The Royal Afghan Army - "Prussians of the Orient"

Between 1926 and 1973, Afghanistan was a relatively peaceful kingdom, possessing a well-organised military called the Royal Afghan Army. Find out how WW2 Afghanistan had good relations with Nazi Germany, so much so that its German-looking army was called the "Prussians of the Orient".
Dr. Mark Felton is a well-known British historian, the author of 22 non-fiction books, including bestsellers 'Zero Night' and 'Castle of the Eagles', both currently being developed into movies in Hollywood. In addition to writing, Mark also appears regularly in television documentaries around the world, including on The History Channel, Netflix, National Geographic, Quest, American Heroes Channel and RMC Decouverte. His books have formed the background to several TV and radio documentaries. More information about Mark can be found at: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Fe...
Visit my audio book channel 'War Stories with Mark Felton': • One Thousand Miles to ...
Help support my channel:
www.paypal.me/markfeltonprodu...
/ markfeltonproductions
Disclaimer: All opinions and comments expressed in the 'Comments' section do not reflect the opinions of Mark Felton Productions. All opinions and comments should contribute to the dialogue. Mark Felton Productions does not condone written attacks, insults, racism, sexism, extremism, violence or otherwise questionable comments or material in the 'Comments' section, and reserves the right to delete any comment violating this rule or to block any poster from the channel.
Credits: US Army; US Department of Defense; US National Archives; Armiemuseum Stockholm; Bodo Kudrak; Rror; Alan Wilson; TSRL; Matthew Vanitas; NJR ZA; Katangais

[@MarkFeltonProductions]

Two errors in the video - I mistakenly said Bhutan was part of China, obviously I meant Tibet, and I mislabelled the Afghan embassy in Berlin as 'Kabul'. Apologies!

[@jorenprins5947]

tibet aint a part of china tho

[@scottkelly781]

Forgiven

[@moruxuss8313]

@@jorenprins5947 it is?

[@winstonsmith2079]

@@moruxuss8313 The Tibetans say it isn't and I am with them.

[@edwardweeden2834]

Even the 'perfect' err . . .

[@officierpolonais2367]

Afghan soldiers with german helmets, english rifles and french tanks! This was already globalization!

[@scockery]

They must've struggled to master all those reverse gears in the French tanks.

[@SirAntoniousBlock]

@@scockery Boy you really need to watch more Mark Felton videos to stop you looking so stupid. 😂

[@palastofhistory4026]

@@scockery why does the French tanks have Rear-view mirrors So they can see the battle field

[@syedlatifshah5156]

they surrendered like French

[@officierpolonais2367]

@@palastofhistory4026 that's offensive! I'm French.

[@stormforge6838]

I was in Afghanistan from 2010-2011. I met a 73 year old man who had a picture on him from his time in service of the Royal Afghan Army. We spent about 30 minutes discussing his time in the service and mine. It was very interesting and inciteful, he was very proud of that time.

[@DeutscherKaiser]

Amazing!

[@vforvendetta275]

Could he do jumping jacks ?

[@t16205]

Imagine participating in that era, just to see it all fall down around you.. Thank you for sharing!

[@sslaytor]

Interesting misspelling of "insightful". Inciteful sounds very aggressive!

[@ottersirotten4290]

@U Toob Doesn't like the Truth. They didnt during the 53 years before the NATO went in

[@advanced2431]

I read in a book simply titled “The History of Afghanistan” that the reason the monarchy was not reinstated was because none of the Anti-Taliban politicians and warlords at the Bonn Agreement wanted to reinstate the monarchy. They felt the king was out of touch of the experience of the Afghan people due to his 40 year exile. Additionally they wanted a new weak government so their local power could be retained. The deal for a new government nearly collapsed but ultimately Karzai was chosen. He was chosen purely because he had no armed support on the ground and would not pose a threat to the power of the warlords. The current heir to the Afghan throne currently writes poetry in Alexandria, Virginia.

[@haroldlawson8771]

How did that turned out for them?

[@haroldlawson8771]

The us was the reason too

[@julesdingle]

a couple of older friends who must be in their 70s now went on the hippy trail and hung out in Afghanistan ..they made money buying a selling hand made guns! between Pakistan, and on one occasion their motorbike broke down and the crown prince in some fancy Merc , stopped and gave them a lift [having one of his entourage transport the motor bike].. He was apparently very social and they have a photo of themselves grinning with the prince. One has since been the subject of book 'Hero of our Time'.

[@MrJohnnyDistortion]

The heir to the Afghangistan throne is in Alexandria Virginia?

[@axelpatrickb.pingol3228]

@@MrJohnnyDistortion Not surprised. The heir to the Italian throne is selling pasta from a truck in LA...

[@saopro21]

I am Afghan and I want to personally thank your Mr. Felton for this video. I have lived in Afghanistan for most of my life and most of my family lived under the king. The people in my village and entourage always spoke very nostalgically of him, as if speaking of a benevolent god. He was revered and dearly loved. We all wept like kids when he died. Allah negoa conna Pacha Zahir Shah.

[@lior6222]

Hope you and your relatives are doing well in these times!

[@stiltskino4009]

This man Deserves a ❤

[@ckgk3831]

Fight afghan

[@blenk16]

Dude rip

[@stiltskino4009]

@Martin Parvanov 🇧🇬 Hey Saddam I knew you were ok

[@stephentokley4521]

My dad served on the Khyber Pass in 1946 - 47 and recalled seeing Afghan soldiers at the frontier

[@MarkFeltonProductions]

My grandfather fought in Waziristan in 1936-37, which I believe borders Afghanistan.

