1 00:00:10,960 --> 00:00:12,720 Speaker 1: This is the Jesse Kelly Show. 2 00:00:15,040 --> 00:00:19,159 Speaker 2: It is the Jesse Kelly Show. Another hour of The 3 00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:23,520 Speaker 2: Jesse Kelly Show on a wonderful, wonderful Wednesday. And obviously 4 00:00:23,560 --> 00:00:26,760 Speaker 2: this hour is going to be part three and most 5 00:00:26,840 --> 00:00:31,280 Speaker 2: definitely the final part of our Italian campaign and. 6 00:00:31,520 --> 00:00:34,239 Speaker 3: W and W one talk. And I don't know that 7 00:00:34,320 --> 00:00:36,120 Speaker 3: it'll last an hour. I don't have any idea. 8 00:00:36,120 --> 00:00:38,200 Speaker 2: I haven't started talking yet, but I'm most definitely gonna 9 00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:40,360 Speaker 2: wrap it up today. Then we're gonna make fun of 10 00:00:40,400 --> 00:00:43,440 Speaker 2: Michelle Obama. We'll talk about the Head of the Irs 11 00:00:43,479 --> 00:00:48,080 Speaker 2: resigning because of illegals, all that, parents naming their kids, 12 00:00:48,120 --> 00:00:51,880 Speaker 2: weird things, emails, including hate mail, and so much more. 13 00:00:51,920 --> 00:00:54,920 Speaker 2: So to come on The Jesse Kelly Show. But back 14 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:59,360 Speaker 2: to what we've been discussing for somebody maybe just now 15 00:00:59,480 --> 00:01:00,000 Speaker 2: joining us. 16 00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:02,240 Speaker 3: You're joining us on part. 17 00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:06,640 Speaker 2: Three of a little history thing I've been doing on 18 00:01:06,760 --> 00:01:10,679 Speaker 2: the Italian Campaign, the Italian portion of World War One, 19 00:01:10,720 --> 00:01:13,560 Speaker 2: the part nobody knows about, no one pays attention to it, 20 00:01:13,760 --> 00:01:18,319 Speaker 2: and in my opinion, purely an opinion, I believe these 21 00:01:18,319 --> 00:01:21,080 Speaker 2: are the worst battlefield conditions anyone ever fought. 22 00:01:21,880 --> 00:01:23,759 Speaker 3: Here's your little recap. If by the way. 23 00:01:23,800 --> 00:01:27,440 Speaker 2: If you want a much more detailed recap, it's all podcasted. 24 00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:31,480 Speaker 2: The show is podcasted on iHeart, Spotify iTunes. You can 25 00:01:31,560 --> 00:01:35,679 Speaker 2: download it and listen. It's our two of Yesterday and 26 00:01:35,800 --> 00:01:39,760 Speaker 2: Monday show. Go enjoy all right Part three to recap 27 00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:44,720 Speaker 2: where we are. Italy is a fairly new country. They 28 00:01:44,760 --> 00:01:48,680 Speaker 2: have a poorly equipped, poorly trained military at the outbreak 29 00:01:48,680 --> 00:01:52,720 Speaker 2: of World War One. Austria Hungary is a very old country, 30 00:01:52,760 --> 00:01:57,200 Speaker 2: an old empire, and they also are stretched pretty thin 31 00:01:57,400 --> 00:02:00,440 Speaker 2: during World War One, They're already fighting on other fronts. 32 00:02:01,360 --> 00:02:04,480 Speaker 2: What they do have, though, is possession of the Alps 33 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:07,040 Speaker 2: that are in the northeast. 34 00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:07,320 Speaker 3: Portion of Italy. 35 00:02:07,840 --> 00:02:10,480 Speaker 2: Austria has those, they have the mountaintops, they have the 36 00:02:10,520 --> 00:02:16,320 Speaker 2: mountaintop fortifications. Italy wants those mountaintops. Italy believes those are 37 00:02:17,160 --> 00:02:20,360 Speaker 2: they're a natural border for their country. They believe that 38 00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:24,680 Speaker 2: should be an Italian possession, and they decide to look. 39 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:28,840 Speaker 2: There's no nice way to talk about Italy's involvement in 40 00:02:28,880 --> 00:02:33,919 Speaker 2: this war. It was really opportunistic. It was Britain and 41 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:37,840 Speaker 2: France were fighting Germany and Austria Hungary. Yes, Russia's in 42 00:02:37,880 --> 00:02:42,120 Speaker 2: there too. Italy looked and thought this is a good 43 00:02:42,200 --> 00:02:45,520 Speaker 2: opportunity if I jump in on the right side to 44 00:02:45,600 --> 00:02:49,200 Speaker 2: get the territory I want. I understand it, but it 45 00:02:49,240 --> 00:02:54,360 Speaker 2: looks a little opportunist Italy jumps in. So now you 46 00:02:54,560 --> 00:03:00,920 Speaker 2: have poorly trained, poorly equipped Italian troops throwing themselves. Not 47 00:03:01,040 --> 00:03:05,919 Speaker 2: exactly Austria's crack troops by any means, but Austria's troops 48 00:03:05,960 --> 00:03:10,519 Speaker 2: who are mostly outnumbered. They're dug into the mountaintops, mountaintops 49 00:03:10,520 --> 00:03:14,880 Speaker 2: that are oftentimes covered with snow. We talked extensively yesterday 50 00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:20,680 Speaker 2: about the nightmarish logistical situation for both sides. How do 51 00:03:20,720 --> 00:03:22,839 Speaker 2: you get the men up there? How do you get 52 00:03:22,840 --> 00:03:28,880 Speaker 2: their equipment up there? Artillery pieces, ammunition, food, They have 53 00:03:28,960 --> 00:03:32,480 Speaker 2: to come up with, cable, pulley systems. I can show 54 00:03:32,480 --> 00:03:34,079 Speaker 2: you a picture, you can go look it up. It's 55 00:03:34,080 --> 00:03:39,000 Speaker 2: fascinating of a donkey, a mule, most likely a mule 56 00:03:39,200 --> 00:03:43,200 Speaker 2: being hoisted up into the mountains. And once you even 57 00:03:43,240 --> 00:03:46,880 Speaker 2: get into the mountains, well there are other mountains. You're 58 00:03:46,920 --> 00:03:49,960 Speaker 2: connecting this mountain peak to that mountain peak. How do 59 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:52,760 Speaker 2: you get men and supplies from this and that? They're 60 00:03:52,760 --> 00:03:58,720 Speaker 2: building tunnels, carving caves, blasting caves, mining, things into the 61 00:03:58,840 --> 00:04:01,720 Speaker 2: side of the mountain, and that brings me to I'm 62 00:04:01,760 --> 00:04:03,320 Speaker 2: just going to try to wrap up this World War 63 00:04:03,360 --> 00:04:06,280 Speaker 2: One story today with a couple of things that I 64 00:04:06,320 --> 00:04:08,280 Speaker 2: think will bring home the horror of all this. 65 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:13,400 Speaker 3: You know what an avalanche is. Have you ever wondered? 66 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:19,160 Speaker 2: Has it ever crossed your mind why an avalanche is fatal? 