You Need to Stop Comparing Everything to Blitzkrieg

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~~Video Description~~
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Have you ever heard someone compare a longbow to a machine gun? A cavalry charge to a modern tank assault? Have you ever thought that such comparisons were incredibly silly, and wondered why they're so popular? Well then, this is the video for you! Here, we discuss the idea of 'comparison' in military history and its value as an educational tool. It has its benefits, but it can be a real double-edged sword!
~~Sources & Further Reading On This Topic~~
The videos I pull clips from:
"How to Shoot a Medieval Longbow" • How to shoot a medieva...
"Vickers Machine Gun Demonstration Shoot" • Vickers Machine Gun De...
"Sir Hiram Maxim testing his invention" • (1897) Sir Hiram Maxim...
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~~Timestamps~~
Introduction 00:00
The Benefits of Comparison 02:10
Sponsorship 06:04
When Comparison Goes Too Far 08:31
Why Does This Matter? 15:10
Something Like Philosophy 20:47

[@BrandonF]

He made his video after I finished this script, but Matt Easton of Scholagladiatoria made a fantastic video delving into one of these sorts of comparisons. In it, he gets into some fantastic details about how one particular comparison DOES work, and how it DOES NOT. It's a fantastic look at exactly how the things I discuss in this video can applied: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rIWtaKaMps53jpY Edit: Also, apparently "The Blitz" specifically refers to the bombing campaign after the Fall of France. Huh, who knew? Well it turns out a fair few people, just not me. I always conflated "Blitz" and "Blitzkrieg"

[@christal2641]

Don't both machine guns and longbows have sights?

[@christal2641]

The shallow draft Viking boats, which could go swiftly upriver to cities, was devastating, for the same reason that the Hittite chariot was in Egypt. At first, the Vikings weren't interested in holding territory, but that happened within a generation. Vikings quickly became Normans. The Hittites lost their advantage when the Egyptians copied their chariots.

[@dersuddeutschesumpf5444]

​@@christal2641 the misnomer "Viking age" went on for 266 years and long after the foundation of Normandy. What do you mean "within a generation"?

[@Marveryn]

The blitz was the primer for the start of blitzkrieg. It is in the same way for the shock and awe. The idea is that prior to the start of the ground war you start with an air bombing to create gaps or opening for the ground. to weaken the enemy to respond in kind. go for their arty and airfield. After you smother the arty and airfield then you start the ground offense on a weak spot in the line that was either always there or created by the blitz. So air starts and then ground push through and then seek to go behind enemy lines and hit strategic location before enemy properly respond. anyway that is the simple idea of blitzkrieg.

[@robertjarman3703]

I'm pretty sure the Blitz was a famous word for Luftwaffe bombings. I heard of it when I was about 11 years old or so. And knew nothing about the world wars back then.

[@yoshihammerbro435]

Brandon really told it to them in this one, quickly and effectively, just like the swiftness of the Blitz.

[@BrandonF]

....okay this one's pretty good

[@patavinity1262]

You're confusing 'the Blitz' with 'blitzkrieg'. 'The Blitz' refers to the German bombing campaign over Britain in 1940.

[@mot13ymotley55]

Im enjoying this episode of little timmy goes forth except for the blitz and pictures of tanks and came to point that out

[@diabolicwave7238]

@@patavinity1262 Ah, but is he? If you look at the German song Panzerlied, the second verse ends with 'Gerschwind wie die Blitz'; as fast as lightning! Clearly, this is a clever, multi-layered reference! ... And if it isn't, then I like my version better. :P

[@patavinity1262]

@@diabolicwave7238 The word 'blitz' of course exists in German, but 'the Blitz', in English, as a proper noun, refers to said bombing campaign

[@floogon_gameing6987]

"The deadliest warrior approach to history" is such an accurate phrasing.

[@shibasaurus322]

But Brandon… I like deadliest warrior.

[@huntclanhunt9697]

I miss that show. It was awful from a historic standpoint but... Man... It was so fun.

[@shibasaurus322]

@@huntclanhunt9697 if you could reboot the show right now, what’s your episode 1 match up?

[@TheDenofBadgers]

@@shibasaurus322 Hitler vs Stalin

[@shaider1982]

​@@huntclanhunt9697 pointless hub and I think the Metatron had videos on that show. Yup, it was entertaining.

[@scibus2593]

Great video but it's my biggest tiny little irrational pet peeve when people confuse Blitzkrieg with The Blitz

[@BrandonF]

Aha, fair enough! I actually hadn't thought of that distinction before. I will update the title.

[@henleinkosh2613]

@@BrandonF This comment is exactly why you shouldn't worry too much about the less than good comparisons you have made in your videos. You have shown here (and several times in videos and other comments) that you are willing to be corrected and strive to do better next time.

