@@ImrightImright-y2vStill has its moments, especially with it being a partial sequel to United Offensive. And even then, Treyarch learned its lessons so to make the arguably far more memorable World at War and the original Black Ops duology.
Strangest story I heard about is from Steven Ambrose's book D-Day. Koreans captured by the Japanese and forced to fight the Russians, then captured by the Russians and forced to fight the Germans, then captured by the Germans and forced to fight the Allies at D-Day, When captured, it took a while to find someone who spoke their language. I think that there was only 2 of them
I've heard a story about a Korean who was part of an Osttrupen unit captured near Utah Beach by either paratroopers or the 4th Infantry Division. He may have been enslaved by the Japanese, captured by the Soviets at Khalkhin Gol, transferred to the Eastern Front, captured by the Germans, then sent to Normandy.
Some of the footage Johnny used in his video are from the film 'My Way', which is based on the experience of Yang Kyoungjong. He was the korean soldier that served in 3 different armies.
@@imscaredandconfused Agree. Furthermore the story also claimed Yang supposedly migrated to the USA and passed away in 1991. That photo was certainly interesting yet at the same time, the lack of known mention from other German and Western allied sources regarding Yang at Normandy suggested the person in the photo was not who he was later said to be.
Another interesting story would be of the US 442nd infantry regiment which consisted of Japanese-Americans. They became the most decorated regiment in the US army in WW2 for their actions in Europe despite the discrimination Japanese-Americans faced at the time. Incredibly brave men
The Nisei Division would perform with distinction during WW2 and were well liked by the soldiers who found them on the frontlines alongside them. Unfortunately this was in stark contrast to the 65th Infantry regiment, which was comprised mostly of Puerto Ricans with white American officers, which found themselves replacing the 442nd on a stretch of frontline in the French Alps in late 1944. The neighboring units who had the 442nd protecting their flanks had nothing but good things to say about them and were sad to see them leave but after they were replaced with the 65th they complained constantly about their performance. Among issues like them not building proper foxholes and building large campfires which gave away their positions to the enemy it is said at least 9 times neighboring units responded to gunshots and calls for help where the 65th were and found with self inflicted gunshot wounds to their hands so they could be taken off the line. Also if its to be believed its thought they fragged their own officers to get out of their more dangerous duties like patrols and prisoner raids although nobody was ever found formally guilty. It really goes to show how it wasn't racism which colored the views white American soldiers had of their fellow soldiers who were of different ethnic backgrounds even if that background was that of an enemy nation. It was all down to how well they fought, how professional they were and how much you could rely on them.
Just an FYI...the Japanese-American 442nd regiment is still the most decorated US military unit, currently and historically. The Japanese are just excellent warriors in general, but in WW2 we had more steel & oil than them. Much more, every destroyer they sunk we built 10 more. They couldn't replace their ships. Had they been blessed with more natural resources like us I think the outcome of the war would be very different. Same with Germany. Maybe not to an exaggerated extent like that of The Man In the High castle book but a stalemate.
It's always good to see videos like this. The best WW 2 reenactments I've been to have people portraying the Ostlegionen, Spanish Blue Division, etc. to give people an idea about how complex the war was.
An ancient proverb: "The enemy of my enemy is my friend". The example of Wehrmacht Indians opposing British colonialism would certainly illustrate this.
This is a great video but also a lot unpack mentally. A lot of those guys were put in extremely tough spots and had to make snap life altering decisions on the fly. I heard the saying once that you'll never know what you're going to do in a situation until it's happening to you.
@@ryanh4775 That really is stuck between a rock and a hard place also heard another group of people that fought for Nazis or were collaborators people of half or quarter Jew descent saw it in a documentary series at 1 time.
@@kellychuang8373 oh yeah they were collaborators on all sides when I was visiting family that lived in the city that the Germans occupied throughout the war one of them told me they were just a little girl but they watched someone get dragged out of their house in meeting and untimely fate. Those once clearly went manufactured their own problems in that department so reap what you sow ya know
@@ryanh4775 Really was hard times and also really look up those parts on half or quarter Jews that went to the Nazi Army real interesting and the term for that is Mischling anyway Google and RU-vid all about that as well.
