Himmler Attacks West 1945 - Operation Winter Solstice
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- čas přidán 12. 09. 2024
- In late 1944, Himmler was made an army commander and in January 1945 launched his first military campaign in the West against the US & French armies in Alsace. This is the forgotten story of Operation Sonnenwende or Winter Solstice.
For my detailed video on the Battle of Herrlisheim click here: • 2 SS Panthers vs. 21 U...
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.o...
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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.
Sources:
- United States Army in World War II - European Theater of Operations, Riviera to the Rhine, Jeffrey J. Clarke & Robert Ross Smith, (OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF MILITARY HISTORY, DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, WASHINGTON, D.C., 1993)
- Operation Nordwind 1945, Steven J. Zaloga, (Osprey: 2010)
Credits: US National Archives; Library of Congress; Bundesarchiv
Every time I think you will run out of obscure but fascinating stories from World War II you come with another banger of a tale. You are a wonder of a modern historian. At present I am on a visit to Baden Baden and visited Iffezheim yesterday which is in the immediate vicinity of this presentation. Your story could not be more timely for me personally. Thank you.
WW2 is infinitely fractal. Just dig down and you find another battle, another incident.The story of WW2 has been told and retold do many times and it's always the same stories. It's what people want to hear: D-Day over and over, basically. When people are told a new story they typically react negatively, espically when the Allies don't win. People don't want to learn, they just want a good feeling.
"болтать не грех , было бы кому слушать"
you know it's over when you appoint Himmler as a military commander
You know it’s over when you are forming infantry units from Uboat and destroyer crews
@@philvanderlaan5942 Both correct in my opinion.
He might faint again.
@@philvanderlaan5942 As longe that there is ammo, "Over" is not in the German pictionairy
The angry little chicken farmer.
Can you imagine going from being led into battle by Guederian to Himmler in 3 short years? That’s rough
FYI Mr Felton has a good series on the d-eath of Himmler.
Guderian is overrated, but there had indeed been a dramatic turnover in German command at the higher level. Which in no small part explained why German armies kept losing. When you are not allowed to learn from your mistakes, or have to pay for Hitler's mistakes, the German army lost a lot of tactical knowledge that way. Especially because unlike the Red Army it had no organization dedicated to analyze defeats and victories. Whatever tactical knowledge existed existed at a divisional to army level but was not passed on up high. When they got wiped out or their commander replaced that knowledge went with them.
@@ChaptermasterPedroKantor-kv5yw I suppose Hitler wanted more yes-men to do his bidding later in the war. Men like Model and Schorner replaced men like Hoth and Guderian because the latter were men who were very opinionated about the way the war was being fought. They were men who had devised the Bewegungskrieg doctrine that brought successes from 1939 to 1942. With the Germans being forced on the defensive Hitler needed generals in charge who would have no problem letting their men perish in hopeless defensive battles, something that suited Model and especially Schorner.
Everything was lost as soon as they didn’t get to the oil in 41-42.
Well, it must be said that Himmler was not a worst German army group commander in 1945. In fact, considering others, he could be even most sucesfull. Especially since his attack in Pomerania did compel Soviets to postpone Berlin offensive for roughly two months.
This is how good the History channel could have been
Edit: yes I remember the days when the History channel WAS great, just saying it doesn't compare to Mark Felton anymore 😉
You must be young. In the early 2000’s, it was jokingly called The Hitler Channel. It was all WWII, all the time. Iv seen much of the footage he uses on the history channel!!
No could have been ( 0% chance that even 20 people could/can be equal to Mark Felton) but should have.
I'm 64 and have learned more from Mark than all other historians & experts all together!
World war 2 + aliens = history channel lol
Without the annoying music. Now you can play whatever music you want in the background or just listen to the words lol. Much better
It WAS this good in the 1990's and early 2000's if you're old enough to remember that. They did exactly what the name suggests, show history! Now it's garbage.
We're slowly approaching only Equinox, and Dr Felton is already at Winter Solstice. Always ahead of the pack!
You can tell the end of the Third Reich was near when Adolf had to use Himmler as a field commander. That's desperation on so many levels.
This War will never end as long as Dr. Felton is investigating. Knowledge is endlessly fascinating historically.
Classic dictator move: appoint those who are loyal to these high positions rather than those who are competent.
See "Putin."
