America's Stalingrad: Battle of Aachen | Animated History

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  • Опубліковано 30 бер 2022
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    Sources:
    Battle of the Bulge / Battle of Germany. Directed by Don Horan. A&E Television Networks, 1983.
    DiMarco, Louis A.. Concrete Hell : Urban Warfare from Stalingrad to Iraq. London: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 2012.
    Felton, Mark. Aachen 1944 - America's Mini Stalingrad. 2019.
    Irvine, Amy. “How Did the Battle of Aachen Unfold and Why Was It Significant?” History Hit. History Hit, January 22, 2021. www.historyhit.com/day-histor....
    Kingseed, Cole. From Omaha Beach to Dawson's Ridge : The Combat Journal of Captain Joe Dawson. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 2013
    The Big Picture: Battlefields of Yesterday. Films On Demand. 2008.
    The Military Engineer 55, no. 367 (1963): 385-385. www.jstor.org/stable/44575126.
    Whitlock, Flint. “The Battle of Aachen: Breaking down the Door to Europe in WWII.” Warfare History Network, September 30, 2020. warfarehistorynetwork.com/201....
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КОМЕНТАРІ • 1,7 тис.

  • @TheArmchairHistorian
    @TheArmchairHistorian  2 роки тому +353

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    • @flubber11usa7
      @flubber11usa7 2 роки тому +1

      Love your work!

    • @user-vp8qq3ev7m
      @user-vp8qq3ev7m 2 роки тому

      @@flubber11usa7 nice

    • @abeliefornot
      @abeliefornot 2 роки тому

      hii

    • @stevemc01
      @stevemc01 2 роки тому +1

      Hi Griffin and co. Just wanna say two things:
      1. ABSOLUTELY GOD TIER WORK, and I hope you all have a good year on UA-cam.
      2. Discord link died

    • @puffingaming1944
      @puffingaming1944 2 роки тому

      Can you do the battle of Ortona!?

  • @nocturnalrecluse1216
    @nocturnalrecluse1216 2 роки тому +4667

    I had a great uncle who fought in that battle. He ended up shooting a pregnant woman before she could shoot him as he was ordered to clear a basement where she was ordered to defend. The incident haunted him for life. My grandmother used to tell me how he would break down and sob every time her mother used to ask him to fetch something from the basement (post-war). They are all gone now. I miss them so much.

    • @Gutbomber
      @Gutbomber 2 роки тому +77

      Omg!

    • @nocturnalrecluse1216
      @nocturnalrecluse1216 2 роки тому +336

      @@Gutbomber war is hell

    • @ernestogastelum9123
      @ernestogastelum9123 2 роки тому +1

      @@nocturnalrecluse1216 damn your grandmother is a savage making your dad go down to the basement knowing that would trigger his ptsd

    • @nocturnalrecluse1216
      @nocturnalrecluse1216 2 роки тому +126

      @@ernestogastelum9123 Not my dad. My eldest uncle. 😆
      And That was my great grandmother who was born in the late 19th century who was his mother and my grandmother was his younger sister.

    • @nocturnalrecluse1216
      @nocturnalrecluse1216 2 роки тому +260

      @@ernestogastelum9123 And she didn't force him into the basement. He just broke down crying every time he had to go in there because of PTSD. She didn't know at the time until he told her what happened. She was very supportive of him.

  • @martynhladyk6747
    @martynhladyk6747 Рік тому +673

    My Grandfather had fought in this battle. He was part of the 9th Infantry Division. He never talked about it and would jump up whenever he hears a car breaks down. I couldn't imagine what carnage he must of went through and survived this ordeal. He was captured by the Vichy-French in Morrocco and escaped during a sand dune in North Africa and was picked up by the British in 1942. In 1943, he participated in Sicily and Italy. Then in he was on 2nd wave on D-Day in Utah Beach, Normandy. And realising he also went through this battle in October 1944. In Memory of Staff Sergent Martin J. Lunde 1913-2000.

    • @shanebarfield2925
      @shanebarfield2925 Рік тому +16

      God Bless him

    • @seanseawright1501
      @seanseawright1501 Рік тому +10

      God bless him

    • @themasterchiefproductions
      @themasterchiefproductions Рік тому +6

      I thank him for his service. God bless him.

    • @abrahamgn3614
      @abrahamgn3614 Рік тому

      No he didn't bro, stfu and stop lying for likes

    • @davidguilbertrozenman5025
      @davidguilbertrozenman5025 Рік тому +3

      Aachen was the capital of the Charlemagne Empire. The Holy Roman German Empire capital was Frankfurt probably but later its capital was Vienna, in Austria, when the Habsburg dinasty was always reelected.

  • @Mr_M_History
    @Mr_M_History 2 роки тому +2243

    You have no idea how much guys like us look up to the Armchair Historian, absolute king!

  • @jasondouglas6755
    @jasondouglas6755 2 роки тому +1917

    You should make a video on the other American Stalingrad the battle of Manila. It was the only major urban battle of the Pacific war and it was very interesting seeing the fight happening in a very American looking city.

    • @dr.woozie7500
      @dr.woozie7500 2 роки тому +149

      Manila pre-1945 was mostly Spanish architecture not American, given that they had been in control for over 300 years.

    • @madzbenito878
      @madzbenito878 2 роки тому +166

      This is brutal battle. Japanese bayonetted babies, raped women of different nationalities, Sliced their breasts off, beheaded men etc. Such a barbaric batttle. All those desperation because Japanese knew they lost the Battle of Manila.

    • @alexalaniz5176
      @alexalaniz5176 2 роки тому +8

      2nd this

    • @ComradeCommissarYuri
      @ComradeCommissarYuri 2 роки тому +53

      Wasn’t that the place where was it Japanese high command didn’t want as a battlefield..
      But junior officers rebelled and fought there?