[@15-Peter-20]

@@MarkFeltonProductions my grandad lost his leg fighting in Italy had to play dead and hide under bodies till the Americans found him and saved him.

[@stephentokley4521]

My dad remarked on the german helmets the afghans wore. He was a warrant officer in the Royal Ordnance Corps attached to the Indian army based at Landikhotal. After Indian independence he was sent to Iraq, after embarking to Egypt and travelling through Palestine (now Israel) and Jordan. Quite an adventure for a young man from rural Essex!

[@afaqahmad5890]

@@MarkFeltonProductions yes you are absolutely right

[@umerwazir2675]

@@MarkFeltonProductions hey mark just wanted to ask whether he fought in south or north waziristan. I am from south waziristan myself. I have plenty of photos of the British indian troops that were stationed there. We still have a few laws in effect that were created by the British "chota" ( not the urdu one which means small ). Feels good to know that a great historian like you knows about our place.

[@tylerbean1686]

“The history channel” should let Mark take over

[@navyreviewer]

They could have plenty of historians. Reality shows are cheaper.

[@sophrapsune]

They already have!

[@bazzatheblue]

Theres only so much tiger tank content though thats the problem.

[@mayamanign]

There is no more History Channel.

[@Geckobane]

Yeah dude, the History Channel is kaput. Let it go and enjoy the new frontier.

[@SzczepanZZ]

I'm a military history graduate, yet there isn't a single day I can't learn something new. Mr. Felton, thank you for teaching us about those events!

[@williamyoung9401]

Before you invade a country, watch Mark Felton Productions. ^_^

[@commissarkordoshky219]

Like when I found out about the Chilean Purssian Army, I will never look at Afganistan the same way again

[@ajax54]

I know right? So much potential wasted

[@TheColombiano89]

Colombia aswell

[@oj.s8856]

So, the Chileans could be referred to as the Prussians of the South? They've certainly kept the Prussian influence until now.

[@simontemplar.8668]

As far as I know Germans were called Prussians of Europe.

[@bazzatheblue]

@@simontemplar.8668 germans were called the afghans of europe I heard.

[@safahmehdavi8264]

As an Afghan American who was born in America thank you for sharing the history of the country

[@MikoyanGurevichMiG21]

12:24 Imagine if the King was restored instead of the hesitant Karzai. History could have been so much different and peaceful in a comparative sense.

[@jakeweberzwier8655]

@WaR ZoneZZZ Do you mean the "democratically" installed US puppet government?

[@animeweng]

No difference. Taliban would overthrow the king. LMAO. It's the Muhajideen territory. Half the population in the countryside supporting them.

[@ramudasanjuu]

@WaR ZoneZZZ He was going to die anyway. They could, at the very least, let him "rule" his country once again in his last years.

[@vikingodin1986]

This is just a superior history channel with spot on narration

[@bowdownbedwenches4563]

"And we all know the outcome of that particular adventure."

[@KR-mm4el]

a victory!

[@radarmike6713]

It wasn't an "adventure" for us who were there.

[@KR-mm4el]

@@timothykissinger4883 how many trillions did the us gain though, that is the real question 🤔

[@jurtra9090]

@@timothykissinger4883 2 Trillion

[@davidcockayne3381]

@@radarmike6713 I’m sure the remark was aimed at the politicians, not the soldiers.

[@ahadpezeshkpoor1042]

No body talks about the times of Kings because it's inconvenient to the current mainstream understanding. Zaher Shah was betrayed and overthrown by the communists backed by the Soviets who then were defeated by the Islamists backed by the US. Zaher Shah in Afghanistan and Pahlavi in Iran our last attempt to survive as a civilization. We were defeated facing unbeatable odds. Thank you for sharing some truth about my dying civilization. You can never find such unbiased perspective on KZbin except here.

[@warmcold9717]

Afghanistan, Iran, etc didnt deserve to be used as geopolitical fodder that impacted and cause the suffering of millions of people. Just carry in your heart the legacy of your culture, people, and history, and it'll never die. I pray for you and your country. Monarchies are basically synonymous with "tyranny" and other buzzwords in the West, but now that real tyranny is upon these areas through disgusting geopolitics, let those people who did your country wrong feel the shame and disgrace they deserve to feel. Monarchies may not be perfect, but they held people together with a sense of shared tradition, culture, and history. "This is OUR king, who rules OUR country, who is apart of OUR history". Democracy is not some utopian ideal that should be thrust upon every area of the world just because. I am truly sorry for your country and peoples situation.

[@nickhanlon9331]

I am an Australian and the debate we had of monarchy v republic touched on this matter of stability. Republics tend to be very unstable whereas monarchies have traditions and customs that bind the people together. I live in Thailand and the same thing is going on here. Burma, Laos, Cambodia all got rid of their kings and have turned into shitholes. Thailand and Malaysia retained their kingdoms and have done well. McArthur was very wise not to get rid of the royal system in Japan in my opinion.

[@peterlyons8793]

Survive as a civilization? That Western/NATO/Christian ideal left on the last C-17 flying out of Kabul airport. We should bomb that civilization back to a sandbox filled with pork bellies.

[@GeorgeRomneyO]

Well he was overthrown by his cousin technically. Daoud Kahn wasn’t a communist, just a garden variety prick.

[@ahadpezeshkpoor1042]

@@nickhanlon9331 I agree with you. If Doug Mc Arthur placed a restaurant owner in charge of some made up republic in Japan like they did in Afghanistan, Japan would be a completely different country today. I envy you for her Majesty Elizabeth II. She really carried all of the common wealth through 100 crisis. Long live to her.

