1 00:00:02,060 --> 00:00:05,700 even now at the start of a 21st century 2 00:00:05,700 --> 00:00:08,639 for all our advances we still haven't 3 00:00:08,639 --> 00:00:15,420 eliminated the scourge of war in fact 4 00:00:15,420 --> 00:00:18,029 the last hundred years have seen war 5 00:00:18,029 --> 00:00:20,609 waged on a greater scale than any other 6 00:00:20,609 --> 00:00:25,470 time in human history in this new series 7 00:00:25,470 --> 00:00:28,650 my son Dan and I will be examining some 8 00:00:28,650 --> 00:00:30,660 of the greatest battles of the 20th 9 00:00:30,660 --> 00:00:33,000 century battles that have shaped the 10 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:35,870 world we live in today 11 00:00:35,870 --> 00:00:38,930 we apply to the Pacific to find out how 12 00:00:38,930 --> 00:00:43,090 America turned the tide against Japan 13 00:00:43,550 --> 00:00:46,469 we'll see what remains of the ravage 14 00:00:46,469 --> 00:00:49,910 city of Stalingrad 15 00:00:51,670 --> 00:00:54,590 we'll go to the Far East to visit the 16 00:00:54,590 --> 00:00:57,640 battlefields of Vietnam 17 00:00:59,070 --> 00:01:00,780 and the frontline of the ongoing 18 00:01:00,780 --> 00:01:04,650 conflict in Korea still unresolved to 19 00:01:04,650 --> 00:01:08,040 this day will travel to the Falkland 20 00:01:08,040 --> 00:01:10,290 Islands scene of the last war on British 21 00:01:10,290 --> 00:01:12,890 territory 22 00:01:14,250 --> 00:01:16,800 and journey to the Middle East to 23 00:01:16,800 --> 00:01:18,690 describe methyls at the heart of a 24 00:01:18,690 --> 00:01:20,850 lighted relationship between Arabs 25 00:01:20,850 --> 00:01:26,490 Israelis and the Western world the 20th 26 00:01:26,490 --> 00:01:27,710 century saw the most radical 27 00:01:27,710 --> 00:01:29,880 transformation ever in how battles were 28 00:01:29,880 --> 00:01:32,250 fought it witnessed the last cavalry 29 00:01:32,250 --> 00:01:34,920 charge and the first nuclear bomb more 30 00:01:34,920 --> 00:01:37,290 people both military and civilian were 31 00:01:37,290 --> 00:01:39,000 killed in the conflicts of the 20th 32 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:43,170 century than in any other throughout 33 00:01:43,170 --> 00:01:45,210 this series I'll be finding out what it 34 00:01:45,210 --> 00:01:47,190 was like for the soldiers sailors and 35 00:01:47,190 --> 00:01:49,050 airmen who found themselves fighting 36 00:01:49,050 --> 00:01:51,950 often thousands of miles away from home 37 00:01:51,950 --> 00:01:54,420 the enemy is not the only challenge in 38 00:01:54,420 --> 00:01:55,140 this dark 39 00:01:55,140 --> 00:01:59,729 difficult terrain and I'll be analyzing 40 00:01:59,729 --> 00:02:02,640 how the commanders devise new strategies 41 00:02:02,640 --> 00:02:05,430 to exploit revolution rate advances in 42 00:02:05,430 --> 00:02:08,090 technology 43 00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:11,570 our series begins here in northern 44 00:02:11,570 --> 00:02:14,030 France at the start of the 20th century 45 00:02:14,030 --> 00:02:16,370 with the most destructive war the world 46 00:02:16,370 --> 00:02:19,010 had yet seen the fighting involved tens 47 00:02:19,010 --> 00:02:21,020 of millions of troops from all around 48 00:02:21,020 --> 00:02:23,540 the world and led to a greater death 49 00:02:23,540 --> 00:02:27,560 toll at any previous war in history the 50 00:02:27,560 --> 00:02:29,870 First World War the Great War 51 00:02:29,870 --> 00:02:31,910 established the way that battles are 52 00:02:31,910 --> 00:02:34,700 fought to this very day new weapons like 53 00:02:34,700 --> 00:02:36,620 tanks and aircraft were used for the 54 00:02:36,620 --> 00:02:40,450 first time with devastating effect 55 00:02:40,450 --> 00:02:43,220 there was one battle more than any other 56 00:02:43,220 --> 00:02:45,500 that harnessed the power of these new 57 00:02:45,500 --> 00:02:48,320 weapons to turn the tide of the war it 58 00:02:48,320 --> 00:02:50,750 was fought here in northeast France on 59 00:02:50,750 --> 00:02:54,620 the Western Front in 1918 it was the 60 00:02:54,620 --> 00:02:57,850 Battle of a Miao 61 00:03:23,950 --> 00:03:27,310 by the beginning of 1918 Europe 62 00:03:27,310 --> 00:03:29,470 superpowers had fought each other to a 63 00:03:29,470 --> 00:03:32,020 standstill on the killing grounds of 64 00:03:32,020 --> 00:03:35,370 northern France and Belgium 65 00:03:46,940 --> 00:03:51,470 a war that had been supposed to last six 66 00:03:51,470 --> 00:03:53,540 months had dragged on the 67 00:03:53,540 --> 00:04:02,270 three-and-a-half blood-soaked years when 68 00:04:02,270 --> 00:04:03,860 the First World War began 69 00:04:03,860 --> 00:04:06,320 nobody had expected the conflict would 70 00:04:06,320 --> 00:04:08,350 turn out the way it did 71 00:04:08,350 --> 00:04:11,320 Germany and her coalition partners 72 00:04:11,320 --> 00:04:14,720 austro-hungary Bulgaria and Turkey were 73 00:04:14,720 --> 00:04:16,970 fighting to secure dominance in Europe 74 00:04:16,970 --> 00:04:19,940 and the Middle East in the east they had 75 00:04:19,940 --> 00:04:22,100 driven deep into Russia and captured 76 00:04:22,100 --> 00:04:25,520 huge swaths of land and in the West 77 00:04:25,520 --> 00:04:27,980 they'd invaded first Belgium and then 78 00:04:27,980 --> 00:04:31,460 France expecting a quick victory the 79 00:04:31,460 --> 00:04:32,960 British Army including men from 80 00:04:32,960 --> 00:04:35,390 Australia Canada and other countries of 81 00:04:35,390 --> 00:04:37,670 the Empire had helped the French secure 82 00:04:37,670 --> 00:04:39,800 the rest of France but they have failed 83 00:04:39,800 --> 00:04:45,950 to push the Germans out by 1918 the 84 00:04:45,950 --> 00:04:47,510 Allies were still where they had been 85 00:04:47,510 --> 00:04:50,120 three years earlier with the British 86 00:04:50,120 --> 00:04:52,220 holding the line closest to the Channel 87 00:04:52,220 --> 00:04:56,300 ports the Great War had turned into a 88 00:04:56,300 --> 00:04:59,390 deadly stalemate battles like 89 00:04:59,390 --> 00:05:00,440 Passchendaele 90 00:05:00,440 --> 00:05:03,470 eeep the psalm and they're done further 91 00:05:03,470 --> 00:05:06,050 down the Western Front had resulted in a 92 00:05:06,050 --> 00:05:08,390 catastrophic loss of life on both sides 93 00:05:08,390 --> 00:05:13,310 but the front line had hardly moved to 94 00:05:13,310 --> 00:05:15,410 break this deadlock that would have to 95 00:05:15,410 --> 00:05:17,440 be a startling change of strategy 96 00:05:17,440 --> 00:05:20,630 without it it seemed the war would never 97 00:05:20,630 --> 00:05:22,810 end 98 00:05:33,220 --> 00:05:35,570 the soldiers have been dug in here on 99 00:05:35,570 --> 00:05:36,980 the western front for the best part of 100 00:05:36,980 --> 00:05:39,230 three years and they've been slogging it 101 00:05:39,230 --> 00:05:41,720 out in a chain of murderous offensives 102 00:05:41,720 --> 00:05:43,270 that seem to them to be pretty futile 103 00:05:43,270 --> 00:05:45,770 life in these trenches alternated 104 00:05:45,770 --> 00:05:47,600 between long periods of mind-numbing 105 00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:50,540 boredom and short moments of extreme 106 00:05:50,540 --> 00:05:55,610 danger there was nothing to be seen one 107 00:05:55,610 --> 00:05:57,800 of your line of earth and some bags with 108 00:05:57,800 --> 00:05:59,890 occasional piece as a timber line about 109 00:05:59,890 --> 00:06:02,330 when you get tired of sitting you can 110 00:06:02,330 --> 00:06:03,740 get up and have a peek between the 111 00:06:03,740 --> 00:06:06,080 sandbags what a man can be in the 112 00:06:06,080 --> 00:06:08,180 trenches for a year and never have fired 113 00:06:08,180 --> 00:06:14,060 a shot the daily routine in the trenches 114 00:06:14,060 --> 00:06:15,830 was made infinitely worse by the fact 115 00:06:15,830 --> 00:06:17,990 that months of shelling had destroyed 116 00:06:17,990 --> 00:06:19,940 the landscape what had been a 117 00:06:19,940 --> 00:06:22,970 countryside of rolling farmland was now 118 00:06:22,970 --> 00:06:26,710 one of utter devastation 119 00:06:38,090 --> 00:06:40,590 for the men living and fighting in these 120 00:06:40,590 --> 00:06:42,420 dreadful conditions it must have often 121 00:06:42,420 --> 00:06:43,860 seemed like the war was going to go on 122 00:06:43,860 --> 00:06:46,530 forever but thousands of miles away from 123 00:06:46,530 --> 00:06:48,870 these trenches events were now taking 124 00:06:48,870 --> 00:06:51,030 place that would bring these men hope 125 00:06:51,030 --> 00:06:53,280 that the end of the war was finally in 126 00:06:53,280 --> 00:06:55,640 sight 127 00:06:59,260 --> 00:07:01,760 throughout the war there had been a 128 00:07:01,760 --> 00:07:03,560 vicious fight for control of the 129 