Defending Europe

©National Geographic
Defending Europe

Synopsis

Defending Europe' explores the incredible strategies, weapons, and structures different European countries have used to defend and protect their territory through the ages. Covering over 1,000 years of history, it shows how these often-forgotten stories and sites played a pivotal role in creating the countries and borders of Europe we know today

Episodes

Season 1
  • Finland

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    How a small Finnish force beat the Red Army in the Second World War, and how Finns are preparing for war now, with nuclear bunkers and urban warfare.

  • Britain

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    How Britain has defended its coastline for nearly a thousand years since the Norman invasion – seeing off threats from Napoleon to Hitler.

  • Poland

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    The story of how Poland, one of the most invaded countries in Europe, has survived against all the odds.

  • The Netherlands

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    The story of how the Netherlands, locked in a constant battle with water, has harnessed this threat to become a powerful European player.

  • France

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    Discovering how France constructed ingenious fortifications, on a massive scale, to defend itself against attacks from the east.

  • Spain

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    The impressive fortifications and defensive strategies used during Spain’s dramatic history of conflict, from the Middle Ages to the Civil War.

specials