World War Zero: Balkan Wars 1912-1913

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ต.ค. 2022
  • Watch 16 Days in Berlin on Nebula: nebula.tv/videos/16-days-in-b...
    The Balkan Wars marked the end of Ottoman rule in Southeastern Europe, and they involved several countries that would join the First World War just a few years later. A complicated alliance between Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria and Greece imploded over disagreement of the war spoils after defeating the Ottomans. This led to the 2nd Balkan War and also created much resentment that would play a role between 1914 and 1918 too.
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    » SOURCES
    Clark, Christopher, The Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to War in 1914, (London : Penguin Books, 2013)
    McMeekin, Sean. The Ottoman Endgame (Penguin, 2015)
    Hall, Richard. The Balkan Wars: Prelude to the First World War (2000)
    Erickson, Edward. Defeat in Detail: the Ottoman Army in the Balkans (2003)
    Kemal, Mustafa. Zabit ve Kumandan ile Hasbihal (1918 (2017))
    Scott, Georges. Dans les Balkans 1912-13. Récits et visions de guerre (nd)
    Paunić, Dragutin and Milija Đorđević. Srbijice, dušo gorka (Novi Sad, 2019 (1988))
    Popescu Vava, Lucian, “Mărturii contemporane despre epidemia de holeră din campania militară a Armatei Române în anul 1913,” in Oltenia. Studii şi comunicări. Arheologie - Istorie vol. XXV (2018)
    Üngör, Ugur Ümit, “Mass Violence Against Civilian During the Balkan Wars,” in Mulligan, William, Andreas Rose and Dominik Geppert, eds. The Wars Before the Great War (Cambridge UP, 2015)
    Ilinchev, Kiril. “Хора-реликви” (bnt.bg/news/hora-relikvi-2943...)
    Constantine of Greece. “A King’s private letters. Being letters written by King Konstantine of Greece to Paola princess of Saxe-Weimar during the years 1912 to 1923, Eveleigh Nash & Greyson Ltd”, London, 1923.
    Myrivilis, Stratis. “War”, in “Short Stories”, Mytilene, (1928)
    Kolev, Valery and Christina Koulouri, eds. The Balkan Wars. (Center for Democracy and Reconciliation in Southeast Europe, 2009)
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    »CREDITS
    Presented by: Jesse Alexander
    Written by: Jesse Alexander
    Director: Toni Steller & Florian Wittig
    Director of Photography: Toni Steller
    Sound: Toni Steller
    Editing: Jose Gamez, Toni Steller
    Motion Design: Elise Hersink
    Mixing, Mastering & Sound Design: above-zero.com
    Research by: Jesse Alexander
    Fact checking: Florian Wittig
    Channel Design: Yves Thimian
    Contains licensed material by getty images and AP Archive
    Maps: MapTiler/OpenStreetMap Contributors & GEOlayers3
    All rights reserved - Real Time History GmbH 2022

ความคิดเห็น • 3.1K

  • @TheGreatWar
    @TheGreatWar  ปีที่แล้ว +71

    Watch 16 Days in Berlin on Nebula: nebula.tv/videos/16-days-in-berlin-01-prologue-the-beginning-of-the-end

    • @andreaofcalia
      @andreaofcalia ปีที่แล้ว +1

      What is the names of the song in the video?

    • @cd5433
      @cd5433 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Great documentary. Saw it on nebula . I think it’s the reason I ended up getting nebula actually .

    • @savosavic1222
      @savosavic1222 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      u forgot to mention that Serbia also send chunk of it men and one of their best generals to support war on that side

    • @sonorous4008
      @sonorous4008 ปีที่แล้ว

      I have a few questions though. Home come Albanians are not mentioned here. They played a huge role on these wars and they had the biggest loss both on territory an man. You mentioned "Muslims" a couple of times that they were moved from Sandjak but you never mentioned that they were Albanians living in their lands. At this time, Albania was divided from Ottomans under 4 vilayets where the majority of the population was Albanians: 1. Kosovo Vilayet, 2. Scutari Vilayet, 3. Manastir Vilayet, and 4. Janina Vilayet. I am quite shocked and surprised that you never mentioned any of these, furthermore the genocide towards this population from the slavs and the deportation of the "muslims" as you are saying towards Turkey. To this day there are 5 Million people living in Turkey with Albanian roots, all of them as a result of the deportation from these wars, starting from 1877. You need to pay a close attention to these facts because from this video it seems that Albanians did nothing, which is totally not true. Albanians always rebelled against Ottomans, since Skanderbeg times, then in 1821, the Albanians(Arvanites) started the revolution of Greece etc. To me it's a shame that your channel doesn't give the Albanians the respect they deserve.

    • @slavicduke
      @slavicduke ปีที่แล้ว +2

      I have to complain about a small thing, what you call Novi Pazar and Sandzak, it is Serbian and Montenegrin land, and Islamic peoples were intentionally settled because of the danger of merging the Christians of Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia

  • @hilding2063
    @hilding2063 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +125

    Can't believe this wasn't covered in school at all, it's so essential to explain WW1.

    • @oliversissonphone6143
      @oliversissonphone6143 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +11

      Also helpful in understanding the collapse of Yugoslavia

    • @NightingaleSunset
      @NightingaleSunset 13 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      My history classes never made it past the Industrial Revolution

  • @Mertiy7
    @Mertiy7 ปีที่แล้ว +2117

    I was raised listening to my grandma telling me stories of how her grandfather was tortured and executed, and how her grandma raped and half of her kids killed in her village near Drama/Greece. My great great grandma had to walk to Constantinople, losing one more child, only one surviving, my great grandma. My entire life I hated Greeks and Greece for it, until I listened to what their ancestors had gone through in the hands of mine. The past is full of horrible atrocities done by our ancestors who weren't necessarily bad people, but they all thought they were righteous in their actions. I just hope we are better than our ancestors. Greetings from a Turk

    • @moremusic2
      @moremusic2 ปีที่แล้ว +227

      Same over here, horrible stories and massacres and eternal hate for Turks and (even worse) for all Muslims. For most people in Greece that know history in bits and pieces, a muslim is a Turk (go figure...)
      I don't know when this ends, i guess when we all get rid of nationalism and all "greatness" cause whenever a Balcan country goes "great" some other neighbouring Balkan country goes to grave...

