It was Monash who's tactics were the forerunner to the German blitzkrieg, the strategic use of mobile forces, artillery and infantry as a complete unit. Another general of the time who has been largely forgotten was Gordon Bennett who's loyalty to his men earned him a great deal of respect. His efforts to continue looking after his men after the war were magnificent. Bennett actually spent time on the front line in Gallipoli where he took turns sniping at the enemy.
It's also worth mentioning Monash's postwar lobbying for the building of the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne and his personal input in its construction. He did not live to see its completion, but it remains an architectural icon of Melbourne and serves as the primary location for services on ANZAC Day in Victoria.
John Monash holds shared responsibility for the Military catastrophe known as Gallipoli! He isn't someone to honour or remember, except for his mistakes so they are not repeated! 💥 His university & those from his university who are working at the Shrine are connected to Organised Crime, ISIS, Hezbollah, Hamas & Al Qaeda! And they've been committing acts of Terrorism all over the world during the last 8 years! 💥 That fkn shrine & that fkn Monash University & everything to fkn do with John Monash is neck deep in Organised Crime, Corruption & Terrorism! 💥 And that's all that Shrine will ever represent now... 💥
The rotten Australian Government, the rotten Veterans Affairs & probably the rotten Monash University had something to do with it too, went off and built a $100 Million Dollar Memorial in France & named it after John fkn Monash - and they did that before spending a single fkn cent processing current & backlogged Veterans Insurance, Compensation & Medical Claims! 💥 John Monash has probably been the most TOXIC & DESTRUCTIVE influence on Australia, it's Defence Forces, its Governments, its Universities, its Big Business sector & the general population than anything Australia has ever experienced! 💥 Just fkn wait until these people from the fkn Shrine are answering questions on the Global Stage of Justice in Europe for what they have fkn done with their Terrorism & with Putin against the Ukraine! 💥
Couple of interesting tidbits: Monash claimed he met Ned Kelly, and he was living in Jerilderie when the Jerilderie bank was robbed. If he was indeed within the town when the bank was robbed, he almost certainly met Ned Kelly as Ned Kelly took the entire town hostage in the town pub during the heist. The use of tanks and aircraft together is just the tip of the iceberg for the Battle of Hamel, and I wish this video was another 5 minutes longer so that Indy could talk about it in more detail. The newer lighter tanks were used to transport supplies to the front, ammo supply drops were used (one of the first planned uses of air drops for supply), and hot meals were delivered to the soldiers during the battle. Monash was the perfect combination of approaching warfare from an engineering perspective and having compassion for his troops.
Yes I can certainly appreciate the value of receiving a hot meal when out in the field on exercises. Does wonders for putting energy back into a tired body, so the effectiveness of having a hot meal mid battle must have been (and still is) quite substantial for the troops and dismaying to the enemy.
This barely scratches the achievements of Monash. After reading his book "Australian victories in France 1918" I didn't notice him trying to promote himself but heaped praise upon his soldiers, especially the courage of US troops who fought at Hamel who had limited experience but no shortage of courage. One of the reasons the Australian government did not want troops or Monash returned quickly to Australia was the fear of a revolt against the government similar to what had occurred in Russia. Monash received requests to lead an uprising during the post war recession but always remained loyal to democratic government. He could have lead such a revolt as he was called upon to restore order in Melbourne during a police strike. He placed a newspaper ad asking for veterans to serve under his command and they responded in droves promptly restoring order. Monash also designed a breach loading cannon, stole German brown coal technology and recruited German engineers to build coal fired power in Victoria. The list does go on but it is hard to over sell Monash's abilities
Yes reading the book about Monash, I was particularly taken by the veterans response to his newspaper advertisement. I can't recall the numbers exactly but men dropped what they were doing to answer his call to action and the looting and rioting stopped dead in its tracks because Monash had trained men on every corner and patrolling in cars. The response from his men to the call to action absolutely scared criminal and politicians alike, that Monash could have men out on every street corner within hours. If Monash had so desired, he could have taken over Melbourne by force or called for the government of the state to resign or he could have taken over via the ballot box with plenty of support.
Some of what people attribute his 'egotism' to, and yes he had his fair share, was his campaign to ensure that Australian Successes in battle were attributed to Australian forces rather than be printed in the press as 'British' victories/achievements. What many non-Australians fail to realise is - we had only gained our independence and Australia itself only came into existence in 1901. before that we were only a collection of separate colonies. Monash had a keen eye for history and wanted to help forge a new national identity during this global conflict. Probably the biggest difference between Monash and other Commanders, Strategists and Planners was his philosophy, best summed up by his most famous quote "... the true role of infantry was not to expend itself upon heroic physical effort, not to wither away under merciless machine-gun fire, not to impale itself on hostile bayonets, nor to tear itself to pieces in hostile entanglements-(I am thinking of Pozières and Stormy Trench and Bullecourt, and other bloody fields)-but on the contrary, to advance under the maximum possible protection of the maximum possible array of mechanical resources, in the form of guns, machine-guns, tanks, mortars and aeroplanes; to advance with as little impediment as possible; to be relieved as far as possible of the obligation to fight their way forward; to march, resolutely, regardless of the din and tumult of battle, to the appointed goal; and there to hold and defend the territory gained; and to gather in the form of prisoners, guns and stores, the fruits of victory." He was aggressive and ruthless when he needed to be, especially late in the 100 days campaign when the Australian Divisions were simply fought out and exhausted. he kept rallying them and putting them back into battle after battle, advance after advance, despite numbers being so low that formerly battalions that were 800-1000 men strong were now down to 300 men. By early October they had to be pulled out. But for his actions, tactics and strategy of August 8th, he became the first man in 300 years to be knighted in the field by the King. An honour not shared with any of his peers. After the war many expected him to go into Politics. If he did he would have no doubt walked straight into the Prime Ministers job - but he didn't want to and the PM of the day Billy Hughes was eager to sideline him as he knew how popular Monash was not only with returning soldiers but also the wider Australian population. With the rise of the Right Wing in the 1920's as a counter to the rise of a more militant Left Wing Union Movement, former officers reached out to him to lead them and re-take Australia by force if necessary. He quickly stomped on those ideas and would have nothing to do with such talk. Great Special Indy and Crew! Well done!! Well worth waiting for ;)
Your quote about the proper use of infantry is basically how modern infantry are used today. I am actually currently at The Australian War Memorial now looking at buying a book of his from the gift shop!!! He is also on our $100 dollar bill.
The capacity for hard work, organisation and consultation- and occasional micromanagement- is what separates him from the 'villain' generals of the Great War. Colonial wars had simply not equipped the likes of Gough, Haking and Monro to organise successful battles, nor gain the trust of subordinates and the necessary collaboration to make a battle work. They saw battle as a matter of morale and 'will', and bullied any who questioned them. This was a culture Haig created at GHQ through 1915. It is for this reason that the colonial contingents (their commanders could not be sacked by GHQ so they could 'talk back') and some more rebellious British commanders became the best of 1918.
@@lllordllloyd Australian commanders owed a debt to Breaker Morant. For it was because of the travisty of justice surounding Morant's execution that Australians are never under the direct command of other nations.
Amongst those Brits who actually study WWI... Sir John Monash is very much appreciated. As is the Australian Corps... not to mention the Canadian Corps and Sir Arthur Currie. The problem is it tends to be the Canadians and Australians did everything., and ignore the British involvement... as if every single British Division was useless... Which they were not.
