French Guy reacts to Sabaton - 1916

[@ToonStory-fh4gn]

Actually I had prepared a lot of things to say about year 1916 but this song hit me like a train and all I was able pronounce was "powerful"... Guess Sabaton has this effect on me and I love it ❤

[@drigerdranzer7514]

It is indeed the Sabaton effect. They can make you feel proud over other countries like Belgium in Resist and bite, Bulgaria in Valley of death, Serbia in Lady of the dark, Poland in 40 to 1, Uprising and Winged hussars and much more.

[@ShadowhispersBand]

That’s what music does if it’s done right.

[@alancarter41]

Great reaction. Your knowledge of history is amazing. Kudos on a job well done.

[@ToonStory-fh4gn]

Thank you!

[@paulgould4915]

Thanks for a great reaction! I was in your beautiful country a few weeks ago. My great-uncle lies in the fields near Bullecourt, so I went to visit him and his mates. Thank you, France, for looking after them! Reading through the Melbourne Age memorial notices from April 1917, the tragedy really hit me. I'm a veteran myself, but nothing can prepare you for this. The song is so powerful.

[@ToonStory-fh4gn]

Thank you very much, their sacrifice is something we have to honour and cherish. It's our sacred duty to do so. All the best from Lyon :)

[@ingobordewick6480]

Don't know if you got it, but this is a cover of a Motörhead song. The original version is basicly a funeral march with Lemmy's voice over it. I think it's more heartwrenching althou this version by Sabaton has more power to it, because of the added guitars and making it just a little bit faster in pace. Check out the original version, it's worth it. My friends and I played it from CD, over and over again, at the 100 anniversariy of the beginning of WW1 at a "grave of the unknown soldier" memorial here in Germany and got tons of positive feedback for it. Some people were crying because they heard the song for the first time.

[@ToonStory-fh4gn]

Must have been such a special moment! The original Mötorhead version is so poignant, I'm listening to it while I'm responding to you. Thanks for sharing this story with me, love & respect from France

[@ingobordewick6480]

Your respect has earned you another subscriber. Greets from Germany!@@ToonStory-fh4gn

[@Templarofsteel88]

The two guys standing in the door opening at 4:58 are Mikkey Dee and Phil Campbell, the drummer and the guitarist of Motörhead. The guy holding the picture of Lemmy is Eddie Rocha who was the tour manager of Motörhead and the current one for Sabaton.

[@ryannelson3220]

Joakim's voice is what make this song as powerful as it is in their cover, that along, well, paying homage to Motorhead in general

[@alexgitano]

i would love to see more of sabaton reactions , you can also pair them whit their history cahnnel cahnnel reactions

[@ToonStory-fh4gn]

I have more Sabaton on the way! Cheers

[@umarae27]

You deserve more subscribers. This is the 1st time I npticed the portrait of Lemmy, btw. Great job!!

[@ToonStory-fh4gn]

Thank you so much!

[@A_Name_]

300k dead for 6miles of ground comes out to 7.5in(19cm) per man. If you use total casualties for both sides it drops to 2in or 5cm...

[@ToonStory-fh4gn]

Cannot make any sense of it... thank you!

[@jonathanparry7824]

no one should under estimate the sheer scale and tragic loss of life suffered by both the french and british forces during ww1 for the liberation and freedom of europe, truly astounding

[@ToonStory-fh4gn]

Lest we forget!

[@Swift926]

The Somme is one of the bloodiest battles in history, if not the bloodiest. I believe the Germans lost upwards of 500k men also, but the history surrounding this campaign is that during the fight at Verdun, the British sought to release some stress on them and open up new lines to gain territory, which we know went horribly wrong after 7 days and nights of British bombardment on German lines. They believed they would face no opposition, but in fact the Germans moved their trenches further back using the first set as a decoy. When the soldiers went over the top, the German artillery opened fire on them, absolutely slaughtering entire regiments. The northern boys suffered dearly.

[@ToonStory-fh4gn]

That's heartbreaking to imagine to imagine these young lads walking at snails pace with all their gear and being shot like sitting ducks... Thanks for your comment!

