Video
Montevideo on the 14th December 1939 - A River Plate 80 Video
Study Montevideo on the 14th December 1939 - A River Plate 80 Video, a Dr. Alex Clarke video from 14 Dec 2019, with 8 time notes. Topics include Admiral Graf Spee, Battle Of The River Plate, Naval Diplomacy.
Time notes
- 0:46Britain calls in a naval attache as Graf Spee reaches MontevideoChapter
Captain McCall's dispatch illustrates how Britain's limited naval representation overseas shaped its response to Admiral Graf Spee's arrival in Montevideo.
- 1:49Millington-Drake's long relationships give Britain an edgeNotable Point
Years of personal and professional relationships in South America gave British ambassador Eugen Millington-Drake unusual access to senior Uruguayan officials.
- 2:55Diplomatic protocol and the noon meeting in MontevideoNotable Point
The film compresses the timing of the diplomatic meeting; in Montevideo, even representatives of major powers still had to arrange appointments.
- 4:13Britain first presses Uruguay to expel Graf SpeeChapter
Eugen Millington-Drake sought Graf Spee's expulsion because he assumed the Royal Navy could finish the battle outside Montevideo harbor.
- 4:58Harwood asks diplomats to hold Graf Spee until Cumberland arrivesNotable Point
Harwood asked for Graf Spee to remain in Montevideo while reinforcements approached, directly opposing the ambassador's push for expulsion.
- 6:01Montevideo's principal dockyard refuses to support Graf SpeeChapter
The owner of Montevideo's main dockyard rejected a German request to devote the facility to Graf Spee despite an offer of generous payment.
- 6:42Millington-Drake's public diplomacy shapes Uruguay's responseNotable Point
German officials blamed Britain's popular ambassador for the Uruguayan resistance that frustrated Graf Spee.
- 7:48Graf Spee turns to improvised labor and Argentinian tugboatsChapter
Denied professional local support, Graf Spee relied on tugboats, merchant sailors, her own crew, and German expatriate volunteers while the claimed need for repairs remained open to question.