Very interesting. I knew that Asian soldiers served in the Wehrmacht and Waffen SS, but I didn’t know the exact numbers. I’m surprised at how many Indians served.
Indian independence leader Subhas Chandra Bose initiated the legion's formation, as part of his efforts to win India's independence by waging war against Britain. "Bose sought and obtained agreement from the German High Command for the rather remarkable terms under which the Legion would serve in German military. German soldiers would train the Indians in all branches of infantry and motorized units in using weapons under the strictest military discipline, in the same way a German formation was trained; the Indian legionnaires were not to be mixed with any German structures; they were not to be sent to any front other than in India for fighting against the British, but would be allowed to fight in self-defence at any other place. In all other respects, the legionnaires would enjoy the same facilities and amenities regarding pay, clothing, food, leave, etc., as German soldiers."
The Hindutva's RSS was based on the SA brown shirts and they still go around India beeting up minorities, women, or anyone suspected of hurting a cattle
there was a Korean soldier that was captured by the Japanese forced to fight for the Japanese then he was captured by the soviets and forced to fight for them, then the Germans captured him and then he fought at Normandy
Many Asians were standard Wehrmacht and SS as seen in many original German war photos. The central Asians had different collar patches and sleeves badges.
There's a story I read many years ago, where a British unit in France I think, captured a couple of guys they were completely unable to communicate with. If I remember correctly they got some sort of professor of languages who discovered that they were actually Tibetan. Basically they'd been kidnapped by the Soviet Union possibly after they strayed over the border. They then been drafted into the Soviet army, captured by the Germans and drafted by them. I think they were eventually returned to Tibet.
I'm surprised that a lot of people didn't get the Yang Kyoungjong reference when Johnny used My Way footage (which is really loosely adapted). While in my opinion there could be such a case based on Ambrose D-Day book which recounted that story from veterans of D-Day. Unfortunately there is no solid evidence Yang Kyoungjong exist. Apparently a South Korean TV researched this and the story started out when excerpts from Ambrose book was uploaded to South Korean forum in 2004. Then somehow the infamous picture of Eastern man captured in D-Day got attached and someone said the name Yang Kyoungjong and the myth was started. Still, an interesting note from WW2. Talk about Asians in Axis forces, about a decade ago there was a huge news of Eastern man, possibly Indonesian or Indonesian descent in a Landstorm Nederland uniform. Supposedly the picture was published by Mark Bando, historian that interview Wilson Boback, a veteran of 101st Airborne that particpate in Market Garden. He stated that he was engaged by member of Landstorm Nederland and one of them was an Asian looking, when he inspect his body, he found the photo. Unfortunately little known about the man. But it created a frenzy in Indonesia, some local media even claimed the man is "Javanese" but cited little evidence.
In the 1966 "TheTripple Cross" film, Eddie Chapman is also a British soldier in the German Abwehr. True story in which Christopher Plummer portrayed agent zig-zag. He even got an Iron Cross for it.
I always find it funny that the number of honorary Aryains increased portionally with lack of man power. One can only imagine when we would get the SS division Judea filled with jewish people.
In German these people were called "Beutegermanen" (war prize germanics) and many ended up in Germany after WW2. My father grew up in a housing project with the flotsam of the war in the 50s.
The United States used American born Japanese in the Italian campaign. The British drew from India and where ever the colonies could get. The USA also used Native American language from various tribes during WW1 and WW2 referred to as Code Talkers to win the Major battles.
I gotta say, even if the historical details in "My Way" were bit shaky, it was a really enjoyable film. You don't see much about the Korean perspective during WWII here in the west.
