I like how in-character everyone is in this erb. Ivan's not here to be the best rapper, he's here to cheat with murder. Pompey doesn't get to participate. Alexander's high-speed verse laden with wordplay gives the impression that he's simply more talented at battle than the rest and he could probably keep going fore- oops he died. Also you missed the bar that Frederick gave about paying a guy to tear out his eyes. That was a shot at the time Ivan tore out that one architects eyes after he built a cathedral for Ivan to prevent him from ever building anything as impressive again.
Asia is the correct description for the area Alexander conquered in his time. Asia wasn't referred to as Asia until recently. With Asia being the Middle East and India and the Orient being what we refer to as East Asia or Asia today.
I was about to make this comment, 'Asia' was the Greek name for Anatolia, Persia, exactly the territories Alexander conquered. He sent helmets back from his battles inscribed 'won from the barbarians who live in Asia', paraphrased. Why Asia refers to the far east China-dominated world in modern U.S parlance I don't know, but even in modern U.K an 'Asian' denotes someone like a Pakistani, not Chinese.
@@chingizzhylkybayev8575 historically in classical/hellenistic times, Asia refers to Persia, Anatolia, that part of the world. At some point it became the name of the continent (which geographically speaking, includes Europe - Europe is only a continent by convention, not by geography it's a big peninsula of Asia) which includes China, well done for pointing that out, we could all do with reminding
@@helvete_ingres4717 Not sure I would agree with the line about modern U.K. I can confirm that at least as an individual if someone says Asian my first thought is likely to be Indian/Pakistani, but I certainly include the Chinese, Koreans, Japanese etc etc within my concept of 'Asian'.
This was one of the best-crafted ERBs. Ivan was never supposed to "win", but kept winning due to really underhanded tactics, which is true to his character in real life.
Catherine the Great actually died of a stroke. The "horse story" was circulated by British and French satirical newspapers and magazines some time later.
13:23 this is a reference to Fredrick's best known technique, which he called the “oblique order,” he explained it as follows: a commander should strengthen one wing of his army and employ it to attack the enemy flank, while holding back another, smaller wing to threaten the enemy's main force and keep it from changing position. Basically, the stronger wing of the army would attack from a single flank while the weaker one would pose a threat of direct frontal attack (but not actually attack) with the goal of breaking the enemy on that flank and rolling up the enemy army.
The horse story was put about by her enemies after her death. She was fairly promiscuous, but certainly no more than most kings of her age. People were just extra offended because she was a woman. Because Peter III didn't seem interested in consumating their marriage there's a good chance her heir wasn't fathered by him, but by one of her many lovers. She actually had someone who's job it was to inspect how well endowed potential lovers were. On Frederick, the first time I watched this video I knew exactly who the referred to when they said "flute busting Prussian." He's always has been one of my favorites. There's some pretty good evidence that he preferred men, but of course we'll never know for sure.
Since paige doesn’t really EXPLAIN what the horse story was, her enemies spread rumors that she died while “hoo-haahing” a horse, when i’m pretty sure she actually died of a stroke in the bath.
So MANY Easter eggs in this one. They really brought the research putting this together. "I weep, it's all too easy" is probably a reference to the saying "Alexander wept, for he had no more worlds to conquer." I have heard that the shot at 12:47 with Ivan's shadow looming in the background is taken from an early 20th-Century Russian film about Ivan. The pose Fredrick strikes at the start on one foot with the flute is from a Jethro Tull album cover. It is said that Ivan gouged out the eyes of the architect of St. Basil's Cathedral, so that the poor guy would never make anything as great again. Look closely at the handles of the garrote Catherine used. She liked to use a certain... motif in decor to upset the more prudish Russians. Great battle. One of my faves.
I love this one, I don't believe I didn't notice earlier that you didn't do it. One part you didn't mention that I find very interesting is Frederick's "I would pay a guy to tear out my eyes if I had to look at your troll face every night" which is a reference to a legend in which Ivan gouged the eyes of Postnik Yakovlev, the builder of Saint Basil's Cathedral , so that he can never build anything so beautiful again. I actually think I like Frederick's verse here the most, short but full of references and a great upbeat melody driving it.
Peter III. was not only Tsar of Russia but also a duke or something in the northern part of Germany (Holstein) which he greatly preferred over being in Russia if I remember correctly and he spent a lot of time there also didn't want to be on the bad side with Prussia, while Catherine the Great was much more interested in making Russia a strong power in Europe or expanding the power. I like how everyone dies the way they died in history (or are supposed to) except for Catherine basically saying "nah that was just lies from the men who didn't like a powerful woman to do what they do" :D
When Alexander said the line with "Expansion Pack", that is a refference to the expansion pack for the game Rome Total War, named Alexander, bringing us the campaign for the game where you play as Alexander and conquer all of those lands
Love these breakdowns, and how you skip back a few seconds after you commentary to make sure nothing is missed. Most reaction RUclipsrs do not do that, so I really appreciate it.
