The Sword with a HIDDEN SECRET!
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- Опубліковано 5 лют 2025
- When I first obtained this, I thought it was a standard French M1854 dragoon sword, but it turned out to tell a story that I wasn't expecting!
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I know only one thing about the Franco-Prussian War, and it's one of my favorite weird history facts to tell people. Prussia winning the Franco-Prussian War is what lead to other militaries learning about a training tool Prussian officers used called kriegsspiel (lit "wargame.") It was a game using maps and wooden blocks to practice tactics and strategy. Other militaries started using kriegsspiel as well, which eventually lead to it bleeding out into the civilian world, which then lead to the creation of the wargame genre, and eventually to Dungeons & Dragons.
So the Franco-Prussian War directly lead to the creation of Dungeons & Dragons.
Thanks for that. Awesome!
Wow interesting 😅
It had also been popular for children to collect lead soldier (which were painted) middles after Napoleonic armies. Eventually people started wargaming with them. Tabletop gaming started as people replaying Napoleonic battles with toy soldiers.
As a child, I was told a story that during the first world war, several young soldiers on furlough in a pub made fun of a veteran of the "siebzig-einundsiebziger" who was sitting in a corner in front of his mug of beer. They talked about modern artillery, machine guns and motorized warfare and laughed at the old man with his stories of cavalry attacks with drawn sabres. Until he said dryly: but we won!
I don't know if it's true. At least it's a good story.
Artillery was a mayor factor to win the war on the „German“ side in 1870/71.
One can hope.
I love how the Fullers are cut on these swords and sabers. They're often so deep and crisp, and they add so much to the aesthetics of those blades.
I really wish we had more information on the shops that produced these things, I have an M1840 made on contract in Germany and I'd love to know more about the grinding, forging and tempering methods they used to get such symmetry and consistency.
Love these antiques with good provenance! Makes them so much more interesting as collectibles and conversation pieces.
It’s insane that every sword has its own story.
Not really. Every piece of military kit has a story. Often a really interesting one.
“Three bars” sounds like a measure of sobriety. 🤣
More like 3 bars on your adidas tracksuit
only 2 last night, I behaved😆
Germany was literally founded at the end of the Franco-Prussian War. Prussian King Wilhelm I was declared Kaiser of a unified Germany in the occupied Palace of Versailles on January 1 1871. Also, Prussia didn't initially invade France. They goaded the French into invading them first by deliberately leaking a derogatory diplomatic letter and then counterattacked. It's all really fascinating history and well worth looking into, as well as the ensuing 'Paris Commune' where the citizens of Paris rebelled against the humiliating peace deal offered by the Germans and declared themselves to be a self governing quasi-socialist Republic, which was brutally besieged and stormed by the French national army. The whole period is full of bizarre characters, circumstances and incidents.
Wasn't Bismarck's famous quote about "Blutt und Eisen" (blood and iron) being required to unite Germany a reference to the Franco-Prussian War?
@@Lee-vk1xy No, that famous quote comes from a speech Bismarck made in 1862
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_and_Iron_(speech)
That's absolutely fascinating. It's common knowledge that the Prussians reissued Chassepots and their bayonets to landwehr units, etc., but pallasches and to the GDC, their senior most regiment no less is just wild. I've heard that the French Army lost around 75% of their small arms (mostly captured) in that war. Another interesting statistic: supposedly the Prussian Army recorded a grand total of 12 KIAs attributed to sword wounds during the conflict. Apparently even at that early time swords were becoming outdated as practical combat weapons.
That has more to do with the poor tactical usage of the French cavalry which was essentially wasted in desperate charges. The Prussians themselves demonstrated what could be done with cavalry and the sword when attacks were set up properly such as during Von Bredow's famous charge at Mars-La-Tour.
Early time? They already had breech loaded rifles (not smoothbore) guns with smokeless gunpowder in the cartridges.
@@kahunab7400Smokeless powder had not been invented yet
@@SwaAusch ok, but it had brass cartridges with mercury fulminate in it.
It isn't the gleam of the sword that frightens the foe, it is the gleam in the eye of the man who holds the sword!
Fantastic peace of history Matt, if only it could tell it's story of the hands it had been through. Cheers
Very nice story. I'm french and as a family heirloom I have a similar sword, a saber I believe. Similar handle but curved. The scabard is almost identical.