00:07:03,560 --> 00:07:10,520 Atlantic shipping lanes at first German 130 00:07:10,520 --> 00:07:15,190 u-boats only aim to sink British vessels 131 00:07:20,819 --> 00:07:24,399 by 1917 they made the mistake of 132 00:07:24,399 --> 00:07:26,769 targeting supply ships belonging to the 133 00:07:26,769 --> 00:07:30,339 United States of America for America's 134 00:07:30,339 --> 00:07:32,619 President Woodrow Wilson this was an 135 00:07:32,619 --> 00:07:35,769 outrage too far forcing him to declare 136 00:07:35,769 --> 00:07:38,709 war on Germany after three years of 137 00:07:38,709 --> 00:07:41,679 watching and waiting America was now 138 00:07:41,679 --> 00:07:45,209 firmly in the fight 139 00:08:03,220 --> 00:08:06,199 hundreds of thousands of strong fresh 140 00:08:06,199 --> 00:08:08,150 American troops would soon be arriving 141 00:08:08,150 --> 00:08:10,909 in northern France it was exactly what 142 00:08:10,909 --> 00:08:13,039 the exhausted Allied soldiers on the 143 00:08:13,039 --> 00:08:15,740 Western Front had been waiting for with 144 00:08:15,740 --> 00:08:18,139 this huge infusion of Americans the 145 00:08:18,139 --> 00:08:19,930 balance of power should shift 146 00:08:19,930 --> 00:08:22,940 irreversibly away from the Germans into 147 00:08:22,940 --> 00:08:25,870 the Allies favor 148 00:08:28,530 --> 00:08:31,200 as we march through the town the 149 00:08:31,200 --> 00:08:34,500 sidewalks were full of people we felt so 150 00:08:34,500 --> 00:08:36,299 proud and important that such a fuss was 151 00:08:36,299 --> 00:08:38,309 being made over us the French girls were 152 00:08:38,309 --> 00:08:40,020 jumping the ranks and throw flowers at 153 00:08:40,020 --> 00:08:42,419 us of course we were looking forward to 154 00:08:42,419 --> 00:08:44,670 the great adventure ahead of us we were 155 00:08:44,670 --> 00:08:47,600 looking forward to the fight 156 00:08:54,110 --> 00:08:57,930 from June 1917 the trickle of Americans 157 00:08:57,930 --> 00:09:01,769 arriving in France became a flood but 158 00:09:01,769 --> 00:09:03,870 there was a problem with these American 159 00:09:03,870 --> 00:09:06,740 troops nicknamed doughboys they were raw 160 00:09:06,740 --> 00:09:09,629 inexperienced recruits once they arrived 161 00:09:09,629 --> 00:09:11,939 in France they need months of training 162 00:09:11,939 --> 00:09:14,249 to get them ready for battle the fact 163 00:09:14,249 --> 00:09:16,079 was the Allies would have to hold the 164 00:09:16,079 --> 00:09:18,180 line against the Germans by themselves 165 00:09:18,180 --> 00:09:20,879 for a while longer and if that was bad 166 00:09:20,879 --> 00:09:23,220 news that was worse to come from the war 167 00:09:23,220 --> 00:09:27,209 in the east since the beginning of the 168 00:09:27,209 --> 00:09:29,430 war Germany had been locked in battle 169 00:09:29,430 --> 00:09:32,339 with Russia on the Eastern Front but by 170 00:09:32,339 --> 00:09:34,829 the beginning of 1918 this had changed 171 00:09:34,829 --> 00:09:37,490 dramatically 172 00:09:43,069 --> 00:09:45,779 after seizing power in the Russian 173 00:09:45,779 --> 00:09:48,600 Revolution communists made peace with 174 00:09:48,600 --> 00:09:54,660 Germany with the war in the East at an 175 00:09:54,660 --> 00:09:58,350 end in early 1918 hundreds of thousands 176 00:09:58,350 --> 00:10:00,899 of crack German troops could be freed up 177 00:10:00,899 --> 00:10:04,199 to fight on the Western Front for the 178 00:10:04,199 --> 00:10:04,920 time being 179 00:10:04,920 --> 00:10:07,740 the balance of power had swung in favor 180 00:10:07,740 --> 00:10:11,910 of the Germans but if the Germans were 181 00:10:11,910 --> 00:10:12,899 to win this war 182 00:10:12,899 --> 00:10:15,839 they had to make their move before the 183 00:10:15,839 --> 00:10:18,689 Americans became fully operational after 184 00:10:18,689 --> 00:10:22,199 three and a half long years the war had 185 00:10:22,199 --> 00:10:25,110 suddenly become a race against time by 186 00:10:25,110 --> 00:10:28,259 spring 1918 it looked as if Germany 187 00:10:28,259 --> 00:10:31,370 would win that race 188 00:10:43,750 --> 00:10:46,640 Germany was counting on one man to the 189 00:10:46,640 --> 00:10:48,980 liver victory their chief strategist 190 00:10:48,980 --> 00:10:54,860 Erich Ludendorff Ludendorff had presided 191 00:10:54,860 --> 00:11:00,470 over Germany's victory in the East now 192 00:11:00,470 --> 00:11:02,900 he plan to finish off the Allies in the 193 00:11:02,900 --> 00:11:05,200 West 194 00:11:05,380 --> 00:11:07,970 goodand off knew this could be Germany's 195 00:11:07,970 --> 00:11:10,910 last chance to win the war even with 196 00:11:10,910 --> 00:11:13,250 freed up German troops flooding in from 197 00:11:13,250 --> 00:11:15,560 the east wouldn't off still didn't have 198 00:11:15,560 --> 00:11:17,450 the manpower to launch a general 199 00:11:17,450 --> 00:11:21,140 offensive all along the Western Front so 200 00:11:21,140 --> 00:11:24,080 he decided to focus on one part of the 201 00:11:24,080 --> 00:11:27,110 line if he could push the British back 202 00:11:27,110 --> 00:11:29,480 into the sea the French would be on 203 00:11:29,480 --> 00:11:31,430 their own and the war would be as good 204 00:11:31,430 --> 00:11:33,830 as one he came up with a plan called 205 00:11:33,830 --> 00:11:37,640 Kaiser Schlacht the Emperor's battle his 206 00:11:37,640 --> 00:11:39,560 troops would concentrate their attacks 207 00:11:39,560 --> 00:11:42,710 in a series of powerful punches the 208 00:11:42,710 --> 00:11:45,230 first punch was aimed to drive a wedge 209 00:11:45,230 --> 00:11:47,360 here between the British and the French 210 00:11:47,360 --> 00:11:50,240 where the two armies met just east of 211 00:11:50,240 --> 00:11:53,440 the city of a Myung 212 00:12:02,100 --> 00:12:05,439 am young was the most important city on 213 00:12:05,439 --> 00:12:08,350 the western front but it lay only 39 214 00:12:08,350 --> 00:12:10,660 miles behind the part of the front that 215 00:12:10,660 --> 00:12:15,519 was poorly defended it was a key 216 00:12:15,519 --> 00:12:18,279 transport hub vital for getting supplies 217 00:12:18,279 --> 00:12:20,589 and reinforcements up to the Allied 218 00:12:20,589 --> 00:12:23,160 trenches 219 00:12:26,000 --> 00:12:28,860 if wooden door could capture this city 220 00:12:28,860 --> 00:12:31,080 of am young then he would divide the 221 00:12:31,080 --> 00:12:33,120 British from the French and cut their 222 00:12:33,120 --> 00:12:34,020 supply line 223 00:12:34,020 --> 00:12:37,110 he chose March the 21st the launch is 224 00:12:37,110 --> 00:12:39,330 offensive and named it after Germany's 225 00:12:39,330 --> 00:12:47,310 patron st. Michael's a massive force of 226 00:12:47,310 --> 00:12:49,860 unprecedented strength and quality began 227 00:12:49,860 --> 00:12:51,420 to be put together for the offensives 228 00:12:51,420 --> 00:12:53,880 the German army was scoured for the 229 00:12:53,880 --> 00:12:56,310 toughest fittest and most experienced 230 00:12:56,310 --> 00:12:58,820 soldiers 231 00:13:03,790 --> 00:13:06,040 the week in the old were transferred to 232 00:13:06,040 --> 00:13:08,620 the rear only the very best of all would 233 00:13:08,620 --> 00:13:10,270 be trained up as stormtroopers 234 00:13:10,270 --> 00:13:12,910 specialist units of shock troops that 235 00:13:12,910 --> 00:13:16,290 would punch through the Allied lines 236 00:13:17,220 --> 00:13:19,590 the men of the storm battalions were 237 00:13:19,590 --> 00:13:21,900 treated like football stars they lived 238 00:13:21,900 --> 00:13:23,850 in comfortable quarters they did their 239 00:13:23,850 --> 00:13:25,200 jobs and disappeared again 240 00:13:25,200 --> 00:13:27,780 and left it to the poor foot sluggers to 241 00:13:27,780 --> 00:13:31,080 dig in it wasn't just fresh troops 242 00:13:31,080 --> 00:13:33,420 Ludendorff was counting on he intended 243 00:13:33,420 --> 00:13:35,340 to throw away the old rule book on how 244 00:13:35,340 --> 00:13:37,860 to fight a battle the front lines ran 245 00:13:37,860 --> 00:13:40,440 through these fields just here this is 246 00:13:40,440 --> 00:13:41,310 where I'm standing 247 00:13:41,310 --> 00:13:44,700 40 miles east of a myung the German 248 00:13:44,700 --> 00:13:47,190 infantry were here in a series of 249 00:13:47,190 --> 00:13:49,410 trenches skirting around the town of San 250 00:13:49,410 --> 00:13:52,140 Quentin just a few hundred meters away 251 00:13:52,140 --> 00:13:53,430 across no-man's land 252 00:13:53,430 --> 00:13:55,110 were the British infantry and their 253 00:13:55,110 --> 00:13:57,960 trenches their heavy guns further back 254 00:13:57,960 --> 00:14:01,320 here and here usually an infantry attack 255 00:14:01,320 --> 00:14:03,540 was preceded by a long indiscriminate 256 00:14:03,540 --> 00:14:06,690 bombardment lasting days if