All language subtitles for infamous_assassinations_s01e09_reinhard_heydrich

May the 27th, 1942, Prague,
Czechoslovakia. A powerful Mercedes

hairpin bend.

A young man steps out, aiming a machine
gun. It jams.

A second man throws a powerful grenade,
fatally wounding one of Adolf Hitler's

most bloodthirsty henchmen.

June the 4th, 1942, Prague.

Eight days after the shooting, Reinhard
Heydrich, one of the most feared men in

the Nazi Reich, is dead of blood
poisoning.

Hitler's rage is terrible, and the
German reprisals appalling.

Two villages are razed to the ground,
and thousands of people murdered.

Knowing that the Nazis would react with
bestial ferocity, Who would have dared

to murder one of the most powerful and
sinister members of the ruling clique?

The men who carry out the assassination
have been well equipped, and clearly

know Heydrich's movements in detail.

The rise of Reinhard Heydrich, who is
only 38 when he dies, has been

extraordinarily rapid.

Born on March 7, 1904, in Halle, Saxony,

He is the son of the founder of the
local conservatory for music, theatre

teaching.

Heydrich becomes an accomplished
violinist.

He joins the small navy of the Weimar
Republic and gets a commission.

But in 1931 he is dismissed for conduct
unbecoming of a naval officer.

Apparently he is seduced and then failed
to marry the daughter of one of his

superiors.

When Heydrich returns to civilian life,
Germany is in turmoil.

The Great Depression has brought mass
unemployment.

Extremist parties like the Nazis of
Adolf Hitler and the Communists are

Seeing an opportunity, in 1932 Heydrich
applies to join the SS, the elite of the

Nazi movement.

He is interviewed by its leader,
Heinrich Himmler.

and impresses him so much that he
becomes his assistant, with special

responsibility for intelligence and
counter -espionage.

It's a good career move, for in January
1933, Hitler becomes Chancellor.

Immediately, the Nazis begin to
eliminate the opposition and introduce

against Germany's Jewish population.

Himmler and Heydrich move swiftly to
take over policing and internal security

throughout the Reich.

Hitler's deputy, Hermann Göring, even
hands over to them the secret police

he has founded, the Gestapo, as part of
a deal to resist the rise of Ernst Röhm,

the head of the Nazis' mass paramilitary
movement, the SA.

June, 1934, Berlin.

Heydrich is instrumental in planning and
carrying out the purge of Ernst Röhm

and the SA, the Night of the Long
Knives.

He and Himmler are now among the most
powerful and sinister figures in

And in 1936, Heydrich consolidates his
position by becoming head of the

Sicherheitsdienst, or SD.

the Reich Security Service.

Two years later, Hitler begins the
aggressive expansion of his empire by

annexing Austria.

Then, in September 1938, Neville
Chamberlain, Prime Minister of Great

accepts the Munich Agreement, allowing
Hitler to occupy the Sudetenland, the

area of western Czechoslovakia with a
largely Germanic population.

The Czech Prime Minister, Eduard Beneš,
resigns and then flees to England.

Within six months, Hitler has completed
the dismemberment of Czechoslovakia by

occupying Bohemia and Moravia.

Slovakia is left as a puppet state.

Konstantin von Nurat is appointed
Reichsprotector of Bohemia and Moravia

introduces a brutal regime of repression
and anti -Semitism.

Then, in September 1939, Hitler
precipitates World War II by invading

And then occupying Belgium, the
Netherlands, France, Denmark and Norway

blitzkrieg campaigns during the spring
and early summer of 1940.

Even though Britain remains undefeated,
she is so isolated that Hitler has no

concerns about turning his attention
east.

In June 1941, the German invasion of the
Soviet Union massively expands the war.

Heydrich's main responsibility is to set
up Einsatzgruppen, special task forces,

to eliminate communist officials and
Jews within the occupied territories.

They set to work with enthusiasm,
organizing mass searches and executions.

Even though the German campaign
initially goes well, with the panzers

deep into the Soviet Union and millions
of prisoners being taken, it is felt

that the Czechs, with their first -rate
armaments industry, could be

contributing more to the war effort.

September 1941, Prague.

The Reich, protector of Bohemia and
Moravia...

von Nurath is sidelined as being too
weak and Heydrich brought in as his

He starts by striking a major blow
against the Czech resistance with over 4

arrests and 400 executions.

But cunningly he balances this with
improved rations, working conditions and

pay. so as to get the Czech factories
humming again.

Alongside the other nations occupied by
the Germans, a Czech government in exile

has been set up in Britain by Benes, and
Czech exiles have been formed into

military units to prepare for the
liberation of their country.

The feeling is soon spreading that the
Czechs are being too cooperative with

Germans.

And in late 1941, the decision is made
to assassinate Heydrich, even though it

is obvious that the German reaction will
be brutal.

Volunteers to do the job are selected
from the Free Czech Forces training in

Scotland.

