Lyon is the third-largest city in France; in ancient times it was the largest. At the time, the capital of the Gauls was called Lugdunum, a showcase for Rome in lands conquered by Julius Caesar.

Retracing the story of Hermann Goering, we learn how a revered fighter pilot of the First World War could emerge as a psychopathic war criminal in World War II.

Aachen Cathedral is a 1,200-year engineering marvel. We decode the 'smart' mortar, the hidden iron ring stabilising the cupola, and the metal reinforcements that let stained glass replace stone.

Aachen Cathedral is a 1,200-year engineering marvel. We decode the 'smart' mortar, the hidden iron ring stabilising the cupola, and the metal reinforcements that let stained glass replace stone.

For 2,600 years, Carcassonne has stood as Europe's ultimate fortress. Blending archaeology and engineering, we learn how innovation, strategy and restoration shaped an 'impregnable' citadel.

For 2,600 years, Carcassonne has stood as Europe's ultimate fortress. Blending archaeology and engineering, we learn how innovation, strategy and restoration shaped an 'impregnable' citadel.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is the most sacred Christian site in the world; defied by time, wars and earthquakes, it was rebuilt many times and now excavations reveal its secrets as never before.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is the most sacred Christian site in the world; defied by time, wars and earthquakes, it was rebuilt many times and now excavations reveal its secrets as never before.

The Sphinx is the most monumental ancient sculpture in the world at 73 metres long, 20 metres high and 14 metres wide. Who commissioned it, how was it erected, and what is its significance?

The Sphinx is the most monumental ancient sculpture in the world at 73 metres long, 20 metres high and 14 metres wide. Who commissioned it, how was it erected, and what is its significance?

Jun 1942: the most decisive naval-air battle in the Pacific started as a Japanese trap and ended as an American ambush. A totally unpredictable conflict, made up of luck, code-breaking and gambles.

Jun 1942: the most decisive naval-air battle in the Pacific started as a Japanese trap and ended as an American ambush. A totally unpredictable conflict, made up of luck, code-breaking and gambles.

Divers hunt for the wrecks of WWII's longest campaign that lie off Ireland's Northwest coast as historians explore the Allied fight back at sea and the human cost of war.

As World War II drags on into another bitter winter, the Allies become desperate to end the conflict. Churchill turns to his formidable bomber force to break the deadlock.

As World War II drags on into another bitter winter, the Allies become desperate to end the conflict. Churchill turns to his formidable bomber force to break the deadlock.

Hitler's rise to power was a unique moment in history; Germany suffered a humiliating defeat in WWI and was crippled by massive war reparations. Hitler offers a scapegoat: the Jews.

Hitler's rise to power was a unique moment in history; Germany suffered a humiliating defeat in WWI and was crippled by massive war reparations. Hitler offers a scapegoat: the Jews.

The final hours of WW2 change the course of history; as the Americans inch closer to Japan, the Japanese fight with greater intensity. The question now is how to force capitulation.

The final hours of WW2 change the course of history; as the Americans inch closer to Japan, the Japanese fight with greater intensity. The question now is how to force capitulation.

The inter-war years saw the rise of dictators, appeasement and the policies of the Third Reich until the invasion of Poland, and Japan's 1937 invasion of China escalated into a full-scale conflict.

The invasion of Poland forces even resistant nations into declaring war, Chamberlain is replaced by Winston Churchill, and hardly-remembered early naval encounters start to shape the war.

The invasion of Poland forces even resistant nations into declaring war, Chamberlain is replaced by Winston Churchill, and hardly-remembered early naval encounters start to shape the war.

In 2023, three amateur codebreakers decoded 57 long-lost letters from Mary, Queen of Scots, uncovering a hidden correspondence preserved in the French National Library after a year of remote collaboration.

We witness the final moments and aftermath of World War II with the establishment of war crime trials - such as the ones in Nuremberg - and move towards peace with the creation of the United Nations.

We witness the final moments and aftermath of World War II with the establishment of war crime trials - such as the ones in Nuremberg - and move towards peace with the creation of the United Nations.

