Japanese soldiers serving along with Indians & French troops under British command to fight Vietnamese communists. And I thought Avengers was the most ambitious crossover in history.

This proves once again that military victories can be rendered useless by polical circumstances.

As a Vietnamese , i have been followed you channels for a year . It is nice to know about untold historical stories. Keep going

This is incredibly interesting, Japanese troops serving under british command? That merits a movie!

I naturally assumed when I first saw the title that this was about the Malaysian Emergency

@leithesocialistyuricon8981

4 жыл бұрын

Matthew Blairrains it isn’t?! I was checking comments before watching lol

@b.griffin317

4 жыл бұрын

me too

Everyday is a good day when Mark uploads. Congratulations on the sponsorship.

@Arbiter099

4 жыл бұрын

feel like Mark could teach one of the Great Courses

@ComboSlicer

4 жыл бұрын

I think this is the first time in KZread I am happy a channel received a sponsorship which is shown in the video. Keep up on the good work.

the Vietnamese literally fought no less than 5 different countries in under half a century.

Excellent video, Mark. As a Vietnam vet, I have read everything I could lay my hands on regarding the war and yet I've never heard of this. Keep up the great work! Just a small aside which is somewhat related, at the end of WW2, the British in Burma did not have enough troops to maintain order. Due to that, they also rearmed Japanese troops and formed them into squads with a British NCO or lower ranking officer in charge of each. The Japanese, being highly disciplined soldiers, accepted their British commanders without question and performed admirably.

so McArthurs Ego, Londons indifference and De Gaulle's arrogance led to the Vietnam War

Oh my god Mark is honestly lindybeige except more concise

@theamazingengineer1901

4 жыл бұрын

And less Beige...

"lets do the same thing the germans did to us to the vietnamese" - French resistance. I understand it was their colony but being under foreign rule shouldve given the french some perspective.

I wonder if the former French resistance fighters in the post-WWII army serving in Vietnam and Algeria ever saw the irony in their predicament.

Amazing how Japanese troops behaved when properly led.

@MarkFeltonProductions

4 жыл бұрын

Considering that the British troops were mostly Burma Campaign veterans, I'm surprised shots were not exchanged between them!

@joeturner1597

4 жыл бұрын

@@MarkFeltonProductions We won.

@bertsedgwick9828

4 жыл бұрын

@@MarkFeltonProductions Once again Proving the British troops to be a well led well trained professional force

Well well, a Japanese mercenary force fighting along side the Brits? WOW What a tangled web we weave.................. Thank you Mark

What British commander wouldn't give his eye-teeth to have a brigade of Ghukas and Imperial Japanese troops?

@zainulzainul1880

4 жыл бұрын

Yes , I remember reading somewhere of the high esteem British commanders had for the sheer proffessionalism of the Japanese troops - not to mention the Gurkhas , of course .

The lessons from Burma, really helped the British Indian Army in Vietnam.

Only KZread channel where I have post notifications on.

Please never change your intro and exit music

@markfindlay8636

4 жыл бұрын

Yeah it fits in very well.

Goes to show how experienced troops make a huge difference.

So basically it is all the French's fault.

The French got Ho Chi Minh to fight against the Japanese by promising freedom to Vietnam in return. The Americans held him and the Viet Minh in high regard at the end of the war. Hard to believe they would become mortal enemies.

I am fascinated by how the Japanese-British cooperation happened in detail. What did the individual people think of each other? How was their working relationship? How did it develop over time? Et cetera.

The fresh "French" troops were largely the Foreign Legion, the majority of whom were ex-POWs originally belonging to the Waffen-SS, recruited from POW camps as an alternative to being handed over to the Russians under the terms of the Potsdam Treaty.

Let's have a little bit on the Malay crisis. British Paratroopers jumping from under a 100 ft. The SAS perfecting the idea of hearts and minds. Gurkha units on the prowl.

@dikkekutgekut4582

4 жыл бұрын

Thatwas a concept from Cpt Westerling..not sas...

AGAIN I DID NOT KNOW THE BRITS HAD DONE THIS THANK YOU.

This is total news to me. I had never heard that the British had ever been in Vietnam. Why is this not more well-known.

You live and learn. I never knew about the Japanese fighting along the British.

