If you've watched a few episodes and feel like I've earned it, be sure to subscribe so that you don't miss any new content when it comes out. Also be sure to check out The Gettysburg Museum of History and their store at www.gettysburgmuseumofhistory.com. Thanks!
Thanks for your video . There is retarded clown who spend his time to insult the memory of the French soldiers killed . His name Benito-Musolesi . Is that not possible to block him ?
Frenchman here, for 1000 years. Many men of my family fought WWI, like any other French family. Some came back, many died and their family tree stopped for ever. Thank you so much for honouring their memory, it means the world to us. France never recovered from this massacre, neither did Europe in general. Again, thank you.
Oui..la France cassée ne s est en fait jamais remise de ce massacre..!..1 400 00 morts jeunes....Les meilleurs sont morts et la France a définitivement perdue ses forces vitales..!...cela à donné un peuple moue, passif et pacifiste = 1940..! Actuellement un peuple de🐑🐑🐑 passifs.. Qui va disparaîtrepassif, resigné et soumis sous une vague migratoire...😢😢😢😢
Frenchman here too, nothing saddest than a family tree with an end. Specially during a war. We also have 9 villages which are considered as "dead for France", entirely destroyed. Not even a stone standing...
You are right. I think that the Americans who call us cowards do not realize the seriousness of such an insult for a French person. The French have always been courageous warriors in their history; there have been defeats of course, but countless victories in more than 1500 years of history.
My wife and I have made seven trips to France over the years to study and reflect the impact that The Great War had on France and Great Britain. We usually start on the Somme battlefields and work our way to the fields of Verdun. Each time we make this trip we are constantly overwhelmed by the number and scale of the war cemeteries that dot the landscape. Britain alone has over 1500 cemeteries in the northern sector of France. Some as small as a dozen graves and the larger one’s such as Tyne Cote which has thousand upon thousands of markers. The French cemeteries are just numerous but more spread out about the countryside. The Verdun memorial which overlooks the battlefield is truly incredible and moving. Every village and town and city in France has it’s war memorial to the dead. On it is a list of the young men who never returned from the war. These young men were the future and lifeblood of France. Whole village’s and towns were decimated after four years slaughter. Who was going to work the farms and till the land and harvest the crops? Who were going to work in the factories to rebuild France? I believe it the famous American diplomat George Kennan who said, “The First World War was the seminal catastrophe from which all the catastrophes of the 20th century arose from.” Four empires fell in four years. The Russian, Austro-Hungarian, German and Ottoman all disappeared by the end of 1918. What had been for centuries was gone overnight. A political vacuum evolved from which Communism, Socialism, Fascism was now on center stage. The “old order” weakened by four years of slaughter in the trenches was to weak to respond. From 1914 tru 1918 Europe committed collective suicide. The ramifications from those four years are still being felt to this day in Europe.
So nice to listen to an historian who is obviously emotionally involved in his subject, one who really cares. To visit these cemeteries, even vicariously, is very moving. Thanks so much for the production, the sincerity, the delivery. Keep up the great work. My sympathy for the French, what they endured, the loss of home and loved ones, is boundless.
Thank you for trying to explain to Americans what WWI was for France. A century later, I find it very depressing so many still have much more empathy for Germany having to pay reparations than for the unseen destructions of WWI in France. Some go so far as to excuse Hitler as a "normal" response to France's desire for "punishment" while in reality, France was exhausted and only hoped WWI would be the "last of all wars". It did want compensation for the damages on its territory but it was only a just compensation not a punishment. I can only add that 1) German troops destroyed everything that was left in their orderly retreat in 1918 and 2) that the reparations were never fully paid.
Also what the French wanted in 1919 during the negotiations of the Treaty of Versailles was to secure their territory by a permanent occupation of the Rhineland, which they didn't obtain. Marshall Foch : This is not peace. It is an armistice for 20 years.
@@Thehiddentruths-rj4fn Yes, they wanted some guarantee from the international community (read the US and UK) that they would side with France in case they suffered a third attack. They did not get that at all. Nor did Ethiopia or China by the way. The US turned to isolationism and the UK ruling class was mostly anticommunist which led them to support appeasement. And this led to WWII. Not Versailles!
In 1914 North eastern France was one of the richest and most developped parts of the country with only the Parisian area being of more importance... and that was, with southern Belgium, the battlefield during 4 years. The levels of destruction were astonishing from little villages to industrial towns.
In my point of view all these young people died for nothing as the German young people. It's awful. I'am French and my wife is German. We have three children. half German, half French. We have liived in a small beautiful village in South of France. The inhabitants were very nice, with a big sens of welcome. One time. T11th of November , we , my wife and my, chidren have been to the celebration of the souvenir of this insane war. The Mayor who know us did a beautiful speech which make me cry. He talked about the sacrifice of the french soldiers and the same sacrifice of the German soldiers. As conclue his speech on how peace and brotherhood between so called enemy. .we All the village applause.. We are one Humanity. 😅
Merci, Monsieur, pour le respect que vous avez montré à nos morts, et pour avoir partagé leur histoire. Thank you, Sir, for the respect you showed to our dead, and for having shared their history.
As french, i can only appreciate what you've done with this video to help making people understand what french has been going through during WW1, and the mindset at the start of WW2. I live in northern France (Laon, on the Chemin des dames) and even today, we can still see the scar on the land due to WW1. There is not a single town in France without a stele to remember those who fall during WW1. Almost every french family has lost someone during WW1. So hearing that french are cowards or white flaggers is the biggest insult you can make to the memory of those men, and those who fought bravely in 1940. Thank again for this video. It truely means a lot for us, french people. I'm proud of my country. I'm proud of those who fight for him, and we will always remember them. 🇨🇵❤
Je suis natif de Verdun, et enfant, il m'est arrivé une fois de chanter lors du 11 novembre, en compagnie d'anciens combattants de la 1ere guerre mondiale. Votre commentaire résume parfaitement ce qui doit être dit. La France, que j'aime profondément, ne s'est jamais véritablement relevée de ces deux guerres en 20 ans.
To have a little idea of the impact of WWI on France, if one day you visit the country, look at the monuments dedicated to the fallen soldiers. You can find these monuments in almost every city, little town and village of France. What is astonishing is the number of names written on them, even in little villages, 15, 20, 30 names, sometimes, 2, 3, 4 from the same family...