They are Josef Gabcik, a locksmith from
Slovakia, and Jan Kubiš, a farmer's son

from Arabia.

Both are former NCOs in the Czech Army,
who had fled to France and joined Czech

forces there.

After the fall of France, both had
escaped to Britain and joined the Free

Units.

The two men are sent to be trained by
Britain's Special Operations Executive

clandestine warfare and assassination
methods.

The operation to assassinate Heydrich is
codenamed Anthropoid.

December 28, 1941, southern England.

A bomber carrying Kubitsch and Gabchik
takes off from a secret base near

It is a long and dangerous flight across
Nazi -occupied territory without any

fighter escort.

The two men land by parachute near the
village of Novizhdy, 20 kilometers from

Prague.

The Czech resistance has no knowledge
they are coming, but luckily the first

person they meet is a member of the
organization.

He manages to get news of their arrival
to the main resistance group in Prague,

led by Professor Vladislav Banek.

And after a few days hiding in the
countryside, it is decided to move them

the capital.

They are put in the charge of Jan
Zelenka and hidden in a house belonging

Maria Moravich, one of whose sons is
serving with the RAF.

Zelenka is able to put them in touch
with Frantisek Safaric, a carpenter

at Hradkarni Castle, the headquarters of
the Nazi administration.

And with his help, they monitor
Heydrich's routine and begin planning

attack.

Heydrich travels every day from his
official residence at Panenska Brezhany,

about 12 miles outside Prague, to
Hradkany Castle in an open Mercedes

SS -Oberscharführer Klein.

Contemptuous of the Czechs and convinced
that they are thoroughly cowed, he

travels without an escort and rarely
varies his route.

But the road into Prague is open and
uncrowded.

and Heydrich likes to be driven fast.

Soon the agents have decided that the
attack should take place at a hairpin

in the suburb of Liban, where the car
has to slow to a walking pace.

The corner also has a bus stop just
before it, at which the killers will be

to loiter without arousing suspicion.

During the early spring, a third British
-trained agent Josef Walczek is

parachuted in.

And the three men now firm up on their
plan.

Because of the speed at which Heydrich's
car will be approaching, and a slight

bend, Walczek will be posted as lookout
about 250 yards further back up the

road.

When Walczek sights the car, he will
signal with a mirror.

Gabchik and Kubish should then have time
to get back round the corner and into

position.

Gabchik, armed with a submachine gun,
will be the first to attack.

Kubish, with a specially constructed
armour -piercing grenade, will be the

backup.

The assassins will have bicycles hidden
nearby on which to escape.

In early May, The agents receive
intelligence that Heydrich will be going

Berlin on the 27th for a conference.

They decide to make their attempt then,
in case he does not return.

May the 27th, 1942, Prague.

The three men meet at the bus stop in
Liban at nine in the morning.

Valchik takes up his position.

that they have longer to wait than
expected.

Perninsky -Burjan.

Heydrich is an hour late getting on the
road.

Because he is going to be away for some
days, he delays his departure to say

goodbye to his family.

At 10 .30, Valchik finally spots the car
and signals.

Gabcik and Kubis take up their
positions.

10 .32, Liban. The Mercedes slows down
for the corner.

And as it completes the turn and is
almost stationary, Gabcik steps out into

road and aims at Heydrich.

He presses the trigger, but the gun
jams.

And spotting him...

Heydrich stands up and fumbles for his
pistol.

As he does so, the chauffeur foolishly
fails to accelerate away.

Kubisch takes advantage of this to step
forward and lobbies hand grenade at the

car.

It explodes and Heydrich takes the full
force of the blast.

Nevertheless, he staggers out of the car
and starts shooting, followed by his

chauffeur, Klein.

He starts firing at Kubitsch, who drops
his briefcase, grabs his bicycle, and

disappears into the city.

Gabchik abandons his submachine gun and
races away.

He's unable to get to his bicycle before
Klein gives chase, firing at him.

Gabcik ducks into a butcher's shop, but
Klein continues after him until Gabcik

manages to shoot him down severely
wounded.

He then escapes by boarding a tram
heading into the city.

Meanwhile, Heydrich has collapsed and is
rushed to hospital.

He has severe internal injuries from the
bomb splinters and bits of car

upholstery which have been embedded in
him.

Prague is immediately sealed off and a
curfew imposed.

More than 36 ,000 houses are raided and
over 500 arrests made.

A reward of 20 ,000 Czech crowns is
offered.

The coat?

Briefcases, bicycle, and British -made
Sten submachine gun are put on display.

But there are no leads.

Hydric is operated on immediately, but
splinters from the bomb have pierced his

spleen. Soon, blood poisoning sets in,
and Hydric goes into a coma.

Without penicillin, which is then only
available in the United States, There is

nothing his doctors can do.

June 4, 1942, Prague.

