1 00:00:02,280 --> 00:00:05,080 [dramatic music] 2 00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:07,440 ♪ 3 00:00:07,520 --> 00:00:10,600 - The nation of Poland no longer exists, 4 00:00:10,680 --> 00:00:14,000 and that enables Adolf Hitler to attack the West. 5 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:18,480 After six months of inactivity, what is called the Phony War, 6 00:00:18,560 --> 00:00:21,480 Germany quickly occupies Denmark, 7 00:00:21,560 --> 00:00:23,040 then invades Norway, 8 00:00:23,120 --> 00:00:26,120 where they easily defeat a British and French force, 9 00:00:26,200 --> 00:00:29,240 triggering a crisis in the British leadership. 10 00:00:29,320 --> 00:00:31,200 Now, the question is, 11 00:00:31,280 --> 00:00:34,400 where will Hitler point the Wehrmacht next? 12 00:00:34,480 --> 00:00:36,680 And who will be able to stop him? 13 00:00:36,760 --> 00:00:38,240 [dramatic music] 14 00:00:38,320 --> 00:00:40,480 - All wars change the world, 15 00:00:40,560 --> 00:00:42,440 but none of them changed the world 16 00:00:42,520 --> 00:00:44,400 like the Second World War did. 17 00:00:44,480 --> 00:00:48,360 - Japan's on the march, Germany's on the march. 18 00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:49,760 - No one can imagine 19 00:00:49,840 --> 00:00:52,560 the nightmare they're about to unleash. 20 00:00:52,640 --> 00:00:55,200 The most destructive war in human history. 21 00:00:55,280 --> 00:00:58,120 - Suddenly the world is turned upside down, 22 00:00:58,200 --> 00:00:59,600 and all hell is let loose. 23 00:00:59,680 --> 00:01:01,800 ♪ 24 00:01:01,880 --> 00:01:05,440 - The West is stunned by the speed of the advance. 25 00:01:05,520 --> 00:01:09,240 - You get the Allies, led by the big three-- 26 00:01:09,320 --> 00:01:11,840 Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin. 27 00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:13,840 Men who are dealing 28 00:01:13,920 --> 00:01:17,000 with immensely complicated questions. 29 00:01:17,080 --> 00:01:21,080 - It's the biggest military operation of human history. 30 00:01:21,160 --> 00:01:23,240 - The Allies have to come together, 31 00:01:23,320 --> 00:01:24,680 not just militarily, 32 00:01:24,760 --> 00:01:26,080 but industrial scale 33 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:27,960 it's a global perspective. 34 00:01:27,960 --> 00:01:29,680 - They have to fight in every climate, 35 00:01:29,760 --> 00:01:33,360 from the Arctic to the jungles of the Pacific 36 00:01:33,440 --> 00:01:36,560 to the deserts of Africa and the depths of the ocean. 37 00:01:36,640 --> 00:01:39,240 ♪ 38 00:01:39,320 --> 00:01:42,120 - But there was no certainty of victory. 39 00:01:42,200 --> 00:01:45,200 It was going to be a horrific bloodbath. 40 00:01:45,280 --> 00:01:47,720 - We see humans at their absolute worst-- 41 00:01:47,800 --> 00:01:50,240 how they treat other human beings. 42 00:01:50,320 --> 00:01:52,320 And we see them at their absolute best-- 43 00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:54,320 willing to give their lives that others might live. 44 00:01:54,400 --> 00:01:56,600 - World War II was a struggle 45 00:01:56,680 --> 00:02:01,360 in which there could be one victor and one vanquished. 46 00:02:01,440 --> 00:02:05,920 ♪ 47 00:02:06,080 --> 00:02:08,680 [explosions, air-raid sirens wailing] 48 00:02:08,760 --> 00:02:16,040 ♪ 49 00:02:27,320 --> 00:02:29,880 - May 10, 1940... 50 00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:33,520 ♪ 51 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:37,040 German forces sweep through the Netherlands and Belgium... 52 00:02:37,120 --> 00:02:40,920 ♪ 53 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:42,560 Headed for France. 54 00:02:42,640 --> 00:02:46,640 ♪ 55 00:02:46,720 --> 00:02:48,160 This will be the third time 56 00:02:48,240 --> 00:02:52,800 that Germany has invaded France in 70 years. 57 00:02:52,880 --> 00:02:54,520 Because of this history, 58 00:02:54,600 --> 00:02:59,200 the French have constructed a 280-mile system of forts... 59 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:01,840 known as the Maginot Line. 60 00:03:01,920 --> 00:03:04,440 ♪ 61 00:03:04,520 --> 00:03:07,160 - The idea is to have a number of different fortifications 62 00:03:07,240 --> 00:03:09,840 and infrastructures and weapons, 63 00:03:09,920 --> 00:03:12,200 underground tunnels. 64 00:03:12,280 --> 00:03:14,920 - You have extensive batteries 65 00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:17,760 that can house entire battalions. 66 00:03:17,840 --> 00:03:21,760 There are even electric railroads underground 67 00:03:21,840 --> 00:03:24,360 to funnel soldiers from blockhouse to blockhouse. 68 00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:29,040 ♪ 69 00:03:29,120 --> 00:03:32,720 - Confident that the border with Germany is secure, 70 00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:35,160 the French position their best troops 71 00:03:35,240 --> 00:03:37,200 along the Belgian-Dutch border. 72 00:03:37,280 --> 00:03:39,160 ♪ 73 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:42,520 - The French Army of 1940 is regarded as Europe's finest. 74 00:03:42,600 --> 00:03:46,200 They have a large number of soldiers. 75 00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:50,120 - [speaking French] 76 00:03:50,200 --> 00:03:53,760 - They have some of the largest and best tanks 77 00:03:53,840 --> 00:03:55,960 in all of the world at this time. 78 00:03:56,040 --> 00:03:58,240 ♪ 79 00:03:58,320 --> 00:04:00,440 - Nobody else has an army 80 00:04:00,520 --> 00:04:03,000 standing between the Allies and Germany. 81 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:04,760 ♪ 82 00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:06,320 It's so deeply assumed 83 00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:08,360 the French Army will hold off the Germans, 84 00:04:08,440 --> 00:04:10,600 just as it had in the First World War. 85 00:04:10,680 --> 00:04:12,640 ♪ 86 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:14,800 - The French Army feels more than capable 87 00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:15,960 of meeting any challenge 88 00:04:16,040 --> 00:04:17,760 it might face in a future conflict. 89 00:04:17,840 --> 00:04:19,480 ♪ 90 00:04:19,560 --> 00:04:23,120 - As they did 25 years before, in the First World War, 91 00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:25,400 Great Britain also sends an army 92 00:04:25,480 --> 00:04:28,360 to stop the German invasion. 93 00:04:28,440 --> 00:04:31,000 - Reinforcements for the British Expeditionary Force 94 00:04:31,080 --> 00:04:32,320 reach France. 95 00:04:32,400 --> 00:04:34,600 ♪ 96 00:04:34,680 --> 00:04:38,040 - The British Expeditionary Force has been sent across 97 00:04:38,120 --> 00:04:41,920 to assist the French in their defense against the Germans. 98 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:45,280 You've probably got about 300,000 men. 99 00:04:45,360 --> 00:04:49,120 They are the cream of British ground troops. 100 00:04:49,200 --> 00:04:51,680 ♪ 101 00:04:51,760 --> 00:04:55,120 - British and French forces surge into Belgium... 102 00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:56,920 ♪ 103 00:04:57,000 --> 00:04:59,240 Looking to confront the Germans 104 00:04:59,320 --> 00:05:00,720 in what they believe will be 105 00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:03,080 the main effort of the German attack. 