Hitler's Conference after Paulus' Surrender Feb 1943

This video is discussing events or concepts that are academic, educational and historical in nature. This video is for informational purposes and was created so we may better understand the past and learn from the mistakes others have made.
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📚 BIBLIOGRAPHY / SOURCES 📚
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⚔️ If you like Stalingrad, you may also enjoy historian Anton Joly's KZbin channel "Stalingrad Battle Data". Link: / @armageddon4145
If you'd like to learn more about the 64th Army, check out Dann Falk's book on the 64th Army, and his website here: falkenbooks.com/
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Check out Egor Kobyakov's Stalingrad articles here - warspot.net/us...
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ABOUT TIK 📝
History isn’t as boring as some people think, and my goal is to get people talking about it. I also want to dispel the myths and distortions that ruin our perception of the past by asking a simple question - “But is this really the case?”. I have a 2:1 Degree in History and a passion for early 20th Century conflicts (mainly WW2). I’m therefore approaching this like I would an academic essay. Lots of sources, quotes, references and so on. Only the truth will do.

[@PeterT-i1w]

Let us not forget that Paulus wasn't just any general, he was deputy chief of the German General Staff in 1940/41. He probably knew a lot more about sensitive stuff than a regular general would. No surprise that Hitler wanted to see him dead.

[@KungFuHonky]

Excellent point.

[@samsonsoturian6013]

Reminder: Hitler ate his gun at the end to. You see he was already thinking about the end in 1943.

[@joaquimdantas63]

Paulus was even the general who authored a War Game (a theoretical hypothetic study of the likely consequences of a military operation) in April-May 1941, which predicted that Barbarossa would eventually fail, because mainly of logistical factors and that would happen with a clash somewhere in the Steppe near the Volga.

[@politicalqueso]

Excellent point; He was supposed to take over for halder if I remember correctly

[@KungFuHonky]

It was a .32 auto that caused the first world war. It was a .32 auto that ended the 2nd world war. I'm kind of a weirdo maybe because I kind of see them as the same war with a 20 year armistice. ...And I also think .32 auto -despite it's diminutive size, is unquestionably the worlds most powerful cartridge. @@@samsonsoturian6013

[@konstancemakjaveli]

Jeez, spoiler alert, buddy. I thought Paulus still couldve broke through in late January.

[@adurb]

Yeah, totally spoiled. I was betting on Manstein though

[@aeneas237]

LOL

[@StandingTNT]

I was convinced Manstein would be able to break 'em out of the pocket after he strategically redeploys to Berlin. What a spoiler!

[@rudolphguarnacci197]

Who could have known all those prisoners would never see home again.

[@therealuncleowen2588]

I know right, I thought Manstein was still going to save the day!

[@garybono]

In his memoirs Zhukov remarkked that, in his opinion, Hitler was not as bad a military strategists as the Generals made out. Pointing out that after the war the Generals were around to say whatever they wanted with Hitler not being around to challenge their assertions.

[@tc3383]

Let us not forget a few things. One is the international tribunal court, which committed the executions of German prisoners of war did so under their authority. That same court today has, and has previously charged and went for convictions against nations for war crimes, and genocide namely, Israel. The same ones who they killed the Germans for committing crimes against. But Israel and the United States said that court has no authority over Israel since it doesn’t agree to the courts mandate. Does this mean they’re going to give post conviction relief to all the POW‘s they executed under that courts authority being that they didn’t recognize the courts authority either? I doubt so. Because we know who controlled the court then and who controls it now and it’s not the majority of nations in its body.

[@tc3383]

More food for thought, Germany had declared war upon its enemies, one of who they are said to have killed 6 million of in various work camps. The United States killed more civilians in Germany, Japan, and Italy than that, in most cases intentionally such as in Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Dresden, etc. how are they not prosecuted for war crimes and genocide? oh because history is written by the victors that’s right.

[@garybono]

​@@tc3383what does this have to do with Hitler's abilities as a military strategist?

[@igorpipuk7754]

​@@garybonowhy do israelis like to rape little boys?

[@knowsmebyname]

@@garybono did not Hitler work off the suggestions and abilities of his Generals? Hitler was no more a military strategist than Stalin or Roosevelt no? Hitler can suggest to his staff that he wants to attack Stalingrad. Then thet draw up the plans. How is Hitler the architect?

[@tancreddehauteville764]

Arthur Schmidt was a notoriously bad prisoner. He was hated by his Soviet captors because of his bad manners and arrogant attitude, consequently he was kept as a prisoner until the last possible moment, in 1955, when he was released as a part of the Adenauer deal. Despite his 12 year captivity he was in robust health and died in 1987 aged 92.

[@ralphyznaga1761]

Vile people always live the longest.

[@bjr4567]

@@ralphyznaga1761 Why was he vile? Because he didn't bow to the Marxists, and grovel like Paulus and Seydlitz? "Vile" as such and in this context is always conditional in the eye of the beholder.

[@Alex-bs1iu]

@@bjr4567The Bolsheviks were superior to him. He was vile because he was a Nazi officer who had no consideration for what he was apart of with that horrible war forced upon the Russians.

[@dreddlockz8364]

"HaHa gErMaNy bAd ALL gErManS bAd"

[@Alex-bs1iu]

@@dreddlockz8364 not all Germans , but Nazi Germany was objectively evil.

[@Miguel23gt]

Love how you substitute "to shoot" for "to tax" or "to centrally plan"

[@TheImperatorKnight]

Because taxation and central planning are enacted under the barrel of a gun... (for those who don't understand)

[@antoinesilva1527]

@@TheImperatorKnight Oh yeah, if you can’t, then prison it is! *Truly an example for the best kinds of democracy*

[@SNOOPY_-]

agreed

[@Albukhshi]

@@TheImperatorKnight I was also impressed by "Chose Plato's ideal forms."

[@samsonsoturian6013]

@@TheImperatorKnight You'd be surprised how many IRS enforcements require a SWAT team because some men are really greedy and hate authority.

[@nigellawson8610]

Paulus imprisonment was fairly comfortable. The circumstances of his jailing were much better than the 6th Army's rank and file.

[@aleksazunjic9672]

Stalin was very cold and calculated. He did what was best for him, rarely acting out of emotions. In this case, using German generals as pawns, to entice others to surrender.

[@colder5465]

Don't forget a couple of things. First: 1942 was the hardest year for the USSR in all aspects: the war itself, military production, food production. It was the lowest point. So the USSR didn't have a lot of free resources for POWs. Second: the Soviets greatly miscalculated the strength of the 6th Army. Their highest estimate was 80 thousand men. That it was in fact almost 300 thousand was a big shock for them. Only the number of POWs was about 100 thousand. The Soviets simply didn't have capacity for such a huge number in the immediate vicinity and the POWs couldn't be transferred quickly due to very poor road network in this region. Why Hitler so stubbornly tried capturing Stalingrad? Not because of Stalin's name as many in the West think. There was another rather big city with the name of Stalin - Stalino, now Donetsk which is constantly shelled by Ukrainian armed forces since 2014 - but no one cared at the time. Stalingrad was a key transportation junction (and one of big military industry cities, by the way). Being totally destroyed it doesn't help to keep transportation in good form. Third: dire sanitation conditions of 6th Army soldiers. There were infectious diseases raging among them - all kinds of typhus. The number of ill soldiers was so high that the Soviets got a problem of non-spreading the diseases among their own soldiers! Add to that hunger and freezing conditions and you get an obvious result. And don't forget one thing: Stalingrad was one of the cities whose civilian population was almost totally killed by storming troops: by air, by artillery fire or by combat actions. Advancing German troops didn't care the least. So they couldn't reckon on luxury treatment.

[@joseph-sj7do]

91000 Soldiers surrendered at Stalingrad only 5000 returned to Germany in 1955, 12 years later they had been used as Slave Labour, , 24 Generals surrendered all survived.

[@russellblake9850]

twas ever thus. Generals, and corporate execs, being a small number get different (more, better) treatment than the masses of rank and file soldiers. Sure, generals have more profile than privates, know more, can influence more, ...

[@FR-PL-UA-WARSZAWA]

Most of the German NCOs and soldiers died in camps. German officers? Not too many.

[@rogerhinman5427]

For what it's worth, when I was in the Army I was instructed, during basic training, to obey only lawful orders. Those which do not violate national and international laws, treaties, etc. That hasn't stopped certain officers from giving unlawful orders and having them carried out, of course.

