Belgian Army History, Part 1

In this first of a long-ish series of videos from Belgium, we we meet Mr William Testaert who will be our guide over the length of the country, and we start at the Royal Military Museum in Brussels, and go over initial Belgian military history.
This is the first batch where I have invested in bringing along a cameraman/editor, goes by FixItInPost, and as you can imagine, he doesn't work for free. Any financial support you can throw in below would be greatly appreciated. This was a test case to see if it's economically viable.
Belgian Linkies:
warheritage.be/en
belgiumbattlefield.be/
Facebook: / thechieftainarmor
Twitter...erm.. X: / chieftain_armor
Instagram: / chieftain_moran
And TikTok (Not that there's much on it yet) / the_chieftains_hatch
Financial donations:
Patreon: / the_chieftain
Direct Paypal: paypal.me/thechieftainshat
Or just use the KZbin Thanks feature.
Merchandise (The carousel below seems dodgy)
the-chieftains-retail-hatch.c...

[@johnrodgers4795]

Finally a series of videos on Belgium. I am a 14th Cav Trooper from the 1950's who was stationed in Bad Hersfeld, Germany. As a result, I developed a fondness for Belgium. Such a fondness over the years that I now own the "Boss Rodgers" Café in Adinkerke, Belgium - next to the French border and about 15 km from Dunkirk, France. When you make your second visit to Belgium, you will have sufficient time to finally visit the great WW I battle sites near me, and perhaps, drop in for a Belgian Beer - the best beer in the world.

[@genmontgomeree9888]

Do you happen to speak West-Flemish or Flemish in general? Please don't say you only know French, you'll break my heart. P.S. I'm a local from the area near Bruges.

[@asdic888]

"And so we got fed up with the Dutch, and so we threw them out." He seems very pleased making that statement.

[@Emdee5632]

And then for the next century (and a half) the Dutch speaking part of the Belgian population (the Flemish) were dominated by the French speaking part (the Wallonians).

[@mr_boo.]

@@Emdee5632 false :)

[@Scar-L-light]

@@Emdee5632 yeah but no its was more about the rich speaking french in wallonia a lot of people were not speaking french but walloon or other patois

[@kurtkesters6043]

@@mr_boo. How so? it was well after ww2 before Dutch got any sort of legal status in Belgium. How is that not dominating?

[@mr_boo.]

@@kurtkesters6043 because the elite spoke french both in wallonia and in flanders, but the walloons weren't any more powerful or dominating than the flemish. it's not a region problem, it's social class. french was simply the language of the upper class.

[@rotwang2000]

I had the immense honour of meeting the Chieftain when he visited. And he is A LOT cooler than you think because he can sing Ying tong diddle I po !!!

[@Simon_Nonymous]

Oh this was such a great surprise to see and watch - thank you Nick, but also to the nice chap from the museum, and of course - the lovely Belgian people themselves.

[@robertneven7563]

the Britsch the U S the Canadian the brave Kiwi s the lovely Aussis and the Belgain army frinds in arms in the first and the second W War

[@ihorbychkov8742]

Thank you for your hard work Nicholas ! Quite exited about upcoming episodes ! BTW upgraded video quality is a welcoming change , hope it stays !

[@TheChieftainsHatch]

It's down to the economics. We'll see after a couple of months

[@XSharkdarkX]

As a Belgian historian I'm so happy to see someone making videos on Belgian history and with the WHI is so great and the fact that person is the Chieftain is even more awesome. Thanks for your amazing job, I'll wait for the next one.

[@wvrails]

15:00 Given the Naval heritage of the first tanks, "float your boat" is a rather cleaver history reference.

[@ageingviking5587]

Belgium has a lot of interesting history ! It may not have always been called Belgium but, the areas history is very heroic. Thanks for doing this chieftain . I hope you grabbed some delicious chocolate while you were there but, if not; you have another reason to go back . Thanks again !

[@pietervonck3264]

It was called gallia belgica on roman maps, on early medieval maps, rennaisance maps and napoleonic maps. Belgium has always been known as belgium, the austrians called us belgians during the 1700's. It's mainly ignorant religious conservatives, who divide between flanders and walloon

[@genmontgomeree9888]

Wuk zegde gij nu? Maybe the Austrians already called us Belgians, but the people back then considered themselves largely just with their historical region/county/duchy or even city. Flanders, Luxemburg, Brabant, Namur, Liege etc. were largely what people associated with themselves and in Walloonia still do next to their national identity of Belgian. Flemish identity is largely created to distinguish them from the filthy protestant Dutch and later due to domination and superiority-complexes of the French speaking elites against French-speakers and (is some cases) the Belgium state because it has always been and intended to be a French-speaking state. Founding fathers like Charles Rogier and Alexandre Gendebien wanted to get rid of this "Germanic element". Gendebien even stated that the Flemish were one of the inferior races of the world. I suggest reading the English wiki page on the Flemish movement, it contains more information. The Walloon identity only came into existence as a reaction against the Flemish movement, see wikipedia but if not read 'the story of Walloonia' by Alain Gerlache, it's probably only in Dutch but the author is a Walloon journalist for rtbf.