[@paulmurphy42]

Felton does it again - he produces a brilliant little documentary which nobody else has ever even thought of doing! Keep 'em coming Mark!

[@dustinhoffmann6241]

Yes thats a real "Felton". Most of the times you end one of his videos with a deep " i didn´t know anything of that".

[@David-yo5ws]

@@dustinhoffmann6241 Dustin! The most underrated actor in Hollywood. 84 and still going strong. Annie award 2009 for the Voice of Kung Fu Panda.

[@SteelHorseRider74]

I read and viewed a lot about Afghanistan in the past 30 years, but this aspect was completely new to me. Thanks Dr. Felton!

[@alexmason668]

Mr Felton has gifted us yet another rare historical insight which is the existence of Afghan's Prussian-style Royal Army. Bravo!

[@Black-Sun_Kaiser]

Thats DR MR Felton to you ,sir.

[@Black-Sun_Kaiser]

Just in case it wasn't obvious, im just kidding with the comment.

[@npickle54]

SPOILERS!!! lol

[@omarelyaakabi7748]

BUTKISSING

[@Black-Sun_Kaiser]

@@omarelyaakabi7748 theres 100 comments like this one on every video he does, mark could fart into the mic and theyd be like oh wowwwww

[@FranzJosephI.]

The Kingdom was the golden age of Afghanistan.

[@barryirlandi4217]

Not really... Just for the people in the cities..

[@nqh4393]

@@barryirlandi4217 And after that, not even for the people in the cities. So your point being?

[@ktheterkuceder6825]

Actually they had their golden age until they made the fatal mistake and killed some mongol envoys.

[@t16205]

@@ktheterkuceder6825 Correct! A lot has happened under the sun

[@mr.anderson2241]

@@barryirlandi4217 still was if you think about it, sure the cities had it good unlike the rural countryside but at least the countryside was somewhat stable and free to do whatever they wanted unlike nowadays

[@Rayrard]

Imagine the Afghan tanker's reaction when they replaced the WW1 era Renaults with T34-85's

[@charlieyellowstone8248]

That was really interesting. That picture showing a bunch of Afghans marching down down the street wearing German helmets but carrying Russian rifles was something else to see. 😳

[@aksmex2576]

I thought their uniform was soviet.

[@internetpleb4854]

They probably could have stood a better chance against the Taliban.

[@RedRocket4000]

Well they kept the tribe most Taliban came from happy along with the other tribes. And yes the corrupt Afgan Army the US put in along with corrupt government as the US cannot bring it self to control it's puppet governments and it has doomed the US over and over. In part because the defense contractors and arms manufactures along with contractors in US love the corruption that they get a piece too. This has happened in Vietnam, Afghanistan, and many other countries the US propped up. This the Neo Con dream under Bush they talk democracy so they try to set up these western style government but because they always working corrupt deals in business and weapons for US they always import that corruption to the countries the US sports and tolerate the home grown corruption there. Neo Cons on that side of Republican Party little power not but they were big with Bush. US should have gave it to the King or what ever the council of tribes wanted and pulled out we had done the punitive expedition already. And the Arab League offered to occupy Iraq, we could have supported the Kurds who welcome our forces and let the Arab League take the rest and leave. Why stay.

[@orcinus6802]

They probably would’ve joined the Taliban.

[@funfact8660]

Better than that Alzheimer's ridden, International Weakling and Laughingstock fake President, cut and stumble, bumble, fumble, tumble and mumble Joe

[@funfact8660]

@@RedRocket4000 Well at least when the Soviets left Afganistan, the Top Russian General wiped out over 25 thousand Mujahideen and Taliban in a final ruse, before slamming the door shut and personally driving the last Tank out

[@koalabrownie]

@@funfact8660 Still 10 times better than Trump

[@at1970]

They don’t have to worry about using enfields or AKs anymore.

[@TommygunNG]

@Gallentean He's referring to all the U.S. arms left there by President "Xo," as someone I know refers to him.

[@amg863]

@Gallentean oh dear. I never thought Mark's video would attract people such as yourself. I didn't think you watched anything other than fox news

[@victorkmlee]

@Gallentean Does it occur to you at the very least that Afghans do not like been ruled (through a puppet) by a foreign power, do not like been bombed, killed or maimed (women and children included) without any accountability? You must realise the same Talibans (and Al Queda) were once Mujahideens backed by the US. There is a geopolitical term called blow back. The rapid collapse and complete failure of the US-installed Ghani government shows how unpopular this government. Nobody fought for this government. Wake up to reality.

[@kksan]

@@victorkmlee No, he wakes up to Fox morning news.

[@basolisk3057]

True, the US army has nicely equipped them now

[@Ali-bu6lo]

It's a shame the US refused to restore the monarchy. Even a cursory look at Afghan history shows that country was far more stable under monarchy, especially under king Zahir and had been in everlasting chaos ever since they made it a republic, but they decided to establish a republic anyway.

[@scottabc72]

Do you think the various warlords and local authorities would have accepted that? My understanding is that the initial success of the U.S. invasion was due to warlords etc... actively or passively supporting it and they didnt want a strong central government after the invasion taking away their power.

