1 00:00:07,720 --> 00:00:09,000 In just two weeks, 2 00:00:09,080 --> 00:00:12,000 the German army storms France and Belgium, 3 00:00:12,720 --> 00:00:15,720 pushing hundreds of thousands of English and French soldiers 4 00:00:15,800 --> 00:00:17,560 to the sea at Dunkirk. 5 00:00:19,600 --> 00:00:21,880 They revolutionized the war. 6 00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:25,720 They realized that speed is the key, 7 00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:28,880 so they created fast armored units. 8 00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:35,440 I use tanks with new radio technology 9 00:00:35,520 --> 00:00:38,240 And Luftwaffe support. That's the novelty. 10 00:00:40,720 --> 00:00:43,160 Brutal aerial bombardment ... 11 00:00:44,960 --> 00:00:46,520 tanks that move fast 12 00:00:47,520 --> 00:00:49,640 And a superhuman infantry. 13 00:00:49,920 --> 00:00:53,360 We're talking about Blitzkrieg, the lightning war. 14 00:00:53,440 --> 00:00:56,160 Blitzkrieg ?? ?? it means speed. 15 00:00:56,240 --> 00:00:57,280 Maneuvering war. 16 00:00:57,480 --> 00:01:00,840 A campaign based on quick and decisive attacks. 17 00:01:02,800 --> 00:01:04,400 Blitzkrieg is one of the most 18 00:01:04,480 --> 00:01:07,360 fascinating events of World War II. 19 00:01:16,240 --> 00:01:18,960 Rare recordings from around the world, 20 00:01:19,040 --> 00:01:23,160 professionally restored color, tell the story 21 00:01:23,240 --> 00:01:25,480 as you have never heard it before. 22 00:01:30,040 --> 00:01:34,200 After the defeat in the First World War, the Germans were proud and fierce 23 00:01:34,280 --> 00:01:36,080 they are deeply humiliated. 24 00:01:36,600 --> 00:01:39,200 The enslaving terms of the Treaty of Versailles 25 00:01:39,320 --> 00:01:41,080 I put salt on the wound. 26 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:43,360 World industrial power 27 00:01:43,480 --> 00:01:47,120 It is limited to an army of 100,000 soldiers 28 00:01:47,600 --> 00:01:49,360 He's losing territory. 29 00:01:54,520 --> 00:01:57,960 The Germans feel constrained by the Treaty of Versailles, 30 00:01:58,040 --> 00:02:01,320 which says that the Germans are guilty 31 00:02:01,400 --> 00:02:02,880 the beginning of the war. 32 00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:09,200 Many Germans were outraged 33 00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:11,680 the provisions of the Treaty of Versailles, 34 00:02:11,760 --> 00:02:14,480 the reduction of the army to 100,000 soldiers, 35 00:02:14,560 --> 00:02:17,280 loss of territory and repairs 36 00:02:17,360 --> 00:02:20,920 which were known to have devastating economic consequences. 37 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:24,600 They objected because they were insinuating 38 00:02:24,680 --> 00:02:27,360 that Germany was responsible for World War I. 39 00:02:27,440 --> 00:02:29,000 And that was the punishment. 40 00:02:31,720 --> 00:02:34,200 How can their powerful nation be defeated? 41 00:02:34,600 --> 00:02:38,480 And why are they forced to cede territory to more insignificant countries? 42 00:02:40,600 --> 00:02:43,200 Territorial losses are significant. 43 00:02:43,280 --> 00:02:47,080 In the East, they are losing territory to the Poles and the Czechs 44 00:02:47,400 --> 00:02:49,960 And they are obliged to demilitarize the islands 45 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:52,360 so as not to be launching ramps for a new invasion 46 00:02:52,440 --> 00:02:53,640 of Belgium and France. 47 00:02:54,640 --> 00:02:58,000 Enraged by hatred, a populist demagogue 48 00:02:58,080 --> 00:03:02,160 He takes advantage of the wounded pride of the Germans and promises to recover 49 00:03:02,240 --> 00:03:03,320 what was lost. 50 00:03:03,880 --> 00:03:08,000 Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party began to become popular with the masses. 51 00:03:08,440 --> 00:03:11,360 The Germans see him as a savior, 52 00:03:11,520 --> 00:03:14,520 a man who will regain lost greatness. 53 00:03:16,040 --> 00:03:19,400 After the promotion of the Treaty of Versailles, 54 00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:22,240 most Germans felt 55 00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:25,760 that the stipulated measures were unnecessarily draconian, 56 00:03:25,840 --> 00:03:30,360 both the surrender of territory and reparations for war. 57 00:03:30,480 --> 00:03:32,600 Treaty of Versailles 58 00:03:32,680 --> 00:03:36,840 blamed Germany for World War I, most citizens 59 00:03:36,920 --> 00:03:39,640 considering that they are no more guilty than others. 60 00:03:39,720 --> 00:03:41,360 That poisoned them. 61 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:53,360 Hitler declares that the Germans are suffering 62 00:03:53,440 --> 00:03:56,440 of deep political and economic insecurity . 63 00:03:56,680 --> 00:03:59,400 Most need a unitary spirit 64 00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:02,800 And economic security on which to rely. 65 00:04:03,120 --> 00:04:06,080 The Nazis give them this by talking 66 00:04:06,200 --> 00:04:09,920 about the involvement of the state in all areas to create jobs. 67 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:12,280 In the construction of highways and all that. 68 00:04:12,440 --> 00:04:17,960 At the beginning of the Hitler era, most Germans considered it a success. 69 00:04:18,720 --> 00:04:20,800 Hitler reuºeºte sane eliminate 70 00:04:21,520 --> 00:04:25,920 the clauses of the Treaty of Versailles step by step. 71 00:04:28,760 --> 00:04:32,400 By violating the treaty, Hitler consolidates his army 72 00:04:32,480 --> 00:04:34,680 It tests the tolerance of the allies 73 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:38,640 convinced that no one wants to start another war. 74 00:04:40,200 --> 00:04:44,040 In 1935, he introduced compulsory military service 75 00:04:44,600 --> 00:04:47,640 And the following year, he set out again for the Rhineland 76 00:04:47,920 --> 00:04:49,880 with 30,000 soldiers. 77 00:04:51,640 --> 00:04:53,680 Hitler's long-term plan 78 00:04:53,760 --> 00:04:57,640 is to strengthen its position in Europe, 79 00:04:57,720 --> 00:05:00,760 defeat of Western powers, France and Britain 80 00:05:00,840 --> 00:05:02,880 to then turn your attention to the East, 81 00:05:02,960 --> 00:05:05,640 territories they consider suitable for German expansion. 82 00:05:06,040 --> 00:05:09,280 A place where the German population can expand, 83 00:05:09,440 --> 00:05:13,560 can gather resources and defeat the Bolshevik monster, 84 00:05:13,640 --> 00:05:16,520 which he considers the deadly enemy of fascism. 85 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:23,600 When the Nazis shamelessly enter Austria, 86 00:05:23,680 --> 00:05:25,760 on 12 March 1938, 87 00:05:26,120 --> 00:05:29,440 they are received with open arms by the Austrians. 88 00:05:31,800 --> 00:05:34,520 Western allies are doing nothing. 89 00:05:35,960 --> 00:05:39,360 Western allies stood with their hands on their chests. 90 00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:42,240 One of the reasons was that they believed 91 00:05:42,320 --> 00:05:44,920 that the Austrians probably wanted to ally with the Germans, 92 00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:46,640 that is, they were not obliged. 93 00:05:51,440 --> 00:05:54,760 Violation of the Treaty of Versailles is a serious matter, 94 00:05:55,360 --> 00:05:57,080 but the allies did not react. 95 00:05:57,960 --> 00:06:02,000 Many believe that Germany has been humiliated enough 96 00:06:02,400 --> 00:06:05,360 by the Treaty of Versailles. 