Why were the sides in the Nigerian Civil War so weird? (Short Animated Documentary)

[@user-jb9md7eg2q]

1:00 Nigeria's capital is actually Abuja; Lagos does remain its largest and most important city, but it stopped being the capital in 1991.

[@gerald1495]

he meant current at the time, Lagos was still the capital back then.

[@HyphenatedHistoryUK]

@@gerald1495 it was a genuine mistake, but a mistake nonetheless. A correction is appropriate. “Current capital at the time” makes no sense. Saying “it was the capital at the time” would’ve been the correct sentence, which he didn’t say. He said “the current capital”. That means “the capital right now” and is incorrect.

[@oscaralexander2416]

He said current capital, current being in the 60s when the war took place.

[@darknessnight1115]

Lagos? Mission Report. December 16. 1991.

[@romain8390]

As a Nigerian, I should also point out that Yorùbá is pronounced “Your-Row-Bah”, and not “Yo-Roo-Ba”, as mentioned in this video.

[@Moromom22]

"Who as their former colonial overlord felt passionately about the well-being and JUST KIDDING, it was their oil." Never change HM

[@djin169]

HIS MAJESTY!!!

[@potateo7504]

"France supported the igbo mostly because of their deep concern for their well-being- Oh wait. No. It was also oil."

[@itisicountolaf.yournewguar6111]

Oh well..

[@jorbennoten9536]

No reason to comment a quote from the video

[@kaypz]

Hahaha!

[@justtheilluminativ282]

South Africa, Rhodesia, Tanzania, the Vatican, Portugal, Gabon, Francoist Spain, and Norway also supported Biafra while Egypt, Syria, and Algeria supported Nigeria

[@davidsugijanto6935]

You know it's messy when The Holy See picked side

[@luisandrade2254]

@@davidsugijanto6935 not really it was basically Biafra conservative Nigeria authoritarian the rest naturally follows

[@jackyex]

Egypt played a big part on it as they were the ones who controlled Nigeria air force as Nigeria didn't have the trained pilots for one of the planes from the Soviets

[@ohpurpled]

60s South Africa, Rhodesia, Tanzania, Estado Novo and Estado Español? A rather questionable set

[@ohpurpled]

@@jackyex and you didn't even get to Franco!

[@NIDELLANEUM]

The running joke of "Britain wanted to be kind and helpful to the oth-JUST KIDDING they wanted to profit from this" is always funny because, no matter how many times he uses it, it still feels like a surprise

[@Dragons_Armory]

yeah same lol

[@ivoaferreira]

Due to the sheer amount of propaganda after ww2 we tend to view the english speaking as the good guys!!

[@engineergaming5989]

I don't know how he does it

[@luisandrade2254]

@@ivoaferreira I mean the pretty much are the best guys

[@scorpixel1866]

@@luisandrade2254 More like the least horrible guys who have the power projection to actually be influential globally, it was them or the Soviets. Now it's them or the CCP.

[@gabrielsa9751]

Here in Brazil the war is extremely famous, but in a very odd way The Brazilian football (soccer) team called Santos, was probably the greatest in the world at the time and had the greatest player of all time (Pelé) in it Football was by far the most popular sport in Nigeria, and the Santos was tour on Africa at the time So Yakubu Gowon, the Nigerian leader invited the Santos to play a game against the Nigerian national team to boost moral and make some propaganda Supposedly a 48 hour ceasefire took place for the game to happen Santos won and went back to Brazil with the story that Pele was able to stop the war The Brazilian dictatorship that always used football as their greatest tool of political propaganda expanded the story way beyond what really happened, with narratives of both sides coming together to watch the game, tentatives to indicate Pele to the Nobel peace prize, and since the war was already at its end when the story happened, the narrative told by the Brazilian media was that the Brazilian football was so incredible that made everybody stop the war and come together in peace and that was the traditional narrative until less than three years ago, a deep point of pride for Brazil An example is that one of our greatest singers from the 80s (with the first place in 84) had the artistic name Biafra

[@gabrielsa9751]

The current consensus is 1 The war probably didn't stop, just had already turned into a mop up operation 2 The game was widely used by the Nigerian government as propaganda and was seen inside the country as a show of support from the idol of so many Nigerians to the Nigerian state 3 The story was a piece of propaganda from the dictatorship But a Brazilian will defend that is true and get pissed if you denies it in the the same if you say as if someone say they speak Spanish or that the Wright brothers invented the airplane

[@yestermonth]

Thanks for the info

[@VGOM2000]

Voar voar, subir subir

[@Chraan]

@@gabrielsa9751 Okay if it wasn't the Wright brothers then it was Otto Lilienthal, what piece do the Brazilians want to claim this time?

[@gabrielsa9751]

@Chraan Lilienthal created the hand glider The airplane invention was contested and claimed by many people, and only after ww2 the Wright brothers started being recognized as the inventors of the airplane outside the US The wright brothers only had their first proved flight in august 1908 They supposedly had a flight in December 1903, but when reporters showed up to see in 1904, they failed (and said it was on purpose so the secrets of the machine would not fall to the other early aviators) And spend the following years hiding his results, only with some photo's of the planes supposedly flying Everybody in Europe accused them of lie about the project and used the fact that they would not allow reporters to see the flights as proof In 1905 they said to the US war department that they were "unable to make a machine capable to produce a horizontal flight and carry a operator" and would stop attempting until they could get one Then in 1908 they finally were able to demonstrate a 1 minute 45 seconds flight in public While in the other side, santos dumond was the greatest aviator alive (at least in fame) since the time he flew around the Eiffel tower with the first gasoline powered dirigible, and between many invention's, he flew in 1906 the first attested flight in history, with a big public and authorities like the international federation of aviation recording in their books And the popularization of the plane was from his prototypes, from the first flight crossing the english chanel to the flight of Roland Garros in new york that popularized aviation in the us It was a question of Europe vs US, where in America people would accuse Santos of being gay and in Europe they would accuse the wright brothers of being a "Bluffeur" Alberto Santos Dumont is one of the most important national heroes in Brazil (elected the third most important brazilian of all time, name in the steel book of heroes of the fatherland and all this kind of stuff) So even though its probable that the wright brothers had successful sustained and self propelled flights before 1908, nobody here ever heard about the Wright brothers.

