Prelude to War - Hitler's Countdown To War - S01 EP01 - History Documentary

on the 12th of March 1938 the  strangest invasion in history begins German tanks roll across the border into Austria they're welcomed by smiling civilians  who greet the German furer Adolf Hitler as a   hero [Music] this is the moment when  the countdown to the second world war begins the decisions and actions Hitler takes  over the next 18 months will drag the world to   war without him there would be no second world war  no Holocaust no senseless killing of millions of people to understand how it happened we  need to understand him in this series   we're telling the story of these 18  months from the 12th of March 1938   to the 3rd of September 1939 Through The  Eyes of Hitler himself revealing how this   bully Gambler and Arch manipulator  brought the world to the edge of [Music] Destruction it's a brutally cold morning and you might imagine  this would discourage people from coming onto the   streets but it doesn't the streets are just  lined with thousands upon thousands of people   celebrating they're throwing flowers They're  rapturous in excitement that Hitler and his troops   are here it's more like a Victory Parade than an  invasion Hitler is more like a movie star than a politician the crowds are so thick it takes 4 hours for   Hitler's driver to complete the 74 mile  Journey to lince the town where he grew up Hitler is Austrian by birth this is a true homecoming Hitler receives a fantastic welcome  in LMS the church bells are ringing and he's   standing in his car waving and smiling and giving  the hit the salute this is one of the moments in   Hitler's career where he really shows emotion  he normally kind of internalizes everything   and keeps an iron face at all times but at this  moment the tears are running down his cheeks so   happy is he to see the response from the people  of [Music] Lin on the balcony of the Town Hall   he tells the assembled crowd that Providence  has chosen him to unite Austria and Germany   he believes that this is his dream fulfilled  this is his desire and he feels that this is   everything that he's worked towards throughout  his career for Hitler this is the realization of   a long-standing ambition he's been planning  this ever since he came to power in January 1933 Hitler has expansionist ideas he wants to  build a new Fatherland he wants to build a new   Germany one of Hitler's key aims has always  been the creation of a greater German Reich   an ethnically pure Empire that would eventually  extend across Central and Eastern Europe Hitler   doesn't just want Austria Czechoslovakia  Poland and even the Soviet Union are all   in his sights Austria is the obvious  place for Hitler to begin Germans and   austrians are linked by Language by culture  someone argue by ethnicity there's been this   longstanding desire to unite Austria  and Germany which is why they're so [Music] welcoming the next day Hitler attends to some  person business he visits his parents grave   and takes the advantage of a useful photograph  opportunity he never never foros an opportunity   for a good photo and this one going back to  his homeland his place of his birth the grave   of his parents this is obviously a wonderful photo  opportunity and Hitler is not going to miss out on that while he's in Lind he signs the  reunification of Germany and Austria   now this is a myth Germany and Austria have  never been United before but Hitler claims   that this is a reunion he is restoring  the racial Union the national Union of   the German speaking peoples and this is  a classic example of Hitler manipulating   history to serve his present agenda Austria  is now a province of Germany ruled by Hitler [Music] business complete it's back to the  victory tour next stop is the Austrian Capital   where the reception is even more euphoric  when he actually gets into the main Square   the so-call heroes Square ironically speaking  there are 200,000 austrians and when Hitler   goes out on of the balcony of the Hotel Imperial  he's met by this incredibly enthusiastic crowd   that keeps cheering and keeps forcing  him to come out and acknowledge their cheers Hitler is thrilled and delighted but  his Triumph tastes that much sweeter because   when he was last in vien he was a nobody  ignored by his fellow [Applause] [Music] countrymen Hitler's at his lowest e he's been  reduced to sleeping on park benches begging   Hitler is 20 years old he's been in Vienna  for 2 years [Music] he comes to the capital   with the idea of pursuing an artistic career he  tries to enroll in the School of Fine Arts but   he's rejected Hitler has a self-inflated view  of his own talents but really he doesn't put   in the hard graft to actually do the work to  achieve his dreams he's rather lazy and this   is something we'll see later in his career  as well so there's kind of almost a sense   of not really seeing this through through  to the end and not much sort of sense of purpose he admits that during his time  in Vienna this was the lowest period   of my life and it really was you know  imagine Him Lonely