97 00:06:05,440 --> 00:06:09,080 They understand that Germany wants to be a major player again. 98 00:06:09,840 --> 00:06:14,000 On the other hand, the allied countries do not want to risk a new war. 99 00:06:14,280 --> 00:06:17,640 They know from World War I that a war means 100 00:06:17,920 --> 00:06:22,680 Thousands, even millions of victims want to avoid this. 101 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:27,360 Austria is now in German hands, 102 00:06:27,520 --> 00:06:31,880 Hitler makes public his goal of incorporating areas of Czechoslovakia 103 00:06:32,200 --> 00:06:34,520 in the growing territory of Germany. 104 00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:38,240 It is a country rich in natural resources, such as iron. 105 00:06:39,280 --> 00:06:44,400 The statements alarm the allies, but they still want to avoid conflict. 106 00:06:48,760 --> 00:06:50,680 In September 1938, 107 00:06:50,840 --> 00:06:53,320 British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain 108 00:06:53,400 --> 00:06:55,560 goes to Germany three times 109 00:06:55,880 --> 00:06:59,760 hoping to persuade Hitler not to invade Czechoslovakia. 110 00:07:00,400 --> 00:07:01,560 I kept saying: 111 00:07:03,480 --> 00:07:05,560 If you fail the first time, 112 00:07:06,000 --> 00:07:08,480 don't give up. ?? 113 00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:11,000 That's what I do. 114 00:07:12,760 --> 00:07:13,840 On the third visit, 115 00:07:14,320 --> 00:07:17,640 joins French Prime Minister Edouard Daladier 116 00:07:17,720 --> 00:07:19,880 And to Benito Mussolini, 117 00:07:19,960 --> 00:07:22,880 at the so-called Munich Conference. 118 00:07:23,680 --> 00:07:26,880 They agreed with Hitler to annex Germany 119 00:07:26,960 --> 00:07:30,360 The region of the South, where German is spoken, but don't try 120 00:07:30,440 --> 00:07:32,600 to invade the rest of Czechoslovakia. 121 00:07:33,720 --> 00:07:38,080 The next morning, Chamberlain signs a separate agreement with Hitler. 122 00:07:38,160 --> 00:07:41,240 a peace agreement between Great Britain and Germany. 123 00:07:42,520 --> 00:07:44,880 Chamberlain is greeted like a hero. 124 00:07:46,480 --> 00:07:49,720 Chamberlain returns to London's Heston Airport 125 00:07:49,840 --> 00:07:52,360 waving this document and talking about peace. 126 00:07:52,720 --> 00:07:56,600 It is a separate agreement that he has personally made 127 00:07:56,840 --> 00:07:57,840 with Hitler. 128 00:08:04,240 --> 00:08:05,240 Last morning, 129 00:08:06,200 --> 00:08:08,920 I had another discussion 130 00:08:09,560 --> 00:08:11,600 with German Chancellor Herr Hitler. 131 00:08:13,080 --> 00:08:14,440 This is the paper 132 00:08:15,520 --> 00:08:19,240 which we both signed. 133 00:08:22,800 --> 00:08:24,960 He avoided war. Undoubtedly 134 00:08:25,040 --> 00:08:27,640 that Hitler could not wait 135 00:08:27,720 --> 00:08:29,840 to enter into force in Czechoslovakia. 136 00:08:29,920 --> 00:08:30,960 This was avoided. 137 00:08:31,840 --> 00:08:34,200 We consider the agreement signed last night 138 00:08:34,760 --> 00:08:39,000 And the Anglo-German Naval Agreement as a wish 139 00:08:39,080 --> 00:08:43,160 of our peoples to never fight again. 140 00:08:45,360 --> 00:08:47,480 While Chamberlain was giving the speech, 141 00:08:47,560 --> 00:08:51,280 German forces are preparing to enter the Southern Region. 142 00:08:52,200 --> 00:08:56,720 In March 1939, Hitler invaded the rest of Czechoslovakia. 143 00:08:57,280 --> 00:09:00,680 It is clear that Hitler's plan is not just to regain territory, 144 00:09:01,320 --> 00:09:04,520 but also the expansion of Germany's borders to the east. 145 00:09:05,960 --> 00:09:10,160 Hitler's desire is to create a huge German empire 146 00:09:10,240 --> 00:09:12,120 in Central and Eastern Europe. 147 00:09:12,200 --> 00:09:15,680 Are they ready for war? It will continue to force 148 00:09:15,760 --> 00:09:17,800 slowly and surely, one after another, 149 00:09:17,880 --> 00:09:20,800 These important countries, Austria, Czechoslovakia 150 00:09:20,880 --> 00:09:23,680 they will begin to give in, and he will be able to 151 00:09:23,840 --> 00:09:26,280 to build this new huge empire, 152 00:09:26,360 --> 00:09:28,720 a vital space for the German people. 153 00:09:30,200 --> 00:09:32,800 France and the United Kingdom are worried 154 00:09:32,880 --> 00:09:35,160 that Hitler's next move would be Poland. 155 00:09:35,600 --> 00:09:37,400 So they put their foot in the door. 156 00:09:37,480 --> 00:09:40,920 If Hitler invades Poland, they will declare war. 157 00:09:42,280 --> 00:09:43,400 Hitler now-in creed. 158 00:09:45,160 --> 00:09:48,840 The German chancellor is more concerned with the reaction 159 00:09:48,920 --> 00:09:50,720 his enemies, the Soviets. 160 00:09:52,760 --> 00:09:57,080 In August 1939, Hitler declared a non-aggression pact 161 00:09:57,160 --> 00:10:00,200 with his ideological enemy, Stalin, 162 00:10:00,280 --> 00:10:03,000 in which they decide not to attack each other. 163 00:10:03,400 --> 00:10:08,000 While Western allies are struggling to understand this strange alliance, 164 00:10:08,400 --> 00:10:12,280 on September 1, the two countries reveal their intentions 165 00:10:12,560 --> 00:10:15,480 when Hitler invades western Poland. 166 00:10:19,520 --> 00:10:24,040 The Polish army, on horseback, cannot withstand German tanks, 167 00:10:24,120 --> 00:10:25,760 but they are brave opponents. 168 00:10:26,560 --> 00:10:30,880 In 16 days, the Soviet Union invades Poland 169 00:10:30,960 --> 00:10:32,160 from the east. 170 00:10:34,160 --> 00:10:35,880 It's a cynical deal. 171 00:10:36,120 --> 00:10:39,160 The Russians will have free hand and part of the eastern area, 172 00:10:39,240 --> 00:10:41,480 including the recovery of lost territories 173 00:10:41,560 --> 00:10:42,920 in the First World War. 174 00:10:43,080 --> 00:10:45,120 And the Germans will have 175 00:10:45,200 --> 00:10:48,160 free hand to invade Poland 176 00:10:48,240 --> 00:10:51,360 without fear that the Russians will retaliate. 177 00:10:51,440 --> 00:10:54,760 In fact, they had made a deal to divide the country among themselves. 178 00:10:57,000 --> 00:11:01,280 Keeping his word, on September 3, 1939 179 00:11:01,480 --> 00:11:04,480 Britain and France declare war on Germany. 180 00:11:04,600 --> 00:11:07,400 Hitler was taken by surprise. 181 00:11:09,200 --> 00:11:11,440 When he hears that Marie Britain 182 00:11:11,520 --> 00:11:14,360 He declared war on him in particular, he was shocked 183 00:11:14,440 --> 00:11:16,680 And a counselor asks himself: ?? What's next ??? 184 00:11:16,760 --> 00:11:19,880 He never believed 185 00:11:20,080 --> 00:11:24,520 that these countries were declaring war on him because of a region in Eastern Europe. 186 00:11:31,600 --> 00:11:32,600 The next day, 187 00:11:32,960 --> 00:11:36,520 troops from the British Expeditionary Forces 188 00:11:36,960 --> 00:11:38,320 I'm leaving for France 189 00:11:38,880 --> 00:11:41,960 to join the most powerful army in the world. 190 00:11:43,040 --> 00:11:44,760 They're going to the Belgian border, 191 00:11:45,280 --> 00:11:47,840 where they are preparing for the German attack. 192 00:11:49,320 --> 00:11:52,120 Percy Taylor Beaton, soldier in the Royal Geniuses, 193 00:11:52,240 --> 00:11:55,440 was called to London and boarded a ship, 194 00:11:55,520 --> 00:11:58,000 to Cherbourg, France. 195 00:11:59,320 --> 00:12:01,480 People cheered and cheered. 196 00:12:01,560 --> 00:12:04,360 The soldiers were led with tears in their eyes. 197 00:12:04,840 --> 00:12:07,680 People cheered us on the streets when they saw us, 198 00:12:07,800 --> 00:12:09,840 when I left Bethnal Green. 