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A Tunisian stronghold that held
the key to Allied victory
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in World War II.
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The British Field Marshal,
Montgomery, said
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that the fate of the
enemy would be decided here.
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In Alabama, the pride of a community
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that was born out
of a harsh reality.
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At a time when people
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were struggling for
freedom in this country,
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this building stood
as a beacon of hope.
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A lavish complex in Lebanon
embroiled in an unexpected tragedy.
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You had every component
of a bomb just sitting there
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waiting for the
spark that would ignite it.
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And in Greece,
an unforgiving institution
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for the country's ambitious elite.
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It looks like a paradise,
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but this place was
designed to toughen you up.
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Decaying relics...
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...ruins of lost Worlds...
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...sights haunted by the past...
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...their secrets
waiting to be revealed.
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In Tunisia, a hostile landscape
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disguises remnants of a
fateful confrontation.
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Dug into the ground are structures
that seem at one with the landscape
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until you get closer to them.
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Are they medieval?
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Are they modern?
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Who has made them?
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This facility has clearly been
stripped of everything of value.
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All that's left is the echoing
space and the concrete structures.
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A complex buried high
on the hillside reveals
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who once occupied this site.
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If you look up,
you will see very clearly painted
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exactly who was here.
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These subterranean layers formed a
vital part of the Nazi plan
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to stop the allies dead in
their tracks in North Africa.
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The natural advantages
of this piece of terrain
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mean that nobody
can get through here.
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Overcoming this
required the invention
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of an entirely new type of warfare,
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conducted by a
ragtag group of rogues
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who called themselves the
Pirates of the High Desert.
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Major Muhammad Maaz has
served in the Tunisian army
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for over 20 years.
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He spent a decade
uncovering the secrets
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of these remote structures.
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HE SPEAKS ARABIC
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This site's
construction began in 1936,
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but it wasn't the
Nazis doing the building.
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In the early 20th century,
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{\an8}Tunisia was part of
the French Empire.
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The French were concerned about
the Italian influence in Africa.
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{\an8}Libya had fallen under the authority
and power of the dictators in Italy,
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{\an8}and they felt that Tunisia was next.
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The French solution was this,
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the Mareth Line.
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A 22 mile long,
heavily armed chain of bunkers
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designed to protect Tunisia
against an Italian invasion
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from neighbouring Libya.
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{\an8}Bound on either side
by natural obstacles,
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{\an8}these fortifications formed
an impenetrable wall.
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It was the perfect
place to stage a defence.
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Yet it wasn't an
attack on the Mareth Line
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that the French should have feared.
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The real threat was closer to home.
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Germany's blitzkrieg
victory over France in 1940
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led to the installation of
pro-Nazi governments
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in both the French North African
colonies and France itself.
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German led axis forces swiftly took
control over much of North Africa,
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including Libya and Tunisia.
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The region's strategic
importance would soon make it
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a key battleground in the
world's deadliest conflict.
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It is a small step
across the narrowest bit
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of the Mediterranean Sea to Sicily,
and you're on Italian soil.
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Once you can fight the Italians
and the Germans in Italy,
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you can fight the Italians
and the Germans in Germany.
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Winning the war in Tunisia
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is the first step to
winning the war in Europe.
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In 1942, the British launched
an invasion of North Africa.
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Churchill appointed Field Marshal
Bernard Montgomery,
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known as Monty, to lead it.
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Americans landed in Morocco
and Algeria to the west of Tunisia,
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while British forces pushed
in from Egypt to the east,
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trapping the Germans in a
pincer movement in Tunisia.
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But the heavily
fortified Mareth Line
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now stood in the way
of Allied victory.
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Nazi commander Erwin Rommel
was tasked with stopping them.
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Rommel was beloved by Hitler.
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He was so confident that the
British called him the Desert Fox.
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Rommel was determined that the
Mareth Line would be defended
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with the belief that so long
as he held the Mareth Line,
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then Tunisia would
never fall to the allies.
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He massively reinforced the line,
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adding emplacements of pillbox
and machine guns on either side.
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He also added a five mile
wide minefield that ran
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for the entirety of its length.
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Attacking this line
of fortifications would
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have to be done at great cost.
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Paying a price in blood.
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Even then, there was no guarantee
a head on assault would succeed.
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British Commander Montgomery knew
the only way to defeat the Nazis
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was to find a way
around the Mareth Line.
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But to get to it, he had to move
thousands of troops and vehicles
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across 20 miles of treacherous
mountainous terrain
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and then 100 miles
of trackless desert
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that was deemed
impossible to penetrate.
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It was a huge gamble,
and something no-one,
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including the Germans,
thought possible.
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But Montgomery already had
a secret mission under way,
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one he'd set in
motion months earlier.
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The solution came with this
new British special forces
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that were actually going to
change the face of warfare.
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This covert ops team
of soldiers was called
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the Long Range Desert Group,
or the LRDG for short.
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It was originally led by maverick
military engineer Ralph Bagnold.
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Bagnold was a brilliant geologist,
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an amateur archaeologist,
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Royal Signals officer,
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he was one of the British desert
lovers like Lawrence of Arabia.
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Bagnold had spent the '30s
pioneering new ways of getting
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around the desert,
like four-wheel drive vehicles
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that could move heavy equipment
through the shifting sands.
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Bagnold formed the core of a unit
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who know how to work with a desert,
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rather than to have to fight
against the desert environment.
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They can go places no-one
ever expected them to be.
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On Montgomery's orders,
they set out deep behind enemy lines
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in specially
modified off road trucks
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to find a route
around the Mareth Line.
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00:09:06,760 --> 00:09:10,080
The LRDG probed the mountains
and out into the desert,
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looking for a route that would allow
the allies to avoid the Mareth Line
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and outflank the Germans.
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After weeks of searching,
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they managed to
chart a navigable course.
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Armed with this vital information,
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Montgomery launched
a two pronged attack.
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So the British Army
pins down Rommel's troops
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in the Mareth Line.
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Another chunk of the British Army
sneaked through the desert
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find their way, assisted
by the Long Range Desert Group,
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and deliver a sharp left hook
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to the German Army.
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But victory was far from certain.
