He was TWENTY-FIVE when he died. After his head injury, the stuff he wrote reflecting how he really felt about the war is eye-opening. You'd think it was written by an old man.
well, that is pretty much what bob dylan did when he wrote "my back pages" at the age of 23 years old.. to be that young and already questioning what you have done with your life says quite a lot about a persons character. --------- wiki Dylan questions whether one can really distinguish between right and wrong, and even questions the desirability of the principle of equality.[7] The lyrics also signal Dylan's disillusionment with the 1960s protest movement and his intention to abandon protest songwriting.[5][6][8] The song effectively analogizes the protest movement to the establishment it is trying to overturn,[4] --------- lyrics "Deceived me into thinking I had something to protect. Good and bad, I define these terms Quite clear, no doubt, somehow. Ah, but I was so much older then, I’m younger than that now." --------- link to the song as performed by the byrds (my favorite version) ruclips.net/video/OZwncQfvaKk/видео.html
You'll find that in alot of people. There's an old saying "Marines age in dog years" Now, its certainly not exclusive to the marines, its just the saying, and could be applied to most any military. It burns you out, makes you feel older than you really are. At least for most
He was one of the first who demonstrably mastered air combat, he was good looking, not a showoff, not needlessly cruel and a (minor) noble. He represented everything that was seen praiseworthy at that time.
I do think there were factors which added to his high number of aces. He had more advanced aircraft for much of the war, and was often up against inexperienced pilots.
@@Mitjitsuthat is the goal to fight with better technology that breeds a different but higher level of experience that brings victory. Even his enemies loved him..
He wasn't the first who demonstrably mastered air combat. Immelmann and Boelcke pioneered many of the tactics that the Red Baron employed. Had they not been killed in action, they would have very likely had higher kill counts than him. And I am sure there were also many British, French and American airmen, who were extremely skilled aviators. That being said, the Red Baron is obviously a legendary fighter pilot, ace of aces, but he wasn't the *first* master of air combat.
Here're the two reasons the Red Baron was glorified: 1. He was really good. 2. WW1 air combat was the last vestige of honorable combat from the age of antiquity (compared with knights, roman armies, clashes of 10,000's strong private armies). Meanwhile on the ground and later the sea, MILLIONS DIED for no fault of their own and for no reason nor purpose (literally, people died for no victory or defeat, nothing changed for years). So war propaganda focused on "clean" air combat.
@Jason Bratcher you blame video games and Common Core (which is not a required standard, and is really nothing more than the New Mathematics/Circle of Childhood with a fresh coat of paint) for the "problem" of education (as you see it today). I think that's absurd. Lay the blame where it belongs--with the PARENTS. Games have zero to do with it. Common Core has zero to do with it. Parents leaving their children to their own devices with nary a thought or care as to what they're ingesting have EVERYTHING to do with it. And besides, studies have shown--time and again--kids that are skilled at video games have higher IQs, better temperament, test higher, retain information better, and have better problem solving and social skills than that of their non-gaming peers. But let's just sweep all that under the rug, so we can point a finger at the evil bogyman that is video games, just like that Devil's Rock Music back in the 50s-70s, or MTV and Beavis & Butt-Head in the late 80s early 90s, and the internet in the early 2000s. It's always something OTHER than the parent to blame. Little Johnny does bad in school because he plays video games and his teacher hates him. Not because his parents let him skip homework to watch Netflix. Little Johnny is failing in school not because his parents don't enforce a study time, but because he has a learning problem. It's the bleeding parents that are to blame. Not Video Games, not Common Core. But you do you mate.
Good points made, Jeremy.. . Last vestiges of honour & chivalry happened in Nord Afrika, with Rommel, Afrika Korps, & Luftwaffe support.. . Richtofen was such an inspiration, what a great talent for writing he displayed, as well!!! Namaste to everyone, now.. Love.
@Artyom Liu - I find it funny that Richthofen is held up as a symbol of a modern-day knight, a chivalrous warrior, when he went out of his way to collect trophies from his vanquished enemies. In other conflicts, in other contexts, such behavior might rightly be called psychopathic. Imagine the infantryman who cuts off ears of enemies he's killed. Such a soldier might be considered excessively brutal and, if captured by the enemy, might be considered a war criminal.
@@b.santos8804 I don't think you understand the meaning of a trophy. It might be different for a psychopatic serial killer and a man that was stranded in certain circumstances he had absolutely no control of. Von Richthofen was an avid hunter and most probably hunter culture had a great influence on him. Like praying over a kill, breaking a twig from a nearby tree or a bush into three parts and leaving one in the place where you killed a deer, an elk or whatever. Leaving one as a last meal in your kills mouth and taking one with you to remember. And in the end taking a trophy, also as a tool of rememberance. All that has a spiritual meaning and is meant as a tribute to an individual being that gives its life so yours might continue. The tradition itself is probably older than bronze. So I'd assume, although I might be wrong, he treated those trophies with a deep spiritual reverance rather than just wanking off to a murder like a serial killer would do. I doubt he took body parts of fallen soldiers as trophies. Meaning and context matters.
Those millions died in a war of attrition, Germany didnt surrender until they lost a shitton of their soldiers, the same would have been true if it was the Entente.
4:13 "I must say I felt like replying 'I am afraid', but this is a word which should never be used by a man who defends his country." What an absolute legend.
He was one of my heros when I was a kid. Reading about him, he seemed so unique, larger than life, a man from myth and legend and along with his red plane, he was truly something special.
Weird, I'm Canadian and distinctly remember in school learning that an Australia ground soldier shot him down. They mentioned Brown got credit, but it was widely settled that Brown didn't shoot him.
That's what I heard too. We killed him, we buried him with fully military honours. Something that would be perfectly normal for Aussies to do (although not necessarily exclusively, others may be like minded) I didn't realise until now that Monash was in the area. From what I've heard about him he wouldn't have taken any petty garbage over it.
He was most likely shot down by Australian ground forces. Although Brown claimed he was the one who shot him down till the day he died. Research and evidence pretty much show he was killed by a bullet that came from the ground.
The Aussie that killed him was Cedric Popkin, although there is a claim from a different Aussie soldier. It definitely happened during Operation Michael in the Somme. Shot him with a .30 caliber machine gun bullet in his right armpit and it tore all the way through his chest to his heart. His last words as he was bleeding to death were literally “I am kaput” according to some Aussies who came up on the crash.
Man and machine and nothing there in between A flying circus and a man from Prussia The sky and a plane, this man commands his domain The western front and all the way to Russia Death from above, you’re under fire Stained red as blood, he’s roaming higher Born a soldier from the horseback to the skies That’s where the legend will arise And he’s flying Higher, the king of the sky He’s flying too fast and he’s flying too high Higher, an eye for an eye The legend will never die First to the scene he is a lethal machine It’s bloody April and the tide is turning Fire at will it is the thrill of the kill Four in a day shot down with engines burning Embrace the fame, red squadron leader Call out his name Rote Kampfflieger In the game to win, a gambler rolls the dice 80 allies paid the price Higher! Higher, the king of the sky He’s flying too fast and he’s flying too high He's flying higher, an eye for an eye The legend will never die Higher! Born a soldier, from the horseback to the skies And the legend never dies And he’s flying And he’s flying And he’s flying
This video was great. I like how the French called him “Our Gallant And Worthy Foe” that is cool how although they were fighting against each other they still had respect for him
the story of the allied forces honoring the fallen red baron illustrates quite effectively how we truly live in a different time nowadays. in far more ways than most realize
I was stationed in Galstadt from 1985-1987 . I met my husband at Grafenwoehr . He was a tank commander in the Bundeswehr and his family lived in Wiesbaden . I saw a grave , it was nice as graves go . (19 November 2018 0140 hours)
Honour and chivalry aside, it sounds like he was suffering from post-traumatic stress by the way he described the grim chandelier. He blamed it on his head wound, but it sounds like it started way before that. Understandable when you are killing one person every fortnight for four years, and watching them plummet to the ground.
John Donovan - I think he was suffering from post-traumatic stress and also clinical depression in the end. I read that his mother said, on visits home, that his personality changed, he became quiet and withdrawn and was haunted by the deaths of the pilots he had shot down.
Miss Shuck War is hell. You never forget the ones you killed. Even if you had no choice it never leaves your thoughts. A sound a smell something on tv brings it all back. I can’t imagine any reason for war. Those who are all for it have probably never experienced it
@@chrisj197438 - I so agree with you. For many people the war doesn't just stop when they arrive back home, it just continues and often there is no escape.
A head wound can also change your personality and your brain function. It is said that he preached a rigorous gospel of rules for dogfighting, yet in his last flight, he broke several of his own rules, most costly that he fixated on one thing to the effect of causing him to fly a predictable straight and level path long enough for someone to get a clean shot at him.
