Why didn't Britain fight in Vietnam? (Short Animated Documentary)

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TL:DW - Had no money. The war was unpopular. Dodged a bullet.
Sources:
A Decision Delayed: Britain's Withdrawal from South East Asia Reconsidered, 1961-68 by Matthew Jones in: The English Historical Review, Vol. 117, No. 472 (June 2002).
No Secrets Between ‘Special Friends’: America’s Involvement in British Economic Policy, October 1964-April 1965 by Raj Roy in: History, Vol. 89, No.3 (July 2004).
The Johnson Administration and the British Labour Government: Vietnam, the Pound and East of Suez by John Dumbrell in: Journal of American Studies, Vol. 30, No.2, Part 2. (August 1996).
The Johnson Administration and the Recruitment of Allies in Vietnam, 1964-1968 by Jonathan Colman and J. J. Widén in: History, Vol. 94, No. 4 (October 2009).

[@ffrederickskitty214]

Britain had just finished fighting a 12 year jungle war in Malaysia

[@MarforSonOfLucifer]

"Lizards... in Malaysia!"

[@DetniesChannel]

Their 'Hearts & Minds' tactic really did the job. Thanks to the commitment & bravery to those british, anzac, & rhodesian soldiers who serve during the emergency. Even today our older generations still spoke highly of them because of how they help keep off the communist from raiding & terrorizing their villages. Without them, my country would surely turn red or being invaded by our larger neigbour below us. Wont say the country's name cuz those guys are too nationalistic & sensitive about the 'topic'. Cheers

[@mathewkelly9968]

And won

[@AUmarcus]

So had Australia...still went to Vietnam though.

[@zerosuitsamus2340]

D'matt Patrick Mendonia a.k.a nation flag Polan

[@SnoutBetter002]

As Al Murray said ‘we stayed out of the Vietnam war for one reason: we wanted our war films to remain cheerful’

[@me5969]

Twat. I’ve literally just said that then scroll down and see your comment. I’ve deleted mine to let you have the glory as it’s only fair.

[@homoerectussemenallyretent6638]

Because anything the French were involved in,the Brits didn't want to f**k with.

[@spazzymacgee5648]

Al Murray is a cretin

[@me5969]

@venom that’s literally what I put letter for letter.

[@me5969]

@n a I’ve got a 9 year old daughter but yeh, I’ll try and not be too offended by your mean, mean comments. Also Al Murray is a comedian you flannel. He’s a satirical character. And I’m the one who’s going to die sexless and alone?

[@flavio4409]

Fun Fact: LBJ wrote a letter to General Franco in the sixties asking for spanish troops to vietnam. Franco sent a Reply warning about the risks of guerilla Warfare based on his experience in northern Africa in the early 20th century. He even got the balls to say that a conventional war would be a costly one for the US with no real results whatsoever. In the end, he sent some volunteer doctors but they never saw combat.

[@SamBrockmann]

Franco was a smart man. LBJ was an asshole.

[@michiru2hell]

"He even got the balls to say that a conventional war would be a costly one for the US with no real results whatsoever"... I mean, it's not like he was wrong

[@flavio4409]

@@michiru2hell it´s not just the balls, is being on the battlefield instead of an office. Same example with the Cuba war back in 1898, every high rank officer was aware that the US navy was superior than ours, but the politicans in madrid ordered to fight outside of the harbour in Santiago de Cuba. Result: fleet lost

[@yourroyalchungusness]

The fact that it was Franco (who came to power with the support of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy)that being asked by LBJ to support USA intervention in Vietnam was pretty ironic to say the least

[@flavio4409]

@@yourroyalchungusness Well after 1953 USA and UK change the approach with Franco. Basically, Franco allowed the B-52 to stay here in exchange for being seen as an ally. We even enter UN after that deal. Ironic, but its the cold war, defeating communism was more important that how you came to power

[@captain_hammer]

USA: "Britain, get over here and help us!" UK: "OK, here's some advisors who are experienced in counter-insurgency tactics and jungle warfare, from both WW2 and the Malayan Emergency. Do what they say and the war will be over in no time" USA: "Don't try to boss us around, we know exactly what we're doing! Just give us some of your troops to command and we probably won't accidentally drop Agent Orange on them" UK: "Erm... no."

[@ianc8054]

Just before the Malayan Emergency the British *were* in French Indochina (along with the recently defeated Japanese and were working well together) and they pretty well squashed the communist insurgency. The Brits then told the French they had had enough helping keep the French Empire intact and actually had something else to do in Malaya... At which point the French stuffed the whole show and the Americans did no better... The emergency in Malaya in contrast turned out rather well and is considered a master class in how to deal with that sort of insurgency.

[@BrianC1664]

@@ianc8054 So, arrogant Americans think they know better (based on zero/unrelated experience), ignores examples of how to do it correctly, and then tries to blame everyone else for their plans failing... yep, checks out (based on my experience of working with Americans).

[@bruhb7611]

Yeah this is so wrong on so many levels. The US did in fact copied everything the british did in malaya. From the agent orange, the concentration camps, the scalp and ear trophy hunting to even search and destroy tactics. All of it failed. Hell the failure of british tactics was the thing that prompted the US direct invasion in the first place. The malayan emergency was fighting against a ragtag guerrila army with no outside support. Vietnam was fighting a well trained, organized and well supplied army using all the soviets and chinese can offer.

[@thomaskelly336]

Umm where was those British jungle experts when they surrendered like bitches in Singapore

[@kenharvey8161]

No. Malaya was NOTHING like Vietnam. Having the Brits in Vietnam wouldn't have changed anything. As long as the NVM can pour entire generations of trolls into SVN, the war was never going to end.

[@TukikoTroy]

I was with my Royal Marine friend in a pub in Portsmouth. There were a lot of sailor and marines there as usual, and a lot of Americans from the USS Forestall (sp) which was paying a visit at the time. Anyway, this drunk American sailor suddenly got up and pretty much bellowed. "Hey, why weren't you guys in Vietnam?!" There was instant silence, then my friend said, "Well, the VC seemed to be doing well enough without our help." That was the only pub brawl I ever witnessed.

[@muchomacho7300]

@Gary 'Roach' Sanderson Am i covered by your universal health system? This nose isn't gonna fix itself.

[@TukikoTroy]

@@manzilla48 You could, of course, just look it up. I think it was 1975/76. I do remember seeing this bloody great thing parked in the Solent because it couldn't get into the harbour. Totally blotted out the IoW. The pub, btw was the 'Oliver Twist.'

[@TukikoTroy]

@@manzilla48 Okay, well. You can lead a horse to water etc. Enjoy your life.

[@Walker-ow7vj]

manzilla48 of course the self awareness level low af when you forget saying “no it didn’t” don’t mean it didn’t happen 🤣like what’s the negativity for let’s go outside and relax or something like it’s concerning 😭

[@localmemer8762]

@@manzilla48 cringe

[@frederickg4536]

The brits knew about the talking trees and flashbacks thing beforehand lol

[@Lucas_Antar]

Frederick The Great Ya we fought Burmese, Native Americans, Indians and Africans. We know all too well.

