Young Rommel's First Triumph: Battle of Caporetto 1917 (Documentary)

[@TheGreatWar]

Support us and get 40% off Nebula: go.nebula.tv/the-great-war Watch 16 Days in Berlin on Nebula: nebula.tv/videos/16-days-in-berlin-01-prologue-the-beginning-of-the-end?ref=the-great-war

[@sturm3d]

one of the best book about this episode in WW1: "Infantry Attacks" - by Erwin Rommel

[@BigJoe5.0]

Whats it about? Just specifically this event?

[@sturm3d]

his lessons of ww1, France, Romania, Italy - birth of stormtroopers tactics

[@indianajones4321]

Wow, I had just finished the book “The Field Marshal: The Life and Death of Erwin Rommel” which had a lot on his WW1 experience

[@AfonsoCunhaEzequiel]

Erwin Rommel himself has written a book about his experience during World War 1, it is called “the infantry attack”. He was about to publish another book called “the panzer attack“ but Rommel was killed in “a car accident” after being associated with one of Hitler’s killing attempts.

[@LubzinNJ]

Do yourself a favor and read Infantry Attacks by Rommel. Primary sources are always better than anything else.

[@indianajones4321]

@@AfonsoCunhaEzequiel thanks for the suggestion!

[@indianajones4321]

@@LubzinNJ thanks for the suggestion, I added it to my reading list

[@Al-ou3so]

@@AfonsoCunhaEzequiel That’s incorrect. Rommel survived an attack on his motorcade (by a Canadian fighter pilot). He was forced to commit suicide because of his (alleged) treason.

[@matejpfajfar8039]

Slovenian here (ex Austro hungarian, the frontliners back then). I highly recomend visiting Kobarid, Javorca, Log pod Mangrtom (Kluzhe fortress), and the whole Isonzo river area... It s awesome to see and imagine what those people built on picture but it s a whole another ball game to see it in person (you will know exactley what those people went through). Mountains are not too high (highest around 6000 feet) and it was all accessible with horses and mules (mostley mules (still is)). There s a lot of whole day tracking sites to visit in this area, but you have to come prepared with proper shoes, some water and at least in medium hiking form, cos mountains are not a walk in the park (people that were building stone paths for horses and walls back in the days realy werent joking). If you bring a metal detector, you can still find rifle ammo or even some heavier stuff (which I dont recomend to excavate if you are not a professional). I liked your video very much! Kind regards to you, sir!

[@TheGreatWar]

yes, we went in 2017. it was fantastic

[@graymccarthy685]

Absolutely agree. The whole area is great for an outdoorsy holiday with a side helping of history. The Kobarid Museum, covering WW1 (Great War have videos of their visit) and the Pivka Military museum, covering post WW1, are both excellent museums with very knowledgable staff. Walking these mountains, visiting the forts and trenches, talking to the local historians gives a sense hard to get from a book.

[@mrlaleather]

I want to go - follow Hemingway's story: Farewell to Arms. Are there tours available?

[@natheriver8910]

Very fascinant

[@MazinPaolo]

Italian here. We never refer to our country as the "Fatherland"; it's madrepatria in Italian, which translates to "Motherland"

[@FlagAnthem]

Both are used: PATRIA - fatherland MADREPATRIA - motherland (more accurate "mother-fatherland" lol 😂)

[@kirbyculp3449]

VA, pensiero...

[@jimrutherford2773]

Is there much of a difference? Semantics.

[@rosameltrozo5889]

Wouldn't patria be fatherland?

[@jimrutherford2773]

@rosameltrozo5889 madre is mother.

[@FlagAnthem]

9:22 if you ever wonder how the "coward Italian soldier" stereotype came to be, now you know WHO to blame

[@umjackd]

Cadorna was the biggest coward: couldn't even face his own responsibility. He intentionally prevented Italian soldiers from going home on leave, out of fear that they would contradict his reports to the media, all lies about successes.

