In 1940, eight months after the start of WWII, the Nazis attack Western Europe. To reach France and the United Kingdom, Hitler applies, from May 10, the blitzkrieg strategy, which relies on armoured vehicles, and ravages Belgium and the Netherlands.

In May 1944, after more than four years of fighting against the Nazis, the American, English and Canadian armed forces prepare to land on the Normandy beaches in order to liberate occupied France. The Allies launch Operation Fortitude.

In order to finance the Aswan dam, Egyptian President Nasser announces, on July 26, 1956, the nationalisation of the Suez Canal. The UK and France show their displeasure at what they see as a threat to their countries' economies.

The Vietnam War and the Civil Rights movement are hot topics in 1968. Martin L King Jr, pastor and African-American activist, and Robert F Kennedy, senator from New York, are two figures embodying peace during a time of racial segregation.

At the end of the summer of 1989, in East Germany, a wave of protest against the end of the communist regime spread throughout the country. These demonstrations lead to the resignation of the government of the FRG on 7 November.

On August 2, 1990, Saddam Hussein's Iraq invades Kuwait, a rich neighbouring state thanks to its oil reserves. US President George Bush pushes the UN to form an international coalition to carry out an armed intervention.