    • @jasondouglas6755
      @jasondouglas6755 2 роки тому +28

      @@ComradeCommissarYuri correct

  • @Metalbirne
    @Metalbirne 2 роки тому +282

    I was born in aachen and I know the stories my now dead grandma told me about the siege of aachen. She told me that one time allied bombers flew over the city and didn't drop bombs but flyers. She said the message on the flyers read "Aachen im Loch, wir kriegen dich doch!" which translates (trying to keep to rhyme) to "Aachen in the hole, we will swallow you whole!". Very strange feeling I had while watching the video because I know every city and location named in it personally.

    • @arceuskiller6652
      @arceuskiller6652 2 роки тому +19

      Also a local here, gives quite the shivers right?

    • @Metalbirne
      @Metalbirne 2 роки тому +11

      @@arceuskiller6652 It's very strange to hear about locations I know since childhood in such a surreal brutal context of war. I walk past Rothe Erde every day of my life to get to work for example. All I have ever known is peace and to think that massive bloodshed happened exactly where I walk and that there are still people living today that lived through that and have seen it is just unreal.

    • @arceuskiller6652
      @arceuskiller6652 2 роки тому +4

      @@Metalbirne if you interested, there are many relatively ok videos showing eschweiler, stolberg and Aachen ec shot by the us army. Its very interesting too see everything back then like an factory in Stolberg that got massively bombed as most of the town was shred to pieces. However fascinating is that the raw building still stands today, without an roof obviously only on some parts but must of it is open air now and the ground is just flatley paved. I guess the destroyed ground was just paved up after the war and then nobody seemed to care about it. It was a steel factory if iam right

    • @Metalbirne
      @Metalbirne 2 роки тому +5

      @@arceuskiller6652 Current events supply enough actual war footage for me I'm afraid.

  • @quincyantares6103
    @quincyantares6103 2 роки тому +482

    Fun Fact : The Germans never considered Battle of Aachen "The Stalingrad In the West". That Distinction Belongs to the Battle of Falaise Gap during Normandy Campaign when when 80,000-100,000 German Troops Captured during Encirclement in The Falaise Gap prompting the surviving German troops and the Generals called the disaster "The Stalingrad in the West".

    • @frentz7
      @frentz7 2 роки тому +10

      yea of course not .. nobody would ever call it that

    • @MrGrim2u1987
      @MrGrim2u1987 2 роки тому +20

      Fun fact he is talking about the Americans, not Germans, did you read the title ?

    • @frentz7
      @frentz7 2 роки тому +25

      @@MrGrim2u1987 you think the Americans were calling it "The Stalingrad In the West" ?

    • @frentz7
      @frentz7 2 роки тому +27

      @@MrGrim2u1987 I think it's a kind of clickbait. Not the worst clickbait, Armchair Historian always does a great job

    • @kousand9917
      @kousand9917 2 роки тому +2

      I don't think they called it the American stalingrad but you got to admit the similarities between the two.

  • @danielnavarro537
    @danielnavarro537 2 роки тому +703

    Another "Stalingrad" is the Canadian involvement in the Battle of Ortona. This was fought in December of 1943 and showed the Canadians how brutal the Italian Campaign would be.

    • @silverletter4551
      @silverletter4551 2 роки тому

      Why did Canada go all that way to kill Italians? Did Italy bomb their country? What was their business there?

    • @danielnavarro537
      @danielnavarro537 2 роки тому +33

      @@silverletter4551 Well, the Canadians were part of the Allied force who invaded Italy in September 1943. Italy at the time was part of the Axis alliance. Then on September 8th, 1943, the Italians surrender but the Germans occupied the Italian peninsula and the Germans established series of defensive lines that ran through Italy. Go and search up the Italian Campaign.

    • @itsblitz4437
      @itsblitz4437 2 роки тому +7

      @@danielnavarro537 I think the Armchair Historian mentioned Canada 🇨🇦 during The Invasion of Italy video.

    • @thediaz07
      @thediaz07 2 роки тому +3

      @@danielnavarro537 yes. It was brutal.

    • @Dinalynnz
      @Dinalynnz Рік тому +7

      Is "a Stalingrad" just an urban battle for you?

  • @gunsbeersmemes
    @gunsbeersmemes 2 роки тому +142

    One of the best movie quotes, to describe German fanaticism, is from Saving Private Ryan. "They just...didn't want to give up those 88s"

    • @sthrich635
      @sthrich635 2 роки тому +13

      That is because by that time, the strength discrepancy between German and Allies forces were such that the biggest obstacles the Allies faced were often terrains, logistics or their own policies rather than the German soldiers himself. Tactically, well-built cities like Aachen were basically free fortress the German defenders desperately needed. The German high command, especially Hitler, no doubt realized this and exploit this whenever possible, knowing that narrow streets lined with shelled out blocks were the only chance a platoon of untrained Volkssturm with Panzerfaust and MG could hold out a M4 Sherman tank column for a whole day.
      Sure those German garrison would ended up being encircled like it did in Aachen, but when you are pitting horse-drawn/on foot German divisions against fully-motorized Allied forces moving several times faster, it was less of a question of would the Germans get encircled and more of how much bloodbath can the Allies takes in every encirclement.

    • @gratefulguy4130
      @gratefulguy4130 Рік тому +3

      Well, they were fighting for their existince as a people at that point. There had been a concerted effort since at least the 1860s to completely destroy them and their ability to ever organize again.
      They knew that the cost of them losing since the end of WWI would be at least the situation that exists today. That drove them to a great deal of highly desperate decisions.

    • @ball3677
      @ball3677 Рік тому

      That scene was depressing because right before that he was talking about the amount of casualties his unit took. A bunch of his men were dead, all because they needed to stop some 88's. The price of tactical objectives comes at the cost of lives and limbs.