106 00:05:03,160 --> 00:05:05,040 - They're heading for the line, 107 00:05:05,120 --> 00:05:07,400 towards the distant rumble of gunfire. 108 00:05:07,480 --> 00:05:10,560 - This is precisely what Hitler wants them to do. 109 00:05:10,640 --> 00:05:13,680 ♪ 110 00:05:13,760 --> 00:05:15,680 One of the Wehrmacht's best generals, 111 00:05:15,760 --> 00:05:19,120 Erich von Manstein, has designed a trap. 112 00:05:19,200 --> 00:05:20,480 ♪ 113 00:05:20,560 --> 00:05:23,160 - Manstein-- very ambitious general, 114 00:05:23,240 --> 00:05:25,760 big advocate of war-of-movement tactics, 115 00:05:25,840 --> 00:05:27,480 blitzkrieg tactics... 116 00:05:27,560 --> 00:05:29,920 he says, we're going to distract them. 117 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:31,920 We'll still have an army facing the Maginot Line. 118 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:33,960 We'll still have an army sweeping through Belgium, 119 00:05:34,040 --> 00:05:35,520 but we'll do what they least expect. 120 00:05:35,600 --> 00:05:37,600 We'll cut through the Ardennes. 121 00:05:37,680 --> 00:05:38,960 ♪ 122 00:05:39,040 --> 00:05:40,880 - The Ardennes Forest 123 00:05:40,960 --> 00:05:43,720 straddles the French frontier with Belgium. 124 00:05:43,800 --> 00:05:45,080 ♪ 125 00:05:45,160 --> 00:05:48,560 Its steep wooded hills and valleys 126 00:05:48,640 --> 00:05:51,760 are considered impenetrable. 127 00:05:51,840 --> 00:05:54,160 - Here, there was no reason to build anything 128 00:05:54,240 --> 00:05:57,520 because the forest was so thick and dense. 129 00:05:57,600 --> 00:06:00,720 - But Manstein's not deterred by this terrain. 130 00:06:00,800 --> 00:06:03,520 He sends his armored forces into France 131 00:06:03,600 --> 00:06:05,800 from this unexpected direction, 132 00:06:05,880 --> 00:06:08,520 which gives Hitler the opportunity 133 00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:11,080 to outmaneuver the Allies. 134 00:06:11,160 --> 00:06:14,200 - And once he's sold on it, as so often in Hitler's life, 135 00:06:14,280 --> 00:06:16,880 it becomes a kind of mania for it. 136 00:06:16,960 --> 00:06:19,400 He says, this is what I wanted. 137 00:06:19,480 --> 00:06:22,080 Finally, someone understands me. 138 00:06:22,160 --> 00:06:24,440 - Hitler now throws the bulk of his forces 139 00:06:24,520 --> 00:06:26,120 through the Ardennes. 140 00:06:26,200 --> 00:06:30,120 ♪ 141 00:06:30,200 --> 00:06:32,320 That same day... 142 00:06:32,400 --> 00:06:36,080 British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain resigns. 143 00:06:36,160 --> 00:06:39,120 - The Second World War is going badly for Britain. 144 00:06:39,200 --> 00:06:43,120 Hitler's troops have swept through Denmark and Norway. 145 00:06:43,200 --> 00:06:45,520 And Neville Chamberlain, the British Prime Minister, 146 00:06:45,600 --> 00:06:49,120 like leaders do, takes the blame for that. 147 00:06:49,200 --> 00:06:52,600 - I sought an audience of the King this evening 148 00:06:52,680 --> 00:06:55,280 and tendered to him my resignation, 149 00:06:55,360 --> 00:06:58,160 which His Majesty has been pleased to accept. 150 00:06:58,240 --> 00:06:59,880 ♪ 151 00:06:59,960 --> 00:07:02,720 - The King asks the First Lord of the Admiralty, 152 00:07:02,800 --> 00:07:06,000 the maverick politician Winston Churchill, 153 00:07:06,080 --> 00:07:08,320 to become prime minister. 154 00:07:08,400 --> 00:07:10,520 ♪ 155 00:07:10,600 --> 00:07:13,120 - Winston Churchill was born at a time when Britain was 156 00:07:13,200 --> 00:07:15,000 at its imperial apex-- 157 00:07:15,080 --> 00:07:17,840 the height of the Victorian age. 158 00:07:17,920 --> 00:07:19,880 From the youngest age, he's brought up 159 00:07:19,960 --> 00:07:23,640 thinking that he's special, that fate has predestined 160 00:07:23,720 --> 00:07:25,760 that he would one day save Britain and its empire. 161 00:07:25,840 --> 00:07:27,640 ♪ 162 00:07:27,720 --> 00:07:30,840 - Churchill has openly been critical of Hitler, 163 00:07:30,920 --> 00:07:33,400 very worried about Hitler... 164 00:07:33,480 --> 00:07:35,640 against German rearmament, 165 00:07:35,720 --> 00:07:38,840 and against Hitler's obvious plans 166 00:07:38,920 --> 00:07:40,800 in Europe. 167 00:07:40,880 --> 00:07:42,160 - He was the guy who, 168 00:07:42,240 --> 00:07:44,080 sounding like a bit of a crank for years, 169 00:07:44,160 --> 00:07:45,680 had said this was going to happen. 170 00:07:45,760 --> 00:07:46,920 And then when it does happen 171 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:48,960 and you're looking to turn to somebody, 172 00:07:49,040 --> 00:07:51,080 it's inevitable that you turn to the person 173 00:07:51,160 --> 00:07:52,520 that was right all along. 174 00:07:52,600 --> 00:07:54,160 ♪ 175 00:07:54,240 --> 00:07:56,400 - Churchill's immediate challenge 176 00:07:56,480 --> 00:07:58,520 is to stiffen British resolve 177 00:07:58,600 --> 00:08:01,240 and to prepare them for a long struggle. 178 00:08:01,320 --> 00:08:04,480 ♪ 179 00:08:04,560 --> 00:08:06,840 From his first address to Parliament, 180 00:08:06,920 --> 00:08:09,960 Churchill demonstrates his determination 181 00:08:10,040 --> 00:08:11,640 to defeat the Nazis. 182 00:08:11,720 --> 00:08:13,320 ♪ 183 00:08:13,400 --> 00:08:15,600 - Churchill used the wonders of language 184 00:08:15,680 --> 00:08:16,760 and the oratory skill, 185 00:08:16,840 --> 00:08:19,200 and the way he crafted his words-- 186 00:08:19,280 --> 00:08:21,440 well, he's one of the most quoted people in the world. 187 00:08:21,520 --> 00:08:22,840 ♪ 188 00:08:22,920 --> 00:08:25,080 - I would say to the House, 189 00:08:25,160 --> 00:08:28,880 I have nothing to offer but blood, 190 00:08:28,960 --> 00:08:31,960 toil, tears, 191 00:08:32,040 --> 00:08:34,200 and sweat. 192 00:08:34,280 --> 00:08:37,520 - Nasty, dirty base words-- blood, sweat, toil. 193 00:08:37,600 --> 00:08:41,080 He takes you up here, and he brings you back down here. 194 00:08:41,160 --> 00:08:43,880 - You ask, what is our aim? 195 00:08:43,960 --> 00:08:46,760 I can answer in one word... 196 00:08:46,840 --> 00:08:48,480 victory... 197 00:08:48,560 --> 00:08:50,440 victory at all costs, 198 00:08:50,520 --> 00:08:53,080 for without victory, there is no survival. 199 00:08:53,160 --> 00:08:54,440 ♪ 200 00:08:54,520 --> 00:08:56,120 - People that were there that day said 201 00:08:56,200 --> 00:08:57,720 that you could feel the opposition 202 00:08:57,800 --> 00:09:00,760 to Winston Churchill just draining away. 203 00:09:00,840 --> 00:09:04,080 ♪ 204 00:09:04,160 --> 00:09:07,360 - As the Wehrmacht advances on France through Belgium 205 00:09:07,440 --> 00:09:09,160 and the Ardennes Forest... 206 00:09:09,240 --> 00:09:10,480 ♪ 207 00:09:10,560 --> 00:09:13,080 Adolf Hitler takes a risk. 208 00:09:13,160 --> 00:09:16,480 ♪ 209 00:09:16,560 --> 00:09:18,600 - This is a huge gamble for the simple reason 210 00:09:18,680 --> 00:09:21,160 that if you try to mass Panzer divisions 211 00:09:21,240 --> 00:09:24,720 and motorized infantry on these little dirt tracks, 212 00:09:24,800 --> 00:09:28,200 you're going to have massive traffic jams. 213 00:09:28,280 --> 00:09:30,520 And they're going to be a ripe target for the French 214 00:09:30,600 --> 00:09:31,920 and British air forces, 215 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:33,880 which could fly over and just bomb these things 216 00:09:33,960 --> 00:09:36,000 while they're stuck in the Ardennes. 