WWII began with a deadly deception inside a Polish radio station; the early years of the war saw deception in its infancy, from code-breaking and spies to fake bombing sites and even inflatable tanks.

WWII began with a deadly deception inside a Polish radio station; the early years of the war saw deception in its infancy, from code-breaking and spies to fake bombing sites and even inflatable tanks.

By 1942, deception had become extremely sophisticated; the most cunning operation used a deceased homeless man to trick the entire Nazi leadership about the Normandy invasion.

By 1942, deception had become extremely sophisticated; the most cunning operation used a deceased homeless man to trick the entire Nazi leadership about the Normandy invasion.

Technology was used to deceive the enemy; radio and transmitters spread false information, and a ghost army tricked entire enemy forces by using sound effects.

Technology was used to deceive the enemy; radio and transmitters spread false information, and a ghost army tricked entire enemy forces by using sound effects.

With the war swinging toward the Allies, both sides still used some masterful deceptions; the post-war era saw the US and Soviet Union in a deadly game of espionage in the race for atomic supremacy.

With the war swinging toward the Allies, both sides still used some masterful deceptions; the post-war era saw the US and Soviet Union in a deadly game of espionage in the race for atomic supremacy.

Hidden in the rainforest, Tikal was the capital of the most powerful kingdom built by the Maya; now new technologies such as LiDar allow researchers to reveal new secrets about this exceptional place.

Hidden in the rainforest, Tikal was the capital of the most powerful kingdom built by the Maya; now new technologies such as LiDar allow researchers to reveal new secrets about this exceptional place.

Chambord is the largest of the Loire castles; with 220,000 tons of stone needed for its construction, it is one of the most important building sites of the Renaissance.

Chambord is the largest of the Loire castles; with 220,000 tons of stone needed for its construction, it is one of the most important building sites of the Renaissance.

The Mayan city of Chichen Itza was the capital of a powerful civilisation - the 'water wizards' of the Itzas - but was mysteriously abandoned between the 11th and 13th centuries.

The Mayan city of Chichen Itza was the capital of a powerful civilisation - the 'water wizards' of the Itzas - but was mysteriously abandoned between the 11th and 13th centuries.

Commonly known as Notre Dame, Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral is one of the most emblematic monuments of Paris and France; its construction began in 1163 and lasted for two centuries.

Commonly known as Notre Dame, Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral is one of the most emblematic monuments of Paris and France; its construction began in 1163 and lasted for two centuries.

Jan-May 1944: Atop the hill in Monte Cassino lies an abbey of which its Commander has forbidden its military use. Despite this, the abbey is reduced to rubble and the fight claims over 200,000 deaths.

Jan-May 1944: Atop the hill in Monte Cassino lies an abbey of which its Commander has forbidden its military use. Despite this, the abbey is reduced to rubble and the fight claims over 200,000 deaths.

Two rival rail companies compete to create the most ambitious engineering project the world has ever seen, an unprecedented railway that crosses the American continent.

Nazi naval commander Karl Donitz claimed after the Second World War that he'd only been a sailor following orders, but we set out to prove that he earned his bloody role as Hitler's successor.

A little-known 19th-century French artist embarks on an impossible 20-year odyssey to build the tallest statue in the world and erects it on US soil.

Two rival rail companies compete to create the most ambitious engineering project the world has ever seen, an unprecedented railway that crosses the American continent.

Two master roadbuilders spend decades struggling to create a highway system that connects every city and town in America that becomes the greatest public works project in history.

A little-known 19th-century French artist embarks on an impossible 20-year odyssey to build the tallest statue in the world and erects it on US soil.

Two nations - France and America - compete to build a path just 50 miles long that will connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans; completing it will require overcoming every obstacle imaginable.

Two master roadbuilders spend decades struggling to create a highway system that connects every city and town in America that becomes the greatest public works project in history.

After the London Underground becomes the first subway system in the world, visionary engineers in New York and Boston try to build the first one in America.

