PART 2: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Svyy09RaJFk.html Hey, thanks for watching! I have an extensive list of other interesting military units, orders, or groups (excluding modern ones) that I'd like to cover in future videos. Let me know if you'd like me to go more in-depth and provide more details (extending the video duration) or keep it more bite-sized, like in this one.
A mix of both seems awesome. Personally, I love long-form videos, but I know that this rarely works for creators, due to algorithm, monetization, and similar stuff. If it needs to be shorter, maybe just split long-form videos? As in: making one video on the history of the unit, one on the social role, one on the tactics and equipment, and finally one on the miscellaneous stuff.
Can you please do some vids on these groups going against each other for example a Spartan soldier vs varangian guard ? Given what we know about their training,armour,weapons and perhaps different weather and terrain may effect the outcome ? I've been trying to find such interesting videos but to no avail 😕
Hey, I do posts on Mesoamerican (Aztec, Maya etc) history and archeology, and work with other channels on the topic: I wanted to clarify and provide some corrections on the Aztec ranks/titles mentioned here with the Eagle and Jaguar warriors: I hope I don't come off as too critical, I know it's tough to find good info on Mesoamerica, but still, I hope you and viewers find it informative! Firstly, one needs to be mindful that it's not entirely clear how much these existed as distinct ranks/titles: A lot of sources on Aztec warfare state that there were Eagle and Jaguar "orders", like specific military guilds you entered with their own distinct command structure from conventional ranks. However, there's some skepticism if this is actually the case: If they WERE distinct orders, then they would have been only 2 of 4, with the Otontin/Otomi and Cuachicqueh/Cuachic orders being even more elite and prestigious, contrary to what you say about them being the highest ranking. And indeed, there would have been warrior-priest and general/commander titles/ranks with more authority as well, most likely. And if they weren't orders, then not only would Jaguar and Eagle warriors overtly be below some of those other titles/ranks in the same hierarchy, but they may not have even been distinct ranks (also, the speed vs power thing at 9:30 isn't right, I don't think). We know that soldiers could advance through the ranks or be granted unique military titles or offices via acts of bravery, capturing enemy soldiers (both of which you say in the video, though note not all captives would have become slaves: Some were sacrificed, some ended up regaining their freedom, etc), but it's quite like that multiple warsuit designs were available to soldiers of the same rank/title, contrary to many sources looking at the Codex Mendoza's sample rank advancement pages: Those likely only show one hypothetical set of equipment per rank tier, and likely only shows one potential pathway up the ranks, since the Mendoza also shows other potential rank paths (like for Warrior priests) and the tax/tribute section shows, say, Cuextecatl patterned warsuit designs (which the advancement page shows being worn by two captive soldiers) sometimes with very elite jewelry and regalia which would have likely only been available to even higher ranking soldiers, suggesting a three, four, etc rank soldier might wear the pattern as well. On that note, the actual design of armor, equipment, etc as shown in the video is often quite off. Actual Aztec soldiers (keep in mind "Aztec" can refer to a variety of different cultural and political groups, but here, you and I both mostly mean the Mexica of Tenochtitlan) would have been mostly unarmored for junior soldiers who had not yet taken captives, with perhaps them and 1 captive soldiers likely wearing Icahuipilli gambeson vests or tunics, made from cotton (Cotton was normally only available to nobles: I don't think it's likely all commoner soldiers were barred from wearing Icahuipilli, though: Maybe they really were, or maybe military operations were an exception, or maybe they made do with lesser kinds made from maguey fiber), and then higher ranking soldiers had additional warsuits (Tlahuiztli, technically the term meant the entire warrior getup together, though) or skirted tunics (Ehuatl) made from thick cloth and then feather mosaic on the outside, worn over the Ichcahuipilli, with the feathers arranged to make different designs and colors to indicate rank and unit division (allegedly, commoners in the Jaguar order or with Jaguar warsuits made do with lesser kinds made from actual Jaguar pelt rather then cloth/feather mosaic). You actually mostly describe this correctly at 8:28 one or two things aside, but the image used, a art piece by I believe Jesus Helguera, isn't depicting the actual armor and equipment you're describing (rather, it's showing a mix of Aztec royal/ceremonial dress, but with some incorrect details like a made up tilamtli cloak design also worn the wrong way; with a Mixtec ceremonial Eagle helmet). The art of