Military Historian Reviews 250 Years of Warfare in Movies | Part One
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- čas přidán 10. 05. 2024
- Military historian Dan Snow MBE reviews the evolution of warfare over the course of 250 years depicted in historical movies.
Spanning from the late-18th to early-21st Century, Dan charts the development of battle tactics and strategy, as well as the rapid evolution of weapons technology which have transformed the battlefield.
In the first episode, starting of with The Patriot (2000), Dan comments on the use of columns of infantry advancing slowly toward the enemy musket volleys in the American War of Independence from 1775 to 1783 - a battlefield strategy that seems almost archaic to us now. He also details the early forms of guerilla warfare seen in the American Revolutionary War, that were used to chip away at British morale.
Moving on over half a century later in Glory (1989) - a film starring Denzel Washington, Matthew Broderick and Samuel L. Jackson depicting the horrors of the American Civil War from 1861 to 1865 - Dan notes how battlefield strategy, such as that seen at the Battle of Antietam in 1862, had barely changed from that seen several decades earlier during the American Revolution. That being said, with new rifles and artillery that were far more deadly than the muskets and cannons used in the late 1700s, the casualties of the American Civil War were far greater.
Lastly, Dan reviews the classic film Lawrence of Arabia (1962), which depicts the lesser known Middle Eastern frontier during the First World War from 1914 to 1918. Whilst men were chewing barbed wire in Europe and marching toward the enemy in columns over no man's land (not to dissimilar to the American Civil War) to take enemy trenches, a more mobile kind of warfare was taking place in the deserts of Syria and Jordan. Dan analyses the famous attack on Aqaba, an Ottoman stronghold that succumbed to the genius of Sherif Nasir, Auda abu Tayi and T. E. Lawrence ("Lawrence of Arabia") who chose to attack on horseback from the desert as opposed to carrying out a beachhead assault.
Part Two arriving Friday 17th 6PM GMT!
Check out Sony's Evolution of Warfare playlist! - • The Evolution of War |...
Watch The Patriot Now: AAN.SonyPictures.com/ThePatriot
Watch Glory Now: AAN.SonyPictures.com/Glory
Watch Lawrence of Arabia Now: bit.ly/WatchLawrenceOfArabia
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00:00 Introduction
00:33 The Patriot (2000)
08:44 Glory (1989)
19:39 Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
Part Two is arriving Friday 17th 6PM GMT! Please leave a like and subscribe if you love historical movies!
Love it!
@@yago8672 I can't wait for it!!!
I never get tired of listen to Dan Snow, he knows how to talk about history, I am a big fan of all the timeline of History, since earth formed until now, I love all the periods of the history of our planet!!!
you know what's a very underused era of warfare for film, games, etc, that period of the 1500s-1600s when it was pike and shot and some people were still technically dressing like knights and firearms were those massive matchlock smoothbore hand cannons
If you like this period, the Polish movie "Deluge" ("Potop") is a must watch.
The movie 'Alatriste' has a great depiction of a pike-and-shot era battle
@@MichalKaczorowskiand "with fire and sword"
Just saying, there's the DLC for Mount&Blade, With Fire and Sword, and the Cossacks game series, which covers this period, if you guys enjoy this period :)
Many military historians now think, based on records from field hospitals, that “hand-to-hand” fighting was the exception, rather than the rule. The bayonet itself was more a defensive weapon against cavalry charges, a logical evolution from the “pike and shot” era of the 1500-1600’s.
A bayonet charge was almost like a game of chicken, one side or the other would break from the field and run before actual melee engagement.
I like how in Glory, the death of Shaw simplely enraged the regiment rather then disheartening them. In a lot of modern games and movies depicting combat of that era, the death of a Commander is shown to break morale.
If the soldiers loved and respected their commander, killing the commander would just drive them to such rage, that they usually end the battle.
I'm from Massachusetts and there is a pretty cool monument to the 54th near the State House. The Confederates tried to dishonor Shaw by burying him in a mass grave with black troops. The Union offered to dig him up and give him a 'proper officer's burial' but Shaw's father said that the Colonel would be proud to be buried alongside his men.