199 00:12:09,960 --> 00:12:11,840 Thousands came, 200 00:12:11,920 --> 00:12:13,720 they led us and cheered us on. 201 00:12:14,920 --> 00:12:17,040 I don't think they understood what war meant. 202 00:12:17,120 --> 00:12:19,000 They thought it would pass. 203 00:12:20,520 --> 00:12:24,240 Once you arrive in France, at first it was like a vacation. 204 00:12:24,320 --> 00:12:26,000 One in which we stumbled. 205 00:12:32,200 --> 00:12:34,440 In reality, Hitler is unprepared 206 00:12:34,520 --> 00:12:37,240 to fight with the British and French armies. 207 00:12:37,760 --> 00:12:41,560 His army defeats the Poles in over 20 days. 208 00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:46,960 Polish soldiers beat Hitler's army 209 00:12:47,320 --> 00:12:49,440 And they have lost a substantial number 210 00:12:49,520 --> 00:12:51,000 of tanks. 211 00:12:53,040 --> 00:12:57,680 It is clear that Germany is not ready for war. 212 00:12:58,640 --> 00:13:04,520 The German army has tanks and tank divisions, 213 00:13:04,600 --> 00:13:07,040 but it represents a small part of the Wehrmacht. 214 00:13:15,360 --> 00:13:20,160 We have no well-trained soldiers, no supplies or ammunition. 215 00:13:20,800 --> 00:13:24,280 Poland has been proof that we may not be able to 216 00:13:24,600 --> 00:13:27,720 to fight against a real army, as France had. 217 00:13:27,800 --> 00:13:31,240 France has the most trained and equipped army in Europe. 218 00:13:31,720 --> 00:13:33,520 How can we Germans ... 219 00:13:34,760 --> 00:13:35,600 to win? 220 00:13:35,680 --> 00:13:37,480 No way. We'll lose. 221 00:13:41,440 --> 00:13:44,480 In reality, the Wehrmacht is an army 222 00:13:44,880 --> 00:13:48,360 which will become dependent on horses for transportation 223 00:13:48,560 --> 00:13:49,920 And for all logistics. 224 00:13:50,360 --> 00:13:55,280 Only 10% of German divisions are motorized. 225 00:14:03,360 --> 00:14:06,200 The French army has formidable artillery 226 00:14:06,440 --> 00:14:09,640 And over 3,000 tanks on the northeast front, 227 00:14:09,880 --> 00:14:12,400 800 more than the Germans. 228 00:14:13,440 --> 00:14:15,680 Although he faces a weakened Germany 229 00:14:15,760 --> 00:14:18,680 And they have an obvious military advantage, 230 00:14:19,040 --> 00:14:22,680 The Allies decide to stay put, not to attack. 231 00:14:27,960 --> 00:14:31,080 After the outbreak of war in 1939, 232 00:14:31,160 --> 00:14:33,880 there follows a long period called the Strange War 233 00:14:33,960 --> 00:14:36,520 in which the Germans decide how to act 234 00:14:36,600 --> 00:14:38,000 ºi aliaþii aºteaptã. 235 00:14:48,520 --> 00:14:51,240 One of the reasons the Allies remained defensive 236 00:14:51,320 --> 00:14:53,880 is that the French had built an important defensive system, 237 00:14:53,960 --> 00:14:57,120 Maginot Line, on the French-German border 238 00:14:57,600 --> 00:15:01,680 to avoid the bloodshed of the First World War. 239 00:15:08,080 --> 00:15:12,040 While the Allies wait, Hitler thinks about how to react. 240 00:15:12,640 --> 00:15:14,840 He had his eyes on the eastern area. 241 00:15:14,960 --> 00:15:18,520 Now, he faces an unexpected threat from the West. 242 00:15:20,280 --> 00:15:23,240 Hermann Göring and his generals are campaigning 243 00:15:23,320 --> 00:15:26,280 to persuade him not to declare war on France, 244 00:15:26,640 --> 00:15:30,360 so he presents a plan doomed to failure. 245 00:15:31,240 --> 00:15:33,720 All generals were against the war. 246 00:15:34,480 --> 00:15:38,280 They said, "Don't negotiate." Do something, 247 00:15:38,640 --> 00:15:42,400 but we can't solve the problem 248 00:15:43,160 --> 00:15:44,280 with the army. ?? 249 00:15:46,800 --> 00:15:49,400 They presented Hitler with a timid plan of war 250 00:15:49,480 --> 00:15:51,560 And he said, What is this? 251 00:15:51,840 --> 00:15:54,520 It's the same as in 1914. 252 00:15:54,640 --> 00:15:57,440 Where are the new, innovative ideas? 253 00:15:58,120 --> 00:15:59,600 Now so more ?? 254 00:16:00,280 --> 00:16:03,640 The leaders of the German army do not want war. 255 00:16:04,520 --> 00:16:06,920 At the end of 1939, their conviction 256 00:16:07,440 --> 00:16:10,120 was that Hitler was forcing the attack on France 257 00:16:10,240 --> 00:16:13,200 And that they will be defeated. 258 00:16:13,320 --> 00:16:17,000 In the First World War I fought for four years with France, 259 00:16:17,160 --> 00:16:20,840 with a large army, much better trained and lost. 260 00:16:23,440 --> 00:16:27,560 The original plan made by Hitler's conservative generals 261 00:16:27,640 --> 00:16:30,120 copies the scenario of the First World War, 262 00:16:30,200 --> 00:16:32,880 the invasion of the Netherlands and northern Belgium, 263 00:16:32,960 --> 00:16:34,800 as well as the invasion of northern France. 264 00:16:37,200 --> 00:16:40,320 It is a plan that highlights the strengths of the Allies, 265 00:16:40,400 --> 00:16:43,720 specially created to end a disaster. 266 00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:51,080 How can you make a dictator change his mind? 267 00:16:51,200 --> 00:16:54,720 You can't tell him he's an idiot and that he has to negotiate. 268 00:16:55,800 --> 00:16:58,920 But if you convince him, 269 00:16:59,360 --> 00:17:03,120 From a military point of view, he will lose a possible war ... 270 00:17:03,640 --> 00:17:06,440 That was about their plan. 271 00:17:07,880 --> 00:17:10,480 Don't give him a plan of success. 272 00:17:11,600 --> 00:17:13,320 Give a general ambitions, 273 00:17:13,520 --> 00:17:17,880 Erich von Manstein, a Prussian aristocrat, leaves the party. 274 00:17:18,360 --> 00:17:22,200 Suggests a plan with a higher chance of success. 275 00:17:22,640 --> 00:17:26,680 Conservative generals intervene quickly to shut their mouths. 276 00:17:27,960 --> 00:17:31,600 Von Manstein thinks he could get the advantage 277 00:17:31,680 --> 00:17:35,920 quickly attacking French lines and disorienting the enemy. 278 00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:39,160 Attacking them at a much faster speed than expected 279 00:17:39,240 --> 00:17:41,160 it could make them retire 280 00:17:41,360 --> 00:17:44,320 And to completely confuse them, 281 00:17:44,480 --> 00:17:47,280 and in the confusion created it could advance a great deal, 282 00:17:47,360 --> 00:17:50,320 and the infantry that would come behind would destroy 283 00:17:50,400 --> 00:17:52,320 the French army inside. 284 00:17:57,440 --> 00:18:01,800 With von Manstein's plan postponed, Hitler took advantage of the Strange War 285 00:18:01,880 --> 00:18:05,040 to get iron ore to make weapons. 286 00:18:05,160 --> 00:18:08,240 His army invades Denmark and southern Norway. 287 00:18:08,360 --> 00:18:10,760 The British immediately identify the danger. 288 00:18:11,320 --> 00:18:14,040 Germany to defend its northern flank 289 00:18:14,120 --> 00:18:15,920 And access to the Baltic Sea, 290 00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:19,960 decided to invade Norway and Denmark, 291 00:18:20,040 --> 00:18:22,360 on April 9, 1940. 292 00:18:28,760 --> 00:18:31,280 The British retaliated 293 00:18:31,360 --> 00:18:34,240 trying to land troops in Norway. 294 00:18:38,360 --> 00:18:40,480 They will lose many precious resources 295 00:18:40,560 --> 00:18:43,800 in front of the Germans, iron ore and others from Norway, 296 00:18:43,880 --> 00:18:45,960 And they are obliged to prevent this. 297 00:18:48,200 --> 00:18:50,600 Unprepared to retaliate, 298 00:18:50,680 --> 00:18:52,960 allies land troops in Norway, 299 00:18:53,160 --> 00:18:56,160 but their operation is undecided and incompetent. 