>>> WE ARE OKAY.
GOOD AFTERNOON, GUYS.
I WANT TO WELCOME YOU TO THE 
WORLD WAR II CLASS.
I WILL TELL YOU, WE HAVE MUCH 
ACTION TODAY.
BUT BEFORE WE GET TO THAT, I 
WANTED TO TAKE CARE OF A FEW 
THINGS.
SOME OF YOU, IN FACT, ALL OF YOU
MAY HAVE RECEIVED AN EMAIL THAT 
HAD A LIST OF QUESTIONS ON IT.
AND ONE OF THE STUDENTS, MARTY 
HAMMOND, SENT THAT TO ME.
AND I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS SO 
GOOD.
I WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU HAD IT
IF YOU WERE IN MY CLASSES OF 
EITHER THE WORLD WAR II CLASS OR
THE KANSAS PIONEER WOMEN CLASS.
MARTY HAD SAID THIS, AND I 
ABSOLUTELY LOVED WHAT SHE SAID.
SHE SAID HER MOTHER-IN-LAW SAID 
MANY THINGS, SHE HAD MANY 
SAYINGS, BUT YOUTH IS WASTED ON 
THE YOUNG.
AND THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS I 
WISH I WOULD HAVE ASKED MY 
ANCESTORS.
SO, IN AN ATTEMPT TO HELP STOP 
THAT HE, I AM ENCOURAGING TO THE
POINT OF FORCING SOMETIMES THEM 
TO ASK ME QUESTIONS ABOUT 
MYSELF.
AND THEIR ANCESTORS.
AND IN TRYING TO WRITE THEM 
DOWN.
SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO 
THE SAME.
THESE QUESTIONS WERE TAKEN FROM 
THE BOOK "GRANDMA TELL ME YOUR 
STORY."
AND SO, I JUST THOUGHT, YOU 
MIGHT ENJOY DOING SOME OF THOSE 
AS AN EXERCISE AFTER THE CLASS.
AND MAYBE HANDING THEM OVER TO 
YOUR GRANDCHILDREN, CHILDREN, 
WHATEVER.
BUT IT'S A GOOD WAY TO PASS LONG
THE STORIES THAT YOU HAVE TO 
SHARE.
MARTY, COME ON UP AND USE THE 
MICROPHONE HERE.
AND TELL US WHAT YOU CAN.
WHILE SHE IS GETTING THERE, I 
WANTED TO ENCOURAGE YOU IN JUNE,
"NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC" PUT OUT 
THEIR ENTIRE SECTION ON THE LAST
VOICES OF WORLD WAR II.
AND IT IS AN INCREDIBLY 
WELL-DONE -- I WOULD ENCOURAGE 
YOU TO TRACK THIS ISSUE DOWN AND
TO PLEASE DO SO.
MARTY?
>> TESTING, ONE, TWO, THREE.
I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY LAST 
NIGHT, WE HAD A BIRTHDAY PARTY 
FOR MY SON-IN-LAW, SO THE 
GRANDKIDS CAME OVER, I TOOK ALL 
OF THOSE QUESTIONS, 
DOUBLE-SPACED THEM, CUT THEM 
APART, FOLDED UP EVERY LITTLE 
PIECE OF PAPER, PUT THEM IN A 
GALLON JAR AND AFTER WE WERE 
DONE WITH DINNER WHEN THE KIDS 
TEND TO GO THIS WAY, I SAID, 
STAY PUT.
I MADE THEM EACH PICK OUT A 
PERSON.
ONE OF THE FOUR ADULTS, EITHER 
THEIR PARENTS OR THEIR TWO 
GRANDPARENTS, AND THEN DRAW A 
QUESTION OUT.
AND THEY ASKED THAT ADULT THAT 
QUESTION.
HOPING TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO DO 
WHAT I DIDN'T DO.
AND THEY EVEN EXPANDED IT AND 
SAID, OKAY, I WANT TO ASK ALL OF
YOU ADULTS THIS QUESTION.
SO THEY DID.
SO YOU CAN USE THAT AS AN 
EXERCISE, TOO.
>> EXCELLENT.
I THINK THAT'S A WONDERFUL IDEA.
WELL, I WANT TO INTRODUCE YOU TO
ONE OF OUR SPEAKERS TODAY.
WE HAVE TWO SO FAR, AND WE'RE 
EXPECTING A THIRD?
>> LEAVE IT TO THE FRENCHMAN TO 
BE LATE.
>>. 
[ LAUGHTER ]
I FIRST WANT TO PREFACE THIS, 
JACOB ALLEN, WHO IS TO MY LIST, 
HE FOR SOME OF YOU WHO TOOK MY 
WORLD WAR I CLASS, HE WAS ONE OF
THE GUEST SPEAKERS.
AND JACOB GRACIOUSLY SAID HE 
WOULD COME FOR MY WORLD WAR II 
CLASS.
AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW HOW 
SPECIAL THAT HE IS.
HE IS A MILITARY HISTORIAN.
HE'S ALSO A GRADUATE STUDENT, IS
THAT STILL CORRECT?
AND TO KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY.
AND HE'S PURSUING HIS MASTERS 
DEGREE IN MILITARY HISTORY.
HE GRADUATED WITH HONORS FROM 
K-STATE IN 2018.
HIS INTEREST TO HISTORY DATES TO
HIS CHILDHOOD GROWING UP AT 
HISTORIC FORT SCOTT.
AND HE'S GOOD FRIENDS WITH 
ANOTHER GUEST SPEAKER THAT WE 
WILL HAVE NEXT WEEK, ARNOLD 
SCOFFIELD.
BUT JACOB CREDITS HIS OWN 
MILITARY EXPERIENCE FOR -- IN 
THE DAILY LIVES OF PAST 
SOLDIERS.
THE FOCUS HAS BEEN SPAWNED AND 
INTEREST IN HISTORICAL 
REENACTING AND PUBLIC LIVING 
HISTORY WITH ARTIFACT DISPLAYS.
WE HAD TO GO THROUGH A FEW HOOPS
AND HURDLES IN ORDER FOR HIM TO 
BRING THIS DISPLAY IN FRONT 
HERE.
WE HAD TO GET UNIVERSITY 
CLEARANCE, AS YOU CAN EXPECT.
AND OH, MY, WHAT AN INCREDIBLE 
DISPLAY IT IS.
AND I'M HOPING DURING THE 
INTERMISSION YOU WILL COME UP 
AND LOOK AT THESE THINGS.
I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU NOT TO 
TOUCH THEM, BUT THAT THEY WILL 
BE THE FOCAL POINT OF THE 
DISCUSSION TODAY.
AND JACOB, YOU HAVE BROUGHT A 
FRIEND, IS IT MIKE?
MIKE SANTANA?
>> IT IS SAM.
>> SAM?
OKAY, I WILL LET YOU GUYS TAKE 
IT FROM HERE.
PLEASE WELCOME THEM.
[APPLAUSE]
>> AS SHE SAID, I'M JACOB ALLEN.
AND THIS WILL BE MIKE.
JUST FORRED A MIADMIN NOTESING M
HERE PORTRAYING A BRITISH 
SOLDIER, CIRCA D-DAY.
THIS IS PROBABLY WHAT THEY WOULD
HAVE LOOKED LIKE WITH MORE 
TACTICAL EQUIPMENT WADING ASHORE
ON THE BEACHES.
MIKE HERE IS AN AMERICAN GI, 
PORTRAYING THE AN AMERICAN GI 
LATE-WAR.
AND HE'S AFFECTIONATELY REFERRED
TO AS THE MURDER HOBOS, BECAUSE 
THEY ARE ON THE FRONT LINES 
CONSTANTLY, REALLY NOT ABLE TO 
GET CLEANED UP, NOT ABLE TO STAY
THAT SPIC-AND-SPAN POLISH THAT 
YOU EXPECT FROM THE U.S. 
MILITARY.
BUT HE IS AN EXPERIENCED VETERAN
FIGHTING THROUGHOUT FRANCE AND 
INTO GERMANY.
>> I WILL DISCUSS WHAT I'M 
CARRYING, WHY MY POCKETS LOOK SO
BULKY, WHY I'M NOT WEARING 
EVERYTHING REGULATION, I WILL 
EXPLAIN THAT IN TIME.
UNTIL THEN.
>> THE THIRD MEMBER WILL BE 
SOMEONE PORTRAYING THE FRENCH 
ARMY OF 1940.
LEAVE IT TO THE FRENCH, THOUGH, 
HE'S LATE.
SO WHEN HE SHOWS UP WITH ALL -- 
POINT AT HIM OR LAUGH IN YOUR 
BEST FRENCH ACCENT OR GIVE HIM A
ROUND OF APPLAUSE.
YOUR CHOICE.
BUT NOW WE HAVE TO HAVE SOME 
INTERACTIVE HERE.
I CAN'T JUST GET UP HERE AND 
TALK FOR SEVERAL HOURS AND YOU 
ALL FALL ASLEEP.
BECAUSE I'M REALLY, REALLY 
BORING.
IF I ASK YOU A QUESTION, 
SOMEBODY THROW ME AN ANSWER, 
OKAY?
SO WHAT IS YOUR CLASS ABOUT?
>> WORLD WAR II.
>> KANSAS AND THE WAR.
>> OKAY.
SO WHY AM I HERE?
>> WHY ARE YOU HERE, JACOB?
>> BECAUSE I'M NOT FROM KANSAS.
AT LEAST THE GUY I'M PORTRAYING 
WOULDN'T BE FROM KANSAS.
I WOULD BE FROM LONDON, OR IF 
WE'RE GOING TO PLAIN AROUND WITH
THINGS, I COULD BE FROM CANADA 
OR ONE OF THE OTHER BRITISH 
COMMONWEALTH NATIONS.
AND HE MIGHT BE FROM KANSAS.
OR HE MIGHT NOT BE.
BUT WORLD WAR II WASN'T REALLY 
IN KANSAS.
IT WAS A WORLD WAR.
AND SO, YOU SAW PEOPLE, FARM 
BOYS FROM KANSAS INTERACTING 
WITH PEOPLE FROM LONDON, 
INTERACTING WITH FRENCHMEN WHO 
HAD FOUGHT THE GERMANS IN 1940 
WHO CARRIED ON AFTER THEIR 
COUNTRY SURRENDERED AND HAS BEEN
OCCUPIED BY THE NAZIS AND FOUGHT
ACROSS SEVERAL CONTINENTS FOR 
SEVERAL YEARS HATED BY THE 
GOVERNMENT THAT RULED THEIR 
CAPITAL.
AND SO HERE WE ARE TODAY, WE ARE
NOT IN KANSAS ANYMORE.
WE ARE DEALING WITH BRITAIN, 
FRANCE AND THE AMERICAN GI.
BECAUSE WE HAVE PROBABLY ALL 
HEARD THE JOKES ABOUT HOW THE 
BRITISH DIDN'T LIKE THE 
AMERICANS BEING OVERSEXED, 
OVERPAID AND OVER HERE.
WHILE THE AMERICANS RETORT WITH,
WELL, YOU ARE UNDERSEXED, 
UNDERPAID AND UNDER EISENHOWER.
BUT THERE'S A LOT MORE TO THE 
INTERACTIONS BETWEEN THE SKRARS 
YOU NATIONS -- BETWEEN THE 
NATIONS AND THE OCCASIONAL JAB.
IF YOU ASK AN AVERAGE PERSON ON 
THE STREET, THE AVERAGE PERSON 
ON THE STREET OF A TIMELINE OF 
WORLD WAR II, YOU'RE PROBABLY 
GOING TO GET SOMETHING ABOUT 
LIKE THIS.
FDR WAS IN CHARGE, PEARL HARBOR 
HAPPENED, MAYBE SOME OTHER 
STUFF.
D-DAY, YEAH, THAT'S COOL.
AND THE ATOMIC BOMBS.
THAT'S ABOUT THE ROUGH ORDER OF 
WORLD WAR II.
MAYBE YOU MIGHT GET A MORE 
COMPLICATED VERSION OF THAT, BUT
THIS IS WHAT YOU GET.
AND THEN NOTICE THE TIMELINE IS 
A 1940s TIMELINE THAT SKIMS OVER
WORLD WAR II WITH A COUPLE MAJOR
INCIDENTS AND THEN SKIMS RIGHT 
INTO THE POST-WAR YEARS, BECAUSE
THAT'S THE MORE EXCITING THING.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THE BIKINIS, AS
MY WIFE GLARES AT ME.
ANYWAY, MOVING ON TO THE SAFE 
GROUNDS IN WORLD WAR II, IF YOU 
GET SOMEBODY KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT
THE WAR, MAYBE A HISTORY BUFF, 
THEIR FAMILY WAS CONNECTED OR 
THEY JUST LIKE WATCHING WORLD 
WAR II MOVIES, YOU MAY GET A 
MORE COMPLICATED VERSION.
YOU MAY GET SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
THE WAR STARTED, SOMETHING 
HAPPENED, FRANCE SURRENDERED, 
MAYBE BATTLE OF BRITAIN 
SOMETHING, CHURCHHILL, I DON'T 
KNOW.
SINK THE BISMARCK, GOOD SONG, 
RIGHT?
A COUPLE MOVIES.
SOMETHING ABOUT ROMMEL AND A 
DESERT FOX.
PEARL HARBOR, D-DAY, THE BATTLE 
OF THE BULGE, ATOMIC BOMBS AND 
THEN WE WIN!
AMERICA!
BUT THERE'S MORE TO IT.
THE WAR STARTS, THE WAR DID NOT 
START 1941 WHEN PEARL HARBOR WAS
BOMBED.
THE WAR DIDN'T START IN 1940 
WHEN FRANCE WAS INVADED.
THE WAR STARTED IN 1939.
EUROPE WAS DESPERATELY TRYING TO
KEEP IT FROM HAPPENING AND HOPED
IT WOULDN'T HAPPEN FOR MANY MORE
YEARS.
GOING BACK TO MY ORIGINAL 
QUESTION, WHY AM I HERE?
WHY AM I HERE PORTRAYING A 
BRITISH TOMMY?
OR THE PBI, THE POOR BLOODY 
INFANTRY IN THE BRITISH ARMY IN 
A CLASS ABOUT KANSAS IN WORLD 
WAR II?
BECAUSE IN AMERICAN POPULAR 
MEMORY, WE BARELY REMEMBER WE 
HAD ALLIES.
WE WERE THE LATE ADDITION, THE 
LATECOMERS TO THE WAR, AND THE 
OTHER NATIONS FOUGHT FOR YEARS 
BEFORE WE GOT INVOLVED.
AND WHILE WE WERE STILL TOOLING 
UP, WHILE THE KANSAS BOYS WERE 
LEARNING HOW TO MARCH AND SHOOT 
AND BUILDING THE AIRPLANES THAT 
WOULD EVENTUALLY DROP THE ATOMIC
BOMBS, THE BRITISH, THE FRENCH, 
THE CANADIANS, NEW ZEALANDERS, 
AUSTRALIANS, INDIANS, POLS, 
BELGIANS, DUTCH AND NORWEGIANS 
WERE FIGHTING AND DYING TO STOP 
THE NAZIS.
AND LATER THE JAPANESE.
BUT YOU PROBABLY WANT SOME 
BACKGROUND INFORMATION, BECAUSE 
DOES ANYBODY HERE HOLD A PH.D. 
