Know Your Ally: Britain
Added 2025-03-26 14:29:42 +0000 UTChttps://youtu.be/2SOvr9fLHUM?si=uNUD-6UKnAuBrZM7
Comments
Reacting to a video on the extend of rationing would be interesting. The depth of rationing was almost unimaginable, but also the fact rationing lasted until the mid 1950's.
Zr0w3n
2025-04-05 19:14:02 +0000 UTCPlease do Blackadder at some point.
RDV
2025-04-05 17:41:20 +0000 UTCWhen you visit the UK there will be many WW2 related places to visit but given Jess's comments I recommend the Imperial War Museum
Nick Beer
2025-03-29 17:54:12 +0000 UTCSince it's not a term we use or ever have used, as far as I know, it's impossible to be sure, but I doubt it comes from "John Doe", Yan, since that refers to an unidentifiable dead person 😁. See my full comment further down. "John Britain", I think, is more likely an American adaptation of the famous British archetypal character John Bull comparable to Uncle Sam.
OrdinaryDave
2025-03-28 13:45:35 +0000 UTCHi both, John Britain comes from the term used for an unknown or unnamed body, 'John or Jane Doe' in the USA, whereas the UK we use 'James or Jenny' x
Yan Beck
2025-03-28 09:16:36 +0000 UTCAye…. was only saying saying 27 million Russians died fighting in the war lads chill lol
Paul
2025-03-28 08:39:28 +0000 UTCCouldn’t agree more slashdisco 💙🏴
Bcam007
2025-03-28 01:28:25 +0000 UTCIf I remember my film studies correctly, oddly enough the German film industry rivalled Hollywood's in the 1920s and 30s. However, the US made sure to squash it entirely after WW2 in the name of de-Nazification and democracy.
OrdinaryDave
2025-03-27 23:31:20 +0000 UTCGreat reaction from both of you; Mike was understandably a touch too apologetic at the very start over the way it presented the UK - it was a US propaganda film, sure, but it was never meant to be propaganda against the UK! None of us Brits will ever criticise how it portrays our nation - for the most part, it nails us, even today! While it's technically propaganda, you must remember that the War Department's audience for this was newly drafted/conscripted 18-year-old boys from the Midwest or Deep South and myriad other places in the US where they'd never even been out of their own state, let alone imagined what life was like abroad. When you consider that (even today) a slim majority of Americans don't own a passport, you can begin to see why a film such as this was absolutely necessary for fresh US Armed Forces recruits in the 1940s. Many of the recruits watching this film will have lacked a formal education, and will only have been exposed to other countries through music, movies, novels and plays -- and, of course, the UK will have made up the majority of those foreign sources, simply because we share a common language and the UK has always had a major influence on global artistic culture. For that reason, the UK was probably the foreign country that ordinary Americans knew most about, but only through that cultural lens. This is why the film makes the joke that Americans know just enough about Britain to confuse them. It's precisely *because* we've always shared a common culture and language that the minor differences between us become more noticeable. That's the whole basis for your channel, and that of any other US reactors to UK content! However, you both soon got into the inspiring story of Britain's lone stand against the most powerful war machine ever known. The "Britain was alone" section of this film still gives me absolute chills, and it obviously affected you too. I've seen many US reactors watch this film, but once again I'm stunned by your empathy and sophisticated understanding of the material. Thanks so much for finally doing this one!
slashdisco
2025-03-27 22:34:33 +0000 UTCAs I mentioned in a previous reply, I had to cut off from one femaie Russian friend in particular who turned out to know almost nothing about Britain's role in WW2 and to have swallowed all the lies and distortions by Putin et al regarding not only Ukrainian Nazis but more pertinently the Russian Govt's re-writing of WW2 history. She became very angry when I informed her that 70% of the tanks that turned back the Nazis at Moscow were British Matildas (insisting it was fewer than 20%) - donated by Britain, as were most if not all armaments by the British up to mid 1942, and carried by its vast merchant navy, which was still the world's largest as late as 1957. After 1942, US supplies became more important, although this time they mainly came from the East, but once again transported by the British Empire,while, of course, the US demanded payment for every item under Lend Lease. Is it any wonder the US was the only nation to come out of the War richer than it went in?
