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These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated: 1 00:00:04,800 --> 00:00:07,400 A palatial ruin in Philadelphia 2 00:00:07,440 --> 00:00:10,640 built from the riches of an industrial golden age. 3 00:00:11,640 --> 00:00:12,680 All the wealth in the world 4 00:00:12,720 --> 00:00:16,080 couldn't protect him from losing many of the people he loved. 5 00:00:17,680 --> 00:00:18,880 In France, 6 00:00:18,920 --> 00:00:22,840 a remote outpost that threatened the lives of millions. 7 00:00:24,440 --> 00:00:31,720 This is designed to be the hinge on which the fate of Europe turns. 8 00:00:34,800 --> 00:00:37,440 An opulent retreat in Italy 9 00:00:37,480 --> 00:00:40,920 transformed to suppress a revolution. 10 00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:46,720 Men persecuted for their beliefs were rounded up and locked away. 11 00:00:46,760 --> 00:00:50,120 When they resisted, they were crushed with violence. 12 00:00:51,920 --> 00:00:57,480 And in Poland, a power-hungry dictator caught in a twisted romance 13 00:00:57,520 --> 00:00:59,680 at a fairy tale stronghold. 14 00:01:00,680 --> 00:01:04,600 At first, the relationship was shrouded in secrecy, 15 00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:07,760 but he was clearly happy with the bargain being struck. 16 00:01:17,600 --> 00:01:22,080 In southeast Pennsylvania stands the relic of an era 17 00:01:22,120 --> 00:01:25,280 when the titans of industry ruled America. 18 00:01:30,320 --> 00:01:32,920 In the countryside just outside Philadelphia, 19 00:01:32,960 --> 00:01:35,480 you see this grand neoclassical building 20 00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:38,320 with tall columns and two enormous wings. 21 00:01:39,320 --> 00:01:42,520 It feels like you could be standing in a grand European palace. 22 00:01:44,360 --> 00:01:45,520 But this is in the USA, 23 00:01:45,560 --> 00:01:48,040 and we're pretty famous for not having a monarchy. 24 00:01:48,080 --> 00:01:49,920 We dealt with that in the 1700s, 25 00:01:49,960 --> 00:01:52,640 but if a royal didn't live here, who did? 26 00:01:54,440 --> 00:01:57,240 The man behind this ostentatious residence 27 00:01:57,280 --> 00:02:00,040 was the very epitome of the American dream. 28 00:02:01,440 --> 00:02:05,480 This was once the home of one of the wealthiest Americans of his day, 29 00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:08,000 a man whose life was blessed with riches. 30 00:02:09,640 --> 00:02:14,440 He was also a man driven by a burning desire to leave a lasting legacy. 31 00:02:15,800 --> 00:02:18,120 It is truly one of the greatest collections of art 32 00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:21,800 ever assembled in one location in, probably, global history. 33 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:24,560 But all the money in the world 34 00:02:24,600 --> 00:02:26,760 could not save this family from tragedy. 35 00:02:28,200 --> 00:02:31,760 That tragedy would involve one of the greatest disasters in history, 36 00:02:31,800 --> 00:02:32,800 the Titanic. 37 00:02:39,400 --> 00:02:42,240 I first found this place when I was 11 years old, 38 00:02:42,280 --> 00:02:44,000 and it just all struck me. 39 00:02:44,040 --> 00:02:45,800 I'd never seen anything like it before. 40 00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:49,200 In 2023, 41 00:02:49,240 --> 00:02:53,600 Edward Thome headed up the group that purchased this property 42 00:02:53,640 --> 00:02:58,320 with the seemingly impossible task of restoring it to its former glory. 43 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:03,400 We are now solely responsible for this building and its well-being. 44 00:03:03,440 --> 00:03:07,600 So, there's a great sense of responsibility that comes with that as well. 45 00:03:07,640 --> 00:03:10,440 It was so reminiscent of the palaces of Europe, 46 00:03:10,480 --> 00:03:12,320 such as Versailles or Buckingham Palace. 47 00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:14,440 It's not something that you're used to seeing 48 00:03:14,480 --> 00:03:16,200 in the United States of America. 49 00:03:17,800 --> 00:03:22,760 The origins of this lavish residence began in a period of great prosperity 50 00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:25,360 known as the Gilded Age. 51 00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:28,280 In the late 19th century, early 20th century, 52 00:03:28,320 --> 00:03:31,920 the American economy was just in overdrive. 53 00:03:31,960 --> 00:03:36,040 A few individuals made a fortune from the booming industries 54 00:03:36,080 --> 00:03:39,440 such as steel, railways, and shipping. 55 00:03:41,080 --> 00:03:44,920 People like John D Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie, 56 00:03:44,960 --> 00:03:48,720 these were men who'd started out from very humble backgrounds, even poor, 57 00:03:48,760 --> 00:03:51,120 and became these titans of industry. 58 00:03:53,640 --> 00:03:57,840 Philadelphia native, Peter Widener, was one of those men. 59 00:03:57,880 --> 00:04:03,120 He was born in 1834, the son of a German immigrant bricklayer, 60 00:04:03,160 --> 00:04:05,120 and began his career as a butcher. 61 00:04:06,440 --> 00:04:08,000 In the early days of the Civil War, 62 00:04:08,040 --> 00:04:10,760 he won a contract to supply mutton to the Union troops 63 00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:12,880 within a ten-mile radius of Philadelphia, 64 00:04:12,920 --> 00:04:16,320 and with that mutton contract, he earned $50,000 65 00:04:16,360 --> 00:04:19,120 which is about $850,000 in today's money. 66 00:04:20,400 --> 00:04:23,080 He invested that windfall in up-and-coming industries. 67 00:04:23,120 --> 00:04:25,960 He was involved in US Steel, 68 00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:27,760 Standard Oil, 69 00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:29,400 American Tobacco. 