  • @supercraftemperor
    @supercraftemperor 2 роки тому +949

    As someone who lives near Aachen and visits it often (I live in Heerlen, The Netherlands), it's sad to hear that a lot of the city has been shelled. Though the Dom still stands and is incredibly interesting with it's history of the city and Charlemagne. Oh and if you're nearby at christmas, don't forget to visit the christmas market. It's a load of fun!

    • @adrianscorch
      @adrianscorch 2 роки тому +15

      My wife and I are looking for vacation spots. This might be it.

    • @supercraftemperor
      @supercraftemperor 2 роки тому +23

      @@adrianscorch It's definitly worth the visit. It's history and german culture combined.

    • @Jonathan-js3vi
      @Jonathan-js3vi 2 роки тому +17

      I mean, I was wanting to sleep, but as an Öcher myself I kinda have to watch this video now ^^

    • @michaelritzen8138
      @michaelritzen8138 2 роки тому +6

      Another Heerlenaar! It is cool to see someone making content about something major that happened near us, as this area of the Netherlands doesn't get that much love.

    • @supercraftemperor
      @supercraftemperor 2 роки тому +3

      @@michaelritzen8138 Yeah, personally it makes I think it makes it more interesting than it already it.

  • @jorgmeyer267
    @jorgmeyer267 2 роки тому +83

    I went to university in Aachen. On my way home i would regularly buy food for a homeless guy and chat with him. He told me one day, that he was the sole survivor of the execution of 8 boys of the Hitlerjugend by Waffen-SS. All not even in puberty at the time. The firing squad only wounded him and took off. Messed him up for life.

    • @Jarod-vg9wq
      @Jarod-vg9wq Рік тому +4

      Why did they do it?

    • @jorgmeyer267
      @jorgmeyer267 Рік тому +16

      @@Jarod-vg9wq They didn't want to fight, ran away and were caught.

    • @AGwest1
      @AGwest1 Рік тому +1

      @Dalton Pruden How insensitive. You disgust me.

    • @space4166
      @space4166 Рік тому +12

      @Dalton Pruden boo hoo

    • @fransbezuidenhout485
      @fransbezuidenhout485 Рік тому +14

      @Dalton Pruden The difference between thus and the exction of amircans who ran away at d Day was simple The Germans where children while the Americans were adults

  • @noahconnor1540
    @noahconnor1540 2 роки тому +298

    I’m always blown away at how well you construct your videos, people like you keep the love and interest of history alive. The history channel blows.

  • @ElBandito
    @ElBandito 2 роки тому +141

    Battle of Hürtgen Forest was also a nightmare. It really Hürt the Allies.

    • @NefariousKoel
      @NefariousKoel 2 роки тому +19

      'When Trumpets Fade' is a great war movie, set in Hurtgen, which never got a lot of attention. Very grim. Made for HBO in the 90s, and still available for streaming there.

    • @destroyerarmor2846
      @destroyerarmor2846 2 роки тому +2

      @@NefariousKoel very sad movie

    • @rafaelalexie2417
      @rafaelalexie2417 2 роки тому +2

      I love you! :))))))

    • @mrswishadank2329
      @mrswishadank2329 2 роки тому +2

      @@NefariousKoel that’s a good movie

    • @lyndoncmp5751
      @lyndoncmp5751 2 роки тому

      Eisenhowers broad front strategy was a complete failure. He should have gone with Montgomerys concentrated northern thrust instead.

  • @TR-qs1qc
    @TR-qs1qc 2 роки тому +402

    Sad fate for such a long established city.
    Such as history, time ,and current events...
    Thanks for your work.

    • @iche9373
      @iche9373 2 роки тому +12

      Blame their chancellor

    • @randommapping2155
      @randommapping2155 2 роки тому +11

      Aachen is basically entirely rebuilt nowadays. Still sad!

    • @misterplayer7250
      @misterplayer7250 2 роки тому

      @@iche9373 Or the Allies to humiliate Germany after WW1, without this dumb bullshit, all this will never be happend

    • @simpsbelongtothegulags3702
      @simpsbelongtothegulags3702 Рік тому

      @@iche9373 yeah its the chancellor who bombed the city

    • @iche9373
      @iche9373 Рік тому

      @@simpsbelongtothegulags3702 The Chancellor did the war

  • @johnnybadboy3475
    @johnnybadboy3475 2 роки тому +53

    4:49 Wow, you really nailed the Aachen skyline! You could've just thrown in a stock picture of a German city, but you drew Aachen! I love the detail!

  • @superyamky
    @superyamky 2 роки тому +124

    General Gerad: can we spare this city to the Americans? So there would be no civilian casualties
    Hitler: that's a big no no

    • @vjbd2757
      @vjbd2757 2 роки тому +26

      Meanwhile on the Pacific front
      Japanese Soldier: "Sir, this Intramuros walled city looks really good. Should we let the Americans have it?
      Japanese Officer: "Nah. They'll have to bomb every nook and cranny to defeat us."

    • @Wang_Ping
      @Wang_Ping 2 роки тому +2

      its better to die fighting and take as many of the enemy with you than it is live on as a coward

    • @superyamky
      @superyamky 2 роки тому

      @@Wang_Ping if WWIII breaks out I would do the same

    • @misterplayer7250
      @misterplayer7250 2 роки тому

      @@strangelyukrainian7314 Lol these "partisans" was mostley controlled by the Soviets, like those in Stalingrad but ok

    • @space4166
      @space4166 Рік тому +6

      @@superyamky no you wont

  • @jasperdavis5517
    @jasperdavis5517 Рік тому +95

    I did a student exchange in Aachen during highschool and it’s such a beautiful city it’s incredible how well many of the building held up. They’ve still got a bar from the 1500!