OrdinaryDave
2025-03-27 22:14:44 +0000 UTCThis is why Australia is struggling at Union right now. We've got the Lions tour there but many fans questionning why. Leaguer and Aussie rules are much more popular now, and their union side is suffering. I've got family out there (Victoria) and they have become Aussie rules fans.
Andy
2025-03-27 22:08:50 +0000 UTCWhen I was living in Sydney in 1982/83, people were pretty disparaging about Aussies rules. New South Wales is obviously very much rugby league country and Aussie rules was seen as a Victorian sport. Then it was announced that one of the clubs, South Melbourne, was to become the Sydney Swans and relocate to the city. People weren’t happy, and I remember having to do a vox pop about it for my newspaper, The Sydney Daily Telegraph. That was quite a challenge because I knew nothing about the sport and most of the people were hostile to the idea and me asking them about it (with a London accent)!
Thomas
2025-03-27 20:51:10 +0000 UTCTo be fair to them, when we the Britishers went begging for help saying we're still in this fight. America was sitting pretty. You have to remember that the USA sold aviation fuel to both Britain and Germany, even for the 'Battle of Britain'. Britain wouldn't have been bombed without that fuel. The embargo the US applied didn't include fuel and petroleum products providing cash - ie no credit was used. Also the land lease deal held Britain accountable, it was essentially handing over the baton of the empire to the US. All I'm saying is, it wasn't to help Britain the US did anything, it was to become richer and more powerful. And that's exactly what Trump is doing now targeting countries with lots of natural resources. Ukraine, Canada and Greenland have lots and Trump et al, want them. So it's really no different.
Andy
2025-03-27 19:13:09 +0000 UTCSounds great. Yeah I'm not a massive Aussie rules fan, but it's so popular in that Victoria area and spreading. I kind of like the rivalry that's so close and it's a chaotic game. I'd to see it live once, and where better than The 'G?
Andy
2025-03-27 19:05:45 +0000 UTCWhat I found quite interesting about this video is it did acknowledge Britain was sending resources to Russia. Stalin often said if Britain and the US didn't, they can't continue the war. Let's not forget they helped start it too. Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact allowed both Nazi Germany and the USSR to invade Poland from both the west and east. They also held the allies to providing land if Hitler was defeated. They did the same with Japan, they were threatening not to get involved unless some of Japan's acquired empire was handed to the USSR. Then the Yanks dropped the first nuke and Stalin realised they weren't needed, so went full force to try and hold on to something. These tensions ultimately lead to the cold war.
Andy
2025-03-27 19:00:09 +0000 UTCThere is a short documentary film that needs to be added to the list- the one piece of Britain that was gifted to the U.S.A after the assassination of JFK- a lot of people even in the UK don’t know about it and it’s a very interesting story 👍
Ianoo23
2025-03-27 18:46:34 +0000 UTCIf I was reincarnated and someone asked me who I was in a past life; I was the man falling asleep at the cricket in this film 🤓🤣
Ianoo23
2025-03-27 18:42:39 +0000 UTCBlessed be the peace-makers .....not so much the globalist banking cartels and their proxies that manufacture them.
emu cat
2025-03-27 18:40:17 +0000 UTCThat was good, I know a lot of that generation around at that time were extremely grateful when the Americans joined the war… it’s absolutely tragic that world tensions are so high again today… I always feel a nod to Russia is due when I see a WW2 bit since I learned they lost 27 million people… absolutely insane numbers and they played a major part with Britain and the US (as well as everyone else) in stopping the Nazis. Anyway another brill reaction! x😁👍
Paul
2025-03-27 15:54:22 +0000 UTCI’ve been to all the Aussie Test venues apart from Hobart. Also attended a Rugby League Grand Final at the SCG, but that was work-related. Not into RL or Aussie Rules.