Two nations - France and America - compete to build a path just 50 miles long that will connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans; completing it will require overcoming every obstacle imaginable.

Jan 1944: Two divisions land at the Italian port of Anzio in one of the easiest Allied assaults of the war. But they fail to exploit their advantage, giving the German defenders time to reinforce.

After the London Underground becomes the first subway system in the world, visionary engineers in New York and Boston try to build the first one in America.

Jan 1944: Two divisions land at the Italian port of Anzio in one of the easiest Allied assaults of the war. But they fail to exploit their advantage, giving the German defenders time to reinforce.

After the London Underground becomes the first subway system in the world, visionary engineers in New York and Boston try to build the first one in America.

Known as the Butcher of Poland, Hans Frank warped the law to encourage persecution, enslavement, starvation, and genocide - we want to know more.

Two brave visionaries endure failure and heartache a century before the internet while risking everything to connect the United States to the rest of the world with a cable under the ocean.

After the London Underground becomes the first subway system in the world, visionary engineers in New York and Boston try to build the first one in America.

Engineer Joseph Strauss and US President Herbert Hoover battle side by side to build the two longest suspension bridges of all time - the Golden Gate and the Bay Bridge - in San Francisco.

Two brave visionaries endure failure and heartache a century before the internet while risking everything to connect the United States to the rest of the world with a cable under the ocean.

A hard-driving engineer with a reputation for excellence is on a quest to tame one of the wildest rivers in the United States to bring much-needed water to the arid American West.

Engineer Joseph Strauss and US President Herbert Hoover battle side by side to build the two longest suspension bridges of all time - the Golden Gate and the Bay Bridge - in San Francisco.

Two rival rail companies compete to create the most ambitious engineering project the world has ever seen, an unprecedented railway that crosses the American continent.

A hard-driving engineer with a reputation for excellence is on a quest to tame one of the wildest rivers in the United States to bring much-needed water to the arid American West.

June 1944: A stretch of beach overlooked by fortified cliffs created a devastating baptism of fire. Failed plans, missed opportunities and courage make this frontline a major turning point in WWII.

Two rival rail companies compete to create the most ambitious engineering project the world has ever seen, an unprecedented railway that crosses the American continent.

June 1944: A stretch of beach overlooked by fortified cliffs created a devastating baptism of fire. Failed plans, missed opportunities and courage make this frontline a major turning point in WWII.

Cleopatra, the seventh of her name, is history's most famous Ptolemy - heir to a Greek dynasty ruling Egypt for centuries. How did these foreign pharaohs blend Greek and Egyptian traditions?

Don Wildman explores deep below ancient ruins as he searches for clues pointing to the true fate of the once-mighty Mayan empire.

Don goes deep beneath the Great Lakes and explores flooded caves as he searches for evidence of a mysterious cave-dwelling society that may have been the first people to reach America.

Don uses new mapping technology to expose the dark and deadly uncharted spaces beneath American cities.

Don explores top-secret military and government tunnels and looks into classified technology that could be used to build entire cities right under our feet.

Jun-Jul 1944: Three weeks after D-Day, the Allied advance has stalled. The killing fields around Hill 112 become the start of a brutal war of attrition that the Nazis cannot afford to wage.

We discover how Hitler's master spy Wilhelm Canaris was both a committed Nazi and a double agent who provided secrets to the Allies and helped Jews escape from Germany.

Egypt's last queen was a brilliant strategist. In a Mediterranean world under Roman domination, Cleopatra succeeded in ascending to the throne despite facing numerous obstacles.

Don explores the massive underground cities in the mountains of Turkey that may have been home to the first civilisation on Earth.

Don follows the clues hidden underground as he searches for evidence of 10,000 Aztecs who fled Mexico and disappeared somewhere in America.

Don goes deep beneath a Knights Templar stronghold in Turkey to explore a provocative theory that may link the fabled secret society to the founding fathers of America.

