WW2: When Lions Roared=Then There Were Giants)

UK DVD cover art

Home media[edit]

Certain UK home versions used an edited version of the film running at 115 minutes, under the alternate title of Then There Were Giants.[5][6][better source needed] The complete film was released on a two-disc DVD set on February 13, 2007.[7]

Cast[edit]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGMQcHKiuz0 (Part 1)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlrYYOkJ3u8 (Part 2)

World War II: When Lions Roared (also known as Then There Were Giants) is a 1994 American war television miniseries, directed by Joseph Sargent, and starring Michael Caine, John Lithgow and Bob Hoskins as the three major Allied leaders, Joseph Stalin, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill respectively.^[1] It was notable as the first video production to be produced in high-definition video for broadcast in the United States, using the Sony HDVS line of analog high-definition equipment, although it was broadcast by the NBC television network in standard NTSC resolution.^[2]

Plot[edit]

The film portrays Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin as they maneuver their countries through several of the major events of World War II - such events include the Blitz, Operation Barbarossa, the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the North African Campaign, the Allied invasion of Italy, the Tehran Conference, and the Yalta Conference. The Big Three discuss Operation Overlord in Tehran, and the formation of the United Nations and the future of Poland at Yalta. The film concludes with the death of Roosevelt and the end of the war in Europe.

In particular, the focus is on the relationship between the leaders themselves and the large strategic concerns at play, with little scrutiny given to the decisions taking place at a lower level^[3]^[4] - an example of this is how, despite his personal disdain for communism, Churchill was willing to go to great lengths to aid the Soviet Union in their fight against Nazi Germany.

***

Harold "Harry" Lloyd Hopkins (August 17, 1890 – January 29, 1946) was an American statesman, public administrator, and presidential advisor. A trusted deputy to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Hopkins directed New Deal relief programs before serving as the eighth United States secretary of commerce from 1938 to 1940 and as Roosevelt's chief foreign policy advisor and liaison to Allied leaders during World War II. During his career, Hopkins supervised the New York Temporary Emergency Relief Administration, the Federal Emergency Relief Administration, the Civil Works Administration, and the Works Progress Administration, which he built into the largest employer in the United States. He later oversaw the $50 billion Lend-Lease program of military aid to the Allies and, as Roosevelt's personal envoy, played a pivotal role in shaping the alliance between the United States and the United Kingdom.

Born in Iowa, Hopkins settled in New York City after he graduated from Grinnell College. He accepted a position in New York City's Bureau of Child Welfare and worked for various social work and public health organizations. He was elected president of the National Association of Social Workers in 1923. In 1931, New York Temporary Emergency Relief Administration chairman Jesse I. Straus hired Hopkins as the agency's executive director. His successful leadership of the program earned the attention of then-New York Governor Roosevelt, who brought Hopkins into his federal administration after he won the 1932 presidential election. Hopkins enjoyed close relationships with President Roosevelt and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, and was considered a potential successor to the president until the late 1930s, when his health began to decline due to a long-running battle with stomach cancer.

As Roosevelt's closest confidant, Hopkins assumed a leading foreign policy role after the outset of World War II. From 1940 until 1943, Hopkins lived in the White House and assisted the president in the management of American foreign policy, particularly toward the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union. He traveled frequently to the United Kingdom, whose prime minister, Winston Churchill, recalled Hopkins in his memoirs as a "natural leader of men" with "a flaming soul." Hopkins attended the major conferences of the Allied powers, including the Casablanca Conference (January 1943), the Cairo Conference (November 1943), the Tehran Conference (November–December 1943), and the Yalta Conference (February 1945). His health continued to decline, and he died in 1946 at the age of 55.

Spouses	Ethel Gross ? ? (m. 1913; div. 1929)? Barbara Duncan ? ? (m. 1931; died 1937)? Louise Gill Macy ? (m. 1942)?
Children	5
Education	Grinnell College (BA)

[Music]

[Applause] [Music]

defense [Music]

and then

we interrupt this program to bring you a bulletin from Europe. Germany has invaded Denmark.

belgium early this morning by land and from the air by paradise

today president roosevelt now clearly taking a harder line on hitler's aggression, said this nation will remain a neutral

nation but i cannot ask that every american remain neutral in thought and we see reports from london that

british prime minister neville chamberlain has just resigned repeating

hitler now master of most of the continent of Europe. the world's eyes are on winston Churchill; he's been prime minister for three extraordinary days

you ask what is our policy i will say it is to wage war

by sea land and air, with all the strength that god can give us

to wage war against a monstrous tyranny never surpassed in the dark lamentable

catalogue of human crime that is our policy to ask

what is our aim? i can answer in one word victory victory at all

costs oh harry good you read churchill's cable yes

and sun's over the odd arm join me glad to sir

you know i can't lend britain 40 or 50 destroyers without the specific authorization of congress

much as you know we'd both like to you lost a lot of weight in the hospital

you're eating enough trying you know what does the doctor say said they got it all you told churchill we're gonna be the

arsenal of democracy eleanor and i were talking this morning what we want what we both want

is to get you out of that little apartment of yours and move you in here with us i can't do that

sir old country already thinks i have too damn much influence with you they'll tear you to pieces you let me

worry about the country that's what i get paid for anyway i need you here

all the time what can we do for britain right now

we can ship today 500 000 enfield rifles 130 million rounds rifle ammo 975

millimeter guns 80 000 machine guns got his whole army backed up on the beaches of dunkirk

he could lose it all, i know get right on it

the german army advanced to france

as well as major elements of the french and belgian forces, are being forced into a small and