Similar to the Visigoths rallying to the death of their king against the Romans (if memory does not fail me)
Depends on the commander - if he dies, you are allowed to retreat and save your life. Historically there are a lot of depictions though where for example Roman Legionnaires sacrificed themselves to save their Generals, like Caesar. Or the Guard of Napoleon - during Waterloo they sacrificed a huge amount of men to save Napoleon which isn't really human nature. It's not human nature to deem someone else more important than your own life.
a good example of a commander dying giving his army the victory is Gustavus Adolphus, i forget the name of the battle but it's pretty insane.
I'm guessing you guys keep coming back to these movie-based videos mostly because they get lots of clicks, but I want you to know that I really do love them. They're incredibly engaging as well as they are informative
Really appreciate the feedback. It's a format we will be continuing into the new year!
here here
Genuinely the best History content I’ve seen in a while, just soooo addictive.
True that!!
right? I can get sucked into a vortex of these videos so easily
Dan has been the one who started my 2 years long interest in the videos showing an expert discuss movie scenes, and after those 2 years and dozens of videos watched I must say - Dan does it the best and I even watched some of his content more than once because it's just so nice to listen to
Even after seeing it dozens of times, I still get goosebumps when I see the assault in Glory, accompanied by that amazing score. Thank you for this review!
man i get goosebumps in all these films. Shame we will never see these again. Maybe Ridley Scott's Napoleon will be good, who knows?
The music is just flawless at that moment. I have never known a scene that gives me goosebumps so consistently as the Fort Wagner charge over the parapet in Glory.
What a film. And you are most welcome.
That battle sequence in glory looks absolutely incredible, I've never seen anything like it
Yep, glory and ghettysburg are my two favourite wartime movies of all time
I love how Dan Snow explains things, it's not dull and drawn out it was matter of fact in informational.
I like how non biased Dan is in these reviews. He doesn't get too nitpicky with historical inaccuracies and instead focuses more broadly on how each movie portrays the historical events.
As someone who loves movies and history this was great. Looking forward to part 2 and hopefully part 3, 4,5...
Thanks so much! Part 2 out next week
I love Dan doing all these movie breakdowns, reviews, and interviews with war movie directors. Excellent series.
He's simply brilliant. Proud that he's a Brit.
Honestly, that was really good and interesting! I'm really looking forward to Part Two this weekend! Thanks for posting!
Lawrence of Arabia is a masterpiece. I was fortunate to be able to see this in a big cinema. The cinematography is stunning. No comparison to a screen at home. I have to brush up on the other two movies. I'm getting into older war movies at the moment. I just watched Kubrik's Paths to Glory from 1957. What a great movie.
I don't know if I'm weird..but watching this brought me to tears. "There is no greater love than this-that a man should lay down his life for his friends."
I didn’t know the real Lawrence was Calvary. I know very little of old battles, most of that is the greater political aspects. Thank you Dan, it was a treat to have you doing the rundown.
At 18:21, when the 54th stop running before the cannon blast, the image looks like something from a painting. And with the epic music....my goodness, what a work of art!
Man I love Dan snow so much he is just such a vibe 💯
You make an excellent point in your discussion of 'The Patriot'. America has forgotten its lesson from its southern fighting during the Revolution, which is that winning the ground is one thing. Holding that ground is another. Winning the 'peace' is far more difficult than winning the battle. 'Glory' is an amazing film, and rightfully covered the role Black soldiers played during our Civil War, and your description of Ft. Wagner was very helpful in visualizing the scene. 'Lawrence of Arabia' is a classic and its battle scenes are incredible, even if 'made up', as much of what was said or written about TE Lawrence. Thanks, as always, for great reactions/reviews of historic battles and warfare.
Yeah, the whole time he was speaking about holding ground vs winning battles I was thinking how similar the situation was to America’s in Vietnam
I appreciate the fact you called it the "American Revolution," which is precisely what it was - a revolution of ideas, values, actions, the forerunner of a global movement. The title "American War of Independence" downplays the importance and significance of it.