Thomas
2025-03-27 15:35:08 +0000 UTCHaha dunno what was funnier John Britain or the King works as hard as everyone else 😂😂😂 I’ll buy my wee girl her own palace as soon as I’ve finished paying for theirs… (someone once said…. 👀) lol off with his head! lol
Paul
2025-03-27 15:17:05 +0000 UTCIt was indeed, Tizard also came up with the Tizzy Angle used in plotting interceptions in the Battle of Britain
Kieran B
2025-03-27 12:54:40 +0000 UTCIt was indeed, Tizard also came up with the Tizzy Angle used in plotting interceptions in the Battle of Britain coincidentally
Kieran B
2025-03-27 12:54:05 +0000 UTCI wouldn't mind one day visiting "the 'G" stadium in Melbourne, but probably for Aussie rules over cricket. Only been to 1 cricket match, was nice and sunny, good piss up.
Andy
2025-03-27 09:48:02 +0000 UTCSomewhat ironically maybe, it was the British who were 'Germanic' in their organisation, while the Germans were amateurish in their approach to the air war.
OrdinaryDave
2025-03-27 09:09:17 +0000 UTCIt was called the Tizard mission, I think, where Britain shipped over its leading technology free of charge, much to the astonishment of American industrialists, including nuclear, a jet fighter and the cavity magnetron. The latter, the basis of modern microwave ovens, was particularly incredible at the time, allowing the Americans to put radar not only in their ships but even on aeroplanes. Admiral Nimitz claimed it alone cut two years off the Pacific War, so saving 100,000s of American lives.
OrdinaryDave
2025-03-27 09:03:52 +0000 UTCIt’s interesting how Americans, through the Second Amendment, have the right to bear arms to safeguard them from a tyrannical federal government, yet Europeans who, in living memory for some lived under Nazis, fascists and Soviet occupation, don’t feel the need to 🤔.
Thomas
2025-03-27 08:12:30 +0000 UTCI’ve twice travelled to Australia just to watch five-day cricket Test matches, and loved every second. The entire match can turn in any given minute. The atmosphere and fan rivalry at England v Australia matches is fantastic.
Thomas
2025-03-27 08:00:48 +0000 UTC100% - it also really ramps up the drama as if ‘Battle of Britain Day’ was the only part of the Battle of Britain rather than the day that saw the most raids. Although the pilots were undoubtedly brave heroes, we were not the underdogs in the Battle of Britain. The Dowding System is one of my favourite subjects, absolute genius.
Kieran B
2025-03-27 06:32:50 +0000 UTCNuclear technology largely came from Britain with the Tube Alloys project, and then they refused to share the further research at the end of the war so Britain had to start from scratch
Kieran B
2025-03-27 06:31:08 +0000 UTCAbsolutely, that applied to a lot of the Founding Fathers, who cited the Rights of Englishmen Yeah the Olive Branch Petition, it’s an echo back to the Peasant’s Revolt - trying to circumvent Parliament in the belief that they’re ’evil advisors’
Kieran B
2025-03-27 06:24:24 +0000 UTCTo be fair, falling asleep during the cricket is all part of the experience. During a 5-day test match (the only form of cricket that existed back then) there can be periods of play where not much happens. So take a book to read or have a snooze, and look up every so often to see what’s going on. It’s a similar experience watching on tv. You don’t watch the whole thing, you just tune in every so often to get an update.
Julian T
2025-03-27 04:38:38 +0000 UTCIt’s crazy how on one hand it seems like a long time ago now, but on the other hand, given the immediate generations involved, it seems ridiculously recent.
Julian T
2025-03-27 04:29:28 +0000 UTCThe scary thing as well is that as hard as this video shows what life was like in Britain, compared to the US. It is absolutely NOTHING compared to life in occupied countries like Poland, Czecoslovakia etc, to resistance movements across Europe, and to the Chinese and Soviet armies and civilians and what they went through. The world really was horrific and we should all consider ourselves lucky and privileged to have not gone throught that, yet to reap the rewards from those who did.