Can you do a segment on the historical and current use of swords by the United States Marine Corps? Love your videos! Thanks!
Thanks
Hey boss, I would love to see a cutting test with a sword like this. Obviously it'd have to be a repro or something, but just to see it vs one of your favorite sabers would be really interesting.
Interesting! I thought the biggest problem with long melee weapons was the difficulty of carrying them. But here the scabbard has been left in its original length.
Mat will you have vids about other nations weapons? I'm kinda interested in Austro-Hungarian, balkan countries, Romanian, Bulgarian, maybe Italian blades I know almost nothing about them there's little about them on net (Japanese, British, American and French are easy to find sources to read up).
The U.S. Patton sword of 1913 also followed some of that same design. Patton shortened the design so that it might be used more easily for fencing, at which he was a recognized expert. He studied throughout Germany and at a French salle, under masters who may have participated, or learned from participants, in the Franco-Prussian war. Patton might have been influenced by this same exact modified design.
I have featured the M1913 on here, but please don't believe sources that claim this was in any way a 'fencing' sword or designed for use on foot. The US M1913 and British 1908 pattern are quite heavy and large skewers intended to be used like short lances, they are horrible to use in any sort of parry and riposte and Patton's method for these cavalry swords owned far more to cavalry manuals and riding, than to fencing. The US sword for officers on foot (the M1902) is about as different to the M1913 as you can get.
@@scholagladiatoria Right. I did state that badly. Patton was an Olympic fencer (pentathalon) and a U.S. Army Master of Sword and Calvaryman. Handling would have been important, but not based on the edge, more on the point. His manual of arms addressed fighting from the saddle and on foot, but not fencing as such. More practical dragoon or saddle melee techniques.
But he must have borrowed heavily from that modified French sword and the Prussian techniques for using it.
Another great video. I'll try to look up your M1913 video. Thanks. Cheers!
@@azlandpilotcar4450 ... when i have a patton sword in my hand i always miss a riding horse . its a beautiful designed piece of steel . more for sport purposes as for war. but with a deadly point
Franco Prussian War is actually a misnomer.
The war was between France (Empire first, then Republic afterNapoleon III was deposed) on one side, and the North German confederation plus Bavaria plus Baden plus Württemberg (which why in German it's called"Deutsch-Französischer Krieg").
Who then, at the successful conclusion of the war in 1871, came together in Versailles and declared the King of Prussia as German Emperor, (re)founding the German Empire.
There was no "Prussian Emperor", ever.
Excellent - thanks for this clarification : )
it's a good thing Limburg and Luxemburg stayed out of the North German Bund in 1867. We dodged a bullet there, with Bismarck taking no for an answer, for once. Probably to busy crushing the Austrians, and preparing for the French.
Would be an interesting what if scenario, the Dutch-Prussian war of 1867
We could simply call it Bismarck's war and be pretty accurate. Lol.
Nice. Great for whomever bought it that it's been in a video.
Interesting info - my 1854 Dragoon (manufactured January 1863) has an extra engraving on the spine indicating that it was modified in 1882, apparently at that time 50 or 60mm was lopped off the blade and it was re-pointed. The hilt has no markings other than a couple of small letters, so I can't find out anything about its history.
In Germany we call it Deutsch-Französischer-Krieg, because all the states that became Germany joined into the fight and in Versailles Germany was formed. They went into the war as Prussia, Württemberg etc. and came out as Germany. It was the only 1v1 all of Germany vs all of France....and we won that one.
Dans ta face France!
In Bouvines we took it massively though. Par example :D
After the future Napoleon I dissolving the HRE and became emperor, the Kaiser took over in Versailles the title from the french emperor Napoleon III (and the sworded imperial guard)
(edit) Reichshoffen(Worth) although lost (less man and less artillery) is considered a good fight
Tickles my heart right as a Germany appreciator
Matt: I can verify this, but you missed a few things.....The Prussians shortened the scabbards when they shortened the Palosch. This one still has a French scabbard. The guard is bent down, the Prussians did this to clear the mess kit on the saddle! At first the Prussians used these without mods, but in 1893-4 they moved the swords to the saddle and deleted the lower ring, the French did this in the late 1870's, so any captured Palsoch would have the band around the scabbard, with no ring on the lower mount. The best way to determine if a scabbard is Prussian is the removal of the rivets holding the mouth piece are replaced with screws, and the Prussians painted the scabbards black in 1904. I would have jumped on this immediately, but my internet provider had an outage! One more thing, the Prussians and the rest of Germany stamped the scabbards with the same markings as the weapon itself, so you can see that this one still has the French post 1875 scabbard, which will fit and function, but is not Prussian. Cheers from Alabama!
