My Great-grandfather told me storys about the war in russia. He was serving in the winter of 1941 in a heavy MG-squad. They were a few kilometers away from moscau when the russian winter-offensive started. So the built up their MG-38 in a church tower and kept shooting for houres. The killed dozends of young russians and the man, shooting the MG, started crying and was beggin them to stop storming forward. My great-grandfather told me this story and said: "This war did not only kill humans, it killed humanity itself."
“Studying history and making genuine attempts at empathy helps us to grapple with the complexity of the world not as we wish it were but as we find it.” This is why I love John Green.
Imagine how much time we would save if John Green was our history teacher. He teaches in 13 minutes what our teachers teaches us in like 2 weeks. 😔🤦♀️
Your message about the empathy to all people involved in conflict (and bomb dropping on Hiroshima and Nagasaki) is something that I take from this video. We have it in our every day's life - judging and forgetting what everything is included in the decision making. And eventually the easiest solution is to hate each other.
My grandfather was a US soldier on Okinawa when the bombs were dropped. He said that he and his men were shocked and felt it was unnecessary. I never got the chance to ask him in comparison about what they felt about the bombings of Tokyo and other cities that had already happened.
+Kennedy Peterson Wilson created the league but congress didn't allow it to pass in the U.S. because they feared it would infringe on U.S. capabilities.
US: Ay, I got a cool idea of a club guiz. Called the league of nations. Other nations: Cool, lemme in on dis. US: K, see you next Monday. Next Monday Other nations: Yo, where were you? Had to miss the football game for this : l US: Jk, it's just a prank bro. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) Other nations: (-_-)
Pretty much the same reason why the US won't ratify the Geneva convention, we want to still be allowed to use torture and we want to be able to wage war whenever with whoever without having to deal with the UN.
As a history student, I was prepared to be angry at how these complex ethical issues were dealt with in such a short video. I do, however, readily tip my hat off to you Mr. Green and the Crash Course team. This was brilliant. :)
I have watched countless documentaries and read articles about WWII, but this is the first I've heard of the US firebombing Tokyo. Thanks for teaching me something new, even if it is incredibly horrifying.
5:19 Fun fact: the one member of Congress to vote against war with Japan was Representative Jeannette Rankin of Montana, who said of her decision, "As a woman I can't go to war, and I refuse to send anyone else".
Idiotic considering Japan had literally attacked and declared war. I am anti-war, but there is a limit, and her logic would have meant rolling over until the world was under tyranny.
Brilliant ending monologue, John! I enjoy a "love/hate" fascination with the subject of history. Thanks to you and your team for presenting a brilliant as well as entertaining series!
We Brits do celebrate the end of WWII and to get over your dating issue, we celebrate VE (Victory in Europe) and VJ (Victory in Japan) day respectively. Love your work BTW.
We may not celebrate the end of WWII, but it kind of coincides with Memorial Day. That's where all of the wars are "celebrated" by remembering the dead.
“Studying history and making genuine attempts at empathy help us to grapple with the complexity of the world not as we wish it were but as we find it.”
CoachEgg I'm taking APUSH next year (school got out today) and watching these as a side tool. Good for the basics but to light on the details that will be critical for the APUSH exams
Long time viewer, short time subscriber, and first time commenter: just wanted to say I really appreciated the gentle and empathetic writing at the close of this episode. Thank you for the great shows.
I am Japanese, and I grow up in Japan for a long time, but currently I am in US. I had never learned ww2 in Japan because it is too sensitive and we did not have time to finish up so it needs to rush up. I found out my great grandfather was killed by atomic bomb in Hiroshima. He needed to be in Military because he got a letter from the government to be a solider even through he was 40. That's why he was in Hiroshima. Everywhere in my grandfather's city (it's a capital of rural province) was burned by firebombing. My grandfather took care his family without his parents since 12 yrs old. I am proud of him, and I finally understand why he disagree with the idea that sending me to us. I am so glad to hear the comment about atomic bomb, it actually makes sense. By the way, in Japan, we have learned about atomic bomb and peace since we are young. I really hope that the world can stay in peaceful. no more atomic bomb.
John Green and CrashCourse always have such poignant and beautiful things for their listeners/watchers/readers to take away with them, even when discussing such atrocities. Looking at the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and asking us to look at these events with empathy, and empathy for all parties, is a way of thinking that is truly awesome.
The "British" were NEVER alone in WW2. Canada, Australia, NZ, India, etc. etc. etc. The "British Empire" was not England Alone as so many Americans believed it to be.
Nor was the "British Empire" which was British, just England. The UK is England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Not just England. And some people classify the Commonwealth and the Empire as 'Britain' in WW2. In any respect, all nations who stood by the UK during that time period did their part and their commitment will never be forgotten.
James060394 You are right of course and I presumed - perhaps wrongly - that most people realized that the term "British" referred to the four countries that make up "Britain". As a Canadian that has regularly been to Scotland and England the respect of the people for the contribution of our sons and daughters is still fresh and appreciated. It must be said that the people of the French coast also continue to show respect and appreciation for our soldiers. It is a shame that more people - especially in some parts of North America - don't truly understand their own history.
"The opportunity of studying history is the opportunity to experience empathy." This is the reason I stay intrigued and entertained in my APUSH lectures, despite most of my peers finding the class incredibly boring. I want to know why people do the things they do (because everything is done for a reason, right or wrong), and the only way to truly understand that is to practice radical empathy, by educating myself of the culture and trying to figure out feelings of people in the time. Thank you John Green (and my current history teacher), for not just teaching the facts, but also providing a deeper opportunity for thinking with every lesson.
Island hopping: The strategy by which the american military sought to dominate the Pacific. Also how the soldier fights in TF2. Except with teleporters and a shovel
Interesting to see an American view of WW2. In the Netherlands we learn a very Netherlands-centered view of the war, for some obvious reasons. Still I feel like it's always interesting how other European countries learn about WW2, and an American view is also definitely interesting. Thanks again for a great video! :)
Possibly, the nukes in Hiroshima and Nagasaki did save humankind. Just look at a video in which Oppenheimer says his famous quote. There is a certain awe towards this kind of destruction and that may be why the cold war stayed cold. I believe that it's not so important to judge the people who used this weapon but rather learn not to repeat their mistakes by understanding what they learned.
I think the last minute of this video is pure gold. In deed, "there is no answer to be found". I truly appreciate John's (mostly) balanced reflections, not matter how unconventional they first sound.
+Tatsuya Nebula she actually lost her spot in Congress bc she voted against enetering WW1...but was re-elected just in time to vote against WW2, hahaha
***** Why should I shut up? I'm expressing a valid point that has the backing of actual historians. From Stalingrad on, the Nazis had no more significant victories. Their war turned into a defensive one and their morale had dropped. The battle of Stalingrad also proved that the Nazis were not invincible, as they were perceived to be this way prior to Stalingrad despite such allied victories at the battle of El Alamein. Do you always trust Crash Course as being 100% factual?
BiggestATLAfan Before you climb on your high horse - there is a reply missing. So you are missing some context. My original reply to you was, iirc, Stalingrad was not the beginning of the end. The beginning of the end was the Soviet victory at Moscow paired with the British victory in the Atlantic. Stalingrad was a huge battle with unbelievable loss of life but it was not particularly decisive.
We can argue all we want about the ethics of the atomic bombs, but how many of us would have the courage that Truman had to give that order, knowing he would have to live with his decision for the rest of his life. And for the rest of time
At that time, to order the first nuke strike would've probably taken mental and moral bravery. I'd imagine some involved felt their soul died a bit seeing what they had done. Nowadays though, America's been declaring war left right front and centre for almost every reason by Tom, Dick and Harry. It boggles the mind...
naasiroow Perhaps I've phrased it wrongly. It's not bravery in a straightforward sense, but the knowledge of what burden he would carry to his grave and the guts to still go through with it. 70 thousand people mostly civilians, women and children, died under his direct order in an instant. Their blood is forever on his head till the end of days. If anything, it's something to respect. Not everyone can shoulder that kind of burden for the rest of their lives, especially when said deed is supposed to 'save' more lives than it took.
