What incredible BALLS it took not to cave in to the Nazis in 1940. If only we (westerners) had that kind of spirit these days, the world would be a much better place.
No matter what one's opinion of Churchill and his, at times, erratic career, the speech excerpt in this episode has to be one of the most inspiring in the English language.
Britain was lucky not to get invaded, lucky the Russians became allies for certain. Plus They were fortunate to get help from Canada and other commonwealth nations.
The commonwealth nations helped HUGELY during the invasion of Europe, North Africa, Burma and many other engagements around the world...But homeland Britain was mainly alone...Yes there was troops from all those countries but barely any of them knew how to fly (skillfully atleast)...And as we all know...The battle for Britain was completely air warfare...
I agree it would have put the USSR in a bit of a pickle, but would they have collapsed? I don't think so. Invading through Siberia would have been a nightmare for Japan, do you realize just how much wasteland is out there? How few resources? How much attrition would be a factor, several thousand km long supply lines, and the a/c? I'm sorry, the zero doesn't compare to the Russian designs post 1940. Yak9 Yak3 LaGG5 etc etc. The USSR counted a/c by the thousand not the hundred, like Japan.
@chastisedfootpiggy What a Japanese invasion would have done that is most significant is hold in place the Far Eastern forces of the Soviet Union. There would have been no Siberian divisions to assist in the great counteroffensive before Moscow that first winter. It might not have been decisive. But things would have been much more difficult if Army Group Center had not been rolled back.
@rangerbobcat That's just it - after khalkin ghol (sp?) the Soviets knew even a minor force would have been capable of holding off Japan. Stalin didn't trust the source of the info, as he was apt to do, anyway. Honestly. The Japanese couldn't handle poor Nationalist China, I don't see how on earth they would manage any sort of mobilized invasion of the eastern USSR. Japanese logistics just weren't up to it.
Also, as Manstein detailed so well, had the Japanese entered the war against Russia- instead of the United States- that would have sealed the fate of the USSR. Although the Russians had destroyed the Japanese 6th army at Khalkhyn Gol and had far superior tanks, the Japanese had far superior planes and a huge naval superiority against Russia. Vladivostok would have been easily captured by the Japanese and the transfer of so many divisions would have never taken place.
@BladerunnerNYC one problem,US was aiding the brits and the reds,thus US has to be crushed and maybe the axis thought US would be busy at the pacific,when US really didnt muchly throw much forces in the pacific,just enough to hold off any more possible threat of the japs in the pacific,while concentrating on the nazis 1st.
AK- As WC (Volume 2) said after the war; 'Manstein and Rommel were actually right in the Spring of 1941. Germany could have easily captured Suez, the Middle East and then Gibraltar would have been one huge prison camp as it would have been logistically impossible to hold. He himself said that his government would have collapsed and he would have had to resign- BUT- Hitler didn't care about North Africa or the Med- all he cared about after France fell was destroying Russia.
Without Barbarossa going on Hitler may just about have had the numbers needed to successfully invade Britain. Whether even then he would actually have succeded is a different matter entirely.. It's no easy task to take an island the size of Britain against both professional and civilian troops fighting for their homeland.
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That's one of the reasons that the US dropped the bomb rather than going for an invasion of the Japan - win or lose your casualties would be huge.
The main problem for Hitler with going for Britain though was not the invasion itself - it's what happen afterwards. He didn't have the troop numbers to be able to keep it. It was a similar situation with France and the fact that he couldn't administer the whole of the country ultimately produced the Vichy Government.
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In Hitlers mind keeping an occuppied Britain under control would have been more of a risk than leaving a bloodied Britain to lick her wounds in isolation.
Germany was never ever going to successfully invade England, the Germans just didn't have the manpower to pull it off while simultaneously being at war with the Russians.
Correct. Yet 1940 they where not at war with russia, so there actually was a realistic chance of a successful invasion happening. But you are right, as soon as they had to face the SU, GB (let alone the US) they simply lacked the manpower and ressources.
True that, but I've always operated under the assumption that Hitler never intended to keep the peace with the Soviets, thus invading Britain and fighting the Soviets simultaneously were always in the cards. Given his insanity and lack of adequate strategic acumen at any rate.
Mock the British all you want. They were prepared to fight to the death, with broomsticks or without. It is so easy to jibe when the biggest shock you have ever experienced is a balloon going pop at last years 10th birthday party.
lol the English were no better prepared than the French for war, in fact France's war was more powerful than theirs... They had the best army and some of the best equipment but their tactics and the use of those lost he war but the British did no better idiot.
a big mystery - where were the germans at dunkirk [subs in the channel would have been great here at this time] and the germans should've invaded england within a month [they had weather and momentum on their side]?
I read once that the halt of German armor was due to bad office politics within the high command. There was distrust between the commanders of the Wehrmacht Heer and the Nazi leadership. Goering apparently convinced Hitler that by letting the Luftwaffe finish off the brits at Dunkirk and ordering the Heer to thrust southward, they could show the stuck up old Generals who was boss. The plan severely underestimated the RAF, who handed the Germans a nasty surprise at Dunkirk.
The Germans would not have invaded England in July 1940, for a simple reason: While they had planned an invasion of France for decades, they had no plan whatsoever to invade England: They started planning Seelöwe only after the fall of France (the Kriegsmarine only started to think about it in Nov. 1939).
All Hitler wanted was to wipe the BEF out at Dunkirk, and he half-failed.
If Chamberlain had made the speech instead of Churchill he might have said:
"What General Weygand had called 'The Battle of France' is over. If we sit tight and do nothing provocative the Germans will hopefully not attack Britain. Fingers crossed and God willing we will get out of this without any further losses."
