Britain’s vast global reach and access to resources, much of which went beyond both its Empire and Europe.

The Führer at the Berghof. A man of iron will but also a gambler without geo-political understanding – a fatal shortcoming.

Count Galeazzo Ciano, the Italian foreign minister, who in the summer of 1939 was both appalled by the machinations of Italy’s German allies and desperately trying to keep his country out of war.

The point of no return. Two days later, on Sunday, 3 September 1939, Britain and France honoured their threat and declared war against Germany.

The seven uniforms of the German infantryman: elaborately designed, beautifully made – and expensive.

German soldiers fire the much-vaunted MG34. A fine weapon but over-engineered, costly and with serious drawbacks that were often overlooked.

German infantrymen, wearing the standard Feldbluse. Both the cut and the leather webbing were, in many ways, rather old-fashioned.

A British soldier wearing modern battle- dress with canvas webbing: sartorially questionable, but certainly practical and inexpensive to produce.

One of England’s finest-ever cricketers, Hedley Verity played his last match for Yorkshire on 1 September and volunteered three days later.

French troops. Some units had superb modern kit, but most, as this lot, looked like relics from the last century.

The British Home Fleet at Scapa Flow. In 1939, Britain had comfortably the world’s largest navy.

The Stuka (left), and the Heinkel 112. The latter was discarded, despite being a superb fighter plane and a far better partner for the Me109 than the Me110.

German troops in Gudbrandsdal Valley in central Norway, April 1940.

Helmut Lent and his broken Me110 at Fornebu, where he crash-landed and captured the airfield.

Sunken German ships at Narvik, 10 April 1940. On land, Germany held all the aces, but at sea, the Kriegsmarine suffered terribly.

British and French troops share cigarettes at Narvik, their only – and brief – success on land.

No army in the world has ever been as dependent on horses as the ehrmacht. There is a centuries-old feel to these pictures but they are, in fact, of a German artillery unit on the move in France in 1940. The field gun does not need modern pneumatic tyres when pulled by horses.

General Maurice Gamelin (second left), with General Lord Gort.

Belgian refugees. The Allied commanders had not considered how to move troops or deliver urgent messages along roads clogged with civilians. It was a terrible oversight.

Dead French soldiers lie where they fell.

Knocked out Char Bs. The French had the most numerous and best-armed and -armoured tanks, but lacked modern radios to put in them – another bad oversight.

The BEF retreating towards the Channel coast, late May 1940. Many were ordered to fall back before they had even fired a shot.

A downed German Ju52. The Luftwaffe lost a staggering 353 aircraft on 10 May 1940, the opening day of the campaign.

Norman Field was one of those desperately trying to defend the perimeter around Dunkirk.

Siegfried Bethke (fourth left), with his fellow fighter pilots

in JG2.

The image of the German soldier fighting in France: tough, well-armed and highly trained. In fact, these Waffen-SS troops were poorly trained and few in number.

The evacuation of Dunkirk. Smoke from burning oil depots and low cloud shroud the beaches.

French troops en route to Britain. After the armistice, the vast majority chose to return to France rather than stay and fight under the banner of de Gaulle’s Free French.