Rworld Respect is dubious, but it's certtainly something to feel sorry for. Truman had to live with the knowledge he had unleashed a monster (The A-bomb) and as said before, it would be no surprise if those men in the Enola Gay were dead inside by the end of it.
GohanLSSJ2 Although, when the question ''was it a hard decision to make'' was asked, Truman answered that it was not, and that he made the decision ''just like that'', the answer accompanied by him snapping his fingers before the interviewer. And he was interviewed by an acclaimed historian, for a book on Pacific War, so it was a rather serious discussion. As for the crew of Enola Gay, their first reaction was shock, their second reaction were ecstatic cheers (not on the account of the dead Japanese, but because they believed that they had won the war with their action), and only after that did they start to think of the people on the ground. And members of the crew did not have some grand philosophical insights into what they did; they viewed it as just another war mission, albeit more significant than their previous ones. And Tibbets, the pilot who flew the plane (it bears the name of his mother), was famous for saying ''I sleep clearly every night.''
"plans were underway for the largest operation of the Pacific War, Operation Downfall, the invasion of Japan."..."Casualty predictions varied widely, but were extremely high. The Vice Chief of the Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff, Vice Admiral Takijirō Ōnishi, predicted up to 20 million Japanese deaths." I think it was better to drop the bombs.
Rick Apocalypse and if you read into the bombings the us dropped flyers to civs that said that there were going to be bombings look it up and it is also brought upon in the book unbroken the reason why civs did not leave was because japans military took the flyers or civs thought that japan was winning the war sadly war is hell people get caught in the cross fires every war has civ deaths its one of those things nobody can stop so if you ask me it was justified before even more people got killed
+Rick Apocalypse Bomb* The second bomb was unnecessary. They were gonna surrender anyways. The US could have just warned that a second one would be dropped if they didn't cooperate and by then, even before the bombs, they were already thinking of surrender.
JBroAC That's not what I've read. I read that after the first bomb, the emperor wanted to surrender, but the generals didn't want to because they thought America only had 1 bomb. Yes, the US could have warned them, but they would have seen as a bluff.
Watching your videos make school so much easier for me . Instead of studying I watch your videos and I remember things better than I used to. Also you are very entertaining , which is why I remember things better . I also want to thank you and Hank for making learning fun. By the way I can't wait to see The Fault In Our Stars on June 6th , I read the book and it was amazing and so was Paper Towns and Looking For Alaska
I don't feel that the Atomic Bombings are what we should be morally concerned with. Even by exaggerated estimates, both atomic bombs only killed 300,000 people at the most by their direct cause and theirs alone. The firebombing raids killed as many as 3 times what the Atomic bombs did, 900,000 Japanese soldiers and citizens. The Atomic bombs are ultimately dwarfed by the Air raids. This isn't to justify the bombings, but merely to provide insight that we should be more concerned about bombings in general than Nuclear warfare alone.
***** The people who were killed instantly were around 140,000, the total people killed including long term is 260,000, grossly exaggerated estimates are at 300,000. The firebombs burned people to death, smothered them, choked them. Even including long term deaths, the Firebombs greatly outweigh the Atomic bombings.
There's also the matter that Hiroshima and Nagasaki were major military targets. Hiroshima was the headquarters and communications hub for the defense of the entirety of Southern Japan, including Kyushu where we were planning our initial invasion entry. Nagasaki was a major industrial center churning out ordnance and ships for the war.
People have previously had this same debate about the machine gun. The first uses were so devastating and unfair that many considered it a war crime. The atomic bomb is a terrible thing, but it's use by the United States doesn't make them "evil" or "terrorists" as I have read so many times in recent years.
I need to correct you there. The invasion of Japan was estimated to cost 1 million american troops their lives and 10 million Japanese civilians theirs.
Cody Maranto mostly because Japanese citizens were told to defend the island at all costs as they had done in the islandhopping campaign. American casualties were so high because EVERYONE was a combatant, not just soldiers.
+Ivan Chen because truman and roosevelt repeatedly asked stalin for help. Up to the invasion itself both Japan and the USSR observed strict neutrality towards each other. It was only at Potsdam that the terms for a Soviet invasion of japanese territory was agreed on.
If we had invaded Japan, an estimated 500,000-700,000 lives could have been lost. Going off a liberal estimate, the atomic bombs killed 250,000 people. The higher-ups made a tough decision, and in the end, it saved lives.
This is absolute brilliance. This channel is amazing. I will certainly spread the word to others looking for answers with respect to the history of mankind. Thank you.
From what I heard, Japan's surrender wasn't because of nuclear bombs, but rather because of Russian's invasion... and the Japanese government by that time doesn't care at all about the bomb in Nagasaki.
You heard wrong, they both contributed to Japan's surrender. Also Hirohito mentioned the atomic (not nuclear) bombs specifically in his surrender speech.
swatson 999 Well... it was said that Hirohito admitted that nuclear weapon caused him to surrender is because it's more favorable. The article that I read said, "Which do you think is more favorable? Admitting to your people that you lost the war because you miscalculated, or saying the enemy's unexpected superweapon beats you?"
Perhaps he mentioned the bomb to save face, but it certainly contributed to his decision to surrender. You stated originally it didn't factor into his decision.
Here we go! The new season of Mystery Document! John Green comes off of a 10-6 season, but lost in the Wild Card round. However, he finished two wins better than the first 16 videos, where he went 8-8. However, we only have 13 videos (counting this one) left in the series, so the regular season will be 10 videos long, the last 3 for the playoffs.
I think regular bombing was still worse due to its frequent inaccuracies. My grandfather was a Czech partisan who met Paton. They watched American bombers destroy a Czech village just after my grandfather and some others reported that there were no Germans in the village. Only Czech citizens. Paton ordered no pilots to ever land in Czechoslovakia because A) Americans were supposed to leave the country to the USSR and B) because the Czechs would have killed the pilots for their mistakes on sight. My 11th grade history teacher, apparently like many others, didn't know Paton had disobeyed orders and invaded Czechoslovakia.
Mathew Willis Shit, I forgot to hit T twice. Or I typed too fast. I don't remember. Thanks for spell checkin' for me. Anyway, yes, I'm aware both admirals and generals have certain freedoms to make judgements, and act in what way they feel is best. And every political and military leader involved in any war can arguably be considered a war criminal, depending on whose side you're on and which country you live in. G Bush for example is very arguably a war criminal. But all USA forces, in WWII, were given specific orders to leaver specific countries to be "liberated" by the USSR. My grandfather heard Patton basically say fuck the president, I'm ready to fight the communists next, and to push them back into Russia. Truman phoned Patton personally and told him to get the fuck out of Czechoslovakia immediately. Patton then obeyed. But hey, if anyone feels the need to be defensive, don't bother. I judge neither Patton nor Truman. Just neutrally sharing some history I learned from a primary source that not many know.
override367 Oh, he was a major shit-bag, but he was *really* good at killing Nazi's, I think of him like an attack dog. Also after the whole slapping indecent he was very accommodating to shell-shocked soldiers. (Flies away on depressed and self-judgmental bald eagle that is *very* sorry for America being an asshole)
Tony Bjornson Hey, I am a Czech, so I think I have a few things to say about. I can understand the feelings of your grandparents, if they were anti-communist exiles (as I suppose), but the Nazi rule can't be really compared with the later communist period. During the ww2 the Czech lands were occupied by a brutal foreign power, which destroyed our independent state and was willing to massacre whole villages in order to punish the Czech population. On the other hand, the Soviet armies were seen as liberators and the communist regime started only 3 years after the end of the war and was always "indigenous", even though it was politically dependent on the USSR. Even during the 70s and 80s after the invasion of Warsaw pact armies, it wasn't comparable at all with situation during the war. The Communist regime was oppressive, yes, but not like the Nazi one.
That alleged order by Patton for US pilots not to land in Czechoslovakia because Czechs could kill them is very odd. Maybe in some places which had been just bombed some enraged people would have attacked them, but the Americans were still seen as allies and liberators by Czechs (ethnic Germans who were living here are a different issue, of course), and there weren't really that many bombings of civilian targets in the Czech territory during the war, especially in comparison in Germany.