Because competent commanders may and usually do overthrow the dictator. The enemy is less of a danger to him then his own generals. History has proven this time and time and time again.
@@rabbi120348see American politics
Competency is nothing without loyalty to the cause.
Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion
I had to go to the mechanic and spend 805.47 USD today but I NO LONGER CARE because there’s a new Mark Felton drop… Thanks Dr Felton!
I went to the Hyundai dealership for a recall service. Dang car is a 2011 and still getting recalls on it!
@@ettajfan5882Santa fe gang
You neglected to say 805.47 what. Rubles, Yen, Ariari, Ngultrum??
@@caeruleusvm7621 Reichsmark?
@@caeruleusvm7621 USD
all the currencies you said are between 10 USD and .80 USD value when converted ☠️ lol I have to go to your mechanic!
How many times I say to myself. "I wish you were still here dad and watching Dr. Feltons videos with me and giving your first hand account of what it was like".
But he's been gone almost 20 years now and only talked about his time in Europe during WWII a little in his later years.
I wonder if he would want to remember or not even think about it.
Guess I'll never know.
RIP Pop
315th Infantry Artillery Battalion
As the son of a Veteran that served Stateside working on radar - If you dad wanted to "remember" and think about the Hürtgen Forest "meat grinder", he would have done it when and while you could listen and understand. Sorry your dad didn't talk about his WWII experiences, lots of Veterans just want to leave the pain behind and live a real life.
I know how fortunate I was that my dad generally did not mind talking, even just about some books on the war, he was the first to tell me the difference between "combat veterans" like his British "advisor" friends, and himself (he was forced inducted into the U S Army Signal Corps in mid 1943, to officially swear him to secrecy on radar. he mostly never really revealed anything that was still "classified" into the very early 1990's when he passed). My dad also was my first introduction to the difference between historians, what they do and write about, and "storytellers" (like Alan Bullock, William L Shirer vs Stephen Ambrose, etc.).
🇧🇻
I agree as my Dad was in the Belgian underground. 🇨🇦🇧🇪
Thanks for all you do Dr. Felton!
Thank you Dr.Felton. Always a pleasure watching your great historical videos.
Dr. Felton, your history presentation is second to none. To frame each video, I believe you've made the best musical choice in all of CZcams. It perfectly suits your phenomenal content!
The quiet luxury of a coffee break watching a new Mark Felton video!
Amen
You get 20 minute coffee breaks? 😅
Oh my goodness, Ardennes,battle of the bulge and Operation Nordwind are some of my favourite ww2 battles,along with Kursk43. But I never knew ANYTHING about these battles,so informative and interesting, well done sir👏
And.....another banger from Dr. Felton. The good doc is on fireee!
Himmler gets general's uniform, goes to his mother and says, "How do I look?"
Mother: "By me, you're a general. By you, you're a general. But by a general, you're no general!"
I'm always amazed that at this late stage of the war the Germans could still find this quantity of men and equipment.
I know my ww2 ( all history in general ) i ALWAYS learn somthing new from Mark's videos . Thank you .
Himmler, the former chicken farmer trying playing general. No offence for the chicken farmers out there.
His hand was held by his officers
The chicken farmer line is pure postwar propaganda. Himmler went to university and got a degree in agriculture and farm management. He was highly regarded but the political climate changed his direction in life. He then single handedly took the fledgling SS from bodyguard to the largest international volunteer fighting force yet assembled with troops from practically every European country.
Who knows there might be a chicken farmer out there who would be a military genius given the opportunity?😅
Your attention to detail makes it so enjoyable to listen to. Thank you.
Thank you for these productions and for not using a.i. narration.
A gentleman I worked with went from corporal to squad leader to platoon sergeant at the Hurtgen Forest! Then rec'd a battlefield commission afterward. A real meatgrinder.
So much history to be learned. Absolutely love these videos. Thank you for sharing them. 🙏🏼
Thank you for another great video. You should make a playlist of this and other videos dedicated to Himmler as a military commander. They would make for interesting stories of sycophancy and failure.
I had no idea that the Germans managed a trans-Rhine assault! Fascinating! Thanks for yet another excellent video Mark!
Thank you Dr Felton for providing such amazing content for free. My dad and I love watching your videos!!!
