1 00:00:01,544 --> 00:00:03,168 - [narrator] previously on "the titans that built america," 2 00:00:05,131 --> 00:00:08,465 a car rivalry has turned into a skyscraper war. 3 00:00:08,551 --> 00:00:10,342 - So we'll be four feet taller. 4 00:00:10,386 --> 00:00:11,844 Chrysler could stick an umbrella on top 5 00:00:11,887 --> 00:00:13,345 and say he's taller. 6 00:00:13,389 --> 00:00:14,972 - [narrator] but the depression has threatened to destroy 7 00:00:15,057 --> 00:00:16,348 their proudest achievements. 8 00:00:16,434 --> 00:00:18,142 - Mr. Morgan, what's happening?! 9 00:00:19,061 --> 00:00:20,060 - The worst is over. 10 00:00:20,146 --> 00:00:21,437 Everything's gonna be okay. 11 00:00:21,522 --> 00:00:23,022 - I'm shutting ford aviation down. 12 00:00:23,107 --> 00:00:24,231 - But we have orders! 13 00:00:24,316 --> 00:00:25,024 Could be huge! 14 00:00:25,109 --> 00:00:27,109 - Edsel, it's over. 15 00:00:27,445 --> 00:00:28,944 - [narrator] president roosevelt 16 00:00:29,030 --> 00:00:33,032 works to build back the nation, commissioning the hoover dam 17 00:00:33,075 --> 00:00:35,534 and systematically attacking the titans. 18 00:00:35,578 --> 00:00:38,370 - Did you manipulate the stock market for your own gains? 19 00:00:38,414 --> 00:00:39,204 - Yes; no. 20 00:00:40,416 --> 00:00:42,374 - William boeing? - What's this? 21 00:00:42,418 --> 00:00:44,501 - [narrator] turning them into bitter enemies. 22 00:00:44,587 --> 00:00:46,712 - You are nothing short of a war profiteer, 23 00:00:46,797 --> 00:00:48,005 a merchant of death. 24 00:00:50,551 --> 00:00:51,717 - [narrator] but when america is threatened 25 00:00:51,802 --> 00:00:53,594 by german aggression, 26 00:00:53,679 --> 00:00:57,181 fdr needs their help to defend the nation. 27 00:00:57,266 --> 00:01:00,684 - No country in europe would stand a chance against germany. 28 00:01:02,938 --> 00:01:03,896 (explosion booming) 29 00:01:03,981 --> 00:01:05,064 neither would america. 30 00:01:06,484 --> 00:01:08,609 - [narrator] now, the titans will have to choose 31 00:01:08,694 --> 00:01:10,569 between their hatred of the president 32 00:01:12,490 --> 00:01:13,739 and saving the world. 33 00:01:15,534 --> 00:01:18,243 (reverent music) 34 00:02:09,672 --> 00:02:12,256 (uneasy music) 35 00:02:18,806 --> 00:02:20,973 (tank rumbling) 36 00:02:21,016 --> 00:02:24,643 (explosions booming) 37 00:02:24,728 --> 00:02:27,187 (plane engines whirring) 38 00:02:27,273 --> 00:02:29,773 (guns firing) 39 00:02:33,070 --> 00:02:35,612 in the fall of 1939, 40 00:02:35,698 --> 00:02:38,991 adolf hitler launches an invasion of poland, 41 00:02:39,034 --> 00:02:41,326 proving to the world just how powerful 42 00:02:41,412 --> 00:02:42,995 his military had become. 43 00:02:47,585 --> 00:02:50,085 - What hitler's army introduced 44 00:02:50,171 --> 00:02:52,796 was the onset of mechanized warfare. 45 00:02:54,383 --> 00:02:57,968 So, this is tanks supported by infantry, 46 00:02:58,053 --> 00:02:59,970 artillery supporting them. 47 00:03:01,390 --> 00:03:04,725 And then, on top of that, you had tactical air support. 48 00:03:04,810 --> 00:03:08,145 They were all coordinated, synchronized, harmonized, 49 00:03:08,189 --> 00:03:10,981 and moving very, very rapidly. 50 00:03:12,151 --> 00:03:14,193 - [narrator] the germans call it blitzkrieg, 51 00:03:14,278 --> 00:03:16,028 or "lightning war." 52 00:03:16,113 --> 00:03:19,656 and in just three weeks, poland is defeated. 53 00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:26,413 - Everybody's breath kind of stopped because they realized 54 00:03:26,498 --> 00:03:29,958 that now no country in europe was safe. 55 00:03:32,630 --> 00:03:34,046 - [narrator] but in the us, 56 00:03:34,131 --> 00:03:36,965 the conflict in europe couldn't seem more distant. 57 00:03:38,719 --> 00:03:40,886 - The american public was very much against 58 00:03:40,971 --> 00:03:44,681 any repeat of involvement in a european war. 59 00:03:44,725 --> 00:03:46,892 The united states was mentally 60 00:03:46,936 --> 00:03:49,269 and physically unprepared to fight a war. 61 00:03:50,648 --> 00:03:53,190 - Knowing what we know today about hitler and world war ii, 62 00:03:53,275 --> 00:03:56,109 we sometimes forget that nobody in that period 63 00:03:56,195 --> 00:03:57,861 knew what was gonna happen. 64 00:03:57,905 --> 00:03:59,363 So, it shouldn't be surprising 65 00:03:59,406 --> 00:04:01,990 that 80% of americans hoped to stay outta the fight. 66 00:04:04,995 --> 00:04:06,453 - [narrator] president roosevelt sees 67 00:04:06,538 --> 00:04:09,873 the growing threat abroad and knows he needs to act. 68 00:04:11,293 --> 00:04:14,253 But he is also eying an unprecedented third term. 69 00:04:15,172 --> 00:04:17,089 He needs to get himself elected 70 00:04:17,132 --> 00:04:19,591 by telling people we aren't going to war, 71 00:04:22,680 --> 00:04:24,680 while preparing for the opposite. 72 00:04:26,600 --> 00:04:29,601 - Fdr was really good at playing both sides. 73 00:04:29,645 --> 00:04:31,103 While he's campaigning and promising 74 00:04:31,188 --> 00:04:33,438 to keep america's boys out of war, 75 00:04:35,109 --> 00:04:37,442 he's also at the same time silently building 76 00:04:37,486 --> 00:04:41,571 america's capacity to make war at a rapid pace. 77 00:04:41,615 --> 00:04:44,116 And there are really only a handful of people in the country 78 00:04:44,159 --> 00:04:45,784 equipped to handle such a task, 79 00:04:45,828 --> 00:04:48,787 and some of them has been his bitterest rivals. 80 00:04:48,831 --> 00:04:52,291 (uneasy orchestral music) 81 00:04:55,170 --> 00:04:56,795 - [narrator] one man has been tasked 82 00:04:56,880 --> 00:05:00,465 with approaching the titans with fdr's proposal. 83 00:05:00,509 --> 00:05:03,343 He's not a politician or a general. 84 00:05:04,179 --> 00:05:05,971 He's an auto industry executive 85 00:05:06,015 --> 00:05:08,598 who worked at both ford and general motors. 86 00:05:09,685 --> 00:05:11,476 - William "big bill" knudsen 87 00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:14,771 was a legend in the automobile industry. 88 00:05:16,317 --> 00:05:19,026 - Not only was he this very famous executive, 89 00:05:19,111 --> 00:05:21,320 but he had all the connections in detroit. 90 00:05:21,405 --> 00:05:24,364 So, knudsen was called in to get corporate america 91 00:05:24,450 --> 00:05:28,160 onboard with this program to build military equipment, 92 00:05:28,245 --> 00:05:29,286 which was a tricky thing to do 93 00:05:29,371 --> 00:05:30,662 because most people at the time 94 00:05:30,748 --> 00:05:32,497 believed that we were not gonna enter the war 95 00:05:32,583 --> 00:05:34,624 in the first place. 96 00:05:34,668 --> 00:05:37,961 (soft traffic humming) 97 00:05:39,798 --> 00:05:41,631 - [narrator] knudsen thinks there's one titan 98 00:05:41,675 --> 00:05:45,010 that might be easier to get onboard than the rest. 99 00:05:45,095 --> 00:05:48,597 And if he says yes, maybe the others will follow. 100 00:05:53,437 --> 00:05:54,311 - Hey, bill. 101 00:05:55,522 --> 00:05:57,481 - Forgive me if I skip the pleasantries, ed, 102 00:05:57,566 --> 00:05:59,858 but I'm gonna jump right into it. 103 00:05:59,902 --> 00:06:03,362 Right now, germany have over 10,000 warplanes, 104 00:06:03,405 --> 00:06:06,198 and they're not gonna stop producing any time soon. 105 00:06:06,283 --> 00:06:08,033 America is behind the eight ball 106 00:06:08,118 --> 00:06:10,494 and we need to catch up, fast. 107 00:06:13,374 --> 00:06:15,999 I want ford motor company 108 00:06:16,085 --> 00:06:18,668 to start building aircraft engines. 109 00:06:21,673 --> 00:06:22,547 Can you do that? 110 00:06:24,635 --> 00:06:26,885 - We can build anything, but... 111 00:06:28,013 --> 00:06:29,054 Why us? 112 00:06:29,098 --> 00:06:30,389 Why not use the military? 113 00:06:30,474 --> 00:06:32,599 - Well, they have the design and the expertise, 114 00:06:32,684 --> 00:06:35,560 but they just don't have the infrastructure. 115 00:06:35,646 --> 00:06:37,979 Nobody else can produce the scale that we need 116 00:06:38,065 --> 00:06:40,232 and in the timeframe that we need it, 117 00:06:42,486 --> 00:06:44,236 except ford. 118 00:06:44,279 --> 00:06:46,696 (soft orchestral music) 119 00:06:46,782 --> 00:06:50,409 - edsel ford really wanted aviation to be his future. 120 00:06:50,452 --> 00:06:53,703 His dream of being an aviation pioneer 121 00:06:53,747 --> 00:06:55,247 had been taken from him. 122 00:06:55,290 --> 00:06:56,665 This was his chance. 123 00:06:57,626 --> 00:06:58,667 - What do you say? 124 00:07:01,713 --> 00:07:02,712 - I'm in. 125 00:07:05,175 --> 00:07:07,426 - Great. - Great. (laughing) 126 00:07:07,511 --> 00:07:10,554 (soft violin music) 127 00:07:13,684 --> 00:07:15,600 - now, let me get this straight. 128 00:07:16,812 --> 00:07:18,979 You wanna change our entire factory 129 00:07:19,064 --> 00:07:22,649 to make engines for military planes, hmm? 130 00:07:22,734 --> 00:07:24,276 - Not the entire factory. 131 00:07:24,361 --> 00:07:25,235 - What then? 132 00:07:26,655 --> 00:07:27,446 A quarter? 133 00:07:28,740 --> 00:07:29,823 Half? 134 00:07:29,908 --> 00:07:31,616 - I haven't fully assessed the situation. 135 00:07:31,660 --> 00:07:33,076 - Really?! 136 00:07:33,162 --> 00:07:34,995 - America has nowhere near the planes that germany has. 137 00:07:35,080 --> 00:07:36,872 - America's not at war with germany! 138 00:07:39,042 --> 00:07:41,460 - Well, we can't pull out now; I've promised fdr. 139 00:07:43,213 --> 00:07:45,839 - Well, you can tell fdr 140 00:07:45,924 --> 00:07:49,468 that ford makes cars, not planes. 141 00:07:49,511 --> 00:07:50,760 If he wants planes, 142 00:07:50,846 --> 00:07:52,804 you can tell him to go to a damn plane-maker! 143 00:07:54,766 --> 00:07:58,143 (pensive orchestral music) 144 00:07:58,228 --> 00:07:59,686 - [narrator] henry ford has never liked 145 00:07:59,771 --> 00:08:01,313 giving up market share, 146 00:08:01,398 --> 00:08:04,316 so he certainly isn't going to change over his factories 147 00:08:04,401 --> 00:08:06,568 if it means making fewer cars. 148 00:08:07,404 --> 00:08:09,362 - Henry was against the war. 149 00:08:09,448 --> 00:08:11,490 He was anti-fdr. 150 00:08:11,533 --> 00:08:12,866 Part of what was so shocking 151 00:08:12,951 --> 00:08:14,993 to these titans of the automobile industry, 152 00:08:15,037 --> 00:08:16,786 it wasn't just that they had to build 153 00:08:16,830 --> 00:08:18,872 this enormous amount of stuff. 154 00:08:18,957 --> 00:08:20,248 It was that they had to put 155 00:08:20,334 --> 00:08:22,459 all of their self-interests aside. 156 00:08:25,255 --> 00:08:26,671 - Yeah, I know. 157 00:08:29,051 --> 00:08:30,008 I don't know what else to tell you. 158 00:08:30,093 --> 00:08:31,301 The old man says no. 159 00:08:37,851 --> 00:08:41,144 - [narrator] with ford out, knudsen turns to another titan, 160 00:08:44,775 --> 00:08:47,484 someone who has experience with the weapons of war. 161 00:08:50,572 --> 00:08:54,032 But he could be even harder to convince than henry ford. 162 00:08:56,870 --> 00:09:00,372 - They're outproducing us right now 20 to 1. 163 00:09:00,457 --> 00:09:02,832 We cannot afford to lose this race. 164 00:09:02,918 --> 00:09:04,042 - So, build more factories. 165 00:09:04,127 --> 00:09:05,043 What do you need me for? 166 00:09:05,128 --> 00:09:06,920 - I wish it were that simple. 167 00:09:07,005 --> 00:09:09,714 We have the manpower, we have the finances. 168 00:09:09,800 --> 00:09:13,343 What we need is someone to run the operation efficiently, 169 00:09:13,428 --> 00:09:16,054 someone who knows the business. 170 00:09:16,139 --> 00:09:18,431 - I don't think I'm understanding you correctly. 171 00:09:18,517 --> 00:09:20,225 - [william] I know it's a big ask. 172 00:09:21,603 --> 00:09:22,394 - Yes. 173 00:09:23,855 --> 00:09:26,398 You're asking me to start producing munitions again. 174 00:09:27,609 --> 00:09:30,235 - It's not just me that's asking. 175 00:09:30,320 --> 00:09:32,279 The president is asking as well. 176 00:09:33,657 --> 00:09:36,366 - The same president who labeled me the "merchant of death"? 177 00:09:41,915 --> 00:09:45,250 - Undoubtedly, the du pont company and its executives 178 00:09:45,294 --> 00:09:48,086 appreciated a certain sense of irony 179 00:09:48,171 --> 00:09:50,755 that the very government that had been vilifying them 180 00:09:50,799 --> 00:09:53,800 just a few years before were now coming to them 181 00:09:53,885 --> 00:09:55,093 in need of their product. 182 00:09:56,221 --> 00:09:57,596 - [narrator] for the past five years, 183 00:09:57,639 --> 00:09:59,764 du pont has done everything in his power 184 00:09:59,850 --> 00:10:01,349 to rebuild his image. 