300 00:18:57,080 --> 00:18:59,640 The Germans introduce their new armed forces into the game , 301 00:18:59,720 --> 00:19:01,600 Luftwaffe, with great results. 302 00:19:02,520 --> 00:19:06,600 Stuka dive bombers wreak havoc on the Allies. 303 00:19:10,120 --> 00:19:12,680 It's a terrible humiliation for Western allies, 304 00:19:12,760 --> 00:19:15,200 and by the beginning of May 1940, 305 00:19:15,440 --> 00:19:19,640 The Allies left Norway, which remains under German control. 306 00:19:29,920 --> 00:19:32,920 Meanwhile, the insistent General von Manstein 307 00:19:33,000 --> 00:19:36,360 He finds a moment to present Hitler's plan. 308 00:19:36,560 --> 00:19:39,080 He knows he has only one chance. 309 00:19:39,720 --> 00:19:42,400 Von Manstein sees an opportunity to change Hitler's view, 310 00:19:42,480 --> 00:19:44,400 He says, " We have to do something different." 311 00:19:44,480 --> 00:19:46,440 Let's do it, let's make the most of it 312 00:19:46,520 --> 00:19:48,520 armored divisions and Luftwaffe 313 00:19:48,600 --> 00:19:51,520 And let's use the element of surprise. Let's do something unexpected. 314 00:19:51,600 --> 00:19:54,240 Hitler supports his plan, he seems much bolder. 315 00:19:54,320 --> 00:19:56,840 This plan seems more likely to succeed quickly, 316 00:19:57,520 --> 00:20:00,960 compared to the wrong plan devised by the other generals. 317 00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:07,000 On 10 May, the British Prime Minister, 318 00:20:07,080 --> 00:20:11,160 Neville Chamberlain is forced to resign after the failure in Norway. 319 00:20:12,680 --> 00:20:15,280 He is replaced by Winston Churchill. 320 00:20:17,640 --> 00:20:20,280 Churchill was bold and had an oscillating political career, 321 00:20:20,360 --> 00:20:22,960 but he was the one in the 1930s 322 00:20:23,040 --> 00:20:25,360 he insisted on not liking Hitler. 323 00:20:25,440 --> 00:20:27,240 We have to hold his chest. 324 00:20:27,320 --> 00:20:30,800 Finally, Churchill is given the chance to lead the British into war. 325 00:20:33,920 --> 00:20:36,160 In his first speech, in the House of Commons, 326 00:20:36,280 --> 00:20:38,080 new prime minister announces: 327 00:20:39,480 --> 00:20:40,760 I will tell the Chamber, 328 00:20:41,120 --> 00:20:43,760 as I said to members of the government ... 329 00:20:45,160 --> 00:20:47,720 I have nothing to offer but blood, 330 00:20:47,960 --> 00:20:51,360 pain, sweat and tears. 331 00:21:02,080 --> 00:21:05,160 The day Churchill became prime minister, 332 00:21:05,240 --> 00:21:09,120 Germany is devastatingly attacking Belgium and the Netherlands. 333 00:21:11,360 --> 00:21:15,160 German paratroopers capture strategic bridges in the Netherlands. 334 00:21:21,080 --> 00:21:23,440 The Luftwaffe is bombing the airfields. 335 00:21:24,680 --> 00:21:28,920 Airborne troops are parachuted to overwhelm their smaller neighbors. 336 00:21:31,440 --> 00:21:35,680 It seems clear that Hitler wants to capture the English Channel ports 337 00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:40,600 And the bases from which he will be able to invade Britain. 338 00:21:42,800 --> 00:21:45,120 Must capture the English Channel ports , 339 00:21:45,240 --> 00:21:47,640 otherwise the German navy is blocked. 340 00:21:47,800 --> 00:21:50,440 They have access to the North and Baltic Seas , but they can't get out. 341 00:21:50,680 --> 00:21:52,560 If they have access to the ports of the Canal 342 00:21:52,640 --> 00:21:54,520 And to the French in the Atlantic, 343 00:21:54,600 --> 00:21:56,400 from there they have unrestricted access to the ocean. 344 00:21:58,120 --> 00:22:01,920 The Allies are ready for this move and retaliate, 345 00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:05,680 sending the best units to Belgium to meet the attack. 346 00:22:07,120 --> 00:22:12,160 At that time, reconnaissance planes were sending conflicting news from the south. 347 00:22:12,560 --> 00:22:17,840 They reported a huge traffic jam on the road to the Ardennes, 348 00:22:18,040 --> 00:22:21,840 which stretched to the border with Germany. 349 00:22:24,000 --> 00:22:26,160 The problem is that the French refuse to believe 350 00:22:26,240 --> 00:22:28,760 reconnaissance pilot reports. 351 00:22:29,360 --> 00:22:32,080 General Gamelin, Supreme Commander of the French Army, 352 00:22:32,160 --> 00:22:34,400 He says it's impossible, that it can't be true. 353 00:22:34,880 --> 00:22:35,960 This is ignored. 354 00:22:38,080 --> 00:22:43,160 It was a huge mistake, von Manstein's plan was in progress. 355 00:22:43,600 --> 00:22:45,240 Air reconnaissance was correct. 356 00:22:45,720 --> 00:22:49,080 The Germans had gathered at the foot of the Ardennes 357 00:22:49,160 --> 00:22:52,640 And now I pass through the woods and over the river Meuse, 358 00:22:52,720 --> 00:22:54,240 from the border with France. 359 00:22:55,520 --> 00:22:57,400 The French had small units 360 00:22:57,480 --> 00:23:00,160 on the river Meuse, near the Ardennes, because they did not expect it 361 00:23:00,240 --> 00:23:01,400 Be attacked there. 362 00:23:03,760 --> 00:23:06,440 Invasion of the Netherlands and Belgium 363 00:23:06,520 --> 00:23:09,760 it was intended to attract allies to the north. 364 00:23:10,600 --> 00:23:13,320 He wanted to attract the elite of the allied armies 365 00:23:13,400 --> 00:23:17,480 in the north of France, in Belgium and in the south of the Netherlands, 366 00:23:17,560 --> 00:23:19,360 and the main attack, through the Ardennes, 367 00:23:19,440 --> 00:23:21,360 to surround them and cut off their retreat. 368 00:23:24,120 --> 00:23:27,880 It's a clever plan. They will surround them in Belgium. 369 00:23:27,960 --> 00:23:32,840 They will attack through the Ardennes, through this difficult relief. 370 00:23:32,920 --> 00:23:37,520 They will cross the Meuse River, then advance to the English Channel 371 00:23:37,600 --> 00:23:41,120 They will be surrounded by the British Expeditionary Forces 372 00:23:41,200 --> 00:23:43,400 And the French army in Belgium. 373 00:23:44,560 --> 00:23:48,280 They will take the Allies by surprise. 374 00:23:48,360 --> 00:23:51,320 The element of surprise is always an essential element 375 00:23:51,400 --> 00:23:53,160 in winning a war. 376 00:24:01,320 --> 00:24:05,600 The operation will use time, speed and boldness 377 00:24:05,800 --> 00:24:09,160 to compensate for the inferiority of the German infantry. 378 00:24:12,880 --> 00:24:15,960 Use the latest technologies. 379 00:24:16,040 --> 00:24:18,440 It promises a quick victory. 380 00:24:18,800 --> 00:24:22,040 The impression is that not only will the French army defeat , 381 00:24:22,120 --> 00:24:24,600 but it will annihilate the entire British army. 382 00:24:25,680 --> 00:24:27,920 The new British Prime Minister, Churchill, 383 00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:32,360 He lives a nightmare as German tanks parade 384 00:24:32,440 --> 00:24:35,320 to the city of Sedan, on the French border. 385 00:24:37,960 --> 00:24:40,880 If the French had taken air reconnaissance seriously , 386 00:24:41,480 --> 00:24:44,120 the German army would have been in their hands. 387 00:24:44,760 --> 00:24:47,880 Military traffic jams acted like German artillery 388 00:24:47,960 --> 00:24:49,680 be very vulnerable. 389 00:24:51,920 --> 00:24:55,920 The traffic jam reaches colossal dimensions. 390 00:24:56,000 --> 00:24:58,640 French reconnaissance aircraft notice this. 391 00:24:58,720 --> 00:25:02,080 At that time, it would have been possible 392 00:25:02,160 --> 00:25:04,720 to organize all the French and English bombers 393 00:25:04,800 --> 00:25:05,800 And to attack them. 394 00:25:05,840 --> 00:25:07,960 It would have stopped the German advance 395 00:25:08,040 --> 00:25:10,600 He would have ended his war. Everything that followed would have been avoided. 