217 00:09:36,080 --> 00:09:39,240 - Hitler is, in some ways, the ultimate gambler, 218 00:09:39,320 --> 00:09:42,160 with his notions that whatever he does, 219 00:09:42,240 --> 00:09:45,360 if he is strong enough and if he has the will 220 00:09:45,440 --> 00:09:48,680 and he's got the German people behind him, nothing can fail. 221 00:09:48,760 --> 00:09:52,120 ♪ 222 00:09:52,200 --> 00:09:54,040 [birds chirping] 223 00:09:54,120 --> 00:09:56,600 - Three days after German tank divisions 224 00:09:56,680 --> 00:09:59,040 enter the Ardennes... 225 00:09:59,120 --> 00:10:02,680 the French remain unaware of the Nazi threat. 226 00:10:02,760 --> 00:10:04,760 ♪ 227 00:10:04,840 --> 00:10:07,960 - The French are not expecting a major German assault here. 228 00:10:08,040 --> 00:10:10,880 So the French troops along the Meuse are older men, 229 00:10:10,960 --> 00:10:13,120 reservists who've been called back to the colors. 230 00:10:13,200 --> 00:10:15,960 ♪ 231 00:10:16,040 --> 00:10:19,720 - At 1500 hours on May 13th... 232 00:10:19,800 --> 00:10:22,360 the countryside quiet is shattered 233 00:10:22,440 --> 00:10:24,520 by the sound of tank engines. 234 00:10:24,600 --> 00:10:27,000 [distant gunfire, engines rumbling] 235 00:10:27,080 --> 00:10:29,920 - So, if you're a French soldier... 236 00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:31,960 and you look out through your binoculars 237 00:10:32,040 --> 00:10:34,720 at what's happening... 238 00:10:34,800 --> 00:10:37,000 suddenly there's a tank appearing across the river. 239 00:10:37,080 --> 00:10:39,120 ♪ 240 00:10:39,200 --> 00:10:40,800 And then, suddenly, another one. 241 00:10:40,880 --> 00:10:44,320 And then, suddenly, dozens, even hundreds more. 242 00:10:44,400 --> 00:10:47,760 You make a panicky report back to your superior officer-- 243 00:10:47,840 --> 00:10:49,080 I see German tanks. 244 00:10:49,160 --> 00:10:56,320 ♪ 245 00:10:57,400 --> 00:11:01,760 - German pioneer units throw bridges across the river. 246 00:11:01,840 --> 00:11:04,120 - They get their tanks across 247 00:11:04,200 --> 00:11:06,960 and launch a massive assault on French defenses. 248 00:11:07,040 --> 00:11:10,040 ♪ 249 00:11:10,120 --> 00:11:12,200 - The surprised French troops 250 00:11:12,280 --> 00:11:15,920 now face a terrifying German barrage. 251 00:11:16,000 --> 00:11:19,880 ♪ 252 00:11:24,040 --> 00:11:24,960 [dramatic music] 253 00:11:24,960 --> 00:11:25,880 [gunfire] 254 00:11:25,880 --> 00:11:27,120 ♪ 255 00:11:27,360 --> 00:11:30,800 - As German Panzer divisions race across the border... 256 00:11:30,880 --> 00:11:32,440 ♪ 257 00:11:32,520 --> 00:11:34,960 The French Army is overwhelmed. 258 00:11:35,040 --> 00:11:37,320 ♪ 259 00:11:37,400 --> 00:11:39,520 Now the Wehrmacht pours through 260 00:11:39,600 --> 00:11:43,160 a 60-mile-wide hole in the French lines. 261 00:11:43,240 --> 00:11:47,920 ♪ 262 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:50,880 - Line after line after line of tanks 263 00:11:50,960 --> 00:11:53,400 just crossing the Meuse. 264 00:11:53,480 --> 00:11:55,600 And at this point, 265 00:11:55,680 --> 00:12:00,000 there is no time for the French to mobilize 266 00:12:00,080 --> 00:12:03,200 and to come and defend that area. 267 00:12:03,280 --> 00:12:04,760 ♪ 268 00:12:04,840 --> 00:12:07,840 - One German commander, Erwin Rommel, 269 00:12:07,920 --> 00:12:10,040 is particularly aggressive. 270 00:12:10,120 --> 00:12:12,000 ♪ 271 00:12:12,080 --> 00:12:14,960 - He's a daring, dashing young man. 272 00:12:15,040 --> 00:12:17,080 He doesn't come from the traditional 273 00:12:17,160 --> 00:12:21,000 Prussian aristocratic military background. 274 00:12:21,080 --> 00:12:25,160 He's very aware of doing smash-and-grab type actions... 275 00:12:25,240 --> 00:12:26,680 ♪ 276 00:12:26,760 --> 00:12:28,480 Which will get you noticed. 277 00:12:28,560 --> 00:12:31,000 - Hitler's been very impressed by him. 278 00:12:31,080 --> 00:12:34,000 When he crosses the Meuse, it's full speed ahead. 279 00:12:34,080 --> 00:12:36,600 ♪ 280 00:12:36,680 --> 00:12:39,640 People describe the invasion of the West as Blitzkrieg, 281 00:12:39,720 --> 00:12:41,320 lightning war. 282 00:12:41,400 --> 00:12:44,080 But, you know, that's really just a poetic metaphor, 283 00:12:44,160 --> 00:12:45,440 a way to describe something 284 00:12:45,520 --> 00:12:47,800 that is actually much more complex. 285 00:12:47,880 --> 00:12:50,640 The Germans themselves use a term-- 286 00:12:50,720 --> 00:12:52,080 Bewegungskrieg. 287 00:12:52,160 --> 00:12:53,960 It means "the war of movement." 288 00:12:54,040 --> 00:12:55,680 ♪ 289 00:12:55,760 --> 00:12:58,960 - [speaking German] 290 00:13:00,920 --> 00:13:03,160 - The 7th Panzer Division becomes known 291 00:13:03,240 --> 00:13:05,600 as the Ghost Division... 292 00:13:05,680 --> 00:13:08,200 because it disappears from the situation map 293 00:13:08,280 --> 00:13:11,640 for hours, sometimes days at a time. 294 00:13:11,720 --> 00:13:14,240 It's moving faster than people can keep up with. 295 00:13:14,320 --> 00:13:16,720 ♪ 296 00:13:16,800 --> 00:13:18,400 But that's Rommel. 297 00:13:18,480 --> 00:13:21,320 - The French are in full retreat. 298 00:13:21,400 --> 00:13:23,120 ♪ 299 00:13:23,200 --> 00:13:25,400 After only a few days of fighting, 300 00:13:25,480 --> 00:13:29,360 northern France lies largely undefended. 301 00:13:29,440 --> 00:13:36,320 ♪ 302 00:13:36,400 --> 00:13:39,120 At 7:30 in the morning on May 15th, 303 00:13:39,200 --> 00:13:42,440 Winston Churchill receives a phone call. 304 00:13:42,520 --> 00:13:46,000 It's French leader Paul Reynaud, who tells him, 305 00:13:46,080 --> 00:13:49,520 "We are beaten. The road to Paris is open. 306 00:13:49,600 --> 00:13:52,760 Send all the planes and all the troops you can." 307 00:13:52,840 --> 00:13:55,840 ♪ 308 00:13:55,920 --> 00:14:00,400 - It cannot be overstated how surprising 309 00:14:00,480 --> 00:14:04,560 and out of left field this German breakthrough is. 310 00:14:04,640 --> 00:14:06,720 ♪ 311 00:14:06,800 --> 00:14:09,480 The French Army that had stayed diligently 312 00:14:09,560 --> 00:14:13,280 in the trenches for four years in the First World War... 313 00:14:13,360 --> 00:14:15,600 crumbling in a matter of days. 314 00:14:15,680 --> 00:14:17,600 ♪ 315 00:14:17,680 --> 00:14:21,120 - Churchill immediately flies to France. 316 00:14:21,200 --> 00:14:25,680 - Churchill takes a tremendous risk by going over to France. 317 00:14:25,760 --> 00:14:27,080 There's a battle ongoing. 318 00:14:27,160 --> 00:14:29,120 There's a danger he's going to be shot down 319 00:14:29,200 --> 00:14:32,120 at any moment by hostile German fighters. 320 00:14:32,200 --> 00:14:34,640 ♪ 321 00:14:34,720 --> 00:14:36,160 But he feels he has to do it 322 00:14:36,240 --> 00:14:39,160 because he wants to stiffen the French morale. 323 00:14:39,240 --> 00:14:41,280 ♪ 324 00:14:41,360 --> 00:14:42,960 But when he goes to the Quai d'Orsay, 325 00:14:43,040 --> 00:14:45,280 which is the French foreign office, 326 00:14:45,360 --> 00:14:47,800 they're burning papers. 327 00:14:47,880 --> 00:14:51,200 - The scene in Paris is absolute chaos. 328 00:14:51,280 --> 00:14:53,240 The French government is trying to figure out 329 00:14:53,320 --> 00:14:55,680 what they have to do in the face of this military defeat. 330 00:14:55,760 --> 00:14:57,520 ♪ 331 00:14:57,600 --> 00:15:00,640 - Churchill calls the French lily-livered. 332 00:15:00,720 --> 00:15:04,640 He says they don't have the requisite state of mind 333 00:15:04,720 --> 00:15:06,560 to hold back the Germans. 