I actually did grow up knowing something about the US invasion of Russia. My grandfather was one of the US army engineers who served with the Polar Bears. He told stories about the Americans assigned to unload the British supplies. The soldiers would pass the supplies from man to man until it was stored in a warehouse. When they got to the whisky rations for the British troops, they formed another line and every 4th bottle went to a basement where it was hoarded by the US troops. He would also talk about being kept there for a year after the war ended. He said that, if the had been kept there another year, we kids would have had a Russian grandmother. At which point, Grandma would smack him on the arm.
Great story, thanks for sharing it. I served in Germany where my eldest daughter was born, but to my American wife. But Lord knows, had I been single, I would have married some pretty German chick and my eldest would have been half German, on top of German-born. Stuff happens lol
Russian Civil War is a favorite period of study for me. It's amazing to me how few Americans know that U.S. troops invaded Russia in 1918-19, yet it's common knowledge to every Russian I've ever met.
We learn that at school , and one of reasons that Bolsheviks has won - was involvement of USA troops to support „white army“ so regular civilians saw that like invasion and betrayal from its own officers , that is why they had to choose „less evil “ and fight along with „red army“
This period always looked very complicated to me, i was just vaguely knowing white Russians had some support from the west but i didn't realize there was actual expeditionnary troops and all those legions constitued of former prisoners. What a mess! :) I always asked myself how the Bolcheviks managed to wage such a bloody war with troops that wanted end of the war in 1917. lol Cossacks style war raids is maybe more "fun" than trenches war. :)
@@lucatoni4509 the irony is that while the Russian Civil was a REAL civil war, it wasn't much of a revolution so much as a couple, yet the American Civil War wasn't so a civil war (Except in Kansas & Missouri) as a failed revolution.
My wife's family actually had a family member who was in the Polar Bear expedition and was killed, and still buried there. Thanks so much for the work on this video. (:
@@markfinlay422 I wouldnt say they were militarily defeated, it was mostly due to western powers getting tired of war so they didnt want to go all the way
Love the coverage of this. As someone who served in the 31st infantry regiment as a polar bear (modern day) its not common knowledge the time spent in Russia. The unit was first created there, sent to China, the Philippines and eventually Korea before ever being stationed in the US. The unit motto was Pro Patria ( for the father land in latin). The 1st 2nd and 3rd battalions to my knowledge were all retired after being completely overrun during various battles (Bataan and Tet offensive etc) Due to the lost story and the missing units the 4th battalion unofficial motto is "Polar bears are real". Thanks Simon really enjoyed this.
You should also do one on the Japanese intervention in Siberia in the Russian Civil War. The Japanese sent more soldiers to intervene in Siberia than the rest of the Allies combined, was an interesting follow up to the Russo-Japanese War and an important but not well known contributor to World War II in the Pacific.
I heard about the Siberian mission just last year from the anime Mars Red. The main character of the series is an IJA colonel who lost an arm in the Siberian intervention.
How many people know Japan was a member of the Allied Powers during WWI? For that reason, as part of the Treaty of Versailles forced upon Germany by the victorious Allies, Japan was handed control of German holdings in the Pacific including the Marianas (Saipan and Tinian among others), the Marshall Islands, Pulau, parts of the Solomon Islands, and Western Samoa. In other words a giant chunk of what would become the Japanese Empire's Pacific island holdings which the US had to seize one bloody island at a time during WWII. Even more history few people know: Woodrow Wilson pushed for an end to the Colonial Era and the formation of the League of Nations which he is famous for. Chinese intellectuals looked to him as their hero and champion to help rid China of the European and Japanese colonialists who had exploited China and ruled sections of Chinese territory as economic concessions. However, Wilson was so determined to get Japan into the League of Nations, he agreed to allow Japan to keep its Shantung Peninsula Chinese holdings as an incentive to join the League. So many Chinese intellectuals felt so betrayed by Wilson that they decided to look to the new Soviet Marxist model instead of one based on the United States for inspiration. Mao Tze Tung came out of this sense of betrayal. They invited Russian Communists to come to present their case and suggestions secretly, and the Chinese Communist Party was born. So it can be said that Woodrow Wilson indirectly is responsible for the creation of the Chinese Communist Party.
@@jody6851 Wilson is one of the worst U.S. presidents of all time. The federal income tax (by way of the Underwood Act), the Federal Reserve, and the 17th Amendment allowing for direct election of U.S. Senators happened under his administration as well.
Along with his resistance to the women's suffrage movement for equal rights for women. He sure did step in everything while claiming to be an isolationist, and everything he touched including himself went to 🪑. And let's not forget the rise of crony captain under his watch that we still suffer from today and the pushing of oil over better and cleaner fuel sources along with tree paper over hemp because that's what his friends wanted. All thanks to the Rockefellers and their ilk and Wilson helping them all along the way!
Not only Vladivostok and Arkhangelsk. In the city museum of the city of Medvezhegorsk (on the northern shore of Lake Onega) there is a photo of a wooden train station with an American flag above it. American soldiers raised their flag over the station building and took pictures under it. The station was built in 1916 and in 1919 it was practically new. By the way, the building itself has been preserved unchanged, which is very rare.
Cool to finally hear a story about this. My Great Grandpa came from Greece and to get his citizenship he joined the army. He had some relatives in Michigan. So that’s where he had residence at. So when it was time to ship out the war ended. But because he was “from Michigan” he was one of the men sent to Russia. He was from the Mediterranean lol. So he did not have a good time in the insane cold. He saw combat like was talked about in the video. He also said one of the worst things that was done is both sides would pump boiling water at each other. Freezing the enemies in their trenches. Same happened to the Americans as well. It was hell. But he made it back and lived a long great life. My grandpa was the youngest of 8. So I never got to meet my great grandpa. But my grandpa told me a lot of his stories.
Hah... It is not just cold what makes Russian winter, so special. there are even colder regions in the world. But what Canada can do in Russia, for instance. Canadians can't live without comfort, as well as americans. but imagine poverty during sharp winters. Imagine slushy and mudy roads, and all other issues that Russians had to deal with for centuries... that's what creates Russian "General Frost"
so i guess your great grampa changed his last name what was it before the change? I am just curious as I am second generation Greek Canadian as my dad was an immigrant
@@chaindrive_blvd his last name is Lirones. He is my maternal great grand father. My grandpa would tell me stories about him. There are a bunch of Lirones from around Mount Pleasant, Michigan. That’s where he settled when he came over. A bunch of them immigrated at different times. So there are many different spellings of the same name. My mothers maiden name is Lirones. But I’ve seen it spelled Lyronis, Lyrones, Lironis, etc
It has been decided just this year with Denmark getting roughly 65% of the island and Canada getting about 35%. As someone else stated they now officially share a land border.
I space out after hearing his voice for about 30 seconds… I’m always disappointed when I click on a video I think I’ll like and then his face pops up “Hi! I’m Simon Whistler!” (Just kill me know.. 🙄)
@@Pattern51lover Then there's an easy solution for you: The "don't recommend channel" function. Simon is the only host on all of Simontube, so if you've seen him once on a channel, you know its Simontube.
one interesting story you might want to cover, is the so called "Murmansk legion". It was a British navy unit, fighting in the area against the invading Finnish whites, consisting of ex-red guard soldiers from Finland, who had just lost their civil war against the Finnish whites. They, and the escaped Finnish red guards in Karelia on the Soviet side of the border, are one of the reason why the last battles between the Finnish red and white guards were waged in the 1920s, despite the civil war ending in 1918
@@Taistelukalkkuna It was, but I am not 100% sure if it was officially that, or unit armed by the British. After the conflict, majority of them were transported to Britain where they continued to live, some for the rest of their lives, others moving to the united states or seeking a permission to return to Finland. Still, weather it was or not, I think an ex red guard unit, fighting against the Finnish whites under a British flag is an interesting prompt for a good story
@@cutekrizu8214 yes it is, very interesting indeed. Makes one wonder what was the British’s motivation or aims? I have a suspect in mind but this comment will likely be censored anyways. Thanks for the info my friend.
It was pretty complicated (whole civil war was). British, Finnish Reds and Russian reds were against White Finns but same time British and White Russians were allied against Reds. And next year (1919) British Navy had base on Finnish soil against Red Russians.
The timeline in the intro is a bit wrong. The British landed in Murmansk already in March 1918, as opposed to July when the Americans joined the effort. The first battles were actually not even fought against the soviets, but Finnish paramilitary units in Pechenga. I wish you'd covered the British part of the Intervention, that would have included some cool things like the Kronstadt-raid and the aforementioned skirmishes with White Finns.
thanks for pointing this out respectfully. I wish Simon had peers to vet his research or scripts before posting vids. i've encountered more than one incongruence, which put me ill at ease vis a vis the rest of his seemingly well-produced content
One interesting fact about this battle is that the American expeditionary troops were armed with American made mosin-nagant rifles. These were originally purchased by the Czar's government to supplement their own domestic production which could not keep up with war demand but were not able to be delivered. The American made mosins were made by Westinghouse and Remington. They were very unpopular with American soldiers who much preferred Springfield rifles. The thought process was that common ammunition with both red and white Russians would simplify logistics.
I remember being an undergrad in a military history of the united states class and this venture into Russia was glossed over and surprised the hell out of me. Glad to see this video!!
Another fascinating dive into history, Simon, but I really wish you would slow the speed of your delivery, Your rapid speech is at times incomprehensible .
After seeing this video I hope you guys also cover the forgotten war between the Phiippines and US. For me its a forgotten history that is full of nationalism, betrayal, conquest and many more.
that story has much more truth to it than this one does. this is a narrative lacking important facts. What the US did there was shameful, yet remember the US unlike any other country is public about its shame, and there is a lot of shame.
@@Oxtocoatl13 the US did good and bad in the Philippines. I would point out that to this day the government of the Philippines does not have control of all of the islands it claims. Yes the US took many colonies from the Spain at the end of that war. As stated that history is very ugly for the US, but it is very ugly since the US left as well.
But mostly full of war crimes, so we don't really talk about it. It would illuminate however why the crowd goes into a frenzy whenever Duterte uses an expletive with USA.
This is one of the reasons why I distrust the traditional education I recieved. Failure to inform me about this invasion made me question the motivations of - not the teachers - but those who dictate the curriculum.
All "traditional" education is meant to be an overview. First through twelve grade education, especially history is merely an introduction. The hope of the educators was (before the Leftists took over) that this foundational education would create curiosity. I learned about this so-called "invasion" from a documentary series on WW1 decades ago. I also read about in my books on WW1. If you study history beyond HS, you learn such stuff. Delving into details like this sideshow would mean that the most critical history would have to be replaced by it. This has been done in fact, by Leftists such as Howard Zinn to demoralize youth and indoctrinate them, rather than educate them into a cynical view of Western history. The Allies were worried about communism and Bosheivism in particular and for good reason, as its history well illustrates. They were concerned with the stability of Russia. They soon learned that they could not make a difference. I think calling this adventure an "invasion" is sensationalizing an otherwise interesting, but inconsequential piece of history.