@@alganhar1 Mate in the The Great War it was the opposite. It was the Brits that got all the glory got all the attention. The Anzacs and Canadians were always pushed aside because of stupid arrogant hierarchy. The Australians New Zealanders Canadians were the countries that were ignored by England and their involvement. Those countries that gave up their jobs, farewelled their families all to go to war thousands of miles ,and be slaughtered by hierarchy rubbish. I have nothing against the honest Tommies I feel for them and their families. Thanks to complete arseholes like Haig and other high officers of England they fed those innocent men to the machineguns without a care in the world and they did the same to those Australians New Zealanders Canadians who had a much smaller population then England.
"I would name Sir John Monash as the best general on the western front in Europe" ~ Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery Monash also played a pivotal role in creating the Shrine of Remembrance as he believed the men who had died deserved a specific location for which mourners could gather. If I recall it was him that advocated that no statue to him or any other particular individual soldier should be placed on its grounds as this was meant to be a memorial for all the fallen Australians. His statue is located in the adjoining park in the heart of Melbourne. Today he has a University, a major highway and a local municipality named after him. I find it odd how Bean could criticize Monash for self-promotion, when most of the wars most incompetent generals cemented a positive legacy for themselves by doing just that. Say what you will, but Monash's writing shows he cared deeply about the men in his command and, regardless of what can be directly attributed to him in the chain of command, the Australian Corps achieved great successes for its size under his command.
"And over estimating the achievements of his men"???? He proved his achievements and his men enabled him to achieve his achievements. The bloke is blind to facts and logic and he calls himself a "war historian". A case of Yankee envie and bias.
I live in Melbourne, where he came from. A university, a high school and even a local government area are all named after him. A mate of mine actually goes to the high school, a place called John Monash science school. Words cannot express how huge of an impact this man has had on Australia and especially Melbourne.
lol the irony that the highly regarded graduate of MU would be the namesake of the inferior Monash uni. (I went to both so im allowed to make this joke)
lol the irony that the highly regarded graduate of MU would be the namesake of the inferior Monash uni. (I went to both so im allowed to make this joke)
While the troops were waiting to get back home at the end of the war, Monash organised it for the soldiers to aid local tradesmen to learn their craft for transitioning into civilian life. He also hired vets over others when he was heading civil engineering projects in Australia. Most people ignorantly gloss over the battle of hamel a familiar one is siting Currie battle, but don't realise that Currie did not invent it either they both used their innovation to intertwine strategies to suit their outcome hamel was to a certain extent more detailed it was those little 2%-5% strategies that become cruces in battle, someone scoffed about the use of air drops, no less than 100,000 rounds of ammunition were dropped in close proximity to the intended machine gunner target on the frontline(it took 2men to carry 1000 rounds), the use of using poison gas with smoke gas then during the progressing battle using only smoke though the Germans associate it now with poison gas had to put their mask on reducing vision during an advancement. It's those little attention to detail that seperated that battle from others before.
It's hilarious to see non Australians confused by the term. To quote Urban dictionary: " Big sturdy bird you wouldn't want to mess with but would want on your side if things started to get tasty." It's a compliment people.
He's already played guitar for us, demonstrating the "Hoetzendorf Blues". I think there's a clip of him singing Dion's "The Wanderer", as well. And he's actually mentioned in the Wikipedia of Anders Wendin, a Swedish singer-songwriter, credited with piano and organ.
I have been fortunate enough to have travelled to Australia twice. States I visted, Queensland, NSW and Victoria. Wonderful country and wonderful people. Not surprised they could turn out a John Monash!
I'm a born & bred Melburnian and I must say that Monash is still revered today. I study at the university named in his honour. We have roads, a local Council & buildings all named after him. His face is also on Australian currency (our $100 note). 100 years later, John Monash is as famous in Australia as ever 😊
Not only did Charles Bean dislike Monash, so did Keith Murdoch (father of Rupert) who was managing editor of the London cable service run by the Sun and the Melbourne Herald in 1915. Murdoch pushed for Brudunell-White to be appointed to command the Australia Corp instead of Monash whom he denigrated and said to the prime minister of Australia, Billy Hughes, he had no support among the senior officers. When Hughes visited the Corp with the intention of replacing Monash, he first consulted the same senior officers and discovered that their support for their commander was strongly positive and that Monash's powers of planning and execution were excellent. The subsequent outcome of the Hamel assault closed the question of Monash's suitability but later in the same year Murdoch attempted again to convince Hughes that Monash should not control the repatriation of Australian troops. The DNA runs deep in the Murdoch dynasty.
Thanks Rod. My father was a bit of a rightwing sympathizer and I always wondered where he got his negative view of Monash. Between Murdoch, Bean, and a staunch protestant (ie anti-jewish) mother, I think I have just about solved it.
Thank you for this biography. Monash is still a revered figure in Melbourne and I expect his leadership was a major factor in many Australian troops, including my great-grandfather, surviving the war. Proud to have graduated from the university named after him.
Thanks TGW team. Been waiting 'patiently' for this for years :) He is definitely a legend here and also a breath of fresh air like Plumer and Currie on the battlefield.
Just visited John Monash's grave today. It's around the corner from my house. Its inscription reads 'To the memory of John Monash. Mourned in Love and Pride.' A really simple grave too.
Hearing stories of great and successful people who fought through their lives, not only to make their own status and living better but also for others, is always a great thing. Quite motivational as well.
Another fact about Monash - one of the men who tried to get Monash relieved of command was war correspondent Keith Murdoch, the father of Rupert Murdoch.
Indi ,as an aussie you just made me love you more .huge thankyou. after listening to sabatan 1916 were they rub the terrible death toll in your face [like only they can ], it's great to know monash had a huge roll to play in the the reduction of the death toll ,utilizing his creeping barage .
Very very interesting and informative, particularly his expertise as an engineer, which combined with his for want of a better word, "hobby" of soldiering, and intelligent study, made him the great General he became. This was a time when the class system and prejudice pervaded British society and the army in particular, to a massive extent compared to today. Perhaps only as a "colonial" ( no prommy bashing please ) could he bring to senior military rank, these skills ? Repeatedly the description of Monash, and criticisms he had to contend with, reminded me of Montgomery, so it's very interesting to read that he regarded Monash as the best General of WW1. Montgomery had first hand experience of these events, and I suspect together with later study, applied these lessons to Alamein for example. Perhaps it was no accident that the Australian ( and New Zealand troops ) played such a crucial role. These events occurred 100 years ago, so perhaps it IS time time to remember Monash and the support of the "colonies". I haven't . Wikipedia is an impressive read.
Monash was truly a legend. Strayan pride. It's too bad that he wasn't able to develop these tactics further, earlier, and for the whole Allied armies and they had to endure people like Haig instead.
Lloyd George is often quoted to have considered both Monash and Canada's LTG Currie for greater roles though considering they were at Corps and Divisional level at the time, not close enough to Force command to be seriously considered.
He didn't develop them. Most were developed by Arthur Currie who was the unofficial leader of the Western Front (and was to be officially promoted if the war had continued). Currie investigated what went wrong at Verdun, and after this restructured the military to its modern form - which allowed for integrated tactics, the creeping barrage, shock troops, and set-piece assaults. And his earlier predecessor to defense in depth (which had helped Canadians hold out at that first battle with gas) allowed him to create the set-piece, which was the definitive counter to the German strategy. Monash was a great general, but he was really only applying strategies and tactics developed by Currie. No doubt his self-promoting character has influenced how these two are seen in the history books.
If there is any difference between Monash and Currie is the integration of Tanks by Monash. Other than that much of what Monash did have precedent from Currie at Vimy. Monash began to be able to use what was learned starting at Messines. Both where able to take the lessons they learned to effect the outcome of the entire war. Amazing to think These guys were only Corps commanders.