shrinking pocket around the port of Dunkirk, their backs to the english chapel

this is the BC home service the admiralty today requested all owners of small craft

to report for what is called a special requirement, it is something to see charles literally hundreds of boats from

huge warships to tiny fishing boats being manned by the weaker will i had thought i would have to announce

the greatest military disaster in british history but that calamity has

not befallen the allies, wars are not won by evacuations but

there was a victory inside this deliverance; we got the army away

we shall not flag or fail; we shall go on to the end

we shall fight in france we shall fight in the seas and oceans. We shall fight

with growing confidence and growing strength in the air we shall defend our island whatever the

cost may be we shall never surrender an evening which i do not for a moment believe

this island or a large part of it was subjugated and starving and our empire beyond the seas armed and

guarded by the british fleet would carry on the struggle until in

god's good time the new world with all its power and might

steps forth to the rescue and liberation of the earth tell the war department to make

estimates of how many planes and whatever else we can spare generous estimates very generous

estimates [Music]

a lot of attacks on great britain last night are you standing on the rooftop

near piccadilly circus and i see the search lights coming on now there's one there's another now a lot of them

and there called the yak gun

hitler knows he will have to break us in this island or lose the war let us therefore brace

ourselves to our duties and so bear ourselves that

if the british empire and its commonwealth last for a thousand years

men will still say this was their finest hour

[Applause] ah he's right churchill's right we have

to get the destroyers for right now start you know a lot of this could be settled if churchill and i could just

sit down together for a while we're stopping you can't be arranged right now we don't have an ambassador over there

they don't have one over here how about me going over for you mr president no no can't spare you i've got the state of

the union message coming up the budget the third inaugural i need you for all of them

plus the lindby's fight with congress yes but if identity no i've seen it with my own eyes i might be some help

[Music]

ample naval forces will be available to contain japan in the pacific

of course i know who harry hopkins is a social worker or something involved in roosevelt's work relief

ooh really personally

ah oh no and if any red carpet has survived the

blitz by all means roll it out for mr harry hopkins

dear mr hawkins what a very great do hope honor this not been kept waiting

not at all lord well this is a great occasion i think we can

possibly find a more comfortable place to talk from this tell the president are you warm enough

harry fine england in january

tell the president we seek no treasure we see no territorial gains we seek only

the right of man to be free his right to worship his god and leave

his life in his own way secure from personal

prime minister i don't think the president will give a damn for all that you see we're only interested in how you propose to beat

that son of a [ __ ] in berlin

you say you'll be here for two weeks harry i will make every detail of information

and opinion available to you you will not leave england until you know everything there is to know

[Music]

at four o'clock this morning hitler attacked and invaded russia

this was no surprise to me in fact i gave clear and to stalin

citizens of the soviet union the soviet government and its head comet

stalin have authorized me to make the following statement at four o'clock this morning

despite the fact that there was a non-aggression pact between the soviet union and germany

and without a declaration of war german troops attacked our country

attacked our frontier in many places and bombed from their airplanes our cities

of jitomir kiev sevastopol kaunas and others our cause is good the enemy

will be smashed victory will be ours

this is the end why harry doesn't make sense to me what

does hitler have in mind you think he's trying to get world opinion on his side by attacking

communism that's what he thinks winston will set him straight in one big hurry i think hitler has just made his first

big mistake no one has been a more consistent foe of

communism than i have the last 25 years i will unsay no word

that i have spoken about it but all this fades away before the spectacle which is now unfolding

this bloodthirsty gutter snipe hitler must launch his mechanized armies of slaughter pillage and

devastation can you doubt what our policy will be

we are resolved to destroy hitler and every vestige of the nazi regime

from this nothing will turn us nothing we shall fight him by land we shall

fight him by sea we shall fight him in the air until with

god's help we have read the earth of his shadow and liberated the people from his yoke

[Applause] it follows therefore that we shall give

whatever help we can to russia it is not for me to speak the action

of the united states a lot of people the usual ones are taking the position that since russia can't hold out there's no

point sending any stuff to them i don't agree but this i will say

if hitler imagines that his attack on soviet russia will cause the slightest division of

aims or slackening of effort in the great democracies he is woefully

mistaken comrades brothers and sisters

men of our army and navy in spite of the heroic resistance of the red army

the enemy continues to push forward hitler's troops have succeeded in

capturing lithuania a considerable part of latvia the western part of bayel russia

and part of the western ukraine a grave danger hangs over our country

in case of a forced retreat all the rolling stock must be evacuated

the enemy must not be left a single pound of grain or a gallon of fuel all that cannot be

withdrawn must be destroyed conditions must be made unbearable for the enemy

they must be hounded at every step his secretary of the navy says the best information he can get is that it will

take anywhere from six weeks to two months for hitler to clean up on russia but ambassador davies just cabled from

moscow says that the red army will amaze and surprise the world these people who've shown themselves

worth backing the advantage we should reap if the russians could keep the field

and go on until the winter closes is measureless find out what they need harry and how we

can get it to them yes sir in this war of liberation we shall not be alone we shall have

loyal allies in the people of europe and america our forces

are numberless the masses of our people will rise up in their millions all

forces of the people for the demolition of the enemy

forward to victory we've just gotten their first request mr

president they're enormous three thousand bombers three thousand pursuit planes oh davey says the result

will depend on air power we are making marshall stalin very heavy air attacks both by day and

by night upon all germans within our reach then we hope to force hitler to bring

back some of his air power to the west and gradually take some of the strain off of

you we've only got to go on fighting to beat the life out of these villains

we're going to have to start coordinating with the british all across the board what they'll get what we should both

give to russia strategy how about me going back over for you mr president would you harry tell churchill everything especially

tell him not to ask when we're coming into the war i only met churchill once in 1918.