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Two weeks of hellish fighting
followed before the British finally
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overpowered the Mareth Line, paving
the way for victory in North Africa.
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Tunisia was fundamental
to the North African campaign,
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and the North African campaign
was fundamental to the success
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of the Second World War.
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Montgomery said that
without the probing
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of the Long Range Desert Group,
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then his attack would
have been a leap in the dark.
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At the end of the battle
for the Mareth Line,
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its bunkers were
disarmed and decommissioned.
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The now empty structures
were left to decay.
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In the 1990s, a museum opened
where we can all learn
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about what happened here
during the Second World War.
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In Lebanon's capital city,
an elegant structure sticks out
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from the high rises
that surround it.
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Beirut can be a city
of noise and commotion,
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but tucked away in the centre
of it all is something of an oasis.
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When you turn onto this street,
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the architecture of the
space is drastically different
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than everything around it.
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You walk into this house and it's
very elaborate, very beautiful.
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It has marble floors,
beautiful ceilings.
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These were clearly built
by and for the city's elite.
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Yet the faded opulence hides
the hallmarks of a traumatic event.
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Everywhere you look,
you start to notice damage.
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The great windows at the back of
the building are missing entirely.
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It's like someone has reconstructed
whole segments of the outside wall
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but never bothered to paint it.
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This level of
devastation and destruction
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doesn't happen over time.
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Something very quick and
violent has happened here.
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It was a normal day,
the weather was fantastic,
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and all of a sudden,
there was a huge circle,
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just like a nuclear
bomb over this area.
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People had to evacuate immediately.
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The city was collapsing around them.
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That day would make
headlines the world over
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and headlines of the
worst possible kind.
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I've been through wars.
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I've been through civil unrest.
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I've never, ever
seen something like that.
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Eli Khoury co-owns this building.
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When he and his business
partners first decided
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to make this the headquarters
for their media company,
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it had been neglected for years.
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{\an8}I'm the type that
always wants to dream big.
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{\an8}When we moved in, which was in 2010,
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well, it was in shambles.
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Cost roughly about
$4 to $5 million to fix it.
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Believe me, it was funny because
people didn't want to go home.
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I mean, they wanted to stay here,
work late.
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Every Friday, we used to do like
an in-house sort of little party.
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But this building was not
always used as an office.
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It began life over a century earlier
as a glamorous private residence.
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More than once, it was a victim
of the country's turbulent past.
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In 18th and 19th century Beirut,
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{\an8}the aristocracy was formed by
prominent Christian families
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that held massive
wealth and power in Lebanon.
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{\an8}They built these palatial homes
in the style of European villas.
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{\an8}This one is called Villa Mokbel.
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It was built in the
late 19th century,
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and it became known as a
gathering place for politicians,
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artists and great thinkers.
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00:13:58,080 --> 00:14:00,880
It's a combination
of Tuscan and Ottoman,
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and there are only five houses
remaining like this in the country.
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These houses were filled
with beautiful art pieces
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and things of this sort.
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00:14:10,520 --> 00:14:14,360
At one point, there were about 30
of these palaces on this street.
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00:14:14,360 --> 00:14:17,760
But few of these palazzos
would escape the chaos
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that descended on
Beirut in the 1970s.
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00:14:24,840 --> 00:14:28,760
Civil War broke out and some of the
heaviest fighting took place here,
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right in the heart of the city.
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As rival militias
fought for control,
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00:14:33,680 --> 00:14:37,920
these buildings would suffer
from artillery strikes and looting.
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00:14:39,480 --> 00:14:44,400
Villa Mokbel was one of those
caught in the conflict's crossfire.
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00:14:44,400 --> 00:14:46,640
At the end of the war in 1990,
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the derelict, battle scarred mansion
changed ownership a number of times
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until Eli stepped
in to transform it.
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But little did he know, Beirut
was once again heading for disaster.
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Things were going well,
but there was a slow moving
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00:15:03,280 --> 00:15:06,880
catastrophe building
just down the road.
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Tuesday, the 4th of August 2020
started like any other day
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for Eli and his 40 employees.
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I came here with my colleague.
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We were both talking on the phone
and just looking at the port,
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looking at the sky, and
then the whole thing happened.
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Oh, my God.
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00:15:29,720 --> 00:15:31,960
The scene I saw was incredible.
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00:15:34,560 --> 00:15:37,000
The explosion actually
went through the buildings
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as if they were liquid.
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This is when my colleague and I...
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He pushed me.
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00:15:45,920 --> 00:15:47,800
So we jump on the floor.
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The lady that was on that balcony
actually flew all... all the way
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to that end.
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And she fell unconscious, unfortunately.
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The blast Eli witnessed
destroyed 77,000 homes
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00:16:03,600 --> 00:16:06,920
and caused $15 billion worth
of damage.
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00:16:08,080 --> 00:16:11,880
The chain of events that led
to this disaster was set in motion
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00:16:11,880 --> 00:16:13,360
seven years earlier.
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00:16:15,400 --> 00:16:20,240
In 2013, a Russian owned ship,
the MV Rhosus,
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made an unscheduled stop
in the port of Beirut.
245
00:16:23,520 --> 00:16:26,800
Port authorities inspected
the ship and they did not
246
00:16:26,800 --> 00:16:28,760
like what they found.
247
00:16:28,760 --> 00:16:31,520
They discovered that the
ship's hull was leaking
248
00:16:31,520 --> 00:16:36,160
and water was constantly being
pumped out to keep it afloat.
249
00:16:36,160 --> 00:16:39,400
They decided very quickly
that this ship was unsafe
250
00:16:39,400 --> 00:16:40,880
to continue its journey,
251
00:16:40,880 --> 00:16:44,360
and grounded them there
in the port of Beirut.
252
00:16:44,360 --> 00:16:48,680
The ship's Russian owner refused
to pay the mounting port bills,
253
00:16:48,680 --> 00:16:51,560
and shortly after,
mysteriously vanished.
254
00:16:52,880 --> 00:16:57,320
The ship's cargo was unloaded
and stuffed into a warehouse
255
00:16:57,320 --> 00:16:59,520
right there at the port.
256
00:16:59,520 --> 00:17:03,840
What was off-loaded was
a potentially deadly cargo.