67 00:04:20,120 --> 00:04:24,120 Speaker 2: And what I mean by that is how do you die? 68 00:04:24,320 --> 00:04:28,240 Speaker 2: What is it about an avalanche that kills you? I 69 00:04:28,279 --> 00:04:32,159 Speaker 2: am not an expert, of course, but I'm fairly well 70 00:04:32,240 --> 00:04:36,520 Speaker 2: versed on avalanches because I grew up in Bozeman, Montana. 71 00:04:36,880 --> 00:04:39,560 Speaker 3: We were always always in the mountains. 72 00:04:39,560 --> 00:04:41,520 Speaker 2: We were hiking in the mountains, we were camping in 73 00:04:41,560 --> 00:04:43,640 Speaker 2: the mountains, we were skiing in the mountains. I was 74 00:04:43,680 --> 00:04:48,160 Speaker 2: in the Rocky mountains all the time. And one thing 75 00:04:48,240 --> 00:04:54,159 Speaker 2: you learn about is avalanches. You know, extreme skiers and snowboarders, 76 00:04:54,200 --> 00:04:57,040 Speaker 2: these types who will you'll see You've seen movies or 77 00:04:57,160 --> 00:05:00,240 Speaker 2: videos of them being dropped out of a helicopter. They're 78 00:05:00,240 --> 00:05:02,640 Speaker 2: on top of the Swiss Alps somewhere. You've seen this stuff, 79 00:05:02,720 --> 00:05:04,919 Speaker 2: or at least you know what exists. Do you know 80 00:05:04,960 --> 00:05:07,920 Speaker 2: they have something on them, most of them, they have 81 00:05:07,960 --> 00:05:12,320 Speaker 2: something on them. It's a locator beacon. It's for avalanches. 82 00:05:12,800 --> 00:05:18,359 Speaker 2: It's in case they get avalanched in, someone knows where 83 00:05:18,360 --> 00:05:22,719 Speaker 2: they are how to find them. Do you know when 84 00:05:22,760 --> 00:05:28,640 Speaker 2: an avalanche washes over you, you generally die one of 85 00:05:28,800 --> 00:05:34,279 Speaker 2: three ways. If you are lucky, and I want to 86 00:05:34,279 --> 00:05:39,560 Speaker 2: stress this, if you are lucky, the avalanche will wash 87 00:05:39,720 --> 00:05:43,880 Speaker 2: you over a cliff and you will fall to your death. 88 00:05:44,760 --> 00:05:48,760 Speaker 2: Those are the lucky people who die in an avalanche. 89 00:05:49,560 --> 00:05:53,159 Speaker 2: And just pause on this before I keep going. In 90 00:05:54,080 --> 00:05:57,520 Speaker 2: one avalanche, I want to try to explain the scale 91 00:05:57,680 --> 00:06:03,000 Speaker 2: of the avalanche problem during this hellscape of a war campaign. 92 00:06:03,640 --> 00:06:07,960 Speaker 2: Avalanches killed more men than bullets in the Italian campaign. 93 00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:20,159 Speaker 2: In one gigantic avalanche, ten thousand men were lost ten thousand. Now, 94 00:06:20,240 --> 00:06:22,960 Speaker 2: you've read different versions of that. Some said it was four, 95 00:06:23,080 --> 00:06:25,760 Speaker 2: some said it was one. The most consistent version I've 96 00:06:25,760 --> 00:06:29,839 Speaker 2: seen is nine to ten thousand men were loshed. Back 97 00:06:29,880 --> 00:06:36,200 Speaker 2: to what we were discussing, you may be washed over 98 00:06:36,279 --> 00:06:39,320 Speaker 2: the cliff, and if you're one of the people who's 99 00:06:39,400 --> 00:06:42,719 Speaker 2: going to die in the avalanche, you're one of the 100 00:06:42,800 --> 00:06:46,960 Speaker 2: lucky ones if you got washed over the cliff, because 101 00:06:47,520 --> 00:06:51,640 Speaker 2: a second way you can die during an avalanche is well, 102 00:06:51,680 --> 00:06:54,680 Speaker 2: I know, you know it's snow, right, but it's snow 103 00:06:54,800 --> 00:06:58,839 Speaker 2: that's falling, and it's picking up steam as it falls, 104 00:06:59,680 --> 00:07:05,320 Speaker 2: picking up other snow. But it's also picking up rocks, trees. 105 00:07:05,520 --> 00:07:09,720 Speaker 2: Avalanches will clear trees out, it'll snap them like toothpicks 106 00:07:09,760 --> 00:07:15,400 Speaker 2: off of their Everything on the mountain side that is fallible, 107 00:07:15,800 --> 00:07:18,600 Speaker 2: I know that's not probably a word. Everything that's not 108 00:07:18,760 --> 00:07:22,080 Speaker 2: nailed down, and some things that are, they will come 109 00:07:22,160 --> 00:07:26,920 Speaker 2: with the avalanche. So when the avalanche hits you, depending 110 00:07:26,960 --> 00:07:29,520 Speaker 2: on the amount of force it hits you with, it 111 00:07:29,560 --> 00:07:34,679 Speaker 2: may shatter your body like an artillery shell shatters your body. 112 00:07:35,120 --> 00:07:40,520 Speaker 2: And those guys, they aren't even the most unlucky ones, 113 00:07:40,560 --> 00:07:46,880 Speaker 2: because the most unlucky ones, Well, how you normally die 114 00:07:47,200 --> 00:07:53,680 Speaker 2: when an avalanche gets you is you suffocate. You suffocate 115 00:07:55,000 --> 00:08:00,360 Speaker 2: surrounded by snow, and you are so surrounded and packed 116 00:08:00,400 --> 00:08:04,800 Speaker 2: in by snow that you no longer have a sense 117 00:08:04,960 --> 00:08:08,520 Speaker 2: of gravity. Did you know that people who have survived 118 00:08:08,680 --> 00:08:12,880 Speaker 2: survived avalanches will tell you you don't know which way 119 00:08:13,000 --> 00:08:16,360 Speaker 2: is up or down. Maybe you have thought to yourself, well, 120 00:08:16,400 --> 00:08:19,680 Speaker 2: I would simply dig my way out of it. No, 121 00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:22,920 Speaker 2: you will not. You are packed in with snow. You 122 00:08:23,000 --> 00:08:26,360 Speaker 2: can't really move in any way that will allow you 123 00:08:26,520 --> 00:08:27,040 Speaker 2: to dig. 124 00:08:27,320 --> 00:08:28,560 Speaker 3: And even if you. 125 00:08:28,640 --> 00:08:33,079 Speaker 2: Could dig, you don't know which direction leads you out 126 00:08:33,400 --> 00:08:36,960 Speaker 2: of the avalanche. You could very well be digging down 127 00:08:37,520 --> 00:08:42,280 Speaker 2: in the wrong direction. If you are not located promptly 128 00:08:42,960 --> 00:08:49,160 Speaker 2: and dug out, you will suffocate surrounded by snow packing 129 00:08:49,200 --> 00:08:53,120 Speaker 2: you in. And this was not a one time thing. 130 00:08:53,800 --> 00:09:01,040 Speaker 2: Thousands and thousands and thousands of Italians in Australian died 131 00:09:01,559 --> 00:09:06,800 Speaker 2: by avalanche during the Italian campaign. They would describe it 132 00:09:07,120 --> 00:09:11,320 Speaker 2: as sounding like a rolling thunder, and you knew immediately 133 00:09:11,320 --> 00:09:13,640 Speaker 2: what it was, and you would look up and see 134 00:09:13,679 --> 00:09:19,720 Speaker 2: what was essentially a white tidle wave pouring down the mountain, 135 00:09:20,080 --> 00:09:23,160 Speaker 2: and you can't escape it. Contrary to what you see 136 00:09:23,160 --> 00:09:26,359 Speaker 2: in James Bond movies, you can't throw on some skis 137 00:09:26,400 --> 00:09:29,840 Speaker 2: and outrun it. Most of the time you have to 138 00:09:29,880 --> 00:09:34,200 Speaker 2: try to hunker down, hide me behind a rock, and 139 00:09:34,320 --> 00:09:38,560 Speaker 2: pray to God that the snow doesn't engulf you to 140 00:09:38,640 --> 00:09:43,000 Speaker 2: such a degree that you will suffocate inside of it. 141 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:48,079 Speaker 2: It was such a problem each side started to use 142 00:09:48,400 --> 00:09:52,400 Speaker 2: avalanches as an offensive weapon. I'll tell you for a fact, 143 00:09:52,480 --> 00:09:55,400 Speaker 2: in the Bridger Mountains which are close to Bozeman, Montana. 