I'm obsessed- also, congratulations on hitting both goals I've seen on your videos! The last one I watched you had the road to 20K and you were already there! I love EBR, and hearing about these wordplay choices and themes from a historical context- well, I'm learning things! Thank you for such an awesome source of edutainment!
I really appreciate how they just made Ivan Terrible, nothing more than terrible. In the way he raps to the gifts he offers and especially the horse bit
Your excitement and energy when jumping onto the bits of knowledge and the references in the work is infectious :D very enjoyable to watch and happily subscribed
Bro I just discovered you and I really like your channel especially how you’re breaking down every bar with prior knowledge it’s very insightful and it makes me geek out
I have to say, of all the ESRB reaction videos, yours is the best. I was specifically looking for videos that break down the history facts of and you do it perfectly with rewinds, break down of lines and your personal interpretations of the bars based on history facts.
I SWEAR I remember when Pompey popped up him going NO SIR, and saying something similar to "What do you have to offer but it was a more intense response... But Its not there...
Ivan is known for poisoning his enemies. I’ve heard a story that he had a special cup made that turned any liquid into poison (possibly made of hemlock). He would offer a drink from it to anyone who displeased him. The people knew of the cup but refusing the tsar was unthinkable, so they’d usually say goodbye to their loved ones first
didn´t know, that you have that much knowledge about history. glad to learn from you sir. i would enjoy watching more history related breakdowns from you
If you think about it, the thing with Alexander is correct. The quote specifically said, if you can UNTIE this not, you will be master of all of Asia. He didn't untie it, he destroyed it by cutting it in half and the mutiny prevented him from conquering all of Asia and he died shortly after.
Well, that is not what that verse meant. During the times of Alexander the Great, the name "Asia" was used differently to how it used today. Today, it refers to the largest geopolitical region in the world, but back then, the name "Asia" was how they referred to Turkey, strictly speaking. What we call "Asia" today was referred to as the Far East back then. As such, it is not inaccurate for Alexander to suggest he conquered Asia: the region that went by that name at that time was indeed conquered by him.
I usually see people who are so-called history buffs react to things and they barely even know very much or even react to things but you are very good at reacting to the video and very knowledgeable in the history
Frederick's bar "I've got creative talents and battle malice" is a reference to him being one of the poster examples of the 'Enlightened Absolutism", in which monarchs would take over some ideas from the Enlightenment movement and have more eye for what the common people wanted or needed, but still staying in their positions as absolute monarchs. A saying from that time referencing that movement is "Everything *for* the people, nothing *by* the people".
at 13:41 with Fredrick the Great playing flute and lifting his leg is a reference to Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull as he'd do that a lot on stage and prance around and stuff
10:18 I think there’s a funny setup with the birds to pots reference: not only the helmet Alexander wears having feathers/the destruction of vases and monuments/art, (both historic/mythos related works depicting imagery of a person/legacy/fame), but also the destruction of common household tradition at that time of leaving pots/pottery outside one’s house to attract birds which would then nest inside the household item. (Signifying someone had a nice home by having wild birds choosing it as a good nest sight/ liking the pots/pottery saying you have good items/ the ability to get free eggs/meat if times get rough.) This line leads right into the next verse of destroying city’s/homes and I felt like it was a subtle nod to understanding myths/common practices of those eras both war myths and daily myths/life (and history of pottery uses) the warrior uses vs common people. while also referencing historical vases/works not only common peoples items (usually hand produced pottery or sculptures so breaking it was a rude gesture of vandalism/conquest)
the vodka line is referencing how one of the markers of good 'standard' vodka is a neutral flavor. There are traditional vodkas styles whose process intentionally adds flavor, but the standard type should generally go down with very little flavor or burn. Smooth, flavorless, and with nuances that come out in the aftertaste. Didn't come across as shade toward vodka, since 'flavorless' is a compliment to vodka. Just a dig at Ivan's mic skills.
I liked how much of the history you fleshed out in this video. I've seen a few of other historians covering this ERB. Although they explained those pretty well, I thought you did a kinda better job. A little disappointed you didn't catch some of the things in Frederick's verse, or his epic flute solo, but otherwise great vid.
Yes, I loved these on late night TV. A history buff as well, I get the jokes. Smart comedy. May I add that i someday hope to live next door to someone like you. An analytical, funny, history buff who enjoys thinking, pondering. And likes lots of kinds of music. Family game night would be EPIC. Love you, and your channel!