[@PeterT-i1w]

lol, did they also put you thru law school in basic training to be able to quote and interpret all those international laws and treaties? How does a semi-illiterate private supposed to make split second legal decisions on subjects that even the supreme court wouldn't dare to discuss for decades? human stupidity knows no bounds indeed.

[@AndreLuis-gw5ox]

​@@PeterT-i1wI dont think it takes too much brain power for a private of most democracies to think "shoot that guy facing the wall " may be an illegal order

[@danreed7889]

@@PeterT-i1w why do you assume a private is half illiterate?

[@danreed7889]

@@toby2581 well, I did 20 and didn't meet any "half illiterate" privates. Stupid, but not that.

[@diggman88]

Most supreme court judges are just politicians. They're supposed to enforce the will of the Constitution. Instead they find ways to side step it. They often refused to make decisions because that would block out their side from passing the laws they want.

[@davengerful]

"chose Plato's world of forms" as euphamism for suicide is absolutely genius

[@surf7lakemich1]

Astonishing. Now I am diving into Plato again.

[@ANGLORUSSIANCZ]

Germany added millions of citizens to the population after 1935 (Saarland, Austria, Bohemia-Moravia), so the increase in self-deletions would be relative to that fact. Plus would not a certain ethno-religious group not sharing in the upturn in fortunes not be overrepresented in the figures?

[@vercot7000]

they were not, but nice cope anyhow

[@Ccity93749]

@@vercot7000?

[@vercot7000]

@@Ccity93749 what do you think the point of the original comment is, bud?

[@dragoe7441]

​@@vercot7000?

[@vercot7000]

@@dragoe7441 the original comment is very obviously engaging in denial. Denial that was disproven at both Irving & Zundel’s trials.

[@chadczternastek]

I ordered that book Hitler & His Generals cause you mentioned it on a previous video you did. Great book. Anyone who thinks Hitler was just a bezerk, screaming, bad decision maker should give that a read.

[@localbod]

Hitler wasn't just a berserk, screaming, bad decision maker. He had crazy eyes too, vis-a-vis the photo of him at 2:59.

[@ImperativeGames]

I'm pretty sure Hitler was obsessed/crazy/moral degenerate. Doesn't mean he didn't use logic to plan for his crazy goals though.

[@LavrencicUrban]

I ALSO READ IT 2 MONTHS AGO AFTER I HEARD ABOUT IT FROM LEWIS. VERY VERY REVEALING!

[@jernmajoren]

Its mentioned in the video that the number of suicides in Germany at the time was around 18-22000 per year. For comparison the number today is about 9200 per year. So the rate of suicides in Nazi Germany was very high.

[@YadraVoat]

Plus there are said to be at least ten million more population of Germany now vs. then.

[@AK-hi7mg]

​@@YadraVoatbut not ethnic germans. There are around 62 to 65 000 000 ethnic germans living in Germany. 15 to 17 million are foreigners (we all know what that means, it's not argentinians and french people)

[@CantusTropus]

That's only the ones we know about too.

[@jmi5969]

I'd interpret the numbers differently. 70+ years of uninterrupted peace, prosperity and huge social spending - but merely twofold decrease in suicide rate? Not much indeed. It's not that the starting point (NS-period) was high, it's that the present-day rate remains unnecessarily high.

[@jaaackaissa1633]

Is 9200 per year a small number?

[@jamesbeeching6138]

The Western forces had a reasonable attitude to self sacrifice...Keep fighting until it is hopeless [ militarily] and then surrender...The main exception to this were twofold: 1-When fighting a ruthless enemy that didn't take prisoners such as the Japanese. You might as well fight to the death as you are a dead man anyway. 2-Individual sacrifice for other men in your own unit. These "heroes" are fighting for their mates not for any higher belief or ideals... And most veterans would agree..You fight for your mates.

[@ducthman4737]

Most soldiers only know what is going on in their 100 meters or less. Only HQ has a bigger picture of the situation. So maybe only your part of the front is in a critical condition.

[@aleksazunjic9672]

War in the East was Vernichtungskrieg, war of annihilation. Germans declared that themselves.

[@adventussaxonum448]

3: they're Gurkhas.

[@drencrum]

Except by being on the battlefield they are working for those higher beliefs and ideals even if they aren't told or care to know what those are. Every employee is working for shareholder value whether they're doing it because they believe in it or not.

[@jamesbeeching6138]

@@adventussaxonum448 ahhh yes true!!!

[@NightOwlTheater]

I've just recently discovered your channel and I just wanted to say that the quality of the content is much, much too good for KZbin. That being said, I am very pleased that it's here for everyone to view and become truly educated.

[@TheImperatorKnight]

Glad to hear you found the channel 👍

[@tarnvedra9952]

"The way I see it, unless we each conform, unless we obey orders, unless we follow our leaders blindly, there is no possible way we can remain free. " -Frank Burns

[@maogu1999]

I think my brain just twisted its ankle reading that

[@jimarger8533]

The way I see it, unless we act responsibly, unless we respect one another, unless we are accountable, we are in fact not free already.

[@baldwintheanchorite]

Hearing Zeitzler say "KZbin himself" is quite hilarious. Joke is sincerely on KZbin.

[@jefffreeman8905]

The problem with the "We should have ultimate freedom" argument is that any group that practices that will be demolished and enslaved by a group that follows orders.

[@nkristianschmidt]

You have the rights, you can take. That is the ugly nature of life.

[@edwinsubijano263]

The Japanese Kamikaze pilots thought the same way !!! But suicide pilots didn't really help Japan !!! A commander asking his men to sacrifice their lives is an indication of failure on his part !!!

[@jefffreeman8905]

@@edwinsubijano263 I used to agree, but I saw a thing a while back that changed my mind. By the late stage of the war the Japanese didn't have time to train pilots to actually perform successful attacks, but you HAVE to teach them how to fly in order for them to be able to do...anything. So it actually makes a lot of sense to use them as kamiikazes because flying into something is a lot easier than doing an attack run, and if they are likely to die anyway (and they were due to growing American air superiority and AA fire) then having them die while hitting a ship is actually good. They were not very effective, but they would have been LESS effective had they been used in a traditional manner.

[@gammersunity4117]

I agree, as someone who lives in india I couldn't agree more.

[@marcelgroen6256]

TY again for your amazing, work Mr. Knight 🙂

[@sparkyfromel]

had some personal experience working in Soviet Russia , the conundrum of insanity or authority was transcended with drinking ...heavy drinking , this was based on the elemental chemistry that all problems are soluble in alcohol

[@rudy9067]

Hi TIKhistory, the woman he is talking about here taking her own life sounds like Inga Ley, wife of Robert Ley. She had three children and took her life just in the December before this conference. She and Hitler seemed close and Hitler even wrote a lengthy handwritten condolence note to her husband afterwards.

[@richardryder9425]

Excellent analysis. Many thanks. Having studied this battle myself, being in the situation Paulas found himself in, I would have attempted a break out as soon as the Romanian rear guard collapsed. To get get over counter orders from the Riech, I would have ordered radio silence. Once the bulk of the army were out, Paulus could have surrendered himself along with the sick and wounded, saving most of the rest. I say that in hindsight of course.

[@deanjacobs1766]

So Paulus ordered executions of soldiers for violating what was expected of them and then violated the same rules that were expected of him? And he gave himself a pass?

[@dragosstanciu9866]

There was no written rule about field marshals committing suicide.

[@anthonykeane4984]

But it was kinda expected that such a senior officer would not allow himself to be captured . The PR coup for the soviets alone was massive . Plus as a career officer and former General staff officer paulus would have a wealth of intel if he started talking

[@ExpatChef71]

​@anthonykeane4984 From what I understand, Paulus was suffering from dysentery and was basically in his cot when the Russians arrived.

[@r.williamcomm7693]

@@dragosstanciu9866 But didn’t “the boss” order him to fight to the last man including himself & not surrender? If so I believe the soldiers receiving the ultimate punishment most likely retreated under fire when it hopeless to hold a position.

[@ExpatChef71]

@r.williamcomm7693 He was promoted to Field Marshall with the understanding that no German Field Marshall had ever surrendered. It was a implied that he should kill himself.

[@martinsedlak1498]

Varus could also choose the option because it was common for Roman generals at that time. Marcus Antonius fell on his sword, Cassius, Scipius, Cato also. It was not so common for generals of 20th century.

