Where Hitler First Saw Combat | History Traveler Episode 381
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- Опубліковано 27 вер 2024
- We're on the Western Front at the Ypres salient, which saw the most sustained combat during the entire First World War. Starting in mid-October of 1914, the German army began a push to take the city of Ypres which formed a major road junction. Among those making that push was a young Adolf Hitler. In this episode, we're taking a look at the place where he saw combat for the first before heading to Langmarck German Cemetery to explore the origins of what would later become part of the Nazi mythology.
This episode was produced in partnership with The Gettysburg Museum of History. See how you can support history education & artifact preservation by visiting their website & store at www.gettysburg...
Support the effort to expand history education on PATREON: / historyunderground
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Map animations by @SandervkHistory
Great video JD. It was a pleasure exploring some of the Ypres sites with you! Looking forward to the next video
@@historyinyourhand1787 👊🏻
Hearing the number of soldiers buried there. Then just seeing the thousands of names. It brought me back to when you visited a German cemetery in Poland, that had thousands of names listed. Just so much waste of life. Thank you JD, for sharing this content, so we don't forget how terrible war is.
was thinking the exact same thing. x
Very interesting for a subject that is so seldom discussed. We usually just hear in school that "Hitler was a Corporal in the First World War" and never hear anything else. It's great to actually see where he fought during the Great War.
@@yvonneplant9434 Most people these days do not have a lot of time to sit around reading. We work. We work overtime and maybe have time to meet up with friends and family if all our responsibilities have been taken care of.
@@yvonneplant9434 There's two versions I've read of why Hitler was never promoted past lance corporal despite being awarded a regimental citation and decorated three times. One says that his superiors didn't believe he had any leadership potential and the other says he WAS offered promotion but turned it down because he didn't want responsibility for any lives or life besides his own. Which is true? Beats me.
It’s my dream to travel to Ypres to the battle fields.I’m a 74 year old Vietnam veteran whose family has a substantial history in service to the United States. My Great Uncle died at Ypres on October 31st 1918. His name was Alfred Lilgreen and I’ve seen the memorial placed for him at Cushing Minnesota but I have every reason to believe he’s buried at Ypres, Belgium. My Dad was born 2 years after Alfred died and his middle name was Alfred. He fought in the South Pacific. My brother, myself and 2 of my cousins fought in Vietnam. My family has a strong veteran presence. I’ve also got an interest in my families genealogy. Because of that interest I want to try to get to the cemeteries at Ypres to attempt to find my Uncles grave. Perhaps some day I’ll make the trip and place a flower on Alfred’s grave.
I met you, Chris, Sander and the others at the Last Post ceremony. It was cool to meet you and something unforgettable for me
Yes! It was great meeting you as well!
My Great grandfather Georg fought at 3rd Ypres with the 5th Bavarian Infantry Reserved Regiment.(5. Bayerische Reserve-Division) He spent the majority of the war in this area in Belgium
He stated they were gassed at Ypres and many around him started to flay their arms and run around in a panic. It attracted the gas to them quicker. He remained calm and crawled over to a shell hole and the gas mist passed over him. He was still affected but went on to fight ending the war with a gang green injury on his lower left shin that festered for decades.
Georg was a very fond devotee to AH, even styling his hair like him and growing a short mustache in the 1930s.
I love your explorations in History, JD! I don’t know as much about WW1 Thank you! If you ever get a chance to visit Mortain France, my grandfather died there during WW2 during an intense battle. There is a memorial at the top of the hill! My dad is nearly 90 and he would love a history lesson on where his father died! I have been there and it is surreal❤ thanks again
Great video JD 👍 The historical pictures, footage and map animations really help give you a feeling of the weight of history in this place.
Another great post sir, please keep them coming.
