1 00:00:28,649 --> 00:00:31,514 - [Narrator] In 2008, researchers in the Netherlands 2 00:00:31,617 --> 00:00:33,274 began a painstaking excavation 3 00:00:33,378 --> 00:00:34,965 on the outskirts of the Hague. 4 00:00:35,069 --> 00:00:36,484 Over the next 10 years, 5 00:00:36,588 --> 00:00:39,729 they slowly reveal a deeply disturbing sight, 6 00:00:39,832 --> 00:00:43,077 a sunken city, all but swallowed by sand dunes, 7 00:00:43,181 --> 00:00:45,493 sitting right below the Hague. 8 00:00:45,597 --> 00:00:47,909 - The landscape is constantly changing. 9 00:00:48,013 --> 00:00:49,118 The sand blows around. 10 00:00:49,221 --> 00:00:50,222 Water comes and changes things. 11 00:00:50,326 --> 00:00:51,637 Rain washes it away. 12 00:00:51,741 --> 00:00:54,123 It is a really, really dynamic environment. 13 00:00:54,226 --> 00:00:55,848 - [Narrator] After being lost for decades, 14 00:00:55,952 --> 00:00:58,230 enormous buildings were slowly excavated 15 00:00:58,334 --> 00:01:01,509 to reveal the full extent of the forgotten site. 16 00:01:01,613 --> 00:01:03,408 - These enormous buildings that, 17 00:01:03,511 --> 00:01:06,031 for decades had been lost to time, 18 00:01:06,135 --> 00:01:08,137 are now being excavated, 19 00:01:08,240 --> 00:01:12,037 and are re-emerging from the sands across the Hague. 20 00:01:12,141 --> 00:01:13,418 But what were they for? 21 00:01:13,521 --> 00:01:16,145 Were they part of something bigger? 22 00:01:16,248 --> 00:01:17,836 Who was using them? 23 00:01:17,939 --> 00:01:19,562 - [Narrator] Made up of concrete bunkers 24 00:01:19,665 --> 00:01:22,254 lined in a maze of reinforced tunnels, 25 00:01:22,358 --> 00:01:24,705 this enormous web of fortifications 26 00:01:24,808 --> 00:01:27,052 was made to house thousands of men. 27 00:01:27,156 --> 00:01:29,813 But just what are these mysterious structures? 28 00:01:29,917 --> 00:01:32,506 [upbeat music] 29 00:01:51,697 --> 00:01:54,666 After the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, 30 00:01:54,769 --> 00:01:56,840 the Netherlands declared neutrality. 31 00:01:56,944 --> 00:01:58,221 - In the First World War, 32 00:01:58,325 --> 00:02:00,568 the Netherlands had managed a neutrality. 33 00:02:00,672 --> 00:02:02,915 As the Second World War approached, 34 00:02:03,019 --> 00:02:04,434 Dutch officials thought 35 00:02:04,538 --> 00:02:06,505 that they may be able to do the same sort of thing, 36 00:02:06,609 --> 00:02:07,920 but that is just not in the cards. 37 00:02:08,024 --> 00:02:09,439 [upbeat music] 38 00:02:09,543 --> 00:02:12,270 - In the spring, May, 1940, 39 00:02:12,373 --> 00:02:15,445 the Germans go on the offensive in the West. 40 00:02:15,549 --> 00:02:18,448 They take out Luxembourg, Belgium, 41 00:02:18,552 --> 00:02:20,312 and they take out the Netherlands. 42 00:02:20,416 --> 00:02:22,694 Even though all three of those nations 43 00:02:22,797 --> 00:02:24,351 were neutral countries. 44 00:02:26,525 --> 00:02:28,907 - Once the Germans control the Netherlands, 45 00:02:29,010 --> 00:02:32,704 which they're able to achieve relatively quickly, 46 00:02:32,807 --> 00:02:35,362 they effectively have easy access now 47 00:02:35,465 --> 00:02:36,984 to the English Channel. 48 00:02:37,087 --> 00:02:39,711 And then once France capitulates, later in June, 49 00:02:39,814 --> 00:02:40,988 they have the whole coast. 50 00:02:41,091 --> 00:02:42,472 - The idea was that, 51 00:02:42,576 --> 00:02:45,958 if any kind of plans for the invasion of Britain 52 00:02:46,062 --> 00:02:48,029 were to be executed, 53 00:02:48,133 --> 00:02:52,551 this would have to be done using the European coastlines. 54 00:02:52,655 --> 00:02:55,727 - It was never in doubt that the Netherlands, 55 00:02:55,830 --> 00:02:58,143 from a German perspective, needed to be conquered. 56 00:02:58,247 --> 00:03:00,041 And the Dutch population is 57 00:03:00,145 --> 00:03:03,217 now subject to a pretty harsh occupation. 58 00:03:03,321 --> 00:03:06,186 - [Narrator] The Nazi Army floods the streets of the Hague 59 00:03:06,289 --> 00:03:08,705 taking control of the civilian population. 60 00:03:11,398 --> 00:03:13,262 - When the Nazis invaded the Hague, 61 00:03:13,365 --> 00:03:18,198 135,000 people were forced to leave their homes. 62 00:03:19,958 --> 00:03:21,787 - [Narrator] Teams of engineers arrive, 63 00:03:21,891 --> 00:03:23,237 and begin to take inventory 64 00:03:23,341 --> 00:03:25,205 of the city and surrounding area. 65 00:03:26,723 --> 00:03:28,967 What on Earth could the Nazis be planning? 66 00:03:30,451 --> 00:03:34,144 - With the exception of the British Isles holding out 67 00:03:34,248 --> 00:03:38,563 after the fall of France in June of 1940, 68 00:03:38,666 --> 00:03:40,461 there would be no reason 69 00:03:40,565 --> 00:03:43,706 that extensive fortifications of any nature 70 00:03:43,809 --> 00:03:46,398 would need to be immediately built in Northwest Europe, 71 00:03:46,502 --> 00:03:49,712 because who's going to threaten Northwest Europe? 72 00:03:49,815 --> 00:03:52,542 In 1940, the big strategic question is 73 00:03:52,646 --> 00:03:55,235 when the Germans are going to invade Great Britain, 74 00:03:55,338 --> 00:03:58,099 not when the Allies are going to land in Northwest Europe. 75 00:03:58,203 --> 00:04:01,551 That seems almost unthinkable in the dark days of 1940. 76 00:04:03,588 --> 00:04:05,659 - [Narrator] March, 1942, 77 00:04:05,762 --> 00:04:08,869 Hitler issues the famous Directive 40, 78 00:04:08,972 --> 00:04:11,458 the construction of the Atlantic Wall. 79 00:04:12,631 --> 00:04:14,184 - The Atlantic Wall was one of 80 00:04:14,288 --> 00:04:18,016 the largest construction projects of the 20th century. 81 00:04:18,119 --> 00:04:21,364 It extended for more than 5,000 kilometers 82 00:04:21,468 --> 00:04:23,366 along the French, the Dutch, 83 00:04:23,470 --> 00:04:26,335 the Danish, and the Norwegian coastlines. 84 00:04:26,438 --> 00:04:28,785 - Directive 40 very clearly indicates 85 00:04:28,889 --> 00:04:30,994 that the Allies are coming. 86 00:04:31,098 --> 00:04:33,203 The only question is, where and when? 87 00:04:33,307 --> 00:04:35,275 - [Narrator] To guard against an Ally assault, 88 00:04:35,378 --> 00:04:37,656 Hitler wants to create a line of defenses, 89 00:04:37,760 --> 00:04:39,727 fortifications to prevent the Allies 90 00:04:39,831 --> 00:04:41,867 from gaining a foothold in Western Europe. 91 00:04:43,248 --> 00:04:44,663 - The Atlantic Wall 92 00:04:44,767 --> 00:04:48,046 was a series of walls, or of defensive fortifications. 93 00:04:48,149 --> 00:04:51,877 It involved gun emplacements with massive cannons 94 00:04:51,981 --> 00:04:54,604 designed to fire out into the sea, 95 00:04:54,708 --> 00:04:57,987 bunkers to allow machine guns to shoot 96 00:04:58,090 --> 00:05:01,059 at any troops that tried to land on the coast, 97 00:05:01,162 --> 00:05:02,819 anti-aircraft emplacements 98 00:05:02,923 --> 00:05:06,340 to shoot down enemy bombers and aircraft. 99 00:05:06,444 --> 00:05:08,031 - It's incredibly ambitious. 100 00:05:08,135 --> 00:05:12,104 The scale of the Atlantic Wall, it's just unbelievable. 101 00:05:12,208 --> 00:05:15,625 - It's one of the largest things ever built. 102 00:05:15,729 --> 00:05:16,626 It does two things. 103 00:05:16,730 --> 00:05:18,456 One, it is going to be 104 00:05:18,559 --> 00:05:22,563 an absolutely amazing, impressive array of defenses aimed at 105 00:05:22,667 --> 00:05:25,773 the possibility of an Allied landing in Western Europe. 106 00:05:25,877 --> 00:05:28,120 So, in that sense, the wall is a real thing. 107 00:05:28,224 --> 00:05:30,468 It's a strategic, defensive position. 108 00:05:30,571 --> 00:05:34,057 The other reason for building it is for propaganda value. 109 00:05:34,161 --> 00:05:36,266 - With the idea of the Atlantic Wall, 110 00:05:36,370 --> 00:05:39,787 it's a big symbol of the new German state. 111 00:05:39,891 --> 00:05:40,719 It's a symbol of the strength. 112 00:05:40,823 --> 00:05:41,996 It is a symbol of saying, 113 00:05:42,100 --> 00:05:44,723 "We're here to stay on these borders." 114 00:05:44,827 --> 00:05:47,312 And that as a propaganda tool, 115 00:05:47,416 --> 00:05:50,350 provides almost immediate benefits. 116 00:05:50,453 --> 00:05:51,834 - [Narrator] Hitler uses this symbol 117 00:05:51,937 --> 00:05:54,354 to inspire confidence in the German Army, 118 00:05:54,457 --> 00:05:57,080 and fear in the Allied forces. 119 00:05:57,184 --> 00:05:59,531 - I imagine approaching it from sea, 120 00:05:59,635 --> 00:06:00,912 you can see the beach, 121 00:06:01,015 --> 00:06:03,432 and eventually see these looming structures 122 00:06:03,535 --> 00:06:05,434 that carry such weight and presence. 123 00:06:05,537 --> 00:06:06,538 That's a message. 124 00:06:06,642 --> 00:06:07,781 They're sending that message 125 00:06:07,884 --> 00:06:08,920 right away, as soon as possible. 126 00:06:09,023 --> 00:06:09,921 They're saying, "We're here. 127 00:06:10,024 --> 00:06:11,094 We're not going anywhere. 