Original subtitles

[ marching footsteps ]

- [ officer shouts orders ]

[ marching footsteps continue ]

[ officers shout orders ]

- Tell the two at the back to pick up their pace.

- At age 44, George Washington has command of an army

and some success as a general.

He managed to outlast the British in Boston,

but the standoff ended without a head-to-head battle.

Now, more than a year into the war,

he's preparing his still-untested army

to take on the enemy in New York.

- "I'm obliged to confess

"my want of confidence in the troops.

"Till of late, I had no doubt in my own mind

"of defending this place,

nor should I have yet if the men would do their duty."

- One.

- [ screams ]

- Two.

[ whip strikes, man screams ]

- Washington is pretty determined

that what he wants is a disciplined army

that can compete with British regulars.

He wants men that are disciplined enough

that they fear their officers more than they fear the enemy.

So Washington will have to inflict the kind of discipline

that he thinks is necessary.

- Five. - [ grunts ]

- Six. - [ grunts ]

- You can paint his harshness in harsh colors

and make him look to be almost tyrannical,

but that's not quite there.

- Six. - [ grunts ]

- Seven. - [ man grunts ]

- But his commitment to discipline

and to almost merciless enforcement of that discipline

is justified, necessary.

[ whip strikes, man grunts ]

- These guys are no match

for a real professional British force.

♪♪♪

- Let's take a step back here and understand

how insane the notion of a war against the British was.

They were one of the most powerful military forces

and naval forces in the world.

America didn't have a Navy.

It had a military as of yesterday.

They were underfunded. They were under-militarized,

and Washington is just trying to catch up.

- The fundamental weakness of the American government

during the American Revolutionary War

is that there is no real federal government.

- Continental Congress does not have

a lot of power to get money.

They could request funds from the different colonies,

but couldn't really demand.

- Washington doesn't have funds

for weapons, food, and uniforms.

And he's running out of time.

♪♪♪

- A massive armada of British warships

under orders from King George III

is on its way to the colonies

to intimidate the rebels into backing down.

♪♪♪

Commanding the British forces

is General William Howe.

- An empty glass is a terrible, poor sight, is it not?

[ laughter ] - Yeah.

- In any case, we shall arrive in New York soon enough.

There, we shall see how deep these waters go.

- The rebels have already had a year to come to their senses.

- All children go astray from time to time.

They always come back home.

- Surely disloyalty to the crown

cannot go unpunished?

- A line has been crossed, most certainly.

But I'm of the mind that it is

preferable to educate rather than punish.

A little more, please?

- William Howe is a career military man

with pro-American sympathies.

He actually had proclaimed he would never go

to command British troops in America

because he thought that this war was wrong-headed.

- He changes his mind because

he's given the opportunity to be a peace commissioner

as well as the commanding general.

You will go and you will fight and deliver a few blows.

You will be the person to negotiate a diplomatic end

to this unnecessary war.

That's what Howe thinks he's going to do.

- Once the full force of the empire has been brought to bear,

they will see how hopeless their position.

- This Washington is out of his depth,

but I like to think he is no fool.

So...

To Mr. Washington

and choosing reason of a revolution.

Mr. Washington.

- Mr. Washington.

♪♪♪

- The British had this large empire,

and to some degree from the British perspective,

there was a principle that had to be upheld.

If we let the Americans flout the authority

of the British government,

then who's to prevent other colonies

from doing the same thing?

And so, an example has to be made of them.

- By the summer of 1776,

the two armies are poised for a showdown over New York.

A critical post on the Hudson Corridor

that connects the colonies.

- New York was really the key to North America.

And whoever had control of New York and the Hudson River

had the potential to control whatever would happened next.

- Washington's been ordered by Congress

to defend in New York at all costs,

but the Continental Army only has 121 cannons.

That's fewer than the arsenal onboard

just two of the British warships heading their way.

♪♪♪

While he doesn't have the firepower,

Washington does have a team of eager patriot officers

fighting by his side.

- Washington was great at spotting talent.

He had no qualms about going after young people

who had not necessarily established a reputation

if they showed promise.

- He learned the most important thing you do as a leader

is develop followers and subordinate leaders

who you can trust and who trust you.

- Among his advisers, 34-year-old Nathanael Greene.

- Nathanael Greene was one of his very, very favorites.

He was actually a Quaker from Rhode Island,

but he was brilliant and super ambitious

and really understood how Washington thought.

♪♪♪

- And alongside Greene,

a 25-year-old bookseller- turned-colonel, Henry Knox.

- Henry Knox, very quickly,

he became his head of the artillery.

He learned all about cannons and ammunition,

everything from reading

and then talking to British officers about them.

- He was a bookseller by trade. When Washington met him,

he recognized someone who was organized, intelligent,

and affable in that way you need to get things done.

- With the British fleet bearing down on New York...

- The map, Billy.

- Washington consults the Council of War,

his most trusted officers, including Knox and Greene,

to devise a defensive strategy.

- Time is not on our side.

- Yet we're faced with the same issues.

- No matter how thin we stretch our artillery,

there is simply not enough to cover all the shoreline...

and our insufficient crews to man what we do have.

Do I have permission to speak freely, sir?

- Of course.

- The wise counsel will be to withdraw.

- I have often held there is no honor in retreat.

But even if that would not sell, the world is watching.

If we are to fight for our independence,

we must show them we are worthy.

- Then I suggest

we aim to inflict as much damage as possible.

- Artillery...

on either side of the East River,

creating a gauntlet that they must travel through

if they are to land.

It is doubtful that we will stop them completely.

But we will certainly see them bloody.

- Are you all in agreement?

Then begin preparations and report back

once the batteries are ready to be inspected.

♪♪♪

- By July, the British are no longer coming.

They're here.

- What is the count now?

- It's 130.

We're already dropping anchor in the bay.

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

- George Washington's finally getting the attention

he's long sought from the British Empire.

- My spyglass, Billy.

♪♪♪

- More than 100 warships sent by King George III

have arrived to stamp out the colonist rebellion.

- This is the largest naval and military force

ever assembled in the Americas.

For any sensible person looking out at that,

you'd have to think, "We're in a lot trouble here."

- The next time anything like that will happen

is the American force going the other way in World War I.

Huge.

- General Howe certainly wishes us to know

he has arrived.

Inform the generals.

We will meet at top of the hour.

- Yes, sir.