144 00:09:55,440 --> 00:10:00,640 Speaker 2: To this day, the trained professionals, they will take elves 145 00:10:00,840 --> 00:10:04,120 Speaker 2: up high into the mountains when the mountain is cleared 146 00:10:04,160 --> 00:10:07,160 Speaker 2: out and they will explode. They will set off explosives 147 00:10:07,200 --> 00:10:11,960 Speaker 2: on purpose to cause avalanches to clear out all that 148 00:10:12,080 --> 00:10:14,839 Speaker 2: snow that may fall so it doesn't kill other people. 149 00:10:14,880 --> 00:10:19,240 Speaker 2: It's a professional clearing of deep snow. They would fire 150 00:10:19,440 --> 00:10:25,520 Speaker 2: artillery shells into hard snow packed areas above enemy troops 151 00:10:25,800 --> 00:10:30,680 Speaker 2: and then sit back and watch as thousands, as entire companies, 152 00:10:30,960 --> 00:10:35,280 Speaker 2: entire battalions have a tidal wave of snow wash over 153 00:10:35,320 --> 00:10:39,520 Speaker 2: them and kill them. Are you starting to come around 154 00:10:39,520 --> 00:10:44,359 Speaker 2: on my opinion that this is the worst battlefield conditions 155 00:10:44,360 --> 00:10:46,760 Speaker 2: in history? Chris is starting to come around yet on 156 00:10:46,800 --> 00:10:50,280 Speaker 2: any of this. We'll continue this, maybe I'll even finish 157 00:10:50,520 --> 00:10:53,160 Speaker 2: this in just a moment. Before I finish it, I'm 158 00:10:53,160 --> 00:10:57,080 Speaker 2: going to talk to you about America. First, we love 159 00:10:57,120 --> 00:11:01,640 Speaker 2: to say those words now by American right, hire Americans. 160 00:11:02,080 --> 00:11:06,480 Speaker 2: I love it too, and I really love companies that 161 00:11:06,520 --> 00:11:10,720 Speaker 2: were doing it before it got popular again. Pure Talk 162 00:11:10,800 --> 00:11:14,840 Speaker 2: didn't start hiring Americans after November when Trump won the election. 163 00:11:15,440 --> 00:11:17,600 Speaker 2: They didn't look around and lick their finger and stick 164 00:11:17,600 --> 00:11:19,839 Speaker 2: it in the air. See which way the wind's bone. Oh oh, 165 00:11:19,920 --> 00:11:23,200 Speaker 2: everyone wants us to hire Americans. That was important to 166 00:11:23,280 --> 00:11:26,520 Speaker 2: Pure Talk before anyone else was doing it. When I 167 00:11:26,600 --> 00:11:30,040 Speaker 2: switched my cell phone service from T Mobile to Pure Talk. One, 168 00:11:30,240 --> 00:11:33,600 Speaker 2: my bill got cut in half. Two I didn't sacrifice service. 169 00:11:33,679 --> 00:11:37,000 Speaker 2: Mine actually got a little bit better. And three I 170 00:11:37,120 --> 00:11:38,959 Speaker 2: spoke to an American. I was shocked. I talked to 171 00:11:39,040 --> 00:11:41,320 Speaker 2: my wife about it. I'm speaking to an American who 172 00:11:41,320 --> 00:11:45,440 Speaker 2: speaks English. And they make it easy. They're friendly. Switch 173 00:11:45,840 --> 00:11:49,520 Speaker 2: you switch during the break. It's fast, it's easy. Dial 174 00:11:49,720 --> 00:11:54,040 Speaker 2: pound two five zero and say Jesse Kelly. That'll save 175 00:11:54,080 --> 00:11:56,959 Speaker 2: you an extra fifty percent off your first month pound 176 00:11:57,280 --> 00:11:59,920 Speaker 2: two five zero, say Jesse Kelly. 177 00:12:00,080 --> 00:12:03,160 Speaker 1: We'll be back, Jesse Kelly. 178 00:12:04,440 --> 00:12:09,000 Speaker 2: It is the Jesse Kelly Show on a wonderful Wednesday, 179 00:12:09,120 --> 00:12:10,240 Speaker 2: our final. 180 00:12:10,080 --> 00:12:12,839 Speaker 3: Part three of World War One, our final. 181 00:12:12,600 --> 00:12:14,760 Speaker 2: Little history thing this week, and then we will get 182 00:12:14,800 --> 00:12:17,280 Speaker 2: back to the politics. Member, you can email the show 183 00:12:17,400 --> 00:12:22,680 Speaker 2: Jesse at Jesse kellyshow dot com. All right, that was 184 00:12:22,720 --> 00:12:26,200 Speaker 2: the avalanches. Now let's talk about something else that was 185 00:12:26,320 --> 00:12:29,280 Speaker 2: just so terrible. Because I mentioned the map yesterday, I 186 00:12:29,320 --> 00:12:32,400 Speaker 2: mentioned this part and it kind of gives away the 187 00:12:32,520 --> 00:12:34,880 Speaker 2: endgame here, but it doesn't matter. You probably get it 188 00:12:34,880 --> 00:12:38,480 Speaker 2: by now. Where I'm looking at this map, and the 189 00:12:38,520 --> 00:12:40,760 Speaker 2: map had the lines, the battle lines. These were the 190 00:12:40,800 --> 00:12:44,280 Speaker 2: Austria battle lines. These were the Italy Italian battle lines, 191 00:12:45,360 --> 00:12:48,040 Speaker 2: and it had dates on them, right, Hey, these were 192 00:12:48,080 --> 00:12:50,440 Speaker 2: the battle lines in nineteen fifteen, and then these were 193 00:12:50,440 --> 00:12:52,640 Speaker 2: the battle lines when it ended in nineteen seventeen. And 194 00:12:52,679 --> 00:12:59,600 Speaker 2: you're looking at these things and they don't move, not really, 195 00:13:00,880 --> 00:13:08,439 Speaker 2: they don't move at all. They remain the Italians. They 196 00:13:08,480 --> 00:13:11,320 Speaker 2: wanted to attack and get the Austrians off the mountaintops 197 00:13:11,360 --> 00:13:15,160 Speaker 2: because the mountaintops controlled the passes, they controlled the valleys, 198 00:13:15,960 --> 00:13:18,320 Speaker 2: they had better observation. You want the high ground, they 199 00:13:18,400 --> 00:13:23,920 Speaker 2: wanted the mountaintops. And the Italians didn't always fail in 200 00:13:24,040 --> 00:13:25,880 Speaker 2: taking these peaks. I want to be clear about that. 201 00:13:25,920 --> 00:13:28,960 Speaker 2: In fact, we'll talk about a couple quote success stories here, 202 00:13:28,960 --> 00:13:35,040 Speaker 2: but what would oftentimes happen is they would get counterattacked 203 00:13:35,400 --> 00:13:38,320 Speaker 2: once they were successful. Now, let's just discuss in general 204 00:13:38,840 --> 00:13:41,640 Speaker 2: counter attacking, because that's probably a term you've heard many 205 00:13:41,640 --> 00:13:45,200 Speaker 2: times before when people talk about wars or battles or 206 00:13:45,679 --> 00:13:48,480 Speaker 2: what is It is pretty obvious, and why is it effective? 