All language subtitles for War.In.The.USA.2025.720p.WEBRip.x264.AAC-[YTS.MX]

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The early years of World War II saw
Nazi Germany take control of Europe.

By late 1941, as Adolf
Hitler continued expanding

his empire, events in
the Pacific escalated when.

Imperial Japan and America
became embroiled in conflict

after the attack on the US
naval fleet at Pearl Harbor.

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As smoke and fire engulfed the naval base

in Hawaii, America and
its president Franklin D.

Roosevelt could no
longer stay on the sidelines

of a war that had been raging
in Europe for over two years.

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On December the 7th, 1941, the
conflict expanded into a truly global war.

A state of war has existed between the.

United States and the Japanese Empire.

This marked the start of a new phase

in the Second World
War, with America joining

the fight for what Roosevelt
defined as the four freedoms.

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First was freedom of speech.

Second, freedom of religion and expression.

Third, freedom from want.

And finally, freedom from fear.

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The tale of how a nation that valued
its neutrality and had worked so hard to

avoid war abroad finally
joined the fight follows

the journey of Roosevelt, the
man behind the American dream.

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Born on January the 30th, 1882, in Hyde.

Park, New York, Franklin
Delano Roosevelt was the

son of James Roosevelt
and Sarah Ann Delano,

both from wealthy and
well-established New York State families.

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On his mother's side,
Franklin descended from a

French pilgrim who attempted
the perilous voyage from.

England to America,
sailing near the Mayflower.

Delayed by complications en
route, Philippe Delanoy finally

reached American shores in 1621.

Two decades later, Klaas van
Roosevelt, James Roosevelt's

ancestor, sailed from
Holland and arrived in Newer

Amsterdam, modern-day New York.

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The Roosevelt's were a
powerful family and Franklin

led a privileged life, studying at one of.

America's most esteemed
universities, Harvard.

While there, at the turn of the 20th

century, his fifth cousin, Theodore
Roosevelt, became president in 1901.

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Theodore quickly became
a hero and role model

for the younger Roosevelt, who was
inspired by his decisive leadership.

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Shortly after his cousin
took office, Franklin met.

Theodore's niece, Anna Eleanor
Roosevelt, whom he later married in 1905.

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Eleanor taught Italian and
Jewish immigrant children dance

in New York's Lower East
Side, exposing Franklin

to the struggles of America's poor.

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It was a lesson he never forgot, and

together the couple later
made significant strides in

improving life for the underprivileged.

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Six years after marrying
Eleanor, Franklin followed in

his cousin's footsteps, running
for the New York Senate.

After a successful campaign, he
entered the State House at just 28.

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When Woodrow Wilson
made him Assistant Secretary of

the Navy in 1913,
Roosevelt formed a lifelong

connection with the Navy,
becoming a strong proponent

of the submarine, which
was crucial in countering.

Germany's growing threat to shipping.

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World War One began in 1914,
but America stayed out until 1917.

President Wilson had
hoped to maintain peace and

avoid exposing Americans
to the horrors of trench

warfare, which had already turned gruesome.

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That changed in 1917,
when a telegram revealed

that Germany was attempting
to persuade Mexico to

join a military alliance
against the United States,

promising to return Texas,
New Mexico, and Arizona.

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After many sleepless nights,
Wilson concluded war was inevitable.

On April the 6th, 1917, the U.S.

declared war on Germany,
much to Britain's relief.

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Winston Churchill, First
Lord of the Admiralty at

the war's outbreak, famously
remarked, there are only

two ways of winning the war,
and they both begin with an A.

One was America, the other air power.

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It took a year for the U.S.

to gather enough
strength to make an impact,

but by mid 1918,
thousands of American troops

were arriving in France
daily, helping the Allies

push the Germans back
and forcing them to surrender.

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During this time, Roosevelt
visited the Western Front

and Britain, and on July the 29th, 1918,

he met Winston Churchill,
then Minister of Munitions,

at a banquet in Gray's Inn, London.

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The encounter was not
pleasant for Roosevelt, who

later recalled Churchill's
rude behavior, saying he acted

like a stinker, little suspecting
how their relationship

would evolve in the future.

