Hitler's Last Army - Ninth Army Breakout 1945

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  • Опубликовано: 20 сен 2020
  • The story of the Ninth Army's desperate attempts to escape Soviet captivity during the last days of WWII.
    Dr. Mark Felton is a well-known British historian, the author of 22 non-fiction books, including bestsellers 'Zero Night' and 'Castle of the Eagles', both currently being developed into movies in Hollywood. In addition to writing, Mark also appears regularly in television documentaries around the world, including on The History Channel, Netflix, National Geographic, Quest, American Heroes Channel and RMC Decouverte. His books have formed the background to several TV and radio documentaries. More information about Mark can be found at: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Fe...
    Visit my audio book channel 'War Stories with Mark Felton': • One Thousand Miles to ...
    Help support my channel:
    www.paypal.me/markfeltonprodu...
    / markfeltonproductions
    Disclaimer: All opinions and comments expressed in the 'Comments' section do not reflect the opinions of Mark Felton Productions. All opinions and comments should contribute to the dialogue. Mark Felton Productions does not condone written attacks, insults, racism, sexism, extremism, violence or otherwise questionable comments or material in the 'Comments' section, and reserves the right to delete any comment violating this rule or to block any poster from the channel.
    Thanks: Google Maps; H. Raab.

Комментарии • 4,1 тыс.

  • @greenhillburma
    @greenhillburma 3 года назад +3968

    The real history behind the famous 'Steiner attack' scene.

    • @drgeorgek
      @drgeorgek 3 года назад +141

      The actor looks scarily like him

    • @wasdlmb
      @wasdlmb 3 года назад +331

      DAS WAR EIN BEFEHL! DER ANGRIFF STEINERS WAR EIN BEFEHL!

    • @DaveSCameron
      @DaveSCameron 3 года назад +30

      For you who reply on films for history yes!

    • @merkabah2
      @merkabah2 3 года назад +26

      @@drgeorgek I watched the movie a while back, I had a search now and it seems he wasn't in the movie?even though I found a picture of the actor that looks really like him in the film who I'm not sure , I think might be Krebs

    • @kantenklaus9753
      @kantenklaus9753 3 года назад +21

      @@wasdlmb Alles Verräter 🤣

  • @Shregurun93
    @Shregurun93 Год назад +717

    *”Don’t worry, everything will be fine when Steiner attacks.”*

    • @jameslee1062
      @jameslee1062 10 месяцев назад +26

      Downfall - the movie

    • @ben-jam-in6941
      @ben-jam-in6941 9 месяцев назад +39

      The sounds of Morse code dots and dashes.. ….
      “ Mein Fuhrur…….” Deeply swallows

    • @Ealdorman_of_Mercia
      @Ealdorman_of_Mercia 9 месяцев назад

      Es wwar ein Befeeeehhll! Feiglinge!

    • @jumnei5159
      @jumnei5159 8 месяцев назад

      Steiner... Steiner fucked off to the north. he said "lol lmao" to your orders

    • @komradekalashnikov7495
      @komradekalashnikov7495 8 месяцев назад +12

      Steiner failed to rally enough men

  • @williamr3840
    @williamr3840 3 года назад +1049

    This breakout story would make an incredible war film.

    • @williamr3840
      @williamr3840 3 года назад +3

      @@thegrisakgroup Thanks! I'll keep a look out for that. :0)

    • @46FreddieMercury91
      @46FreddieMercury91 2 года назад +15

      @@thegrisakgroup Tigers in the Mud,,,, that would be a book by Otto Carius

    • @Gumpmachine1
      @Gumpmachine1 2 года назад +4

      I often thought that

    • @dillon5155
      @dillon5155 2 года назад +25

      This entire war would make an incredible war film

    • @soldat2501
      @soldat2501 2 года назад +14

      They already have an eyewitness account to base it from: "The Last Panther: Slaughter of the Reich"
      Book by Wolfgang Max Faust

  • @jameselliott5315
    @jameselliott5315 Год назад +1112

    My grandfather was in the 29th infantry division and hit the beach in the first wave of landing craft at Omaha Beach Normandy. He fought all the way from the beach to Germany until a landmine took out him and his squad. He lived to 94 years old and hated the French till the day he died. He always spoke highly of the German army and how hard they fought and how disciplined their troops were. My warmest memory is when my family hosted a German exchange student for high school, his family came to visit and brought their grandfather that was a German solider who fought in France. He sat with my grandfather for 3 days straight drinking beers and talking about the battles and where they were. They became best friends and kept in contact until they passed.

    • @buraktepe6683
      @buraktepe6683 Год назад +48

      Nice story. My grandfather was ranked soldier at Turkish army at that time. He protects the secret archives. He does not fight Germans. But he said that if they fight against them. They dont have too much chance. He admires the German Mauser rifles quality.

    • @huntclanhunt9697
      @huntclanhunt9697 Год назад +58

      Why'd he hate the French? Besides the fact they were French.

    • @TheCarlosBrandy
      @TheCarlosBrandy Год назад

      Nobody likes frenchs. Even frenchs don't like the others french, only themselvs...

    • @CanIGetaGame134
      @CanIGetaGame134 Год назад +109

      @@huntclanhunt9697assuming many soldiers hated the French for surrendering and making it America and England’s problem to take back their country for them. 😅

    • @Old_Nosey
      @Old_Nosey Год назад +55

      @@huntclanhunt9697 France just gave up fighting and never even fought a major battle at paris, they broke a deal with britain when they surrendered without britain.

  • @Roller_Ghoster
    @Roller_Ghoster 3 года назад +4114

    Mark Felton has his own army 910,000 strong and growing.

    • @neflesward2727
      @neflesward2727 3 года назад +79

      @Susan Ananda Indeed

    • @JimboobSherwood
      @JimboobSherwood 3 года назад +184

      Army Group Mark Felton

    • @michaelhall2228
      @michaelhall2228 3 года назад +145

      Im a member of the Felton foreign legion

    • @umbertonecci7802
      @umbertonecci7802 3 года назад +46

      Felton foreign legion member from Italy 🇮🇹

    • @hazul1612
      @hazul1612 3 года назад +44

      Army Group Felton ready for action

  • @korbell1089
    @korbell1089 3 года назад +2176

    Chief of Staff: "What if Hitler finds out what we are doing and calls?"
    Busse: "Let it go to voicemail."

    • @justinuptonn261
      @justinuptonn261 3 года назад +91

      lol "what if he tries to facetime to make sure we're going where he ordered"

    • @charliewhiskey8440
      @charliewhiskey8440 3 года назад +45

      @@justinuptonn261 Battery's flat!

    • @willnailer2118
      @willnailer2118 3 года назад +72

      I think my ex was trained by Hitler.

    • @Londonfogey
      @Londonfogey 3 года назад +85

      'Sir, we've got Adolf Hitler on the line. Wants to speak to you. Sounds pretty angry.'
      'Adolf who? Tell him I'm in a meeting.'

    • @steverusuk
      @steverusuk 3 года назад +25

      May be the Fuhrer was 'on mute'...

  • @joespeciale5875
    @joespeciale5875 3 года назад +1330

    Imagine yourself in the position of the ninth army. You would fight like hell to go west or die doing so, rather than go into a Russian POW camp, which was a certain slow terrible death.

    • @oliveryt7168
      @oliveryt7168 3 года назад +96

      Well, after all those crimes they had commited... Maybe they shouldnt have participated in that invasion in the first place...

    • @BeWe1510
      @BeWe1510 3 года назад +287

      @@oliveryt7168
      Many of them didn‘t, at this point the German armies were full of hastily assembled young conscripts

    • @acealinka489
      @acealinka489 3 года назад +185

      @@oliveryt7168 So what were they supposed to do instead then with that regime above them? Go on a vacation? Start an easy peasy rebellion like in Star Wars? I'm afraid that this is really delusional and neither how things worked back then nor how it works today.

