Why did the US Join World War One? (Short Animated Documentary)

[@sonnyocad287]

A bit of trivia: when Britain intercepted the Zimmerman Telegram, they told the US they got it from an agent in the Mexican embassy because they didn't want the US to know they were able to read all transatlantic telegrams.

[@DanS044]

Cheeky chaps

[@sebastiangruenfeld141]

They weren't reading all transatlantic telegrams, only the German ones. Also, the US, too, read the German communication lines.

[@janjone1706]

@@sebastiangruenfeld141 yes and the NSA only intefer russian and chinese communication

[@fatpenguin0089]

@@sebastiangruenfeld141 He said "were able" not "did"

[@XXXTENTAClON227]

They’re so good at this that nowadays they spy on the American population and give the information back to the CIA, and the CIA spies on the British population and gives it back to MI6, circumventing domestic surveillance laws. Cheeky bastards

[@dreamingsamurai]

"VOTE WILSON!" "So he stays employed!" Lol. An honest and true campaign slogan if I ever saw one.

[@Killerbee4712]

@SMA Productions What are you talking about

[@lucasbeck1391]

@SMA Productions how is that relevant to the original question?

[@EmyrDerfel]

@SMA Productions we're joking about Wilson here. You're doing it wrong

[@JarrodFrates]

Wilson very nearly lost the 1916 election to Charles Evan Hughes (3800 votes out of one million in California settled it) but believed that the nation was going to war sooner or later, probably sooner. Wilson drafted a memo that would see him ask his vice president and his Secretary of State to resign, then appoint Hughes as Secretary of State (then first in line for succession after the vice president), then resign the presidency so that Hughes could immediately take up a war policy and see it through, rather than have to wait for his inauguration in March 1917. He believed that doing so would allow Hughes to have the time he needed to formulate and implement the necessary policies to get involved in the war.

[@woodduck2178]

SMA Productions your just wrong.

[@Nick-kz6dg]

“Dealing with Germany now would rid the world of an autocratic threat in the future.” Hitler: *“And I took that personally.”*

[@DragonJohn]

I was going to argue the point until I realized I didn't know the specific definition of 'autocratic.' Thank you for giving me the impetus to educate myself

[@Jackhanmma7099]

@@DragonJohn it means your automatically cratic

[@jeankutzer1556]

We just kept Germany from getting a pipeline finished from Russia. That should teach em! Of course it led to war between Russia and Ukraine but what do we care!

[@stephenjenkins7971]

​@@jeankutzer1556 Nobody about your schzio reality, fascistbot.

[@algorithmsavior3820]

@@jeankutzer1556 honestly, Russia was gonna attack someone eventually

[@LordOfNothingreally]

Woodrow Wilson: "Now, or in 20 years" History: "How about both?"

[@baltulielkungsgunarsmiezis9714]

Alternetive history, neither.

[@Polai010]

200th like :D

[@camelopardalis84]

If only it had been just 20 years later, in 1937.

[@matpk]

@@baltulielkungsgunarsmiezis9714 Compare 1930s Nazi Germany Vs 2020s Communist Chinazi IN YOUR NEXT VIDEO Project.

[@baltulielkungsgunarsmiezis9714]

@@matpk How ignorant of you. Communists and nazis are nothing alike. And I in my vidoes do not talk of such irrelevent matters I focus on the hear of the issue.

[@galatheumbreon6862]

“Dead men have bad credit” lmao, the dry humour is always great

[@clonesolar]

@SMA Productions .??

[@clonesolar]

@Cyrus The Great Father of Civillization yup.

[@randomcanadian6690]

Also normally dead men's debt is left with the family but who would pay another countries debt

[@XXXTENTAClON227]

The narrator is British theyre so good at dry humour

[@thehistoryvideogameandgame4730]

Except in crime shows

[@lei302]

"Conquered, defeated nations aren't so good at paying there money back" France when making the treaty of Versailles: frankly I don't care

[@SharkyMcSnarkface]

“I missed the part where that’s my problem.”

[@banner100]

*their

[@lei302]

@@banner100 😳

[@TLBgaming0330]

@@SharkyMcSnarkface Bully France

[@dabbasw31]

Fun-Fact: France and UK never paid the inter-allied war debts completely. The Soviet Union did not pay anything, because... communism, not tsarism. :o)

[@Avghistorian77]

1:18 Love how the ‘Who Cares’ part of the meter is represented by Switzerland! Oh, and at 3:01 with the ‘Hated Belgium!’ I love these videos!

[@philipcoggins9512]

TBH everyone hates Belgium, and they do share a border with the Dutch...

[@Avghistorian77]

@Abraham Caudillo right back at you! Okay

[@DCrandomwords]

@@philipcoggins9512 Exactly. Only people I hate in this world are those who are intolerant of other peoples’ cultures and the Dutch.

[@baoparty]

Why does the US hate Belgium at that time?

[@DCrandomwords]

@@baoparty I think it’s in reference to the fact that Germany sent troops through Belgium and brought the UK into the war. Most Americans at that time couldn’t care less about Belgium and thus didn’t join until it directly affected the US.

[@marvelgeek9577]

Wilson's Campaign slogan: "He kept us out of war!" Wilson after getting re-elected: *Declares war on Germany*

[@benx6264]

yes, "kept" as in past tense - not "will keep" as in the future

[@Mitchmeow]

Literally a month after the inauguration, at that

[@Birkebeiner1066]

*surprised Pikachu face*

[@joelker41]

Much like FDR after him and all the way to today Democrat Party Presidents lie. A lot. An astoundingly large amount.

[@bobmcbob49]

American politics in a nutshell.

[@jessicajujubean5004]

My grandpa had a friend who was a world war 1 veteran. He had a bugle in a display case as a souvenir. He came across some dead people from another platoon and they searched their bodies looking for bullets and rations. He found a bugle on one soldier that was made at the factory that was across the street from his parents house and kept it.