The use of atomic bombs in Nagasaki and Hiroshima did not end war in the pacific theatre. The japanese were still prepared to fight at that point. It was the announcement that the USSR would enter the pacific theater that made the japanese surrender, or so I have been told.
Liberal Smiter, If you want to have an open dialogue about history and contemplate its many interpretations do so. But don't be an insulting nuisance. Its not an uncommon interpretation. "In recent years, however, a new interpretation of events has emerged. Tsuyoshi Hasegawa - a highly respected historian at the University of California, Santa Barbara - has marshaled compelling evidence that it was the Soviet entry into the Pacific conflict, not Hiroshima and Nagasaki, that forced Japan’s surrender. His interpretation could force a new accounting of the moral meaning of the atomic attack. It also raises provocative questions about nuclear deterrence, a foundation stone of military strategy in the postwar period. And it suggests that we could be headed towards an utterly different understanding of how, and why, the Second World War came to its conclusion." www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2011/08/07/why_did_japan_surrender/
***** Liberal Smiter, If you want to have an open dialogue about history and contemplate its many interpretations do so. But don't be an insulting nuisance. Its not an uncommon interpretation. "In recent years, however, a new interpretation of events has emerged. Tsuyoshi Hasegawa - a highly respected historian at the University of California, Santa Barbara - has marshaled compelling evidence that it was the Soviet entry into the Pacific conflict, not Hiroshima and Nagasaki, that forced Japan’s surrender. His interpretation could force a new accounting of the moral meaning of the atomic attack. It also raises provocative questions about nuclear deterrence, a foundation stone of military strategy in the postwar period. And it suggests that we could be headed towards an utterly different understanding of how, and why, the Second World War came to its conclusion." www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2011/08/07/why_did_japan_surrender/
People should realise that the atomic bombs were not what made Japan quit. It was actually the advancing Soviet Union army from the north-west that made them quit.
The Island hopping strategy wasn't about taking fortified island bases one at a time. It was about bypassing overly fortified Japanese islands. Then containing those islands so those Japanese troops were of no further consequence. Yes islands under reasonable Japanese control were taken, but "Island Hopping" was about playing leapfrog. Giving overly defended islands no choice but to whither on the vine.
I don't want hear anything about a moral component when someone kills 2,000 of your people out of nowhere. The U.S. could've taken the world with that power but showed tremendous restraint.
6:53 American troops did not participate in any defeat of Rommel in North Africa. It seems the person who wrote this did not know that Rommel was recalled and replaced as commander of the German forces in the theater. In fact, at the Battle of Kasserine Pass en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Kasserine_Pass Rommel soundly defeated American troops. That was the first contact with the Germans for Americans, and their only encounter with Rommel in Africa. 7:25 The "beginning of the end of the Nazis" was the Battle of Kursk. No event on the western front can be described as having been a "turning point" in some way. 8:50 The Germans had a very decent chance to with the war all the way until their defeat at Stalingrad and the general disastrous failure of their 1942 offensive in the USSR. They did *not* automatically "not have a chance" simply by having started fighting the Russians and the Americans. They could very well have won the war in Russia which would generally have made them impervious to US efforts - at least until much much later, and possibly for good.
I'd argue that D-Day was actually the beginning of the end for the Nazis. If we didn't create another front I believe the Germans would have been able to stabilize the eastern front. I do agree that none of the western allies caused a turning point, we only ensured that Germany wouldn't be able to recover any territory they lost. This is only my judgment though so I don't know how much you'll care but is a different perspective if you want to pay attention.
lenrat117 there were many factors that caused the Germans to lose the war. I would say a big one was the incredible amount of money they spent on "super" weapons. In today's terms, hitler spent over 500B on the development of the V2 which would have meant success had they had them early in the war, but with their late arival meant they were just a financial drain.
lenrat117 The war would probably have lasted another year at most. By June 1944 (after Kursk which was their last desperate gamble) the Germans certainly had no chance for victory against the Soviets. As for "stabilizing" the front, they did "stabilize" it many times, only to later have their front bombed out of existence by Soviet firepower and swiftly breached.. there was no stopping the Soviets. Moscow was the check, Stalingrad was the turning point, Kursk was the beginning of the end.
dIRECT0R With american suply, there would be no counter ovensive. The only reasource The USSR had left was people. And throwing people with no guns at the Nazis didn't work out that well in 41/42.
Jenny Penny not that i agree, but remember around 4 minutes in this video John says a group called America First cautioned against involvement in ww2- in hindsight, its a good thing America got involved when it did!
Im currently taking a US History 2 college course, and I always watch an episode of CrashCourse that relates the textbook chapter before I read it. John Green and his crew have been a staple of my success! I have have received a 100% twice on my Exams of the Gilded Age and the Progressive Eras. Im about to take our 3rd exam that covers the Great Depression, New Deal and WW2, and I feel ready, in part to CrashCourse. After I subscribe to CC, how do I send money to Mr. Green and his crew? Seriously.
Who else here is watching this because schools shut down due to COVID19, and now you have to do all your learning online even though no one in your county is infected but the goddamn governor decided to close everything down and now your bored to death living off of chips as you slowly get through all the work you have to do for the day and oh god when will this all be over?
@Kalynn Whitt True to an extent, however schools are a ripe place for the disease to spread and whilst younger generations may not be harmed, they can pass it onto their grandparents. Though admitedly, the uproar around it is indeed excessive.
I wouldn't say "no one in your country is infected". As of March 3rd, there were 144,732 people infected and at least 2,527 people have died from it. The cases in the U.S have exceeded the number of cases in China, which, as you'll know if you've been watching the news, is the country of origin of COVID-19.
@Kalynn Whitt you need to pay attention to the news more. The virus is changing, there are people who are showing symptoms that we didn't know about before, like losing sense of taste, smell, and symptoms like stomach flu, and heart problems. There are cases like that in New York and Taiwan. Further more, originally the virus harms your lungs making it difficult to breathe, and those are permanent damages, and now the virus has evolved to a point where it'll harm your brain. Do your research before saying that a virus that can do permanent damages to your body "not as bad as people think".
I'm certain John knows the superficial prescriptions of English grammar, but he also evidently knows and prefers the deep and subtle laws of English style.
thank God for John Green and his willingness to teach me the night before my world War II test. because let's face it, I am not reading my APUSH book tonight. thanks John!
My great grandfather served in the coast guard during WWII, and my Uncle Chris’s grandfather served in military and help liberated France during D-day🇺🇸✝️
We do celebrate May 8th as the end of WWII in Algeria, we just o it a different way, in May 8th after France promised us independance along other French colonies if we fought with them in WWII, and as Algerian people celebrated the End of WWII and a possible independance the French military shot and killed over 45000 unarmed civilians in the Massacres of May 8th. That horrible act by the French would cause the war for independance years later, but France till this day didn't confess of the war crimes they did here and all over their colonies
C'est dommage. Mon pere m'a raconté comment les Francais, et toutes les puissances qui prenaient partie a la guerre sauf l'Allemagne et les États-Unis utilisiaient des soldats des colonies, et ensuite ont prit toute la gloire. Cette guerre a été gagnée par le colonies, et non les puissances.
Gaming sentry You realize that they had planned the attack on Pearl Harbor over and over right? they fake ambassadors to DC to distract the Americans with the thought of peace, then we're instructed to give the us govt a letter at exactly 1:00 pm DC time (7:00 AM Honolulu time) that peace had failed and a state of war existed. They began attacking pearl harbor, Guam, The Philippines, and Wake island on the same day. (And they were going to attack the us anyway, bc we had troops already stationed in China and guarding the Philippines stationed there, and these two areas were part of Japan's East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere idea (rule over all of East Asia , micronesia, and mellonesia that expanded to Australia bc they got greedy). They signed their pact with Germany bc Germany just took Paris, and France owned Indichina (Vietnam & Laos), )
Hi I'm a French student who has always seen the WWII from an European pov and I just don't understand why Japan attacked the US? I have an exam of american civilization tomorrow if only someone could help meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee by the way I really hated history..... until today you're the best teacher I've ever seen!!! I didn't know it was possible to laugh while listening to a history course ahahaha
I love how you didn't even mention the fact that Canada was in the war from the start, fighting along side the British army. Also many American news outlets blocked Canadian reports of the war.