128 00:06:11,198 --> 00:06:13,131 You've gotta watch out." 129 00:06:13,234 --> 00:06:15,892 - [Narrator] Hitler's orders to build these massive defenses 130 00:06:15,996 --> 00:06:19,309 is a direct response to two ill-fated invasion attempts 131 00:06:19,413 --> 00:06:21,898 in the previous two years. 132 00:06:22,002 --> 00:06:24,970 - After the fall of France, Britain's the last man standing. 133 00:06:26,109 --> 00:06:27,456 - [Narrator] On July 10th, 1940, 134 00:06:27,559 --> 00:06:29,837 the Nazis begin the Battle of Britain. 135 00:06:29,941 --> 00:06:31,114 - What the Battle of Britain is, 136 00:06:31,218 --> 00:06:33,427 is a massive aerial campaign 137 00:06:33,531 --> 00:06:36,223 led by the Luftwaffe under Hermann Goring. 138 00:06:36,326 --> 00:06:39,226 And its intentions are to bomb the British into submission. 139 00:06:40,883 --> 00:06:42,885 The problem in this planning is 140 00:06:42,988 --> 00:06:45,957 that the British fight back extremely well. 141 00:06:46,060 --> 00:06:48,235 They're unable to soften up the British defenses. 142 00:06:48,338 --> 00:06:50,064 The British do not surrender. 143 00:06:50,168 --> 00:06:52,895 And even more importantly, Hitler panics. 144 00:06:52,998 --> 00:06:54,275 He loses patience, 145 00:06:54,379 --> 00:06:56,208 and he loses confidence in the Luftwaffe. 146 00:06:56,312 --> 00:06:57,934 And so he changes the game plan. 147 00:07:00,834 --> 00:07:03,008 - In the summer of 1941, 148 00:07:03,112 --> 00:07:05,425 Nazi forces turned east, 149 00:07:05,528 --> 00:07:07,012 and attacked the Soviet Union 150 00:07:07,116 --> 00:07:09,429 as part of Operation Barbarossa. 151 00:07:10,740 --> 00:07:13,363 - By the winter of 1941-42, it looks like 152 00:07:13,467 --> 00:07:15,193 the Germans are actually gonna be victorious... 153 00:07:15,296 --> 00:07:18,196 [tanks traveling] 154 00:07:18,299 --> 00:07:19,991 But then it all falls apart. 155 00:07:20,094 --> 00:07:22,131 - [Narrator] The Red Army's retreat draws the Germans 156 00:07:22,234 --> 00:07:23,373 into Russian cities, 157 00:07:23,477 --> 00:07:25,099 forcing them to fight man to man, 158 00:07:25,203 --> 00:07:27,550 and nullifying the German blitzkrieg tactic. 159 00:07:28,896 --> 00:07:30,450 - It's clear that this campaign 160 00:07:30,553 --> 00:07:32,728 is not going to be resolved anytime soon. 161 00:07:34,074 --> 00:07:36,352 - [Narrator] Now with an enemy on both fronts, 162 00:07:36,456 --> 00:07:39,320 Germany's defeat in the Soviet Union adds urgency 163 00:07:39,424 --> 00:07:41,253 to the Atlantic Wall project. 164 00:07:45,913 --> 00:07:47,708 A series of bunkers lies buried 165 00:07:47,812 --> 00:07:49,572 in the sand outside the Hague. 166 00:07:50,815 --> 00:07:53,956 Connected by a huge network of tunnels, 167 00:07:54,059 --> 00:07:57,235 remnants of Nazi occupied Netherlands. 168 00:07:57,338 --> 00:08:00,307 But why did the Nazis spend so much time and resources 169 00:08:00,410 --> 00:08:02,758 building these huge fortifications? 170 00:08:04,069 --> 00:08:05,726 Hitler felt that building a defensive wall 171 00:08:05,830 --> 00:08:07,245 on the Western Front 172 00:08:07,348 --> 00:08:09,799 would free up troops to send to the embattled East. 173 00:08:09,903 --> 00:08:11,560 At the same time, making sure 174 00:08:11,663 --> 00:08:14,770 that Germany wouldn't be hemmed in on both sides. 175 00:08:16,150 --> 00:08:17,220 - If someone gave me this project, 176 00:08:17,324 --> 00:08:19,499 to fortify that entire coast, 177 00:08:19,602 --> 00:08:21,915 it's so overwhelming. 178 00:08:22,018 --> 00:08:24,780 It's a massive area of land. 179 00:08:24,883 --> 00:08:26,644 It's difficult to rain. 180 00:08:26,747 --> 00:08:28,024 There's no access, 181 00:08:28,128 --> 00:08:29,854 there's no existing infrastructure 182 00:08:29,957 --> 00:08:31,821 to bring the materials in. 183 00:08:31,925 --> 00:08:34,030 It's a huge, huge, huge undertaking. 184 00:08:34,134 --> 00:08:35,894 You'd have to plan so much. 185 00:08:37,862 --> 00:08:39,829 - [Narrator] The military installations at the Hague 186 00:08:39,933 --> 00:08:42,073 are so crucial to the Nazi plan 187 00:08:42,176 --> 00:08:43,730 that they draw extra attention 188 00:08:43,833 --> 00:08:45,973 from the Nazi's top engineers. 189 00:08:47,837 --> 00:08:49,459 - It was the organization 190 00:08:49,563 --> 00:08:52,842 that taught the German government's engineering organization 191 00:08:52,946 --> 00:08:54,534 that was responsible 192 00:08:54,637 --> 00:08:58,020 for this massive building project of the Atlantic Wall. 193 00:08:58,123 --> 00:08:59,746 - Really the best and the brightest 194 00:08:59,849 --> 00:09:01,748 of engineers, architects, scientists 195 00:09:01,851 --> 00:09:04,578 who developed all sorts of unique approaches 196 00:09:04,682 --> 00:09:06,269 to the construction of bunkers, 197 00:09:06,373 --> 00:09:08,617 and fortifications, gun placements. 198 00:09:08,720 --> 00:09:10,964 - [Narrator] Designs for bunkers are drawn from a catalog, 199 00:09:11,067 --> 00:09:13,483 which includes hundreds of approved bunker blueprints 200 00:09:13,587 --> 00:09:16,003 that have proven effective in the past. 201 00:09:16,107 --> 00:09:18,627 - This is no ad hoc construction project 202 00:09:18,730 --> 00:09:19,938 made up on the spot. 203 00:09:20,042 --> 00:09:22,631 This is the Regalbau design system. 204 00:09:22,734 --> 00:09:26,669 And here at the Hague, and elsewhere in Nazi Europe, 205 00:09:26,773 --> 00:09:30,086 the Germans had a very specific set of instructions, 206 00:09:30,190 --> 00:09:33,227 almost a catalog that told them 207 00:09:33,331 --> 00:09:37,369 how to go about building these types of fortifications. 208 00:09:37,473 --> 00:09:39,889 - Some of the fighting positions are small, 209 00:09:39,993 --> 00:09:41,373 just for a couple of soldiers. 210 00:09:41,477 --> 00:09:43,099 And some of them are large enough 211 00:09:43,203 --> 00:09:45,481 to house artillery that can fire all the way 212 00:09:45,585 --> 00:09:49,071 across the English Channel to hit the Cliffs of Dover. 213 00:09:49,174 --> 00:09:51,452 There is a broad range of types of positions, 214 00:09:51,556 --> 00:09:52,937 but if there are, 215 00:09:53,040 --> 00:09:55,422 standard patterns becomes a repetitive process. 216 00:09:55,525 --> 00:09:57,113 - You've done structures like this before. 217 00:09:57,217 --> 00:09:58,287 There's a standard to follow. 218 00:09:58,390 --> 00:09:59,840 It's well-documented. 219 00:09:59,944 --> 00:10:03,016 You just keep moving forward at a really aggressive pace. 220 00:10:04,500 --> 00:10:07,986 - This was not just an average military contractor. 221 00:10:08,090 --> 00:10:10,989 Fritz Freitag was a dedicated Nazi, 222 00:10:11,093 --> 00:10:13,405 and he was a brilliant engineer, 223 00:10:13,509 --> 00:10:15,787 and he also had the organizational skills 224 00:10:15,891 --> 00:10:18,134 to realize what would be needed 225 00:10:18,238 --> 00:10:19,998 for this kind of construction. 226 00:10:20,102 --> 00:10:23,415 This guy could deliver exactly what was required, 227 00:10:23,519 --> 00:10:25,452 two specifications. 228 00:10:25,555 --> 00:10:29,767 In the case of the Hague, he used Dutch contract labor. 229 00:10:29,870 --> 00:10:32,770 But in other parts of occupied Europe, 230 00:10:32,873 --> 00:10:35,600 he was able to assemble all kinds of labor 231 00:10:35,704 --> 00:10:37,809 to build these massive structures. 232 00:10:37,913 --> 00:10:41,261 - The German labor situation is itself a labyrinth. 233 00:10:41,364 --> 00:10:42,814 So, you have slave labor, 234 00:10:42,918 --> 00:10:45,852 you have Jewish prisoners who were in concentration camps. 235 00:10:45,955 --> 00:10:48,337 They're often marched to projects. 236 00:10:48,440 --> 00:10:51,236 There's no irony that that a lot of the concentration camps 237 00:10:51,340 --> 00:10:54,619 are near really important, economically viable situations. 238 00:10:54,723 --> 00:10:57,449 So, most of these construction programs that we talk about, 239 00:10:57,553 --> 00:10:58,485 including the wall, 240 00:10:58,588 --> 00:11:00,107 involved slave labor. 241 00:11:00,211 --> 00:11:02,213 The Hague in particular, there were contract laborers. 242 00:11:02,316 --> 00:11:05,250 There were people who were locals who were forced into it. 243 00:11:05,354 --> 00:11:07,908 They were compensated, but I'd be hesitant 244 00:11:08,012 --> 00:11:09,979 to frame it in the sense that this is consensual, 245 00:11:10,083 --> 00:11:12,844 because otherwise you get sent to a concentration camp, 246 00:11:12,948 --> 00:11:15,467 or you're killed, or you're arrested and tortured. 247 00:11:15,571 --> 00:11:17,021 These people have no choice, 248 00:11:17,124 --> 00:11:19,126 but to work, and to do the bidding of the Nazis. 