  • @conserva-chan2735
    @conserva-chan2735 2 роки тому +72

    Please do a video on the Portuguese Colonial War. It is a very important and very underappreciated event that changed Africa forever.

    • @thesalamanders8740
      @thesalamanders8740 Рік тому

      How much did it change? I understand the influence fight between the USSR and the US, but to your knowledge how did this affect the larger continent of Africa besides the Portuguese ex-colonies

    • @conserva-chan2735
      @conserva-chan2735 Рік тому +1

      @@thesalamanders8740 it led to Rhodesia, collapsing, Namibian Independence and the end of South African Apartheid being inevitable, ehile it led to a civil war in Angola and Mozambique that would be one of the last major theatres of the cold war. It also was a major factor in the destabilization of the Congo. Basically, it shifted the balance of power in central and southern Africa immensely to where its ramifications are still felt.

  • @randommapping2155
    @randommapping2155 2 роки тому +11

    I'm from Aachen (Stolberg), my great grandparents always used to tell me about bombs being dropped and that they had to hide in a little house with a basement in the woods.

  • @That-Belgian-Guy
    @That-Belgian-Guy 2 роки тому +111

    Man, I wish you uploaded more regurarly. But I know how long it takes to make. So keep up the good quality content, man!

  • @VikingVic76
    @VikingVic76 Рік тому +8

    My grandfather was a mechanic and a wrecker driver for the Big Red One. He had some interesting stories about the French Farmers going to the American camps and giving up Nazis hiding in their Barns.

  • @Bl4ckm0nk
    @Bl4ckm0nk 2 роки тому +19

    The scars of WW2 are still visibe in teh region here. Right next to the Aachen cathedral, a smaller church still has bullet holes in its pillars, both outside and inside the church. I am currently living in Aachen, near the cathedral, while my father was born in '39 and lived in Übach-Palenberg, so he had experienced the fights as a child. Also, I was super impressed by how good you pronounced the names of towns and cities. Most non-native german speakers really struggle with our pronounciation.

    • @howiehall4622
      @howiehall4622 2 роки тому

      Wow, amazing story! I would love to visit the city someday. Very nice that your father survived. Tragic that he had to experience war as a child.
      And Griff does do a great job of pronunciation. German is difficult to speak, I can't do it.
      Peace.

  • @tng2057
    @tng2057 2 роки тому +310

    The late autumn 44 war theatres at Alsace Lorraine, at the waterway leading to Antwerp, and at Germany west were arguably the most under reported parts of WW2 as they were neither dramatic nor glamorous. Allied sacrifice at these battles were very high. Even Patton was humiliated. Thanks for the coverage of some of these battles.

    • @sestrarsestror3417
      @sestrarsestror3417 2 роки тому +8

      I can only agree, thank you for covering this part of the war. The battles in Elsaß-Lothringen indeed tend to be more obscure, as well as those in western germany. Even most germans there nowadays only know about the bombing raids, and that only because we still have to deal with ~2 aerial bombs per week, that didn't explode correctly and instead planted themselves into the ground.

    • @thunderbird1921
      @thunderbird1921 2 роки тому +10

      The Allies really got overconfident after the liberation of Paris, honestly. Many were partying with the locals and thinking the Germans would be demolished within months. Then, they met the buzzsaw (in Italy as well). The second half of 1944 was an absolute bloodbath all over western Europe.

    • @lyndoncmp5751
      @lyndoncmp5751 2 роки тому +1

      Only Montgomerys Antwerp campaign suceeded out of those. The Hurtgen and Lorraine etc failed.

    • @JohnDoe-wt9ek
      @JohnDoe-wt9ek 2 роки тому +2

      @@lyndoncmp5751 I'm surprised Monty even got to keep his job when Market Garden was the worst campaign and operation ever conceived in Military history, and indubitably failed due to terrible planning and an incredible failure of intelligence operatives for Market Garden...

    • @pop000690
      @pop000690 10 місяців тому +2

      ​@lyndoncmp5751 I wouldn't say Lorraine failed. It just suffered from a Battle of the Bulge 2.0 known as Nordwind which eventually got dealt with by early 45 when Colmar got taken. Hurtgen on the other hand yes was a complete massacre, there's a reason it was known as "the American meat grinder".

  • @Luke-rm3td
    @Luke-rm3td 2 роки тому +227

    Hey Mr. Griffin, I spotted a small error around 10:58 where you said the elite '1st SS Panzer Division' however the clip states the '1st SS Panzer Corps' was deployed instead. Regardless thank you so much for this informative video! Appreciate your hard work to educate us about such interesting topics. Keep up the good work sir!

    • @snicker576
      @snicker576 2 роки тому +7

      Jesus Christ, who cares or would even notice. Bizarre

    • @glhmedic
      @glhmedic 2 роки тому +72

      @@snicker576 it matters. Facts matter if you wanna be taken seriously.

    • @LordSluggo
      @LordSluggo 2 роки тому +41

      @@snicker576 UA-cam history channels have long ago surpassed THC or any other pop history media. They need to maintain this high standard.

    • @snicker576
      @snicker576 2 роки тому +3

      @@glhmedic You're insinuating that this incedibly well-produced, in-depth video can't be taken seriously because of a one word difference that basically means the same thing?

    • @skate1062
      @skate1062 2 роки тому +14

      @@snicker576 facts matter ;)

  • @LibertyTreeStudios
    @LibertyTreeStudios 2 роки тому +69

    It's still shocking to me how well the very early COD: Finest Hour captured the gritty and hard fight in Aachen in the game. Nothing but darkness, rubble, hidden AI, and every other urban combat nightmare possible. Neat to see the story of bringing in an SPG was inspired by an actual event that happened during the battle.