[@Ali-bu6lo]

@@scottabc72 In any case, the US not supporting the initiative and shutting it down didn't help. Even considering your points, a weak central government with a legitimate king would have been better for the country. The King would've been practically a figurehead, as Zahir Shah was not really into politics and when he did interfere he started to reform the system into a constitutional one, limiting his own power. Not to mention he was 86 years old at the time of the invasion. So essentially, the strength of the government won't change much as everything is the same, just a symbolic king is at the top, however in the long run I think the nation may be more stable.For example, when they wanted to elect the second president, it tuned into an ethnic conflict between Pashtun Ghani and Tajik Abdullah. Pashtuns want the highest office for themselves as they have been the rulers of Afghanistan under its monarchy since 1700s. this would be somewhat satisfied by Pashtun king, they can even make it semi-constitutional as it was before 1973 and give king some powers. This could help avoid a lot of political crisis, might weaken the support of Taliban among Pashtuns (as Taliban are in their core, a Pashtun group) and help a lot with Taliban making peace with the government. Also I doubt this government would have collapsed in 11 days like the real one.

[@scottabc72]

@@Ali-bu6lo Could-of-beens are impossible to prove but I agree you could be right

[@Ali-bu6lo]

@@scottabc72 They are impossible but you can still use analogues. A tribal rural country is barely ready for a republic unless you force people to urbanize and establish a tyranny, this is what Reza Shah and Ataturk did in Iran and Turkey respectively which is again very hard in Afghanistan's hellish geography.

[@dreddy_g]

Afghan Army 1940: "You come close, we skewer you." Afghan Army 2021: "What is a jumping jack?" 🤣🤣🤣

[@aksmex2576]

All the professionals died off. The only part of the afghan army that was good were the afghan commandos, about 20k of them, and they fought 70-80% of the offensive fights, and some still are fighting.

[@EM-tx3ly]

Not any more All a failure it seems

[@1977Yakko]

The current situation is gut wrenching to behold but I appreciate the history lesson as always.

[@hongo3870]

I sure feel helpless when living history is taking place, such as afghanistan

[@1977Yakko]

@@hongo3870 We already lost so many but those unfortunate 13 servicemen and women we lost plus the billions in weaponry and equipment we left behind... unforgivable. All for nothing.

[@at1970]

@@1977Yakko Not totally for nothing. They still got to blame it on trump.

[@Dozz70]

@@1977Yakko Yeah.....it is a shame such a bad situation was left due to the prior administration.

[@t16205]

@@Dozz70 omg

[@awesomehpt8938]

Too bad the Afghan army wasn’t like this a few weeks ago

[@cornbreadfedkirkpatrick9647]

Yep.

[@crowmack]

They are fighting ISIS K. Trump, Pompeo and now Biden have betrayed them and did a deal with the Taliban or have you forgotten this? It only happened in the last few years.

[@GeraltofRivia22]

@@crowmack the Taliban have been winning for a few years now. Trump negotiated a temporary peace to allow the US to withdraw. Biden threw that out the window and moved the withdrawal date further back, causing the Taliban to renege on the deal and led to the chaos we saw the past few weeks.

[@MrSh4des]

The Taliban are the Afghan army. The puppet rulers during the globalist occupation were traitors.

[@ethimself5064]

Back in the day the Taliban were there, just not formally

[@alimehmed9542]

a swedish dev: "interesting idea for a 10 BUCK DLC"

[@aksmex2576]

I thought that too though. Afghanistan and Iran etc to revive the old empires. I mean they did it to turkey.

[@__prometheus__]

Make it $20 and still leave out a ton of content

[@DuelingBongos]

I wonder if things would have turned out any differently in Afghanistan if the monarchy of King Zahir had been restored in 2002?

[@jakeweberzwier8655]

It would. No 20 year war, and The Taliban would be wiped out for good.

[@dutchrjen]

Yes, most likely it would. The king was seen as legitimate and was widely known among the people of Afghanistan as the "father of Afghanistan." He was widely known throughout the world to be a good leader and he was one of those rare leaders that willingly gave up power to democratize (like George Washington did). He was deposed by a backstabbing relative who had the backing of the USSR as the USSR wanted to turn Afghanistan Communist. Even at the time many saw this coup as illegitimate and after the USSR invaded any support for Soviet style Socialism was gone. The king would not have been in power long though as he was infirm in 2002 and died in 2007 but could have been a figure head from 2002 to 2007 and his son could have been king (don't know much about his son). A slow move towards some form of democracy could have occurred with the monarchy being the figure head and executive. Some strong legitimate figure was needed to tie the country together. Not reinstating the monarchy was awful decision made by Bush. Instead the US installed the corrupt (but competent) Karzai who was later replaced by Ashraf Ghani. Karzai was a strong leader but VERY corrupt. Ghani is WIDELY hated in Afghanistan because he has next to zero leadership skills. Ghani is a bookworm (very smart) who was taught in western universities but is widely know to have no people skills and is not a strong figure. He's also know to have a temper. Ghani taught at Berkeley and John Hopkins Universities (quite "woke" institutes) and he's seen as a foreigner by many in Afghanistan. He had no ability to negotiate and had no authority to keep the tribes in line. Ghani was pretty much installed by Obama. There was an election but there was wide spread election fraud and the US negotiated a deal to make Ghani the "winner" (a fellow Ivy League taught intellectual) and the opposition candidate was given a new "executive" position in Afghanistan. This arrangement was a disaster and undermined both candidates. Could you imagine a government where Trump is Vice President and Biden or Obama is president and the Vice President had real power of his own? A leader can make or break a country. Karzai was mediocre and Ghani was a disaster. There was a good article written in 2016 about how horrible Ghani was and he was elected in 2014. Trump didn't even invite the Afghan Government to the Doha Peace Talks with the Taliban because no one respected it. I knew Ghani was incompetent years ago.