396 00:25:10,680 --> 00:25:12,760 I get angry every time I think about it. 397 00:25:12,840 --> 00:25:15,600 They missed a major opportunity. 398 00:25:19,120 --> 00:25:21,200 The Germans make the most of it, 399 00:25:21,280 --> 00:25:23,360 in an amazing demonstration of speed. 400 00:25:23,800 --> 00:25:28,560 Before the French retaliate, the Germans advance on the city of Sedan. 401 00:25:29,520 --> 00:25:33,920 Infantry, armor and artillery show unusual resistance, 402 00:25:34,160 --> 00:25:36,520 overcoming all enemy defense. 403 00:25:36,680 --> 00:25:40,200 Almost without stopping, they reach the Sedan in three days. 404 00:25:40,280 --> 00:25:44,520 Many German soldiers have not slept since the beginning of the operation. 405 00:25:44,800 --> 00:25:47,160 The French can't believe their eyes. 406 00:25:48,400 --> 00:25:52,040 German tanks enter the Sedan without opposition. 407 00:25:52,280 --> 00:25:55,480 The French defense is suddenly confronted 408 00:25:55,560 --> 00:25:58,440 with 60,000 Germans 409 00:25:58,520 --> 00:26:03,360 in 22,000 vehicles and 850 tanks. 410 00:26:03,440 --> 00:26:05,480 After three days of march, 411 00:26:05,600 --> 00:26:07,800 the Germans are not going to stop. 412 00:26:08,360 --> 00:26:12,120 I am preparing to cross the river Meuse in three places. 413 00:26:15,480 --> 00:26:19,520 The plan is an example of a Bewegungskrieg textbook , 414 00:26:19,880 --> 00:26:23,720 a maneuver war for which the Germans are well known. 415 00:26:26,760 --> 00:26:29,280 Its architect is Heinz Guderian, 416 00:26:29,520 --> 00:26:32,680 a general who knows how to combine new technology 417 00:26:32,760 --> 00:26:35,480 with the traditional German war tactics , 418 00:26:35,840 --> 00:26:38,520 attacking and overwhelming the enemy, 419 00:26:38,760 --> 00:26:40,960 then encircle it before it can react. 420 00:26:44,080 --> 00:26:46,520 Guderian is very skilled 421 00:26:46,760 --> 00:26:52,040 the use of new methods of combat, the Luftwaffe as an air artillery, 422 00:26:52,120 --> 00:26:56,680 new mobile equipment, trucks, mobile artillery 423 00:26:56,760 --> 00:27:00,280 And, of course, tanks, armored vehicles and new radio technology. 424 00:27:01,360 --> 00:27:04,320 The Supreme Commander of the French Army, Maurice Gamelin 425 00:27:04,400 --> 00:27:07,440 orders that the Sedan be defended at all costs, 426 00:27:08,000 --> 00:27:11,200 but he prepared his troops for another war of attrition, 427 00:27:11,280 --> 00:27:12,960 as in the First World War. 428 00:27:13,440 --> 00:27:16,000 When there is a need for troops to be mobile, 429 00:27:16,080 --> 00:27:17,360 I don't know how to proceed. 430 00:27:17,920 --> 00:27:20,960 Nobody expects the nightmare that will follow. 431 00:27:22,720 --> 00:27:27,360 Waves of dive bombers attack the French defense. 432 00:27:28,400 --> 00:27:31,280 Almost no hopper is hit directly 433 00:27:31,520 --> 00:27:33,720 And only 56 people die, 434 00:27:34,040 --> 00:27:35,680 but the psychological effect 435 00:27:35,760 --> 00:27:40,960 the sound of bombers and the sound of bombs is devastating. 436 00:27:41,440 --> 00:27:42,720 These German attacks 437 00:27:43,240 --> 00:27:46,240 They are absolutely catastrophic for the French defense. 438 00:27:46,560 --> 00:27:48,200 It quickly becomes obvious 439 00:27:48,280 --> 00:27:51,320 that the morale of the French is destroyed by these attacks 440 00:27:51,560 --> 00:27:56,320 And that they fail to counterattack properly. 441 00:27:57,560 --> 00:28:00,480 My conclusion is that this is the legacy of World War I. 442 00:28:00,560 --> 00:28:05,160 Those long years of wear and tear in which they died 443 00:28:05,240 --> 00:28:07,640 Extraordinarily many French people have left their mark 444 00:28:07,720 --> 00:28:10,720 on the next generation who doesn't want to go through that anymore. 445 00:28:13,200 --> 00:28:17,280 Following the confusion, the German infantry crossed the Meuse. 446 00:28:17,360 --> 00:28:19,000 It's a dangerous maneuver. 447 00:28:19,080 --> 00:28:22,880 German forces are now isolated and vulnerable to a counterattack. 448 00:28:23,720 --> 00:28:27,240 On the evening of May 13, although several Germans 449 00:28:27,320 --> 00:28:29,920 they have crossed the river, their situation is vulnerable. 450 00:28:30,000 --> 00:28:32,360 At that moment, no tank had crossed the river, 451 00:28:32,440 --> 00:28:35,720 and this was an opportunity for the French to counterattack. 452 00:28:38,040 --> 00:28:41,720 But French tank pilots were traumatized 453 00:28:41,800 --> 00:28:43,320 And they reacted slowly. 454 00:28:44,160 --> 00:28:46,440 Until they came back to you 455 00:28:46,520 --> 00:28:48,680 They organized an attack on May 14, 456 00:28:48,760 --> 00:28:53,480 Guderian had crossed the river with enough armor on the bridges made by the geniuses 457 00:28:53,840 --> 00:28:56,040 to destroy French tanks. 458 00:28:59,080 --> 00:29:02,040 They had no tactics. 459 00:29:02,320 --> 00:29:05,200 The biggest problem of the French 460 00:29:06,040 --> 00:29:09,240 It's that they don't have any communication systems. 461 00:29:09,320 --> 00:29:11,720 General Gamelin, the supreme commander 462 00:29:11,800 --> 00:29:14,320 of French forces, is at the Castle of Vincennes, 463 00:29:14,400 --> 00:29:17,320 on the outskirts of Paris, but doesn't even have a phone, 464 00:29:17,400 --> 00:29:19,120 believing it's a security risk. 465 00:29:19,240 --> 00:29:20,960 A madness! 466 00:29:23,640 --> 00:29:27,120 The French depend on the telephone lines on the front 467 00:29:27,200 --> 00:29:30,400 which are interrupted by the attacks of the Stuka bombers, and the cavalry messengers 468 00:29:30,480 --> 00:29:32,840 take messages very late, 469 00:29:32,920 --> 00:29:35,840 because the roads are crowded with refugees. 470 00:29:42,120 --> 00:29:45,000 The French believed that the Germans would need two weeks 471 00:29:45,080 --> 00:29:46,560 to get to the sedan. 472 00:29:48,160 --> 00:29:49,440 Not three days. 473 00:29:49,680 --> 00:29:51,280 Three days and three nights, 474 00:29:51,360 --> 00:29:54,520 the savage and unstoppable attack did not stop at all. 475 00:29:57,120 --> 00:29:59,320 The soldiers were like superhumans. 476 00:29:59,400 --> 00:30:02,800 It was becoming increasingly clear that this German army 477 00:30:02,880 --> 00:30:05,520 it was as it had never been before. 478 00:30:07,520 --> 00:30:10,600 The French did not know that the German army 479 00:30:10,680 --> 00:30:12,240 he had a secret weapon. 480 00:30:12,520 --> 00:30:17,160 The weapon was manufactured by the pharmaceutical company Temmler. 481 00:30:18,680 --> 00:30:22,000 Pervitin is a potent methamphetamine, 482 00:30:22,080 --> 00:30:24,840 known today as crystallized methamphetamine. 483 00:30:25,640 --> 00:30:29,040 The drug was sold over the counter in Germany 484 00:30:29,480 --> 00:30:32,960 And it proves invaluable on the front. 485 00:30:38,200 --> 00:30:43,920 Pervitin is considered the ideal medicine to fight fatigue. 486 00:30:44,000 --> 00:30:48,320 It is used in World War II especially by armored crews 487 00:30:48,400 --> 00:30:50,000 And pilots flying at night. 488 00:30:50,080 --> 00:30:53,040 Troops that are close to the enemy 489 00:30:53,240 --> 00:30:55,440 And which must remain active longer. 490 00:30:58,160 --> 00:31:00,320 Pervitin was also used by German citizens. 