[@rodriguistamemer4406]

@@Lucas_Antar you forgot the japanese in ww2 aswell

[@darryljones3009]

Yeah, those Boars were really scary.

[@andrewdriver3318]

@Frederick The Great What is this "talking trees" thing? I keep seeing it in the comments and assume it is some reference I am not getting.

[@frederickg4536]

Andrew Driver it refers to the ambushes mainly done by Vietnamese bois in the jungles. The scary part is that its like the trees are like actually talking in Vietnamese

[@scottcameron174]

I think Eisenhower's actions during the Suez were still fresh of mind for many British politicians.

[@MrWiggo91]

Oh 200% correct. As if the way the Americans conducted lend-lease, not allowing us to buy anything on credit until we'd completely emptied the coffers of gold reserve to the ships for bases deal in which they sent us absolute tat, the only one being of any use being a ship-bomb that we then drove into a drydock.....they rinsed us at every single turn which then continued afterwards. Many will say it's because the US wanted to reduce the chances of another war that it would get dragged into but one only has to look at their foreign policy since to see that this argument in particular has the rigidity of a paper McDonalds straw! No, they wanted to secure as much power and influence for themselves at our expense but the last 60 years of history has seen them lose/ stalemate in ALMOST every single conflict they've been involved in, despite the numbers in men, machines and money that they've allocated to the task. Now they sit about and complain about the fact that they've got so much to police, despite the fact that it's exactly what they bargained for when they made the political moves that they did. Talk about making a bed.

[@-rp2pg]

Exactly 👍

[@fezmancomments]

Quite. You stuff us at Suez, you can stuff yourself in Vietnam.

[@bennytea7215]

I note that this was absent from the video but very much a deciding factor for the UK

[@martiniv8924]

Suez had a bearing on this , plus the fact that wilson was a commie ! 😂

[@herrdoktorprofessoreldritc3416]

I love the "totally to scale" comparison between the tiny continental United States and the humongous British Isles. It's those little touches that make your videos great.

[@alastairward2774]

Also "The Thing".

[@vivofoottheseventh7393]

@@alastairward2774 where

[@alastairward2774]

@@vivofoottheseventh7393 1:28

[@GordonSnowMachine]

What a fun story

[@thefamilycat86]

Hilarious xD

[@solehsolehsoleh]

1:38 US : "We don't need your help Nerd." UK, with *hundred of years experience colonising jungles of India, Africa and Malaysia* : "Am I a joke to you?"

[@tomlawson8615]

@aghori sadhu Malaysia has jungle and Borneo so yes the statement is slightly true

[@samuelademeso9041]

@aghori sadhu really?

[@ms-terious]

@Ka Chun Chu 'The British brought in soldiers from units such as the Royal Marines and King's African Rifles. Another effort was a re-formation of the Special Air Service in 1950 as a specialised reconnaissance, raiding, and counter-insurgency unit. The Permanent Secretary of Defence for Malaya, Sir Robert Grainger Ker Thompson, had served in the Chindits in Burma during World War II. His vast experience in jungle warfare proved valuable during this period as he was able to build effective civil-military relations and was one of the chief architects of the counter-insurgency plan in Malaya'

[@ms-terious]

@Ka Chun Chu that may be true, though we are most likely never going to know.

[@ms-terious]

@Ka Chun Chu i think you miss my point. I was not referencing the geopolitical issues surrounding the 'crisis' but the wealth of expertise the British had regarding counter insurgency and jungle warfare.

[@homeboy2166]

The UK fought the Communists in Malaysia at around this time... and won.

[@muhammadnursyahmi9440]

To be fair though, communist forces in Malaya are ill equipped, low on logistics ( most of them used captured Japanese weapons and ammunitions). But, damn, they do put up a hell of a fight.

[@homeboy2166]

Muhammad Nursyahmi the British kicked their asses. Pure and simple.

[@muhammadnursyahmi9440]

@almightyinferno obviously no viet cong because Malaya, not Vietnam. The Communists in Malaya are known as MPLA.

[@muhammadnursyahmi9440]

@almightyinferno pretty sure Viet Cong have good logistic, after all Vietnam are neighbour to China and having support from Soviets. Meanwhile, MNLA are equipped with captured Japanese weapon and ammunition, surrounded by the British and Malayan government who actively and aggressively fighting them via winning hearts and mind of the locals.

[@alejandromaldonado6159]

@@muhammadnursyahmi9440 I thought those were the Angolan Communists

[@kennethoconnell8476]

I remember that my Father, and his Avro Shackleton crew regularly patrolled the South Vietnam coast searching for Russian submarines during the Vietnam War. I even got on a flight out of RAF Changi, when an Air Cadet. Exciting, my first war zone.

[@jimr9499]

God your channel is simply amazing. All of your videos all answer such semi-obscure questions that are never brought up in documentaries and would require extensive research (as you obviously do) for one to answer on their own. So, thank you!

[@Groundsey]

Britain: ‘So you asked us to decolonise, and you played an important part of why we had to retreat from Suez, now you want us to help occupy another sovereign nation on the other side of the globe?’

[@lightningbolt4419]

Don’t act like Britain has ever been a reasonable country

[@Groundsey]

LightningBolt Never said it was

[@lightningbolt4419]

Groundsey Suez was a mistake on Britain’s part

[@Groundsey]

LightningBolt Suez was a military success but a political failure, underpinned by the USA.

[@lightningbolt4419]

Groundsey it never should have happened, you turned Egypt against you

[@vulthuryol8051]

USA: the war isn't going very well UK: have you considered opium?

[@sharkymcsnarkface6642]

USA: “Shut up Ma! I don’t need your help!.. Can you give me help?”

[@nigeh5326]

Rory Stewart (UK Tory politician) : I can heartily recommend it, I had some at a wedding Michael Gove: might I suggest coke and I don't mean the drink wink wink Lol

[@l3gionmusic814]

@@nigeh5326 2 more did weed or something now. Those tory candidates are trying to get the drugees' on side and make themselves seem relatable.

[@Karma-qt4ji]

@Anglo Commando "Are you paying too much for your opium?????.... errrrrmm..... car insurance! I meant car insurance! Oops."

[@jeanpaulsinatra]

UK: "Ah, this new psychadelic drug. That should do gangbus... WTF are you doing don't dope your own soldiers Christ!"

[@highlyeducatedtrucker]

The Thing reference at 1:27 is brilliant.

[@cereal_chick2515]

This the video that prompted me to become a patron of the channel. Thank you for producing this kind of content!

[@bigmanjorge]

Welcome to the rice fields, old chap

[@nathanosafoomane6224]

69th like. Proud to serve

[@bigmanjorge]

@@nathanosafoomane6224 nice

[@Jonnyc448]

RIP Filthy Frank

[@eliafranzini8038]

@@bigmanjorge ready to serve sir!