[@Snarflelocker]

i say let the soldiers vote on it haha

[@Talmurid]

The Stalingrad Pocket collapsed? Never saw that coming.

[@MrBlueBurd0451]

I deeply enjoyed all the alternative terminology for discontinuation of biological processes.

[@MikeCera1]

Discontinuation of biological processes has a good ring to it too

[@xamethx]

Feels like we are all trained to addopt some sort of Newspeek.

[@leonardogomez8812]

Why not say Bite the dust, kicked the bucket, croaked, gave up the ghost, or took a long walk off a short pier?

[@rc59191]

I don't I'm tired of KZbin censorship.

[@davidperrier6149]

I don't think anybody really thinks of themselves as evil. Everyone is the hero of their story.

[@z3r0_35]

Nah...there are absolutely some people out there who are just total misanthropes/sociopaths driven entirely by self-interest. Many of them are well aware of the harm they inflict on other people, they just don't care.

[@echochamber4095]

Agreed, its trivial name is psychopathy or according to the dsm: antisocial disorder with schizophrenic paranoia

[@jamessnee7171]

People justify doing evil or 'bad things' because of what they think is the greater good. Whatever they think that might be. "The road to Hell is paved with good intentions."

[@aleksazunjic9672]

@@z3r0_35 People who consider themselves evil rarely go to the red zone (in automotive terms). They usually have instinct of self preservation. Hitler and many around him had strong convictions, and they were willing to sacrifice themselves for it.

[@gageyoung2111]

You’d be surprised. I’ve met plenty of people who think the opposite or take a neutral stance. There’s plenty of literature out there that confirms this as well.

[@Alte.Kameraden]

TIK has proven quite well that context is almost everything when it comes to communication. I've never seen the phrase "Committed/Committing S-Word" replaced with other words so beautifully, and I swear TIK didn't use the same phrase twice, I had no issue understanding what he meant, and even started smiling after a while.

[@Snarflelocker]

yeah, the fact that he didn't repeat a single euphemism is astonishing. really great work for such a dark subject

[@Alte.Kameraden]

@@Snarflelocker Sadly you have to do it a lot. I don't understand it sometimes as you may or may not get censored counting on the video I think. I can explain antisemitism in one comment section for example, but another even mentioning Marxism and the Small Hat People... will get an auto delete even if done so to explain antisemitism on the left... doesn't care about context, just words.... Heck one time just mentioning the censorship by word saw a comment of mine deleted in seconds. By typing "Censorship." KZbin is a tad insecure... I think youtube tags videos and actively suppresses on said video's comments. A few days ago I had my ability to comment on any video or channel disabled for 24 hours, not told what I did/posted that caused it.

[@Snarflelocker]

@@Alte.Kameraden the lack of explanation makes it feel like a soft-core secret police. glad you have your ability to comment, thanks for writing this one.

[@Alte.Kameraden]

@@Snarflelocker bugs the heck out of me as the guideline it said I broke, doesn't apply to the type of comments I make. "Spam, deceptive practices, & scams policy" but when you read the policy it mostly applies to bots, spam, false advertising, posting links that lead off site. Since they didn't bother to show me what I did. I even checked my comment history and was wondering if my account got hijacked or something... but no.

[@Eric-gb9ty]

If I'm not mistaken, the woman Hitler was referring to that wrote him a letter asking him to take care of her children because she couldn't go on, was the widow of a man accidentally killed by the SS during the Night of the Long Knives in July of 1934 because her late husband had the same first and last name as a high ranking SA trooper that the SS wanted out of the way. When the SS and the Gestapo realized what had happened, they informed Hitler, who sent Rudolf Hess, then party secretary, to speak with the dead man's unfortunate widow to apologize and inform her she would be receiving a state pension. I'm not sure how it all ended, but she was bordering on suicide even though she had her children to take care of.

[@simlucien]

“Man has to centrally plan himself.” 🤣 This script is some of your best writing.

[@vulkanofnocturne]

"It's TIKin' time." The Incredible TIK (2023)

[@Wo1fLarsen]

Perhaps the best WW2 KZbin series ever presented.

[@therealuncleowen2588]

Wait, I've spent multiple years on this narrative and in the end the our heroes don't win!? I'm joking. I knew the story long before this series and both sides are bad guys, and I must commend TIK for telling this epic story so well. In this installment, Hitler sounds like an old sports commentator wondering aloud about today's athlete not being as tough as yesterday's. "You know back in my day, no quarterback would have missed THREE GAMES for a BRUISED SHOULDER like Deshaun Watson has. In the late 70s, Dan Fouts tore multiple knee ligaments during a game. You could see his knee flopping around as he ran, but Fouts was tough, he finished that game. Grumble grumble, these quarterbacks today are coddled."

[@algorithmgeneratedanimegir1286]

Well one thing you can't take away from Hitler was that he absolutely walked the walk.

[@macoooos9204]

Wow! AH is angry. I never knew he took it this bad. Thanks for the insightful video TIK!

[@PeterT-i1w]

Reminds me of the elderly Augustus roaming around in his palace half mad while screaming: "Give me back my legions, Varus!"

[@KungFuHonky]

It's funny you said this right as you did. Because you did it the very moment I uploaded my photo. What a strange coincidence! @@PeterT-i1w

[@yohannbiimu]

Actually, it sounds to me that he took it rather well, considering how I had the impression that Hitler would have been utterly incoherent and frothing at the mouth the entire time.

[@sillypuppy5940]

I kept imagining a downfall-style rant while watching

[@KungFuHonky]

Oh hell no. This is a meeting of the great minds. ..I'm actually being serious.@@sillypuppy5940

[@KungFuHonky]

The whole "Heroic ideal." That was a big thing with Nietzsche. To him acting with heroism was always preferable to acting with reason. ..However Nietzsche somehow gets a pass for his huge contribution to Nazi ideology. I don't understand why, but he does.

[@ninjawizard3865]

I think this channel did a video on that actually, I might of been a different channel.

[@bolbox7040]

From what I know about it is was Nietzsche's sister that had a pretty big following in Germany during the Weimar Republic, if you read into those it's very different from what her brother wrote so I guess that's why his ideology is still disconnected from the Nazis.

[@KungFuHonky]

Let me know which one if you find or recall the video you're talking about. The only one I've seen (which was really good) was Stephen Hicks on Triggernomety. I think the video was called 'Nietzsche and the Nazis'@@ninjawizard3865

[@thomasenderson893]

To which contribution are you referring?

[@KungFuHonky]

Pretty much everything in "The Will to Power." and the whole Ubermensch idea. @@thomasenderson893

[@kylemohs8728]

"Feelings above facts" Man that hits home in the modern age.

[@sergeipohkerova7211]

I imagine at the start of the conference, Hitler poring over the potluck sign up and raging that he brought napkins and soda, but Zeitler didn't bring cookies and the cake that Going brought is already eaten and what the hell good is Hoth's dip if he brought no chips.

[@z3r0_35]

For the last question on where I stand on individual freedom VS obedience, I tend to subscribe to Hobbes' view of a society. There is a paradox known as the Paradox of Freedom, which postulates that, under anarchy, you are only as free as you are strong, cunning, or ruthless, otherwise anyone with more of those qualities than you may subjugate you, and there is nothing you can do about it. This means you are actually less free under anarchy (unless you are one of the few apex predators around, but even then you will eventually grow old and weaken), and what Hobbes argued was the basis of a state was that a group of people agreed to follow certain rules, voluntarily sacrificed some freedoms to protect all of their other freedoms, and selected someone to enforce those rules. Now, Hobbes was in favor of an auhoritarian ruler he dubbed the "Leviathan", this is where I differ from his ideas (I also differ with him on the notion that there must be a 'state monopoly on violence' to maintain public order). A multi-layered constitutional republic, where all politicians and bureaucrats have their power checked by their peers, superiors, inferiors, and the people, is, as John Adams described, the "least evil" form of government. Not the best, "least evil", that choice of phrasing is importance. All governments are capable of abusing their constituents, a decentralized constitutional republic has the most checks on state power to mitigate that, but it requires constant vigilance to maintain. Our ancestors failed in maintaining that vigilance in the first half of the 19th Century...hell, you could argue they failed while most of the Founding Fathers were still alive, the seeds of the downfall of America's republic as it was intended to be were sown by Alexander Hamilton and his Whigs. And no, the notion of a country like America being a "democracy" is false, and it's a trap. It's a lie that was pushed by socialists in the 19th and 20th Centuries, because they know what democracy really is: it's mob rule, which means autocracy with extra steps. In a government of the majority, power is ultimately concentrated in the hands of whom can be the most charming, the most deceitful, and has the most skill at throwing other people under the bus for their failures. The mob - the collective - does not think, it feels, he who who can manipulate their emotions with the most skill controls the mob, and thus the state under democracy...hmm, sounds an awful lot like Marx's "dictatorship of the proletariat",, doesn't it? I would argue that democracy isn't only an undesirable system, it's the second worst system behind a theocracy (and you could argue Marxism and its off-shots are a theocracy, even if they won't admit it).

