Top 11 Misconceptions of World War 2 #Eurocentric Edition

The Top 11 Misconceptions about World War 2 - Eurocentric Edition covers "Blitzkrieg", Mechanization, Battle of Britain, Sealion, US, Me 262, Strategic Bombing, Aces, Barbarossa, Axis and Military Intelligence.

Military History Visualized provides a series of short narrative and visual presentations like documentaries based on academic literature or sometimes primary sources. Videos are intended as introduction to military history, but also contain a lot of details for history buffs. Since the aim is to keep the episodes short and comprehensive some details are often cut.

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Frieser, Karl-Heinz: The war in the West, 1939-1940: an unplanned Blitzkrieg. In: Cambridge History of the Second World War, Volume I: p. 287-314
Ferris, John; Mawdsley, Evan: The war in the West, 1939-1940. The Battle of Britain? In: Cambridge History of the Second World War, Volume I
Ferris, John: Intelligence In: Cambridge History of the Second World War, Volume I: p. 637-663

Gerwarth, Robert: The Axis. Germany, Japan and Italy on the road to war, In: Cambridge History of the Second World War, Volume II: p. 21-42

Germany and the Second World War. Volume IV - The Attack on the Soviet Union

Germany and the Second World War. Volume VI - The Global War

Rahn, Werner: Der Seekrieg im Atlantik und Nordmeer, Kapitel I: Der Atlantik in der deutschen und alliierten Strategie, in: Das Deutsche Reich und der Zweite Weltkrieg – Band 6 – Der Globale Krieg. S. 275-298

Horst Boog, Jürgen Förster, Joachim Hoffmann, Ernst Klink, Rolf-Dieter Müller, Gerd R. Ueberschär: Deutsche Reich und der Zweite Weltkrieg. Band 4. Der Angriff auf die Sowjetunion

Germany and the Second World War. Volume VII - The Strategic Air War in Europe and the War in the West and East Asia, 1943-1944

Das Deutsche Reich und der Zweite Weltkrieg – Band 7: Das Deutsche Reich in der Defensive. Strategischer Luftkrieg in Europa, Krieg im Westen und in Ostasien 1943-1944/1945

Boog, Horst: Die strategische Bomberoffensive der Alliierten gegen Deutschland und die Reichsluftverteidigung in der Schlußphase des Krieges; in: Müller, Rolf-Dieter (Hrsg.): Der Zusammenbruch des Deutschen Reiches 1945 – X/1– die Militärische Niederwerfung der Wehrmacht. S. 801

Schabel, Ralf: Die Illusion der Wunderwaffen. Die Rolle der Düsenflugzeuge und Flugabwehrraketen in der Rüstungspolitik des Dritten Reiches

Overy, Richard: Battle of Britain: Myth & Reality

Penrose, Jane: The D-Day Companion.

Lavery, Brian: We shall fight on the Beaches. Defying Napoleon & Hitler: 1805 and 1940

Günther Rall Interview:

„Lend Lease Act“

Roosevelt’s Fireside Chat / Rattle Snake Speech

» CREDITS & SPECIAL THX «
Song: Ethan Meixsell - Demilitarized Zone

[JLPicard]

Germany in 1940: Okay, so we need to prepare for a decades-long war for France
Germany in 1941: Russia will collapse in a matter of weeks, right?

[lancelot]

For those who may have misunderstood the title, "Eurocentric" means the "European Theater of Operation". The Pacific War was a completely different story and is very well covered in Military History Visualized (MHV).
MHV's and TIK presentations are up-to-date and outstandingly documented and/or referenced. Besides, Mr. Kast (Bernhard) is Austrian (German-speaking native), he can decipher and understand a lot of the original German sources of information. He also works in academia where he has access to a lot of original documentation.
Thank you Mr. Kast for such interesting and informative video productions. I spent my life in the military (28 years), attended the War College (Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island, USA) and had to study "lessons learned from WW II" extensively but I have seldom enjoyed lectures that possessed the quality, the illustrations and that stirred up such interest as your video presentations. I wish you could teach military history in NATO higher education facilities (Military schools, colleges, war colleges...).
Again, thank you, Ciao, L Kapitän zur See USN (Ret), Maine, USA.

[Bobful]

Very interesting video.  I was reading "D-Day Through German Eyes" awhile back.  There was a comment from a German Officer that had been captured that I found very telling.  He was being held at the beach and was watching trucks, jeeps, and other motorized vehicles powering off the landing ships.  He kept wondering where are the horses?  When he realized there were none, he realized the war was over.  It does not get enough attention that horses were still used a lot in the German as well as most of the European armies of the period.

[marrvynswillames]

0:10 Blitzkrieg
0:49 Mecanized German Army
2:05 Battle of Britain
2:45 Operation Sealion
4:01 The US was neutral towards the war in europe
5:01 The Me 262 was too late
5:58 Strategic Bombing was useless
7:05 German Aces were better
8:14 Barbarossa failed due it being delayed
9:50 The axis was an alliance
10:16 Military intelligence won the war

[mrgunn]

The value of rotating fighter pilots back to teaching positions cannot be underestimated.

[dylanmilne]

"Shermans were completely inadequate and tigers were the best tanks ever" comes to mind.

[daru_klas]

As an English speaking historian, thank you very much for producing these videos! It's great information and I appreciate you working outside your native language to bring it to us!

[heykyaaal]

WW2 history lesson from a German accent is surprisingly refreshing..

[obi]

"since that was pretty cold, lets get some hot air, onto politics" LOL!

[kslatter]

FDR wanted to help out the british, the average american just wanted to be out of the depression.

[lamorte]

"With all those horses the Germans were either very heavily under-motorized or a bunch of bronies."

Ha! Okay you get my like and a sub.

[paaatreeeck]

jet fuel can't melt steel divisions

[crazygood]

I like your explanations, they show history is made based on many factors, not just one.

[petersadow]

Great analysis. I am 82. I grew up seeing mostly US films which gave a very distorted view of everything. My dad served as a combat engineering officer with the 3rd army in Europe. He also had a view that was very limited to his own experiences, but I trusted his view as an expert.

[carlosanguineti]

As usually, you were clear and concise, showing the sources you accessed for your presentation, and getting to the point with a brief explanation. As usually, you did a great job.

[Droowtube]

Wow. I have read countless books, watched hundreds of documentaries and seen videos about WW2. I haven't seen new information or perspectives in a long time. This channel is the first to provide to me new facts, information and perspective in years!!! Great videos, great channel!

[leehodge]

4:00 A large german army helmet, a marine anchor, and a pacifier, that is the most apt icon i've ever seen. really good job (No amphibius experience).

[ZeFluffyKnight]

"Fly to live, do or die..." Normally I wouldn't think otherwise, but putting them together like that makes me think you went for an Aces High - Iron Maiden reference.

[Audioventura]

I would actually like to see an episode on why the French military collapse so rapidly, the role of Charles Degaule's book and the difference in equipment between the German and the French army.

[inkedseahear]

"Germany and Japan had a lot of shortages, except when it came to enemies; they were plenty of those around"
WW2 in a nutshell everyone, 2(3 and its allies) fanatic nations declaring war against the world and thinking they'll win.