Maybe he will when they tackle... Canadian History!? We know John Green and company love Canada, so why not? Also, didn't the Nazis bombed some parts of Canada after taking over Greenland?
GohanLSSJ2 To answer your question... No. The closest the Nazi's ever came to Canada was when they managed to get a sub all the way up the St. Laurence river BUT for some strange reason they turned around and left. To this day, nobody knows why. Funny little side note. Of all the ww1 memorials Hitler had destroyed there was one that he insisted be protected... The "Vimmy Ridge" memorial; Dedicated to the Canadian who fought and died to achieve victory over insurmountable odds.
Huh... I guess even the Nazis love Canada in the end... Damn, that place sure is popular! Must be the awesome flag (Totally not identical (bar the symbol in the center) to the flag of my native Peru, no sir!). Or maybe it's because they were the only ones in 150 years (until Vietnam came in) who managed to make the U.S.-Americans get kicked back home.
Actually Canada didn't use the maple leaf until 1967. Before that, we used a British colonial flag "the red ensign" www.flagforcanada.ca/images/img-redensign03s.gif
Small correction at 5:25. America declared war on Japan on Dec. 8th. Germany declared war on 'Merica on Dec. 11th. Not a big deal but it was not the day after. Note to John... really well said regarding the A-bombs. You have made one of the best and most coherent arguments about the use of the bombs that I have heard. I love that you actually take into consideration the feelings of the men and women in '45. Most who argue for or against do not. Well done!
Woodrow Wilson: Hey guys, if we don't band together with other Nations there might be another World War Congress: Nah Bro, MURICA' 1939:.... Congress: Bruh
the ending was beast; "the opportunity of history is to experience empathy...grapping the complexity of the world, not as what we wish it were but as we would find it"
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The Soviet invasion of Manchuria at the same time as the atomic bombings and its effects on Japanese ability to continue the war should also be mentioned. The Japanese attempted to make contact with the US command for a surrender between the Soviet capture of Port Arthur and the Nagasaki bombing but the US command deliberately ignored the messages until after the second nuke was dropped.
They did...that is what I am saying. They refused any occupation of the Tokyo and refused to let their emperor go. They made this claim multiple times in 1945. So to help slide the deal in favor to the United States we vaporized two cities and made a threat to drop a 3rd one on the imperial palace.
Daniel Eyre Another point to make is that Japan did not really believe America had the capabilities to make a second bomb because of just how destructive it was. That was one main reason they did not give up after the first bomb. They called our bluff and we put down 4 aces. Or would that be 2 aces?
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***** Yahahahaha! I have proven the facts I have stated with evidence. I merely stated these facts to correct an incorrect popular history stated in this video. There is no competition as to which side committed the worst atrocities or whatever. That salient fact is that the Japanese began peace feelers after the Soviets stormed into Manchuria which were deliberately not acknowledged by the Allies. I have not passed any cheap, moralistic judgement calls on "right or wrong". And the Potsdam declaration is not even relevant. Do try and harden-up sweetheart *headpat*.
Can we all just appreciate that, according to my History teacher, during the Winter War of 1939 Finland managed to defeat the Soviet Union because while the Soviet Union used tanks that got stuck in 25+ feet of snow, Finland used skis. Apparently Finland discovered they were pretty good skiers thanks to the Olympics. I can't remember who was invading who (I think USSR invaded Finland) but the image that conjures in my mind is hilarious. History is either obscenely boring or awesome.
"The opportunity of studying history is the opportunity to experience empathy." (12:33)
This history nerd's new favorite quote.
+Juliette Myers And today is mine too...
It's a good quote and you ought to appreciate it
July Myers you’re a jerk
+Ben Willerth uh, why do you say that?
July Myers OMG YESSSSSS
My Great-grandfather told me storys about the war in russia. He was serving in the winter of 1941 in a heavy MG-squad. They were a few kilometers away from moscau when the russian winter-offensive started. So the built up their MG-38 in a church tower and kept shooting for houres. The killed dozends of young russians and the man, shooting the MG, started crying and was beggin them to stop storming forward. My great-grandfather told me this story and said: "This war did not only kill humans, it killed humanity itself."
War, war never changes
My great grandpa was in wwll so maybe they met
For which army was he fighting? My Great grandfather and the brtish soilders who captures him on D-Day became really good friends
+BARTMAN GER my great grandfather was a Filipino naval officer
+BARTMAN GER Thus the origin of the saying ,"War is hell".
there is no other way to put it.
“Studying history and making genuine attempts at empathy helps us to grapple with the complexity of the world not as we wish it were but as we find it.”
This is why I love John Green.
never thought i would be taught history by the dude who wrote the fault in our stars -_-
did he?!?
+Zound Feather yeah
+Zound Feather yea lol
+DerpAndPro really!??? didn't know
You can't believe a best selling author is educating people? Get a grip
ah, i remember when the history channel was about history 1987-2004 R.I.P.
+Jacob Cooley 1 LIKE = 1 PRAYER
Jacob Cooley what about the dogfight show in somewhere around 2010
i remember when no one cared because thats right now
aliens
Matthew Bisciotti ah shut heck up you know you miss those days
Imagine how much time we would save if John Green was our history teacher. He teaches in 13 minutes what our teachers teaches us in like 2 weeks. 😔🤦♀️
Daamnnn, you right, mate.
That is true
It's easy to say that after your teacher taught it, try watching about a topic you don't know about.
@@vlogsbyrow Clearly you've never seen a single Vsauce video
Your message about the empathy to all people involved in conflict (and bomb dropping on Hiroshima and Nagasaki) is something that I take from this video. We have it in our every day's life - judging and forgetting what everything is included in the decision making. And eventually the easiest solution is to hate each other.
My grandfather was a US soldier on Okinawa when the bombs were dropped. He said that he and his men were shocked and felt it was unnecessary. I never got the chance to ask him in comparison about what they felt about the bombings of Tokyo and other cities that had already happened.
I think its hilarious that the U.S. created The League of Nations and didn't even join lol
+Kennedy Peterson Wilson created the league but congress didn't allow it to pass in the U.S. because they feared it would infringe on U.S. capabilities.
+Kennedy Peterson That is pretty funny actually
US: Ay, I got a cool idea of a club guiz. Called the league of nations.
Other nations: Cool, lemme in on dis.
US: K, see you next Monday.
Next Monday
Other nations: Yo, where were you? Had to miss the football game for this : l
US: Jk, it's just a prank bro. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Other nations: (-_-)
omg i see similarities with league of nations and the european union except Britain joined it, and now british sovereignty no longer exists
Pretty much the same reason why the US won't ratify the Geneva convention, we want to still be allowed to use torture and we want to be able to wage war whenever with whoever without having to deal with the UN.
As a history student, I was prepared to be angry at how these complex ethical issues were dealt with in such a short video. I do, however, readily tip my hat off to you Mr. Green and the Crash Course team. This was brilliant. :)
I have watched countless documentaries and read articles about WWII, but this is the first I've heard of the US firebombing Tokyo. Thanks for teaching me something new, even if it is incredibly horrifying.
5:19 Fun fact: the one member of Congress to vote against war with Japan was Representative Jeannette Rankin of Montana, who said of her decision, "As a woman I can't go to war, and I refuse to send anyone else".
Idiotic considering Japan had literally attacked and declared war. I am anti-war, but there is a limit, and her logic would have meant rolling over until the world was under tyranny.
Brilliant ending monologue, John! I enjoy a "love/hate" fascination with the subject of history. Thanks to you and your team for presenting a brilliant as well as entertaining series!
We Brits do celebrate the end of WWII and to get over your dating issue, we celebrate VE (Victory in Europe) and VJ (Victory in Japan) day respectively. Love your work BTW.
We may not celebrate the end of WWII, but it kind of coincides with Memorial Day. That's where all of the wars are "celebrated" by remembering the dead.
I don't think John has any dating issues. He's married.
Jacob Stamm okay?
over your head?