The Kernewek Penguin
2025-03-27 02:27:42 +0000 UTCIf you were a Britisher you wouldn’t expect your girl to use lipstick……. There isn’t any, except what we bring over as bait…. 🤔
Ominous
2025-03-27 01:52:48 +0000 UTCIt's a shame that the current US administration has chosen to display scorn and dislike towards their allies, and are desperately trying to appease Russia in its invasion of Ukraine.
zenting
2025-03-27 01:14:56 +0000 UTC🕊️🕊️
TheHigh
2025-03-26 23:03:05 +0000 UTCMy dad and his two brothers fought in Italy with the British Army. Italy still celebrates liberation day on April 25 every year. My wife is Italian and used to tease my dad that he would be a hero in her homeland. It made him blush. God bless him.
Thomas
2025-03-26 22:13:15 +0000 UTC25:23 The "officer" falling asleep watching cricket, looks like Bob Hope. So yeah not real
Danny
2025-03-26 22:04:44 +0000 UTCSimilarly with Benjamin Franklin, whose wooing of the French was critical in the war of independence. He saw himself as a British patriot until he was roundly rejected by the British political class on visiting Westminster. His own son remained a British loyalist until the end of the war. Apparently, before things broke out into open rebellion, the American colonists upset by taxation tried petitioning King George, because they remained convincced he was on their side against Parliament.
OrdinaryDave
2025-03-26 21:50:06 +0000 UTCThat is on the education list. It can't be reacted to in full on YouTube. It's fine here, but needs splitting on Youtube, it gets blocked in full
Danny
2025-03-26 21:35:05 +0000 UTCIt wasn't exactly hard work though. I've worked with a few men in their 70s. They worked because they had to. In a job that guys in their 20s struggled to do. Proper back breaking work with no thanks and no castles or palaces to go back to. Those guys would do anything to have something as "tough" as the queens schedule
CONALL MCLAUGHLIN
2025-03-26 21:30:50 +0000 UTCVery, because majority of people in the US have no idea whats going on
Jay Lo
2025-03-26 21:28:25 +0000 UTC🤣 It does seem a particularly apt video to react to right now!
OrdinaryDave
2025-03-26 21:04:11 +0000 UTCIn answer to your question, Mike, as to who "John Britain" is, I think it's probably an American adaptation of the famous British archetypal character John Bull comparable to Uncle Sam. If you search him on Google, you'll see a portly 18th Century character wearing a Union Jack waistcoat. I quote: "John Bull is a national symbol of British patriotism, strength, and courage. He represents traditional English values such as loyalty, fairness, hard work, and fair play, and is known for his opposition to corruption and abuse of power."
OrdinaryDave
2025-03-26 20:58:34 +0000 UTCSeems we may need to make a new 1 to remind the US what side their supposed to be on
Jay Lo
2025-03-26 20:53:40 +0000 UTCIt's tricky though, isn't it. I've ended up feeling I had no option but to cut off from a couple of femaie Russian friends who believe Ukrainians deserve everything coming their way, because they're Nazis and we'd be speaking German if it weren't for them; we seem to get the latter from all sides! I couldn't even persuade one of them that 70% of the tanks that turned back the Nazis at Moscow were Matildas - a sorely underrated tank - donated by Britain, because it would appear that the records of Britain's contribution to saving Russia have been falsified in recent times.
OrdinaryDave
2025-03-26 20:41:05 +0000 UTCMy grandfather was German (working as a journalist and had fled Germany), my grandmother was Jewish from Palestine. They got married during the war. Work that one out. My other grandfather, who was British, was stationed in Italy during the war. My parents are making a trip this year to visit the areas where he was stationed.
Julian T
2025-03-26 20:38:31 +0000 UTCWe're British, we always back the little guy no matter what. In Europe that is. Further afield it's different. Britain's main interest in Europe is to maintain peace, and not let one bigger power grow even bigger, because then it's a potential threat to us.