as i was assistant secretary of the navy we had dinner together in london at gray's inn the whole war cabinet was

there he was already famous whatever impression he made on you mr president i'll bet you made just as big a one on

him well he was a real stinker rude as could be lorded it over us tell him i think we

ought to get together personally as soon as possible set that up for me will you harry yes sir

the position of the soviet forces at the front remains tense the military situation of the

soviet union as well as great britain would be considerably improved if there

could be established a front against hitler in the west in northern france

which could not only divert hitler's forces from the east but at the same time make it impossible

prime minister for hitler to invade great britain anything sensible and effective that we

can do to help will be done i beg you however to realize the limitations opposed to

polish by our resources and generally realize germans have 40 divisions in france

alone the whole coast bristles with cannon wire pill boxes and beach mines

to attempt a landing in force would be to encounter a bloody repulse it would all be over without there

having to move a single unit from your front notwithstanding the difficulties it

should you must remember marshall stalin that we have been fighting alone

for more than a year and although our resources are growing and will grow fast from now on we are

at the utmost strain both at home and in the middle east by land and air and also

that the battle of the atlantic on which our life depends strains our naval resources to the land

it should be done prime minister not only for the sake of our common cause but also britain's

own interest this is the most we can do at the moment i wish it were more

my dear friend how are you feeling glad to be here in july when a man can

take his coat off indoors cognac please situation is a little

different from last time rushes in what we want to know of course is when are you going to get in

that's the one question the president says you can't ask me but he did ask that i get you two

together in some lonely bay as quickly as possible the sooner the better

what he does want us to discuss right away is one your ability to withstand invasion he's

concerned your airfields are vulnerable to hitler's parachute troops we think he's got sixty thousand of them

second the wisdom of trying to defend the middle east egypt libya syria india the equipment

and men you're sending there might be needed here as far as the invasion of britain is concerned

we have the situation well in hand and we have taken special measures to defend

all our air jobs and we would be able to tell three weeks in advance if the germans

plan to cross the channel in regards to egypt and the niles valley we have an army

of half a million men here nearly half hour more production is sent

here and in spite of objections from friends it will be our policy

to go ahead and reinforce the middle east we really need hard information on how

the russians are doing your app will be most valuable everything production shipping supply

strategy depends on how long the russians can hold out

i'm wondering whether you would find it useful for me to go to moscow it's a long trip very hazardous you'd be

totally exhausted harry it would be worth doing if stalin knew in an

unmistakable way we mean business on a long-term supply job

stalin might tell the truth or at least part of it to the personal representative of the

president of the united states absolutely go

tell stalin tell him

tell him britain has but one ambition today

but one desire to crush hitler tell him he can depend on us

by harry god bless you thank you sir

i don't know what will happen if britain is fighting alone when 1942 comes

i come marshall stalin is a personal representative of president roosevelt who considers hitler the enemy of

mankind and thinks the most important thing in the world is to defeat him he therefore wishes to give all possible

aid to the soviet union in its fight against germany welcome to the soviet union your

president has asked me to talk to you as i would talk to him the first thing i want to say is

concerning hitler and germany there must be a minimum

moral standard among nations without such a minimum moral standard nations cannot exist

therefore our views coincide i have two practical questions the

president wants me to ask you first can you tell me what russia will require most that the united states could

deliver immediately and second what would your requirements be based on a long war please see

immediately we require anti-aircraft guns machine guns 50 caliber to defend

our cities the rifles 30 caliber i would need a million or

more for a long war we would need aviation gasoline

aluminum for aircraft give us anti-aircraft guns and aluminum

and we can fight for three or four years come come

the germans have found that moving mechanized forces across

russia is very different than moving them over the boulevards of belgium

and france the germans can move up another 40 divisions

but probably not before the hot weather sets in

we will hold within 100 kilometers of our present position

but tell the president that while i am absolutely confident

that we can withstand the germans the question of supply

is a serious one and we need your help

hold on hitler is going to lose

now i am sick and tired of hearing that they are going to get this and going to get that i don't want to hear what's on

order i want to hear what's on the water get those planes off with a bang even if they have to be taken from the american

army mr prime minister how are you feeling oh

fine fine fine i think i got what i wanted but you can't ever be sure

let's go see the president the president harry i cannot tell you how excited i am

finally to have the chance to meet him face to face i wonder if he like me what sort of man

is he having he must tell me all about him he doesn't remember

welcome aboard mr prime minister very great pleasure this is for me mr president to

meet you long enough in 1918 in graze and i'm absolutely delighted to

meet you too winston together at last cigarette and holder in the long cigar

glass being lit from the same match 27 years ago today and began their last

war you must make a good job of it this time twice want to be enough

we will talk about everything of course but first

i believe these gentlemen have a little job to do yeah they do the same job in britain

what i want to hear first winston is how you think this war will be won

this is a mechanized war mr president the mobile war in the air on land

could see immense land armies less important by far than in the last

war fighting on land in the middle east north africa yes

anywhere the germans exist on even or fairly even terms there we must attack them

but in fortress europe not with land armies not at first

we must destroy the foundation upon which the german war machine rests

the economy which feeds it morale which sustains it the sublies which

nourish it and the hopes of victory which inspire it

this war will be won by blockade by subversion and most of all my strategic bombing yes