Copulating with a stallion and the harness breaking loose is the best description I have heard of the story about Catherine. Well played, sir. Well played. 👍
That's kinda the thing, the "official" documentation describes she had a stroke on the toilet. But, that's just a little too far fetched considering who she was and the kind of power she held. My theory is that she was poisoned by people tired of a woman leading the country. They managed to convince the physician to say it was just a stroke so that they save face, and nobody would know because history is written by the survivors. She didn't likely die from a horse though. That's mostly from anti-Russian satire from England and France (who were getting scrubbed up and down by Russia during Catherine's reign).
I actually saw a show recently and THEY said the horse rumour was spread by a political rival of Catherine's AFTER her death to discredit her. Easy to spread such things when the person's not there to defend themselves.
I have never seen a reaction video done better than by you. I can't stand those people who react to videos and they just go like eh that was good or that was bad. You actually dissected the video and gave quality review of the entirety bit by bit. Thank you good sir.
Oblique attack tactics involves massing your troops on one flank to try to break through the enemy lines there and crush the enemy quickly. It can work well but it can also work terribly if the enemy breaks through the rest of your weakened battle line. Frederick was known for such tactics. But he was also losing to Russia when the old empress died and Peter III took the throne. He returned all the Russian territorial gains to Frederick and made peace, alienating the army. It’s one of the main things that led to his coup
Ivan was also poisoning the cup before he gives it to Alexander, as he half turns away. Ivan's daughter-in-law was dressed too lightly for the weather.
Great thorough reaction! You might enjoy Dis Raps for Hire, made by one of the ERB rappers, EpicLLOYD. He solicits people's bully stories and writes a diss rap about said bully. He only did a few videos, but they're really entertaining!
Great reaction and love the history lesson you bring with it. I would truly like to see you react to Gomer Pyle (Jim Neighbors) performing The Undreamable Dream. Please!
Another thing from the "little Vasilyvich" line I think is a reference that his grandfather, Ivan III Vasilyvich, was known as Ivan the Great, so Ivan the Terrible would be "little" in comparison or something like that.
I believe the line "Greek for the glory I got, for winning every single war that I fought." Is a reference to the fact Alexander was ofcourse in fact not actually 'Greek' but Macedonian, but after his success and victories they basically adopted him as one of their own.
lyrics: Look alive Crème de la Kremlin's arriving Try to serve Ivan No surviving You're a land rover, I'm a land expander Here to hand you your first loss, Alexander I'll school you like Aristotle Smack you harder than you hit that bottle You're nothing but an overrated lush, I'll crush ya I'm the first Tsar of all of Russia You're an asshole with an anastole I'm heaven sent, divine and holy So don't even try to approach the God Or you'll get a huge sack like Novgorod Hey fella, swell diss But now you got the Panhellenist from Pella hella pissed Stepping up's foolish as well as useless Little Vasilyevich, let me spell out the list I brought foes to their knees in Phoenicia Breezed through Gaza to Giza Had the Balkans, Persia, Syria, Iraq and Pakistan In my expansion pack While you died in the middle of a game of chess You got vodka bars, flavorless And what I'm about to spit will be the craziest So go fix me a drink so I can stay refreshed Kudos! Greek for the glory I got From winning every single war that I fought So this will be straight forward, I'll take up this sword that I brought And slice you in half like the Gordian knot And I'll soar to the top like the eagle whose feather I would sport in the helmet that I wore As I swatted my many enemies, shattered 'em like a porcelain pot And they'd be praying for the torture to stop But I would leave 'em contorted and they'd be screaming and roaring Until their vocal chords were torn up and shot And I would holler Bucephalus! Hop on my horsey and trot I win Ivan, I vanquish I'm an immortal, you're not Enough! I don't stand a chance against your skills на здоровье A drink to your victory Yes, I will It seems no one can defeat me I weep, it's all so easy Oh! What's wrong? I feel a bit queasy Ha! You've been poisoned! Oh, the pain is unbearable! My stomach's riddled with holes! Ugh, I'm terrible There's no great who could defeat this Russian Psst, what about a flute busting Prussian? (Old Fritz, old fritz! Old Fritz, old fritz! Old Fritz, old fritz! Old Fritz, old fritz!) I'm Frederick the Great, out the gatefirst servant of state Oblique attack tactics ain't exactly straight I've got creative talents and battle malice Hard as steel on the field, genteel in the palace Russia's fucked up but no wonder why With your tundras and taigas and bears, oh my! I would pay a guy to tear out my eyes If I had to look at your troll face every night Now bring me my chair I'm weary from tearing you a new derrière from here to Red square Fought a Seven Years' War, I ain't