[@saber8156]

I remember watching MajorSamm's Israeli Blitz - Lebanon '82 and thinking Blitz = blitzkrieg / lightning war now thanks to your comment scibus2593 i remember Blitz refers to ww2 german bombing of england. I think i learned what Blitz meant through Jay Foreman's older Unfinished London episodes. Thanks again.

[@haraldisdead]

"The mounted knight was the medieval tank" is my favorite.

[@dersuddeutschesumpf5444]

One of the most useless comparisons for sure

[@seanbeckett4019]

I know. It's so common and expected now, it's like they just copy and past it into documentaries.

[@95DarkFire]

"The spoon is the steering wheel of cooking."

[@haraldisdead]

@@95DarkFire 😅😅😅

[@Specter_1125]

@@dersuddeutschesumpf5444they do have some similarities, that being heavily armored, hard hitting and mobile unit often used to punch through enemy lines. That’s about it though.

[@FonzieKree]

Do you know what makes a good soldier Mr. F? Ability to form a testudo against blitzing cavalry in any weather.

[@zsoltbocsi7546]

what about testudo cavalry?

[@WhiteWolfeHU]

It’s how the Greeks stopped the Mongol Armada.

[@irwinblair5494]

Now that's soldierin'

[@aminatandour589]

civ 5 be like lol@@WhiteWolfeHU

[@CityofChorrol]

"The knight/Spartan hoplite/war elephant was the TANK of the ancient world!" Seen it in so many historical discussions where it just adds nothing and distracts from the purpose. Thanks for covering this one, Brandon!

[@LOL-zu1zr]

To be fair, Gatling gun and cannon elephants are similar to tanks

[@robertjarman3703]

Okay, elephant isn't so bad, especially given that the tank has some pretty weird models like the Tsar tank, and the Mughals had elephants with cannons mounted on them, and covered them in excellent armour and the soldiers on them did too.

[@laisphinto6372]

That would be terrifying especially when you know that war elephants Had a tendency to Go Wild , Just Imagine a Panzer Division being repelled by anti Tank artillery and all the Panzers roll Back full Speed ahead into the Schützenregimente ,No Wonder combined Arms warfare was lately used because Lord have Mercy when a Tiger goes wild or a maus

[@347Jimmy]

Zamburaks really were the SPGs of their time

[@wes4736]

THANK you!! Nothing gives me a greater embodiment of disappointment than people who insist on comparing whatever in antiquity I'm talking about Hitlers armies. It's obnoxious, not like that at ALL, and you're not gonna learn history doing that.

[@wizardapprenticeIV]

10 quid says the person comparing the two doesn't even understand what "blitzkrieg" is in the first place.

[@baltulielkungsgunarsmiezis9714]

No premodern army would stand a chance against a modern one. Modern ones are not only so much better equiped that they would mow down enemies like a scythe reaps grass but modern armies are also larger so they have a continuous frontline along the entire border and dont need to concentrate for a battle.

[@theodoresmith5272]

Combined army tactics had been around since before alexander and he definitely used them. So did hanabil and the Romans. Propaganda by the British to make excuses for why they got there teeth kicked in early in the war.

[@fGlassmanN]

The opening is absolutely perfect. You explained the sectarian division of an entire “fandom” (you can call it that at this point) with a single axiom.

[@ea.fitz216]

The precision and speed of his thesis almost reminds one of the precision and speed of the German panzer divisions which blitzed into France in the spring of 1940.

[@eldorados_lost_searcher]

​@@ea.fitz216 God damnit! I chuckled at that.

[@woaddragon]

​@@eldorados_lost_searcher Me too

[@anttibra]

Brandon F making videos are like Blitzkrieg against military history myths.

[@Goowehr_43]

I think it might be a problem of also people not knowing that the idea of a large continuous front is still a relatively recent thing. The Romans didn't have to deal with pushing across a 1,000km front with 2 million men spread out along it.

[@Tareltonlives]

Exactly, There was plenty of trench warfare in the American Civil War, Crimea, Boer wars, Russo-Japanese War, and New Zealand Land Wars, but those were still radically different and all about siege warfare on specific cities, not grand pushes over an entire nation. The 20th century is about mass mobilization and coordination to unprecedented levels.

[@alsenar2]

I never came across a comparison like that luckily but i get the frustration. The term "Blitzkrieg" wasn't even used by the Germans. It was just another form of "War of movement" or "Mobile warfare".

[@LOL-zu1zr]

Yeah I do kinda get why they compare everything to it thou. Historical military development were and will be always be how to best apply existing technologies into conducting mobile warfare.

[@codyraugh6599]

Watch old American History Channel. The whole bit he did at 1:20 are actual quotes from that period of the channel. You even had WW2 historians commenting on warfare from other periods.