334 00:15:06,640 --> 00:15:08,920 ♪ 335 00:15:09,000 --> 00:15:11,320 - But what happened has nothing to do 336 00:15:11,400 --> 00:15:13,200 with fighting qualities 337 00:15:13,280 --> 00:15:15,680 or one side being more valiant than the other. 338 00:15:15,760 --> 00:15:17,560 It has to do with one side 339 00:15:17,640 --> 00:15:19,920 completely overwhelming the other 340 00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:21,560 at the point of contact. 341 00:15:21,640 --> 00:15:23,480 And when things are happening faster 342 00:15:23,560 --> 00:15:25,440 than you think they should be happening, 343 00:15:25,520 --> 00:15:27,480 the reaction can be kind of a wave of panic. 344 00:15:27,560 --> 00:15:28,960 ♪ 345 00:15:29,040 --> 00:15:30,920 - With the French on the brink of collapse 346 00:15:31,000 --> 00:15:33,360 and the British Army in retreat... 347 00:15:33,440 --> 00:15:36,000 ♪ 348 00:15:36,080 --> 00:15:39,160 Churchill turns to the United States for help. 349 00:15:39,240 --> 00:15:40,440 ♪ 350 00:15:40,520 --> 00:15:42,000 - Churchill had one key strategy 351 00:15:42,080 --> 00:15:43,880 for winning the Second World War-- 352 00:15:43,960 --> 00:15:46,080 get America involved. 353 00:15:46,160 --> 00:15:50,040 - He dictates a telegram to President Roosevelt. 354 00:15:50,120 --> 00:15:52,360 - He makes the clear warning to Roosevelt 355 00:15:52,440 --> 00:15:55,640 that, eventually, Nazism might come for the Americans as well. 356 00:15:55,720 --> 00:15:56,840 ♪ 357 00:15:56,920 --> 00:15:59,000 So he makes an appeal. 358 00:15:59,080 --> 00:16:02,320 We need destroyers, naval assistance, 359 00:16:02,400 --> 00:16:07,040 but we also need guns, we need planes, we need steel. 360 00:16:07,120 --> 00:16:09,360 He's desperate for military assistance. 361 00:16:09,440 --> 00:16:11,680 ♪ 362 00:16:11,760 --> 00:16:13,960 - Ideally, Franklin Roosevelt wanted 363 00:16:14,040 --> 00:16:18,720 to keep German aggression on the European continent 364 00:16:18,800 --> 00:16:20,520 and, ideally, turn it back. 365 00:16:20,600 --> 00:16:22,160 ♪ 366 00:16:22,240 --> 00:16:23,960 And so Roosevelt's great hope 367 00:16:24,040 --> 00:16:26,840 is that perhaps by offering supplies, 368 00:16:26,920 --> 00:16:31,080 we keep the war on that side of the Atlantic, 369 00:16:31,160 --> 00:16:33,880 because a Nazified Europe 370 00:16:33,960 --> 00:16:36,400 was going to be a world threat. 371 00:16:36,480 --> 00:16:38,240 ♪ 372 00:16:38,320 --> 00:16:40,120 - But it's an election year. 373 00:16:40,200 --> 00:16:41,600 Roosevelt is running 374 00:16:41,680 --> 00:16:44,600 for an unprecedented third term in office. 375 00:16:44,680 --> 00:16:48,040 His domestic policies are propelling him 376 00:16:48,120 --> 00:16:50,640 back into the White House. 377 00:16:50,720 --> 00:16:52,640 But the majority of Americans 378 00:16:52,720 --> 00:16:54,840 do not want to involve themselves 379 00:16:54,920 --> 00:16:56,600 in another global contest. 380 00:16:56,680 --> 00:17:00,760 So Roosevelt's foreign policy is a political vulnerability. 381 00:17:00,840 --> 00:17:02,600 ♪ 382 00:17:02,680 --> 00:17:05,440 - Roosevelt wants to help Britain and France, 383 00:17:05,520 --> 00:17:07,440 but America's neutrality laws 384 00:17:07,520 --> 00:17:09,760 restrict how much he can provide. 385 00:17:09,840 --> 00:17:11,440 ♪ 386 00:17:11,520 --> 00:17:13,360 His hands are tied. 387 00:17:13,440 --> 00:17:14,840 ♪ 388 00:17:14,920 --> 00:17:17,920 If the Germans seize France, 389 00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:22,000 Britain will be left to face the Nazis alone. 390 00:17:22,000 --> 00:17:23,920 ♪ 391 00:17:28,040 --> 00:17:29,000 [dramatic music] 392 00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:30,040 ♪ 393 00:17:30,040 --> 00:17:31,000 - In northern France, 394 00:17:31,080 --> 00:17:33,720 German forces continue forward, 395 00:17:33,800 --> 00:17:37,120 attempting to trap the fleeing Allied armies. 396 00:17:44,520 --> 00:17:45,920 - Now the Germans move 397 00:17:46,000 --> 00:17:49,640 to cut off the Allies at the English Channel. 398 00:17:49,720 --> 00:17:51,000 - Once they reach it, 399 00:17:51,080 --> 00:17:55,200 all those Allied armies will be surrounded. 400 00:17:55,280 --> 00:17:58,120 ♪ 401 00:17:58,200 --> 00:18:01,000 - The only chance of survival for the troops 402 00:18:01,080 --> 00:18:03,360 is to build some kind of defensive system 403 00:18:03,440 --> 00:18:05,840 round the Channel port closest to them, 404 00:18:05,920 --> 00:18:07,120 and that's Dunkirk... 405 00:18:07,200 --> 00:18:08,440 ♪ 406 00:18:08,520 --> 00:18:11,080 And then attempt an evacuation by sea. 407 00:18:11,160 --> 00:18:12,400 ♪ 408 00:18:12,480 --> 00:18:14,440 - The small coastal town of Dunkirk 409 00:18:14,520 --> 00:18:18,240 is just 60 miles across the Channel from Britain, 410 00:18:18,320 --> 00:18:20,560 but Dunkirk doesn't have the infrastructure 411 00:18:20,640 --> 00:18:23,760 to support a mass naval evacuation. 412 00:18:23,840 --> 00:18:25,840 ♪ 413 00:18:25,920 --> 00:18:30,240 By May 20th, more than 450,000 French, Belgian, 414 00:18:30,320 --> 00:18:33,640 and British soldiers are retreating in desperation 415 00:18:33,720 --> 00:18:35,680 to its wide open beaches. 416 00:18:35,760 --> 00:18:37,400 ♪ 417 00:18:37,480 --> 00:18:38,600 - The Germans are already 418 00:18:38,680 --> 00:18:41,440 on the fringes of the Dunkirk perimeter. 419 00:18:41,520 --> 00:18:43,920 - The Allies are trapped. 420 00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:46,520 - There is no other British Army. 421 00:18:46,600 --> 00:18:49,600 That's the best leaders, the best sergeants 422 00:18:49,680 --> 00:18:54,320 and NCOs in danger of being absolutely wiped out 423 00:18:54,400 --> 00:18:55,800 by German forces. 424 00:18:55,880 --> 00:18:59,840 ♪ 425 00:18:59,920 --> 00:19:03,520 - Then Hitler orders his Panzers to halt. 426 00:19:03,600 --> 00:19:09,760 ♪ 427 00:19:09,840 --> 00:19:11,960 - Hitler travels to the front lines. 428 00:19:12,040 --> 00:19:13,360 ♪ 429 00:19:13,440 --> 00:19:15,720 He's noticed some problems. 430 00:19:15,800 --> 00:19:19,960 The tanks are far, far ahead of their follow-up infantry-- 431 00:19:20,040 --> 00:19:23,600 Rommel's Ghost Division, for example. 432 00:19:23,680 --> 00:19:26,280 Hitler believes that the generals at the front 433 00:19:26,360 --> 00:19:28,120 are not reporting back to him 434 00:19:28,200 --> 00:19:30,520 with the specificity they should be. 435 00:19:30,600 --> 00:19:32,760 And he's kind of angry about that. 436 00:19:32,840 --> 00:19:34,280 And so Hitler had decided 437 00:19:34,360 --> 00:19:36,280 to take control of this operation. 438 00:19:36,360 --> 00:19:37,520 ♪ 439 00:19:37,600 --> 00:19:39,120 - Field Marshal Hermann Goering 440 00:19:39,200 --> 00:19:42,960 insists the Luftwaffe can finish off the Allies. 441 00:19:43,040 --> 00:19:44,360 ♪ 442 00:19:44,440 --> 00:19:45,800 - Goering's like, you know, Hitler, 443 00:19:45,880 --> 00:19:47,600 Fuehrer, you know, it's like, come on. 444 00:19:47,680 --> 00:19:49,680 They're on the beach. They're sitting ducks. 445 00:19:49,760 --> 00:19:52,600 Why would you want to waste your precious Panzers? 446 00:19:52,680 --> 00:19:55,400 I can do this with Luftwaffe aircraft alone. 447 00:19:55,480 --> 00:20:01,040 ♪ 448 00:20:01,120 --> 00:20:04,760 For the Brits on the beach, it's an absolute hellscape. 