The Winds of War (1983)

Review

The Winds of War is an American mini-series based on the novel by Herman Wouk which follows the fortunes of the Henry and Jastrow families during the Second World War. The series was adapted for the screen by Herman Wouk himself and was spread over seven episodes that varied between 2 and 3 hours in length. The series aired between 6 February and 13 February 1983 and was the most-watched miniseries at that time with an estimated audience of 80 million per night. The series garnered mixed reviews with the most critical focused on the length of the episodes and the cast being too old compared to their book counterparts. For me, the depiction of people from other countries is also very stereotyped which is particularly prevalent in the London scenes. The series also uses documentary footage, narrated by William Woodson, as a tool to explain major events and key personnel.

In the first episode, we are introduced to the various main characters who are going to pay a vital part as the story unfolds. Our main protagonist and observer is Victor ‘Pug’ Henry who is sent to Berlin as a naval attache to assess Germany’s war readiness. Pug takes along his socialite wife, Rhoda, who is rather shallow and impressed by all the attention they are receiving from the high-ranking German officers. Meanwhile, Madeline, the youngest Henry child, heads to New York to find a job in the media for the summer. The eldest son, Warren, is following in his father’s footsteps and is currently in naval flight school, while the youngest son, Byron, is in Siena to work as a research assistant for a Jewish author, Aaron Jastrow. Byron is the one who gets the most attention in the series but he is an immature brat who is remarkably selfish. Byron is attracted to Aaron’s niece, Natalie, but she is in a on-off relationship with Leslie Slote, a US diplomat.

When Natalie receives a letter from Slote, she decides to visit him in Warsaw where he has been assigned but Aaron insists she take Byron with her. Slote admonishes Natalie for making the trip and tells her the Jews are fleeing Poland. Unconcerned, Natalie decides to visit her Uncle Berel who has gone to Medzice for his son’s wedding but the day after the celebration, the Germans invade Poland and the villagers are forced to flee. Natalie is a very abrasive character who has an irritating habit of never listening to the advice of the people around her even when they know better. Natalie’s impulsive decision to visit Warsaw puts many lives in danger and it would have been nice if she had learned a valuable lesson but she doesn’t. She is also very cruel to poor Slote who deserves better.

When Natalie and Byron finally make it back to Warsaw, the Germans begin bombing the city and many people are killed or injured. Natalie gets a job working in a maternity hospital and is furious when Slote orders her to leave but a doctor tells her there is nothing more she can do for them. The Germans agree to a temporary ceasefire so any neutrals can leave and everyone is confused by how hospitable the Germans are being towards them but a cameraman is filming everything as propaganda. The following day, the neutrals are sorted out into their various countries but German officers demand to know how many Jews are travelling with them. Slote refuses to give them up and the officers are ordered to retreat by a superior. The refugees are given a choice of travelling on to Berlin or to Stockholm, and a badly shaken Natalie heads for Stockholm with the intention of returning to Italy.

Byron reunites with his parents in Berlin and Pug asks him to write a report about his experiences in Warsaw. Later, Byron asks his father what he thinks about him joining the Royal Navy or the RAF as he doesn’t want to wait for America to enter the war. Pug tells him if he joins the US Navy now, he will get his pick of the posts but Byron is unconvinced and decides to return to Italy much to Pug’s disappointment. Meanwhile, Hitler gathers his officials together and announces plans to invade France in November. The room is divided as logistics dictate it would take more than five months to get the bulk of the army to that region but Hitler says he will crush anyone who dares oppose him. Gunter Meisner gives a chilling performance as Hitler who gets steadily more insane as the series progresses.

In Siena, Natalie tells Byron she is heading to Rome to catch a flight to the States as her mother has cabled to say her father is seriously ill. At the airport, Byron and Natalie unexpectedly bump into Pug who is on his way to meet Mussolini and he is intrigued by Natalie knowing how much Byron cares about her. Pug meets Mussolini with Luigi Gianelli, an American banker, who wants Mussolini to agree to a meeting with Roosevelt’s representative, Sumner Welles, to discuss peace terms. Mussolini agrees to meet with Welles and Gianelli says they will head to Berlin to ask if Hitler will also agree.

