The Second World War (1939–1945)

Germany invaded Poland on 1 September 1939. Britain and France had guaranteed Polish independence and declared war on Germany two days later. By May 1940 Germany had overrun much of Western Europe, and the situation for Britain looked desperate. Winston Churchill became Prime Minister in May 1940, replacing Neville Chamberlain, and immediately galvanised the nation with his powerful speeches and resolute refusal to seek peace with Hitler.

In the summer of 1940, Germany launched a sustained air campaign against Britain — the Battle of Britain — hoping to destroy the Royal Air Force and clear the way for invasion. The RAF pilots, known as “The Few” in tribute to Churchill's famous speech, successfully defended British airspace.

Germany then turned to bombing British cities — the Blitz — targeting London and other major industrial centres. Despite severe damage and many civilian casualties, the British civilian population endured the bombing and maintained morale.

On 6 June 1944 — D-Day — Allied forces mounted the largest seaborne invasion in history, landing on the beaches of Normandy in France. This operation opened a new front against Germany and began the liberation of Western Europe. Germany surrendered on 8 May 1945 — VE Day (Victory in Europe Day).

The war in the Pacific continued until Japan surrendered on 15 August 1945 — VJ Day (Victory over Japan Day) — following the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Holocaust — the systematic murder of six million Jewish people and others by the Nazi regime — was exposed in its full horror as Allied forces liberated the concentration camps.

After the war, the Labour government elected in 1945 created the welfare state, providing social security from “cradle to grave”. The National Health Service (NHS) was established in 1948, providing free healthcare to all. These reforms fundamentally changed British society and remain central to British life today.