    • @AkshayGowda007
      @AkshayGowda007 3 года назад +77

      @@oliveryt7168 Soviet communista Commited Worse crimes Than Nazis. They killed far more people

    • @roflol100
      @roflol100 2 года назад +58

      @@AkshayGowda007 Noone comited more crimes than colonial British empire, Americans with droping atomic bombs on civilians on purpose, and nazi germany killing some 15 million civilan communists. Soviet union crimes are nothing compared to theirs.

  • @Vollification
    @Vollification 3 года назад +1976

    It is quite crazy. They fought to be able to surrender to the right side XD

    • @Yora21
      @Yora21 3 года назад +456

      Go to Indiana or Siberia? Easy choice.

    • @CourtlandMiller1994
      @CourtlandMiller1994 3 года назад +238

      @@Yora21 much more likely to come back from Indiana as well...

    • @gardayustisia4528
      @gardayustisia4528 3 года назад +43

      @@Yora21 why Indiana ? The Gulag looks so much fun

    • @HuubHeesakkers
      @HuubHeesakkers 3 года назад +59

      "right side"

    • @oliveryt7168
      @oliveryt7168 3 года назад +138

      They run, because they knew that Soviets wouldnt give them a nice life after all the war crimes they had committed. I am not saying that the Red Army didnt do horrible things. But they were the defenders in this conflict.

  • @sjoak4084
    @sjoak4084 3 года назад +1375

    And with that, Hitler's rage became a meme at the expense of Keitel, Jodl, Krebs and Burgdorf.

    • @lonniebailey4989
      @lonniebailey4989 3 года назад +62

      I believe you fought in the Great Emu War of 1932 because of your profile pic.

    • @ogmack8242
      @ogmack8242 3 года назад +15

      "Thor Steiner" nowadays is #1 Brand in hardcore "Neo Nazi" Circles.

    • @hermocrasbreadlord9557
      @hermocrasbreadlord9557 3 года назад +23

      @Shane Ashby as soon as I hear "Steiner" anywhere I think of that scene

    • @blackbirdsr71
      @blackbirdsr71 3 года назад +27

      I recently saw a video recording of that afternoon situation conference and Hitler seemed to be a lot more concerned about Alex Ferguson retiring as Manchester United manager than about the advancing red army..

    • @vinniesdayoff3968
      @vinniesdayoff3968 3 года назад +7

      @@blackbirdsr71 yeah and he was cross about Ryanair too 😆😆😆

  • @alpacatwoniner2370
    @alpacatwoniner2370 3 года назад +1800

    mark felton: doing in about ten minutes what takes a major network almost ninety minutes.

    • @PS-nf3xw
      @PS-nf3xw 3 года назад +4

      Yes indeed

    • @axelpatrickb.pingol3228
      @axelpatrickb.pingol3228 3 года назад +20

      Depending who's doing it. The TimeGhost channel took them a month to cover the Battle of Berlin alone but it comes with the benefit of more details...

    • @DaveSCameron
      @DaveSCameron 3 года назад +5

      You`re very young obviously...

    • @cossackhistorian7425
      @cossackhistorian7425 3 года назад +2

      They have more commercials, and the footage of things like artillery barrages and fighting is usually longer and not done at the same time as narration

    • @CMDRFandragon
      @CMDRFandragon 3 года назад +13

      Thats cuz major networks just spam the same images over and over while wallowing along, saying the same thing 20 different ways......

  • @polyglot8
    @polyglot8 2 года назад +157

    The guy standing next to Hitler at 2:06 introducing the boys is Artur Axmann, Nazi Germany's highest ranking last surviving official holding the title of "Riechsfúhrer". He was the last head of the Hitler Youth. He was interviewed on West German T.V. in 1995. The interview is on RUclips, but without English subtitles. But if you can understand German, it's fascinating. He makes MINCEMEAT out of the interviewer. You could tell he was still committed to the cause. The interviewer couldn't pin him down on anything. No contrition. No regrets.

    • @matthewriley7826
      @matthewriley7826 Год назад

      Should’ve prepped another noose at Nuremberg then….

    • @Frommerman
      @Frommerman Год назад +9

      Why was he allowed to live?

    • @polyglot8
      @polyglot8 Год назад +30

      @@Frommerman That's a good question. I have a theory on this, having worked in Germany. Typically, to rise to the top in a German institution, you go through four steps: Line worker, staff worker, line management., staff management. As the Germans still do today, the Nazi's mostly followed this (even Keitel had been in "line management." - i.e. "Division Commander" - but not in war time).
      Axmann's predecessor at the Hitler Youth was Baldur von Schirach. He was sentenced to 20 years at Nuremburg, but not because of the Hitler Youth; but rather, what he did afterwards as Gauleiter and Reichsstatthalter of Vienna.
      Axmann ticked all three boxes except that of "Line Manager." So because he was never a "Line Manager" in the 3rd Reich (of a command, or city or territory, etc.), he never "got into trouble," having never had to deal with Jews, Partisans, prisoners, etc.

    • @emiliopalomo5124
      @emiliopalomo5124 Год назад

      Guy should've been executed then, like any other unapologetic Nazi prick

    • @darrenhancock8027
      @darrenhancock8027 Год назад

      Because he was a great man! We need men like that now!

  • @TraderRobin
    @TraderRobin 2 года назад +272

    It was a little difficult keeping up with the locations in this episode, since so many of the towns you mentioned, were not visible, or coherent, on the map shown. Otherwise, excellent job (as always)!

    • @kenperlman2204
      @kenperlman2204 2 года назад +31

      Totally agree. Arrows or other indicators would help

    • @jancyraniak4739
      @jancyraniak4739 2 года назад +1

      I'm Polish and I know some German, I had no such problems xD

    • @toto3777
      @toto3777 2 года назад +3

      Definitely.

    • @TraderRobin
      @TraderRobin 2 года назад +8

      @@jancyraniak4739 Congratulations!

    • @samspade2657
      @samspade2657 2 года назад +6

      Agreed modern google maps didn't match the narration.

  • @thenotflatearth2714
    @thenotflatearth2714 3 года назад +1974

    The following people stay:
    Jodel, Keitel, Krebs and Borgdolf

  • @sskuk1095
    @sskuk1095 3 года назад +1856

    Now we all know the story behind that scene in Downfall!

    • @SorryBadName
      @SorryBadName 3 года назад +95

      DAS WAR EIN BEFEHL!!

    • @aronjanssonnordberg307
      @aronjanssonnordberg307 3 года назад +108

      Der Angriff Steiners war ein Befehl!

    • @houseslippers7732
      @houseslippers7732 3 года назад +31

      I believe it is the great war channel that explains that scene.

    • @jvtagle
      @jvtagle 3 года назад +1

      House Slippers yeah they did and it was fantastic

    • @ramirosauce8764
      @ramirosauce8764 3 года назад +44

      @@houseslippers7732 - and the scene where Hitler awards the Iron Cross to the 12 year old Peter Kranz is identical to the real scene that we see here...!

  • @chrisjanwust
    @chrisjanwust 3 года назад +81

    Mark, you're videos are excellent, but I feel you could be doing more with the maps:
    - Don't show a map without the towns you're currently speaking about
    - Highlight the areas you're speaking about
    - Ideally animate army movements, or simply draw an arrow

  • @matthewmaurysmith2486
    @matthewmaurysmith2486 Год назад +40

    To anyone who watch this video: I strongly recommend reading the book or listening to the audiobook called "Halbe" it has interviews and recollections of what it was like from people who actually survived being in the 9th Army Breakout. I think it's the most intense story maybe of the Entire World War II right up there with Stalingrad.. I simply can't understand how there's not more information about it and how there hasn't been many movies made about it it is so intense

  • @ottocarr3688
    @ottocarr3688 3 года назад +3574

    I knew a German veteran that reached the American lines and was captured. He was duly given to the Russians by agreement. He developed a kidney disease that the Russian doctors could not treat. Somehow a Russian female doctor was able to give him back to the Americans. His kidney problem was treated successfully and he became an American citizen and a ranking Shriner. Eventually his ex-daughter in law cared for him in his retirement. Nice man.

