Germany's Shadow War After WW1 (Documentary)

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The summer of 1920 was marked by escalating tensions on the borders of the German Reich. In the Rhineland, a neutral zone per the Versailles Treaty, the revolutionary uprising after the failed Kapp Putsch was put down with the help of the army and the Freikorps. In Upper Silesia, the conflict between Poland and Germany was escalating into a proxy war. And all that while the German government was negotiating the payments of reparations at the Spa Conference.
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» SOURCES
Buat, Edmond. 8 (Perrin, 2015)
Beaupré, Nicolas. Occuper l'Allemagne après 1918 (Revue historique des armées, 2009)
Böhler, Jochen. Civil War in Central Europe, 1918-1921 (Oxford University Press, 2019)
Gietinger, Klaus. Kapp-Putsch (Stuttgart: Schmetterling, 2020)
le Naour, Jean Yves. La Honte Noire (Hachette, 2004)
Le Figaro, numéro du 8 avril 1920 (via Gallica)
Stengers, Jean. L'accord militaire franco-belge de 1920 et le Luxembourg (Revue belge de de Philologie et d'Histoire, 2004)
www.dhm.de/lemo/jahreschronik...
Pöppinghege, Rainer: Republik im Bürgerkrieg. Kapp-Putsch und Gegenbewegung an Ruhr und Lippe 1919/1920 (2019)
van Galen Last, Dick. Des soldats noirs dans une guerre de blancs (1914-1922) : une histoire mondiale (Editions de l'Université de Bruxelles, 2015)
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16 DAYS IN BERLIN: realtimehistory.net/pages/16-...
»CREDITS
Presented by: Jesse Alexander
Written by: Jesse Alexander
Director: Toni Steller & Florian Wittig
Director of Photography: Toni Steller
Sound: Toni Steller
Editing: Toni Steller
Motion Design: Philipp Appelt
Mixing, Mastering & Sound Design: above-zero.com
Maps: Daniel Kogosov ( / zalezsky )
Research by: Jesse Alexander
Fact checking: Florian Wittig
Channel Design: Alexander Clark
Original Logo: David van Stephold
Contains licensed material by getty images
All rights reserved - Real Time History GmbH 2020

[@gcircle]

"The only youtube channel whose pandemic lockdown studio will echo throughout history" I see what you did there

[@Custerd1]

eggnogui Try some curtains?

[@totallynotalpharius2283]

Hey we need you to come sound proof our home studio- GWC I honestly don't know why you called us but ok , we'll parachute in in 30 minutes - Sabaton

[@ZER0ZER0SE7EN]

echo throughout history... ... history ... ... history ...

[@poiuyt975]

It would be important to mention that the plebiscites in East Prussia took place during the height of Polish - Soviet war. That's why many Poles chose the German side, they believed that Poland was lost.

[@ZackaryWilliams77]

I must say my mind is blown by how much history/conflicts there is between World War 1 and World War 2. When The Great War ended on the channel I thought to myself, "Darn, no what am I going to watch?" Then I started watching some of the episodes, mostly of conflicts/uprisings. Now, I'm hooked, I can't wait to watch the next episode. You all have done a fantastic job. I've never been so engrossed in history before, especially history I never thought I would be interested in. Keep up the amazing work, can't wait for the next video.

[@TheGreatWar]

thanks, in all honesty we knew about a few of these conflicts when we decided to continue but the magnitude surprises us too

[@jessealexander2695]

Thanks a lot, appreciate that! I never realised just how fascinating this period was before either.

[@elemperadordemexico]

Hello Poland, my friend, from Mexico

[@marcvsivnivsbrvtvs]

Hello from Poland. Stay strong!

[@hussar1512]

Hello bro and greetings from Poland! 🇵🇱❤🇲🇽

[@HerrReinhard]

Silesia always Polish. California and Texas Mexican.

[@franzpaulborytzka8531]

Do you know that Poland is a racist country? Everyone with a dark complexion is called a dirty person and politicians help with that .... !!!

[@dittmannrudolfrohr2149]

@@HerrReinhard Silesia always Silesian. Silesian always German.

[@jona.scholt4362]

Since when did Jake Gyllenhaal learn so much about post Great War Germany?

[@TheCimbrianBull]

Now that you mentioned it I also see a resemblance.