not weeks to 257 00:14:06,690 --> 00:14:09,570 care a path through enemy defenses the 258 00:14:09,570 --> 00:14:12,210 problem was that these long bombardments 259 00:14:12,210 --> 00:14:14,610 gave the enemy plenty of warning as an 260 00:14:14,610 --> 00:14:17,490 infantry attack was imminent this time 261 00:14:17,490 --> 00:14:19,560 Ludendorff planned a barrage of just 262 00:14:19,560 --> 00:14:22,590 five hours but with more artillery guns 263 00:14:22,590 --> 00:14:25,740 than ever before for the first two hours 264 00:14:25,740 --> 00:14:29,040 a mixture of gas and high-explosive 265 00:14:29,040 --> 00:14:30,930 shells would target the British 266 00:14:30,930 --> 00:14:34,140 artillery positions back here then they 267 00:14:34,140 --> 00:14:35,700 would fire on the British infantry 268 00:14:35,700 --> 00:14:37,890 positions further forward the 269 00:14:37,890 --> 00:14:39,300 bombardment would keep the British 270 00:14:39,300 --> 00:14:42,510 hunkered down in their trenches exactly 271 00:14:42,510 --> 00:14:45,030 five hours after the bombardment started 272 00:14:45,030 --> 00:14:47,730 the elite force of German stormtroopers 273 00:14:47,730 --> 00:14:51,080 would begin their advance 274 00:14:51,230 --> 00:14:53,850 Ludendorff hoped that this artillery 275 00:14:53,850 --> 00:14:56,310 fire plan coupled with the stormtroopers 276 00:14:56,310 --> 00:14:59,670 would cause such mass confusion that the 277 00:14:59,670 --> 00:15:02,010 entire British front line would fall 278 00:15:02,010 --> 00:15:05,540 apart in just one day 279 00:15:05,900 --> 00:15:08,930 in ludendorff the Germans had a strong 280 00:15:08,930 --> 00:15:13,820 commander with a clear battle plan on 281 00:15:13,820 --> 00:15:16,160 the Allied side there was no man in 282 00:15:16,160 --> 00:15:19,490 overall charge the British were led by 283 00:15:19,490 --> 00:15:23,630 Field Marshal Douglas Haig he rarely saw 284 00:15:23,630 --> 00:15:26,000 eye to eye with the French chief of 285 00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:30,050 staff general Ferdinand fuch and now 286 00:15:30,050 --> 00:15:32,170 there was also the American commander 287 00:15:32,170 --> 00:15:37,370 General John Pershing there was little 288 00:15:37,370 --> 00:15:39,110 sign of coordinated leadership between 289 00:15:39,110 --> 00:15:42,110 the Allied commanders and March 1918 290 00:15:42,110 --> 00:15:43,850 would present them with their greatest 291 00:15:43,850 --> 00:15:46,960 challenge so far 292 00:15:58,920 --> 00:16:01,139 across no-man's land the British Army 293 00:16:01,139 --> 00:16:02,879 were woefully unprepared to deal with 294 00:16:02,879 --> 00:16:05,339 any kind of offensive the ground had 295 00:16:05,339 --> 00:16:06,899 frozen hard during the winters they 296 00:16:06,899 --> 00:16:08,220 didn't even have a proper network of 297 00:16:08,220 --> 00:16:10,679 trenches on top of this they've had to 298 00:16:10,679 --> 00:16:13,019 take over an extra 42 miles of the front 299 00:16:13,019 --> 00:16:14,749 line to ease up pressure on the French 300 00:16:14,749 --> 00:16:17,009 worst of all though was the fact that 301 00:16:17,009 --> 00:16:18,239 the British government had been so 302 00:16:18,239 --> 00:16:21,029 horrified with the losses of 1917 they 303 00:16:21,029 --> 00:16:23,119 hadn't sent enough men to the front in 304 00:16:23,119 --> 00:16:28,549 1918 the British Army was sitting ducks 305 00:16:31,129 --> 00:16:33,869 we cannot tell what even the next moment 306 00:16:33,869 --> 00:16:36,749 hasn't store for us but what will this 307 00:16:36,749 --> 00:16:39,829 same spot be one the Germans attack 308 00:16:39,829 --> 00:16:43,529 bloody and phone Ahmir happen at any 309 00:16:43,529 --> 00:16:44,480 moment 310 00:16:44,480 --> 00:16:49,160 sudden jump from still Nelson to Hill 311 00:16:53,850 --> 00:16:58,389 on the stroke of 4:40 a.m. on March 21st 312 00:16:58,389 --> 00:17:01,000 the eerie calm and the Allied trenches 313 00:17:01,000 --> 00:17:03,100 was broken by the heaviest bombardment 314 00:17:03,100 --> 00:17:07,020 of the entire First World War 315 00:17:14,300 --> 00:17:17,670 six and a half thousand guns and three 316 00:17:17,670 --> 00:17:20,190 and a half thousand trench waters found 317 00:17:20,190 --> 00:17:23,040 virtually simultaneously along a forty 318 00:17:23,040 --> 00:17:25,250 six mile front in the greatest 319 00:17:25,250 --> 00:17:28,339 concentration of bubble Farber to date 320 00:17:28,339 --> 00:17:31,590 into this brew of high explosive and 321 00:17:31,590 --> 00:17:34,230 razor-sharp shrapnel was mixed a 322 00:17:34,230 --> 00:17:37,350 concoction of lethal gases which hung in 323 00:17:37,350 --> 00:17:38,490 the air for hours 324 00:17:38,490 --> 00:17:43,280 burning the eyes of soldiers and horses 325 00:17:54,360 --> 00:17:57,130 in the half-built British trenches the 326 00:17:57,130 --> 00:17:58,630 German artillery bombardment was 327 00:17:58,630 --> 00:18:00,730 obliterating whole regiments at a time 328 00:18:00,730 --> 00:18:02,860 entire units were literally being wiped 329 00:18:02,860 --> 00:18:04,179 off the face of the earth 330 00:18:04,179 --> 00:18:08,010 the British were being slaughtered 331 00:18:11,710 --> 00:18:14,350 such hell makes weaklings of the 332 00:18:14,350 --> 00:18:17,620 strongest and no humans nerves or body 333 00:18:17,620 --> 00:18:20,050 were ever built to stand such torture 334 00:18:20,050 --> 00:18:24,510 noise horror and mental pain 335 00:18:27,600 --> 00:18:31,500 a 9:40 a.m. the first wave of German 336 00:18:31,500 --> 00:18:33,270 troops scrambled forward in their gas 337 00:18:33,270 --> 00:18:35,760 masks through the fog they were so well 338 00:18:35,760 --> 00:18:38,130 prepared they had maps showing British 339 00:18:38,130 --> 00:18:40,220 gun emplacements sewn into their sleeves 340 00:18:40,220 --> 00:18:43,020 they were Ludendorff's elite the 341 00:18:43,020 --> 00:18:45,830 stormtroopers 342 00:19:26,220 --> 00:19:29,169 all morning the stormtroopers forced 343 00:19:29,169 --> 00:19:31,210 their way through gaps in the Allied 344 00:19:31,210 --> 00:19:33,519 lines which were already weakened by the 345 00:19:33,519 --> 00:19:36,759 artillery barrage armed with light 346 00:19:36,759 --> 00:19:38,620 machine guns hand grenades and 347 00:19:38,620 --> 00:19:42,990 flamethrowers they swarmed forward 348 00:19:43,409 --> 00:19:45,309 whenever they came up against 349 00:19:45,309 --> 00:19:47,440 particularly stubborn resistance 350 00:19:47,440 --> 00:19:50,019 they'd skirt around it looking for weak 351 00:19:50,019 --> 00:19:52,450 points elsewhere and seeking out the 352 00:19:52,450 --> 00:19:54,399 more exposed to artillery positions in 353 00:19:54,399 --> 00:19:57,279 the rear the stormtroopers left the job 354 00:19:57,279 --> 00:19:59,080 of mopping up any remaining strong 355 00:19:59,080 --> 00:20:01,809 points to the main infantry force moving 356 00:20:01,809 --> 00:20:04,559 up behind 357 00:20:18,170 --> 00:20:20,820 it's gaps appearing all along the front 358 00:20:20,820 --> 00:20:23,610 line tens of thousands of looking dolf's 359 00:20:23,610 --> 00:20:25,980 regular German infantry now advanced and 360 00:20:25,980 --> 00:20:28,140 were surprised at how quickly they broke 361 00:20:28,140 --> 00:20:31,440 through the British had lost control of 362 00:20:31,440 --> 00:20:33,740 the situation 363 00:20:34,070 --> 00:20:36,690 we crossed a better tangle of wire 364 00:20:36,690 --> 00:20:39,060 without difficulty and at a jump were 365 00:20:39,060 --> 00:20:41,250 over the front line the English jumped 366 00:20:41,250 --> 00:20:42,690 out of their trenches and fled by 367 00:20:42,690 --> 00:20:45,360 battalions across the open they stumbled 368 00:20:45,360 --> 00:20:47,310 over each other as they fled him in a 369 00:20:47,310 --> 00:20:49,320 few seconds the ground was strewn with 370 00:20:49,320 --> 00:20:53,360 dead only a few got away 371 00:20:56,710 --> 00:20:58,940 thousands of British troops were cut off 372 00:20:58,940 --> 00:21:00,679 and surrounded and forced to surrender 373 00:21:00,679 --> 00:21:03,529 this remorseless attack thousands more 374 00:21:03,529 --> 00:21:05,119 suffering from the effects of gassing 375 00:21:05,119 --> 00:21:07,549 coughed and staggered their way to the 376 00:21:07,549 --> 00:21:09,080 rear where they hope to find some 377 00:21:09,080 --> 00:21:14,119 shelter by midday the British troops 378 00:21:14,119 --> 00:21:16,609 facing the attack had lost 1/3 of their 379 00:21:16,609 --> 00:21:22,549 number a full-scale British retreat had 380 00:21:22,549 --> 00:21:25,729 begun four days the German advances 381 00:21:25,729 --> 00:21:29,239 continue then on April the 5th the 382 00:21:29,239 --> 00:21:31,279 Allies finally managed to stand firm 383 00:21:31,279 --> 00:21:35,739 just 11 miles