Don explores newly-discovered ruins and caves in Croatia as he uncovers the true story of a formidable queen who dared to defy the powerful Roman Empire.

Dec 1944: with Europe in the grip of a terrible winter, Hitler's Panzers spearhead an attack on the Allied frontline in the Ardennes. They are to break through and re-capture the Port of Antwerp.

We visit Italy to investigate Benito Mussolini, the brutal dictator whose violent path to power set the template for the rise of Nazi Germany.

War explodes across western Europe; the Germans' mobile armour, airborne troops and airpower on the battlefield makes their assault unstoppable, and France is ready to fall to the Nazis.

Germany seeks to neutralise British strength from the air in the Battle of Britain; the Luftwaffe has been deterred, but the Blitz begins as the Germans move to support their allies in North Africa.

The war in Europe is transformed when Hitler unleashes Operation Barbarossa on the 22nd of June 1941; the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union has begun.

Japanese troops occupy southern Vietnam and Cambodia, but the day that changes the war comes on December 7th when Japanese aircraft attack the American Pacific Fleet at anchor in Pearl Harbor.

Japan's escalation of the War in the East is devastatingly effective; despite their success, it is possible to see their inevitable defeat as they have roused the military might of the USA.

How did Cleopatra die? Where is her tomb located? To get closer to the answers, one must understand ancient Egyptian funerary rites. Leading experts help us decipher the traditions of Cleopatra's era.

Air supremacy has been key to winning a war since the dawn of aerial warfare; from the Sopwith Camel biplane to the F22 Raptor, we identify and rank the most influential aircrafts in history.

20th-century battles have changed the course of history; the Battle of the Somme saw over 60,000 casualties on the first day alone and D-Day marked the beginning of Hitler's ultimate defeat.

Warfare has always driven the development of technology; from penicillin and pioneering plastic surgery to the development of the internet and GPS, we rank the most influential inventions of warfare.

From the super-dreadnought battleships of the First World War to the stealth submarines of the Cold War, maritime vessels have proved decisive in the fight for naval supremacy.

Weapons win wars; it's been claimed that the human race has spent more time, money, and effort in developing weapons than in any other single field of human endeavour.

Deep sea divers hunt for the wrecks of Hitler's dreaded U-Boat fleet off Ireland's Northwest coast while historians unravel the early stages of WWII's longest campaign.

Divers hunt for the wrecks of WWII's longest campaign that lie off Ireland's Northwest coast as historians explore the Allied fight back at sea and the human cost of war.

Giles Milton visits key D-Day sites along the Normandy coastline - including Omaha Beach and Pegasus Bridge - and we hear the stories of the men and women on both the attacking and defensive lines.

Giles Milton guides us round Normandy - the place where the D-Day invasion proved successful - from the gliders who went behind enemy lines to paratroopers who ambushed vital German generals.

Feb 1945: A quarter of all the US Marines who died in WWII were killed in Iwo Jima. The Leathernecks were forced to re-think their tactics, as one in three of them became a casualty.

The remains of 7,000 humans were discovered in the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum, Malta's Neolithic temple; could the temple reveal the mystery of who they belonged to and what happened to its owners?

In 1609, in the Basque Country, a local dispute turned into accusations of witchcraft. Between the 15th and 17th centuries, up to 60,000 people were condemned. Historians find out what really happened.

The grave of Bad Dürrenberg revealed not a male warrior, but a powerful and dark-skinned female shaman; misrepresented by the Nazis, her true story still fascinates 9,000 years on.

Archaeologists hunt for clues to the origins and explosive rise of the mighty Inca Empire - at their height, the largest empire in the world.

Archaeologists hunt for clues to how the mysterious Inca conquered much of South America, and why, when Europeans arrived, the mighty empire crumbled.

April 1945: Stalin's generals compete to raise the Red Flag over the Reichstag. A Panzer Army, two army groups, and the home guard are locked in a desperate battle with the encircling Red Army.

We discover an intriguing new theory about Göbekli Tepe in southern Turkey; one of the world's oldest mysteries dating back over 12,000 years, we still don't understand who built it or why.