A fine video on the Red Barron. I was obsessed with learning his history for a while and I read his autobiography, the Little Red Battle Wagon, and a couple of other books. He indeed seemed a decent fellow who was just doing his duty as a soldier. I was impressed with how much he desired to keep his fellow pilots alive, and how he used his contacts with the Kaiser to push the aircraft manufacturers into constantly improving their planes.
Richthofen's greatest legacy was not only the fact he did no less his job than the lowliest soldier, but that his aerobatic tactics are required study at every American war college including Annapolis, The Air Force Academy, and Westpoint (home of another German hero Rommel) This man and Joseph Immel were great aviators and good men who simply did their duty to their country as any nation's military would.
Different times. I don`t want to seem like an asshole though, but they were after personal glory and victory, most of the solo wolf pilots (Werner Voss, Richthofens closest friend, to mention one) were all shot down with team tactics with scant regard to "honor" or chivalry. Richthofen himself led about 30-40 planes into combat every time he went out, and they certainly didnt care whether they met 10 planes (hardly chivalrous) or 50 planes (foolhardy). Mostly honor was just something they talked about in public to romanticize the brutal early days of air to air combat, and lure more meat into the grinder.
sir you are ether a helpless romantic or a twit. I am going with a helpless romantic as I like to be nice to people. the funeral, as was stated in the vid, was purely a publicity stunt. it was even heled up so members of the press would have time to get to the town for the event. the story of the commander sending for the local town boss seems to be untrue to. as the commander could not have moved his HQ without war office approval. something that would not have happened. also the French towns people would have be more than happy the see them go as they did not like having the British and commonwealth troops on there door step. so the supposed threat was empty and would have in fact been welcomed by the locals. remember most French people resented the British troops as they still blamed the British for the Germans having got so deep into France in 1914/15. also his grave was finally moved the Germany because it was repeatedly vandalised by the locals as the war went on and even after the war was over. so the vandalism was never stopped adding strength to the argument that the treat to relocate was never made.
The French population did not just wish the british troops to be gone from their doorstep because of questionable reactions in 14/15 it was also because simply if an army camps in your backyard your backyard is more likely to be shelled as if they would not be there. Plus that every backyard shelling inevitably brings some shots right into your house aswell due to mishaps or deliberatly aimed.
My fav was Werner Voss too. It's a shame how all the historians claim he could have gotten away with just climbing, that's a load of nonsense. His squadron was tangled in with a mix of Camel's, Spad's and SE5's, he was jumped by a whole flight of ace piloted SE5's , and there were more Camel's and Spad's above. He didn't have enough time to shoot any one of them down, so his only choice was to try and force off the engagement, i.e shock them enough that they'd call it quits. If it had been any lesser pilots he had fought against, he would have succeeded. What killed Voss (and what was actually a detriment to B-flight) was that B-flight had aces down to nearly every man, they weren't gonna quit that easily. Voss was shot down, yes, but B-flight no longer beamed the air of invincibility, confidence and spirit they once had... 3 members of B-flight suffered shock/PTSD and were posted elsewhere, Arthur Rhys-Davis (who was spared by Kurt Wolff in an earlier engagement) was killed just 1 month later despite all the skill and experience he accrued, my theory being the way Voss fought made him realize that even with superior numbers and machines you are still exposed to danger, making him so jumpy he simply ran out of focus and was killed as a result. Even Mccudden was rattled enough that this fight, combined with his high altitude stunts, lead to him staying on for just 4 months more before fatigued enough that he was relegated to a desk-job for a good while.
Werner Voss, in his totally silver-painted triplane, was shot down during a fight with 5 of the best allied pilots and was considered the best fighter of them all! He shot down 48 planes, before his untimely death.
@@finncarlbomholtsrensen1188 The fatal dogfight actually involved 8 Allied planes, with Voss damaging 7 of them. The thing that makes it truly extraordinary in terms of Voss' courage, daring, and aggressiveness was that he never sought to flee. He knew he was heavily outnumbered, but he turned in and took 'em all on. What a bad-ass! Twisting, maneuvering, slip-turning, flying directly at them, sliding sideways in the air with his guns wide open, he died a hero's death.
My grandfather was born in the late 1800s. Was a member of the RAF, and flew a sopwith camel (and hated Snoopy!). He also flew combat, and did battle with... the Red Baron!
We should do a serious thing (television presenting) in the least most serious way. Double points if we can be an affront to the last most greatest generation.
A sad effect if his death was that after his death, his second in command took command of the squadron and became regarded as a war hero through reflected glory. He later used this fame for political purposes and rose high in the ranks of the Nazi party. A fellow named Herman Goering.
Actually, probably a very good thing that a morphine-addicted bootlicker like Goering was the Luftwaffe head in WWII. A man like Richtofen would have been a far more formidable adversary.
It's nice to know that people actually take the time to dig into my history and actually get to know me better it's really nice that these videos are out there.😊
@Jasta 2 The Germans didn't want to believe that their hero could be bested by ANY pilot, and so wished to believe that MvR was killed by ground fire. The Royal Flying Corps were not going to let an Australian Machine Gunner take credit, and so credited Brown with the victory, though it could not have been him. It was known immediately, as Brown had left the combat, and MvR was still manoeuvring after he left (something you cannot do after being shot through the heart).Two rudimentary autopsies were conducted on his corpse and proved he was killed by ground fire. Regardless, the Australian Flying Corps gave him a dignified burial, with a guard of honor and pallbearers being made up from their pilots and observers.
It was most likely Popkin. Bullet entered on right side and exited higher on his left chest. Not only was the trajectory from lower to higher indicating it was coming from the ground, it would have also been difficult for Brown to shoot Richthofen on the right side and out the left side if he were above him and behind him. It just looked better for an RAF pilot and an officer to have bested Richthofen in aerial combat than an enlisted man shooting from the ground and getting a single lucky shot.
I recommend to anyone interested, reading Manfred von Richthofen's memoirs/diary under the title The Red Baron, translated by Peter Kilduff. Very good read!
As a professor of History myself at a Midwestern University, I must say you did a fine job of research. The story you are relaying is quite true and accurate. Well done! Regarding respect, there is nothing wrong with respecting your enemy. I visited Tokyo, Japan and paid my respects to Japan's War Dead at the Yasukuni Shrine. I did not honor them for killing my countrymen. I honored them for sacrificing themselves for their country, the same as any of us would do.
WW1 air battles were "the last bastions of chivalry" where pilots - often nobility - engaged in "honourable" duels. Everyone involved in the fight knew it was not Brown who killed the Red Baron, even Brown himself said so. But in this era it was not suitable to give a common machine gunner the credit for the kill, it had to be a pilot.
Yes. The autopsy revealed that the single bullet which killed him entered his body on his right side, followed an upward trajectory and exited his upper left chest.
@@4thamendment237 which means nothing without knowing the orientation of the aircraft at the time the shot landed. Planes dont just sail along in level flight in a straight line. Especially not when theyre being shot at.
@Yuri DeKhed my great grandad is from same part of the world, he was my first hero.... He painted his plane red so the enemy could see him, fuckin balls as big as boulders if ya ask me
I know there was a movie already made about the Red Baron but the story told in this video, if adapted correctly, would make for a much more thoughtful and entertaining experience. With themes about war, suffering, honor and respect, it would really make for something amazing.
Watching this video, at times I was reminded of the excellent Canadian stage play (and musical!) "Billy Bishop Goes To War". Hearing excerpts from Richthofen's diary was like hearing Bishop's letters to his girlfriend. They both dealt with the grief and guilt felt from surviving aerial combat, and the "fame" as their respective reputations grew. I think it would be very interesting to hear a play from the Red Baron's point of view....
I would love to see a well made movie about von Richthofen. The one made in Germany a few years back was pretty poor and the good old Von Richthofen and Brown from 1971 is full of inaccuracies. Question: if a film were made now who should play v. Richthofen?
It was a different era. Many of the soldiers saw themselves as carrying on the chivalrous traditions of the knightly orders of yesteryear. Richthofen was not seen as just the enemy, but as a respected knight who fought valiantly for his cause. Many likely considered the fact that had prewar treaties been different, England and Germany might have very well been on the same side of WWI.
David Heald Jr. Surprisingly, the German and British national anthems during that war used the same tune (and 15 other nations used that tune as either an official national anthem or a secondary patriotic song, but not all at the same time). This is a fact I learned only recently, and I’m 70 years old. I knew about “God Save The Queen” And “America” using the same tune as a child, but only learned about the others from a RUclips video this year.