    • @arushreddi5419
      @arushreddi5419 3 года назад +80

      Thanks for your ground information

    • @chiron13
      @chiron13 3 года назад +314

      Must be the only person saved by Kidney disease!

    • @FireScience
      @FireScience 3 года назад +11

      is he stll alive?

    • @rwm_kazakhstan
      @rwm_kazakhstan 3 года назад +142

      Nice man who killed soviet people because they aren't first class race?

    • @ryanweston8731
      @ryanweston8731 3 года назад +316

      @@rwm_kazakhstan y'know what conscription is right

  • @noeldown1952
    @noeldown1952 3 года назад +976

    RIP Bruno Ganz. You really made this story come to life with your incredible performance.

    • @crhu319
      @crhu319 3 года назад +39

      He really is astonishingly convincing.

    • @princecharming4868
      @princecharming4868 3 года назад +4

      You mean this narrator is gone

    • @mustangred2000
      @mustangred2000 3 года назад +29

      @@princecharming4868 😂. Lol. Good one.
      He was an Actor. In fact, a great Actor. I won't spoil all for you, I'll let you look it up. Hopefully the previous comment will then make more sense to you. Good luck.

    • @shamane67
      @shamane67 3 года назад +1

      That's right the story...

    • @princecharming4868
      @princecharming4868 3 года назад +1

      @@mustangred2000 I just checked it doesn't say if he's dead or not this guy could of died last week

  • @Camcolito
    @Camcolito 2 года назад +9

    5:09
    'Hey Johann, this war is hell but these rations aren't too bad'
    'You're right there mate'

  • @jonwingfieldhill6143
    @jonwingfieldhill6143 3 года назад +178

    Mark's content is brilliant and covers little known niches of history which means that he appears to do a large proportion of his own research and he has that voice that harkens back to the greats that narrated many world war two documentaries filmed in the 80s and 90s.

    • @williamyoung9401
      @williamyoung9401 2 года назад +2

      Who else gets a cup of tea and watches these random, 12 minutes clips of WW2 from Mark Felton I've never seen before? =D

    • @fredgarv79
      @fredgarv79 2 года назад +1

      @@williamyoung9401 Not me, I get a large Martini and watch these incredible clips.

    • @fredgarv79
      @fredgarv79 2 года назад +1

      He does have a great voice which is vital to this type of thing. Remember Sir Lawrence Olivier doing "world at war"? wow, that has to be the best of all time, Or Alister cooke doing the documentary on the american revolutionary war both back in the great 70's

    • @minorcek
      @minorcek Год назад

      Old people will always be desperate to re live the past. Nothing will ever seem as good

  • @Lawman212
    @Lawman212 3 года назад +1656

    Mark, I like the maps as graphics, but would appreciate a extra highlight or arrow pointing out which part of the map you're talking about. I'm playing "where's waldo" trying to make sense of the map before it disappears into the next scene.

    • @timl.b.2095
      @timl.b.2095 3 года назад +62

      Same here.

    • @lylesloth1275
      @lylesloth1275 3 года назад +30

      Stop talking back to mark and makedo yourself noob. Its an informative 10-20min vid which is something that would take you weeks or days to research and compile together by yourself noob.

    • @MichaelDavis-mk4me
      @MichaelDavis-mk4me 3 года назад +175

      @@lylesloth1275 Ok, so Mark takes the time to do all this research, but according to you, it would just be too hard to circle the area he is talking about with MS Paint. It's a bit like taking the time to create the best program which took you months, but you are then too lazy to add tooltips or icons on your options. In both cases, nobody understands what is going on and all your efforts will go to waste because people won't bother wasting their time trying to find out.

    • @lylesloth1275
      @lylesloth1275 3 года назад +5

      @@MichaelDavis-mk4me This is a well parametered video and does not betray or destroy the integrity of what truly happened behind what is attempted in being presented. Blaming "nobody understands what is going on" is like a person who looks down all the time and expecting someone else to greet him and gently take him up by the chin to look up before he can admit to realize the accomplishment to have looked up. You do not have to redeem person A much more than person B for the merit in this video to hold true. If any truth must be there, it is of the educational distributive ability of that someone to share about the said video. If a person doesnt understand as much as said in the vid, then you can only entrust him to distribute info as much as he did not miss from the video, but notice he could fix that by pausing the vid to trace on the map himself. Likely this is someone who just wants storytelling and unconcerned about analysis like why the 9th army defected to US over Soviet, something not so explored but can be inferred in the vid and not easily caught if you just want to be spoonfed and regurgitate bare details. If this person must be of use, then fairly, you can only guarantee to entrust him to storytell or as much as he commits to know and its effects to others. Additionally, a person who has understood as all that was said or most in the vid, then you can entrust him to share to maintain and prolong critical thinking in the vid to others. And most importantly, all these do not destroy all the merits realized in the video and does not deprive someone else of the opportunity just because his peers could not.
      Anything in a factual documentation, even if only detail oriented, is always a guiding hand, and is just a difference of how narrow the abstraction is to tell the better details, in your case the map, if you want better details pause vid, you still have to work in the well parametered map and trace the movement and narrow down from that same well parametered size of abstraction there.
      Anyway, a good misunderstanding as in the moral of your reply is actually one that seeks to clarify similar concepts to the said misunderstood proposition.
      An unnecessary misunderstanding is a clarification to some other thing you felt even when the said proposition (or the video) is not there - like feeling lazy to understand and dropping to understand completely ("nobody understands waste of all of Mark's efforts") just because you do not see drawing on a map but could fix yourself with due diligence.
      Due. Diligence. In a well parametered video. Due. Diligence. MICHAEL DAVIS. Tsk noob.

    • @badbudgie1539
      @badbudgie1539 3 года назад +50

      Yes, great idea. It does get a bit confusing.

  • @phpn99
    @phpn99 3 года назад +773

    This quality of documentary leaves nothing to be desired. The only thing the BBC would do to it, would be to lengthen the narrative to 50 minutes and use a high-paid actor to narrate partly on-camera. In essence : cosmetic work.

    • @Lerxstification
      @Lerxstification 3 года назад +16

      Sorry, I love Dr. F., but the maps and use of maps is in a sorry state. Why use a current map (English) that also lists town names as they are CURRENTLY, not at the time of the battle? Why not have some animation showing the movements of units on the maps (many other channels do this). This is not the first time I've noticed this, but it's becoming embarrassing that a channel of this super high quality and content has this one huge handicap. Peace.

    • @Hammerschool
      @Hammerschool 3 года назад +44

      And Probably add left wing bias as well

    • @cauadasilva9238
      @cauadasilva9238 3 года назад +2

      With an accent that makes you hate the guy and emotional songs.

    • @wilfroberts637
      @wilfroberts637 3 года назад +5

      @@Hammerschool what are you on about

    • @olafdemol9469
      @olafdemol9469 3 года назад +12

      Dont forget the continuos repetition of every single scene and word experts say.

  • @darcychu9652
    @darcychu9652 Год назад +28

    Admirations to the generals who really care about the lives of their soldiers!

  • @larsdejong7396
    @larsdejong7396 3 года назад +50

    I'm glad I got this in my recommended list. It's weirdly rare these day to find a historian who talks about the war ánd also understands military logic.
    You've earned a new subscriber.

  • @user-njyzcip
    @user-njyzcip 3 года назад +520

    1:32 "Steiner… Steiner could not gather enough men…"
    Hitler: *Parkinson's intensifies*

    • @f.s.1400
      @f.s.1400 3 года назад +36

      Der Angriff Steiners war ein Befehl

    • @Kamina1703
      @Kamina1703 3 года назад +19

      All Thanks to Hitler's Personal Quack Dr Theodore Morell who inadvertently poisoned the Dictator with Lethal Chemical Concoctions to keep him going.