OR MASTER'S DEGREE IN BRITISH 
HISTORY?
OKAY, GOOD.
I DON'T WANT YOU GUYS CALLING ME
OUT ON ANYTHING I MAKE UP AS WE 
GO ALONG.
THAT'S USUALLY A BAD THING FOR A
DEMONSTRATION.
I MEAN, I HAVE ENOUGH TO WORRY 
ABOUT WITH HIM TRYING TO DO IT.
BUT TO GIVE YOU AN INTRODUCTION,
WE HAVE THE BRITISH EMPIRE.
THEN UP HERE AS YOU CAN SEE, 
1921, SO IT IS BRITISH EMPIRE A 
LITTLE BEFORE WORLD WAR II BUT 
NOT BY A LOT.
THIS IS THE ERA WHEN THE SUN 
NEVER SET ON THE BRITISH EMPIRE.
EVERY CONTINENT HAS SOME SORT OF
BRITISH PRESENCE, SOME BRITISH 
TERRITORY AND SOME CONTROL.
AND WHILE THE BRITISH EMPIRE WAS
SHIFTING AWAY FROM CENTRALIZED 
CONTROL FROM LONDON TO A MORE 
INFORMAL ARRANGEMENT IN THE 
BRITISH COMMONWEALTH, THE EMPIRE
WAS STILL THE SINGLE MOST 
POWERFUL POLITICAL ENTITY IN THE
WORLD.
THE BRITISH EMPIRE HAD THE 
WORLD'S LARGEST NAVY.
THEY HAD THE MOST ADVANCED AIR 
FORCE, AT LEAST SO IT SEEMED.
BEFORE WORLD WAR II STARTED.
AND THEY HAD A PROFESSIONAL AND 
EXPERIENCED ARMY.
BRITAIN COULD ALSO DRAW ON THE 
MATERIAL AND MANPOWER ADVANTAGES
OF THIS EMPIRE.
WHEN YOU CONTROL ALL OF THIS 
LAND, WHEN YOU CAN WALK FROM 
SOUTH AFRICA TO EGYPT, NEVER 
ONCE CROSSING OUT OF 
BRITISH-CONTROLLED TERRITORY, YO
YOU HAVE GOT A LOT OF RESOURCES 
ON YOUR SIDE.
BUT THERE ARE ALSO PROBLEMS WITH
THIS EMPIRE.
IT WAS ECONOMICALLY AND MORALLY 
HURT BY THE HORRENDOUS WAR.
IN THE FINAL GRASP OF VICTORY IN
THE 100 DAYS OFFENSIVE LEFT A 
HOLLOW GENERATION.
NOW, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THIS IN A 
BUILT, BUT THIS IS NOT AS BAD AS
FRANCE AND THE MASSIVE LOSSES 
THEY SUFFERED DURING THE FIRST 
WORLD WAR.
BUT BRITAIN WAS NO LONGER THE 
ALL-POUR EMPIRE THEY HAD BEEN 
JUST A FEW YEARS BEFORE.
THEY ALSO FACED NEW CHALLENGES 
AND CHALLENGERS.
THINK BACK IF YOU CAN BEFORE 
WORLD WAR I AND HOW MANY TIMES 
THE U.S. HAD FOUGHT BRITAIN.
AND HOW MANY TIMES WE HAVE 
GOTTEN CLOSE TO FIGHTING BRITAIN
BEFORE DIPLOMACY RESOLVED THE 
SITUATION.
AMONG THE RISING POWERS, 
CHALLENGING THE MIGHT OF THE 
BRITISH EMPIRE WAS THE UNITED 
STATES.
WE ALSO WANT TO INCLUDE GERMANY 
WHO TRIED TO CHALLENGE GREAT 
BRITAIN FOR NO OTHER REASON THAN
THE KAISERS -- WELL, ISSUES, WE 
SHALL SAY WITH HIS DISTANCE 
COUSINS IN LONDON.
ITALY WAS CHALLENGING BRITISH 
TERRITORIAL POSITIONS IN THE 
MEDITERRANEAN.
JAPAN WAS A BRITISH ALLY, BUT IN
AN ATTEMPTING TO CALM AND 
PREVENT WAR WITH THE UNITED 
STATES, BRITAIN HAD BROKEN OFF 
THEIR ALLIANCE WITH JAPAN IN THE
1920s.
YOU CAN REMEMBER BACK TO YOUR 
HIGH SCHOOL HISTORY OF WORLD WAR
II OR MAYBE SOMETHING WE CAN 
JUST TALK ABOUT IN THIS CLASS, 
THERE WAS A TREATY SYSTEM, THE 
NAVAL TREATIES, THE NEUTRALITY 
TREATIES, INTENDED TO KEEP THE 
UNITED STATES FROM EVER HAVING 
TO FIGHT IN ANOTHER WORLD WAR.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS PEOPLE 
LOOKED AT IN THE INNER WORLD WAR
YEARS WAS THE NAVAL ARMS RACE 
BETWEEN GERMANY AND GREAT 
BRITAIN.
DO YOU REMEMBER THE DREAD KNOTS 
IN THE BATTLE OF JUTLAND?
THAT ALL TIES IN.
WELL, SEEKING TO AVOID AN 
ANGLO-AMERICAN WAR IN THE 1920s,
THE U.S. AND BRITAIN DECIDED TO 
CAP NAVAL PRODUCTION AND TO 
LIMIT HOW MANY SHIPS EACH GREAT 
POWER COULD HAVE.
AMERICA AND BRITAIN COULD EVEN 
OUT.
THEIR NAVIES COULD BE MORE OR 
LESS THE EXACT SAME SIZE 
DEPENDING ON A FEW TONS HERE AND
THERE.
BUT JAPAN, A FORMER BRITISH 
ALLY, WAS ONLY ALLOWED 3/5 OF 
WHAT THE AMERICANS WERE ALLOWED 
TO.
HAVE SEEING THIS AS AN INSULT 
BECAUSE THEY WERE A NAVAL POWER,
THEY WERE A MARITIME POWER, 
LARGELY DEPENDENT ON THE 
OVERSEAS TRADE AND POSSESSION.
THEY WOULD EVENTUALLY GROW TO 
HATE THE FORMAL ALLIES, THE 
BRITISH.
AND WHILE THE TREATIES, OF 
COURSE, DID NOT RESULT IN PEACE 
IN OUR TIME, AND INTO WAR AS 
1939 WOULD PROVE, IT DID PREVENT
THE AMERICANS AND BRITISH FROM 
FIGHTING IT OUT IN THE 1920s TO 
EARLY '30s.
SO I GUESS THAT'S A BENEFIT.
BUT BECAUSE OF THE ECONOMIC 
DAMAGE THAT THE UNITED KINGDOM 
SUFFERED DURING THE FIRST WORLD 
WAR AND THE MORALE DAMAGE AND 
CASUALTIES, BRITAIN WAS IN NO 
SHAPE TO FIGHT.
ACTUALLY, THEY INSTITUTED A 
TEN-YEAR RULE DURING THE 1920s 
WITH THE IDEA THAT BRITAIN WOULD
NOT HAVE TO FIGHT A FULL-SCALE 
WAR ANY TIME IN THE NEXT TEN 
YEARS.
THIS WAS RENEWED EVERY YEAR 
UNTIL THE 1930s.
THE POLICY WAS, OH, WE GET TO 
PICK AND CHOOSE WHEN WE FIGHT.
WE CAN SAVE OUR PENNIES AND 
FOCUS ON MORE IMPORTANT THINGS 
LIKE HELPING THE POPULUS.
AND THE MILITARY, THEY CAN GET 
BY.
THE FALLACY WORKED JUST FINE 
UNTIL CERTAIN AUSTRIAN AND 
ADOLPH HITLER ROSE TO POWER IN 
GERMANY AND STARTED REARMING.
SLOWLY AT FIRST, WORKING WITH 
THE BRITISH TO ESTABLISH A LEGAL
MEANS FOR HIS RISE TO POWER AND 
HIS REARMAMENT.
IT WASN'T UNTIL HE OCCUPIED THE 
ENTIRETY OF CZECHLOSKOVAKIA.
AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT HOW THIS 
PLAYS OUT LATER AND WHY THE 
WEAPONS ARE BEING USED AND 
SIGNIFICANT AND WHAT THEY 
REPRESENT.
BUT YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT 
UNTIL THE LATE '30s, BRITAIN WAS
NOT READY FOR WAR.
ENTHEY WEREN'T EVEN EVEN 
PREPARING FOR WAR UNTIL IT WAS 
ALMOST TOO LATE.
>> JACOB, I WANT YOU TO KNOW, 
WE'LL BE TAKING A BREAK A LITTLE
BEFORE 2:00.
SO I JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW 
THAT.
AND ALSO, PEOPLE ONLINE HAVE ANY
QUESTIONS ABOUT SOME OF THE 
CONTENT TODAY, PLEASE FEEL FREE 
TO EMAIL US.
HOPEFULLY WE CAN PRINT THOSE OFF
OVER THE INTERMISSION AND WE CAN
ANSWER SOME OF THOSE AS WELL.
>> WE DO HAVE A QUESTION SEGMENT
AT THE END.
SO ANYBODY HERE THAT HAS A 
QUESTION, YOU CAN SAVE IT UNTIL 
THEN.
ANYTHING THAT DEVELOPS, YOU WANT
TO MAKE A NOTE TO ASK US LATER 
ON AND DON'T WANT TO INTERRUPT, 
THERE WILL BE TIME FOR 
QUESTIONS.
IF THE BRITISH EMPIRE WAS 
DAMAGED OUT OF THE FIRST WORLD 
WAR, FRANCE WAS ALMOST ALMOST *-
MORTALLY WOUNDED.
CAN ANYBODY IDENTIFY THE 
PICTURES OR WHAT THE SUBJECTS 
ARE IN THEM?
>> YOU CAN STILL VISIT THAT 
PLACE, BY THE WAY.
>> HIM BEING GONE TENDS TO LIVEN
UP THE AREA.
BUT YES, THAT'S ADOLPH HITLER IN
PARIS.
GUESS WHAT?
HE'S NOT A TOURIST.
WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER PICTURE, 
ANY GUESSES WHAT IT IS IF YOU 
DON'T KNOW WHERE IT IS?
THIS IS ONE OF MANY BUNKERS.
THIS IS ACTUALLY A DISAPPEARING 
BUNKER OR PILL BOX.
IT WAS ADVANCED FOR THE TIME 
WHERE YOU SEE THAT DOME ON TOP, 
WHEN THE GUN WAS BEING RELOADED 
OR TRYING TO HIDE, THAT ENTIRE 
PILL BOX COULD SINK DOWN TO THE 
GROUND AND JUST THE DOME WOULD 
BE ABOVEGROUND.
WHEN IT WAS READY THE FIRE, IT 
COULD RISE BACK UP AND FIRE ON 
ADVANCING GERMANS.
FIRST OFF, I WOULD LIKE TO 
APOLOGIZE STANDING BY THE 
PODIUM.
NORMALLY, WE ARE MUCH MORE 
INTERACTIVE TALKING TO YOU GUYS,
BUT THIS IS KIND OF THE WAY THE 
WORLD IS RIGHT NOW.
BUT TO TALK A LITTLE ABOUT 
FRANCE, BECAUSE OUR RESIDENT 
FROG DECIDED TO MAKE SURE HE 
LOOKS PRETTY BEFORE SHOWING UP.
WHEN JACOB SAID FRANCE WAS 
MORALLY DEVASTATED BY THIS WAR, 
THAT WAS AN UNDERSTATEMENT.
FRANCE LOST SOMETHING IN THE WAY
OF 7% OF THE ITS MALE POPULATION
BETWEEN THE AGES OF 18 AND 27.
SO ALSO ON TOP OF THAT, FRANCE 
TOOK PART IN A BATTLE KNOWN AS 
VERDUN.
OTHERS ARE MORE PROMINENT 
BECAUSE OF ENGLISH MEMOIRS, BUT 
A SMALL PART OF THE BRITISH TOOK
PART IN THE SONG.
I WILL LET THE FRENCHMAN SPEAK 
IN A SECOND.
[APPLAUSE]
WHEN FRANCE FOUGHT WORLD WAR I, 
7 OUT OF EVERY 10 REGIMENTS OF 
THE FRENCH ARMY TOOK PART IN THE
SIEGE AT VERDUN AND WHERE THEY 
WITNESSED HALF A MILLION 
COUNTRYMEN BLOWN TO SMITHEREENS 
OVER THE SINGLE SAME SPACE OF 
GROUND FOR NEARLY EIGHT MONTHS.
SO ALMOST EVERY FRENCH VETERAN 
WITNESSED THE VERY WORST OF THE 
WORLD WAR.
7% OF THE YOUNG MALE POPULATION 
CEASED TO EXIST.
SOME VILLAGES LOST EVERY ABLE 
MALE IN THE AREA.
IF YOU GO TO FRANCE TODAY, THERE
ARE VILLAGES MARKED AS THERE BUT
NO LONGER EXIST, BECAUSE THE 
FRENCH GOVERNMENT REFUSES TO 
REMOVE THE VILLAGE NAMES IN ME 
MORE YUM OF WHAT HAPPENED IN 
WORLD WAR I.
SO BRITAIN WAS LESS THAN WILLING
TO JOIN IN WORLD WAR II.
IMAGINE THE FRENCH.
IN FACT, YOU DON'T HAVE TO 
IMAGINE SO MUCH MORE, HERE'S A 
FRENCHMAN TO SPEAK ON THE MATTER
A LITTLE BETTER THAN I CAN.
>> ALL RIGHT, MY NAME IS JORDAN 
WEAVER.
I'M A K-STATE GRADUATE.
I FORGET THAT I'M WEARING A 
MASK.
I'M A GRADUATE STUDENT FROM 
K-STATE AND DRESSED LIKE A 1940 
FRENCH SOLDIER.
WHERE MIKE SO GRACIOUSLY LEFT 
OFF WHILE FILIBUSTERING FOR ME 
TO COME IN HERE WAS, YES, FRANCE
WAS VERY RELUCTANT TO JOIN.
NOBODY WANTED TO FIGHT ANOTHER 
ONE.
IN FACT, IT WAS PART OF THEIR 
STRATEGY THAT WE WILL NEVER 
FIGHT ANOTHER WAR ON FRENCH 
SOIL.
SO THEY CAME UP WITH THE NEW 
PLAN.
THEY CAME UP WITH THE MAGANO 
LINE.
THERE'S A LOT OF MISCONCEPTIONS 
ON THE MAGANO LINE, THE PURPOSE,
WHAT WAS THE PLAN?
THE ORIGINAL PLAN WAS TO BUILD A
MASSIVE FORTIFICATION THAT 
NOBODY WANTS TO ATTACK OR TRY ON
THE FRENCH/GERMAN BORDER, 
THEREBY WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO 
FORCE THE GERMANS TO INVADE 
THROUGH BELGIUM AGAIN, WHICH 
WILL BRING BELGIUM INTO THE WAR 
AGAIN.
AND THEN ALSO BRING THE U.K.
AND WE'RE GOING TO PUT TROOPS 
ALONG THAT BELGIAN/FRENCH 
BORDER, OUR BEST TROOPS, TOO, ON
THE BELGIAN/FRENCH BORDER.
AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO BREAK 
THE GERMAN THRUST AND 
COUNTERATTACK BACK TO GERMANY.