I have not thought of it that way. I agree with you. The American revolution was the beginning of western society as we know it now. It is a damn shame Soo many look down and talk down on the accomplishments and good that came from America gaining independence. Have there been issues? Absolutely. Blackmarks?you betcha. However, the United States is why Spain,Britain and France are no longer large-scale colonial powers. The amount of sovereign nations and free people that exist because the United States became a free nation and then a world leader is incredible. Yet, many like to focus on the negative. Truly sad.
Plus Americans didn't get their independence any more than the French or Russians did after their revolution. The whole thing was a scam with the same powers left in charge.
I had forgotten how awesome the Glory film soundtrack is. Good on ya, James Horner.
Much may have been filmed in the Middle East but one part was filmed on the sand dunes of Merthyr Mawr on the south Wales coast. It is where Peter O’Toole, as Laurence, first dons Arab clothing and walks down the dune towards Omar Sharif and the Arab troops.
Another excellent film about the desert warfare in WWI is The Light Horsemen. It is about the Australian unit - the Light Horsemen - and how they took an essential Turkish radio and water outpost at the Battle of Beersheeba. It was a frontal attack that succeeded in the main because 1) the Turks expected the Australians to ride up so far then dismount and fire their guns. 2) when this did not happen, and the Australians continued their charge, the Turks could not depress their machine guns far enough. Therefore the bullets flew over the riders heads. There is a brilliant film about this charge, made in the 1980s
Glory is one of the greatest civil war movies ever made. I watched it in history class back in high-school and i remember crying at the scene where Mathew Broderick dies and Denzel is killed yet he stands strong flag in hand. I felt an overwhelming sense of patriotism and respect. I couldn't imagine the bravery it must of took to fight under those conditions and for a truly just cause they all believed in. It all just hit me so hard.
Yes. Yes to all this amazing content. Well done History Hit.
Mr. Snow. For many years I enjoyed the CZcamss that you did with your Father. I loved his "mapcase" which would come to life with great CGI graphics. I you well and wondeer about him. What a neat Dad --- and he passes on his intellect and great history accumen to you...Thanks much -- HD, Houston, Tx USA
I like Dan so much, he explains everthing so clear
Very accurate and non biased description of how the revolution was fought in South Carolina. Glad to see videos like this on CZcams.
Great stuff HH. Thank you Dan . You always keep me entertained.
Thanks 👍
I thought this was an Insider video at first, good job HIstory Hit with the quality content!
More to come!
Dan Snow has a Midas touch, turning even abject drivel like The Patriot into an interesting lecture!
😂
Thank you so much Dan for this fascinating insight into the tactics of war👍👍👍
Glad you enjoyed it!
I wish there could be more movies on the early days of colonization and spanish colonies independence battles. Great video!
Dan Snow killin it again, my favourite historian!
I don't know, our man seems to know a little about many times of war but Tarleton had the Butcher as his nickname but he wasn't remotely like how he's portrayed in the abysmal portrayal of the British and it's loyalists in the Patriot. And clearly Isaac's character is based on Tarleton and not an amalgam like Gibson's character. I felt that a historian should have mentioned that. I think Dan knows some eras very well but some he only knows surface level. There's so many issues with the Patriot when it comes to it's portrayal of the British, it acts like they were the 3rd Reich and treats every American as loyal to America and treats Cornwallis as a total buffoon. The film does do a lot of the linear warfare scenes well but it also has so many issues. Glory is far more accurate in it's depiction of the Civil War and doesn't treat the Union soldiers as the great, honorable men but shows how racist most of them were too. Shows an awful CO who lets his men loot and burn down a town. The Patriot sucks is what I'm saying and besides it's battle scenes, it should just be denounced. It's literally American propaganda trash and I say that as an American.
Yeah…I think he was just trying to be positive and highlight some of the very few things done right which is okay since every other historian shits on it (for good reasons, it’s historical accuracy is one of the worst in a big budget movie). Also tareltons nickname was Bloody Ban for his ruthless behavior to prisoners and civilians. Not butcher (which usually implies one doesn’t care about how many of his men die)
@@benlincoln7358 Thanks, I appreciate that I now know even more about Tarleton. I just for sure knew he wasn't shooting kids in the back or burning down churches full of civilians. And I agree with the idea of appreciating what the Patriot does get right but Tarleton also, for how bad as he was, is portrayed as a comedically over the top villain and I think that just needs to be said when you mention how he was the inspiration for Isaac's character.
