He talks about recruiting non Christians as if the Germans were some Christian force when in fact most of the command were non Christians some even anti-Catholic or outright anti Christian
@@Sectarian. read the book "the holy Reich" Hitler emphasized the Christian aspect of the Nazi movement and how it's one and the same, at least according to him.
@@Sectarian.The belt buckle of the Wehrmacht had _"Gott mit uns",_ which can be translated into _"God is with us"._ Watch the German film _"Stalingrad",_ from 1993. There you can see a field chaplain holding a Sunday mass, where he's talking about how godless the Soviets are, in comparison to the god-fearing German Christian troops!
French SS, Arabian FSJ, Buddhist Warrior-monks and Japanese Special Forces... From what I gathered over the years on the Internet, the last Days in Berlin must have been quite extraordinary, it would be - (lack of word-knowledge) - immensely fascinating to perhaps be able to witness it in "God-mode" and see all the crazy things and happenstances that happened (not thinking about all evil deeds)
Also Scandinavians from the Nordland SS division and I believe the Pioneer battalion from the Latvian 15th SS division that just kinda wound up in the city as they had nowhere else to go. All those guys were very much the minority amongst the Germans but as a Red Army soldier in the city it wouldn't be impossible to see
As an Iraqi, to find out for the first time that an Iraqi SS unit fought till the last minute and died in the defense of Berlin, is simply mind blowing 🤯
The Rudolf Witzig mentioned had an amazing wide ranging experience in WW2; fighting on almost every front, and winning numerous awards. This is covered in the book, "Hitler's Paratrooper - The Life and Battles of Rudolf Witzig" by Gilberto Villahermosa. Witzig survived the war. Eventually he joined the reconstituted German Army after the war; not as a paratrooper, but as an engineer, probably a deliberate attempt by the Bundeswehr to distance him from his wartime exploits and fame.
The Infantry is a "Young Man's Game" Paratroopers even more so! I started out my military career as a Paratrooper. Later, I switched to the Mechanized Infantry. Ultimately, in the twilight of my career I was a Liaison in SOCOM. Witzig probably was glad to switch to being an Engineer. However, Pioneers are a type of Engineer often used as crack assault troops; in particular in the German Army.
Did you guys know that the famous boxing champion Max Schmeling jumped over Crete in 1941? He was heavily wounded and didn't take part and didn't have to fight anymore during the rest of the war. The battle of Crete was the first successful airborne operation ever. But we had very high casualties. I think 40%. Still, the Wehrmacht won the battle after 13 days. Hitler wasn't really convinced by this strategy and it was the last airborne operation by the Wehrmacht during the war. Correct me if I'm wrong!
This is why I am so fascinated about WW2 and grateful to Mark Felton, a seemingly never ending flow of stories about people rarely mentioned in other history channels
If we consider that tens of millions we just on the front, and hundreds of millions involved and billions affected, hardly a thousand of lifetimes will be enough to even scratch the surface. That aside, Sir Felton never fails to surprise anyway.
Mark, Three things.. 1. Always great episodes. 2. You are a great narrator. 3. Don’t ever change your opening theme sound. Every time I hear it. I know I’m taking a trip back in time..
Really quite strange to think of the German military being a diverse force in the last days of the war. Nords, Eastern Europeans, Western Europeans, North Africans, and Middle Easterners all participated in the battle of Berlin for Germany. Imagine how hard it must have been to coordinate ad hoc units scraped together from remnants of smashed units of foreign volunteers and volkssturm. The language barrier must have been immense.
The Waffen SS gravitated to Berlin as a last stand. They knew if captured by the Russians they would be killed on the spot. If from Russia or an former Russian country such as Estonia they would be shot. If SS they would be shoot. SS could be identified by their Blood Group Tattoo
As an American paratrooper (82nd ABN DIV LRS) of Finnish and Dutch heritage, I find this lesson excellent. Having trained and led Iraqi and American troops during my 2 combat deployments in Iraq (2004 to 2005 and 2006 to 2008) in addition to training with German paras post reunification (1992), this video has a very personal meaning for me. Thank you Mark.
So many fought in the East from all over Europe. We are not told the truth generally speaking, about this. My wife's Father fought in the East, a Dutchman. They were not to be deployed against the western allies as terms of service and signed up for tours of 12 month duration, I believe. He was no Nazi, there was a fear of Soviet Russia that is not understood by many today. Thank you sir for giving us unvarnished history.
People only need to look at what the Red Army tried to do before 1941 to understand the fear. Poland had been divided, the Baltic States swallowed up, Finland was in a huge fight with them, and the Soviets might have made much bigger gains in the west during the Russian Civil War and its aftermath had the Polish not miraculously stopped them in 1920 with the help of a very stubborn Russian White Army holding on for so long (the tragic thing is that the White Army had they won promised to peacefully grant the Baltic States independence in return for something like protectorate status). Lenin and ESPECIALLY Trotsky made it clear they wanted to aggressively expand Communism where ever possible. I blame FDR and his pro-Soviet tendacies for painting too friendly an image for them publicly in the United States.
@@thunderbird1921 FDR's being pro Soviet was appropriate for the time being because they were fighting against the same enemy which was at that time the much more greater threat, anf collaboration at all levels was extremely vital. Or would you rather FDR be more pro Third Reich
@@elyjane8316 My family in Upper Franconia feared the Ami's and their wayward hellraising ways reported from Warner Barracks in Bamberg and the park by the Regnitz. My mother born in 1944 deathly feared Amis for uncertain ways, later becoming an American citizen. Russians were never even part of any discussion as all my closest relatives survived the ordeal serving in the east. Yet mention the French to my Grandfather and we had to clear the kitchen until his anger subsided.
Absolutely another fantastic story Dr.Felton the vast and diverse amounts of information you provide are greatly appreciated. Without gentlemen such as he we would have lost these stories to time.
Generally speaking, yes we would. It is ironic that the Nazi bookburning of the 1930s, which were derided by All , has now become far more widespread in the digital age
Just when I thought I had a hefty knowledge of the 2nd Word War, Doctor Felton came out with a new tidbit, including excellent research and video/pictures to match. Well done, I will be sharing.
I was born in January of 1942, and also thought I had a pretty good knowledge of the war, until I began watching this channel. Almost without exception he teaches me something knew. At the age of 81, it is gratifying to expand my knowledge. As my father used to say, it's important to learn something new everyday, or it has been a wasted day.
@@punishedgloyperstormtroope8098 When did they thank us And by which means thank you mean if you are supplying our enemies with weapons and ammunition to kill our kids and families?? That doesn’t mean thank you to us unless Germany has its own thank you definition You may be a nice person but your government that representing you isn’t
@@ArabianBoy717 Germany is an occupied country, it’s an American puppet government. You can’t blame the Germans for the actions of the occupation regime
Dear Dr. Felton, it's been three wonderful years now since I first got to know your amazing work. No week passes by without watching some of your work. Rumor has it that almost 1000 Arabs where trained as special forces in Attica (Athens) Greece, by the Germans. I've read about it a couple of times. Could you please see more to it? Again KEEP UP THE EXCELLENT WORK!
Only if you go by Hollywood's portrayal of the war, which used mainly White extras. The British Army, Navy and Air Force included men from all over the empire, including Africa, Asia and the Caribbean: and there was the enormous Indian Army which was also multi-cultural. The French Army was much Blacker and more Arab than the cinema portrays.
