36. Britain in 1940 Was Nowhere Near As Vulnerable to Invasion as Is Widely Thought
After the fall of France in 1940, Britain stood alone against the Germans, who dominated continental Europe. Most figured it was all over for the British, who had no choice but to sue for peace. Instead, led by the plucky Winston Churchill, Britain chose to fight on. That led Hitler to order plans for an invasion of Britain, Operation Sea Lion. While most Britons feared a German invasion at any moment, their leaders were confident that any German invasion, if attempted, was bound to fail.