207 00:13:48,600 --> 00:13:53,280 Speaker 2: Is less obvious? Okay, so counterattacking. Let's say I'm on 208 00:13:53,320 --> 00:13:55,960 Speaker 2: the defensive. It's World War One, so we'll make it 209 00:13:55,960 --> 00:13:58,560 Speaker 2: about a trench. I'm in my trench. I'm in the 210 00:13:58,600 --> 00:14:03,679 Speaker 2: first trench line. This is what routinely happened to both sides. 211 00:14:04,520 --> 00:14:08,560 Speaker 2: If you were able to get into the opposing guy's 212 00:14:08,679 --> 00:14:13,199 Speaker 2: trench line and take it over, you would the guys 213 00:14:13,240 --> 00:14:16,520 Speaker 2: you didn't kill or capture, you would run them out 214 00:14:16,559 --> 00:14:19,640 Speaker 2: of the trench line. Okay, so I just charged the 215 00:14:19,680 --> 00:14:22,680 Speaker 2: trench line or I forgot I'm on defense here. My 216 00:14:22,800 --> 00:14:26,440 Speaker 2: trench line just got charged. They dropped an artillery brage 217 00:14:26,480 --> 00:14:28,680 Speaker 2: on us, and they blew the barb wire, and they 218 00:14:28,760 --> 00:14:31,880 Speaker 2: had it organized the right way, and now they're fighting 219 00:14:31,920 --> 00:14:35,120 Speaker 2: and killing our way. We can't hold this trench line anymore. 220 00:14:35,680 --> 00:14:40,240 Speaker 2: What I do, as a smart commander is I tactically retreat. 221 00:14:40,360 --> 00:14:41,600 Speaker 3: Remember I know. 222 00:14:41,560 --> 00:14:44,120 Speaker 2: It doesn't play well in the movies, but tactical retreat 223 00:14:44,160 --> 00:14:46,440 Speaker 2: is a critical part of battle. What I do is 224 00:14:46,480 --> 00:14:48,920 Speaker 2: I gather my men because we can't defend that trench 225 00:14:48,960 --> 00:14:53,160 Speaker 2: line anymore, and we in an organized fashion, we back away. 226 00:14:53,880 --> 00:14:57,440 Speaker 2: We back into another trench line. At the same time, 227 00:14:57,480 --> 00:15:01,120 Speaker 2: we're backing away. I have rein f orsements in the rear. 228 00:15:01,720 --> 00:15:04,400 Speaker 2: This is a common part of World War One. The 229 00:15:04,440 --> 00:15:08,840 Speaker 2: reinforcements are called up. Now, the assaulting guy who just 230 00:15:08,960 --> 00:15:13,200 Speaker 2: jumped into my fence line, what's the state of his troops? 231 00:15:13,560 --> 00:15:17,600 Speaker 2: What are his troops like after they took my trench line. 232 00:15:18,120 --> 00:15:21,360 Speaker 2: They're shot to pieces. They're shot to pieces. They left 233 00:15:21,360 --> 00:15:24,880 Speaker 2: dead and wounded everywhere. They're probably out of ammunition. They're 234 00:15:24,960 --> 00:15:28,040 Speaker 2: dang sure out of energy. They are not even close 235 00:15:28,080 --> 00:15:30,960 Speaker 2: to being at full strength. Yes, they're in my trench 236 00:15:31,040 --> 00:15:33,440 Speaker 2: line now, but they are shot. 237 00:15:33,920 --> 00:15:34,200 Speaker 3: Well. 238 00:15:35,280 --> 00:15:38,480 Speaker 2: I now get my reserves and my men that I 239 00:15:38,680 --> 00:15:44,560 Speaker 2: left with, and I use the opportunity to counterattack, and 240 00:15:44,600 --> 00:15:47,720 Speaker 2: I go right back at the trench they just took over. 241 00:15:48,280 --> 00:15:51,440 Speaker 2: They don't have the strength and the men to keep 242 00:15:51,480 --> 00:15:54,560 Speaker 2: me from taking it back, and they end up losing 243 00:15:54,600 --> 00:15:56,920 Speaker 2: in the end and having to run back to their 244 00:15:57,000 --> 00:16:00,760 Speaker 2: original lines because of the counter attack. Now, that's a 245 00:16:00,840 --> 00:16:04,360 Speaker 2: World War One version of a counter attack. But that's 246 00:16:04,440 --> 00:16:10,400 Speaker 2: why counter attack itself is so successful, because attacking takes 247 00:16:10,520 --> 00:16:14,360 Speaker 2: more energy, and you will lose more men while attacking 248 00:16:14,640 --> 00:16:17,840 Speaker 2: than you will while you're defending. So even if your 249 00:16:17,880 --> 00:16:21,920 Speaker 2: attack is successful, yes, you may hold the mountaintop in 250 00:16:21,960 --> 00:16:25,520 Speaker 2: this case, but you started out with fifty men. There 251 00:16:25,560 --> 00:16:28,640 Speaker 2: are now ten of you still left standing on the mountaintop. 252 00:16:29,080 --> 00:16:32,600 Speaker 2: I retreated, and I have reserves, and I'm simply going 253 00:16:32,680 --> 00:16:37,040 Speaker 2: to come take it back. This happened all the time 254 00:16:37,160 --> 00:16:40,520 Speaker 2: in the Italian campaign. You would you would make tunnels 255 00:16:40,560 --> 00:16:43,200 Speaker 2: and supplies, and you'd make plans, and you'd bring up 256 00:16:43,200 --> 00:16:45,640 Speaker 2: the artillery, and you'd get the units ready and make 257 00:16:45,640 --> 00:16:48,760 Speaker 2: sure everyone has AMMO, and you would know, on this day, 258 00:16:48,800 --> 00:16:51,320 Speaker 2: we are going to finally do the final assault to 259 00:16:51,360 --> 00:16:54,120 Speaker 2: this mountain. And you'd wait until there was bad weather, 260 00:16:54,160 --> 00:16:56,040 Speaker 2: when there was fog and you could move, and you 261 00:16:56,080 --> 00:17:00,600 Speaker 2: would plan everything right. And then let's say it was successful. 262 00:17:00,880 --> 00:17:03,360 Speaker 2: Maybe maybe you blew the barb wire in all the 263 00:17:03,480 --> 00:17:07,119 Speaker 2: right places and your artillery barrage worked correctly and you 264 00:17:07,320 --> 00:17:11,080 Speaker 2: managed to fight your way through machine gun nests and 265 00:17:11,160 --> 00:17:14,399 Speaker 2: all this other death and misery going on. Oh and 266 00:17:14,440 --> 00:17:16,280 Speaker 2: did I mention I brought this up Day one? 267 00:17:16,680 --> 00:17:17,600 Speaker 3: Roller bombs? 268 00:17:17,640 --> 00:17:19,480 Speaker 2: Did you know that was a thing kind of cool 269 00:17:19,520 --> 00:17:23,439 Speaker 2: and fascinating. They would take what essentially was cast iron 270 00:17:23,800 --> 00:17:26,560 Speaker 2: and they would fill it up with explosives and light 271 00:17:26,640 --> 00:17:29,760 Speaker 2: the fuse and roll it down the mountain, and it 272 00:17:29,800 --> 00:17:33,080 Speaker 2: would blow up on people. Beyond bombs, I already mentioned 273 00:17:33,119 --> 00:17:38,439 Speaker 2: the avalanches, Boulders a commonly used weapon. I will tell you, 274 00:17:38,480 --> 00:17:40,639 Speaker 2: as somebody who spent a lot of time hiking and 275 00:17:40,680 --> 00:17:46,359 Speaker 2: skiing in the mountains, looking up for rocks or boulders 276 00:17:46,440 --> 00:17:50,320 Speaker 2: coming down your way is something you learn really, really, 277 00:17:50,359 --> 00:17:53,879 Speaker 2: really fast. If my wife is hiking ahead of me, 278 00:17:54,800 --> 00:17:58,400 Speaker 2: and so much as a rock the size of an apple, 279 00:17:58,720 --> 00:18:03,480 Speaker 2: if it comes bouncing down my way, it'll break the skin. 280 00:18:04,440 --> 00:18:06,920 Speaker 2: It catches a bad bounce, it'll shatter the teeth out 281 00:18:06,960 --> 00:18:09,880 Speaker 2: of my mouth. That's a rock the size of an apple. 