this channel should be a leading example for historical youtubers. so many poorly researched videos out there while you guys maintain a high level of information and production quality

@TheGreatWar

5 жыл бұрын

We do our best, glad you like it. 1919 is definitely complex.

@kevinzhu6417

5 жыл бұрын

@@TheGreatWar i fucking love it man. its complex and not talked about enough, so you guys are doing all history fans a solid 👍

@TheBreadB

5 жыл бұрын

And then you have history channels claiming the Nazis were leftists/socialists.

@CrossOfBayonne

5 жыл бұрын

@@TheGreatWar You guys do a great job at making content. You're the only channel that covers the wars day by day

@majormononoke8958

5 жыл бұрын

@@TheBreadB speaking about TIK? hhhhihihihhihih well, he only said socialist not leftist, if i remember correctly ...

Glad this mostly forgotten expeditionary force is being covered in detail

@itsjustmint5211

5 жыл бұрын

Yhea, I know

"The war's not over. Millions are dead. Europe is mad. The world's gone mad." The first words Shackelton heard when he came back from Antarctica in 1915. And little has changed over a century later.

@jessealexander2695

5 жыл бұрын

That is a great quote, I hadn't heard it before!

@avishalom2000lm

5 жыл бұрын

@@jessealexander2695 It's from the "who did what" series in the original TGW. Indy did an episode on Ernest Shackleton.

@jonbob0008

5 жыл бұрын

I would've loved to have seen the look on his face when he heard that. I doubt he could've ever imagined such an outcome.

@BergquistScott

5 жыл бұрын

Shackelton did not lose a single man from his expedition, and it took heroic measures to save everyone (e.g open-boat sailing in Antarctic waters). Yet two or three men from the expedition, immediately enlisted for the war upon reaching England, and were dead within ninety days!

@Solaxe

4 жыл бұрын

@@avishalom2000lm So edgy. I forgot milions are dying every day in Europe in 2019. Oh wait

I'm starting to suspect the "War to end all wars" might not have ended wars.

@TheGreatWar

5 жыл бұрын

just a hunch

@Doughboy842

2 жыл бұрын

And the number of times generals said a war would be over by Christmas in numorous wars.

@XSpamDragonX

2 жыл бұрын

Defeating the bolsheviks could have saved millions of lives.

@CeluiEtSeul

2 жыл бұрын

In a way it did. Because at the beginning, they tried to use the same old tactics, but the new technology changed everything, which is why the casualty was so high, hence why they changed from open field warfare to trench warfare. It ended all the way we fought war in the past, and evolve into something so destructive and more fatal. Remember, Tribal, Colonial wars and Eurasian conflicts were something that was pretty much endless, Modern warfare changed that, and now in a way the world is more peaceful that it used to be before. The reason the 1900s was so bloody, is because of the transition from the Old into the new era. Now wars and conflict are pretty much short, and not much casualties, or genocides like before, even though it's still happening on a small scale today.

@advisorynotice

Жыл бұрын

@@CeluiEtSeul The cold war? Rwandan genocide? Congo civil war? What are you even talking about. Iran Iraq war?

Really interesting. I learn more from this channel than I did back in school.

@michaelaburns734

5 жыл бұрын

Freshman year in high school we didn't have THIS IN DEPTH

@vaclav_fejt

5 жыл бұрын

At school you have what, one year for the whole 20th century? And these guys are doing it basically in real time. School is supposed to give you the necessary basics and how to think.

@flavour.country1554

5 жыл бұрын

You expect your social studies class to spend years devoted to a decade?

@MyILoveMinecraft

5 жыл бұрын

I'm out of school for 3 years now in Germany, and ww1 was a big topic of course. Tho I doubt anyone is more critical of Germany in ww1 than Germany

@neurofiedyamato8763

5 жыл бұрын

Didn't expect to see you here.

My husband's grandfather was a Polar Bear. While we don't have any letters or journals, we do have his uniform and other pieces were recently donated to the Michigan History Museum where they can be preserved for others.

@paulrupright4694

Жыл бұрын

My grandfather was a Polar Bear. 337th Field Hospital.