Many thanks for this most informative video targetting little known chapters of WWII. Would you be interested in presenting a comprehensive video of the Spanish Volunteers: "The Blue Division" as well as of other related Units that remained in service after the official withdrawal of the Spanish Troops. I enjoy your video presentations, your deep insights and Historical observations. Trully magnifficent! Thank you again, Sir.
Cultural sidenote: this is why WWII Germany is not hated in arabic speaking republics. To the collective mind, WWII germans never occupied their lands, but instead were their allies in the fight against the occupiers/allies. And the direct result of Germany's loss of WWII is the Palestinian genocide and displacement. History enthusiasts from the western hemisphere think it is sympathy to Nazism, but it is not, it is like the situation that Finland found itself in: "the good guys" / the allies were to them the occupation forces, and "the bad guys" were their allies in their fight for liberation.
@@inhocsignovinces1081 that was more a political decision than a public decision. Their government made the choice, and I think it was a terrible decision given that the only thing that was keeping the ottoman state alive has been the brits and their allies for the past 100 years beforehand. If they sided with the allies instead, they would've had everything to win and nothing to lose.
Thank you Mr. Felton. I've been listening to you for years, your programs are well structured and always superbly presented. The Arabs have had interesting affair with the godess of war. Fighting with the Brits against Germany and the Turks in WW1, fighting against the Brits in WW2, again fighting the Brits in 1956, then fighting the Soviets in Afghanistan, and lately bonding with China - which could restart the whole cycle. Got dizzy? Some have lost their head.
Arabs also fought together with the Turks against the British during WW1. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk's army was about half (if not more) Levantine Arabs during the Battle of Gallipoli and many Arabs fought together with the Turks during the Independence war against the occupying Allies. Many North African Arabs and Berbers fought in the French colonial army units during WW1 as well.
Well friends, of you are going down history lane, then let's start 632 AD, the Islamic tsunami, then Tareq and the burning of his ships at the rocky mountain (Gibraltar), conquest of Andalus ("the lost continent"), then Jerusalem, then crusade, then Ottomans, then.... fascinating history. It's hot, if you guys were here I would serve ice cold beer (not Bud!). All best. Semper fi
Funny how Germany and Russia are the only ones who have applied the diversity is our strength quote, look at Russia now, they have a fierce and loyal Muslim army. Russia now is one of the very rare instances where orthodox Christians and Muslims are fighting together in the same side
There was significant support for the Germans among the Arabs not because the supported fascism or a feared communism. They just hated their colonial rulers ie the British and French who imposed themselves on the arabs post WWI. In the words of the late Anwar Sadat "the enemy of my enemy is my friend"
Our schools give students coloring books masquerading as textbooks and we have a summer break so everyone can work on all the farms that existed...... in 1870.
Another great video! Thanks Mark. Do you reckon you could do a video on Swiss neutrality during WWII? I’ve been doing some reading on just now and it’s seen quite an interesting topic!
There was a German general Wilhelm Hintersatz he became a muslim and commanded Turk central Asian legion And they gave him surname of "Bey" which is used to tribal cheif
...can only imagine how much these Arabs - in the hideous maelstrom of the Battle of Berlin, under a storm of incoming katyusha fire and thousands of clanking Soviet tanks - must have mumbled "I thin I've been hanging out with THE WRONG CROWD..."
Uk and France brought havock to their countries and destroyed - through betrayal - their national dream. Most Central Asian Muslims fought against the USSR as such but Arabs volunteered AGAINST the British..
I don't think so. The Arabs hate against the Russians go back for century's. Al the way back to Peter the 1st when the arabs often waged war against the old Russian empire.
Well done good Dr 👏 This is a well known detail by those who are familiar with ww2 generally but today it's something that is avoided like the plague. Thank you for both recapping and adding some points I didn't know. It's always an educational day when you bring us content
You know how after a while most documentaries on a certain topic become repetitive and redundant? Yeah, I’ve never thought that about Mark Felton’s history lessons.
Could you make a video about operation mammoth and Ramzi Nafi Rasheed? The kurdish part in WWII is highly unknown, and your video on this topic could bring up some light to it. TLDR: Abwehr attempted to stage a rebellion in northerin iraq in 1943 in order to get rid of the british in the area, and to establish a independent kurdistan. Thank you Dr Felton.
Was that a reaction to the British attempt in the 1930's to subjugate the Kurds who had refused to submit to the new puppet King of Iraq? That conflict entailed the RAF using poison gas against Kurds. One British officer was court-martialed for refusing to take part. Documents about all that were taken back from the Public Record Office by the Foreign Office at the time of the Gulf War. Arthur Harris, of later Bomber Command fame, who had been bombing Afghan tribesmen on the North-West Frontier province of India, also took part in the Mesopotamian war with improvised bomb racks on his unit's fighters planes "to join in the fun." He also pushed for the delayed-action bombs which were used by RAF Iraq Command throughout the Middle East. His legacy lives on in the 21st century's wars.
Ramzi Nafi Rashid Agha is an interesting path. He was from Erbil that was mainly Christian Assyrian ancestry. Some say there was already an informant planted in the Mammut group that would have turned them into the British before anything substantial occurred with their mission. Getting dropped 300km off target did not help either.
I think it makes a lot of sense for Arabs back then to fight alongside the Germans against Western Europe. France and the UK had colonized most of the Arab region and it was a mutual enemy situation.
No clue about the Arabs serving in the FJR Units, I knew Italian Paras were serving with the FJR throughout the end of the war but very interesting and given they served under Witzgig for a time signifies their status under the FJR Command. Brilliantly done
It is perhaps another witness to the inefficiency of the German military, and particularly Goring's Luftwaffe specifically, that after the heavy losses at Crete in 1941, and the cancelation of the planned air assault on Malta in 1942, that the the time, effort, expense, and resources were being wasted to train jump qualified paratroopers, let alone Arab paratroopers, in 1943. By that point in the war, Germany no longer had the transport planes or tactical opportunity to launch any kind of airborne operation larger than battalion size at most. What possible use were a hundred Arab paratroopers when Germany had been completely driven from North Africa and the Middle East?
@@dongilleo9743 Conflicts between commands desires. And standard Empire Building in organizations as you noted Goring's having various ground units going when the manpower should have gone to the Army. This is one reason government and large companies can become so inefficient. Hitler's stupid hold on further drops without ordering no more units created caused the problem. Crete shows dropping on top of the enemy was a one time thing for the Belgian Forts and now that it had been done enemy be at least somewhat ready for them. But as Allies showed dropping them behind the lines could have good results. And a few smaller drop ones actual did work. So German drops during the Invasion of Russia could have helped in many cases. And drops to provide a defense rapid deployment could also help when terrain allowed infantry to hold up tanks.
@@dongilleo9743 They were still able to conduct airborne operations in that time period. Albeit small as you mentioned. Operation Rosselsprung (1944) - Almost capturing Tito but failed in the end. Battle of Leros (1943) - Captured most of the occupying British and Italian forces on the island. Battle of Vercors (1944) - Help take down a FFI stronghold in France.
Mark Felton must read the most obscure hard to find stuff to get the details he finds for videos like this. Every time I think I know about something, Mark Felton educates me more about that something.
That's correct. But to be more precise, after the armistice between Finland and the Soviet Union, at least the Lapland part of Finland was occupied by (officially now hostile) German military.
@@neinnein9306 that was a sparsely populated area with no big cities and the occupation was not able to influence the policy of Finland in a way that beneficial to Germany. The occupation had not removed the Finnish government and replaced with a puppet regime. And the Germans were forced out from from Finnish territory.
