A History Of Military 'Friendly Fire' | Who's Sorry | Timeline
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- Опубликовано: 28 апр 2017
- A look at the tragic consequences of underestimating the enemy. During the Second World War, the British commander of Singapore believed it to be an impregnable fortress until a numerically inferior Japanese Army overran it. Similarly, 12 years on, the French lost the mountain garrison at Dien Bien Phu after failing to anticipate the resourcefulness of General Giap and his Vietmanese peasant army.
We have long saluted military genius and bravery. But the other side of the coin is military incompetence - a largely preventable, tragically expensive, yet totally absorbing aspect of human behaviour.
From the Crusades to Vietnam, history is littered with examples of stupidity, obduracy, brutality and sheer breath-taking incompetence. Lack of communication, technological failure and a misplaced sense of superiority have led to the deaths of thousands of ordinary soldiers, let down by their masters and betrayed by arrogance. Using a combination of history, human interest and archive footage underpinned by powerful story-telling, Great Military Blunders charts man’s folly and cruelty in a series of stunning debacles, spanning almost a thousand years of conflict.
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"I can't understand it, I left a thousand men there” Lord Chelmsford, on hearing that Isandlwana camp had been overrun.
However they the British were strung out and disorganised when the battle started, and outnumbered 10-1.
“We learn from history that we do not learn from history.” - Georg Hegel Thank you for a great documentary.
Somehow I doubt that Hegel actually meant what we think it means. He didn’t mean it like we mean which is an indication that we want to avoid mistakes from being made. I think Hegel was more making an observation of how history is since he promoted a dialectic view of history.
Know the enemy and know your self.
I like this quote, and I think the problem is even more complicated than that since history is a construct, it's not the past incarnate it's a constructed version of the past.
@@StopFear k
Too lazy (and self-absorbed) to read it. Too dishonest to record it ... honestly. Ouroboros.
General Giap showed one of the rarest of talents in a commander: the ability to change his plan in the face of changing events.
That is a trait of a smart warrior, just like a master martial artist should understands how to master counter attacks.
He was a master mind. His tactics are studied in U.S Military academies to this day.
No wonder they called him Red Napoleon or Napoleon of the Orient
He was a history teacher
Same with Zhukov in ww2, another military genius.
"Mistakes were made," said the incompetent commander after coming home without his army.
Better that the commander not come home at all
@@carloreneeventura8714 COMMANDER, YOU HAVE BEEN FOUND WANTING BEFORE THIS TRIBUNAL OF HIS HOLY MAJESTY THE GOD EMPERORS COMMISSARIAT. THE SENTENCE FOR SUCH TREASON AND INCOMPETENCE IS SERVICE WITH THE PENAL LEGON UNTIL YOU HAVE PAID FOR YOUR CRIMES IN GLORIOUS DEATH. AVE IMPERATOR!
GUARDS, TAKE HIM!
Great
@@carloreneeventura8714 Japanese commanders didn't come home! They fought to the death and/or just before they lost a battle, they committed suicide rather than surrender.
I worked for a man , that was a captian in marines in ww2 he was put in charge of Japanese pows , he said their colonel came to me and saluted me , I said no you out rank me I salute you , he said that colon took charge of his men and never gave me any trouble .. respect
What I'm surprised isn't mentioned in the first part of this documentary is that just one year after Isandlwana, the British Army made the same mistake - that of seriously underestimating the enemy - in the neighbouring Transvaal Republic, in the First Anglo-Boer War. From the column which entered at Bronkhorstspruit and was wiped out to the final defeat at Majuba Hill after which Britain capitulated, this war was a series of defeats. The enemy were considered a ragtag bunch of farmers and indeed they didn't even have a standing army, yet defeated the most powerful Empire at the time.
Black week, pity the Boer were forced to give up because the british were busy with a genocide on the Boer woman and children.
Now, isn’t that nice. I just love it when the Brits get they imperialistic arses waxed….
@@MothaLuva and yet they still maintain a parasitic royal family, unlike France and Russia, which did away with theirs.
Fascinating.
Every day I'm surprised when i wake up and Jesus isn't singing Mariah Carey songs to me anymore.
Speaking as a Zulu person I think we need to remember this and the Afrikaans people's tenacity in the face of the most powerful empire in modern history.
So true. Much respect for the Zulu and certainly one of the bravest of all warriors.
Brave warriors without a doubt
Looking back on history when one thinks clearly about it there was absolutely no reason for the British to be in Zululand.
@@cameronmccreary4758 was the purpose to landlocked the boors? Or was there mineral resources in Zulu land?
Not only that but you were using Iron Age weapons against modern firearms! Today In modern Western countries, if we were asked to name an African warrior tribe, Zulu would be the first name on that list.
You deserve your pride!
"The lion or tiger may be more powerful, but a wolf does not perform in a circus."
Never heard this before. Very meaningful.
@@Ahoooooooo its a quote i found whilst i played a certain video game :)
First time I heard this. Very profound. And very true.
Wolves were the first animals to be tamed by humans. What do you think dogs came from 🤣
Good statement. Who wrote that?
The electro-mechanical rubber puppet of Percival is going to give me nightmares for the rest of my life.
A very fitting way for the chap to be remembered!
