In the summer of 1940 Winston Churchill faced a terrible dilemma. France had just surrendered and only the English Channel stood between the Nazi’s and Britain. Germany was poised to seize the entire French fleet, one of the biggest in the world. With these ships in his hands, Hitler’s threat to invade Britain could become a reality. Churchill had to make a choice. He could either trust the promises of the new French government that they would never hand over their ships to Hitler. Or he could make sure that the ships never joined the German navy by destroying them himself.
Secrets of the Dead: Churchill’s Deadly Decision reveals the darkest side of Britain’s Finest Hour. Some call his decision a turning point in the war, others call it a terrible betrayal and a war crime. This is the story of what Churchill did next, and why; and how 1,300 French sailors died as a result in what the French still call ‘our Pearl Harbour’. In the words of French survivors, some of whom still regard Churchill as a war criminal, and one of the British sailors who opened fire on his former allies, this is the forgotten story of Churchill’s deadliest decision – to sink the French Fleet.
Produced by Furnace Limited for THIRTEEN in association with WNET.ORG, Channel 4, National Geographic Channel UK, ABC Australia, and ZDF.
Narrated by: Liev Schreiber
Written and Directed by: Richard Bond
Executive Producer, Furnace: Phil Craig
Executive in Charge: William R. Grant
Executive Producer: Jared Lipworth
© 2010 WNET.ORG Properites L.L.C.
Isn’t it comfortable to be Monday Morning Quarterbacks of History? Morality is easily spouted from a safe distance of years.
The first half of the nineteen forties was obviously a time of denial. Chamberlain denied Hitler’s threat and sold out Poland; the US denied the necessity of entering the War and were willing to watch England fall; France denied they were honest-to-God defeated; the Germans denied they were losing the war and refused to surrender, causing countless thousands to die unnecessarily. Hitler was the only one around who didn’t deny; he was straight up open about planning to take over the world. And everybody else denied he could.
The decision makers of France were given warning by Churchill, their nation had fallen, but still they denied he would usurp their navy. And their sailors died; victims of the arrogance of their own leaders.
The world was chaos. Great men made lousy decisions, but they also made great decisions. Somehow, it all sifted out and the allies triumphed. Would any of us posters deny the blessing of that? We can debate in the comfort of our dens at our desks on our computers what the great men of those times did. It is a luxury they paid for.
Thank God some right people were there and we all survived. It’s time to apply our morality to Iraq and the morality of our current invasions. This is our time; these are our choices. What are we denying?
The most important thing that is over looked is… barring a completely unusual and catastrophic event, no Admiral (Commander) of any navy (whatever) should take military orders from a leader of a different country, unless instructed to do so by is own leadership.
Obviously, before the new French, pro-German leadership took power, the previous leadership should have had the fore sight to issue that order, and others, especially regarding its navy, which was more mobile. However, it goes with out saying, that from a military commander, on down to a single soldier, no one would let their military assets fall into the hands of the enemy, if at all possible. From a naval perspective, the scuttling of a ship is much, much easier than, say, destroying artillery at a rear base that was being over-run by the enemy.
Another thing that is over-looked is personality and mind-set. Churchill was so arrogant, that he actually thought he could give orders to another countries military, and that military was just suppose to follow those orders. Yes, his ‘orders’ were presented as choices, but still, choices that Churchill commanded to be followed, one or the other, ‘or else’. It can be noted, that his, ‘or else’, could be construed as a declaration of war, even before the first shot was fired. After all, Churchill’s subsequent threat to Admiral Gensoul (issued through Sommerville/Holland) was a ‘real’ threat, and an ultimatum. Make no mistake about it.
Also very important, is that, no leader should attack an Ally simply for self preservation. As for orders regarding the French military, Churchill could not be 100% sure he knew all orders issued by the French leadership, or its military commanders. He was acting strictly as a self preservationist. Just from those perspectives, Churchill is a coward and a war criminal. And, add the following. This would be pure speculation on my part, but I believe it to be true, and why wouldn’t it be true… Churchill would have never confronted the French Navy if his force to confront was not superior. Also, the event at Mers-El-Kebir was not a battle, it was a massacre. An act of a coward (and it can easily be stated, cowards). It was the Royal Navy shooting fish in a barrel. It was despicable, to say the very least.
Also, Churchill had the word of Admiral Gensoul, in writing, that his fleet would never fall into the hands of the Germans (enemy). A word that he should have accepted and believed, as truth. For Churchill to have doubts was his own human failure. Nothing else caused The Massacre at Mers-El-Kebir… except…
I believe that Churchill had the ‘blessing’ of Pres. Roosevelt to attack the French fleet, which would align Roosevelt as a conspirator of that war crime. There is enough evidence of this to draw that conclusion. Possibly, also, there could be evidence that has never been exposed, or that has been destroyed. Again, though, enough documentation exists to draw that conclusion.
As for Admiral Gensoul, there is no blame to be put on him, what so ever, for the The Massacre at Mers-El-Kebir. Yes, anyone can speculate that Admiral Gensoul could have done this, or could have done that. But, the bottom line of the whole event was that he was attacked, by an Ally, in a deliberate, vicious and unforgiving way. Surely, a person can find no blame in Admiral Gensoul for that.