- "Our cruel and unrelenting enemy leaves us no choice

"but a brave resistance.

We have therefore to resolve to conquer..."

"...or die."

♪♪♪

- Washington and the Americans are outgunned,

but they have a weapon the British don't--

a cause.

- It's an amazing coincidence that at the same time

as the British are coming into the New York Harbor,

The Declaration of Independence is passed by Congress.

- It had taken just three weeks

for a historic committee of founding fathers,

including Thomas Jefferson, John Adams,

and Benjamin Franklin, to draft the document,

which they hope will unite all colonists

behind a common cause.

- When we learn about the revolution in school,

it's presented as a rather clean-cut story.

All of America wanted to rebel.

The British were the oppressor.

- But it was by no means unanimous

that Americans thought,

"Okay. Independence is this great thing."

- Within the colonies, within families,

there was division.

There were loyalists and patriots

living in the same house.

This was a civil war.

- So in towns, in cities around the colonies,

people were meeting in groups

and debating what they thought about independence.

Declaring independence was a process, not an act.

- The declaration made a case

to the people on the fence in America

that this was a cause worth betting on.

And it gave the colonials, the Yankees

something to fight for besides real estate.

It was almost a letter to investors.

"Do you wanna invest in this experiment?

This is what we're about. This is why we're doing it."

- "And for the support of this declaration..."

- And so they were very intentional

about how they got out word.

They sent it on ships to all major ports.

They printed copies of it.

They published it. They wanted it to spread.

- And it's the kind of thing

that would be a rallying cry to people.

And it was meant to be read aloud.

It has the ring of a-- of a song in a way.

- "When in the course of human events,

"it becomes necessary for one people

"to dissolve political bands

"which have connected them with another

and to assume among the powers of the earth..."

♪♪♪

"We hold these truths to be self-evident."

- "That all men are created equal."

- "They are endowed by their creator

with certain unalienable rights."

- "But among these are life, liberty,

and the pursuit of happiness."

- "That whenever any form of government

becomes destructive of these ends..."

- "It is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it."

- "And for the support of this declaration,

"with the firm reliance on the protection

"of divine providence,

"we mutually pledge to each other our lives,

our fortunes... and our sacred honor."

♪♪♪

- When you read the declaration,

most people only remember the first few paragraphs.

No one else remembers that it's really a list of charges

against the British king.

- "The history of the present king of Great Britain

"is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations,

"all having indirect object the establishment

of an absolute tyranny over these states."

♪♪♪

Are you certain this is authentic?

- It has already been distributed across the colonies.

♪♪♪

- Bloody fools.

- The declaration was an act of treason.

It was primarily a document

that was stating that the United States of America

was gonna be a new country.

Jefferson lists all of the grievances

that have been collected from the various colonies.

So everybody is a part of it.

These people could have been tried for that

and killed for that.

- Time after time,

I have given them the opportunity

to abandon this foolish cause.

And now this.

- Your orders, sir?

- The American colonists and the British Government

could've met halfway before July of 1776.

But once independence is declared,

there is a kind of Rubicon that has passed.

- Sir, your orders?

♪♪♪

[ screaming and yelling ]

♪♪♪

- The colonies have declared their independence...

[ cannon fire ]

♪♪♪

- But if the Americans want their freedom,

they'll have to bleed for it.

♪♪♪

[ explosion ]

- When the colonies declare independence,

Britain responds with cannon fire.

But these first shots on New York

are just a warning of what's to come.

- This is not the full fleet. - No.

They remain anchored in the harbor as of now.

- Then what are we facing?

- It is two ships moving north up the Hudson.

- And our batteries?

- They have opened fire but...

we have so few cannons as it is.

And those that we do have are failing to reach the warships.

- So essentially, we are defenseless.

And not only have we been made aware of that fact,

but General Howe has as well.

Casualties?

- Confirmed so far.

One of our cannons misfired and exploded.

We are still awaiting word

from the other areas of bombardment.

♪♪♪

- Send men to sweep the streets.

Check on the civilians.

Make sure they steer clear of the river.

And, Colonel Knox...

- Yes, sir?

- I want to know where those ships are heading.

- Of course, sir.

- Dismissed. - Follow.

♪♪♪

- Howe doesn't want to destroy Washington

or the Continental Army.

Howe wants to rough them up.

Make them realize they can't win.

Make them decide on their own.

This was a misguided venture.

- In the days following his show of force,

General Howe makes two attempts

to get Washington to lay down arms,

offering him a pardon for his role

in leading the rebellion against the king.

Both fail.

- General Howe sends an emissary.

And he sends one letter.

It's addressed informally-- "Mr. Washington."

He sends another letter, again informally,

"George Washington, Esquire, et cetera."

- Washington won't accept the letter

because he's General Washington.

That's his title. You want to address him,

you address him as General Washington.

And if you're not gonna address him that way,

he's not gonna engage in that conversation.

♪♪♪

- Despite Washington's two refuses,

Howe reaches out again,

this time, sending his own adjutant

with a third offer for the rebel commander.

- Welcome, Lieutenant Colonel Patterson.

- Mr. Washington.

- General.

- I bring another message from General Howe.

- And we are eager to hear what he has to say.

But I understand you've walked here from the harbor.

Perhaps you are thirsty. We can offer water, ale?

- I should prefer to deliver this message and be on my way.

- Of course.

- Your words will suffice.

- Well, the king has granted General Howe considerable powers

to come to some understanding in this matter.

Perhaps you have a particular request

you would like me to relay to General Howe?

- None.

But please do feel free to offer him my compliments.

♪♪♪

- Sir, if you will not even have a discussion,

it leaves us with little choice on how to proceed.

- If I understand your implications,

the crown has bestowed upon General Howe

the authority to grant pardons.

That is very good.

But those who have committed no fault...

want no pardon.

♪♪♪

- And it seems we have nothing further to discuss.

- I wish you a pleasant return.

And please, do give General Howe my regards.

- Good day.

- Washington was very aware of the fact

that respect for him was respect for the army,

was respect for America.

- He was establishing protocols not just for himself,

but for his army and for his nation.

- In this situation, he is beyond brave.

He's resonant.

- Within weeks, the king's fleet

more than doubles in strength.

400 warships, carrying 32,000 soldiers,

outnumbered more than 2 to 1.

Washington's challenge is to figure out

where Howe will strike.

His solution--

split his forces to meet the British,

wherever they may land.

