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- [Narrator] Our history
is no more than a series
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of incredible events.
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Each one of us can
influence its course.
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00:00:08,433 --> 00:00:10,033
The tiniest of our decisions
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00:00:10,066 --> 00:00:13,326
can influence the
future of mankind.
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To know the past, you need
to anticipate the future.
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1152, the middle ages, and
a young and beautiful woman
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hitherto Queen of the Francs,
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has just married
the Count of Anjou.
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00:00:32,416 --> 00:00:35,176
1199, during the
siege of the castle,
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a defender shoulders
his crossbow
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and with one bolt
slays a legendary king.
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15 years later, in
the midst of battle,
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loyal knights rushed
to save their king
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thrown from his horse and
surrounded by enemies.
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These three intimately
connected events
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will lead to the emergence
of one of the most powerful
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kingdoms the Western
world has ever seen,
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the Kingdom of France.
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France, England, and
Germany are three countries
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with clearly
defined territories.
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With a strong identity,
specific language and customs.
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In general, an Englishman
speaks English,
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and lives in England.
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It has not always been so.
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Our story takes place
in the 12th century,
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in the middle of
the Middle Ages.
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This is the period of
crusades, castles, and
knights.
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(dynamic music)
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Europe has lived through
centuries of darkness.
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At the end of the Roman Empire
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every town, village,
or hamlet was isolated.
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One part of the population
organized defense
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for the protection of all,
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so that others could
farm in safety.
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Ramparts were thrown up,
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pacts and alliances of
mutual support were agreed,
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chiefs were recognized.
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A new organization
was established.
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Each leader became the
vassal of a suzerain
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and therefore,
under his authority.
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Each suzerain was himself
the vassal of a more powerful
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suzerain, all the way up
to the king at the top
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of the pyramid.
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The feudal system
system was born.
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- [Narrator] Welcome to
the memory of humanity.
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Here, we can control
time, analyze and compare
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billions of events
and alter them
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to rewrite history endlessly.
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For example, let us imagine
for a moment that our current
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democratic system was
replaced by a feudal system.
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A country where we no
longer spoke of a president,
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but of suzerain.
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Power would be
highly decentralized,
granted to cities,
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departments, and regions.
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Each city would have
its own law enforcement
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and local
administration services.
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It could raise taxes, certain
sections of the population
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00:03:05,066 --> 00:03:07,476
would work more than others
and a minority of people
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would own the
majority of wealth.
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A gain of alliances,
pacts, and betrayals
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would be common place
at the heart of power,
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00:03:17,166 --> 00:03:20,196
as would corruption
and embezzlement.
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There would be no national army.
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The population would not
be able to choose its
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representatives, who would
preciously guard power
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from one generation to
another, from father to son.
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No elections, no
consulting the people.
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The right to vote is
what distinguishes
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democracy from feudalism.
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- [Narrator] Feudalism
possess an extremely strong
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and interlinked social fabric.
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It is difficult to destroy.
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However, this also
makes it highly complex
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and different to shift.
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Through the mechanism
of alliances,
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a father might well be
forced to fight his own son
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on the field of battle.
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The period we are focused on
is dominated by three realms,
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the Kingdom of England,
the Holy Roman Empire,
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and the Kingdom of France.
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France is more of a mosaic
of counties and duchies
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than a true country.
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Through alliances and marriages,
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kings must constantly seek
to impose their authority
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over the feudal chess board.
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In this complex game there
appears a queenly peace
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of irresistible power.
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Eleanor of Aquitaine, wife
of the King of the Francs,
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she is also heir to
the duchy of Aquitaine,
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one of the most
powerful in the kingdom.
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However, the spouses
do not see eye to eye
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and their marriage is annulled.
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A young and beautiful
woman of thirty,
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incredibly rich and
cultivated to boot,
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does not remain single for long.
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Six weeks later she finds a
husband equal to her status,
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the heir to the
thrown of England.
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Through this union, Eleanor
offers England a quarter
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of the territory of France.