@rocksoliddude1 But face it, the victory of the RAF are only due to the fact that the Luftwaffe targeted London and other cities instead of RAF sites. The Luftwaffe had the RAF at their knees and then suddenly started targeting civilians instead. Silly Germans, if they had kept pounding the RAF they only needed to take out the Royal Navy to enable operation sealion. Well I guess it's good the Germans screwed up....
@stygn you're talking shit you retard they couldn't get to the raf sites was why they started attacking civilians. the luftwaffe didn't have the raf on it's knees, otherwise they would habe kept attacking. why don't you learn some history you sad prick.
It wasn't just the British and French at Dunkirk, thousands of Canadian troops fought there as well and after fleeing France they were the largest expeditionary force in England.
The English are actually a primarily celtic people. only a small minority of the population stem from "angles" or "saxons" Germanic they aint. The English are nothing like the Germans. This AH didnt grasp, nor do most sad neos nowadays.
Wrong. The English are certainly not Celtic. The Celts were mostly driven out of England during Roman times into Scotland, Wales and the South-West. Once the Romans left the void was filled by invasions followed by mass migration from mainland Europe, many of whom were directly from Germany or of Germanic blood, primarily the Saxons. These were followed by Scandinavians and later the Normans. The English language is mostly derived from old German, hence the similarities between the languages.
recent evidence suggests that the native celtic population of england and the scottish lowlands were more likely to have been assimilated by the anglo-saxons than wiped out so you are both right in a way.
I agree with this. There was never really any kind of 'extermination' so the defeated peoples were not wiped out. Also, the invaders never really came over in large numbers; their occupations were never really based on colonization but only military successes. Most of the soldiers in those armies went home at the end of battles. Also, there were many areas that invaders never really touched, so those areas remained totally... 'old' English.
Because Hitler always wanted a pact with the "aryan" or "germanic" British. Germany on land, Britain on the sea, united against Russia and the US. He thought if he showed the British troops some mercy, their public opinion would swing in his favor. If it hadn't been for Churchill, who knows? Maybe it would have worked.
Oh yes. But by far not the worst of the fuehrer's ideas, wouldn't you agree? Stuka dive bombers in the Battle of Britain, no warm clothing for his troops in Russia, the "no step back" before El Alamein and so on. Bad, bad decisions. Hitler and Goering were such fools. But on the other hand, looking back at these things today, it is easy to condemn mistakes. We know so much now. I'm not sure if I hadn't messed up either (in this case or anywhere else) if I had been in command. What do you think?
Blum. Of the five commanders in the battle of britan, only one was English - he was the one who played politics.
Dowding - Scotland
Park - NZ
Brand - SA
Saul - Irish
Leigh Mallory - England
Leigh Mallory ended up getting Dowding and Park the sack after the Battle. Pathetic! History showed that people like Brand, Park and Dowding were the heroes, not the glory hunters like Leigh Mallory.
first of all Blum LOL. secondly I'd never heard of leigh mallory I only knew of Sir Hugh dowdling. 3rdly when people say english it often means british (english, scottish, wellsh and orangemen) so that was quite confusing
Blumbus. Park was in charge of the defense of London. Leigh Mallory was in charge of the southwest and was jealous of Park. Often he did not support Park, when Park's airfields were being attacked, Brand did though. He was in charge if Wales. Saul was defending Scotland, which was usually out of the battle. Dowding also backed Park. Leigh Mallory arranged to have Dowding and Park sacked after the battle.
Don't forget the American pilots who fought in the Battle of Britain. If you have seen Pearl Harbor, you will see one of them in action. Whenever you think of the Battle of Britain now, it is the Few American pilots surrounded by cheering English public school boy pliots.
There were also French pilots in the Battle of Britain, yet none would have the arrogance to pretend they saved Britain even if every man counted. Anyway, the strengh of a country (England, in this case) lies also in its ability to gather allies. Hence, the US defeat in Iraq
It is true, Fridomfry. French pilots did fly in the Battle of Britain and were brave men. It is jut that the US pilots were the ones who captured the public's imagination, as they were so famous. It was also the United States citizens and every American France has to be grateful to. The men of Easy Company saved France. You should see the series "Band of Brothers" about the rescue of Frenchmen. The French ladies also were grateful to the American flyboys.
No doubt ladies have always been eager to take off with airmen. I know it, since one of my uncles was a bomber pilot in WW1, after being wounded as an infantry lieutenant... There were many, many "Easy Companies" who fought incredibly well, yet whose story was never told. Unfortunately I don't have time to watch nice Hollywood movies, however exciting they are. I've seen "The Longest Day" when I was a kid, and read Pierre Clostermann's "The Big Show", plus a few hundreds books enough.
I know but they were all part if the british commonwealth or members of british staff. (scottish is british) but i get your point I guess people are to lzt to list the whole commonwealth.
when people say britain was alone what they really mean is that the British Commonwealth was alone, however during the period the commonwealth was essentially part of Britain.
Canada was a separate country, yet Canadians contributed more soldiers than the rest of the Dominions put together, I was a litttle surprised to read. The only people in Canada who opposed the war were in Quebec..
i should have explained it better, i meant militarily the Commonwealth, until 1941 in Asia anyway was integrated, my point was that this alone crap only makes sense when you see it as the Commonwealth not as Britain. because the Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders, South Africa, and countless others were in it too
I agree completely, we didn't have the U.S., France fell, and we couldn't have hung on without those countries you mentioned, particularly Canada, to get supplies past the Wolfpacks.