- Washington needs to maintain significant forces on Manhattan

as well to establish a defensive line

on Gowanus Heights on Long Island.

- All reports continue to indicate

Howe is preparing a major assault on Long Island.

- And what is your general opinion

of our defenses, Colonel Knox?

- I wish I could say they were stronger.

The New England men have a few small cannons.

We are lacking in heavy guns.

Though I have had not much time

to study our fort position at Gowanus Heights.

Frankly, I'm concerned we are ill prepared.

- And our works?

- We have made adjustments on the river.

But further inland, it is a large area,

hard to defend.

♪♪♪

- We will send General Greene an additional 1,500 men.

- 1,500?

Yes, sir.

- Would you be so kind to give us a few moments?

♪♪♪

What is your concern, Colonel Knox?

Speak your mind.

- I do not mean to question your judgment, sir.

But Howe could put 20,000 men on Long Island, more.

He could easily double our numbers.

- And yet, it appears he still holds

many thousands of their army in reserve, why?

To draw us from our position here.

- And if you are wrong?

- Providence will see us through.

- I have no doubt it will, sir.

- Good. Then go and tell

the other officers they may return.

♪♪♪

- Washington's a little overconfident,

given what he's up against.

He's not looking out there and saying,

"I'm about to lose, and this is suicide."

He's thinking, "I'll think of something.

We'll work this out."

- Washington's wanted to prove his American army

equal to the British since the start of the war.

Now he'll get his chance.

♪♪♪

[ explosions ]

- In the first major battle of the revolution,

George Washington's army is getting leveled.

- Washington was completely outgeneraled

in the battle of Long Island.

He did not organize his armies efficiently.

He divided it.

- The name of the game

is to never fight unless you have

superior numbers or superior terrain.

[ explosions ]

And here, in the first major battle,

he's making a blunder.

[ explosions ]

- Washington loses nearly one-fifth of his army

in two days of fighting.

Now, what's left of his army has been pushed west,

flanked, and is now trapped between the East River

and the advancing enemy.

As the sun sets on the second day of battle,

Washington is hours away from annihilation.

- If they captured him,

they would have carried him, back to England,

they would have tried to-- they would've hung him,

and they would've corded him,

and they put his head on and spit

that would've been there for years.

And that's all you would remember

about George Washington.

♪♪♪

- How far?

- 600 yards, perhaps a little less.

Scouts say the British trenches could reach us by morning.

♪♪♪

- His army could have been destroyed relatively early

when it was stranded on Long Island.

He knew...

that he always had to have a plan "B."

And I think the, um...

the early defeats he suffered

in the French and Indian War...

contributed to that.

♪♪♪

- It's time. - Yes, sir.

♪♪♪

- Washington sets in motion in audacious escape

from the western edge of Long Island.

His plan employs a revolving fleet of row boats

to ferry thousands of troops

nonstop across the mile-wide East River.

♪♪♪

- This is an extraordinary challenge.

How do you move an army

across the river in the middle of the night

under the threat of British guns the entire time?

- Everything has to work. The weather has to be right.

The fog has to come in at the right time.

The river currents have to be right.

- He's got to muffle all the wheels.

He's got to keep the men quiet.

You've got to pack up silently and move out.

♪♪♪

- To deceive the enemy and conceal his retreat,

Washington uses some clever trickery.

- They manage to fool the British

by creating an impression

that they have not evacuated from their encampment.

♪♪♪

- Washington keeps the campfires burning

along the edges of his parameter.

He orders troops from time to time

to fire off their muskets.

[ gunfire ]

- All the while, small numbers of boats

are rowing back and forth.

♪♪♪

- Washington was an unconventional commander.

He enjoyed the sneaky parts of war,

of surprising the enemy,

convincing the enemy you're going to do one thing

when you're actually doing the other.

- And as the last man steps onboard the boat,

Washington can hardly believe his luck.

♪♪♪

The British haven't detected what's happening.

- This way, sir. - He's made his escape.

It's one of the most brilliant withdrawals

in the history of warfare.

- It wasn't so much running away in fear

as it was surviving to fight another day.

So I think he really was using retreat as a strategy.

- But I kind of think of this as the American Dunkirk.

It's this moment where you save the army

to fight again, and it really is one of Washington's

great tactical victories early on in the war.

♪♪♪

- But Washington's army has escaped one island,

only to be vulnerable on another.

As his troops eventually make their way north

to get off Manhattan,

13,000 enemy fighters invade,

overwhelming the men guarding Washington's retreat.

♪♪♪

They flee and panic.

♪♪♪

- When Washington gets word,

he pivots and moves toward the battle.

♪♪♪

- Washington thinks that if somebody decides to attack,

it's like a challenge to do.

You cannot say no.

You cannot say, "I don't wanna do that"

without losing honor.

♪♪♪

- Halt!

[ horse whinnies ]

[ men yelling in distance ]

- Stay back!

Turn them around!

Stop the running!

- Washington saw his worst nightmare

being enacted in front of him.

- Stay back!

- His men fleeing--

there's not even a sign of resistance.

- Get back, you coward!

- [ shouting indistinctly ]

- He had lost control of his men.

He lost control of himself.

- About face! Turn around!

Turn around, you coward!

Just stay!

Stay, you coward!

- [ man shouts indistinctly ]

- Stay back!

Hold on!

Stay where you are!

- He had a volcanic temper

and worked mightily to constrain it.

It would occasionally come out,

and by all accounts, it was a terrible thing

to be on the receiving end of it.

- Damn you!

- Sir! Sir, sir!

- Stop that running! - Sir!

- Let go. - Sir.

Please, sir. - Let go of me!

- Sir, please! - Let go!

Are these the men we command to defend America?

[ men shouting indistinctly ]

- [ panting ]

- Gilbert Stuart, the painter, said,

"If you looked at George Washington's eyes,

"you realized that he could have been

the fiercest savage in the forest."

- [ panting ]

- Sir.

- [ continues panting ] Very well!

[ gunfire in distance ]

Fall back.

- Fall back!

Fall back!

Fall back! Fall back!

- Fall back!

[ marching footsteps ]

- Within weeks, the British will take New York City.

♪♪♪

- The loss of New York was catastrophic.

This is rock-bottom for Washington.

This is rock-bottom for the country.

This rebellion is threatening

to turn into a total defeat for the Americans.