Oh look its the Canadian fella that cannot have Monash's name being mentioned without downgrading anything accomplished by the man, all the while painting everything as 'developed and patented by Currie'. Your tactics are quite boring and reminiscent of the antics of Charles Bean and Keith Murdoch.
My Grandfather was an ANZAC who fought at Gallipoli and in the 5th Division at Fromelles and Villers Bretonneux. Visiting these battlefields in France a highlight was the new Sir John Monash Centre War Memorial. The experience is “immersive”. For once Australian tax dollars well spent. Great report Indi.
There is a village in northern Israel, named after him - Kfar Monash, east of the city of Netanya. It was formed by WWII veterans of the Royal Engineers from Israel
I'm Australian and went through school barely ever hearing his name as anything other than a footnote, It's a shame really as this is the sort of historical figure you can look up to if for no other reason than he held the lives and well-being of his men as important.
Mate you can't blame school for your inattention. He's in every bloody Australian textbook, he's got a university, a Federal electorate and several other places named after him. He's on the $100 note ffs.
@Evilstorm11 as for you, you absolute peanut, Monash, and just about every digger, would have regarded you and the way you think as completely at odds with the Australian ethos and spirit. Read a book instead of taking your political views from recycled American meme pages.
@Evilstorm11 this is going to be a civil war, is it? Because if we're ejecting the human filth from the nation, the ones who aren't able to live happily in a multicultural society want to be the first into the lifeboats ...
I remember reading somewhere that what was remarkable for his men was the Hot meals right after they took the enemy trenches, not so much as the tanks and other things which he planned and executed brilliantly. I guess logistics also play a huge role in the men's morale and fighting spirit, so much so that the hot food in their bellies matter as much as the bullets in their rifles.
Watching that old BBC series about WW1, I remember being impressed by the powerful words of an Australian politician when they entered the war: "If Britain goes the her Armageddon, we'll go with her." Oh, and thank you 'Land Down Under' for the songs by Men at Work!
Looking at it with todays eyes Luke Gibson it may look like the wrong thing to do, however if you view it with the eyes of yesterday it looks like the right thing to do.
+Keith Thurston. In my mind, I sometimes use Jacka as a model for "mentioned in dispatches". "On the afternoon of the fifteenth instant, the company was crossing open ground when it came under fire from a machine gun nest. Alone and unarmed except for a cooks knife, company cook Thurston stormed the nest, strangling the crew with their own intestines, and silencing the gun. We recommend him for the highest award for personal gallantry, after which it is our strongest recommendation that he be locked away from polite society for the term of his natural life".
How fitting that the two major landmarks in Melbourne named after him are a university and a freeway. Education and engineering. Also a city council, an electorate, and many others. He truly left his mark on this city, and is remembered.
And strangely enough it actually his civil engineering work in building Victoria rather than his military successes that until more recently he was most acclaimed for (and the reason those landmarks are named after him).
@@IceWolfLoki If you are a Melbournian you probably drive daily over bridges he built, see railways he designed, structures he had built, using processes he pioneered and use Electricity from a system he developed. The man was a true genius.
@@wizofoz0605 Yep and like I said, that was the major reason he was lauded in the State and not his achievements overseas although in many ways those achievements overseas were what lead to him being able to do the other things. I went to the University named in his honour.
Yes, I am from Melbourne and Monash is far and away the best General that Australia produced. His contributions to Victoria post war were significant and covered in these comments; he is rightly honoured as a truly great Australian.
"Adopt as your fundamental creed that you will equip yourself for life, not solely for your own benefit but for the benefit of the whole community" ~ John Monash
😳 Excellent account of an exceptional commander. Could you also consider the role of Sir Andrew Hamilton Russell as the commanding general of New Zealand forces? He was instrumental in managing the successful withdrawal of allied troops from Gallipoli.
The image at 1:27 is an advertisement for the Princess Bridge Estate, which is in Queensland, not the Princes (one s) Bridge in Melbourne, which Monash worked on and is about 1700 kms to the south of the Princess Bridge shown. The image prior to that is correctly Melbourne's Princes Bridge, but it's the earlier version of the bridge, not the version Monash worked on.
To be fair though, a lot of Monash's push for status was to preserve not only the moral of his men but to also maintain public support after what happened at Gallipoli. Especially since the Australian Government was actively trying to withdraw their troops from the front lines in the later year of the war and reporters (such as Bean) had a very matter-of-fact and plain approach to writing of what they saw.
"He overstated his men's achievements?", Victory upon victory, that is what he and his men did! The first to stop the advance and the first to push back, this cannot be overstated.
I got mentioned for research I did over two years ago😂 best moment ever to be mentioned along side Aaron. Had the chance to work along side him in a commercial one time, top guy.
Monash spoke fluent German, which he was accused of being a spy/sympathiser for. Any German prisoners Monash personally interrogated to glean more info. Also before the war, because of his engineering background and German language he conversed with German engineers about the weapons being built and had far more information than most Allied Top Brass about German munitions and machines. After the initial wins he did drive his men hard for the reason that he knew the Germans were worse off, morale was gone and not to give them time to stop retreating/regroup. He was one of the few leaders the Americans/Canadians trusted to lead their troops into battle after they watched some of the Poms Top Brass less than inspiring leadership causing their men to be butchered.
First class biography. Thanks for your work on this. After the war, he was also instrumental in establishing Victoria’s electrical power generation industry.
Would be interesting to see you do a piece on Sir William Robertson, CIGS from 1916 (Chief of the Imperial General Staff). The only man in the history of the British Army to join as a Private and leave as a Field Marshal. Son of a postmaster and Tailor... an interesting story.
I wonder how many Americans know that this was their first action of this war and the 2,000 soldiers of the US II Corps where under General Monash command. Since then a young Australia has stood shoulder to shoulder in every conflict with America.
General Perishing was told initially that the American troops were in reserve and would not see any fighting. When Perishing found that they were involved and under command of Monash. He demanded they be returned to him immediately. Monash commanded British, Australian, New Zealand, Canadian and American troops. Probably will never happen ever again.
The best tactical general of the war - basically wrote the book on combined arms tactics. The British certainly used his template at Amiens one month later.
He only added the airplane and tanks to the combined arms tactics because they were made available to him. The first use of combined tactics was by the Canadians at Vimy.
Monash has a number of things named after him like the Monash University which is one of the top universities in Australia. I also drive along his Freeway/Highway all the time named after him. The Australian Army with Monash helped influenced the modern Army warfare with help our neighbour New Zealand. I also think its a Work hard on the front line, more fun to relax rules behind the lines that both Army's adopted which other militaries adopted before everyone else.
As an Australian I seem to remember the current prime minister kept him in Europe because if he came back then he would had a far to strong position to run for PM in the upcoming election.
They were kind enough to name the Neil Wilson University in Idaho after me, due to Idaho being the only thing in history that I haven't ranted about on RUclips. Until today. Now it's the shoominati23 University. You broke it, you bought it.
The reason he pushed for recognition was the British took credit for everything, ask the Canadian forces , he had too , his gravestone says John Monash nothing else that doesn't sound like a grandstand type of person
small correction, not Princess bridge, but Princes Bridge. Also look at his work designing the dome of the reading room at the state library in Melbourne. Largest of its type when designed and world renowned in 1911
R.M.S. Carpathia, Indy and crew, will you guys be doing an episode on the ship sunk by a u-boat July 17, 1918, the ship that saved over 700 people from the Titanic sinking? Thank you for the excellent historical work over the last few years. Cheers!