185 00:10:04,229 --> 00:10:07,897 In addition to gm, he's revived his chemical company 186 00:10:07,983 --> 00:10:10,942 and branded it as a way to improve society, 187 00:10:12,029 --> 00:10:13,737 developing consumer products 188 00:10:13,822 --> 00:10:17,240 like nylon stockings and cellophane. 189 00:10:19,202 --> 00:10:21,786 - Dupont was one of the greatest branding experts 190 00:10:21,830 --> 00:10:24,456 of all time because of the shifts they were able to make. 191 00:10:24,541 --> 00:10:26,333 "whatever it takes, we're gonna do it. 192 00:10:26,418 --> 00:10:28,001 "we're better living through chemistry." 193 00:10:28,086 --> 00:10:30,337 and that's a very, very high perch 194 00:10:30,422 --> 00:10:32,297 and lets you get past some of the things 195 00:10:32,341 --> 00:10:34,758 that consumers can think are negative about you. 196 00:10:36,678 --> 00:10:38,595 - [narrator] the last thing du pont wants to do 197 00:10:38,680 --> 00:10:40,722 is return to the business of death. 198 00:10:49,107 --> 00:10:52,817 So far, knudsen's mission to get america ready for war 199 00:10:52,903 --> 00:10:53,985 has been a failure. 200 00:10:59,284 --> 00:11:02,327 And news from overseas has only gotten worse. 201 00:11:03,538 --> 00:11:07,123 (intense orchestral music) 202 00:11:11,546 --> 00:11:13,338 in the spring of 1940, 203 00:11:13,382 --> 00:11:16,132 hitler is scoring victory after victory. 204 00:11:17,886 --> 00:11:20,762 Denmark and norway are occupied. 205 00:11:20,847 --> 00:11:22,639 Then the german army sweeps across 206 00:11:22,724 --> 00:11:24,724 the netherlands and belgium. 207 00:11:25,727 --> 00:11:28,687 Europe makes a desperate stand in France, 208 00:11:28,730 --> 00:11:31,773 but they're no match for german armor and airpower. 209 00:11:33,944 --> 00:11:37,153 And by June, hitler's in paris. 210 00:11:39,908 --> 00:11:42,534 The germans' next target is britain. 211 00:11:50,168 --> 00:11:53,002 (thunder rumbling) 212 00:11:58,218 --> 00:12:01,678 (somber orchestral music) 213 00:12:07,519 --> 00:12:10,895 - our father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name- 214 00:12:10,981 --> 00:12:14,190 - [narrator] as the world gets darker by the day, 215 00:12:14,276 --> 00:12:16,359 at a cemetery in new york, 216 00:12:16,445 --> 00:12:20,029 a group of titans deal with loss on a personal level. 217 00:12:22,951 --> 00:12:26,995 Walter chrysler is dead, succumbing to a stroke. 218 00:12:28,999 --> 00:12:30,915 Chrysler's burial is a who's-who 219 00:12:31,001 --> 00:12:32,542 from the automotive industry. 220 00:12:33,962 --> 00:12:37,756 Even his old rival, pierre du pont, pays tribute. 221 00:12:40,886 --> 00:12:44,345 For each of these titans, it's a time of reflection. 222 00:12:46,850 --> 00:12:51,603 - I think the summer of 1940 is one of the scariest times. 223 00:12:51,646 --> 00:12:54,272 By that time, germany has taken control of France. 224 00:12:54,357 --> 00:12:57,150 They pretty much control the western part of europe, 225 00:12:57,235 --> 00:12:59,819 which is the heartland of the world economy. 226 00:12:59,905 --> 00:13:02,280 Japan is in control, not just of manchuria 227 00:13:02,324 --> 00:13:04,991 but now large parts of china 228 00:13:05,076 --> 00:13:06,743 and they've built a military machine 229 00:13:06,787 --> 00:13:09,037 that looks invincible in asia. 230 00:13:09,122 --> 00:13:10,955 This is a very, very scary moment, 231 00:13:10,999 --> 00:13:13,291 and the united states looks very weak. 232 00:13:13,335 --> 00:13:15,126 - [priest] and forgive us our trespasses 233 00:13:15,212 --> 00:13:17,796 as we forgave those who trespassed against us. 234 00:13:19,341 --> 00:13:21,466 And lead us not into temptation, 235 00:13:21,510 --> 00:13:23,384 but deliver us from evil, amen. 236 00:13:45,992 --> 00:13:48,159 - [narrator] but knudsen continues to struggle 237 00:13:48,203 --> 00:13:53,206 with his mission because fdr is still playing both sides 238 00:13:54,584 --> 00:13:58,670 by telling the american public that we'll never go to war. 239 00:13:58,755 --> 00:14:00,463 - I have said this before, 240 00:14:01,633 --> 00:14:06,344 but I shall say it again and again and again. 241 00:14:07,556 --> 00:14:11,766 Your boys are not going to be sent 242 00:14:11,852 --> 00:14:15,353 into any foreign war. (audience cheering) 243 00:14:15,397 --> 00:14:17,480 - [narrator] but even if america has no interest 244 00:14:17,524 --> 00:14:18,857 in going to war, 245 00:14:18,942 --> 00:14:21,192 (intense orchestral music) 246 00:14:21,278 --> 00:14:23,820 war will soon be coming to america. 247 00:14:39,629 --> 00:14:41,212 (light upbeat big band music) 248 00:14:43,842 --> 00:14:45,258 - [reporter] hello, nbc. 249 00:14:45,343 --> 00:14:46,217 Hello, nbc. 250 00:14:47,387 --> 00:14:49,470 I am speaking from the roof 251 00:14:49,556 --> 00:14:52,724 of the advertiser publishing company building. 252 00:14:52,809 --> 00:14:56,477 There has been fierce fighting going on 253 00:14:56,563 --> 00:14:59,564 in the air and on the sea. 254 00:15:01,234 --> 00:15:01,941 - Pull! 255 00:15:02,027 --> 00:15:04,235 (gun firing) 256 00:15:05,363 --> 00:15:06,905 pull! 257 00:15:06,990 --> 00:15:09,365 (gun firing) 258 00:15:11,202 --> 00:15:12,076 - sir? 259 00:15:12,996 --> 00:15:13,870 Sir? 260 00:15:14,998 --> 00:15:16,039 Please come quickly. 261 00:15:18,251 --> 00:15:19,083 - What is it now? 262 00:15:21,379 --> 00:15:23,504 - [reporter] I am speaking from the roof 263 00:15:23,590 --> 00:15:27,467 of the advertiser publishing company building. 264 00:15:27,552 --> 00:15:29,260 We have witnessed this morning- 265 00:15:30,180 --> 00:15:31,429 - what's happening? 266 00:15:31,473 --> 00:15:33,097 - There's been an attack in hawaii. 267 00:15:35,685 --> 00:15:37,101 - [reporter] and the severe bombing 268 00:15:37,187 --> 00:15:39,771 of pearl harbor by enemy planes. 269 00:15:41,775 --> 00:15:43,775 - Who's bombing? - Japan. 270 00:15:45,320 --> 00:15:47,862 (rising suspenseful music) 271 00:15:47,948 --> 00:15:51,282 (plane engines roaring) 272 00:15:53,119 --> 00:15:56,663 - [reporter] the city of honolulu has also been attacked 273 00:15:56,748 --> 00:15:57,830 (explosions booming) 274 00:15:57,916 --> 00:16:00,959 and considerable damage done. 275 00:16:01,044 --> 00:16:05,421 One of the bombs dropped within 50 feet of kgu tower. 276 00:16:07,425 --> 00:16:10,635 It is no joke, it is a real war. 277 00:16:16,351 --> 00:16:18,309 - [narrator] for years, jp morgan's bank 278 00:16:18,353 --> 00:16:21,771 has provided the empire of japan with a lot of money. 279 00:16:22,774 --> 00:16:25,149 Now, it's all too clear: 280 00:16:26,569 --> 00:16:29,278 The loans may have helped revive japan's economy, 281 00:16:29,322 --> 00:16:32,490 but they also helped build up its military. 282 00:16:32,575 --> 00:16:34,492 - This was not morgan's intention. 283 00:16:34,577 --> 00:16:36,828 But when you invest in a society, 284 00:16:36,913 --> 00:16:39,247 you cannot always control how that money is used. 285 00:16:39,332 --> 00:16:42,000 In fact, you can never control where that money goes. 286 00:16:46,506 --> 00:16:48,881 (sullen orchestral music) 287 00:16:48,967 --> 00:16:49,966 - yesterday, 288 00:16:51,469 --> 00:16:52,510 December 7th, 289 00:16:53,972 --> 00:16:55,680 1941, 290 00:16:57,726 --> 00:17:01,519 a date which will live in infamy, 291 00:17:03,398 --> 00:17:05,023 the united states of america 292 00:17:06,109 --> 00:17:08,484 was suddenly and deliberately attacked 293 00:17:09,654 --> 00:17:14,198 by naval and air forces of the empire of japan. 294 00:17:16,202 --> 00:17:18,995 As commander-in-chief of the army and navy, 295 00:17:20,498 --> 00:17:23,291 I have directed that all measures be taken 296 00:17:23,376 --> 00:17:24,959 for our defense. 297 00:17:25,045 --> 00:17:27,378 Hostilities exist. 298 00:17:28,798 --> 00:17:33,301 There is no blinking at the fact that our people, 299 00:17:33,386 --> 00:17:38,389 our territory, and our interests are in grave danger. 300 00:17:39,851 --> 00:17:41,434 And the japanese empire- 301 00:17:41,519 --> 00:17:42,894 - [narrator] president roosevelt declares 302 00:17:42,979 --> 00:17:47,065 that the united states and japan are now at war. 303 00:17:48,359 --> 00:17:49,901 And there's worse news to come. 304 00:17:58,495 --> 00:17:59,827 - When pearl harbor happened, 305 00:17:59,913 --> 00:18:02,413 it's called the day that will live in infamy by fdr, 306 00:18:02,499 --> 00:18:04,457 and it surely does. 307 00:18:04,542 --> 00:18:05,750 But four days later, 308 00:18:05,794 --> 00:18:07,877 the united states is at war against germany. 309 00:18:07,962 --> 00:18:09,295 We have a two-front war 310 00:18:09,380 --> 00:18:11,756 and we're still not out of the great depression. 311 00:18:15,804 --> 00:18:17,929 - [narrator] where war once felt far away, 312 00:18:20,350 --> 00:18:23,893 conflict on american soil now feels very real. 313 00:18:25,939 --> 00:18:30,566 - There was a real dramatic anxiety in the country. 314 00:18:30,610 --> 00:18:31,984 - [reporter] from bases in western europe, 315 00:18:32,070 --> 00:18:33,277 german long-range bombers 316 00:18:33,363 --> 00:18:35,488 could fly to our east coast and return. 317 00:18:35,573 --> 00:18:36,656 - There were serious concerns 318 00:18:36,741 --> 00:18:38,616 about the japanese invasion of california 319 00:18:38,701 --> 00:18:40,576 or the west coast of the united states. 320 00:18:40,620 --> 00:18:41,786 - [reporter] almost every section 321 00:18:41,871 --> 00:18:43,788 along the entire pacific coast 322 00:18:43,873 --> 00:18:45,957 is within range of enemy planes. 323 00:18:46,042 --> 00:18:48,459 - Americans sort of grew up as a nation 324 00:18:48,545 --> 00:18:50,128 with the idea that potential enemies 325 00:18:50,213 --> 00:18:53,297 were thousands of miles away across that ocean, 326 00:18:53,383 --> 00:18:55,091 and now this ocean isn't very big. 327 00:18:55,135 --> 00:18:57,135 In fact, instead of being a protective moat, 328 00:18:57,220 --> 00:18:59,011 has become this avenue 329 00:18:59,097 --> 00:19:01,806 for enemies to come right to our shore. 330 00:19:01,891 --> 00:19:05,309 Americans were instructed to put blackout curtains 331 00:19:05,395 --> 00:19:07,520 in their windows at night. 332 00:19:07,605 --> 00:19:09,689 - Air raid precaution services 333 00:19:09,774 --> 00:19:12,441 go into operation when the bombs drop. 334 00:19:13,653 --> 00:19:15,987 - [h.W.] americans had reason to be worried. 335 00:19:17,240 --> 00:19:18,614 - [narrator] but in the face of fear, 336 00:19:18,700 --> 00:19:21,617 americans also feel a sense of duty 337 00:19:22,871 --> 00:19:24,579 and a need to act. 338 00:19:25,331 --> 00:19:26,497 - The bombing of pearl harbor 339 00:19:26,583 --> 00:19:30,376 was a inflection point for the united states. 340 00:19:30,461 --> 00:19:32,336 On December 6th, 1941, 341 00:19:32,422 --> 00:19:35,214 the majority of americans were against war. 342 00:19:35,300 --> 00:19:38,593 On December 8th, 1941, 343 00:19:38,678 --> 00:19:41,262 it was the biggest day in recruiting history. 344 00:19:41,347 --> 00:19:43,347 America suddenly flipped. 345 00:19:44,475 --> 00:19:47,435 - Volunteerism went sky-high. 346 00:19:47,520 --> 00:19:49,854 Everybody wanted to be part of the war effort 347 00:19:49,898 --> 00:19:51,814 and to sign up and do their duty. 348 00:19:53,484 --> 00:19:57,320 You are joining an effort to save the american way of life. 349 00:19:58,781 --> 00:20:00,698 - [narrator] yet it takes more than just patriotism 350 00:20:00,783 --> 00:20:02,116 to wage war. 351 00:20:02,202 --> 00:20:03,784 - That war spirit, 352 00:20:03,870 --> 00:20:06,871 it was burning hot right after pearl harbor. 353 00:20:06,915 --> 00:20:08,581 But soldiers were drilling, 354 00:20:08,666 --> 00:20:11,292 in some cases, with fake wooden weapons. 355 00:20:11,377 --> 00:20:14,879 We needed planes and trucks and tanks 356 00:20:14,964 --> 00:20:18,049 and bullets and bandages and boots 357 00:20:18,134 --> 00:20:21,969 and everything that was required to win a war. 358 00:20:22,055 --> 00:20:25,556 - [narrator] the first thing the us needs is weapons, 359 00:20:25,642 --> 00:20:28,392 and there's one person who can make that happen. 360 00:20:31,231 --> 00:20:34,857 (pensive electronic music) 361 00:20:36,194 --> 00:20:39,570 he got away from munitions and took over gm. 362 00:20:42,283 --> 00:20:45,243 He was vilified as the "merchant of death." 363 00:20:52,919 --> 00:20:54,418 but now the war has started, 364 00:20:57,257 --> 00:20:59,257 and du pont knows what he must do. 365 00:21:07,058 --> 00:21:08,849 - It was clear the explosive business, 366 00:21:08,935 --> 00:21:11,394 the gunpowder business was absolutely crucial 367 00:21:11,437 --> 00:21:15,606 if the united states is going to be engaged 368 00:21:15,692 --> 00:21:17,358 in a two-front war. 369 00:21:17,443 --> 00:21:20,528 (phone ringing) 370 00:21:20,613 --> 00:21:21,445 - hello? 