    • @eklhaft4531
      @eklhaft4531 3 года назад +23

      That was an order! The Steiner's attack was an order.

    • @sternencolonel7328
      @sternencolonel7328 3 года назад +4

      Nein Nein Nein !!!

    • @G-Mastah-Fash
      @G-Mastah-Fash 3 года назад +2

      @@fridolfmane1063 "Microdosing" yeah right.

  • @grahamclifton1483
    @grahamclifton1483 3 года назад +475

    A reminder is in a brief dialogue in the recent movie "Fury":
    Officer: "Why don't they just stop?"
    Sergeant: "Would you?"

    • @skjold9121
      @skjold9121 3 года назад +129

      Reminds me of the quote from the initial scene of Gladiator.
      Roman officer: "People should know when they're conquered."
      Maximus: "Would you? Would I?"

    • @williamhogan4031
      @williamhogan4031 3 года назад +8

      @@skjold9121 i always use that quote from russel's officer...

    • @tavish4699
      @tavish4699 3 года назад +25

      @@skjold9121 both are quotes that rdemble the german spirit

    • @Chino56751
      @Chino56751 3 года назад +11

      Last twitches of a dying empire

    • @danieltobin4498
      @danieltobin4498 3 года назад +42

      I think a lot of common soldiers wanted to but couldn't, for fear of being hanged. Either that or they didn't want to surrender to the Soviets and freeze to death in a forced labor camp.

  • @Piratebee
    @Piratebee 3 года назад +94

    The reason for german soldiers to fight so hart for making it to the Elbe river, was not only to save themselfs from being captured by russians. This brave man were not realy affraid from captivity in the east. They defended thousands of refugees. My grandfather fought in this last battles too, in rank of a Leutnant. In these last days of the war he got to know my grandmother who was a refugee from Schlesien, with her little daughter. Her first male was killed in battle before and most of her family was killed by red army, while the escape from eastern germany. These soldiers managed to help thousands zivillians to escape to the west. When a many of them were "save" at Elbe river, my grandfather and his man surrendered to a canadian battlegroub and he was hold captive for 5 years. My grandparents often told me about cloves and socks, that my grandmother managed to get into the prison camp for christmas, so they protected my grandfather from losing fingers and toes to the frost. If my grandfather and his comrades didn´t fight so hard in the last days of the war, I wouldn´t be born.

    • @user-mv2pr6fl8x
      @user-mv2pr6fl8x 3 года назад +25

      Poor, poor Germans!
      Who would expect Red Army not coming with candies after all atrocities nazies done in USSR.

    • @Piratebee
      @Piratebee 3 года назад +29

      @@user-mv2pr6fl8x I don´t belive that Wehrmacht Soldiers raped hundrets of thousands of soviet women, like the red army rapist did, because this would have been a shame of blood for them. Even my Grandfather told me that most of the sovjet population in that time lived like the germans lived 100 years before. The women, they saw in the east, were mostly ugly for them. Of course they were verry hard when fighting against partisans and made no captivities, that was the war. What the sovjets did with the german zivillians was not war, that was a crime

    • @user-mv2pr6fl8x
      @user-mv2pr6fl8x 3 года назад +14

      Nope Nope
      So if Stalin was bad, then Germans were good.
      Great logic, bro 👍
      May be they both were awfully bad to ordinary Russians, don't you think so?

    • @user-mv2pr6fl8x
      @user-mv2pr6fl8x 3 года назад +12

      Piratebee You don't believe?
      Just read any independent (non neo-nazi) source of civilian casualties in WW2.
      That's would be an answer to all of your questions.
      Every family in USSR (at least in European part) has story of killed relatives. In fact Germany was treated good enough and not even close to eye-for-an-eye.

    • @Piratebee
      @Piratebee 3 года назад +12

      @@user-mv2pr6fl8x you took out the "nazi" so fast in this diskussion. Wouw allmost a new rekord, congratulations

  • @slyaspie4934
    @slyaspie4934 3 года назад +15

    When that tune hits, you know Felton's about to drop some class A historical knowledge straight into your audio and visual receptors

  • @gabrieljohannson6777
    @gabrieljohannson6777 3 года назад +1001

    I'm astounded that all these years after WW2, this channel provides such detail & information I have never known about. Mark Felton is a true historian & impressive narrator. An underrated channel & contributor by far. Much respect Mr Felton.

    • @Vince-uw7gt
      @Vince-uw7gt 2 года назад +3

      100% agree! His vids are absolutely well done, accurate and super interesting. They flow well and in under 10 minutes cover SO MUCH info. I especially love the orchestration at the beginning and at the end!

    • @scsi_joe
      @scsi_joe 2 года назад +3

      @Gabriel - yes, and unbiased

    • @AdamAdamHDL
      @AdamAdamHDL 2 года назад +3

      I honestly can't imagine all the research and cross referencing required to put together even a 30 second lecture like this, yet 10+minutes.

    • @AF-tv6uf
      @AF-tv6uf 2 года назад +5

      The fact that he hasn't been picked up by the History Channel yet is such an absurdity.

    • @angrypatata7084
      @angrypatata7084 2 года назад +8

      @@AF-tv6uf History channel be puttin more attention to UFOs and aliens

  • @curtiscrimmins6378
    @curtiscrimmins6378 3 года назад +1667

    when you lose 30,000 of your 90,000 soldiers in a breakout just to get to Allied lines and surrender you Know the Soviets were not the most gracious of enemies...

    • @curtiscrimmins6378
      @curtiscrimmins6378 3 года назад +253

      @Andy Gil and this I know....except the German civilians in Berlin, especially women had nothing to do with the murder of 20 million in Russia...yet they were targeted...once again confirming the US Army and Allies place in history as the liberators...not revenge rapists...

    • @bigbootros4362
      @bigbootros4362 3 года назад +261

      I think that the Soviet treatment of German prisoners and civilians is a a shadow of shame. Two wrongs don't make a right. And history remembers that the Soviets were as monstrous as the Germans. They didn't need to do that.

    • @curtiscrimmins6378
      @curtiscrimmins6378 3 года назад +69

      @Blesava Konjina you forget Von Stauffenbergs attempt which was spurred by atrocities on the Eastern Front...and no Civilians did not know the scale of atrocities committed in the East nor were they responsible...but yes they were retaliated against

    • @curtiscrimmins6378
      @curtiscrimmins6378 3 года назад +60

      @Andy Gil and no Andy the US and British did no wholesale raping and murdering of civilians in Berlin...those accused were tried by military courts...Eisenhower made this very clear...and those convicted were hanged...in contrast Stalin egged his men on ...

    • @curtiscrimmins6378
      @curtiscrimmins6378 3 года назад +52

      @Blesava Konjina that may be your take on it...I doubt that was the mind of the men...everywhere along Soviet lines Germans took great pains to surrender to Western Armies...the Soviets brutality to civilians was well known...

  • @MarkHarrison733
    @MarkHarrison733 8 месяцев назад +6

    We fought the wrong enemy, as Patton confirmed.

  • @christophersmith5691
    @christophersmith5691 3 года назад +2

    Excellently done, Mr Felton, your work is superb

  • @lt.dashkov1079
    @lt.dashkov1079 3 года назад +861

    Now thats a general who cares for his men.

    • @smathers3104
      @smathers3104 3 года назад +99

      I agree, still it was left to the last possible day to disobey Hitler to do the right thing by his men, and 30,000 of them lost their lives trying to reach the American lines. It was worth it though for those that did make it as it wasmuch better than being marched back to russia to spend time in a siberian prison.

    • @patrickcummins79
      @patrickcummins79 3 года назад +4

      That general def reminds me of captain Crozier, from season 1 of The Terror.

    • @johnking1463
      @johnking1463 3 года назад +17

      I beg your pardon. Many of those.who fought to get to American lines were turned over to the Russians. I think Mr. Felton did a piece on that shaft job.

    • @Jupiter.141
      @Jupiter.141 3 года назад +32

      @@johnking1463 those are probably some units that committed war crimes in soviet it's fair but majority stayed in western line.