Oops. wrong bridge, wrong city. The one illustrated at 1:25 was proposed for Brisbane but not built in that design. Monash worked on the Prince's Bridge which still stands in Melbourne, now called Princes Bridge. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princes_Bridge#/media/File:Arthur_Streeton_Princes_Bridge.jpg
So so many things are named after him to give you a indication of how highly he was regarded in Australia. Freeway ,university, federal seat , council name, several towns /suburbs and he's even on our biggest note
Bean was not alone in his campaign against Monash. Rupert Murdoch's father, Keith, was as adamantly anti-Monash even after Bean recognised Monash's achievements. The Australian PM, Billy Hughs, was partially persuaded by their conspiracy until he visited the front lines.
You mangled part of his early story. The bridge referred to @1:22 is called the Princes Bridge (not Princess) & the picture is of the old one that was replaced (and is still in situ) in 1886; Monash worked on this one. The advertising poster shown @1:26 is an unrelated housing development in Brisbane.
About time you did this video because this channel seemed to be to quick to go on about the USA's involvement when they only rocked up when the Germans had fully worn themselves out. If only Pershing had listened to Monash they might not have wasted so many lives on that attack in the argon Forrest.
Most Aussies don't even realise he held a Corps Command and Lt General Rank 6 months before Monash ever did. His Desert Column was the 'spearhead' of the drive to kick the Turks out of the entire Holy Lands that they'd held onto for near 500 years. They'll know who Lawrence of Arabia is - but don't know who the troops are who did all the actual work and heavy fighting ... the Charge at Bersheeba is about the best you'll get out of them ...
You need to redo your walls with reclaimed barn board. That would help in delivering an authentic flavor. Wicker would be acceptable as well. Trenchlike feel. I'll give you a quote. 😀
Excellent study and observations... Monash was always suspect due his Jewish religion primarily and German ancestry secondly. Australia still sbows a disrespect for his leadership and inherent Anti-Semitism... Compared to other more celebrated leaders, Monash innovated, planned and executed operations that ensured his Diggers a high degree of success and reduction of Casualties... perfect? No. Did be learn from mistakes and incorperate solutions? Most definitely...
Cool stuff. Thanks for posting! War is the motion of nations across each others' borders. Those few who excel at the manipulation and, especially, the effective operation, of men in the field rise higher in a meritocracy. And, when it comes to shameless self promotion, no particular ethnicity is better than another, unless demurring is a cultural tradition, and the ethnicity in question is aggressive in its desire to be recognized as equal, or worthy of notice. I'm an entertainer, and I see self promotion from every single ethnic or cultural background I encounter.
"A perfect modern battle plan is like nothing so much as a score for an orchestral composition, where the various arms and units are the instruments, and the tasks they perform are their respective musical phrases." Monash understood combined-arms warfare. He got it.
He was instrumental in ensuring there was employment and recognition for returned soldiers, esp in regards to War Memorials particularly the Shrine of Remberance in Melbourne. The word's largest war memorial is actually the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, which was built not only as a memora but also as way to provide employment for the soldiers.
Hi Indy and crew =). While i was watching the football worldcup, a question for OOTT came to my mind. During WW1, were there any big national or international sporting events that were hindered, canceled or even maintained despite the world turning into chaos ? Were there huge stars that were forced to take part to the conflict and if so, what happened to them ? Thanks again for all the amazing work you're doing.
Where in Melbourne is the princess bridge? I can only find Princes bridge. There clearly a poster 1:26 in this video showing princess bridge. Did they rename it?
Just saw the ANZAC series (a 1985 Australian series). Monash appears in the series. He was portrayed by Billy Kerr. PS what did you think of "ANZAC?" (If you seen it that is).
Fantastic mini series. Our family has seen it several times and my teenage kids have requested it from the library again because my daughter is studying WWI at school. We've had to wait quite a few weeks to get the first disc because there's a queue for it - even though it's pretty old these days, it's still very popular.
It was Monash who's tactics were the forerunner to the German blitzkrieg, the strategic use of mobile forces, artillery and infantry as a complete unit. Another general of the time who has been largely forgotten was Gordon Bennett who's loyalty to his men earned him a great deal of respect. His efforts to continue looking after his men after the war were magnificent. Bennett actually spent time on the front line in Gallipoli where he took turns sniping at the enemy.
I went to school with a few Bennett's. Direct descendants. Good lads
My grandfather served in the 3rd Division (Artillery) under Monash. I am very proud of both of them
It's also worth mentioning Monash's postwar lobbying for the building of the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne and his personal input in its construction. He did not live to see its completion, but it remains an architectural icon of Melbourne and serves as the primary location for services on ANZAC Day in Victoria.
Have some pictures of world war one memorabilia from inside it when I was over there (I'm a sandgroper)
he also believed that the building was a memorial, not a tourist attraction
@Tom Martyr 100% he did
John Monash holds shared responsibility for the Military catastrophe known as Gallipoli!
He isn't someone to honour or remember, except for his mistakes so they are not repeated! 💥
His university & those from his university who are working at the Shrine are connected to Organised Crime, ISIS, Hezbollah, Hamas & Al Qaeda! And they've been committing acts of Terrorism all over the world during the last 8 years! 💥
That fkn shrine & that fkn Monash University & everything to fkn do with John Monash is neck deep in Organised Crime, Corruption & Terrorism! 💥
And that's all that Shrine will ever represent now... 💥
The rotten Australian Government, the rotten Veterans Affairs & probably the rotten Monash University had something to do with it too, went off and built a $100 Million Dollar Memorial in France & named it after John fkn Monash - and they did that before spending a single fkn cent processing current & backlogged Veterans Insurance, Compensation & Medical Claims! 💥
John Monash has probably been the most TOXIC & DESTRUCTIVE influence on Australia, it's Defence Forces, its Governments, its Universities, its Big Business sector & the general population than anything Australia has ever experienced! 💥
Just fkn wait until these people from the fkn Shrine are answering questions on the Global Stage of Justice in Europe for what they have fkn done with their Terrorism & with Putin against the Ukraine! 💥
That was an exemplary coverage of Sir John Monash an Australian hero.
Couple of interesting tidbits: Monash claimed he met Ned Kelly, and he was living in Jerilderie when the Jerilderie bank was robbed. If he was indeed within the town when the bank was robbed, he almost certainly met Ned Kelly as Ned Kelly took the entire town hostage in the town pub during the heist.
The use of tanks and aircraft together is just the tip of the iceberg for the Battle of Hamel, and I wish this video was another 5 minutes longer so that Indy could talk about it in more detail. The newer lighter tanks were used to transport supplies to the front, ammo supply drops were used (one of the first planned uses of air drops for supply), and hot meals were delivered to the soldiers during the battle. Monash was the perfect combination of approaching warfare from an engineering perspective and having compassion for his troops.
Yes I can certainly appreciate the value of receiving a hot meal when out in the field on exercises. Does wonders for putting energy back into a tired body, so the effectiveness of having a hot meal mid battle must have been (and still is) quite substantial for the troops and dismaying to the enemy.
Everyone is gangsta until Ned Kelly says who he is
I believe that he stated that he met Ned when he came to buy a horse from his family, so I think it was before Ned went postal
6:13 "Australia is a nation of sportsmen, we like to see the score on the board" John Monash
Still the best WW1 series ever made ;)
Anzacs ❤️
This barely scratches the achievements of Monash.
After reading his book "Australian victories in France 1918" I didn't notice him trying to promote himself but heaped praise upon his soldiers, especially the courage of US troops who fought at Hamel who had limited experience but no shortage of courage.