It was unrealistic too. The puppet was a much better leader.
It is REAL scary to see him blink...
Commander said to his troops, "remember the enemy don't know our plan, they may not do as we expect".
That's another way to put it in?
Yes you really should send them all the informations about your tactics..... you know, just to tell them, when to give up, just as mentioned in the script. 🤔
T
@fly bobbie, truer words were never spoke.
Everyone has a plan until they get hit.
You know the situation is dire when they have to cancel the dance parties at the Raffles Hotel.
"Never underestimate your enemy,
Never overestimate yourself."
Exactly
@Sky Man You're taking the quote out of context. Watch the video.
War and bank accounts are NOT the same thing.
1946 the British and Japanese defeated the commies to be replaced by the French with the help of us government
@@michaelwier1222 I did not get what sky man said either
But British Imperialist just could not help showing their "racial arrogance"!
Thanks. These are awesome.
"The British are lions led by donkeys" is a remark stated by General Wilhelm Ludendorff, but I certainly sometimes believe that that remark is correct for the entire mankind.
Donkeys are strong and versatile animals. They can haul people and cargo great distances. I like donkeys
@@beastz1321 You're absolutely right, real donkeys are great. What I said was just the expression we use, you know. Animals in general is fantastic creatures. All life is created by God and under His protection. Cruelty against animals is therefor a sin and a sign of idiotism. Uncivilised people are the problem. The ones who are involved in geopolitics and participate in the quest for world domination. They are the human donkeys and we should not believe in them. Look at Syria and Yemen. Children are dying under sanctions while the hypocrites talk about "human rights" and "evil regimes." They are liers and cheaters, but history will judge them. All the best...
@@jant.carlsson5061 it was a joke lol
@@beastz1321 You're still right.
@@jant.carlsson5061 thanks brother
These military mistakes are something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. I’m 56 and understand how fortunate I am to have never had to fight in a war. But I feel bad for the soldiers on both sides who volunteer and then have to tolerate a lieutenant who is a complete idiot.
Well said
@@keithlunde9625 Let's not limit it to junior officers...
I was in a war, or some would say 2 wars, and in a war, the worst thing is not incompetent lieutenant or sergeant, but I agree that those things also can be very annoying. But, there are different officers, most are capable, mediocre, some are extremely good, and some are idiots.
I’m a former Airborne Infantryman and fought in 2 conflicts. The Officers I served with were all extremely competent. No modern western army appoints leaders based solely on their social status any longer. Your opinion is unfair to the people who’ve risked their lives to guarantee your freedom.
@@sgtmayhem7567 If you are from the USA, your officers maybe risk their lives, but not to guarantee anyone's freedom.
Thank you so much for uploading this video. It is helping me get through the pandemic!
Many a fine military career has been ruined by a war.
Excellent comment! Well done Owen.
That's a good quote
GLEN Dooer Well said !
Heh. I like this!
True. But military careers in many countries are never ruined because they never go against enemy invaders Their military battles are always successeful because they always go against their own compatriots, against the ones who pays their salary. Like the ones in Latin America and some other world countries
So glad for the commentary. The Zulus won. They had strategy, knowlegde of the terrain and the manpower to overwhelm the British. Granted the commander was an arrogant idiot, but the Zulu generals do not get enough credit for this victory. It's less humiliating to say we lost the battle instead stating facts: the "savages" with spears trounced the men with guns.
Your pandering, it’s condescending to think the ancestors of these people don’t understand what actually happened at this battle. The Zulu warriors deserve to be praised for their bravery more than anything else. They used a couple clever tactics, but without the criminal incompetence and abject stupidity of the British commanders and a 15:1 numerical superiority, the Zulus would have been slaughtered. Later that year at the Battle of Rorke’s Drift the Zulus outnumbered the British 4500+ to 139 (33:1) and had a 1000 rifles and plenty of ammunition they’d captured at Isandiwana. The British won the battle with 17 killed and 15 wounded. The Zulus used the same Horns of the Buffalo tactic they did at Isandiwana, but lost thousands of men.
I love the zulu war. It also showed the English aren't who held the empire together. In a way at least. It was 100 Welsh and 500 slaves that stood against them and won at Rhorkes drift..I think two days after this battle. Michael Caine's first movie was a awful rendition of it. But still a good flick.
The Zulus had one thing you're forgetting all forgetting about. They had King Leopold and his example of what anything short of defeating colonials in detail would keep them from enslaving your whole populace. Quite a motivator imo
@@sgtmayhem7567 That is British killing people in their own lands. Genocide.
@@brightlight7217 exactly and have the nerve to call the Zulus the enemy and act like the British were fighting some just war.... typical white people, freedom is only important when it is theirs.
I wanted to point out at Dien Bien Phu, the French have the reason for their confidence. It was the battle of Na San a year earlier when Giap’s army attack a French stronghold and suffer over 4000 losses, the French in that battle was able to be supply by air and eventually evacuated by the air route. They think they could remake Na San and bloodied Vietnamese forces.
But Giap learned from Na San as well. He lost his trust in his Chinese advisors after he applied their tactic in Na San. He choose to do his own way by carefully prepare first with deploying his artillery division. He even postponed the attack because he got intel that the French know the attack date. During the opening days of the battle, Vietnamese forces attack rapidly. We enjoy success but suffer heavy losses as well. Thats why Giap abandoned a quick victory and use trench warfare instead.