[@williestyle35]

young Ralph Fiennes

[@jordanzdebski5132]

bro Morgan Freeman all about that WW1 topic

[@henrik1220]

"What could go wrong?"

[@onesmoothstone5680]

😆

[@TheBard1999]

It is important to mention that in Silesian plebiscite, people born in Silesian but no longer living there could also vote. That was originally proposed by Polish. So in 1921, in plebiscite around 180 000 Germans and 10 000 Poles came to vote. That constituted aroun 15% of all votes.

[@silesia93]

Fun fact: Most of those people who could vote although they no longer lived in Silesia, voted for Germany.

[@silesianslonskoeagle]

180,000 Germans and 10,000 Poles. They were fairly even and you had to be born in "Slonsk" Silesia after 1870 to be able to vote. All the facts and figures are available at the British National Archives. There were three different peoples involved Germans, Poles and we Silesians. The Germans settled in Silesia in the 1600's and the Poles in the late 1700's. Silesia belongs to the Silesians my ancestors go back to the 3rd 6th AD

[@karlmuller3690]

@@silesianslonskoeagle - What was the linguistic heritage of the Silesians that your family is a part of? Is it a Slavic language, or another one?

[@silesianslonskoeagle]

@@karlmuller3690 My father was born in the Tarnowitz region after 1921 therefore became a Polish citizen his elder siblings were German citizens yet they were all born in the same house. There is only one Silesian language (Slavic/Germanic) the other two are regional dialects. I had relatives all over Silesia before it got split up. they had to cross borders to visit each other. Lloyd George a British MP at the time (later to become Prime Minister) said in Parliament (1920) "handing Silesia over to Poland was like handing a watch to a monkey" his words not mine.

[@niepowaznyczlowiek]

@@silesianslonskoeagle Poles settled in Silesia in medieval times

[@TheSciuzzo]

So is the war over? Germany:"Well yes but actually no"

[@ivanmonahhov2314]

Russia : you dont say !

[@syafsmith5085]

Freikorps did nothing wrong and acted in self defense from commies who wanted to install a Soviet puppet state.

[@QWE2623]

@@syafsmith5085 >fighting the poles >fighting the latvians >fighting the estonians Gee sure seems like an "anti-soviet" force to me lol

[@fulcrum2951]

@@syafsmith5085 an utter oversimplification of the most complex time

[@xwormwood]

Define "war is over" while the peace treaty (or better the true meaning of all its paragraphs) is still unclear and discussed, while foreign armies waltz through Germany, and conflicts all over the border regions inflame, and in case of France supported by one of the Entente powers. You comment implies a that "all was well" and peaceful once the bloody war had ended. When nothing was well, at least not for the Germans, which felt betrayed by Wilson, mishandled at Versailles, and with their remaining borders still under attack. I don't want to defend anything which happend during this time, but I would love to remind you that the situation wasn't just as simple as you implied it with your comment.

[@filipkopec525]

I am from Katowice (capital of Upper Silesia). Great video. I have one more interesting fact. Just before the plebiscyte in Masuria the German media spreaded the fake news that Warsaw had fallen. It might have had a little influence on the outcome of the vote XD

[@gleisbauer25]

Or they where able to see 24 years into the future...

[@filipkopec525]

@@gleisbauer25 Do you know that Poland was fighting the bolsheviks in the 1919-1921 war? During the plebiscyte in Masuria, the bolsheviks were close to destroying Poland and were kilometers away from Warsaw. The Russians were ultimately crushed in the counteroffensive called "Miracle at Vistula".

[@davids5126]

@@filipkopec525 Not all Bolsheviks were Russians, and not all Russians were Bolsheviks. In fact, Poland was saved because some Bolsheviks at the same time fought against White Russians in Crimea and against Russian peasants in the Tambov region.

[@noraswe]

@@davids5126 ehm no , What saved Poland was that they out manouvered the russians and encircled their army at Warszawa. Stalin would have been there to help out but he was to busy trying to lay siege to Lwow for his own personal glory. Thats why they lost.

[@gzpo]

Thank you for acknowledging the sound quality. No worries. I respect and honor your tenacity , and your excellence in your craft. Live long, and prosper. 💖😎

[@TheGreatWar]

next episode will be in proper studio again

[@BigBoss-sm9xj]

Awesome

[@danielovercash1093]

1:23 I knew the Tesla truck looked familiar

[@jakehughes6087]

Lol

[@Delzona]

Pandemic studio that will “Echo throughout history!” 😂

[@jasonj1161]

🤣🤣🤣

[@emperorspock3506]

'Bielefeld Agreement' -- curious, given that the city doesn't exist.