Gary Daniel Good to know. I found a video on You Tube about all the different countries and eras in which the tune of God Save The Queen was used. I forgot the title, but you can probably find it by searching in YT. Being an American, I learned early in my life that we and the British both use the same tune, but the other 15 examples caught me by surprise! And although I’ve never heard of the musician you cited, I’m sure he plays very well!
respect was indeed Worthy for the red Baron as instead of just shooting the aircraft down since they didn't shoot back he got them to land to talk to them most would just shoot to kill
My grandmother told me stories about her father flying with the baron he flew a reconnaissance aircraft.She said that there were photos of them together.
This is what real soldiers are about. Not the purpose, but the respect. Every enemy today might be your friend tomorrow, and every friend today might be your enemy. Honorable Soldiers don't fight because they hate the enemy, they fight because it's their duty. That's why "in another world, we might have been friends" is such a beautiful and meaningful sentence.
Quite well done. I am a WW1 Aero historian, and have read mountains of books and articles on the Red Baron, and your video is concise, and completely factual (even down to the Australian machine gunner that downed him). In the photo of the wreckage, you can read the names of those present. One is Lt Malcolm Sheehan. His son is a very dear friend of mine, and Secretary of our Historical Society. He is also in the picture of his coffin being borne to the cemetery as he was one of his pallbearers. Well done indeed sir.
A Canadian team of researchers looking into who actually shot down The Red Baron came to the conclusion that an Ozzy Gunner named Cedric Popkin had the very best claim to the shot that took him down.
I believe that the evidence is conclusive. Cedric Popkin nailed the Red Baron from the ground with a Vickers from about 600 yards..a damned good shot.."Do you have someone on the right about 600 yards away who knows what they're doing with a .303? Yes? Well, there's your man." Cedric Popkin...
I'm a Canadian and I remember the official position in school was the Barron was chased by Canadian pilots, but the Aussies were gunning at him from the trenches. His wounds would indicate that he was hit in the side...most likely from the ground. I always believed the Aussies got him. (But the Canadians delivered him on a silver tray🙂 )
Air battles in ww1 were still an elegant affair. Something like a knights duel. You had good chances of landing alive even if you where shot down since those planes could glide well even with the engine out.
we all know that Snoopy got him! after being shot down behind enemy lines, our hero made his way thru no-man's land and found an abandoned anti-aircraft machine gun, and well, he shot once then he shot twice and the rest is history!
The red baron was following the traditions of many hunters in keeping trophies. It may seem morbid to us but it was actually quite common for the time. In fact during the second world war American soldiers were such notorious souvenir collectors that there was an old saying that “the Germans fight for the fatherland, the British fight for the queen and the Americans fight for souvenirs”. The red baron was not the greatest pilot but he was an excellent Hunter, often stalking aircraft that were already partially damaged or off on their own and he was also an excellent shot. He got in close and made the kill quickly most of the time. When he was finally killed he broke all three of his major rules, he pursued a target that was alert to his presence and evading as well as getting low and getting behind enemy lines, three things he had made it a point try to never to do.
Indeed, he broke his own Rules. Considering his state he was in since he was wounded, and based on what he wrote - one may think he wanted to die at that point.
The Flying Circus relied on local air superiority and mobility. MvR could concentrate on making his attack knowing he was being covered by the rest of the Squadron.
@@matt47110815 You are correct Brother Matt . He wanted to go . That is why he broke all of his rules about engaging the enemy on that day . You could even say that he went out on "HIS" own terms . Strength and Honor Brother Matt (19 November 2018 0145 hours)
Jim Humphries Except of course he was. Herman goering became commander of the squadron forming his status as a war hero. There was also a new edition of richthofen's autobiography in the '30.
I don't think he would, most Germany army personal are not of Nazi, Most lunatic came from new formed what they called elite soldier. They're just following order, hell, even some general detest Nazi and tried to assassinate the Hitler. Most soldier that served WW1 for long time don't think war is something to be fond of except Hitlet which he's wound pretty quickly and then hospitalized in the middle of the war. As he stated many times, he's more of sport man than soldier. I think he earned respect because he didn't go for downed airplane for killing.
The Luftwaffe was famously disobedient in regards to the Nazi Party's orders on conduct in battle. He likely would not be tarnished by them. Although he strikes me as WW1's version of Rommel, that had he not died in the war, he would have been a symbol of the wicked defeated enemy. Instead, due to their deaths occurring during the war, they both function as unifying heroes for both sides.
Except had Richtoven made it to the end of the war, he would have been head of the Luftwaffe instead of Goering. Had that been the case, the Battle of Britain would have played out very differently.
I read the book about him years ago.. the final battle Roy Brown was chasing him but in the book the credit was given to a gunner on the ground, an Aussie named Cedric Popkin who was firing at him as he flew over. but I agree, it was a wild last battle... much more than what this man talks about.. the Red Baron was chasing a Sopwith Camel.. British best fighter plane, and another was chasing him.. they were over the Somme river. when the Red Baron went down he crashed on corbie hill. within a day or 2 nothing was left of the plane, as everyone was taking a piece of it.
And mysteriously, the bullet that killed Richthofen disappeared, denying anyone of forensic proof of the gun that killed him. Richthofen's body was interned in an RAF medical centre, and it is believed that there was a lot of jiggery pokery involved in its disappearance. As a Canadian, I can tell you that most Canadian historians believe that Richthofen certainly fell to Australian ground fire.
Apparently the bullet was in his clothing, and we know what round it was. It was certainly Popkin. Unless someone got off an AMAZING shot with a Lee-Enfield lol.
And now the evidence is given to Aussie gunner Robert Buie, using a Lewis gun. The debate goes on. But it certainly isn't Brown that killed Richthofen.
I'm almost tempted to give the credit to Wilfred "Wop" May, the pursued Camel pilot who lured Richthofen to his death. Or even Richthofen himself, who, in pursuing May, broke all of his own rules. Flying too low, flying behind enemy lines, pursuing for over thirty seconds with little deviation in the path, not checking behind him (a speculation in this case, of course), breaking from his unit, concentrating on a fighter as opposed to a recon plane...the list goes on. In failing to kill May, Richthofen contributed (?) to saving hundreds of lives in northern Canada. May was responsible for flying the vaccination formula to a remote area in norther Alberta in late 1928. Read about it. The story is fascinating!
a neat addendum is that wop may was the Pilot in the plane that the red baron was chasing when he was shot down. Wop may later saved thousands of Native canadians when he flew diptheria vaccines to northern alberta in sub zero temperatures. I learned about this because my family was among the people he saved.
Though I am normally very impressed by you Simon today I must add something to your analysis which perhaps because you live overseas is simply not in your wheelhouse. One of the reasons the Red Baron is popular to this day in America is the large number of Germans and people of German descent who not only had immigrated to the United States prior to the World Wars but the many who would join them after. To the descendants of the German people living in America the Red Baron is the last of the truly chivalrous war heroes the man who live long enough to see himself become a villain and by his own arrogance and folly cost him his life. Despite the opportunities to leave the field of battle he chose instead to stay with the men he trained and led. It is like a Greek tragic hero come to life. The fact this man was a German only makes it more poignant for those who long for the days when war made Heroes not merely row upon row of caskets. No matter how far removed from those days any American of German descent is. The Red Baron chivalry in bringing down alive and otherwise unharmed an enemy who could not fire back is always held up as an example of Honor in combat. Those of German descent are inherently a people focused on duty and honor, on hard work and giving credit for one another's skill and Merit. This not only makes them great Americans but it does credit to the culture from which they descend. The Germany that existed before the world wars is a time capsule no one can get back. But the honor and ideals of that time can be reimagined for each new generation. The Dignity of the clockmaker and the blacksmith has become the Professional Pride of the IT Tech and the pipe fitter. But the moral lesson is the same.
angel whispers It would seem that the need for German pride among the descendants of 19th century German immigrants could be amplified by the fact that they came to the US before their homeland was unified as a nation, so that none of their direct ancestors could have accomplished anything notable as Germans, rather than as Bavarians, Hessians, Prussians, Austrians, etc. And there is some irony in that an American of German descent was tapped for the role of leading the allied armies against the German forces in Western Europe during World War II: General Dwight Eisenhower.
Neil Anderson I should have known that, since I worked for Eastern Airlines in the 1970s, and took Air Force ROTC in college in the 1960s, learning military aviation history.
Simon doesn't live "overseas", he's a Brit living in Prague. The writers, editor, and most of the general TIFO crew, though, are definitely American. Just not Simon himself.
@@davef.2811 We tend to look at history in waves. Right now, we won't be doing this here for a while until cooler heads prevail. After a few more years (or decades) we will finally finally accept that you can't deny your own history, and embrace it once again.
