11 Misconceptions about World War 2

[Brian G Turner]

Thought some might find this interesting, if a little contentious at times.

Either way, looks like a channel I might enjoy exploring further:

 

[MWagner]

1) Blitzkrieg. Disagree. The tactics used by the Wehrmacht in 1939-40 were genuinely innovative, and the allies had no counter for them. By massing armour instead of spreading it out piecemeal, by coordinating tactical bombers and armour, and by concentrating forces for breakthroughs and then running hell-bent for leather into the foe's logistical hubs behind the lines, the Germans introduced a devastating new form of warfare. And in fact, these tactics had their roots in the Stormtrooper tactics employed by the Imperial Army in the offensives of 1918.

2) Mechanisation. Agree.

3) Battle of Britain. Agree.

4) Sealion. Agree. Sealion was a bogeyman for the British and a fantasy for the Germans.

5) U.S. Neutrality. Disagree. Lend Lease certainly helped the Allied war effort, but not enough to constitute a breach of neutrality. The Swiss and Swedes helped Germany's war effort, but were still technically neutral.

6) Jet Fighters. Agree.

7) Strategic Bombing. Agree.

8) German Aces. Spurious argument. Regardless of how and why they were better, German pilots were better.

9) Barbarossa. Agree. Good analysis.

10). Axis. Agree. The dysfunction of the Axis should make us appreciate the remarkable coordination and strategic effectiveness of the Western Allies.

11) Military Intelligence. Agree.

Also interesting to see that military history is no longer taboo in Germany. The creator of the videos even says in his introduction to the series "Everyone knows what when it comes to war, German-speaking people don't f*ck around." Hard to imagine a German historian saying that 20 years ago!

 

[JoanDrake]

(clip)
Also interesting to see that military history is no longer taboo in Germany. The creator of the videos even says in his introduction to the series "Everyone knows what when it comes to war, German-speaking people don't f*ck around." Hard to imagine a German historian saying that 20 years ago!

Well, in the 20th Century, but before that the Germans were regarded as lovers, philosophers and poets. The French and the Prussians ( who were only Germans by adoption really) were the warriors of Europe

 

[Tulius Hostilius]

What I usually don’t like in this kind of videos is the assumption that the viewer is an ignorant, with sentences like “You probably didn’t knew…”, “what you don’t know…” or even worse when it comes to “10 things that you don’t know about…”


I always think: Who informed those people what I know or what I don’t know?


But I basically agree with MWagner in most points, and most of the misconceptions there are just misconceptions for those who never read much about the themes. Even so the video is well made, albeit the groosssss accent!

 

[Danny McG]

The accent is oh so familiar to anyone who grew up watching black and white war films

"For you Tommy, ze war ist over, hande hoche!"