@@tombrunila2695 if you can't move free in a part of your own territory because there are 10.000s of foreign soldiers ... well i think it's kinda like occupation.
Something i didn't know yet, thank you for sharing this interesting fact dr. Felton. Very fascinating to see them go all over europe to end up in Berlin being among some of the last defenders of the reich.
This man deserves the honour of the title “Sir” and to be knighted by the King for the great work he brings and countless people he teaches when he doesn’t have to at all. This man is a genius, a smart and knowledgeable man and I respect him. Thank you “Sir” Mark Felton 🤙💯
Thank you for this great video! So aside the German soldiers besieged in Berlin, the French waffen SS and Arab paratroopers are the ones who fought to the end in Berlin ! Interesting !
This comment section is yet another pet peeve of mine. 1. This isnt some amazing find by Mark Felton. As usual he doesnt provide any sources anywherez The only source is Munoz (non-english)book, not normally the most reliable source, he almost certainly got this from the forum posts on axis history forum as its the only non-english mentions of this anywhere on the internet. There is no specific mention of this “Arab” company fighting in Berlin, only the earlier fighting in Pomerania and the Oder. Given the high losses and fewer than 100 “arabs” in question, they likely werent even around by that time. This is simply an assumption on the part of Mr Felton based on the fate of the remaining parts of 9. FJ Div. These troops werent even part of the official “gliederung” (order of battle) of this unit. 2. As usual, way more being made of this than reality by the comments. No the German army was not “mOsT dIvErsE aRmY iN HiStOrY!”, the unit these men came along with the associated Lehr unit were several hundred men at most…and in the context of North Africa where they were surrounded by these people, and a few black africans ended up in it somehow. The fact you see it trotted out over and over as “OMG Hitlers Black and Arab troops!” is just embarrassing. The actual total number of “foreign volunteers” in the German army was at most a few hundred thousand, even when including the large numbers of ethnic Germans who lived in areas of, for example, the former Hapsburg empire. These were either in Freiwillingen units, often understrength, or single Ost-Battalions assigned mostly to the Atlantic wall. (Max of one assigned per static division). The false inclusion of “HILFSfreiwillingen” is how you get higher estimates, but those were not military in any true form. They were, like Organization Todt essentially a uniformed labor and service support service. They had no weapons or insignia, and werent even part of the normal division strength, just ration strength since they had to be provided for. The fact people continue there bizarre infatuation with these puny novelty forces and make such sweeping claims from them is baffling. Get over it.
Thank you so much for this Mark. I just so appreciate you pointing out these non-known battles. Truly amazing to a student of World War II history like myself
Found this book in a London bookstore a few years ago - Islam and Nazi Germany’s War - and it's an interesting history. There have also been some fascinating studies on relationship between Islam, Muslims, Japanese Imperialism, and WW2. Seems that the anti-Western imperialism was a rallying cry for the Axis Powers against the Allies.
As a Dane, during our German occupation, we became nicely asked to allow a Danish SS force to be formed against the Russian menace. And Denmark asked a man of former Russian decent (He eventually hoped to regain his Russian family estates, taken by the Communists!): Christian Frederik von Schalburg to lead the Force. He wasn't a specially gifted officer and he died during a hopeless attack by lake Illmen in Russia. Actually more Danes fought against Russia than took part of the rather effective Danish Resistance movement.
Thank you Mark. I was wrong before and avoided your video for a long time. I kind of missed these and i have realized that your video is actually non-biased. Thanks❤
@@60andover-timetotrain-join89 history of my people and how they weren't stand around ever and how many of their innovations and origins still lingers today. I'm glad the Arabs fought on the side of justice and unity.
Thanks for the Info, Dr. Felton! I read the same subject about the Arab volunteer who joined Fallschrimjager too from Book "Setan Hijau" (Indonesian : Green Devil) by Nino Oktorino. In that book, it said same thing too with the video : that during WWII, some nationalist figure like Mufti Haji Amin el-Husseini and Rashid Ali Gaylani collaborated with Axis Power for Arab Independence. One of their contribution was the formation of paratrooper that consist of 100 arab volunteers. This unit was supervised by Major Schacht from 1st Para Regiment, and their tasks were to destroy and sabotage behind the enemy lines and railways in Algiers. The interesting informations that i read that book are most of this arab units are veteran from Italian Sahara, volunteer that had been trained by British in Middle East, and Foreign Legion by France. Even there is an old man sergeant that had been in service with Ottoman Army during WW1. After this unit got their training in Germany, some of them were sent as a sabotage specialist in Tunis before they surrendered in North Africa, alongside with Axis Soldier in there too. One of their unit were sent to Iraq and Palestine as a sabotage , and few people alongside with their officers that commanded them in battle in Tunisia, fought in Pomerania and Oder before the Axis lost in March to April 1945.
Cor bleedin' heck. I'm an Aussie. I never know what is posted by Mark. All these stories. I like military history and this is why i come here. Keep going mate.
They were certainly dedicated; fighting for a country that is not your own till the bitter end. They could have just left and gone back home after Tunisia
We, as Iraqis, are happy to fight on Germany's side during the war. The Germans respected us a lot, and the nonsense that says that Germany's victory will be the end of the world is not true.
@@uncled39last time I checked Iraq Palestine Egypt weren’t located in Germany. Nazis only cared about racial purity of Germany they didn’t have a problem with non European states such as japan Palestine etc. What gave you the idea that Hitler would hate Arabs or want to wipe them out and unnecessarily destroy Arab countries? He’s noted to have highly respected them as well as the Japanese. You clearly have no understanding of Nazi ideology.
Just an off-the-wall comment, but seeing the picture of the POW with the Iron Cross on his uniform made me think: what goes on in the mind of someone fighting for his country, getting decorated with that country's medals, and then captured with the knowledge that once-certain victory for his cause might not happen? I retired from the US Army and, while I served in combat in Iraq and also did a deployment to Afghanistan, I was never in a position to be captured. We Americans are also spoiled by the fact that those who survived captivity have eventually been repatriated and honored as heroes. Men like John McCain have used their family name and wartime service and captivity to catapult them to national level politics. I was never a hero, and my decorations are very standard for someone of my rank and service. Even so, each tells a small story, and the defeated German Soldiers who went to POW camps or even those who simply surrendered at the end of the war without incarceration must have had their own stories for that Iron Cross, Wound Badge, Close Combat Badge, or other award they'd never wear again. Even those who went on to serve in the post-war German Armed Forces, East and West, wore either denazified awards or nothing to represent their previous achievements.