[@VinegarMoneyGrows]

Lets get some fanny tonight

[@Jonnyc448]

Well it’s simple, their supply lines couldn’t ship enough tea.

[@Fatihturk0071]

Nor there wasn't enough Tea in Vietnam to take either

[@dorylaions]

not the tea

[@isunlloaoll]

Tea is plentiful in vietnam... maybe lack of potato there?

[@MrShaneVicious]

@Professor Clutch Potatoes = Chips

[@hendrikdependrik1891]

Nope, former French Indochina Vietnam was just too French for them to be worth an invasion.

[@nonvalidOT]

From what I've read over the years, and from speaking to my father and his mates, it seems that the entire Vietnam experience was one of people constantly refusing to listen to what anyone else was saying. To me, that is the biggest tragedy of all, and while naive, I really hope it never happens again.

[@NiSiochainGanSaoirse]

Americans arent smart though.... They have proved this beyond question.

[@TheMikeTB]

Cough... Iraq, Cough.. Afghanistan.

[@triadwarfare]

​@@TheMikeTBiraq and afghanistan was justified. Saddam needed to be deposed. Afghanistan was a mess. The Taliban takeover did not improve the situation of the people there. They've regressed.

[@TheMikeTB]

@@triadwarfare ok sure. WMD's. Afghanistan is still a mess.

[@johnswon2147]

"The thing is.." [inserts static shot of the artic station from "The Thing"] Brilliant

[@robertwatts5409]

I was a Royal Marine based in Singapore at the time. We would have been the first British troops involved. Thank goodness we weren't involved in this pointless war.

[@MegaPeedee]

All wars are pointless. I'm a career soldier (retired now) and fought in Vietnam. Australia went there under the terms of SEATO (and to support America at their request): regardless of the whys and wherefors when an ally asks for help what do you do? We were right to go there and fight to stop Communist (repeat Communist) aggression. However if the politicians had done their job better at the end of WWII - and the British were in Vietnam after that war, and if the French had done better in Indo China (and handled the Vietnamese with more care and respect) there would not have been another war. One should ask that if the South Vietnamese were at the time wanting to be Communists why did so many of them leave, even after their defeat? There were 1.6 million refugees who were resettled in other countries. When one reads of the Communist treatment of the North Vietnamese people prior to and even during the war one can see a different side to the story. But I guess one had to be there to understand the full picture. We could have done with British assistance (well I think the Americans could have - Aussies operated like the British did although we were too few in number) but we who wear the uniform don't make those kind of decisions, do we. I think if the Americans employed British tactics and conducted more of a guerilla style of warfare the war may have ended differntly. Guerilla warfare was used successfully by our opponents but only the Australians and new Zealanders for the most part seemed to understand that we were conducting more comnventional warfare and doing so with one arm tied behind our back. The way things were we were never going to win that war and a lot of people died unnescessarily. What a waste. Now everyone are friends. Stupid. More talk and less shooting is what's required ... but it takes two to tango.

[@libertinarey]

@robotrip M Keep your rudeness in mind next time you bitch about people not respecting USA troops.

[@oogifsesm298]

@robotrip M YOU! ARE THE GOFUCK YOURSELF GUY!

[@randomlyentertaining8287]

Defending others against aggression is pointless?

[@trollface3898]

@robotrip M you are gay

[@jamesbovington8218]

Eternally grateful to Harold Wilson for keeping us out of it.

[@johnroddy8756]

Thanks for what ? Common sense remember you were in Vietnam after W.W.2 Thousands of miles from U.K.

[@jackdearden9451]

Brilliantly put, James. Completely stupid war. We should Love the Vietnamese. A Beautiful people.

[@luishernandezblonde]

Vietnamese Americans: "we hate Britain because they backstabbed America and South Vietnam not joining the war". Today yellow flag lovers in America still blame Britain.

[@looinrims]

Who cares even if you did Oh wait you actually were there both before and during the American presence If you watched the video you’d know that “Britain sent advisors to help train Americans in anti guerrilla warfare”

[@luishernandezblonde]

@@looinrims Question is why should Britain join a war they knew it would be lost?

[@stevegandalf4739]

As someone who was born in the late 1960s this is a fascinating insight into Britain's reluctance to get involved in the war. I don't know what, if anything, they teach in schools nowadays about the Vietnam war, but we (kids who grew up in the 1970s and 1980s) were never given any insights like this about the Vietnam war by either the education system or the mainstream media. All that was commonly understood amongst the general British populace was that it turned into a big disaster for the USA.

[@coby7317]

1:27 I love the Thing references through your videos honestly

[@CSGhostAnimation]

Didnt britain fight alongside the japanese in vietnam for a few years? I think that really would have been an interesting thing to mention why it was harder to thread the needle.

[@woodchip543]

Britain started fighting in Vietnam because the French were losing it just after world war two. They didn't have anywhere near enough troops so they set French prisoners of war free to help them. Enemy man power was uprated again and so the British decided to set the Japanese POWs free to fight along side them. Eventually, more troops were sent to Vietnam and the allies started to take control of the country. Then it was handed back to the French, who lost it completely.

[@atriangle1865]

Yeah 1946 Britain near enough stopped the Vietnam war before it even started by America was like “NoOoOooO tHiS iS oUr oCcUpaTIon aReA” cost them the lives of almost 50,000 Brave Americans

[@jamesu1540]

@@woodchip543 Agreed, and the US had supplied the Vietnamese Communists with weapons to fight the Japanese. So the Uk fought the communists and won and the US had not helped because of their hatred of any empire not controlled by them. But as you said as soon as theUk handed control back to the French it was all over in months.

[@Oline1756]

British combined forces are the only ones who beat the commies.

[@easter-nmgr4086]

@@atriangle1865 🤣

[@mauricelone2266]

Because we won it in 1946 and then handed it back to the French, we know what happened after that. It is on the internet, Mark Felton I think

[@unclekarl5219]

Nah

[@thatsjustprime8096]

@@unclekarl5219 wind your neck in you mug.

[@patrickmann3123]

🤣😂

[@Alternativehandle]

Exactly right Britan handed Vietnam back to the French and they fooked everything up again

[@Ironhold_Watch]

That was a good episode

[@vejet]

1:09 Automatic weapons in a History Matters video!? Never thought I'd see the day

[@spaceyote7174]

I love the quick shot of the Antarctic research station from The Thing when he says 'the thing-'

[@dwumasarpong5996]

I knew couldn't have been the only person that saw that lol

[@ClassicalFloppa]

what is it referencing?

[@dwumasarpong5996]

@@ClassicalFloppa the movie "The Thing" (1982)

[@whatonearth9809]

Well the US let the UK down with the Suez Canal and the UK had just been fighting the communists in Malaysia and beat them. The UK public was tired of war and rightly wanted no part in it.

[@TheJeremyHolloway]

Yeah but had the UK sent a token force, the UK would've received a lot of American financial assistance. And then the UK wouldn't have had to go acting like beggars to get into the EEC for the next decade. Hell, that might've improved the UK economy enough to have increased intra-trade within the EFTA and actually made it a successful counter-weight to the EEC/EC/EU and actually gained upper footing during the eventual negotiations for creating the EEA trade zone [like the remaining EFTA members not having to pay for "access" to the Common Market like Switzerland does to this day].