Eagle and Jaguar warriors seen at the top right at 7:58 and 9:21, the images at 8:51 and 9:07, etc are also mostly made up/inaccurate, as is the warrior with the bow at 8:50, and the famous Classical painting at 9:00 is also inaccurate... so what did Eagle, Jaguar, and other Aztec warriors actually look like? Well, the Eagle warrior at 9:21 on the bottom left actually looks pretty good! The jaguar warrior on the bottom right at the same time isn't *as* good, but it's decent too. What about weapons? Well, as you say at 8:47, Macuahuitl and Tepoztopilli were used frequently, though Macuahuitl are closer to swords then to clubs (see below), and while bows&arrows WERE used at times, the Aztec generally preferred Atlatl (as seen at 9:21 wielded by the Eagle warrior) as their ranged weapon of choice: The Atlatl was seen as a refined weapon representing civilized warfare and royal power, wheras bows were associated with "barbarian" nomads from Northern mexico or as a simple hunting tool. That's not to say they never used it in war, they did at times, as with slings, but it wasn't their go to ranged weapon. We also have a variety of clubs, maces (both more clearly blunt smashing weapons, in contrast to the Macuahuitl being sword like), axes, other polearms, etc seen in manuscripts; but they are less frequently depicted, at least for the Aztec specifically. Lastly, keep in mind Cortes and his Conquistadors did not conquer the Aztec singlehandedly: the city-states and kingdoms of Tlaxcala, Texcoco, Huextozinco, Chalco, Itzapalapan, Xochimilco, etc all provided armies: In fact, the Conquistadors were likely less then 1% of the offensive force during the Siege of Tenochtitlan! Local kings/officials like Ixtlixochtli II, Xicotencatl II, etc were also often manipulating Cortes to their own political ends, it was as much them calling the shots as him, at least at specific portions of the Conquest. The fall of Tenochtitlan in 1521 also didn't mark the total subjugation of the Aztec Empire: Many former Aztec subject states had to then be conquered by Spanish, Tlaxcalteca, and now Aztec forces working together, as well as other parts of Mesoamerica which had states and empires never under Aztec control to begin with. There's more I can say, but that clarifies on the basics of what you covered. Hope you found it interesting, and again, apologies if it comes off as rude or anything, not my intention! If you ever cover Mesoamerican stuff again, feel free to reach out and if I have time i'd be open to providing some information and accurate images.
I think of my videos as a 'gateway' for people to explore the given topics on their own so I really appreciate people like you providing more context. 👏
@@TheBasedPlato Happy to help, and yeah, I get that this is way more info you can feasibly include! I do think you should try to stick to more accurate images, though. Would you be interested in me sending an email that way if you cover Mesoamerica in future videos, you could contact me and I could proofread stuff, send you images, etc?
Great video! One cool detail to mention about the Mamluks is that they were one of the few forces out there to defeat the Mongols head to head and do so several times for that matter. They're the reason why the Mongol Empire never made it to Africa.
Wow, that's a solid first video to see of your channel. Really good, well explained and displayed, with no wasted time. A lean and mean vid. Subscribed and can't wait to watch more.
I think videos about military history are sponsored by the authors of Total War and Age of Empire, because after watching such videos I always go to play these games
Thanks for sharing this video. 😁 I would love to see more videos like this in a video playlist. So its easy to find. This "units of history" series is great. And i really hope to see more.
Fantastic video! Love the history, love the humor. Gotta say, your two Crusader Military Order videos are superbly inspiring for D&D games to use as examples to build fantasy military orders, in-game. Thanks for doing these superb videos! Cheers!
@@rtmf4337 hey guess what I am of iraqi descended, my father is iraqi and egyptian, he told me stories that was told to him by his grandfather and his grandfather told him etc so on, they were from Bagdad I know my history i might've been born in italy but I know my iraqi history, I'm a history fanatic anyways I love history so if I know what I'm talking about it then I do
@@shinkuroyume iam sorry to tell u u dont know shit hasan ibn sabah speaked persian and knew arabic too and so many of hashashin were persians who hate saljuk
Berserkers were so named as they were elite retainers of the Jarl, who wore Bear Shirts, bear skin jackets or the like, which were a mark of their status. They were not particularly prone to rage fighting any more that any other Norseman. As for armour, why wear it when you have the protection of a well tanned bear skin, which, I would imagine, was more protective as any normal leather jerkin
Interesting 🤔 What about the idea that they would take schrooms before a fight to basically become demons and fight without worry towards pain and suffering?