[@chartreux1532]

The Chieftain doing a Series on Belgium? Or as my Grandfather and other German WW2 Vets in my Family called it "Shortcut to France" (in a joking way of course) I'm excited! I hope you will manage to do more Series like this. Army History of other European Countries in the Future! While i work as Historian here in Germany i mostly focus on German/Austrian/Swiss History so i will definitely learn something with this Series! Prost & Cheers from Berchtesgaden in the Bavarian Alps

[@Neves1789]

Haha shortcut to Frace is a good one! Cheers from a Belgian historian ;)

[@tmdblya]

What a blast from the past. I lived in Brussels as a kid and absolutely loved going to that museum, plus other locations like Bastogne. Looking forward to the series!

[@peartree8338]

This summer my son and I visited the military museum in Brussels. I've got hundreds of photos. The place is absolutely huge!

[@johnnieangel99]

Loving this. Thank you

[@Real_Claudy_Focan]

So proud and so hyped ! Thanks !

[@thegodofhellfire]

Fantastic video, can't wait for the next part!

[@pfg72]

The big smile on your face at the beginning of the video was priceless. You do love riding on those huge hunks of metal, don't you?

[@Davey-Boyd]

That was fascinating, can't wait for the next episode!

[@StrangelyBrownNo1]

That was far more interesting than I anticipated - thank you!

[@JaimeWulf]

Very interesting piece, can't wait to see the rest...

[@residentgeardo]

That was a great video! Very interesting, looking forward to the rest of the series!

[@JoshuaC923]

Oh wow I'm looking forward to this series!

[@stevebarrett9357]

This video was a great and wonderful surprise. Thank you for producing it.

[@LuGer212]

yessss, what a cool idea for a video series - very much looking forward to it :)

[@nuts4ships]

Looking forward to the future installments of the Belgian museum series. Thanks.

[@russwoodward8251]

Wow. Great stuff. Thanks.

[@stephenlabbe8715]

Great presentation!! Looking forward to the next videos.

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

Great video, Nick...👍

[@patricksomerville8484]

Huge fan of the production quality!

[@Colin21233]

Already love the opening!

Very nice Video and very nice Museum to visit. Looking forward to the rest of the series

[@mikkoveijalainen7430]

I'd love to see museum and battlefield tours on your channel. Keep up the good work.

[@supermagicalcookie2400]

That video editor you hired was a great investment. He did a really good job. Just wished he turned the music down just a hair.

[@mikethetexan76]

I'm pretty excited about this series. Looks like a fun one.

[@neilwilson5785]

Oh boy, this is so interesting. Thanks for doing this.

[@russcelt1]

If the rest of this series is on par with this part one, it will be brilliant. Thank you for what you do.

[@Alendo]

Leo1 engine is probably the best sound in the world. 🤤

[@larryjohnson7591]

I love history so I will love hearing about the Belgian Army. Can't wait for the next segment. Thanks Chief.

[@warci]

never expected our little country to get so much attention! Great stuff, looking forward to the coming videos

[@66kbm]

Looking forward to this.

[@roberttalarsky4238]

Great job thanks for your hard work, very interesting and helpful

[@charlesmerrifield1734]

you sir are the best, thank you for sharing your understanding of technical things, history and expertise, and your narration is music to my ear thank you chiefain

[@4nthr4x]

Well, this made me definitely sub. Excited to see the series. Greetings from Belgium

[@thomasfelten23]

Super happy of this series of video ! I'm Belgian, seing the passionates that keep the tanks going and our history having a bit of the highlights world wide is very welcomed 🙌

[@roelvandenbergen611]

Yes this float my boat. Thank you verry much dear Sir.

[@Alwinb1rd]

Oh my god! Thank you very much for that video and the upcoming ones in forward! I have been keen and looking forward to learn about exactly that area of history of Belgium, but couldn't find satisfying videos/documentaries. It is and may sound odd to mention it, but I shed a joyful tear while listening to this video and learning more about that aspect of Belgium... , probably because my mother is from Belgium (french speaking part) although I was born in Germany. Thanks again!

[@robundy4015]

My son and I really enjoyed this video!

[@tommyblackwell3760]

Very interesting video, M Testaert seems to be a walking font of knowledge. Thanks so much to all involved, I'm looking forward to more!

[@sasirut]

Love that you went to the museum, it was about 1km from where I used to live, spent many an hour there. Very nostalgic for me :)

[@maxmustermann6612]

Really nice Video! As a german I have been on quite a few battlefields in Belgium and love the country!

[@milanstragier6142]

Belgian here, i love the new camerawork, thanks for visiting this country, ehm yea, waffle and fries or smth, great video

[@robertillston2350]

Sounds like a great series.

[@Cam64viper]

Ah, so you hired the editor you were talking about! It's a welcome change, but there'll always be a place in my heart for the dry but interesting information videos, should you need to go back :D

[@Uberyankee]

M4A1(76) HVSS my beloved. Nice to see that particular variant might get a bit of coverage if it hasn't already.

[@jonesy279]

That is a gorgeous building!

[@aymonfoxc1442]

Looking forward to seeing the rest of this series! Belgian military history is quite the niche subject.

[@generalhades4518]

i for one am elated to see this! looking forward to the rest of the series. belgium has so much history crammed into the country, and it's just a lovely place to wander about!

[@genmontgomeree9888]

Yeah but the majority is just local history and not Belgian history, since Belgium only exists since 1830.

[@TheShrike616]

Hope you had a good time here!

[@erwin6395]

Thank you. I grew up around Cologne and, being Dutch, my parents sent me to the schools belonging to the Belgian NATO forces. And also the boyscouts, which had their camps inside the military baracks. So I've been quite immersed in their army culture and will enjoy the upcoming series very much!!!

[@Aleksejev]

I like the camerawork, you should consider doing this more. It adds to the documentary work.

[@dennisvandermarkt8263]

Can't wait to see that stuff chieftain.

[@SuperHero1234123]

Whomever this editor is, well done! Noticeable difference! Never seen an Irishman in HD before. Bit unnerving, that.

[@waynemayo1661]

You probably are one of the only people who use the word "musea" and not "museums". Well done. Looking forward to more in this series.

[@CapnDan57]

Oh this is gonna be awesome. Looking forward to this whole series. If I ever run into you, would like to buy you a pint and share a bit o' banter.

[@BoerChris]

I look forward to subsequent videos. I have always had a soft spot for Belgium and its people, having lived just across the border in the south of the Netherlands.

[@robertneven7563]

hello Maastricht ?????

[@BoerChris]

@@robertneven7563Nee, Tilburg.

[@cmck472]

I'm looking forward to this, great idea Chieftain. I never knew Belgum and The Netherlands had such an acrimonious history.

[@robertneven7563]

Hello, in the 1 W W ar the dutch let the german army past to going In to Belguim the dutch di nt to a fuck In the firts W War

[@patricksomerville8484]

Thanks!

[@LuvLikeTruck]

@15:00 i vote the chieftain coin the term, "If that's the kind of thing that tensions your tracks"

[@lewiswestfall2687]

Thanks Nick

[@chipholland9]

Mom & I went to the barracks/museum in Bastogne a few years ago and got a private tour by a Belgian Paratrooper. Super nice guy, and he arranged for Mom to get a certificate due to Dad being in the 99th ID during the battle of Elsenborn Ridge. They had a Stug III under restoration in their garage. :)

[@HamiltonStandard]

abdolutely fascinating!

[@coldwarrior78]

Looking forward to this series. Spent some time looking around Bastone and Bulge battlefields where ny father fought.

[@loganholmberg2295]

I can't wait! The leopard at the beginning already got me excited. 😂😂

[@pex_the_unalivedrunk6785]

That upgraded up-armored Leo 1 is such a beautiful (dare I say sexy?) tank! Omg, it still looks pretty legit for such an old vehicle. 😍

[@loganholmberg2295]

alot of those got sent to Ukraine where they will be used as mobile gun systems so we might get to see them at work in real life soon. @@pex_the_unalivedrunk6785

[@fnamelname9077]

This video really floated my tank!

[@KO4FYC]

Will be there in May 2024, Im very excited.

[@kylehardman9135]

The belgian army actually reformed in the town I work in , Tenby and we recently hosted some commemorations

[@MajesticDemonLord]

Is it by The Chieftain? Yes. Will it involve a Tank at some point? Almost Definitely. Will I therefore enjoy watching? Most likely.

[@itsnotagsr]

Looking forward to the chieftain’s hatch review of Belgian beer and frites!

[@craigevans6156]

Will he have enough time to drink all the Belgian beers?

[@ignacevandaele]

@@craigevans6156 Well, that's an easy one: NO! 😁 But then, you don't have to drink them all to get a good impression, I don't know any Belgian who has drank them all, we just have our favourites...

[@craigevans6156]

@@ignacevandaele 😂😂🍻🍻

[@SonnyBurnett02]

That intro :O I replayed it several times.

[@pex_the_unalivedrunk6785]

Me too...that up-armored Leo 1 is sexy af! 😍 Over 50 years old, and still looks dangerous.

[@Morkhard]

thank you

[@andrewosborne8993]

I had not heard of the Belgian steam powered attack drone until this video. Thank you. 👍

[@joeTheN]

Fabrique Nationale Herstal, Belgium: Browning Hi-Power, FN FAL, FN BARs, FN MAG, FN Minimi, plus a few other guns and vehicles.

[@robertneven7563]

dont forget the P 90 the S C A R

[@bartweijs]

I live in Belgium; and I recently took my kid to Bastogne ... I love that huge IS-152 positionned so you look down that huge barrel when you enter :D Absolutely great museum. The one in Brussels is also huge, and having a forging steel hobby; I found the plaque's where the show how they made the pattern-welded steel barrels ... awsome (and also unique in the world). I'm not sure, but did you pass the Weapon-school in Liege too ? They are smaller and are not a part of the war-heritage museum group, but they have a nice museum hall too.

[@garyryman7595]

I had the opportunity to spend 3 weeks in Brussels back in 1999. The Belgians definitely appreciate their history, and especially their WWII allies. I spent a couple of Saturdays wandering the neighborhoods around the hotel, and any corner with open space had a statue of Patton, Eisenhower or Montgomery set on it. I went to the Military museum and an awesome car museum in the same "park" (Parc du Cinquantenaire). The scale of the Military museum is impossible to show on camera. When you can display full sized bomber and transport aircraft inside, you've got some space. Looking forward to the rest of the series.

[@jisellan]

Wow Im not Belgium but I live here. Love to see you here learning at the history of Belgium.

[@randyhavard6084]

What a fantastic looking place

[@MaddEndd]

Hmm, the engine sound of the Leopard 1 will always be my favorite.

[@shaider1982]

This video series’ timing is quite good: the WW2 in real time’s will be covering the Battle of the Bulge this December.

[@btyrreddagger2065]

I can see the updated quality

[@michaelwright2986]

I really did hear it right: "Musea". Except that if you're going to use that obsolete plural (so obscure that in a life spent reading early English and Latin, I've never met it before}, I'm sure you were mentally spelling it "Musaea". Very interesting video, and I look forward to the series. Belgium is, as every one says, famous for being a place where other people have fights, so the average punter doesn't think about Belgium's own armed forces.

[@janboen3630]

I learned something new about my own country and military as a 35+ year reserve officer so I look forward to more.

[@craigevans6156]

Having visited the museums at the Cinquantenaire, I can certainly recommend the air and army museums

[@marcquickly5111]

Danke!

[@thanksfernuthin]

Boat floated. Getting other perspectives on important world events is really enjoyable to me.

[@CthulhuInc]

excellent

[@waltergolston6187]

always enjoy your presentations. I am a bit more keen for this set of presentations.

[@archiegeorge3969]

Great video. Is there going to be a section on how to convince our spouses to make a trip to Belgium and include time for the museums? You may really help us out if you include a video on selling the trip to them!

[@JamesLaserpimpWalsh]

lol. Chieftain in the commanders position like great big long legged spider hah. Cheers for the vid.

[@michaeldenesyk3195]

Great to see some new content and cool videos. Have you ever been to teh Arsenal in Copenhagen, Denmark? It is called the Tojhuset ( Pronounced Toy Hosset) museum.

[@Jpdt19]

Lovely stuff. Very much looking forward to seeing more :).

[@cgross82]

I had the honor of sounding Taps from the top of the U.S. Memorial in Bastogne in 1977 when I was a member of Third Armored Division Band. Even after all these years I can remember the excellent war museum there, which we were able to tour when off duty. I also have fond memories of dancing with a really cute Belgian coed student at a party in Liege!

[@alanmoffat4454]

THIS IS A GOOD FORMAT 😮. 😊