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

- After losing New York City to the British,

George Washington and the Continental Army

are on the run.

♪♪♪

- "I am wearied almost to death

"with the retrograde motion of things.

"It is impossible to conduct matters

agreeably to public expectation."

- After the New York campaign,

Washington fell into a pretty deep depression.

He was deeply insecure that this was going to work

and that he was going to be able to win.

- Water, sir?

♪♪♪

- Sir?

- No, Billy. [ horse whinnies ]

- Sir.

- Washington basically said, "I would quit if I could,

but people say there's no one to take my place."

So we know Washington was at rock-bottom.

Did he really have it to continue on?

♪♪♪

[ animal howls ]

- Fearing the worst,

Washington writes home to Mount Vernon

with instructions and a warning.

- "I say in confidence to you

"that I would look forward to unfavorable events

"and prepare accordingly in such a manner

"as to give no alarm or suspicion to anyone.

"Have my papers in such a situation

"that has to remove at a short notice

in case an enemy's fleet shall come up the river."

♪♪♪

[ blusters ]

♪♪♪

- Almost everyone is in despair.

The morale of the soldiers was pretty bad.

The morale of the civilian population--

even worse.

They're trying to figure out,

"How can I get myself out of harm's way?

How can I surrender to the British?"

- With the revolution hanging by a thread,

General Howe offers a pardon to any patriot

who will abandon the cause

and swear allegiance to the king.

- A thousand people signed a petition

repudiating the Declaration of Independence,

including one guy that was a signer

on the Declaration of Independence.

So you could see the will of the American public

beginning to break here.

♪♪♪

- Washington was also beginning to lose his army.

His army was evaporating around him.

- And it's about half of the size

of what it had been in the summer.

So many men have either been captured,

or they have just left to go home.

- This was the ultimate humiliation,

his army abandoning him.

- Tricky thing about a citizen army

is that these soldiers, continental soldiers,

some of them signed on for a limited term.

"I will be here for a year, maybe two.

"And then my term will be up and I'll go home,

go back to my farm."

♪♪♪

- By December, Washington's army

is just weeks away from total collapse.

At midnight on January 1st,

enlistments for nearly all of his roughly

6,000 remaining soldiers will expire.

Washington believes General Howe

is waiting until then to make his move.

♪♪♪

- "We have been pushed through the Jerseys.

"General Howe is now

"on the other side of the Delaware,

"and beyond all question,

"means, if possible, to possess himself of Philadelphia.

"You know the fatal consequences

that must attend its loss."

- As the British begin to move in December 1776

toward the Delaware River,

he knows he's going to need to find some way

to convince these few thousand troops

that he has left to stay in the field.

But words are not going to be enough

to make that happen.

- It's quite amazing how he just kept going.

And he was very good at figuring out,

after early defeats,

what would produce the most positive result.

- If we can do something that's very visible

and very symbolic,

we might change the mood of the people

and we might find young men returning to our ranks,

but time is short.

- If we settle down for winter in our current position,

the cause is lost.

- And these are not ideal conditions for fighting.

- What other alternative do we have?

We cannot expect men to enlist in an army

that is constantly on the run, that has been beaten.

If we are to have any hope,

we must give them something to fight for,

something inspiring.

- You have the right of it, sir.

- Then we are left with no other option,

we must go on the offensive.

- I, too, have grown weary of retreat.

- There are a great many risks.

- And we will plan for them...

overcome them.

The men have great faith in you, sir,

as do I.

- Thank you, Colonel Knox.

Henry.

- Then, the only question is where?

♪♪♪

- Just X miles from Washington's Bucks County headquarters,

Trenton, New Jersey, is now

General Howe's southernmost outpost,

a garrison manned by some 15,000 Hessian mercenaries.

- The Hessians were professional soldiers

from Germany that the British government

had hired to augment their army.

They were pros.

They're some of the most feared warriors on earth.

- Washington prepares a daring attack plan,

a nighttime crossing of the Delaware.

The army is to move in three columns,

one is a diversion,

another to block the enemies' escape route,

and finally, a third,

under Washington's command to march on Trenton.

- Did they get the map?

- Some of the generals.

- He wasn't ready

to surrender the cause at that point.

It might have been the rational thing to do,

but history is made by people occasionally

making irrational decisions in the pressure

and amid the perils of the given moment.

- "Christmas day at night.

"One hour before day is the time fixed upon

"for our attempt on Trenton.

"For heaven's sake, keep this to yourself,

as the discovery of it may prove fatal to us."

- You really have two choices--

you either proceed,

or the entire enterprise collapses.

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

[ wind whistling ]

[ boat creaking ]

♪♪♪

- General George Washington

and his battered Continental Army

are attempting the most audacious operation of the war.

If Washington's mission fails,

this could be the last night of the revolution.

- The weather is the worst it can possibly be.

It's a hurricane in December.

♪♪♪

- The troops are still wearing their summer uniforms.

Many of them are barefoot-- literally barefoot,

their clothes in rags.

♪♪♪

- A lot of the soldiers

didn't actually know how to swim,

and the water was incredibly cold.

♪♪♪

- This is a nation. This is the people

at their worst possible point,

pushing on in the desperate hope

that they can turn this thing around.

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

- These are the times that tried men's souls.

- To rally his man for the treacherous crossing,

Washington ordered his officers

to read aloud their revolutionary words

of Thomas Paine published just days before.

- "The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot

"will, in this crisis,

"shrink from the service of his country.

"But he that stands it now

deserves the love and thanks of man and woman."

- It was really a smart thing to do

because he knew he had to get to the other side.

He was secure enough to know that Thomas Paine

was a better speaker and a more passionate crafter

of the English language.

Paine will get 'em so fired up,

they'll walk across the Delaware.

They won't even need a boat.

- Men, prepare to unload!

♪♪♪

- Once they get across the river,

the clock is ticking.

♪♪♪

- It took us longer than we expected.

- This will be a miracle none of our boats capsized.

- Have we lost any cannons? - None.

- Washington has coordinated an effort

where this will all happen at dawn,

but they're late.

- When Washington's forces land in New Jersey, it's 3 a.m.

They're hours behind schedule

and still facing a 9-mile march to Trenton.

The plan is to divide into two columns

4 miles outside of town

and circle the garrison and barrage the Hessians

with cannon fire before they have time to react.

- Keep pushing, men!

Bring it forward, men, bring it forward!

