Featuring some amazing archive footage, this episode highlights the importance of the organised civilian groups who fought military actions or performed acts of espionage, sabotage, disruption and protest against occupying forces. Many risked their lives on a daily basis. This episode looks at the French Resistance, and asks searching questions about its effectiveness, while seeking to separate the myths from the facts. Other perhaps less well-documented groups which fall under the spotlight include the successful partisans of Yugoslavia, commanded by Tito and the resistance groups of Russia.

Leading historians and military experts bring the latest theories to this episode, which also includes interviews with those that organised and fought the war behind the lines.