@@hanshartfiel6394 Rather ambiguous, but polite, response. The UN, led by the US as always, fought to a stalemate in Korea, with the conflict still technically ongoing today. My dad was stationed near the DMZ in the late '50s and spoke once about skirmishes with North Korean patrols. Vietnam was a failed attempt to prop up South Vietnam. Vietnamization proved incapable of keeping the South independent, and it is what it is. Afghanistan is eerily like a modern equivalent to our experience in South Vietnam. While outside aggressors like North Vietnam and its allies weren't necessarily a thing (rather, internal aggressors [Taliban] with outside assistance), we spent decades involved with each country only to evacuate as things tumbled around us. The similarity between evacuating Saigon in 1975 and Kabul in 2021 is sad. My point isn't that we Americans are saviors of the world and undefeated in battle at all levels. We Soldiers are hampered by political maneuvers that we often disagree with, and which all too often result in years-long failures attributed to the American military. Our record speaks for itself... we go into a country and dominate. If our political masters reign us in while also deciding to commit to years of "nation building" and setting up a puppet government, we eventually withdraw in "defeat". Germany had a renewed sense of confidence in the 1930s. There were many who felt that the Imperial German Army could have continued on past 1918, and that the Wehrmacht would not repeat the failure of its predecessor. Millions died on the battlefield and in captivity, particularly on the Ostfront. The young Soldat who recently wrote home of his Iron Cross Second Class died in misery in Siberia. The Leutnant who earned his Pilots Wings in April 1945 never had a chance to show them off in uniform. Unlike the defeated German, Japanese, Italian, and other Axis powers of WWII, the service members of the Allied Powers eventually went home to victory parades, sporting their medals and being honored as heroes. Even though Korea is considered the "Forgotten War", Vietnam considered "America's First Lost War", and Afghanistan an abject failure in foreign policy and military intervention, we still mostly came home and kept our way of life and accolades. So, while we Americans aren't worldly angels, we have never been subjected to foreign dominance like the defeated powers of the World Wars have. Heck, I can say about the same for the UK, Canada, and Australia.
@@anonymousm9113 Your apology for American failure sounds very like the "We were stabbed in the back by the Jews" rationale for the German defeat in WWI. Both fail to take into account Clausewitz's dictum that war is policy continued by other means: in other words, war does not take place in a ring under Queensberry Rules, set-piece battles are merely a part of the overall picture. The Vietnamese won the "moral" war, at least in part by destroying their invaders' morale: another point that Clausewitz made. Saddam Hussein showed his complete misunderstanding of that point when he crowed that Iraq would win because its people could tolerate mass casualties while America could not. Even saying that in public made sure that his armies would not fight for him. In his defence, many generals in WWI (the donkeys who led the lions) thought that way too, hence the slaughter in the West.
Thanks for the great video Mark! I thought it was really funny the paratroopers got rolled into that other unit that “was neither elite, nor very good” and managed to get transfered. I imagine elite soldiers look at conscripts like “man, look at these doorknobs.”
Please never change that intro, literally the hardest thing on CZcams. Let’s you know you’re getting into something good. LTT’s is the only other thing to rival.
Dear dr. Felton, maybe you could do an item about a mostly unknown event of WW2: it is the battle for the Afsluitdijk in may ‘40. It is one of the (very) few strong holds the Germans attached, but never conquered, until the Netherlands surrendered. Interesting piece of WW2-history. There is a book written about it, but I doubt it is translated in English… would gladly be of any help, if needed.
A wonderful historical coverage video about events I never heard about it in other records about Arabian paratroopers gathered on Iraq 🇮🇶 territory and served Nazism military efforts until the last minute of Nazism regime existed. Thank you (Dr Mark Felton) channel for sharing...
Another forgotten part of WWII being brought to light, you never disappoint Dr. Felton.
He talks about recruiting non Christians as if the Germans were some Christian force when in fact most of the command were non Christians some even anti-Catholic or outright anti Christian
@@Sectarian. read the book "the holy Reich" Hitler emphasized the Christian aspect of the Nazi movement and how it's one and the same, at least according to him.
Amen bro
These chaps are mentioned in a couple of published histories.
@@Sectarian.The belt buckle of the Wehrmacht had _"Gott mit uns",_ which can be translated into _"God is with us"._
Watch the German film _"Stalingrad",_ from 1993.
There you can see a field chaplain holding a Sunday mass, where he's talking about how godless the Soviets are, in comparison to the god-fearing German Christian troops!
My day just significantly improved with a quick history lesson from Dr. Felton! thank you sir for the high quality historical work!
Ikr, I love his work also ❤
Not even close try again
You should try to go to a pub once a day ... Mate 😂😂😂😂
@@Skelter84 bahaha
Watch Europa the last battle.
Felton is more informative than your average history teacher thank you
Nothing average about Dr. Felton!
I’m looking forward to his movies.
I would think more informative than all history teachers for this part of history.
A total jewel
Hallo! *Sir* Felton is a historian!
That's because Mr Felton isn't average, he's way above average.
Arabian Fallschirmjaegers in Berlin's downfall??? And here I thought the French SS Division was the most exotic in the battle on the German side.
French SS, Arabian FSJ, Buddhist Warrior-monks and Japanese Special Forces...
From what I gathered over the years on the Internet, the last Days in Berlin must have been quite extraordinary, it would be - (lack of word-knowledge) - immensely fascinating to perhaps be able to witness it in "God-mode" and see all the crazy things and happenstances that happened (not thinking about all evil deeds)
Also Scandinavians from the Nordland SS division and I believe the Pioneer battalion from the Latvian 15th SS division that just kinda wound up in the city as they had nowhere else to go. All those guys were very much the minority amongst the Germans but as a Red Army soldier in the city it wouldn't be impossible to see
@@Cherb123456 who were the warrior monks in Berlin?
As an Iraqi, to find out for the first time that an Iraqi SS unit fought till the last minute and died in the defense of Berlin, is simply mind blowing 🤯
@chripianflopezsoyjak wehraboo
All I can picture of is freezing your ass off in besieged Berlin and thinking "WTF am I doing here?!"
Theres always has to be some stupid mass murderer advocate.
They werent in the ss
No such thing as “Iraqi SS unit”
The Rudolf Witzig mentioned had an amazing wide ranging experience in WW2; fighting on almost every front, and winning numerous awards. This is covered in the book, "Hitler's Paratrooper - The Life and Battles of Rudolf Witzig" by Gilberto Villahermosa. Witzig survived the war. Eventually he joined the reconstituted German Army after the war; not as a paratrooper, but as an engineer, probably a deliberate attempt by the Bundeswehr to distance him from his wartime exploits and fame.
What an upstanding bloke, GOD rest his soul!
The Infantry is a "Young Man's Game" Paratroopers even more so!
I started out my military career as a Paratrooper. Later, I switched to the Mechanized Infantry. Ultimately, in the twilight of my career I was a Liaison in SOCOM.
Witzig probably was glad to switch to being an Engineer. However, Pioneers are a type of Engineer often used as crack assault troops; in particular in the German Army.
@@paladinsix9285ow my knees!
" the rudolf witzig " ?!😂
Did you guys know that the famous boxing champion Max Schmeling jumped over Crete in 1941?
He was heavily wounded and didn't take part and didn't have to fight anymore during the rest of the war.
The battle of Crete was the first successful airborne operation ever. But we had very high casualties. I think 40%.
Still, the Wehrmacht won the battle after 13 days.
Hitler wasn't really convinced by this strategy and it was the last airborne operation by the Wehrmacht during the war.
Correct me if I'm wrong!
This is why I am so fascinated about WW2 and grateful to Mark Felton, a seemingly never ending flow of stories about people rarely mentioned in other history channels
If we consider that tens of millions we just on the front, and hundreds of millions involved and billions affected, hardly a thousand of lifetimes will be enough to even scratch the surface. That aside, Sir Felton never fails to surprise anyway.
Mark,
Three things..
1. Always great episodes.
2. You are a great narrator.
3. Don’t ever change your opening theme sound.
Every time I hear it. I know I’m taking a trip back in time..
Dr. Felton never fails to amaze.
You are very correct. There are not a lot of people that watch a Mark Felton video and then say, "Oh sure, I knew all about that.", after they watch.