    • @johnking1463
      @johnking1463 3 года назад +16

      One eyed Owl. I stand by my statement. Stalin wanted every unit that fought the Red Army. He got most of them. Nobody but Patton wanted to stand up against Stalin.
      Besides what would be a better way to evisercate a plan to unite and liberate Russia from Communism.

  • @thomasb1889
    @thomasb1889 3 года назад +280

    You have to appreciate that instead of sending the 9th to die uselessly trying to defend Berlin that the General in charge decided to send his men in a direction that allowed some to escape the Soviets.

    • @pcuimac
      @pcuimac 2 года назад +3

      Or he could have surrendered.

    • @thomasb1889
      @thomasb1889 2 года назад +52

      @@pcuimac They were surrounded by the Soviets and surrendering to them was not a good idea.. Even with the losses they took more probably survived than if they had ended up in Soviet hands as the survival rate for German POW's in Soviet hands was dismal.

    • @jzenhenko
      @jzenhenko 2 года назад +3

      why would you appreciate selfish cowardice? if the soviets are so evil how was it noble to flee and leave the berliners to their fate at their hands?

    • @thomasb1889
      @thomasb1889 2 года назад +30

      ​@@jzenhenko Any attack he made against the Soviets was an empty gesture so he chose to try and save as many as he could.

    • @robertclark1669
      @robertclark1669 2 года назад +26

      @@jzenhenko Wait the Ninth army opened a corridor for hundreds of thousands of Soldiers and Civilians who escaped Berlin what do you mean "Selfish Cowardice"!

  • @idobbs737
    @idobbs737 3 года назад +1

    Putting your knowledge to invaluable use. Thanks man

  • @frankselvaggio1800
    @frankselvaggio1800 3 года назад +1

    Thank you MR. Felton for all your history videos. You are a great narrator thank you for your time and patience. Good day

  • @Chilly_Billy
    @Chilly_Billy 3 года назад +317

    You know, that meeting when Hitler learned Steiner didn't attack could make for a pretty funny meme. 😉

    • @lonniebailey4989
      @lonniebailey4989 3 года назад +32

      NEIN NEIN NEIN NEIN NEIN NEIN NEIN NEIN!!!!
      I would picture this as his reaction.

    • @simonh6371
      @simonh6371 3 года назад

      @@lonniebailey4989 Whoosh!

    • @striker2515
      @striker2515 3 года назад +1

      Yayayayayayayayaya

  • @JFDA5458
    @JFDA5458 3 года назад +437

    Incredible how even at this stage of WW2 the Wehrmacht and Waffen SS were not only capable of organised resistance which inflicted heavy losses, but even mount counter-attacks at the local level.

    • @Titannz213
      @Titannz213 Год назад +28

      One even has to marvel, not so much that they lost WW2 but how well they actually did

    • @liamhackett513
      @liamhackett513 Год назад

      Futile.

    • @fish5671
      @fish5671 Год назад

      @@Titannz213 yeah they made so many stupid decisions such as not letting the ussr into the axis because the nazi regime wanted their land and other very stupid decision was not going all in on dunkirk

    • @underarmbowlingincidentof1981
      @underarmbowlingincidentof1981 Год назад +52

      @@Titannz213 if they had not attacked the Soviet Union... I think Germany could have actually won.
      Lucky for us that they had a paranoid megalomaniac at the helm haha

    • @patedge5599
      @patedge5599 Год назад +18

      @@Titannz213
      It also could be said that had Hitler not declared war on the United States after the attack on Pearl Harbor the United States would not have declared war on Germany in return at that time..
      The United States only declared war on Japan on December 8th 1941

  • @Thomasgraver77
    @Thomasgraver77 3 года назад +2

    Hi Mark. I really love seeing your historical accounts of World War II. I am amazed at all the new knowledge I get through your videos. continue your good work of finding new topics.

  • @dkay6176
    @dkay6176 3 года назад +7

    I love the start music it's stuck in my head for ages now

  • @captainvanhorn773
    @captainvanhorn773 3 года назад +488

    When you train to re fuel a fighter but now you're fighting the russians with a sharp stick

    • @YotoBoto
      @YotoBoto 3 года назад +2

      Captain Vanhorn ah i See a fellow isp fan

    • @MikaelKKarlsson
      @MikaelKKarlsson 3 года назад +34

      And that sharp stick was a leftover from a previous war.

    • @tavish4699
      @tavish4699 3 года назад +1

      Litterary my great uncle in a nut Shell 😂

    • @Ypog_UA
      @Ypog_UA 3 года назад +11

      When you train to refuel a fighter but you end up having to refuel an Me-163 with some water and a bottle of Fanta

    • @Ypog_UA
      @Ypog_UA 3 года назад +1

      @Roy Bennett More like 1939

  • @Masada1911
    @Masada1911 3 года назад +423

    This is an interesting coincidence. I just finished “Berlin” by Antony Beevor that covers all this yesterday.

    • @Semper_Iratus
      @Semper_Iratus 3 года назад +28

      Great book. Great writer.

    • @louithrottler
      @louithrottler 3 года назад +10

      Great book - an education.

    • @nigeh5326
      @nigeh5326 3 года назад +15

      I’ve enjoyed Berlin and Stalingrad and I’ve just bought Arnhem to read now the weathers changing.
      He is a v good writer imo

    • @jimc.goodfellas226
      @jimc.goodfellas226 3 года назад +5

      Those Beevor books are pretty good

    • @trager8933
      @trager8933 3 года назад +1

      Where can i find that book ?

  • @russellwilliams4317
    @russellwilliams4317 3 года назад +11

    Marks channel is the history channel back when it was the go to for anything history. I will never watch another historian on YT EVER again. Mark does a amazing job providing ACCURATE historical FACTS, which is hard to come by these days, especially with all these cartoon 'history' pop-up channels. Also, he does not have annoying ads seeking revenue and does not include video of himself in a 'history' oriented room seeking recognition. I look forward to what you provide us next! I just donated via paypal and will continue to do so on a bi-weekly basis for now on. Thank you for the awesome content and for keeping it simple, but educational!

  • @johnofypres
    @johnofypres 3 года назад +2

    Brilliant as always Mark. Thank you for your excellent work.

  • @toastbrot_junkie9037
    @toastbrot_junkie9037 3 года назад +112

    Its weird to see the small towns like Schwedt on a tactical WW2 map, since i live in that region and know these towns

  • @HeadPack
    @HeadPack 3 года назад +293

    My grandpa was sent as cannon fodder to Frankfurt an der Oder. Only very late in his life he opened up a bit about how that was. Very different from watching war stories, to say the least.

    • @oliveryt7168
      @oliveryt7168 3 года назад +8

      Naja, hoffentlich war er nicht bei der Waffen SS oder hat na Erschießungen teilgenommen. Dann ist es ja nicht seine Schuld.

    • @sabrekai8706
      @sabrekai8706 3 года назад +18

      My dad was already in Berlin, recovering from wounds received at the battle of Schmidt. Otherwise he'd likely have been sent there.

    • @bernardmcmahon5377
      @bernardmcmahon5377 2 года назад +6

      Yes, brave man

    • @Spalbeert
      @Spalbeert 2 года назад +7

      Mein Opa und sein Bruder waren auch bei der Verteidigung von Frankfurt dabei aber leider hat es nur mein Opa rausgeschafft aber warum Kanonenfutter?

    • @sabrekai8706
      @sabrekai8706 2 года назад +20

      @@Spalbeert Kanonenfutter. They were all still listening to Hitler, and thanks to him dropped into hopeless situations. I can see them all knowing what was coming when the Soviets arrived, so they were fighting more for the citizens than for Hitler but they still had no chance.

  • @shaodwwalker
    @shaodwwalker 3 года назад +1

    One of the best channel on youtube to learn and discover ww2 history

  • @TheMotz55
    @TheMotz55 9 месяцев назад +2

    It's unnerving to look at the faces of these young men (many smiling for the camera) and to know they had no clue what was in store for them.