[@reddevilparatrooper]

I read Infantry Attacks by Irwin Rommel during my pre-employment training for Iraq. I was impressed by reading it because he as a Light Mountain Infantry officer is text book of what the Leader's Reconnaissance is all about. Meaning before a battle he would reconnoiter the route and attack along with his key leader NCOs and mark his plan of attack on his map. With this he would brief his soldiers with every detail like an Operations Order and execute the plan to attack or defend. He had been in combat since 1914 at the beginning of the war his experiences in combat has given him so many lessons. Very important was his soldiers of the German Mountain Infantry were the elite of the German Army. These men are the best physically fit and young, they come from mountain villages, hunters, sportsmen, mountaineers, and lumberjacks, first class soldiers. Rommel understood combat.

[@joechang8696]

I recall somewhere, it was mentioned Slovaks in the Austro-Hungarian army protested/refused to fight fellow Slavs on the Russian front, but they were happy to fight Italians in that theatre

[@leonardopicconi781]

It's true. Italians, on the contrary, were sent to fight in Galicia: it was quite logical (Slavs feared we Italians would be even more fierce overlords than the Austrians)

[@graymccarthy685]

Because the Italians are not Slavs and the Italians had imperial ambitions for the Slavic lands

[@Echoak95]

thats just a myth, until 1918 there were no real refusal of orders or major desertions happening. There was no sense of unity or brotherhood of Slavs for Russia, slavs fought against Russia as well as they did against the Italians.

[@antoniofernandesmarchetti1097]

Funny how Rommel learned how to fight as a desert fox in the Alps of all places! 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@danielcreamer9669]

What a war even when Austria-Hungary wins it loses!

[@Styphon]

Everyone lost, just by varying degrees

[@randomhuman5525]

Because Austria was hungry. :)

[@sturm3d]

I love those animated maps and especially the synchronized windrose!

[@B.A.R.R.Y-Bonehead]

Awesome video as usual Jesse, Quality of you're video's are unmatched.

[@brosint6955]

To quote sun tzu “never go to battle without cigarettes or salt”

[@armyaj]

I read about this battle in a Rommel biography/war diary log called "Tales of the Desert Fox" HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Goes over his entire career

[@PHILLIPMITCHELL-o7t]

The weather conditions in this front were unbelievable, the altitudes, freezing conditions, lack of supplies and death rates, due distances to the rear The films are terrifying. Very Brave Men On Both Sides.

[@alexanderklems7686]

Best history Channel on the Internet. ❤❤❤

[@Ksgamer103]

I highly recommend the book "Infantry Attacks" written by him. It gives an interesting and very personal account of many of his battles in Romania, the western front and Italy- including this one. That book more than most autobiographies I have read allows you to get into his mind and figure out how he thinks.

I dont believe in War Bonds. Just in The Great War Patreon!

[@TheGreatWar]

Definitely a better return of investment than an Austro-Hungarian Warbond in late 1917

[@jessealexander2695]

Wir brauchen einen Nagelmann! de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kriegsnagelungen

[@Ashitaka_of_Emishi]

My great-grandfather Raffaele was a young soldier from the draft class of 1899, also known in Italy as "I Ragazzi del '99", and fought on Mt. Grappa. He managed to capture a bunch of machine-guns and thus won the Silver Medal of Valour. He later fought in Russia during the Second World War but unfortunately he wouldn't speak about it. He's one of my heroes.

[@HistoryBeyondBordersTV]

Thank you for all the work you put into these documentaries. They are well worth it.

[@matejsmrekar1218]

I live between Kobarid and Tolmin so this video was a fun watch for me.

[@Token_Civilian]

Great episode as always. I was in the right mood for this.

[@ChrisSmith-lo2kp]

my maternal grandfather left Tremosine on Lake Garda for Ojai California in the early 1900s to escape being impressed into the Austrian Army

[@kirbyculp3449]

Smart guy!!

