Pennod 1 Rhyfel Mawr Trwy Lygaid Ifanc

-Subtitles

-Subtitles

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-Subtitles

-The First World War started

-a hundred years ago, in 1914.

-The war changed the lives of men,

-women and children forever.

-Children and young people

-from all over Europe...

-..described their experiences

-in diaries and letters.

-These are the stories of

-the Great War through their eyes.

-One of them was a 14-year-old boy

-from a village in northern France.

-His name was Thierry Gilbert.

-We're at war with Germany.

-We can take our revenge

-and win back Alsace-Lorraine.

-THE ATTACK

-It's war! It's war!

-We're at war with Germany!

-Shots were fired at the border!

-It's war!

-Impossible! You're staying here!

-But Dad, Jean-Paul,

-Raymond and Patrick are going.

-They're only a year older than me!

-They're only a year older than me!

-

-You have to be seventeen to enlist.

-You'll have to wait

-another three years.

-The war will be over by then!

-Then wait for the next.

-What if there isn't another?

-What if there isn't another?

-

-Perfect.

-You can complete your education.

-Please.

-Give me one good reason

-why you should go to war?

-To win back Alsace-Lorraine.

-People will talk

-about this for years.

-What am I meant to say?

-That I stayed at home?

-Yes, and that's the reason

-why you're still alive.

-Everyone is going. What I meant

-to say? That I stayed at home?

-In Sarajevo, on the 28th of June,

-1914...

-..the heir to the Austrian Empire

-was murdered.

-The killer was a Serbian student.

-The Austria-Hungary Empire demanded

-revenge and attacked Serbia.

-Russia supported Serbia, but

-Germany supported Austria-Hungary.

-One by one, countries

-sent armies into battle.

-This is how World War One began.

-AUSTRIA-HUNGARY

-RUSSIA

-GERMANY

-GREAT BRITAIN

-TURKEY

-AUSTRALIA

-FRANCE

-Young men were keen to fight.

-They loved their countries...

-..and believed

-nothing would happen to them.

-Does the German Emperor

-believe he can beat us?

-He hasn't met the French yet!

-Our love of France is strong.

-You saw that on the streets today.

-We never surrender. Never.

-Where are you going?

-I thought we had an understanding?

-How can I stay

-when my friends have gone to war?

-I want to be a part of it.

-It's all I can think about.

-Have you thought about your mother?

-She'd break her heart

-if anything happened to you.

-Me, also.

-My son, it's dangerous out there.

-That's why I want to go, Dad.

-To see if I can cope.

-You wouldn't want a coward as a son,

-would you?

-Wait!

-I had to go.

-I wanted to be a part of it.

-Take this!

-Papa.

-Don't worry, Dad.

-We'll beat the Germans easily.

-I wanted to see if I could cope.

-I was sure

-we'd easily beat the Germans.

-Not everyone could join the army...

-..only young men

-between the ages of 17 and 30.

-The minimum height

-was five feet, two inches.

-To many,

-the war was a great adventure.

-Whoever chose not to fight

-was a coward.

-Thierry Gilbert wasn't alone.

-Many tried to enlist even

-though they were too young.

-Despite being far too young,

-they wanted to be heroes.

-They didn't understand

-the meaning of war.

-The youngest soldier

-was only twelve.

-No-one knows how many children

-fought in World War One.

-Good luck!

-Next.

-Name?

-Um... Francois, Francois Le Blanc.

-Age?

-Age?

-

-Seventeen.

-Your real age?

-Seventeen.

-I come from a short family.

-Let me see your passport, please.

-It's in Belfort.

-Can anyone confirm your age?

-Do you have a family?

-They're all in Belfort.

-They're all in Belfort.

-

-Then I suggest you start there.

-That's why I'm here. To get Belfort

-back from the damned Germans!

-Carry on.

-Francois...

-Le Blanc.

-Good luck.

-I did it. I was a step closer.

-I was on my way to Alsace-Lorraine.

-Alsace-Lorraine was on the border

-between France and Germany.

-The two countries had fought for it

-for years.

-In 1871,

-Germany conquered the territory.

-Many Frenchmen thought

-Alsace-Lorraine belonged to France.

-They wanted to get it back,

-whatever the cost.

-Germany and France

-prepared for a new war.

-Germany had more weapons.

-They had cannons and more soldiers.

-The French believed they had

-something far more important...

-..their fighting spirit,

-the famous French "elan."

-Next!

-Shouldn't you be in school?

-Shouldn't you be in school?

-

-Um, no.

-Attach the bayonets! Aim!

-Aren't you Thierry Gilbert

-from Epernay?

-No, I'm Francois Le Blanc.

-No, I'm Francois Le Blanc.

-

-Turn it!

-Hurry! It's your life, or his.

-I know your father!

-Is there a problem?

-I'm...

-No, captain!

-What are you waiting for? Attack!

-The French attacked

-in the same way...

-..as Napoleon

-had done a century before.

-Thousands of men

-advanced towards the enemy...

-..waving banners

-and sounding trumpets.

-Attacking, but not defending.

-The Germans prepared

-for a new style of warfare.

-Their grey field uniforms were

-difficult to see on the battlefield.

-The French

-thought this was cowardly.

-Their blue coats and red caps

-could be seen from afar...

