The Blitz
It was in 1939 that Britain declared war on Germany, heralding the start of the Second World War.
Whilst the UK immediately prepared for bombs to fall, for a long time nothing happened. This initial period of the war has subsequently become known as the "Phoney War".
Then on the 7th September 1940 the bombs began to drop. London suffered 57 consecutive nights of bombing and then it continued sporadically until 11th May 1941. It is this period that has become known as The Blitz, the name being derived from the German Blitzkreig, a military word meaning "lightening war".
By the end of the Blitz a total of more than 15,000 tons of bombs had been dropped on London. More than 20,000 lives were lost and hundreds of thousands of homes were destroyed.
And yet one of London's most famous landmarks, St Paul's Cathedral remained relatively undamaged, and in particular the dome remained intact.
Photos of the cathedral standing defiant amongst the wreckage of London became some of the most famous images of the war, and they were used effectively as a propaganda symbol of Britain's strength and invincibility.
The photos are now on display at the Winston Churchill's Britain at War Museum, which includes a recreation of a recently bombed street during the Blitz.
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