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- The nation of Poland
no longer exists,
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00:00:10,600 --> 00:00:13,680
and that enables Adolf Hitler
to attack the West.
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After six months of inactivity,
what is called the "Phoney War",
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00:00:18,720 --> 00:00:22,840
Germany quickly occupies Denmark,
then invades Norway,
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where they easily defeat
a British and French force,
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triggering a crisis
in the British leadership.
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Now, the question is,
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where will Hitler point
the Wehrmacht next?
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And who will be able to stop him?
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- All wars change the world,
but none of them changed the world
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like the Second World War did.
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MAN: Japan's on the march,
Germany's on the march.
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MAN 2: No-one can imagine the
nightmare they're about to unleash.
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The most destructive war
in human history.
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- Suddenly, the world
is turned upside down,
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and all hell is let loose.
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- The West is stunned
by the speed of the advance.
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MAN: You get the Allies,
led by the big three...
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Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin.
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Men who are dealing with
immensely complicated questions.
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- It's the biggest military
operation of human history.
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WOMAN: The Allies have to
come together, not just militarily,
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but industrial scale.
It's a global perspective.
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MAN: They have to fight in
every climate, from the Arctic
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to the jungles of the Pacific
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to the deserts of Africa
and the depths of the ocean.
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- But there was
no certainty of victory.
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It was going to be
a horrific bloodbath.
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- We see humans
at their absolute worst.
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How they treat other human beings.
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And we see them
at their absolute best,
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willing to give their lives
that others might live.
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MAN: World War II was a struggle
in which there could be
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one victor and one vanquished.
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(explosions,
air-raid sirens wailing)
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TOM: May 10th, 1940...
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(gunfire)
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TOM: German forces sweep through
the Netherlands and Belgium...
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(explosions)
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TOM: Headed for France.
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This will be the third time
that Germany
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has invaded France in 70 years.
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Because of this history,
the French have constructed
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a 280-mile system of forts...
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...known as the Maginot Line.
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- The idea is to have a number
of different fortifications
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and infrastructures and weapons,
underground tunnels.
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MAN: You have extensive batteries
that can house entire battalions.
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There are even electric
railroads underground
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to funnel soldiers from
blockhouse to blockhouse.
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TOM: Confident that the border
with Germany is secure,
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the French position
their best troops
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along the Belgian-Dutch border.
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- The French Army of 1940
is regarded as Europe's finest.
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They have a large
number of soldiers.
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- (announcer speaking French)
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ZINSOU: They have some
of the largest and best tanks
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in all of the world at this time.
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MAN: Nobody else has an army
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standing between
the Allies and Germany.
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It's so deeply assumed the French
Army will hold off the Germans,
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just as it had in
the First World War.
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- The French Army feels more than
capable of meeting any challenge
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it might face in a future conflict.
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TOM: As they did 25 years before
in the First World War,
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Great Britain also sends an army
to stop the German invasion.
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REPORTER: Reinforcements for
the British Expeditionary Force
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reach France.
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MAN: The British Expeditionary
Force has been sent across
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to assist the French in their
defence against the Germans.
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You've probably got
about 300,000 men.
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They are the cream
of British ground troops.
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ZINSOU: British and French forces
surge into Belgium...
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...looking to confront the Germans
in what they believe will be
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the main effort of
the German attack.
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REPORTER:
They're heading for the line,
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towards the distant
rumble of gunfire.
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TOM: This is precisely
what Hitler wants them to do.
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One of the Wehrmacht's
best generals,
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Erich von Manstein,
has designed a trap.
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MAN: Manstein,
very ambitious general,
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big advocate of war-of-movement
tactics, blitzkrieg tactics...
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...he says, we're going
to distract them.
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We'll still have an army
facing the Maginot Line.
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We'll still have an army
sweeping through Belgium,
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but we'll do what they least expect.
We'll cut through the Ardennes.
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TOM: The Ardennes Forest
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straddles the French
frontier with Belgium.
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Its steep wooded hills and valleys
are considered impenetrable.
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- Here, there was no reason
to build anything
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because the forest
was so thick and dense.
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TOM: But Manstein's not
deterred by this terrain.
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He sends his armoured
forces into France
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from this unexpected direction,
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which gives Hitler the opportunity
to outmanoeuvre the Allies.
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MAN: And once he's sold on it,
as so often in Hitler's life,
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it becomes a kind of mania for it.
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He says, "This is what I wanted.
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"Finally, someone understands me!"
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TOM: Hitler now throws the bulk of
his forces through the Ardennes.
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That same day...
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...British Prime Minister
Neville Chamberlain resigns.
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MAN: The Second World War
is going badly for Britain.
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Hitler's troops have swept
through Denmark and Norway.
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And Neville Chamberlain,
the British Prime Minister,
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like leaders do,
takes the blame for that.
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- I sought an audience
of the King this evening
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and tendered to him
my resignation,
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which His Majesty
has been pleased to accept.
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TOM: The King asks the
First Lord of the Admiralty,
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the maverick politician
Winston Churchill,
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to become Prime Minister.
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SNOW: Winston Churchill was
born at a time when Britain was
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at its imperial apex,
the height of the Victorian age.
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From the youngest age,
he's brought up
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thinking that he's special,
that fate has predestined
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that he would one day
save Britain and its empire.
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- Churchill has openly
been critical of Hitler,
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very worried about Hitler...
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...against German rearmament,
and against Hitler's obvious plans
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in Europe.
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- He was the guy who, sounding
like a bit of a crank for years,
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had said this was going to happen.
And then, when it does happen
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and you're looking
to turn to somebody,
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it's inevitable that you turn to
the person that was right all along.
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TOM: Churchill's immediate challenge
is to stiffen British resolve
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and to prepare them
for a long struggle.
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From his first address
to Parliament,
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Churchill demonstrates his
determination to defeat the Nazis.
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00:08:13,240 --> 00:08:16,360
- Churchill used the wonders of
language and the oratory skill,
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and the way he crafted his words...