And in the film they have ZERO qualms about blowing the brains out of surrendering British men and hacking them to pieces yet act like Tavington is some monster. It's just one of those things that irks the shit out of me. Rules the thee and not for me, as they say.
Yes, 'The Patriot' is a rubbish film in so many ways and shouldn't be included in any list of the best. Gibson is just a propagandist. There are plenty of other films that depict warfare in this era far more accurately.
Seen Glory more than one time at the theatre the cinematography to this day is unmatched
I think the cinematographer won an Oscar for Glory. I think.
Quality of this channel is great
Glad you think so!
A former movie magazine called Premier called Peter O’Toole’s performance “the greatest ever!” My favorite film too 🎉
The mounted horse attack on Beersheba was a great movie portrayal, not to mention a historic attack with long standing consequences.
True. The Australian Light Horse brigades began the war as a light mounted rifle infantry unit, but through the use of adapted tactics like at Beersheba and later engagements, some regiments of the LH brigades were issued sabres in 1918 and employed as full-fledged cavalry instead.
The Opening of the Free State of Jones has a great representation of the Late American Civil War with both sides using the trench works that would become so familiar with in WWI
My great-great-great grandpa was a Union Soldier in the 4th KY Mounted Infantry. He fought and was wounded at the Battle of Chickamauga, spent some time at Andersonville POW camp. He did get out of there alive. I wish they would make a movie on that battle and the POW camp he was in. I feel so bad for Lawrence when he was held prisoner by the Turks.
i love you dan snow, you were my childhood, you and your father
I love it when Dan is sat down in front of movies to review.
We do too!
There are few moments in film as powerful as Denzel rushing to grab the flag and screaming for his brothers to follow him into hell. Absolutely gripping.
Cowpens/the Patriot is so great, I centered my senior thesis on it
Growing up in Savannah Georgia we had fort Jackson and then fort Pulaski on the Savannah River. Fort Pulaski who was the first fort attacked by rifled cannons. To the south of Savannah in Richmond Hill ,Ga there is Fort McAllister along the Ogeechee River. It was an earthen for weather underground bunkers. They would use a heavy chain to block the River. They were bombarded many times by war ships. But they rode it out in there bunkers. It was taken by the land side of the fort by General Sherman on his march to the sea. He used sharp shooters to take out the artillery crews!
Just to mention it, no CGI, but great amazing movies 😊
Love this
Would be great if you could do a series sort of like what Norm Christie did many years ago, following the stories of specific Canadian soldiers and their heroics.
Dan Snow is brilliant.
Dan Snow is awesome
"Then give em a volley right in the teeth"
My boy Dan obviusly choose violence this morning. ^^
the game Civilization does great at bringing all of these tactics and models, for everyone, at the same time.
one time I found myself having to rush update my defenses from archers and crossbowmen to missile troops, while my offensive wing had been upgraded long before, to marines and tanks.
having to rewire my tactics from "cluster up inside a fortification" to "spread out and take position" was a workout lol.
Look forward to part 2 :)
Next Friday!
I am very pleased that you mention Sergeant William Harvey Carney. He was awarded the Congressional Meal of Honor. He was not the first African American recipient but his action at Battery Wagner was the earliest act for which a MOH was awarded to an African Soldier. James Horner's score for Glory is one of my favorites.
Lawrence of Arabia is definitely a great war film. This film and The Lion in Winter are my favorite movies starring Peter O'Toole.
The Patriot is a good movie but was somewhat a remake of Braveheart but set in the American Rebellion Against the Crown of King George and the Benevolent People of Great Britain. Sorry for that one. But we made up for it by invading Great Britain in 1943 to set up for D-Day.
Hey HH. Love your work 👍
Hey, thanks!
Thanks for this video, helps wash out the taste of Ridley Scotts Napoleon.
I’m not sure people really understand what the Federals faced at Antietam and the tenacity and courage required of the men who advanced on an entrenched enemy; especially those that saw their friends and colleagues dead or dying as they ran toward the wall of muskets and rifles
Dan Snow carries this channel.