[@JonathanH1253]

The bloodiest battle in history? No, the bloodiest battle in history is Stalingrad, 750,000 soviet soldiers died in Stalingrad and about 250,000 german soldiers died in Stalingrad. Still the battle of the somme is one of the bloodiest battles in history, its actually ranked as the 4th bloodiest battle in history.

[@Swift926]

I still disagree, and figures mean nothing when using the word bloodiest. It also has nothing to do with numbers; it describes a situation where the extreme is at the highest level, being trench warfare, the use of chemical weapons, and close quarter combat, amongst other things.

[@JonathanH1253]

@@Swift926 if you want to go by how extreme the situation was, Stalingrad still tops it, Stalingrad was very close quarters combat. And numbers absolutely mean something when talking about bloodiest battles, you're literally talking about the amount of blood spilled.

[@JonathanH1253]

@@Swift926 and it's not a matter for debate by the way, your opinion doesn't change the facts. Yes the battle of the somme is one of the bloodiest battles in history, its in the top 5, but number 1 goes to Stalingrad.

[@dorlonelliott9368]

Tina Guo making her cello cry...

[@quendras7953]

Well, the positivity in that was - the good side won! Or so we were teached in school... After looking into this period a little more carefully, it's rather hard to identify the "good side"... ;-)

[@ToonStory-fh4gn]

I think that sometimes we have to accept that there is no good side, and that we're only talking about people who wanted to get home alive...

[@gryphonosiris2577]

I went digging through the names of the soldiers in the credits. All the soldiers listed in the credits are real soldiers who fought in WWI and WWII (not counting the Spartans and knights, of course. The soldier pulling himself out of the mud, at first I thought he was a member of "The Smoking Snakes" (Força Expedicionária Brasileira, FEB, nicknamed Cobras Fumantes), but doing some more research with the patch on his shoulder as well as his helmet, that's Sgt Henry Johnson of the 15th New York National Guard Regiment, aka "The Harlem Hellfighters". Medal of Honor recipient and recipient of French Croix de Guerre avec Palme, France's highest award for valor. The Medal of Honor was awarded to him in 2015. Sgt. Henry Johnson is "one of the five bravest American soldiers in the war." Theodore Roosevelt Jr. in his book "Rank and File: True Stories of the Great War" The Asian soldier with the cocked-hat, that's a Nepalese Gurka named Havildar Gurung who earn the Victoria Cross in the Burma campaign off WWII. Sgt Awal Nur, who did a secret mission over the Himalaya. Lt. Audie Murphy, a "Short man from Texas" as Sabaton said, who is the most highly decorated soldier in American history. Sgt. Alvin York, a simple man from Tennessee who earn the Medal of Honor in the trenches and mud of WWI. The Tirailleurs Sénégalais soldier you mentioned, I did some reading about them, but couldn't find him specifically. I suspect that soldier is Lt Comba, but I can't find anything on him. Private George Stringer, Manchester, Awarded the Victoria Cross at the Battle of Es Sinn in Mesopotamia. Capt. Dobson, 1st Canadian Infantry Battalion, Killed on 9 July 1916 in Flanders. The rest of the names I had trouble with; like ATS Ivy Valentine kept coming up with the 'Soul Calibur' character, no matter how I adjusted my heuristic searches.

[@ToonStory-fh4gn]

That's amazing that you've researched all of these! Thank you so much that you took the time to share that with me. If found several occurences of "Lt Comba" within the Tirailleurs Sénégalais, though the timeline does not watch with WW2... Have to dig more! Cheers!

[@drigerdranzer7514]

Ivy Valentine is what I heard part of the Night witches, the 588 Russian all female night bomber squad.

[@gryphonosiris2577]

@@drigerdranzer7514 The name sounds more English, honestly; plus ATS was the Auxiliary Territorial Service, the branch of the Royal Army for women.

[@umarae27]

Wow, great info post !