249 00:11:20,645 --> 00:11:23,165 - [Narrator] The Nazis viewed the Dutch as close kin. 250 00:11:23,268 --> 00:11:26,271 And as such, the Netherlands construction was carried out 251 00:11:26,375 --> 00:11:29,827 by Dutch companies with a well-paid workforce. 252 00:11:29,930 --> 00:11:32,036 Trucks brimming with laborers arrive 253 00:11:32,139 --> 00:11:34,348 to help build the massive fortifications, 254 00:11:34,452 --> 00:11:36,868 bringing men from occupied France and Belgium 255 00:11:36,972 --> 00:11:39,388 to join the existing Dutch crew. 256 00:11:39,491 --> 00:11:41,562 The men are a broad mix of tradesmen, 257 00:11:41,666 --> 00:11:45,152 including electricians, carpenters, and masons. 258 00:11:45,256 --> 00:11:46,429 - The network outside the Hague is 259 00:11:46,533 --> 00:11:49,674 basically a city buried in the sand. 260 00:11:49,778 --> 00:11:54,368 It's of massive proportion and grandiose Nazi project. 261 00:11:54,472 --> 00:11:55,542 - When you change your mode of going 262 00:11:55,645 --> 00:11:57,095 from aboveground to underground, 263 00:11:57,199 --> 00:11:58,752 your conditions are wildly different. 264 00:11:58,856 --> 00:12:02,376 As you excavate, the soil is sometimes self-supporting, 265 00:12:02,480 --> 00:12:05,241 but when you think about tunneling, tunneling in sand, 266 00:12:05,345 --> 00:12:06,139 there's nothing there. 267 00:12:06,242 --> 00:12:07,485 There's no structure. 268 00:12:07,588 --> 00:12:09,142 The soil can't support itself at all. 269 00:12:09,245 --> 00:12:11,834 And so, you have to install temporary structure 270 00:12:11,938 --> 00:12:13,249 that actually holds things up 271 00:12:13,353 --> 00:12:15,320 before you get your full structure in place. 272 00:12:15,424 --> 00:12:17,046 You're building up a masonry arch. 273 00:12:17,150 --> 00:12:20,981 An arch is a structural element that can support loads, 274 00:12:21,085 --> 00:12:22,569 but if you're missing that piece, 275 00:12:22,672 --> 00:12:24,674 that sort of keystone that holds everything together, 276 00:12:24,778 --> 00:12:26,331 it's just going to collapse. 277 00:12:26,435 --> 00:12:28,299 It's the completeness of the structure 278 00:12:28,402 --> 00:12:30,266 that's able to carry that load. 279 00:12:30,370 --> 00:12:31,751 So, there's a lot of staging involved, 280 00:12:31,854 --> 00:12:33,476 a lot of thought and planning. 281 00:12:33,580 --> 00:12:36,272 And the effort behind that must have been horrendous really. 282 00:12:36,376 --> 00:12:39,413 - 35,000 tons of concrete go 283 00:12:39,517 --> 00:12:41,553 into the building of this project, 284 00:12:41,657 --> 00:12:43,072 along with thousands of tons 285 00:12:43,176 --> 00:12:45,454 of steel and wood designed 286 00:12:45,557 --> 00:12:48,491 to reinforce the entire fortification. 287 00:12:48,595 --> 00:12:49,976 - Constant delivery, 288 00:12:50,079 --> 00:12:52,599 constant building form work, constant pouring, 289 00:12:52,702 --> 00:12:55,153 constant stripping of that form work moving forward. 290 00:12:55,257 --> 00:12:56,983 It is just an endless operation. 291 00:12:57,086 --> 00:13:01,090 - This was a tremendous building project that required space 292 00:13:01,194 --> 00:13:03,403 and it required building materials. 293 00:13:03,506 --> 00:13:07,200 And so, the Nazis destroyed 3,000 houses, 294 00:13:07,303 --> 00:13:10,686 and they took apart 2,500 other homes 295 00:13:10,790 --> 00:13:12,826 to use the material and resources 296 00:13:12,930 --> 00:13:16,657 from those building projects to build their fortifications. 297 00:13:16,761 --> 00:13:18,418 - There's structures that exist. 298 00:13:18,521 --> 00:13:20,247 They're built, there are people living in them, using them, 299 00:13:20,351 --> 00:13:22,215 and you need a line of sight. 300 00:13:22,318 --> 00:13:24,976 And you come in, and you level those buildings, 301 00:13:25,080 --> 00:13:28,117 and you're so dialed in on your focus, what you need to do, 302 00:13:28,221 --> 00:13:30,016 that that's not even a thought. 303 00:13:30,119 --> 00:13:32,984 You just decimated a community, and built what you needed 304 00:13:33,088 --> 00:13:35,435 to achieve your means of military force. 305 00:13:35,538 --> 00:13:37,955 It's ruthless really. 306 00:13:38,058 --> 00:13:40,405 - The result of this building project is 307 00:13:40,509 --> 00:13:44,789 to leave 65,000 residents displaced. 308 00:13:48,275 --> 00:13:50,381 - [Narrator] Shifting sands on the beaches of the Hague 309 00:13:50,484 --> 00:13:53,694 reveal skeletons of World War II. 310 00:13:53,798 --> 00:13:57,319 Teams of engineers, skilled contractors, and laborers 311 00:13:57,422 --> 00:14:00,322 worked furiously to construct these fortifications 312 00:14:00,425 --> 00:14:04,844 in anticipation of an Allied invasion into Western Europe. 313 00:14:04,947 --> 00:14:06,466 The bunkers are primarily designed 314 00:14:06,569 --> 00:14:09,158 to shield German artillery from Allied air raids, 315 00:14:09,262 --> 00:14:10,608 complete with medical rooms, 316 00:14:10,711 --> 00:14:12,679 and radar detection facilities. 317 00:14:14,129 --> 00:14:16,234 But the structures are also residential buildings, 318 00:14:16,338 --> 00:14:19,168 dormitories, kitchens, communal dining areas, 319 00:14:19,272 --> 00:14:21,930 and even saunas are included in the designs 320 00:14:22,033 --> 00:14:24,001 to make life for those stationed in the Hague 321 00:14:24,104 --> 00:14:26,417 as comfortable as possible. 322 00:14:26,520 --> 00:14:28,315 - Think about trying to live in these spaces. 323 00:14:28,419 --> 00:14:29,523 They're made out of concrete. 324 00:14:29,627 --> 00:14:31,318 Concrete has a particular field. 325 00:14:31,422 --> 00:14:32,595 They're not spacious. 326 00:14:32,699 --> 00:14:33,942 You don't have windows. 327 00:14:34,045 --> 00:14:35,150 They are damp. 328 00:14:35,253 --> 00:14:36,565 Your tunnels are quite narrow. 329 00:14:36,668 --> 00:14:38,222 You're worried about being bombarded. 330 00:14:38,325 --> 00:14:39,844 The sounds would echo through. 331 00:14:39,948 --> 00:14:42,364 Everything about it is not inviting. 332 00:14:42,467 --> 00:14:43,744 - [Narrator] To an attacking force, 333 00:14:43,848 --> 00:14:46,575 the labyrinth of corridors can be disorienting. 334 00:14:46,678 --> 00:14:48,715 - I would think that the zig-zagging nature of the tunnels 335 00:14:48,818 --> 00:14:49,958 is a defensive mechanism. 336 00:14:50,061 --> 00:14:51,304 It's slowing people down. 337 00:14:51,407 --> 00:14:52,926 It's potentially creating pinch points 338 00:14:53,030 --> 00:14:55,653 where you can manage that threat. 339 00:14:55,756 --> 00:14:57,137 Think about throwing a grenade in there. 340 00:14:57,241 --> 00:14:59,208 You're not likely to reach your intended target. 341 00:14:59,312 --> 00:15:00,623 It's going to ricochet off the walls, 342 00:15:00,727 --> 00:15:02,902 and get stuck right in the entrance there. 343 00:15:03,005 --> 00:15:05,628 It's a control mechanism for any sort of attack. 344 00:15:05,732 --> 00:15:07,976 - In the event that there's heavy fighting, 345 00:15:08,079 --> 00:15:10,426 reinforcements moving up to the front need to know 346 00:15:10,530 --> 00:15:12,118 what's situated where, 347 00:15:12,221 --> 00:15:15,673 where certain types of ammunition need to be carried. 348 00:15:15,776 --> 00:15:18,745 For efficient delivery of supplies and material, 349 00:15:18,848 --> 00:15:21,541 one needs an address that they're heading to. 350 00:15:21,644 --> 00:15:25,062 - These tunnels house thousands of German forces, 351 00:15:25,165 --> 00:15:26,373 and it's clear from the markings 352 00:15:26,477 --> 00:15:27,685 of the wall on these tunnels 353 00:15:27,788 --> 00:15:30,170 that this was an extremely well-organized 354 00:15:30,274 --> 00:15:34,071 and well-appointed system for these troops. 355 00:15:34,174 --> 00:15:37,384 - [Narrator] PAK for anti-tank guns, K for coast, 356 00:15:37,488 --> 00:15:40,836 and FLUW for aircraft spotters. 357 00:15:40,940 --> 00:15:44,667 At its peak, 5,000 German officers lived in these bunkers, 358 00:15:44,771 --> 00:15:46,186 and depended on these pointers 359 00:15:46,290 --> 00:15:49,879 to safely and efficiently navigate the complex. 360 00:15:49,983 --> 00:15:51,605 - An ants nest. 361 00:15:51,709 --> 00:15:55,333 All of this activity and buzz hidden underneath these things 362 00:15:55,437 --> 00:15:57,680 connected that there's just so much happening 363 00:15:57,784 --> 00:15:59,061 that you don't even see. 364 00:15:59,165 --> 00:16:03,100 How do we even begin to attack this station? 365 00:16:03,203 --> 00:16:04,825 - [Narrator] For months, 366 00:16:04,929 --> 00:16:06,758 the Nazis had been planning and carrying out construction 367 00:16:06,862 --> 00:16:08,622 on a network of tunnels in the Hague 368 00:16:08,726 --> 00:16:11,487 in anticipation of an Allied attack. 369 00:16:11,591 --> 00:16:13,351 But one of the Nazi;s VIPs 370 00:16:13,455 --> 00:16:16,630 is about to arrive on site to inspect the construction. 