Week 297 - Allied Victory in Berlin, Italy, and Burma! - WW2 - May 4, 1945
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 พ.ค. 2024
- So much goes on this week, and this is the longest episode of the war by like 15 minutes. But there's so much to cover! The Battle of Berlin ends; the war in Italy ends; the war in Burma ends- well, it ends officially, though there are still tens of thousands of Japanese soldiers scattered around Burma. And there's a whole lot more to these stores and a whole lot more stories this week in the war. You can't miss this one.
01:27 The End of the War in Italy
03:40 Western Allied Advances
07:02 Relief Operations in the Netherlands
15:45 Hitler's Death and the Surrender of Berlin
24:20 Walther Wenck's Retreat
28:00 The Polish Situation
31:09 What About Prague?
32:44 The End of the Burma Campaign
36:04 THE FIGHT FOR TARAKAN ISLAND BEGINS
37:24 Okinawa
40:11 Other Notes
41:04 Summary
41:43 Conclusion
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Hosted by: Indy Neidell
Director: Astrid Deinhard
Producers: Astrid Deinhard and Spartacus Olsson
Executive Producers: Astrid Deinhard, Indy Neidell, Spartacus Olsson
Creative Producer: Marek Kamiński
Community Management: Jake McCluskey
Written by: Indy Neidell
Research by: Indy Neidell
Map animations by: Daniel Weiss
Map research by: Sietse Kenter
Editing and color grading by: Simon J. James
Artwork by: Mikołaj Uchman
Sound design by: Marek Kamiński
Colorizations by:
Mikołaj Uchman
Source literature list: bit.ly/SourcesWW2
Archive footage: Screenocean/Reuters - www.screenocean.com
A TimeGhost chronological documentary produced by OnLion Entertainment GmbH.
Things are coming to a head - Hitler is dead, and it looks like a German collapse is likely any moment - but the war is far from over. In Asia it looks like many things are only beginning… but even when that ends, we won’t be going anywhere. We will continue to satisfy your WW2 needs for as long as you’ll have us… there will be specials, mini chronologies, and even a new weekly long series. To not mention that Indy begins covering the Korean War on a dedicated channel on June 25 youtube.com/@KoreanWarbyIndyNeidell
About the post-war era in Europe? The siege of Berlin , rebuilding Europe, tension between the Soviet Union and the West, erection of Berlin Wall... Etc
One thing went to a head for sure.
This may just go into 1946 discussing the distruction caused by the war
Also when next week comes, can you do the exited “Germany has surrendered” thing from october-November (don’t know exactly when) when that Brussels station broadcasted that fake news?
What relevance did a ESSO station have to Mussolini's death ?
Hitler was a typical HOI 4 player for his few final months. He didn't leave his bunker, he didn't breath fresh air, he didn't appear in public and he was literally Hitler.
Also he kept micro-ing, never realizing the problem was that his macro sucked
Hitler was probably a bit less into Nazism than the average hoi4 player though :^)
😂😂😂😂@@amogusenjoyer
That's kind of a statement from someone called "Amongus" tho -TimeGhost Ambassador
@@amogusenjoyerhuh
Hear me out but... I think Germany is going to lose the war guys ...
Hey, Steiner's still out there. You never know what can happen.....
You really think so?
It was lost the second UK amd france declared war
@@magnagaurdmore like when USSR was attacked :)
I mean, that's what happens when players rage quit...
This week, 81 years ago, my great uncle was killed in the Netherlands for stealing and spilling milk during the milk strikes there. 2 years later, the war in Europe came to an end. Thank you Indy and team for covering this war from literally start to finish.
Your grandfather sounds like a dick, correct me if I’m wrong.
Thanks for sharing this with us! -TimeGhost Ambassador
He died over spilled milk
See I wouldn't be able to bring that up because I would have been killed several people to avenge my uncle over some goddamn milk
@@Lancetier yup, the Germans more than literally cried over spilled milk
Imagine not even holding half of your capital city when only a few years ago you had a continent spanning empire and still not considering surrender.
that is the ultimate sigma delusion grindset -TimeGhost Ambassador
Dear god who let the intern alone with the computer lol
@@WorldWarTwo😂😂😂😂😂😂
Imagine being surprised that Germany lost against a big country with lots of manpower and resources...
@@weary_millennial-jw6oo you mean the US, right? Kappa
I started watching when it was week 2 or 3. Time really flies...
I started in tear 1 of WW1 haha. Been a freakin decade of watching nearly every Saturday morning. Going to be weird when it's over. Maybe they'll move to Korea then Vietnam?
@@jonny-b4954 they're starting a Korea one this summer, even before this series is over.
Been here before mustard gas was cool. It's been a long strange trip.
@@pmc609 Oh really? That's good. It's a shame they're limited by TH-cam.
The Hötzendorf Homies -TimeGhost Ambassador
Been here since 1915 what a time to be alive
Crazy to think that seems like just a few months ago
Been here since moustaches as wide as peoples' heads was a thing. It's been quite a ride.
1916 for me
I have been her since 1917.
The Moustaches-gang should assemble again -TimeGhost Ambassador
On May 2nd 1945, my grandfather, a Red Army officer in a self-propelled artillery unit, was wounded and concussed when his Willis jeep hit a mine near Prague. His driver died, he was wounded in arm, leg and head and quickly evacuated to a field hospital. When he regained consciousness and was lucid enough, he heard the news - the war was over. He began the war in July of 1941, volunteering for service alongside other Moscow State University students, first serving in the militia (opolcheniye), then as a translator (since he spoke fluent German), and then a junior officer (eventually rising to a rank of captain). He was hospitalized twice for illness (once because of pneumonia he got in the trenches outside of Tula in the winter of 1941, and a second time in 1943 though I do not know the details), once for being wounded (a fairly light shrapnel wound during fighting somewhere in southern Ukraine) and now just a few days before the war's end. He was luckier than most of his graduating class and fought through the entire war. He got to go home, married my grandmother; my uncle was born in 1948 and my father in 1956. He died peacefully in the spring of 1989. He was always proud of his service, attended every May 9 parade and comrades' reunion, and never ever spoke about the war. Thank god this war ended the way it did; I hope we never ever see anything like this war again.