[@ytterbius2900]

(Full disclosure: I'm Igbo.) Nigerian here! It's nice to see international recognition of our little slice of the Cold War era. To even learn about my own history, I had to go online because I wasn't taught about the war in secondary school history. We remain deeply divided to this day (IPOB, a revivalist movement currently has Anambra State in its clutches) and I find myself increasingly distressed as inflation, fuel and food scarcities and insecurity cause my country to collapse around me. Fun times! (EDIT: I've edited the original comment because I have been told that the war is taught in many Nigerian schools; I just didn't go to any that taught about it.)

[@shohan5772]

Does tension between ethnic and religious groups still exist?

[@matthewtymczyszyn8948]

At least you’re not the Congo.

[@ytterbius2900]

@@shohan5772 Oh yes. Definitely.

[@TheRagedAnnihilator]

My father was Nigerian and I live in the UK, I’ve always wanted to know more about Nigeria and its history.

[@thelastprussian6491]

Does the Nation itself work at all? Do you see yourself and your peopel as ,,nigerians''' ? I would like to know....

[@aregularperson7573]

Imagine the Soviet’s and the United States supporting the same Side during the middle OF THE COLD WAR

[@dreamcogs3877]

Ottomans and Germans had a cold war during WW1

[@BananaWasTaken]

And despite all the weird sides, there always remains Britain being against France

[@CraftsmanOfAwsomenes]

Third Indochina War is also messy

[@johnmccrossan9376]

Wow whoever they were against must've been either crazy evil or crazy noble

[@iagobrabo1460]

@@dreamcogs3877 do you have a source?

[@cokertimilehin2504]

Yoruba from Nigeria here. Great video for the most part, and I am thrilled our stories made it into a space I consider reputable. There is a lot of censorship around the issue in Nigeria so to see it here is impressive. I implore everyone to read about the utter tragedy that was this war and genocide. Sadly, here in Nigeria, that has not been the case as the war hasn't been addressed in any honest or constructive manner. It seems sadly, that we might be heading for similar situations if the main question of the war on whether Nigeria should even exist is not answered.

[@andycole1065]

What are you talking about, there no censorship on this issue.

[@Franklin-gn7bs]

@@andycole1065 keep decieving yourself,how many schools teach history or anything relating to the war?even books like half of a yellow sun and there was a country were banned at some point.

[@victoremmanuel8501]

@@Franklin-gn7bs he want to leave a lie as if we were taught what caused the war in our schools I just pray this generation finds a solution to the problem because if Nigeria is burning the entire Africa is burning

[@DominicNweze]

Ode

[@christianifechukwu9865]

​@@andycole1065don't expose your utter stupidity on the internet

[@danielalfresco969]

My country Cameroon played a major part in the killing of millions of Biafrans. We blocked both our land and sea border to the Biafra region. Which lead to major starvation and no weapon for the Biafrans. In return, Nigeria gifted us Bakassi Peninsula as thank you. I really wish we never participated in that war.

[@joshuajoaquin5099]

Its Geopolitics

[@muhammadabuzarkhan7450]

That was tragic.

[@nwoudochiobinna3673]

Yeah.... frankly I thank you Cameroon...Ojukwu was certainly worse than Gowon

[@luisandrade2254]

@@muhammadabuzarkhan7450 history is tragic

[@jadapinkett1656]

Not true in the slightest.

[@starfthegreat]

Surprised that you didn't mention Egypt which actually dispatched its air force to help the Nigerian Army. Egypt could straight up be considered as a co-belligerent in this conflict alongside Nigeria

[@itszyad4332]

Yeah I was going down here just to mention that. I thought Egypt’s role was big enough in this conflict to warrant at least a name drop

[@ahmednjidda6182]

I love egypt.

[@manchagojohnsonmanchago6367]

Yeah and South africa supporting biafra

[@dieucondorimperial2509]

I think the purpose of the video was explaining the reason why the traditional sides of the Cold War weren’t respected, not to go deeply in all the belligerents of the conflicts.

[@ifecojahs8151]

The Egyptians provided pilots, not planes

[@proudkingmartin]

I'm a Nigerian Igbo, and my grandparents all fought on the Biafran side during the Nigerian Civil War. I'm really surprised and thrilled @History Matters did this video. So much ❤️. I'm so sharing this 💯 💯

[@Nathan-jh1ho]

Is Igbo independence still a thing?

[@ytterbius2900]

@@Nathan-jh1ho Some people still want it. I don't know the numbers, but it feels like Igbo independence seekers are now a minority.

[@oksowhat]

the sides taken are more of meme, so its famous

[@braxtonjones6163]

@@ytterbius2900 I support Igbo land, as An African American we and Igbo should stick together as both people’s have been through hardship a lot of Americans have Igbo ancestry as well.

[@FermionPhysics]

@@Nathan-jh1ho a lot of igbos are mistreated by the government so many do want independence

[@billt8504]

I bought a Nigeria football jersey after the 2014 World Cup, because I thought the green, white and black was the prettiest jersey in the tournament. But I never knew anything about the country itself until now, after watching your video. Thanks.

[@alfredol8741]

Ofcourse it is earth, not heaven, everyone or people or nation have their sins on earth

[@chinwendueze7007]

Green white green

[@wildfire9280]

Eh… this is just one episode in Nigerian history. It’s like learning the sparknotes summary of the American Civil War if it was more like an uprising of abolitionists that failed.

[@Haijwsyz51846]

It proves that it’s never about ideology,but economic interest.