Why nazi germany and Hitler are such taboo topics to talk about while Stalin and soviet Russia not, is because they were the enemies of USA, while Stalin was an ally even though he was basically another Hitler who invaded neighbours, persecuted jews, had labour camps where people died on massive scale, if USA had sided with germans against the soviets perhaps Hitler wouldn't be such a unthinkable character to talk about nowadays
He commited the highest mortal sin of challenging the bankers by creating his own currency system and making his country exclusive for german people only
There is one of an ss soldier who died get shoot by American in operation market garden he was from my country Indonesia the Dutch east indiest colonization he was study in there maybe and then Nazi invade Netherlands and he join the germans army as ss soldier
"My Way" is not a bad flick but not too historically accurate. And the main character in the movie was actually much younger, I think 16 years old when captured by US troops.
Hey, Johnny, this is actually very informative. And I actually like this and I've seen the movie. It's pretty good, although kind of rough on the edges for historical accuracy . Another group you should check out for obscurity in history is the free Arab legion, which fought in North africa greece and Eastern europe And we're made out of North Africans and arabs who are used to fight the partisans fought the Soviets .
Small error, it would be a Hilfswilliger not Hillfswillinger I am pretty sure I checked only briefly, but it also does just sound wrong. You probably saw it in the context of describing one specific soldier that is part of that force, in that case you might use it I suppose, but overall Hillfswillige or the group of Hillfswillige is probably the correct term. The German language can be confusing like that.
The movie, 'My Way' is a brilliant korean film about a true story. How one man ended up being forced to fight for the Imperial Japanese, then Soviet Union, and then Germany
No pun at the end? ;) All the former Red Army members that joined the Germans were shot at the end of the war... there was no surviving. Stalin didn't like the POWs either.
Agree on Stalinist hatred for POWs. Soviet ex-POWs who returned home after 1945 faced official punishment and social ostracism. They were demoted, denied veteran benefits, had problems finding good employment and in some cases, sent to the Gulag until after Stalin's death. Not sure how many survived the Gulag to make it out after 1956.
@Cgrod11 Germans generally were very racist and full of themselves at the start. But after actually meeting the peoples of Europe and seeing bravery and courage, the view of a lot of higher-ups changed. 60% of men who served in the SS were non-German, the absolute majority doing so voluntarily
Soviets used captured japanese, koreans, germans, romanians as machine gun or minefield clearer. They dressed them up in soviet uniform gave them the soviet flag and let them run towards german machine gun fortifications in stalingrad. Thats where the meme came from using meat to let them run out of ammo. Germans didnt know they shot their allies
Very interesting tropic, thanks for the video! One small correction: it's "Hilfswilliger" (singular) or "Hilfswillige" (plural), but not "Hilfswillinger"
Strange that you left out one of the main eastern European ethnic groups which greeted the Germans as liberators... the Ukrainians. After the Holodomor it was certainly understandable.
Great video But how about one about East African Black German citizens. That also served in the German army And for the woke ones There are many things in history that academia refuses to teach
Are you willing to cover the american natives that helped serve the US army as well? Especially the group that was radio men and coders that talked in their own language to make sure the enemy wasnt able to intercept the orders
0:22 Recruited? I was surprised it wasn't conscription. With the benefit of decades of hindsight, it's easy to ask "why would they fight and probably die for a state that hates them and probably wants to 'cleanse' them?"
that's saddens me to think that, for them seeing each other is literally brothers by blood, seeing they had the physical traits to bond them and religion or language to cement it.
In Saving Private Ryan German soldiers are speaking Czech or Polish language are from Organisation Todt which built Atlantic wall. Biggest problem of conquest is that 50% of your army strength goes to hold occupied territory and all people are hostile towards invaders. Organisation Todt used POW prisoners which could die from starvation or work as gastarbeiters for III Reich needs :)
The only article I could find was 'Did German Americans Actually Leave the US to Fight for Germany During WWII?' Vrom War History Online. According to that there were only 5 Americans recorded to have served in the Waffen SS throughout the entire war. There was also the case of Edwards James Monti, the only known defection of an American service member to Germany.