Four years fighting the closest thing to an apocalyptic war our species has ever seen. He is tough man. I don't even want to think of getting killed after enduring all of that just days before Germany surrendered.
There’s a smaller scale very similar war going on right now in Ukraine.
That is an amazing story, thank you for posting it.
Noooo, he stole a Willys Jeep? Because you know the Russians say that we didn't give them anything
@@angrydoggy9170Ukraine should surrender.
Truman's answer to Churchill and Marshall's comment really show how Americans saw the war as purely military exercise while Churchill and Stalin also saw the politics.
Well after all war is " Diplomacy" with other means
The Americans were still so....., very naive back then? Too bad they never kept that mentality.
@@chaptermasterpedrokantor1623 They still have it. I mean no one in their right mind would try to build a democracy in countries like Afghanistan or Iraq which never had anything resembling a democracy for their entire histories.
I mean, even today there are lots of debates about how much your soldiers lives matter compared to the political and humanitarian questions.
Just think about Iraq, Afganistan, and Syria. Even simplifing what happened in each of those to "NATO good, dictators bad", you still had stuff life the complete pullout of Afganistan knowing the Taliban would take over again.
Much better you than I.
My father was part of Armee Wenck, firing their last artillery shells to the East, hoping to give their comrades and the civilians enough time to cross the Elbe, then destroyed their equipment and swam to the West, to be captured by the US Army. He was 18. Only a few of his school class survived, his two older brothers were (probably) killed somewhere in the Donbas, no trace of them was ever found. He lived a long and good life after that. And taught me not to hate the russians, not to hate anyone and be wary of those, who want that we hate someone.
Why is this not pinned
Thank you. I am always grateful when someone gives an anecdote of this personal nature. As in most wars, those who fight and pay the highest price are just normal citizens caught up in a calamity not of their making. Thanks for sharing.
This comment really deserves to be fixed ¡¡
I've been a religious watcher for years and my family has sometimes come along by choice, sometimes I dragged them! Either way - this was a huge part of my life for the last several years, from the Great War, to the Interbellum Between 2 Wars Series, to this, and even Time Ghost and The Great War channel's coverage after Indy and Team moved to this.
Astrid, Spartacus, Indy, Anna, ~and the rest~: thank you for giving me something to bond with, learn from, share, enjoy, and take lessons and parallels to today from. I will always treasure the memories of getting up excited on Saturday mornings to watch the new WW2 in real time.
Happy V-E Day!
Thank you thank you thank you - hope to still have you with us as we go on, and on, and on... because we will.
@@WorldWarTwoI feel same Indy Spartacus and Astrid! This channel is part of my life for years now so has the Great War channel! It’s changed my life I have learned so much! I feel a better person from your videos by learning so much much knowledge I do hope we an use this channel and your others to teach others as well not to do war ever again 😢 Happy VE Day🎶🎉😎😍
@@WorldWarTwo There are, as you know, many of us who feel the same way. This is/has been an amazing production---and this history nut has learned a hell of a lot.
I'm waiting for a short music video with Sparty and Indy dancing to ZZ Top's "Sharp dressed Man." Sabaton could do the song. You're welcome!
With Doenitz being named Hitler's successor, I keep thinking about that Mitchell and Webb sketch about Doenitz. "In your face Goering!!!!"
Can I get just one heil?
"heres general eisenhowers phone number, heres the english for 'we give up', and heres a summary of our millitary situation in one very rude word"
@bradleysmith2021 well they hardly were going to give me the job when everything was going well
@@emmiannon1266 "You've really taken the wind out of my sails a bit there..."
Donitz's 'Big Book of Ideas' - classic 😂
From a short memoir my Grandfather who served in bomber command wrote back in the '80s:
"Operation MANNA was literally food from heaven, whereby, after a truce with the Germans, food was dropped at certain agreed points in Holland. Dried meat, egg, milk, flour and sugar, packed in half filled sandbags, were stowed in canvas panniers in bomb bays, and opened by means of a bomb release. The food was dropped from a height of between 100 - 200 feet. It was very scary, flying very low and slow over the German guns which followed you around. We also dropped the crews' flying rations -chocolate, barley sugar and gum.
I am sure that the operation "Manna" was the most happy part of the flying career of those members of Bomber Command who participated. It was nice to do something toward the saving of life rather than the necessary destruction which we had been doing. After practicing dropping those half filled sandbags from various heights, we floated low over the German gunners who followed us round, while we were completely unarmed. However, nothing happened, so we could sit back and enjoy ourselves.
After all this time I have many very clear memories of the three flights, but I cannot remember which was which. Two of my memories still amuse me. As we flew in over Walcheren which lay under the flood, following the road marked by rows of dead trees, we came to Middleburg where we saw that one man, as each aircraft flew over, popped out of a trap door in the roof to wave a flag. Many crews noticed this but we could not agree as to which flag was waved. Various accounts mention the Dutch flag, an orange one, and a few said it was our Union Jack. It must have tired him out as each time he closed down the trap. I do hope he survived and did not offend the Germans, as it thrilled us to see this act of defiance. The other amusing thing happened when we were approaching our dropping point. You are aware that the powdered food contained in half filled sand bags were held in panniers comprising two blue canvas sides, joined in the middle by a bomb release, remotely controlled. In the incident I remember, when the bomb doors opened one pannier had come undone, spilling its contents one mile or so short of the target area into a field alongside a canal. On the far bank a man with a horse and cart was walking. As soon as he saw the food drop he stopped the cart, jumped into the canal and when he reached the food, according to the rear gunner, he executed a war-dance around the bags.
I remember noting the time on the clock on the high tower as we floated across the great square of Delft, and onto the field between there and The Hague marked with the white cross. Most of the bags had landed safely but a few had burst.