282 00:18:10,280 --> 00:18:12,320 Speaker 2: You know the damage you can do with the rock 283 00:18:12,359 --> 00:18:16,960 Speaker 2: the size of a bowling ball. They're rolling those down, 284 00:18:18,040 --> 00:18:21,960 Speaker 2: But even when you do take a peek, even then 285 00:18:22,000 --> 00:18:25,919 Speaker 2: you'll get counterattacked right off of it. So let's talk 286 00:18:26,480 --> 00:18:29,280 Speaker 2: briefly about that as we wrap this up, and. 287 00:18:29,240 --> 00:18:32,800 Speaker 1: Then we'll move on. Hang on, this is the Jesse 288 00:18:32,960 --> 00:18:33,680 Speaker 1: Kelly Show. 289 00:18:36,560 --> 00:18:41,440 Speaker 2: It is the Jesse Kelly Show. Final Well, I shouldn't 290 00:18:41,440 --> 00:18:44,360 Speaker 2: say final World War One segment of the Jesse Kelly Show. 291 00:18:44,359 --> 00:18:46,920 Speaker 2: I shouldn't say that it may It might be I 292 00:18:47,000 --> 00:18:49,080 Speaker 2: might need one more to finish this whole thing up. 293 00:18:49,160 --> 00:18:53,919 Speaker 2: So let's just again talk briefly about the conditions on 294 00:18:54,040 --> 00:18:56,639 Speaker 2: the mountaintop. You already know about the lack of food 295 00:18:56,640 --> 00:18:59,880 Speaker 2: and water. We already talked about these things. But one 296 00:19:00,240 --> 00:19:02,960 Speaker 2: and I know it's a little dark. I understand there 297 00:19:02,960 --> 00:19:06,080 Speaker 2: are kids listing, but it's something we forget about. Men 298 00:19:06,119 --> 00:19:10,880 Speaker 2: have lived through this for us. What about the dead bodies. 299 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:16,840 Speaker 2: If you've ever been on a battlefield, you've seen them, 300 00:19:18,000 --> 00:19:22,480 Speaker 2: and maybe more importantly, you smelled them. It's something you 301 00:19:22,560 --> 00:19:27,359 Speaker 2: never forget. What do you do when you're holding a 302 00:19:27,400 --> 00:19:31,359 Speaker 2: mountain top, a mountain top of rock. Remember this is 303 00:19:31,400 --> 00:19:35,800 Speaker 2: not top soil, not at these elevations. What do you 304 00:19:35,960 --> 00:19:40,760 Speaker 2: do with your best friend who got killed yesterday? He 305 00:19:40,840 --> 00:19:45,600 Speaker 2: caught a bullet between the eyes, he's dead. Well, you can't, 306 00:19:46,840 --> 00:19:50,400 Speaker 2: you can't really just leave him there. One, it's very 307 00:19:50,400 --> 00:19:55,080 Speaker 2: bad for morale. Military commanders have known this forever. Men 308 00:19:55,840 --> 00:19:58,480 Speaker 2: they need to see other men being buried for a 309 00:19:58,480 --> 00:20:02,479 Speaker 2: couple different reasons. One, the body does some really ugly 310 00:20:02,560 --> 00:20:06,199 Speaker 2: physical things after it dies. It gets bloated as the 311 00:20:06,280 --> 00:20:09,400 Speaker 2: gas are in there. You turn colors. You don't want 312 00:20:09,400 --> 00:20:12,040 Speaker 2: to see your best friend that way. Okay. It affects 313 00:20:12,119 --> 00:20:16,960 Speaker 2: the morale of the men, and it's something in the 314 00:20:17,040 --> 00:20:21,480 Speaker 2: human psyche. You want to see some sort of care 315 00:20:21,640 --> 00:20:26,479 Speaker 2: taken with dead bodies, your dead comrades, because that tells 316 00:20:26,520 --> 00:20:29,720 Speaker 2: you that should the worst happen. And all these men 317 00:20:29,760 --> 00:20:31,560 Speaker 2: on both sides all thought they were going to die. 318 00:20:31,600 --> 00:20:34,199 Speaker 2: They said, this is the most fatalistic portion of the 319 00:20:34,359 --> 00:20:36,520 Speaker 2: entire war. They all assumed they were all going to die. 320 00:20:37,280 --> 00:20:39,320 Speaker 2: They want to see that there is a certain level 321 00:20:39,320 --> 00:20:43,520 Speaker 2: of respect paid for their bodies after you're gone. 322 00:20:43,960 --> 00:20:45,800 Speaker 3: Human beings want that. 323 00:20:46,200 --> 00:20:50,640 Speaker 2: It's part of why we have different burial traditions depending 324 00:20:50,640 --> 00:20:53,400 Speaker 2: on your culture, but everyone has a tradition. That's part 325 00:20:53,400 --> 00:20:56,800 Speaker 2: of the reason why it helps. It helps ease the. 326 00:20:56,760 --> 00:20:57,480 Speaker 3: Pain of death. 327 00:20:57,520 --> 00:21:03,320 Speaker 2: Okay, now I'm on a mountaintop and my buddy's dead. 328 00:21:05,040 --> 00:21:08,600 Speaker 2: I can't dig a six foot grave and put a 329 00:21:08,600 --> 00:21:10,919 Speaker 2: lovely tombstone up for him. I don't even have the 330 00:21:11,000 --> 00:21:15,399 Speaker 2: equipment to dig something like that up there. So what 331 00:21:15,480 --> 00:21:20,040 Speaker 2: they had to do wherever they could was dig something 332 00:21:20,240 --> 00:21:25,960 Speaker 2: as shallow as possible and then throw the bodies in there. Okay, 333 00:21:26,119 --> 00:21:28,880 Speaker 2: so let's call it a. 334 00:21:28,320 --> 00:21:31,720 Speaker 3: One foot ditch. We'll call it two feet deep, a 335 00:21:31,720 --> 00:21:32,919 Speaker 3: little two foot area. 336 00:21:34,119 --> 00:21:36,800 Speaker 2: We paid our respects, set a prayer over my buddy, 337 00:21:38,000 --> 00:21:41,360 Speaker 2: dragged him into that little hole and threw rocks on him, 338 00:21:42,920 --> 00:21:46,600 Speaker 2: and we left him because there's nothing else you can do. Now, Remember, 339 00:21:47,240 --> 00:21:51,640 Speaker 2: I said, Aboddy, if this is a critical mountaintop, many many, many, 340 00:21:51,640 --> 00:21:54,280 Speaker 2: many many men have died up there already, so they're 341 00:21:54,280 --> 00:21:59,679 Speaker 2: buried all over. Okay, now they're going to be shooting 342 00:21:59,680 --> 00:22:07,040 Speaker 2: our twoillary at me. Artillery was particularly nasty in this 343 00:22:07,800 --> 00:22:10,000 Speaker 2: portion of World War One. It was nasty all over 344 00:22:10,040 --> 00:22:13,480 Speaker 2: World War One, but in this portion of the war 345 00:22:13,520 --> 00:22:18,240 Speaker 2: it was actually worse than everywhere else because artillery didn't 346 00:22:18,280 --> 00:22:21,000 Speaker 2: have any mud to sink into. 347 00:22:21,160 --> 00:22:21,520 Speaker 3: Here. 348 00:22:22,040 --> 00:22:26,560 Speaker 2: It landed on top of rocks all the time. Rocks 349 00:22:26,680 --> 00:22:31,480 Speaker 2: themselves create shrapnel on top of the shrapnel from the artillery. 350 00:22:31,840 --> 00:22:35,960 Speaker 2: The artillery wounds, the wounds in general in this field 351 00:22:36,359 --> 00:22:42,200 Speaker 2: were ghastly. The stories were awful as I combed through 352 00:22:42,280 --> 00:22:46,720 Speaker 2: all my research on this thing, just awful, awful, awful stories, 353 00:22:47,280 --> 00:22:51,680 Speaker 2: similar to what Ewojima was for the Pacific War Marines. 