Devant chaque monument on mesure toute l'horreur de cette guerre qui a deferlé sur le territoire FRANÇAIS, tous ces morts, tous ces sacrifices, des villages par dizaines rasés de la carte et la grande souffrance de la population du Nord Est de la FRANCE qui n'est pas épargnée par ces combats dévastateurs. L'OSSUAIRE de Douaumont ( près de VERDUN ) nous rappelle au plus grand respect avec les corps non identifiés de 130000 soldats FRANÇAIS et ALLEMANDS. 🙏 🐓🇨🇵
Once again, I must thank-you very much for your always pointimg out Canada's contribution to both World Wars. So often, my beloved country and her "Colonial" sisters are treated as a mere footnote to history. As a proud, retired, Canadian Sapper (60 plus years ago), I cannot say too often, how I appreciate your always-thoughtful, respectful treatment of your Canadian cousins and brothers-in-arms.
Thank you for this moving and eloquent footage. All wars are a curse. As a French man I appreciate the sobriety of your comments. These tombs help explain what happened in June 1940.
I live very near the biggest (UK) U S military cemetery at Madingley near Cambridge, UK. It is a truly wonderful and inspiring place. On my frequent visits it is an honour to be amongst so many heroes and heroines and it is such a sobering feeling. May god bless them all, and we sincerely thank you for your ultimate sacrifice.
Powerful, sobering video presented per usual with grace and respect. France has really been through it and suffered greatly. Thank you, JD for another stunning video. The panels containing over 580,000 names are truly staggering.
My grandmother had a single brother. He was a professor of classical litterature : French, Greek, and Latin. He was drafted, was killed in Carency, just below ND de Lorette, on the day of Christmas 1914. His body was never found. His name is on the ring of remembrance. In his last letter to his sisters, he told them « stay united, and tell my story to your children… ».
Wow, very sobering. The mass graves hit me hard. 10,000 unknown dead. Think of the families not knowing what happened to their child / sibling. Thank you for your work on these videos, I learn a lot from them.
And there are much more, these two plots are only two of six or more ( I can’t remember if it is 6 or 8 such plots) in this particular cemetery, and many more in other cemeteries.
I have always wondered how civilization even endured after these Great Wars & so much loss of life !? So many people died (especially) in WWI for what was truly No real reason!! Thank God , humanity found a way to carry on !! Thank you for all your hard work in bringing us this knowledge and entertainment!!!
I completely agree they are deeply interlinked and I've heard it said before that the period 1918 to 1939 was a cease fire in the "20th century Great conflict " as modern societies I don't think we can grasp what it must have been to have lived in the path of the army's of ww1 communities completely ceased to exist swallowed up by no man's land . Another brilliant video. Thanks for what you do I appreciate it mate.
I've only just stumbled upon your videos, and finding them incredible. You speak with such respect, and veneration for both sides of the conflict. Your last thought regarding the surrender is one I've never considered or heard before, but makes PERFECT sense. This level of loss couldn't be tolerated again :( I've recently been lucky enough to do a week (short) tour with my family from our home in the UK to Ypres, Villers-Bretonneux and down to Normandy, something I'll never, ever forget. The tranquillity in places that were once (or more!) the polar opposite is sobering. The loss of life is absolutely heartbreaking.
That was really great. But I have to add something to your comment at the end regarding the French surrender of WW2. It's true that the old guard commanders of WW1 were worn down like General Pétain, collaborated or surrendered, but not quite like you inadvertently made it sound to many who know little of French military history and only know of the surrender of Paris thus all of France due to the lasting phycological and physical heavy toll of WW1. But, many thousands of French soldiers died in WW2 up to the surrender and many did not surrender just because of those decisions, like the Free French Forces under de Gaulle. We must remember the brave stand of French units who halted the German advance to Dunkirk which in no small part made possible the successful evacuation of the British expeditionary forces and the remainder of French forces to GB. Then the French units retrained there and embarked with the British special forces on D-Day landing with them to liberate their homeland. So to bash the general population or all of the military is a grave miscalculation of their resolve and fighting spirit. The plan to surrender Paris was also a plan to save it from destruction in the end game. But yes this does not diminish the sacrifice during WW1 having a bearing on the ultimate surrendering to the Nazis in WW2. it had a big part in it. Your video has truly brought to home the losses in that struggle to save their homeland. Especially the finding the brass rifle casing that randomly popped up from the ground near those graves during a routine groundskeeping job. Beautiful and somber. Peace always, through strength.
As an American, the main problem that prevents American children from learning about the history of the French citizens in time of war & that is our education system, I believe. Our schools need to take the time and explain WWI & WWII & earlier conflicts fought on French soil. When I was in school & college in the 1960's & '70's, I cannot recall ever learning anything about how these wars affected France or other countries. I didn't even learn what caused the beginning of WWI until I accessed something on the net! So for those French citizens who are offended by American ignorance, chalk that up to students who care more about what gender they are or the pronouns they use. Things sure have changed since I was in school & certainly not for the better!
J.D., another superb video...wherever you want to take us viewers, just go there and know that your loyal following will more than appreciate your efforts. Thanks again.
As I've gotten older, I'm 64 now, I continue to get more sick at the waste of humanity by the stupidness of war. I've told you I'm a vet, son of a vet, grandson of a vet who lost his leg in France Sept '44. It just makes me sick at the loss of life, the futures that were cut short. What could have been of these men and women who lost their lives, futures....so sad! We MUST find a way to mend our differences. I know that's naive but SMFH
It’s our governments that pull the strings. The US government in recent years has been able to trick formerly anti-war liberals in to cheerleading for the wars in Ukraine and Israel. All because they think that if they go against their team (the Democrats) that it will somehow result in the other team (the Republicans) winning the next election. Sad.
We're sleepwalking into another world war. I am also a Cold War Veteran and I shake my head realizing that the Cold War didn't end. It just went dormant for a generatipn.
Remembering those who are lost so long ago is so crucial in the preservation of history although I feel sometimes people forget the amount of sacrifice that went to get the world we have today thank you for the video
Thank you Sir for this extremely moving post, my grand father fought here and survived so this is particularly emotional for me. Thank you also for pointing out that we lost an entire generation of young men during this war and were not enclined to do the same 20 years later given the obvious superiority of the German army.
its still sad to see all those crosses. even sadder and hard to believe that such a large cemetery containing 40,000 graves, is but a small portion of the over 1 million french dead in ww1.
around 1.4 million dead and around 4 million injured and more than 300,000 civilians killed. In percentage compared to Russia, France is the 2nd country after Serbia having lost the most: 15%
"Did they beat the drum slowly, did they play the fife lowly? Did they sound the death march as they lowered you down? Did the band play The Last Post in chorus? Did the pipes play the Flowers of the Forest?"