371 00:21:22,907 --> 00:21:24,198 - I'll do it. 372 00:21:24,284 --> 00:21:27,910 (intense orchestral music) 373 00:21:41,884 --> 00:21:43,342 - [narrator] dupont agrees to turn over 374 00:21:43,428 --> 00:21:44,802 all of general motors 375 00:21:47,223 --> 00:21:49,974 and his chemical labs to the war effort. 376 00:21:51,728 --> 00:21:53,602 Within weeks, he'll break ground 377 00:21:53,646 --> 00:21:56,480 on over 50 new munitions factories. 378 00:21:57,608 --> 00:21:59,525 But the last time du pont made weapons 379 00:21:59,610 --> 00:22:01,152 was during the first world war. 380 00:22:06,909 --> 00:22:08,367 - We've made lots of advances, 381 00:22:08,453 --> 00:22:10,161 especially in the last few years. 382 00:22:12,457 --> 00:22:15,166 This is the mk 2, or the "pineapple." 383 00:22:18,129 --> 00:22:19,670 we'll need 40 million of them. 384 00:22:24,677 --> 00:22:26,886 This is your general purpose six-inch-caliber shell, 385 00:22:26,971 --> 00:22:28,679 mainly to destroy units. 386 00:22:28,765 --> 00:22:29,972 We'll need five million. 387 00:22:30,892 --> 00:22:32,183 This is an eight-inch shell. 388 00:22:32,268 --> 00:22:35,061 It's good for concrete demolition and bunkers. 389 00:22:35,146 --> 00:22:36,395 And the 18-inch? 390 00:22:36,481 --> 00:22:38,189 It's mostly for naval purposes, 391 00:22:39,108 --> 00:22:40,524 and that can do a lotta damage. 392 00:22:42,445 --> 00:22:43,194 Here, follow me. 393 00:22:49,869 --> 00:22:52,703 We're testing a new heavyweight bomb, the earthquake. 394 00:23:01,964 --> 00:23:04,882 (explosion booming) 395 00:23:04,926 --> 00:23:08,552 (reverent orchestral music) 396 00:23:15,019 --> 00:23:16,560 pretty good, huh? 397 00:23:16,646 --> 00:23:19,230 We can take out a whole platoon with just one of these. 398 00:23:23,361 --> 00:23:25,653 - [narrator] dupont makes his choice. 399 00:23:25,738 --> 00:23:27,405 To help save the country, 400 00:23:27,490 --> 00:23:31,534 he must once again become the "merchant of death." 401 00:23:46,050 --> 00:23:48,801 - [narrator] fdr knows one of the key paths 402 00:23:48,886 --> 00:23:53,264 to the us and its allies winning the war is airpower. 403 00:23:55,017 --> 00:23:56,517 He wants to build an arsenal 404 00:23:56,602 --> 00:24:00,563 to compete with germany and japan's far superior air forces. 405 00:24:01,983 --> 00:24:04,608 He asks for thousands of high-tech modern fighters 406 00:24:04,652 --> 00:24:05,443 and bombers. 407 00:24:08,239 --> 00:24:10,406 And the plane they're pinning their hopes on 408 00:24:12,493 --> 00:24:14,285 is the b-24 bomber. 409 00:24:15,371 --> 00:24:17,455 (plane engine roaring) 410 00:24:17,498 --> 00:24:21,667 - fdr saw the bomber aircraft as the key to winning the war, 411 00:24:21,752 --> 00:24:24,837 but not just the fact that it was powerful and destructive. 412 00:24:24,922 --> 00:24:28,299 There had to be a tremendous number of them. 413 00:24:28,384 --> 00:24:32,553 Because if we could launch bomber aircraft over a country, 414 00:24:32,638 --> 00:24:33,762 even if they were all shot down, 415 00:24:33,848 --> 00:24:35,473 there could be a wave behind them 416 00:24:35,516 --> 00:24:37,725 and a wave behind them and a wave behind them, 417 00:24:37,810 --> 00:24:40,478 and that would make the enemy defenseless. 418 00:24:40,563 --> 00:24:42,980 That was how they thought they could win the war. 419 00:24:46,235 --> 00:24:47,151 - No. 420 00:24:47,195 --> 00:24:48,277 Those days are gone. 421 00:24:48,321 --> 00:24:50,654 We need planes, mass-produced. 422 00:24:51,574 --> 00:24:52,823 I don't know, thousands. 423 00:24:54,702 --> 00:24:55,910 I'm not saying that. 424 00:24:57,079 --> 00:24:58,621 Well, how many can you deliver? 425 00:25:00,625 --> 00:25:03,292 To be frank, 200 is just a drop in the ocean. 426 00:25:05,004 --> 00:25:07,254 The president has asked for thousands. 427 00:25:10,468 --> 00:25:11,342 Okay, thank you. 428 00:25:14,931 --> 00:25:17,640 - [narrator] knudsen tried the aviation industry, 429 00:25:17,725 --> 00:25:19,058 but no one has the capacity 430 00:25:19,143 --> 00:25:22,520 to make the 20,000 bombers that fdr wants. 431 00:25:24,524 --> 00:25:27,483 In the end, there's really only one company 432 00:25:27,568 --> 00:25:29,151 who could possibly get it done. 433 00:25:34,283 --> 00:25:36,367 Thanks to edsel's persistence, 434 00:25:36,452 --> 00:25:41,205 the fords had already spent $47 million of their own money 435 00:25:41,290 --> 00:25:46,293 to build willow run, the largest plane factory in the world, 436 00:25:48,631 --> 00:25:50,381 almost one mile long. 437 00:26:05,648 --> 00:26:07,690 - They come up with this plan 438 00:26:07,775 --> 00:26:09,567 which was about to shock the world. 439 00:26:09,652 --> 00:26:12,069 They decided that the biggest, fastest, 440 00:26:12,113 --> 00:26:14,029 most destructive bomber in our arsenal 441 00:26:14,115 --> 00:26:19,076 they could build at a rate of one an hour, 400 a month. 442 00:26:20,288 --> 00:26:21,203 And the idea is that they would build 443 00:26:21,289 --> 00:26:23,414 the entire thing themselves. 444 00:26:24,625 --> 00:26:26,542 They would have to start from scratch. 445 00:26:26,586 --> 00:26:27,960 They hadn't built an airplane 446 00:26:28,045 --> 00:26:31,630 since the trimotor in the very early 1930s. 447 00:26:32,967 --> 00:26:35,926 When all of the aviation executives around the country 448 00:26:35,970 --> 00:26:37,428 were saying this couldn't be done, 449 00:26:37,513 --> 00:26:39,221 I think they really believed it, 450 00:26:39,307 --> 00:26:42,808 because no motor car company, no company of any kind 451 00:26:42,893 --> 00:26:46,103 had ever tried to manufacture this kind of product, 452 00:26:46,188 --> 00:26:48,480 something that had about a half a million 453 00:26:48,566 --> 00:26:50,190 different pieces and parts. 454 00:26:51,360 --> 00:26:53,402 - [narrator] but edsel runs into a problem. 455 00:26:55,573 --> 00:26:58,115 (clock ticking) 456 00:26:58,200 --> 00:27:01,785 (pensive orchestral music) 457 00:27:07,543 --> 00:27:08,417 - hi. 458 00:27:08,461 --> 00:27:09,752 Sorry for keeping you waiting. 459 00:27:11,005 --> 00:27:11,795 Okay. 460 00:27:12,715 --> 00:27:14,298 Take a look at this. 461 00:27:14,383 --> 00:27:15,591 - [soldire] hmm. 462 00:27:15,676 --> 00:27:18,636 - The biggest problem really was the idea that 463 00:27:18,721 --> 00:27:20,888 as these ships start to get built 464 00:27:20,973 --> 00:27:26,101 the air force starts wanting to change the airplane. 465 00:27:26,145 --> 00:27:28,103 - This bay door is too narrow. 466 00:27:28,147 --> 00:27:29,772 You're gonna have to widen that. 467 00:27:31,025 --> 00:27:32,149 And this ball mount should be three-and-a-half, 468 00:27:32,234 --> 00:27:33,442 not three-and-a-quarter. 469 00:27:34,654 --> 00:27:36,111 - [narrator] with the production of his planes 470 00:27:36,155 --> 00:27:40,449 already underway, any setback could prove costly. 471 00:27:41,327 --> 00:27:43,994 (phone ringing) 472 00:27:44,872 --> 00:27:45,829 - back in a minute. 473 00:27:49,585 --> 00:27:50,793 Hello? 474 00:27:50,878 --> 00:27:53,003 - Ford motor company had come up with this idea 475 00:27:53,089 --> 00:27:56,340 to build this airplane the way they built automobiles, 476 00:27:56,425 --> 00:27:58,384 and key among that was to be able to build one 477 00:27:58,469 --> 00:27:59,843 that was exactly like the one before 478 00:27:59,929 --> 00:28:01,720 and exactly like the one before. 479 00:28:01,806 --> 00:28:03,180 - We're moving as fast as we can, 480 00:28:03,224 --> 00:28:05,641 but every adjustment means a delay in assembly. 481 00:28:07,228 --> 00:28:09,186 Well, we still have to update the line. 482 00:28:10,356 --> 00:28:12,564 - If they wanted to change that part, 483 00:28:12,650 --> 00:28:13,941 the machines and the dies 484 00:28:14,026 --> 00:28:15,651 that they created to build that part 485 00:28:15,736 --> 00:28:17,903 had to be scrapped and started from scratch. 486 00:28:17,988 --> 00:28:18,821 - I know. 487 00:28:20,491 --> 00:28:21,323 I understand. 488 00:28:22,535 --> 00:28:23,450 Got it. 489 00:28:28,499 --> 00:28:29,331 Thanks. 490 00:28:37,383 --> 00:28:39,842 - [narrator] the design changes keep coming. 491 00:28:41,429 --> 00:28:42,761 - So, where are we at here? 492 00:28:44,098 --> 00:28:47,558 - We should swap out the .30-caliber brownings with 50s, 493 00:28:47,601 --> 00:28:50,477 so you'll need to augment the turret opening more. 494 00:28:53,524 --> 00:28:56,734 And these bay doors, they need to retract into the fuselage, 495 00:28:56,777 --> 00:28:59,570 so you'll have to expand the opening more. 496 00:29:06,036 --> 00:29:07,161 You got that? 497 00:29:11,125 --> 00:29:11,915 - Yeah, sure. 498 00:29:12,793 --> 00:29:13,876 We'll make it happen. 499 00:29:24,138 --> 00:29:24,928 Anything else? 500 00:29:26,223 --> 00:29:27,097 - [man] not today. 501 00:29:34,023 --> 00:29:37,274 (ominous music) 502 00:29:37,318 --> 00:29:39,860 - [narrator] fdr isn't just demanding planes. 503 00:29:41,864 --> 00:29:45,699 Control of the seas is just as important to winning the war. 504 00:29:46,827 --> 00:29:48,452 The raid on pearl harbor destroyed 505 00:29:48,496 --> 00:29:50,287 the heart of america's pacific fleet, 506 00:29:50,372 --> 00:29:54,291 so the us was not ready for full-scale war right away. 507 00:29:54,335 --> 00:29:56,710 The united states still had to build thousands of ships 508 00:29:56,796 --> 00:29:59,087 to really get its navy in a position 509 00:29:59,131 --> 00:30:01,131 where it could project power. 510 00:30:01,217 --> 00:30:02,758 - [narrator] america's current shipyards 511 00:30:02,802 --> 00:30:06,053 can't churn out anywhere close to the numbers needed, 512 00:30:09,600 --> 00:30:12,142 (pensive electronic music) 513 00:30:12,186 --> 00:30:16,146 so fdr turns to someone who has delivered big things before: 514 00:30:18,108 --> 00:30:19,149 Henry kaiser. 515 00:30:20,319 --> 00:30:22,820 - Kaiser was fdr's miracle man. 516 00:30:22,905 --> 00:30:25,697 He had built the hoover dam, an engineering feat, 517 00:30:25,783 --> 00:30:27,658 on time and under budget. 518 00:30:29,161 --> 00:30:31,328 - [narrator] there's just one issue. 519 00:30:31,372 --> 00:30:35,624 Henry kaiser has never done anything like this before. 520 00:30:35,709 --> 00:30:39,670 Now, he's promised to build 500 ships a year 521 00:30:39,755 --> 00:30:43,340 when it typically takes a year to build just one. 522 00:30:44,510 --> 00:30:46,176 - That was kaiser's bread and butter. 523 00:30:46,262 --> 00:30:47,719 "tell me how many you need 524 00:30:47,763 --> 00:30:50,138 "and I'll get 'em to you even faster than you imagined." 525 00:30:50,182 --> 00:30:51,014 he loved that. 526 00:30:52,476 --> 00:30:55,853 - I wanna build six shipways here and one over there. 527 00:30:55,938 --> 00:30:59,523 (pensive orchestral music) 528 00:31:02,278 --> 00:31:06,029 - [narrator] along a stretch of marshy pacific coastline, 529 00:31:06,115 --> 00:31:08,532 in the shadow of another kaiser project, 530 00:31:08,576 --> 00:31:10,033 the oakland bay bridge, 531 00:31:12,204 --> 00:31:13,871 kaiser builds shipyards 532 00:31:13,956 --> 00:31:17,499 totaling the size of 800 football fields. 533 00:31:20,713 --> 00:31:23,046 Constructing a shipyard is one thing. 534 00:31:28,304 --> 00:31:30,178 But he quickly learns 535 00:31:30,264 --> 00:31:33,432 building ships is a whole different challenge. 536 00:31:33,517 --> 00:31:34,850 - [henry] what's taking them so long? 537 00:31:34,894 --> 00:31:36,518 - Working as fast as they can. 538 00:31:39,273 --> 00:31:42,024 - I've seen workers down there not doing anything. 539 00:31:42,109 --> 00:31:44,359 - They're waiting for the hull to be locked into place, 540 00:31:44,445 --> 00:31:45,736 then they'll start constructing 541 00:31:45,779 --> 00:31:47,029 the steering columns and the engine room. 542 00:31:47,114 --> 00:31:48,739 - Can't they do something else? 543 00:31:49,783 --> 00:31:50,532 - Not really. 544 00:31:54,288 --> 00:31:55,245 - This isn't working. 545 00:31:56,707 --> 00:31:57,873 We need to move faster. 546 00:32:00,377 --> 00:32:03,921 - The liberty ships kaiser is building are gigantic. 547 00:32:03,964 --> 00:32:06,757 If you stood one up, it'd be 50 stories, 548 00:32:06,842 --> 00:32:09,551 almost as tall as the hoover dam. 549 00:32:09,637 --> 00:32:11,637 Liberty ships are so big, 550 00:32:11,722 --> 00:32:14,973 they literally have to be built in place from the bottom up; 551 00:32:15,059 --> 00:32:18,560 first the keel, then the frame, then the hull. 552 00:32:18,604 --> 00:32:21,229 And this is how ships have been built for centuries. 