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(dramatic music)
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Weapons have existed as long as human kind.
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For millennia, they have determined
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the destiny of generations.
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Weapons bring suffering and death.
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They show what humans can
inflict upon other humans.
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But they're also intended to keep the peace
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and pave new ways for technology.
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When it comes to developing
destructive weapons,
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the innovativeness of mankind
seems to know no limits.
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Our international experts reveal
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the secrets of weapons technology.
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The tank: firepower and speed.
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It's like a tight little oven.
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The hand grenade turns trench warfare
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into a nightmare.
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Pull the pin, and we're ready to go.
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The first machine gun, the Maxim.
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It changed the world of
firearms and warfare forever.
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Our first weapon shows how killing
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became a mechanized process
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during the 19th and 20th centuries.
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Firearms were introduced
in the Middle Ages,
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and ever since,
the military has kept trying
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to shoot faster and more effectively.
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The more bullets that hit
the enemy on the battlefield,
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the more likely you are to win.
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But there is one problem.
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Reloading the weapons in cumbersome.
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In 1866, Hiram Maxim, an American engineer,
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tries out a rifle.
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It is tedious to have to
reload after every shot,
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and his shoulder aches from
the hard recoil of the weapon.
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Maxim, who is actually an electrical
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engineering specialist, has an idea.
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Could the energy from the
recoil be used to reload?
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In 1881, he travels to Europe,
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where supposedly a friend gave him
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a crucial piece of advice.
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(foreign language)
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And his friend tells him,
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"Do you know how you could
make some real money?"
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And Hiram maxim says, "How?"
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{\an8}And Maxim's friend says,
"Invent a weapons system
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{\an8}"that will allow Europeans
to kill each other faster."
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{\an8}And unfortunately, Maxim takes this advice.
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At that moment, Europe is at peace.
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But it seems like only a matter of time
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before the next great war breaks out.
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Three years later,
Maxim debuts his new weapon.
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As long as the trigger remains depressed,
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the Maxim gun fires without stopping,
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without almost any recoil,
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since that force is used
for the reloading process.
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We want to test how this
automatic weapon really works.
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Karen Machnau is a weapons expert
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from Phoenix, Arizona in the U.S.
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On the shooting range, she shows us
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an original Maxim gun in action.
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This gun was also known as the grim reaper,
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and the devil's paintbrush.
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It changed the world of
firearms and warfare forever.
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A special component of the weapon
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is the water-cooled barrel.
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{\an8}You've got the water jacket.
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{\an8}We have an area that you could unscrew
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{\an8}to put the water inside the gun.
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It held about four liters of water.
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When the barrel get very hot,
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which it does with sustained fire,
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that water would boil, steam would come up,
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condense through the steam
tube, and come out through
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the front part of the gun
here where we have a hole.
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So this would keep the gun cool.
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Karen wants to put the
machine gun to the test,
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using a historical example from 1908.
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Her target: 10 paint cans.
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Can she hit them all in 10 seconds?
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Okay, I'm ready to fire.
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(rapid gunfire)
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(dramatic music)
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In just 10 seconds,
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Karen fired around 100 shots.
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But how does the weapon really work?
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The key principle behind the mechanism:
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the recoil slides a carriage,
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which ejects the empty
cartridge case downwards,
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while at the same time putting
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a new cartridge into position.
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As long as he barrel stays cool
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and the shooter keeps
the trigger depressed,
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the former nuisance of the recoil
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now provides the momentum
for automatic reloading.
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Hiram Maxim has created the
first automatic machine gun.
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A cartridge belt with
250 rounds of ammunition
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is attached to the heavy weapon.
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And with belt changes,
it is possible to shoot
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up to 600 shots per minute.
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Another interesting component about the gun
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is that it had a rate of fire
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of about 892 meters per second,
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quite a devastating weapon.
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It didn't involve a crank mechanism;
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it was fully automatic.
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And again, that's what makes this gun
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so completely devastating,
and so revolutionary,
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and so far ahead of its time.
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As an advertising demo,
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Maxim uses bullets to cut down a tree,
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as seen here in 1890,
accompanied by Chinese emissaries.
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But is this photo evidence trustworthy?
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To check it out,
we'll begin our next experiment.
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An assistant buries a
tree trunk in the ground.
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And I'm not sure how long it's gonna take
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to actually cut this tree down,
so let's see what happens.
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(rapid gunfire)
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Karen Machnau fires away
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at the tree trunk with the Maxim gun.
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The mechanism jams, something that happened
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in isolated incidents in the past,
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and happens to the historical
weapon even more now,
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after 100 years of operation.
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It's not going back.
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This is what happens with
100-year-old pieces of equipment.
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Right, but let's go an take
a look at what it did do.
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What kind of damage
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did the Maxim gun do to the tree trunk?
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Well, if you come back here,
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it's actually pretty impressive.
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You can see just how much it's cleared out
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the back of the tree.
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But round here there's still a ways to go.
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{\an8}So, had we been successful,
this would have gone down,
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{\an8}but old piece of equipment, unfortunately.
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{\an8}Would have been fun to see this happen.
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Didn't work out this time.
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Our conclusion: the Maxim gun
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would actually have been able to penetrate
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and destroy a tree trunk.
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And the weapon also convinces
the British military.
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So it took that kind
of fire into new spaces
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and became a key tool
in the late 19th century
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in the pacification of areas
outside western Europe.
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Omdurman, Sudan, 1898,
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one of the first missions to
use the Maxim gun in combat.
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Followers of the Islamic Mahdi movement
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rebel against Egyptian foreign rule.
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When they meet on the Nile,
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the Mahdists far outnumber
the Egyptian British army.
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But the British also have
20 new Maxim machine guns.
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The bloody toll of the battle:
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48 dead on the British-Egyptian side,
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and an estimated 10,000
Mahdi fighters are killed.
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In the summer of 1914,
World War I breaks out.
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The machine gun gives those
on the defensive front
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a huge advantage over their
attackers during combat.
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{\an8}It is man-portable.
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{\an8}If you separate the barrel
and the firing mechanism
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{\an8}from the mounting and the ammunition,
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you can carry it, one mount at a time.
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The machine gung becomes
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standard issue equipment
for every European army.
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In the First World War,
everybody has Maxim guns.
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The German, Russian, Australian,
and British Maxim gun
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are all based on the same patents.
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They all look essentially the same,
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and they all do the same
job in the same way.
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And Hiram Maxim and his company
got the patent for that,
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and they took royalties on
every single one of them.
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So they made a fortune
out of everybody else
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having Maxim guns.
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With a machine gun,
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a single soldier can kill
hundreds of the enemy
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with just one finger on the trigger.
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The new weapons of World
War I also bring with them
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unimaginable psychological stress.
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What does it mean to constantly
look death in the eye?
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And what is triggered by killing dozens
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or even hundreds of other men?
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In war, one question has always
pushed man to his limits.
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If commanded, will I be capable of killing?
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Evolution has turned us into social beings
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with deep-rooted inhibitions
when it comes to killing.
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And that's a problem for the military.
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Studies show that many
soldiers are afraid to kill
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even when they themselves are in danger.
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Many men go through battle
without firing their weapons
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effectively,
some without firing them at all.
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This has been the case for
as long as men have had
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the choice of whether to
fire their weapons or not.
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One soldier does not equal one result.
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You need to know the soldier
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before you know what he's going to do.
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To tackle this issue,
training for new recruits
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includes a strong psychological component.
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Repetitive drills are designed
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to overcome fears and inhibitions.
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Don't think about it; just shoot.
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{\an8}It's about immersing
people within that training
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{\an8}to respond automatically to a situation
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{\an8}to not have that hesitation,
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which is the frontal part
of our brain rationalizing,
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saying, "This is not a good thing to do.
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"I'm not supposed to be doing this."
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If you can make that automatic,
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if you make that almost an animal reaction:
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"This occurs, I respond in this way."
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But even when pulling the trigger
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becomes automatic,
killing takes its toll on soldiers,
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including those apparently unharmed.
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In World War I, doctors diagnose
the symptoms of shell shock
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as a merely physical reaction
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to the noises of constant fire.
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At the time, it is thought that loud sounds
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trigger minor concussions.
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Today, it is clear that war
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can cause serious mental disorders.
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After the Second World War,
an entire generation deals
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with the psychological
consequences of their experiences.
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After World War II, we had men
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who didn't know what was happening to them.
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The fell to pieces if they
survived the war and came home.
