Hitler's Praetorian Guard

The story of the Leibstandarte-SS Adolf Hitler (LSSAH), the SS troops that provided ceremonial guards for Hitler before WWII, famous for their black uniforms and intensive selection process.
Dr. Mark Felton FRHistS, FRSA, is a well-known British historian, the author of 22 non-fiction books, including bestsellers 'Zero Night' and 'Castle of the Eagles', both currently being developed into movies in Hollywood. In addition to writing, Mark also appears regularly in television documentaries around the world, including on The History Channel, Netflix, National Geographic, Quest, American Heroes Channel and RMC Decouverte. His books have formed the background to several TV and radio documentaries. More information about Mark can be found at: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Fe...
Visit my audio book channel 'War Stories with Mark Felton': • One Thousand Miles to ...
Help support my channel:
www.paypal.me/markfeltonprodu...
/ markfeltonproductions
Disclaimer: All opinions and comments expressed in the 'Comments' section do not reflect the opinions of Mark Felton Productions. All opinions and comments should contribute to the dialogue. Mark Felton Productions does not condone written attacks, insults, racism, sexism, extremism, violence or otherwise questionable comments or material in the 'Comments' section, and reserves the right to delete any comment violating this rule or to block any poster from the channel.
Credits: US National Archives; Library of Congress; Bundesarchiv
Source: 'Guarding Hitler' by Mark Felton (Pen & Sword: 2014)

[@decaunteton9658]

Over 80 years on, and still the best looking uniforms.

[@andreibitere1798]

Hugo boss was the man!

[@amberlopez7477]

Sharp dressed men.

[@kleinweichkleinweich]

Boss dress intensivies

[@Firedog-ny3cq]

80 years on and the Nazi fanboys keep popping up.

[@noirbl00d98]

No. Gabčík, Kubiš and friends had better. Cry.

[@alexamerling79]

The black uniforms certainly did give off the elite unit appearance. Good stuff like always Mark!

[@Willigula]

Another great documentary by Dr. Felton. No filler, just interesting facts always impeccably researched and presented.

[@jc-tu6pg]

You need help

[@strykerking]

​@@jc-tu6pgtouch grass

[@TheRealBatCave]

​@@jc-tu6pg lol

[@jude999]

And no obnoxious background music to distract.

[@MrFungi69]

Lord Dr. Felton

[@Cybonator]

Before the French Revolution and the nationalising of militaries, most palace guard units in Europe were foreign mercenary units. The Swiss Guard of the Vatican being 1 lasting example. French kings often had Scottish units.

[@quakethedoombringer]

It makes sense having foreign guards as palace guards since that means if these guys ever try to take over the throne via a coup, they will be seen as illegitimate. Once the traditional monarchy rule falls out of favor and nationalism became the new fad, this obviously fell out of fashion

[@wayneantoniazzi2706]

King Louis XVI had a Swiss guard regiment at the time of the French Revolution. They were wiped out to a man defending the king.

[@dougearnest7590]

For some reason, the thought of someone with a French accent having a conversation with someone with a Scottish accent about guarding a king is pretty funny. Maybe it's sleep deprivation.

[@RAAM855]

Probably because they are fish out of water. Same reason why Syrian Romans would be stationed in Britain and Germanic Romans in Syria. Less likely to make a Power grab or start a revolt if you are in unfamiliar territory. Everybody else learned quick from the mistakes the romans made with their abysmally bad praetorian guard

[@Czechbound]

Very interesting !

[@user-mh9lv9nc3f]

Dr. Felton's historical media, and especially his books renewed my interest in becoming a historian. I ordered several of his books when I was in prison and now I am working on my Masters.

[@_Jaspy_]

Damn man, good for you my guy🤝🏻

[@1claudiusgothicus]

yeah man, me too. Prison is a great place to study

[@jaredevildog6343]

I guess I need to go to prison

[@DedMan516]

Congrats mate! I fell back in love with reading while I was in jail and on home detention in 2021. I just wish I had the patience to go and study history at uni 🤦🏽 Best of luck on your masters!

[@Ozzies]

Best of luck mate, and great work on becoming a better man.

[@TheBassline01]

Best military documentaries on the net,concise,articulate,well spoken,very informative and no bias.

[@rogerdodger1790]

Agreed, Mark is by FAR the best for me.