[@deeznoots6241]

The German term specifically for their doctrine is Bewegungskrieg, aka maneuver warfare in English

[@laisphinto6372]

Basically WE Germans used IT First successfully and bamboozled the allies , the annoying Thing is they learned quickly to counter that

[@woaddragon]

" Blitzkrieg".itself was considered more of a theorlogical possiblity than actually. Poland had " a hard start" of the Blitz, and in France the tanks went way faster than the general staff, plannedm

[@bcluett1697]

It's people looking for a cheap easy way to relate to something that would normally take proper in depth analysis. If they haven't taken the time to study it themselves than they are left with surface impressions they pass on. WW2 was so prolific in literature and films it's something most people have seen something about and thus would be relatable to the most people.

[@emilyta5616]

Little Timmy is gradually gaining more and more awareness. I’m invested in this saga. Godspeed, soldier… perhaps the fourth wall can be fully breached with a cavalry charge.

[@skelo9033]

You see, I don’t fall into the trap of becoming obsessed by torturing myself by focusing on 1066-1914 because I hate myself and can’t pick a period.

[@cakeonfrosting8105]

1066??? Must be a paradox gamer

[@CharliMorganMusic]

That's silly. 🤪 Everyone knows history Started in 1914

[@oksoijusttookafatshit]

amateur, i focus on 100-1920

[@gurigura4457]

I'm like that except without the picking a period bit.

[@skelo9033]

@@cakeonfrosting8105 nah, 1066 is the start date for Medieval 2 Total War

[@faithfulhistory]

My initial reaction to this was one of curious indifference until you mentioned Mark Corregan. Fair play

[@faithfulhistory]

I'm sure you won't read this but my channel focuses on my hometown of Worcester's history. The Worcestershire Regiment, amalgamated in the 19th century from the 29th and 36th regiments of foot are something I'd like to tackle. The 29th had a storied history in North America. I'd love to discuss a possible introspective in to their time there with you if you'd be amenable?

[@Materialist39]

“Everyone else in my life is…normal” extremely relatable on several levels lol

[@Fusilier7]

I like to call this the "History Channel Effect", the channel that launched thousands of Wehraboos, where virtually _every_ historical topic gets compared to the WWII. In addition, every tyrant gets compare to Hitler, every general gets compared to Rommel or Patton, or every regime gets compared to the Third Reich, although the History Channel has moved onto Americentrism, the damage is done, people have gotten comfortable with the idea that WWII can be shoehorned into any subject, "This is the Normandy of our time", "The carnage is like Omaha Beach", or "This is the second coming of Patton", this WWII oversaturaturation is one of my pet peeves. The Second World War is over folks, it's time to drop the nostalgia of trying to refight Iwo Jima, so study history in the context it was written in, not a decade from the twentieth century.

[@thegloryofromeiseternal]

I prefer "this is our waterloo"

[@capt5656]

Much of my early adult life has been learning what the History Channel and the like taught me that was wrong

[@fellington2398]

@@thegloryofromeiseternal "Now, gentlemen, let tomorrow be their Waterloo!" - P. G. T. Beauregard

[@thegloryofromeiseternal]

@@capt5656 well said

[@sulphuric_glue4468]

@@thegloryofromeiseternal I feel like referring to a fight as a "waterloo" has a different meaning because you're not actually talking about the circumstances of the battle itself when you say this - it's a term that means any kind of big final confrontation or ordeal that will put an end to a long struggle, and isn't necessarily about war at all. It has entered English as a colloquial phrase that has almost nothing to do with what any soldier or commander was doing on that day.

[@ostrowulf]

Man, Brandon coming in here with his videos, smashing through misconceptions like the Blitzkreig going through Europe. Just firing through the armour of tropes like an English longbow. 😇

[@vinz4066]

Y E S. Different Periods of warfare are often so inherently different (easpeacialy pre Industrial vs Industrial) that comparisons are to be used very carefully.

[@jamesharding3459]

Comparisons of concept are useful, because the fundamental tenets of warfare haven't changed in recorded history. But if someone compares the _physical execution_ of two different periods, you can safely ignore then.

[@laisphinto6372]

The Most hillarious Thing is that some idiots believe that modern soldiers can outfight any soldiers in the past in melee, because they know kung für or some dumb Shit,Like they ignore that in the past before firearms Hand to Hand Combat was the primary way of fighting thats why they have Armor and Armor Piercing weapons.

[@me67galaxylife]

@laisphinto6372 No one has said that. Ever. However in *hand* to hand combat ? Well, technically, they’ve got handguns

[@me67galaxylife]

You should say modern warfare as before ww1 even with industry, people were still fighting ranged battles

[@jamesharding3459]

@@me67galaxylife Absolutely wrong. If you take modern to mean using methods and hardware comparable to what is currently in service, even Vietnam doesn't count as modern. WWI is in every single regard bar aviation and telegraphy closer to the Thirty Years War than it is to a modern battlefield.