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King of England, Duke of
Normandy, and Count of Anjou,
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her husband also becomes
Duke of Aquitaine,
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and equal to the King of
France, he is also his
vassal.
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Richer and more powerful,
he nevertheless,
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owes him obedience.
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The kings are in check.
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- [Narrator] Nothing is ever
simple in medieval politics.
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In the 12th century,
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the notions of what is
English or French are vague.
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Ever since it was invaded
by William the Conqueror,
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Duke of Normandy, England has
been ruled by Norman kings
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speaking old French.
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The two kingdoms
have become cousins.
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The nobles of each country
hold fiefs in the other.
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However, William on
becoming King of England,
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did not renounce his
title of Duke of Normandy
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so he remains a vassal of
the King of the Francs.
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And so, the famous Richard
never called himself Lion
heart,
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but Coeur de Lion.
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He did not speak
English, but French.
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King Richard spent a mere
two months in England,
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and was also,
through his titles,
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a vassal of the King of Francs.
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He was buried in France,
his maternal land.
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The motto of the English
monarchy, Dieu and Mon Droit,
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goes back to this period,
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as does the proliferation
of words of French origin
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in the language of Shakespeare.
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English, the language
of the people,
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00:06:45,116 --> 00:06:48,316
will not be definitely
adopted
until the 15th century,
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00:06:48,350 --> 00:06:50,420
on the battlefields
of the middle ages
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as on that of Waterloo.
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The allies communicated
between each other in French
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to fight the French.
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Powers are made and unmade.
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- [Narrator] In this
particular context,
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it takes a strong man to
ignite the gun powder.
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In this period, there
happens to be two.
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Phillip Augustus,
King of the Francs,
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a skillful politician
and a fine strategist.
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Richard the Lion heart, King
Knight and fearless
tactician.
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Phillip has a political vision
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that Richard is
rendering impossible,
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to transform a collection of
disparate counties and duchies
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into a true, unified kingdom,
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bound together under one flag.
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This resolutely modern
vision of the state,
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would make it the most
powerful kingdom in Europe,
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and that is not
what Richard wants.
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Through his mother,
Eleanor of Aquitaine,
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Richard has legitimate claims
on a part of the kingdom
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that Phillip wants to create,
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and he's utterly determined
to defend his lands.
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1199, the Siege of Chalus.
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Richard the Lion heart,
himself, commands operations.
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Fired from the keep a crossbow
bolt strikes him full on.
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Richard pulls out the bolt
himself, though within 10
days,
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gangrene carries him off.
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Our story has changed course.
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The balance is upset.
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The game is unlocked.
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John Lackland,
Richard's brother,
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succeeds him and
becomes King of England.
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He is also the son of Eleanor
and can lay claim to the
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same rights over the
lands of Aquitaine.
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However, he has neither the
charisma nor the military
skills
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of his elder brother.
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Now faced with a
weakened opponent,
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Phillip can finally create
the France of his ambitions.
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One by one, he conquers the
lands of the King of England.
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Alone, John can do
nothing to prevent him.
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To defeat Phillip,
he needs Otto.
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Otto the fourth, Holy
Roman Emperor does not need
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to be asked twice.
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When one succeeds, it is often
at the expense of another,
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and Phillip has made as
many enemies as friends.
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Two vast armies are raised.
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The invasion will be a
combined encircling operation.
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In the west, John will
land at Lauershell
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to draw Phillip away.
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In the northeast, Otto
will seize the occasion
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for rapid march on Paris.
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It's a trap.
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When he learns of
John's landing,
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Phillip Augustus
orders the oriflamme,
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the royal standard to be
raised while he speeds
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to confront John.
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However, his instinct
tells him to be cautious.
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John is not the sort of man
to confront him in person
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and he is now far from Paris.
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Too far.
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The north is without defense.
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He now holds the most crucial
counsel of war of his reign.
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The survival of the kingdom
turns on his decision.