My dad and I both own model 1822 heavy cavalry swords, bought at the Ciney Expo, Belgium, at the annual militaria fair. Rows and rows of tables full of cool stuff
Ya see, I can always tell a French-inspired saber from the handles cuz the pommel caps make the crooked grips look like willies. : P
Jokes aside, tho, it also reminds me of an 1889 Infantry Officer’s Degen (those themselves being inspired by cavalry swords). I can also say that those brass knuckle guards probably were not the best. I worked with a museum collection that has a US Model 1860 saber that was found beneath a Civil War battlefield church and that thing had *TWO* of its three brass guards completely chopped through with clean breaks. It was under floorboards since the war, so it was likely service damage.
Which raises the question; when was the first world war? By which I mean the first war fought on a global scale, involving most of the major nations.
The first one I can think of would be the Seven Years' War, ostensibly between France and England, it drew in Prussia, Spain, Portugal, Sweden and a number of others. The battle front ranged from Continental Europe to North America and the Caribbean, West Africa, the Philippines and India.
Depending on where you live, people may remember it as The French and Indian War, the Pomeranian War, The Third Silesian War, or in India, the Third Carnatic War.
Or. considering it as another engagement in the ongoing dispute dating back to at least the end of the 17th century; The Second Hundred Years War.
So was there an earlier war on this scale?
The curious case of the petite Prussian pallasch. 😅
The fighting in the Franco-Prussian war gave rise to the old-timey French expression that it rained "come à Gravelotte" because of the absolute hailstorms of bullets in the battle there. Gravelotte was absorbed into Germany until after WW1.
This is cool really great episode ❤
3:25 That's a schwing!
Matt are these pallashes functionally similar to the 17 century Polish "Koncerz" ?
Not very much, but I have a video featuring one of those coming up.
@scholagladiatoria Wow , I'd be exicted to see it . Thanks Matt 🙏
Polish Koncerz is in english often called estoc or tuc, rarely any cutting ability mostly triangular very long blade 150-180cm vs 97-118cm length of 1854 that while not great at it still can cut, Koncerz wasn't worn as side weapon only tucked under saddle to serve as reserve weapon once lance was broken, 1854 was side weapon. But I guess the way they where used as small lance and giving point whole charging on horse is kinda similar?
@@WolfKenneth Thanks for your great contribution. The Koncerz was reportedly able to pierce mail , wondering id the 1854 also have the same thrusting ability ?
@ IDK but not much mail armour by XIXth century battlefield in Europe maybe in colonies idk about India-Pakistan? sharp pionty metal thing thrust with enough power will pierce mail so it should do the trick but this wasn't sword designed to do this. its a different context different battlefields different opponents different purposes I wouldn't draw too much comparisons because both are sabre hilt with long straight and pionty used to stab people from horse :)
I realise it's not going to cut much but it can still be used in that way. A hefty sword like that with a near sharp edge can still do a decent job of breaking bones.
The book by Emile Zola and his time in the French army in that war - La Debacle
Shows the utter confusion within the French military at the time
I actually learned about the Franco-Prussian war when I was a kid via the Classic Illustrated comic version of the novel The Fall. Now Matt look up Classics Illustrated comics in the US.
this is. aback sword by definition due to the straight single edge blade but it is functionally more similar to a rapier than a British basket hilted back sword as a thrust specialist rather than 1 that is good at chopping
This is an informative video about a part of the War of 1870.
In that time period, were the French still making height a major factor in selecting for certain elite units? Tall trooper, longer sword, that might not fit Hans Average.
10:04 exactly 🙂
For more info on Franco Prussian war go look up Extra History: Bismarck. Because it was essentially his war. He laid all the groundwork to start it. Or most of the groundwork.
