Churchill's Darkest Decision plot
"How and why Winston Churchill ordered the Royal Navy to attack the French fleet in July 1940."
Documentary about the British attack on the French fleet in 1940 to prevent it from falling into German hands. In the summer of 1940, Winston Churchill was faced with a terrible dilemma. France had just capitulated and only the Channel lay between the Nazis and Britain. If the Germans got their hands on the strong French fleet, Hitler's chances of a successful invasion of Britain would greatly increase. The new French government had promised never to hand over the fleet to the Germans, but how reliable was that promise? Churchill decided to err on the side of caution and take out the fleet himself. This decision was later regarded by many as a turning point in the war; others considered it pure treason and a war crime.