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Downloaded from
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November 1942.
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Official YIFY movies site:
YTS.MX
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An armada of 200 British
and American ships appears off
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the coast of North Africa.
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Operation Torch
is about to begin.
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Right before the eyes
of the local people,
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100,000 men pour
onto the beaches of
Morocco and Algeria.
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It is this singular theater,
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North Africa, that
between 1940 and 1943
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was written a
famous chapter of
the Second World War:
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The Desert War.
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Why have the great
powers come to fight in
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the challenging desert
conditions of North Africa,
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so far from the
epicenter of the World War?
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And how, there in the
furnace of the desert,
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will the allies
manage to inflict one of
the first major setbacks
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on the forces of the Reich?
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The Desert War, the
war that nobody wanted,
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was to turn the
World War upside down.
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It all
begins with a big
gamble by a little dictator
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who dreams of greatness:
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Benito Mussolini.
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He proclaims,
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"Italy is in
truth a prisoner
of the Mediterranean."
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Il Duce wants to restore the
splendors of the Roman Empire.
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He dreams of controlling
the Mediterranean Sea,
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and expanding his
empire into Africa.
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Mussolini is suffocating
in an Africa dominated by
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the old imperial powers,
France and the United Kingdom.
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The modesty of his own
empire is a very sore point.
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In the east, it
controls only Somalia,
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Ethiopia and Eritrea.
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In the north, Libya was
conquered by iron and blood.
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Italy's victory was won
back in 1912 by means of
multiple massacres and abuses.
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In summer 1940,
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World War II
sets Europe on fire.
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After taking over
a part of Europe,
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the Third Reich troops
overrun France in a few weeks.
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England, under siege,
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fears succumbing to
the Nazi threat as well.
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German and Italians,
united under the Axis banner,
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are in a position of strength.
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It's a chance that Il Duce
doesn't intend to pass up on.
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He wants to see the
old colonial powers
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that dominate
Africa driven out.
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Italy's time has come.
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From Libya, he orders
his troops to enter Egypt,
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a kingdom controlled
by Great Britain.
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A force of 80,000 men
advances about 60 miles
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into Egyptian territory.
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The Italian generals
are hesitant.
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In their eyes, their
army is under-equipped,
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and not ready for
such an adventure.
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Winston Churchill doesn't
want to let go of Egypt.
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Not at any price.
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Ever since France surrendered,
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the Reich has been
extending its grip on Europe.
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For the British
Prime Minister,
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another defeat
would be unacceptable.
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Especially since the Luftwaffe
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is relentlessly
pounding England.
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Churchill knows that Britain's
salvation depends more than
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ever on the
resources of its Empire.
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The Suez Canal
belongs to Egypt.
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{\an8}For London, it is a vital
artery for transporting
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{\an8}its raw materials.
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For Churchill, it's a
very serious situation.
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So the old bulldog sounds
the alarm and mobilizes all
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the Commonwealth's resources.
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Thousands
of Australian, New Zealand
and South African soldiers
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flock to Cairo
and join the British.
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These men left their families
and their jobs to come and
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fight in the desert sands.
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In December, the
British go on the attack.
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To their great surprise,
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it's like a
stroll in the park.
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The Italians are disorganized,
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and have retreated
500 miles back into Libya.
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The British even take Tobruk,
a highly strategic port.
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His Majesty's generals know
that in these desert lands,
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he who controls
the ports, is master.
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In a matter of
just a few weeks,
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Commonwealth troops have
won an outright victory.
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At the beginning of 1941,
they occupy eastern Libya.
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And the Muslim population
celebrates its liberators.
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It has not forgotten
the 100,000 deaths
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the Italian conquest
was responsible for.
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The Arabs and the British
even come to an agreement.
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Thousands of Libyans accept
to fight for Great Britain.
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Churchill
promises them independence
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once victory is achieved.
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It's a good way to undermine
the influence of Rome.
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Il Duce was
yearning for glory,
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but now reaps nothing
but shameful defeat.
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He leaves 400 tanks
and 130,000 prisons behind
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on the battlefield.
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Mussolini wanted to
impose his law in Africa.
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Now he has to call for help.
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By the
beginning of 1941,
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Hitler has turned
his gaze to the east.
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Along with his generals,
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he's devoting himself
to his great project,
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Operation Barbarossa,
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the conquest of
the Soviet Union.
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In his eyes, his victory
will be sealed out there
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on the Russian Steppes.
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Mussolini, devastated, knows
that his timing is not good.
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But he needs his ally's help
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if he's not to
lose Libya entirely.
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Such a humiliation
would ruin his reputation.
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On the strategic plan,
Hitler considers North Africa
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as a secondary
theater of operations.
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But he fears that a
weakened Mussolini will
lose his grip on power.
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The fall of Il Duce would
threaten the security of
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the southern flank of
his European fortress.
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He agrees to help his ally,
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but on his terms.
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Any German
intervention must not,
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under any circumstances,
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disrupt its
operation in the east,
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which is expected to be
launched in just a few months.
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The Fuhrer sends
only a small expeditionary
force to Mussolini's rescue.
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The Afrika Korps has only
45,000 men and 174 tanks.
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It lands in Tripoli, the
capital of the Italian colony.
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Its mission is a limited one,
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to help the Italians
recapture eastern Libya,
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and to protect
it from a British onslaught.
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But the real game changer
is having General Rommel at
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the head of those troops.
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At 49, Rommel is
young for a general,
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but he's the
Fuhrer's favorite.
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He arrives in Tripoli,
trailing clouds of glory
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from the French campaign.
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Officially, Rommel is
under Italian command,
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but he's ambitious,
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and has no intention of
playing a supporting role.
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In Africa,
Rommel dreams of glory,
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even if it means
disobeying his superiors.
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The Afrika Korps
has only been present on
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the African soil
for a few weeks.
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But Rommel is
already impatient.