What a wretched war that was, and really for nothing. Thanks for the perspective JD. By the time WW2 started, France's population really had not fully recovered from the 1st war. I can understand their reluctance collectively to engage in another one so soon. Thanks for sharing. God bless, Rob
Fellow me Lad, you're something else! Your work can feel like a pop in the nose (in the sense of realization). With this information, thinking back to the behavior of the world war survivors I knew, "new world" and "old world", growing up, their behavior and manner reflected shock. They were stunned. They were disoriented. So, THAT'S what it was.
Hey for your information, In the village of Mont-Saint-Éloi near Ablain Saint Nazaire, in the Arras region, there is the grave of a soldier, an American legionnaire who died for France in 1915. Kenneth Weeks, american author writer, who was to die defending French soil, was born in Chesnut Hill, Boston Massachusetts, on December 30, 1889. In the cemetery of the hamlet of Écoivres, the tomb of soldier Kenneth Weeks, a former legionnaire of the 1st Foreign Regiment who fell on the field of honor on June 17, 1915 north of Arras. This is the little story in the famous Histoy. Thank you for your TH-cam Channel.
To complete this very emotional video (as for a simple frenchman like me), I'll add that the scars left by WWI includes the complete abondon of six villages that have been declared "Dead for France" (in combat). These are incredibly important for the memory work.
Thank you JD. Stunning…. I really appreciated your comment at the end about the relation of France from WWI and WWII…. This video proves the heavy price they paid fighting WWI. This French cemetery is beautiful.
Awsome video man... Thank you for pointing out the "France surrender without even trying fighting" bias. I'm so tired of fighting against (mostly US or UK) kids who didn't even opened a book or looked at a wiki page about what they are writing about. It's mainly because we did lost so much of our people to WW1 and not through cowardice that we didn't fight long before surrendering in WW2. And those who tried did an excellent job despite some really poor strategic choices. Seeing my name at 18:41 while you where talking about it really made me feel something. Now i really have to dig into my family tree and stop by to put some flowers. Thank you for shining a light on these men. PS: Amazing yet not so suprising that you can still find casings sticking out of the surface! And being recommanded this on nov 11 give the end of the video so much power...
There's something even worse at play here. If you look at the short 40 days of the 1940 Battle of France, you'll find it was just as lethal for those fighting than the East Front would later be. It was cut short because of the folly of the French high command, who committed all their reserves into a trap and kept no force available, and because of General Huntziger's decision to withdraw his troops after the German advance was stymied at Stonne, opening up the gap through which the Wehrmacht would pour through to encircle over a third of the Allied armies in France. If you read Guderian's memoirs, you'll find that he didn't think his own troops could endure a second day of fighting like the first they'd faced and still have achieved what they did - it doesn't take long for an army corps that loses over a thousand frontline soldiers a day to lose its combat effectiveness. But that second day never came, for the reasons explained above. That was the doom of France in 1940.
I really appreciate the work you put into this video! Just by coincidence when you showed the wall for Paul Mauk, my last name which isn't all that common showed up directly below him- Maul. I had to freeze the video and take in the three names that showed up- Kurt, Max, and Michael. My Maul family came over to the United States in the 1870s from Germany. I couldn't help thinking that these men were likely of some relation to my family. It's one of those things that makes one stop and reflect.
More than 1 300 000 french men were KIA in WW1 (it s population of San Diego USA) for only 39 millions french peoples. 9 000 000 french were at war at this time. Population of Germany was 68 millions peoples For USA with 346 millions peoples, its like if 11 600 000 americans soldiers were killed. (11,6 millions is the population of New York + Los Angeles)... And now you can imagine what sort of sacrifice this nation choose to made
We cannot understand the defeat of 1940 if we do not refer to the carnage of 1914/18. At the end of the First World War, France mourned its 1.4 million dead, devastated regions, its factories and mines destroyed by the enemy. A trauma that even 20 years of peace will not have healed. And in 1940, a significant part of those mobilized had already fought in the war in 1914. You got it and it’s really important.
Wow! This was a very thought provoking video indeed. I really enjoyed yow you pointed out the names of relatives of famous people (Sitting Bull, Rudyard Kipling) who ended up dying in the Great War. I always find it interesting that French military graves are usually engraved with the slogan, "Mort pour la France" ("Died for France.") Yes, the staggering losses (25 % of French males between ages 18 and 30) of the Great War certainly contributed to French and British reluctance to get involved in a Second World War. Keep up the great work J. D.!
@@richardwest6358 Neither J. D. nor myself said Rudyard Kipling died during the Great War. I believe he said either Rudyards son or grandson did die during the Great War. The Great War resulted in a whole lost generation unfortunately.
I'm French and live near to Arras, and i wanted to tell you how i appreciate your video that present so well this part of the Great war history, thank you for that. Since I was a child I go sometimes to Notre-dame de Lorette and I'm glad that people are taking interest in it.
As a frenchman born in Verdun, I can tell you that you have found the right way to describe the legacy of these terrible times. The Standing Buffalo story is amazing ! Thank you sincerely for your work. Arnaud.
Thank you again for another great episode. I teach US and world history, and when teaching wars it is too easy to forget the human side of conflict when the focus is on the political and other issues. I strive to always use some first-person accounts to allow my students to realize the statistics are not numbers, but people. People with dreams and hopes cut short by the events around them. So often kids tell me they are not interested in politics and world events, and I simply remind/inform them that world events are interested in them. This sobering glimpse demonstrates how dramatically true that is. The perspective you add to these videos, particularly the cemeteries; drive that idea more strongly than anything I offer my students. Thank you.
Visited so many cemeteries in Western France in 2008 with two of my boys. After a month of crossing the battlefields, learning about what has occurred on the ground we traversed and visited so many cemeteries I was suffering depression. Only years later did the memory become one that was more factual and less traumatic.
You Sir are a teacher, and a story teller, you have found your calling; please never stop. You remind me of Norman Christie a Canadian cut from this same cloth. As a Canadian Thank you.
Thank you for your video. To curious American tourists/foreigners visiting France : to help you grasp how devastating WWI was to the French population, pay attention to the Monument to the Dead of WWI that's in the townsquare of the city you're visiting anywhere in France (there's always one, even in the tiniest village) and read the names that are carved into the stone. You'll often see the same family name repeated three, four or five times : the war annihilated entire families, brothers, sons and fathers. "Saving Private Ryan" type of stories where only one family member out of five would make it back were common. It was a massacre.
I spent a week driving around Belgium and into France a few years ago, specifically to visit where members of my family were placed (Ypres, Cabaret Rouge and Thiepval). It blows you away how many cemetaries there are, every few hundred yards. They can contain 12 headstones, or 12 thousand, and they're all immaculately kept by the CWGC and the locals. Tyne Cot is special, I spent an hour wandering around, attempting to take it all in.