@AmericanSpartan

3 ай бұрын

There is a book, History of the American Expedition Fighting the Bolsheviks: U.S. Military Intervention in Soviet Russia 1918-1919 by Joel Moore and my great great grandfather Lewis Jahns

My Grandfather was the one who told me about the US intervention in Russia. It was never my teachers.

@johnd2058

5 жыл бұрын

@@MozD 1: Thank you. Might as well complain that the cafeteria doesn't put enough food on the tray to last you sixty years. 2: YMMV?

@chadkingoffuckmountain970

4 жыл бұрын

@@johnd2058 Your Mileage May Vary

@user-bf7ix7fq3d

4 жыл бұрын

Maybe that's why russian communists didn't trust foreign capitalists... Just think about it...

@radjadawamindra697

4 жыл бұрын

@@MozD ah a fellow tropers I see

@Echani3007

3 жыл бұрын

@@user-bf7ix7fq3d Well, that and communism requires the global abolishing of capitalists lol

My maternal grandfather was a sergeant in "B" Co. 1/310 . He was from Holland, Michigan and had already fought in France as part of the 1/2nd Engineers, 2nd Infantry Division. The AEF command determined that the green US troops going to Russia needed some seasoned combat veterans to "stiffen" the 1/310th and the 339th Infantry Regt. The Canadian detachment earned his undying affection. Several of the Canadians from Windsor, Ontario became his lifelong friends. One of these fellows, I think he was a policeman, aided my grandfather when he became a gentleman bootlegger in post-war Detroit..

Interesting I’m an American and I never knew our soldiers fought in Russia, thank you for a detailed video! Keep up the Great work

@goofynose2520

5 жыл бұрын

If you found this interesting you should definitely look up American/European intervention in China during the boxer rebellion! It's not WW1 related, it's a bit earlier but still interesting history!

@williamforbess9491

5 жыл бұрын

Thank you I definitely will

@Argacyan

5 жыл бұрын

No wonder you never heard about americans and europeans literally invading soviet russia, that would almost make them look less evil than the Pentagon said...

@_Fennix

4 жыл бұрын

@@Argacyan I don't know, tens of millions dead by the hand of stalin seems pretty evil to me

@_Fennix

4 жыл бұрын

@@Argacyan I don't know, tens of millions dead by the hand of stalin seems pretty evil to me

This was the only time US troops directly fought Russian Communists - conflicts were otherwise indirect, through proxies.

@kryadmus7275

5 жыл бұрын

Air wars in Korea say otherwise

@goofynose2520

5 жыл бұрын

@@kryadmus7275 ssshh there were no Soviet pilots in Korea. A friend of mine in the politburo assured me so!

@nancybarnes29

5 жыл бұрын

@Matthew Sosnicki between 1945 and 2001 how many of us died out of uniform in foreign lands fighting the silent and not very cold war, in south and central america, in the baltic, in asia and the middle east. there always were men and women who did what had to be done when asked because they knew the very real cost of unopposed communist subversion. the numbers are much greater than the stars on the wall of admitted casualties....rgw

@nancybarnes29

5 жыл бұрын

i thought we are on common ground@Matthew Sosnicki

@thebog11

5 жыл бұрын

@@nancybarnes29 Three points for you to ponder. 1. In WW2, the US allied itself with the Communists (left-wingers) to beat the Nazis (right-wingers). After WW2, the US allied itself with repressive right-wing regimes in South America, Central America, and Vietnam to beat the Communists. Was it really all about opposing communist subversion, or was it just about increasing US power in the world? 2. If you believe in "freedom", do the members of a nation-state have the freedom to choose their own political system? If the members of a nation-state want to be communist, what right does the US have to forbid them to do so? 3. Is it not possible that the USSR acted as it did during the Cold War because it knew "the very real cost of unopposed capitalist subversion"? Is it not possible that NATO and the USSR engaged in the Cold War because each feared that the other was trying to take over the world, and force the world to conform to their political beliefs?

11:30 Notice that all three crosses bear Polish names. Seems like there were a plenty of Polish Americans among the Polar Bears.

@jessealexander2695

5 жыл бұрын

Yes - Detroit had a very large Polish population and the units involved were mostly from Michigan.