but no major land armies what do you tell the russians

the war goes upon many fronts and before it is over there may be yet

further fighting fronts that will be developed but our resources no immense are limited and it must

become a question as to where and when those resources can best be used

i can only reiterate the absence of a second front simply favors our common enemy mr

president it is inevitable that america will finally come to grips with hitler on some battlefield

the might of germany is so great that even though russia will defend herself it will be very difficult for britain

and russia combined to defeat the german machine the one thing that could defeat hitler and

perhaps without even firing a shot would be the announcement that you are going to join in the war

i hope you won't take it amish mr president do i tell you that i cannot answer for

the consequences if russia is compelled to sue for peace and say by next spring hope has died in

britain that america is coming into the war governments such as ours can only move

in keeping with the thought and will of the great majority of our people if i would put the issue of

peace or war to the congress they would debate it for three months

what i can do is look for an incident in the atlantic i can wage war and not

declare it hitler will have the dilemma either attack our convoys and our navy or hold back

and give us the battle of the atlantic splendid

harry you know i met him once before in 1918. when he was assistant secretary

of the navy and i was in the war cabinet he made a most vivid impression on me even then

extraordinary man

the situation of the soviet forces during the last three weeks has deteriorated considerably with the

germans having transferred to the eastern front 30 to 34 fresh infantry divisions and an

enormous number of tanks and aircraft they consider danger in the west a bluff

and are transferring all their forces to the east with impunity remember being convinced that no second

front exists in the west and that none will exist as a result we have lost more than half

the ukraine and in addition the enemy is at the gates of landing remember

there is only one way out of this situation to establish in the present year a

second front somewhere in the balkans of france capable of drawing away from the eastern front 30 to 40 divisions

and at the same time we should shrink from no exertion there is in fact no possibility of any

british action in the west except air action which would draw the german forces from the east before the

winter sets in action however well meant leading only

to costly fiascos would be no help to anyone but hitler to continue and at the same time ensuring to the

soviet union 30 000 tons of aluminum and the monthly minimum of aid amounting to 400

aircraft and 500 tanks of medium size without this to foreign we are now

prepared to send you from british production one half of the monthly total for which

you ask in aircraft and tanks we hope the united states will supply

the other half every possible effort a billion dollars worth

two billion thank you as i was saying without these two forms of help the

soviet union will either suffer defeat or be weakened to such an extent that it will lose for

any long period a capacity to render to its allies experience has taught me to face up to

reality no matter how unpleasant it may be and not to shrink from telling the truth remember that

only four months ago we in this island did not know whether you were coming in against us on the german

side indeed we thought it quite likely that you would

whatever happens and whatever you do you of all people have no right to make

reproaches to us i have cabled our mission in moscow today to make a commitment to russia of

400 additional tanks a month and 3 600 additional combat planes very simply

and very bluntly we are pledged to pull our own ore in the destruction of hitlerism i fully

sympathize with russia in her agony but they have no right to approach us we

have acted with absolute honesty we have done our very best to help them at the cost of deranging all

our plans for re-armament and exposing ourselves to heavy risk i know spring invasion

but marshall stalin

we shall do our utmost to repair the grievous curtailments which your war

industries have suffered through the nazi invasion

if they keep fighting it's worth it if they don't we don't have to send it

[Music]

are you convinced that we will be able to hold moscow

i am asking you with pain in my heart answer me truthfully answer me as a

communist commander of his majesty's armed forces

in the middle east which is impossible to explain to

parliament how our armies have had to stand for

four and a half months without engaging the enemy in north africa

by all the time russia is being battered to pieces

order of the day declare a state of siege moscow will be defended to the last

comrades brothers and sisters i stated at the beginning of the war

that a serious danger was facing our country today as a result of four months of war

i must emphasize that this danger has increased the enemy has captured the greater part

of the ukraine by yellow russia moldavia and estonia

has penetrated the donbass is looming like a black cloud of a laning grid

and is menacing our glorious capital moscow

wherein lie the reasons for the temporary setbacks of the red army mr president i honestly hope that you

will be able to raise the general level of your war production by an immediate short-term effort

double it one of the reasons consists in the absence of a second

front in europe it is a fact that there are no armies of great britain

or the united states on the continent of europe at the present and this fact brings about a situation

where the germans considering their rear in the west secure have the possibility of marching their

troops against our country if it were possible

to make any successful diversion upon the french shore we should order it even at the heaviest

cost all our generals are convinced bloody republic is all that would be

sustained however in order to clear things up and to plan for the

future i am ready to send two generals to meet you in moscow

they will be able to tell you exactly what is possible and what we think is wise do you want

them if the generals will come to moscow with a view to concluding an agreement on the two fundamental

questions war aims and plans for the post-war organization of peace

and of mutual military assistance against hitler i would naturally be very happy to meet

them if however the mission of the generals is confined to secondary matters

it would not be i think worthwhile in such a case it would be very

difficult for me to find time for their conversations

i don't know what stalin wants bad relations a rupture who would that benefit

reeling from the allied embargo on steel and oil japan did offer some diplomatic concessions

but the president said that nothing less than japanese withdrawal from china and indochina would be acceptable

please get this right off the emperor of japan market personal

well this son of man has just sent his final

message to the son of god that's the last card i have to play for peace in the

[Music]

pacific

how is that good having lunch with the family you know my

cousin ellen adams brought all her children down hopkins we're gonna have lunch with them