scared of a Tsar Cause beating you only took me twelve bars Oh, what a humiliating defeat! I know when I am beat So of course, take a seat I'd keep ripping you to shreds But I'll take a break instead And just rest my little head Why don't you drop dead, Fred?! Hmm, my expectations were a lot higher But at least I saved the rubles on the garrote wire It's another great day and another great victory Cause no great can beat me What about me? Pompey! Yeah! Macedonians, Prussians and Romans Those aren't worthy opponents It takes a Russian to take down a Russian I'm Cath, I'm a cat, you're a rodent How are you the head of our state When the state of your head was such a crazy one? Such sick shit going through your brain That you stuck a spike through your own son (Oooh) You're unbalanced like I unbalanced the European powers with the wars I waged I brought the Russian empire straight out of the olden days and right into the golden age I'm the boss bitch that you just can't meddle with This whole battle's like Alaska cause I settled it Hmmm, what a beautiful Queen to beat me in a battle Accept this gift, Your Highness: I hear you enjoy the saddle That horse story is a pile of shit Though I do keep 'em chomping at the bit But you're never gonna get it, nyet Couldn't spin in my chamber if this were Russian roulette I'm picking up where Peter the Great left off Bringing sexy back to House Romanov So don't call me Queen, I'm far more great Empress to Tsar 8, bitch Checkmate
Frederick The Great, if I remember correctly, was also the first King of Prussia. He inherited the title of King in Prussia from his father and conquered enough territory to become King of Prussia. That might be the meaning of the phrase First Servant of State.
I like how in-character everyone is in this erb.
Ivan's not here to be the best rapper, he's here to cheat with murder. Pompey doesn't get to participate. Alexander's high-speed verse laden with wordplay gives the impression that he's simply more talented at battle than the rest and he could probably keep going fore- oops he died.
Also you missed the bar that Frederick gave about paying a guy to tear out his eyes. That was a shot at the time Ivan tore out that one architects eyes after he built a cathedral for Ivan to prevent him from ever building anything as impressive again.
Alexander's bars are some of the best in all of ERB.
@@NotQuiteEpicZach Sherwin and NicePeter are the best on ERB
Asia is the correct description for the area Alexander conquered in his time. Asia wasn't referred to as Asia until recently. With Asia being the Middle East and India and the Orient being what we refer to as East Asia or Asia today.
Asia wasn't even Middle East, back then they used the word "Asia" strictly to describe modern-day Turkey.
I was about to make this comment, 'Asia' was the Greek name for Anatolia, Persia, exactly the territories Alexander conquered. He sent helmets back from his battles inscribed 'won from the barbarians who live in Asia', paraphrased. Why Asia refers to the far east China-dominated world in modern U.S parlance I don't know, but even in modern U.K an 'Asian' denotes someone like a Pakistani, not Chinese.
@@helvete_ingres4717 ...well that mostly has to do with the fact that China is, in fact, in Asia. Did you think China is not in Asia or something?
@@chingizzhylkybayev8575 historically in classical/hellenistic times, Asia refers to Persia, Anatolia, that part of the world. At some point it became the name of the continent (which geographically speaking, includes Europe - Europe is only a continent by convention, not by geography it's a big peninsula of Asia) which includes China, well done for pointing that out, we could all do with reminding
@@helvete_ingres4717 Not sure I would agree with the line about modern U.K. I can confirm that at least as an individual if someone says Asian my first thought is likely to be Indian/Pakistani, but I certainly include the Chinese, Koreans, Japanese etc etc within my concept of 'Asian'.
This was one of the best-crafted ERBs. Ivan was never supposed to "win", but kept winning due to really underhanded tactics, which is true to his character in real life.
Catherine the Great actually died of a stroke. The "horse story" was circulated by British and French satirical newspapers and magazines some time later.
13:23 this is a reference to Fredrick's best known technique, which he called the “oblique order,” he explained it as follows: a commander should strengthen one wing of his army and employ it to attack the enemy flank, while holding back another, smaller wing to threaten the enemy's main force and keep it from changing position. Basically, the stronger wing of the army would attack from a single flank while the weaker one would pose a threat of direct frontal attack (but not actually attack) with the goal of breaking the enemy on that flank and rolling up the enemy army.
It's both
The horse story was put about by her enemies after her death. She was fairly promiscuous, but certainly no more than most kings of her age. People were just extra offended because she was a woman. Because Peter III didn't seem interested in consumating their marriage there's a good chance her heir wasn't fathered by him, but by one of her many lovers. She actually had someone who's job it was to inspect how well endowed potential lovers were.
