The Secrets of Winston Churchill's Underground War Rooms

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  • čas přidán 27. 06. 2024
  • Winston Churchill, wartime Prime Minister of Great Britain and its empire during the Second World War, is one of the most recognisable figures of world history. The man dominated Whitehall and Westminster, but many of his most vital decisions during the war years were taken away from the public eye. Not in Parliament, nor in Downing Street. But underground - in the Cabinet War Rooms. To this day, they are beautifully preserved, famously portrayed in the award winning film 'Darkest Hour.'
    Dan Snow pays a visit to the Churchill War Rooms, walking in the footsteps of the great man and his many associates during the Second World War.
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Komentáře • 100

  • @drtonyhaworth5711
    @drtonyhaworth5711 Před rokem +5

    I’m now 61 and all my uncles and grandads where in WWII ,I was only a child when Churchill died but at least he was around from my birth for a few years……my mum bought me coins and books to celebrate Churchill’s life……and the Funeral was in a book … he was wrong on many things and he felt very guilty about them but without Churchill we would be talking German and possibly slaves ,,,they tried to get my school class to learn German in high school and all my class told them NO…..
    my family lost 4 family members from the Great War to the second war …..god bless them all

  • @pablopeter3564
    @pablopeter3564 Před 2 lety +8

    EXCELLENT JOB. Thanks for this historical film. Greetings from Mexico City.

  • @supertacticalgaming9525
    @supertacticalgaming9525 Před 2 lety +11

    Best history channel out there. I love the presence of Dan Snow, and do not not sell out to big corporate TV!

  • @itsjohndell
    @itsjohndell Před 2 lety +11

    I have studied Churchill all my life, When they opened the War Rooms to the public I eagerly went. Cramped, cluttered I was fascinated. You can feel Winston down there. When I came up I realized that as a claustrophobic I was shocked that I never gave it a thought.

    • @Heresjonnyagain
      @Heresjonnyagain Před 2 lety

      What’s really good. Have you cried vaguely regularly to see if helps? Exposure therapy?

  • @DoroteoVilla
    @DoroteoVilla Před rokem +2

    I visited Churchill’s War Rooms a few years back. Fascinating stuff. I purchased a clock there, a replica of the actual clock they used in Churchill’s War Rooms. It proudly sits in my home office. I always get a kick at looking over and seeing it.

  • @ryleyw3684
    @ryleyw3684 Před 11 měsíci +1

    that's awesome to see, as a world war 2 history nerd in a way, this would be cool to see in person. What makes it more surreal is everything is original and left the way it was when it closed on Tuesday august 16 1945. a generation of greatness

  • @chrisbowser
    @chrisbowser Před 2 lety +6

    What I love about this is unlike nowadays when something like this would be closed down and sold off, as we have seen with nucleur bunkers, it was left so that generations later people can come and experience a key place in history.

  • @gerhardrichter8626
    @gerhardrichter8626 Před 2 lety +6

    Very well done. I like to see and touch history. So glad the people at the time just shut off the lights and left.

  • @Wolfiechrm
    @Wolfiechrm Před rokem +5

    Went to the war rooms several years ago when I was still in Senior School and I enjoyed it. It was so interesting to see and look at all the stuff and the other museum attached to it.

  • @peterfaulkner1969
    @peterfaulkner1969 Před 2 lety +23

    How do these videos not have way way way more views?? So good.

    • @jeffclark7888
      @jeffclark7888 Před 2 lety +3

      Because most people prefer rap music and other absurdities.

    • @Russia-bullies
      @Russia-bullies Před 2 lety +1

      Because many have wrong negative thoughts about Churchill & refuse to know about the good he did.

    • @edwardfletcher7790
      @edwardfletcher7790 Před rokem

      People (children) prefer cat videos, Minecraft & Dude Perfect. ☹️

    • @DustySmith1
      @DustySmith1 Před rokem

      @@jeffclark7888 Probably the most middle-aged unironic comment I’ve ever seen

    • @crystalcleara.k.a.missyoko1430
      @crystalcleara.k.a.missyoko1430 Před rokem

      I know right

  • @sparkymmilarky
    @sparkymmilarky Před 2 lety +18

    Really well done video

  • @alitlweird
    @alitlweird Před 2 lety +15

    Know what would be AWESOME?
    If, a few times per year, the museum had actors & actresses dressed in correct war period clothing reenacting major moments of wwii. and you could walk amongst them.
    *also, whoever came up with the light upgrade on the phones was a genius!
    phones ringing like they describe would have caused a lifetime of incurable PTSD far beyond the war’s end.