[@menschman1464]

I know I commented this on the deadliest warrior episode, but I’m like 90% sure they have an episode where they call the Macedonian Pike the “m16” of the ancient world

[@historygateyt]

So was the Gladius the AK 47? Deadliest warrior is a gem

[@BrandonF]

That is possibly the worst thing. Ever.

[@roomyhaddock3245]

"The trebuchet was the intercontinental ballistic missile of its time!!!" is the dumbest sensationalist statement I can come up with just for goofs

[@menschman1464]

@@roomyhaddock3245 we could always call the Spartans navy seals or something. Or a horseman a tank, actually Im pretty sure they called a medieval knight a tank at one point

[@Tareltonlives]

No, but they called the Roman Scorpion the Roman Machine Gun. And when they tested it they kinda disproved the whole thing. That was a bizarre and hilarious episode despite actually featuring two armored iron age professional soldiers for once and actually getting the winner right IMO.

[@PersonstuckinMichigan]

Okay, but nothing will ever stop my brain from to autmatically calling all fast warfare "Blitzing."

[@BrandonF]

But, but, "élaning" !

[@wayneantoniazzi2706]

Try using the German terms "schnellkrieg" or "bewegungskrieg." "Fast war" and "war of movement" respectively. That should do it! The term "blitzkreig" was actually coined by the Brits if I'm not mistaken.

[@ostrowulf]

Just add Bop to Blitzkreig or say they were Ramonzing in. Now you just sound like a big music fan.

[@tomirk4404]

@@wayneantoniazzi2706 I thought it was an American journalist?

[@wayneantoniazzi2706]

@@tomirk4404 Hey, it could have been. Who really knows for sure? I look at it this way, the British didn't call the Luftwaffe's version of unrban renewal on London the Blitz for nothing.

[@fuferito]

Let's be honest, When _everyone_ here isn't thinking about the Roman Empire, we're thinking about World War II or Napoleon.

[@BrandonF]

I think about Nelson and Kitchener!

[@user-ql6dq6zg6k]

Or I'm on about the FN-FAL for the fifth time this minute

[@Tareltonlives]

Or the US and English Civil Wars. Last night talking with my cousin I somehow got from Queen to the rise and fall of the Tudors and Stuarts, the Catholic-Protestant wars and how the conflict happened in Britain, and the act of Union.

[@fuferito]

@Tareltonlives , Ah, yes! The Act of Union. My Scottish friend and I love to laugh about the Scottish colony of Central America.

[@Tareltonlives]

"On one hand we have a tradition of royal sovereignty and proud wars of independence. On the other we're bloody broke" @@fuferito

[@AlphaWolf789]

as a fellow history buff i agree with you on this

[@Ukraineaissance2014]

Great video but you should probably change the title, the blitz and blitzkrieg are very different things in cultural history

[@shaider1982]

The funny part is, technically, Blitzkrieg as a doctrine did not even exist. It's more like a confluence of Bewengungskrieg (maneuverwarfare) and Aufstragstratik (mission based tactics or mission command). The first doctrine centers on attacking the center of gravity of the enemy ( C&C, field kitchens, etc) with fast units like cavalry (later tanks). The second part means a commander only needs to state his intent when issuing orders. The subordinate will be in-charge of how to implement it.

[@Dfoskdty]

Hitler himself even disliked the term.

[@kamiloniszczuk9685]

The concentration of effort on the decisive point and combined arms are concepts known for the entirety of military history. The Napoleonic and post-Napoleonic era military theorists wrote extensively about this and the comparison should really be made the other way around, as German post-WW1 combined arms theorists were very much familiar with the previous theorists' works and building up on their principles, as well as using the experiences of WW1 as well as theories and experiments on modern combined arms doctrine from other countries.

[@DarthYoshi401]

15:15 I love this image because it implies that Frederick was taller than Hindenburg, who in real life was 6'6". This means that in this universe, Frederick, Hitler and Hindenburg would be 5'2" and shorter. This is objectively hilarious.

[@a-10warthog78]

My love life is a lot like WWII from the German perspective- notably, how they lost.

[@EriktheRed2023]

Overcome by underestimating logistical issues and the political stability in their main opponent? Very brave of you to admit it. So many victims suffer in silence.

[@llewelynshingler2173]

You waste resources on dumb weapons?

[@Zagskrag]

@@llewelynshingler2173 I mean, the husband starting too many dumb projects is a pretty cliché way for relationships to start developing friction...