449 00:20:04,840 --> 00:20:07,600 [Stuka sirens wailing] 450 00:20:07,680 --> 00:20:09,720 They're subjected day and night 451 00:20:09,800 --> 00:20:13,320 to constant aerial bombardment by the Luftwaffe-- 452 00:20:13,400 --> 00:20:15,520 strafing... 453 00:20:15,600 --> 00:20:17,480 ♪ 454 00:20:17,560 --> 00:20:19,400 Dive bombing... 455 00:20:19,480 --> 00:20:21,320 ♪ 456 00:20:21,400 --> 00:20:23,400 Level bombing. 457 00:20:23,480 --> 00:20:24,720 [explosions] 458 00:20:24,800 --> 00:20:27,640 - The British troops are just on the sand. 459 00:20:27,720 --> 00:20:29,400 And each time this happens... 460 00:20:29,480 --> 00:20:31,360 [Stuka siren wailing] 461 00:20:31,440 --> 00:20:32,720 ♪ 462 00:20:32,800 --> 00:20:35,120 They all take what cover they can. 463 00:20:35,200 --> 00:20:36,560 [Stuka sirens wailing] 464 00:20:36,640 --> 00:20:39,360 This goes on hour after hour after hour... 465 00:20:39,440 --> 00:20:41,360 ♪ 466 00:20:41,440 --> 00:20:44,240 As they're waiting for deliverance. 467 00:20:44,320 --> 00:20:46,960 - It was a time of total terror. 468 00:20:47,040 --> 00:20:48,520 [Stuka sirens wailing] 469 00:20:48,600 --> 00:20:50,040 [explosion] 470 00:20:50,120 --> 00:20:51,720 ♪ 471 00:20:51,800 --> 00:20:53,880 - As the Luftwaffe bombs the troops... 472 00:20:53,960 --> 00:20:55,720 ♪ 473 00:20:55,800 --> 00:21:00,000 The British War Cabinet is divided over how to save them. 474 00:21:00,080 --> 00:21:03,280 Prime Minister Churchill wants to evacuate as many British 475 00:21:03,360 --> 00:21:06,160 and French troops as possible by sea. 476 00:21:06,240 --> 00:21:07,640 ♪ 477 00:21:07,720 --> 00:21:10,720 But his foreign secretary, Lord Halifax, 478 00:21:10,800 --> 00:21:13,680 wants to explore diplomatic options. 479 00:21:13,760 --> 00:21:15,200 ♪ 480 00:21:15,280 --> 00:21:17,760 - There are factions in the United Kingdom, 481 00:21:17,840 --> 00:21:19,720 led by Lord Halifax, 482 00:21:19,800 --> 00:21:22,880 which believe that the war with Germany is pointless, 483 00:21:22,960 --> 00:21:26,920 totally destructive, and can't be won. 484 00:21:27,000 --> 00:21:30,880 They want to have some sort of peace treaty 485 00:21:30,960 --> 00:21:32,600 with Germany. 486 00:21:32,680 --> 00:21:35,480 - Halifax is saying, we have to face facts here. 487 00:21:35,560 --> 00:21:37,120 We have to face reality. 488 00:21:37,200 --> 00:21:39,000 Adolf Hitler has won in Europe. 489 00:21:39,080 --> 00:21:40,880 We can still preserve our independence. 490 00:21:40,960 --> 00:21:42,920 We can still preserve our empire 491 00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:44,480 if we make a deal with Hitler. 492 00:21:44,560 --> 00:21:48,720 And the way to do that is talk to an intermediary. 493 00:21:48,800 --> 00:21:51,440 Well, that's the Italian fascist dictator 494 00:21:51,520 --> 00:21:53,000 Benito Mussolini. 495 00:21:53,080 --> 00:21:54,520 ♪ 496 00:21:54,600 --> 00:21:58,720 He might be a broker to negotiate a peace 497 00:21:58,800 --> 00:22:00,160 between Britain and Germany. 498 00:22:00,240 --> 00:22:02,040 ♪ 499 00:22:02,120 --> 00:22:04,960 - Halifax tries to get help from American diplomats. 500 00:22:05,040 --> 00:22:07,040 ♪ 501 00:22:07,120 --> 00:22:10,000 - The American ambassador in Rome and various other people 502 00:22:10,080 --> 00:22:14,680 approach Mussolini to come up with some sort of peace treaty. 503 00:22:14,760 --> 00:22:18,320 - But Churchill will not negotiate. 504 00:22:18,400 --> 00:22:21,320 - He believes that if London 505 00:22:21,400 --> 00:22:23,760 were to enter into talks 506 00:22:23,840 --> 00:22:26,600 that British morale would collapse. 507 00:22:26,680 --> 00:22:30,720 - Churchill decides to risk the sea-rescue plan, 508 00:22:30,800 --> 00:22:33,560 code-named Operation Dynamo. 509 00:22:33,640 --> 00:22:34,760 ♪ 510 00:22:34,840 --> 00:22:36,520 On May 26th, 511 00:22:36,600 --> 00:22:40,480 the first Royal Navy ships set off across the Channel. 512 00:22:40,560 --> 00:22:42,680 ♪ 513 00:22:42,760 --> 00:22:44,760 - Dynamo is the only card the British can play 514 00:22:44,840 --> 00:22:45,840 at this point. 515 00:22:45,920 --> 00:22:48,400 ♪ 516 00:22:48,480 --> 00:22:50,000 In London, they're estimating, 517 00:22:50,080 --> 00:22:54,160 maybe we'll get 20,000, 30,000, 45,000 at the most off. 518 00:22:54,240 --> 00:23:01,120 ♪ 519 00:23:01,200 --> 00:23:04,920 - But now Hitler sends his forces back into action. 520 00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:06,640 ♪ 521 00:23:06,720 --> 00:23:09,280 Panzers begin to assault the defensive line 522 00:23:09,360 --> 00:23:10,960 around Dunkirk. 523 00:23:11,040 --> 00:23:14,320 ♪ 524 00:23:14,400 --> 00:23:15,960 On that first day, 525 00:23:16,040 --> 00:23:20,640 the Royal Navy rescues less than 8,000 men. 526 00:23:20,720 --> 00:23:23,080 The British need to find an additional way 527 00:23:23,160 --> 00:23:24,560 to get troops home. 528 00:23:24,640 --> 00:23:27,960 ♪ 529 00:23:28,040 --> 00:23:30,120 - There were these two breakwaters-- 530 00:23:30,200 --> 00:23:33,560 long stone and concrete jetties 531 00:23:33,640 --> 00:23:35,960 that stretched a mile into the sea. 532 00:23:36,040 --> 00:23:39,200 They're not designed for ships to come and dock next to them, 533 00:23:39,280 --> 00:23:42,160 but in an emergency, this is what they can do. 534 00:23:42,240 --> 00:23:44,320 ♪ 535 00:23:44,400 --> 00:23:46,760 - So you've got the British troops four abreast, 536 00:23:46,840 --> 00:23:49,080 walking out onto this breakwater 537 00:23:49,160 --> 00:23:51,200 so they can get out to deep enough water 538 00:23:51,280 --> 00:23:53,320 and get picked up by ships. 539 00:23:53,400 --> 00:23:57,560 ♪ 540 00:23:57,640 --> 00:24:00,400 - But meanwhile, they're under constant air attack 541 00:24:00,480 --> 00:24:02,880 by dive bombers and bombers. 542 00:24:02,960 --> 00:24:06,760 ♪ 543 00:24:06,840 --> 00:24:08,920 - The British are running out of time. 544 00:24:08,920 --> 00:24:09,840 ♪ 545 00:24:14,040 --> 00:24:16,160 [dramatic music] 546 00:24:16,160 --> 00:24:18,320 ♪ 547 00:24:18,400 --> 00:24:21,120 - With over 400,000 Allied troops 548 00:24:21,200 --> 00:24:23,400 trapped on the beach at Dunkirk... 549 00:24:23,480 --> 00:24:25,120 ♪ 550 00:24:25,200 --> 00:24:28,560 A desperate call goes out from British leaders. 551 00:24:28,640 --> 00:24:29,920 ♪ 552 00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:32,360 Help us get our soldiers home. 553 00:24:32,440 --> 00:24:35,440 ♪ 554 00:24:35,520 --> 00:24:38,640 The response is immediate. 555 00:24:38,720 --> 00:24:41,080 For nine days, small vessels, 556 00:24:41,160 --> 00:24:44,320 all captained and crewed by volunteers, 557 00:24:44,400 --> 00:24:46,200 cross the Channel. 558 00:24:46,280 --> 00:24:49,840 Fishing trawlers and paddle steamers... 559 00:24:49,920 --> 00:24:53,120 cargo ships and lifeboats... 560 00:24:53,200 --> 00:24:55,560 barges and yachts... 561 00:24:55,640 --> 00:24:57,160 ♪ 562 00:24:57,240 --> 00:25:01,720 Each sail into the firestorm around Dunkirk... 563 00:25:01,800 --> 00:25:05,720 joining the Royal Navy in the rescue mission. 564 00:25:05,800 --> 00:25:07,520 - There was every kind of ship 565 00:25:07,600 --> 00:25:09,560 that I saw coming in this morning, 566 00:25:09,640 --> 00:25:11,440 and every one of them was crammed full 567 00:25:11,520 --> 00:25:12,960 of tired, battle-stained, 568 00:25:13,040 --> 00:25:16,160 and bloodstained British soldiers. 569 00:25:16,240 --> 00:25:20,080 - The BEF leaves everything behind--all the tanks, 570 00:25:20,160 --> 00:25:22,640 all the artillery, all the trucks. 