  The summer of 1940 was a volatile time. Americans were beginning to feel the heat from the war in Europe, Britain was preparing for an invasion, and most of the Continent was under Nazi control. While many Americans were hoping that this was just another European war, the memories of the Great War (World War 1) were just too fresh.
The Columbia Broadcasting System provided up-to-date information devoted to specifically devoted to the war in Europe. Larry LeSueur, a pioneer in broadcast journalism, provided news from London. In the summer of 1940, the whole world expected Germany to launch an invasion of Britain. While there was not an invasion by the German Army, LeSueur was perfectly positioned to cover the Battle of Britain, also known as the Blitz (July-October 1940). CBS also had correspondents in Berlin, William Shirer, and in Rome, Cecil Brown.
The news from that tense summer is a wealth of information, bringing to life the fear of invasion in England, the signs of the coming conflict with Japan and just how much of the world this war touched. News from occupied Europe and stand-alone Britain helped make American understand that this is, indeed, a small world.
For additional news commentary, see also:
For full day broadcasts, see also:
|