AND THIS PLAN MIGHT HAVE WORKED 
IF EVERYTHING WENT OUT ACCORDING
TO PLAN.
BUT IT VERY MUCH DID NOT.
BELGIAN, FOR EXAMPLE, DECLARED 
THE NEUTRALITY AND SAID WE DON'T
WANT ANYTHING TO DO WITH THIS 
PLAN ANYMORE.
WHICH WAS A HUGE PROBLEM 
CONSIDERING THAT WAS THE WHOLE 
GOAL.
SO NO, THEY COULDN'T PUT THEIR 
TROOPS ON THE BELGIAN FRENCH 
BORDER.
THEY HAD TO STICK THEM ON THE 
FRENCH/BELGIAN BORDER AND TRY TO
RUSH TO THE BELGIAN BORDER AS 
QUICKLY AS THEY COULD IF WORLD 
WAR DECLARED.
SO FRANCE IN THE INTERWAR IS 
SEEN SLOWLY IN DECLINE, WHICH IS
PRETTY ACCURATE.
THERE WAS MASSIVE POLITICAL 
INSTABILITY.
IN THE '30s, THERE WAS THE 
INSTABILITY AND THEN THE GREAT 
DEPRESSION HIT FRANCE IN THE 
EARLY '30s.
AND THEN LIKE MIKE WAS SAYING, 
THE CASUALTIES, JUST THE 
STAGGERING AMOUNT OF CASUALTIES 
IN WORLD WAR I.
EVERYBODY REMEMBERED, EVERYBODY 
HAD AN UNCLE OR A DAD OR 
GRANDFATHER THAT FOUGHT IN THE 
WAR AND SAID ALL THEIR STORIES 
OR DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING AT ALL, 
WHICH CAN SAY SOMETIMES MORE 
THAN WORDS.
AND THEY STILL HAVE THE MASSIVE 
OVERSEAS EMPIRE, NORTH AFRICA, 
ENDOCHINA AND ALL THAT.
AND THE MILITARY WAS OFTEN MORE 
LOYAL TO THE INSTITUTION THAN 
THE CURRENT GOVERNMENT.
BECAUSE THE MILITARY TENDED TO 
BE MORE CONSERVATIVE AND DIDN'T 
WANT SOCIALISTS AND COMMUNISTS 
IN POWER EITHER.
NOW, AFTER WORLD WAR I, THE 
FRENCH MILITARY WAS SEEN AS THE 
PRIMARY WORLD POWER.
THEY HAD WITHSTOOD AND BEAT THE 
GERMANS AND SEEN AS SUCH.
BUT THE ARMY WHEN THE WAR BEGAN,
WHEN GERMANY STARTED TO MAKE 
THEIR THRUSTS INTO BELGIAN IN 
THE NETHERLANDS, THINGS WERE 
DIFFERENT.
THEY FOUGHT SEVERAL ENGAGEMENTS 
IN BELGIUM.
AND THEY WERE PRETTY SUCCESSFUL.
WHEN THE GERMAN ARMY HAD TO FACE
THE REGULAR FRENCH ARMY, THEY 
TOOK MASSIVE CASUALTIES.
AND THERE IS A BATTLE CALLED THE
BATTLE OF JON BLEU WHERE 34% OF 
THE GERMAN TASK FORCE WAS 
DESTROYED IN ONE BATTLE.
SO THE FRENCH TANKS WERE SOME OF
THE BEST TANKS AT THE BEGINNING 
OF THE WAR, AND THEY WERE 
SUCCESSFUL.
THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE ARDEN 
FOREST, THAT'S WHERE THE GERMANS
MADE THEIR SECRET ADVANCE 
THROUGH, WAS NORMALLY SEEN AS 
IMPAS
IMPASSABLE.
BUT IT TURNS OUT THEY WENT 
THROUGH THE ROADS IN THE FOREST,
NOT THE FOREST ITSELF.
AND THEY WERE EXPOSED, IF THE 
FRENCH FORCE WOULD HAVE SEEN 
THEM, THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN 
DESTROYED.
BUT THEY WEREN'T AND PUSHED 
THROUGH THE RESERVIST LINES.
AND THE RESERVIST HAD 
NOTORIOUSLY BAD DISCIPLINE.
SOME OF THEM WERE VETERANS FROM 
THE FIRST WORLD WAR.
>> OKAY, SORRY.
THEY FOUGHT FRENCH RESERVISTS, 
FOR THE MOST PART, AND THEY WERE
ABLE TO BREAK THROUGH.
THEN YOU HAVE THE FAMOUS 
ENCIRCLE AT DUNKIRK.
IF YOU HAVE EVER SEEN THE MOVIE 
"DUNKIRK" THERE WERE SOLDIERS 
KEEPING THE AREA CLEAR SO THE 
BRITISH COULD ESCAPE.
THERE WERE A LOT OF FRENCHMEN 
THAT DID MAKE IT OUT AS WELL.
THE PROBLEM IS A LOT OF THE 
FRENCH SOLDIERS EVACUATED AT 
DUNKIRK WERE BACK IN FRANCE BY 
THE END OF THE WEEK BECAUSE THEY
WERE GOING BACK TO DO A 
COUNTERATTACK THROUGH BRITTANY, 
WHICH WAS THE WESTERN PENINSULA 
OF FRANCE.
AM I GOOD ON TIME?
OKAY.
SOMETIMES I TALK AND TALK AND 
HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TIME IT IS.
AND WHAT YEAR IT IS.
THAT'S FAIR.
THERE ARE MANY THEORIES AS TO 
WHY THE FRENCH ARMY WAS 
DEFEATED.
NOBODY DENIES THAT IT WAS A 
MILITARY DEFEAT.
BUT ALL THE SCHOLARS KIND OF 
WEIGH THE FACTORS DIFFERENTLY.
SOME SCHOLARS SAY IT WAS THE 
MILITARY'S FAULT.
IT WAS HIGH-COMMAND'S FAULT.
HIGH COMMAND WAS VERY 
DISORGANIZED.
GENERAL GAMALOT, THE SUPREME 
COMMANDER IN THE FRENCH FORCES, 
HIS HEADQUARTERS DIDN'T HAVE A 
RADIO FOR THE LONGEST TIME.
HIM AND HIS SUBORDINATE, GENERAL
GEORGE, WOULD GO DAYS WITHOUT 
TALKING TO EACH OTHER BECAUSE 
THEY HATED EACH OTHER.
SO THEY HAD NO IDEA.
>> JUST THINK OF THAT THE NEXT 
TIME YOU AND YOUR BOSS GET IN AN
ARGUMENT.
>> THE GERMANS TURN OUT TO BE 
VERY BAD.
IT IS LIKE DOING SOMETHING WITH 
YOUR RIGHT HAND WITHOUT KNOWING 
WHAT THE LEFT HAND IS DOING.
THE SCHOLARS WERE, LIKE, 
APPARENTLY THEY FORGOT THEY HAD 
AIR FORCE OR RELUCTANT TOP USE 
IT
 -- TO USE IT.
ON BOTH SIDES, AIRCRAFT -- 
ACTUALLY.
AND THE OTHER FACTORS, YOU HAVE 
THIS INCREDIBLY FRACTURED HIGH 
COMM
COMMAND.
OTHERS SAY IT WAS A DEMOGRAPHIC 
REASON FOR THE DEFEAT.
FRANCE'S POPULATION AS WE HAVE 
HIT RATHER HARD IS, YOU KNOW, 
FAR BELOW THE GERMAN POPULATION 
AT THE TIME.
THEY HAVE ALL THE WAR SCARS AND 
MEMORIES AND DIDN'T WANT TO 
FIGHT ANOTHER WAR BUT SOME SAY 
THE ECONOMIC -- THEIR DEFEAT 
WASN'T INEVITABLE, BUT THE ARDEN
THRUST BROKE THROUGH.
THEY TRIED TO CONTAIN IT.
THEY ACTUALLY PULLED AS MANY 
TANKS AS THEY COULD AND TRIED TO
CONSOLIDATE THEM INTO A BIG TANK
FORCE.
THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE 
COMMUNICATION WAS SO BAD, THE 
GERMAN THRUST WAS ACTUALLY 
FARTHER THAN THEY THOUGHT.
SO WHEN SENDING THE TANKS THERE,
THEY WERE ACTUALLY SENDING THEM 
KIND OF A FEW AT A TIME INSTEAD 
OF THE MASSIVE THRUST.
>> THERE'S A MILITARY ADAGE TO 
THAT.
IF YOU DON'T RISE TO THE 
OCCASION, YOU FALL BACK.
AND THERE WAS NO FORMAL 
TRAINING.
THEY HAD NEVER CONSIDERED THIS 
OUTSIDE OF A FEW VISIONARIES.
THAT'S NOT HOW YOU TRY TO ENGAGE
IN A MILITARY BATTLE.
YOU DON'T WANT TO SAY 
INEVITABLE, BUT WHEN THE END DID
COME, IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE 
FAILURE TO PLAN AND PREPARE IN 
THAT WAY.
THEY HAD SCATTERED -- I WOULD 
ARGUE PERSONALLY THEY SCATTERED 
THEIR DEFENSES, SPENDING A LOT 
ON THE MAGAN LINE, A LOT ON THE 
POWERFUL TANKS AND NOT WHERE IT 
MATTERED IN THE COMMUNICATIONS 
AND THE DRAIN.
>>> ALL RIGHT.
SO WHO IS FUZZY ON GREAT 
BRITAIN?
OH.
[ OFF MIC ]
>> AGAIN, -- 
[ OFF MIC ]
>> BASICALLY, IF YOU HAVE ANY 
QUESTIONS, IT IS IMPORTANT TO 
KNOW WHAT YOU'RE ASKING IF YOU 
HAVE THEM FOR THOSE WATCHING 
ONLINE.
PLEASE COME TOWN THE MICROPHONE 
AND ASK THEM.
>> THE QUESTION IS THE PICTURE 
UP ON THE LEFT HERE OF THIS 
MOTOR CYCLE DOING A JUMP, THAT 
WAS FROM A MILITARY FESTIVAL IN 
1935.
YOU KNOW, IT'S PRETTY COMMON FOR
MILITARIES IN EUROPE, AT LEAST, 
TO DO MILITARY PARADES TO FLEX 
THEIR PROWESS.
I DID THIS AS THE INTRODUCTION 
AS FRANCE WAS THE MILITARY 
POWER.
AND HERE THEY ARE DOING 
MOTORCYCLE JUMPS AT FESTIVALS.
>> AND IT MAY SEEM GOOFY, BUT 
YOU HAVE TO THINK OF THIS ERA 
WHEN THE HORSE CAVALRY IS NOT 
EVEN AT THE DOOR YET.
THEY ARE STILL -- HORSE-MAN 
UNITS ARE IN EVERY ARMY, WITH 
THE EXCEPTION OF THE BRITISH 
ARMY, AND I BELIEVE THE 
AMERICANS WERE SWITCHING OVER.
AND A MOTORCYCLE IS SEEN AS A 
GREAT WAY TO REPLACE THE HORSE.
MAYBE NOT IN TERMS OF PURE 
CAVALRY ONE-FOR-ONE, BUT 
MESSENGERS, DISPATCH RIDERS, AND
YOU SEE THE INFANTRY TO GET A 
LITTLE MORE MOBILITY TO NOT GET 
BOGGED DOWN IN THE TRENCHES 
AGAIN.
HE'S DEMONSTRATING HIS PROWESS 
AND IN THIS MILITARY SHOW WHERE 
EUROPE SHOWS OFF WHO HAS THE 
BIGGER MILITARY.
OKAY.
DOES EVERYBODY HAVE A BIT OF A 
WARM AND FUZZY AS WE SAY IN THE 
EUROPEAN POWERS?
YOU KIND OF GET A FEEL FOR WHAT 
THEIR SITUATION WAS LIKE.
EVERYBODY IS AN EXPERT NOW.
YOU'RE ALL GOING TO PASS THE 
TEST.
IT'S ONLY 200 QUESTIONS.
SHORT ANSWER ONLY.
YEAH?
OKAY, COOL, GOOD.
NOW WE WANT TO GET TO THE 
DISPLAY.
SO IT'S NOT JUST US TALKING.
ACTUALLY, WE HAVE SOME 
INTERESTING AND PRETTY PICTURES,
BUT WE'RE GOING TO DO 
COMPARISONS HERE.
THIS IS WHERE WE TAKE THE CHANCE
TO LOOK AT THE AMERICAN GI AS 
DEMONSTRATED BY MIKE HERE.
AND THE BRITISH TOMMY AND THE 
FRENCH.
THIS IS WHERE WE ARE GOING TO 
SEE WHAT THEY HAVE MAN-TO-MAN 
FOR EQUIPMENT, ET CETERA.
AND FIRST UP, OF COURSE, 
NATURALLY, THE AMERICAN GI.
>> SO WHEN THE UNITED STATES 
ENTERS THE WAR, IT'S VERY 
WOEFULLY UNPREPARED TO PUT IT 
BLUNTLY.
WHILE THE M1 GRAND WAS THE 
FAMOUS VEHICLE, NOT EVERYONE HAD
THE M1 GRAND.
THESE WERE THE SAME WEAPONS 
THEIR FATHERS USED IN THE 1917 
WAR WITH THE WATER COOLED GUNS.
WHAT WAS THE NUMBER?
IT WAS STILL USING HORSE-DRAWN 
CAVALRY UNTIL THE MID-'40s.
BUT THERE WAS NOTHING TO DO WITH
THE EUROPEAN WAR, RIGHT?
THE UNITED STATES ENTERED LAST 
TIME IN WORLD WAR I AND LOST 
100,000 OR SO MEN.
FELT THAT EUROPE LEARNED 
NOTHING.
SO WHY WOULD WE SEND AMERICAN 
BOYS TO FIGHT AGAIN, RIGHT?
THAT'S PRETTY SOUND LOGIC.
FROM YOUR AVERAGE AMERICAN ON 
THE GROUND AT THE TIME WHO HAS 
REALLY -- AGAIN, THEY DON'T WANT
TO SEE THEIR SONS GET TORN TO 
SHREDS.
IT IS UNDERSTANDABLE.
BUT ON DECEMBER 11th, 1940 -- 
SORRY, DECEMBER 7th, 1941, THE 
JAPANESE BOMBED PEARL HARBOR AND
THE UNITED STATES PREPARES FOR 
WAR.
BY THE END OF 1945, THE UNITED 
STATES MANAGED TO MOBILIZE 10 
MILLION AMERICAN MEN AND WOMEN 
IN THE SPAN OF FIVE YEARS.
AND WHAT I'M WEARING NOW IS 
BASICALLY WHAT THE AVERAGE GI 
MIGHT BE LOADED OUT WITH.
SO YOU SEE THE JACKETS THEY ARE 
WEARING THERE ARE M-41 JACKETS.
VERY STYLISH AND NICE.
THE PROBLEM IS WHEN YOU ARE 
WOUNDED, INSTEAD OF ONLY 
BUTTONS, UNDER THAT THEY HAVE 
ZIPP
ZIPPERS.
IF YOU ARE TRYING TO CUT THROUGH
A JACKET OF ZIPPERS RATHER THAN 
BUTTONS, IT IS UNCOMFORTABLE.
AND THEY ARE ALSO NOT VERY COOL.