Very thought provoking video, JD. You’ve done a great job presenting a visual, representing the enormous loss of life. The image of the soldier you included struck me as being a young man. A son, possibly a brother, husband, or father. I think of the ones who lost their loved ones. The number of damaged families came to mind. It’s mind boggling when you consider the casualty numbers. Ultimately, I’m left wondering why. Not in the sense of what were the causes of the war, but why man can’t just live together in peace.
Utter horror. i have studied WW I; i have seen the numbers, yet they were just that. Your visit to this one cemetery, from one battle is the first time those numbers hit home with a heavy realization. i now "get" it; soul-rip.
Wow this is so interesting, thank you for your insight and sharing...when I visited the military cemetery where my Dad lies, the whole site made me stop to catch my breath by taking it all in....a very intense experience for sure
JD you have done it again. I am a student of the Civil War and WWII and have visited many places associated with both, but I am admittedly rather ignorant when it comes to The Great War...I now feel a need to learn more and perhaps make a WWI trip. Of course now in my sixth decade my dreams of travel may not all become reality as the list seems to grow. IF I never make it to all, at least you have taught me well via your trips. Thank you my friend. God bless you.
Hi ! Without even travelling, you can maybe start your journey with the "Apocalypse" documentary series. It was made in France so it tends to focus more on the French events and perspectives but they still treat all the major events of the Great War. But the strongest point of this documentary is their tremendous effort to *colorize* pictures and films made at the time, and it makes this war much more tangible, which amplifies how tragic this was. You can "see" how all these soldiers were actual real people, while black & white movies tend to make things more abstract, from a time before our era really started if you know what I mean. They also did an Apocalypse 2 about WW2 if you're interested, also with colored pictures.
Another French Man here, this is one of the few documentary given to the appreciation of Anglo Saxon what was the extend of the bleeding we endured on WWI and then on WWII. We were left alone by the Anglo Saxon and then appreciated as coward. WWI my rear grand sire died from gas. WWII my grad father died in front of a german firing squad. May father was 3 and my aunt 7 months....
Hey JD.. Ever thought of putting together a free to enter contest for your supporter's to win a trip with you? I bet it would be a life changing event for some, maybe the only time (they'll) be able to enjoy and feel history like you're able to experience. Keep up the good work my good sir. Thx for all you do.
The Great War has many interesting facts, JD you will learn much about how this war changed the landscape in Europe and beyond, will be interesting how you cover it within your episodes to come. Cheers and keep up the great work.
The book “Poilu” by Louis Barthas does a great job of explaining in detail the battles that took place in and around that hill. True hell. Constant close quarters combat since trenches were 45-50yards away at times.
In the frame where you put the bullet casing back on the ground there is also a piece of driving band of a artillery shell in the bottom right corner i think.
Thank you, that was very interesting, i was not aware of that huge ring memorial. I have a cousin who must be named on those walls, he is commemorated at Fauberg DeAmiens cemetery, Arras as still missing. Lieutenant Lewis George Madley of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers , killed 14 May 1917 at Bullecourt near Arras.
Also know that in this cemetery, the Notre Dame de Lorette necropolis, fathers and sons are buried together. Fathers killed during the Great War 1914-1918 and their sons who died for France in 1940. Fathers and sons rest together for eternity. May God bless them.
Thanks you so much!! I grew near Arras in Northern France. The famous cycling race Paris-Roubaix goes through many paved sectors that where WW1 trenches (Aremberg is the most famous one).
The losses of WW1 led to manpower problems for WW2, but not to timidity. On the contrary, the French attitude in 1940 was more a "we beat them before so we'll do it again and don't need to prepare properly". Hence the complacency that led to defeat.
If you've watched a few episodes and feel like I've earned it, be sure to subscribe so that you don't miss any new content when it comes out.
Also be sure to check out The Gettysburg Museum of History and their store at www.gettysburgmuseumofhistory.com. Thanks!
Thanks for your video . There is retarded clown who spend his time to insult the memory of the French soldiers killed . His name Benito-Musolesi . Is that not possible to block him ?
@@jeffkodiac You can report his comments with the dots on the side.
@@jeffkodiac Just done the job. I might have forgotten one or two of his comments though. He doesn't deserve to post any comment here.
@@Thehiddentruths-rj4fn thank you very much sir and thank you for this video
Wooooowwwwww I'm speechless!!! Amazing video and very great job again ! Thanks to share our history.
Frenchman here, for 1000 years. Many men of my family fought WWI, like any other French family. Some came back, many died and their family tree stopped for ever. Thank you so much for honouring their memory, it means the world to us. France never recovered from this massacre, neither did Europe in general. Again, thank you.
🇫🇷
Oui..la France cassée ne s est en fait jamais remise de ce massacre..!..1 400 00 morts jeunes....Les meilleurs sont morts et la France a définitivement perdue ses forces vitales..!...cela à donné un peuple moue, passif et pacifiste = 1940..!
Actuellement un peuple de🐑🐑🐑 passifs.. Qui va disparaîtrepassif, resigné et soumis sous une vague migratoire...😢😢😢😢
Netherlands here. I agree totally, Vive la France, Vive l'Europe.
Tu as tout dit.
Frenchman here too, nothing saddest than a family tree with an end. Specially during a war.
We also have 9 villages which are considered as "dead for France", entirely destroyed. Not even a stone standing...
You are right. I think that the Americans who call us cowards do not realize the seriousness of such an insult for a French person. The French have always been courageous warriors in their history; there have been defeats of course, but countless victories in more than 1500 years of history.
👍🏻
don't worry, it is not important without interest, americans are ignorants.
Les lâches sont les anglais qui on d'étaler comme des lapins à Dunkerque !
Even WW2. The french suffered 600 000 K.I.A in only 3 weeks. It tells how brutal it was.
On rabaisse toujours ceux qui sont haut dessus de nous, pas vrai ? Alors laissons parler le reste du monde 💪🏻🇫🇷
My wife and I have made seven trips to France over the years to study and reflect the impact that The Great War had on France and Great Britain. We usually start on the Somme battlefields and work our way to the fields of Verdun. Each time we make this trip we are constantly overwhelmed by the number and scale of the war cemeteries that dot the landscape. Britain alone has over 1500 cemeteries in the northern sector of France. Some as small as a dozen graves and the larger one’s such as Tyne Cote which has thousand upon thousands of markers.
The French cemeteries are just numerous but more spread out about the countryside.
The Verdun memorial which overlooks the battlefield is truly incredible and moving.
Every village and town and city in France has it’s war memorial to the dead. On it is a list of the young men who never returned from the war. These young men were the future and lifeblood of France. Whole village’s and towns were decimated after four years slaughter. Who was going to work the farms and till the land and harvest the crops?