[@GodswillDechi]

Our flag is green, white and green.

[@thunderbird7020]

“It was a diverse country made of many different people, who Britain lumped together because it made the map look nicer” Wait, I’ve seen this one before

[@akapbhan]

British are just eu4 players. They hate mapgore

[@valleyshrew]

It wasnt Britain that made Nigeria have the death penalty for gays. It's safe and easy to criticise Britain, when Nigeria itself is far more deserving of criticism.

[@promethium-145]

@@valleyshrew I actually don't know much about Nigeria. Wasn't it a predominantly Muslim country? I'm honestly curious.

[@thunderbird7020]

@@valleyshrew bruh. Britain castrated one of its greatest heroes of WW2 for being gay.

[@JIJCrow]

Lol he's talking about India right?right?

[@איתןמנור]

I asked my grandma about Biafra a couple of months (she’s Israeli and was alive during the 60’s). Apparently Holocaust remembrance played a big role in supporting Biafra, since it was a lot fresher in the 60’s, seeing pictures of starving kids in the newspapers made a lot of people donate money to help humanitarian causes there. Also the average citizens were aware of humanitarian aid and not necessarily aware of military assistance

[@GerardPerry]

Kurt Vonnegut wrote a very good essay about this in the aftermath of the actual war, which is Worth reading.

[@addali150]

How do you feel that you live on land that was ethnically cleansed?

[@yaso7357]

@@addali150 learn history

[@Comrade_Zaz]

Also notice the humanitarian crises in Palestine

[@muhammadabuzarkhan7450]

@@yaso7357 Learned history that is why we know about the Ethnic cleansing. If you want to deny go ahead. I think after that I am also entitle to deny what Germany did in the Eastern Europe.

[@Kudejo]

Q: Why were the sides in the Nigerian Civil War so weird A: No one cared about Nigeria they only cared about their interests

[@athishnirup1815]

Its just Geopolitics no one really cares and act upon themselves

[@sophiatheczech1918]

99% of history explained in one sentence.

[@Tony-ee3nm]

As always

[@pontifixmax]

In international relations studies, that's called realism. The theory is that all states act out of self-interest and are continually in competition with one another due to the lack of any overaching global authority. The flipside of realism is liberalism, which in IR terms means that states have a natural tendency to cooperate with one another due to the benefits it provides both sides. I argue that states can behave cooperatively and still be in competition with one another. I also argue that despite examples of cooperation between states, self-interest still rules. Therefore, liberalism is dictated by realism.

[@dant.3505]

There are a lot of details packed into this one. I needed to watch again to make sense of it. Good job!

[@FutsuDoko]

I've wondered this for so long, thanks again HM!

[@suptanner]

@History Guy cry about it

[@_____MB_____]

@History Guy bro he didn’t even do anything to you. Why is the hostility needed? Just enjoy the history video and leave the guy alone

[@Ben360net]

As a Nigerian , it's nice seeing someone talk about this. I'm a longtime subscriber and thanks for this.

[@Kerriangel]

“No be dumb.” Lenin truly was a genius of his time

[@undoubtedcrow8010]

"No be dumb?" Or "No, be dumb?"

[@quit222]

Comrade

[@GabrielGarcia-bk7qc]

@@undoubtedcrow8010 Congratulations, you just split the party!

[@alexanderkarvos6728]

@@undoubtedcrow8010 no!!! what have you done?! *the party split into factions*

[@Joe-oh5ch]

He's right. Why would you yes be dumb? It doesn't make any sense.

[@walterwarren2402]

One of your best episodes. I've heard about this but was clueless about the foriegn interventions. Thank you

[@beno1129]

As a Nigerian, I think that the nation will inevitably dissolve at one point or the other. The population is growing rapidly (from under a hundred million in the 1990s to over 200 million now, and should more than double by 2100), while the infrastructure/amenities/jobs are not. There remain significant ethnic and religious tensions, and there is a lot of corruption. These issues combined together make for a really creaky ship. The nation (and many other African states) will work better as a loose economic union rather than an actual country.

[@seneca983]

I would think that the parts that don't have oil won't want to let the ones that do go.

[@BlueIvory4]

@@seneca983 yeah that's the problem. It why when the oil runs out or people stop buying, the country will be on tough legs

[@BlueIvory4]

Yeah I agree. I think Nigeria would work better if it was the 'Nigerian Union' similar to the EU with the bigger ethnic groups & the small ones all being independent soverign states but with some share polices

[@beno1129]

The worst thing is that oil (like most natural resources) creates a deficit economy, as the products of crude oil (petrol, kerosene, diesel, etc) are often more expensive than the crude oil itself. If the nation doesn't have reasonable capacity to process the oil it produces, then its trade balance will be negative, and that's the case with Nigeria and many other resource-rich African countries.

[@ikengaspirit3063]

Don't forget the unbalanced growth in ethnic populations, with Hausa-Fulani growing more rapidly than the rest. This saw them go from a minority to a plurality in Souther Kaduna and Plateau with violence over land and state indigen rights following. What happens when with the addition of the Hausa-Fulani migration from surrounding countries, a similar thing thats to happen in Yoruba, Igbo, Tiv and etc other tribes and ethnicities lands.

[@756-p9f]

The weirdest thing about this war was that Egypt and Israel supported the same side at one point also the Vatican supported Biafra which is something I wouldn't imagine reading

[@uldisbergvalds1]

**allegedly* supported Biafra

[@cardenova]

@@uldisbergvalds1 well the Vatican doesn’t have weapons to give so yeah I would assume it was simply cheering for the fully Christian side to win. It doesn’t have the power to call for a crusade anymore, that changed many centuries ago. Maybe I’m missing something.

[@uyuman1]

@@cardenova Catholic, Igbo land has a large catholic population the aid given to my parents and grandparents during the war is the reason Igbo people of a certain generation respect the catholic church. A lot of people in Igbo land were also educated in either the Catholic or Anglican schools.

