Would you like to inspect the original subtitles? These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated:
1
00:00:02,126 --> 00:00:04,543
We are in the midst
of an emergency
2
00:00:04,710 --> 00:00:07,543
at least equal to that of war.
3
00:00:07,668 --> 00:00:11,001
When you talk like that, you
sound like a president, Frank.
4
00:00:11,126 --> 00:00:14,335
Franklin Roosevelt was
elected in an hour of crisis.
5
00:00:14,418 --> 00:00:17,376
Our fundamental
economic infrastructure
6
00:00:17,460 --> 00:00:18,543
had fallen apart.
7
00:00:18,626 --> 00:00:24,210
This nation asks for
action and action now.
8
00:00:24,335 --> 00:00:27,210
FDR believed in bold
experimentation.
9
00:00:27,376 --> 00:00:31,210
Big programs were being
passed, boom, boom, boom, boom.
10
00:00:31,376 --> 00:00:33,876
We all know what
we're up against,
11
00:00:34,001 --> 00:00:36,710
but now it's our turn to fix it.
12
00:00:40,626 --> 00:00:42,501
Franklin Roosevelt
was the president
13
00:00:42,585 --> 00:00:47,251
who had to face the Great
Depression and World War II.
14
00:00:47,376 --> 00:00:52,543
The only thing we have
to fear is fear itself.
15
00:00:52,710 --> 00:00:56,793
He was ambitious and active,
incredibly privileged,
16
00:00:56,918 --> 00:00:58,210
but he suffered.
17
00:00:58,335 --> 00:01:01,751
You've contracted
infantile paralysis.
18
00:01:01,918 --> 00:01:04,918
And he's had setbacks.
19
00:01:05,085 --> 00:01:07,251
But through pain
can come wisdom.
20
00:01:07,376 --> 00:01:09,043
The country's on
the edge of a cliff,
21
00:01:09,210 --> 00:01:10,626
but we're not going
to let it fall.
22
00:01:10,751 --> 00:01:12,543
What do you plan to
do with this power?
23
00:01:12,710 --> 00:01:17,376
He has a vision to change
the very soul of America.
24
00:01:17,460 --> 00:01:24,043
I pledge myself to a New
Deal for the American people.
25
00:01:24,126 --> 00:01:26,835
American democracy was literally
26
00:01:26,918 --> 00:01:28,501
resting on his shoulders.
27
00:01:28,626 --> 00:01:30,126
This was zero hour.
28
00:01:30,251 --> 00:01:32,210
[speaking german]
29
00:01:33,085 --> 00:01:34,418
Get everybody in here.
30
00:01:34,543 --> 00:01:38,085
He knew that he needed
to project real strength.
31
00:01:38,210 --> 00:01:40,710
He is the dealer and hope
for the entire free world.
32
00:01:40,835 --> 00:01:44,710
An invasion of France
is courting disaster.
33
00:01:44,793 --> 00:01:46,335
He took risks.
34
00:01:46,460 --> 00:01:49,210
Again and again you see these
moments of great daring.
35
00:01:49,335 --> 00:01:52,876
ROOSEVELT: Success may not
come with rushing speed,
36
00:01:52,960 --> 00:01:57,001
but we shall return
again and again.
37
00:01:57,085 --> 00:02:00,126
Roosevelt led the grand
alliance to victory
38
00:02:00,251 --> 00:02:01,626
over fascism.
39
00:02:01,751 --> 00:02:04,710
This was a tumultuous,
complicated period of time.
40
00:02:04,835 --> 00:02:08,293
It's a mistake to think that he
somehow got everything right,
41
00:02:08,418 --> 00:02:10,585
but there was something
about that voice,
42
00:02:10,751 --> 00:02:13,335
there was something
about that smile.
43
00:02:13,460 --> 00:02:17,210
That empathy, that
humility, that resilience,
44
00:02:17,376 --> 00:02:20,293
all those qualities that
FDR just had triumphantly
45
00:02:20,418 --> 00:02:21,668
built into his character.
46
00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:29,074
Advertise your product or brand here
contact www.OpenSubtitles.org today
47
00:02:31,668 --> 00:02:35,710
By 1935, FDR is fighting the
great economic depression
48
00:02:35,793 --> 00:02:37,251
with the New Deal.
49
00:02:37,376 --> 00:02:39,019
Well, did they start
construction for the housing
50
00:02:39,043 --> 00:02:40,668
yet?
51
00:02:40,793 --> 00:02:43,210
He pushes forward with a whole
new set of New Deal policies.
52
00:02:43,293 --> 00:02:44,793
The White House
had become the most
53
00:02:44,918 --> 00:02:47,626
exclusive residential hotel
you could possibly imagine.
54
00:02:47,751 --> 00:02:49,876
Missy LeHand, his
secretary, lived right there
55
00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:51,311
with the family in
the White House.
56
00:02:51,335 --> 00:02:52,876
Tell the boss I'll
be right there.
57
00:02:52,960 --> 00:02:54,168
Louis Howe did as well.
58
00:02:54,293 --> 00:02:55,376
Congress vote yet?
59
00:02:55,460 --> 00:02:57,043
Not yet.
60
00:02:57,168 --> 00:02:58,668
He wants you to rest.
61
00:02:58,793 --> 00:03:02,626
People saw Louis Howe as a
rumpled, gruff, unimpressive
62
00:03:02,751 --> 00:03:05,918
person, but inside that
person was political genius,
63
00:03:06,043 --> 00:03:07,835
and FDR really relied on him.
64
00:03:07,960 --> 00:03:10,293
The Senate is voting on the
Social Security Bill now.
65
00:03:10,418 --> 00:03:11,960
We'll know any moment.
66
00:03:12,085 --> 00:03:13,918
Missy LeHand is his
close confidant.
67
00:03:14,043 --> 00:03:17,210
She basically comes to control
access to the president
68
00:03:17,335 --> 00:03:18,543
like a chief of staff.
69
00:03:18,626 --> 00:03:20,043
Still waiting on
the Senate, Boss.
70
00:03:20,168 --> 00:03:21,543
The house did their job.
71
00:03:21,710 --> 00:03:23,918
Now the Senate better
not drop the ball.
72
00:03:24,085 --> 00:03:26,168
Some of them have it in for me.
73
00:03:26,293 --> 00:03:27,644
Harry Hopkins is
involved with starting
74
00:03:27,668 --> 00:03:30,251
a number of the big
New Deal agencies,
75
00:03:30,376 --> 00:03:32,626
and he became FDR's
closest advisor.
76
00:03:35,085 --> 00:03:38,835
Up until that point, people
were essentially on their own.
77
00:03:38,918 --> 00:03:42,960
Private charities, states could
attend to the most vulnerable,
78
00:03:43,085 --> 00:03:47,001
but the government was really
there to get out of the way.
79
00:03:47,085 --> 00:03:49,710
FDR is challenging
the core assumption
80
00:03:49,876 --> 00:03:53,376
that government has no role
in helping the common man.
81
00:03:53,501 --> 00:03:56,085
The federal government is now
going to take responsibility
82
00:03:56,210 --> 00:03:58,876
for helping people, for helping
farmers, for helping banks,
83
00:03:59,001 --> 00:04:01,626
for helping individuals,
putting them back to work.
84
00:04:05,501 --> 00:04:09,460
The New Deal rebuilt the
infrastructure of America
85
00:04:09,585 --> 00:04:13,793
at the same time as
providing work for people
86
00:04:13,918 --> 00:04:17,126
and giving them back the
dignity and mastery of work.
87
00:04:17,251 --> 00:04:19,043
It was an incredible
accomplishment.
88
00:04:23,626 --> 00:04:25,668
He created a sense of energy.
89
00:04:25,751 --> 00:04:28,335
There was a sense of
possibility, a sense of we're
90
00:04:28,418 --> 00:04:30,460
trying this, that,
and the other thing.
91
00:04:30,585 --> 00:04:33,668
And Social Security was
really important for FDR.
92
00:04:33,751 --> 00:04:36,251
He felt enormous empathy
for the older people
93
00:04:36,376 --> 00:04:37,876
in that stage of their lives.
94
00:04:38,043 --> 00:04:40,227
He's basically saying, we're
going to create a system that
95
00:04:40,251 --> 00:04:41,710
when you're old.
96
00:04:41,793 --> 00:04:43,953
You're not going to be
destitute an enormous percentage
97
00:04:44,043 --> 00:04:46,251
of the population who
were over 65 at that point
98
00:04:46,418 --> 00:04:48,710
lived in abject poverty.
99
00:04:48,793 --> 00:04:52,251
But that Social Security Act
was pretty radical at its time.
100
00:04:52,418 --> 00:04:54,501
Many people denounced
it as socialism.
101
00:04:57,210 --> 00:04:58,210
They vote yet?
102
00:04:58,293 --> 00:04:59,710
Louis, you should be in bed.
103
00:04:59,835 --> 00:05:00,835
I'm fine.
104
00:05:20,085 --> 00:05:23,168
Passed on a voice vote.
105
00:05:23,293 --> 00:05:25,418
Ready to sign.
106
00:05:25,585 --> 00:05:27,043
Congratulations, sir.
107
00:05:27,168 --> 00:05:29,376
Thank you, sir.
108
00:05:29,460 --> 00:05:30,835
That's it, Frank.
109
00:05:30,918 --> 00:05:32,543
Social Security is law.
110
00:05:32,626 --> 00:05:35,210
It'll change the lives
of millions of Americans.
111
00:05:35,335 --> 00:05:36,918
It's only the beginning.
112
00:05:37,043 --> 00:05:39,019
The Republicans are going to
beat you over the head with
113
00:05:39,043 --> 00:05:40,543
this in '36.
114
00:05:40,710 --> 00:05:42,918
And the Supreme Court wants
to throw out the New Deal.
115
00:05:43,085 --> 00:05:44,668
Oh, they'll have
to wait in line.
116
00:05:44,751 --> 00:05:46,751
It's going to be
a tough campaign.
117
00:05:46,876 --> 00:05:48,210
You know what to do.
118
00:05:48,335 --> 00:05:49,876
Let them have it.
119
00:05:53,501 --> 00:05:57,376
FDR changes the very character
of what government should
120
00:05:57,501 --> 00:06:00,793
be responsible for in the
creation of a social safety
121
00:06:00,918 --> 00:06:02,168
net.
122
00:06:02,251 --> 00:06:04,335
He says, if the
American people fall,
123
00:06:04,460 --> 00:06:06,126
the government will catch you.
124
00:06:06,251 --> 00:06:10,543
This is a vision that changes
the very soul of America
125
00:06:10,626 --> 00:06:14,043
and persists to this day.
126
00:06:14,126 --> 00:06:18,335
Social Security almost
entirely eliminated poverty
127
00:06:18,460 --> 00:06:20,001
among the elderly.
128
00:06:20,126 --> 00:06:24,085
It instantly reoriented the
covenant between the state
129
00:06:24,251 --> 00:06:25,710
and the people.
130
00:06:25,876 --> 00:06:30,751
As the American people are
benefiting from a stronger,
131
00:06:30,876 --> 00:06:33,501
bigger American
government and presidency
132
00:06:33,585 --> 00:06:37,043
than they have in the past,
there's also this concern of,
133
00:06:37,168 --> 00:06:39,168
is he going to be too big?
134
00:06:39,251 --> 00:06:41,085
Is he going to be too powerful?
135
00:06:41,251 --> 00:06:43,710
It's a mistake to think
that Franklin Roosevelt was
136
00:06:43,793 --> 00:06:48,210
this majestic figure who
somehow got everything right.
137
00:06:48,335 --> 00:06:51,376
He was an active,
tough politician.
138
00:06:51,543 --> 00:06:54,376
He had active, tough opponents.
139
00:06:54,501 --> 00:06:58,335
Newspaper publishers
didn't like him.
140
00:06:58,460 --> 00:07:00,876
The elite felt that
FDR wasn't doing what
141
00:07:01,043 --> 00:07:03,043
an American government
is supposed to do,
142
00:07:03,168 --> 00:07:05,460
which is help the wealthy.
143
00:07:05,585 --> 00:07:09,418
Roosevelt was allowing a
portion of the population
144
00:07:09,543 --> 00:07:12,418
that they had very little
respect for to gain power,
145
00:07:12,543 --> 00:07:14,460
to gain a voice.
146
00:07:14,585 --> 00:07:16,061
They called him a
traitor to his class
147
00:07:16,085 --> 00:07:17,519
and this sort of thing,
because Roosevelt
148
00:07:17,543 --> 00:07:19,085
should have been one of them.
149
00:07:19,210 --> 00:07:21,293
He was born into money.
150
00:07:21,418 --> 00:07:23,751
I think polio changed
him fundamentally.
151
00:07:23,918 --> 00:07:26,126
It taught him some of the
virtues that he may not
152
00:07:26,251 --> 00:07:27,585
have had naturally.
153
00:07:27,710 --> 00:07:30,043
It taught him humility,
as he himself said.
154
00:07:30,126 --> 00:07:32,710
He began to feel that he
could connect to other people
155
00:07:32,835 --> 00:07:35,793
to whom fate had also
dealt and unkind hand.
156
00:07:35,918 --> 00:07:38,543
He was somebody who
loved people, who
157
00:07:38,668 --> 00:07:42,126
had a sense of social
justice, and he gravitated
158
00:07:42,251 --> 00:07:43,460
towards ordinary people.
159
00:07:43,585 --> 00:07:46,543
It was just his heart and soul.
160
00:07:46,668 --> 00:07:49,043
Oliver Wendell Holmes, the
former Supreme Court justice,
161
00:07:49,210 --> 00:07:52,210
famously said, FDR has
a second class intellect
162
00:07:52,335 --> 00:07:54,376
but a first rate temperament.
163
00:07:54,501 --> 00:07:56,751
And he meant temperament
is character.
164
00:07:56,918 --> 00:07:58,793
Temperament's the way
you treat other people.
165
00:07:58,918 --> 00:08:01,043
It's the way you
relate to problems.
166
00:08:01,210 --> 00:08:02,210
It's your confidence.
167
00:08:02,376 --> 00:08:03,710
It's your optimism.
168
00:08:03,793 --> 00:08:06,001
Which is another case
of a dream coming true.
169
00:08:06,126 --> 00:08:10,001
It's all those qualities that
FDR just had triumphantly
170
00:08:10,085 --> 00:08:12,251
built into his character.
171
00:08:12,376 --> 00:08:15,376
In the 1930s, as Americans are
still dealing with the Great
172
00:08:15,543 --> 00:08:19,793
Depression at
home, things abroad
173
00:08:19,918 --> 00:08:21,876
seem to be getting
quite perilous.
174
00:08:33,626 --> 00:08:36,543
Hitler has seized the Rhineland.
175
00:08:36,710 --> 00:08:40,460
Italy under Mussolini
has invaded Ethiopia.
176
00:08:40,585 --> 00:08:44,293
Japan over in the Pacific
has invaded China.
177
00:08:44,418 --> 00:08:47,168
And all the while also, the
Spanish Civil War is raging.
178
00:08:51,960 --> 00:08:55,043
Franklin Roosevelt understood
the Great Depression
179
00:08:55,168 --> 00:08:56,876
as a crisis for democracy.
180
00:08:57,001 --> 00:08:58,668
He is looking across
the ocean and he's
181
00:08:58,751 --> 00:09:00,876
seeing that when
people have nothing
182
00:09:01,001 --> 00:09:02,751
and they're not
being given anything,
183
00:09:02,918 --> 00:09:05,293
it is very easy to
slide into dictatorship.
184
00:09:08,876 --> 00:09:12,210
So for him, getting the
state to take action
185
00:09:12,335 --> 00:09:14,835
really is about
saving democracy.
186
00:09:14,960 --> 00:09:16,543
It's not about
obliterating capitalism.
187
00:09:16,668 --> 00:09:18,960
It's about saving it.
188
00:09:19,085 --> 00:09:20,960
NEWSREADER: As election
time draws near,
189
00:09:21,085 --> 00:09:23,043
President Roosevelt
speeds up his campaign
190
00:09:23,168 --> 00:09:27,376
with a whirlwind trip covering
5,000 miles and 11 states.
191
00:09:27,501 --> 00:09:31,043
During the 1936 presidential
campaign for his second term,
192
00:09:31,126 --> 00:09:33,876
FDR believed we needed
a whole new partnership
193
00:09:33,960 --> 00:09:35,501
between government
and the people,
194
00:09:35,626 --> 00:09:38,626
and it had come partway, but it
had to outlast the Depression.
195
00:09:38,751 --> 00:09:41,626
It had to be the permanent
part of American life.
196
00:09:41,751 --> 00:09:45,210
Big business was very actively
campaigning against him.
197
00:09:45,293 --> 00:09:48,210
They were trying to find ways
to undermine him because they
198
00:09:48,376 --> 00:09:51,710
feared that he was going to
shift the balance of power.
199
00:09:51,793 --> 00:09:53,793
They attack him personally,
they attack his wife,
200
00:09:53,918 --> 00:09:56,501
they attack everything
he tries to do.