Hi JD,
I‘ve been following your channel for quite a while now and I must say that you‘re really doing a great job! 👌
As a German citizen, however, I need to correct you in one important detail:
Surprisingly, it is NOT the German government that takes care of German war cemetaries, but a humanitarian association called „Volksbund Kriegsgräberfürsorge e.V.“ which is mainly funded by donations. 😉🤓
Ahhh….thanks for the clarification.
Had the opportunity to visit Ypres in 2022 while researching for a film project - was such an insightful visit. Thank you JD for adding such great historical context to my trip and giving my visit more meaning 🙏🏻
Very good JD Very informative. Thanks
Very interesting! Thanks for explaining the mass grave thing. I have often wondered why they would burry them together…didn’t know they were in the line like that! Makes sense!
went to the service at the menin gate - it was the fire service carrying out the Last post then. everyone respected it and it was extremely emotional
Oh man…Ypres and Concord. Here come the annunciation police. Great video.
The group photo at the start, has anyone done a deep dive on that? I’ve seen it so many times now I want to know their names and lives too, what may be known about their opinion of him, etc.
Very sobering video JD. I comprehend the thousands who died in WW1 on both side and the number of families affected. I remember as a child there were a lot of old single ladies who had not married as either their boyfriends died in the war or simply the lack of males to females. Sad. 😢 uk
Langermark is one of the most somber cemeteries on the western front imo. While you’re in the area you should try find the “hitler”bunker just near the town of Frommels. There is a photo of him visiting it in 1940. Also his billet from 1916 still stands in a small town called Fournes. Stuart Curry has an interesting website with photos. Cheers from 🇦🇺
Thanks, JD. Well done. We took a WW1 tour with the Stephen Ambrose folks last year. So much to still learn about that war.
Really enjoyed the video mate can't wait for the next one
Great video, JD. I always love when you visit those old cemeteries
Very informative, excellent video !!!
A very nice video but I have a few remarks to make. The inscription on a bronze plaque "Deutschland muss leben und wenn wir sterben müssen" can be
seen behind your back when you are entering the small inner courtyard after leaving the entrance building. Also, the 17.000 names mentioned on bronze plaques around the mass grave are all Bavarian missing soldiers. While it is possible that some of them are laying in the mass grave, there is no link between the two. The 25.000 men laying in the mass grave are unknowns, so you can't possibly connect them with real names.
Finally, the sarcophagus shaped concrete tables are not representing regiments who fought in Ypres, but they are bearing the names of associations who made important donations to the VDK, or Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge, the equivalent of the CWGC (Commonwealth War Graves Commission).
Well done JD, thanks as always. As with all your videos, your research is commendable!
👊🏻
My wife's great grandfather, KIA at Pilckem Ridge in the 1917 British offensive, is buried here. In 2002, she was the first of her family to visit his grave. He was originally buried in Westroozebeke and was reinterred here in the 1950s. In 2002, the bronze plaque you mentioned was still there. The plaque was placed over a name carved into the stone: "HEINRICH LERSCH 1914". I believe this man was the architect of the cemetery.
Very cool!! Any plans on coming over to Okinawa for the 80th next year? In the south theres a lot of city, but Kakazu, Hacksaw, Wana ridge, and others are currently parks so they are pretty well preserved. I bet you could even get in contact with 3rd MLG to be able to see the museum on Camp Kinser.
I used to own a photo album from a German vet who was in Langemark in 1940 when Hitler visited and took pics of the same things you are showing.
@@BravoCharlie2u wow!
Such an amazing place to visit. The Last Post brings everything into perspective. Thank you for sharing.
The loss if life just in that cemetery is astounding. Think about if those folks lived and what may or may not have been thought of...man...Also interesting insight into what Hitler held and what shaped him
Incredible video as always 👏🏼 great you corrected yourself on the German grave markers, I never knew that. Everyday is a school day. Where is your go to place to get your archive footage? You seem to find stuff I’ve never seen before
Pawns they were. Waste of life and for what? Same as today’s conflict. Politicians!