354 00:22:52,200 --> 00:22:55,400 Speaker 2: They talked a lot about Pelelu in Ewogima in particular 355 00:22:55,440 --> 00:23:00,320 Speaker 2: as having kind of theest, gnarliest wounds, uglier than others 356 00:23:00,520 --> 00:23:02,960 Speaker 2: because it's all rock, it's all coral, it's all shrapnel. 357 00:23:02,960 --> 00:23:05,560 Speaker 2: It's one big shrapnel pit. Well that's what the rocks 358 00:23:05,560 --> 00:23:09,199 Speaker 2: were like. Well, what happens when you're dug in on 359 00:23:09,280 --> 00:23:14,560 Speaker 2: that mountaintop and that artillery shell lands, and it happens 360 00:23:14,600 --> 00:23:17,919 Speaker 2: to land on the little two foot ditch where you 361 00:23:18,119 --> 00:23:23,240 Speaker 2: just buried your buddy this morning, Not only will rocks 362 00:23:23,480 --> 00:23:27,640 Speaker 2: and shrapnel be raining down on you, so will your 363 00:23:27,760 --> 00:23:34,480 Speaker 2: buddy's body parts. This is not something out of a 364 00:23:34,480 --> 00:23:37,439 Speaker 2: horror movie. And I don't share this with you to 365 00:23:37,520 --> 00:23:43,679 Speaker 2: be macabre. This is what real men, flesh and blood, 366 00:23:43,680 --> 00:23:48,320 Speaker 2: people just like you, just like me. They have lived 367 00:23:48,359 --> 00:23:53,399 Speaker 2: in this existence. This is why the mutinies were so bad, 368 00:23:54,640 --> 00:23:59,359 Speaker 2: why the Italian army executed thousands of troops. Troops would 369 00:23:59,359 --> 00:24:03,000 Speaker 2: go on leave and never come back. At one point, 370 00:24:03,080 --> 00:24:06,280 Speaker 2: the Italians, they were terrible about releasing this information to 371 00:24:06,320 --> 00:24:08,639 Speaker 2: the public. They kept telling the public how they were 372 00:24:08,680 --> 00:24:12,159 Speaker 2: winning and how everything was going great. At one point 373 00:24:12,160 --> 00:24:15,520 Speaker 2: they sent the men home on leave with warnings, Hey, 374 00:24:15,520 --> 00:24:18,160 Speaker 2: don't be telling people how bad the conditions are here 375 00:24:18,160 --> 00:24:20,320 Speaker 2: where the men all went home and they told all 376 00:24:20,359 --> 00:24:23,280 Speaker 2: their relatives. You can't even imagine what it's like. That 377 00:24:23,520 --> 00:24:26,639 Speaker 2: was the moment public sentiment for the war turned, because 378 00:24:26,680 --> 00:24:29,840 Speaker 2: the stories finally got out that our young men, our 379 00:24:29,920 --> 00:24:35,359 Speaker 2: young boys, are going into hell up there, and so 380 00:24:36,760 --> 00:24:40,440 Speaker 2: I just wanted to bring that home. In fact, I'm 381 00:24:40,480 --> 00:24:43,560 Speaker 2: going to actually do something that I never ever do 382 00:24:43,760 --> 00:24:47,960 Speaker 2: during these things. I'm going to read something for you 383 00:24:48,080 --> 00:24:51,760 Speaker 2: in a moment before I read something for you. At 384 00:24:51,760 --> 00:24:55,480 Speaker 2: one point in time, the Germans, who were not involved 385 00:24:55,680 --> 00:24:58,240 Speaker 2: in this really for the most part, they left it 386 00:24:58,320 --> 00:25:02,800 Speaker 2: up to Austria. They had some new storm trooper tactics 387 00:25:02,840 --> 00:25:06,359 Speaker 2: they were using. It involved things like making sure the 388 00:25:06,480 --> 00:25:10,520 Speaker 2: artillery prevented the reserves from coming up, preventing counter attacks 389 00:25:10,560 --> 00:25:14,240 Speaker 2: and the infiltration tactics. And the Germans decided they had 390 00:25:14,359 --> 00:25:18,200 Speaker 2: enough troops they wanted to come down and actually help 391 00:25:18,240 --> 00:25:23,239 Speaker 2: the Austrians with a big offensive, and they did, and 392 00:25:23,320 --> 00:25:25,640 Speaker 2: gas was of course used. And I brought this up 393 00:25:26,640 --> 00:25:28,440 Speaker 2: that at one point in time, you want to talk 394 00:25:28,440 --> 00:25:31,280 Speaker 2: about living in existence, that no human beings should ever live. 395 00:25:32,160 --> 00:25:35,480 Speaker 2: At one point in time, Austrian troops in Austrian unit, 396 00:25:36,440 --> 00:25:39,000 Speaker 2: they went up to the line to replace another unit 397 00:25:39,040 --> 00:25:42,320 Speaker 2: that had been on the front line. They went into 398 00:25:42,440 --> 00:25:46,720 Speaker 2: the trenches and found the other unit was not only dead, 399 00:25:47,840 --> 00:25:51,119 Speaker 2: and they were terrible colors, and they obviously had died 400 00:25:51,680 --> 00:25:55,840 Speaker 2: by gas, most of them. But it wasn't all of them, 401 00:25:55,880 --> 00:25:58,560 Speaker 2: you see, because they found other things in the trench. 402 00:25:59,080 --> 00:26:05,120 Speaker 2: They found maces, clubs with spikes on them. Where the 403 00:26:05,160 --> 00:26:09,960 Speaker 2: Austrians and Germans, after they gassed the Italian troops in 404 00:26:10,040 --> 00:26:15,440 Speaker 2: their caves and their trenches and their tunnels, they went 405 00:26:15,480 --> 00:26:20,240 Speaker 2: in with gas masks on and bayonets and maces in 406 00:26:20,280 --> 00:26:24,680 Speaker 2: their hands, and as they were laying there choking to death, 407 00:26:25,480 --> 00:26:28,040 Speaker 2: they beat them to death with maces. 408 00:26:29,760 --> 00:26:30,080 Speaker 3: Yeah. 409 00:26:30,480 --> 00:26:32,280 Speaker 2: I tried to tell you this was as bad as 410 00:26:32,280 --> 00:26:35,040 Speaker 2: it gets, Chris. It's as bad as it gets. And 411 00:26:35,080 --> 00:26:39,680 Speaker 2: remember the gas was designed to be heavier than air, 412 00:26:40,600 --> 00:26:42,600 Speaker 2: so if you were in one of these caves that 413 00:26:42,720 --> 00:26:46,240 Speaker 2: was essentially a pit, they would make sure the winds 414 00:26:46,240 --> 00:26:50,679 Speaker 2: were right release the gas. You might be in your bunk, 415 00:26:50,800 --> 00:26:55,960 Speaker 2: maybe finally getting warm, enjoying a meal. Completely unbeknownst to you, 416 00:26:57,040 --> 00:27:01,600 Speaker 2: a monster known as gas is seeping through the entrance 417 00:27:01,640 --> 00:27:06,320 Speaker 2: to your cave and you're about to die in terrible 418 00:27:06,400 --> 00:27:11,480 Speaker 2: terrible fashion. Now maybe you thought all of that was 419 00:27:11,560 --> 00:27:15,200 Speaker 2: the worst. I'm actually going to read something to you 420 00:27:15,280 --> 00:27:18,440 Speaker 2: really quick when I get back, and this might be 421 00:27:19,040 --> 00:27:22,000 Speaker 2: the coup de gras of one of I mean, it 422 00:27:22,119 --> 00:27:25,360 Speaker 2: just gives me the willies just thinking about it before 423 00:27:25,480 --> 00:27:30,000 Speaker 2: I read you that. You know who didn't spend the 424 00:27:30,119 --> 00:27:34,720 Speaker 2: last two or three days or week panicking about the market. 