- Commanding a critical artillery unit

is one of the country's rising stars,

a young captain named Alexander Hamilton.

- Alexander Hamilton comes to the United States

as an immigrant, functionally an orphan,

attends King's College.

He is ambitious.

- In some ways,

has a lot of similarities to a young Washington.

What Hamilton wants from the war more than anything else

is a moment to shine on the battlefield

so he can earn reputation and honor.

- Quickly, on the shore, form a line!

We leave in 30 minutes!

[ panting ]

We're ready, General Washington.

- You have done it, sir.

- The job is not yet done.

The battle is still before us.

[ wind whistling ]

- Washington doesn't know it yet,

but the two columns of soldiers due to cross upstream

were stopped in their tracks by the brutal conditions.

He and his 2,400 men are now on their own.

- If they do not win this battle,

it's over.

So he rallies his men for one last toss of the dice.

♪♪♪

- The stakes are unimaginably high.

The snow is coming down.

The wind is whipping.

They're freezing, but they have nothing else left.

[ marching footsteps ]

They will either prevail, or they will die.

♪♪♪

[ flames crackling ]

[ explosions ]

[ gunfire ]

- "Tyranny, like hell,

is not easily conquered."

♪♪♪

"Yet we have this consolation with us,

"that the harder the conflict,

the more glorious the triumph."

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

- General George Washington's daring Delaware River gambit

pays off... [ gunfire and explosions ]

...with his first great battlefield victory

of the revolution.

In less than an hour, 22 enemy soldiers were killed,

some 900 taken prisoner,

not a single American is lost in the fight.

- Trenton was like turning the page.

He had made his mistakes in the past,

but now, this was a whole new game.

♪♪♪

[ indistinct conversations ]

- General orders!

General orders! Gather around.

"General orders 27th December, 1776.

"The general, with the utmost sincerity and affection,

"thanks the officers and soldiers

for their spirited and gallant behavior at Trenton."

- [ all cheering ]

- With Washington crossing the Delaware,

the history of the world was one way before that,

and it turned out to be another way after that.

Washington's decision to do that on that cold night

has warmed the rest of us ever since.

- "The commissary is strictly ordered

to provide rum to the troops."

- [ all cheering ]

- So, what had looked to be a lost cause

just a few weeks before suddenly looks a lot better,

and the principal person who pulls this off is Washington.

But he's got a shrinking army,

and most of his soldiers will be going home

at the end of the year.

- As we have begun

the glorious work of driving the enemy...

I hope you will not now

turn your backs upon them

and leave the business half-finished

at this important crisis,

a crisis which may, more than probably,

determine the fate of America.

- People join armies,

and they stay in armies for a variety of reasons.

In the case of Washington,

he presents the cause as the cause of freedom.

- Washington knew that you have to give

any group of human beings that you wanna lead effectively

a sense of purpose. "Why are we doing this?

Why am I putting my life on the line?"

My mission is to close with and destroy the enemy

by firing maneuver.

But the purpose of doing this

is to protect the United States of America.

- I therefore not only invite you to a longer continuance,

but earnestly exhort the officers and soldiers

of all those regiments whose term of service

is due to expire in a few days...

♪♪♪

...to remain.

- He doesn't force them to stay.

He doesn't order them to stay.

He pleads with their sense of loyalty and duty,

and he asked them to stay.

- Many of them will re-enlist 'cause now there's some hope,

and they'll be able to recruit new soldiers

because there seems like--

this is actually something worth fighting for,

and hope keeps an army going.

- The greatness of Washington's victory at Trenton

wasn't so much in what happened on the battlefield,

But the huge impact that it has

on the feelings of the American people.

- Word of mouth would have traveled to people

about what had happened, and it would buoy people spirits

and make people think that it was possible

that the country could actually pull this off.

- Trenton changed everything,

and we owe it to Washington's audacity.

♪♪♪

- The British are frustrated at this point.

Certainly Howe is frustrated.

He had hoped that this thing would be over by now

and that the American army would just kinda drift away,

and the revolution would die a peaceful death.

♪♪♪

- In response to Washington's surprise victory,

the British throw their military might

at finally winning control of the Hudson.

In July, they captured the key American post

at Fort Ticonderoga,

forcing the Northern Army into retreat.

- The Continental Army was a complicated beast.

Washington had his own army he was in charge of,

but there was also the Northern Army

and the Southern Army.

- Unsure where the British will strike next,

Washington sends reinforcements north

to protect the Hudson.

He then spends the summer of 1777,

marching his own forces between Philadelphia

and New York in an effort to protect both.

- Washington is a true commander in chief.

He's not just looking at what's good for me

down here with my main army.

He's giving strategic and operational guidance

to the commanders up in the Northern Army

while he's fighting his own fight

down in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

- By August, the British, under General John Burgoyne,

are poised to strike Albany,

a strategic outpost on the lower Hudson.

As for General Howe,

his fleet has departed New York.

Destination unknown.

- A message from London.

Do we sail for the Hudson?

- It seems our northern armies do not require our assistance.

- Burgoyne desires the glory for himself.

- Perhaps. Let others focus on the north.

A far bigger prize lies right in front of us.

- Philadelphia?

- Not even Washington can survive

the fall of his capital.

And if we are not needed to support others elsewhere,

it means our full force is finally at our disposal.

Get the map.

- Washington is still between us and the city.

- On land...

♪♪♪

And even if he recognizes our target,

he cannot check our ships.

♪♪♪

He has no way of knowing

from which direction we will come.

♪♪♪

I have given him opportunities to see reason.

Still he persists.

Mr. Washington thinks he is making headway.

Well, let's show him

how terribly mistaken he is.

Ready the fleet.

- Straightaway, my Lord.

♪♪♪

- Howe is no longer underestimating Washington.

Washington is the revolution at this point,

and if he can defeat and perhaps even destroy Washington,

that's the revolution right there.

[ wind whistling ]

[ water gurgling ]

[ thunder rumbling ]

♪♪♪

- By late summer, General Howe is making good on his promise

to come for Washington.

♪♪♪

He beats the Continental Army in a battle

just outside of Philadelphia.

The patriot capital is now exposed.

- Philadelphia is a great prize.

It's the rebel capital, a lot of propaganda value.

♪♪♪

- The British think

in a very traditional, military kind of a way,

"We need to capture a major city."

The capture of New York-- that doesn't fix things.