[@TheCimbrianBull]

LOL 🤣 😅 🤣

[@carl-christianlohmann1307]

It's a common joke in Germany... Unexplainable. German humour. ;-)

[@emperorspock3506]

@@carl-christianlohmann1307 There's the same meme about Teruel in Spain :)

[@carl-christianlohmann1307]

@@emperorspock3506 We say: "Und seh'n wir uns nicht in dieser Welt, dann sehen wir uns in Bielefeld. " [If we don't meet in this world, we will meet in Bielefeld.]

[@euchale]

@@carl-christianlohmann1307 It´s origins are so fun too. A student asked people where they are from, and one of them said "Bielefeld" and he said it doesn´t exist. It was a simple in-joke between a bunch of students, and now everybody around the world knows it.

[@Vor1954]

Kudos to Jesse and associates for a very new, well written, and interesting history of the post-Great War turmoils among the Europeans. Thank you!

[@jessealexander2695]

Thanks!

[@Kubinda12345]

14:23 - a question about the coal reparations. 52% to France, 22% to UK, 10% to Italy and 8% to Belgium. 52 + 22 + 10 + 8 = 92% Who got the remaining 8%. The Germans?

[@Caveboy0]

I think the implication is that it’s German

[@JSBselvas]

Reparations did take 100% of thier production, that 8% may have been other uses.

[@jessealexander2695]

You've missed a bit here - the percentages are for the financial reparations, not coal. The remaining 8% of the eventual financial reparations went to Serbia and another minor ally, I think Greece or Romania but can't be sure off the top of my head.

[@barnabasverti9690]

I went through my college notes quickly, "other allied powers," though I don't have an exact list as to who got what, just that the remaining 8% was distributed among minor participants. If it had been one or two others receiving it I probably would have jotted it down back then, so I'd assume it was distributed among several participants. However, I do remember that a week earlier at their own conference in Brussels the allies agreed that Serbia would get 5.5%, while Italy, Japan and Portugal would each get 4%. I'd guess that the remaining 8% at Spa would be shared between Serbia, Japan and Portugal, accounting for the increased sum Italy got away with.

[@j3lny425]

Peru?

[@michaelmccanna622]

Love how you shed light (great quality at that) on these unfortunately overlooked yet absolutely incredible chapters of human history. Vielen Dank 👏🏻

[@brokenbridge6316]

The Great War was over but not a lot more smaller wars were going on. Not to mention a lot of other troubles. That characterizes Europe around this time. Great job. I like how informative these video's are. I wonder if were going to get any more specials from this channel.

[@jessealexander2695]

Thanks!

[@brokenbridge6316]

@@jessealexander2695---Your welcome. Your an interesting host. I hope you host a special on the Washington Naval Conference of 1921 soon.

[@R3GARnator]

Ataturk, Pilsudski. All in a time glossed over in many history classrooms as 'flyover country' between the world wars.

[@brokenbridge6316]

@@R3GARnator---Something I've been just realizing.

[@lucasmyers9795]

Thought this series was over. So glad to see it’s back!

[@JustBob-sw4rf]

This channel does an excellent job of summarizing complex historical situations.

[@anikghosh2745]

you are doing a great job. Thank you

[@guardianoftruth5224]

I really enjoy the photos and video. Interesting to see in addition to the very important history.

[@hetzer842]

Bielefeld does not exist, so there are no Bielefeld delegates with a complete abondonment of their proletarian duty and so on.

[@Runenschuppe]

Now you see, the Bielefeld negotiations were a hoax.

[@totallynotalpharius2283]

@@Runenschuppe I've been to Bielefield . Can confirm its literally an open field

[@dreamcast3607]

Omg yes! Lol seriously though I've been waiting for a quality video on this for years 😍

[@jackbharucha1475]

Maria Theresa: So your angry about loosing Silesia are you Prussia?

[@jackbharucha1475]

@@Vitalis94 I fixed it.

[@TheCimbrianBull]

*Prussia throws a temper tantrum*

[@mountainhobo]

"So your angry" -- "you're"

[@SirWilliamKidney]

These videos are actually making a great companion to "Between Two Wars", going into more depth and expanding on details that had to be painted with broad strokes. ... Does anyone else feel kinda like a kid who's parents went through a divorce?