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On March 24, 1941,
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without even warning
either Rome or Berlin,
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he suddenly launches
an attack eastward.
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His intentions are clear.
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"My first objective," he says,
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"Is the recapture
of eastern Libya.
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My second, northern Egypt
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and the Suez Canal."
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{\an8}It's a grand plan.
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{\an8}From the land of the Pharaohs,
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{\an8}he can head for
Baku in the Caucasus and
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{\an8}get his hands on
the precious oil resources.
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Then, he can rendezvous
with the Wehrmacht troops
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to strike at Russia.
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It's pure megalomania,
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and far from anything his
leaders are expecting of him.
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But his troops are all for it,
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for the Afrika Korps is
partly made up of volunteers,
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all of them deeply
committed to the Reich.
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North Africa provides
Rommel with the ideal setting
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to rehearse it all.
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On these vast expanses,
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his Panzers can
get up to full speed.
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His technique is to
push straight ahead,
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and not worry about
his flanks or his rear.
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He counts on the
element of surprise and
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on his own intuition,
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and that's what's earned
him the Fuhrer's admiration.
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Rommel's sudden
offensive comes as a
shock to the British.
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The Germans aren't the same
thing as the Italians at all.
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Faced with such a
formidable adversary,
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the worrying weaknesses of the
British army start to emerge.
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The men are under-trained and
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their equipment
is dilapidated.
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As the British doctor
James Graham observes,
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the Afrika Korps
is wreaking havoc.
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"It was a blitz.
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We were devoured.
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The whole area was
marked by smoking remains,
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bodies scattered around.
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Some living, some not.
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Our principal task
was to relieve suffering.
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There was little
room for sentiment.
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Interment being carried
out near the fatal spot by
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a man's comrades,
enemy permitting."
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Noticing that the
British are retreating,
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Rommel decides to advance
towards Egypt heading deeper
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into the desert.
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He's well aware that
he's now disobeying orders.
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To his wife Lucie,
he confesses,
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"My darling Lucie,
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we are attacking
with remarkable success.
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I've taken the
risk of moving forward,
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despite all previous
orders and instructions,
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in order to seize
such a great opportunity."
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Rommel's goal is Tobruk.
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It's his modest aim to bring
it down in a matter of days.
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He considers it
a mere formality.
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{\an8}To avoid disaster,
the British retreat
to the Egyptian border.
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{\an8}They abandon all the territory
they've taken in Libya with
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{\an8}the exception of Tobruk.
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Tobruk is defended by
25,000 Commonwealth soldiers.
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Their supplies arrive by sea.
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The British will
never leave this
deep-water port to Rommel.
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00:14:26,480 --> 00:14:28,440
If it were to
fall into his hands,
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00:14:28,440 --> 00:14:30,960
he'd use it to
supply his own troops,
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00:14:30,960 --> 00:14:33,800
which would allow them
to advance into Egypt.
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On the front line, life's
hard when you're under siege.
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00:14:43,560 --> 00:14:46,360
The men shelter
from the bombing in
flea-infested holes.
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00:14:50,200 --> 00:14:52,960
"Like rats," as the
German radio propaganda
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00:14:52,960 --> 00:14:55,120
is always saying.
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00:14:55,120 --> 00:14:59,840
So they defiantly refer to
themselves as the Tobruk Rats.
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00:15:02,800 --> 00:15:03,840
They are daily raided.
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00:15:18,680 --> 00:15:21,800
For the time being,
Tobruk's still holding on.
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00:15:37,120 --> 00:15:38,760
Rommel
is struggling.
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00:15:38,760 --> 00:15:41,400
He spends his days visiting
his units scattered around
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00:15:41,400 --> 00:15:43,920
Tobruk and on
the Egyptian border.
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Unlike the
officers of the Wehrmacht,
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00:15:49,360 --> 00:15:50,760
he despises state duties.
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He wants to see the
battles from the front lines.
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And tirelessly keeps ordering
his men to break through,
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00:16:05,360 --> 00:16:06,920
whatever the cost.
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00:16:09,560 --> 00:16:12,240
German Lieutenant
Robert Witzke is fighting on
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00:16:12,240 --> 00:16:13,760
the front line.
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00:16:13,760 --> 00:16:15,680
He writes to his wife,
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00:16:15,680 --> 00:16:19,200
"Dear Inge, every
day there are attacks.
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00:16:21,800 --> 00:16:24,680
We can only ask ourselves
every day who is still alive
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00:16:24,680 --> 00:16:26,080
from the comrades.
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Many are dead, but
even more are wounded.
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00:16:31,720 --> 00:16:33,920
Inge, keep thinking of me."
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00:16:39,560 --> 00:16:41,320
After a 15 day siege,
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00:16:41,320 --> 00:16:45,440
Rommel has
consumed an astronomical
amount of ammunition and
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00:16:45,440 --> 00:16:47,400
the fuel is about to run out.
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00:16:49,800 --> 00:16:52,480
It doesn't matter, to a
battalion of machine guns,
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00:16:52,480 --> 00:16:56,640
he declares, "We will be in
Cairo in eight days from now.
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00:16:56,640 --> 00:16:58,000
Pass the word around."
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00:17:03,320 --> 00:17:06,320
Rommel is waging an overly
ambitious war without a care
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00:17:06,320 --> 00:17:08,480
for one decisive element:
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00:17:08,480 --> 00:17:10,360
fuel and supplies.
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00:17:15,680 --> 00:17:19,680
Yet delivering the 53,000 tons
of monthly supplies that his
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00:17:19,680 --> 00:17:23,200
relentless attacks
require is a daunting task,
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00:17:23,200 --> 00:17:27,240
because the Axis supply
lines are long and dangerous.
