Bob Odenkirk Learns Ancestor Fought in Napoleonic Wars | Finding Your Roots | PBS

Official website: to.pbs.org/fyr10 | #FindingYourRoots
Bob Odenkirk was in the dark about his French ancestry, and discovers that an ancestor fought under Napoleon Bonaparte in The War of the Fifth Coalition.
Bob Odenkirk is an Emmy Award-winning writer, producer, actor, and director. He is widely known for playing the character Saul Goodman first seen in the hit drama Breaking Bad, and for reprising that role in AMC’s Better Call Saul, which ran for six seasons and earned him two Critics Choice Awards, as well as Emmy, Golden Globe, and SAG Award nominations.
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#BobOdenkirk #PBS #HenryLouisGates
Finding Your Roots
Renowned scholar Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. guides influential guests into their roots, uncovering deep secrets, hidden identities and lost ancestors. Using genealogical detective work and cutting-edge DNA analysis, Gates guides influential guests deep into the branches of their family trees, revealing surprising stories of forgotten ancestors that transcend borders, illuminating an American root system fortified by its diversity.

[@francismartial6427]

"The fact is Napoleon Bonaparte couldn't have done it without my great great great great great great great grandfather"

[@themaskedman221]

🤣🤣

[@rkdeshdeepak4131]

Lol, Truly, the main character of the universe.

[@onemoreminute0543]

"...Talleyrand."

[@puneetmishra4726]

@@onemoreminute0543 Oh yeah. Talleyrand was Saul Goodman of his time.

[@deanronson6331]

You mean lose the battle to the Austrian army - the point that was lost on about 1000 YT dummies that thought Francis' comment was hilarious.

[@onemoreminute0543]

"Hi, I'm Napoleon Bonaparte. Did you know you have rights? Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen says you do, and so do I."

[@mason-masonsminecraftmason2756]

Brilliant.

[@anttitheinternetguy3213]

Now I kinda would love to see Bob odenkirk playing a Part of Napoleon, in a dark comedy similiar to "death of Stalin" in tone

[@CoconutGeneral]

I think this is one of the best comments out there.

[@xdeser2949]

"What, you think I betrayed the revolution? The right to elect your leader no tyranny? The printers got that one all wrong. Its supposed to say 'The right to elect your Leader *?* No *,* Tyranny!"'

[@onemoreminute0543]

@@xdeser2949 "You pity me? That's right Talleyrand, walk away! You know why I didn't accept the Frankfurt proposals? Because they were too small! I don't care about it! It's nothing to me, it's a bacterium! I win battles you can't even imagine, you can't conceive of what I'm capable of! I'm like Caesar and Alexander rolled into one! DYNAMITE SHOOTS FROM MY FINGERTIPS!"

[@puneetmishra4726]

"Have you ever got stuck in Russia during winter and couldn't get out?" -"BETTER CALL SAUL

[@TomGodson95]

😂

[@MrIrishscouse]

😆

[@thl205]

Napoleon to Bob's great-great-great-great-grandfather: "We're done when I say we're done!"

[@florjanbrudar692]

4th great grandfather. Your comment claims that he's his 3rd.

[@thl205]

@@florjanbrudar692 amended, thank you for the correction

[@NukaColaKris]

I had an ancestor who fought for Napoleon, fought in the 1798 rebellion, escaped to France, got captured, escaped, got captured again and sent to London for execution, he escaped, than fled back to France to fight again. Died in either Ligny or Waterloo.

[@Saddam_al-Husseini]

My great-grandfather was at Dunkirk in 1940 and was transferred to India afterwards, only to fight the Japanese in Burma (I guess it would have been 1942 or 1943?)

[@edefournas]

You can be proud of him !!!

[@martinjugolin2087]

Strong family ties, my grandfather Biuldt a house for himself and his family and was able to make 1 million pesos, also worked as a peon as a kid and finished school as a teenager@@Saddam_al-Husseini

[@whoareyouyouareclearlylost323]

​​@@Saddam_al-HusseiniMy great grandfather and grandfather fought the Spanish during their occupation of Northern Morocco and later during the Spanish civil War my grandfather fought for the Nationalists in Spain as part of a foreign soldier. Edit: My grandfather on my mother side fought the French in Algeria up until their independence in 62.