[@YellowstoneKevin]

I love how History Matters has the correct borders of countries for the time period. I’ve legit seen WWI and WWII videos with modern borders and it drives me nuts.

[@Chocolatnave123]

maybe dont watch history videos made by high school kids

[@AjarTadpole7202]

@@Chocolatnave123 As a high school kid, that's actually really offensive considering we can only draw 1936 borders and not modern borders(at least at my school)

[@athrowaway3487]

@@AjarTadpole7202 HOI4itis

[@AjarTadpole7202]

@@athrowaway3487 Exactly that

[@ZechsMerquise73]

@@AjarTadpole7202 gotta start playing Vicky 2, CK3, and EU4, and binging Wikipedia/Google Maps to learn the rest of the borders

[@jacksondunn3284]

"We brought shotguns," Is the best sutble joke ever.

[@user-eb8ti2vf8t]

Kaiserchino mad?

[@noahway13]

Explain...?

[@OnlyGrafting]

@@noahway13 one of the few things Germany issued a diplomatic protest for in WW1 were the Americans using shotguns, or Trench Guns, when doing their share of Trench hopping. They bad boys were lethal in confined spaces like trenches with soo many corners. Essentially, the yanks were the only ones using them and it was seen as if they were being gassed and not gassing back. Except both sides were gassing each other but only the yanks were using shotguns.

[@doubleb4rreldarrell]

i died hahahahahahaha

[@greg_mca]

@@OnlyGrafting lethal when they weren't jamming, had proper ammo, and when they actually got to the front that is, which was almost never

[@GaryLaughlin0302]

"they dropped out to try the whole 'civil-war thing' " -> choked on my water and nearly died

[@nikeday4256]

Haha, yeah and it’s crazy how they succeeded. Guess that’s why they call it a revolution.

[@davidmitchell3881]

That has to be one of the best one liners ever. Given how many are in this channel that's a very high bar to reach

[@6372-s4k]

As far I know american companies could ignore German patents, because America joined the war. This was highly profitable for them. Especially in chemical industry but also some other fields Germany was leading at the start of the 20th century. I don't know if that was a reason to join as well, but it's definitely a nice side effect for American companies

[@Helo2237]

You forgot that german companies were expropriated in the US. E.g. Merck

[@joehouston1650]

@@Helo2237 Fun bit of firearms trivia, right before WW1 Mauser sued Springfield for making M1903 Springfield rifles (essentially copies of the German Mauser rifles), but the year the court case finally started, WW1 started and the US nationalized a lot of German, Austria, and Ottoman patents on stuff. So after the war ended in 1919, The US government had to pay millions to Mauser and DWM for patent infringement.

[@nehankaranch2149]

@@joehouston1650 kinda bullshit

[@GD1082]

Also the US nationalized German shipping companies.

[@alan-sk7ky]

Factoid: before ww1 Vickers were paying patent royalties to Krupp for clockwork shell fuses, while the war was ongoing book was kept on numbers and Krupp was paid after the war, although a downwards amount was agreed after extensive negotiation etc. International arms trading, a dirty business eh...

[@pridelander06]

"Dealing with Germany now would rid the world of an autocratic threat in the future." *Some Austrian corporal fighting in the German army* : "Demnächst."

[@galatheumbreon6862]

Also an imperial Russian officer: Da

[@breaderikthegreat3224]

USA:Germany can't win as it is imperialist UK:Yeah Hehe, those imperialists can't win Hehe France:Imagine they make many nations with random borders which will cause decades of War. Or take our colonies and impose harsh treaties UK:*Hits Frabce* Shut up

[@breaderikthegreat3224]

@@galatheumbreon6862 Georgian

[@reintaler6355]

@@breaderikthegreat3224 Thought you were gonna say Also USA: How 'bout I twist this imperialism thing juuuuust a bit and try it myself?

[@60iger29]

...and keep the peacefully French and Brits in the colonization game for just a few more years.

[@TopHatTITAN]

As a ship nerd, i love how History Matters had improved the model of Lusitania over the years. It's not perfect, but it's much better than before.

[@Unownshipper]

Yeah, I was just gonna say it looks pretty good.

[@finw-k6805]

The Entente's facial expressions when the US was holding up that 'you're saved' sign is probably the funniest and most accurate thing I've seen for a while

[@kingmuddy5898]

Accurate? How so

[@asneakychicken322]

@@andreasfiltenborg4952 that's a great quote, definitely gonna use that one more.

[@andreasfiltenborg4952]

@@asneakychicken322 he also said that american civilsation was a civilsation of pariahs. I would encourage you read his works, but youll have to look up the quote yourself as youtube does not like his name. He is certainly not for those who like things as they are right now.

[@kingmuddy5898]

@@andreasfiltenborg4952 hmm, dont see the comment I wrote before, must be somehow been deleted, so I'll just summarize what I said 1. Juluis Evola, the person who said that quote, was infamous, yes, as a fascist and neo nazi who held antisemitic views and occult. 2. If France hates Americans so much why did the French write patriotic American songs, and replace French troops with soldiers from America? 3. The entente were on their knees for American help in WW1, they were looking for anything really, hundreds of thousands of fresh American troops to break the stalemate? Yes please. Only problem they voiced was that they didnt get to use the Americans however they wanted like they did with "their" Indians, canadians, and Anzacs. 4. Of course I know the atrocities Woodrow Wilson committed, I'm American of course I know my countries own history. Oh and by the way, us Americans dont give a shite about european aristocrats either

[@kingmuddy5898]

@@andreasfiltenborg4952 your encouraging him to read up on a fascists work? Why? Wait, dont tell me.....are you a fascist?