America and Germany: We had the greatest crossover in WW2 Britain and Japan: *hold our tea*

The strategy of the Viet Minh was just to survive the battle and fight a other day. It is very difficult to kill people who are hiding in the mountains of Indochina. Also there were partisans fighting in Indochina even before Ho Chi Minh was born, the Vietnamese had a long tradition of at first fighting the Chinese, then the French. It would just have been a matter of time until the Viet Minh would have recovered or other maybe even more radical movements would have risen. The Vietnamese weren't communist but were and still are very nationalistic, Ho Chi Minh didn't win the war by convincing the Vietnamese of communism but by promissing them a nation free from occupation and colonialism. He actualy was a vietnamese nationalist and anti-imperialist in the first place and only communist in the second, a lot of fellow students and teachers at the revolutonairy school in Moscow told him so. Many Viet Minh fighters didn't even know that the organisation was communist until much later. For the Vietnamese (at least for those in the north) the war wasn't about ideology but about independence. Im sorry for the long comment I actually really like your videos, in my opinion they're very interesting and fun to watch.😅 (Pls. excuse my grammar and spelling mistakes)

I've never heard of Japans involvement in Vietnam after the war.

So Britain almost defeated the communists in Vietnam, but they did in Malaysia.

When the Gurkhas are involved , the enemy is as good as dead.

@davidallenmandal2439

4 жыл бұрын

not always

@xgford94

4 жыл бұрын

Rup Ganguly and if Gurkhas and Maori are in the field together and a competition starts....run...I mean RUN away as fast as you can

@bprogressive

4 жыл бұрын

and you forgot what brits had done to india..gorkha or not those who fought for colonial paymasters were treated as a slave.

@LuvBorderCollies

4 жыл бұрын

"When we found we were going on a mission with the ROK's, we knew it would be bloody". US Marine, DaNang 68-69

@cuhurun

4 жыл бұрын

@@xgford94 : That sums it up... completely !

Wasn't aware of the extent of British military capacity to defeat the Viet Minh. Would love another video detailing more on this. Ho Chi Minh worked closely with special operations during WWII and looked for American support to establish independent Vietnam only to be cut loose. Btw, the Viet Minh also used Japanese officers to train them in the use of captured Japanese weapons.

@tbjr1150

4 жыл бұрын

I'm thinking British grunts didn't have their hands tied behind their backs. 😠

Wow, the British Army was really overstretched then. Having to receive the surrender of half of the Japanese in Southeast Asia and put down multiple insurgencies was quite a task.

I believe if the Vietnamese were given the independence they wanted the communists wouldn't have got the support from the people.

@phbrinsden

4 жыл бұрын

That’s how the Coomunists were defeated in Malaya. Malaya has been guaranteed independence and had no desire for communism. The British troops and a Malay police force crushed it by clever strategy versus brute force and the people supported the troops and police. Actually when the 9 sultans of the 9 states voted on independence almost half voted to delay as they didn’t feel ready. I lived there at the time.

@drmodestoesq

4 жыл бұрын

No democracy has ever devolved into a communist authoritarian state.

Good one This not the first time British armed and use Japanese army in postwar era, they did it in Singapore also Mark keep up the good work

Nice video once again. Perkeles from Finland

Hmmm I sense a Suez video coming soon and by god I cant wait.

@Wanderer628

4 жыл бұрын

This channel doesn't seem to cover large events like that. More the small events that most haven't heard of.

Japanese became mercenarys.. And the Gurkhas were just doing what they love..

On the WORLD AT WAR series Mountbatten told Leclerc to tread softly with the people and win hearts and minds. Leclerc said he was told to reimpose colonial rule the military way..Result..

Normally i dont enjoy sponsors but for this channel mark deserves the extra revenue

I seem to remember something about the British wanting to keep the Iraqi army under orders to maintain security but were ignored in favour of de-Baathification which extended to public utilities and even the Iraqi sports ministry.

In the early naughties, I worked in a factory that employed many Vietnamese on it's production lines. A few of them told me stories about how the French hunted their great grand parents for sport. Presumably because they had fallen foul of some rule or law some sort? It's easy to see why the communists managed to gain so much support there.

This is interesting, Japanese POW and British force..if i'm a big movie director this should be a great movie

@alonzocalvillo6702

4 жыл бұрын

Topa King Yeah , and there will probably be an American in charge.

Im amazed about how good you are at teaching these things that most people doesn't even have a clue about. Keep it up, i love what you do and will always do!

What a sad story. It sounds like another case of short term solutions by short sighted people.

@readhistory2023

4 жыл бұрын

The reprocussions are very rarely that clear while you're doing it and realistically the French had been successfully opressing them for years prior to WW2 and the Japanese invasion. As harsh as it sounds they were just using policies that had worked for them in the past. Look at the US in Afghanistan. Longest war in US history and from what I can tell it's just a holding action, just like Vietnam.

Hey mark, if you havent already i hope you do a video on the Malayan emergency, my grandfather fought there as a malayan scout with the Gurkas. Its hardly ever talked about.

So if Britain had been allowed to stay in Viet Nam, and the French had been told to get stuffed, then Britain would have won the war and USA would not have invaded. Sounds about right.