- And if we take the city where Congress is sitting,

maybe that will be so emotionally crippling

that they will surrender.

- This is one of the big crises

in Washington's entire time as commander in chief.

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

- "Howe was about 15 miles from us.

The prospect is chilling on every side."

♪♪♪

"Is Philadelphia to be lost?

If lost, is the cause lost?"

♪♪♪

- Within days, John Adams and his fellow congressmen

are evacuating the city,

and so is a future symbol of American freedom.

♪♪♪

The Liberty Bell is secreted in a church 60 miles away

to keep the British from melting it down

into musket balls.

♪♪♪

- "The enemy gained possession of Philadelphia.

"This will be attended with several ill consequences.

"But I hope that a little time and perseverance

"will give us an opportunity of making amends

for our late ill fortune."

- Washington had been on a losing streak.

He had had the absolutely terrible year in New York.

He had redeemed himself a little bit

with the Battle of Trenton, but then had lost Philadelphia.

- And there really begins to be kind of a whisper campaign

about, "Should Washington be in command of the army?"

- There's rumblings in Congress

and other places, even in the army,

"Who should really be the commander in chief?"

And there's a lot of those folks who were talking

about Gates being the logical successor

to George Washington.

- Horatio Gates is a veteran soldier,

and one of the original contenders

for Washington's job.

He's now commanding

the Continental Army's northern wing

currently in upstate New York,

holding firm against the British,

who are angling to seize control of the Hudson.

The two armies clashed north of Albany near Saratoga

a week before Philadelphia fell.

Though British General John Burgoyne claimed victory,

the Americans inflicted heavy casualties,

thanks in part to the bold battlefield tactics

of one of Washington's rising stars,

36-year-old former merchant from Connecticut,

Benedict Arnold.

[ horse whinnies ]

- You have been broken.

[ horse whinnies ] Do not give quarter.

♪♪♪

- Now in October,

after nearly a month of stalemate,

Arnold is on the field once again

to stop Britain's advance on the Hudson.

♪♪♪

- Arnold was one of Washington's best officers.

He was brilliant on the battlefield,

decisive, great strategic sense.

- Kind of a daredevil in his willingness

to put his body at risk.

- He's totally dedicated to the cause of the revolution,

and he's willing to sacrifice for it.

- I do not care if their backs are turned!

Put them in their graves!

Send them to hell!

Send them all to hell!

♪♪♪

[ beating drum ]

♪♪♪

- Charge!

- [ all yelling ]

- Everyone!

[ yelling continues ]

[ gunfire ]

♪♪♪

- [ shouts indistinctly ]

[ swords clanking ]

♪♪♪

[ shouts indistinctly ]

♪♪♪

- Fall back!

Fall back!

♪♪♪

- [ shouts indistinctly ]

[ blades clanking ]

♪♪♪

[ shouts indistinctly ]

♪♪♪

- Fall back!

Fall back!

[ gunfire ]

[ horse whinnies ]

[ crowd cheering ]

♪♪♪

- The Battle of Saratoga was a punch to the gut

for the British Army.

They had assumed this was going to give them

the victory, that that would shut down the revolution,

but it was just the opposite.

[ crowd cheering ]

- There's a wonderful letter from a British officer

who describes how Burgoyne was so full of emotion

and disbelieving that they had lost this battle

that he really couldn't speak.

So it was a stunning, stunning victory

that ends up having a huge impact

for the American cause,

and Arnold is a great hero in that moment.

- But Arnold's heroics at Saratoga come at a price.

In the final push of battle, his left leg is shot

and then crushed by his fallen horse.

- He's taken to a hospital in Albany.

And meanwhile, back in the center of the action,

Horatio Gates, who did not leave his tent during Saratoga,

takes credit for the victory.

♪♪♪

- Gates is not just looking to steal Arnold's thunder.

His real intention is to use his victory at Saratoga

to make a play for the job of his commanding officer,

George Washington.

- Gates is very careful not to put himself on paper

and saying, "I want to take charge."

But he speaks with Washington's opponents,

and he encourages them to begin lobbying in Congress

and elsewhere for Washington's deposition.

And when criticisms of Washington arise,

certain young men in what Washington calls

his military family stepped to the fore,

identify Washington's critics

and do their best to destroy them.

And nobody steps forward with more aggressiveness

than Alexander Hamilton.

- "All the true and sensible friends to their country

"and, of course, to a certain great man

"ought to be upon the watch

"to counterplot the secret machinations

of his enemies."

♪♪♪

- The 21-year-old captain who commanded an artillery unit

at the Battle of Trenton

is now one of the commander in chief's

most trusted aides-de-camp.

- In an aide, what Washington needs

is someone who can write for him,

can speak for him, can act for him

in a way that's true to him.

- Another of Washington's staunchest allies

is the 19-year-old Marquis de Lafayette.

♪♪♪

- The Marquis de Lafayette is a young French nobleman

who is inspired by the cause of what's going on in America.

So he comes to the United States

and commits himself to the effort.

- Lafayette has joined Washington's army

as a volunteer.

He was wounded at the Battle of Brandywine,

and he's now been appointed a general

in the Continental Army.

- He's very young and very eager,

and you certainly get a sense

that Washington and Lafayette become very close very quickly.

♪♪♪

- As Washington begins winter camp at Valley Forge,

his critics are still plotting against him,

but his military family is standing by his side.

- [ speaks French ]

- To old friends and new allies.

- And to our fearless commander.

- The only general who could lead this army.

[ glasses clink ]

♪♪♪

- I must say,

we are all well aware on the fools in Congress

who do not know a single thing about war.

But every man at this table, every man in this camp

knows that if you are lost to America,

there is nobody who could keep the army

and the revolution going.

- I appreciate your confidence, my dear Marquis.

But for one night, let's not discuss the war.

- Hear, hear.

- To Christmas. - To Christmas.

- To Christmas.

[ glasses clink ]

- Despite attempts to quiet the cabal,

calls for Washington's ouster aren't going away.

In January 1778,

an anonymous letter circulated in the Congress

makes the case for his removal

with a scathing list of Washington's failures.

- "That the enemies, taking possession

"of the city of Philadelphia,

"with so little loss in opposition,

"has been very discouraging

"to many of the true friends of America,

"that more men will die this winter

"than it would've cost lives to have conquered the enemy

"last summer and fall,

"that it is a very great reproach to America

to say there is only one general in it."