    • @CodytheHun123
      @CodytheHun123 2 роки тому +5

      I was thinking the same thing. It makes me forgive how stupid hard those levels were.

    • @Conker117
      @Conker117 2 роки тому +5

      great game. Im surprised theres not a lot of people i know in irl that know about it

    • @princeofpokemon2934
      @princeofpokemon2934 Рік тому

      Which COD game was that?

    • @CrossOfBayonne
      @CrossOfBayonne Рік тому +4

      @@princeofpokemon2934 COD Finest Hour and WW2

    • @princeofpokemon2934
      @princeofpokemon2934 Рік тому

      @@CrossOfBayonne thanks

  • @jacobjones4766
    @jacobjones4766 2 роки тому +154

    70% of the american men were replacements most of whome had only ever been given basic training. The american tankers were arriving to their new units without ever driving a car before let alone a tank. Their commanders or more trained units would have to teach them combat before missions

    • @boyscouts83712
      @boyscouts83712 2 роки тому +18

      And unforgently by the time of this battle for Aachen, the Allies were getting tired of the constant pushing after the bloody breakout from Normandy and the French Hedgerows. Also, all of the Allies' supplies replacements were stilling having to land in Normandy and then truck themselves to the front. The British attempt to take Antwerp backfired guess they secured the town, but the coastal areas to the northwest of it were still in German hands AND the port of Antwerp was absolutely trashed before the nazis hightailed it out of there so the whole situation was fucked up

  • @nicholasgallo3599
    @nicholasgallo3599 2 роки тому +11

    Love how you made a historical reference from a picture of the GIs manning a browning 1919 machine gun in the streets of Aachen I’ve seen that photograph and like how you incorporated it into your video

  • @mrleaf7195
    @mrleaf7195 2 роки тому

    Thank you. I've been waiting for someone to do this battle.

  • @bragz81
    @bragz81 2 роки тому +2

    Great video! I have been to this area for a “Staff Ride.” It was really educating to be on the ground in Rimburg, the West Wall, Übach-Palenberg, and Aachen. My unit holds the heraldry of the 117th Infantry, 30th Infantry Division.

  • @natethenoble909
    @natethenoble909 2 роки тому +59

    America's Stalingrad: Aachen
    Manila 1945: Am I a joke to you?

    • @charlie8344
      @charlie8344 2 роки тому

      And also late 1944

    • @agentg11
      @agentg11 2 роки тому

      In the European theater
      its still aachen

    • @agentg11
      @agentg11 2 роки тому +1

      i agree but its not really talked about

    • @charlesplayzeverything4386
      @charlesplayzeverything4386 2 роки тому

      More Americans died and got wounded in Aachen than in Manila sooo

  • @flailingelbows7073
    @flailingelbows7073 2 роки тому +25

    Hope when more information comes out you’ll do a video on the Battle of Mariupol! Easily one of the bloodiest examples of modern urban combat of our time

    • @Auricthunder
      @Auricthunder Рік тому +4

      @TheLapster lol, the Russian military is getting their asses kicked in Ukraine and Mariupol was no exception. It took them 2 months to secure it at high cost despite outnumbering the defenders. There’s nothing expert about it. The corruption, weakness, and unprofessionalism of the Russian military has been on full display.

    • @FlaviusBelisarius-ck6uv
      @FlaviusBelisarius-ck6uv Рік тому

      @TheLapster Yes, they captured it expertly the same way Napoleon captured Moscow.

    • @joemamaobama6863
      @joemamaobama6863 11 місяців тому

      Kid named bakhmut

  • @crilbusfumperdink3823
    @crilbusfumperdink3823 2 роки тому

    Incredible as always my younger cousins love your videos, they really help instill a love of history in them

  • @ismaelfleurine2620
    @ismaelfleurine2620 2 роки тому +1

    THX AGAIN ARMCHAIR HISTORIAN AND TEAM MEMBERS

  • @robvoncken2565
    @robvoncken2565 2 роки тому +6

    I live pretty close to Aachen, its still a beatifull place. I remember my dad said they would go up on hill near ubach over Worms at night and watch Aachen get plastered. They were very merry about it

  • @crazywarriorscatfan9061
    @crazywarriorscatfan9061 2 роки тому +10

    Aachen is often forgotten. Thank you for bringing this horrific battle to light

  • @HistorySkills
    @HistorySkills 2 роки тому

    Always look forward to new videos from you!

  • @ninjalanternshark1508
    @ninjalanternshark1508 2 роки тому

    Quality presentation as usual and very well played transition before the promotion at 2:20

  • @IronDragon-2143
    @IronDragon-2143 2 роки тому +63

    Please make a video of the Last Stand of the Swiss Guard during the Sack of Rome in 1527. I would love to see this battle in a future video.
    Thanks Griff

  • @r3b0rn_mike117
    @r3b0rn_mike117 2 роки тому +2

    You ought to do the Rhineland Campaign next ^^ animations and stories were spectacular as always!

  • @shealton_3919
    @shealton_3919 2 роки тому

    Watched this channel for many years now never been better

  • @bluedog843
    @bluedog843 2 роки тому

    I’ve been waiting for you to cover this for so long. Let’s. Go.

  • @peppapig9987
    @peppapig9987 2 роки тому +34

    I know a tiny bit about this battle, thanks for teaching me more!
    Your channel has inspired me to learn more history on my own!

  • @SynomDroni
    @SynomDroni 2 роки тому +3

    I grew up in one of the original so called 3 window houses. A narrow plot only allowing 2 window wide build. It used to be a tavern and brewery. Most of the adjacent buildings were after war. 5 min. From the cathedral this gem survived. I loved the house and it's atmosphere. Aachen is a loving city.