[@flarvin8945]

My grandfather told me one that his father escaped from being impressed into the Austro-Hungarian army in the early 1900s, before coming to the USA. Not sure exactly where he was from, but somewhere in what was Czechoslovakia. The story included my great grandfather and a friend hiding under women's dresses from the authorities.

[@joaovillasboas2549]

I was playing isonzo today in this map thinking about watching a video about it and then...

[@markotrieste]

As my grand-grand dad used to say "just one wheelbarrow of cabbage and we would have won"

[@versiable8041]

Fantastic Video! Will there be a future video about how Kurdistan almost became a country/why Kurdistan didn't become a country after WW1? It's a huge part of modern Middle Eastern history.

[@jmpresolrodriguez]

When Rommel arrived in North Africa, one of his Italian superiors asked him where and against whom he had won the "Pour le Merite" medal he wore around his neck. He had no choice but to tell him that it was at the Battle of Caporetto, against the Italian army. The Italian turned around and walked away.

[@TimelessEurope-p4b]

SO USEFUL, THANK YOU

[@713devereux]

Awesome, what a coincidence I have been reading the book "The White War" about the war in the Alps between Italy and Austria.

[@TheGreatWar]

great book as an introduction to this front.

[@berrymcockiner3906]

It’s a great book

[@CatnamedMittens]

About damn time you have a dedicated video on this battle.

[@WilliamStanton-s9p]

Thank you for all the hard work you put into these documentaries. I thoroughly enjoy watching each and every one of them. The Great War is my favorite modern military conflict to learn about. Cheers.

[@clazy8]

As usual, terrific photos and footage.

[@micahistory]

very interesting, I never knew he even participated in this battle

[@mohammedsaysrashid3587]

Thank you a lot, RTH channel, for sharing this magnificent episode about WW1.

[@ComesPerpetvs]

I am so happy that this channel is still alive amd well after more them 10 years ❤ this is getting me back when there was barely any history channel, and non had this lvl of quality. I think I will rewatch it all week by week for the third time 🤩🤩

[@RobertBrown-i4r]

Thanks for this clear account of this battle which affected Italy in the 1920s with the rise of fascism

[@skypilot7162]

3:17 they learned from Obi-Wan. They knew it would be over if they could take the high ground.

[@festivegrain7343]

Could you do an episode about the battle of Vittorio Veneto? 🙏🙏

[@Bernie_747]

Surprisingly excellent report on the 12th Isonzo battle - very well done 👍!

[@WayneMoyer]

"It was a dark and Rainy Night" and I was about to become the Desert Fox of North Africa in 25 years.

[@klementmal4391]

Julius Kugy (Kuge) was a mountain consultant and he was a civilian(!)

[@jessealexander2695]

Yes, he was an Alpinreferent. But as far as I know he was also given the rank of Lieutenant, and wore a uniform as well.

[@constantinexifanboy4516]

Ngl having advanced 150 miles or km (?) In 17 days, Caporetto may have just been the most mobile battle of the 1st world War. But let's be real, if Caporetto was done earlier in 1916 or even as early as late 1915, Austria-Hungary may have prevented collapse and the central powers may have even forced a favorable peace.

[@Yen-pg3yd]

Most "mobile" battle has to be in the east.

[@constantinexifanboy4516]

@Yen-pg3yd ohh yeah in the eastern front mb I forgot ahhaha

[@blazwinkler108]

One of the main reasons they were able to create such breakthrough was really low moral of Italian army, this would not have been the case in 1916...

[@charalampospsarrakis7804]

Zivio means chears in slavic language, not in German! This is because a lot of troops on the Austrian side where croatians,slovenians,bosnien and a lot of other slavic sondieren.

[@jessealexander2695]

We didn't say it was in German. Most residents of the town in this case in the video spoke Slovenian, and they were welcoming back their own country's army after foreign Italian occupation.

