One Million Men: Italy's INSANE 1930s Building Plan

Uncover the fascinating story of how Mussolini transformed Italy's Pontine Marshes from a malaria-infested swamp into a thriving agricultural hub. Discover the engineering marvels and the sacrifices behind this massive project!
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[@claywest9528]

A Roman Emporer after Caesar's time wanted to put the Empire's Legions to work draining swamps and planting vineyards, but, alas he too was assassinated. Seems like the Romans made a habit of this.

[@genericfighter]

That was an ancestor of mine.

[@vanpenguin22]

A tradition perpetuated in the new world as well. "Fredo sleeps with the fishes"

[@firesideshats]

Are you talk about Marcus Aurelius Probus

[@genericfighter]

@@firesideshats i am indeed

[@claywest9528]

@@firesideshats Yes

[@DrFroth879]

"Julius Caesar himself took another stab at reclaiming the marshes" LOL

[@duncancurtis5971]

He was renowned for his great strength. He threw a bridge across the Rhine😂.

[@volkris]

In case anyone here is interested, particularly for the international viewership, through my experience the current US phrase drain the swamp came out of statements that Washington DC was built in swampland. So connections to historical figures or other geographic areas are tenuous.

[@Meatsweats_o_O]

picked an ironically accurate place.

[@SkunkApe407]

​@@Meatsweats_o_OPretty much any city built next to a river sits on reclaimed swamp land. Most of Manhattan was swamp. Same with Chicago, Norfolk, Miami, etc. Heck,ancient Britons literally built villages in the Moors. Ancient Germanic tribes also built Villages in swamps. The idea that swamps are bad or scary comes from the Dark and Moddle Ages, when humans were smaller, and the wilderness was scary.

[@magatsmorghulis6981]

@@SkunkApe407 St Petersburg was built on swampland, the construction cost so many lives that there is a saying the city is built on bones

[@chart770]

@@magatsmorghulis6981 came to mention st petersburg. who in their right mind would grab some buckets and think "right, get to scooping"

[@devincook1396]

@@chart770 Those who don't actually do any digging tend to be the ones.

[@NewNormac]

Congratulations MegaProjects at CRUSHING that 1million sub mark

[@dianapennepacker6854]

Whoa WTF. Thought they did before I even started using You Tube often which was like last May. The fuck. Good job Simon and team. More Mega and Side projects. Also do the NYC water system next. It has the longest man made tunnels I guess. Although it doesn't hold the record since it isn't used for human transportation which is stupid. Definitely a mega project that it seems America is incapable of reproducing these days.

[@christopherconard2831]

For all the men who haven't thought about Rome today.

[@KonradvonHotzendorf]

😂

[@TBJ1118]

Rome is 2023 "the game". And I just lost. And you as well

[@user-vz8uv2nd5b]

Excellent content, as always.

[@davidlobaugh4490]

Clever writer you've got on this one Simon. 😎🤠 Maybe let him out of the basement for a day 😆

[@jmanj3917]

I'm familiar with the saying because Washington, DC, was originally built on land that was partially swamp. But I think most of that land was originally from Virginia, and Virginia took back their land contribution to the nation's current capital, and that land is now part of Alexandria, Virginia. But wth do i know...lol

[@SkunkApe407]

Pretty much all of the land surrounding the Chesapeake Bay and James River Basin was swampland. The heart of DC was built on the only dry spit of land in the area. While Virginia did take back some land, not all of their contribution was returned. Our Capitol's history is just as convoluted and confusing as the rest of our nation's history.

[@toddnolastname4485]

The District of Columbia is all on the north side of the Potomac River, which looks like it should be Maryland.

[@SkunkApe407]

@@toddnolastname4485 Virginia used to own a lot more than they do now. State lines changed quite a bit before the Civil War, and continued to do so for quite some time after.

[@comentedonakeyboard]

So the Mussolini estate wont sue Donald Trump for copyright enfringement😂

[@patreed7966]

The city of Washington DC is literally built on reclaimed land that used to be a swamp

[@astridvallati4762]

During the1920s project, th÷y ordered Four Fowler "Plowing Engines, huge steam road engines fitted with steel cable winches to drag huge Plows to create drainage canals. They were the largest Steam Road Engines ever built.

