The Great War Youtube series discussion thread [Week 77 - The Invasion of Montenegro]

[Arto]

First off, my apologies if there already is a thread on this topic.

In the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War, many projects are running dedicated to visualize the war as it happened by months, weeks or even days. Social media is used to cover these events whether it is through Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. Now, in this ocean of vast projects based on WW1, there is a series which stands out in presentation: The Great War. This video series presents the war week by week with amazing visual presentation of the frontlines, movement and battles during the First World War.

'The Great War' shows you the history of the First World War in the four years from 1914 to 1918, exactly 100 years ago. Our host Indy takes you back week by week and shows you what was going on in the past. Learn more about the Allies and the Central Powers, archdukes, emperors, Winston Churchill, Franz Ferdinand, Wilhelm II, soldiers, battles and of the life aside the battlefield. Subscribe to our channel to watch a new video every Thursday!

This series started back in July 2014 and will continue until 11th November 2018 with the First Armistice.

The reason why I did not post this The History Videos Thread is because this is an ongoing series and I think it should have it's own thread for discussion.

Video of the Week (77) - On the Move but Going Nowhere

The videos are also in German and Polish.

All the videos in chronological order: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...6VS6w3KxuKsMvT

July/August 1914
Week 1 - How Europe Spiraled Into the Great War
Week 2 - Germany in Two-Front War and the Schlieffen Plan
Week 3 - To Arms! Deployments of Troops
Week 4 - A New War with Old Generals
Week 5 - The Rape of Belgium
September 1914
Week 6 - Plans Are Doomed to Fail
Week 7 - Taxi to the Front
Week 8 - Welcome to the Dirt
Week 9 - The Russian War Machine and the Race to the Sea
October 1914
Week 10 - Dying in the Mud
Week 11 - Back For Christmas?
Week 12 - Learning from Napoleon, Russia
Week 13 - A War to End All Wars
Week 14 - Fresh Meat
November 1914
Week 15 - The Global Conflict
Week 16 - Defend, Don't Strike!
Week 17 - The Enemy Within
Week 18 - Iron, Steel and Oil
December 1914
Week 19 - Mission Accomplished?
Week 20 - The Naval Battle at the Falkland Islands
Week 21 - The Raid On Scarborough
Week 22 - The First Battle of Champagne
January 1915
Week 23 - The Ottoman Disaster
Week 24 - In Dire Straits
Week 25 - Onwards!
Week 26 - Zeppelins Over England
Week 27 - All Or Nothing
February 1915
Week 28 - Gas!
Week 29 - Stopping Russia
Week 30 - The Singapore Mutiny
Week 31 - Prelude to Gallipoli
March 1915
Week 32 - Playing with Fire
Week 33 - The Battle of Neuve-Chapelle
Week 34 - A Slice of the Pie
Week 35 - Changing Tactics
April 1915
Week 36 - Between the Fronts
Week 37 - The Armenian Genocide
Week 38 - Hybris
Week 39 - Gas on the Western Front
Week 40 - The Sea Turns Red
May 1915
Week 41 - The Lusitania Sinking
Week 42 - Artillery Crisis on the Western Front
Week 43 - Przemysl Falls Again
Week 44 - Frontline in the Alps
June 1915
Week 45 - The Key to Success is Artillery
Week 46 - Rex Warneford Destroys a Zeppelin
Week 47 - Cavalry, Spies and Cossacks
Week 48 - The Austro-Hungarian Empire Strikes Back
July 1915
Week 49 - On the Move but Going Nowhere
Week 50 - Adapt or Die
Week 51 - The Tumbling Giant
Week 52 - Scorched Earth
Augustus 1915
Week 53 - Russian Roulette
Week 54 - Warsaw Falls
Week 55 - The Ruse of Gallipoli and the Siege of Kovno
Week 56 - Escalation at Sea