Another great installment of history by our beloved Dr. Mark Felton, thanks for the efforts to enlighten us all! 🏆
the german army conducting offensives in 1945 is such a strange thought to me
The men must have known that the war was over at that, being told to die for nothing sounds not very enticing
Mark felton has an excellent video on Nazi fanatics conducting ground troop attacks even into 1948 well after the generell war was over. Id recommend you watch it, it was really good
They did so at the army level still into March with Operation Spring Awakenings, and at Bautzen at the divisional level attacking from Czech territory into southern East Germany while the battle of Berlin already raged.
I get the Japanese better both culture of never surrender die to the last man. And expectations of torture and then killing of anyone captured they basically being subhuman to allow that to happen.
One of the major reasons the Nazi rank and file kept fighting after D-Day was to keep the Russians out of Germany. Another was that there were fanatic Nazis who were driven by a wacko ideology.
Well in case you hadn't realized the Germans were trying to defend christian Europe against the forces of the World Revolutionary movement[Illuminati]... Internationalism..
My uncle was armored infantry in the 12th Armored in Hirrlisheim. He told me the story of shooting at a German tank with a bazooka coming around a corner. I asked in great anticipation as to what model German tank it was? His reply... When a tank is coming around a corner in your direction, you don't take time to figure out what kind it is. You shoot and scoot!. He would later be wounded in the back by an 88mm tree burst that penetrated a bazooka round without igniting it before entering his back. He saved his sweater with the holes and blood on it till the day he died, saying it was his good luck sweater.
Thanks Dr Felton , really enjoyed this last World War II episode 👍
Nice video. A bit after the year 2000 i was in a small village near Colmar in a war museum about the Colmar pocket. Found it: it is in Turckheim. Regards from the Battle of the Bulge area
Drinking a Red Bull while watching Mark Felton videos is quiet an experience
I don't know who Al is, or why his ass was so vital to WWII. But, I'm grateful to Dr. Felton for bringing it's importance to our attention.
I laughed every time he said it. 😂
What i remember about this operation is that Himmler kept his command base train in a tunnel in the german side of the rein in the town of triberg.
Great video, full of info and new found facts. As always you are the best of the best. Thank you Mark Felton
In fairness to Himmler (admittedly the last thing one would be inclined to grant him, knowing what else he stood far), there was very little he realistically could have achieved at this phase of the war, if anything, as evidenced by the complete lack of real success in all German offensive operations at this time, regardless of who was in command.
You are jumping the gun now; we're still at Kursk II.
Kidding😉.
Thanks a lot for your elaborate, sophisticated work.
As always you you never disappoint!!!
The usual fascinating stuff. Thanks.
You find the best stories! Omg, I've been reading history for my whole life and most of what I've learned from you, I've never seen covered anywhere else. You keep finding the human stories in the giant mess that is war.
Outstanding work, doc. Thanks so much.
Mark, thank you so much for your videos. I struggle watching videos because I simply have a very short concentration span.
But your videos keep me focused from start to finish, your niche but very interesting stories that are paired with excellent footage are great.
The details you share, man. I love learning history about WWII from your channel! Keep it up.
Two units of the U.S. 42nd Infantry Division’s TF Linden earned Distinguished Unit Citations for their fighting in this operation. 1st BN 242nd earned it for their stand in Hatten (also where the division’s only Medal of Honor, Vito Bertoldo) was earned), and the 222nd Infantry Regiment got theirs for beating back a superior German force on January 24-25 in the Ohlungen Forest near Haguenau.
If Himmler was near to zero in military affairs (he didn't have any military education or expirience) but his subordinate Paul Hausser was a totally different figure. He had very difficult character and somehow it occurred that he couldn't find his place in the new Wehrmacht. So he was forced to go to SS. And here there was the key thing. Creating Waffen-SS, Himmler initially didn't consider it as a parallel army - it was planned as "party troops". But he enlisted Hausser for this task and Hausser was an army general from top to bottom. And he immediately began building his own army - with divisions, artillery, mortars and so on. Notwithstanding the views of Himmler or party elite. And it turned out he was right. Hausser - it must be admitted was a very good tank general. In the Kursk battle his 2nd SS Panzer Corps gained the most of all German formations in many respects due to his skills. He very skillfully organised armored groups and used them. Just compare to 48th Panzer Corps of General von Knobelsdorf, which managed to gather 300 Panzers (200 of them the new Panthers) in front of a big anti tank ditch near the village of Cherkasskoye for a few days without any particular use. Unlike Manstein, Hausser didn't have a literary talent and a fluent pen. And he didn't write colorful memoirs like "Lost Victories". He did write a book after the war with the title Soldaten Wie Alle Andere (Soldiers as everybody else) where he tried to justify Waffen SS of war crimes and present SS men as ordinary soldiers. But he didn't have success. But on the battlefield Hausser was a very strong and dangerous enemy, one has to admit that.