571 00:25:22,720 --> 00:25:24,760 ♪ 572 00:25:24,840 --> 00:25:28,280 The idea being that the men are the most important thing. 573 00:25:28,360 --> 00:25:32,480 We can make new equipment, but we can't make new men. 574 00:25:32,560 --> 00:25:39,840 ♪ 575 00:25:45,120 --> 00:25:46,920 - The evacuation at Dunkirk 576 00:25:47,000 --> 00:25:50,760 brings over 300,000 British and French troops 577 00:25:50,840 --> 00:25:52,160 to Britain... 578 00:25:52,240 --> 00:25:59,280 ♪ 579 00:26:01,880 --> 00:26:04,160 Though thousands are left behind. 580 00:26:04,240 --> 00:26:08,920 ♪ 581 00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:11,840 In Britain, the operation becomes known 582 00:26:11,920 --> 00:26:14,720 as the Miracle of Dunkirk. 583 00:26:14,800 --> 00:26:16,840 ♪ 584 00:26:16,920 --> 00:26:20,320 On British streets, there is relief, joy, 585 00:26:20,400 --> 00:26:24,320 and anxiety about what's to come. 586 00:26:24,400 --> 00:26:29,000 On June 4th, Churchill addresses those fears. 587 00:26:29,080 --> 00:26:34,080 - We must be very careful not to assign to this deliverance 588 00:26:34,160 --> 00:26:36,160 the attributes of a victory. 589 00:26:36,240 --> 00:26:37,560 ♪ 590 00:26:37,640 --> 00:26:39,320 - He reminds people 591 00:26:39,400 --> 00:26:42,640 that things aren't looking good for Britain at this time. 592 00:26:42,720 --> 00:26:44,680 France is almost certainly lost, 593 00:26:44,760 --> 00:26:46,640 and there's a great possibility 594 00:26:46,720 --> 00:26:48,360 in the weeks and months ahead 595 00:26:48,440 --> 00:26:50,280 that the Germans are going to launch 596 00:26:50,360 --> 00:26:52,720 a sea and air invasion of the UK. 597 00:26:52,800 --> 00:26:54,960 And the question is, will we be able to stop it? 598 00:26:55,040 --> 00:26:59,720 ♪ 599 00:26:59,800 --> 00:27:02,080 - Churchill's able to come out 600 00:27:02,160 --> 00:27:04,600 and issue this clarion call, 601 00:27:04,680 --> 00:27:08,480 issue this roar of belligerence 602 00:27:08,560 --> 00:27:10,200 and determination. 603 00:27:10,280 --> 00:27:13,560 - We shall fight on the seas and oceans. 604 00:27:13,640 --> 00:27:16,320 We shall fight with growing confidence 605 00:27:16,400 --> 00:27:19,320 and growing strength in the air. 606 00:27:19,400 --> 00:27:24,120 We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. 607 00:27:24,200 --> 00:27:26,160 - It's the most simple messaging 608 00:27:26,240 --> 00:27:27,760 in political history. 609 00:27:27,840 --> 00:27:30,520 This is a war against absolute evil. 610 00:27:30,600 --> 00:27:32,000 It is total war. 611 00:27:32,080 --> 00:27:34,760 We're going to fight for every inch and every yard, 612 00:27:34,840 --> 00:27:37,000 and we're going to win. 613 00:27:37,080 --> 00:27:39,360 - We shall fight on the beaches. 614 00:27:39,440 --> 00:27:41,280 ♪ 615 00:27:41,360 --> 00:27:43,960 We shall fight on the landing grounds. 616 00:27:44,040 --> 00:27:45,880 ♪ 617 00:27:45,960 --> 00:27:49,760 We shall fight in the fields and in the streets. 618 00:27:49,840 --> 00:27:51,320 ♪ 619 00:27:51,400 --> 00:27:53,360 We shall fight in the hills. 620 00:27:53,440 --> 00:27:54,720 ♪ 621 00:27:54,800 --> 00:27:56,880 We shall never surrender. 622 00:27:56,960 --> 00:28:01,320 ♪ 623 00:28:01,400 --> 00:28:04,440 - With this speech, Churchill ends all discussions 624 00:28:04,520 --> 00:28:06,360 of a negotiated peace. 625 00:28:06,440 --> 00:28:08,920 ♪ 626 00:28:09,000 --> 00:28:12,200 In France, Hitler moves quickly. 627 00:28:12,280 --> 00:28:15,640 He orders the Wehrmacht to strike south, 628 00:28:15,720 --> 00:28:18,120 heading for Paris and beyond. 629 00:28:18,200 --> 00:28:20,840 ♪ 630 00:28:20,920 --> 00:28:22,560 [gunfire] 631 00:28:22,640 --> 00:28:25,720 - The Germans are essentially pursuing anti-trench warfare-- 632 00:28:25,800 --> 00:28:28,760 anything that they can do to avoid the slog 633 00:28:28,840 --> 00:28:31,040 that they had in the First World War. 634 00:28:31,120 --> 00:28:32,880 [gunfire and shouting] 635 00:28:32,960 --> 00:28:35,560 - As German forces race to the capital, 636 00:28:35,640 --> 00:28:38,760 damaging historic cities in their wake... 637 00:28:38,840 --> 00:28:40,160 ♪ 638 00:28:40,240 --> 00:28:43,440 The French population takes flight. 639 00:28:43,520 --> 00:28:45,800 ♪ 640 00:28:45,880 --> 00:28:49,760 - People are terrified, fearing for their lives, 641 00:28:49,840 --> 00:28:53,160 of the brutality of the German soldier. 642 00:28:53,240 --> 00:28:55,400 ♪ 643 00:28:55,480 --> 00:28:59,480 So roads and railways are soon overflowing 644 00:28:59,560 --> 00:29:01,200 with refugees-- 645 00:29:01,280 --> 00:29:03,560 men, women, children, grandparents. 646 00:29:03,640 --> 00:29:05,240 ♪ 647 00:29:05,320 --> 00:29:06,760 Families are divided. 648 00:29:06,840 --> 00:29:09,040 Children get separated from their parents 649 00:29:09,120 --> 00:29:10,680 because there's so much chaos. 650 00:29:10,760 --> 00:29:13,680 ♪ 651 00:29:13,760 --> 00:29:16,760 - There are 8 million French refugees on the run. 652 00:29:16,840 --> 00:29:24,120 ♪ 653 00:29:29,320 --> 00:29:31,120 On June 14th, 654 00:29:31,200 --> 00:29:34,560 German troops march into Paris. 655 00:29:34,640 --> 00:29:36,080 ♪ 656 00:29:36,160 --> 00:29:39,640 - They are parading down the Champs-Elysées. 657 00:29:39,720 --> 00:29:43,760 Things could not be worse for the French. 658 00:29:43,840 --> 00:29:46,640 Grown men are crying. 659 00:29:46,720 --> 00:29:49,800 This is unbelievable, unimaginable. 660 00:29:49,880 --> 00:29:50,960 [officer shouts] 661 00:29:51,040 --> 00:29:53,200 ♪ 662 00:29:53,280 --> 00:29:56,960 - Hitler insists the ceremony to sign the French armistice 663 00:29:57,040 --> 00:30:00,840 happens in the exact railway carriage where the Germans 664 00:30:00,920 --> 00:30:04,400 signed their surrender at the end of World War I. 665 00:30:04,480 --> 00:30:06,120 ♪ 666 00:30:06,200 --> 00:30:08,800 - Hitler is like a giddy schoolboy. 667 00:30:08,880 --> 00:30:10,960 He can't believe this is happening. 668 00:30:11,040 --> 00:30:12,920 He's just jubilant. 669 00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:14,840 ♪ 670 00:30:14,920 --> 00:30:19,280 - The terms of the armistice are several. 671 00:30:19,360 --> 00:30:20,680 The French Army is restricted 672 00:30:20,760 --> 00:30:23,000 to a size of no larger than 100,000. 673 00:30:23,080 --> 00:30:24,840 ♪ 674 00:30:24,920 --> 00:30:29,080 France itself will be divided into two parts. 675 00:30:29,160 --> 00:30:33,320 The Germans will occupy about 3/5. 676 00:30:33,400 --> 00:30:37,360 The remaining 2/5 will be led by Marshal Philippe Pétain, 677 00:30:37,440 --> 00:30:40,040 and this will become known as Vichy France, 678 00:30:40,120 --> 00:30:41,760 because the new French government 679 00:30:41,840 --> 00:30:44,600 will be seated in the town of Vichy. 680 00:30:44,680 --> 00:30:47,520 ♪ 681 00:30:47,600 --> 00:30:50,880 - For the French, it's the end. 682 00:30:50,960 --> 00:30:54,720 ♪ 683 00:30:59,040 --> 00:31:00,080 [dramatic music] 684 00:31:00,200 --> 00:31:02,160 - The fall of France is a seismic event 685 00:31:02,160 --> 00:31:04,000 with global ramifications. 686 00:31:04,080 --> 00:31:05,920 - France gave Germany a blank check today, 687 00:31:06,000 --> 00:31:07,760 signing the terms of the armistice... 688 00:31:07,840 --> 00:31:10,520 - German propaganda... 689 00:31:13,520 --> 00:31:15,480 - Captures iconic images 690 00:31:15,560 --> 00:31:19,840 on Hitler's first and only trip to conquered Paris. 