A person can also argue it was war time, etc. Have no foul or unjust rationale for the event at Mers-El-Kebir, that would justify Churchill’s and the Royal Navy’s action. It will only cause further dishonor, insult and pain to the event of that day.
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I missed some of this episode on Tuesday. When will it be rebroadcast in the Seattle area?
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Rondo couldnt “best” Wade on his career day. Cry me a river. Talk to the league? The best team will win the series, as usual.
Education is the process in which we discover that learning adds quality to our lives. Learning must be experienced. – William Glasser
HISTORY IS A PRACTICAL JOKE THAT SOCIETY PLAYS ON SENIAL OLD MEN WHO SHOULD KNOW BETTER!!! Like studying bumps on patient’s head (Phenology, anyone?) the study of History has been, is, and will be—an utter waste of time. You mock me?!!!
Ask Sir Winston S. Churchill what was World War II about and he will thump his chest and pronounce “It was about GOD, Great Britian & her Commonwealth, the Americans and SOMETIMES THE FRENCH & THE RUSSIANS against SATAN, the Axis and SOMETIMES THE FRENCH & THE RUSSIANS. Bottom Line: GOD, thru his servants, won WWII!!!”
Now go ahead and ask HO Chi Minn what was World War II about and he will wipe his glasses and smirk: “It was about The Japanese Imperialists kicking out the French Imperialists who, with the help of the British & American Imperialists, restored the French Imperialists, who re-armed the soldiers of the Japanese Imperialists, to rule my country as a conquered people”!!! For us Vietnamese, WWII ended in 1975 with the unification and liberation of the people of Vietnam”.
OK, Sports fans—who has the best answer about WWII? ANSWER: THEY ARE BOTH RIGHT (and they were not opposing sides of the same conflict—Winnie was the British PM; Uncle Ho was a college student, short order cook and liberation fighter). See why I dispise HISTORY? There is no right answer. First, an Historical event can have multiple, conflicting interpretations from multiple participants (as in Who started WWI?). Second, years after the fact, the interpretations can be subject to re-interpretation (Prussian Militarism started WWII, to French Revengist feelings started WWI to it was nobody’s fault and back again). You are better off studying Astrology to predict the Stock Market than History to devine a future responce to a given situation.
What do I think PBS’s re-telling of the Mers-El Kiber tragegy of WWII? I was disappointed in it. PBS presented a LOPSIDED, Anglophillic ‘lovefest’ of a great man (Winnie) forced to do a not so nice thing in the name of self preseveration (attacking an ally/former ally). What PBS should have done is to state that Britian stabbed its former ally in the back in the name of self preservation and that Leaders, in history, had done such self-serving things throughout history. In 1939-40, the French and British had assembled troops to invade Sweden so as to fight their way to Finland to battle the invading Russians. When Finland fell, these troops were diverted to the equally stupid defense of Norway. In 1940, the French and British drew up plans to invade Belgium and Holland to protect the French Northern Flank (Pass thru permission only being given by a reluctant Belgium/Holland minutes before the Allied Invasion through same). This is why I have problems with the presentation of ‘greenhorn’ P.M. Churchill making a cold business decision to betray an ally—France and Britian had been employing such ‘Real Politic’ against other countries since the start of the war….in the instant case, it was France’s turn to play ‘the fall guy’.
Leaders do this sort of thing ALL THE TIME—it’s called STATESMANSHIP. Take President Obama and our ALLY on the Global War on Terror (GWOT) Pakistan. Correct me if I’m wrong but PAKISTAN is our DECLARED ally on the ‘Global War on Terror’ (GWOT). Yet, every 48hrs, Pres. Obama sends a cruise missle over Pakistani air space to kill Pakistani citizens inside Pakistan—wheither they like it or not!!! Ain’t that against the law?!!!
Worse, in 2011, Pres. Obama invaded the sovern territory of our ally Pakistan and ZODTZ’ed Sheikh Osama Bin Laden (a former American Ally) while he was in bed, with his four wives, in what country? Our Ally Pakistan. Is what Pres. Obama doing/did a war crime? Absolutely!!! We are attacking and killing citizens of a nation that we are not at war with and whose government is not threatening us. Is there anything Pakistan can do about it other than protesting at the UN and filing equally useless ARTICLE 138s UCMJ (inside joke)? I don’t think so!!! Pres. Manny ‘PineApple Face’ Noriega was a respected ALLY OF THE UNITED STATES in the War on Drugs when the United States invaded his country and took him to jail. On the wall of his Presidental Yaught was a signed autograph of Pres. Carter & Ronald Reagan PRAISING his help as an Ally—Oh, Well!!! Pres. Aristead of Haiti was an Ally of the United States on the War on Drugs when we packed him on a plane in his night clothes and wisked him out of Haiti. Pick a Nation in History and I can show you examples where they did dispicable things in the name of StatesCraft and Self Servival. Churchill had to do what Churchill had to do and Operation Catapult was a success.
Will the French EVER trust the British again? Do they trust the Britian NOW with the Greek Debt Crisis? Is Britian’s failour to support France & Germany’s demand for Euro Currency Stabilization the new Mers El Kebir Part Duex? What did I say previously about history…?!!!