Jacob Stamm I have no sense of humor, help me out here.
Wow! The way you ended this course, John Green, was a beautiful message so eloquently stated. Thank you.
“Studying history and making genuine attempts at empathy help us to grapple with the complexity of the world not as we wish it were but as we find it.”
Instead of going over notes, I watch these videos to study for midterms.
+Jude Pelaez As an APUSH teacher, I'd recommend against that. Watch them, but go over those notes. Greene is very very light on details.
+Jude Pelaez same here. didn't look at my notes once when studying for my last test and aced it!
same lol
CoachEgg I'm taking APUSH next year (school got out today) and watching these as a side tool. Good for the basics but to light on the details that will be critical for the APUSH exams
Me too
My grandpa was in WW2. Thank u for ur service....whether it was voluntary or not.....RIP Grandpa Jim🤗
"THE OPPORTUNITY OF STUDYING HISTORY IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPERIENCE EMPATHY"
Long time viewer, short time subscriber, and first time commenter: just wanted to say I really appreciated the gentle and empathetic writing at the close of this episode. Thank you for the great shows.
One of my favorite crashcourse videos for all of the subtle pokes and explanations of the natural curiosity that is humanity.
I am Japanese, and I grow up in Japan for a long time, but currently I am in US. I had never learned ww2 in Japan because it is too sensitive and we did not have time to finish up so it needs to rush up. I found out my great grandfather was killed by atomic bomb in Hiroshima. He needed to be in Military because he got a letter from the government to be a solider even through he was 40. That's why he was in Hiroshima. Everywhere in my grandfather's city (it's a capital of rural province) was burned by firebombing. My grandfather took care his family without his parents since 12 yrs old. I am proud of him, and I finally understand why he disagree with the idea that sending me to us. I am so glad to hear the comment about atomic bomb, it actually makes sense. By the way, in Japan, we have learned about atomic bomb and peace since we are young. I really hope that the world can stay in peaceful. no more atomic bomb.
John Green and CrashCourse always have such poignant and beautiful things for their listeners/watchers/readers to take away with them, even when discussing such atrocities. Looking at the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and asking us to look at these events with empathy, and empathy for all parties, is a way of thinking that is truly awesome.
The "British" were NEVER alone in WW2.
Canada, Australia, NZ, India, etc. etc. etc.
The "British Empire" was not England Alone as so many Americans believed it to be.
Nor was the "British Empire" which was British, just England. The UK is England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Not just England.
And some people classify the Commonwealth and the Empire as 'Britain' in WW2. In any respect, all nations who stood by the UK during that time period did their part and their commitment will never be forgotten.
James060394 You are right of course and I presumed - perhaps wrongly - that most people realized that the term "British" referred to the four countries that make up "Britain". As a Canadian that has regularly been to Scotland and England the respect of the people for the contribution of our sons and daughters is still fresh and appreciated. It must be said that the people of the French coast also continue to show respect and appreciation for our soldiers.
It is a shame that more people - especially in some parts of North America - don't truly understand their own history.
"The opportunity of studying history is the opportunity to experience empathy." This is the reason I stay intrigued and entertained in my APUSH lectures, despite most of my peers finding the class incredibly boring. I want to know why people do the things they do (because everything is done for a reason, right or wrong), and the only way to truly understand that is to practice radical empathy, by educating myself of the culture and trying to figure out feelings of people in the time. Thank you John Green (and my current history teacher), for not just teaching the facts, but also providing a deeper opportunity for thinking with every lesson.
Island hopping:
The strategy by which the american military sought to dominate the Pacific.
Also how the soldier fights in TF2. Except with teleporters and a shovel
Interesting to see an American view of WW2. In the Netherlands we learn a very Netherlands-centered view of the war, for some obvious reasons. Still I feel like it's always interesting how other European countries learn about WW2, and an American view is also definitely interesting. Thanks again for a great video! :)
Ending monologue = FANTASTIC and ought to be heard from more mouths
!!
Possibly, the nukes in Hiroshima and Nagasaki did save humankind. Just look at a video in which Oppenheimer says his famous quote. There is a certain awe towards this kind of destruction and that may be why the cold war stayed cold.
I believe that it's not so important to judge the people who used this weapon but rather learn not to repeat their mistakes by understanding what they learned.
I think the last minute of this video is pure gold. In deed, "there is no answer to be found". I truly appreciate John's (mostly) balanced reflections, not matter how unconventional they first sound.
John: "I'm not a worrier at all."
Me: "John, you're a WORDier."
I'm sorry. I need to stop and reevaluate my life.
A famous author once said "Those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it."
I wonder who the one guy who voted against WWII was...
It was a woman and her name was Jeannette Rankin
Funnily enough, she was the same person who voted against entering WW 1
yeah she was a pacifist.
+Tatsuya Nebula she actually lost her spot in Congress bc she voted against enetering WW1...but was re-elected just in time to vote against WW2, hahaha
7:58 why does the One Direction logo show up when he says "no choice" 👀
+Liz Garcia that's my question. i skimmed the comments to see if anyone else noticed it lol
1D as in they had no choice, so there was only One Direction to go
yay i found the 1 person who noticed. oops 3 years later.
ruby i’m not surprised at all b/c Harry is your pfp
ruby your pfp 😌
_"That was me being a warrior... I can't even make finger guns. That's how much of a not warrior I am. I'm a worrier."_
How do you make it italicized?
I find it interesting that VE Day is on the same day as my AP EURO exam 😂
Rainy Liu amen brotha
Jude Abijah 9th August is Singapore's National Day
i hope you failed
I met an old man in Chase Bank and he told me about WW2, I was at the bank for about 4 hours listening to his stories. Props to you America!
All "Crash Course" videos are amazing! Thank you for enlightening us with them.
John green singlehandedly carried me to a passing APUSH grade
D-day was the beginning of the end for the Nazis? No, that would be the Soviet victory in Stalingrad.
Serious as a heart attack. That is a disturbing idiom...anyway...yeah. Stalingrad was bloody. Bloody =/= a turning or a decisive point.
I guess I should have specified the 'Anglo' victory in the N Atlantic.
***** Why should I shut up? I'm expressing a valid point that has the backing of actual historians. From Stalingrad on, the Nazis had no more significant victories. Their war turned into a defensive one and their morale had dropped. The battle of Stalingrad also proved that the Nazis were not invincible, as they were perceived to be this way prior to Stalingrad despite such allied victories at the battle of El Alamein.
Do you always trust Crash Course as being 100% factual?
LordRahl2 I don't get what exactly you are saying. Could you perhaps type coherent sentences?
BiggestATLAfan Before you climb on your high horse - there is a reply missing. So you are missing some context. My original reply to you was, iirc, Stalingrad was not the beginning of the end. The beginning of the end was the Soviet victory at Moscow paired with the British victory in the Atlantic. Stalingrad was a huge battle with unbelievable loss of life but it was not particularly decisive.
We can argue all we want about the ethics of the atomic bombs, but how many of us would have the courage that Truman had to give that order, knowing he would have to live with his decision for the rest of his life. And for the rest of time
At that time, to order the first nuke strike would've probably taken mental and moral bravery. I'd imagine some involved felt their soul died a bit seeing what they had done. Nowadays though, America's been declaring war left right front and centre for almost every reason by Tom, Dick and Harry. It boggles the mind...
Yeah, he was brave for murdering 70 thousand people in a second, the fastest genocide in the history
naasiroow Perhaps I've phrased it wrongly. It's not bravery in a straightforward sense, but the knowledge of what burden he would carry to his grave and the guts to still go through with it. 70 thousand people mostly civilians, women and children, died under his direct order in an instant. Their blood is forever on his head till the end of days. If anything, it's something to respect. Not everyone can shoulder that kind of burden for the rest of their lives, especially when said deed is supposed to 'save' more lives than it took.
Rworld
Respect is dubious, but it's certtainly something to feel sorry for. Truman had to live with the knowledge he had unleashed a monster (The A-bomb) and as said before, it would be no surprise if those men in the Enola Gay were dead inside by the end of it.