My Grandfather was there at Dien Bien Phu, he was one of many truck driver that maintains Vietnamese supply line. It was feat by itself, my grandfather said. His truck could not travel well due to bad road so they have a depot where he would unload his cargo and hundreds of cargo hauling bicycles will bring supplies to the front line. The depot was the target for French to find and destroy. My grandfather also have several close call when French scout planes fry above his head, trying to find the depot exact location.
Thank you sir. Yours is best comment here! I salute your grandfather for his courage and strength!
God bless you and the heroic people of Vietnam...🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹
We leants from your experience in our war of independence from France. Your people were a great inspiration for our people to liberate our country, Algeria.
My regards to the brave people of Vietnam
@@jackobtthoronn5388 Its a great comment and obviously this kid knows how important history is.but they're still communists.Maybe after your under the jackboot of communist tyranny you won't be so giving in God's blessings??Because that communist boot is coming down very soon. It's already begun.
Giang Nguyen: great response. The 105mm howitzers were American equipment left behind from the Korean War. General Giap mounted these howitzers on the far sides of the mountains away from Dien Bien Phu. When attacking, they were rolled out on railroad rail and launched their salvos over the mountains. Then tucked inside the mountains for safety. Western air power could never locate and destroy these howitzers.
I like this phrase. " We were the unwilling, led by the unqualified, fighting the impossible for the ungrateful". This sums up the morale of the defeated soldiers.
...and Brexit.
That's soldiers in ww1 in a nutshell.
They fought in conditions anybody would run from, led by men miles away with no experience or intelligence who had never ever seen the front or understood anything with simple forward charges into machine gun fire blindly, facing a devastating enemy on the orders of people who forced them to war for no reason.
thats humanity in a nutshell.
I think that comes from Socrates
@@fvefve12 he said something like that when he was in Greek Army.
"This was chasing the burglars out". Perfect !
When the enemy has French cheese, you know it's over.
Does that mean that the french are the enemy?... LOL
LOL, good one!
when ennemy has brits general commander, you know you're gonna be victorious
Vietnamese also captured the Frenchmen's brandy!
@@jimm6095 God damn the French definitely lost that one!😳
I finally understand why these battles were lost. Thank you! This is a great resource.
Really really cool video. Thanks for posting.
"No Battle Plan Survives Contact With the Enemy"
Moltke
"Everybody's got a plan until they get hit."___Mike Tyson
Dwight Eisenhower said, "planning is everything, the plan is nothing."
That's right. The enemy is always playing dirty and never keep to the rules.
@@o.x.p Just like the generals behind the failures then. They don't survive their own execution, either.
Except that these are examples of not having a plan. What plan did the British have at Isandlwana?
There is a difference of ergency between the soldier who is ordered to fight thousands of miles away from his home and the soldier who is fighting for his home.
Urgency *
In Malaya both sides were fighting thousands of miles away from home
the japanese and btritish were both away from home.
Absolutely!!! it makes ALL the difference i think
Always trying to control or take something that doesn't belong to them. Zulu defeated guns with spears and shield.
Very well done, thanks for sharing!
Outstanding work and information
When I went to Somalia in 92/93 it was the same briefings. How we were a Superior fighting force with advanced communications and training.
That was Blackhawk Down?
And that didn’t go so well either.
The 1st Cavalry Division quickly learned that the PAVN were one of the best guerrilla armies in history. We were out of our element concerning the weather and the terrain. Plus Westmoreland wanted large unit operations doing find, fix and destroy and hammer and anvil tactics. Everyone has a plan that will not work
Westmoreland forgot that you cannot destroy water with a Hammer and Anvil Operation. The water splashes and moves away from the hammer as it strikes . The effect is minimal damage and at the expense of a maximum use of assets. The Vietnamese simply melted away in the jungle in small groups to turn and strikes your flanks.... only to fight and run again.
Westmoreland and McNamara were idiots. Arrogant and shortsighted. Every American president since then has been an idiot. If Truman had let general MacArthur nuke the Chinese on their own soil we wouldn't be facing them now. Same with the Russians if we had followed general Patton's advice this last century would have been one of prosperity and freedom for the entire world not for just the west.
Westmoreland was far out of his area of expertise and worked for 2 other guys who were out of their areas of expertise. It was a perfect trifecta of incompetence.
The Art Of War.....Do not underestimate your enemy.
War is based on deception
Likewise, if you're going to fight a war, fight to win, or don't fight at all!
@@joelgarcia5770 AMEN! No one is ever a winner in war times.
"Good soldiers are defined by what they can endure, not by what they can inflict." -Gregory David Roberts.
Good one
@@alanaadams7440 Do you actually believe that is 100% true?
The most recent war had this theme .Indian Volunteer Army versus Communist Chinese Conscripted PLA Army in Ladakh 2021
Youngest in Vietnam ,,,15 years old Johnson useless evil president it was his war but can't imagine seconds off landing craft on D Day thousands were heros for a second then died. A ND now we have a government who don't honor anything of this great country but themselves medic ,,,,1970 hmm love this country and Jesus God Bless
The first problem is why tf ru killing other people on their land?