♪♪♪

- Washington worried the American people

were going to believe this criticism.

He worried he was going to lose their support.

♪♪♪

- There's a sense that he really doesn't have what it takes.

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

- Nearly three years into the war,

George Washington is facing escalating personal attacks

and a new enemy...

winter.

Plagued with disease and desperately hungry,

the men of Washington's main fighting force

are battling to stay alive.

- Follow me.

- If we are to set rations,

we must have accurate account of our provisions.

- [ coughing ]

♪♪♪

- Food supplies are running low,

and what little they do have

is growing more rancid by the day.

- Wow.

♪♪♪

- Check every crate and barrel.

♪♪♪

Inform me as soon as the count is completed.

- Washington and his troops

are hunkered down for the winter at Valley Forge,

just 20 miles outside of British-occupied Philadelphia.

The two armies are camped so close

that to survive the winter,

they're forced to draw on the same farms for supplies.

- There's a battle going on for food,

and the British are winning.

- The Americans don't have gold and silver,

and so they're offering payment in paper money.

Farmers don't like having bushels of paper money

of diminishing value

when they could be offered gold and silver

if they will trade it with the British.

- And a lot of states really hoarded their resources

in the event that Britain decided

to make its next campaign in their state.

- For Washington, it meant

that there was no end to the shortages.

- He's begging the states. He's begging Congress.

- "I need you to raise more money

"so that I can feed my soldiers,

"so that I can give them shoes,

"so that I can have the proper amount of gunpowder

to actually be able to fire my cannons."

- Many another person in Washington's position

would have said, "I can't do this.

"If you're not gonna give me the resources to win,

then I'm not gonna take this."

But Washington had committed himself personally to this,

and he was gonna see it through to the end.

♪♪♪

- And so, too, will Martha,

who arrives in Valley Forge in February

to support her husband and the cause.

- Martha Washington visits George Washington

in every encampment during the war.

- And she joins him for some of the roughest campaigns,

and for long winters, she's there.

- Martha is no chimney corner wife.

She's not going to go and sit and knit for him.

She assists on taking a visible role in camp.

- Martha leads by example.

She's tending to the sick, and she's receiving people,

so she's also sort of working the diplomatic relations

for Washington.

- They both shared that powerful sense

that the people needed them,

and it was this duty and the sacrifice

and service that was part of the cause.

- She had an impact on headquarters

and on the general morale of people who were there,

and I think was important

as a figure that Washington could trust

in a way that possibly he couldn't trust anyone else.

[ door opens ]

- Is it any better? [ wind howling ]

- Worse. And still Congress does nothing.

- Perhaps they do not understand

the severity of the situation.

- I have written letter after letter.

They understand well enough.

- Then they think an army can survive without food.

- Their failure is not malice, my dear.

It is a deeper matter, a fault in their constitution.

- You must take care that their failure

does not become yours.

- Yes.

My reputation may well not survive this.

That cannot be my concern now.

It is the men,

this starving army.

I'm at my wits' end about what to do for them.

- Well...

if there's one thing I know about you,

it is that you are simply too determined

to concede defeat.

You will find another way.

♪♪♪

- "Friends, countrymen, and fellow citizens,

"it is to be feared that so large an army

may suffer for the want of provisions."

- After having written

hundreds of pages of letters to Congress,

Washington flexes his political muscle

and makes a direct appeal to the people.

His open letters are printed in papers

across the states.

- "It is therefore recommended

"to the inhabitants of those states

"to put up and feed immediately

as many of their stock cattle as they can spare."

- He then invites the congressional delegates to camp

so they can witness the misery of his army firsthand.

- Delegates to Congress-- they recognize now

that things really are just as desperate

as Washington has portrayed them.

- They also discover something else--

an army being held together

against tremendous odds by one man.

- He can win this war if he can keep his army together.

Valley Forge was all about

preventing his soldiers from saying, "I quit."

- The impact of Washington's dedication at Valley Forge

is huge.

- He was there with them. He shared their hardship.

and he showed them that they could get through this.

- When soldiers see their officers with them,

eating the same lousy food,

getting the same lousy amount of sleep,

living in the same awful conditions,

"then my officers can do it, I can do it."

That's what leadership's all about.

- Valley Forge was the light in the darkness

because Washington had the courage to endure.

- This is Washingtonian-- "Survive and you shall succeed."

They survived.

- As does Washington's command.

After months of whispers, the talk of General Gates

replacing Washington is no more.

- The great majority of the officers in the army

stand by Washington.

And they make it clear to Congress

that if they wanna keep an army together,

it has to be kept together under Washington.

♪♪♪

- An estimated 2,000 men ultimately die at Valley Forge.

But when spring arrives,

Washington has some 10,000 soldiers fit to fight,

and he's received word that help is on the way.

[ door squeaks ]

- You summoned me, General.

- I have something here you may find of interest.

- [ chuckles ] Is it true?

- It would appear

that Mr. Franklin has finally done it.

- [ grunts ]

King Louis has seen reason.

- Yes.

An alliance.

- For years, the colonies have sought an ally

with the power to rival Britain.

In the spring of 1778, they get one

when Benjamin Franklin brokers a treaty between America

and England's greatest rival, France.

- With luck, your countrymen will soon be fighting

by our side. This is certainly welcome news.

- Oh, oui. And to see King George's face

when he hears.

But a toast...

We must have a toast. - Of course.

- France is impressed by Washington's ability

to keep his army going.

- For the Americans, it's a huge moment

because now they have this major empire

giving vital support and supplies and funds.

- Washington finally sees hope.

He begins now to think of a final campaign

in ending the war in one fell swoop.

- [ speaks French ]

[ glasses clink ]

[ speaks French ]

[ clink ]

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

- Sir.

- Thank you, Billy.

- In May of 1778,

with the desperate winter behind him

and the French now on his side,

General George Washington is looking ahead

to the next phase of the war.

- Major General Arnold is here, sir.

- Send him in.

- But first, he has a thank you to bestow

on the hero of Saratoga.

[ door squeaks ]

- I traveled here as soon as I could.

- It is certainly good to see you doing so well.

- For the past seven months,

Benedict Arnold has been working his way back

from the injury he suffered at Saratoga

when his horse fell on him in battle.

[ horse whinnies ]

His left leg is now 2 inches shorter than the right.

- My, uh, recovery took longer than I would have hoped.