[@cardenova]

@@uyuman1 Oh wow, didn’t know that. I myself am Catholic and so is my community here in the US, but the majority of the country is Protestant (Evangelical, Mormon, Anglican,etc). Always been fascinated with Nigeria because it’s been able to hold together as exactly half Christian, half Muslim. I’m sure that’s very difficult though.

[@uyuman1]

@@cardenova We have an unwritten rule that applies even during military rule where the head of state or president is northern/muslim his second has to be southern/christian. We also have quotas written in our constitution, and in practice in government institutions all done to keep the country together.

[@Ghost-wm1db]

As a Nigerian fan of this channel, it was a sweet delight to see this notification. Much love. Keep doing what you're doing. ❤❤

[@0symandias]

As a Nigerian, its great seeing vids talking about our history (even this violent but important part)!Just a few things: Lagos is no longer our capital, its been Abuja since December 1991. Lagos is NOT pronounced 'La-gos' it is 'Lay-gos'. And while the igbo people have a 'g' in the name, it is silent and pronounced 'Ibo'.

[@louisliu5638]

We westerners today still think "Lagos" as it's where all the money and Rolex, Versace, and fashion stores are based, and we only hear about THAT city. Still.

[@cheychi4633]

Lol, no it's not. Igbo is pronounced i-gb-o. The "gb" sound is in the Igbo language and that is how it is meant to be pronounced. The vast majority of non Igbo Nigerians call it "Ibo" and we just allow it cos it's easier to ignore than to start correcting. It's Igbo not Ibo. The g is not silent!

[@Swerl1e]

@@cheychi4633 yeah

[@dreamwithdaniel5134]

You forgot it’s pronounced as be- Afra not bi- afra

[@mr_rocbil]

Na it is NOT ibo, it is igbo that's my tribe bro

[@PhilBallMapper]

The Nigerian government was backed by the UK, USA(sort of), the USSR and Israel. Whereas the Biafra was backed by the People's Republic of China, France, *...and also Israel.* *Imagine the same country is supporting both sides*

[@sharkronical]

It's a funny glitch you can somehow get into in HOI4

[@thegovernmentoftajikistan7841]

Serbia during: Nagorn-Karabakh war be like

[@adambaker8689]

I'm sure it happens far more than we think

[@calm1tbh]

Chosenites have quite a history of funding both sides of conflicts.

[@TheGreatLiberator1209]

@@calm1tbh yeah, neither europeans nor americans would do such a thing, would they?

[@trcaptainsidog]

Thanks to The Front’s video on this topic, I already knew about all of the weird sides in this war, but it’s always nice to see a History Matters’ spin on it.

[@Paranomasia12]

0:24 I love how you managed to make their faces seem simultaneously happy and confused

[@SirAntoniousBlock]

I think we're all a bit confused.

[@The_whales]

“Why are we fighting on the same side while being opposite ideological?”

[@josephcline3652]

All these people saying "the capital is different now". He literally said: "HOUSED the current capital". That's past-tense, for those who didn't know.

[@darth_bastard]

That's redundant. Why use "current" in the sentence?

[@dictatorofcanada4238]

I actually wrote a whole academic essay about this very topic for History! I would have included Portugal as an important ally of Biafra, helping extend the war by airlifting supplies from São Tomé when Biafra was blockaded.

[@alanpennie8013]

Portugal had good reasons to support Biafra as a way to take the heat off themselves for the way they were clinging on to their own African colonies.

[@davidanozie2000]

Yes, I can remember reading about this. But still those airport, even when hidden where bombarded.

[@justinsmooth9197]

Nice wrap. Big fan. 0:43 Nigeria's independence was in 1960, not 1963. We became a "republic" in 1963.

[@Emmanuel-l5p]

i think he meant total independence because the queen was our head until 1963 either was 1960 is more precise

[@derpasaurus_rex6919]

Just a bit of a correction here: Israel initially supported Nigeria as the US did so too, and Israel wanted to improve ties with it seeing as it was basically the time Israel and the US got close with each other. Then they changed sides cos public opinion on the war was firmly pro Biafra and they (the government) felt sympathetic about biafra’s situation.

[@347Jimmy]

He did mention Israel supporting both sides at the start of the video, but only elaborated on public support for Nigeria later, cheers for adding the extra info

[@Bigfatfrog83]

Israel has a history of supporting both sides of conflicts to tear nations apart it’s been admitted as part of their foreign policy to turn nations into “mosaics” especially nations with large Muslim populations.

[@cl9615]

@John Williamson this doesn’t make sense

[@MoldycheeseJr]

@enemy ant they were never friends

[@eryol8853]

I once heard an interview with an Israeli pilot who spoke about how they delivered aid to Biafra via air at night for fear of Nigerian planes

[@samuelhonywill8326]

Loving the west African history - it's one of my favourite parts of the world with such ludicrously fascinating history that more people should know. More topics I'd love to see you cover: Cameroon's Anglo/Francophone duality Kwame Nkrumah and Ghana's independence from Britain, and the domino effect it created The kings of Dahomey Northern Nigeria's links to the Arab world Western Sahara and the Polisario Front The kingdom of Ashanti, their golden stool and their glorious but sadly short-lived mugging off of the British with a fake.

[@LethalLemonLime]

Hey if you don't mind, do you mind giving me some sources where I can learn more about West African history. I'm mainly interested in Nigerian history but I woul definitely be interested in learning about entire region as well

[@notachannel6097]

I love how this conflict has become such a meme that everyone just knows of it. Like normally these titles would be like "the weirdest civil war ever" but this one is just "yea that one" 😂😂😂

[@gerald1495]

it's cool seeing foreigners care about our country's history at all even if it's through memes lol

[@luisandrade2254]

@@gerald1495 how is the civil war perceived in modern Nigerian society and politics

[@samueljarvis9812]

@@luisandrade2254 there are still Biafrans who want to separate from Nigeria.