Awesome! Thank you JD for taking us on this WW1 journey, my favourite history topic! Love your channel mate ❤
@@ozziecozzie274 👊🏻
I demand longer videos!
Great back to the good stuff.
Yes been here a few times... Plenty of history to be had.
Much to see and learn there.
Thanks for another great video! If only these places could speak
I do love history, but this war is one I know little about, so thanks are due for the the education!
Outstanding 👍
Absolutely love your Channel! I'm crossing my fingers one day you do a video about Vimy ridge
🙂
@@TheHistoryUnderground and thank you for the Canadian Redemption after D-Day video. I had relatives that were in the Royal Regina rifles
Another amazing video,it has to give a person a sense of awe to be there,I’ve been doing some research on the 11th Airborne Division and the raid on Los Banos is it possible that you will do a video on this? Thanks
Would definitely love to get to the Philippines at some point. The Los Banos story is amazing.
Hello JD top notch such a great video thank you what a beautiful place and I am really looking forward to the next video JD
Thanks JD - great video! What software were you using on the tablet that displayed the trench lines with real time GPS - was that LinesMan or some other product? Thanks!
Knew about Hitler being a corporal and being gased, but never thought about his first battle.
What I have often wondered about, for years,is where exactly that photo was taken, of Adolf Hitler and his fellow soldiers. They are next to a trellis, it appears. It was taken during World War 1, sometime.
JD another amazing video
Glad you think so! Thanks!
i would love to plan something like this! how did you coordinate it all?! Great vid
Im from belgium, lots of ww1 sites to visit out there in ieper region 👍 beautiful landscapes also.
Loved my visit there.
Thank you for sharing
I actually live there in Langemark
Nice! Loved that area.
@@TheHistoryUnderground I dont know if its worth your time but you should visit pondfarm in St-Julien. It is a farm with a private museum inside. All the relics are from the farms ground.
Thousands of years of war and in 2024.It's still going on to this day😢 So sad. There's other ways How to figure out problems
Very surprising that Corporal Hitler survived combat during WWI. Many of his comrades and later replacements killed in combat or very badly wounded. I would say he was a very dedicated and brave soldier. He was not special, he was just a common infantryman who was a messenger because their life expectancy was no better than any other infantryman.
Very interesting thanks
As always, you da man JD!!!!
Thanks!
Imagine those that cleaned the mess of rotting bodies, smashed up bodies, pieces of bodies and then getting all these body parts to the cemetery..
Interesting stuff
Hey love the channel should visit old burriel cemetery injust north of Boston revolutionary solders buried
Thanks
You should go and see the caves in the Aisne. Well I invite you to come to the Aisne
Can you do a video on Hitlers family
Twsss clean pass threw my boi.
I have a very large amount of family members from the Canadian expeditionary force who are sleeping in the fields around where you are right now
You should look into why they started calling Canadians "Stormtroopers", because that's where Hitler got the idea
Thank you because I haven't been able to travel to Europe to see these sites and you do an excellent job
Interesting!
OMG... You're telling me Dick-takers "lie"(?!) 😮 Well I bloody never. I thought all Dictators were honest people... lol
One again, JD, a fabulous episode and dive into a period of history people tend to only focus on the big battles (Somme, Passchendaele, etc). I've said before "History Underground" should be on the school curriculum, a must watch for every history class!
Too bad that the allies weren't a little more successful back then.
verner voss must have come back from the dead to be a pilot in the second world war @23min :)
As long as you are spending some time on WWI i think it would be advised to spend time going over the (RED) zones in France - areas to this day that are off limits for habitation and agriculture use due to the implimentation of chemical and gas warfare …
25 years later they marched them into Stalingrad for the repeat...
This is another excellent video. So many lies have been repeated against Germany. Lies that defy rational thought.