One of the reasons the Australian government did not want troops or Monash returned quickly to Australia was the fear of a revolt against the government similar to what had occurred in Russia. Monash received requests to lead an uprising during the post war recession but always remained loyal to democratic government. He could have lead such a revolt as he was called upon to restore order in Melbourne during a police strike. He placed a newspaper ad asking for veterans to serve under his command and they responded in droves promptly restoring order.
Monash also designed a breach loading cannon, stole German brown coal technology and recruited German engineers to build coal fired power in Victoria. The list does go on but it is hard to over sell Monash's abilities
Yes reading the book about Monash, I was particularly taken by the veterans response to his newspaper advertisement. I can't recall the numbers exactly but men dropped what they were doing to answer his call to action and the looting and rioting stopped dead in its tracks because Monash had trained men on every corner and patrolling in cars. The response from his men to the call to action absolutely scared criminal and politicians alike, that Monash could have men out on every street corner within hours. If Monash had so desired, he could have taken over Melbourne by force or called for the government of the state to resign or he could have taken over via the ballot box with plenty of support.
@@markfryer9880 Sycophancy on stilts old boy.
Some of what people attribute his 'egotism' to, and yes he had his fair share, was his campaign to ensure that Australian Successes in battle were attributed to Australian forces rather than be printed in the press as 'British' victories/achievements. What many non-Australians fail to realise is - we had only gained our independence and Australia itself only came into existence in 1901. before that we were only a collection of separate colonies. Monash had a keen eye for history and wanted to help forge a new national identity during this global conflict.
Probably the biggest difference between Monash and other Commanders, Strategists and Planners was his philosophy, best summed up by his most famous quote
"... the true role of infantry was not to expend itself upon heroic physical effort, not to wither away under merciless machine-gun fire, not to impale itself on hostile bayonets, nor to tear itself to pieces in hostile entanglements-(I am thinking of Pozières and Stormy Trench and Bullecourt, and other bloody fields)-but on the contrary, to advance under the maximum possible protection of the maximum possible array of mechanical resources, in the form of guns, machine-guns, tanks, mortars and aeroplanes; to advance with as little impediment as possible; to be relieved as far as possible of the obligation to fight their way forward; to march, resolutely, regardless of the din and tumult of battle, to the appointed goal; and there to hold and defend the territory gained; and to gather in the form of prisoners, guns and stores, the fruits of victory."
He was aggressive and ruthless when he needed to be, especially late in the 100 days campaign when the Australian Divisions were simply fought out and exhausted. he kept rallying them and putting them back into battle after battle, advance after advance, despite numbers being so low that formerly battalions that were 800-1000 men strong were now down to 300 men. By early October they had to be pulled out. But for his actions, tactics and strategy of August 8th, he became the first man in 300 years to be knighted in the field by the King. An honour not shared with any of his peers.
After the war many expected him to go into Politics. If he did he would have no doubt walked straight into the Prime Ministers job - but he didn't want to and the PM of the day Billy Hughes was eager to sideline him as he knew how popular Monash was not only with returning soldiers but also the wider Australian population. With the rise of the Right Wing in the 1920's as a counter to the rise of a more militant Left Wing Union Movement, former officers reached out to him to lead them and re-take Australia by force if necessary. He quickly stomped on those ideas and would have nothing to do with such talk.
Great Special Indy and Crew! Well done!! Well worth waiting for ;)
Spot on, mate
Your quote about the proper use of infantry is basically how modern infantry are used today. I am actually currently at The Australian War Memorial now looking at buying a book of his from the gift shop!!! He is also on our $100 dollar bill.
The capacity for hard work, organisation and consultation- and occasional micromanagement- is what separates him from the 'villain' generals of the Great War. Colonial wars had simply not equipped the likes of Gough, Haking and Monro to organise successful battles, nor gain the trust of subordinates and the necessary collaboration to make a battle work. They saw battle as a matter of morale and 'will', and bullied any who questioned them. This was a culture Haig created at GHQ through 1915.
It is for this reason that the colonial contingents (their commanders could not be sacked by GHQ so they could 'talk back') and some more rebellious British commanders became the best of 1918.
Nice History Lesson David Read. Quite informative. Nice job.
@@lllordllloyd Australian commanders owed a debt to Breaker Morant. For it was because of the travisty of justice surounding Morant's execution that Australians are never under the direct command of other nations.
Australian General and Hero. Had a huge impact on the war and should be appreciated for what he did. Thanks Indy for this episode.
Amongst those Brits who actually study WWI... Sir John Monash is very much appreciated. As is the Australian Corps... not to mention the Canadian Corps and Sir Arthur Currie.
The problem is it tends to be the Canadians and Australians did everything., and ignore the British involvement... as if every single British Division was useless... Which they were not.
@@alganhar1 Mate in the The Great War it was the opposite. It was the Brits that got all the glory got all the attention. The Anzacs and Canadians were always pushed aside because of stupid arrogant hierarchy. The Australians New Zealanders Canadians were the countries that were ignored by England and their involvement. Those countries that gave up their jobs, farewelled their families all to go to war thousands of miles ,and be slaughtered by hierarchy rubbish. I have nothing against the honest Tommies I feel for them and their families. Thanks to complete arseholes like Haig and other high officers of England they fed those innocent men to the machineguns without a care in the world and they did the same to those Australians New Zealanders Canadians who had a much smaller population then England.
@@alganhar1 I only wish that Australians would study THE WAR instead of just the Australian part in it.
@@anthonyeaton5153plenty of us do mate, it's not all jingoism and myth out here. 😉
"I would name Sir John Monash as the best general on the western front in Europe" ~ Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery
Monash also played a pivotal role in creating the Shrine of Remembrance as he believed the men who had died deserved a specific location for which mourners could gather. If I recall it was him that advocated that no statue to him or any other particular individual soldier should be placed on its grounds as this was meant to be a memorial for all the fallen Australians. His statue is located in the adjoining park in the heart of Melbourne. Today he has a University, a major highway and a local municipality named after him.
I find it odd how Bean could criticize Monash for self-promotion, when most of the wars most incompetent generals cemented a positive legacy for themselves by doing just that. Say what you will, but Monash's writing shows he cared deeply about the men in his command and, regardless of what can be directly attributed to him in the chain of command, the Australian Corps achieved great successes for its size under his command.
Oh, and a major hospital. I am definitely missing somethings.
And the $100 note, which is a pretty big deal when you think about it.
Bean was there and had no reason to dislike him personally
"And over estimating the achievements of his men"???? He proved his achievements and his men enabled him to achieve his achievements. The bloke is blind to facts and logic and he calls himself a "war historian". A case of Yankee envie and bias.
@@alanbstard4 Bean was just a biased bigot. And probably behaved as he was envious of him
I live in Melbourne, where he came from. A university, a high school and even a local government area are all named after him. A mate of mine actually goes to the high school, a place called John Monash science school. Words cannot express how huge of an impact this man has had on Australia and especially Melbourne.
lol the irony that the highly regarded graduate of MU would be the namesake of the inferior Monash uni. (I went to both so im allowed to make this joke)
lol the irony that the highly regarded graduate of MU would be the namesake of the inferior Monash uni. (I went to both so im allowed to make this joke)
dont forget the Major metropolitan freeway and hospital named after him as well!
and the 100 $ note
Now a seat in the Commonwealth Parliament is named after him
While the troops were waiting to get back home at the end of the war, Monash organised it for the soldiers to aid local tradesmen to learn their craft for transitioning into civilian life. He also hired vets over others when he was heading civil engineering projects in Australia. Most people ignorantly gloss over the battle of hamel a familiar one is siting Currie battle, but don't realise that Currie did not invent it either they both used their innovation to intertwine strategies to suit their outcome hamel was to a certain extent more detailed it was those little 2%-5% strategies that become cruces in battle, someone scoffed about the use of air drops, no less than 100,000 rounds of ammunition were dropped in close proximity to the intended machine gunner target on the frontline(it took 2men to carry 1000 rounds), the use of using poison gas with smoke gas then during the progressing battle using only smoke though the Germans associate it now with poison gas had to put their mask on reducing vision during an advancement. It's those little attention to detail that seperated that battle from others before.