[@luisandrade2254]

@@samueljarvis9812 but is that a running theme in the elections like say Scottish independence or is it more like Catalan or even Galician independence not really politically significant?

[@typicalperson6389]

@@gerald1495 I’ve learned tons of history through memes. It’s a really nice way to have fun while learning new things.

[@nwoudochiobinna3673]

YEEEEES....I've been watching you for ages, and as a Nigerian I am glad you finally covered my country. There was a lot of pronouncing issues, but what the hell...I'm still happy

[@johnbygrave1929]

I was wondering about this. I thought it was Bee-afra not By-afra and Eebo not Igbo. Thought I remembered that from Half of a Yellow Sun

[@billikpe2718]

@@johnbygrave1929 it's Bee-afra and it's igbo with a silent G

[@alanpennie8013]

@@johnbygrave1929 I was always taught to say Eebo, and Yorerber. But that was in the 1980s and things may have changed since

[@emperornapoleon6204]

The answer we all want: which side did James Bisonette financially support in the conflict? Seriously, amazing video, as always!

[@jakattimbuak5999]

Or Boogly Woogly

[@RodPower78]

Or Scottish Trekkie.

[@the-chipette]

I imagine Spinning3plates was neutral. 🥰

[@oicz]

Proxy war between James Bissonnete and Kelly Moneymaker

[@rimoll]

This is helpful background knowledge for "half of a yellow sun"... Thanks!

[@TheAnakinn]

I'm not proud to admit that this is the first time I've heard of the Nigerian Civil War. So thank you for educating me on that part and including lesser known conflicts and incidents!

[@RMAGGR]

Wait until you find out how many coops there've been....

[@benthomason3307]

To be fair, coups and civil wars are a dime a dozen in post-colonial Africa.

[@KeenAesthetic1]

It's also known as the Biafran war

[@Jotari]

Check out the KZbin Channel New Africa, it gives pretty good analysis of various different African conflicts and political leaders.

[@emilandersen2195]

Honestly, if you look at any sub-saharan country in Africa, just assume they had a civil war at some point.

[@mariajason3547]

"The British felt very passionate about the people.. kidding just OIL " 😂😂😂😂😂😂 Classic.....

[@NIDELLANEUM]

This war is definitely one of the historical events where "which brings the question: why?" is taken up to 100

[@benpye6854]

Spoiler alert: oil

[@ToyyinnAuslander]

War is never funny, but I literally LOLOLLLLLED at the sheer insanity of foreign influence in the war which I never knew till I watched this. Nice summary, guys! Thanks for the free enlightenment.

[@hereLiesThisTroper]

I support the side of the Nigerian Prince! He has a legitimate claim to the Nigerian throne. Plus, he said he could double the money that I sent him. Yep, any day now, I'll be rich!

[@AndrewAMartin]

Only double? He promised me ten times my initial investment... 😆

[@Justin-pe9cl]

Wait, you guys were getting money back?

[@funmilayotijani3119]

This joke is old and unfunny

[@beno1129]

@@funmilayotijani3119 Nah it's still funny, and it's ok. Every country has their negative stereotype

[@udyfrost6380]

All hail the Prince!🙌🙌

[@davidogundipe808]

It's good you are talking about my country, as my country is experiencing unrest right now.

[@rueisblue]

Isnt it always

[@davidogundipe808]

@@rueisblue no not all the time

[@ordinaryperson-my7qr]

@@davidogundipe808 when did the new one start...i didn't even knew...

[@raptorfromthe6ix833]

i hope your country makes it out alive

[@bluebearonbits665]

​@@ordinaryperson-my7qr a terrorist attack happened yesterday on a train with approx 970 on board with 7 confirmed dead already but figures are always played down massively, can't say I've seen it covered by many western outlets however other than BBC Africa.

[@lts3248]

Only Julius Nyrere of Tanzania really showed support in Africa too, everyone was so scared of their house of cards collapsing that they were too nervous to show support for an independence movement. It's the same story with Somaliland today... Same book different page. This whole civil war is fascinating tho, one detail left out the vid is the fact the Soviets and US were also competing for a contract to build huge infrastructure projects (I believe the Soviets won) or how the leaders on both sides were... British educated. Portuguese involvement in the war was also super controversial, given they were still a colonial dictatorship at the time. In response to criticism for using Portuguese airfields in Sao Tome and Principe, the Biafrans gouvernement gave a very Churchillian response of "we'd have landed our planes in hell if they'd let us"

[@lts3248]

Also French foreign policy at the time = 😬😬😬😬

[@brandonlyon730]

@@lts3248It's why Vietnam became such a mess.

[@lts3248]

@@brandonlyon730 tbh I think the ongoing coldwar played a bigger part haha

[@wussrestbrook1200]

There’s something called the oau so the somaliland point is moot

[@lts3248]

@@wussrestbrook1200 " While the Organization of African Unity (OAU)/AU has been engaged in national peace and reconciliation processes for Somalia since the civil war broke out in 1991, the AU has done little to bring Somalia and Somaliland together for negotiations. It has also not helped to address the outstanding dispute between Somalia and its self-declared independent region." That OAU?

[@Daniel-yx6ph]

I am a huge fan of your channel and as an Igbo it's exciting seeing you talk about Biafra. It was a tragedy that still have ramifications till this day but nonetheless thanks for talking about it.

[@cheebi9820]

This video is so perfectly timed as I’m starting an essay on the Nigerian Civil War! Thanks History Matters 😊

[@caiaphas4243]

African history and decolonization is a really interesting subject and the videos you've made about it so far have been really good so I hope you continue to make more of them

[@alanpennie8013]

Portugal's wars of decolonisation are fascinating and little known outside Portugal.

[@ristoabiodun8246]

As a Nigerian subscriber I’m glad you made this video!