70 00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:35,680 Peter also invested heavily in the American public transit system 71 00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:39,800 and amassed a fortune in the region of $35 million. 72 00:04:41,240 --> 00:04:45,120 Yet, from early on, his personal life was marked by tragedy. 73 00:04:46,120 --> 00:04:50,080 He lost the eldest of his three children, Harry, to typhoid fever 74 00:04:50,120 --> 00:04:51,320 at the age of 15. 75 00:04:53,200 --> 00:04:55,880 The final blow was his wife passing in 1896 76 00:04:55,920 --> 00:04:57,720 due to an unexpected heart attack, 77 00:04:57,760 --> 00:05:00,760 and at that point, his two sons, George and Joseph, 78 00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:03,360 were living out on their own and building their own houses. 79 00:05:05,160 --> 00:05:09,560 Widener's grief would drive the creation of his most important investment. 80 00:05:10,600 --> 00:05:11,960 He said to George and Joseph, 81 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:14,440 "I don't want to live alone for the rest of my life. 82 00:05:14,480 --> 00:05:16,200 "If I build a house large enough 83 00:05:16,240 --> 00:05:18,400 "that we can all coexist in, will you move in with me?" 84 00:05:18,440 --> 00:05:19,520 And of course, they said yes. 85 00:05:22,200 --> 00:05:25,720 Peter's new family home took two years to build 86 00:05:25,760 --> 00:05:29,400 and cost around $300 million in today's money. 87 00:05:30,400 --> 00:05:32,400 By December 1899, 88 00:05:32,440 --> 00:05:35,080 Lynnewood Hall was complete. 89 00:05:35,120 --> 00:05:37,440 It was a big media event. 90 00:05:37,480 --> 00:05:42,200 Widener invited movers and shakers from across society. 91 00:05:42,240 --> 00:05:47,080 The press showed up and everyone gushed over the fabulous luxury 92 00:05:47,120 --> 00:05:50,200 and appointments of this remarkable home. 93 00:05:51,640 --> 00:05:54,000 If you picture Downton Abbey transported to Philadelphia, 94 00:05:54,040 --> 00:05:56,920 then you get a pretty good idea of how the household was run. 95 00:05:56,960 --> 00:05:59,440 It was truly a charmed life. 96 00:05:59,480 --> 00:06:02,440 They had a French chef, of course, an English butler 97 00:06:02,480 --> 00:06:03,640 and European maids. 98 00:06:05,160 --> 00:06:08,600 It was one of the largest homes in the country and remains so today. 99 00:06:08,640 --> 00:06:10,600 There were 44 in-house staff 100 00:06:10,640 --> 00:06:13,600 and there was about 160 on the estate as total. 101 00:06:13,640 --> 00:06:18,120 All the family portraits hung in here, of Peter and his two sons. 102 00:06:18,160 --> 00:06:19,520 This leads right into the dining room, 103 00:06:19,560 --> 00:06:23,240 which is where the family would spend a lot of time every evening. 104 00:06:23,280 --> 00:06:26,720 They would sit around a giant table here in the middle with, you know, 105 00:06:26,760 --> 00:06:28,280 Peter and George and Joseph 106 00:06:28,320 --> 00:06:29,720 and their wives and all the children. 107 00:06:31,760 --> 00:06:34,920 Yet, Lynnewood Hall was always intended 108 00:06:34,960 --> 00:06:37,760 to be much more than just a family home. 109 00:06:38,800 --> 00:06:43,400 Widener had a particular affinity for European Old Master paintings, 110 00:06:43,440 --> 00:06:45,120 and he spared no expense 111 00:06:45,160 --> 00:06:48,160 in acquiring some of the most celebrated works of his time. 112 00:06:49,400 --> 00:06:51,240 So, Lynnewood has five galleries, 113 00:06:51,280 --> 00:06:53,840 and a lot of different aspects of this house 114 00:06:53,880 --> 00:06:56,400 were designed to accommodate specific works of art. 115 00:06:57,520 --> 00:06:59,240 This entire wall was covered with 116 00:06:59,280 --> 00:07:01,840 Romney, Hoppner, Gainsborough, Reynolds. 117 00:07:01,880 --> 00:07:04,800 We had two El Greco's here on either side of this door. 118 00:07:05,840 --> 00:07:07,760 We had the largest private collection of Rembrandts 119 00:07:07,800 --> 00:07:11,040 anywhere in the world at the time outside of Buckingham Palace. 120 00:07:12,440 --> 00:07:16,320 But Peter Widener wasn't just motivated by personal pleasure. 121 00:07:17,800 --> 00:07:19,600 You know, you have to remember he came from nothing. 122 00:07:19,640 --> 00:07:22,240 He was completely self-made. He was very proud of that 123 00:07:22,280 --> 00:07:25,720 and he had a great appreciation for this art collection 124 00:07:25,760 --> 00:07:27,520 and wanted to share it with everyone. 125 00:07:29,640 --> 00:07:31,640 And they opened up Lynnewood Hall 126 00:07:31,680 --> 00:07:35,520 as a, kind of, museum to the public for months every year 127 00:07:35,560 --> 00:07:38,080 for the grand price of five cents. 128 00:07:39,080 --> 00:07:40,680 His son, Joseph, later said, 129 00:07:40,720 --> 00:07:43,520 "Art belongs to those who appreciate it. 130 00:07:43,560 --> 00:07:45,280 "Others merely own it." 131 00:07:48,080 --> 00:07:52,320 Yet, heartbreak continued to follow his every achievement. 132 00:07:52,360 --> 00:07:55,880 Peter Widener had been part of the creation of the very thing 133 00:07:55,920 --> 00:07:58,080 that would bring grief to his family once again. 134 00:08:00,080 --> 00:08:01,920 In the early 1900s, 135 00:08:01,960 --> 00:08:05,960 he purchased a stake in the International Mercantile Marine Company. 136 00:08:07,120 --> 00:08:09,760 Peter's son, George, was also a shareholder 137 00:08:09,800 --> 00:08:10,960 and he, 138 00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:12,120 his wife, Eleanor, 139 00:08:12,160 --> 00:08:15,000 and their 27-old-son, Harry, 140 00:08:15,040 --> 00:08:17,320 arranged passage on the maiden voyage 141 00:08:17,360 --> 00:08:20,040 of the company's newest cruise ship. 142 00:08:20,080 --> 00:08:24,240 This kind of travel was a huge part of the lives 143 00:08:24,280 --> 00:08:27,920 of America's economic elite during this period. 144 00:08:27,960 --> 00:08:31,800 That was supposed to be the most elegant way to cross the Atlantic. 145 00:08:33,200 --> 00:08:36,160 Eleanor, George and Harry were already in Europe 146 00:08:36,200 --> 00:08:38,360 attending to business matters. 