I never looked at my bicycle the same way ever again
Bicycles can be very effective in war, even in the present. The NVA hauled a lot of cargo on bicycles down the trail.
When i bought my bycicle a year ago in the middle of the pandemic in my country, i didn't treart it as a luxurious item.. a treat it as like a tank going everyday to work and a around and take care of it as like a soldier going to war..
Bicycles can be turned into technicals
@@rickv9180 Hi there Mr. V. No offense sir 'coz I agree with you; but are you referring to motorbikes or the manually pedalled ones? I was just trying to imagine what weapons could be fitted in bikes. And yes, almost anything can be turned into 'technicals.'
@@seppeisenmann8710 Dis-assembled weapons are weapons too once it got re-assembled again. Supplies can be a weapon too because without them it can be a big hindrance to win a war. Both of these items can be transported on a bicycle.
My brother was an RCAF officer flying supply missions in the first Gulf War. They were told it was going to be a terrible fight, that the enemy was strong and they should expect 20% casualties in their unit (a transport unit operating primarily in the rear). They had zero casualties. Perhaps this is a better way to prepare your forces for a conflict.
If you would have told me that I'd have went AWOL haha.
Yes.
Certainly, always hope the best, but prepare for the worst.
But this was also part of the narrative that was spun at that time about how dangerous the Iraqi military was (mass media spoke about the third strongest military of the world, which was even back then ludicrous).
Especially the US-leadership must've had a pretty good picture about the real strength, since they supported Saddam in the war against Iran for years.
Which was the actual First Gulf War btw. ;°)
@@wolfgangkranek376 Exactly.
I was working in the region at that time. The total number of casualties on the coalition side was tiny
Well done and quite informative.
One of the best documentaries and one of kind i have seen on topic.
This is also what is happening in England and in several other countries today. They do not see that the enemy is among them.
so true, in the US too
"The greatest lesson of history is that no one learns anything from history."
How can you depend so much on air power without being cognisant of the fact that you must be able to guarantee places for the planes to land?
Thank u for this wonderful video
Great topic of the day!!!!! Thanks ya kidly.
As the Zulu nation, we are proud of the achievements of our ancestors in Isandlwana.
As well you should. A great people, indeed.
Wonder what you think about the outcome of the entire conflict? Ulundi and the capture of Cateshwayo comes to mind. I guess if anything was accomplished at Isandlwana it was a wake up call to the British to get serious. What do you think?
You won the battle, but lost the war.
And what did that lead to? What are you proud of Today 😂,....
We are proud of you all here in the USA as well💪🏾
At Crossbarry Ireland , , Percival with 1,200 men failed to encircle a 155 man I R A flying column. From 7 directions.
154 men broke the encirclement inflicting 40 British dead. And escaped.
That was 1919.
I think maybe that shook his confidence
And here's to the boys of Kilmichael who feared not the might of the foe... here's to the boys of Kilmichael who laid all the Black and Tans low...
Well narrated and very interesting!!!
Great lessons on here and we may need to draw upon it within our lifetimes. Kia Kaha
"They had a picnic attitude towards the whole thing..." Savage 😂😂😂
And that's why they all perished
Like the first battle of Manassas. Bull Run. Civilians went out to watch and have picnics.
British inferior military came in contact with the true warriors. WELCOME TO THE HORNS OF THE BUFFALO.🐃
@@Crudeoil794 the brits were outnumbered nearly 20:1 Its not like a human wave is some masterful tactic no matter what you call it.
@@killmeorudie1*20 Zulu to1Brit?who had the long range riffles?
Examples of great British officer leadership. Especially the hereditary generals.
English.
Gate Pā in New Zealand was another major disaster for the British military who suffered twice the casualties of the Maori defenders.
Its thier pompous stupidity of underestimating their foes which caused them dearly.
@@y2000ad1 Superiority complex can cause irresponsible action.
@@bessieking3797 it seems it always does. Eventually.
This reminds me of Benjamin Franklin's warning to General Braddock about the Indians who were "dexterous" at "laying ambuscades." Braddock made some disparaging comparisons between the "raw colonial militia" and his majesty's regular troops, and later got killed in a French and Indian ambush, the same one George Washington miraculously survived.
And we STILL don't know exactly where his body is buried!
That is one of the most insightful comments I’ve ever read. Even your screen name is subtle and intelligent. I’m grateful to God too.
@@sgtmayhem7567 Thanks for the kind remarks, and yes, we're all in need of God's grace.
Interesting episode. I think you can further refine "underestimating" the opponent by at least 2 key events in each of these battles. First, the enemy used a tactic that was largely unexpected. In these battles, the vanquished (the British and French units in these examples) expected their opponent to deploy and fight a certain way, and when that did not occur, their initial strategy for battle quickly became a liability. At Dien Bien Phu, the Viet Minh went through extraordinary efforts to bring artillery, equipment and troops up to the mountains to encircle the French. No one at the time thought such a colossal effort was likely or even possible, but the Vietnamese did it. Then the VM fought ferociously, which is the next point.
Secondly, in each of the battles, the opposing forces all showed a particularly aggressive and dedicated attack. They pushed and kept pushing the fight despite significant casualties on their side. That level of perseverance was also surely a factor in their success, though they were usually costly victories.
