Experience the liberation of France during WWII through modern eyes. Unrivalled restoration and expert colourisation of the surviving archive brings to life the heroism and tragedy, hope and despair, and exposes the reality of warfare that leaves no one untouched, or unchanged. Watch the four part series Liberation: D-Day to Berlin at 8pm on Sunday 4th and Monday 5th May on National Geographic UK. | National Geographic UK

On this day in 1945, the German High Command, in the person of General Alfred Jodl, signs the unconditional surrender of all German forces, East and West, at Reims, in northeastern France. | Joël Stoppels Battlefield Tours

Fought from May to June 1940, the Battle of France was a major early World War II clash between Germany and Allied forces. Germany used its fast-moving Blitzkrieg tactics to bypass France’s Maginot Line through the Ardennes forest, quickly surrounding Allied troops. This led to the dramatic Dunkirk evacuation. France ultimately surrendered to Germany on June 22, 1940, marking a critical shift in the war. | History In Pictures