September 1915
Week 57 - Battle of Hill 60
Week 58 - The Western Front Awakens
Week 59 - The Socialists Call For Peace
Week 60 - The State of World War 1
Week 61 - The German Occupation of Lithuania
October 1915
Week 62 - The Battle of Loos
Week 63 - Serbia is Invaded Once Again
Week 64 - Learning Lessons From Loos
Week 65 - ''The Crime That Shook the World''
November 1915
Week 66 - Russia Stems the Tide
Week 67 - The Third Battle of the Isonzo
Week 68 - Serbia's Last Stand against the Central Powers
Week 69 - The Forgotten Front
December 1915
Week 70 - Pride Comes Before the Fall
Week 71 - The Serbian Exodus through Albania
Week 72 - Britain on the Run
Week 73 - Despair and Mutiny on the Italian Front
Week 74 - Beginning of the End
January 1916
Week 75 - Preparing for 1916
Week 76 - Prelude to Verdun
Week 77 - The Invasion of Montenegro
Week 78 -
February 1916
Week 79 -
Week 80 -
Week 81 -
Week 82 -
March 1916
Week 83 -
Week 84 -
Week 85 -
April 1916
Week 86 -
Week 87 -
Week 88 -
Week 89 -
May 1916
Week 90 -
Week 91 -
Week 92 -
Week 93 -
June 1916
Week 94 -
Week 95 -
Week 96 -
Week 97 -
July 1916
Week 98 -
Week 99 -
Week 100 -
Week 101 -
Week 102 -
Augustus 1916
Week 103 -
Week 104 -
Week 105 -
Week 106 -
September 1916
Week 107 -
Week 108 -
Week 109 -
Week 110 -
Week 111 -
October 1916
Week 112 -
Week 113 -
Week 114 -
Week 115 -
November 1916
Week 116 -
Week 117 -
Week 118 -
Week 119 -
December 1916
Week 120 -
Week 121 -
Week 122 -
Week 123 -
Week 124 -
January 1917
Week 125 -
Week 126 -
Week 127 -
Week 128 -
February 1917
Week 129 -
Week 130 -
Week 131 -
Week 132 -
March 1917
Week 133 -
Week 134 -
Week 135 -
April 1917
Week 136 -
Week 137 -
Week 138 -
Week 139 -
May 1917
Week 140 -
Week 141 -
Week 142 -
Week 143 -
June 1917
Week 144 -
Week 145 -
Week 146 -
Week 147 -
July 1917
Week 148 -
Week 149 -
Week 150 -
Week 151 -
Week 152 -
Augustus 1917
Week 153 -
Week 154 -
Week 155 -
Week 156 -
September 1917
Week 157 -
Week 158 -
Week 159 -
Week 150 -
Week 161 -
October 1917
Week 162 -
Week 163 -
Week 164 -
Week 165 -
November 1917
Week 166 -
Week 167 -
Week 168 -
Week 169 -
December 1917
Week 170 -
Week 171 -
Week 172 -
Week 173 -
Week 174 -
January 1918
Week 175 -
Week 176 -
Week 177 -
Week 178 -
February 1918
Week 179 -
Week 180 -
Week 181 -
Week 182 -
March 1918
Week 183 -
Week 184 -
Week 185 -
April 1918
Week 186 -
Week 187 -
Week 188 -
Week 189 -
May 1918
Week 190 -
Week 191 -
Week 192 -
Week 193 -
June 1918
Week 194 -
Week 195 -
Week 196 -
Week 197 -
July 1918
Week 198 -
Week 199 -
Week 200 -
Week 201 -
Week 202 -
Augustus 1918
Week 203 -
Week 204 -
Week 205 -
Week 206 -
September 1918
Week 207 -
Week 208 -
Week 209 -
Week 210 -
Week 211 -
October 1918
Week 212 -
Week 213 -
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Week 215 -
November 1918
Week 216 -
Week 217 -
Week 218 -
Week 219 -
December 1918
Week 220 -
Week 221 -
Week 222 -
Week 223 -
Week 224 -

Out of the Trenches subseries

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Episode 1 - Are Those Insane Austrian Railways Still in Use?
Episode 2 - The Role of Cavalry and Airplanes in World War 1
Episode 3 - Why Wasn't Switzerland Invaded in World War 1?
Episode 4 - How Did the Gas Shells Work in WW1?
Episode 5 - How Did the Army Bury the Dead in the Trenches?
Episode 6 - What Was the Bloodiest Battle of World War 1?
Episode 7 - How did journalism work in World War 1?
Episode 8 - What About Canada?
Episode 9 - Latin America during WW1
Episode 10 - The Religious Leaders during WW1
Episode 11 - How did Propaganda Change After the First Months of World War 1?
Episode 12 -
Episode 13 -
Episode 14 -
Episode 15 -