I’m an Aussie and a historian and this is a wonderful narration of Sir John Monash, well done Indi! 👍
He is regarded, and rightly so, as an ABSOLUTE UNIT
“In Awe at the size of this Lad!” Erich Ludendorff at Amiens, probably.
General Caesar 10/10
That escalated quickly.
Troops and leaders.
It's hilarious to see non Australians confused by the term. To quote Urban dictionary: " Big sturdy bird you wouldn't want to mess with but would want on your side if things started to get tasty."
It's a compliment people.
Oh, now we totally need to see Indy demonstrate his piano prowess.
He's already played guitar for us, demonstrating the "Hoetzendorf Blues". I think there's a clip of him singing Dion's "The Wanderer", as well. And he's actually mentioned in the Wikipedia of Anders Wendin, a Swedish singer-songwriter, credited with piano and organ.
"same as me"... way to make everything about you, Indy.
John Byng same as me, too!
Maybe he sees himself in Monash, same as me.
John Byng although that's where the similarities ended.
300 episodes later, finally sneaks it in. The long con
And the way he pointed to himself with his thumb...
I have been fortunate enough to have travelled to Australia twice. States I visted, Queensland, NSW and Victoria. Wonderful country and wonderful people. Not surprised they could turn out a John Monash!
I'm a born & bred Melburnian and I must say that Monash is still revered today. I study at the university named in his honour. We have roads, a local Council & buildings all named after him. His face is also on Australian currency (our $100 note).
100 years later, John Monash is as famous in Australia as ever 😊
@@TonyAdams1969 Rightly so.
I visited Australia twice, first and last! Couldn’t stand the smug shallow Australians.
@@anthonyeaton5153 Hey Anthony, f***k you! Most poms are nice, except the whinging ones like you...
@@anthonyeaton5153As I am sure they were just as glad to see the back of you.
Not only did Charles Bean dislike Monash, so did Keith Murdoch (father of Rupert) who was managing editor of the London cable service run by the Sun and the Melbourne Herald in 1915. Murdoch pushed for Brudunell-White to be appointed to command the Australia Corp instead of Monash whom he denigrated and said to the prime minister of Australia, Billy Hughes, he had no support among the senior officers. When Hughes visited the Corp with the intention of replacing Monash, he first consulted the same senior officers and discovered that their support for their commander was strongly positive and that Monash's powers of planning and execution were excellent. The subsequent outcome of the Hamel assault closed the question of Monash's suitability but later in the same year Murdoch attempted again to convince Hughes that Monash should not control the repatriation of Australian troops. The DNA runs deep in the Murdoch dynasty.
No surprise the Murdoch’s were vile schemers then as well.
Thanks Rod. My father was a bit of a rightwing sympathizer and I always wondered where he got his negative view of Monash. Between Murdoch, Bean, and a staunch protestant (ie anti-jewish) mother, I think I have just about solved it.
Thank you for this biography. Monash is still a revered figure in Melbourne and I expect his leadership was a major factor in many Australian troops, including my great-grandfather, surviving the war. Proud to have graduated from the university named after him.
A tremendous watch from an obviously curious and passionate historian. To go so far as an American to explore our small, far off army....
Thanks TGW team. Been waiting 'patiently' for this for years :) He is definitely a legend here and also a breath of fresh air like Plumer and Currie on the battlefield.
This man literally wrote the winning formula for WW1.
not really
you again
@@alanbstard4 yes really
@@alanbstard4 big surprise your only argument for this is “he was jewish” judging by your other comments.
@@giantcrayfish2866 he did not write the winning formula for ww1
Just visited John Monash's grave today. It's around the corner from my house. Its inscription reads 'To the memory of John Monash. Mourned in Love and Pride.' A really simple grave too.
Hearing stories of great and successful people who fought through their lives, not only to make their own status and living better but also for others, is always a great thing. Quite motivational as well.
Another fact about Monash - one of the men who tried to get Monash relieved of command was war correspondent Keith Murdoch, the father of Rupert Murdoch.
also known as a grub
Still a family of pricks.
Murdoch are cut from the same cloth
Indi ,as an aussie you just made me love you more .huge thankyou. after listening to sabatan 1916 were they rub the terrible death toll in your face [like only they can ], it's great to know monash had a huge roll to play in the the reduction of the death toll ,utilizing his creeping barage .
Very very interesting and informative, particularly his expertise as an engineer, which combined with his for want of a better word, "hobby" of soldiering, and intelligent study, made him the great General he became. This was a time when the class system and prejudice pervaded British society and the army in particular, to a massive extent compared to today. Perhaps only as a "colonial" ( no prommy bashing please ) could he bring to senior military rank, these skills ?
Repeatedly the description of Monash, and criticisms he had to contend with, reminded me of Montgomery, so it's very interesting to read that he regarded Monash as the best General of WW1. Montgomery had first hand experience of these events, and I suspect together with later study, applied these lessons to Alamein for example. Perhaps it was no accident that the Australian ( and New Zealand troops ) played such a crucial role.
These events occurred 100 years ago, so perhaps it IS time time to remember Monash and the support of the "colonies". I haven't .
Wikipedia is an impressive read.
Monash was truly a legend. Strayan pride. It's too bad that he wasn't able to develop these tactics further, earlier, and for the whole Allied armies and they had to endure people like Haig instead.
right on the money mate!
Lloyd George is often quoted to have considered both Monash and Canada's LTG Currie for greater roles though considering they were at Corps and Divisional level at the time, not close enough to Force command to be seriously considered.
He didn't develop them. Most were developed by Arthur Currie who was the unofficial leader of the Western Front (and was to be officially promoted if the war had continued). Currie investigated what went wrong at Verdun, and after this restructured the military to its modern form - which allowed for integrated tactics, the creeping barrage, shock troops, and set-piece assaults. And his earlier predecessor to defense in depth (which had helped Canadians hold out at that first battle with gas) allowed him to create the set-piece, which was the definitive counter to the German strategy.
Monash was a great general, but he was really only applying strategies and tactics developed by Currie. No doubt his self-promoting character has influenced how these two are seen in the history books.
If there is any difference between Monash and Currie is the integration of Tanks by Monash. Other than that much of what Monash did have precedent from Currie at Vimy. Monash began to be able to use what was learned starting at Messines. Both where able to take the lessons they learned to effect the outcome of the entire war. Amazing to think These guys were only Corps commanders.
Oh look its the Canadian fella that cannot have Monash's name being mentioned without downgrading anything accomplished by the man, all the while painting everything as 'developed and patented by Currie'. Your tactics are quite boring and reminiscent of the antics of Charles Bean and Keith Murdoch.
My Grandfather was an ANZAC who fought at Gallipoli and in the 5th Division at Fromelles and Villers Bretonneux.
Visiting these battlefields in France a highlight was the new Sir John Monash Centre War Memorial.
The experience is “immersive”.
For once Australian tax dollars well spent.
Great report Indi.
