Home › Main Category › Clubhouse
The World Wars on the History Channel
Three part series. Well I watched part one last night. I almost changed the channel because it opened with Obammy giving his take on WWI, come on he is about the least qualified to make any comments on The Great War, I muted him, but continued watching.
So very good commentaries by others and some good scenes, with some weapons blunders like Germans in one scene shooting SMLEs (the cocked bolt showed the two "Rods" on the plunger) and Hitler shootin then inserting a magazine in a rifle and then back to a Mauser with an internal magazine.
LTC Patton's Tanks looked a little more advanced than those used in WWI. Good stuff about him and MacArthur influencing the war and the influence it had on them.
It said Woodrow Wilson's reason for us entering the war was an intercepted telegraph cable from a German official named Zimmerman to Mexico encouraging them to take back Texas/New Mexico/Arizona which would divert our attention elsewhere, at home and in theory keep us outta Europe. I read where the British actually intercepted the cable, but didn't release it to us for some time because it would tip off the Huns they could break their codes.
Hitler getting gassed did happen, but him cutting his mustache back to that famous/infamous style of his with a bayonet in the trench because he couldn't get a good seal with it was probably embellished as were many of his wartime exploits, especially after he came to power in Germany.
The gut wrenching scene was when Hitler was unarmed, stunned, possibly wounded and climbing outta a crater after an attack and a British private had him in the sights of his .303 fairly close , but for some reason didn't shoot the little bastard and let him walk off. They actually named the soldier. This is a major "What If" if there was ever one.
The tricky Germans also arranged the release/train trip of Lenin with a lot of currency to start the Russian Red Revolution and overthrow the Czarist government, which he did after hooking up with Stalin who had escaped from Exile again. The Russians were allies, but after the Revolution ceased their involvement in the war. Hitler paid them back years later for their cooperation didn't he?
Another good point/scene was at Versailles the reparations demanded by our allies and imposed on Germany were unrealistic and probably had a lot to do with them starting WWII than anything else other than the way territories were divided up.
The Japanese who were an ally were pretty much ignored and had no say in the procedures.............another "What If'"...
So, I'm not Historian and not an expert on WWI, but this was what I took away from the first of three episodes. Not all that bad of a show, all in all. Besides the opening remarks (F), I give it a C+ or B-.
So very good commentaries by others and some good scenes, with some weapons blunders like Germans in one scene shooting SMLEs (the cocked bolt showed the two "Rods" on the plunger) and Hitler shootin then inserting a magazine in a rifle and then back to a Mauser with an internal magazine.
LTC Patton's Tanks looked a little more advanced than those used in WWI. Good stuff about him and MacArthur influencing the war and the influence it had on them.
It said Woodrow Wilson's reason for us entering the war was an intercepted telegraph cable from a German official named Zimmerman to Mexico encouraging them to take back Texas/New Mexico/Arizona which would divert our attention elsewhere, at home and in theory keep us outta Europe. I read where the British actually intercepted the cable, but didn't release it to us for some time because it would tip off the Huns they could break their codes.
Hitler getting gassed did happen, but him cutting his mustache back to that famous/infamous style of his with a bayonet in the trench because he couldn't get a good seal with it was probably embellished as were many of his wartime exploits, especially after he came to power in Germany.
The gut wrenching scene was when Hitler was unarmed, stunned, possibly wounded and climbing outta a crater after an attack and a British private had him in the sights of his .303 fairly close , but for some reason didn't shoot the little bastard and let him walk off. They actually named the soldier. This is a major "What If" if there was ever one.
The tricky Germans also arranged the release/train trip of Lenin with a lot of currency to start the Russian Red Revolution and overthrow the Czarist government, which he did after hooking up with Stalin who had escaped from Exile again. The Russians were allies, but after the Revolution ceased their involvement in the war. Hitler paid them back years later for their cooperation didn't he?
Another good point/scene was at Versailles the reparations demanded by our allies and imposed on Germany were unrealistic and probably had a lot to do with them starting WWII than anything else other than the way territories were divided up.
The Japanese who were an ally were pretty much ignored and had no say in the procedures.............another "What If'"...
So, I'm not Historian and not an expert on WWI, but this was what I took away from the first of three episodes. Not all that bad of a show, all in all. Besides the opening remarks (F), I give it a C+ or B-.