201
00:09:56,585 --> 00:10:00,043
During this campaign, FDR talks
about these economic royalists,
202
00:10:00,168 --> 00:10:01,793
how they hate him,
that there has never
203
00:10:01,918 --> 00:10:05,168
been such a powerful coalition
directing their hatred
204
00:10:05,251 --> 00:10:06,626
towards a candidate before.
205
00:10:06,751 --> 00:10:10,710
And I welcome their hatred.
206
00:10:10,793 --> 00:10:12,626
He is mad at what
they're saying about him,
207
00:10:12,751 --> 00:10:14,876
he's mad at the
criticisms being called,
208
00:10:14,960 --> 00:10:17,751
Franklin Stalino
Roosevelt, and being called
209
00:10:17,876 --> 00:10:21,210
a communist and a socialist.
210
00:10:21,335 --> 00:10:23,543
And at the Democratic
National Convention,
211
00:10:23,668 --> 00:10:26,376
he is really loaded for bear.
212
00:10:26,501 --> 00:10:28,085
He's saying, I
welcome the challenge.
213
00:10:28,210 --> 00:10:28,835
Let's have this fight.
214
00:10:28,918 --> 00:10:29,751
You want to fight with me?
215
00:10:29,876 --> 00:10:30,543
Let's have this fight.
216
00:10:30,668 --> 00:10:32,168
[cheering]
217
00:10:36,251 --> 00:10:37,251
Hi, Jim.
218
00:10:41,668 --> 00:10:43,418
FDR was giving the
acceptance speech
219
00:10:43,543 --> 00:10:45,876
at the Democratic
convention, and he
220
00:10:46,001 --> 00:10:50,543
had to be helped by his son
Jimmy holding on to his arm.
221
00:10:50,626 --> 00:10:54,960
There are all these fears that
if people saw weakness in him,
222
00:10:55,085 --> 00:10:58,876
they might discredit
everything that he could do,
223
00:10:59,001 --> 00:11:02,251
that any challenge to
his physical strength
224
00:11:02,376 --> 00:11:04,168
means the country is not strong.
225
00:11:07,251 --> 00:11:08,543
Mr. President.
226
00:11:08,626 --> 00:11:10,918
Adwell, how lovely to see you.
227
00:11:22,501 --> 00:11:25,251
Pick me up.
228
00:11:25,376 --> 00:11:27,710
Clean me up.
229
00:11:27,876 --> 00:11:29,376
Don't step on my goddamn speech.
230
00:11:33,501 --> 00:11:34,210
You OK?
231
00:11:34,376 --> 00:11:35,543
I'm fine.
232
00:11:35,668 --> 00:11:37,210
[cheering]
233
00:11:44,210 --> 00:11:46,210
He said that that fall was
the hardest few moments
234
00:11:46,376 --> 00:11:49,335
in his life.
235
00:11:49,418 --> 00:11:51,876
It was one of the few moments
where you really see that anger
236
00:11:51,960 --> 00:11:54,960
and frustration come out.
237
00:11:55,085 --> 00:11:57,626
There's an outer FDR that the
public sees as he's waving
238
00:11:57,751 --> 00:12:00,585
and smiling, and then there's
the inner FDR who's terrified
239
00:12:00,751 --> 00:12:02,835
that at any moment
he could fall over.
240
00:12:02,960 --> 00:12:06,293
He was in pain from these
steel braces on his leg.
241
00:12:06,418 --> 00:12:10,543
But he got up, gets to
the podium, and not a word
242
00:12:10,668 --> 00:12:12,210
was said about
his having fallen.
243
00:12:12,335 --> 00:12:14,626
Not a picture was
taken of him falling.
244
00:12:14,751 --> 00:12:16,710
Photographers had
a code of honor
245
00:12:16,835 --> 00:12:18,715
that they would never
show him in his wheelchair
246
00:12:18,751 --> 00:12:20,251
with his braces.
247
00:12:20,376 --> 00:12:21,894
I mean, here he's now
president of the United States,
248
00:12:21,918 --> 00:12:24,001
sprawled on the floor,
speech rolled out,
249
00:12:24,126 --> 00:12:26,335
and somehow able to put
that together and get up
250
00:12:26,460 --> 00:12:28,418
there and deliver one
of the famous speeches
251
00:12:28,543 --> 00:12:29,543
of American history.
252
00:12:32,335 --> 00:12:37,876
To some generations,
much is given.
253
00:12:38,043 --> 00:12:43,251
Of the generations,
much is expected.
254
00:12:43,418 --> 00:12:50,293
This generation of Americans
has a rendezvous with destiny.
255
00:12:50,418 --> 00:12:51,918
[cheering]
256
00:12:54,543 --> 00:12:56,210
There was a huge challenge that
257
00:12:56,335 --> 00:12:59,001
was facing this generation,
and it wasn't simply getting
258
00:12:59,085 --> 00:13:00,960
through the Depression.
259
00:13:01,085 --> 00:13:03,793
He wanted to make an economy
that would work from the ground
260
00:13:03,918 --> 00:13:05,918
up rather than the top
down, and that meant
261
00:13:06,085 --> 00:13:07,751
changing the rules of the game.
262
00:13:07,876 --> 00:13:10,376
It meant expanding
the New Deal programs
263
00:13:10,460 --> 00:13:13,668
and creating an economic system
that was fairer, that would
264
00:13:13,751 --> 00:13:15,418
have a safety net put under it.
265
00:13:15,585 --> 00:13:23,585
We are fighting, fighting to
save a great and precious form
266
00:13:24,501 --> 00:13:31,251
of government for ourselves
and for the world.
267
00:13:31,418 --> 00:13:35,043
And so I join with you.
268
00:13:35,168 --> 00:13:39,418
I am enlisted for for
the duration of the war.
269
00:13:43,751 --> 00:13:46,032
There's no question I think,
when you read oral histories,
270
00:13:46,085 --> 00:13:48,876
people felt that FDR
had saved their lives,
271
00:13:49,001 --> 00:13:50,918
saved their children's
life, given them a chance
272
00:13:51,043 --> 00:13:52,251
to go forward.
273
00:13:52,376 --> 00:13:55,043
The public showed
their gratitude in 1936
274
00:13:55,168 --> 00:13:58,168
when he won it
overwhelming victory.
275
00:13:58,293 --> 00:14:01,376
Roosevelt wins everything
except for two states.
276
00:14:01,460 --> 00:14:05,835
It is the most dominant win
of any modern president.
277
00:14:05,918 --> 00:14:11,043
That we've seen thus far
278
00:14:11,168 --> 00:14:13,376
After this huge
victory, he feels
279
00:14:13,543 --> 00:14:16,710
like I've got to be able to
do whatever I need to do now
280
00:14:16,876 --> 00:14:19,043
to keep the country
moving forward.
281
00:14:19,168 --> 00:14:22,210
When you feel that you are the
person who's leading the people
282
00:14:22,335 --> 00:14:26,210
and that you have a destiny,
hubris can result from that.
283
00:14:26,335 --> 00:14:30,085
And he decides to change the
nature of the Supreme Court,
284
00:14:30,251 --> 00:14:33,585
which had, in fact, been
throwing out a lot of his New
285
00:14:33,751 --> 00:14:35,251
Deal legislation.
286
00:14:35,418 --> 00:14:37,001
And FDR was furious.
287
00:14:37,085 --> 00:14:39,311
He called in a bunch of old
men who weren't aware of what
288
00:14:39,335 --> 00:14:40,626
was happening in this country.
289
00:14:40,751 --> 00:14:43,418
Roosevelt's philosophy
of political life
290
00:14:43,543 --> 00:14:45,644
was you figure out your way
around the obstacles in front
291
00:14:45,668 --> 00:14:47,001
of you.
292
00:14:47,126 --> 00:14:48,477
And at that point at
the beginning of 1937,
293
00:14:48,501 --> 00:14:50,221
the principal obstacle
is the Supreme Court.
294
00:14:50,251 --> 00:14:53,585
So Roosevelt began to talk
in earnest with his attorney
295
00:14:53,751 --> 00:14:55,335
general, Homer Cummings.
296
00:14:55,460 --> 00:14:58,210
What could be done
about the Supreme Court,
297
00:14:58,376 --> 00:15:00,293
given that they are
appointed for life?
298
00:15:00,418 --> 00:15:03,710
So Cummings secretly within
the Justice Department
299
00:15:03,835 --> 00:15:07,793
began what he would refer to as
a project of great importance
300
00:15:07,918 --> 00:15:10,876
to push the old
fossils off the court.
301
00:15:11,001 --> 00:15:14,043
He's going to add five or
six new justices to it.
302
00:15:14,126 --> 00:15:16,210
Any justice who's
over the age of 70
303
00:15:16,376 --> 00:15:18,001
is going to have
another judge appointed
304
00:15:18,085 --> 00:15:19,876
to help with his workload.
305
00:15:20,001 --> 00:15:22,085
The balance would be
righted on the Supreme Court
306
00:15:22,210 --> 00:15:23,793
and he could move
on with the New Deal
307
00:15:23,918 --> 00:15:25,418
and on with the recovery.
308
00:15:25,543 --> 00:15:28,043
Very few people knew that he
had been planning on this.
309
00:15:28,126 --> 00:15:30,668
The proposal had been
drafted in secret.
310
00:15:30,751 --> 00:15:32,210
Big story for you today.
311
00:15:32,335 --> 00:15:34,085
It's all spelled out
in that document,
312
00:15:34,251 --> 00:15:36,876
but no one leaves
with it till I'm done.
313
00:15:37,001 --> 00:15:38,394
It's a good thing we
brought our lunches, sir.
314
00:15:38,418 --> 00:15:42,376
Oh, I wouldn't want
you to starve, Joe.
315
00:15:42,501 --> 00:15:43,876
Oh, wait a minute.
316
00:15:44,001 --> 00:15:46,043
Mr. President, this bill
changes the entire makeup
317
00:15:46,210 --> 00:15:47,210
of the Supreme Court.
318
00:15:53,668 --> 00:15:55,561
Mr. President, this bill
changes the entire makeup
319
00:15:55,585 --> 00:15:57,210
of the Supreme Court.
320
00:15:57,335 --> 00:15:59,293
The benefit of keeping
things close to the vest
321
00:15:59,418 --> 00:16:02,335
is that you don't have everybody
in the world picking at it,
322
00:16:02,418 --> 00:16:05,585
pulling it apart, and it keeps
people interested in what you
323
00:16:05,710 --> 00:16:07,751
have to say when you
finally do say something.
324
00:16:07,876 --> 00:16:10,501
But the Supreme Court, it's
like, well, wait a minute.
325
00:16:10,626 --> 00:16:12,769
Isn't this just another way
for you to get more justices
326
00:16:12,793 --> 00:16:13,543
on your side?
327
00:16:13,668 --> 00:16:15,210
Is it even legal?
328
00:16:15,335 --> 00:16:17,561
I'm not proposing anything
that has not been done before.
329
00:16:17,585 --> 00:16:21,293
Congress has changed the
number of justices six times.
330
00:16:21,418 --> 00:16:22,936
So you're going to
force them to retire?
331
00:16:22,960 --> 00:16:24,418
People aren't
going to like this.
332
00:16:24,543 --> 00:16:28,293
Look here, people voted for
me because I have new ideas.
333
00:16:28,418 --> 00:16:31,918
All I want to do is
give people a chance
334
00:16:32,043 --> 00:16:34,001
to get what they voted for.
335
00:16:34,126 --> 00:16:35,210
Who's really behind this?
336
00:16:35,335 --> 00:16:38,501
[people shouting questions]
337
00:16:38,585 --> 00:16:40,251
What do you plan to
do with this power?
338
00:16:44,585 --> 00:16:47,710
The court packing episode was
the biggest political mistake
339
00:16:47,835 --> 00:16:49,251
of his life.
340
00:16:49,376 --> 00:16:51,376
The problem was when he
sprung it on the Congress
341
00:16:51,501 --> 00:16:54,376
and sprung it on the American
people, no one bought it.
342
00:16:54,460 --> 00:16:56,960
For the first time,
Roosevelt's golden touch
343
00:16:57,085 --> 00:17:00,001
failed him, and
Congress pushed back.
344
00:17:00,085 --> 00:17:01,805
They did not let him
pack the Supreme Court.
345
00:17:01,835 --> 00:17:03,418
He'd gone a bridge too far.
346
00:17:03,585 --> 00:17:06,668
He'd really become arrogant in
a way that he had not before,
347
00:17:06,751 --> 00:17:09,710
and this was a blow to him.
348
00:17:09,793 --> 00:17:14,251
His power comes from the people,
and he can't outrun his supply
349
00:17:14,376 --> 00:17:16,793
lines, and he became
more politically cautious
350
00:17:16,918 --> 00:17:19,168
as a result.
351
00:17:19,251 --> 00:17:20,477
It is really
astonishing, when you
352
00:17:20,501 --> 00:17:22,543
look at the political
critique of FDR
353
00:17:22,668 --> 00:17:25,210
in the late 1930s, the
number of his critics
354
00:17:25,335 --> 00:17:28,293
that referred to him as
a dictator in the making.
355
00:17:28,418 --> 00:17:30,210
He is going to
make himself king,
356
00:17:30,293 --> 00:17:33,585
he's going to seize all
power if we don't stop him.
357
00:17:36,918 --> 00:17:39,126
By this time, the
economic instability
358
00:17:39,251 --> 00:17:41,501
that had been felt in America
had, of course, been shared
359
00:17:41,626 --> 00:17:43,918
by countries all over
the world, leading
360
00:17:44,043 --> 00:17:47,376
in those other countries to
political instability as well,
361
00:17:47,460 --> 00:17:51,210
and Roosevelt is aware that
this is looming abroad.
362
00:17:51,376 --> 00:17:53,460
HITLER: [speaking german]
363
00:17:54,960 --> 00:17:57,918
FDR spoke German and he
could understand what Hitler
364
00:17:58,085 --> 00:17:59,210
was actually saying.
365
00:18:02,460 --> 00:18:06,043
And he was horrified by his
vision for what the Third
366
00:18:06,210 --> 00:18:07,501
Reich was going to do.
367
00:18:15,793 --> 00:18:18,210
Adolf Hitler believed
freedom was irrelevant.
368
00:18:18,335 --> 00:18:21,501
He believed in the
militarization of the economy.
369
00:18:21,585 --> 00:18:24,043
He believed in the
oppression of people
370
00:18:24,168 --> 00:18:26,126
like the Jewish
population in Germany.
371
00:18:26,251 --> 00:18:28,376
He believed in the
expansion, of taking control
372
00:18:28,460 --> 00:18:30,585
of other countries to
get more resources.
373
00:18:30,710 --> 00:18:34,001
He believed that he was the
only person who could accomplish
374
00:18:34,126 --> 00:18:36,668
the great 1,000 year Reich.
375
00:18:36,751 --> 00:18:38,591
Franklin Roosevelt believed
the exact opposite.
376
00:18:38,626 --> 00:18:42,043
He believed that the American
people had a right to freedom
377
00:18:42,210 --> 00:18:45,168
and democracy and that
the American economy had
378
00:18:45,251 --> 00:18:48,293
to be rebuilt to protect
democracy itself.
379
00:18:48,418 --> 00:18:51,335
The future of
democracy was at risk,
380
00:18:51,418 --> 00:18:54,543
and FDR was
determined to save it.
381
00:18:54,626 --> 00:18:58,376
Roosevelt was, by conviction,
an internationalist.
382
00:18:58,460 --> 00:19:00,585
He believed that what
happened in the world
383
00:19:00,710 --> 00:19:03,585
beyond American shores would
have an effect on what happened
384
00:19:03,710 --> 00:19:05,168
in the United States.
385
00:19:05,251 --> 00:19:06,394
But he couldn't bring the
American people yet along
386
00:19:06,418 --> 00:19:07,418
to care.
387
00:19:07,501 --> 00:19:09,043
They felt protected
by their oceans.
388
00:19:09,126 --> 00:19:11,501
They just wanted to focus on
the problems that were here.
389
00:19:11,626 --> 00:19:14,376
They'd been burned by World
War I, what had come out
390
00:19:14,501 --> 00:19:17,251
of that presumed war to save
democracy when things only
391
00:19:17,376 --> 00:19:19,501
seemed to have gotten worse.
392
00:19:19,585 --> 00:19:22,751
And he said, it's a scary thing
to see you're leading a parade
393
00:19:22,918 --> 00:19:26,376
and you look back and
nobody's following.
394
00:19:26,460 --> 00:19:28,835
In the late 1930s, at
the peak of isolationism,
395
00:19:28,918 --> 00:19:31,585
Congress passed several
neutrality acts that really
396
00:19:31,751 --> 00:19:34,710
bound the hands of any president
that they couldn't unilaterally
397
00:19:34,793 --> 00:19:37,626
do things that would tend to
pull the United States back
398
00:19:37,751 --> 00:19:39,626
into another world war.