[@tillposer]

He probably has German or Dutch ancestors from his father's side. Odenkirk is a Low German word for "old church" and Odenkirchen was a town in the Rhineland, now a suburb of Mönchengladbach. On a different note, the name Fricker shows that the ancestors from that side were immigrants from Switzerland, namely from the town of Frick in the canton Aargau, which is just east of the canton Basel Stadt in the "Three Nations Corner" of Switzerland, Germany and France, specifically the Alsace.

[@themaskedman221]

That's a lot of speculation about a region that saw a lot of movement over the centuries -from Germanic Switzerland to the Low Countries, people traveled freely and settled and intermarried for a long time.

[@KD400_]

Everyone from the usa has European ancestry it's no surprise

[@jacques.cousteau]

Nice

[@the4thindustrialrevolution225]

@@KD400_not blacks and mexicans

[@yobama9880]

And his mother's surname is literally Baier. There has to be a connection to Bavaria, in German called "Bayern" or before that "Baiern". So I think her name just means "Bavarian". But like most Americans with European Ancestry, his ancestors probably came from several different Regions

[@pamelawooden6012]

When he said he would shake his ancestors’ hands and hug them, I totally get it. My husband and I have researched our ancestors and have visited their graves. It’s a calming feeling and it is like meeting them. In Orwigsville, PA., we found my 10X grandparents resting places (he was in the Old Men’s Company in the Revolutionary War) and learned that the little town was named after my 9X grandfather! It was quite a trip!

[@themaskedman221]

The Revolutionary War was to the Napoleonic Wars what the US invasion of Afghanistan was to World War 2. More horses were killed in one day at the Battle of Waterloo than the number of humans killed in all 8 years of the American Revolution.

[@collingoggins7589]

Same here William Goggans was 16 and got shot through the left shoulder and right leg then cut down with a sword and lived to be 94 he fought in the battle of kings mountain in the revolutionary war for the American side

[@maplejames6992]

Bob is Bob because of his mom. Plain and simple. :)

[@tracyleighbasham]

❤

[@KD400_]

True but u can't deny the importance of a father figure

[@orangewarm1]

ok

[@nakkipiilo123]

Beautiful mom

[@nicevibe-zd9fj]

And dad

[@sauceyeti4381]

Your honor, there is nothing we can do...

[@dbt7624]

Based

[@auntiefan4202]

Bob's ancestors would be most proud of his "milk machine" sketch from Mr. Show.

[@ShineOnBenevolentSun]

2:35 is Bob Odenkirk in a nutshell. What a classy, decent, sweet man we have in Bob. Tirradaloo!

[@Kira-jz9yr]

Tirradaloo?

[@MarkDavidIrwin]

I had the chance to meet Bob about ten years ago, & can confirm that he comes across as incredibly earnest, soft-spoken, humble, & kind, with a quiet inner strength, balance, & even formidable command. He took the time to talk to my best friend & I, & although he must meet & speak to people everywhere he goes, he really took an interest in us as individuals & demonstrated as much by asking us real questions about who we were & about our experiences. & we were just college kids on a trip to LA at the time. It meant a lot to us, having grown up loving his work.

[@jamorant8849]

Bob odenkirk great great great great grandfather to his grandson: “the fact is napoleon Bonaparte couldn’t have done it without me”

[@ConfusedRevolutionary]

Better Call Napoléon.

[@gilmotier]

I love Bob Odenkirk. Obviously he’s a phenomenal actor, but he is also so humble, down-to-earth and sweet.

[@stevencooper4422]

He kinda reminds me if Mike Rowe went into acting instead of hosting

[@kathyastrom1315]

I’ve found two 5th great granduncles (Canadians from New Brunswick) who fought for the British in the War of 1812. The family history I found online said that both of them went on to fight in the Battle of Waterloo. I decided to track that down. With the help of a research librarian at the New Brunswick Archives, I was able to find out that one of the men had stayed in Canada after the war so he couldn’t have been at Waterloo. But, the other brother was very likely there! He was transferred to England on November 24, 1814. I found someone with his name in the December 25, 1814-December 24, 1817 regimental paybook for the 23rd Light Infantry. I can’t know for sure that this is my relative until I can find the earlier paybook-if his name pops up there, then I will know that he is not my relative. But, this man in the paybook was in Liverpool, a port city, in that first quarter. If he had joined the regiment right off the boat, that would make sense.