Napeloean III started it
Great video thanks
7:05 this from the man that described the grip on the 1866 Chassepot bayonet as "well, very French" 😂
Beautiful sword
There never was a Prussian Kaiser, the Prussian King became the German Kaiser. Gotta be pedantic like that
"Let me show you its features!" not exactly, but close enough.
Ya we caught that. In a case like this, what else can you say?
Thru Bismarks clever political maneuvering, it was actually the French that invaded (Saarbruken, 'Prussia') first.
AFAIK Dragoons are mounted infantry rather than cavalry. Mind you some of these terms vary in meaning in different countries &/or languages.
Prussia also used that war to unite the rest of the germans (Bavaria, Saxony etc. NOT Austria) behind them which led to to founding of the 2nd. German Reich. So it was even more of the prelude to WW I.
Barbra Tuchman's "The Guns Of August" does give some background on how the Franco-Prussian War shaped WWI.
Cool sword. Thanks.
Great video!
Absolutely fascinating!😊
I have a vague recollection of the pivotal battle being Sedan in '71, I think. Was it still common practice to receive the swords of surrendering enemy officers at that time? Perhaps that was how it came into Prussian hands.
Wish I bought it!
Very interesting
I'm still waiting for the day I get to see a weird left handed saber or backsword.
That was fascinating!
Guys, I'm worried. Matt doesn't always tell us that he'll continue to be Matt Easton these days. I think he might have plans or aspirations to become somebody else. I'm not sure what that would mean for the channel.
You didn't say you will continue to be Matt Easton. How do I know who or what you will be next?
I appreciate the video
It's amazing the difference a few inches can make... as the barmaid said to the bishop.
Great video. Please make an update video about the UK legality of knives and swords.
Why are the soldiers of Bayern, Sachsen, Württemberg, Baden, Hessen -Darmstadt, Oldenburg, Mecklenburg - Schwerin, Mecklenburg, Sachsen - Weimar - Eisenach, Sachsen - Altenburg, Sachsen - Meiningen, Sachsen - Coburg - Gotha, Braunschweig, Anhalt, Schwarzburg- Rudolstadt, Schwarzburg - Sondershausen, Reuß- Greitz, Reuß- Schleiz (?), Lippe - Detmold, Waldeck - Pyrmont, Hamburg, Bremen and Lübeck so rare noted? And Prussia was a Kingdom, the prussian king was also German Emperor.
Forgotten: Mecklenburg - Strelitz
Could this have been then recaptured in 1918?
A year or two ago i inherited a model sword that, whith my very limited knowledge, ive been having a hard time identifying if its a model of a real sword, or just aome rando.
Now i find this video, and come to find out its most certainly a model of this sword! (Or at least the later american rip off)
10:44 I wonder how many centimeters it is from the tip to the hilt. :o
Those sidebars are beautiful. I can see why the did it.
The French had the better rifles even some early machine guns but prussian artillery was the main factor on the battlefield just like it would be in WW 1.
Is but not continuing to be? 😬
1:30 It's not "let's look at it's features", it's
"LET ME SHOW YOU IT'S FEATURES!"
HA HA HA
The UK supporting France during the Franco-German War? That's the first timeI hear about that. I know that the British Army sent observers to the Prussian troops.
Britain remained neutral, but provided both medical and food support to the French. The British public raised £300,000 in support, ambulances, doctors, nurses and all sorts of relief were sent, as well as various food products and more or less as a result the British Red Cross Society was formed in 1870.
@@scholagladiatoria But at the same time the UK feared a new age of French dominance in Europe if France won. Thus their help was not foreshadowing the Entente Cordiale.
At the time the UK ended their Splendid Isolation they wanted an alliance with Germany and not with France, their great colonial rival, but the idiot who was German chancellor at that time was simply not interested.
BTW Germany mayhave invaded France but France declared war first. Even without Bismarck changing the wording of the Ems dispatch France would have declared war on Prussia.That's something which is often forgotten and ignored when talking about the Franco-German War.
@@scholagladiatoriaInterestingly a young Kitchener, of ‘your country needs you’ fame, served in a French field ambulance unit during war.
There was never a Prussian Kaiser. Prussia before 1871 was ruled by kings. Then there were a Kaiser of Germany.
Err... When you say that the Franco-Prussian war was more like a 19th century war than WW1, I assume you mean more like a 20th century war.