  • @jazzpianoman01
    @jazzpianoman01 Před 2 lety +7

    Situated in my city and a piece of living history, thanks for uploading this.

  • @ianwyj1
    @ianwyj1 Před rokem +1

    A fascinating basement warren, full of history and a sense of struggle - so glad I've had the chance to visit.

  • @gailmrutland6508
    @gailmrutland6508 Před 5 měsíci +2

    *There is nothing quit ye as exciting as history....unless you are forced to revisit it*

  • @tristan_ahmaru
    @tristan_ahmaru Před 2 lety +8

    Excellent Documentary, Thank you for taking us on this journey!

  • @MrDaiseymay
    @MrDaiseymay Před 2 lety +7

    I went to this very famous place, shortly after it had opened to the public. I was amazed that Nobody had ever visited it , to check on it's condition, since VJ day, when they all just walked away from it. I doubt if they intended to forget, but were caught up in all the Troubles of the day, which were plenty still. I'm old enough to remember VE and VJ day, with the streets crowded with reveller's, Pianos playing, and having to avoid the fires blazing in the roads, as I went with my dad in the car, to buy some more beer.

    • @markc3258
      @markc3258 Před rokem +1

      I think they actually forgot all about it ..
      I love the place .. been a few times . It’s like time travelling back ..
      cheers 🍻

  • @phaiz55
    @phaiz55 Před rokem +2

    I have to say well done. It's been ages since a YT video kept me glued to the screen for 20+ minutes.

  • @timrowe234
    @timrowe234 Před 6 dny

    Very good video! Just toured this underground bunker last week! Amazing part of history!

  • @lisaroberts8135
    @lisaroberts8135 Před rokem +3

    History hits is fantastic. I love learning about all history and this channel gives you so much information in a short film that keeps me fascinated every time!!

  • @PonderingDolphin
    @PonderingDolphin Před 2 lety +5

    Really enjoy the host of these videos, and the quality is outstanding . Really well done thanks for the hard work !

  • @susanhepburn6040
    @susanhepburn6040 Před 2 lety +4

    Thank you very much - greatly appreciated.

  • @tracym9225
    @tracym9225 Před 2 lety +2

    One of my favorites!

  • @deanmc178
    @deanmc178 Před rokem +1

    loknagar crater is full eveidence of the HUGE explosions that took place during WW1, its amazing how big it is and the bang was heard in london ,,many many miles away ..

  • @benmiller7410
    @benmiller7410 Před 2 lety +6

    Great video, Dan

  • @Obiter3
    @Obiter3 Před 2 lety +2

    I was in there on a tour, very memorable

  • @yourgetinbit7711
    @yourgetinbit7711 Před 2 lety +9

    Absolutely loved hearing Churchill"s speeches. Spine tingling and reassuring at the same time. What was the King and Queen's roll in all of this?

    • @GrapeHate
      @GrapeHate Před 2 lety

      They didn't gamble.

    • @cleverusername9369
      @cleverusername9369 Před 2 lety +1

      According to Wikipedia:
      "In 1940, Winston Churchill replaced Neville Chamberlain as prime minister, though personally George (King George VI) would have preferred to appoint Lord Halifax. After the King's initial dismay over Churchill's appointment of Lord Beaverbrook to the Cabinet, he and Churchill developed 'the closest personal relationship in modern British history between a monarch and a Prime Minister'. Every Tuesday for four and a half years from September 1940, the two men met privately for lunch to discuss the war in secret and with frankness. The King related much of what the two discussed in his diary, which is the only extant first-hand account of these conversations.
      Throughout the war, the King and Queen (Elizabeth, the Queen Mother) provided morale-boosting visits throughout the United Kingdom, visiting bomb sites, munitions factories, and troops. The King visited military forces abroad in France in December 1939, North Africa and Malta in June 1943, Normandy in June 1944, southern Italy in July 1944, and the Low Countries in October 1944. Their high public profile and apparently indefatigable determination secured their place as symbols of national resistance."

    • @capcompass9298
      @capcompass9298 Před rokem

      @@cleverusername9369 Those Tuesday meetings persist today.