553 00:32:26,028 --> 00:32:27,778 - [narrator] at the rate he's going now, 554 00:32:27,821 --> 00:32:29,947 it will take kaiser a hundred years 555 00:32:29,990 --> 00:32:33,408 to build the number of ships he's promised fdr. 556 00:32:33,494 --> 00:32:37,454 (rising suspenseful music) 557 00:32:44,546 --> 00:32:47,255 (water splashing) (suspenseful music) 558 00:32:52,221 --> 00:32:55,389 (airplane engines whirring) 559 00:32:55,474 --> 00:32:57,140 - [narrator] six months after their attack 560 00:32:57,184 --> 00:33:00,727 on the united states, japan seems unstoppable. 561 00:33:00,813 --> 00:33:01,979 (bombs explode) 562 00:33:02,022 --> 00:33:04,481 (airplane engines whirring) 563 00:33:04,566 --> 00:33:07,734 - after pearl harbor, the japanese executed a plan 564 00:33:07,820 --> 00:33:10,988 to try to seize a perimeter that they could defend. 565 00:33:11,073 --> 00:33:13,281 And so they tried to push as far out as they could 566 00:33:13,367 --> 00:33:16,994 into islands to include the philippines, dutch east indies. 567 00:33:17,079 --> 00:33:19,496 (suspenseful music continues) 568 00:33:19,581 --> 00:33:22,457 - you saw the advance of the japanese 569 00:33:22,501 --> 00:33:26,837 on a very rapid and almost terrifying scale. 570 00:33:28,090 --> 00:33:30,674 - [narrator] japan now controls half the pacific ocean 571 00:33:31,760 --> 00:33:33,677 and gains territory by the day. 572 00:33:35,264 --> 00:33:36,680 Across the atlantic, 573 00:33:36,765 --> 00:33:39,641 hitler has landed troops in north africa, 574 00:33:42,438 --> 00:33:45,480 and pushed deep into the soviet union. 575 00:33:45,566 --> 00:33:48,358 (military tank crashes) 576 00:33:48,402 --> 00:33:50,152 - of course, the blitzkrieg, 577 00:33:51,613 --> 00:33:54,865 the mechanized forces were able to take them all the way 578 00:33:54,908 --> 00:33:57,325 to the outskirts of moscow. 579 00:33:59,038 --> 00:34:00,954 - [narrator] if hitler conquers the soviets, 580 00:34:01,040 --> 00:34:04,124 he'll move the full force of his army west 581 00:34:04,209 --> 00:34:05,208 to invade britain. 582 00:34:06,962 --> 00:34:11,048 And if britain falls, his next target is america. 583 00:34:17,473 --> 00:34:20,390 (suspenseful music) 584 00:34:21,643 --> 00:34:24,352 germany and japan are advancing so quickly, 585 00:34:25,522 --> 00:34:28,065 fdr fears the us will be overtaken 586 00:34:28,150 --> 00:34:29,900 before it gets into the fight. 587 00:34:32,071 --> 00:34:34,696 But war production is moving too slowly. 588 00:34:38,494 --> 00:34:41,536 (telephone ringing) 589 00:34:43,248 --> 00:34:44,081 - yeah. 590 00:34:45,667 --> 00:34:46,708 Yes put him through. 591 00:34:49,505 --> 00:34:50,420 Yes, mr. President. 592 00:34:52,257 --> 00:34:53,423 Yes, sir. 593 00:34:53,509 --> 00:34:54,800 We're, we're seeing forward progress 594 00:34:54,885 --> 00:34:57,094 just fords of modifications are, 595 00:34:58,555 --> 00:35:01,765 are requiring an extension on our timetable. 596 00:35:03,185 --> 00:35:07,479 - Willow run was not living up to its objectives. 597 00:35:07,564 --> 00:35:09,147 What knudsen was saying was, 598 00:35:09,233 --> 00:35:12,442 "hey, these planes are in terrible shape." 599 00:35:12,486 --> 00:35:13,777 - they've manufactured two. 600 00:35:15,072 --> 00:35:17,280 No sir, not two planes, mr. President. 601 00:35:18,659 --> 00:35:19,449 Two parts. 602 00:35:21,620 --> 00:35:23,912 - Things are going extraordinarily wrong 603 00:35:25,290 --> 00:35:27,958 and the same press that had been so high in this idea 604 00:35:28,043 --> 00:35:30,377 of building the largest airplane factory in the world 605 00:35:30,462 --> 00:35:33,463 as a means of defeating japan and defeating hitler, 606 00:35:33,549 --> 00:35:37,175 were now really down on the fords and the whole project. 607 00:35:37,261 --> 00:35:40,804 And willow run became known in the press as "will-it-run?". 608 00:35:42,558 --> 00:35:45,475 (suspenseful music) 609 00:35:50,232 --> 00:35:52,149 - [narrator] but then, knudsen and fdr 610 00:35:52,192 --> 00:35:54,151 finally get some good news. 611 00:35:55,571 --> 00:35:57,696 - [du pont] how much time do we need to make this happen? 612 00:35:57,781 --> 00:36:00,448 - Eight weeks, nine max. 613 00:36:01,618 --> 00:36:03,535 - [narrator] du pont has wasted no time 614 00:36:03,620 --> 00:36:05,036 converting his factories. 615 00:36:05,122 --> 00:36:07,664 (upbeat music) 616 00:36:09,835 --> 00:36:11,209 - in just a matter of weeks, 617 00:36:11,295 --> 00:36:13,503 du pont has changed over production lines 618 00:36:13,589 --> 00:36:15,380 and is cranking out explosives 619 00:36:15,465 --> 00:36:17,174 and shells for the war effort. 620 00:36:19,178 --> 00:36:21,928 - [narrator] and then there's another breakthrough. 621 00:36:22,014 --> 00:36:24,514 (engine revving) 622 00:36:24,600 --> 00:36:27,642 (suspenseful music) 623 00:36:29,563 --> 00:36:31,521 - bill, should be ready any minute. 624 00:36:33,275 --> 00:36:37,027 (suspenseful music continues) 625 00:36:41,325 --> 00:36:43,200 - this better be worth the trip. 626 00:36:43,285 --> 00:36:44,034 - It will be. 627 00:36:49,833 --> 00:36:51,208 - What's taking so long? 628 00:36:51,293 --> 00:36:52,042 - Just a minute. 629 00:36:55,964 --> 00:36:59,049 (engine sputtering) 630 00:37:02,638 --> 00:37:04,095 - [narrator] even though chrysler no longer 631 00:37:04,181 --> 00:37:06,264 has its founder, 632 00:37:06,350 --> 00:37:09,434 the company has figured out how to make a tank. 633 00:37:09,519 --> 00:37:12,229 (engine roaring) 634 00:37:14,691 --> 00:37:17,234 - knudsen turned to chrysler to build tanks, 635 00:37:17,277 --> 00:37:19,569 even though chrysler never built tanks before, 636 00:37:20,781 --> 00:37:23,323 almost no one had ever built tanks before. 637 00:37:23,408 --> 00:37:27,285 And chrysler was known for its manufacturing excellence 638 00:37:27,371 --> 00:37:29,246 and its engineering excellence. 639 00:37:30,249 --> 00:37:30,956 - [announcer] here in the world's 640 00:37:31,041 --> 00:37:32,499 first great tank arsenal, 641 00:37:32,584 --> 00:37:35,502 devoted entirely to the mass production of the tank, 642 00:37:35,587 --> 00:37:37,712 we forge the armaments of victory. 643 00:37:39,675 --> 00:37:41,925 - [narrator] chrysler's new tank is the m3. 644 00:37:45,764 --> 00:37:47,639 - I'm upping the order. 645 00:37:47,724 --> 00:37:48,765 Get me 3000. 646 00:37:50,602 --> 00:37:51,434 - Done. 647 00:37:53,355 --> 00:37:56,606 (upbeat dramatic music) 648 00:38:00,862 --> 00:38:02,612 (metal grinds) 649 00:38:02,698 --> 00:38:04,531 - [narrator] to build his ships faster, 650 00:38:04,616 --> 00:38:06,116 - we don't need to have a ceremony 651 00:38:06,201 --> 00:38:08,118 every time we're launching a ship, we've got... 652 00:38:08,203 --> 00:38:10,954 - [narrator] kaiser has workers going three shifts a day, 653 00:38:10,998 --> 00:38:12,289 - do what you can. 654 00:38:13,583 --> 00:38:15,125 - [narrator] seven days a week. 655 00:38:19,047 --> 00:38:21,298 By the fall of 1942, 656 00:38:21,383 --> 00:38:24,301 henry kaiser has not only launched his first ship, 657 00:38:27,556 --> 00:38:28,805 but dozens more. 658 00:38:29,725 --> 00:38:32,976 (spirited upbeat music) 659 00:38:37,774 --> 00:38:40,942 kaiser is a far cry from the 500 he promised, 660 00:38:42,237 --> 00:38:45,363 but the nation can't wait any longer. 661 00:38:45,449 --> 00:38:48,783 (spirited upbeat music) 662 00:38:50,120 --> 00:38:53,371 kaiser's ships are loaded with chrysler's tanks 663 00:38:53,457 --> 00:38:54,998 and du pont's munitions. 664 00:38:56,418 --> 00:38:58,168 Along with thousands of soldiers 665 00:38:58,253 --> 00:39:00,128 who have been waiting for this moment 666 00:39:02,049 --> 00:39:04,549 to take the fight to hitler. 667 00:39:04,634 --> 00:39:09,095 - The americans in 1942, wanted to invade western europe. 668 00:39:09,181 --> 00:39:11,890 Go into France and let's get it over with, 669 00:39:11,975 --> 00:39:14,100 but that wasn't feasible militarily 670 00:39:14,186 --> 00:39:17,187 so they compromised on north africa. 671 00:39:18,774 --> 00:39:21,232 - The decision to invade north africa 672 00:39:21,318 --> 00:39:25,487 is largely a matter of "look we just have to show the world 673 00:39:25,572 --> 00:39:27,697 that the united states is in this war." 674 00:39:29,368 --> 00:39:32,118 - [narrator] the united states is finally on the ground 675 00:39:32,204 --> 00:39:34,704 and ready to show the germans what they're made of. 676 00:39:38,668 --> 00:39:41,503 (birds chirping) 677 00:39:45,592 --> 00:39:47,050 - the president's waiting for you. 678 00:39:56,978 --> 00:39:58,228 - Glad you could join us. 679 00:40:00,315 --> 00:40:02,565 - We have a problem with the m3, 680 00:40:02,609 --> 00:40:04,067 they're a complete disaster. 681 00:40:09,324 --> 00:40:11,991 (suspenseful music) 682 00:40:12,077 --> 00:40:15,578 the 75 millimeter gun must be forced into position 683 00:40:15,664 --> 00:40:17,414 and it's getting out maneuvered. 684 00:40:17,499 --> 00:40:19,249 (dramatic music) (gun fires) 685 00:40:19,292 --> 00:40:21,793 the height of the tank leaves it vulnerable. 686 00:40:21,878 --> 00:40:24,129 (dramatic music) 687 00:40:24,214 --> 00:40:26,840 the armor is proving to be too thin. 688 00:40:26,925 --> 00:40:29,717 (dramatic music) 689 00:40:34,057 --> 00:40:38,643 - the m3 had very severe design defects. 690 00:40:38,728 --> 00:40:43,106 The main gun could be moved up and down, 691 00:40:43,191 --> 00:40:44,607 but not horizontally. 692 00:40:44,693 --> 00:40:47,652 So in order to aim at a moving target, 693 00:40:47,737 --> 00:40:50,113 you had to move the entire tank around. 694 00:40:51,032 --> 00:40:53,450 - It had a very tall silhouette. 695 00:40:53,535 --> 00:40:54,993 It was easy to hit. 696 00:40:55,078 --> 00:40:58,121 It was not that great off-road and it was a flawed vehicle. 697 00:40:59,749 --> 00:41:02,667 - [narrator] the m3 was rushed into the field, 698 00:41:02,752 --> 00:41:04,294 but it wasn't ready for battle. 699 00:41:06,840 --> 00:41:09,340 - What americans learned in the north african campaign 700 00:41:09,426 --> 00:41:12,302 was that the germans were pretty tough customers. 701 00:41:13,930 --> 00:41:15,805 - [narrator] the united states 702 00:41:15,891 --> 00:41:17,432 with all its industrial might, 703 00:41:18,602 --> 00:41:21,519 faces a german army that is far superior, 704 00:41:21,605 --> 00:41:24,355 better trained, and with better weapons. 705 00:41:24,441 --> 00:41:27,484 (suspenseful music) 706 00:41:33,408 --> 00:41:37,827 knudsen realizes, even with the titans doing their part, 707 00:41:37,913 --> 00:41:40,663 it will take something bigger to win this war. 708 00:41:55,805 --> 00:41:58,515 (waves crashing) 709 00:42:09,486 --> 00:42:13,446 while the allies struggle in north africa, 710 00:42:13,532 --> 00:42:16,366 hitler brings terror to the seas. 711 00:42:16,451 --> 00:42:18,868 (sonar pings) 712 00:42:24,000 --> 00:42:27,377 (dramatic music) 713 00:42:27,420 --> 00:42:32,507 (torpedo explodes) (dramatic music) 714 00:42:33,260 --> 00:42:38,054 in 1942, u-boats sink more than 230 american vessels, 715 00:42:39,140 --> 00:42:41,391 over 10,000 souls lost. 716 00:42:42,727 --> 00:42:45,770 - When the u-boats popped up in these convoys 717 00:42:45,855 --> 00:42:50,400 largely made up of liberty ships, they were sitting ducks. 718 00:43:00,120 --> 00:43:02,245 - [narrator] hitler is destroying kaiser's ships 719 00:43:02,289 --> 00:43:05,039 and chrysler's tanks faster than they can build them. 720 00:43:06,501 --> 00:43:09,085 But kaiser can't figure out how to speed up production. 721 00:43:09,921 --> 00:43:12,755 (telephone rings) 722 00:43:14,384 --> 00:43:17,594 - yeah. (suspenseful music) 723 00:43:19,139 --> 00:43:20,263 yeah. 724 00:43:20,348 --> 00:43:21,431 Yeah. I did say that. 725 00:43:24,185 --> 00:43:28,104 Well we've had some uh, material shortages and... 726 00:43:29,190 --> 00:43:31,816 (suspenseful music) 727 00:43:31,901 --> 00:43:33,443 no, I understand. 728 00:43:35,071 --> 00:43:36,654 Yeah, I will. 729 00:43:36,740 --> 00:43:38,239 - Okay. Thank you. - [kaiser] yeah. 730 00:43:40,827 --> 00:43:42,035 - [narrator] knudsen has assembled 731 00:43:42,120 --> 00:43:44,078 the greatest industrial leaders in the nation 732 00:43:44,164 --> 00:43:48,124 to build his war machine but it's not working. 733 00:43:49,669 --> 00:43:51,586 Something is still missing. 734 00:43:53,048 --> 00:43:55,798 (dramatic music) 735 00:43:55,842 --> 00:44:00,803 - [kaiser] well we've had some material shortages and... 736 00:44:01,556 --> 00:44:04,140 (suspenseful music) 737 00:44:15,570 --> 00:44:18,112 (phone clicks) 738 00:44:20,367 --> 00:44:22,700 - knudsen had the idea to get companies 739 00:44:22,786 --> 00:44:24,619 that usually were at each other's throats 740 00:44:24,704 --> 00:44:27,705 to share plans, to share designs, 741 00:44:27,791 --> 00:44:29,832 to share intellectual property, 742 00:44:29,918 --> 00:44:32,960 in order to produce what was necessary 743 00:44:33,046 --> 00:44:35,338 in order to win this war. 744 00:44:35,382 --> 00:44:36,172 - Ford. 745 00:44:38,843 --> 00:44:42,011 - In many ways, when there is a common threat, 746 00:44:42,097 --> 00:44:44,931 there is no choice but to act together. 