In 1945, British troops occupied Germany alongside their wartime Soviet allies. But growing East-West tensions soon evolved into the Cold War. For the next four decades, soldiers in Germany prepared to face an attack by the Warsaw Pact.
Following their victory over Nazi Germany in 1945, the Allies were faced with administering a country in ruins. British soldiers had a leading role in this, helping to hunt war criminals, rebuild industry and help displaced persons.
Fought in southern Germany on 27 June 1743, Dettingen saw British forces stand in alliance with those of Hanover and Austria against the French. It was the last time a reigning British monarch personally led his troops in battle.
As the British Army advanced into the heart of Nazi Germany in the spring of 1945, its soldiers were confronted with the full horrors of the Holocaust at the notorious Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.
Nato has been the cornerstone of British defence planning for 70 years. Originally formed as a bulwark against communism, more recently it has been involved in peacekeeping roles and the ‘war on terror’.
The Battle of Blenheim in 1704 saw a decisive defeat for a Franco-Bavarian force by the allied English, Dutch and Austrian armies commanded by the Duke of Marlborough and Prince Eugene of Savoy.
During 1944-45, the Allies endured months of fighting against a determined enemy. This bloody struggle eventually ended in the final defeat of Nazi Germany.