[@mattiemathis9549]

233 deaths in 8 years in those conditions really isn’t bad. Less than 100,000 people built the Panama Canal and the US recorded deaths of over 5500. In an 8 year period before deaths were being recorded it’s estimated 22,000 people died. 233 isn’t bad.

[@Pushing_Pixels]

Assuming the numbers are accurate.

[@flosslittle5231]

I like this one. Thanks 💚

[@ignitionfrn2223]

1:30 - Chapter 1 - Kingdom of malaria 3:45 - Chapter 2 - Humans vs swamp 6:00 - Chapter 3 - Plan of conquest 9:40 - Chapter 4 - Occupying the land 12:10 - Chapter 5 - The costs of victory 14:50 - Chapter 6 - Surviving the war

[@alexaa928]

0:44: 🔍 The phrase 'drain the swamp' was not used by Mussolini, but he did undertake a project to drain a literal swamp in 1926 near Rome. 3:49: 🌊 The marshes in the pontine region of Italy have a long history of drainage and reclamation attempts. 7:34: 🌊 The video discusses the challenges and engineering feats involved in constructing the canals in the Venetian Lagoon. 11:16: 💡 The video discusses the sponsorship and establishment of new cities in the pontine marshes in Italy, including the process of colonization and the cost of the project. 14:44: 📜 The Allies landed in Sicily and fought their way up the Italian boot, leading to the ousting of Mussolini and the occupation of Italy by Nazi Germany. Recap by Tammy AI

[@CandleWisp]

Noice

[@nozveratu5020]

ONE MILLION!!! ONE MILLION MEN!!!

[@Yoband706]

I think Roman Holiday was partly shot in this area. You can see the unique farm houses and vista.

[@Johnny_Shields]

3 bedrooms, 2 women, 4 men. So at least Mussolini wanted a gay couple in every house, how progressive. I guess the veteran was just there to watch the 3 couples.

[@SkunkApe407]

Progressive? What do you mean? Forcing gays to live with breeders sounds like an awful idea. Gay means happy. Let them stay that way, dammit! 😂 All jokes aside, my uncle and his husband had to move in with a straight couple they were friends with, after Unc and Unc's house burned down. That straight couple threw more parties in the three months my uncles lived there than they had in the previous ten years of owning that house. We started joking that all a straight couple needs to have fun is two gay guys and a house fire.😂

[@yates667]

Just noticed Mussolini wearing his hat backwards while working.

[@Parents_of_Twins]

I wonder how many birds and other animals were displaced or pushed to extinction by this project. As humans we often look at regions like this as being useless however I'm sure a lot of creatures called it home. So overall a benefit for mankind and a blow for nature.

[@KonradvonHotzendorf]

Nobody misses maleria

[@user-cy7ks3gt4k]

New idea for mega projects Bradley fighting vehicle

[@Iamtheliquor]

1:48 No idea how big Philadelphia is🤷🏻‍♂️

[@danielefabbro822]

And that's why when we Italians says that we "did it first" you should listen from who who have already experienced those things. When someone talks about "draining the swamps"... do not trust him. We all knows how it ends, there's literally no reason to dive again in that swamp.

[@comentedonakeyboard]

If Musso had stuck to Megaprojects instead of expanding into war this might have been one of the few succesfull Megaprojects

[@congoballs9725]

Drain the swamp says the legion of doom lol that's a joke🤣

[@swedichboy1000]

Seems like a common thing for dictators to try to implement impossible projects.

[@faizanrana2998]

Heheheheheee

[@timothycook2917]

What are you insinuating? Italians disagree on how to get a project done? Not true. Look at that big beautiful bridge they built across the Strait of Messina

[@Abby_Liu]

Are you insinuating that simon has an opinion at all? Are you the viewer who approached him in public and disagreed with a script he was sent regarding their country that he doesn't remember reading?

