622. The Nazis at War: The Fall of France (Part 3)
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What was the significance of the Battle of Dunkirk in 1940?
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We drove past the Madeleine, down the Champs-Élysées, onto the Trocadéro, and then to the Eiffel Tower, where Hitler ordered another stop. From the Arc de Triomphe, with its tomb of the unknown soldier, we drove onto the Invalides, where he stood for a long time at the tomb of Napoleon. Finally, Hitler inspected the Pontillon, whose proportions greatly impressed him. The end of our tour was the romantic, insipid imitation of early medieval domed churches, the Church of Sacré-Cœur on Montmartre, a surprising choice, even given Hitler's taste. Here he stood for a long time, surrounded by several powerful men of his escort squad, while many churchgoers recognized him but ignored him. After a last look at Paris, we drove swiftly back to the airport.
By nine o'clock in the morning, the sightseeing tour was over. It was the dream of my life to be permitted to see Paris. I cannot say how happy I am to have that dream fulfilled today. For a moment, I felt something like pity for him. Three hours in Paris, the one and only time he was to see it, made him happy when he stood at the height of his triumphs. So that was Adolf Hitler's architect and confidant Albert Speer, the man who Hitler was going to commission to redesign Berlin as Germania and put Paris in the shade if he won the war. And Speer there is describing one of the most sinister sightseeing tours in history. Dominic, we are in Paris in late June 1940. France has fallen. Speer has joined Hitler for a three-hour tour of the conquered French capital.
And I guess it must rank as perhaps the single sweetest moment in Hitler's life, do you think?
I think so, up to this point.
I mean, this was a man who had fought against the French for four years and his generals had said it couldn't be done. This kind of attack on France and everything has gone right for him.
Yeah, I think there are probably two moments. There's the moment of the Anschluss when he was greeted in Austria, his homeland, as the man who had brought the fragments of the German nation together. I guess that was a happy moment for him. And this is another one. And that moment when he says to Speer that the dream of his life has been fulfilled. You know, Hitler's a terrible man, but there is a man under there, right, with ideals and ambitions as ghastly as they may be. And actually, when you think back, we've done the Nazi story in, what, four series? Over 18 episodes. Went all the way from the late 19th century through the chaos of the First World War to the rise of the Third Reich. And, you know, we've shown how they've swallowed Austria and Czechoslovakia and Poland and whatnot and crushed Norway and Denmark.
And today's episode is about the apotheosis. It's the victory, as you said, that Hitler has been dreaming about since November 1918. It's revenge at last against the French.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What was the significance of the Battle of Dunkirk in 1940?
0:00–5:33
2
How did the Allies manage to evade annihilation during the Battle of Dunkirk?
5:33–9:39
3
What role did Operation Dynamo play in the evacuation of Allied troops?
9:39–13:31
4
Why did Hitler halt the advance of his tanks during the Dunkirk evacuation?
13:31–18:04
5
How did the Luftwaffe's performance affect the outcome at Dunkirk?
18:04–22:24
6
What were the consequences of the French surrender in June 1940?
22:24–26:14
7
How did the fall of Paris impact German morale and strategy?
26:14–29:16
8
What was the aftermath of the French defeat and its implications for WWII?
29:16–1:05:55
Speakers
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