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00:17:30,880 --> 00:17:32,800
In the Mediterranean, the
British are tracking down
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00:17:32,800 --> 00:17:35,840
Italian cargo ships
trying to reach Tripoli,
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00:17:35,840 --> 00:17:38,320
the only port controlled
by the Afrika Korps.
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00:17:42,200 --> 00:17:45,320
All the same, 80% of supplies
are still getting through.
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00:17:50,240 --> 00:17:52,800
Petrol, water,
food, ammunition.
250
00:17:52,800 --> 00:17:54,640
Every day once unloaded,
251
00:17:54,640 --> 00:17:57,080
the supplies have
to reach the front.
252
00:17:57,080 --> 00:17:58,440
It's quite a challenge.
253
00:18:04,480 --> 00:18:08,040
{\an8}It takes 14 days to travel
the 750 miles from Tripoli
254
00:18:08,040 --> 00:18:09,680
{\an8}to the front.
255
00:18:09,680 --> 00:18:11,600
{\an8}It's a real trial for the men.
256
00:18:14,600 --> 00:18:18,280
Ironically, the trucks consume
half of the petrol they carry.
257
00:18:32,040 --> 00:18:35,960
Rommel is impatient with all
these logistical constraints.
258
00:18:35,960 --> 00:18:39,440
He exhausts his troops
and fails to take Tobruk.
259
00:18:42,440 --> 00:18:45,120
His attitude costs
the lives of 53 officers,
260
00:18:45,120 --> 00:18:46,600
and 1,200 men.
261
00:18:51,920 --> 00:18:54,120
The Afrika Korps
is very weakened,
262
00:18:54,120 --> 00:18:56,000
but holds its ground.
263
00:18:56,000 --> 00:18:57,840
It's far from
its bases though,
264
00:18:57,840 --> 00:19:00,480
and difficult to refuel.
265
00:19:00,480 --> 00:19:02,640
It is dangerously exposed.
266
00:19:04,600 --> 00:19:07,440
A counter attack by the
enemy might well destroy it.
267
00:19:15,680 --> 00:19:20,120
The Khamsin, the
burning wind that can
blow for long days at a time,
268
00:19:20,120 --> 00:19:22,240
heralds the beginning
of the strong heat.
269
00:19:28,560 --> 00:19:31,440
From May to October,
it is impossible to fight
270
00:19:31,440 --> 00:19:34,080
between 12:00 am and 4:00 pm.
271
00:19:34,080 --> 00:19:37,440
In daytime, the
heat is overwhelming.
272
00:19:37,440 --> 00:19:39,840
At night, the cold is glacial.
273
00:19:42,040 --> 00:19:45,080
Lieutenant Witzke
survived the hell of Tobruk,
274
00:19:45,080 --> 00:19:48,000
and now he's
facing fresh ordeals.
275
00:19:48,000 --> 00:19:53,480
In June 1941, he
confides to his wife,
276
00:19:53,480 --> 00:19:55,920
"Hot is not the word.
277
00:19:55,920 --> 00:19:57,160
For the past ten days,
278
00:19:57,160 --> 00:20:00,320
we've had 58 to
60 degrees in the sun.
279
00:20:00,320 --> 00:20:02,400
I've already lost 20 pounds.
280
00:20:02,400 --> 00:20:04,160
If they don't
get us out of here,
281
00:20:04,160 --> 00:20:06,040
it'll drive us all mad."
282
00:20:08,560 --> 00:20:10,320
"The biggest
problem was water,"
283
00:20:10,320 --> 00:20:12,520
laments another soldier.
284
00:20:12,520 --> 00:20:15,000
"Drinking, always drinking.
285
00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:18,360
That was the
be-all and end-all of
our desert existence."
286
00:20:21,040 --> 00:20:24,880
The soldiers are
also confronted with
the scourge of the desert:
287
00:20:24,880 --> 00:20:25,840
the flies.
288
00:20:27,240 --> 00:20:29,760
Shortly after sunrise,
they arrive in hordes,
289
00:20:29,760 --> 00:20:31,720
attracted by human sweat,
290
00:20:31,720 --> 00:20:34,360
the only moisture available
in these arid lands.
291
00:20:37,360 --> 00:20:38,920
There is no way
to escape them.
292
00:20:42,720 --> 00:20:46,280
Rommel's men find no
comfort in the food.
293
00:20:46,280 --> 00:20:49,240
It's insufficient in
both quality and quantity.
294
00:20:51,040 --> 00:20:52,960
They try to improve the
quality of their meals by
295
00:20:52,960 --> 00:20:55,360
buying from the Bedouins.
296
00:20:55,360 --> 00:20:59,400
This trade may improve
Robert Witzke's daily life,
297
00:20:59,400 --> 00:21:02,720
but above all, it
confirms his loathsome racism.
298
00:21:04,560 --> 00:21:08,720
"These dogs are so wily, that
they ask a fortune for an egg.
299
00:21:08,720 --> 00:21:10,840
We all reckon they're spies."
300
00:21:14,520 --> 00:21:16,280
"If you look at
these filthy bastards,
301
00:21:16,280 --> 00:21:19,800
then there is only one thing,
away with the riff raff."
302
00:21:29,720 --> 00:21:32,080
At the
height of summer,
in the Libyan desert,
303
00:21:32,080 --> 00:21:34,880
the crushing heat
immobilizes the armies.
304
00:21:36,360 --> 00:21:38,320
While the men of the
Afrika Korps suffer from
305
00:21:38,320 --> 00:21:40,680
the lack
of supplies, opposite,
306
00:21:40,680 --> 00:21:43,760
in the British units camped
on the Egyptian border,
307
00:21:43,760 --> 00:21:46,680
it's depression
that's tormenting the men.
308
00:21:48,600 --> 00:21:50,760
They have been living in
isolation in the desert for
309
00:21:50,760 --> 00:21:54,640
eight months now and have
no way to distract themselves.