[@Transmission_Rory]

The Americans also brought with them the largest collection of Charlie Chaplin films. This didn't sit well with one Captain Edmund Blackadder.

[@email5023]

*Chaplin

[@bificommander7472]

PS: Don't let him ever. Stop.

[@user-njyzcip]

Who kindly offered Darling a "chocolate liqueur"

[@necromancedkoatle]

Good way to keep morale higher that, a very cunning plan

[@juliusmorgan2292]

A ball bouncingly funny collection of films

[@theidiotindisguise2263]

Got to be said favorite part of the animations is when they are frolicking through the flowers gets me every time.

[@LatvietisVidejais99]

If we look a bit wider, USA has always hated their boats being attacked

[@EndsBeginning]

@Gomu Gomu No Mi 1812 as well.

[@jimmilton6644]

@Gomu Gomu No Mi vietnam too

[@albertoswald8461]

@@jimmilton6644 , you're right!! The Tonkin Gulf incident ramped up that bag of worms!!!

[@italia689]

@Gary Adame American Civil War, too. Look up "Star of the West."

[@italia689]

Why we turned the other way when Bin Laden attacked the U.S.S. Cole, I do not know. The war on terror should have started right then and there.

[@aaronashley1811]

Have you ever considered making a video on the U-2 "May Day" Incident? It was pretty big for its time, but not often discussed other than as a footnote in many history courses today, and I think the content lends itself well to your style of humor

[@connorgolden4]

Huh. This isn’t one of the usual “answers for questions we didn’t know about but we needed answered”.

[@thunderbird1921]

I wish they'd cover the Korean War a bit more. It's incredibly complicated, but the implications for all involved were huge.

[@juanaragon9226]

@@thunderbird1921 true I honestly would love to him cover the Korean War

[@karlik4861]

@@TheRatsintheWalls im just surprised that money played a bigger or equal role to the zimmer man telegram but i gues “Dead men have bad credit”

[@ARG0T]

Right. I wish he would do more obscure topics or topics like these with a longer video format. But I guess you gotta pay the bills somehow.

[@ecurewitz]

some of it I didknow, and some I didn't

[@juancena3211]

Hey bro I just took my US history midterm and your video saved my ass because I had to write an essay over WWI, appreciate your videos man, keep them up

[@matthaught4707]

It's consistently impressed me how your illustrations always have the correct weapons for each side, down to little things like the Langevisier sights on the Germans' Gewehr 98s. Given that the content almost never directly involves such martial minutia, it's even more impressive.

[@imjustaquestion9922]

French : I brought the artillery British: I brought the tanks Merica: WHO WANTS SHOTGUNS

[@jjprulz]

Actually, shotguns were a big deal in trench warfare. They were so effective that the Germans protested their use.

[@GearShotgun]

@@jjprulz wasn’t Germany the first ones to use poison gas?

[@compresseddepression7403]

@@jjprulz earliest known use of asking the devs to nerf the shotgun to balance war.

[@aratirao9007]

🟠 SERCH ADITYA RATHORE-HE ALSO MAKES INFORMATIVE CONTENT LIKE HISTORY MATTERS

[@Mariner797]

@@GearShotgun Technically yes, though it was because they thought the French was using it first when they deployed tear gas, so the Germans used poison gas as retaliation. Doesn't really excuse it, though that entire was is kind of a cluster fuck.

[@richardjohnson8796]

Thanks!

[@CosmicCreeper99]

“Dead men have bad credit” Lol.

[@Marylandbrony]

Sounds like the new pirates of the Caribbean movie.

[@danzoom]

@Jonah Goldschmidt shaming minecraft profile pictures in 2021, huh?

[@cptTK421]

@@Marylandbrony Dead Men Pay No Bills

[@CosmicCreeper99]

@Jonah Goldschmidt Yeah. So what?

[@pramilashaktawat4429]

⬜ SERCH ADITYA RATHORE-HE ALSO MAKES INFORMATIVE CONTENT LIKE HISTORY MATTERS

[@napoleonibonaparte7198]

They joined so James Bisonette could easily influence the new small countries.

[@jamesbissonette8002]

Obviously

[@FBISpyVan]

@@jamesbissonette8002 The legend

[@m.taufiqnurwansyah6607]

@@jamesbissonette8002 love you

[@tonylovato2217]

@@jamesbissonette8002 the goat

[@Yogiyokeskyo]

@@jamesbissonette8002 The Boss

[@MichaelThomas-be7gq]

Well done identifying the US loans angle as this is too often overlooked. Brilliant as always, short, punchy, witty, and spot on accurate.

[@ku8721]

"Governments like taxes" Truer words have never been spoken!

[@oenrn]

"Taxes are not raised to carry on wars, wars are raised to carry on taxes." Thomas Paine

[@Delgen1951]

@@oenrn and to build such things as canals, roads and other minor conveniences of civilization, I know all the things that that includes.

[@stochinblockin]

@@Delgen1951 Traditionally, canals, roads and other infrastructure was built by the individual states who levied their own taxes, lotteries and tolls to pay for them. The only roads allowed by the Constitution to be built by the Federal government prior to The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, was post roads. And the Federal involvement with the interstate system got around Constitutional limits by being first and foremost national defense, with civilian use a secondary byproduct.

[@Delgen1951]

@@stochinblockin Tell how does this counter the statement that taxes pay for the underpinnings of civilization, roads and all whiter or not they are federal unless paid by tolls provide the foundation of a civilization. Yes or no?

[@stochinblockin]

@@Delgen1951 The way you are framing the question, I guess the answer would be "No". Unless you don't believe we have a Constitutional Republic where powers not delegated to the Federal government below to the states and individuals, which was historically how roads and "civilization" was created in America.

