There is a large body of fiction set in an

alternate history Alternate history (also alternative history, althist, AH) is a genre of speculative fiction of stories in which one or more historical events occur and are resolved differently than in real life. As conjecture based upon historical fact, altern ...

or a secret history, where the

Operation Sea Lion Operation Sea Lion, also written as Operation Sealion (german: Unternehmen Seelöwe), was Nazi Germany's code name for the plan for an invasion of the United Kingdom during the Battle of Britain in the Second World War. Following the Battle o ...

, a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

plan to invade

Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, is attempted or successfully carried out. However, analyses by experts during a

wargame A wargame is a strategy game in which two or more players command opposing armed forces in a realistic simulation of an armed conflict. Wargaming may be played for recreation, to train military officers in the art of strategic thinking, or to s ...

conducted in 1974 concluded that there was little chance of the plan succeeding.

Literature

*'' Collaborator'', a 2003 novel by

Murray Davies Murray Davies is a Welsh author and journalist. He was born into a mining family in South Wales. He won a scholarship to UCW Aberystwyth where he studied international politics, followed by an MA in First World War poetry. He worked for the ''D ...

. *''

The Man in the High Castle ''The Man in the High Castle'' (1962), by Philip K. Dick, is an alternative history novel wherein the Axis Powers won World War II. The story occurs in 1962, fifteen years after the end of the war in 1947, and depicts the political intrigues be ...

'', a 1962 novel by

Philip K. Dick Philip Kindred Dick (December 16, 1928March 2, 1982), often referred to by his initials PKD, was an American science fiction writer. He wrote 44 novels and about 121 short stories, most of which appeared in science fiction magazines during his l ...

. *'' Peace In Our Time'' (1946 – first performance 1947) by

Noël Coward Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time'' magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and ...

. *''

Resistance Resistance may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Comics * Either of two similarly named but otherwise unrelated comic book series, both published by Wildstorm: ** ''Resistance'' (comics), based on the video game of the same title ** ''T ...

'' by

Owen Sheers Owen Sheers (born 20 September 1974) is a Welsh poet, author, playwright and television presenter. He was the first writer in residence to be appointed by any national rugby union team. Early life Owen Sheers was born in Suva, Fiji in 1974, and b ...

, which sets the successful invasion in 1944 after a failed

invasion of Normandy Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied Western Europe during World War II. The operation was launched on 6 June 1944 (D-Day) with the Norm ...

rather than in 1940. *''

SS-GB ''SS-GB'' is an alternative history novel by Len Deighton, set in a United Kingdom Operation Sealion, conquered and occupied by Nazi Germany, Germany during the Second World War. The novel's title refers to the branch of the Schutzstaffel, Naz ...

'' by

Len Deighton Leonard Cyril Deighton (; born 18 February 1929) is a British author. His publications have included cookery books, history and military history, but he is best known for his spy novels. After completing his national service in the Royal Air Fo ...

. *''If Hitler had invaded England'', a short story by

C. S. Forester Cecil Louis Troughton Smith (27 August 1899 – 2 April 1966), known by his pen name Cecil Scott "C. S." Forester, was an English novelist known for writing tales of naval warfare, such as the 12-book Horatio Hornblower series depicting a Roya ...

in his 1971 volume of short stories ''Gold from Crete'', following the progress of a German invasion fleet from its embarkation in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

to its destruction in the fields of

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

. *The ''

Thursday Next Thursday Next is the protagonist in a series of comic fantasy, alternate history mystery novels by the British author Jasper Fforde. She was first introduced in Fforde's first published novel, ''The Eyre Affair'', released on 19 July 2001 by Hod ...

'' novels by

Jasper Fforde Jasper Fforde (born 11 January 1961) is an English novelist, whose first novel, ''The Eyre Affair'', was published in 2001. He is known mainly for his ''Thursday Next'' novels, but has published two books in the loosely connected ''The Big Over ...

are set in an alternate universe in which Operation Sea Lion was successful. The German occupying force is eventually driven out, and by the time of ''

The Eyre Affair ''The Eyre Affair'' is the debut novel by English author Jasper Fforde, published by Hodder and Stoughton in 2001. It takes place in an alternative 1985, where literary detective Thursday Next pursues a master criminal through the world of Charlo ...