    • @umarabdaziz
      @umarabdaziz ปีที่แล้ว +157

      I do believe that nationalism is one of the greatest disaster that had befallen mankind

    • @umarabdaziz
      @umarabdaziz ปีที่แล้ว +25

      @@spotonnls3538 ?? I'm a Malay tho

    • @umarabdaziz
      @umarabdaziz ปีที่แล้ว +29

      @@spotonnls3538 What's your problem with Arab name?

    • @kelleychilton2524
      @kelleychilton2524 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@umarabdaziz Religion is the greatest disaster. These atrocities had their origin in religion. Muslim vs Christian vs Jew.

  • @KunChou
    @KunChou ปีที่แล้ว +379

    This take on the Balkan Wars is much more humanist than any depiction of them in Balkan history books. I'm Bulgarian and our history books at school glorified the First Balkan War as the pinnacle of Bulgarian courage and military prowess. That part was pretty much true, but they conveniently omitted the part where Bulgarian troops destroyed villages and committed atrocities against Muslims and Greeks. From what I've seen, history books in my neighbouring countries follow the same pattern, glorifying their militaries and turning a blind eye to their atrocities. And this is the first time I've heard of Romanian troops suffering such high casualties from cholera while not really facing any serious military resistance from Bulgaria. Thanks for the nuanced look at these wars and for recognising that for all the glory and pride, they were also a source of tremendous tragedy!

    • @Mighty_Yobama
      @Mighty_Yobama ปีที่แล้ว +19

      In Turkey they just taught to us "Ottoman army wasn't ready and undeveloped because of that we lost" that's it because there is no victory. But you have to learn history with it's everything.

    • @alexisz7
      @alexisz7 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +12

      As a Greek ,we both did horrible things to each other at balkan wars and world war 2,atleast we are fine now and hold no grudge.But that's war,we can't change history unfortunately.

    • @Mighty_Yobama
      @Mighty_Yobama 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +8

      @@alexisz7 all we have to do is looking forward now one of my best friends is greek bro is a legend

    • @libertas5005
      @libertas5005 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

      The pattern from 1912-1913 and the mass execution of Muslim civilians in the Balkans repeated again in 1992-1995 in Bosnia, where Serbs, inspired by the same wicked ideology fueled by a hatred mix of nationalism and religious fundamentalism of the Orthodox church, committed genocide.

    • @none2912
      @none2912 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +8

      They displaced hundreds of thousands of Bulgarians from the Thrace and Macedonia prior the first balkan war, don't forget that

  • @Oliverg8sr
    @Oliverg8sr ปีที่แล้ว +55

    I am so pleased to have found this channel. I only found out about the Balkan wars long after my History A level which went long on the causes of the First World War but never mentioned these important events.

  • @user-fl3nb9kq3s
    @user-fl3nb9kq3s ปีที่แล้ว +2335

    As a bulgarian orthodox,this is the best video of the Balkan wars i have ever seen. For every Balkan reader-Peace brothers! 🇧🇬🇷🇸🇦🇱🇬🇷🇹🇷

  • @matthewwhitton5720
    @matthewwhitton5720 ปีที่แล้ว +629

    Marvelous ! Not the horrendous extent of both military and, particularly, civilian agony throughout this conflict, but, the fact that this stellar channel has turned its expectedly nuanced and detailed attention to this seminal war. Many thanks ( from an enthusiast for Balkan history ).

  • @alexandrosgialamidis430
    @alexandrosgialamidis430 ปีที่แล้ว +38

    Fun fact: that Greek heavy cruiser you mentioned, is still in service in Greece as a museum

    • @Echetlaeus
      @Echetlaeus หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      This is honor not fun...
      The Greek was not stronger than Turkish navy but braver!
      🇬🇷💙🇬🇷

    • @DomnulDarius
      @DomnulDarius 15 วันที่ผ่านมา

      Real

  • @jackharvey7750
    @jackharvey7750 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    Crazy. Just watched the videos where Jessie slotted in after the great war 14-18 was covered. Great to see how you've settled into the told and make the channel as great as it is! Keep it up!

  • @johnmullen7775
    @johnmullen7775 ปีที่แล้ว +1049

    Again, accurate, unbiased, and un-sanitized narrative of an important episode of history. Great work from the Great War team.

    • @RasVoja
      @RasVoja ปีที่แล้ว +22

      Thats what I love, but comments will be biased

    • @adidoki
      @adidoki ปีที่แล้ว

      Nah, biased. Calling what happened to the turks, mere killings, while it was clear it was a genocide, that´s what being biased means.

    • @TerminalConstipation
      @TerminalConstipation ปีที่แล้ว +14

      They know what we want: the facts and the 'truth', at least as far as can be discerned by the facts

    • @misssummersalt
      @misssummersalt ปีที่แล้ว +6

      I'm 8 minutes in and he hasn't even acknowledged Croatia's EXISTENCE.
      Accurate, unbiased... Sure...