-..like the shining helmets

-and breastplates of the cavalry.

-That's how the French intended

-to win back Alsace-Lorraine.

-They attacked

-whenever they had the chance.

-That's exactly

-what the Germans expected.

-Germany planned to conquer

-France in a matter of weeks.

-They called it The Schlieffen Plan.

-The French would be lured as far

-as possible into Alsace-Lorraine.

-In the meantime, Germany

-could march quietly through Belgium.

-If they were fast enough...

-..they'd conquer Paris

-before the French could respond.

-Germany would have won the war.

-It looked so pretty...

-..bright colours and

-bayonets shining in the sun.

-The Germans would be terrified

-to see us approach.

-I'll get a German helmet, an

-Iron Cross, or an emperor's medal!

-Can you see something?

-Can you see something?

-

-No, unfortunately.

-One of the helmets?

-Nothing. Their uniforms

-merge into the background.

-Maybe there's no-one there.

-Shouldn't we seek them out?

-We'll come across them.

-We may as well walk to Berlin!

-Attach the bayonets!

-Attach the bayonets!

-

-Stay close.

-WHISTLE

-EXPLOSIONS AND GUNFIRE

-I was ready to take

-one of the emperor's medals.

-Bayonets on!

-Bayonets on!

-

-WHISTLE

-Don't think, just run.

-Advance. I have to advance.

-The bullets

-are flying all around me...

-..but I have to advance, through

-the smoke and away from the gunfire.

-Don't fall. If I fall, I've had it.

-A body... don't think, just

-jump over it. Stay with Marcel.

-I'm safe with him.

-GUNFIRE

-The men are falling,

-four, five at a time. Go, just go!

-EXPLOSIONS AND GUNFIRE

-Marcel!

-Get up, Marcel! We have to advance!

-Marcel!

-Leave him there! Onwards!

-Marcel! Marcel!

-Marcel was dead.

-Advance!

-The French appetite for war

-disappeared overnight.

-They had lost Alsace-Lorraine.

-But worse still,

-France itself was in danger by now.

-How could I have been so stupid?

-Why was I so keen to go to war?

-For my country? For a medal?

-Your mother?

-Your mother?

-

-It's war!

-If anything happened to you,

-she'd die of a broken heart.

-We're at war with Germany.

-You're risking your life, son.

-Aren't you Thierry Gilbert

-from Epernay?

-They're firing at targets!

-Stay close.

-What will we gain from this war?

-War isn't about bravery.

-It's all potluck.

-The German plan

-seemed to be succeeding.

-Most of the French

-army was destroyed.

-The soldiers were retreating.

-This was also true

-of the Belgian and British armies.

-German pressure mounted.

-The Allies had to retreat

-further and further back.

-It seemed nothing could stop

-the German army.

-The road to Paris was clear.

-GUNSHOT

-Oh, no. A German.

-There are Germans nearby.

-I can still escape.

-No-one knows who I am.

-Francois Le Blanc.

-You have betrayed France.

-You will face a firing squad.

-Punishments meted out by the French

-army became increasingly harsher.

-No mercy was shown

-in the face of weakness.

-The war wasn't going according

-to the French plan.

-They would do anything

-to stop Germany.

-In no time at all,

-a new army was formed.

-Buses, cars and even taxis...

-..were used to take soldiers

-to the front.

-France's future was at stake.

-Every man had to fight.

-There was no place for cowards.

-GUNSHOTS

-DOOR OPENS

-I thought you might be hungry.

-I thought you might be hungry.

-

-Thanks.

-Please forgive us.

-You won't feel a thing tomorrow.

-We'll aim with precision.

-I promise.

-And there's no need

-for your parents to know.

-We'll tell them

-you died a brave soldier.

-Is that alright?

-Le Blanc of Belfort?

-Hey, don't cry. Is that alright?

-I couldn't believe it.

-They really intended to shoot me.

-Why? Why all of this?

-In World War One, soldiers

-could face the death penalty...

-..if they tried to escape

-or if they didn't follow an order.

-This happened even

-if the soldier wasn't a coward...

-..but in shock

-because of the horrors of war.

-Very often, the soldiers

-didn't get a fair hearing.

-In the first months of the war...

-..more than

-400 French soldiers were executed.

-You have been found guilty of

-cowardice in the face of the enemy.

-You have been sentenced to death.

-You have been sentenced to death.

-

-But captain!

-Proceed with the execution. Aim!

-I lied. My name is Thierry Gilbert

-and I'm only fourteen years old!

-That's far too young.

-He shouldn't even be here.

-He wanted to be a soldier.

-He shall be treated as one. Aim!

-Why shoot him?

-Will that help us win the war?

-The French learnt

-from their mistakes.

-Despite heavy losses,

-they fought back fanatically.

-They stopped the German advance

-not far from Paris.

-The capital city was safe.

-The Schlieffen Plan had failed.

-Let's go, boys.

-Let's beat those Germans.

-We'll pretend 'Francois Le Blanc'

-was shot. No-one will know.

-And you, Thierry Gilbert,

-can go home.

-For you, the war is over.

-And you, Thierry Gilbert,

-can go home.

-For you, the war is over.

-But the war continued.

-S4C Subtitles by Gwead

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