The American Strike that Changed the World

[@Jse0607]

Spent 3.5 years in the Big Red One as a combat medic. They make us study unit history from WW1 to modern day but I never knew how hastily it was formed.

[@eagleman1542]

Thank your for your service, sir. I'm an Air Force veteran whose uncle was a pilot during WW2 and grandfather was in France for WW1; by the grace of God they survived but both were wounded and suffered for the remainder of their lives. Your family name is intriguing too, I must say.

[@thesmirkingwolf]

2/16 INF, 1ID , fought in the surge from 07-08

[@fr2ncm9]

My dad was in the 18th infantry regiment of the first division. He was in the second wave at Omaha Beach and fought in the Falaise Gap and the Hurtgen Forrest. When we asked him about his time, he always made it sound like he was on a paid camping trip. It was not until later that we heard stories about an artillery strike that wiped out half his platoon, or the time he volunteered to go out in the field under fire to attempt to rescue one of his buddies.

[@fr2ncm9]

He also told us that many soldiers started urinating on the corpses of German soldiers after hearing about atrocities committed by the Germans .

[@onerimeuse]

Five years, 3rd brigade. We didn't have to learn a damn thing except the most recent stuff. Of course, we only existed as a brigade for something like ten years, and weren't even stationed with the main body... Lol

[@RLHill-il8uh]

This is one of the most informative videos of early American involvement in WW1 I have ever seen, thank you!

[@ruthebear312]

wild guess here ........ are you american? sry I should be more specific due to you lot being a bit slow....are you from the good ole USofA? ;) KIDDING MATE, THIS VIDEO IS TOTALLY FACTUAL AND YOU SAVED THE DAY GORD BLESS THE QUEEN

[@LuvBorderCollies]

While researching a great uncle who was a machine gunner 37th Div/135 MG Btl, I learned a ton of stuff not mentioned in history books. The US was so unprepared its really beyond words how bad it was. It was chaos x 10,000 squared. Great uncle was drafted in early spring 1918 even though he tried to evade the draft by lying about a bad knee (bogus) and claiming he needed to run his farm (he lived with parents on their farm). LOL I chuckle every time I see his draft registration card. :) Units and individual soldiers were constantly being moved around in the US as training camps were being thrown up as fast as possible. It was really bad in the officer ranks as Lts and Capts were rotated around to new assignments. It was not unusual to have all new officers within a week. Unit cohesion was a concept on Mars. When my great uncle shipped out his MG Btl was attached to the 40th Div. Upon landing in Brest France 10 days later they were attached to the 37th Div. All kinds of supplies were in short order, i.e. he had to make his own 37th Div shoulder patch and it shows. I have his jacket, helmet, gas mask/bag plus misc belt pouches and Army flashlight. Those wool uniforms are nasty, like sandpaper substitute. General Pershing does not get enough credit nor do I think it possible to give him the credit due him. He knew the ragtag US Army/Marines were in zero condition for front line use upon arrival in France. So rear areas were set aside for "acclimation" of newly arriving troops. The French and British help cannot be overstated either, although I've read examples of a few crusty old geezer US officers dismissing advice from allies. A little known bit about Pershing, was the tragedy in August 1915 when he lost his wife and 3 daughters in a house fire. His son survived. He really had the unimaginable weight of grief and death upon him even prior to entry into war.

[@ruthebear312]

@@LuvBorderCollies awesome

[@ruthebear312]

Apart from the sad ending bit

[@ruthebear312]

And ya know the kinda throwing disorganised troops at the enemy until they ran out of bullets..... (Insert futurama gif here) and yayyyyyyy USA

[@32voodoo]

My Godfather was a Buffalo Soldier in the US Army. When he was sent to France, the white officers from the United States of America refused these highly experienced soldiers. My American Godfather fought under the French Flag and is a Decorated French War Hero. His French military achievements and French medals were in a frame that was on the wall in his room. Was wounded and finally died from them in his old age. A very old, very thin, very black, very quiet man when I knew him, he taught me to hunt, to respect firearms and how to be a man. The biggest thing about him was his laugh. He would often joke with reluctant admiration, "we chased that Poncho Via from one end to the other but never did see him". He didn't talk about France much, just enough so everyone knew why he didn't.

[@GoldenGod69]

Poncho Villa*

[@kenthatfield4287]

I am a white man but I will tell you this I would have loved to have gone hunting with your father. I love to hear a jovial laugh. Not every young man has the good experience that you have had. My father taught me how to work but he did not teach me how to fight however he did teach me how to shoot, and he taught me how to shoot very well.

[@matt.willoughby]

Deadlock rasta

[@matt.willoughby]

@@kenthatfield4287 You don't need to kill to be a man.

[@edomarpez1840]

@@GoldenGod69 Pancho*

[@joshuapowell2675]

As a veteran, it's always astounding to me how much was sacrificed to learn the lessons that we take for granted today. But I think even more important is the persistence that Americans have shown time and time again when faced with adversity. The invaluable support from our allies also shouldn't be forgotten.

[@samuelschick8813]

@@DodgeWatt, Aren't you a fucking goddamn ray of sunshine.

[@samuelschick8813]

, Just because you say something does not make it the truth.

[@kkpenney444]

Maybe we shouldn't have taken them for granted.

[@djl5634]

@@DodgeWatt we were affected for helping ur nations. Same in ww2. We were supplying uk and France. Germans didn't like it.