@janwacawik7432

5 жыл бұрын

@@jessealexander2695 Thanks for the info, Jesse. Keep up the great work!

@Festucius

5 жыл бұрын

@@jessealexander2695 Were the Michigan troops chosen for the mission for that very reason?

@jessealexander2695

5 жыл бұрын

@@Festucius Nothing I read would indicate that, and I doubt it.

@maciek_k.cichon

5 жыл бұрын

Literature (and wiki) says Polar Bears were composed of 85th Infantry Division from Michigan, so that's seems right.

My maternal grandfather, Nestor Homer Provencher, was a member of the Polar Bear Expedition. In 1972, only months before he died, I asked him what happened to him when the Armistice was signed in 1918 (he had been in France). His terse answer: "They sent us to fight the Bolsheviks."

@donjenkins8430

2 жыл бұрын

My Great Grand Father was there as well.

@rrozoff1

2 жыл бұрын

@@donjenkins8430 Was he from Michigan? My grandfather was born in Escanaba, Michigan, but had lived for many years in Ontario. He evidently had kept his US citizenship and when Washington entered the war in 1917 he went to Camp Custer to enlist.

@donjenkins8430

2 жыл бұрын

@@rrozoff1 No. He was one of the few who was not a Michigander though he did spend some time at Fort Custer prior to heading over.

Just recently subscribed. WW1 was a century ago. Being born during the Truman administration most history I heard of was obviously WW2 and after. I do find your presentations interesting and informative. Thank you

@TheGreatWar

5 жыл бұрын

Welcome to the show!

I like what you add at the end of each presentation, the “what’s going on in other parts of the world” section. Seemingly unrelated, the section actually put the thesis in perspective. Great job!

Fun fact, the Canadians in the Great War were notorious for their looting! And would fight ferociously to ensure a higher body count on the other side to that end. I recently read a war memoir a friend created from his great-grandfather's notes. In preparing for a trench raid to capture a German Officer, a British Major briefed them with this hilarious line! "Now you Canadians, I know you don't like taking prisoners, but you must get me a German officer on this trip"

@TheGreatWar

5 жыл бұрын

That is a great quote.

@jessealexander2695

5 жыл бұрын

Canadian historian Tim Cook wrote an article about Canadian troops not taking prisoners a few years ago.

@moosemaimer

5 жыл бұрын

_"We brought you an officer!"_ "Good. Now put him back together so I can talk to him."

@YourTypicalMental

5 жыл бұрын

@@jessealexander2695 I think I found the article, I'll check it out. Thanks Jesse!

@kabob0077

5 жыл бұрын

Bloody Magpies...

Fun fact: The American soldiers deployed to Archangel were equiped with Mosin-Nagant rifles. This was because the 7.62x54 round was very common in Russia and much lessoned the supply burden. Also goverment had about 500,000 rifles produced by Remington and Westinghouse for the Russian imperial government which failed to deliver before the revolution and the government had to buy at least Remington out

@TheGreatWar

5 жыл бұрын

The soliders on the thumbnail carry them.

@grayflaneur4854

5 жыл бұрын

Yes, this is true. I own and shoot a few of these rifles and they are what they are and a bit of an acquired taste. From what I have read, the soldiers mostly trained with M1903 and M1917 rifles and this change occurred at short notice and they had little time to train with the Mosin Nagant M1891 rifle before they departed. Most soldiers were not really pleased about the switch as they preferred the other rifles. Logistically it made sense and these rifles certainly did perform in the harsh Russian winters.

Most interesting and informative episode on this so called Polar Bear Expedition and a subject we don't get to hear about very often...Enjoyed learning about it,will now look into it in more detail,👌👍

@BHuang92

5 жыл бұрын

It is a bitter topic that was forgotten sadly with effects still going on after 100 years.

I didn't know Canadians were involved in the fight against the Soviets. The only mention in text books about WW1 for Canada is Vimy Ridge.