Who were going to work in the factories to rebuild France?
I believe it the famous American diplomat George Kennan who said, “The First World War was the seminal catastrophe from which all the catastrophes of the 20th century arose from.”
Four empires fell in four years. The Russian, Austro-Hungarian, German and Ottoman all disappeared by the end of 1918. What had been for centuries was gone overnight. A political vacuum evolved from which Communism, Socialism,
Fascism was now on center stage. The “old order” weakened by four years of slaughter in the trenches was to weak to respond.
From 1914 tru 1918 Europe committed collective suicide. The ramifications from those four years are still being felt to this day in Europe.
So nice to listen to an historian who is obviously emotionally involved in his subject, one who really cares. To visit these cemeteries, even vicariously, is very moving. Thanks so much for the production, the sincerity, the delivery. Keep up the great work. My sympathy for the French, what they endured, the loss of home and loved ones, is boundless.
@@davidbarr8394 many thanks. 🙏🏼
Thank you for trying to explain to Americans what WWI was for France.
A century later, I find it very depressing so many still have much more empathy for Germany having to pay reparations than for the unseen destructions of WWI in France. Some go so far as to excuse Hitler as a "normal" response to France's desire for "punishment" while in reality, France was exhausted and only hoped WWI would be the "last of all wars". It did want compensation for the damages on its territory but it was only a just compensation not a punishment.
I can only add that 1) German troops destroyed everything that was left in their orderly retreat in 1918 and 2) that the reparations were never fully paid.
Also what the French wanted in 1919 during the negotiations of the Treaty of Versailles was to secure their territory by a permanent occupation of the Rhineland, which they didn't obtain.
Marshall Foch : This is not peace. It is an armistice for 20 years.
@@Thehiddentruths-rj4fn Yes, they wanted some guarantee from the international community (read the US and UK) that they would side with France in case they suffered a third attack.
They did not get that at all. Nor did Ethiopia or China by the way. The US turned to isolationism and the UK ruling class was mostly anticommunist which led them to support appeasement.
And this led to WWII.
Not Versailles!
@@92100mark Exactly!
In 1914 North eastern France was one of the richest and most developped parts of the country with only the Parisian area being of more importance... and that was, with southern Belgium, the battlefield during 4 years. The levels of destruction were astonishing from little villages to industrial towns.
In my point of view all these young people died for nothing as the German young people. It's awful.
I'am French and my wife is German. We have three children. half German, half French.
We have liived in a small beautiful village in South of France. The inhabitants were very nice, with a big sens of welcome.
One time. T11th of November , we , my wife and my, chidren have been to the celebration of the souvenir of this insane war.
The Mayor who know us did a beautiful speech which make me cry.
He talked about the sacrifice of the french soldiers and the same sacrifice of the German soldiers. As conclue his speech on how peace and brotherhood between so called enemy.
.we
All the village applause..
We are one Humanity. 😅
Merci, Monsieur, pour le respect que vous avez montré à nos morts, et pour avoir partagé leur histoire.
Thank you, Sir, for the respect you showed to our dead, and for having shared their history.
Those thousands of unknown soldiers in the cemetery break my heart. Their poor families who never got closure. This video was beautifully done.
Exactly. You fought so hard, paid with the highest price you could ever pay, your life, and then nobody knows who you were. So heartbreaking...
As french, i can only appreciate what you've done with this video to help making people understand what french has been going through during WW1, and the mindset at the start of WW2.
I live in northern France (Laon, on the Chemin des dames) and even today, we can still see the scar on the land due to WW1. There is not a single town in France without a stele to remember those who fall during WW1. Almost every french family has lost someone during WW1.
So hearing that french are cowards or white flaggers is the biggest insult you can make to the memory of those men, and those who fought bravely in 1940.
Thank again for this video. It truely means a lot for us, french people.
I'm proud of my country. I'm proud of those who fight for him, and we will always remember them.
🇨🇵❤
Thank you. I really do appreciate that. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time in your country each time I’ve been there.
If you ever visit the chemin des dames, it will be a real pleasure to me to drive you around, or just have a talk with a good beer 😁
Je suis natif de Verdun, et enfant, il m'est arrivé une fois de chanter lors du 11 novembre, en compagnie d'anciens combattants de la 1ere guerre mondiale. Votre commentaire résume parfaitement ce qui doit être dit. La France, que j'aime profondément, ne s'est jamais véritablement relevée de ces deux guerres en 20 ans.
Thank you for your work my friend.
The only french hero is Petain...
To have a little idea of the impact of WWI on France, if one day you visit the country, look at the monuments dedicated to the fallen soldiers. You can find these monuments in almost every city, little town and village of France.
What is astonishing is the number of names written on them, even in little villages, 15, 20, 30 names, sometimes, 2, 3, 4 from the same family...
Devant chaque monument on mesure toute l'horreur de cette guerre qui a deferlé sur le territoire FRANÇAIS, tous ces morts, tous ces sacrifices, des villages par dizaines rasés de la carte et la grande souffrance de la population du Nord Est de la FRANCE qui n'est pas épargnée par ces combats dévastateurs. L'OSSUAIRE de Douaumont ( près de VERDUN ) nous rappelle au plus grand respect avec les corps non identifiés de 130000 soldats FRANÇAIS et ALLEMANDS. 🙏 🐓🇨🇵
Once again, I must thank-you very much for your always pointimg out Canada's contribution to both World Wars. So often, my beloved country and her "Colonial" sisters are treated as a mere footnote to history. As a proud, retired, Canadian Sapper (60 plus years ago), I cannot say too often, how I appreciate your always-thoughtful, respectful treatment of your Canadian cousins and brothers-in-arms.
The military cemeteries always tell the true story of war. Always leaves you with great pause.
Thank you for this moving and eloquent footage. All wars are a curse. As a French man I appreciate the sobriety of your comments. These tombs help explain what happened in June 1940.
I live very near the biggest (UK) U S military cemetery at Madingley near Cambridge, UK. It is a truly wonderful and inspiring place. On my frequent visits it is an honour to be amongst so many heroes and heroines and it is such a sobering feeling. May god bless them all, and we sincerely thank you for your ultimate sacrifice.
Powerful, sobering video presented per usual with grace and respect. France has really been through it and suffered greatly. Thank you, JD for another stunning video. The panels containing over 580,000 names are truly staggering.
Not over 5.000 but over 580.000.
Of course agree with your comment but I think the true scale is even more staggering.
@@Erkstone_Thank you …. Innocent mistake that has been corrected.