[@gergemall]

Hands down and I love the voice

[@sebastianmelmoth9100]

That goose-stepping is killer on the knees.

[@aurathedraak7909]

Okay I have to admit that, the changing of the guard at the end was pretty cool.

[@SMEGMA42069]

This channel consistently makes the very best historical content on KZbin

[@ylovaht2097]

SAS heritage IT IS well done

[@Bazwift]

I am in Munich at the moment and this all feels so much more real. Fantastic video.

[@kleinweichkleinweich]

if you manage to figure out where uncle Adolf was headed with his march to the Feldherrenhalle, please let me know. The mains station to take a train to Berlin is in the opposite direction and there is preccious little of interest around the Feldherrenhalle. btw It's most un-German to leave a beer hall

[@Bazwift]

@@kleinweichkleinweich yes, i actually walked the full distance of the putsch from the Hilton where the BürgerBrauKeller stood through downtown Münich all the way to where the marchers were fired upon.

[@Vin_Andrei]

Fantastic sharing of knowledge as always Dr. Felton.

[@Albert-Mag...]

The video is only one hour old and other must be 200 comments already...Mr. Feltom is very popular.

[@billiebleach7889]

That funny walk always reminds me of Basil Fawlty

[@adamdewees9239]

I watch a ridiculous amount of WW2 documentaries and Mark is hands down my favorite. The stories he tells us are not long drawn out 1 hour history generalizations. Sometimes his videos are only a few minutes but he always tells me unique pieces of history I probably would have never known about unless he gave the information to us. Another great one Mark! And as you sometimes say, many thanks!

[@nathantorresstanevil6958]

You should watch Europa: The Last Battle. That'll be the best one you'll have ever seen

[@coyi7454]

​@@nathantorresstanevil6958beat me to it 😂

[@ronaldjohnson1474]

The "goose stepping" looks painfull.

[@1FokkerAce]

Damn, they looked good.

[@kennysherrill6542]

Another outstanding take on History Mark, your work stands tall over other History Channels. I have a story to tell and I hope soon I will be able to do so. 👍❤️🇺🇸

[@rockstopsthetraffic]

Hi again Dr. Felton! Thanks for keeping at it, seemingly endless secrets about WWII and beyond that you constantly uncover for everyone to know.

[@omila7]

If you like secrets of WWII, try anything Boguslaw Woloszanski, a polish historian did. I just don't know if there will be anything in English. he is known for uncovering the most intriguing secrets of WWII (things with proof, not here say). Maybe worth trying in case there will be something that is dubbed or with subtitles. Cheers!

[@rockstopsthetraffic]

@@omila7 I wouldn't need it in English, Polish is my first language ;)

[@darkiee69]

I don't know if I would call LSSSAH a secret.

[@rockstopsthetraffic]

@@darkiee69 bah, you know what I mean, every one of these videos shines a light on something that would otherwise be easily overlooked, that's his whole goal. Don't be so uptight.

[@Jermster_91]

In the memoir Für Volk and Führer: The Memoir of a Veteran of the 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler, the author, Erwin Bartmann, was 14 or so at the time during the Berlin Olympics and happened to witness members of the LSSAH during a changing of the guard and was impressed with them. When it came time to enter the armed forces, the LSSAH was his top choice.

[@jerryjeromehawkins1712]

Ideology aside... I can see where a young man would be attracted to a career in the SS. Sharp uniforms, a sense of honor and loyalty, top notch marching... unbelievably impressive .

[@chaptermasterpedrokantor1623]

@@jerryjeromehawkins1712 Their victims would say they had no honor. If your code of honor only applies to those of your unit, not your enemies, you are basically just a thug in uniform.

[@Ashengard111]

He lived till 98 and died 2012

[@MobiusCoin]

​@@jerryjeromehawkins1712The more I learn about the Nazis the more I realize, that the look IS the ideology. It's all based on vibes. The sense of triumph, the presentation of strength, it's all integral to National Socialism.

[@Jermster_91]

@@jerryjeromehawkins1712 Prior to the start of the war, Bartmann was a baker. After a couple months of that, he grew tired of it. Ironically, after the war, he ended up as a baker in the UK.

[@Roller_Ghoster]

That theme tune gets me everytime. And its a WW2 related video as well. Super.