there are dozens of heavy cavalry shocktroops throughout history, winged hussars are only so popular because of the siege of vienna, other than that and their feathers on the back they were nothing special, especially not as special as alexanders the greats companions
@@zikkimeister215 To be fair Winged Husars were near the very pick of shock cavalry in history. For many reasons, from geography to culture, such formation was still the core of Commonwealth armies, when in western Europe shock cavalry were becaming less and less important this time. And winged husars absolutely excelled in dozens of battles, very often saving the day despite very unvavourable circumstances and against massive enemy numerical advantage, against numerous Russians, advanced Swedes, eastern Tatars, powerfull Turks. They surely were one of the most effective cavalry units in history, being so effective in so many completely different enemies using very different tactics.
@@biffmarcum5014 Your point being? I could say they were only as succesful because of napoleons tactical genius. My evidence for that would be the first battles of Napoleon he had to fight with reservists and always outnumbered
@@zikkimeister215goddammit I was going to point out Alex’s companions and mongol HA, everyone beat me to it. Y’all suck. 😛 ps - yeah, yeah Polish did good lancers whatever.
Hi, nice video. Talking about berserkers you said that nowadays the notion of berserkers not wearing armor has been abandoned. Where did you dinf this information? Cause I wrote my bachelor thesis on berserkers but honestly the main scholars that covered this topic (Dale and Samson) are a bit vague on this.
Berserkers wore bear skins exclusively, as the term "ber serk" literally translates to "bear coat." These fierce warriors were known for their intense battle frenzy and were often associated with the strength and ferocity of bears. On the other hand, those who wore wolf skins were called "ulfhednar," which translates to "wolf hoods" in English. These warriors were equally fearsome, channeling the cunning and pack mentality of wolves in battle. Understanding this distinction adds depth to the rich tapestry of Norse mythology and warrior culture. Thank you the channel
Harald Hardråde (Harald Hardrule) was a cruel man, named by the byzantiums as the bulgarburner when he was varangian guard ruling in norway, he burned down hedemark, hadeland and to be extra sure the norwegians caught on, he went down to ringerike and burned all the houses and killed everyone there aswell, this man was a fan of burning people alive, he ruled with an ironfist for 16 years, which gave him his name then the king of england died, Harald wanted that throne, so went on viking to england, murdering and burning englishmen left and right until the battle of Stamford bridge in 1066
He purposely landed in Yorkshire as he thought the Anglo-danish people of northern England would rise up and join him. Don't know how many Yorkshire folk did actually join him but he did capture York (jorvik)
2:59 On the left is a Mordhau custom loadout. Its nice that the game allows for extreme detailing so you can make other pieces of media using the game.
The idea behind immortals is a pretty good mind game, imagine fighting tooth and nail to destroy the immortal army, just to see them all come back to the field the very next day.
I'd buy the ppv to watch a Viking Berserker go head to head with an Aztec Jaguar warrior. It would either be an epic fight for the ages, or super super fast.
"Sword of Kings" from the TV show "Vikings" @10:46 I kinda wish there was more historically accurate images and some more interesting information. This is very surface level stuff. You can brush past the basic info quickly and find something less well known and more interesting.
On the other hand, their only weapons were not swords, bows and spears, but not only were there special horses for them, but they also had chariots and other special things.
The Varangian guard did NOT disappear after intermarrying with the native greeks they where disbanded after the sack of Constantinople the later Byzantine Greek succesor states actually tried to recreate the guard but they failed
Iranian tribes Sarmatians and alans asbaran (proto - knights) Warriors took down west rome and moved in to uk they were allies of germanic tribes goth and vandals
Maybe personal guard of Djinges Khan (Mongol); From the Han dynasty general CaoCao his personal guard; Predominant Samurai warriors like Mushashi Miyamoto…
Do longbow men not get a shout ... I feel they are underrated becaise of yhe bow but they was very powerful at melee too it wasnt easy to chatge lb men as a foot soldier
Good video overall. But there is one interesting detail that you missed when talking about the Viking beserkers. You mentioned that they often appeared to be in a trance like state in battle and the reason for that is because just before a fight, it was common practice for them to take psychedelic drugs. I also think you could have talked about the Gurkhas here too. Even though they still exist today, they've often had a fearsome reputation as some of the greatest warriors in the world throughout much of history. But like I said, it is a very good video 👍
Thank you, I'm glad you liked it! I haven't found evidence of them getting drugged (although I might not have researched enough), so it felt safer to omit that detail.