[@markotrieste]

Slavs at that time had confused positions. Some saw Italy as a means to get liberated from the Empire. Had they known...

[@thewheatness]

2:16 the real commander of the Central Powers inspects his general staff

[@MrCarcass1978]

😂 🐶❤🇩🇪🇦🇹🇭🇺❤💪

[@giovannidepetris6335]

Vastly overstated events. Rommel used to sell himself very well. At any rate Rommel was soundly humiliated later on when the Germans reached the defenses of Monte Grappa where the Italians resistance stiffened and he met the Alpini troops.

[@theplayerofus319]

Well yea, he was young. You cant be the best with little experience.

[@arunabandaranayake6407]

Greatest Tank Commander in my opinion

[@Mark3ABE]

My great-grandfather was born in Lazio in 1869. In 1886 British officials arrived, seeking immigrants to make up for the young British people who had emigrated to the Colonies or left for the gold fields. He had been called up for service in the Italian Army and left for Britain to escape military service in a very brutal army. So, his four sons, including my grandfather fought instead, in due course, in the British Army. The States of the Church (my great-grandfather was born a subject of Pope Pius IX) was the traditional ally of Austria. The Piedmontese (the King of Italy was the former King of Piedmont) was an enemy of Austria. As a result, Italy was pulled in two directions. Those living in the former Papal territories would have preferred Italy to join the Central Powers. The King wanted to go to war against Austria, the traditional enemy of Piedmont, with his traditional ally, France. There was no obvious “right” side in the Great War. It was not a full “World War”. The wise nations remained neutral, for example, Denmark and the Netherlands.

[@bigsarge2085]

Interesting!

[@nhlcbj]

I bought access to the battle of Berlin series when it first came out. I wanted to watch it again but the site says it doesn’t recognize my account. I submitted my email but it says it wasn’t found

[@TheGreatWar]

can you drop us an email via our website form on realtimehistory.net ? I will get this sorted for you

[@nhlcbj]

@ thank you ^__^

[@leonardopicconi781]

As an Italian, it always hurts 😂. Nonetheless, it finally showed our command's incredible lack of skill, and the following battles of the Piave proved without a doubt that the problem were the generals, non the common soldiers (I must admit it's quite annoying seeing some english or french media stil claiming the Piave was a victory of theirs, having they arrived when the battle was almost over). E il Piave mormoró: non passa lo straniero! (And Piave murmured: the foreigners won't pass!)

[@jessealexander2695]

Seems like the Piave changed its murmur over the course of history...I guess it didn't speak Gothic! ;)

[@prometheustv6558]

The 10,000th battle of the Isonzo

[@Drkfox]

Your videos are awesome. I show them to my niece and nephews. They are 4 and 6

[@cosmedelustrac5842]

And to think that he would end up coming to rescue the Italian armies in the next war.

[@FlagAnthem]

Rescue? It was HIM foing crazy stunts and then ran away while Italians had him covered.

[@LubzinNJ]

He had numerous triumphs earlier in the war. Just pick up his book Infantry Attacks and read about his exploits in Romania.

[@AnthonyVanella]

What a wild ride

[@yashizuko]

"E il Piave udiva l'ira e lo sgomento Ahi, quanta gente ha vista Venir giù, lasciare il tetto Poiché il nemico irruppe a Caporetto"

[@Mad_ox8]

Time for me to hop onto Isonzo

[@aaronblank2318]

The Isonzo Campaign might be the worst thing Ive ever heard or read about, in terms of futility and waste.

[@PtolemyJones]

I've got his infantry book though it was even earlier when he was still in France.

[@christerprestberg3973]

2:44 Thats a rather sussy mustach ^^

[@matthewbrady327]

Dude looks like he’d scam me

[@FlagAnthem]

that was the trend Oliver Jardy had one as well

[@andrewsoboeiro6979]

Okay, billion-dollar idea: since Taylor Swift never made a music video for her song “The Great War,” WHAT IF your channel collaborates with her to make just such a music video, with Jesse as a guest-star!

