In the chaos after World War I Germany experienced economic and political instability, which opened the door for Adolf Hitler to become the sole leader of the Nazi Party.

The German-Soviet Non Aggression Pact signed in August 1939 allowed Hitler to proceed with the invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939; igniting war throughout Europe.

Operation Sea Lion was the German plan for the invasion of the British Isles.

With the launch of new battle cruisers and battleships like the Graf Spee and the Bismarck, the German Navy began to rival the Royal Navy in size and power.

Operation Barbarossa: The German Army invaded Russia on June 22, 1941 with over 3,000,000 troops supported by Panzer (tanks), artillery and air power.

The winter of 1941-1942 basically immobilized both the German and Red armies. Cold, snow and mud made movement at scale virtually impossible..