isolated he's got   no friends he feels embittered this  life on the streets certainly isn't   the life of a claim Hitler's dreamed of  he sees himself as a big man a [Music] hero and today in March 1938 Hitler's youthful  fantasies have finally become a glorious reality   this is the greatest day of his entire life  here he is back in Vienna where he's been at   his lowest point he's turned his life around  he's now the fer of the Greater German right   and when he stands on the balcony at the  Imperial Hotel it's a watershed moment for   Hitler because he suddenly starts to really  believe in his own genius might have been   slightly in check beforehand but it's certainly  not now it's completely Unleashed Hitler now   thinks he's Unstoppable Austria is just the  beginning and he's already plotting his next move while Hitler stands on the balcony of the  Hotel Imperial soaking up the agulation of the   Austrian people elsewhere in Vienna violence  is spreading through the streets pretty much as   Hitler arrives in Vienna there's an outbreak of  anti-Semitic violence Jewish shops are targeted   cars are wrecked and Jewish people are beaten  in the streets and also forced to scrub the   streets on their hands and knees anti-Semitism  has a very long history in Austria but Hitler's   arrival legitimizes violence on the streets  and the humiliation of the Jews as well Hitler   is known as an anti-semite anti-Semitism is  a big part of Nazi ideology Hitler has long   blamed the Jewish population for Germany's  ills he believes that the German Empire   should be pure and untainted by the Jewish  population the violence on the streets of   Vienna is a Savage reminder of the darkness  that lies at the heart of Hitler's [Music] beliefs on the morning of the 16th of March Hitler  flies back to Berlin he's greeted by more cheering   crowds everybody in Berlin seems to be out in  the streets to yell Delight as Hitler returns to   the capital this is an extraordinary outpouring  of love that most politicians can only dream of   Hitler's very popular with the German people  because he's seen as having restored Germany   to its former greatness not only domestically  but internationally [Music] too you have to   continually remind yourself of the truly pitiful  state that Germany found herself in firstly after   the first world war and secondly after the  effects of the Great Depression when Hitler   comes to power in 1933 Germany's in economic  Despair and he promises to make Germany great   again and he does that Hitler has delivered an  economic Miracle he's basically returned Germany   to almost full employment he's got the economic  system going again he's built the Auto Barn he's   managed fund lots of public initiatives and rearm  Germany but he's also given the Germans back their   self-respect on a world stage and this bloodless  coup by attaching Austria to Germany is really a   wonderful moment for the Germans and a chance for  them to be proud about themselves again suddenly   Hitler looks like The Shining Star the perfect  embodiment even god-given embodiment of the new J Germany by 1938 Hitler Mania absolutely has  taken hold of Germany you know people are   just sort of thinking my God you know he's  a new Messiah I think in terms of politics   you've got to say that Hitler is the first  political Rockstar you have Hitler cakes   you have Hitler roses you have cafes shops  restaurants being named after [Music] Hitler   they are even spending a lot of money and time  to go in droves to Bea's Garden which was his   holiday retreat in the Bavarian Alps in the  hope of just catching a a little glimpse of Hitler it's hardly surprising  that on this cold March day in   Berlin Hitler feels all powerful in  his mind he can now do anything he wants 3 Days Later Hitler is in the Splendor of his  HQ the Reich chancell in Berlin he's pouring   over maps of Europe with his right-hand man and  propaganda Chief Joseph Geral one of the great   ironies about the leading nazist is that none of  them look like the Aran stereotype Hitler looks   nothing like the Arian ideal that he talks  about the blonde blue wide strong muscular   ideal specimen of the Aryan male he's relatively  short about 5'9 he has brown hair he's not exactly   muscular he's in fact quite doughy featured  Joseph Geral is similarly an Arian Geral is a   rather sort of small figure he's got a club foot  and any kind of deformity is very much frowned   upon in Nazi ideology but he has in abundance  is an extraordinary talent for PR and spin I   mean he is the original spin doctor now Hitler's  got something important he wants to discuss with   geres Hitler explains to him that the next item on  the agenda is the Sudan land the Sudan land is the   Western Southwestern and Northwestern Fringe of  Czechoslovakia which comprises approximately 3 and   a quar million ethnic Germans the sedan Germans  feel oppressed by the Cs and they desperately   desire to be unified with Germany Hitler's all too  happy to oblige but he tells Geral he's eyeing up   more than just the sedan land in private Hitler  has much more far-reaching aims and Ambitions   and in fact what he really wants is the whole of  Czechoslovakia and nothing less he thinks that   Czech back here is a great gateway to the east  it also contains Rich minerals and armaments that   Hitler Fields will benefit the Greater German  Reich Hitler doesn't set a date for an attack   but he's determined to take Czechoslovakia  this year and if he has to use Force to get   it that's what he'll do Hitler's not afraid  of war war has made him the man he is [Music] Hitler is marching with his regiment through  a forest in the Belgian Countryside he's about   to experience his first time in combat as  a soldier in the first world war Hitler's   regimen is tasked with capturing a series  of farms held by the British the German Army   charge on the farmhouses and Hitler sees  his comrades fall around him being gunned   and being shelled he himself manages to get  through this into a trench he's fighting hand   to hand with the British a bullet rips  through Hitler's sleeve but he remains undeterred this experience while it's shocking  at the same time it's incredibly exhilarating   and most importantly he survives it this moment  changes Adolf Hitler's life his wartime experience   transforms his character and beliefs it fuels  his nationalism and patriotism it gives him a   sense of fulfillment but at the same time he  becomes indifferent to human suffering but   there's also a sense an absolute conviction in  him that war is the solution to most countries   and races problems their belief that the strongest  and the fittest Will Survive and the weakest don't   deserve to survive for Hitler War becomes  a glorious ideal and something to Aspire [Music] to so 20 years later Hitler's more than  ready to launch Another War to get his   hands on Czechoslovakia he moves onto  the next stage in his plan in Berlin   he's holding a critical meeting with  a leader of the sedan German party of Czechoslovakia Conrad Henline is a rather  unprepossessing figure is a a spectacled   former school teacher but he's very ruthless in  his advocacy for the state and German cause and   he's utterly committed to ners what Hitler wants  hen to do is to request the Czech government to   give the Sudan Germans full Independence in the  hope that the Czech government will actually   refuse and that then he would have an opportunity  to have his war and really to take over the whole   of Czechoslovakia Hitler's using Henline because  he's Keen not to look like the aggressor Hitler on   the public stage says that he's a man of Peace he  doesn't want any future War Hitler knows he has to   play a careful game Hitler doesn't want to provoke  Britain and France certainly not until he's ready   he knows he can take on the checks in battle but  not the military power of the British and the   French too Hitler can be reasonably sure however  by this point that Britain and France won't   intervene he knows Britain and France don't want  a war so it's in their interest not to respond   on militarily to Germany's increasingly aggressive  position so he's treading a careful line of giving   the Public Image that he wants to yet in reality  he wants this war and he wants Germany to expand   more and more and more Hitler is kind of Dr Jackal  and Mr Hyde and what we're getting between 1933   and 38 is Dr Jackal it's the nice Hitler it's  the accommodating Hitler but what we get from   then onwards we get the real Hitler we get Mr  Hyde and Hitler's Mr Hyde is about to be [Music] Unleashed Friday the 20th of May 1938 is a  beautiful day and Hitler is at the burkhoff   at bur's Garden this is his picturesque holiday  home perched high in the Bavarian mountains but   a telegram arrives that shatters the peace news  arrives that the checks are mobilizing as they've   been spooked by reports that Germany is preparing  to invade Hitler is completely taken by surprise   yes he is planning an invasion but later in the  year he's not planning it now and in fact those   reports of German troop movements were false  but the British and French don't know this and   they're not happy with Hitler Britain and France  send a message to Hitler saying that if there is   any German aggression towards Czechoslovakia that  they will get involved and the result of all of   this is that Hitler begins to row back little  bit by assuring both the British and the French   that there will not be an invasion the cchs are  obviously ready to fight if their land is invaded   But at the present time it seems as if wise  Council will prevail and this Pleasant Country be   spared the horror of war the situation is calmed  but in the following days Hitler's infuriated by   International press reports suggesting he's backed  down under pressure from the Western powers Hitler   is absolutely Furious that he's been made to look  weak that Germany has been made to look weak it's   incredibly humiliating for him and this is not  a feeling that Hitler likes at all and you could   trace this of course all the way back to his lower  middle class Roots Adolf Hitler is not part of the   German upper class nor is he part of the German  officer class he never reached um a commissioned   rank he was a non-commission corpal and everybody  knew that he was a non-commission corpal Hitler is   very insecure in particular in his relations with  other International leaders who tend to be from   a better educated more middle class background  than Hitler the humiliation makes Hitler even   more determined to invade Czechoslovakia and take  the sedan land and Beyond he'll show them who's in charge on the 28th of May Hitler assembles  his generals and tells them that it is now   his unalterable will to smash the Czech Nation by  force of arms and that they must prepare military   plans but some of his generals are not happy  ludvic Beck is the chief of the German general   staff he's a man of integrity and old style  General you might say what he doesn't want   to do is get embed in a big war that Germany  can't win and he feels that Britain and France   might well come in on the Czechoslovakian side  and it'll end to um a second world war which   Germany will ultimately lose one of the things  that Beck does to try and dissuade Hitler is   by appealing to his immediate Superior Walter Von  britz who was the commander-in-chief of the German   Army Beck tries to persuade Von britz to dissuade  Hitler from taking a step which he believes would   be calamitous to Germany and he equally tries to  persuade the other German generals to resign with him after two months of Beck briefing against him  Hitler's had enough and summons Beck's boss britz   to the berhoff Brits is a very different man he's  nowhere near as strong morally as Beck he's very   much under the shade of Hitler he's slightly  intimidated by Hitler and he is not willing to   stand up to him Hitler is furious he's Furious  about what Beck suggested and stirring things   up against his plan and he tells braich to get rid  of him so violent is this confrontation that there   are some people on the patio outside listening to  it and they're so embarrassed they go indoors what   you see here is some something of a typical tactic  for Hitler to lose his rag in public situations   and use that sense of social embarrassment and  humiliation to maneuver people today the bullying   Works once again Beck resigns the Army is now  firmly under Hitler's control and is on war footing problem dealt with Hitler settles down to some  relaxation at the berhoff he's a creature of   habit and today is very much like every other  Hitler wakes late at the berhoff he even refuses   to allow his guests to have baths in the morning  because the very noisy water pipes run past his   bedroom and he doesn't want to be woken up he has  a rather sweet to so the breakfast will be milk   and biscuits and perhaps some chocolate before  attending meetings in the Great Hall between   11 and 2:00 in the afternoon at lunchtime him  and his guests sit around the dinner table you   can tell who's in Hitler's favor because he  has his favorite sitting opposite him to his   left and to his right Hitler's a vegetarian so  he'll just have a plate of vegetables for lunch   during the course of lunch he often tends to  or his guest with diet tribes on how brilliant   a vegetarian diet is more meetings follow in  the afternoon followed by a trip to the tea   house where he has hot chocolate and apple cake  and then he's driven back to the berhoff whilst   the others have to walk dinner will be at 8:30  followed by a film night now Hitler's a real   movie buff he absolutely loves Classics such as  King Kong but also he loves Disney cartoons as   as well girles has made a gift to him of several  Mickey Mouse films which he seems to enjoy after   they've watched a movie Hitler and his guests  sit by the fireplace where Hitler talks about   his favorite subject himself he basically gives  a lecture to whoever his unfortunate guests are   for hours at a time and most of them are very  relieved when they can finally go to [Music] bed but this period of relaxation doesn't last  two days later on the 2nd of September Hitler's   joined at the berhoff by the leader of the  sedan Germans Conrad Henline throughout that   summer Hitler has been pulling henin's strings  instructing him to make increasingly impossible   demands of the czechoslovak government but  shortly after hline arrives news comes which   confounds Hitler and delights Henline this is  the surprising news that the Czech government   will give self-rule to the Sudan Germans as  long as they remain part of the czechoslovak   state Henline is amazed flabbergasted  he's absolutely surprised to have got   what he's asked for and he says they've given  us everything Henline thinks they've won but   this isn't what Hitler wants Hitler's not  interested in compromise or negotiations   he doesn't even just want the Sudan land he  wants the whole of Czechoslovakia Hitler tells   Henline to reject the Czechs offer and exclaims  Long Live War even if it lasts 2 to 8 [Music] years the very next day Hitler summons his  generals to the berhoff Hitler tells his   generals to set the first of October as the date  of the invasion but Hitler knows he still needs   to spin events so that it looks like he has no  choice but to invade that he's been provoked by   the Czech government's intolerable behavior  in just a week's time he has the perfect opportunity Hitler's on his way to nurburg for  the most important days in the Nazi calendar the   nurenberg rallies are an annual celebration of  the Nazi party attended by Nazi Party members   government officials the military and usually  this takes the form of a large parade the numo   rallies are a demonstration of power not  only to the German people but also to the   world that this is a new Germany a Germany  that is strong a Germany that will not be   defeated it is pure megalomaniac theater Hitler  understands the power of political theater he   knows that his Public Image is all important  he's been perfecting it right from the [Music] start Hitler is reluctantly on his way to the  Munich Studio of a local photographer for the   first time in his political career  he's going to allow himself to be photographed Hiller decides to be photographed by  hinr Hoffman so just by one photographer who he   knows who he trusts and indeed who he can control  it's the beginning of a successful relationship   that will mold Hitler's public Persona Hoffman  tries to dress him in various clothes he tries   him in a lader hosen and that doesn't really  work out so they settle on Hitler suits which   create a very powerful image and they also look  at the gesticulations and the various forms of   mannerism that Hitler's got and they try and weed  out those that are too overblown or too [Music] ridiculous what we end up with is  a stiff posture his arms folded his   brows knitted his lips pressed thin and  that signature neatly trimmed [Music] mustache 15 years later Hitler has perfected  His Image as the savior of Germany a man of   the people who's also a Visionary genius this  year's nurburg rally gives Hitler the perfect showcase 1938 since the biggest nurburg rally  yet six days of celebrations parades Jubilation   in the street and everybody's looking forward  to Hitler's speech Hitler's public speaking   technique has been honed over many  years so it's really fine-tuned by 1938 he starts first of all by saying [Music] nothing he'll begin quietly almost  getting the audience to lean into   what he's [Music] saying then builds in Rhythm  and Pitch becoming increasingly passionate and agitated until he's flailing his arms around and shouting sweat's pouring off him you  know he's almost in a Messianic trance   he's got to this Crescendo where he  delivers his final points come and   then he kind of slumps and it's not just an  act actually he's physically and mentally exhausted and this has a fantastic effect on   audiences they Swoon some people  even faint and they cry with [Music] passion in his final speech of the  rally Hitler addresses the sedan problem he   works himself into an absolute Fury about what are  essentially imagined atrocities being committed   by the Czechs against the German minority in  Czechoslovakia he claims that they are trying   to wipe them out annihilate them he hurls insults  at the czechoslovak president and tells the German   people that he will have the Sudan Land by the  1st of October Hitler's a past Master at stiring   people up and with these words he deliberately  throws a grenade into the parts of the sedan land the next day the germane speaking people  in the sedan land rise up attacking police   stations rioting on the streets asking  for their savior to rescue them from persecution czechoslovak government responds  by imposing martial law in the region and   10 sting Germans are actually killed events  are unfolding exactly as Hitler has planned   he claims the Czechs are terrorizing the German  minority now he has the excuse he's been looking for Europe is now on high alert as Hitler  stirs up the crisis in Czechoslovakia in   a bid to diffuse a situation the British prime  minister Neville Chamberlain makes an unusual   request he sends word to Hitler asking if he can  come and visit him in person for the first time   Neville Chamberlain is the quintessential English  gentleman very refined always with his umbrella   very immaculately dressed very cautious careful  of his words Neville Chamberlain is desperate   to avoid war at any price World War I was meant  to be the war that ended all wars and the trauma   and impact of the first world war is still  in the minds of the British government and people this is not an age When leaders jump on  and off airplanes to confer with each other and   if he is to avert what seems like an inexorable  drift towards War what is required is something   totally out of the ordinary and taking his first  flight across Europe to intercede with Hitler   is that sort of dramatic gesture my policy has  always been try to ensure peace and the fearers   ready acceptance of my suggestion encourages  me to Hope my visit to him will not be without result Chamberlain flies to Munich and travels  by train to bur's Garden the whole journey to   bur's garden they're on a parallel track are  trains full of guns and tanks and Military   Rolling Stock reminding Chamberlain that  Nazi Germany is now a really powerful milit Nation Chamberlain meets with Hitler at  the berhoff shortly after 5:00 p.m. it's   pouring with rain and the sky is dark a  storm is brewing and Hitler's Behavior   matches the [Music] [Applause] weather the meeting  between Hitler and Neville Chamberlain is almost   Monty pythonesque we have Hitler aray made in  a military uniform with his medals perspiring   with vexation Neville Chamberlain attempting to  be cool with a kind of British Reserve Hitler's   in a very bullish mood he begins by completely  exaggerating the number of sedan fatality saying   300 have been killed and as a result of this  Germany is determined to do something about it   it's not going to stand idly by he's effectively  threatening Invasion and Chamberlain is aasted   he looks at Hitler and Chamberlain is not afraid  of anyone he says why have you brought me here if   that was what you wanted he said a settlement  of this matter by force you should never have   brought me here you've brought me here under false  pretenses and Hitler begins to calm down and grit   says to Chamberlain that he only actually wants  SED Daton land territory Hitler says out of great   respect to you if you are prepared to persuade  the czechoslovaks that the Sudan Germans should   be allowed to be independent or join with the  Reich if they wish then I am prepared to go along   the route of peace and Chamberlain's response is  well I'll take it to the allies and my government   and see what comes of it and so that's the end  of the first meeting at the berhoff no sooner   has Chamberlain left the room than Hitler claps  his hands together in Delight it was all an act   Hitler's a very good actor and indeed a very good  manipulator he's able to change his mood at whim   to give the kind of impression that he wants to  he can become a bully if he needs to become a   bully he can not be a bully when he wants to be  he's more of a kind of sociopath really he knows   exactly what he's doing Hitler believes he's  played a Blinder he tells the assembled company   that he has backed this dried up civilian into a  corner he thinks that if the British are willing   to allow the Stan land to seed from the rest of  Czechoslovakia then obviously the Czech government   are going to refuse that and that gives him his  excuse to invade so he thinks he's got it all sewn up but Chamberlain doesn't fall into Hitler's  trap instead he pulls the rug out from under [Music] him 6 days after the meeting Hitler's back in  Berlin he hears news he hasn't been expecting   the British and French government rather call  Hitler's Bluff at this point by convincing the   czechoslovak government to seed the Sudan land  to Hitler of course this is not what Hitler wants   Hitler doesn't want just the Sudan land what he  wants is the whole of Czechoslovakia so Hitler   presents Chamberlain with even more demands the  Czechs must leave the sedan land immediately   German troops will go in on the 1st of October  war with Britain and France now seems closer than ever with just 5 days to  go to the planned Invasion   Hitler gives a speech at the Berlin  sport palast in front of a crowd of 20,000 he Rants and Raves he's described as  shrieking like a banshee he says that if the   British and French don't agree then then they  can have War people describe him as almost losing control this is an unusual instance  of where his true self is shown he's   very good at hiding his true self what he  really wants the mass slips briefly but it   slips enough for those who are watching  to realize the true essence of Hitler around noon the next day Chamberlain's  advisor Horus Wilson visits Hitler in   the Reich chancell Horus Wilson brings  a message to Hitler that the Czechs have   rejected his terms that they will hand  over the Sudan land but he must renounce   the use of violence Hitler refuses and  Wilson counteracts that by saying that if   Hitler does not stand down that Britain  and and France will come to the aid of Czechoslovakia this news stops Hitler in his  tracks Hitler's really surprised by this because   he just doesn't believe that Britain and France  would do that he thinks that Britain and France   won't risk a general War but nevertheless this  warning does unnerve him to a certain extent   I think it's possible to see that this is a  moment where doubts begin to enter his mind   Hitler has a choice back down or invade and risk  dragging Britain and France into a devastating   war with Germany the world holds its breath  as Hitler decides whether to throw the dice or not next time Hitler's confidence  grows as he plots The Next Step   stage of his master plan for the  first time he's actually talking in   terms of War and the Jews in the same  breath and edges the world closer to [Music] [Music] disaster [Music]

Channel: Banijay History

Views: 521,036

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Id: pIo0VzCSi6k

Length: 44min 46sec (2686 seconds)

Published: Wed Jan 31 2024