My grandmother had a single brother. He was a professor of classical litterature : French, Greek, and Latin. He was drafted, was killed in Carency, just below ND de Lorette, on the day of Christmas 1914. His body was never found. His name is on the ring of remembrance. In his last letter to his sisters, he told them « stay united, and tell my story to your children… ».
Wow, very sobering. The mass graves hit me hard. 10,000 unknown dead. Think of the families not knowing what happened to their child / sibling.
Thank you for your work on these videos, I learn a lot from them.
@@kenbrown7334 Yup, the Great War was a definitely a war in which the common soldier fought and died for the arrogant politician's pride.
And here are buried only 10.000 men...
And there are much more, these two plots are only two of six or more ( I can’t remember if it is 6 or 8 such plots) in this particular cemetery, and many more in other cemeteries.
I have always wondered how civilization even endured after these Great Wars & so much loss of life !? So many people died (especially) in WWI for what was truly No real reason!! Thank God , humanity found a way to carry on !! Thank you for all your hard work in bringing us this knowledge and entertainment!!!
I completely agree they are deeply interlinked and I've heard it said before that the period 1918 to 1939 was a cease fire in the "20th century Great conflict " as modern societies I don't think we can grasp what it must have been to have lived in the path of the army's of ww1 communities completely ceased to exist swallowed up by no man's land . Another brilliant video. Thanks for what you do I appreciate it mate.
I've only just stumbled upon your videos, and finding them incredible. You speak with such respect, and veneration for both sides of the conflict. Your last thought regarding the surrender is one I've never considered or heard before, but makes PERFECT sense. This level of loss couldn't be tolerated again :(
I've recently been lucky enough to do a week (short) tour with my family from our home in the UK to Ypres, Villers-Bretonneux and down to Normandy, something I'll never, ever forget. The tranquillity in places that were once (or more!) the polar opposite is sobering. The loss of life is absolutely heartbreaking.
That was really great. But I have to add something to your comment at the end regarding the French surrender of WW2. It's true that the old guard commanders of WW1 were worn down like General Pétain, collaborated or surrendered, but not quite like you inadvertently made it sound to many who know little of French military history and only know of the surrender of Paris thus all of France due to the lasting phycological and physical heavy toll of WW1. But, many thousands of French soldiers died in WW2 up to the surrender and many did not surrender just because of those decisions, like the Free French Forces under de Gaulle. We must remember the brave stand of French units who halted the German advance to Dunkirk which in no small part made possible the successful evacuation of the British expeditionary forces and the remainder of French forces to GB. Then the French units retrained there and embarked with the British special forces on D-Day landing with them to liberate their homeland. So to bash the general population or all of the military is a grave miscalculation of their resolve and fighting spirit. The plan to surrender Paris was also a plan to save it from destruction in the end game. But yes this does not diminish the sacrifice during WW1 having a bearing on the ultimate surrendering to the Nazis in WW2. it had a big part in it. Your video has truly brought to home the losses in that struggle to save their homeland. Especially the finding the brass rifle casing that randomly popped up from the ground near those graves during a routine groundskeeping job. Beautiful and somber. Peace always, through strength.
Wow...Just Wow.
The level of loss in WW! was astounding and that video brought that fact home. Thanks JD.
Glad to see the Graves are so well maintained. Shows the respect they still have.
This was such a great video JD. You really know how to pull great information out of something that isn't a great subject matter and present it well.
John Kiplings father rudyard was instrumental in the starting of the imperial war graves commission which is now the commweath war graves commission
Interesting!
Rudyard Kipling lost a son at Loos.
@ - Good video on that here: th-cam.com/video/llHUaIPTP18/w-d-xo.htmlsi=KxEu1Q6mn8dmDXE9
As an American, the main problem that prevents American children from learning about the history of the French citizens in time of war & that is our education system, I believe. Our schools need to take the time and explain WWI & WWII & earlier conflicts fought on French soil. When I was in school & college in the 1960's & '70's, I cannot recall ever learning anything about how these wars affected France or other countries. I didn't even learn what caused the beginning of WWI until I accessed something on the net! So for those French citizens who are offended by American ignorance, chalk that up to students who care more about what gender they are or the pronouns they use. Things sure have changed since I was in school & certainly not for the better!
Magnifique and humble vidéo, merci pour nos morts Monsieur.
Thank you.
J.D., another superb video...wherever you want to take us viewers, just go there and know that your loyal following will more than appreciate your efforts. Thanks again.
As I've gotten older, I'm 64 now, I continue to get more sick at the waste of humanity by the stupidness of war. I've told you I'm a vet, son of a vet, grandson of a vet who lost his leg in France Sept '44. It just makes me sick at the loss of life, the futures that were cut short. What could have been of these men and women who lost their lives, futures....so sad! We MUST find a way to mend our differences. I know that's naive but SMFH
It’s our governments that pull the strings. The US government in recent years has been able to trick formerly anti-war liberals in to cheerleading for the wars in Ukraine and Israel. All because they think that if they go against their team (the Democrats) that it will somehow result in the other team (the Republicans) winning the next election. Sad.
We're sleepwalking into another world war.
I am also a Cold War Veteran and I shake my head realizing that the Cold War didn't end. It just went dormant for a generatipn.
Remembering those who are lost so long ago is so crucial in the preservation of history although I feel sometimes people forget the amount of sacrifice that went to get the world we have today thank you for the video
I imagine it's pretty sobering to see the loss first hand. Thanks for the video.
That drone shot at the start showing how big it was…. Wow.
Thank you Sir for this extremely moving post, my grand father fought here and survived so this is particularly emotional for me. Thank you also for pointing out that we lost an entire generation of young men during this war and were not enclined to do the same 20 years later given the obvious superiority of the German army.
its still sad to see all those crosses. even sadder and hard to believe that such a large cemetery containing 40,000 graves, is but a small portion of the over 1 million french dead in ww1.
Pretty sobering.
around 1.4 million dead and around 4 million injured and more than 300,000 civilians killed. In percentage compared to Russia, France is the 2nd country after Serbia having lost the most: 15%
In WW1 french Never won a battle, Germans were, from the first to the last day, in french ground...
@@Benito-Musolesi I think I found the stupidest one
@@pascalplantagenet4802 are you in front a mirror?
Excellent as usual. Very sobering
"Did they beat the drum slowly, did they play the fife lowly?
Did they sound the death march as they lowered you down?
Did the band play The Last Post in chorus?
Did the pipes play the Flowers of the Forest?"
@@GlasgowCeltic88 have always loved that song. Willie McBride.
Thanks for sharing
What a wretched war that was, and really for nothing. Thanks for the perspective JD. By the time WW2 started, France's population really had not fully recovered from the 1st war. I can understand their reluctance collectively to engage in another one so soon. Thanks for sharing. God bless, Rob
Fellow me Lad, you're something else! Your work can feel like a pop in the nose (in the sense of realization).