[@nicksykes4575]

@@ToonStory-fh4gn Havildar (Corporal) Gurung was a Gurkha soldier in WW2, who single-handedly fought off an attack by 200 Japanese soldiers, despite having his right hand blown off by a grenade. He was awarded Britain's highest medal, the Victoria Cross. Sergeant Alvin York was a US soldier in WW1 awarded the US's highest medal, the Congressional Medal of Honor. Lt Audie Murphy was awarded the MoH in WW2, In fact he was the most highly decorated Us soldier in WW2, after the war he became a film star in Hollywood, mostly starring in Westerns, but he did play himself in the WW2 film "To Hell and Back".

[@v1ct0r32679]

The various soldiers also represent different songs by Sabaton, even the burned out car representing Franz Ferdinand's assassination.

[@ToonStory-fh4gn]

Thanks for this insight!

[@Alpine_oaks]

In all battles of ww1 it wasn’t only naive willing young men it was also those unwilling. I think in England cruel women would go up to 14-28 year old men giving them a white feather as a sign of shame and would shame them too call them, cowards and a disgrace for not being in uniform and not being in war. Forcing 14-19 years that were gullible and very very hurt to join and the older men to also join sometimes and left behind their wife and children and their job.

[@ToonStory-fh4gn]

Yes! I remember now about the "Order of the White Feather" used as a propaganda tool... Imagine you're a 16yo kid and have to face this kind of humiliation. Makes me even more compassionate with those brave young men, thank you!

[@StoriesFromHistory-rv4oi]

Would you consider doing "En Livstid i Krig"? It has a similar effect as this one in my opinion. The 2020 live version from Gothenburg is fantastic. It is in Swedish but there are subtitles you can turn on.

[@ToonStory-fh4gn]

That one ? kzbin.info/www/bejne/jXPWZHpnhdusnK8

[@StoriesFromHistory-rv4oi]

​@@ToonStory-fh4gnYes, that one exactly 🙂

[@ToonStory-fh4gn]

​@@StoriesFromHistory-rv4oi oh boy I, watched for like 10 seconds and I had goosebumps already. Thanks, yeah I'm sure we can do that

[@StoriesFromHistory-rv4oi]

​@@ToonStory-fh4gnGreat! 😊 Another thing that would be really cool in the future would be to get some French medieval history. Its hard to get really good sources on it in English

[@ToonStory-fh4gn]

​@@StoriesFromHistory-rv4oi That's mandatory on this channel! For the moment I think I'll explore a couple Napoleonic battles, but we'll embark for other quests like on 100 Years War

[@tilltugg]

I think it's very cool that You have all this knowledge about these things, especially when reacting to Sabaton, since they mostly cover actual events and/or soldiers through history. Great reaction! Greetings from Sweden. :)

[@ToonStory-fh4gn]

Thank you very much! All the best from BaguetteLand :)

[@bjornakebergqvist]

Swede here. You spotted the carloline 🥰 "gå på!"

[@ToonStory-fh4gn]

These guys were certified gigachads!

[@1320crusier]

If I recall correctly, while that black soldier may be a French colonial he may also be American as many black Americans were taken under the French wing and given French gear.

[@ToonStory-fh4gn]

True, in this case it's a WW2 soldier as he wears the Lorraine cross on his arm, which indicates he is a Free French under De Gaulle. Thanks!

[@1320crusier]

@@ToonStory-fh4gn Huh, did not know that. You know the uniforms quite well.

[@ArgaAnders]

There´s non sence in this mon amí!! Just sence-less slaughter!!

[@ToonStory-fh4gn]

Well... Yes!

[@vakistania]

A lot of insight in this one, you have a great brain for history. Cheers.

[@ToonStory-fh4gn]

Thank you so much!

[@scottfarley3644]

Yes, it is tragic. But I also look at it another way. Lord Kitchener called for 100,000 volunteers and he got 500,000! Boy's as young as 16 who lied about their ages all because the wanted to do their bit for Britain. Remember, Britain joined the war because it HONORED it treaty with small Belgium that if it were attacked, The UK would intervene. I salute the Courage and Patriotism of every British soldier who joined and fought. I honor every British Woman who went to work in the factories to supply the British war effort. Yes, the losses are tragic but they also say a lot about the Lion hearted British people who went through so much in two wars within 30 years. We can Honor those fallen boy's by finding their names, adopting them so to speak and keep their memory alive. God Save the King and the British people.