It's more of an editorial as to how much arrogance and incompetence plays a role, though I imagine it did to some degree. Each of the defeated militaries had other victories both before and after these battles. Anyone having been in the military should always know that the enemy "has a vote" too, and they are doing their best to work around their opponent's defenses. And always, there are simple mistakes, errors, and a degree of chance at play. In hindsight the tactics might be judged by how it turned out: you lose, it's arrogance, but if you win it's boldness and audacity.
Agreed. In some of the examples it's more the ingenuity of the winning side and not so much incompetence on the losing side (though arrogance on their part could arguably be considered a kind of incompetence. )
It’s like that saying goes, “Victory has a thousand fathers but defeat is a orphan.”
As one of my (UK) university tutors once said in a lecture: "Military incompetence is something of a tradition in this country".
True, and it is all because of their antiquated class system. Even now, young men of “noble” birth are given entry to the elite schools and end up commanding “low-born” troops, among whom are far more intelligent and talented soldiers who will never get the opportunity to command.
Considering Britain created the greatest empire the world has ever seen, I think we can conclude their overall competence must have outweighed incompetence.
@@cristop5 Their Navy was competent, their army not so much. Conquering and oppressing natives is one thing, but whenever they faced a professional army they had their arses handed to them.
@@s.sestric9929 I agree. The British army was only good at harrasing civilians but when it came to fighting against a professional army they lost badly. They even lost against American revolutionary militia/rebels prior to America becoming an independent country.
@@s.sestric9929 Read up on these for starters:
Blenheim (1704), Quebec (1775), Salamanca (1812), Waterloo (1815), Inkerman (1854), Egypt & Libya (1941), El Alamein (1942), Kohima (1944), Mandalay (1945), Goose Green (1982).
There are many more.
Singapore - a case of fortifying your front door, but forgot to build fence on your back yard.
And putting generals in charge of Singapore as if it was a retirement home for overly promoted armchair generals, e.g. Percival.
@@brandmotivoNo, I don't know what happened to him, but certain officers stayed in rank whilst thousands of soldiers died on projects like the Burma railway, some of these officers stayed in relative luxury, the distain of the Japanese officers was not enough to get these despicable people- though in a minority- off their backsides. I suspect Percival would've been one such officer.
Percival survived his imprisonment and the war...
I've actually been to Singapore and viewed the gun emplacements that could have seen off the Japanese floatilla. It turns out that the commanding officer was waiting for permission to reverse the huge guns that could have carried the day.
To be fair the Japaneses were basically in the house by the time they got to Singapore
*” If you underestimate the enemy and overestimate yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles..”*
-Sun Tzfool
For Oh so many 2nd and 1st Lieutenants in Vietnam that screamed out to their Troops "CHARGE!!"
It was the last words they ever said
Because nobody was going to obey a suicidal order and die going into "The Valley Of Death".
General Percival (Singapore) was the commander in Bandon county Cork Ireland during the Irish war of independence
He proved himself to be a savagely brutal and incompetent commander in 1920 - it should come as no surprise that chickens came home to roost 2 decades later... the Irish volunteers did not fight according to Percival’s plans and they were defeated. He learned little and made the same mistakes with the Japanese...
I lived on Wellington Road for 7 years, not far from the today's Collin's Barracks where Percival's men were based. It's also just around the corner from where the ambush occurred that led to the burning of Cork, starting at Dillon's Cross and then making their destructive way into the city centre from there.
22:45 When that waxwork of Lt. Gen. Percival turned its head, I nearly crapped in my pants!
Thanks for the heads up!
Do you know what software they used to simulate the movements of Percival and Simpson?
The Battle of the Little Bighorn also known as Custer's Last Stand was in 1876. The Battle of Isandlwana between the British and the Zulu was in 1879. In only 3 years people forgot the lessons learned or didn't bother to keep up on warfare around the world nor learned from it.
Superb documentary
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The video mentions in passing a "running out of ammo" and the subsequent faltering of fire by the British troops at Ishandlwana which allowed the Zulus to overrun that flank. The fact is they were becoming short on ammo and had sent runners back to the main camp to collect more ammo.
A little known fact is the Quartermaster's wagon was the store for ammo and this was packed in sturdy reuseable wooden boxes, the lid secured with numerous wood-screws. Incredibly no screwdriver could be found and the Quartermaster, hidebound by King's Regulations, a real "company" man obviously, refused to let troops smash open the boxes or even to pry loose the lids which would cause damage to property for which he would be held responsible!
This was sorted out after a significant delay. Some analysts attribute the initial penetration through the defence by the Zulus and ultimately the final defeat partially to this delay.
Also the video omits one very important matter. The Zulus were able to get very close to the defenders by creeping along deep "dongas" (natural water-eroded deep fissures in the ground) and to take the defenders by surprise from close in. Much like the Vietnamese at Dien Ben Phu except there was no digging needed!
Fact is that the video-makers have started with their theory of racism and simply expanded on that without taking account of many relevant and significant issues.
It is also the Rifle it self, With the heat and repeted firing the rifle could not extract the spent case, it being jamed in due to the sticky residue of firing and the expanded brass.