from a Myung 384 00:21:40,559 --> 00:21:43,840 Lunn Dolph fist offensive had won a 385 00:21:43,840 --> 00:21:46,269 remarkable series of territorial gains 386 00:21:46,269 --> 00:21:49,059 for the Germans that village is the 387 00:21:49,059 --> 00:21:52,450 furthest they got here it is VA Brett 388 00:21:52,450 --> 00:21:53,049 honor 389 00:21:53,049 --> 00:21:56,409 they'd advance 28 miles and made a 390 00:21:56,409 --> 00:21:58,679 massive dent in the British front line 391 00:21:58,679 --> 00:22:02,830 but the British line had not broken over 392 00:22:02,830 --> 00:22:03,850 the next eight weeks 393 00:22:03,850 --> 00:22:06,580 Ludendorff launched for more offensives 394 00:22:06,580 --> 00:22:10,649 here here here and here 395 00:22:10,649 --> 00:22:14,710 the last advance took them to win 37 396 00:22:14,710 --> 00:22:16,470 miles of Paris 397 00:22:16,470 --> 00:22:19,389 each time the offensives fell short of 398 00:22:19,389 --> 00:22:22,570 that crucial breakthrough despite 399 00:22:22,570 --> 00:22:24,370 everything learned all throughout them 400 00:22:24,370 --> 00:22:28,320 the Allies were holding on 401 00:22:33,160 --> 00:22:36,320 the outcome of the First World War 402 00:22:36,320 --> 00:22:39,860 now hung in the balance the Germans had 403 00:22:39,860 --> 00:22:41,780 extended their front line so much 404 00:22:41,780 --> 00:22:43,730 they were outstretched for his thinly 405 00:22:43,730 --> 00:22:45,590 along the length of the Western Front 406 00:22:45,590 --> 00:22:48,860 and the Allies were finally starting to 407 00:22:48,860 --> 00:22:52,130 regroup it was a critical point in the 408 00:22:52,130 --> 00:22:57,860 race against time that would marked the 409 00:22:57,860 --> 00:23:00,370 tip of the German advance towards Paris 410 00:23:00,370 --> 00:23:02,780 control of it gave the Germans a key 411 00:23:02,780 --> 00:23:05,270 strategic foothold on the road to the 412 00:23:05,270 --> 00:23:07,910 French capital if the Allies were to 413 00:23:07,910 --> 00:23:09,590 prevent Ludendorff rum strutting down 414 00:23:09,590 --> 00:23:12,380 the shah's Alizee the German stronghold 415 00:23:12,380 --> 00:23:17,080 in Bello would would have to be cleared 416 00:23:25,999 --> 00:23:28,980 in the blazing heat of June the sixth 417 00:23:28,980 --> 00:23:31,470 Allied troops prepared to start their 418 00:23:31,470 --> 00:23:34,499 advance on this wood but these men 419 00:23:34,499 --> 00:23:36,779 weren't British or French instead the 420 00:23:36,779 --> 00:23:38,999 task of clearing bellow would had been 421 00:23:38,999 --> 00:23:41,279 given to the United States Marine Corps 422 00:23:41,279 --> 00:23:43,440 for the first time in World War one the 423 00:23:43,440 --> 00:23:47,659 Americans were going on the offensive 424 00:23:48,769 --> 00:23:51,720 even though it had been 14 months since 425 00:23:51,720 --> 00:23:53,490 the United States declared war on 426 00:23:53,490 --> 00:23:56,100 Germany this had not been long enough to 427 00:23:56,100 --> 00:23:59,279 master modern tactics now the US Marines 428 00:23:59,279 --> 00:24:01,649 prepared to retake belleau wood in the 429 00:24:01,649 --> 00:24:06,409 old-fashioned way advancing line abreast 430 00:24:09,499 --> 00:24:12,570 over their heads American guns lead a 431 00:24:12,570 --> 00:24:15,059 barrage of shells to soften up the 432 00:24:15,059 --> 00:24:17,929 German defenses 433 00:24:38,050 --> 00:24:40,970 but the advancing Marines were in for a 434 00:24:40,970 --> 00:24:46,760 nasty shock hidden amongst the tightly 435 00:24:46,760 --> 00:24:49,100 packed trees there were units of dogged 436 00:24:49,100 --> 00:24:51,800 German soldiers veterans of the Russian 437 00:24:51,800 --> 00:24:52,400 front 438 00:24:52,400 --> 00:24:54,050 there'd the perfect cover for their 439 00:24:54,050 --> 00:24:56,150 machine-gun nests and interlocking 440 00:24:56,150 --> 00:24:58,310 fields of fire when the Marines got 441 00:24:58,310 --> 00:24:59,060 close enough 442 00:24:59,060 --> 00:25:02,410 the Germans let rip 443 00:25:07,440 --> 00:25:10,419 we hadn't gone 50 yards when they cut 444 00:25:10,419 --> 00:25:13,239 loose at us from the woods ahead more 445 00:25:13,239 --> 00:25:15,429 machine guns and I had ever heard before 446 00:25:15,429 --> 00:25:17,830 I have a vague recollection of urging 447 00:25:17,830 --> 00:25:20,679 the whole line on faster we came to an 448 00:25:20,679 --> 00:25:22,869 open wheat field full of red poppies and 449 00:25:22,869 --> 00:25:29,769 here we caught hell some of the Marines 450 00:25:29,769 --> 00:25:31,629 fought their way through the machine gun 451 00:25:31,629 --> 00:25:33,039 fire managed to establish a small 452 00:25:33,039 --> 00:25:36,039 foothold in this forest but it cost them 453 00:25:36,039 --> 00:25:38,739 terrible casualties elsewhere on the 454 00:25:38,739 --> 00:25:41,109 battlefield one young American officer 455 00:25:41,109 --> 00:25:43,089 was told to retreat by some French 456 00:25:43,089 --> 00:25:44,919 troops that were pulling back he 457 00:25:44,919 --> 00:25:47,950 famously said retreat hell we just got 458 00:25:47,950 --> 00:25:50,190 here 459 00:25:54,550 --> 00:25:56,680 the difficulty with Bella wood was that 460 00:25:56,680 --> 00:25:59,710 you never knew where the front was while 461 00:25:59,710 --> 00:26:01,600 you were fighting in one direction all 462 00:26:01,600 --> 00:26:03,400 of a sudden without warning you would 463 00:26:03,400 --> 00:26:04,960 find there some Germans to the rear that 464 00:26:04,960 --> 00:26:08,560 needed to be mopped up that was Bela 465 00:26:08,560 --> 00:26:10,890 wood 466 00:26:15,220 --> 00:26:18,520 five times the Marines made headway five 467 00:26:18,520 --> 00:26:21,070 times they were beaten back but on the 468 00:26:21,070 --> 00:26:23,650 sixth attempt the Marines finally prized 469 00:26:23,650 --> 00:26:26,230 belleau wood away from the German grip 470 00:26:26,230 --> 00:26:29,680 it had been a terrible cost in their 471 00:26:29,680 --> 00:26:32,470 first encounter with the Germans the US 472 00:26:32,470 --> 00:26:37,020 Marine Corps suffered 10,000 casualties 473 00:26:40,650 --> 00:26:43,240 with the Allied victory at belleau wood 474 00:26:43,240 --> 00:26:45,850 wooden doors path to Paris had been 475 00:26:45,850 --> 00:26:48,040 blocked the Marines hadn't won the war 476 00:26:48,040 --> 00:26:50,470 but they had helped save the Allies from 477 00:26:50,470 --> 00:26:53,800 defeat more importantly the Germans have 478 00:26:53,800 --> 00:26:55,720 come face to face with the Americans for 479 00:26:55,720 --> 00:26:58,450 the first time and the doughboys had 480 00:26:58,450 --> 00:27:00,640 delivered a massive psychological blow 481 00:27:00,640 --> 00:27:04,780 to German morale no-one could no doubt 482 00:27:04,780 --> 00:27:07,180 that the Americans were in the war for 483 00:27:07,180 --> 00:27:09,480 real 484 00:27:18,040 --> 00:27:20,420 if those in front of us are fair 485 00:27:20,420 --> 00:27:22,480 specimens of the average American troops 486 00:27:22,480 --> 00:27:24,920 and if there are as many as they say 487 00:27:24,920 --> 00:27:29,440 there then goodbye farce 488 00:27:35,120 --> 00:27:37,289 throughout the spring offensives 489 00:27:37,289 --> 00:27:39,690 Ludendorff had committed everything he 490 00:27:39,690 --> 00:27:42,120 had and he now came face-to-face with 491 00:27:42,120 --> 00:27:45,210 the plain truth that his army was 492 00:27:45,210 --> 00:27:48,000 exhausted and overextended and he had 493 00:27:48,000 --> 00:27:50,220 lost more men than he could ever replace 494 00:27:50,220 --> 00:27:54,000 and for all that he'd still failed to 495 00:27:54,000 --> 00:27:58,650 break the Allied line now the Allies had 496 00:27:58,650 --> 00:28:01,669 the opportunity and they seized it they 497 00:28:01,669 --> 00:28:06,590 would now take the fight to the Germans 498 00:28:16,670 --> 00:28:19,530 the Allied attempt to break through on 499 00:28:19,530 --> 00:28:21,600 the Western Front will be led by a 500 00:28:21,600 --> 00:28:25,190 British General Sir Henry Rawlinson 501 00:28:25,190 --> 00:28:27,480 rowlandson had been the commander at the 502 00:28:27,480 --> 00:28:31,160 Battle of the Somme back in 1916 where 503 00:28:31,160 --> 00:28:33,720 58,000 British soldiers had been lost in 504 00:28:33,720 --> 00:28:36,480 one day this would be his chance to 505 00:28:36,480 --> 00:28:38,730 prove he'd learnt the lessons of past 506 00:28:38,730 --> 00:28:42,660 battles the Allies now came up with a 507 00:28:42,660 --> 00:28:45,179 plan for a counter-offensive that was 508 00:28:45,179 --> 00:28:46,950 one of the most significant initiatives 509 00:28:46,950 --> 00:28:49,800 of the war it must be a milestone in 510 00:28:49,800 --> 00:28:53,220 military history the idea came in July 511 00:28:53,220 --> 00:28:55,950 