So do I, I'll go further, I agree with W.C., should never have let India go. Gandhi was a Fakir and a Faker, a rich lawyer who was taught in British Schools, and then preaches non-violence while the Japs were in Burma.
Not true. He wasn't rich and was schooled in India. Though he did study Law in Britain for a couple of years later on. He also preached non-violence for a good fifty years before the Japs were in Burma, including working as a stretcher bearer for British forces in the Boer war.
I think Winston is the most important person of the 20th Century, my Grandad fought in 1916 and he hated him, funny old world. As for rich, if I inherited Blenheim Castle I wouldn't feel hard up. lol
Any praises for Churchill in WW2 should actually be split into 3. He quite rightly deserves a third share.
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Hilter also deserves a third share for his bizaar strategic decisions that ultimately allowed the Allies to prevail.
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A third, is due to the British Chiefs of Staff (1942 onwards) and particularly to the chairman General ( Alan Brooke. Had Brooke not strongly resisted Churchill's wishes on occassions the outcome of Churchill's war for him may have been very different.
True. When Churchill died I was 10, my Grandfather who won the m.m. at the Somme said " I hated that bastard, he made money from Armaments", it took me years to figure this out.
@AKAKArnott actually the main problem that hitler faces is that the russians were making preparations to invade germany,if he allows the reds to strike him while he's busy at england,he's gonna be easy prey for the reds,thus he has to strike the reds before the reds could finish up it's preparations and military reformations.but he has to break the will of the brits before he could strike the reds.thus,it was such a heavy burden and decision to make for hitler.
'Britain alone' doesn't mean the British were the only ones fighting. It means that Britain was the only country really being touched by the war; Canada, Aus (until the Japanese bombed), New Zealand, and SA were unbombed. They were also lightly populated and (barring Canada) not very technologically developed. As a result of selling weapons to the Russians and lend-lease Canada came out of the war in profit. Britain was bankrupt, partly because of the massive damage done by bombing.
I don't think anyone forgets. I've never seen any programme about the war or The Battle of Britain that doesn't mention the other nationalities involved. Would the reason you especially want the Polish to be remembered be... because you are Polish?
I think it was about 6-7% Polish. The Allies were made up of a number of countries. Those that get the most 'play' are the ones that contributed the most, and the ones that physically fought the longest. Poland was overrun quickly. So was France. Nobody really talks about the French contribution to the war beyond their fall, but many fought on against the Vichy governments wishes. There's only so much that can be said quickly, the 'big' contributors will always come first.
yes i agree i'm proud of the british victory and we were the main contributors. It's amazing we won this battle we were outnumbered, but the raf has always proven to be an elite force.
They have held Canada hostage, special favours no other province gets, always threatening to leave Canada, I wish they would, but they won't get the St. Law. seaway, or Labrador, which they think they will. 8 yrs ago they voted 50-50 to leave, and the weak Canadian Gov. said "you need 51%, that night I prayed blood they'ld leave, U.S.A. wouldn't put up with their crap, we have Quebecois on everything, here in B.C. we have 1000 Chinese for every Quebecer. WW2, the hid instead of join the forces.
Canada's population was about the same as the other Dominions together (roughly), it was also much closer than all the others and more able to readily transport soldiers/material over.
Im sorry to be biased but the British had great resolve in this time and though i think geography was an important factor as to why we werent invaded by the Germans, our pilots, i think, proved that they were the best in the world. We had far fewer resources then the germans (planes, pilots, etc) and the fact that many men would have inefficient sleep, etc shows that without the British the world today would today probably be Nazi. I can hardly imagine Americans fighting with such pride.
I know, they did all this and now with the EU and everything Britain is ruined, we can't deport foreign criminals who have murdered people because of 'human rights'...we can hardly do an honest days work without getting a rollocking from 'health and safety'...and our freedom of speech has been destroyed because of all the bloody 'political correctness'.
...unfortunately, some of us here across the pond have been following the ruination of Britain closely, as we are aware that it is a future we are soon to share with you...
If Hitler had taken Britain, the US would have have fallen within a year should Hitler has chosen to attack it. The US has more people, a huge army, masses of firepower but lacks one thing... a British man to fire the weapon. British soldiers are the best in the World, always have been.
I'll take one British soldier over any five from another nation.
The aquisition of a huge technical army has made some Nations very brave but for sheer guts, resilience and spirit in a war there isn't another country in the world that matches the British.
...i agree with spatacus360:england is no longer a world power since ww1,and i wonder why even this time english people are still fuckin' arrogant...they are no match with the u.s. economically,military,or whatever!even compare to russia they were just like a frustrated rat...hehe sorry but that's fact!
Gentlemen, I appreciate your love of country, but England has not been a world power since the end of WWII. It actually started its decline at the end of WWI.
This is a fantastic series! It is easy to condemn the British and the French for not curbing expansionist Germany but please consider the context of the times. The world economy was shaky at best and both countries lost millions of men in WWI. I can understand their reluctance to fight Germany.
lol...england only stood alone because its an island. Both the British and the French tried to ignore the nazi problem for years. France was just unlucky that they happened to be right next to germany. England would have suffered the same fate had the US not stepped in.
If the US had been connected to the European mainland, it too would have been fucked by the Wehrmacht and it's Blitzreig. By this defition, you understand how geography can be both and advantage (for defending) and a disadvantage when attacking.
As for ignoring the problem, isn't that what the US plan was with both world wars (according to Soviet intelligence) until it decided to come in on the winning side or got attacked first. And you wonder why the rest of the world dislikes you?