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Their families suffered,
their relationships suffered,
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their health suffered,
and it was not recognized.
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And if they showed weakness,
they were considered weak,
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so people kept it within themselves.
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Over decades, research into
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the psychological effects
of war is sorely neglected.
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Well-founded studies do not
take place until the 1960s.
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In 1980, the medical
diagnosis of post-traumatic
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stress disorder is finally
added to textbooks.
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{\an8}Once post-traumatic stress disorder
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{\an8}began being recognized, men would realize
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{\an8}that it wasn't them being
weak, it wasn't them having
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an adverse reaction that
none of their colleagues had.
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It was a completely normal reaction
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to witnessing such traumatic events.
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And once that was recognized,
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and then therefore treatment could follow,
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we now have a situation where families
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understand what their
husbands, sons, daughters now
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are going through and recognize
that they need that help.
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With the introduction of the machine gun,
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mechanized warfare and
the fear of being killed
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reaches a new level.
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The weapon dramatically
alters the psychology of war.
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Engineer Hiram Maxim's invention
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forever changes the way
that the world fights.
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And it also paves the way
for another modern weapon:
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00:13:35,680 --> 00:13:36,893
the hand grenade.
251
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(dramatic music)
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The introduction of new weapons technology
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frequently results in fatal
errors and avoidable massacres,
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especially at the beginning of World War I.
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{\an8}When the First World War broke out in 1914,
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{\an8}the great armies of Europe thought
257
00:13:56,940 --> 00:13:59,609
{\an8}that they would maneuver in classical form,
258
00:13:59,610 --> 00:14:01,019
{\an8}using cavalry and infantry.
259
00:14:01,020 --> 00:14:03,379
They would set a set piece battles
260
00:14:03,380 --> 00:14:07,149
in which whole armies
engaged on a broad front.
261
00:14:07,150 --> 00:14:09,309
Rapidly became clear that firepower,
262
00:14:09,310 --> 00:14:11,356
both artillery firepower,
infantry firepower
263
00:14:11,357 --> 00:14:12,899
and particularly the machine gun,
264
00:14:12,900 --> 00:14:14,719
made it impossible for me to operate
265
00:14:14,720 --> 00:14:16,923
as they had even 50 years before.
266
00:14:19,290 --> 00:14:21,439
Machine guns and improved artillery
267
00:14:21,440 --> 00:14:24,189
claim high losses on both sides.
268
00:14:24,190 --> 00:14:28,109
Attacks without cover
ultimately end as a bloodbath.
269
00:14:28,110 --> 00:14:30,379
After the devastating Battle of the Marne,
270
00:14:30,380 --> 00:14:31,923
both sides start digging.
271
00:14:36,290 --> 00:14:37,619
By the end of November,
272
00:14:37,620 --> 00:14:40,289
a continuous line of
trenches runs all the way
273
00:14:40,290 --> 00:14:42,693
from the North Sea to Switzerland.
274
00:14:45,560 --> 00:14:48,703
Mobile warfare has turned
into trench warfare.
275
00:14:49,870 --> 00:14:52,119
But what is the best way
to effectively attack
276
00:14:52,120 --> 00:14:55,423
the enemy's narrow and
hard-to-see trenches and bunkers?
277
00:14:58,340 --> 00:15:00,223
Artillery becomes a key weapon.
278
00:15:01,260 --> 00:15:03,969
The only way to defeat
an enemy down in a trench
279
00:15:03,970 --> 00:15:05,563
is with ballistic fire.
280
00:15:07,070 --> 00:15:09,399
On both sides, a dense row of guns
281
00:15:09,400 --> 00:15:11,743
is positioned far behind the trenches.
282
00:15:15,020 --> 00:15:17,629
William Mills, an engineer in Birmingham,
283
00:15:17,630 --> 00:15:20,173
develops a new weapon
for the trench soldiers.
284
00:15:21,530 --> 00:15:23,899
In 1915, the Mills bomb
285
00:15:23,900 --> 00:15:26,563
makes its way onto European battlefields.
286
00:15:29,270 --> 00:15:32,183
Mills' invention is no new idea.
287
00:15:33,230 --> 00:15:37,299
In the 16th century,
transporting cannons is a problem.
288
00:15:37,300 --> 00:15:39,079
The soldiers need a lightweight weapon
289
00:15:39,080 --> 00:15:41,733
that can wreak havoc
without too much effort.
290
00:15:42,660 --> 00:15:44,393
And the hand grenade is born.
291
00:15:48,454 --> 00:15:50,019
{\an8}(foreign language)
292
00:15:50,020 --> 00:15:52,159
{\an8}The shape of these very early grenades
293
00:15:52,160 --> 00:15:54,613
{\an8}resembles a pomegranate, hence the name.
294
00:16:00,540 --> 00:16:03,079
The round, hard-skinned and many-seed fruit
295
00:16:03,080 --> 00:16:06,773
becomes the namesake for the
new weapon in the 17th century.
296
00:16:07,790 --> 00:16:09,409
A hollow clay jar is filled
297
00:16:09,410 --> 00:16:11,493
with gunpowder and metal slivers.
298
00:16:12,740 --> 00:16:14,799
A fuse ignites the explosive,
299
00:16:14,800 --> 00:16:16,819
and the sharp metal and clay fragments
300
00:16:16,820 --> 00:16:18,903
make their destructive impact.
301
00:16:21,800 --> 00:16:23,369
17th and 18th century armies
302
00:16:23,370 --> 00:16:25,166
had elite soldiers called grenadiers
303
00:16:25,167 --> 00:16:27,279
who were generally big, tall fellows
304
00:16:27,280 --> 00:16:30,190
who could throw a grenade a long way.
305
00:16:30,191 --> 00:16:32,349
(foreign language)
306
00:16:32,350 --> 00:16:34,449
They also changed their uniforms.
307
00:16:34,450 --> 00:16:38,099
These typical pointed Prussian
hats, the grenadier hats,
308
00:16:38,100 --> 00:16:39,969
were made to look like
this because of course
309
00:16:39,970 --> 00:16:42,279
if you were wearing a two-pointed hat,
310
00:16:42,280 --> 00:16:45,280
it would be a lot more difficult
for you to throw a grenade.
311
00:16:47,480 --> 00:16:48,669
With their hand grenades,
312
00:16:48,670 --> 00:16:51,849
the grenadiers stand at the
ready on the front lines.
313
00:16:51,850 --> 00:16:54,533
But the weapon also has its pitfalls.
314
00:16:55,810 --> 00:16:57,659
The grenade had to be lit.
315
00:16:57,660 --> 00:16:59,969
{\an8}If the fuse went too quickly,
316
00:16:59,970 --> 00:17:02,769
{\an8}the grenade will blow
up before it was thrown.
317
00:17:02,770 --> 00:17:04,559
{\an8}If it got dropped or anything like that,
318
00:17:04,560 --> 00:17:05,769
things could go wrong.
319
00:17:05,770 --> 00:17:08,799
And of course, if it was raining,
it probably wouldn't work.
320
00:17:08,800 --> 00:17:11,593
So it was a rather temperamental weapon.
321
00:17:12,750 --> 00:17:14,389
During the American Civil War,
322
00:17:14,390 --> 00:17:16,239
the next generation of hand grenades
323
00:17:16,240 --> 00:17:18,219
reaches the battlefields.
324
00:17:18,220 --> 00:17:19,939
An invention from William Ketchum
325
00:17:19,940 --> 00:17:23,169
eliminates the need to
manually ignite the weapon.
326
00:17:23,170 --> 00:17:25,549
The grenade only needs
to hit the impact fuse
327
00:17:25,550 --> 00:17:28,808
in the nose of the weapon
in order to explode.
328
00:17:28,809 --> 00:17:29,929
(foreign language)
329
00:17:29,930 --> 00:17:31,769
If the bomb lands on its side
330
00:17:31,770 --> 00:17:34,969
and doesn't detonate,
then it stays relatively safe
331
00:17:34,970 --> 00:17:36,719
for a period of time.
332
00:17:36,720 --> 00:17:38,900
So of course the opponent
can then take the grenade
333
00:17:38,901 --> 00:17:40,913
and throw it back to where it came from.
334
00:17:44,050 --> 00:17:46,559
The latest hand grenade in 1915
335
00:17:46,560 --> 00:17:48,393
is supposed to solve this problem.
336
00:17:51,080 --> 00:17:52,499
With historian Stephen Bull,
337
00:17:52,500 --> 00:17:55,263
we take a closer look at
William Mills' invention.