God Bless the 40 British troops who gave their lives in a conflict almost none of us were aware of

The author misses one crucial bit of information: British troops were only responsible for the southern half of VN after Japan's surrender. The north was occupied by Chinese KMT troops. Unlike the British, their occupation was very unstable, aiding Ho. And most importantly - as when the US arrived - the north was the Viet Minh's main power base. While I applaud hearing how the British potentially outdid the French and US, Felton's narrative is a little too simplistic here.

*_"They're in the bloody focking trees!¡"_*

As a Malaysian, I'm grateful that British came to Malaya

@johndanes2294

4 жыл бұрын

You do know they just exploited the shit out of your land and fucked off right? They were Imperialist. They don't give a damn about your people.

@pipercolt1963

4 жыл бұрын

Yeah Luke I was thinking that too looks like the British had no choice otherwise they'd be fighting in two countries. Look at it Malaysia Today a diamond in the Far East!

Keeping the advertisement for your sponsor until the end actually made me want to watch it and I did. Normally when KZreadrs put them at the very beginning or sneak them a third of the way in, I skip it all. Classy move, Mark.

I've fought in Nam, Cheltenam and Birmingnam, things got tough I can tell you.

As always: super interesting. Didnt know that Japanese pow were rearmed to fight alongside the brits in 1945.

Another informative piece of history Mark. I was surprised to learn of the Japanese troops helping with policing the Viet Min alongside the British troops. We learn something new with every one of your videos. Keep up the good works.

glad to see you got a sponsor, historical content is always welcome

Why did I never discover this channel before? The voice, the footage, the content. Mt god this channel's a historian's wet dream.

This 8 odd minute story is just completely full of irony. Well done, and so interesting. A lesson in Hubris from many angles.

Very interesting I knew very little about that period. Amazing that so soon after WW2 British & Japanese could fight along side each other.

These videos from Mark are now becoming an essential part of my daily routine to watch and learn. Excellent as always.

It would seem that Britain came far closer to winning the Vietnam War and crushing Charlie once and for all, then America or France even Australia ever did.

@m1garand903

4 жыл бұрын

The Hedgehog‘s Dilemma that is because that Vietnamese at this time weren’t as strong as the Vietnamese is the 60s

Should do a video on Australia's involvement in Vietnam

Mark - thank you so much for bringing us this presentation. I had no idea about these events. Best from Toronto.

Britain used the old saying the enemy of my enemy is my friend!

Another wonderful feature Mr. Felton! I have never even heard of this. Wonderful job!

I never heard this anywhere before, Mark. I don’t know how you do it but keep making these videos. Nothing I get from any other source has this high level of detailed information and amazing little known but pivotal historical facts. Bravo!

The British in Malaya had the Ibans from Sarawak. These fierce headhunters terrified the communist. They are masters of jungle warfare.

Even if I know a fair bit about the subject of any of your videos, I find that I still learn something new when I watch them. This one was no exception.

This is very very interesting piece of history that has escaped from me. Thank you Mr Felton !

I had never heard of this before watching this video. As an American I think this deserves no, NEEDS to be taught in history classes here in the US.

I think this might be one of your best vids so far Mark, well made (as usual) and really informative.

You missed out the part where Ho Chi Minh & his soldiers were allied with the US during the war, rescuing & repatriating downed allied airmen shot down by the Japanese. You missed out that they fought the Japanese using assymetric warfare while allied to our own forces. You also missed out the apalling treatment of Vietnamese nationals by colonial french forces during their occupation. The aerial bombing of civilian demonstrations etc. I could go on. If we stopped fucking our allies over at every opportunity, literally as soon as their usefulness comes to an end, we wouldn't be in the shit we're in now geopolitically. Ho could have been an ally if we'd just treated the Vietnamese people decently & not like a bunch of colonial know it alls....

What a fantastic video! I’ve studied the Vietnam conflict since I was a boy but this is one chapter I’d never heard. Even The 10,000 Day War leaves out this crucial era between the OSS/Viet Minh war against the Japanese and the return of French forces. Bravo!

Dr. Felton, Thank you sir for your time to put these lessons out there for us History lovers to learn from, and hopefully remember . If our younger generation knew history maybe they would not be doomed to repeat it!

Fascinating, I’ve never heard of this before and I consider myself a history buff, obviously not! Great content, this what you tube is for.

Britain: About to win the Vietnam War and prevent what happened in the 60s France: Hold my beer

@razernc

4 жыл бұрын

"Fance: Hold my ̶b̶e̶e̶r̶ baguette" FTFY

In the end, the invaders suffered humiliating defeat. Vietnam is small but not cowardly!