371 00:16:18,253 --> 00:16:22,774 - Erwin Rommel is the most important general in 1943-44, 372 00:16:24,086 --> 00:16:25,708 and he now pays a great deal of attention 373 00:16:25,812 --> 00:16:27,814 to the Atlantic Wall. 374 00:16:27,917 --> 00:16:29,540 He has to view the wall, 375 00:16:29,643 --> 00:16:32,543 make decisions about what's needed to get it ready 376 00:16:32,646 --> 00:16:35,477 for what will eventually be an Allied assault, 377 00:16:35,580 --> 00:16:38,066 and then, to explain to the boss how doable that is. 378 00:16:38,169 --> 00:16:40,723 And none of that is a very nice scenario, 379 00:16:40,827 --> 00:16:42,311 if you're Erwin Rommel. 380 00:16:42,415 --> 00:16:43,554 - [Narrator] Upon his arrival, 381 00:16:43,657 --> 00:16:46,695 Rommel begins to reinforce the wall. 382 00:16:46,798 --> 00:16:49,180 - When he takes over the defenses of Western Europe, 383 00:16:49,284 --> 00:16:51,320 he understands one truth pretty quickly, 384 00:16:51,424 --> 00:16:54,841 which is that they are inadequate for the Allied invasion. 385 00:16:54,944 --> 00:16:57,499 - Rommel proceeds to make the landing 386 00:16:57,602 --> 00:17:00,571 certainly as difficult as possible. 387 00:17:00,674 --> 00:17:02,745 - [Narrator] He floods huge parts of sea land, 388 00:17:02,849 --> 00:17:04,782 the westernmost province of the Netherlands, 389 00:17:04,885 --> 00:17:08,303 forcing 60,000 sea landers to evacuate. 390 00:17:08,406 --> 00:17:09,994 This is to ensure 391 00:17:10,098 --> 00:17:12,652 that Allied paragliders drowned before reaching land. 392 00:17:13,963 --> 00:17:15,827 Rommel also orders millions of landmines 393 00:17:15,931 --> 00:17:17,760 to be planted along the beaches. 394 00:17:17,864 --> 00:17:19,555 These are intended to work hand in hand 395 00:17:19,659 --> 00:17:21,799 with the existing tank traps and ditches 396 00:17:21,902 --> 00:17:24,422 to slow the enemy advance once on shore. 397 00:17:25,630 --> 00:17:27,080 - It's a lot of effort 398 00:17:27,184 --> 00:17:29,600 to control the beachfront, control that landing zone. 399 00:17:29,703 --> 00:17:31,119 They were willing 400 00:17:31,222 --> 00:17:33,569 to really throw any resource at it to make it happen. 401 00:17:33,673 --> 00:17:35,985 - [Narrator] As well as anticipating a naval assault, 402 00:17:36,089 --> 00:17:39,023 Rommel knows to expect attacks from the air. 403 00:17:39,127 --> 00:17:41,439 His time fighting the British in North Africa 404 00:17:41,543 --> 00:17:43,372 has given him first-hand experience 405 00:17:43,476 --> 00:17:46,065 of the Allied's superior aircraft. 406 00:17:46,168 --> 00:17:49,033 This leads to his most famous innovation. 407 00:17:50,448 --> 00:17:52,381 - You have land that's open, that's inviting 408 00:17:52,485 --> 00:17:56,385 for an aerial assault, for parachuters, for anything. 409 00:17:56,489 --> 00:17:58,042 How do you protect that? 410 00:17:58,146 --> 00:18:00,596 You need to take away the opportunity to land. 411 00:18:00,700 --> 00:18:02,633 So, why don't you create a forest? 412 00:18:02,736 --> 00:18:05,912 - Famously, thousands of wooden poles 413 00:18:06,015 --> 00:18:09,191 that become nicknamed Rommel's asparagus, 414 00:18:09,295 --> 00:18:12,505 are set up in kind of like a grid, 415 00:18:12,608 --> 00:18:14,955 and they're tied with barbed wire. 416 00:18:15,059 --> 00:18:17,717 This, of course, makes it very difficult 417 00:18:17,820 --> 00:18:21,962 for troops landing to get up on the beach. 418 00:18:22,066 --> 00:18:23,102 - It's pretty economical. 419 00:18:23,205 --> 00:18:24,448 It's sustainable, right? 420 00:18:24,551 --> 00:18:25,725 You find a tree nearby, you strip it, 421 00:18:25,828 --> 00:18:28,969 you bury it, and you create this hazard. 422 00:18:29,073 --> 00:18:30,626 It's not steel, it's not concrete. 423 00:18:30,730 --> 00:18:31,558 It's easy to get there. 424 00:18:31,662 --> 00:18:33,767 It's pretty effective. 425 00:18:35,804 --> 00:18:39,083 - Initially, the Atlantic Wall was built 426 00:18:39,187 --> 00:18:44,123 to deter an attack from British and American forces 427 00:18:45,193 --> 00:18:46,021 across the English Channel. 428 00:18:46,125 --> 00:18:47,747 But as the war continued, 429 00:18:47,850 --> 00:18:51,268 Hitler believed that the Atlantic Wall would be a weapon, 430 00:18:51,371 --> 00:18:55,168 a tool to defeat American and British forces. 431 00:18:55,272 --> 00:19:00,242 And he came to wish for an Anglo-American invasion, 432 00:19:01,588 --> 00:19:02,900 believing that he'd be able to destroy it 433 00:19:03,003 --> 00:19:04,764 against the strength of the Atlantic Wall. 434 00:19:06,628 --> 00:19:08,975 [upbeat music] 435 00:19:09,078 --> 00:19:10,666 - [Narrator] The Atlantic Wall fortifications 436 00:19:10,770 --> 00:19:13,152 located in the Hague are formidable. 437 00:19:13,255 --> 00:19:15,430 Bunkers connected with a series of tunnels 438 00:19:15,533 --> 00:19:18,087 intertwined their way across the landscape. 439 00:19:18,191 --> 00:19:20,538 But it's not just a defensive structure. 440 00:19:20,642 --> 00:19:23,369 The Hague's position vis-a-vis the United Kingdom, 441 00:19:23,472 --> 00:19:24,922 makes it the perfect location 442 00:19:25,025 --> 00:19:27,994 to launch an offensive against the Allied Army. 443 00:19:28,097 --> 00:19:30,099 And the Nazis have a terrifying, 444 00:19:30,203 --> 00:19:32,516 new development in store for Britain. 445 00:19:32,619 --> 00:19:35,208 [upbeat music] 446 00:19:39,730 --> 00:19:42,319 On the morning of September 8th, 1944, 447 00:19:42,422 --> 00:19:45,908 the remaining residents of the Hague hear a strange rumble. 448 00:19:46,012 --> 00:19:48,739 [rocket flying] 449 00:19:48,842 --> 00:19:49,981 Though they're used to the noise 450 00:19:50,085 --> 00:19:52,501 of wartime bombings and artillery fire, 451 00:19:52,605 --> 00:19:54,227 this sound is different. 452 00:19:55,677 --> 00:19:57,748 It was the sound of a new terror, 453 00:19:57,851 --> 00:19:59,888 one the world had not witnessed yet, 454 00:19:59,991 --> 00:20:01,924 streaking across the skies 455 00:20:02,028 --> 00:20:04,237 over the English Channel towards London. 456 00:20:05,307 --> 00:20:06,584 - They were weapons designed 457 00:20:06,688 --> 00:20:09,518 with psychology in mind to terrify people. 458 00:20:09,622 --> 00:20:11,589 The British, of course, called them buzz bombs, 459 00:20:11,693 --> 00:20:14,247 because of the telltale noise that they made. 460 00:20:14,351 --> 00:20:19,148 And they represent the cutting edge of Nazi technology. 461 00:20:19,252 --> 00:20:21,875 - The V-2 was a remarkably advanced weapon. 462 00:20:21,979 --> 00:20:25,603 In fact, it was the first guided ballistic missile. 463 00:20:25,707 --> 00:20:29,400 And due to the Netherlands' proximity to the United Kingdom, 464 00:20:29,504 --> 00:20:33,439 the Nazis used the Netherlands as a launching site 465 00:20:33,542 --> 00:20:36,683 to send these V-2 missiles into England. 466 00:20:39,410 --> 00:20:42,448 - [Narrator] The V-2 includes an onboard analog computer, 467 00:20:42,551 --> 00:20:44,484 gyroscopes to determine its course, 468 00:20:44,588 --> 00:20:47,901 and rudders to adjust its trajectory in the air. 469 00:20:48,005 --> 00:20:49,386 - By virtue of their speed, 470 00:20:49,489 --> 00:20:52,768 they're essentially impossible to stop. 471 00:20:52,872 --> 00:20:55,564 - They were very fast, they were high flying, 472 00:20:55,668 --> 00:20:57,186 they were unmanned. 473 00:20:57,290 --> 00:20:59,119 These ones had a range of 200 miles, 474 00:20:59,223 --> 00:21:02,571 so they could easily make it, and knock out parts of London. 475 00:21:02,675 --> 00:21:05,712 They're better, faster, more explosives. 476 00:21:05,816 --> 00:21:09,613 - By 1944, the Germans don't have the capacity 477 00:21:09,716 --> 00:21:12,098 to mount bombing rigs anymore. 478 00:21:12,201 --> 00:21:13,893 And increasingly, the Germans are suffering, 479 00:21:13,996 --> 00:21:15,722 not only from shortage of aircraft, 480 00:21:15,826 --> 00:21:18,829 but from a desperate shortage of trained crews. 481 00:21:18,932 --> 00:21:20,555 They just haven't got time anymore. 482 00:21:20,658 --> 00:21:23,351 So, potentially weapons like the V-2 483 00:21:23,454 --> 00:21:25,767 could supplant the bombers. 484 00:21:25,870 --> 00:21:27,907 - [Narrator] The V-2 launch sites at the Hague 485 00:21:28,010 --> 00:21:30,358 are mobile pads capable of being removed 486 00:21:30,461 --> 00:21:31,945 as quickly as they appear 487 00:21:32,049 --> 00:21:35,432 to conceal their location from Allied aircraft. 488 00:21:35,535 --> 00:21:37,468 - These mobile launch sites 489 00:21:37,572 --> 00:21:40,540 were a logistical and engineering challenge 490 00:21:40,644 --> 00:21:43,474 that required a huge amount of expertise, 491 00:21:43,578 --> 00:21:48,548 a huge amount of manpower, and specialist equipment. 