[@Davitofrito]

@@dutchrjen What is your opinion on Amrullah Saleh and the afghan government in exile?

[@roy6907]

Reminds me of the time when Japan just opened up in the late 1800s and went on a world tour and everyone tried to butter up to them for trade, and when they went to Germany Bismarck said “Trust no one, become strong yourself.”

[@alanrogs3990]

wise wise words

[@elseggs6504]

@@alanrogs3990 were they though? It got his country in two World Wars, one of which left it in Ruins. The one time Germany truly became the european Hegemon was by not following that advice by joining the proto-EU

[@alanrogs3990]

@@elseggs6504 He didn't tell them to invade someone.

[@aminebe1263]

@@elseggs6504 you misunderstood what he said.

[@TheSoundsage]

They were "opened up" under the guns of American warships. you call that "buttering them up"?

[@baldaction3510]

An FT-17 perfectly preserved was found by french forces in Afghanistan, bought and brought back to Saumur Museum in 2007.

[@WK-ez1kg]

One FT-17 - formerly serving in the Polish army - was brought back to Poland by the Polish troops deployed in Afghanistan in 2000's. .

[@tomaszmagierowski2166]

@@WK-ez1kg Here's video kzbin.info/www/bejne/m5CyiGmBi8h0o5I

[@SuperChuckRaney]

soundsz like it was 'liberated'

[@simsmonth277]

They stole it

[@Phobos_Anomaly]

You have 1.43 million subscribers at the time of writing, and deserve every single one of them. Specifically because you produce unique content and tell unique historical stories that can't be heard anywhere else!

[@tpbrcombo]

Thank you Dr Felton. I learn a lot from all your videos but this was entirely new and very interesting to me.

[@alanocarlossur9440]

I brought back two German helmets from my 1st trip to Afghanistan in 2004. I never knew how they got there. My thoughts were the Soviets had supplied them from captured German equipment left over from WW2. I was also able to bring back several "pass" rifles mentioned in this video: a Lee-Enfield, a Martini-Henry, and also a Martini-Enfield.

[@markusk1015]

Khyber pass?

[@hadiissa2897]

Wow that’s amazing.

[@Ramzi1944]

You found good loot

[@Kublaioi]

Nice you're a thief

[@ZeSgtSchultz]

Now when's the video about the "current" Afghan army coming out?

[@lehonwhale8070]

What army xD

[@mr.orwell5680]

The Afghan National Army - The ARVN of the Middle East

[@firstnamelastname1760]

Instead of getting shitfaced the ANA are chillin across the border

[@Ay-xq7mj]

Clearly there is nothing wrong with the return to diversity. Afghanistan has a lot less white people now so its much more diverse!

[@jimc.goodfellas226]

Too soon?

[@johndough-ish4701]

Outstanding, well-researched video, as always. Thank you, Mr. Felton!

[@lucasmartin5479]

This is all new to me. Thanks for the upload!

[@xXAlmdudlerXx]

I bet these soldiers would have held out against the Taliban these days.

[@yakub3962]

They'd fight side by side with their Taliban brothers.

[@tasman006]

Agreed as the Afghan recruits recentley now defeated most of them where always stoned of there heads and a lot of them didnt get paid by corrupt officials.

[@alihashem846]

You don’t get it bro, todays Taliban are the sons of the Prussians of the Orient

[@jonathanwilliams1065]

@@yakub3962 like hell The Taliban Are traitors and serve Arab overlords

[@faceclutch5555]

@@jonathanwilliams1065 lol. You don't know us Pathans. No wonder you lost.

[@warringtonfaust1088]

After noticing a limp caused by a Jazail bullet, Sherlock Holmes first words to Dr. Watson were "You have been in Afghanistan I perceive".

[@vk2ig]

_A Study In Scarlet,_ I think that was the one where Holmes first met Watson?

[@tubbytown6545]

"Two thousand pounds of education, drops to a ten-rupee jezail " Arithmetic on the frontier.

[@Makaveli2000]

@@tubbytown6545 Kipling?

[@tubbytown6545]

@@Makaveli2000 Yep. Kipling "Arithmetic on the frontier" The NW Frontier. Some more .... "Strike hard who cares - shoot straight who can - The odds are on the cheaper man." It seemed apposite when we went into Afgh and that's how it turned out.

[@bsilcott]

Thank you for another fascinating lecture Professor Felton.

[@bobling98]

Thank you so much for captioning your videos! It helps immensely with understanding your videos at pace.

[@Ozymandias1]

"We all know the outcome of that particular adventure." Classic!

[@Truthteller0001]

The Afghan Aryans always admired Hitler

[@batticusmanacleas510]

I wanna be Mark Felton when I grow up. Just a Sorcerer of History, conjuring up knowledge for the masses

[@rodger3352]

:)

[@lespectator4962]

I hope your dream comes true. Unfortunately there are people nowadays who would rather revision history for the sake of making their ideology a fake reality through confirmation bias. They don't understand that history isn't supposed to be always easy to swallow and never offend anyone, because if it did it would ruin the point learning from it. Don't let those people ruin your dream!

[@BoskiM]

Just be yourself is always the best advice

[@Diddy1970AD]

You can't do both!! :-)

[@Ponen77]

To top it off I recommend you call yourself Tim, Tim the Enchanter has a certain ring to it.

[@lordofdunvegan6924]

As always, an excellent well researched video. Thank you. A lot of Afghanistan history simply and clearly explained. A real gem of production.

[@tsparc2]

Excellent video covering an interesting subject as usual!