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Just three months after Roosevelt's
visit, Germany surrendered,

and the world rejoiced as the armistice
was signed on November the 11th, 1918.

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But by then, millions had died.

Over 100,000 Americans
perished, and more than

200,000 were wounded, leaving many in the.

U.S. convinced that European
affairs should remain European.

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As America returned to peace,
Roosevelt faced a personal crisis.

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Eleanor discovered his
affair with his social secretary,

Lucy Mercer, and by 1917, she had moved

with their five children into a
separate home in Hyde Park.

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However, they overcame
the scandal, and as Lucy

ended the relationship,
Eleanor remained a loyal and

devoted wife, later becoming
a major political figure herself.

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As the Roosevelts resolved
their personal struggles, post

-war America entered an
economic boom, with the.

Roaring Twenties making the country
a hub of glamour and excitement.

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With a thriving economy,
more people could afford

luxuries like radios and
cars, and Hollywood emerged

as an iconic part of American culture.

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Advances in filmmaking made
movies more spectacular than

ever, giving rise to a new class of

celebrities, as audiences
flocked to see stars like

Rudolph Valentino on
Broadway and the silver screen.

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But there was a darker side.

Prohibition fuelled crime, and
gangsters became as famous

as Hollywood's brightest stars.

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Despite America's prosperity, the
1920s proved difficult for Roosevelt.

In 1921, while on holiday
at Campobello Island

with his family, he contracted polio.

Suddenly unable to walk, he spent the next

seven years pursuing
treatments to regain mobility.

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Once again, Eleanor fought for him.

His mother, Sarah Delano,
believed he would be

an invalid for life, but Roosevelt
and Eleanor refused to accept defeat.

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Using iron braces on his hips and legs,

he taught himself to walk short
distances with a cane or an aid.

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His determination was so
strong that when he ran for

office in 1928, few supporters knew
he relied on a wheelchair in private.

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But just as Roosevelt
secured election as governor,

America's fortunes took a dramatic turn.

The most devastating
stock market crash in history

shook the nation in October 1929.

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The Wall Street Crash marked the start of

a turbulent era that
affected the entire world.

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Unemployment soared,
millions lost their homes, and as

the glittering 1920s gave way to the Great.

Depression, the global economy reeled.

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Germany, already struggling with
massive war reparations, plunged

into further crisis.

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Against this backdrop, Roosevelt launched
his bid for the presidency in 1932.

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While America was not at war in the

traditional sense, Roosevelt
approached the economic crisis like

a battlefield commander.

I pledge you, I pledge myself to a
new deal for the American people.

This is more than a political
campaign, it is a call to arms.

His new deal was a sweeping set of

policies aimed at tackling
the crisis, rallying the

public to the voting booths.

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In 1933, a victorious
Roosevelt entered the White.

House, committed to
relief for the poor, financial

reform, and economic recovery.

He introduced the Social
Security system, which remains

a pillar of American life today, and did

everything in his power to
lift the country from despair.

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Unfortunately, Roosevelt
was not the only new leader

to exploit economic
hardship for political gain.

And far from the US west coast, German

citizens listened intently
to the speeches of a

fervent new leader, Adolf Hitler.

He not only promised
economic recovery, but also

retribution against those he
deemed responsible for Germany's

suffering following the First World War.

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Unlike Roosevelt's altruistic reforms,
Hitler pursued self-aggrandizement

and vengeance, blaming Jews
and communists for Germany's

downfall and mobilizing violent
Nazi forces for their eradication.

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Across the Atlantic, these
developments largely escaped American

notice, but soon they too
would confront the horrors of war.

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Globally, unrest escalated,
particularly in 1935 when Italian

dictator Mussolini invaded
Abyssinia, now Ethiopia.

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A year later, amid fierce Spanish Civil War

battles, Congress sought to
assure the American public

of non-involvement, leading
to the Neutrality Act's passage.

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Meanwhile, unemployment declined,
the economy stabilized, and Roosevelt's

popularity secured his 1937 re-election.

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Yet, international tensions
deepened as Japan invaded China,

prompting an exodus of
Americans from Shanghai.