[@AhmedMahmoud-tv9vw]

I am actually surprised by the propaganda posters. It's almost the world never changed!

[@johnd2058]

` Where have you seen an infographic like 15:48 used as a standalone explicitly persuasive device?

[@Ikit1Claw]

I feel like it should be mentioned that plebiscites took part during Red Army advance on Poland, so many though Poland was done for.

[@wanne10]

@Fabian Kirchgessner but it changed the vote

[@Vitalis94]

I doubt the absence of Soviet-Polish war would change anything, as far as East Prussian plebiscite goes. Maybe, if propaganda was used more widely, with enough support it may have been somewhat different, but as the Poles didn't hide that they wanted to "Re-Catholicize" Mazurians (and they did, look up forcing Mazurian kids to go to Catholic schools in Działdowo/Soldau), and local Mazurians were just too ingrained in the Prussian society. Most Mazurians were mostly rural peasants, who often couldn't read and write, so the propaganda didn't work there. In the end, it was mostly economics, Prussia was too connected to Germany, economically. There was no point in joining Poland, it was poorer, East Prussia itself had denser rail network than whole country of Poland. Maybe, just maybe, with better, pro-Polish campaign, with the promissess of accepting the Protestant religion, the Mazurian votes could be won. But no one was keen on joining Poland when the Soviet army was so close to Prussian border.

[@comdo831]

The plebiscite in Silesia was held in 1921. By that time the Soviets had been decisively beaten and driven out of Poland.

[@Vitalis94]

@Fabian Kirchgessner Identified as German? Prussian, yes, of course, but I wouldn't be so sure about identifying as German. They were patriots, loyal to Prussia, their homeland, so of course, they fought for it. They would've likely identified with Poland more, if not for the religion. Religiously the Mazurians had far more in common with the Prussian Germans than any Poles. I know, I am partially of Mazurian descent and I was born in the region as well.

[@thomaswolf2896]

@@Vitalis94 The easiest way to get in trouble with a pre-war Masurian was to call him Polish.

[@tadeuszkowalski4310]

Next films Czechosloviakian-Polish war 1919 pls

[@petergray2712]

14:20 that doesn't add up to 100%. To which country(ies) did the last 8% go towards? Yugoslavia?

[@jonascorax9195]

No, Germany

[@titanuranus3095]

@@jonascorax9195 Germany paid reparations to itself?

[@stephen9381]

Maybe Romania, they did get overwhelmed by the Austro-Hungarian and Bulgarian armies when it joined the war

[@Lifeless11111]

I just wanted to say that im a long time subscriber , and i was wondering why you werent uploading anymore so i was pretty suprised that you uploaded so many videos that i havent seen... Turns out youtube decides what people will watch now...

[@user-uc1oy3zk4t]

Damn, that's a whole new level for peak Weimar... Very important history being told here.

[@rabihrac]

A post-war advance of France deep in Germany and a forgotten war in Upper Silesia? Great historical info, guys, keep up the great work!

[@jessealexander2695]

Thanks Rabih!

[@jaroslawpeter3586]

The Silesian uprisings are not fargotten, at least in the Eastern Europe and of course in Poland. For the Westerners everything is "fargotten" or unknown what is to the East of the Oder and Nysa (Neisse?) rivers. LOL

[@El_Presidente_5337]

Damn I forgot that this channel still makes videos. Shall I rewatch the last two years worth of videos?

[@MarvelBoi24]

Make Mine Marvel

[@jcastle614]

Excellent 👍 video guys!!

[@ANEbk9]

The disclaimer at the beginning about sound quality is quite neat because the premise of this series is revisiting the tumultuous events of 100 years ago but the change in studio setting is itself a documentation of our own incredible moment for posterity. Strange to think that in another hundred years these videos may themselves become primary sources for others to explore.

[@HebaruSan]

It's too late to eradicate the virus. 100 years from now people will still be social distancing. They'll be more interested in videos from a year ago and earlier before that was a thing.

[@ANEbk9]

@@HebaruSan I wasnt necessarily referring to this video in particular. Whichever video initially featured the move to the home studio would be the more obvious point of interest. That being said given the unbelievable amount of documentation we keep now, it's hard to say what if anything will even be relevant later on.

[@ddraig-au]

it is fascinating to realise you live in an historical moment, isn't it?