147 00:08:38,400 --> 00:08:41,000 This journey would bring them back to America. 148 00:08:43,080 --> 00:08:47,520 At 6.30 pm on April 10th, 1912, 149 00:08:47,560 --> 00:08:50,360 they set sail aboard the RMS Titanic. 150 00:08:51,440 --> 00:08:55,040 Little did they know, not all of them would make it home. 151 00:08:57,200 --> 00:09:00,920 On the 14th of April, five days into the voyage, 152 00:09:00,960 --> 00:09:04,080 the Widener family sat down for what would be 153 00:09:04,120 --> 00:09:06,240 their last meal together. 154 00:09:08,120 --> 00:09:10,000 One of the things that's interesting to me is 155 00:09:10,040 --> 00:09:13,800 many people are aware that there was a lavish dinner party on Titanic. 156 00:09:13,840 --> 00:09:17,040 What's not known is the fact that the Wideners were the ones 157 00:09:17,080 --> 00:09:19,200 who threw that dinner party as a retirement present 158 00:09:19,240 --> 00:09:21,000 for Captain Edward J Smith. 159 00:09:22,880 --> 00:09:25,720 It's said that the tables were set with fresh flowers, 160 00:09:25,760 --> 00:09:28,040 bone china and sterling silver 161 00:09:28,080 --> 00:09:29,400 as the meal was served. 162 00:09:30,640 --> 00:09:31,720 After the dinner, 163 00:09:31,760 --> 00:09:34,400 I believe Eleanor retired to her room with her lady's maid 164 00:09:34,440 --> 00:09:35,440 and the gentleman, of course, 165 00:09:35,480 --> 00:09:38,200 went to the smoking room for cigars and brandies and such. 166 00:09:39,520 --> 00:09:41,440 At 11.40 pm, 167 00:09:41,480 --> 00:09:42,800 disaster struck. 168 00:09:44,080 --> 00:09:45,800 Of course, everyone knows the story 169 00:09:45,840 --> 00:09:49,120 of the Titanic hitting the fateful iceberg 170 00:09:49,160 --> 00:09:53,400 and the roughly two-hour period when the ship was sinking 171 00:09:53,440 --> 00:09:56,000 and people came to the realisation 172 00:09:56,040 --> 00:09:59,200 that there were nowhere near enough lifeboats 173 00:09:59,240 --> 00:10:02,360 for even half of the passengers on the boat. 174 00:10:03,360 --> 00:10:05,920 Panic set in and the vessel's officers 175 00:10:05,960 --> 00:10:09,560 enforced a strict women-and-young-children-only rule 176 00:10:09,600 --> 00:10:11,720 in the limited number of lifeboats, 177 00:10:11,760 --> 00:10:14,800 leaving the adult men to fend for themselves. 178 00:10:15,800 --> 00:10:18,800 The Widener family had the experience that many families had 179 00:10:18,840 --> 00:10:21,640 of separating right there at the rail. 180 00:10:21,680 --> 00:10:23,400 It was a heartbreaking scene. 181 00:10:25,400 --> 00:10:27,920 George, you know, pulled his wife aside 182 00:10:27,960 --> 00:10:31,080 and he took off a gold and emerald ring and gave it to her 183 00:10:31,120 --> 00:10:33,440 and he said, you know, "Don't forget about me, 184 00:10:33,480 --> 00:10:35,920 "but I want you to do everything that we talked about doing." 185 00:10:38,160 --> 00:10:40,160 Eleanor and her lady's maid survived. 186 00:10:40,200 --> 00:10:42,920 George and his 27-year-old son, Harry, 187 00:10:42,960 --> 00:10:44,680 unfortunately, all perished in the sinking. 188 00:10:46,400 --> 00:10:50,160 Eleanor and her maid made it home on April 19th. 189 00:10:50,200 --> 00:10:52,040 There, they found Peter 190 00:10:52,080 --> 00:10:55,880 distraught with the news of the deaths of his son and grandson. 191 00:10:57,280 --> 00:11:00,680 Peter Widener was never the same again. 192 00:11:00,720 --> 00:11:04,640 Overcome with grief, his health suffered dramatically. 193 00:11:04,680 --> 00:11:07,960 We've been told that Peter would come out to this balcony 194 00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:10,400 and stare at the driveway, which is to our left, 195 00:11:10,440 --> 00:11:13,000 just hoping one day that a car would show up 196 00:11:13,040 --> 00:11:14,440 with both George and Harry in it. 197 00:11:15,440 --> 00:11:18,080 Only three years after the disaster, 198 00:11:18,120 --> 00:11:20,240 Widener died at Lynnewood Hall. 199 00:11:20,280 --> 00:11:21,840 He was 80 years old. 200 00:11:23,040 --> 00:11:25,080 The incident had such an impact on him 201 00:11:25,120 --> 00:11:28,120 that his doctor even said that he died of a broken heart. 202 00:11:30,000 --> 00:11:31,600 After Peter's death, 203 00:11:31,640 --> 00:11:34,920 the property passed to his last remaining son, Joseph. 204 00:11:35,920 --> 00:11:39,800 Lynnewood Hall remained in his hands until he died in 1943. 205 00:11:41,240 --> 00:11:45,800 After Joseph's death, neither his children nor his extended family 206 00:11:45,840 --> 00:11:48,560 wished to take on the vast responsibility 207 00:11:48,600 --> 00:11:50,120 of taking care of the property. 208 00:11:51,600 --> 00:11:53,920 The Widener's fabulous art collection 209 00:11:53,960 --> 00:11:55,840 was donated to the National Gallery. 210 00:11:55,880 --> 00:11:58,560 Those grand rooms must have seemed very empty 211 00:11:58,600 --> 00:12:00,360 when all those paintings were gone. 212 00:12:05,800 --> 00:12:08,880 Today, Edward Thome and his colleagues 213 00:12:08,920 --> 00:12:11,520 at the Lynnewood Hall Preservation Foundation, 214 00:12:11,560 --> 00:12:15,680 are working hard to keep Peter Widener's story alive 215 00:12:15,720 --> 00:12:20,400 and to realise his dream of making his home accessible to all. 216 00:12:22,600 --> 00:12:24,680 When you have a building of this significance, 217 00:12:24,720 --> 00:12:26,720 not just in its design but its history, 218 00:12:26,760 --> 00:12:29,640 it is so important to share it with the community, moving forward. 219 00:12:30,640 --> 00:12:33,200 The goal is to, again, open it to the public 220 00:12:33,240 --> 00:12:36,560 as a cultural centre, art museum and a recreational venue. 221 00:12:42,560 --> 00:12:44,280 In northern France 222 00:12:44,320 --> 00:12:46,480 is an ominous collection of buildings 223 00:12:46,520 --> 00:12:49,280 intended to decide the fate of Europe. 224 00:12:56,320 --> 00:13:00,760 It almost feels like an entire town is laid out next to the railway, 225 00:13:00,800 --> 00:13:03,560 but there are no houses or shops to speak of. 226 00:13:03,600 --> 00:13:04,920 So, what is this place? 