@kstreet7438

5 жыл бұрын

Lol the war is over this isn't ww1 anymore

@jessealexander2695

5 жыл бұрын

Yeah, we focus on Vimy a lot for its symbolic value. But other battles (like the crossing of the Canal du Nord in 1918) were actually more important military victories. Check out historian Tim Cook's book on Vimy for the whole story of how it became Canada's symbol of WW1.

@AmericanSpartan

3 ай бұрын

Texts books are lies

I never knew there was such an expedition! Again I learnt something new today! A day well spent 💕

@paulrupright4694

2 жыл бұрын

My Grandpa was a Polar Bear out of Coldwater, Michigan. 337th. Fort Custer, Battle Creek.

@trinolopez7809

2 жыл бұрын

THE USA NEVER WANTS THE WORLD TO KNOW WHEN IT LOSSES A BATTLE OR WAR.

@AmericanSpartan

3 ай бұрын

History of the American Expedition Fighting the Bolsheviks: U.S. Military Intervention in Soviet Russia 1918-1919

Fun fact: There´s no polar bears in the region 'Polar Bears' were deployed.

@thecopilot3515

2 жыл бұрын

Fun fact my great great great grandpa was part of the polar bears

Very comprehensive coverage of events all around the world. Great work guys!

@TheGreatWar

5 жыл бұрын

Thank you.

I really hope you do a full episode on Nestor Makhno. That story is way too underplayed and I hardly know anything about it.

@TheGreatWar

5 жыл бұрын

We really, really want to. But apart from a handful of pictures, it's really hard to find visual material of him and his troops.

My great grandfather was a polar bear because of his Norwegian roots. After the war, they went to go home. Their ship was frozen in the harbor. He was wounded in the leg. He was sent to a hospital in England of all places. He married his nurse.

@facredincaibula1361

3 жыл бұрын

Just like Desmond Doss

American intervention in Russia?! Only History (and the Great War Channel) dares to talk about such an eventuality that nobody nowadays could even suspect. Great episode Jesse Alexander, cheers!

@jessealexander2695

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

Really loving the new intro, I just love this era so much, so many interesting events

From what I've read, when America finally recognized the Soviet Union as a country, Stalin approved for the graves of the Polar Bear Expedition to be repatriated to America, if the graves were still identified at that time.

I have been a long time viewer and I really appreciate this channel and all of the videos on it, but more so this one as my great grandfather was a Polar Bear. I am very happy that the Polar Bears are finally receiving some attention from the wonderful community of Great War historians. I also very much appreciated the unit photo that was included in the video as we had the unit photo that my great grandfather was in up on our wall when I was growing up. Thank you, and keep up the good work!

There has been an indie Michigan movie of the Polar Bears. My friend was in it. There's also a monument in Detroit for the men who returned and those that didn't.

America for America first? Sounds familiar...

@Warriorbob-im5py

5 жыл бұрын

TheRedBaron yea it’s been used by isolationist, Republican and Democrat, since WW1.

@mojewjewjew4420

5 жыл бұрын

Every man a king,share the wealth.

@bushwhakked

5 жыл бұрын

Maybe it had to do with Russia stabbing it's allies in the back.

@mojewjewjew4420

5 жыл бұрын

@@bushwhakked When did they stabb their allies in the back?

@bushwhakked

5 жыл бұрын

@@mojewjewjew4420 When it signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with Germany.

I am absolutely LOVING the new content this channel has been producing this year. Thank you all so much for all the hard work you guys have put into continuing to produce amazing content covering the post-war period. It's absolutely fascinating! Wishing you guys and the channel the best of luck in all your future endeavors! Keep up the great work TGW!!!

@jessealexander2695

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

Thank you for something I hadn’t heard about before :-)

Another cracking episode again on an obscure piece of important recent history

This is a outstanding channel. Thank you for your time.

I’ve always loved this channel, keep it up guys!

@TheGreatWar

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks, will do.

I had heard of this expedition. But knew very little about it. Glad to know more. Nice job.

Fantastic video... very detailed and well exposed. Keep up the great work!

Fun fact, Australia earned 2 Victoria Crosses in the Russian Civil War as part of the NRRF

Another great episode!

Well done. Another great presentation.

Sorry been away just catching up now glad to see your subs growing well done

This is something that is rarely talked about in history classes. Many never even knew Americans had been in Russia during their revolution.