[@PotatoBoy44]

This is just like the Blitz

[@BrandonF]

how could you do this

[@Gravelgratious]

Time is literally a different country, to compare tactics and weaponry of different eras is all aesthetics. Don’t be Ridley Scott folks.

[@olafsson6431]

We really need a chronological depiction of timmys struggles across all these videos

[@clay9617]

HOI4 Players in shambles

[@EriktheRed2023]

You called?

[@sheipi2855]

Hundreds of hours, wasted

[@torum6448]

EU4 and Vicky2 players when HoI4 players are mentioned: *Signature look of superiority*

[@MrToasterWaffles]

That preview image is glorious

[@haraldisdead]

This video is the same thing as Munich in '39. Brandon is nothing more than our modern Chamberlain, an appeaser. Don't abandon Czechoslovakia, Brandon.

[@woaddragon]

Wait a minute, what

[@haraldisdead]

@@woaddragon I was making a false historical comparison

[@woaddragon]

@@haraldisdead I see. I glad it was r/swish for me, then

[@Purple_694]

I’ve never thought of comparison that way. I’ll certainly try to better myself with it. Excited for the book!

[@FLAMM3NW3RF]

Germanys invasion of the benelux and northern france is kinda like the blitz

[@LOL-zu1zr]

It’s just always mobile warfare. Mobility is king in warfare.

[@noneofyourbusiness2997]

@@LOL-zu1zr Not from 1915 to 1917. 🙂

[@laisphinto6372]

We thought Panzers are stupid pure prussian boots should clear IT easily sadly there was a Lot of mud there....

[@idonnow2]

Amazing video. It's a recurrent issue in pop military history that has a very rigid understanding of many military matters, as either being the result of "military revolutions" or tied down to an emblematic historical example or great innovator. That's how you get goofy stuff about iron weapons, stirrups, longbows, trenches and the blitzkrieg. Once you delve deeper into it however you start realizing that a lot of those historical archetypes held up as revolutionary or unique are actually quite mundane principles that persist throughout history, heck they might even be a RETURN to a previous idea rather than the development of a new one, like the trenches that literally were a requirement for sieges during the 17th-18th centuries, or as is the case with the myth surrounding the cold steel approach of the Swedish cavalry under Gustaf Adolf, which was in fact just a return to the lance shock tactics that had fallen out of favor by the 16th century. Not everything HAS to be "revolutionary" in war!

[@Tareltonlives]

Not to mention the Swedes learned that from the Poles, who basically never got into the whole French "pistol cavalry" thing and kept things very medieval (even the world Uhlan comes from Turkish and Mongol for horse lancer, something 2000 years old). Likewise Swedish musket and artillery tactics were from the Dutch, who in turn were evolving them from the French and Spanish, etc.

[@Old_Jack_Ketch]

I love the direction your videos have taken over the last few years, but especially letting your sense of humour shine through. I actually lol’d at your plug for Altas coffee (be strong, Little Timmy!)

[@Tareltonlives]

I just read some good books on how the Blitzkrieg itself got misinterpreted by both sides with an obsession with using new technology to make a schwerpunkt, when it was more about using numbers, logistics, and coordination on larger fronts. The Blitzkrieg itself has a lot of asterisks in the underline- it's not this magic tactic. It just got part of the whole cultural obsession with the Wehrmacht, missing how it was successful as well as allied mistakes. LOL at the Wehrabingo. An episode on Wehraboos would be fun. Timmy has the heart of a poet. "nobody can soldier without coffee."-Ebenezer Nelson Gilpin, Company E, 3rd Iowa Cavalry. There's an idea for a video- coffee and tea in military history. What was it like, how much did they drink, how did they make it, where did they get it, how important it was in rations, etc The way I see it is that the gladius is the closest thing to an iklwa, and the scutum-gladius combination is the closest to the iklwa-ishlangu combination, but that by no means makes them the same or even equivalent. The romans and zulus had roughly similar arms in javelins, short broad stabbing blades, and large shields, but had different organizations, tactics, martial style, etc . The English longbow is the closest European equivalent to a Yumi, and they were used in similar ways, but they're not equivalent either. It's just hard to study non-European weapons and tactics inside a Eurocentric paradigm. Sure there's a lot of things that are similar, but rodeleros and Teng Pai Shou had different duties in 16th century Pike and Shot. There's a big fight over whether the macuahuitl is a sword or a club, when it's both and neither. And as you point out, there's time period too. Frederick the Great is not Erwin Rommel- Rommel probably read Frederick but they had very different contexts and very different technology. Napoleon loved Caesar but their armies had nothing to do with each other- sure they had infantry, cavalry and artillery but technology forced very different action. Ah Deadliest Warrior: comparing sabers to smallswords, 15th century arming swords to naval cutlasses, the kusarigama combination sickle-with-a-chain weapon to a shield, machetes to grappling hooks and stone cavalry hammers, shovels and pickaxes to knives and of course, a ballista to a battle axe. Comparing wildly different armies and soldiers from time and history is a lot of fun, not gonna lie. I'm the guy going "Ah, but how did the Marathans approach war compared to the Lakota" or "what if Ntshingwayo and the Zulu Army invaded 15th century Mexico" or even Julius Caesar taking charge of the Italian Revolution . Thing is, it's important not to take it seriously. War's not a game, soldiers aren't robots who just mechanically shoot or swing swords, and history isn't actually knowing everything, and some things just can't be compared. I mean if the HMS Hood wound up at Trafalgar, or if Subotai and his army wound up at Platea, it'd be fun to read as a short story, but trying to tie it down to any reality is just ridiculous. And all too often it's just turned into stereotypes "nobody could stand up to the romans/mongols/Spartans/templars" . On Quora there was the question "what if Leonidas and his 7,000 replaced Spartacus and his roughly 50,000 at Silarus" and I just thought "who actually thought this would be remotely fair?"