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On the throw of a dice, he
sends his son to confront
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John while he himself will
go to defend the north.
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Two armies, one led by the
father, the other by the son,
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hold the fate of a realm.
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Neither of the two can fail.
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00:10:06,133 --> 00:10:07,073
The first act is
played out at the
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Fortress of the Roche Homeone.
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John besieges the fort
but resistance is so high
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that the relieving army
has time to arrive.
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Seized with panic, and without
even engaging in battle,
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John flees.
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00:10:21,350 --> 00:10:24,050
The King of England will
have a hard time explaining
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this lack of courage to his
barons, which leaves Otto.
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Otto and his knights.
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- [Narrator] You are
not born a knight.
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You become one.
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Equipped with armor
and a charger,
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a knight is first and
foremost, a warrior,
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00:10:46,033 --> 00:10:50,023
but a warrior who has
adopted a code of conduct.
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00:10:50,050 --> 00:10:52,100
Once recognized
by another knight
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00:10:52,133 --> 00:10:54,003
during the dubbing ceremony,
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00:10:54,033 --> 00:10:56,323
he earns the right to
wear his coat of arm,
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00:10:56,350 --> 00:10:59,380
the sign of identification,
and to fight with a sword,
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00:10:59,416 --> 00:11:02,126
the most noble of weapons.
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00:11:02,166 --> 00:11:04,246
Unlike a soldier,
who receives a pay,
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00:11:04,283 --> 00:11:07,273
or a mercenary, who sells his
service to the highest bidder,
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00:11:07,300 --> 00:11:11,030
the knight pledges
allegiance to a suzerain
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00:11:11,066 --> 00:11:13,076
and swears to defend
his cause and his honor.
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These elite warriors are the
spearhead of medieval armies.
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In battle, men
sometimes forge values
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that bind them together.
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00:11:27,266 --> 00:11:30,996
From the samurai, who
observed the code of bushido,
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00:11:31,033 --> 00:11:33,183
to the semper fidelis
of the American Marine,
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00:11:33,216 --> 00:11:36,346
by way of the grenadier of
the Napoleonic Old Guard,
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00:11:36,383 --> 00:11:39,153
the commitment goes
beyond the field of battle
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and determines the
lives of these warriors.
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00:11:44,100 --> 00:11:47,220
Sometimes criticised and
often labeled obsolete,
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this spirit has
slowly been abandoned
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00:11:49,400 --> 00:11:51,220
in favor of a colder,
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00:11:51,250 --> 00:11:54,050
more pragmatic approach to war.
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00:12:05,133 --> 00:12:08,053
- [Narrator] On July
27, 1214, the two armies
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00:12:08,083 --> 00:12:11,173
are no more than a few
miles from each other.
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The coaliltion army
includes a large number
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00:12:13,150 --> 00:12:16,180
of German pike men
in heavy armor.
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00:12:16,216 --> 00:12:18,266
Otto the fourth can also
count on a heavy cavalry
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00:12:18,300 --> 00:12:20,350
made up of English
and Flemish nobles,
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00:12:20,383 --> 00:12:23,183
and also a few French traitors.
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00:12:23,216 --> 00:12:25,346
Redoubtable English archers
and toughened mercenaries
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00:12:25,383 --> 00:12:27,423
complete the numbers.
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00:12:27,450 --> 00:12:29,300
The army of the Francs
consist, for a large part,
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00:12:29,333 --> 00:12:32,373
of elite calvary, Arctic
knights from all four corners
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00:12:32,400 --> 00:12:35,380
of the realm, well-equipped
veterans of the crusades
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00:12:35,416 --> 00:12:37,226
and loyal to their king.
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00:12:37,266 --> 00:12:39,396
Numerically inferior, Phillip
has turned to the free
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00:12:39,433 --> 00:12:42,053
communes of the kingdom, who
have dispatched considerable
250
00:12:42,083 --> 00:12:44,333
numbers of their own militias.