My grandfather served with the Polar Bears in Russia. He was from Sault Ste. Marie. He shared stories of the conflict. He fought in the great war to end all wars. His son, my father, would fight in the next world war, he landed on Omaha Beach; D-Day+1 with the second division( the Indianhead division). Years later they would share their stories with me as a young boy. RIP to all.

@Anonymous-qj3sf

2 жыл бұрын

The US, Britain and Japan despicably, taking advantage of Russia's weakness due to the revolution, invaded. All they did was kill countless civilians and rob the resource rich far east.

@timmyeades7908

2 жыл бұрын

@@Anonymous-qj3sf Путин платит вам рублями или криптовалютой, чтобы вы троллили мир?

@Anonymous-qj3sf

2 жыл бұрын

@@timmyeades7908What kind of trolling are you talking about? It's true. Read on the Internet

The best history related channel in KZread

As always, informative, enlightening, and fascinating! Glad to be a Patreon supporter! Keep up the excellent work!

@jessealexander2695

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

@TheGreatWar

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the support.

My great uncle was Silver Parrish..Thank you for providing this insight into history.

Do a special video on the German Beskidenkorps that saved the Austrians bacon in the Carpathian Mountains in 1915. That would be really interesting.

Dude! That desk of your's is AWESOME...I WANT ONE!

"Americans didn't wanted to fight Bolsheviks so far from home" Yeah I am sure they thought otherwise during cold war.

I liked your video. I learned alot about the 1919 Expedition.

There's a pretty nice memorial in a cemetery nearby that I have seen for the Polar Bear Expedition. Great to get to know the full story in detail.

So the Allied "plan" is to attack a motivated and popular movement with no general strategy in harsh environments. Let me know how that works out for you.

@FormerGovernmentHuman

5 жыл бұрын

We.... just.... watched how that worked out for them.....

@TheLocalLt

5 жыл бұрын

jackson macpherson it’s not to attack it’s just to carve out a sphere around the port for the white army to do operations. There was a plan, but it wasn’t a very appealing one to the troops stationed there. They were told they were going to fight the communists but they were were really going to fight the communists for a couple of days and then just hold arctic territory the Bolshevik’s didnt care about taking right away, but nonetheless was extremely important. This meant the entire operation was “hurry up and wait”. This wasn’t a flaw, it’s just that the white army was pretty fucked and controlled almost no useful land

@Pavlos_Charalambous

5 жыл бұрын

@@TheLocalLt the " white army " didn't stood a chance, they wasn't even a army as we understanding today, they were two or three generals and a admiral fighting their own separate " wars " like warlords or something with armies of forcibly recruited men, with no real government to back them or simply them... And the Americans went there because the British made them .. So considering all above the US troops were like to withdraw with most of their men alive after fighting a lost cause right from the beginning..

@TheLocalLt

5 жыл бұрын

Παυλος Χαραλαμπους I dont think I stated anything wrong besides saying “White Army” instead of “White Armies”. The point being that there WAS a British plan, it just wasn’t very exciting and had to be torture and mind-blowing freezing boredom not knowing what was coming. The OP was implying that the British were trying to overthrew the reds, when in fact they were merely holding ports open for the whites and just repelling red attacks.

@Pavlos_Charalambous

5 жыл бұрын

@@TheLocalLt that's my point it was a bad idea right from the beginning

I LIKE JESSE MORE AND MORE WITH EACH NEW EPISODE!

@jessealexander2695

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks, I appreciate that!

I finally know what my Great Grandfather's WWI victory medal was for, with a metal ribbon on the top saying Russia. He was from Michigan and pretty sure now he was in said unit.

@buoazej

3 жыл бұрын

You may want to look up Anthony C Sutton lecture or book on Russia

YEAH! Jesse Alexander! Writer and host! Good job everyone for keeping this channel alive.

@TheGreatWar

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks Stuart.

Strange but true, on your maps I don't see the flag of Finland, which invaded the RSFSR in 1919, Finland officially declared war on the RSFSR on May 15, 1919.