Stewart W. Well stated. Boring wasn’t it. Why not acknowledge the Zulus for their use of these dongas instead of the boring old racist clap trap.
@@rogerpattube I just did that in my comment - or can you not read?
@@stewartw.9151 he was agreeing with you
Yes, he did miss the dongas. Natural land formations are a wonderful source of cover.
About a year ago, I saw a show on the Battle of Isandlawana, where they tested a Martini-Henry rifle. On average, after 30 rounds of rapid fire, either the bore would clog, causing the extractor to fail, or even worse, because the round used a thin casing, it would tear the rear off of the shell, so you couldn't even shove a cleaning rod down the barrel or use your bayonet to dig it out. Kinda reminds you of the first issue of the M-16 rifle.
This is right out of Sun Tzu's "Art of War" chapter lll Strategic Attack Know your Enemies and know yourself.
Sun tzu said- "GREATEST VICTORY IS THAT WHICH REQUIRED NO BATTLE".
The first words of the book are "Pay your spys well. "
In the words of Nathan Bedford Forrest, get there fastest, with the mostest,
Defeat and under estimation go hand in hand. Sometimes it's ignorance that leads to contempt.
What a lesson I have learnt today.
Powerful report-
Anyone thinking about joining the military should see this, and consider much more than this even, the dark acts high up in not only command but political circles that use soldiers lives as expendable pawns for no rational reason or necessity at all.
i support your thinking. However the real reason is simple . Commercial gain. And may I add not even for the Nation but for the global NWO. Bush and Blair are good examples . Both in later interviews admitted they wanted to remove the leader of Iraq not W.M.D's. Both made substantial personnel gains for themselves and they cooperates they represented which were neither British nor American
Yes, Saddam done himself in by rejecting the US Dollar for oil; he was made an example for it.
Saddam was dead as soon as he started trying to extort major members of OPEC....
Yeah, like in Iraq. G. W. Bush was such a loser -- he went bankrupt in the oil business then became president and decided to impress his Daddy. In the process he got 20,000 US grunts and 200,000 Iraq civilians killed. He didn't give one snit about the GI's in the battles over there--he was only looking to get the 100 Billion barrels of Iraq oil for his oil company buddies--paid for in BLOOD...
@@hddun 20,000 grunts killed huh? Where are you getting your information?
The Vietnamese are a very clever and resourceful people.
Their victory over the French was simply stunning!
Absolutely, beautiful group of people!
Yeah but now their country is a commie shithole
How the French thought they could simply walk back into Viet-Nam and take control again as if nothing had happened is beyond me.
@@MattC-jg1yb take a trip to Viet Nam to see if you comment make sense anymore.
@@briannguyen0419 I don't need to. I look at my shoes and they say "made in vietnam"
Percival also underestimated the Irish when he was CO of the essex regiment who were sent to cork during the war of independence.
Hi, Zulu here. We learnt about this in history. The battle of Isandlwana was quite damning for the imperial army. The Boers (Dutch immigrants who'd settled South Africa in the 1650's) warned Lord Chelmsford but their words fell on arrogant deaf ears, I mean the hubris coming from the british was palpable.
They never change.
I cannot but admire the great General Giap. He is the kind of military leader all soldiers from any army would proudly fight for.
General Giap is one of the top 5 Generals of all time. His understanding of PR really did the Americans in.
A brilliant Guerilla campaign allowed his small forces to last decades and made any invader pay in so much blood they were sent packing! Especially the U.S.
Giap was out of it by 1972 being blamed for the failure of the Easter Offensive of that year. Le Duan was the guy who orchestrated military campaigns after that.
@@stewartw.9151 But to me General Giap is the greatest military general of the 20th century just based on what he was able to achieve given his meagre resources and lack of enough modern equipment. His enemies always had technological superiority over him.
@@tkk3852 He was a great general if you discount his massive losses in troops which he appeared to have no concern for at all! In Western military doctrine that is unacceptable.
@@stewartw.9151 That is because he didn't have superior weapons. All he seemed to have in abundance was lots of men and that is what he used. He also used tactics by outmanouvering the French. Also his ability to change strategy in the middle of a battle if the strategy is not working is a sign of great leadership. When he saw many of his troops being mowed down he told them to retreat and start digging trenches. The French on the other hand did not change their strategy even once.
@@stewartw.9151 "In Western military doctrine that is unacceptable"? Look at how the Western meat-grinded their own soldiers in WW1
Is always nice see General Giap in a documentary.
Nick fury max?
He BBQ his troops.
Correction: America NEVER lost a battle in Vietnam, the American politicians lost the war!
the media, the real culprit, if no media were to be allow, the war would have been won much sooner, all it was needed was a few nukes
"lost the war"....is the only relevant part that counts mate.
The Socialist Republic of Vietnam is still alive and well. It’s called Ho Chi Minh City, not Saigon. They won, our little battle scorecard is irrelevant. We had no business there, that much is clear. We couldn’t handle it.
@@danosverige You miss such an obvious point? This video and whole context is about "military" blunders
Every invading military force has already lost the battle for its soul, its honesty, its humanity, and honor.
The only military dead rightly called "heroes" are those who died defending their homeland on home soil.
Lt. Gorman was a disaster of a leader and greatly underestimated the aliens in LV-426 Luckily Ellen Ripley was able to save Newt and Cpl. Hicks.