492 00:21:49,998 --> 00:21:52,311 The rocket itself would be brought in by rail, 493 00:21:52,414 --> 00:21:56,142 the explosive warheads would be brought in by trucks, 494 00:21:56,245 --> 00:21:59,179 and then they'd be stored temporarily 495 00:21:59,283 --> 00:22:01,458 before coming together to be assembled. 496 00:22:01,561 --> 00:22:04,599 And they'd be assembled by expert technical crews 497 00:22:04,702 --> 00:22:06,359 who would need specialist equipment 498 00:22:06,463 --> 00:22:09,535 like mobile cranes and command vehicles 499 00:22:09,638 --> 00:22:13,090 to lift the rocket up into its vertical position. 500 00:22:13,193 --> 00:22:16,369 And even when the rocket was in that vertical position, 501 00:22:16,473 --> 00:22:18,889 it could still take an hour and a half 502 00:22:18,992 --> 00:22:20,649 before it was ready to be fired. 503 00:22:22,375 --> 00:22:26,310 - [Narrator] Between September of 1944 and March of 1945, 504 00:22:26,414 --> 00:22:29,693 more than 1,000 A-4 and V-2 rocket launches 505 00:22:29,796 --> 00:22:31,936 are staged in and around the city. 506 00:22:33,179 --> 00:22:35,250 - V-1 and V-2s had been used already, 507 00:22:35,354 --> 00:22:37,735 and launched from various sites in occupied Europe. 508 00:22:37,839 --> 00:22:40,428 But now the V-2s will be launched from the Hague 509 00:22:40,531 --> 00:22:42,222 to rain down on England. 510 00:22:42,326 --> 00:22:44,880 [rocket flying] 511 00:22:44,984 --> 00:22:46,365 [upbeat music] 512 00:22:46,468 --> 00:22:48,574 - While the Atlantic Wall claims numerous sites 513 00:22:48,677 --> 00:22:50,507 along the Nazi occupied coast, 514 00:22:50,610 --> 00:22:53,682 the sheer scale of the defensive and offensive operations 515 00:22:53,786 --> 00:22:56,236 at the Hague is set apart. 516 00:22:56,340 --> 00:22:58,515 Underground bunker networks even carve their way 517 00:22:58,618 --> 00:22:59,930 beyond the city limits 518 00:23:00,033 --> 00:23:02,311 to the nearby seaside town of Scheveningen. 519 00:23:02,415 --> 00:23:05,004 [upbeat music] 520 00:23:07,765 --> 00:23:09,526 Here sits an imposing command bunker 521 00:23:09,629 --> 00:23:12,460 built to house Waffen-SS officers. 522 00:23:12,563 --> 00:23:15,014 The Waffen-SS are a paramilitary branch 523 00:23:15,117 --> 00:23:17,568 of Hitler's special police, Schutzstaffel. 524 00:23:20,329 --> 00:23:24,161 This bunker is an example of the Regalbau 622, 525 00:23:24,264 --> 00:23:25,852 a strength class B bunker, 526 00:23:25,956 --> 00:23:28,407 designed and built to house up to 20 men. 527 00:23:28,510 --> 00:23:30,892 It includes two sleeping chambers, 528 00:23:30,995 --> 00:23:34,861 a combined guard room and shooting range, and a gas lock. 529 00:23:35,931 --> 00:23:37,381 It's highly unusual 530 00:23:37,485 --> 00:23:40,246 for so many Waffen-SS members to be stationed here. 531 00:23:40,349 --> 00:23:42,593 The base is so close to the coast, 532 00:23:42,697 --> 00:23:43,939 it would usually have been 533 00:23:44,043 --> 00:23:46,425 left to the Kriegsmarine, the German Navy. 534 00:23:47,598 --> 00:23:49,358 This increase in combat officers 535 00:23:49,462 --> 00:23:51,878 combined with the enormous size of the base, 536 00:23:51,982 --> 00:23:53,362 begs the question, 537 00:23:53,466 --> 00:23:55,986 what else are the Nazis protecting here? 538 00:23:58,713 --> 00:24:01,785 Hidden a short distance away under the guise of a farmhouse, 539 00:24:01,888 --> 00:24:05,513 a new and mysterious structure begs investigation. 540 00:24:07,687 --> 00:24:10,656 - It just looks like a kind of big, ugly farmhouse. 541 00:24:10,759 --> 00:24:11,760 When you start to get closer, 542 00:24:11,864 --> 00:24:12,968 there's weird things about it. 543 00:24:13,072 --> 00:24:15,350 It just starts to seem, 544 00:24:15,454 --> 00:24:16,800 well, there's something else under here. 545 00:24:16,903 --> 00:24:18,215 This is different. 546 00:24:18,318 --> 00:24:20,182 This isn't how we would build a farmhouse. 547 00:24:21,494 --> 00:24:24,324 - It was made to look like your average barn 548 00:24:24,428 --> 00:24:27,431 with walls painted with a brick pattern, 549 00:24:27,535 --> 00:24:30,710 and the roof disguised to look like average roof tiles. 550 00:24:32,091 --> 00:24:33,610 - [Narrator] In the gardens around the building, 551 00:24:33,713 --> 00:24:34,956 tobruks are discovered, 552 00:24:35,059 --> 00:24:37,234 clearly meant to defend the structure. 553 00:24:39,098 --> 00:24:40,617 - As you're walking through this, 554 00:24:40,720 --> 00:24:43,827 you're seeing huge concrete beams. 555 00:24:43,930 --> 00:24:46,554 It's not just carrying its own weight 556 00:24:46,657 --> 00:24:49,557 and the expected forces on it from the environment. 557 00:24:50,799 --> 00:24:54,147 It's meant to withstand blasts. 558 00:24:54,251 --> 00:24:57,012 It's a fully concrete structure all the way to the roof. 559 00:24:58,358 --> 00:25:00,257 This isn't how we would build a farmhouse. 560 00:25:00,360 --> 00:25:05,400 These angles, these ideas, it just doesn't feel quite right. 561 00:25:06,228 --> 00:25:08,023 It makes no sense. 562 00:25:08,127 --> 00:25:09,542 It is way over-designed. 563 00:25:09,646 --> 00:25:11,233 It's incredibly heavy-handed, 564 00:25:11,337 --> 00:25:13,995 so you'd know that it's anticipated to be for shelling. 565 00:25:14,098 --> 00:25:16,653 It's part of the war. 566 00:25:16,756 --> 00:25:19,069 They built it in a way to withstand forces 567 00:25:19,172 --> 00:25:21,520 that were above and beyond any design constraints 568 00:25:21,623 --> 00:25:23,832 that we would typically design to today. 569 00:25:23,936 --> 00:25:26,594 - This had a four meter thick roof 570 00:25:26,697 --> 00:25:28,665 and two meter thick walls. 571 00:25:29,907 --> 00:25:32,392 In the very center of this enormous bunker 572 00:25:32,496 --> 00:25:35,844 was what's become known as a concrete shoebox, 573 00:25:35,948 --> 00:25:40,918 49 meters long, 17 meters wide, and 15 meters high. 574 00:25:42,989 --> 00:25:45,026 - [Narrator] Beneath this giant structure, 575 00:25:45,129 --> 00:25:47,684 lie two massive diesel generators 576 00:25:47,787 --> 00:25:50,272 capable of powering the entire facility. 577 00:25:52,309 --> 00:25:54,725 - This bespoke construction was 578 00:25:54,829 --> 00:25:59,385 actually a collection of fortifications that were enormous, 579 00:25:59,488 --> 00:26:02,975 far bigger than any of the standardized bunker designs 580 00:26:03,078 --> 00:26:05,218 in dimensions in the area. 581 00:26:05,322 --> 00:26:07,358 - [Narrator] Known as the Clingendael Bunker, 582 00:26:07,462 --> 00:26:08,774 the structure alone cost 583 00:26:08,877 --> 00:26:11,328 over 2 million guilders to construct, 584 00:26:11,431 --> 00:26:12,916 a fortune at that time. 585 00:26:14,089 --> 00:26:15,366 This massive bunker is 586 00:26:15,470 --> 00:26:17,506 made up of a collection of fortifications 587 00:26:17,610 --> 00:26:18,887 known as Stutzpunktgruppe. 588 00:26:21,062 --> 00:26:22,477 This group includes 589 00:26:22,581 --> 00:26:25,894 a command bunker, a troop bunker, latrine bunker, 590 00:26:25,998 --> 00:26:30,899 all connected by underground tunnels, and escape routes. 591 00:26:32,349 --> 00:26:33,143 - It doesn't look like all the other bunkers. 592 00:26:33,246 --> 00:26:34,800 It's a little fancy. 593 00:26:34,903 --> 00:26:35,973 It's different. 594 00:26:36,077 --> 00:26:37,181 The design is different. 595 00:26:37,285 --> 00:26:38,735 The aesthetic is a bit different. 596 00:26:38,838 --> 00:26:40,737 And it's heavily fortified as well. 597 00:26:43,360 --> 00:26:44,948 - [Narrator] Two anti-aircraft emplacements 598 00:26:45,051 --> 00:26:48,330 are perched upon the roof, disguised as chimneys. 599 00:26:50,919 --> 00:26:53,819 Accessible by ladder from the interior, 600 00:26:53,922 --> 00:26:58,547 these perches give a 360 degree view of the entire estate 601 00:26:58,651 --> 00:27:02,517 and a clear view of the skies in every direction. 602 00:27:02,621 --> 00:27:03,518 - From the outside, 603 00:27:03,622 --> 00:27:05,831 the bunker was protected 604 00:27:05,934 --> 00:27:09,593 by its own anti-tank ditch that surrounded it. 605 00:27:10,801 --> 00:27:12,009 - [Narrator] Despite its heavy defenses 606 00:27:12,113 --> 00:27:13,666 and formidable fire power, 607 00:27:13,770 --> 00:27:15,426 contained within the command bunker 608 00:27:15,530 --> 00:27:18,153 are opulent quarters for its chief resident. 609 00:27:20,777 --> 00:27:23,987 Spacious bathing facilities, and a large bathroom area. 610 00:27:25,229 --> 00:27:26,714 Private offices, 611 00:27:26,817 --> 00:27:30,234 including radar detection and radio communication devices. 612 00:27:31,511 --> 00:27:33,168 Rounding out the amenities located here 613 00:27:33,272 --> 00:27:35,446 is a large double-kitchen. 614 00:27:37,138 --> 00:27:38,277 - Why is it that way? 615 00:27:38,380 --> 00:27:39,381 Is it for someone? 616 00:27:39,485 --> 00:27:40,797 Is it for something? 617 00:27:42,108 --> 00:27:43,696 What was the main purpose of this bunker? 