[@sugarkane4830]

Wow excellent.

[@alexandercummins]

Napoleon to Bob's great-great-great-grandfather: "There is nothing we can do"

[@florjanbrudar692]

4th great grandfather. Your comment claims that he's his 3rd.

[@mitchellgeorge6031]

I wonder if he also served at Wagram, the follow up battle to Aspern-Essling, which at the time was the largest battle ever fought in Europe. It ended with Napoleon quashing any hopes of Austrian victory and won a crushing victory but at a heavy cost. Considering his army at the battle numbered 170,000 strong, it’s likely that Bob’s great great great great grandfather served at Wagram.

[@tonyhawk94]

If he survived Essling he most definetly fought Wagram.

There is no point in human history where at least one of your ancestors wasn’t alive.

[@grahambamford9073]

Bob visited West cork in Ireland last year he visited a small military museum near where I live, myself and my son visited the museum shortly after, we had no idea he was in town at the time, they told us he was there only a few days before,would loved to have met him, loved watching him in breaking bad and better call Saul.

[@pq2015]

Need to do Nacho Varga from "Better Call Saul" . Michael Mando, who plays him, has a German father and an African mother. He looks Hispanic.

[@007Julie]

Wait, what? Had no idea! I thought he was Hispanic too.

[@bladfadsfblaadsfsadf900]

@@007Juliemost of the guys who play cartel members aren’t actually Latino, which I found funny. The guy who plays Hector describes himself as “an old Jew from New York.”

[@venturatheace1]

This!

[@fryone]

😂 i was convinced he was french, you learn new things every day

[@idkn1977]

Your Ancestors fought in the Napoleonic Wars-Better call saul

[@shaider1982]

1:24 so Bob is part Irish sort of like his character in Better Call Saul.

[@missMediaChick]

Yes, very much so. He's visited Ireland many times and loves it.

[@zhang_han]

Interviewer kinda looks like an alternate timeline version of Gus Fring.

[@ridefreeordie831]

Love this series

[@user-ie8zt2pr1w]

Great person

[@bahiras]

So cool! Great history

[@facmptr]

I found civil war veterans on both sides. Southern on father and northern on mothers.

[@stevencooper4422]

Truly a brother war.

[@samuelfernandez3218]

I Love Bob Odenkirk ❤

[@cs3473]

True story, the late Rene Auberjonois who was in Benson, The Little Mermaid, Star Trek Deep Space Nine was a direct descendant of Joachim Murat, Napoleon's Commander of Cavalry.

[@guywhousesapseudonymonyout4272]

I loved him and was saddened to hear of his passing. He also narrated many stories on "Selected Shorts" on NPR. Great voice.

[@jeanmarieboucherit7376]

Napoleon was determined to fight the enemies of France, the coalition's which relentlessly attacked him and France. Napoleon sorry the ideals of the Revolution across Europe which led to the birth and indépendance of many nations in the rest of the 19th c.

[@alainprostbis]

yes that s quite disappointing from a so called historian to say a thing like that. especially American as Napoleon was the one who sold Louisiana to the USA. you would think he would not be attacked like that...oh well.

[@aiden22theastronaut72]

Yeah it's all part of the old vilification of Napoleon which luckily nowadays is starting to fall apart, especially amongst the youth@@alainprostbis

[@mason-masonsminecraftmason2756]

Exactly! Napoleon’s wars were 99% defensive. He wasn’t “crazy” and all young men in the French Empire weren’t conscripted until the veeeery end.

[@andrewturner6642]

​@@mason-masonsminecraftmason2756 Don't you think emperor is a funny title to give yourself if you're only fighting defensively, and it sort of implies you need to conquer countries to have an empire.