It's only true if it's on this forum where opinions are facts and facts are opinions
Words of wisdom from Big Chief: Flush twice, it's a long way to the Mess Hall
I'd rather have my sister work in a whorehouse than own another Taurus!
Words of wisdom from Big Chief: Flush twice, it's a long way to the Mess Hall
I'd rather have my sister work in a whorehouse than own another Taurus!
0
Replies
http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_8234000/8234106.stm
"In 1915, as First Lord of the Admiralty, Churchill was a prime mover behind the Gallipoli campaign, a disastrous attempt to land troops on the shores of the Dardanelles strait prior to capturing Istanbul and forcing route through the Black Sea to Russia. In nine months of fighting the Allies sustained 140,000 casualties and the ensuing defeat damaged Churchill's political career."
He was forced out and enlisted in the British Army to rise through the ranks and make a name for himself.
Words of wisdom from Big Chief: Flush twice, it's a long way to the Mess Hall
I'd rather have my sister work in a whorehouse than own another Taurus!
IIRC, Patton's tanks were French Renaults, which were the first tank to follow what has become the standard pattern of a single gun on a revolving turret. They look like what WE think of as a tank, albeit really small and cartoony.
Hitler's mustache and other exploits. . .the question not so much that this story may have been embellished - it's more a question of what WASN'T embellished. Hitler and Stalin both had some consummate spin doctors working for them, who not just told a good yarn, but occasionally may have paid off or shot anyone who would contradict it. When Enemy at the Gates came out, I did a good amount of digging into the Vassili Zaitsev story, and it's darn near impossible to separate what really happened i Stalingrad from fabrications that support the Soviet political agenda. And it certainly wasn't only the Nazis and Reds: consider all the deceptions the U.S. and Brits threw out to make D-Day a reality. You can bet a lot of those lies were so successful that they are part of the accepted narrative to this day. Hitler - like any politician - did what he needed to look like a stud to his countrymen.
The Germans sending Lenin to Russia. . .probably one of the most cost-effective moves employed by anyone during the any war. Probably would have worked for them too, had the resulting troop diversions to the Western Front not been countered at least in part by America's entry into the war.
Versailes - yep, a real blunder and certainly excessive. Unlike WWII, the Germans were not blasted down to almost the last man - they merely ran out of resources first. There was plenty of blame to go around as to who started the whole mess, and it would have ultimately been better had everyone simply looked at it and said "Let's not do this again." But what ya gonna do? France and Britain were both bled white and needed to appear to salvage something out of the affair.
"Nothing is safe from stupid." - Zee
Check out some of these monstrosities!
https://www.google.com/search?q=french+wwi+tanks&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=OKOEU7yjLOPmsAS2vIDQCA&sqi=2&ved=0CC8Q7Ak&biw=911&bih=400
Heck AL, you expect them to pay attention to details! I do remember the movie the Sand Pebbles with Steve McQueen and the BAR he was using...cool beans. But set in 1920s China, not the First WW.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sand_Pebbles_(film)
Oh well, another episode tonight. Should be interesting.
Words of wisdom from Big Chief: Flush twice, it's a long way to the Mess Hall
I'd rather have my sister work in a whorehouse than own another Taurus!
With a 1911 and a 30-06
I call it the Hitler Channel!
Words of wisdom from Big Chief: Flush twice, it's a long way to the Mess Hall
I'd rather have my sister work in a whorehouse than own another Taurus!
Words of wisdom from Big Chief: Flush twice, it's a long way to the Mess Hall
I'd rather have my sister work in a whorehouse than own another Taurus!
Words of wisdom from Big Chief: Flush twice, it's a long way to the Mess Hall
I'd rather have my sister work in a whorehouse than own another Taurus!
Truly! What's next? MTV going back to playing music videos?
"Nothing is safe from stupid." - Zee
Well, I'm determined to finish watching it tonight. Although their weapons boo boos are a real annoyance to me. Some of the narrators comments left quite a bit out, but all in all they at least made an effort to condense a whole lot of history into 6 hours (less with ads) of TV.
I almost get the impression this is for folks who never have seen/read much on the World Wars, sorta a Cliff's Notes version.
Words of wisdom from Big Chief: Flush twice, it's a long way to the Mess Hall
I'd rather have my sister work in a whorehouse than own another Taurus!