NOTICE I'M WEARING A WOOL SHIRT 
UNDER THIS?
THERE REALLY WASN'T MUCH OF A 
SUMMER FIELD UNIFORM.
THEY HAD SOME NICE KHAKIS BUT 
YOU SEE MEN MARCHING THROUGH THE
DESERTS OF NORTH AFRICA WEARING 
WOOL SHIRTS AND PANTS BECAUSE 
IT'S ALL THEY HAD.
EVEN THE BRITISH WERE NOT THAT 
DONE.
THEY HAD KHAKI COTTON UNIFORMS 
AND NICE SHORT SHORTS TO RUN IN.
THE AMERICAN ARMY, THE SHORT 
SHORTS ARE UNMANLY.
WHOEVER.
WHATEVER.
VERY RAPIDLY, THE UNITED 
STATES -- THE AVERAGE AMERICAN 
GI HAD QUITE A FEW ADVANTAGES 
OVER HIS BRITISH COUNTERPART.
ONE, BETTER FOOD.
ON AVERAGE, DURING TRAINING, THE
AMERICAN ATE CONSIDERABLY MORE 
AT A FASTER RATE.
IF YOU ARE DOING A LOT OF WORK, 
YOU NEED A LOT OF FOOD TO FEED 
THE BODY.
TWO, THE U.S. WASN'T BEING 
BOMBED ON THE REGULAR, RIGHT?
IT IS KIND OF HARD TO CONDUCT 
THE FIELD TRAINING WHEN PLANES 
ARE FLYING OVERHEAD DROPPING 
ACTUAL BOMBS.
BUT THE UNITED STATES HAD TWO 
GREAT MOTIONS PERFECTING IT TO 
ALLOW FOR THE U.S. TO BE THIS 
GIGANTIC TRAINING ZONES WHO NEED
TO BE BROUGHT INTO A PROPER 
TRAINING.
SOME SPEND TWO TO THREE YEARS OF
TRAINING STATE-SIDE BEFORE BEING
BROUGHT OVER TO FRANCE.
MEANING INSTEAD OF THE SOVIET 
UNION WHERE THEY SCRAPE WHATEVER
THEY CAN TO THROW IN A MILITARY 
UNIFORM.
OR THE BRITISH WORRIED ABOUT THE
CONSTANT BOMBARDMENT OR THE 
FRENCH ARMY HAVING TO TRAIN 
WHILE MARCHING BECAUSE THEY HAVE
NO LAND TO ACTUALLY TRAIN ON.
THE US GI WAS CAPABLE OF HAVING 
THE LONG TRAINING PERIOD 
NECESSARY FOR THESE MEN TO FACE 
BATTLE.
AND EVEN THEN, IT WASN'T ALWAYS.
IN 1942, THE UNITED STATES 
REALIZED VERY QUICKLY HOW 
OUTNUMBERED THEY WERE.
IT TOOK UNTIL 1943 FOR THE 
UNITED STATES TO BECOME A TRULY 
COMPETENT MILITARY FORCE WITH 
THE INVASION OF SICILY AND 
ITALY.
BY D-DAY, THE TIME PERIOD WE HAD
BECOME THE SECOND MOST POWERFUL 
ARMY ON THE PLANET.
>> I HAD TO THROW IN SOME 
PARATROOPERS HERE, BUT WE HAVE 
SOME CHOKING CHICKENS INSTEAD OF
THE PARATROOPERS IN THE 82nd.
OKAY, WHATEVER.
THE U.S. MILITARY HAD 
EXPERIMENTED WITH PARATROOPER 
UNITS BEFOREHAND AND WE 
DEVELOPED THE ENTIRE PARACHUTE 
AIRBORNE CORPS FOR USE LATE IN 
THE WAR.
NOTICE IF YOU CAN THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN THE TWO PICTURES.
THIS WE HAVE NICE JACKETS.
THE GAS ALMOST LIKED LIKE THEY 
WERE WEARING TIES.
THESE GUYS LOOK LIKE THEY ARE 
READY TO FIGHT.
THEY ARE DIRTY, THE UNIFORMS ARE
SLOPPY, THEY ARE PROBABLY NOT 
THE CLEANEST AND SHARPEST 
DRESSING, BUT THEY ARE DOWN, 
DIRTY FIGHTERS READY TO DROP IN 
THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND 
FIGHT THE GERMANS.
THEY WERE NICKNAMED THE BUTCHERS
IN THE BAGGY PANTS BY THE 
GERMAN.
SINCE THEY HAD TO JUMP IN WITH 
ALMOST ALL THEIR EQUIPMENT, THEY
HAD THESE BIG -- ON MY UNIFORM 
YOU DON'T SEE BAGGY POCKETS, BUT
THIS JACKET DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT
CAN CARRY A WHOLE LOT.
IT DOESN'T.
IN FACT, WHAT MOST MEN DO IS USE
THE BELT AS A CINCH AND STUFF 
THINGS INTO THE FRONT OF THEIR 
POCKETS TO LOOK LIKE SANTA CLAUS
MARCHING THROUGH THE FIELDS OF 
FRANCE.
THE PARATROOPERS HAD THE POCKETS
BECAUSE THEY ARE EXPECTED TO 
SURVIVE WITHOUT ANY SORT OF 
RESUPPLY.
SO TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE HOW 
MUCH THE YOUNG MEN WOULD CARRY, 
ONE AIRBORNE ENGINEER WHO 
WEIGHED 130 POUNDS WEIGHED HIS 
PAC THE NIGHT BEFORE ON JUNE 
5th, 1944.
HIS PACK WEIGHED MORE THAN HE 
DID.
IF YOU LOOK AT THIS MAN'S POCKET
AT THE VERY BOTTOM, YOU HAVE TWO
POCKETS IN THE FRONT OF HIS 
JACKET.
IT LOOKS LIKE A HIGHLIGHTLY 
DIFFERENT COLOR.
THE FRONT OF THE PARACHUTE WAS 
SO STRONG, IF YOU HAD ANY FOOD, 
IT IS LOST.
THEY WOULD LOSE ALL THE ITEMS 
THEY WOULD HAVE IN THE POCKETS.
THERE ARE ONLY MAYBE FIVE 
AIRBORNE DIVISIONS, IF THAT IN 
AN ARMY THAT HAD, I THINK, 
ROUGHLY 70 DIVISIONS.
NEVERTHELESS, THEY OCCUPY A 
SPECIAL GROUP THAT ARE 
UNDERMANNED AND UNDERARMED.
ALMOSTTIMES, THEY FELT 
SURROUNDED IN LATE '44 AND '45 
BY ONE OF THE LARGEST ARMIES ON 
THE WESTERN FRONT SINCE 1940.
WE SHOULD ALSO REMEMBER A LOT OF
THE POST-WAR CHIEFS OF STAFF 
WERE FORMER AIRBORNE DIVISION 
COMMANDERS OR AIRBORNE OFFICERS.
SO YOU SEE THE UNIFORM SHIFT IN 
MENTALITY SWITCH TO THE ENTIRE 
FUS ARMY POST-WAR.
AS YOU TALK ABOUT THIS, HE 
PROBABLY LOOKS LIKE HE'S 
CARRYING TOO MUCH STUFF.
BUT HE JUMPED WITH TWO ITEMS.
THEY WERE -- SOME OF IT IS 
DISPLAYED FRONT AND CENTER ON 
HIS CHEST.
AMMUNITION.
AND THE OTHER ONE WAS?
CIGARETTES.
PARATROOPERS WOULD JUMP WITH AN 
UNGODLY AMOUNT OF AMMUNITION 
STUFFED EVERYWHERE.
SO MUCH, THEY WERE TERRIFIED OF 
RUNNING OUT OF EDFED A IT.
THE ONLY THING WORSE THAN 
GETTING SHOT AT BY THE GERMANS 
IS GETTING SHOT BY THE GERMANS 
AND NOT BEING ABLE TO TAKE A 
SMOKE BREAK.
SO YOU CAN SEE AMERICANS IN 
PARIS STUFFING CIGARETTES 
WHEREVER THEY CAN.
INCLUDING ONE GUY WHO SAID, 
GREAT, HIS POCKET IS ON HIS LEG.
CARGILL POCKET.
AND HE CAN PUT SOME DOWN HIS 
PANTS BECAUSE THEY'VE GOT GREAT 
BIG PANTS.
HE WON'T SMASH ANYTHING BECAUSE 
IT IS DOWN ON BY HIS LEG.
MULTIPLE CARTONS ARE RUINED THEN
AS SOON AS HE LANDS.
SO THEN HE HAD TO GO FIGHT.
WELL, ON THE OPPOSITE END OF THE
SPECTRUM, WE HAVE THE CRAZY 
BRITISH TOMMYS FIGHTING SINCE 
1929 AND WHOSE DADS HAVE VIVID 
MEMORIES OF FIGHTING THE 
PREVIOUS WAR.
AS YOU CAN SEE WITH MY UNIFORM, 
IT IS QUITE A BIT DIFFERENT THAN
WHAT HE'S WEARING.
I DON'T HAVE A BIG PACK ON MY 
BACK RIGHT NOW.
MY PACK IS A SMALL ONE SITTING 
OVER THERE THAT DETACHES FROM MY
SUSPENDERS.
HIS, ON THE OTHER HAND, IS 
INTENDED TO BE USED WITH HIS 
SUSPENDERS NOW BEING WORN AS A 
BACKPACK.
ANYTHING TO ADD?
OKAY.
SO ACCORDING TO THE WONDERFUL 
MEN IN THE ORDINANCE DEPARTMENT,
THE UNITED STATES MILITARY WAS 
THE MOST SCIENTIFICALLY DESIGNED
AND PERFECTLY ERGONOMICAL KITS 
IN EXISTENCE.
IF ANY OF YOU HAVE WORKED WITH 
GOVERNMENT, DO YOU KNOW THIS IS 
NOT TRUE?
IT WAS DESIGNED AFTER A NATIVE 
AMERICAN -- WHAT WAS THE NAME?
THE PO OA -- PAPOOSE.
THEY DESIGNED IT TO BE ATTACHED 
TO THE CARTRIDGE BELT TO HOLD UP
THE END OF THE BELT WITH EIGHT 
BLACK CLIPS OR THERE COULD BE A 
PROBLEM.
THE SACK IS RATHER UNWIELDY.
AND TO YOU Y, YOU CAN'T CARRY A 
THAT.
YOU HAVE THE MINIMUM AMOUNT, THE
BLANKET, A SHELTER HAT, YOU 
WEREN'T GIVEN A FULL TENT, 
YOU'RE GIVEN HALF A TENT AND 
TOLD TO SHARE WITH YOUR FRIEND.
THE TENT POLES, ROPE AND ONE 
EXTRA PAIR OF SOX SOCKS, ONE 
EXTRA PAIR OF SHIRT, AN EXTRA 
PAIR OF UNDERWEAR, A MEET -- A 
MEAT CAN OR TWO OF SPAGHETTI 
OVER THERE.
OR WHAT THE ARMY CALLS SPAG
I
SPAGHETTI.
OFTENTIMES MEN FOUND WAYS TO 
ADAPT.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT MORE LATER 
WITH THE INTERACTIVE STUFF.
WHERE HOPEFULLY I'M NOT STUCK 
BEHIND THE PODIUM AND WE CAN 
COMMUNICATE WITH Y'ALL.
OFTEN, GUYS, THESE ARE TURNED 
INTO AT BACK TACKS OR ACTUALLY 
NEEDED, LIKE A GAS MASK BAG.
THIS BAG IS SUPER USEFUL.
I ACTUALLY HAVE EVERYTHING THEY 
WOULD CARRY HERE IN THE FIELD, 
TWO OR THREE FOOD RATION.
THINGS I DIDN'T WANT TO LOSE I 
PUT IN THIS BAG.
AND IF I WAS THROWING INTO THE 
FIELD, I WOULD THROW OFF THE 
SACK AND YOU HAVE EVERYTHING YOU
NEED TO SURVIVE IN BATTLE 
REALISTICALLY.
FEANL I LOST MY HACKENSACK.
THE BRITISH WERE LATECOMERS, BUT
YOU CAN LOOK AT THE CURRENT 
STATE OF TECHNOLOGY AND SAY, 
THIS IS WHAT MODERN MEANS RIGHT 
NOW.
THIS IS WHAT A MODERN-FIGHTING 
SOLDIER NEEDS.
HE DOESN'T NEED A PRETTY UNIFORM
THAT LOOKS GREAT ON PARADE.
HE DOESN'T NEED A UNIFORM AND 
EQUIPMENT DESIGNED FOR JUST A 
RIFLE.
BECAUSE THE BRITISH MILITARY 
LOOKED AT THE EQUIPMENT AND 
SAID, WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT
WEAPON IN THE MAIN STREET UNIT 
RIGHT NOW?
IT'S THE MACHINE GUN.
THE RIFLES ARE GREAT, BUT THE 
MACHINE NEEDS TO BE -- FOR 
DECADES, THEY DESIGNED IT NOT 
FOR A RIFLE, BUT WITH MACHINE 
GUN MAGAZINES IN MIND.
BECAUSE EVERY RIFLEMAN, YOU WILL
NOTICE IN THIS PICTURE, THEY ARE
WEARING A BIG BACK ON THE CHEST.
YOU HAVE THE GUY SMILING HOLDING
A CIGARETTE WITH THE WHITE CUP.
RIGHT BEHIND THE WHITE CUP, THIS
IS THE BAG I'M TALKING ABOUT.
ANYBODY WANT TO GUESS WHAT THAT 
IS?
IF YOU WERE HERE FOR WORLD WAR 
I, YOU MIGHT KNOW.
GAS MASK.
IT'S THE SAME STYLE USED IN 
WORLD WAR I.
IT'S CONNECTED TO A FILTER BY A 
HOSE.
YOU HAVE EXAMPLES OF FRONT.
SO FOR ONLINE, WE CAN TAKE 
PICT
PICTURES.
THESE ARE VERY EFFECTIVE GAS 
MASKS.
BUT AS MIKE SAID, GAS WASN'T 
USED BY THE GERMANS DURING WORLD
WAR II.
HITLER ARGUED THAT HE WAS 
SCARRED BY HIS FIRST EXPERIENCE.
GAS MASKS LIKE THAT FELL OUT OF 
FAVOR.
AND WHILE IT WAS GAS MASKS FOR 
D-DAY, THEY QUICKLY FOUND THAT 
THE PATCHES ARE GOOD FOR HOLDING
ON TO THINGS, LIKE CIGARETTES AS
WELL AS FOOD AND AMMUNITION.
SO I'LL BE SHOWING THE CHANGES.
AND THE FIRST ONE I SHOWED YOU 
EARLIER WERE EARLY WAR.
THESE ARE LATER ONES.
THE GUYS THERE ON THE RIGHT ARE 
SMOKING AND JOKING.
THIS IS 1944, EARLY '45.
BRITISH TROOPS ALREADY INVADED 
FRANCE AFTER D-DAY.
NOTICE THE BERETS.
BECAUSE THE EARLY WAR SERVICE 
CAPS OR OVERSEAS CAPS CALLED IN 
THE AMERICAN SERVICE, THE BERET 
WAS BECOMING THE PREFERRED HEAD 
GEAR TO THROW IN A POCKET AND 
THROW IT BACK ON THE HEAD.
AND IT WOULDN'T HAVE TO WORRY 
ABOUT BEING BAD BECAUSE IT IS A 
BERET.