[@mason-masonsminecraftmason2756]

@@andrewturner6642 It was a constitutional title that was approved by popular referendum? Even if he skewered the numbers, the French people still absolutely supported it. He was deposed by his own senate in 1814, so he wasn’t an absolute ruler.

[@DSAK55]

Sweetest man in show business

[@Jindarella_]

Ancestry is so interesting. My family have been able to trace back from Australia to 16th Centery France. Truly facinating!

[@tomw4918]

Its always interesting to see which ancestors they pick to investigate. Bob has 63 other 4x great grandparents, I wonder what some of the others might have done.

[@mbd501]

I'm sure they pick the more interesting stories - like fighting in Napoleon's army.

[@Jimmy-vm5wj]

My two favorite things, history and, breaking bad.

[@nationeer]

Idk why but now I just connect Saul's street ad board with a Napoleon movie's ad banner that bothers a Habsburgs descendant on his way to work XD

[@parrotconservative]

Napoleon wasn't actually as bad as people perceived him even though he was a emperor he was very chill with jews compared to the rest of europe

[@thebottles3153]

Even though he wants separation he still wanted Jews to get back their homeland.

[@tuckerbugeater]

@@thebottles3153 He was funded by Jews to break up Europe and the Habsburg empire. The Dreyfus affair was to divide the French and eventually create Vichy France. Napoleon paved the way for nationalist Europe to destroy itself. You ignramses dsrve dstrctin!

[@Insanepie]

Why did the rest of Europe not like them?

[@parrotconservative]

@@Insanepie for obvious reasons ofc the stereotype was real for Medieval Europeans

[@let_me_explain8572]

History is a fascinating thing, ordinary people were so close to the historical figures and so deeply involved in the greatest events that it often times seems completely made up.

[@BlitzOfTheReich]

5:44 that stings given that I live right next to Lanne's birthplace.

[@Falkriim]

Interesting!

[@sopwithsnoopy8779]

If his ancestor had been sent to Spain in 1809, probably wouldn't have come back.

[@nfarotk]

You mean Russia?

[@sopwithsnoopy8779]

@@nfarotk Napoleon didn't invade Russia in 1809

[@lysanamcmillan7972]

I discovered one of my Irish ancestors enlisted in the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars. He was 20 and lived in Co. Tipperary. He wound up at Waterloo in the 51st light infantry division, which was the last one sent in to attack the French before Napoleon decided he was truly defeated. I should note that unlike the French, the British did not conscript soldiers at that time. It was 100% volunteer until 1916, which coincides with both WW I and the Easter Rising in Ireland. I have no clue why an Irishman would willingly become a redcoat, but he had his reasons for sure. He even stayed for the full 20 years before retiring and returning to Ireland for the rest of his life. This means he rode out the Great Hunger. His children immigrated to the US one at a time during and after that particular tragedy. The deep pride in my Irish heritage has room for this discovery, fortunately. The world is complex. Ireland was not going to be an exception, even under Britain's heel.

[@wynty200]

Irish enlistment in the British army was particularly high during the Napoleonic wars. Roughly a third of Wellington’s forces at Waterloo were Irish, for example. As for why an Irishman would join the British army, the short answer is money. People had different reasons for joining, but for most it was simply fairly stable employment at a time of crushing poverty.

[@Erinbrarian]

What the above commenter said! If you’ve read Bernard Cornwell’s Sharpe series or seen the TV adaptation with Sean Bean, Richard Sharpe’s Irish friend Harper tells him he joined the British army because “the freedom to starve is no freedom at all.” Many Irishmen enlisted in the Napoleonic Wars to help support themselves and their families, especially because there were few means of employment for working class Irishmen. Even later on during the 1920s Irish war of independence there were Irish republican guerrilla leaders such as Tom Barry who had British army training during World War I and then used the military skills they learned to fight against the British at home.

[@lysanamcmillan7972]

@@wynty200That's pretty much the direction my thoughts were going on that one. Especially since he stayed for 20 years. Steady pay and a pension are very attractive things when the alternatives are downright painful.

[@Sgt.chickens]

A lot of Irish did the same for Britain in world war 2. And sadly many of them were Punished and Denied return to Ireland, we still remember them and it is no surprise to us why someone would choose to fight Against A great evil. I'm sure your ancestor was under no illusions. If the british fell to Napoleon, he would come for Ireland next.