0:50 - Chapter 1 - A rather confusion prologue 4:35 - Chapter 2 - Here come the bears 7:00 - Chapter 3 - The war drags on for the bears 8:40 - Chapter 4 - Mutiny ! (kind of) 11:20 - Chapter 5 - Eggs loaded with Dynamite 15:15 - Chapter 6 - More complications arise 18:10 - Chapter 7 - Warlords on a train 20:45 - Chapter 8 - An assessment
This is fascinating to learn about, having only recently found out from family that my great grandfather was a part of that Vladivostok expedition and survived a gunshot wound.
what war?? you mean the opiate epidemic they never slowed or the legal research chemicals they failed to keep out of peoples hands? thats how this fentanyl ordeal started. i know because i was the one blowing up the dea, fda and fbi about the selling of "legal" fentanyl under the name of research chemicals. i got like 3 sites shut down for ten more to pop up. they finally acted but it was too little too late.
Watch the Warren Beatty movie 'Reds' where there is mention of 12 foreign armies at one time. It's not a great movie but it is worth watching once. It's based on John Reed's experience there as a journalist. He also wrote the book 'Ten Days That Shook The World'.
I was aware of this because my grandfather’s friend participated in the expedition. I was a young child when heard about this for the first time. Thank you for the info.
The U.S. has been at war for 92% of the entire country's existence, 228 out of 246 years since 1776. Truly insane to think about. Imagine if we spent all that time, resources, and money on our own country instead.
As a non American I struggle to find a modern war where America is not involved. And I tried not to be biased in any way. To be fair I struggle to see Europe, and USA (bonded by NATO) separate but hope things does not lead to a point that Europe and America will start to see each other as enemies similar as the US liberals and democrats do. Take care. Sincerely from a person having family in South Carolina.
You struggle since it was only for about 30 years total out of the ca. 250 years of its existence that the USA has not been at war with someone somewhere around the world. And if of course it’s existence comes from the war of extermination of the indigenous population of the North American continent. The USA federal government is the global bully with arrogance and belligerence. And that’s from an Irishman with family, friends and colleagues in America.
Didn't help that the State Department was pro-intervention and countering the Bolsheviks whereas the War Department was advocating for strictly adhering to guarding the railroad and Allied war materiel and only fighting in self-defense. Also, Wilson being sidelined by his stroke didn't help with clarifying objectives, which inevitably led to the Secretary of State and Secretary of War jockeying to dominate policy interpretation. It was just a huge SNAFU for the AEF soldiers. Recommend checking out MG William Graves's memoir. It's free online.
I first read about this in a comic book when I was a pre- teenager. In the 1960s. It was a straightforward telling of the history, not a comic book version.
This is not an accurate title - the US was part of the Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War - but it was at best a half hearted intervention. The US only contributed around 11,000 troops - which was less than 5 other nations
Let me guess, you’re saying this because you don’t like the fact that you can be called a hypocrite for condemning Russian aggression when America is the only one that has attacked Russian troops while being a foreign military in their land when Russia has never been in American land attacking American troops. That’s what this is about. Why else play semantics about it being called a invasion vs. a “intervention” or “expedition” Yet…when it’s Russia that backs separatists in Ukraine since 2014 and sends GRU/FSB units to help command, arm, and train rebel separatists it’s considered a Russian occupation & Russian invasions + occupation of Eastern Ukraine But when US troop “advisers” who engaged in combat & CIA Special Activities Division Paramilitary Officers were participating in backing and fighting with Contra Death Squad Rebels in Nicaragua and El Salvador and overthrow the Leftist Sandinista Government it’s not considered a US invasion of Nicaragua and El Salvador nor “American backed separatists or “Rebel held American foreign occupied territory” *Makes fun of Russia for calling it a military operation instead of invasion* *Simultaneously says things like “it’s not a US invasion, it’s a expedition “intervention”* Look, Anytime Foreign troops are in your land shooting people in your country while being across the globe from their nation, they’re invaders. That is the internal affairs of another nation. When the Communist Afghan Government requested the Soviet Union come in to help them repel the Mujahideen Islamic militants that began attacking Government forces and trying to overthrow the Afghan Government, the United States still referred to it as a soviet invasion despite the fact that the UN Charter internationally recognized Afghan Government requested the Soviet Union send their military in to help them repeal Mujahideen fighters As matter of fact, after the American backed Islamic Mujahideen militants (including Osama Bin Laden) successfully overthrew the Soviet Allied Afghan Government (After the USSR withdrawal) The United States and the rest of the world in the UN Charter never even recognized the subsequent Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (Aka Taliban Government) Regime that took power in Kabul replacing the Soviet Allied Afghan Government. So America literally still recognized the coalition accord Government with the same Soviet Allied Afghan President that America had backed Islamic extremist to overthrow yet they stilled called it a Soviet Invasion So if you’re gonna call the Soviets entering Afghanistan a invasion then you can’t be a hypocrite and say Americans didn’t invade Russia during World War 1. As matter of fact, the Bolshevik and Reds were already the new Government officially in power in Saint Petersburg and Moscow & had signed a peace agreement to end participation in WW1 and remain neutral for the rest of the war The United States and British forces are the ones that invaded Russian territory to deny land for German forces and for their allied forces to be able to use it to launch offensives from while simultaneously backing the now overthrown and toppled absolute monarchy czarist forces and their loyalist that had already been deposed and overthrown and put out of power by the Russians who rose up to put them out Now if Russia would have “intervened” when Yanukovych was forcefully overthrown by a violent uprising and overthrow (Yes the Maidan by the end of it had turned from a peaceful protest to a violent and bloody clash between organized anti government street militants and insurrectionists throwing fire bombs at capital policemen, shooting capital security forces, and taking over government buildings) and if Yanukovych requested foreign “intervention” from Russia to come in and restore order after a new government commenced in Kyiv would that not be considered a invasion? Oh wait, that already happened and Americans called it a invasion after Yanukovych requested Russian troops to increase their levels in Crimea even before the annexation of Crimea! Don’t be a hypocrite then. That is the *INTERNAL AFFAIRS* of another nation. It is not another nations place to send their military in to the internal conflicts and internal affairs of another sovereign nation to influence a favorable outcome to who ends up in power subject to their national interests and interjecting their military to make it happen. If Russia was invited in by the rebels in the American civil war and Russian troops were killing The American soldiers who fought for the union side would you not consider that a foreign invasion despite the fact they were welcomed by other Americans who had no right to invite a foreign nation into the internal affairs of their nation? Of course you would, that is a invasion, don’t joke about Russia calling it a “military operation” if you’re gonna call it a “humanitarian intervention” or “expedition” while sending your military in to attack another nation in Russians in their land during WW1 You are equally using semantic word play just like Russia when they call their invasion a “military operation” Invasions aren’t contingent upon having 100,000 troops involved nor is it contingent upon thousands of tanks rolling across another nations borders blitzkrieg style. ANY event where foreign troops are sent in and attack another foreign nation is a invasion, period. It doesn’t matter if it’s only some American fighter jets and US military choppers carrying units of American special forces and supporting them with air strikes & recon for raids and drone warfare JTAGS that do extrajudicial killings. The US can’t decide to use drone military attacks or cruise missile strikes in the internal affairs of another nations militant factions just because our own Government designated them terrorists The Russian Government recognizes Right Sector and Azov as foreign terrorists organizations and Dmitry Yarosh publicly advocated in support of the jihadist terrorists attacks on subway trains in Russia So if Russia sent In cruise missiles and drones to blow up Dmitry Yarosh and Right Sector bases are you telling me America wouldn’t condemn them as a foreign invasion attack against another sovereign nation? Of course they would. Well same thing when America does extrajudicial killings against who we designate as foreign terrorists. For example the Yemeni Houthi Rebels that took power in the capital of Yemen are designated foreign terrorists, how is it America’s place to aid and support in the bombing and military forces attacking Yemeni’s in their own country fighting the internal affairs and internal conflicts of their own nation just because they are butt buddies with Saudi Arabia and Israel who want them dead because of their friendly relations with Iran? Iran is a enemy because they aren’t subservient to US national interests, Iran’s democratically elected leader was overthrown by the United States in a military coup and was replaced by the American installed U.S. puppet shah who was a brutal absolute monarch totalitarian that ruled over the Iranians and sold out their commodities and oil to American and British corporations at cheap and privatized prices, enriching himself at the expense of suffering Iranian people Ever since the Iranian Revolution of 1979 rose up and overthrow the US installed puppet shah, Iran has been a huge enemy of the US ever since, all because they have huge natural gas and oil reserves and they dared overthrow our puppet and nationalize the oil that went on to be BP oil. We later backed Iraq’s invasion and became best friends with Saddam, giving him weapons, targeting Intel, and Donald Rumsfeld even gave Saddam biological and chemical weapons to use against the Iranians as payback for them ousting our puppet, our goal was to have Saddam and Iraq’s military collapse the Iranian government so we could re-install a American puppet and privatize the oil and commodities again for America Iranians led by Khoemeni fought tooth and nail against Iraq though and prevented it from happening That’s why it’s so hypocritical that USA acts like we cared for Iraq invading sovereign nations during the gulf war, we have just gotten done being best friends with Iraq and overwhelmingly supporting their invasion of Iran like Saddam’s cheerleaders and providing them with everything they need to win line satellite Intel, weapons, and even CIA training The Gulf war had nothing to do with invasions, it had to do with Saddam having too much access to the earths oil supply and being a potential threat to Israel and Saudi Arabia which are US client states that America relies on for our national interests and use of petrodollars keeping the US dollar as the global reserve currency If the gulf war was truly about supporting international law and being anti invading nations, the USA wouldn’t have invaded Panama less than a year before Iraq invaded Kuwait We supported Iraq invading another nation just 2 years before the gulf war and we invaded another sovereign nation just the year prior to the gulf war
Have you done one on the British intervention in Russia in 1918 as well? U.S. troops also fought with the British operating out of Archangel. Some of the histories can be found online on Project Gutenberg. Yes, I was well aware of this piece of U.S. military history long before I saw this.
Dozens of nations invaded Russia in 1919. The reason it's forgotten is because these weren't invasions of conquest. They were military interventions. None of those nations were trying to wipe Russia off the map. People say Russia has been invaded like 50 times in its history, but there are maybe 3 times when those invasions/incursions were an existential threat, and those are the ones that get highlighted when teaching history.
@@stendall True technically these may not be called "invasions of conquest". But you wrong in saying "those nations were not trying to wipe Russia off the map". How much territory Russia lost due to "military interventions"? How much more Russia would have lost if Reds did not fight against intervents? Even Whites would have fought against intervents if they did not lose to Bolsheviks. Both sides in Civil war had one thing in common - preservation territory of Russian Empire. The only difference was who would rule - Reds or Whites.