425 00:27:34,760 --> 00:27:38,280 Speaker 2: It's up, it's down, it's up, it's down. Oh my gosh. 426 00:27:38,680 --> 00:27:44,600 Speaker 2: People who fortified their retirement with gold or silver precious 427 00:27:44,640 --> 00:27:51,040 Speaker 2: metals outlast everything. They outlast tariff's taxes, they outlast China, 428 00:27:51,119 --> 00:27:54,440 Speaker 2: they'll outlast America. They'll outlast you, your kids and their 429 00:27:54,520 --> 00:27:58,119 Speaker 2: kids after them. A thousand years from now. Gold and 430 00:27:58,160 --> 00:28:02,760 Speaker 2: silver will have value. They always had value. Let gold 431 00:28:02,880 --> 00:28:06,800 Speaker 2: Co make it part of your retirement, not your whole retirement, 432 00:28:06,840 --> 00:28:11,159 Speaker 2: and so go crazy. You use gold or silver to 433 00:28:11,600 --> 00:28:15,719 Speaker 2: fortify what you've invested, so you don't ever, it's not 434 00:28:15,920 --> 00:28:20,960 Speaker 2: possible for you to lose everything when you've fortified your retirement. 435 00:28:21,359 --> 00:28:24,280 Speaker 2: Gold Co has an A plus rating from the Better 436 00:28:24,320 --> 00:28:29,720 Speaker 2: Business Bureau over six thousand five star reviews. They know 437 00:28:29,840 --> 00:28:32,879 Speaker 2: what they're doing. They've helped so many people over three 438 00:28:33,000 --> 00:28:35,600 Speaker 2: billion in gold and silver. I think they know what 439 00:28:35,600 --> 00:28:39,640 Speaker 2: they're doing. They'll make it easy for you. Golded Jesse 440 00:28:40,120 --> 00:28:45,240 Speaker 2: likes goold dot com or call eight five five eight 441 00:28:45,400 --> 00:28:46,920 Speaker 2: one seven gold. 442 00:28:47,400 --> 00:28:50,600 Speaker 1: We'll be back, Jesse Kelly. 443 00:28:51,800 --> 00:28:56,000 Speaker 2: It is the Jesse Kelly Show. Final World War One 444 00:28:56,160 --> 00:28:59,600 Speaker 2: segment of The Jesse Kelly Show. Remember you can email 445 00:28:59,640 --> 00:29:04,200 Speaker 2: the show Jesse at Jesse kellyshow dot com. So on 446 00:29:04,240 --> 00:29:07,920 Speaker 2: this final segment, I'm actually going to read something from 447 00:29:08,000 --> 00:29:10,200 Speaker 2: a book I told you about. The White War is 448 00:29:10,200 --> 00:29:12,680 Speaker 2: the name of the books. A lot of details and 449 00:29:12,680 --> 00:29:14,960 Speaker 2: stuff like that, But if you're into that, it's there 450 00:29:15,360 --> 00:29:19,360 Speaker 2: certainly a great resource, wonderful resource. But I just thought 451 00:29:19,360 --> 00:29:22,280 Speaker 2: maybe this little story would bring it home. Remember I 452 00:29:22,360 --> 00:29:24,959 Speaker 2: told you about the mines and the tunnels they were 453 00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:30,720 Speaker 2: all digging, and how the Italians would dig mines. They 454 00:29:30,720 --> 00:29:35,320 Speaker 2: would dig a tunnel essentially underneath an Austrian position and 455 00:29:35,360 --> 00:29:39,400 Speaker 2: then fill it up with explosives and blow them out 456 00:29:39,400 --> 00:29:43,440 Speaker 2: of the position. This was done routinely, and the Italians 457 00:29:43,440 --> 00:29:49,160 Speaker 2: would dig countermines trying to stop it. Sometimes in the 458 00:29:49,240 --> 00:29:52,440 Speaker 2: mountains in the dark, they would run into each other 459 00:29:52,520 --> 00:29:55,800 Speaker 2: and then have a good old fashioned knife and dagger fight. 460 00:29:55,960 --> 00:29:56,560 Speaker 3: In the dark. 461 00:29:58,040 --> 00:30:02,480 Speaker 2: Now, what if what if you were holding one of 462 00:30:02,520 --> 00:30:08,040 Speaker 2: these mountain peaks, and what if you knew the explosion 463 00:30:08,200 --> 00:30:13,600 Speaker 2: was coming and couldn't stop it. Let me read you something. 464 00:30:14,680 --> 00:30:18,040 Speaker 2: In the final stage of the digging, aromas from Austrian 465 00:30:18,120 --> 00:30:22,440 Speaker 2: rations being prepared in the Castellanos seep through fissures in 466 00:30:22,480 --> 00:30:24,560 Speaker 2: the limestone to the Italians below. 467 00:30:24,640 --> 00:30:25,840 Speaker 3: The Italians were below mining. 468 00:30:25,880 --> 00:30:29,640 Speaker 2: Obviously, if the Austrians noticed these air currents, they might 469 00:30:29,720 --> 00:30:33,960 Speaker 2: release poison gas above the fissures, slowing the tunneling or 470 00:30:34,000 --> 00:30:36,400 Speaker 2: even stopping it. That's right, as you were tunneling, gas 471 00:30:36,520 --> 00:30:39,920 Speaker 2: might come in. Apparently, the idea never occurred to the Austrians, 472 00:30:39,960 --> 00:30:42,600 Speaker 2: who were absorbed by the challenge of keeping their sanity. 473 00:30:43,120 --> 00:30:48,600 Speaker 2: The senior officer at the Castellado was Hans Schneberger, a 474 00:30:48,840 --> 00:30:53,320 Speaker 2: nineteen year old ensign in the Austrian whatever unit. In 475 00:30:53,360 --> 00:30:56,120 Speaker 2: early June, he was ordered to lead his platoon up 476 00:30:56,160 --> 00:31:00,520 Speaker 2: to the Castelletto. It's a peak. A reputation for agility 477 00:31:00,600 --> 00:31:04,200 Speaker 2: around the mountains had already earned young Schneeberger the nickname 478 00:31:04,240 --> 00:31:07,840 Speaker 2: of the snow Flea. Yet his commanding officer explained that 479 00:31:07,920 --> 00:31:11,200 Speaker 2: the main reasons for his assignment were his age and 480 00:31:11,360 --> 00:31:15,240 Speaker 2: marital status because he was single. For it was clear 481 00:31:15,280 --> 00:31:18,800 Speaker 2: that the enemy were prepared to detonate his spectacular mind. 482 00:31:19,280 --> 00:31:22,880 Speaker 2: The rock was buzzing and trembling under the Austrian boots. 483 00:31:23,360 --> 00:31:26,760 Speaker 2: Another drill could be heard behind the surface of Tofuna 484 00:31:26,800 --> 00:31:33,840 Speaker 2: across the saddle Visiting visiting the Castellato one night, Schneberger's 485 00:31:33,880 --> 00:31:36,880 Speaker 2: sector commander, Captain von Roch, put him in the picture. 486 00:31:38,000 --> 00:31:41,400 Speaker 2: In the long term, it was impossible to hold the Casteletto. 487 00:31:41,800 --> 00:31:45,880 Speaker 2: For reasons of prestige, the divisional command refused to abandon 488 00:31:45,960 --> 00:31:49,280 Speaker 2: a single foot of territory without a fight. The situation 489 00:31:49,440 --> 00:31:52,320 Speaker 2: was hopeless. If you do not freeze or starve to 490 00:31:52,360 --> 00:31:55,160 Speaker 2: death first, you will be blown up. That's what his 491 00:31:55,200 --> 00:31:58,960 Speaker 2: commander told him. There were two ways of averting this outcome. 