[@thomsboys77]

@@Sgt.chickensDenied permission to return to Ireland after WWII, when majority of Ireland was independent? Yeah right

[@turkeyman631]

Love this show. Seeing Lavar Burton find out he was part white was hilarious.

[@edefournas]

Very interesting show and it's moving to see the emotions of Bob Odenkirk knowing about his French ancestors. Having said that, it doesn't allow PBS to change the truth of the History: the war against Austria was declared by the 5th coalition of the European monarchies against France. Napoléon never declared the war to Austria and most of the time the war was declared by nations like England, Austria, Prussia or Russia against the "France of the Revolution" and then against Napoléon. It happened that France and Napoléon won all the wars until 1809. This is when Napoléon made his biggest mistake by declaring the war to Spain that was his ally. It was the beginning of the end and then the campaign of Russia and the winter with the cossacks, eroded the Grande Armée. On his life Napoléon had declared war only to Spain and Russia because of the breach of the Tilsitt treaty by Russia, which was a strong Cassius Belly. Napoléon was everything but crazy my dear PBS and Bob Odenkirk and beside a military genius he was a genius for administrating a country from A to Z , from the Napoléon Civil code, to the separation of state and religion, from the education to the meritocracy, etc.

[@MarkPhilp1970]

Well said. Ils ne savent pas de quoi ils parlent.

[@sherrytyrner8641]

Excellent quote: "Don't Follow Crazy People into War!"

[@scesfizia]

Shame it still happens today even in places like the USA

[@matthewshaw8122]

Interestingly enough, Napoleon didn’t start the war Bob’s great-great grandfather was involved in. The Austrians attacked first. The programme also misses out that Napoleon goes on to decisively defeat the Austrians only weeks later.

[@KD400_]

​@@matthewshaw8122I can tell ur a history buff right. Most people don't understand conflict at all. They r unaware of history

[@Sektion9]

@@scesfizia & as of right now Russia.

[@tricksor6589]

Wouldn't really call Napoleon crazy... He knew what he was doing and was very competent.

[@gregoryward3654]

If I was Bob’s ancestor, I would be most proud of his Charles Manson impression from the Ben Stiller Show.

[@thomasmaxon8911]

To be fair, the Austrians started and declared the War of the Fifth Coalition when Aspern-Essling was fought. Napoleon didn't start it - but he sure ended it.

[@ebbu.planespotting1903]

True it’s sad that people perceive the Emperor as a monster and certainly in 1809 when it were the Austrians, who went to war for only territorial expansion. Sad…

[@mason-masonsminecraftmason2756]

The Emperor’s wars were mostly defensive. He was not a monster, he was not “crazy” he was made to be a short, crazy Corsican by his enemies after his defeat.

[@ebbu.planespotting1903]

indeed @@mason-masonsminecraftmason2756

[@alexb.8038]

@@ebbu.planespotting1903 by territorial expansion I'm sure you mean regaining the territory that Napoleon stole in the previous wars. The Austrian declaration of war was entirely justified.

[@12345krillin]

@@alexb.8038 and what about their first declaration of war? along with the Russians, British, Spanish, Dutch and countless German nations?

[@colonelmoutard28]

napoleon wanted to dominate europe?! tf is this? he went to war against a coalition that declared war on France for having a revolution not the opposite

[@Insanepie]

That doesn’t mean he didn’t want to dominate Europe tho they can both be true

[@theasianjaywalker4455]

Lots of Grandfather talk but can we give some love to Mom? She is, without a doubt, how we got the gift of Mr.Show and all Bob Odenkirk things that came from it.

[@85jongo]

Time to "shake the crime stick!"

[@alexelmaleh3076]

He may have been at aspern-essling and wagram; wild.

[@alexanderclaylavin]

This is the most abstract Mr Show sketch yet

[@janicearluck6637]

My daughter and i have always been interested in finding our roots. But here in South Africa no one can help us, and the family i have here cant help us either. There is a big secret that the elders are keeping from us(my dad included)

[@zigzig9938]

My husband is South African, and he only knows some of his possible ancestors. Since he comes from mixed heritage a lot of it is just hidden.

[@SeptemberManHey]

France and Napoleon were declared war upon by the nobles. The plan was to cut it all up between all its neighbours, we existed as least like a unified culture for more than 2000 years at that point. Read up on the 6 Coalitions France had to fight against, Napoleon conquered because basically royal families all over Europe wouldn't let the Revolution ideas to spread and needed to beat France into a pulp before it did. Napoleon was just much better at war than they all were. The guy did love himself more and more with the years but it's a trait shown in absolutely all powerful people I'd wager, and besides this his reign and resolve was in fact about protecting and then spreading equality between people and meritocracy. A lot of texts about people's rights in Europe come back to his conquests. You did not need to be noble or rich to advance in his Army and Empire. French people loved him, he did what he had to do to protect our old land and the new standards of freedom and equality we just stumbled upon after spending a pretty long time with monarchy's boots on our necks. Britain and Prussia would not have left us choose between those and our sovereignty, France was going to be carved up. We had just went through famines and very violent political unrest. Without those standards, the USA wouldn't have had its Constitution as it is and the longing for equality between classes would feel even more like a joke and by a long shot I believe. Modern world would be a very different place, and what we're seeing right know with very rich people and companies taking overt power over all of the segments our lives would probably have happened something like 100years ago. Next time, pause, learn and think before believing the same people that have been lying to you for hundreds of years. Whether it be the fat self-centered nobles and merchants, or the "Perfide Albion" and its multiple heads.

[@KarimBagatelle]

incroyable

[@fredricclack7137]

May 🌺 Here!

[@beafraidofinsectattack]

Aw, I wish everyone a nice mother-child relationship 😊

[@xernobell7845]

This man looks like he is acting 24/7

[@alexistrebexis3195]

Wow

[@iyuiyu2326]

Hey! Napoleon! You last a war and you don't want to lose more You better call soul Goodman!

[@Iloveturkiye-mp5ee]

The events which can not be prevented, must be directed. Any plan conceived in moderation must fail when the circumstances are set in extremes. When Paris sneezes, Europe catches cold. - James "Saul Goodman" McGill

[@dad_jokes_4ever226]

1:34: He could be a distant relation of Brenda Fricker ?

[@orangewarm1]

if they researched his dad they may have found answers to his character.

[@leokorn1629]

So , his Great Great Great Grandfather fought in the battle of Aspern against austrian forces. I´m from Vienna, so that is very funny. Maybe one of my ascendents was there too on the austrian side.

[@veramae4098]

"Don't follow crazy people into war" is also the theme of the modern "Dune" books. Paul Atreides is the bad guy!

[@DrMaddMoose]

I know he got a kick out of that last name

[@ldcraig2006]

I have a great-great-grand uncle who lied about his age to enlist in the Union army during the American Civil War (he was 14 and said he was 16). Unfortunately for him, he didn't realize that he had not, in fact, enlisted in the federal army, but instead wound up in a state militia (one of the Ohio regiments, I think), and therefore when the war was finally over, he learned he did not qualify for any kind of federal pension. His name was William Simpson White.

[@billballbuster7186]

On Ancestry I traced one branch of the family back to a Norman knight fighting for William the Conqueror in 1066.

[@littlehandsgivescovfefe4837]

Song for ‘Napoleon: Total War’ gets keyed in while “Bob Odenkirk” is still in shock.

[@anneglass8084]

Any chance we could get non-celebrity ancestry stories?

[@lukef6078]

Bored already

[@abbyschmidt5775]

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE BRING MARTHA SPEAKS BACK TO THE PBS KIDS VIDEO APP PLEASE PLEASE PLEASEEE

[@tempsitch5632]

@0:11 Fancypants is in this ?

[@jamesbernsen3516]

He's from Alsace and has a German last name and a French first name, showing just how complex the border region was. France and Germany fought many times over it, and whoever won the last war (or had America win it for them) got to keep it. This is why it's French today.

[@mickimicki]

First names could change with the wars, too. I have ancestors in one of the Napoleonic satellite states (Kingdom Westphalia), which was in the middle of modern Germany. There are documents from that era where local people called Johann Jacob Something were listed as "Jean Jacques Something", "Johann Georg" became "Jean Georges", etc. (And because that kingdom only lasted for a few years, people's first names returned to German soon after.)

[@themaskedman221]

Well, yeah, Alsace was a German state for most of its history and ended up with France. Both French and German are commonly spoken there, same with the Saarland. "or had America win it for them" Yeah, that's exactly what happened. Chuckle.

[@Balrog2005]

@@themaskedman221German is not commonly spoken in Alsace since many decades, only the local dialect (alsatian) and by far French are. Alsace was not a German state most of it's history, Germany is a united state since 1871 only, it was part of the Holy Roman Empire, a loose collection of states, mostly but not only, germanic in culture. There is many places in France that were independent of part of some bigger group centuries ago as it quite common in the European history...America didn't win Alsace in the 17th century, or during WW1 (were were they in Verdun or during the big last german offensives in 1918?), there is a enormous rich history before WW2 (the war were the Soviet Union inflicted 75% of the casualties that the german had), typical arrogant-ignorant point. François, Jean-Jacques are hardly germanic sounding names...

[@themaskedman221]

@@Balrog2005 Oh, so you're another one who naively believes there was no such thing as a German ethnic identity until after the Franco-Prussian War. Well, you're wrong, and you should probably begin your learning experience by looking up "nation-states" (hint: the "nation" comes before the "state"). " as it quite common in the European history." And I bet you wouldn't dream of telling someone their 19th Century Irish ancestors were "British," even though Ireland was technically part of the British state. For some odd reason people like you have no trouble recognizing individual identities within the British Isles, yet in Continental Europe there's this simplistic notion of assigning everyone to their state. Alsace was part of a German state for hundreds of years until Napoleon came along, and then it was essentially a colony of the First French Empire (and while we're on it, a case could be made that Napoleon was ethnically Italian).

[@themaskedman221]

@@Balrog2005 Since KZbin is not allowing my response to appear on here, I responded again (more briefly) on the other thread I started.

[@Thomas-gz4ky]

My ancestors left France after the wars between Christians. They settled in what is now called Scotia in the 1600’s. Because of the wars between Britain and France , they were exiled because they would not sign an alliance to King George of England. Once in Louisiana They participated in attacks against British forts along the Mississippi and the gulf coast ridding the British army of an occupational force during the American Revolution. We got even again in February of 1815 on the fields of Chalmette in the Battle of New Orleans.

[@oui2611]

his great great grandfather saul odenkirk and napoleon dynamite

[@martinjugolin2087]

​Strong family ties, my grandfather Biuldt a house for himself and his family and was able to make 1 million pesos, also worked as a peon as a kid and finished school as a teen I suppusedly have a native woman (guaraní) in my family lineage

[@farmanstudio5454]

My great great great grandpa was a janissary but idk his ethnicity sadly

[@sebastiencz3931]

Imagine getting history lessons from an American that probably couldn't place European countries on a map.

[@QuocVanTruong]

He fought for Bornaparte, and his descendant gets to be a lawyer? What a sick joke!

[@user-kv1kj9pn8p]

Hes the spitting image of his mum

[@ambroiseperret6460]

the Historical ignorance is funnier than the actual ancestry

[@Nightclub20xx]

we all want to make our ancestors proud

[@Abigzerolol]

The moment Saul Goodman becomes Napoleon

[@nuttygeezer708]

“Napoleon was determined to dominate the whole of Europe” Forgets that it was the coalition that started all these wars in order to undo the French Revolution and return to the pre 1789 status of feudalism. The Austrians under Archduke Charles invaded Bavaria which triggered the 1809 5th coalition and Napoleon had even told Davout, Berthier, Reynier etc to stay not too close to the Austrian border to avoid starting any conflict.