Really quite strange to think of the German military being a diverse force in the last days of the war. Nords, Eastern Europeans, Western Europeans, North Africans, and Middle Easterners all participated in the battle of Berlin for Germany. Imagine how hard it must have been to coordinate ad hoc units scraped together from remnants of smashed units of foreign volunteers and volkssturm. The language barrier must have been immense.
The Waffen SS gravitated to Berlin as a last stand. They knew if captured by the Russians they would be killed on the spot. If from Russia or an former Russian country such as Estonia they would be shot. If SS they would be shoot. SS could be identified by their Blood Group Tattoo
At that end some of their best troops were Spanish.
Near the end of the war, Nazi Germany was more like, “Alright screw it. Everyone is Aryan. Now here’s a rifle and go fight.”
First worldwide army of the world😮
@@danielnavarro537at leas they give rifles unlike soviets
As an American paratrooper (82nd ABN DIV LRS) of Finnish and Dutch heritage, I find this lesson excellent. Having trained and led Iraqi and American troops during my 2 combat deployments in Iraq (2004 to 2005 and 2006 to 2008) in addition to training with German paras post reunification (1992), this video has a very personal meaning for me. Thank you Mark.
How many people did you do in both your combat tours ? Honestly a real question..
Thank you for your service, welcome home
@@brabbit3873 I don't want to talk about it. I was a mobilized reservist and I had to retire from my Paramedic/Fire fighter career after Iraq.
@@josephvandyck5469so I presume that the number wasn't zero ?
Van Dyck sounds Dutch allright.
So many fought in the East from all over Europe. We are not told the truth generally speaking, about this.
My wife's Father fought in the East, a Dutchman. They were not to be deployed against the western allies as terms of service and signed up for tours of 12 month duration, I believe. He was no Nazi, there was a fear of Soviet Russia that is not understood by many today.
Thank you sir for giving us unvarnished history.
I understand the fear of Russia. My mother feared their coming until her dying day.
People only need to look at what the Red Army tried to do before 1941 to understand the fear. Poland had been divided, the Baltic States swallowed up, Finland was in a huge fight with them, and the Soviets might have made much bigger gains in the west during the Russian Civil War and its aftermath had the Polish not miraculously stopped them in 1920 with the help of a very stubborn Russian White Army holding on for so long (the tragic thing is that the White Army had they won promised to peacefully grant the Baltic States independence in return for something like protectorate status). Lenin and ESPECIALLY Trotsky made it clear they wanted to aggressively expand Communism where ever possible. I blame FDR and his pro-Soviet tendacies for painting too friendly an image for them publicly in the United States.
@@thunderbird1921 FDR's being pro Soviet was appropriate for the time being because they were fighting against the same enemy which was at that time the much more greater threat, anf collaboration at all levels was extremely vital. Or would you rather FDR be more pro Third Reich
@@elyjane8316 My family in Upper Franconia feared the Ami's and their wayward hellraising ways reported from Warner Barracks in Bamberg and the park by the Regnitz. My mother born in 1944 deathly feared Amis for uncertain ways, later becoming an American citizen. Russians were never even part of any discussion as all my closest relatives survived the ordeal serving in the east. Yet mention the French to my Grandfather and we had to clear the kitchen until his anger subsided.
remember Hitler declared war on America.
Woke up from an amputation to a new Mark Felton video, my luck is turning around already!
Absolutely another fantastic story Dr.Felton the vast and diverse amounts of information you provide are greatly appreciated. Without gentlemen such as he we would have lost these stories to time.
Generally speaking, yes we would.
It is ironic that the Nazi bookburning of the 1930s, which were derided by All , has now become far more widespread in the digital age
As always a small and unknown group is reported on with excellent information. Thank you Dr. Felton
Wow, I didn't know about these troops. Thank you Dr. Felton! 💯
A surprised Iraqi is here to know about this for the first time! Thanks Mr Felton for your fruitful videos as always.
The regularity and quality of your content is really admirable.
Thanks for your work.
Amazing dedication for them to fight right to the end. Imagine how many lived through the last days of the war but never told their stories.
Brightened up my Thursday afternoon to see new videos from Dr. Felton. Another video bringing forgotten stories to light. Thanks, Dr. Felton.
Just when I thought I had a hefty knowledge of the 2nd Word War, Doctor Felton came out with a new tidbit, including excellent research and video/pictures to match. Well done, I will be sharing.
I was born in January of 1942, and also thought I had a pretty good knowledge of the war, until I began watching this channel. Almost without exception he teaches me something knew. At the age of 81, it is gratifying to expand my knowledge. As my father used to say, it's important to learn something new everyday, or it has been a wasted day.
As iraqi that make me proud ❤🇮🇶
شخص بني بحب نازية
شايف المشكلة ؟
@@aga7299 The enemy of my enemy is my ally. We both know who supported the zionist gangs during that time.
@@aga7299I don’t see a problem.
Germany thanks Arabs for helping us in our time of need and struggle.
We wish the Arabs in Palestine good luck
@@punishedgloyperstormtroope8098
When did they thank us
And by which means thank you mean if you are supplying our enemies with weapons and ammunition to kill our kids and families?? That doesn’t mean thank you to us unless Germany has its own thank you definition
You may be a nice person but your government that representing you isn’t
@@ArabianBoy717 Germany is an occupied country, it’s an American puppet government.
You can’t blame the Germans for the actions of the occupation regime
Dear Dr. Felton, it's been three wonderful years now since I first got to know your amazing work. No week passes by without watching some of your work. Rumor has it that almost 1000 Arabs where trained as special forces in Attica (Athens) Greece, by the Germans. I've read about it a couple of times. Could you please see more to it? Again KEEP UP THE EXCELLENT WORK!
The ironic thing is that Germany did have the most multi-cultural army in the world.
Only if you go by Hollywood's portrayal of the war, which used mainly White extras. The British Army, Navy and Air Force included men from all over the empire, including Africa, Asia and the Caribbean: and there was the enormous Indian Army which was also multi-cultural. The French Army was much Blacker and more Arab than the cinema portrays.
Let's against American Propaganda Film about Nazis
@@bedil2715 Lets not. Being edgy dosnt mean being good at history.
@@danielogatswho is being edgy?
Asking for historic truth instead of cheap propaganda is now edgy?
Lmao what a spinless bootlicker you are
@@bedil2715 Yeah because nazi propaganda was so truthful, right? lmfao
I love your history video’s Mark. You shine a light on parts of World War 2 history that was not known much. Well done 😊👏🏻
Many thanks for this most informative video targetting little known chapters of WWII. Would you be interested in presenting a comprehensive video of the Spanish Volunteers: "The Blue Division" as well as of other related Units that remained in service after the official withdrawal of the Spanish Troops. I enjoy your video presentations, your deep insights and Historical observations. Trully magnifficent! Thank you again, Sir.
Never a dull moment with a Mark Felton video!
Cultural sidenote: this is why WWII Germany is not hated in arabic speaking republics. To the collective mind, WWII germans never occupied their lands, but instead were their allies in the fight against the occupiers/allies.
And the direct result of Germany's loss of WWII is the Palestinian genocide and displacement.
History enthusiasts from the western hemisphere think it is sympathy to Nazism, but it is not, it is like the situation that Finland found itself in: "the good guys" / the allies were to them the occupation forces, and "the bad guys" were their allies in their fight for liberation.
Add to this that Turkey aligned itself with Germany during WWI.
@@inhocsignovinces1081 that was more a political decision than a public decision.