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Roosevelt responded with
aid and, on October 5th,

1937, delivered a speech
at odds with US isolationism.

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The peace, freedom, and security of 90%

of the world is endangered by 10%,
threatening the collapse of law and order.

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We seek to avoid war, yet
cannot ensure against its effects.

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His words suggested that, for
Roosevelt, war might be inevitable.

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By 1938, Europe's instability
worsened as the Nazis

seized Austria, the Rhineland,
and Czechoslovakia, facing minimal

resistance from war-weary
Britain and France.

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British Prime Minister Neville
Chamberlain, prioritizing peace, struggled

with how to confront Hitler.

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Roosevelt, meanwhile, faced
Chamberlain's disdain for Americans, whom

he saw as brash and unmannered.

Repeated White House invitations
were declined, straining US -UK relations.

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Ironically, Chamberlain found Hitler
more approachable, even traveling

to Germany for
appeasement talks as the first

Nazi rally was broadcast
to millions of Americans.

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Hitler's shrieking rhetoric
and the Nazis' regimented Sieg.

Heil chants alarmed Roosevelt,
who saw war as inevitable.

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Shocking news arrived
just two months later.

The November 1938 Kristallnacht pogrom.

Outraged, Roosevelt publicly
condemned Germany's actions.

The past day's news has
shocked American opinion.

I could scarcely believe such things
could happen in the 20th century.

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As the world recoiled
from Nazi brutality and.

Hitler's defiance of the
Versailles Treaty, Roosevelt sought

clarity on his ambitions.

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In April 1939, he telegrammed
Hitler, demanding assurances

that Germany had no
intention of invading 31

nations, questioning why
the Nazis resorted to tactics

reminiscent of the Huns and Vandals 1,500

years earlier.

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A copy was sent to Mussolini and the

message was broadcast in America,
hoping to sway public sentiment.

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Hitler's response was a
furious two-hour speech,

denying aggressive intent while
launching a scathing attack on Roosevelt.

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Hitler's duplicity was evident,
but Roosevelt could do

little beyond watching and waiting.

Despite strained US-UK
relations, Roosevelt sought to

strengthen ties by hosting King George
VI and Queen Elizabeth in June 1939.

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Their visit bolstered
Britain's image in America as

they toured the New York World's Fair and

the First World War's Tomb
of the Unknown Soldier.

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However, both Roosevelt and the
King understood Hitler's looming threat.

As the royal couple departed,
Roosevelt wished them

well, but just 11 weeks
later, Britain was at war.

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On September 1st, 1939,
Roosevelt was awoken by

a call from the US ambassador in Warsaw.

Germany had invaded Poland.

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Understanding the gravity
of this act, Roosevelt simply

responded, God help us all.

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Two days later, Britain
and France declared war,

marking the start of a
six-year global conflict.

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I am speaking to you from the
cabinet room in Downing Street.

This morning, the British
ambassador in Berlin handed

the German government
a final note, stating that

unless we heard from them by this...

I have to tell you now that no

such undertaking has been
received and that consequently

this country is at war with Germany.

Though Roosevelt assured
Americans of neutrality, he urged

them not to remain neutral in thought.

However, most Americans opposed
European intervention, sympathizing with.

Britain and France, but
considering it their problem.

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I say we ought to keep hands off,

let them take care of
themselves, and count me out.

Yet, Anglo-American relations found an
unexpected saviour in Winston Churchill.

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Reappointed First Lord of the
Admiralty, the day war was declared.

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Despite past tensions, Roosevelt
eagerly corresponded with Churchill,

relieved to find a proactive ally
in Chamberlain's government.

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While Roosevelt's neutrality
declaration kept America officially out

of war, covert preparations began.

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In October 1939, leading
Americans convened in Panama,

establishing a security zone
extending miles into the sea.

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That same month, Albert
Einstein, a refugee from

Nazi Germany, warned Roosevelt
of Germany's nuclear ambitions,

prompting the formation of an
advisory committee on uranium.

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Meanwhile, European nations
continued to fall under Nazi

control, and America observed
Britain and France's ineffectual

attempts to halt German
advances into Denmark and

Norway, while Stalin's Red
Army marched into Finland.