White Dwarf
2025-03-26 20:38:04 +0000 UTCAlso worth pointing out that USA wouldn't have become a superpower without WW2, or at least, no where near as quickly. It put USA in the driving seat, it built their industrial power, it gave them technology that was either directly shipped from Britain and gifted to USA (radar, magnetron, jet engine, etc) or was purloined from Germany (rockets, nuclear technology etc). USA didn't have its own soil bombed, whereas Europe, thanks entirely to Hitler, tore itself apart, leaving the USA in pole position for the next 80 years. And now that repugnant oaf declares isolationism, rips up alliances, and submits to Putin. The only time any country has used NATO's clause 5, was when USA called the NATO membners to war following 9/11. And so we went to war for 20 years alongside USA. And now they rip it up. It is sickening. The oldest alliance in the world is between Portugal and Great Britain / England. Formed in 1386. Honestly, the USA sickens me. Five minute memory and almost complete ignorance of the world around them.
Alan
2025-03-26 20:36:01 +0000 UTC@Alan: Me and the vast majority of British too. A recent survey showed we are the most pro-Ukraine of any Western nation, with 80% agreeing we need to continue supporting Ukraine until a just peace is reached, with a mere 10% disagreeing with that statement. Is that because we're taught at school from a young age that our PM Chamberlain with his "Peace In Our Time" speech tried appeasement in 1938, when standing up to Hitler at Munich might well have saved us all from terrible hardship further down the line? The parallels are scarily obvious.
OrdinaryDave
2025-03-26 20:29:43 +0000 UTCSecond that - it gives the viewer an insight into Churchill btw.
Alan
2025-03-26 20:19:49 +0000 UTCIt's really a interesting topic, because although there's a lot about the ideals and actions & corruption of the Soviet leadership that are rightfully hated, their official propaganda line was that communism meant all people were equal etc. So for soviet citizens who bought into that, fighting the Nazis would have been seen as absolutely the right thing to do. So there was some good that came out of it.
Rach
2025-03-26 20:12:20 +0000 UTCI don’t see us being turned into enemies at all. The people of Britain and the people of the US are happy with each other. It’s your political BS that confuses the situation.
Rob G
2025-03-26 20:02:28 +0000 UTCMy first job at 18 was 2005, so I must have paid some towards it.... You're welcome ;) lol
James
2025-03-26 19:47:32 +0000 UTCThis stuff is so complicated, the Russians were actually our allies in WW2. As much as we fought for our freedoms the communists lost 26 million lives in the war to protect their homeland.
Rob G
2025-03-26 19:46:08 +0000 UTCDid someone recommend this? they smashed it! such a great find!
James
2025-03-26 19:45:46 +0000 UTCI'm very proud we are standing up to Putin, and that we don't break our treaties. The oldest alliance in the world is between Britain and Portugal, formed in 1386. F_ck Trump.
Alan
2025-03-26 19:39:19 +0000 UTCYes, Royals work hard. Especially the late Queen Elizabeth. You could not have kept up with her schedule, and on top of that, it went on for seventy straight years.
Alan
2025-03-26 19:34:17 +0000 UTCFYI Britain only just paid back USA the debt from ww2 in like 2006
zStarr
2025-03-26 19:28:10 +0000 UTCAnd so when we hear comments such as ‘we saved you in ww2’ we do get infuriated. Im not saying all Americans are like that, but far too many, and it becomes a disservice to our men and women who fought and died, built, stayed strong in tough times. Appreciate you guys watching this.
Dolly Parton
2025-03-26 19:17:42 +0000 UTCMy grandad was only a year old when the Germans bombed his house in East London, lost most of his family in the collapse and was pulled out of the rubble later that night.
Dolly Parton
2025-03-26 18:39:37 +0000 UTCNo point getting wound up by Friends, considering it is the lowest and laziest level of US comedy. The only reason why that show was successful was down to the actors, who elevated the poor humour with some great comedic performances. It definitely appealed to the kind of audience that would applaud lazy stereotypes.
Jay
2025-03-26 18:27:16 +0000 UTCand in a couple of months, your president has made you into our enemy!