No mention is made of Herbert Hoover's American Relief Administration food relief effort, which saved millions of lives. The British did not do that much, in fact it was their blockade that caused the problem. The blockade lasted for several years after the armistice was signed on 11/11/18.

@Dilley_G45

3 жыл бұрын

And the blockade was illegal. Should have searched ships for contraband and then let ships through with food and first aid stuff...but no. So that's why Germany sent the subs to sink ships going to Britain...only way to fight back

Love the new history vidio shame i wasn't told about it in my history class. Form the UK. Great vidio

Thanks for sharing your story

Another excellent show on the complicated situation in 1918-1919 Russia and geopolitical-international forces and their interventions. May I suggest that you examine the activities of the Czech Legion and their capture of the Czar's gold. How that came about, how much gold and wealth was involved, how foreign powers (especially America) acted to ensure the gold got out of Russia (by keeping the trans-Siberian railway open), how much ended up in Czechoslovakia, how much in America or elsewhere. Keep up the good work.

This was a very good episode and frankly learned a lot. My knowledge of WW1 during my life trailed off at the end of 1918. Never knew about an American deployment to Russia during its civil war! This is why I love this channel.

@TheGreatWar

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it.

This was awesome!

Great video.

Not much has changed in the past 100 years.

@mojewjewjew4420

5 жыл бұрын

Yet few see it

Great vid, as usual. Ty. (Wilson was a fool!)

Error at 2:58. The name of the US Army Chief of Staff--It's PEyton March not Payton March. Most commonly referred to with his middle initial, he'd be General Peyton C. March (source History of the World War, 1919, Francis A. March--his brother).

I must say, I originally wanted to drop The Great War for Indy's new series, but you're still great.

@TheGreatWar

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

@matiasgazzarri4959

5 жыл бұрын

I mean, you can watch both

@vaclav_fejt

5 жыл бұрын

@@matiasgazzarri4959 I do watch both. In fact, I watch all three of them (TGW, TimeGhost and World War Two), but I originally wanted to simply drop TGW, now that it ended and TimeGhost does the Between Two Wars. But now, as they are separate, it's nice to have two sources on the subject.

One of America's forgotten wars...

@itsjustmint5211

5 жыл бұрын

Very forgotten, it makes the Korean War seem rememberable

@davidrosner6267

5 жыл бұрын

@@itsjustmint5211 the Korean War was a really big war. So was the Russian Civil War although the American involvement was small in comparison to the overall conflict. Unfortunately, many Americans have a tendency to overlook major wars in history.

Again a very interesting episode! To be honest, I have never heard off the Polar Bear expedition, until now. Quick question: What's the piece of music called at 8:30? I'm really fascinated by it

Thanks for telling about the polar bear story, few do.

Great Channel

Interesting episode! Do you have enough sources to deal also with other expeditionary forces in Russia?

I another reason to despise Woodrow Wilson

@DinoCism

2 жыл бұрын

And there's still so many more...

My great grandfather was a doctor (MD) in the 339th in Russia with the rank of Lieutenant.

@csabafamin2277

4 жыл бұрын

Respect!

That intro theme still bangs.

Well done🤠👍

I was wondering last month if this channel would cover the winning workers strike . It was only a minute but thanks .

Great video and I hope you guys make some videos on the Turkish war of independence :)

@TheGreatWar

5 жыл бұрын

We intent do. Archive situation is a bit tricky.

Another good episode. I like Jesse as the host here. He's doing a fine job. This was neat. I like the maps of the Russki Civil War, as it's rather chaotic and hard to get a grasp on. I'm interested in hearing about the way the Baltics played out in this time frame-wasn't there a Freikorps intervention in Lithuania at some point in 1919?

@TheGreatWar

5 жыл бұрын

There will be an extensive episode on the Baltics end of June.

I can't help but notice the 31st infantry regiment was not mentioned in this video even though they served a pivotal role in this conflict. This is also the conflict in which they earned the nickname "Polar Bears".

@TheGreatWar

5 жыл бұрын

Sorry for not mentioning them specifically.

@jessealexander2695

5 жыл бұрын

As far as I know they were in eastern Siberia, not North Russia.