    • @RasVoja
      @RasVoja ปีที่แล้ว +40

      @@misssummersalt It DID not exist as separate state at time

  • @void_wyrm
    @void_wyrm ปีที่แล้ว +380

    Oh one small correction, Montenegro didn't really start early because of their desire to claim more land and overshadow the Serbian dynasty, it was a planned move to see how the major powers would react, and then the rest of the members sent ultimatums. It's true that there was a rivalry between the two serb states, but it was generally, or somewhat, disregarded in times of war.

    • @bdleo300
      @bdleo300 ปีที่แล้ว +40

      *rivaling dynasties Karadjordjevic and Petrovic

    • @dvnk6971
      @dvnk6971 ปีที่แล้ว +37

      Additional explanation. The unification of Montenegro and Serbia was predicted to happen once they share common borders, which would happen after the war. The two dynasties competed over who should lead the unified state. The Petrovic (Montenegrin) dynasty was an ally of the old Obrenovic dynasty (Serbian dynasty before 1903) and once the Karadjordjevic's took power, tensions arose. Yet, the unification was imminent.

    • @void_wyrm
      @void_wyrm ปีที่แล้ว +18

      @@dvnk6971 Exactly! Unification wasn't discussed while the treaty was being signed in 1912 between Serbia and Montenegro, since the main concern was gaining a common border in the region of Raska/Sanjak of Novi Pazar, which was technically still under Austrian occupation. As you say unification was imminent in some sort of way, be it autonomous or full, the only roadblock was dynastic rivalry. It's interesting that even though Peter of Serbia was son-in-law to King Nicholas, Petrovic saw themselves as an older dynasty that also had ties to the Obrenovic. There was a race towards Prizren for example, a city that would give a lot of legitimacy to either side, and minor border squabbles, but nothing major at the time.

    • @igcuric
      @igcuric ปีที่แล้ว +19

      Montenegro is not "Serb state".

    • @void_wyrm
      @void_wyrm ปีที่แล้ว +50

      @@igcuric Lol, lmao

  • @connorstevenson1173
    @connorstevenson1173 ปีที่แล้ว +26

    Happy to see this channel continues. The balkan wars are a critical part of world history

  • @joelgonzalez9248
    @joelgonzalez9248 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    More wonderful history content. This channel is one of my favorites. Keep doing the great work yall have done.
    The Balkan Wars in the early 20th century and along with the aftermath, such as the border and religious disputes between nationalities and political power vacuums after the Ottomans were defeated lead to more of the same regional conflicts after the fall of communism, especially in the former Yugoslavia during the 1990s.

  • @jatelvidio
    @jatelvidio ปีที่แล้ว +156

    Imennsly important but a forgotten episode in history. Thanks for covering this topic as well.

    • @RasVoja
      @RasVoja ปีที่แล้ว +3

      True!

    • @johnshelton1141
      @johnshelton1141 ปีที่แล้ว

      If only Italy had joined them imediately. They might have taken Constantinople.

    • @johnshelton1141
      @johnshelton1141 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      My correction if only the Balkan league had joined the Italians. Also Bosnia should had been given to Serbia in 1878.

    • @alexzero3736
      @alexzero3736 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Actually Italy was licking wounds after Italo- Ottomaj war, they suffered on land but won at the sea. And other problem was ignorance of major powers, who wanted to prevent any new player gaining too much power.

    • @alexzero3736
      @alexzero3736 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Italo- Ottoman*

  • @Arhiroukounas
    @Arhiroukounas ปีที่แล้ว +115

    a byproduct of the Balkan Wars was the concept of population exchanges(basically an idea of Greek diplomats).It started with Greece and Bulagaria exchanging populations from Macedonia and Eastern Rumelia(southern Bulagaria) but that was dwarfed by the Greek-Turkish population exchange in 1923-1924(more than two million people involved)

    • @hellomoto1426
      @hellomoto1426 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      And between India and Pakistan after 1947, no offence but these massacre number are rookie, we really increased the numbers .
      In your conflicts, 8000 people civilians i mean might be massacred , in ours during, 1947 less than 25000 death is just a simple riot .

    • @chrispalazis6501
      @chrispalazis6501 ปีที่แล้ว +31

      @@hellomoto1426 that’s cuz y’all have 4 times the population smh if you do ratios it’s still high buddy

    • @TheBard1999
      @TheBard1999 ปีที่แล้ว +29

      @@hellomoto1426 it's not a contest...

    • @ursodermatt8809
      @ursodermatt8809 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      @@hellomoto1426
      congratulations!!

    • @Molkepulver
      @Molkepulver ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@TheBard1999 For balkan people war crimes, genocide and population exchanges seem like a contest sometimes... a brutal one

  • @jonathandentler7158
    @jonathandentler7158 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    Extremely well done, yet again. The way this channel balances a popular and accessible approach to complex and contested histories with real nuance is truly commendable.

    • @TheGreatWar
      @TheGreatWar  ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Thank you very much!

  • @m.miskicreativeartarchitec733
    @m.miskicreativeartarchitec733 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Great job! Everything looks and sounds well-researched. from maps to footage to excerpts. And on top of that, it is not biased. Keep them coming!

  • @mammuchan8923
    @mammuchan8923 ปีที่แล้ว +274

    Superb work Jesse and team. Having a look through your sources, it must have been a very complex video to write. Also fantastic photos that I haven’t seen before. A fascinating though heartbreaking episode. Terrible to think that as bad as the suffering was that was experienced in these wars, it would turn out to be a mere prelude before the fast approaching apocalypse. This episode gave great insight into some of the attitudes, rivalries, and thirst for revenge that were still so fresh by 1914. You did an excellent job of carrying the feeling of dread through the episode. Time for a rewatch of the channel from the beginning ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

    • @TheGreatWar
      @TheGreatWar  ปีที่แล้ว +60

      shout out to our fans from the Balkans who got us archive access and looked for primary accounts from their countries.