Drafting is a necessary evil, and I support it. However, I am indeed a deep hypocrit because : ★☆★ *!¡! I SURE AS FUDGE AM NOT GOING TO BE DRAFTED OR FIGHT AND DIE FOR THOSE IN POWER.... YOU HOWEVER?¿? GOOD LUCK AND GOD SPEED !¡!* ★☆★
Very interesting before the war you would have Taiwanese soldiers in their rank they used k98ks like the German Army did. Remember before World War II Germany was supplying the Taiwanese government with weapons like the k98k
Correction: it was the republic of China government army got some German weapon supplies /training just before second world war...After 1949 civil war. The ROC retreated to the island called Taiwan.
The "Chiang Kai-shek Rifle" they used was the licensed version of FN M24, which is the Belgian version of Gewehr 98. Also It wasn't the Taiwanese government yet, it was the KMT government, they just got exiled to Taiwan later due to the civil war. Taiwan was still under Japanese control during WWII.
Being of both Japanese and Korean Heritage i found it interesting foreign none white Europeans served in that regime. My husband told me of North Africans serving the Nazis also and i was in disbelief, but there was the Nuremburg Race laws that Dealt with Africans many from German East African colonies that were racially segregated and some sterilized under the Nationalist regime. My husband in his early 40s now served the SANDF from 2005-15 practically never feeling the effects of South African apartheid unlike his Uncle who served in the latter half of the Apartheid period when the South African Defense forces were segregated and being of Zulu heritage forced into Black only units. i said it before but since my husband introduced me to this channel i find it very interesting and eye opening.
Fun fact: There were Chinese people that fought for the USSR in the red army, most notable one of them is probably Lieutenant Mao AnYing, the son of the CCP leader Mao ZeDong.
Osttruppen were screwed no matter where they served. POWs were repatriated after the war, and up to 95% of returned Soviet soldiers were either shot or sent into the Gulag-system.
My Way tells the perfect story of the same crap happening all over the war what was the main character korean? he got drafted into japanese army and got captured by chinese communists to be sent to soviet gulag there they got drafter into soviet penal battalion or something like that and sent to stalingrad there they found germans and got sent to normandy SSDD i guess
HIWI is the abbreviation Hilfswilliger. Around June 1943 around 600,000 HIWI volunteered to the Wehrmacht while another 200,000 served in various roles for the Schutzstaffel Abbreviated SS. How fvcked up must the soviets have been for their own people to think the 3rd Reich was the good guys? I am not aware of any Germans or fascists in general that joined the USSR in meaningful numbers which is food for thought.
I would estimate German HIKI's would be around 1.5 million minimum by 1945 as achieving shy of double of 800,000 would not be difficult in that time frame. The Wehrmacht had roughly 13.6 million soldiers through ww2 but lost or misplaced 11.3 million by May 1945 so 2.3 million. Due to unsustainable German losses & casualties that by may 1945 shy of 4/10 minimum of the 3rd land army was foreign volunteers! Gives an odd perspective doesn't it? The amount is likely higher as many of these documents of auxiliary foreign forces were destroyed by said or German high command to get them out of Germany. On the allies remove the Anglo-sphere you will realize the only nations that significantly volunteered was white south Africa & the former British Raj. Czechoslovakia & Poland did have considerable contribution to the battle of Britain as volunteers in the air mind. WW2 was really the Anglos-sphere vs the Axis with USSR uneasily joining the Anglo-sphere club called the allies out of shock. The shear amount of foreign volunteer Germany received should tell you a lot about the world cultures & creeds! Of the Anglosphere Australia & Canada received far to little recognition mainly due to the USA outshining them! North Africa could not have been won with out Australia & British Raj volunteers which is fact. Canada would have been the 1st to Rome if not for USA pride-payment & Canada was the 2nd to Berlin roughly a week behind the USSR. Yanks won't like this but the Cannucks were the better military when population is taken into account!
@@JohnnyJohnsonEsq No worries Johnny, amazed you pieced together what you could for I couldn't have! I'm not the cinematography sort. I'm more an doer & applicator then a shower or explainer.
