All language subtitles for Butterfly.Effect.S03E07_English

- [Male Narrator] Our history
is no more than a series

of incredible events.

Every one of us can
influence its course.

(dramatic music)

The most infinitesimal
of our decisions

can influence the
future of humanity.

To know the past is
to foresee the future.

The Arabic peninsula
1941, construction site

of the great pipeline Suleiman.

The Turkish overseers
push their teams.

The Sultan has demanded
that everything

be ready for inspection
by the new ally

of the Ottoman
empire, Nazi Germany.

25 years earlier, the
violent repression

of the Arab Rebellion
allowed the Ottoman powers

to maintain control over Arabia.

Since then, the discovering
and exploitation

of vast oil fields has
re-ignited the economy.

The Ottoman Empire
is richer than ever.

In the middle of World War II

the strategic construction
of an immense pipeline

will allow Germany to
feed its war machine.

But none of this ever happened.

In 1917, a small grain of
sand leads to the success

of the Arab Revolt and
the storming of Damascus.

June 18th 1909,
Thomas Edward Lawrence

leaves his native Great Britain

for an important
journey to the Orient.

November 19, '17, in
the Arab city of Deraa,

Captain Lawrence is captured

and tortured by
Ottoman soldiers.

October 1st, 1918, Prince
Faisal enters Damascus.

After 400 years, the holy city

is once again under Arab rule.

These three inextricably
linked events are key moments

in the epic adventure of
Lieutenant Colonel Lawrence,

also known as
Lawrence of Arabia.

September 1908, Mont St. Michel.

After more then
3,500 kilometers,

young Thomas Edward Lawrence

is about to complete his
bicycle tour of France.

Passionate about history
and medieval forts

he is following in the
footsteps of his childhood
hero,

the celebrated
Richard the Lionheart.

Lawrence has always
been an atypical boy.

How many times has he
sneaked out of the house

to go on nocturnal escapades.

For this dreamer and
adventurer, nothing is worse

than the dreary rigor of
traditional schooling,

yet he loves learning, but
only the things that he likes

and in the way that he likes.

It is at Oxford University
that life places

an exceptional
personality on his path,

a reputed archeologist,
polyglot, historian

and journalist, the
great D.G.Hogarth.

Holding the status of
professor in the prestigious

university, this intellectual
is also a man of action.

In the shadows, Hogarth works

for the intelligence
services of his majesty.

An ideal cover.

On the ground, who would
suspect an archeologist

examining ancient
stones, of espionage.

And what better position is
there than that of a teacher

to discreetly
recruit new talent.

Because the secret service
constantly needs reliable,

motivated, intelligent,
versatile men

with a gift for improvising.

Knowing how to handle a gun
is clearly also an advantage.

In other words, the British
Empire needs men like Lawrence.

Following the advice of the
one who has become his mentor

the young Lawrence quickly
learns some rudimentary Arabic

and leaves England to
explore the Orient.

There, everything
fascinates him.

He wants to see everything,
visit everything

and touch everything.

He sets out alone on a long
and difficult journey on foot

of more than 1,700 kilometers
to cross the immense country

which extends from
Constantinople

to the faraway deserts of
Arabia, the Ottoman Empire.

Starting in the 15th
century, the Ottoman Turks

have already conquered Anatolia

and laid the foundations
of their empire.

Their expansion
was overwhelming.

In 1453, they storm
ancient Constantinople

and make it their new capital.

At its peak the Ottoman
Empire spreads over

more than five million
square kilometers,

from the Algerian mountains
to the sands of Iraq,

from Hungary to the
pyramids of Egypt.

Then, over time, the
empire starts to decline.

Victim of military defeat
and internal conflicts.

At the beginning of the 20th
century, the Ottoman power,

ruined, is weaker than ever.

In 1909, the Sultan is left
with only symbolic power.

In Europe, the empire is
regarded as a sick old man

and politicians already
speculate about its lands.

The British Crown most
notably, has every interest

to control all the lands
surrounding the Suez Canal.

This strategic zone in
the hands of the English

is situated in Egypt,

which was the Ottoman
Empire at that time.

Under the pretext of
a scientific mission,

England sends two archeologists
to make topological surveys.

They can take advantage
of it to complete the maps

of the region and anticipate
eventual military operations.

Among them, one
is named Lawrence.

- [Female Narrator] Welcome
to the memory of humanity.