We made it a rule that we always dropped a parcel of our flying rations of chocolate, boiled sweets and chewing gum, attached to our home-made parachute with a label saying "For the children, God bless you", which we had managed to get translated into Dutch. We hope they got them. It is funny to think that those children are now in their 40fs and 50 Is. I should like to be assured that there is no truth in a rumour which was rife at the time i.e. that most of the food dropped disappeared in the black market and did not reach the needy people. Perhaps I am reassured about this by the fact that "Manna" still seems to be remembered with affection by the Dutch people.
I cannot personally vouch for the following story but I was told it by a reliable person. Perhaps you already know that one member of the "Manna" team was Princess Elizabeth, our present Queen, who, as part of her night driving course, drove one of the heavy lorries bringing food to the airfields. On one occasion, so the story goes, she arrived at an airfield (I think either Chedburgh or Stratishall) at a time when the usual monthly party given by the aircrews to their ground crews etc. was taking place. All the A.T.S. drivers, including the Princess, were invited. The Princess had to be known as Private Windsor. She was alleged to have had a great time, completely unrecognised except by the senior officers, both RAF and WAAF, who had to spend a very sober evening, watching over their precious guest from a distance. I hope it is true. It would be nice to think that, for a short time, she got away from her royal role and enjoyed herself.
FLIGHT SERGEANT ERNEST THOMAS ADAMS
FLIGHT ENGINEER IN FLYING OFFICER DENNIS HILTON'S CREW
195 SQUADRON LANCASTER
3 GROUP BOMBER COMMAND
WRATTING COMMON, CAMBRIDGESHIRE"
Incredible story. I cycle past the Delft square on the way to my grandparents. I never heard them talk about the food drops, maybe I will ask them one day :)
edit: I do remember my grandpa, who sadly died a year ago, talking about walking down the Rotterdamseweg. (one of the direct roads leading to the rotterdam, that got bombed early in the war) to see if the farmers had any food left to share.
This was a very nice story :)
What a great story, and memory. Also a great way to end the war in a positive way. The Allied aircrew have always been fondly remembered by the people of the Netherlands. Especially today, may 4th which is our remembrance day. The only fault I can find is that Walcheren was liberated by the British and Canadians in october 1944, as was the city of Middelburg, maybe you passed more to the north over one of the remaining occupied islands?
@@chaptermasterpedrokantor1623 He was in his 70's when he wrote this I think, so it's quite possible he was mistaken in some of the details after 40 years.
What a great story. And the airmen rightly deserve to be happy about this operation. From september 1944 onwards, right after Market-Garden, the Germans didn't allow food transports to Holland. The winter of 1944 was a very cold one. In the cities in Holland thousands of people died through starvation. These airmen truly saved lives with these missions.
I think everyone are happy about this series that we have watched for almost 6 years !
10 years if you’ve been here since 2014, with the great war
Congrats mate! -TimeGhost Ambassador
@@jamesc94rules101it’s been quite a journey indeed.
From Conrad’s attempt to capture Przemizil and the 5th battle of the Izonso, to Barbarossa all the way back to Steiner’s relief of Berlin.
In that time I went from Highschool, 3 college programs, moved 4 cities, and 2 post-grad jobs.
❤❤❤ much love to the team and this wonderful community ❤
I am happy that this series exists.
That it needed to be made, and that it is history, not fiction, saddens me.
“Truth is stranger than fiction, because fiction needs to be believable. Truth does not.”
-Mark Twain
This week, my great grandfather would be injured via shrapnel in the back whilst fighting with the Yugoslav 5th Overseas Brigade in Northern Istria. In 1941 when Germany invaded Yugoslavia he was too young to fight, but in late 1943 when Germany was starting to lose, he was forcibly conscripted into the Wehrmacht because Hitler saw Slovenia as German land. He was in a work camp in Austria until the 4th of June 1944, when he was loaded onto a train bound for the eastern front. By some miracle, the train did not work and his departure was delayed for a bit. On the 6th of June, the Allies landed, and his train which had at that time already been in Germany turned around and headed for the western front. As he was Slovenian and fiercely anti-german, he surrendered to the British in Normandy as soon as it was possible. He hadn't even fired a bullet for the nazis. The british which at that time had a lot of Yugoslavs as POW's since they were forcibly conscripted into the Italian/German armies decided that the men could go fight for the partisans in Yugoslavia if they so wished. My grandfather immedietly said yes, and became a part of the 5th overseas Brigade with which he fought from Split to Celovec. This week despite his injury he would still go on to fight and participate in the liberations of Ljubljana and Celovec (Klagenfurt).
If he was still alive He'd be 100 years old this year
Zanimiva zgodba!
Thanks, mate! And why is this not a movie?!!!
Did the magnetic sea mines win the war for axis yet?
no but the vengance weapons came really close!
Some say it will just take a bit more time -TimeGhost Ambassador
@@karlobockaj2355the maus came so close
They're just about to arrive, they're coming with Steiner.
I will admit I got a chuckle out of the "Heil me!" subtly worked into Hitler's communiqué at 16:42.
So glad to have been a part of this series for so long. We're not done yet, but I'm very impressed with the series the team has made over the past few years.
Given Indy's final words I was almost expecting him to say "Never forget" just like Spartacus does after every Crimes agains Humanity episode.
You can hear the Cold War starting more than ever in this video.
agreed. Churchill letters to Stalin, armies racing toward Trier and Denmark, the bomb....
I remember watching when you released the very first episode in 2014 for WW1. What a journey its been!
Congrats for still being there mate, same! -TimeGhost Ambassador
When i started watching this series, i was finishing college, now i am finishing university next week.
Congratulations! -TimeGhost Ambassador
I wish you the best in getting a job in your chosen field
or a good job, if you became disillusioned most of the way through like I did
Wait what does that mean? Difference between college and university. In the US those words basically mean the same thing.