[@cav4290]

As far as I understand, the Felton theme has nothing to do with WW2 at all - not even remotely. Would be interesting if Felton make a short video on the now famous theme.

[@cyrilio]

The FBB Standard flag is quite interesting. Perhaps worth doing a video about all different flags used in the Nazi regime.

[@nopenot1310]

Looks too eerily similar to the standards of the Hindu kingdoms of old

[@nfthaver3487]

Just as good as Gideon's and snokes

[@starfighter1043]

Gideon the Ofnir? 😂 jp jp

[@stephenaseulean2042]

This is the way

[@marcomcdowell8861]

Ideology and actions during WWII aside, ceremonially, the formations, precision and uniforms were outstanding. If only history had not taken the dark course it did with the actions of these men, I'd imagine the tradition would've carried on. I count myself as one of the few during my Marine Corps career that actually enjoyed drill, inspections and mass formations. Something about either seeing or being a part of an activity where others are doing the exact movement in uniform always motivated me. Maybe the application of hours of practice in heat or rain, or the contrast of guys who are either wrestling around, drunk or being rowdy, suddenly being silent and following commands, it was something I liked being involved in.

[@marcbartuschka6372]

Given the history of the SS from the start, I would say it was in the DNA of the organization. They did not commit their first crimes in 1939, or even 1933. These dates were important steps on their way, but they had dirty hands long bevor. If you remember that they were build as kind of an elite for a movement which had no other goal than to destroy the first German democracy I would say there was not other way than down into "darkness". The Nazi ideology could never have ended/resulted in a good or decent way and so there was no other possible outcome for the SS (although of course the true amount of their future crimes were not written in stone from the start).

[@wayneantoniazzi2706]

You're not alone. I'm an old Marine myself and I enjoyed doing drill, it really made me feel like a Marine. In fact, I didn't know anyone in the platoon who didn't like drill. Well-executed drill not only makes you look good but it makes you feel good when you do it well. On the other hand I HATED PT! I knew the reasons for it, good reasons, but hated it just the same. Drill was a lot more fun.

[@tiestofalljays]

On a previous Mark Felton video, I saw someone who knew a former SS Paratrooper who had received US Citizenship/lived in the US after the war. When asked “why did you join the SS?”, the man responded with “Why do American kids want to join the Army Rangers?” I’d expect this response would also apply to the Marines or any other specialized/elite force aside from just “Army/Navy/Air Force”. Really makes you think. Sure, let’s say the SS is evil to its core as an organization, does that mean every man who joined was also evil? Are they evil by association? Realistically, I don’t believe so. Like you said, those Prussian military traditions are impressive, and surely would have drawn a lot of men in. [And because I know someone reading this will try to say I’m defending the SS, I’m not. I’ve been on the internet long enough and know you guys LOOOOVE looking for things “between the lines” lmao.] It might not feel like it today - we have all kinds of other hobbies to invest ourselves in….don’t even have to leave our homes haha, but traditions and being a part of something greater have been a huge influencing factor throughout history.

[@marcbartuschka6372]

@@tiestofalljays It is a little bit more complicated than that. Yes, not every member of the Waffen-SS was evil from the start, and not every member of the Waffen-SS did commit warcrimes. The number of members of the Waffen-SS who did commit warcrimes was much higher than in most units of the Wehrmacht (and even THAT number was already not small - you could be sure that every unit who fought on the Eastern Front had commited several types of crimes both by following their officers and by individual actions of soldiers without anyone to tell them what to do). It means also that if the new soldiers were neither stupid nor deaf they had very soon a very clear imagination what kind of people their comrades were, what they did and what they will do in the future. German soldiers both in the Wehrmacht and SS did often not hide their part in crimes as long as they believed nobody would be there to hear and punish them, they seem to have spoken about such things openly - even proudly bragging about murder, pillaging and rape. They did so even when they were POW (not knowing that their talks were secretly recorded which is why we today know so much about that kind of behavior). I guess in their units they were even more open. Rarely if ever one of them showed any disgust when it comes to such things. I think that said a lot about the "proud traditions". Of course after the war they all did know nothing, haven't done anything wrong and were all just brave soldiers... How much of those stories were known among the civlian population at the time is hard to tell but there are clear indications that even they did often know much more than they later wanted to admit.