[@Akirashiro407]

Britian and France: Join our war! America: No thanks Also britain and France: if we lose we can't pay you back *MEN TO THE BATTLEFIELD*

[@galatheumbreon6862]

😂😂😂 I laughed so hard at this, well done

[@alexhusiev8973]

OVER THERE

[@Dommy521]

Eagle Screeches*

[@Ghost12314]

We need another great war, the big sleeping giant is waiting to do.... how should I say this? " to do some discouraged things."

[@thunderbird1921]

Funny how America went from joining wars late to being the first to arrive on the scene. *North Korea invades South Korea in 1950* North Koreans: Haha, knowing history, the Yanks will stay away! *American military suddenly shows up* America: What were you saying, punk? Get back across that parallel!

[@LA2047]

I'd always heard that Wilson had an ulterior motive for wanting to get the US into the war: The League of Nations. He was a big advocate of the league and felt that the US should play a pivotal role in how the post-war world would be carved up by this body and the treaties that would result. Well it's hard to claim you deserve a seat at the table when you didn't participate in the struggle and the US wasn't nearly the economic or military super power that rather automatically gives it a seat nowadays. So if Wilson wanted a say in the post-war set up and to see his League established, the US needed to be in the fight.

[@golagiswatchingyou2966]

Not really, the USA long before ww1 was already a sleeping giant, with massive resources, manpower and economic might, they were able to bring more soldiers in a year than most nations had during 3 years during the start of the conflict, the irony further being that the USA did not join the League of nations afterwards anyways so it was all just profit driven and made no sense for the USA to get involved in the war.

[@danielcarithers3345]

“To many American politicians, Europeans were always fighting over something.” How the turn tables

[@savioblanc]

No wonder America got itself more involved in the Middle East as Europe got peaceful

[@adygombos4469]

The fighting had to keep going. If the Europeans didn't do their job anymore, the US stepped up.

[@looinrims]

@@adygombos4469 what the hell pseudo intellectual crap?

[@ordinaryperson-my7qr]

@@looinrims that's the rule

[@rahileshanbi5551]

@@savioblanc Practically, Europe has always been involved in the Middle East more than America.

[@burnedexperiment]

Wilson: We need a federal income tax to sustain the war effort. Americans: But we wont need to keep paying taxes after the war, right? Wilson: ...

[@ladygrey7425]

Yep. People expecting federal and state governments to relinquish their newfound power after a crisis are always fooling themselves.

[@PantherBlitz]

Close, but not quite. The federal income tax was initiated in 1913.

[@nehankaranch2149]

income tax also balanced out the alcohol tax since alcohol had been abolished

[@jayman4569]

@@ladygrey7425 the irony in this comment is brilliant. I mean just look at Australia right now, a perfect example of what you just said

[@MoreEvilThanYahweh]

@@ladygrey7425 That's why I want to slap all the naive "if it saves even one life" useful idiots cheering the emergency powers being granted across the globe supposedly for the coof. These infringements make the War on Drugs or Terror look tame.

[@darinarnold6976]

James Bisonette touching all our lives through your great videos yet again ❤️

[@Stozanume123]

Make a video how the asians reacted to the discovery of america ( chinese, arabs,persians,indians)

[@Stozanume123]

@Minister Of Propaganda they have been destroyed but they still exist

[@DanCooper404]

Asians technically discovered the Americas ~20,000 BC.

[@alexrennison8070]

Good idea.

[@m.taufiqnurwansyah6607]

@Minister Of Propaganda where you think Inuit or other native american from?

[@princepscivitatis4083]

@@m.taufiqnurwansyah6607 Well you see, when a Mommy Inuit and a Daddy Inuit really love each other...

[@adamparris8353]

I love how accurate you are with your portrayals of historical firearms.

[@LordBitememan]

It should also be mentioned that Wilson was the more "stay out of it" guy. His opponent, Charles Evans Hughes, was also a "stay out of it" guy, but he was also a "we might get involved even though we don't want to so we'd better be ready for it" guy.

[@quackquack8043]

Love the we brought shotguns sign it just makes trench warfare go to easy mode

[@planescaped]

....No.

[@galatheumbreon6862]

The kaiser will not be pleased

[@ginnrollins211]

It's only fair since they had flamethrowers.

[@gavind351]

@@ginnrollins211 and gas

[@ginnrollins211]

@@gavind351 That too.

[@hellcat707hp]

I'm impressed with the accuracy of that 1897 Trench shotgun at 0:18. Now I'm going to be looking at all the firearms in these videos lol love it

[@bulldogrj5020]

I just bought one at a Rock Island Auction. All its missing is the M1917 Bayonet on it, and the finish is a blue finish rather than parkerized but I agree with your sentiment.

[@hellcat707hp]

@@bulldogrj5020That's sweet. I JUST tried to get one at that Premier auction, but I couldn't justify how much they go for. I think I'm gonna pick up a rougher Riot model soon and have it professionally refinished and repaired. Love those guns.

[@bulldogrj5020]

@@hellcat707hp ya I’ve been collecting guns since I was in 4th grade (2008) my first one my grandfather gave me was a K98 from 1940, I was too young and small to really even hold it properly. This one was a gift for graduating college from my grandfather, basically cost a new car but unlike a car this will appreciate in value over the years, never to be fired or handled improperly. I recommend looking at some of the WW2 ones (if you aren’t already sold on a WWI issue) they are more numerous and tend to go for less (though sometimes still a lot) than a WW1 issue. They also tend to be in better condition as well. You could also just buy one in the riot configuration and have it refinished and rebuilt into trench configuration. People really like those Norinco replicas too but no modern Chinese built gun could ever replace an original Winchester in someone’s collection. If you have the money, Rock Island Auction has some coming up in their Sporting & Collector auction coming up in early October that are originals that have been refinished, could be worth taking a look at their catalogue. If you wanna to see the one I got look at the WW1 one that went at the premier auction, there was only one and I got into a bidding war with some old fart over it.