  • @willhovell9019
    @willhovell9019 Před rokem +2

    He was the leader of a Coalition Cabinet. With Cabinet meetings often chaired by Clem Atlee, the deputy PM many key cabinet members were Labour, Dalton. Bevan , Morrison etc key positions on the home front. The Down St the Underground bunker and Paddock reserve cabinet war bunker at Dollis deserve mention for completeness.

  • @Idkidkidk716
    @Idkidkidk716 Před 14 dny

    I’m a big ww2 nerd my grandfather fought in the battle of the bulge and my grandmothers 2nd cousin died at pearl harbor he was the first to fire the anti aircraft guns and died doing that. I’m a big fan of Winston Churchill and I get chills watching this if the allies didn’t win the war we wouldn’t be here today I feel World War Two was the last justified war we fought.

  • @mechnaprime3637
    @mechnaprime3637 Před rokem

    when I went, they hadn't set up the manikins/dummies yet, so it looked like the occupants had merely stepped out for lunch! I remember seeing drawer open on one of desks and inside were some sugar that someone had left behind. it was mind-blowing.

  • @bladesausteel
    @bladesausteel Před rokem +1

    I'm loving this channel. Wowza

  • @oneworldawakening
    @oneworldawakening Před 7 měsíci

    Wonderful doc!

  • @lifesliberty2992
    @lifesliberty2992 Před 5 měsíci

    Absolutely incredible

  • @scottwooster4102
    @scottwooster4102 Před 2 lety +1

    Fantastic Video

  • @lesklower7281
    @lesklower7281 Před rokem

    An extremely interesting video on the underground bunker actually a basement all thise long coridores and different rooms everything that went on there the mind boggles a great video

  • @ilikeitwhenitssunny7067

    Great episode. Sold on finding out more

  • @sophroniel
    @sophroniel Před rokem +3

    Shame that Churchill statue has been seriously vandalaized recently

  • @landsea7332
    @landsea7332 Před 10 měsíci

    Fascinating Stuff - but just one correction - the British War Cabinet ( Churchill , Halifax , Chamberlain , Greenwood and Attlee ) started meeting in May 1940 - not Oct 1940 .
    The British War Cabinet Crisis May 26 - 28th 1940 , was one of the defining moments of the 20th Century .
    With the BEF trapped at Dunkirk , the initial estimate was that only 45,000 could be evacuated - the German Army and Luftwaffe rolled over Belgium , the BEF and France in a few weeks and looked invincible .
    Under these conditions , Lord Halifax wanted to explore negotiating terms with Hitler via the Italians .
    Churchill did an end round on Halifax and was able to convince the 25 member outer cabinet to keep fighting .
    .

  • @thatmattkid7069
    @thatmattkid7069 Před 2 lety

    Subscribed

  • @pauladebruijn4202
    @pauladebruijn4202 Před 2 lety +1

    Excellent. Very interesting. Thanks

  • @1337fraggzb00N
    @1337fraggzb00N Před 2 lety +10

    "We shall fight in the cigar stores, we shall fight in the pubs, we shall never surrender!" - W. Churchill, cigar and booze aficionado

    • @spannaspinna
      @spannaspinna Před rokem +1

      I took more from whiskey than whiskey ever took from me

    • @1337fraggzb00N
      @1337fraggzb00N Před rokem +1

      @@spannaspinna that's the spirit!

  • @J.R.Graham
    @J.R.Graham Před 2 lety

    Great true story,book title-"Cowboy Mafia "-

  • @LordKerry
    @LordKerry Před 2 lety +2

    Been there done that

  • @greenriverviews6819
    @greenriverviews6819 Před 2 lety +5

    Winston Churchill, wartime Prime Minister of Great Britain

  • @pegasus6724
    @pegasus6724 Před 3 měsíci

    The secret tapes that blackmailed Hitler and starlin are buried in the wall of winstons bunker

  • @chriscollins550
    @chriscollins550 Před 2 lety

    The greatest prime minister in has ever had.

  • @drtonyhaworth5711
    @drtonyhaworth5711 Před rokem

    I wonder ? Does anyone know if these rooms are haunted like the navy war rooms at Dover cliffs were many have seen and interacted with a man in uniform …?. Anyone answer my questions ?