[@jaysekhon8014]

@@Abby_Liu Sarcasm just flew right above your head lmao

[@smalltime0]

@@jaysekhon8014 much like the suspension bridge over the strait of messina and to do it on such a budget that rivals what most spend on the planning phase

[@SkunkApe407]

​@@smalltime0what? Paper maché and toothpicks aren't suitable building materials? Inconceivable!!!😂

[@SkunkApe407]

​@@Abby_Liuall those words, just to say you didn't get the joke? Talk about inefficient.

[@rogerpenske2411]

Good Lord, Simon, it sounds like you are ordering dinner ridden Italian restaurant

[@manricobianchini5276]

Roman's were never upstarts, Simon.

[@makeracistsafraidagain]

Holy Cats!

[@joshuaradick5679]

As the schemes of power mad tyrants this project go, this plan is not the worst.

[@ravenhill_firelord_1968]

we could do with a strong leader in italy now to deal with the Lampedusa situation.

[@The0riginalTwo]

Thinking like that is exactly what leads to dictatorship, you don't need a strong leader. You need several strong leaders that can keep each other in check. Never trust someone who claims to be able to fix your issues on their own, even if they can the methods might damage other aspects irreparably.

[@brianlangieri6723]

@@The0riginalTwoMaybe so but when major issues aren’t dealt with efficiently, democracy becomes less appealing which will turn people to look for a strong leader. Democracy doesn’t have the track record that autocracy has.

[@_Breakdown]

Don’t you guys have Georgia Malone? She’s a pretty damn strong woman!

[@SkunkApe407]

​@@brianlangieri6723lmfao, I guess you've never heard of the US, then? The US is a Democratic Constitutional Republic, and is the most prosperous and successful single nation in history. Since the Ancient Helenic days, Democracy has a far better track record than an autocracy. Name a single Democracy that has perpetrated a mass purge of its own citizens. Name a Democracy that has instigated two World Wars. Autocracy always leads to a nation's downfall. Democracy gives a nation a myriad of options to avoid such calamity.

[@magatsmorghulis6981]

what a subtle way to say you want those africans dead....

[@aceundead4750]

"Balmung, thought lost for a thousand years. Bestowed upon Theodoric king of the Austrogoths before the slaughter of the Burgundians." A poorly done recreation of part of a joke about how awesome Indiana Jones would've been as a professor, on account he's always leaving to save the world.

[@marcelinoramos2784]

Can you do Mexico puente baluarte

[@domenicozagari2443]

Not only the pontin marshes but many other places, a real people politician.Roosevelt and Hitler copied Mussolini with public Works.

[@Julian-tf8nj]

Please drop the constant translations to miles. *Just remind people that values in miles are roughly 1/2 of the values given in Km.*

[@georgedoolittle9015]

#irony Rome food insecurity which defined the Roman Republic and later Empire never solved despite solution being literally in the "backyard." Goes to show how constant and nothing but military spending is never the answer #Russia

[@Willis-no9ym]

America declares 13% military budget, Russia est. 14-20%.

[@Bill-dj9hv]

DC should have been have left a swamp.

[@comentedonakeyboard]

The Canadians tried to fix it😂

[@michaelclark572]

Have you done a video about the HAARP array? I think it would be interesting

[@salvagedb2470]

" Cash for the Marsh " , luv Simons slick narration just drives the Vids , at least Mussolini had more of a resimay than Adolf had , but the winners had to be the Mosquitos .

[@jamesrobinson9176]

Excellent tds. Smh

[@adrock9800]

Cry harder Hope that donation to stop the steal worked out for ya 💯🙄🥱🤫😎🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@jamesrobinson9176]

@@adrock9800 bless your heart

[@adrock9800]

@@jamesrobinson9176 gfy Up north we don’t hide our insults with pleasantries

[@jamesrobinson9176]

@@adrock9800 maybe you should

[@Jayjay-qe6um]

The spectre of distant problems remains: the prospect of chemical pollution of the environment, DDT-resistant mosquitos, and medicine-resistant strains of malaria.