but it's sunday but we might get a little quiet desk work done while we

what is it

no it must be some mistake

i tried to keep us out of war i wanted to finish my administration

without war

yesterday december 7th 1941 a date

which will live in infamy the united states of america was

suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the empire of japan

i regret to tell you that very many american lives have been lost

yesterday the japanese government also launched an attack on malaya

last night japanese forces attacked hong kong

last night japanese forces attacked guam last night

the japanese attacked wake island and this morning they attacked midway

island with confidence in our armed forces with the unbounding

determination of our people we will gain the inevitable triumph

so help us god [Applause]

we have won after all

england will leave the commonwealth of nations

and the empire will live once again in our long island history

we shall emerge however mold and mutilated

safe and victorious we shall not be wiped out our history

will not come to an end hitler's fate is sealed mussolini's fate is sealed

as for the japanese they will be ground to powder

today we are all in the same boat with you and the people of the empire winston

and it is a ship which will not and cannot be sunk

[Music]

we are now in this war we are all in it all the way every single man

woman and child is a partner in the most tremendous undertaking of our american history

it will not only be a long war it will be a hard war that is the basis on which we now lay

all our plans

[Music] franklin now that we are

as you say in the same boat would it not be wise for us to have another conference

delighted no need for the cautious approach to

america now that's the way we talked to her when we were wooing her

now she's in the harem you talk to her quite differently prime minister i propose a treaty

between us with a secret protocol dealing with europe post-war frontiers that the soviet union's front here with

poland be based on the kurzen line and the soviet union is to regain her frontiers of 1941

with finland and romania and will recover the baltic states

we cannot agree to definite frontiers without breaking pledges we have already made poland and others and we are not going

to do that it's a pity

the transfer of peoples to soviet usher against their wills is contrary to all the principles for

which we are fighting this war would dishonor our cause

no one can foresee how the balance of power will lie or where the winning armies will stand

at the end of the war it seems probable however

that the soviet union will need our aid far more than we shall need theirs

hitler's losses in russia are the prime fact in the war at this time he now faces the

shock of a winter of slaughter and the expenditure of fuel and equipment on the largest scale well

he hasn't reached moscow yet and i don't think he's going to this

message came from the marines on wake island just before they were overrun merry

christmas send us more japs

anyone want hot coffee no okay please hey

germany's the prime enemy once she's defeated the collapse of italy and the defeat of japan will flop

germany first our main objective for 1942 should be

the occupation of the whole coastline of africa that would reopen the mediterranean

route for shipping to the middle east and the far east and starts to tighten a ring around everything the germans now

control we'll put three divisions in north africa more if necessary

i want american forces involved as quickly as possible we can do more help for us every way we

can mom germany and blockade them then in 1943 the way may be cleared

to return to the continent here's the 1942 man

here's to a year of toil here of struggle and peril and a long step forward

victory here here may we all come through its shape and with honor winston

trust me to the bitter end

i would like to stress that it is now when the soviet union is exerting all its power to throw back hitler's

troops that the fulfillment of america's deliveries including aircraft and tanks

is essential to our common cause i'm terribly disturbed that an adequate number of ships is not available to

russia this government has made a firm pledge to russia and we simply cannot go back

on it where's harry be worse than to have the russians collapse

i'd rather lose new zealand australia or anything else than to have the russians collapse

i don't want to be in the same position as the english the only reason we stand so well to the russians is because we've kept our promises

you've got to find some ships at once for this russian business general wadel supreme commander

southwestern pacific i think you want to realize how we view the situation in singapore there must

at this stage be no thought of saving the troops or sparing the population the battle

must be fought to the bitter end but all costs

commanders and senior officers should die with their troops

the honor of the british empire and the british army is at stake but the russians fighting as

they are and the americans so stubborn in the philippines

the whole reputation of our country and our race is involved

i realize winston how the fall of singapore has affected you and the british people

the greatest disaster in our history but no matter how serious our setbacks

and i do not for a moment underrate them we must constantly look forward to the

next moves that need to be made to hit the enemy this means we now take primary

responsibility for the reinforcing of australia and new zealand and getting assistance to china and our navy

defends against all further advances of the japanese when i reflect how i have long

prayed for the entry of the united states into the war

i find it difficult to realize how gravely our british affairs have deteriorated since december 7th

we might as well admit the difficult military side of the problems

there's no use giving a single further thought to singapore or the dutch indies they're gone

australia must be held and we are willing to undertake that india must be held and you must do that

you must hold egypt the canal syria iran and the route to the caucasus

i know you will not mind winston if i tell you that you should take a

leaf from my notebook every month i go to hyde park for four days crawl

into a hole and pull the hole in after me i wish you would try it

and i wish you would lay a few bricks or paint another picture i am so grateful

for all your thoughts about my affairs and personal kindness i went to chartwell last week and found

spring there in all its beauty the goose i called the naval aid to call

and the male black swan have both fallen victims to the fox

the yellow cat however made me sensible of his continuing friendship

although i have not been there for eight months i find it very difficult to get over

singapore but i hope we shall redeem it air long

comrades along the tremendous front from the arctic ocean to the black sea red army and red navy

men are fighting fierce battles at moscow the red army defeated the german fascist troops which

threatened to encircle the soviet capital it threw the enemy back from moscow and

continues to push him westward the initiative is now in our hands

there is a winter you know in russia where the temperature is up to fall very

low there is snow there is frost and all that

hitler forgot about this russian winter he must have been very loosely educated

we all heard about it at school but he forgot it [Music]

i have never made such a bad mistake as that

mr president i doubt if any single thing's more important than getting some sort of front this summer against germany

the war plans division says we've got to go to europe to fight and we've got to quit wasting resources