2:54 they must have had bigger balls than me. To just stand there trading volleys, knowing that every round could be your last, and seeing what treatment the wounded received, it must have been terrifying.
The army taught me to duck, weave, crawl and hide. We spent most of the battle on our guts trying not to be seen.
Muskets weren’t very lethal, if you look into the casualty rates a battle of 1000 men could result in a dozen dead
I do wonder why they didn't use any form of metal as protection for their belly - standing in line with a little bit a uniform that offers zero protection is suicide.
In my opinion, most battles of the 18th century are poorly portrayed in film and "The Patriot" is no exception. I'm actually surprised Dan wasn't at all critical of the scene. Many battles were won (or lost) simply out of fear and not due to casualty counts. In reality in most cases they didn't just stand there and trade volleys. If the enemy looked bigger, stronger and more disciplined than your own forces, commanders would disengage and leave the field without even firing a shot. Or, if the men were commanded to stand their ground and the men were too scared, they would break ranks and run. The men back then were brave, yes, but not totally stupid. Intimidation and out-maneuvering your opponent was the way battles were won. Another detail that I've never seen on screen is that tactics of the day specifically called for each smaller unit or company to stagger their fire. The entire force firing at the same time never happened. Individual companies would take turns firing so as to keep a constant barrage of fire and keep your enemy suppressed and unable to react. Additionally, Dan isn't totally correct in saying that the weaponry of the era could reach out to 300 yards. There are documented battles where units would stop and fire volleys at 200 yards and not inflict a single casualty on their enemy. My point in all this is that you had to get within 100 yards of your enemy before firing to be effective, and those who dared get that close usually ended up winning the fight. There's other innacuracies also, for example, you don't fire cannon at the enemy when your troops are only 100 yards or so away from them. There's no way you could "bounce" a cannon ball across the ground like that with both sides that close together.
Wonderful as usual!
I respectfully request to know why Steyr, Austria was not completely destroyed during WWII? Thank you!
You know if you are a Reenactor, you know, or should know, the regulations of the period you reenact. And this is where you go deeper to the details and can point things out very specifically.
I would really like a historian to rate the Spanish Tercio battle scene in the movie “Alatriste”. I personally found it a well-done scene of a period often overlooked and unrepresented in movies.
It is a fantastic piece of military choreography, on a small scale representing the complexities and brutality of pike and shot warfare. But there's no 'creative license' an American won't take if it makes them look better than they were.
Glory was a great movie. The Patriot movie was entertaining but had too many historical inaccuracies.
The Patriot is a movie I would have loved if I never saw Glory, Rob Roy or Last of the Mohicans. I thought Glory did the friendships among soldiers better. Rob Roy did a much better job at showing a British officer nemesis character and Last of the Mohicans had much better guerilla warfare scenes.
If you think Patriot is bad, wait until Napoleon comes out!
@@flintandball6093 All historic epics have inaccuracies but at least Scott's movies are enjoyable. The Patriot is just another typical, bloated Roland Emmerich movie. He's like a German Michael Bay. The Patriot is as painful to watch as Bay's Pearl Harbor.
I *do* notice inaccuracies with the late 18th century warfare, but I'm happy that linear formations aren't just pronounced "stupid", although I do wish they combatted this myth itself. Linear warfare was vital for commanding in large-scale battles, and in most cases wars could not simply be won by skirmishing and hitting enemy supply lines alone. TL;DR below to this comment.
This was due to the efficacy of the bayonet and cavalry tactics in situations with large numbers of men. Muskets and rifles both couldn't provide enough fire to suppress a melee charge, because of the slow reloading time, and since the smoke that blackpowder weapons would create piled up over time and with a lot of guys, making precise aim useless over time. Having a bunch of guys in a tighter formation helps improve morale, as everyone's protected by each other, is easier for a commander to lead, and in the case of melee combat, allows a unit to take on it's enemies "one by one" if they're not in a tight formation of their own.