227 00:13:06,400 --> 00:13:10,160 This construction is low. It's close to the ground. 228 00:13:10,200 --> 00:13:12,720 Whoever built these buildings 229 00:13:12,760 --> 00:13:15,200 did not want them to be seen. 230 00:13:16,800 --> 00:13:19,120 The style of architecture tells us 231 00:13:19,160 --> 00:13:23,280 that this was not created for the sake of pleasure or comfort. 232 00:13:24,680 --> 00:13:28,360 When the world was plunged into the chaos of conflict, 233 00:13:28,400 --> 00:13:32,560 these structures were designed to oversee the glorious victory 234 00:13:32,600 --> 00:13:34,200 of a cruel regime. 235 00:13:35,320 --> 00:13:39,480 The blood of hundreds, if not thousands 236 00:13:39,520 --> 00:13:41,480 of slave labourers 237 00:13:41,520 --> 00:13:44,200 is cast in this concrete. 238 00:13:44,240 --> 00:13:47,440 We can smell the evil 239 00:13:47,480 --> 00:13:49,360 of Nazi construction. 240 00:13:50,800 --> 00:13:55,520 Hitler had so much hubris that he believed that from here, 241 00:13:55,560 --> 00:13:59,040 he would witness the downfall of Britain. 242 00:13:59,080 --> 00:14:01,760 Yet, in the dying days of the war, 243 00:14:01,800 --> 00:14:05,640 the men stationed here received chilling new instructions. 244 00:14:06,800 --> 00:14:09,720 An order comes off the teleprinter 245 00:14:09,760 --> 00:14:14,040 that could result in the deaths of thousands. 246 00:14:31,600 --> 00:14:35,440 Didier Lede was one of the first to explore these bunkers 247 00:14:35,480 --> 00:14:38,680 when the shroud of secrecy was finally lifted. 248 00:14:53,720 --> 00:14:57,280 But this was a treasure with a menacing origin. 249 00:14:57,320 --> 00:15:01,480 These structures date to a time in World War II 250 00:15:01,520 --> 00:15:05,320 when Allied forces were being crushed by the Nazi war machine. 251 00:15:07,480 --> 00:15:10,400 By 1940, Germany had blitzed its way 252 00:15:10,440 --> 00:15:13,680 through Poland, Belgium and into France. 253 00:15:13,720 --> 00:15:17,160 Hitler wanted to stay close to his troops on the front line 254 00:15:17,200 --> 00:15:18,240 to give orders. 255 00:15:20,080 --> 00:15:24,640 This site was supposed to be the platform by which Hitler 256 00:15:24,680 --> 00:15:26,960 would oversee Operation Sea Lion, 257 00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:29,640 the conquest of Britain. 258 00:15:29,680 --> 00:15:32,600 It's got to be a hop, skip and a jump 259 00:15:32,640 --> 00:15:37,240 away from where the Nazis are going to fight the British 260 00:15:37,280 --> 00:15:38,960 in England. 261 00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:41,040 It's got to be in France. 262 00:15:41,080 --> 00:15:47,880 In 1942, they set about constructing the largest Third Reich headquarters 263 00:15:47,920 --> 00:15:49,640 ever built during the war. 264 00:15:51,040 --> 00:15:55,480 Even the name of the complex catered to Hitler's vainglorious ego. 265 00:15:56,600 --> 00:15:58,440 In homage to himself, 266 00:15:58,480 --> 00:16:01,080 he called his new base of operations 267 00:16:01,120 --> 00:16:02,880 Wolfsschlucht Zwei, 268 00:16:02,920 --> 00:16:05,760 aka Wolf's Lair II. 269 00:16:05,800 --> 00:16:09,040 Hitler attached considerable myth to his persona. 270 00:16:09,080 --> 00:16:12,760 One of those ideas was that he was a wolf, 271 00:16:12,800 --> 00:16:17,240 a wolf like the beasts, um, who inhabited German mythology. 272 00:16:18,240 --> 00:16:19,440 From the beginning, 273 00:16:19,480 --> 00:16:22,720 its construction was stained in innocent blood. 274 00:16:41,720 --> 00:16:45,600 By early 1944, Hitler's command centre, 275 00:16:45,640 --> 00:16:48,200 designed to orchestrate the destruction of Britain 276 00:16:48,240 --> 00:16:49,240 was complete. 277 00:16:50,320 --> 00:16:53,080 Up to 3,000 men were based here, 278 00:16:53,120 --> 00:16:56,280 although the Fuhrer himself had still never visited. 279 00:16:57,360 --> 00:17:00,760 But its role in Germany's war effort soon had to change. 280 00:17:01,880 --> 00:17:03,160 On the 6th of June, 281 00:17:03,200 --> 00:17:06,680 the largest amphibious invasion force ever assembled 282 00:17:06,720 --> 00:17:08,840 stormed the beaches of Normandy, 283 00:17:08,880 --> 00:17:11,200 just four hours away from this site. 284 00:17:12,360 --> 00:17:15,320 Hitler's troops were caught completely off guard. 285 00:17:16,720 --> 00:17:18,240 The belief was that the allies 286 00:17:18,280 --> 00:17:23,800 didn't have the potential or the power to stage an invasion. 287 00:17:25,160 --> 00:17:27,120 So, when the Allies land on D-Day, 288 00:17:27,160 --> 00:17:29,000 Hitler is in bed... 289 00:17:30,200 --> 00:17:35,640 ..and nobody wants to be the one who wakes up the Fuhrer. 290 00:17:36,720 --> 00:17:43,360 By the time Hitler's senior officers actually do get him awake, 291 00:17:43,400 --> 00:17:48,520 the commanders find that Hitler doesn't know 292 00:17:48,560 --> 00:17:52,520 which way to send reinforcements. 293 00:17:53,800 --> 00:17:56,000 After the Allied invasion began, 294 00:17:56,040 --> 00:17:59,840 it took Hitler 11 days to decide to go from Germany 295 00:17:59,880 --> 00:18:01,920 to Wolf's Lair II in France 296 00:18:01,960 --> 00:18:03,480 for the very first time. 297 00:18:04,720 --> 00:18:09,680 And that means that a bunker system that was built 298 00:18:09,720 --> 00:18:14,240 to prepare for the invasion of Britain 299 00:18:14,280 --> 00:18:18,120 needs to become a complex 300 00:18:18,160 --> 00:18:22,440 capable of commanding multiple army groups 301 00:18:22,480 --> 00:18:26,520 to defend Nazi-held France. 302 00:18:47,240 --> 00:18:50,680 Just as they were debating, the air raid warning sounded. 303 00:18:50,720 --> 00:18:52,960 Allied bombers were in the air 304 00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:56,400 and the whole party scrambled into the shelters 305 00:18:56,440 --> 00:18:59,280 deep in the hillsides where the meeting continued. 306 00:19:00,920 --> 00:19:04,480 At this point, Hitler demanded the V-1 rocket, 307 00:19:04,520 --> 00:19:07,680 a terror weapon built to pound London into submission, 308 00:19:07,720 --> 00:19:10,240 be used against the invading forces. 