@@stendall Let me guess, you’re saying this because you don’t like the fact that you can be called a hypocrite for condemning Russian aggression when America is the only one that has attacked Russian troops while being a foreign military in their land when Russia has never been in American land attacking American troops. That’s what this is about. Why else play semantics about it being called a invasion vs. a “intervention” or “expedition” Yet…when it’s Russia that backs separatists in Ukraine since 2014 and sends GRU/FSB units to help command, arm, and train rebel separatists it’s considered a Russian occupation & Russian invasions + occupation of Eastern Ukraine But when US troop “advisers” who engaged in combat & CIA Special Activities Division Paramilitary Officers were participating in backing and fighting with Contra Death Squad Rebels in Nicaragua and El Salvador and overthrow the Leftist Sandinista Government it’s not considered a US invasion of Nicaragua and El Salvador nor “American backed separatists or “Rebel held American foreign occupied territory” *Makes fun of Russia for calling it a military operation instead of invasion* *Simultaneously says things like “it’s not a US invasion, it’s a expedition “intervention”* Look, Anytime Foreign troops are in your land shooting people in your country while being across the globe from their nation, they’re invaders. That is the internal affairs of another nation. When the Communist Afghan Government requested the Soviet Union come in to help them repel the Mujahideen Islamic militants that began attacking Government forces and trying to overthrow the Afghan Government, the United States still referred to it as a soviet invasion despite the fact that the UN Charter internationally recognized Afghan Government requested the Soviet Union send their military in to help them repeal Mujahideen fighters As matter of fact, after the American backed Islamic Mujahideen militants (including Osama Bin Laden) successfully overthrew the Soviet Allied Afghan Government (After the USSR withdrawal) The United States and the rest of the world in the UN Charter never even recognized the subsequent Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (Aka Taliban Government) Regime that took power in Kabul replacing the Soviet Allied Afghan Government. So America literally still recognized the coalition accord Government with the same Soviet Allied Afghan President that America had backed Islamic extremist to overthrow yet they stilled called it a Soviet Invasion So if you’re gonna call the Soviets entering Afghanistan a invasion then you can’t be a hypocrite and say Americans didn’t invade Russia during World War 1. As matter of fact, the Bolshevik and Reds were already the new Government officially in power in Saint Petersburg and Moscow & had signed a peace agreement to end participation in WW1 and remain neutral for the rest of the war The United States and British forces are the ones that invaded Russian territory to deny land for German forces and for their allied forces to be able to use it to launch offensives from while simultaneously backing the now overthrown and toppled absolute monarchy czarist forces and their loyalist that had already been deposed and overthrown and put out of power by the Russians who rose up to put them out Now if Russia would have “intervened” when Yanukovych was forcefully overthrown by a violent uprising and overthrow (Yes the Maidan by the end of it had turned from a peaceful protest to a violent and bloody clash between organized anti government street militants and insurrectionists throwing fire bombs at capital policemen, shooting capital security forces, and taking over government buildings) and if Yanukovych requested foreign “intervention” from Russia to come in and restore order after a new government commenced in Kyiv would that not be considered a invasion? Oh wait, that already happened and Americans called it a invasion after Yanukovych requested Russian troops to increase their levels in Crimea even before the annexation of Crimea! Don’t be a hypocrite then. That is the *INTERNAL AFFAIRS* of another nation. It is not another nations place to send their military in to the internal conflicts and internal affairs of another sovereign nation to influence a favorable outcome to who ends up in power subject to their national interests and interjecting their military to make it happen. If Russia was invited in by the rebels in the American civil war and Russian troops were killing The American soldiers who fought for the union side would you not consider that a foreign invasion despite the fact they were welcomed by other Americans who had no right to invite a foreign nation into the internal affairs of their nation? Of course you would, that is a invasion, don’t joke about Russia calling it a “military operation” if you’re gonna call it a “humanitarian intervention” or “expedition” while sending your military in to attack another nation in Russians in their land during WW1 You are equally using semantic word play just like Russia when they call their invasion a “military operation” Invasions aren’t contingent upon having 100,000 troops involved nor is it contingent upon thousands of tanks rolling across another nations borders blitzkrieg style. ANY event where foreign troops are sent in and attack another foreign nation is a invasion, period. It doesn’t matter if it’s only some American fighter jets and US military choppers carrying units of American special forces and supporting them with air strikes & recon for raids and drone warfare JTAGS that do extrajudicial killings. The US can’t decide to use drone military attacks or cruise missile strikes in the internal affairs of another nations militant factions just because our own Government designated them terrorists The Russian Government recognizes Right Sector and Azov as foreign terrorists organizations and Dmitry Yarosh publicly advocated in support of the jihadist terrorists attacks on subway trains in Russia So if Russia sent In cruise missiles and drones to blow up Dmitry Yarosh and Right Sector bases are you telling me America wouldn’t condemn them as a foreign invasion attack against another sovereign nation? Of course they would. Well same thing when America does extrajudicial killings against who we designate as foreign terrorists. For example the Yemeni Houthi Rebels that took power in the capital of Yemen are designated foreign terrorists, how is it America’s place to aid and support in the bombing and military forces attacking Yemeni’s in their own country fighting the internal affairs and internal conflicts of their own nation just because they are butt buddies with Saudi Arabia and Israel who want them dead because of their friendly relations with Iran? Iran is a enemy because they aren’t subservient to US national interests, Iran’s democratically elected leader was overthrown by the United States in a military coup and was replaced by the American installed U.S. puppet shah who was a brutal absolute monarch totalitarian that ruled over the Iranians and sold out their commodities and oil to American and British corporations at cheap and privatized prices, enriching himself at the expense of suffering Iranian people Ever since the Iranian Revolution of 1979 rose up and overthrow the US installed puppet shah, Iran has been a huge enemy of the US ever since, all because they have huge natural gas and oil reserves and they dared overthrow our puppet and nationalize the oil that went on to be BP oil. We later backed Iraq’s invasion and became best friends with Saddam, giving him weapons, targeting Intel, and Donald Rumsfeld even gave Saddam biological and chemical weapons to use against the Iranians as payback for them ousting our puppet, our goal was to have Saddam and Iraq’s military collapse the Iranian government so we could re-install a American puppet and privatize the oil and commodities again for America Iranians led by Khoemeni fought tooth and nail against Iraq though and prevented it from happening That’s why it’s so hypocritical that USA acts like we cared for Iraq invading sovereign nations during the gulf war, we have just gotten done being best friends with Iraq and overwhelmingly supporting their invasion of Iran like Saddam’s cheerleaders and providing them with everything they need to win line satellite Intel, weapons, and even CIA training The Gulf war had nothing to do with invasions, it had to do with Saddam having too much access to the earths oil supply and being a potential threat to Israel and Saudi Arabia which are US client states that America relies on for our national interests and use of petrodollars keeping the US dollar as the global reserve currency If the gulf war was truly about supporting international law and being anti invading nations, the USA wouldn’t have invaded Panama less than a year before Iraq invaded Kuwait We supported Iraq invading another nation just 2 years before the gulf war and we invaded another sovereign nation just the year prior to the gulf war
It would be helpful to show maps. I’m pretty good with Geography but still can’t really picture clearly where these operations occurred. Near Finland is my guess
I can’t believe soldiers actually had backbones in the early 1900’s. Respect to those men for voicing their concerns. It’s every soldier’s right and responsibility to not participate in illegal actions.
Please cover Operation Tripoli, it was the first American armed intervention in the Middle East following independence and the first time American marines saw combat ever.
You know it's funny . This is the very first time I've ever heard this story. For some reason they skipped over this in American history class . They also don't tell us about the Japanese invasion of the Aleutian Islands . They usually don't mention we invaded Canada and lost in 1812 or whatever it was . They just cherry pick the best parts of history and try to Hollywood it up . It's no wonder so many of my fellow Americans consistently embarrass ourselves online 🤔
yeah, its always wondering why would they not trust us, us the good guys, when we invaded them on the first day of their freedom from their emperor, trying to put the chains back on.
@@mnemonija do you think the briish teach about their involvement? Do you think the finns teach about their involvement? It is the same everywhere in the world.
Great coverage, but it seemed rather odd that a channel called Warographics didn't have any graphics that showed what was going on. Mostly just pictures of people.
My great grandfather was part of the “Polar Bears” in Archangel. He was a machine gunner and apparently had some pretty wicked facial scars when he came back. Aside from commenting on the weather, which was colder than anything he’d experienced, he only said that he was “very lucky to be alive.”
I had previously heard about this when I watched Warren Beatty's movie Reds (when the movie was released back in 1981) that was based on John Read's experience there where it mentioned that there were 12 (?) foreign armies in Russia at one stage.
I used to have a 1891 Mosin-Nagant that was built by Winchester for the Tsar, unpaid for by the Bolsheviks and ultimately used to arm US troops sent to help the White Russians. My information is that the Doughboys that had trained on the Springfield and M1917 Enfield hated the Mosins. Possibly the origin of the description of the Mosin as the "garbage rod".
Marine here- I’m sure the leadership in y’all’s version of TECOM probably has the same mindset: only teach the victories. If found myself teaching my Marines about the Second Battle of Fort Fisher (your guys won via land invasion, but our amphibious assault flopped) since nobody taught it.
I had a great uncle Bob who was sent to Vladivostok to guard unused allied war supplies. I was told he was several years late in returning home from the war.
@@mywifesboyfriendisfire Tend to agree, pointless in leaving billions of dollars in equipment behind. Plus all of my life I have had at least a mild interest in surplus materials, military, industrial, store etc..
I served in the 2/27th 1987-1991 and we were expected to know a) that our unit participated in the AE forces in Siberia Russia b) our unit was called the Wolfhounds from this campaign and c) the mascot (Russian Wolfhound ofc)was named, at that time, Kolchak V
And here I thought my Grade 12 History class covered the twentieth century thoroughly. This is the first time I've learned of this episode. If the Americans, British, French, and Japanese had been more united against the Bolsheviks and less suspicious of each other, the Russian Revolutions might have had a very different outcome, not to mention the rest of 20th century history.
@@TheGrinningViking the entire history of humanity has been one of invasion and colonization; how far back is it acceptable to take your position? Europeans in Africa and Asia and the Americas? Normans, Saxons, or Celts in the British Isles? Norse in Russia, Ireland, or Asia Minor? Turks in Asia Minor? History is written by the winners, regardless of right or wrong.
@@jacksonstarky8288 There literally is not a single country on the planet, that wasn’t at one point invaded and conquered by its occupiers. Basically every land war that has ever happened, has been an argument of how far back their recollection of historical emotion goes. “Talking about your ancestors 600 years ago is not at all logical. Now, MY ancestors, 500 years ago…totally logical. I win. Give me land”. My favorite in America is the low hanging fruit, Mt Rushmore. America “stole” it from the Lakota. But then they gave it back to the Sioux Nation. So…do we make America give it back to the Sioux, or the Lakota? But wait… The Lakota actually “stole” it from the Kiowa. So…do we then make the Lakota give it back to the Kiowa? But wait… The Kiowa actually “stole” it from the Arapaho. So…do we then make the Kiowa give it back to the Arapaho? But wait… The Arapaho actually “stole” it from the Winnebago/Omaha. So…do we then make the Arapaho give it back to the Winnebago/Omaha? But wait….
I think I saw an earlier documentary on this but your tutorial is more thorough. Yes this is not well known and the earlier documentary I saw You tube and the internet for public use didn’t exist at the time We need to remember why we get into conflicts no matter what the motivation is.
