The History Channel New Series Debut: THE LAST DAYS OF WORLD WAR II

The History Channel New Series Debut: THE LAST DAYS OF WORLD WAR II Week by week chronicles the last six months of World War II Airing Fridays at 8 pm ET/PT beginning February 18th 2005 NEW YORK, Jan. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- For almost six years, Adolf Hitler's Germany and its Axis partners seemed unconquerable, but by February 1945, the tide was turning. The Axis powers no longer struck out from the shadows; they hid in them. Bombs rained down on Axis cities and Allied forces prepared to invade sacred homelands. This new series from The History Channel chronicles the final six month march of triumphant conquests, brutal campaigns, and untold suffering. As the end of the war approached, atrocities were revealed, empires crumbled, and destinies were forged on the tips of bayonets. From the battle for the Rhineland and the race to Berlin, to the casualties of Pacific island warfare and the weapon that marked its apocalyptic conclusion ... these are THE LAST DAYS OF WORLD WAR II. This new series, airing Fridays at 8pm ET/PT, examines the most explosively violent six months in world history. THE LAST DAYS OF WORLD WAR II meticulously recounts the events week by week, focusing on the battles, the weapons, and the personalities that figured into the conclusion of the war. The series begins in February, 1945 with the Allies poised to advance into the Rhineland in Europe and US marines on the brink of the brutal battle for Iwo Jima. During the final six months of World War II, the Allies in Europe devastated Berlin and undertook the difficult task of clearing the Nazis out of Italy, Denmark, Norway, and other regions. Even after Germany's surrender, the "Big 3" nations had to tackle the monumental task of rebuilding and restructuring a shattered continent. Simultaneously, there was still heavy fighting in the Pacific. As a matter of honor, Japan would not surrender. Allied soldiers fought to the death against fanatical Japanese troops on Iwo Jima, in the Philippines, on Okinawa, in Burma, and elsewhere. Meanwhile, thousands of scientists were tucked away in top secret US laboratories feverishly working to build the most destructive weapon known to man in 1945 - the atomic bomb. That weapon was ultimately unleashed over Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and brought the war to its conclusion with Japan's unconditional surrender. Each episode of THE LAST DAYS OF WORLD WAR II profiles a key personality. Important figures for both the Allies and Axis are examined. Among those profiled are: * Josef "Sepp" Dietrich, who led the powerful 6th Panzer Army in the failed Ardennes Offensive * Heinrich Himmler, one of Hitler's most notorious and brutal henchmen * Ernie Pyle, famed battlefield reporter * General George S. Patton, Commander of US 3rd Army * Eva Braun, Hitler's long-time mistress and wife of only one day * Anne Frank, 15 year old victim of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp * Lt. General Mitsuri Ushijima, Commander of the Japanese 32nd Army on Okinawa * Admiral Chester Nimitz, senior US naval officer in the Pacific * Robert Oppenheimer, the 'Father of the Atomic bomb' * Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of Great Britain * Colonel Paul Warfield Tibbets, Jr, pilot of the Enola Gay * Emperor Hirohito, the pragmatic emperor of Japan THE LAST DAYS OF WORLD WAR II also takes a look at the weapons and equipment that played important roles in the last six months of the war. The impact of military technology during this period was extreme. Weapons and technologies explored in detail include: * Pontoon Bridges * Grand Slam Bomb * M1 Rifle * M20 Bazooka * V-2 Rocket * ME 262, the world's first jet fighter * Republic P-47 Thunderbolt * Willys Jeep * Japanese Balloon Bomb * US Gato Class Submarine * US P-51 Mustang Escort Fighter * US M16 Half-Track * US Grumman F-6 Hellcat Naval Fighter-bomber * Battleship Missouri * 'Fat Boy' and 'Fat Man'-the Atomic Bombs Executive Producer for The History Channel is Dolores Gavin. THE LAST DAYS OF WWII is produced for The History Channel by Nugus Martin. Now reaching more than 87 million Nielsen subscribers, The History Channel(R), "Where the Past Comes Alive(R)," brings history to life in a powerful manner and provides an inviting place where people experience history personally and connect their own lives to the great lives and events of the past. In 2004, The History Channel earned five News and Documentary Emmy(R) Awards and previously received the prestigious Governor's Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for the network's "Save Our History(R)" campaign dedicated to historic preservation and history education. The History Channel web site is located at http://www.history.com/. Source: The History Channel CONTACT: Jenna Farkas, +1-212-210-9184, jenna.farkas@aetn.com Web site: http://www.history.com/ NOTE TO EDITORS: For more information and photography please visit us on the web at http://www.historychannelpress.com ------- Profile: International Entertainment