[@whatonearth9809]

@@TheJeremyHolloway that’s quite interesting actually.

[@BroadHobbyProjects]

Also beat them using former Japanese prisoners of war at the end of world war 2 aswell. Then the US got its feathers ruffled and asked us to step down, handing it back over to the French as it was their colony. Etc

[@owenplourde3934]

@@TheJeremyHolloway yes. But what happens when you force war on your citizens too much. They get angry and threaten to revolt. UK had its own issues, so going to war wasn’t a good idea. As the public would’ve turned on their government and possibly the Crown aswell.

[@7ElevenAlphaCentauri]

The UK did support South Vietnam and sent advisors to train South Vietnamese Generals. But if the UK did get involved it’s unlikely the war would have been any different.

[@joelthomastr]

Hands down the most interesting Cold War question I never thought to ask

[@mrcaboosevg6089]

I thought about it but i just never asked. I know from my parents and grandparents that the 60s and 70s in Britain was basically complete shit, industry was dying, the Empire was dying and there was no money but it wasn't all bad, people tell me the 70s was the freest Britain has ever been (probably because no one had any money and nobody gave a shit what you were doing)

[@jez5192]

@@mrcaboosevg6089 The US failure to back the UK and the French in taking Suez from Soviet backed Egypt came back to bite the US in the ass. Your response is typical of US mentality, you don't know the reasons why so you just make them up. Read a history book.

[@paulhuxtable5924]

MrcabooseVG You just made all that up. Actually in the swinging 60s (oh that sounds like a depressing time) the UK economy was doing rather well.

[@gavinreid8351]

@@mrcaboosevg6089 in the 1960s Britain was prosperous. The 70s saw the economic decline.

[@paulhuxtable5924]

@martin corderoy London was run by gangsters in the 60s and much of the 70s. Also in the 70's there was raging racism, sexism and homophobia. Is this the freedom you speak of?

[@kjamison5951]

1:28 - “The Thing” - well played, Sir, well played!

[@paulstrange8607]

The queen's own Highlanders spent 6 months there in a camp called truong cong dinh in 1971. The RAF went on combat missions

[@ronaldderooij1774]

The Dutch took the same view as the UK. Identical. We had not forgotten the role the US played in the Indonesian war and the war on New Guinea.

[@LordGeorgeRodney]

US screwed up there too Permesta rebellion wasn't it?

[@pingas6941]

Ronald de Rooij you guys wouldn’t have been able to hold onto Indonesia for long anyways. Today Indonesia is a significantly more powerful country than the Netherlands, its independence was inevitable.

[@trollinape2697]

@mario barcelon Indonesia is a very strong nation, and its pretty stable, but the NL is far richer tho

[@cthulhuumaru9797]

Indonesia is a Resource Rich country but not a Economic nor Militarily Powerhouse.

[@sausagejockyGaming]

the US got their revenge on the UK over the suez crisis.

[@DougGlendower]

"Remember when we asked for help with Suez? Yeah, payback is a bitch."

[@bugattieb110ss]

We didn't ask for help from the Yanks during the Suez crisis - we had already booted the Egyptians out of the canal zone and destroyed their airforce on the ground. Eisenhower interfered and completely shafted us! Threatened us with economic sanctions if we didn't withdraw. Complete twat.

[@Lcfcluigi]

Didn’t need their help the war was all but won until they stuck their nose in with us and the french telling us we had to give it all back. Bad for us terrible for the french! That was their first military success since 1066

[@looinrims]

You didn’t and conspired to invade a neutral nation unprovoked (that’s a war crime) The Americans were supporting the ones who were attacked unprovoked, so if we copy paste Vietnam to Suez the Americans would’ve sided with Egypt and sent an expedition to kill you Learn history you gnomes

[@looinrims]

@@bugattieb110ss see above

[@jameshammonds4687]

@@looinrims Egypt was far from a neutral country and the events that triggered the retaking of the Suez are not unprovoked. You are also missing out the point that the Soviet Union who has militarily backing Egypt (amazing they needed military equipment being neutral) also threatened Nuclear escalation if things did not end. The US threw its toys out the pram because it was not fully informed, briefed and didnt get to take part in an easy victory which looked bad politically as they hadnt 'allowed' or taken part in it. Israel was also part of the war and also received threats from the US and Soviet union. With all due respect at that point in history the US could not send an 'expedition' to kill the British, French and Israelis as the US simply was not powerful enough to take on all 3 and have a chance of winning.

[@muhammadhuzaifamithani987]

Love your work this even helped in school

[@tbiscuit9159]

@1:27 I see what you did there. Cheeky 😂 When he says; “The thing….” It’s an image of an isolated camp in a snowy place much like John Carpenters movie.

[@Wanderer628]

1:38 Should properly point out the context that these advisers were sent in. The UK had just finished fighting the Malayan Emergency, what people call Britain's Vietnam, except the British actually won. The British tried to tell the Americans that fighting and bombing the Viet Cong like a conventional enemy wouldn't work and offered to teach their own hard won and well tested strategies and tactics to American commanders and solders, but were promptly rebuffed, because 'murica I guess.

[@a-drewg1716]

I mean the Vietnamese suffered 1 million casualties while the US took 50k dead. So 'murica, also North Vietnam technically sign the Paris Peace Accords which "ended" the war with the status quo and allowed the US to get out. So on a technicality the US didn't lose

[@xenon8342]

What did they rename saigon to again?

[@Wanderer628]

@@a-drewg1716 Yeah, just like America 'won' the war of 1812 which literally no one outside the US acknowledges. Funny how every American defeat is magically transformed into a victory/draw by the most inane logic.

[@a-drewg1716]

​@@Wanderer628 The war of 1812 just remained the status quo again, no one won. The US though did get the British to... well stop impeding trade by seizing American vessels but otherwise no territory changed hands nor did the US really lose anything. It anything it was just simply a white peace/not a loss but not a victory. The Vietnam War also ended technically with the status quo with the Paris Peace accords. The US then by a technically achieved their mission of keeping the South Alive by ending the War. It wasn't until later when the North re-invaded, the USA removed basically all aid (both militarily and financially) did the South fall. I mean it wasn't our best hour as it was a war that dragged on too long and was a major loss on the home front (the riots and draft dodgers, etc) and really the US mainly won only if you consider military achievement and stats (the US won every conventional battle and inflicted major casualty rates while sustaining rather... mild casualties) but again the home front was terrible, the people lost the will to continue the fight and the soldiers moral was terrible. Really though Vietnam wasn't a US war, the US never actually declared war and just simply intervened and is just really a complex thing to consider either a flat out lost or a victory.

[@Marcusjnmc]

@@a-drewg1716 the US lost that war sooo hard, it was never a conventional war & the Paris pa was an absolute coo for the NV, their leader was smiling so hard during that conference.