[@fazole]

Very good points. I also would add that anarchy cannot survive because it creates a power vacuum which another organized capable power will fill by force. Are there any purely civil wars in history? I don't think so, because some ourside power(s) will always intervene out of self interest.

[@3dcomrade]

That Leviathan concept works in the west due to normalized corruption and the lessening brutality of backroom politics? Here, in Indonesia? The Sambo case(where a higher ranking police officer ordered his subordinate to kill a lower ranking police officer) Its a bullshit concept here and will not work. The current debilitating but survivable system of constant patronage with democracy works. Because uniting my nation which is so diverse needs a lot of compromises and "compromises"(corruption)

[@fgkuv5232]

"The man has to centrally plan himself" In a Hitler voice was too funny

[@novitrix9671]

Really!

[@cowhand6112]

Per his adjutant, Adam Something, Paulus clearly understood what Hitler "expected" in return for promoting him to Field Marshall. Another outstanding presentation, Mr TIK.

[@danreed7889]

Glad to see two Stalingrad episodes in a row. Take care

[@deriznohappehquite]

Not a Battlestorm episode, so probably a lot less effort due to less research and animation to track every unit on screen.

[@Grabacr-pl3wy]

Why is KZbin censored when KZbin Kids exists?

[@TheImperatorKnight]

Because the Central Planners reject logic and reason, choosing instead to believe in irrationality.

[@soupycask]

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[@albertofernandez2490]

what's youtube kids?

[@bjr4567]

@@jstevinik3261 KZbin Central has drifted dangerously into Marxist outlooks.

[@yeoldenewbie]

The line about “centrally planned himself” cracked me, sorry 😂

[@psychosneighbor1509]

"We don't want people using logic, we don't want people using their brains, or rationality, we want unthinking, irrational, obedient slaves." Sounds just like where I work.

[@cronoros]

I mean, I get your point about the whole madman Hitler argument that is used. But his quotes dont exactly come across as the poster boy for sanity 😅 Hes a good target for Madman scapegoatery

[@TheImperatorKnight]

They only don't make sense if you haven't understood his ideology. Once you grasp the ideology, there is a certain irrational logic to it. Irrationality is inherent within the doctrine, and to call Hitler a madman is to call almost every philosopher in history a madman, since Hitler's ideology is based upon the philosophy of Plato, Kant, Hegel and so many more.

[@cronoros]

I grew up in Ireland, Catholicism had a similar vibe here for a long time

[@clownpendotfart]

The German officer corps of WW2 did not act unthinkingly like that. They were FAR less willing to fight to the death than the Japanese. We can also see that the (failed) assassination conspiracies were attempting to kill Hitler (and, to a lesser extent, those who would continue his policies like Himmler). In Japan the repeated disloyalty of officers was in the cause of starting wars & refusing to surrender (even after 2 nukes).

[@Lusa_Iceheart]

Japan was different in the sense their military was acting more like a collection of Daimyos rather than a single military. The Imperial Army and Navy each went out of their way to try and "one up" the other, even coming close to skirmishing with each other. The new fronts they'd open up and invasions they'd start were to justify their branches position as the primary focus of the war effort. Both the Germans and Japanese had that fanatical "obey superiors without question" mentality, but the Japanese had loyalty to their immediate superior officers (like they were Daimyo lords) and the Emperor (their living god) rather than the nation of Japan or any other element of the country. The Germans had a loyalty to Germany and were also accustomed to European warfare where POWs generally survived the war, so thus they could rationalize it as surrender meant they'd be alive to help the nation later on. In Japan, surrender of any kind was dishonorable and the only way to keep your honor intact was to, uh, well, centrally plan yourself on your own sword. Germany had the same fanaticism in following orders, it was just less... obvious because following orders typically wasn't suicidal. Japan full on embraced (and still does when it comes to personal failures) self deletion rather than failure or surrender down to the individual level.

[@clownpendotfart]

@@Lusa_Iceheart The Germans didn't wage "European warfare where POWs generally survived the war" against Russians. They deliberately starved Soviet POWs. In addition to have categories of POWs they executed immediately (like commisars or commandos). This very video is about how Germans didn't follow Hitler in choosing death above surrender. They really did not have the same fanaticism. Being willing to kill enemies/civilians doesn't require fanaticism, that's normal.

[@aleksazunjic9672]

@@clownpendotfart True . Germans declared Vernichtungskrieg in the East, i.e. war of annihilation. What is important, all German generals were ok with that, including Paulus.

[@kerotomas1]

@@clownpendotfart No, in most cases (not all as some happened deliberately) they didn't starve Soviet PoWs just because they were Soviet they simply did it because they didn't want to "waste" food rations on feeding millions of PoWs. It's brutal but it makes sense. - own soldiers vs prisoners On the East german troops generally were short on food starting from early 1942.

[@sthrich635]

Actually it is a weird mix of both saving oneself or dying rather surrendering for the regular German officer corps and to some extent the soldiers too (obvious exceptions like forced conscripts from occupied countries). Other than Eastern Front, German officers while not foreign to the concept of surrendering, see it only as an absolute last resort, or the literally only option left - if there is still a way to fight, they keep on fighting, regardless the losses that kept mounting or if it could change the final outcome. They will "fight to the last bullet", but not necessarily "death over surrender". When a German soldier ran out of bullet, instead doing a banzai charge with bayonet like the Japanese, they just surrender, but if they got like two or three more rifle clips left, they would still choose to prolong the fight, even if the battle was long decided and doing so only risking their own lives.

[@RafaelSantos-pi8py]

This also shows how the nazis and in particular uncle Adolph saw the regular german people and soldiers. They were real people with lives of their own and families that needed and depended on them but were treated as disposable pawns, almost as disposable as their victims on and outside the battlefield. A regime that has no consideration for the dignity of the lives of their enemies has, not surprisingly, no respect for the lives of their own. Odious and inhumane, through and through.

[@runtoth3abyss]

Helps explain how Trump uses his cult followers in the same way.

[@australiananarchist480]

goes for quite literally every single government in history, ever.

[@insideoutsideupsidedown2218]

​@runtoth3abyss The Biden apologist camp called, they need you to report back to camp. Rumor has it they will make you a Field Marshal...

[@runtoth3abyss]

@@toby2581 Trumptards can't cope

[@scientiaaclabore3362]

Similar remarks were made by Hitler on 3-4 January 1942, during his usual late night table talk with his guests. He talked about the brutal weather conditions in the East in the winter of 1941-42, when the freezing and exhausted Army Group Center had to retreat in brutal winter conditions from the Moscow region: _"Every crisis has an end. The only question is whether one will survive the crisis. A winter in which the thermometer remains frozen at 50° below freezing-point simply doesn't exist! What matters is, not to give way in any circumstances. It's wonderful to see a man come through a desperate situation. But it's not given to many beings to master a hostile fate. Throughout my life, that was my daily bread. First of all, the poverty I experienced in my youth. After that, the sometimes inextricable difficulties of the Party. Next, the government of the country. But luckily nothing lasts forever- and that's a consoling thought. Even in raging winter, one knows that spring will follow. And if, at this moment, men are being turned to blocks of ice, that won't prevent the April sun from shining and restoring life to these desolate spaces."_

[@flag5enemyinsight397]

I do love how much work you have done to refute Manstein, et al’s ‘Madman Hitler’ canard. And then because of KZbin and internet trolls you have to use the ‘madman Hitler’ voice.

[@bruceruzicka6089]

The concept that .gov employees wearing uniforms should not think and only obey orders is not confined to the WW2 era German army. I can assure you of that.