309 00:19:10,280 --> 00:19:11,480 He seemed to believe 310 00:19:11,520 --> 00:19:14,680 that this would act as some sort of Sword of Damocles, 311 00:19:14,720 --> 00:19:17,280 um, striking down the enemy. 312 00:19:17,320 --> 00:19:21,080 The artillery general advised it was far too risky 313 00:19:21,120 --> 00:19:23,920 to send the V-1 to the front lines. 314 00:19:23,960 --> 00:19:26,080 These things were entirely unpredictable 315 00:19:26,120 --> 00:19:28,480 and he worried that they would kill their own men 316 00:19:28,520 --> 00:19:32,320 if they fired them anywhere close to the invasion forces. 317 00:19:33,920 --> 00:19:36,520 The supposedly great Fuhrer 318 00:19:36,560 --> 00:19:39,240 was visibly shaken by the general's reaction, 319 00:19:39,280 --> 00:19:43,720 and dismissed their recommendation to retreat from Normandy and regroup. 320 00:19:44,720 --> 00:19:47,560 After only 12 hours at Wolf's Lair II, 321 00:19:47,600 --> 00:19:50,400 he makes a feeble excuse to leave 322 00:19:50,440 --> 00:19:53,440 while his generals return to the front lines 323 00:19:53,480 --> 00:19:55,760 to try and hold back the Allied invasion. 324 00:19:56,920 --> 00:20:03,240 And Hitler appears not to be a man of great physical courage. 325 00:20:03,280 --> 00:20:05,320 Hitler's response is, 326 00:20:05,360 --> 00:20:11,560 "I am in such danger here in France. I am going to get back to Germany. 327 00:20:11,600 --> 00:20:15,640 "I'm going to command from someplace where I can feel safe." 328 00:20:18,880 --> 00:20:20,480 Once back in Germany, 329 00:20:20,520 --> 00:20:24,320 Hitler never again stepped foot inside Wolf's Lair II. 330 00:20:25,640 --> 00:20:28,360 On the 25th of August 1944, 331 00:20:28,400 --> 00:20:33,200 the Free French Allied Forces entered Paris and declared it liberated. 332 00:20:34,720 --> 00:20:38,360 The next day, from the safety of his Berlin bunker, 333 00:20:38,400 --> 00:20:43,280 Hitler would send an alarming message to this base's communications room 334 00:20:43,320 --> 00:20:46,240 calling for the bombardment of the French capital. 335 00:20:47,400 --> 00:20:50,600 Hitler gives a scorched earth order 336 00:20:50,640 --> 00:20:53,800 to destroy the entire city. 337 00:20:54,800 --> 00:20:58,360 The order was received by General Hans Speidel, 338 00:20:58,400 --> 00:21:02,200 who just months earlier had been part of the failed plot 339 00:21:02,240 --> 00:21:06,480 to assassinate Hitler and take control of the armed forces. 340 00:21:08,560 --> 00:21:11,640 The residents of Paris were completely unaware 341 00:21:11,680 --> 00:21:14,480 how close they came to total annihilation. 342 00:21:32,960 --> 00:21:35,720 As the Allies advanced through France, 343 00:21:35,760 --> 00:21:38,320 the Germans fled Wolf's Lair II. 344 00:21:39,400 --> 00:21:41,480 After their eventual surrender, 345 00:21:41,520 --> 00:21:45,480 the US Army occupied this complex until 1946. 346 00:21:46,480 --> 00:21:51,080 It then served as a NATO base and school for French special forces 347 00:21:51,120 --> 00:21:54,160 until it was abandoned in 1993. 348 00:22:01,160 --> 00:22:05,000 After NATO left, the site became overgrown 349 00:22:05,040 --> 00:22:08,840 and many of the stories of its history became forgotten. 350 00:22:10,200 --> 00:22:15,160 Since then, a local association has worked to maintain these buildings, 351 00:22:15,200 --> 00:22:19,200 and plans are underway to convert it into a museum site. 352 00:22:32,480 --> 00:22:37,000 On the small Italian island of Procida, off the coast of Naples, 353 00:22:37,040 --> 00:22:41,200 is an ominous structure that harboured aristocrats and villains. 354 00:22:45,440 --> 00:22:47,120 At the island's highest point, 355 00:22:47,160 --> 00:22:50,560 your eye is immediately drawn to this building 356 00:22:50,600 --> 00:22:55,200 that's commanding and daunting in equal measure. 357 00:22:55,240 --> 00:22:56,960 As you approach along the driveway, 358 00:22:57,000 --> 00:23:00,960 you are met by these two large, wooden doors. 359 00:23:01,000 --> 00:23:05,440 But were they meant to keep people out or in? 360 00:23:07,000 --> 00:23:12,560 Beyond the gates is a large open courtyard lined with stoneworks. 361 00:23:12,600 --> 00:23:16,040 It's a demonstration of lavish opulence. 362 00:23:17,200 --> 00:23:20,880 When you step inside, the mood drastically changes. 363 00:23:21,880 --> 00:23:25,960 You've got piles of shoes, rows of rusting beds, 364 00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:28,760 baskets of thread all over the place. 365 00:23:28,800 --> 00:23:31,120 Maybe it was a factory of some sort, 366 00:23:31,160 --> 00:23:33,920 but honestly, it's just creepy. 367 00:23:35,960 --> 00:23:39,880 Exploring deeper into the building's underbelly, 368 00:23:39,920 --> 00:23:44,000 you can see a place that is even more unsettling. 369 00:23:46,440 --> 00:23:49,000 That's when you see bars on the windows, 370 00:23:49,040 --> 00:23:50,680 and there's the real giveaway. 371 00:23:50,720 --> 00:23:52,960 Nobody came here by choice. 372 00:23:53,000 --> 00:23:57,800 What began as the stronghold of a really powerful dynasty, 373 00:23:57,840 --> 00:24:00,880 slowly emerged into something much more sinister. 374 00:24:22,160 --> 00:24:27,000 In 2017, Luigi Primario got the chance to find out 375 00:24:27,040 --> 00:24:29,040 when he became a city councillor 376 00:24:29,080 --> 00:24:32,360 tasked with the regeneration of this foreboding site. 377 00:24:33,920 --> 00:24:37,480 What he discovered was a tale of intrigue and oppression 378 00:24:37,520 --> 00:24:40,480 that echoed the very history of Italy itself. 379 00:24:49,160 --> 00:24:53,920 The oldest part of this palatial ruin dates back to the 16th century, 380 00:24:53,960 --> 00:24:58,400 when Italy wasn't the unified country we know and recognise today. 381 00:25:00,400 --> 00:25:04,960 The region was under control of the Spanish Aragonese dynasty, 382 00:25:05,000 --> 00:25:07,640 who ruled over the Kingdom of Naples. 