1918 at a conference of allied generals 512 00:28:55,950 --> 00:28:58,380 which offered him a chance to redeem his 513 00:28:58,380 --> 00:29:02,610 reputation his men controlled the ground 514 00:29:02,610 --> 00:29:03,870 east of a miaow 515 00:29:03,870 --> 00:29:06,660 where Ludendorff had now thinned out his 516 00:29:06,660 --> 00:29:09,210 troops presenting Rawlinson with a 517 00:29:09,210 --> 00:29:11,300 perfect spot for a breakthrough 518 00:29:11,300 --> 00:29:14,370 what Rawlinson came up with was an 519 00:29:14,370 --> 00:29:18,570 imaginative and radical new strategy he 520 00:29:18,570 --> 00:29:20,990 would concentrate a force of around 521 00:29:20,990 --> 00:29:25,040 350,000 troops along a 17 mile front 522 00:29:25,040 --> 00:29:27,840 this force would massively outnumber the 523 00:29:27,840 --> 00:29:31,500 Germans facing them north of a river 524 00:29:31,500 --> 00:29:33,900 Somme in this hilly country was the 525 00:29:33,900 --> 00:29:36,900 British three Corps below them the 526 00:29:36,900 --> 00:29:39,240 Australians on the other side of this 527 00:29:39,240 --> 00:29:42,390 railway line the Canadians and next to 528 00:29:42,390 --> 00:29:46,559 them the French what attracted Rowland's 529 00:29:46,559 --> 00:29:48,690 into this terrain was that apart from 530 00:29:48,690 --> 00:29:50,340 the rugged and more difficult ground to 531 00:29:50,340 --> 00:29:53,040 the north it was dry and open 532 00:29:53,040 --> 00:29:55,740 ideal territory for the Allies newest 533 00:29:55,740 --> 00:29:58,820 weapon tanks 534 00:30:27,140 --> 00:30:29,760 today tanks and armored vehicles are one 535 00:30:29,760 --> 00:30:31,650 of the most important weapon systems in 536 00:30:31,650 --> 00:30:34,230 a modern army back in 1918 troops 537 00:30:34,230 --> 00:30:36,210 regarded them with quele of suspicion 538 00:30:36,210 --> 00:30:37,980 they were prone to mechanical failure 539 00:30:37,980 --> 00:30:42,360 and they were slow top speed was about 4 540 00:30:42,360 --> 00:30:44,130 miles per hour and this made them 541 00:30:44,130 --> 00:30:52,230 vulnerable to enemy artillery fire tanks 542 00:30:52,230 --> 00:30:53,730 could be very claustrophobic and 543 00:30:53,730 --> 00:30:55,919 disorientating but perhaps worst of all 544 00:30:55,919 --> 00:30:57,240 was the fact there was no separation 545 00:30:57,240 --> 00:30:59,160 between where the engine was and the 546 00:30:59,160 --> 00:31:00,419 area for the crews which meant that 547 00:31:00,419 --> 00:31:02,309 after half an hour temperatures could 548 00:31:02,309 --> 00:31:04,669 reach about a hundred degrees Fahrenheit 549 00:31:04,669 --> 00:31:07,169 not only did the men frequently suffer 550 00:31:07,169 --> 00:31:09,720 from burns but more crewmen died from 551 00:31:09,720 --> 00:31:11,610 carbon monoxide poisoning than were 552 00:31:11,610 --> 00:31:14,419 killed by enemy action 553 00:31:19,260 --> 00:31:21,690 in fact usually after just one day of 554 00:31:21,690 --> 00:31:23,669 battle tank crews had to be sent to 555 00:31:23,669 --> 00:31:25,410 recover in a field hospital from the 556 00:31:25,410 --> 00:31:27,990 experience but despite this they did 557 00:31:27,990 --> 00:31:29,309 have their advantages 558 00:31:29,309 --> 00:31:31,410 they weren't invulnerable to machine gun 559 00:31:31,410 --> 00:31:33,590 fire and they could crush barbed wire 560 00:31:33,590 --> 00:31:36,809 lastly they put the fear of God into the 561 00:31:36,809 --> 00:31:39,260 Germans 562 00:31:41,050 --> 00:31:44,800 the Germans had virtually no tanks but 563 00:31:44,800 --> 00:31:46,420 now they were about to face the greatest 564 00:31:46,420 --> 00:31:49,480 concentration of tanks ever assembled on 565 00:31:49,480 --> 00:31:52,780 a battlefield the tanks were only part 566 00:31:52,780 --> 00:31:55,870 of Rawlinson's grand design the Battle 567 00:31:55,870 --> 00:31:58,150 of am young would use all the resources 568 00:31:58,150 --> 00:32:01,600 he had working closely together just as 569 00:32:01,600 --> 00:32:04,200 they do today 570 00:32:14,750 --> 00:32:18,060 we've come to Salisbury Plain to watch a 571 00:32:18,060 --> 00:32:21,060 combined-arms exercise the modern-day 572 00:32:21,060 --> 00:32:23,100 equivalent of what Rawlinson had in mind 573 00:32:23,100 --> 00:32:25,770 for the Battle of a meow one of the main 574 00:32:25,770 --> 00:32:27,390 roles of the tank and I don't think it's 575 00:32:27,390 --> 00:32:28,680 really changing is actually to help 576 00:32:28,680 --> 00:32:31,260 protect the infantry and deliver them 577 00:32:31,260 --> 00:32:33,390 onto the enemy position in good order 578 00:32:33,390 --> 00:32:35,160 and that's something the tank does very 579 00:32:35,160 --> 00:32:38,340 well indeed both tanks and infantry are 580 00:32:38,340 --> 00:32:39,780 supported by the big guns of the 581 00:32:39,780 --> 00:32:42,780 artillery Gunners back in 1918 didn't 582 00:32:42,780 --> 00:32:44,700 have computers or satellites to help him 583 00:32:44,700 --> 00:32:46,950 find the right range normally before a 584 00:32:46,950 --> 00:32:49,050 battle they would fire off test shots 585 00:32:49,050 --> 00:32:51,210 but before the Battle of amia they were 586 00:32:51,210 --> 00:32:53,490 ordered to use only maps and mathematics 587 00:32:53,490 --> 00:32:56,640 so as not to alert the Germans for 5-7 588 00:32:56,640 --> 00:33:02,520 million a body can can drop something 589 00:33:02,520 --> 00:33:04,260 like four and a half tons of explosives 590 00:33:04,260 --> 00:33:06,540 on any area and a very short period of 591 00:33:06,540 --> 00:33:09,630 time and so you know the only people 592 00:33:09,630 --> 00:33:11,490 that give us a great short effect on 593 00:33:11,490 --> 00:33:13,670 enemy 594 00:33:13,670 --> 00:33:16,920 unlike 1918 today's infantry are carried 595 00:33:16,920 --> 00:33:18,420 into battle by armored personnel 596 00:33:18,420 --> 00:33:21,690 carriers but the carriers can only take 597 00:33:21,690 --> 00:33:24,900 them so far in the final stage of an 598 00:33:24,900 --> 00:33:26,730 assault there's no alternative but to 599 00:33:26,730 --> 00:33:33,210 get out and go in on foot airpower is 600 00:33:33,210 --> 00:33:35,370 the final component of the all arms 601 00:33:35,370 --> 00:33:37,670 attack 602 00:33:38,810 --> 00:33:42,170 it's crucial that that all the different 603 00:33:42,170 --> 00:33:44,030 elements work together tanks on their 604 00:33:44,030 --> 00:33:46,580 own are very very vulnerable likewise 605 00:33:46,580 --> 00:33:48,380 the the infantry and everything else so 606 00:33:48,380 --> 00:33:50,360 it's crucial dat the tanks the engineers 607 00:33:50,360 --> 00:33:52,550 the artillery and the air support all 608 00:33:52,550 --> 00:33:54,950 work together to to destroy the enemy 609 00:33:54,950 --> 00:33:55,550 positions 610 00:33:55,550 --> 00:33:57,110 so as Rawlinson approached the Battle of 611 00:33:57,110 --> 00:34:01,250 Mei he had a quite new system of weapon 612 00:34:01,250 --> 00:34:03,080 systems tactics and everything's all 613 00:34:03,080 --> 00:34:05,090 arms cooperation that's right and 614 00:34:05,090 --> 00:34:06,890 although the the weapons and the 615 00:34:06,890 --> 00:34:08,870 vehicles have become much more 616 00:34:08,870 --> 00:34:10,550 technologically advanced over the years 617 00:34:10,550 --> 00:34:12,949 the basic tactics that they use back in 618 00:34:12,949 --> 00:34:16,869 1918 haven't really changed a great deal 619 00:35:09,990 --> 00:35:12,130 isn't it amazing how everyone we've 620 00:35:12,130 --> 00:35:14,080 talked to you today is kept saying what 621 00:35:14,080 --> 00:35:16,360 we're seeing today is is it began back 622 00:35:16,360 --> 00:35:18,220 in 1918 it's extraordinary all their 623 00:35:18,220 --> 00:35:20,020 tactics are really date back from then 624 00:35:20,020 --> 00:35:21,640 and you consider that two years before 625 00:35:21,640 --> 00:35:24,070 1918 it was still just a bunch of 626 00:35:24,070 --> 00:35:26,410 riflemen lining up in a line and walking 627 00:35:26,410 --> 00:35:28,210 towards the enemy trenches it's amazing 628 00:35:28,210 --> 00:35:29,680 how much change happen in those two 629 00:35:29,680 --> 00:35:31,150 years and while surprise here we've seen 630 00:35:31,150 --> 00:35:34,360 all arms working together aircraft tanks 631 00:35:34,360 --> 00:35:37,690 infantry combining to overwhelm the 632 00:35:37,690 --> 00:35:42,190 enemy August 1918 would be the first 633 00:35:42,190 --> 00:35:44,500 time in history that all available 634 00:35:44,500 --> 00:35:48,300 weapons were coordinated on such a scale 635 00:35:48,300 --> 00:35:51,970 to a meticulous timetable the guns would 636 00:35:51,970 --> 00:35:54,640 create a curtain of fire that would move 637 00:35:54,640 --> 00:35:57,040 forward a hundred metres every three 638 00:35:57,040 --> 00:35:59,860 minutes wiping out many German defensive 639 00:35:59,860 --> 00:36:04,810 positions protected by the cover of fire 640 00:36:04,810 --> 00:36:07,960 the Allied infantry would advance at the 641 00:36:07,960 --> 00:36:09,730 closer they followed the barrels the 642 00:36:09,730 --> 00:36:12,070 more likely they were to overcome their 643 00:36:12,070 --> 00:36:17,080 enemy with infantry found themselves up 644 00:36:17,080 --> 00:36:19,390 against stiff opposition they would call 645 00:36:19,390 --> 00:36:24,210 in the tanks to overrun German positions 646 00:36:24,420 --> 00:36:26,910 they had lighter tanks too called 647 00:36:26,910 --> 00:36:30,269 weapons they were twice as fast as the 648 00:36:30,269 --> 00:36:32,579 heavy tanks and could look for gaps in 649 00:36:32,579 --> 00:36:34,410 the enemy lines through which they could 650 00:36:34,410 --> 00:36:37,619 drive and cause havoc they be the 651 00:36:37,619 --> 00:36:41,190 cavalry of the future but in 1918 they 652 00:36:41,190 --> 00:36:43,880 could still only do eight miles an hour 653 00:36:43,880 --> 00:36:47,460 horses were still faster and rowlandson 654 00:36:47,460 --> 00:36:49,980 had thousands of them waiting to gallop 655 00:36:49,980 --> 00:36:54,119 into battle rowlandson said his men 656 00:36:54,119 --> 00:36:58,500 three objectives first he drew a green 657 00:36:58,500 --> 00:37:01,380 line on the map two miles behind the 658 00:37:01,380 --> 00:37:03,990 first enemy line he gave them two hours 659 00:37:03,990 --> 00:37:07,529 to reach it there they consolidate and 660 00:37:07,529 --> 00:37:09,750 new forces would pass through them and 661 00:37:09,750 --> 00:37:12,000 fight their way through to the red line 662 00:37:12,000 --> 00:37:14,069 which he marked three miles further on 663 00:37:14,069 --> 00:37:17,130 and if by the end of the day they could 664 00:37:17,130 --> 00:37:19,380 then reach his blue line they would have 665 00:37:19,380 --> 00:37:20,910 achieved an eight mile advance 666 00:37:20,910 --> 00:37:23,099 altogether it would be the biggest 667 00:37:23,099 --> 00:37:25,470 advance in one day's fighting of any 668 00:37:25,470 --> 00:37:27,630 allied force on the Western Front since 669 00:37:27,630 --> 00:37:30,230 the war began 670 00:37:34,590 --> 00:37:37,910 in early August amia was a ghost town 671 00:37:37,910 --> 00:37:41,040 the population had been evacuated during 672 00:37:41,040 --> 00:37:43,950 the ludendorff offensives now the city 673 00:37:43,950 --> 00:37:46,260 was only 11 miles behind the front line 674 00:37:46,260 --> 00:37:48,090 and no civilians have been allowed to 675 00:37:48,090 --> 00:37:50,280 return the only people here were 676 00:37:50,280 --> 00:37:52,230 military and there were more of them on 677 00:37:52,230 --> 00:37:55,200 their way the troop bill that was hidden 678 00:37:55,200 --> 00:37:57,720 by a shroud of secrecy the element of 679 00:37:57,720 --> 00:37:59,850 surprise was essential if the British 680 00:37:59,850 --> 00:38:03,570 plan was to succeed sand was even laid 681 00:38:03,570 --> 00:38:05,640 down on some of the deserted roads to 682 00:38:05,640 --> 00:38:07,230 deaden the sound of the troops and 683 00:38:07,230 --> 00:38:09,180 artillery massing in and around the city 684 00:38:09,180 --> 00:38:12,030 and hundreds of tanks were hidden on the 685 00:38:12,030 --> 00:38:15,590 banks of the tree-lined canals 686 00:38:28,589 --> 00:38:31,229 to make sure each soldier knew just how 687 00:38:31,229 --> 00:38:33,449 important it was to maintain secrecy a 688 00:38:33,449 --> 00:38:35,819 small note was pasted into their pay 689 00:38:35,819 --> 00:38:37,650 books it told them that if they were 690 00:38:37,650 --> 00:38:39,569 captured by the Germans they were 691 00:38:39,569 --> 00:38:41,549 allowed to say their name their serial 692 00:38:41,549 --> 00:38:43,380 number and their rank and nothing else 693 00:38:43,380 --> 00:38:46,049 it ended with the words keep your mouths 694 00:38:46,049 --> 00:38:48,439 shut 695 00:38:55,430 --> 00:39:00,250 a few days before the battle began 696 00:39:00,250 --> 00:39:02,750 reports reach German commanders that 697 00:39:02,750 --> 00:39:05,599 unusual noise had been heard outside I'm 698 00:39:05,599 --> 00:39:05,990 young 699 00:39:05,990 --> 00:39:09,140 perhaps signifying an allied buildup but 700 00:39:09,140 --> 00:39:11,029 learned off to scan to these reports 701 00:39:11,029 --> 00:39:13,549 there is nothing he said to justify this 702 00:39:13,549 --> 00:39:16,190 apprehension as long as our troops are 703 00:39:16,190 --> 00:39:19,299 vigilant and do their duty Rawlinson's 704 00:39:19,299 --> 00:39:24,279 obsessive secrecy was paying off 705 00:39:31,940 --> 00:39:34,849 the early hours of August the 8th 706 00:39:34,849 --> 00:39:37,349 provided the perfect conditions for the 707 00:39:37,349 --> 00:39:40,289 launch of roland Sands elaborate plan it 708 00:39:40,289 --> 00:39:42,630 was a moonless night and from the river 709 00:39:42,630 --> 00:39:45,239 valleys a ground mist provided valuable 710 00:39:45,239 --> 00:39:47,940 cover for the tanks rumbling into 711 00:39:47,940 --> 00:39:50,359 position 712 00:39:58,230 --> 00:40:00,329 this countryside was an anthill of 713 00:40:00,329 --> 00:40:02,310 activity as tens of thousands of Allied 714 00:40:02,310 --> 00:40:04,650 troops move towards the frontline the 715 00:40:04,650 --> 00:40:07,740 men went a strict instructions there was 716 00:40:07,740 --> 00:40:09,960 to be no shouting no flashlights and no 717 00:40:09,960 --> 00:40:20,010 cigarettes no unnecessary noise the 718 00:40:20,010 --> 00:40:23,250 silence played on our nerves a bit as we 719 00:40:23,250 --> 00:40:24,839 got our guns into position 720 00:40:24,839 --> 00:40:27,000 you could hear drivers whispering to 721 00:40:27,000 --> 00:40:29,280 their horses and men muttering curses 722 00:40:29,280 --> 00:40:32,490 under their breath and still the silence 723 00:40:32,490 --> 00:40:38,099 persisted the 0r was set at 4:20 a.m. 724 00:40:38,099 --> 00:40:44,640 the hour before dawn as it approached 725 00:40:44,640 --> 00:40:48,380 all was silent 726 00:41:31,539 --> 00:41:34,339 the moment British guns had opened fire 727 00:41:34,339 --> 00:41:36,920 on German positions the British infantry 728 00:41:36,920 --> 00:41:41,450 had started their attack a creeping 729 00:41:41,450 --> 00:41:43,099 barrage which the advancing foot 730 00:41:43,099 --> 00:41:45,289 soldiers now hugged as closely as 731 00:41:45,289 --> 00:41:50,589 possible was delivered by 700 heavy guns 732 00:41:52,460 --> 00:41:55,040 at the same time hundreds more guns 733 00:41:55,040 --> 00:41:57,500 concentrated on Germans strongpoints and 734 00:41:57,500 --> 00:42:03,440 artillery positions further back the 17 735 00:42:03,440 --> 00:42:06,200 miles along the front flares lit up the 736 00:42:06,200 --> 00:42:09,500 countryside as a mass of groups of tanks 737 00:42:09,500 --> 00:42:13,300 moved forward under the barrage 738 00:42:40,840 --> 00:42:42,850 as the British Canadian and Australian 739 00:42:42,850 --> 00:42:44,950 infantry advance the early morning fog 740 00:42:44,950 --> 00:42:46,270 was so thick they could only see about 741 00:42:46,270 --> 00:42:48,760 ten yards in front of them it was made 742 00:42:48,760 --> 00:42:50,950 even murkier by the smoke from the 743 00:42:50,950 --> 00:42:54,360 exploding artillery shells 744 00:43:09,800 --> 00:43:13,260 we were traveling fast the sweat was 745 00:43:13,260 --> 00:43:15,660 rolling down my face the shells were 746 00:43:15,660 --> 00:43:17,700 bursting everywhere some of them very 747 00:43:17,700 --> 00:43:20,130 low machine-gun bullets also whistled 748 00:43:20,130 --> 00:43:22,020 over us from the left flank where the 749 00:43:22,020 --> 00:43:24,590 advance had been held up for a while 750 00:43:24,590 --> 00:43:26,790 precisely as planned the creeping 751 00:43:26,790 --> 00:43:28,410 barrage and the almost simultaneous 752 00:43:28,410 --> 00:43:30,150 infantry assault took the Germans 753 00:43:30,150 --> 00:43:32,760 totally by surprise some lead allied 754 00:43:32,760 --> 00:43:34,859 units stormed into enemy trenches and 755 00:43:34,859 --> 00:43:36,869 bunkers and captured or killed the 756 00:43:36,869 --> 00:43:38,310 German defenders before they had any 757 00:43:38,310 --> 00:43:41,810 chance to organize a counter-attack 758 00:43:52,810 --> 00:43:56,240 at 6:30 a.m. this village of Marcel 759 00:43:56,240 --> 00:43:58,520 carve became the target of the Canadian 760 00:43:58,520 --> 00:44:00,320 infantry but they could make little 761 00:44:00,320 --> 00:44:02,720 headway against well dug in German 762 00:44:02,720 --> 00:44:04,970 machine guns then help appeared in the 763 00:44:04,970 --> 00:44:06,770 form of a lumbering mark five British 764 00:44:06,770 --> 