  • @stenbak88
    @stenbak88 3 года назад +510

    Isn’t it nice to learn history from someone who cares to pronounce names and cities correctly also no personal feelings just the facts

    • @jed-henrywitkowski6470
      @jed-henrywitkowski6470 2 года назад +11

      I agree. And he has good inflection in his voice when stressing a point.

    • @peteb8556
      @peteb8556 2 года назад +3

      Felton is just yet another 'orthodox' historian. All of them go around in circles, just quoting each other . How many of them can even speak German ? Or do some original research ?

    • @aorusaki
      @aorusaki 2 года назад +2

      I think it depends on your own familiarity with the historical region you're talking about

    • @vasvas8914
      @vasvas8914 Год назад +6

      @pete b yeah, because it is absolutely neccessary to speak german just to learn german history. What a stupid comment.

    • @alostbaron781
      @alostbaron781 Год назад +3

      @@peteb8556 Whatcha want him to do? Time travel to see everything for himself? Or is the provided footage, documents, and quotes not good enough? And lemme guess, you're not an actual accredited historian?

  • @gusd41
    @gusd41 3 года назад +255

    It’s the end of the war
    Hold the corridor
    Reach for Elbe’s shore

    • @Gulliolm
      @Gulliolm 3 года назад +43

      It's the end, the war has been lost
      Keeping them safe 'til the river's been crossed

    • @xxyourgirlcallmedaddyxx5770
      @xxyourgirlcallmedaddyxx5770 3 года назад +29

      I have a strong feeling this is sabaton

    • @snakes3425
      @snakes3425 3 года назад +35

      @@Gulliolm
      Hurry up we're waiting for you men of the 9th and civilians too

    • @Triforce469
      @Triforce469 3 года назад +7

      @@xxyourgirlcallmedaddyxx5770 it is the song is heart's of iron named after the video game with the same name

    • @FrenchTaunter12
      @FrenchTaunter12 3 года назад +22

      @@snakes3425 Disposessed, surrendering to the West

  • @tylerhiggins3522
    @tylerhiggins3522 2 года назад +14

    These events were well covered by Cornelius Ryan (The Last Battle) and John Toland (The Last 100 Days) as well as by Antony Beevor (The Fall of Berlin 1945). These brave men fought not so much to save their own skins but for the civilians fleeing with them, it seems Beevor and Toland can scarcely conceal their respect and admiration especially for General Walter Wenck and his young soldiers of the 12th Army. Odd indeed that Ryan wrote a trilogy of history books and only two became films. I wish the film Downfall could have a companion film made showing this last battle.

  • @pcolaboy4250
    @pcolaboy4250 3 года назад

    Excellent Mr. Felton, and thanks!

  • @zachboyd4749
    @zachboyd4749 3 года назад +370

    “It's the end, the war has been lost
    Keeping them safe 'til the river's been crossed
    Nicht ein Schlacht, ein Rettungsaktion
    Holding their ground 'til the final platoon
    Hurry up, we're waiting for you
    Men of the 9th and civilians too
    Dispossessed, surrendering to the west”

    • @Battleship009
      @Battleship009 3 года назад +28

      SABATON! SABATON! SABATON!

    • @joshuaolejasz9590
      @joshuaolejasz9590 3 года назад +23

      about time this was refrenced

    • @ivangenov6782
      @ivangenov6782 3 года назад +24

      Who will survive and who will die, up to kriegsglück to decide, those who made it cross, without a loss, have reason to reflect

    • @mikeoz4803
      @mikeoz4803 3 года назад +2

      The German butchers just couldn't get enough of killing women & children!

    • @jed-henrywitkowski6470
      @jed-henrywitkowski6470 2 года назад +12

      Sabaton: Doing more to unite Europeans than any diplomat or political union!

  • @AdurianJ
    @AdurianJ 3 года назад +171

    You should make an episode on "Operation Stella Polaris" where in 1944 Finland evacuated it's Signals intelligence service archive and equipment to Sweden so as not to fall into Soviet hands.

    • @brianlisk6142
      @brianlisk6142 3 года назад +1

      Never heard of this, I will have to read about this. I hope he makes a video on the WW1 german Paris Gun.

    • @svenko
      @svenko 3 года назад +20

      @wargent99 Yet here we are, watching a video about the actual nazis.

    • @sonnyburnett8725
      @sonnyburnett8725 3 года назад +31

      Don’t know where people are from to feel so angry but from what I understand Finland was trying to remain free from Stalin.

    • @Barabel22
      @Barabel22 3 года назад +21

      wargent99 Read some history, the Finns joined the axis in order to get back the land they lost in the Winter War and 1920 campaign. No more, no less.

    • @mandywalkden-brown7250
      @mandywalkden-brown7250 3 года назад +4

      Barabel22 - doesn’t remove the fact they were Nazi collaborators now does it?

  • @war32mec
    @war32mec 3 года назад +35

    Mark I love your videos! they give an unbiased look at history and are as factual as they can be! And they are also extremely entertaining. Thanks for all the work you put into these videos. 🙂

    • @fortnitepros8025
      @fortnitepros8025 2 года назад

      Let’s get one thing straight. Feltons channel, as interesting as it it, is completely victors history. He is biased.

    • @alostbaron781
      @alostbaron781 Год назад +1

      @@fortnitepros8025 Pray tell, what would this have looked like in a "non-biased" way? The 9th army obeyed orders and beat out the entire USSR and then Germany rose up and beat the allies in WW2? Or is "bias" just things against Germany you don't like?

  • @Louis-zc7im
    @Louis-zc7im 3 года назад +2

    Love this channel. The footage is great !

  • @AssinnippiJack
    @AssinnippiJack 3 года назад +170

    Excellent presentation as always. Our neighbor was a survivor of this campaign as a soldat of the 9th Army. Fortunate enough to emigrate to the U.S after the war where he & and his wife raised a family and was a successful painting contractor. Well regarded by the community & had a posture & "look" that he was a former military man.

    • @SirButtRichardson
      @SirButtRichardson 7 месяцев назад +3

      watching this guy goose-step down the street like “good posture”

    • @krle7970
      @krle7970 2 месяца назад

      @@SPY1987Wehrmacht was not SS, just regular army. Everyone checked for SS members to face justice

  • @mredmond8393
    @mredmond8393 3 года назад +41

    Anyone else notice at 5:22 that subtle grin that tank commander gave after he realised he was being filmed? Just a little anecdote I liked

  • @devonwhetenhale8828
    @devonwhetenhale8828 2 года назад

    Awesome film clips! Always fresh material. I love the clip of those kids on the tanks facing the camera! Thanks Mark!

  • @plasticbudgie
    @plasticbudgie 3 года назад +6

    I remember when you had 10k subscribers. It's insane how much you have boomed since lockdown.

  • @tomasmarcataio2066
    @tomasmarcataio2066 3 года назад +139

    I wonder how it must have felt for the men of the 9th army when they finally reached the 12th army positions, their relief must be totally unparalleled

    • @milferdjones2573
      @milferdjones2573 3 года назад +13

      And thanks immense the war was lost the 12 th could just surrender to the Americans instead the 12th attacked the Russians to capture a route they could use to escape if they could get there.

    • @carlrd308
      @carlrd308 3 года назад +8

      @@milferdjones2573 And the fact that they would then have a sabaton song about them

    • @45auto82
      @45auto82 3 года назад +12

      @Marco taio That is, unless you were some of the unfortunate ones the US transferred to the Soviets! Yes, that truly happened quite often.

    • @Jupiter.141
      @Jupiter.141 3 года назад +11

      @@45auto82 not "unfortunate" but war criminals who thinks they could get away on their crimes in east, the Soviet had a list of those units that committed atrocities so the west is oblige to hand them over but still majority of them were able to survive and stayed west

    • @manchild3479
      @manchild3479 2 года назад

      @@Jupiter.141 not many ......