  • @micheletirondola8902
    @micheletirondola8902 2 роки тому

    I haven't seen a video by your channel in awhile. I'm very surprised by the quality. Great job

  • @motorTranz
    @motorTranz 2 роки тому

    Thank you for these superb documentaries!

  • @kaboon3489
    @kaboon3489 2 роки тому +23

    I find the Stalingrad comparison really interesting, though, nothing can quite compare to it.

    • @RandomFurry07
      @RandomFurry07 9 місяців тому

      combat wise yes, destruction and casualties, not at all

  • @user-vp8qq3ev7m
    @user-vp8qq3ev7m 2 роки тому +68

    Im glad to see this battle be covered, you dont hear about it much these days

    • @shutup2751
      @shutup2751 2 роки тому

      kohima probably or dunkirk

  • @EmporerAaron
    @EmporerAaron 2 роки тому

    Glad to see your still uploading.

  • @thesovietcookie9283
    @thesovietcookie9283 2 роки тому

    Amazing video as always mate!

  • @TheLeadSled
    @TheLeadSled Рік тому +16

    Most only know of the big battles like the Battle of the Bulge, or Stalingrad or Midway, but there was so many other battles that were just as vicious and deadly. Some that come to mind are Monte Cassino, Battle of Anzio, the entire fiasco known as Operation Market Garden, Battle of Crete (which was the death of the Fallschirmjäger) Battle of Luzon, so many.

  • @jacopoabbruscato9271
    @jacopoabbruscato9271 2 роки тому +11

    A city that stood for a thousand years, utterly flattened by artillery. It breaks my heart. But, for a stroke of luck, the Cathedral remained unscathed

    • @TheVideoNorm
      @TheVideoNorm 2 роки тому +3

      Could they have just ringed the city and waited them out? Other "fortresses" held by the Germans were isolated and bypassed (like Japanese-held islands) and that architecture and history would still be with us. War sucks.

    • @cattysplat
      @cattysplat 2 роки тому +3

      @@TheVideoNorm You can't do that in modern warfare that could radio German forces inside the city to do a breakout attack once the bulk of forces have moved elsewhere. Americans would have to commit large numbers of forces to essentially hold a defensive ring around an entire city and siege any attack. As well as hold the front line and have reduced forces to progresses further into the heart of Germany.

    • @space4166
      @space4166 Рік тому

      What a stupid comment

    • @ijusthatenormiesihavenooth1164
      @ijusthatenormiesihavenooth1164 Рік тому

      Nothing lasts longer than murrican freedom baby 🇺🇸🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈🇮🇱❤

  • @oculusnpc3614
    @oculusnpc3614 2 роки тому +1

    Awesome new video, thanks for the good work

  • @chef7543
    @chef7543 2 роки тому

    Love your Videos. I actually live in Büsbach, a small part of Stolberg. I've heard about this battle, but never in such detail !

  • @Struwex
    @Struwex Рік тому +6

    My grandma could see aachen burn when standing on her farm, she then visited in 1945 and everything was destroyed

  • @flbphotography2239
    @flbphotography2239 2 роки тому +48

    Love the video man. As always you and your production team are amazing. One of the few history channels on UA-cam who's videos I always look forward to. Very well crafted and put together.

  • @LichsuhoathinhDrabattle
    @LichsuhoathinhDrabattle Рік тому

    Great video, looking forward to your next videos❣❣

  • @shotbypynn
    @shotbypynn 2 роки тому +1

    Love seeing the videos , keep up the good work

  • @spyke1219
    @spyke1219 2 роки тому +19

    The communication between German authorities from Aachen ended with the following radio dialogue
    October 21, 1944:
    246th Volksgrenadier Division to Wilck: "Long live the defenders of Aachen."
    Colonel Wilck to the 246th Volksgrenadier Division: “We sign off with greetings to
    our comrades and our relatives.”
    246th Volksgrenadier Division to Colonel Wilck: “Thanks and appreciation for your
    commitment and attitude. The detachment greets its comrades.”
    (I tried to translate it into english, there might still be mistakes in there though. English isn't my native language)

  • @cascadianrangers728
    @cascadianrangers728 Рік тому +8

    Grandpa was an airborne Ranger. He said Achen was the hardest fighting of the whole war. Said "It wasn't like Berlin, they really ment to fight"

  • @blakewaller5416
    @blakewaller5416 2 роки тому

    These videos are truly amazing

  • @jiggyjungs
    @jiggyjungs 4 місяці тому +1

    For someone who was admittedly ignorant to history - your channel has transformed my perception and worldview. Thankyou.

  • @atomicnut9591
    @atomicnut9591 2 роки тому +6

    Great video! For your tank videos, I think observing French Tanks vs German Tanks, (1940) would be unique and something that really needs more attention.

  • @jamesbednar8625
    @jamesbednar8625 2 роки тому +7

    Awesome video!! While in US Army during early 1980s, was stationed in West Germany, Had the opportunity to travel through Aachen once. Beautiful city and it was still being rebuilt 40 years later. Anyway, "Call of Duty" has a Play Station 2 called "Call of Duty 2: Big Red One" where the game was focusing solely on the US 1st Infantry Division from their exploits in North Africa, Sicily, Normandy, Aachen, and onwards. When got to the Aachen campaign - WOW!!!! - that was brutal!! Had to escort that M12 howitser to the city center; had to do a lot of underground fighting, and plenty more - just what you were describing in this video.

    • @calmdownbeavis7039
      @calmdownbeavis7039 2 роки тому +1

      God I miss that game. Haven't played it since I was a child

    • @JohnDoe-wt9ek
      @JohnDoe-wt9ek 2 роки тому +1

      That wasn't CoD 2: Big Red One.
      That particular mission is from CoD: Finest Hour.