GohanLSSJ2 Although, when the question ''was it a hard decision to make'' was asked, Truman answered that it was not, and that he made the decision ''just like that'', the answer accompanied by him snapping his fingers before the interviewer. And he was interviewed by an acclaimed historian, for a book on Pacific War, so it was a rather serious discussion.
As for the crew of Enola Gay, their first reaction was shock, their second reaction were ecstatic cheers (not on the account of the dead Japanese, but because they believed that they had won the war with their action), and only after that did they start to think of the people on the ground. And members of the crew did not have some grand philosophical insights into what they did; they viewed it as just another war mission, albeit more significant than their previous ones. And Tibbets, the pilot who flew the plane (it bears the name of his mother), was famous for saying ''I sleep clearly every night.''
So many anti-American comments. Can't we all just be civil.
Agreed
Nie wieder Krieg mit Russland! But remember kids America is the best ;)
Alex T So religion is a brainwashing tool?
What did you think the Catholic Church, Scientology, and Mormonism all had in common?
Ulrich Esser u wot m8
I have an American History and Politics exam tomorrow morning and these vids really help, thanks so much!
Pearl Harbor 5:18
Midway 6:00
Atomic Bomb 9:00
p̵̩̐e̶̜͝á̸̼s̶̡̃a̸͉͝ņ̶̏t̷͍̀ bless you
"plans were underway for the largest operation of the Pacific War, Operation Downfall, the invasion of Japan."..."Casualty predictions varied widely, but were extremely high. The Vice Chief of the Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff, Vice Admiral Takijirō Ōnishi, predicted up to 20 million Japanese deaths."
I think it was better to drop the bombs.
Rick Apocalypse and if you read into the bombings the us dropped flyers to civs that said that there were going to be bombings look it up and it is also brought upon in the book unbroken the reason why civs did not leave was because japans military took the flyers or civs thought that japan was winning the war sadly war is hell people get caught in the cross fires every war has civ deaths its one of those things nobody can stop so if you ask me it was justified before even more people got killed
+Rick Apocalypse Bomb* The second bomb was unnecessary. They were gonna surrender anyways. The US could have just warned that a second one would be dropped if they didn't cooperate and by then, even before the bombs, they were already thinking of surrender.
JBroAC That's not what I've read. I read that after the first bomb, the emperor wanted to surrender, but the generals didn't want to because they thought America only had 1 bomb. Yes, the US could have warned them, but they would have seen as a bluff.
+Rick Apocalypse The A Bomb was just a military experiment, nothing else. The Japanese would have surrendered by the end of the year.
***** Why do you believe that ?
Watching your videos make school so much easier for me . Instead of studying I watch your videos and I remember things better than I used to. Also you are very entertaining , which is why I remember things better . I also want to thank you and Hank for making learning fun. By the way I can't wait to see The Fault In Our Stars on June 6th , I read the book and it was amazing and so was Paper Towns and Looking For Alaska
I don't feel that the Atomic Bombings are what we should be morally concerned with. Even by exaggerated estimates, both atomic bombs only killed 300,000 people at the most by their direct cause and theirs alone.
The firebombing raids killed as many as 3 times what the Atomic bombs did, 900,000 Japanese soldiers and citizens. The Atomic bombs are ultimately dwarfed by the Air raids. This isn't to justify the bombings, but merely to provide insight that we should be more concerned about bombings in general than Nuclear warfare alone.
***** The people who were killed instantly were around 140,000, the total people killed including long term is 260,000, grossly exaggerated estimates are at 300,000.
The firebombs burned people to death, smothered them, choked them. Even including long term deaths, the Firebombs greatly outweigh the Atomic bombings.
There's also the matter that Hiroshima and Nagasaki were major military targets. Hiroshima was the headquarters and communications hub for the defense of the entirety of Southern Japan, including Kyushu where we were planning our initial invasion entry. Nagasaki was a major industrial center churning out ordnance and ships for the war.
People have previously had this same debate about the machine gun. The first uses were so devastating and unfair that many considered it a war crime. The atomic bomb is a terrible thing, but it's use by the United States doesn't make them "evil" or "terrorists" as I have read so many times in recent years.
It makes me wonder what the guy, who pressed the button to drop the bomb, was feeling before and after that.
Kuriosity
"My God, what have we done?" - Captain Robert A. Lewis, co-pilot of the Enola Gay
I need to correct you there. The invasion of Japan was estimated to cost 1 million american troops their lives and 10 million Japanese civilians theirs.
Cody Maranto mostly because Japanese citizens were told to defend the island at all costs as they had done in the islandhopping campaign. American casualties were so high because EVERYONE was a combatant, not just soldiers.
+John Barella The USSR would invade Imperial Japan too, look at Manchuria in the 15th of August 1945.
+Ivan Chen because truman and roosevelt repeatedly asked stalin for help. Up to the invasion itself both Japan and the USSR observed strict neutrality towards each other. It was only at Potsdam that the terms for a Soviet invasion of japanese territory was agreed on.
I think Johns part at the end about not passing judgement was beautiful.
If we had invaded Japan, an estimated 500,000-700,000 lives could have been lost. Going off a liberal estimate, the atomic bombs killed 250,000 people.
The higher-ups made a tough decision, and in the end, it saved lives.
ARE THESE ESTIMATES ACCURATE???¿???
Yes
Feel free to check my numbers
+Kevin O'Neal how
Travenzen Search public records, you'll find the same information that I've provided.
You should be on the history channel
This is absolute brilliance. This channel is amazing. I will certainly spread the word to others looking for answers with respect to the history of mankind. Thank you.
Great show thanks for making history so fun to learn.
I'm Japanese and taking U.S. history in the U.S. and I felt sad when I learned WWII...
From what I heard, Japan's surrender wasn't because of nuclear bombs, but rather because of Russian's invasion... and the Japanese government by that time doesn't care at all about the bomb in Nagasaki.
You heard wrong, they both contributed to Japan's surrender. Also Hirohito mentioned the atomic (not nuclear) bombs specifically in his surrender speech.
swatson 999 Well... it was said that Hirohito admitted that nuclear weapon caused him to surrender is because it's more favorable. The article that I read said, "Which do you think is more favorable? Admitting to your people that you lost the war because you miscalculated, or saying the enemy's unexpected superweapon beats you?"
Perhaps he mentioned the bomb to save face, but it certainly contributed to his decision to surrender. You stated originally it didn't factor into his decision.
swatson 999 Okay okay, I get it...
Oh, and the fact that the US utterly destroyed Japan's navy and air force may have helped. 'Nuff said.
Here we go! The new season of Mystery Document! John Green comes off of a 10-6 season, but lost in the Wild Card round. However, he finished two wins better than the first 16 videos, where he went 8-8. However, we only have 13 videos (counting this one) left in the series, so the regular season will be 10 videos long, the last 3 for the playoffs.
I think regular bombing was still worse due to its frequent inaccuracies. My grandfather was a Czech partisan who met Paton. They watched American bombers destroy a Czech village just after my grandfather and some others reported that there were no Germans in the village. Only Czech citizens. Paton ordered no pilots to ever land in Czechoslovakia because A) Americans were supposed to leave the country to the USSR and B) because the Czechs would have killed the pilots for their mistakes on sight. My 11th grade history teacher, apparently like many others, didn't know Paton had disobeyed orders and invaded Czechoslovakia.
Mathew Willis
Shit, I forgot to hit T twice. Or I typed too fast. I don't remember. Thanks for spell checkin' for me. Anyway, yes, I'm aware both admirals and generals have certain freedoms to make judgements, and act in what way they feel is best. And every political and military leader involved in any war can arguably be considered a war criminal, depending on whose side you're on and which country you live in. G Bush for example is very arguably a war criminal.
But all USA forces, in WWII, were given specific orders to leaver specific countries to be "liberated" by the USSR. My grandfather heard Patton basically say fuck the president, I'm ready to fight the communists next, and to push them back into Russia. Truman phoned Patton personally and told him to get the fuck out of Czechoslovakia immediately. Patton then obeyed.
But hey, if anyone feels the need to be defensive, don't bother. I judge neither Patton nor Truman. Just neutrally sharing some history I learned from a primary source that not many know.