Honestly…that’s a perfect example. had you brought this up in class, I would have given you full credit.
Made me think…most of the officers from the book/movie Starship Troopers were solid…aside from one.
Are we talking about a movie? Fiction compared to non-fiction? If that's the case then bring in Star Wars and Klingons!!!!!
Weed?
Brilliant. You win.
i went to the war museums in singapore. posted on the walls were conversations churchill said 3 weeks before the invasion, that there was no need to worry as singapore was safe as houses. japans victory was a close run thing though. they were literally down to 30 mins of ammo. percival by surrendering so quickly also ensured there were plenty of able bodied soldiers fit for work on the burma railway! while i was there i also spotted plenty of japanese tourists celebrating a great historic victory.
Japan is sadly very bad at confronting their past, its much worse than in oth er countries.
Every country struggles with some parts of its past, what i find dangerous is that this superiority way of thinking seems to still be very prominent in western countries like the uk, the us and france, even germany, a country with the lowest amount of national pride today displays that way of thinking way to often.
@@homesteadlegion4419 well the US is bad for lying about our history
@@megancrager4397 - What lies are those?
@@homesteadlegion4419 whats wrong with celebrating victory? I don't think they were celebrating the war crimes specifically, otherwise nobody would by allowed to celebrate any war victory.
Churchill was smart enough to know better.
I enjoyed this documentary. The aesthetics of "old" documentaries is much, much better then what is made today.
The Zulu's had a military strategy that was as good as the British infantry. The Zulus had spears and no guns/horses, but they could run all day, and weren't transporting heavy guns. They were taught how to throw the spear long distance, and get close enough to use their short spear like a big knife. Shaka had developed a close-quarters strike method that was almost identical to that of the Spartans. They were also better dressed for the weather. Sorry folks, but the Zulus were as good as the British.
Once again, French leadership fails spectacularly. They lost in June 1940 because they took a 1918 army into 1940. Then, they lost Dien Bien Phu because they failed to remember the lessons of 1918.
Vietnam it will be a walkover they are just brown people
The French are lovers. Not fighters. VIVA LA FRANCE!
They had a modern army in 1940. They failed in 1940 because many things. Bad doctines, lack of spirits, failure of initiative of military leaders. Same happened to the British and Americans. They were lucky to be isolated by a sea and a ocean and they had time to learn the best way to use modern equipement, how to counter the blitzkrieg.
That wasn't the 1st time the British underestimated an enemy. We celebrate Independence Day because of it👍
I'd love to see the Irish get their independence from the Brits and go on to be friends with them.
Lmao good one
Whoa mate... Napoleonic wars were going on :) priorities 🤙
It doesn't matter if they overestimated. It was God's will they were going down
@@jed-henrywitkowski6470 willloop in
General Giap at Dien Bien Phu..
I love the Vietnamese people.
Great country.
Good food, too!
They were the good guys who didnt deserve foreigners invading their country
All who value freedom and justice should study:
1. Ho Chi Minh letters to Truman
2. Fragging - The revolt of the US Vietnam Combat Troops
3. Golf courses of Vietnam (2021)
What the f*** did 52,220 brave Americans (allies death? ) and 3,000,000 (??) brave Vietnamese die for? And the untold physical and mental damaged lives to those who survived. What has US leadership (I use that term with disdain) learned????? To all the brave fighting men and women on both sides - I solute you and I pray for you. Incredible courage, you are warriors. In memory of PFC Larry Allen Moss - Spokane, WA. (Brother of a good friend)
sorry, but it is "Dien Bien Phu"(Điện Biên Phủ), not "Dien Bien Phi"
@@letaitam7384 oops. I will update. Thank you.
"Never underestimate your enemy" -- Qaadaffi wishing he'd remembered this before Chad kicked his tail
It's like watching someone dip his hand in a blender. You know it's doomed to fail. But the astonishing level of incompetence rivets you to watch. And you cannot believe your eyes.
During the Vietnam conflict, the enemy that the Americans underestimated, were the ones in Washington DC.
In the segment on the unexpectedly quick movement of the Japanese troops down the Malaya peninsula, the documentary neglected to recount the massive use of the common bicycle by the soldiers of the armies of Japan in moving in force through the jungles. Caught the tea sipping British military brass completely by surprise!
gallipoli revisited
Excellent food for thought
Decimated is losing one-tenth of your forces. The hint is in 'Deci'. It was a punishment during the Roman era. To punish a large group of men (you don't want to completely destroy your forces) 10 men would draw straws and the shortest drawn would be beaten to death by the other 9.
Glad that someone else is also irritated by the incorrect use - everywhere - of the term!
@@stewartw.9151 sadly this is frequently use also in romanian despite that is a romance-(latin) language☹
I'm just glad to know that the meaning of 'decimated' is one of the few English words that means exactly the same thing it did when the Romans coined it 2200 years ago. I'll have to talk to my Classic professor and give her a piece of my mind.
Looking at actual pics of Percival, the aura of defeat is written all over him sensing his near future disastrous defeat
Learned alot
Well worth watching
Never Underestimate your enemy
Learn from these mistakes
🤺🤺🤺
Very well made
I can still hear the incredulous superiority in many a voice.