    • @calmdownbeavis7039
      @calmdownbeavis7039 2 роки тому

      @@JohnDoe-wt9ek alright boys, we're taking Aachen today

  • @DKendallProductions
    @DKendallProductions 2 роки тому

    very good explanation of a battle I had never heard of and very interesting analysis at the end

  • @christeankapp6549
    @christeankapp6549 Рік тому +1

    very accurate description and animation. Having studied in Aachen I even recognized places and monuments.

  • @roberth5767
    @roberth5767 2 роки тому +26

    I've been to Schloss Rimburg several times. I imagined the combat in the area because the terrain is very rugged.

  • @ModernNCRph
    @ModernNCRph 2 роки тому +6

    Another great history vid. Hope you can also make a vid about the so-called Asian Stalingrad, which is the Battle of Manila of 1945. It only lasted for a month but the civilian casualties mounted to more than 100,000. Also, Manila became one of the most devastated capital city after the war, alongside Berlin and Warsaw.

  • @ChristineCAlb1
    @ChristineCAlb1 2 роки тому

    Love your channel. WWII stories are always interesting.

  • @ericcervantes9345
    @ericcervantes9345 2 роки тому

    Just found this channel and this stuff is great👌 spent most my afternoon watching these videos.

  • @wilbertting9211
    @wilbertting9211 2 роки тому +39

    For a moment, I thought he would talk about the battle of Manila, Phillipines, but this is just as interesting. Nice work!

    • @wetwillyis_1881
      @wetwillyis_1881 2 роки тому +4

      Me too, that is what I consider our Stalingrad as well, but this video was great.

    • @vjbd2757
      @vjbd2757 2 роки тому +2

      @@wetwillyis_1881 He already did one about Manila I believe.

    • @duckboiii4441
      @duckboiii4441 2 роки тому

      @@vjbd2757 where?

  • @michaelsmyth3935
    @michaelsmyth3935 2 роки тому +23

    My Uncle George, whose family moved to the 🇺🇸 during the late 1800s, fought there. Ended up having a nervous breakdown, said he saw the faces of the women and children he shot, every night before he could sleep. A gentle giant of a man, he seldom spoke of WWII.
    However, what is with the title? Hardly a Stalingrad. No where near a Stalingrad.
    Stalingrad was fought over for how long again? Death tolls? The content is great, deserves a better, perhaps more accurate title.

    • @JohnDoe-wt9ek
      @JohnDoe-wt9ek 2 роки тому +1

      Its not the casualties, but the veracity of the fighting. The Germans, like the Russians, fought tooth and nail for the city, with complete disregard for their own, for their enemy, and for the civilians residing in it.

    • @thearisen7301
      @thearisen7301 Рік тому +1

      It's not a random title but a semi common nickname for the battle

    • @space4166
      @space4166 Рік тому +2

      People will say he is a monster for shooting children. But don’t understand if they were there. If I was there I would do the same. If you hold a weapon your a enemy in a war zone. You stand for Germany you die for Germany.

  • @blew9964
    @blew9964 Рік тому

    These animations are such good quality

  • @christianbehm6030
    @christianbehm6030 Рік тому

    Love your work ! keep it up!

  • @thomasbarnes5703
    @thomasbarnes5703 Рік тому +3

    A well researched and detailed explanation of the Battle of Aachen!!

  • @Jarod-vg9wq
    @Jarod-vg9wq 2 роки тому +3

    Please do a video on Canadian military exploits next, like the Canadian 100 days offensive, or Canadian battle to clear the lands a Rodin the waterways for Antwerp.

  • @globe7640
    @globe7640 2 роки тому

    Always learn something new from these videos!

  • @armoredhistory5811
    @armoredhistory5811 2 роки тому

    Yes I’ve been waiting for this

  • @bulldogsbob
    @bulldogsbob 2 роки тому +92

    I think the battle of Manila is more like the american Stalingrad.

    • @juicebox9465
      @juicebox9465 2 роки тому +9

      Rod Serling of twilight zone fame fought in the battle of Manila.

    • @cjclark2002
      @cjclark2002 2 роки тому +7

      Absolute meat grinder

    • @juicebox9465
      @juicebox9465 2 роки тому +7

      @@cjclark2002 Serling's regiment had a casualty rate of up to 50%

    • @cyrosubod2317
      @cyrosubod2317 2 роки тому +3

      It was terrible for the civilians 100k dead in just a small city

    • @loganirwin5022
      @loganirwin5022 2 роки тому

      Or monte cassino

  • @oldmandoinghighkicksonlyin1368
    @oldmandoinghighkicksonlyin1368 2 роки тому +19

    It'd be helpful if at the bottom of the screen you have little footnotes as to the sizes of each batallion, division, regiment, and army.
    They all change throughout history and each nation has different sizes. It might help to give better context as to the manpower involved in each fight.

    • @odd-ysseusdoesstuff6347
      @odd-ysseusdoesstuff6347 2 роки тому

      I agree! It would be cool to see if they’re all intact or at which strength they still have

  • @oliversherman2414
    @oliversherman2414 2 роки тому

    I love your channel keep up the great stuff

  • @trailmonster
    @trailmonster 2 роки тому

    Good stuff...you all are doing great work.

  • @stevemc01
    @stevemc01 2 роки тому +3

    Totalekrieg (adj/noun) [TO-TA-LE-KRIEG]
    A war which no longer distinguishes military from civilian; everyone’s fighting.
    5:36
    Also, that’s called a “salient” in military terms; just thought I wanted to drop this here if anyone wanted to know.

    • @steven_003
      @steven_003 2 роки тому

      *Totaler Krieg
      I also disagree with your definition. Total war describes a war incorporating all societal resources and industry for the sake of victory.