383 00:25:08,920 --> 00:25:12,720 Procida was entrusted to the d'Avalos family, 384 00:25:12,760 --> 00:25:17,040 who were an influential clan of Spanish dukes 385 00:25:17,080 --> 00:25:20,720 who controlled a powerful mercenary army. 386 00:25:22,400 --> 00:25:26,240 In 1563, a prominent member of the family, 387 00:25:26,280 --> 00:25:29,360 Cardinal Innico d'Avalos d'Aragona, 388 00:25:29,400 --> 00:25:32,320 decided to make Procida his home. 389 00:25:32,360 --> 00:25:34,720 He called his new island fortress 390 00:25:34,760 --> 00:25:36,440 the Palazzo d'Avalos. 391 00:25:38,640 --> 00:25:42,040 For the next century, the d'Avalos family ruled over Procida, 392 00:25:42,080 --> 00:25:46,440 but their reign was dramatically cut short in the 1700s. 393 00:25:46,480 --> 00:25:50,640 Following the death of childless Spanish monarch, Charles II, 394 00:25:50,680 --> 00:25:55,480 this region was caught up in a European conflict of succession. 395 00:25:55,520 --> 00:25:59,600 The Spanish House of Bourbon emerged victorious. 396 00:25:59,640 --> 00:26:03,760 By 1736, the future Bourbon king, Charles III, 397 00:26:03,800 --> 00:26:06,440 had conquered Naples and Sicily. 398 00:26:06,480 --> 00:26:09,200 He kicked out the d'Avalos family 399 00:26:09,240 --> 00:26:12,560 and took the palazzo over for himself 400 00:26:12,600 --> 00:26:14,680 to have a grand hunting lodge. 401 00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:17,880 For the people living under Bourbon rule, 402 00:26:17,920 --> 00:26:19,520 life couldn't have been more different. 403 00:26:20,800 --> 00:26:24,880 These people were often under the oppressive thumb 404 00:26:24,920 --> 00:26:27,160 of their feudal lords. 405 00:26:27,200 --> 00:26:31,200 Discontent ran deep and it was only a matter of time 406 00:26:31,240 --> 00:26:33,360 before that exploded into violence. 407 00:26:35,720 --> 00:26:37,840 In the wake of the French Revolution, 408 00:26:37,880 --> 00:26:40,000 rebellions swept through Europe 409 00:26:40,040 --> 00:26:43,440 and the ruling Bourbons faced a series of uprisings. 410 00:26:44,440 --> 00:26:46,120 In order to maintain rule, 411 00:26:46,160 --> 00:26:49,360 the Palazzo d'Avalos entered a dark, new era. 412 00:26:51,360 --> 00:26:58,240 By 1831, this once-regal residence had been converted to a prison 413 00:26:58,280 --> 00:27:01,640 to house political enemies of the State. 414 00:27:10,280 --> 00:27:13,080 The conditions inside were horrific 415 00:27:13,120 --> 00:27:19,280 and the prisoners often faced beatings, starvation and torture. 416 00:27:20,560 --> 00:27:25,720 For many, it seemed their only option for survival was to escape. 417 00:27:26,720 --> 00:27:28,280 But they were wrong. 418 00:27:28,320 --> 00:27:33,440 In 1848, around 140 prisoners arrived on Procida from Sicily. 419 00:27:33,480 --> 00:27:35,800 Reports suggest that they tried to break out, 420 00:27:35,840 --> 00:27:37,880 but they were trapped by the guards 421 00:27:37,920 --> 00:27:39,680 and then ruthlessly massacred. 422 00:27:50,280 --> 00:27:53,640 The event sent shock waves through Europe. 423 00:27:53,680 --> 00:27:56,600 It's actually said to be one of the reasons that Gladstone, 424 00:27:56,640 --> 00:27:59,720 who was the British Prime Minister at the time, 425 00:27:59,760 --> 00:28:03,480 broke off diplomatic relations with the Bourbon monarchy. 426 00:28:05,320 --> 00:28:08,160 Instead, he chose to back the Italian rabble-rouser, 427 00:28:08,200 --> 00:28:09,480 Giuseppe Garibaldi, 428 00:28:09,520 --> 00:28:13,280 the heroic revolutionary that overthrew the Bourbons in the 1860s 429 00:28:13,320 --> 00:28:15,720 and was finally able to unify the country. 430 00:28:16,920 --> 00:28:20,080 While the birth of modern Italy had arrived, 431 00:28:20,120 --> 00:28:23,880 the Palazzo d'Avalos remained a place of incarceration 432 00:28:23,920 --> 00:28:25,280 for the next century... 433 00:28:28,120 --> 00:28:30,680 ..and soon, the prison needed to expand 434 00:28:30,720 --> 00:28:34,200 to meet the growing demand of a different breed of criminal. 435 00:28:36,120 --> 00:28:41,200 In the 1970s, the prison started to be overrun with Italian mafioso. 436 00:28:41,240 --> 00:28:45,920 We're talking mob bosses, hitmen, henchmen, the whole range. 437 00:28:47,320 --> 00:28:53,760 Giacomo Retaggio started working here in 1963 as the prison's only doctor. 438 00:28:54,960 --> 00:28:58,960 From the very start, his tenure was marred by violence. 439 00:29:24,800 --> 00:29:26,800 Over the next 25 years, 440 00:29:26,840 --> 00:29:30,840 Giacomo got to know some of the prison's most dangerous convicts. 441 00:29:54,080 --> 00:29:59,240 In 1982, this included Naples' public enemy number one, 442 00:29:59,280 --> 00:30:03,480 Camorra mafia boss, Luigi "The King" Giuliano. 443 00:30:03,520 --> 00:30:06,840 Luigi headed up the powerful Giuliano clan, 444 00:30:06,880 --> 00:30:08,640 which had a reputation for being 445 00:30:08,680 --> 00:30:11,880 one of Naples' most bloodthirsty criminal families. 446 00:30:11,920 --> 00:30:13,840 At the time of his arrest, 447 00:30:13,880 --> 00:30:18,680 Giuliano was in the midst of a brutal war with a rival Camorra clan 448 00:30:18,720 --> 00:30:22,200 led by Raffaele "The Professor" Cutolo. 449 00:30:23,280 --> 00:30:26,280 Cutolo himself was already behind bars, 450 00:30:26,320 --> 00:30:32,000 running his empire entirely from the notorious Poggioreale prison in Naples. 451 00:30:33,800 --> 00:30:36,880 Luigi begged to be sent to Procida prison. 452 00:30:36,920 --> 00:30:42,000 He knew that if he was sent to Poggioreale prison, 453 00:30:42,040 --> 00:30:45,040 where Cutolo's men were locked up, 454 00:30:45,080 --> 00:30:46,880 he would face death. 455 00:31:12,360 --> 00:31:16,440 But Giuliano was wrong to think he'd be safe at Procida. 456 00:31:31,880 --> 00:31:35,760 Among the prisoners was one of Cutolo's former henchmen 457 00:31:35,800 --> 00:31:37,960 and he had it in for Giuliano. 458 00:31:39,400 --> 00:31:42,920 In November, he was stabbed by another inmate and left for dead. 459 00:32:13,440 --> 00:32:15,880 Luckily for him, he survived. 460 00:32:15,920 --> 00:32:18,000 Not so lucky for Naples. 