399
00:19:39,751 --> 00:19:44,501
Europe has been hoping that
Hitler will just go away.
400
00:19:44,585 --> 00:19:47,835
The British and the
French allow Hitler
401
00:19:47,960 --> 00:19:53,376
to reoccupy the Rhineland, they
allow him to occupy Austria.
402
00:19:53,460 --> 00:19:57,043
So in 1938, as Hitler
is expanding the Reich
403
00:19:57,168 --> 00:19:59,585
and taking over
neighboring countries,
404
00:19:59,751 --> 00:20:01,876
the prime minister of
England, Neville Chamberlain,
405
00:20:01,960 --> 00:20:05,376
decides that the best
policy is to appease Hitler.
406
00:20:05,501 --> 00:20:07,543
If they can just sort of
give him these territories
407
00:20:07,626 --> 00:20:09,106
that he claims he
wants, he's promised
408
00:20:09,210 --> 00:20:12,335
that he won't take any more.
409
00:20:12,460 --> 00:20:15,710
We regard the agreement
signed last night as symbolic
410
00:20:15,835 --> 00:20:18,918
of the desire of our
two peoples never
411
00:20:19,043 --> 00:20:21,210
to go to war with
one another again.
412
00:20:21,335 --> 00:20:22,751
[cheering]
413
00:20:24,418 --> 00:20:26,501
Of course, Hitler has
made promises in the past.
414
00:20:26,626 --> 00:20:28,835
Winston Churchill
has been telling
415
00:20:28,918 --> 00:20:31,501
everyone who would listen,
and even those who wouldn't,
416
00:20:31,585 --> 00:20:34,251
about the threat he sees
in Germany for years.
417
00:20:44,585 --> 00:20:47,168
Winston Churchill had been the
first Lord of the Admiralty
418
00:20:47,293 --> 00:20:49,585
in World War I, but
had been forced out
419
00:20:49,710 --> 00:20:51,835
and had essentially
been in political exile
420
00:20:51,918 --> 00:20:53,210
for a number of years.
421
00:20:53,335 --> 00:20:55,126
Churchill's regarded
as eccentric.
422
00:20:55,251 --> 00:20:58,585
People see Churchill as being
this very bellicose, verbose
423
00:20:58,710 --> 00:21:02,168
guy who always
wants to go to war.
424
00:21:02,251 --> 00:21:05,710
And even though Roosevelt did
not especially like Churchill
425
00:21:05,835 --> 00:21:08,626
the first time he met
him during World War I,
426
00:21:08,751 --> 00:21:11,751
he recognizes that Churchill has
had great courage in speaking
427
00:21:11,876 --> 00:21:14,710
up for what he believed
was right for years.
428
00:21:14,793 --> 00:21:18,626
FDR hated these dictatorships
and what they were doing,
429
00:21:18,751 --> 00:21:21,751
but he was the president
of a country that was still
430
00:21:21,876 --> 00:21:22,876
in the Great Depression.
431
00:21:23,043 --> 00:21:26,210
This was nowhere near
his priority number one.
432
00:21:26,335 --> 00:21:31,335
But, by 1938, it was
clear that Hitler might
433
00:21:31,418 --> 00:21:32,710
want to dominate the world.
434
00:21:35,418 --> 00:21:37,918
And the most horrific
aspect of Hitler's regime
435
00:21:38,043 --> 00:21:40,751
is his persecution of the Jews.
436
00:21:40,918 --> 00:21:43,335
And Germany, the
loser in World War I,
437
00:21:43,418 --> 00:21:46,251
had been stuck with an
enormous reparations bill,
438
00:21:46,376 --> 00:21:48,835
and that was a perfect
opportunity for somebody
439
00:21:48,918 --> 00:21:50,960
to come in and say,
who do you resent?
440
00:21:51,085 --> 00:21:52,876
Who's to blame for this?
441
00:21:53,001 --> 00:21:55,918
And Adolf Hitler said,
the Jews were to blame.
442
00:21:56,043 --> 00:22:02,501
In November 1938, Hitler
launches Kristallnacht,
443
00:22:02,585 --> 00:22:06,126
where his brown-shirted
thugs destroyed synagogues,
444
00:22:06,251 --> 00:22:08,585
businesses, incarcerate
hundreds of Jews,
445
00:22:08,751 --> 00:22:10,001
and send them off to ghettos.
446
00:22:13,543 --> 00:22:15,376
But nobody wants to
allow the Jewish refugees
447
00:22:15,501 --> 00:22:17,001
into their country.
448
00:22:17,085 --> 00:22:20,668
You cannot overstate how
antisemitic America was at this
449
00:22:20,751 --> 00:22:22,001
point.
450
00:22:22,085 --> 00:22:24,876
Despite FDR's direct
instructions to the State
451
00:22:24,960 --> 00:22:28,293
Department to expedite
Jewish visa requests
452
00:22:28,418 --> 00:22:30,876
in these countries
under German control,
453
00:22:30,960 --> 00:22:33,876
the State Department, filled
with antisemites, slow
454
00:22:34,001 --> 00:22:35,543
walks it.
455
00:22:35,668 --> 00:22:37,876
Without a question,
it's heartbreaking
456
00:22:38,043 --> 00:22:41,501
to imagine what might have
happened if FDR had earlier
457
00:22:41,626 --> 00:22:44,751
on been able to get more Jewish
refugees into the country
458
00:22:44,876 --> 00:22:46,501
before Hitler closed
the doors forever.
459
00:22:52,085 --> 00:22:54,543
The plight of refugees really
tugged at the heartstrings
460
00:22:54,668 --> 00:22:58,210
of Eleanor Roosevelt. She
was always the champion
461
00:22:58,335 --> 00:23:00,001
of the underdog, the
champion of those
462
00:23:00,126 --> 00:23:01,751
who were suffering the most.
463
00:23:01,918 --> 00:23:05,335
She could be the agitator,
always pushing him to do what
464
00:23:05,460 --> 00:23:07,210
he couldn't do
pragmatically because he
465
00:23:07,293 --> 00:23:09,418
had to be the politician.
466
00:23:09,543 --> 00:23:10,960
I don't think
Franklin would have
467
00:23:11,085 --> 00:23:13,251
been the kind of politician
he was without Eleanor.
468
00:23:13,376 --> 00:23:15,543
She would push the envelope.
469
00:23:15,668 --> 00:23:17,210
He always said
about her that she
470
00:23:17,335 --> 00:23:20,210
was a welcome thorn in his
side, always willing to argue
471
00:23:20,293 --> 00:23:22,876
with him, always willing to
question his assumptions.
472
00:23:22,960 --> 00:23:24,710
But men would write
in to Franklin,
473
00:23:24,835 --> 00:23:26,710
can't you muzzle
that wife of yours?
474
00:23:26,835 --> 00:23:28,210
Can't you put her on a chain?
475
00:23:28,293 --> 00:23:29,585
What's the matter with you?
476
00:23:29,710 --> 00:23:32,376
She is constantly moving
about the country,
477
00:23:32,460 --> 00:23:34,376
supporting various
causes, speaking
478
00:23:34,501 --> 00:23:37,251
to women's organizations,
reform organizations.
479
00:23:37,418 --> 00:23:39,335
She gives public
radio addresses.
480
00:23:39,418 --> 00:23:40,751
These are all firsts.
481
00:23:40,876 --> 00:23:42,519
No first lady has ever
done anything like this,
482
00:23:42,543 --> 00:23:45,126
and she takes
controversial positions.
483
00:23:45,251 --> 00:23:49,001
At this point, she's engaged
with the African-American
484
00:23:49,085 --> 00:23:52,835
community in ways that a lot of
people did not expect her to be
485
00:23:52,918 --> 00:23:54,543
or want her to be.
486
00:23:54,626 --> 00:23:58,168
FDR was glad to have
Eleanor in public talking
487
00:23:58,293 --> 00:23:59,585
about civil rights.
488
00:23:59,710 --> 00:24:01,835
It diverted attention
from the fact
489
00:24:01,918 --> 00:24:06,210
that FDR himself was never
willing to antagonize the White
490
00:24:06,376 --> 00:24:10,043
South to the point that he
would never support even a bill
491
00:24:10,168 --> 00:24:11,960
against lynching.
492
00:24:12,085 --> 00:24:15,126
He needs Southern
segregationist Democrats
493
00:24:15,251 --> 00:24:18,335
in his corner if he's going to
get the United States on a more
494
00:24:18,418 --> 00:24:20,376
prepared footing for
what appears to be
495
00:24:20,501 --> 00:24:21,960
an impending war in Europe.
496
00:24:25,418 --> 00:24:30,876
In 1938, Eleanor travels to
Birmingham for the opening
497
00:24:30,960 --> 00:24:34,460
of the Southern Conference
on Human Welfare,
498
00:24:34,585 --> 00:24:37,043
and the public
safety official is
499
00:24:37,126 --> 00:24:41,210
none other than the violent
segregationist Eugene Bull
500
00:24:41,335 --> 00:24:43,251
Connor.
501
00:24:43,418 --> 00:24:45,001
Birmingham is segregated, ma'am.
502
00:24:45,085 --> 00:24:47,001
You should take your
seat on that side.
503
00:25:03,251 --> 00:25:09,585
Mrs. Roosevelt, ma'am,
you can't sit here.
504
00:25:09,710 --> 00:25:13,710
I already am, Officer.
505
00:25:13,835 --> 00:25:17,293
Ma'am, the law says I've got
to arrest anybody who doesn't
506
00:25:17,418 --> 00:25:22,168
comply, even you?
507
00:25:22,251 --> 00:25:23,251
Really?
508
00:25:31,710 --> 00:25:32,710
Appreciate it.
509
00:26:17,918 --> 00:26:21,251
You've got to move
to the White section.
510
00:26:21,376 --> 00:26:24,751
I'm fine where I am.
511
00:26:24,876 --> 00:26:28,376
Because she is a lightning rod
and unapologetic about being
512
00:26:28,460 --> 00:26:31,335
a lightning rod,
it makes the work
513
00:26:31,418 --> 00:26:35,835
that FDR does particularly as
he is negotiating with Southern
514
00:26:35,918 --> 00:26:37,710
Democrats all the
more difficult.
515
00:26:37,835 --> 00:26:42,001
Welcoming the Southern
Conference for Human Welfare.
516
00:26:50,585 --> 00:26:54,210
In the summer of
1939, FDR would still
517
00:26:54,335 --> 00:26:55,876
like to stay out of war.
518
00:26:56,001 --> 00:27:01,793
But it's becoming clear that
appeasing Hitler doesn't work,
519
00:27:01,918 --> 00:27:06,751
that Hitler is insatiable, and
that the next step is going
520
00:27:06,876 --> 00:27:10,876
to be into Poland.
521
00:27:11,001 --> 00:27:13,710
And that's where Britain
and France draw the line
522
00:27:13,835 --> 00:27:15,418
and say, well, if
you invade Poland
523
00:27:15,585 --> 00:27:19,668
and try to take that territory
back, we'll declare war.
524
00:27:19,751 --> 00:27:22,876
Roosevelt is deeply concerned
about the rising tension
525
00:27:22,960 --> 00:27:25,460
in Europe and the
inevitability of a big war.
526
00:27:25,585 --> 00:27:26,918
[speaking german]
527
00:27:29,793 --> 00:27:31,168
So one of the things he decides
528
00:27:31,293 --> 00:27:33,335
to do is to invite the
king and queen of England
529
00:27:33,418 --> 00:27:36,543
to come to the United States,
because if Hitler does,
530
00:27:36,626 --> 00:27:38,876
in fact, take over
Europe, then England will
531
00:27:39,001 --> 00:27:42,626
be the last bulwark of defense.
532
00:27:42,751 --> 00:27:44,269
At this point, the Americans
are not particularly
533
00:27:44,293 --> 00:27:46,043
fond of the royal family.
534
00:27:46,168 --> 00:27:48,751
There's a large body of
opinion in the United States
535
00:27:48,918 --> 00:27:51,668
that's anti-British, that
basically says the British
536
00:27:51,751 --> 00:27:54,376
sucked us into World War I.
537
00:27:54,460 --> 00:27:55,585
We had been duped.
538
00:27:55,751 --> 00:27:57,501
We had been lured
into a European war
539
00:27:57,585 --> 00:27:58,865
and now they're
back at it again.
540
00:28:02,168 --> 00:28:05,835
So in a stroke of absolute
brilliant political theater,
541
00:28:05,918 --> 00:28:08,960
FDR invites the king and
queen of England, the epitome
542
00:28:09,085 --> 00:28:12,293
of aristocratic
formality, to his home
543
00:28:12,418 --> 00:28:14,001
in Hyde Park, New York.
544
00:28:14,085 --> 00:28:17,585
Your Majesty, I wonder if you
might swap partners so you can
545
00:28:17,710 --> 00:28:19,168
meet a few of our neighbors.
546
00:28:19,293 --> 00:28:20,293
Of course.
547
00:28:23,085 --> 00:28:26,585
And he arranges
a hot dog picnic.
548
00:28:26,710 --> 00:28:28,043
My second.
549
00:28:28,168 --> 00:28:28,918
Excellent.
550
00:28:29,043 --> 00:28:31,210
And beer is perfect with it.
551
00:28:31,376 --> 00:28:34,710
He wants to show a more human
side of the royal family.
552
00:28:34,835 --> 00:28:37,543
He also, of course,
invites the press.
553
00:28:37,626 --> 00:28:41,918
Might I say something
dreadfully honest?
554
00:28:42,043 --> 00:28:44,585
Nothing would make me happier.
555
00:28:44,751 --> 00:28:48,251
I don't care for hot dogs.
556
00:28:52,585 --> 00:28:55,876
Your secret is safe with me.
557
00:28:56,001 --> 00:29:00,210
You know, Mr. President, I
have been tasked with telling
558
00:29:00,335 --> 00:29:04,376
you that we are going to need
a great deal of assistance
559
00:29:04,460 --> 00:29:10,293
if things go poorly, especially
these devilish u-boats
560
00:29:10,418 --> 00:29:12,210
threatening our ships.
561
00:29:12,293 --> 00:29:17,626
Don't think I don't want to
give you all we have, show
562
00:29:17,751 --> 00:29:21,876
Hitler we intend to back you,
but first I've got to tackle
563
00:29:22,001 --> 00:29:27,710
the Congress, make them see
we have to choose a side,
564
00:29:27,793 --> 00:29:30,376
your side.
565
00:29:30,543 --> 00:29:34,751
Mr. President, Your Majesty,
how do you like our hot dogs?
566
00:29:34,876 --> 00:29:36,585
They're delicious.
567
00:29:36,710 --> 00:29:37,710
I've had two.
568
00:29:41,293 --> 00:29:44,001
Roosevelt understood where
the cameras were going to be
569
00:29:44,126 --> 00:29:47,585
and they understood how this
would play in the press.
570
00:29:47,751 --> 00:29:49,335
So if the president
of the United States
571
00:29:49,418 --> 00:29:53,001
is smiling it up with the
monarch of the United Kingdom,
572
00:29:53,085 --> 00:29:55,168
that's going to play.
573
00:29:55,293 --> 00:30:00,043
Roosevelt managed to weaponize
for good his essential
574
00:30:00,210 --> 00:30:02,168
deviousness.
575
00:30:02,293 --> 00:30:07,210
He was very skilled at
suggesting that he was in tune
576
00:30:07,293 --> 00:30:12,876
with an isolationist nation
while nudging us ever closer
577
00:30:13,001 --> 00:30:16,085
to an interventionist stance.
578
00:30:16,251 --> 00:30:19,168
The polling shows that popular
support for the king and queen,
579
00:30:19,251 --> 00:30:21,210
the increased and
popular support
580
00:30:21,293 --> 00:30:24,501
for the anti fascist
forces also increased.
581
00:30:28,043 --> 00:30:32,793
In August of 1939, Stalin
agrees to a non-aggression pact
582
00:30:32,918 --> 00:30:34,918
with Hitler.
583
00:30:35,043 --> 00:30:37,460
They secretly agree to
split Poland in exchange
584
00:30:37,585 --> 00:30:39,585
for not invading each other.
585
00:30:39,710 --> 00:30:41,585
Russia will take
the eastern half
586
00:30:41,751 --> 00:30:43,793
and Germany will take
the western half.
587
00:30:43,918 --> 00:30:46,668
Everybody is stunned by
the Hitler-Stalin pact.
588
00:30:46,793 --> 00:30:50,376
Now we're faced with possibly
this sort of Soviet-German
589
00:30:50,543 --> 00:30:51,668
juggernaut.
590
00:30:51,751 --> 00:30:53,376
If not in alliance
with each other,
591
00:30:53,460 --> 00:30:55,220
at least they're going
to let each other run.
592
00:31:00,043 --> 00:31:02,710
The call came on
September 1st, 1939
593
00:31:02,793 --> 00:31:05,126
when Hitler invaded Poland.