[@practicalpenguin3524]

Just an idea but if you wanna increase sound quality just put some blankets up around the walls while filming dampens some of the echoes.

[@diegofelipe5207]

great job

[@Zulstin]

16:18 - this is so true, even to this day

[@mastersonkev1]

Would you please make a video on 'Germany before The Great War' as part of your 'Countries in World War 1' series?

[@mateuszp.6109]

As a person living in Upper Silesia, I admire how you handled our "proxy wars", especially with understanding of unique identity of people living here etc. There are so many misunderstandings of this topic, even among Polish historians, not to mention the western European ones. BTW this identity nowadays still lives on to some extent (e.g. people when they say they go to the east from the region, like Cracow or Warsaw, they say they're headed "to Poland" like they were not already in this country). Our dialect/language has been largely wiped out during communist era, but luckily now it is somewhat rising again.

[@filipkopec525]

Serio ktoś tak mówi? To ty musisz mieć znajomych prawdziwych Ślązaków!

[@jessealexander2695]

Thanks!

[@jaroslawpeter3586]

Three uprisings in the Upper Silesia: before the plebiscit Germans were bringing by trains thousands of Germans who did not live there anymore. They had cheated in many other ways and used undercover militias. But actually majority of Polish speaking Silesians were Catholics and patriots who wanted to be included in the reborn Polish State (1918). Mentally they were connected to their Polishness and many had enough of hard German fist above them. Therefore last, the THIRD Silesian Uprising successed and the Upper Silesia with its capital - Katowice had became the part of the Second Poland's Republic. Without the will of the Silesian majority it would not be possible. Poland government did not help them much because right from the beginning after gaining independence in 1918 the country had been entangled in wars in the East to establish its Easten frontiers. In 1920 had started Polish-Soviet defensive war which Poland fought practically without allies, though France had sent some military advisors.

[@dittmannrudolfrohr2149]

You are just a lie-repeater.

[@dittmannrudolfrohr2149]

@Tomasz Klaja What's about this question-mark-squad?

[@dittmannrudolfrohr2149]

@Tomasz Klaja Voters for the Polish cause were carried by train into the German areas. And those Polish "freedom fighters" committing atrocities did not came walking all the way from their remote homelands into German settlement. Boleslaw „Chrobry“ „Regnum Sclavorum, Gothorum sive Polonorum“

[@jaroslawpeter3586]

@@dittmannrudolfrohr2149Facts and truth hurt some people. I am sorry for you.

[@dittmannrudolfrohr2149]

@@jaroslawpeter3586 You live in a fiction, larping the legendary Slavic myth. Please tell me, are Slavs white? Are Bulgarians Slavic?

[@mammuchan8923]

Echo throughout history😂 love it

[@christianstahl4099]

1:50 - the English description of the poster is horrendously wrong. In the lower left corner it does not show a Polish family, but a German one - which might face poverty, if their homeland comes under Polish rule.

[@marcinterlecki6021]

Unfortunately, you seem to follow the path of describing some key events w/o any context. The reason why so many Poles (or Polish-speaking Masurians) voted for Prussia (rather than Germany, as this was how the plebiscite was really phrased) in summer 1920 is painfully simple - the plebiscite took place during the Red Army invasion of Poland. Bolsheviks reached East Prussia border literally in the days of the plebiscite, with all observers (and of course German propaganda) claiming fall of Poland within days. No wonder that people voted for the safety of their families.

[@ZER0ZER0SE7EN]

Like in most elections, the voters of the Silesian plebiscite voted their pocketbook.

[@Fortuna_Magica]

What about a video about the plebescite in southern Denmark? That would be cool to see a historic vid from you guys about that

[@LDSpecialist1]

I love history! ....It explains why things are the way they are today! ... Also, this video showed what the world looked like when my parents were born! My father was born in 1920 in Ljubljana, Slovenia and my mother in 1921 in Minnesota U.S.A.

[@ladondracorex7679]

I love you and your channel

[@UU-wg6rz]

Could you do a video on Marine Korps Flanders it was a interesting German Marine unit that fought in Belgium and was under Army and navy command

[@user-uc1oy3zk4t]

France clearly wanted to have a buffer state between it and Germany, as the communist couldn't do it, they occupied Germany themselves.

[@syafsmith5085]

Sounds like Framce had it coming later in 1940.