[@Dimapur]

Looks like Afghanistan was like the little brother getting gifts from older siblings to side them in siblings wars!

[@sophrapsune]

Afghanistan sounds as though it once would have been a fantastic place to find & purchase serviceable items for war museums.

[@wayneantoniazzi2706]

I've heard the US Army found some Renault FT-17's in Afghanistan and brought them home for restoration and display. Anyone know if it's true?

[@sophrapsune]

@@wayneantoniazzi2706 Thanks for mentioning this story. From a quick online search, it looks as though one was taken to the Warsaw Military Museum in Poland, another was restored in Fort Knox but is now displayed in Fort Benning GA, and a third is still being restored at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds MD.

[@wayneantoniazzi2706]

@@sophrapsune You're welcome, and thanks for the input! Can you imagine the looks on the soldiers faces when they found those FT-17's and especially if they knew what they were? That I would have loved to see!

[@machiavellianoverture1747]

Wow, grateful for this upload.

[@auxaus4613]

Great video Mark, as always

[@lancehymers4674]

I was thinking of the line from Kipling’s “The Young British Soldier”: “When you’re wounded and left on Afghanistan’s plains, and the women come out to cut up what remains, just roll to your rifle and blow out your brains, and go to your God like a soldier. Go, go, go like a soldier… a soldier of the Queen.” This stuff has been going on forever - I wonder who’ll be next to invade Afghanistan, in about 2055, saying ‘This time we’ll win!” I’ve got a degree in history and consider myself a WWll buff, but I’ve never watched a Felton video and not learned something new. Excellent as always, Mark.

[@MajorT0m]

I don't think I know this Feldon fellow.

[@ProjectEkerTest33]

My bet's on China trying next. Though maybe they'll be smarter and just conquer it with debt.

[@bentos117]

decision makers just finally understood, that it is useless to try to civilize them... it is not a military defeat

[@karlmarka]

maybe aliens

[@coltpiecemaker]

@@karlmarka Aliens: "We are here to conquer you." Us: "Okay, but that means you will have to invade Afghanistan too." Aliens: **Get in UFO and leave**

[@assessor1276]

As always, a fascinating tale of an unknown aspect of history and its profound influence on current events. Well done Mark!

[@maretrushbrook9666]

informative as always Mark .Great history lesson

[@user_698]

A very informative Video!Thank you Doctor Mark!

[@hildaenjoyer8862]

I hope the Afghani people find peace soon. They deserve so much better than what the past few decades have thrown at them.

[@stephensanderson6386]

Hope so too.nobody likes a tourist.

[@JackDaniels-tv3qp]

They were kings in throwing things at themselves. Look at them.

[@chacdogful]

They are about to get anything BUT peace! 😢

[@kevin_1230]

Far longer than that afghan has seen no peace.

[@darkjudge8786]

They deserve to remain the backward medieval religious zealots living in poverty they chose to be through cowardice and corruption.

[@JulesA-C]

I never knew this and it's very interesting. Wow Its so fascinating.

[@jasongarufi8187]

Thanks for that Mark another moment of history I just learned about thanks to you

[@johnhagemeyer8578]

Dr.Felton, your timing is impeccable. As ALLWAYS How do you do it! Thank you

[@Daniel-ms9ks]

I always love the fact that Mark covers things that everyone else tends to either forget or ignore, this is why Mark is a true historian unlike the clowns running history classes in the public schools. Mark is my favorite historian no doubt, keep making the awesome content

[@zprogers]

Thats it! Up until a few minutes ago, I really thought that I had a solid understanding of Afghanistan and its history during the last 100 years. Now, thanks to Mark , I have been educated!

[@Sshooter444]

The US went with "democracy" over monarchy in a tribal, fundamentalist nation...good call

[@luga718]

The democracy not is for everybody!

[@princevlad4195]

@@luga718 nope. Especially when groups of people have hated each other for hundreds of years

[@KuhoinX]

The US went with monarchy in Iran and guess what that led to. People don't like puppet regime, no matter what kind.

[@aasphaltmueller5178]

@ArnH that Persian monarchy, or rather dynasty, was created through a military coup of the father of the late Shah in the 1920, helped by oil money, so not a real long tradition

[@Fiachraraven]

The US military considered, and came very close to carrying out 3 strategic nuclear strikes on Afghanistan.

[@Hi-vo9ku]

I am glad you cover these small events. Hundreds of big battles' videos are uploaded every day but there are almost no videos about such small events and this is what makes your channel unique.

[@panahim]

Thank you Mark for all of the education you have given me over the years. I look forward to your next video.

[@blackpowderuser373]

Aligning with Germany makes total sense when you are stuck between both British and Russian/Soviet interferences at the same time. Makes you wonder what if the Afghan monarchy was restored in the aftermath of the 2001 Invasion of Afghanistan, instead of... well, what we had.

[@dustyak79]

Makes you wonder if the US kept Supporting Mossoud. After the Russians pulled out. The one guy the Taliban and Al queda both hated. Bill Clinton’s state department advised him he should just turn himself into the Taliban!

[@eze8970]

The recent Afghan leaders stopped the current Afghan royal family from returning, as they were a competitor to their power bases. How much support did the royal family have after being away for so long? Possibly couldn't have done any worse though.

[@Ozymandias1]

From what I can remember at the time he was seen as too westernized having lived in exile and in luxury for too long. He'd never have been accepted as a unifying figure.