594
00:31:05,251 --> 00:31:07,876
On that occasion, FDR said,
well, it's come at last,
595
00:31:07,960 --> 00:31:10,710
God help us all.
596
00:31:10,835 --> 00:31:12,668
And two days later,
England and France
597
00:31:12,751 --> 00:31:14,543
will declare war on Germany.
598
00:31:20,668 --> 00:31:23,376
This is the start of the
worst, most cataclysmic
599
00:31:23,460 --> 00:31:25,543
military conflict
in human history.
600
00:31:29,251 --> 00:31:32,501
Germany has come up with a
new form of war, blitzkrieg,
601
00:31:32,626 --> 00:31:33,626
this lightning war.
602
00:31:46,210 --> 00:31:48,918
And the blitzkrieg gave way to
what was called the Sitzkrieg.
603
00:31:49,043 --> 00:31:51,501
Germany is in
occupation of Poland,
604
00:31:51,585 --> 00:31:54,210
but nothing is happening, and
everybody is waiting to see
605
00:31:54,335 --> 00:31:56,376
what's going to happen next.
606
00:31:56,501 --> 00:31:59,251
The phoney war, which is what
they call the period of time
607
00:31:59,418 --> 00:32:01,960
between September 1st
and May 10th, 1940
608
00:32:02,085 --> 00:32:03,585
came to a sudden end.
609
00:32:07,585 --> 00:32:11,335
In one week's time, Germany
rolled through Western Europe.
610
00:32:11,418 --> 00:32:15,001
Holland, Luxembourg,
Belgium all surrendered.
611
00:32:15,126 --> 00:32:18,210
Hitler invades France
on May 10th, 1940,
612
00:32:18,293 --> 00:32:20,710
the same day that Churchill
is named prime minister.
613
00:32:26,085 --> 00:32:28,085
Even though the British
throw an expeditionary army
614
00:32:28,126 --> 00:32:30,418
onto the continent, soon
they are overwhelmed
615
00:32:30,585 --> 00:32:32,960
and the Germans will drive
them to the coastline.
616
00:32:35,460 --> 00:32:41,251
As the war in Europe is
turning increasingly dismal,
617
00:32:41,418 --> 00:32:43,376
FDR is confronted with a choice.
618
00:32:47,210 --> 00:32:49,960
Does he step down
as president or does
619
00:32:50,085 --> 00:32:52,376
he run for an
unprecedented third term?
620
00:33:03,918 --> 00:33:07,460
Bad, all bad.
621
00:33:07,585 --> 00:33:10,043
Calle fell last night.
622
00:33:10,126 --> 00:33:12,710
Is there no hope for France?
623
00:33:12,835 --> 00:33:14,543
If the British regroup...
624
00:33:14,626 --> 00:33:17,543
France will still fall.
625
00:33:17,668 --> 00:33:19,210
So what are you going to do?
626
00:33:19,335 --> 00:33:22,585
Everybody needs
to know, Franklin.
627
00:33:22,751 --> 00:33:24,876
Will you run again?
628
00:33:25,043 --> 00:33:27,543
Surely you know if
you're going to run.
629
00:33:27,626 --> 00:33:30,043
The situation in France
changes everything.
630
00:33:30,210 --> 00:33:32,835
There's no guarantee the
British can hang on alone.
631
00:33:32,918 --> 00:33:35,501
Why don't you say what you mean?
632
00:33:35,585 --> 00:33:37,210
You want to run.
633
00:33:37,335 --> 00:33:39,043
Why does it have to be you?
634
00:33:39,126 --> 00:33:40,326
Babs, it's not as simple as...
635
00:33:40,418 --> 00:33:42,710
Let me at least say what I mean.
636
00:33:42,876 --> 00:33:44,210
I don't want you to.
637
00:33:44,335 --> 00:33:45,710
Eight years is enough.
638
00:33:51,418 --> 00:33:54,001
I've taken the country this far.
639
00:33:54,085 --> 00:33:59,668
If the people want me,
I'll not abandon them now.
640
00:34:11,751 --> 00:34:18,001
In May of 1940, the
Germans push across Europe
641
00:34:18,126 --> 00:34:20,668
and they drive the British
to the French coastline
642
00:34:20,751 --> 00:34:23,418
and then to just a few pockets,
one of which is Dunkirk.
643
00:34:26,710 --> 00:34:29,168
NEWSREADER: Here in these scenes
off the beaches of Dunkirk,
644
00:34:29,251 --> 00:34:32,210
you have one of the dramatic
pictures of the war.
645
00:34:32,293 --> 00:34:33,894
The British and French
armies of the north
646
00:34:33,918 --> 00:34:37,710
were facing annihilation.
647
00:34:37,793 --> 00:34:42,335
The English troops evacuated
successfully from Dunkirk.
648
00:34:42,418 --> 00:34:45,376
The German blitzkrieg
had swept across Europe,
649
00:34:45,501 --> 00:34:47,835
leaving England standing alone.
650
00:34:47,960 --> 00:34:51,210
So it was a totally
rational question
651
00:34:51,335 --> 00:34:55,376
to wonder whether democracy
could triumph over autocracy.
652
00:34:55,543 --> 00:34:57,376
And Churchill said,
never has a nation
653
00:34:57,460 --> 00:34:59,751
been so naked before its foe.
654
00:34:59,876 --> 00:35:04,751
CHURCHILL: I have nothing to
offer but blood, toil, tears,
655
00:35:04,876 --> 00:35:07,168
and sweat.
656
00:35:07,251 --> 00:35:10,210
FDR's heart is very much
with Churchill and very much
657
00:35:10,335 --> 00:35:13,876
with England, and he wants
to do something to help them.
658
00:35:14,001 --> 00:35:15,710
So he turns to George Marshall,
659
00:35:15,835 --> 00:35:17,501
chief of the general staff.
660
00:35:17,585 --> 00:35:21,543
Marshall is seen as being
sincere, honest, credible,
661
00:35:21,668 --> 00:35:23,376
trustworthy.
662
00:35:23,543 --> 00:35:28,210
If Britain falls, we believe
Hitler could try for Greenland.
663
00:35:28,293 --> 00:35:29,751
And we are next.
664
00:35:29,918 --> 00:35:31,876
Yes, sir, and we're not ready.
665
00:35:32,043 --> 00:35:35,001
Germany has 7 million
men in uniform.
666
00:35:35,126 --> 00:35:36,835
We have a fraction of that.
667
00:35:36,918 --> 00:35:38,251
And it's not just
about men, sir.
668
00:35:38,418 --> 00:35:41,543
It's planes and tanks and guns.
669
00:35:41,710 --> 00:35:45,710
We've got a long way
to go and no time.
670
00:35:45,876 --> 00:35:49,168
President Roosevelt knew
that in May of 1940,
671
00:35:49,251 --> 00:35:52,376
the US stood only 18th
in military power.
672
00:35:52,501 --> 00:35:55,543
It became 17th only when
Holland surrendered to Germany.
673
00:35:55,710 --> 00:35:58,043
We had 500 fighter
planes compared
674
00:35:58,168 --> 00:36:01,376
to 5,000 in the German army.
675
00:36:01,543 --> 00:36:03,376
We had more horses than tanks.
676
00:36:03,501 --> 00:36:05,793
We had let the military
establishment deteriorate
677
00:36:05,918 --> 00:36:10,376
after World War I with the
focus on the Depression.
678
00:36:10,501 --> 00:36:14,043
We have to start producing
more arms immediately.
679
00:36:14,126 --> 00:36:18,168
But the way I see it,
we need to send more
680
00:36:18,293 --> 00:36:20,001
of what we produce to Britain.
681
00:36:20,126 --> 00:36:21,543
No, sir.
682
00:36:21,626 --> 00:36:25,376
We'd be throwing our
guns away, and our boys
683
00:36:25,543 --> 00:36:29,460
will be fighting storm
troopers with broomsticks.
684
00:36:29,585 --> 00:36:31,876
It would be a disaster
of our making.
685
00:36:31,960 --> 00:36:33,668
You mean of my own making?
686
00:36:36,251 --> 00:36:38,168
I appreciate your
point, General,
687
00:36:38,251 --> 00:36:40,126
but we have to help Britain.
688
00:36:40,251 --> 00:36:42,668
We can't.
689
00:36:42,793 --> 00:36:44,418
The law is clear.
690
00:36:44,543 --> 00:36:48,918
We can sell them arms for
cash, and we can only give them
691
00:36:49,085 --> 00:36:55,335
military gear if it's surplus,
and we have no surplus to give.
692
00:36:55,460 --> 00:36:57,876
Well, that's it, General.
693
00:36:58,001 --> 00:36:58,835
That's it.
694
00:36:58,918 --> 00:37:00,585
Surplus.
695
00:37:00,710 --> 00:37:05,626
I want you to declare every gun
and bullet you can a surplus
696
00:37:05,751 --> 00:37:07,085
and get it over there.
697
00:37:07,251 --> 00:37:09,585
You mean to say it's surplus?
698
00:37:09,710 --> 00:37:11,043
Yes.
699
00:37:11,168 --> 00:37:12,710
I'd have to go to
church for a week
700
00:37:12,835 --> 00:37:15,793
if I declared our weapons
surplus when they're not.
701
00:37:15,918 --> 00:37:17,478
Go to church for a
month if you have to,
702
00:37:17,543 --> 00:37:21,543
General, but get it done.
703
00:37:21,626 --> 00:37:24,376
Franklin Roosevelt's
particular strength as a leader
704
00:37:24,501 --> 00:37:27,126
was his ability to
assess a situation
705
00:37:27,251 --> 00:37:31,168
and figure out what he could do,
what incremental steps he could
706
00:37:31,251 --> 00:37:33,293
make to move things forward.
707
00:37:33,418 --> 00:37:35,418
So what he did was to
designate a lot of weapons
708
00:37:35,543 --> 00:37:37,418
as surplus and get
them sent to England,
709
00:37:37,543 --> 00:37:39,460
but several of his
generals told him,
710
00:37:39,585 --> 00:37:43,335
if those weapons are found
after Germany captures England,
711
00:37:43,460 --> 00:37:45,460
which we think they will
in six months' time,
712
00:37:45,585 --> 00:37:48,710
you will be not only impeached,
you'll be hung by a lamppost.
713
00:37:48,835 --> 00:37:51,210
That's what he had
to fight against.
714
00:37:51,376 --> 00:37:53,876
He knew he had to get
America mobilized to produce
715
00:37:54,043 --> 00:37:56,102
the ships and the tanks and
the weapons and the planes
716
00:37:56,126 --> 00:37:57,210
that we needed.
717
00:37:57,335 --> 00:37:59,960
By 1940, he has
gotten the machinery
718
00:38:00,085 --> 00:38:03,085
rolling so that factories
are transforming from cars
719
00:38:03,251 --> 00:38:04,751
into planes and tanks.
720
00:38:04,918 --> 00:38:08,460
We had that vision that
something had to be done.
721
00:38:08,585 --> 00:38:12,876
By this time, Hitler
has crushed France.
722
00:38:12,960 --> 00:38:14,640
The Germans, the
Japanese, and the Italians
723
00:38:14,751 --> 00:38:20,001
signed the Tripartite
Pact in September 1940.
724
00:38:20,126 --> 00:38:22,543
So after knocking out France,
Hitler turns his attention
725
00:38:22,710 --> 00:38:23,710
to Britain.
726
00:38:30,960 --> 00:38:33,280
NEWSREADER: Everyone is anxious
to get home before darkness
727
00:38:33,376 --> 00:38:36,376
falls, before our
nightly visitors arrive.
728
00:38:36,460 --> 00:38:37,793
[siren blaring]
729
00:38:47,835 --> 00:38:51,210
The Germans launched this
air assault against Britain,
730
00:38:51,293 --> 00:38:54,918
the so-called Battle of Britain.
731
00:38:55,043 --> 00:38:58,043
It's continuous bombing
in the city of London
732
00:38:58,126 --> 00:39:00,710
to try to destroy
British morale.
733
00:39:00,835 --> 00:39:03,668
And Churchill, of course,
emerges as this great leader
734
00:39:03,751 --> 00:39:06,793
with some of the greatest
wartime speeches ever given.
735
00:39:06,918 --> 00:39:09,210
CHURCHILL: We shall
fight on the beaches.
736
00:39:09,376 --> 00:39:11,793
We shall fight on
the landing grounds.
737
00:39:11,918 --> 00:39:16,126
We shall fight in the
fields and in the streets.
738
00:39:16,251 --> 00:39:17,626
We shall never surrender.
739
00:39:20,085 --> 00:39:23,876
And FDR sees in Churchill
a kindred spirit, knowing
740
00:39:23,960 --> 00:39:25,460
that I can work with him.
741
00:39:25,585 --> 00:39:28,876
Together we can be a partnership
that will defeat Hitler.
742
00:39:34,751 --> 00:39:36,543
It's hard to imagine whether FDR
743
00:39:36,668 --> 00:39:39,626
would have run for a third
term had war not broken out
744
00:39:39,751 --> 00:39:40,876
in Europe.
745
00:39:40,960 --> 00:39:42,835
There's real concern
about whether or not
746
00:39:42,918 --> 00:39:45,710
he wants to look like the
authoritarian figure they're
747
00:39:45,835 --> 00:39:46,626
fighting against.
748
00:39:46,751 --> 00:39:50,585
The framers did not want a king.
749
00:39:50,751 --> 00:39:53,710
Washington himself was concerned
about serving more than two
750
00:39:53,835 --> 00:39:56,668
terms, and now we're
talking about three terms.
751
00:39:56,751 --> 00:39:58,543
He had seen what happened
to Teddy Roosevelt
752
00:39:58,668 --> 00:40:01,085
when he went for
that third term,
753
00:40:01,251 --> 00:40:03,460
that there was a
wall against that.
754
00:40:03,585 --> 00:40:06,335
But I think he thought that
he was the only one who
755
00:40:06,460 --> 00:40:08,876
had the experience of
knowing how to mobilize
756
00:40:09,043 --> 00:40:11,543
the American people at home
through the Depression to get
757
00:40:11,668 --> 00:40:13,876
the weapons and the tanks
and the ships and the planes
758
00:40:13,960 --> 00:40:17,251
ready to prepare us for war and
to help England in the struggle
759
00:40:17,418 --> 00:40:20,418
against Nazi Germany.
760
00:40:20,543 --> 00:40:22,876
The news of FDR's decision
to run for a third term
761
00:40:23,001 --> 00:40:24,376
is not well received.
762
00:40:24,460 --> 00:40:27,710
Even many Democrats
turned against him,
763
00:40:27,876 --> 00:40:29,543
and the Republicans
were undermining
764
00:40:29,710 --> 00:40:32,210
the people's confidence in FDR.
765
00:40:32,335 --> 00:40:35,793
The president has courted a
war for which this country is
766
00:40:35,918 --> 00:40:41,376
hopelessly unprepared and which
it emphatically does not want.
767
00:40:41,501 --> 00:40:44,043
At the time of
the 1940 election,
768
00:40:44,210 --> 00:40:48,668
almost every American household
was divided about FDR.
769
00:40:48,751 --> 00:40:52,335
Was he someone who
would keep us out of war
770
00:40:52,418 --> 00:40:55,293
or was this someone
who, as one critic said,
771
00:40:55,418 --> 00:40:59,043
will plow under every
fourth American boy
772
00:40:59,126 --> 00:41:01,376
after election day?
773
00:41:01,501 --> 00:41:03,210
Charles Lindbergh the
great aviator that
774
00:41:03,335 --> 00:41:07,210
flew across the Atlantic Ocean
becomes the face of what's
775
00:41:07,293 --> 00:41:09,001
called the America
First movement.
776
00:41:09,126 --> 00:41:12,126
The doctrine that we must
enter the wars of Europe
777
00:41:12,251 --> 00:41:15,835
in order to defend America
will be fatal to our nation.
778
00:41:15,918 --> 00:41:17,311
Some of them are
German Americans who
779
00:41:17,335 --> 00:41:19,085
are part of the American Bund.
780
00:41:19,251 --> 00:41:21,835
Many of them are Americans who
have latched on to this idea
781
00:41:21,918 --> 00:41:25,585
that fascism is the
wave of the future.
782
00:41:25,751 --> 00:41:28,918
In the late 1930s, there was
a pro-Hitler rally right there
783
00:41:29,043 --> 00:41:31,751
in the heart of New York City
at Madison Square Garden.
784
00:41:31,876 --> 00:41:33,626
That's how perilous things were.
785
00:41:37,418 --> 00:41:40,501
There's a real sense
that FDR could lose,
786
00:41:40,585 --> 00:41:43,585
and it affects him deeply
because he feels, I think,
787
00:41:43,751 --> 00:41:46,001
a deep responsibility.
788
00:41:46,126 --> 00:41:48,960
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
decides, I will break precedent
789
00:41:49,085 --> 00:41:51,126
because it is necessary.
790
00:41:51,251 --> 00:41:54,376
This is about the fate of
humanity, Western civilization,
791
00:41:54,501 --> 00:41:56,668
and democracy in particular.