    • @mammuchan8923
      @mammuchan8923 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      @@TheGreatWar 👏😎 nice

    • @emmanuelawosusi2365
      @emmanuelawosusi2365 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @@TheGreatWar nice the channel

  • @demonblood8841
    @demonblood8841 ปีที่แล้ว +74

    This is briefly covered in a Netflix documentary which i recently watched(The long road to war) but you have given alot more detail. Great stuff as always

  • @espeon91
    @espeon91 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    Great video. I remembered seeing a week-by-week episode where Indy had said "Quarter was neither asked, nor given" when referring to Serbs and Bulgarians fighting each other during WW1

  • @pablopeter3564
    @pablopeter3564 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    EXCELLENT video and the explanation. The Balkan Wars of 1912-1913 is so complex, you did a GREAT JOB explaining. Greetings from Mexico City.

  • @nodspruductionss3812
    @nodspruductionss3812 ปีที่แล้ว +32

    Thank you for covering this, as it often gets overlooked and people do need to know about that history especially during these troubled times. Greetings from Athens.

  • @mohammadyeasinkhan6885
    @mohammadyeasinkhan6885 ปีที่แล้ว +47

    As a person who has always wanted to learn more about the forgotten wars of the early 20th century, this is definitely my go-to channel, keep it up!

  • @OwenPhillipsMBA
    @OwenPhillipsMBA ปีที่แล้ว +5

    This is great. Along with your other videos, its uncovered areas of history that I sadly only had a vague awareness of. It makes the current structure of Europe more understandable. Thank you!

  • @mitzyismad
    @mitzyismad ปีที่แล้ว +7

    A fine presentation of an incredibly complex situations that prevails to this day. Thank you.

    • @kelleychilton2524
      @kelleychilton2524 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      So true. The legacy of that era, including World War I, remains with us today .... over a century later.

  • @BulgarianHistory1
    @BulgarianHistory1 ปีที่แล้ว +236

    Wonderful work! Congratulations to your team for trying to tell this conflict from all its possible perspectives and compiling this comprehensive picture that logically describes the path to the Great War. :)

    • @ra-ge
      @ra-ge ปีที่แล้ว +16

      И вие продължавайте отличната работа, за да знаят новите поколения, че "и ние сме имали царство и господарство" както е казал Паисий.

    • @yavortashev
      @yavortashev ปีที่แล้ว +13

      А не мислите ли, че спестяването на информация за етническия състав на определени области създава усещане у зрителите, че всички страни защитават равностойни интереси?

    • @emilbotev3656
      @emilbotev3656 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@yavortashev С цел да избегнат вида на привърженик към една или повече от страните, те си спестяват факти, които биха породили конфликти в коментарите и национализъм в повечето зрители, а такива имаме предостатъчно.

    • @yavortashev
      @yavortashev ปีที่แล้ว +6

      @@emilbotev3656 със сигурност е така, но така се прикрива истината зад мотивите на всяка от страните. А те са от съществено значение. Не става въпрос за колонизацията на Африка.

    • @emilbotev3656
      @emilbotev3656 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @@yavortashev Съгласен съм. Спора за главната националност на населението във въпросните територии е сигурно най-важният фактор за исканията на участниците във войната както казахте(въпреки, че това трудно се доказва и е рядко достоверно), но не е чак толкова важна причината, а по-скоро последствията. Все пак идеята на видеото е да се проследят действията, довели до Голямата война. С други думи тях не ги интересува особено личните интереси на държавите и техните мотиви, поне не чак в такива подробности,които биха предизвикали обратна реакция.

  • @maximillianschonhausen
    @maximillianschonhausen ปีที่แล้ว +94

    Thanks Jesse, love your work. Quite the challenge to retell the Balkan wars in 30 minutes. Incredibly confusing and chaotic episode of Balkan history. Not that Balkan history tends to be uncomplicated in otherr epochs either of course.

  • @DRSWIFT1987
    @DRSWIFT1987 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

    The amount of work and research done for this video, very educational. Thank you for putting this all together.

  • @kinginexile7139
    @kinginexile7139 ปีที่แล้ว +48

    Thank you so much for covering this topic! As a Bulgarian it makes me happy to see our history retold in a correct and exciting manner! 🇧🇬 Immediately subscribed to the channel - can't wait to see your other content!

  • @kungfuchimp5788
    @kungfuchimp5788 ปีที่แล้ว +167

    New to the channel. Binge watching the last couple of months. This is just another excellent episode on an obscure/overlooked, yet extremely important and influential part of modern history. Loooove it. Keep up the great work.

  • @indianajones4321
    @indianajones4321 ปีที่แล้ว +94

    Often overlooked yet very important wars, well done!

  • @merdus69
    @merdus69 ปีที่แล้ว +63

    As a Canadian, I only found out about this originally because I'd read "Birds without Wings" by Louis De Bernières. I highly recommend the book! Like De Bernière's masterpiece, your coverage is humanistic and revealing. Thank you for this tremendous work!

    • @MrCasper652
      @MrCasper652 ปีที่แล้ว

      Agree! Great book!

    • @Jim-yv7rm
      @Jim-yv7rm ปีที่แล้ว +5

      My ex wife's ancestors came from the city of Kayaköy (Leivissi in modern Greek) in 1922 and along with other families from Makri Turkey (present day Fethiye), created the town of Nea Makri about 35 km away from Athens which we live today. The setting of Eskibahçe is based upon Kayaköy.

    • @Daphne70
      @Daphne70 ปีที่แล้ว

      "As a" 💀

  • @otterkarman8740
    @otterkarman8740 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    This channel is so educational. In the U.K THIS REGION AND THE HISTORY IS NEVER mentioned, yet it's so important to understand these facts and their importance till this day, which still affect the peoples and politics. Thank you. Superb information.