[@ToonStory-fh4gn]

I honor and cherish the memory of these brave young men, and the courage of the British people. If there's one thing the UK never lacks, it's courage and heart. So if you allow me, God save the King!

[@1320crusier]

Youngest known was 12.

[@anime4life209]

i've listened to this cover dozens of times just so i can see the different reactions. every single one is of aww, heartbreak, and disbelief at the horror of this battle. not only did this battle take place once, but twice as they weren't able to take the Somme the first time, as it ended in a stalemate if i remember correctly (it's been a while). while the Somme wasn't the bloodiest battle OVERALL in the war, it was the bloodiest battle in a SINGLE DAY in the history of the British Army.

[@ToonStory-fh4gn]

The number of casualties during the first couple hours of the battle is just absurd. The fact that after that they re-launched a similar offensive, I cannot make any sense of it

[@anime4life209]

@@ToonStory-fh4gnit's due to the massive importance it had. it was a major checkpoint for the Germans and so it had a lot of tactical importance. by taking the Somme, it was a HUGE blow to both the morale of the German forces AND also just a straight up major tactical victory...but also a straight up massacre in the process.

[@ToonStory-fh4gn]

@@anime4life209 Yes, I've done a review on the Sabaton History episode on the Somme... All of this leaves a bitter taste in my mouth

[@anime4life209]

@@ToonStory-fh4gn it does for all of us who are educated on the wars. so much life lost for so little gained. there was the incident of the sinking Sydney where the captain was blamed, eventually committed suicide due to it, where even the japanese commander of the sub who sank it defended him saying that it was BS he got blamed and there was nothing more he could have done. he 100% believed the allied gov't used the captain of the Sydney as a scapegoat to deflect blame from their own incompetency.

[@knightspearhead5718]

The "God on my side and a gun in my hand" part always hits me as it could be referring to either side as most people back in the day always thought they were the righteous ones even though this song is clearly focused on the allies side. Yea like you say at the end, the reason i study history so much is to try and remember the fallen that died for nothing even though it can be hard to remember them all. Think of how different the world would be today with them still here. On different note though similar you should check out the video "The Fallen of World War 2" by neil holloran it tallies up the deaths of WW2 that we have on record mentioning only a few major events.

[@ToonStory-fh4gn]

Thanks for the recommendation, as always I'll try to do it! Yes, studying history means honouring the memory of all those young people, whatever side they were on, and remembering that they were just kids who wanted to do what they thought was right. Lest we forget.

[@kitsune303]

Your analysis is not superficial, you are obviously knowledgeable about this subject. Thank you for this.

[@ToonStory-fh4gn]

Thank you!

[@VohbikaMama-lp8bu]

the most poerful and heart touching song

[@Richie8406]

3:38 The Karoliner is there so you don't attack LIBERALISM. The first attempt was Gustavus Adolphus, Gustav II Adolf, made sure the Catholics ran south ;) History 2nd was Karoliner against Russia, Poland, Denmark and states in Germany

[@Richie8406]

There is a saying in Sweden that might give you an insight why we joined NATO with Finland "Finlands sak är vår" = The Finnish cause is OURS

[@Richie8406]

Always together

[@detroitpolak9904]

People say Sabaton “overplays” the anthemic, epic, sound, but they ain’t singing about clerks who collated and stapled above and beyond the call of duty, here. All these people DESERVE THAT SOUND.

[@ToonStory-fh4gn]

I don't know how you can put "Sabaton" and "overplays" together in the same sentence...

[@detroitpolak9904]

@@ToonStory-fh4gn I know right? But I’ve heard a couple idiots say that. I love Sabaton’s sound. Mostly these metal “purists” who think they know music better than everyone else. I’m really enjoying your reactions. And merci beaucoup for the history info as well!