[@wayneantoniazzi2706]

@@tiestofalljays There were two SS generals, Paul Hausser and Felix Steiner, who went into the Waffen SS from the regular army. Like all SS generals they were investigated for war crimes and both came up clean. Apparantly both ran their outfits as very profession organizations and were never accused of war crimes. Possibly there were more but those are two I know of. The SS as a whole was labled by the Nuremberg Commission after the war as a criminal organization and rightfully so. But that being said not all SS men were criminals, Hausser and Steiner being two examples. The problem being of course if you were a GI, a Tommy, or an Ivan and up against an SS unit you could never be sure.

[@christina3521]

In the ‘90s in Seattle a antique shop dealer had a back room business selling German WW2 uniforms. Many were SS. You’d think there wouldn’t be anything available or that they were easy copies/fakes. But I have to tell you the energy in that room was oppressive. Dark. Very disturbing.

[@richardwyse7817]

Like something out of the Movie "falling down'?

[@stephenhowes8937]

I hope you saw their overcoats. They are very warm and heavy looking, going down to the ankles. Most elegant looking with two rows of buttons. Six on either side. My first impression of seeing men wearing them was I thought they look very girly or feminine, mainly because of seeing women wearing maxi coats during the early 1970's.

[@jonathancarlson6127]

Ah, yes, good old Bruno “Himmler can’t tell ME what to do- yes, I’ll have another drink!” Gesche

[@bikerz3857]

Best looking uniforms.

[@AllanGildea]

Fascinating and exhaustively researched. Thank you.

[@thEannoyingE]

Another fantastic documentary, thanks Dr. Felton. I had always wondered about this topic.

[@VegaTakeOver]

Such elegant outfits, i dont think anyone could recreate something like this in an original fashion without copying the SS

[@wolfmauler]

Hugo Boss lol...

[@kamilklosinski5990]

@@wolfmauler boss made them but someone else designed them (german guy )

[@wayneantoniazzi2706]

@@kamilklosinski5990 There were two SS officers (who's names escape me) who designed the black uniforms. Both were graphic designers by trade.

[@jensen1646]

@@wayneantoniazzi2706 Karl Diebitsch and Walter Heck.

[@wayneantoniazzi2706]

@@jensen1646 Right! Them's the ones! I wonder whatever happened to the both of them? I'll have to look them up.

[@gayusschwulius8490]

I really like your short documentaries for how concise they are. No useless reenactment, no filler, no jumpscares/other cheap tricks, no constant moralizing, just a guy with a calm voice telling an interesting and well researched historical story accompanied by matching historical footage. This is exactly how a documentary should be.

[@mia4947]

The Uniforms back then were the best they just looked so good

[@janiceduke1205]

By the third quarter of 1932, the all-black SS uniform was designed by SS members Karl Diebitsch (artist) and Walter Heck (graphic designer) One of Boss' first big contracts was to supply brown shirts to the early Nazi party. By 1938, his firm was producing army uniforms, and eventually it manufactured the iconic all-black uniforms Waffen SS too - though it did NOT design the SS uniform. The German fashion firm Hugo Boss has apologized for its maltreatment of forced workers during World War II when it supplied the Nazis with uniforms.

[@Kommentar_Roboter]

I think Hugo Boss's claim is a poor defense. Imagine a painter painting a picture, but only doing it according to the client's instructions, without adding any creativity of his own. Or a chef who prepares a menu only according to the wishes of a guest, without adding his own touch. Imagine an architect designing a building, but only following the client's exact specifications without adding his own architectural ideas. Or a musician who only composes a song according to the instructions of a client without incorporating his artistic vision. All very unlikely.

[@ssuuppeerrbbooyy]

I love your relentless uploads. Being from Slovenia I would love your insight into what was going on here during WW2. There were a lot of tragic moments, even families divided over one brother joining the nazi supporting White Guard / Home Guard and the other joining Partisans. My grandfather was lucky as he was young and was able to join a youth work brigade - working on railroads.

[@thegamingchef3304]

Kind of sounds like what happens during the American Civil war. You would even pretty often have brothers or cousins fighting each other on the battlefield.

[@somethingsecretsteersus5115]

Odilo Globochnik, the high ranking SSman, who performed most shoking orders related to the so-called Final Solution was in fact of non-german background but Slovenian, afaik

[@pierremainstone-mitchell8290]

Yet another great doco Mark. Your research never ceases to amaze me!

