How a 29-Year-Old Outsmarted the N@zis & Saved 669 Kids in WW2 | Explained

Nicholas Winton was just 29 when he took on the impossible. In 1938 Prague, on the eve of war, with no office, no staff, and no authority, he forged papers, bribed officials, and organized trains that carried 669 children to safety. He wasn’t a diplomat or a soldier—just a stockbroker who refused to look away. His daring rescue, hidden for fifty years, proved that even one ordinary man can alter the fate of generations. Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:57 Who was Nicholas Winton 01:40 Lead up to WW2 02:11 British Committee for Refugees from Czechoslovakia 03:43 Formulating the plan 05:10 The forged documents 06:04 Executing the plan 07:30 The challenges 08:26 The successes 10:59 The failed transport 11:58 Continued work for the war effort 12:27 Delayed recognition Sources -Accidental Talmudist. “The British Schindler: Nicholas Winton.” Accidental Talmudist, 12 Dec. 2023. -American Experience, PBS. “Kristallnacht.” American Experience, 23 Apr. 2019. -Birkner, Gabrielle. “Nicholas Winton Saved My Father from the Nazis. Here’s How One Life Betrays Him.” The Guardian, 1 Jan. 2024. -“In His Own Words: Rescuer Nicholas Winton.” Holocaust Encyclopedia, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. -“Nicholas Winton and the Rescue of Children from Czechoslovakia, 1938–1939.” Holocaust Encyclopedia, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. -Rantzen, Esther, host. Holocaust Hero Nicholas Winton on That's Life. That's Life!, episode 1, BBC, 28 Feb. 1988. YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_nFuJAF5F0. -“Sir Nicholas Winton.” Holocaust Memorial Day Trust. -“Sir Nicholas Winton.” Online Exhibition - Sir Nicholas Winton. -“The Inspiring Story of Nicholas Winton, the ‘British Schindler’ Who Rescued 669 Children from the Nazis.” MSN. Subscribe and turn on your notifications so you don’t miss future uploads! https://www.youtube.com/UNPACKED?sub_confirmation=1 Recommended video—How Did a Chinese Diplomat Save 10,000 Jews in WW2? | Unpacked https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4C-ucs3ZZQ&list=PL-DNOnm… ----------- Image and footage credits: Warner Brothers Getty SIR NICHOLAS WINTON MEMORIAL TRUST Yad Vashem United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Library of Congress National Archives ----------- With Assistance from Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany Supported by the German Federal Ministry of Finance Executive Producer: Barry Skolnick Co-Executive Producer: Dr. Shmuel & Evelyn Katz Gold Level: Braman Family Foundation Charles Crane Family Foundation Goldrich Family Foundation Dana & Peter Langerman Irving I Moskowitz Foundation Silver Level: Hyman Jebb Levy Foundation Diane & Andy Lappin Lustman Family ----------- Translation credits: Portuguese: Saymon Pires, www.livrariasafra.com.br, @safralivraria About Explainers: From ancient Jewish traditions to the modern State of Israel, we explain it all. Diving into anything and everything related to Jewish culture, history, and even religion. Understand Jewish holidays, Israeli politics, Jewish diasporic communities, and more. Learn about Judaism in pop culture, debunking myths about Jews, and explore obscure Israeli landmarks. We’re asking questions as basic as “What is the Talmud?”, and as obscure as “How did hip-hop boost Kosher wine sales?”, and everything in between. About Unpacked: We provide nuanced insights by unpacking all things Jewish. People are complex and complicated — yet we’re constantly being pushed to oversimplify our world. At Unpacked we know that being complex makes us more interesting. Because of this, we break the world down with nuance and insight to drive your curiosity and challenge your thinking. #history #hero #remember