[@Ukraineaissance2014]

A lot of military historians wont use blitzkrieg in the context of tactics and consider it as more of a brand name for a seam of nazi propaganda.

[@woaddragon]

I don't know what the other response.was, but thank you for posting this.

[@meanmanturbo]

What the...Blitzkrieg (term the Germans themselves never used) as a concept doesn't even make sense in a period before solid frontlines. The whole point is once you break through the frontline you can use you most mobile units to wreak havoc on the enemies rear areas, denying the enemy command and control and seriously messing up their logistics on an operational level. I guess it is sort of like using cavalry exploitation if you squint hard enough, but that's much more on the tactical level rather then operational.

[@christal2641]

24:27: this is the funniest, and truest, KZbin commercial I've ever been seen! Loved the falsetto voicing!

[@minasmorgul34]

Just pre-ordered a copy, old Europe wants to know! I'm excited and wish you luck. Well-deserved

[@BrandonF]

Thank you!

[@701duran]

As an older military history buff, I'm now more interested in the men on the ground. What decisions did they make and why.

[@salvatoregnocchi9586]

Blitzkrieg is a type of shock, not the other way around.

[@jamesharding3459]

I'm not sure I'd call it a shock tactic so much as an operational concept: Concentrating decisive combat power at a focal point in order to gain local superiority and enabling other assets to seize key terrain and strike at the enemy's centers of gravity.

[@LOL-zu1zr]

@@jamesharding3459it’s called mobile warfare. It’s been conducted since organized warfare existed.

[@jamesharding3459]

@@LOL-zu1zr Sort of.

[@kelpyg452]

So glad I found this channel. Great educator/presenter for semi modern history

[@Pospolite-Ruszenie]

Whenever I’m ranting about history I almost always end up at either Diocletian or the PLC. Like I can literally start with the American civil war and I’ll somehow end up talking about Diocletians military reforms.

[@aufzumatem5481]

Damn this video hit like the Blitz!

[@BrandonF]

oh no

[@private_noise]

Thank you very much for this relevant topic I believe I fall under this category sadly

[@BrandonF]

Hey, we all do sometimes.

[@surprisedchar2458]

But Brandon, it’s such a lovely gem of an RTS from 2003.

[@dmman33]

Amazing video! So much damage comes from WW2 obsession, which itself is far from always a genuine interest in history. Also, you make the best ads in the business!

[@laisphinto6372]

Also a very narrow View of ww2 i find IT hillarious that Yankees Talk so much about the war against Hitler when they fought way more the japanese but they rarely Talk about that. Although they went to war because of Japan they Kind of treat IT publicly Like a Side Show and treat the war in Europe that was more brits plus european allies AS the Main show

[@polskabalaclava]

@@laisphinto6372they wanna forget about the fact they interned Japanese immigrants in camps for just being Japanese

[@lucasrodillo6739]

What do you mean that there's more to history than obsessive fixation to wars in general and WWII in particular?

[@berdduck]

Thanks for making this, some people need to hear this.

[@JonEtxebeberriaRodriguez]

Incredible video! You summed up the situation perfectly 👌. Cheers from Historia Militum! 😉

[@hendrix24]

I just pre-ordered! I'm really looking forward to reading this. I hope it does well enough to garner a second round.

[@BrandonF]

Thank you so much for the support!

[@knight_lautrec_of_carim]

Merry Christmas, Brandon!

[@birdbrainiac]

I thought the topic of this video was much ado about nothing, until you reached about the half-way point and started talking about the deeper implications of comparison. At that point I realised just how important this point was. Great video.

[@Deathcrotch]

My favorite little fact about Blitzkreig is how many soldiers were high on meth during the movement. It might not have worked as well as people think it did had these soldiers not been higher than kites. Cheers!