[@eze8970]

@Rob With One B One of the Afghan leaders the US was backing didn't want the King back (he would be competition), & put pressure on the US. As usual, all about politics & power, with the US wanting to control whoever was in, they just didn't understand how politics worked in Afghanistan, & were played over & over again by the local politicians. As others have said, the Americans don't see the benefits of a 'Constitutional Monarchy', possibly due to them seeing any King as an unelected overlord, & their own history?

[@freedomordeath89]

makes you wonder why people keep self-masturb***ing about re-establishing monarchies and dictators who were TOPPLED by their own people...have you ever WONDERED why they were detroned??

[@punishedvenomsnake716]

Wow, Germany itself gave them this appellation. Didn't know that, this is absolutely fascinating. Cheers!

[@michaelhviper]

Fascinating video. You never cease to amaze me Mark Felton with your intriguing knowledge on history.

[@dragonwhispered5509]

You have my subscription! Every time I turn around listen to everyone of your history videos it’s so rich in knowledge and I never can’t get enough. History has so much around us where ever we go.

[@Luxnutz1]

The Martini-Henry Rifles had Royal Irish Constabulary markings as well as the Smith and Wesson .455 caliber pistols used in the 1919-1923 Irish Conflict

[@jimmyc3238]

How do you keep coming up with this stuff? Another fascinating and timely topic, well done as always!

[@ianwhitehead3086]

I recall an issue of Guns and Ammo describing the Mujahideen as freedom fighting heroes. Circa 19eighty something. The Rus couldn’t beat em.

[@attackonmars5198]

Coming up? Is in history books and online sources, he isn't coming up with such?

[@krekk2751]

great video, your narration is supreme

[@Kommandant7]

Love some timely content from my favorite historian.

[@rotarydude9737]

Monarchs provide stability, Exactly what Afghanistan needs most...

[@engineergaming8695]

short term stability, monarchs are not a long term solution in recent times

[@maximilianolimamoreira5002]

@@engineergaming8695 neither are republics

[@tavish4699]

@@engineergaming8695 so what are the british royals still doing in buckingham then?

[@dawsonfradin9071]

@@tavish4699 they are just more or less there. They don't really have much political power compared to the PM or Parliment

[@engineergaming8695]

@@tavish4699 what Dawson Fradin said, they're more figureheads than anything. PM and the parliament are the ones with the real power

[@Joewiesun]

I have learned a lot more WW2 history on Mark’s page than my expensive undergraduate history courses. Thank you Mark!

[@Diddy1970AD]

I can believe that, think how much Mark and KZbin could have saved you. Hope you're not in too much debit anyway.

[@anthony_obrien4080]

Never knew any of this, absolutely brilliant research as always.

[@frutt5k]

I knew OF Afganistan after 1979 (soviet invasion). Before that, the country was occasionally referred to in Donald Duck stories as 'the remotest place on earth"...

[@MrRick461]

Well done as always Mark. Sparking curiosity and assisting with facts as we navigate the slippery shale of Afghanistan.

[@Skye0013]

Goes to show that ANYONE can look good in a German-inspired uniform

[@Patop2002]

Yeah, that's why German uniforms suck. If you want to look good in a soldier uniform, be a f*cking soldier.

[@lolofblitz6468]

@@Patop2002 if german soldiers sucked I dont know where you live Germany rekt France , Poland , Norway , Yugoslavia etc .... And German Army and Their Soldiers ALMOST managed to capitulate Soviet Union .... And German Soldiers managed to hold of 3 Global Powers Until may 1945 So I think German people got VERY strong and brave fking Soldiers

[@celticfox]

>Anyone looks good in German uniforms >That's why the German uniforms suck what the actual fuck lol, everyone he showed wearing the uniform *was* a soldier @Patricio

[@mikeromney4712]

@@lolofblitz6468 Thats what I would also think, but: "...thats why German UNIFORMS suck..."

[@Patop2002]

@@lolofblitz6468 German soldiers wherent more than a bunch of meth addicted conscripts who barely scratched russian land and immediately yielded at American might. All nations they conquered where weak minors except for France and the soviet-held Ukraine and Belarus. 1000 years empire they said, couldn't last 3 years against the American backed Russian war-machine alone.

[@fabovondestory]

I love how he always conects real time events with history

[@RaiderLeo69]

I was wondering when you were going to do a video on this topic, I wonder no more! Thank you as always on a great historical journey!

[@imarioiv]

Best channel to get home to, after a long day at work!

[@privatepilot4064]

Thanks Doc! Great vid as usual!

[@a_w_bukhari7579]

I wish I had you as my history teacher in my school/college years, Mr Felton. Great works!

[@fuyu5979]

Another awesome video that we've come to appreciate. Was surprised the Afghanistan of the earlier 20th century was so active on the world stage. Kudos to u for presenting least known facts about Afghanistan few people realize. Looking forward to ur next one.

[@arbyjack2552]

Another gem from Dr. Felton!

[@mattterway6487]

I’ve finally caught up with almost all the videos fron the past year, this channel is so good

[@KonradAdenauerJr]

Thank you for explaining the tax incentive-based recruitment for the Royal Afghan Army. It was quite a contrast from the unmotivated recruits which resulted from the subsequent Soviet-style draft, or by the US-influenced volunteer system (where Afghan soldiers signed up for a paycheck, more than anything else).

[@aasphaltmueller5178]

those unmotivated recruits held out 3 years

[@KonradAdenauerJr]

@@aasphaltmueller5178 After the Soviets left, the Afghan Army disintegrated to such a degree that Najibullah came to rely more on various pro-government militias. When the Uzbek militia of Rashid Dostum defected to the mujaheddin, Najibullah's regime was done for.