[@billy_blackheart9910]

Thank you for covering this!

[@robertdunlap3362]

Don't know if someone said this yet, 0:19 Israel: I'm playing both sides so I always come out on top.

[@datrat3238]

Lol That’s what I was thinking XD

[@chisto6837]

Italy: Finally a worthy opponent, oir battle will be legendary

[@mouhamedaminelaksiri7318]

I know this was a year ago,but Israel didn't help both sides in the same time they sided with Nigeria at the start but later switched to Biafra

[@mouhamedaminelaksiri7318]

And before someone makes a cringe "haha Italy switching side joke" (even tho someone already made it) Italy didn't switch sides in ww2,their fascist government was overthrown by Anti-Fascists

[@M0rshu64]

@1:18 I love how the guy on the left is basically a black Stalin.

[@Joe-ky9tn]

1:40 Like father, like son...

[@Jay_woffe]

3:02 like mother, like son...

[@the100yearslatenewsletter3]

Awesome coverage, so much detail that I wasn't aware of!

[@AChamber]

Hey, just to let you know that the map of the US is missing the Gadsden Purchase of 1854. Not a huge mistake, wanted to inform you cause I like your videos so much

[@Spartan322]

I just had to go back and check and hilariously yup, its at 1:54

[@donkeysaurusrex7881]

Mandela Effect

[@rin_etoware_2989]

the Vatican supported Biafra because oi- no, because the war started to feel genocide-y. that's partly why Israel switched sides midstream too.

[@alanpennie8013]

The background to the war was the massacre of Southerners living in The North which could easily be read (though it never is in later histories) as a massacre of Christians by Muslims. The Vatican may have feared that the Nigerian army would carry out further massacres in The South if given an opportunity.

[@davidanozie2000]

The word "Feel" shouldn't be used in this context. "Feel genocide-ly"? It was a genocide

[@JustaRandomGuy890]

@@davidanozie2000yeah 5 million dead civilians is no doubt a genocide, Israel knows when real genocides happen and never stood on the wrong side of them

[@joesomebody3365]

I had seen the memes about this war before, but hadn't seen a complicated breakdown before now. Thanks for the informative video.

[@oliversherman2414]

I love your channel keep up the great stuff!!!!

[@DisgruntledHippo]

Just another reason why I love this channel. Never thought they were that weird until now.

[@duchevet]

History Matters: "I'll explain this" Also History Matters, litterally less than five minutes after: "So after making the classic Just Kidding joke not once but twice we have explained why Israel supported both sides and USSR supported USA's side to mind game them into not intervening". You are irreplaceable good sir, please never stop what you're doing!

[@doggedout]

".......and, just kidding, it was oil." Pretty much the answer to most wars over last couple of centuries.

[@emperortheconqueror4161]

Your map of north, west and s. east was really accurate! You did ur homework 💯

[@FPSGamer48]

Quick Note: Nigeria gained independence in 1960, not 1963. It became a republic in 1963

[@YourTypicalMental]

KZbin definitely needs more content about African history.

[@vladimirlagos2688]

I spent two days trying to explain my political theory students the Nigerian Civil war to no avail, and then comes History Matters and explains it successfully in under five minutes. I should probably feel like crying, but honestly I just feel a need to sigh in relief...

[@philipobrien3564]

Frederick Forsyth wrote a great book about the war "The Biafra Story". Sadly it didn't sell well so he went on to write fiction and had an international smash with The Day of the Jackal 2 years later and the rest is history. A lot of the best African writers are also Ibo's. The Ibo's I believe were more educated and amenable to colonial rule so were favoured in the civil service. As Nigerians perform so well educationally in the US, I'd be interested in a breakdown of how the different groups perform.

[@chidumebiarukwe6436]

Read “there was a country” by chinua achebe

[@olasunkanmitijani8776]

Well, the Yoruba were the most educated tribe around the time of the Civil War

[@legendneverdies4774]

@@olasunkanmitijani8776 nobody asked u sir

[@adachukwuokafor1536]

@@olasunkanmitijani8776 That was because they didn't take part in the civil war... While the igbos and hausa fought...they maintained a neutral ground and that's the only reason sir

[@jimifash]

@@adachukwuokafor1536 Of course the Yorubas were indeed alpha-active in the war. President Obasanjo like so many countless Yoruba soldiers played a leading role in it. And the Yorubas remain the most sophisticated Nigerians because of one thing: If the Hausa-Fulanis are predominantly Muslim and the Igbos are majorly Christian, the Yorubas as the third major ethnic group are polytheistic by first nature. While when it comes to Yoruba parents you can get away with not attending the Sunday School in the church or the madrassah as a Muslim child, but no Yoruba parent would spare you for refusing to go to a Western education school. That characterized how Obafemi Awolowo, their Western region premier, led millions of Yoruba children in the 1950s and 1960s to cement their leap frog with Western education with his free education programme in those years. For better or worse, it turned them into a competitive group of people always looking for the next wave in science and technology, and doing their terrific best in mastering politics and philosophy. It's easily evident in the socioeconomic dynamics of present-day Nigeria.

[@RonJohn63]

1:13 Trouble's brewing when you can't decide which ethnic groups get into the army.

[@boomredimprint8411]

For an absolutely intense subject as the Nigerian civil war, which I knew about 9% about, your video, as like all of them, has done an amazing job of giving a simplified yet thorough explanation. The graphics are just spot on as well. Thanks, from a supporter, but a poor one.

[@christianifechukwu9865]

Thank you so much for bringing this war to light. Even till today it's still fresh in the consciousness of the average Igbo because it still feels we are still at war with the Nigerian state. Nigeria should never have existed. It's the worst excuse for a country in the history of mankind.

[@Diamond-b8t]

till this day the war is still ongoing and biafrans are still suffering

[@koyejo220]

@@Diamond-b8t how..?