Marie Maidyn you can see loads of mistakes just from one scene. Let's take the ending for example, Ernst udet is show preparing to board his aircraft while Richthofen talk with the nurse who never existed. Ernst udet was the lead of jasta four at the time and would have no reason to be there. Not to mention the inaccurate liveries of the aircraft, and the complete fabrication of the character "Freidrich Sternberg" who never existed. Then there is also the problem with Lanoe Hawker flying an S.E.5a which looks nothing like the airco DH.2 that he actually flew when he was shot down by Richthofen.
Wow this story just shows how equally the soilders all thought of each other and despite what side they were on if they were fighting for the right reasons they showed respect for each other
It's interesting to read so many comments lauding the chivalry, honor and nobility of the Baron's war when the situation below was mud and gas, trench-foot, starvation and horror.
Small detail: You refer to the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand as an excuse for a "quick land-grab war". However, the Austrian government had internally agreed _not_ to annex any land; it was more a matter of not reinforcing central command in a dying empire (and letting Serbia get off scot-free for killing the archduke's heir).
Timothy McLean, it's gets funny when you find out the only reason Russia entered the war was because they thought Serbia would be annexed, but if you dig deeper you find out that the war started due to a very unlucky (or lucky for gavrilo) chain of events.
It's even more complicated than that. Tensions in Europe had been rising since the late 19th century. Anarchists were causing trouble and there were fractures in the Austro-Hungarian empire. Russian aggression was an aggravating factor that is often ignored. (I also suspect that Europe was fundamentally unstable as a result of the Napoleonic wars and that WWI was, in some respects, just the next one.)
Monash was one of the greatest generals of the war, and ranks amongst the greatest of the century. It is in his known character to not only sanction a funeral with great honors for an enemy, but to be incensed by the vandalism of the grave. Small men can only see the nose in front of their eyes, but great men can see the world beyond. The photograph with Australian soldiers as an honor guard is testament to Monash’s ability to respect both his own soldiers and his enemy. It is fitting that a great ace would be protected in death by a great general.
+Stewart Meetball I think that he’s up there. Although Karl Smallwood who works with him on Top Tenz Net & this channel is an *awesome* narrator on his own channel, Fact Fiend.
Thank you. He was born on the same day as I was. And I was not previously aware that he was in Prussia, where I have ancestors but doubt the two of us are related because of this. But it is a fun bit of fact to further connect me to a man remembered by his present and onto our time.
![Blox Fruits Dragon Rework Update [Full Stream]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/EqDAp8udhm0/mqdefault.jpg)
He was TWENTY-FIVE when he died. After his head injury, the stuff he wrote reflecting how he really felt about the war is eye-opening. You'd think it was written by an old man.
well, that is pretty much what bob dylan did when he wrote "my back pages" at the age of 23 years old..
to be that young and already questioning what you have done with your life says quite a lot about a persons character.
--------- wiki
Dylan questions whether one can really distinguish between right and wrong, and even questions the desirability of the principle of equality.[7] The lyrics also signal Dylan's disillusionment with the 1960s protest movement and his intention to abandon protest songwriting.[5][6][8] The song effectively analogizes the protest movement to the establishment it is trying to overturn,[4]
--------- lyrics
"Deceived me into thinking
I had something to protect.
Good and bad, I define these terms Quite clear, no doubt, somehow.
Ah, but I was so much older then, I’m younger than that now."
--------- link to the song as performed by the byrds (my favorite version)
ruclips.net/video/OZwncQfvaKk/видео.html
You'll find that in alot of people.
There's an old saying "Marines age in dog years"
Now, its certainly not exclusive to the marines, its just the saying, and could be applied to most any military.
It burns you out, makes you feel older than you really are. At least for most
Written by an old man...or a man suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
You had to grow fast in those days.
After 3 years in the Navy, my parents were surprised to see their teenage son come home an experienced young man.
He died too young 😢💜
He was one of the first who demonstrably mastered air combat, he was good looking, not a showoff, not needlessly cruel and a (minor) noble. He represented everything that was seen praiseworthy at that time.
I do think there were factors which added to his high number of aces. He had more advanced aircraft for much of the war, and was often up against inexperienced pilots.
@@Mitjitsu Still 80 kills are 80 kills…
@@Mitjitsuthat is the goal to fight with better technology that breeds a different but higher level of experience that brings victory. Even his enemies loved him..
He wasn't the first who demonstrably mastered air combat. Immelmann and Boelcke pioneered many of the tactics that the Red Baron employed. Had they not been killed in action, they would have very likely had higher kill counts than him. And I am sure there were also many British, French and American airmen, who were extremely skilled aviators. That being said, the Red Baron is obviously a legendary fighter pilot, ace of aces, but he wasn't the *first* master of air combat.
Here're the two reasons the Red Baron was glorified:
1. He was really good.
2. WW1 air combat was the last vestige of honorable combat from the age of antiquity (compared with knights, roman armies, clashes of 10,000's strong private armies). Meanwhile on the ground and later the sea, MILLIONS DIED for no fault of their own and for no reason nor purpose (literally, people died for no victory or defeat, nothing changed for years). So war propaganda focused on "clean" air combat.
@Jason Bratcher you blame video games and Common Core (which is not a required standard, and is really nothing more than the New Mathematics/Circle of Childhood with a fresh coat of paint) for the "problem" of education (as you see it today).
I think that's absurd. Lay the blame where it belongs--with the PARENTS. Games have zero to do with it. Common Core has zero to do with it. Parents leaving their children to their own devices with nary a thought or care as to what they're ingesting have EVERYTHING to do with it.
And besides, studies have shown--time and again--kids that are skilled at video games have higher IQs, better temperament, test higher, retain information better, and have better problem solving and social skills than that of their non-gaming peers. But let's just sweep all that under the rug, so we can point a finger at the evil bogyman that is video games, just like that Devil's Rock Music back in the 50s-70s, or MTV and Beavis & Butt-Head in the late 80s early 90s, and the internet in the early 2000s. It's always something OTHER than the parent to blame. Little Johnny does bad in school because he plays video games and his teacher hates him. Not because his parents let him skip homework to watch Netflix. Little Johnny is failing in school not because his parents don't enforce a study time, but because he has a learning problem.
It's the bleeding parents that are to blame. Not Video Games, not Common Core.
But you do you mate.
Good points made, Jeremy.. . Last vestiges of honour & chivalry happened in Nord Afrika, with Rommel, Afrika Korps, & Luftwaffe support.. . Richtofen was such an inspiration, what a great talent for writing he displayed, as well!!! Namaste to everyone, now.. Love.
@Artyom Liu - I find it funny that Richthofen is held up as a symbol of a modern-day knight, a chivalrous warrior, when he went out of his way to collect trophies from his vanquished enemies.
In other conflicts, in other contexts, such behavior might rightly be called psychopathic. Imagine the infantryman who cuts off ears of enemies he's killed. Such a soldier might be considered excessively brutal and, if captured by the enemy, might be considered a war criminal.
@@b.santos8804 I don't think you understand the meaning of a trophy. It might be different for a psychopatic serial killer and a man that was stranded in certain circumstances he had absolutely no control of. Von Richthofen was an avid hunter and most probably hunter culture had a great influence on him. Like praying over a kill, breaking a twig from a nearby tree or a bush into three parts and leaving one in the place where you killed a deer, an elk or whatever. Leaving one as a last meal in your kills mouth and taking one with you to remember. And in the end taking a trophy, also as a tool of rememberance. All that has a spiritual meaning and is meant as a tribute to an individual being that gives its life so yours might continue. The tradition itself is probably older than bronze. So I'd assume, although I might be wrong, he treated those trophies with a deep spiritual reverance rather than just wanking off to a murder like a serial killer would do. I doubt he took body parts of fallen soldiers as trophies. Meaning and context matters.
Those millions died in a war of attrition, Germany didnt surrender until they lost a shitton of their soldiers, the same would have been true if it was the Entente.
4:13 "I must say I felt like replying 'I am afraid', but this is a word which should never be used by a man who defends his country."
What an absolute legend.
Really shows how times have changed
yall idolize the weirdest shlt
Ah!He must be a racist then!
He's the right colour anyway,right folks?!?😁👍🏻
He was one of my heros when I was a kid. Reading about him, he seemed so unique, larger than life, a man from myth and legend and along with his red plane, he was truly something special.
Weird, I'm Canadian and distinctly remember in school learning that an Australia ground soldier shot him down. They mentioned Brown got credit, but it was widely settled that Brown didn't shoot him.
That's what I heard too. We killed him, we buried him with fully military honours. Something that would be perfectly normal for Aussies to do (although not necessarily exclusively, others may be like minded) I didn't realise until now that Monash was in the area. From what I've heard about him he wouldn't have taken any petty garbage over it.