[@FortuneZer0]

@@syafsmith5085 Well. Im not a friend of the germans in any kind but the french had it comming ever since escalating the austro-hungarian punitive war against serbia by pushing the russians to remobilize after the Czar decided to step back down. Napoleon III, the first Moroccan Crisis. Crying out when their hand gets smacked when it is were it shouldnt be and then avow cruel vengence and demands.

[@user-uc1oy3zk4t]

It's insane to watch how the allies ignored the communist menance over Europe. No wonder some people believe that there were a friendship between the global elites and the Soviets...

[@dantecaputo2629]

FortuneZero Punitive war? There was no contemporary evidence that the assassin or the weapon were linked to Serbia. It was a war of aggression, and a very provocative move on the part of the Austrians, especially after there annexation of Bosnia in 1908.

[@FortuneZer0]

@@dantecaputo2629 Even back then it was evident that the serbian goverment supplied the black hand.

[@redthepost]

I grew up in Elizabeth NJ. I played soccer with my buds on the playground. Most of us were 9 or 10 years old. Our town was a city of immigrants- poles, Germans, Latvian, Jewish, Italian, Slovak, Hungarian. I loved seating around the playground talking about where our parents came from and why we lived in America. It is fascinating to hear from these docs why we are here. Glad of it!

[@demenok1313]

what is the name or source of the song used at the beginning of every video? (the title song if you can call it that)

[@hlynnkeith9334]

"The only KZbin history channel whose pandemic lockdown studio will echo throughout history." LOL. Great outro.

[@Aleksander----]

First time i see someone who knows that this "uprising" was a hybrid civil war. Respect!

[@jimmyyu2184]

I don't think the sound/echo was bad or any worse. I've seen a lot of other videos that's 10x worse.

[@johndoe5432]

11:54 "We have investigated ourselves and found ourselves innocent of all wrongdoing."

[@mojewjewjew4420]

From whom do you think america learned from?

[@vicsmith7006]

Where did you get the model British tank?

[@ddraig-au]

Watching this from my lockdown room in Australia

[@justanordinaryaccount9910]

That poster in 1:42 is actually very true even today.

[@sarmat1910]

It doesn't show terrorist attacks in Germany though

[@theoutlook55]

18:55 the first post-war failure of peacekeeping troops, perhaps.

[@silesia93]

As always a very informative and objective video on sich a controversial topic! I can confirm that Upper Silesians neither felt German nor Polish and this remains so until today. There are even autonomy movements ongoing and people declaring Silesian nationality. Some things I want to add is that as in Eastern Prussia, in Uppers Silesia the people spoke a dialect also called "Wasserpolnisch" or "ślonsko godka", which is a mix of Polish and German. But their speakers were being identified as Polish speaking instead. That's also maybe why 60% voted for Germany although 60% were being assumed as Polish speaking. Be side not all of them were Polish. I know this because my family is from Upper Silesia and my ancestors' history interests me a lot obviously.

[@dittmannrudolfrohr2149]

My grandfathers came from Eastern Prussia and Upper Silesia. They felt German in the sense of Deutsch.

[@silesia93]

@@dittmannrudolfrohr2149 Yes of course! What I meant is that the people living there, were not only either German or Polish, but the also defined themselves as Silesian or Eastern Prussians. Often those people, I can only speak for Upper Silesia in this case, were falsely seen as Poles, e.g. the Silesian dialect was mistaken for Polish. On top of that, it's also possible to identify as Silesian and German at the same time or Silesian and Polish. E.g. my family felt German and spoke German and Silesian.

[@dittmannrudolfrohr2149]

@@silesia93 The Silinger are an Eastern German, a Vandal tribe.

[@dittmannrudolfrohr2149]

@Ultracrepidant Luabation So you doubt Silinger were a Vandal tribe? When Slavs first were mentioned? Together with the Turkic tribe of the Bulgars. never before. Bulgars took over from Avars. Avars took over the rule of the Huns. Huns and Avars ruled over Eastern Germans. Bulgars ruled over Slavs? Did the Slavs really sprung up and lived between Eastern Germans, Northern Germans, Western Germans ? Right in their midst?

[@remybien3277]

I love history

[@Runenschuppe]

Goal: Get the Rhenish Germans to see the French as their friend. Step 1: Use colonial troops to rub it into the bitter Germans' faces that France still has its colonies and is a world wide empire. Step 2: ??? Step 3: Profit

[@evryatis9231]

More because all the french men were either dead or didnt want to fight at all anymore

[@JagerLange]

Thanks to the Internet I can't hear reference to anything involving Bielefeld now without subconsciously questioning whether it really happened.