    • @stevemc01
      @stevemc01 2 роки тому

      @@steven_003 I just took a definition some veteran called "total war" to be, but yeah you're right.

  • @XxJENNEX03xX
    @XxJENNEX03xX 2 роки тому +13

    Any chance you could do WWII from the perspective of Canada? They had some very hard fought battles where they were clearly outnumbered and groups like the Highlanders really put the fear of god into the Nazi’s. I’d love to see what you could dig up if you could find some time to dive into it. Keep up the awesome content!

    • @pop000690
      @pop000690 10 місяців тому +1

      Agreed and do the same with Australia and New Zealand both with Europe, North Africa and the Pacific Theatre.

  • @diabetesbear69420
    @diabetesbear69420 2 роки тому

    You never fail to entertain me wonderful videos!

  • @Butter_Warrior99
    @Butter_Warrior99 2 роки тому +3

    I would like to formally thank the Armchair Historian his crew, and his supporters for this episode. I’ve genuinely never heard of Aachen, it’s battle, and it’s historical importance. People like this channel helps me learn more about history. Have a great day!

  • @Ep1X__
    @Ep1X__ 2 роки тому +4

    I'm actually from Stolberg, very close to Aachen, and your video has taught me way more about the history of Aachen during ww2 than school or anything else
    Thanks alot for your video, keep up the great work!

    • @Ep1X__
      @Ep1X__ 2 роки тому +1

      There's actually some destroyed tanks not far from where I live, to be more accurate, an M47 Patton Tank and an M41 Walker Bulldog

  • @robbiejoseph7519
    @robbiejoseph7519 2 роки тому

    Love these videos keep them up

  • @prakashghumaliya2002
    @prakashghumaliya2002 2 роки тому

    Thank you for video sir
    💐💐💐👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

  • @bdcollecter
    @bdcollecter 2 роки тому +5

    It feels weird to be here this early!

  • @carterjames3937
    @carterjames3937 2 роки тому +24

    I love this channel, the graphics and the info blend really well.

  • @johnnybadboy3475
    @johnnybadboy3475 2 роки тому

    This was an extremely interesting video!

  • @dansmith4077
    @dansmith4077 6 місяців тому

    Excellent video thank you

  • @moospalladin5518
    @moospalladin5518 2 роки тому +45

    I find it hard to compare battles to Stalingrad. Just because an area is totally destroyed during seesaw urban combat doesn't mean it should be comparable to Stalingrad in which over a million men lost their lives.

    • @Cloudrunner5k
      @Cloudrunner5k 2 роки тому +8

      But it's a "click-baity" title that gets attention

    • @dimaignatiev6370
      @dimaignatiev6370 2 роки тому +4

      agreed ...stalingrad was totally devastated and yet somehow they managed to find where to fight ...

    • @rcgunner7086
      @rcgunner7086 2 роки тому

      An interesting fact, in the book A Bridge Too Far a German veteran of Stalingrad said that the fighting in Arnhem was as bad, or even worse, than anything he saw in Stalingrad. It's just a common thing for a wicked urban action to be called X's Stalingrad.

    • @Bullet-Tooth-Tony-
      @Bullet-Tooth-Tony- 2 роки тому

      @@rcgunner7086 Yeah i heard that too, is there a quote for that

    • @AGwest1
      @AGwest1 Рік тому

      @@Cloudrunner5k Not really, it's just trying to imply that the battle was brutal.

  • @Warszawski_Modernizm
    @Warszawski_Modernizm 2 роки тому +12

    Somehow a subject of WWII urban warfare tactics seems a pretty relevant topic these days.
    PS. Great work, greetings from Warsaw, Poland

  • @sleepyeet
    @sleepyeet 2 роки тому

    Beautiful video as usual

  • @BattalionCommanderMK
    @BattalionCommanderMK Рік тому +1

    Nice documentary!

  • @carlpurusram
    @carlpurusram 2 роки тому +61

    America's Stalingrad!?? That's going extremely far.

    • @main8824
      @main8824 2 роки тому +19

      I think he meant percentage not numbers, but it’s still kinda far

    • @krakendragonslayer1909
      @krakendragonslayer1909 2 роки тому +9

      I legitimately think he went far too far.

    • @danielnavarro537
      @danielnavarro537 2 роки тому +32

      It has deal with the destruction of the city and how the soldiers fought for each house, street, apartment, neighborhood, etc. similar to the battle of Stalingrad.

    • @danielnavarro537
      @danielnavarro537 2 роки тому

      @@silverletter4551 Sure the USSR was bad and evil but Nazi Germany was worse. The USSR was the lesser of the two. And Nazi Germany was much more dangerous and evil than the USSR. Much of Nazi Germany’s plans were to destroy the Jews, the Slavic people, and anyone else they considered subhumans. The Nazi government of Germany had and must be put down for the betterment of mankind. And no, I do not support the USSR. But in this case of the Second World War, this was a must.

    • @HarshPandey-is2ei
      @HarshPandey-is2ei 2 роки тому

      @@silverletter4551 u made nazi Germany cry ans gave its price to USSR

  • @MarcMagma
    @MarcMagma 2 роки тому +10

    Fun fact:
    "Rothe Erde" is (old-)german for "Red Earth".
    Guess it was accuratly named before its time.

    • @maximiliankammler3970
      @maximiliankammler3970 2 роки тому +1

      That is most likely not true. It comes from the german "gerodete Erde" which means something like cleared of trees

    • @MarcMagma
      @MarcMagma 2 роки тому

      @@maximiliankammler3970
      That is also possible.
      In the end, both are but theories, after all.

  • @manweller1
    @manweller1 Рік тому

    Great vid I really enjoyed it 👍🏽❤️✅

  • @hiya_glyv5154
    @hiya_glyv5154 2 роки тому +1

    high quality content and animation as always :)