[@TheGreatWar]

She can reach out to us when she's ready.

[@indianajones4321]

Sabaton made a better “Great War” song… and album!

[@awolpeace1781]

Man, it must've sucked having one of those dandyboy generals talking sh** about everyone but themselves

[@jasonfrew2394]

Given the mountainous terrain in northern Italy, the Italians should have just said, 'get involved in THIS war...FORGET IT!'

[@okancanarslan3730]

another episode of war where soldiers try to survive against enemy, hunger and disease while incompetent commanders fill their bellies with best food.

[@johnking6252]

Question? Where was a certain Benito Mussolini during this campaign? Just curious? 👍

[@Spiderfisch]

As far as i know he was a draft dodger

[@Fojenstein3D]

Does this channel have any plans to visit the National WWI Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, Missouri?

[@dave8323]

I would imagine not, given the utter insignificance of the place

[@Fojenstein3D]

@dave8323 yikes, that's a little bit of an ignorant statement.

[@vilcoyote5849]

did you find someone or is it an AI (maybe google) which made the bad french voice over?

[@TheGreatWar]

this is a new "feature" from KZbin. I don't know yet how to turn it off.

[@micahistory]

It's pretty pathetic that Austria's greatest victory was almost totally due to German and Italian assistance

[@subaruadventures]

Italian tanks have always known to have 1 first gear and 5 reverse.

[@Rafael_1965]

Who does the fighting, and who funds it on both sides? 😢

[@ryanmurphy7219]

Why we're there 11 battles of the isonzo? Why couldn't the Italian army break through?

[@dieletztekavallerie395]

Attacking a mountainous region defended by millions of soldiers is completely illogical and foolish.

[@Ihavpickle]

​@dieletztekavallerie395 No, the Isonzo sector wasn't a mountainous region. It's probably why the Italians attacked it so much.

[@morewi]

​@Ihavpickle the battles are known for mountain warfare in the Julian alps. Your comment has to be one of the most ignorant I've seen in a while

[@Ihavpickle]

@@morewi I was referring to the Soca region of the Izonso region on the coast, which was plains😘

[@cheriefsadeksadek2108]

Rommel was a Highly Professional and Charismatic Leader who Cared for his men he also thrived in the art of mechanised warfare the battles of Caporetto,France,Al Agheila, Gazala, Capture Of torbuk and marsa matruh were Rommel At His Best

[@454FatJack]

Arditi ❤

[@mundogameplay1341]

Just leaving a comment for the algorithm

[@juliocesarcasaspietrini1146]

niceeee

[@sheilah4525]

It was only the Italians he beat.

[@MarkoNelc]

Erwin rommel, although his greatness overrepresented by british propaganda. Was greatest tank commander of all time.

[@armyaj]

debatable. Look up General Balcke and his masterstrokes saving the Wehrmacht in 1943

[@jurgschupbach3059]

20. January the KZbin Censorship will face some issues

[@estebancastellino3284]

👍

[@Art2porductions]

Based

[@wendyHew]

I spoke to Adolf Hitler in 1965 when he was in hiding in Puerto Chacabuco in Argentina, he duscussed WW1 with me and mentioned how he looked up to Rommel due to his exploits during these and other campaigns.During various other discussions his dislike of the Habsburgs was clear. However he always laughed and joked about how France surrendered after all the centuries of attacks on everyone else and clearly saw them as lower than all others.

[@merlinwizard1000]

14th, 13 December 2024

[@talesoftheeldar8688]

Finally. Please some videos abut 1915

[@454FatJack]

Pour le merite

[@sempertalis1230]

Rommel committed suicide? I would have expected better from you.

[@istvansipos9940]

what do you say happened?