The British landed at Archangel (with Soldiers recently released from German POW camps but the British decided they had not earnt their wages while interned so sent them to Russia that led to the Mutiny and two Sergeants being executed.) the reasons for being there changed by the day but originally both Britain and America had sent a huge amount of Railway parts which had not been paid for then the Allies heard Germany was going to invade Archangel from Finland which never happened but too late Archangel was frozen over and impossible to leave .
Something you never hear now but i have a set of books on the subject published in 1921 the Serbian Army acted as rear guard while the British escaped which explains why there was so many Serbians in the Czech Legion .
Washington sent General Graves a Intel Officer said to help him out but he hardly saw this Officer he was always in Moscow Graves became suspicious when his men started to be attacked regularly so he contacted Washington and was told to shut up or he would be sacked ,
The Japanese were paying Ataman Grigory Semyonov who's Cossacks attacked and kidnaped Americans , Japan also provided Sternburgs Asiatic Calvary Division with a few special forces to man his artillery
I think you got a bit wrong concerning Alexander Kolchak he had little if any control over the Cossacks that was Grigory Semyonov who also ended up with 40% of Kolchak's Gold and ordered Roman Ungern von Sternburg to invade Mongolia. Do you know where whats left of Kolchak's Gold is now ? hahahaha
The Russians would have been the first to introduce a Tank but beside Tank being the British nick name for an Armored Land Ship this thing was so big with two petrol engines it was far too heavy to be of any use so they converted it into an Armored Train and it was captured by the Czech Legion and used as their HQ and to transport 8 wagon loads of gold which became known as Kolchak's Gold
Grew up in Wisconsin. It does get to -40F during the winters occasionally. Living in a hotter climate now definitely isn't as nice as the cold. With the cold I can at least just put a heavier coat on and an extra pair of socks.
This sounds like the ancestor of NATO only under a British command. Russia is a very difficult place to invade in any timeline as the French found out under Napoleon with their early easy victory.
I had AP US & World History in High school, took several honors US & European history classes in uni... How TF is this the first I'm hearing of this? I take pride in learning what isn't typically in the standard curricula and now I have a new topic to add to this list. Damn, the lessons our leaders could have SHOULD HAVE learned from this fiasco...
I've heard of AP history courses and my school offered them, but other than making the tests more complex and having the assignments be more tedius, does one actually learn more from an AP history course than a regular history course? I ask because I got mixed answers from those who took AP history.
@@theawesomeman9821 When I took those classes (1986-87), there was a set curricula that had to be met for proof of knowledge (could pass a standardized test) but HOW it was taught, use of additional reading material, etc was a free for all. Maybe I was lucky but my teacher added A LOT of material that wasn't covered, but was incorporated via topical trending. e.g.: the generational political leaning, social awareness, pop culture, religious beliefs, etc as it changed over time. So we read about: Reagan as Cali gov supporting gun control when Black Panthers decided to test that 2A dedication during our Civil Rights module; Tied into WW2 unit was a discussion on Korematsu vs US & learning about the 127k+ people interred in camps across the USA; And IDK if Mrs. Woods had a contrary nature or what but she also covered Blair Mountain; Pullman; Tulsa, Wilmington & Atlanta (we were an ATL suburb)... Plus the more recent MOVE bombing; prohibition poisoning... Basically teaching us critical thinking & how to see thru the smoke screens... That history was written by the victors, so what are they hiding? And in a few units we followed those trend sheets to understand how policies evolve (or devolve) in ways many can't envision. I'll never forget how my class anticipated the rise in for-profit prisons & POC mass disenfranchisement. That said, I had to educate my own kid as we travelled across the country on summer break, getting supplemental material via NPS Jr. Ranger programs & museums & independent organizations to cover almost everything I listed above. And he was in AP History. Basically all that was taught was the specific info on and how to do well on the placement test. I was poor white trailer trash but in this I was incredibly privileged. TL;DR: Your mileage may vary. Interview the teachers if possible to get a handle on what will be covered & how comfortable they are teaching outside the lines.
why wont you include any maps? I still dont get what did the Murmansk expedition tried to secure, and it is hard to see where did that Czechoslovak legion tried to go to.
Back about 1964 Petersen Publications 'Guns & Ammo' magazine ran a feature on this armed intervention involving a US veteran contributor who was actually there. He recounted that part of their mission involved laying track but the Unites States did not (as it's claimed in these comments) build the Trans Siberian Railway. This was completed years before and was a composite project funded by investors from several countries.
lie, mass murderers of russians by Antanta - West invaders. No matter how you try to hide the crimes of your grandfathers and great-grandfathers against the Russians, you will not succeed and justice for their deeds will fall on the people of the West
@@irustv7674 You are a Putin propagandist. Russia would have been better off with anyone but a former KGB man. While he rakes in billions to line his pockets, the people in Russia start to do without. The genocide against Ukrainians, Georgians, and many others will guarantee him and his supporters eternity in Hell.
My great uncle Walther was with the AEF that was sent to russia . I found videos of his unit along with other troops from England and France in archangel Russia.
There is a monument to Michigan soldiers of the Polar Bears in Troy, Michigan, and there is a small military museum in Frankenmuth Michigan has a fairly good exhibit about the expedition in Northern Russia. Also, there is a chapter in Eugenie Fraser's A House By the Dvina that has some insight into the relations between Ms. Fraser's family and the US soldiers. There is also an article in the Historical Society of Michigan's Michigan History magazine in the early 2000s.
2:42 This face enhancing AI stuff is really quite terrible, look at the guy in the top left. I don't know if that's applied in editing or by TH-cam's video compression, but it's quite distracting when used on these old photographs (I've noticed this before).
Please do a video about the forgotten Russian invasion of the US. It happened in 1955 when the Soviets shot down an American navy plane over St Lawrence Island in Alaska.
Nice to see a well researched and produced video on this subject. My great-grandfather was a polar bear and outside of our family no one seems to know about them. Thank you!
Actually, two (I think army) units earn polar bear insignias during this time, one in the far east and the other in the polar region near finland. The guys in the far east have clearer mission, and generally perform admirably, mostly protecting local civilian populations from the wrath of the Japanese and white armies, i think they were unofficially protecting some mining operations and protecting the miners and their families is part of the job description. The guys in the north are in a worse position, they have no idea why they are there, they do not have the strength to occupy anything, and have British near them whose m.o. is to go in, find some village whose men were all conscribed into red army, massacre the women and children they find there, and then run and hide behind American positions. Then the americans had to bare the brunt of the angry soviet peasants coming to avenge their families. In their letters they often say they feel much more sympathy for the soviet peasants than for the British they are supposedly fighting with.
So awesome seeing the battalion I was with in the Army history. I was a polar bear from 2008 to 2011. I remember seeing newspaper clippings and other stuff on the battalion headquarters wall showing the units history.
At that time bolschewiki were nor recognized as a government, where all sorts of white movements were considered as continuation of the Russian Empire and so alias. Overall it is a very complex question to me because I don't know, from my Belarus perspektive, what was worse the sovjet Russia or the russian Empire: both were prisons of nationas.
I actually did grow up knowing something about the US invasion of Russia. My grandfather was one of the US army engineers who served with the Polar Bears. He told stories about the Americans assigned to unload the British supplies. The soldiers would pass the supplies from man to man until it was stored in a warehouse. When they got to the whisky rations for the British troops, they formed another line and every 4th bottle went to a basement where it was hoarded by the US troops.
He would also talk about being kept there for a year after the war ended. He said that, if the had been kept there another year, we kids would have had a Russian grandmother. At which point, Grandma would smack him on the arm.
And give him a cigarette and a shot of vodka
I love your grandfather even though I have never met him! My kind of people!
Great story, thanks for sharing it. I served in Germany where my eldest daughter was born, but to my American wife. But Lord knows, had I been single, I would have married some pretty German chick and my eldest would have been half German, on top of German-born. Stuff happens lol
American ingenuity...
Is he talking about the first or the second Russia 's American invasion?
Russian Civil War is a favorite period of study for me. It's amazing to me how few Americans know that U.S. troops invaded Russia in 1918-19, yet it's common knowledge to every Russian I've ever met.
We learn that at school , and one of reasons that Bolsheviks has won - was involvement of USA troops to support „white army“ so regular civilians saw that like invasion and betrayal from its own officers , that is why they had to choose „less evil “ and fight along with „red army“
This period always looked very complicated to me, i was just vaguely knowing white Russians had some support from the west but i didn't realize there was actual expeditionnary troops and all those legions constitued of former prisoners. What a mess! :) I always asked myself how the Bolcheviks managed to wage such a bloody war with troops that wanted end of the war in 1917. lol Cossacks style war raids is maybe more "fun" than trenches war. :)
@@thomaslacornette1282 Yeah, historically the RCW was a total $h!t show, with only bad guys of varying degree. (At least once Alexayev was slain)
equal of US Civil War
@@lucatoni4509 the irony is that while the Russian Civil was a REAL civil war, it wasn't much of a revolution so much as a couple, yet the American Civil War wasn't so a civil war (Except in Kansas & Missouri) as a failed revolution.
My wife's family actually had a family member who was in the Polar Bear expedition and was killed, and still buried there. Thanks so much for the work on this video. (:
American, British, Canadian, Australian & Japanese troops all fought in the Russian Civil war - on the Anti Communist side :)
French and Czechoslovak too
And all were defeated.
@@markfinlay422 And then won the Cold War
@@markfinlay422 I wouldnt say they were militarily defeated, it was mostly due to western powers getting tired of war so they didnt want to go all the way
It's a good thing the citizens of Russia won, instead of the foreign invaders.
Love the coverage of this. As someone who served in the 31st infantry regiment as a polar bear (modern day) its not common knowledge the time spent in Russia. The unit was first created there, sent to China, the Philippines and eventually Korea before ever being stationed in the US. The unit motto was Pro Patria ( for the father land in latin). The 1st 2nd and 3rd battalions to my knowledge were all retired after being completely overrun during various battles (Bataan and Tet offensive etc) Due to the lost story and the missing units the 4th battalion unofficial motto is "Polar bears are real". Thanks Simon really enjoyed this.
Pro Patria and Climb to Glory brother.
Thank your for your service wish i was brave like you man :/
Interesting info! thanks
Russian's smoked more Nazis than the USA and Canada combined! Thats a lot of chemical, clean up!
Ask Schwartzdeau! He has your injection! And your casket vote!
You should also do one on the Japanese intervention in Siberia in the Russian Civil War. The Japanese sent more soldiers to intervene in Siberia than the rest of the Allies combined, was an interesting follow up to the Russo-Japanese War and an important but not well known contributor to World War II in the Pacific.
I heard about the Siberian mission just last year from the anime Mars Red. The main character of the series is an IJA colonel who lost an arm in the Siberian intervention.