Every historical event,
regardless of how small,

is recorded and connected.

You only need to change one
to upset all the others.

Here, we are able
to control time,

analyze and compare
billions of events

in order to rewrite
history in infinite ways.

For example, lets take a look

at the Ottoman
Empire at its peak.

In the 16th century,
the lands of the empire

are based on two continents,
Asia and Europe, encompassing

a multitude of people and
religious communities.

At the center, the Turks
are natives of central Asia

and have progressively
adopted Islam.

The Middle East is principally
occupied by the Arabs

who speak a Semitic language
which is totally different

from their neighbors, the Turks.

This is where Islam was born.

In the European part to
the north, the Balkans

are both Muslims and Christians.

The populations mainly speak
Latin and Slavic languages.

And yet, even with these
differences, the empire

would last more than 600
years before disappearing.

This is a remarkable feat.

- [Male Narrator] December 1914.

Since summer, the
nations of Europe

have been engaged in
a fight to the death.

A total war.

A world war.

The first one.

At the same time, Lawrence
arrives in Cairo, Egypt.

Thanks to Hogarth's connections,

he joins the military
intelligence section.

Promoted to staff captain,

he is increasingly
interested in local politics.

Lawrence learns one
crucial thing, to weaken

the Ottoman powers,
the small Arab powers

have to be federated

then placed under the
authority
of the Hashemite family.

For nine centuries, this
prestigious Arab family

is the guardian of the holy
places, Mecca and Medina.

Its leader, Sharif
Hussein, is a descendant

of the prophet Mohammed,
founder of Islam.

Vassal of Ottoman power,
he controls and administers

the Hejaz region in
the Arabian peninsula.

But secretly the Hashemites
aspire to a great Arab nation

in which Hussein
would be the Caliph.

For the Ottomans
engaged in World War I

on the side of the Germans,
the Arabian peninsula

becomes a veritable powder keg.

At the beginning
of the hostilities,

the British open up
a front in Egypt.

That is when news arrives
to change the game.

Oil is delivered in
the region of Basra.

To guarantee access
to this resource,

the British government
secretly negotiates

with its ally, France.

At the end of the conflict,
the two European powers

will redraw the frontiers
of the Middle East

then share control of it.

This highly confidential
redistribution

takes on the names
of the two diplomats

who led the negotiations,
Sykes and Picot.

Kept secret, these agreements
contradict the numerous

promises of independence that
are made to the Hashemites.

Pragmatic, the English
hedge their bets.

The same territories are
promised multiple times.

However, Hussein and his sons

are still convinced
of British support.

The Sharif publishes his
proclamation of independence.

The birth of the Al-Thawra
al-Arabiyya al-Kubra,

the Great Arab Revolution.

Once the revolt begins Lawrence
is transferred to the Arab

bureau, a service formed
to support the Arab cause.

His first mission, find
within Hussein's ranks

someone capable of
leading the Arab uprising.

In November 1916, he meets one
of his sons, Prince Faisal.

Fascinated by this man
who fights with ardor

but without means, Lawrence
manages to convince

his superiors Prince Faisal
is the man for the job.

The captain is then
given a new mission,

become the military
councilor of the Prince.

In January 1917, the
Bedouin army of Faisal

begins its march,
banners flying high.

Riding at his side,
fully dressed as a
Bedouin, is Lawrence.

- [Female Narrator]
Know your weaknesses.

Captain Lawrence
understands very quickly

that the Bedouins can
not directly confront

the modern Ottoman army.

The nomads, under-equipped,
lacking discipline,

unable to hold a line of
fire, are unpredictable.

He knows that his army of
volunteers is very susceptible

to loss and that it is
necessary to preserve as many

of the already inferior
number of troops as possible.

He develops a particular
concept of warfare.

Faced with a traditional
and well-equipped army

they have to respond
with light, mobile troops

who have a great
deal of autonomy.

Therefore lightning
raids and sabotage

are much more effective
than suicidal charges.

This tactic circumvents the
weaknesses of the troops

and best utilizes
their strengths.

The endurance of Arabian
camels, solid knowledge

of the nomadic terrain and
the complicity of the local

people who provide good
information on the enemy.

This is the principle
of guerrilla warfare.

- [Male Narrator] June
1917, Desert of Nafud.

Thanks to English
gold, Lawrence manages

to rally Chief Auda's
clan to the cause.

These precious reinforcements
will be appreciated.