The pockmarked mummy of Pharaoh Ramesses V looks serene, but there's evidence of deliberately inflicted wounds that suggest a sudden violent death... if this was the case, then who was the killer?

The mangled mummy of Pharaoh Seqenenre Taa is a murder mystery that endures to this day; we discover the truth behind his brutal and humiliating death.

The shocking remains of a 3,000-year-old screaming mummy have haunted Egyptologists for decades; what happened to leave him looking like something from a horror film?

In 1609, in the Basque Country, a local dispute turned into accusations of witchcraft. Between the 15th and 17th centuries, up to 60,000 people were condemned. Historians find out what really happened.

Deep sea divers hunt for the wrecks of Hitler's dreaded U-Boat fleet off Ireland's Northwest coast while historians unravel the early stages of WWII's longest campaign.

Ancient history knows few rulers like Constantine the Great. This first episode follows archaeologists on the stages of his life from Naissus to Rome.

The disfigured mummy of the Younger Lady has mystified experts since she was first discovered over 100 years ago; investigators find out who she was using modern forensic science.

Could an exhibit from an oddities museum in Niagara Falls be a genuine long-lost pharaoh from Egypt's most iconic dynasty? A team of leading Egyptologists and scientists re-examine the evidence.

Could a shock discovery of a tooth hidden inside a jewellery box lead archaeologists to the lost mummy of the female pharaoh Hatshepsut, who is widely considered to be ancient Egypt's greatest queen?

The grave of Bad Dürrenberg revealed not a male warrior, but a powerful and dark-skinned female shaman; misrepresented by the Nazis, her true story still fascinates 9,000 years on.

Divers hunt for the wrecks of WWII's longest campaign that lie off Ireland's Northwest coast as historians explore the Allied fight back at sea and the human cost of war.

Constantine's claim to power knew no bounds. This final episode follows the emperor's archaeological traces to the new Rome, Constantinople.

Ancient history knows few rulers like Constantine the Great. This first episode follows archaeologists on the stages of his life from Naissus to Rome.

Constantine's claim to power knew no bounds. This final episode follows the emperor's archaeological traces to the new Rome, Constantinople.

The economy, trade and commercial power of Rome on the eve of the Empire with the Battle of Alesia, portraits of Julius Caesar and Cleopatra, and the Pantheon, the temple of all gods.

The aristocracy and the perils of power in the time of a feared emperor with Boudicca's revolt, portraits of Nero and Boudicca, and Nero's incredible palace of the Domus Aurea.

This documentary shows a different side of D-Day: not just the famous shots of the beaches at Normandy, but the troops, sailors and civilians on the South Coast of England preparing for battle too.

The first empress of Rome, the ruthless Livia Drusilla, carved a corpse-strewn path to putting her own son on the emperor's throne before her golden dynasty descended into an age of terror.

The war turns in favour of the Allies; Montgomery turns the tables on the Afrika Corps at El Alamein, the Japanese are defeated at Guadalcanal, and the Germans are defeated at Stalingrad.

The Allied leaders meet for their first conference to discuss the coordination of their efforts, a Japanese division is destroyed at sea, and the Red Army begins its advance towards Berlin.

The Germans continue their retreat from Russia, but the most significant event at this stage of the war is the second front in Europe with the D-Day landings on June 6th - Operation Overlord.

The Allies continue their eastward push from Normandy and close on the German border; in the east, the Soviet Union unleashes Operation Bagration, the greatest offensive of the war.

The Allies succeed in crossing the Rhine and fight their way through Germany as the Red Army finally forces Axis troops from Soviet territory and closes on the capital, Berlin.

Livia, the first empress of Rome, came to regret the scheming that put her son Tiberius on the throne as he and his heir Caligula dragged the empire into an age of tyranny and shocking depravity.

What makes a successful war leader? Influential leaders of warfare all share a vision and the ability to inspire others to follow their orders, but how they lead differs hugely.