257
00:17:03,840 --> 00:17:11,240
2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate,
a volatile compound that is used
258
00:17:11,240 --> 00:17:15,960
in fertiliser but can also
be employed to make explosives.
259
00:17:18,280 --> 00:17:21,920
The cargo sat there
in hangar 12 for years,
260
00:17:21,920 --> 00:17:24,000
completely neglected.
261
00:17:24,000 --> 00:17:26,760
Customs officials at the
port sent multiple letters
262
00:17:26,760 --> 00:17:30,960
to government lawyers in Beirut,
pleading for the volatile payload
263
00:17:30,960 --> 00:17:32,480
to be removed.
264
00:17:32,480 --> 00:17:34,840
Every request was ignored.
265
00:17:36,040 --> 00:17:38,320
In the weeks leading
up to the disaster,
266
00:17:38,320 --> 00:17:40,560
even the Prime Minister
and President
267
00:17:40,560 --> 00:17:44,000
were warned of the
potential dangers of the situation.
268
00:17:45,480 --> 00:17:48,240
Despite wide knowledge
of this safety risk,
269
00:17:48,240 --> 00:17:50,320
nobody took any action.
270
00:17:50,320 --> 00:17:53,000
But there was an
even bigger problem.
271
00:17:54,320 --> 00:17:58,920
The ammonium nitrate was stored
in bags that were spilling,
272
00:17:58,920 --> 00:18:05,400
and it was stored with kerosene,
hydrochloric acid,
273
00:18:05,400 --> 00:18:09,760
and 15 tons of fireworks.
274
00:18:10,800 --> 00:18:13,640
When you put all of
these materials together,
275
00:18:13,640 --> 00:18:16,320
you've essentially got
the makings of a giant bomb.
276
00:18:18,280 --> 00:18:20,920
All that was missing
now was a spark.
277
00:18:22,880 --> 00:18:28,880
That spark came on the 4th of August
when an unexplained fire broke out,
278
00:18:28,880 --> 00:18:32,400
thought to have originated
at the north end of hangar 12.
279
00:18:32,400 --> 00:18:35,080
It spread quickly
across the warehouse.
280
00:18:35,080 --> 00:18:37,720
Fireworks stored nearby discharge,
281
00:18:37,720 --> 00:18:41,160
and hangar 12 goes up
in a ball of flame.
282
00:18:41,160 --> 00:18:44,680
Seconds later,
the ammonium nitrate detonates
283
00:18:44,680 --> 00:18:47,600
in a blinding, enormous explosion.
284
00:18:47,600 --> 00:18:48,920
Oh, my God!
285
00:18:51,400 --> 00:18:56,200
It creates the shock wave that goes
across the city, breaks out windows,
286
00:18:56,200 --> 00:18:59,160
knocks down buildings,
blows people over.
287
00:19:01,080 --> 00:19:04,440
We went out, we started seeing
people with blood all over.
288
00:19:04,440 --> 00:19:09,680
It was a scene from the worst
World War II movie you've ever seen.
289
00:19:09,680 --> 00:19:11,680
Over 200 people die.
290
00:19:11,680 --> 00:19:14,920
You know, hundreds of
thousands are homeless.
291
00:19:18,080 --> 00:19:22,680
One of the most saddening moment
was watching a lady
292
00:19:22,680 --> 00:19:27,000
coming down from her apartment
with a dead baby in her hands.
293
00:19:28,200 --> 00:19:29,480
It was incredible.
294
00:19:31,880 --> 00:19:37,640
Remarkably, we had 41 injured,
but thank God no-one died.
295
00:19:40,080 --> 00:19:43,200
Like many of the buildings
in the blast radius,
296
00:19:43,200 --> 00:19:46,280
Villa Mokbel was
shattered into pieces
297
00:19:46,280 --> 00:19:49,760
and needed emergency
stabilisation to keep it standing.
298
00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:54,680
Today, it remains in ruins
until Eli can raise the funds
299
00:19:54,680 --> 00:19:56,520
to once again restore it.
300
00:19:57,880 --> 00:19:59,800
If I were to fix it again,
301
00:19:59,800 --> 00:20:02,800
it will cost between
$2 to $3 million.
302
00:20:03,960 --> 00:20:07,440
If things get better, we would
want to come back to this office
303
00:20:07,440 --> 00:20:10,680
because it was beautiful
to work out of here.
304
00:20:17,080 --> 00:20:20,960
In the aftermath of the explosion,
an investigation was launched,
305
00:20:20,960 --> 00:20:25,080
but any attempt to hold particular
government officials accountable
306
00:20:25,080 --> 00:20:27,320
has been blocked on
multiple occasions.
307
00:20:27,320 --> 00:20:28,880
For the people of Beirut,
308
00:20:28,880 --> 00:20:32,080
the long wait for justice continues.
309
00:20:32,080 --> 00:20:36,280
The country is going through
a real, real tough stuff now.
310
00:20:36,280 --> 00:20:40,920
It's actually a
tough job to be Lebanese.
311
00:20:40,920 --> 00:20:42,480
It's not an easy job.
312
00:20:48,240 --> 00:20:52,240
In downtown Birmingham, Alabama,
is an imposing structure
313
00:20:52,240 --> 00:20:56,880
that played a part in one of
America's greatest times of change.
314
00:21:01,760 --> 00:21:06,080
Standing alone like a
monolith is this very dramatic
315
00:21:06,080 --> 00:21:07,120
seven story building.
316
00:21:07,120 --> 00:21:13,400
It might be a former department
store or an office block.
317
00:21:13,400 --> 00:21:15,040
It's just so vast.
318
00:21:15,040 --> 00:21:17,480
What can it be used for?
319
00:21:17,480 --> 00:21:20,840
On the upper level are long
corridors with fading business signs
320
00:21:20,840 --> 00:21:23,600
for lawyers, doctors and dentists.
321
00:21:23,600 --> 00:21:27,320
But I'd say it's been a while since
anyone sat inside of those chairs.
322
00:21:27,320 --> 00:21:31,000
It's almost as if the people
left in a great hurry.
323
00:21:32,120 --> 00:21:35,720
Further exploration reveals
there is much more to this site
324
00:21:35,720 --> 00:21:37,760
than meets the eye.