Reports of Jewish
persecution also intensified.

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Writers like John Steinbeck
and Eugene O'Neill

condemned Nazi antisemitism,
joined by Hollywood stars Fred

Astaire and Bette Davis.

By June 1940, Nazi
forces had stormed through

Holland, Belgium and into France, leading
to Neville Chamberlain's resignation.

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On May 10th, 1940, Winston Churchill
became Britain's wartime Prime Minister.

As Paris fell, Churchill
appealed to Roosevelt.

The US voice and power may
count for nothing if delayed too long.

With Hitler targeting Britain, Churchill
desperately requested American

military aid, especially following
the Dunkirk evacuation's heavy

equipment losses in May-June 1940.

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Though Roosevelt provided
Churchill's requests, he doubted even.

Churchill's rousing speeches
could sustain British morale against

Nazi aggression.

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However, Churchill's decisive
attack on the French fleet

at Oran, preventing its capture
by Germany, impressed Roosevelt.

He responded by offering
Churchill 50 destroyers in

exchange for 99-year leases on British
Caribbean and Newfoundland bases.

Yet, while Roosevelt
was willing to help, the

American public remained unconvinced.

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Charles Lindbergh, aviation
hero and staunch isolationist, led

the America First movement,
arguing against US involvement.

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Having visited Germany
in the 1930s and received

an award from Luftwaffe
commander Hermann Göring,

Lindbergh viewed Soviet
Russia as a greater threat than

Hitler and feared a European crusade
would doom Western civilization.

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His stance found support among
prominent businessmen, authors

and celebrities, including Walt
Disney and actress Lillian Gish.

Even future president John F.

Kennedy sent Lindbergh
a telegram of support.

Convinced of Lindbergh's Nazi
sympathies, Roosevelt ordered an

FBI investigation, but no
incriminating evidence surfaced.

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As Roosevelt struggled against
public opposition, Hitler unleashed

the Luftwaffe on Britain.

Millions of Americans followed
events via radio broadcasts,

captivated by the Battle of Britain.

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Journalist Edward
Murrow played a key role in

bringing the Blitz into
American homes, reporting live

from London's rooftops
amid bombs and air raid

sirens, even capturing the hurried
footsteps of civilians fleeing to shelters.

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At a time when survival was uncertain
from one day to the next, so long and

good luck became the
standard British farewell.

This soon found its way
into Murrow's programs

as he concluded each
broadcast with the poignant

phrase, good night and good luck.

Americans were visibly
moved by Britain's plight and

public sentiment slowly shifted.

Some refused to wait for a change in

US foreign policy and
risked everything to fight

for freedom long before such
selfless service was requested.

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Between June 1940 and
December 41, several hundred

Americans volunteered for
the RAF, helping defend Britain

in the Battle of Britain.

Fighter pilots, navigators
and air gunners faced a

10-year prison sentence,
loss of US citizenship

and a $20,000 fine under American law.

Many brave volunteers claimed
to be Canadian to avoid discovery.

Some perished in battle and were among
the few the British owed their lives to.

As Britain fought on,
Roosevelt prepared at home

with the Selective Service Act, requiring
all men aged 21 to 36 to register.

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However, over 6,000 local draft boards
decided fitness and deferment claims.

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While men queued for
examination, Roosevelt reassured the

public, insisting he wouldn't
send Americans into a

European war, framing it as
preparation for national defence.

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He couldn't afford to lose public favour.

He had an election to win.

After two terms, Roosevelt
pursued a third, an

unprecedented move in
US presidential history.

Out of 48 states, he won all but 10,
with 27 million voters returning him to

the White House in November 1940.

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As Roosevelt presided over
Congress, he remained determined

to aid Britain, describing the
US as an arsenal for democracy.

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His uplifting speech in early 1941 became
synonymous with the American dream.

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In his State of the Union address, he
proposed four essential human freedoms.

Freedom of speech and
expression, freedom of worship,

freedom from want, and freedom from fear.

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A world built on these
freedoms, Roosevelt believed,

was the antithesis of the
so-called new order of tyranny.