[@Diamond-b8t]

@@koyejo220 you are not the brightest one are you? a literal google search can fill you in or common sense

[@koyejo220]

@@Diamond-b8t Average Igbo reply 🤦🏾‍♂️ Smh.... Is Google search going to tell me the civil war is still going on now.... Nice reply tho You made your parents proud

[@christianifechukwu9865]

​@@koyejo220if you are not Nigerian then your question is valid but if you are Nigerian...

[@woodrew5415]

I don't know what your criteria is for content but a video on the Silver Shields would be epic. I mean a bunch of royal soldiers turn mercenaries who whooped butt well into their 70s is great material

[@nnoahamanthony6500]

Wow couldn't contain myself seeing history Matter's doing a video about the Nigerian civil war. I'm an igbo from Nigeria, and your video is definitely accurate. But it should be noted most military aid support the Igbos got where half hearted support that wouldn't have done anything to change the war. Imagine getting shipments of bullets and when they do arrive the bullets aren't the right fit for the Guns earlier provided. Why go so much stress trying to sabotage the Ragtag Biafra army fighting for survival. It would be right to say the Biafra held out entirely on thier own with no allies and support for 2 and years. And had to produce roughly 50% of thier equipment and armament all by herself. There are couple of books about the civil war I could refer you to if you're interested in learning More.

[@Rath_Burn]

1:33 that made me chuckle Just kidding it was oil.

[@oquocharlz]

My Dad was in the Nigerian Navy during the civil war as an Engineering Artificer. He refused to ever speak about that period in time. Instead, talking about the clashes between members of the various components of the Nigerian Armed Forces towards and after the end of the war.

[@osedebame3522]

I could understand why, the Navy was the primary thing blocking food shipments from reaching Biafran ports as millions starved, many consider it a deliberate act of genocide. The trust many Africans place or did place in their institutions was manipulated to serve the will of oligarchs and madmen, and nowhere was it more destructive than in Nigeria. The scars of the war are still felt and sectarian violence continues

[@tomaszzalewski4541]

There was infighting in Nigerian army?

[@uyuman1]

@@tomaszzalewski4541 We have had a lot of coups and attempted coups, our current president was also a military dictator.

[@donkeysaurusrex7881]

@@tomaszzalewski4541 It is not unusual for different branches of the same military to dislike each other and have clashes. I can’t speak to this specific instance though.

[@ifecojahs8151]

He refuses to speak about it because of the evil they commited against thier own brothers at the behest of the whiteman. His consience is pricking him.

[@aiyeaiye1371]

As an Igbo Nigerian. I will tell you that we in the eastern part on Nigeria are not satisfied with the country & wish to have our own country, Biafra

[@aiyeaiye1371]

@Reflex gamer Like I told you, brother... Nigeria is not a country for me and you but I believe this is the last chance for a sensible Nigeria. I'm voting Obi.

[@Reciticus]

Slight nitpick, but at 1:54, you show the USA without the Gadsden Purchase which, despite the controversy, makes the Arizona/New Mexico border a little cleaner.

[@nanucit]

James Bissonette helps History matters because of his deeply ingrained love for history... Just kidding *It was oil*

[@Dez456]

hahahaha

[@Ginkgo_leaf_3000]

You win this comment section good sir.

[@jamesbissonette8002]

Great video yet again!

[@Ok-but]

ello legend

[@maw4734]

The thumbnail for this one never ceases to make me chuckle. Feels like I should be hearing the Earthbound music kick in any second.

[@Geojet]

My favorite channel keep up the good work 👍

[@icecoldpolitics8890]

“The United state, UK, and USSR in the same side of a civil war at the height of the Cold War” Me: (VISIBLE CONFUSION)

[@PixelHistory]

A day without James Bissonette, is a day without sunshine.

[@therankingworld7627]

😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@hastekulvaati9681]

Read ‘Half a Yellow Sun” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. It’s historical novel but it’s a great primer for understanding the conflict. Cracking read.

[@fighterck6241]

This is not the reason my Igbo parents came to the US; they came for education. It's the reason they never went back. My sister had just been born around the time they finished their Master's and they didn't want to take her into what had become of their home. I'd long wondered about the massive issues Igbos had with Yoruba Nigerians in the diaspora considering how much we seemed to have in common. This type of reflexive distrust and prejudice was never shown to other Africans my parents befriended, be they from Congo, Zimbabwe, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, etc. Only Yoruba. It's sad.

[@drwellzz2907]

Brothers of same household tend to fight the most

[@ikengaspirit3063]

Yoruba but even more for Hausa but Hausa mostly travel to other Muslim countries.

[@chelseacomps829]

Its because us Yoruba's sat by as the Hausa-Fulani did their genocide, so of course naturally the Igbos will view us with distrust and/or contempt

[@ikengaspirit3063]

@@chelseacomps829 The people on group that did most of the fighting were like Tiv people that already had some beef with us Igbos as Igbo troops were used to crush their demand to leave Northern Region in 1957 I think. Anyway, that doesn't really matter since the actual genocide was carried out by starvation not soldiers. Anyways, I think that was a good "learning" mechanism as we now know not to expect others to fight our battles with us, at least not without being bought off.

[@ikengaspirit3063]

@@chelseacomps829 Either way, I think this distrust is very negative as it means that even if we are all suffering, the first person to revolt over the suffering isn't supported but attacked by other tribes, letting the oppression continue cheaply for the oppressors.

[@DavidB5501]

I remember that there was a lot of public support for Biafra in the UK. Nobody likes pictures of starving babies. Also, the Biafrans were good at public relations, with their leader Colonel Ojukwu a charismatic figure who gave a lot of interviews, whereas the Nigerian leader was a cold fish. And Brits always tend to support the underdog, which in this case was Biafra. However, the UK Government, which at the time was Harold Wilson's Labour Party, stuck to supporting Nigeria, but without much enthusiasm.