ANYBODY WANT TO GUESS WHERE THIS
NEXT PICTURE WAS TAKEN?
THE DESERTS OF NORTH AFRICA.
THEY ARE BUNDLED UP AGAINST THE 
COLD OF THE DESERT THAT WILL 
SOON BE OVER 100 DEGREES BY 
MID-MORNING.
OR LATE AFTERNOON.
BUT AT THIS POINT, THEY'VE GOT A
BUNDLE UP.
THAT SHOWS YOU THE TEMPERATURE 
CHANGES WE'RE DEALING WITHOUT 
THE WAR.
IN THE AFTERNOON, IT GETS 
TOASTY.
JUST LIKE THE BRITISH, THEY GOT 
PLENTY OF COMBAT EXPERIENCE.
YOU SAW THE INVASION SCALE IN 
BRITAIN.
THEY USED THE PARATROOPERS TO BE
IN LEXOUMBURG AND FRANCE.
IT WAS NOT UNTIL THE BATTLE OF 
CRETE WHEN THEY OVERWHELMED THE 
BRITISH GARRISON THAT KNEW NOT 
ONLY WHEN THE GERMANS WERE 
COMING BUT WHERE THEY WERE 
LANDING.
THE BRITISH REALIZED, HEY, WAIT 
A SECOND.
THERE COULD BE SOMETHING TO THE 
WHOLE PARATROOPER IDEA AND SORT 
OF PRODUCING THEIR OWN UNITS.
THESE GUYS WERE SOME OF THE BEST
THE BRITISH ARMY HAD, EVEN IF 
SOME OF THE EQUIPMENT WAS THE 
WORST THE BRITISH ARMY HAD.
AND IN ALL THE MAJOR JUMPS THAT 
THE AMERICANS TOOK PART IN, THE 
BRITISH PARATROOPERS WITHER 
RIGHT ALONGSIDE THEM.
BUT I WANT TO STRESS THIS, THIS 
IS NOT JUST THE BRITISH ARMY OR 
GUYS FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM 
THESE ARE IMPERIL TROOPS FROM 
ALL OVER THE WORLD.
ANYBODY CARE TO GUESS WHERE 
THESE GUYS ARE FROM?
EITHER PICTURE.
THE GUY LEANING UP AGAINST THE 
TREE IS A CANADIAN.
VERY SIMILAR TO THE UNIFORM I'M 
WEARING.
THE RIFLE HE'S HOLDING IS A 4 
INFIELD.
A BRITISH-MADE VERSION, A 
CANADIAN-MADE VERSION FROM THE 
LONG BRANCH ARSENAL OR COULD BE 
AN AMERICAN-MADE RIFLE MADE 
THROUGH BERLIN LEASE.
THE OTHER GUYS ARE ACTUALLY 
INDIAN TROOPS.
INDIA WAS STILL THE CROWN JEWEL 
IN THE BRITISH CROWN.
IT WAS STILL ONE OF THE MOST 
WEALTHY TERRITORIES THAT HAD NOT
BEEN GRANTED DOMINION STATUS.
AND WHILE GANDHI WAS BEGINNING 
HIS PEACEFUL PROTESTS AND THERE 
WAS A MAJOR PUSH IN INDIA FOR 
INDEPENDENCE FROM THE BRITISH 
EMPIRE, INDIAN TROOPS WOULD 
FIGHT VALIANTLY FOR THE BRITISH 
IN NORTH AFRICA AND AGAINST THE 
JAPANESE.
AND HERE WE HAVE SOME EXAMPLES 
OF THEM.
HEAVILY ARMED, HE'S GOT A TOMMY 
GUN IN THE ARMS THERE BESIDES 
HIM.
FIGHTING FOR THE EMPIRE DOESN'T 
GRANT THEM INDEPENDENCE AND THEY
REFUSED TO TREAT THEM AS TRUE 
PEOPLE, BUT THEY ARE THERE 
FIGHTING ANYWAY.
AND YOU CAN SEE THIS QUITE A BIT
THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.
WITHOUT THE IMPERIAL TROOPS, 
BRITAIN WOULD BE STRETCHED WELL 
THIN WELL BEFORE 1945.
>> SINCE I AM WEARING EVERYTHING
AND DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ON THE 
TABLE, I THOUGHT THIS PICTURE UP
HERE WOULD LAY OUT KIND OF 
EXACTLY WHAT THEY WOULD WEAR.
THE FRENCH MILITARY ALSO DECIDED
TO TAKE THE SCIENTIFIC ROUTE FOR
A LOT OF THEIR STUFF.
>> I AM SO SORRY, CAN WE TAKE A 
BREAK, PLEASE?
>> YEAH, SURE.
>> WE'LL TAKE A BREAK FOR JUST A
FEW MINUTES AND THEN COME BACK, 
OKAY?
>> YOU CAN USE THIS TIME TO COME
UP AND SEE SOME OF THE STUFF UP 
CLOSE.
>> ALL RIGHT.
WELCOME BACK.
LET US FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE 
ITEMS ON DISPLAY.
>> THE CRAZY TRAIN THAT WE'RE 
ON, WE'RE GOING TO GIVE YOU A 
ROAD MAP OF WHAT IS GOING TO 
HAPPEN.
WE'LL LET OUR RESIDENT FRENCHMAN
TALK ABOUT WHY HE'S DRESSED SO 
SILLY.
BECAUSE HE'S FRENCH AND HAS TO 
TALK ABOUT FASHION.
AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO DO A 
DEEP-DIVE IN THE STUFF AND 
EQUIPMENT WE HAVE UP FRONT.
WHOEVER IS REPRESENTING THE 
COUNTRY THAT IS GOING TO BE 
DISPLAYED WILL BE THE ONES 
DISCUSSING IT.
AND THE OTHER ONES WILL BE 
SHOWING IT.
UNFORTUNATELY, JUST LIKE THE 
FRENCH IN 1940, WE DIDN'T 
PRACTICE THIS.
WE DIDN'T TRAIN FOR THIS.
SO IT'S GOING TO BE A LITTLE 
CONFUSING.
I JUST HOPE TO GET IT DONE 
BEFORE THE GERMANS BREAK DOWN 
THE DOOR.
CAN WE ALL HOPE FOR THAT?
>> YES.
>> OKAY.
I WILL LET THE FRENCHMAN 
CONTINUE.
>> JUST A QUICK RUNDOWN ON WHY 
THE FRENCH SOLDIERS LOOK SO 
WEIRD COMPARED TO EVERYBODY 
ELSE.
THE HELMETS WERE -- THIS IS THE 
M2
M26ED 
M26ADRIAN HELMET.
THIS WAS BASED OFF A FIREMAN'S 
HELMET IN THE CIVILIAN WORLD.
AND THE RICH WAS SUPPOSED TO 
HELP DEFLECT FORCE TRYING TO 
COME DOWN IF ANYTHING HITS YOU 
DIRECTLY, IT'S SUPPOSED TO HELP 
DEFLECT.
THERE WAS A RECENT STUDY THAT 
SHOWED IT WAS BETTER DEFLECTING 
FORCE THAN A MODERN AMERICAN 
HELMET.
WHICH WAS SHOCKING TO EVERYBODY 
IN THE STUDY.
BUT THEN THE GRAY COAT WAS THE 
COMBAT UNIFORM.
THIS WAS THE UNIFORM TO WEAR IN 
COMBAT.
IT LOOKS REAL TOASTY, BUT IT IS 
ACTUALLY THE SAME WEIGHT.
IT'S ABOUT A TUNIC WEIGHT, SO IT
IS ABOUT THE SAME WEIGHT AS 
JACOB'S TUNIC HERE.
WE HAVE THE NICE DOUBLE-BREASTED
BUTTONS, BECAUSE FRANCE LIKES 
THE TRADITIONS AND THE 19th 
CENTURY UNIFORMS.
THE LOOK WITH THE PINNED UP 
TAILS OF THE COAT IS VERY, VERY 
SYMBOLIC IN THEIR TRADITIONS.
WE'RE STILL WEARING THE LEG 
WRAPS.
SOME FRENCH TROOPS HAD ACTUAL 
LIKE LEATHER LEGGINGS THEY WORE,
BUT THE MAJORITY WERE STILL 
USING THE LEG WRAPS THEY WERE 
USING IN WORLD WAR I.
THAT'S ABOUT SUMMING UP THE KEY 
FEATURES OF THE FRENCH UNIFORM 
AT THE TIME.
SO WE CAN MOVE ON NOW TO -- YES?
OH, RIGHT.
THE DOG TAGS WERE SUPPOSED TO BE
WORN ON THE WRIST.
NOT EVERYBODY FOLLOWED THAT 
RULE, ESPECIALLY IN WORLD WAR I.
YOU HAVE ACCOUNTS OF GUYS THAT 
ARE TRYING TO COLLECT THE TAGS 
OFFA
OFFALEN -- OFF THE FALLEN, AND 
EVERYBODY CARRIED THEM SOMEWHERE
ELSE.
SOME HAD THEM IN A POCKET, SOME 
HAD THEM AROUND THE NECK, IN THE
WRIST, IN POCKETS, IN A BAG.
AND THE GUY IN THE PICTURE IS 
WEARING ONE IN THE BOTTOM RIGHT 
PICTURE.
THAT'S ACTUALLY A FRENCH SOLDIER
AT DUNKIRK ON THE BEACH.
ALL THREE OF THESE PICTURES ARE 
FROM DUNKIRK.
WE CAN MOVE ON TO ITEMS NOW.
DO YOU WANT TO HAND ME THE MOSS?
OH, WE HAVE AN ORDER.
HERE WE GO.
>> I WILL START BY TALKING ABOUT
THE GARAND WITH A QUOTE FROM 
PATTON SAYING THAT THIS WEAPON 
HERE IS THE SINGLE GREATEST 
BATTLE IMPLEMENT EVER DEVISED.
HE'S HONESTLY NOT FAR OFF UNLESS
YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING
N WHICH CASE, SHE'S GOT A BITE, 
I'M GOING TO PUT IT BLUNTLY.
SO THE FIRE IS A 6-CALIBER 
BULLET FROM A CANADIAN THAT 
DECIDED TO WORK FOR THE UNITED 
STATES.
IT FIRED EIGHT CLIPS THAT WOULD 
BE LOADED FROM THE TOP.
SO IT JUST FOLLOWS.
DON'T WORRY, WE ARE NOT GOING TO
LOAD IT, BEFORE THE UNIVERSITY 
CALLS IN THE SHERIFF.
THESE ARE ALL DUMMY ROUNDS.
AND THIS IS FOR ELUSTRATIVE 
PURPOSES.
YOU WOULD PRESS IT IN THE TOP.
YOU ALWAYS TRY TO KEEP YOUR HAND
HERE.
BECAUSE THE MINUTE YOU PRESS 
DOWN AND ALL EIGHT ROUNDS ARE 
IN, IT HAS A NASTY HABIT OF 
FIGHTING BACK.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAD FATHERS
OR MOTHERS IN THE WAR THAT MAY 
HAVE HELD ONE OF THESE THINGS, 
THEY MIGHT HAVE SPOKEN FONDLY 
ABOUT A GARAND THUMB.
IF IT CAUGHT YOUR THUMB, IT 
WOULD BE A DIFFERENT COLOR FOR 
THE NEXT FEW DAYS.
NOW, THE GREAT THING ABOUT IT IS
THIS -- THE UNITED STATES WAS 
REALLY THE ONLY NATION THAT 
BOTHERED TO OUTFIT THE MAJORITY 
OF ITS TROOPS WITH A 
SEMIAUTOMATIC RIFLE.
WHICH MEANS THAT INSTEAD OF 
HAVING TO RELOAD WITH A BOLT 
EVERY TIME, THE MINUTE AN 
AMERICAN HAD THEIR SIGHTS ON 
SOMETHING, THEY COULD CONTINUE 
FIRING AT THE SPOT THEY WERE 
AIMING AT.
NOW, HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE EVER 
HEARD OF THE GARAND PAIN?
ANYONE KNOW WHAT THAT IS?
THE PING?
WELL, THESE LITTLE BLOCKS STAYED
IN THE GARAND UNTIL THE FINAL 
ROUND WAS FIRED.
NOW, IF YOU'RE THE ONLY GARAND 
SHOOTING, IT IS A VERY LOUD AND 
AUDIBLE PING SOUND THAT I CANNOT
REPRODUCE RIGHT NOW BECAUSE I 
DON'T WANT TO SCARE THE 
SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT.
NOW, IT IS MAYBE LOUD ALONE.
AND THIS HAS LED TO A LOT OF 
MYTHS.
MYTHS SUCH AS, OH, THE GERMANS 
OR JAPANESE WOULD WAIT FOR THE 
PING OF THE GARAND BEFORE THEY 
ATTACKED.
OR OH, THE AMERICANS WOULD THROW
EMPTY M-BLOCKS AT ROCKS TO MAKE 
THE PINGING SOUND.
I GUARANTEE YOU, WHEN YOU HAVE 
ABOUT EIGHT OF THESE THINGS, 
BECAUSE IN THE AVERAGE ARMY 
SQUAD, THEY HAD EIGHT IN A 
GARAND AND A RIFLE, YOU CAN'T 
HEAR THE PING.
THERE ARE EIGHT RIFLES BEING 
FIRED AT THE SAME TIME.
YOU'RE NOT HEARING THE PING.
BUT THIS WAS NOT THE ONLY 
STANDARD RIFLE THAT THE AMERICAN
SERVICEMEN HAD, RIGHT?
THIS WAS USUALLY THE RIFLE OF 
THE INFANTRY MEN.
BUT IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT 
WARFARE, FOR EVERY ONE OR TWO 
MEN YOU HAVE IN THE FIELD, YOU 
HAVE EIGHT OR NINE BEHIND THEM.
ARTILLERY, TANKS, MEDICAL 
PERSONNEL, TRANSPORT TROOPS, 
ORDINANCE, EVERY JOB IN BETWEEN.
THEY NEEDED A RIFLE, WHICH WE 
DON'T HAVE A SLIDE FOR, BUT I 
WILL SHOW IT IN A SECOND, THEY 
NEEDED A RIFLE THAT WAS SMALLER 
AND LIGHTER.
ON TOP OF THAT, EVEN IN THE 
INFANTRY UNITS, IMAGINE YOU'RE 
AN ASSISTANT MACHINE GUNNER, 
RIGHT?
YOUR FRIEND IS CARRYING THE 
ACTUAL MACHINE GUN, AND YOU HAVE
TO CARRY ALL THE AMMUNITION FOR 
THAT MACHINE GUN PLUS THIS 
8-10-POUND WEAPON WITH ALL THE 
AMMUNITION FOR IT.
WHICH IS HEAVY, RIGHT?
AND THEY REALIZED THEY NEEDED A 
LIGHTER WEAPON FOR TROOPS THAT 
WERE NOT ACTIVELY FRONT-LINE 
INFANTRY MEN.
THAT LEADS ME TO THE NEXT ONE.
THE M1 CARBINE.
WHEN THIS WAS INITIALLY 
INTRODUCED, IT WAS NOT TERRIBLY 
POPULAR.
IT FIRED A BULLET THAT WAS 
SLIGHTLY LARGER.