792
00:41:59,585 --> 00:42:01,751
The Japanese are sweeping
through the Pacific,
793
00:42:01,876 --> 00:42:04,876
Europe is in chaos, England
is on the verge of collapse.
794
00:42:08,168 --> 00:42:13,335
It's a real dangerous moment,
and FDR fears that he's not
795
00:42:13,418 --> 00:42:14,543
going to win the election.
796
00:42:19,251 --> 00:42:20,793
He had real doubts that night.
797
00:42:26,460 --> 00:42:28,251
You really don't
need to worry, FD.
798
00:42:28,418 --> 00:42:29,418
You're going to win.
799
00:42:35,210 --> 00:42:35,876
What if I don't?
800
00:42:36,043 --> 00:42:36,543
[cheering]
801
00:42:36,668 --> 00:42:37,501
That's it.
802
00:42:37,626 --> 00:42:41,001
He's done it.
803
00:42:41,085 --> 00:42:44,335
Four years.
804
00:42:44,460 --> 00:42:45,860
Sounds like you've
gotten your wish.
805
00:42:49,085 --> 00:42:50,085
I have.
806
00:42:56,376 --> 00:42:57,376
God help me.
807
00:43:07,085 --> 00:43:08,751
After Roosevelt is successfully
808
00:43:08,918 --> 00:43:11,793
reelected for a third
term, he decides
809
00:43:11,918 --> 00:43:15,543
he's going to take a
vacation aboard a Naval ship,
810
00:43:15,668 --> 00:43:17,543
and so he goes out
in the Caribbean
811
00:43:17,668 --> 00:43:19,710
and he sits on the deck
and he goes fishing
812
00:43:19,835 --> 00:43:22,918
and he looks out at the
water and he just thinks.
813
00:43:23,043 --> 00:43:25,376
By then England desperately
needed our weapons
814
00:43:25,460 --> 00:43:27,210
to fight back against Germany.
815
00:43:27,376 --> 00:43:31,001
And it looks as though
Hitler might very well win,
816
00:43:31,126 --> 00:43:33,293
and if the Germans take
control of Britain,
817
00:43:33,418 --> 00:43:37,293
then Germany will reign
supreme basically from Poland
818
00:43:37,418 --> 00:43:38,876
to the Atlantic Ocean.
819
00:43:44,335 --> 00:43:47,043
Thank you.
820
00:43:47,168 --> 00:43:48,918
From Churchill.
821
00:43:49,085 --> 00:43:51,460
"We can't hold out much longer."
822
00:43:51,585 --> 00:43:53,501
They're broke.
823
00:43:53,585 --> 00:43:56,376
Winston always exaggerates.
824
00:43:56,543 --> 00:44:01,710
Yes, but this feels different.
825
00:44:01,876 --> 00:44:04,626
That damn neutrality
law has us in a box.
826
00:44:08,043 --> 00:44:09,210
Dammit.
827
00:44:09,376 --> 00:44:10,376
Lend me yours, Hank.
828
00:44:20,460 --> 00:44:24,543
A moment ago, I
was out of fluid,
829
00:44:24,668 --> 00:44:28,043
so you let me use your lighter.
830
00:44:28,168 --> 00:44:30,376
I needed it.
831
00:44:30,543 --> 00:44:33,085
You let me use it.
832
00:44:33,251 --> 00:44:39,751
So we give Churchill tanks and
planes instead of selling them.
833
00:44:39,918 --> 00:44:44,960
Last time I checked, that
would be illegal too.
834
00:44:45,085 --> 00:44:51,251
No, we don't give
them tanks and planes.
835
00:44:51,418 --> 00:44:52,460
We lend them.
836
00:44:55,418 --> 00:44:59,876
FDR was canny and cunning, and
he knew how to get things done
837
00:45:00,001 --> 00:45:04,501
through sleight of hand, and
this worked for him perfectly
838
00:45:04,585 --> 00:45:08,210
on what we came to
call lend-lease.
839
00:45:08,335 --> 00:45:10,126
Because the Allies
can't pay for anything,
840
00:45:10,251 --> 00:45:12,543
we can lend them
military hardware,
841
00:45:12,668 --> 00:45:16,668
we can lend them supplies,
and at some unspecified point
842
00:45:16,793 --> 00:45:19,751
in the future, they
can pay for them.
843
00:45:19,876 --> 00:45:22,043
And he has a wonderful
metaphor for it.
844
00:45:22,126 --> 00:45:25,293
He says, if your neighbor's
house catches on fire,
845
00:45:25,418 --> 00:45:28,626
you're going to loan him your
garden hose to put it out,
846
00:45:28,751 --> 00:45:31,168
and you're not going
to charge for it.
847
00:45:31,251 --> 00:45:33,001
When they started
the lend-lease debate
848
00:45:33,085 --> 00:45:35,376
in the Congress, it wasn't
clear it could get through,
849
00:45:35,501 --> 00:45:38,376
but Roosevelt was always
moving step by step to get
850
00:45:38,460 --> 00:45:41,210
the American public educated
as to where they had to go.
851
00:45:41,376 --> 00:45:46,001
First, in late December,
he gives a fireside chat.
852
00:45:46,126 --> 00:45:51,543
We must have more ships,
more guns, more planes,
853
00:45:51,668 --> 00:45:53,710
more of everything.
854
00:45:53,835 --> 00:45:59,418
We must be the great
arsenal of democracy.
855
00:45:59,585 --> 00:46:02,043
He said, if we produce these
ships and tanks and weapons
856
00:46:02,210 --> 00:46:03,960
and planes and got
them to England
857
00:46:04,085 --> 00:46:06,460
and England was able to fight
back against Germany, maybe
858
00:46:06,585 --> 00:46:09,126
that would prevent us
from getting into the war.
859
00:46:09,251 --> 00:46:12,918
And then on January 6 1941, FDR
860
00:46:13,043 --> 00:46:15,001
is delivering a
State of the Union,
861
00:46:15,085 --> 00:46:19,210
and he centers his speech around
values, these four principles,
862
00:46:19,376 --> 00:46:21,126
these four freedoms.
863
00:46:21,251 --> 00:46:26,043
And he says, everyone is
entitled to freedom of speech,
864
00:46:26,168 --> 00:46:32,251
freedom of worship, freedom from
want, and freedom from fear.
865
00:46:32,418 --> 00:46:33,960
Where do you stand?
866
00:46:34,085 --> 00:46:35,376
Who are we going to be?
867
00:46:35,501 --> 00:46:39,168
And when you put it
that way, then of course
868
00:46:39,251 --> 00:46:41,793
you're going to bring
the country with you.
869
00:46:41,918 --> 00:46:42,918
And it worked.
870
00:46:42,960 --> 00:46:45,376
Congress said yes.
871
00:46:45,460 --> 00:46:49,043
And so this allows for
billions of dollars of greatly
872
00:46:49,126 --> 00:46:50,936
needed supplies not only
to go to Great Britain
873
00:46:50,960 --> 00:46:52,501
but go to many
other Allied powers
874
00:46:52,585 --> 00:46:55,501
to be able to withstand the
onslaught from the Axis powers.
875
00:46:58,418 --> 00:47:02,168
Because of FDR's leadership,
lend-lease was able to really
876
00:47:02,293 --> 00:47:04,376
have an enormous
impact in that war.
877
00:47:08,376 --> 00:47:11,418
June of 1941, Hitler
orders German troops
878
00:47:11,543 --> 00:47:13,251
to attack the Soviet Union.
879
00:47:13,418 --> 00:47:16,793
NEWSREADER: More than 2 million
men plunged into a front 2,000
880
00:47:16,918 --> 00:47:18,126
miles long.
881
00:47:18,251 --> 00:47:20,210
Before all this began,
the United States
882
00:47:20,335 --> 00:47:23,001
was suspicious of the
communists of the Soviet Union,
883
00:47:23,085 --> 00:47:25,376
but now the Soviet Union is
fighting against Germany,
884
00:47:25,501 --> 00:47:28,043
and that changes things.
885
00:47:28,126 --> 00:47:30,626
Churchill famously says,
if Hitler invaded hell,
886
00:47:30,751 --> 00:47:32,376
I'd support the devil.
887
00:47:32,501 --> 00:47:36,335
But how can we give arms or aid
to Soviet Russia, where Joseph
888
00:47:36,418 --> 00:47:40,501
Stalin purges, kills,
exiles hundreds of thousands
889
00:47:40,585 --> 00:47:42,668
so he'd reign supreme?
890
00:47:42,751 --> 00:47:44,835
FDR doesn't know
much about Stalin.
891
00:47:44,918 --> 00:47:47,335
Stalin's crimes are
not well publicized.
892
00:47:47,418 --> 00:47:51,543
And so FDR sends Harry Hopkins,
his great friend and envoy
893
00:47:51,668 --> 00:47:54,835
and all purpose aide to meet
Stalin and take the measure
894
00:47:54,918 --> 00:47:58,918
of him, and Hopkins comes
back and reports to FDR
895
00:47:59,085 --> 00:48:01,168
that Stalin is somebody
you can do business with.
896
00:48:01,251 --> 00:48:03,585
He's not presenting him
as the great terrorist,
897
00:48:03,751 --> 00:48:05,126
the great killer.
898
00:48:05,251 --> 00:48:08,043
And so FDR is going to
argue immediately to extend
899
00:48:08,168 --> 00:48:10,001
lend-lease aid to
the Soviet Union.
900
00:48:14,251 --> 00:48:16,376
As German armies advanced east,
901
00:48:16,543 --> 00:48:19,418
they committed unspeakable
genocidal war crimes
902
00:48:19,585 --> 00:48:22,710
against Jews as they found them
in Poland, Belarus, Ukraine,
903
00:48:22,793 --> 00:48:25,168
parts of the Soviet Union,
and most of these killings
904
00:48:25,251 --> 00:48:29,210
were done by special units
of SS Gestapo personnel, who
905
00:48:29,335 --> 00:48:32,293
were killing Jews with bullets,
killing them any way that they
906
00:48:32,418 --> 00:48:33,418
could.
907
00:48:36,085 --> 00:48:38,001
At a meeting outside
of Berlin, which
908
00:48:38,126 --> 00:48:40,876
takes all of about 90
minutes including breakfast,
909
00:48:41,001 --> 00:48:42,710
the Germans decide
that the final solution
910
00:48:42,876 --> 00:48:45,460
to the Jewish question will
be the mass murders of Jews.
911
00:48:54,418 --> 00:48:57,376
From the summer of
1941, FDR and Churchill
912
00:48:57,501 --> 00:49:00,793
decide it's time for them
to meet face to face,
913
00:49:00,918 --> 00:49:02,376
so he announces at
a press conference
914
00:49:02,460 --> 00:49:05,168
that he's going to be cruising
up the Atlantic seaboard
915
00:49:05,251 --> 00:49:07,918
in the presidential yacht.
916
00:49:08,085 --> 00:49:10,061
Sure enough, he waves to
the people on the shoreline,
917
00:49:10,085 --> 00:49:12,960
and that night he's
transferred to the USS Augusta
918
00:49:13,085 --> 00:49:15,751
and heads up for a secret
rendezvous with Winston
919
00:49:15,918 --> 00:49:19,335
Churchill in Placentia
Bay, Newfoundland.
920
00:49:19,418 --> 00:49:22,543
Churchill, meanwhile, crosses
the German submarine-infested
921
00:49:22,626 --> 00:49:26,876
North Atlantic to meet with
Roosevelt. The Augusta is
922
00:49:26,960 --> 00:49:29,585
at anchor, and
literally out of the fog
923
00:49:29,751 --> 00:49:32,918
emerges this great British
battleship, the HMS Prince
924
00:49:33,043 --> 00:49:34,043
of Wales.
925
00:49:38,376 --> 00:49:41,543
It was an incredible moment
that these two leaders were
926
00:49:41,626 --> 00:49:43,668
in this place at that time.
927
00:49:47,210 --> 00:49:50,585
Glad to have you
aboard, Mr. Churchill.
928
00:49:50,710 --> 00:49:53,543
At long last, Mr. President.
929
00:49:53,668 --> 00:49:55,311
DORIS KEARNS GOODWIN:
The fate of the world
930
00:49:55,335 --> 00:49:57,543
did depend on this relationship
between the two men.
931
00:50:10,460 --> 00:50:14,293
We're ready to carry
on the load if we must.
932
00:50:14,418 --> 00:50:18,876
I'm committed to sending
everything you need.
933
00:50:19,043 --> 00:50:24,835
In my view, you're
fighting for all of us now.
934
00:50:24,918 --> 00:50:29,668
Of course, I'd rather have a
declaration of war from America
935
00:50:29,751 --> 00:50:35,460
now and no supplies for six
months than double the supply
936
00:50:35,585 --> 00:50:38,668
and no declaration.
937
00:50:38,793 --> 00:50:44,210
You know, Winston, that
Congress declares war, not me,
938
00:50:44,293 --> 00:50:46,960
and I'm on thin ice with them.
939
00:50:47,085 --> 00:50:49,543
There's nothing I'd like
better than to kick Hitler
940
00:50:49,668 --> 00:50:57,668
in the teeth, you know that,
but timing is everything.
941
00:50:58,085 --> 00:51:00,543
Yes.
942
00:51:00,710 --> 00:51:02,960
I know.
943
00:51:03,085 --> 00:51:05,751
Churchill was the suitor.
944
00:51:05,876 --> 00:51:08,043
FDR was the pursued.
945
00:51:08,168 --> 00:51:10,085
Winston Churchill once
said, "No lover ever
946
00:51:10,251 --> 00:51:11,543
studied the whims
of his mistress
947
00:51:11,668 --> 00:51:14,501
as I did those of
Franklin Roosevelt."
948
00:51:14,626 --> 00:51:16,793
Churchill was not
an elusive figure.
949
00:51:16,918 --> 00:51:20,418
You knew what he was thinking,
sometimes to a fault.
950
00:51:20,585 --> 00:51:25,960
FDR was ironic, flexible,
slippery in a way,
951
00:51:26,085 --> 00:51:29,543
but they needed each other.
952
00:51:29,668 --> 00:51:32,126
What about Japan?
953
00:51:32,251 --> 00:51:36,793
Suppose they could attack
one of our colonies in Asia?
954
00:51:36,918 --> 00:51:39,043
Or one of yours/
955
00:51:39,210 --> 00:51:41,085
America doesn't have colonies.
956
00:51:43,835 --> 00:51:46,210
The Philippines, Guam.
957
00:51:46,335 --> 00:51:48,168
Call them what you like.
958
00:51:48,293 --> 00:51:50,376
Territory under your control.
959
00:51:50,543 --> 00:51:54,543
And FDR was incredibly
frustrating to Churchill.
960
00:51:54,668 --> 00:51:56,668
Churchill is fighting
for his life,
961
00:51:56,751 --> 00:52:01,085
for the life of
constitutional democracy,
962
00:52:01,210 --> 00:52:06,376
and FDR is incredibly elusive.
963
00:52:06,543 --> 00:52:09,543
If Japan does
something like that,
964
00:52:09,626 --> 00:52:11,751
I'll have to respond,
of course, but it's
965
00:52:11,918 --> 00:52:15,876
my opinion that would be the
wrong war at the wrong time
966
00:52:15,960 --> 00:52:16,960
and the wrong place.
967
00:52:19,751 --> 00:52:21,543
I agree.
968
00:52:21,668 --> 00:52:24,710
Europe comes first.
969
00:52:24,835 --> 00:52:27,793
Churchill's dream since he
was a little boy and his ideas
970
00:52:27,918 --> 00:52:31,168
of heroism are often about
saving something from collapse,
971
00:52:31,251 --> 00:52:34,168
about saving the world as
he knows it from disaster.
972
00:52:34,251 --> 00:52:37,251
Meanwhile, Roosevelt
is not an imperialist.
973
00:52:37,376 --> 00:52:40,376
He is someone who is extremely
idealistic politically,
974
00:52:40,543 --> 00:52:44,335
and rather than wanting to save
something historic in the past,
975
00:52:44,460 --> 00:52:45,918
he really is looking
to the future
976
00:52:46,085 --> 00:52:47,485
and he wants to
build something new.
977
00:52:50,460 --> 00:52:53,043
Then the next morning,
Roosevelt gets himself over
978
00:52:53,168 --> 00:52:54,793
to the Prince of Wales ship.
979
00:52:54,918 --> 00:52:58,085
The sailors are all there, the
British and American sailors.
980
00:52:58,251 --> 00:53:00,043
It's an incredible moment.
981
00:53:00,168 --> 00:53:02,585
[singing]
982
00:53:09,418 --> 00:53:13,043
And they sing hymns
together, and somehow that
983
00:53:13,210 --> 00:53:16,085
got to Roosevelt.
The same language,
984
00:53:16,251 --> 00:53:20,085
the same values, the same hymns.
985
00:53:20,210 --> 00:53:23,793
Afterward, he turns
to his son and said,
986
00:53:23,918 --> 00:53:26,793
if nothing else had
happened while we were here,
987
00:53:26,918 --> 00:53:30,210
that would have cemented us.