[@Lorrdd]

LMAO! Persistently stupid maybe. America has failed every war in it's history without outside help with the exception of ONE. The American-Philippine War. The few you've won have all been with outside help, or ones that you joined LATE. All the ones your people try to lead end in disaster. Korea, Vietnam, Somalia, Gulf War, Iraq, Afghanistan. Failure after failure after failure. America has good propaganda for it's military in Hollywood, but in terms of true history, America is about as effective as Russia is against Ukraine. Pitiful. Poor education standard, health standards, and training standards. Overreliance on tech. Or, as they said in "Shoot Em Up", "A pussy with a gun in his hand."

[@georgehopper7310]

My father's father was one of the troops that came off of the U.S.-Mexico border and helped stand up the 1st Div. We still have his hand-sewn patch.

[@simplialpha2117]

May his name forever echo throughout American history

[@uglyguy2778]

Your grandpa

[@bryangrote8781]

My Great grandfather was the first American born generation on the German side of my family. Learned German at home before English. He and a cousin (who was killed and is still over there) volunteered to sign up, but still caught a lot of flak due to anti-German propaganda. Always wondered what he felt being suspected of being disloyal while simultaneously volunteering to face off against guys that might know your parents or were close family members who were fighting for the old country.

[@weissrw1]

My Grandfather was also a first born American, but somehow got into the US Army. He earned a Silver Star and Purple Heart in WWI. I am very proud of him. My father and mother were veterans of WWII and I served during the Vietnam War (in Germany).

[@rickprice6312]

@Cav Trooper 19D German is the largest ethnicity in the USA according to the Census. This isn't widely known. I don't really agree with your point on Anglicizing of last names though. That was commonly done in the 19th and 20th centuries. My last name was Anglicized from Priess to Price.

[@sandman9924]

On the German branch of my family tree, during WWII, my mother had an older cousin who enlisted in the army on his 18th birthday. At the time, the U.S. Army normally did not send boys to Europe until they were 19, but one year later, almost to the day, off he went. He landed in Antwerp in December 1944, just as the Germans were launching what came to be known as the Battle of the Bulge. The day after he arrived, his unit was loaded into deuce-and-a halfs and were rushed to the front. As soon as he arrived, he was sent to a key crossroad as part of a bazooka team to defend against an anticipated armored assault. He was KIA that day.

[@weissrw1]

@@sandman9924 That's so sad! It was a cold December. A third of the troops who died froze in their sleep in their fox holes. That was a terrible December all around!

[@sandman9924]

@@weissrw1 To compound the family grief, he was listed as MIA for a couple of months. As the position was overrun, it wasn't immediately known whether he had been captured or killed. His body wasnt recovered until sometime after the position was retaken, and the mass graves dug by the Germans were disinterred and individual bodies ID'ed.

[@alvashoemaker8536]

My oldest brother was in The Big Red One…in Viet Nam; he was SO PROUD to be in that division. RIP Jimmy…❤️❤️🙏☺️👣

[@martinmiller1087]

@Alva Shoemaker ... I'm so sorry for your loss Alva. ... I too served in the Big Red One in Vietnam 68-69. I was in the 16th Infantry Rangers. ... We lost way too many brave, young men in that war. ... RIP Jimmy

[@mcmax571]

You can thank Woodrow Wilson for the US Military's unpreparedness because he refused to let the military send observers to study what was going on in Europe because he thought that would be against the spirit of neutrality in spite of the fact that the neutrality would've let the US study both sides.

[@forcedanonymity1791]

You can also thank Wilson for the current catastrophe we’re facing with the advent of the Federal Reserve and income tax slid in as a few percentage only on the wealthy. Wilson DESTROYED the TRUE America and the only way to get it back is to smash the state and defund the Federal government.

[@bman6065]

I think there's way too many good reasons to criticize Wilson. Not being hawkish enough is not one I'd ever make an argument for.

[@mcmax571]

@@bman6065 There is nothing "hawkish" about sending observers. It could've saved a lot of American lives when the war came if the military had a good picture of what was happening there.

[@raymondclark1785]

During our civil war they all sent observers here to see how we fought with new weapons

[@thodan467]

@@raymondclark1785 seriously your modern weapons were either outdated or in use decades before you started using them

[@suzannemckenzie2873]

Excellent video. I knew the US wanted to maintain their autonomy but I had never heard about the effective offensive tactics. That first battle was extremely significant. Thank you for this video and your many others.

[@maxsparks5183]

I have read lots of books concerning WWI actions in both Europe and particularly in East Africa. Germany was never defeated in East Africa incidentally. This was due to the superb leadership of Col. Von Letow Vorbeck and his African Askari troops. “ We March, we fight, we die”. I had absolutely no idea that we Americans entered WWI without possessing a single division of soldiers. That is absolutely amazing.

[@vodeankandosii3982]

He surrendered. That counts as defeat.

[@finscreenname]

@@vodeankandosii3982 Like just this past week in 1943. 250,000 of the Axis's finest went into captivity in No Africa.

[@hodaka1000]

They were called the "Rainbow Brigade" because they appeared after the storm

[@glennduke5853]

@@hodaka1000 Oh, glad you told me! I was thinking maybe they were 'Alphabet People'!

[@hodaka1000]

@@glennduke5853 Zs or Qs ?

[@Phil-ey6yh]

The Cantigny Woods 1st infantry museum is a local spot that i visited regularly as a kid and after. Actually got to meet WWI vets as a kid, and was brought up on stories like this. Great vid! Keep em coming.

[@KLawrence31]

....in Dupage County IL west of Chicago, home of McCormick [named Contigny] who lead a unit in the Big Red 1and was the publisher of the Chicago Tribune.

[@Phil-ey6yh]

@@KLawrence31 that's the one! I even went to Pershing Elementary as a kid, so we had a unit on him in school.