[@samthompson7568]

The Malayan Emergency was enough messing around in the jungle for us.

[@fuynnywhaka101]

And fighting in Burma and the SEA theatre battles in WW2

[@lj3605]

And the Indonesian Confrontation

[@limboonsiew5552]

that's a good enough reason why they didn't want another war in south east asia, since the Malayan Emergency lasted for nearly 2 decades.

[@limboonsiew5552]

@Reddle sorry for your loss

[@malaya1950]

Yes

[@UVtec]

Love the "the thing" with an image of an Antarctic outpost.

[@anthonyvandeist2857]

Actual sources in the description! Beautiful!

[@Twirlyhead]

The British were also unhappy with the way the French (who had spent most of the war as a defeated nation) had blazed back into Vietnam heavy handedly after WW2 and had advised them to go lightly if they must but were ignored. The war that followed French reoccupation and the American continuation/escalation of that were seen as unfortunate and unnecessary by the British. The British recognised that it was a nationalist struggle far more than East vs West but were not vocal about that as it was during the Cold War and not wanting to undermine or even upset their US ally. The irony was not lost either of being asked to fight what looked very much like a war of empire by an ally which had vigourously encouraged Britain's dismantlement of its own empire, a project almost complete and mostly peacefully achieved (certainly peacefully and amicably compared to the French).

[@shamteal8614]

They haven't forgotten in Asia how the French plundered the countries they colonised, I was quite shocked about the contempt with which they are held in some parts. I'd been brainwashed into thinking the British were the villains of the piece, nothing could be further from the truth, they are actually well respected. I'm sure someone will disagree but I can only tell from my own experience of living out here.

[@mkgaming5823]

@@shamteal8614 Britain despite the evils our empire committed did leave something good behind at times Infrastructure and a good foundation For Example India India army is based on the British one This is totally different than both the Spanish and French empires Notoriously when the French left India they had all the Infrastructure like railways they build ripped out

[@shiveshsingh3169]

@@mkgaming5823 Well, I wouldn't be so sure of that. While India did get better with time and indeed incorporated many British political structures and laws, there were many other nations like Uganda that simply floundered. A major reason for the modest Indian 'success' was the development and formation of a distinct and able political class that understood democracy and was able to enforce the constitution. This development occured because of the greater demands for self rule that occurred mostly in the 1910s. Many other colonial nations never got the opportunity to develop this political class, and to this day many remain mired in instability caused by it. The French removing rail lines in their miniscule Indian colonies is something that I have never read about, can you please elaborate more?

[@TheJeremyHolloway]

The US not only supported France due to the "domino theory" but also because Washington thought if they aided France, France would enthusiastically support NATO. That turned out well. Ahem. [at least not until Sarkozy].

[@XXXTENTAClON227]

You said that they didn’t want to upset the USA… I disagree. It was the USSR who kept threatening to nuke the UK every two seconds, and the UK being a tiny island makes that threat very dangerous. The UK knew that the USA would never nuke the UK because the death of London would kill the US economy.

[@NapoleonGelignite]

When McMillan was asked to put troops into Vietnam he responded with one word - "Suez".

[@NapoleonGelignite]

Simon Ocean - the full story is that the US Ambassador was attempting to persuade the PM to commit troop to Vietnam. The McMillan said ‘I have one word for you: Suez’ and showed him the ‘Agincourt salute’. It may be apocryphal, but I’ve heard it a few times.

[@kylelaughinghouse1893]

Canada and new Zealand fought in Vietnam

[@cartmanbrah01]

@@windsurfer_LA could you elaborate what role India played as you said "indian crushing the pound"

[@cgaccount3669]

@@kylelaughinghouse1893 No, Canada did NOT fight in the Vietnam war. 12k Canadians did join the USA armed forces to fight but the government did not. Canada did send peace keeping troops but that was not the same as fighting the war. Although I'm sure most Canadians did not want communism to spread.

[@LordGeorgeRodney]

@@windsurfer_LA that's why we refused to help India in Sino Indian war. - they would regret that after their humiliating defeat.

[@oliversherman2414]

Great video 👍

[@edgynick9808]

I know my grandad who was in the airforce at the time said at one point it looked inevitable that they’d get involved but luckily didn’t. He was even responsible for processing many photos which would’ve been used as intelligence if the U.K. were going to get involved

[@wildtom3076]

Because apparently we had more sense back then than in 2003.

[@alanfox691]

And even less sense in 2019 apparently ie Brexit lol.

[@Dave-hu5hr]

@@alanfox691 Fuck off dickhead..

[@gustavmeyrink_2.0]

@@kaisercreb brexit does not make sense on any level.

[@gustavmeyrink_2.0]

@@kaisercreb yes with brexit we'd lose it alongside most of our economy

[@shogunzac]

YOU CANT BARRAGE THE FARAGE!

[@sabre40]

There were over 2000 British that were fighting there and the SAS were there as advisors and were ignored, the Australian SAS also tried advising on Jungle warfare but the US insisted on the Jolly Green Giant approach which of course failed.

[@mgytitanic1912]

There were a couple of VC's awarded during the Vietnam conflict to Australian forces.

[@Rowlph8888]

Exactly, this iis the token force, which appeases the US perception, and is clandestinely, so it doesn't risk being dragged in To the war full-scale.Harold Wilson was a savvy guy, with humility. Probably the best Prime Minister the Brits had , In the 20th century.

[@dannypipewrench533]

1:53 Between 1965 and 1968, US-UK relations reached a new low. Not like 1776 low, but the two weren't exactly best of friends either.

[@smileydeassman5573]

Love your "The Thing" movie nod.

[@alexknight5940]

"The Thing was....." - I like what you did there

[@johnm1765]

Bob Knight i was just about to say the some thing!..... mr 10min history man....your subtle joke was noticed and heavily enjoyed

[@ea.fitz216]

I don't get it.

[@genericbot7458]

No one tell Spicy Leprechaun Stuff

[@ea.fitz216]

@@genericbot7458 Bastard

[@mattapps4355]

@That Guy a film released called The Thing took place in a Arctic/tundra environment.

[@sharkaithegreat]

British troops were in Vietnam, before the Americans and even before the French. Mark Felton has a video on it.

[@shamteal8614]

The British beat the Communist in Vietnam before handing back to the colonial power France who promptly stirred up the old hatred and got their arse kicked.

[@shamteal8614]

@@Clipgatherer No they were being realistic and realised the old ways of colonialism had come to an end, it was a different world after the Second World War (actually it was the Third World War, the last two being as a direct consequence of the First, the Napoleonic wars fought on a worldwide scale with all the same major players, the Brit's won that as well).

[@shamteal8614]

@@Clipgatherer Good point, but I expect the next and war to end all wars will be started either in the Mediterranean by Turkey who have expansionist ambitions or Asia where at least three countries China, India and Pakistan want to be top dog.

[@capbin146]

Sham Teal Good prophecy, COVID-19 is distracting everyone from Taiwan. Now the Chinese have sorted Hong Kong Taiwan is next. The Rhineland and Sudetenland of the 21st century.