[@joetrigger5962]

He literally installed his Brother as Emperor of Spain. Perhaps a bit of a glossy take

[@nuttygeezer708]

That is because the Spanish monarchy wanted to abandon their current alliance with France and join the 4th coalition against them if the Prussians could field and army in France's east. They then dropped the idea when Prussia declared war but then were immediately annihilated weeks later at Jena. Napoleon wanted to replace the Spanish king with his brother to ensure Spain wouldn't attack France. Obviously, this backfired as many of the Spanish resisted this change. @@joetrigger5962

[@thenablade858]

While it originally started as a war between the old aristocratic regimes of the European powers and the revolutionary republic, but Napoleon occupied Spain (his ally against Portugal) and installed his brother as King which escalated the disastrous Peninsular War. Also, the invasion of Russia was a disaster. Russia defied the Treaty of Tilsit because reduced trade with former partners was not economically viable for the country. Invading Russia was a terrible idea.

[@mason-masonsminecraftmason2756]

@@joetrigger5962The Spanish had broken their alliance to the French and become chums with the British. There was a conspiracy to land a British Army in Portugal and Spain for future wars. It was preemptive. It was absolutely their fault, and Napoleon installed his brother as KING of Spain, not Emperor.

[@alexb.8038]

France declared war on Austria in 1792 starting it all

[@Patrick-nw4xq]

As a French, we accept him.

[@inderpalsingh422]

Now do an ancestry test of my boy Huel.. reasonably

[@_MaxHeadroom_]

One of my ancestors specifically came to the US to avoid conscription into those wars

[@roberthudson1959]

Eighteen is a quite normal age for someone to begin a military career, even now.

[@missMediaChick]

Not going straight into war. That's what made it so intense.

[@roberthudson1959]

@@missMediaChick On the contrary, American military personnel tend to get younger in times of war.

[@sugarkane4830]

@@missMediaChickYeah it is.

[@andy_travis]

4:05 and north africa, Egypt, Palestine, and parts of Lebanon/Syria... look up the assassination of Marshall Kléber. 🎉

[@stevencooper4422]

"And the Lord shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers..." Malachi 4:6

[@lysanamcmillan7972]

Also, I see the irony of an Alsatian Frenchman fighting in Austria. Odds approach 100% that some of Odenkirk's ancestors are also German because Alsace was their home.

[@williamjohnson4417]

Tbf the odds approach 100% that every person of French ancestry has German ancestry somewhere down the line, the Franks were a Germanic Tribe after all.

[@lysanamcmillan7972]

@@williamjohnson4417 My DNA tests certainly concur with that! *laughs*

[@NJRacer623]

Yeah I mean the last name Fricker is German itself.

[@pierren___]

Theres no irony

[@DemoBot-yq7dn]

My ancestor fought against the Romans at Gergovie and another one fought against the same arseholes in Carthage.

[@wzupppp]

Odenkirk is a Dutch name derived from 'Oudenkerk'

[@missMediaChick]

It's actually the German version, Odenkirchen . His father's side originated in Germany.

[@RonNorwood]

I'm guessing it means "old church"

[@lareponse4745]

5:42 Don't you dare defend your country when it's invaded by multiple foreign nations !

[@thenablade858]

It’s not just defending, but also the Peninsular War (a disaster) and the invasion of Russia. Although Russia was the one to break the Treaty of Tilsit, this was understandable as the country couldn’t handle reduced trade and the invasion was disastrous due to both scorched earth tactics and a typhus outbreak that killed much of his army.

[@mason-masonsminecraftmason2756]

@@thenablade858the Peninsular Wars were justified, Spain was collaborating to leave the alliance with France and join the next coalitions. If Russia didn’t want to uphold the Treaty of Tilsit, they shouldn’t have signed it. Their own fault.

[@JohnCasteel1333]

Napoleon wasn’t crazy

[@tchristian04]

That guy looks just like Kevin Costner

[@EM-tx3ly]

Costner is of German descent

[@user-kv1kj9pn8p]

Fricker is not a very french name, is he german in origin?

[@mbd501]

The Alsace region is on the border between France and Germany.

[@damirk3]

Dont be harsh on your french soldier ancestor, he liberated people from serfdome, Jews from ghettos.

[@Cha4k]

He should ask for "ma reparations"

[@rosameryrojas-delcerro1059]

Fricker, now there's a name that will get your kid beat up at school every day.