[@samsonsoturian6013]

Yeah, it is confined to YOU

[@aj2080xy6]

Thank you for all of your videos, playlists, and so on. I appreciate you doing the research on primary and secondary sources and then presenting an objective analysis of each topic. I will contribute to your Patreon when I can and have recommended your channel to anyone with an interest in this history. You must need glasses from all the reading at this stage! Please may you long continue. B

[@aj2080xy6]

Edited for grammar only

[@jangelbrich7056]

Blind Obedience was a general principle not only in the German military (even if most explicit there). It was the norm and principle for the majority of German people - and if I may say so: the same as around the whole world at that time. Kids were expected to obey no matter what, and if they did not, punishment was brutal. This was no exception, it was the general social norm ("how else will You keep up discipline?!"), and it leads directly to a militarized personality, to this day. Things may have become a little more relaxed after WW II in some countries, but for the rest, in too many places, it is same today.

[@drencrum]

From a macro POV it really depends on whether or not a disciplined society is an effective society, if we were talking about a peoples in the B.C. era getting wiped out or gaining territory by wiping out a disorganized peoples then we would say "oh well, bad luck" but due to WW2 being in the modern era we view it differently. One could even argue that had Germany just subjugated what we call the "third world" then we wouldn't be having these moral arguments because that is exactly what the "free" world did: genocided its way around the globe for personal gain, yet we don't talk about the Brits like we do the Germans because it was against the faceless uncivilized hordes. Should people have blind obedience towards authority? I don't think so, people should not have blind obedience towards anything, yet people still get pressured into being part of the group because we believe it we are more likely to survive.

[@raylast3873]

That‘s at the very least a vast oversimplification, and I will also point out that if it were true, then history is nevertheless full of people disobeying this supposed principle, in mass. Including in Germany. In reality, the people at the top want everyone to obey them, all the time, but whether or not they will do so changes almost from day to day. In all countries, incidentally. As for Paulus and other German officers, they are very much part of the ruling elite and they have what are from their pov very good reasons to support Hitler‘s government. They are, after all, among it‘s chief profiteers. At the end of the day, however, most of them don‘t want to die, as we have seen.

[@jangelbrich7056]

@@raylast3873 Nobody wants to die. Nor does everyone want to obey. That was not my point. My point was the "eternal" and stone age old conflict based on obedience, just because of that. Thus, history is full of people who DID obey to the most strangest degree. Your comment is just as "oversimplifying" as mine, which I do admit. You find of course lots of people acting "humanly". But even many more who don't, as far as I can see in history.

[@raylast3873]

@@jangelbrich7056there is nothing strange about subservience to the state, nor is it voluntary. It‘s fundamentally both compelled and conditional. Which is also why there are entire periods where it‘s upended. People revolt when they feel like it can succeed. That‘s why there are also not countries that are more or less obedient, they simply have different external circumstances. Germany for that matter had at least two pretty big revolutions (and that‘s just the modern ones), including one that lasted five years.

[@jangelbrich7056]

@@raylast3873 I can agree to some of Your observations (compelled and conditional) . But when You say "there is nothing strange" about that, then I could not disagree more than I do. If find this very point both utterly strange and abhorrent. We can see it to this day when we look how the war in Ukraine developes, and how it distorts people's minds and hearts who are caught within it. Not only repead the Russians all mistakes from WW I and II, that the Germans used to make. We can observe a horrible state of the Russion dys-society everyday, who is again enslaved in Propaganda that even Goebbels would find interesting. History may not repeat itself but it has a very sick sense of "rhyming". If human would really be this "enlightened" being it is praised for, humans would not fall back into barbary again and again and again.

[@michaelman957]

"... feelings above facts, obedience above logic, obedience above logic..." That sounds ominously familiar.

[@MB-ub1qi]

TIK, you and your content are wonderful. God bless dude.

[@liagson]

What do you mean by "after"? ARE YOU SPOILING THE STALINGRAD SERIES SEASON FINALE?

[@MadMoler]

Great video, TIK. Please think about doing a series after this about the Generals of Stalingrad

[@Snarflelocker]

I love how informative yet subversive TIK is. The euphemisms are, excuse the pun, killing me.

[@edvineyard1143]

As an old guy (60+), I used to believe in the "follow the orders for your country," but lately I have realized that this is not the best intellectually and morally sound position to take. Your videos are a great source of alternative information against the normal narrative.

[@patrickfrei9322]

Why would you even think that?😅 let's say your country goes to war, how on earth does it benefit you or anyone you know if you gain a few square kilometers of land? It won't even belong to you, despite you having risked your life for it. I would never just follow orders...

[@hubertwalters4300]

​You would probably wind up getting a court marshall and a firing squad.

[@edvineyard1143]

@@hubertwalters4300 No doubt.

[@otten5666]

What I learned from this is that Hitler had a thing for crazy women.

[@KoleKojot]

Thank you for this video, TIK. Small note: At 16:17, a picture of Leonard Peikoff has the wrong caption (instead of Leonard Peikoff, it is Robert Citino). It is probably a copy-paste typo. Sorry for my OCD.

[@TheImperatorKnight]

Nope, you are correct, it's my fault for copy-pasting and not changing the text - sorry about that

[@leoarc1061]

I don't think Hitler was referring to Geli as there was a lot of controversy and taboo around her case.

[@Number26ami]

With all the reading and research you have done, I think that we, your followers, wish to know most of those of your thoughts derived from the documented facts. You are good at this.

[@TruthNTime]

In referring to which women Hitler may have been talking about that ended themselves when Paulus could not, I found 3 possibilities: Charlotte Lobjoie, Emmi Marre, and Mitzi Reiter - (Mitzi Reiter is the only woman I could find that was together with a "Man who later died" - 22:03).

[@petesmusic6648]

I worked for an Italian company as an electrical technician in the UK , they consistently demanded we perform near suicidal tasks with no regard for rules or safety ie I was asked to climb an 80 ft scaffold in very high winds - said scaffold didn’t even have a safety tag ( scaftag) legal requirement in the UK - I refused and a massive row ensued - I don’t work for them now , retired early . Didn’t see why they had the right to order me to risk death for their profits 🤷‍♂️ same thing , why die for someone else’s ideals 🧐

[@TukozAki]

Well said and just the same pov here.

[@GrubHuncher]

A company is different, you’re participating in it for your own wealth and profit. You shouldn’t do anything for them that you aren’t comfortable with doing. Being a part of the military is different. You sacrifice yourself because if you aren’t willing to do so, and the enemy is, your nation and people will be obliterated and (historically speaking) would be enslaved or outright exterminated. This idea of self sacrifice is present in basically every culture on Earth because the tribes who chose to value their own self preservation above that of the tribe didn’t last long. The idea has been somewhat lost in the western world because our lives have gotten safer and safer over the decades and we haven’t faced a serious threat for a long time.

[@jesperlykkeberg7438]

@@GrubHuncher According to western military philosophy a soldier´s duty is not to die, but rather to complete his task, after which he can "honourably surrender" if no retreat is possible. A British 22-man squad was tasked with defending South Georgia against Argentina´s overwhelming invasion force during the War of the Falklands. The British soldiers damaged an Argentinian warship. They inflicted casualties on the beach landing Argentinian soldiers. They shut down a helicopter. All without taking any casualties themselves. After fulfilling their task of showing firm military resistance against the Argentinian invasion, the British soldiers then retreated to their headquarter from where they formally surrendered to the Argentinian invasion force. They completed their task with high distinction and all 22 of them survived the war.

[@GrubHuncher]

@@jesperlykkeberg7438 Right but even if the Falklands were completely conquered and Britain somehow got smashed in that war, the Argentinians were never going to invade Britain and subjugate them. If you’re talking about something like WWII, especially on the Eastern Front, the danger posed to your people is so grave that honorable surrender was not rational in most cases. Imagine if every Soviet platoon surrendered after they succeeded in one skirmish/battle, the whole territory up to the A-A line would be East Germany today.

[@randymillhouse791]

0:04: Paul McCartney!!!!!!!!

[@queuedjar4578]

puts the song Hey Jude in a whole other prospective

[@IamaCosmonaut]

Answer to the last statement depends on where you live. If you live in USA, which has the strongest military in the world and has weak non threatening neighbours, it completely makes sense to form your military from volunteers rather than forcing fighting age men to conscript as there is no immediate threat to your country and way of life. Then we have nations like Finland, which has aggressive expansionist neighbour that dwarfs them in manpower. In these kinds of countries, where the threat of military invasion is a real one, it makes perfect sense to have a mandatory military service in order to guarantee the sovereignty of said nation. So there ya go. The boring answer, aka it depends.