Secrecy in war can mean the difference between victory and defeat; from spies to sabotage, military commanders often turn to secret plans at the height of war in order to gain a strategic advantage.

The greatest 20th-century commanders understood warfare at both strategic and tactical level; some instilled loyalty in their troops through fear and intimidation while others inspired confidence.

What defines a successful fighting force? Warfare has changed radically over the last century, and armed forces have had to adapt to new technologies and tactics.

The Mark 1 tank was first used in 1916 to give the Allies an advantage in the trenches; it changed how battles were fought and became the foundation of a century of innovation in armoured vehicles.

The first empress of Rome, the ruthless Livia Drusilla, carved a corpse-strewn path to putting her own son on the emperor's throne before her golden dynasty descended into an age of terror.

Livia, the first empress of Rome, came to regret the scheming that put her son Tiberius on the throne as he and his heir Caligula dragged the empire into an age of tyranny and shocking depravity.

Claudius rose to the throne but was poisoned by his wife; after his successor Nero alienated Rome, Livia Drusilla's dynasty ended with brutal power struggles but having changed the course of history.

He is infamous for ordering the murder of all first-born male children in an attempt to prevent the coming of the Son of God Jesus Christ, but Herod may not be as evil as the Bible made out.

This episode traces the war in the West and how the geography of Western Europe provided both the Nazis and the Allies with advantages and disadvantages.

In this two-part series, we reveal the devastation inflicted on medieval Europe by the 14th-century outbreak of the plague that remains the deadliest recorded pandemic in history.

Catholic conspirators led by Robert Catesby plotted to blow up Parliament and kill King James I; Guy Fawkes was caught guarding the gunpowder, and an anonymous letter foiled the plan.

Julius Caesar was stabbed 23 times by senators; this episode explores murdered royals, including Danish King Erik IV, Pharaoh Ramesses III, and Persian King Darius III, all betrayed by near-allies.

Gladiator Spartacus led 70,000 slaves in rebellion against Rome in 73 B.C.E. / B.C., ending with 6,000 crucifixions; philosopher Hypatia was murdered in 415 C.E. / A.D. during religious conflict.

Duke Louis d'Orléans was ambushed and killed in 1407 by rival John the Fearless, who claimed tyrannicide; Athenian general Alcibiades switched sides repeatedly before Persian assassins killed him.

For 2,000 years, whoever controlled the Mediterranean controlled the resources of the known world. In WWII, this area was in control of the British Empire, and Mussolini wanted it back.

Albert Speer, Hitler's architect and armaments minister, built the industrial foundations of the Nazi war machine; after the downfall, he crafted a carefully managed myth to escape the gallows.

Lombard King Alboin forced his wife to drink from her father's skull, leading her to conspire in his murder; German King Philip of Swabia was killed in 1208 by Count Otto VIII over marriage disputes.

War hero Gilles de Rais was tried and executed in 1440 for murdering over 100 children; at the 1440 Black Dinner, the young Douglas brothers were invited to dine with the king, then seized and killed.

The Pazzi family attacked the Medicis during Easter Mass in 1478, killing Giuliano; Byzantine Empress Maria of Antioch was strangled in 1182 after her cousin Andronikos incited massacre.

King William Rufus was struck by an arrow while hunting in 1100; Japan's last Minamoto shōgun Sanetomo was assassinated by his nephew outside a shrine in 1219.

The Eastern Front saw Hitler's most brutal WWII campaigns, but it is also where the Soviets, with mastery of the ground on which they lived, beat him all the way back to Berlin.

Starting in the beerhalls of post-First World War Munich, Adolf Hitler captivated a nation desperate for hope; a movement was sparked that drew a loyal inner circle together driven by ambition, extremism, and blind devotion. This sprawling series unravels how economic turmoil, wounded national pride, and 'charismatic' leadership gave rise to unprecedented brutality shaped by the men and women who stood closest to Hitler; each episode focuses on one Nazi figure and provides insight into their lives. These are the threads that made up Hitler's unleashed nightmare...