Emmm no. You'll find its called history. If it doesnt suit your narrative then go to some revisionist channel that does.
you can state them here for public comsumption
JD, I wouldn't say Hitler lied. there are a few differing accounts that were told that the young students sung a lot and went into battle singing. He may have been mistaken on the song (certainly debatable, but others corroborated) , but his assessment was correct.
A.H. was known to exaggerate his accomplishments during ww1. No one would dare argue with him.
Great video ! I just can’t imagine Hitler lying 😂
Anyway I really enjoyed this
WW1 video ! I have always studied WW2 but I really want to dive into WW1 & Vietnam. Thank you for all the amazing videos and education ! 😊
He was a message runner. He wasn't directly involved in combat.
Hitler .. 2 times elected by majority of his people..
The people loved him and he loved his people..
Stalin came thru bloody revoltuion and bloody inner struggle Party to power..
And his people did not love him...
Nor did he love his people..
Thats the difference...
The Germans kept on fighting till the end for the love of their leader...
The Russians kept on fighting due to cruel persuasion of Stalin..
Now Tell me...
Which side u would like to be on...???!!!
Neither…
Neither, USA baby,True Blue!!
You do realize that it's possible for two things to be true at the same time, right? Both were evil.
I'll stick to the British War-Time Coalition of Winston Churchill thank you very much.
You do realise how stupid you look trying to lecture people on a history channel?
WW1 fucked up the world in 20 years😂 I'm not saying the British soldier should have committed a war crime but he could have shot Hitler. 😂😂😂 Remember it's never a war crime the first time in dude didn't understand that he could really save all our great grand parents the hell of another WW. Can we all agree on that? Lol
How do you know they were not singing Deutschland ueber alles and he lied about it? Just curious how such a mundane thing can be identified later as a lie?
22:22 The ghosts of these two gentlemen must be displeased with their final resting place.
3:53 See how depleted the soil is behind JD. That, or they raised the road and side walk.
23:08 second world war?
There's so much I'd like to say here, but because of censorship, I won't.
The West were the bad guys.
It's insane to think that there are 25,000 soldiers buried in that mass grave. Great video JD.
Pretty wild.
I lived in Belgium 🇧🇪 for 3 years whilst serving at NATO HQ SHAPE near Mons and spent many weekends in Ypres.
The last post at The Menin Gate never gets less emotional and I found even more emotional when in uniform.
A fascinating place with lovely locals who have grown up knowing their history and mostly speaking English because of the war tourism that started in 1919.
Edit* i found out afterwards my Great Uncle was injured at Ypres and died of his wounds in a field hospital near Calais and his brother was killed at The Somme and is on the Theipval memorial. Ive been to both and never knew they were there or their story.
My granddad, the youngest son was too young to fight at 14 so never went over.
A family sadness hidden until my mother told me when she was terminally ill.
It was a sadness hidden by many back then...never to be spoken about.
Thanks for your service, and thanks for sharing your story.
My great great uncle is on the Thiepval memorial. He died age 22 in the battle for Albert on July 7th.
Had a British gunner traversed his Vickers a bit more to the left or right, the 20th century might have looked completely different. I can't imagine it could have turned out worse.
There is a story that a Private Henry Tandey was in the line of fire with a wounded German soldier during the final moments of a battle in 1918. Tandey had his gun pointed at the soldier, but chose not to shoot him, and the soldier nodded in thanks and ran away. Hitler later claimed that the soldier was him, and that Tandey had come close enough to killing him that he thought he would never see Germany again.
So interesting. Learned a lot and hope you have more videos soon. Thank you.
In comparison to all the CWGC cemeteries, German cemeteries are kind of dark, no or very few flowers, high trees etc. But they still contain the fallen of a brutal war that would end al wars. Lest we forget.
They certainly have a different feel to them.
JD, fantastic video! It really brings a "what if?" scenario into focus. Obviously, we then realise that Hitler wasn't an island in his twisted ideology.