  • @notmenotme614
    @notmenotme614 3 года назад +42

    9:58 I couldn’t imagine trying to escape for your life through that hell and knowing the Soviets were waiting for you in the tree line.

    • @zxbzxbzxb1
      @zxbzxbzxb1 3 года назад +3

      @Event Horizons Most German troops survived Soviet captivity, although it was neither easy or bloodless.

  • @danielgreen3715
    @danielgreen3715 3 года назад +1

    Thankyou once again for another trip back in time your videos are Excellent and I really look forward to seeing them your way of explaining and exploring complex issues makes it understandable to everyone Excellent Thankyou

  • @NathanMoorexpress
    @NathanMoorexpress 3 года назад

    Hello Mark Felton, i changed my phone's ringtone to your intro music... I'm loving it every time it rings. You're a great researcher. Much respect to you Sir...👍👍👍

  • @fpslevi3812
    @fpslevi3812 3 года назад +135

    Once you reach 1 million subscribers, make a video about the Prague Offensive, one of the last engagements of WW2 post Berlin

    • @bradleymunson4669
      @bradleymunson4669 3 года назад +8

      Please do I've never heard of this and you've got me intrigued

    • @blastermike_sd70ace80
      @blastermike_sd70ace80 3 года назад +3

      THIS. There hasn't been a single video done on the prague offensive.

    • @kickinghighify
      @kickinghighify 3 года назад

      You mean liberation of Prague by Russian Liberation Army?

    • @warez_90
      @warez_90 3 года назад +4

      @@kickinghighify nah, occupation of Prague by Soviet occupation army

  • @combatpriest5878
    @combatpriest5878 3 года назад +44

    I really love that you add sound to tanks driving eventhough there is not audio originaly. It adds nice vibe.

  • @aaronsheppard4530
    @aaronsheppard4530 2 года назад +1

    Mark Feltons videos are as good as it gets!

  • @fergalfoley6718
    @fergalfoley6718 Год назад

    Outstanding Documentry Mark & to say thank you for all your great work !

  • @damianmcdonagh7908
    @damianmcdonagh7908 3 года назад +43

    In September 2017, I visited Hitler's 1942 command post in Vinnytsa, Ukraine. It was an eerie experience but worth the effort. The nearby private museum is remarkable.

    • @fathergascoigne4609
      @fathergascoigne4609 Год назад

      ​@Zoomer Stasi It seems the Russians are not done yet with Azov kek

  • @TheMajorActual
    @TheMajorActual 3 года назад +26

    _Mark Felton Productions_ -- What the History Channel should have been, in the first place.

  • @Gunslinger1875
    @Gunslinger1875 3 года назад

    Mark, you're direct and insightful approach to history is a godsend to understanding a subject I'm so in love with. Thank you.

  • @zororora2210
    @zororora2210 Год назад +2

    A movie of this would be insane

  • @YoungOddo
    @YoungOddo 3 года назад +52

    Got here in the first 15 minutes! Finally get to learn something im interested about after not learning anything from my laptop in online school from 8am-2pm😒

  • @kalashnikovdevil
    @kalashnikovdevil 3 года назад +71

    For the Skalding interpretation of the 12th Army's furious holding action at the Elba to allow 9th Army troops and civilians to retreat across the Elba, see "Hearts of Iron" by Sabaton.

  • @XCI5ION
    @XCI5ION 3 года назад

    This channel is the best. Since I was a boy I have always been fascinated by ww1 and ww2 and your videos are excellently put together and your narrating is impeccable. Thank you Mark for the amazing ad free videos. 👏 it would be great if we could watch your videos offline I would even pay for it.

  • @jackavery7179
    @jackavery7179 Год назад

    Wow. Your details on history ate amazing

  • @lancegoodthrust546
    @lancegoodthrust546 3 года назад +20

    Every time I hear Mark say "Thanks for watching..." I know the episode's over . But I want him to go on.

  • @irishwristwatch3616
    @irishwristwatch3616 3 года назад +60

    Had my own hands on a u-boat today, in Birkenhead over the water from Liverpool.

    • @MarkFeltonProductions
      @MarkFeltonProductions  3 года назад +47

      I walked right through that U-boat back in 1999 before it was chopped up.

    • @irishwristwatch3616
      @irishwristwatch3616 3 года назад +4

      Mark Felton Productions wow that must have been an amazing experience, thanks for these videos!

    • @vigilantobserver8389
      @vigilantobserver8389 3 года назад +4

      @@MarkFeltonProductions What a shame! Just as unfortunate as the Aberdeen Ordinance Museum's, (Maryland USA) horrible attempt to "refurbish" the WW2 Elefant, 150071. Essentially, they just slapped some paint on it and put it out in a Yard, exposed to the elements.

    • @parampal1707
      @parampal1707 3 года назад

      @@MarkFeltonProductions respect for brave loyal true German soldiers

    • @katywalker8322
      @katywalker8322 3 года назад +1

      I went to the Birkenhead museum on the last day it was open to go through the U boat. Normally no photos allowed, but on the last day they didn’t mind.

  • @promnightdumpsterbaby9553
    @promnightdumpsterbaby9553 2 года назад +4

    The balls it takes to keep figting a losing war. Respect to all the soldiers all around the world from any time period who did so.

    • @Developer195
      @Developer195 2 года назад +2

      Yeah, german soldiers were so brave. Much harder than slaughtering civilians and committing war atrocities, huh?

    • @F40PH-2CAT
      @F40PH-2CAT 2 года назад

      No, it takes balls to rise up and overthrown your bloodthirsty, insane leader, something the Germans would not or could not do.

  • @johnwolfram2689
    @johnwolfram2689 2 года назад +2

    What is amazing is that we had the Enigma codes and still they were able to fight a superb set of battles all the way to the end.

  • @Vault87Fallout
    @Vault87Fallout 3 года назад +66

    I love actions like this. Hundreds of thousands of men who collectively have given up on the war and do not care about it anymore but still voluntarily put their own lives on the line to save their brother's lives so they can all surrender to the Americans.

    • @Badchi
      @Badchi 2 года назад +2

      Which was to be expected. Soviets hadn't cared much about war ethics before, but after loosing almost 30 million people (think about that number and let it sink in) to the germans, one would understand why it was preferable to be captured by anyone but them.

    • @aorusaki
      @aorusaki 2 года назад +2

      @@Badchi Yeah by that point in the war there was zero ethics on both sides of the eastern front. A sad reality regardless if it was just retaliation to the german brutality or not.

    • @Badchi
      @Badchi 2 года назад +1

      @@aorusaki Makes sense. Russian Empire was the first one to experiment with the concept of concentration camps during WW1, afair, with Germans being closely behind. So both sides kinda began rejecting their humanity on a state level long before summer 1941 when they rose arms against each other.

  • @Trek001
    @Trek001 3 года назад +60

    "On the 22nd of april Hitler had what amounted to a nervous breakdown at the afternoon situation conference in his bunker beneath the reich chancery when he was informed that steiner had not made his attack"
    Tell me, Mark, how tempted were you to include a clip from *that* moment of a certain well known film???

    • @fiery1962
      @fiery1962 3 года назад +9

      Bruno Gantz gave the performance of his illustrious career in "Downfall". Yet he was such a humble man in real life.

    • @johndenugent4185
      @johndenugent4185 3 года назад +5

      He did not have a nervous breakdown, then or ever. Upset, yes, of course. ANY COMMANDER WOULD BE IF A DIRECT ORDER WAS DISOBEYED, and especially if disobedience would doom him and his entire staff to capture or death! Rochus Misch, an SS guard and telephonist, who was with Hitler 1940-45, was an eyewitness to this non-breakdown.

    • @jojispoon3921
      @jojispoon3921 3 года назад +2

      @@johndenugent4185 there's an impostor among us

    • @blocktart4453
      @blocktart4453 3 года назад +4

      @@johndenugent4185 He was already doomed by 1944. The odds were against him as soon as 1942.