  • @stevenv.surawski1178
    @stevenv.surawski1178 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    Thank You very much for this great review of the Balkan Wars. Very much appreciated. Well done.

  • @SNAIP
    @SNAIP ปีที่แล้ว +7

    Incredible! Thank you so much for creating this documentary! Fantastic work as ways, Jesse.

  • @mz9514
    @mz9514 ปีที่แล้ว +17

    Thank You for shedding some light on this topic. A lot of western civilization does not even know about these events and only know about the assassination that "started the war". Much love from Serbia 💕

  • @hunter-9957
    @hunter-9957 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    Amazing well made documentaries! Really enjoy watching them, thank you!

  • @jakubknopp1964
    @jakubknopp1964 ปีที่แล้ว +59

    This episode was badly needed! I'd wish you took a new look at the Baltic wars of independence in the future. Keep up that brilliant work :)

    • @TheGreatWar
      @TheGreatWar  ปีที่แล้ว +13

      check our videos from 2019-2021, we covered the Baltics in multiple videos

    • @antoniostanojevic8572
      @antoniostanojevic8572 ปีที่แล้ว

      Balkan normalno Baltic.

  • @obiwanbul
    @obiwanbul ปีที่แล้ว +108

    Excellent work, guys. Literally, the only nitpick is that the final borders didn't show Strumitsa (a tiny region that looks like a tiny tumor next to the Greek border) as Bulgarian. That was one of the compromises Russia arranged.

    • @TheGreatWar
      @TheGreatWar  ปีที่แล้ว +54

      oh wow, that's a deep cut

    • @ra-ge
      @ra-ge ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @@TheGreatWar Yeah too deep, even for me as a Bulgarian😆😆😆

    • @zacjigerr2370
      @zacjigerr2370 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      That’s probably because strumica is in Macedonia.

    • @stevanvasiljevic6072
      @stevanvasiljevic6072 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @@zacjigerr2370 Strumica was ceeded to Yugoslavia only after WW1

  • @kennethblachlyjr3040
    @kennethblachlyjr3040 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    A new favorite history Channel. Love pre world war 1 central/eastern European history and conflict!!! Look forward to more

  • @jessyalexander3985
    @jessyalexander3985 ปีที่แล้ว +18

    Kudos to the Great War team on another well done video that explores the complexities, military campaigns and the politics of the Balkan Wars. As a Greek-American, I really appreciate the thoughtful way the history was discussed as it contained the seeds of the Great War.

  • @mortenpoulsen1496
    @mortenpoulsen1496 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    I have said it before and I will again. What depth. Nuance and details.
    Impressive as always.

  • @Masada1911
    @Masada1911 ปีที่แล้ว +15

    I remember Indy touching on this topic briefly in the Prelude to War series you guys did back in 1914/2014. Its nice to it fleshed out a bit here.

    • @Dukeybookey
      @Dukeybookey 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Buddy weve been doing this stoo

  • @nielsenflemming2000
    @nielsenflemming2000 ปีที่แล้ว

    Great video. I've long known that the Balkan troubles were important to the start of the Great War. Never really bothered to look too much into it though. Very glad that this video gave me a quick and thorough look of the wars.

  • @dadanene1197
    @dadanene1197 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    It can not be coincidence that you pronounce most of the names as the native speakers do! Big admiration for this.

  • @Shadowkainine
    @Shadowkainine ปีที่แล้ว +23

    There is just something so incredibly fascinating about this era. We are fortunate to have you covering it!

    • @garretth8224
      @garretth8224 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      Imo war and genocide aren't fascinating. These things should be remembered to honor the dead, fascinating is an inappropriate term for this.

    • @user-th3nx6zj2f
      @user-th3nx6zj2f ปีที่แล้ว +4

      @@garretth8224 I don't think he meant war and genocide. Balkan people usually see this era as times of national awakening and revival.

  • @HistoryandWhiskey
    @HistoryandWhiskey ปีที่แล้ว +75

    You guys are really delivering outstanding content.

  • @scottcameron174
    @scottcameron174 ปีที่แล้ว

    This was incredibly well done. Hats off!

  • @flyingcow4194
    @flyingcow4194 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Great production value as usual
    I do miss the post-war month by month videos though

  • @Zogerpogger
    @Zogerpogger ปีที่แล้ว +114

    I love how these videos intersperce quotes which illustrate the horrors of war in between the wider explanation of political and military manuevers. I think a lot of channels fail to convey how terrible conflict is.

    • @P.L.D.
      @P.L.D. ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Exactly my words! And note how rich the vocabulary was among the people from the past although is translated.

    • @Zogerpogger
      @Zogerpogger ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@P.L.D. Indeed, people of the past were just as intelligent, eloquent and creative as we are today. A lot of ignorami think people from the past were un-intelligent, but really this opinion is a reflection of their deficiency.

  • @tinabraxton4906
    @tinabraxton4906 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Excellent video. I have always wondered about the complexities of this history. Thanks.

  • @apmoy70
    @apmoy70 ปีที่แล้ว +104

    The youngest NCO in the history of the Greek Army is Gerasimos Raftopoulos, a Kephallonia native, who at the age of 12 received a Mannlicher-Schönauer rifle as a gift for his bravery as an auxiliary in the 1st Balkan War, during the Battle of Sarantaporos in 1912. In the 2nd Balkan War, he was made POW in the Battle of Kilkis-Lachanas but he managed somehow to acquire a firegun, killed his three captors and on the way to the Greek lines, he found and helped a wounded Evzone. For his heroism he was field promoted to the rank of Corporal at the age of 13 on 28 August 1913

    • @aleksk4151
      @aleksk4151 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      lol his captors were probably sleeping or didn't use their hands?