[@ikipemiko]

mark felton is not a good source of data definetely.

[@luishernandezblonde]

There is something worth mentioning: a lot of Vietnamese Americans are very Anglophobe, they dislike Britain for not helping them during the Vietnam War leading to the collapse of South Vietnam. However, Britain already fought in Vietnam in 1945 and 1946, and was alarmed by rising support for Viet Minh despite the Vietnamese were poorly armed, and Douglas Gracey, alongside Philippe Leclerc, warned that a potential war in Vietnam would only end in disaster for intervening forces.

[@rjbubblehead990]

truth be told the anericans told the british and French that they could do better than them and that the british and French soilders were weak and poor trained so the british and French just left and let the anericans "do a better job" i think we know how that then went.

[@pluviosity]

Thanks to UK and US "secretly" disliking each other in the 60s and 70s, we have great spy movies and books from that era.

[@jabber1990]

US: "you should fight in Veitnam" UK: "no" US: "but we'll give you money" UK: "well may-no"

[@thomasturner6980]

I guess there aren't any Vietnam flashbacks involving tea then

[@Spido68_the_spectator]

*Chris i'm having Vietnam flashbacks again*

[@zaikolebolsh5724]

*THEY WE'RE IN THE TEA, SUNNY*

[@cloroxbleach9222]

Only Malayan and Indonesian flashbacks, actually.

[@magicman3163]

ThomasTurner69 Australia

[@magicman3163]

tytube3001 George Washington spits tea

[@charlesf.5414]

0:45 is the reason I watch every video this channel makes. *accurate representation of the British economy Can’t stop laughing

[@williamwilson4162]

That was about the only thing a British politician has got right in the last 60 years.

[@no-knickers-emma1112]

Also a referendum on Brexit. It's called living in a democracy.

[@tim4570]

@@no-knickers-emma1112 Not entering was an actually good idea, don’t compare it to a meme that people got suckered into

[@stpat7614]

The question isn't "Why didn't Britain?", but "Why did America?"

[@tyvxz2950]

@frank hargreaves oh my god haha

[@PurpleWarlock]

América had the strongest army, leader of the Nato and wanted to stop commies from controlling trade routes aka the World.

[@jamesmccomb9525]

@@PurpleWarlock Real talk, if the majority of Americans wanted communism do you think it'd be justifiable to start a civil war?

[@logoncal3001]

Because someone was essentially too weak to handle their uprising (France) so they convinced America to join the war under the pretext of fighting communism.

[@jamesmccomb9525]

@@logoncal3001 You word that as though the people perpetuating the fear of the red were the French and not the Americans.

[@connorsimmonds9698]

TL;DR No Tea, why spend time in south Asia with *NO TEA*

[@sachyriel]

Vietnam has tea tho, I mean nice joke but I feel it's probalby not true. Vietnam is the sixth largest producer and fifth largest exporter of tea in the world.

[@bombshellie8549]

@@sachyriel *WELL BOYS TIME TO LIBERATE VIETNAM*

[@AWormsPurpose]

South east asia is good for growing opium though

[@connorsimmonds9698]

You can not take it literally you know.

[@AWormsPurpose]

Connor Simmonds I’m not taking it seriously. I’m saying the brits wanted tea so much they drugged China for it

[@enderman_of_d00m24]

the Vietnam war is evidence of the true strength of America: It's allies. With so few allies willing to help, America eventually lost the war in the public eye. If more allies had joined in, America would've probably been able to win. Also, not listening to those British advisors wasn't a good idea, since the British military has great experience in dealing with guerillas.

[@danh555]

Exactly Waiting for the day they actually go it alone and a) from the actual beginning and b) not hanging around until they see how it goes Even won their independence from help

[@superbrownbrown]

*0:46** The guy on the right side of the screen is just calmly on fire.* 😂

[@Emancipator_]

Saving your troops from dying in a needless war? Now that's soldiering.

[@mabufang2217]

Nice sharp reference

[@First_Sea_Lord_Ford]

@@mabufang2217 responding to a comment 6 months after it was written. Now that's soldiering

[@mabufang2217]

@@First_Sea_Lord_Ford responding after 2 months now that’s soldiering

[@sajidursajid2291]

@@mabufang2217 responding after 1 week,now that's soldering

[@leagueofdead569]

@@sajidursajid2291 responding after 8 hours, now that's soldiering.

[@specialunit0428]

Basically the British put up two fingers and said "Remember Suez?" as the US completely screwed them over.

[@lightningbolt4419]

Suez was inconsequential

[@Dave-hu5hr]

@@lightningbolt4419 Why are you here then.. ? 😂

[@lightningbolt4419]

@@Dave-hu5hr what?

[@joemanton2340]

@@lightningbolt4419 What part of the suez crisis is "inconsequential"?

[@lightningbolt4419]

@@joemanton2340 it was eventually going to happen anyway, you couldn't hold on to suez

[@kojiroh30]

Has anyone noticed the scene suddenly changed to an Antarctic base when HM mentions "The Thing"? 1:27

[@shrimpboom8]

1:09 hearing a non-standard shooting sound effect spooked me surprisingly hard

[@sonnyocad287]

I think I read somewhere that Wilson also chose not to help as a kind of revenge for America interfering with the Suez Crisis.

[@mikeyforester6221]

@Vlodec But there wasn't, so we didn't.

[@davidreichert9392]

@@mikeyforester6221 Militarily no. Diplomatically yes. All of Britain's core allies (aside from France) including Canada, Australia and New Zealand wanted no part of Suez.

[@petergreen2552]

It wasn't the UK's war. Well done Wilson for telling LBJ where he can put his request for additional help in their tricky little war in someone else's country

[@triggeringfeministspsmakem5954]

Nor was the Afghan war and they still dragged us into that

[@donttrytokillme1231]

@@triggeringfeministspsmakem5954 Only because Blair let them...

[@jrgboy]

You couldn't draft UK citizens for a start cos there was no threat to the UK

[@KaylumHSQ]

triggering feministspsmakemeasandwitch That war is more important than some Vietnamese war.

[@azuresegugio9095]

Tbf it wasn't America's war either. We do that sometimes

[@minicraftman192]

"America, we've found a vital flaw in your strategies that is making you lose the wa-" "Send troops or shut up"

[@Raul_Menendez]

America: Look at you old men, didn't need your advice on fighting guerilla warfare. Brits : Alright, I see you can do a better job. Americans: I will! *Months later* America: I need your help and support. Brits: I'm pretty you can handle it yourself.

[@Airstrip1TV]

One of the best thing Harold Wilson did was keep us out of Vietnam.

[@duylai2224]

why tho, we got nice tea here, well, the taste might be a bit strange

[@Airstrip1TV]

duy lai no matter how much tea you folks have it wasn’t not fighting the Viet Cong over.