310
00:21:57,680 --> 00:22:03,960
Overwhelmed with boredom, a
soldier writes in his diary,
311
00:22:03,960 --> 00:22:06,320
"Every day it's
the same old thing.
312
00:22:06,320 --> 00:22:07,960
The desert's everywhere.
313
00:22:07,960 --> 00:22:09,640
It drains your spirit.
314
00:22:11,360 --> 00:22:12,680
There's nothing
here to look at,
315
00:22:12,680 --> 00:22:13,920
nothing to listen to.
316
00:22:15,520 --> 00:22:18,520
The only thing that
keeps us holding on
is thoughts of home."
317
00:22:36,960 --> 00:22:39,640
Churchill
is exasperated.
318
00:22:39,640 --> 00:22:43,600
Everything suggests that his
worn-out troops are incapable
319
00:22:43,600 --> 00:22:44,880
of beating Rommel.
320
00:22:48,240 --> 00:22:50,800
So the Prime Minister decides
to send the reinforcements
321
00:22:50,800 --> 00:22:55,320
that have been
called up over the months
from all over the Empire.
322
00:22:57,480 --> 00:23:01,480
From now on, North Africa has
become a major theater of war.
323
00:23:03,800 --> 00:23:07,600
Indians, Africans, Maltese,
324
00:23:07,600 --> 00:23:09,440
Jews from Palestine,
325
00:23:09,440 --> 00:23:10,760
Mauritians.
326
00:23:10,760 --> 00:23:14,800
In the autumn of 1941
more than 150,000 men
327
00:23:14,800 --> 00:23:16,640
come to swell
the British ranks.
328
00:23:18,160 --> 00:23:20,400
They are joined
by the Free French.
329
00:23:20,400 --> 00:23:23,400
Responding to the call
of General De Gaulle,
330
00:23:23,400 --> 00:23:26,520
they will carry on the fight
to restore France's honor.
331
00:23:28,680 --> 00:23:30,760
By engaging his
massive forces,
332
00:23:30,760 --> 00:23:33,880
Churchill forces
Hitler to raise the stakes.
333
00:23:44,960 --> 00:23:47,840
Nearly 2,000 miles from
the burning sands of Africa,
334
00:23:47,840 --> 00:23:50,760
the great offensive
against the USSR is entering
335
00:23:50,760 --> 00:23:52,440
a decisive phase.
336
00:23:53,480 --> 00:23:57,120
At temperatures of
minus 22 Fahrenheit
337
00:23:57,120 --> 00:23:59,680
the Wehrmacht are
trying to take Moscow.
338
00:24:02,520 --> 00:24:06,400
At the very moment
when the east is taking up
all his attention however,
339
00:24:06,400 --> 00:24:10,040
Hitler decides to send
reinforcements to his protégé.
340
00:24:10,040 --> 00:24:12,120
He can't afford to
lose North Africa.
341
00:24:21,440 --> 00:24:24,400
By entrusting command to
an uncontrollable general,
342
00:24:24,400 --> 00:24:27,840
the Fuhrer has turned
the desert into a trap,
343
00:24:27,840 --> 00:24:31,120
because Rommel hasn't
given up on his fantasies.
344
00:24:31,120 --> 00:24:32,800
On the contrary.
345
00:24:35,040 --> 00:24:38,320
In January 1942, Hitler's
promised reinforcements
346
00:24:38,320 --> 00:24:39,840
finally arrive.
347
00:24:40,760 --> 00:24:43,600
That's barely enough to
solve his logistical problems,
348
00:24:43,600 --> 00:24:46,960
but just enough to let him
dream of a new raid on Cairo.
349
00:24:51,120 --> 00:24:52,840
Once again, to
everyone's surprise,
350
00:24:52,840 --> 00:24:55,400
Rommel resumes his mad dash.
351
00:24:57,520 --> 00:25:01,200
Overexcited, he
writes to his wife Lucie,
352
00:25:01,200 --> 00:25:04,920
"Dear Lucie, I have several
plans in mind that I would
353
00:25:04,920 --> 00:25:07,720
never dare talk to my
officers about at the moment
354
00:25:07,720 --> 00:25:10,320
or they might think
I was going crazy.
355
00:25:10,320 --> 00:25:13,120
You know me, it's
the wee small hours that
356
00:25:13,120 --> 00:25:14,960
my best plans come to me."
357
00:25:25,920 --> 00:25:28,040
There is no
guarantee that the British
358
00:25:28,040 --> 00:25:29,840
will be able to stop it.
359
00:25:31,360 --> 00:25:33,840
Their new General,
Claude Auchinleck,
360
00:25:33,840 --> 00:25:37,080
has a clear superiority
in both men and equipment.
361
00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:41,960
But Churchill's not
betting on the right horse.
362
00:25:41,960 --> 00:25:45,440
Auchinleck does not know
how to surround himself with
363
00:25:45,440 --> 00:25:47,080
the right people.
364
00:25:47,080 --> 00:25:49,280
He had served for a
long time in India,
365
00:25:49,280 --> 00:25:52,040
and has chosen his
subordinates poorly.
366
00:25:53,760 --> 00:25:56,640
For months, he sends hundreds
of tanks to the slaughterhouse
367
00:25:56,640 --> 00:25:59,880
by charging
frontal assaults worthy of
368
00:25:59,880 --> 00:26:01,680
old fashioned cavalry charges.
369
00:26:08,080 --> 00:26:12,520
In May 1942, Rommel
tries an unprecedented and
370
00:26:12,520 --> 00:26:15,840
very risky maneuver to put
his enemy out of the game.
371
00:26:18,040 --> 00:26:21,520
{\an8}He decides to bypass the
defense line protecting Tobruk
372
00:26:21,520 --> 00:26:24,120
{\an8}in order to catch him
from behind and crush him.