Roosevelt was very aware of the danger that Germany posed in Europe, and Japan in Asia. Unfortunately, he had to deal with a public that was strongly isolationist and a Congress that reflected that view. I am tired of snarky remarks and insults against my country. For better or worse, we wound up pulling your sorry asses out the fire because you were too weak and stupid to stand up to Hitler in 1935 and 1936. And when I read crap like this, I wonder why we bothered.
My friend, "you bothered" because you had no other option. Remember that it was the Japanese attack which forced the US to go over the top. And Hitler declared war to the US immediately after. Thus many, many thanks to the Americans who fought among the Allies last, but certainly not least!
You're right to recall the US' previous isolationism. It was part of the democracies' "weak and stupid" watching Hitler growing in the 1930s.
It was not "isolationist"! It was non-interventionism. The real "isolationism" is current US "world police" foreign policy, in where the US government assumes this responsibility of world police, even though no other countries really want them to be..
the bombing of dublin and ireland yayyyyyyyyyy i hope dat happen fuck you sean devlin
starwarsROXmy 1 year ago
never again, the world unite as one, together in peace
Willbutler 1 year ago
What incredible BALLS it took not to cave in to the Nazis in 1940. If only we (westerners) had that kind of spirit these days, the world would be a much better place.
davidrodgersNJ 1 year ago
The Home Guard, the same thing Germany would employ four years later in the final defense of Germany, the Volkssturm.
corn1971 1 year ago
No matter what one's opinion of Churchill and his, at times, erratic career, the speech excerpt in this episode has to be one of the most inspiring in the English language.
4demolition 1 year ago
Britain was lucky not to get invaded, lucky the Russians became allies for certain. Plus They were fortunate to get help from Canada and other commonwealth nations.
MrROTD 1 year ago
@MrROTD
Britain didn't get any help....The title of this explains this..."Alone"
spudnick3490 1 year ago
@spudnick3490
Not strictly true. Britain had the Commonwealth/Empire eg Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India that aided the Mother country
bismuthcadmium 1 year ago
@bismuthcadmium
The commonwealth nations helped HUGELY during the invasion of Europe, North Africa, Burma and many other engagements around the world...But homeland Britain was mainly alone...Yes there was troops from all those countries but barely any of them knew how to fly (skillfully atleast)...And as we all know...The battle for Britain was completely air warfare...
spudnick3490 1 year ago
I agree it would have put the USSR in a bit of a pickle, but would they have collapsed? I don't think so. Invading through Siberia would have been a nightmare for Japan, do you realize just how much wasteland is out there? How few resources? How much attrition would be a factor, several thousand km long supply lines, and the a/c? I'm sorry, the zero doesn't compare to the Russian designs post 1940. Yak9 Yak3 LaGG5 etc etc. The USSR counted a/c by the thousand not the hundred, like Japan.
chastisedfootpiggy 1 year ago
@chastisedfootpiggy What a Japanese invasion would have done that is most significant is hold in place the Far Eastern forces of the Soviet Union. There would have been no Siberian divisions to assist in the great counteroffensive before Moscow that first winter. It might not have been decisive. But things would have been much more difficult if Army Group Center had not been rolled back.
rangerbobcat 1 year ago
@rangerbobcat That's just it - after khalkin ghol (sp?) the Soviets knew even a minor force would have been capable of holding off Japan. Stalin didn't trust the source of the info, as he was apt to do, anyway. Honestly. The Japanese couldn't handle poor Nationalist China, I don't see how on earth they would manage any sort of mobilized invasion of the eastern USSR. Japanese logistics just weren't up to it.
chastisedfootpiggy 1 year ago
Also, as Manstein detailed so well, had the Japanese entered the war against Russia- instead of the United States- that would have sealed the fate of the USSR. Although the Russians had destroyed the Japanese 6th army at Khalkhyn Gol and had far superior tanks, the Japanese had far superior planes and a huge naval superiority against Russia. Vladivostok would have been easily captured by the Japanese and the transfer of so many divisions would have never taken place.
BladerunnerNYC 1 year ago
@BladerunnerNYC one problem,US was aiding the brits and the reds,thus US has to be crushed and maybe the axis thought US would be busy at the pacific,when US really didnt muchly throw much forces in the pacific,just enough to hold off any more possible threat of the japs in the pacific,while concentrating on the nazis 1st.
teslagod2003 1 year ago
@teslagod2003 did u pay muchly attention whilst learning english, btw wot the fucking hell was ur point that made absolutley no sense
liampw20 1 year ago
@liampw20 same to you,what the heck are you talking about?you're the one not making any sense,tsk...
teslagod2003 1 year ago
AK- As WC (Volume 2) said after the war; 'Manstein and Rommel were actually right in the Spring of 1941. Germany could have easily captured Suez, the Middle East and then Gibraltar would have been one huge prison camp as it would have been logistically impossible to hold. He himself said that his government would have collapsed and he would have had to resign- BUT- Hitler didn't care about North Africa or the Med- all he cared about after France fell was destroying Russia.
BladerunnerNYC 1 year ago
Without Barbarossa going on Hitler may just about have had the numbers needed to successfully invade Britain. Whether even then he would actually have succeded is a different matter entirely.. It's no easy task to take an island the size of Britain against both professional and civilian troops fighting for their homeland.
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That's one of the reasons that the US dropped the bomb rather than going for an invasion of the Japan - win or lose your casualties would be huge.
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AKAKArnott 1 year ago
The main problem for Hitler with going for Britain though was not the invasion itself - it's what happen afterwards. He didn't have the troop numbers to be able to keep it. It was a similar situation with France and the fact that he couldn't administer the whole of the country ultimately produced the Vichy Government.