618 00:27:43,800 --> 00:27:45,387 Because it's not just a bunker. 619 00:27:48,218 --> 00:27:51,393 - [Narrator] The Nazis were nothing, if not consistent. 620 00:27:51,497 --> 00:27:54,742 And fortifications had strict standards for a reason. 621 00:27:55,915 --> 00:27:57,917 Why then is this bunker unique? 622 00:27:58,021 --> 00:28:03,060 The only one of its kind, made at a tremendous cost. 623 00:28:03,958 --> 00:28:05,235 - I don't think this is 624 00:28:05,338 --> 00:28:06,615 just for a bunch of soldiers potentially, 625 00:28:06,719 --> 00:28:08,203 or it'd be really, really important soldiers 626 00:28:08,307 --> 00:28:10,654 or very paranoid ones. 627 00:28:10,758 --> 00:28:13,553 - [Narrator] Why is this the only bunker of its kind? 628 00:28:15,521 --> 00:28:18,835 - In this defensive system, the Hague, 629 00:28:18,938 --> 00:28:21,630 there is one special bunker there, 630 00:28:21,734 --> 00:28:23,978 kind of the governor's bunker. 631 00:28:25,186 --> 00:28:26,359 - [Narrator] This bunker is ordered, 632 00:28:26,463 --> 00:28:28,327 especially by its chief resident, 633 00:28:28,430 --> 00:28:31,640 Reichskommissar Arthur Seyss-Inquart. 634 00:28:31,744 --> 00:28:35,023 Reichskommissars or commissioners of the empire 635 00:28:35,127 --> 00:28:37,646 are responsible for the ruthless interpretation 636 00:28:37,750 --> 00:28:39,165 of the Nazi regime 637 00:28:39,269 --> 00:28:42,030 with an eye for instilling long-term Nazi ideals 638 00:28:42,134 --> 00:28:44,377 in occupied territories. 639 00:28:44,481 --> 00:28:46,069 In short, these governors 640 00:28:46,172 --> 00:28:47,760 are seen as one of the key elements 641 00:28:47,864 --> 00:28:50,038 in Nazi world domination. 642 00:28:50,142 --> 00:28:52,247 And Seyss-Inquart desperately wants 643 00:28:52,351 --> 00:28:54,525 his bunker to reflect his status. 644 00:28:54,629 --> 00:28:57,701 - Seyss-Inquart was a big, Austrian Nazi 645 00:28:57,805 --> 00:29:01,429 who facilitated Germany's takeover of Austria. 646 00:29:01,532 --> 00:29:03,983 So, his reward for that 647 00:29:04,087 --> 00:29:06,952 was the governorship of the Netherlands. 648 00:29:08,194 --> 00:29:09,506 - [Narrator] As the largest structure 649 00:29:09,609 --> 00:29:11,025 on the whole Dutch-Atlantic Wall, 650 00:29:11,128 --> 00:29:13,786 Seyss-Inquart's bunker is a contentious undertaking, 651 00:29:13,890 --> 00:29:15,201 and is strongly opposed 652 00:29:15,305 --> 00:29:17,859 by the minister of armaments and war production. 653 00:29:19,205 --> 00:29:21,483 - Albert Speer assumes the job from Todt 654 00:29:21,587 --> 00:29:24,176 in 1942 after Todt's death. 655 00:29:24,279 --> 00:29:26,903 - When it came to allocating resources 656 00:29:27,006 --> 00:29:28,387 as armaments minister, 657 00:29:28,490 --> 00:29:30,803 it's not surprising then, that Schubert would be 658 00:29:30,907 --> 00:29:34,324 against investing time, and effort, and material 659 00:29:34,427 --> 00:29:36,498 into what I understand to be 660 00:29:36,602 --> 00:29:39,916 a relatively ostentatious structure 661 00:29:40,019 --> 00:29:43,229 that ultimately served no functional military purpose. 662 00:29:43,333 --> 00:29:47,993 - And so, he builds this extra, opulent bunker. 663 00:29:48,096 --> 00:29:49,822 He's not only saying, "I'm better, 664 00:29:49,926 --> 00:29:51,513 and I feel I deserve this." 665 00:29:51,617 --> 00:29:53,377 He's also then saying, 666 00:29:53,481 --> 00:29:56,242 "I am higher in the hierarchy than you are, 667 00:29:56,346 --> 00:30:01,316 because I have something more ostentatious than you do." 668 00:30:02,386 --> 00:30:03,974 - That speaks fundamentally 669 00:30:04,078 --> 00:30:06,839 to this avaricious and competitive nature of the Nazis, 670 00:30:06,943 --> 00:30:08,772 that, "I'm bigger than you are. 671 00:30:08,876 --> 00:30:10,429 I'm more important than you are. 672 00:30:10,532 --> 00:30:14,813 And my status has to be evidenced by a giant bunker." 673 00:30:14,916 --> 00:30:16,228 And I think Rommel knows that. 674 00:30:16,331 --> 00:30:17,954 My understanding is, 675 00:30:18,057 --> 00:30:20,888 when he takes over all defensive planning for the wall, 676 00:30:20,991 --> 00:30:22,303 he's the first to point out 677 00:30:22,406 --> 00:30:24,339 that there are some really ridiculous things, 678 00:30:24,443 --> 00:30:26,859 not the least of which is Seyss-Inquart's bunker. 679 00:30:29,862 --> 00:30:31,277 [upbeat music] 680 00:30:31,381 --> 00:30:32,969 - [Narrator] Commander Erwin Rommel has taken charge 681 00:30:33,072 --> 00:30:34,902 of the defenses on the Western Front 682 00:30:35,005 --> 00:30:36,386 with remarkable progress 683 00:30:36,489 --> 00:30:39,078 on the Atlantic Wall and the Hague in particular. 684 00:30:39,182 --> 00:30:41,011 Massive bunkers line the coast, 685 00:30:41,115 --> 00:30:43,358 interconnected with a series of tunnels. 686 00:30:43,462 --> 00:30:44,739 He's ordered troops 687 00:30:44,843 --> 00:30:46,845 to bury millions of landmines in the sand. 688 00:30:46,948 --> 00:30:49,606 Forests of posts linked by barbed wire, 689 00:30:49,709 --> 00:30:53,610 known as Rommelspargel or Rommel's asparagus. 690 00:30:53,713 --> 00:30:55,888 But careless spending of time and resources 691 00:30:55,992 --> 00:30:58,546 is causing Nazi tensions to rise. 692 00:30:58,649 --> 00:31:00,686 The looming threat of an Allied invasion 693 00:31:00,789 --> 00:31:02,722 is causing constant disagreements 694 00:31:02,826 --> 00:31:04,793 among the German high command. 695 00:31:04,897 --> 00:31:06,036 - The question is, 696 00:31:06,140 --> 00:31:07,624 how best to defend Western Europe, 697 00:31:07,727 --> 00:31:10,316 given the limited resources available to the Germans? 698 00:31:10,420 --> 00:31:12,491 We have Rommel who is arguing 699 00:31:12,594 --> 00:31:15,149 that the Germans need to put their fortifications 700 00:31:15,252 --> 00:31:16,667 as far forward as possible, 701 00:31:16,771 --> 00:31:18,290 because he believes 702 00:31:18,393 --> 00:31:19,636 that if the Allies are able 703 00:31:19,739 --> 00:31:21,983 to establish a foothold or a bridgehead, 704 00:31:22,087 --> 00:31:24,261 that it will be difficult to undo that. 705 00:31:24,365 --> 00:31:26,056 But by the same token, 706 00:31:26,160 --> 00:31:28,645 it may not take fully into account the extent of coastline 707 00:31:28,748 --> 00:31:31,096 that has to be protected and the costs involved. 708 00:31:31,199 --> 00:31:34,962 And that's where other viewpoints comes into play. 709 00:31:35,065 --> 00:31:36,446 - [Narrator] The fortifications in the Hague 710 00:31:36,549 --> 00:31:37,826 and along the Atlantic Wall 711 00:31:37,930 --> 00:31:41,244 are not supported unanimously by high command. 712 00:31:41,347 --> 00:31:44,350 The Nazi commander-in-chief, Gerd von Rundstedt, 713 00:31:44,454 --> 00:31:46,628 believes that moving the equipment inland 714 00:31:46,732 --> 00:31:48,389 will give the Germans a better chance 715 00:31:48,492 --> 00:31:51,150 at counterattacking the coming Allied invasion. 716 00:31:52,393 --> 00:31:54,498 - Not all of the Nazi generals attached 717 00:31:54,602 --> 00:31:58,088 the same importance to the wall as Hitler, 718 00:31:58,192 --> 00:32:01,989 but ultimately it was Hitler's view that held sway. 719 00:32:02,092 --> 00:32:04,163 - The moment that Hitler and senior leadership 720 00:32:04,267 --> 00:32:06,855 who aren't well-versed in military strategies 721 00:32:06,959 --> 00:32:09,168 start to intervene in the war, 722 00:32:09,272 --> 00:32:11,619 military leaders deeply resented. 723 00:32:11,722 --> 00:32:14,346 - Historians often describe 724 00:32:14,449 --> 00:32:17,970 the Nazi system and the Nazi party 725 00:32:18,074 --> 00:32:20,835 as chaotic authoritarianism. 726 00:32:20,939 --> 00:32:22,733 It's built on conflict. 727 00:32:22,837 --> 00:32:24,977 Dog versus dog. 728 00:32:25,081 --> 00:32:26,185 Dog eats dog. 729 00:32:26,289 --> 00:32:27,980 Hitler encourages that. 730 00:32:28,084 --> 00:32:32,951 He often gives people ranks and appointments 731 00:32:34,642 --> 00:32:37,162 in the same sphere, so that they conflict with each other. 732 00:32:37,265 --> 00:32:40,130 Lines of authority are constantly crossing. 733 00:32:40,234 --> 00:32:42,132 - If your course of action 734 00:32:42,236 --> 00:32:45,135 was not sitting well with the Fuhrer, 735 00:32:45,239 --> 00:32:47,275 then you had a serious problem. 736 00:32:47,379 --> 00:32:49,519 This inflexibility in the face 737 00:32:49,622 --> 00:32:53,040 of a dynamic, changing situation 738 00:32:53,143 --> 00:32:56,215 was the Achilles' heel for the Nazis. 739 00:32:57,561 --> 00:32:58,528 - [Narrator] Compounding the issue 740 00:32:58,631 --> 00:32:59,908 of ineffective leadership, 741 00:33:00,012 --> 00:33:02,221 the pioneering advances in German weaponry 742 00:33:02,325 --> 00:33:05,121 is also beginning to show its cracks. 