691 00:31:19,920 --> 00:31:21,680 ♪ 692 00:31:21,760 --> 00:31:23,800 - When France falls, 693 00:31:23,880 --> 00:31:26,720 for the vast majority of Americans, 694 00:31:26,800 --> 00:31:29,360 it's as if the unthinkable has happened. 695 00:31:29,440 --> 00:31:31,080 ♪ 696 00:31:31,160 --> 00:31:32,920 - Roosevelt and the people close to him 697 00:31:33,000 --> 00:31:35,400 recognize immediately what this means. 698 00:31:35,480 --> 00:31:36,840 ♪ 699 00:31:36,920 --> 00:31:38,720 All the things that the United States 700 00:31:38,800 --> 00:31:40,760 didn't have to do as long as France 701 00:31:40,840 --> 00:31:42,920 was in between us and the Germans, 702 00:31:43,000 --> 00:31:45,600 they're now going to have to do. 703 00:31:45,680 --> 00:31:47,200 It's going to build a very large army, 704 00:31:47,280 --> 00:31:48,840 it's going to build a very large navy, 705 00:31:48,920 --> 00:31:50,800 it's going to think about a global presence, 706 00:31:50,880 --> 00:31:52,800 and it's never again going to put its own security 707 00:31:52,880 --> 00:31:54,400 in the hands of another country, 708 00:31:54,480 --> 00:31:55,880 even a friendly one like France. 709 00:31:55,960 --> 00:31:57,600 ♪ 710 00:31:57,680 --> 00:32:01,840 - Roosevelt now calls for America to mobilize. 711 00:32:01,920 --> 00:32:03,360 In the coming months, 712 00:32:03,440 --> 00:32:06,280 he'll institute the first peacetime draft 713 00:32:06,360 --> 00:32:10,760 and call for the production of 50,000 warplanes. 714 00:32:10,840 --> 00:32:12,400 ♪ 715 00:32:12,480 --> 00:32:15,320 - Overwhelmingly, we as a nation-- 716 00:32:15,400 --> 00:32:20,280 we are convinced that military and naval victory 717 00:32:20,360 --> 00:32:23,800 for the gods of force and hate 718 00:32:23,880 --> 00:32:26,680 would endanger the institutions of democracy 719 00:32:26,760 --> 00:32:28,360 in the Western world. 720 00:32:28,440 --> 00:32:31,400 [crowd cheering] 721 00:32:31,480 --> 00:32:34,040 ♪ 722 00:32:34,120 --> 00:32:35,920 [crowd cheering] 723 00:32:36,000 --> 00:32:39,680 - After taking Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, 724 00:32:39,760 --> 00:32:42,160 Belgium, and now France... 725 00:32:42,240 --> 00:32:43,360 ♪ 726 00:32:43,440 --> 00:32:45,280 Hitler is triumphant. 727 00:32:45,360 --> 00:32:47,440 [cheering continues] 728 00:32:47,520 --> 00:32:50,440 - There's a tremendous return 729 00:32:50,520 --> 00:32:53,360 of Hitler to Berlin. 730 00:32:53,440 --> 00:32:56,760 The crowds are in the hundreds of thousands on the streets... 731 00:32:56,840 --> 00:32:58,360 ♪ 732 00:32:58,440 --> 00:33:00,720 Pushing toward his motorcade. 733 00:33:00,800 --> 00:33:03,880 [crowd cheering, chanting in German] 734 00:33:03,960 --> 00:33:09,240 ♪ 735 00:33:09,320 --> 00:33:11,960 For the Nazis, these are the glory days. 736 00:33:12,040 --> 00:33:14,080 [cheers and applause] 737 00:33:14,160 --> 00:33:17,280 ♪ 738 00:33:17,360 --> 00:33:21,040 This is the height of Hitler's power. 739 00:33:21,120 --> 00:33:23,240 For most of the population of Germany, 740 00:33:23,320 --> 00:33:25,160 he can do no wrong. 741 00:33:25,240 --> 00:33:26,640 He is their beloved Fuehrer. 742 00:33:26,720 --> 00:33:34,000 ♪ 743 00:33:35,080 --> 00:33:38,000 And Hitler's ego goes out of control. 744 00:33:38,080 --> 00:33:41,120 That allows Hitler to convince himself 745 00:33:41,200 --> 00:33:43,000 of his own propaganda, 746 00:33:43,080 --> 00:33:46,160 convince himself that in a way, he's almost immortal. 747 00:33:46,240 --> 00:33:53,280 ♪ 748 00:33:55,880 --> 00:33:59,560 - Now Hitler attempts to dictate a new peace deal 749 00:33:59,640 --> 00:34:01,400 with Great Britain. 750 00:34:10,480 --> 00:34:11,960 [speaking German] 751 00:34:12,040 --> 00:34:15,960 all: Heil! Heil! Heil! 752 00:34:16,040 --> 00:34:20,560 ♪ 753 00:34:20,640 --> 00:34:23,440 - Churchill defies him. 754 00:34:23,520 --> 00:34:26,520 ♪ 755 00:34:26,600 --> 00:34:29,880 And so Hitler gives the go-ahead to an operation 756 00:34:29,960 --> 00:34:33,720 he thinks will force Britain into submission-- 757 00:34:33,800 --> 00:34:37,160 Operation Sea Lion. 758 00:34:37,240 --> 00:34:39,560 - He's now saying, okay, well, if the Brits aren't going 759 00:34:39,640 --> 00:34:40,880 to come to terms with me, 760 00:34:40,960 --> 00:34:42,720 then I will invade Great Britain. 761 00:34:42,800 --> 00:34:45,320 ♪ 762 00:34:45,400 --> 00:34:47,320 - First, the Luftwaffe targets the planes 763 00:34:47,400 --> 00:34:50,840 and infrastructure of the British Royal Air Force. 764 00:34:50,920 --> 00:34:52,560 ♪ 765 00:34:52,640 --> 00:34:54,560 - So the initial German air assaults 766 00:34:54,640 --> 00:34:57,320 were against British RAF facilities... 767 00:34:57,400 --> 00:34:59,160 ♪ 768 00:34:59,240 --> 00:35:02,240 Airfields, administrative stations, 769 00:35:02,320 --> 00:35:04,040 supply depots, and the like. 770 00:35:04,120 --> 00:35:05,320 ♪ 771 00:35:05,400 --> 00:35:07,080 - Goering claims the Luftwaffe 772 00:35:07,160 --> 00:35:09,120 will destroy the Royal Air Force 773 00:35:09,200 --> 00:35:11,400 in just three days... 774 00:35:11,480 --> 00:35:13,600 and leave Britain open to invasion. 775 00:35:13,680 --> 00:35:16,400 ♪ 776 00:35:16,480 --> 00:35:18,280 [explosion] 777 00:35:18,360 --> 00:35:22,720 ♪ 778 00:35:22,800 --> 00:35:25,840 British pilots scramble in defense. 779 00:35:25,920 --> 00:35:29,360 ♪ 780 00:35:29,440 --> 00:35:33,680 - Can this relatively small number of British planes-- 781 00:35:33,760 --> 00:35:36,880 they've got probably about 2,950-- 782 00:35:36,960 --> 00:35:41,240 fight off what is an ever-increasing Luftwaffe? 783 00:35:41,320 --> 00:35:43,120 ♪ 784 00:35:43,200 --> 00:35:45,280 - The Battle of Britain is the largest 785 00:35:45,360 --> 00:35:49,920 and most intense aerial combat the world has yet seen. 786 00:35:50,000 --> 00:35:52,160 [gunfire] 787 00:35:52,240 --> 00:35:55,840 ♪ 788 00:35:55,920 --> 00:35:59,840 If the Luftwaffe wins, Germany will invade. 789 00:35:59,920 --> 00:36:02,880 [gunfire] 790 00:36:07,040 --> 00:36:08,720 [dramatic music] 791 00:36:08,720 --> 00:36:10,120 ♪ 792 00:36:10,120 --> 00:36:12,800 - By the end of August 1940, 793 00:36:12,880 --> 00:36:16,160 the Luftwaffe is sending 1,000 planes a day 794 00:36:16,240 --> 00:36:18,000 across the English Channel. 795 00:36:18,080 --> 00:36:19,920 ♪ 796 00:36:20,000 --> 00:36:22,240 The fate of the British Empire 797 00:36:22,320 --> 00:36:25,760 is being decided in the skies above southern England. 798 00:36:25,840 --> 00:36:27,240 ♪ 799 00:36:27,320 --> 00:36:29,000 [gunfire] 800 00:36:29,080 --> 00:36:33,520 ♪ 801 00:36:33,600 --> 00:36:37,200 Churchill is acutely aware that the future of his country 802 00:36:37,280 --> 00:36:40,040 rests in the expertise and bravery 803 00:36:40,120 --> 00:36:43,880 of just a small number of young pilots 804 00:36:43,960 --> 00:36:45,200 not just from Britain, 805 00:36:45,280 --> 00:36:47,240 but from across the Commonwealth 806 00:36:47,320 --> 00:36:48,800 and conquered Europe as well. 807 00:36:48,880 --> 00:36:52,560 - Never in the field of human conflict 808 00:36:52,640 --> 00:36:56,960 was so much owed by so many to so few. 809 00:36:57,040 --> 00:36:59,240 ♪ 810 00:36:59,320 --> 00:37:03,440 - He was talking about those several hundred fighter pilots 811 00:37:03,520 --> 00:37:06,320 who were flying sometimes six times a day, 812 00:37:06,400 --> 00:37:09,920 taking off, striking at a German air armada, 813 00:37:10,000 --> 00:37:12,160 landing, being rearmed, refueled, 814 00:37:12,240 --> 00:37:13,640 and then taking off again. 