[@nolongerblocked6210]

2:53 "..but then the Romans showed up to do what they did best, stabbing people & conquering their lands.." 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 God I luv your pithy comments

[@antoniogomespereira6667]

World War 2 veterans?

[@josephmckay372]

Yeh those familiar with post World War 2 Italy are familiar with Mussolini's benevolent rule.

[@10hawell]

Every political system is more chill in the Mediterranean lol

[@kentl7228]

Why do they have kiwis there? Those birds are nocturnal and need special conditions. Unless he meant kiwfruit...

[@Pax.Britannica]

Pope Leo X 😂 one Gucci name

[@momcat2223]

"...ARTESIAN" well..." C'mon, Fact Boi - you know the difference between artisan and artesian. Surely.

[@nevermindmeijustinjectedaw9988]

i love how you read mussolini's life story like you were reading his majesty the king's titles but conveniently forget that he also used to be a staunch commie

[@faizanrana2998]

Aaaahahaaaaahaa

[@MrSleepyFox]

True swamps for true Romans. ...I'll see myself out.

[@shaifunnessa7816]

Shivaji Maharaj biography please make video

[@davidslate2005]

I love how you started the show saying the American political system is on the spectrum.

[@norrinradd8952]

You should consider renaming your channel to MegaREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

[@Mecha82]

lmao did you get offended.

[@tomhenry897]

Yet the people believe pd him

[@KamikazeMedias]

While i appriciate the coverage, the way you starter the vid is... bad. so no like and no dislike from me.

[@thetangieman3426]

US Government needs to fire 35,000 people. At least.

[@Switcharoo12]

1st🎉

[@derrekvanee4567]

*Good job komrad, da!* Go makes sure everuone knows about your world changing achievements! The bandwidth and effort is mosdef worth it!

[@Switcharoo12]

derrekvanee4567: Will do comrad da! I did this out of complete sarcasm in fact I hate people the do this without the sarcasm and out of sincerity.🤦🏼 Be sure to look around and find my other comments, there's one exclaiming 471st!🎉 or some such number. Anyway, you take care of yourself and remember; of you can't be good then be good at it. Peace ✌️

[@85priesty]

Daaayne the Swomp... Because that's he'd spell "Swamp" Dumb and massive gluteus maximus. Just thought they could fill "the swamp" with incredibly sticky...nasty people....and hopefully it all comes out. 😂

[@davecohn5546]

A stretch too far

[@BinkyBorky]

Donald shat in the swamp, making it worse, and left it for someone else yo clean up.

[@Bill-dj9hv]

Italy has better food than the U.K. More beautiful women in Italy. Great olive oil and the finest wines.

[@jiggy7108]

Italy needs a second coming of Mussolini right now

[@zooropaforever]

No thank you. We are still paying the disasters left by the previous coming.

[@LordAppiatto]

Ma anche no grazie.

[@-Katastrophe]

If you like fascism so much then I invite you to move to China, Cuba, Iran or North Korea.

[@bthsr7113]

They really don't. Mussolini was terrible to the country and plunged it into a war it could never win as the junior member in an alliance that committed unspeakable crimes against humanity.

[@jiggy7108]

@@-Katastrophe none of those are fascist. There are no fascist states anymore

[@derrekvanee4567]

*I think loose Lucy down the way has a similar foreign policy* The la Italianos did some crazy things people forget about vs the nazis Not bad one tosay S.W. Althoufh I've grown away from your content for s few reasons largely last 12mo or so. 🤷🏿‍♂️

[@td_kdname5197]

It's no surprise Trump got his favor catch phrase from the fascists.

[@InterstellarTaco]

If you watched 2 minutes of the video you would realize that phrase has nothing to do with anything Mussolini said you donut.

[@jiggy7108]

Did you watch the video?

[@tomhenry897]

Yet it’s biden that acts like a fascist

[@InterstellarTaco]

@@jiggy7108 he didn't. He heard Trump get mentioned and went into a meltdown.

[@_Breakdown]

@@InterstellarTaco That’s how the lemmings behave… Love the interstellar taco avatar there

[@mannamedisaak3316]

That’s false news