How many people know Japan was a member of the Allied Powers during WWI? For that reason, as part of the Treaty of Versailles forced upon Germany by the victorious Allies, Japan was handed control of German holdings in the Pacific including the Marianas (Saipan and Tinian among others), the Marshall Islands, Pulau, parts of the Solomon Islands, and Western Samoa. In other words a giant chunk of what would become the Japanese Empire's Pacific island holdings which the US had to seize one bloody island at a time during WWII. Even more history few people know: Woodrow Wilson pushed for an end to the Colonial Era and the formation of the League of Nations which he is famous for. Chinese intellectuals looked to him as their hero and champion to help rid China of the European and Japanese colonialists who had exploited China and ruled sections of Chinese territory as economic concessions. However, Wilson was so determined to get Japan into the League of Nations, he agreed to allow Japan to keep its Shantung Peninsula Chinese holdings as an incentive to join the League. So many Chinese intellectuals felt so betrayed by Wilson that they decided to look to the new Soviet Marxist model instead of one based on the United States for inspiration. Mao Tze Tung came out of this sense of betrayal. They invited Russian Communists to come to present their case and suggestions secretly, and the Chinese Communist Party was born. So it can be said that Woodrow Wilson indirectly is responsible for the creation of the Chinese Communist Party.
@@jody6851 Wilson is one of the worst U.S. presidents of all time. The federal income tax (by way of the Underwood Act), the Federal Reserve, and the 17th Amendment allowing for direct election of U.S. Senators happened under his administration as well.
Along with his resistance to the women's suffrage movement for equal rights for women. He sure did step in everything while claiming to be an isolationist, and everything he touched including himself went to 🪑.
And let's not forget the rise of crony captain under his watch that we still suffer from today and the pushing of oil over better and cleaner fuel sources along with tree paper over hemp because that's what his friends wanted. All thanks to the Rockefellers and their ilk and Wilson helping them all along the way!
@@AICWand pray tell why is it a travesty that the people themselves elect senators?
Not only Vladivostok and Arkhangelsk. In the city museum of the city of Medvezhegorsk (on the northern shore of Lake Onega) there is a photo of a wooden train station with an American flag above it. American soldiers raised their flag over the station building and took pictures under it. The station was built in 1916 and in 1919 it was practically new. By the way, the building itself has been preserved unchanged, which is very rare.
Cool to finally hear a story about this. My Great Grandpa came from Greece and to get his citizenship he joined the army. He had some relatives in Michigan. So that’s where he had residence at. So when it was time to ship out the war ended. But because he was “from Michigan” he was one of the men sent to Russia. He was from the Mediterranean lol. So he did not have a good time in the insane cold. He saw combat like was talked about in the video. He also said one of the worst things that was done is both sides would pump boiling water at each other. Freezing the enemies in their trenches. Same happened to the Americans as well. It was hell. But he made it back and lived a long great life. My grandpa was the youngest of 8. So I never got to meet my great grandpa. But my grandpa told me a lot of his stories.
Hah... It is not just cold what makes Russian winter, so special. there are even colder regions in the world. But what Canada can do in Russia, for instance. Canadians can't live without comfort, as well as americans. but imagine poverty during sharp winters. Imagine slushy and mudy roads, and all other issues that Russians had to deal with for centuries... that's what creates Russian "General Frost"
so i guess your great grampa changed his last name what was it before the change? I am just curious as I am second generation Greek Canadian as my dad was an immigrant
@@chaindrive_blvd his last name is Lirones. He is my maternal great grand father. My grandpa would tell me stories about him. There are a bunch of Lirones from around Mount Pleasant, Michigan. That’s where he settled when he came over. A bunch of them immigrated at different times. So there are many different spellings of the same name. My mothers maiden name is Lirones. But I’ve seen it spelled Lyronis, Lyrones, Lironis, etc
And it could be apply in Ukraine right now!!!
@@dejanjovanovic2298 We can live without comfort, we just choose not to.
Yet another reason why Woodrow Wilson is one of the worst presidents ever.
Agreed
Yuuuuup
Wilson was Boss Tweed's man.
one out of a million reasons
@@everburn how is he different
Can you talk about the Russian empire's contribution to the American civil war. It is another footnote in history but it's one nobody ever talks about
О таком "позоре" Запада говорить не принято.
@@woofkaf7724🤣🗽😘
Can you add more geographical diagrams to help illustrate the logistics of the battles? In general I think it would help this channel. Love your work.
we will keep it in consideration, thank you
@@zahidkhan5733 don’t impersonate people
@@DauthEldrvaria I'm the owner of this and 23 other channels thank you, I make my living off your and others eyeballs
@@zahidkhan5733 Fuck… Touché 🙏🏿🙏🏿 More power to you!
@@zahidkhan5733 I thought the same as Steven, would really help with such content. Overall I love these videos, very interesting stuff and well done.
I'd love to hear Simon talk for 20 minutes about the history and tactics of the Whiskey War... a decades long conflict, still devoid of resolution.
They just resolved that issue a few weeks ago, Canada and Denmark are now land neighbours.
Unless he describes each stone on the island individually there is simply not material to cover 20 minutes.
It has been decided just this year with Denmark getting roughly 65% of the island and Canada getting about 35%. As someone else stated they now officially share a land border.
I space out after hearing his voice for about 30 seconds… I’m always disappointed when I click on a video I think I’ll like and then his face pops up “Hi! I’m Simon Whistler!” (Just kill me know.. 🙄)
@@Pattern51lover Then there's an easy solution for you: The "don't recommend channel" function. Simon is the only host on all of Simontube, so if you've seen him once on a channel, you know its Simontube.
one interesting story you might want to cover, is the so called "Murmansk legion". It was a British navy unit, fighting in the area against the invading Finnish whites, consisting of ex-red guard soldiers from Finland, who had just lost their civil war against the Finnish whites. They, and the escaped Finnish red guards in Karelia on the Soviet side of the border, are one of the reason why the last battles between the Finnish red and white guards were waged in the 1920s, despite the civil war ending in 1918
Wasn´t it British Army unit?
@@Taistelukalkkuna It was, but I am not 100% sure if it was officially that, or unit armed by the British. After the conflict, majority of them were transported to Britain where they continued to live, some for the rest of their lives, others moving to the united states or seeking a permission to return to Finland.
Still, weather it was or not, I think an ex red guard unit, fighting against the Finnish whites under a British flag is an interesting prompt for a good story
@@cutekrizu8214 yes it is, very interesting indeed. Makes one wonder what was the British’s motivation or aims? I have a suspect in mind but this comment will likely be censored anyways. Thanks for the info my friend.
It was pretty complicated (whole civil war was). British, Finnish Reds and Russian reds were against White Finns but same time British and White Russians were allied against Reds. And next year (1919) British Navy had base on Finnish soil against Red Russians.
This video probably has the best comments section, learned as much as video.
The timeline in the intro is a bit wrong. The British landed in Murmansk already in March 1918, as opposed to July when the Americans joined the effort. The first battles were actually not even fought against the soviets, but Finnish paramilitary units in Pechenga. I wish you'd covered the British part of the Intervention, that would have included some cool things like the Kronstadt-raid and the aforementioned skirmishes with White Finns.
Sorry about that, and thank you for the correction :)
@@warographics643 sounds like another cool video to aid you in your takeover of youtube...
@@Kap_Kay I would be thrilled if they covered the Kronstadt raid.
@@warographics643 will there be a re-release of the video with corrections or a separate video?
thanks for pointing this out respectfully. I wish Simon had peers to vet his research or scripts before posting vids. i've encountered more than one incongruence, which put me ill at ease vis a vis the rest of his seemingly well-produced content
Americans have all but forgotten about this (even back during Reagan's time it was barely remembered). But the Russians never forgot it.
@Farmer Stole My Tank 2022 - Yeah, right
Ukraine!! Again ?
One interesting fact about this battle is that the American expeditionary troops were armed with American made mosin-nagant rifles. These were originally purchased by the Czar's government to supplement their own domestic production which could not keep up with war demand but were not able to be delivered. The American made mosins were made by Westinghouse and Remington. They were very unpopular with American soldiers who much preferred Springfield rifles. The thought process was that common ammunition with both red and white Russians would simplify logistics.
I remember being an undergrad in a military history of the united states class and this venture into Russia was glossed over and surprised the hell out of me. Glad to see this video!!
yupp, we never spent time on the interesting stuff.
Я нисколько не удивлен
Another fascinating dive into history, Simon, but I really wish you would slow the speed of your delivery, Your rapid speech is at times incomprehensible .
After seeing this video I hope you guys also cover the forgotten war between the Phiippines and US. For me its a forgotten history that is full of nationalism, betrayal, conquest and many more.
Yep. Every time someone says America never had colonies I point them to the Philippines. That was a horrifically brutal war and occupation.
that story has much more truth to it than this one does. this is a narrative lacking important facts. What the US did there was shameful, yet remember the US unlike any other country is public about its shame, and there is a lot of shame.
@@Oxtocoatl13 the US did good and bad in the Philippines. I would point out that to this day the government of the Philippines does not have control of all of the islands it claims. Yes the US took many colonies from the Spain at the end of that war. As stated that history is very ugly for the US, but it is very ugly since the US left as well.
But mostly full of war crimes, so we don't really talk about it. It would illuminate however why the crowd goes into a frenzy whenever Duterte uses an expletive with USA.
I’m beginning to see how jealous minor nations are. Too bad. The world would better off with that.
This is one of the reasons why I distrust the traditional education I recieved. Failure to inform me about this invasion made me question the motivations of - not the teachers - but those who dictate the curriculum.
All "traditional" education is meant to be an overview. First through twelve grade education, especially history is merely an introduction. The hope of the educators was (before the Leftists took over) that this foundational education would create curiosity. I learned about this so-called "invasion" from a documentary series on WW1 decades ago. I also read about in my books on WW1. If you study history beyond HS, you learn such stuff. Delving into details like this sideshow would mean that the most critical history would have to be replaced by it. This has been done in fact, by Leftists such as Howard Zinn to demoralize youth and indoctrinate them, rather than educate them into a cynical view of Western history. The Allies were worried about communism and Bosheivism in particular and for good reason, as its history well illustrates. They were concerned with the stability of Russia. They soon learned that they could not make a difference. I think calling this adventure an "invasion" is sensationalizing an otherwise interesting, but inconsequential piece of history.
0:50 - Chapter 1 - A rather confusion prologue
4:35 - Chapter 2 - Here come the bears
7:00 - Chapter 3 - The war drags on for the bears
8:40 - Chapter 4 - Mutiny ! (kind of)
11:20 - Chapter 5 - Eggs loaded with Dynamite
15:15 - Chapter 6 - More complications arise
18:10 - Chapter 7 - Warlords on a train
20:45 - Chapter 8 - An assessment
This is fascinating to learn about, having only recently found out from family that my great grandfather was a part of that Vladivostok expedition and survived a gunshot wound.
I’d like to see a Warographics on the war on drugs in Mexico.
Would love this
That sounds more like an "Into the Shadows" topic.
what war?? you mean the opiate epidemic they never slowed or the legal research chemicals they failed to keep out of peoples hands? thats how this fentanyl ordeal started. i know because i was the one blowing up the dea, fda and fbi about the selling of "legal" fentanyl under the name of research chemicals. i got like 3 sites shut down for ten more to pop up. they finally acted but it was too little too late.
@@pyromania1018 Agree, would be a great video aswell
Nein
Crazy that this never gets talked abt… new battle unlocked
Watch the Warren Beatty movie 'Reds' where there is mention of 12 foreign armies at one time. It's not a great movie but it is worth watching once. It's based on John Reed's experience there as a journalist. He also wrote the book 'Ten Days That Shook The World'.