988
00:53:30,293 --> 00:53:33,626
The two of them become
more than partners,
989
00:53:33,751 --> 00:53:35,001
more than allies.
990
00:53:35,126 --> 00:53:38,210
They become friends
in a very deep way.
991
00:53:38,293 --> 00:53:40,418
They share this passion
for Naval history.
992
00:53:40,543 --> 00:53:44,543
They share this ability to
understand the global picture.
993
00:53:44,668 --> 00:53:46,501
FDR said to Churchill, it's fun
994
00:53:46,626 --> 00:53:49,210
to be in the same
decade with you.
995
00:53:49,293 --> 00:53:50,876
Churchill said
about FDR, meeting
996
00:53:50,960 --> 00:53:53,543
him was like opening your
first bottle of champagne,
997
00:53:53,668 --> 00:53:56,043
in Churchill's case of the day.
998
00:53:56,168 --> 00:53:58,876
They disagree fundamentally
on colonialism and the fate
999
00:53:58,960 --> 00:54:01,876
of the British Empire, but they
draft the Atlantic Charter,
1000
00:54:02,001 --> 00:54:04,501
which is this extraordinary
statement that says,
1001
00:54:04,626 --> 00:54:09,876
here are the values that we
believe are worth fighting for.
1002
00:54:10,001 --> 00:54:13,876
I think it was the most
important diplomatic friendship
1003
00:54:14,001 --> 00:54:15,710
in the history of the world.
1004
00:54:15,793 --> 00:54:18,960
Roosevelt and
Churchill were unique.
1005
00:54:19,085 --> 00:54:22,043
Their challenges were unique,
and they rose to the occasion
1006
00:54:22,126 --> 00:54:23,126
together.
1007
00:54:28,251 --> 00:54:30,543
Summer of 1941 is a
difficult time for FDR
1008
00:54:30,626 --> 00:54:34,543
because Miss LeHand,
his closest assistant,
1009
00:54:34,668 --> 00:54:37,251
suffers a terrible stroke and
has to leave the White House
1010
00:54:37,376 --> 00:54:38,918
and go into recuperation.
1011
00:54:39,085 --> 00:54:42,876
She'd been with him since he
ran for vice president in 1920.
1012
00:54:43,043 --> 00:54:47,710
Then in September, his
beloved mother Sara dies,
1013
00:54:47,835 --> 00:54:51,210
and this is an
enormous blow to FDR.
1014
00:54:51,376 --> 00:54:55,751
Sara had been the rock for
him for his entire life.
1015
00:54:55,876 --> 00:54:58,710
And he was with
her when she died.
1016
00:54:58,835 --> 00:55:01,876
And the extraordinary thing
is that five minutes later,
1017
00:55:01,960 --> 00:55:05,293
a giant oak at the Hyde Park
estate collapsed on the ground.
1018
00:55:05,418 --> 00:55:06,168
Nobody knew why.
1019
00:55:06,251 --> 00:55:07,710
There was no wind.
1020
00:55:07,835 --> 00:55:15,835
And the thought was that
giant oak was Sara Roosevelt.
1021
00:55:22,835 --> 00:55:23,710
And the thought was that
giant oak was Sara Roosevelt.
1022
00:55:23,835 --> 00:55:26,835
We found it in
your mother's room.
1023
00:55:26,960 --> 00:55:30,043
Thought you'd want to see.
1024
00:55:30,126 --> 00:55:31,543
She kept everything.
1025
00:55:37,418 --> 00:55:38,751
There's this
extraordinary moment
1026
00:55:38,918 --> 00:55:40,835
when he's going through
all the mementos
1027
00:55:40,960 --> 00:55:47,001
that she had kept for
him over the years,
1028
00:55:47,126 --> 00:55:49,501
remembering, I'm sure, all
those days that she had been
1029
00:55:49,585 --> 00:55:50,751
the center of his life.
1030
00:56:32,918 --> 00:56:36,376
I think she was the source of
the confidence that he had,
1031
00:56:36,501 --> 00:56:38,376
and now she was gone.
1032
00:56:38,501 --> 00:56:40,418
He needed companionship.
1033
00:56:43,835 --> 00:56:46,793
Here's somebody who can't
go out into the world
1034
00:56:46,918 --> 00:56:50,376
and he can't relax by playing
golf or playing tennis.
1035
00:56:50,501 --> 00:56:52,585
He has to bring
that world to him.
1036
00:56:52,710 --> 00:56:57,585
FDR loved and needed
female adoration
1037
00:56:57,751 --> 00:56:59,876
throughout his adult life.
1038
00:57:00,001 --> 00:57:03,210
He was very dependent and
very in need of people
1039
00:57:03,335 --> 00:57:07,043
like Missy LeHand,
who idolized him.
1040
00:57:07,168 --> 00:57:10,251
So eventually this is when
Lucy Mercer starts coming back
1041
00:57:10,376 --> 00:57:12,210
to the White House.
1042
00:57:12,335 --> 00:57:15,335
FDR broke his
promise to Eleanor.
1043
00:57:15,418 --> 00:57:18,043
He continued to see Lucy.
1044
00:57:18,126 --> 00:57:21,168
She came to the White
House under a pseudonym
1045
00:57:21,293 --> 00:57:23,876
when Eleanor was not there.
1046
00:57:24,043 --> 00:57:30,335
Not often, but to see her in
the company of other people
1047
00:57:30,460 --> 00:57:34,001
as the pressures
on him escalated.
1048
00:57:39,501 --> 00:57:40,977
People often focus
on what was going on
1049
00:57:41,001 --> 00:57:43,543
in Europe, the rise of
Mussolini, the rise of Hitler.
1050
00:57:43,668 --> 00:57:45,043
But while all this
was happening,
1051
00:57:45,126 --> 00:57:46,806
there was a war playing
out in the Pacific.
1052
00:57:46,918 --> 00:57:51,210
Japan had gone into Chinese
Manchuria in 1931, turned it
1053
00:57:51,335 --> 00:57:52,543
into a puppet state.
1054
00:57:52,668 --> 00:57:56,543
They'd invaded China
proper in 1937.
1055
00:57:56,626 --> 00:57:58,626
And then in 1940, they
started pressing down
1056
00:57:58,751 --> 00:58:01,710
into French Indo-China.
1057
00:58:01,876 --> 00:58:04,061
The United States definitely
does not want to provoke Japan
1058
00:58:04,085 --> 00:58:07,376
militarily, but they also want
to be able to sanction Japan
1059
00:58:07,460 --> 00:58:10,501
for its behavior.
1060
00:58:10,585 --> 00:58:14,293
And so by 1941, they
freeze Japanese assets
1061
00:58:14,418 --> 00:58:15,626
in the United States.
1062
00:58:15,751 --> 00:58:17,918
They also embargo
supplies of gasoline.
1063
00:58:18,085 --> 00:58:19,626
These are pretty
serious sanctions,
1064
00:58:19,751 --> 00:58:21,391
especially for an
island nation like Japan
1065
00:58:21,543 --> 00:58:23,168
that depends on
almost all of its fuel
1066
00:58:23,251 --> 00:58:26,043
coming in from the outside.
1067
00:58:26,168 --> 00:58:29,543
The tensions between Japan
and America are very high,
1068
00:58:29,710 --> 00:58:32,043
and FDR is desperate to
prevent this war from happening
1069
00:58:32,210 --> 00:58:35,710
because he feels Hitler
is the greater threat.
1070
00:58:35,793 --> 00:58:40,835
Gentlemen, what
have you got for me?
1071
00:58:40,960 --> 00:58:43,460
Mr. President, we
have intelligence
1072
00:58:43,585 --> 00:58:46,376
which suggests the Japanese
fleet is on the move.
1073
00:58:46,501 --> 00:58:47,793
What's the target?
1074
00:58:47,918 --> 00:58:50,543
It could be Thailand,
Malaysia, Singapore.
1075
00:58:50,710 --> 00:58:52,793
Will they hit any of our bases?
1076
00:58:52,918 --> 00:58:55,251
If they go for us, it'd probably
1077
00:58:55,418 --> 00:58:57,793
be our base in the Philippines.
1078
00:58:57,918 --> 00:59:00,335
Let's make one more offer.
1079
00:59:00,460 --> 00:59:02,668
If they stop the
aggression in Indo-China
1080
00:59:02,751 --> 00:59:06,626
and withdraw their
troops on the mainland,
1081
00:59:06,751 --> 00:59:09,793
we'll end the embargo.
1082
00:59:09,918 --> 00:59:13,876
I want it clear that we made
every effort to stop this.
1083
00:59:43,418 --> 00:59:44,418
All clear.
1084
00:59:48,043 --> 00:59:49,335
Keep watching.
1085
00:59:49,418 --> 00:59:50,418
I'll get coffee.
1086
01:00:01,585 --> 01:00:02,460
It's a beautiful day.
1087
01:00:02,585 --> 01:00:03,585
It's an early morning.
1088
01:00:03,710 --> 01:00:04,710
It's a Sunday.
1089
01:00:07,335 --> 01:00:12,126
Most people, either military
or civilian, are still in bed.
1090
01:00:12,251 --> 01:00:15,293
And it seems like another placid
day in Hawaii in the Pacific.
1091
01:00:19,251 --> 01:00:22,585
The United States does have
many indications that something
1092
01:00:22,751 --> 01:00:23,835
is going to happen.
1093
01:00:23,960 --> 01:00:26,001
They've broken the
Japanese codes.
1094
01:00:26,126 --> 01:00:28,876
They know that the Japanese
ambassadors are going
1095
01:00:29,001 --> 01:00:32,918
to come to Washington at a very
specific time on December 7th
1096
01:00:33,043 --> 01:00:37,418
to present their rejection
of FDR's final proposal.
1097
01:00:37,585 --> 01:00:39,519
And therefore we should be
on alert, because something's
1098
01:00:39,543 --> 01:00:41,876
going to happen.
1099
01:00:42,001 --> 01:00:44,227
But the Japanese start planning
the attack on Pearl Harbor
1100
01:00:44,251 --> 01:00:47,543
long before the
breakdown in relations.
1101
01:00:47,668 --> 01:00:49,068
They're going to
keep radio silence.
1102
01:00:49,168 --> 01:00:52,501
Six aircraft carriers,
33 ships, 414 aircraft.
1103
01:00:52,585 --> 01:00:55,960
They're going to cover 3,500
miles worth of northern Pacific
1104
01:00:56,085 --> 01:00:58,918
Ocean and arrive about 200 miles
off the northern part of Hawaii
1105
01:00:59,085 --> 01:01:00,418
on the morning of December 7th.
1106
01:01:03,585 --> 01:01:04,876
6 o'clock in the
morning, they're
1107
01:01:05,001 --> 01:01:07,210
going to launch 189
planes in a first wave.
1108
01:01:22,585 --> 01:01:25,168
Lieutenant,
something's happening.
1109
01:01:40,918 --> 01:01:41,918
They keep coming, sir.
1110
01:01:51,335 --> 01:01:53,960
There's a squadron of
B-17 replacements due from
1111
01:01:54,085 --> 01:01:55,335
California.
1112
01:01:55,460 --> 01:01:57,335
This must be them.
1113
01:01:57,418 --> 01:01:58,418
Relax.
1114
01:02:01,918 --> 01:02:05,168
Pearl Harbor at this point
houses the great majority
1115
01:02:05,251 --> 01:02:06,668
of the Pacific fleet.
1116
01:02:06,751 --> 01:02:09,126
Its majority of its
destroyers, its battleships.
1117
01:02:13,918 --> 01:02:16,876
Jeez, you guys hear that?
1118
01:02:17,001 --> 01:02:19,001
[plane engines approaching]
1119
01:02:40,126 --> 01:02:44,001
FDR is sitting in his
study with his stamps.
1120
01:02:44,085 --> 01:02:45,710
He's there with
his close advisor
1121
01:02:45,835 --> 01:02:47,751
Harry Hopkins, who lives
in the White House.
1122
01:02:47,876 --> 01:02:49,293
[phone rings]
1123
01:02:50,376 --> 01:02:52,293
Yes?
1124
01:02:52,418 --> 01:02:54,668
Knox, what is it?
1125
01:02:54,751 --> 01:02:55,751
No.
1126
01:03:06,710 --> 01:03:08,751
They've attacked Pearl Harbor.
1127
01:03:08,876 --> 01:03:11,876
That can't be right.
1128
01:03:12,001 --> 01:03:14,043
[siren wailing]
1129
01:03:24,835 --> 01:03:28,251
It must be a mistake.
1130
01:03:28,376 --> 01:03:31,168
The Japanese do
not have the guts.
1131
01:03:31,293 --> 01:03:37,710
Or they have while their
so-called diplomats sitting
1132
01:03:37,835 --> 01:03:39,918
with our secretary of state.
1133
01:03:40,085 --> 01:03:41,335
Get everybody in here.
1134
01:03:45,293 --> 01:03:47,418
There were so many
blunders at Pearl Harbor,
1135
01:03:47,585 --> 01:03:50,251
like we bumped into a
Japanese midget submarine
1136
01:03:50,376 --> 01:03:52,585
before the attack and
thought nothing of it.
1137
01:03:52,710 --> 01:03:54,293
Our radar stations
on Pearl Harbor
1138
01:03:54,418 --> 01:03:57,210
picked up the incoming first
wave of Japanese fighters
1139
01:03:57,293 --> 01:03:58,293
and dismissed it.
1140
01:04:03,751 --> 01:04:06,376
The Japanese see that the
harbor is filled with sitting
1141
01:04:06,501 --> 01:04:10,626
ducks, these great vessels
filled with crewmembers, filled
1142
01:04:10,751 --> 01:04:12,311
with ammunition, and
they're all tied up
1143
01:04:12,335 --> 01:04:13,935
and they're all right
next to each other.
1144
01:04:14,043 --> 01:04:15,563
So it's like shooting
fish in a barrel.
1145
01:04:22,126 --> 01:04:25,210
They're attacking with
a second wave right now.
1146
01:04:25,335 --> 01:04:26,335
How many?
1147
01:04:33,960 --> 01:04:35,876
It's battleship row.
1148
01:04:35,960 --> 01:04:37,876
They hit them all.
1149
01:04:38,001 --> 01:04:41,668
Eight sunk or incapacitated.
1150
01:04:41,793 --> 01:04:45,085
The Arizona lost with all hands.
1151
01:04:45,251 --> 01:04:48,168
Why in god's name were
they all tied up in dock?
1152
01:04:51,168 --> 01:04:54,210
Given how surprised they were
and how ill-prepared they were,
1153
01:04:54,293 --> 01:04:58,251
the Americans really put
up a pretty brave fight.
1154
01:04:58,376 --> 01:05:00,793
The one great failure
of Japanese intelligence
1155
01:05:00,918 --> 01:05:03,710
is that they don't know the
aircraft carriers aren't there,
1156
01:05:03,835 --> 01:05:08,876
so the three American carriers
end up escaping this attack.
1157
01:05:09,001 --> 01:05:10,418
But it's too little too late.
1158
01:05:13,168 --> 01:05:16,918
18 ships are sunk
or heavily damaged.
1159
01:05:17,043 --> 01:05:20,710
2,402 military
personnel are killed.
1160
01:05:20,793 --> 01:05:23,210
Another 1,247 are wounded.
1161
01:05:23,335 --> 01:05:26,793
Nearly 60 civilians are killed.
1162
01:05:26,918 --> 01:05:29,293
They take out hundreds
of American aircraft
1163
01:05:29,418 --> 01:05:33,210
and they destroyed critical
airfields and wharves.
1164
01:05:33,335 --> 01:05:38,043
The shock was then amplified
by the series of attacks.
1165
01:05:38,168 --> 01:05:41,376
Pearl Harbor was just one
of more than 10 invasions
1166
01:05:41,501 --> 01:05:44,210
and attacks that happened
all across the Pacific,
1167
01:05:44,335 --> 01:05:49,210
including Singapore and Malay
and eventually the Philippines.
1168
01:05:49,376 --> 01:05:51,043
The Japanese seemed unstoppable.
1169
01:05:54,126 --> 01:05:57,918
This is the worst
day in FDR's life.
1170
01:05:58,043 --> 01:06:01,585
He was so committed
to the US Navy.
1171
01:06:01,710 --> 01:06:03,430
When he was Assistant
Secretary of the Navy,
1172
01:06:03,501 --> 01:06:06,376
he was actually at the keel
laying ceremony for the USS
1173
01:06:06,460 --> 01:06:11,793
Arizona, and now it lay on
the bottom of Pearl Harbor.
1174
01:06:11,918 --> 01:06:13,751
After Pearl Harbor, everyone who
1175
01:06:13,876 --> 01:06:15,751
was in the White
House on that day
1176
01:06:15,918 --> 01:06:19,085
said FDR exhibited
a deadly calm.