[@fenrisulfur842]

Lest we forget my friend

[@TT_Roger_von_Corswant]

❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@ToonStory-fh4gn]

❤️

[@-Griffin-]

Je vais pas vous cacher qu'au font de moi, quand j'ai vu la petite bande annonce de cette musique, mon petit coeur de français attendait d'avoir un chanson avec un peu plus d'image de l'armée française, surtout pour une chanson intitulée "1916" Mais bon.... dans tous les contenus sur la première guerre mondiale des anglo-saxons, la France est presque invisible, à croire qu'elle n'est pas l'un des principaux bélligérants de la Guerre. D'ailleurs sur Battlefield 1, couvrant 14-18.... la France est un DLC :o Cependant, la musique est pas mal, elle m'a émotionné Vous devriez regarder la chanson Sabaton animée officielle "The First Soldier", elle raconte l'histoire d'un français, Albert Roche, le plus grand soldat de la Guerre.... Dites vous bien que les américains se sont inspirés de lui pour imaginer le Hero captain América ! => kzbin.info/www/bejne/j4ucoaB9qLaWl68 Aussi, sachez que les versions animées de Sabaton sont les meilleurs, il n'y en a pas beaucoup, seulement 5. (The first Soldier / The Red Barron / No Bullet fly (la meilleure) / The Night Witches / Lady of the Dark) Elles sont faites en collaboration avec une entreprise d'animation de faits historiques (Yarn Hub) c'est vraiment le haut du panier !

[@ToonStory-fh4gn]

"The First Soldier" a été la toute première vidéo de réaction que j'ai faite sur Sabaton 😃 gros kiff ! kzbin.info/www/bejne/fn7Vc2uFeLl6jdE "Fields of Verdun" c'est la vidéo la plus regardée sur ma chaîne et j'en suis super content ! 1916 parle vraiment de la Bataille de la Somme, donc très anglais. Demain je poste une vidéo un peu plus longue pour expliquer le rôle de l'état-major français dans cette bataille De manière générale on se plaint souvent de ne pas être assez visibles en tant que Français, du French bashing etc. Moi je trouve qu'on ne parle pas assez et c'est pour ça que je me suis armé de mon anglais bancal et que j'ai lancé cette chaîne en anglais pour parler de notre Histoire, et pour parler avec nos copains d'autres pays :)

[@-Griffin-]

Moi aussi j'ai presque voulu tenter le coup, exactement pour les même raisons, mais mon anglais n'est pas assez bon pour parler ! Y'a peu de français qui font des "reacts", vous êtes un pionier et en tant que tel, vous vous démarquez, et c'est très bien de se démarquer sur KZbin ! Pour ce qui est du nom de la chanson, si ils se focalisent sur la Somme alors faut l'appeller "La Somme" et pas "1916" ! :p Et si je veux faire mon petit con, à la bataille de la Somme, y'avait quand même presque un tiers de force Francaise mais bon, les anglo-saxons et l'histoire.... je sais pas si vous avez vu le film Dunkirk, la aussi c'était beau ! Les anglais, ils ont tout fait tout seul ;) Bah, on dirait que je crache dessus mais c'est parce que je l'aime, c'est un de mes groupes préféré J'attends que vous ayez 99 abonnés pour que je sois le 100ème, histoire de flatter mon égo J'ai fait un tour sur la chaine, vous êtes passé à côté de la version annimée de "First Soldier", dommage, y'a vraiment un context historique assez impressionnant ! J'ai vu aussi que vous avez fait "French Reacts to why was the French Army so ineffective during WW2" Pour remonter votre moral vous devriez plutôt faire "Stop saying the French are COWARDS in WAR " Faut voir le verre à moitié plein hein ! Ah lala... mes commentaires à ralonge :p

[@ToonStory-fh4gn]

​@@-Griffin- "Stop saying the French are COWARDS in WAR " c'était ma seconde vidéo :) Allez-y ça fait du bien ! Pour la version animée de "First Soldier", Nota Bene l'avait faîte, et je me suis senti tout petit. Merci, plaisir d'échanger avec vous !

[@ulrikeriemenschneider6154]

That gets deep😮