He was most likely shot down by Australian ground forces. Although Brown claimed he was the one who shot him down till the day he died. Research and evidence pretty much show he was killed by a bullet that came from the ground.
I believe it was the ground troops that shot old Red! It just makes sense given the circumstances.
4 or 5 people claimed his death because they al where shooting at him at the same time
The Aussie that killed him was Cedric Popkin, although there is a claim from a different Aussie soldier. It definitely happened during Operation Michael in the Somme. Shot him with a .30 caliber machine gun bullet in his right armpit and it tore all the way through his chest to his heart. His last words as he was bleeding to death were literally “I am kaput” according to some Aussies who came up on the crash.
Outfreakinstanding! He did his duty and kept his honor clean, no more could a warrior ask for.
The final 'for' is grammatically incorrect and totally unnecessary. When will Yanks learn English?
@@SpeccyMan Oh fuck off!
Nick B Go fuck yourself
@@SpeccyMan Fuck off.
@@SpeccyMan Go Fuck yourself
Man and machine and nothing there in between
A flying circus and a man from Prussia
The sky and a plane, this man commands his domain
The western front and all the way to Russia
Death from above, you’re under fire
Stained red as blood, he’s roaming higher
Born a soldier from the horseback to the skies
That’s where the legend will arise
And he’s flying
Higher, the king of the sky
He’s flying too fast and he’s flying too high
Higher, an eye for an eye
The legend will never die
First to the scene he is a lethal machine
It’s bloody April and the tide is turning
Fire at will it is the thrill of the kill
Four in a day shot down with engines burning
Embrace the fame, red squadron leader
Call out his name Rote Kampfflieger
In the game to win, a gambler rolls the dice
80 allies paid the price
Higher!
Higher, the king of the sky
He’s flying too fast and he’s flying too high
He's flying higher, an eye for an eye
The legend will never die
Higher!
Born a soldier, from the horseback to the skies
And the legend never dies
And he’s flying
And he’s flying
And he’s flying
Sabaton fans UNITE!
Sabaton forever!
Sabaton!
RoboDoc hahaha, nice!
For sabaton
This video was great. I like how the French called him “Our Gallant And Worthy Foe” that is cool how although they were fighting against each other they still had respect for him
You were not paying attention it was the British not the french who dubbed him a gallant and worthy foe
And they later desecrated the tomb, so you really haven't been paying attention... with the other 71 people who thumbed up your post.
@@doigt6590 my bad
Red baron The legend Never die and "King of the sky"
Sabaton hm?
@@The_Bastard686 yes
And he's flyin'
osmacar HIGHER KING OF THE SKY
*HIGHER*
the story of the allied forces honoring the fallen red baron illustrates quite effectively how we truly live in a different time nowadays. in far more ways than most realize
The Germans did the same thing for Quentin Roosevelt.
nowadays honor is a bit harder to come by
which is part of my point that we live in a different time
History moves in cycles. We are starting to slide into a new dark age again, ww3 seems more likely with every passing day.
sad but true
I Live in Wiesbaden (Germany) and have Seen the Grave quiet often as it is on the Main Cemetry here.
Lyonel
Well leave me some flowers next time.I would tell you to have a drink in my honor but,you might not be of age.lol
I was stationed in Galstadt from 1985-1987 . I met my husband at Grafenwoehr . He was a tank commander in the Bundeswehr and his family lived in Wiesbaden . I saw a grave , it was nice as graves go . (19 November 2018 0140 hours)
quite often, freund.
What do you make of Simon's pronunciations of "Freiherr" (1:02) and "Wiesbaden" (15:04)?
@@AlumniQuad It was a good attempt (22 November 2018 0845 hours)
Honour and chivalry aside, it sounds like he was suffering from post-traumatic stress by the way he described the grim chandelier. He blamed it on his head wound, but it sounds like it started way before that. Understandable when you are killing one person every fortnight for four years, and watching them plummet to the ground.
He first shot down a plane in Sep. 1916 and he died in April '18, so he wasn't killing for four years but nearly 19 months
John Donovan - I think he was suffering from post-traumatic stress and also clinical depression in the end. I read that his mother said, on visits home, that his personality changed, he became quiet and withdrawn and was haunted by the deaths of the pilots he had shot down.
Miss Shuck
War is hell. You never forget the ones you killed. Even if you had no choice it never leaves your thoughts. A sound a smell something on tv brings it all back. I can’t imagine any reason for war. Those who are all for it have probably never experienced it
@@chrisj197438 - I so agree with you. For many people the war doesn't just stop when they arrive back home, it just continues and often there is no escape.
A head wound can also change your personality and your brain function. It is said that he preached a rigorous gospel of rules for dogfighting, yet in his last flight, he broke several of his own rules, most costly that he fixated on one thing to the effect of causing him to fly a predictable straight and level path long enough for someone to get a clean shot at him.
A man's man, he knew death is coming, refused to back down, kept doing sorties, did the duty, died by it.
A fine video on the Red Barron. I was obsessed with learning his history for a while and I read his autobiography, the Little Red Battle Wagon, and a couple of other books. He indeed seemed a decent fellow who was just doing his duty as a soldier. I was impressed with how much he desired to keep his fellow pilots alive, and how he used his contacts with the Kaiser to push the aircraft manufacturers into constantly improving their planes.
A hero and a legend. The Red Baron was the real deal.
Richthofen's greatest legacy was not only the fact he did no less his job than the lowliest soldier, but that his aerobatic tactics are required study at every American war college including Annapolis, The Air Force Academy, and Westpoint (home of another German hero Rommel) This man and Joseph Immel were great aviators and good men who simply did their duty to their country as any nation's military would.
This was a time when honor was rule rather than the exception.
Different times.
I don`t want to seem like an asshole though, but they were after personal glory and victory, most of the solo wolf pilots (Werner Voss, Richthofens closest friend, to mention one) were all shot down with team tactics with scant regard to "honor" or chivalry.
Richthofen himself led about 30-40 planes into combat every time he went out, and they certainly didnt care whether they met 10 planes (hardly chivalrous) or 50 planes (foolhardy).
Mostly honor was just something they talked about in public to romanticize the brutal early days of air to air combat, and lure more meat into the grinder.
sir you are ether a helpless romantic or a twit. I am going with a helpless romantic as I like to be nice to people.
the funeral, as was stated in the vid, was purely a publicity stunt. it was even heled up so members of the press would have time to get to the town for the event.
the story of the commander sending for the local town boss seems to be untrue to. as the commander could not have moved his HQ without war office approval. something that would not have happened. also the French towns people would have be more than happy the see them go as they did not like having the British and commonwealth troops on there door step. so the supposed threat was empty and would have in fact been welcomed by the locals.
remember most French people resented the British troops as they still blamed the British for the Germans having got so deep into France in 1914/15. also his grave was finally moved the Germany because it was repeatedly vandalised by the locals as the war went on and even after the war was over. so the vandalism was never stopped adding strength to the argument that the treat to relocate was never made.
The French population did not just wish the british troops to be gone from their doorstep because of questionable reactions in 14/15 it was also because simply if an army camps in your backyard your backyard is more likely to be shelled as if they would not be there. Plus that every backyard shelling inevitably brings some shots right into your house aswell due to mishaps or deliberatly aimed.
Like the honour to kill millions over nothing? Smh...
To die in battle is a sign of diplomacy gone wrong. Maybe it is time to honour diplomats instead of soldiers.
you'll know a foe is so good when even an enemy pay respect to him/her.
As a kid the Blue Max was one of my favorite movies so that in turn made me aware of the air war of WWI. My favorite pilot was Werner Voss.
Did you ever play the board game :)
My fav was Werner Voss too.
It's a shame how all the historians claim he could have gotten away with just climbing, that's a load of nonsense.
His squadron was tangled in with a mix of Camel's, Spad's and SE5's, he was jumped by a whole flight of ace piloted SE5's , and there were more Camel's and Spad's above.
He didn't have enough time to shoot any one of them down, so his only choice was to try and force off the engagement, i.e shock them enough that they'd call it quits.
If it had been any lesser pilots he had fought against, he would have succeeded.
What killed Voss (and what was actually a detriment to B-flight) was that B-flight had aces down to nearly every man, they weren't gonna quit that easily.
Voss was shot down, yes, but B-flight no longer beamed the air of invincibility, confidence and spirit they once had... 3 members of B-flight suffered shock/PTSD and were posted elsewhere, Arthur Rhys-Davis (who was spared by Kurt Wolff in an earlier engagement) was killed just 1 month later despite all the skill and experience he accrued, my theory being the way Voss fought made him realize that even with superior numbers and machines you are still exposed to danger, making him so jumpy he simply ran out of focus and was killed as a result.