373
00:26:24,120 --> 00:26:25,840
{\an8}But in a remote area,
374
00:26:25,840 --> 00:26:28,880
{\an8}he comes across an
unexpected obstacle,
375
00:26:28,880 --> 00:26:30,200
{\an8}Bir Hakeim.
376
00:26:34,840 --> 00:26:36,560
It's a position that
the Free French under
377
00:26:36,560 --> 00:26:39,520
General Koenig
have been holding onto.
378
00:26:39,520 --> 00:26:41,040
Just a handful of them:
379
00:26:41,040 --> 00:26:42,400
3,700 men.
380
00:26:45,880 --> 00:26:50,080
Despite the deluge
of fire unleashed by
the Panzers and Stukas,
381
00:26:50,080 --> 00:26:52,680
they managed, by
their heroic resistance,
382
00:26:52,680 --> 00:26:55,040
to block the
Afrika Korps for 15 days.
383
00:26:56,840 --> 00:27:00,320
The British,
grateful, salute the exploit.
384
00:27:02,240 --> 00:27:04,920
Thanks to the precious hours
gained by De Gaulle's men,
385
00:27:04,920 --> 00:27:08,440
Auchinleck's 8th Army,
in the midst of a debacle,
386
00:27:08,440 --> 00:27:10,760
has avoided being surrounded.
387
00:27:10,760 --> 00:27:14,040
It withdraws
its troops behind
the Egyptian border but,
388
00:27:14,040 --> 00:27:15,800
for the second time,
389
00:27:15,800 --> 00:27:18,240
abandons the east
of Libya to the enemy.
390
00:27:25,480 --> 00:27:27,280
Here is Tobruk.
391
00:27:27,800 --> 00:27:30,600
Rommel has
achieved his main objective,
392
00:27:30,600 --> 00:27:32,800
to capture the port of Tobruk.
393
00:27:38,720 --> 00:27:40,840
Robert Witzke
plays a leading role
394
00:27:40,840 --> 00:27:42,920
in this victory.
395
00:27:42,920 --> 00:27:44,840
"Our battalion," he exults,
396
00:27:44,840 --> 00:27:47,040
"Had once again
the honorable task
397
00:27:47,040 --> 00:27:48,840
to form the lead.
398
00:27:48,840 --> 00:27:51,840
Jesus Christ, Tobruk is ours!
399
00:27:51,840 --> 00:27:54,680
It's still hard to believe."
400
00:27:54,680 --> 00:27:56,920
Two days after his triumph,
401
00:27:56,920 --> 00:27:59,560
Robert Witzke is
severely injured.
402
00:27:59,560 --> 00:28:01,400
He is evacuated to Germany.
403
00:28:03,640 --> 00:28:06,640
Marshal Rommel
inspects positions
in the city's harbor.
404
00:28:07,600 --> 00:28:10,080
There are still dense
clouds of smoke above Tobruk.
405
00:28:11,560 --> 00:28:12,560
Marshal Rommel...
406
00:28:12,960 --> 00:28:15,080
German war
reporters followed Rommel's
407
00:28:15,080 --> 00:28:18,080
every step during the
last phase of the battle.
408
00:28:18,080 --> 00:28:20,960
Their images give his
exploit a global impact.
409
00:28:27,680 --> 00:28:30,040
The Desert Fox myth has begun.
410
00:28:34,360 --> 00:28:37,240
And
while the cameras are
all focused on Rommel,
411
00:28:37,240 --> 00:28:39,280
they're careful not
to film the vendetta of
412
00:28:39,280 --> 00:28:40,920
the Italian settles.
413
00:28:42,080 --> 00:28:43,800
The Arab people
chose the British camp.
414
00:28:46,760 --> 00:28:48,160
They pay the price.
415
00:28:48,160 --> 00:28:50,840
The looting and the
murders are multiplying.
416
00:28:50,840 --> 00:28:53,440
One Italian rejoices,
417
00:28:53,440 --> 00:28:55,880
"No sooner had
the English fled than
418
00:28:55,880 --> 00:28:58,280
any Arab we found got
a bullet in the head or
419
00:28:58,280 --> 00:29:00,000
a grenade in the stomach.
420
00:29:01,720 --> 00:29:03,120
Our soldiers are here now,
421
00:29:03,120 --> 00:29:04,720
finishing the job."
422
00:29:16,480 --> 00:29:19,440
There's violence too
against Libya's 30,000 Jews,
423
00:29:19,440 --> 00:29:21,600
whether they supported
the British or not.
424
00:29:23,840 --> 00:29:26,800
Fascist racial laws have
previously been applied only
425
00:29:26,800 --> 00:29:29,600
mildly to these
Italian citizens,
426
00:29:29,600 --> 00:29:33,320
but military setbacks
provoke a radicalization of
427
00:29:33,320 --> 00:29:34,840
the fascist regime.
428
00:29:36,120 --> 00:29:39,360
Il Duce decides to intern
all the Jews in the region.
429
00:29:42,280 --> 00:29:44,320
Entire families
are being arrested,
430
00:29:44,320 --> 00:29:47,960
loaded into trucks and dumped
in concentration camps set up
431
00:29:47,960 --> 00:29:49,560
on the edge of the desert.
432
00:29:51,240 --> 00:29:54,040
The worst of these
detention camps is in Giado,
433
00:29:54,040 --> 00:29:56,600
150 miles south of Tripoli.
434
00:29:58,040 --> 00:30:00,400
About 3,000 prisoners
will be held there,
435
00:30:00,400 --> 00:30:02,960
a quarter of them will
die of undernourishment
436
00:30:02,960 --> 00:30:04,320
and ill treatment.
437
00:30:17,600 --> 00:30:20,760
The disaster of Tobruk
strikes Churchill as he meets
438
00:30:20,760 --> 00:30:22,760
Franklin Roosevelt
at the White House.
439
00:30:24,240 --> 00:30:27,360
"It is one of the
heaviest blows I can
recall during the war.