[@duylai2224]

@@Airstrip1TV yes, nothing worth messing with other countries business for

[@moosesandmeese969]

@@Airstrip1TV Because it's cheaper to just buy the tea from them than to invade the areas where the tea is

[@seanegan8150]

@@moosesandmeese969 cough cough opium wars cough cough

[@cameronscamerabusiness6675]

Britain in 1946:Aight France take your colony back France:Thank you Britain Britain:No problem *Vietnamese War* America:Help me Britain I’m dying- Britain: *I a i n t d o i n g t h i s s h i t a g a i n*

[@rjbubblehead990]

truth be told the anericans told the british and French that they could do better than them and that the british and French soilders were weak and poor trained so the british and French just left and let the americans "do a better job" i think we know how that then went.

[@chanchanchanchanchan]

@@rjbubblehead990 that is absolutely not how it happened 🤣

[@rowdyyates4273]

@@rjbubblehead990 America could have won the conflict easily but was held back by politics, they had tanks at the borders of hanoi but were told to not go in, --alll a chessgame, why fight in the jungle for hills????

[@selinane2Seli-zw3pz]

@@rowdyyates4273 Losing politically is the same, war is lost. Do you really think French army was totally defeated after Dien Bien Phu ?

[@lunaladracula6243]

Its funny because americans say they kick your ass in revolution but they needed so much help. They begged Britain join Vietnam war because they were losing

[@somekindadragon3414]

Major Kudos for “The Thing” blink and you miss it reference

[@starrynight1657]

Eh, Britain was very clearly not interested in empire in the 70s, even by the end of the 60s. No confusion. The US government didn't back Britain in the cod wars v Iceland in the 60s-70s when Iceland played the Cold War card.

[@TheJeremyHolloway]

Hong Kong, the Falklands, British Honduras, and plenty of other territories said otherwise...

[@christophersmith2014]

As well as the many excellent responses from others, another reason the UK did not officially support the sending of UK troops to support the US etc., was that the UK had experienced its own ‘Vietnam War’ at the end of WW2, and had already learnt the hard way just who they would have been dealing with. As France was still recovering from the effects of WW2 and was unable to re-establish themselves into all of their farthest flung colonies, Britain offered (felt obligated or was asked) to administer those French colonies until France was able to take them over again. One such colony was French Indochina (Vietnam). The British discovered upon arrival that a) things were quite chaotic as there was a total breakdown in civil law and order (since the Japanese had ruled Vietnam with an iron fist); b) the Japanese - especially the soldiers - were all prisoners of war since the surrender of Tokyo. With so few Brits/ Commonwealth soldiers deployed to the country, and facing a massively complex situation and a relatively large country to govern/ police, the British administration was compelled to make use of those Japanese PoWs as a de facto police force. Naturally they were not only released but also re-armed. This did not go down well with the locals who had been fighting those same Japanese a few months earlier only to have them re-armed and effectively back in control. The locals were not that impressed with the Brits either. There was a bloody guerilla campaign against the British - and all the more so when it was also realized the Brits were then preparing the country to be re-possessed by France…as for the Brits, they couldn’t get out of there quick enough. As they were leaving, the Brits did their very best to advise the French to also leave as rapidly and as peacefully as possible - which (as we all know) was promptly and completely ignored. The UK was in no way in a hurry to return; they knew what would be awaiting them. In addition: the ‘domino theory’ that gripped the paranoid US imagination and was held as their rationale at the time - just did not hold any water with the UK. They were no way near as obsessed with the delusional ‘communist takeover of the world’ conspiracy theories (self-fulfilling prophecies) the Americans expounded. While MacMillan (Super Mac) and JFK did enjoy a sort of budding ‘special relationship’, given the age/ generation gap between the two leaders it was more of a patriarchal one rather than a shared economic/ philosophical/ world-view. It was also a time where even though the UK was on the long imperial wind-down, the UK was still a country with significant international influence and ability to act - for the most part - more or less independently in its own foreign policy. As such and given the US treatment of the UK in particular, over the Suez crisis and the lack of any US support during the Malayan Emergency, it was hardly that surprising in return, that the UK was loath to officially commit itself to what the UK perceived to be - rightly as it turned out - the US’s reckless Vietnam adventure.

[@poofingers3054]

Bro thanks for the history lesson, that was genuinely really informative. Definitely deserve more than eight likes

[@christophersmith2014]

@@poofingers3054 thank you I really appreciate the compliment. It’s a lot to read, quite a lot for people of today’s standards.

[@NoNo-jg2qc]

When Britain was in Vietnam they actually preformed very well against the rebels and nearly put down the rebellions all together but as the French arrived the new French soldiers started to commit war crimes and had a much more aggressive stance with the locals which caused more people to join the rebels. The British saw this and refused to continue to help the French as it was seen as a lost cause so left

[@TomorrowWeLive]

Believing the communist stated goal of communist world revolution...is a delusional conspiracy theory. Do commies even realise how tarded they sound?

[@livethefuture2492]

The malayan emergency was a good example of a successful counter-insurgency, which the UK won.

[@hansgruber788]

America: Little help, brother? UK: ... UK: Suez, "brother"

[@sarthakbikrampanta8342]

So true 😂😂

[@charliewright4044]

brother? More like father

[@hansgruber788]

@@charliewright4044 wouldn't have made sense in this context

[@garwhittaker3743]

@@charliewright4044 No USA is Britain's son .

[@garwhittaker3743]

@Finn Spooner Yeah I read it wrong 👍

[@nathantower5565]

The fucking random cut to the artic when you said "the thing" killed me

[@pusheenthecat9264]

This Vietnam video: short, informational, and on topic Every other Vietnam video: *proceeds to go through the entire earth's history before getting to the point*

[@robertromero9488]

Wish Tony Blair had acted like Wilson in Iraq

[@paganphil100]

Chef Love: Blair was a "closet Tory".

[@ggrey3155]

Truth!

[@firstroundboxing1138]

Wish you didn't sell Star Wars to Disney

[@georgejob7544]

George, Blair wanted to emulate Thatcher and triumph! He did in a way by becoming a war criminal ! Along with his buddy G.W. Bush two warmongers !

[@georgejob7544]

@@paganphil100 He ruined old Labour,and gave you the loonies you have now along with Brown,Mandelson and Alistair Campbell !

[@sportsstar2019]

This is the only only page I’ll drop everything I do to watch a video on release

[@ChrisDynamo]

Aww, that phase where you're only aware of one good history channel on youtube. Memories...

[@filipinorutherford7818]

Random fact the next most populated ally for the US was from South Korea. I think they deployed a whole division. Australia and New Zealand sent a Brigade minus. I find it funny that the Koreans, Thais and other allies are completely forgotten.

[@houseowner9228]

1:27 is the most obscure reference I have ever heard in any video on KZbin ever

[@dimaignatiev6370]

1:43-And that's how you lose a war,lads...Just ignore the more experienced guys in the room...

[@DJ_NSG]

Britain was pretty sick of fighting horrifically prolonged wars in the Jungle after WW2 and Malaysia, also we had the whole simmering "Irish Troubles" to contend with in the late 60's and 70's too

[@EdgyShooter]

While shaking hands with Johnson, Wilson leans in and whispers into his ear: "Remember Suez, bitch?"