00:44:09,230 tank it's commander a lawyer from 765 00:44:09,230 --> 00:44:11,270 Somerset sized up the situation and 766 00:44:11,270 --> 00:44:14,620 advanced into the village 767 00:44:44,400 --> 00:44:46,259 some of the German positions were 768 00:44:46,259 --> 00:44:48,660 blasted away by the tanks six pound guns 769 00:44:48,660 --> 00:44:51,480 the rest were crushed under its tracks 770 00:44:51,480 --> 00:44:53,279 it was all over in about half an hour 771 00:44:53,279 --> 00:44:55,079 and the tank commander handed the 772 00:44:55,079 --> 00:44:57,210 village over to the Allied infantry but 773 00:44:57,210 --> 00:44:59,670 not until a typical lawyer like fashion 774 00:44:59,670 --> 00:45:02,160 he'd received a receipt the village of 775 00:45:02,160 --> 00:45:04,619 Marcel carve was now officially in 776 00:45:04,619 --> 00:45:07,309 allied hands 777 00:45:16,400 --> 00:45:19,050 the taking of this village of Marcel 778 00:45:19,050 --> 00:45:21,330 carve but the Canadians across 779 00:45:21,330 --> 00:45:23,820 Rawlinson's first objective his green 780 00:45:23,820 --> 00:45:28,260 line British soldiers operating north of 781 00:45:28,260 --> 00:45:30,240 the river Somme had been given less 782 00:45:30,240 --> 00:45:32,220 distance to cover because they were 783 00:45:32,220 --> 00:45:34,980 fighting on rougher terrain but about 784 00:45:34,980 --> 00:45:36,630 three hours into the battle 785 00:45:36,630 --> 00:45:39,210 most of Rawlinson's units had reached 786 00:45:39,210 --> 00:45:46,200 their objectives now they could rest 787 00:45:46,200 --> 00:45:48,570 while new troops were pushed through to 788 00:45:48,570 --> 00:45:51,590 continue the attack 789 00:46:01,830 --> 00:46:05,170 hi I'm 9 a.m. the fog was beginning to 790 00:46:05,170 --> 00:46:06,910 lift right the way across the wide 791 00:46:06,910 --> 00:46:09,460 battlefield and Rawlinson was now able 792 00:46:09,460 --> 00:46:11,530 to employ his final weapon in his 793 00:46:11,530 --> 00:46:17,260 armoury aircraft the royal air force 794 00:46:17,260 --> 00:46:20,710 barely a few months old sent in 600 795 00:46:20,710 --> 00:46:22,900 fighters and bombers to provide close 796 00:46:22,900 --> 00:46:26,220 air support to the Allied infantry 797 00:46:26,220 --> 00:46:28,660 phosphorus bombs were dropped ahead of 798 00:46:28,660 --> 00:46:30,700 the advancing tanks and the planes 799 00:46:30,700 --> 00:46:33,160 straight German ground targets like 800 00:46:33,160 --> 00:46:35,200 machine-gun emplacements which are much 801 00:46:35,200 --> 00:46:43,840 easier to spot from the air low-flying 802 00:46:43,840 --> 00:46:46,900 planes ate away at German morale for any 803 00:46:46,900 --> 00:46:49,240 experienced British Airmen it was a 804 00:46:49,240 --> 00:46:52,050 bewildering experience 805 00:46:53,380 --> 00:46:55,880 we were over the target and dropping 806 00:46:55,880 --> 00:46:57,410 bombs before I realized we cross the 807 00:46:57,410 --> 00:46:59,900 lines I leaned over the side to watch 808 00:46:59,900 --> 00:47:02,540 the form we have a look down from a high 809 00:47:02,540 --> 00:47:03,920 building felt as though you must throw 810 00:47:03,920 --> 00:47:08,320 yourself down are to turn away 811 00:47:12,420 --> 00:47:14,730 gaps were now appearing in the German 812 00:47:14,730 --> 00:47:17,010 line which the Canadian Australian 813 00:47:17,010 --> 00:47:19,500 troops tried to exploit as quickly as 814 00:47:19,500 --> 00:47:21,930 possible this led to one of the more 815 00:47:21,930 --> 00:47:24,900 bizarre sights of the day a group of 816 00:47:24,900 --> 00:47:27,750 Canadian cyclists pedaled off down the 817 00:47:27,750 --> 00:47:30,059 road their rifles slung across their 818 00:47:30,059 --> 00:47:32,279 shoulders they were escorting a group of 819 00:47:32,279 --> 00:47:34,559 armour plated cars carrying machine guns 820 00:47:34,559 --> 00:47:36,839 the Allies were willing to try anything 821 00:47:36,839 --> 00:47:40,559 to increase their speed and mobility the 822 00:47:40,559 --> 00:47:43,140 cyclists sped off down the road looking 823 00:47:43,140 --> 00:47:46,859 for German positions this mobility paid 824 00:47:46,859 --> 00:47:48,630 off when they came across the enemy-held 825 00:47:48,630 --> 00:47:51,150 village of meze ere the cyclists rode 826 00:47:51,150 --> 00:47:52,890 through the back streets and overwhelmed 827 00:47:52,890 --> 00:47:56,960 a German machine gun post from behind 828 00:47:57,200 --> 00:47:59,760 but in this area north of the river 829 00:47:59,760 --> 00:48:02,130 Somme that British ran into the most 830 00:48:02,130 --> 00:48:04,500 stubborn resistance of all they were 831 00:48:04,500 --> 00:48:06,750 heading a cross here towards that high 832 00:48:06,750 --> 00:48:08,910 ground over there called chili ridge 833 00:48:08,910 --> 00:48:11,609 when they ran into concentrated fire 834 00:48:11,609 --> 00:48:15,079 that stopped them in their tracks 835 00:48:26,550 --> 00:48:28,780 the British troops didn't have that many 836 00:48:28,780 --> 00:48:30,430 tanks supporting them because the 837 00:48:30,430 --> 00:48:32,470 terrain on this side of the Sun was 838 00:48:32,470 --> 00:48:34,990 unsuitable to make matters worse these 839 00:48:34,990 --> 00:48:37,330 men had borne the brunt of months of 840 00:48:37,330 --> 00:48:38,950 heavy fighting and they were weakened 841 00:48:38,950 --> 00:48:41,350 and exhausted they did manage to get to 842 00:48:41,350 --> 00:48:43,570 the edge of this open field just 843 00:48:43,570 --> 00:48:46,150 opposite chilly Ridge over there 844 00:48:46,150 --> 00:48:47,980 as soon as they got here they were 845 00:48:47,980 --> 00:48:50,050 driven back into these woods by 846 00:48:50,050 --> 00:48:54,090 devastating German machine-gun fire 847 00:48:56,890 --> 00:49:00,080 the British north of the Sun were pinned 848 00:49:00,080 --> 00:49:04,610 down in front of Shapley Ridge but of 849 00:49:04,610 --> 00:49:06,710 the south of the river Rollins's plan 850 00:49:06,710 --> 00:49:09,290 was ahead of schedule by late morning 851 00:49:09,290 --> 00:49:11,540 most of his men had reached the second 852 00:49:11,540 --> 00:49:15,350 objective the red line they've moved a 853 00:49:15,350 --> 00:49:18,730 remarkable five miles in half a day 854 00:49:18,730 --> 00:49:21,770 already some of the light whipping tanks 855 00:49:21,770 --> 00:49:24,860 had pressed on at a heady 8 miles an 856 00:49:24,860 --> 00:49:28,750 hour causing havoc behind enemy lines 857 00:49:28,750 --> 00:49:31,220 the exploits of one of these tanks 858 00:49:31,220 --> 00:49:33,680 nicknamed musical box would pass into 859 00:49:33,680 --> 00:49:38,150 legend for nine hours it ran wild 860 00:49:38,150 --> 00:49:40,570 attacking German artillery from the rear 861 00:49:40,570 --> 00:49:42,800 surprising wresting German troops and 862 00:49:42,800 --> 00:49:45,620 even ramming a truck into a stream the 863 00:49:45,620 --> 00:49:47,600 Germans peppered the tank with bullets 864 00:49:47,600 --> 00:49:50,210 they perforated fuel tanks stored on the 865 00:49:50,210 --> 00:49:52,280 roof and soon petrol was flooding down 866 00:49:52,280 --> 00:49:54,440 inside the tank the crew were forced to 867 00:49:54,440 --> 00:49:56,840 Don gas masks as they pushed on now 868 00:49:56,840 --> 00:50:00,500 ankle deep in petrol soon a German shell 869 00:50:00,500 --> 00:50:02,780 hit the tank and it burst into flames 870 00:50:02,780 --> 00:50:05,450 the three crewmen scrambled to escape 871 00:50:05,450 --> 00:50:07,220 and as they did so one of them was shot 872 00:50:07,220 --> 00:50:09,380 dead and the other two captured by the 873 00:50:09,380 --> 00:50:11,890 Germans 874 00:50:13,880 --> 00:50:16,650 the British tank drivers weren't the 875 00:50:16,650 --> 00:50:18,780 only ones to feel the heat of the German 876 00:50:18,780 --> 00:50:22,140 guns dead after noon on the southern 877 00:50:22,140 --> 00:50:24,869 banks of a river Somme Australian troops 878 00:50:24,869 --> 00:50:27,300 were taking a beating from German 879 00:50:27,300 --> 00:50:29,760 artillery firing at them from across the 880 00:50:29,760 --> 00:50:32,160 river from positions high up on Tripoli 881 00:50:32,160 --> 00:50:34,590 Ridge which the British are still 882 00:50:34,590 --> 00:50:37,790 struggling to capture 883 00:50:46,779 --> 00:50:49,309 hours after the British were supposed to 884 00:50:49,309 --> 00:50:51,739 have captured this vital sector of the 885 00:50:51,739 --> 00:50:53,869 north bank of the Somme the area was 886 00:50:53,869 --> 00:50:56,690 still in German hands every time British 887 00:50:56,690 --> 00:50:58,130 troops tried to leave the shelter of 888 00:50:58,130 --> 00:51:00,349 this wood they were cut down by German 889 00:51:00,349 --> 00:51:02,809 machine-gun and artillery fire the 890 00:51:02,809 --> 00:51:04,489 prospects