I was aware of this because my grandfather’s friend participated in the expedition. I was a young child when heard about this for the first time. Thank you for the info.
As an American, i find myself struggling to find a time when my country knew peace.
The U.S. has been at war for 92% of the entire country's existence, 228 out of 246 years since 1776. Truly insane to think about. Imagine if we spent all that time, resources, and money on our own country instead.
As a non American I struggle to find a modern war where America is not involved. And I tried not to be biased in any way. To be fair I struggle to see Europe, and USA (bonded by NATO) separate but hope things does not lead to a point that Europe and America will start to see each other as enemies similar as the US liberals and democrats do. Take care. Sincerely from a person having family in South Carolina.
America are Reptiloid
You struggle since it was only for about 30 years total out of the ca. 250 years of its existence that the USA has not been at war with someone somewhere around the world. And if of course it’s existence comes from the war of extermination of the indigenous population of the North American continent.
The USA federal government is the global bully with arrogance and belligerence. And that’s from an Irishman with family, friends and colleagues in America.
Y’all are instigating almost every war
I really wish you would include more maps, and visible dates in these videos.
Didn't help that the State Department was pro-intervention and countering the Bolsheviks whereas the War Department was advocating for strictly adhering to guarding the railroad and Allied war materiel and only fighting in self-defense. Also, Wilson being sidelined by his stroke didn't help with clarifying objectives, which inevitably led to the Secretary of State and Secretary of War jockeying to dominate policy interpretation. It was just a huge SNAFU for the AEF soldiers. Recommend checking out MG William Graves's memoir. It's free online.
silliness while we remember this as a white vs red. there were no less than 4 sides and the bolsheviks were the 3rd gov't to take over after the czar
We should of never been involved, wonder why the Cold War and Stalin was the way they were towards the West. We intervened and that’s a slight.
@@klcs77 Americans and their proxy
..
White or red Russians would still kick your @ss..
I first read about this in a comic book when I was a pre- teenager. In the 1960s. It was a straightforward telling of the history, not a comic book version.
It's sad that comic books are more informative than History text books
which comic?
@@beelz5932 You’re asking me about a comic book I read over 50 years ago.
Not sure if more shocked to hear about this, or the fact that Simon has yet another channel.
Welcome 😎😎it's just a few months old
This is not an accurate title - the US was part of the Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War - but it was at best a half hearted intervention. The US only contributed around 11,000 troops - which was less than 5 other nations
Let me guess, you’re saying this because you don’t like the fact that you can be called a hypocrite for condemning Russian aggression when America is the only one that has attacked Russian troops while being a foreign military in their land when Russia has never been in American land attacking American troops. That’s what this is about. Why else play semantics about it being called a invasion vs. a “intervention” or “expedition”
Yet…when it’s Russia that backs separatists in Ukraine since 2014 and sends GRU/FSB units to help command, arm, and train rebel separatists it’s considered a Russian occupation & Russian invasions + occupation of Eastern Ukraine
But when US troop “advisers” who engaged in combat & CIA Special Activities Division Paramilitary Officers were participating in backing and fighting with Contra Death Squad Rebels in Nicaragua and El Salvador and overthrow the Leftist Sandinista Government it’s not considered a US invasion of Nicaragua and El Salvador nor “American backed separatists or “Rebel held American foreign occupied territory”
*Makes fun of Russia for calling it a military operation instead of invasion*
*Simultaneously says things like “it’s not a US invasion, it’s a expedition “intervention”*
Look, Anytime Foreign troops are in your land shooting people in your country while being across the globe from their nation, they’re invaders. That is the internal affairs of another nation.
When the Communist Afghan Government requested the Soviet Union come in to help them repel the Mujahideen Islamic militants that began attacking Government forces and trying to overthrow the Afghan Government, the United States still referred to it as a soviet invasion despite the fact that the UN Charter internationally recognized Afghan Government requested the Soviet Union send their military in to help them repeal Mujahideen fighters
As matter of fact, after the American backed Islamic Mujahideen militants (including Osama Bin Laden) successfully overthrew the Soviet Allied Afghan Government (After the USSR withdrawal) The United States and the rest of the world in the UN Charter never even recognized the subsequent Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (Aka Taliban Government) Regime that took power in Kabul replacing the Soviet Allied Afghan Government.
So America literally still recognized the coalition accord Government with the same Soviet Allied Afghan President that America had backed Islamic extremist to overthrow yet they stilled called it a Soviet Invasion
So if you’re gonna call the Soviets entering Afghanistan a invasion then you can’t be a hypocrite and say Americans didn’t invade Russia during World War 1.
As matter of fact, the Bolshevik and Reds were already the new Government officially in power in Saint Petersburg and Moscow & had signed a peace agreement to end participation in WW1 and remain neutral for the rest of the war
The United States and British forces are the ones that invaded Russian territory to deny land for German forces and for their allied forces to be able to use it to launch offensives from while simultaneously backing the now overthrown and toppled absolute monarchy czarist forces and their loyalist that had already been deposed and overthrown and put out of power by the Russians who rose up to put them out
Now if Russia would have “intervened” when Yanukovych was forcefully overthrown by a violent uprising and overthrow (Yes the Maidan by the end of it had turned from a peaceful protest to a violent and bloody clash between organized anti government street militants and insurrectionists throwing fire bombs at capital policemen, shooting capital security forces, and taking over government buildings) and if Yanukovych requested foreign “intervention” from Russia to come in and restore order after a new government commenced in Kyiv would that not be considered a invasion?
Oh wait, that already happened and Americans called it a invasion after Yanukovych requested Russian troops to increase their levels in Crimea even before the annexation of Crimea!
Don’t be a hypocrite then. That is the *INTERNAL AFFAIRS* of another nation. It is not another nations place to send their military in to the internal conflicts and internal affairs of another sovereign nation to influence a favorable outcome to who ends up in power subject to their national interests and interjecting their military to make it happen.
If Russia was invited in by the rebels in the American civil war and Russian troops were killing The American soldiers who fought for the union side would you not consider that a foreign invasion despite the fact they were welcomed by other Americans who had no right to invite a foreign nation into the internal affairs of their nation?
Of course you would, that is a invasion, don’t joke about Russia calling it a “military operation” if you’re gonna call it a “humanitarian intervention” or “expedition” while sending your military in to attack another nation in Russians in their land during WW1
You are equally using semantic word play just like Russia when they call their invasion a “military operation”
Invasions aren’t contingent upon having 100,000 troops involved nor is it contingent upon thousands of tanks rolling across another nations borders blitzkrieg style.
ANY event where foreign troops are sent in and attack another foreign nation is a invasion, period. It doesn’t matter if it’s only some American fighter jets and US military choppers carrying units of American special forces and supporting them with air strikes & recon for raids and drone warfare JTAGS that do extrajudicial killings.
The US can’t decide to use drone military attacks or cruise missile strikes in the internal affairs of another nations militant factions just because our own Government designated them terrorists
The Russian Government recognizes Right Sector and Azov as foreign terrorists organizations and Dmitry Yarosh publicly advocated in support of the jihadist terrorists attacks on subway trains in Russia
So if Russia sent In cruise missiles and drones to blow up Dmitry Yarosh and Right Sector bases are you telling me America wouldn’t condemn them as a foreign invasion attack against another sovereign nation? Of course they would.
Well same thing when America does extrajudicial killings against who we designate as foreign terrorists. For example the Yemeni Houthi Rebels that took power in the capital of Yemen are designated foreign terrorists, how is it America’s place to aid and support in the bombing and military forces attacking Yemeni’s in their own country fighting the internal affairs and internal conflicts of their own nation just because they are butt buddies with Saudi Arabia and Israel who want them dead because of their friendly relations with Iran?
Iran is a enemy because they aren’t subservient to US national interests, Iran’s democratically elected leader was overthrown by the United States in a military coup and was replaced by the American installed U.S. puppet shah who was a brutal absolute monarch totalitarian that ruled over the Iranians and sold out their commodities and oil to American and British corporations at cheap and privatized prices, enriching himself at the expense of suffering Iranian people
Ever since the Iranian Revolution of 1979 rose up and overthrow the US installed puppet shah, Iran has been a huge enemy of the US ever since, all because they have huge natural gas and oil reserves and they dared overthrow our puppet and nationalize the oil that went on to be BP oil.
We later backed Iraq’s invasion and became best friends with Saddam, giving him weapons, targeting Intel, and Donald Rumsfeld even gave Saddam biological and chemical weapons to use against the Iranians as payback for them ousting our puppet, our goal was to have Saddam and Iraq’s military collapse the Iranian government so we could re-install a American puppet and privatize the oil and commodities again for America
Iranians led by Khoemeni fought tooth and nail against Iraq though and prevented it from happening
That’s why it’s so hypocritical that USA acts like we cared for Iraq invading sovereign nations during the gulf war, we have just gotten done being best friends with Iraq and overwhelmingly supporting their invasion of Iran like Saddam’s cheerleaders and providing them with everything they need to win line satellite Intel, weapons, and even CIA training
The Gulf war had nothing to do with invasions, it had to do with Saddam having too much access to the earths oil supply and being a potential threat to Israel and Saudi Arabia which are US client states that America relies on for our national interests and use of petrodollars keeping the US dollar as the global reserve currency
If the gulf war was truly about supporting international law and being anti invading nations, the USA wouldn’t have invaded Panama less than a year before Iraq invaded Kuwait
We supported Iraq invading another nation just 2 years before the gulf war and we invaded another sovereign nation just the year prior to the gulf war
Knew the Americans and Soviets were very close to fighting conventionally during the Cold War but didn't know they actually fought during WWI.
Still learning more on your channels! Thanks for the info!
Have you done one on the British intervention in Russia in 1918 as well? U.S. troops also fought with the British operating out of Archangel. Some of the histories can be found online on Project Gutenberg. Yes, I was well aware of this piece of U.S. military history long before I saw this.
Dozens of nations invaded Russia in 1919. The reason it's forgotten is because these weren't invasions of conquest. They were military interventions. None of those nations were trying to wipe Russia off the map. People say Russia has been invaded like 50 times in its history, but there are maybe 3 times when those invasions/incursions were an existential threat, and those are the ones that get highlighted when teaching history.
@@stendall True technically these may not be called "invasions of conquest". But you wrong in saying "those nations were not trying to wipe Russia off the map". How much territory Russia lost due to "military interventions"? How much more Russia would have lost if Reds did not fight against intervents? Even Whites would have fought against intervents if they did not lose to Bolsheviks. Both sides in Civil war had one thing in common - preservation territory of Russian Empire. The only difference was who would rule - Reds or Whites.