Their government made the choice, and I think it was a terrible decision given that the only thing that was keeping the ottoman state alive has been the brits and their allies for the past 100 years beforehand. If they sided with the allies instead, they would've had everything to win and nothing to lose.
In Finland we don't really view the USSR as an ally and we're usually pretty ashamed of our past with nazi collaboration.
@@w1pa123 the history I know of doesn't leave anything for you to be ashamed of though.
Defending one's homeland is never a cause for shame
@@mahmoodali5043 It is regardless of its' necessity a shame to be known as the nation that collaborated with nazi Germany
As an Arab myself, I’m amazed by this new fact
Saudi?
They have been mentioned in a couple of publications.
@@mohammedizzat5416 Yes, but Saudis didn’t participate
@@saud892Germany stands with Palestine since 1914-1945! ❤️
@@punishedgloyperstormtroope8098 GroßßDeutschland!
These arab paratroops were clearly very brave men.
Thank you Mr. Felton. I've been listening to you for years, your programs are well structured and always superbly presented.
The Arabs have had interesting affair with the godess of war. Fighting with the Brits against Germany and the Turks in WW1, fighting against the Brits in WW2, again fighting the Brits in 1956, then fighting the Soviets in Afghanistan, and lately bonding with China - which could restart the whole cycle.
Got dizzy? Some have lost their head.
Arabs also fought together with the Turks against the British during WW1. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk's army was about half (if not more) Levantine Arabs during the Battle of Gallipoli and many Arabs fought together with the Turks during the Independence war against the occupying Allies. Many North African Arabs and Berbers fought in the French colonial army units during WW1 as well.
@@deemahalsanonah1944 Yeah exactly, Arabs weren't a monolith.
Well friends, of you are going down history lane, then let's start 632 AD, the Islamic tsunami, then Tareq and the burning of his ships at the rocky mountain (Gibraltar), conquest of Andalus ("the lost continent"), then Jerusalem, then crusade, then Ottomans, then.... fascinating history.
It's hot, if you guys were here I would serve ice cold beer (not Bud!).
All best. Semper fi
Also with Chechens against Russia in the 90’
Diversity was their strength
Funny how Germany and Russia are the only ones who have applied the diversity is our strength quote, look at Russia now, they have a fierce and loyal Muslim army. Russia now is one of the very rare instances where orthodox Christians and Muslims are fighting together in the same side
So ist das.
Neo nazi: noooooo this isn't true😫😫🤬🤬🤬🤬
it’s 1 am and i should sleep but Dr. Felton’s content is enough to keep me up even for just 7 minutes. looking forward to another amazing video
nevermind i can’t but i’ll watch this in the morning
There was significant support for the Germans among the Arabs not because the supported fascism or a feared communism. They just hated their colonial rulers ie the British and French who imposed themselves on the arabs post WWI. In the words of the late Anwar Sadat "the enemy of my enemy is my friend"
Yes, even some of them didn’t like the Germans, however they really hated the British so they joined Germany to fight them 😂
Truth is indeed stranger then fiction
As an American, I am stupefied by how little Americans know about WW2.
Our schools give students coloring books masquerading as textbooks and we have a summer break so everyone can work on all the farms that existed...... in 1870.
Americans are busy with rights and protests.They don't have time.
@wt5657; I just recently learned only 30% of the personnel involved in the Normandy Invasion were American.
Our schools are busy with gay propaganda and making sure people's feelings aren't hurt
The Anerican education system is teaching about the world's beginning of Adam & Steve, brought to you by the main enemy of Hitler.
That's fascinating. Thank you Dr Felton, for another topic I had no idea existed!
Never would have guessed Arabs were fighting in Berlin. Highly informative, as always great video Dr. Felton
Another great video! Thanks Mark. Do you reckon you could do a video on Swiss neutrality during WWII? I’ve been doing some reading on just now and it’s seen quite an interesting topic!
What a great idea!
I add my vote!
I think he's covered that already.
The Swiss govt and banking was complicit with the nazis.Same with American and Swedish business interests
Thank you for helping me to procrastinate starting my work day.
There was a German general Wilhelm Hintersatz he became a muslim and commanded Turk central Asian legion
And they gave him surname of "Bey" which is used to tribal cheif
...can only imagine how much these Arabs - in the hideous maelstrom of the Battle of Berlin, under a storm of incoming katyusha fire and thousands of clanking Soviet tanks - must have mumbled "I thin I've been hanging out with THE WRONG CROWD..."
Fear not, Steiner's counterattack will ensure the Ghost division ends up in Moscow.... anytime now.
Uk and France brought havock to their countries and destroyed - through betrayal - their national dream.
Most Central Asian Muslims fought against the USSR as such but Arabs volunteered AGAINST the British..
I don't think so.
The Arabs hate against the Russians go back for century's.
Al the way back to Peter the 1st when the arabs often waged war against the old Russian empire.
😂😂😂
They loved the nazis filth
Well done good Dr 👏
This is a well known detail by those who are familiar with ww2 generally but today it's something that is avoided like the plague.
Thank you for both recapping and adding some points I didn't know.
It's always an educational day when you bring us content
You know how after a while most documentaries on a certain topic become repetitive and redundant?
Yeah, I’ve never thought that about Mark Felton’s history lessons.
Have you been paying attention?
Hell yeh, more topics to bring up at the pub. Thanks Doc Felton 🤙
This is what History is about man, just the most mind blowingly unexpected facts that are actually real events that occurred. Great Video.
Freies Arabien;.Thank you for your Service!
we did our best.
you are welcome freund !
Hassan Salameh, a leader of the Palestinian revolt of 1936-1939, had training experience as a paratrooper from the Luftwaffe
Could you make a video about operation mammoth and Ramzi Nafi Rasheed? The kurdish part in WWII is highly unknown, and your video on this topic could bring up some light to it. TLDR: Abwehr attempted to stage a rebellion in northerin iraq in 1943 in order to get rid of the british in the area, and to establish a independent kurdistan. Thank you Dr Felton.
Who was Ramzi Nafi Rasheed? My name is Ramzi too
Was that a reaction to the British attempt in the 1930's to subjugate the Kurds who had refused to submit to the new puppet King of Iraq? That conflict entailed the RAF using poison gas against Kurds. One British officer was court-martialed for refusing to take part. Documents about all that were taken back from the Public Record Office by the Foreign Office at the time of the Gulf War.
Arthur Harris, of later Bomber Command fame, who had been bombing Afghan tribesmen on the North-West Frontier province of India, also took part in the Mesopotamian war with improvised bomb racks on his unit's fighters planes "to join in the fun." He also pushed for the delayed-action bombs which were used by RAF Iraq Command throughout the Middle East. His legacy lives on in the 21st century's wars.
@@faithlesshound5621 I didn't know about this, thanks for sharing
Ramzi Nafi Rashid Agha is an interesting path. He was from Erbil that was mainly Christian Assyrian ancestry.
Some say there was already an informant planted in the Mammut group that would have turned them into the British before anything substantial occurred with their mission. Getting dropped 300km off target did not help either.
Another great by Dr. Felton! Thanks for recording the overlooked and forgotten in history!
I think it makes a lot of sense for Arabs back then to fight alongside the Germans against Western Europe.
France and the UK had colonized most of the Arab region and it was a mutual enemy situation.
