The Zabern Affair

[@andreascovano7742]

As mutch as we blame wilhelm, I'd lay blame on Bismarcks Kulturkampf. From what I understood, nationality wasn't as much of an issue for Alsatians as Religion was. Bismarck, by attacking catholicism and demonstrating the german empire a protestant state, alienated the Alsatians, who altough spoke german and were culturally similar to germans, identified with their catholic roots. This led them to appreciate catholic france, aided by the fact that the french 3rd republic was the most catholic and conservative form it had ever been

[@Sport4Life]

Bismarck was as backhanded nationalist as they came and it can be argued he and Prussia lay the roots for German fascism 😊

[@rhetoric5173]

Religion is always omitted in European affairs.

[@Sport4Life]

@@rhetoric5173 only on the surface. It is a driving force behind European white morality

[@rhetoric5173]

What mortality? @@Sport4Life

[@oooshafiqooo]

@@rhetoric5173 dont have to care about it if you didnt wanna look up history because its gotten unpopular after the 2nd world war and american liberalisation of europe

[@Timrath]

11:30 "The King's skirt". You mean the King's coat. The expression "des Königs Rock" refers to the military uniform, not to a skirt. The word "Rock" itself refers to any item of male clothing that extends below the hip. A civilian Rock was a Gehrock, and a military one was a Waffenrock. A more comfortable Rock that was worn only at home, was called a Morgenrock.

[@shelbynamels7948]

had me wondering, too. thanks for clearing that up. In English too there is the word 'blouse', which in this context refers to a waisted uniform jacket, not a shirt for women.

[@kingjoe3rd]

@@shelbynamels7948in the US we use the word blouse in two different contexts. The first is for women’s dress shirts and the second is for both men and women’s military uniform tops which are referred to as blouses and the bottoms which are trousers. The word trousers isn’t much used here any more either outside of the military. I do believe that it’s still used in more fancier circles the way you described but that’s outside of my experience.

[@adamkerman475]

This is amazingly high quality! It’s insane how few subscribers you have considering the quality.

[@johnpelletier2135]

This was the first video that popped up when I googled Zabern Affair and it was super good! I'd recommend covering more of these lesser known events to get the google traffic while the channel builds.

[@redthefanhedgehog]

damn bro I can't believe this is your first video, it's so well done that it looks like you've been on youtube for many years

[@MattiavonSigmund]

Hey mate, video really appreciated, i liked really much, nice choice of music! Finally someone that got to talk about this, its quite an interesting argoument and the video as i said was very well made, made my YT historical day! Cheers!

[@thejustifier5566]

These old German politicians had great facial hair. Also, the political system Bismarck created was a house of cards that fell with Wilhelm II.

[@masterofallthelakesintown2472]

It was a house of concrete where Wilhelm II. descited to play the part of a blindfolded reckingball with phenomenal facial hair.

[@davidbowie50yearsofbowiean23]

Yeah as the other bloke stated, it wasn't so fragile, it just took an especially stupid Kaiser to break it apart. If anything the only problem with Bismarck was his absolutist monarchism. The man at the height of his power could have built a more stable constitutional monarchy government, one with a still relevent but non autonomous Kaiser, and not the mutated middle ground solution he settled with. With a parliament built of men who wouldn't alienate Germany to all other relevent European powers out of pettiness and insecurity like the Kaiser managed to.

[@jtgd]

@@masterofallthelakesintown2472 eh, Bismarck’s diplomacy was built For Bismarck, not an intended political strategy without him

[@levipierson4946]

Bismark said he'd kill himself if the germa army took Venina. He bullied and manipulated his king and betrayed all his soilders in threatening such.

[@melvinbrotherofthejoker436]

@@levipierson4946he got them to keep literally the last european power willing to ally them in WW1 if they did they would’ve made another mortal enemy like they did with France and we already know how that turned out

[@Sprilly11]

This is amazing, can´t wait to see more content from you!

[@jacobbullock6886]

How does this only have 8k views! This a really interesting topic that I'd never heard of and the video has been made really well!

[@francisdec1615]

Most people in Alsace were ethnic Germans, but due to the German Empire being so stupidly arrogant, most of these people didn't sympathize very much with Germany.

[@1000eau]

That and their former history as a french province which eventually made them integrate as frenchmen

[@filiperosa7496]

@@1000eau the french only become provincial/cultural integration after the lost of alsace lorraine

[@levipierson4946]

Wow I didn't know you were alive 110 years ago. And you talked to a majority of the people in one state??? You must be like 450 years old then. Good on you for being so healthy. S/

[@mrjaman3752]

​@@levipierson4946 Ya know, theres something called documented history, you can just write something down and people 100 years from now can read

[@filiperosa7496]

@@levipierson4946 people of the time that live there writhe about their lifes, the governamental (of both sides) conduct research about the peoples opnions, and historians with time get together many informations about their lifes and the state of alsassse lorraine, so we can have a opinion about that, and yeah, people dont like much the empire in this region, Catholics in general dont like the empire because many reasons

[@gerardharrison262]

Excellent and very informative. Thank you.