@@stendall Let me guess, you’re saying this because you don’t like the fact that you can be called a hypocrite for condemning Russian aggression when America is the only one that has attacked Russian troops while being a foreign military in their land when Russia has never been in American land attacking American troops. That’s what this is about. Why else play semantics about it being called a invasion vs. a “intervention” or “expedition”
Yet…when it’s Russia that backs separatists in Ukraine since 2014 and sends GRU/FSB units to help command, arm, and train rebel separatists it’s considered a Russian occupation & Russian invasions + occupation of Eastern Ukraine
But when US troop “advisers” who engaged in combat & CIA Special Activities Division Paramilitary Officers were participating in backing and fighting with Contra Death Squad Rebels in Nicaragua and El Salvador and overthrow the Leftist Sandinista Government it’s not considered a US invasion of Nicaragua and El Salvador nor “American backed separatists or “Rebel held American foreign occupied territory”
*Makes fun of Russia for calling it a military operation instead of invasion*
*Simultaneously says things like “it’s not a US invasion, it’s a expedition “intervention”*
Look, Anytime Foreign troops are in your land shooting people in your country while being across the globe from their nation, they’re invaders. That is the internal affairs of another nation.
When the Communist Afghan Government requested the Soviet Union come in to help them repel the Mujahideen Islamic militants that began attacking Government forces and trying to overthrow the Afghan Government, the United States still referred to it as a soviet invasion despite the fact that the UN Charter internationally recognized Afghan Government requested the Soviet Union send their military in to help them repeal Mujahideen fighters
As matter of fact, after the American backed Islamic Mujahideen militants (including Osama Bin Laden) successfully overthrew the Soviet Allied Afghan Government (After the USSR withdrawal) The United States and the rest of the world in the UN Charter never even recognized the subsequent Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (Aka Taliban Government) Regime that took power in Kabul replacing the Soviet Allied Afghan Government.
So America literally still recognized the coalition accord Government with the same Soviet Allied Afghan President that America had backed Islamic extremist to overthrow yet they stilled called it a Soviet Invasion
So if you’re gonna call the Soviets entering Afghanistan a invasion then you can’t be a hypocrite and say Americans didn’t invade Russia during World War 1.
As matter of fact, the Bolshevik and Reds were already the new Government officially in power in Saint Petersburg and Moscow & had signed a peace agreement to end participation in WW1 and remain neutral for the rest of the war
The United States and British forces are the ones that invaded Russian territory to deny land for German forces and for their allied forces to be able to use it to launch offensives from while simultaneously backing the now overthrown and toppled absolute monarchy czarist forces and their loyalist that had already been deposed and overthrown and put out of power by the Russians who rose up to put them out
Now if Russia would have “intervened” when Yanukovych was forcefully overthrown by a violent uprising and overthrow (Yes the Maidan by the end of it had turned from a peaceful protest to a violent and bloody clash between organized anti government street militants and insurrectionists throwing fire bombs at capital policemen, shooting capital security forces, and taking over government buildings) and if Yanukovych requested foreign “intervention” from Russia to come in and restore order after a new government commenced in Kyiv would that not be considered a invasion?
Oh wait, that already happened and Americans called it a invasion after Yanukovych requested Russian troops to increase their levels in Crimea even before the annexation of Crimea!
Don’t be a hypocrite then. That is the *INTERNAL AFFAIRS* of another nation. It is not another nations place to send their military in to the internal conflicts and internal affairs of another sovereign nation to influence a favorable outcome to who ends up in power subject to their national interests and interjecting their military to make it happen.
If Russia was invited in by the rebels in the American civil war and Russian troops were killing The American soldiers who fought for the union side would you not consider that a foreign invasion despite the fact they were welcomed by other Americans who had no right to invite a foreign nation into the internal affairs of their nation?
Of course you would, that is a invasion, don’t joke about Russia calling it a “military operation” if you’re gonna call it a “humanitarian intervention” or “expedition” while sending your military in to attack another nation in Russians in their land during WW1
You are equally using semantic word play just like Russia when they call their invasion a “military operation”
Invasions aren’t contingent upon having 100,000 troops involved nor is it contingent upon thousands of tanks rolling across another nations borders blitzkrieg style.
ANY event where foreign troops are sent in and attack another foreign nation is a invasion, period. It doesn’t matter if it’s only some American fighter jets and US military choppers carrying units of American special forces and supporting them with air strikes & recon for raids and drone warfare JTAGS that do extrajudicial killings.
The US can’t decide to use drone military attacks or cruise missile strikes in the internal affairs of another nations militant factions just because our own Government designated them terrorists
The Russian Government recognizes Right Sector and Azov as foreign terrorists organizations and Dmitry Yarosh publicly advocated in support of the jihadist terrorists attacks on subway trains in Russia
So if Russia sent In cruise missiles and drones to blow up Dmitry Yarosh and Right Sector bases are you telling me America wouldn’t condemn them as a foreign invasion attack against another sovereign nation? Of course they would.
Well same thing when America does extrajudicial killings against who we designate as foreign terrorists. For example the Yemeni Houthi Rebels that took power in the capital of Yemen are designated foreign terrorists, how is it America’s place to aid and support in the bombing and military forces attacking Yemeni’s in their own country fighting the internal affairs and internal conflicts of their own nation just because they are butt buddies with Saudi Arabia and Israel who want them dead because of their friendly relations with Iran?
Iran is a enemy because they aren’t subservient to US national interests, Iran’s democratically elected leader was overthrown by the United States in a military coup and was replaced by the American installed U.S. puppet shah who was a brutal absolute monarch totalitarian that ruled over the Iranians and sold out their commodities and oil to American and British corporations at cheap and privatized prices, enriching himself at the expense of suffering Iranian people
Ever since the Iranian Revolution of 1979 rose up and overthrow the US installed puppet shah, Iran has been a huge enemy of the US ever since, all because they have huge natural gas and oil reserves and they dared overthrow our puppet and nationalize the oil that went on to be BP oil.
We later backed Iraq’s invasion and became best friends with Saddam, giving him weapons, targeting Intel, and Donald Rumsfeld even gave Saddam biological and chemical weapons to use against the Iranians as payback for them ousting our puppet, our goal was to have Saddam and Iraq’s military collapse the Iranian government so we could re-install a American puppet and privatize the oil and commodities again for America
Iranians led by Khoemeni fought tooth and nail against Iraq though and prevented it from happening
That’s why it’s so hypocritical that USA acts like we cared for Iraq invading sovereign nations during the gulf war, we have just gotten done being best friends with Iraq and overwhelmingly supporting their invasion of Iran like Saddam’s cheerleaders and providing them with everything they need to win line satellite Intel, weapons, and even CIA training
The Gulf war had nothing to do with invasions, it had to do with Saddam having too much access to the earths oil supply and being a potential threat to Israel and Saudi Arabia which are US client states that America relies on for our national interests and use of petrodollars keeping the US dollar as the global reserve currency
If the gulf war was truly about supporting international law and being anti invading nations, the USA wouldn’t have invaded Panama less than a year before Iraq invaded Kuwait
We supported Iraq invading another nation just 2 years before the gulf war and we invaded another sovereign nation just the year prior to the gulf war
It would be helpful to show maps. I’m pretty good with Geography but still can’t really picture clearly where these operations occurred. Near Finland is my guess
I can’t believe soldiers actually had backbones in the early 1900’s. Respect to those men for voicing their concerns. It’s every soldier’s right and responsibility to not participate in illegal actions.
I don't know how, but you 'got' me on this obscure tidbit of military history. 👏👏👏
My great, great grandfather fought in Archangel with the polar bear expedition, only learned about it via a genealogy test! Thanks for covering this!
Please cover Operation Tripoli, it was the first American armed intervention in the Middle East following independence and the first time American marines saw combat ever.
You should do an episode on the American soldiers who fought in the Spanish civil war of 1936
I’d love to see a video on the US occupation of Haiti from 1915-34
Thank you for posting this. I had no idea about this action. I'm now going to look further into it. I love learning something new in history!
You know it's funny . This is the very first time I've ever heard this story. For some reason they skipped over this in American history class . They also don't tell us about the Japanese invasion of the Aleutian Islands . They usually don't mention we invaded Canada and lost in 1812 or whatever it was . They just cherry pick the best parts of history and try to Hollywood it up . It's no wonder so many of my fellow Americans consistently embarrass ourselves online 🤔
I'd heard of the Japanese invasion and I'd heard how the U.S. invaded Canada during the 1812 war. This war I hadn't heard of.
Exactly
yeah, its always wondering why would they not trust us, us the good guys, when we invaded them on the first day of their freedom from their emperor, trying to put the chains back on.
@@mnemonija do you think the briish teach about their involvement?
Do you think the finns teach about their involvement?
It is the same everywhere in the world.
do you think the briish teach about their involvement?
Do you think the finns teach about their involvement?
It is the same everywhere in the world.
Great coverage, but it seemed rather odd that a channel called Warographics didn't have any graphics that showed what was going on. Mostly just pictures of people.
Thanks for the great video. I have always wondered what Kolchack did before he hunted down werewolves and vampires.
My great grandfather was part of the “Polar Bears” in Archangel. He was a machine gunner and apparently had some pretty wicked facial scars when he came back. Aside from commenting on the weather, which was colder than anything he’d experienced, he only said that he was “very lucky to be alive.”
Thank you for the information. War did not end 1918, not taught in school
World war 1 did, Russian civil war did not, they overlap
Yup, I am aware of the events but you speak so fast I got little out of it. Thanks for the video though, great topic.
I always knew this, I didn’t know this was “Forgotten”
I actually remember learning about the “Polar Bear Expedition” in high school. Not forgotten. We were backing the Minsheviks
Simon is literally everywhere and its good.
I had previously heard about this when I watched Warren Beatty's movie Reds (when the movie was released back in 1981) that was based on John Read's experience there where it mentioned that there were 12 (?) foreign armies in Russia at one stage.
14
Thanks
Good video 👍
excellent recovery of the lost story!
I used to have a 1891 Mosin-Nagant that was built by Winchester for the Tsar, unpaid for by the Bolsheviks and ultimately used to arm US troops sent to help the White Russians. My information is that the Doughboys that had trained on the Springfield and M1917 Enfield hated the Mosins. Possibly the origin of the description of the Mosin as the "garbage rod".
This was very interesting!
I'm ex US Army. Know quite a bit about the different conflicts the army has participated in. Never heard of this??? Thanks Simon.🙂✌️
Marine here- I’m sure the leadership in y’all’s version of TECOM probably has the same mindset: only teach the victories.
If found myself teaching my Marines about the Second Battle of Fort Fisher (your guys won via land invasion, but our amphibious assault flopped) since nobody taught it.
@@OP5redsolocup That totally makes sense. Sempre Fi. 😎
Never know when they rewrote the past
I had a great uncle Bob who was sent to Vladivostok to guard unused allied war supplies. I was told he was several years late in returning home from the war.
Guard them? That's a 180° difference in how the current administration views our supplies.
@@mywifesboyfriendisfire Tend to agree, pointless in leaving billions of dollars in equipment behind. Plus all of my life I have had at least a mild interest in surplus materials, military, industrial, store etc..
I served in the 2/27th 1987-1991 and we were expected to know a) that our unit participated in the AE forces in Siberia Russia b) our unit was called the Wolfhounds from this campaign and c) the mascot (Russian Wolfhound ofc)was named, at that time, Kolchak V
And here I thought my Grade 12 History class covered the twentieth century thoroughly. This is the first time I've learned of this episode. If the Americans, British, French, and Japanese had been more united against the Bolsheviks and less suspicious of each other, the Russian Revolutions might have had a very different outcome, not to mention the rest of 20th century history.