[@stephenshaw1159]

All the tactics used were learnt when the Australians under General Monash used the coordination of artillery, tanks, infantry and air force together they also had some American soldiers go with them despite General Pershing telling them not to go with the Australians

[@mickthefisherman1562]

And General Monash chose the 4th of July for the battle to honour the Americans

[@impcec6734]

“This is the beginning of a beautiful, beautiful friendship.”

[@williameller961]

That’s The battle of hamel, at that battle another interesting tactic was employed, every morning the Aussies would launch a gas attack at the same time in the days leading up to the battle, then on the morning of the battle the Australians then launched smoke instead at the Germans to make them put on their gas masks, the Australians had basically trained the Germans to use their gas masks the same time every morning which was the same time when they launched the assault, by doing this they ensured that they 1. Had a smoke screen covering their attack and 2. Made sure the Germans who were wearing their masks had limited vision and hearing compared to the Aussies who were not wearing their gas masks.

[@jean-rochdion4898]

learnt from the Canadians army at Vimy ridge April 1917. first Army to use artillery in coordination with infantry assault. that put Canada on the world military map. Vimy have one of the most beautiful war monument for me. the original wood cross of that ridge is now at La Citadelle de Québec, home of the R22R. Je me souviens.

[@gallente4TW]

@@jean-rochdion4898 thank you, I wasn't aware of that. Far too often to the inglorious does the right to be vanglorious remain obscured by those whose headlines were more often undeserving.

[@EmergingEvents]

The rolling artillery barrage concept came from the Australian General Sir John Monash at the Battle of Hamel. It was quickly incorporated into battle tactics for the rest of the war.

[@Trebor74]

Various types of barrages were always in development. The first "creeping barrage" was Wellington at Badajoz. The problem being at the start of wwi armies were far larger then anyone had experience of and lacked the command and control necessary for a lot of the tactics that became standard later in the war. Every single action was poured over to see what lessons could he learnt. New tactics were tried out and mistakes were made. But lessons were always trying to be learnt.

[@mikeholland1031]

I heard it was the Canadians at Vimy

[@EmergingEvents]

@@mikeholland1031 I have been advised that the rolling barrage has been around for a long time but Monash was able to refine it to such a n extent that the Germans were coming out of their dugouts to find our troops waiting for them. Very tight timings.

[@mikeholland1031]

@@EmergingEvents maybe

[@renoff1952]

For the battle of Hamel, Monash commanded not only the Australian troops. Pershing relinquished control of his troops and it was the only time ever, that American troops have been commanded by a foreigner. Monash was the first general to use tanks, aircraft and troops in a coordinated attack. He was also a general that cared about casualties.

[@daveward1935]

Thank you for providing the actual combat footage! That must be a task unto itself.

[@teegod4544]

The Dark channels are my favorite series. Always the most interesting content!

[@jonmajarucon51]

Well done. We really were "rookies" and so green before 1918. God bless our Vets. I really like your channel now.

[@Gringo8829]

Do more ww1. I'm a world war 2 freak but desperately want to learn more about the first. Best video on it ever keep up the great work homie! 👊🏼🤙🏼

[@cusefan5510]

If you want a super in-depth look at WW1 You absolutely have to listen to Dan Carlin’s hardcore history series on it. It’s a long listen but I can’t recommend it enough!

[@1pcfred]

WW1 and WW2 were actually the same war. There was just a gap in the fighting.

[@cusefan5510]

@@1pcfred what’s crazy is the jump military technology took in the 20 year “peace”

[@1pcfred]

@@cusefan5510 most technology seems to be spurred by military interests. That is just where our focus is I suppose.

[@StreetLugeNetwork]

The 10 part documentary "the first world war" made in 2003 is a excellent overview of the conflict

[@simonnoble7589]

Great show today 👏 👍 thanks 😊 🙏 👍

[@sammcbride101]

1st Division museum in Wheaton Illinois was one of my favorite places as a child. It was always known as Cantigny. Fantastic tank collection to climb on and swing from the guns.

[@zacdavila679]

It's great, only $5 per vehicle entrance. Alot of history and the gardens are amazing. Great way to spend an afternoon

[@turbine_doctor]

As always, another great presentation. Thanks...

[@markmccarty1275]

Excellent video and interesting to revisit the history of the 1st ID. I was proud to be a member of the BRO (1986-88) as a 1st Lieutenant. Never saw combat but took part in REFORGER and NTC exercises.

[@chrisladuke7706]

I served in the same time at Ft. Riley. B battery 1/5 FA.

[@fishingismydrug1]

93-95, A company, 70th engineers.

[@martinmiller1087]

SSG, 68-69, 16th Infantry Rangers, III Corps, RVN

[@stevegeorge5322]

Well Done! Very clear and good delivery! Keep it coming!

[@olivedrabwool]

Reading, "First Over There" about this very battle was a sobering experience. Around 200 American soldiers died taking Cantigny, a relatively small number compared to the rest of the war, but the book tells you almost all of their names and the sometimes gruesome ways they died. Makes it a lot more impactful, I think. I volunteered at the First Infantry Division at Cantigny in Wheaton, Illinois for a couple summers and it was one of the best experiences of my life. And it has left me with a deep appreciation for the First Division and the sacrifices that they made.

[@ianturpin9180]

America came late to ww1 by the time they arrived millions had died on BOTH sides. Their joining the war had no influence on Germany's defeat.

[@Brickbossman]

@@ianturpin9180 another one that can't admit that we saved europe's ass's in both world wars

[@ianturpin9180]

@@Brickbossman typical septic braggadocio. You were safe behind vast oceans as you made a profit from Ww1. You sold to both sides in the 30's safe behind vast oceans making a profit and would have continued to do so if Japan hadn't attacked you. Ww1 taught you money was to be made from warfare ww2 confirmed the fact.. Since 1950 you have continually been at war somewhere in the world. War for profit.