743 00:33:05,224 --> 00:33:06,950 Nazi plans to use the Hague 744 00:33:07,054 --> 00:33:10,195 as a launch point for German V-2s begin to crumble 745 00:33:10,298 --> 00:33:14,130 under the pressures of war, and technological failure. 746 00:33:14,233 --> 00:33:17,857 - The technology behind the V-2 rocket was groundbreaking, 747 00:33:17,961 --> 00:33:20,032 but it was also in its infancy. 748 00:33:20,136 --> 00:33:23,449 And this became obvious as more rockets were launched, 749 00:33:23,553 --> 00:33:26,349 many missing their major city targets, 750 00:33:26,452 --> 00:33:28,627 some not even making it to England, 751 00:33:28,730 --> 00:33:31,043 and crashing into the North Sea. 752 00:33:31,147 --> 00:33:34,357 Over 1,000 rockets were launched from the Hague. 753 00:33:34,460 --> 00:33:37,808 87 of them failed completely. 754 00:33:38,982 --> 00:33:40,259 - [Narrator] To make matters worse, 755 00:33:40,363 --> 00:33:42,089 many of the rockets are in poor condition. 756 00:33:42,192 --> 00:33:43,883 The parts are relatively delicate, 757 00:33:43,987 --> 00:33:45,678 and their prolonged time in transit, 758 00:33:45,782 --> 00:33:47,887 and days spent in field stores mean 759 00:33:47,991 --> 00:33:50,821 that vital components often corrode. 760 00:33:50,925 --> 00:33:52,547 - Despite the engineers being there, 761 00:33:52,651 --> 00:33:55,999 trying to assemble these mobile launch pads for the rockets, 762 00:33:56,103 --> 00:33:58,346 things would just not work. 763 00:33:58,450 --> 00:33:59,899 - [Narrator] Although many thousands 764 00:34:00,003 --> 00:34:03,282 of Allied civilians died at the hands of V-2 rockets, 765 00:34:03,386 --> 00:34:06,251 it's estimated 20,000 force laborers died 766 00:34:06,354 --> 00:34:08,563 while constructing the missiles themselves, 767 00:34:08,667 --> 00:34:11,152 meaning that these weapons cost the Nazis more 768 00:34:11,256 --> 00:34:12,498 than they ever gained. 769 00:34:13,948 --> 00:34:17,089 - And so, the V-2 pressed into service very early, 770 00:34:17,193 --> 00:34:19,885 made a dramatic appearance in the war, 771 00:34:19,988 --> 00:34:23,509 but it never fully lived up to its true potential 772 00:34:23,613 --> 00:34:25,649 as this new wonder weapon. 773 00:34:25,753 --> 00:34:27,479 - [Narrator] A series of mounting defeats 774 00:34:27,582 --> 00:34:28,790 on the Eastern Front, 775 00:34:28,894 --> 00:34:30,758 and dwindling fuel and other resources, 776 00:34:30,861 --> 00:34:33,105 put the Germans on the defensive. 777 00:34:33,209 --> 00:34:36,453 And yet, work continues on the Atlantic Wall. 778 00:34:36,557 --> 00:34:38,386 German officials know the project is 779 00:34:38,490 --> 00:34:41,838 too ambitious as a late stage defensive strategy, 780 00:34:41,941 --> 00:34:44,772 but Hitler refuses to abandon his idea. 781 00:34:44,875 --> 00:34:46,291 Against formal advice, 782 00:34:46,394 --> 00:34:49,294 he insists on pursuing its construction. 783 00:34:49,397 --> 00:34:51,330 Why was Hitler so stubbornly set 784 00:34:51,434 --> 00:34:53,539 in his vision of the Atlantic Wall? 785 00:34:53,643 --> 00:34:55,127 Did it represent something for him 786 00:34:55,231 --> 00:34:57,681 beyond its functional purpose? 787 00:34:57,785 --> 00:35:00,339 - When generals and others are suggesting 788 00:35:00,443 --> 00:35:02,445 that it should be canceled, 789 00:35:02,548 --> 00:35:05,206 part of the decision making that's going through there is, 790 00:35:05,310 --> 00:35:08,313 "If we stop it, we're admitting failure." 791 00:35:09,762 --> 00:35:11,557 And it's gonna go from a positive morale boost 792 00:35:11,661 --> 00:35:13,249 to a negative morale boost 793 00:35:13,352 --> 00:35:17,632 as news of giving up on the Atlantic Wall would get spread. 794 00:35:18,806 --> 00:35:20,083 So, even if it's not completed, 795 00:35:20,187 --> 00:35:22,913 as long as it's continuing, it's not a failure. 796 00:35:23,017 --> 00:35:24,260 - [Narrator] As the war progresses, 797 00:35:24,363 --> 00:35:26,400 and stresses on the Nazis increase, 798 00:35:26,503 --> 00:35:27,815 the Dutch too begin 799 00:35:27,918 --> 00:35:29,920 to change their relationship with the Germans, 800 00:35:30,024 --> 00:35:31,991 and the resistance grows. 801 00:35:32,095 --> 00:35:34,132 The increasingly unrealistic demands 802 00:35:34,235 --> 00:35:36,824 pushed construction crews to a breaking point. 803 00:35:36,927 --> 00:35:38,101 - In the Netherlands, 804 00:35:38,205 --> 00:35:40,793 they are working with contract laborers 805 00:35:40,897 --> 00:35:42,933 who went discontented, 806 00:35:43,037 --> 00:35:44,970 make it clear that they're discontent. 807 00:35:45,073 --> 00:35:47,386 There's only so much force which could be used. 808 00:35:47,490 --> 00:35:49,043 - If you are on that workforce, 809 00:35:49,147 --> 00:35:51,735 and you're not keen on contributing to these builds, 810 00:35:51,839 --> 00:35:53,220 you need to put more water in that mix, 811 00:35:53,323 --> 00:35:55,394 you could miss some bags of cement. 812 00:35:55,498 --> 00:35:58,121 In an operation that's moving so rapidly 813 00:35:58,225 --> 00:35:59,605 and at such a big scale, 814 00:35:59,709 --> 00:36:00,917 you're gonna miss things. 815 00:36:02,367 --> 00:36:04,403 - [Narrator] Even Erwin Rommel's expert strategizing 816 00:36:04,507 --> 00:36:07,061 can't get the Atlantic Wall back on track. 817 00:36:07,165 --> 00:36:10,064 He misses his May 1st, 1944 deadline. 818 00:36:10,168 --> 00:36:12,170 Even though much of the work is complete, 819 00:36:12,273 --> 00:36:14,620 the coast has been heavily fortified 820 00:36:14,724 --> 00:36:17,002 with miles of Rommel's asparagus, 821 00:36:17,105 --> 00:36:19,970 millions of landmines buried in the sand, 822 00:36:20,074 --> 00:36:22,904 510 reinforced concrete bunkers 823 00:36:23,008 --> 00:36:25,942 connected by a series of passageways. 824 00:36:26,045 --> 00:36:28,186 Thousands of troops are stationed in the Hague 825 00:36:28,289 --> 00:36:29,842 with months of supplies, 826 00:36:29,946 --> 00:36:32,811 waiting in anticipation of an Allied invasion. 827 00:36:35,434 --> 00:36:37,367 [upbeat music] 828 00:36:37,471 --> 00:36:39,749 On June 6th, 1944, 829 00:36:39,852 --> 00:36:42,441 the Allied armies begin the D-Day invasion. 830 00:36:43,994 --> 00:36:46,894 The greatest defense project in European history 831 00:36:46,997 --> 00:36:49,621 would be at the heart of the Nazis' downfall. 832 00:36:50,967 --> 00:36:54,212 - In the initial hours of June 6th, 1944, 833 00:36:54,315 --> 00:36:57,180 Hitler thought that Normandy was the diversion. 834 00:36:57,284 --> 00:37:00,459 - The Atlantic Wall defenses placed heavy emphasis 835 00:37:00,563 --> 00:37:02,944 on fortifying the Belgian and Dutch coasts, 836 00:37:03,048 --> 00:37:05,050 including in the vicinity of the Hague. 837 00:37:05,153 --> 00:37:09,088 And the German high command, but Hitler in particular, 838 00:37:09,192 --> 00:37:11,608 were so thoroughly convinced 839 00:37:11,712 --> 00:37:14,611 that this was where the main Allied effort would come 840 00:37:14,715 --> 00:37:16,993 that even after Allied forces landed 841 00:37:17,096 --> 00:37:19,306 in Normandy on the 6th of June, 842 00:37:19,409 --> 00:37:21,825 Hitler wasn't convinced that this was the real invasion, 843 00:37:21,929 --> 00:37:23,171 but rather that it was a faint, 844 00:37:23,275 --> 00:37:24,656 because he couldn't figure, 845 00:37:24,759 --> 00:37:26,934 why would the Allies go all the way to Normandy? 846 00:37:27,037 --> 00:37:29,316 It's much further from the bases 847 00:37:29,419 --> 00:37:31,870 where the invasion forces were marshaling in England. 848 00:37:31,973 --> 00:37:33,458 It's further from Berlin, 849 00:37:33,561 --> 00:37:36,944 compared to landing sites in the low countries. 850 00:37:37,047 --> 00:37:39,118 It's a cul-de-sac, it's a peninsula. 851 00:37:39,222 --> 00:37:43,191 It didn't seem to be a rational choice for landing sites. 852 00:37:43,295 --> 00:37:46,298 - The question on the battlefield often is 853 00:37:46,402 --> 00:37:49,715 massing your force at the weakest point somewhere, 854 00:37:49,819 --> 00:37:51,855 not spreading your lines too thin. 855 00:37:51,959 --> 00:37:56,653 And this was enormous force that was going 856 00:37:56,757 --> 00:38:01,486 to punch through those fortifications at any cost. 857 00:38:01,589 --> 00:38:03,142 - What happens at Normandy is 858 00:38:03,246 --> 00:38:04,523 that the German defenses are there, 859 00:38:04,627 --> 00:38:07,043 but they're not at their optimum size. 860 00:38:07,146 --> 00:38:09,010 And they're largely caught off guard. 861 00:38:09,114 --> 00:38:10,426 - Even as the battle of Normandy 862 00:38:10,529 --> 00:38:11,944 was hanging in the balance, 863 00:38:12,048 --> 00:38:14,361 and ultimately the war on the Western Front, 864 00:38:14,464 --> 00:38:17,536 the German high command maintains powerful forces, 865 00:38:17,640 --> 00:38:19,193 the German 15th Army, 866 00:38:19,297 --> 00:38:20,953 in the low countries 867 00:38:21,057 --> 00:38:25,268 waiting for a second cross-channel assault that never comes. 