Sibbo
2025-03-26 18:25:12 +0000 UTCInteresting. But that would explain it. 👍🏽
Martyn Dawson
2025-03-26 18:09:21 +0000 UTCI read just the other day that nobody recorded the original speech, unbelievably, so he actually repeated it after the war just to commit it to posterity! Of course, they wouldn't have had access to it in 1944 when making this film, so would have had to use a voice actor.
OrdinaryDave
2025-03-26 18:03:33 +0000 UTCThe longest thing you guys have watched from that era was "Jeremy Clarkson's the Greatest Raid of All" which was 1hr & 15mins long (give or take), not that much longer than this one. There is another YouTube channel by a gentleman called Mark Felton who has done hundreds of interesting videos about WWI and WWII, and maybe Vietnam too I believe. Worth a watch.
Kippa
2025-03-26 17:52:30 +0000 UTCWhen my grandparents got married, my granny's family refused to attend, because my granddad's father was a German nazi, and my granny's uncles had fought in the Norwegian resistance against nazi occupation, so yeah my Norwegian granny marrying a German caused some consternation for her family. Very interesting to learn about how all consuming the war was, effecting everyone and everything.
Yoshua Simoleit
2025-03-26 17:32:50 +0000 UTCNot sure why they used a voice actor for Churchill's voice. But that's definitely not his original speech.
Martyn Dawson
2025-03-26 17:25:06 +0000 UTC@Kippa: fortunately, Mike and Jess are not the least bit like that, it would seem, and, if anything, are a little embarrassed by the parts where the makes of the film refer to the British joining the "our team"! Unfortunately, it seems to be a pointless task trying to persuade Americans - in YouTube comments at least, which I have now entirely given up on - that Britain and the Empire/ Commonwealth made a huge contribution in terms of industrial output, technology and human sacrifice (the latter beyond anything many modern Americans could wrap their heads around, I'd warrant). I guess it's hard for people who have grown up with the idea that the world revolves around them to start seeing a different viewpoint. One has to have sympathy with Galileo!
OrdinaryDave
2025-03-26 17:19:37 +0000 UTCIs that the Battle of Britain one? If so, I liked it, except that it repeats the myth - established by book The Narrow Margin and reinforced by the 1969 film The Battle of Britain - that, if it hadn't been for a mistake by Hitler in turning Luftwaffe attention to bombing London in The Blitz, the RAF would have collapsed and Britain have been invaded. Research by scholars since has debunked all of that, including the fact that the British arms industry was churning out twice as many fighter aircraft than Germany by 1940, was finding it significantly easier than the Luftwaffe to replace its pilots (while losing far fewer of course, since many could bale out and return to duty almost straight away), while even had the RAF been forced to withdraw from the fight its command was well aware that it could be withdrawn to Scotland, where German fighters could not reach, and await any intended invasion. In addition, Operation Sealion was woefully unprepared for an invasion, consisting mainly of hastily converted Rhine barges that would need to be towed across, only to face a dominant Royal Navy Home Fleet sitting just out of harms' way until it was time for the slaughter.
OrdinaryDave
2025-03-26 17:08:39 +0000 UTCTrump’s press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who is only 27, repeated that same line only last week, but directed it at the French. The French fought incredibly bravely in WW2, and D-Day would not have happened but for the men and women of La Résistance.
Thomas
2025-03-26 17:02:44 +0000 UTCThank you for sharing with your comment, and also highlighting important historical facts. You wouldn't believe the amount of arguments and somewhat constructive discussions I have had in the last 2 years with Americans and some Canadians. They don't seem to comprehend (or simply believe) that Britain played a gigantic role during WWII even before America joined in the war. I understand being patriotic and "I will stand up for my country!", but being abhorrently ignorant and dismissive to the facts is just dishonest, disingenuous, and disrespectful to all of the soldiers who perished, and to the ones who made it home. I haven't even watched the reaction yet but I felt like I had to comment lol.