all over the world and still worth wasting time if we're to keep russia in save the

middle east india burma got to begin slugging with air at west europe

followed by a land attack as soon as possible i still like the idea of french north

africa what do marshall and the joint chiefs say western europe

is the only place where vital air superiority can be staged the only place where the bulk of british ground forces can be committed in

cooperation with u.s forces and success there will afford maximum support for the russian front what harry will

tell you winston has my heart and mind in it your people and mine demand the

establishment of a front to draw off pressure on the russians and these people are

wise enough to see that the russians are today killing more germans than you and i

put together go to it harry yes sir

and uh make sure harry gets to bed early i am in entire agreement in principle

with all you propose the conception underlying it accords

with the classic principles of war concentration against the main enemy

marshall stalin i have in mind a very important military proposal to relieve your

critical western front i wish you would consider sending mr molotov to washington in the

immediate future

molotov can arrive not later than may 15. it goes without saying that he will also

go to london to exchange views with the british mr cocktail will be welcome here

you should not agree to any proposal to start a second front in western europe on any assumption that we do not mean

business our disposition is to take great risks to leave the russian front

at the same time if the japanese have gained control of the indian ocean not only will the middle east be in

danger but we shall lose the oil supplies in the persian gulf yes australia japan the middle east

will certainly discharge your obligations but our whole heart will be in the cross-channel invasion in 1943

1942 if necessary to avert a russian collapse our view is the decision to proceed with

the second front in europe is one of the most momentous ever faced the decision once taken cannot be reversed

if adopted this will constitute the major effort of the united states in the war

and there is complete unanimity in the framework of the cross channel invasion in 1943

full preparations can now go ahead i feel better about the war than anytime

in the last two years

let me now set out my own view of what had so far been decided what i thought should be

done i was ready to give the cross-channel assault a fair run

with other suggestions north west africa northern norway before the planning committees i was

almost certain that the more it was looked at the less it would be like but

i had to work by influence and diplomacy in order to secure harmonious action without cherished ally

without whose aid nothing but ruin face the world i did not therefore open any of these

alternatives at our meeting

i've been charged by my government to come to london to discuss the establishment of the second

front this is no new problem the coming weeks and months on the russian front are filled

with the most serious consequences to both of us we must know how you view the prospects

of growing of at least 40 german divisions from the ussr in 1942

the problem of landing in france this year is being studied preparations are being made please be

seated two points should however be born in mind

first with the best will and endeavor it is unlikely that any move we could

make in 1942 even if we were successful would draw

off large numbers of enemy land forces from the eastern front in the air the position is different if

our plan for forcing air battles over the continent proved successful the germans might be faced with the

choice either of seeing the whole of their fighter air force in the west destroyed

or making withdrawals from the air strength in the east

the second point relative to your proposition that our aim should be to draw off not less than 40

german divisions from russia we have confronting us in libya

norway france and the low countries 44 divisions but

we are not satisfied and if any plan can be made for drawing the weight of russia in 1942

we shall not hesitate [Music]

i have no doubt that you genuinely wish for the success of the soviet army against the germans this summer

but in your view are the prospects of our success whatever your views might be i would be

glad for a frank expression for opinion good or bad we feel great confidence

in the strength and ability of the soviet army now you want to talk about the treaty of

alliance between our countries these are the minimum conditions my

government insists on recovering the territory violated by hitler the baltics lithuania

latvia estonia we must secure our frontiers poland is the most delicate question but

the soviet government will do its best to come to terms with poland

we propose to substitute for a territorial agreement a general treaty

of alliance for 20 years committing all references for frontiers difficulties are mainly that we cannot

go back on our previous undertakings to poland and have to take account of our own and

american opinion the big question is can we work with russia

now and after the war is it stalin's aim to overrun and communize the continent

we are most grateful to you for meeting our difficulties in this treaty as you have done i am sure the reward in the united

states will be solid we have done a great deal breaking down

the barriers between our countries thank you thank you

churchill is a strong man very strong unfortunately he'll never make a good

[Music]

communist

[Music] this may be the biggest battle we have ever

so far 10 000 men 350 tanks

345 guns enemy killed and wounded probably equal and possibly

greater than ours this is a business not only of armor

and willpower everybody must fight they must fight exactly as they would it

came from mr president i am here as you know to

talk about the second fraud this year hitler is the master of all europe

to be sure the russians might hold and fight on all through 1942 but it is only

right to look at the darker side of the picture hitler might throw in such reinforcements in manpower and

material that the red army might not be able to hold out

so mr president i put this question to you frankly can you undertake such offensive action

as we'll draw up 40 german divisions

if the answer is yes the war will be decided in 1942

if no we will fight on alone doing our best and no man will expect more from us than

that my government wants to know what position you take on the question of a second front and whether you are

prepared to establish one i request a straight answer

you may inform marshall stalin and we expect the formation of a second front

we must never let the plan for invading north africa pass from our minds

tell marshall stalin we'll put it in the communique full understanding has been reached with

regard to the creation of a second front in europe in 1942

good god

tell molotov to come back through london see a churchill again

we are making preparations for landing on the continent in augusta september of 1942 which is

impossible to say in advance whether the situation will be as such as to make the operation

feasible when the time comes you can therefore make no promise in the matter but

if it appears sound and sensible we shall not hesitate to put our plan into effect

never before has our association been so close or our mutual pledge for the future so

complete

wanting a second front and having a second front

are two different things

the important thing is we may be and probably are faced with real problems on the

russian front and must make our plans to face it arrangements are being made pleasure