Principles worth fighting for at any cost.

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Roosevelt soon had his chance to act when,

one month later, Churchill
made a passionate appeal.

Give us the tools and
we will finish the job.

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In response, in March 1941,
Congress passed Roosevelt's.

Lend-Lease Act, which did
exactly as Churchill requested.

By then, Britain had
fought relentlessly for nine

months and desperately needed supplies.

Secretary of War Henry L.

Stimson told the Senate,
we are buying, not lending.

We are buying our own
security while we prepare.

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The Lend-Lease policy
proved invaluable to the.

Allies, later extending to
Russia as Hitler turned on Stalin.

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By mid-1941, the U.S. was committed
to aiding the Allies short of war.

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U.S. convoys protected
Allied shipping and U.

.S. aircraft carriers secretly
ferried British fighter planes

to Mediterranean war zones,
escalating the conflict globally.

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As Europe and America
drew battle lines, Japan

became an increasing threat
in the Northern Hemisphere,

triggering dramatic shifts
in U.S. foreign policy.

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When Japan invaded
French Indochina, U.S. aid

routes to China were at risk and American.

Pacific territories faced encirclement.

The Philippines, Americans
since Spain's defeat in the

late 19th century, were in jeopardy.

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A historic 1935 meeting
between Roosevelt and Filipino.

President Manuel Quezon had
set a path to independence by 1945.

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But with Japan advancing,
the small nation faced

grave danger and Roosevelt's
response set in motion

events that would change the war's course.

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In July 1941, Roosevelt
froze all Japanese assets

in the U.S. Britain and the Netherlands

followed, making it nearly
impossible for Japan to

buy oil, essential for expansion.

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Since America supplied 95% of Japan's oil,

the embargo was catastrophic.

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In response, on the 14th of August 1941,

Roosevelt and Churchill met face to face.

Their past differences set aside.

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At long last, Mr. President, Churchill
exclaimed, shaking Roosevelt's hand.

It was their first meeting since 1918 and

marked the beginning of a great friendship.

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Their four-day meeting aboard a ship off.

Newfoundland focused on war
aims, resulting in the Atlantic Charter.

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This historic agreement
declared that neither the United.

States nor the United
Kingdom sought territorial gains.

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Churchill deeply respected
Roosevelt, later saying, I felt

I was in contact with a very great
man who was also a warm-hearted friend

and the foremost champion of
the high causes which we served.

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Still, the meeting did
not bring America into

the war as Stalin and Churchill had hoped.

Yet for Japan, the Atlantic Charter and the

oil embargo were seen
as a declaration of war.

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Facing existential threats, Japan
held an imperial conference in

Tokyo in September 1941, attended
by the emperor and senior officials.

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Hitler was eager to pursue
his European ambitions,

but anything that delayed
US involvement was beneficial.

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He encouraged Japan to
attack British-occupied Singapore

and India to divert America's
attention from Europe.

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Consequently, Hitler pledged
to declare war on America

if Japan acted, a move that
ultimately proved disastrous for him.

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He believed America, with
prominent pro-Nazi figures

like Lindbergh and a public favouring
neutrality, wouldn't pose a threat.

It was a serious miscalculation.

(dramatic music)

Meanwhile, US-Japanese
peace talks baffled the German

ambassador, who doubted their sincerity.

(dramatic music)

The US offered Japan a final peace deal,

promising to lift embargoes on oil and
steel if Japan withdrew from Indochina.

(dramatic music)

Prime Minister Konoe offered to meet
Roosevelt in Hawaii, despite the risks.

He even proposed a pact under which Japan

would avoid war with America, even if US

actions led to war with
Germany, violating the

tripartite pact with Hitler and Mussolini.

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But Konoe's efforts failed.

The Japanese military was set on war.

On 7 December 1941,
Japan sent notification that

all negotiations had collapsed.

By the time it reached the White House,

Roosevelt and the American people
already knew peace was no longer an option.

(dramatic music)

At 8am on Sunday, 7 December, as the

Hawaiian sun shone
lazily over the Pacific, a

sinister shadow emerged on the horizon.