Back in Berlin, Hitler agrees to meet with Pug and Gianelli for seven minutes but they don’t get the chance to ask if Hitler will meet with Welles as Hitler is tired of Roosevelt’s interference. Hitler says the fault lies with Britain and France who are blind to his aims and he maintains Germany will be victorious. Pug and Rhoda spend the weekend at the luxurious estate of Wolf Stoller and Rhoda is very impressed with him, however Pug has reservations about the man as he seems obsessed with blaming the Jews for everything. At a festive dinner at the American Embassy, Rhoda gets into an argument with a radio host who is making disparaging comments about Stoller and how he is extorting the Jews. On the way home, Pug tells Rhoda it’s time they got out of Berlin and he writes a letter requesting to be transferred.

Pug, Rhoda and Byron arrive in the States for Warren’s wedding to Janice but Byron is more interested in catching up with Natalie whose father has since died. Since the war is progressing fast in Europe, Warren’s leave is cancelled so the wedding is brought forward and Natalie urges Byron to stop delaying going to submarine school. Natalie, dressed in a black business suit for the wedding, doesn’t make a very good impression on Rhoda but the rest of the family seem to like her. However, Natalie gets upset when some guests at her table make jokes about Jews and she abruptly leaves. Pug is suddenly called to Washington and Natalie decides to go with him to try to get Aaron’s paperwork sorted out.

The Germans take the Allies by surprise when they invade Belgium and Holland, en route towards France, forcing their armies to retreat. In Britain, Chamberlain’s government falls and Winston Churchill becomes prime minister vowing to defeat the Germans at all cost. However, France falls within five days and Churchill has to plan a rescue operation on the beaches of Normandy. At the White House, Roosevelt asks Pug if he thinks the British will be able to hold out against the Germans if France falls but Pug says he doesn’t know enough about the British so Roosevelt sends him on a fact-finding mission to London.

Slote tells Natalie that Aaron was never naturalised as a US citizen and that he has been out of the country for more than five years which creates problems with his passport. He tells Natalie that he will speak with the Secretary of State to see if he can apply some pressure on Rome. Natalie asks Slote if he can get her permission to return to Italy and Slote tells her US citizens are being advised not to travel there. Natalie insists she needs to help Aaron but Slote thinks she is running away from Byron. Over a late night drink, Slote tells Natalie he loves her and he is going to do everything in his power to get her back. An amused Natalie kisses him and retreats to her room.

As Churchill launches the rescue at Dunkirk and makes his famous speech about never surrendering, Mussolini declares war on France which stokes Roosevelt’s anger. Natalie arrives back in Siena but is concerned by Aaron’s lack of interest in leaving Italy. Aaron insists he has almost finished his book and cannot leave now. However Natalie later discovers Aaron is under house arrest as a stateless citizen of Polish origin. Natalie goes to the American consulate in Florence to ask them to renew Aaron’s passport but gets nowhere. Things get more critical when Paris falls, and Natalie calls Pug in Berlin to reassure Byron she will be back in the States soon.

Pug heads to London where he receives a call from Pamela Tudsbury who has joined the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF). Pamela invites Pug to dinner later in the week and reveals she is engaged. She tells Pug she is working at Group Operations and to stop by on his tour with Major General Tillet. First, Pug and Tillet travel to the Isle of Wight where the German air force are being monitored over France and Pug is impressed by their radar system. Back in London, Pug meets Churchill who assures him they are going to win the war. Churchill tells Pug they are in desperate need of the planes Roosevelt promised to provide and hints that plans are underway to take the fight to Berlin.

Pug and Tillet visit the OpsRoom at RAF Uxbridge where Pamela is working and he is told there is a severe shortage of pilots. As Pug observes the room, the British and German air forces are involved in several skirmishes with heavy casualties on both sides. Outside, Pamela tells Pug that her fiancé has been reported missing. Pamela gets a special pass and the pair head to London where they wander around the sights before heading to Pamela’s apartment. They are just sitting down to tea when the air raid sirens sound and the drone of plane engines can be heard. Pamela and Pug watch in horror as the first bombs rain down on the docks of London. The scenes as Pug and Pamela tour the sights in London are very stereotyped and sometimes quite risible which I’m sure is not the intention.

Back at Pamela’s apartment, Pug gets a call from Tillet to say Churchill’s plan to attack Berlin is happening and Pug has been invited along. Pamela isn’t happy and tries to tell him how she feels about him but he doesn’t pick up on it or chooses to ignore it. After a quick briefing, Pug takes part in a mission to hit strategic sites in Berlin and it proves to be a success but things get a little hairy when one of the plane’s engines conk out. Safely back in London, Pug arrives at his flat to discover a very relieved Pamela waiting for him. The German fleet is being heavily bombed by the British and risks being utterly destroyed if Hitler doesn’t make a move soon. Hitler’s advisors urge him to give the order but Hitler gets angry and says he has no desire to seize the British Empire as it is a necessary stabilising influence on the world. Hitler decides it is time to take the war to Russia instead.