325
00:21:37,760 --> 00:21:42,880
The whole second floor is
dominated by this enormous ballroom
326
00:21:42,880 --> 00:21:45,560
with balconies and a stage.
327
00:21:45,560 --> 00:21:49,480
This was a place for big
public meetings of some sort.
328
00:21:50,920 --> 00:21:55,480
Discarded paraphernalia
hints at an ominous agenda.
329
00:21:55,480 --> 00:22:00,520
They're strange symbols,
a coffin and throne like seating.
330
00:22:00,520 --> 00:22:03,360
It all feels sort of ritualistic.
331
00:22:04,640 --> 00:22:06,840
Yet looks can be deceiving.
332
00:22:06,840 --> 00:22:08,960
And all is not what it seems.
333
00:22:10,000 --> 00:22:14,440
It was a place where
people organised to make sure
334
00:22:14,440 --> 00:22:17,920
that democracy was for
all of American citizens.
335
00:22:22,680 --> 00:22:27,880
Corey D Hawkins is a local lawyer
who grew up in northern Alabama.
336
00:22:27,880 --> 00:22:31,800
Since 2013, he has headed
up the group that originally
337
00:22:31,800 --> 00:22:35,760
constructed this grand
century old building.
338
00:22:35,760 --> 00:22:40,480
It was the place that
African Americans were proud of,
339
00:22:40,480 --> 00:22:43,600
{\an8}and whether they were a
member of the organisation or not,
340
00:22:43,600 --> 00:22:45,880
{\an8}this was their building.
341
00:22:45,880 --> 00:22:49,560
That organisation is one
often shrouded in secrecy.
342
00:22:51,360 --> 00:22:56,680
We have been accused of
being a cult, which is not true.
343
00:22:56,680 --> 00:22:59,120
Being a part of the Illuminati.
344
00:22:59,120 --> 00:23:02,800
I am a fourth generation Mason.
345
00:23:02,800 --> 00:23:07,760
My father, my grandfather, my
great-grandfather were all Masons.
346
00:23:07,760 --> 00:23:12,400
Freemasonry has been described
as a beautiful system of morality.
347
00:23:12,400 --> 00:23:13,600
In simple terms,
348
00:23:13,600 --> 00:23:18,360
{\an8}the Freemasons are a male social
and philanthropic organisation,
349
00:23:18,360 --> 00:23:20,880
and its origins date
back to medieval Europe
350
00:23:20,880 --> 00:23:23,360
and the guilds of stone masons.
351
00:23:23,360 --> 00:23:29,360
{\an8}Through his career, a mason would
move up from being an apprentice
352
00:23:29,360 --> 00:23:32,960
{\an8}to a journeyman,
to eventually a master mason,
353
00:23:32,960 --> 00:23:38,320
{\an8}and at each level, they were taught
secret code words and handshakes.
354
00:23:38,320 --> 00:23:42,120
That way, as stone masons made their
way across Europe to the next job,
355
00:23:42,120 --> 00:23:45,880
each man would be paid
according to his skill level.
356
00:23:47,360 --> 00:23:51,080
By the mid 1700s, the handshake
still remained,
357
00:23:51,080 --> 00:23:55,200
but the society had evolved into
a fraternity no longer connected
358
00:23:55,200 --> 00:23:58,520
to the stonemasonry labour force.
359
00:23:58,520 --> 00:24:01,880
Yet there were no lodges
for African Americans.
360
00:24:02,960 --> 00:24:06,200
That is, until Revolutionary War
hero Prince Hall
361
00:24:06,200 --> 00:24:08,600
made it his mission to change that.
362
00:24:11,200 --> 00:24:13,920
Prince Hall
was an extraordinary man.
363
00:24:13,920 --> 00:24:20,760
Born, raised as a slave in Boston,
by 1770, he had earned his freedom.
364
00:24:21,800 --> 00:24:24,800
He sought admittance
to an established lodge
365
00:24:24,800 --> 00:24:27,800
and was prevented
because of his colour.
366
00:24:27,800 --> 00:24:30,400
{\an8}But he wasn't daunted, he continued.
367
00:24:31,760 --> 00:24:35,520
Hall realised he had to
sidestep the American Masons
368
00:24:35,520 --> 00:24:37,720
that denied him access.
369
00:24:37,720 --> 00:24:41,680
Instead, he petitioned the
Duke of Cumberland in England,
370
00:24:41,680 --> 00:24:46,520
the home of Freemasonry, to ask
permission to start his own lodge.
371
00:24:46,520 --> 00:24:52,400
A charter was granted and the
African lodge number 459 began.
372
00:24:52,400 --> 00:24:54,840
Many African American lodges,
including this one,
373
00:24:54,840 --> 00:24:57,640
are descended from Prince Hall's.
374
00:24:57,640 --> 00:25:02,480
Fast forward to the early 1900s,
and Birmingham's Prince Hall Masons
375
00:25:02,480 --> 00:25:05,440
were determined to build
a state headquarters worthy
376
00:25:05,440 --> 00:25:07,560
of their hard-fought history.
377
00:25:08,920 --> 00:25:12,240
You have to remember that this
was a period of Jim Crow laws,
378
00:25:12,240 --> 00:25:16,280
meaning that segregation
was enshrined in law.
379
00:25:16,280 --> 00:25:19,640
This building, therefore,
was to be the beacon of hope
380
00:25:19,640 --> 00:25:21,240
for those communities.
381
00:25:24,280 --> 00:25:29,400
The order raised $720,000
from its members,
382
00:25:29,400 --> 00:25:34,120
and in 1922 construction started
on their new Masonic Temple.
383
00:25:35,560 --> 00:25:39,160
Two years later,
it opened its doors.
384
00:25:39,160 --> 00:25:44,320
There's a photo from 1924,
when the Masons were congregated
385
00:25:44,320 --> 00:25:48,320
here in this room
at the statewide meeting.
386
00:25:48,320 --> 00:25:52,680
But this building was much more than
just a headquarters for the Masons.
387
00:25:52,680 --> 00:25:55,960
This building was intended to be one
that people could walk in proudly
388
00:25:55,960 --> 00:25:59,200
through the front door
without fear of reprisal.