A *often* made mistake is to say that generals *never* used cover or terrain during 18th century battles. They used terrain and cover a LOT. From Wellington hiding his men behind a reverse slope to stop the French artillery from destroying them, to field defences being set up by Villars during the Battle of Denain. However, the issue with static fortifications was that the enemy could outmaneuver you into a bad position if the terrain could permit it. It really came down to the terrain and field conditions, which all generals would consider, and the best generals would utilize to their advantage (look at Leuthen for a perfect example, where Frederick the Great essentially used the terrain to *hide his entire army* before attacking, or Rossbach, where Frederick the Great's lieutenants essentially won the battle before he arrived by grinding down the French and Austrian forces to ruin before an assault happened).
Cavalry would charge not just *through* a formation, bumping men across and making a mess of it, but would come behind and charge them in the *rear.* This meant that multiple ranks of men, and lines of reserves, were the best idea, as they could grind down cavalry by stopping them from using their mobility to ride linear formations to ruin, using superior numbers to stop a blitzkrieg-style breakthrough in a specific point of the line that cavalry *loved* to create.
Oh, also red coats (and other bright uniforms) were used because in the smoke of battle they could be told by friendly units. There's examples of friendly fire at Lundy's Lane and Wagram when uniforms that were the same as the enemy's or blended into the terrain ended up leading to friendly fire incidents, so whilst skirmishers and other units *would* use these guerilla-style uniforms, it wasn't all too common in other cases.
*TL;DR*
If anything, 18th century battles were a game of chess- trying to outmaneuver your enemy into a impossible strategic situation. Cavalry and melee charges could destroy skirmisher formations easily. Since all weapons had to use blackpowder, smoke clogged the field of battle, making accurate fire useless over time. So tighter formations were used, which could maximize fire whilst also protecting themselves if the situation got bad with melee superiority.
Feel free to ask questions/request for sources in the comments. I got stuff to do rn so cutting this off here.
"The bullet is a mad thing; only the bayonet knows what it is about." Alexander Suvorov 1796
Hope Part Two will include 1964 film Zulu, and the 1979 film Zulu Dawn.
What about the battles from outlander? Id like to see his reaction to the battle of Culloden 😊
The battle scene from The Patriot I'm pretty sure is supposed to be an amalgamation of Camden and Cowpens, especially with that rear line of Continental Regulars.
In Lawrence of Arabia that machine gun at 21:41 is actually a Browning M1919 which would have not existed at the time.
"Best war movies ever" "The Patriot" I'm gonna need you to pick one.
Lawrence of Arabia is such a great film even if it isn't the most accurate. That and Bridge on the River Kwai are two of my favorites.
A wonderful historical coverage (video) about warfare lines evolution through smartness selection of views from regular warfare to directing lavish rebellious to defeated enemy ( Arabian Lorans) .thank you for your respectful 🙏 ( HistoryHit) channel
May I suggest you look at The Lighthorsemen (1987), an Australian film about that includes the horse charge of German-supported Turkish lines by 800 men and horses of the Australian Light Horse during the Battle of Beersheba on 31 October 1917?
I love that film and have heard it to be accurate but I'd love your take on it, Dan!
I saw that as a child and it stsyed with me for decades. The scene was filmed in Victoria though so it looked a bit odd but change from a gallop into a full speed charge has always given me goosebumps
Absolutely! I just bought it on BluRay and watched it again. It never gets old!
@@AvoidTheCadaver
excellent!
Close quarters, taking turns with the muskets would have been absolutely insane!
The Brits should have gone back to the long bows lol 😂
You know im very curious i wanna hear explaining on the last samurai seeing how the introduction of gun powder were introduced and change Japan
That particular scene in "Glory" was probably not earlier in the battle when the Cornfield fight took place. The terrain and gently rolling "apparently flat" areas more closely resembles the middle part of the battle when the Confederates held a sunken road what came to be known as "Bloody Lane." Initially the Confederates enjoyed great success in that part of the field but a small anomoly in the terrain, a relatively slight declivity quite close to the Confederate lines dropped the front ranks of the Federals out of direct view of the Confederates. The Federals were for a period of time not openly visible. When the declivity rose again, the Union lines were very close to the Confederates and slightly higher. Most of the Confederates had been firing at longer range and their rifled muskets were somewhat fouled while the Union troops had fresh muskets. The initial volley swept through the Confederates with horrible results. Some Union troops were able to partially flank the long sunken road and the rebels lines were decimated. Confederate General John B. Gordon was wounded five times, twice in the same leg, in his left arm and again in the shoulder and finally in the face. He fell forward with his face in his cap which was filling with blood. He always believed he might have drowned but another Union bullet passed through his cap, allowing the blood to flow out. (On April 12, 1865 General Gordon, who had survived multiple wounds during the war, officially led the Confederate troops at the surrender at Appomattox Court where the surrender was accepted by Major General Joshua Chamberlain who had led the 20th Maine Regiment on the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg.)