There is a village in northern Israel, named after him - Kfar Monash, east of the city of Netanya. It was formed by WWII veterans of the Royal Engineers from Israel
Didn't know that and the light Horse in Bersheva memorial
I'm Australian and went through school barely ever hearing his name as anything other than a footnote, It's a shame really as this is the sort of historical figure you can look up to if for no other reason than he held the lives and well-being of his men as important.
Mate you can't blame school for your inattention. He's in every bloody Australian textbook, he's got a university, a Federal electorate and several other places named after him. He's on the $100 note ffs.
@Evilstorm11 as for you, you absolute peanut, Monash, and just about every digger, would have regarded you and the way you think as completely at odds with the Australian ethos and spirit. Read a book instead of taking your political views from recycled American meme pages.
@@LukeWhito I like you! Keep going ...
@Evilstorm11 this is going to be a civil war, is it? Because if we're ejecting the human filth from the nation, the ones who aren't able to live happily in a multicultural society want to be the first into the lifeboats ...
@@LukeWhito ...and 22 biographies to his name.
I remember reading somewhere that what was remarkable for his men was the Hot meals right after they took the enemy trenches, not so much as the tanks and other things which he planned and executed brilliantly.
I guess logistics also play a huge role in the men's morale and fighting spirit, so much so that the hot food in their bellies matter as much as the bullets in their rifles.
I had to write about a great Australian person in year five and I wrote about John Monash
Watching that old BBC series about WW1, I remember being impressed by the powerful words of an Australian politician when they entered the war: "If Britain goes the her Armageddon, we'll go with her."
Oh, and thank you 'Land Down Under' for the songs by Men at Work!
Not to mention the great cinematic works of Yahoo Serious.
silvioevan11 arent the Old britsh documentries just propaganda.
Such a bloody mistake, we shouldn't have sent our young boys to die for a foreign nation.
Looking at it with todays eyes Luke Gibson it may look like the wrong thing to do, however if you view it with the eyes of yesterday it looks like the right thing to do.
To be fair, many Australians still considered themselves 'British' during the Great War...
Hype for a possible episode on Albert Jacka!!!!!
+Keith Thurston. In my mind, I sometimes use Jacka as a model for "mentioned in dispatches". "On the afternoon of the fifteenth instant, the company was crossing open ground when it came under fire from a machine gun nest. Alone and unarmed except for a cooks knife, company cook Thurston stormed the nest, strangling the crew with their own intestines, and silencing the gun. We recommend him for the highest award for personal gallantry, after which it is our strongest recommendation that he be locked away from polite society for the term of his natural life".
Yep and his MC should have been a second VC
Keith Thurston they need to make a movie on him!
How fitting that the two major landmarks in Melbourne named after him are a university and a freeway. Education and engineering. Also a city council, an electorate, and many others. He truly left his mark on this city, and is remembered.
And strangely enough it actually his civil engineering work in building Victoria rather than his military successes that until more recently he was most acclaimed for (and the reason those landmarks are named after him).
There is also a town in South Australia named after him in the Riverland where land had been allocated to repatriated diggers.
@@IceWolfLoki If you are a Melbournian you probably drive daily over bridges he built, see railways he designed, structures he had built, using processes he pioneered and use Electricity from a system he developed. The man was a true genius.
@@wizofoz0605 Yep and like I said, that was the major reason he was lauded in the State and not his achievements overseas although in many ways those achievements overseas were what lead to him being able to do the other things. I went to the University named in his honour.
Yes, I am from Melbourne and Monash is far and away the best General that Australia produced. His contributions to Victoria post war were significant and covered in these comments; he is rightly honoured as a truly great Australian.
"Adopt as your fundamental creed that you will equip yourself for life, not solely for your own benefit but for the benefit of the whole community" ~ John Monash
Words to live by.
Yes, this is what differentiates Monash from any of his peers. He was about the benefit of all, not the benefit of one. Currie should take note.
Great extrapolation of a truly great General, "Sir John Monash!"
😳 Excellent account of an exceptional commander. Could you also consider the role of Sir Andrew Hamilton Russell as the commanding general of New Zealand forces? He was instrumental in managing the successful withdrawal of allied troops from Gallipoli.
that was a well orchestrated move
The image at 1:27 is an advertisement for the Princess Bridge Estate, which is in Queensland, not the Princes (one s) Bridge in Melbourne, which Monash worked on and is about 1700 kms to the south of the Princess Bridge shown. The image prior to that is correctly Melbourne's Princes Bridge, but it's the earlier version of the bridge, not the version Monash worked on.
I live in the district named after him and he is absolute legend from where I'm from
A total badass General. Its a rare sight in this war.
He fought like an engineer. Everything organized, everthing in its place, the small details seen to. And it worked. Brilliantly.
To be fair though, a lot of Monash's push for status was to preserve not only the moral of his men but to also maintain public support after what happened at Gallipoli. Especially since the Australian Government was actively trying to withdraw their troops from the front lines in the later year of the war and reporters (such as Bean) had a very matter-of-fact and plain approach to writing of what they saw.
"He overstated his men's achievements?", Victory upon victory, that is what he and his men did! The first to stop the advance and the first to push back, this cannot be overstated.
I have the distinct feeling that Indy enjoys pronouncing the word "Kaiserschlacht".
Geobacter Who doesn't like it mate
One letter away from Kaiserschlecht
Thank you Indy & Team ......... been waiting 4 years for this!
I got mentioned for research I did over two years ago😂 best moment ever to be mentioned along side Aaron. Had the chance to work along side him in a commercial one time, top guy.
Monash spoke fluent German, which he was accused of being a spy/sympathiser for. Any German prisoners Monash personally interrogated to glean more info. Also before the war, because of his engineering background and German language he conversed with German engineers about the weapons being built and had far more information than most Allied Top Brass about German munitions and machines. After the initial wins he did drive his men hard for the reason that he knew the Germans were worse off, morale was gone and not to give them time to stop retreating/regroup. He was one of the few leaders the Americans/Canadians trusted to lead their troops into battle after they watched some of the Poms Top Brass less than inspiring leadership causing their men to be butchered.
First class biography.
Thanks for your work on this.
After the war, he was also instrumental in establishing Victoria’s electrical power generation industry.
Third class and facile, but at least a world wide audience.
Would be interesting to see you do a piece on Sir William Robertson, CIGS from 1916 (Chief of the Imperial General Staff). The only man in the history of the British Army to join as a Private and leave as a Field Marshal. Son of a postmaster and Tailor... an interesting story.
I'm Australian I'm greatfull to all Australians who died and returned from war even my great great great grandfather who was in the Anzac forces
I wonder how many Americans know that this was their first action of this war and the 2,000 soldiers of the US II Corps where under General Monash command. Since then a young Australia has stood shoulder to shoulder in every conflict with America.
General Perishing was told initially that the American troops were in reserve and would not see any fighting. When Perishing found that they were involved and under command of Monash. He demanded they be returned to him immediately. Monash commanded British, Australian, New Zealand, Canadian and American troops. Probably will never happen ever again.
It was 600 yanks.
The best tactical general of the war - basically wrote the book on combined arms tactics. The British certainly used his template at Amiens one month later.
He only added the airplane and tanks to the combined arms tactics because they were made available to him. The first use of combined tactics was by the Canadians at Vimy.
@@michaelconvery8871 yep, but Monash added to, and improved on everything Currie did. Outstanding.
Another great episode!
Great video Indy. Thank you for bringing light to a great Australian leader during the Great War.