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Well, he's one of the most
quoted people in the world.
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- I would say to the House,
I have nothing to offer
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but blood, toil, tears, and sweat.
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- Nasty, dirty base words -
blood, sweat, toil.
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He takes you up here, and
he brings you back down here.
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CHURCHILL: You ask, what is our aim?
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I can answer in one word...
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...victory, victory at all costs.
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For without victory,
there is no survival.
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- People that were there
that day said that you could feel
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the opposition to Winston Churchill
just draining away.
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TOM: As the Wehrmacht advances
on France through Belgium
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and the Ardennes Forest...
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...Adolf Hitler takes a risk.
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- This is a huge gamble,
for the simple reason
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that if you try to mass
Panzer divisions
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and motorised infantry
on these little dirt tracks,
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you're going to have
massive traffic jams.
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And they're going to be
a ripe target for the French
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and British air forces, which could
fly over and just bomb these things
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while they're stuck in the Ardennes.
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RICHIE: Hitler is, in some ways,
the ultimate gambler,
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with his notions
that whatever he does,
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if he is strong enough
and if he has the will
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and he's got the German people
behind him, nothing can fail.
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(birds chirping)
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TOM: Three days after German
tank divisions enter the Ardennes...
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...the French remain unaware
of the Nazi threat.
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- The French are not expecting
a major German assault here.
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So, the French troops
along the Meuse are older men,
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reservists who've been
called back to the colours.
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TOM: At 1500 hours on May 13th...
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...the countryside quiet is shattered
by the sound of tank engines.
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(distant gunfire, engines rumbling)
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- So, if you're a French soldier...
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...and you look out through your
binoculars at what's happening...
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...suddenly, there's a tank
appearing across the river.
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And then, suddenly, another one.
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And then, suddenly, dozens,
even hundreds more.
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You make a panicky report
back to your superior officer -
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"I see German tanks."
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- German pioneer units throw
bridges across the river.
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CITINO: They get
their tanks across...
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...and launch a massive
assault on French defences.
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TOM: The surprised French troops now
face a terrifying German barrage.
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TOM: As German Panzer
divisions race across the border...
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...the French Army is overwhelmed.
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Now, the Wehrmacht pours through
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a 60-mile-wide hole
in the French lines.
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- Line after line after line of
tanks just crossing the Meuse.
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And at this point, there is no time
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for the French to mobilise
and to come and defend that area.
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TOM: One German commander,
Erwin Rommel,
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is particularly aggressive.
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RICHIE: He's a daring,
dashing young man.
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He doesn't come from the traditional
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Prussian aristocratic
military background.
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He's very aware of doing
smash-and-grab type actions...
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...which will get you noticed.
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CITINO: Hitler's been
very impressed by him.
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When he crosses the Meuse,
it's full speed ahead.
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People describe the invasion
of the West as Blitzkrieg,
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"lightning war".
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But, you know, that's really
just a poetic metaphor,
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a way to describe something
that is actually much more complex.
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The Germans themselves
use a term - Bewegungskrieg.
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It means "the war of movement".
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- (reporter speaking German)
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CITINO: The 7th Panzer Division
becomes known
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as the Ghost Division...
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...because it disappears
from the situation map
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for hours, sometimes days at a time.
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It's moving faster than
people can keep up with.
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But that's Rommel.
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TOM: The French are in full retreat.
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After only a few days of fighting,
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northern France lies
largely undefended.
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At 7:30 in the morning on May 15th,
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Winston Churchill
receives a phone call.
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It's French leader
Paul Reynaud, who tells him,
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00:13:52,120 --> 00:13:55,360
"We are beaten.
The road to Paris is open.
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00:13:55,520 --> 00:13:58,160
"Send all the planes
and all the troops you can."
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00:14:01,640 --> 00:14:06,240
- It cannot be overstated
how surprising
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00:14:06,400 --> 00:14:10,440
and out of left field this
German breakthrough is.
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The French Army
that had stayed diligently
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00:14:15,400 --> 00:14:17,920
in the trenches for four years
in the First World War...
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...crumbling in a matter of days.
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00:14:23,720 --> 00:14:26,240
TOM: Churchill immediately
flies to France.
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00:14:27,640 --> 00:14:30,480
DAVID: Churchill takes a tremendous
risk by going over to France.
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There's a battle ongoing. There's
a danger he's going to be shot down
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at any moment by
hostile German fighters.
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But he feels he has to do it
because he wants to
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stiffen the French morale.
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But when he goes
to the Quai d'Orsay,
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which is the French foreign office,
they're burning papers.
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- The scene in Paris
is absolute chaos.
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00:14:57,520 --> 00:14:59,520
The French government
is trying to figure out
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what they have to do in the
face of this military defeat.
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00:15:03,480 --> 00:15:06,000
- Churchill calls
the French "lily-livered".
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00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:10,160
He says they don't have
the requisite state of mind
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to hold back the Germans.
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00:15:14,880 --> 00:15:17,080
CITINO: But what happened
has nothing to do
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00:15:17,240 --> 00:15:21,320
with fighting qualities or one side
being more valiant than the other.
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It has to do with one side
completely overwhelming the other
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at the point of contact.
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00:15:27,760 --> 00:15:29,960
And when things are happening
faster than you think
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they should be happening,
the reaction can be
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00:15:32,160 --> 00:15:33,720
kind of a wave of panic.
240
00:15:34,920 --> 00:15:37,040
TOM: With the French
on the brink of collapse
241
00:15:37,200 --> 00:15:39,240
and the British Army in retreat...
242
00:15:41,960 --> 00:15:44,680
...Churchill turns to
the United States for help.
243
00:15:46,320 --> 00:15:49,000
- Churchill had one key strategy
for winning the Second World War -
244
00:15:49,160 --> 00:15:51,080
get America involved.
245
00:15:52,080 --> 00:15:54,600
TOM: He dictates a telegram
to President Roosevelt.
246
00:15:55,960 --> 00:15:58,680
- He makes the clear warning
to Roosevelt that eventually,
247
00:15:58,840 --> 00:16:01,520
Nazism might come
for the Americans as well.