IT WAS REALLY ONLY EFFECTIVE TO 
200 YARDS.
IN FACT, THE AMERICAN SOLDIERS 
COMPLAINED WHEN THEY CLEARLY HIT
A TARGET, THAT MAN WOULD OFTEN 
KEEP MOVING BECAUSE IT WAS A 
SMALLER UNDERPOWERED BULLET.
THE SITES THEMSELVES AS WELL 
WERE FLARED OUT.
AND THERE WAS NO WAY TO ADJUST 
TO DISTANCE ASIDE FROM, OKAY, 50
YARDS, 100 YARDS, UNLIKE THE 
GARAND WHERE YOU CAN HIT TARGETS
1,000 YARDS PLUS WITH RELATIVE 
EASE, THE CARBINE YOU CAN'T.
BUT IT WAS NOT DESIGNED FOR 
THAT.
THE CARBINE WAS DESIGNED FOR THE
ARTILLERY MEN WHO NEED SOMETHING
TO PROTECT THEMSELVES IN CASE 
THE ENEMY BROKE THROUGH THE 
LINE.
YOUR TRUCKER WHO NEEDED 
SOMETHING SMALL THAT WOULD FIT 
IN THE TRUCK TO BE ABLE TO SHOOT
OUT.
YOUR OFFICER WHO REALISTICALLY, 
AND THE IDEA OF THE OFFICER AT 
THIS TIME WAS, IF YOUR OFFICER 
IS SHOOTING HIS WEAPON, HE'S NOT
COMMANDING HIS MEN.
AND IT MIGHT END BADLY WHEN THE 
OFFICER IS ACTUALLY USEFUL.
MOVING ON.
THE CARBINE WAS AN EFFECTIVE 
WEAPON WITH 15 MAG SHEENS.
AND OFTENTIMES, YOU CAN FIT MORE
MAGAZINES ONTO THE STOCK HERE.
AND THE AVERAGE LOAD OF A GUY, 
THEY WOULD HAVE MAYBE 6 TO 7 
MAGAZINES.
IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE A LOT.
BUT IF YOU ARE ISSUED A CARBINE,
YOU ARE NOT EXPECTED TO SHOOT A 
LOT.
THE BIG DIFFERENCE IS THE 
PARATROOPERS WOULD HAVE THIS 
CARBINE BUT CUT DOWN HERE WITH A
PISTOL STOCK AND A LITTLE 
RETRACTABLE BUTTSTOCK WITH THE 
IDEA IT WILL FIT SNUG IN YOUR 
PACK.
IF YOU ARE JUMPING LIKE THIS, 
THIS ISN'T HELPFUL.
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, I DON'T 
WANT TO LAND AFTER FALLING 
SEVERAL THOUSAND FEET WITH A 
WOODSTOCK IN MY FACE.
THAT SOUNDS KIND OF PAINFUL.
BUT REGARDLESS, THE CARBINE ENDS
UP BEING, BY THE END OF THE WAR,
IS INCREDIBLY POPULAR.
SO MUCH SO THAT THEY ACTUALLY 
MODIFIED THEM TO BE KNOWN AS THE
M2 CARBINE THAT WAS FULLY 
AUTOMATIC AND USED THROUGHOUT 
THE KOREAN WAR AND WELL INTO 
VIETNAM.
SO WITH THAT SAID, THAT'S PRETTY
MUCH ALL I'VE GOT FOR MY OWN 
AMERICAN RIFLES THAT WERE USED 
BY RIFLEMEN.
WHAT IS THE NEXT SLIDE ON THIS 
THING, JACOB?
NOW WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT THE 
WEAPONS USED BY YOUR AVERAGE 
BRITISH TOMMY.
AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT PISTOLS 
LATER ON IN THE SLIDES.
>> EVERYBODY BORED YET?
I DON'T NEED TO FIRE ONE OFF TO 
WAKE EVERYBODY BACK UP?
>> THAT WOULD BE BAD.
>> OKAY.
ALL RIGHT.
SO IF YOU SAW THE AMERICAN 
GARAND ADOPTED IN THE 1930s AS 
THE SEMIAUTOMATIC WEAPON.
WELL, UNLIKE THE AMERICAN 
COUSINS, THE BRITISH SOLDIER 
DIDN'T GO IN WITH A FANCY NEW 
RIFLE THAT IS GOING TO CHANGE 
AND REVOLUTIONIZE THE WARFARE, 
NO, THEY STARTED THE WAR IN 1939
WITH LITERALLY THE EXACT SAME 
RIFLES THAT THEIR FATHERS 
CARRIED 20 YEARS EARLIER.
THIS IS THE BRITISH ENFIELDS, 
MA
MARKIII OR MARKIII STAR.
THIS HAS A TEN MAGAZINE FIRING A
303 POWERFUL CARTRIDGE, A VERY 
EFFECTIVE CARTRIDGE.
ALL IN ALL, THIS IS A VERY GOOD 
BOLT-ACTION RIFLE.
REMEMBER WHAT I JUST SAID ABOUT 
THE AMERICANS HAVING THE FANCY 
NEW SEMIAUTOMATIC?
YEAH.
EVERYBODY KNEW THAT THE 
SEMIAUTOMATICS WERE THE NEXT 
WAVE OF THE FUTURE.
THE NEXT RIFLE GENERATION THAT 
EVERYBODY WAS GOING TO MOVE 
TOWARDS.
BUT GUESS WHAT NEW RIFLES COST?
THEY COST A LOT OF MONEY.
YOU HAVE TO DESIGN ONE AND EQUIP
ONE.
YOU HAVE TO REORIENT YOUR ENTIRE
SUPPLY SYSTEM TO SUPPORT THIS 
NEW RIFLE.
AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE NEW 
CARTRIDGE, BECAUSE THE BRITISH 
303 CARTRIDGE DOES NOT WORK 
REALLY WELL IN A BOX MAXINE -- 
MAGAZINE OR IN A SEMIAUTOMAT 
INWEAPON.
THEY MADE SOME ATTEMPTS IN THE 
EARLY WAR YEARS TO UPDATE IT.
AND WE'LL SEE HOW THE ATTEMPTS 
BORE THROUGH LATER ON, BUT THEY 
STILL CARRIED THIS THROUGHOUT 
MOST OF THE WAR.
AND SOME UNITS WOULD CARRY THESE
RIFLES ALL THE WAY THROUGH WORLD
WAR II.
AND THIS IS A WEAPON THAT DATES 
BACK TO THE 19-TEENS.
OR THE 1900s AND 19-TEENS.
SPEAKING OF THE GARAND, THE 
BRITISH MILITARY TESTED IT IN 
THE 1930s AND FOUND IT WAS A 
PRETTY GOOD RIFLE.
BUT THEY SAID IT HAS A PROBLEM 
IF YOU GET SAND IN THE ACTION.
AND IT STARTS TO CAUSE PROBLEMS 
AND MALFUNCTIONS AND ISSUES.
SO THEY DECIDED NOT TO CONSIDER 
ADOPTING IT.
INTERESTING ENOUGH, THE UNITED 
STATES MARINE CORPS DETERMINED 
THE SAME THING WHEN THEY TESTED 
IT IN THE 1930s.
SO THEY WERE NOT EARLY ADAPTERS 
OF THE NEW WEAPON.
YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY THE MARINES
DIDN'T HAVE ANY M1 GARANDS?
IT WAS BECAUSE THE MARINES 
DECIDED, WE'LL WAIT TO FIND 
SOMETHING BETTER.
AND THEN NOTHING BETTER SHOWED 
UP, SO THEY GOT STUCK GETTING 
THE ARMY'S HAND-ME-DOWNS.
BUT PARTIALLY THROUGH WORLD WAR 
II, THE BRITISH DIDN'T REALIZE, 
OKAY, MAYBE A RIFLE DESIGNED IN 
1906 AND UPDATED IN WORLD WAR I 
COULD USE A FEW UPDATES.
AND SO THEY DECIDED TO UPDATE 
THIS ENFIELD WITH ANOTHER 
ENFIELD.
THIS IS THE NO-4 ENFIELD.
IT FIRES A 303 CARTRIDGE AND IS 
A GREAT BOLT-ACTION RIFLE.
NOTICE IT IS STILL A 
VOLT-ACTION.
NOTICE IT IS STILL THE ENFIELD.
NOTICE NOTHING OF IMPORTANCE 
REALLY CHANGED.
THE NUMBER-ONE DIFFERENCE 
BETWEEN THIS IS THEY CHANGED THE
SITES AND THEY MADE A FEW PART 
DIFFERENCES THAT ARE EASIER TO 
MANUFACTURE DURING THE 
CONDITIONS OF THE WAR.
IT'S STILL A GREAT RIFLE.
IT'S ACTUALLY -- THIS INDIVIDUAL
WEAPON WAS MY FIRST ADULT RIFLE 
THAT I BOUGHT WHEN I WAS IN HIGH
SCHOOL.
AND IT SHOOTS GREAT.
BUT BY THE TIME IT WAS ADAPTOAD 
IT WAS ON ITS LAST LEG.
IT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ADOPTED.
THE BRITISH SOLDIERS CARRIED 
THESE INTO THE 1950s AND BEYOND.
EVENTUALLY, IT WOULD BE REPLACED
BY THE BELGIAN FAFL, BUT THIS 
WEAPON IF NOT OBSOLETE THE DAY 
IT WAS ADOPTED WAS LARGELY 
MOVING IN THAT DIRECTION.
BUT IT STILL DOESN'T HAVE THE 
DISTINCTION OF BEING THE BEST 
OBSOLETE WEAPON UPON ADOPTION.
FOR JUNGLE USE, AS THE BRITISH 
STARTED GEARING UP AND PREPARING
TO FIGHT THE JAPANESE AS GERMANY
WAS BEING DEFEATED IN 1944, THE 
BRITISH DECIDED TO SHORTEN AND 
LIGHTEN THE NO-4 ENFIELD AND 
THEY MADE THIS, THE NO-5.
THIS IS FAMOUSLY CALLED THE 
JUNGLE CARBINE.
IT IS A TEN-ROUND DETACHABLE BOX
MAGAZINE WITH THE BRITISH 303 
CARTRIDGE AND EXCELLENT 
BOLT-ACTION RIFLE.
AGAIN, THIS WEAPON WAS OBSOLETE 
THE DAY IT WAS ADOPTED.
IT IS TOO LIGHTWEIGHT FOR THE 
CARTRIDGE, WHICH MEANS THEY HAD 
TO PUT A RUBBER BUTT PAD ON THE 
BACK TO HELP ABSORB THE RECOIL.
AND WHEN THE MILITARY IS PUTTING
A BUTT-PAD ON THE RIFLE, YOU 
KNOW THE THING IS GOING TO KICK 
LIKE A MULE.
BECAUSE THEY SHORTENED THE 
BARREL SO MUCH, THEY HAD TO 
CREATE A WHOLE DIFFERENT STYLE.
IN TERMS OF THE HANDY RIFLE, 
THIS IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE BEST
ONES.
IT'S VERY LIGHTWEIGHT, VERY 
POWERFUL, AND THESE ARE VERY 
POPULAR IN THE AMERICAN MARKET 
AFTER THE WAR AS A HUNTING 
RIFLE.
IN TERMS OF MILITARY SERVICE, A 
WEAPON CALLED THE JUNGLE 
CARBINE, YOU CAN PROBABLY GUESS 
WHERE IT WAS FIRST USED.
ANYBODY WANT TO GUESS?
NORWAY.
BECAUSE EVERYBODY REMEMBERS THE 
NOR REGION JUNGLES -- NORWEGIAN 
JUNGLES, RIGHT?
THE AIRBORNE UNITE BEING 
EQUIPPED FOR FIGHTING IN THE FAR
EAST WEARING BRAND NEW JUNGLE 
WEBBING WEARING JUNGLE CARBINES 
FIRST DEPLOYED TO NORWAY.
BECAUSE ARMY, I GUESS?
THE REAL ANSWER IS A LITTLE BIT 
MORE SENSICAL IN THAT GERMANY 
SURRENDERED AND THEY WANTED TO 
OCCUPY NORWAY BEFORE THE 
RUSSIANS GOT THERE.
AND THEY WERE AFRAID THE 
DIE-HARDS IN NORWAY FOR HITLER 
MAY TRY TO HOLD ON THE THEY WERE
LEFT ALONE TOO LONG.
AND THEY FLOODED THE ONLY -- 
DEPLOYED THE ONLY FORMATION THEY
HAD AVAILABLE.
BUT COME ON, BRITAIN, YOU WERE 
GOING TO DEPLOY THE GUYS TO GO 
TO THE JUNGLE TO NORWAY?
GEESH.
>> SPEAKING OF THINGS THAT ARE 
OBSOLETE, VERY OBSOLETE, SO THIS
IS ONE OF THE MAIN SERVICE 
RIFLES OF THE FRENCH ARMY IN 
WORLD WAR I.
THIS IS THE BERTHIER M-16.
WHEN THEY ORIGINALLY CAME UP 
WITH THESE, THIS DESIGN WAS FROM
THE 1890s.
WHEN THEY ORIGINALLY CAME OUT 
WITH THEM, THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE 
EXTENSION ON THE MAG.
AND IT TOOK THREE ROUNDS IN 
BLOCKS WHEN THE OTHER RIFLES 
WERE TAKING FIVE OR THE SMLE WAS
TAKING TEN.
DURING THE WAR, THEY DISCOVERED,
HEY, IT IS REALLY NICE TO HAVE 
FIVE ROUNDS AND NOT THREE.
SO WE'LL PUT THIS BOX ON HERE.
AND WE'RE GOING TO MOVE IT TO 
FIVE.
AND THIS LITTLE TRAP DOOR HERE, 
YOU OPEN THAT.
THE AND WHEN THE RIFLE IS EMPTY,
THE M-BLOCK DROPS OUT OF THE 
BOTTOM.
AND THE COVER IS TO MAKE IT SO 
IT DOES NOT GET DIRT IN THE 
ACTION.
THESE ARE VERY LONG AND VERY 
HEAVY.
THEY WERE WITH THE BAYONET ON 
THEM.
I DO NOT HAVE MY BAYONET WITH ME
TODAY, BUT THE BAYONET IS ALMOST
AS TALL AS I AM.
OH, SORRY.
WITH THE BAYONET ON THERE, IT IS
ALMOST AS TALL AS I AM.
FRANCE WAS GOING THROUGH THE 
MILITARY REARMAMENT PERIOD AND 
THE GERMANS KIND OF ATTACKED IN 
THE MIDST OF THAT.
SO TO REPLACE, LIKE, THE LA 
L
LABEL -- LEBEL, THAT'S THE TOP 
PHOTO.
AND THEN THE BERTHIER WAS 
CREATED DURING WORLD WAR I.
THEY DECIDED, HEY, WE ARE USING 
A LOT OF RIFLES INCLUDING THE 
FOREIGN-LEASED RIFLES, WE'RE 
GOING TO MAKE WHAT WE JOKINGLY 
CALL THE BEST BOLT-ACTION RIFLE 
CREATED IN THE SEMIAUTOMATIC 
AGE.
WE'RE GOING TO MAKE THIS, WHICH 
IS THE PICTURE ON THE RIGHT 
THERE.
THIS IS THE MAS 36.
IT WAS INTENDED TO BE THE 
STANDARDIZATION RIFLES.
