Silent Cities: Visiting the LARGEST Military Cemetery in France | History Traveler Episode 384

When you visit the Western Front in France, one thing thing that you'll see a lot of are cemeteries. A lot of them. The sheer volume of crosses and headstones in the silent cities of the Western Front help to give an indication of how destructive the First World War really was. In this episode, we're visiting a town that was completely destroyed during the war before walking the ground of the largest military cemetery in France at Notre Dame de Lorette.

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Map animations by @SandervkHistory

[TheHistoryUnderground]

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[Vikingseer]

A very sobering video and you’ve presented it beautifully and respectfully. I visited WW1 battlefields many years ago and the affect it had on me has never left me. I think all school children around the world should visit these places. Lest we forget.

[la_old_salt]

What a wretched war that was, and really for nothing. Thanks for the perspective JD. By the time WW2 started, France's population really had not fully recovered from the 1st war. I can understand their reluctance collectively to engage in another one so soon. Thanks for sharing. God bless, Rob

[David-tmsl]

The military cemeteries always tell the true story of war. Always leaves you with great pause.

[kenbrown]

Wow, very sobering. The mass graves hit me hard. 10, 000 unknown dead. Think of the families not knowing what happened to their child / sibling.
Thank you for your work on these videos, I learn a lot from them.

[danielkeating]

J.D., another superb video...wherever you want to take us viewers, just go there and know that your loyal following will more than appreciate your efforts. Thanks again.

[UKsoldier]

I live very near the biggest (UK) U S military cemetery at Madingley near Cambridge, UK. It is a truly wonderful and inspiring place. On my frequent visits it is an honour to be amongst so many heroes and heroines and it is such a sobering feeling. May god bless them all, and we sincerely thank you for your ultimate sacrifice.

[gsbeak]

Moving video for a Frenchman like me.
General Barbot was one of the 42 French generals KIA during WWI.

[GlasgowCeltic]

"Did they beat the drum slowly, did they play the fife lowly?
Did they sound the death march as they lowered you down?
Did the band play The Last Post in chorus?
Did the pipes play the Flowers of the Forest?"

[Wreckdiver]

I imagine it's pretty sobering to see the loss first hand. Thanks for the video.

[mikeivey]

I have always wondered how civilization even endured after these Great Wars & so much loss of life !? So many people died (especially) in WWI for what was truly No real reason!! Thank God, humanity found a way to carry on !! Thank you for all your hard work in bringing us this knowledge and entertainment!!!

[glennbray]

John Kiplings father rudyard was instrumental in the starting of the imperial war graves commission which is now the commweath war graves commission

[terryeustice]

JD just like a big ghost looking over the country side. A very sobering site. Thanks for sharing! ❤️💯👊👍

[jamesross]

I completely agree they are deeply interlinked and I've heard it said before that the period 1918 to 1939 was a cease fire in the "20th century Great conflict " as modern societies I don't think we can grasp what it must have been to have lived in the path of the army's of ww1 communities completely ceased to exist swallowed up by no man's land . Another brilliant video. Thanks for what you do I appreciate it mate.

[psychmike]

Wow...Just Wow.
The level of loss in WW! was astounding and that video brought that fact home. Thanks JD.

[ashleywagner]

Those thousands of unknown soldiers in the cemetery break my heart. Their poor families who never got closure. This video was beautifully done.

[TOMCATnbr]

As french, i can only appreciate what you've done with this video to help making people understand what french has been going through during WW1, and the mindset at the start of WW2.

I live in northern France (Laon, on the Chemin des dames) and even today, we can still see the scar on the land due to WW1. There is not a single town in France without a stele to remember those who fall during WW1. Almost every french family has lost someone during WW1.

So hearing that french are cowards or white flaggers is the biggest insult you can make to the memory of those men, and those who fought bravely in 1940.

Thank again for this video. It truely means a lot for us, french people.
I'm proud of my country. I'm proud of those who fight for him, and we will always remember them.

🇨🇵❤

[swlc]

I really appreciate the work you put into this video! Just by coincidence when you showed the wall for Paul Mauk, my last name which isn't all that common showed up directly below him- Maul. I had to freeze the video and take in the three names that showed up- Kurt, Max, and Michael. My Maul family came over to the United States in the 1870s from Germany. I couldn't help thinking that these men were likely of some relation to my family. It's one of those things that makes one stop and reflect.

[Glee]

its still sad to see all those crosses. even sadder and hard to believe that such a large cemetery containing 40, 000 graves, is but a small portion of the over 1 million french dead in ww1.

[Alden]

Powerful, sobering video presented per usual with grace and respect. France has really been through it and suffered greatly. Thank you, JD for another stunning video. The panels containing over 5000 names are truly staggering.