251
00:12:48,183 --> 00:12:51,053
(steps plodding)
252
00:12:52,416 --> 00:12:54,346
After several days of
maneuvering, Otto has engaged
253
00:12:54,383 --> 00:12:57,323
in the pursuit of the
army of the Francs.
254
00:12:57,350 --> 00:12:59,100
Confident in his strategy,
255
00:12:59,133 --> 00:13:03,003
his objective is to catch
up with it and destroy it.
256
00:13:03,033 --> 00:13:06,303
Suddenly, Phillip's
army turns about.
257
00:13:06,333 --> 00:13:08,373
While they imagined they would
annihilate abandoned flight,
258
00:13:08,400 --> 00:13:10,380
the Germans find themselves
faced with an army
259
00:13:10,416 --> 00:13:13,076
of knights in battle order.
260
00:13:13,116 --> 00:13:16,116
In the center is Phillip
Augustus, the absolute enemy.
261
00:13:16,150 --> 00:13:19,070
This is the day,
this is the hour.
262
00:13:20,133 --> 00:13:21,423
It is noon.
263
00:13:21,450 --> 00:13:23,150
The heat of oppressive.
264
00:13:23,183 --> 00:13:25,203
Somebody cries,
"Death to the French!"
265
00:13:25,233 --> 00:13:27,183
and the battle commences.
266
00:13:27,216 --> 00:13:29,046
In the center, the
German juggernaut,
267
00:13:29,083 --> 00:13:31,283
the terrible heavy pikeman,
advance directly on the
268
00:13:31,316 --> 00:13:32,476
King of the Francs.
269
00:13:33,016 --> 00:13:34,476
The mission is to
demolish the French ranks
270
00:13:35,016 --> 00:13:37,326
and kill the king as
quickly as possible.
271
00:13:37,366 --> 00:13:40,096
The Francs struggle to
contain the German monster.
272
00:13:40,133 --> 00:13:44,103
The town militias cannot
withstand the assault.
273
00:13:45,300 --> 00:13:47,170
On the German's left flank
the Flemish nobles are
274
00:13:47,200 --> 00:13:49,300
engaged in ferocious
hand to hand combat,
275
00:13:49,333 --> 00:13:52,053
when suddenly above
the clash of arms,
276
00:13:52,083 --> 00:13:55,003
the terrifying sounds of
war trumpets rings out.
277
00:13:55,033 --> 00:13:56,433
The spearhead of the
French cavalry charges
278
00:13:56,466 --> 00:13:58,376
fiercely into the heart
of the enemy troops.
279
00:13:58,416 --> 00:14:00,216
There's a mighty shock.
280
00:14:00,250 --> 00:14:02,150
The heavy cavalry
sweeps all before it.
281
00:14:02,183 --> 00:14:04,223
Disorganized, the Flemish
can do nothing against
282
00:14:04,250 --> 00:14:06,170
the Frankish knights who
break through the ranks
283
00:14:06,200 --> 00:14:09,420
in several places, turn
around,
and attack from the rear.
284
00:14:09,450 --> 00:14:14,030
The whole of the German
left flank soon collapses.
285
00:14:16,300 --> 00:14:19,030
To the west, the very
opposite is about to happen.
286
00:14:19,066 --> 00:14:21,116
The Francs are within
an inch of collapse,
287
00:14:21,150 --> 00:14:24,400
but then, the Bishop of
Beauvais hurls his whole
weight
288
00:14:24,433 --> 00:14:28,053
into the fray, hacks a path
through to the English chief,
289
00:14:28,083 --> 00:14:29,253
and with a spectacular
blow of his mace,
290
00:14:29,283 --> 00:14:31,123
shatters his helmet.
291
00:14:32,200 --> 00:14:35,330
Seized with panic, the
English take flight.
292
00:14:39,216 --> 00:14:41,366
With their wings secure, the
situation appears to swing
293
00:14:41,400 --> 00:14:43,250
in favor for the Francs,
294
00:14:43,283 --> 00:14:45,483
but in the center, the German
foot soldiers are nearly
295
00:14:46,016 --> 00:14:48,226
within striking distance
of King Phillip.