With a 1911 and a 30-06
Chief, do you also get the Military Channel, Recently renamed the American Heroes Channel? They play that one over and over at least once a month it seems. There is a great Documentary on Manfred von Richthofen, the Red Barron that they play every so often that is very interesting. I watch this channel more often than the History Channel because it concentrates on the world wars, Korea, Vietnam, and the Middle East. It's really a great channel if you can get it.
Anyway, WWI, at least to me, was a complicated series of events leading up to a horrible waste of humanity. World War II Was also a waste of humanity and resources, but at least it had a purpose on our end, of stopping some fanatics from taking over the world.
Son that's somebody with nothing to do with his time but keep me in trouble with mom.
On The World Wars, it showed Japanese troops invading China with MP 34s.
With a 1911 and a 30-06
I wasn't bad mouthing the History Channel, but was only asking if Chief knew about the Military Channel (American Heroes Channel). Many people I've talked to don't know it exists because their cable or rather their service provider doesn't offer it on their base line programming.
I wasn't in the military but I've sure learned a lot watching it. And I've confirmed most of it in reading other sources. They show stuff that interests me more so overall than the History Channel having to do with military history.
When it was called the military channel it was pretty well more about the military. It has changed a little, but it's still mostly about military history, especially in the evening. As for the Japanese carrying German weapons, that's not so strange to me. They were allies just like with us and the British. The British were known to carry American arms sometimes just like on D-Day American troops carried some British arms.
I've seen and heard discrepancies on the History Channel as well. None of them are perfect. But overall I enjoy this type of programming than most other Television.
Son that's somebody with nothing to do with his time but keep me in trouble with mom.
Words of wisdom from Big Chief: Flush twice, it's a long way to the Mess Hall
I'd rather have my sister work in a whorehouse than own another Taurus!
The invasion of China happened in 1937, long before Japan and Germany were allies. It just isn't correct. Russians with SMLEs, Japanese with MPs, Germans with helmets that are clearly inappropriate for the time. The Japanese v China invasion was obviously from an earlier German attack, except they just made it happen in poor light hoping no one would notice.
If you turn the picture off and listen to the narration, it's not bad history.
With a 1911 and a 30-06
If you want a good watch on the WWII naval campaign, then the "Victory at Sea" series is available on Amazon.com for around $10 for the complete series. Well worth the price. Has both Atlantic and Pacific Campaign covered. They also have a lot of selections on WWI and WWII air and ground campaigns. The videos are of the actual action, not recreated.
If there is one takeaway on the start of WWI it is that mutual protection alliances can get countries in deep doo doo fast. Look at the ones the U.S. is party to; NATO and SEATO, and the ever present UN stuff. Our alliances hamstring us to protect many things not in our national interest.
With a 1911 and a 30-06
You're probably right about the time it came out. Watched it in the 50's; it came on Saturday afternoons where I lived. Covered a lot of the land battles in the island hopping in the Pacific as well as the battles in Europe with the landing of troops from ships.
With a 1911 and a 30-06
I may be mistakened on what you're talking about. What I watch mostly on American Heroes channel and what I'm referring to is mostly actual footage, not recreations.
What you're referring to must have been a clip from a movie. Anything to do with Hollywood or the movie business all bets are off.
Son that's somebody with nothing to do with his time but keep me in trouble with mom.
They do some military stuff, but I don't see the connection with an American Hero and Nefertiti. Let alone Atlantis Uncovered. The change from the Military Channel has apparently not been an easy transition.
But the World Wars, which was on the History Channel, had mostly modern film stuff and actors with some original footage. And they saved money by doing the modern stuff poorly.
With a 1911 and a 30-06
Well I guess they could have called it the All Yamamato Channel as well. How many times can you run Pearl Harbor or Midway? Or the Battle of Leyte Gulf for that matter. I guess that's why they have "OTHER" Programming. These wars were a finite entity and there are a finite number of events that they can make a program out of. So if you watch it like I do that's something you have to expect, a lot of repetition. Those wars are over now so there's not much new material. But I don't mind. It's sort of like listening to an Oldies channel on the radio. After awhile the same old songs get a little boring. So then I just change the channel and watch Golf or weather or whatever is there that interests me for a while. Then when I get my second wind and come back for more of the same, :jester::jester::jester:
Son that's somebody with nothing to do with his time but keep me in trouble with mom.
I'd rather watch Ancient Aliens than have to see Pawn Stars airing over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over... at least there's comedy with that big hair dude.