Portait subseries

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Episode 1 - Kaiser Wilhelm II
Episode 2 - Ferdinand Foch
Episode 3 - Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck
Episode 4 - Maximillian von Spee
Episode 5 - Adolf Hitler
Episode 6 - Nicholas II
Episode 7 - Conrad von Hötzendorf
Episode 8 - Mustafa Kemal
Episode 9 - Winston Churchill
Episode 10 - Erich Maria Remarque
Episode 11 - Fritz Haber
Episode 12 - Louis Barthas
Episode 13 -
Episode 14 -
Episode 15 -
Episode 16 -
Episode 17 -
Episode 18 -
Episode 19 -
Episode 20 -

As a sidenote: The war lasted for 224 weeks (261 incl. the Treaty of Versailles), in case you were wondering for the amount of episodes.

P.S. There are also Portraits, Out of the Trenches and Q&A videos on the channel.

[Roma_Victrix]

That was rather superb and very entertaining. Thanks for sharing! I loved all the footage of artillery fire.

[hellheaven1987]

YES, a GREAT war for FREE Serbia!!!

[Arto]

That was rather superb and very entertaining. Thanks for sharing! I loved all the footage of artillery fire.

Thanks, all the footage is from the British Pathé.

YES, a GREAT war for FREE Serbia!!!

Huh?

[hellheaven1987]

Huh?

Just point out soldiers of Entente fought for FREE Serbia, officially.

[Arto]

Just point out soldiers of Entente fought for FREE Serbia, officially.

However, in the end they lost their independence. And I'm talking about 1918.

[hellheaven1987]

However, in the end they lost their independence. And I'm talking about 1918.

Right, they got a FREE Serbia under the cover called Yugoslavia; no wonder it pissed Croats so much that they wanted to help Germans wipe up Serbs.

[Arto]

Right, they got a FREE Serbia under the cover called Yugoslavia; no wonder it pissed Croats so much that they wanted to help Germans wipe up Serbs.

Yup, they had major influence in the post-war Yugoslavia and that cultivated with the murder of their second king. As if that wasn't enough...

[Lord Oda Nobunaga]

I saw that episode 18. It was pretty good I really enjoyed it.
Although I'm watching about the Serbia thing and just thinking how badly Conrad von Hoetzendorf ed up. I'm just face palming at his incompetence. Serbia just required to be guarded from any attempts into Bosnia and to keep the populace from rebelling. Conrad should have sent everything possible to Galicia to face the Russian offensive. In fact all the troops sent to Galicia were originally sent to Bosnia only to quickly be sent to Galicia last minute when the Russians were attacking.
Of course Russian incompetence in East Prussia and their lack of initial plans for Galicia was also mind boggling.

Then this video starts talking about Basra and I'm just smiling thinking about all the evil things that will happen to the British on their drive into Mesopotamia. All you need is one German and a city with a menacing name like Kut (yeah them Brits got cut real good) and you know some shifty supply lines.

[GarretJax]

Just watched the first few episodes, good series. Thanks for sharing!

[Arto]

Then this video starts talking about Basra and I'm just smiling thinking about all the evil things that will happen to the British on their drive into Mesopotamia. All you need is one German and a city with a menacing name like Kut (yeah them Brits got cut real good) and you know some shifty supply lines.

Indeed, the BEF was going to find itself in a kut situatie for some time.

Episode 19 is up. After looking at the map @ 4:18, it made me think why the Austrians didn't invade through Voivodina, they would however have to cross the Danube and I'm sure the Serbians knew it too.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

From 6:20 to 6:40 was just pure gold.

[hellheaven1987]

Although I'm watching about the Serbia thing and just thinking how badly Conrad von Hoetzendorf ed up. I'm just face palming at his incompetence. Serbia just required to be guarded from any attempts into Bosnia and to keep the populace from rebelling. Conrad should have sent everything possible to Galicia to face the Russian offensive. In fact all the troops sent to Galicia were originally sent to Bosnia only to quickly be sent to Galicia last minute when the Russians were attacking.

I remember he thought Serbia was an easy target and expected Russia mobilization would be at least a month before complete, hence he wanted to deal Serbia quick then fought Russia in full strength.