'' England is a republic. * ''Weaver'', 2008 novel by Stephen Baxter *''Invading England'', a novel by Harry Bold from 2019. describes a successful Invasion of England with strictly the means available to the antagonists in July 1940.

Film

*''

Bedknobs and Broomsticks ''Bedknobs and Broomsticks'' is a 1971 American live-action animated musical fantasy film directed by Robert Stevenson and produced by Bill Walsh for Walt Disney Productions. It is loosely based upon the books '' The Magic Bedknob; or, How to B ...

'' (1971), a force lands, but is scared off with magic. *''

It Happened Here ''It Happened Here'' (also known as ''It Happened Here: The Story of Hitler's England'') is a 1964 British black-and-white film written, produced and directed by Kevin Brownlow and Andrew Mollo, who began work on the film as teenagers. The film ...

'' (1966) *''

Jackboots on Whitehall ''Jackboots on Whitehall'' (a.k.a. ''Nazi Invasion: Team Europe'') is a 2010 British adult animated/puppet satirical action comedy film set in an alternative history Second World War, in which Nazi Germany has seized London. The British must band ...

'' (2010) , Nazi invades Great Britain by drilling under the English Channel and up through the cobblestones on Whitehall, London. *''

'' (2011), a film about a group of rural Welsh partisans opposing the occupation of Great Britain. *''

Went the Day Well? ''Went the Day Well?'' is a 1942 British war film adapted from a story by Graham Greene and directed by Alberto Cavalcanti. It was produced by Michael Balcon of Ealing Studios and served as unofficial propaganda for the war effort. The film shows ...

'' (1942) is centred on a German radar-jamming mission for Sea Lion being eventually repulsed by the efforts of the civilian population of a remote village.

Television

*''

An Englishman's Castle ''An Englishman's Castle'' is a BBC television serial first broadcast in 1978, written by Philip Mackie and directed by Paul Ciappessoni. The story was set in an alternative history 1970s, in which Nazi Germany won World War II and England is r ...

'' (1978) is a British series set in an alternate history 1970s, in which

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

won World War II and occupies England. The protagonist Peter Ingram is a writer for a soap opera (also called ''An Englishman's Castle''), which is set in London during

The Blitz The Blitz was a German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom in 1940 and 1941, during the Second World War. The term was first used by the British press and originated from the term , the German word meaning 'lightning war'. The Germa ...

and subsequent German occupation. *''

'' (2017), a five-part adaption of the Deighton novel.

Video games

*''

Axis & Allies ''Axis & Allies'' is a series of World War II strategy board games. The first version was initially published in 1981 and a second edition known colloquially as ''Axis & Allies: Classic'' was published in 1984. Played on a board depicting a Spri ...

'' (2004), while playing as the Axis powers in campaign mode (which has the Axis powers winning the war), Operation Sea Lion is the mission following the failed invasion of Normandy. *'' Battle Academy: Operation Sealion'' (2012), a DLC campaign for a turn-based strategy game. *''

Empire Earth ''Empire Earth'' is a series of real-time strategy video games developed by Stainless Steel Studios and Mad Doc Software, and published by Sierra Entertainment. The games in the series are historical RTS games that are similar to ''Age of Empire ...

'' (2001), the last mission of the German campaign is to carry out Operation Sea Lion. *''

Hearts of Iron IV ''Hearts of Iron IV'', also known as HOI4, is a grand strategy computer wargame developed by Paradox Development Studio and published by Paradox Interactive. It was released worldwide on 6 June 2016. It is the sequel to 2009's ''Hearts of Iron II ...

'' (2016), as an achievement for occupying the whole of Great Britain. *'' Turning Point: Fall of Liberty'' (2008), a first-person shooter. *'' War Front: Turning Point'' (2007), a real-time strategy game. *''

We Happy Few ''We Happy Few'' is an action-adventure survival horror video game developed by Compulsion Games and published by Gearbox Publishing. In 2016, an early access version was released for Microsoft Windows, with the full game seeing wide release f ...

'' (2018), a survival game set in an alternate mid-1960s England after the successful occupation of the country by Nazi Germany. *'' Call of Duty: WWII'' (2017), a first-person shooter game. Operation Sea Lion is referenced in the Nazi Zombies mode.

References

{{Reflist Military fiction World War II alternate histories

Literature

Film

Television

Video games

See also

References