[@umitzaferyarg3440]

Another very high quality document, thanks for presenting.

[@AK-ky3ou]

Incredible, your research is top notch

[@GlasgowGallus]

Absolutely riveting as always Mark, thank you again for all your hard work... 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@rudithedog7534]

As usual very interesting, bringing the past up to date. These days getting in before a thousand is considered early on the Mark Felton channel

[@ivbqwljrf234]

this channel is gold

[@KreigWes]

Never looking at Afghanistan the same again, amazing video!

[@markmierzejewski9534]

Imagine how much money and lives that would have saved if the United States restored the king and left the nation …

[@soapek7949]

It is scary how people hate monarchy.

[@zombieranger3410]

Monarchy really was the complete right move and why it was blocked by the U.S. is beyond me.

[@Arthur-cc6pc]

The point was never to help the afghans

[@nostear8261]

That would require the United States to recognize that democracy isn’t a universal band aid that can fix everything. Honestly restoring the monarchy would have been way smarter than what they actually did.

[@ruslankazimov622]

Monarchy is necessary untill entire population (or vast majority) transforms into a rational society. Most monarchs of Mid. East were actually more modern and pro-western than their replacements, who were absolute religious nutjobs.

[@endofwatch5727]

.... yet another interesting and educational history lesson... as usual - thanks for the work you put into those investigations! Greetings from Austria!

[@AmazingPhilippines1]

I appreciate research and presentation you provide in these videos Mark. Great new perspective.

[@jagaszepielak2601]

Thenks for yor videos mark felton 👌✌🏻

[@brandonharlow5468]

This was a great video. Today as I sat at work I was caught up thinking about how frustrated I was with the current situation in Afghanistan, but I then found myself wondering what their history was. The timing of this video today was ironic haha, and as always I learned a great deal from your videos Mr. Felton, than you very much for feeding my inner history nerd!

[@area609joe2]

Tough week. Glad to see this. Afghan history and culture really interesting. Wish I learned about before I read Afghan papers.

[@ahall1459]

Great effort Mark, very clear dialogue...

[@StoneCrow189]

I love your stuff man! Keep it up!!

[@TheSamLockwood]

The Afghan monarchy should have been restored.

[@EM-tx3ly]

I agree but this means a new campaign and new plan and few more decades of Western intervention. Given the poor performance and poor resistance against the Taliban then I guess your plan will meet major problems

[@alioshax7797]

@@EM-tx3ly Westerners would not wage a war to install an absolute monarchy, that'd be the absolute opposite of their own system. Western won't probably fight directly any war in the Middle East for quite some time anyway.

[@EM-tx3ly]

@@alioshax7797 Well your argument is sound except that Monarchy is suited for them rather than an imposed democracy with Afghanistan as a witness. We should never consider Iraq & Afghanistan as equivalents to Korea Japan Germany ...... We still fall into that false comparisons. Anyways you always get what you deserve right !!!

[@alioshax7797]

@@EM-tx3ly Oh, but I'm not saying monarchy would be better, or worse, for Afghanistan than other regims, I don't know that. I'm just saying, I doubt the US would ever fight a war in the name of a absolute king. Anyway, Afghanistan central government doesn't matter much. They never had any signifcant power over regional tribes, even during Ahmad Shah Duranni's reign in the XVIIIth century (he's considered the founder of modern Afghanistan). Kabul has always been like "hey, just pay us some taxes, give us some men, and in exchange, local politics in up to you" to tribe leaders and Sufi orders. That's what the Soviets and the Americans failed to understand. They tried to build a modern, post-industrialized centralized state in a rural region ruled by tribal and sufi logics. Iraq is really different tho.

[@EM-tx3ly]

Yes

[@asfandyarwazir5064]

Thanks for doing this wonderful piece on afghan army. I want to add that there is a german cemetery in north Waziristan. The germans tried to get into contact with faqir of ipi, a famous guerilla resistance fighter. Prof. Syed waqar ali Shah of Heidelberg university has done very good work on german afghan relations

[@gothamantiquities2595]

I live in NY and hurricane IDA came through and ruined a bunch! I saw that my favorite professor posted a new History lesson which turned my night around! You sir are one of a kind!

[@tavish4699]

its like with yugoslavia , countries with many different people only work with a strong leader

[@faithlesshound5621]

Looking at it another way, countries with many ethnicities work best if the leader of no single ethnic (or linguistic or religious) group can hold power over the rest. That used to work for Yugoslavia and the Lebanon and still does for the European Union. It is failing in the USSR and India, where there is one dominant community which has been captured by a party or leader who relies on his own group's support.

[@vk2ig]

@@faithlesshound5621 The USSR no longer exists. It was temporarily replaced by the CIS. Do you mean Russia in your statement?

[@faithlesshound5621]

@@vk2ig To reply at length, regional, racial, religious (etc) chauvinism was held in check by the Communist Party in both the USSR and Yugoslavia. When those entities broke up into states with distinct ethnic identities, ambitious politicians like Slobodan Milosevic choose to pose as champions of the majority community against upstart minorities, at the cost of provoking a civil war which he eventually lost when the outside world intervened. The same happened in the USSR, where newly "freed" Soviet Republics went to work persecuting their own minorities. The most successful ethnic leader was Vladimir Putin, whose operatives blew up tower blocks in Moscow so that he could pose as a tough leader crushing rebellious Chechens. That has worked for him so far, but Chechnya has become another Afghanistan, whose exiles have become involved in jihad all over the world. The difference is that it is INSIDE Russia.