    • @apmoy70
      @apmoy70 ปีที่แล้ว +16

      @@aleksk4151 Or underestimated him, he was a 13 yo boy after all

    • @aleksk4151
      @aleksk4151 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@apmoy70 Yeah right. A bit fictional but ok maybe the boy was trained to do such things

    • @goce7641
      @goce7641 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      At the age of 14, Geronimos Pederopoulos killed Superman and Batman on the same day

    • @aleksk4151
      @aleksk4151 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@goce7641 hahahaha

  • @user-fc1ep2xy7k
    @user-fc1ep2xy7k ปีที่แล้ว +174

    I'm Bulgarian, and the first Balkan War is one if not the most notorious wars in Bulgarian history after the liberation from the Ottoman Empire. First World War was also notorious, but this one had the peak of the desire for Bulgarian reunification. My family sent 4 men in total !! in this war. 3 of them come back alive. I hear stories passed from generations, stories from the trenches, stories of charges with knives, all that kinds of war things. When the mobilization was announced it was like a celebration, like Easter or Christmas. That's how strong was the Bulgarian willing to go to war with the Ottomans. 3 Years later in the First World War, we were allies, so yep history has strange plot twists

    • @goxyeagle8446
      @goxyeagle8446 ปีที่แล้ว +48

      Hello brother from Serbia. Our ancestors fought brave against Turks. But they didn't need second Balkan war..it's so sad and tragic which led to the conflict in ww1 as well. Two very similar nations that share almost same fate during history.

    • @apojhe1488
      @apojhe1488 ปีที่แล้ว

      İmagine being proud after living under control of Turks for 500 years and fight them when they fought all eruopeans and win. pathetic Balkans

    • @Genessyss
      @Genessyss ปีที่แล้ว +6

      funny how you bulgarians think it was the Russians who eliberated you from Turks when it was actually us Romanians that did it

    • @kostadinboev9255
      @kostadinboev9255 ปีที่แล้ว +35

      @@Genessyss give yourself a break, please. It was a combined effort of Bulgarians, Romanians and mostly Russian empire forces (that were full of non-Russians.) But what is even funnier is that this point has nothing to do with the comment above

    • @-unionforhelptothepoorpeople
      @-unionforhelptothepoorpeople ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@Genessyss russia never liberated us. They wanted to enslave. They are mongolian ghetto. The true name of russia is muskovi. In the west european archives they are named tatar muskovi. The most crazy thing is that they brutally enslaved us after 9th September 1944 and exterminated millions of Bulgarians and did not stop until 1989. They are the mongolians just like the turks. They are out biggest enemies. We still haven't got rid from russia they continue the genocide even today not directly using the schools and hospitals to kill us. One day we are going to get rid of them. They plan to destroy the european culture and white race!!!!

  • @657449
    @657449 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Thank you for the detailed explanation of the events leading to June 1914 and the Great War.

  • @morgan97475
    @morgan97475 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    Great video. I knew of the Balkan Wars of 1912-13, but not of the details you've provided.

  • @varovaro1967
    @varovaro1967 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    This Channel is part of my life!

  • @edwardmeade9439
    @edwardmeade9439 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Thank you for covering these historical details that I never learned about in history classes here in the US.

    • @justthetruth6896
      @justthetruth6896 ปีที่แล้ว

      WE Muslims are humans also. One must treat us like humans. It is nothing but the truth when i tell you that thousands and thousands of Bosniak women and young girls were RAPED In Bosnia ,during that aggression. It is nothing but the truth when i tell you that even my own kind ,Bosniak girls,hurt me,many of them,by calling me ugly when that isn’t my fault,played me and lied, well,i still feel bad because many were unlucky in the aggression. And please don’t worry,i come in peace and hate injustice-i love Serbian women/girls. Other horrible war crimes were also done to Bosnian Muslims. ( Bosniaks ).

    • @user-vi4zw6zu4c
      @user-vi4zw6zu4c ปีที่แล้ว

      Unfortunately, a lot of things are wrong. Straight up stuff that didn't happen

  • @anthonyryan30
    @anthonyryan30 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Thanks for this great doc and all your work.

  • @alexy590
    @alexy590 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    Great documentary as always. I have a question about the future. Will you make a documentary about the 1923 Klaipėda Revolt? Not exactly a huge event but it is somewhat directly related to WW1 (what happened to the territories Germany lost after the war, in this case Memel).

  • @paulallen9150
    @paulallen9150 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Great video. Thank you for sharing this with us.

  • @redcossack245
    @redcossack245 8 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Excellent reporting. Thank you for making this video. Very helpful.

  • @anthonyseta4566
    @anthonyseta4566 ปีที่แล้ว +12

    I love this channel. This particular pre-WW1 video and the several others, plus the various videos that the "The Great War" has prepared on the post-WW1 conflicts has greatly improved my understanding of this time period. In one form or another, I have read about all of these conflicts and these various battles and wars are stored across my cluttered bookshelves. But the shifting alliances, overt and covert political objectives and geographic ambitions of all belligerents... plus the goals of the Great Powers operating from the sidelines has proven to be quite a challenge to process. In my mind anyway... So I am always grateful to authors and production teams that can present these complex tapestries of events into a digestible and entertaining format. It's not easy to do. Thank you again The Great War! Very much appreciated.

  • @adastesting
    @adastesting ปีที่แล้ว +8

    really interesting, thx Jesse and team.

  • @michaelallport5816
    @michaelallport5816 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Magnificient site! Thank you for all the postings.

  • @RS-uh7rz
    @RS-uh7rz 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I need to learn more about this region and its history. Thanks for your excellent overview.