On Frederick, the first time I watched this video I knew exactly who the referred to when they said "flute busting Prussian." He's always has been one of my favorites. There's some pretty good evidence that he preferred men, but of course we'll never know for sure.
I mean, his father killed his "best friend" because they tried to escape and become artists. Totally straight, nothing to see here, move along!
You could call her a… size queen
@@month32 They were roommates...
real question i got, did he steal Bucephalus and offer it to Catherine?
Since paige doesn’t really EXPLAIN what the horse story was, her enemies spread rumors that she died while “hoo-haahing” a horse, when i’m pretty sure she actually died of a stroke in the bath.
I love how Catherine's garrote was noticeably different from Ivan's, but so few people ever mention it.
So MANY Easter eggs in this one. They really brought the research putting this together.
"I weep, it's all too easy" is probably a reference to the saying "Alexander wept, for he had no more worlds to conquer."
I have heard that the shot at 12:47 with Ivan's shadow looming in the background is taken from an early 20th-Century Russian film about Ivan.
The pose Fredrick strikes at the start on one foot with the flute is from a Jethro Tull album cover.
It is said that Ivan gouged out the eyes of the architect of St. Basil's Cathedral, so that the poor guy would never make anything as great again.
Look closely at the handles of the garrote Catherine used. She liked to use a certain... motif in decor to upset the more prudish Russians.
Great battle. One of my faves.
Aww you missed the Wizard of Oz reference by Frederick the Great: 'with your tundras and taigas and bears, oh my!' (lions, tigers and bears oh my)
ERB gives me so many rabbit holes of history to dive into.
SAME
I love this one, I don't believe I didn't notice earlier that you didn't do it. One part you didn't mention that I find very interesting is Frederick's "I would pay a guy to tear out my eyes if I had to look at your troll face every night" which is a reference to a legend in which Ivan gouged the eyes of Postnik Yakovlev, the builder of Saint Basil's Cathedral , so that he can never build anything so beautiful again. I actually think I like Frederick's verse here the most, short but full of references and a great upbeat melody driving it.
Zach Sherwin is such a good rapper when it comes to wordplay. That's why Alexander's bars are pretty fire. His wordplay is really tough to top.
Peter III. was not only Tsar of Russia but also a duke or something in the northern part of Germany (Holstein) which he greatly preferred over being in Russia if I remember correctly and he spent a lot of time there also didn't want to be on the bad side with Prussia, while Catherine the Great was much more interested in making Russia a strong power in Europe or expanding the power. I like how everyone dies the way they died in history (or are supposed to) except for Catherine basically saying "nah that was just lies from the men who didn't like a powerful woman to do what they do" :D
I'm not that into BBW, but Catherine's confidence always has me chomping at the bit every time I see this.
When Alexander said the line with "Expansion Pack", that is a refference to the expansion pack for the game Rome Total War, named Alexander, bringing us the campaign for the game where you play as Alexander and conquer all of those lands
I've loved learning from your ERB reactions, glad you're so knowledgeable
Love these breakdowns, and how you skip back a few seconds after you commentary to make sure nothing is missed. Most reaction RUclipsrs do not do that, so I really appreciate it.
I was really impressed with your knowledge of this stuff, then I got excited to see your reaction to the "saddle" line. Did not disappoint!
I'm obsessed- also, congratulations on hitting both goals I've seen on your videos! The last one I watched you had the road to 20K and you were already there! I love EBR, and hearing about these wordplay choices and themes from a historical context- well, I'm learning things! Thank you for such an awesome source of edutainment!
I really appreciate how they just made Ivan Terrible, nothing more than terrible. In the way he raps to the gifts he offers and especially the horse bit
Your excitement and energy when jumping onto the bits of knowledge and the references in the work is infectious :D very enjoyable to watch and happily subscribed
so glad to hear your impressions and explanations on this, my favorite ERB ever. keep up the great job Mr. Lboyd
Bro I just discovered you and I really like your channel especially how you’re breaking down every bar with prior knowledge it’s very insightful and it makes me geek out
I have to say, of all the ESRB reaction videos, yours is the best. I was specifically looking for videos that break down the history facts of and you do it perfectly with rewinds, break down of lines and your personal interpretations of the bars based on history facts.
I think we're around the same age, but I wish you had been my history teacher back in high school lol. Your passion for the subject is infectious.
The garrote handles in Cat's hands always make me laugh. Talk about reasons to never mix business and pleasure!
Love this and these in general, love your knowledge on these things. I catch a few bars that I understand but I love that you explain each reference
I genuinely enjoy this so much
Thank you
I love the breakdown and the energy you have
I dunno bro, i'm with you, I thought you did this one allready as well 😆I hate it when we travel through world lines unnanounced.