  • @nivaldodocarmojunior4145
    @nivaldodocarmojunior4145 Před 2 lety +2

    Hello, good night, maybe I just noticed something at exactly 12:00 minutes into the video, the map room appears, which is the home screen of the Medal of Honor game, released for Playstation, well, that's all folks, stay with God and see you

  • @jenniferkluender9936
    @jenniferkluender9936 Před 2 měsíci

    So what would happen if we ended up in World War 3 and some country was bombing London. Where would Rishi Sunak's government go for their war rooms? You can't go into churchills because the whole thing has been turned into a museum and it's probably not up-to-date enough to to handle it. I wonder if the government has thought of this and is there a place where the current or future government could go to be protected like churchill's government was?

  • @deanmc178
    @deanmc178 Před rokem

    theres a huge WW2 fuel storage depot in sussex uk ,,hidden and i know where it is ..it supplied subs and ships with fuel during the war

  • @user-vo8yh6pb9p
    @user-vo8yh6pb9p Před 10 měsíci

    Winnie's agitated fingers wore a groove in his chair's arm rests? An interesting story but twaddle. The chair was not a match for the table, and the table edge wore the grooves. I have lost count of how often this story is regurgitated.

  • @discreetfire
    @discreetfire Před rokem

    My grand uncle.

  • @sasmozza7019
    @sasmozza7019 Před 2 lety +10

    brill vid, shame we dont have any good prime ministers anymore or an empire

    • @stewartmackay
      @stewartmackay Před 2 lety +5

      Or an empire?? Come on.

    • @smokeybeats
      @smokeybeats Před 2 lety +3

      @@stewartmackay my thoughts exactly lol, our empire was toxic

    • @capcompass9298
      @capcompass9298 Před rokem +1

      @@smokeybeats Is that the crap they're teaching in schools today?

    • @smokeybeats
      @smokeybeats Před rokem

      @@capcompass9298 come on now, shall we just forget about the jallianwala bagh massacre’ and the countless jewels and assists we stole from the countries we invaded. Your generation were told to blindly love Britain. And the by my guess the indoctrination has worked lol

    • @capcompass9298
      @capcompass9298 Před rokem

      @@smokeybeats Your generation are told to blindly hate Great Britain, and the by my guess the indoctrination is working. Read history properly.

  • @orion8835
    @orion8835 Před rokem

    Sadly Dan Snow like many presenters once in this frightening part of Britains history fail to convey the energy. They all become childlike and excitable like it is a playground military game. That place was the core that affected millions of lives across the world. With every decision that was made there.

  • @janverboven
    @janverboven Před rokem +1

    This a beauty. The problem nowadays is that young people don't know how harsh it was back then (like my father deported in Belgium for forced labour) They only are attached to their 'chocolate' size 'smart' phones, believing everything on 'social' media and the fakery that goes along with it. Both my sons (a civil engineer and the second one a lecturing professor were brought up to be critical in the right meaning of the word - although we had little funds) Those guys wouldn't be alive without Britain and it's defiance, nor would those smartphone kids. Decent free speech education on old and current history is a PRIORITY.

  • @meghanschuler4739
    @meghanschuler4739 Před 2 lety +5

    Churchill is one of my favorite non American historical figure. He said that the bombing of Pearl harbor gave him such a good sleep. Bc he claimed that it was the sleep of a man who knew that the Americans were coming. What a compliment from such a badass war pm. As an American, it speaks such strong volumes of how much he appreciated us, and realized to win, our two amazing nations needed to be big and little brothers again. And, the worst thing Obama did i.m.p.o. was returning that bust to the queen. He was a bad president to begin with (believe what u want but history and economic will/do agree with me respectively) but this was such a rude and unforgivable act.
    Edit, I added that sleep comment before it was mentioned. So glad it was. Bc American arrogance says we won the war, and English pride says u guys do, but in reality, we did it together. As a team. And have been the best of friends since.

    • @Big-Si2253
      @Big-Si2253 Před 2 lety

      Churchill had a great affinity to the U.S., as he should have done because his Mother was American.

    • @dangin8811
      @dangin8811 Před 2 lety +2

      You didn't mention the USSR as part of that team.