No clue about the Arabs serving in the FJR Units, I knew Italian Paras were serving with the FJR throughout the end of the war but very interesting and given they served under Witzgig for a time signifies their status under the FJR Command. Brilliantly done
It is perhaps another witness to the inefficiency of the German military, and particularly Goring's Luftwaffe specifically, that after the heavy losses at Crete in 1941, and the cancelation of the planned air assault on Malta in 1942, that the the time, effort, expense, and resources were being wasted to train jump qualified paratroopers, let alone Arab paratroopers, in 1943. By that point in the war, Germany no longer had the transport planes or tactical opportunity to launch any kind of airborne operation larger than battalion size at most. What possible use were a hundred Arab paratroopers when Germany had been completely driven from North Africa and the Middle East?
@@dongilleo9743 Conflicts between commands desires. And standard Empire Building in organizations as you noted Goring's having various ground units going when the manpower should have gone to the Army. This is one reason government and large companies can become so inefficient.
Hitler's stupid hold on further drops without ordering no more units created caused the problem. Crete shows dropping on top of the enemy was a one time thing for the Belgian Forts and now that it had been done enemy be at least somewhat ready for them.
But as Allies showed dropping them behind the lines could have good results. And a few smaller drop ones actual did work. So German drops during the Invasion of Russia could have helped in many cases. And drops to provide a defense rapid deployment could also help when terrain allowed infantry to hold up tanks.
@@dongilleo9743 They were still able to conduct airborne operations in that time period. Albeit small as you mentioned. Operation Rosselsprung (1944) - Almost capturing Tito but failed in the end. Battle of Leros (1943) - Captured most of the occupying British and Italian forces on the island. Battle of Vercors (1944) - Help take down a FFI stronghold in France.
Absolutely fantastic video
Thanks Dr Felton!
Based Arabs
Mark Felton must read the most obscure hard to find stuff to get the details he finds for videos like this. Every time I think I know about something, Mark Felton educates me more about that something.
Finland was NOT under German occupation!
That's correct. But to be more precise, after the armistice between Finland and the Soviet Union, at least the Lapland part of Finland was occupied by (officially now hostile) German military.
@@neinnein9306 that was a sparsely populated area with no big cities and the occupation was not able to influence the policy of Finland in a way that beneficial to Germany. The occupation had not removed the Finnish government and replaced with a puppet regime. And the Germans were forced out from from Finnish territory.
@@tombrunila2695 if you can't move free in a part of your own territory because there are 10.000s of foreign soldiers ... well i think it's kinda like occupation.
Over 1.5K in less than an hour? Jeez Dr Felton you doing good!
Hey I remember Dr Felton making a similar episode a few years ago called Hitler's Black and Arab Troops.
There is literally almost no info on what happened to these soldiers after the war so its very interesting to see this part of history
Would love to see a video on the Assyrians serving under the RAF.
More I didn't know about ww2. Thanks !
Something i didn't know yet, thank you for sharing this interesting fact dr. Felton. Very fascinating to see them go all over europe to end up in Berlin being among some of the last defenders of the reich.
This man deserves the honour of the title “Sir” and to be knighted by the King for the great work he brings and countless people he teaches when he doesn’t have to at all. This man is a genius, a smart and knowledgeable man and I respect him. Thank you “Sir” Mark Felton 🤙💯
Thank you for this great video! So aside the German soldiers besieged in Berlin, the French waffen SS and Arab paratroopers are the ones who fought to the end in Berlin ! Interesting !
@@MFC343 yes indeed
This comment section is yet another pet peeve of mine.
1. This isnt some amazing find by Mark Felton. As usual he doesnt provide any sources anywherez The only source is Munoz (non-english)book, not normally the most reliable source, he almost certainly got this from the forum posts on axis history forum as its the only non-english mentions of this anywhere on the internet. There is no specific mention of this “Arab” company fighting in Berlin, only the earlier fighting in Pomerania and the Oder. Given the high losses and fewer than 100 “arabs” in question, they likely werent even around by that time. This is simply an assumption on the part of Mr Felton based on the fate of the remaining parts of 9. FJ Div. These troops werent even part of the official “gliederung” (order of battle) of this unit.
2. As usual, way more being made of this than reality by the comments. No the German army was not “mOsT dIvErsE aRmY iN HiStOrY!”, the unit these men came along with the associated Lehr unit were several hundred men at most…and in the context of North Africa where they were surrounded by these people, and a few black africans ended up in it somehow. The fact you see it trotted out over and over as “OMG Hitlers Black and Arab troops!” is just embarrassing.
The actual total number of “foreign volunteers” in the German army was at most a few hundred thousand, even when including the large numbers of ethnic Germans who lived in areas of, for example, the former Hapsburg empire. These were either in Freiwillingen units, often understrength, or single Ost-Battalions assigned mostly to the Atlantic wall. (Max of one assigned per static division). The false inclusion of “HILFSfreiwillingen” is how you get higher estimates, but those were not military in any true form. They were, like Organization Todt essentially a uniformed labor and service support service. They had no weapons or insignia, and werent even part of the normal division strength, just ration strength since they had to be provided for.
The fact people continue there bizarre infatuation with these puny novelty forces and make such sweeping claims from them is baffling. Get over it.
I have been your student for the past 2 years. You have a good student here in Accra. Ghana. Thank you Dr. Felton ❤
Thank you so much for this Mark. I just so appreciate you pointing out these non-known battles. Truly amazing to a student of World War II history like myself
The Waffen-SS was basically the German counterpart to the French Foreign Legion.
We are talking about Fallschirmjäger, not part of the Waffen SS. And the French SS was with small amounts of men.
Found this book in a London bookstore a few years ago - Islam and Nazi Germany’s War - and it's an interesting history. There have also been some fascinating studies on relationship between Islam, Muslims, Japanese Imperialism, and WW2. Seems that the anti-Western imperialism was a rallying cry for the Axis Powers against the Allies.
Mayor Witzig -> Mayor Funny
Best officer name since Captain Darling
0:20 Hmmmm I've seen that logo somewhere recently.
As a Dane, during our German occupation, we became nicely asked to allow a Danish SS force to be formed against the Russian menace. And Denmark asked a man of former Russian decent (He eventually hoped to regain his Russian family estates, taken by the Communists!): Christian Frederik von Schalburg to lead the Force. He wasn't a specially gifted officer and he died during a hopeless attack by lake Illmen in Russia. Actually more Danes fought against Russia than took part of the rather effective Danish Resistance movement.
Winter War in 🇫🇮🤫
Thank you Mark. I was wrong before and avoided your video for a long time. I kind of missed these and i have realized that your video is actually non-biased. Thanks❤
As a Arab this just adds to the pride i feel.
But the Arabs lost. What are you so proud of?
@@60andover-timetotrain-join89 history of my people and how they weren't stand around ever and how many of their innovations and origins still lingers today. I'm glad the Arabs fought on the side of justice and unity.
Thanks for the Info, Dr. Felton! I read the same subject about the Arab volunteer who joined Fallschrimjager too from Book "Setan Hijau" (Indonesian : Green Devil) by Nino Oktorino. In that book, it said same thing too with the video : that during WWII, some nationalist figure like Mufti Haji Amin el-Husseini and Rashid Ali Gaylani collaborated with Axis Power for Arab Independence. One of their contribution was the formation of paratrooper that consist of 100 arab volunteers. This unit was supervised by Major Schacht from 1st Para Regiment, and their tasks were to destroy and sabotage behind the enemy lines and railways in Algiers.