for advancing any further 891 00:51:04,489 --> 00:51:06,859 looked grim and it wasn't till the next 892 00:51:06,859 --> 00:51:09,650 day that Allied troops finally managed 893 00:51:09,650 --> 00:51:15,319 to secure the north bank of the song but 894 00:51:15,319 --> 00:51:17,390 on this first day of battle August the 895 00:51:17,390 --> 00:51:19,430 8th Rawlinson's units 896 00:51:19,430 --> 00:51:21,529 south of the river Somme were pushing 897 00:51:21,529 --> 00:51:23,989 deeper and faster into German Hill 898 00:51:23,989 --> 00:51:28,400 territory than ever before to keep up 899 00:51:28,400 --> 00:51:30,710 the pace of his advance Rawlinson all of 900 00:51:30,710 --> 00:51:33,009 his horsemen to go into the front line 901 00:51:33,009 --> 00:51:36,259 two entire cavalry division's over 902 00:51:36,259 --> 00:51:37,789 20,000 horsemen 903 00:51:37,789 --> 00:51:39,650 now moved up to the front through the 904 00:51:39,650 --> 00:51:41,720 infantry to begin the attack on the 905 00:51:41,720 --> 00:51:45,670 final objective for blue line 906 00:51:54,190 --> 00:51:57,460 the cavalry surged forward easily 907 00:51:57,460 --> 00:51:59,350 outstripping the lumbering tanks that 908 00:51:59,350 --> 00:52:00,430 were supposed to provide him with 909 00:52:00,430 --> 00:52:03,220 supporting fire but once the horsemen 910 00:52:03,220 --> 00:52:05,170 left the tanks behind they found 911 00:52:05,170 --> 00:52:07,270 themselves at the mercy of German 912 00:52:07,270 --> 00:52:09,820 machine guns one group of horsemen left 913 00:52:09,820 --> 00:52:11,950 this village of bokor and ran into 914 00:52:11,950 --> 00:52:13,750 lethal fire from that wood over there 915 00:52:13,750 --> 00:52:16,720 men and horses crashed to the ground the 916 00:52:16,720 --> 00:52:21,970 surviving horses stampeded even with 917 00:52:21,970 --> 00:52:23,890 this bloodshed August the 8th would 918 00:52:23,890 --> 00:52:25,690 still be the British Cavalry's most 919 00:52:25,690 --> 00:52:27,400 successful day of fighting on the 920 00:52:27,400 --> 00:52:30,710 Western Front during the entire war 921 00:52:30,710 --> 00:52:32,540 the German line have been shattered and 922 00:52:32,540 --> 00:52:35,120 for the first time in years the cavalry 923 00:52:35,120 --> 00:52:37,160 could charge through the gaps they 924 00:52:37,160 --> 00:52:39,980 galloped east sowing chaos behind enemy 925 00:52:39,980 --> 00:52:44,440 lines and taking thousands of prisoners 926 00:52:50,870 --> 00:52:53,420 by noon it was clear that enemy 927 00:52:53,420 --> 00:52:55,790 resistance was confined to a few small 928 00:52:55,790 --> 00:52:58,580 pockets everywhere else their positions 929 00:52:58,580 --> 00:53:01,420 were collapsing 930 00:53:38,350 --> 00:53:40,820 Allied soldiers found that the German 931 00:53:40,820 --> 00:53:42,470 troops were all too willing to surrender 932 00:53:42,470 --> 00:53:43,100 to them 933 00:53:43,100 --> 00:53:45,200 in fact one lone Australian was nearly 934 00:53:45,200 --> 00:53:47,510 overwhelmed when a hundred Germans tried 935 00:53:47,510 --> 00:53:51,530 to give themselves up the once mighty 936 00:53:51,530 --> 00:53:54,110 German army was showing signs of falling 937 00:53:54,110 --> 00:53:56,500 apart 938 00:54:02,170 --> 00:54:05,230 the Germans were surrendering everywhere 939 00:54:05,230 --> 00:54:07,539 you could feel the hair breaking up on 940 00:54:07,539 --> 00:54:09,309 your spine with excitement because we 941 00:54:09,309 --> 00:54:11,440 knew it was going to be the end of the 942 00:54:11,440 --> 00:54:17,380 war goodand off lost more ground to the 943 00:54:17,380 --> 00:54:19,240 Allies on the first day of the Battle of 944 00:54:19,240 --> 00:54:22,119 a meow than almost any other day and the 945 00:54:22,119 --> 00:54:24,789 war on the Western Front but what he 946 00:54:24,789 --> 00:54:27,490 found even harder to accept was the 947 00:54:27,490 --> 00:54:29,650 entire German units had surrendered 948 00:54:29,650 --> 00:54:33,220 wholesale and the skill with which the 949 00:54:33,220 --> 00:54:35,799 British had coordinated tanks aircraft 950 00:54:35,799 --> 00:54:37,869 and artillery was beyond anything the 951 00:54:37,869 --> 00:54:41,099 Germans without capable of 952 00:54:47,720 --> 00:54:49,940 the morale and discipline that the 953 00:54:49,940 --> 00:54:52,480 German fighting machine had cracked 954 00:54:52,480 --> 00:54:55,280 Ludendorff later called August the 8th a 955 00:54:55,280 --> 00:54:57,770 blackest day for the German army in this 956 00:54:57,770 --> 00:55:00,079 war he had a nervous breakdown 957 00:55:00,079 --> 00:55:02,390 until the Kaiser the war must be brought 958 00:55:02,390 --> 00:55:09,740 to an end Rawlinson's attack went on for 959 00:55:09,740 --> 00:55:12,050 three more days then finally lost 960 00:55:12,050 --> 00:55:15,230 momentum the Battle of a miaow was over 961 00:55:15,230 --> 00:55:17,720 but it owned rowlandson a place in 962 00:55:17,720 --> 00:55:20,510 military history as the man who used new 963 00:55:20,510 --> 00:55:23,540 technology and tactics to liberate 964 00:55:23,540 --> 00:55:28,420 warfare from the tyranny of the trenches 965 00:55:36,590 --> 00:55:40,970 those few days in August 1918 turned the 966 00:55:40,970 --> 00:55:44,000 tide of the First World War after the 967 00:55:44,000 --> 00:55:46,270 Battle of am Yap the British and French 968 00:55:46,270 --> 00:55:49,430 refreshed by American troops fought on 969 00:55:49,430 --> 00:55:52,010 for another three months liberating more 970 00:55:52,010 --> 00:55:56,960 and more German held teletran at the 971 00:55:56,960 --> 00:55:59,840 start of October 1918 the Germans 972 00:55:59,840 --> 00:56:01,700 finally asked America's President 973 00:56:01,700 --> 00:56:06,290 Woodrow Wilson for an armistice early in 974 00:56:06,290 --> 00:56:08,240 the morning of November the 7th the 975 00:56:08,240 --> 00:56:11,020 supreme Allied commander marshal Fache 976 00:56:11,020 --> 00:56:14,240 arrived here by train in the forest of 977 00:56:14,240 --> 00:56:22,970 calm cane outside Paris just after 5:00 978 00:56:22,970 --> 00:56:25,880 a.m. on the 11th of November the leader 979 00:56:25,880 --> 00:56:28,490 of the German delegation signed the 980 00:56:28,490 --> 00:56:30,800 armistice document it would take effect 981 00:56:30,800 --> 00:56:34,210 at 11:00 that morning 982 00:56:39,780 --> 00:56:42,190 after more than four years of fighting 983 00:56:42,190 --> 00:56:46,630 and 15 million dead the guns were now 984 00:56:46,630 --> 00:56:49,109 sight 985 00:56:52,760 --> 00:56:56,840 a new world order emerged from the first 986 00:56:56,840 --> 00:56:57,770 world war 987 00:56:57,770 --> 00:57:00,650 a world without kaisers in Germany or 988 00:57:00,650 --> 00:57:03,890 czars in Russia a world with new systems 989 00:57:03,890 --> 00:57:06,260 of government like communism and new 990 00:57:06,260 --> 00:57:09,680 countries like Yugoslavia and Iraq and 991 00:57:09,680 --> 00:57:12,170 with it this new order brought new 992 00:57:12,170 --> 00:57:15,110 tensions and rivalries that will plague 993 00:57:15,110 --> 00:57:17,750 the world for the rest of the 20th 994 00:57:17,750 --> 00:57:20,260 century 995 00:57:30,580 --> 00:57:32,890 but the darkest legacy of the First 996 00:57:32,890 --> 00:57:34,990 World War began in a military hospital 997 00:57:34,990 --> 00:57:37,420 where a corporal in the German army was 998 00:57:37,420 --> 00:57:38,800 recovering from the effects of being 999 00:57:38,800 --> 00:57:40,210 gassed by the British 1000 00:57:40,210 --> 00:57:42,970 he was seething with resentment at what 1001 00:57:42,970 --> 00:57:44,650 he perceived as Germany's national 1002 00:57:44,650 --> 00:57:47,560 humiliation that resentment would simmer 1003 00:57:47,560 --> 00:57:50,710 away until 20 years later it ignited a 1004 00:57:50,710 --> 00:57:53,560 second great global conflict that 1005 00:57:53,560 --> 00:57:56,170 corporals name was Adolf Hitler and he 1006 00:57:56,170 --> 00:57:57,820 would never forget the experience of 1007 00:57:57,820 --> 00:58:00,660 1918 1008 00:58:22,180 --> 00:58:25,520 next time in 1942 1009 00:58:25,520 --> 00:58:27,830 these Pacific Islands were at the heart 1010 00:58:27,830 --> 00:58:30,490 of a battle between America and Japan 1011 00:58:30,490 --> 00:58:33,170 I'll be looking at how a new form of 1012 00:58:33,170 --> 00:58:36,530 warfare at sea demanded split-second 1013 00:58:36,530 --> 00:58:38,990 decisions from the commanders and I'll 1014 00:58:38,990 --> 00:58:40,640 be revealing the risks taken by 1015 00:58:40,640 --> 00:58:43,010 servicemen and learning the skills they 1016 00:58:43,010 --> 00:58:47,570 needed to survive this titanic struggle 1017 00:58:47,570 --> 00:58:51,500 took place over just one day it was the 1018 00:58:51,500 --> 00:00:00,000 Battle of Midway