[@celticfox]

Thank you for the great uploads, literally have never let us down mate. Cheers!

[@philbachmann6398]

Well researched, beautifully edited,thoughtful narration. Excellent. 🙏🇦🇺

[@Philobiblion]

Brilliant, as usual. Thank you so much for your work. The genius is that, while it is always firmly historical and grounded in history: discovery, explanation and teaching, without ideological taint; notwithstanding, in the end of it, there are plain, stark lessons for us to learn. I don't think I've signed up for your Patreon yet, but I will do it.

[@andyhughes5766]

Doesn’t get any better than Dr. Felton!

[@jurgenjung4302]

Doch. KZbin:"DIE VERBORGENE GESCHICHTE" TEIL1 UND TEIL2.

[@y_ffordd]

There are first hand accounts, but this is a good summary

[@johnwhitley2898]

Thank you again, Dr. Felton! Great piece of substantial unknown history that has produced multiple pithy conversations! Thanks again!👍

[@benjordan3090]

Always start my day listening to some ww2 history with me Felton on the way to work.

[@z.a-c_h]

Absolutely intimidating. What a great subject Mark. Another fantastic piece of media on the great history of the world. I absolutely love your work.

[@murphychris9811]

i used to hate history in school and now i love seeing a video from you

[@wayneantoniazzi2706]

As Steven Ambrose put it so well to one of his students who told him he hated history: "You don't hate history, you just hate the way it's been taught to you."

[@freetolook3727]

When I went to school in the 1960's, our world history books stopped after WWII. 😂

[@wayneantoniazzi2706]

@@GNMi79 Crazy. I can't remember a time when I DIDN'T know about the SS. And if I didn't learn about them in school I learned about them from war movies.

[@nomenestomen3452]

i loved history back in school, one of the few subjects i was actually pretty good at.. right after sport 😂

[@wayneantoniazzi2706]

@@nomenestomen3452 I hear you! That was damn near the only subject I was good at as well!

[@jamesbrown9736]

Dr. Felton once again you do not disappoint this lecture was another great one. You continue to bring the history to life without making it boring. Thank You Sir! Semper Fidelis. SSgt B.

[@christyhart8254]

Always top shelf! Thanks for educating us, Dr. Felton!

[@johnelliott7375]

This man is nothing less than a professor in my mind.

[@y_ffordd]

You should issue him a professorship at the university of your mind😊

[@mannimiata2510]

@@y_ffordd Nah, Professors are lousy paid nowadays. Better not to be a professor, even in his mind.

[@TheWoollyFrog]

Ummm he has a PhD

[@Ostenjager]

Gods, the amount of duplicate lines of effort really makes you begin to understand that the Nazis were successful early in the war despite their organization, rather than because of it.

[@t16205]

They did perform the largest, quickest economic turn around in history. From mass starvation to the most powerful nation in the world. The organization didnt become self destructive until the war broke out (if you dont count their "diplomacy" with other nations, or the lack of it.

[@AdamantLightLP]

As was commented above me, they obviously did a lot right, even if morally they were not.

[@t16205]

​@@AdamantLightLP European politics has always been a hornets nest. Hitler was just a small man at the right place at the right time. Power corrupts, esp for one who has never tasted it. He quickly became a megalomaniac on par with european traditions - but on meth. He saved Germany, only to lead it and its people to complete annihilation few years later. The path to annihalation was paved on bad decisions and subsequently forced play. We may see the world in ruins again soon if Putin ends up in a forced play situation. The difference in competency is nuclear. Always leave a man like that a way out, because he will take you down with him when all other options expire. There is a point of no return in terms of escalation. In this game we want a draw, not a check mate Have we learned nothing?

[@rclipse1985]

@@AdamantLightLP The Nazis were in some ways advanced for their time, but their ideology as a whole lead them to defeat. Hitler was always going to invade the Soviet Union, but when it became necessary, the war was over. The Nazis simply did not have the fuel they needed for the war, and they knew it; but in their blind arrogance they thought they could simply seize it by marching right into the Soviet Union with bad intel on their troop numbers, no winter clothing, and frankly, nothing much more than the assumption that their allegedly superior blood and their spirit was all they needed to victory. You see how that ended up.