[@elbruno3515]

Found you now. Well finally a german history channel who isnt alt right or ultra left. MrWissen2Go is his own kind. Anyway i like your style and greetings from NRW

[@elbruno3515]

@@shamusson yeah but I guess not the ultra left

[@patrickshannon4854]

I have watched this video and several others. I think they are well produced and excellently researched.

[@herrerasauro7429]

Great video! Keep it up. I binged all your videos up until now

[@fesco4752]

10:57 hahahah, that oversimple refrerend i do not see coming

[@CommissarMitch]

I grew up learning very little about this particular bit of history. I knew France was angry they lost land (Who wouldn't be?) but I had no idea how much of an asshat the German Empire was to non-Germans. This and the Poland video has made me reconsider my somewhat warm adoration of the German Empire, as I used to be into that kind of stuff.

[@SirManateee]

Apart from Wilhelm II's moustache and a cool looking flag (which is sadly becoming a symbol of the far right here in Germany) , the German Empire didn't really have too many things worthy of being praised

[@CommissarMitch]

@@SirManateee Yeah. I will toss it up to me being a teenager and who was... let's just say not in a good place. A lot has changed and I love learning things that contradicts my previous assertions.

[@CommissarMitch]

@@SirManateee The only big thing I feel is worthy of praise (though again this is with somewhat rose tinted glasses) is the fact that Germany was created overnight and essentially became the second strongest nation in Europe. It was only behind UK due to the massive colonies. But with time I have learned that this superiority was on the back of a lot of bad stuff.

[@augth]

@@SirManateee German imperial architetcure is cool as well. From Strasbourg.

[@surengrigorian7888]

They were a highly efficient industrialised country, one of the largest non-colonial economies in Europe and a scientific and engineering powerhouse, no?

[@patrioticarchive]

Very interesting

[@greenockscatman]

Been watching your vids for a few months now. Glad to have caught the first one finally!

[@jake_mu7550]

Ngl I've watched your stuff before and only now noticed that you have a small sub count for such amazing videos. I wish it was different for I enjoy these

[@thomaswilkinson3241]

"The King's Uniform" is the better Translation to "Des Königs Rock" than the "King's skirt." The Word "Rock" is of course, as the german Language so often does with its terminologies, a multiapplicable word for a piece of clothing, a skirt, a jacket or a uniform of Office or Military. Even a Morgenrock exists which Translation to Dressinggown. Away from splitting words now. I am grateful for you bringing up these Affairs from german history. They depict the Zeitgeist of the Kaiserreich so well, yet are very much ignored in Common knowledge told in schools.

[@jamesnapier3802]

"The king's skirt"? That's not a proper translation of "Der Rock des Kaisers".

[@daveglass7396]

Many thanks

[@richmorris2870]

Would love more on what life was actually like for people living in A-L. There doesn't seem to be much written about it, but I always wondered in truth whether the A-Lers actually welcomed being in a country which was culturally closer to themselves?

[@Nocti3635]

Very well done video! :D

[@kidmohair8151]

well. I guess you got all the right kind of feedback, because 3 years later, you're still at it! for which I thank you.

[@lamantinelsarchives9616]

Sehr gut!

[@goldenfiberwheat238]

This is your first video? Pretty good actually for a first video

[@Languslangus]

Great video

[@emirkankurtdemir2638]

Ahh a german empire history youtuber nice

[@Majupe94]

👏👏👏

[@BkennyP]

Amazing this was your first video of this type

[@kategogy]

Even the pro-German historian Christopher Clark said: I believe in something like the judgement of world history, and this judgement fell hard on the Hohenzollerns in 1918 and 1945. Bravo! Professor! Well said!

[@moonbeamchaos]

Good video! Thanks.

[@robertortiz-wilson1588]

A good video.

[@aaronwood8110]

History matters sent me here

[@adamkerman475]

When did he mention this channel?

[@adamkerman475]

@nathanwaterser8218 2 years on but thanks for the answer lol.

[@Artur_M.]

Eh, Prussians gonna prussian, I guess. Also, how is your first video already of the same (very high) quality as your latter ones?