Unfortunately Russia attacked first.

Of course Russian incompetence in East Prussia and their lack of initial plans for Galicia was also mind boggling.

Well, Russia's offensive plan only planned around 1910 I remember; the years after Russo-Japanese War Russia's war plan on West was completely defensive, only when France kept blackmailing did Russia tried something more bold.

[Lord Oda Nobunaga]

But there was pretty much no plan for Galicia by the Russian general staff.
Besides the German general staff wanted Conrad to send his troops to Galicia and he agreed but sent them to Serbia anyway.

[hellheaven1987]

But there was pretty much no plan for Galicia by the Russian general staff.

Nope, Russia actually planned to send four armies into Galicia; it just that Austrians striked first so the four Russian armies could simply hit them hard.

Besides the German general staff wanted Conrad to send his troops to Galicia and he agreed but sent them to Serbia anyway.

While German just put one army on East.

Anyone who had brain would recognize that German just want to use Austrian as meatshield in East.

[Lord Oda Nobunaga]

Nope, Russia actually planned to send four armies into Galicia; it just that Austrians striked first so the four Russian armies could simply hit them hard.



While German just put one army on East.

Anyone who had brain would recognize that German just want to use Austrian as meatshield in East.

While Russia may have wanted to send 4 armies into Galicia they had not developed any actual plan for operations in Galicia itself. According to Alexei Brusilov this was the case and the plans for operations in Galicia were only drawn up on the eve of war. They didn't even coordinate these campaigns effectively either or plan the campaign in Galicia all that well. I can basically source this to two secondary sources; one being "The German High Command at War" and my other is "The Eastern Front 1914 to 1917".

But as for the Serbia and Galicia thing I don't see why the Austrians could not see that the Russians were a more imminent threat than the Serbians could ever be. If Galicia fell then the German army in East Prussia couldn't block any Russian offensive. Early on Prittwitz and von Francois did a lot of stupid things anyway so it was close. If the Russians had coordinated their activities, made better plans and not rushed into East Prussia without adequate preparations they very nearly could have had much more success. Conrad should have seen this rather than leaving Galicia an easier target than it should have been.

[hellheaven1987]

While Russia may have wanted to send 4 armies into Galicia they had not developed any actual plan for operations in Galicia itself. According to Alexei Brusilov this was the case and the plans for operations in Galicia were only drawn up on the eve of war. They didn't even coordinate these campaigns effectively either or plan the campaign in Galicia all that well. I can basically source this to two secondary sources; one being "The German High Command at War" and my other is "The Eastern Front 1914 to 1917".

Yes and no; Russian High Command, after blackmailing by France for years, decided to go offense in 1910. In 1912, two plans were finished drafted: A and B. A was the plan of attack into East Prussia, while B was the plan of attack into Galicia. Russia ultimately decided it would commit A first (means it received priority in mobilization), while B later.

But as for the Serbia and Galicia thing I don't see why the Austrians could not see that the Russians were a more imminent threat than the Serbians could ever be. If Galicia fell then the German army in East Prussia couldn't block any Russian offensive. Early on Prittwitz and von Francois did a lot of stupid things anyway so it was close. If the Russians had coordinated their activities, made better plans and not rushed into East Prussia without adequate preparations they very nearly could have had much more success. Conrad should have seen this rather than leaving Galicia an easier target than it should have been.

Russia was a target that could not defeat quickly, hence it was understandable Austria wanted to finish the easy one first. I did a quick check on my source and found out my early statement about Austrian deployment was wrong; there were actually three task groups - one in Galicia with 30 divisions, one in Serbia with 10 divisions, and a third one of 12 divisions in Balkan to act as firebrigades for either front.

[Arto]

New episode is up, the battle of Falkland Islands:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The coastline on the upper left is Port Stanley.

[Arto]

New episode, this time about the raid on Scarborough which gave the British people the feeling that this war was going to a total war. Here's a map of the raid and the concentration of British naval forces in the Dogger Bank:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[LaMuerte]

Very enjoyable. Thanks for the share.

Indeed, the BEF was going to find itself in a kut situatie for some time.

Subtle...

[Arto]

New week, new episode. This week, the Ottoman advance cultivates at the Battle of Sarikamis, which ends in a disaster for the XXth Army.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: