Divide and Conquer (1943)

[Music] e [Music] [Applause] [Music] the [Music] [Applause] [Music] six years of hard training and actual battle experience in Spain and Poland had made the German army look [Music] Invincible but what about the British and French first let's take up the British they started from scratch but both at home and abroad an army was growing for not only Britain had declared war Canada Australia New Zealand South Africa the whole British Commonwealth of Nations was also determined on victory over hitlerism and all it stands for and Britain had one weapon that was ready the Royal Navy shortly after war was declared it had swept German shipping from the high [Music] seas and units of the British Fleet were deployed at Suz Malta jalter in the channel and in the North Sea blockading Germany World Conquest was impossible without running smack up against The Rock called Britain how to strike at that little island that was the question between Britain and Germany stood not only France but the little countries of Luxembourg Belgium Holland Denmark Norway and Sweden the people of these small neutral countries were peaceful hardworking and free they knew they were in the middle and feared violation of their neutrality Hitler knew this he also knew that if they United with the Allies they would form a solid Democratic wall against Nazi aggression and their Conquest would be far more difficult so before striking with his armies he used another weapon the propaganda barrage to confuse to make them lose Faith to divide and conquer to low the fears of the little neutrals propaganda minister Geral told them Germany didn't want a war at all it was Britain and France that caused all the trouble then it was Hitler's turn in a speech on October 6th 1939 he made them all kinds of specific Promises to the Danes he said we' have concluded a non-aggression pack with Denmark to the Norwegians he said Germany never had any conflict with the northern states and has none today to the Dutch he said the new Reich has endeavored to continue the traditional friendship with how and to the belgians he announced the Reich has put forth no claim which might in any way be regarded as a threat to Belgium and while Hitler was making these promises his generals were cold-bloodedly picking out the first victim Norway and why did they pick Norway it's many steep Inlet or fjords would make excellent ubo bases from which Raiders could prey on British supply lines also it would give the Nazis vital air bases this is stapa flow British Naval base and this the blockade Fleet at this time the German base bombers couldn't reach them possession of bases on Norway's western shore would bring these vital British defenses under easy bomber attack but he couldn't take Norway without also taking tiny Denmark the springboard for his attack so at dawn on April 9th [Music] 1940 the German Army rolled across the neutral borders of little Denmark and in a matter of hours it occupied the entire country by Nightfall Denmark is erased as a nation and the Danes go into slavery although only 6 months before Hitler had announced we have concluded a non-aggression PCT with Denmark the Danes will not forget meanwhile in Norway peaceful-looking German Merchant ships like these that sneaked inside Norway's neutral Waterway and tied up at all principal ports that is they looked like Merchant ships but if the Norwegians had had x-ray eyes this is what they would have seen the Trojan Horse of ancient Greece brought up to date with new and deadlier weapons at the precise moment that the Nazis overran Denmark These Quiet looking ships sprang to [Music] life at the same time Nazi warships discovered along the entire coastline started steaming up the Norwegian fjords ships transports tanks men planes all flung themselves simultaneously upon a defenseless country Airborne infantry seized every strategic Norwegian airport the whole job was made easier by treacherous fifth columnists led by Major quisling who seized power and issued orders to suppress resistance Nazi warship steamed past silent guns that could have blasted them out of the water this was one of the most amazing acts of treachery the world has ever known it brought major quisling International Fame making his very name synonymous with the word traitor by the afternoon of April 9th the Germans were in complete control of all seven ports where they had landed in the [Music] morning [Music] for the first time in more than 200 years the people of Norway saw an invading Army parading through their cities many of these Nazi soldiers strutting as conquerors in 1940 had last seen Norway some 20 years earlier when as Refugee German children they had been raised and cared for by kind Norwegians now these same Germans were back to repay that kindness with Terror and destruction once they had occupied the capital the nais quickly fanned out in all directions but loyal Norwegian troops stopped one German column between hear and ala so the Germans brought up their [Music] bombers the Norwegians were forced to flee to the north under constant none of opposed Air Attack it was here that Captain Robert Lo an American Military atese was killed the first American Soldier to lose his life in this war meanwhile the Nazis had spread all over the country small patrols occupied every strategic Village parachute troops landed high in the [Music] mountains unopposed bombing raid sent defenseless civilians fleeing in Stark [Music] [Music] Terror they hadn't wanted War they had done everything to avoid it hoping they could escape the Nazi Scourge they had compromised and tragically failed to unite with the other democracies and now they faced The Scourge defenseless and alone for before the Allies could come to their aid the Germans were in control of all principal ports regardless of this British French and polish contingents plunged in and made several Landings along the Norwegian Coast they landed forces north and south of Trondheim and attempted an encircling movement on the city under constant heavy and almost entirely unopposed Air Attack while the scene of action was out of range of British fighter planes so they brought up aircraft carriers but these are at a disadvantage when apposed by landbased planes the Allies therefore were badly battered from the air finally suffering heavy losses they withdrew from a hopeless situation further to the north at nvic they met with better success inflicting heavy Naval losses on the Nazis they made Landings and held the town for nearly 2 [Music] months incidentally they also took their first prisoners of the present [Music] War again the Nazis overwhelming air superiority proved a deciding [Music] factor and the Allies were forced to withdraw under terrific air [Music] bombardment [Music] you loyal Norwegians were left with their quislings they're ruined they're dead even though 6 months before Hitler had said Germany never had any conflict with the northern states and has none today the Norwegians will not forget and Hitler Hitler had another Victory h hijack two more countries the world wondered and sometimes marveled at this man's efficiency gangster Dillinger was efficient [Music] too when a man or a nation throws away all regard for the laws of