747 00:44:45,016 --> 00:44:48,226 A crisis brings together people in ways that 748 00:44:48,311 --> 00:44:50,895 you can't even imagine would be possible. 749 00:44:50,980 --> 00:44:53,815 (telephone rings) 750 00:44:56,444 --> 00:44:57,360 - it's bill. 751 00:44:58,780 --> 00:45:00,697 Listen, change of plan. 752 00:45:02,992 --> 00:45:04,534 How soon can he get on a plane? 753 00:45:06,496 --> 00:45:07,912 Detroit. 754 00:45:07,997 --> 00:45:13,042 (plane engine roaring) (bright music) 755 00:45:22,929 --> 00:45:25,054 - [narrator] knudsen sends kaiser to ford, 756 00:45:26,474 --> 00:45:28,558 to learn the secret of mass production. 757 00:45:34,315 --> 00:45:37,400 (typewriter clicks) 758 00:45:45,243 --> 00:45:46,409 - is that him? - It is. 759 00:45:54,753 --> 00:45:55,877 - Are you coming? 760 00:45:58,214 --> 00:46:00,757 (upbeat music) 761 00:46:02,719 --> 00:46:05,386 (gears turning) 762 00:46:07,849 --> 00:46:09,390 so this is the pre-production. 763 00:46:11,352 --> 00:46:12,769 Working on suspensions. 764 00:46:12,812 --> 00:46:15,605 - [narrator] ford gives kaiser unprecedented access 765 00:46:15,648 --> 00:46:16,773 to his operations 766 00:46:18,401 --> 00:46:21,444 where army jeeps are now assembled by the thousands. 767 00:46:23,656 --> 00:46:25,323 - So you make the plates further up the line, 768 00:46:25,408 --> 00:46:26,866 and then you weld them here? 769 00:46:26,951 --> 00:46:28,159 - No, no, no. 770 00:46:28,244 --> 00:46:30,161 All the pieces are made in factories offsite. 771 00:46:30,246 --> 00:46:31,621 All we do here is put them together 772 00:46:31,706 --> 00:46:33,456 and roll off the finished product. 773 00:46:35,084 --> 00:46:38,252 - [narrator] for kaiser, the factory tour is a revelation. 774 00:46:40,256 --> 00:46:43,007 (upbeat music) 775 00:46:43,092 --> 00:46:46,302 ford's secret to mass production is prefabrication. 776 00:46:47,847 --> 00:46:50,473 Rather than build each car part-by-part, 777 00:46:50,558 --> 00:46:54,644 he pre-assembles components and then puts them together. 778 00:46:56,189 --> 00:46:59,106 - Kaiser never had any kind of experience with 779 00:46:59,192 --> 00:47:01,818 or working in the automobile industry. 780 00:47:01,903 --> 00:47:05,029 He didn't know about how henry ford built 781 00:47:05,114 --> 00:47:07,156 assembly line production for automobiles. 782 00:47:08,326 --> 00:47:09,659 - Let me show you something else. 783 00:47:11,955 --> 00:47:14,539 (upbeat music) 784 00:47:15,959 --> 00:47:18,125 - [narrator] kaiser realizes that what ford had been doing 785 00:47:18,211 --> 00:47:21,838 with cars, can be translated to ships. 786 00:47:23,842 --> 00:47:26,467 - The big change that kaiser brought to shipbuilding 787 00:47:26,553 --> 00:47:29,387 was you could assemble all these parts, 788 00:47:29,472 --> 00:47:32,431 not just at the dock where you're building the ship, 789 00:47:32,517 --> 00:47:33,933 but do it on land first 790 00:47:34,018 --> 00:47:38,855 and then move big sections of the ship in, one by one, 791 00:47:40,108 --> 00:47:41,482 and then assembling them like big lego. 792 00:47:43,319 --> 00:47:44,527 - [narrator] from construction areas 793 00:47:44,612 --> 00:47:46,696 spread across the entire shipyard, 794 00:47:46,781 --> 00:47:48,781 prefabricated sections are hoisted 795 00:47:48,867 --> 00:47:51,075 by massive worley cranes, 796 00:47:51,160 --> 00:47:55,538 running on railroad tracks and able to spin 360 degrees. 797 00:47:56,833 --> 00:47:58,291 - Everything was carefully marked, you know, 798 00:47:58,376 --> 00:48:00,209 tab a into slot a, 799 00:48:00,295 --> 00:48:02,503 and so it was simply a question then of assembling, 800 00:48:02,589 --> 00:48:05,715 welding everything together and moving onto the next stage. 801 00:48:07,218 --> 00:48:09,552 - [narrator] thanks in part to ford's insights, 802 00:48:09,637 --> 00:48:13,097 kaiser can now build a liberty ship every month. 803 00:48:13,182 --> 00:48:15,975 And by operating a total of seven shipyards, 804 00:48:16,060 --> 00:48:19,020 he's launching a ship every two to three days. 805 00:48:20,481 --> 00:48:23,065 - You were able to get a ship built and out onto the water 806 00:48:23,151 --> 00:48:26,527 in ways that no one who was a conventional ship builder, 807 00:48:26,571 --> 00:48:28,404 could ever have imagined possible. 808 00:48:28,489 --> 00:48:31,073 (upbeat music) 809 00:48:33,745 --> 00:48:35,161 I think you can safely say, 810 00:48:35,246 --> 00:48:40,249 that henry kaiser was the father of modern ship building. 811 00:48:40,835 --> 00:48:43,085 (dramatic music) 812 00:48:52,555 --> 00:48:53,679 - [narrator] while kaiser finds success 813 00:48:53,765 --> 00:48:55,473 with his liberty ships, 814 00:48:55,558 --> 00:48:59,435 chrysler has made significant improvements to their tanks. 815 00:49:02,607 --> 00:49:07,777 - The m3 tank was discontinued, and was replaced by the m4. 816 00:49:09,822 --> 00:49:13,032 - The m4 was easy to produce, it wasn't very expensive, 817 00:49:13,117 --> 00:49:16,160 had a good gun to it, initially, a 75 millimeter. 818 00:49:17,330 --> 00:49:19,789 - [narrator] weighing in at nearly 35 tons, 819 00:49:19,874 --> 00:49:22,291 it's a major improvement over the m3, 820 00:49:23,461 --> 00:49:26,671 but this big new tank requires a much more powerful engine. 821 00:49:28,091 --> 00:49:32,009 - [knudsen] so effectively it's five, six cylinder engines 822 00:49:32,095 --> 00:49:34,053 arranged around a central shaft? 823 00:49:34,138 --> 00:49:35,304 - [engineer] correct, sir. 824 00:49:36,891 --> 00:49:37,974 - No, it's too big. 825 00:49:38,935 --> 00:49:41,143 Where are all the crew gonna go? 826 00:49:41,229 --> 00:49:43,062 I mean if we can't fit a five man crew 827 00:49:43,147 --> 00:49:45,982 and enough munitions inside then what is the point? 828 00:49:46,067 --> 00:49:49,193 - Chrysler's engineers took an existing motor, 829 00:49:49,278 --> 00:49:51,821 that chrysler had used in its automobiles, 830 00:49:51,906 --> 00:49:55,533 and they devised a way of arranging five of those 831 00:49:55,618 --> 00:49:56,993 around in a circle. 832 00:49:57,078 --> 00:49:59,495 And that's why it got the name the quint-engine 833 00:49:59,580 --> 00:50:00,621 or the egg-beater. 834 00:50:04,752 --> 00:50:07,003 - [narrator] knudsen needs to find a smaller engine 835 00:50:07,046 --> 00:50:09,839 that's still robust enough to power the m4. 836 00:50:13,553 --> 00:50:18,514 (anticipatory music) (paper crunches) 837 00:50:22,812 --> 00:50:25,688 (telephone dial turns) 838 00:50:25,773 --> 00:50:28,524 - hello. I'd like to speak to mr. Ford, 839 00:50:30,028 --> 00:50:31,235 mr. Henry ford. 840 00:50:31,320 --> 00:50:33,863 (gentle music) 841 00:50:37,869 --> 00:50:38,701 - so, v8? 842 00:50:39,996 --> 00:50:40,870 Right? 843 00:50:41,831 --> 00:50:42,872 Who's it for? 844 00:50:45,835 --> 00:50:46,876 Who did you say? 845 00:50:50,048 --> 00:50:51,464 - [narrator] giving advice to a shipbuilder 846 00:50:51,549 --> 00:50:53,549 like kaiser is one thing, 847 00:50:53,634 --> 00:50:56,552 but sharing trade secrets, like engine designs, 848 00:50:56,637 --> 00:50:59,680 with a rival automaker, is completely different. 849 00:51:01,476 --> 00:51:03,642 - Sometimes when we work with others, 850 00:51:03,728 --> 00:51:06,729 even people we think we intensely dislike, 851 00:51:06,773 --> 00:51:09,398 and these titans intensely disliked each other, 852 00:51:09,484 --> 00:51:11,400 when we can somehow set that aside 853 00:51:11,486 --> 00:51:13,736 for a purpose larger than themselves, 854 00:51:13,821 --> 00:51:16,739 truly great things can happen. 855 00:51:16,824 --> 00:51:19,575 (dramatic music) 856 00:51:22,205 --> 00:51:24,872 (wood creaking) 857 00:51:30,254 --> 00:51:32,922 - [narrator] ford agrees to give chrysler the designs 858 00:51:32,965 --> 00:51:35,091 for his 500 horsepower v8. 859 00:51:36,260 --> 00:51:37,093 - Okay. 860 00:51:40,848 --> 00:51:43,599 - [narrator] one of the most powerful engines ever built. 861 00:51:44,727 --> 00:51:46,769 - It's a great example how companies 862 00:51:46,854 --> 00:51:50,022 who once were competitors worked together 863 00:51:50,108 --> 00:51:52,399 to help us save the united states of america. 864 00:51:53,861 --> 00:51:56,570 You know, and that's one of the beauties of this nation. 865 00:51:58,032 --> 00:52:00,866 - [narrator] the m4 will be better known by its nickname, 866 00:52:00,952 --> 00:52:02,118 the sherman tank. 867 00:52:04,372 --> 00:52:07,206 Now 400 shermans are quickly assembled 868 00:52:07,291 --> 00:52:08,624 and sent to north africa. 869 00:52:10,461 --> 00:52:13,462 The allies now, have a formidable new weapon, 870 00:52:13,548 --> 00:52:15,131 in the fight against hitler. 871 00:52:21,264 --> 00:52:26,016 (ominous music) 872 00:52:26,102 --> 00:52:30,062 (dramatic orchestral music) 873 00:52:30,148 --> 00:52:31,397 - [newsreel reporter] after early defeat, 874 00:52:31,482 --> 00:52:33,858 america's back in the fight in north africa. 875 00:52:33,943 --> 00:52:35,901 And they've got the nazis on the run. 876 00:52:35,987 --> 00:52:38,028 - Most heartening of all is the news 877 00:52:38,114 --> 00:52:40,156 from egypt and north africa. 878 00:52:40,241 --> 00:52:43,159 Some of them nazis beaten off in their first real battle 879 00:52:43,244 --> 00:52:45,327 with american troops, surrender. 880 00:52:45,413 --> 00:52:47,163 - [announcer 3] the yank tracer bullets go up, 881 00:52:47,206 --> 00:52:48,914 and nazi planes come down. 882 00:52:49,000 --> 00:52:50,666 (dramatic music) 883 00:52:50,751 --> 00:52:53,002 - [newsreel announcer 2] first blow falls on the japanese, 884 00:52:53,087 --> 00:52:55,045 in the strategically important solomon islands, 885 00:52:55,131 --> 00:52:56,839 in the south pacific. 886 00:52:57,925 --> 00:52:59,341 Here for the first time, 887 00:52:59,385 --> 00:53:01,844 the weight of of american production makes itself felt. 888 00:53:02,930 --> 00:53:05,681 (cannon explosions) 889 00:53:07,476 --> 00:53:08,559 - [narrator] a little more than a year 890 00:53:08,644 --> 00:53:10,686 after the us joins the war, 891 00:53:12,940 --> 00:53:15,691 there is finally some positive news, 892 00:53:15,776 --> 00:53:18,736 as america's military gets stronger by the day. 893 00:53:18,821 --> 00:53:21,363 (upbeat music) 894 00:53:22,992 --> 00:53:26,869 at home, it seems like everyone has the same goal, 895 00:53:26,954 --> 00:53:29,872 to build the greatest war machine in history. 896 00:53:31,292 --> 00:53:33,209 - It's true the borrowing is unprecedented, 897 00:53:33,294 --> 00:53:34,668 but I wouldn't worry. 898 00:53:34,754 --> 00:53:37,421 Massive spending will stimulate the economy. 899 00:53:37,506 --> 00:53:40,049 So by the end of the war, economic growth 900 00:53:40,134 --> 00:53:43,636 together with inflation will all but wipe out the debt. 901 00:53:44,805 --> 00:53:47,556 - [narrator] morgan now holds weekly meetings with fdr, 902 00:53:47,642 --> 00:53:50,559 to make sure the war gets the financing it needs. 903 00:53:53,981 --> 00:53:54,897 - This is very good. 904 00:53:56,150 --> 00:53:57,566 - One of the most surprising elements 905 00:53:57,610 --> 00:53:59,652 of the whole story of world war ii, 906 00:53:59,737 --> 00:54:02,321 was the degree to which these rivals 907 00:54:02,406 --> 00:54:04,156 successfully came together 908 00:54:04,242 --> 00:54:06,242 to build the arsenal of democracy. 909 00:54:06,327 --> 00:54:08,744 - Right, that's good in theory but in practice 910 00:54:08,829 --> 00:54:11,205 just one bottleneck will halt the whole production line. 911 00:54:11,290 --> 00:54:12,081 - [du pont] I understand. 912 00:54:13,668 --> 00:54:17,253 So what if we pre-assemble parts in different factories? 913 00:54:18,172 --> 00:54:19,505 Do you think that would help? 914 00:54:19,590 --> 00:54:20,798 - They were rivals before the war, 915 00:54:20,883 --> 00:54:22,633 now they're working together. 916 00:54:22,718 --> 00:54:24,802 There was a writer at the time who said it was almost 917 00:54:24,887 --> 00:54:28,013 as if players of the new york yankees took a few days off 918 00:54:28,099 --> 00:54:30,641 to win some games for the dodgers. 919 00:54:30,726 --> 00:54:31,976 - [announcer] american industry 920 00:54:32,061 --> 00:54:34,311 has met the challenge of war. 921 00:54:34,397 --> 00:54:36,438 In hundreds of peaceful towns, 922 00:54:36,524 --> 00:54:38,315 thousands of small industries were fitted 923 00:54:38,401 --> 00:54:40,317 into the national war production plan. 924 00:54:40,403 --> 00:54:43,445 (suspenseful music) 925 00:54:44,615 --> 00:54:46,949 - [narrator] now nearly every factory in the country 926 00:54:46,993 --> 00:54:51,328 has become part of one giant, coordinated war machine. 927 00:54:51,414 --> 00:54:53,122 - The way these companies came together 928 00:54:53,207 --> 00:54:56,333 in our country's time of need was extraordinary. 929 00:54:56,419 --> 00:54:58,294 They put their business competitiveness 930 00:54:58,337 --> 00:54:59,920 and their own needs aside, 931 00:54:59,964 --> 00:55:02,923 and said we've gotta step up for our country. 932 00:55:03,009 --> 00:55:06,051 - Companies big and small all over the country 933 00:55:06,137 --> 00:55:08,137 were doing things that none of those people 934 00:55:08,222 --> 00:55:09,430 who worked at those companies, 935 00:55:09,515 --> 00:55:11,515 ever dreamed would be possible. 936 00:55:11,600 --> 00:55:13,017 General electric was building 937 00:55:13,102 --> 00:55:16,020 30,000 horsepower naval turbines. 938 00:55:16,105 --> 00:55:18,647 Westinghouse electric was building radar equipment. 939 00:55:18,733 --> 00:55:20,816 The kleenex tissue company was building 940 00:55:20,901 --> 00:55:22,818 50 caliber machine gun mounts. 941 00:55:22,903 --> 00:55:24,903 (dramatic music) 942 00:55:24,989 --> 00:55:27,448 - [narrator] fdr even embarks on a secret tour 943 00:55:27,491 --> 00:55:29,992 to see the military production firsthand. 944 00:55:31,078 --> 00:55:34,204 He visits henry kaiser's shipyards, 945 00:55:34,290 --> 00:55:37,333 and gets a close up look at chrysler's sherman tank. 946 00:55:38,336 --> 00:55:40,044 (gentle apprehensive music) 947 00:55:40,129 --> 00:55:43,881 but when he checks on the progress of ford's b24 bombers, 948 00:55:43,966 --> 00:55:45,674 the news isn't good. 949 00:55:46,635 --> 00:55:48,010 - At the time, 950 00:55:48,095 --> 00:55:51,555 willow run was not living up to its objectives. 951 00:55:51,640 --> 00:55:55,059 Only one bomber ship had been built 952 00:55:55,144 --> 00:55:56,852 at the time of fdr's visit. 953 00:55:56,937 --> 00:55:58,020 This was a disaster. 954 00:56:01,859 --> 00:56:04,485 - We can redesign it with a single tail fin. 955 00:56:04,570 --> 00:56:08,030 (tense suspenseful music) 956 00:56:09,158 --> 00:56:10,866 hold on, we, we've discussed this. 957 00:56:15,706 --> 00:56:17,206 Yeah, but that won't fix it. 958 00:56:19,335 --> 00:56:21,543 Look, I understand what you're asking, 959 00:56:21,629 --> 00:56:23,712 but we're talking about two different... 960 00:56:25,674 --> 00:56:26,548 I don't. 961 00:56:28,344 --> 00:56:29,176 Hold on. 962 00:56:32,390 --> 00:56:34,390 Military is still trying to make changes. 963 00:56:38,813 --> 00:56:41,772 Understood. We'll talk later. 964 00:56:41,857 --> 00:56:45,192 (gentle brooding music) 965 00:56:49,490 --> 00:56:51,365 I wanna show you something. 966 00:56:51,450 --> 00:56:54,743 (upbeat dramatic music) 967 00:57:05,840 --> 00:57:07,923 - willow run was falling desperately behind 968 00:57:09,343 --> 00:57:10,968 and one of the ways that edsel ford 969 00:57:11,053 --> 00:57:12,553 managed to fix this problem 970 00:57:12,596 --> 00:57:15,472 was to come up with something called modification centers, 971 00:57:15,558 --> 00:57:17,266 where changes could be made. 972 00:57:20,563 --> 00:57:25,232 - We manufacturer one standard model, one. 973 00:57:25,276 --> 00:57:26,400 As soon as they roll out the door, 974 00:57:26,485 --> 00:57:27,985 they fly off to a modification center 975 00:57:28,070 --> 00:57:31,947 and this will save time. 976 00:57:32,950 --> 00:57:34,533 That's what I'm telling you. 977 00:57:34,618 --> 00:57:36,827 (bright music) 978 00:57:36,912 --> 00:57:37,786 sounds good? 979 00:57:42,585 --> 00:57:45,794 - Every time the military ordered a new design tweak 980 00:57:45,880 --> 00:57:48,088 or a new change to the aircraft, 981 00:57:48,174 --> 00:57:51,800 the modification center would handle that particular change, 982 00:57:51,886 --> 00:57:54,970 without having to retool the entire assembly line. 983 00:57:58,017 --> 00:57:58,807 - Come on. 984 00:58:01,312 --> 00:58:02,144 This should be it. 985 00:58:03,898 --> 00:58:07,983 (airplane engine turning over) 986 00:58:08,027 --> 00:58:11,028 - [narrator] modification centers are a game changer. 987 00:58:11,113 --> 00:58:14,323 (gentle upbeat music) 988 00:58:17,453 --> 00:58:19,328 by early 1943, 989 00:58:19,413 --> 00:58:23,499 willow run is cranking out b-24s at record speed. 990 00:58:25,961 --> 00:58:28,670 - These planes are coming out of the factory so fast 991 00:58:28,756 --> 00:58:30,881 that the test pilots, their test flight 992 00:58:30,966 --> 00:58:33,383 was actually to be delivering it to the military. 993 00:58:33,469 --> 00:58:35,010 And it was really ford's effort 994 00:58:35,095 --> 00:58:38,013 I think that made the b-24 what it still is today, 995 00:58:38,098 --> 00:58:41,808 which is the most mass-produced american military aircraft 996 00:58:41,852 --> 00:58:46,021 of all time. (plane engine roaring) 997 00:58:46,106 --> 00:58:49,191 (gentle piano music) 998 00:58:56,450 --> 00:59:00,369 (gentle piano music continues) 999 00:59:07,294 --> 00:59:08,043 - good work. 1000 00:59:11,757 --> 00:59:12,548 Good. 1001 00:59:27,690 --> 00:59:28,897 (tense music playing) 1002 00:59:33,612 --> 00:59:35,571 - [narrator] edsel ford has finally figured out 1003 00:59:35,614 --> 00:59:38,073 how to do something that's never been done before; 1004 00:59:40,286 --> 00:59:41,910 mass produce bombers 1005 00:59:45,833 --> 00:59:47,749 but now, he has a new problem. 1006 00:59:49,628 --> 00:59:51,253 - We are moving as fast as we can. 1007 00:59:53,424 --> 00:59:54,256 I know. 1008 00:59:55,634 --> 00:59:58,594 - Edsel ford realized that the labor force 1009 00:59:58,637 --> 01:00:00,137 was gonna be a major issue. 1010 01:00:00,222 --> 01:00:01,930 When willow run was conceived, 1011 01:00:02,016 --> 01:00:03,599 it was thought that a hundred thousand 1012 01:00:03,684 --> 01:00:05,434 people were going to work there. 1013 01:00:05,477 --> 01:00:08,770 But so many young men were being drafted into the military. 1014 01:00:10,733 --> 01:00:12,357 - [narrator] every factory in america 1015 01:00:12,443 --> 01:00:14,276 faces the same challenge. 1016 01:00:15,654 --> 01:00:18,113 But then, a surprising group comes to the rescue. 1017 01:00:19,575 --> 01:00:20,574 Women. 1018 01:00:20,618 --> 01:00:22,034 (bright upbeat music) 1019 01:00:22,119 --> 01:00:23,535 - before that of course, there were 1020 01:00:23,621 --> 01:00:25,829 acceptable professions for women. 1021 01:00:25,914 --> 01:00:28,206 We could be teachers or we could be nurses. 1022 01:00:28,292 --> 01:00:32,502 Although the most important one was mother and wife. 1023 01:00:32,588 --> 01:00:34,796 Then you get to world war ii. 1024 01:00:34,882 --> 01:00:38,133 And for the first time, we are needed in factories. 1025 01:00:39,345 --> 01:00:43,096 - And so women came out in droves 1026 01:00:43,140 --> 01:00:46,516 to work in those factories and said 1027 01:00:46,602 --> 01:00:50,979 we want a chance to demonstrate what we can do. 1028 01:00:55,486 --> 01:00:58,654 - [narrator] 19 million women take jobs in factories, 1029 01:00:58,739 --> 01:01:01,156 shipyards and military bases. 1030 01:01:02,493 --> 01:01:05,994 Making up nearly 40% of the us workforce. 1031 01:01:08,374 --> 01:01:10,624 One of willow runs factory hands will go 1032 01:01:10,709 --> 01:01:12,334 on to inspire the nation. 1033 01:01:13,712 --> 01:01:16,505 Her name is rose will monroe. 1034 01:01:18,050 --> 01:01:21,009 But she'll become immortalized with another name. 1035 01:01:22,346 --> 01:01:25,681 - Rosie the riveter was actually a real woman 1036 01:01:25,766 --> 01:01:28,850 who moved to willow run from kentucky 1037 01:01:28,894 --> 01:01:32,020 and they were first going to give her a secretary's job 1038 01:01:32,064 --> 01:01:34,523 but she figured out that if she was a riveter 1039 01:01:34,566 --> 01:01:36,024 she'd make twice as much money. 1040 01:01:36,110 --> 01:01:37,693 They asked her if she had experienced 1041 01:01:37,778 --> 01:01:40,320 and she said, yes, she lied, she didn't. 1042 01:01:40,406 --> 01:01:42,531 But she got a job as a riveter. 1043 01:01:44,034 --> 01:01:45,867 - [narrator] rose becomes part of a government campaign 1044 01:01:45,953 --> 01:01:50,038 to boost morale and turns in to an icon. 1045 01:01:51,792 --> 01:01:53,500 - Rosie the riveter mattered so much 1046 01:01:53,585 --> 01:01:55,127 at that point in history. 1047 01:01:55,212 --> 01:01:57,212 She was in a man's world. 1048 01:01:57,256 --> 01:02:00,215 It took away this brand that we could only be the woman 1049 01:02:00,300 --> 01:02:02,551 behind the man or the damsel in distress. 1050 01:02:02,636 --> 01:02:05,053 She could survive and thrive in a man's world. 1051 01:02:10,936 --> 01:02:13,395 - [narrator] out west, groundbreaking changes 1052 01:02:13,480 --> 01:02:16,732 are also taking place at kaiser shipyards. 1053 01:02:16,817 --> 01:02:18,233 (serene music playing) 1054 01:02:18,277 --> 01:02:21,611 - kaiser had absolutely no sense that there was a need 1055 01:02:21,697 --> 01:02:23,739 to discriminate in the jobs that men could do 1056 01:02:23,824 --> 01:02:28,201 and women can do or african-americans as well. 1057 01:02:28,245 --> 01:02:29,578 And when you look at, for example 1058 01:02:29,621 --> 01:02:33,248 photographs of shipyard teams working together, 1059 01:02:33,333 --> 01:02:36,626 what you see is a diversity of americans 1060 01:02:36,712 --> 01:02:38,754 which is really extraordinary at the time. 1061 01:02:41,049 --> 01:02:42,758 - There extremely limited opportunities 1062 01:02:42,801 --> 01:02:45,093 for african-americans to have prominent roles 1063 01:02:45,137 --> 01:02:46,636 during the second world war. 1064 01:02:46,722 --> 01:02:49,097 They also are fighting two wars. 1065 01:02:49,141 --> 01:02:51,767 The war to support the effort against what's happening 1066 01:02:51,810 --> 01:02:55,103 in europe, and the struggle for quality home. 1067 01:02:55,147 --> 01:02:57,606 But african-american labor is essential 1068 01:02:57,649 --> 01:03:00,942 in helping to build the arsenal of democracy. 1069 01:03:01,028 --> 01:03:04,112 (tense music playing) 1070 01:03:05,699 --> 01:03:06,823 - [narrator] now with america's factories 1071 01:03:06,909 --> 01:03:09,951 at peak production, fdr can finally 1072 01:03:09,995 --> 01:03:12,120 make plans for what's next. 1073 01:03:13,248 --> 01:03:15,040 - What roosevelt realized right away, 1074 01:03:15,125 --> 01:03:17,709 is that the united states is at war in two theaters. 1075 01:03:17,795 --> 01:03:20,086 In the pacific and in the atlantic. 1076 01:03:20,172 --> 01:03:21,880 And the atlantic theater europe 1077 01:03:21,965 --> 01:03:24,466 is the one that takes precedence in his mind. 1078 01:03:25,677 --> 01:03:28,345 All the why americans were thinking, 1079 01:03:28,430 --> 01:03:31,640 okay, we're going to invade France one day, 1080 01:03:31,683 --> 01:03:35,143 to prepare for the kind of final blow against germany. 1081 01:03:36,897 --> 01:03:40,023 - The amount of things, armaments that we would need 1082 01:03:40,108 --> 01:03:43,235 was staggering, 5,000 ships, 1083 01:03:43,320 --> 01:03:46,822 thousands and thousands of bombers and tanks 1084 01:03:46,865 --> 01:03:48,824 and the country leaned into it. 1085 01:03:52,579 --> 01:03:53,829 - [narrator] but as american industries 1086 01:03:53,914 --> 01:03:57,457 race towards invasion, (plane engine roaring) 1087 01:03:57,543 --> 01:04:00,502 allied intelligence learns alarming news. 1088 01:04:02,381 --> 01:04:06,675 Hitler is secretly developing a devastating new weapon. 1089 01:04:06,718 --> 01:04:09,052 One that could instantly end the war, 1090 01:04:09,137 --> 01:04:11,346 (bomb explosion) the atomic bomb. 1091 01:04:13,892 --> 01:04:17,519 And fdr must once again, turn to du pont. 1092 01:04:31,076 --> 01:04:35,036 (car engine revving) (ominous music) 1093 01:05:00,981 --> 01:05:04,065 (footsteps clacking) 1094 01:05:11,992 --> 01:05:13,408 - [soldier] haigerloch, germany. 1095 01:05:15,454 --> 01:05:17,412 This could be the site of the laboratory. 1096 01:05:19,875 --> 01:05:22,751 We're waiting for intelligence confirmation on that. 1097 01:05:24,212 --> 01:05:26,922 Our field agent reports that this man 1098 01:05:28,258 --> 01:05:30,759 is a regular visitor, heisenberg. 1099 01:05:34,014 --> 01:05:35,430 (serene music) 1100 01:05:35,474 --> 01:05:38,600 our understanding is that he has been working 1101 01:05:38,644 --> 01:05:41,436 with germans for the last two months. 1102 01:05:41,480 --> 01:05:46,441 Designing what we believe is a nuclear device. 1103 01:05:51,198 --> 01:05:53,198 - [showden] at the time there was research happening 1104 01:05:53,283 --> 01:05:54,616 around nuclear fission. 1105 01:05:56,036 --> 01:06:00,789 - [soldier] uranverein translates as uranium club. 1106 01:06:01,458 --> 01:06:06,711 - This emerging technology could result in a bomb 1107 01:06:06,797 --> 01:06:10,548 of the size and scale that we had never seen. 1108 01:06:10,634 --> 01:06:14,302 - Their goal is to create a sustained nuclear chain 1109 01:06:14,388 --> 01:06:17,430 reaction capable of delivering a large impact. 1110 01:06:17,474 --> 01:06:20,517 - There was a serious fear that nazi germany 1111 01:06:20,602 --> 01:06:22,894 would acquire this weapons technology 1112 01:06:22,980 --> 01:06:24,187 before the united states. 1113 01:06:24,272 --> 01:06:26,481 And that all bets would be off. 1114 01:06:26,566 --> 01:06:29,317 - So far, they haven't succeeded, 1115 01:06:30,195 --> 01:06:33,989 but it's only a matter of time. 1116 01:06:37,536 --> 01:06:41,830 - Whoever figured this out first was gonna win the war. 1117 01:06:41,915 --> 01:06:45,000 (tense music playing) 1118 01:06:59,975 --> 01:07:03,226 - [narrator] code named the manhattan project. 1119 01:07:03,311 --> 01:07:05,854 America's attempt to build an atomic bomb 1120 01:07:07,232 --> 01:07:10,692 is led by theoretical physicist, robert oppenheimer. 1121 01:07:13,530 --> 01:07:15,864 Oppenheimer has figured out the science 1122 01:07:15,907 --> 01:07:17,866 but now he needs the fuel. 1123 01:07:20,537 --> 01:07:22,495 Du pont is being asked to do something 1124 01:07:22,539 --> 01:07:24,205 that's never been done before. 1125 01:07:26,376 --> 01:07:30,045 Build a nuclear reactor to produce plutonium. 1126 01:07:31,590 --> 01:07:34,007 - Nobody even really knew what that meant, 1127 01:07:34,051 --> 01:07:36,718 but what the government saw was that 1128 01:07:36,803 --> 01:07:39,429 the dupont company was extraordinarily well managed. 1129 01:07:39,514 --> 01:07:42,891 And if anybody could figure this out, 1130 01:07:43,894 --> 01:07:45,727 it was going to be dupont. 1131 01:07:47,272 --> 01:07:48,688 - [narrator] after working so hard 1132 01:07:48,774 --> 01:07:50,565 to leave munitions behind, 1133 01:07:51,777 --> 01:07:53,568 du pont now holds in his hands' plans 1134 01:07:53,653 --> 01:07:56,738 for the most destructive weapon on earth. 1135 01:08:00,118 --> 01:08:02,577 (serene music) 1136 01:08:04,956 --> 01:08:07,415 (car engine roars) 1137 01:08:07,501 --> 01:08:09,918 as du pont tackles an impossible task, 1138 01:08:11,546 --> 01:08:14,089 he finds out some devastating news. 1139 01:08:16,384 --> 01:08:19,094 (birds chirping) 1140 01:08:20,597 --> 01:08:21,554 (door knocking) 1141 01:08:21,640 --> 01:08:24,265 - mr. Morgan, mr. Morgan. 1142 01:08:26,978 --> 01:08:29,938 (door creaks open) 1143 01:08:36,780 --> 01:08:39,614 (curtain rattling) 1144 01:08:40,867 --> 01:08:41,616 mr. Morgan. 1145 01:08:45,372 --> 01:08:48,957 (solemn music plays) 1146 01:08:49,042 --> 01:08:53,962 - [narrator] in the spring of 1943, jp morgan jr. 1147 01:08:54,047 --> 01:08:56,131 Dies in his sleep from a stroke. 1148 01:08:59,177 --> 01:09:01,094 Word of morgan's death is withheld 1149 01:09:01,138 --> 01:09:03,847 until after the stock market closes. 1150 01:09:03,932 --> 01:09:07,475 So as not to cause a crash in share prices. 1151 01:09:07,561 --> 01:09:09,769 (dramatic music playing) 1152 01:09:09,813 --> 01:09:11,729 morgan's influence could be felt in 1153 01:09:11,815 --> 01:09:14,190 every corner of american society. 1154 01:09:15,527 --> 01:09:19,028 He bankrolled the country's largest industry, cars. 1155 01:09:20,240 --> 01:09:22,615 Fueled the wild spending of the roaring twenties 1156 01:09:23,743 --> 01:09:27,996 and then was targeted when the depression hit. 1157 01:09:28,081 --> 01:09:29,414 - Are you familiar with defense bonds? 1158 01:09:29,499 --> 01:09:31,457 - [narrator] but in the end, morgan was able 1159 01:09:31,543 --> 01:09:34,169 to do something good for the country. 1160 01:09:34,254 --> 01:09:38,256 And now his banking empire continues on. 1161 01:09:38,341 --> 01:09:42,010 - The legacy at jp morgan jr, is jp morgan chase today. 1162 01:09:42,095 --> 01:09:44,053 Back then it was only a couple hundred people. 1163 01:09:44,139 --> 01:09:45,513 It was a smaller institution, 1164 01:09:45,599 --> 01:09:47,640 is now basically two or three thousand 1165 01:09:47,726 --> 01:09:49,017 companies a part of it. 1166 01:09:49,060 --> 01:09:50,727 So it's quite the company they started. 1167 01:09:50,812 --> 01:09:53,354 They'd be, hopefully, they'd be very proud of it. 1168 01:09:56,067 --> 01:09:58,193 - [narrator] then just two months later, 1169 01:09:58,236 --> 01:10:00,862 another titan dies. 1170 01:10:01,281 --> 01:10:04,532 (solemn music playing) 1171 01:10:15,420 --> 01:10:18,046 henry ford's only son, edsel. 1172 01:10:23,094 --> 01:10:25,887 In order to concentrate on his bomber factory, 1173 01:10:25,972 --> 01:10:28,056 edsel didn't tell his family that he's been 1174 01:10:28,099 --> 01:10:31,059 suffering from stomach cancer for over a year. 1175 01:10:34,773 --> 01:10:37,398 - Henry was heartbroken by edsel's death. 1176 01:10:38,735 --> 01:10:40,235 He would talk about how he had this 1177 01:10:40,320 --> 01:10:42,570 lump in his throat that couldn't go away. 1178 01:10:47,160 --> 01:10:47,951 - [edsel] get your coat, 1179 01:10:48,036 --> 01:10:49,410 I want to take you somewhere. 1180 01:10:50,956 --> 01:10:55,750 - We should get into this. (plane engine roaring) 1181 01:11:11,810 --> 01:11:15,603 (tense upbeat music playing) 1182 01:11:20,360 --> 01:11:21,776 - [narrator] edsel may be gone, 1183 01:11:23,655 --> 01:11:25,947 but he leaves behind his greatest achievement. 1184 01:11:29,786 --> 01:11:33,788 His factory is now rolling out a new bomber every hour. 1185 01:11:37,335 --> 01:11:41,462 B-24s leave willow run by the thousands, 1186 01:11:41,548 --> 01:11:44,632 heading directly for europe to take part 1187 01:11:44,718 --> 01:11:49,470 in the biggest invasion the world has ever seen, d-day. 1188 01:11:56,271 --> 01:11:58,604 (radio static) 1189 01:11:58,690 --> 01:11:59,897 - [announcer] ladies and gentlemen, 1190 01:11:59,983 --> 01:12:01,983 the president of the united states. 1191 01:12:03,528 --> 01:12:06,571 - [fdr] my fellow americans last night, 1192 01:12:06,656 --> 01:12:11,326 when I spoke with you I knew at that moment, 1193 01:12:12,412 --> 01:12:14,203 the troops of the united states 1194 01:12:14,289 --> 01:12:16,831 and our allies were crossing the channel. 1195 01:12:17,959 --> 01:12:19,667 In this poignant hour, 1196 01:12:21,629 --> 01:12:24,839 I asked you to join with me in prayer. 1197 01:12:27,802 --> 01:12:30,928 (tense music playing) 1198 01:12:31,014 --> 01:12:36,017 our mighty god, our son's pride of our nation, 1199 01:12:37,479 --> 01:12:40,521 this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, 1200 01:12:41,733 --> 01:12:43,858 a struggle to preserve our republic, 1201 01:12:44,986 --> 01:12:47,695 our religion, and our civilization, 1202 01:12:49,657 --> 01:12:52,367 and to set free a suffering humanity. 1203 01:13:11,471 --> 01:13:14,722 (plane engine roaring) 1204 01:13:16,851 --> 01:13:19,560 (bomb exploding) 1205 01:13:23,149 --> 01:13:27,402 - allied invasion of europe d-day as they call it, 1206 01:13:27,445 --> 01:13:30,571 was the biggest amphibious operation in history. 1207 01:13:31,825 --> 01:13:36,077 5,000 ships, thousands and thousands of men 1208 01:13:36,162 --> 01:13:41,207 from landing craft and then the paratroopers then bombers. 1209 01:13:41,918 --> 01:13:44,252 Logistics, that it's hard to describe. 1210 01:13:49,050 --> 01:13:51,843 But then you bring it down to the soldier. 1211 01:13:51,928 --> 01:13:53,761 (bomb explodes) 1212 01:13:53,847 --> 01:13:56,472 the people landing on any of the beaches 1213 01:13:56,558 --> 01:13:58,141 in the first waves that morning 1214 01:13:58,226 --> 01:14:01,644 we're going into this incredibly difficult fight. 1215 01:14:01,729 --> 01:14:05,440 (gunshots and bombs blaring) 1216 01:14:10,488 --> 01:14:11,571 (bright soft music playing) 1217 01:14:11,614 --> 01:14:13,656 - [narrator] the invasion succeeds. 1218 01:14:13,741 --> 01:14:17,994 Thanks in part to kaiser's ships, chrysler's tanks 1219 01:14:18,079 --> 01:14:21,456 ford's bombers, and du pont's firepower. 1220 01:14:23,293 --> 01:14:27,545 The allies have a small toehold into hitler's europe, 1221 01:14:27,630 --> 01:14:28,838 (tense music) 1222 01:14:28,923 --> 01:14:32,133 which allows a vast unbroken supply line 1223 01:14:32,218 --> 01:14:35,636 between american factories and the front. 1224 01:14:35,680 --> 01:14:38,598 - The war really did ultimately become 1225 01:14:38,641 --> 01:14:40,808 a contest of mass production. 1226 01:14:40,894 --> 01:14:44,437 The speed with which each side can build tanks, 1227 01:14:44,522 --> 01:14:46,314 airplanes and hurl them into war. 1228 01:14:50,195 --> 01:14:53,696 - We were very slow to be mechanized. 1229 01:14:53,781 --> 01:14:56,491 And then we exploded. 1230 01:14:57,660 --> 01:14:58,868 There was no one who could make more 1231 01:14:58,953 --> 01:15:01,537 planes and ships than we could. 1232 01:15:01,623 --> 01:15:02,997 I mean, it's shocking. 1233 01:15:03,041 --> 01:15:04,999 There was nobody who could beat united states. 1234 01:15:07,545 --> 01:15:09,378 - [announcer] today we slogged across the flooded fields 1235 01:15:09,464 --> 01:15:11,547 of France, american, british and canadian 1236 01:15:11,633 --> 01:15:14,175 in eight weeks came the big breakthrough 1237 01:15:14,219 --> 01:15:16,761 and suddenly paris was free. 1238 01:15:16,846 --> 01:15:18,888 Six great allied armies pushed the 1239 01:15:18,973 --> 01:15:21,516 western front into germany itself. 1240 01:15:21,601 --> 01:15:24,685 Against fanatical resistance, we reached the river rhine. 1241 01:15:27,398 --> 01:15:29,232 - [announcer] and to the east moscow radio 1242 01:15:29,317 --> 01:15:30,691 tonight three savage fighting- 1243 01:15:30,735 --> 01:15:32,735 - [narrator] despite the good news from europe, 1244 01:15:32,820 --> 01:15:35,196 a stunning loss is felt at home. 1245 01:15:36,449 --> 01:15:37,573 - [announcer] the one good heave all 1246 01:15:37,659 --> 01:15:39,200 together to end the war in europe. 1247 01:15:40,787 --> 01:15:44,372 We take you now to nbc in warm springs, georgia. 1248 01:15:45,875 --> 01:15:47,041 - [announcer] late this afternoon, 1249 01:15:47,126 --> 01:15:48,668 the representatives of the press and radio 1250 01:15:48,711 --> 01:15:51,045 were called in and given the shocking news 1251 01:15:51,130 --> 01:15:53,714 of the president's passing at 3:35 pm. 1252 01:15:55,260 --> 01:15:58,386 Mr. Roosevelt is said died of a massive cerebral hemorrhage. 1253 01:15:58,471 --> 01:16:00,638 Mr. Roosevelt while warm springs was to go 1254 01:16:00,723 --> 01:16:02,807 on all american radio networks tomorrow night 1255 01:16:02,892 --> 01:16:05,518 at about 9:50 pm, eastern wartime, 1256 01:16:05,603 --> 01:16:07,979 and a special jefferson day message to the american people. 1257 01:16:08,064 --> 01:16:09,730 (solemn music) 1258 01:16:09,816 --> 01:16:11,399 warm springs as the rest 1259 01:16:11,484 --> 01:16:14,193 of the nation is now in deepest mourning. 1260 01:16:14,237 --> 01:16:16,237 They're our greatest friend and benefactor 1261 01:16:16,281 --> 01:16:18,739 has passed from their midst. 1262 01:16:20,577 --> 01:16:22,076 - [narrator] no matter where they stood 1263 01:16:22,120 --> 01:16:26,414 before the war, americans stand together now 1264 01:16:26,457 --> 01:16:28,082 in mourning their president. 1265 01:16:30,920 --> 01:16:33,504 - You go back and you look at all these industrialists 1266 01:16:33,590 --> 01:16:34,672 all these great titans. 1267 01:16:34,757 --> 01:16:36,299 Then you look at fdr, and they hated fdr. 1268 01:16:37,510 --> 01:16:40,428 Yet all those guys ended up getting behind him 1269 01:16:40,513 --> 01:16:42,805 because at the end of the day, 1270 01:16:43,975 --> 01:16:47,310 they were smart enough to know they needed to. 1271 01:16:47,395 --> 01:16:49,145 If I had to use one word to describe fdr 1272 01:16:49,230 --> 01:16:50,396 I would say, savior. 1273 01:16:50,481 --> 01:16:51,606 I mean, he really saved our country 1274 01:16:51,691 --> 01:16:53,441 and brought the pieces together. 1275 01:16:53,526 --> 01:16:54,942 He was the man for the moment 1276 01:16:57,322 --> 01:17:02,325 (plane engine roaring) (tense music playing) 1277 01:17:03,453 --> 01:17:05,786 - [narrator] america presses on without fdr. 1278 01:17:08,791 --> 01:17:13,127 And just two weeks later, hitler realizes he's lost. 1279 01:17:18,176 --> 01:17:23,137 On April 30th, 1945, adolf hitler commits suicide 1280 01:17:23,222 --> 01:17:24,472 in his berlin bunker. 1281 01:17:26,434 --> 01:17:29,810 Allied troops soon discover the full horror 1282 01:17:29,854 --> 01:17:32,146 of hitler's reign. 1283 01:17:34,901 --> 01:17:36,942 Death camps. 1284 01:17:38,946 --> 01:17:42,323 Where the nazis mass murdered 11 million people 1285 01:17:43,117 --> 01:17:45,910 6 million are jewish. 1286 01:17:45,995 --> 01:17:49,497 - Anybody alive in the 1930s started hearing 1287 01:17:49,540 --> 01:17:51,499 about hitler's antisemitism. 1288 01:17:51,584 --> 01:17:54,335 And then they heard about the round-up of jews. 1289 01:17:55,463 --> 01:17:57,505 The world didn't know quite how bad it was 1290 01:17:57,548 --> 01:18:00,174 till we really got the visual evidence 1291 01:18:02,095 --> 01:18:05,680 - [narrator] on may 7th, germany surrenders unconditionally. 1292 01:18:07,600 --> 01:18:10,393 And the war in europe is over. 1293 01:18:10,478 --> 01:18:15,523 (crowd cheering) (serene music) 1294 01:18:24,117 --> 01:18:25,700 - ve day is amazing. 1295 01:18:27,036 --> 01:18:32,039 Everybody's parties, screams, kisses, hugs. 1296 01:18:33,876 --> 01:18:36,210 It was just the euphoria, 1297 01:18:38,548 --> 01:18:40,881 the idea that europe had been liberated. 1298 01:18:44,137 --> 01:18:46,053 That hitler had fallen. 1299 01:18:49,809 --> 01:18:51,892 This meant everything to people. 1300 01:18:52,770 --> 01:18:54,061 - [announcer] victory in europe brought 1301 01:18:54,105 --> 01:18:55,730 wild rejoicing throughout the allied world, 1302 01:18:55,773 --> 01:18:58,983 as the big-three announced the downfall of nazi germany. 1303 01:18:59,068 --> 01:19:01,569 New york celebration is typical of the nation of joy. 1304 01:19:01,654 --> 01:19:04,238 At the end of nearly six years of war in europe. 1305 01:19:04,282 --> 01:19:05,823 It's a great day. 1306 01:19:05,908 --> 01:19:08,743 As a thankful people let loose their pent up emotion. 1307 01:19:09,829 --> 01:19:11,579 - For americans this was great. 1308 01:19:11,622 --> 01:19:15,249 The mission accomplished in europe 1309 01:19:16,210 --> 01:19:17,752 but that was only halfway there. 1310 01:19:18,921 --> 01:19:20,755 Japan was still fighting. 1311 01:19:20,840 --> 01:19:24,091 And so many of the units that fought in europe 1312 01:19:24,177 --> 01:19:26,594 were then brought back to the united states 1313 01:19:26,637 --> 01:19:29,096 and put on trains to the pacific coast 1314 01:19:30,266 --> 01:19:31,390 and they would head out and prepare 1315 01:19:31,476 --> 01:19:32,767 for the invasion of japan. 1316 01:19:32,810 --> 01:19:35,436 (tense upbeat music) 1317 01:19:35,480 --> 01:19:38,355 - [narrator] the titans know they cannot rest. 1318 01:19:38,441 --> 01:19:39,315 Kaiser, 1319 01:19:39,400 --> 01:19:40,566 ford, 1320 01:19:40,610 --> 01:19:43,444 and du pont's efforts, 1321 01:19:43,488 --> 01:19:46,113 now turn squarely on defeating japan. 1322 01:19:47,325 --> 01:19:49,700 A task they and the entire country 1323 01:19:49,786 --> 01:19:52,119 realize will not be easy. 1324 01:20:01,088 --> 01:20:04,381 (tense music) 1325 01:20:04,467 --> 01:20:07,301 - [narrator] with the war still raging against japan, 1326 01:20:07,386 --> 01:20:10,095 the dupont company has secretly built the world's 1327 01:20:10,181 --> 01:20:13,140 first full-scale nuclear reactor. 1328 01:20:23,319 --> 01:20:26,320 - The dupont hanford reactor, was the first reactor 1329 01:20:26,405 --> 01:20:29,156 to be built at that size, at that scale. 1330 01:20:31,285 --> 01:20:33,285 The nuclear reactor was critical 1331 01:20:33,329 --> 01:20:36,121 to the manhattan project because they were 1332 01:20:36,165 --> 01:20:38,541 after the production of plutonium, 1333 01:20:38,626 --> 01:20:40,167 the nuclear fuel, right? 1334 01:20:40,253 --> 01:20:42,545 And plutonium is a radioactive element 1335 01:20:42,630 --> 01:20:46,507 that is not present on earth in vast quantities. 1336 01:20:46,551 --> 01:20:48,509 So they needed to generate this material 1337 01:20:48,594 --> 01:20:50,511 to develop a nuclear bomb. 1338 01:20:53,724 --> 01:20:57,518 - [narrator] the enormous complex requires 50,000 workers. 1339 01:20:57,603 --> 01:21:00,020 (tense music) 1340 01:21:05,820 --> 01:21:07,278 - the dupont company, of course, 1341 01:21:07,363 --> 01:21:10,197 when they're approached about the manhattan project, 1342 01:21:11,409 --> 01:21:13,576 the outcome of this was uncertain. 1343 01:21:13,661 --> 01:21:16,537 The risks were great. 1344 01:21:16,622 --> 01:21:18,539 Nobody knew if this was even possible. 1345 01:21:19,792 --> 01:21:21,375 (bright upbeat music) 1346 01:21:21,419 --> 01:21:24,211 - [narrator] now du pont's reactor is up and running. 1347 01:21:26,048 --> 01:21:28,549 In the morning, he'll send the first shipment 1348 01:21:28,634 --> 01:21:31,886 of enriched plutonium to los alamos new mexico. 1349 01:21:35,016 --> 01:21:37,224 Where robert oppenheimer will use it 1350 01:21:37,268 --> 01:21:39,894 to test the world's first atomic bomb. 1351 01:21:44,859 --> 01:21:47,568 (bomb explosion) 1352 01:21:51,490 --> 01:21:53,574 the test is a success. 1353 01:21:55,119 --> 01:21:58,078 Justice du pont's plutonium and oppenheimer's bomb 1354 01:21:58,164 --> 01:22:00,247 have unleashed the power of the universe. 1355 01:22:00,333 --> 01:22:02,541 (tense music playing) 1356 01:22:02,627 --> 01:22:05,252 the new president, harry s truman 1357 01:22:05,338 --> 01:22:09,506 is finalizing plans to defeat japan and end the war. 1358 01:22:09,592 --> 01:22:11,508 - Much remains to be done. 1359 01:22:11,594 --> 01:22:13,761 The power of our people to defend themselves, 1360 01:22:14,889 --> 01:22:17,765 against all enemies will be proved 1361 01:22:17,808 --> 01:22:21,769 in the pacific war, as it was proved in europe. 1362 01:22:21,812 --> 01:22:23,604 (solders stomping) 1363 01:22:23,689 --> 01:22:25,481 - american leaders were thinking about 1364 01:22:25,566 --> 01:22:27,608 the invasion of japan. 1365 01:22:27,693 --> 01:22:29,944 They were thinking that they might take 1366 01:22:30,029 --> 01:22:33,405 a hundred thousand or even a million casualties 1367 01:22:33,491 --> 01:22:36,784 killed and wounded to try to subjugate all of japan. 1368 01:22:37,954 --> 01:22:40,496 - Having experienced the earlier casualties 1369 01:22:40,581 --> 01:22:42,081 in the island hopping campaign 1370 01:22:42,124 --> 01:22:44,750 knowing that the japanese soldiers 1371 01:22:44,835 --> 01:22:47,461 and aviators are going to fight to the death. 1372 01:22:49,340 --> 01:22:51,799 All of this is weighing on truman. 1373 01:22:53,594 --> 01:22:55,678 - Franklin roosevelt never informed truman 1374 01:22:55,763 --> 01:22:58,597 about the manhattan project. 1375 01:22:58,683 --> 01:23:00,933 So he was quite stunned to find out 1376 01:23:01,018 --> 01:23:03,143 that we had this atomic bomb program 1377 01:23:03,229 --> 01:23:06,814 and the last one had been tested in new mexico and it worked. 1378 01:23:06,857 --> 01:23:09,858 And now this became the secret weapon. 1379 01:23:09,944 --> 01:23:11,318 (plane engines rumbling) 1380 01:23:11,404 --> 01:23:13,737 - [narrator] and to carry this weapon, america has a new 1381 01:23:13,823 --> 01:23:17,783 ultra-long range bomber able to reach japan. 1382 01:23:17,827 --> 01:23:20,661 The boeing b-29 superfortress. 1383 01:23:22,623 --> 01:23:25,332 William boeing has come out of retirement 1384 01:23:25,376 --> 01:23:26,834 to help design and build it. 1385 01:23:30,339 --> 01:23:32,339 - This was on a new scale. 1386 01:23:32,383 --> 01:23:35,676 We had this weapon that could change history forever. 1387 01:23:35,761 --> 01:23:37,302 And president truman had to go 1388 01:23:37,388 --> 01:23:39,346 through that decision-making process. 1389 01:23:41,642 --> 01:23:43,350 There was a moral part to it. (solemn music) 1390 01:23:43,436 --> 01:23:46,520 nobody quite knew what the atomic weapon would do. 1391 01:23:47,940 --> 01:23:51,025 - The gambit of truman was to save american lives. 1392 01:23:51,068 --> 01:23:53,986 So he wanted to show japan that we've got this weapon 1393 01:23:54,071 --> 01:23:55,529 and we're willing to use it in. 1394 01:23:55,573 --> 01:23:58,866 And japan didn't know how many of these bombs we have. 1395 01:24:01,203 --> 01:24:03,120 - There are only two of them however. 1396 01:24:03,205 --> 01:24:06,373 And you don't necessarily want to have a test run 1397 01:24:06,459 --> 01:24:08,375 if you're not sure it's going to work. 1398 01:24:11,547 --> 01:24:16,050 He ultimately makes that very, very difficult decision 1399 01:24:16,135 --> 01:24:20,888 to use the atomic bomb on hiroshima and nagasaki. 1400 01:24:22,183 --> 01:24:25,392 (solemn music playing) 1401 01:24:33,569 --> 01:24:36,403 (telephone rings) 1402 01:24:38,949 --> 01:24:39,740 - yes. 1403 01:24:44,121 --> 01:24:44,912 I see. 1404 01:24:47,374 --> 01:24:48,248 Thank you. 1405 01:25:00,429 --> 01:25:03,097 (sighs heavily) 1406 01:25:18,697 --> 01:25:21,281 - [narrator] the war is over. 1407 01:25:21,367 --> 01:25:24,451 Bringing an end to the deadliest conflict in human history. 1408 01:25:24,537 --> 01:25:27,454 (bright soft music) 1409 01:25:30,209 --> 01:25:34,294 - we about normandy, we talk about iwo jima and okinawa, 1410 01:25:36,132 --> 01:25:38,674 the war was also won inside the 1411 01:25:38,759 --> 01:25:41,468 united states by factories and industry. 1412 01:25:41,554 --> 01:25:44,304 (bright music playing) 1413 01:25:47,059 --> 01:25:49,977 so in the end world war ii was a triumph 1414 01:25:50,062 --> 01:25:54,815 of ford and kaiser, boeing and du pont 1415 01:25:54,900 --> 01:25:58,318 as well as fdr and the soldiers of democracy. 1416 01:25:59,697 --> 01:26:03,657 (orchestral music playing) 1417 01:26:03,742 --> 01:26:07,536 - ford shutdown bomber production in 1945 1418 01:26:07,621 --> 01:26:09,329 and never built an airplane again. 1419 01:26:10,624 --> 01:26:14,543 The giant willow run factory was put up for sale 1420 01:26:14,628 --> 01:26:16,670 and bought by henry kaiser. 1421 01:26:20,134 --> 01:26:22,676 Kaiser close to shipyards, to once again 1422 01:26:22,761 --> 01:26:26,847 jump into something he'd never done before, cars. 1423 01:26:30,019 --> 01:26:33,478 William boeing returned to retirement after the war. 1424 01:26:33,522 --> 01:26:35,814 Today his company's planes carry 1425 01:26:35,858 --> 01:26:38,692 over 2 billion passengers each year. 1426 01:26:40,905 --> 01:26:42,070 (bright music playing) 1427 01:26:42,156 --> 01:26:44,448 du pont vowed to get out of nuclear weapons, 1428 01:26:44,533 --> 01:26:46,658 and gave all the patents to the government. 1429 01:26:47,578 --> 01:26:51,079 But during the cold war, du pont was called on once again 1430 01:26:51,165 --> 01:26:54,875 and helped build the world's first hydrogen bomb. 1431 01:26:54,919 --> 01:26:58,170 (orchestral music) 1432 01:26:58,255 --> 01:27:01,548 - before the war, the country was politically divided 1433 01:27:01,634 --> 01:27:04,718 economically divided mired in depression, 1434 01:27:04,803 --> 01:27:07,471 the industrialist loathed the president. 1435 01:27:07,556 --> 01:27:08,931 And yet when the war came, 1436 01:27:09,016 --> 01:27:11,767 all of these people came together, work together, 1437 01:27:11,852 --> 01:27:15,062 and won the biggest war in the history of mankind. 1438 01:27:17,983 --> 01:27:20,275 - It's a great lesson. 1439 01:27:20,361 --> 01:27:23,570 These fierce competitors are now united 1440 01:27:23,656 --> 01:27:25,739 in order to try to achieve a common goal. 1441 01:27:28,285 --> 01:27:29,826 - So, why is that? 1442 01:27:29,912 --> 01:27:32,746 Is it that we're all basically common good underneath it, 1443 01:27:32,831 --> 01:27:34,414 we can work for a greater cause? 1444 01:27:34,500 --> 01:27:37,501 Or were they necessarily inherently great patriots? 1445 01:27:37,586 --> 01:27:38,752 I don't know. 1446 01:27:38,796 --> 01:27:40,629 But what I do know is I believe in the 1447 01:27:40,714 --> 01:27:43,048 goodness of people and I believe that 1448 01:27:43,092 --> 01:27:45,717 it found the best in them and they were able 1449 01:27:45,803 --> 01:27:47,427 to put their competition aside. 1450 01:27:49,390 --> 01:27:51,431 - If we're not coming together to do all 1451 01:27:51,517 --> 01:27:53,934 those things that we needed to do to win, 1452 01:27:55,562 --> 01:27:57,145 how would we define ourselves? 1453 01:27:57,231 --> 01:27:59,940 What would the name of this country be? 1454 01:28:00,025 --> 01:28:02,234 Would it be the united states of america? 1455 01:28:03,195 --> 01:28:06,113 We come together during our greatest times of need 1456 01:28:07,491 --> 01:28:10,284 and that's when amazing things happen.