Strangely, I can still hear it in yours.
@@davidemmet7343 you get a gold star. Nailed it.
As we say in the UK - never trust someone with the title 'lord' before their name.
How can you defend a culture that never came up with a gender-neutral set of possessive pronouns?
@Russ Gallagher oh get lost!!!!!
I quite agree ...
As has been uttered in typical British arrogance that, "The sun will never set on the British Empire" To which the more reasoned response was, "That is because God doesn't trust the English in the dark"
@@brucegibbins3792 that's a good one
Imagine how Zulu individual soldiers felt having to run toward the enemy knowing they’re likely to be killed by the rifle as front liners.
That's the same thing I can't understand in this medieval battles: two huge crowds of people marching towards each other, under rain of arrows flying and killing them.
Introducing the "Zig-Zag" formation of advancing your warriors. Lol
@@shoutitallloud When your honor, land, women, and children are taken away from you then you will understand.
@@jawid2058 The Zulu knew there was a full eclipse coming. The battlefield went totally dark. If you are going to run into concentrated rifle fire that's probably a good a time as any.
I imagine the same way millions have men felt doing the exact thing for the last 5,000 years. It's literally happened thousands of times since "civilization.
jesus christ, im going to see that animatronic bust of that british general in my nightmares
I stopped and looked through the comments to see if anyone else was going to say something, 22:45 Why does it exist? 27:31
wtf even
creepy, very creepy
I never underestimate anyone. I just know what matters and what doesn't matter...
Every great military force to have ever existed has, at one point or another, and to its detriment, underestimated the capabilities of its adversaries.
Me, personally, as a martial artist..i always just assume from the start that my opponent knows everything that I know, and is at the very least as skilled and as competent as I am.
In scale it was like 20 Little Big Horn's at "Custers Last Stand" AMAIZING
I guess the Zulu general "read" Sun Tzu's ART OF WAR... "Know your enemy and Know Yourself and in a hundred battle you'll have Victory"...and so many Chapters in its book that the English General was missing.
"I don't want a damn Dien Bien Phu". Lyndon B. Johnson.
@Jim Q. Regal Battle of Khe San
@@maxheadshot3287 Which was NOT "a damn Dien Bien Phu".
.
Actually Johnson, in Texas accent said " I don't want any Din Bin foo".
Read "Hells Half Acre" a history of the French War in Indochina. The French commander of artillery , when it was pointed out they were surrounded by mountains replied not to worry since the Viet Mihn could not get artillery into those mountains. They Viet Mihn (sp?) Took their artillery apart and carried the guns, piece by piece , up the mountains, reassembled them and blew the French to pieces. The artillery officer put a hand grenade to his stomach and pulled the pin. Arrogance. Once again.
Very recommendable! Never underestimate the enemy!
take head america
Nor overestimate.
Well done. Thank you. Consider doing a video about the Scottish highland rifle group that met the large Russian Calvary contingent. Oxford book of military antidotes
This is a good documentary.
The story of Singapore just adds more credence to rumor of Winston Churchill's special relationship with many of the generals. Such as the generals in North Africa that were removed and replaced for a hold lot less. How General Montgomery survived after the Normandy episode and later the market Garden episode tends to make one think they may be truth to those rumors.
OH but God No . Dont say anything Disparagingly Honest about MONTY .
Alamein was an important victory, but not because of Monty's genius. It was a plodding WWI frontal assault plan, through minefields, against superior German tanks and anti-tank guns, with victory based on numbers and logistical balance, not tactical brilliance.
24:22 the amount of bird flipping in this clip is astounding
Shoulda opened the door so bird could at least fly for his life.
General Giap is just totally unique. He is one of the greatest military minds of all time.
True, but he had the home-field / home-country advantage. He was also well-supplied by both the Chinese and Russians.
I believe credits also should go to vietnam people, soldiers and defenders. As for very brilliant commander would not implement his plans, without rellying on courage and selfsacrifice of regular soldiers.
@@shoutitallloud Soldiers are usually not brave, if they dont have a great commander, whose plans they trust.
It has been said that Giap was never sadder than on the day he realized the United States was NOT his friend or ally. He felt betrayal.
@@pleiadecca Yah, and Ho Chi Minh also, I think. Ho even wanted to quote the U.S. constitution in the Vietnamese constitution.
I love France and Napoleonic war. You could see many elders in Viet Nam having books about Napoleon and that era on their book shelves. It is quiet ironic how Giap used canons supremacy to win the French army and transported it through the path which is considered "impossible to go through" like how Napoleon transported canons through the Alps.
You are correct. Napoleon was an artillery captain and Giap knew the value of relentless artillery fire.
Fact: Napoleon dresses as a women to escape Vilnius, Lithuania when they were retrieving from Moscow
Don't forget the great Carthaginian general Hannibal Barca crossed the Alps with war elephants during the Second Punic War nearly 2,000 years before Napoleon 😉 I visited Vietnam for a month back in September and October 2019. During my journeys I rode a Honda 175cc motorbike on the Ho Chi Minh trail in the Central Highlands. I don't think I've ever seen such a beautiful country. And the Vietnamese are among the finest people to grace the planet Earth in my opinion.
Until he met his Waterloo.