesBarbarossa
Operation Barbarossa, Nazi Germany’s surprise invasion of the Soviet Union, launches on June 22, 1941. In what is the largest military operation in history, Hitler aims to capture the Soviet Union’s vast economic resources, enslave its populations, and expand Germany east. It is the beginning of a brutal campaign that will ultimately help decide the war in Europe.This episode features interviews with (in order of appearance):Simon Sebag Montefiore, historian and authorSean McMeekin, professor, Bard CollegeColonel Douglas Douds, professor, US Army War CollegeAlexandra Richie, professor, Collegium CivitasRobert Citino, senior historian, National WWII MuseumJadwiga Biskupska, associate professor, Sam Houston State UniversityDan Carlin, podcaster, Hardcore HistoryGeneral Wesley Clark, US Army, Ret.Sir Antony Beevor, military historian
Blitz
After defeating Poland, Hitler looks west, planning an attack into France that will take advantage of a weak point in their defences. France is overrun and new British Prime Minister Churchill scrambles to evacuate Allied troops from the coast. Shocked by the defeat of France, Roosevelt calls to mobilize the US while German planes bombard Britain from the sky. The Germans are pushed back as Roosevelt establishes the US as the “arsenal of democracy” in the war against tyranny.This episode features interviews with (in order of appearance):Ludivine Broch, historian, University of WestminsterCameron Zinsou, associate professor, Command and General Staff CollegeMichael Neiberg, professor, US Army War CollegeSaul David, military historian and authorGeoffrey Wawro, professor, University of North TexasDan Snow, historian and broadcasterAlexandra Richie, professor, Collegium CivitasDan Carlin, podcaster, Hardcore HistoryRobert Citino, senior historian, National WWII MuseumJon Meacham, presidential historianLeah Wright Rigueur, associate professor, Johns Hopkins University
The Beginning
In September 1939, enabled by a secret pact between Adolf Hitler and Josef Stalin, Germany invades Poland with its lightning style of tank warfare, plunging Europe back into war. Adolf Hitler can now pursue his longed-for racial war, as the world watches in horror, and the stage is set for global conflict.This episode features interviews with (in order of appearance):Dan Carlin, podcaster, Hardcore HistoryAlexandra Richie, professor, Collegium CivitasRobert Citino, senior historian, National WWII MuseumCameron Zinsou, associate professor, Command and General Staff CollegeGeoffrey Wawro, professor, University of North TexasJadwiga Biskupska, associate professor, Sam Houston State UniversitySimon Sebag Montefiore, historian and authorRoger Moorhouse, historian and authorLeah Wright Rigueur, associate professor, Johns Hopkins UniversityJames Bulgin, Imperial War MuseumGeneral Wesley Clark, US Army, Ret.Sean McMeekin, professor, Bard College
World War II with Tom Hanks
Coming May 26th: World War II with Tom Hanks reexamines history’s most devastating conflict for a new century. Across twenty hours, the series traces the war’s full arc–from the rise of fascism to Hiroshima–uncovering the decisions, hidden networks, and lasting consequences that continue to shape our world.