Thanks for the awesome bit of insight.
Shaw was in the 2nd Massachusetts, part of Gordon's 3rd brigade, Williams' 1st division, XII corps. Gordon's brigade directly attacked the cornfield, and was repulsed with heavy losses. I don't think they had much to do with the sunken road. In any event, this part of the movie was intended to entertain, not be accurate. Antietam was just an appetizer.
That may be true. There is an excellent account of the Antietam battle and Lee's Maryland Campaign "The Gleam of Bayonets" by James V. Murfin which delves deep into that battle. It has maps showing the three basic attacks, listing the units at the important parts of the fight. The 2nd Massachusetts was involved in the early fight in the Cornfield and the East and West Wood. Shaw's unit was definitely in that fight. I was speaking more to the visuals in the film and in my opinion the terrain as shown in the movie appears much more open than the rather restricted area where Hooker attacked. The Cornfield was essentially flanked on both sides by the East and West Woods and most of the fight was quite confused. Both the Confederate and the Federal units were hit almost by surprise...there was a lot of cover initially. In the film the Confederates are shown as much more exposed and at a greater range than the initial attack. The Union attack depicted was not as stacked up as it was in the area where Hooker and Meade's forces attacked. Later attacks coming down east of the Hagerstown Pike toward the sunken lane were over much more open terrain which the film seemed to infer. @@Carlton-B
Hey Dan, would you ever consider doing a review of the 1981 Australian war film Gallipoli with Mel Gibson? I'm sure you would have lots of fun picking apart all the things it got right, almost right and wrong.
If Dan were to do Australian movies/ mini-series, there's Gallipoli (both the film, & the more recent mini-series), ANZAC's, The Lighthorsemen, & ANZAC Girls
@OcarinaSapphr- true, but this was of Mel Gibson's first movies when he wasn't quite as famous as he today, or rather, infamous, depending on how you feel about him.
@@lorenfranz3173
No, I know- but the films aren't really being judged on the film makers, but how they show the evolution of warfare- so I think ANZAC'S or The Lighthorsemen would show that just as well- if not better.
@OcarinaSapphr- fair enough, and I think Dan makes a very good cause for each film he reviewed, though I didn't watch the part about Lawrence of Arabia, which is a good movie, btw. I was merely offering a suggestion on how the movie Gallipoli tells the story about that campaign from the Australian perspective, how thousands of Australian soldiers lost their lives due to the incompetence of their British commanders, and contrast that with the reality behind the scenes, how commanders were constantly trying to develop new tactics for breaking the stalemate that resulted from trench warfare, which itself was an attempt to save lives that would've resulted had both sides continued to send their men into open battlefields against artillery and machine guns.
@@lorenfranz3173
That's fair enough- I'd like one of my favourite channels HistoryBuffs to do something similar- comparing & contrasting the film with the history- they did spectacular videos for Zulu, Waterloo, Master & Commander, & Gettysburg, for instance. Nick's videos aren't dropped frequently, but they're well-researched & truly interesting to watch.
The mini-series ANZAC'S showed a fair number of tactics, techniques, & training- things like an invention of the warfront- a kind of periscope-type viewer, made from shaving mirrors & tin boxes- as well as how they created the simple delayed timers on their rifles (how they were able to evacuate so successfully; the common saying was that the evacuation was the most successful part of the Gallipoli campaign- 2 injuries, no deaths) - they also showed the pros & cons of certain tech, like the early tanks (The Lighthorsemen shows how early planes were used)- as well as the home front & politics, & I daresay there was more bias there.
I guess this is my long-winded way of saying I'd like Dan to do additional parts for the topic, or to specifically review Australian-made WWI movies...