That was a lot of information I had not heard before. thanks Mark. Now I can see the bigger picture.
4:35 Hans Otto Georg Hermann Fegelein looking on his fate awaiting and sealed.
Ah, Himmler. Such a weird historical figure
Yes Himler then and Harris today. Very strange
@@DavidMcdonald-df8tb😂 nice try. You must be a childless cat lady.
The original rat man
Failed chicken farmer.
@@DavidMcdonald-df8tb You mean Trump today, of course.
At least we now all know that Himmler tries to get some good gifts for the toothbrush moustache having Austrian man's upcominf birthday.
Thank you Dr. Felton for the great vod today! It has satisfied my curiosity for today!!!
You know you're cooked when Himmler is your commander
Dr Felton. I thank you for your love of the obscure.
I’d love to hear more detail about the French contribution in combat post D-Day, as this touched on it a little! Thank you for another phenomenal video Dr. Felton!
Himmler was administrator not an army commander at all.
ummmmm,,,, Mark Felton mentioned that in this video and others. He was a Hitler lapdog.
A German bridge too far. Thanks for the obscure war history Mark!
It is like appointing in the modern day someone from the "political party of your choice" party who ran the advertising campaign and telling them they are now in charge of military forces. And dont screw it up and sneak around and try to make back door deals.
just yesterday i was researching about this to find new metal detecting spots as i am from the area
and now dr felton delivers once more, he already taught me about those 2 ss panthers that destroyed 15 shermans and captured 300 men just around the corner from where i live
My grandfather was in the Ardennes in 44/45, 82nd Airborne.. he never talked about it, or much else about the war.
None of them did
@@oldfox0015 Nonsense.
Himmler as a military commander...its over at that point
7:15 with Dr Felton you get not only a first rate coverage of interesting but neglected aspects of history, you also get wonderful travel tips :) Europa park is now high on my bucket list :D
Detailed yet concise a painstaking analysis without need or requirement for airbrushing…
Id love to hear more about WW1 being it was much more world changing on many levels than WW2 from my understanding.
This is completely true.
Excellent video! Dr Felton- have you ever done a video on the “average Soldier” on both sides of the war? Many young men (these days) complain about their life - they never compare themselves to an 18 year old Soldier in 1942 - thanks!
The psychology of your commanders makes so much difference in war. There's obviously NO hope of winning but some just can't accept losing. Not surprising, but the injury & death of so many on all sides - for no reason, makes you hope they'd see sense.
Putin is a case in point - but, I think he's worried that losing would make him a real target for a coup. So, naked self-interest is a factor.
Thank you for this post.
Just seems so odd this late in the war, like about 4 months before victory in Europe, Germans doing offensive operations and trying to please Hitler.
I still amazes me at exactly how much footage was shot at, in and during the war. Kartakovs tiktok army would be proud...
Given how badly drained Germany was at this stage, this was surprisingly not an altogether terrible performance.
I suspect Himmler's higher willingness than Hitler to listen to more experienced commanders had something to do with it. Guy was talked into stepping back after the disaster of his second command. Doubt Hitler would've been, lol
Im limping from the left side but it's ok because we got a new dr. Felton video
I noticed from the map that Himmler successfully held Europa Park SE of Strasbourg. Undoubtedly he spent too much time riding the Silver Star rather than following Hitler's orders
Mark, have you ever done a video on the so-called "death march" of Allied POWs westward during the brutal winter in early 1945? More Allied POWS died on that march than in the camps during the war, is what I am told. The POWs didn't have adequate clothing, there was little shelter and hardly any food. My dad was on that march from Jan to March or April of '45. He survived but he was suffering from dysentery and malnutrition when he was liberated.
Not sure if you did one already, but it would be interesting to see a video on the present whereabouts of Himmler’s belongings such as uniforms, honor ring, and honor dagger.