248
00:16:02,880 --> 00:16:04,920
So, he makes an appeal.
249
00:16:05,080 --> 00:16:07,800
"We need destroyers,
naval assistance,
250
00:16:07,960 --> 00:16:12,240
"but we also need guns,
we need planes, we need steel."
251
00:16:13,240 --> 00:16:15,240
He's desperate for
military assistance.
252
00:16:17,640 --> 00:16:22,720
- Ideally, Franklin Roosevelt wanted
to keep German aggression
253
00:16:22,880 --> 00:16:26,400
on the European continent
and ideally, turn it back.
254
00:16:27,960 --> 00:16:32,480
And so, Roosevelt's great hope is
that perhaps by offering supplies,
255
00:16:32,640 --> 00:16:36,800
we keep the war on
that side of the Atlantic,
256
00:16:36,960 --> 00:16:41,840
because a Nazified Europe
was going to be a world threat.
257
00:16:44,160 --> 00:16:46,880
- But it's an election year.
Roosevelt is running
258
00:16:47,040 --> 00:16:49,760
for an unprecedented
third term in office.
259
00:16:50,920 --> 00:16:53,760
His domestic policies
are propelling him
260
00:16:53,920 --> 00:16:56,200
back into the White House.
261
00:16:56,360 --> 00:16:59,920
But the majority of Americans
do not want to involve themselves
262
00:17:00,080 --> 00:17:02,160
in another global contest.
263
00:17:02,320 --> 00:17:06,640
So, Roosevelt's foreign policy
is a political vulnerability.
264
00:17:08,600 --> 00:17:11,200
TOM: Roosevelt wants
to help Britain and France,
265
00:17:11,360 --> 00:17:15,120
but America's neutrality laws
restrict how much he can provide.
266
00:17:17,360 --> 00:17:19,240
His hands are tied.
267
00:17:20,880 --> 00:17:23,400
If the Germans seize France,
268
00:17:23,560 --> 00:17:27,440
Britain will be left
to face the Nazis alone.
269
00:17:33,760 --> 00:17:37,560
In northern France,
German forces continue forward,
270
00:17:37,720 --> 00:17:40,160
attempting to trap
the fleeing Allied armies.
271
00:17:41,280 --> 00:17:44,000
(reporter speaking German)
272
00:17:48,240 --> 00:17:50,440
TOM: Now the Germans
move to cut off the Allies
273
00:17:50,600 --> 00:17:52,360
at the English Channel.
274
00:17:53,360 --> 00:17:58,040
- Once they reach it, all those
Allied armies will be surrounded.
275
00:18:01,920 --> 00:18:04,760
- The only chance of
survival for the troops
276
00:18:04,920 --> 00:18:07,200
is to build some kind
of defensive system
277
00:18:07,360 --> 00:18:10,480
round the Channel port closest
to them, and that's Dunkirk.
278
00:18:12,240 --> 00:18:14,920
And then, attempt
an evacuation by sea.
279
00:18:16,320 --> 00:18:18,440
TOM: The small
coastal town of Dunkirk
280
00:18:18,600 --> 00:18:21,720
is just 60 miles across
the Channel from Britain,
281
00:18:21,880 --> 00:18:24,400
but Dunkirk doesn't
have the infrastructure
282
00:18:24,560 --> 00:18:27,240
to support a mass naval evacuation.
283
00:18:29,240 --> 00:18:33,800
By May 20th, more than
450,000 French, Belgian,
284
00:18:33,960 --> 00:18:37,120
and British soldiers
are retreating in desperation
285
00:18:37,280 --> 00:18:39,520
to its wide open beaches.
286
00:18:41,200 --> 00:18:44,440
- The Germans are already on the
fringes of the Dunkirk perimeter.
287
00:18:45,520 --> 00:18:47,640
TOM: The Allies are trapped.
288
00:18:47,800 --> 00:18:50,400
SNOW: There is
no other British Army.
289
00:18:50,560 --> 00:18:53,200
That's the best leaders,
the best sergeants
290
00:18:53,360 --> 00:18:57,840
and NCOs in danger
of being absolutely wiped out
291
00:18:58,000 --> 00:18:59,640
by German forces.
292
00:19:03,760 --> 00:19:06,760
TOM: Then, Hitler
orders his Panzers to halt.
293
00:19:13,720 --> 00:19:16,080
CITINO: Hitler travels
to the front lines.
294
00:19:17,080 --> 00:19:19,600
He's noticed some problems.
295
00:19:19,760 --> 00:19:23,640
The tanks are far, far ahead
of their follow-up infantry...
296
00:19:23,800 --> 00:19:26,320
Rommel's Ghost Division,
for example.
297
00:19:27,800 --> 00:19:30,080
Hitler believes that
the generals at the front
298
00:19:30,240 --> 00:19:33,720
are not reporting back to him
with the specificity they should be.
299
00:19:34,920 --> 00:19:37,920
And he's kind of angry about that.
And so, Hitler had decided
300
00:19:38,080 --> 00:19:40,120
to take control of this operation.
301
00:19:41,280 --> 00:19:43,320
TOM: Field Marshal Hermann Goering
302
00:19:43,480 --> 00:19:46,240
insists the Luftwaffe
can finish off the Allies.
303
00:19:48,080 --> 00:19:50,200
- Goering's like, "You know,
Hitler, Fuehrer," you know,
304
00:19:50,360 --> 00:19:52,920
it's like, "Come on. They're on
the beach. They're sitting ducks!
305
00:19:53,080 --> 00:19:55,760
"Why would you want to
waste your precious Panzers?
306
00:19:55,920 --> 00:19:59,240
"I can do this with
Luftwaffe aircraft alone."
307
00:20:04,600 --> 00:20:08,480
For the Brits on the beach,
it's an absolute hellscape.