815 00:37:13,720 --> 00:37:15,920 - A 109 destroyed, Freddie, yes. 816 00:37:16,000 --> 00:37:17,600 - Oh, good show. 817 00:37:17,680 --> 00:37:19,680 - But, of course, actually, there are ground crew. 818 00:37:19,760 --> 00:37:22,280 There are legions of observers 819 00:37:22,360 --> 00:37:24,800 who are using binoculars to look at the skies above. 820 00:37:24,880 --> 00:37:27,880 - 30 enemy aircraft over the Channel flying due west. 821 00:37:27,960 --> 00:37:30,920 - There are women working on plotting tables 822 00:37:31,000 --> 00:37:34,200 to build up this big picture of German movement. 823 00:37:34,280 --> 00:37:37,240 There is a gigantic, integrated, 824 00:37:37,320 --> 00:37:40,800 information-rich system supporting those pilots. 825 00:37:40,880 --> 00:37:42,480 [gunfire] 826 00:37:42,560 --> 00:37:44,920 ♪ 827 00:37:45,000 --> 00:37:46,960 - The German loss rates are really high. 828 00:37:47,040 --> 00:37:48,440 ♪ 829 00:37:48,520 --> 00:37:50,520 And the Germans aren't succeeding, you know. 830 00:37:50,600 --> 00:37:53,560 They're not able to break them. 831 00:37:53,640 --> 00:37:55,120 - In seven weeks, 832 00:37:55,200 --> 00:37:58,560 the Luftwaffe lose 600 aircraft and their crews. 833 00:37:58,640 --> 00:38:00,160 ♪ 834 00:38:00,240 --> 00:38:03,160 Germany is losing the Battle of Britain. 835 00:38:03,240 --> 00:38:05,160 ♪ 836 00:38:05,240 --> 00:38:08,240 [air-raid siren wailing] 837 00:38:08,320 --> 00:38:10,440 ♪ 838 00:38:10,520 --> 00:38:12,400 In mid-September, 839 00:38:12,480 --> 00:38:15,480 Hitler approves a new strategy. 840 00:38:15,560 --> 00:38:19,720 ♪ 841 00:38:19,800 --> 00:38:23,640 Invading Great Britain is postponed indefinitely. 842 00:38:23,720 --> 00:38:25,440 The Luftwaffe's new mission 843 00:38:25,520 --> 00:38:29,520 is to destroy the spirit of the British people 844 00:38:29,600 --> 00:38:30,920 through terror bombing. 845 00:38:31,000 --> 00:38:35,480 ♪ 846 00:38:35,560 --> 00:38:38,320 - So begins the Blitz... 847 00:38:38,400 --> 00:38:41,760 which is months and months and months 848 00:38:41,840 --> 00:38:46,160 of almost uninterrupted bombing of British civilian areas. 849 00:38:46,240 --> 00:38:50,320 ♪ 850 00:38:50,400 --> 00:38:53,640 - In the fall of 1940, the German Luftwaffe 851 00:38:53,720 --> 00:38:57,360 bombs London on 57 successive nights. 852 00:38:57,440 --> 00:39:03,400 ♪ 853 00:39:03,480 --> 00:39:05,920 - The Blitz was traumatic. It was horrifying. 854 00:39:06,000 --> 00:39:07,280 ♪ 855 00:39:07,360 --> 00:39:09,760 There is arbitrary random death. 856 00:39:09,840 --> 00:39:11,040 ♪ 857 00:39:11,120 --> 00:39:13,880 Being caught in collapsing buildings, 858 00:39:13,960 --> 00:39:17,560 burned alive, gas mains blowing up. 859 00:39:17,640 --> 00:39:20,360 ♪ 860 00:39:20,440 --> 00:39:22,920 Tens of thousands of civilians were killed. 861 00:39:23,000 --> 00:39:24,520 ♪ 862 00:39:24,600 --> 00:39:27,680 - In cities across the United Kingdom, 863 00:39:27,760 --> 00:39:29,760 families bury their dead... 864 00:39:29,840 --> 00:39:31,160 ♪ 865 00:39:31,240 --> 00:39:33,160 Some in mass graves. 866 00:39:33,240 --> 00:39:37,120 ♪ 867 00:39:37,200 --> 00:39:39,560 - Churchill did everything he could. 868 00:39:39,640 --> 00:39:40,960 ♪ 869 00:39:41,040 --> 00:39:43,240 He visited the East End. 870 00:39:43,320 --> 00:39:44,720 He actually wept on one occasion 871 00:39:44,800 --> 00:39:46,840 when he saw the bloodshed, the devastation 872 00:39:46,920 --> 00:39:48,760 that had been rained down by German bombers. 873 00:39:48,840 --> 00:39:54,600 ♪ 874 00:39:54,680 --> 00:39:58,040 - America receives firsthand reports 875 00:39:58,120 --> 00:40:00,440 of Britain's ordeal. 876 00:40:00,520 --> 00:40:02,000 - Hello, America. 877 00:40:02,080 --> 00:40:04,280 This is Edward Murrow speaking from London. 878 00:40:04,360 --> 00:40:06,640 The noise that you hear at the moment 879 00:40:06,720 --> 00:40:08,600 is the sound of the air-raid siren. 880 00:40:08,680 --> 00:40:10,040 [air-raid sirens wailing] 881 00:40:10,120 --> 00:40:12,240 A searchlight off in the distance 882 00:40:12,320 --> 00:40:14,160 sweeping the sky above me now. 883 00:40:14,240 --> 00:40:15,800 ♪ 884 00:40:15,880 --> 00:40:18,360 - Edward R. Murrow was one of those people 885 00:40:18,440 --> 00:40:21,240 who had this attitude of bringing you to-- 886 00:40:21,320 --> 00:40:22,600 You know, "you are there" 887 00:40:22,680 --> 00:40:24,760 was one of the things he used to say. 888 00:40:24,840 --> 00:40:27,800 - Off to my left, I can see just that faint red, 889 00:40:27,880 --> 00:40:30,840 of anti-aircraft bursts 890 00:40:30,920 --> 00:40:33,400 against this steel-blue sky. 891 00:40:33,480 --> 00:40:34,440 [gunfire] 892 00:40:34,520 --> 00:40:37,040 There they are. 893 00:40:37,120 --> 00:40:39,160 That hard, stony sound. 894 00:40:39,240 --> 00:40:41,120 ♪ 895 00:40:41,200 --> 00:40:43,120 - So, all of a sudden, the American people 896 00:40:43,200 --> 00:40:47,360 had the ability to hear in their homes from their radios 897 00:40:47,440 --> 00:40:49,920 the sounds of the bombs falling on London. 898 00:40:50,000 --> 00:40:51,200 [bomb whistles and explodes] 899 00:40:51,280 --> 00:40:53,040 "Live from the Blitz," right? 900 00:40:53,120 --> 00:40:55,280 [explosions] 901 00:40:55,360 --> 00:40:57,280 How could you not have sympathy 902 00:40:57,360 --> 00:40:58,600 with the people on the ground-- 903 00:40:58,680 --> 00:41:00,760 the women, the children, the noncombatants? 904 00:41:00,840 --> 00:41:04,120 ♪ 905 00:41:04,200 --> 00:41:05,680 And it made a huge difference 906 00:41:05,760 --> 00:41:08,680 in terms of building a sea change 907 00:41:08,760 --> 00:41:11,800 in the American attitudes that laid the groundwork 908 00:41:11,880 --> 00:41:16,000 for the isolationist attitudes of the United States to change. 909 00:41:16,080 --> 00:41:19,280 [applause] 910 00:41:19,360 --> 00:41:21,360 ♪ 911 00:41:21,440 --> 00:41:23,720 - At the polls in November, 912 00:41:23,800 --> 00:41:28,520 Franklin D. Roosevelt wins an unprecedented third term. 913 00:41:28,600 --> 00:41:31,560 [crowd cheering] 914 00:41:31,640 --> 00:41:34,400 Now he has the political freedom 915 00:41:34,480 --> 00:41:38,960 to offer all aid to Great Britain short of war. 916 00:41:39,040 --> 00:41:41,240 ♪ 917 00:41:41,320 --> 00:41:44,480 - Democracy's fight against world conquest 918 00:41:44,560 --> 00:41:49,120 must be more greatly aided by sending every ounce 919 00:41:49,200 --> 00:41:52,520 and every ton of munitions and supplies 920 00:41:52,600 --> 00:41:55,240 that we can possibly spare 921 00:41:55,320 --> 00:41:59,360 to help the defenders who are in the front lines. 922 00:41:59,440 --> 00:42:01,040 ♪ 923 00:42:01,120 --> 00:42:05,240 We must have more ships, more guns, 924 00:42:05,320 --> 00:42:09,160 more planes, more of everything. 925 00:42:09,240 --> 00:42:11,080 ♪ 926 00:42:11,160 --> 00:42:15,800 We must be the great arsenal of democracy. 927 00:42:15,880 --> 00:42:19,320 ♪ 928 00:42:19,400 --> 00:42:21,160 - In the autumn of 1940, 929 00:42:21,240 --> 00:42:23,840 northern Europe is in Nazi hands, 930 00:42:23,920 --> 00:42:27,080 including what had been the Republic of France. 931 00:42:27,160 --> 00:42:30,000 Great Britain stands alone. 932 00:42:30,080 --> 00:42:32,360 Between the Third Reich and the Soviet Union, 933 00:42:32,440 --> 00:42:35,080 there exists a territorial peace. 934 00:42:35,160 --> 00:42:39,520 But what does that mean to a leader like Adolf Hitler?