The interesting informations that i read that book are most of this arab units are veteran from Italian Sahara, volunteer that had been trained by British in Middle East, and Foreign Legion by France. Even there is an old man sergeant that had been in service with Ottoman Army during WW1.
After this unit got their training in Germany, some of them were sent as a sabotage specialist in Tunis before they surrendered in North Africa, alongside with Axis Soldier in there too. One of their unit were sent to Iraq and Palestine as a sabotage , and few people alongside with their officers that commanded them in battle in Tunisia, fought in Pomerania and Oder before the Axis lost in March to April 1945.
Cor bleedin' heck. I'm an Aussie. I never know what is posted by Mark. All these stories. I like military history and this is why i come here. Keep going mate.
They were certainly dedicated; fighting for a country that is not your own till the bitter end. They could have just left and gone back home after Tunisia
Your videos never cease to amaze me. You are a wealth of knowledge. Thank you for sharing!
We, as Iraqis, are happy to fight on Germany's side during the war. The Germans respected us a lot, and the nonsense that says that Germany's victory will be the end of the world is not true.
I'm irish and I agree with you !
If Hitler had won, how do you think you would have fitted in with the aryan master race? 😂
@@uncled39last time I checked Iraq Palestine Egypt weren’t located in Germany.
Nazis only cared about racial purity of Germany they didn’t have a problem with non European states such as japan Palestine etc.
What gave you the idea that Hitler would hate Arabs or want to wipe them out and unnecessarily destroy Arab countries?
He’s noted to have highly respected them as well as the Japanese.
You clearly have no understanding of Nazi ideology.
Agreed. Thank you for your support!
Free
Mark. Thanks for providing my Thursday night entertainment!
Did any survive the war and what happened to them?
Well, the Muslim leader who recruited them fled to Saudi Arabia after the war and lived there in exile for the rest of his life.
No, the soldiers died fighting
I am always surprised with strange and never heard of stories that Mark comes up with. Well done as always.
That was excellent! I learned something new.
Thank you.
Dr. Felton, you keep outdoing yourself. Thanks!
Just an off-the-wall comment, but seeing the picture of the POW with the Iron Cross on his uniform made me think: what goes on in the mind of someone fighting for his country, getting decorated with that country's medals, and then captured with the knowledge that once-certain victory for his cause might not happen?
I retired from the US Army and, while I served in combat in Iraq and also did a deployment to Afghanistan, I was never in a position to be captured. We Americans are also spoiled by the fact that those who survived captivity have eventually been repatriated and honored as heroes. Men like John McCain have used their family name and wartime service and captivity to catapult them to national level politics.
I was never a hero, and my decorations are very standard for someone of my rank and service. Even so, each tells a small story, and the defeated German Soldiers who went to POW camps or even those who simply surrendered at the end of the war without incarceration must have had their own stories for that Iron Cross, Wound Badge, Close Combat Badge, or other award they'd never wear again. Even those who went on to serve in the post-war German Armed Forces, East and West, wore either denazified awards or nothing to represent their previous achievements.
I wouldn't say "spolied," I would say honored.
@@hanshartfiel6394 Rather ambiguous, but polite, response. The UN, led by the US as always, fought to a stalemate in Korea, with the conflict still technically ongoing today. My dad was stationed near the DMZ in the late '50s and spoke once about skirmishes with North Korean patrols. Vietnam was a failed attempt to prop up South Vietnam. Vietnamization proved incapable of keeping the South independent, and it is what it is. Afghanistan is eerily like a modern equivalent to our experience in South Vietnam. While outside aggressors like North Vietnam and its allies weren't necessarily a thing (rather, internal aggressors [Taliban] with outside assistance), we spent decades involved with each country only to evacuate as things tumbled around us. The similarity between evacuating Saigon in 1975 and Kabul in 2021 is sad.
My point isn't that we Americans are saviors of the world and undefeated in battle at all levels. We Soldiers are hampered by political maneuvers that we often disagree with, and which all too often result in years-long failures attributed to the American military. Our record speaks for itself... we go into a country and dominate. If our political masters reign us in while also deciding to commit to years of "nation building" and setting up a puppet government, we eventually withdraw in "defeat".
Germany had a renewed sense of confidence in the 1930s. There were many who felt that the Imperial German Army could have continued on past 1918, and that the Wehrmacht would not repeat the failure of its predecessor. Millions died on the battlefield and in captivity, particularly on the Ostfront. The young Soldat who recently wrote home of his Iron Cross Second Class died in misery in Siberia. The Leutnant who earned his Pilots Wings in April 1945 never had a chance to show them off in uniform.
Unlike the defeated German, Japanese, Italian, and other Axis powers of WWII, the service members of the Allied Powers eventually went home to victory parades, sporting their medals and being honored as heroes. Even though Korea is considered the "Forgotten War", Vietnam considered "America's First Lost War", and Afghanistan an abject failure in foreign policy and military intervention, we still mostly came home and kept our way of life and accolades.
So, while we Americans aren't worldly angels, we have never been subjected to foreign dominance like the defeated powers of the World Wars have. Heck, I can say about the same for the UK, Canada, and Australia.
@@timf2279 I agree, poor word choice.
@@anonymousm9113 Your apology for American failure sounds very like the "We were stabbed in the back by the Jews" rationale for the German defeat in WWI. Both fail to take into account Clausewitz's dictum that war is policy continued by other means: in other words, war does not take place in a ring under Queensberry Rules, set-piece battles are merely a part of the overall picture.
The Vietnamese won the "moral" war, at least in part by destroying their invaders' morale: another point that Clausewitz made. Saddam Hussein showed his complete misunderstanding of that point when he crowed that Iraq would win because its people could tolerate mass casualties while America could not. Even saying that in public made sure that his armies would not fight for him. In his defence, many generals in WWI (the donkeys who led the lions) thought that way too, hence the slaughter in the West.
Rare and interesting info is your specialty...Best of the Best..ty Mark Felton
Thanks for the great video Mark! I thought it was really funny the paratroopers got rolled into that other unit that “was neither elite, nor very good” and managed to get transfered. I imagine elite soldiers look at conscripts like “man, look at these doorknobs.”
This is one of the very best history sites on the web
LoL my son starts dancing everytime he hears your intro.
Please never change that intro, literally the hardest thing on CZcams. Let’s you know you’re getting into something good. LTT’s is the only other thing to rival.
What an odyssey! From Iraq to the final struggle in the rubble of Berlin. Yet another amazing and little known story.
Another historical footnote less known to add to the unique and rich Felton archives! Fab.
Pumping out the content mate. I can barely keep up. I appreciate all your effort.
Got to make that money.
What about the Egyptians who fought in the Al-Alaman with the British
Dear dr. Felton, maybe you could do an item about a mostly unknown event of WW2: it is the battle for the Afsluitdijk in may ‘40. It is one of the (very) few strong holds the Germans attached, but never conquered, until the Netherlands surrendered. Interesting piece of WW2-history. There is a book written about it, but I doubt it is translated in English… would gladly be of any help, if needed.
New Dr. Felton drop, it’s gonna be a great day lads!
interesting history that i didn't know about good job!
The Italian ss in the picture became a known philosopher and orientalist
Edit: The name of the guy is:"Pio Filippani Ronconi"
A wonderful historical coverage video about events I never heard about it in other records about Arabian paratroopers gathered on Iraq 🇮🇶 territory and served Nazism military efforts until the last minute of Nazism regime existed. Thank you (Dr Mark Felton) channel for sharing...