[@lamwen03]

But in the end it comes down to how much the individual is willing to sacrifice for his country, doesn't it? A draftee who doesn't want to fight, won't.

[@deriznohappehquite]

@@lamwen03 that’s correct, but few people want to give up valuable years of their life receiving training as a conscript when they could be working a better paying civilian job or in school or whatever.

[@hubertwalters4300]

​@@lamwen03Whey you have an aggressive nation like Russia next door, I don't think you would find too many Privates who would not fight if war came,any private who refused to fight would find himself on the wrong side of a firing squad, after a quick court marshal of course.

[@hubertwalters4300]

​@@deriznohappehquiteWell if enough people don't go when conscripted, bc they don't want to give up the nice cozy civilian life or school, then your country will be conquered by a foreign enemy who may round up the population to be exterminated or sent to work as slave labor under horrible conditions, their would be no more cozy civilian life or school,somehow you don't seem to understand that.

[@carlodebattaglia6517]

Model didn't shot himself because he was obey the Fuhrer or because he refused to think. I cannot imagine that, as a field Marshal, the one who out of conviction in victory for my country am responsible for the deaths of hundreds of my soldiers, should now emerge from these woods to approach Montgomery, or the Americans, with my hands in the air and say 'Here I am. Field Marshal Model, I Surrender.' Don't know if it is 100% true but it seems more like a last glimpse of honor.

[@PurpleCat9794]

That comment came from the interview with Model's adjutant Winrich Behr for the book "Battle for Ruhr Pocket". Model explained why he decided to kill himself to Behr the night before his death. Months leading to his death, Model had been brewing in anger against AH and fell into a deep depression. His adjutants sensed the inner conflict going on in his mind on the future of Germany, his troops, his family and himself. I wouldn't call Model unthinker, on the contrary, he was quite a complex and intelligent character.

[@Aditya-pq8mi]

@@PurpleCat9794 Sounds like he used to believe in AH but truth hit him like a train over time ,Sounds like he was going through 5 stages of grief but couldn't able to reach the last stage

[@The_Only_One216]

It is very interesting, especially to me it is interesting because my great-great grandfather fought in Stalingrad with the army of Paulus

[@nigellawson8610]

The problem for Hitler was that the German Army had no tradition of Seppuku, were a commander who had failed in his duty to his liege lord would ritually disembowel himself with a short sword thereby ensuring a slow agonizing death. It is worth noting that the act of Seppuku was done to demonstrate one's loyalty, bravery, and self-control, while expiating one's failure at the same time. It was also considered one of the highest demonstrations of sincerity and devotion to duty. Seppuku would have fit in well to the philosophy of the leader principle.

[@cwolf8841]

Japanese suicide was a 2 step process. The officer cut across his abdomen, often cutting the large transverse artery ( so a fairly rapid death) but then his backup severed his head.

[@gregoriokafka]

Despite not having a "tradition of Seppuku", throughout its whole history, no Field Marshal of the German Army had fallen prisoner ever, until Paulus.

[@gaozhi2007]

Also, look at how those Japane soldiers fought to the last man even though the battle was lost. Also, Kamikaze, etc. Japan had a lot of "effective altruism."

[@IrishTechnicalThinker]

Great video TIK and it's very sad that Hitler viewed a mother taking her own life, leaving her children forever as bravery. What a sick and distorted view. I see a mother who throws her hands up and realistically admits, I cannot cope with this situation and I need help. A full surrender of responsibility so she can build up strength again to still be there for her children, that's bravery. That's self respect and a duty to protect you from yourself. We all have a breaking point and acknowledging it can be a sign of strength, not weakness.

[@russellblake9850]

I guess "eating a bullet" is either a sign of utter despair and loneliness or an avoidance behaviour (not a sign of responsibility). Or possibly a cultural expectation (ie Japanese commanders in WW2, maybe Spartans ? ).

[@Arkantos117]

Every man without a wife & children should avoid death at every opportunity. At the very least you should prioritise continuing your own genetic line over ending another's.

[@projectgamling7962]

Hi Tik! Thank you for the video! While I completely agree with that people should be able to always make their own choices, the unfortunate reality is that lots of people are forced to follow the orders just to survices (socially, but in many instances also physically). At the same time, the least any person could is to remember that it was not his/her own choice to do something and collaborate as little as possible without putting themselves in the immediate danger. And also to never an opportunity to do something as a human being, rather than being a part of the "system" go to waste. As much as I would like myself and others to be willing to completely stands my/their own moral ground even in the face of the most dire consequences, unfortunately, I feel like neither I, nor most people are ready for it, I would afraid for my life too much I can just hope that I'll never have to make such a choice on a grand scale

[@bobflatman278]

Hitler,intellect is just another way saying moral authority. Too intellectual means thought of morals which means independent thinker. It's a lack of character to have a decision process. On on it rolls across centuries and enons and throughout it all death is never lonely.

[@michalmichalski4152]