God and man he is bound at first to be more efficient than his victims Society had a police force to deal with Gangster Dillinger but it had no police forced to deal with Gangster Hitler so he clubbed Norway into submission and got what he wanted bases for use against Britain now he had the northern claw of an enormous pincer movement a drive through France would give him the southern claw blockade by OTS coupled with mass bombing attacks would weaken the British for final Invasion then with Britain gone Germany could reach out in all directions for World Conquest his next move must obviously be through France to get his Southern claw through France how was she to face the [Music] onslaught these scenes are ancient history they occurred in 1914 the German armies without warning had smashed across neutral Belgium invaded France reached the river M only a few miles from Paris out of the French Capital poured the French reserves riding out to battle the enemy in every vehicle that could move the famous taxic cab Army note well it was riding out two battle in the center of the French line stood the ninth French army commanded by a then comparatively unknown General on September 5th 1914 he is reputed to have said my right is driven in my Center is giving way the situation is is excellent I [Music] attack he did it attack the German Onslaught was checked and Paris was saved that comparatively unknown General later became Commander in Chief of all the Allied armies and presided the signing of the Armistice with the defeated Germans on November 11th 1918 to this General the French people erected a monument to Marshall Ferdinand fos whose motto was attack always attack still later the war weary French people erected another Monument this one to a minister of War Andre maano between the ideas symbolized by these two statues May well lie the military story of the fall of a great nation in fha's time the proud Spirit of France demanded nothing less than Victory and placed its faith in the attack in Mao's time the spirit no longer proud asked only to avoid defeat and placed its faith in concrete so the French built the mighty chain of fortresses called the maano line these tremendous bastions were built deep into the French land they were connected by underground passages and Railways guarding France's Eastern borders facing Germany and when France was finally forced to declare war against the rising Nazi Menace the French troops instead of attacking were marched into their modern caves to wait for the Nazi Blitz to smash itself against the maano line and their generals headed by Marshall P proudly announced whoever makes the first move in this war will be hurt but Hitler didn't go near the majino line that was France's strong point instead he attacked the weak point Hitler knew that the French had tried to avoid war instead of preparing for it that knowledge was one of his greatest weapons he knew they had planes but he knew they were Antiquated he knew they had tanks but he knew they were few in number and lightly armored but most important of all he knew that France had become a cynical and disillusioned Nation what made this change in the French spirit in the first place between 1914 and 1918 the French suffered more than 6 million casualties in the heroic defense of their land against German invasion the flower of an entire generation was lost with its stimulus of New Blood new determination new ideals secondly the failure of the League of Nations to which the French had pinned their hopes of Peace the corruption of many in high places the greed of special interests all it combined to shake the faith of the French people in their democratic ideals and when a people loses its faith in its own ideals it is right for the Insidious words of the devil France still looked like an imposing Castle but Hitler's political termites had so gnawed away the bind of national Unity that the castle was ready to crumble and during those months of military inactivity that we call the phony War a ceaseless barrage of German propaganda crossed the Still Waters of the Rind to affect the soldiers in the Mao line why do you fight asked the banners poems and friendly notes were sent over by balloons French Tunes were played by German bands and German hoie was broadcast in [Music] French British will fight to the last drop of French blood you have been deceived this is an imperialistic War for Britain we Germans want nothing of France what is happening to your wives back home Soldiers the British are stationed in your Villages yes France was ready to be plucked the whole force of the Matzi might was turned toward the west how would they strike this time through alass La rain as in 1870 through the low countries as in 1914 what was the 1940 model Conquest the French considered the magino line utterly impregnable and therefore believed the Germans would again try to swing through the low countries as in 1914 but even after Hitler's rape of Scandinavia Holland and Belgium hoping against hope still clung to their neutrality so the French Mass 78 divisions here along the border of Belgium 17 were in The Mao line 10 divisions here in case melini got bold 3 and A2 was a safeguard against Spain the British had 10 divisions here the Allied strategy in the event of an attack against the low countries was to swing their armies like a gate into Belgium the hinge being the North End Of The majino Line this all important hinge was protected by the forest of the Arden a hilly and thickly wooded area honeycombed with streams its roads narrow Trails its bridges too weak for military vehicles French strategists estimated The Forest of the Arden impossible for armored forces as you will see this was one of the costliest estimates in all military history that was the situation on May 9th 1940 [Music] the hour of trial had [Music] come the people of the democracies prayed for strength to meet the coming hurricane of [Music] Terror [Music] while across the [Applause] r a Delirious Madness possessed the [Applause] germination [Music] [Applause] for their tag had come [Music] [Music] a without even bothering to declare war the German armies launched a coordinated attack across the neutral borders of Luxembourg Belgium and Holland from the maano Line North to the Sea the action along the entire front was simultaneous so for purposes of clarity let's take up one country at a time first let's see what happened in [Music] Holland [Music] [Music] Mai Ground Forces smashed through the improvised and hly erected border defenses but the main attack was to come from the air far behind the defense [Music] lines [Music] over 10,000 troops were landed in this manner before the stunned citizens of reram even knew they were at War these troops aided by well-trained Fifth columnists quickly captured the airport and outlying sections of the [Music] city meantime Nazi armored columns were racing across the country their progress speeded by other fifth columnists who prevented the destruction of vital dikes and bridges these forces affected a meeting with the parachutists landed in reran the Dutch were doomed to defeat on the fourth day of the invasion the Nazis gave the Dutch General an ultimatum all Dutch resistance M or reram will be bombed flat