[@olivedrabwool]

@@ianturpin9180 it's super cool you think that but it has nothing to do with what I said and you should feel bad for your poor reading comprehension.

[@Brickbossman]

@@ianturpin9180 let me guess your a Brit Obviously upset that we threw your tea in the harbor and then kicked your ass But don't worry we will continue to save you when bullies pick on you

[@kainmathews5489]

My Great-Grandfather served in WW1 in the 42nd I still have a picture of him and the pocket watch he carried which is always passed down from father to first son.

[@nickraschke4737]

What a work of fiction. These tactics were not pioneered by the US forces. Google General Monash. Ffs.

[@littlebrookreader949]

Excellent. Thanks!

[@edwinsalau150]

A proud history! I am proud to know a veteran of the first infantry division from Vietnam! It is not his fault he wasn’t in the Marine Corps. Semper Fi! Did a few years in country myself.

[@rogerthat4545]

That's okay, even in World War I don't think we were jumping over the side of the ship to fight on another ship. And in just a few short years these same *Army* divisions will be participating in the largest amphibious landing in world history. Hooah 😉

[@Cyph3rX]

This was a wonderful doc. Thank you 😊

[@edl617]

03 Springfield’s and pumpaction shotguns. Best target rifle and best trench sweeper

[@craigstanley3680]

It was more of the Model 1917 American Enfield than the 03 Springfield. 75% of US forces had the Model 1917.

[@bryangrote8781]

Yep and probably a better overall rifle too, in fact probably even the best version of the Enfield.

[@michaeldailey7103]

Great content !! Your focus on the importance of victory early on was spot on !! Thank you !!!

[@tonymcconn1879]

My French grandfather’s last action was in the battle of the Somme. Lost his leg and some fingers. Trench warfare was a meat grinder with never before seen casualties.

[@user-pt7zn5so6n]

That's one of those points in history that I often get to and just have to close the book or turn off the computer and go outside before I feel myself drowning in the mud.

[@victormiranda9163]

you may want to look at US Civil war stats...

[@ronammologist16]

Please provide more info on world War 1. It is poorly covered, and very important history. Thank you for your stellar work.

[@alexmacarthur593]

Love this and all your videos! Any chance you could do one on the trench shotgun in ww1?

[@ruthebear312]

the germans tried to complain about it to the Geneva Convention, saying it is not fair......they said ....Bitch you just used gas and flame throwers on troops and invented bombing civilians..... so nahhh ....all is fair in love and war until you start losing lol

[@williamjones1017]

My grandpa served with the 17th Aero Squadron in wwi!!! He saved a lot of the 17th's unit and even a daily log of ammunition to fuel consumption of the airplanes!!! Just to cool to read!!! After both grandpa & grandma's deaths these treasures discovered and I presented the 17ths daily log to my cousin who in 1968 graduated from the Air Force Academy and in 72 took command of his own F-4 Phantom!! As a Phantom driver, of all the different planes he flew in 28 years he loved driving the Phantom!! He by the way had two sons in the Airforce, both pilots and gave the oldest grandpa's 17th daily log book!! Oh, post wwi, the unit organized and had lots of conventions as the 17th Aero Squadron Association!!! Pretty cool stuff!!!

[@renecordova325]

William Jones.....I served in Thailand during Vietnam, repairing radar on F4 phantom. I climbed all over the F4 for 3 years and fell in love with it. It is still my favorite plane and it's silouette in the sky is so impressive! Also the 3 years in southeast Asia were the best years of my life! I am now 76 years old.

[@DaMastaMax]

Awesome content as always.

[@CIAVE]

Fascinating, and as always, brilliant...

[@adamsteele6148]

Please do a documentary on the hellfighters

[@dougmoore5252]

Extremely interesting, thank you!

[@N17C1]

The US force that fought under Gen Monash had a disastrous combat debut and had to be relieved by Australian soldiers. Despite Pershing's dislike of Monash, I suspect they learnt a lot from Gen Monash's pioneering combined arms approach to combat was highly successful and reduced the chance of casualties.

[@Hebdomad7]

Monash was legendary. There's a reason he's on the Australian $100 note.

[@catinthehat906]

Monash was a genius and essentially invented the concept of highly mobile coordinated warfare, that the Germans refined into Blizkrieg two decades later.

[@nickraschke4737]

Thank you. Funny how that got left out. Can’t let the truth get in the way of the flag waving.

[@boogle785]

And he was a first generation German Australian with a Jewish religious background. Monasche

[@travisbunce7334]