389
00:25:59,200 --> 00:26:02,240
It was full of
excitement and creativity,
390
00:26:02,240 --> 00:26:07,320
businesses and activities
designed to uplift the community.
391
00:26:07,320 --> 00:26:10,600
On the 17th Street side,
ground level,
392
00:26:10,600 --> 00:26:12,400
you had a drug store,
393
00:26:12,400 --> 00:26:15,240
barbershop, shoeshine shop.
394
00:26:15,240 --> 00:26:17,080
There were several dentists here.
395
00:26:17,080 --> 00:26:20,280
Doctors and attorneys were in here.
396
00:26:20,280 --> 00:26:25,080
Places like that, where people can
just walk in right off the street
397
00:26:25,080 --> 00:26:29,520
and not have to worry about
if they were offending anyone
398
00:26:29,520 --> 00:26:32,800
just because of the
colour of their skin.
399
00:26:32,800 --> 00:26:35,160
For African Americans, that was new,
400
00:26:35,160 --> 00:26:37,840
gave people a sense
of pride and hope in
401
00:26:37,840 --> 00:26:40,480
what the future
holds for our people.
402
00:26:41,680 --> 00:26:46,120
Over the next three decades,
the Masonic Temple helped transform
403
00:26:46,120 --> 00:26:51,280
the Fourth Avenue District into a
thriving business and cultural hub.
404
00:26:51,280 --> 00:26:54,400
But the biggest test
was still yet to come.
405
00:26:55,520 --> 00:27:00,840
In the 1960s, the long
overdue fight for civil rights
406
00:27:00,840 --> 00:27:03,480
was really coming to a boil.
407
00:27:03,480 --> 00:27:09,680
And Birmingham is today synonymous
with the intensity of this fight.
408
00:27:11,920 --> 00:27:15,840
In January 1963, Martin Luther King
409
00:27:15,840 --> 00:27:19,560
announced he wanted to lead
a demonstration in Birmingham.
410
00:27:19,560 --> 00:27:22,960
It was while he was in the city
to recruit nonviolent protesters
411
00:27:22,960 --> 00:27:26,320
for the Birmingham campaign
that Martin Luther King came
412
00:27:26,320 --> 00:27:28,200
to the Masonic Temple.
413
00:27:28,200 --> 00:27:31,120
And there is a photo where
he's making a pool shot.
414
00:27:31,120 --> 00:27:34,600
So, that lets you know
that he was in this building,
415
00:27:34,600 --> 00:27:36,840
and we're proud of that.
416
00:27:36,840 --> 00:27:41,600
King chose Birmingham because
of its strong segregation laws
417
00:27:41,600 --> 00:27:45,040
and because it had officials
there like Bull Connor,
418
00:27:45,040 --> 00:27:50,040
who was a symbol of segregation.
419
00:27:50,040 --> 00:27:52,440
But Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth,
420
00:27:52,440 --> 00:27:55,600
a key civil rights
spokesperson in Birmingham,
421
00:27:55,600 --> 00:27:57,960
didn't want to
proceed with the protest,
422
00:27:57,960 --> 00:28:01,160
while Connor,
the city's public safety officer
423
00:28:01,160 --> 00:28:04,440
and de facto police chief,
was still in office.
424
00:28:05,600 --> 00:28:09,080
He believed that if a
desegregation accord was reached
425
00:28:09,080 --> 00:28:14,080
with local businesses, that
Connor would actually reverse it
426
00:28:14,080 --> 00:28:15,840
and then reinforce segregation.
427
00:28:18,000 --> 00:28:21,560
The only way to remove Conner
was if the City of Birmingham
428
00:28:21,560 --> 00:28:25,320
voted to change how the
local government was set up.
429
00:28:26,840 --> 00:28:31,320
Jamison Davis played a crucial
role in making that happen
430
00:28:31,320 --> 00:28:34,040
from his legal practice
at the Masonic Temple.
431
00:28:35,200 --> 00:28:38,880
There were four or five lawyers
that were in this building,
432
00:28:38,880 --> 00:28:42,960
{\an8}and we were all
working toward the same end
433
00:28:42,960 --> 00:28:47,200
{\an8}of getting the city
of Birmingham changed
434
00:28:47,200 --> 00:28:50,840
from a three person city commission
435
00:28:50,840 --> 00:28:53,960
to a nine person City Council.
436
00:28:53,960 --> 00:29:00,320
Once the voters voted to
change the form of government,
437
00:29:00,320 --> 00:29:05,800
that changed the
attitude of all of the people
438
00:29:05,800 --> 00:29:10,080
that lived in the city
toward progress by blacks.
439
00:29:12,920 --> 00:29:16,160
Birmingham then held its
first mayoral election.
440
00:29:16,160 --> 00:29:17,960
Connor ran, but lost.
441
00:29:19,240 --> 00:29:22,600
And with the more moderate
Albert Boutwell in office,
442
00:29:22,600 --> 00:29:25,120
the marches
actually could go forward.
443
00:29:26,640 --> 00:29:28,000
On April 3rd, 1963,
444
00:29:29,080 --> 00:29:32,800
the campaign began with
lunch counter sit ins,
445
00:29:32,800 --> 00:29:37,640
a march to City Hall and a
boycott of downtown businesses.
446
00:29:37,640 --> 00:29:42,400
But toward the end of April,
things were starting to flag.
447
00:29:42,400 --> 00:29:44,600
It was hard for people to keep
going in the streets and facing
448
00:29:44,600 --> 00:29:47,320
the kind of abuse they were facing.
449
00:29:47,320 --> 00:29:49,800
The civil rights
campaign in Birmingham
450
00:29:49,800 --> 00:29:52,520
was in danger of falling apart.
451
00:29:52,520 --> 00:29:56,120
It would take a profound
leap of faith to save it.
452
00:29:57,400 --> 00:30:00,880
Some leaders came up with
a pretty radical idea,
453
00:30:00,880 --> 00:30:05,400
which was to send the children
out to help lead these protests,
454
00:30:05,400 --> 00:30:06,520
the Children's Crusade.