In a few days they will
make a surprise attack

on the strategic port of Aqaba.

So while the English fleet
is pounding on the port's

defenses, all facing the sea,
a horde of Bedouin warriors

descend from the mountains
where nobody was expecting them.

Before the end of the day,

Aqaba falls into the
hands of the Arab rebels.

A shining victory for Lawrence.

His legend established,
the Englishman

shares his life
with the Bedouins.

He wears their clothes,
sleeps under the stars

and endures their thirst.

On the front line,
he is in every fight.

The English however,
are more impressed

by his tactical results.

His guerrilla method
is terribly effective.

He is promoted to major,
given more weapons,

ammunition and explosives
and sent back to the desert.

September 1917,
Mudawwara water point.

To prevent attacks, the
Ottomans have begun to shield

their trains, but even
with these precautions

it won't put up much resistance

against the explosives
that are put on the tracks.

Lawrence rapidly
becomes an expert

in railroad demolition
and at blowing up convoys.

From then on, the Arabs
nickname him Prince Dynamite.

In October, at the demand
of the British commander,

Lawrence and the rebels go
behind the Ottoman lines

to create a diversion.

The mission is dangerous and
several skirmishes go badly.

One evening, Lawrence
decides to go

on a reconnaissance
mission in Deraa.

The small group marches
anonymously in the city

where the enemy supply passes.

That's when they cross
an Ottoman patrol.

In spite of his Bedouin
clothes, Lawrence's white skin

is noticed by one of the
soldiers and he is assumed

to be a deserter
from northern Turkey.

He is arrested immediately.

Imprisoned, he is subjected
to violent interrogations,

lashes from a whip begin
to rain down on him

as does the sexual abuse.

Lawrence resists, but he
is beaten and immobilized.

He knows that if one
English word escapes him

his torturers will
unmask him immediately.

Then the torture ceases.

Lawrence is left on
the floor, bleeding.

Dawn is breaking.

Lawrence, broken, gathers
his last vestiges of strength

and manages to escape.

- [Female Narrator]
We have arrived

at a point of divergence.

A point of divergence
is a key moment,

a crossroads in our
history where our world

can swing from one
side to the other.

With his force and conviction,
Lawrence is not the leader

of the rebellion
but its catalyst.

The scattered armies reassemble
and fight, side by side.

If he had betrayed himself
under
torture by speaking English

his fate would have been sealed.

The Ottomans would have had

one of the pillars
of the Arab revolt.

The rebellion would
have lost its unity

and perhaps even some
of the English support.

So we can imagine a different
outcome for the war.

The British, deprived of
their precious Arab allies

would have only kept their
initial position in Egypt.

By the end of the
conflict in Europe,

the Ottoman armies would
have been firmly established

throughout the
Arabian peninsula.

Rid of the English
and the French,

the Ottoman Empire would
have survived World War I,

or at least until World War II.

- [Male Narrator] 1918.

In Europe, everything
accelerates.

In the Orient, as well.

What was at the beginning just
an improvised guerrilla war

is now an essential support
for the British army

which is advancing
faster than ever

in the Ottoman territory.

Lawrence, who has become
lieutenant-colonel

increases the audacious raids.

Going up north, he blows up
bridges and railroad tracks.

Everywhere the
Ottomans are retreating

fleeing in front of the
hoofs of the desert horseman

who are riding at full gallop
to conquer their future.

Meanwhile thousands of Bedouins
flock towards Damascus.

Others converge on
Medina, the holy city.

There is a price
put on the heads

of Lawrence and
the Arab leaders.

But despite the promise
of a huge reward,

no one betrays their
legendary leaders.

September 19th, as the British
launch a major offensive

Prince Faisal proclaims
a general revolt.

There's panic in
the Turkish army.

The war seems to be coming
to an end on all fronts

and it was time.

On both sides, the
massacres are multiplied,

fueled by the fire of vengeance.

Prince Faisal and Colonel
Lawrence riding side by side

at the head of
their nomadic army

move straight towards Damascus.

October 1st, 1918, the
flag of the Arab Revolt

finally flies on the capital.

On the 30th, on their
knees, the Ottoman Empire

concedes to its ultimate defeat.

- [Female Narrator]
Revolt or revolution?

A revolt is a refusal
to obey authority

and it manifest
itself by an attempt

at insurrection or mutiny.

A revolution is a brisk
reversal of a regime by force.