On 2 May 1945, my great grandfather was with the 82nd Airborne Division as they liberated the Wobbelin Concentration Camp. He never spoke of his wartime experience but took to heavy drinking after the war. He passed away before I was born, drowned after getting caught in the lines of his lobster traps. I've had to piece together where he fought by researching his unit. Thank you to Indy and the team for shedding light on all aspects of this horrible war.
My uncle somehow found himself, a South Dakota boy, with the 45th Infantry Division where he was turned into an infantry scout. He was one of the first GI's to encounter Dachau.
My cousins told me that he was a quiet man, meant what he said, was religious and kind but would often get a far away look and just become silent. He used the GI Bill to attend college and become an architect whose lifetime work seemed to be of designing school buildings.
He would acknowledge that he had been at Dachau but would discuss no further of his experience there for all of his life. He did talk some of his other military experiences and said of his stroke which left him for hours upon his kitchen floor (his children checked on him in the morning as they realized he had not telephoned them as per his habit) "The coldest I have been since being in a foxhole waiting for dawn."
@@lynnwood7205 Thank you for sharing. It is evident to me that such wartime experiences had a huge impact on those who survived the conflict.
@@lynnwood7205My Great Great Uncle was a Mexican farmer sent to work as a bracero labourer on the railroads and drafted into the 45th. He was also at the liberation of Dachau
That final comment about normalize the horror in small steps - Wow that was the best I have heard on how it happened....
Thing about extremism is that's how it starts; it is NEVER how it ends.
It’s what Dan Carlin calls logical insanity
How it's *happening* is probably a more useful understanding of it all.
Remember how Between Two Wars ended? Indy's passionate voice there, describing so well how the world came down with the madness, having seen what the Great War should have taught them and thought they should do it yet again but even worse.
Indeed.
And both Stalin and Churchill contemplating if 3 is a charm.....
Did he ever complete the series? I don’t think he did.
@@tigertank06Between Two Wars season 1 was completed. The second season, which focused on pop culture, I'm not sure.
The moment this went live was also the moment that we, in the Netherlands, hold our yearly 2 minutes of silence to honour the dead.
So... Weird timing for us.
Usually I watch these episodes the instant they appear on my feed, but this week I waited an hour before starting as the Netherlands' annual commemoration of the dead had its 2 minutes of silence at the exact same time as the premiere. I have been watching this channel for several years with my dad, to whom I always send each new episode when they are released. The past few weeks as we saw the movements on the maps progress and the war in Europe near its conclusion our thoughts wandered to my paternal grandfather. The details that have come down to us are sketchy (he died some 30-40 years ago from a stroke), but at some point early in the war he was sent east into Germany as a laborer; together with a group of other workers he sabotaged machinery and he was caught and sent to a camp. Eventually he managed to escape during an air raid and traversed the German countryside until he found refuge with a German farmer, working the land for him in exchange for being kept safely hidden. We wondered where exactly on the map he might be from week to week, as at some point in 1945 he joined up with the Canadians as they advanced. After the war he spent a few more years in the Dutch army as a sergeant until leaving in the early 1950s. His wife - my paternal grandmother - witnessed the bombardment of Rotterdam and is still alive today, well into her 90s.
Amazing story, what a triumph
“When the flag of the motherland flies a top the Reichstag, all of Berlin will know that the evil of the fascist reich has been wiped from the face of the earth”
- Sgt. Victor Reznov. 3rd shock army when he entered the Reichstag building and raised the soviet flag with Dimitri Petrenko.
Wow, I have waited on this day so long since this winter and oh boy what an exciting, spectacular and at the same time so sad and such a tragedy of it all.
I want to give all my respect to Indy and team for all interesting knowledge that you have showed for the almost 6 years☺️☺️
As a cod waw veteran myself I feel the nostalgia
My grandfather was in the Philippines at this moment in the war after having been in New Guinea. He would talk a bit about the war and after he passed I received his old mess kit with his memorabilia including his bronze star and telegram to his parents for it, which I wanted to excerpt: ...For heroic achievement in connection with military operations against the enemy near the Villa Verde Trail, Luzon, Philippine Islands, on 29 April 1945. The enemy opened fire with machine guns on the installations of a portable surgical hospital. Although numerous bullets were ripping through the canvas of the ward tent, Private Gonet, without thought for his own safety, assisted two other enlisted men in removing the patients to a safer locality. In spite of the extreme hazard he persevered at this task until all the patients had received protection...
And just to add, two of my favorite stories he told me: First, he talked about going to the recruitment center where the different services had lines and offices setup. He had been in line to join the Navy and intended that with some of his friends when another friend who had joined the Army came over and announced the Army was serving chow, so they all left the Navy line and joined the Army instead.
Second, while in the Philippines he developed a life long love of mangoes from the fresh ones there, and talked about several of the men there borrowing a jeep, parking it beneath a tree and filling it with mangoes, describing them as the most delicious thing he'd ever eaten.
Thanks to your grandfather for his service. My grandfather was in the Australian airforce. Australia would’ve struggled without men like your grandfather from the USA
@@Dogboy1092
My favorite line about ANZAC troops has always been the one attributed to Rommel:
"If I had to attack Hell, I'd use the Australians to take it, and the New Zealanders to hold it."
I remember that last year my girlfriend and i went for a walk through the Tiergarten. Strolled right through it west to east. We sat down at a tea shop right next to the park. It took me a while to notice that we where sipping our tea right above where the Führerbunker used to be. A beautiful summer evening and everything felt so peaceful. Somehow it was a very humbling experience. Today's episode reminded me of that day, and what this place has become. I am glad that at least for this little piece of earth, the war is now over.
Lucky u. You owe a lot to millions of soldiers to be able to do that today
1914 to here. What a journey. Congradulations to all of you.
This entire project is spectacular.
Man, I've never been so proud to be a part of this channel.
Just yesterday I paid my annual fee to Patreon.
You didn't just deliver. You massively over-delivered. In everything:
Production, editing, acting, investigating, quoting, and delivering.
You guys (and girls) are inspiring.