296
00:14:48,266 --> 00:14:52,296
These 3,000 redoubtable elite
soldiers have one singe order.
297
00:14:52,333 --> 00:14:55,173
Kill the King whatever the cost.
298
00:14:57,100 --> 00:14:59,230
(clanking)
299
00:15:03,183 --> 00:15:06,083
Exhausted, decimated, the
militias finally give way.
300
00:15:06,116 --> 00:15:09,096
The Germans drive deep
into the French ranks.
301
00:15:09,133 --> 00:15:11,053
The King's guard charges
to slow the advance,
302
00:15:11,083 --> 00:15:12,483
the situation is grave.
303
00:15:13,016 --> 00:15:14,216
Phillip, at the
heart of the battle,
304
00:15:14,250 --> 00:15:16,250
is rapidly surrounded by
enemies and is under attack
305
00:15:16,283 --> 00:15:18,003
from all sides.
306
00:15:18,033 --> 00:15:20,153
His guard, far forward,
is unaware of the danger.
307
00:15:20,183 --> 00:15:22,223
Suddenly, a spear
hurdles through the air
308
00:15:22,250 --> 00:15:24,330
and strikes Phillip full on.
309
00:15:24,366 --> 00:15:26,316
The King's armor deflects
the blow and saves his life,
310
00:15:26,350 --> 00:15:28,450
but he's unable to
pull out the spear.
311
00:15:28,483 --> 00:15:32,003
The German soldiers heave
with all their might.
312
00:15:32,033 --> 00:15:35,033
Off balance, isolated, the
king of the Francs is thrown
313
00:15:35,066 --> 00:15:36,146
to the ground.
314
00:15:37,133 --> 00:15:38,273
The Germans rush forward.
315
00:15:38,300 --> 00:15:40,220
Their daggers at the ready.
316
00:15:40,250 --> 00:15:42,480
They must kill the King.
317
00:15:43,016 --> 00:15:45,196
Dazed, Phillip tries to get
to his feet to defend
himself.
318
00:15:45,233 --> 00:15:48,123
His knights form a bulk
work with their bodies
319
00:15:48,150 --> 00:15:50,150
and wage a desperate battle.
320
00:15:50,183 --> 00:15:52,323
The Germans are everywhere
and they outnumber them.
321
00:15:52,350 --> 00:15:55,150
Desperately, they wave the
oriflamme to call for help.
322
00:15:55,183 --> 00:15:57,183
The King is about to die.
323
00:15:57,216 --> 00:15:59,116
The Royal Guard is hacking
a path through to him,
324
00:15:59,150 --> 00:16:01,030
but is still far away.
325
00:16:01,066 --> 00:16:03,126
Laying down their lives, the
last of the Frankish knights
326
00:16:03,166 --> 00:16:05,026
are true to their oaths,
327
00:16:05,066 --> 00:16:07,446
but the Germans
are too numerous.
328
00:16:09,300 --> 00:16:11,300
(thuds)
329
00:16:18,333 --> 00:16:21,433
Maces smash through shields,
swords pierce armor.
330
00:16:21,466 --> 00:16:24,416
Arriving just in time,
the Royal Guard, in fury,
331
00:16:24,450 --> 00:16:27,000
slaughters the Germans
and places the King
332
00:16:27,033 --> 00:16:28,323
back in his saddle.
333
00:16:29,283 --> 00:16:32,203
Phillip Augustus is saved.
334
00:16:32,233 --> 00:16:35,383
He should take shelter, flee
far from the battle, now.
335
00:16:35,416 --> 00:16:37,366
But a King is a knight.
336
00:16:39,283 --> 00:16:43,383
His honor commands him to
remain and face the foe.
337
00:16:45,383 --> 00:16:47,073
The army reforms.
338
00:16:47,100 --> 00:16:50,020
Swords unsheathed,
shields raised.