338
00:18:02,580 --> 00:18:06,509
It has considerable advantages
over its predecessors.
339
00:18:06,510 --> 00:18:09,349
It does not need to be manually ignited,
340
00:18:09,350 --> 00:18:12,659
and there is no unreliable impact fuse.
341
00:18:12,660 --> 00:18:15,179
The grenade is constructed
using a perforated
342
00:18:15,180 --> 00:18:17,933
cast iron shell and filled with explosives.
343
00:18:19,460 --> 00:18:21,699
The hand grenade was an old idea.
344
00:18:21,700 --> 00:18:23,529
But it received a new lease of life
345
00:18:23,530 --> 00:18:25,539
in the trenches of the First World War.
346
00:18:25,540 --> 00:18:28,279
The effect of an explosion
in a confined space
347
00:18:28,280 --> 00:18:29,423
could be devastating.
348
00:18:31,250 --> 00:18:33,639
The functioning principle
of the hand grenade
349
00:18:33,640 --> 00:18:36,009
is that in the middle there's a fuse
350
00:18:36,010 --> 00:18:38,083
connected to the explosive charge.
351
00:18:41,760 --> 00:18:45,459
If the safety pin is pulled
and the lever is released,
352
00:18:45,460 --> 00:18:46,759
then the tension of the spring
353
00:18:46,760 --> 00:18:49,769
hits the striker to ignite the fuse.
354
00:18:49,770 --> 00:18:52,663
Seven seconds later, it explodes.
355
00:18:54,843 --> 00:18:57,176
(explosion)
356
00:18:58,770 --> 00:19:02,129
Combining portability with destructiveness,
357
00:19:02,130 --> 00:19:04,159
the hand grenade becomes a standard weapon
358
00:19:04,160 --> 00:19:05,860
during World War I.
359
00:19:05,861 --> 00:19:08,278
(explosions)
360
00:19:13,209 --> 00:19:15,409
On the fronts of Flanders in France,
361
00:19:15,410 --> 00:19:17,633
an ingenious trench system is developed.
362
00:19:21,310 --> 00:19:24,139
A support trench is dug
behind the main trench,
363
00:19:24,140 --> 00:19:25,529
connected to another passage
364
00:19:25,530 --> 00:19:27,713
known as a communication trench.
365
00:19:31,430 --> 00:19:35,649
The enemy is anywhere from 30
to a few hundred meters away,
366
00:19:35,650 --> 00:19:37,849
and the soldiers cal the area separating
367
00:19:37,850 --> 00:19:40,311
the two sides no man's land.
368
00:19:40,312 --> 00:19:42,979
(anxious music)
369
00:19:48,566 --> 00:19:52,039
Hand grenades that land in
a trench are terrifying,
370
00:19:52,040 --> 00:19:54,579
but changes to trench construction
371
00:19:54,580 --> 00:19:58,839
alleviate their devastating effects.
372
00:19:58,840 --> 00:20:00,269
If a trench is straight,
373
00:20:00,270 --> 00:20:03,079
then shrapnel can fly far in one direction
374
00:20:03,080 --> 00:20:05,609
and potentially hit soldiers.
375
00:20:05,610 --> 00:20:08,649
So they thought if they dug
the trenches in a zigzag shape,
376
00:20:08,650 --> 00:20:10,449
there would always be a corner nearby
377
00:20:10,450 --> 00:20:12,369
{\an8}where a solider could hide,
378
00:20:12,370 --> 00:20:15,339
{\an8}and then shrapnel would
only fly to the next corner
379
00:20:15,340 --> 00:20:16,659
{\an8}and get stuck in the wall,
380
00:20:16,660 --> 00:20:18,743
{\an8}and hopefully it wouldn't hit anyone.
381
00:20:21,070 --> 00:20:22,709
Soldiers that are hit by fragments
382
00:20:22,710 --> 00:20:26,143
of a hand grenade often suffer
life-threatening injuries.
383
00:20:28,760 --> 00:20:30,759
An effective drug to prevent gangrene
384
00:20:30,760 --> 00:20:32,443
has not yet been invented.
385
00:20:36,880 --> 00:20:38,579
One of the key problems in trench warfare
386
00:20:38,580 --> 00:20:41,679
{\an8}is the secondary infection following wounds
387
00:20:41,680 --> 00:20:44,969
{\an8}because of the contaminated
and dangerous nature
388
00:20:44,970 --> 00:20:47,269
{\an8}of the ground that you're fighting over.
389
00:20:47,270 --> 00:20:50,049
Stodgy ground, overflowing latrines,
390
00:20:50,050 --> 00:20:52,939
unwashed bodies, and decomposing corpses.
391
00:20:52,940 --> 00:20:54,719
Everyday life in the trenches
392
00:20:54,720 --> 00:20:57,930
is yet another burden for
soldiers during the war.
393
00:20:57,931 --> 00:20:58,764
(foreign language)
394
00:20:58,765 --> 00:21:00,679
They had to wear their
clothes all the time.
395
00:21:00,680 --> 00:21:03,329
And worse still,
they also had to keep their boots on.
396
00:21:03,330 --> 00:21:06,209
{\an8}That meant the conditions
were ideal for fungus to grow,
397
00:21:06,210 --> 00:21:08,569
{\an8}and bacteria also grew, and their skin
398
00:21:08,570 --> 00:21:10,999
{\an8}became really macerated and stayed moist
399
00:21:11,000 --> 00:21:13,503
and was quite fragile and very vulnerable.
400
00:21:16,090 --> 00:21:17,209
The lack of hygiene
401
00:21:17,210 --> 00:21:18,749
makes it virtually impossible
402
00:21:18,750 --> 00:21:21,343
to treat hand grenade
injuries in the trenches.
403
00:21:23,915 --> 00:21:24,748
(foreign language)
404
00:21:24,748 --> 00:21:25,730
These fragments often had
405
00:21:25,731 --> 00:21:28,219
very small particles, so that meant,
406
00:21:28,220 --> 00:21:31,189
even if you had a tiny
wound, it could easily
407
00:21:31,190 --> 00:21:34,739
become inflamed because
of unhygienic conditions.
408
00:21:34,740 --> 00:21:36,869
And if you didn't have
the right medication,
409
00:21:36,870 --> 00:21:39,289
then you could go from
barely having a wound at all
410
00:21:39,290 --> 00:21:42,409
to having a serious
injury that gets infected,
411
00:21:42,410 --> 00:21:45,069
and the infection can then
spread to lymph vessels,
412
00:21:45,070 --> 00:21:48,273
to blood vessels,
and can even lead to blood poisoning.
413
00:21:50,760 --> 00:21:53,069
If a shrapnel wound does heal,
414
00:21:53,070 --> 00:21:55,883
it's only a matter of time
before the next attack.
415
00:21:58,090 --> 00:22:03,069
In 1917, the British Mills
bomb goes into mass production.
416
00:22:03,070 --> 00:22:05,139
The Germans are also developing their own
417
00:22:05,140 --> 00:22:07,133
completely different hand grenade.
418
00:22:08,210 --> 00:22:10,899
While Mills grenades look like an egg,
419
00:22:10,900 --> 00:22:13,803
the German version is at
the end of a wooden stick.
420
00:22:15,220 --> 00:22:17,003
And it functions differently.
421
00:22:17,920 --> 00:22:21,226
The British hand grenade
is a fragmentation weapon,
422
00:22:21,227 --> 00:22:24,434
but the Germans have
created an explosive weapon.
423
00:22:24,435 --> 00:22:26,852
(explosions)
424
00:22:31,230 --> 00:22:33,609
With historian Stephen
Bull, we want to explore
425
00:22:33,610 --> 00:22:37,269
the differences between
these two types of grenade.
426
00:22:37,270 --> 00:22:40,329
The head of the stick
grenade holds over 100 grams
427
00:22:40,330 --> 00:22:43,309
more explosive material
than the egg version.
428
00:22:43,310 --> 00:22:45,809
The difference is the
force of the explosion,
429
00:22:45,810 --> 00:22:48,379
not the radius of the projectile fragments.
430
00:22:48,380 --> 00:22:51,319
But it needs to have pinpoint accuracy.
431
00:22:51,320 --> 00:22:53,149
The German grenade's wooden stick
432
00:22:53,150 --> 00:22:55,679
is supposed to help with the aim.
433
00:22:55,680 --> 00:22:58,629
So these are the two grenades
that we'll be testing.