An interesting & previously rarely mentioned episode in Vietnamese history . I believe the British Empire was hopelessly over extended , near bankrupt in 1946 & therefore well out of Vietnam

It’s a great day when Mark and the History Guy add a video. Both are amazing

man its a great channel

I have one counter to this analysis....as Ho Chi Minh and the Viet Minh were working closely wit the OSS during WW2 and there was an understanding that Vietnam would be for the Vietnamese allies under Ho Chi Minh. Had the Americans and British allowed this to happen, rather than turn Vietnam back over to the French.....the Vietnam war would have never happened.

I was with the USMC in RVN in 1970-71. We were on the defense at that time and it took me along time to figure out that I was the enemy to them. We killed over 3 million Vietnamese, Cambodians and Laotians. Children are still being born in Southeast Asia with birth defects from Agent Orange. And for what? What was the point of all that suffering and sorrow? I don't know but as an American who was part of that, I would like to apologize for what we did. I'm sorry.

Out of approximately 70,000 troops engaged in Indochina, it is estimated that 20,000 to 30,000 were of German origins and possibly 70% of Foreign Legion troops engaged in Indochina were German speakers. Recruits included many ex Fallschirmjäger, as well as many soldiers with Balkan guerrilla warfare experience, and provided the bulk of the Legion’s trainers and NCOs. It would be great if you could give us more details Mark about this subject.

A lot of ex SS German soldiers fought with the French Foreign Legion against the Viet Minh.

Hey Mark! Congratulations on so many views in 4 minutes! You deserve wayyyy more attention!

Quite possibly, this is the most fascinating video you've yet done, Mark. Well done!

I have no regrets about subscribing. After working on Vietnam war movies (like 'Platoon') I became very interested in the Vietnam War and its effects on my country the Philippines. This is another I-didn't-know-that moment. Thank you Mark Felton.

You forgot to mention Even the Chinese couldn’t beat them 😂😂

As a Malaysian, I'm grateful that British came and fought communism in Malaya

First time I've disagreed with one of your videos Mark. War in Vietnam was inevitable as long as it was treated as a colony. Any British "victory" over the Viet Minh would have been short lived once the country was returned to French control. In Ken Burns'excellent 2017 documentary series on the Vietnam War he had a senior American commander from the early days of US intervention saying that the biggest mistake the Americans made was thinking they were fighting against a Communist incursion. What it took them too long to realise was that they were actually opposing a national liberation movement fighting for Vietnamese independence.

@drmodestoesq

4 жыл бұрын

Look at Algeria. Same thing. Just no communism.

@longfordboy2538

4 жыл бұрын

Stephen Green please do not use Ken Burns as an authority on anything

Would love to see a video on the Malaya emergency. My grandfather served there in the Green Howards. Thanks for the brilliant video Mark!

To all: the British were not there to take the whole country Their brief was to secure protection AND REPATRIATION for the Allied POWS. To secure the province for the peaceful return of the French and then to go home And Ho Chi Minh and the majority of his force was in Hanoi and the North not Saigon

@longfordboy2538

4 жыл бұрын

No With all due respect Jack, the Brits, much like the Yanks never seem to go home

Staggering that this was never taught to us at war college or Welbeck.

I was just the other day talking to a friend about this largely forgotten period of history. Great to see a video on this from you Mark!

One of the best and most insightful historical videos I've ever seen. Well done!

Really interesting! Thanks for the video

Hard to blame the Vietnamese people for wanting their country back from the hands of Europeans. Although I don’t like not agree with communist ideals.

@carpediem6568

4 жыл бұрын

Under a dictatorship of any kind you never really have your country back.

@AnhTrieu90

4 жыл бұрын

Well, we’re hardly without blame. We let ourselves became pawns on the geo-politic chess board.

@axelpatrickb.pingol3228

4 жыл бұрын

Commienism become THE ideology for anticolonialism by the end of the war. Most pundits saw democracy and capitalism as some foreign concepts easily hijacked by nefarious parties (Lenin used the Boer War to highlight how imperialism is a "natural" progression to capitalism). At face value, commienism promised a home and meal on the table and freedom from anyone who wants to do harm and in the context of Asian Confucian communitarianism, it's natural...

@Hero.Lone-Wolf

4 жыл бұрын

Yes ... I feel the same way too. Vietnam is a communist country because the White Colonial countries who occupied Vietnam is a democratic Nation.... I think it was more a rejection of what the White Colonials stood for then the mere acceptance of the Marxist ideology .... when you are abandoned I guess communist countries were the only one who accepted you ... Now look at Vietnam ... all bright lights and big 4 star hotels and Tourist .... lol ...

@Doughboy842

4 жыл бұрын

Especially when they and other Asian countries fought hard to drive out the Japanese occupiers. Trained and supported by the allies. After that I'm sure they didn't want to be ruled by another foreign power again after the suffering they went through in WW2.

"only for circumstances beyond their control" that seems to be a recurring theme for foreign armies operating in vietnam

Excellent! I love that you mine out all these interesting tidbits!!