Even Mccudden was rattled enough that this fight, combined with his high altitude stunts, lead to him staying on for just 4 months more before fatigued enough that he was relegated to a desk-job for a good while.
Werner Voss, in his totally silver-painted triplane, was shot down during a fight with 5 of the best allied pilots and was considered the best fighter of them all! He shot down 48 planes, before his untimely death.
@@finncarlbomholtsrensen1188 The fatal dogfight actually involved 8 Allied planes, with Voss damaging 7 of them. The thing that makes it truly extraordinary in terms of Voss' courage, daring, and aggressiveness was that he never sought to flee. He knew he was heavily outnumbered, but he turned in and took 'em all on. What a bad-ass! Twisting, maneuvering, slip-turning, flying directly at them, sliding sideways in the air with his guns wide open, he died a hero's death.
It's estimated that the engagement lasted about 8 minutes but it probably felt more like 8 months to those Brits. 😉
My grandfather was born in the late 1800s. Was a member of the RAF, and flew a sopwith camel (and hated Snoopy!). He also flew combat, and did battle with... the Red Baron!
The term “Flying Circus” must have impressed a group of British comedy actor/writers around 1970 or so.
Flying Circuses, circuses with high wire and trapeze acrobats in colorful attire, were already popular travelling attractions before the war.
But Baron Richtofen’s circus was literally flying! The Monty Python show wasn’t, but that was a very funny title!
We should do a serious thing (television presenting) in the least most serious way. Double points if we can be an affront to the last most greatest generation.
Gary Daniel And a flying buttress most certainly doesn’t fly!
Allan Richardson This bird has ceased to be!
A sad effect if his death was that after his death, his second in command took command of the squadron and became regarded as a war hero through reflected glory. He later used this fame for political purposes and rose high in the ranks of the Nazi party. A fellow named Herman Goering.
I did not know that.
Holy shit this story half checks out. Göring took over red baron's second after his death though. But thanks for sharing anyways.
Actually, probably a very good thing that a morphine-addicted bootlicker like Goering was the Luftwaffe head in WWII. A man like Richtofen would have been a far more formidable adversary.
I was just about to post that...good call!
quite so
It's nice to know that people actually take the time to dig into my history and actually get to know me better it's really nice that these videos are out there.😊
Yeah well I ain't forgot about u shooting down my dog Snoopy😉
😂😂😂
“His machine gun ornaments the entrance of my dwelling” yup I’m a fan
It is now believed that an Australian gunner, either Sgt. Cedric Popkin or William John ‘Snowy’ Evans, killed him from the ground.
@Jasta 2 The Germans didn't want to believe that their hero could be bested by ANY pilot, and so wished to believe that MvR was killed by ground fire. The Royal Flying Corps were not going to let an Australian Machine Gunner take credit, and so credited Brown with the victory, though it could not have been him. It was known immediately, as Brown had left the combat, and MvR was still manoeuvring after he left (something you cannot do after being shot through the heart).Two rudimentary autopsies were conducted on his corpse and proved he was killed by ground fire. Regardless, the Australian Flying Corps gave him a dignified burial, with a guard of honor and pallbearers being made up from their pilots and observers.
I saw that documentary on the History Chanel
It was most likely Popkin. Bullet entered on right side and exited higher on his left chest. Not only was the trajectory from lower to higher indicating it was coming from the ground, it would have also been difficult for Brown to shoot Richthofen on the right side and out the left side if he were above him and behind him. It just looked better for an RAF pilot and an officer to have bested Richthofen in aerial combat than an enlisted man shooting from the ground and getting a single lucky shot.
@@4thamendment237 that is , assuming the plane was completely level at the time. Which is highly unlikely.
No-one will ever KNOW, but all the evidence points to an Australian Infantry machine gunner.
I recommend to anyone interested, reading Manfred von Richthofen's memoirs/diary under the title The Red Baron, translated by Peter Kilduff. Very good read!
I've read that book. Are you talking about Life and Death of Ace? A very good book.
does it have the original German language or only the "translations"? I read German fluently and don't always trust translations.
Sounds like a good book, I wonder if I can get it off of Amazon
Royal Guardsman, “Snoopy and the Red Baron”, great song from my childhood.
As a professor of History myself at a Midwestern University, I must say you did a fine job of research. The story you are relaying is quite true and accurate. Well done! Regarding respect, there is nothing wrong with respecting your enemy. I visited Tokyo, Japan and paid my respects to Japan's War Dead at the Yasukuni Shrine. I did not honor them for killing my countrymen. I honored them for sacrificing themselves for their country, the same as any of us would do.
Heavy. In late August 20/20 in the US, it is powerful to see what respect for humanity and honor looks like.
Imagine being the machine gunner who shot him down just for some pilot to get the credit for it.
WW1 air battles were "the last bastions of chivalry" where pilots - often nobility - engaged in "honourable" duels. Everyone involved in the fight knew it was not Brown who killed the Red Baron, even Brown himself said so. But in this era it was not suitable to give a common machine gunner the credit for the kill, it had to be a pilot.
Cedric Bassett Popkin was the Australian machine gunner. He lived less than half an hour away from my grandparents.
it was never proven, but it points to ground fire
Yes. The autopsy revealed that the single bullet which killed him entered his body on his right side, followed an upward trajectory and exited his upper left chest.
@@4thamendment237 which means nothing without knowing the orientation of the aircraft at the time the shot landed. Planes dont just sail along in level flight in a straight line. Especially not when theyre being shot at.
A great man caught up in a terrible event.
RIP Baron!
Paul Simmons
Thank you for your kind words!
you know he wasn't an actual baron right?
@@Fabian-wx6gw I think everyone knows that.
🎵Up in the sky, a man in a plane!
Baron von Richthofen was his name
80 men tried
80 men died
Now they’re buried together on the countryside🎵
Ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty or more... The Bloody Red Baron was rollin' up the score....
I like that rhyme
ruclips.net/video/u_nHdUimSi8/видео.html
Most excellent comment!
John Jewell too bad it’s not Christmas time! We could be singing that song, too!
The text is only visible after it's been read aloud.
I find this to be ineffective.
oh
What text?
Been my hero since I was 7 yrs old, I'm 58 now n still admire this man among men
@Yuri DeKhed my great grandad is from same part of the world, he was my first hero.... He painted his plane red so the enemy could see him, fuckin balls as big as boulders if ya ask me
I know there was a movie already made about the Red Baron but the story told in this video, if adapted correctly, would make for a much more thoughtful and entertaining experience. With themes about war, suffering, honor and respect, it would really make for something amazing.
Watching this video, at times I was reminded of the excellent Canadian stage play (and musical!) "Billy Bishop Goes To War". Hearing excerpts from Richthofen's diary was like hearing Bishop's letters to his girlfriend. They both dealt with the grief and guilt felt from surviving aerial combat, and the "fame" as their respective reputations grew. I think it would be very interesting to hear a play from the Red Baron's point of view....
Most ww1 movies never depict thd albatros aircraft used extensively by germany during ww1.
I would love to see a well made movie about von Richthofen. The one made in Germany a few years back was pretty poor and the good old Von Richthofen and Brown from 1971 is full of inaccuracies. Question: if a film were made now who should play v. Richthofen?
It was a different era. Many of the soldiers saw themselves as carrying on the chivalrous traditions of the knightly orders of yesteryear. Richthofen was not seen as just the enemy, but as a respected knight who fought valiantly for his cause. Many likely considered the fact that had prewar treaties been different, England and Germany might have very well been on the same side of WWI.
David Heald Jr. Surprisingly, the German and British national anthems during that war used the same tune (and 15 other nations used that tune as either an official national anthem or a secondary patriotic song, but not all at the same time). This is a fact I learned only recently, and I’m 70 years old.
I knew about “God Save The Queen” And “America” using the same tune as a child, but only learned about the others from a RUclips video this year.
Gary Daniel Good to know. I found a video on You Tube about all the different countries and eras in which the tune of God Save The Queen was used. I forgot the title, but you can probably find it by searching in YT. Being an American, I learned early in my life that we and the British both use the same tune, but the other 15 examples caught me by surprise!
And although I’ve never heard of the musician you cited, I’m sure he plays very well!
well, we did share a royal family!
casinodelonge All of Europe once shared a royal family, and a deadly mutation which started in Victoria, the sex linked hemophilia gene.
Stupid von schlieffen
Snoopy HATED this guy....
*angry beagle noises*
Yes he did...
@@manfredvonrichthofen1754 oh no don't shoot my Gotha G.V
Fine.....
Manfred Von Richthofen
This is all *YOUR FAULT*
respect was indeed Worthy for the red Baron as instead of just shooting the aircraft down since they didn't shoot back he got them to land to talk to them most would just shoot to kill
Neil Anderson i know i have german ancestors though more irish i have a mix color hair
I have to agree. That was singularly impressive to me.