And there is still some difficulty atop a horse,

but I'm eager to return to the field.

- As we are to have you.

Did you receive the epaulets and sword that I sent you?

- I did. They were, uh, very much appreciated.

- A gentleman from France recently sent me

three sets of them.

I was instructed to keep one for myself

and impart the others on men of deserving character.

- Thank you, sir.

- You have deserved them twice over.

- Thank you.

- Something seems to trouble you, Major General.

- [ sighs ]

I do not wish you to think me ungrateful.

The epaulets were a fine gesture.

But I've sacrificed my fortune,

my blood. I have...

I've become a cripple in the service of my country.

I believe I have earned more.

♪♪♪

- Washington clearly felt that Arnold was worthy,

but Congress in its wisdom decided

not to give Arnold a promotion.

- He's getting passed over for all these other people

with political connections to Congress.

And even when he gets promotions,

he doesn't get the commands he wants.

- I understand your frustrations.

But Congress moves slowly,

and politics have a way of complicating things.

Know that I do not question your value,

and I learned as a young man,

patience is a virtue.

- Patience?

[ exhales deeply ]

I will take my leave then, sir.

- Of course.

♪♪♪

- Arnold is stewing.

He's getting over his injury.

Congress still hasn't repaid him for money that he fronted

at the beginning of the war. He's in debt.

♪♪♪

- So, Arnold began to wonder, "Why am I doing this?

"Is this country living up

to the commitments it's made to me?"

♪♪♪

- In June of 1778,

Washington offers a new opportunity

that has the potential to advance Arnold's career.

With the French and their navy now on America's side,

the redcoats have abandoned Philadelphia

to reinforce their troops in New York.

- After the British evacuate,

Washington puts Arnold in command of Philadelphia.

- [ exhales deeply ]

- Washington saw Arnold as a kind of project,

someone, uh, that if nurtured,

could become a truly spectacular balanced leader.

- Ah, William. Welcome to Philadelphia.

- But once military governor of Philadelphia,

Arnold decided it was time for him

to begin to profit from this war.

And so he began to launch

into a series of investment schemes.

- This is what we spoke about?

- He is accused of corruption.

♪♪♪

He has to go through a court-martial

which largely finds him innocent

but also gives him a slap on the wrist.

Arnold can't stand it.

- And so he became embittered over time,

much in the way we saw a young Washington become embittered,

but Washington-- he didn't hold on

to the vestiges of the past,

whereas Arnold tended to his grudges like a garden.

[ birds chirping ]

- In spring 1779,

Arnold sows the seeds of betrayal

by making contact with British intelligence.

- Arnold had sent a letter to John André,

who was a British officer, offered some information.

He was kind of ignored.

♪♪♪

- This just arrived for you.

- His wife, Peggy Shippen, had been in Philadelphia

during the British occupation

and had been good friends with John André.

- What does it say?

- Instructions. [ clears throat ]

A list of things I would have interest in,

and he wishes to meet in person.

- Well, that is good, is it not?

Major André is a good man.

You can trust him. - That is not what worries me.

- Then what?

- Dispatches, troop orders,

officer assignments, and battle plans,

insights into Washington himself--

all these things I can provide with certainty.

These are things other men could provide as well.

If I'm to make this leak,

I must have assurances of my position,

and that can only be guaranteed

by bringing with me something no one else could deliver.

- And so Arnold started navigating his way

to getting command of West Point.

- [ exhales deeply ]

♪♪♪

- Located 50 miles north of New York City,

West Point is a massive fortification project.

Washington believes its defenses

are the most important piece of strategic real estate

in the patriot arsenal.

The key to keeping the British

from the goal they've been unable to achieve

in three years of the war--

total domination of the Hudson.

- If the British capture West Point,

they may well be able to capture the entire Hudson River

and decapitate the revolution.

- West Point is also key to Washington's strategy

for an assault on British-occupied New York City.

The battle plan includes a field command

for Benedict Arnold.

- And there's an interesting moment

where he's finally offered something of a promotion,

and he says,

"No, actually, I'd rather be given command of West Point,"

which ultimately baffles Washington like, "What?

"Like, if you're all of this ambition,

"I'm giving you a better position,

and you just wanna be in charge of West Point?"

Now, of course, no one has any reason to know

why he's doing that.

- By the time Washington agrees,

Arnold's already been sharing secrets with the British

for more than a year.

But he stands to earn 20,000 pounds,

a lifetime pension,

and a British officer's commission

if he can deliver West Point which he plans to do

by sabotaging the fort's defenses from within.

- And just as Arnold is about to close the deal,

the plot is revealed.

- André has made his way up the Hudson

for a secret meeting with Arnold.

However, André on his way back

is captured by some militia.

People begin to realize something is up.

- When Arnold's betrayal is discovered,

Washington and his immediate staff are headed to Arnold

to his home.

So, Arnold flees.

And little by little, these letters are coming in

that are revealing to Washington and his staff

that Arnold has betrayed the nation.

He's committed treason. He's turned to the British.

♪♪♪

- You are going to want to see this.

- A British intelligence officer was captured this morning.

- This was found hidden in his boot.

- Traitorous bastard.

- Much as the action sickens as we are

fortunate to have discovered all the plot now and not later.

- Another week, and we would have lost West Point.

- We will make him pay. Believe me.

- He could not have gotten far.

- I will take our best trackers.

You need only say the word.

- Sir?

- Sir?

- Go.

Get him.

Now.

[ footsteps depart ]

- On the next "Washington"...

- The treason of Arnold is a lightning bolt for Americans.

- Burn it all. - Everybody wants him dead.

♪♪♪

- We expected to risk our lives for free?

- No. - No.

- Mutiny is like a virus.

It will infect the whole organization.

- [ all shout indistinctly ]

- Force the soldiers back into line. Execute the leader.

- Fire!

[ explosions ]

- History is written by the winners.

- Increase our bombardment.

We can't allow the British to rebuild their fortifications.

- [ shouts indistinctly ]

- Yorktown is really the culmination

of Washington as a leader.

- [ men yelling ] - I do solemnly swear...

- When he assumes the presidency,

he has everything to lose.

- I did not want this.

- The really critical editors would deliver three copies

of their paper just to piss him off.

- Good! I should rather be in my grave

than be made emperor of this world!

- He decided to step down after two terms

because that's not what dictators do.

It's just as revolutionary as the war itself.

♪♪♪