@aaconteh84

5 жыл бұрын

From what I found; the AEF Siberia's mission objectives coincided with the AEF North Russia's. One of which was to rescue the Czechoslovak legion stranded along the Trans-Siberian railroad. This may have been a multi-front offensive by the allies to combat the Bolsheviks from the East and from the West. The only reason why I commented is because my old battalion is 4 battalion 31st infantry regiment and I remember they had news clippings of this expedition in our battalion headquarters. Thank you for time and I love your channel.

I Think you Guys should change your name because it’s not about WW I anymore but a 100 year history channel

@mcmax571

5 жыл бұрын

World War One didn't end until the Treaty of Versailles with Germany on 28 June 1919.

@majormononoke8958

5 жыл бұрын

@@mcmax571 Well and some people call the WW1 to WW2 one big war ...

@idontknowhatmynameshouldbe

3 жыл бұрын

Well they still have there we1 videos out

In Michigan they have a section of a museum to the polar bears because some of them were from michigan

I live in Winnipeg and I never heard about the Winnipeg general strike before today

This is nice.

Even though the day Mustafa Kemal landed on Samsun, 19th of May, is generally considered as the begining of the Turkish War of Independence and celebrated as a national day it is only a small part of the general National Struggle (Milli Mücadele in Turkish). Mustafa Kemal was the Inspector of the Ninth Army in the Ottoman Empire at the time and his mission was the quell the tension between Turkish and Pontic Greek militias in the North Central and North Eastern Anatolia, in order to prevent a British intervention that would take it as cause. His authority in the region was vast. All the municipal and central authority's mayors and governors were placed under him and that made him the man whose power second only to the Sultan (and maybe the Grand Vizier Damat Ferit) in the region. In the time passed since the Armistice of Mudros Mustafa Kemal had tried to reach a peaceful solution that will prevent the division of Anatolia and Eastern Thrace. But the siege of İstanbul from the sea by the Briish Navy and the obvious plan for a Greek invasion by the western Anatolia forced his hand. If the situation was less dire and the division of the Ottoman lands were less imminent (for example British were invaded Mosul for its oil and İskenderun for the logistical purposes even though it was not agreed upon in Mudros) Mustafa Kemal would most likely be contend to be promoted to as the Minister of War (Harbiye Nazırı) in order to force the Ottoman General Assembly and the Sultan to show more backbone in his dealings with the French and British. But the Sultan Vahdettin's hands were also tied since he was trying to cut the members of the Comittee of Union and Progress (İttihat ve Terakki Fırkası / Young Turks) from the power. The party, once led by Enver Pasha, as you would remember was the primary reason the Ottoman Empire entered the war on the side of the Germans. Enver, Cemal and Talat Pashas were on the run from the Entente but the roots and the institution of the party was strong in Ottoman Government and in order to counter it Vahdettin and perpetually pro-British Damat (Literally means Son-in-Law since he was that to the Sultan) Ferit threw their lot with the British and did everything they ordered in order to appease them, included but not limited to postponing the promotion of Mustafa Kemal (whom the British have already blacklisted) and sidelining him. The Inspectorate of the 9th Army was the part of the plan for the Ottoma authority to push Kemal away from the center of power in the capital. Brits have seen it as a dangerous gambit and wanted Damat Ferit to withold the promotion but Mustafa Kemal, with his victory in Gallipoli campaign and immaculate record had the trust of Sultan and while he was the member of the Union and Progress movement from the start he had many quarrels with the leaders, Enver and Talat being at the top of the list. Even though Mustafa Kemal's landing on Samsun later named as the start of the War of Independence the struggle had started long before, even the ink on the Mudros Treaty was dry. In Thrace, Western and Eastern Anatolia the sporadic militia movements were sparked. They were also organized by the lower achelon members of the Committee of Union and Progress but they lacked the central direction. Mustafa Kemal with the title of army inspector (much more a powerful title than a full army commander as it gives him the control power over the all the army core in the Eastern and Northern Anatolia) would fill this role. SPOILER ALERT: I'm sure the channel will cover it in the future but the upcoming Amasya Circular, Erzerum and Sivas Congresses will seem Mustafa Kemal's break from the Ottoman Government (he would even resign from his post in the army but by then the commanders of the several army corps would have been passed their commands directly to him). And at the meantime the sporadic militia, including the parts of the Ottoman Army would be organized under him as the National Forces (Kuva-yi Milliye). Anyway I couldn't helped myself since it was the 100th anniversary of the Landing on Samsun which we still celebrate as the National Day of Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day and since it has been passed as a footnote I'd like to emphasize why it was so important for the Turkish War of Independence. I hope you will make some episodes (one should not be enough as to cover the whole affair I guess) on the War of Independence in the future. Sorry for the wall-of-text.