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In Hitlers mind keeping an occuppied Britain under control would have been more of a risk than leaving a bloodied Britain to lick her wounds in isolation.
AKAKArnott 1 year ago
Germany was never ever going to successfully invade England, the Germans just didn't have the manpower to pull it off while simultaneously being at war with the Russians.
VagabondOracle 2 years ago
Correct. Yet 1940 they where not at war with russia, so there actually was a realistic chance of a successful invasion happening. But you are right, as soon as they had to face the SU, GB (let alone the US) they simply lacked the manpower and ressources.
Youmakemefart 1 year ago
True that, but I've always operated under the assumption that Hitler never intended to keep the peace with the Soviets, thus invading Britain and fighting the Soviets simultaneously were always in the cards. Given his insanity and lack of adequate strategic acumen at any rate.
VagabondOracle 1 year ago
This morning I finished watching The Battle of Britain, the well known movie from 1969.
At the very end, a list rolls by of the number of pilots who fought for Britain, arranged by nationality and the number of each who died in the war.
I remember there were 7 American pilots and 1 Israeli pilot.
AppleSouffle1 2 years ago
Mock the British all you want. They were prepared to fight to the death, with broomsticks or without. It is so easy to jibe when the biggest shock you have ever experienced is a balloon going pop at last years 10th birthday party.
DaiJonesful 2 years ago
so england could have been conquered by germans till america came and save there asses?
lifes40123 2 years ago
lol the English were no better prepared than the French for war, in fact France's war was more powerful than theirs... They had the best army and some of the best equipment but their tactics and the use of those lost he war but the British did no better idiot.
xdeliriumx1 2 years ago
fucking french fucked up their tactics in fall of france loads of british died due to those dull frogs
rocksoliddude1 2 years ago
no cause the germans used the blitskreig which was a new war tactic nobody can beat
lifes40123 2 years ago
the soviet union beat it,
rocksoliddude1 2 years ago
a big mystery - where were the germans at dunkirk [subs in the channel would have been great here at this time] and the germans should've invaded england within a month [they had weather and momentum on their side]?
dodge96neon 2 years ago
Hitler never really wanted to invade Britain, or even wipe the troops out.
Listen to the guy at 5:20, he basically says Hitler could of broke through if he wanted.
smoochym 2 years ago
I read once that the halt of German armor was due to bad office politics within the high command. There was distrust between the commanders of the Wehrmacht Heer and the Nazi leadership. Goering apparently convinced Hitler that by letting the Luftwaffe finish off the brits at Dunkirk and ordering the Heer to thrust southward, they could show the stuck up old Generals who was boss. The plan severely underestimated the RAF, who handed the Germans a nasty surprise at Dunkirk.
gcrav 2 years ago
The Germans would not have invaded England in July 1940, for a simple reason: While they had planned an invasion of France for decades, they had no plan whatsoever to invade England: They started planning Seelöwe only after the fall of France (the Kriegsmarine only started to think about it in Nov. 1939).
All Hitler wanted was to wipe the BEF out at Dunkirk, and he half-failed.
Fridomfry 2 years ago
Im sure the Churchill speech has been edited.
He said and then the hole world.. INCLUDING the united states.
Or perhaps he said this speech twice with a little difference.
STOPTHEEU 2 years ago
If Chamberlain had made the speech instead of Churchill he might have said:
"What General Weygand had called 'The Battle of France' is over. If we sit tight and do nothing provocative the Germans will hopefully not attack Britain. Fingers crossed and God willing we will get out of this without any further losses."
pix042 2 years ago 3
raf was the best they not only won the battle of britain they protected the soldiers at dunkirk and made sure they came home safely.
rocksoliddude1 2 years ago 9
@rocksoliddude1 But face it, the victory of the RAF are only due to the fact that the Luftwaffe targeted London and other cities instead of RAF sites. The Luftwaffe had the RAF at their knees and then suddenly started targeting civilians instead. Silly Germans, if they had kept pounding the RAF they only needed to take out the Royal Navy to enable operation sealion. Well I guess it's good the Germans screwed up....
stygn 1 year ago
@stygn you're talking shit you retard they couldn't get to the raf sites was why they started attacking civilians. the luftwaffe didn't have the raf on it's knees, otherwise they would habe kept attacking. why don't you learn some history you sad prick.
rocksoliddude1 1 year ago
love the english announcer!
"they would do the enemy a bit of no good"
so great
nsolcis 2 years ago 5
It wasn't just the British and French at Dunkirk, thousands of Canadian troops fought there as well and after fleeing France they were the largest expeditionary force in England.
JimmyeDallas 2 years ago
haha i love that typical british look at darktimes- "ready to greet hitler should he stop by for a cup of tea and cream bun" hahhaa nice, like it
colezuk85 2 years ago
The English are actually a primarily celtic people. only a small minority of the population stem from "angles" or "saxons" Germanic they aint. The English are nothing like the Germans. This AH didnt grasp, nor do most sad neos nowadays.
5000433 2 years ago
Wrong. The English are certainly not Celtic. The Celts were mostly driven out of England during Roman times into Scotland, Wales and the South-West. Once the Romans left the void was filled by invasions followed by mass migration from mainland Europe, many of whom were directly from Germany or of Germanic blood, primarily the Saxons. These were followed by Scandinavians and later the Normans. The English language is mostly derived from old German, hence the similarities between the languages.
calicheSCOT 2 years ago
recent evidence suggests that the native celtic population of england and the scottish lowlands were more likely to have been assimilated by the anglo-saxons than wiped out so you are both right in a way.
mb6578 2 years ago
I agree with this. There was never really any kind of 'extermination' so the defeated peoples were not wiped out. Also, the invaders never really came over in large numbers; their occupations were never really based on colonization but only military successes. Most of the soldiers in those armies went home at the end of battles. Also, there were many areas that invaders never really touched, so those areas remained totally... 'old' English.