Walking around Hill 60 always spooked me the amount of souls departed on that hill. There was also an old museum at the corner of Hill 60 that had hundreds of stereoscopic black & white photographs of the war etc, shame when it closed. I wonder what happened to those 3D images? Hopefully they ended up in the main WW1 museum in Ypres.
That was a wonderful Museum, really more of a private collection of many battlefield finds. I remember them piled on shelves, you could hold them. There was nobody else there at the time, It felt like a time capsule.
A fascinating place for anyone interested in military history on any level.
For our American friends, the desperate fighting that took place in the small villages and hamlets to the east of Ypres, along the menin road, halted the germans getting their important break through to the channel ports.
The salient was much feared, because depending exactly where you were, you could be shelled and sniped at from three different directions at the same time, its lethality was legendary.
The action at Gheluvelt Chateau is still remembered today by the regiments of the British army that carry the battle honours of the South Wales Borderers and the Worcestershire Regiment, namely the Royal Welsh and the Mercian Regiment.
This is so good. Thank you.
Thanks! Got some more coming up.
Every video you’ve made are amazing. I enjoy every one. Keep up the good work.
Thank you very much!
Cool!!! I've been there many years ago but never realised AH was there himself.Impressive site,a bit dark like most of the german cemetries but very interesting! Love your videos ;-)
👍🏻
Great video, and I enjoy your work, BUT how do you know what the German troops were singing? Hitler was there - you weren't. I know Hitler was a bad guy, but history should be history.
There are no contemporary accounts of German soldiers in Hitler's regiment singing "Deutschlandlied" while on the attack in the 1st Battle of Ypres. In February of 1915, Hitler wrote a rather detailed letter to a friend named Ernet Hepp about the battle. The song, which was supposed to be a big element of the battle, isn't mentioned. After the war is when the song really starts to gain popularity. There was a poem that was written in 1924 that was printed in some popular magazines that mentions the song in connection to Langemarck and it may be that this is where Hitler picked it up to include in his account in Mein Kampf. It may have also been sang elsewhere and Hitler just adopted the story. Hard to say, but the idea that Hitler's regiment sang it as they marched into battle has been widely debunked, so it's not just me coming up with crap on the fly. :)
Fair enough! Thanks.
Great content as always, thank you
*According to historical records, Hitler received two medals during World War I: the Iron Cross Second Class and the Iron Cross First Class, both awarded for bravery in combat; the latter being a relatively rare distinction for a soldier of his rank (Lance Corporal)*
My Father was captured at Dunkirk with 40,000 other soldiers and marched to Poland where he was POW for 4 years, nobody ever talks about it.
Apparently so since I and many more thought that allmost all got away. I guess it does not fit in the narrative of british "victory" at Dunkirk?
@juhopuhakka2351 British people like to romantize about things, especially wars.
Another great episode JD! That mass grave is unreal, keep up the great work mate 😊👍
Thank you 👍
As a combat veteran myself, I have always been fascinated in learning about Hitlers War experience as its probably the closest I will ever come to actually relating to the guy. Almost....Almost, feeling sorry for him. No doubt this effected him and shaped his future. The obvious distinction that needs to be made here is that Hitler clearly didn't learn the right things from the experience.
Both Werner Voss and another German WW1 ace named Ernst Udet were better pilots than Manfred von Richthofen (the Red Baron) was. The Baron wasn't a great pilot but he was a good pilot. Where Richthofen excelled was as a marksman and especially a tactician. He was remarkably adept at modifying two-dimensional cavalry warfare (he was a cavalryman to begin with) to three-dimensional aerial warfare.
I enjoyed this, thanks. Then again I like everything you’ve done.
It is so sad to think of all the people who died in WWI. You have to wonder how different the world would be if that carnage didn't occur. However, we have to face the fact that it did occur and gave rise to the insanity that gripped the world because of one man
Interesting vid JD… lot of new information 👏🏻🪖