[@parlainthtownie85]

This is approximately the 10th time I have heard a youtuber appologize for their imperfect sound. Which still sounds perfect. Stop. Its fine. We are listening to you from telephone speakers or lap top speakers or USB speakers. It doesn't matter.

[@dezbiggs6363]

Exactly. I can't tell the difference off my phone speaker.

[@milankos7074]

Can you make about Raka Ljutovac.

[@brickproduction1815]

12.38 soldier wore his helmet backwards

[@golebi9746]

“Peaceful penetration” that policy was doomed to fail.

[@totallynotalpharius2283]

Just the tip ......of the occupation of the Rhine

[@JasonSputnik]

If you thought the two World Wars had chaotic situations, welcome to the 1920s!

[@Darwinek]

Another decision taken at the Spa Conference was the division of Cieszyn Silesia between Czechoslovakia and Poland.

[@filipkopec525]

The Czechs previously invaded the region

[@davids5126]

@@filipkopec525 Since the 14th century, the region was part of the Lands of the Bohemian Crown, so after the disintegration of Austria-Hungary, the Czechs perceived it as their historical region, and saw Polish soldiers as foreign invaders.

[@niepowaznyczlowiek]

@@davids5126 Um, but there was Polish majority there and they were actually historical Polish lands.

[@ericjohnson1289]

Any chance you could cover how the former Germany Colonies handled the change of governments?

[@assassin_rk42]

Probably several massacres and forced people to accept it to be honest.

[@jonascorax9195]

@@assassin_rk42 at least no, the german's administrators were replaced by allies, and the institution just changed minimaly.

[@assassin_rk42]

@@jonascorax9195 Yes, and then the allies committed massacres like they did in Palestine and Algeria.

[@TheGreatWar]

Interviewed a historian last year on our podcast about this very topic: anchor.fm/realtimehistory/episodes/TGW007---Dr-Sandra-Barkhof-on-German-Colonies-during-and-after-WW1-efggqd

[@assassin_rk42]

@@TheGreatWar thank you for the link to the interview!

[@legatomodi3522]

In the thumbnail pic, the kid on the far right, he looks uncannily like the cursed painting called "The Hands Rssist Him"

[@TheCimbrianBull]

Maybe it is.

[@luciuscaeciliusiucundus1154]

Could you perhaps make videos on the situation in China at the time?

[@forgetaboutit9718]

1. 12:25 Peaceful penetration ??? 2. France was only tough after the war was over. 3. France sent in the North African troops as an insult.

[@paulwalsh598]

France was only tough after the war? Where did you get that Bulls**t from? Ever hear of Verdun?

[@forgetaboutit9718]

@@paulwalsh598 Germans fought majority of the western front against France and the British. So yes when France needs another major power like the British to help. It is hard to see them tough.

[@paulwalsh598]

@@forgetaboutit9718 British contribution was minimal in comparision and until 1916 did pretty much did nothing but run until French armies rescued them. World war 1 was won by France in the same way World War 2 was won by Russia.

[@paulwalsh598]

@@forgetaboutit9718 Incorrect France inflicted and sustained causalities at 2,5 the rate of Britain, when you take out Canadians, Australians, NZ, South Africa, and Indian troops the war contribution of Britain is about the same as Italy. France won the war and Britain were a secondary player like Austria Hungary/Turkey and Italy.

[@TheGreatWar]

Support us and get 40% off Nebula: go.nebula.tv/the-great-war Watch 16 Days in Berlin on Nebula: nebula.tv/videos/16-days-in-berlin-01-prologue-the-beginning-of-the-end?ref=the-great-war

[@TheGreatWar]

Great news: This was the last episode we had to film in Jesse's living room for the moment. This month we will be able to film in a studio again which means you will see The Great War in the usual high quality production. Stay safe out there and let's hope we are not going back into lockdown again.

[@josephbischoff2469]

What was Raymond Poincaré doing during this time? He was still president of France, was he not?

[@richbarr5959]

@@josephbischoff2469 Poincaré's term had expired in February 1920. Paul Deschanel won the January 1920 election to replace him, defeating Georges Clemenceau. Deschanel resigned for health reasons in Septemeber 1920, and Alexandre Millerand went from PM to President.