It's a good thing the citizens of Russia won, instead of foreign invaders.
@@TheGrinningViking the entire history of humanity has been one of invasion and colonization; how far back is it acceptable to take your position? Europeans in Africa and Asia and the Americas? Normans, Saxons, or Celts in the British Isles? Norse in Russia, Ireland, or Asia Minor? Turks in Asia Minor? History is written by the winners, regardless of right or wrong.
Around 24 nations invaded Russia including Greeks and Turks all for nothing
I was thinking the same thing. Schools really need to step up their info on history.
@@jacksonstarky8288
There literally is not a single country on the planet, that wasn’t at one point invaded and conquered by its occupiers.
Basically every land war that has ever happened, has been an argument of how far back their recollection of historical emotion goes.
“Talking about your ancestors 600 years ago is not at all logical.
Now, MY ancestors, 500 years ago…totally logical. I win. Give me land”.
My favorite in America is the low hanging fruit, Mt Rushmore.
America “stole” it from the Lakota. But then they gave it back to the Sioux Nation.
So…do we make America give it back to the Sioux, or the Lakota?
But wait…
The Lakota actually “stole” it from the Kiowa.
So…do we then make the Lakota give it back to the Kiowa?
But wait…
The Kiowa actually “stole” it from the Arapaho.
So…do we then make the Kiowa give it back to the Arapaho?
But wait…
The Arapaho actually “stole” it from the Winnebago/Omaha.
So…do we then make the Arapaho give it back to the Winnebago/Omaha?
But wait….
This should be a mini series.
Glad you got rid of that harsh lighting, bud. Thanks for all you do!
Looks like instead of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 overture, there was Chaikovski’s 1918 overture to the Western allies
I think I saw an earlier documentary on this but your tutorial is more thorough. Yes this is not well known and the earlier documentary I saw You tube and the internet for public use didn’t exist at the time We need to remember why we get into conflicts no matter what the motivation is.
At 14:47 Simon says"Vladivoscock".
It’s easy to forget we did invade Russia in WW1.
The British landed at Archangel (with Soldiers recently released from German POW camps but the British decided they had not earnt their wages while interned so sent them to Russia that led to the Mutiny and two Sergeants being executed.) the reasons for being there changed by the day but originally both Britain and America had sent a huge amount of Railway parts which had not been paid for then the Allies heard Germany was going to invade Archangel from Finland which never happened but too late Archangel was frozen over and impossible to leave .
Something you never hear now but i have a set of books on the subject published in 1921 the Serbian Army acted as rear guard while the British escaped which explains why there was so many Serbians in the Czech Legion .
Washington sent General Graves a Intel Officer said to help him out but he hardly saw this Officer he was always in Moscow Graves became suspicious when his men started to be attacked regularly so he contacted Washington and was told to shut up or he would be sacked ,
The Japanese were paying Ataman Grigory Semyonov who's Cossacks attacked and kidnaped Americans , Japan also provided Sternburgs Asiatic Calvary Division with a few special forces to man his artillery
I think you got a bit wrong concerning Alexander Kolchak he had little if any control over the Cossacks that was Grigory Semyonov who also ended up with 40% of Kolchak's Gold and ordered Roman Ungern von Sternburg to invade Mongolia. Do you know where whats left of Kolchak's Gold is now ? hahahaha
The Russians would have been the first to introduce a Tank but beside Tank being the British nick name for an Armored Land Ship this thing was so big with two petrol engines it was far too heavy to be of any use so they converted it into an Armored Train and it was captured by the Czech Legion and used as their HQ and to transport 8 wagon loads of gold which became known as Kolchak's Gold
Unlike most, my high school history teacher covered this!!!!! I went to school in a different time though!
Mike Duncan did a "Revolutions" series on Russia and covers this timeline in excruciating detail if you're into that kind of thing.
PLEASE do a video in the whole civil war its so complex and wild I cant find any good videos on this
Grew up in Wisconsin. It does get to -40F during the winters occasionally. Living in a hotter climate now definitely isn't as nice as the cold. With the cold I can at least just put a heavier coat on and an extra pair of socks.
Very cool video, I think showing a map would've made it better though. Never knew this 🤘🇨🇦
Thank you Simon, appreciate hearing about Lenin and the Germans. More need to know.
Thanks
Lol its this guy again! Bro is on that content grind
How a warographics video on the battle of Madagascar in ww2, English civil wars of 1640s and battle of Trafalgar
Thank you very much!
This sounds like the ancestor of NATO only under a British command. Russia is a very difficult place to invade in any timeline as the French found out under Napoleon with their early easy victory.
Thanks! Interesting and informative!
i don't think I've ever heard of this before?
I had AP US & World History in High school, took several honors US & European history classes in uni...
How TF is this the first I'm hearing of this?
I take pride in learning what isn't typically in the standard curricula and now I have a new topic to add to this list.
Damn, the lessons our leaders could have SHOULD HAVE learned from this fiasco...
I've heard of AP history courses and my school offered them, but other than making the tests more complex and having the assignments be more tedius, does one actually learn more from an AP history course than a regular history course? I ask because I got mixed answers from those who took AP history.
@@theawesomeman9821 When I took those classes (1986-87), there was a set curricula that had to be met for proof of knowledge (could pass a standardized test) but HOW it was taught, use of additional reading material, etc was a free for all.
Maybe I was lucky but my teacher added A LOT of material that wasn't covered, but was incorporated via topical trending. e.g.: the generational political leaning, social awareness, pop culture, religious beliefs, etc as it changed over time. So we read about:
Reagan as Cali gov supporting gun control when Black Panthers decided to test that 2A dedication during our Civil Rights module;
Tied into WW2 unit was a discussion on Korematsu vs US & learning about the 127k+ people interred in camps across the USA;
And IDK if Mrs. Woods had a contrary nature or what but she also covered Blair Mountain; Pullman; Tulsa, Wilmington & Atlanta (we were an ATL suburb)... Plus the more recent MOVE bombing; prohibition poisoning... Basically teaching us critical thinking & how to see thru the smoke screens... That history was written by the victors, so what are they hiding?
And in a few units we followed those trend sheets to understand how policies evolve (or devolve) in ways many can't envision. I'll never forget how my class anticipated the rise in for-profit prisons & POC mass disenfranchisement.
That said, I had to educate my own kid as we travelled across the country on summer break, getting supplemental material via NPS Jr. Ranger programs & museums & independent organizations to cover almost everything I listed above. And he was in AP History. Basically all that was taught was the specific info on and how to do well on the placement test.
I was poor white trailer trash but in this I was incredibly privileged.
TL;DR: Your mileage may vary. Interview the teachers if possible to get a handle on what will be covered & how comfortable they are teaching outside the lines.
They don’t teach this for a reason and that reason is nefarious. Omission is not an excuse.
@@sujimtangerines thanks for your input
I think if you want good American history classes come to Australia, not ever having gone past the 8 year of school I was still taught this
So, basically, you can thank Woodrow Wilson for higher gas prices. Think how much oil we would have!!! 😂
A Mark II tank remained in my city after the intervention of the occupiers, now it stands as a monument
why wont you include any maps? I still dont get what did the Murmansk expedition tried to secure, and it is hard to see where did that Czechoslovak legion tried to go to.
My inner nerd and the former history student in me gets enthusiastic about this vid. Somewhat focused on the Russian civil war in my first writings.
Back about 1964 Petersen Publications 'Guns & Ammo' magazine ran a feature on this armed intervention involving a US veteran contributor who was actually there. He recounted that part of their mission involved laying track but the Unites States did not (as it's claimed in these comments) build the Trans Siberian Railway. This was completed years before and was a composite project funded by investors from several countries.
We have fought against Soviets, but not Russians.
lie, mass murderers of russians by Antanta - West invaders. No matter how you try to hide the crimes of your grandfathers and great-grandfathers against the Russians, you will not succeed and justice for their deeds will fall on the people of the West
@@irustv7674 You are a Putin propagandist. Russia would have been better off with anyone but a former KGB man. While he rakes in billions to line his pockets, the people in Russia start to do without. The genocide against Ukrainians, Georgians, and many others will guarantee him and his supporters eternity in Hell.
I love your videos Simon
My great uncle Walther was with the AEF that was sent to russia . I found videos of his unit along with other troops from England and France in archangel Russia.
It'd be cool to watch them. Maybe digitize them if you can?
There is a monument to Michigan soldiers of the Polar Bears in Troy, Michigan, and there is a small military museum in Frankenmuth Michigan has a fairly good exhibit about the expedition in Northern Russia. Also, there is a chapter in Eugenie Fraser's A House By the Dvina that has some insight into the relations between Ms. Fraser's family and the US soldiers. There is also an article in the Historical Society of Michigan's Michigan History magazine in the early 2000s.
There's a town named Fraser in Michigan. After this guy.
please do a video on the Finnish Civil War
2:42 This face enhancing AI stuff is really quite terrible, look at the guy in the top left. I don't know if that's applied in editing or by TH-cam's video compression, but it's quite distracting when used on these old photographs (I've noticed this before).
Please do a video about the forgotten Russian invasion of the US. It happened in 1955 when the Soviets shot down an American navy plane over St Lawrence Island in Alaska.
Isnt really an invasion, is it?
I think shooting down a plane in an ocean is very different to sending troops on the ground to destroy you government.
That's not really enough to call it an invasion right? They were nuclear powers in 1955, so nobody was going to invade anything
Three comments censored on my end, mine is the fourth. Natzi gov censorship.
So that’s why I can’t respond to them...
Nice to see a well researched and produced video on this subject. My great-grandfather was a polar bear and outside of our family no one seems to know about them. Thank you!
Actually, two (I think army) units earn polar bear insignias during this time, one in the far east and the other in the polar region near finland. The guys in the far east have clearer mission, and generally perform admirably, mostly protecting local civilian populations from the wrath of the Japanese and white armies, i think they were unofficially protecting some mining operations and protecting the miners and their families is part of the job description.
The guys in the north are in a worse position, they have no idea why they are there, they do not have the strength to occupy anything, and have British near them whose m.o. is to go in, find some village whose men were all conscribed into red army, massacre the women and children they find there, and then run and hide behind American positions. Then the americans had to bare the brunt of the angry soviet peasants coming to avenge their families. In their letters they often say they feel much more sympathy for the soviet peasants than for the British they are supposedly fighting with.
You need a bit of compression and de-esser on your audio.
So awesome seeing the battalion I was with in the Army history. I was a polar bear from 2008 to 2011. I remember seeing newspaper clippings and other stuff on the battalion headquarters wall showing the units history.
which side comrade?
Our relationship with the Soviet Union was established here.
I would have loved to finish listening to this, but the background music was too nerve wracking!
At that time bolschewiki were nor recognized as a government, where all sorts of white movements were considered as continuation of the Russian Empire and so alias. Overall it is a very complex question to me because I don't know, from my Belarus perspektive, what was worse the sovjet Russia or the russian Empire: both were prisons of nationas.
At 1:26 the guy at the bottom next to lenin's belly is giving you the finger from 1918