339
00:16:51,183 --> 00:16:53,203
The Frankish knights,
thirsty for revenge,
340
00:16:53,233 --> 00:16:55,233
charge the Emperor Otto.
341
00:16:57,233 --> 00:17:01,133
Opposite them, they can
only prepare and wait.
342
00:17:02,433 --> 00:17:04,383
The German ranks fly apart.
343
00:17:04,416 --> 00:17:07,096
The knights charge upon Otto.
344
00:17:07,133 --> 00:17:08,423
Surrounded by a pack
of furious hounds,
345
00:17:08,450 --> 00:17:11,180
he is now the one in danger.
346
00:17:11,216 --> 00:17:13,326
To save his life, he flees.
347
00:17:15,016 --> 00:17:17,046
The enraged Francs pursue him.
348
00:17:17,083 --> 00:17:20,003
Now it's the turn of the
German knights to intervene.
349
00:17:20,033 --> 00:17:23,433
They narrowly manage to throw
the Francs to the ground.
350
00:17:23,466 --> 00:17:26,346
Contrary to Phillip Augustus,
Otto desserts the battle field
351
00:17:26,383 --> 00:17:29,233
in order to save his own life.
352
00:17:29,266 --> 00:17:33,296
1199, Richard dies at
the Siege of Chalus,
353
00:17:33,333 --> 00:17:35,203
whereas Phillip
Augustus survives
354
00:17:35,233 --> 00:17:38,033
the Battle of Bouvines in 1214.
355
00:17:43,200 --> 00:17:46,450
- [Narrator] We have just
reached a turning point.
356
00:17:46,483 --> 00:17:51,103
A turning point is a key
event,
a cross roads in our history
357
00:17:52,200 --> 00:17:55,370
where the world swings
one way or the other.
358
00:17:58,066 --> 00:18:01,426
Phillip Augustus has just
come within inches of death.
359
00:18:01,466 --> 00:18:04,346
If Otto soldiers had
succeeded in killing the King,
360
00:18:04,383 --> 00:18:07,303
their emperor would not
only have won a battle,
361
00:18:07,333 --> 00:18:10,123
he would also have
broken a kingdom.
362
00:18:10,150 --> 00:18:13,120
If King Phillip had died
at Bouvines, France,
363
00:18:13,150 --> 00:18:16,170
carved up into tiny duchies,
would probably have been
364
00:18:16,200 --> 00:18:19,280
absorbed by a French
speaking England.
365
00:18:23,150 --> 00:18:26,030
For France, this was
a unique opportunity
366
00:18:26,066 --> 00:18:28,116
to become a true kingdom.
367
00:18:28,150 --> 00:18:30,250
The right leader,
the right moment,
368
00:18:30,283 --> 00:18:32,373
surrounded by good people.
369
00:18:33,300 --> 00:18:35,420
A very brief window opened.
370
00:18:36,483 --> 00:18:38,453
Phillip Augustus
was able to see it,
371
00:18:38,483 --> 00:18:40,483
seize it, and defend it.
372
00:18:43,083 --> 00:18:46,053
With the King killed
at Bouvines, the
duchies and counties
373
00:18:46,083 --> 00:18:47,473
would have remained independent.
374
00:18:48,000 --> 00:18:50,420
France would never have
come into existence.
375
00:18:50,450 --> 00:18:55,020
On a battle field, the chief
is the one who coordinates
376
00:18:55,050 --> 00:18:56,400
the efforts of all.
377
00:18:56,433 --> 00:18:59,433
He is the focal
point, the keystone.
378
00:19:01,150 --> 00:19:04,200
A King, head of the army,
but also of the country,
379
00:19:04,233 --> 00:19:07,133
cannot die or flee the fight
without leaving his men
380
00:19:07,166 --> 00:19:10,296
to their own resources
and demoralized.
381
00:19:12,116 --> 00:19:15,476
But during this period,
a King is also a knight.