    • @soultraveller5027
      @soultraveller5027 Před 2 lety

      The irony here regarding Churchill 's happiness on hearing the news of the Japanese attack on Pear harbour was not a great surprise to him as protrayed by British promganda newsreels of the era it was all pure theater for the Masse's as was the speech made. by president Franklin Roosevelt at a session at the Congress he's famous ""a day of infamy"" speech was all theater for the people's benefit American code breakers had already broken Japanese navel code and was reading it same time as the Japanese and they were doing this s few years back before WW2 broke out there. Was no surprise Japanese attack on pearl harbor the Americans let them do it without any giveaway to forewarn Japanese attackers that's it pearl harbour was the sacrificial lamb to get America in the war and it worked s treat

    • @JG-mp5nb
      @JG-mp5nb Před rokem

      @@dangin8811 Oddly. Because the war was precipitated by the USSR and Nazi Germany signing the then secret Molotov-Ribbentrop Non-Aggression Pact. The pact declared that they would mutually attack Poland, and they did.
      This single act precipitated the UK and France declaring war against Germany, as they had previously publicly stated that an attack by Germany on Poland would result in war. Russia benefits by no immediate hostility between Germany and the USSR, has a significant piece of Poland, and Russia sat on the sidelines until France was knocked out of the war and much of Europe was in the grip of Nazi Germany.
      Then Germany attacked Russia.

  • @robertI153
    @robertI153 Před rokem

    I would have liked to have seen more of the war rooms, not the talking heads

  • @korysutton2202
    @korysutton2202 Před 2 lety

    CZcams trash 2 min in and a add

  • @MegaRebel100
    @MegaRebel100 Před 2 lety

    MR Snow i missed a room the double double spy room it had an officer guard and few people had access too it ..
    why ..Soe and the Englandspiel ( 800 goog people died in Holland) the plan must has been over there.. the double spiel ...( with the attackt on the prison Amiens ( RAF ) dead of pricard ))
    So Mr Snow did England let 800 good people die with no reason or was the reason Overlord ??
    UK never anwered that but the question is still there ???
    I don,t believe in the Soe and Soe story because 5 networks collepsed after the fall of the prosper Network ( Soe france Buckmeister lied ..) All Soe networks aboved the Seine collaped one by one ..
    Than Mr Snow there was a fire in tohse rooms in London and the fire had all the dcuments of thes operitions burned ?? the fire was later re- colled ..
    So I from Holland has one question WHEN WILL YOU GO TELLEING THE TRUTH ??? about the Englandsoeil ??? or died all of the france , begium andDutch for not a thing ???

    • @redacted7634
      @redacted7634 Před 2 lety +1

      I can answer this question for you if you would like? I just need one thing from you! You say you are from Holland correct? So what language do you speak in Holland? Because had it NOT been for SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL YOU along with every other European country would be speaking GERMAN!! you say 800 good people died! But how many were saved!?

    • @MegaRebel100
      @MegaRebel100 Před 2 lety

      @@redacted7634 In Holland we speak hollands , nederlands , but now a days English and German ..
      Churchill was here on the Rhein not far from my place and got alomst killed ..
      Arnhem also not far like the Grebbebberg..
      Opartiomn Mincemeat with the movie drown th eaffort away from operation FORTITUDE .. mince meat wat a stone in ths operation ..
      Why we in Holland had to die becaus of a slipp up in Soe but in bigger site 5 networks collapes sooo..
      5000 people die dfor what ??

  • @ant6124
    @ant6124 Před 2 lety +1

    Good video.. you definitely overplayed the Brits considering you where on your heels and about to be over ran before the USA 🇺🇸 stepped in and saved you… but ok carry on

    • @chriscollins550
      @chriscollins550 Před 2 lety +3

      That's not really true

    • @redacted7634
      @redacted7634 Před 2 lety

      Saved us? Saved us how? By refusing to send us military weapons and vehicles we had paid for? The only thing America saved was there own political interest!

    • @Russia-bullies
      @Russia-bullies Před 2 lety +4

      As the rooms was in Britain & crewed by Britons,what did you expect?

    • @MLVL312
      @MLVL312 Před rokem

      Stupid comment learn your history Bigot, held them off for Britain and the free world for two years before your arses got involved.

    • @spannaspinna
      @spannaspinna Před rokem

      Like how the US was just sitting back making cash on war manufacturing all good till they couldn’t stop a few zeros from smoking half the navy at pearl harbour

  • @stan-ut5gj
    @stan-ut5gj Před rokem +1

    I noticed the red steel beams in the roof at the end of the video are from my neck of the woods,Middlesborough, teeside,probably head wrightsons, who supplied steel all over the world,including for the building of Sydney Harbour Bridge I do believe,when teeside made the finest steel in the world...no steel making here any more.