Swarms of Japanese fighter
planes approached Pearl Harbour.

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Before sailors could mount a defence,
explosions and gunfire shattered

the morning calm.

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Bombs, torpedoes and bullets
devastated the US naval force.

Amid the smoke and
chaos, thousands of military

personnel and civilians perished.

(dramatic music)

Roosevelt now had the
mandate to lead America into war.

Speculation remains that
the attack was not entirely

a surprise to him when
news of the carnage arrived.

(dramatic music)

By the next morning in
Washington, thousands had

gathered outside the White House,
awaiting Roosevelt's response

to the horrific attack.

His words would be etched into
history, as would the event itself.

And he did not disappoint
the Allies, rallying

his arsenal of democracy to take up
arms against the Empire of the Rising Sun.

And dastardly attacked by
Japan on Sunday, December

7th, 1941, a state of war has

existed between the United
States and the Japanese Empire.

(dramatic music)

On December 8th, Roosevelt
declared that the United.

States had suddenly and
deliberately been attacked by.

Japan's naval and air forces, and no matter

how long it took, America
would defend itself

to the utmost, ensuring
this act of treachery

would never again threaten the USA.

(dramatic music)

Roosevelt's fiercest critics
now favoured war, and the

nation, which had long
upheld neutrality, united behind

the President as America
entered the Second World War.

Battles on the continent of Europe, and the

Japanese on the continent of Asia,
and on the islands of the Pacific.

Yet even as Roosevelt
spoke, thousands of miles

away, the Philippines suddenly
came under Japanese attack,

and it fell to Field Marshal
Douglas MacArthur

to lead American and
Filipino troops, who fought

together to defend these
strategically vital islands.

(dramatic music)

Aligned with Japan, the Axis Pact now drove

Germany and Italy to declare
war on America on December 11th.

And as the USA joined the Allies, Churchill

was eager to meet
Roosevelt to discuss war plans.

(dramatic music)

Just before Christmas
1941, the two great leaders

met again, and within
the White House, Churchill

created his own war
room, covering the walls

with maps as British
administrators filled the corridors.

During the Arcadia Conference,
Roosevelt and Churchill strategised

their next moves, forming
an informal alliance between

the USA, Great Britain,
China, and the Soviet Union.

(dramatic music)

Their objectives were to
halt German advances in

Russia and North Africa,
launch a Western European

invasion to crush Germany
between two fronts, while

also aiding China and defeating Japan.

(dramatic music)

Christmas Eve 1941
would be the only occasion

Roosevelt and Churchill
addressed the public together, united

in their pledge to fight for a free

and decent world, and to remember
those serving in the armed forces.

(dramatic music)

Fine sentiments indeed, but in
the Pacific, the battle was relentless.

Hong Kong fell to the
Japanese on Christmas.

Day, followed quickly
by Manila, the capital of

the Philippines, though fierce
fighting continued for four months.

The Japanese also advanced
towards Malaya and the

Dutch East Indies at an alarming pace.

Nevertheless, for Churchill
and Britain, America's entry into

the war was a great advantage.

By January 1942, American
soldiers began arriving in.

Britain, with numbers increasing
dramatically in the years ahead.

(dramatic music)

The American GIs made
a significant impact on

British life, arriving with
gifts for women, particularly

stockings, leading disgruntled
British men to describe them

as over-sexed, overpaid, and over-here.

(dramatic music)

However, the Americans
responded with a jibe at.

Britain's famously unorthodox
commander, Bernard Montgomery, saying the.

Tommies were under-sexed,
underpaid, and under-Monty.

(dramatic music)

Although many American
troops were stationed in Britain,

the majority at this time were sent to

the Pacific to counter
Japan's ongoing assault.

(dramatic music)

In early 1942, the Japanese
began bombing Singapore,

one of the British Empire's key
commercial and military centres.

On February 8th, 23,000
Japanese troops stormed

the island, and to Churchill's
horror, Singapore fell

by February 15th, which he
called Britain's greatest defeat.

(dramatic music)

In the Pacific, American General Dwight D.

Eisenhower did all he could to get aid

to the struggling Philippines, but failed.