Thank you for everything ❤
Thanks for mentioning operation Manna. That action saved many, many people. The part of the Netherlands that was still occupied had been robbed empty of supplies by the Wehrmacht, and could not be re-supplied due to the breakdown of the rail network, due to Allied attacks, sabotage by the Resistance, and command from the Government in Exile.
In spite of the food droppings, some 20.000 citizens starved that winter / spring, and 30 years later dentists would still curse that period for what it did to the teeth of that generation. At least, I heard my dad's dentist blame the hongerwinter for the state of my dad's teeth. Without the food droppings, the toll would have been considerably higher.
Lindy, your final comments this week are spot on. Thank you all for your hard word for memory, our Memory, the European Memory, will prevail in Europe.
Hitler: “Prepare my UFO bound for Hyperborea, I have a “You didn’t have to cut me off” video to film.”
"...To shreds, you say?"
While I felt a bit sad Brazil didn't got as much coverage during these last weeks due to the bigger focus in the campaigns in Germany, it's nice to see we got remembered with the surrender of the Wehrmacht's 148th Infantry Division to us;
One curiosity about it: Otto Fretter-Pico, the commander of the 148th, chose the FEB to be surrendered to due to the brazilian reputation during the war (with the FEB supporting the local civilian population, and being known to have a bigger respect of POWs between all Allied troops involved in the Northern Italy campaign);
That led to Brazil being the only Allied country in WW2 to have an entire division surrendering to them.
Man it feels like just yesterday Chuikov was desperate at his position at Stalingrad and now look at this, we are im Berlin now. Unbelievable
Beautiful speech and fade at the end. Top notch episode as always.
and yet Indy's closing words were disturbing to me as I don't know what to think of the step, by step, by step, that I am currently seeing where I live. At least in my part of the world, the steps are opposing directions by two distinct sides...and a bunch of us bland everyday folks caught up between those two "forces".
That is the first time the frame of his face froze since Week 112 - "Panic in Moscow! The Germans are here!" when he announced the rise of Hideki Tojo as Japanese PM; and that wasn't the first time he'd done it, that would be Week 104 - "There are no Soviet prisoners of war, only traitors!" when he discussed the new gas used for mass murder: Zyklon B, man those episodes seem like so forever ago, I watched them they day they released as it was about that time I discovered the channel
@@MrPFFlyerIdk where youre from bud but unfortunately the problem is everywhere. More obvious in some places, the agenda more advanced in others.. but unfortunately a lot of people think a NWO scenario isnt just bs, but that its flatout impossible, not realizing it wont stop those in power from trying.. anywhere that isnt already totalitarian, whether that be overtly or covertly, is moving in that direction, and its all being done under the guise of tolerance and humanitarianism .. And yet every step of the way, freedom of speech and expression is disappearing. Usually little by little, slowly and steadily, unless a catastrophe helps expedite the process... if you control words you control thoughts. If you control thoughts you control entire minds. If you successfully control enough minds for a long enough period of time, people may never know what the truth ever actually was -- And at that point, the state can convince people of, and subsequently justify, almost anything. Never take the word of ANY state at face value.. theyve all got things to hide, and just as many things to gain in the process. Im glad the US won the world wars, being an American myself .. But after learning all the history I was never taught growing up, asking who the "good guys" are became a LOT more complicated.. Eisenhower chose his words carefully. Only an ALERT AND INFORMED CITIZENRY Can do anything to stop the inevitable march of power becoming centralized in elite private or state hands .. Knowledge is power. When speech becomes censored, every red flag that can go up, should.
And on this day, very appropriately, there is no post-epilog channel housekeeping announcement. Because there is only one closing that would fit, the one that's Sparty's brand. But which is what Indy's final speech calls for, so it is up to us, to all of us everywhere to say it:
Never Forget
I felt the same. Today it was time for Indy to say; Never Forget.
I’ve been watching you since 1916, and it’s honestly been great to see how thoroughly and thoughtfully you’ve covered both wars and the catastrophe they were. I knew this isn’t the end but to see it this far is something special that I haven’t seen anywhere else on the internet.
All I can say is this, thank you Indy and team for a decade of content, thank you. And I remember Hozendorf, if you know you know.
When I came to this channel, The Germans were about to take over half a million Soviets prisoner at Kiev, that was September of 41, back then the episodes were around 14-15 minutes, now it's May 4, 1945 (2024), in 2 days is my 21st B-day btw, and the Soviets have taken Berlin and Germany is on the verge of surrender, and they are on average 25-27 minutes long, this one being 43 minutes. Man time does fly. I binged the Great War channel and then got caught up on this one al the way back when I discovered and subbed to you guys and since September of 41, I've been eagerly waiting every saturday for one of these masterpieces to grace my screen. My Grandmother has also been watching since about July 1942 (2021), she loves it. To Indy and team I say EXCELSIOR!
There were so so many gaps in my knowledge of World War 1 that the Time Ghost crew helped fill in.
Then when they started World War 2, I thought I knew things. 6 years later I can say I literally didn't know the half of it.
@@andrejg4136 Same
Never did i think id watch an entire chronological series from 1914-1945...crazy
I'm going to miss this series more than anyone will ever know. 😢
There is still the war in the Pacific and we'll be still going with Korea and several related series!
-TimeGhost Ambassador
My geography teacher at school was an RNZAF navigator on Lancasters. He told us about dropping food from their Lanc over The Netherlands. He said it was the lowest they'd ever flown on missions.
That was a massively fast collapse between January and now.