The 10SS 'Frundsberg' was a Battle Hardened Regiment that had seen Action in Russia, Normandy and in Holland ( Im quite Suprised Himmler managed to 'lever' them away from the OKW's Requirements for the larger Battles around Belgium and Southern Holland at that time ( or Earmarked by now for Hungary and the Balaton Operations!) ..Interesting Video as Always Cheers Mr Felton
Hoi4 be like: Give Himmler field command
I feel sorry for any commanders being told who was going to be in charge of this operation. You'd *know* how badly things were going if *he* was there
one doesn't usually think of himmler as a military leader, or that may just be me.
There could be a reason for that.
This is why the 'Reichs-Heini' had no military decoration, but only party- or honorary medals.
He was basically a sycophant.
A number of people at the very top of the German military had very little training. Himmler had been an officer cadet up to the end of the First World War, and so was trained to be a lieutenant. Hitler had been an Obergefreiter in WWI, so he was a private unfit for further training. Fegelein had trained at a police academy, so he had had NO military training before his father's stables were incorporated into the SS as its cavalry arm.
He was a notorious whelp. He used to faint at executions that were demonstrated for him by Heydrich.
Evening Mark. 🫡🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦
Muh south Africa
I hope Dr. Felton enjoys saying "weak French units" as much as I enjoy hearing it.
@@Dave-dn3tz Sounds like you have a problem, buddy.
Eyyyyyyyyy howzit
Great timing: just yesterday I finished reading Charles Whiting's "America's Forgotten Army," which details this operation in some detail from the American side.
Himmler as the commander you know it’s pure desperation & doomed to failure.
‘Hitler had become disturbed’…..maybe not the best way to describe him
There was a WW2 war series on when I was a kid..but for the life of me I cant think of what it was called...every Sunday afternoon in the 80's .. very distinctive opening with grainy footage of katushyas, and a crying German soldier...it wasnt the great BBC one with Lawrence Olivier..I wish I knew what it was called!
The World at War
Himmler in charge of army group "fistula" ? That figures.
I wonder if Eva Braun could have taken Strassbourg...
Himmler couldn't attack a snowman.
This particular operation provoked a grave political crisis in Paris. SHAEF wanted Strasbourg abandoned; to De Gaulle and his men, this was unthinkable and unacceptable. The Anglo-Saxons had to relent.
@@stefanodadamo6809 They knew that de Gaulle might simply order French forces to act independently to defend Strasbourg, much like what happened with the liberation of Paris. Given that it was French land, Eisenhower knew better than to force the issue. The French had every right to defend French land as they saw fit.
At this point of the war, Hitler's objective was to try and split up the Allies, and thus halting the concerted effort of the Western Front. He was well aware of the (political) tensions between the Allies, and how fragile the Alliance was. Britain was effectively on its knees, and needed the war to end as soon as possible. Hitler was still hopeful to force a form of 'peace' or ceasefire with Britain, or even an alliance with Britain or America, to join and fight the Bolsheviks in the East.
Remember, if it wasn't for Churchill, and King Edward falling in love with a divorcee, things may have looked very different...
Fascinating! Thanks for that!
I have a German M42 helmet that was picked up in the Colmar pocket by a 9 year old French boy...
Always enjoy watching your videos ❤ hi from Holland ❤
Mark Felton is the new History Channel (:
Keep those videos coming :D !
Battle of the Bulge was the main trust. The two offensives named here are counter measures to protect the flanks.
- Next: Operation Silbertanne and/or The Venlo Incident.
I was reading about some of the World War 2 madal of honor and Victoria cross recipients. There are stories there the world should know about.
Great production. Now just for some balance can you also cover Operation Fork 1940, when Britain invaded Iceland please!
Very interesting and meticulously detailed, as always.
Thank you Sir again for another fine WW2 video
Shoe🇺🇸
Awesome. Brilliant content. Spot on. Well said.
Hello, I've been a big fan of your channel for a very long time. Could you make a video about the April 1945 Battle of Little Bastogne? The Battle of Crailsheim?
Himmler never got an Iron Cross, nuff' said.
Thanks doc!
One of my great uncles died on this front.
I see doctor Mark Felton on new episodes at History.
7:49 - I always enjoy your videos and learn so much. I know this map is a current Google map, but I'm having a bit too much fun thinking there was an actual mini-golf course during the war that was operating.
Ach du Lieber, Doktor. You have done it again! Merci beaucoups.