  • @georgios_5342
    @georgios_5342 ปีที่แล้ว +49

    Stratis Myrivilis also has written an excellent book about life in the trenches of the Macedonian front, it's called Η ζωή εν τάφω (Life in the grave)

    • @MegasKeratas
      @MegasKeratas ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Ευχαριστώ φίλε, θα το ψάξω.

  • @kyrgyzsanjar
    @kyrgyzsanjar ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Another excellent video from the greatest channel on TH-cam! You guys should do Netflix documentary series!

  • @HellenicWolf
    @HellenicWolf ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Fantastic work, thank you guys!

  • @mihailrangelov8343
    @mihailrangelov8343 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Great content! Thank you!

  • @oneshotme
    @oneshotme ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Enjoyed your video and I gave it a Thumbs Up

  • @MarcusML
    @MarcusML ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Greetings from Bulgaria! Well done video!

  • @sstarrgazerr142
    @sstarrgazerr142 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Great pronunciation of names and places all over Balkan, Jesse! Thank you!

  • @provocateur83
    @provocateur83 ปีที่แล้ว +30

    There was no mention of the two naval battles fought between Greece and the Ottomans neither of the capture of the eastern Aegean islands, which sealed off the ottoman navy and their reserves completely. You presented it as if the ottoman fleet didn't even try and fight.

    • @kornaros96
      @kornaros96 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      We have the uberchad Averof...

    • @matteus1035
      @matteus1035 หลายเดือนก่อน

      the reason why the Ottomans lost is the disagreement between the commanders

    • @matteus1035
      @matteus1035 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Barbaros Hayreddin's armour is better cope @@kornaros96

  • @brandonmejia7050
    @brandonmejia7050 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    An excellent documentary on a conflict that is not well known due to it taking place prior to The Great War. This video tells why the balkans were such a hot spot in Europe that help star the war

  • @alexandruursu3323
    @alexandruursu3323 ปีที่แล้ว

    Great stuff. Thanks for the amazing work.

  • @Mancheguache
    @Mancheguache 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Very well done - anyone studying this period at university - - it's a perfect go-to. Fantastic secondary sources, profound and makes you want to to further. Bravo

  • @Zogerpogger
    @Zogerpogger ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Yes! I've been waiting for the Great War to cover the Balkan Wars!

  • @nicholas2827
    @nicholas2827 ปีที่แล้ว +47

    My great grandfather came from Sparta to the U.S when he was 11. Went to fight in this war, according to my grandmother when he got his uniform it looked that was worn by someone else, and not properly washed as it was full of lice. He then on his return back the US with his wife, WW1 broke out. He enlisted again and survived. Different breed of men back then.

    • @blasphemergrc6794
      @blasphemergrc6794 ปีที่แล้ว

      Ellhnika milas ?

    • @joejankoski8471
      @joejankoski8471 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Yeah. I mean like it's not like there weren't US Service members who served 2, 3, or more tours in Iraq and Afghanistan over the past 20 years.

    • @MrPanos2000
      @MrPanos2000 ปีที่แล้ว +36

      @@joejankoski8471 2-3 semester long tours of sitting around and occasionally shooting children does not compare with a decade of continued enlistment and total warfare, like many men of 1910s experienced ...

    • @dushanovac
      @dushanovac 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Sparta? Sparta? Spartaaaa??????

  • @handlequeue
    @handlequeue ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Thank you! This was a Great video.

  • @zulubeatz1
    @zulubeatz1 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Jesse has a very engaging way of presenting these events. Enjoying this very much.

  • @RoboticDragon
    @RoboticDragon ปีที่แล้ว +16

    You guys do such an amazing job of explaining all the sides in a conflict. Nothing is ever black and white in war. Terrific video, about a very crucial period that is under reported in human history.

    • @julius43461
      @julius43461 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

      These conflicts were the closest thing to black and white you can imagine. Former slaves retaking their lands after centuries of occupation, while a smug Ottoman officer laments losing his slaves and promising a revenge.

  • @ilija1584
    @ilija1584 ปีที่แล้ว +39

    At that time Kingdom of Serbia was not at rivalry with Kingdom of Montenegro, they wanted to unite, those countrymen shared so much in common. Rivalry began after First world war, when both countries sacrificed their independence and merged into the Kingdom of SCS.
    Note*: What happened with the grandfather (who was also king) of newly baked king of Yugoslavia?

    • @milosav7314
      @milosav7314 ปีที่แล้ว

      Rivalry began with communism

    • @user-wg2yx1oo9i
      @user-wg2yx1oo9i ปีที่แล้ว +9

      They did not merge unto the kingdom of SCS(this was basically Bosnia,Croatia and Slovenia)they merged with the kingodm of SCS to make kingodm of Yugoslavia.
      Bigest mistake in Serbian history.
      Sve dobro ti zelim moj pravoslavni brate, nebitno da li si Crnogorac ili Srbin. Ja i dalje mislim da smo jedan narod sa dve drzave!