TheNightBadger 2 years ago
Comment removed
EvilAtria 2 years ago
It was a Miracle that Britain's army was saved at Dunkirk,IMO! Stupid blunder by the Germans of letting them get away.
MDSJR67 2 years ago 3
Yeah! Why the hell did they let them get away?
askjiir 2 years ago
Because Hitler always wanted a pact with the "aryan" or "germanic" British. Germany on land, Britain on the sea, united against Russia and the US. He thought if he showed the British troops some mercy, their public opinion would swing in his favor. If it hadn't been for Churchill, who knows? Maybe it would have worked.
djlagomorph 2 years ago
Well it still turned out to be a VERY bad idea......
askjiir 2 years ago
Oh yes. But by far not the worst of the fuehrer's ideas, wouldn't you agree? Stuka dive bombers in the Battle of Britain, no warm clothing for his troops in Russia, the "no step back" before El Alamein and so on. Bad, bad decisions. Hitler and Goering were such fools. But on the other hand, looking back at these things today, it is easy to condemn mistakes. We know so much now. I'm not sure if I hadn't messed up either (in this case or anywhere else) if I had been in command. What do you think?
djlagomorph 2 years ago
I still think the decision not to attack Dunkirk, was one of his greatest blunders.
Because there was militarily no apparent reason not too do so.
Those troops that got away would live on too fight another day in other theatres of operation.
askjiir 2 years ago
no the canadians, aussies and new zealanders saved england !
trinta999 2 years ago
They didnt save it alone it was mainly brits but we really did need their help.
Blumbus23 2 years ago
Blum. Of the five commanders in the battle of britan, only one was English - he was the one who played politics.
Dowding - Scotland
Park - NZ
Brand - SA
Saul - Irish
Leigh Mallory - England
Leigh Mallory ended up getting Dowding and Park the sack after the Battle. Pathetic! History showed that people like Brand, Park and Dowding were the heroes, not the glory hunters like Leigh Mallory.
swanningaround 2 years ago
first of all Blum LOL. secondly I'd never heard of leigh mallory I only knew of Sir Hugh dowdling. 3rdly when people say english it often means british (english, scottish, wellsh and orangemen) so that was quite confusing
Blumbus23 2 years ago
Blumbus. Park was in charge of the defense of London. Leigh Mallory was in charge of the southwest and was jealous of Park. Often he did not support Park, when Park's airfields were being attacked, Brand did though. He was in charge if Wales. Saul was defending Scotland, which was usually out of the battle. Dowding also backed Park. Leigh Mallory arranged to have Dowding and Park sacked after the battle.
swanningaround 2 years ago
You English never stood alone. Look at the Commanders:
Dowding - Scotland
Park - New Zealand
Leigh Mallory - England
Brand - South Africa
Saul - Ireland
Only one Englishman.
swanningaround 2 years ago 2
one englishman...but the rest all a part of the British Empire--what was left of it, anyway! so yes, Britain alone.
sjoywhite 2 years ago
Don't forget the American pilots who fought in the Battle of Britain. If you have seen Pearl Harbor, you will see one of them in action. Whenever you think of the Battle of Britain now, it is the Few American pilots surrounded by cheering English public school boy pliots.
swanningaround 2 years ago
Pearl Harbor, that terrible film, is American propaganda for the Iraq war. Don't imply the Americans saved the English. That's arrogant.
QuestingFaith 2 years ago
There were also French pilots in the Battle of Britain, yet none would have the arrogance to pretend they saved Britain even if every man counted. Anyway, the strengh of a country (England, in this case) lies also in its ability to gather allies. Hence, the US defeat in Iraq
Fridomfry 2 years ago
It is true, Fridomfry. French pilots did fly in the Battle of Britain and were brave men. It is jut that the US pilots were the ones who captured the public's imagination, as they were so famous. It was also the United States citizens and every American France has to be grateful to. The men of Easy Company saved France. You should see the series "Band of Brothers" about the rescue of Frenchmen. The French ladies also were grateful to the American flyboys.
swanningaround 2 years ago
No doubt ladies have always been eager to take off with airmen. I know it, since one of my uncles was a bomber pilot in WW1, after being wounded as an infantry lieutenant... There were many, many "Easy Companies" who fought incredibly well, yet whose story was never told. Unfortunately I don't have time to watch nice Hollywood movies, however exciting they are. I've seen "The Longest Day" when I was a kid, and read Pierre Clostermann's "The Big Show", plus a few hundreds books enough.
Fridomfry 2 years ago
Actually, it would be more true to say that they got the publicity largely because Britain was desperate to get the US into the war.
TheNightBadger 2 years ago
You mean the less than 30 american pilots (I think it is less than 30 correct me if i am wrong)
Blumbus23 2 years ago
I know but they were all part if the british commonwealth or members of british staff. (scottish is british) but i get your point I guess people are to lzt to list the whole commonwealth.