The presidential palace in
Manila was occupied, and

with 80,000 prisoners of
war captured, horrifying

reports of their brutal
treatment soon reached the USA.

(dramatic music)

Filipino and American
troops were forced to march

105km to a prison camp in the north,

an ordeal now known as
the Bataan Death March.

An estimated 10,000 Filipinos and 1,200

Americans died en route from
starvation, thirst, and torture.

The American press widely
reported the atrocity, sparking outrage.

(dramatic music)

Within months, the Japanese
controlled Burma, Malaya,

Thailand, French Indochina,
and the Malay Archipelago.

The Philippines president
and his cabinet fled to

Washington to form a government in exile.

(dramatic music)

While war raged in the
Pacific, Eisenhower was

appointed head of the
European Theatre of Operations,

his first mission being to
implement Operation Torch.

(dramatic music)

Devised by Roosevelt and
Churchill, the plan aimed

to seize French North Africa as a
base to drive Italy out of the war.

(dramatic music)

From Gibraltar, Eisenhower directed
Operation Torch, targeting Algeria,

Morocco, and Tunisia,
marking the first major joint

operation between
American and British forces.

(dramatic music)

It was also where Eisenhower
encountered General Bernard

Montgomery, affectionately
called Monty by his men.

By February 1943, Eisenhower
was made responsible for

the British Eighth Army under
Montgomery's command, revealing

tensions not only between
British and American troops,

but also at the highest ranks.

(dramatic music)

Montgomery frustrated the Americans by

disregarding strategies
that didn’t suit him,

leading to clashes with US generals
George Patton and Omar Bradley.

Although Bradley remained
courteous, Patton was as contentious

as Montgomery, earning the nickname
Old Blood and Guts from his troops.

(dramatic music)

On one occasion, Eisenhower had
to intervene to save Patton's career.

(dramatic music)

While visiting wounded American
soldiers in hospital, Patton

shocked onlookers by slapping two
young privates, accusing them of cowardice.

(dramatic music)

Though their injuries were
invisible, they were suffering

from shell shock, now known
as post-traumatic stress.

Public outcry led many to
demand Patton's resignation.

(dramatic music)

But on Eisenhower's advice,
he apologised before being

temporarily relieved of
duty, later returning as a

key general in Europe's liberation.

Following victory in North
Africa, Eisenhower led forces

into Italy, which soon fell to the Allies.

By 1943, Roosevelt and Churchill,
recognising Eisenhower's tactical

brilliance, placed him in
charge of Operation Overlord,

the European invasion beginning with D-Day.

(dramatic music)

Eisenhower was tasked with
organising one million combat

troops and two million support personnel.

On 6 June 1944, the
Normandy beaches, Sword,

Juno, Gold, Omaha and
Utah witnessed the beginning

of World War II's final chapter.

By early 1945, victory
was inevitable for the Allies.

It was just a matter of time.

(dramatic music)

However, for Roosevelt,
fate had a cruel twist

in store for the man who had done
so much to defeat Hitler's axis of evil.

(dramatic music)

On 30 March 1945,
Roosevelt travelled to Warm

Springs to rest before attending the
founding conference of the United Nations.

(dramatic music)

On 12 April, he was taken to his bedroom
with a severe headache and died later

that day from a massive
cerebral haemorrhage.

(dramatic music)

Less than a month later, on 8 May

1945, America and Europe
celebrated Roosevelt's long-fought

victory as Germany surrendered.

(dramatic music)

In the United States, V-E Day
celebrations were dedicated

to Roosevelt's memory with flags kept
at half-mast for a 30-day mourning period.

Churchill hailed him as
the greatest American friend

and the greatest champion of freedom.

(dramatic music)

It was the end of an era
and a new age was beginning.

The man who now carried
Roosevelt's arsenal of

democracy forward was Vice
President Harry S Truman,

who would lead America
through the war's final chapters.

(dramatic music)

The conflict in the Pacific
ended in August 1945 with

atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

The West rejoiced at
peace, but the devastation

in the East marked the dawn of a

new era in warfare as
history's deadliest weapon

finally forced Japan's surrender.

(dramatic music)