I SWEAR I remember when Pompey popped up him going NO SIR, and saying something similar to "What do you have to offer but it was a more intense response... But Its not there...
I am pretty sure you did all of them but I am happy to revisit this one, my favorite. Greetings from Iceland
Ivan is known for poisoning his enemies. I’ve heard a story that he had a special cup made that turned any liquid into poison (possibly made of hemlock). He would offer a drink from it to anyone who displeased him. The people knew of the cup but refusing the tsar was unthinkable, so they’d usually say goodbye to their loved ones first
That was fun listening to you dissect one of my favorite ERB episodes
Peter the Great is Peter the first her husband was Peter the third and Peter the third was Prussian and Catherine was Polish I believe
I believe the "Empress to Tsar 8, checkmate" is word-playing on to the likes of "Queen to C8, checkmate"
didn´t know, that you have that much knowledge about history. glad to learn from you sir. i would enjoy watching more history related breakdowns from you
So basically.... * Tries to find the words to explain Stalion Copulation Death *
I think Alexander was calling Ivan's musical bars flavorless.
If you think about it, the thing with Alexander is correct. The quote specifically said, if you can UNTIE this not, you will be master of all of Asia. He didn't untie it, he destroyed it by cutting it in half and the mutiny prevented him from conquering all of Asia and he died shortly after.
Well, that is not what that verse meant. During the times of Alexander the Great, the name "Asia" was used differently to how it used today. Today, it refers to the largest geopolitical region in the world, but back then, the name "Asia" was how they referred to Turkey, strictly speaking. What we call "Asia" today was referred to as the Far East back then. As such, it is not inaccurate for Alexander to suggest he conquered Asia: the region that went by that name at that time was indeed conquered by him.
Either im suffering from the Mandella effect or you did do this already. I remember it well enough to predict the things you were saying
Just stumbled upon this channel, totally love the content bro. The historic analysis is dope
I usually see people who are so-called history buffs react to things and they barely even know very much or even react to things but you are very good at reacting to the video and very knowledgeable in the history
Gordion knot…something like the Excalibur legend for King Arthur. There was many legends on Alexander the Great and this is one.
I definitely remember you doing this one because you went into more detail about that taigas bar
Frederick's bar "I've got creative talents and battle malice" is a reference to him being one of the poster examples of the 'Enlightened Absolutism", in which monarchs would take over some ideas from the Enlightenment movement and have more eye for what the common people wanted or needed, but still staying in their positions as absolute monarchs. A saying from that time referencing that movement is "Everything *for* the people, nothing *by* the people".
So used to reacting to comedy and music with you, wasn't aware you had this birth of knowledge for history...which is some of my favorite stuff.
at 13:41 with Fredrick the Great playing flute and lifting his leg is a reference to Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull as he'd do that a lot on stage and prance around and stuff
10:18
I think there’s a funny setup with the birds to pots reference:
not only the helmet Alexander wears having feathers/the destruction of vases and monuments/art, (both historic/mythos related works depicting imagery of a person/legacy/fame),
but also the destruction of common household tradition at that time of leaving pots/pottery outside one’s house to attract birds which would then nest inside the household item. (Signifying someone had a nice home by having wild birds choosing it as a good nest sight/ liking the pots/pottery saying you have good items/ the ability to get free eggs/meat if times get rough.)
This line leads right into the next verse of destroying city’s/homes and I felt like it was a subtle nod to understanding myths/common practices of those eras both war myths and daily myths/life (and history of pottery uses) the warrior uses vs common people. while also referencing historical vases/works not only common peoples items (usually hand produced pottery or sculptures so breaking it was a rude gesture of vandalism/conquest)
the vodka line is referencing how one of the markers of good 'standard' vodka is a neutral flavor. There are traditional vodkas styles whose process intentionally adds flavor, but the standard type should generally go down with very little flavor or burn. Smooth, flavorless, and with nuances that come out in the aftertaste.
Didn't come across as shade toward vodka, since 'flavorless' is a compliment to vodka. Just a dig at Ivan's mic skills.
How are you the head of our state, when the state of your head was such a crazy one. favorite line
I think the "Empiress to Tsar 8" part is a reference to chess where you would say "Rook to E4" or something similar
I liked how much of the history you fleshed out in this video. I've seen a few of other historians covering this ERB. Although they explained those pretty well, I thought you did a kinda better job. A little disappointed you didn't catch some of the things in Frederick's verse, or his epic flute solo, but otherwise great vid.