In Portugal, Natalie arrives at the hotel where Slote is staying and tells him she is there to meet Byron and they are planning on getting married. When Byron finally arrives, he reveals he has already secured the necessary paperwork and they spend their wedding night in Slote’s suite. Slote is heartbroken but Natalie is oblivious as usual. When Byron is called back early to his submarine, he makes Natalie promise to go back to the States. Back in London, a desperate Churchill realises his country can no longer keep up the fight alone and he writes a letter to Roosevelt beseeching the Americans to help but underlining they cannot pay for resources. Roosevelt is sympathetic, realising the British are fighting for the freedom the world, but the issue of money will not go away.

When Pug arrives home, he tells Rhoda the family have been invited to have dinner with the Roosevelts and Pug urges Byron to come when he calls to tell them that Natalie is pregnant. When Byron arrives, he tells Pug they should discuss the situation with Natalie and Aaron with the president but Pug tells him it is not the right time. Selfishly, Byron ignores his father’s advice and brings the topic up anyway. The following day, Pug is summoned to the state department and informed Aaron’s passport has already been renewed, but they are not pleased with Byron’s behaviour at dinner and wants Pug to write a note of apology to Roosevelt.

Meanwhile, the Germans are beginning the first stages of their efforts to ‘purify’ Europe and troops arrive in Minsk where Berel Jastrow and his family have been living. After getting his family to safety, Berel films German soldiers exterminating Jewish women and children in pits in the woods. Pug is summoned to another meeting with Roosevelt onboard the USS Augusta where they hear about Jewish atrocities in Europe on the news. Roosevelt believes it is all lies though but Pug is not so sure. At sea, Roosevelt and Churchill finally meet where they discuss the growing threat from Japan and Britain’s need for supplies.

In Hawaii, a brooding Byron tells Warren his request for a transfer has been refused but a crew mate soon arrives with a telegram announcing Natalie has given birth to a boy. Pug arrives in Russia to assess how they are faring with the German invasion and is met at the airport by Slote who tells him Pamela is there with her father. When Pug arrives at Slote’s apartment, Pamela cannot hide her joy at being reunited with him which astonishes her father. Slote just looks on mournfully as he realises another woman in his life has been seduced by the Henry charm. At the front, Pug is shown a derelict sector where Germans bodies are still scattered amongst overturned tanks. The Russians insist they will eventually defeat the Germans as they are not equipped for a harsh Russian winter. Back in Moscow, Slote has a packet of mail for Pug which includes orders for him to take command of the California. At that moment, Berel Jastrow arrives to give them the evidence he has collected proving the Germans are committing atrocities against the Jews.

When Pamela learns Pug is being posted to Pearl Harbour, she tells him she loves him and will find a way of being with him in Hawaii but Pug reminds her he isn’t one for affairs. America is finally dragged into the war when the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor and Natalie misses her last chance to get out of Europe as the baby has fallen ill. The Japanese also attack Manila where Byron is stationed but he finally gets his wish when his commanding officer encourages him to request his transfer again. Pug arrives in Hawaii to discover the fleet, including the California, has been devastated. Pug takes some time out to write to Pamela to say he loves her but tells her not to come to Hawaii as he will not be leaving his family.

The war is not going well for Germany as supplies are running dangerously low in Russia but Hitler foolishly declares war on the United States anyway. As Italy sides with Germany and Japan, Natalie and Aaron realise they are now trapped on enemy territory but they manage to get to Naples where they board a Turkish ship. If only they had listened to Slote.

Back in Hawaii, Pug is staying with Warren and Janice while waiting on new orders but he gets a letter from Rhoda asking him for a divorce as she is in love with Palmer Kirby. Pug doesn’t share the news with Warren but his son has more bad news as Manila has been hit again and Byron’s submarine, the Devilfish, has been badly hit. At Naval Command, Pug learns the Devilfish was sunk and he demands to be given command of a ship. However, by the time he gets home, Naval Command have called to confirm it was not Byron’s submarine that was sunk and that he is safe. Pug is given command of the Northampton and as he looks at his new ship, he contemplates the state of the world and how imperative it is for them to win the war.