[@I_like_big_bombs]

I gotta sadly admit, I sometimes make useless historical comparisons compulsively. Not so much WW2, but I do mention Rome, medieval stuff, WW1 or 2. Also I saw on his Wehrabingo that there was an "Ignored Basic Physics" square. I wanna hear the hilarious story of how this became a square.

[@asiancat1648]

You my friend are probably one of the best historical media producers on KZbin. When it comes to sheer quality of content and nuance on subjects I believe you are unparalleled in most cases. You definitely the best example I've seen in regards to not sensationalizing and simplifying incredibly complex subjects. Like you said history isn't just something we know, its something we discover, learn, debate on, reflect on, etc. I am glad that you are one of the people that understands and acknowledges this, and applies it to your work.

[@CMitchell808]

The world wars, particularly the second one, are fresh (relative to much older conflicts anyway) and impactful to so many, I think it’s only natural that people would search for comparisons to it throughout history.

[@Teutonicredneck]

Alexander expanded across the achaemenid empire like an orange cat with the zoomies. Best analogy.

[@shaider1982]

I think "mission" might be a good comparison, what unit has the same mission. Interestingly, if I remember correctly, the pre ww2 US Army has a say on this regarding the cavalry: it's the mission (scouting, raiding, screeing force) and not the equipment (whether horse, armored car or tank).

[@angelosusa4258]

Thank you for this, people comparing sometimes can be annoying

[@vaxuvax]

Merry Christmas from Romania.

[@BrandonF]

And to you, as well!

[@smurftank]

Man this video is just like the Blitzkrieg, effect use of the "chapters", "captions" and easy to understand explanation is just like the combined arms tactics used. On the other hand, the in-depth explanation and points used rivals the effectiveness of the blitzkrieg, taking only a short time to prove it's ability!

[@fredericmari8871]

That coffee ad was such a flanking move! A flanker if you will…

[@andrewyang2449]

Personally, my love for history has started as simply a fascination of purely military history when I was about 12 years old. I used to consider the political and social aspects of history as "the boring parts", and irrelevant to my interests in history. Back then, I would have been the type of person who cared more about the weapons than the humans carrying them. I was impressed by the effectiveness of battle tactics over the amount of training, logistics and chain of command required to excecute them. But slowly, as my understanding grew, I started to notice how the militaristic aspects of history cannot exist by themselves outside of the context of the surrounding social, economic, and political circumstances influencing them. I could list many examples, but noticeable ones include Brandon's videos on socket vs plug bayonets, and why line infantry soldiers didn't use covers tactics seen by us as "common sense". Questions like these made me consider the context of warfare, including why wars are fought (the politics involved, and how battles weren't simply 'kill the enemy' but to achieve some objective/purpose). It also made me consider how wars were actually fought, not just by soldiers, but by the entire nations/organisations involve (The economics and logistics required to manufacture and operate certain weapons and equipment). And so now, I find myself also interested in the political, economic, and social aspects of history I had once dismissed as irrelevant to military history, despite the fact that I was so wrong. Having gone through this journey, I completely understand why some people would only be interested in the purely militaristic aspects of history (I was ine of them). I think to best way is to approach these people is to share and educate how other non-militaristics aspects greatly influence how war was conducted throughout history.

[@danesorensen1775]

This channel is the Deep Battle of military history content.

[@Karras353]

I’ve seen it debated just how much the Germans actually used blitzkrieg. So potentially it was even over used in its original context, let alone all of the painful attempts to categorise everything else as blitzkrieg as well.

[@eknapp49]

I think I heard the Robert Citino books on my bookshelf cry out in joy when I started this one.

[@bubbles581]

its really ok to do preorder for you book.

[@95DarkFire]

4:38 I would avoid this comparison even as an oversimplification. The "Blitzkrieg" was a strategic phenomenon, because it concerned the movement of armies over land. The column of attack was a tactic in battle. In fact, the swift movements of Napoleons Grande Armee in corps (march seperate, fight together) is a much better comparison to "Blitzkrieg".

[@Tareltonlives]

Thing is, that strategy could be applied to horses under Tiglath-Pilser or camels under Mohammad or elephants under Chandragupta.

[@sophiewilliamsaubrey4155]

Brandon makes the only sponsor segments I actually enjoy watching.

[@britbongtankie]

What about the Clam Blitz gamemode in Splatoon?

[@andrewblair370]

hey im just commenting to say i like ur jacket :) and if ur holding back on wearing a tie then you should do it! i’d love to see what you have in your wardrobe.

[@florinivan6907]

The reason people still use the Blitzkrieg term is because WW2 is still the benchmark for wars. Maybe the solution is to have a 3rd one so that people can finally lay to rest WW2.