382
00:19:16,016 --> 00:19:18,166
If he wants to be
chief, he must fight
383
00:19:18,200 --> 00:19:20,430
and be the first to do so.
384
00:19:20,466 --> 00:19:23,416
When he decides to go to
war, he knows he may die,
385
00:19:23,450 --> 00:19:25,170
as may his sons.
386
00:19:25,200 --> 00:19:27,150
That is the difference.
387
00:19:31,116 --> 00:19:34,296
Let's now fast forward
to the Napoleonic Wars.
388
00:19:34,333 --> 00:19:38,003
The Empire's marshals still
fight at the head of their
men.
389
00:19:38,033 --> 00:19:40,233
Like Lam killed by a cannonball,
390
00:19:40,266 --> 00:19:43,216
or Udanal with his 34 wounds,
391
00:19:43,250 --> 00:19:46,200
however Napoleon
stays in the rear.
392
00:19:47,350 --> 00:19:51,100
Forward even further
to Verdun in 1916,
393
00:19:51,133 --> 00:19:55,133
700,000 dead, 80% from
artillery shelling,
394
00:19:55,166 --> 00:19:58,996
the generals are no
longer at the front.
395
00:19:59,033 --> 00:20:01,453
The second world
war, Stalingrad.
396
00:20:02,000 --> 00:20:05,430
Stalin gives the order,
not one step back,
397
00:20:05,466 --> 00:20:07,416
one million dead.
398
00:20:07,450 --> 00:20:10,070
The Soviet leader, himself,
is hundreds of miles
399
00:20:10,100 --> 00:20:11,470
from the city.
400
00:20:12,000 --> 00:20:14,170
Truman is even further away
when he gives the order
401
00:20:14,200 --> 00:20:18,000
to drop two atomic
bombs on civilians.
402
00:20:18,033 --> 00:20:21,053
In our own times, an American,
comfortably seated in Texas,
403
00:20:21,083 --> 00:20:23,233
uses a joystick and a
real time video link
404
00:20:23,266 --> 00:20:26,016
to pilot a predator drone
to strike down a target
405
00:20:26,050 --> 00:20:27,470
anywhere in the world.
406
00:20:29,216 --> 00:20:31,026
- [Narrator] A chief
who flees a battlefield
407
00:20:31,066 --> 00:20:32,446
is never a good sign.
408
00:20:34,166 --> 00:20:36,366
Demoralized, the German
troops abandon the fight,
409
00:20:36,400 --> 00:20:38,350
one after another.
410
00:20:38,383 --> 00:20:41,223
Phillips Augustus's
victory is total.
411
00:20:41,250 --> 00:20:44,300
The two allied
armies are defeated.
412
00:20:44,333 --> 00:20:47,123
In the heart of the battle,
the King proved his valor.
413
00:20:47,150 --> 00:20:51,120
At the pinnacle of his glory,
and freed of his enemies,
414
00:20:51,150 --> 00:20:54,320
he has the means to impose
his vision on his vassals.
415
00:20:54,350 --> 00:20:57,050
France will become
progressively more important
416
00:20:57,083 --> 00:20:59,373
to the hearts of it's people
than their own duchies
417
00:20:59,400 --> 00:21:00,450
and counties.
418
00:21:02,233 --> 00:21:04,373
In the fields of Bouvines,
the King of the Francs
419
00:21:04,400 --> 00:21:06,430
becomes a King of France.
420
00:21:08,050 --> 00:21:10,000
Other kingdoms will
take the same road.
421
00:21:10,033 --> 00:21:12,173
The power of the barons
will gradually decline
422
00:21:12,200 --> 00:21:14,130
in favor of the central power.
423
00:21:14,166 --> 00:21:17,046
(dramatic music)
424
00:21:28,466 --> 00:21:31,116
However, a terrible evil
lurks in the shadows of this
425
00:21:31,150 --> 00:21:32,350
dazzling victory.
426
00:21:33,300 --> 00:21:34,420
A time bomb.