With this information, thinking back to the behavior of the world war survivors I knew, "new world" and "old world", growing up, their behavior and manner reflected shock. They were stunned. They were disoriented. So, THAT'S what it was.
Hey for your information, In the village of Mont-Saint-Éloi near Ablain Saint Nazaire, in the Arras region, there is the grave of a soldier, an American legionnaire who died for France in 1915.
Kenneth Weeks, american author writer, who was to die defending French soil, was born in Chesnut Hill, Boston Massachusetts, on December 30, 1889.
In the cemetery of the hamlet of Écoivres, the tomb of soldier Kenneth Weeks, a former legionnaire of the 1st Foreign Regiment who fell on the field of honor on June 17, 1915 north of Arras. This is the little story in the famous Histoy.
Thank you for your TH-cam Channel.
To complete this very emotional video (as for a simple frenchman like me), I'll add that the scars left by WWI includes the complete abondon of six villages that have been declared "Dead for France" (in combat). These are incredibly important for the memory work.
So well presented, thank you. I think it's important to understand France's experience and losses in WWI to understand how they felt when WWII began.
Thank you JD. Stunning…. I really appreciated your comment at the end about the relation of France from WWI and WWII…. This video proves the heavy price they paid fighting WWI. This French cemetery is beautiful.
Awsome video man...
Thank you for pointing out the "France surrender without even trying fighting" bias. I'm so tired of fighting against (mostly US or UK) kids who didn't even opened a book or looked at a wiki page about what they are writing about. It's mainly because we did lost so much of our people to WW1 and not through cowardice that we didn't fight long before surrendering in WW2. And those who tried did an excellent job despite some really poor strategic choices.
Seeing my name at 18:41 while you where talking about it really made me feel something. Now i really have to dig into my family tree and stop by to put some flowers.
Thank you for shining a light on these men.
PS: Amazing yet not so suprising that you can still find casings sticking out of the surface!
And being recommanded this on nov 11 give the end of the video so much power...
There's something even worse at play here. If you look at the short 40 days of the 1940 Battle of France, you'll find it was just as lethal for those fighting than the East Front would later be. It was cut short because of the folly of the French high command, who committed all their reserves into a trap and kept no force available, and because of General Huntziger's decision to withdraw his troops after the German advance was stymied at Stonne, opening up the gap through which the Wehrmacht would pour through to encircle over a third of the Allied armies in France.
If you read Guderian's memoirs, you'll find that he didn't think his own troops could endure a second day of fighting like the first they'd faced and still have achieved what they did - it doesn't take long for an army corps that loses over a thousand frontline soldiers a day to lose its combat effectiveness. But that second day never came, for the reasons explained above. That was the doom of France in 1940.
I really appreciate the work you put into this video! Just by coincidence when you showed the wall for Paul Mauk, my last name which isn't all that common showed up directly below him- Maul. I had to freeze the video and take in the three names that showed up- Kurt, Max, and Michael. My Maul family came over to the United States in the 1870s from Germany. I couldn't help thinking that these men were likely of some relation to my family. It's one of those things that makes one stop and reflect.
More than 1 300 000 french men were KIA in WW1 (it s population of San Diego USA) for only 39 millions french peoples. 9 000 000 french were at war at this time.
Population of Germany was 68 millions peoples
For USA with 346 millions peoples, its like if 11 600 000 americans soldiers were killed.
(11,6 millions is the population of New York + Los Angeles)...
And now you can imagine what sort of sacrifice this nation choose to made
As usual, superbly put together and narrated. Thank you.
Thank you kindly!
We cannot understand the defeat of 1940 if we do not refer to the carnage of 1914/18. At the end of the First World War, France mourned its 1.4 million dead, devastated regions, its factories and mines destroyed by the enemy. A trauma that even 20 years of peace will not have healed. And in 1940, a significant part of those mobilized had already fought in the war in 1914. You got it and it’s really important.
@@christophe77700 frency froggy sluggy cappons cowards in ww1 like in ww2
Never won a battle....
Was here 12 Nov 2017, stopped on my way to Vimy Ridge.
What a beautiful area. Thank you and may they rest in peace.❤
Wow! This was a very thought provoking video indeed. I really enjoyed yow you pointed out the names of relatives of famous people (Sitting Bull, Rudyard Kipling) who ended up dying in the Great War. I always find it interesting that French military graves are usually engraved with the slogan, "Mort pour la France" ("Died for France.") Yes, the staggering losses (25 % of French males between ages 18 and 30) of the Great War certainly contributed to French and British reluctance to get involved in a Second World War. Keep up the great work J. D.!
Rudyard Kipling did NOT die in the Great War
@@richardwest6358 Neither J. D. nor myself said Rudyard Kipling died during the Great War. I believe he said either Rudyards son or grandson did die during the Great War. The Great War resulted in a whole lost generation unfortunately.
@@frenchfan3368son
I'm French and live near to Arras, and i wanted to tell you how i appreciate your video that present so well this part of the Great war history, thank you for that. Since I was a child I go sometimes to Notre-dame de Lorette and I'm glad that people are taking interest in it.
@@RL-kk5yf collaborateur Macronoid Peteinast
LOSER
Thank you very much for this beautiful documentary full of respect and compassion
As a frenchman born in Verdun, I can tell you that you have found the right way to describe the legacy of these terrible times. The Standing Buffalo story is amazing ! Thank you sincerely for your work. Arnaud.
Thanks!
french tanks ha one front gear and six reverse and big mirrorws to see in face enemies
Petainist
Thank you again for another great episode. I teach US and world history, and when teaching wars it is too easy to forget the human side of conflict when the focus is on the political and other issues. I strive to always use some first-person accounts to allow my students to realize the statistics are not numbers, but people. People with dreams and hopes cut short by the events around them. So often kids tell me they are not interested in politics and world events, and I simply remind/inform them that world events are interested in them. This sobering glimpse demonstrates how dramatically true that is. The perspective you add to these videos, particularly the cemeteries; drive that idea more strongly than anything I offer my students. Thank you.
Visited so many cemeteries in Western France in 2008 with two of my boys. After a month of crossing the battlefields, learning about what has occurred on the ground we traversed and visited so many cemeteries I was suffering depression. Only years later did the memory become one that was more factual and less traumatic.
brilliant reflection and I think all these cemeteries are beautiful and it show the respect that these soldiers will be never forgotten
So much information and Respect in one video, outstanding.
Much appreciated!
@@TheHistoryUnderground Well-earned on your part.