Kippa
2025-03-26 16:58:36 +0000 UTCThere's a scene in Friends where Ross is about to marry an English girl and her drunken father complains that Ross' dad isn't contributing enough to the wedding. Ross' dad retorts that the British would all be speaking German if it weren't for Americans. So far, so crap, but what really got under my skin was when the entire American studio audience cheered and laughed with delight! I have a number of long-time, dear American friends and generally love Americans, but that nationalistic exceptionalism and ignorance of history is not only deeply offensive, considering all that my own parents and our ancestors suffered, but very dangerous too. It leads directly to the current politics that threatens our freedoms, our wealth - in fact everything our ancestors sacrificed so much for to defend.
OrdinaryDave
2025-03-26 16:49:15 +0000 UTCA movie reaction to 'The Darkest Hour' would be a very enjoyable watch, one of the greatest movies ever made IMO and I have no doubt others would agree you would absolutely love it
Bobby Beaumont
2025-03-26 16:35:46 +0000 UTCBritain only finished repaying the WW2 Lend-Lease bill to the USA (with interest) in 2006.
Thomas
2025-03-26 16:31:53 +0000 UTCI watched this recently . The Grandmother’s house part will make you laugh 🤣
Erica
2025-03-26 16:27:17 +0000 UTCGreat reaction. Some comments and answers from your questions and observations: - The radio broadcast was an actor recreating a famous speech from Winston Churchill, not the original recording. - The role of the monarchy is multifaceted. A very brief list of some of their key responsibilities: They promote British interests globally and help with negotiating trade deals etc. They head up many charities and foundations, adding gravitas, credibility and publicity to many causes nationally and globally. They provide a sense of national focus and pride. A figurehead if you will. They provide stability in times of uncertainty. The Queen regularly brought the nation together through something as simple as a short radio message etc. The monarch helps keep parliament in check. Whilst not directly involved, they do maintain some powers and can overthrow governments, as the Queen did in Australia in 1975. The monarch is the head of the armed forces and the police, not the government. Hence “Royal Navy” and “Royal Air Force”. This means that the government theoretically cannot deploy the military against its own people or misuse the police. As they swear an oath to the monarch and not the government. They also do wonders for tourism and many other bits n bobs. - I’m glad you picked up on the comments regarding “joining our team”. Whilst there was perhaps a purpose to such language in a propaganda video, there’s often a portrayal by Americans that they won the war and saved the world. This video does well at highlighting that whilst the contribution of the Americans was undoubtedly huge, they weren’t the sole purpose for victory. Britain fought alongside its Empire for years and even lost its Empire following the war. British people died and the sacrifice of those who survived is unmeasurable. Rationing lasted in the UK for many years after the war had ended. So when Americans portray themselves as the sole heroes, the leader, the main act, it’s wildly insulting to those who contributed so much to the allies. Even today we see the White House spokesperson comment that “if it wasn’t for America then Europe would all be speaking German”. The fact is that if it wasn’t for Britain the whole world would probably be speaking by German.
James Hyde
2025-03-26 16:11:25 +0000 UTCWhen my uncle died in the 1990s, my dad and I went to clear out his home and I found a letter dad had written to his brother during the war. Dad was home from the frontline duty, but Uncle Jimmy and dad’s other brother, Archie, were fighting in Italy. Dad’s letter was full of small talk for the first few paragraphs, and then he wrote, “well, Jim, I’ve got some sad news, mother has passed away”. I was astonished, and asked my dad why he had written it that way. Dad just said he was trying to break the news gently to Jimmy! Now, i know they loved their mum. She had brought the three boys up on her own after their dad was killed in action age 27 in WW1. How must she have felt, knowing her three boys were fighting in another world war? Thankfully, all three came home.
Thomas
2025-03-26 16:08:23 +0000 UTCLook up the battles of Imphal and Kohima (in India), the first and largest defeat of the Japanese Army in the war And definitely look at the Arctic convoys where we delivered supplies to the Soviet Union (including US supplies to them) Ill try and find some videos for the playlist
Kieran B
2025-03-26 16:03:04 +0000 UTCPeople in that time were incredibly stoic. I was born in 1957 in London, and there were still bombed sites all around. But that war generation were wonderful people who just didn’t dwell on the past. We had three German students stay in our home in 1970, and my dad, who probably fought against their relatives, went above and beyond to make sure they had a great time.