"Good thing is that the Ancient primitive stone,🪨 age ancient aztec,🇲🇽 jaguar,🐆 and eagle,🦅 warriors alongside the coyote,🐺 warrior priests of primitive stone,🪨 age ancient Mexico,🇲🇽 have no immunity system against Habsburg Spain's,🇪🇸 coughs and sneezes,🤧 spread diseases,☠️☣ such as smallpox, tuberculosis, scarlet fever, german,🇩🇪 measles, English,🏴 mumps, Spanish,🇪🇸 flu, cholera, diphtheria, varicella, chicken,🐔 pox, and Bubonic plague?"
The video is good and all but probably should mention that we have no actual historical claims for specific “Berserkers” other than the battle of Stamford bridge which everyone talks about with no other evidence and it is safe to say that guy didn’t have bear skins on him and most likely has a shield with an axe of sword perhaps a spear. How did he hold the enemy for a long time you ask ? Well that I do not know but if he alone could simply block the bridge there ain’t no way there was more than one man able to attack him in close range
The saga of harald fairhair mentions "wolf skins" who "carry bloody spears to battle" and hack through enemy shields. There's also Snorri Sturlsson's accounts of "Odin's men" fighting in a trance-like state that made them "as strong as bears or oxen" and impervious fire and steel, but would then be weak for days afterwards. Berserkers are mentioned many more times in the Sagas, their role becoming more villainous as time went on due to christenization.
Watch lindybeige on berserkers. I personally think it's simply a "champion" of the bear, wolf, etc. A prized fighter who distinguishes himself in the old tradition of "acquiring animal traits". They, of course, used armor. The crazy canon fodder naked dude, who doesn't know what's going on or what he feels due to some mushroom potion, that's a whole different thing. Would be a shame to clad these short living dudes in expensive furs.
What not many people know is that the praetorians predate the empire, they originated during the republic as soldiers who were handpicked to serve as bodyguards for Roman generals. Scipio Aemilianus had such bodyguards in the 2nd Century B.C. During the late republic both Octavian and Mark Anthony had praetorian guards.
Thery interesting that in the list of deadliest units we have immortals but not spartans who held them for 3 days before being betrayed, and eagle and jaguar warriors know for their bravery while defeated by a lot smaller spanish forces mostly because of everyone run away.
"Oh really, by the way, would the Spanish conquistadors,🇪🇸 matchlock arquebus loaded with gunpowder and metal lead balls,⚽ with a lighted match,🕯cord on the serpentine holder of the matchlock arquebus,🔫 defeat the primitive stone,🪨 age Otomi warriors?"
Well it is. But imagine fighting in a field killing like 500 of the strongest troop you can fight just to see them with their full number in the next day. Its scary
Immortal guard were kids of royal familys and they started they training in age8and they fought with so many weapon and they even has wrestling training (wrestling is over national sport)and for being brave they kill lions ( I don't know its historically true or not but 😊)and they were great warriors and they don't steal or rape people because they from great familys
"In which, the Aztecs,🇲🇽 have no choice, but surrender to the Spanish conquistadors,🇪🇸 and their Tlaxcalan indigenous allies to give up,👆 their indigenous native Mexican,🇲🇽 tribal faith and convert to christianity,💒😇☧🕊☦ ✌ ❤ 😊 ❤ at once, or suffer the same fate as their previous Emperor, in whom he was killed by his own people who throw stones,🪨 at him, as a terrible result?"
The roots of Varangian Guard are nordic, but with the time they became more and more russian/slavic. Its more like a russian Guard in Byzantine service
Fun fact: Mamluks were captured at a young age and would often forget their mother tounge. They trained these stolen kids because they would become more cold hearted and fearsom then turkish and arab soldiers the reason being they had no homeland no family so they had nothing to live for.
Not Vladimir, but Volodymyr or Vasyl or Valdemar. The names of the rulers from the primary sources are not translated, because it has a Russian connotation. Kyiv is Rus and there is no need to associate it with Muscovy Russia