THEY WERE WORKING ON A 
SEMIAUTOMATIC RIFLE CALLED THE 
MAS 40, THEY PLANNED TO ADOPT 
THAT, BUT THE GERMANS ATTACKED 
WHILE STILL PRODUCING THESE.
THESE TOOK KIND OF THE -- THEY 
LOOKED AT ALL THE OTHER DESIGNS 
IN THE PERIOD.
THIS HOLDS FIVE ROUNDS.
I HAS INSPIRATION FROM THE 
MOUSER AND THE BOLT ASACA.
WHAT IS INTERESTING ABOUT THESE 
IS THEY HAVE THE INTEGRAL 
BAYONET.
SO YOU PULL THAT OUT THERE AND 
THEY SNAP ON.
THE GERMANS SAY THAT'S PRETTY 
NEAT, AND THEY PUT THAT ON THE 
PARATROOPER SUPPORT WEAPONS.
THEY DON'T NEED THE GIANT 
MUSKETS ALREADY.
AND THEY DIDN'T GET TO PRODUCE 
TOO MANY OF THESE WHEN THE 
GERMANS ATTACKS, BUT EVERYBODY 
THAT GOT THEM, THEY ARE VERY 
OKAY.
AGAIN, THESE WERE MADE TO BE, 
LIKE, WHAT THE CARBINE WAS FOR 
THE AMERICANS.
IT WAS MADE TO BE THE 
SECOND-LINE TROOPS, THE 
ARTILLERY, ETC., WHILE THEY WERE
TRYING TO MAKE THE MAS 40.
AND THE MAS 40 WHEN THE GERMANS 
INSIDED, THEY ACTUALLY HAD THE 
BLUEPRINTS FOR IT.
THEY HAD PROTOTYPES WITH THE 
FRENCH NAVY.
THEY WERE VERY WORRIED ABOUT IT 
GETTING INTO THE GERMAN HANDS.
AND THE GERMANS TAKING THE IDEA 
AND MAKING THEIR OWN 
SEMIAUTOMATIC RIFLE.
SO THERE'S A GREAT STORY OF THEY
ACTUALLY TOOK THE BLUEPRINTS AND
ERASED THE GAS BLOCK OF IT.
AND WHEN THE GERMANS CAME TO 
SAY, HEY, WE KNOW THAT YOU HAVE 
THIS SEMIAUTOMATIC RIFLE DESIGN.
THE FRENCH BASICALLY PLAYED INTO
THE GERMANS' IDEOLOGY AND SAID, 
US FRENCH PEOPLE, WE'RE STUPID.
WE'RE NOT AS GOOD AS YOU GERMANS
IN THE ENGINEERING, WE NEVER GOT
IT TO, WITH.
AND THEY BOUGHT IT.
AND THEY SAID, YOU FRENCH ARE SO
STUPID.
YOU WOULD NEVER BE ABLE TO GET 
THIS TO WORK.
AND THEN THEY DIDN'T PURSUE THE 
SEMIAUTOMATIC DESIGN.
THE MAS 36 WOULD REMAIN IN 
SERVICE THROUGH THE INDO-CHINESE
WAR IN THE '30s.
AND YOU HAVE THE VIET-KONG USING
THE FRENCH WEAPONS IN THE '60s 
AND '70s.
>> UNFORTUNATELY, WE ARE ALL 
POOR COLLEGE STUDENTS AND I 
CANNOT AFFORD THESE.
BUT INSTEAD I'LL TELL YOU ABOUT 
THESE.
THIS IS THE U.S. LIGHT AUTOMATIC
WEAPON AT THE SQUAD LEVEL.
IT WAS A TERRIBLE LIGHT MACHINE 
GUN.
IT WAS DESIGNED BY JOHN 
BROWNING.
THE GUY WHO DESIGNED HALF THE 
AMERICANS' WEAPONS AT THE TIME.
WHEN FIRING FULLY AUTOMATIC, IT 
WILL BURN THROUGH TH
THE .20-MAGAZINE PRETTY FAST.
DURING THE INNER-WAR YEARS, THE 
EXCELLENT DESIGN WAS GIVEN TO 
THE U.S. ORDINANCE DEPARTMENT.
AND THEY PROCEEDED TO MANAGE TO 
MESS UP JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING ON
IT AND MAKE IT AN INFERIOR 
WEAPON GIVING IT A HEAVY CLUNKY 
BI-POD TO MAKE IT HEAVIER.
TO MAKE UP FOR THE EFFICIENCIES,
THE U.S. TRIED TO MAKE IT 
SHOULDER FIRE, AS YOU CAN SEE IN
THIS PICTURE.
THE RESULTS WERE MIXED.
IT'S A HEAVY, CLUNKY WEAPON NOT 
DESIGNED TO BE USED BY THIS.
BUT IT IS STILL A BROWNING 
DESIGN THAT WORKS RELATIVELY 
WELL.
YOU JUST HAVE TO KIND OF GET 
AROUND ITS POOR ERGONOMICS.
THE BRITISH, MEANWHILE, ADOPTED 
A VERY EFFECTIVE WEAPON OF CZECH
DESIGN.
THIS BECAME KNOWN AS THE BREN, 
BREAK R-E-N.
-- B-R-E-N.
YOU HAVE THE SAME AMMUNITION 
FIRED OUT OF THIS GUN AS YOU DO 
THE RIFLES.
AND THE MAGAZINE IS FOUND ON 
TOP.
ANYBODY CARE TO GUESS WHY THE 
MAGAZINE IS ON THE TOP?
PART OF IT IS SO YOU CAN SEE IT.
THEY WERE DESIGNED TO BE 
OPERATED IN A TWO-MAN TEAM.
YOU HAVE A LOADER AND A GUNNER.
THE LOADER CAN PULL THE MAGAZINE
OVER AND LOAD IT, WHEREAS IF THE
GUY IS HUNCHED DOWN LOW AS HE 
CAN GET, IT WILL GET AWKWARD.
THE OTHER REASON IS WHEN FIRING 
FULLY AUTOMATIC, GRAVITY CAN 
FEED THE ROUNDS BETTER.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT 
FIGHTING GRAVITY PUSHING THE 
BULLETS UP.
YOU ARE LETTING THE SPRING PUSH 
THEM DOWN.
THE DOWNSIDE TO THIS SYSTEM IS 
TO OFFSET YOUR SIGHTS THAT 
REQUIRES A LITTLE TINKERING TO 
GET DONE RIGHT.
BUT WITH THE BREN IT WAS DONE 
WELL.
THEY HAVE A SLOWER RATE OF FIRE 
THAN THE GERMAN VERSIONS.
BUT THE HIGHER RATE OF THE 
GERMAN WEAPONS MEANT THEY 
COULDN'T HIT THE BRIGHT SIDE OF 
A BARN.
WHERE THE BREN COULD STAY ON 
TARGET VERY WELL.
THE FRENCH ALSO ADOPTED A 
TOP-LOADING MAGAZINE MACHINE 
GUN.
THE CHATELLERAULT.
THIS IS THE TWO-MAN SYSTEM OF 
HOW YOU LOAD ONE.
NOTICE, THE LOADER IS ABLE TO 
CLICK THE NEW MAGAZINE IN WHILE 
THE GUNNER IS STAYING ON TARGET.
ALSO NOTE THAT THE LOADER HAS A 
MAS 36.
FINALLY, WE CAN TALK ABOUT WHAT 
I BROUGHT UP HERE WITH ME.
THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST ICONIC 
AMERICAN GUNS IN AMERICAN 
HISTORY.
AND YES, YOU CAN LOOK AT THE 
POWERPOINT TO GET IT, TO CHEAT.
IT'S A TOMMY GUN.
THE CHICAGO TYPEWRITER.
THIS WAS A WE UP DESIGNED ON THE
TAIL-END OF WORLD WAR I.
AND IT HELPED MAKE THE '20s 
ROAR.
IN THE '20s, THESE WERE 
AVAILABLE THROUGH SEARS AND 
ANYBODY COULD GET ONE, INCLUDING
THE FAMOUS COUPLE CALLED BONNIE 
AND CLYDE, AS WELL AS MANY 
GANGSTERS IN THE ERA.
WEENS LIKE THESE WERE ORIGINALLY
REJECTED BY THE MILITARY SEEING 
AS, OH, THERE'S NO MILITARY 
APPLICATION FOR A WEAPON LIKE 
THAT.
SHOOTING A .45-PISTOL CARTRIDGE 
ON FULLY AUTOMATIC.
THE RIFLES ARE THE WAY TO GO OR 
LIGHT MACHINE GUNS.
YOU DON'T NEED SOMETHING LIKE 
THIS.
THE BRITISH EVEN REFUSED TO EVEN
RESEARCH WEAPONS LIKE THIS 
SAYING THEY DIDN'T NEED GANGSTER
GUNS.
1940 HAPPENED AND THEY REALIZED,
WAIT A SECOND, WE NEED THE GUNG 
STER GUNS AFTER ALL.
UNFORTUNATELY, BRITAIN AND 
FRANCE WERE A LITTLE BEHIND THE 
POWER CURVE AND THEIR OPTIONS 
WERE DEVELOP A GUN FROM SCRATCH,
WHICH WILL TAKE YEARS, USE 
CAPTURED GERMAN SUB-MACHINE GUNS
CALLED SMISERS, KNOWN BY THE 
NP-40 FAMILY, OR COME UP WITH A 
MACHINE GUNS.
AND THEY DID ALL THREE.
THE BATTLE OF FRANCE LEFT THE 
ORDER INCOMPLETE.
AND THE EARLY ORDERS ENDED UP IN
THE BRITISH HANDS.
SO YOU'LL SEE THINGS LIKE THIS 
WITH A 20-ROUND MAGAZINE.
ON THE TABLE, OFF 50-ROUND DRUM.
THE EARLY 1928 AND 1928 A-1 
MODEL OF THOMPSON WERE USED 
WIDELY BY THE BRITISH FOR THE 
FIRST HALF OF THE WAR.
IN THE TROOPS IN THE 
MEDITERRANEAN IN THE WAR.
THEY FOUND IT TO BE INEFFECTIVE 
AND AN EXTREMELY LEVY WEAPON.
THE MILITARY VERSION IS A 
SLIGHTLY SMALLER BARREL, BUT 
OTHERWISE IT IS SIMILAR.
IT HAS A CHARTER HANDLE ON THE 
TOP TO REACH OVER TO USE YOUR 
NON-FIRING HAND AND IT HAS A .20
MAGAZINE.
THE AMERICAN GIs END UP WITH 
LATER VERSIONS, BUT THE AMERICAN
SERVICE OF THE THOMPSON IS 
REPLACED BY THE GREASE GUN, THE 
EASY TO MANUFACTURE VERSION.
THE BRITISH WERE TRYING TO 
DEVELOP THE VERSION TO REPLACE 
THEIR EXPENSIVE THOMPSONS.
SO WHAT THEY GOT WAS THIS THING.
I THINK THING IS PROBABLY THE 
BEST WAY TO DESCRIBE IT, BECAUSE
THIS IS A VERY AWKWARD WEAPON TO
EVEN HOLD LET ALONE FIRE.
THIS IS A STEN MARK 2.
IT IS OPEN BOLT, FULLY 
AUTOMATIC, YOU HOLD DOWN A 
TRIGGER, THE BOLT KEEPS 
RECYCLING.
WHEN YOU LET GO, THAT'S WHEN IT 
CATCHES.
FIRES .9-MILLIMETER, 32-ROUND 
MAGAZINE WITH A TERRIBLY 
DESIGNED SLING, AS YOU CAN SEE.
BUT FOR THE MOST PART, IT GOES 
BANG WHEN IT IS REQUIRED TO.
AND THAT'S WHAT THE BRITISH 
NEEDED DURING WORLD WAR II.
IT WAS ALSO VERY SIMPLE AND VERY
EASY TO MASS PRODUCE IN LARGE 
NUMBERS.
YOU CAN DROP THESE BY THE 
THOUSANDS TO EQUIP THE 
RESISTANCE FIGHTERS AND THE 
FRANCE.
AND KNOW IF THE GERMANS CAPTURED
THESE, THEY ARE GETTING WEAPONS 
HONESTLY SUB-PAR.
THIS ADVANCES INTO THE STERLING 
DESIGN TO LATER GO ON TO BE USED
BY THE GALACTIC EMPIRE IN THE 
"STAR WARS" MOVIES.
BUT EH, THIS IS NOT THAT GUN.
THIS IS A SLIGHTLY MODIFIED 
VERSION OF JOHN BANNON'S 
VERSION.
WE CONTINUED TO PRODUCE THESE 
WEBLEY'S THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.
THIS IS THE FIRST MODERN PISTOL 
AS THE WAY TO LOOK AT THEM.
THIS AND THE BROWNING HIGHTOWER 
REALLY SHAPED HOW ALL PISTOLS 
DESIGNED AFTER THIS WOULD BE 
USED.
THESE ARE POWERFUL HARD-HITTING 
HANDGUNS.
AND WHILE THEY ARE IN WORLD WAR 
II, THEIR SERVICE WOULD 
EVENTUALLY BE ECLIPSED BY THIS, 
BECAUSE YOU DO NOT NEED GUYS TO 
GIVE THEM PISTOLS.
IF YOU CAN GIVE THEM A CARVING 
INSTEAD, THEY ARE POWERFUL AMONG
TROOPS.
PARATROOPERS WOULD LIKE TO CARRY
THESE, BECAUSE IF YOU LAND CLOSE
TO GERMANS, IT IS HANDY TO PULL 
OUT SOMETHING TO PLUG THE GERMAN
WITH IF HE GETS TOO CLOSE.
THE BRITISH, ON THE OTHER HAND, 
WERE STICKING TO TRADITION.
THEY FOUGHT IN THE FIRST WORLD 
WAR WITH A BIG HONKING REVOLVER.
AND THAT WAS THE BRITISH WEBLEY 
WITH A 445 CARTRIDGE.
VERY POWERFUL.
A MAN-STOPPER.
ACTUALLY, ONE OF THE 
HOLLOW-POINT VERSIONS OF THE 
CARTRIDGE WAS LITERALLY KNOWN AS
THE MAN STOPPER BECAUSE OF HOW 
POWERFUL IT WAS.
BUT AS YOU CAN PROBABLY GUESS 
WITH A BIG CARTRIDGE LIKE THIS, 
SOME BIG HONKING REVOLVER IS 
KIND OF HARD TO GET PEOPLE TO BE
EXPERT MARKSMEN WITH THESE.
THERE'S A BIT OF A RECOIL.
AND IT TAKES A WHILE TO TRAIN 
SOMEBODY TO SHOOT ONE OF THESE.
SO DURING THE INNER WAR YEARS, 
THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE BIG 
HONKING REVOLVE ER WITH ITS LITE
BITTY BABY BROTHER.
YOU CAN SEE THE SIZE DIFFERENCE 
FOR ANYBODY THAT CAN ACTUALLY 
SEE ME.
OTHERWISE, ESSENTIALLY, THEY ARE
THE SAME THING.
EXCEPT BEING THE BRITISH OR 
BEING THE GOVERNMENT TRYING TO 
CUT COSTS EVERY POSSIBLE WAY 
THEY CAN, THEY ACTUALLY MANAGED 
TO KIND OF BE JERKS IN THE 
PROCESS.
BECAUSE WEBLEY WAS AN 
INDEPENDENT COMPANY.