1177
01:06:19,251 --> 01:06:22,376
While aides are running in
and out with one report worse
1178
01:06:22,501 --> 01:06:28,876
than the next report in a
panic, he just remained calm.
1179
01:06:28,960 --> 01:06:31,043
Eleanor said that at
times of great crisis,
1180
01:06:31,210 --> 01:06:34,710
he could actually be an
iceberg, but that anger
1181
01:06:34,876 --> 01:06:36,251
and those feelings were inside.
1182
01:06:39,043 --> 01:06:45,293
Maybe 2,000 of our boys dead.
1183
01:06:45,418 --> 01:06:47,043
More than 100 planes lost.
1184
01:06:47,126 --> 01:06:48,376
God knows how many ships.
1185
01:06:53,751 --> 01:06:56,543
You cannot blame yourself.
1186
01:07:05,751 --> 01:07:07,251
It was on my watch.
1187
01:07:12,876 --> 01:07:14,293
[phone rings]
1188
01:07:15,960 --> 01:07:16,960
Hello?
1189
01:07:22,251 --> 01:07:23,585
Prime Minister Churchill.
1190
01:07:30,001 --> 01:07:31,001
Winston.
1191
01:07:33,460 --> 01:07:35,126
CHURCHILL (ON
PHONE): President,
1192
01:07:35,251 --> 01:07:36,460
what's this about Japan?
1193
01:07:39,501 --> 01:07:42,960
They've attacked
us at Pearl Harbor.
1194
01:07:43,085 --> 01:07:45,043
We're all in the same boat now.
1195
01:07:47,876 --> 01:07:50,460
Well, this simplifies things.
1196
01:07:53,335 --> 01:07:54,585
It certainly does.
1197
01:07:59,751 --> 01:08:03,710
Sunday, December 7th, 1941.
1198
01:08:03,793 --> 01:08:07,335
Late in the afternoon,
he lights a cigarette,
1199
01:08:07,418 --> 01:08:10,001
calls Grace Tully,
his secretary,
1200
01:08:10,085 --> 01:08:17,960
and dictates the great
speech with punctuation.
1201
01:08:18,085 --> 01:08:21,626
Yesterday, comma,
December 7th, 1941, comma,
1202
01:08:21,751 --> 01:08:26,710
a date which will live in world
history was the first line.
1203
01:08:26,876 --> 01:08:30,335
And he makes one of the
most extraordinary edits
1204
01:08:30,418 --> 01:08:32,710
and he crosses
out world history.
1205
01:08:32,835 --> 01:08:40,835
Yesterday, December
7th, 1941, a date which
1206
01:08:41,168 --> 01:08:48,668
will live in infamy, the United
States of America was suddenly
1207
01:08:48,751 --> 01:08:53,168
and deliberately
attacked by naval and air
1208
01:08:53,293 --> 01:08:56,376
forces of the empire of Japan.
1209
01:08:56,501 --> 01:08:58,710
When he goes to the joint
session of Congress,
1210
01:08:58,835 --> 01:09:01,543
that anger and fury are
underneath the resolve
1211
01:09:01,668 --> 01:09:04,251
and determination, and it
was just exactly what people
1212
01:09:04,418 --> 01:09:06,251
needed to hear.
1213
01:09:06,376 --> 01:09:07,376
This is treachery.
1214
01:09:07,418 --> 01:09:10,293
This will not stand.
1215
01:09:10,418 --> 01:09:15,835
I ask that the Congress declare
1216
01:09:15,960 --> 01:09:22,376
that since the unprovoked and
dastardly attack by Japan,
1217
01:09:22,543 --> 01:09:28,418
a state of war has
existed between the United
1218
01:09:28,585 --> 01:09:32,210
States and the Japanese empire.
1219
01:09:32,293 --> 01:09:33,793
[applause]
1220
01:09:41,168 --> 01:09:43,918
Most people are completely
shocked by crisis,
1221
01:09:44,085 --> 01:09:46,043
either economic crisis or war.
1222
01:09:46,210 --> 01:09:47,793
FDR was not shocked.
1223
01:09:47,918 --> 01:09:50,543
He'd been through the crisis
of his own loss of his limbs.
1224
01:09:50,626 --> 01:09:52,835
Most people think they don't
have the confidence to deal
1225
01:09:52,960 --> 01:09:54,085
with these terrible things.
1226
01:09:54,210 --> 01:09:57,710
FDR had a lot of confidence.
1227
01:09:57,876 --> 01:10:00,876
The average American went to
bed on December 6th lukewarm
1228
01:10:01,001 --> 01:10:03,126
about the prospect
of going to war.
1229
01:10:03,251 --> 01:10:04,936
By the afternoon of
December 7th, many of them
1230
01:10:04,960 --> 01:10:07,585
believed what Admiral Nimitz
says as he steams back
1231
01:10:07,710 --> 01:10:09,293
into Pearl Harbor.
1232
01:10:09,418 --> 01:10:10,918
When we're done
with those people,
1233
01:10:11,043 --> 01:10:13,019
the only place that they will
speak the Japanese language
1234
01:10:13,043 --> 01:10:14,668
is in hell.
1235
01:10:14,751 --> 01:10:18,543
And effectively what they do
is they wake a sleeping giant.
1236
01:10:18,710 --> 01:10:21,168
December 8th, we
declare war on Japan.
1237
01:10:21,251 --> 01:10:23,210
Ironically, on the
11th of December,
1238
01:10:23,293 --> 01:10:25,043
Germany declares war
on the United States.
1239
01:10:25,168 --> 01:10:27,418
And then finally we can
declare war on them.
1240
01:10:27,585 --> 01:10:30,585
That was the war he knew
he needed to happen.
1241
01:10:30,710 --> 01:10:32,668
Roosevelt can take
off the gloves
1242
01:10:32,751 --> 01:10:36,376
and he can lead Americans
openly and honestly into war
1243
01:10:36,501 --> 01:10:39,710
against fascism, which was
the greatest threat democracy
1244
01:10:39,835 --> 01:10:41,418
had ever faced.
1245
01:10:41,543 --> 01:10:43,960
All of our allies, they're
looking at us for leadership.
1246
01:10:44,085 --> 01:10:46,418
It's not just about
leadership within the country.
1247
01:10:46,543 --> 01:10:49,210
It's now leadership
in the world.
1248
01:10:49,335 --> 01:10:50,477
Looking all around
him, it would have
1249
01:10:50,501 --> 01:10:52,543
been easy to be pessimistic.
1250
01:10:52,668 --> 01:10:55,876
But Napoleon reminds us all
leaders are dealers in hope,
1251
01:10:56,001 --> 01:10:58,376
and as an optimist,
it's his responsibility
1252
01:10:58,501 --> 01:11:01,210
to give not only the United
States hope, but also England
1253
01:11:01,376 --> 01:11:04,335
and the Soviet Union,
who are fighting Germany.
1254
01:11:04,418 --> 01:11:07,585
He is the dealer in hope for
the entire free world, not
1255
01:11:07,710 --> 01:11:11,793
an inconsequential
responsibility.
1256
01:11:11,918 --> 01:11:14,043
One very important
feature of World War II
1257
01:11:14,168 --> 01:11:16,251
is the sense of
shared sacrifice.
1258
01:11:16,418 --> 01:11:17,977
It's the same spirit during
the Great Depression,
1259
01:11:18,001 --> 01:11:20,418
that same idea that we're
all in this together.
1260
01:11:20,543 --> 01:11:22,793
The story of America's
mobilization in World War II
1261
01:11:22,918 --> 01:11:26,585
is really astonishing, taking
an army of just a couple 100,000
1262
01:11:26,751 --> 01:11:29,376
and building it up to 12
million people in uniform.
1263
01:11:29,460 --> 01:11:32,835
It was considered cowardly
and shameful and unpatriotic
1264
01:11:32,918 --> 01:11:35,043
for someone of
military age not to try
1265
01:11:35,168 --> 01:11:39,626
to serve in the military,
and that kind of sensibility
1266
01:11:39,751 --> 01:11:43,501
reached sons of very wealthy,
prominent people, who all enter
1267
01:11:43,626 --> 01:11:45,210
the military in
incredible numbers.
1268
01:11:45,376 --> 01:11:47,335
A large percentage
of people in Congress
1269
01:11:47,418 --> 01:11:50,001
have sons who are fighting.
1270
01:11:50,085 --> 01:11:52,793
And presidents have to set
an example for the country,
1271
01:11:52,918 --> 01:11:54,835
and I think it was
important for him
1272
01:11:54,918 --> 01:11:59,585
to know that his four boys
wanted to go into World War II.
1273
01:11:59,710 --> 01:12:03,918
So Elliott joins the Air
Force and Franklin and John
1274
01:12:04,043 --> 01:12:08,585
join the Navy, and then
James joins the Marines.
1275
01:12:08,710 --> 01:12:11,835
Franklin was particularly
close to James his oldest son,
1276
01:12:11,918 --> 01:12:15,085
and James played a critical
role during Franklin's recovery
1277
01:12:15,210 --> 01:12:16,210
from polio.
1278
01:12:21,668 --> 01:12:24,043
When do you start
this new assignment?
1279
01:12:24,126 --> 01:12:26,751
Marine Raiders, Pa, in January.
1280
01:12:26,876 --> 01:12:29,876
So you ought to be
a guerrilla fighter.
1281
01:12:32,585 --> 01:12:35,960
When you ship out,
I'll keep track of you.
1282
01:12:36,085 --> 01:12:37,460
I don't see how.
1283
01:12:37,585 --> 01:12:39,543
I don't even know
where I'll be sent.
1284
01:12:39,626 --> 01:12:42,001
Jimmy, he is the president.
1285
01:12:42,085 --> 01:12:45,585
I intend to keep my eye on the
whereabouts of all of my sons.
1286
01:12:49,710 --> 01:12:52,001
There's coffee in the study.
1287
01:12:52,085 --> 01:12:54,168
You're all allowed one cup.
1288
01:12:54,251 --> 01:12:56,751
It'll be rationed soon, so
you'd better get used to it.
1289
01:13:03,585 --> 01:13:06,376
They all want to be
like their Uncle Ted,
1290
01:13:06,501 --> 01:13:08,501
go charging into battle.
1291
01:13:08,626 --> 01:13:11,876
Babs, you should be proud.
1292
01:13:11,960 --> 01:13:16,043
Each of our boys
is doing that part.
1293
01:13:16,126 --> 01:13:17,126
Oh, I am proud.
1294
01:13:19,626 --> 01:13:21,668
What are the odds of
all four coming home?
1295
01:13:25,460 --> 01:13:27,085
I refuse to think that way.
1296
01:13:37,335 --> 01:13:40,835
It's Christmastime 1941.
1297
01:13:40,918 --> 01:13:43,668
The United States has just
suffered enormous losses
1298
01:13:43,751 --> 01:13:47,085
with the attack on Pearl
Harbor, and Churchill
1299
01:13:47,251 --> 01:13:52,085
has come to meet FDR in person
to have a conference together
1300
01:13:52,210 --> 01:13:53,210
in Washington.
1301
01:13:56,418 --> 01:13:57,835
Winston, are you here?
1302
01:14:00,460 --> 01:14:02,126
I think I've got it.
1303
01:14:02,251 --> 01:14:05,001
We'll call it the
United Nations.
1304
01:14:05,126 --> 01:14:06,960
Yes, sounds good.
1305
01:14:07,085 --> 01:14:08,710
I like it.
1306
01:14:08,835 --> 01:14:09,960
Winston.
1307
01:14:10,085 --> 01:14:13,126
Oh, Franklin, my dear,
I do beg your pardon.
1308
01:14:13,251 --> 01:14:14,501
No need to go.
1309
01:14:14,626 --> 01:14:16,126
The prime minister
of Great Britain
1310
01:14:16,251 --> 01:14:19,210
has nothing to hide from the
president of the United States.
1311
01:14:22,376 --> 01:14:25,626
Join me for a drink.
1312
01:14:25,751 --> 01:14:28,710
Churchill's coming just set
everything in an uproar.
1313
01:14:28,876 --> 01:14:31,335
Churchill would stay up late
at night with Roosevelt. They'd
1314
01:14:31,418 --> 01:14:33,626
stay up drinking and
smoking until 2:00 AM,
1315
01:14:33,751 --> 01:14:35,876
and then Roosevelt would
have to get up in the morning
1316
01:14:36,001 --> 01:14:40,043
and run the country, and
Churchill would go take a nap.
1317
01:14:40,126 --> 01:14:42,668
They have these long
hours spent together
1318
01:14:42,751 --> 01:14:45,626
talking about the world,
two men speaking heart
1319
01:14:45,751 --> 01:14:48,960
to heart about the war.
1320
01:14:49,085 --> 01:14:52,460
Japan's main force just
landed in the Philippines.
1321
01:14:52,585 --> 01:14:54,501
Our boys are being pushed back.
1322
01:14:54,585 --> 01:14:56,585
Manila's in jeopardy.
1323
01:14:56,710 --> 01:14:59,460
Franklin, I need your assurance
1324
01:14:59,585 --> 01:15:03,210
that you won't divert
resources to the Pacific
1325
01:15:03,335 --> 01:15:04,710
from us in Europe.
1326
01:15:04,876 --> 01:15:08,001
I have no intention of
stopping aid to Britain.
1327
01:15:08,126 --> 01:15:11,543
In fact, I want American
forces on the ground as soon
1328
01:15:11,668 --> 01:15:12,710
as possible.
1329
01:15:12,835 --> 01:15:14,918
Hitler could take
Moscow any day,
1330
01:15:15,043 --> 01:15:17,710
so the sooner we give
Stalin relief, the better.
1331
01:15:17,793 --> 01:15:21,543
We'll open up a second front in
France in the north or perhaps
1332
01:15:21,668 --> 01:15:23,335
through the Mediterranean.
1333
01:15:23,460 --> 01:15:26,210
What about here?
1334
01:15:26,293 --> 01:15:27,585
North Africa.
1335
01:15:27,751 --> 01:15:31,085
We're already toe to toe
with the Germans there.
1336
01:15:31,251 --> 01:15:33,501
Where your colonies are.
1337
01:15:33,585 --> 01:15:37,543
Yes, but also where
the Suez Canal is.
1338
01:15:37,626 --> 01:15:43,376
We've got to keep that
pipeline out of Nazi hands.
1339
01:15:43,501 --> 01:15:47,626
During the last war,
leadership was a muddle.
1340
01:15:47,751 --> 01:15:51,960
We lost time and lives.
1341
01:15:52,085 --> 01:15:57,626
This time, someone has
got to be in charge.
1342
01:15:57,751 --> 01:16:00,251
We've been in this longer.
1343
01:16:00,376 --> 01:16:04,418
The British Empire should lead.
1344
01:16:04,543 --> 01:16:08,793
Winston, they're our
tanks and planes.
1345
01:16:11,751 --> 01:16:16,126
America will lead.
1346
01:16:16,251 --> 01:16:19,710
And what comes out of that
is the Germany first policy.
1347
01:16:19,793 --> 01:16:20,953
We're going to fight Germany.
1348
01:16:21,043 --> 01:16:22,918
That's the major
threat to civilization.
1349
01:16:23,043 --> 01:16:27,543
But once Japan strikes Pearl
Harbor, that's US territory.
1350
01:16:27,668 --> 01:16:29,148
If they could strike
Pearl Harbor then
1351
01:16:29,210 --> 01:16:31,043
surely the next place
is the West Coast,
1352
01:16:31,210 --> 01:16:33,876
so there's panic
across the West Coast.
1353
01:16:34,001 --> 01:16:36,668
There will be a report of
imminent attacks against San
1354
01:16:36,751 --> 01:16:39,210
Diego and Los Angeles.
1355
01:16:39,335 --> 01:16:43,918
There was all this prejudice
against Japanese-Americans,
1356
01:16:44,043 --> 01:16:51,168
and when Pearl Harbor came,
the reaction was intensified.
1357
01:16:51,251 --> 01:16:55,418
On the street, they
were yelled at, spat at,
1358
01:16:55,543 --> 01:16:58,668
called horrible names.
1359
01:16:58,751 --> 01:17:00,835
Eleanor flies to San Francisco,
1360
01:17:00,918 --> 01:17:06,001
and she walks without military
escort, without Secret Service,
1361
01:17:06,085 --> 01:17:08,918
in Japanese-American
communities.
1362
01:17:09,085 --> 01:17:11,876
She said, we must
not be stampeded
1363
01:17:12,001 --> 01:17:15,251
by the hysteria of the times.
1364
01:17:15,418 --> 01:17:19,543
ELEANOR ROOSEVELT: America
is a nation of nations,
1365
01:17:19,668 --> 01:17:23,376
and therein lies our strength.
1366
01:17:23,501 --> 01:17:28,751
When she comes back to D.C.,
it's very clear that FDR is
1367
01:17:28,918 --> 01:17:34,251
determined to issue an executive
order interning the Japanese.
1368
01:17:34,376 --> 01:17:38,835
Eleanor is absolutely
adamantly against it.