That dude is buried like 15 mins away from my old house, cool to see the grave of such a legendary warrior.
"To a gallant and worthy foe"... such displays of Honor, brings tears to my eyes.
wow, such an amazing example of good sportmanship
My grandmother told me stories about her father flying with the baron he flew a reconnaissance aircraft.She said that there were photos of them together.
Of course in the early part of the war, the officer was the observer being chauffeured around by a Sgt pilot!
So too my cousin Homeyer
I was told that I am realeted to the red Barron and all of my family says we are too.
Where are those at? Would love to see them.
wow
i wonder if he was kind
0:36 I am watching this while cooking a red baron pizza
French bread or deep dish single?
This is what real soldiers are about. Not the purpose, but the respect.
Every enemy today might be your friend tomorrow, and every friend today might be your enemy. Honorable Soldiers don't fight because they hate the enemy, they fight because it's their duty. That's why "in another world, we might have been friends" is such a beautiful and meaningful sentence.
Quite well done. I am a WW1 Aero historian, and have read mountains of books and articles on the Red Baron, and your video is concise, and completely factual (even down to the Australian machine gunner that downed him). In the photo of the wreckage, you can read the names of those present. One is Lt Malcolm Sheehan. His son is a very dear friend of mine, and Secretary of our Historical Society. He is also in the picture of his coffin being borne to the cemetery as he was one of his pallbearers. Well done indeed sir.
A Canadian team of researchers looking into who actually shot down The Red Baron came to the conclusion that an Ozzy Gunner named Cedric Popkin had the very best claim to the shot that took him down.
yup. Canadians can be that humble and nice sometimes. we arent all buffoons.
Nope but us ozzies are
I believe that the evidence is conclusive. Cedric Popkin nailed the Red Baron from the ground with a Vickers from about 600 yards..a damned good shot.."Do you have someone on the right about 600 yards away who knows what they're doing with a .303? Yes? Well, there's your man." Cedric Popkin...
I'm a Canadian and I remember the official position in school was the Barron was chased by Canadian pilots, but the Aussies were gunning at him from the trenches. His wounds would indicate that he was hit in the side...most likely from the ground.
I always believed the Aussies got him. (But the Canadians delivered him on a silver tray🙂 )
MrMacnova Was he a ground gun guy?
The priest at the Red Baron's funeral asked him, "what do you want on your Tombstone?"
Dead Frt West -- His answer was, "Surprise me."
I saw what you did there!
-- Blushes --
Pamela Mays
You did? I didn't... it's all covered in tomato sauce and cheese
What makes this funny is there is Tombstone Brand and the Red Baron Brand of frozen
"That's it! Squidward, this ship belongs to the Red Baron!" -SpongeBob
Which episode is it?
@@ksuma715 Shanghaied
It's widely known that Snoopy after many failed attempts is the one who finally shot down the Red Baron... There's even a song about it.
That song was just before this video. Small world!
Air battles in ww1 were still an elegant affair. Something like a knights duel. You had good chances of landing alive even if you where shot down since those planes could glide well even with the engine out.
Eating a Red Baron pizza while watching
Is the pizza called il Barone rosso?
I was eating snoopy
Curse you Red Toucan!!
Gross frozen pizza is terrible
Danielle Spargo You’re supposed to bake it first. 😜
we all know that Snoopy got him! after being shot down behind enemy lines, our hero made his way thru no-man's land and found an abandoned anti-aircraft machine gun, and well, he shot once then he shot twice and the rest is history!
hahaha, I always think of snoppy when i hear sopwith camel.
And hes flying,
And hes flying
Ans hes flying
Higher,
king of the sky
Hes flying too fast,
Hes flying too high
I only clicked on this video to see this comment
Thunderbirdlead yeeee
Thunderbirdlead FIRST TO THE SCENE HE IS A LETHAL MACHINE ITS BLOODY APRIL AND THE TIDE IS TURNING
Higher, an eye for an eye
His legend will never die.
in the game to win the gambler rolls the dice
Sabaton fans, let’s start a lyric chain:
Man and machine and nothing there in between
The Flying Circus and a man from Prussia!
The sky and a plane, this man commands his domain
The wester front all the way to Russia
Death from above, you’re under fire
Stained red as blood, he’s roaming higher
The best fighter pilot of all time!!!! Especially flying a stringbag plane!!!! A heroic feat itself!!!!!!
💪🇩🇪
He was a great Ace but not the best that goes to Eric Hartman
The red baron was following the traditions of many hunters in keeping trophies. It may seem morbid to us but it was actually quite common for the time. In fact during the second world war American soldiers were such notorious souvenir collectors that there was an old saying that “the Germans fight for the fatherland, the British fight for the queen and the Americans fight for souvenirs”. The red baron was not the greatest pilot but he was an excellent Hunter, often stalking aircraft that were already partially damaged or off on their own and he was also an excellent shot. He got in close and made the kill quickly most of the time. When he was finally killed he broke all three of his major rules, he pursued a target that was alert to his presence and evading as well as getting low and getting behind enemy lines, three things he had made it a point try to never to do.
Indeed, he broke his own Rules. Considering his state he was in since he was wounded, and based on what he wrote - one may think he wanted to die at that point.
The Flying Circus relied on local air superiority and mobility. MvR could concentrate on making his attack knowing he was being covered by the rest of the Squadron.
@@matt47110815 You are correct Brother Matt . He wanted to go . That is why he broke all of his rules about engaging the enemy on that day . You could even say that he went out on "HIS" own terms . Strength and Honor Brother Matt (19 November 2018 0145 hours)
It's really for the best he died when he did, so he was never tarnished by the Nazis.
Jim Humphries
Except of course he was. Herman goering became commander of the squadron forming his status as a war hero. There was also a new edition of richthofen's autobiography in the '30.
I don't think he would, most Germany army personal are not of Nazi, Most lunatic came from new formed what they called elite soldier. They're just following order, hell, even some general detest Nazi and tried to assassinate the Hitler. Most soldier that served WW1 for long time don't think war is something to be fond of except Hitlet which he's wound pretty quickly and then hospitalized in the middle of the war.
As he stated many times, he's more of sport man than soldier. I think he earned respect because he didn't go for downed airplane for killing.
Vertutame yeah I understand most “Nazis” where not full on national socialist but the propaganda department would have a hay day.
The Luftwaffe was famously disobedient in regards to the Nazi Party's orders on conduct in battle. He likely would not be tarnished by them. Although he strikes me as WW1's version of Rommel, that had he not died in the war, he would have been a symbol of the wicked defeated enemy. Instead, due to their deaths occurring during the war, they both function as unifying heroes for both sides.
Except had Richtoven made it to the end of the war, he would have been head of the Luftwaffe instead of Goering.
Had that been the case, the Battle of Britain would have played out very differently.
I did my first social studies fair project on the Red Baron in 5th grade so I’ll be very interested in this video
Thank you for all your Love.
Honourable man. Respect from England.
02:50
So the poor old ostrich died for nothing... :(
I understood that reference.
If only Archie Duke hadn't been so Hungry!
@Yuri DeKhed
Boom Boom Boom?
What about the Bizarre Russian??
rip
I read the book about him years ago.. the final battle Roy Brown was chasing him but in the book the credit was given to a gunner on the ground, an Aussie named Cedric Popkin who was firing at him as he flew over. but I agree, it was a wild last battle... much more than what this man talks about.. the Red Baron was chasing a Sopwith Camel.. British best fighter plane, and another was chasing him.. they were over the Somme river. when the Red Baron went down he crashed on corbie hill. within a day or 2 nothing was left of the plane, as everyone was taking a piece of it.
And mysteriously, the bullet that killed Richthofen disappeared, denying anyone of forensic proof of the gun that killed him. Richthofen's body was interned in an RAF medical centre, and it is believed that there was a lot of jiggery pokery involved in its disappearance. As a Canadian, I can tell you that most Canadian historians believe that Richthofen certainly fell to Australian ground fire.
Apparently the bullet was in his clothing, and we know what round it was. It was certainly Popkin. Unless someone got off an AMAZING shot with a Lee-Enfield lol.
And now the evidence is given to Aussie gunner Robert Buie, using a Lewis gun. The debate goes on. But it certainly isn't Brown that killed Richthofen.
Well that's interesting! well at least it's surely someone down there lol.
I'm almost tempted to give the credit to Wilfred "Wop" May, the pursued Camel pilot who lured Richthofen to his death. Or even Richthofen himself, who, in pursuing May, broke all of his own rules. Flying too low, flying behind enemy lines, pursuing for over thirty seconds with little deviation in the path, not checking behind him (a speculation in this case, of course), breaking from his unit, concentrating on a fighter as opposed to a recon plane...the list goes on.