[@Heike--]

@@rclipse1985 They gravely misunderstood just how much the USSR neglected the welfare of its people in favor of building an enormous army. Nobody in Europe thought they spent most of their economy on the military. After all the grand speeches about how well off the Soviet people were? With the kindest government in the world?

[@davidbrims5825]

Beautiful uniforms.😀

[@Firedog-ny3cq]

Worn by sick, twisted f*cks.

[@bugsyseigel7592]

Another great day with another great video, thank you for the amazing content, Felton!

[@nodarkthings]

Absolutely fascinating, Dr. Felton. Thank you.

[@mfreund15448]

I love the history of WW2!! Thanks for sharing your work!

[@bennyboogenheimer4553]

Sepp Dietrich had a good eye for solders 3 DC's, and 8 Knight's Crosses in Battle. That's like 8 CMA awards, for 1 company of American solders.

[@Ahnenerbe1944]

Ideology is a hell of a thing when it comes to soldiers… if you’re passionate about what you’re fighting for, you’re more likely to put yourself in harms way. I imagine these guys also spent just about every waking hour training in one way or another for combat

[@hasanabireactionsclips]

My days are always more informative when you upload!

[@stricknine6130]

Dr. Felton = instant like! Another informative and interesting video. Thank you, sir!

[@iteor7320]

Buzzing with joy that I knew something about this before Mark covered it! That’s a rare feeling 😂

[@P3t3rPizzarelli]

I'm so proud of u

[@lordphullautosear]

Even when you know something, these videos often fill in details that you didn't know.

[@barryandbonnievandergreft2265]

Love your channel, the work you put into each episode is excellent! I have one question, Mark. In a couple of frames there's two guys standing outside Hitlers office door wearing what appears to be 18th century garb, what's the story there? Are they also part of the LSSAH? Thank you for the the work & time you invest in educating those of us who feel history is important.

[@davidsalvini7495]

I have seen other film clips of similarly attired men basically functioning as wait staff during Nazi state dinners. My guess is that they are indeed part of the LSSAH.

[@D.j.m206]

I was wondering that aswell

[@carlbrown9082]

Another very interesting video. Thanks, Dr. Felton.

[@mitchmatthews6713]

You never disappoint me, Sir Felton!

[@Weezerr420]

Ah yes, Dr. Mark Felton brings today's history lesson

[@murphychris9811]

in school i hated history now im 38 and i love when he gives me the history

[@stumbleinn597]

I’d I’m taking this incorrectly the I apologise, but I take that as sarcastic and that you are employing the lad doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Well I disagree strongly if that’s the case, the fella researches stringently, researches and produces great content

[@vvr881]

​@@stumbleinn597 I think u misreading his comment as sarcasm.

[@bishopgreenhill4359]

Interesting upload as usual

[@mattgeorge90]

Excellent episode!

[@tom2172]

I love this channel, it’s very informative. Keep up the good work boss!

[@VegaTakeOver]

Another excellent video Dr.Felton, maybe you can make a video on the direction of design and overall aesthetic choices that led to these outfits i know very little except that a guy named karl diebitsch designed some parts of it

[@EdMcF1]

All that goose-stepping in Berlin stopped when the East German army was disbanded, saw them in summer 1990.

[@winnienguyen4420]

Crazy how the Communist East German troops looked nearly identical to the Wehrmacht.

[@benvincent6747]

Always very professionaly produced. History must be to teach us...alas..history comes back again. Thank you for your passion for this subject. Take care young brother.

[@sealove79able]

A great very interesting video Mr.Mark as always.

[@craigsmith6512]

My grandad served in SS special operations units on the Eastern front.

[@nathantorresstanevil6958]

Thank you to him for his service🫡

[@jonphillips01]

Please keep the content coming. Your shows are the best part of my day. Although my wife knows when she hears your intro music she does not have access to me.

[@leonardcroft1467]

Thank You Dr. Felton Always Enjoy Your Videos

[@balancedactguy]

Nice video Mark!!👍👍

[@tt-ew7rx]

Praetorian guards killed a large percentage of Roman emperors that they were guarding...