Heydrich dies, delirious and in
agonizing pain, like so many of his

The next day his body is taken to lie in
state at Hradkany Castle.

June the 7th, 1942, Prague.

Heydrich's coffin is paraded through the
city, before being taken by train to

Berlin, where it lies in state in the
new Reich's Chancellery building.

On June the 9th, Heydrich's wife and two
sons are comforted by Hitler and the

top Nazi chieftains at a funeral
service.

Heinrich Himmler gives the funeral
oration.

The body is then buried.

in the cemetery of fallen heroes.

Hitler is apoplectic with rage and
determined that the Czechs will suffer

terribly for this outrage.

As so often with the Nazis, the
retribution will be random and savagely

disproportionate.

June the 10th, 1942, Ledici.

Even though there is nothing to connect
it with the killing of Heydrich, this

village, 50 miles from Prague, is
selected for destruction.

SS execution squads move in and round up
all the inhabitants.

173 men and boys over 15 are shot.

195 women and 98 children sent to
concentration camps.

A few of the youngest children are
spared and placed with Nazi German

Once the inhabitants have been disposed
of, the village is destroyed with

explosives.

And every building leveled to the
ground.

Even the animals are slaughtered.

In Prague, the Gestapo and SS killings
continue.

More than 800 are dead, but still there
are no leads.

Kubis, Gabcik and Balcik have managed to
get back to safe houses and are now

being moved constantly.

Then the German authorities announced
that June 18th will be the deadline for

the killers to be caught.

If they are not...

Who knows how many more Ledicis will
follow?

Throughout Prague, the tension is
becoming unbearable.

And finally, one man cracks.

June 16th, 1942, Prague.

With two days to go until the deadline,
resistance man Karol Kurda goes to the

Germans and reveals that Maria Muravich
had been responsible for sheltering at

least one of the assassins.

As the Gestapo arrives, Maria kills
herself with a cyanide capsule, but her

-year -old son, Atta, is captured.

He is tortured for 24 hours and refuses
to speak until he is shown his mother's

severed head and warned that his
father's will soon be beside it.

Then finally he reveals that the three
assassins and four other resistance men

have taken cover in the Orthodox Church
of St. Cyril and Methodius.

June 18, 1942, Prague.

Jackboots echo in the streets as several
hundred SS troops under the command of

SS General von Troyenfeld surround the
church.

Their first attempt to storm the
building is turned back by the

fighters, but after an hour, a second
assault gets them into the church.

One of the resistance men, Lieutenant
Adolfo Palka, is cut off.

and shoots himself.

Two other severely wounded men are
found.

Jaroslav Schwarz and then Jan Kubisz.

The traitor Karol Kurda identifies him.

The Germans realize that the other
assassins have retreated down into the

Unwilling to get into a close -quarter
firefight, the SS pump tear gas into it.

When this is ineffective, they call in
the Prague fire brigade to try to flood

it.

But the surviving resistance fighters
continue firing back.

It is not until 10 in the evening that a
hand -picked SS squad blows up the

trapdoor and forces its way down.

After further fighting, the bodies of
Josip Gabcik, Josip Valcik, Josip Bubik,

and Jan Truby are found.

Fourteen SS men have also been killed.

Kurdak confirms that all the assassins
are dead.

Tragically, it had been planned for them
to move out of Prague the following

morning.

The reprisals go on.

The priests who had sheltered the
resistance men are executed.

And six months after the assassination
of Heydrich, Another innocent village,

the Yechki, is also completely destroyed
and its inhabitants sent to the gas

chambers.

In total, more than 1 ,500 people are
killed in reprisal and more than 10 ,000

sent to concentration camps.

It is a heavy price to pay for showing
that there is still a resistance in the

country. and that there are Czechs
prepared to take extreme measures to

their country's reputation.

Almost exactly three years after the
killing of the hangman of Prague, the

Soviet army liberates the city from Nazi
rule.

Czech president Eduard Beneš returns
from exile in London.

Now it is time to mete out justice.

Carol Curder, who had not hesitated to
accept the 20 ,000 crown reward for

betraying the agents, is tracked down,
tried, and hanged.

So too is SS Gruppenführer Karl Hermann
Frank, who had become acting

Reichsprotector of Bohemia and Moravia
after Heydrich's death, and supervised

the reprisals.

Soon afterwards, Kurt De Luger, the SS
officer directly responsible for the

massacre at La Diche, follows him to the
gallows.

It is little compensation for the
hundreds he had murdered.

Today, the ruins of La Diche still stand
as a testimony to the savagery of the

Germans.

On a hill above the remains is a
memorial to the children who were

Few assassinations can have caused such
direct suffering for so many innocent

people.

But few assassinations have had such
symbolic importance.

By killing Reinhard Heydrich, One of the
most feared and important men in Nazi

Germany. The team which carried it out,
and the government in exile which sent

it, showed that Czechoslovakia was still
resisting, no matter what the cost.