[@hellcat707hp]

@@bulldogrj5020 Thanks for the advice! I think I'm lucky that I like the standard riot configuration almost as much as the trench, so one of those is most appealing with the market the way it's been. I'll take a look at that auction catalog as well! Even the standard riot guns have been going for some big prices though. I'll keep trying and I'll get one I'm sure! I'm kind of just finally picking up some of these old guns I like and wanna be able to shoot regularly. M1 Garand is on the list at some point, just need to do some research on what constitutes good and bad. The life of an old gun collector/buyer is eternal research, but I'm not complaining at all!

[@bulldogrj5020]

@@hellcat707hp I wish you luck on your 1897 hunt! It can be a bit arduous and expensive. In terms of the M1 Garand, I got mine back in about 2011, I think it was the 3rd gun my grandfather gifted me if I remember correctly. Its a springfield from 1942, Probably about 75-85% original finish remaining and it fires like a champ. The nice thing about the Garand is that they made so many even into the Korean War and Vietnam that there is no shortage of surplus parts should something break or malfunction on it. I take good care of mine so I've never had anything happen to it, but I know there are entire websites just dedicated to M1 surplus parts. Would be a great addition to the collection for sure and would be one that you wouldn't have to worry about shooting, I probably shoot that one more than all of my other oldies in the collection, plus 30-06 ammo is sold in every gun store!

[@DavidAgostino]

"dead men have bad credit" 2:09 That's hysterical. Brilliant!

[@Lyfeel]

I just love how you're so accurate and informative, while maintaining a very approachable tone and humour. Keep at it my good sir!

[@LudicrousTorpedo]

1:22 That plan would went on to become true in Kaiserreich.

[@AF-tv6uf]

You can't watch this video and NOT think of Kaiserreich.

[@marcino457]

Probably inspired by it since these are literally the old KR borders. In the newer patches they don't get anything from France though, so it no longer applies

[@MagiconIce]

@@marcino457 What? Afaik, Germany has a bit more in KR than the pre-1914 borders.

[@marcino457]

@@MagiconIce I think in KR they have Luxemburg and a bit of Wallonia, but they used to also get a big chunk of Nancy from France which made their western border look exactly like in the video. In the newer versions of the mod and the lore, they didn't take any European land from France in The Great War because of stability concerns. In Kaiserredux (the wackier KR version made by different people), they still took Nancy from France, so the borders look exactly like they do in the video

[@yesacoustic]

Another great one. Always find your videos amusing and informative. Keep up the good work.

[@Mrs.THECOMMUNISTCHANNEL]

"It was the decision of one man who would cause every major future war and modern problems" -Cody Franklin (Alternatehistoryhub)

[@speedy01247]

I mean it came from many past decisions as well, History isn't a tale of great men, its of people as a whole, yes great men existed, but odds are someone else would take their place if not them.

[@user-tf5lg7fc9s]

Communists are so cringe.

[@MatsLM]

“We brought shotguns” - Last thing a German Soldier heard

[@johnladuke6475]

No, the last thing he heard was BOOM.

[@yankee3875]

“And honestly ruining the Kaiser’s day” I love this channel more than I should

[@mkosmala1309]

This is one of the funniest episodes you've made. All the little background jokes were one point - women, "Let us vote, you pleb!" (Poland still beat us to it), "Dead men have bad credit," "We brought shotguns," and so many others. I also appreciate the point that America was looking at expansionist Germany and saying, "Yeah, that'll be a problem down the road." An oft-forgotten reason, but an important one.

[@princepscivitatis4083]

Short answer: Because Woodrow Wilson thought he was American Jesus.

[@danc7934]

Oversimplified

[@Prussia_]

Oversimplified?

[@galatheumbreon6862]

Oversimplified

[@Marylandbrony]

And he was the Jesus of suburbria.

[@SalmonJonesTheMagnificent]

Worst president in US history tbh

[@johngulyas695]

I am always impressed by the accurate depictions of rifles in these vids. And in the case of the US, rifles & shotguns.

[@pramilashaktawat4429]

🔴 SERCH ADITYA RATHORE-HE ALSO MAKES INFORMATIVE CONTENT LIKE HISTORY MATTERS

[@nowhereman6019]

As with most things in history, the answer is pretty simple: *MONEY, gets away*

[@Marylandbrony]

We've got to have *Money*

[@cardenassolisrodrigo2601]

As Pink Floyd once said "Money, get away... it's the root of all evil today..."

[@noone-kk2zs]

​@@cardenassolisrodrigo2601 Cool it with the anti-semitic remarks

[@wihma97a]

I feel like this was a bit of a missed opportunity to talk about how Wilson and his administration, more or less for the first time, applied state propaganda to get americans on board with the war. This was later studied quite intensely by the Nazis since they were so impressed with how effective it was. Otherwise great episode as per usual

[@obsidianrevenger]

Is there an article or something about this coz it seems like a really interesting read?

[@StratMan9009]

Yeah it's always irksome when he talks about how public opinion changed without even hinting at WHO changed it and why.

[@AR-rg2en]

You mean Edward Bernays, cousing of Freud.

[@goldbullet50]

@@j7704 Being Freud's nephew does not give him enough credit. Edward Bernays was essentially the inventor of Public Relations. Watch Adam Curtis's documentary "Century of the self".

[@person3070]

It was called the Committee on Public Information

[@bridgecross]

0:51 the two Suffragettes giving Wilson dirty looks.

[@Mr_M_History]

History matters the channel that answers the questions about things I never kn... actually can't really do it for this one.

[@nERVEcenter117]

There's a big fly in the ointment here: Wilson's election in 1912 was a historical fluke. Teddy Roosevelt went third-party and split the Republican vote. Wilson hardly had what you could call a mandate. Still, he laid the foundation of the modern American super-state, from the income tax, to the Federal Reserve, to intervening in WWI ("democracy abroad"), to the League of Nations.