440
00:30:27,360 --> 00:30:30,920
Defeat is one thing,
disgrace is another."
441
00:30:32,840 --> 00:30:36,400
Churchill's way of
ruling is openly questioned.
442
00:30:36,400 --> 00:30:39,440
The British don't
trust their Prime Minister
to lead the war anymore.
443
00:30:41,160 --> 00:30:42,840
As Mussolini did with Hitler,
444
00:30:42,840 --> 00:30:46,360
Churchill must now win
the support of his ally.
445
00:30:46,360 --> 00:30:48,720
His political
survival is at stake.
446
00:30:55,160 --> 00:30:58,440
In meeting after meeting,
he harasses Roosevelt to
447
00:30:58,440 --> 00:31:00,960
help him annihilate
the Afrika Korps.
448
00:31:00,960 --> 00:31:03,880
His plan is to
land in North Africa.
449
00:31:06,320 --> 00:31:08,840
Like Hitler, the
American generals have
450
00:31:08,840 --> 00:31:11,520
no desire to
intervene in this region.
451
00:31:12,640 --> 00:31:15,200
They believe that
to defeat Germany,
452
00:31:15,200 --> 00:31:18,720
you have to strike at
its heart, in Europe.
453
00:31:18,720 --> 00:31:21,480
So they're planning a
landing on the French coast
454
00:31:21,480 --> 00:31:24,040
that could happen in
barely a year's time.
455
00:31:32,840 --> 00:31:34,400
To
convince his host,
456
00:31:34,840 --> 00:31:38,800
Churchill insists that
it would be harmful to
remain inactive for a year,
457
00:31:38,800 --> 00:31:41,080
with public opinion
in the U.S. impatient
458
00:31:41,080 --> 00:31:43,000
and hungry for victories.
459
00:31:44,320 --> 00:31:47,600
It's an argument that
doesn't leave the American
President indifferent,
460
00:31:47,600 --> 00:31:50,800
and it's true that he
is soon to face elections.
461
00:31:57,960 --> 00:32:00,600
The Desert Fox
ignores all this scheming.
462
00:32:01,840 --> 00:32:05,800
At the end of June 1942, he
decides to advance into Egypt,
463
00:32:05,800 --> 00:32:07,560
with Hitler's
blessing this time.
464
00:32:09,520 --> 00:32:12,080
The Fuhrer now considers
the conquest of Egypt as a
465
00:32:12,080 --> 00:32:15,120
historic opportunity to
bring down the British Empire.
466
00:32:24,640 --> 00:32:28,680
{\an8}El Alamein is a
small railway station
on the Egyptian coast.
467
00:32:30,360 --> 00:32:33,960
Nobody could guess
this lost place would
soon go down in history.
468
00:32:35,720 --> 00:32:37,800
Yet this is where
the British will change
469
00:32:37,800 --> 00:32:39,400
the course of the war.
470
00:32:42,560 --> 00:32:46,200
Claude Auchinleck has chosen
this position so as not to be
471
00:32:46,200 --> 00:32:48,520
surrounded again
by the Desert Fox.
472
00:32:49,800 --> 00:32:53,080
It has impassable
obstacles on every side.
473
00:32:53,080 --> 00:32:55,040
The sea to the north,
474
00:32:55,040 --> 00:32:57,400
a vast area of
soft sand to the south.
475
00:33:00,400 --> 00:33:03,640
In July 1942, Rommel
launches what he hopes would
476
00:33:03,640 --> 00:33:07,120
be a decisive
offensive at El Alamein.
477
00:33:15,920 --> 00:33:20,840
As soon
as the German offensive
was launched at El Alamein,
478
00:33:20,840 --> 00:33:23,760
things go very wrong
for the British soldiers.
479
00:33:25,160 --> 00:33:28,200
Over the past year, they
suffered defeat after defeat,
480
00:33:28,200 --> 00:33:30,560
despite their
superior numbers.
481
00:33:32,160 --> 00:33:34,560
The inept strategies
of their leaders and
482
00:33:34,560 --> 00:33:37,480
their fear of Rommel
have undermined their resolve.
483
00:33:41,160 --> 00:33:42,440
In
his field hospital,
484
00:33:42,440 --> 00:33:45,560
Dr. James Graham is
seeing a flood of soldiers,
485
00:33:45,560 --> 00:33:47,880
all wounded and unable
to continue the fight.
486
00:33:49,840 --> 00:33:52,320
He discovers that some would
rather mutilate themselves
487
00:33:52,320 --> 00:33:54,000
than go back to
the front line.
488
00:33:55,680 --> 00:33:58,440
"The tricks used was to
break up a rifle cartridge and
489
00:33:58,440 --> 00:34:01,640
swallow the explosive,
a poison for the liver.
490
00:34:02,840 --> 00:34:04,880
After a few weeks in hospital,
491
00:34:04,880 --> 00:34:08,080
there's a chance you might
get a non-combatant job."
492
00:34:10,680 --> 00:34:13,880
In the summer of 1942,
Auchinleck sees his men
493
00:34:13,880 --> 00:34:16,480
surrender in
droves to the enemy.
494
00:34:16,480 --> 00:34:19,280
Such defeatism
is unacceptable.
495
00:34:19,280 --> 00:34:21,400
He calls for the
reintroduction of
496
00:34:21,400 --> 00:34:23,600
the death penalty
for deserters.
497
00:34:27,360 --> 00:34:31,680
Auchinleck managed to
contain the Axis offensive
but falls into disgrace.
498
00:34:31,680 --> 00:34:33,160
He is held responsible for
499
00:34:33,160 --> 00:34:35,120
the collapse of
his troops' morale.
500
00:34:43,960 --> 00:34:47,080
Devoured by anxiety,
Winston Churchill rushes to
501
00:34:47,080 --> 00:34:49,560
Cairo in early August.