455
00:30:06,520 --> 00:30:08,200
This was very controversial,
obviously,
456
00:30:08,200 --> 00:30:10,920
cos they were sending
these kids into harm's way.
457
00:30:10,920 --> 00:30:14,240
In May, the campaign
was reinvigorated
458
00:30:14,240 --> 00:30:17,240
by these young people's presence.
459
00:30:17,240 --> 00:30:21,680
But Bull Connor, despite no longer
having any real lawmaking power
460
00:30:21,680 --> 00:30:24,400
after being ousted
by Birmingham's voters,
461
00:30:24,400 --> 00:30:29,040
refused to relinquish control
of the city's police force.
462
00:30:29,040 --> 00:30:34,000
He was willing to use the most
extreme and vicious methods
463
00:30:34,000 --> 00:30:37,400
to drive these
protesters off the streets.
464
00:30:37,400 --> 00:30:42,080
Over 900 children were arrested,
and then he began to implement
465
00:30:42,080 --> 00:30:46,360
even more draconian measures
involving the use of water cannons
466
00:30:46,360 --> 00:30:47,880
and attack dogs.
467
00:30:51,400 --> 00:30:55,720
I remember looking out the window
and watching the water
468
00:30:55,720 --> 00:30:58,640
coming out of those hoses,
hitting young people
469
00:30:58,640 --> 00:31:01,440
and knocking them
down in the street.
470
00:31:01,440 --> 00:31:05,080
Often when protesters were injured,
they didn't go to the hospital.
471
00:31:05,080 --> 00:31:09,760
They came to the Masonic Temple
because there were doctors there.
472
00:31:10,800 --> 00:31:15,440
Outside, the tide was
turning in the fight for equality.
473
00:31:15,440 --> 00:31:18,920
The shocking scenes were
enough to spark both national
474
00:31:18,920 --> 00:31:20,800
and international outrage.
475
00:31:23,080 --> 00:31:27,120
Eventually, Attorney General
Robert Kennedy sent a representative
476
00:31:27,120 --> 00:31:30,520
down to Birmingham to try
to negotiate a compromise,
477
00:31:30,520 --> 00:31:33,320
and indeed, the result of
all this was the effective
478
00:31:33,320 --> 00:31:35,360
desegregation of Birmingham.
479
00:31:37,120 --> 00:31:42,120
It was very good because you knew
that you were making progress,
480
00:31:42,120 --> 00:31:47,840
because in the next year,
the Civil Rights Act was passed,
481
00:31:47,840 --> 00:31:52,680
and the next year, 1965,
the Voting Rights Act was passed.
482
00:31:55,720 --> 00:31:59,960
That that was the genius
of King's movement
483
00:31:59,960 --> 00:32:03,920
was to make people see for
themselves that this was unfair,
484
00:32:03,920 --> 00:32:05,520
that it had to change.
485
00:32:11,040 --> 00:32:13,800
For a long time after
the Civil Rights Campaign,
486
00:32:13,800 --> 00:32:16,960
this building
continued to be popular,
487
00:32:16,960 --> 00:32:21,800
useful and a centre for
this community in this city.
488
00:32:21,800 --> 00:32:26,080
But as the years passed,
the businesses slowly vacated
489
00:32:26,080 --> 00:32:28,840
until the last occupants
left in 2011.
490
00:32:30,360 --> 00:32:32,440
Its legacy, however, is secure,
491
00:32:32,440 --> 00:32:36,720
and there are multimillion
dollar plans in progress
492
00:32:36,720 --> 00:32:38,680
to bring it back to life.
493
00:32:38,680 --> 00:32:43,080
As one of his last acts in office,
President Obama
494
00:32:43,080 --> 00:32:47,160
signed an executive order
establishing a civil rights
495
00:32:47,160 --> 00:32:49,360
national monument in Birmingham,
496
00:32:49,360 --> 00:32:53,960
and it includes protecting the
Prince Hall Lodge Masonic Temple.
497
00:33:01,080 --> 00:33:05,320
On the Greek island of Spetses,
is a collection of monolithic
498
00:33:05,320 --> 00:33:09,080
constructions intended to
mould the country's elite.
499
00:33:15,000 --> 00:33:19,880
Here, in this town of Red roof
buildings, we see this compound,
500
00:33:19,880 --> 00:33:23,520
a very imposing,
large white structures.
501
00:33:24,720 --> 00:33:28,760
They were clearly designed
to be stately and impressive,
502
00:33:28,760 --> 00:33:30,920
but it's kind of eerily empty.
503
00:33:32,520 --> 00:33:36,680
There's an old basketball court with
a hoop just lying on the ground
504
00:33:36,680 --> 00:33:39,320
and then what seems
like an old gymnasium.
505
00:33:39,320 --> 00:33:42,920
You can still see the wooden
climbing frames along the sides.
506
00:33:42,920 --> 00:33:46,680
It all gives a very ghost
town feel about the place.
507
00:33:48,360 --> 00:33:51,920
Entering through a broken door,
you're greeted by a vast number
508
00:33:51,920 --> 00:33:56,240
of chairs and desks piled
precariously on top of each other.
509
00:33:56,240 --> 00:33:59,720
Concealed within this
Aladdin's cave of artefacts
510
00:33:59,720 --> 00:34:03,240
is evidence this facility
had a financial motive.
511
00:34:04,600 --> 00:34:08,520
It says here how much
money they were getting.
512
00:34:08,520 --> 00:34:11,520
Rows of old lockers with
the doors just hanging open.
513
00:34:11,520 --> 00:34:12,680
Blackboards.
514
00:34:12,680 --> 00:34:14,720
I mean, it looks like a school,
515
00:34:14,720 --> 00:34:19,200
but why would you have such a huge
educational facility like this
516
00:34:19,200 --> 00:34:21,080
stranded on a tiny island?
517
00:34:22,800 --> 00:34:28,280
This complex was built to achieve
an ambitious national dream.
518
00:34:28,280 --> 00:34:33,560
But for the people contained within,
it felt more like a prison.
519
00:34:33,560 --> 00:34:37,040
The first year was very difficult,
especially for me.
520
00:34:37,040 --> 00:34:41,000
- For everybody.
- And for everybody,
because we were bad boys.