308
00:20:09,880 --> 00:20:11,880
(Stuka sirens wailing)
309
00:20:12,040 --> 00:20:15,360
- They're subjected day and night
to constant aerial bombardment
310
00:20:15,520 --> 00:20:18,160
by the Luftwaffe, strafing...
311
00:20:18,320 --> 00:20:19,840
(gunfire)
312
00:20:21,160 --> 00:20:22,920
WAWRO: ..dive bombing...
313
00:20:25,200 --> 00:20:26,920
...level bombing.
314
00:20:27,080 --> 00:20:28,520
(explosions)
315
00:20:28,680 --> 00:20:31,280
- The British troops
are just on the sand.
316
00:20:31,440 --> 00:20:33,600
And each time this happens...
317
00:20:33,760 --> 00:20:35,600
(Stuka siren wailing)
318
00:20:36,640 --> 00:20:38,920
DAVID: ..they all take
what cover they can.
319
00:20:40,280 --> 00:20:43,000
This goes on hour
after hour after hour...
320
00:20:45,120 --> 00:20:47,320
...as they're waiting
for deliverance.
321
00:20:48,320 --> 00:20:50,680
- It was a time of total terror.
322
00:20:52,280 --> 00:20:53,880
(explosion)
323
00:20:55,600 --> 00:20:57,720
TOM: As the Luftwaffe
bombs the troops...
324
00:20:59,880 --> 00:21:03,040
...the British War Cabinet is
divided over how to save them.
325
00:21:04,280 --> 00:21:07,040
Prime Minister Churchill wants
to evacuate as many British
326
00:21:07,200 --> 00:21:09,680
and French troops
as possible by sea.
327
00:21:11,480 --> 00:21:14,520
But his foreign secretary,
Lord Halifax,
328
00:21:14,680 --> 00:21:17,520
wants to explore diplomatic options.
329
00:21:19,120 --> 00:21:23,560
RICHIE: There are factions in the
United Kingdom, led by Lord Halifax,
330
00:21:23,720 --> 00:21:26,960
which believe that the war
with Germany is pointless,
331
00:21:27,120 --> 00:21:29,600
totally destructive,
and can't be won.
332
00:21:31,120 --> 00:21:35,520
They want to have some sort of
peace treaty with Germany.
333
00:21:36,880 --> 00:21:39,040
- Halifax is saying,
"We have to face facts here.
334
00:21:39,200 --> 00:21:42,720
"We have to face reality.
Adolf Hitler has won in Europe.
335
00:21:42,880 --> 00:21:44,680
"We can still preserve
our independence.
336
00:21:44,840 --> 00:21:47,840
"We can still preserve our empire
if we make a deal with Hitler."
337
00:21:48,840 --> 00:21:51,760
And the way to do that
is talk to an intermediary.
338
00:21:52,880 --> 00:21:56,320
Well, that's the Italian
fascist dictator Benito Mussolini.
339
00:21:58,160 --> 00:22:02,280
He might be a broker
to negotiate a peace
340
00:22:02,440 --> 00:22:04,440
between Britain and Germany.
341
00:22:05,440 --> 00:22:08,520
TOM: Halifax tries to get help
from American diplomats.
342
00:22:10,760 --> 00:22:13,920
RICHIE: The American ambassador
in Rome and various other people
343
00:22:14,080 --> 00:22:17,680
approach Mussolini to come up
with some sort of peace treaty.
344
00:22:17,840 --> 00:22:20,480
TOM: But Churchill
will not negotiate.
345
00:22:22,280 --> 00:22:27,400
- He believes that if London
were to enter into talks,
346
00:22:27,560 --> 00:22:29,800
that British morale would collapse.
347
00:22:30,800 --> 00:22:34,320
TOM: Churchill decides
to risk the sea-rescue plan,
348
00:22:34,480 --> 00:22:37,120
code-named Operation Dynamo.
349
00:22:38,840 --> 00:22:40,520
On May 26th,
350
00:22:40,680 --> 00:22:43,880
the first Royal Navy ships
set off across the Channel.
351
00:22:46,480 --> 00:22:49,680
WAWRO: Dynamo is the only card
the British can play at this point.
352
00:22:52,200 --> 00:22:54,840
In London, they're estimating,
maybe we'll get 20,000,
353
00:22:55,000 --> 00:22:57,640
30,000, 45,000 at the most off.
354
00:23:05,480 --> 00:23:08,840
TOM: But now Hitler sends
his forces back into action.
355
00:23:10,720 --> 00:23:14,240
Panzers begin to assault the
defensive line around Dunkirk.
356
00:23:18,000 --> 00:23:19,840
On that first day,
357
00:23:20,000 --> 00:23:23,240
the Royal Navy rescues
less than 8,000 men.
358
00:23:24,520 --> 00:23:28,040
The British need to find an
additional way to get troops home.
359
00:23:31,880 --> 00:23:34,120
DAVID: There were
these two breakwaters -
360
00:23:34,280 --> 00:23:39,200
long stone and concrete jetties
that stretched a mile into the sea.
361
00:23:40,200 --> 00:23:43,240
They're not designed for ships
to come and dock next to them,
362
00:23:43,400 --> 00:23:45,840
but in an emergency,
this is what they can do.
363
00:23:48,240 --> 00:23:50,560
WAWRO: So you've got
the British troops, four abreast,
364
00:23:50,720 --> 00:23:53,440
walking out onto this breakwater,
so they can get out
365
00:23:53,600 --> 00:23:56,680
to deep enough water
and get picked up by ships.
366
00:24:01,520 --> 00:24:04,000
- But meanwhile, they're
under constant air attack
367
00:24:04,160 --> 00:24:06,240
by dive bombers and bombers.
368
00:24:10,480 --> 00:24:12,720
TOM: The British
are running out of time.
369
00:24:28,640 --> 00:24:32,880
TOM: With over 400,000 Allied troops
trapped on the beach at Dunkirk...
370
00:24:35,120 --> 00:24:38,120
...a desperate call goes out
from British leaders.
371
00:24:39,800 --> 00:24:42,160
"Help us get our soldiers home."