461 00:32:18,040 --> 00:32:20,360 After he was acquitted of all charges, 462 00:32:20,400 --> 00:32:24,240 he continued his reign of terror for the next 20 years. 463 00:32:25,840 --> 00:32:29,760 Giuliano was eventually arrested in 2000 464 00:32:29,800 --> 00:32:33,320 and turned into a government witness to avoid jail time. 465 00:32:34,400 --> 00:32:37,200 But during that period, the ageing prison here 466 00:32:37,240 --> 00:32:40,880 had already been forced to shut its doors for good. 467 00:33:11,720 --> 00:33:16,080 For 30 years, Palazzo d'Avalos sat completely abandoned 468 00:33:16,120 --> 00:33:18,120 until the government took it over 469 00:33:18,160 --> 00:33:20,680 and made it a place that tourists could visit. 470 00:33:39,240 --> 00:33:42,280 In the northern Polish town of Kamieniec 471 00:33:42,320 --> 00:33:46,360 is the ruin of a site where romance and patriotism 472 00:33:46,400 --> 00:33:47,880 painfully collided. 473 00:33:53,080 --> 00:33:56,200 There's little houses and shops and a church. 474 00:33:56,240 --> 00:33:59,160 It seems like a place where things move slowly. 475 00:33:59,200 --> 00:34:02,960 But at one end of town is something quite unexpected. 476 00:34:04,400 --> 00:34:08,400 Set back from the street is a towering stone structure 477 00:34:08,440 --> 00:34:10,600 ravaged by the passage of time. 478 00:34:12,600 --> 00:34:17,120 It's got this big facade, two wings spreading out on either side. 479 00:34:17,160 --> 00:34:19,640 It seems like somewhere really important. 480 00:34:19,680 --> 00:34:22,920 Central Europe is dotted with palaces such as this, 481 00:34:22,960 --> 00:34:26,480 but this one is remarkable because of who ended up here 482 00:34:26,520 --> 00:34:27,520 and with whom. 483 00:34:29,480 --> 00:34:33,640 One of the world's greatest generals was caught in a love affair. 484 00:34:33,680 --> 00:34:35,840 For him, it was passion. 485 00:34:35,880 --> 00:34:39,160 For her, it was duty to her country. 486 00:34:39,200 --> 00:34:43,120 She carried the very existence of Poland on her shoulders. 487 00:34:43,160 --> 00:34:45,320 But the question was, would it pay off? 488 00:34:53,640 --> 00:34:56,840 I first came here maybe 20 years ago. 489 00:34:56,880 --> 00:35:00,320 There's something magical about this ruin. 490 00:35:00,360 --> 00:35:03,160 This was called Versaille of the North. 491 00:35:05,720 --> 00:35:08,680 Tomasz Dabrowski is part of a group 492 00:35:08,720 --> 00:35:11,920 dedicated to honouring the role this building played 493 00:35:11,960 --> 00:35:14,480 in his nation's struggle for independence. 494 00:35:16,520 --> 00:35:18,720 When I thought about history of this place, 495 00:35:18,760 --> 00:35:21,640 I realised that the history is so strictly connected 496 00:35:21,680 --> 00:35:23,160 with history of Poland. 497 00:35:25,560 --> 00:35:29,440 Its epic story began in the early 18th century, 498 00:35:29,480 --> 00:35:32,400 when this region was a battlefield 499 00:35:32,440 --> 00:35:34,440 fought over by neighbouring states. 500 00:35:35,440 --> 00:35:39,160 We're in what one historian famously called "God's playground," Poland, 501 00:35:39,200 --> 00:35:40,880 which was at the intersection 502 00:35:40,920 --> 00:35:43,080 of all the great powers of Europe. 503 00:35:43,120 --> 00:35:45,680 This land was under the control of Prussia, 504 00:35:45,720 --> 00:35:48,320 a kingdom comprised of northern Germany 505 00:35:48,360 --> 00:35:50,440 and much of modern-day Poland. 506 00:35:51,600 --> 00:35:54,000 Its king, Friedrich Wilhelm I, 507 00:35:54,040 --> 00:35:58,520 bestowed palaces and estates upon the noble families. 508 00:35:58,560 --> 00:36:01,920 This one was called Finckenstein Palace 509 00:36:01,960 --> 00:36:06,800 and it was named after the ruling family that constructed it in 1716. 510 00:36:07,800 --> 00:36:10,200 It would be the von Finckensteins' home, 511 00:36:10,240 --> 00:36:14,480 but also a place for the king to stay when he travelled from Berlin. 512 00:36:14,520 --> 00:36:16,400 At the turn of the century, though, 513 00:36:16,440 --> 00:36:19,240 it would host a very different set of guests. 514 00:36:20,360 --> 00:36:22,440 In the late 1700s, 515 00:36:22,480 --> 00:36:25,840 50 years after Finckenstein Palace was built, 516 00:36:25,880 --> 00:36:28,440 Poland was plunged into chaos. 517 00:36:29,560 --> 00:36:32,600 European borders were rapidly shifting 518 00:36:32,640 --> 00:36:35,880 and this region was caught in the crossfire. 519 00:36:37,000 --> 00:36:40,960 The great powers of Prussia, Russia and the Habsburg Empire 520 00:36:41,000 --> 00:36:44,640 set about on a devastating series of partitions 521 00:36:44,680 --> 00:36:48,560 that really completely reduces the Polish state to nothing. 522 00:36:49,880 --> 00:36:54,160 The result of this was that Poland was all but wiped off the map, 523 00:36:54,200 --> 00:36:58,360 and if they had any chance of restoring their statehood, 524 00:36:58,400 --> 00:36:59,920 they'd need help from abroad. 525 00:37:02,200 --> 00:37:05,640 The Polish prince, Jozef Poniatowski, 526 00:37:05,680 --> 00:37:07,680 in cahoots with his noblemen, 527 00:37:07,720 --> 00:37:11,560 devised a strategy to save the nation from obscurity. 528 00:37:12,600 --> 00:37:14,120 The plan they came up with? 529 00:37:14,160 --> 00:37:18,120 Well, it's been used over and over again throughout history, 530 00:37:18,160 --> 00:37:19,880 a honey trap. 531 00:37:19,920 --> 00:37:23,720 The prince and his officials identify the perfect person 532 00:37:23,760 --> 00:37:26,280 and she's a countess named Marie Walewska. 533 00:37:26,320 --> 00:37:28,880 Even though she was already married and had a child, 534 00:37:28,920 --> 00:37:31,960 she was known throughout Poland for her great beauty. 535 00:37:34,240 --> 00:37:39,640 The scheming nobles then set their sights on an ambitious neighbouring ruler 536 00:37:39,680 --> 00:37:42,360 who could champion their cause for independence. 537 00:37:44,400 --> 00:37:47,360 And at that time, there was only one real candidate, 538 00:37:47,400 --> 00:37:49,080 Napoleon Bonaparte. 