[@josephpicogna6348]

Interesting that you would go far a field into World War II to finish off the discussion of Rommel yet never mentioned, a much more proximate event, the ultimate destruction of the Austra Hungarian empire in the mountains of northern Italy, during the battle of Vittorio Veneto. My grandfather was a sergeant in the Bersaglieri , and his eldest son was a Carabineri officer called to the army in the emergency. Austria Hungary died with the end of that battle. Caporetto had a consequence, and this was it and you ignored it.

[@lek1223]

early!

[@hms1239]

First 🎉

[@sovietblobfish]

due to the unusual choice of title for this battle, in which he was but one fairly insignificant piece, i see the clean wehrmacht fans have emerged from the woodwork in the comments to this video

[@gamer228r]

Trolling or coping

[@gr6373]

Trans communist? Another Reddit spawn?

[@mymusichellyeah]

Svetozar Borojevic was Serb. Don't lie

[@j_taylor]

What was the lie?

[@marcusmuller2890]

Entente Propaganda

[@mateo427]

Italians have been hugely disappointing in both world wars. Incapable soliders and commanders

[@elihughes1801]

I unsubbed now that you’re making content for Reich-stans and Wehraboos. There’s literally no reason to make a sympathetic video about YuNg RoMMeL unless you’re making content that appeals to a certain… demographic.

[@FlagAnthem]

wtf? This video is about Caporetto

[@elihughes1801]

@ it’s also a documentary about young Rommel’s first victory. Why did OP feel the need to mention Rommel, aaand mention his merit, if the video was just about Caporetto? Hmmm… I wonder if he knows a certain demographic loooooves Rommel? Of course he knows. So do you.

[@morewi]

​@@elihughes1801because he is more famous than the other commanders that participated.

[@elihughes1801]

@ aaaaaand whyyyyy is Rommel more famous? He was a bad commander with a catchy nickname, yet notsee apologists and Reich-curious white men looooove keeping his name alive. Very strange…

[@steve-qc8hd]

And how popular do you think Erwin Rommel was as commander of the Axis forces in North Africa, the sons of the Caporetto generation remembered the upstart little German who had said 1 Wuttenberger Gerbrigs Jager was worth 100 Italian Alpini, and point proven when after 2nd El Alamein when the heroes of the DAK stole the Italian transports and legged it, leaving the 1922 generation of Italians to end up as POWs as their fathers had been at Caporetto.

[@ijh867zter6]

Maybe Italians should have fought their wars themselves. Before the DAK the small handful of British soldiers had made short work of these wannabe Roman inheritors.

[@steve-qc8hd]

@@ijh867zter6 To be fair to Rodolfo Graziani the commander of Italian forces who was bested by Connor Force and Operation Compass, knew he was outmatched long before he was forced to invade Egypt under direct command by Mussolini. That he wasn't a well liked commander of the 10 Amarta, is also significant, contrary to the usual jokes about the Italian temperament, the Italian forces especially the light infantry and Mountain troops (Bersaglieri & Alpini) were among the hardest fighting soldiers (and it might be significant that none of the commanders mentioned here served in either. But in WW1 during the White War in the Alps Italians (and their Austro-Hungarian opposite numbers) fought hard and bravely in some of the harshest conditions in any general conflict. Certainly, whenever the Italians fought poorly (irrespective of the war) it could be entirely blamed upon the Armata commanders. A prime example is the 12th Battle of the Isonzo Luigi Cadorna hated by his troops (re your point about wannabe Roman inheritors, a rumour spread that he considered a Decimation after the failure of the 11th Battle of the Isonzo). This was sharply in contrast to the commander of the next Armata sector, Luigi Capello, but Cadorna's incompetence also took Capello down too, fortunately Armando Diaz prevented a complete collapse, he was responsible for holding off the Central powers attack on Monte Grappa and getting control of the rout and stabilising on the Pave line. So TLDR not everything is relatable to Italian tanks having 4 reverse gears and 1 forward in case of an attack from the behind.