Unsung Heroes of World War II: Europe

Discover 12 extraordinary stories of ordinary people who changed the course of history through courage and ingenuity in Nazi-occupied Europe.

Course Overview (No. 30100)

This 12-lecture series reveals the hidden stories of resistance fighters, spies, mathematicians and everyday citizens whose remarkable contributions helped defeat tyranny during WWII.

Video Lectures

1. Andrée de Jongh and the Resistance (26 min)
   A 23-year-old nurse builds an escape network saving hundreds of Allied airmen.
2. The Tory Rebels Who Helped Save England (30 min)
   The political maneuvering that brought Churchill to power against all odds.
3. Victor de Laveleye and V for Victory (30 min)
   How an Olympic athlete created the iconic resistance symbol.
4. Wilhelmina and Haakon: Royalty Fight Back (30 min)
   The dramatic escapes of Dutch and Norwegian monarchs who led from exile.
5. Polish Pilots and the Battle of Britain (31 min)
   Foreign fighter pilots who played pivotal roles in England’s aerial defense.
6. Wendell Willkie: “A Godsend to This Country” (32 min)
   The presidential candidate who sacrificed his campaign to support FDR’s war plans.
7. The Earl of Suffolk and Heavy Water (32 min)
   A swashbuckling aristocrat’s mission to stop Nazi nuclear ambitions.
8. Marie-Madeleine Fourcade: Spymaster (30 min)
   The young mother who led France’s largest Allied spy network.
9. John Winant and the Special Relationship (31 min)
   The ambassador who rebuilt US-British trust when it mattered most.
10. Marian Rejewski and Breaking Enigma (29 min)
    Polish mathematicians who cracked Germany’s codes years before Bletchley Park.
11. Tommy Hitchcock and the P-51 Mustang (30 min)
    How a polo player helped develop WWII’s most effective fighter plane.
12. The Dutch Sisters Who Saved a General (29 min)
    Three middle-aged women who risked everything to shelter a wounded Allied commander.