That is absolute crap, where did you read or hear this? Pershing the coward dog, didn't want to go on the offense or even relieve any of the British, French, Australian, New Zealand, South African or Canadian forces that had stood in the way of the German Advances since 1914. The rest of the Allies were exhausted, and desperately needed to rotate men out, but Pershing didn't want to move any US Forces until they had 1 Million Men on the ground. So thousands more died of exhaustion while the US sat back and waited for more men to arrive. He finally got his numbers, and the US started to move. As for the US under Monash, Pershing tried to remove all of them at the last moment. After weeks of preparation and extensive planning he decided he didn't want any US Forces taking part in the Battle of Le Hamel. The US Soldiers who stayed defied direct orders, because they knew after training with the Australian & British Forces they were needed, and to remove them at the last minute would have been a disaster. 93 minutes is all it took for Monash to rewrite how Battles would be fought. The first time in History that Air, Tanks, Artillery & Infantry were combined. Ammunition was dropped by plane, and pulled up by reserve tanks, so was food and water. They even had a Hot Meal on the Battle Field that night. The whole thing was so well planned, the German Counter Offensive failed almost immediately as Artillery was brought up as the battle progressed, and ammunition and other supplies were continually dropped by plane and brought forward towed by reserve tanks. So when the Counter came, the Allied Forces were fed, rearmed and dug it with Sighted Artillery. It was the Blueprint by which the rest of the War (and almost every war since) was fought, and won. The Victory was so complete and the casualties so low, Monash was Knighted on the Battlefield by King George V, following the Battle of Amiens 4 weeks later. The first time this had happened in over 200 Years. The US Forces did fight well, and learnt a lot fighting under Monash in the early days. However if you look through the History Books (Outside of America, as we know what the Books say over there), you will not find an Allied Commander that has anything good to say about Pershing. His absolute refusal to even reinforce weak lines, and give the US Forces some much needed experience cost thousands of Allied Lives. Thankfully the rest of the US Forces made up for his bad decisions.

[@DanGoodShotHD]

That was great. Thank you.

[@earltharrisjr6955]

My father landed at Normandy with the Big Red One. I wear the Big Red One combat patch having been attached to the 1st Brigade in Ramadi, Iraq.

[@Kneon_Knight]

Welcome home.

[@martinmiller1087]

@Earl T Harris Jr ... Big Red One RVN veteran here, 16th Infantry. ... Earl, a great book I'd bet you'd really enjoy reading, is: 'The Dead and Those About To Die: D-Day: The Big Red One at Omaha Beach.' ... Gen Omar Bradley said that he didn't think any other division could have survived, much less prevailed at Omaha Beach. The Big Red One was the best Infantry Division in the Army in WWII. They were known as "Ike's Praetorians."

[@DuaneBentzen]

Congrats on passing 1M subs Dark Docs!

[@toothpick4649]

My Grandfather fought from 1914 wounded twice in 1918 they heard they were to be relieved by the new American force, when they met the U.S. force he said they marveled at their kit and fitness their confidence and moral was very high in fact one " Yank"( his words )shouted to him "Lead us to this Goldarn shootin gallery" he said to me not long after they came running back most without their kit and had dumped their rifles he saw the same guy who shouted to him running past wild eyed.

[@rogerdudra178]

Greetings from the BIG SKY. My grandpa 2 older brothers were in this place. I'm glad they came back.

[@lawrencemartinjr6888]

Love all you content but this type is my favorite, keep up the great work!👍🏻

[@dutchman7216]

That was a wonderful documentary thank you for making it and sharing it.

[@georgemartin1436]

This is fascinating. I never heard about the origins of the 1st and the "disassociated" state of our armed services prior to WW1.

[@dev-debug]

Keep in mind WWI was really not that long after the Civil War and Lincolns assassination. The north and south were still pretty divided when it started. Once the US joined the war it really united the country , we assembled an organized military and never looked back. While many paid the ultimate price in WWI it kind of made America what it militarily.

[@mikeholland1031]

Wasn't much better at the start of WW2 either. It changed quick though

[@thokim84]

The Indian wars didn't devolve into trench warfare. The US had not fought an international land war since 1812 and that was mostly Canada.

[@speedymccreedy8785]

Poppycock. The Americans weren’t even at the battle of Amiens which started the final allied push in the 100 days offensive. The American effort in WWI was insignificant, and 4 years too late. Your video should be titled ‘The American whimper heard in smallville USA’

[@aquastar1182]

You should try picking up a book if you genuinely believe the US was insignificant. Either that or you’re brainwashed beyond recovery. Classic European move, beg the US for help then take all the credit for yourself

[@cameronsmyth8565]

An interesting foot note to this is that the the first American troops to fight on the front was at the battle of le Hamel under the command of the the Australian General Sir John Monash on 4th of July 1918. There was some politcs involved. GEN Pershing was not in favour of of the US troops going to battle under the command of a non-american but eventually he acquiesced. The battle was a resounding succes.

[@billcraig]

Great history lesson! Thanks!

[@thesmirkingwolf]

oh look, a new video **grabs trench shotgun**

[@clazzagee]

Where? Oh.. Thank you 😊

[@harrymason1053]

Good presentation. Very educational.

[@bongodrumzz]

A very good and accurate description of the US deployment, the one thing that was missed out was how the consequences formed a different outlook within european military structures and tactics. One of the biggest effects was the removal of overall command of Field Marshal Haig and his ideas which led to wholesale slaughter of many British regiments, this alone had an amazing effect in the long term, after all Haig was still stuck in the old conceptual ideas of sending troops in against the 'bosch' and ignoring the german usage of machine gun traps and flame throwers, things had to change ....

[@realPromotememedia]

Haig and your summary was a thing of the past by the time the Americans turned up

[@grahamhodge8313]

bongodrumzz, I'm afraid that your grasp of history is slim indeed. The USA declared war in April of 1917 but it was not until May of 1918 that US forces participated in any major offensive against the Germans. The battle of Cantigny was unnecessary because the Germans understand that the salient there left them exposed to attack by the allies and were already in the process of withdrawing from it. It was the tactics learned by the French and British during 4 years of war (with Haig in charge of the British) that resulted in the victory in 1918. The military efforts of the Americans contributed little to the final push.

