John C.H. Lee: The Forgotten Mastermind of World War II
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- čas přidán 22. 03. 2024
- The history of the United States Army presents no shortage of what may be called “colorful” characters adorning its ranks and accomplishments. During the American Revolutionary War there was the rambunctious Ethan Allen, loud, profane, and self-serving. The American Civil War produced George Armstrong Custer, one of the earliest examples of an Army commander retaining a press correspondent on his personal staff. World War I produced MacArthur, as well as the equally flamboyant George Patton, both of whom used lessons learned in that conflict to further their fame during World War II. These officers, and many others of a similar bent, shared a personal notoriety and military success.
Another, a contemporary of MacArthur, Patton, Dwight Eisenhower, and the other military leaders of the Second World War, was John Clifford Hodges Lee, whose contribution to the Allied victory was substantial, but whose efforts are largely forgotten. Lee had the often thankless task of ensuring troops were fed, clothed, armed, and supported by medical and staff personnel, rather than leading them in battle. It was his responsibility to have trained replacements ready to step forward when needed, fuel available to support offensives, bullets for rifles, shells for tanks, and mail delivered to the men at the front. Engineers to support combat operations and build necessary roads, storage sites, fuel dumps, airfields, and other military infrastructure were also under his bailiwick.
In accomplishing his task, he developed the reputation of being a self-absorbed martinet. Among the troops, including the senior officers deployed in Europe, his initials - JCH - were said to stand for “Jesus Christ Himself”. In Citizen Soldiers, the noted historian Stephen Ambrose described him as “The biggest jerk in ETO [European Theater of Operations]”, who had “…an exalted opinion of himself”. Yet without his successful execution of his duties, the Allied drive across Europe would have been immeasurably more difficult. He is an interesting, complicated, and sometimes comic figure, who alienated his superiors as well as the men under his immediate command. Yet he got the job done, according to Eisenhower, who said of him, “…I thought it was possible that his unyielding methods might be vital to success in an activity where an iron hand is always mandatory”.
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You're amazing karl❤❤❤
And all without computers, faxes or email. The man was a bloody genius at his job !
Nobody:
Literally nobody:
Not a single soul on biographics:
Karl: *YES I HAVE A SMALL WOOD!!!!*
You would have thought he would have got over it by now. He must be the dullest drinking companion England ever produced.
I hate that he still says that shit, usually comment telling him to stop on every video
@@andrewcarson5850 Fr fr tho I find it funny personally which was why I had to point it out🤣💀
Next to Ike Lee was the most important man in Europe. Most people only see the combat side of things. Like or hate him What he had to do was beyond belief. Most offences fail because they move faster than their supply lines.
Love your content! You're amazing karl❤❤❤❤
General J. C.H. Lee was a Logi (Logistics Officer) which the Army has only recently recognized as a specialty. Grant recognized as far back as the Civil War with the, possibly apocryphal statement, "I don't know what this logistics is but I want some more of it."
Carl diction is perfectly fine and enjoyable thank you
Free Scotland!
There is a large portrait of General Lee in the West Point Club at the United States Military Academy.
The logisticians frequently get forgotten, but no fighting's getting done without those beans and bullets. Glad to see you highlight one of those guys. As per usual, great work. Soon they'll be calling you Karl Bigwood.
This guy was a flat out hero.
Can you please do an episode on Henry Wallace, Vice President to FDR? He is easily the most forgotten important historical figure in US History
Henry Clay, Robert LaFolette, Hannibal Hamlin, James Garfield, William Jennings Bryan were more important and yet, people forgot them
3:30 - Chapter 1 - Soldier & engineer
5:55 - Chapter 2 - The peacetime army
9:00 - Chapter 3 - Taking command
13:15 - Chapter 4 - Operation torch
15:55 - Chapter 5 - Buildup for D Day
18:40 - Chapter 6 - The red ball express
21:45 - Chapter 7 - Post war & retirement
23:10 - Chapter 8 - The forgotten general
24:05 - Conclusion
Absolutely brilliant upload, well written told and delivered bio team love the Chanel, keep up the great work everyone 🌹🌹🌹🌹
This vid was well worth my time to watch.
It's hard to overstate how important he was to Overlord. That was the big one.
I appreciate the lack of ads in this video. I’m used to seeing like 1 every 5 minutes.