I am a history buff for the World Wars. I have first watched a video from the German pendant „Der erste Weltkrieg“ back in 2018 at 13 years old, with a grandpa who told me many stories in the hospital. In 2020, during Covid, when I finally understood enough English, I have watched the weekly episodes from the Great War, and started watching your show regularly. I remember your episodes on Barbarossa, Stalingrad and D-Day. Man, time flies. I was in middle school back then, most people thought I was wierd because i know somuch about WW2. Now, at 19 years old, I have seen the end of WW2, and remember my Grandpa and his brothers which had to fight in this war everyday. I have graduated from school last week, and I am now able to study, which will help my career and my goal that there is peace all around the world. These four years showed me every week what war does to people, adding to the things my grandpa told me. Our generation is the last one which talked to WW2 veterans. Lets do something against war and dictatorship, thus honoring the heritage our grandparents gave us. I am German, so my ancestors had to fight for the Nazis, but they didn’t want to. They all just wanted peace. Some of them stood up and ended up being executed or in a KZ. Lets remember those brave humans which stood up against Nazism and dictatorship. We are now in charge, and we have the task to preserve peace, freedom and democracy. We can only achieve that by cooperating. No more brother wars, we are all brothers. Thank you for your job. Love from Germany to my friends all over the world!
Wonderful sentiments with which I thoroughly agree. Well said!
You just have to tip the cap and say Bravo, 43 minutes of pure greatness, love all the very intricate details about what's going in Berlin, almost surreal that wenck managed to link up with 9th, either he's a very good general or the soviets just let him have it. What's even more impressive with this whole endeavour is that these guys are not even digesting this achievement and starting the korean war right away - we are not worthy!
is this the same Chuikov whos troops were holding onto the last few meters of Stalingrad such a short time ago? If it is how must he have felt having the German generals asking for an armistice in the ruins of Berlin?
Yep, same guy. Insert Office meme here - "how the turn tables.... turn."
I started watching this series around the time I started my bachelor's studies. During the entire time this series has been produced and shown, I've completed two degrees, served in an army and am now six months in a PhD program. It's insane how time flies!
I started the series in the first semester of my PhD; I defended last month.
It’s hard to believe that the world was consumed by this chaos for this blip in time. In only 6 years the entire world order has changed and laid the foundation for the geopolitical alignment we have today.
This has been the best historical documentary series I've ever seen. Thank you so much to Indy, Sparty, and the whole crew for everything you've done. It's been an incredible journey and despite the horrors have enjoyed every minute of it. Much love to all of you.
Thank you for covering the start of the Borneo campaign. My grandfather served with the Australian air force in World War II. He was ground maintenance crew but his heavy (Liberators) bomber wing operated out of Australia and was bombing Borneo for the start of the campaign of all three subsequent invasions/operations. He will eventually be deployed himself to first Morotai en route to Balikpapan in July 1945. I’m very proud of his part. But also Australians forget to be grateful to the Americans. Takeaway MacArthur individually, the American navy and airforce gave the Australian Borneo landings some of the heaviest bombardments and firepower per division landing of the war, to make sure the Aussies landed safely.
I was glad that General Vasily Chuikov was mentioned again in these last couple of episodes. I love that name.
From Operation Barbarossa to the battle of Berlin...... What a journey we've been through..... Sacrifices, Daring and Cautious Campaigns, and lots and lots of death...... Really what a journey.....
Indeed -TimeGhost Ambassador
It's amazing how after 5 years this channel still does not have 1 million subscribers. So many can and should be learned from these videos, it's a shame so few people are watching it.
14:49 - 15:39, in my opinion, the most interesting bit where complexities of interaction during the end of the battle of Berlin are described in a fascinating way.
Thanks a lot for such a informative and in-depth analyze, dear Indy and the whole team!
I have been a WW2 history buff for almost all of my 60+ years; these Week-by-Week reports have gifted me a whole new prism through which to view those events. Stupefying to see the panoply of events that occurred during this week of the war. Must have been an amazing week to read the daily newspaper headlines. Concise, clear, and Great closing words by Indy. Thank You.
Finally! Some coverage on Yugoslavia :)
My grandfather fought in the Battle for Trieste under Tito, really appreciate you covering it!
Crazy, I have been watching this every Saturday for the last 5 years roughly (invasion of France was 1st live episode I watched). Can't believe we are actually at the end of the European conflict. After watching this unfold in real time, it's amazing to me how quickly the allies recovered, went on the offensive, and forced 3 superpowers in different parts of the world to unconditionally surrender. Bravo allies and we sulut you Indy, Sparty and all the time ghost army team that have chipped in over the years and made this amazing channel possible! Thank you 😊 ❤
This is a special episode for me personally. My uncle (born 1937) told me the story of my grandfather family in Berlin in 1945 when Soviets took it - no fun stuff, and so I will not publish any more details than this. Thanks for this extended video!
2018 was both so long ago and felt just like yesterday. I’ve been taking this series for granted for 10 years now, it’s finally coming to an official end :(
Not yet.
Seeing everyone share their stories about ancestors involved in WW2 and how important this series is to them is really amazing.
Indeed it is! -TimeGhost Ambassador
I'm stunned over the fact that the war was hopeless. Armies are cut off from Berlin and yet they keep fighting. Fighting with no hope. I don't understand how one can fight with no hope.
you fight for your comrade, for the civilians or other soldiers you can save, for fear of the Russians. And maybe for believe in the lies of Hitler and the nazis. Or more fear for them than for fighting of for the enemy, or for fear being called coward. Of better die fighting than surrender and being killed?
But indeed, not much hope.
I hope there's an in-depth series about the war trials that followed the war
Congrats Indy on getting close to 900,000 and even closer to one million. Love your knowledge of WW2 history. I've learned so much.
Another absolute fantastic episode. I am convinced that this whole series should be part of the school curriculum, it would enlighten the youth to the absurdities of war, and the effects leading up to fall outs between nations. again many thanks...
This series is a monument! Thanks Indy, team and time ghost army.
Lest we forget.
I have been following this channel for the last 10 years and this episode surely ranks as one of if not the best. Indy and co have realy perfected their craft to give us the best history channel on youtube . Looking forward to korean war .