372
00:24:45,760 --> 00:24:48,520
The response is immediate.
373
00:24:48,680 --> 00:24:50,880
For nine days, small vessels,
374
00:24:51,040 --> 00:24:53,320
all captained and
crewed by volunteers,
375
00:24:53,480 --> 00:24:55,200
cross the Channel.
376
00:24:56,280 --> 00:24:59,440
Fishing trawlers
and paddle steamers...
377
00:24:59,600 --> 00:25:02,440
...cargo ships and lifeboats...
378
00:25:03,520 --> 00:25:05,360
...barges and yachts...
379
00:25:07,200 --> 00:25:10,920
Each sail into the firestorm
around Dunkirk...
380
00:25:12,000 --> 00:25:14,680
...joining the Royal Navy
in the rescue mission.
381
00:25:16,080 --> 00:25:19,280
- There was every kind of ship
that I saw coming in this morning,
382
00:25:19,440 --> 00:25:22,400
and every one of them was crammed
full of tired, battle-stained,
383
00:25:22,560 --> 00:25:24,760
and bloodstained British soldiers.
384
00:25:26,080 --> 00:25:28,560
- The BEF leaves
everything behind -
385
00:25:28,720 --> 00:25:32,240
all the tanks, all the artillery,
all the trucks.
386
00:25:34,680 --> 00:25:38,040
The idea being that the men
are the most important thing.
387
00:25:38,200 --> 00:25:41,600
We can make new equipment,
but we can't make new men.
388
00:25:55,000 --> 00:25:56,920
TOM: The evacuation at Dunkirk
389
00:25:57,080 --> 00:26:01,120
brings over 300,000 British
and French troops to Britain.
390
00:26:11,400 --> 00:26:13,800
Though thousands are left behind.
391
00:26:19,200 --> 00:26:24,040
In Britain, the operation becomes
known as the Miracle of Dunkirk.
392
00:26:26,840 --> 00:26:30,360
On British streets,
there is relief, joy,
393
00:26:30,520 --> 00:26:33,160
and anxiety about what's to come.
394
00:26:34,600 --> 00:26:38,200
On June 4th, Churchill
addresses those fears.
395
00:26:39,280 --> 00:26:43,840
- We must be very careful not
to assign to this deliverance
396
00:26:44,000 --> 00:26:46,040
the attributes of a victory.
397
00:26:47,680 --> 00:26:50,640
DAVID: He reminds people
that things aren't looking good
398
00:26:50,800 --> 00:26:54,600
for Britain at this time.
France is almost certainly lost,
399
00:26:54,760 --> 00:26:58,400
and there's a great possibility
in the weeks and months ahead
400
00:26:58,560 --> 00:27:02,480
that the Germans are going to launch
a sea and air invasion of the UK.
401
00:27:02,640 --> 00:27:04,800
And the question is,
will we be able to stop it?
402
00:27:09,840 --> 00:27:14,200
- Churchill's able to come out
and issue this clarion call,
403
00:27:14,360 --> 00:27:19,080
issue this roar of belligerence
and determination.
404
00:27:20,280 --> 00:27:23,560
CHURCHILL: We shall fight
on the seas and oceans.
405
00:27:23,720 --> 00:27:26,200
We shall fight
with growing confidence
406
00:27:26,360 --> 00:27:28,480
and growing strength in the air.
407
00:27:29,960 --> 00:27:33,280
We shall defend our island,
whatever the cost may be.
408
00:27:34,440 --> 00:27:37,520
SNOW: It's the most simple
messaging in political history.
409
00:27:37,680 --> 00:27:41,880
This is a war against absolute evil.
It is total war.
410
00:27:42,040 --> 00:27:44,320
We're going to fight for
every inch and every yard,
411
00:27:44,480 --> 00:27:46,960
and we're going to win.
412
00:27:47,120 --> 00:27:49,360
CHURCHILL: We shall
fight on the beaches.
413
00:27:51,720 --> 00:27:53,840
We shall fight on
the landing grounds.
414
00:27:56,080 --> 00:27:59,240
We shall fight in the fields
and in the streets.
415
00:28:01,280 --> 00:28:03,400
We shall fight in the hills.
416
00:28:04,720 --> 00:28:06,840
We shall never surrender.
417
00:28:11,440 --> 00:28:14,160
TOM: With this speech,
Churchill ends all discussions
418
00:28:14,320 --> 00:28:16,360
of a negotiated peace.
419
00:28:19,200 --> 00:28:21,840
In France, Hitler moves quickly.
420
00:28:23,320 --> 00:28:25,440
He orders the Wehrmacht
to strike south,
421
00:28:25,600 --> 00:28:27,680
heading for Paris and beyond.
422
00:28:30,640 --> 00:28:32,240
(gunfire)
423
00:28:32,400 --> 00:28:34,960
ZINSOU: The Germans are essentially
pursuing anti-trench warfare.
424
00:28:36,120 --> 00:28:38,720
Anything that they can do
to avoid the slog
425
00:28:38,880 --> 00:28:41,120
that they had in
the First World War.
426
00:28:41,280 --> 00:28:42,960
(gunfire and shouting)
427
00:28:43,120 --> 00:28:45,400
TOM: As German forces
race to the capital,
428
00:28:45,560 --> 00:28:48,120
damaging historic cities
in their wake...
429
00:28:50,160 --> 00:28:52,480
...the French population
takes flight.
430
00:28:55,760 --> 00:28:59,480
BROCH: People are terrified,
fearing for their lives,
431
00:28:59,640 --> 00:29:03,120
of the brutality
of the German soldier.
432
00:29:05,400 --> 00:29:11,040
So, roads and railways are soon
overflowing with refugees -
433
00:29:11,200 --> 00:29:13,520
men, women, children, grandparents.
434
00:29:14,960 --> 00:29:16,760
Families are divided.
435
00:29:16,920 --> 00:29:18,960
Children get separated
from their parents
436
00:29:19,120 --> 00:29:21,120
because there's so much chaos.