491 00:31:00,400 --> 00:31:03,000 They could buy it from the pharmacy and use it 492 00:31:03,120 --> 00:31:05,000 to stay awake and work. 493 00:31:05,280 --> 00:31:07,600 As the war continues, Pervitin 494 00:31:07,680 --> 00:31:10,400 it began to be easily accessible to German troops and aviators. 495 00:31:12,280 --> 00:31:15,680 Methamphetamine can alleviate empathy 496 00:31:15,760 --> 00:31:17,800 It makes you feel like a superman, 497 00:31:18,040 --> 00:31:22,040 exactly the qualities needed for a super soldier. 498 00:31:23,360 --> 00:31:28,040 Many reports before the attacks began on May 10, 1940, 499 00:31:28,440 --> 00:31:31,600 mentions that many soldiers were depressed, did not want to fight, 500 00:31:31,840 --> 00:31:34,680 which reminded him of World War I. 501 00:31:36,080 --> 00:31:38,320 The morale of the Germans was quite low, 502 00:31:38,400 --> 00:31:40,360 but once they took methamphetamine, 503 00:31:40,440 --> 00:31:42,720 morale has risen significantly. 504 00:31:44,800 --> 00:31:46,760 German tactics of lightning war 505 00:31:46,840 --> 00:31:51,160 rely on fast tanks, air superiority, 506 00:31:51,240 --> 00:31:56,360 real-time communications and fearless and tireless soldiers. 507 00:31:57,080 --> 00:31:59,840 For the first time in the history of wars, 508 00:31:59,920 --> 00:32:02,320 the army did not need to rest at night, 509 00:32:02,400 --> 00:32:04,840 it could go on for three days and three nights. 510 00:32:04,920 --> 00:32:08,160 Without Pervitin, this would have been impossible. 511 00:32:12,480 --> 00:32:17,400 The drug helps to turn a person into a fighting robot. 512 00:32:17,720 --> 00:32:20,840 Imagine almost a hundred thousand people, 513 00:32:20,920 --> 00:32:23,720 arm yourself to the teeth, storming enemy territory. 514 00:32:23,800 --> 00:32:27,560 The situation becomes uncontrollable. 515 00:32:32,160 --> 00:32:34,920 The side effects of Pervitin are that it makes you thoughtless. 516 00:32:35,000 --> 00:32:36,960 It gives you crazy courage. 517 00:32:37,800 --> 00:32:40,240 On May 14, when crossing the river Meuse ... 518 00:32:40,320 --> 00:32:42,120 These guys had to keep going. 519 00:32:42,200 --> 00:32:44,960 The fights go on until the evening and beyond. 520 00:32:45,200 --> 00:32:49,280 How do you keep them active? Then take a tablet of Pervitin 521 00:32:49,840 --> 00:32:53,000 it wasn't a bad idea. 522 00:32:53,080 --> 00:32:56,000 You had better suffer from the side effects than die. 523 00:33:00,640 --> 00:33:04,080 In the north, the mock attack is on the rise. 524 00:33:04,360 --> 00:33:06,760 The Germans bomb the Port of Rotterdam, 525 00:33:06,920 --> 00:33:09,360 killing about 1,000 people. 526 00:33:12,520 --> 00:33:16,240 The Dutch are so shocked by the number of victims 527 00:33:16,320 --> 00:33:19,200 And the destruction of the center of Rotterdam, 528 00:33:19,280 --> 00:33:21,400 so that they surrender. 529 00:33:21,480 --> 00:33:25,840 In just four days, the Dutch are defeated. 530 00:33:30,160 --> 00:33:32,880 After the elimination of the French defense from the Sedan, 531 00:33:33,240 --> 00:33:37,960 Guderian is ordered to stop to wait for the infantry. 532 00:33:38,400 --> 00:33:39,400 He ignores orders. 533 00:33:39,880 --> 00:33:45,400 Flanked by his subordinates on motorcycles, he goes in front of the tanks 534 00:33:45,760 --> 00:33:47,840 continuing the advance through France. 535 00:33:48,600 --> 00:33:51,640 Guderian is very dynamic. He's smart, polite, 536 00:33:51,720 --> 00:33:52,920 He has rich experience 537 00:33:53,000 --> 00:33:56,440 And he's not afraid of new things. And ... 538 00:33:57,480 --> 00:34:01,040 he is not afraid of making decisions. 539 00:34:01,360 --> 00:34:04,200 I ignore the orders of superiors 540 00:34:04,280 --> 00:34:07,000 And keep moving forward to get the amazing victory 541 00:34:07,080 --> 00:34:08,200 for Germany 542 00:34:08,280 --> 00:34:11,720 or I stop and wait for the infantry to come, 543 00:34:12,000 --> 00:34:15,280 losing momentum and everything else? 544 00:34:15,360 --> 00:34:18,160 He told her he would ignore orders and move on. 545 00:34:19,400 --> 00:34:21,960 French Prime Minister Paul Reynaud 546 00:34:22,320 --> 00:34:25,320 He is shocked by the speed with which the Germans are advancing. 547 00:34:25,480 --> 00:34:29,160 He calls the British Prime Minister and tells him the terrible news. 548 00:34:29,840 --> 00:34:32,320 We can see that Reynaud was panicking. 549 00:34:32,400 --> 00:34:35,040 He calls Churchill on the phone 550 00:34:35,120 --> 00:34:36,800 He tells her that the battle is lost. 551 00:34:36,880 --> 00:34:40,280 After only five days: The battle is lost. 552 00:34:40,360 --> 00:34:43,120 The Germans entered France with so many people 553 00:34:43,200 --> 00:34:44,800 so I don't think we can stop them. ?? 554 00:34:46,920 --> 00:34:49,960 The Germans are approaching the capital of France, 555 00:34:50,240 --> 00:34:54,760 and Churchill fears the French may not respond quickly enough 556 00:34:54,920 --> 00:34:57,880 with the necessary counterattack. 557 00:34:59,080 --> 00:35:01,440 Churchill understood that everything was falling apart 558 00:35:02,040 --> 00:35:04,800 Just at that moment and that was important 559 00:35:04,880 --> 00:35:07,600 for the French to continue the fight, 560 00:35:07,680 --> 00:35:10,000 to continue to fight back and fight. 561 00:35:10,080 --> 00:35:13,000 To organize permanent counter-offensives 562 00:35:13,080 --> 00:35:16,200 And do not give up morally. 563 00:35:17,960 --> 00:35:21,640 On May 16, just six days after his appointment as prime minister, 564 00:35:22,040 --> 00:35:26,240 Churchill flies to Paris to try to strengthen the French resistance. 565 00:35:27,400 --> 00:35:29,280 He is determined to do something 566 00:35:29,360 --> 00:35:31,440 to keep the French in battle, 567 00:35:31,520 --> 00:35:34,560 because if they give in, Britain will be left alone. 568 00:35:40,760 --> 00:35:43,360 On May 20, 1940, 569 00:35:43,440 --> 00:35:46,600 just ten days after crossing the German border, 570 00:35:47,000 --> 00:35:51,600 Guderian's decision to ignore the orders of his superiors proves correct 571 00:35:51,680 --> 00:35:54,080 And it reaches the Atlantic. 572 00:35:55,240 --> 00:35:58,080 It takes a lot of courage to make such a decision, 573 00:35:58,200 --> 00:36:01,360 because if you make a mistake and the result is negative, 574 00:36:01,440 --> 00:36:03,480 you are defeated in great trouble, 575 00:36:03,560 --> 00:36:06,640 especially in a totalitarian and militaristic state such as Nazi Germany. 576 00:36:06,720 --> 00:36:09,560 But he has the courage to uphold his beliefs and take action. 577 00:36:09,640 --> 00:36:12,640 The result is extraordinary, unprecedented in history. 578 00:36:13,680 --> 00:36:17,480 The risk taken by Hitler with von Manstein's plan paid off. 579 00:36:17,680 --> 00:36:22,360 The bulk of the Allied troops are now trapped in a narrow corridor. 580 00:36:23,000 --> 00:36:25,480 This means that the Allied armies in the north, 581 00:36:25,560 --> 00:36:28,040 including the British Expeditionary Forces, 582 00:36:28,120 --> 00:36:30,320 their supply lines were cut off . 583 00:36:30,400 --> 00:36:32,840 Allied troops in Belgium, 584 00:36:33,120 --> 00:36:36,200 surrounded on all sides by Germans, 585 00:36:36,280 --> 00:36:38,960 fighting now in Belgium, and in the Netherlands, 586 00:36:39,200 --> 00:36:41,880 completely surrounded by the German army, 587 00:36:41,960 --> 00:36:44,800 the only ways to escape were to break the German lines 588 00:36:44,880 --> 00:36:47,080 or be saved from the sea. 589 00:36:51,680 --> 00:36:54,440 Guderian will need a few more days 590 00:36:54,520 --> 00:36:57,280 to block the last escape route to the coast, 591 00:36:57,840 --> 00:37:01,240 And to permanently encircle one million Allied soldiers. 