[@sumitghosh2778]

Not the case with SS

[@melissasmess2773]

😂

[@tomhenry897]

They were heavily bribed Surprise someone didn’t disband them and replace with their own troops

[@tt-ew7rx]

@Sean Rooney 62% of Roman emperors died of violence and 79% of these were by assassinations. This works out to be approximately an even 50% dying of assassination. Talk about a risky profession. The Praetorian Guard either did the killing themselves or were incompetent enough to allow those they were protecting to be assassinated by others. They were one of the least useful forces in history. Or according to you, about half of the emperors were pretty shitty. I can live with that. In general monarchs have been pretty shitty.

[@a.grimes4202]

The crazy thing is how much we still don’t know and have yet to learn about WWII via such sources as the old Soviet archives, &c.

[@jasonjason8783]

Man your content is right on point, thanks again

[@claus4944]

Fantastic documentary Mr. Mark, I really like studying from your videos, very nice.

[@nordicson2835]

Thank you. You have taught me more than my university.

[@raynus1160]

It's not hard to see where George Lucas came up with his Imperial guard. Excellent presentation with some very rare footage.

[@chadczternastek]

I absolutely love this channel. Other than the World War 2 channel, this one is solid upload after upload. Love the little details and comprehensive attention to detail.

[@atticlight9048]

A very interesting video. I would like to see similar videos about the security arrangements for Churchill and Stalin.

[@geirbalderson9697]

I wonder how many of the guard survived the Var?

[@robertstallard7836]

In the last weeks of the war, Mohnke was the commander of the central government district of Berlin (Zitadelle sector) that included the Reich Chancellery and Führerbunker. He commanded a scratch force called Kampfgruppe Mohnke which was divided into two regiments made up of approximately 2,000 men, the core group being the 800 men of the LSSAH Berlin Guard Battalion. Most of them took part in the breakouts that Mohnke orgainsed after Hitler's suicide, escorting some of the top brass, and others, out of Berlin. Some of them made it to US lines or otherwise disappeared, some were killed and some were captured by the Soviets. Aside from the Berlin detachment, the main body of the LSSAH took part in Operation Spring Awakening in Hungary in March 1945, alongside the 6th SS Panzer Army. They retreated towards Vienna and the remaining 1600 or so surrendered to US forces on 8 May 1945.

[@anthonykomives2811]

I find Dr Feltons documentaries endlessly fascinating, he is filling in a lot of the missing details in our understanding of WW2. I have a family connection to both sides of this conflict, including what came after.

[@martinwarm4041]

Another great video Dr Felton...👍

[@davef.2329]

Discipline on high display with that group. Thanks.

[@bien.dotado]

Say what you will, but those black uniforms were badass.

[@salvagedb2470]

Great Vid Dr Felton as always on stuff you have always Wanted to know more about , but couldn't find it.

[@JohnSmith-xw5qe]

Brilliant informative video thank you Dr Felton.

[@alvaromaharg9768]

Enjoyable and informative, thank you Dr. Felton.

[@clevelandaeromotive]

Having has a grandfather the in the SSTK, I was able to get to know a former SS LAH soldier who migrated to the USA via South America. He was very old at the time and semi immobile yet still proved to be quite a character. Naturally now he’s passed on.

[@neflesward2727]

Super interesting content as always, I wish this was a bit longer

[@martinolsen8271]

Another great video from Mark, Thank you.

[@williamromine5715]

The Goose step march looks so tireing. I wonder why it was adopted. I notice that it has been used by multiple armies, including some armies even today.

[@mito88]

test

[@Jauhl1]

It originates in 18th century Prussia, the purpose was to train soldiers to maintain straight lines on the battlefield, it makes it easy for officers to identify soldiers who are "drifting" for various reasons.

[@williamromine5715]

@@Jauhl1 Thanks for the info. Is it as difficult to do as it looks?

[@Jauhl1]

@@williamromine5715 It depends, the original German variant weren't that strenuous, it's a formation check which is why it translated into parade for inspection, it's supposed to be short. The Eastern communist block could take ceremonial part to circus levels with a straight leg raised above the waist. Which certainly require some athleticism and can't be good for the joints. If you mean hard as in getting right, it does require significant training to make the synchronization look effortless.

[@inhocsignovinces1081]

The bohemian Austrian served as a trench runner during WWI.