437
00:29:23,320 --> 00:29:26,400
TOM: There are 8 million
French refugees on the run.
438
00:29:39,360 --> 00:29:44,040
On June 14th, German troops
march into Paris.
439
00:29:46,120 --> 00:29:49,520
BROCH: They are parading
down the Champs-Elysées.
440
00:29:49,680 --> 00:29:53,640
Things could not be
worse for the French.
441
00:29:53,800 --> 00:29:55,760
Grown men are crying.
442
00:29:56,840 --> 00:29:59,440
This is unbelievable, unimaginable.
443
00:29:59,600 --> 00:30:00,920
- (officer shouts)
444
00:30:03,200 --> 00:30:06,880
TOM: Hitler insists the ceremony
to sign the French armistice
445
00:30:07,040 --> 00:30:10,760
happens in the exact railway
carriage where the Germans
446
00:30:10,920 --> 00:30:14,280
signed their surrender
at the end of World War I.
447
00:30:16,080 --> 00:30:19,040
RICHIE: Hitler is
like a giddy schoolboy.
448
00:30:19,200 --> 00:30:21,200
He can't believe
this is happening.
449
00:30:21,360 --> 00:30:22,880
He's just jubilant.
450
00:30:24,800 --> 00:30:27,760
ZINSOU: The terms of
the armistice are several.
451
00:30:29,120 --> 00:30:32,520
The French Army is restricted
to a size of no larger than 100,000.
452
00:30:35,080 --> 00:30:37,800
France itself will be
divided into two parts.
453
00:30:39,080 --> 00:30:42,120
The Germans will
occupy about 3/5ths.
454
00:30:43,440 --> 00:30:47,160
The remaining 2/5ths will be
led by Marshal Philippe Petain,
455
00:30:47,320 --> 00:30:49,920
and this will become
known as Vichy France,
456
00:30:50,080 --> 00:30:54,080
because the new French government
will be seated in the town of Vichy.
457
00:30:57,680 --> 00:31:00,080
- For the French, it's the end.
458
00:31:14,880 --> 00:31:17,280
TOM: The fall of France
is a seismic event
459
00:31:17,440 --> 00:31:19,960
with global ramifications.
460
00:31:20,120 --> 00:31:22,200
REPORTER: France gave
Germany a blank cheque today,
461
00:31:22,360 --> 00:31:24,280
signing the terms of
the armistice...
462
00:31:24,440 --> 00:31:26,400
TOM: German propaganda...
463
00:31:26,560 --> 00:31:29,200
- (reporter speaks German)
464
00:31:29,360 --> 00:31:31,400
TOM: ..captures iconic images
465
00:31:31,560 --> 00:31:35,960
on Hitler's first and only
trip to conquered Paris.
466
00:31:37,880 --> 00:31:42,440
- When France falls, for
the vast majority of Americans,
467
00:31:42,600 --> 00:31:44,640
it's as if the unthinkable
has happened.
468
00:31:47,080 --> 00:31:49,240
- Roosevelt and
the people close to him
469
00:31:49,400 --> 00:31:51,320
recognise immediately
what this means.
470
00:31:52,840 --> 00:31:55,680
All the things that the
United States didn't have to do
471
00:31:55,840 --> 00:31:58,880
as long as France was in
between us and the Germans,
472
00:31:59,040 --> 00:32:01,320
they're now going to have to do.
473
00:32:01,480 --> 00:32:03,720
It's going to build a very
large army, it's going to build
474
00:32:03,880 --> 00:32:06,360
a very large navy, it's going to
think about a global presence,
475
00:32:06,520 --> 00:32:08,800
and it's never again going
to put its own security
476
00:32:08,960 --> 00:32:11,800
in the hands of another country,
even a friendly one like France.
477
00:32:13,640 --> 00:32:16,880
TOM: Roosevelt now calls
for America to mobilise.
478
00:32:17,880 --> 00:32:22,120
In the coming months, he'll
institute the first peacetime draft
479
00:32:22,280 --> 00:32:26,520
and call for the production
of 50,000 warplanes.
480
00:32:28,440 --> 00:32:31,160
ROOSEVELT: Overwhelmingly,
we as a nation,
481
00:32:31,320 --> 00:32:36,040
we are convinced
that military and naval victory
482
00:32:36,200 --> 00:32:39,640
for the gods of force and hate
483
00:32:39,800 --> 00:32:42,480
would endanger the
institutions of democracy
484
00:32:42,640 --> 00:32:44,560
in the Western world.
485
00:32:44,720 --> 00:32:46,360
(crowd cheering)
486
00:32:49,760 --> 00:32:51,200
(crowd cheering)
487
00:32:52,240 --> 00:32:55,760
TOM: After taking Norway,
Denmark, the Netherlands,
488
00:32:55,920 --> 00:32:58,440
Belgium, and now France...
489
00:32:58,600 --> 00:33:00,440
...Hitler is triumphant.
490
00:33:01,560 --> 00:33:03,480
(cheering continues)
491
00:33:03,640 --> 00:33:07,960
RICHIE: There's a tremendous
return of Hitler to Berlin.
492
00:33:09,480 --> 00:33:12,680
The crowds are in the hundreds
of thousands on the streets...
493
00:33:14,400 --> 00:33:16,640
...pushing toward his motorcade.
494
00:33:17,880 --> 00:33:20,760
(crowd cheering, chanting in German)
495
00:33:25,440 --> 00:33:27,760
- For the Nazis,
these are the glory days.
496
00:33:27,920 --> 00:33:29,800
(cheers and applause)
497
00:33:33,680 --> 00:33:36,040
RICHIE: This is the
height of Hitler's power.
498
00:33:37,040 --> 00:33:39,520
For most of the
population of Germany,
499
00:33:39,680 --> 00:33:42,560
he can do no wrong.
He is their beloved Fuehrer.
500
00:33:50,880 --> 00:33:53,120
And Hitler's ego
goes out of control.