521
00:34:41,000 --> 00:34:44,120
This was no luxury five-star
resort.
522
00:34:44,120 --> 00:34:47,440
This place was designed
to toughen you up.
523
00:34:47,440 --> 00:34:51,840
It was a world-class institution
with a very serious purpose.
524
00:34:57,160 --> 00:35:01,080
Leontios Portokalakis
and Panos Karamitsos
525
00:35:01,080 --> 00:35:03,960
met here in the 1960s.
526
00:35:03,960 --> 00:35:06,480
No Facebook,
no internet at that time,
527
00:35:06,480 --> 00:35:08,080
{\an8}not even cellular phones.
528
00:35:08,080 --> 00:35:11,680
{\an8}So we had to rely on each other.
529
00:35:11,680 --> 00:35:12,840
{\an8}We became brothers.
530
00:35:12,840 --> 00:35:14,800
{\an8}It's a like a family.
531
00:35:16,400 --> 00:35:21,400
Forging strong alliances was
central to this facility's vision.
532
00:35:21,400 --> 00:35:24,880
It was conceived in an era
when Greece was still emerging
533
00:35:24,880 --> 00:35:28,120
from the dark shadow of tyranny.
534
00:35:28,120 --> 00:35:29,640
At the start of the 20th century,
535
00:35:29,640 --> 00:35:32,280
{\an8}Greece was still a
relatively young country,
536
00:35:32,280 --> 00:35:35,320
{\an8}having been ruled for much
of the previous 500 years
537
00:35:35,320 --> 00:35:36,920
{\an8}by the Ottoman Empire.
538
00:35:38,240 --> 00:35:41,160
In a bloody war of independence
in the 1820s,
539
00:35:41,160 --> 00:35:45,640
the Greeks had taken back Athens
and many of the surrounding areas,
540
00:35:45,640 --> 00:35:48,320
{\an8}but much of the
mainland and the islands
541
00:35:48,320 --> 00:35:51,240
were still controlled by the Turks.
542
00:35:51,240 --> 00:35:55,960
That all changed when a legendary
leader hailing from Crete
543
00:35:55,960 --> 00:35:57,400
took power in 1910.
544
00:35:58,880 --> 00:36:02,000
Eleftherios Venizelos
was a young politician
545
00:36:02,000 --> 00:36:05,400
determined to unite
all Greeks into one nation.
546
00:36:06,800 --> 00:36:09,840
By 1913, after fighting
against the Turks
547
00:36:09,840 --> 00:36:12,000
with his Balkan neighbours,
548
00:36:12,000 --> 00:36:15,040
he managed to retake
former Greek land.
549
00:36:15,040 --> 00:36:17,200
Then, during the First World War,
550
00:36:17,200 --> 00:36:19,200
after siding with the allies,
551
00:36:19,200 --> 00:36:21,040
he seized back even more.
552
00:36:22,040 --> 00:36:27,560
By 1920, Greece had doubled in size
and population under his leadership.
553
00:36:28,600 --> 00:36:33,640
Venizelos believed that
this re-established country
554
00:36:33,640 --> 00:36:37,840
with its deep cultural
roots, needed a strong, elite,
555
00:36:37,840 --> 00:36:43,160
{\an8}a leadership class who could manage
the challenges that lay ahead.
556
00:36:43,160 --> 00:36:47,960
{\an8}And he was very aligned to looking
at his allies in Britain and saying,
557
00:36:47,960 --> 00:36:50,560
{\an8}"Well, how did the British do it?"
558
00:36:50,560 --> 00:36:54,560
Venizelos used the centuries
old English boarding school,
559
00:36:54,560 --> 00:36:58,160
Eton College,
as the blueprint for his vision.
560
00:36:58,160 --> 00:37:02,000
The aim was to educate
future leaders of Greece.
561
00:37:02,000 --> 00:37:08,720
By that time, Eton had already
produced 15 British prime ministers.
562
00:37:08,720 --> 00:37:13,000
The Duke of Wellington supposedly
said after defeating Napoleon,
563
00:37:13,000 --> 00:37:17,840
that the Battle of Waterloo was
won on the playing fields of Eton.
564
00:37:17,840 --> 00:37:21,080
For Venizelos,
his country's future depended
565
00:37:21,080 --> 00:37:23,800
on the realisation of this dream.
566
00:37:23,800 --> 00:37:28,040
Yet no-one else was
willing to invest in his idea.
567
00:37:28,040 --> 00:37:33,840
He didn't have anywhere near
the money to build his school.
568
00:37:33,840 --> 00:37:37,640
The grand plan
looked destined to fail
569
00:37:37,640 --> 00:37:41,080
until an old friend
offered him a lifeline.
570
00:37:41,080 --> 00:37:45,240
Sotirios Anargyros
was the wealthiest man in Spetses,
571
00:37:45,240 --> 00:37:48,560
having made a fortune
trading tobacco in America.
572
00:37:48,560 --> 00:37:51,600
But he offered the
cash on one condition,
573
00:37:51,600 --> 00:37:55,520
that the school be built
on his beloved Spetses.
574
00:37:55,520 --> 00:38:00,680
In 1927, the Anargyros and
Korgialeneios school of Spetses
575
00:38:00,680 --> 00:38:03,360
opened its doors
to wealthy families.
576
00:38:04,760 --> 00:38:09,960
It featured five neoclassical
buildings, manicured gardens,
577
00:38:09,960 --> 00:38:12,080
state of the art sports facilities,
578
00:38:12,080 --> 00:38:17,360
and even an amphitheatre with
breathtaking views out over the sea.
579
00:38:17,360 --> 00:38:22,160
The school brought in
noted scholars and educators
580
00:38:22,160 --> 00:38:24,760
to train these young men,
581
00:38:24,760 --> 00:38:28,920
but it also really
sought to toughen these kids up.
582
00:38:28,920 --> 00:38:31,440
These might be the spoiled
children of the elite,
583
00:38:31,440 --> 00:38:34,120
but they wouldn't
be spoiled for long.
584
00:38:35,400 --> 00:38:38,840
The school adopted the harsh
discipline system of Eton,
585
00:38:38,840 --> 00:38:44,080
complete with a timetable that kept
the boys busy from 6am to 10pm.