It involves profound
political and social changes.

In 1789, confronted
with a popular movement

of great magnitude, the
King of France, Louis XVI,

does not measure the extent
of this groundswell protest.

In his eyes, it's
a simple revolt.

A few years later
he is guillotined

and the kingdom of France,
carried away by the turmoil

of the revolution
become a republic.

The Arab Uprising in 1915,
is technically a revolt.

The Arabs want to
conquer the power

without changing the society.

For the Arab history books
however, it is a revolution.

The difference in semantics
might seem insignificant

but it completely
changes the point of view

and scope of the event.

- [Male Narrator]
November 11th, 1918.

The first world war is over,

but for the Hashemites, the
stakes of the Arab Revolt

do not stop with
the Ottoman Empire.

Hussein continues to fight
for control of the peninsula

and the creation of a
great Arab caliphate.

He is not alone.

Ibn Saud, Emir of Nejd,
knows how to take advantage

of the chaos to launch a jihad
and to enlarge the kingdom.

Carried by his
religious conviction

he is a formidable adversary.

Especially since, in the
meantime, Hussein has discovered

the existence of the
Sykes-Picot agreement,

providing for the
Ottoman dismemberment

to benefit England and France.

He knows that he can no
longer count on the support

of the British, who were
hiding their real intentions

and multiplying fake promises

and commitments
that have no future.

Lawrence himself, has known

this heavy secret
for a long time.

During his years of
fighting in the desert

he was torn between his
loyalty to the Crown

and his loyalty towards
his new brothers in arms.

He never said a thing.

To ease his conscience,
he did everything

for the rebellion
to be victorious

and have the best cards
in hand to negotiate.

In January 1919, the victors
of the Great War are reunited

to redesign the map of
Europe and the Middle East.

Lawrence accompanies
Prince Faisal

as an interpreter and advisor.

The ultimate battle, a
battle much more decisive

than all the ones fought under
the sun of the Middle East.

It is in vain, the decision

was already made
a long time ago.

Forgetting all promises,

the Sykes-Picot
accords are ratified.

The Middle East will
be British and French.

The coup de grace
is given by France.

July 24th, 1920, a French
contingent arrives in Damascus

to take possession, in
accordance with the agreement.

Lawrence's old comrade
in arms resist.

They are massacred.

The only comfort,
Lawrence succeeds

in influencing the
British decisions.

The government of Her
Majesty offers Faisal

the Iraq throne in
replacement of Damascus.

A Sunni leader at the head
of a mostly Shiite state.

Disappointed, the Prince
reproaches Lawrence

for having betrayed him

and for never really
fighting for the Arab cause.

The archeologist turned warlord

falls into a
profound depression.

To flee his increasingly
invasive fame,

he takes refuge in anonymity.

He is soon no more than a
shadow of his former self.

May 19th, 1935, he dies
after a motorcycle accident.

He was 47 years old.

In 1924, Ibn Saud invades
the kingdom of Hejaz.

Hussein is forced into an exile

from which he will never return.

In 1932, the year
when we discovered new
petroleum deposits,

the Arabic peninsula
is almost entirely

under the control of Ibn Saud.

Later, this country will
take the name of its founder

and become Saudi Arabia.

But that is another story.

- [Female Narrator] In 1926,
Lawrence publishes his memoirs,

the Seven Pillars of Wisdom.

Within it, he describes
most notably his actions

in the Middle East.

This work becomes the
bedside book of Che Guevara,

Nelson Mandela and
Winston Churchill.

We can ask ourselves
which parts are true

and which parts are legend.

Who finally was
Colonel Lawrence.

He described himself as a
pawn on the vast chessboard

of imperial British policy,
all things considered,

the summary of his
actions is very mitigated.

Hussein during their last
meeting, relegated him

to the rank of traitor
and had him expelled.

For a number of
military colleagues,

he was erratic and
far from observing

the behavior that one
expected of a British
officer.

But one thing is certain,
Lawrence became a legendary
hero

and an adventurer with
an unexpected path.

Highly respected
by the Bedouins,

with an unlimited
commitment he risked death

a thousand times in the heart
of battle, from crossing

the terrible Nafud Desert to
dynamite attacks on trains.

From his first night in
the desert to epic rides.

It is undeniable that
the lieutenant-colonel

has deservedly
earned his nickname

Lawrence of Arabia.

(dramatic music)