I just like how you showed absolutely no surprise whatsoever when Pompey's head came off
There’s an ExtraHistory series on RUclips about Catherine the Great. It goes into her childhood and her life up to her death
Alexander had the best bars, but all he did was flex, with almost no disses. Catherine came through and toasted him.
Yes, I loved these on late night TV. A history buff as well, I get the jokes. Smart comedy. May I add that i someday hope to live next door to someone like you. An analytical, funny, history buff who enjoys thinking, pondering. And likes lots of kinds of music. Family game night would be EPIC. Love you, and your channel!
I usually hate when people pause in reactions, i like more when people talk after they watch the whole thing. But this was awesome, amazing reaction !
Copulating with a stallion and the harness breaking loose is the best description I have heard of the story about Catherine. Well played, sir. Well played. 👍
That's kinda the thing, the "official" documentation describes she had a stroke on the toilet. But, that's just a little too far fetched considering who she was and the kind of power she held. My theory is that she was poisoned by people tired of a woman leading the country. They managed to convince the physician to say it was just a stroke so that they save face, and nobody would know because history is written by the survivors. She didn't likely die from a horse though. That's mostly from anti-Russian satire from England and France (who were getting scrubbed up and down by Russia during Catherine's reign).
I actually saw a show recently and THEY said the horse rumour was spread by a political rival of Catherine's AFTER her death to discredit her. Easy to spread such things when the person's not there to defend themselves.
I'm really inspired by your broad level of historical knowledge.
I have never seen a reaction video done better than by you. I can't stand those people who react to videos and they just go like eh that was good or that was bad. You actually dissected the video and gave quality review of the entirety bit by bit. Thank you good sir.
Wow, great breakdown. New sub here man!
Panhella love your ERB reactions and explanations. Keep it up!
I love the drop dead Fred reference lol.
Oblique attack tactics involves massing your troops on one flank to try to break through the enemy lines there and crush the enemy quickly. It can work well but it can also work terribly if the enemy breaks through the rest of your weakened battle line. Frederick was known for such tactics.
But he was also losing to Russia when the old empress died and Peter III took the throne. He returned all the Russian territorial gains to Frederick and made peace, alienating the army. It’s one of the main things that led to his coup
Ivan was also poisoning the cup before he gives it to Alexander, as he half turns away.
Ivan's daughter-in-law was dressed too lightly for the weather.
Love seeing you break this down. I came for the Bo Burnham reaction but I'll be watching all of these. Great content.
Yes, the I Win Ivan I vanquish is absolutely a Veni Vidi Vici pull.
You did react to this before I swore I saw your reaction to this a good minute ago xD
Love your videos
This was the best history lesson ever!
I knew the broad strokes but there were a lot of details in this I didn't know about.
I thought I knew a lot of this history. I was wrong, lol. Best ERB reaction ever! :D
i am sure i was subscribed..oh well I am now. love your reactions.
You sir are amazing , Loved the break down and explanation, yes mentioning how each of them actually died was on purpose
Bro his voice sounds like angels singing … this might help me get over my depression
I feel like I remember watching this erb before on your channel.
ZACH SHERWIN AKA MC. MR NAPKINS aka Alexander is so 🔥
I can't believe that I'm watching guy react to ERB-- I haven't seen one of these since the early 2010s
You nailed it
Fun fact: If you pause just after the Pompey decap, Cats garrot handles are phallus shaped, kind of tying to her being promiscuous.
ayy my mans knows lithuania, thank you for noticing my country which nobody knows about, made my day
Great thorough reaction! You might enjoy Dis Raps for Hire, made by one of the ERB rappers, EpicLLOYD. He solicits people's bully stories and writes a diss rap about said bully. He only did a few videos, but they're really entertaining!
I like this would be nice to hear what historians think.
16:34 was absolute gold
I love everyone has the same reaction to Pompey lmao
maskirovka has a double meaning in that it also means deception. such as offering him a drink that's poisoned.
Great reaction and love the history lesson you bring with it. I would truly like to see you react to Gomer Pyle (Jim Neighbors) performing The Undreamable Dream. Please!
Yeah, when I saw the thumbnail, my initial thought was "didn't he already do this one?"
Another thing from the "little Vasilyvich" line I think is a reference that his grandfather, Ivan III Vasilyvich, was known as Ivan the Great, so Ivan the Terrible would be "little" in comparison or something like that.
If you look at 17:16 you'll see that the garrote handles are phallically shaped...
being greek this one is one of my favorites
Hands down to Fredrik the Great for the best performance.
the "Asia" in "Master of Asia" just refers to Asia Minor a.k.a. Anatolia because that's what it was in Ancient Greece
It’s funny to me that Ivan had a stroke while playing chess because I swear I have stroke every time I play chess.