    • @ilijaspasojevic7031
      @ilijaspasojevic7031 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@user-wg2yx1oo9i Ни ја не волим када неко пише или говори како смо браћа са Црногорцима..Глупости, ми смо једно те исто, Срби! Браћа су нам, по вери: Грци, по крви остали Јужни Словени, а по крви, вери и као наши велики заштитници у прошлости, су нам велика браћа - Руси.. (ушли због нас у Први светски рат, пре тога нам помагали у толико ратова против Османског царства, а у Први светски рат нису морали ући, имали су око 4 милиона мртвих у Првом светском рату, око15 милиона у Грађанском рату, између Белих и Црвених Бољшевика, што се не би догодило да нису ЗБОГ НАС УШЛИ У ПРВИ СВЕТСКИ РАТ!).. изгубили су због тога Империју, имали 73 године комунизма и на десетине милиона побијених од стране комуниста+још 30 милина побијених у Другом светском рату!!/I also don't like it when someone writes or says that we are brothers with Montenegrins...Nonsense, we are one and the same, Serbs! They are our brothers, by faith: Greeks, by blood the rest of the South Slavs, and by blood, faith and as our great protectors in the past, they are our big brothers - the Russians.. (they entered the First World War because of us, before that they helped us in so many wars against the Ottoman Empire, and they did not have to enter the First World War, they had about 4 million dead in the First World War, about 15 million in the Civil War, between the White and Red Bolsheviks, which would not have happened if they had not entered the First World War BECAUSE OF US WORLD WAR!).. because of that they lost the Empire, had 73 years of communism and tens of millions killed by the communists + another 30 million killed in the Second World War!!

    • @vladimirdosen6677
      @vladimirdosen6677 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      That's why I don't like these videos. They are never accurate.

  • @jdspainful
    @jdspainful 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

    New favorite history channel. Thank you!

  • @wadejustanamerican1201
    @wadejustanamerican1201 ปีที่แล้ว

    Always great content, thank you.

  • @spanordschleifeenjoyer
    @spanordschleifeenjoyer ปีที่แล้ว +19

    Cool video but I would like to mention that relationship between Serbia and Montenegro was portrayed a bit wrong, Its wrong to say that we were rivals since we are basically one nation divided by Ottomans at the time, one more thing id like to mention is that "Sandzak and Novi Pazar" should be called "Raska oblast" other then that pretty cool video well done.

  • @constantius4654
    @constantius4654 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    Yet another completely brilliant historical analysis from Jesse Alexander and the 'The Great War.' Who would not choose to take a history degree at university. It is something which enriches one's entire life. Thank you so much. Love from England.

    • @bojanbabovic111
      @bojanbabovic111 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      its not.

    • @thenamescarter8279
      @thenamescarter8279 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@bojanbabovic111 whats wrong with the vid bruv

    • @bojanbabovic111
      @bojanbabovic111 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@thenamescarter8279 every thing

    • @thenamescarter8279
      @thenamescarter8279 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@bojanbabovic111 some detail and sources would be nice. This youtube channel is known for its great research of objective fact and how it finds niche or not very well known personal accounts of events to get the peoples' opinions of the time. You cant just say "blahblah dont like it".

    • @bojanbabovic111
      @bojanbabovic111 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@thenamescarter8279 It is not objective. Why should i write anything for an hour at midnight, when all of it will be censored. If i let out key censored words, i'll be missing the point.

  • @pomodorino1766
    @pomodorino1766 ปีที่แล้ว

    What an amazing channel! Thanks for your videos!

  • @christinasuozzo
    @christinasuozzo ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I love your channel. I’m learning so much I was never taught in school

  • @extrahistory8956
    @extrahistory8956 ปีที่แล้ว +17

    Surprise! Looks like yet another incredible The Great War upload.

  • @d-phoenix2198
    @d-phoenix2198 ปีที่แล้ว +28

    Great timing since tomorrow marks 110 years since the surrender of Salonika. Superb job as always!

    • @gj5679
      @gj5679 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      The liberation of Thessaloniki is on the 26th of October .

    • @d-phoenix2198
      @d-phoenix2198 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@gj5679 Yes indeed however the agreement of its surrender was made several days prior to the official event. Just watch that part of the vid.

    • @gj5679
      @gj5679 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@d-phoenix2198 The general that surrendered the city became an honorary Greek after the incident .

    • @d-phoenix2198
      @d-phoenix2198 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@gj5679 Yeah I have visited the grave of Hasan Pasha a couple years ago. It's in the yard of the Villa the surrender was signed. His son actually followed our army during the Anatolian campaign making most of the popular Greek Army paintings of that period. He is also buried along with his father in that yard.

  • @luizfernandolessa1889
    @luizfernandolessa1889 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Agradecido pelo trabalho em trazer o que parece ser, um dos estopins das grandes guerras. Saudações do Brasil, e vou me inscrever.

  • @McIntyreBible
    @McIntyreBible ปีที่แล้ว +2

    A helpful explanation on the conflict that ultimately led to World War I.

  • @emil_rainbow
    @emil_rainbow ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Superb breakdown.

  • @rocksandoil2241
    @rocksandoil2241 ปีที่แล้ว +13

    I knew a man named CHris Petcoff who fled to America as a stowaway when his Army was overrun. He was only 14 or so but in the Army of Bulgaria.

    • @user-th3nx6zj2f
      @user-th3nx6zj2f 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Yes. The people of Bulgaria would volunteer to mobilize with no regard for their age, because they believed in the Liberation and the Unification of all the Bulgarians.

  • @lawrencetaylor4101
    @lawrencetaylor4101 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Merci for this. Very informative.

  • @dinke19
    @dinke19 ปีที่แล้ว

    Great video, thanks a lot for creating it.

  • @martinlacouline2049
    @martinlacouline2049 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Outstanding content. But would someone explain to me why he says at the end "The only TH-cam History Channel still tongue-tied after this episode"?

  • @godemperadorlgabrielaquino
    @godemperadorlgabrielaquino ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Me encantan estos vídeos tan bien desarrollados, se hizo un excelente trabajo, felicitaciones, y muchas gracias, saludos desde la República Argentina 🇦🇷.

  • @JosephDungee
    @JosephDungee 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    This was an EXCELLENT Documentary on the Origins of "The Great War"

  • @KA-jm2cz
    @KA-jm2cz ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I hope this publisher can do more content about single events or battles in Balkan conflicts. They are important part of European near history and it is grim story. If you do I make some cevapcici and watch them.