Patton also didn't believe in PTSD (shellshock), he was an all around piece of shit
override367 Oh, he was a major shit-bag, but he was *really* good at killing Nazi's, I think of him like an attack dog. Also after the whole slapping indecent he was very accommodating to shell-shocked soldiers. (Flies away on depressed and self-judgmental bald eagle that is *very* sorry for America being an asshole)
Tony Bjornson Hey, I am a Czech, so I think I have a few things to say about. I can understand the feelings of your grandparents, if they were anti-communist exiles (as I suppose), but the Nazi rule can't be really compared with the later communist period. During the ww2 the Czech lands were occupied by a brutal foreign power, which destroyed our independent state and was willing to massacre whole villages in order to punish the Czech population.
On the other hand, the Soviet armies were seen as liberators and the communist regime started only 3 years after the end of the war and was always "indigenous", even though it was politically dependent on the USSR. Even during the 70s and 80s after the invasion of Warsaw pact armies, it wasn't comparable at all with situation during the war. The Communist regime was oppressive, yes, but not like the Nazi one.
That alleged order by Patton for US pilots not to land in Czechoslovakia because Czechs could kill them is very odd. Maybe in some places which had been just bombed some enraged people would have attacked them, but the Americans were still seen as allies and liberators by Czechs (ethnic Germans who were living here are a different issue, of course), and there weren't really that many bombings of civilian targets in the Czech territory during the war, especially in comparison in Germany.
I loved your thoughts near the end. Moving sentiment for why we study History.
The use of atomic bombs in Nagasaki and Hiroshima did not end war in the pacific theatre. The japanese were still prepared to fight at that point. It was the announcement that the USSR would enter the pacific theater that made the japanese surrender, or so I have been told.
Liberal Smiter, If you want to have an open dialogue about history and contemplate its many interpretations do so. But don't be an insulting nuisance.
Its not an uncommon interpretation.
"In recent years, however, a new interpretation of events has emerged. Tsuyoshi Hasegawa - a highly respected historian at the University of California, Santa Barbara - has marshaled compelling evidence that it was the Soviet entry into the Pacific conflict, not Hiroshima and Nagasaki, that forced Japan’s surrender. His interpretation could force a new accounting of the moral meaning of the atomic attack. It also raises provocative questions about nuclear deterrence, a foundation stone of military strategy in the postwar period. And it suggests that we could be headed towards an utterly different understanding of how, and why, the Second World War came to its conclusion."
www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2011/08/07/why_did_japan_surrender/
***** Liberal Smiter, If you want to have an open dialogue about history and contemplate its many interpretations do so. But don't be an insulting nuisance.
Its not an uncommon interpretation.
"In recent years, however, a new interpretation of events has emerged. Tsuyoshi Hasegawa - a highly respected historian at the University of California, Santa Barbara - has marshaled compelling evidence that it was the Soviet entry into the Pacific conflict, not Hiroshima and Nagasaki, that forced Japan’s surrender. His interpretation could force a new accounting of the moral meaning of the atomic attack. It also raises provocative questions about nuclear deterrence, a foundation stone of military strategy in the postwar period. And it suggests that we could be headed towards an utterly different understanding of how, and why, the Second World War came to its conclusion."
www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2011/08/07/why_did_japan_surrender/
People should realise that the atomic bombs were not what made Japan quit. It was actually the advancing Soviet Union army from the north-west that made them quit.
The Island hopping strategy wasn't about taking fortified island bases one at a time. It was about bypassing overly fortified Japanese islands. Then containing those islands so those Japanese troops were of no further consequence.
Yes islands under reasonable Japanese control were taken, but "Island Hopping" was about playing leapfrog. Giving overly defended islands no choice but to whither on the vine.
that ending was deeep
anyone else sent this by their teacher during quarantine?
I don't want hear anything about a moral component when someone kills 2,000 of your people out of nowhere. The U.S. could've taken the world with that power but showed tremendous restraint.
6:53 American troops did not participate in any defeat of Rommel in North Africa. It seems the person who wrote this did not know that Rommel was recalled and replaced as commander of the German forces in the theater. In fact, at the Battle of Kasserine Pass
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Kasserine_Pass
Rommel soundly defeated American troops. That was the first contact with the Germans for Americans, and their only encounter with Rommel in Africa.
7:25 The "beginning of the end of the Nazis" was the Battle of Kursk. No event on the western front can be described as having been a "turning point" in some way.
8:50 The Germans had a very decent chance to with the war all the way until their defeat at Stalingrad and the general disastrous failure of their 1942 offensive in the USSR. They did *not* automatically "not have a chance" simply by having started fighting the Russians and the Americans. They could very well have won the war in Russia which would generally have made them impervious to US efforts - at least until much much later, and possibly for good.
Well D-Day created a third front, with fresh troops.
I'd argue that D-Day was actually the beginning of the end for the Nazis. If we didn't create another front I believe the Germans would have been able to stabilize the eastern front. I do agree that none of the western allies caused a turning point, we only ensured that Germany wouldn't be able to recover any territory they lost. This is only my judgment though so I don't know how much you'll care but is a different perspective if you want to pay attention.
lenrat117 there were many factors that caused the Germans to lose the war. I would say a big one was the incredible amount of money they spent on "super" weapons. In today's terms, hitler spent over 500B on the development of the V2 which would have meant success had they had them early in the war, but with their late arival meant they were just a financial drain.
lenrat117 The war would probably have lasted another year at most. By June 1944 (after Kursk which was their last desperate gamble) the Germans certainly had no chance for victory against the Soviets. As for "stabilizing" the front, they did "stabilize" it many times, only to later have their front bombed out of existence by Soviet firepower and swiftly breached.. there was no stopping the Soviets. Moscow was the check, Stalingrad was the turning point, Kursk was the beginning of the end.
dIRECT0R With american suply, there would be no counter ovensive. The only reasource The USSR had left was people. And throwing people with no guns at the Nazis didn't work out that well in 41/42.
Ms. Millers class work timestamps
WW2 - Part 1
1. 2:00
2. 2:40
3. 4:30
4. 8:40
5. 9:45
6. 11:00
7. 11:30
I put timestamps on part 2 aswell
Slipping_The_ KNOT dang bruh you’re a g for that, I don’t even go to your school
Roachianna Thanks lol
What are the questions?
SlayQueen I dont remember I turned in my paper the day I wrote the comment
This Episode almost made me cry, damn that mystery document hit me. The stuff John Green said at the end was amazing.
who here because of online classes😂
I watched this by choice yes I am a nerd
Learn from past mistakes
***** what do u mean?
Jenny Penny not that i agree, but remember around 4 minutes in this video John says a group called America First cautioned against involvement in ww2- in hindsight, its a good thing America got involved when it did!
Love I gurl
Im currently taking a US History 2 college course, and I always watch an episode of CrashCourse that relates the textbook chapter before I read it. John Green and his crew have been a staple of my success! I have have received a 100% twice on my Exams of the Gilded Age and the Progressive Eras. Im about to take our 3rd exam that covers the Great Depression, New Deal and WW2, and I feel ready, in part to CrashCourse.
After I subscribe to CC, how do I send money to Mr. Green and his crew? Seriously.
Support them with subbable
Who else here is watching this because schools shut down due to COVID19, and now you have to do all your learning online even though no one in your county is infected but the goddamn governor decided to close everything down and now your bored to death living off of chips as you slowly get through all the work you have to do for the day and oh god when will this all be over?
@Kalynn Whitt True to an extent, however schools are a ripe place for the disease to spread and whilst younger generations may not be harmed, they can pass it onto their grandparents. Though admitedly, the uproar around it is indeed excessive.
I wouldn't say "no one in your country is infected". As of March 3rd, there were 144,732 people infected and at least 2,527 people have died from it. The cases in the U.S have exceeded the number of cases in China, which, as you'll know if you've been watching the news, is the country of origin of COVID-19.
@Kalynn Whitt Yes and I suppose hundreds dying and thousands getting infected by the day is not serious at all, right?