Thanks a lot for your trust! -TimeGhost Ambassador
My God i allmost forgot to light candles tonight. 😩 For my Grandad. Former RAF. Love you, miss you allways gramps. 😇
It feels so strange, I started watching you guys when I was still a teenager now almost ten years later the SECOND world war is almost over... Im looking forward to what you guys have next! :)
„im Stich gelassen“ means deserted, betrayed by absence, not just left. As such the German surrender is quite critical of Hitler already. Do with that what you will, but I think it was a detail lost in translation here
I’m curious as to your sources on your statement that “Borman killed himself”. Also, wanted to once again thank everyone who works on these videos. I feel that you all have contributed to creating the greatest documentary of all time. Thanks for all of your hard work.
I’m glad that you guys embraced the 40 minute video rather than trying to keep it within a certain time constraint
This is it folks, can't believe it's really happening
Indeed -TimeGhost Ambassador
Love the story of New Zealand and Trieste. It's always fascinating to me that these men from my tiny country in the South Pacific, about as far from Italy as you can get, are coincidentally responsible for an entire city being part of Italy today. It's also quite poetic that New Zealand essentially begins and ends our war in Europe in the same region, having initially deployed to fight the Axis invasion of the Balkans/ Greece. I loved this whole series and always made sure to spot the little New Zealand square as it moved around the map all these years. Remembering my great grandfather who served in "the Div" from North Africa until he was wounded at Sangro River.
There is a great story when both the New Zealanders and the British arrived in Venice. While the city appeared to be free of Axis forces no one was sure if there were hold out groups hidden in the city. So special forces were sent in and Martial Law was declared for about a day? Anyway, General Freyburg had visited Venice before the war and knew the Hotel Daneli was rated as one of the best hotels in the world (it still is). So he sent his commandoes in to seize and hold this vital asset. Shortly afterwards Venice was declared safe and martial law was relaxed. The hotel was declared to be the New Zealand officers club and because it had been seized during a time of martial law, they could remain there and didn't have to pay rent for the best hotel in the world. But the Brits didn't seize any property during the short period of martial law, so their officers club was a rather basic 3 star hotel that they had to pay rent for.
@@Dave_SissonThat's great! I wish I had found that hotel when I visited Venice a few years ago haha
This was, perhaps, one of the best episodes of the entire series. Bravo Zulu for this excellent production.
WOW! As history shows. History seems to be repeating itself in our modern age. Fantastic work people. Well done.
An excellent episode chronicling the final battle for Berlin. We must not let this period of time be forgotten or rewritten by unscrupulous persons. This chapter of history must not be repeated anywhere in the world. Eternal vigilance. "We're going to have peace even if we have to fight for it". Eisenhower.
I watched most of the weekly episodes of WWI in real time and all of the WWII episodes. Such a great series! Congratulations to all who have contributed their efforts to make it a success....
It's been a wild ride! Thank you for this amazing series. What a week!
I been seeing each episode for almost 3 years now, it’s been a long journey, here from Spain, congrats! And to everyone who wants to know in depth everything about WW2, this are your videos, this is the series you are looking for.
I got depressed when I saw 8AM tomorrow as start time.. Been waiting for this one for days 😊
Big shoutout to Indy & co, first time I am leaving a comment but I have been a follower since WW1 series, thank you guys so much for all the incredible content you have put out there over the years!
Thank you for faithful viewership - I (Spartacus) set the time wrong at first… a colleague fixed it.
I have never been more excited for anything then i am for the coverage of the korean war coming next after this series
Oh my goodness how i long for all of the priceless information this channel and its team provides
Thank you all so much
A thousand kisses for you all
Absolute legends you did it, 10+ years of episodes, week by week, describing every aspect of war in such a great detail. So happy that you guys did such a legendary work.
Thanks a lot for watching! -TimeGhost Ambassador
Man the speed at which Germany fell is almost unbelievable. The wheels just totally fell off the bus in summer of ‘44.
The week by week format really highlights how quickly this all went to shit for Nazis, and also contrasts the slow grind that was the war in Asia and the Pacific. Months to take a tiny island or advance a km in the jungle. Such a contrast to Europe where 100s of km are advanced in days.
I've been following the channel since the very first weeks (I was very excited to know that there was a continuation from the IWW channel with Indy) and I am so happy that we have reached such a momentous event with the inminent culmination of the war in Europe. In 2019 I was working in my country of Honduras, some years had already passed since I finished my bachelor's degree. In 2021 I got the opportunity to study my master degree in Europe thanks to an Erasmus scholarship. I spent two amazing years in France and in Italy. And now I am starting a PhD here in France. I have to say that many things have happened in the span of these 5 years, a transformative span of time. And I am not alone in this journey called life; this just happens to be my story. Put into context, 5 years of war represent indeed a tragedy of the highest order.
So many thanks to the team that made this possible, that did what could be otherwise impossible, to show the scale of this tragedy into a context that all of us can relate to.
Bravo to everyone involved in the making of this magnificent series. The closing monologue and fade out ranks with your finest moments
Catching up, only 6 hrs. later with some pizza 🍕 and beer 🍺 Excellent Series! Thanks to you Indy and your entire crew
I'm sorry but this series has to be the greatest thing ever to be uploaded to the internet. I wish there was some internet version of an Oscar for you guys- I've religiously watched from the beginning and am just blown away at what you've managed to achieve here. All I can do is say a very sincere, "thank you"..
Where the F is Steiner and his relief army? Doesn't he know how important this battle is? The coward! I'm beginning to think that Germany might not be able to pull off a last minute win.
DER ANGRIFF STEINERS WAR EIN BEFEHL!
WER SIND SIE DAS SIE ES WAGEN SICH MEINEN BEFEHLEN ZU WIEDERSETZTEN?
He is running to the west to surrender.
He got confused. He was last seen marching on Moscow
Also fun fact, my Grandfather actually joined the war either last week or this week and served in a B17 Strategic Bomber, he would bomb some cities but the majority of the payload he dropped would be leaflets. He would spend the rest of his time in the USAAF mapping Europe, Africa, and other areas before being allowed to go home.
This is wierd episode for me. I have been following time ghost since the ww1 episodes. |I am writing this on may 5th, the morning before i go out to celebrate our liberation day. Yesterday, the entire Netherlands was silent for 2 minutes to remember what has happened and pay hommage to those that have fallen in wars since the start of ww2.