427
00:21:34,450 --> 00:21:37,020
In becoming of England,
Eleanor of Aquitaine
428
00:21:37,050 --> 00:21:39,180
granted her son John
and all his descendants
429
00:21:39,216 --> 00:21:43,396
legitimate claims to the
lands conquered by Phillip.
430
00:21:43,433 --> 00:21:45,483
Ironically, now
through another France,
431
00:21:46,016 --> 00:21:48,076
the English will rally
around a unifying principle.
432
00:21:48,116 --> 00:21:49,996
They are English and gradually
433
00:21:50,033 --> 00:21:53,203
they will turn to
speaking English.
434
00:21:53,233 --> 00:21:56,003
The rivalry between the two
countries will not end there,
435
00:21:56,033 --> 00:21:59,083
which all leads to the
terrible Hundred Years War,
436
00:21:59,116 --> 00:22:01,176
but that is another story.
437
00:22:03,316 --> 00:22:05,316
- [Narrator] Who are we?
438
00:22:10,266 --> 00:22:13,326
Are you English because
you speak English?
439
00:22:13,366 --> 00:22:18,126
Richard the Lion heart, King
of England, spoke French.
440
00:22:18,166 --> 00:22:21,416
Are you German because
you were born in Germany?
441
00:22:21,450 --> 00:22:26,070
Hitler, the German chancellor,
was born in Austria.
442
00:22:26,100 --> 00:22:27,300
What is a nation?
443
00:22:29,016 --> 00:22:32,246
Until the Middle Ages, the
concept has no meaning.
444
00:22:32,283 --> 00:22:35,003
England, for instance,
does not exist.
445
00:22:35,033 --> 00:22:38,183
It is simply a territory in
which the English people live.
446
00:22:38,216 --> 00:22:40,176
They talk of the
kingdom of the English
447
00:22:40,216 --> 00:22:43,166
and not of the
Kingdom of England.
448
00:22:43,200 --> 00:22:45,450
What is a French person?
449
00:22:45,483 --> 00:22:48,183
In the beginning, a Celt.
450
00:22:48,216 --> 00:22:50,316
Romanized, he becomes
a Gallo Roman,
451
00:22:50,350 --> 00:22:52,420
and starts speaking Latin.
452
00:22:52,450 --> 00:22:56,070
Then come the Francs,
but also the Burgundians,
453
00:22:56,100 --> 00:22:57,470
the Visigoths, and
other Germanic peoples
454
00:22:58,000 --> 00:23:01,100
who settle on the territory
of present day France,
455
00:23:01,133 --> 00:23:04,073
bringing their blood
and their culture.
456
00:23:04,100 --> 00:23:07,400
France and a new language
are born out of this mix.
457
00:23:07,433 --> 00:23:12,023
The French person today is
the foreigner of yesterday.
458
00:23:18,066 --> 00:23:21,026
The idea of France as a
nation was born in a stew
459
00:23:21,066 --> 00:23:23,426
of different cultures
and languages,
460
00:23:23,466 --> 00:23:26,476
on a soil claimed
by other kings.
461
00:23:27,016 --> 00:23:29,266
The idea germinated slowly
and crept into the hearts
462
00:23:29,300 --> 00:23:33,220
of those who would defend
it till death in 1914
463
00:23:33,250 --> 00:23:36,200
with the cry, "For my Country".
464
00:23:36,233 --> 00:23:39,403
Never before Bouvines would
a Burgundian ever have
465
00:23:39,433 --> 00:23:43,283
imagined being anything
other than a Burgundian.
466
00:23:43,316 --> 00:23:45,246
So what of Europe?
467
00:23:45,283 --> 00:23:48,073
In the beginning, just an idea.
468
00:23:49,266 --> 00:23:51,446
Nothing more than an
idea born of the vision
469
00:23:51,483 --> 00:23:53,323
of a handful of men,
470
00:23:55,016 --> 00:23:58,016
but it is ideas
that lead the world.
471
00:23:59,083 --> 00:24:01,473
(dramatic music)
37526
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