586
00:38:45,440 --> 00:38:48,320
Every half an hour,
we had something to do.
587
00:38:48,320 --> 00:38:50,400
We were kept busy.
588
00:38:50,400 --> 00:38:53,360
There was no other
disciplinary system like that
589
00:38:53,360 --> 00:38:55,200
in any other school of Greece.
590
00:38:55,200 --> 00:38:58,080
That system included
physical punishment
591
00:38:58,080 --> 00:39:01,040
by the teachers
for alleged bad behaviour.
592
00:39:02,120 --> 00:39:05,360
The boys could be caned
for the slightest breach,
593
00:39:05,360 --> 00:39:09,120
from speaking in class
to not cleaning their rooms.
594
00:39:09,120 --> 00:39:11,400
If that wasn't bad enough,
595
00:39:11,400 --> 00:39:14,840
the students themselves were
forced into a brutal hierarchy.
596
00:39:16,040 --> 00:39:18,680
Older boys who'd earned their rank
597
00:39:18,680 --> 00:39:22,880
were free to dish out
punishments as they saw fit.
598
00:39:22,880 --> 00:39:24,880
That was one of the
saddest memories,
599
00:39:24,880 --> 00:39:28,280
because we had to cope with the
discipline tactics
600
00:39:28,280 --> 00:39:32,440
of the teachers and also
the discipline tactics
601
00:39:32,440 --> 00:39:35,200
of the boys of the higher grade.
602
00:39:35,200 --> 00:39:39,080
The daily curriculum also
included harsh activities
603
00:39:39,080 --> 00:39:41,240
intended to build character.
604
00:39:42,920 --> 00:39:46,560
Every morning the boys had to
take a plunge into the cold sea
605
00:39:46,560 --> 00:39:48,760
or face punishment.
606
00:39:48,760 --> 00:39:50,640
That was the start of the day.
607
00:39:50,640 --> 00:39:52,480
At 6am, in the morning,
608
00:39:52,480 --> 00:39:59,040
it was dark in winter,
and some days it was snowing also,
609
00:39:59,040 --> 00:40:01,360
and we had to go inside the sea.
610
00:40:02,800 --> 00:40:06,800
The regime was tough,
but the school's early years
611
00:40:06,800 --> 00:40:09,960
delivered on Venizelos's promise.
612
00:40:09,960 --> 00:40:14,120
In the 1930s, future
Greek Prime Minister Georgios Rallis
613
00:40:14,120 --> 00:40:15,520
was educated there.
614
00:40:17,080 --> 00:40:21,200
Yet Rallis would be the only
Prime Minister produced here.
615
00:40:21,200 --> 00:40:24,000
13 years after the school opened,
616
00:40:24,000 --> 00:40:27,200
world events forced
it into a radical new era.
617
00:40:30,440 --> 00:40:34,320
Greece was devastated
by conflict in the 1940s,
618
00:40:34,320 --> 00:40:38,800
first under occupation by the Nazis
and then by a three year civil war.
619
00:40:40,560 --> 00:40:43,520
With the country in a
state of post-war poverty,
620
00:40:43,520 --> 00:40:45,600
parents were less able to afford
621
00:40:45,600 --> 00:40:48,480
expensive boarding schools.
622
00:40:48,480 --> 00:40:52,320
The school then began to target
a different type of student
623
00:40:52,320 --> 00:40:54,000
to keep its doors open.
624
00:40:55,360 --> 00:40:58,800
Greek shipping tycoons working
abroad knew that their children
625
00:40:58,800 --> 00:41:03,000
would be well taken care of here
by the round the clock boarding.
626
00:41:03,000 --> 00:41:06,440
Another type of student who got
sent to the school were
627
00:41:06,440 --> 00:41:10,400
basically the ne'er do well kids
of the upper classes,
628
00:41:10,400 --> 00:41:14,320
kids who were out of
control or making trouble,
629
00:41:14,320 --> 00:41:16,840
a little bit like
the way some people
630
00:41:16,840 --> 00:41:20,440
would send a wayward child
off to a military academy
631
00:41:20,440 --> 00:41:23,080
to get straightened out.
632
00:41:23,080 --> 00:41:25,400
Panos was one of those children.
633
00:41:28,400 --> 00:41:30,360
I was a bad boy before I come here.
634
00:41:30,360 --> 00:41:32,680
- - Yes.
- No.
- That's why they
put me in this school.
635
00:41:32,680 --> 00:41:36,320
- Yes.
- In order to
have more discipline.
636
00:41:36,320 --> 00:41:38,960
Confined on this tiny island,
637
00:41:38,960 --> 00:41:41,800
this was almost the school
version of Alcatraz.
638
00:41:41,800 --> 00:41:46,800
We have many, many escapes
from students during our lessons.
639
00:41:48,360 --> 00:41:51,920
But the school was
running on borrowed time.
640
00:41:51,920 --> 00:41:54,920
As Greek society
became more liberal,
641
00:41:54,920 --> 00:41:58,480
the school's conservative
approach to education gradually
642
00:41:58,480 --> 00:42:01,000
became less popular.
643
00:42:01,000 --> 00:42:03,880
Student numbers
declined in the 1970s,
644
00:42:03,880 --> 00:42:09,800
and by 1983 there were only five
pupils attending the massive school.
645
00:42:09,800 --> 00:42:13,920
Without enough income to
maintain the extensive facilities,
646
00:42:13,920 --> 00:42:15,600
it was forced to close.
647
00:42:20,160 --> 00:42:24,720
Today, Leontios and Panos helped
run a foundation which is working
648
00:42:24,720 --> 00:42:26,720
to revitalise the school.
649
00:42:26,720 --> 00:42:28,880
Their goal is to host
summer schools,
650
00:42:28,880 --> 00:42:31,440
conferences and academies here.
651
00:42:31,440 --> 00:42:35,880
Our task is to make the
whole foundation more popular
652
00:42:35,880 --> 00:42:38,160
and attract more seminars.
653
00:42:38,160 --> 00:42:41,400
All of us, we feel very proud.
654
00:42:41,400 --> 00:42:43,720
We lived a part of this vision.
655
00:43:13,280 --> 00:43:14,600
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