In my early to late 20's, I considered myself a Libertarian, even an ancap, and I was a huge fan of Ayn Rand's work. As much as I am still fundamentally in favor of individual rights, even the philosophy's most hard line adherents must recognize that there is a limit--a hard cap, if you will--on what true Libertarians can achieve. By "true" I mean, people who actually attempt to put the philosophy into practice. Take a look at Rand herself. What did she actually achieve? It seems to me, little more than a cult of personality which essentially died with her. Piekoff was to be the "heir" to this supposed movement her work was to stir up and.... nothing really happened. Her work is certainly valuable and still influential, but it hasn't really affected any meaningful change in the culture at large. Say you take ten people, and have them each separately, individually, work towards the same goal. Then take a similarly abled sample of ten people, have them work towards the same or similar goal, but put them together into a relatively cohesive, and well managed group. Who will accomplish the goal faster? More effectively? I bet if you ran the experiment (and experiments of this nature must certainly have been done) you would probably find that the group working together is exponentially more powerful and productive than the totality of what the ten individuals working separately produce. It probably wouldn't be a linear increase. Two people working together would not produce double what a single individual produces, but more like 4-6 times as much. The more people you get together, the more this discrepancy grows. Of course, Libertarians will say that they're not against mutual cooperation, far from it. They just want people to be able to band together into groups absent any coercion, deception and delusion. Fair enough, that is a fine ideal, at least on paper. But again, how well does it truly work in practice? Absent these elements, and in particular the latter two, the only thing left as a basis upon which to build a group is the profit motive. But if you look honestly at the human psyche, even by the simplest and most direct means of sincere self examination, I'm sure you will discover that profit motive only goes so far. Here, I know studies have been done to prove as much, because I've glanced through a couple of them myself. As it turns out, for most normal people--that is, people who don't have socio/psychopathic tendencies--money increases their happiness and satisfaction in life up to a certain point of diminishing returns. This is a clear indication of the "hard cap" I'm talking about. This is fundamentally why privately owned businesses inevitably get "bought out" by public corporations after reaching a certain size. Here Libertarians might point to the initiation of the use of force, the corrupt government structure, the tax system, crony-capitalism etc. Again, these are certainly fair points, and I do not mean to dismiss them, but it seems to me that they are merely contributing factors, not the underlying cause. When a single individual, or even a family, runs a business they will only go so far before they realize it's simply not worth the effort to continue expanding, or even operating the business as is. The amount of stress they are to endure if they continue to do so is not worth the increase in the profit they stand to gain. Working through a purely rational, cost/benefit analysis, the decision to simply sell the business, "retire", and pursue other interests just makes sense. To put it simply, the difference in the quality of life between making, say $20k/year and $200k/year is astronomical, and well worth the personal cost in terms of stress, health, effort etc. But the difference in the quality of life between making $200k/year and $2 million/year is far, far smaller, and simply not worth the effort for most people. Then the difference between making $2 million and $20 million, $200 million, or $2 billion per year just isn't there anymore. You can only live in one house at a time, drive one car at a time, travel so much, eat so much, consume so much. Once you get to a certain point, and you're relying on the profit motive alone, the only motivators left are purely egotistical (i.e. delusional, narcissistic, psychopathic) in nature. To put it bluntly, it's enough to take the famous words of a certain ex-president on the campaign trail at face value to realize that at some point, it's just about proving to the world how big your dick is. To drive the point home--and this is a discussion I would absolutely love to get into with you, whether on a personal level or a more abstract, philosophical level, whether privately or publicly, in the comments or by other means--take a look at yourself and your youtube channel, TIK. You are certainly an outlier on the bell curve distribution when it comes to intelligence, productivity and communication skills. And even you, yourself, have pointed to people consistently being surprised as to why your channel is so small, relative to the quality of the content you produce. Certainly, you can point to the bias of the YT algorithm, internet censorship, the institutional brainwashing done by universities, the short attention span of so many individuals in the society at large, and so on, and so forth. But are any of these really the underlying cause of the limit of your reach? (Is this really the case? ;) ). Could it be, that you have also fallen into a type of ideological thinking, albeit quite distinct from the various flavors of socialism/totalitarianism/gnosticism, not nearly as murderous nor dehumanizing, but still limiting, nonetheless? To step back into the larger, more abstract view, and put things yet another way, I am in no way supporting or arguing for the murderous ideologies you are working so tirelessly against. I am merely suggesting something like this. Perhaps, tribalism is not simply an archaic remnant of ancient humanity that we must overcome by exercising our reason and expressing our individuality without the initiation of the use of force. Perhaps, Libertarianism, as the name suggests, is merely another flavor of Liberalism (classical, or otherwise). Perhaps, there is a fundamental flaw in the underlying philosophies out of which Liberalism has emerged. I'm sure you can clearly recognize how Liberalism is leading us right back towards what it originally purported to be leading us out of (i.e. tyranny). And you can offer up all the peripheral rationalizations and explanations you want (as you have done in multiple videos already) until you're blue in the face. But at the end of the day, don't all of these explanations of the failure of Liberalism/Individualism/Enlightenment Values, boil down to exactly the same explanation as the other side offers? That is, humans are simply not fit enough to put this philosophy into practice. It's not the ideas that are the problem, it's human nature. Alternatively, it's a few bad actors ruining the whole bunch, the "traitors" as the other side might call them. I have not yet been able to clearly identify what the problem might truly be, but I've got a certain trajectory in mind, at least. Which is why a discussion with you on the topic seems pertinent. It would be beneficial not only to myself, but also to you, to your viewers, and ultimately, to the society at large. And to state something of a positive case, what I'm suggesting might go like this. Tribalism is an essential aspect of the human experience. It's something we must learn to understand and consciously incorporate into our individual and social function; into our philosophies, personal values and social institutions. Instead of being anti-tribal (i.e. individualistic) or pro-tribal (i.e. socialistic) we ought to aim at becoming CONSCIOUSLY tribal. What that would look like, in practice, I'm not sure. But in closing, let me paraphrase one of my favorite philosophers. Life is not merely a logical argument. My heart goes out to you my friend. You are a genuine bright spot in a civilization which appears to be decaying and collapsing in on itself. Your work has helped me immensely in a very dark time in my life, far beyond the "tanks", the history, even the philosophy. I continue to come back to your work, again and again, not merely for its own sake (though that should be more than reason enough) but because your voice is so unique, so distinct despite following the tried and true western academic tradition. You have the unique ability to take an approach which is so often dull and lifeless, and make it fascinating, engaging and relatively easy to follow. I think you are on the verge of a breakthrough into something more and more people are becoming desperate for, true originality. Maybe, just maybe, a discussion between the two of us could take you, and us, another step closer toward such a breakthrough. I hope that you will read this at some point. I know I'm posting quite late on the original video which inspired this composition, and odds are you won't see it here. But I intend to repost on your newer videos, with a link referencing this video, with the hopes that you do eventually read it. Here's wishing you all the best. Even if nothing comes of this, I just want you to know, here's one person who loves and respects you for what you're doing. You're an inspiration to so many. Never let the naysayers get to you.

[@Treblaine]

I think the evil mustache man repeatedly referring to people committing Sudoku must have caused a censorship AI supercomputer somewhere in YT headquarters to explode.

[@bjr4567]

Amen brother, amen. lol

[@KungFuHonky]

Of course Hitler didn't think he was evil, TIK. ..In hindsight that WAS the problem wasn't it? He couldn't afford to even consider it, Love you Lewis. Keep it up.

[@antonjohansson3819]

Those questions are best answered in fiction. Paul Verhovens film version of Starship Troopers is a good one. Dune books also explores the theme of what happens when you establish a war religion and has to keep up with it.

[@gmdtvh]

This is the best politics & history channel

[@jarl8815]

To answer your final question TIK. Yes, we should in fact step up for our group sometimes, and refrain from being selfish.

[@CarlosElio82]

"When the mind, by Stoical reflections, is elevated into a sublime enthusiasm of virtue, and strongly smit with any species of honour or public good, the utmost bodily pain and sufferings will not prevail over such a high sense of duty" David Hume, Dialogs Concerning Natural Religion.

[@Arkantos117]

If my driver was having an affair with my neice I'd sack him too to be fair.

[@nstooge]

I’ll say it again…. I really enjoy your videos. I love learning about history and your videos are a real jewel of knowledge. They are priceless in their value. Thank you.

[@kalu19991]

It would be nice if everything would be based on individual free will, but the fact is that groups evolved for a reason, and organized groups beat individuals any day. That is the reality.

[@TheJacrespo]

No, that is not the philosophy of Kant. On the contrary, the 'Sapere aude' from his essay 'What is Enlightenment?' demands quite the opposite: not to follow the opinion of any authority, but to think for oneself.

[@delgraven3624]

At about 17:43 we see a pretty good assessment of the USA, beginning about 1993.

[@99somerville]

Masks at 17:33. Got that right.

[@Dario-uj6qo]

And about the question at the end about self sacrifice years ago I had people who by then I considered my friends. Thing is these friends by the time started to show more and more their true colors and narcisistic behaviour to the point of demanding me and others to follow blindly not only their ideology but their orders over the most mundane and stupid things and to force me to agree with them about said things plus some self sacrifice on my regard (wich they never reciprocated, it was and is always about themselves). It even got to the point in wich they attacked me on regard of personal issues I was having to the point of even claiming that I want to take advantage of others (wich is the opposite). It recently got to the point of even wanting an excuse to attack me because I didn't agree with unions or see them as the greatest thing with what was happening with the strikes in Hollywood even when I said that I had issues at my job and what was happening there reminded me of said issues or that days before that I wanted to help my friend's dad who was also having problems at his job. As the time goes on I see more and more similarities in them with fascism (lets remember that unionism is key in fascism) and nazism and it is not worth it. This kind of people who demand others to sacrifice themselves are usually just narcisists who want to gaslight others into doing their biding under the extorsion of moral disaproval when not only this help no one nut themselves but then don't give a fuck about said others or what they are going through even if they know perfectly the damage they are doing. This will only make you rot and when you lose sense of value about yourselve, the things on the world and even thinking, logic, rationality and common sense losses value then what is the point? Then there is no point is sacrificing for something just at the expense of others and if they claim that common sense is something to oppose in order the fullfil their narcisistic wishes then everything is said. Don't allow yourselfs to lose sense of you as it happend with me

[@TheImperatorKnight]

I'm glad you saw through them. Their philosophy is a bunch of projection, and once you see this, it's hard to unsee it.

[@Dario-uj6qo]

​​@@TheImperatorKnightthanks (one of them wants to work as a tax authority so you can imagine) and yes, they cant help to project themselves in lots of issues (even mundane things that aren't related to politics). I tried to excuse their behaviour, to find any reason as to why they bahave that way but it is imposible, it is too clear for me now. I want to remain calm but these months have been awfull and they almost seem ti enjoy it, id this keeps going then they should't be surprised if I snap and tell them clear as day how things are

[@tomasdawe9379]

In the military an officer should lead and the other ranks follow (this is why they get extra privileges) when something stupid is required, the officer should go first, the men then choose to follow. So yes your friends are more authoritarian than the Army

[@Dario-uj6qo]

​@@tomasdawe9379 there where several times in wich they got angry not because I disagreed with them but just because I didn't think the same. Once one of them got mad because I didn't think the same about a mobile game (yes really) when I was just saying that there were many ways to see it and wasn't saying he was wrong or that I was right. Another day one of them almost framed me of believing un conspiracies because he wanted to talk about climate change and just said that I wasn't well informed about the scientific debate and therefore I had nothing to say nor I was "part of any side" (he wanted me to believe blindly in what he said wich is completly backwards with how science functions yet he claims to like and follow science). And lastly the last month when the unions in Hollywood claimed they reached a tentative deal that everyone would like attacked ne and diffamed me for hours just because I said I didn't like the Audacity of them claiming so when not only it was up to time to say that but we didn't even know what would happen, I has to be part of the cult and believe that it was going to be good even when we didn't even know what was going to happen. Worse thing? They didn't care what going to happen just that something happend (said by one of them), that's literal cult and when they anounced that prices would rise (wich it was knonw to happen as a result) they got mad about it and didn't apologize even after what they said about me. And I could keep talking

[@liamfoley9614]

Are we even aloud mention that word in comments? Statistics for that final act vary between the Catholic and protestant parts of Germany. For Catholics it is considered a Mortal Sin and is seriously taboo. Paulus was Catholic, did this have any bearing on his decision?