I believe the line "Greek for the glory I got, for winning every single war that I fought."
Is a reference to the fact Alexander was ofcourse in fact not actually 'Greek' but Macedonian, but after his success and victories they basically adopted him as one of their own.
lyrics: Look alive
Crème de la Kremlin's arriving
Try to serve Ivan
No surviving
You're a land rover, I'm a land expander
Here to hand you your first loss, Alexander
I'll school you like Aristotle
Smack you harder than you hit that bottle
You're nothing but an overrated lush, I'll crush ya
I'm the first Tsar of all of Russia
You're an asshole with an anastole
I'm heaven sent, divine and holy
So don't even try to approach the God
Or you'll get a huge sack like Novgorod
Hey fella, swell diss
But now you got the Panhellenist from Pella hella pissed
Stepping up's foolish as well as useless
Little Vasilyevich, let me spell out the list
I brought foes to their knees in Phoenicia
Breezed through Gaza to Giza
Had the Balkans, Persia, Syria, Iraq and Pakistan
In my expansion pack
While you died in the middle of a game of chess
You got vodka bars, flavorless
And what I'm about to spit will be the craziest
So go fix me a drink so I can stay refreshed
Kudos! Greek for the glory I got
From winning every single war that I fought
So this will be straight forward, I'll take up this sword that I brought
And slice you in half like the Gordian knot
And I'll soar to the top like the eagle whose feather I would sport in the helmet that I wore
As I swatted my many enemies, shattered 'em like a porcelain pot
And they'd be praying for the torture to stop
But I would leave 'em contorted and they'd be screaming and roaring
Until their vocal chords were torn up and shot
And I would holler Bucephalus!
Hop on my horsey and trot
I win Ivan, I vanquish
I'm an immortal, you're not
Enough!
I don't stand a chance against your skills
на здоровье
A drink to your victory
Yes, I will
It seems no one can defeat me
I weep, it's all so easy
Oh!
What's wrong?
I feel a bit queasy
Ha! You've been poisoned!
Oh, the pain is unbearable!
My stomach's riddled with holes!
Ugh, I'm terrible
There's no great who could defeat this Russian
Psst, what about a flute busting Prussian?
(Old Fritz, old fritz!
Old Fritz, old fritz!
Old Fritz, old fritz!
Old Fritz, old fritz!)
I'm Frederick the Great, out the gatefirst servant of state
Oblique attack tactics ain't exactly straight
I've got creative talents and battle malice
Hard as steel on the field, genteel in the palace
Russia's fucked up but no wonder why
With your tundras and taigas and bears, oh my!
I would pay a guy to tear out my eyes
If I had to look at your troll face every night
Now bring me my chair
I'm weary from tearing you a new derrière from here to Red square
Fought a Seven Years' War, I ain't scared of a Tsar
Cause beating you only took me twelve bars
Oh, what a humiliating defeat!
I know when I am beat
So of course, take a seat
I'd keep ripping you to shreds
But I'll take a break instead
And just rest my little head
Why don't you drop dead, Fred?!
Hmm, my expectations were a lot higher
But at least I saved the rubles on the garrote wire
It's another great day and another great victory
Cause no great can beat me
What about me?
Pompey! Yeah!
Macedonians, Prussians and Romans
Those aren't worthy opponents
It takes a Russian to take down a Russian
I'm Cath, I'm a cat, you're a rodent
How are you the head of our state
When the state of your head was such a crazy one?
Such sick shit going through your brain
That you stuck a spike through your own son (Oooh)
You're unbalanced like I unbalanced the European powers with the wars I waged
I brought the Russian empire straight out of the olden days and right into the golden age
I'm the boss bitch that you just can't meddle with
This whole battle's like Alaska cause I settled it
Hmmm, what a beautiful Queen to beat me in a battle
Accept this gift, Your Highness: I hear you enjoy the saddle
That horse story is a pile of shit
Though I do keep 'em chomping at the bit
But you're never gonna get it, nyet
Couldn't spin in my chamber if this were Russian roulette
I'm picking up where Peter the Great left off
Bringing sexy back to House Romanov
So don't call me Queen, I'm far more great
Empress to Tsar 8, bitch
Checkmate
Frederick The Great, if I remember correctly, was also the first King of Prussia. He inherited the title of King in Prussia from his father and conquered enough territory to become King of Prussia. That might be the meaning of the phrase First Servant of State.
Not gunna lie. I’m with you in thinking that you did this lol. Regardless it’s still great hearing the historical side of ERB dove deeper into
yeah i swear to god i seen him react to this before
So, no thing about the "Tundras, taigas, and bears. Oh my!"?