AND WHEN THEY WANTED TO MAKE ONE
OF THESE IN '38, THEY WENT TO 
WEBLEY AND ASKED THEM TO DESIGN 
ONE.
WEBLEY SEEING A CONTRACT IN THE 
FUTURE DID SO.
AND THEN THE BRITISH INFIELD 
ARSENAL WENT TO COPY THE DESIGN 
AND REFUSED TO PAY THE LICENSE 
OR TAX FEE TO THAT.
AND THUS BEGAN THE ENFIELD 
REVOLVER.
LITIGATIONS FOLLOWED AND 
GOVERNMENTS DID THINGS, AND THEN
THEY REALIZED, WE NEED MORE 
REVOLVERS.
WEBLEY, CAN YOU MAKE THE 
REVOLVER YOU MADE FOR US, WE'LL 
PAY YOU.
AND WEBLEY MADE IT FOR THEM.
THIS IS A WEBLEY-MADE REVOLVER.
IT'S NOT A BAD WEAPON, BUT IT IS
VERY MUCH UNDERPOWERED FOR ITS 
RER RA.
AND VERY MUCH OBSOLETE BY THIS 
POINT WHEN THE ARMIES MOVE TO 
SEMIAUTOMATIC WEAPONS.
EVEN THE GERMANS HAD THE LUGER.
BUT THE BRITISH WOULDN'T BE 
STICKING WITH REVOLVERS FOR THE 
ENTIRE WAR.
THEY WOULD ALSO MOVE TO 
SEMIAUTOMATICS.
AT LEAST THEY WOULD DO SO BY 
ACCIDENT.
BECAUSE WHEN BELGIUM AND 
SPECIFICALLY THE FN-FACTORIES IN
BELGIUM WERE OVERRUN BY THE 
GERMANS IN 1940, SOME OF THE 
PRODUCTION DESIGN MOVED 
OVERSEAS, SUCH AS TO CANADA.
AND THE THEY WOULD CONTINUE TO 
MAKE GUNS FOR ALLIED NATIONS 
INCLUDING CHINA.
CHINA LIKED THIS WEAPON.
THE BROWNING HIGHPOWER.
VERY SIMILAR LOOKING TO THE 1911
UNLESS YOU REALLY STUDY IT 
CLOSELY.
THIS WEAPON IS ALSO 
A .9-MILLIMETER LIKE THE MACHINE
GUN AND THE GERMAN LUGER.
DURING THE WAR, THE BRITISH 
REALIZE, HEY, WAIT A SECOND, WHY
ARE WE MAKING THESE FOR CHINA 
WHEN THEY ARE BETTER THAN WHAT 
WE USE?
SO THEY STOPPED THOSE SHIPMENTS,
STARTED ADOPTING THEM AND THE 
WEBBING STAYED IN BRITISH 
SERVICE UNTIL JUST A FEW YEARS 
AGO.
FROM WORLD WAR II TO THE 
20-TEENS IS A GOOD SERVICE LIFE 
FOR A WEAPON THAT LARGELY SHAPES
HOW ALL FUTURE WEAPONS WOULD BE 
DESIGNED.
>> JACOB, COULD WE MAYBE WRAP 
THIS UP IN ABOUT FIVE MINUTES?
AND THEN I WANT TO HAVE TIME FOR
QUESTIONS.
AND I WANT TO INTERVIEW YOU 
GUYS, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
SO I JUST SAID I WOULD GIVE YOU 
A LITTLE WARNING THERE.
>> GREAT TIMING BECAUSE WE WERE 
DONE.
>> YOU'RE DONE?
>> WE WANTED TO SAY, WE WERE NOT
SURE IF WE WOULD HAVE ENOUGH 
STUFF TO TALK ABOUT.
APPARENTLY, WE OVERDID IT.
BUT HEY, THAT'S A GREAT PROBLEM,
RIGHT?
WE WANT TO SAY, WE'RE CLOSING 
OUT AND JUST SAY, IN THE 
DISCUSSION OF THE WORLD WAR II 
WEAPONS AND THE SOLDIERS, BUT 
WORLD WAR II IN THE AMERICAN 
CULTURE AND HOW IT IS SEEN, WE 
LARGELY DID IT BECAUSE THAT 
GENERATION IS NOT PASSING.
WE ARE LARGELY GETTING IT TODAY 
THROUGH MOVIES, THROUGH 
TELEVISION AND THROUGH VIDEO 
GAMES.
AND SOME OF THOSE ARE GOOD, BAND
OF BROTHERS WE HAVE UP ON THE 
SCREEN, AND THAT'S A GOOD 
SERIES.
I'M A HUGE FAN.
THERE'S A JOKE IN MY PLATOON IN 
THE ARMY THAT YOU ARE NOT A TRUE
AMERICAN INFANTRYMAN UNLESS YOU 
CAN QUOTE ALMOST THE ENTIRE 
"BAND OF BROTHERS" FROM MEMORY.
YOU HAVE TO JUST FOLLOW ON FROM 
THERE.
BUT IT IS STILL FICTIONAL.
IT'S BASED ON TRUE EVENTS, BUT 
THEY GET A LOT OF STUFF WRONG.
AND WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL TO 
KEEP THAT FROM BEING THE ONLY 
THING THAT GUIDES AMERICAN 
MEMORY OF A WAR.
BECAUSE THOSE THINGS KIND OF 
LEAD TO VARIOUS MYTHS.
WE HAVE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THE
GARAND PING AND HOW THAT WAS NOT
A THING.
IF SOMEBODY RESEARCHES IT, IT 
COMES FROM A SINGLE SOURCE ONE 
TIME THAT HE SAYS HE WAS NOT 
THERE TO WITNESS IT, HE JUST 
HEARD IT.
WE ALSO GET THE SAYINGS LIKE 
SONGS OR MOVIES, LIKE THE 
ALL-POWERFUL GERMAN SHIP "THE 
BISMARCK" THAT TURNS OUT WHEN 
YOU STUDY IT WAS NOT A GREAT 
DESIGN AND WOULD HAVE LOST ANY 
DUAL AGAINST AN EQUIVALENT 
GERMAN BATTLESHIP AND DIDN'T GET
IMMEDIATELY LUCK KICHLT WE HAVE 
INSULTS THAT THE FRENCH ARE 
SURRENDER MONKEYS AND WON'T 
FIGHT.
AND YOU HAVE TO DRAG THEM INTO 
THE BATTLE WHEN THEY ACTUALLY 
FOUGHT VERY WELL.
WE HAVE IDEAS THAT THE AMERICANS
OR THE SOVIETS OR BRITISH 
SINGLE-HANDEDLY WON THE WAR BY 
THEMSELVES AND DIDN'T NEED THE 
ALLIES.
BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THIS EVERY 
STEP ALONG THE WAY, IT WAS VERY 
MUCH A JOINT EFFORT.
WE ALSO GET IDEAS THAT THE 
GERMANS WERE SOMEHOW SUPERMEN, 
BUYING INTO THE NAZI PROPAGANDA 
AND BETTER THAN EVERYONE ELSE.
EITHER THE TECHNOLOGY WAS TOO 
ADVANCED OR THE TANKS WERE SO 
MUCH BETTER.
OR THEIR SOLDIERS FOUGHT SO MUCH
BETTER.
OR THE GENERALS WERE SO MUCH 
BETTER.
WHEN REALLY, NONE OF THAT IS 
TRUE.
AND YOU ACTUALLY GO INTO IT TO 
LOOK AT IT.
THEY HAD JUST AS MANY PROBLEMS 
AS ANYBODY EMS.
SO INSTEAD, YOU NEED TO LOOK AT 
THE MYTHS AND NOT THE REALITY.
ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT COMMONLY 
HELD MYTH ASSUMPTIONS.
ONE OF THE WAYS YOU CAN DO THIS 
IS THROUGH REENACTMENTS.
I'M KIND OF JUSTIFYING HERE, 
HOPEFULLY YOU DON'T MIND IN THIS
DISCUSSION THE IMPORTANCE OF 
THINGS LIKE THIS, WHERE YOU HAVE
PEOPLE THAT HAVE MESSED AROUND 
WITH THE EQUIPMENT, HAVE PLAYED 
OUT WITH THIS AND SAID, WAIT A 
SECOND.
THE GARAND PING, YOU CAN'T HEAR 
THAT OVER GUNFIRE, ESPECIALLY IF
YOU HAVE PROTECTION ON THEM.
AND THE FRENCH HAD BETTER 
HELMETS THAN WHAT THE AMERICANS 
WERE CARRYING.
I WAS GOING INTO EXPERIENCES, 
BUT WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF TIME 
AND FORGET THAT NONSENSE AND 
WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE QUESTIONS.
>> I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
AND IF YOU GUYS HAVE QUESTIONS, 
PLEASE STEP UP TO THE 
MICROPHONE.
[ INAUDIBLE ] ONE OF THE 
QUESTIONS I HAVE, HOW OLD ARE 
YOU GUYS?
I WILL JUST BE REAL HONEST HERE.
>> 31.
>> WHY DO YOU CARE ABOUT WORLD 
WAR II?
>> WORLD WAR II -- OKAY, I AM 
NOT THE WORLD WAR II NUT THAT 
THESE GENTLEMEN REALLY ARE.
BUT WORLD WAR II IS PROBABLY 
TLA
TLATHE
LARGEST AND ARGUABLY THE MOST 
IMPORTANT CONFLICT IN THE 21st 
CENTURY.
I WOULD SAY WORLD WAR I, BUT 
TOMATO, TOMATO.
WORLD WAR II HAS INFECTED 
AMERICAN CULTURE IN WAYS PEOPLE 
DON'T THINK ABOUT.
>> IT ALSO AFFECTED YOU.
>> PERSONALLY, I WAS IN -- WHEN 
I WAS IN THE MILITARY, I WAS IN 
THE 82nd AIRBORNE DIVISION.
THE 82nd AIRBORNE DIVISION 
BECAME AN AIRBORNE DIVISION 
DURING WORLD WAR II.
THE EXAMPLES WE HAD TO FOLLOW, 
THE EXAMPLES THAT STILL IMPACT 
AMERICAN TRAINING AND AMERICAN 
THINKING WHEN IT COMES TO 
AIRBORNE MENTALITY WERE CREATED 
DURING WORLD WAR II.
OUR THINKING, OUR AGGRESSIVE 
MENTALITY IN THE AIRBORNE UNITS 
IN THE 82nd, THE IDEA OF LITTLE 
GROUPS OF PARATROOPERS IS A 
CONCEPT THAT DATES BACK TO WORLD
WAR I, WHEN IT WAS REALIZED WE 
CHUCK A BUNCH OF 18, 19 OR 
20-YEAR-OLDS IN THE BACK OF AN 
AIRPLANE AND THEY LAND IN THE 
MIDDLE OF NOWHERESVILLE IN THE 
MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT WITH NOWHERE
TO GO.
AND THEY HAVE TO FIND PEOPLE 
THAT DON'T SPEAK YOUR LANGUAGE 
AND SHOOT THEM.
IT IS INTERESTING TO SEE HOW 
THAT HAS AFFECTED US.
YOU STILL GET THAT AGGRESSIVE 
MENTALITY OF, YOU DON'T HAVE 
ORDERS.
YOUR CHAIN OF COMMAND IS CUT 
OFF.
BUT YOU CARRY ON THE MISSION.
AND IT MAY SOUND STRANGE, BUT 
THAT MENTALITY REALLY DIDN'T 
ALWAYS EXIST PRE-WORLD WAR II.
>> EXCELLENT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?
WHY SHOULD WE CARE ABOUT WORLD 
WAR II?
>> WELL, BESIDES THE FACT THAT 
IT STILL GOES AROUND AND STILL 
AFFECTS US, MY PERSONAL 
EXPERIENCES, YOU HONESTLY CAN'T 
INTERACT IN THE WAR WITHOUT 
SEEING A REFERENCE TO WORLD WAR 
II.
WE STILL HAVE IDEAS OF THE SNEAK
ATTACK, PEARL HARBOR, AND THE 
IDEA THAT WILL BE A THING.
WE STILL HAVE THE IDEA THAT 
AMERICA HAS TO GET INVOLVED 
BECAUSE THE LAST TIME WE SET OUT
TOO LONG, WORLD WAR II HAPPENED.
WE STILL HAVE THE IDEA OF WHEN 
OUR LOVELY TECHNOLOGY AS MY WIFE
IS IN I.T., WHEN THE TECHNOLOGY 
SIDE IS NOT TO WORK, WHAT DO WE 
SAY?
IT'S ON THE FRITZ.
WE STILL LOOK AT WORLD WAR II 
FOR A LOT OF THE LANGUAGE AND 
STILL THINK THE NEXT GREAT BIG 
WAR, BACK TO JANUARY, WHEN 
FACEBOOK DECIDED THAT WORLD WAR 
III WAS UPON US.
WE LOOKED BACK AT THE END OF 
WORLD WAR II WITH THE ATOMIC 
BOMB AND SAID, THAT'S WHAT THIS 
WAR WILL BE.
THE DRAFT WILL BE REINSTITUTED.
THE ATOMIC BOMBS WILL FALL.
IT WILL BE WORLD WAR II AGAIN.
THAT'S WHAT WE LOOK BACK TO AS 
THE COLLECTIVE MEMORY AS THE 
LAST BIG CONFLICT, EVEN THOUGH 
WE ARE SO MANY YEARS LATER.
EVEN THOUGH THE WORLD HAS 
CHANGED SO MUCH.
THAT'S WHAT WE SEE.
IT'S STILL THAT LOOMING THREAT 
IN THE BACK OF OUR MIND THAT 
THAT COULD HAPPEN AGAIN.
>> EXCELLENT.
>> I JUST WONDERED WHAT WHERE 
THE 82nd AIRBORNE FIT INTO 30 
SECONDS OVER TOKYO.
>> YEAH.
THE 82nd WAS INVOLVED IN EUROPE.
>> BUT IT WAS DURING -- IN WORLD
WAR II.
IT WAS THE ARMY AIR FORCE.
>> YEAH, IT WAS THE ARMY AIR 
FORCE.
>> THAT'S WHAT MY FATHER WAS IN.
>> THE AIRBORNE DIVISIONS 
WERE -- BECAUSE THIS WAS BEFORE 
THE AIR FORCE WAS SPLIT OFF, YOU
HAD THE BOMBING CAMPAIGNS, LIKE 
THE 30 SECONDS OVER TOKYO TO 
KNOCK JAPAN OUT OF THE WAR.
AND THE AIRBORNE UNITS WERE 
PARATROOPERS CHUCKING GUYS OUT 
OF THE AIRPLANE IN PARACHUTES 
AND LETTING THEM LAND IN 
CONFUSION.
IT'S A CONCEPT THAT IS STILL 
CONSIDERED TODAY.
>> ANY OTHER QUESTION?
WELL, YOU GUYS, I JUST WANT TO 
THANK YOU FOR COMING.
[APPLAUSE]
NEXT WEEK WE'LL HAVE ARNOLD 
SCOFFIELD -- [ INAUDIBLE ].
WELL, I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU 
FOR COMING.
NEXT WEEK WE'LL GET TOGETHER.
AND I'M IN AWE OF YOU GUYS.
YOU DID GREAT WITH YOUR STORIES.
AND I HOPE TO SHARE SOME MORE 
NEXT WEEK.
TAKE CARE.
BE SAFE.
THANKS.