Blumbus23 2 years ago
when people say britain was alone what they really mean is that the British Commonwealth was alone, however during the period the commonwealth was essentially part of Britain.
mb6578 2 years ago
Canada was a separate country, yet Canadians contributed more soldiers than the rest of the Dominions put together, I was a litttle surprised to read. The only people in Canada who opposed the war were in Quebec..
locheelad2 2 years ago 3
i should have explained it better, i meant militarily the Commonwealth, until 1941 in Asia anyway was integrated, my point was that this alone crap only makes sense when you see it as the Commonwealth not as Britain. because the Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders, South Africa, and countless others were in it too
mb6578 2 years ago
I agree completely, we didn't have the U.S., France fell, and we couldn't have hung on without those countries you mentioned, particularly Canada, to get supplies past the Wolfpacks.
locheelad2 2 years ago
Aye well they are our family. Even today it would be foolish to deny that.
I think the Commonwealth should stick together through thick and thin. :-)
STOPTHEEU 2 years ago 2
So do I, I'll go further, I agree with W.C., should never have let India go. Gandhi was a Fakir and a Faker, a rich lawyer who was taught in British Schools, and then preaches non-violence while the Japs were in Burma.
locheelad2 2 years ago 4
Not true. He wasn't rich and was schooled in India. Though he did study Law in Britain for a couple of years later on. He also preached non-violence for a good fifty years before the Japs were in Burma, including working as a stretcher bearer for British forces in the Boer war.
jjamjj 2 years ago
I think Winston is the most important person of the 20th Century, my Grandad fought in 1916 and he hated him, funny old world. As for rich, if I inherited Blenheim Castle I wouldn't feel hard up. lol
locheelad2 1 year ago
@locheelad2
Any praises for Churchill in WW2 should actually be split into 3. He quite rightly deserves a third share.
.
Hilter also deserves a third share for his bizaar strategic decisions that ultimately allowed the Allies to prevail.
.
A third, is due to the British Chiefs of Staff (1942 onwards) and particularly to the chairman General ( Alan Brooke. Had Brooke not strongly resisted Churchill's wishes on occassions the outcome of Churchill's war for him may have been very different.
AKAKArnott 1 year ago
True. When Churchill died I was 10, my Grandfather who won the m.m. at the Somme said " I hated that bastard, he made money from Armaments", it took me years to figure this out.
locheelad2 1 year ago
@AKAKArnott actually the main problem that hitler faces is that the russians were making preparations to invade germany,if he allows the reds to strike him while he's busy at england,he's gonna be easy prey for the reds,thus he has to strike the reds before the reds could finish up it's preparations and military reformations.but he has to break the will of the brits before he could strike the reds.thus,it was such a heavy burden and decision to make for hitler.
teslagod2003 1 year ago
'Britain alone' doesn't mean the British were the only ones fighting. It means that Britain was the only country really being touched by the war; Canada, Aus (until the Japanese bombed), New Zealand, and SA were unbombed. They were also lightly populated and (barring Canada) not very technologically developed. As a result of selling weapons to the Russians and lend-lease Canada came out of the war in profit. Britain was bankrupt, partly because of the massive damage done by bombing.
TheNightBadger 2 years ago
battle of britain was british piolets polish piolets canadian piolets new zealand piolets.
rocksoliddude1 2 years ago
There was a mix, it was (roughly) 75% British, 15% Commonwealth and 10% other nationalities (mostly Polish).
TheNightBadger 2 years ago
yes it was mostly british piolets but we should not forget the other nations that fought too in my opinion, especially polish.
rocksoliddude1 2 years ago 2
I don't think anyone forgets. I've never seen any programme about the war or The Battle of Britain that doesn't mention the other nationalities involved. Would the reason you especially want the Polish to be remembered be... because you are Polish?
TheNightBadger 2 years ago
no i'm british but the reason is many poles fought in that battle, along with canadians and new zealanders..
rocksoliddude1 2 years ago
I think it was about 6-7% Polish. The Allies were made up of a number of countries. Those that get the most 'play' are the ones that contributed the most, and the ones that physically fought the longest. Poland was overrun quickly. So was France. Nobody really talks about the French contribution to the war beyond their fall, but many fought on against the Vichy governments wishes. There's only so much that can be said quickly, the 'big' contributors will always come first.
TheNightBadger 2 years ago
yes i agree i'm proud of the british victory and we were the main contributors. It's amazing we won this battle we were outnumbered, but the raf has always proven to be an elite force.
rocksoliddude1 2 years ago
very true
Youmakemefart 1 year ago
Bloody frenchies in Quebec... Typical!
STOPTHEEU 2 years ago 4
They have held Canada hostage, special favours no other province gets, always threatening to leave Canada, I wish they would, but they won't get the St. Law. seaway, or Labrador, which they think they will. 8 yrs ago they voted 50-50 to leave, and the weak Canadian Gov. said "you need 51%, that night I prayed blood they'ld leave, U.S.A. wouldn't put up with their crap, we have Quebecois on everything, here in B.C. we have 1000 Chinese for every Quebecer. WW2, the hid instead of join the forces.
locheelad2 2 years ago
Canada's population was about the same as the other Dominions together (roughly), it was also much closer than all the others and more able to readily transport soldiers/material over.
TheNightBadger 2 years ago
God, there are a lot of idiots on here insulting different Nations. Wind your necks in will you?
Every soldier from every army in the world put in equal effort in this war. some were better prepared and equipped. Thats the only difference.
bartez111 2 years ago 20
The Russians stoped the Nazis with allie intelligence.Barbarossa = suicide for Germany.
54thmassachusetts 2 years ago 2
The intro music for this series is excellent.. that final note is so ominous!!