    • @user-wb8iu1hl6i
      @user-wb8iu1hl6i 3 года назад +1

      @@johndenugent4185 Hitler's not gonna sleep with you bro

  • @rudeone4life
    @rudeone4life 3 года назад

    Great video. I liked it very much. Keep doing what your doing!

  • @riquelmeone
    @riquelmeone 3 года назад +14

    The sheer number of videos, the variety of topics, the content, the details, the editing, how on earth are you doing that?
    Hats off!

  • @davidmowers5949
    @davidmowers5949 3 года назад +25

    Highest recommendation for Cornelius Ryan's book "The Last Battle ", written in 1966 and for which the author conducted interviews with Konev, Heinrici , Busse and many ordinary German civilians in Berlin during the battle.

  • @miululu7432
    @miululu7432 Год назад

    Another very interesting video! Your work contributes a great deal to people's knowledge of World War II, and I commend you for that. Well done!

  • @LichsuhoathinhDrabattle
    @LichsuhoathinhDrabattle Год назад +1

    Amazing video. Videos of channel helps linking so many little historical anecdotes together and interesting✨😎

  • @geraldmiller8973
    @geraldmiller8973 3 года назад +26

    i don't know where you get all of this detailed information about the movements of all of these troops but you do one hell of a good job. you have to be one of the best war historians in the world. your videos are right on and never boring.

  • @polakarnegolis
    @polakarnegolis 3 года назад +94

    It's truly amazing how much effort and casualties Germans put in just to surrender to the Americans rather than Soviets. And I'm not surprised, surrendering to Americans gave a chance of survival provided they weren't handed over back to Soviets for a certain death.

    • @dwlopez57
      @dwlopez57 2 года назад +19

      2 countries. 1 founded on human rights. The other basically founded to oppose human rights

    • @watdat2468
      @watdat2468 2 года назад +10

      @@dwlopez57 nah Russia just wanted revenge for what the Germans did to them. If US mainland was attacked and the Germans did the same. Well treatment would be the same

    • @noir1923
      @noir1923 2 года назад +1

      @@watdat2468 you cant just make a right from wrong

    • @robertclark1669
      @robertclark1669 2 года назад +1

      @@noir1923 This comment is Important, people need to understand that "He did it first" doesn't make the death any better.

    • @aorusaki
      @aorusaki 2 года назад +2

      @@watdat2468 the problem with this mentality is that until one side decides to be merciful the other side will never change. It just keeps escalating and each side retaliates back and forth until there's 0 ethics whatsoever. It's best that we try to be merciful and avoid any unnecessary killing or brutality. WHICH MEANS NO RAPE which the soviets did to the Germans and was 100% NOT justified. Even Stalin said the rape was justified.

  • @lorrycamill6502
    @lorrycamill6502 Год назад +1

    Thanks Mark for your great videos with great history 🙏👍

  • @chroetjev
    @chroetjev 2 года назад +11

    Thanks Mark. Details are amazing.
    "Thousands died" We don't have the slitest idea what horrible stories are beyond every loss and what emotions and feelings these people went through at that moment and later on in life.
    Humans suffering was beyond imagination.

  • @46FreddieMercury91
    @46FreddieMercury91 3 года назад +178

    When you look at the pictures, the material loss always hits home. Such a waste

    • @ramirosauce8764
      @ramirosauce8764 3 года назад +62

      Nonetheless, by 1960 West Germany looked so neat, clean and pretty that the foreign visitor found it hard to believe that just 15 years earlier the country was a pile of debris everywhere...Amazing Germans.

    • @JesusFriedChrist
      @JesusFriedChrist 3 года назад +23

      Ramiro Sauce Very resourceful, meticulous people they are.

    • @Veldtian1
      @Veldtian1 3 года назад +27

      @@JesusFriedChrist Yes, no conniving, undermining, debasing, insidious or deceptive as a culture unlike some.

    • @josephrothmeyer9173
      @josephrothmeyer9173 3 года назад +5

      @@Veldtian1 Based

    • @romanfields7900
      @romanfields7900 3 года назад

      @@Veldtian1 genocidal, homicidal, maniacal. I think you forgot some adjectives.

  • @rbmjrr
    @rbmjrr 3 года назад +37

    This channel is one of my favorite. Consise and helping people who are interested in actual footage you provide and your commentary along with it.
    Thankyou so much for what you do.
    It's 2nd. to none.

    • @MarkFeltonProductions
      @MarkFeltonProductions  3 года назад +13

      Wow, thank you!

    • @DaveSCameron
      @DaveSCameron 3 года назад +5

      @pyrotechnic5254 And you are far too cynical, what do you seriously expect?

    • @acrustykrab
      @acrustykrab 3 года назад +1

      @@DaveSCameron He wants Mark to time travel and record fresh footage with an iPhone camera

  • @brandondunn5685
    @brandondunn5685 3 года назад +1

    This is RIDICULOUSLY fascinating!! Thanks for your research Mark! I've giving a battle strategy course from a few of your video's as well as The art of war!! Kudos my friend

  • @tombarnes1871
    @tombarnes1871 10 месяцев назад +2

    Vicious battles never really talked about; well done!!

  • @squamish4244
    @squamish4244 3 года назад +15

    The Wikipedia article on the Battle of Halbe is comprehensive and fascinating as well. The fact that the 9th Army managed to break through *three* Soviet lines to reach freedom is stunning.

  • @yohannbiimu
    @yohannbiimu 3 года назад +31

    Thanks to General Steiner and "Downfall" this duo would become the most famous meme in history.

  • @chirho100
    @chirho100 3 года назад

    Your voice sounds like what I use to listen to, when I watched the history channel back in the day, I found history boring has a child in school, now I can’t get enough of WW2 history, company of heroes is my favorite WW2 video game, and that is where I go after watching your videos, my favorite tank is the Stug it has the most kills of all tanks in WW2.

  • @alvashoemaker8536
    @alvashoemaker8536 Год назад

    YOUR “vids” are ALWAYS “The Best” for their details & the history covered…KUDOS, Sr…. 👍🏼👍🏼👠👣

  • @christianofriva6879
    @christianofriva6879 3 года назад +160

    Hello Mister Felton,
    I am following your channel since ca. one year and in my oppinion you make great videos of often overlooked topics of world war two. This video is very dear to me, because i sought the help of the german office of the red cross for war graves and missing family members (deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge des roten Kreuzes). This is because my granduncle probably fought in the battle of halbe. He was conscripted in the Waffen-SS at the end of the war (he was like his brother/my grandfather and his family a ethnic german from Slovakia) and became a officer. According to what my greatgrandmother and grandfather found out after the war, my granduncle had already surrendered and was napping in a field at Woltersdorf near Luckenwalde south of Berlin. Nearby was a cottage, which at that moment being raided by russian soldiers. The owners of the cottage knew my granduncle was lying in the field and told the russian soldiers this, because they wanted to be spared more brutality. The russian soldiers stormed outside... I´m sparing you the details what they did to my granduncle. According to the german red cross he died on the 1st of May 1945, so this makes a involvement in the breakout attempt at Halbe possible, as you discribed in your video. My parents and I made a roadtrip in Poland last year and on the way home we made a detour over Luckenwalde to look for the grave of my granduncle in the cemetery there. We looked everywhere, but were unable to find him. Because of that I wrote to the german red cross, but I´m still waiting for a response from them. Anyways, I am looking forwards for your next video and will recommend your channel for other people.
    Best regards from a fan from Bavaria

    • @singthedanielsong
      @singthedanielsong 3 года назад +20

      Bloody soviets

    • @Sawise92
      @Sawise92 3 года назад +16

      Best of luck finding your Great uncle sir

    • @RasPutintheGreat
      @RasPutintheGreat 3 года назад +9

      They knew(Germans) the reds will avenge Stalingrad and Leningrad in a brutal way...
      Good luck..

    • @gleasonparker1684
      @gleasonparker1684 3 года назад +1

      Amen brother. Good luck.