harry for a landing on the coast of northern france in september

we are disturbed here by what appears to be a lack of clear understanding between us in the event the russians get pushed

around we do not favor an operation certain to lead to disaster it would not

help the russians whatever their plight would gravely delay the main operation in 1943

no responsible british military authority has so far been able to make a plan

for crossing the channel in 1942 which has any chance of success unless the germans

become utterly demoralized of which there is no

likelihood

has surrendered the 25 000 men taken prisoner

defeat is one thing disgrace is another

what can we do to help

i am ashamed i cannot understand why the book gave in

25 000 of our men

send 300 german tanks 105 millimeter self-propelled guns to the middle east

right away

the military misfortunes of the last fortnight have transformed the situation

throughout the mediterranean we have lost upwards of 50 000 men

rommel has advanced nearly 400 miles from the desert and is now approaching the fertile delta

of the nile evil effects of these events cannot yet

be measured if there are any would-be profiteers of

disaster if feel able to paint the picture in darker colors

they are certainly at liberty to do so

american ground forces must be put into position to fight against german ground forces in 1942. i do not

believe we can wait until 1943 to strike against germany invading france is of such grave

importance that every reason calls for it and we cannot do northern france we must take second best french

north africa or the middle east we're gonna have to go see winston for

me again harry

mr president sorry it took us so long to get through the british will not willingly go ahead

with francis here down

if france is definitely and finally out of the picture i want you to determine another place

for us troops to fight in 1942. north africa is by far the best chance

for effective relief to the russian front take into consideration the effect of losing the middle east

here is the true second front of 1942 losing the middle east would mean the

loss of egypt the suez canal loss of syria persian gulf access to persian gulf oil germany and

japan joining up and the probable loss of the indian ocean

north africa 1942 full steam ahead as you say full steam ahead

franklin about shipping for russia we've been considering very carefully the number of convoys we're able to send

it seems to be that any word reaching stalin that our supplies were stopping would have a most unfortunate effect i fear not only the

political repercussions in russia but even more the fact that our supplies will not reach them properly i beg you

not to press us on this of the current convoy only four ships have breached our kingdom

and for 33 percent out of 600 tanks little more than a hundred have a ride

this cannot help anybody except the enemy i must reluctantly

agree marshall stalin my naval advisers tell

me that the german forces can now guarantee the complete destruction of any convoy to northern russia it is

therefore with the greatest regret that we have reached the conclusion that to attempt to run

convoy number 18 would only involve dead loss to the common cause

but at the same time i give you my assurance that if we can devise arrangements

the british government refuses to continue the sending of war supplies to the soviet union

i must explain the dangers and difficulties of these convoy operations in war time no important operation can

be affected without the risks or losses in any case i never expected that the british

government would stop this patch of war materials just at the very moment when he viewed the situation on the soviet german front

we require these materials more than ever believe me my comrade and friend no no

no striker oh believe me if one or two of our very few most

powerful battleships were to be lost the whole command of the atlantic would be lost besides

affecting the food supplies by which we live how war effort would we [ __ ] our naval

experts consider your reasons holy and convincing they are of the opinion that with

goodwill and readiness to fulfill your obligations those convoys could be regularly

undertaken above all the great convoys of american troops across the ocean

presently 80 000 in a month would be prevented in the building up of a really strong

second front in 1943 rendered impossible

1943

the second front in 1943 in spite of the agreed communique

concerning the urgent task of creating a second front in 1942

the british government postpones until 1943 i must state in the most emphatic manner

that the soviet government cannot acquiesce in the postponement of a second front in europe

until 1943. i do not propose to embark upon winston

your reply to stalin must be handled with great care you've got always to bear in mind the

personality of our ally in the very difficult and dangerous situation which can promise us

try to put ourselves in his place

i am willing marshall stalin if you invite me to come to meet you

i could tell you plans we have made with president roosevelt for offensive

action in 1942 believe me there is nothing that is

useful and sensible that we and the americans will not do to help you in your proud struggle

we hope to resume the convoys to separate the enemy is moving into the area

they will overrun their last line of defense organize a real guard with instructions to fight to the death to

give the army units time to pull back i will come to moscow i will if you desire

fix or conviction the enemy stands two miles from the city stalingrad may fall today or tomorrow

see to it that the commanders of the north and northwest forces strike the enemy at once to delay now is a clan

any date would suit me mrs hargreaves

send a telegram to the president i should greatly like your aid in my

talks with joe i have a somewhat of a raw job by

carrying a large lump of ice to the north pole

[Music]

what is it my duty to say to them the solemn finished a bolshevik state

i once tried so hard to strangle his path and which until hitler appeared i

regarded as the mortal foe of civilized freedom what is it my duty to say to them now

i would not have come to moscow unless you have felt sure that you will be able to discuss realities

there are no people with weak nerves here prime minister i suppose you want me to come to the

question of the second front as you wish i wish to speak frankly

and to invite complete frankness from you in return when mr molotov came to london i told

him that we were trying to make plans for a diversion in france i also made it

clear that i could make no promises about 1942 since then an exhaustive examination of

the problem has been carried out the british and american governments do

not feel themselves able to undertake a major operation in september which is the latest month in which the

weather is to be counted upon but

as you know we are preparing for a very great operation in 1943.