501
00:33:54,360 --> 00:33:56,960
That allows Hitler
to convince himself
502
00:33:57,120 --> 00:33:59,720
of his own propaganda,
convince himself that in a way,
503
00:33:59,880 --> 00:34:01,560
he's almost immortal.
504
00:34:11,960 --> 00:34:15,080
TOM: Now, Hitler attempts
to dictate a new peace deal
505
00:34:15,240 --> 00:34:16,960
with Great Britain.
506
00:34:17,960 --> 00:34:20,600
- (speaking German)
507
00:34:25,240 --> 00:34:27,800
(applause)
HITLER: Deutschland, Sieg Heil!
508
00:34:27,960 --> 00:34:31,880
ALL: Heil! Heil! Heil!
509
00:34:36,400 --> 00:34:38,400
TOM: Churchill defies him.
510
00:34:42,680 --> 00:34:46,120
And so, Hitler gives
the go-ahead to an operation
511
00:34:46,280 --> 00:34:48,680
he thinks will force
Britain into submission...
512
00:34:49,800 --> 00:34:51,920
...Operation Sea Lion.
513
00:34:53,160 --> 00:34:55,680
- He's now saying, OK, well,
if the Brits aren't going to
514
00:34:55,840 --> 00:34:58,560
come to terms with me,
then I will invade Great Britain.
515
00:35:01,280 --> 00:35:03,680
TOM: First, the Luftwaffe
targets the planes
516
00:35:03,840 --> 00:35:06,480
and infrastructure of
the British Royal Air Force.
517
00:35:08,440 --> 00:35:13,240
- So the initial German air assaults
were against British RAF facilities.
518
00:35:15,320 --> 00:35:19,480
Airfields, administrative stations,
supply depots, and the like.
519
00:35:21,360 --> 00:35:23,400
TOM: Goering claims the Luftwaffe
520
00:35:23,560 --> 00:35:26,400
will destroy the Royal Air Force
in just three days...
521
00:35:27,640 --> 00:35:29,920
...and leave Britain
open to invasion.
522
00:35:32,200 --> 00:35:33,680
(explosion)
523
00:35:38,800 --> 00:35:41,160
TOM: British pilots
scramble in defence.
524
00:35:45,480 --> 00:35:49,640
- Can this relatively small
number of British planes -
525
00:35:49,800 --> 00:35:52,720
they've got probably about 2,950 -
526
00:35:52,880 --> 00:35:56,920
fight off what is an
ever-increasing Luftwaffe?
527
00:35:59,400 --> 00:36:01,440
TOM: The Battle of Britain
is the largest
528
00:36:01,600 --> 00:36:04,800
and most intense aerial combat
the world has yet seen.
529
00:36:06,080 --> 00:36:08,080
(gunfire)
530
00:36:12,000 --> 00:36:15,040
TOM: If the Luftwaffe wins,
Germany will invade.
531
00:36:16,080 --> 00:36:17,920
(gunfire)
532
00:36:24,040 --> 00:36:26,720
TOM: By the end of August 1940,
533
00:36:26,880 --> 00:36:29,720
the Luftwaffe is sending
1,000 planes a day
534
00:36:29,880 --> 00:36:31,880
across the English Channel.
535
00:36:34,120 --> 00:36:36,120
The fate of the British Empire
536
00:36:36,280 --> 00:36:39,080
is being decided in the skies
above southern England.
537
00:36:42,480 --> 00:36:44,320
(gunfire)
538
00:36:47,520 --> 00:36:51,200
TOM: Churchill is acutely aware
that the future of his country
539
00:36:51,360 --> 00:36:54,000
rests in the expertise and bravery
540
00:36:54,160 --> 00:36:57,520
of just a small number
of young pilots,
541
00:36:57,680 --> 00:37:00,400
not just from Britain,
but from across the Commonwealth
542
00:37:00,560 --> 00:37:02,720
and conquered Europe as well.
543
00:37:03,760 --> 00:37:06,160
- Never in the field
of human conflict
544
00:37:06,320 --> 00:37:10,360
was so much owed
by so many to so few.
545
00:37:13,160 --> 00:37:17,040
SNOW: He was talking about
those several hundred fighter pilots
546
00:37:17,200 --> 00:37:20,240
who were flying sometimes
six times a day,
547
00:37:20,400 --> 00:37:23,640
taking off, striking
at a German air armada,
548
00:37:23,800 --> 00:37:27,000
landing, being rearmed, refuelled,
and then taking off again.
549
00:37:28,080 --> 00:37:30,560
- A 109 destroyed, Freddie, yes.
- Oh, good show.
550
00:37:31,880 --> 00:37:33,920
- But, of course, actually,
there are ground crew.
551
00:37:34,080 --> 00:37:36,760
There are legions of observers
who are using binoculars
552
00:37:36,920 --> 00:37:38,600
to look at the skies above.
553
00:37:38,760 --> 00:37:41,800
- 30 enemy aircraft over
the Channel flying due west.
554
00:37:41,960 --> 00:37:44,680
SNOW: There are women
working on plotting tables
555
00:37:44,840 --> 00:37:47,480
to build up this big picture
of German movement.
556
00:37:48,480 --> 00:37:51,080
There is a gigantic, integrated,
557
00:37:51,240 --> 00:37:54,520
information-rich system
supporting those pilots.
558
00:37:56,080 --> 00:37:57,760
(gunfire)
559
00:37:59,000 --> 00:38:01,120
WAWRO: The German
loss rates are really high.
560
00:38:02,120 --> 00:38:04,120
And the Germans
aren't succeeding, you know.
561
00:38:04,280 --> 00:38:06,360
They're not able to break them.
562
00:38:07,880 --> 00:38:11,920
TOM: In seven weeks, the Luftwaffe
lose 600 aircraft and their crews.
563
00:38:14,120 --> 00:38:16,800
Germany is losing
the Battle of Britain.
564
00:38:18,920 --> 00:38:20,960
(air-raid siren wailing)
565
00:38:24,560 --> 00:38:28,720
TOM: In mid-September,
Hitler approves a new strategy.