[@SirManateee]

There's even an English word that originated after this affair called "Zabernism" and it describes a situation where the military completely misuses and abuses their power. And I was just trying things out, I was still very much a newby at this point

[@kampfkartoffel8994]

Dosenpfand ist richtig Geil

[@brianjones2899]

Rather good. Surprised the algorithms have not pushed your subscriptions more. Hopefully it's getting picked up now.

[@amyhogarten5038]

ausgezeichnetes erstes Video‼️

[@wojciechgrodnicki6302]

Those Prussians sure were a troublesome bunch.

[@TomC903]

Greetings from a Brit in Strasbourg

[@eriktroske6405]

“To Hagenau and…what?” 🤣

[@maxsonthonax1020]

Holds up.

[@joeseeking3572]

Algorithm selected you - thumbs up and subscribed. Interesting how the German nobility / old families dominated both civilian and (even more) military institutions far longer than in the other major Euro powers, i.e. England and France (Russia being its own special case). Likely contributed to some of the almost comical decisions taken - but then I suppose they were entirely rational to the decision makers...

[@paulwebbiweb]

"The King's skirt"! Shall we blame Google Translate for this nonsense? "Rock" doesn't only mean "skirt". In this case it means a military jacket and the phrase as a whole means "the King's uniform" as a metaphor for the prestige of the military and the power of the state.

[@VanBurenOfficial]

The more I watch this channel the less I like imperial Prussia

[@abrahamedelstein4806]

10:26 I take Wilhelm at his word here, it was probably French agitation through a minority of malcontents, what business did France have in Elsass-Lothringen to begin with? It was an ethnic German region, if the the area hadn't been ethnically cleansed after WWII they should have shown the French Imperialists the same middle finger that the Algerians and Vietnamese did.

[@kategogy]

What were the French doing in Lorraine? The Habsburgs gave it to them as an exchange, for their support of Maria Theresa. The habsburgs fully support French rule in Alsace and Lorraine

[@abrahamedelstein4806]

@@kategogy The Habsburgs were disgusting inbreds and seeing as their imperial ambitions in the Balkans triggered the first world war because they were occupying Slavic lands, they are hardly a source of legitimacy.

[@kategogy]

@@abrahamedelstein4806most of Alsace belonged to the Habsburgs, the Lorraine dynasty merged with the habsburgs, so naturally they are a source of legitimacy. You think habsburgs are stupid, how smart were wilhelm 1 and 2?

[@tavishnundoo6002]

Hallo

[@SirManateee]

Moin

[@bchapman1234]

What this affair shows is how autocracy was becoming totally outdated. Europe was ruled by many autocrats: tsars emperors kaisers. They like Kaiser Wilhelm were of limited capacity. They in turn depended on their respective aristocracies to provide the generals, diplomats and ministers to actually run their countries. This was far too small and rarified of a talent pool to govern increasingly modernizing and industrializing countries. WWI totally discredited them and they were gone.

[@kategogy]

The Hohenzollern lost all their French and Dutch properties, 90% of their German properties, what a reversal of fortunes!

[@kategogy]

German monarchy should be abolished in 1813, that’s what I call true liberation. A German monarchy that forced its people to fight for France has no right to remain on the throne.

[@matthiuskoenig3378]

Except Germany was industrialising faster than any of the democratic powers, as was Russia. Ww1 was not the victory of democracy over autocracy, it was the victory of vast international empires over limited empires and multi-ethnic states (unlike say the british and French empires, the Austrians and Russians gave their minorities some poltical say. Which is altimately part of their downfall.)

[@travissutherland8502]

Comment for engagement statistics

[@kategogy]

Most of Alsace belonged to the Habsburgs until 1648, the dynasty which ruled Lorraine was merged with the Habsburgs. The Habsburgs fully support French rule in Alsace and Lorraine. The Hohenzollerns have no historical connections with these 2 regions.

[@matthiuskoenig3378]

They did not fully support french rule. They recognised and extended the french conquest of 1617 in exchange for a large sum of money from the french, and a large list of french concessions (both on how to rule alsace and some foreign policy agreements with Austria herself).

[@kategogy]

@@matthiuskoenig3378 The Habsburgs fully support French rule in Alsace Lorraine in 1871, when Germany annexed it. The Habsburgs after the Napoleonic war don't want any territories close to France, that's why they gave up Belgium.

[@kategogy]

@@matthiuskoenig3378 French conquest of 1617? France was at peace in 1617.

[@YD39222]

Von Faustner should've been punished and tried.

[@joshuafrimpong244]

You look familiar. Do I know you from somewhere?