I want to thank you guys for doing your part, that these atrocities may never be forgotten.these episodes really put in context how brutal this entire war was.
I can only imagine the feelings surrounding the link up between the Partisans and the Allies.
Allies - Congratulations! You're free! Now, about how about the new government?
Partisans - Yeah...about that...
I'm not saying I like Tito or what he did/stood for but damn if I can't admire how he managed to play everyone.
What gun is that at 4:02? Looks like nothing I've ever seen.
Man, how the dynamic has changed with Roosevelt gone and Truman in. Besides the obvious fact that Truman and Churchill likely haven't had nearly as much interaction as Churchill and Roosevelt did, there's also the fact that Truman would have different views on how things should be run. Then you've got Marshall and I think every man fighting in Europe could agree with his thoughts.
That line from John Erickson about how the Soviets behaved in Berlin really shows the mix of emotions everyone must've been feeling. A sense of revenge for what the Germans did in Russia but also that inborn human sense of generosity for a people whose lives have already effectively been destroyed, all to the backdrop of the fact that the war is likely be officially over in a week or two so what's the point in killing a bunch of civilians and boys too young to really properly support the "cause" they've been forced to fight for? Must've been a wild time to experience first hand.
16:42
That was one of the best transitions I've seen in the series so far. *Paper appears* "Here's my questions" *Hitler's image appears* "And here's me." Plus the fact that the paper has "Mein Questions" and "Heil Me!" instead of "Hitler's Questions" and "Heil Hitler" since it's supposed to be Hitler with the paper. XD Glorious
18:27
"You can make it my friend. You always survive. The honor should be yours. As long as you live, the heart of this army can never be broken. Things will change my friend. As heroes, we will return to Russia's embrace." URA! URA! URA! URA! URA!
"reiterated his (Goebbels) already announced resolve to share the Fuhrer's fate"
I'll be honest, if I was the guy he was telling that to, assuming I still had my sidearm, I'd have just shot him. He wanted to share Hitler's fate? So be it. Just let us end this pointless fight.
24:55 - 27:10
I want to post the whole song but that'll just make my giant comment even bigger. So I'll just go with this.
Who’ll survive and who will die?
Up to kriegsglück to decide
Those who made it cross, without a loss, have reason to reflect
It is not about Berlin, it is not about the Reich,
It’s about the men, who fought for them, what peace can they expect?
See the city burn on the other side
Going down in flames as two worlds collide
Who can now look back with a sense of pride?
On the other shore, there’s the end of the war
Poland is proof why the Soviets (top government that is) were never to be trusted. While the Nazis did deserve to be fought and defeated, Patton was (if he actually said it) at least partially somewhat right when saying (again, if he did) "We defeated the wrong enemy." Not the "wrong" enemy, just one of two. They (Soviets and again, mostly top government) were never really our true allies. They were just the enemy of our enemy.
On top of being pretty much untouched, Hiroshima was also chosen because it was an important supply depot, assembly area, shipping port, and major industrial center. It also housed a major Japanese military command, Shunroku Hata's 2nd General Army which led the defense of all of southern Japan and had most of its men right where the Allies were planning to invade during Operation Downfall (very fitting name by the way), and several smaller ones like the 59th Army and the 5th and 224th Divisions.
38:57
The 77th Infantry Division has quite a unique history, having been raised early in the war and had its ranks filled with "old men", with an average age of 33 (for reference, currently the US Army will not accept recruits past the age of 35 with 28 being the limit for the Marines) including at least one man in his 50s. During training, their old age and treachery were tested against the youth and talent of another unit, which was made up of men of the average age of most conscripts, and they completely mopped the floor with the young whippersnappers. They're honestly worth a little special once the war is completely over.
40:57
YES! YES! OH GOD YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW HAPPY I AM TO HEAR THAT! Everyone, who cares enough, knows of Castle Itter but until I read Itter's wikipedia page, I'd never heard of Operation Cowboy from anyone and honestly, I have a hard time deciding between the two for which was the better showing of Germans fighting with Americans. Itter has a more "unique" story but Cowboy had a "better", or at least even more heartwarming, reason for happening. I figured you guys would talk about it at some point but hearing that you definitely will makes me very happy. It's a story just as worthy of Castle Itter of being told and having a movie made of it.
"massive, sprawling" That pretty much describes this comment lol but that's what you get from a 40 minute video that's crammed so much commentary-worthy information in it.
I don't think Shakespeare or any other poet could've ever written a more fitting poignant ending than this one. Never again, never forget.
This series is by far the longest and most riveting one I've ever seen including those on tv. It filled so many gaps in my ww2 knowledge it's not funny. It also corrected some of it. I'm planning to watch entire ww1 series in exactly the same way. Thanks everyone!
And what's crazy is how much detail still has to necessarily be left out of each episode. Whole books are written on singular events in WW2 that are only covered by like 5-10 minutes of coverage in these videos. WW2 was truly insane in every sense.
Someone needs to etch that epilogue in stone
As suddenly as it started, it has come to an end. Even though the war has not yet finished, thank you again for this coverage!
That sound you may have heard at 31:04 was the first layer of the iron curtain being draped over eastern europe.
Guys...I think Steiner's counter attack isn't coming...
He ran to surrender in the west.
Maybe Steiner's true counter attack is the friends we made along the way? -TimeGhost Ambassador
@@WorldWarTwo 😅
I'm very happy and proud to see all of the hardwork from the TimeGhost History crew. For almost 6 years, I joined you all in this journey, watching the series almost every week. Now, we are so close to the end. Thank you for all of the information given to us during this series, and I'm hyped up for the Korean War series!
Also, as a Brazilian citizen, I would like to thank you for your work about Brazilian participation in the WW2. Thanks!
Damn. This was a big one. Thanks Indy, Sparty, Astrid, Ingrid and team. Lots of loves, well done.
What a ride it has been so far. And the end is near. Thx to the entire team