It’s truly the silence that gets to me in every battlefield and military cemetery
You Sir are a teacher, and a story teller, you have found your calling; please never stop.
You remind me of Norman Christie a Canadian cut from this same cloth.
As a Canadian Thank you.
Thank you so much, so so very sad that so many never came home.
18:16 very well said...we can never deride the French people and their fighting spirit after realizing their great loss in WW1.
3 guys of my family are on the wall... in this cemetery we fell the terror of the war
Thank you for your video. To curious American tourists/foreigners visiting France : to help you grasp how devastating WWI was to the French population, pay attention to the Monument to the Dead of WWI that's in the townsquare of the city you're visiting anywhere in France (there's always one, even in the tiniest village) and read the names that are carved into the stone. You'll often see the same family name repeated three, four or five times : the war annihilated entire families, brothers, sons and fathers. "Saving Private Ryan" type of stories where only one family member out of five would make it back were common. It was a massacre.
JD just like a big ghost looking over the country side. A very sobering site. Thanks for sharing! ❤️💯👊👍
I spent a week driving around Belgium and into France a few years ago, specifically to visit where members of my family were placed (Ypres, Cabaret Rouge and Thiepval). It blows you away how many cemetaries there are, every few hundred yards. They can contain 12 headstones, or 12 thousand, and they're all immaculately kept by the CWGC and the locals. Tyne Cot is special, I spent an hour wandering around, attempting to take it all in.
Hi the History Underground, this video is a masterpiece for every one. bonne continuation
🙏🏼
Very thought provoking video, JD. You’ve done a great job presenting a visual, representing the enormous loss of life. The image of the soldier you included struck me as being a young man. A son, possibly a brother, husband, or father. I think of the ones who lost their loved ones. The number of damaged families came to mind. It’s mind boggling when you consider the casualty numbers. Ultimately, I’m left wondering why. Not in the sense of what were the causes of the war, but why man can’t just live together in peace.
Really enjoyed it mate 👍
JD the thing you do is to impart the feel of the place you are. Beautiful job, man.
Thank you.
Great episode again JD
Never forget what so many young men sacrificed for freedom and honour. Heroes, all of them.
A very thought provoking video
WW1 is the sacrifice of all European youth, for nothing. One of the greatest tragedies in history.
I would say the greatest to date.
Utter horror. i have studied WW I; i have seen the numbers, yet they were just that. Your visit to this one cemetery, from one battle is the first time those numbers hit home with a heavy realization. i now "get" it; soul-rip.
Wow this is so interesting, thank you for your insight and sharing...when I visited the military cemetery where my Dad lies, the whole site made me stop to catch my breath by taking it all in....a very intense experience for sure
Excellent work, thank you.
Many thanks!
JD you have done it again. I am a student of the Civil War and WWII and have visited many places associated with both, but I am admittedly rather ignorant when it comes to The Great War...I now feel a need to learn more and perhaps make a WWI trip. Of course now in my sixth decade my dreams of travel may not all become reality as the list seems to grow. IF I never make it to all, at least you have taught me well via your trips.
Thank you my friend. God bless you.
Thanks! I have become deeply interested in The Great War.
Hi ! Without even travelling, you can maybe start your journey with the "Apocalypse" documentary series. It was made in France so it tends to focus more on the French events and perspectives but they still treat all the major events of the Great War. But the strongest point of this documentary is their tremendous effort to *colorize* pictures and films made at the time, and it makes this war much more tangible, which amplifies how tragic this was. You can "see" how all these soldiers were actual real people, while black & white movies tend to make things more abstract, from a time before our era really started if you know what I mean.
They also did an Apocalypse 2 about WW2 if you're interested, also with colored pictures.
For perspective, Red Rocks Amphitheater holds 8000 people.
Crazy.
Seeing the ruins makes you appreciate the beauty
Amazing content I love WW1 history, sobering, keep up the great work.
Thanks!
@@TheHistoryUnderground your very welcome!
As always, very professional and respectful. I wish I had time to watch everything you post!
Very good video👍
@@wwong617 - Thanks!
Every city, town and village in Great Britain has a memorial to this achingly painful horror. #LESTWEFORGET☘️🇬🇧
Another French Man here, this is one of the few documentary given to the appreciation of Anglo Saxon what was the extend of the bleeding we endured on WWI and then on WWII. We were left alone by the Anglo Saxon and then appreciated as coward. WWI my rear grand sire died from gas. WWII my grad father died in front of a german firing squad. May father was 3 and my aunt 7 months....
Hey JD..
Ever thought of putting together a free to enter contest for your supporter's to win a trip with you?
I bet it would be a life changing event for some, maybe the only time (they'll) be able to enjoy and feel history like you're able to experience.
Keep up the good work my good sir. Thx for all you do.
One of your very best videos JD. Sometimes the relative simplicity best describes the utter futile waste of life through war. As is the case today
That shell casing lying next to the grave was very sobering 😢
Excellent thank you 🙏 May the souls rest in peace 🙏
This is so sobering and sad. It shows how horrific wars are.
Numbers so high become almost incomprehensible…but there is always another war…
Wow, amazing, thank you for showing us this incredible place and history.
From France, Thank you for this video.
The Great War has many interesting facts, JD you will learn much about how this war changed the landscape in Europe and beyond, will be interesting how you cover it within your episodes to come. Cheers and keep up the great work.
The book “Poilu” by Louis Barthas does a great job of explaining in detail the battles that took place in and around that hill. True hell. Constant close quarters combat since trenches were 45-50yards away at times.
Definitely need to get that book.
In the frame where you put the bullet casing back on the ground there is also a piece of driving band of a artillery shell in the bottom right corner i think.
Thank you, that was very interesting, i was not aware of that huge ring memorial.
I have a cousin who must be named on those walls, he is commemorated at Fauberg DeAmiens cemetery, Arras as still missing.
Lieutenant Lewis George Madley of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers , killed 14 May 1917 at Bullecourt near Arras.
Also know that in this cemetery, the Notre Dame de Lorette necropolis, fathers and sons are buried together. Fathers killed during the Great War 1914-1918 and their sons who died for France in 1940. Fathers and sons rest together for eternity. May God bless them.
Thanks you so much!! I grew near Arras in Northern France. The famous cycling race Paris-Roubaix goes through many paved sectors that where WW1 trenches (Aremberg is the most famous one).
Wonderful J.D. I look forward to Chris’s video thanks for mentioning it.
excellent work, well understood
The losses of WW1 led to manpower problems for WW2, but not to timidity. On the contrary, the French attitude in 1940 was more a "we beat them before so we'll do it again and don't need to prepare properly". Hence the complacency that led to defeat.
Not entirely true