@TheGreatWar

5 жыл бұрын

Since you seem quite knowledgable on the matter, would you mind getting in touch with us on Facebook? I wanted to pick your brain on something.

I had never heard of this.

my father is a retired infantry polar bear of the 10th mountain division of Ft. Drum.

Pro Bolsheviki here from Michigan.

@DinoCism

2 жыл бұрын

We truly are everywhere comrade.

The Siberian Expedition is even more forgotten about. I bet ten times the books exist on the North Russia one. Probably because most of the Polar Bears were from Michigan, so they advocated together. The guys in Siberia were more from throughout the country, so no central focus, either at the time pushing for withdrawal...or in later books written about them

This was interesting. I never heard about this in school. I only recently discovered this when I picked up on a spirit of a drunken soldier who claimed he was a polar bear. Im in MI and it didn't seem to make sense to me. It does now. Thanks.

Great to see some discussion on the Greco-Turkish war. Please cover this history in an episode in more detail. The impact culturally for both Turks and Greeks was profound - an entire musical genre - Rembetika - "The Greek Blues" was invented by refugees from Smyrna arriving in Greece and finding little opportunity.

@Alex-fv2qs

5 жыл бұрын

Indie did a great video on the Greco-turkish population exchange

My Great Granduncle Francis 'Frank' McDonald, originally from rural Sanilac County, MI, was a Private who served in Company M of the 339th. I have no physical mementos of his service save one of his Army portraits from before he was shipped out to Archangelsk. He endured that awful deployment for about 11 months, and it had been so hard on him, that he took isolated jobs in far-flung parts of northern Michigan for a number of years before he finally reconciled himself with things he experienced there and returned to familiar farm country nearer where he grew up. Eventually he married. I have yet to see the Polar Bear memorial or visit the Regiment's museum (in Frankenmuth I think?), but having myself lived many years away from that same area in Michigan because I lived where the Air Force sent me, I look forward one day to visiting both those places when I get back to Michigan.

And then americans ask why all these tensions between western nations and the russians have taking place in modern politics... it's like the russians should forget about all the interventions on their land, during the civil war supported strongly by European countries, Japan and the US.

@elliotyourarobot

5 жыл бұрын

Strongly agree man. Most peoples understanding nowadays totally ahistorical. Back then they understood as much as they can that's why the were sympathetic or didn't want to get involved in Russia because its hypocritical and they were decent folks.

@themostextrordenaryconvolu3406

5 жыл бұрын

Imp Avg Jvl Div Max It's really been going on long before that though. Before the Americans even existed for that matter.

@elliotyourarobot

5 жыл бұрын

@@themostextrordenaryconvolu3406 True they were separated by the Khans from the rest of Europe for a long time so they are seen as non European despite Russia trying to be more like them for a time.

@themostextrordenaryconvolu3406

5 жыл бұрын

Omar Constantin Yep, its a pretty interesting and sad situation when one looks into it.

@Loreless

5 жыл бұрын

you are absolutely right

There is monument in my hometown where a handful of these men are buried. It's in White Chapel Cemetery in Troy, MI. 75% of these men were from Michigan.

I wished you focused a bit more on the various mutinies. They are very telling of the soldier's frustrations.

Thank you. I was born in Shenkursk.

Canadians and Americans swapped personalities there Hahahah

We need a movie about this.

I have still waited new battle of the Isonzo River

Where did you get your desk?

I know this is after WW1 but, could you take a look at Prince Lvovv at some point? He was overlooked in the regular episodes a couple years ago.