[@bongodrumzz]

@@grahamhodge8313 True, all very true, however that is just the infantries perspective, they had a navy that was carrying out operations, and being the americans, their 'can do' attitude is very nice but in real terms they had a lot to learn, my point being that they had not had to deal with 3 years of war and the consequences on their military at that point. The ceaseless bombardment by the central powers with gas attacks had also not started to form an underlying lack of 'moral fibre'. Senior staff in the allies were using that as a propaganda tool, hence my point. As for what a few americans could do in the overall picture? Not a lot really, Unless they are 'punching through' a poorly defended sector against a seriously weakened opponent. The film Sergeant York is just that, a propaganda tool demonstrating Hollywood's version of events. Which never reflects poorly on american efforts but everybody else is the poor second rate moron. Thank you.

[@MrRacing44]

Great as always !

[@thebetamaxman]

Wasn't the first successful use of the creeping barrage that of the Canadians at vimy ridge under arthur Currie on April 1917? Anyway thanks for another great vid.

[@emmachamberlain7587]

your correct !

[@diskgrind3410]

Good videos, thanks for sharing this history.

[@Vics251]

By the end of WW1 Germany was largely defeated by being starved due to the naval blockade imposed by the Royal Navy.

[@roybennett9284]

Ahh the senior service..god save the queen

[@johncox2865]

Sure, sure. Limey

[@johncox2865]

🤠

[@garycook1376]

Thank you for making the video 👍

[@vincentanderson1834]

Could you comment on the role of John Monash in planning and commanding the first US offensive of WW1, using the early application of combined arms battle planning.

[@duiliopassariello1394]

Thanks

[@cozmcwillie7897]

Bits and pieces of history I've read say the Allies tried to warn Pershing he was about to make the same mistakes they had earlier in the War. Nevertheless he threw away many American lives trying to upstage the French and British Commonwealth troops. This gung-ho attitude was reckless and unnecessary.

[@Hebdomad7]

His actions to try capture territory right up until the official cease fire and end of the war was absolutely disgusting. So many lives wasted for what amounted to trying to prove he could could win battles. Battles that ultimately weren't of any strategic importance as the war was to be officially over soon anyway.

[@brettk9316]

Yeah, he would probably be executed for that today kind of stuff today. Unnecessary sacrifices of those soldiers.

[@blueycarlton]

Pershing was sacrificing men up till 11am to gain territory on 11 Nov 1918 (armistice day) The US senate started an inquiry into Pershing's actions, the inquiry was stopped.

[@enscroggs]

Well done! This channel improves with each new presentation.

[@notthefbi7932]

Just loved how Germany complained about US troops using shotguns

[@glennduke5853]

Europians to this day consider the use of shotguns on humans to be barbaric, as I recall. They are OK with their police carrying machine guns.

[@Trebor74]

The Germans also complained about the Lee Enfield. Due to the size of injuries inflicted they believed Britain was using illegal ammunition. They created postcards showing the injuries to advance their case. Some and in the imperial war museum in london

[@richardstephens5570]

Germany was the first to use mustard gas and flamethrowers in WWI, but they were crying about shotguns. Hypocrites!

[@notthefbi7932]

@@richardstephens5570 Didn't know that about flamethrowers 🤯

[@rikijett310]

As always, great video!!!! 👍👍

[@billshiff2060]

The Americans did not invent the rolling barrage. The rolling barrage was a Canadian innovation a year earlier in 1917 in the battle of Vimy ridge.

[@allangibson2408]

And combined arms warfare with infantry, tanks, artillery, close air support and aerial resupply of front line forces was first used by the Australian forces at the Battle of Hamel on the 4th of July 1918 (which actually was the first operation involving US forces (over the objection of Gen. Pershing)).

[@troythomas3876]

@@allangibson2408 Monash's Masterpiece was a great read on the tactics at Hamel, also had to laugh at the "straight on the offensive" comment since Pershing didn't envisage Americans in combat before sometime in 1919, but you know...don't let the truth get in the way of a good story...

[@savethewolves5628]

Very informative. Thanks

[@donethier7935]

The creeping bombardment was invented by the Canadian Army during the assault on Vimmi Ridge🇨🇦🏴‍☠️

[@bradjames6748]

I concur with your observation

[@CylixTheGamer]

Didn’t know that

[@morelenmir]

I like Dark5 and have been listening to this guy for nearly ten years now. But... His research is increasingly horrible and this is a good example. What he is talking about was the 'Lifting Barrage'. The difference being the shell fall specifically targeted each line of trenches in sequence and not the ground in between. Critically it didn't simply chew up No Mans Land for your advancing brigades to become bogged down in. It required a great deal of planning and very careful artillery plotting which was only possible once Air Superiority was finally achieved. However it also won the war.

[@johnkidd1226]

@@vanq86 Often not coordinated with advancing troops. The Canadians all practiced a measured pace to move directly behind the barrage so they arrived at the German trenches before the Germans could recover from the barrage and man their guns. Most were killed in the tunnels they sheltered in as the barrage passed over.

[@juliod5961]

I think we all are undermining the real issue. Canadians didnt invent "creeping bombardment" its been used in prior conflicts since the stone age. Long Bow Doctrine was exactly this. The Canadians were the first to have the marbles to do it underneath Canister Shells, which is a feat unto itself... They came back with the worse Shell Shock for a reason, terrifying stuff 😬

[@DeeplyStill]

Fascinating perspective

[@kludgedude]

German Americans vs Germans

[@sailaway8244]

What ever the first comment said Susan didn't like it...... RIP free speech 😔

[@matthewmitchell8941]

Great work!

[@dankengine5304]

Good to know that the world complaining about us being weak led to them complaining about us being strong lol

[@kkpenney444]

They still do both. I say make up your mind.

[@TraderRobin]

Well done!