is it impossible to attack any part of the french coast

in 1942 yes there is not a single german division

of any value in france there are in france 25 german divisions nine of

which are of the first line and you are unwilling even to land six divisions

war is war but not folly and it would be folly to invite disaster

if by throwing in 150 to 200 000 men we could render you aid by drawing away from the russian front

appreciable german forces we would not shrink from this course on grounds of loss

but if it drew no men away and smiled the prospects for 1943 it would be a great view of war

is different a man who is not prepared to take a risk cannot win a war troops must be blooded

in battle if you do not blood your troops you have no idea what their value is

why are you so afraid of the germans i cannot understand have you ever asked

yourself why hitler did not come to england in 1940 when he was at the height of his power

and we had only 20 000 trained troops he did not come the fact is that hitler was afraid of

the operation it is not so easy to cross the channel that is no analogy

the landing of hitler would have been resisted by the people a british landing in france and the

people would be on the side of the british it seems that you expect to pay your way

by bombing germany the present bombing of germany's centers of industry is nothing to what will be

done in six or even three months time it is not only german industry that should be bombed

by the civilian population too we look upon the morale of german civilians as a

military target we sought no mercy and we shall show no mercy

if need be we hope to shatter almost every dwelling in almost every city in germany that

would not be bad it'll be better still we've now begun to

use four ton bombs let's talk again about the second front

which is what i've come for

i do not think france is the only place for such an operation

we and the americans have decided upon another plan

which i will now tell you about secretly you i hope nothing about it will appear

in your british presence i wish i could control the british press as you control the soviet press

you have quite enough powers to exercise control whenever you wish to

we want to take the strain of you our plan is called operation torch

if we can end this year in possession of north africa

we can threaten the belly of hitler's europe

this is the crocodile our intention is to attack

the soft underbelly of the crocodile and thus open another front

and all the time holding the enemy in france when will this be no loaded on october

30th 1942

first this operation torch will hit the normal in the back yes

second it will overall spain yes third it will produce germans

fighting frenchmen in france yes

and fourth it will expose italy to the whole brunt of the war and fifth it will shorten the

sea rule to the mediterranean

stalin will make a big mistake if he treats us roughly after coming so far stein is a very wise

man you may be sure that however he argues he understands all

no organization of the second front in europe was decided

during the visit of molotov to london you have not kept your promise

i repudiate that statement an aid memoir was given to mr molotov which distinctly says

provided that it proved sound and sensible now we wonder whether we can in fact believe in the african campaign

which is only a political front not military why are you so much afraid

of germans your convoys scatter for the first time in history the british navy turns tail

your british infantry should be like the russians they would find it not so bad you have to fight one way or the other

you cannot win a war without fighting i pardon that remark

only on account of the bravery of the soviet troops where is the guarantee that this solemn

promise to invade western europe in 1943 will also not be broken the british

prime minister will once again prove to us that this country is not in a position to sacrifice men while

always sacrificing 10 000 men a day no ring of comradeship

in your attitude i have traveled far to establish good working relations

we have done our utmost to help russia and will continue to do so remember we were left entirely alone for

a year against germany and italy alone now i find that you do not believe the

sincerity of my statements now i hear you distrust my motives

now i tell you this now that the three great nations are allied

victory is certain provided we do not fall apart

my god i like your spirit why should we not have some drinks

i'm always in favor of such a policy in principle what do you think should we let molotov

have one with us is the marshall aware that on molotov's

recent visit to washington he said he was going to bear visit to new york entirely by himself

and the delay in his return was not due to any defect in the airplane but because he was off on his own it

wasn't in new york he was in chicago with all the other gangsters

the one thing about the molotov is he can't drink any differences that exist between us

in this war are only ones of method

we'll try to remove even those differences by deeds cheers

excellent i'm sure it was better to have it out this way than any other

he knows the worst and we parted an atmosphere of goodwill

all is clear a campaign in africa and italy they simply want to

be the first in the reaching the balkans they want us to bleed white

in order to dictate their terms to us later on

to defend stalingrad that part that's been captured must be liberated

winston torch the north african attack should be launched at the earliest

possible date full blast i feel very strongly that the initial attacks must

be made by an exclusively american ground force supported by your naval and

transport and air units the british will come in only as and when you judge expedient

all our hopes now are centered on the battle alexander and montgomery are going to fight against rommel

it may well be the key to the future tell alexander let me have the word zip

when you start mr president prime minister our position in the stalingrad area has

deteriorated due to the shortage of fighters which makes it impossible for us to

defend our troops if together you could supply us with 800 fighters a month

britain giving roughly 300 the usa 500. we will ship you 276 combat planes this

month we will give you 150.

tens and hundreds of thousands of soviet men women and children are dying

and churchill wants to barter for a couple of dozen hurricanes rely only on ourselves don't count on

getting any aid from our allies

[ __ ] great battle in egypt has opened well mr president the whole force of the

british army will be engaged all the shermans and self-propelled guns which you gave me on that dark to brook

morning they will play their part mr freedom who will have seen with pride all that

your valiant new zealanders are doing mr curtin you will have observed with

pleasure the distinguished part with the nice australian division are playing

we are cutting into the enemy in the air on the ground on the sea general alexander

with your hopes academy maintained i propose to ring the bells

all over britain for the first time this

war

yes thank god thank god

that sounds great congratulations

casualties are comparatively light much below predictions

thank god we've landed in north africa

we're striking back

[Music]

we have begun offensive operations in this stalingrad area

[Music] has been defeated it has been routed

it has been very largely destroyed it's a fighting force the operation is proceeding satisfactorily

[Music]

now this is not the end it is not even the beginning of the end

but it is perhaps the end of the [Applause]

[Music] beginning

[Music]

so [Music]

you

WW2: When Lions Roared=Then There Were Giants)

Cast[edit]

Plot[edit]

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