[@pax6833]

There were some positive aspects to his presidency. Honestly never understand his critics. Dude was all kinds of awful, but he's not top 10 worst at all. I'd say his presidency was mixed.

[@tomfrazier1103]

I've seen some alternate history. Roosevelt would have joined the war earlier, forcing a less destructive settlement than Versailles. How the details of this would have been is up to debate, Austria-Hungary, Ottomans. All of the different trajectories from nations to individuals. The Irish gentry surviving....

[@m136dalie]

Not to mention teaming up with the Brits to let Germany off so easily they would have the means to plunge Europe into the world's most destructive war barely two decades later

[@JGlennFL]

He was also quite a racist. There was huge resurgence of the KKK and other white supremacy groups under him. Most of the Civil War monuments across the south were erected around that time, not as a remembrance of the war, but as intimidation of black voters.

[@andyshiner3536]

@@pax6833 Sorry, no. He pushed for a sedition act. He threw Eugene V. Debs and other dissidents in jail. He invaded Haiti and Santo Domingo for spurious reasons. He supported Jim Crow laws and actually segregated previously unsegregated federal agencies. He is literally the worst president, and it's not even close. Historians treat Wilson with kid gloves for some bizarre reason.

[@alparslankorkmaz2964]

Nicely explained.

[@AbrahamSamma]

In the telegram, a suggestion was made to invite Japan to fight alongside Mexico and Germany. They wisely chose to remain with the Allies. Too bad their sense of wisdom ran out in WW2.

[@arandombard1197]

Japan even took some German colonies.

[@malarie-susangold9259]

Germany "Hey Japan, quick question." Japan "What do you possibly want other than to give us your colonies?" Germany "What, no we...we don't want that. We just wanted to know if you'd like to fight with us." Japan "We... kinda already are." Germany "SWEET! Send some ammo please!" Japan "No problem.... absolutely no problem."

[@nejiiuyn]

To be fair to Japan, the interwar years saw a serious breakdown in relations due to the racism of Asians at the time by Europeans and White Americans. Which led to Japan being forced to limit its Naval Capital Ships by the 1922 Washington Naval Treaty because they were Asian and thus not seen as an equal power, and the League of Nations blatantly refusing Japan's proposed resolution to consider all races as equals.

[@Videokirby]

@@nejiiuyn You seem to be forgetting that France and Italy were given even lower values (1.67 as opposed to Japan's 3 or US/UK's 5). It was less a case of racism and more that the Americans attempted to both prevent a naval arms race (which is expensive) and defang Japan by giving them the worst possible terms they would expect. Entirely pragmatic on their part, and considering how the 2-26 incident put Japan on the warpath anyway, probably the right choice by the US.

[@katnerd-Glen]

That...was the US's fault, actually. The United States cut off Japans fuel supplies and did a few other things that basically said "We're against you and we'll strangle you". Of all the Axis powers Japan is probably the only one who had a legitimate reason to fight. doesn't excuse how they went about it, but they were, in fact, goaded in to initial action.

[@szuz435]

the funny man uploaded funny historical video

[@thomasbravado]

By the late 19th century a lot of people knew that Germany was going to end up dominating the European continent because of its economic and military power. America had already risen to dominate the Western Hemisphere and there was already, before 1900, a debate over whether America or Germany would emerge from their inevitable clash in the 20th century to become the dominant world power. All questions of morality, ethics, and styles of government aside, it was perhaps inevitable from a geopolitical standpoint that at some point this would end up happening. Here in America we like to tell each other it was about freedom and democracy, but on some level it was really just about power.

[@WayOutGaming]

Somewhere the Cynical Historian is angrily yelling "Wilson" at the top of his lungs for an unexplained reason.

[@humansvd3269]

Um, he explained it. And he is right.

[@yaktyafiyae]

WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIILLLLLLLLLLLLLLSSSSSOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNN

[@Don-mu2qh]

Wilson was an idealistic fool. His 15 points and "the war to end all wars" was seen by Britain as merely tools of propaganda.

[@WayOutGaming]

@@Don-mu2qh Sadly, I think Wilson actually believed all that, as in I don't think it was just propaganda for him. Though I can certainly see why the British thought it was. As someone once said, Wilson tried to be a neutral third party during the peace negotiations even though he was directly involved in the war.

[@robertortiz-wilson1588]

Half of that guy's content is garbage, but half of it isn't.

[@DISTurbedwaffle918]

3:00 I would be part of the "Hated Belgium" faction.

[@jackpavlik563]

Yet you eat waffles…

[@DISTurbedwaffle918]

@@jackpavlik563 A necessary sacrifice.

[@pauldzim]

Yes, I hate those Belgians with their waxed mustaches going around solving murder mysteries

[@UsTheMusicTVOfficial]

This should have been my experience with history in school. Visuals make it way easier to learn! Well, it should be in schools now, that is to say. Good job.

[@wetwillyis_1881]

"Dead men have bad credit." Is one of the best descriptions of Government's than loan people money that I have ever heard.

[@metarus208]

**loan

[@wetwillyis_1881]

@@metarus208 Thanks mate.

[@kuronanestimare]

It's also an excellent summary of taxpayer-funded healthcare: We can't pay taxes if we're dead.

[@aratirao9007]

🔷 SERCH ADITYA RATHORE-HE ALSO MAKES INFORMATIVE CONTENT LIKE HISTORY MATTERS

[@cattysplat]

@@kuronanestimare On the contrary, the government were rather you died soon than later to avoid paying state pension and pocket your savings when you don't have a will written.

[@SomethingBeautifulHandcrafts]

..."History buffs among you will know that the American public wanting something does not mean that the American Government is going to do it"... Finally someone who understands how politics really work in America. Just because the American public is against something doesn't mean the American Government is NOT going to do it either.