868 00:38:25,372 --> 00:38:27,753 - [Narrator] With forces spread out along the Atlantic Wall, 869 00:38:27,857 --> 00:38:30,549 and thousands awaiting imminent invasion in the Hague, 870 00:38:30,653 --> 00:38:33,311 the Atlantic Wall installations in Northern France 871 00:38:33,414 --> 00:38:35,036 fall to landing forces. 872 00:38:35,140 --> 00:38:38,626 - The Allies get aground, which wasn't supposed to happen. 873 00:38:38,730 --> 00:38:41,802 So, all these fortifications, all these things 874 00:38:41,905 --> 00:38:44,287 that were supposed to stop them in the water failed. 875 00:38:44,391 --> 00:38:46,185 And now they've got a leak. 876 00:38:46,289 --> 00:38:47,601 And now the Allies are 877 00:38:47,704 --> 00:38:50,707 pouring hundreds of thousands of men in armor, 878 00:38:50,811 --> 00:38:52,778 and there's no stopping them. 879 00:38:54,297 --> 00:38:56,472 - [Narrator] As the Allies advance beyond the wall, 880 00:38:56,575 --> 00:38:59,854 the German Army and civilians are shocked by the news. 881 00:38:59,958 --> 00:39:01,373 - As a German citizen, 882 00:39:01,477 --> 00:39:03,755 to see this wall crumble would be pretty shocking, 883 00:39:03,858 --> 00:39:06,102 because you've been fed this narrative, this idea 884 00:39:06,205 --> 00:39:08,138 that you have this massive Atlantic Wall, 885 00:39:08,242 --> 00:39:10,589 these concrete walls, these bunkers that are impenetrable, 886 00:39:10,693 --> 00:39:13,281 that are incredibly powerful, that are domineering. 887 00:39:13,385 --> 00:39:16,077 To have the Allies past them, 888 00:39:16,181 --> 00:39:17,803 that would probably be pretty scary, 889 00:39:17,907 --> 00:39:21,255 and would shake the foundation in the the belief somehow. 890 00:39:21,359 --> 00:39:23,568 - This becomes in a really obvious sense 891 00:39:23,671 --> 00:39:25,811 a monument of futility. 892 00:39:25,915 --> 00:39:27,537 They're building monuments 893 00:39:27,641 --> 00:39:30,713 as the Allies are amassing a huge army, and coming for you. 894 00:39:30,816 --> 00:39:32,956 And don't forget the Russians who are coming the other way. 895 00:39:33,060 --> 00:39:34,820 There again speaks to this disconnect 896 00:39:34,924 --> 00:39:37,133 that the Germans were building, and creating, 897 00:39:37,236 --> 00:39:40,032 and tunneling, and digging right to the very end, 898 00:39:40,136 --> 00:39:42,172 even though their fate was sealed. 899 00:39:43,346 --> 00:39:44,968 - The full scope of what's going on 900 00:39:45,072 --> 00:39:47,971 would only be known to the higher echelons, 901 00:39:48,075 --> 00:39:50,767 rather than the common troop that's on the ground. 902 00:39:50,871 --> 00:39:55,082 It's easier to fight in a losing battle, 903 00:39:55,185 --> 00:39:59,569 if you think your country is doing well overall. 904 00:39:59,673 --> 00:40:02,469 It's easier to stop fighting, 905 00:40:02,572 --> 00:40:04,471 if you think you're losing everywhere. 906 00:40:05,955 --> 00:40:07,335 - [Narrator] But for those stationed in the Hague, 907 00:40:07,439 --> 00:40:08,992 news of the invasion in Normandy 908 00:40:09,096 --> 00:40:11,892 must have come as an incredible shock. 909 00:40:11,995 --> 00:40:13,583 Though thousands of troops, 910 00:40:13,687 --> 00:40:17,863 the Waffen-SS and Nazi high command await an invasion here. 911 00:40:17,967 --> 00:40:22,937 Hitler's fortified city never sees action or completion. 912 00:40:24,042 --> 00:40:25,353 - This was a massive enterprise, 913 00:40:25,457 --> 00:40:29,427 and the Nazis poured millions of tons of concrete 914 00:40:29,530 --> 00:40:31,152 into this project. 915 00:40:31,256 --> 00:40:35,260 And yet it never fully lived up to what Hitler wanted to be. 916 00:40:35,363 --> 00:40:39,506 He had hoped to have 15,000 bunkers stretched 917 00:40:39,609 --> 00:40:40,955 across this wall. 918 00:40:41,059 --> 00:40:43,751 The Germans only ended up building 6,000. 919 00:40:43,855 --> 00:40:45,270 And so, the wall, 920 00:40:45,373 --> 00:40:49,136 while it was formidable, was never truly finished. 921 00:40:49,239 --> 00:40:51,759 And it's clear that Hitler stacked 922 00:40:51,863 --> 00:40:54,762 far too much value on this wall 923 00:40:54,866 --> 00:40:56,799 as a defensive fortification. 924 00:40:56,902 --> 00:40:59,836 - So, they only got a fraction of the work actually done. 925 00:40:59,940 --> 00:41:01,320 And it's staggering to think about that, 926 00:41:01,424 --> 00:41:03,219 because these structures are incredibly imposing. 927 00:41:03,322 --> 00:41:04,841 They're huge, the networks, the tunnels, 928 00:41:04,945 --> 00:41:06,843 the trenches, the bunkers, everything. 929 00:41:06,947 --> 00:41:08,120 The scale is significant. 930 00:41:08,224 --> 00:41:09,432 It's really, really big. 931 00:41:09,536 --> 00:41:11,399 And to know that that was only a fraction 932 00:41:11,503 --> 00:41:13,125 of the work that they were gonna do, 933 00:41:13,229 --> 00:41:15,438 but that wasn't even as big as Hitler wanted it, 934 00:41:15,542 --> 00:41:18,545 man, that's wild. 935 00:41:18,648 --> 00:41:19,960 - [Narrator] In the end, 936 00:41:20,063 --> 00:41:22,169 the chronic lack of labor and raw materials, 937 00:41:22,272 --> 00:41:25,137 as well as disagreements between Nazi leaders means 938 00:41:25,241 --> 00:41:29,003 that the Atlantic Wall never reaches its full potential. 939 00:41:29,107 --> 00:41:32,213 - Often, we find that Hitler, in his decision making, 940 00:41:32,317 --> 00:41:34,353 was prone towards the fantastic, 941 00:41:34,457 --> 00:41:36,977 rather than towards what's really achievable. 942 00:41:37,080 --> 00:41:38,496 So, it does not surprise me at all 943 00:41:38,599 --> 00:41:41,015 that the Atlantic Wall failed 944 00:41:41,119 --> 00:41:44,156 ultimately to do what it was supposed to do. 945 00:41:44,260 --> 00:41:47,539 - It's so big, and it's so imperfect along the way 946 00:41:47,643 --> 00:41:49,230 that it is indefensible. 947 00:41:49,334 --> 00:41:51,232 - The building of 6,000 bunkers, 948 00:41:51,336 --> 00:41:53,994 and the parts of the Atlantic Wall that were built 949 00:41:54,097 --> 00:41:57,169 were significant defensive fortifications. 950 00:41:57,273 --> 00:41:59,965 But for the Atlantic Wall to be truly effective, 951 00:42:00,069 --> 00:42:01,760 to truly be a wall 952 00:42:01,864 --> 00:42:04,314 against which invasion would be impossible, 953 00:42:04,418 --> 00:42:06,731 would've required Hitler's full dream 954 00:42:06,834 --> 00:42:09,388 of 15,000 bunkers being built. 955 00:42:09,492 --> 00:42:11,943 And this was simply far too much, 956 00:42:12,046 --> 00:42:15,498 far too much for even this Nazi empire 957 00:42:15,602 --> 00:42:19,537 harnessing its engineers and forced labor. 958 00:42:19,640 --> 00:42:23,264 Too much to accomplish in any reasonable amount of time. 959 00:42:23,368 --> 00:42:26,302 And so, a half-built Atlantic Wall was 960 00:42:26,405 --> 00:42:28,442 perhaps as good as no Atlantic Wall at all. 961 00:42:29,857 --> 00:42:31,514 - [Narrator] Placing all his bets on the Hague, 962 00:42:31,618 --> 00:42:33,378 and refusing to change course 963 00:42:33,481 --> 00:42:37,002 cost the Nazis dearly in Northern France. 964 00:42:37,106 --> 00:42:39,798 In the meantime, convoluted command structures, 965 00:42:39,902 --> 00:42:43,077 diminishing supplies, and inferior aircrafts 966 00:42:43,181 --> 00:42:46,529 all work to undermine the Nazis' grip on Western Europe. 967 00:42:47,841 --> 00:42:50,222 Now, these deserted structures at the Hague 968 00:42:50,326 --> 00:42:51,603 stand as a testament 969 00:42:51,707 --> 00:42:55,296 to Nazi dysfunction and ultimate collapse. 970 00:42:56,504 --> 00:42:58,714 To this day, millions of tons of concrete 971 00:42:58,817 --> 00:43:01,130 litter the European coastline. 972 00:43:01,233 --> 00:43:05,375 These ghostly structures tell of a Nazi promise unfulfilled 973 00:43:05,479 --> 00:43:08,102 of a world in which Hitler plans to conquer Britain, 974 00:43:08,206 --> 00:43:11,174 and successfully staves off Allied attack. 975 00:43:11,278 --> 00:43:13,418 Imagine if the strategy had worked. 976 00:43:13,521 --> 00:43:16,973 Imagine if the Allies' attack landed in the Hague, 977 00:43:17,077 --> 00:43:20,183 and broke against these fortifications. 978 00:43:20,287 --> 00:43:21,840 - It could potentially be devastating. 979 00:43:21,944 --> 00:43:24,084 It might not have gotten by it. 980 00:43:24,187 --> 00:43:26,431 It might not have had that weakness 981 00:43:26,534 --> 00:43:28,088 that we were able to exploit. 982 00:43:28,191 --> 00:43:30,538 And even though it was a severe fight, 983 00:43:30,642 --> 00:43:32,610 still, it could have been worse. 984 00:43:32,713 --> 00:43:33,990 We could have not made it. 985 00:43:35,716 --> 00:43:38,270 [upbeat music]