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On 24 May 1940, Hitler ordered his force of 3,000 Panzer tanks to halt just outside Dunkirk. Why did he make this decision and what if he had not done so? (2000)

On 24 May 1940, Hitler ordered his force of 3,000 Panzer tanks, which had been sweeping across northern France, to halt just outside Dunkirk. Why did he make this decision and what if he had not done so? Using contributions from historians and analysis of Churchill's documents, this programme considers the alternative scenarios had the British forces (almost a quarter of a million men) not escaped via Dunkirk. It is determined that Dunkirk was the most dangerous chapter in the war and there could have been a dramatically different outcome if the Panzers had advanced. (2000)

30 minutes

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Fri 5 Apr 2002 23:00
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Four

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Did You Know?

The Panzers enabled the German army to invade France successfully. The ten Panzer divisions involved in the campaign comprised 2,574 tanks (almost the total number Germany possessed) and various mechanised regiments. Hitler had begun manufacturing tanks secretly after he came to power in 1933, in contravention of the Treaty of Versailles, but the production programme became public knowledge in 1938.

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Broadcasts

  • Mon 29 May 2000 09:00
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Knowledge
  • Mon 29 May 2000 12:00
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Knowledge
  • Mon 29 May 2000 15:00
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Knowledge
  • Mon 29 May 2000 18:00
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  • Mon 29 May 2000 21:00
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Knowledge
  • Tue 30 May 2000 00:00
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  • Sat 3 Jun 2000 11:00
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  • Sat 3 Jun 2000 15:00
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Knowledge
  • Sat 3 Jun 2000 19:00
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Knowledge
  • Sat 3 Jun 2000 23:00
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Knowledge
  • Mon 20 Nov 2000 10:00
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Knowledge
  • Mon 20 Nov 2000 13:00
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Knowledge
  • Mon 20 Nov 2000 16:00
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Knowledge
  • Mon 20 Nov 2000 19:00
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Knowledge
  • Mon 20 Nov 2000 22:00
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  • Tue 21 Nov 2000 00:30
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Knowledge
  • Mon 26 Feb 2001 20:30
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  • Mon 26 Feb 2001 22:00
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  • Mon 2 Apr 2001 19:30
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  • Mon 2 Apr 2001 22:00
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Knowledge
  • Sun 11 Nov 2001 10:30
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  • Sun 11 Nov 2001 13:40
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  • Sun 11 Nov 2001 16:40
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Knowledge
  • Fri 1 Mar 2002 19:10
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Knowledge
  • Fri 5 Apr 2002 23:00
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Four

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WWII: Dunkirk Evacuation Collection

This programme is available online as part of the WWII: Dunkirk Evacuation Collection