434
00:22:58,630 --> 00:23:00,509
Their both time-fused models.
435
00:23:00,510 --> 00:23:05,449
{\an8}This one is the Soviet F1,
a similar design to the Mills.
436
00:23:05,450 --> 00:23:08,649
{\an8}This one is the German M24
437
00:23:08,650 --> 00:23:11,949
Stielhandgranate or stick grenade.
438
00:23:11,950 --> 00:23:13,509
Different philosophies.
439
00:23:13,510 --> 00:23:16,093
But is one better than the other, and why?
440
00:23:17,810 --> 00:23:19,339
Which grenade will Stephen Bull
441
00:23:19,340 --> 00:23:23,039
be able to land closer to
his target in just one throw?
442
00:23:23,040 --> 00:23:25,309
He tries out the Mills bomb first.
443
00:23:25,310 --> 00:23:28,023
Quite small in the hand,
like a large egg, really.
444
00:23:29,000 --> 00:23:31,977
Pull the pin, and we're ready to go.
445
00:23:39,317 --> 00:23:40,819
The grenade lands about
446
00:23:40,820 --> 00:23:42,443
five meters from the target.
447
00:23:44,920 --> 00:23:46,349
Not bad, a reasonable throw,
448
00:23:46,350 --> 00:23:48,250
but it's a little short of the target.
449
00:23:49,130 --> 00:23:50,729
The main effect from this of course
450
00:23:50,730 --> 00:23:52,080
would be the fragmentation.
451
00:23:53,470 --> 00:23:54,889
Does throwing the stick grenade
452
00:23:54,890 --> 00:23:56,133
give a better result?
453
00:24:06,180 --> 00:24:08,413
It lands directly on our target.
454
00:24:09,790 --> 00:24:13,299
So that was a good long throw,
all the way to the target.
455
00:24:13,300 --> 00:24:15,409
It seems that that long stick gives you
456
00:24:15,410 --> 00:24:17,513
a bit of extra leverage for a long throw.
457
00:24:18,830 --> 00:24:21,329
The explosion would have
dangerous consequences
458
00:24:21,330 --> 00:24:23,889
for the enemy, but the sharp fragments
459
00:24:23,890 --> 00:24:27,063
of the egg hand grenade
would also be devastating.
460
00:24:28,590 --> 00:24:31,789
The M24 gave me a longer throw,
461
00:24:31,790 --> 00:24:34,859
because its handle gave
me greater leverage.
462
00:24:34,860 --> 00:24:36,739
But this was a weapon for blast,
463
00:24:36,740 --> 00:24:39,279
essentially a weapon for use in the open.
464
00:24:39,280 --> 00:24:42,679
The Soviet F1 is perhaps a little handier,
465
00:24:42,680 --> 00:24:45,079
but not quite such a long throw.
466
00:24:45,080 --> 00:24:48,109
Its main effect was fragmentation,
467
00:24:48,110 --> 00:24:50,509
and preferably in enclosed areas.
468
00:24:50,510 --> 00:24:52,879
So these are both good grenades,
469
00:24:52,880 --> 00:24:55,080
but they're designed
for different purposes.
470
00:24:58,580 --> 00:25:00,079
Both types of hand grenade
471
00:25:00,080 --> 00:25:01,790
make their mark in World War I.
472
00:25:04,570 --> 00:25:06,579
To a lesser extent, they continued
473
00:25:06,580 --> 00:25:08,203
to be used during World War II.
474
00:25:14,520 --> 00:25:17,299
{\an8}The Second World War
is not such a great war
475
00:25:17,300 --> 00:25:20,159
{\an8}for the hand grenade,
because wars tend to be now
476
00:25:20,160 --> 00:25:22,929
{\an8}much more mobile, much more fluid.
477
00:25:22,930 --> 00:25:25,249
There are still trenches
and bunkers to be cleared,
478
00:25:25,250 --> 00:25:28,713
but they're only part of,
rather than the whole of, the war.
479
00:25:31,260 --> 00:25:34,529
During World War I,
300 million hand grenades
480
00:25:34,530 --> 00:25:37,399
are produced by the German side alone,
481
00:25:37,400 --> 00:25:39,733
followed by 70 million in World War II.
482
00:25:40,630 --> 00:25:43,939
But the repercussions of
their use remain the same.
483
00:25:43,940 --> 00:25:45,739
Those who survive a shrapnel wound
484
00:25:45,740 --> 00:25:49,403
often must resort to amputation
to avoid death by gangrene.
485
00:25:53,020 --> 00:25:55,609
For decades,
researchers have sought in vain
486
00:25:55,610 --> 00:25:57,223
to find a cure for gangrene.
487
00:25:58,200 --> 00:26:02,569
In 1928, Scottish
bacteriologist Alexander Fleming
488
00:26:02,570 --> 00:26:06,259
accidentally discovers that
pathogens no longer multiply
489
00:26:06,260 --> 00:26:08,823
when in close vicinity to a mold fungus.
490
00:26:09,820 --> 00:26:12,269
Fleming, together with
biochemist Ernst Chain
491
00:26:12,270 --> 00:26:15,829
and pathologist Howard
Florey, over the ensuing years
492
00:26:15,830 --> 00:26:19,573
worked to finally develop the
first antibiotic, penicillin.
493
00:26:22,100 --> 00:26:24,729
The active ingredient
prevents growing bacteria
494
00:26:24,730 --> 00:26:26,899
from completing their cells walls,
495
00:26:26,900 --> 00:26:28,993
effectively stopping them from spreading.
496
00:26:34,050 --> 00:26:37,329
Testing proves that the
new drug is effective,
497
00:26:37,330 --> 00:26:38,929
but the British government is not ready
498
00:26:38,930 --> 00:26:41,119
to start the cost of production.
499
00:26:41,120 --> 00:26:43,199
After joining the war, the United States
500
00:26:43,200 --> 00:26:46,073
step in and start mass production in 1942.
501
00:26:49,293 --> 00:26:50,959
(foreign language)
502
00:26:50,960 --> 00:26:53,339
The need for penicillin at the front
503
00:26:53,340 --> 00:26:55,339
{\an8}led to it becoming a top priority
504
00:26:55,340 --> 00:26:57,379
{\an8}for the pharmaceutical industry,
505
00:26:57,380 --> 00:27:00,169
{\an8}and they actively pushed this research,
506
00:27:00,170 --> 00:27:02,813
because it was also a huge market for them.
507
00:27:06,270 --> 00:27:08,009
The antibiotic is America's
508
00:27:08,010 --> 00:27:11,003
second-most important project
after the atomic bomb.
509
00:27:14,200 --> 00:27:16,346
Large advertisements proclaim,
510
00:27:16,347 --> 00:27:19,217
"Thanks to penicillin, he will come home."
511
00:27:20,970 --> 00:27:24,119
The Germans and Russians don't
have access to the drug yet,
512
00:27:24,120 --> 00:27:26,559
and as a result,
high numbers of their men die
513
00:27:26,560 --> 00:27:30,743
from infection,
a strategic advantage for the Allies.
514
00:27:35,650 --> 00:27:38,719
People don't die of disease;
they get killed in battle.
515
00:27:38,720 --> 00:27:40,209
Whether that's morally uplifting
516
00:27:40,210 --> 00:27:43,139
or morally bankrupt I don't know, really.
517
00:27:43,140 --> 00:27:45,369
It does change the war's look.
518
00:27:45,370 --> 00:27:47,889
Wars are now about men dying in battle,
519
00:27:47,890 --> 00:27:49,279
and that's slightly easier to sell,
520
00:27:49,280 --> 00:27:50,999
because it's heroic to die in battle;
521
00:27:51,000 --> 00:27:53,039
it's not heroic to die of diptheria.
522
00:27:53,040 --> 00:27:54,899
After the war, the expensive research
523
00:27:54,900 --> 00:27:57,379
also benefits the civilian population,
524
00:27:57,380 --> 00:28:00,259
and the advancement soon
reaches the entire world.
525
00:28:00,260 --> 00:28:04,039
It's one case in which
progress is accelerated by war.
526
00:28:04,040 --> 00:28:06,979
{\an8}What we're looking at is
advancing on twin tracks.
527
00:28:06,980 --> 00:28:09,559
{\an8}We're finding new ways of
killing people in confined spaces
528
00:28:09,560 --> 00:28:11,079
{\an8}and giving them horrific injuries
529
00:28:11,080 --> 00:28:12,879
which may become contaminated.
530
00:28:12,880 --> 00:28:14,559
At the same time,
we're finding ways of dealing
531
00:28:14,560 --> 00:28:18,079
with those contaminations
and healing people.
532
00:28:18,080 --> 00:28:19,689
And for all armies, the hand grenade
533
00:28:19,690 --> 00:28:22,003
continues to be standard issue equipment.
534
00:28:23,810 --> 00:28:28,203
After 1945, it is used in
practically every armed conflict.
535
00:28:32,202 --> 00:28:33,469
(explosion)
536
00:28:33,470 --> 00:28:35,299
Continues to be a very useful means
537
00:28:35,300 --> 00:28:37,459
of doing a job that nothing else does.
538
00:28:37,460 --> 00:28:39,399
You have a system of fighting
539
00:28:39,400 --> 00:28:41,729
in which you're going
into individual buildings
540
00:28:41,730 --> 00:28:44,519
and clearing individual
rooms, and the hand grenade
541
00:28:44,520 --> 00:28:46,920
is still the weapon of
choice to clear the room.
542
00:28:49,220 --> 00:28:52,039
The hand grenade is also
developed for police
543
00:28:52,040 --> 00:28:54,469
without the fatal fragments.
544
00:28:54,470 --> 00:28:57,759
With a loud band, blinding
light, and dense smoke,
545
00:28:57,760 --> 00:29:00,409
stun or smoke grenades
are hurled at criminals
546
00:29:00,410 --> 00:29:02,459
and even demonstrators.
547
00:29:02,460 --> 00:29:04,153
Their use is controversial.
548
00:29:08,730 --> 00:29:10,839
A legendary version of the thrown weapon
549
00:29:10,840 --> 00:29:13,109
owes its name to Soviet Foreign Minister
550
00:29:13,110 --> 00:29:14,823
Vyacheslav Molotov.
551
00:29:16,680 --> 00:29:19,689
During the Russo-Finnish War of 1939,
552
00:29:19,690 --> 00:29:21,839
Finnish soldiers used gas-filled bottles
553
00:29:21,840 --> 00:29:23,779
against their Soviet attackers,
554
00:29:23,780 --> 00:29:26,649
calling them Molotov cocktails,
555
00:29:26,650 --> 00:29:29,053
as an allusion to their
opponent's propaganda.
556
00:29:30,040 --> 00:29:33,249
The original hand grenade
was a homemade bomb,
557
00:29:33,250 --> 00:29:36,829
and the Molotov cocktail is a later version
558
00:29:36,830 --> 00:29:39,419
of the homemade bomb,
and it's a classic solution
559
00:29:39,420 --> 00:29:42,099
to the problem of resistance
against armed force
560
00:29:42,100 --> 00:29:43,829
when you have no weapons.
561
00:29:43,830 --> 00:29:44,929
You have to make a weapon
562
00:29:44,930 --> 00:29:47,129
out of something that isn't a weapon.
563
00:29:47,130 --> 00:29:49,799
{\an8}And throughout history, human ingenuity
564
00:29:49,800 --> 00:29:53,119
{\an8}has resulted in the conversion
of perfectly ordinary things
565
00:29:53,120 --> 00:29:55,113
{\an8}into weapons in times of need.
566
00:29:58,350 --> 00:30:00,289
Throwing something at the enemy:
567
00:30:00,290 --> 00:30:02,889
a reflex as old as mankind.
568
00:30:02,890 --> 00:30:05,693
The only thing that has
changed is what we throw.
569
00:30:06,690 --> 00:30:08,629
In the trenches of World War I,
570
00:30:08,630 --> 00:30:11,509
the defensive side
always has the advantage,
571
00:30:11,510 --> 00:30:13,369
and the result is years of bloodshed
572
00:30:13,370 --> 00:30:16,709
with barely any change to
the lines of the front.
573
00:30:16,710 --> 00:30:18,629
But that will soon all change
574
00:30:18,630 --> 00:30:19,949
with the next great development
575
00:30:19,950 --> 00:30:22,223
in weapons technology: the tank.
576
00:30:24,611 --> 00:30:26,979
(dramatic music)
577
00:30:26,980 --> 00:30:28,519
In ancient times and the Middle Ages,
578
00:30:28,520 --> 00:30:30,649
armor and speed already played
579
00:30:30,650 --> 00:30:33,219
a crucial role in weapons development,
580
00:30:33,220 --> 00:30:36,519
an example such as a chariot
of powerful battering rams
581
00:30:36,520 --> 00:30:38,723
that could be used to attack a fortress.
582
00:30:42,530 --> 00:30:44,569
But the problem is drive.
583
00:30:44,570 --> 00:30:46,539
In the second half of the 19th century,
584
00:30:46,540 --> 00:30:48,399
the invention of the combustion engine
585
00:30:48,400 --> 00:30:51,793
opens up completely new directions
for military technology.
586
00:30:55,730 --> 00:30:59,669
In 1906, in Austria, Hungary,
the first tank is introduced
587
00:30:59,670 --> 00:31:04,119
with a rotating turret intended
for both attack and defense.
588
00:31:04,120 --> 00:31:06,209
But its four-wheel drive proves to be
589
00:31:06,210 --> 00:31:08,867
not a match for the battlefields.
590
00:31:08,868 --> 00:31:09,830
(foreign language)
591
00:31:09,831 --> 00:31:11,789
The wheel only rests on one point,
592
00:31:11,790 --> 00:31:14,549
which is a good thing,
because that minimizes friction
593
00:31:14,550 --> 00:31:16,589
and allows you to drive over the road
594
00:31:16,590 --> 00:31:18,689
with as little resistance as possible.
595
00:31:18,690 --> 00:31:21,149
But if your car ever got stuck in the mud,
596
00:31:21,150 --> 00:31:23,749
then you know that this
is also a disadvantage,
597
00:31:23,750 --> 00:31:27,033
because, with low friction,
it's much harder to get a grip.
598
00:31:29,850 --> 00:31:33,149
A spark of inspiration
comes from agriculture.
599
00:31:33,150 --> 00:31:34,839
At the beginning of the 20th century,
600
00:31:34,840 --> 00:31:38,289
tractors with rotating
tracks arrive on the fields,
601
00:31:38,290 --> 00:31:39,909
a method that the military quickly
602
00:31:39,910 --> 00:31:41,823
puts to use for themselves.
603
00:31:43,302 --> 00:31:44,220
(foreign language)
604
00:31:44,221 --> 00:31:46,749
{\an8}Tanks were constructed with a wide track
605
00:31:46,750 --> 00:31:49,009
{\an8}that was like a wide belt, and that made
606
00:31:49,010 --> 00:31:52,349
{\an8}the surface contact area
significantly larger,
607
00:31:52,350 --> 00:31:53,819
so you could get through mud,
608
00:31:53,820 --> 00:31:56,823
and you could also drive
over holes much more easily.
609
00:31:58,540 --> 00:32:00,289
When World War I breaks out,
610
00:32:00,290 --> 00:32:02,929
Winston Churchill,
the British naval secretary,
611
00:32:02,930 --> 00:32:05,353
advocates the construction of tanks.
612
00:32:10,860 --> 00:32:14,539
On September the 15th, 1916 they're ready.
613
00:32:14,540 --> 00:32:16,859
In northern France,
during the Battle of the Somme,
614
00:32:16,860 --> 00:32:19,163
the first British tanks
are put into action.
615
00:32:21,230 --> 00:32:23,893
The hulking beasts can only
move at a walking pace.
616
00:32:27,380 --> 00:32:30,329
The Mark I weighs close to 28 tons.
617
00:32:30,330 --> 00:32:32,609
Depending on the design, its eight-man crew
618
00:32:32,610 --> 00:32:37,029
operates either two cannons
or four to six machine guns.
619
00:32:37,030 --> 00:32:39,889
At full throttle,
the six-cylinder petrol engine
620
00:32:39,890 --> 00:32:42,933
manages a speed of just
six kilometers per hour.
621
00:32:47,240 --> 00:32:49,309
49 of the world's first battle tanks
622
00:32:49,310 --> 00:32:51,769
are supposed to be deployed in battle.
623
00:32:51,770 --> 00:32:54,613
But on the first mission,
there's already problems.
624
00:32:56,030 --> 00:32:58,639
It has a relatively
low-powered gasoline engine
625
00:32:58,640 --> 00:33:01,029
which gives off fumes inside the vehicle.
626
00:33:01,030 --> 00:33:03,539
The machine itself is
unbelievably unreliable,
627
00:33:03,540 --> 00:33:04,969
so less than half the vehicles
628
00:33:04,970 --> 00:33:06,799
are gonna make it to the start line
629
00:33:06,800 --> 00:33:09,749
and actually get going
on the day of battle.
630
00:33:09,750 --> 00:33:12,919
It really is only suitable
for going a short distance
631
00:33:12,920 --> 00:33:16,399
at walking pace over to
the enemy's trenches.
632
00:33:16,400 --> 00:33:18,123
That's all it's ever going to do.
633
00:33:20,290 --> 00:33:21,709
The loud and massive vehicle
634
00:33:21,710 --> 00:33:24,093
still nevertheless terrifies the enemy.
635
00:33:26,730 --> 00:33:29,149
German soldiers were
absolutely flabbergasted
636
00:33:29,150 --> 00:33:32,079
by this mechanical thing
crawling towards them
637
00:33:32,080 --> 00:33:33,559
which seemed to be bulletproof.
638
00:33:33,560 --> 00:33:35,469
The first time you saw
one they were terrifying,
639
00:33:35,470 --> 00:33:36,669
the second time they were frightening,
640
00:33:36,670 --> 00:33:38,696
and the third time they
were slightly predictable.
641
00:33:38,697 --> 00:33:40,559
(foreign language)
642
00:33:40,560 --> 00:33:42,469
The armor itself isn't think enough
643
00:33:42,470 --> 00:33:43,889
to provide too much protection
644
00:33:43,890 --> 00:33:45,603
against direct artillery fire.
645
00:33:46,780 --> 00:33:48,459
And the Germans quickly realized that,
646
00:33:48,460 --> 00:33:50,669
{\an8}if they moved close enough to the tanks,
647
00:33:50,670 --> 00:33:53,279
{\an8}they could fire through
the observation slits,
648
00:33:53,280 --> 00:33:55,380
{\an8}and they could set the fuel tanks on fire.
649
00:33:57,480 --> 00:33:59,189
The tank's debut isn't enough
650
00:33:59,190 --> 00:34:02,929
to decide the war,
but it is a convincing idea.
651
00:34:02,930 --> 00:34:07,169
Now every army in the world wants
tanks, even the Germans,
652
00:34:07,170 --> 00:34:10,713
who are forbidden to do so
by the 1919 peace treaty.
653
00:34:12,750 --> 00:34:15,669
They proceed anyway,
and before long, Hitler's
654
00:34:15,670 --> 00:34:19,233
German Wehrmacht is equipped
with entire armies of tanks.
655
00:34:23,090 --> 00:34:25,509
September the 1st, 1939.
656
00:34:25,510 --> 00:34:29,549
German tanks invade Poland,
and World War II begins.
657
00:34:29,550 --> 00:34:33,029
And with it comes the era
of the so-called blitz wars,
658
00:34:33,030 --> 00:34:35,483
during which tanks
become a decisive weapon.
659
00:34:36,506 --> 00:34:39,259
(dramatic music)
660
00:34:39,260 --> 00:34:40,929
With tank invasions, the Germans
661
00:34:40,930 --> 00:34:43,079
quickly conquer half of Europe.
662
00:34:43,080 --> 00:34:46,893
By the end of June in 1940,
Hitler has conquered Paris.
663
00:34:48,370 --> 00:34:50,869
Just 20 years earlier,
the French and the Germans
664
00:34:50,870 --> 00:34:53,649
had waged war in the trenches for years.
665
00:34:53,650 --> 00:34:56,953
Now the western campaign
takes only six weeks.
666
00:34:59,530 --> 00:35:00,759
The enemy couldn't respond,
667
00:35:00,760 --> 00:35:02,449
{\an8}because every time they responded,
668
00:35:02,450 --> 00:35:04,459
{\an8}the Germans had already moved.
669
00:35:04,460 --> 00:35:06,979
{\an8}So slow, lumbering
responses from the British
670
00:35:06,980 --> 00:35:09,939
{\an8}and the French in particular mean that,
671
00:35:09,940 --> 00:35:12,469
by the time they realized
what had happened,
672
00:35:12,470 --> 00:35:15,213
it was over and they
were already retreating.
673
00:35:16,510 --> 00:35:20,479
One year later,
German troops invade the Soviet Union.
674
00:35:20,480 --> 00:35:22,749
Hitler believes that,
just like in the West,
675
00:35:22,750 --> 00:35:24,539
victory will be swift thanks to
676
00:35:24,540 --> 00:35:27,409
the lightening speed of his tank attacks.
677
00:35:27,410 --> 00:35:31,399
At first, it seems as if all
is going according to plan.
678
00:35:31,400 --> 00:35:34,769
But Soviet leadership recovers
from the initial shock.
679
00:35:34,770 --> 00:35:37,079
Their country is huge, and a counterattack
680
00:35:37,080 --> 00:35:40,489
is already being prepared,
and it comes in the form
681
00:35:40,490 --> 00:35:42,763
of groundbreaking weapons technology.
682
00:35:43,870 --> 00:35:46,870
(dramatic drumming)
683
00:35:48,460 --> 00:35:51,949
Almost six meters long, three meters wide,
684
00:35:51,950 --> 00:35:55,599
and weighing 26 tons, with wide tracks
685
00:35:55,600 --> 00:36:00,033
that make the Soviet T-34 mobile
even in difficult terrain.
686
00:36:01,330 --> 00:36:04,209
The three-meter-long
cannon provides firepower
687
00:36:04,210 --> 00:36:08,779
superior to the German
models, and, at full speed,
688
00:36:08,780 --> 00:36:11,963
the steel colossus can
travel up to 55 km/h.
689
00:36:15,440 --> 00:36:17,009
Weapons expert Stephen Bull
690
00:36:17,010 --> 00:36:20,449
wants to take a closer look at the T-34.
691
00:36:20,450 --> 00:36:23,139
In 1941, the efficiency of the armor
692
00:36:23,140 --> 00:36:25,653
took the Germans completely by surprise.
693
00:36:26,860 --> 00:36:31,279
Around the front here,
the armor was 45 millimeters thick.
694
00:36:31,280 --> 00:36:33,149
But because it was so well sloped,
695
00:36:33,150 --> 00:36:36,133
a shell had to pass through
60 millimeters of armor.
696
00:36:37,580 --> 00:36:40,929
How does it feel to drive a T-34?
697
00:36:40,930 --> 00:36:42,459
With an experienced tank crew,
698
00:36:42,460 --> 00:36:44,563
Stephen tests it out on the terrain.
699
00:36:45,540 --> 00:36:49,109
So the T-34 had a crew of four men.
700
00:36:49,110 --> 00:36:50,210
There goes the driver,
701
00:36:51,650 --> 00:36:52,650
now the gunner,
702
00:36:53,910 --> 00:36:56,410
the loader, and last but not
least, the commander.
703
00:37:06,140 --> 00:37:08,429
This post-war version of the T-34
704
00:37:08,430 --> 00:37:10,899
is still completely road ready.
705
00:37:10,900 --> 00:37:13,499
From the outside, the tank seems huge,
706
00:37:13,500 --> 00:37:16,193
but inside, space is actually limited.
707
00:37:17,332 --> 00:37:19,909
It's like a tight little oven.
708
00:37:19,910 --> 00:37:22,879
A noisy, tight little oven.
709
00:37:22,880 --> 00:37:24,930
And the reason I'm wearing this
710
00:37:24,931 --> 00:37:28,009
is because I'm expecting that my skull
711
00:37:28,010 --> 00:37:32,927
will be banging against the
inside of the armor any moment.
712
00:37:34,580 --> 00:37:37,589
{\an8}In my left hand I have a lanyard
713
00:37:37,590 --> 00:37:40,889
{\an8}to pull the mechanism of the main gun,
714
00:37:40,890 --> 00:37:42,169
{\an8}and there should be a machine gun
715
00:37:42,170 --> 00:37:44,199
over my left-hand shoulder.
716
00:37:44,200 --> 00:37:47,389
Tasks inside the T-34
are clearly distributed.
717
00:37:47,390 --> 00:37:50,439
In real combat,
everyone knows what they need to do.
718
00:37:50,440 --> 00:37:53,573
You're now down in the forward gunner seat,
719
00:37:54,510 --> 00:37:57,803
looking back up at me from the
position next to the driver.
720
00:37:59,100 --> 00:38:02,339
Just below you is the escape hatch,
721
00:38:02,340 --> 00:38:05,213
so if it gets bad,
you can drop out through the floor.
722
00:38:06,450 --> 00:38:08,367
Hopefully we won't need to do that.
723
00:38:11,190 --> 00:38:13,329
Now it heads onto the terrain.
724
00:38:13,330 --> 00:38:17,149
Can the T-34 handle the course
and overcome the obstacles?
725
00:38:17,150 --> 00:38:20,141
The commander supervises the exercise.
726
00:38:20,142 --> 00:38:22,892
(dramatic music)
727
00:38:34,770 --> 00:38:36,993
No problem for a steel colossus.
728
00:38:41,030 --> 00:38:42,919
In World War II, the Soviet Union
729
00:38:42,920 --> 00:38:46,669
manufactures more than 50,000 T-34 tanks,
730
00:38:46,670 --> 00:38:49,963
double the amount of every type
of German tank put together.
731
00:38:52,270 --> 00:38:54,239
Hitler's Wehrmacht attempts to make up
732
00:38:54,240 --> 00:38:55,979
for what they lack in tank numbers
733
00:38:55,980 --> 00:38:58,113
through a technically superior model.
734
00:38:58,970 --> 00:39:03,803
In 1942, a new tank called
Tiger goes into mass production.
735
00:39:04,810 --> 00:39:09,210
At 26 tons, the T-34 runs at
a speed of more than 50 km/h
736
00:39:10,500 --> 00:39:12,513
and is extremely maneuverable.
737
00:39:14,550 --> 00:39:16,829
The Tiger is more than twice as heavy
738
00:39:16,830 --> 00:39:19,829
and can only go 30 km/h,
739
00:39:19,830 --> 00:39:22,359
but it comes with much stronger weaponry.
740
00:39:22,360 --> 00:39:25,663
In a one-on-one battle,
this would have advantages.
741
00:39:27,380 --> 00:39:29,379
Summer 1943.
742
00:39:29,380 --> 00:39:31,319
The Germans prepare for a major attack
743
00:39:31,320 --> 00:39:32,829
on the front in Kursk,
744
00:39:32,830 --> 00:39:35,603
roughly 500 kilometers south of Moscow.
745
00:39:36,750 --> 00:39:39,299
The Soviets get intelligence
of this operation
746
00:39:39,300 --> 00:39:42,449
and prepare for it,
and they use mine fields,
747
00:39:42,450 --> 00:39:44,689
anti-tank traps,
and a whole series of systems
748
00:39:44,690 --> 00:39:49,169
to channel the German attack
into predefined killing grounds
749
00:39:49,170 --> 00:39:51,253
where they can mass their own tanks.
750
00:39:53,450 --> 00:39:56,189
July the 12th, 1943.
751
00:39:56,190 --> 00:39:58,503
The climax of the Battle of Kursk.
752
00:39:59,660 --> 00:40:03,069
More than 7,000 tanks
and two million soldiers
753
00:40:03,070 --> 00:40:06,293
take part in the biggest
tank battle of World War II.
754
00:40:09,990 --> 00:40:11,529
The German tanks have an advantage
755
00:40:11,530 --> 00:40:12,799
in long-range firepower.
756
00:40:12,800 --> 00:40:14,779
The Russians have an advantage in mobility
757
00:40:14,780 --> 00:40:16,239
and close-quarters fighting.
758
00:40:16,240 --> 00:40:18,629
So they set up battles
that suit their tanks
759
00:40:18,630 --> 00:40:20,233
rather than the German tanks.
760
00:40:21,780 --> 00:40:23,449
It is Hitler's last great attempt
761
00:40:23,450 --> 00:40:26,513
to defeat the Soviet
army in a pivotal battle.
762
00:40:28,800 --> 00:40:31,239
The largest tank battle in history is over,
763
00:40:31,240 --> 00:40:34,169
{\an8}and so is the German offensive
against the Soviet Union.
764
00:40:34,170 --> 00:40:36,849
{\an8}This is the last battle
where the Germans attack.
765
00:40:36,850 --> 00:40:38,406
{\an8}From now on, the Soviets will attack
766
00:40:38,407 --> 00:40:39,953
and the Germans will defend.
767
00:40:42,230 --> 00:40:43,379
The era of victories
768
00:40:43,380 --> 00:40:45,709
won by tank attacks has ended.
769
00:40:45,710 --> 00:40:49,009
Constant improvements in
anti-tank weapons and air attacks
770
00:40:49,010 --> 00:40:51,969
have turned the hunters into the hunted.
771
00:40:51,970 --> 00:40:54,219
The successes of the World War II tanks
772
00:40:54,220 --> 00:40:56,203
take these developments into account.
773
00:41:00,600 --> 00:41:02,639
T-84 Oplot.
774
00:41:02,640 --> 00:41:05,169
The latest generation of Russian tanks.
775
00:41:05,170 --> 00:41:07,129
Since 2009, they've been part
776
00:41:07,130 --> 00:41:09,003
of the Ukrainian army's arsenal.
777
00:41:11,240 --> 00:41:13,849
On behalf of the Malyshev weapons factory,
778
00:41:13,850 --> 00:41:17,099
former military personnel
carry out various tests
779
00:41:17,100 --> 00:41:20,423
at a training site in
Kharkiv, eastern Ukraine.
780
00:41:22,030 --> 00:41:25,163
So this is the Oplot,
the latest successor to the T-84,
781
00:41:26,012 --> 00:41:28,019
and it's got some amazing features.
782
00:41:28,020 --> 00:41:30,309
It's got explosive reactive armor,
783
00:41:30,310 --> 00:41:33,919
and it's got 125 mm gun, a smooth bore,
784
00:41:33,920 --> 00:41:36,179
so they can actually fire missiles.
785
00:41:36,180 --> 00:41:39,299
But perhaps most amazingly,
it's a flying tank.
786
00:41:39,300 --> 00:41:43,228
It moves at 70 km/h on the road.
787
00:41:43,229 --> 00:41:45,979
(dramatic music)
788
00:41:47,650 --> 00:41:49,089
Stephen Bull wants to test
789
00:41:49,090 --> 00:41:52,719
whether the 50 ton tank
can really pull this off.
790
00:41:52,720 --> 00:41:56,009
A military truck goes full
throttle over the terrain,
791
00:41:56,010 --> 00:41:58,839
but it soon becomes
clear that the T-84 Oplot
792
00:41:58,840 --> 00:42:01,139
can not only catch up with the truck;
793
00:42:01,140 --> 00:42:03,253
it can also effortlessly pass it.
794
00:42:04,260 --> 00:42:06,339
With its wide tracks on uneven ground,
795
00:42:06,340 --> 00:42:09,173
the tank will always be
superior to a wheeled vehicle.
796
00:42:10,790 --> 00:42:13,989
But how destructive is
this kind of modern tank?
797
00:42:13,990 --> 00:42:17,209
Stephen Bull and our team are
there for the tank's test.
798
00:42:17,210 --> 00:42:19,859
Their front in the current
conflict in eastern Ukraine
799
00:42:19,860 --> 00:42:22,223
is about 300 kilometers away.
800
00:42:29,200 --> 00:42:32,039
So they guys have just bombed up the tank,
801
00:42:32,040 --> 00:42:34,176
and they've put in three rounds,
802
00:42:34,177 --> 00:42:36,469
and these are two-part rounds.
803
00:42:36,470 --> 00:42:39,999
The projectile is fin-stabilized.
804
00:42:40,000 --> 00:42:43,133
And behind it is the
main charge of explosive.
805
00:42:44,740 --> 00:42:47,699
The target is a solid stone wall.
806
00:42:47,700 --> 00:42:51,663
The team also sets up explosive
gasoline drums behind it.
807
00:42:52,660 --> 00:42:55,819
The T-84's gun aims to destroy the target
808
00:42:55,820 --> 00:42:58,383
from a distance of 1.6 kilometers.
809
00:43:03,341 --> 00:43:05,508
(booming)
810
00:43:25,945 --> 00:43:28,899
From a distance of 1,650 meters,
811
00:43:28,900 --> 00:43:31,383
the tank reliably hits its target.
812
00:43:35,380 --> 00:43:37,579
Well that was a gut-shaking shot.
813
00:43:37,580 --> 00:43:39,149
You could see the flash.
814
00:43:39,150 --> 00:43:42,229
I could certainly feel the
pressure going through my head.
