In which John Green teaches you about World War II, aka The Great Patriotic War, aka The Big One. So how did this war happen? And what does it mean? We’ve all learned the facts about World War II many times over, thanks to repeated classroom coverage, the History channel, and your grandfather (or maybe great-grandfather) showing you that Nazi bayonet he used to keep in his sock drawer and telling you a bunch of age-inappropriate stories about his harrowing war experiences. So, why did the Axis powers think forceful expansion was a good idea? (they were hungry). So why did this thing shake out in favor of the Allies? Hint: it has to do with the fact that it was a world war. Germany and Japan made some pretty serious strategic errors, such as invading Russia and attacking the United States, and those errors meant that pretty much the whole world was against them. So, find out how this worldwide alliance came together to stop the Axis expansion. All this, plus Canada finally gets the respectful treatment it deserves. Oh, and a warning: there are a few graphic images in this episode. Sensitive viewers may want to use caution, especially around the 9:15 mark.
Chapters:
Introduction: WWII 00:00
When did WWII start? 0:36
The European Theater of World War II 1:52
1941 Was Kind of a Bad Year 3:47
The Battle of Stalingrad 5:29
An Open Letter to Canada 6:41
The End of World War II 7:45
The Hunger Plan 8:16
The Casualties of WWII 10:48
Credits 12:21
Interested in learning more about WWII? Check out these other videos from Crash Course:
World War II Part 1: Crash Course US History 35 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Objoad6rG6U
World War II Part 2 – The Homefront: Crash Course US History 36 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HofnGQwPgqs
World War II, A War for Resources: Crash Course World History 220 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-2q-QMUIgY
World War II: Crash Course European History 38 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hs_JMydrxZM
World War II Civilians and Soldiers: Crash Course European History 39 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlx6ur_D51s
Post-World War II Recovery: Crash Course European History 42 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlp068CmQaE
World War II: Black American History 31 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7wrwPnQVg4
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27 Comments
AND who worked with HITLER TO TAKE OVER THE OTHER COUNTRIES???????????
! Uh, Mr green japan tried to take over china that is why japan and china started fighting!
""world war 2 was hilarious" said no-one ever"
Kurt Vonnegut?
Mel Brooks?
All four of my grandparents lived under Stalin. My paternal grandfather was eighteen when Stalin died on March 5th, 1953. He remembers how Malenkov was the pallbearer at Stalin's funeral. He also remembers Molotov's speech, the one where he said; ''Our Great Comrade Stalin has left us. Our dear friend, our wise teacher, our affectionate father has left this world.'' Stalin was a god to my grandparents. It was only in 1956, when Khrushchev made his secret speeches that began De-Stalinization that they learned that Stalin was just a man. However, they still believed Lenin was a god until Perestroika in 1987.
3:38
A MONTY PYTHON REFERENCE AND A RAMMSTEIN REFERENCE IN THE SPAN OF 2 SECONDS
AMAZING
My biggest pet peeve is when people say Canada beat america during the war of 1812. THEY WERE STILL A COLONY. THOSE WERE BRITISH SOLDIERS UNDER THE RULE OF THE BRITISH KING IT AINT LIKE THEY DID IT OF THEIR OWN ACCORD.
So I used to be in the camp that the war began with Japan's invasion of China, but I have since changed that view.
Without a German invasion in Sept 1939, the Chinese War likely remains a regional war.
"The moment that [National Socialist] Germany revolted against the conception that production should be restricted in the interests of a few High Financiers, she created in the minds of all well-informed democrats the fear that Central Europe would break away together from the system of international finance." – William Joyce, "Twilight Over England", 1940
What the Nazis did is no different from what Israel is doing
Common John, “and others”? You had a perfect excuse to mention Jehovah’s Witnesses. They were arrested and killed in the camps because of their conscientious objection.
Small correction: the Indian statistic is closer to 3 million, mostly comprised of people in the still British-ruled Bengal region (modern-day Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal) who died because of the "scorched earth" policy that prevented crops from being grown so that invading Japanese forces wouldn't have food to eat, notwithstanding the effect this would have on the local population. Churchill's infamous statement about Indians "breeding like rabbits" still hurts our sentiments and is one of many reasons why our relationship with the British will forever remain strained. More of this information is contained in a Wikipedia page titled "Bengal genocide question".
Proud I was able to guess who attacks Russia in winter. Thanks thought bubble.
yes
I don't know why slaughter would be controversial. If anything it's a pretty tame description for what happened.
gives a slightly different perspective to the song "Blitzkrieg Bop", dunnit?
I know I'm late to the party but Justin Bieber? Really?
Also as an Israeli I can testify that Jewish people have unbelievable resiliency so them not dying quickly is not a complete surprise
5:05 Kinda proud for them if war wasn't horrible and pointless
5:23 YEEEESS
america getting involved in the war is more of an end date than a beginning date
I actually started crying watching this segment / episode.
mostly soviet, not mostly russia
America is better
Canada is starting to suck now tho huh
My Grandfather Linus on my Dad's side served in world war II, he was a pilot and his plane was shot down
amigos
Justin Bieber is not the best and most amazing Canadian…. Johnny Orlando is. So get jealous of Canada because of him next time.