502
00:34:49,560 --> 00:34:52,400
He abruptly dismisses
Claude Auchinleck.
503
00:34:56,280 --> 00:34:57,480
To replace him,
504
00:34:57,480 --> 00:34:59,760
he opts for
General Bernard Montgomery.
505
00:35:03,160 --> 00:35:05,200
Churchill finds him proud,
506
00:35:05,200 --> 00:35:09,360
but he chooses
Montgomery because he
has a precious quality:
507
00:35:09,360 --> 00:35:11,560
an immense
self confidence that
508
00:35:11,560 --> 00:35:14,160
he is able to communicate
to those around him.
509
00:35:18,760 --> 00:35:21,960
James Graham is attached to
Montgomery's headquarters.
510
00:35:21,960 --> 00:35:24,880
He sees him scrambling
to cure the ailments that
511
00:35:24,880 --> 00:35:26,360
plague his men.
512
00:35:28,080 --> 00:35:30,400
"Montgomery is out every day.
513
00:35:30,400 --> 00:35:32,840
He goes assiduously
around all the units to
514
00:35:32,840 --> 00:35:35,120
introduce himself
to the soldiers.
515
00:35:35,120 --> 00:35:37,960
Never before has a
commander done that."
516
00:35:40,080 --> 00:35:44,040
Montgomery's message to his
troops is simple but firm,
517
00:35:44,040 --> 00:35:47,200
"The defense of Egypt
lies here at Alamein.
518
00:35:47,200 --> 00:35:49,560
Here we will stand and fight.
519
00:35:49,560 --> 00:35:52,000
There will be no
further withdrawal."
520
00:35:54,160 --> 00:35:55,040
Clearly under him,
521
00:35:55,560 --> 00:35:57,040
they'll not give an
inch of ground to Rommel.
522
00:36:00,320 --> 00:36:02,200
James Graham confirms it.
523
00:36:03,760 --> 00:36:06,680
"That was enough to
earn their loyalty.
524
00:36:06,680 --> 00:36:09,160
Everyone likes to be
on the winning side."
525
00:36:16,840 --> 00:36:21,120
Strategically,
Montgomery is the
absolute opposite of Rommel.
526
00:36:21,120 --> 00:36:24,320
The British strategist,
for his part, likes to
527
00:36:24,320 --> 00:36:26,520
prepare his
plans meticulously.
528
00:36:28,640 --> 00:36:31,160
At the end of August when
Rommel goes on the offensive,
529
00:36:31,160 --> 00:36:33,560
Montgomery is waiting for him.
530
00:36:41,560 --> 00:36:45,600
Rather than gamble on an
unlikely decisive battle,
531
00:36:45,600 --> 00:36:48,360
Montgomery decides to
wear his opponent out.
532
00:36:50,560 --> 00:36:53,520
He does, after all, have a
clear material superiority.
533
00:36:56,200 --> 00:36:59,160
"My plan is to
contain the enemy's
tanks while we carry out
534
00:36:59,160 --> 00:37:02,480
a methodical destruction
of his defensive system.
535
00:37:02,480 --> 00:37:05,160
The enemy will be
cut from his supplies."
536
00:37:10,880 --> 00:37:14,000
Montgomery's target
is Rommel's weak point:
537
00:37:14,000 --> 00:37:16,320
his petrol supply convoys.
538
00:37:20,480 --> 00:37:24,520
Werner Mork
drives a supply truck
for the Afrika Korps.
539
00:37:24,520 --> 00:37:27,040
He suffers
another air attack
that will mark him for
540
00:37:27,040 --> 00:37:28,480
the rest of his life.
541
00:37:29,800 --> 00:37:31,560
"The attack only
lasted a few moments.
542
00:37:31,560 --> 00:37:32,880
I'm pretty messed up."
543
00:37:37,480 --> 00:37:41,200
"Ever since, I've
been overwhelmed by
a mindless sense of panic.
544
00:37:41,200 --> 00:37:44,600
It's with me now, the
war in all its cruelty,
545
00:37:44,600 --> 00:37:46,320
all its horror."
546
00:37:48,840 --> 00:37:51,680
Montgomery's wear and
tear strategy has paid off.
547
00:37:59,760 --> 00:38:03,040
After a month of fighting,
the Afrika Korps has only
548
00:38:03,040 --> 00:38:04,880
a few days of fuel left.
549
00:38:06,560 --> 00:38:09,080
On October 27, 1942,
550
00:38:09,080 --> 00:38:11,600
the Desert Fox is
finally done for.
551
00:38:16,400 --> 00:38:18,720
British intelligence
intercepts a German message
552
00:38:18,720 --> 00:38:21,680
indicating the imminent
arrival of two Italian tankers
553
00:38:21,680 --> 00:38:23,360
in the port of Tobruk.
554
00:38:28,000 --> 00:38:29,800
As they prepare
to drop anchor,
555
00:38:29,800 --> 00:38:32,360
the ships are sunk by
Royal Air Force bombers.
556
00:38:42,040 --> 00:38:44,240
So, due to a lack of fuel,
557
00:38:44,240 --> 00:38:47,360
Rommel can simply no
longer afford to act.
558
00:38:54,000 --> 00:38:57,560
Rommel has suffered a
terrible defeat at El Alamein.
559
00:38:57,560 --> 00:38:58,960
He knows that this will ruin
560
00:38:58,960 --> 00:39:01,520
his Fuhrer's
ambitions in Africa.
561
00:39:03,600 --> 00:39:07,840
It's a broken man
who writes to his wife.
562
00:39:07,840 --> 00:39:12,040
"God only knows whether I
will survive this defeat.
563
00:39:12,040 --> 00:39:13,560
If I never return,
564
00:39:13,560 --> 00:39:15,840
I would like from
the bottom of my heart,
565
00:39:15,840 --> 00:39:18,840
to thank you and our
son for all the love and
566
00:39:18,840 --> 00:39:20,800
happiness you
have brought me."
567
00:39:30,200 --> 00:39:33,080
The victory at El Alamein
marks a turning point
568
00:39:33,080 --> 00:39:34,560
in World War II.
569
00:39:35,200 --> 00:39:37,560
Rommel's army has
been defeated.
570
00:39:37,560 --> 00:39:40,560
The
British Prime Minister
doesn't hide his pleasure.
571
00:39:41,480 --> 00:39:44,840
Now, this is not the end.
572
00:39:44,840 --> 00:39:49,320
It is not even the
beginning of the end.
573
00:39:49,320 --> 00:39:52,240
But it is perhaps the
end of the beginning.
574
00:40:00,400 --> 00:40:02,400
Churchill gloats.
575
00:40:02,400 --> 00:40:05,440
He knows that the Reich's days
in Africa are now numbered.
576
00:40:13,120 --> 00:40:15,840
American troops have just
disembarked in North Africa.
577
00:40:18,880 --> 00:40:21,280
{\an8}On the beaches of
Morocco and Algeria,
578
00:40:21,280 --> 00:40:22,440
{\an8}two French colonies.
579
00:40:25,240 --> 00:40:27,360
{\an8}Despite opposition
from his staff,
580
00:40:27,360 --> 00:40:29,440
Roosevelt yields to Churchill.
581
00:40:30,640 --> 00:40:33,880
The U.S. President wants to
win the midterm elections.
582
00:40:33,880 --> 00:40:37,680
He has promised his
public an easy victory
on the African continent.
583
00:40:40,800 --> 00:40:43,920
Initially scheduled
to last six weeks,
584
00:40:43,920 --> 00:40:47,320
Operation Torch, the
epilogue of the Desert War,
585
00:40:47,320 --> 00:40:50,040
will in fact last
for six long months.
586
00:40:52,640 --> 00:40:55,640
{\an8}The British and American
forces and Montgomery's army
587
00:40:55,640 --> 00:40:58,720
have planned to
meet up in Tunisia.
588
00:40:58,720 --> 00:41:00,880
It's an ideal
springboard to hit Europe.
589
00:41:02,360 --> 00:41:05,200
A project Hitler wants
to prevent by all means.
590
00:41:05,920 --> 00:41:09,960
The Fuhrer had hesitated
to support the Afrika Korps.
591
00:41:09,960 --> 00:41:13,320
He now sends heavy
reinforcements to Tunisia,
592
00:41:13,320 --> 00:41:16,600
and even transfers some of
the Luftwaffe bombers from
593
00:41:16,600 --> 00:41:17,920
the Russian front.
594
00:41:23,560 --> 00:41:28,640
The ferocity of
the fighting dulls the
Americans' enthusiasm,
595
00:41:28,640 --> 00:41:30,160
especially since
their first clash with
596
00:41:30,160 --> 00:41:33,560
the Wehrmacht in
February 1943 in Kasserine.
597
00:41:33,560 --> 00:41:35,120
It was a disaster.
598
00:41:39,360 --> 00:41:42,600
But that terrible baptism of
fire has toughened them up.
599
00:41:44,920 --> 00:41:47,000
{\an8}Now the battle-hardened
American forces can
600
00:41:47,000 --> 00:41:49,160
{\an8}join up with
Montgomery's British army.
601
00:41:55,760 --> 00:41:58,760
With
overwhelming superiority now,
602
00:41:58,760 --> 00:42:01,280
the British and Americans
launch their final offensive
603
00:42:01,280 --> 00:42:02,840
in central Tunisia.
604
00:42:05,160 --> 00:42:07,120
The British enter Tunis,
605
00:42:07,120 --> 00:42:09,360
while the Americans
enter Bizerte.
606
00:42:13,040 --> 00:42:15,760
The Axis troops, crammed
into their final refuge,
607
00:42:15,760 --> 00:42:17,800
surrender unconditionally.
608
00:42:20,320 --> 00:42:23,600
The Allies take
275,000 prisoners,
609
00:42:23,600 --> 00:42:27,400
far more than the
90,000 men taken at
the fall of Stalingrad.
610
00:42:29,640 --> 00:42:32,640
These thousands of soldiers
won't now be able to repel
611
00:42:32,640 --> 00:42:34,760
the allies at the
Normandy landing.
612
00:42:44,480 --> 00:42:46,720
And so ends the Desert War.
613
00:42:46,720 --> 00:42:50,600
It's a victory that drives
the Germans out of Africa.
614
00:42:50,600 --> 00:42:53,040
Now the Allies are
ready to engage in
615
00:42:53,040 --> 00:42:55,920
the great confrontation
in western Europe.
616
00:42:55,920 --> 00:43:00,160
Along with Montgomery,
they've tamed modern warfare.
617
00:43:03,160 --> 00:43:04,720
The lesson has been learned,
618
00:43:04,720 --> 00:43:06,760
by the leaders as
well as their men,
619
00:43:06,760 --> 00:43:08,640
at the cost of
unspeakable suffering.
620
00:43:10,760 --> 00:43:13,000
The people
celebrate their liberators,
621
00:43:13,000 --> 00:43:16,360
but all the
jubilation is ambiguous.
622
00:43:16,360 --> 00:43:20,400
The Allied victory
may have rid Africa
of the plague of Nazism,
623
00:43:20,400 --> 00:43:23,040
but despite all the promises,
624
00:43:23,040 --> 00:43:26,120
it has not broken the
chains of colonialism.
625
00:43:27,640 --> 00:43:30,760
The Desert War will lead
to the defeat of the Reich.
626
00:43:30,760 --> 00:43:33,760
It will also herald a new era:
627
00:43:33,760 --> 00:43:36,960
that of the liberation
of colonized nation.
628
00:44:06,040 --> 00:44:07,520
{\an8}Captioned by
Cotter Media Group.