566
00:38:33,760 --> 00:38:36,760
Invading Great Britain
is postponed indefinitely.
567
00:38:37,760 --> 00:38:41,240
The Luftwaffe's new mission
is to destroy the spirit
568
00:38:41,400 --> 00:38:44,800
of the British people,
through terror bombing.
569
00:38:46,520 --> 00:38:48,000
(explosions)
570
00:38:49,200 --> 00:38:51,080
- So, begins the Blitz...
571
00:38:52,800 --> 00:38:55,400
...which is months
and months and months
572
00:38:55,560 --> 00:38:59,480
of almost uninterrupted bombing
of British civilian areas.
573
00:39:04,400 --> 00:39:07,560
TOM: In the fall of 1940,
the German Luftwaffe
574
00:39:07,720 --> 00:39:10,680
bombs London on
57 successive nights.
575
00:39:17,480 --> 00:39:19,800
- The Blitz was traumatic.
It was horrifying.
576
00:39:20,840 --> 00:39:23,120
There is arbitrary random death.
577
00:39:24,720 --> 00:39:27,440
Being caught in
collapsing buildings,
578
00:39:27,600 --> 00:39:31,160
burned alive, gas mains blowing up.
579
00:39:34,160 --> 00:39:36,840
Tens of thousands
of civilians were killed.
580
00:39:38,280 --> 00:39:41,120
TOM: In cities across
the United Kingdom,
581
00:39:41,280 --> 00:39:43,600
families bury their dead...
582
00:39:45,040 --> 00:39:47,240
Some in mass graves.
583
00:39:51,000 --> 00:39:53,280
SNOW: Churchill did
everything he could.
584
00:39:54,720 --> 00:39:56,920
He visited the East End.
585
00:39:57,080 --> 00:39:59,600
He actually wept on one occasion
when he saw the bloodshed,
586
00:39:59,760 --> 00:40:02,600
the devastation that had been
rained down by German bombers.
587
00:40:08,040 --> 00:40:12,880
TOM: America receives firsthand
reports of Britain's ordeal.
588
00:40:14,080 --> 00:40:17,120
- Hello, America. This is Edward
Murrow speaking from London.
589
00:40:18,200 --> 00:40:20,320
The noise that you hear
at the moment
590
00:40:20,480 --> 00:40:22,520
is the sound of the air-raid siren.
591
00:40:22,680 --> 00:40:23,880
(air-raid sirens wailing)
592
00:40:24,040 --> 00:40:27,200
- A searchlight off in the distance
sweeping the sky above me now.
593
00:40:29,680 --> 00:40:31,920
CARLIN: Edward R Murrow
was one of those people
594
00:40:32,080 --> 00:40:34,360
who had this attitude
of bringing you to...
595
00:40:34,520 --> 00:40:37,480
You know, "you are there" was
one of the things he used to say.
596
00:40:38,360 --> 00:40:42,040
MURROW: Off to my left, I can
see just that faint red, angry snap
597
00:40:42,200 --> 00:40:46,560
of anti-aircraft bursts
against this steel-blue sky.
598
00:40:46,720 --> 00:40:48,720
(gunfire)
MURROW: There they are.
599
00:40:50,320 --> 00:40:52,560
That hard, stony sound.
600
00:40:54,560 --> 00:40:56,680
CARLIN: So, all of a sudden,
the American people
601
00:40:56,840 --> 00:41:00,600
had the ability to hear in
their homes, from their radios,
602
00:41:00,760 --> 00:41:03,320
the sounds of the bombs
falling on London.
603
00:41:03,480 --> 00:41:06,000
(bomb whistles and explodes)
- "Live from the Blitz," right?
604
00:41:06,160 --> 00:41:08,520
(explosions)
605
00:41:08,680 --> 00:41:11,160
CARLIN: How could you not
have sympathy with the people
606
00:41:11,320 --> 00:41:13,840
on the ground - the women,
the children, the noncombatants?
607
00:41:17,880 --> 00:41:21,720
And it made a huge difference
in terms of building a sea change
608
00:41:21,880 --> 00:41:24,920
in the American attitudes
that laid the groundwork
609
00:41:25,080 --> 00:41:29,280
for the isolationist attitudes
of the United States to change.
610
00:41:30,520 --> 00:41:32,360
(applause)
611
00:41:34,720 --> 00:41:37,040
TOM: At the polls in November,
612
00:41:37,200 --> 00:41:40,920
Franklin D Roosevelt wins
an unprecedented third term.
613
00:41:42,400 --> 00:41:44,160
(crowd cheering)
614
00:41:45,320 --> 00:41:49,120
TOM: Now, he has the
political freedom to offer all aid
615
00:41:49,280 --> 00:41:51,720
to Great Britain, short of war.
616
00:41:54,600 --> 00:41:57,960
- Democracy's fight
against world conquest
617
00:41:58,120 --> 00:42:02,720
must be more greatly aided
by sending every ounce
618
00:42:02,880 --> 00:42:05,680
and every ton of munitions
and supplies
619
00:42:05,840 --> 00:42:08,440
that we can possibly spare
620
00:42:08,600 --> 00:42:12,280
to help the defenders
who are in the front lines.
621
00:42:14,960 --> 00:42:18,520
We must have more ships,
more guns,
622
00:42:18,680 --> 00:42:22,000
more planes,
more of everything.
623
00:42:24,720 --> 00:42:29,200
We must be the great
arsenal of democracy.
624
00:42:33,280 --> 00:42:37,240
- In the autumn of 1940,
northern Europe is in Nazi hands,
625
00:42:37,400 --> 00:42:40,480
including what had been
the Republic of France.
626
00:42:40,640 --> 00:42:43,000
Great Britain stands alone.
627
00:42:43,160 --> 00:42:45,160
Between the Third Reich
and the Soviet Union,
628
00:42:45,320 --> 00:42:47,240
there exists a territorial peace.
629
00:42:47,400 --> 00:42:49,920
But what does that mean
to a leader like Adolf Hitler?
630
00:42:50,080 --> 00:42:52,080
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