592 00:37:02,560 --> 00:37:06,160 Surrounded, the British begin to make plans 593 00:37:06,240 --> 00:37:08,440 evacuation of troops by sea, 594 00:37:08,920 --> 00:37:10,960 and Churchill decides that in Calais 595 00:37:11,040 --> 00:37:13,840 It's the best place to send ships. 596 00:37:15,680 --> 00:37:18,480 Send three elite regiments to defend the city of Calais, 597 00:37:18,560 --> 00:37:21,040 but the Germans annihilate them 598 00:37:21,120 --> 00:37:22,120 I'm conquering the city. 599 00:37:22,760 --> 00:37:26,400 The loss of life is terrible, but this operation 600 00:37:26,480 --> 00:37:29,240 allows the BEF to make other plans. 601 00:37:30,080 --> 00:37:33,640 The decision to send troops to Calais is the key to the story, 602 00:37:33,720 --> 00:37:36,000 for without that locking force 603 00:37:36,080 --> 00:37:38,200 which was eventually captured by the Germans, 604 00:37:38,320 --> 00:37:41,640 the rest of the British Expeditionary Forces and the French army 605 00:37:41,720 --> 00:37:44,960 they will not have enough time to get to Dunkirk 606 00:37:45,160 --> 00:37:48,920 And build a perimeter of defense to help them be saved. 607 00:37:55,360 --> 00:37:57,880 When hundreds of thousands 608 00:37:57,960 --> 00:38:02,000 Allied soldiers are about to be slaughtered or captured, 609 00:38:02,280 --> 00:38:05,840 Hitler makes an extremely controversial decision . 610 00:38:07,680 --> 00:38:10,480 When German forces close 611 00:38:11,160 --> 00:38:13,840 pushed the Allies into the English Channel, 612 00:38:14,640 --> 00:38:17,560 Hitler orders them to stop. 613 00:38:20,760 --> 00:38:22,600 German tank officers wondered: 614 00:38:22,680 --> 00:38:25,880 Are they crazy? Have they lost their minds? We will win. 615 00:38:25,960 --> 00:38:28,520 Yes, we are exhausted and we have no more supplies, but ... 616 00:38:29,400 --> 00:38:32,120 speed is our salvation. 617 00:38:33,040 --> 00:38:34,680 We don't have to stop. 618 00:38:34,760 --> 00:38:36,560 But they clearly received the order 619 00:38:37,080 --> 00:38:40,840 And, indeed, they stopped, then began to wonder: 620 00:38:41,080 --> 00:38:44,600 What the hell is going on here? It's absurd. ?? 621 00:38:45,640 --> 00:38:49,520 One of the reasons was that the generals 622 00:38:50,160 --> 00:38:56,720 they acted independently in the previous days , defying Hitler's orders. 623 00:38:56,920 --> 00:39:00,680 Hitler wanted to prove that he was the supreme commander of the war 624 00:39:00,960 --> 00:39:03,080 And they had to listen to him. 625 00:39:03,560 --> 00:39:05,440 The man behind the decision 626 00:39:05,600 --> 00:39:08,960 He is the commander-in-chief of the Luftwaffe, Hermann Göring. 627 00:39:09,360 --> 00:39:13,880 He convinced Hitler that he deserved the annihilation of Allied soldiers 628 00:39:13,960 --> 00:39:19,600 It should not belong to the German army, but to the Luftwaffe, which is full of Nazis. 629 00:39:20,320 --> 00:39:22,760 Hermann Göring was a very influential Nazi 630 00:39:22,840 --> 00:39:26,320 who considered the Luftwaffe to be the weapon of the future. 631 00:39:27,080 --> 00:39:29,920 He said: “Let me act with the Luftwaffe. 632 00:39:30,000 --> 00:39:33,080 There are safe targets on the beach, which they can destroy from the air. 633 00:39:33,160 --> 00:39:35,520 With the army you can act in the south and destroy 634 00:39:35,600 --> 00:39:38,240 the rest of the French army, you can conquer Paris and follow them 635 00:39:38,320 --> 00:39:40,720 to the Loire, if that's where it goes. 636 00:39:40,960 --> 00:39:44,240 The Luftwaffe can do this without the involvement of ground forces. 637 00:39:51,440 --> 00:39:56,880 When this branch of the army was taken from the Germans at Versailles, 638 00:39:58,040 --> 00:40:02,200 they did not expect them to restore it 639 00:40:02,720 --> 00:40:07,360 stronger and stronger under the command of Adolf Hitler. 640 00:40:13,680 --> 00:40:17,280 But Göring's plan soon begins to fall apart. 641 00:40:20,960 --> 00:40:23,800 Conveniently for the British, the sky was cloudy 642 00:40:23,880 --> 00:40:27,040 during the evacuation, aggravated situation and the fact 643 00:40:27,120 --> 00:40:30,160 that the Germans had bombed the Dunkirk oil refinery 644 00:40:30,240 --> 00:40:34,440 Heavy clouds of smoke rose to 4,500 m in the air. 645 00:40:34,520 --> 00:40:36,320 So they couldn't see anything. 646 00:40:38,560 --> 00:40:40,960 Low visibility prevents 647 00:40:41,040 --> 00:40:43,040 Luftwaffe to drop bombs 648 00:40:43,280 --> 00:40:45,560 And even when it starts to clear, 649 00:40:45,640 --> 00:40:48,440 Stuka planes hit targets hard. 650 00:40:50,040 --> 00:40:52,240 When you drop bombs from 1,800 m, 651 00:40:52,680 --> 00:40:55,480 A destroyer full of people looks like a pencil 652 00:40:55,560 --> 00:40:57,720 ºi se miºcã de colo colo 653 00:40:57,800 --> 00:41:01,400 And it is extremely difficult to hit something in motion 654 00:41:01,480 --> 00:41:02,880 from that distance. 655 00:41:06,440 --> 00:41:10,560 Göring's planes face an unexpected weapon. 656 00:41:11,080 --> 00:41:14,040 In the squadrons sent by the Combat Aircraft Command 657 00:41:14,120 --> 00:41:16,920 in the south of England to help with the evacuation 658 00:41:17,400 --> 00:41:19,640 There is an excellent new fighter jet, 659 00:41:20,040 --> 00:41:22,600 Supermarine Spitfire. 660 00:41:23,720 --> 00:41:26,040 For the first time, the Aircraft Command 661 00:41:26,120 --> 00:41:29,480 he was able to challenge German air superiority. 662 00:41:29,560 --> 00:41:34,560 I'm sending Spitfire and Hurricane planes from the south-east of England to Dunkirk 663 00:41:34,720 --> 00:41:37,720 to help with the evacuation and he is doing quite well. 664 00:41:37,800 --> 00:41:40,800 They suffer losses, but they are quite effective 665 00:41:40,880 --> 00:41:44,320 They destroy a large number of German bombers. 666 00:41:47,520 --> 00:41:51,200 The Luftwaffe bombs Royal Navy ships , 667 00:41:51,640 --> 00:41:55,960 but it fails to annihilate French and British forces on the beaches 668 00:41:56,040 --> 00:41:59,360 or their lifeboats, as Göring hoped. 669 00:42:02,800 --> 00:42:07,720 Cecil Ingram, a soldier in the Royal Engineers, recalls the evacuation. 670 00:42:08,800 --> 00:42:10,720 I was a mass of soldiers 671 00:42:11,640 --> 00:42:14,720 And we were bombed all the time, 672 00:42:14,800 --> 00:42:20,200 so we tried to protect ourselves as best we could, 673 00:42:20,640 --> 00:42:22,800 burying ourselves in the sand as long as we could. 674 00:42:23,600 --> 00:42:25,160 I was sitting on the ground. 675 00:42:25,600 --> 00:42:29,720 I could hear and see the bombs dropped by Stuka fall 676 00:42:29,800 --> 00:42:33,760 And the awful noise as they plummeted. 677 00:42:34,640 --> 00:42:36,840 Honestly, I was a little scared ... 678 00:42:38,240 --> 00:42:40,320 because we didn't know what to expect. 679 00:42:40,400 --> 00:42:44,120 The roads were destroyed. 680 00:42:44,200 --> 00:42:46,520 I think the most appropriate word is "chaotic". 681 00:42:47,160 --> 00:42:51,240 Finally I got up and went into the water 682 00:42:51,600 --> 00:42:54,240 holding the wet gun up. 683 00:42:54,320 --> 00:42:57,160 I managed to get on a ship. 684 00:42:57,240 --> 00:42:59,160 My legs were bleeding. 685 00:42:59,240 --> 00:43:03,960 As far as England, I lay on the deck of this ship. 686 00:43:06,320 --> 00:43:10,120 Private Stanley William, of the Royal Auxiliary Troops, 687 00:43:10,200 --> 00:43:13,000 survived a German air strike over the English Channel. 688 00:43:13,800 --> 00:43:15,656 I entered Dunkirk during an air raid. 689 00:43:15,680 --> 00:43:20,440 There were many strong air raids. A direct hit killed 100 people. 