[@tylermorrison420]

Tik could retire after the Stalingrad battle storm series and he would be undisputed top 3 historian content creators of all time Thank you for everything you do tik If I get some extra money I'ma take care of u

[@thebig12conference73]

USMC MOS023 Ground Intelligence Officer retired and IS delegate. Let’s not forget Paulis was Deputy Chief of the German staff 1940-51. He probably knew a lot more sensitive documents, than the regular Field Marshall-General

[@MM-op6ti]

Wow you’re a ZOGmutt congratulations 🫡🏳️‍⚧️

[@dameanvil]

00:04 📅 On February 1, 1943, a conference was held with Hitler and the German High Command to discuss the dire situation on the Eastern Front after Paulus' capture. 01:23 🗣 Hitler expressed strong opinions about soldiers who chose surrender over self-sacrifice in desperate situations, referencing Paulus and the 6th Army's surrender at Stalingrad. 02:40 💔 Hitler's comments about self-annihilation may have been influenced by personal experiences, potentially involving his half-niece Geli Raubal or a secretary of Hermann Göring. 05:20 ⚖ Hitler believed he had authority over Strecker's northern pocket and was concerned Paulus might order its surrender, showing discrepancies with Paulus' claims to his Soviet captors. 08:05 💪 Hitler emphasized the importance of unwavering courage and strength of character in soldiers, emphasizing obedience and sacrifice for the greater good. 11:47 🔄 The capture of Paulus challenged Hitler's narrative, leading him to shift towards a Total War footing and reconsidering promotions of field marshals during the war. 15:25 🤔 Hitler valued unthinking action over intellectual acumen, seeking soldiers who would unquestioningly obey orders for the sake of the Volk. 18:35 💔 Hitler viewed self-sacrifice as a means to free oneself from suffering, aligning with his ideology of struggle and sacrifice for the greater good. 20:28 ⚔ Hitler emphasized the idea of fighting to the end and resisting surrender, even in the face of overwhelming odds. 21:54 🤔 Hitler expresses disbelief in Paulus' surrender, questioning why he didn't choose death over captivity. 22:50 😢 Hitler regrets promoting Paulus to field marshal and vows not to make another during the war. 23:15 🤯 Hitler finds it ridiculous that Paulus chose capture over self-sacrifice for the nation. 24:14 💭 Hitler emphasizes the importance of "strength of character" over intellect, echoing German philosophy. 25:12 ⚖ Hitler questions whether it's right for higher ranks to demand self-sacrifice from soldiers. 26:10 🤔 Debate arises on the extent of duty to follow orders, especially when they involve extreme actions. 27:07 🗣 Hitler discusses differing viewpoints on duty and personal decision-making in extreme situations.

[@TheImperatorKnight]

I suspect this is AI generated from the subtitles, but I'm impressed that it's possible to create this so quickly.

[@LordFaffo]

The emojis are cracking me up

[@SonofTiamat]

@@TheImperatorKnight AI is scary sometimes

[@TheImperatorKnight]

@SonofTiamat Yes, it seems we're on the brink of a new era... I've been wondering if I could use AI to help with the scripts of these videos somehow, but I can't figure out a way to use it which doesn't compromise the integrity of the work.

[@SonofTiamat]

@@TheImperatorKnight I'd rather have a Dune style Butlerian Crusade before AI takes control any further

[@liamevans1630]

Tik, I am frequently at odds when you shift the conversation away from pure fact and corroborated testimony, which underpins your fantastic presentation of history. Facts are facts. Indisputable. And I applaud your tenacity in teasing out facts, objective realities, from subjective testimonies. When I disagree with your opinions ( never your facts, because disagreeing with facts is madness) I am happy to say that your opinions make me think. That is the point of discourse. I educate you, you educate me. Thank you for that service, for that zone of considered appraisal, that you provide in a frequently screaming webbiverse. We won't always agree on conclusions, but we will always agree on the method of exchanging knowledge

[@Nightdare]

German High Command: "...gee, why would a guy we left out hung to dry for 2 months, let his fighting spirit not be crushed by the enemy, but by our lack of effort, in the end, didn't do what we desired of him?"

[@zschow9259]

exactly at that point even if he'd rather of killed himself he refused to as a f u to Hitler. It was definitely a statement even though he probly didn't want to die yet anyway.

[@bingbong7316]

Quality. In my dotage, I've come to the conclusion that no hills are worth dying on.

[@rantcast1345]

Hi Tik, could you maybe do a video on the Bosnian Muslim 13th SS Division, would be interesting to get an explanation of it. Just been studying the Ustasha regime and they came up. Apparently Himmler had some kind of obsession with Islam?

[@JagdgeschwaderX]

I would love to see a documentary about the Bolshevik revolution and who was behind that, you should focus more on pre WW2 to understand the world we live in today.

[@openeroftheway8596]

God loves free will, He made so much of it. We are always free to choose to do the right thing. Amen.

[@albertofernandez2490]

which God? And who tells you what's good?

[@openeroftheway8596]

@@albertofernandez2490 "There's only one God, ma'am." ~Cap'n America The Holy Spirit guides me as God wills. Be baptised in water and in the Holy Spirit if ye seek the good. God's will be done. Amen.

[@albertofernandez2490]

@@openeroftheway8596 do you often hear voices in your head?

[@shriekingbushpigshrieking]

and..... TIK breathes a sigh of relief. What an epic telling of history! What a journey!

[@Outlier999]

If Paulus had disobeyed orders earlier he would have withdrawn when they had the chance. Instead he waited until he had to surrender to disobey Hitler.

[@robertthompson6346]

This Vid was a first for me and I write to say how much I enjoyed your interpretation - making a simple analysis of the chaos of war

[@Youcanatme]

Honestly can you also show the untranslated text? Often translation brings errors and then german speakers can correct you without looking for all texts

[@jamesbeeching6138]

TIK....This would be interesting to link in with the Japanese who seemed to embrace self sacrifice and "youtubing" themselves!

[@melvillecapps8339]

For the Japanese, defeat or surrender instead of "YouTubing" themselves, was so unthinkable that Japanese soldiers were given no training as to how to behave if taken prisoner. Japanese prisoners were likely to respect their new authority figure, their captors, and fully co-operate. Allied soldiers were trained to only provide their "name, rank, and serial number," and to attempt escape and continue to resist the enemy.

[@jamesbeeching6138]

@@melvillecapps8339 yes AH must have been well jealous !![ Also how many Japanese surrendered and how many were "taken prisoner is pretty dark]

[@samsonsoturian6013]

Japan has a systemic issue with suicide

[@samsonsoturian6013]

Oddly enough, the culture of "shoot yourself with the last bullet" was also the norm in Imperial Japan. They were both fundamentally fatalistic in that respect and it should be noted the men actively encouraging this would also eat their guns.

[@1210alpha]

Well, the ideal soldier should always obey the order coming from above. If we are looking from the Army's stand point. As you have shown how the OKH has messed up reinforcement priority and ultimately led to the collapse of the 6th army. However, Dunkirk is the best counter example where following order has led to Britain keeping herself in the fight...

[@tankgirl2074]

"the ideal soldier should always obey the order coming from above." They did... against Jews, Gypsies, etc. They were just obeying orders so... that justifies everything.

[@MicahDamger]

Actually Hitler may have been referring to Stalin’s wife, who after being insulted, locked herself in a room and did the deed.