1369
01:17:38,960 --> 01:17:44,251
That morning of terror
I will never forget.
1370
01:17:44,376 --> 01:17:50,126
I was by the front window when
suddenly we saw two soldiers
1371
01:17:50,251 --> 01:17:51,876
marching up our driveway.
1372
01:17:51,960 --> 01:17:56,418
They carried rifles with
shiny bayonets on them.
1373
01:17:56,543 --> 01:17:59,626
They stomped up the front
porch and with their fists
1374
01:17:59,751 --> 01:18:03,835
began banging on the door.
1375
01:18:03,918 --> 01:18:07,376
We were loaded onto trucks
with other Japanese-American
1376
01:18:07,460 --> 01:18:11,210
families that had been
gathered, and we were driven out
1377
01:18:11,335 --> 01:18:18,293
to Santa Anita racetrack in the
outer fringes of Los Angeles.
1378
01:18:18,418 --> 01:18:21,418
President Roosevelt signed
Executive Order 9066
1379
01:18:21,585 --> 01:18:22,835
and we were taken away.
1380
01:18:32,835 --> 01:18:33,876
Eleanor, how's New York?
1381
01:18:34,001 --> 01:18:35,121
I need to speak to Franklin.
1382
01:18:41,793 --> 01:18:42,501
You signed it.
1383
01:18:42,626 --> 01:18:43,543
Yes.
1384
01:18:43,626 --> 01:18:45,335
Everyone advised I should.
1385
01:18:45,418 --> 01:18:47,085
Not everyone.
1386
01:18:47,210 --> 01:18:49,876
I was just on the radio
boasting like a fool
1387
01:18:50,001 --> 01:18:53,210
that we here in America protect
the rights of all people.
1388
01:18:53,335 --> 01:18:55,668
This is a matter of
national security.
1389
01:18:55,751 --> 01:18:57,251
I had no choice.
1390
01:18:57,376 --> 01:18:58,835
You're the president.
1391
01:18:58,960 --> 01:19:01,043
And I don't see you locking
up any German Americans.
1392
01:19:01,126 --> 01:19:02,710
There are 5 million of them.
1393
01:19:02,793 --> 01:19:04,376
Where would I put them?
1394
01:19:04,460 --> 01:19:08,210
These are families you're
targeting, American citizens.
1395
01:19:08,335 --> 01:19:12,376
Innocent people are going to
be deeply affected by this.
1396
01:19:12,501 --> 01:19:13,751
They did this to themselves.
1397
01:19:13,876 --> 01:19:15,710
Look what they did to Pearl.
1398
01:19:15,876 --> 01:19:18,710
They pretended to negotiate
while they bombed us.
1399
01:19:18,793 --> 01:19:21,585
But how can you shout
about freedom out there
1400
01:19:21,710 --> 01:19:23,168
and do this at home?
1401
01:19:25,585 --> 01:19:26,585
It's done.
1402
01:19:29,918 --> 01:19:31,227
I'm going back to
New York tomorrow
1403
01:19:31,251 --> 01:19:34,126
to see Franklin Jr.
At the hospital.
1404
01:19:34,251 --> 01:19:36,126
Yes.
1405
01:19:36,251 --> 01:19:38,585
He called to let me know he
doesn't miss his appendix
1406
01:19:38,710 --> 01:19:40,460
at all.
1407
01:19:40,585 --> 01:19:42,793
Yes, that sounds like him.
1408
01:19:42,918 --> 01:19:44,793
I expect he'll be back
at sea soon enough.
1409
01:20:02,460 --> 01:20:05,418
The beginning of 1942, if you
looked across the Pacific,
1410
01:20:05,543 --> 01:20:07,335
there's nothing going well.
1411
01:20:07,418 --> 01:20:12,251
The Japanese have taken most
of the Dutch East Indies
1412
01:20:12,418 --> 01:20:16,710
as well as Singapore,
Wake Island, Guam.
1413
01:20:16,793 --> 01:20:19,335
As the Japanese attack
the Philippines,
1414
01:20:19,460 --> 01:20:22,626
the US forces will retreat
down the Bataan Peninsula.
1415
01:20:22,751 --> 01:20:23,876
Disease is rampant.
1416
01:20:23,960 --> 01:20:25,210
Men are underfed.
1417
01:20:25,335 --> 01:20:26,835
[cheering]
1418
01:20:31,876 --> 01:20:33,196
There's a real
problem with morale
1419
01:20:33,251 --> 01:20:34,918
in the country at that point.
1420
01:20:35,085 --> 01:20:38,710
FDR had to explain that this
was a different kind of war
1421
01:20:38,793 --> 01:20:41,460
and that the oceans no
longer protected us.
1422
01:20:41,585 --> 01:20:45,376
So he gave a fireside chat where
he asks everybody to get a map
1423
01:20:45,501 --> 01:20:47,918
and spread it before
them so they can follow
1424
01:20:48,085 --> 01:20:50,501
the progress of the
war, and it's incredible
1425
01:20:50,585 --> 01:20:52,001
how they respond.
1426
01:20:52,085 --> 01:20:54,005
I mean, the guy who was
the head of CS Maps Store
1427
01:20:54,085 --> 01:20:55,960
said he sold more
maps in that one week
1428
01:20:56,085 --> 01:20:58,293
than he had sold
in an entire year.
1429
01:20:58,418 --> 01:21:01,126
5, 4, 3.
1430
01:21:04,210 --> 01:21:08,210
This war is a new kind of war.
1431
01:21:08,293 --> 01:21:13,210
It is warfare in terms of
every continent, every island,
1432
01:21:13,293 --> 01:21:17,793
every sea, every
airlane in the world.
1433
01:21:17,918 --> 01:21:24,001
That is why I have asked you to
take out and spread before you
1434
01:21:24,085 --> 01:21:29,710
a map of the whole Earth
and follow with me.
1435
01:21:29,835 --> 01:21:31,144
Everybody's listening
on the radio,
1436
01:21:31,168 --> 01:21:33,126
having their maps
in front of them.
1437
01:21:33,251 --> 01:21:35,227
He's saying, we've been through
these tough times in America
1438
01:21:35,251 --> 01:21:36,668
before. We've come through.
1439
01:21:36,793 --> 01:21:38,144
Them we're going to
come to them again.
1440
01:21:38,168 --> 01:21:43,251
From Berlin, Rome, and Tokyo, we
1441
01:21:43,376 --> 01:21:47,751
have been described as
a nation of weaklings.
1442
01:21:47,918 --> 01:21:51,543
Let them repeat that now.
1443
01:21:51,668 --> 01:21:56,543
Let them tell that to General
MacArthur and his men.
1444
01:21:56,710 --> 01:22:00,293
Let them tell that to the
sailors who today are hitting
1445
01:22:00,418 --> 01:22:04,876
hard in the far
waters of the Pacific.
1446
01:22:04,960 --> 01:22:09,501
Let them tell that
to the Marines.
1447
01:22:09,626 --> 01:22:11,210
And then the spirit rose.
1448
01:22:11,335 --> 01:22:12,543
The people believed in him.
1449
01:22:12,668 --> 01:22:14,376
They believed in his word.
1450
01:22:14,460 --> 01:22:17,126
He would say to them, you've got
to trust that the government is
1451
01:22:17,251 --> 01:22:19,293
giving you the
right information,
1452
01:22:19,418 --> 01:22:22,168
and I have to trust that you
will hear it without flinching.
1453
01:22:22,251 --> 01:22:24,376
So that was the
reciprocal bond that he
1454
01:22:24,543 --> 01:22:26,001
created with the people.
1455
01:22:26,085 --> 01:22:29,251
FDR knew that waiting month
after month after month
1456
01:22:29,418 --> 01:22:31,626
with nothing but bad news
coming out of the Pacific
1457
01:22:31,751 --> 01:22:33,960
was going to be deeply
demoralizing to the American
1458
01:22:34,085 --> 01:22:37,710
people, and so FDR presses
the military for some way
1459
01:22:37,876 --> 01:22:41,251
to strike at Japan, even if
it's just a symbolic strike,
1460
01:22:41,376 --> 01:22:45,501
and that leads to the
famous Doolittle Raid.
1461
01:22:45,585 --> 01:22:48,418
Named for Lieutenant
Colonel James Doolittle, one
1462
01:22:48,585 --> 01:22:51,126
of the great pilots
in American history,
1463
01:22:51,251 --> 01:22:53,376
the plan is they're
going to take B-25s,
1464
01:22:53,501 --> 01:22:56,460
these massive bombers, and
they're going to fly them off
1465
01:22:56,585 --> 01:22:59,085
of an aircraft carrier in
the middle of the Pacific
1466
01:22:59,210 --> 01:23:01,418
and hit Tokyo during training.
1467
01:23:01,585 --> 01:23:04,293
It's so secret, the
men involved do not
1468
01:23:04,418 --> 01:23:05,876
know what their mission is.
1469
01:23:06,001 --> 01:23:08,168
They're going to
fly treetop level,
1470
01:23:08,251 --> 01:23:11,043
they're going to strike
Tokyo and four other cities.
1471
01:23:11,168 --> 01:23:14,043
They don't do much
material damage.
1472
01:23:14,210 --> 01:23:17,585
But psychologically
it's a game changer.
1473
01:23:17,710 --> 01:23:21,043
Maybe more psychologically
damaging on the Japanese side
1474
01:23:21,210 --> 01:23:24,668
is Japan home island and
Tokyo had been struck.
1475
01:23:24,751 --> 01:23:27,210
He has a press conference
afterward to explain what had
1476
01:23:27,335 --> 01:23:29,043
happened and the
reporters asked,
1477
01:23:29,168 --> 01:23:30,626
where do these
B-25s 25s come from?
1478
01:23:30,751 --> 01:23:32,436
And of course he's not going
to reveal that because that's
1479
01:23:32,460 --> 01:23:34,501
top secret information,
so he rather impishly
1480
01:23:34,585 --> 01:23:36,876
says, Shangri-La.
1481
01:23:36,960 --> 01:23:39,210
He's poking fun at the Japanese,
1482
01:23:39,293 --> 01:23:41,376
and the Americans love it.
1483
01:23:41,501 --> 01:23:45,751
FDR knows a small but
symbolically powerful
1484
01:23:45,876 --> 01:23:49,460
strike like the Doolittle Raid
will have immense benefits
1485
01:23:49,585 --> 01:23:50,418
for the war effort.
1486
01:23:50,543 --> 01:23:52,210
For the Japanese,
the chief impact
1487
01:23:52,335 --> 01:23:55,293
is they realize just
how vulnerable they are.
1488
01:23:55,418 --> 01:23:58,043
This makes Japan more
determined than ever
1489
01:23:58,168 --> 01:24:00,085
to keep the Americans
at arm's length
1490
01:24:00,210 --> 01:24:03,835
so they can't penetrate into
Japanese airspace and rain
1491
01:24:03,918 --> 01:24:05,278
bombs on Tokyo and
the other cities
1492
01:24:05,376 --> 01:24:08,126
as they did during
the Doolittle Raid.
1493
01:24:08,251 --> 01:24:11,876
Japan is looking for ways to
finish the job that it began
1494
01:24:12,043 --> 01:24:14,168
at Pearl Harbor.
1495
01:24:14,293 --> 01:24:18,543
Midway Island, it's halfway
between America and Asia,
1496
01:24:18,668 --> 01:24:22,210
and it was like critical
base for the US Navy
1497
01:24:22,293 --> 01:24:25,751
to be able to provide
supplies for American vessels
1498
01:24:25,918 --> 01:24:27,543
in the Pacific.
1499
01:24:27,710 --> 01:24:31,168
Japanese Admiral Yamamoto
forms a huge flotilla
1500
01:24:31,293 --> 01:24:35,335
of about 200 vessels and
sends them to Midway Island.
1501
01:24:35,460 --> 01:24:37,585
The Japanese believe that
if they can threaten it,
1502
01:24:37,751 --> 01:24:40,376
it will bring those US carriers
that weren't at Pearl Harbor
1503
01:24:40,460 --> 01:24:43,335
out and they can destroy
them in one climactic battle.
1504
01:24:49,876 --> 01:24:51,376
Good afternoon, Mr. President.
1505
01:24:51,460 --> 01:24:55,085
General Marshall, what
have you got for me?
1506
01:24:55,251 --> 01:24:57,376
Our team cracked it.
1507
01:24:57,460 --> 01:25:01,626
They fooled the Japanese into
identifying their target.
1508
01:25:01,751 --> 01:25:03,626
They're going to hit
us at Midway, sir.
1509
01:25:03,751 --> 01:25:05,710
So what are we looking at?
1510
01:25:05,793 --> 01:25:09,460
They'll move a task force
in, carriers, the works.
1511
01:25:09,585 --> 01:25:13,043
We have to expect an
invasion force of 60,000.
1512
01:25:13,126 --> 01:25:14,501
60,000?
1513
01:25:14,626 --> 01:25:16,710
But, sir, we know where
they're going to be,
1514
01:25:16,835 --> 01:25:18,876
so we can lay a trap.
1515
01:25:19,001 --> 01:25:23,460
If we move our carriers in
here, we can hit the Japanese
1516
01:25:23,585 --> 01:25:25,251
from the air.
1517
01:25:25,418 --> 01:25:29,126
Admiral Yamamoto does not know
that the Americans have broken
1518
01:25:29,251 --> 01:25:30,835
the Japanese code.
1519
01:25:30,918 --> 01:25:33,418
Admiral Chester Nimitz,
leading the American forces
1520
01:25:33,543 --> 01:25:36,835
in the Pacific, knows that
Yamamoto's force is heading
1521
01:25:36,918 --> 01:25:40,460
towards Midway Island, and
he begins to set a trap.
1522
01:25:40,585 --> 01:25:42,918
But the American forces
could lose Midway Island
1523
01:25:43,043 --> 01:25:47,710
and untold assets in terms of
airplanes and Naval vessels.
1524
01:25:47,876 --> 01:25:49,335
He took risks.
1525
01:25:49,418 --> 01:25:52,876
Again and again, you see
these moments of great daring.
1526
01:25:53,001 --> 01:25:56,376
So we've got a chance to even
up the odds in the Pacific.
1527
01:25:56,543 --> 01:25:59,126
If we do not succeed, they
will overrun our base,
1528
01:25:59,251 --> 01:26:01,793
but we have Marine
reinforcements come in Midway
1529
01:26:01,918 --> 01:26:03,335
as we speak.
1530
01:26:03,418 --> 01:26:06,543
Whatever happens, we'll
put up a hell of a fight.
1531
01:26:09,085 --> 01:26:11,710
See this ship, General?
1532
01:26:11,835 --> 01:26:14,293
It's got Marines aboard
heading for Midway.
1533
01:26:17,585 --> 01:26:20,793
My son Jimmy is one of them.
1534
01:26:20,918 --> 01:26:22,460
So he's with Carlson then?
1535
01:26:25,335 --> 01:26:28,710
He's going to be in the
thick of it, isn't he?
1536
01:26:28,835 --> 01:26:29,585
Yes, sir.
1537
01:26:29,751 --> 01:26:30,751
He will.
1538
01:26:36,210 --> 01:26:37,418
God bless them all.
1539
01:26:40,585 --> 01:26:43,043
Summer of '42, the Battle
of the Atlantic still rages.
1540
01:26:43,168 --> 01:26:47,043
The Germans are 500 miles into
the Soviet Union at this point.
1541
01:26:47,168 --> 01:26:49,210
The Mediterranean is
still a battleground.
1542
01:26:49,335 --> 01:26:50,793
How could this happen?
1543
01:26:50,918 --> 01:26:52,626
It's one defeat.
1544
01:26:52,751 --> 01:26:54,126
It's not over.
1545
01:26:54,251 --> 01:26:56,293
FDR's responsibility is
to be the global optimist
1546
01:26:56,418 --> 01:26:58,335
for Western civilization.
1547
01:26:58,418 --> 01:27:00,918
Marshal Stalin,
what's he really like?
1548
01:27:01,043 --> 01:27:02,376
[non-english], President.
1549
01:27:02,543 --> 01:27:04,543
We need to strike in France now.
1550
01:27:04,668 --> 01:27:07,710
I'm not certain your
Yanks are ready for that.
1551
01:27:07,835 --> 01:27:11,043
To say that there's a lot
riding on D-Day is a massive
1552
01:27:11,168 --> 01:27:12,335
understatement.
1553
01:27:12,418 --> 01:27:16,293
Our sons, pride of
our nation, this day
1554
01:27:16,418 --> 01:27:19,585
have set upon a mighty
endeavor, a struggle
1555
01:27:19,710 --> 01:27:24,626
to preserve our republic
and our civilization.
1556
01:27:25,305 --> 01:28:25,475
Please rate this subtitle at www.osdb.link/cy6jm
Help other users to choose the best subtitles
1557
01:28:25,525 --> 01:28:30,075
Repair and Synchronization by
Easy Subtitles Synchronizer 1.0.0.0
124188
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get subtitles in any language from opensubtitles.com, and translate them here.