[@williestyle35]

Sad to see that youtube won't get to show "16 Days in Berlin". ):

[@mastersonkev1]

Would you please make a video on 'Germany before The Great War' as part of your 'Countries in World War 1' series?

[@cardinbrooks7256]

Yes

[@bedouinknight9437]

Always give your enemy a chance to surrender with his dignity and respect intact, so you can live in peace afterwards.

[@hlynnkeith9334]

20:18 "[T]he French were much more ambiguous." Ambiguous? ambiguous, adj., indistinct; obscure. Perhaps you meant 'ambivalent'; adj., having feelings both for and against the proposed action.

[@Game_Hero]

7:13 He already look like a bad guy.

[@TheNormMan]

where's Indy Neidell? :0

[@cardinbrooks7256]

Cool

[@leonidasvazouras1796]

Why does nobody ever double check so the percentages add up to 100%

[@davidjohansson113]

Precis som idag. Just like today. Proxy Wars and Stuff.

[@prosperos4749]

and then one day.

[@desert_jin6281]

I just watch these for the pun at the end. (The rest of the episodes are great too ;) )

[@TheCimbrianBull]

I also look forward to the ending comment.

[@grqergegsdf]

Very pro german narration

[@jkilla9934]

Those guys at 12:30 don't look like from Morocco

[@stevekaczynski3793]

Probably Senegalese or other French West Africans.

[@marylamb1407]

The French sent Black troops into Germany as a provocation. France didn't like the fact that the people in the Rhineland wanted to join Germany and not France.

[@stevekaczynski3793]

Perhaps but they also favoured demobilising French soldiers from France after WW1 and preferred using colonial troops for occupation duties.

[@gernotbeaumont5816]

There was a plebiscite in East Prussia but the Polish army ignored it unti 1939 it occupied plebiscite areas. Upper Silesia was the oldest industrial zone (since the 18th century) of German. The French wanted to deprive Germany of its most important coal deposits, it worked. Unfortunately the Silesian population opted for Germany. So Poles and French troups terrorized the population.

[@tylerbozinovski4624]

France after WWI was pretty vicious towards Germany. They're clearly jealous of their eastern neighbour lmao.

[@Wickedonezz]

@Mars Attacks the French kinda started it though

[@Whydoyoureadme]

@@Wickedonezz How, pray tell...

[@Feyser1970]

@@Wickedonezz it seems you don t know anything at all about history, prussian propagand monger

[@illusiveman1613]

Mars Attacks then the french should not have supported russia and serbia

[@lovelyllorrainantonettecao5549]

is the war still happening here

[@dawidlijewski5105]

True heroes

[@erikyehl9293]

I love Democracy

[@LavrencicUrban]

I REALLY ENJOY JESSE'S NON ENGLISH PRONOUCATION!

[@jessealexander2695]

Thanks!

[@Pidalin]

Is there country which did not be in war with Poland in 1919 or 1920?

[@dittmannrudolfrohr2149]

Is there country which Poland did not be at war with in 1919 or 1920?

[@bobbyhood101]

Unfortunately trying to secure your borders is A all to familiar thing when political and social parties are at odds with the majority of the people.

[@claudermiller]

7:09 the freikorps epp painted swastikas on Jewish businesses, synagogues and tombstones??? This happened in 1920? I'm confused.

[@klausgerken1905]

That moment when your great-grandfather is cited in an history documentation.

[@jessealexander2695]

Nice - who was he?

[@klausgerken1905]

@@jessealexander2695 Karl Guido Oskar Hauenstein was my my late grandmothers father.

[@Vitalis94]

Wasn't he responsible for the murder of French, Poles and Germans he considered traitors?

[@klausgerken1905]

@@Vitalis94 Indeed. Not an ancestor I'm particularly proud of.

[@TacticalGAMINGzz]

When will you talk about Japan?

[@DuranmanX]

A war that ends with more fighting isn't a very successful war

[@TimKaseyMythHealer]

I can't seem to find anything about the living conditions of Russian farmers between 1700 and 1800. How 'bad' was it really? Where can I find old film reels, photographs, church history diaries? Seems like it is a complete black box with no information.

[@903lew]

You’ll be hard pressed to find any photos or film from the 1700s. Only sources are literary, possibly if you could find some primary sources detailing the lives of serfs on an estate.