[@YD39222]

@joshuafrimpong244 I'm not sure. I'm often in asoiaf livestream chats

[@joshuafrimpong244]

@@YD39222 i thought i recognised you from a eu4 comment section

[@joshuafrimpong244]

@@YD39222 my bad

[@YD39222]

@joshuafrimpong244 I also hang around there sometimes

[@kategogy]

Stop saying Imperial Germany did not deport people in Alsace-Lorraine. Deportation comes in many forms, forcing someone to change one's nationality, forcing someone to fight for another army, this kind of behaviour will make many people deport themselves. The Optants who left in 1872, the hundreds of thousands of people who left Alsace-Lorraine to evade military service, are indeed the victims of Prussian deportation. The Poles who left Posen willingly, the Hanoverians who followed their king into exile, are also the victims of indirect Prussian deportation.

[@Dmitrisnikioff]

It really is amazing how the nobility really shit up everything. It truly is the greatest of wisdom that the Russian method of dealing with the nobility is the only proper way.

[@SirManateee]

I wholeheartedly agree

[@vkeshav3519]

Bolshie alert

[@surengrigorian7888]

@@SirManateee Just for this expression of opinion, I will never watch a single one of your videos again.

[@cringlator]

@@surengrigorian7888If you’re a brutal autocrat and your kids end up with you when you’re inevitably machine gunned in a basement that’s on you for being a bad parent lol

[@kaalvoetpiet3442]

Lotsa bickering before The Great War made them realise what's actually important in life.

[@rpinter677]

You should do a longer video of the history of Alsace. This video implies that the area was much more French than it really was. The Alsatian people were culturally and economically much more connected with German speaking lands. When under French rule without cultural oppression things worked out fairly well. Unfortunately modern France has almost completely eliminated the Alsatian dialect and the Alsatian identity. You should comment on that as well. It is not only your Prussian predecessors that have been nasty toeards these people. My grandmother was from Alsace, was bilingual, but moved to Germany just across the Rhine because of the discrimination against German Alsatians.

[@Saint_Edward_987]

14:25 - All Alsacians wanted to be French, so forcing independence on them, after germany just finished killing 1,000,000 Frenchmen over it would be like someone stealing your money, you fighting them back for it and winning, and then saying "maybe the money wants to be yours, though. I'll just leave it in the middle of the table."

[@arthurbarber7546]

Vive la Rhenanie francaise !

[@Whitewolf-o8h]

The Kyle Rittenhouse of imperial Germany

[@mehrcat1]

Gave up at 9 minutes due to the 'background music'. Thumbs down!

[@fwnm]

All dialects, except French, are in fact part of German, just as Bavarian is. There is no language called "Alsatian," but rather a dialect of German referred to as such. I am half German and half French (through my parents) and speak both German and French equally well-but I have no connection to that region. I simply understand all of them, whether they speak French or Alsatian, the German dialect (almost the same as spoken on the German side in Baden). France annexed these territories, especially in 1648 and afterward. Then in 1871, they became part of Germany again following France's defeat. If the First World War had not happened, nobody would even be discussing this today. Tous les dialectes, sauf le français, font en réalité partie de l’allemand, tout comme le bavarois. Il n’existe pas de langue appelée « alsacien », mais plutôt un dialecte allemand désigné ainsi. Je suis à moitié allemand et à moitié français (par mes parents) et je parle aussi bien l’allemand que le français-mais je n’ai aucun lien avec cette région. Je comprends simplement tout le monde, qu’ils parlent français ou alsacien, le dialecte allemand (presque identique à celui parlé du côté allemand dans le Bade). La France a annexé ces territoires, notamment en 1648 et après. Puis, en 1871, ils sont redevenus allemands après la défaite de la France. Si la Première Guerre mondiale n’avait pas eu lieu, personne n’en parlerait aujourd’hui. Alle Dialekte, außer dem Französischen, sind tatsächlich Teil des Deutschen, so wie es auch Bayerisch ist. Es gibt keine Sprache namens „Elsässisch“, sondern nur einen deutschen Dialekt, der so genannt wird. Ich bin halb Deutscher, halb Franzose (von meinen Eltern) und spreche Deutsch und Französisch in gleicher Qualität-habe aber keinerlei Verbindung zu dieser Region. Ich verstehe einfach alle, egal ob sie Französisch oder Elsässisch sprechen, den deutschen Dialekt (fast identisch mit dem, der auf der deutschen Seite in Baden gesprochen wird). Frankreich annektierte diese Gebiete insbesondere 1648 und danach. Dann, im Jahr 1871, wurden sie nach der Niederlage Frankreichs wieder Teil Deutschlands. Hätte der Erste Weltkrieg nicht stattgefunden, würde heute niemand darüber sprechen.

[@exterminans]

I'm the 1000th like

[@davidelabarile1634]

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah..... i love right nationalism

[@johnsoldier8722]

Great video