815
00:43:42,230 --> 00:43:45,079
I'm glad they warned me
to keep my mouth open,
816
00:43:45,080 --> 00:43:46,719
'cause otherwise I'm quite sure
817
00:43:46,720 --> 00:43:48,703
something will pop inside there.
818
00:43:50,870 --> 00:43:54,019
So this wreckage here is
what's left of the target.
819
00:43:54,020 --> 00:43:55,689
And you can see it's still burning,
820
00:43:55,690 --> 00:43:57,669
so I'm not gonna go any closer than this.
821
00:43:57,670 --> 00:43:58,729
Because if that goes off,
822
00:43:58,730 --> 00:44:00,180
this could be pretty serious.
823
00:44:03,670 --> 00:44:05,189
But how does the modern tank
824
00:44:05,190 --> 00:44:06,873
handle uneven terrain?
825
00:44:07,740 --> 00:44:10,199
Stephen Bull goes along for the ride.
826
00:44:10,200 --> 00:44:12,613
The obstacle: two car wrecks.
827
00:44:13,478 --> 00:44:16,228
(dramatic music)
828
00:44:20,520 --> 00:44:25,313
The 51 ton T-84 slides
effortlessly over the vehicles.
829
00:44:39,930 --> 00:44:42,863
In the next test,
the tank faces a burning roadblock.
830
00:44:44,909 --> 00:44:47,659
(dramatic music)
831
00:45:13,860 --> 00:45:15,819
The tank seems to make
it through the flames
832
00:45:15,820 --> 00:45:18,049
without effort as well.
833
00:45:18,050 --> 00:45:21,609
But in reality,
it can only withstand a strong fire
834
00:45:21,610 --> 00:45:23,183
for a short amount of time.
835
00:45:28,070 --> 00:45:30,120
{\an8}I won't be doing that again in a hurry.
836
00:45:31,230 --> 00:45:34,079
{\an8}When you are inside, some of the smoke
837
00:45:34,080 --> 00:45:36,659
and a few of the embers
were being sucked in
838
00:45:36,660 --> 00:45:39,569
through some of the filtration system,
839
00:45:39,570 --> 00:45:42,999
and I could feel it getting
very smoky in there.
840
00:45:43,000 --> 00:45:45,550
I'm very glad that he got
the lid open when he did.
841
00:45:46,410 --> 00:45:47,860
It certainly wasn't pleasant.
842
00:45:49,000 --> 00:45:51,579
A tank that protects
against any circumstance
843
00:45:51,580 --> 00:45:53,739
is only an illusion.
844
00:45:53,740 --> 00:45:56,863
The crews are actually no
safer than the infantry.
845
00:45:58,210 --> 00:46:00,089
Tanks are as powerful as their myth
846
00:46:00,090 --> 00:46:02,679
only when they are used against civilians,
847
00:46:02,680 --> 00:46:07,680
whether in 1953 in East
Berlin, 1968 in Prague,
848
00:46:08,100 --> 00:46:10,109
or in other places where dictatorships
849
00:46:10,110 --> 00:46:13,009
take actions against their own people.
850
00:46:13,010 --> 00:46:14,689
Today, as a tool of suppression,
851
00:46:14,690 --> 00:46:16,823
tanks are still the ideal weapon.
852
00:46:18,740 --> 00:46:20,809
It's a powerful mechanical beast
853
00:46:20,810 --> 00:46:23,309
which threatens your security.
854
00:46:23,310 --> 00:46:25,539
It also makes you look big and strong.
855
00:46:25,540 --> 00:46:27,869
It's the war elephant of the modern world.
856
00:46:27,870 --> 00:46:30,313
Symbols of power as well as being powerful.
857
00:46:33,900 --> 00:46:35,489
On modern battlefields,
858
00:46:35,490 --> 00:46:38,879
airplanes and missiles
determine the victor.
859
00:46:38,880 --> 00:46:42,229
During the Cold War,
the average estimated survival time
860
00:46:42,230 --> 00:46:44,993
of a tank crew was only a few minutes.
861
00:46:52,450 --> 00:46:55,409
And the role of large and
powerful military equipment
862
00:46:55,410 --> 00:46:58,279
as a deterring symbol
has long since shifted
863
00:46:58,280 --> 00:47:00,053
to other types of weapons.
864
00:47:03,680 --> 00:47:06,679
In 2002, American weapons engineers
865
00:47:06,680 --> 00:47:10,389
developed what is known as
the Mother of All Bombs,
866
00:47:10,390 --> 00:47:13,389
a nine-meter-long bomb
with an explosive charge
867
00:47:13,390 --> 00:47:15,107
of 11 tons of TNT.
868
00:47:19,030 --> 00:47:20,909
The idea is, of course,
that nuclear weapons
869
00:47:20,910 --> 00:47:23,529
{\an8}can do it bigger and better
than anything conventional,
870
00:47:23,530 --> 00:47:25,129
{\an8}but you're not allowed to use them
871
00:47:25,130 --> 00:47:26,799
{\an8}without starting a world war,
872
00:47:26,800 --> 00:47:28,619
so let's build the biggest bomb we can
873
00:47:28,620 --> 00:47:30,253
short of a nuclear weapon.
874
00:47:31,730 --> 00:47:33,639
15 years after its development,
875
00:47:33,640 --> 00:47:36,509
under President Trump
the Mother Of All Bombs
876
00:47:36,510 --> 00:47:38,879
is used for the first time.
877
00:47:38,880 --> 00:47:41,299
On April the 13th, 2017,
878
00:47:41,300 --> 00:47:43,379
it hits a site of the terrorist militia
879
00:47:43,380 --> 00:47:45,743
of the Islamic State in Afghanistan.
880
00:47:46,610 --> 00:47:51,069
Every building with a 150
meter radius is destroyed.
881
00:47:51,070 --> 00:47:53,239
The impact of the attack's media message
882
00:47:53,240 --> 00:47:55,729
takes the foreground, but the actual
883
00:47:55,730 --> 00:47:57,973
military gain is controversial.
884
00:47:59,200 --> 00:48:01,219
What does it add to the
arsenal of the world?
885
00:48:01,220 --> 00:48:02,259
Very little.
886
00:48:02,260 --> 00:48:05,239
There is a sense in which
military organizations
887
00:48:05,240 --> 00:48:07,549
competing with each other,
that's not a competition
888
00:48:07,550 --> 00:48:08,999
with anyone else; that's internal,
889
00:48:09,000 --> 00:48:11,109
and that's about their share of the budget
890
00:48:11,110 --> 00:48:12,739
voted through in Washington.
891
00:48:12,740 --> 00:48:15,849
So having that bomb makes
them look good in Washington,
892
00:48:15,850 --> 00:48:18,520
and I suspect that's
largely what's behind this.
893
00:48:20,723 --> 00:48:24,309
This rivalry also plays
out internationally.
894
00:48:24,310 --> 00:48:27,139
Russia's military debuts
a male counterpart,
895
00:48:27,140 --> 00:48:28,853
the Father of All Bombs.
896
00:48:29,920 --> 00:48:32,329
In 2007, Russian state television
897
00:48:32,330 --> 00:48:35,889
broadcasts an alleged
test of the vacuum bomb.
898
00:48:35,890 --> 00:48:37,419
But in this case as well,
899
00:48:37,420 --> 00:48:40,662
the bomb has a greater
symbolic use as a propaganda
900
00:48:40,663 --> 00:48:43,093
than as an actually military tool.
901
00:48:44,164 --> 00:48:45,060
(foreign language)
902
00:48:45,061 --> 00:48:46,289
During the explosion,
903
00:48:46,290 --> 00:48:49,729
the oxygen in the air burns
to create an immense vacuum,
904
00:48:49,730 --> 00:48:52,879
and the pressure in the
surrounding area drops abruptly.
905
00:48:52,880 --> 00:48:55,869
So if I've already inhaled,
and the air in my lungs
906
00:48:55,870 --> 00:48:57,689
is at normal atmospheric pressure,
907
00:48:57,690 --> 00:49:00,473
then it suddenly expands,
and my lungs burst.
908
00:49:03,310 --> 00:49:04,889
For thousands of years,
909
00:49:04,890 --> 00:49:08,429
arms races have been a
dangerous aspect of war.
910
00:49:08,430 --> 00:49:10,819
And despite any assurances that new weapons
911
00:49:10,820 --> 00:49:13,799
are only intended to deter an opponent,
912
00:49:13,800 --> 00:49:15,699
they are often still used,
913
00:49:15,700 --> 00:49:18,203
unleashing their full power of destruction.
72667
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