Thomas
2025-03-26 15:54:06 +0000 UTCThe 13 hours that saved Britain is a good documentary you will enjoy.
Mark Topham
2025-03-26 15:50:56 +0000 UTCA lot of Americans often don’t realise how much support the Patriot cause had in Parliament amongst the Whigs (if they had been the party in Goverment things might have been different) - there was one politician Charles Fox who turned up to Parliament in Continental blue and buff for the duration of the war. Or how much the Patriot cause had ties to British philosophy and ideas, particularly the Country Party, and in many ways it was a continuation of the British Civil Wars. George Washington was very popular in Britain at the time, and the greatest advocate for independence, Thomas Paine, didn’t leave Britain until 1774. It wasn’t like the whole country was in favour of the war or against the nascent US, it was a divisive conflict on both sides of the Atlantic Even in 1776 (and earlier) King George III couldn’t pass taxes or laws himself, that view of George as an early medieval absolute monarch is also a product of propaganda that tried to make him seem like Charles I
Kieran B
2025-03-26 15:46:55 +0000 UTCBritain and America have been firm allies for decades...But now Trump and that maggot Vance are doing their best to drive a wedge between us!
Simon Cross
2025-03-26 15:44:56 +0000 UTCWW2 killed off the British Empire - approx 37 minutes
Kiwi Tau
2025-03-26 15:40:04 +0000 UTCBased on what you said about football crowds Mike you might want to look up the Hillsborough Disaster, there’s some good documentaries on it but it’s a heartbreaking watch
Kieran B
2025-03-26 15:27:00 +0000 UTCThat's a great shout
Dryfesands
2025-03-26 15:25:59 +0000 UTCAgreed. It's a superb time capsule
Dryfesands
2025-03-26 15:24:45 +0000 UTCSuperb movie
Dryfesands
2025-03-26 15:24:36 +0000 UTCAlthough it’s ‘propaganda’ this is pretty spot on in terms of the principles and themes
Kieran B
2025-03-26 15:23:42 +0000 UTCThe North Africa footage gave me chills as my dad was in the thick of it there. He joined the army before the war and spent most of his 20s either preparing for battle or in it. I’ve got his campaign medals from North Africa, Italy and France. By comparison, my life has been spent on easy street.
Thomas
2025-03-26 15:20:49 +0000 UTCThe size comparison at the start is quite interesting, the UK is about 10k square miles larger than Idaho though, a closer state would be Michigan. It's about 96k and the UK is about 93/4k. But the population of the UK today is about 68 million and it's about 10 million in Michigan... There isn't far off that number in greater London alone.
Andy
2025-03-26 15:06:00 +0000 UTCThis is the one I added to the YouTube playlist. King Boomer was supposed to be reacting to it but still hasn't. Its a much better film I think.
Martyn Dawson
2025-03-26 15:05:06 +0000 UTCNo politics, no religion.
Darren Steele
2025-03-26 15:01:16 +0000 UTCTrump administration 2025 edition, Know Your Ally: Russia.
Thomas
2025-03-26 15:00:20 +0000 UTCTry 'The Thirteen Hours That Saved Britain' next. Another interesting hour long documentary about early WW2.
Nix001
2025-03-26 14:54:35 +0000 UTCIf your interested in this kinda thing I would watch Peter Jacksons they shall not grown old
Fraser Horne
2025-03-26 14:53:30 +0000 UTCThis is a very interesting historical document. Looking forward to the reaction! There is an even better film for US Servicemen coming to the UK which is here along with some amusing "Do's and Don'ts" as well as some sobering commentary on the difference in racial politics between the US and the UK at the time. Would love to see your thoughts on this one too! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyYSBBE1DFw
Dryfesands
2025-03-26 14:41:37 +0000 UTC