[@ditzydoo4378]

This is a good example of how the Offensive minded US troops spurred the Allied armies to give up the stalemate of trench warfare and push forward. This resulted in the Germany army ever being on the back-foot as it were. I believe this onus to leave the trenches, shortened the war immeasurably. The war would end on the 11th Month, 11th Day, 11th Hour of 1918.

[@sammy_dog]

ummm the Australian and Canadians would and did the same thing even before the Yanks got to France so there is that

[@JustMe-gn6yf]

@@sammy_dog if the Canadians and Australians had done a better job then maybe the yanks wouldn't have had to go and clean up Europe's mess

[@Mark0003260]

Tanks like we know them now didn't exist and only came late to the war. Have any idea what "No man's land" meant? There was no way to break through without armor given machine guns and field artillery. Tens of thousands of men were lost in a single day charging those trenches in a futile attempt to break through. Pretending the US somehow was different or found out something new is ridiculous.

[@sammy_dog]

@@JustMe-gn6yf They did a way better than the yanks from 1914-1917 oh thats right your mob was siting on it arse doin nothing even when you did show up the Australians and Canadians did more to win the war than the yanks think the battle of Amiens what General Ludendorff said was "Schwarzer Tag des deutschen Heeres" ("the black day of the German Army") ohh and guess who was leading the charge there here is a clue for you it wasn't the yanks thats for sure have you ever heard of combined arms guess who came up with and again no it wasnt the yanks

[@JustMe-gn6yf]

@@sammy_dog again if your Canucks and Aussies had done a better job then maybe the yanks wouldn't have been needed but we all know it took the Americans involvement to end WW-1 and again in WW2

[@markrhodes1717]

I was assigned to the First Infantry Division from 1982 to 1984. Couldn't be prouder of my unit history. I was part of the armor units assigned to the First. I was an armor platoon leader in the 1st Battalion, 34th Armor Regiment.

[@martinmiller1087]

@Mark Rhodes ... Thanks for your service, Sir. ... SSG, 16th Infantry Rangers, III Corp, RVN, 68-69 ... My platoon mounted two M-48 tanks of the 1st Bn, 34th Armored one day and did a Reconnaissance In Force patrol. We called it RIFing with Big Boys. We loved that flashlight and those 90mm beehive rounds.

[@markrhodes1717]

@@martinmiller1087- Officially, those beehive rounds are no longer in the inventory. Officially.

[@ke6ziu]

All I know is that Marines went, and were willing to learn... Pershing lamented about why Marines performed better than Army troops... another thing I remember is how when 2/5 showed up at Belleau Woods, the French were retreating, and suggested that the Marines do the same; the response to that was: Retreat? Hell, we just got here! Another famous Marine, was Dan Daly... he was quoted as saying: c'mon ya sons of bitches... ya wanna live forever?!?! Then, they fixed bayonets, and engaged a larger unit with a company sized element... they engaged with a ferocity never seen by the Germans!!! They called the Marines, Teufels hunde! And from that, devil dog was born!

[@jefferywise1906]

The Big Red One, great to learn a bit of it’s history.

[@commissaryarrick9670]

imagine you are a German and hear the racking of shotguns in the distance

[@frenzalrhomb6919]

Yeah, you'd laugh ... But probably not for long!!

[@Tienhamir100]

Germans got so screwed up by shotguns they tried to ban them from warfare.

[@TheFuri0uswc]

@@JamesM99 *SHAME*

[@hermatred572]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y4rEqJWGfZZ5n9E

[@willyswagon57]

The good old boys knew how to use em to

[@stephenkeefer3436]

Interesting content. Things had to be cobbled together pretty quickly.

[@garydargan6]

The tactic of co-ordinated use of tanks, artillery and aircraft was developed and first used by the Australian General Sir John Monash. Sickened by the waste of trench warfare and futile infantry charges he used his engineering training to plan the first ever combined attack which he actually timetabled. Beforehand he trained his troops to work with tanks to build their confidence and he used planes for reconnaissance and resupply during the battle. The attack was successful and proceeded almost exactly to timetable. For his work he was knighted in the field, the last Commonwealth military officer to be so honoured.

[@kainmathews5489]

By the way DD, love your work!! Keep it up haus.

[@alm5992]

"Thanks to the significant French support..." Something you will never read in an American history textbook.

[@Zanthorr]

Yeah, why does the government not give more credit to France? It's possible we would have lost the revolutionary war without the support of France.

[@Allstar-yl1ek]

@@Zanthorr Maybe I'm speaking out my arse here, but I don't get the feeling American history gives much credit to _any_ of its allies. If the US' entire involvement in a war was guarding one semi-important checkpoint, they'd still try to argue they'd won it all by themselves.

[@masterchief1765]

@@Allstar-yl1ek it’s ww2 talking, after ww2 America became much more powerful than all of the Allie’s combined, this then allowed them to change history in a way that portrayed them as always that powerful.

[@HFFCANADA]

@@Zanthorr You definitely wouldn't have won if the French hadn't intervened

[@AvatarAang100]

@@Allstar-yl1ek Average American

[@jackstecker5796]

If you look at it from a historical perspective, since the American civil war, American doctrine has focused on expending ordnance, not lives. Well, at least not friendly lives.

[@Dherkin_McGhurken]

Patton said it best "Don't die for your country, make the other bastard die for his!"

[@oneshotme]

Damn I was thinking there was going to be more..... Enjoyed your video so I gave it a Thumbs Up

[@BlankBrain]

My grandfather drove a caterpillar to move a large French gun. He had many stories about the war.

[@gunfisher4661]

I was around a family friend a lot when I was young , we never mentioned war or army but he always gripped of having to eat mutton everyday back then.