[@manicmangomango8118]

Also additionally, Britain wasnt too happy with helping the u.s. due to their lack of support over suez

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

They didn’t want to get flashbacks from the talking trees

[@bayern1445]

I like your politics

[@FDNY101202]

@@bayern1445 😂

[@Kingj411]

Avery The Cuban-American Why are you everywhere

[@MrGA555]

Brits: "Ey mate, what some advice on how to fight a guerrilla war?" US: "Nah, but can you send a some troops so we can throw them in the jungle?"

[@samuelademeso9041]

Brits: dear christ, you lots are really gonna be in a world of pain if you decide to go conventional

[@williamchamberlain2263]

@@samuelademeso9041 are you glad we showed you how to make her engines, and fast aircraft whose elevators didn't fall off?

[@Scp-yl6fq]

@@williamchamberlain2263 Are you still speaking our language?

[@samuelademeso9041]

@@williamchamberlain2263 what those that have to with the Vietnam war?

[@williamchamberlain2263]

@Billy the Australians did _very_ close artillery support.

[@BlacksmithFilter1]

That reference of "The Thing" must be the most underrated joke in the history of the internet...

[@bimb0cat]

The UK was also tied up in defending Malaysia against Indonesia in the Konfrontasi in the 1960s

[@johnwilletts3984]

From U.K. Britain did fight a Vietnam war in 1945 to 1946. Called the First Vietnam war, it has largely been airbrushed out of history. In 1945 a British Empire force entered Saigon to take the Japanese surrender. Almost immediately they came under attack from the Viet Minh. The British General in command had a mixed force of British Commandos, Indian Infantry and Gurkhas. He added to this by rearming the Japanese and taking 1000 released French POWs. This strange set of allies were deployed using commando tactics. The Viet Minh used conventional methods. After eight months the war was over and peace restored. Britain handed back control to France. Instead of granting independence as expected the French tried to hold on, and so set up what was to follow. Then of course Britain had its own battles to fight during the American involvement in Vietnam. The Dhofar Rebellion, Malaysia, Aden, NI. maybe more. Never forget that Australia joined the war in support of the US.

[@johnserton7997]

The British had Vietnam locked down after the Second World War, for the most part. When they turned it over to the French that’s when shit hit the fan, the French lost control and tada Vietnam war.

[@Andre-pe9mm]

John Serton Britain gave Vietnam back to the French because the USA told us to.

[@johnserton7997]

Andre44 I thought it was because Britain didn’t want to waste money on Vietnam anymore

[@GiraffeFeatures]

John Serton you’re both wrong. It’s because De Gaulle was staunchly Anti-British and no longer accepted the help from the British in French Indo-China, De Gaulle didn’t even allow British troops to attend the victory parade in Paris after the Second World War.

[@johnserton7997]

@@GiraffeFeatures oh wow that’s rude

[@oliver8296]

I always found it incredible that the British army fought by the side of their own Japanese prisoners to hold the country down for the French. That decision in a way set in motion the events leading to the later conflicts

[@Wearethedisease616]

The Thing reference. Nice

[@joeMama-ls5km]

Whats the map you use for your vids?

[@davidhouseman4328]

Suez! You don't back us we won't back you.

[@xclonejager6959]

Wrythil Valice America full on threatened to destroy Britain’s economy over Britain trying to reclaim one of its most important overseas territories the Suez Canal, this was well and truly an event that scared US UK politics till the 90s and the US actions during the Suez crisis would lead to the ultimate fall of the British empire. So all in all it was a major event that Britain has never recovered from

[@bambitramp5943]

America only exists as a nation because thier ancestors betrayed thier own countrymen and abandond their homeland.

[@callumwilliams1449]

@@wrath_of_thrawn2163 Because the British bought and built the canal in the first place. And bare in mind, this is the US. The holier-than-thou Empire, which instead of taking the land, creates vassal states through puppet regimes and control of countries economies. Being an empire is bad unless it's them doing it or when the can explain it away as giving "freedom" to a populace which doesn't want their supposed "freedom".

[@callumwilliams1449]

@@wrath_of_thrawn2163 Egypt weren't a colony at this point and that land was bought from the Egyptians and the British are what made the canal.

[@callumwilliams1449]

@@wrath_of_thrawn2163 Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Somoa, Virgin Islands. The Americans own many territories. And this wasn't something exactly owned as a territory. Just like you would buy shares of a company, Britain and France owned shares of the Canal. It was not a sovereign part of either country. Iraq did the same with American oil fields. There was a war. Funny how this "anti-imperialism" stops when it suits you. It would be the equivalent to Britain "nationalizing" companies with foreign invest, American banks, Chinese companies, Huawei for example. It's illegal. Funny how Israel should also have equal access to the canal. It doesn't.

[@thefeule0175]

Could you do a video on how the French kings (early Capetians) gained power from simply King of the Franks to the mighty kings of France

[@mattmacaulay2900]

this is basically every conversation I have with my friends

[@thefeule0175]

@@mattmacaulay2900 Love your profile pic :D Napoléon's crest was something else

[@mattmacaulay2900]

TheFeule01 thank you 🙏

[@conserva-chan2735]

Australia and New Zealand: **Peter Griffin laugh**

[@Adam-vy6nl]

My grandfather was in the Royal Navy, was there a few times on various deployments

[@KonevRokossovsky]

I liked the "The Thing" reference you slipped in at 1:27

[@JR-gp2zk]

Good eye, I totally missed it.

[@ajthereptile]

Very good Easter egg

[@marzuqahmed218]

@@ajthereptile Can you explain I don't get it.

[@ajthereptile]

@@marzuqahmed218 The thing takes place in Antarctica at an American research base when an alien that can perfectly imitate and assimilate other life forms infiltrates their base and they grow very suspicious and paranoid of each other and they do not know who to trust. It is a really cool horror movie and focuses on the themes of uncertainty and fear.

[@marzuqahmed218]

@@ajthereptile Thanks

[@itaybron]

they were probably still pissed about the whole Suez crisis fiasco.

[@BalianofTheTube]

Yeh I mean, it didn’t completely bollock their empire or anything

[@tesstickle7267]

Simple fact is what comes around goes around. I would mention other times the USA has fucked over Britain, treaties and promises are important ,for example the whole handing all nuclear work over to the usa that Britain had started doing before ww2 and even helped develop the bomb in the promise that favour would be returned and jointly create one for Britain also (we all know how that went, took another 10 years from start to finish) Sorry but the list is long. Don't make agreements or promises if they can't be honoured

[@tesstickle7267]

Least trump won't back down from deals and promises,he'll actually keep his word.

[@Cliffracer46]

Damn you steel brotherhood

[@bradregan4709]

tj o• how’s that wall coming? Mexico ever pay for that?

[@ghelmet2701]

I enjoyed it but you forgot to ad the other countries early in the video.

[@brunopastorini1248]

1:26 damn I liked this reference