Monash has a number of things named after him like the Monash University which is one of the top universities in Australia. I also drive along his Freeway/Highway all the time named after him. The Australian Army with Monash helped influenced the modern Army warfare with help our neighbour New Zealand. I also think its a Work hard on the front line, more fun to relax rules behind the lines that both Army's adopted which other militaries adopted before everyone else.
1:26, that's the wrong Princes Bridge!
As an Australian I seem to remember the current prime minister kept him in Europe because if he came back then he would had a far to strong position to run for PM in the upcoming election.
They named the university after him!
shoominati23 Monash U, my alumni
There is a long list of things named after him on Wikipedia.
They were kind enough to name the Neil Wilson University in Idaho after me, due to Idaho being the only thing in history that I haven't ranted about on RUclips. Until today. Now it's the shoominati23 University. You broke it, you bought it.
And the hospital. Heck, a lot of things are named after him in this part of Melbourne.
Well, we need our hereos don't we?? lol
The reason he pushed for recognition was the British took credit for everything, ask the Canadian forces , he had too , his gravestone says John Monash nothing else that doesn't sound like a grandstand type of person
Definitely a cool guy. The Entente could've used a dozen more of him.
Actually they had another.
@@zlatko8051 no, they didn't. Currie was not even close.
small correction, not Princess bridge, but Princes Bridge. Also look at his work designing the dome of the reading room at the state library in Melbourne. Largest of its type when designed and world renowned in 1911
R.M.S. Carpathia, Indy and crew, will you guys be doing an episode on the ship sunk by a u-boat July 17, 1918, the ship that saved over 700 people from the Titanic sinking? Thank you for the excellent historical work over the last few years. Cheers!
Monash was also the initial Engineer Creator of the Victorian State Snowy Mountain Hydro Electric Scheme.
Been waiting 4 years for this episode, It was well worth the wait.
Here in Melbourne, we the Monash Freeway and Monash University, both named after General Sir John.
Oops. wrong bridge, wrong city. The one illustrated at 1:25 was proposed for Brisbane but not built in that design. Monash worked on the Prince's Bridge which still stands in Melbourne, now called Princes Bridge. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princes_Bridge#/media/File:Arthur_Streeton_Princes_Bridge.jpg
@The Great War He wrote In the newspaper about the Bulgarian devastation In western Thrace by the Entante.
So so many things are named after him to give you a indication of how highly he was regarded in Australia. Freeway ,university, federal seat , council name, several towns /suburbs and he's even on our biggest note
That was great, thanks so much.
Bean was not alone in his campaign against Monash. Rupert Murdoch's father, Keith, was as adamantly anti-Monash even after Bean recognised Monash's achievements. The Australian PM, Billy Hughs, was partially persuaded by their conspiracy until he visited the front lines.
You mangled part of his early story. The bridge referred to @1:22 is called the Princes Bridge (not Princess) & the picture is of the old one that was replaced (and is still in situ) in 1886; Monash worked on this one. The advertising poster shown @1:26 is an unrelated housing development in Brisbane.
About time you did this video because this channel seemed to be to quick to go on about the USA's involvement when they only rocked up when the Germans had fully worn themselves out. If only Pershing had listened to Monash they might not have wasted so many lives on that attack in the argon Forrest.
Correct. Monash >>>>>>>Pershing.
Truly a great Australian.
Best thing to come out of Melbourne apart from to Hume Highway
Loud Strat Hume, Monash, Tulla, Princess...
Aussies ...I like them !
I love this channel. More please.
Thank you for this video. What a shame he wasn't in control of our men earlier in the war.
Can this be followed by a look at Harry Chauvel?
Most Aussies don't even realise he held a Corps Command and Lt General Rank 6 months before Monash ever did. His Desert Column was the 'spearhead' of the drive to kick the Turks out of the entire Holy Lands that they'd held onto for near 500 years. They'll know who Lawrence of Arabia is - but don't know who the troops are who did all the actual work and heavy fighting ... the Charge at Bersheeba is about the best you'll get out of them ...
Tony Bailey and his right hand Chaytor.
For more information of him read Ion Idriss The Desert Coloum a grat read by a trooper on the Light Horse.
Unfortunately, ILI was invalided home and missed much
yes!!!
You need to redo your walls with reclaimed barn board. That would help in delivering an authentic flavor. Wicker would be acceptable as well. Trenchlike feel. I'll give you a quote. 😀
My street is named after Albert Jacka (the first Victoria Cross recipient) :)
Excellent study and observations... Monash was always suspect due his Jewish religion primarily and German ancestry secondly. Australia still sbows a disrespect for his leadership and inherent Anti-Semitism... Compared to other more celebrated leaders, Monash innovated, planned and executed operations that ensured his Diggers a high degree of success and reduction of Casualties... perfect? No. Did be learn from mistakes and incorperate solutions? Most definitely...
Awesome, keep it up guys! 👍
Monash doesn't get the recognition he deserves because he's neither British nor American
And Jewish heritage.
Cool stuff. Thanks for posting!
War is the motion of nations across each others' borders. Those few who excel at the manipulation and, especially, the effective operation, of men in the field rise higher in a meritocracy.
And, when it comes to shameless self promotion, no particular ethnicity is better than another, unless demurring is a cultural tradition, and the ethnicity in question is aggressive in its desire to be recognized as equal, or worthy of notice. I'm an entertainer, and I see self promotion from every single ethnic or cultural background I encounter.
Appreciate how you pronounce Lieutenant the way the Aussies pronounce it.
But not Melbourne.
Easily my favorite episode :D
"A perfect modern battle plan is like nothing so much as a score for an orchestral composition, where the various arms and units are the instruments, and the tasks they perform are their respective musical phrases." Monash understood combined-arms warfare. He got it.
Thank you!😊
He was instrumental in ensuring there was employment and recognition for returned soldiers, esp in regards to War Memorials particularly the Shrine of Remberance in Melbourne. The word's largest war memorial is actually the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, which was built not only as a memora but also as way to provide employment for the soldiers.
Hi Indy and crew =). While i was watching the football worldcup, a question for OOTT came to my mind. During WW1, were there any big national or international sporting events that were hindered, canceled or even maintained despite the world turning into chaos ? Were there huge stars that were forced to take part to the conflict and if so, what happened to them ? Thanks again for all the amazing work you're doing.
Google it lol.
Well the 1916 Olympics were cancelled.
Hi, love the show. Could you creat a ''who did what in WW1" about crown prince Rupprecht of Bavaria?
Ian Lohne lol I’m called rupert
Another great episode, Indy and crew. Here is my suggestion for a new episode: Alfred Redl.
Hi Indy and team!
Where in Melbourne is the princess bridge? I can only find Princes bridge. There clearly a poster 1:26 in this video showing princess bridge. Did they rename it?
You left out the part where he was bloody knighted on the battlefield by the king.
Excellent presentation 👍👍
Just saw the ANZAC series (a 1985 Australian series). Monash appears in the series.
He was portrayed by Billy Kerr.
PS what did you think of "ANZAC?" (If you seen it that is).
One of the best TV Mini-Series ever made ;) Better than the garbage they made in 2015 for the Gallipoli Centenary ...
Fantastic mini series. Our family has seen it several times and my teenage kids have requested it from the library again because my daughter is studying WWI at school. We've had to wait quite a few weeks to get the first disc because there's a queue for it - even though it's pretty old these days, it's still very popular.
Entertaining but totally inaccurate and a load Australian bullshit .
The Princess Bridge is still there
dangerouslytalented
And the Chandler Hwy Bridge.
But it's spelled Princes. It's the PRINCE'S Bridge, after Prince Edward, not Princess, but naming conventions don't allow for apostrophes.
Finally, I've been asking for this video for four years