[@esochibuike8477]

Definitely Harold Wilson would support nigeria. Even despite the alleged genocide going on. He's that arrogant.

[@DavidB5501]

@@esochibuike8477 I wasn't a great fan of Harold Wilson, but at least he kept us (the UK) out of the Vietnam war, despite strong pressure from the US. That's a big point in his favour.

[@barnebyoconnell8176]

@@esochibuike8477 It's not alleged. The Nigerians used starvation to win the war and kill millions. You dont march naked toddlers in the cold unless you want them to die.

[@alanpennie8013]

The children's show Blue Peter raised money for the Biafran cause (to be used for humanitarian rather than military aid)

[@gengis737]

A good book on Biafra war by a great Igbo writer : "Half of a Yellow Sun" with a balanced view of an horrible war origin and events.

[@davidanozie2000]

You should read "There was a country" by chinu Achebe.

[@jideofor.brightbright4488]

Chimanda Adiche was so good..her half of yellow sun was very sad but enjoyable

[@davidanozie2000]

@@jideofor.brightbright4488 "Sad but enjoyable", isn't what you should be looking for [sorry to say] when reading such accounts about a countries civil war. And there's nothing to enjoy about it. That's a watered story. Read the account of someone who experienced it.

[@davidanozie2000]

Please don't misunderstand what I'm driving at here. I'm just trying to make you see some reason to read the book, & see the clear difference between the two.

[@darkchocolate3390]

This and The Front's video about the Nigerian Civil War has been so helpful as a Nigerian-American with Igbo ties. Thanks!

[@Anonymoususer44569]

At this point, you should just put “James Bisonette” on a t-shirt and put it on your merch store

[@berechianyanwu1154]

Nobody who witnessed the war, witnessed what Nigeria was before the war, will be surprised at what Britain is doing now. Britain has been using, is , and wish to continue using Nigeria as THE SOURCE OF HER ALMOST FREE SUPPLY OF NATURAL RESOURCES. This is the MAIN INTEREST OF BRITAIN IN NIGERIA, NOTHING MORE. DIVIDING THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES OF NIGERIA AND MAGNIFYING THEIR DIFFERENCES SERVES HER VERY WELL.... DIVIDE AND RULE CHAMPION... BRITAIN.

[@jonyprepperisrael60]

3:46 so many countries. Heres a video idea, why Malawi did recognize us?

[@shahar1608]

Lol

[@amberfarmer2869]

Glad a major channel finnally talks about this.

[@bolajiolure8391]

Nigerian here. Great video. We gained independence from the brits in 1960 not 1963.

[@nickjohnson1997]

Episode idea. Why did the Mongol invasions of Japan fail?

[@stephenquinn3447]

*BAD WEATHER*

[@TheGr8_06]

the weather

[@4realm8rusirius]

The Mongols died in a Tornado

[@anttibjorklund1869]

Kamikaze. No, literally. The tornadoes that forced the Mongols to forget about the invasion were thought of as divine intervention and were thus known as "divine wind" or kamikaze.

[@galatheumbreon6862]

Bc their boats sucked

[@algumacoisa1232]

"you can't lose a war if you are on both sides" - Israel probably

[@dalstein3708]

"You can't lose a war if you sell weapons to both sides." - Arms manufacturers throughout history.

[@SharkyMcSnarkface]

- Italy definitely

[@yuvalgabay1023]

A True geto moment (I'm Jewish I can do this joke)

[@zhcultivator]

Based

[@sdonli4]

Very few corrections. Following this channel for ages, waiting for this video. Amazing job. I'm Hausa for Zaria if I'm forced, I'm Nigerian and African, by choice.

[@dannyarcher6370]

2:34 - That's some 4D chess shit by the Russians.

[@TheMCzorro]

There were several things like that done by the Soviets mentioned on this channel that surprised me with just how genious they were, the resolution of the Cuban Missile Crisis being one of them

[@Skel1001]

Imagine needing to explain to someone from the medieval age how modern day politics and international affairs work

[@fighterck6241]

Somehow I think a medieval noble would get it more than the average Joe living today. Remember that the Holy Roman Empire was a thing and half the Royal families in Europe were related to them.

[@iapetusmccool]

@@fighterck6241 yeah, one could argue that it was the 17/18/19th centuries that were odd, first with the Peace of Westphalia establishing the idea that every state should be sovereign, and later nationalist ideas arguing that every "nation" (which then basically meant ethnicity) should have their own state.

[@jeddi5173]

It's really a weird moment in 20th century, where every country is over the place

[@taiwokomolafe1542]

What I learnt from this is that enemies can work together if the result benefits their own cause

[@Brackfield]

This is the video game equivalent of the real world.

[@davea6314]

If someone claiming to be a Nigerian prince or princess contacts you for money, it's a scam. It seems obvious, but I met an old lady who fell for this scam.

[@drwellzz2907]

Why do they fall for it anyway, alot of Nigerians actually think white people are really dumb for falling for something so obvious, "oyibo na mumu" is a common phrase

[@aytj2073]

@@drwellzz2907 its becausw they're dumb

[@fighterck6241]

@@drwellzz2907 considering what the older crowd on Facebook are willing to believe, it isn't very shocking. Alot of these people are on fixed incomes, haven't worked in years and are in cognitive decline. The type of people most susceptible to the scam self select themselves since most people wouldn't look twice at these emails.

[@michaelstrong722]

Shut up 2004 spainese Lad scam me 20000euro for my football career

[@puppetmaster579]

So it was mostly a proxy war between Britain and France over oil, with several other countries playing tangential roles but didn't care enough about it (or had concerns about getting too deeply involved) so the war had peculiar sides.

[@alanpennie8013]

It should be said that The Organization of African Unity always supported Gowon because of its general principle of resisting the partition of every state in Africa. Nowadays it's less hostile to partition where it appears necessary.

[@alparslankorkmaz2964]

Nicely explained.