I found this entertaining and informative, appreciated...again...from across the pond
Thanks for the information
I could tell you was not at your best from the start. you did good. Hope you feel better soon. thanks
The name Bedell is pronounced Bah-dell, with the emphasis on the second syllable. I love your videos, Karl, and wish you continued success.
The "private train" thing doesn't sound too extravagant. He needed a part of his staff to come with him and they had to live sleep somewhere, especially since the train often traveled during the evening or night. He needed to keep in touch with others so a carriage that had a communications room was necessary and that carriage had a conference room too which was another necessity. The only extravagance was the carriage that was "for the general", in other words for himself. Thing is that carriage probably had a bedroom, which was a necessity considering that the train offered traveled during the night, an office, another necessity considering that the train was used often, a bathroom and possibly a small archive.
Excellent job
Dude pissed people off, but he got the job done, and we aren’t all speaking German. Lee deserves some slack.
That we aren't speaking German line will always be cringe, please stop because it doesn't even make sense
It wouldn’t, i’m sure
Thank you! He came up with Ice Cream Ships! This guy is a genius!😊😊
I think the best judgment of Lee comes from Eisenhower. He kept Lee in his all important role even when Lee was being criticized from within and without.
Tbf, that basically describes every general that the allies had.
Great Job Karl & team. Love almost all your stuff... Except the bad pirate jokes. Otherwise, practically always top tier excellent stuff. Keep up the great work one and all. Cheers.
Logistics wins war. Battle of the Bulge advance stopped when fuel ran out
I think a private train is perfectly sensible. He needed to travel all around the UK at a time when it had a much better rail network than road network. The only real alternative would be to fly which would mean arranging for refuelling in places all over the country, there was plenty of coal everywhere, also with that much plane travel there would be a not unsubstantial chance of a fatal crash. The problem doesn't stop with getting to different places as he would then need a car to take him round large facilities or simply around different areas, the train allowed him to take one with him whereas with a plane one would have to be arranged to meet him at each destination. And the train allowed for somewhere to sleep and somewhere to work from each of which would need to be provided for otherwise.
Jeezus, in the middle of a world war he put together a full supply & logistics command??? That is beyond incredible, and anyone who has fought in war can attest. Ike had an easier job (although Lee's quirks showed once again Ike's genius in getting the mission's success while leading a bunch of men who often acted like children).
Could you please do a video on John J Pershing? Also William Randolph Hearst.
Thanks.
Nice
Ice cream ships were Important because of prohibition ending a few years prior. People "used" ice cream as a social instrument, instead of booze.
Which led to the US cheese game caves, government cheese and "Got Milk?" And the US government still actively involved in the dairy industry.
Very interesting video. I know a lot about WW2, but had actually never heard about General. Lee. Is that where Dukes of Hazard got it? 😂
Could y'all do a video on emperor Constantine?
Am I wrong, I thought they already had?
@@tristanhallmark2724
Click the search button
Type “biographics constantine”
There’s your answer
Why havent you do a video about Carl Jung?
I would have appreciated at least a quick mention near the beginning of the video about why he was a mastermind. I have just passed the ten minute mark, and it is agonizingly tedious.
Yall need to do Joseph Lister he was a difference maker. I have asked a few times.
Can you please do an episode on Prime Minister John Curtin who led Australia during the dark days of the second world war when Australia was being attacked by the Japanese?
The fat electrician just did this anyone who like this will love His version
At 19:39, 90 kph is @ 56 mph, not 70kph.
Britain didn't adopt the metric system until 1965. It's more likely that different definitions would cause issues (the US gallon is smaller than the British gallon).
We need a tangent every once in awhile from Mr. Smallwood please. Spellcheck hates your name.
The mastermind is who ever decided to name himself smallwood lol
I came very close
Hehe Smallwood.. bring back baldwood
expedite, not expediate at 9:59
Does Simon whistler own this channel?
No. He never did.
Yes he does
Mastermind, war criminal... Semantics I guess.
Could you please give examples of his war crimes? I'm writing a book.
@@Rob-metoo527 Dresden.