In failing to kill May, Richthofen contributed (?) to saving hundreds of lives in northern Canada. May was responsible for flying the vaccination formula to a remote area in norther Alberta in late 1928. Read about it. The story is fascinating!
In Germany we call him ,,der Rote Baron“
Simon is a G, and so is everybody that works with him to make these videos happen, thank you guys
a neat addendum is that wop may was the Pilot in the plane that the red baron was chasing when he was shot down. Wop may later saved thousands of Native canadians when he flew diptheria vaccines to northern alberta in sub zero temperatures. I learned about this because my family was among the people he saved.
i'll have to read more on Richtofen. He seems much more complex and thoughtful than i had believed -
The expert pizza maker.
Agreed 🤘🤘
Though I am normally very impressed by you Simon today I must add something to your analysis which perhaps because you live overseas is simply not in your wheelhouse. One of the reasons the Red Baron is popular to this day in America is the large number of Germans and people of German descent who not only had immigrated to the United States prior to the World Wars but the many who would join them after.
To the descendants of the German people living in America the Red Baron is the last of the truly chivalrous war heroes the man who live long enough to see himself become a villain and by his own arrogance and folly cost him his life. Despite the opportunities to leave the field of battle he chose instead to stay with the men he trained and led. It is like a Greek tragic hero come to life.
The fact this man was a German only makes it more poignant for those who long for the days when war made Heroes not merely row upon row of caskets.
No matter how far removed from those days any American of German descent is. The Red Baron chivalry in bringing down alive and otherwise unharmed an enemy who could not fire back is always held up as an example of Honor in combat.
Those of German descent are inherently a people focused on duty and honor, on hard work and giving credit for one another's skill and Merit. This not only makes them great Americans but it does credit to the culture from which they descend. The Germany that existed before the world wars is a time capsule no one can get back. But the honor and ideals of that time can be reimagined for each new generation.
The Dignity of the clockmaker and the blacksmith has become the Professional Pride of the IT Tech and the pipe fitter. But the moral lesson is the same.
angel whispers It would seem that the need for German pride among the descendants of 19th century German immigrants could be amplified by the fact that they came to the US before their homeland was unified as a nation, so that none of their direct ancestors could have accomplished anything notable as Germans, rather than as Bavarians, Hessians, Prussians, Austrians, etc.
And there is some irony in that an American of German descent was tapped for the role of leading the allied armies against the German forces in Western Europe during World War II: General Dwight Eisenhower.
Neil Anderson I should have known that, since I worked for Eastern Airlines in the 1970s, and took Air Force ROTC in college in the 1960s, learning military aviation history.
Simon doesn't live "overseas", he's a Brit living in Prague.
The writers, editor, and most of the general TIFO crew, though, are definitely American. Just not Simon himself.
What a load of rubbish
I'll just second another comment:
"What a load of rubbish".
Thanks very much for this outstanding documentary
The Royal Guardsman's song has new poignant meaning
Published on my sons 30th birthday. I really enjoyed this. Thank you
0:43
Same reason we celebrate Robert E Lee and Stonewall Jackson along with Most Confederates!
It would appear that we won't be doing that anymore here....
@@davef.2811 We tend to look at history in waves. Right now, we won't be doing this here for a while until cooler heads prevail. After a few more years (or decades) we will finally finally accept that you can't deny your own history, and embrace it once again.
Respect is burying an enemy with dignity not putting up a statue. You think france has a red baron statue?
Who's we????
Theres something to be said about honor among warriors even those from across the lines of conflict
Very cool story. Thanks!
He was a poet. That narrative is outstanding!
I love your delivery and detailed presentation. My hat is off to your researchers and writers.
HE’S FLYING TOO FAST AND HE’S FLYING TOO HIGH!!!!
The flying gloves taken from his body are on display in the Australian War Memorial.
I once saw a very good movie about him, 2008's "The Red Baron"
Eh, the red Baron (2008) was okay. It's pretty inaccurate though.
Max W. ...It would certainly seem so
Marie Maidyn you can see loads of mistakes just from one scene. Let's take the ending for example, Ernst udet is show preparing to board his aircraft while Richthofen talk with the nurse who never existed. Ernst udet was the lead of jasta four at the time and would have no reason to be there. Not to mention the inaccurate liveries of the aircraft, and the complete fabrication of the character "Freidrich Sternberg" who never existed. Then there is also the problem with Lanoe Hawker flying an S.E.5a which looks nothing like the airco DH.2 that he actually flew when he was shot down by Richthofen.
The God-Emperor Of Mankind yeah. Or flyboys!
Max W. ...Maybe I was taken with the noble performance of the star/character
As a flying instructor, getting to know that the biggest ACE ever crashed in his solo gives me a new perspective. Nice
Hope for the rest of us…
I had been reading a lot of peanuts the last month. After seeing this video so much of it has started to make sense. Great video!
I imagine Red Baron's exploits whenever I play a video game about airplaine/jet plane fights
kirby march Barcena I think of yellow 13 from ace combat 4. Definitely the red baron was an inspiration for him.
He's that guy Snoopy keeps fighting.
*angry beagle noises*
Snoopy was never treated for PTSD. He just relives it over and over.
HIGHER, THE KING OF THE SKY
HE'S FLYING TOO FAST AND HE'S FLYING TOO HIGH
HIGHER, AN EYE FOR AN EYE
The legend will never die!
Wow this story just shows how equally the soilders all thought of each other and despite what side they were on if they were fighting for the right reasons they showed respect for each other
It's interesting to read so many comments lauding the chivalry, honor and nobility of the Baron's war when the situation below was mud and gas, trench-foot, starvation and horror.
Very interesting, always admired the Red Baron.🤔
Charles Borden same I'm a plane fanatic
Small detail: You refer to the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand as an excuse for a "quick land-grab war". However, the Austrian government had internally agreed _not_ to annex any land; it was more a matter of not reinforcing central command in a dying empire (and letting Serbia get off scot-free for killing the archduke's heir).
Timothy McLean, it's gets funny when you find out the only reason Russia entered the war was because they thought Serbia would be annexed, but if you dig deeper you find out that the war started due to a very unlucky (or lucky for gavrilo) chain of events.
It's even more complicated than that. Tensions in Europe had been rising since the late 19th century. Anarchists were causing trouble and there were fractures in the Austro-Hungarian empire. Russian aggression was an aggravating factor that is often ignored. (I also suspect that Europe was fundamentally unstable as a result of the Napoleonic wars and that WWI was, in some respects, just the next one.)
Everyone knows that Snoopy shot down the Bloody Red Baron....
Monash was one of the greatest generals of the war, and ranks amongst the greatest of the century. It is in his known character to not only sanction a funeral with great honors for an enemy, but to be incensed by the vandalism of the grave. Small men can only see the nose in front of their eyes, but great men can see the world beyond. The photograph with Australian soldiers as an honor guard is testament to Monash’s ability to respect both his own soldiers and his enemy. It is fitting that a great ace would be protected in death by a great general.
You could have a channel specifically for for all the flying aces of the 2 World Wars. There are some amazing stories out there...
You should do a video about the German WWII Fighter Ace Eric Hartman
Still think Simon is the best narrator on RUclips
+Stewart Meetball I think that he’s up there. Although Karl Smallwood who works with him on Top Tenz Net & this channel is an *awesome* narrator on his own channel, Fact Fiend.
A true Hero.
Thank you. He was born on the same day as I was. And I was not previously aware that he was in Prussia, where I have ancestors but doubt the two of us are related because of this. But it is a fun bit of fact to further connect me to a man remembered by his present and onto our time.
Please do an episode on history's greatest flying ace, Erich Hartmann!
Yes a good Ace I hate when people call him a Nazi
He was only 25 when he died too.
0:44 Every German:
Well, you named it. He was a German fighter pilot and fought against the allies
Aussie gunner Sgt Evens is the one with the best explained possible shot.
@Yuri DeKhed however he himself wrote a letter explaining where and how he shot at the baron in the other Docu.
@Yuri DeKhed not according the docu, he was at the wrong angles when the plane circled and went down.
@Yuri DeKhed ruclips.net/video/rAktSWz55zY/видео.html offers better evidence than just talking..
@Yuri DeKhed which includes Popkin's own words how he engaged the baron at the wrong angles for the killing blow, ok sounds legit.
@Yuri DeKhed LOL sure man, they faked the letter they showed......
Respect is earned, not given. He earned it. And therefore received it. He may have well been hated, but he was respected
I'm reminded of a quote that Albert Ball is supposed to have said, "I don't like this game anymore." By 1918 Richthofen would have agreed.