@Kalynn Whitt you need to pay attention to the news more. The virus is changing, there are people who are showing symptoms that we didn't know about before, like losing sense of taste, smell, and symptoms like stomach flu, and heart problems. There are cases like that in New York and Taiwan. Further more, originally the virus harms your lungs making it difficult to breathe, and those are permanent damages, and now the virus has evolved to a point where it'll harm your brain. Do your research before saying that a virus that can do permanent damages to your body "not as bad as people think".
Kalynn Whitt you cant be fr, like there’s no way in hell you hit send after typing that out.
3:16 John, it's "with whom we were pals." as a best-selling author, I would expect you to know better 😔
/s but really that is the correct grammar
I'm certain John knows the superficial prescriptions of English grammar, but he also evidently knows and prefers the deep and subtle laws of English style.
thank God for John Green and his willingness to teach me the night before my world War II test. because let's face it, I am not reading my APUSH book tonight.
thanks John!
Shoutout to everyone cramming for the APUSH exam Friday!
A PUSH?
AP US History
Me: isolation age you mean 2020
2013: what do you mean
coronavirus: I'm here
they used to use these videos in the classroom for us in history class. I love these videos
You forgot Australian, Belgian, Czechoslovakian, French, Grecian, Dutch, New Zealanders, Norwegians and Polish troops also participated in D-Day
I know this is off topic, and I am the black sheep of historians, but has anyone else noticed that he makes several TF2 references?
Ammo boxes, Rocket jumping.
correct.
I'm sorry, but what?
would you rather I said "I am a black sheep of gamers"?
can I be both
My great grandfather served in the coast guard during WWII, and my Uncle Chris’s grandfather served in military and help liberated France during D-day🇺🇸✝️
Thank them for there service
Thank you
We do celebrate May 8th as the end of WWII in Algeria, we just o it a different way, in May 8th after France promised us independance along other French colonies if we fought with them in WWII, and as Algerian people celebrated the End of WWII and a possible independance the French military shot and killed over 45000 unarmed civilians in the Massacres of May 8th.
That horrible act by the French would cause the war for independance years later, but France till this day didn't confess of the war crimes they did here and all over their colonies
C'est dommage. Mon pere m'a raconté comment les Francais, et toutes les puissances qui prenaient partie a la guerre sauf l'Allemagne et les États-Unis utilisiaient des soldats des colonies, et ensuite ont prit toute la gloire. Cette guerre a été gagnée par le colonies, et non les puissances.
The embargo on Japan was the reason they went to war with us due to a lack of things such as oil so the went to great lengths to ovoid war with us
Gaming sentry You realize that they had planned the attack on Pearl Harbor over and over right? they fake ambassadors to DC to distract the Americans with the thought of peace, then we're instructed to give the us govt a letter at exactly 1:00 pm DC time (7:00 AM Honolulu time) that peace had failed and a state of war existed. They began attacking pearl harbor, Guam, The Philippines, and Wake island on the same day. (And they were going to attack the us anyway, bc we had troops already stationed in China and guarding the Philippines stationed there, and these two areas were part of Japan's East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere idea (rule over all of East Asia , micronesia, and mellonesia that expanded to Australia bc they got greedy). They signed their pact with Germany bc Germany just took Paris, and France owned Indichina (Vietnam & Laos), )
Hi I'm a French student who has always seen the WWII from an European pov and I just don't understand why Japan attacked the US? I have an exam of american civilization tomorrow if only someone could help meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
by the way I really hated history..... until today you're the best teacher I've ever seen!!! I didn't know it was possible to laugh while listening to a history course ahahaha
I love how you didn't even mention the fact that Canada was in the war from the start, fighting along side the British army.
Also many American news outlets blocked Canadian reports of the war.
Maybe he will when they tackle... Canadian History!? We know John Green and company love Canada, so why not? Also, didn't the Nazis bombed some parts of Canada after taking over Greenland?
GohanLSSJ2 To answer your question... No.
The closest the Nazi's ever came to Canada was when they managed to get a sub all the way up the St. Laurence river BUT for some strange reason they turned around and left.
To this day, nobody knows why.
Funny little side note.
Of all the ww1 memorials Hitler had destroyed there was one that he insisted be protected... The "Vimmy Ridge" memorial; Dedicated to the Canadian who fought and died to achieve victory over insurmountable odds.
Huh... I guess even the Nazis love Canada in the end... Damn, that place sure is popular! Must be the awesome flag (Totally not identical (bar the symbol in the center) to the flag of my native Peru, no sir!). Or maybe it's because they were the only ones in 150 years (until Vietnam came in) who managed to make the U.S.-Americans get kicked back home.
Actually Canada didn't use the maple leaf until 1967.
Before that, we used a British colonial flag "the red ensign"
www.flagforcanada.ca/images/img-redensign03s.gif
ladelame1 And your proof is what?
We fought Hitler 2 years before America go off it's ass!
Amazing episode. Should be a mandatory video for all secondary school students. DFTBA!
John Green is the savior of all APUSH students
Great help for my paper!!
"Studying history is to expirance empathy"
John Green
PLEASE MAKE A SERIES ON ALL THE GREAT BATTLES OF HISTORY, DETAILING TACTICS, CASUALTY FIGURES, CAUSE AND EFFECT AND OTHERWISE!
The Save Ginny Shirt.
Must have.
#potterfansunite
My English teachers grand father helped build the bomb
Small correction at 5:25. America declared war on Japan on Dec. 8th. Germany declared war on 'Merica on Dec. 11th. Not a big deal but it was not the day after.
Note to John... really well said regarding the A-bombs. You have made one of the best and most coherent arguments about the use of the bombs that I have heard. I love that you actually take into consideration the feelings of the men and women in '45. Most who argue for or against do not. Well done!
crash course should make a video about Operation Paperclip.
The US had energy swords during world war 2...
Germany had dinosaurs. I think they win.
No....what......what ae you talking about.
@@TheMadscientist327 clearly not serious comments dw
Your points at the end of the video about the atomic bombs were eloquent and made me think. Thank you for the perspective.
Woodrow Wilson: Hey guys, if we don't band together with other Nations there might be another World War
Congress: Nah Bro, MURICA'
1939:....
Congress: Bruh
If you're reading this @DavidSmith is the goat
Best ta watch ya front, cause I got ya back, Aidan!
the ending was beast; "the opportunity of history is to experience empathy...grapping the complexity of the world, not as what we wish it were but as we would find it"
The Soviet invasion of Manchuria at the same time as the atomic bombings and its effects on Japanese ability to continue the war should also be mentioned. The Japanese attempted to make contact with the US command for a surrender between the Soviet capture of Port Arthur and the Nagasaki bombing but the US command deliberately ignored the messages until after the second nuke was dropped.
No. They made contact and talked peace but refused to give up their emperor or let the United States occupy Tokyo...
They did...that is what I am saying. They refused any occupation of the Tokyo and refused to let their emperor go. They made this claim multiple times in 1945. So to help slide the deal in favor to the United States we vaporized two cities and made a threat to drop a 3rd one on the imperial palace.
Daniel Eyre Another point to make is that Japan did not really believe America had the capabilities to make a second bomb because of just how destructive it was. That was one main reason they did not give up after the first bomb. They called our bluff and we put down 4 aces. Or would that be 2 aces?
***** Yahahahaha!
I have proven the facts I have stated with evidence.
I merely stated these facts to correct an incorrect popular history stated in this video.
There is no competition as to which side committed the worst atrocities or whatever. That salient fact is that the Japanese began peace feelers after the Soviets stormed into Manchuria which were deliberately not acknowledged by the Allies.
I have not passed any cheap, moralistic judgement calls on "right or wrong". And the Potsdam declaration is not even relevant.
Do try and harden-up sweetheart *headpat*.
who else is watching this because of a school work
Can we all just appreciate that, according to my History teacher, during the Winter War of 1939 Finland managed to defeat the Soviet Union because while the Soviet Union used tanks that got stuck in 25+ feet of snow, Finland used skis. Apparently Finland discovered they were pretty good skiers thanks to the Olympics. I can't remember who was invading who (I think USSR invaded Finland) but the image that conjures in my mind is hilarious. History is either obscenely boring or awesome.
why am i now recommended this... that was 2013 ITS ALMOST 2020
yes welcome to my world