[@hanshugo-ep2nk]

He wasn't a bohemian

[@thomaskindlund410]

Thanks for another superb video, looking forward to more

[@r2gelfand]

Quite the difference between these guys and Il Duce's Musketeers.

[@matthews931]

❤your content mark

[@gaatjullieniksaan535]

I think this chanell is one off the best there is for its information . Grtz from the Netherlands

[@htos1av]

That was some of the good stuff! ONLY on the THE best military history channel, IMHO.

[@WmPryor1]

Grossdeutschland eventually morphed into a Panzer Korps not just a division. The Hermann Goering Fallschirmjäger Panzer Korps evolved similarly but almost never fought as a single unit. It was parcelled out willy-nilly with its individual constituents sent where needed.

[@Tartsah]

Always great to hear something new about us World War II. Though it is my favorite period of history to learn about. There are a lot of things that I is person don’t know or don’t even think about.

[@mikewebber7553]

Good work as always

[@Hunting380]

As always, best history channel ever made.

[@roncoleman8351]

I’ve been a student of German history most of my adult life, particularly Nazi Germany, although I’m not an academically trained historian. When I was stationed in Germany with the Army in the mid-1980’s I had the opportunity on several occasions to meet Max Wunsche, who was Hitler’s SS Adjutant from 1938-40, the victory years of that era. Prior to that he commanded the ceremonial guard at the Berghof, and he can be seen at 6:00 in the video as the white jacketed SS officer preparing his guard to greet the arrival of visitors to the Berghof. (Many of Hitler’s personal staff like Wunsche were much younger than Hitler himself and survived the war well into old age.) As one who actually lived and worked at Hitler’s side during those victory years, he offered fascinating insights into Hitler the man himself, the dictator and his dictatorship, and how it came to be enthusiastically embraced by the German people. And at no time in our conversations did he come across as a fanatic, although by that time 40 years had elapsed since the end of the war, which I think allowed him to mellow and perhaps come to terms with his service to Hitler, at least on some level. My own personal take aways from those conversations can be summed up as follows: 1. The Nazis were indeed a warning from history. 2. Believe the dictator...it was all laid out in “Mein Kampf.” 3. The line between the humanity that gave us Bach and the inhumanity that gave us Bergen-Belsen is not as fine as one might think...or hope. 4. But the one take away that now resonates with me the most, given Putin’s absurd reasons and unhinged rhetoric for invading Ukraine and the subsequent atrocities unfolding there, is from Voltaire, who once said, “Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.”

[@camkraw893]

Really interesting read my friend, thank you

[@greggibbons1113]

A rambling bunch of ignorant nonsense saying nothing of an historical relevance.

[@browngreen933]

Was Wunsche at all repentant?

[@wolfmauler]

That's remarkable you were able to speak with Wunsche. As for the appraisal and application of the Voltaire quote, we needn't look to Putin for it's personification. That sentiment has been played out on the home front over the last few years, let alone Ukraine and if 2/3 of the populations of every Western country had half a brain between them, they ought to be deeply ashamed of themselves. As it is, people are acting it out, whilst simultaneously rejecting such rhetoric (even a quote from Voltaire, if it isn't in line with their dogma) as being "right-wing propaganda". We have an indoctrinated generation ready to forge ahead as the new standard bearers of authoritarianism, ready to believe and act on anything the state decrees, support whatever the current thing may be, silence debate, strip people of their human rights, and subject rational opposition to mob violence; true fanatics, socially engineered by the top-down edicts of unelected elites. (Incidentally, whilst also actively disrupting any attempts at an armistice between Russia and Ukraine: It's very lucrative, being able to launder billions upon billions under the pretense of standing up against tyranny, at the same time propping up another more palatable tyrant. 8-10 years ago, the mainstream media were running stories on the problem of Neo-Nazism in Ukraine, paramilitary organisations such as the Azov Legion, fighting under the symbols of the Black Sun and Wolf's Hook. Some docs are still on this platform, but ultimately, the truth has once again been flushed down the collective memory hole)

[@browngreen933]

@@wolfmauler True, a couple years ago the media was reporting on Ukrainian Neo-Nazis. But Putin''S ATTACK against Europe superceded all that. Don't you understand what the idiot Putin did?

[@rtqii]

When Napoleon retreated from Moscow, all that was left at the end was remnants of the Imperial Guard. He later sent them to their deaths at Waterloo.