[@BlankBrain]

@@gunfisher4661 My grandfather was amazed at the blue rabbits hanging under the eves of the houses in France. My father, who was in the Navy in New Caledonia in WWII, would never eat mutton ... or lamb.

[@justinkrammes7063]

Your videos are awesome thanks for the great content

[@kcvines3156]

My grandfather was drafted into the US army in ww1 spent most of the time in a trench starving because of the way supplies were provided by his officers who used the funds for personal use. He said if it weren't for the French they would have strayed to death.

[@bigsmiler5101]

I'm amazed at how many Americans (app. 98%) think we didn't want to join WW1 because we were SO Peace-Loving when in fact we were busy in a war with Mexico. I'm glad this video tells about it.

[@cwvhogue]

You may want to do a video about Andrew McNaughton - he was primarily responsible for the modernization of artillery tactics in WWI that led to the victory at Vimy Ridge, improved aiming, and the rolling barrage tactic. He brought science and physics to the battlefield.

[@brucenorman8904]

The Rolling barrage concept was first created by Redvers Buller during the Boer war

[@sheyrd7778]

@@brucenorman8904 Rolline Barrage has been around for a long time used during the Napoleonic Era actually.

[@gerrymurphy4421]

Actually, six US divisions fought under the command of Australian General John Monash in 1918 alongside the "diggers", Australian army troops. An engineer by profession, this was fortunate. Monash perfected the tactic of a rolling artillery barrage ahead of advancing troops which helped overwhelm German defences and forced them into a surrender.

[@fritzvenezia9338]

US forces learned so much in the Philippine conquest. They stopped using trench warfare of the previous civil war and instead focused in breaking through in multiple lines in loose but organized and coordinated positions, similar to today's Ranger tactics. They smashed Philippine trenches and broke through from encirclement and also they learned a hard fought guerilla warfare which made them abandon their huge formations into a reminisce of the minutemen fighting the redcoats. I'm not surprised that when the British, French, and Italian forces saw the first action of Americans not using their trenches, they followed suit and left trenches and instead fought man to man, platoon sizes, squad to squad, and coordinated attacks. It might be a small event at that moment, but the Brits, French, and Italians are observing how US fought, which led to the evolution into aggressive assaults.

[@ramacharya4322]

Excellent video. However a correction is needed at 1.54" , where it should read 'depleted French and English forces NOT French and 'German' forces' !

[@stevetaylor8298]

Britain and France were on the attack when the USA joined the front. Germany at home was deteriorating, the war would have been won with 18 months anyhow. There is so much wrong with the commentary in this video. Obviously made for a USA audience.

[@Mark0003260]

Wrong both sides were spent. The French army had already mutinied. They told the generals - No more stupid offensive charges, we will defend France but that is it. Germany accepted an amistice based on Wilson's 14 points and Britian and France screwed them in Versailles leading to Hitler.

[@OneOfThoseTypes]

Actually you needed Americans to fight two of your wars for you. You people sure like to start fights, but you don't have the ability to end then.

[@OneOfThoseTypes]

@@vanq86 We weren't supposed to show up at all, but you people don't have the strength or intelligence to fight your own wars.

[@OneOfThoseTypes]

@@vanq86 This is also why we have to provide the most support to Ukraine - europeans sure aren't going to be very useful

[@Mark0003260]

@@vanq86 The war wasn't already swinging in the other direction. Britain, by itself, never had the capability of invading Europe. The issue of whether the USSR could defeat Germany without help from the allies is an interesting question. Germany definately would have had time to develop their rocket and jet aircraft forces.

[@allielightfoot2769]

I have my great grandfathers Big Red One uniform from World War 1. He drove horse a buggy into no mans land.

[@WarInHD]

This reminds me of the 8th Air Force in WW2 when being tasked with destroying the Luftwaffe. They started off with 7 men and no planes, 3 years later it destroyed the worlds largest Air Force

[@strawberryshirt87]

Great work 👍

[@harr77]

Correction America wasn't keen on sending white soldiers to serve under foreign command. Maybe you want to do a video about the Harlem Hellfighters and the other side of WWI.

[@paulceglinski3087]

I was posted to Ft. Riley in 80 and they won't let anyone forget the First Division's contributions to the American Army.

[@ek2156]

Thank you for making videos documenting WW1! I don't think many people, American or European, realize the extraordinary steps that America took to liberate Europe from Germany the first time. I know current politics and people's opinions of Americans are not always the best, and to be honest, sometimes I agree with a lot of those folks looking down on us. But, America is a great, freedom loving country. No country is perfect, and the GOD knows the United States government has made some horrible decisions over our 246 some odd years of existence. Americans can only pray that our leaders and our country can get better from those mistakes, and we can continue to be a beacon of freedom for our world.

[@trajanfidelis1532]

Patriotism is loving your country always, and the Government when they deserve it-Mark Twain

[@alfredpeasant5980]

Ya, accept Germany wasn't the bad guy in WW1, their complaint was legitimate. Nice dissertation though

[@rexmann1984]

Tfw when you realize America did the blitzkrieg first.

[@enasnI99]

@@alfredpeasant5980 How do you make me look up what dissertation means but somehow use the wrong except... lol

[@Mark0003260]

Nobody was liberated in WWI. It was stalemated with no good guy. We should have stayed out. Both sides were spent and we HELPED push the allies over the top (not much more than that). The Germans decided to call for an armistice based on Wilson's 14 points which NEVER happened and was at the heart of the bad peace at Versailles.

[@JaromMcallister]

Love the channel!

[@scottmccloud9029]

The first division. Is that the origin of the Big Red One?

[@zoidberg703]

Yep