[@amerikawoche8243]

Difference between democracy & representative democracy

[@arnaldoenriquez6191]

​@amerikawoche8243 this guy gets it even more

[@MadelineSawyer]

I'm eternally reminded of that scene in the Warren Beatty film Reds, where Jack Reed, when asked at a liberal club as to what the purpose of World War One is, stands up, just says "Profits", and sits down, just after the club spent like 15 minutes talking about how the war is supposedly about spreading democracy

[@cattysplat]

Mass industrialisation to provide trade to warring Europe during WW1 and WW2 transformed America into the economic powerhouse it is today.

[@DC-hy2rg]

"Hated Belgium" this channel is pure gold

[@earthenjadis8199]

"There wasn't much time for America to join if the right side was going to win." Indeed.

[@MagiconIce]

"You're saved" *Rest of Entente Powers staring non-amused* I love this channel!

[@jaxsonhuefner1411]

Just gotta say, your content is top tier. Love it and I have watched almost everything you’ve made.

[@cringlator]

“Because factory owners would make more money if we did” pretty much sums up most US foreign policy decisions.

[@koushiro86]

And domestic policy ones let’s be honest

[@jakubkarczynski269]

@Ethaniel Lim there were no military industry in usa then.

[@CrossBreedTacoHD]

This sounds like every country that has had some form of power and influence ever.

[@Delgen1951]

well that an trying to get Mexico to invade America.

[@RonJohn63]

Factory owners employ voters, who then spend their wages, thus increasing the prosperity of their community.

[@clyd1206]

this may be one of the best channels on youtube

[@lostphoenix1911]

Love your channel. The short videos are the perfect length for a person like me who has ADHD but also loves history

[@McfcLadsguvnors]

If amercia wasn’t tricked into ww1 it would of been stopped then there and then and millions of European lives would of been saved

[@khukri_wielderxxx1962]

"So he stays employed" The goal of every politician EVER🤣

[@lookingforsomething]

Well to be fair the US system really enables dynastic political employment. If the US had an election system that made sense (not first past the post, but *any* Condorcet method, like the Jefferson method for example) there would be a lot more political accountability and considerably less corrupt politicians. US needs electoral reform.

[@fransbuijs808]

In Holland we had a PM, Ruud Lubbers, who actually did have a slogan that was almost the same: let him finish his job.

[@onlookerofthings6029]

One of the weirdest bits of trivia I know is that Stalin tried to resign 4 times and they all got rejected by different general assemblies. One time was after Lenin called him rude.

[@firstconsul7286]

Not like most of them need the money anyways.

[@aratirao9007]

🟣 SERCH ADITYA RATHORE-HE ALSO MAKES INFORMATIVE CONTENT LIKE HISTORY MATTERS

[@super-original-username.w7920]

I really wish there was mention or talk of the sedition and espionage acts passed by wilson to stop people from criticizing the war effort and the reasons it was implemented

[@watching99134]

No kidding there was incredible repression in this country (e.g. Eugene Debs).

[@ruicorreia6373]

"You can always count on Americans to do the right thing, after they've tried everything else." - Winston Churchill In other words, let Europe burn to clean competition but not to much because Russia is a thing and we need them.

[@samreid6010]

To be fair, Churchill didn’t have a great record when it came to letting people overseas suffer and die so he could turn a profit. I’m sure all those people in the Raj were fine with starving so the empire could have its indigo.

[@jrm78]

"The American people wanting something doesn't mean the American government will do it." So very true, for better or worse (usually worse).

[@noahway13]

The American public is never united in what it wants.

[@RodrigoFernandez-td9uk]

"There is no use kidding ourselves any longer. The cause of the allies is lost. We now owe you (American bankers, American munitions makers, American manufacturers, American speculators, American exporters) five or six billion dollars. If we lose (and without the help of the United States we must lose) we, England, France and Italy, cannot pay back this money . . . and Germany won't. So . . . " Smedley Butler, War is a Racket

[@tomtomtrent]

A wise man. He knew the military-industrial complex decades before anyone else realized it

[@XXXTENTAClON227]

“… and Germany won’t” Lmao

[@silverhost9782]

American who thinks they saved the entente single-handedly? How novel!

[@_Hamler]

@@silverhost9782 uh, they did though? Without the supplies they gave for the Allies and promise of fresh soldiers during the closing years of the war, the Allies would have 100% collapsed

[@RodrigoFernandez-td9uk]

@@_Hamler Central powers would have collapsed first anyway. Just compare the size, the resources and the manpower of the British and French empires with the areas controlled by Germany. The Entente also was able to commerce with neutral countries.

[@darthimperious1594]

Good to see you cover all aspects of why we entered WW1, especially the economic ones. An Alternate History of if the US stayed out of WW1 has Germany winning (due to the UK going bankrupt without unsecured loans from the US), leading to the US and rest of the world entering the Great Depression a decade early in 1919 due to France and the UK defaulting on their debt to the US. This was a genuine concern, as you mentioned, so well done!

[@greendog2495]

Germany wouldn't have won ww1 even if the USA stayed out, because of their internal problems and fights which aren't mentioned offen.

[@greendog2495]

Also, the german morale was horrible since most german people didn't want to fights ww1, even Wilhelm 2 tried bis best to make peace but bis Generals forced germany to fight

[@HNedel]

There is a book on the subject, at least one. The thesis is that in 1917 neither side would have been able to fight much longer, as money was running out for everyone. Thus an armistice was likely, where Germany wouldn’t b able to demand any huge reparations, as the Entente powers knew the germans couldn’t fight much longer. The intervention of the US is also what prompted the Germans to send Lenin into Russia, which resulted in the bolshevik revolution.