690 00:43:20,520 --> 00:43:24,360 I saw planes approaching, then they started firing machine guns 691 00:43:24,440 --> 00:43:28,640 killing about 60 people and injuring many others, including myself. 692 00:43:29,400 --> 00:43:32,480 I took refuge in a niche. 693 00:43:32,600 --> 00:43:35,360 Bullets flew inches from my feet, 694 00:43:35,440 --> 00:43:40,240 If he had stayed on the deck, he would have been killed or ... 695 00:43:40,720 --> 00:43:44,080 I lost a finger and received a bullet in the shoulder. 696 00:43:44,920 --> 00:43:46,920 Churchill initially hopes 697 00:43:47,000 --> 00:43:50,960 to save about 45,000 soldiers from death or captivity. 698 00:43:51,040 --> 00:43:54,760 But thanks to the navy, small ships and the RAF, 699 00:43:54,840 --> 00:43:58,880 Nearly 340,000 were rescued. 700 00:43:59,760 --> 00:44:02,240 They gathered a huge number 701 00:44:02,320 --> 00:44:04,880 of civil mud, 702 00:44:05,120 --> 00:44:08,240 and they voluntarily crossed the English Channel 703 00:44:08,320 --> 00:44:12,520 They risked their lives to coordinate with the Royal Navy 704 00:44:12,600 --> 00:44:17,800 And to save a large part of the troops at Dunkirk. 705 00:44:20,080 --> 00:44:22,240 Göring is humiliated. 706 00:44:22,600 --> 00:44:25,640 Unable to stop the British rescue operation in Dunkirk, 707 00:44:26,120 --> 00:44:29,600 Hitler directs his armies to Paris. 708 00:44:29,680 --> 00:44:34,560 Trying to keep its precious capital intact, 709 00:44:34,640 --> 00:44:39,320 the French flee and let her be captured. 710 00:44:39,840 --> 00:44:41,640 The French knew 711 00:44:41,720 --> 00:44:44,480 how the Germans bombed 712 00:44:44,560 --> 00:44:47,280 Rotterdamul ºi Varºovia, 713 00:44:47,360 --> 00:44:49,800 they saw the destruction caused in those cities 714 00:44:49,880 --> 00:44:51,880 And they didn't want Paris, 715 00:44:51,960 --> 00:44:54,160 A jewel of architecture, to suffer the same. 716 00:44:54,240 --> 00:44:57,560 They declared it an open city and moved its government south. 717 00:44:59,840 --> 00:45:03,040 German troops enter the city on June 14. 718 00:45:05,520 --> 00:45:08,560 The French government moves to Tours, 719 00:45:08,720 --> 00:45:10,120 then to Bordeaux. 720 00:45:10,520 --> 00:45:16,240 Prime Minister Reynaud is replaced by the 84-year-old war hero, 721 00:45:16,320 --> 00:45:18,480 Mareºalul Philippe Pétain. 722 00:45:18,920 --> 00:45:20,840 Petain is a little defeatist. 723 00:45:20,920 --> 00:45:23,520 He is quite convinced that the French have lost the battle. 724 00:45:23,600 --> 00:45:26,800 The most important thing was to avoid a revolution, 725 00:45:26,880 --> 00:45:29,480 to avoid the final collapse of the French army 726 00:45:29,560 --> 00:45:32,200 And the best way to do that is to negotiate an armistice. 727 00:45:34,000 --> 00:45:36,280 Northern France and the Atlantic coast 728 00:45:36,360 --> 00:45:38,200 are now occupied by the Germans. 729 00:45:39,000 --> 00:45:42,520 The south is declared an unoccupied area 730 00:45:42,680 --> 00:45:45,760 He is led by the puppet regime of Marshal Pétain 731 00:45:45,880 --> 00:45:47,680 from the Vichy spa resort. 732 00:45:49,240 --> 00:45:53,200 Pétain's authoritarian regime replaces the French motto 733 00:45:53,280 --> 00:45:55,760 "Freedom, equality, fraternity", 734 00:45:55,840 --> 00:45:59,800 with a new slogan, ?? Work, family, homeland. ?? 735 00:46:00,840 --> 00:46:04,960 Hundreds of thousands of French workers are deported to Nazi Germany 736 00:46:05,040 --> 00:46:07,720 to forced labor to support the war effort. 737 00:46:07,880 --> 00:46:10,840 They replace the enlisted Germans 738 00:46:10,920 --> 00:46:12,040 on the Eastern Front. 739 00:46:12,600 --> 00:46:15,880 The speed of the German victory is astonishing. 740 00:46:15,960 --> 00:46:19,040 The Lightning War was a great success. 741 00:46:19,640 --> 00:46:21,400 The German generals were thinking 742 00:46:21,480 --> 00:46:23,560 always at the ?? perfect war ??. 743 00:46:24,120 --> 00:46:25,800 For them, war is an art. 744 00:46:28,600 --> 00:46:31,400 Germany attacked with a lower army. 745 00:46:31,920 --> 00:46:34,360 Lower quantitatively and qualitatively, 746 00:46:34,760 --> 00:46:37,040 but superior in mentality. 747 00:46:37,240 --> 00:46:40,680 We, as generals, dream of the perfect war. 748 00:46:41,520 --> 00:46:43,240 The whole war plan ... 749 00:46:44,080 --> 00:46:45,360 since 1940 750 00:46:45,640 --> 00:46:47,400 it was aimed at the perfect war. 751 00:46:48,200 --> 00:46:51,080 And that's because the British and the French 752 00:46:51,160 --> 00:46:55,320 they made all the mistakes they could make. 753 00:46:57,760 --> 00:47:01,440 The Nazis exploit the triumphant victory over France 754 00:47:01,520 --> 00:47:04,600 to create a grand show in front of news agencies, 755 00:47:04,920 --> 00:47:08,800 Finally erasing the humiliating experience 756 00:47:09,080 --> 00:47:11,520 from the First World War. 757 00:47:12,240 --> 00:47:13,800 Germany's victory against France 758 00:47:13,880 --> 00:47:16,480 it was the greatest military victory in German history. 759 00:47:16,560 --> 00:47:20,680 It was a triumphant event for Germany, 760 00:47:20,760 --> 00:47:26,360 and Hitler was smart enough to strike a blow 761 00:47:26,720 --> 00:47:28,920 by signing the armistice. 762 00:47:29,120 --> 00:47:33,000 It was not signed in a hidden place, without significance, 763 00:47:33,080 --> 00:47:36,600 s-a creat un moment special, propagandistic. 764 00:47:38,560 --> 00:47:41,640 This time, Hitler was the one enjoying the moment. 765 00:47:41,880 --> 00:47:45,240 Reconstructing the moment of signing the armistice of November 1918, 766 00:47:45,320 --> 00:47:48,440 he orders the wagon to be driven 767 00:47:48,520 --> 00:47:51,400 in the same place, at Compiegne, 768 00:47:51,640 --> 00:47:54,880 where Germany signed the armistice in World War I. 769 00:47:55,120 --> 00:47:59,800 This time, the French will be the humiliated 770 00:47:59,880 --> 00:48:01,880 in front of the cameras. 771 00:48:03,320 --> 00:48:07,480 He took the wagon from the museum, 772 00:48:08,200 --> 00:48:12,280 took him to the place of the signing of the armistice of the First World War, 773 00:48:12,360 --> 00:48:13,760 And in that place, 774 00:48:14,480 --> 00:48:17,480 the French leadership had to sign the armistice. 775 00:48:17,560 --> 00:48:21,200 The symbolism was that, after this victory, 776 00:48:22,240 --> 00:48:27,800 somehow Germany took revenge on the defeat of the First World War. 777 00:48:30,320 --> 00:48:32,840 Reporters and cameras were present , 778 00:48:32,920 --> 00:48:34,800 and after a few days, 779 00:48:34,880 --> 00:48:36,800 Hitler decided to take the wagon 780 00:48:37,200 --> 00:48:41,440 back to Germany and destroy the site of the 1918 armistice, 781 00:48:41,520 --> 00:48:44,360 considered an act of humiliation of Germany. 782 00:48:48,800 --> 00:48:50,560 Now we had won. 783 00:48:50,800 --> 00:48:54,920 We had won the war that began in 1914. 784 00:48:55,000 --> 00:48:58,240 It's a combination of World War I and World War II, 785 00:48:58,320 --> 00:48:59,640 and we won it. 786 00:48:59,840 --> 00:49:03,800 This is how we overcame the defeat of the First World War. 787 00:49:04,240 --> 00:49:06,320 We are no longer defeated, we have won. 788 00:49:06,480 --> 00:49:08,840 Terrible defeat 789 00:49:08,920 --> 00:49:11,480 from World War I is in the past, it's forgotten, 790 00:49:11,560 --> 00:49:13,600 And Hitler got it. 791 00:49:13,880 --> 00:49:14,920 Hitler. 792 00:49:15,000 --> 00:49:19,520 The greatest leader of all time.