He had operational command of Dresden? I misheard his responsibilities then. When did he order the fire bombings?
with how much we were taught about WW2 in school you'd think they'd have taught us about him, even once, but nope, not once EVER lol. every year i knew 2 things were coming in history class: the cotton gin and ww2. we learned the same thing every year since 1st grade and it was so boring. sure we learned about the civil war too but like those other wars never stuck with me like ww2 did and i think its because of how much time was spent on ww2 compared to other american wars/history.
during covid i watched history vids, its how i found this channel, and while i knew the world had issues and bad people and wars n what not....i didn't know it was THAT BAD. learned about the cambodian killing fields which was fugging horrific. learned more about mongolia which ive wanted to always do. im just mad that history class wasn't even history it was just AMERICAN HISTORY. even in HS it didn't change ffs. i think the only european stuff we learned was from mostly britain and france and it was because those 2 were so intertwined with american history when america was first "discovered".
i mean we didn't even learn anything about WW1 and i think its because america wasn't really involved like it was in ww2. i know a little bit about it from self learning with vids n stuff but its just ridiculous we weren't taught about it more.
I win 🎉
Would you ever find a better host Please?
karl is king
Karl!
Where’s Simon? I miss all the random mispronunciations
He left the channel months ago.
J.C.H. Lee - the GIs referred to him as Jesus Christ Himself Lee
Mastermind?
J.C.H. Lee, Jesus Christ Himself. :)
83rd
Least climatic quote ever. Lbj said much worse stuff
lol mastermind huh? He must have been the guy who decided that the US should jump in on the winning side with 6 months left on the war. Let’s cut the shit here. I’m not saying that America joining the war didn’t have a dramatic effect on Germany’s chances of winning the war but let’s be honest. They had been supplying the allies for the duration of the war. To send the troops in for the last 6 months was actually unwelcomed by the British and French who saw exactly what the US was doing. But, let’s not forget when WW1 ended no foreign troops were in Germany. The defeated Russia in the East and the western front was a meat grinder that although the did have the better of it on the battlefield they were never going to win a war of attrition once America basically threw their hat in the ring. There are literally history books written during the war and shortly after which don’t even acknowledge US participation. They don’t call it the Great European War for nothing, I don’t necessarily blame America for jumping in wanting some of the glory at the end considering they had been supplying the allies for the duration. But if we admit that then it’s a little tough to argue that the sinking of the Lucitania was an unprovoked attack. Actually the German government took an add out in the newspaper saying they were going to sink the ship because it was chock full of military supplies. Let’s not be bullshitters that’s all I’m saying
Mastermind? He was a disaster! Was more interested in siphoning off supplies for his endeavours in Paris hotels rather than sending them to the frontlines. Look into the Black Market that was happening.
The Black Market that he himself had investigated by the IG and which cleared him? This dude apparently pissed off every man around him, up & down the chain of command. If there was dirt on him, whether personally directing or benefitting or even ignoring, no way it wouldn't have come to light. Certainly in my personal experience of IG investigations. If you have something solid that says different, I'd love to read or watch it. Who would you recommend I turn to?
if you have an issue talking about racial issues in the past then you are covering the wrong content. If you are not a racist then you should have no issue speaking on or qoutting these topics. you cover history dude. we all know that racism is bad and we all know its a part of alot of history throughout the world
I don't think of it as an issue talking about them as it is just sometimes having to quote things that include words you yourself don't agree with, best example is the white person who thinks just because they listen to or are just quoting rap lyrics that the use of certain epithets is okay...I get why Karl has an issue with those kinds of things, and if you've been watching him on his own channels, he has always covered any topic as fairly as possible but does not hide any issues he might have with them. 🤷♂
I get the trepidation, especially in light of quotes being falsely accused of the actual beliefs of the presenter. Otherwise, yes, you are right.
I think they are more concerned about CZcams. Their algorithm and the video being demonetised .
I know you're only an interim host, but even such a lowly figure must know that UK and US used Imperial measurements at the time of WW2, and both now use a mishmash of Imperial and metric. This is schoolboy stuff.
He didn’t write the script
Just tell the story and do away with the "virtue signalling". Yes, we get how absolutely torn up you are over military segregation during WW2. I mean, the muslim influx into the UK and the rest of Europe has been absolutely fantastic, am I right?
This guys voice gives me the worst feeling… almost worst then the one i get looking at him
Him AGAIN!!???
Well now I am REALLY GOING TO UNSUBSCRIBE! I've asked you over and over to get rid of this guy and you haven't. I'm FED UP! GOODBYE!!!
DUDE RELAX, you're fucking giving ME anxiety.
Just relax and read. Don't project your weaknesses or discomforts to us. Just read. Nobody notices half the shit but you.
If you gotta read a quote, read a quote, and nobody cares about your cold, or other excuses. Just fucking read, and people will get to know and like you.