[@MatthewCampbell765]

To focus on the point about rifles: I'd argue that an ISO-standard assault rifle is the modern equivalent of a spear.

[@ewangrainger2898]

It’s utterly embarrassing to hear new arrivals to the topic of WW1 talk about 1918 tactics in relation to Blitzkreig. The topic is already misunderstood enough without ww2 fanboys muddying the waters.

[@markhecnar1260]

I do believe you're a genius, keep it up

[@lollikabosso.w.n7153]

As a historian, my favorite meme is that clip of epyleptic skeleton with a caption "Self proclaimed historians when discussing anything that isnt ww2"

[@user-nh9ii5ru4r]

People we must help Brandon by buying his book

[@VanMorbir]

Thank you Mr. Tallarico for raising this important point. You mother is very proud.

[@underarmbowlingincidentof1981]

"I love history!"-kids in middle school were so often just kids who knew every single german tank name by heart lol

[@guardiadecivil6777]

nothing wrong with that, they'll eventually go down deeper in history. they're a far better being teenage wehraboos than tiktok toddlers since I know a wehraboo friend who atleast ended up studying central european history that isn't just WW2

[@jonaspete]

The average Mark Felton Production subscriber

[@nebojsag.5871]

Imo, the best way to approach comparisons is to keep them varied and to use them for illustrating extremely broad general principles and how consistent they stay in their essence while varying radically in relative importance due to technological, geographical and political factors.

[@valmid5069]

Can’t wait for more historical content!

[@LuluDZulu]

do a deeper implication series most ppl don’t have enough experience to arrive at those deeper implications

[@wisemankugelmemicus1701]

this puts my mind at ease

[@CardboardDump]

0.00s - 5 mins are just 🔥

[@KarlPHorse]

I didn’t think I would ever see the day that Brandon would have a soyjack meme in his thumbnail. It’s working. We are slowly but surely turning him to the dark side.

[@West_Coast_Mainline]

Hello brandon, I am currently ill, I was going to go to EZcare but I think this will cure me

[@katemora285]

13:23 "Blitzkrieg", as most people erroneously call "Bewegungskrieg" as, did not rely mostly on motorized transport though. Indeed it is folly to rely on something you do not have. The Germans relied mostly on horses. Yes, I am talking about WW2. They were technologically backwards compared to the allied nations when it comes to logistics.

[@zerosusaku]

They where not inferior in their Technology but their Resources. The problem was mostly that they simple lacked the Fuel and production Facilities to use more Motorized. Their Logistic itself was actualy way superior with the use of Planes Fuel Trucks and wirless Comunication for Logistics. This was one of the Reason they steamrolled France for example since France completly lacked modern Comunication between its Troops.

[@tehdmanvids3]

That thumbnail is absolute gold

[@54032Zepol]

the Mongolian attacks on the world were like blitz in ww2

[@BrandonF]

You're killing me

[@Materialist39]

Thank you! Love the no-nonsense, off the cuff dive into historiography and the importance of grounding our understanding in contemporaneous thought

[@Predator20357]

One that I can think of off the top of my head is how people compare the Phalanx to things like Pike and Shot Formations because “Both have longer than usual spears and thus they clearly are just the same thing with minimal differences”

[@seanbeckett4019]

Yeah, I hear a lot of things compared to a "phalanx". Or a "Roman legion". Or "the Roman Empire". Popular keywords and labels that most of the population is probably somewhat familiar with, on the most cursory level.

[@Predator20357]

@@seanbeckett4019 Shoot I remember describing the Tarascans along the lines of the Romans, even if it was to just praise the Tarascans.

[@Tareltonlives]

@@Predator20357 Yes, the equivalence of...roads and walls. To be fair, I've made the same comparison of the Mexica-Purepecha wars to the Roman-Persian wars even though things went very different.

[@Tareltonlives]

See, at least you can say that pike formations are doing the same thing in a VERY rough sense because pikes are used basically the same way all over the world. But yeah, actually how that bunch of guys with giant spears in tight formation was used in totally different ways, let alone how the missile troops and artillery worked! I mean, the Chinese basically invented pike and shot with crossbows, but that changed radically over the next 2000 years since armor changed, their opponents changed, and guns and crossbows are actually NOT the same thing. Reminds me of the idea that the Scottish schilltron was based on the Macedonian pikes. No. Just no.

[@me67galaxylife]

For one they do not have "longer spears" they have pikes. For two they’re actually comparable since they both use pikes. I don’t know what’s even your points here.

[@grumpycato8314]

I have yet to watch the video, but I agree with the title

[@maxhoffman3646]

In my opinion it's so hard to compare weapons or warfare even in same period of history, the cause are different styles of war, different economical conditions of each country and landscapes.

[@FroyourHistory]

Great thumbnail