[@MrAlex_Raven]

1:40 Jesus Christ dude, you killed me, I felt that in my SOUL. (Great and true point)

[@falcon642]

"We brought shotguns" love it and the story behind that bit. Americans brought shotguns, which were crazy effective in trench warfare. Germany complained that the shotgun was an inhumane weapon. America pointed out that Germany invented and used the flamethrower and told the Germans to sod off.

[@greg_mca]

And if you really read the story behind it, you realise that the shotguns involved were pretty terrible and unpopular because they had poor ammunition, jammed a lot in the mud, and there were less than 500 of them on the front in total. They only worked in very specific circumstances and trench warfare adamantly refused to let them be used in optimal conditions. Most of the amazing stories about the effectiveness of shotguns were written in the US before the shotguns arrived at the front, for the purposes of marketing. The shotgun's best service was to free up a division's worth of actual rifles for the front by giving them to guys who didn't need good guns. They were not that effective and were only brought up to win diplomatic favour by claiming the Americans were savages

[@DevinMcSalty]

It’s also funny because we Americans do have an affinity for them. I’ve been shooting competitions since I was bout 11-12 and bird hunting since even younger😂

[@maxbuster1508]

Love the subtle sound effects

[@coltafanan]

He really crammed as many jokes as possible in this episode and I love it 😂

[@alan-sk7ky]

been a while since we had Batman and Robin though... ;-)

[@lowlag]

I love the we brought shotguns and the neutral meter going from Switzerland up

[@saulchapnick1566]

I read so many books on WWI. That question always perplexed me. Rather, that question always had one answer, “America’s decision to enter The Great War was a business one.”

[@DarkSoulSama]

Back then: "Why did the US join a war?" Now: "Why not?"

[@johnladuke6475]

"Join? You mean start."

[@camelopardalis84]

@@johnladuke6475 By preparing the conditions to have a reason to start one decades earlier.

[@matpk]

@@johnladuke6475 Compare 1930s Nazi Germany Vs 2020s Communist Chinazi IN YOUR NEXT VIDEO Project.

[@looinrims]

@@johnladuke6475 what war have the Americans started since 2003? I mean the answer is none but I’d love to hear this “muh america bad!” Shit

[@johnladuke6475]

@@looinrims I like the logical gymnastics you need to make America sound peaceful. "We haven't had an official declaration of war in 17 years!" he cried, forgetting how his peace-loving nation invited itself to Syria, then back to Iraq, in that time span, and also leaving off the first 227 years of the country's history as inconvenient. By your own standard, the USA has not seen enough years without a declared war for a child to graduate high school.

[@Marylandbrony]

2:58 I too hate Belgium.

[@ChenAnPin]

so does the Congo

[@billyponsonby]

The one channel where I regularly rewind to check I’ve got it all

[@DSgamrz585]

2:32 "Now or in 20 years" Germany: *por que no los dos*

[@tbuddy888]

I'm a simple man. I see a new History Matters video, I click.

[@Ancaryvan]

1:58 PAY ME: Comes with the Flower 🌼🌸 Dance 💃🕺.

[@General-HD]

2:48 You forgot about Portugal in the corner lol.

[@Osterochse]

0:40 what is the irrelevant pacific holding across the pacific?

[@PointFear]

Tiny Island or something

[@gwho]

I really like how this channel gets to real reasons quickly

[@VegasViking420]

The Japanese bring a katana The Scottish bring a claymore The Scandinavian brings an axe *AMERICAN BRINGS A SHOTGUN*

[@tomfrazier1103]

And a pump one at that "Trench broom".

[@aleksandarvil5718]

2:26 Guam was American since 1898, (along with Philippines, Cuba, Puerto Rico). While Imperial Germans bought remains of Spanish Oceania (Marshall, Caroline, Mariana Islands) and made them part of *German New Guinea*

[@jordanlyons2609]

Cuba became independent in 1902 and there was a conflict between America and Germany over Samoa but you’re right otherwise

[@aleksandarvil5718]

@@jordanlyons2609 Guantanamo Bay , property & of USA (since 1903) and oldest overseas U.S. naval base in the world.

[@jordanlyons2609]

@@aleksandarvil5718 yeah but not all of Cuba

[@aleksandarvil5718]

@@jordanlyons2609 BEFORE 1958/1959 Cuba WAS semi-colonial protectorate of USA

[@jordanlyons2609]

@@aleksandarvil5718 I though we were talking official colonies. Otherwise the German Empire had more

[@danhulson8703]

i loved the You're saved bit near the end

[@gequitz]

Good video, but Russia did not drop out of the war in Spring 1917 (2:45) A (nominally) democratic, more western-aligned gov't took control in the February Revolution, and Russia continued to fight Germany until the October Revolution, when communists soon surrendered to the Central Powers

[@cieproject2888]

Always here for more WWI content ... next do one on the abortive peace effort of 1916, in which the US was a major player. See "The Road less Traveled," by Philip Zelikow

[@MrCanadaben]

I'm not 100% sure and can be very wrong, but I remember that when I was younger and first learning about the war I read that Germany sent a warning to the US, and others, that they would attack every ship entering British waters, but the US was basically just like "Nah, they're bluffing. They won't do that", and then acted all surprised and pissed when Germany did exactly that. I have however not been able to find where I read that again, so I don't know if it's actually true. If someone knows, plz tell me

[@Aynshtaynn]

Wilson: We won't go to war with Germany I promise The US: _goes to war with Germany 6 months after Wilson is re-elected_ German-Americans: We've been tricked, we've been backstabbed, and we've been, quite possibly, bamboozled.

[@joseninghem8365]

Great videos. Just a quick point: in April 1917, Russia had not dropped out of the war yet. After the February revolution, the Kerensky government would still try another offensive in July 1917.

[@pax6833]

But they had ended their autocratic government. So, more palatable. Still, it's a fair point.