TheJapanChannelDcom 2 years ago 3
Im sorry to be biased but the British had great resolve in this time and though i think geography was an important factor as to why we werent invaded by the Germans, our pilots, i think, proved that they were the best in the world. We had far fewer resources then the germans (planes, pilots, etc) and the fact that many men would have inefficient sleep, etc shows that without the British the world today would today probably be Nazi. I can hardly imagine Americans fighting with such pride.
leedsledzepdude 2 years ago 3
we would have repelled operation sealion anyway
eldictator1 3 years ago 2
Where are we today??
Lost ruined Destroyed..
Betrayed by politicians.
sidensvans54 3 years ago
I know, they did all this and now with the EU and everything Britain is ruined, we can't deport foreign criminals who have murdered people because of 'human rights'...we can hardly do an honest days work without getting a rollocking from 'health and safety'...and our freedom of speech has been destroyed because of all the bloody 'political correctness'.
lordrexus 3 years ago
...unfortunately, some of us here across the pond have been following the ruination of Britain closely, as we are aware that it is a future we are soon to share with you...
damoosebelly 3 years ago
@lordrexus The worship of the Hitler's Mufti has in part created the current milieu.
P1B1U1H1 1 year ago
@lordrexus
"Freedon of speech has been destroyed because of all the bloody'political correctness".
Are you just another, YT smoke and mirror's merchant, or do you really believe?
011258stooie 1 year ago
@lordrexus Do you read the Daily Mail by any chance?
billtomwhelan 1 year ago
@billtomwhelan lol gud call mate
liampw20 1 year ago
If Hitler had taken Britain, the US would have have fallen within a year should Hitler has chosen to attack it. The US has more people, a huge army, masses of firepower but lacks one thing... a British man to fire the weapon. British soldiers are the best in the World, always have been.
LeviAAA 3 years ago 2
I'll take one British soldier over any five from another nation.
The aquisition of a huge technical army has made some Nations very brave but for sheer guts, resilience and spirit in a war there isn't another country in the world that matches the British.
vlofvl 3 years ago 3
...i agree with spatacus360:england is no longer a world power since ww1,and i wonder why even this time english people are still fuckin' arrogant...they are no match with the u.s. economically,military,or whatever!even compare to russia they were just like a frustrated rat...hehe sorry but that's fact!
rickguatzjr 3 years ago
I agree that it isn't the world power that is used to be... but still accomplishes a mighty lot for its small size.
maverick41218 2 years ago 4
Gentlemen, I appreciate your love of country, but England has not been a world power since the end of WWII. It actually started its decline at the end of WWI.
Spatacus360 3 years ago
Same with all European powers. For Britain it started with Ireland.
TheNightBadger 2 years ago
Where were the German U-boats?
cdishmo 3 years ago
This is a fantastic series! It is easy to condemn the British and the French for not curbing expansionist Germany but please consider the context of the times. The world economy was shaky at best and both countries lost millions of men in WWI. I can understand their reluctance to fight Germany.
billeepilgrim 3 years ago
I can't believe all these comments! It wasn't a football match or a video game, you fuckers!!
ravenfirepheonix 3 years ago
best war docs ever made. world at war. had them all on sky+ but girlfreind deleted them all. bitch
patsyd80 3 years ago 2
you silly little dumb wet arsehole Great Britain rules the world and always will do diego
michaelwright999 3 years ago
lol...england only stood alone because its an island. Both the British and the French tried to ignore the nazi problem for years. France was just unlucky that they happened to be right next to germany. England would have suffered the same fate had the US not stepped in.
Obscuros8 3 years ago
If the US had been connected to the European mainland, it too would have been fucked by the Wehrmacht and it's Blitzreig. By this defition, you understand how geography can be both and advantage (for defending) and a disadvantage when attacking.
As for ignoring the problem, isn't that what the US plan was with both world wars (according to Soviet intelligence) until it decided to come in on the winning side or got attacked first. And you wonder why the rest of the world dislikes you?
established1905 3 years ago 3
Roosevelt was very aware of the danger that Germany posed in Europe, and Japan in Asia. Unfortunately, he had to deal with a public that was strongly isolationist and a Congress that reflected that view. I am tired of snarky remarks and insults against my country. For better or worse, we wound up pulling your sorry asses out the fire because you were too weak and stupid to stand up to Hitler in 1935 and 1936. And when I read crap like this, I wonder why we bothered.
JimmyT132 2 years ago
My friend, "you bothered" because you had no other option. Remember that it was the Japanese attack which forced the US to go over the top. And Hitler declared war to the US immediately after. Thus many, many thanks to the Americans who fought among the Allies last, but certainly not least!
You're right to recall the US' previous isolationism. It was part of the democracies' "weak and stupid" watching Hitler growing in the 1930s.
Fridomfry 2 years ago 2
It was not "isolationist"! It was non-interventionism. The real "isolationism" is current US "world police" foreign policy, in where the US government assumes this responsibility of world police, even though no other countries really want them to be..
pluschristine 2 years ago 2
@Obscuros8 The Battle Of Briain occurred between July-October 1940 and the US certainly did NOT step in. RAF 1 Luftwaffe 0
lowebeck 1 year ago
thanks for posting these
brando130 3 years ago
Great Britain stood alone thats why we are Great and always will be.
michaelwright999 3 years ago
WHat the fuck are you on about man, we were only saved because we were on an island.
Taramriel 3 years ago 2
Yes we are a great Island, We British are the true masters of the world.
michaelwright999 3 years ago
No you foolish pesant, we were saved by geography and Hitler's stupidity, nothing else
Taramriel 3 years ago 2
i respect the brits in wars, they have a great fighter attitude, and unlike the germans they have a good morale to go with it
henkbress 3 years ago
I saw this amazing TV serie, here in Brazil.
daltonagre 3 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Is that the only English you know?
45jacky 3 years ago