Would Last of the Mohicans not be on this list 🤔? A few of those battles seemed pretty legit.
He analysed that on a previous video.
Similarly to the US Civil War, the Paraguay War (1870´s) between Paraguay and an alliance of Argentina, Uruguay and Brasil (Triple Alianza) was a big preview of what would happen in WW1. Massive battles and casualties and an evolution of warfare and military technology.
Maybe Dan could cast his eye over the battle of Long Island (August 27th 1776) - an engagement that should have ended Washington's campaign there and then.
Howe had Washington's army pinned at the river with the Royal Navy at their back. Unfortunately, Howe waited 2 days before moving on Washington's army and finishing them off. By that time a storm had arisen, forcing the British fleet down stream. Washington saw an opportunity and escaped across the river with his men ...... and the rest they say could have been a very different history.
Very good
I always thought they wore red because of their flag not cause it was cheap, great video
Cromwell has some great battle scenes.
"The man who loses the King's Colours... loses the King's friendship"....
Funny movie mistake: The Patriot @7:51 the left British solider goes down and the colonial stabs him a couple times. But in the VHS large screen format you can see well below the wide screen line and he actually spanks the guy with his knife 2 times
Question for you guys, Why does it seem like the Weapon Technology of the Smooth Bore Musket lasted so long and Innovation seemed to have Stopped until after the civil war time where repeating firearms seemed to replace slowly Muskets.
Strange comment.
Hint: The Dreyse rifle had been built since 1840, the Prussian army used it since 1849 and adapted its tactics. The oulier was the USA, the ACW was fought on bothsides with a large number of untrained soldiers.
Lawrence shooting his own camel by accident would actually have worked thematically for the film.
I'm pretty sure that machine gun he mentions in the Lawrence of Arabia section was invented 2 years after the movie is set
Yes it's a browning m1919, the main US ww2 machine gun
Barry Lyndon had superb battle scene
If you looked at the "best war movies" Why is the Patriot first ? :)
Shouldn't be
There's a scene in Lawrence of Arabia where camels are seen jumping over a low stone wall. Camels can't actually jump, so they had to build a ramp up to the top of the wall and get them to go up it and then step off.
The German-Danish War compared to the ACW would have been interesting too.
I know we skipped Napoleonic Wars in favor of getting to the American Civil War, but what films/shows would you recommend for accurate depictions of warfare from the time? Maritime battles too!
Waterloo for land....Master and Commander for sea...and of course Sharp
Well, for maritime i would certainly start with Master and Commander!
Waterloo 100%. Arguably, one of the most authentic recreations of a battle unfolding. Also, by the same director, the russian version of war and peace is extraordinary.
@@Kubyashimaster and commander is probably one of the most accurate depictions of naval warfare at the time.
When I got out of the Army, I tried to study every action where “Color Troops” were involved in the American Civil War.
…and I had plan to visit the site of Ft. Wagner- long before the movie was conceived.
Did Dan Snow say that's the first time i've seen that when watching Glory?
Watching those men just stand there and wait to get shot is horrifying
I think that's the Battle of Cowpens, not Camden portrayed in the last major battle of the movie, "The Patriot."....could be wrong, but I've heard it's based on Cowpens.
Glory is a devastating film - one of the best war films made. I had a number of ancestors who fought in the Civil War - all for the Union.
You commented on the machine gun the Turks were swinging into action but that was a US M1919 .30 machine gun - Browning's design that was too late for WW1 - I guess they couldn't find a Maxim for the Turks?
I can better that. I watched a drama documentary on the treatment of the wounded and dead in the american civil war and it featured many re-enactment battle scenes. As the camera panned over the smokey battlefield at the end of the day you could clearly see among the dead bodies a Lee Enfield SMLE! How the hell did the club let that one through?
Not sure about '250 years' of warfare developement 100 yrs perhaps, from Smooth bore Brown Bess to rifled Minnie Bullet, which by the did not get a proper mention. The depiction of fortifications was good and showed how WW1 trench warfare came about, although some form of trench warfare was used during the Crusades.
Actually in the movie Patriot, a black soldier in British uniform was depicted at the start of Camden Battle, if you look carefully, but certainly not as prominently as the one on the American side.