539 00:37:51,720 --> 00:37:57,600 They realised that Napoleon has a natural interest in fostering Polish nationalism 540 00:37:57,640 --> 00:38:00,880 as a way of weakening, you know, Russia, Austria and Prussia. 541 00:38:02,400 --> 00:38:05,920 Napoleon met Marie Walewska first time 542 00:38:05,960 --> 00:38:09,720 in the Royal Palace in Warsaw in January, 1807. 543 00:38:09,760 --> 00:38:12,920 This meeting was not coincidental, of course, 544 00:38:12,960 --> 00:38:16,880 because Marie Walewska impressed Napoleon so much 545 00:38:16,920 --> 00:38:20,360 that he wanted to know her better. 546 00:38:23,840 --> 00:38:27,280 The Polish plan appeared to be working. 547 00:38:27,320 --> 00:38:30,720 When Napoleon returned to his European campaigns, 548 00:38:30,760 --> 00:38:33,560 he didn't forget his newfound mistress. 549 00:38:34,600 --> 00:38:38,800 In 1807, Napoleon invites Marie Walewska to the countryside, 550 00:38:38,840 --> 00:38:41,920 where he is resting after another important battle. 551 00:38:43,560 --> 00:38:47,720 As she arrived, she was greeted by the magnificent facade 552 00:38:47,760 --> 00:38:50,000 of Finckenstein Palace. 553 00:38:50,040 --> 00:38:53,600 Marie understood the role she had been chosen to play, 554 00:38:53,640 --> 00:38:56,040 but she was also conflicted. 555 00:38:56,080 --> 00:38:59,840 She would have to choose between her family and her country. 556 00:39:02,920 --> 00:39:06,280 She's very concerned about her reputation because she's married, 557 00:39:06,320 --> 00:39:08,720 she has a child, she's of noble birth. 558 00:39:09,720 --> 00:39:13,480 Napoleon was all too aware of Marie's personal situation 559 00:39:13,520 --> 00:39:15,800 and continued the affair regardless. 560 00:39:17,640 --> 00:39:19,720 So, they end up holing up in a bedroom 561 00:39:19,760 --> 00:39:21,600 of the north wing of the palace. 562 00:39:21,640 --> 00:39:25,360 Here, there were the room occupied by Marie Walewska. 563 00:39:25,400 --> 00:39:27,800 So, there was the bed. 564 00:39:27,840 --> 00:39:30,360 Spent time, but mostly it was closed 565 00:39:30,400 --> 00:39:33,240 because she was supposed only to meet with emperor. 566 00:39:35,000 --> 00:39:36,240 Marie told one friend 567 00:39:36,280 --> 00:39:39,920 that she really felt like she was married to Napoleon at the time, 568 00:39:39,960 --> 00:39:42,560 but, of course, she knew she was actually 569 00:39:42,600 --> 00:39:46,000 in service of a much greater cause. 570 00:39:46,040 --> 00:39:49,960 That cause received a boost in April, 1807, 571 00:39:50,000 --> 00:39:53,200 when Napoleon made a deal with the Shah of Persia 572 00:39:53,240 --> 00:39:54,920 at Finckenstein Palace. 573 00:39:54,960 --> 00:39:58,760 Napoleon's plan is to, basically, create this continental system 574 00:39:58,800 --> 00:40:00,320 to close off all of Europe, 575 00:40:00,360 --> 00:40:03,080 including the Russian Empire, to British trade. 576 00:40:04,160 --> 00:40:10,280 Special envoy came here the 26th April of 1807. 577 00:40:10,320 --> 00:40:15,160 It was the most important political event here 578 00:40:15,200 --> 00:40:18,240 because treaty between France and Persia 579 00:40:18,280 --> 00:40:20,720 was really important for Napoleon. 580 00:40:23,640 --> 00:40:25,840 After the treaty had been signed, 581 00:40:25,880 --> 00:40:29,000 Napoleon continued his war with Russia. 582 00:40:29,040 --> 00:40:33,680 At the Battle of Friedland in June, his army emerged victorious, 583 00:40:33,720 --> 00:40:36,440 forcing the Russians to make a settlement. 584 00:40:36,480 --> 00:40:39,000 This was the moment that Marie was waiting for. 585 00:40:39,040 --> 00:40:41,280 The French are negotiating with the Russians 586 00:40:41,320 --> 00:40:43,800 and the fate of Poland is on the table. 587 00:40:45,080 --> 00:40:50,240 Marie had left behind her husband and child to spend two months with Napoleon, 588 00:40:50,280 --> 00:40:53,840 in the hope his favour would sway his decisions, 589 00:40:53,880 --> 00:40:55,120 but, in the end, 590 00:40:55,160 --> 00:40:56,320 it would all be for nothing. 591 00:40:57,840 --> 00:40:59,680 Under the terms of the deal, 592 00:40:59,720 --> 00:41:04,160 Russia kept most of the Polish territory they previously held, 593 00:41:04,200 --> 00:41:07,680 Napoleon merely electing to form a small Polish state 594 00:41:07,720 --> 00:41:09,600 called the Grand Duchy of Warsaw. 595 00:41:10,960 --> 00:41:13,480 Poland's dream of true independence 596 00:41:13,520 --> 00:41:14,560 was over. 597 00:41:15,760 --> 00:41:19,160 Marie's mission had failed and it was absolutely clear 598 00:41:19,200 --> 00:41:22,440 that Napoleon would always put his beloved France first 599 00:41:22,480 --> 00:41:24,680 over any romantic involvement. 600 00:41:25,720 --> 00:41:29,240 Napoleon made sure Marie was taken care of for the rest of her life, 601 00:41:29,280 --> 00:41:31,360 but the affair was all but over 602 00:41:31,400 --> 00:41:33,560 and the hopes of the Polish people 603 00:41:33,600 --> 00:41:34,840 died with it. 604 00:41:36,960 --> 00:41:38,560 As the years passed, 605 00:41:38,600 --> 00:41:43,240 Finckenstein Palace continued to be a home for wealthy nobility, 606 00:41:43,280 --> 00:41:47,840 but during World War II, it was looted by the Soviet Red Army 607 00:41:47,880 --> 00:41:50,320 as they advanced through Poland, 608 00:41:50,360 --> 00:41:52,360 and in 1945, 609 00:41:52,400 --> 00:41:55,080 it was completely destroyed by a fire. 610 00:42:02,000 --> 00:42:04,200 Today, the site is privately owned 611 00:42:04,240 --> 00:42:07,360 by a member of the Polish Napoleon Foundation, 612 00:42:07,400 --> 00:42:11,160 and it became a shrine to a pivotal moment in Polish history 613 00:42:11,200 --> 00:42:14,640 that unfolded within the walls of this great palace. 614 00:42:15,640 --> 00:42:18,160 The romance was even immortalised in a film 615 00:42:18,200 --> 00:42:20,800 starring Charles Boyer and Greta Garbo 616 00:42:20,840 --> 00:42:23,160 and the film was called The Conquest. 617 00:42:24,240 --> 00:42:28,320 Subtitles by Red Bee Media 51924

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