492 00:31:59,320 --> 00:32:03,280 Speaker 2: They could drive the Italians off Tofana completely, or foiled 493 00:32:03,280 --> 00:32:06,720 Speaker 2: their plan by discovering and destroying their tunnel. The first 494 00:32:06,760 --> 00:32:09,480 Speaker 2: option was out of the question. The Italian counter offensive 495 00:32:09,600 --> 00:32:11,760 Speaker 2: was too strong, so on and so forth. The second 496 00:32:11,760 --> 00:32:15,479 Speaker 2: option was highly improbable, for the army was unable to 497 00:32:15,520 --> 00:32:18,520 Speaker 2: provide a rock drill. The most they could hope for 498 00:32:18,880 --> 00:32:23,360 Speaker 2: were a few flame throwers and heavy machine guns. Schneberger 499 00:32:23,400 --> 00:32:26,920 Speaker 2: resisted the impulse to share the bad news. The cavern 500 00:32:27,000 --> 00:32:31,120 Speaker 2: walls were thin, and word quickly got around. The effect 501 00:32:31,160 --> 00:32:37,040 Speaker 2: on the Austrians' nerves can be imagined young Schneberger soldierly resolved, 502 00:32:37,120 --> 00:32:42,800 Speaker 2: his soldierly resolved, sometimes wavered. Not so the thirty men 503 00:32:42,880 --> 00:32:47,080 Speaker 2: under his command of the Alpine stock themselves. That was 504 00:32:47,120 --> 00:32:51,440 Speaker 2: the Austrians. They lived up to the reputation of Highlanders 505 00:32:51,440 --> 00:32:55,960 Speaker 2: for strength and dependability. Their stoicism shamed and heartened the 506 00:32:56,040 --> 00:32:59,160 Speaker 2: young ensign. When he asked what they thought of the situation, 507 00:32:59,680 --> 00:33:04,160 Speaker 2: they shrugged and carried on. As the days passed, Schneeberger 508 00:33:04,240 --> 00:33:07,640 Speaker 2: began to find the noise of the enemy drill, reassuring 509 00:33:08,200 --> 00:33:11,000 Speaker 2: it meant the Italians were not yet ready. As long 510 00:33:11,040 --> 00:33:14,720 Speaker 2: as they're not ready, we survive. When the drills fell silent, 511 00:33:15,200 --> 00:33:18,320 Speaker 2: everyone knew the countdown had started, but not when it 512 00:33:18,320 --> 00:33:21,960 Speaker 2: would end. Schneberger asked who wanted to be transferred off 513 00:33:22,000 --> 00:33:27,440 Speaker 2: the rock. Nobody spoke, not even Ashenbrenner, with eight children 514 00:33:27,480 --> 00:33:30,720 Speaker 2: at home, nor the Spinley, fifty two year old. 515 00:33:31,040 --> 00:33:31,960 Speaker 3: He gives out his name. 516 00:33:32,880 --> 00:33:36,280 Speaker 2: At midday on the tenth of July, the Italian guns 517 00:33:36,280 --> 00:33:40,800 Speaker 2: across the valley below open fire on Castellto The intensity 518 00:33:40,960 --> 00:33:45,360 Speaker 2: suggested a detonation was imminent. At three point thirty am 519 00:33:45,480 --> 00:33:49,320 Speaker 2: the next morning, Schneeberger was in his cavern trying to sleep. 520 00:33:50,000 --> 00:33:53,440 Speaker 2: A candle gutters on the table. Outside. The sky is 521 00:33:53,520 --> 00:33:58,440 Speaker 2: pre dawn gray. At once, the rock shakes, Everything goes black, 522 00:33:58,720 --> 00:34:02,000 Speaker 2: and he's flung off his hand coming too. He hears 523 00:34:02,040 --> 00:34:04,560 Speaker 2: his head roaring his brains when a burst out of 524 00:34:04,560 --> 00:34:09,000 Speaker 2: his skull. The air is thick with sulfurous dust. Stones 525 00:34:09,080 --> 00:34:12,400 Speaker 2: crash around him. Men grown. It has come at last. 526 00:34:12,800 --> 00:34:15,600 Speaker 2: From across the valley, the king sees a tower of 527 00:34:15,760 --> 00:34:22,040 Speaker 2: flame blaze up between Castellano and Tofano. A noise crashes 528 00:34:22,120 --> 00:34:26,879 Speaker 2: around the mountain walls. Schneberger staggers outside. The sky has 529 00:34:27,040 --> 00:34:32,280 Speaker 2: vanished into boiling dust. The saddle was unrecognizable. A crater 530 00:34:32,440 --> 00:34:36,200 Speaker 2: has been blown in the middle a church or as 531 00:34:36,320 --> 00:34:40,560 Speaker 2: deep as a church tower, fringed with rubble. Turning around, 532 00:34:40,640 --> 00:34:43,919 Speaker 2: he sees the southern end of the summit crest has disappeared. 533 00:34:44,600 --> 00:34:51,440 Speaker 2: Only ten of his platoon survive. The rest of them 534 00:34:51,480 --> 00:34:56,080 Speaker 2: were exploded, and they had to sit there day after 535 00:34:56,200 --> 00:35:03,520 Speaker 2: day after day, freezing in starving on a mountaintop, listening 536 00:35:03,640 --> 00:35:10,400 Speaker 2: to the Italian's plant explosives underneath their feet, knowing with 537 00:35:10,719 --> 00:35:15,040 Speaker 2: full knowledge that one day the drills would stop, the 538 00:35:15,160 --> 00:35:20,440 Speaker 2: explosives would be loaded, and an explosion would happen, and 539 00:35:20,719 --> 00:35:24,160 Speaker 2: rocks and body parts would be blown off the top 540 00:35:24,200 --> 00:35:27,560 Speaker 2: of the Swiss Alps. Some of these craters, in fact, 541 00:35:27,680 --> 00:35:31,600 Speaker 2: really all of them can be seen to this day 542 00:35:31,920 --> 00:35:35,800 Speaker 2: if you go look up images of this area of battle. 543 00:35:38,400 --> 00:35:42,320 Speaker 2: Chris asked, why have we never been taught this? America 544 00:35:42,400 --> 00:35:46,560 Speaker 2: wasn't really involved? And maybe the saddest part of all 545 00:35:46,640 --> 00:35:49,919 Speaker 2: this is all this death, all this freezing loss of life, 546 00:35:49,960 --> 00:35:55,359 Speaker 2: all this horrible misery was for nothing. The lines really 547 00:35:55,400 --> 00:35:59,880 Speaker 2: never moved In the end, Austria succumbed to the war 548 00:36:00,840 --> 00:36:04,520 Speaker 2: and everything just kind of went away. All those lives 549 00:36:04,560 --> 00:36:06,120 Speaker 2: well north of a million, I think it was seven 550 00:36:06,160 --> 00:36:11,360 Speaker 2: hundred and fifty thousand Italians alone, All those lives tossed 551 00:36:11,880 --> 00:36:17,040 Speaker 2: for nothing. Horrible, right, But I bet you're more interested 552 00:36:17,120 --> 00:36:20,440 Speaker 2: in the White War now than you were before. Anyway, 553 00:36:21,000 --> 00:36:21,920 Speaker 2: how about that. 554 00:36:21,920 --> 00:36:23,800 Speaker 3: That's it. Now, let's get back to politics. 555 00:36:23,920 --> 00:36:26,120 Speaker 2: Let's talk about the head of the Irs resigning for 556 00:36:26,160 --> 00:36:28,879 Speaker 2: an interesting reason. To make fun of Michelle Obama. We'll 557 00:36:28,880 --> 00:36:33,239 Speaker 2: do some emails, read some hate mail. Now, let's first 558 00:36:33,280 --> 00:36:36,520 Speaker 2: get you strong and energetic. 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Whatever you're 567 00:37:14,560 --> 00:37:18,160 Speaker 2: looking for, whatever you're looking to improve in your life. 568 00:37:18,480 --> 00:37:21,680 Speaker 2: Chuck is your first stop. It's my first stop. It's 569 00:37:21,680 --> 00:37:27,800 Speaker 2: not last first c ho q dot com promo code 570 00:37:28,239 --> 00:37:32,360 Speaker 2: Jesse gets you a huge discount on subscriptions Chuck dot 571 00:37:32,400 --> 00:37:34,280 Speaker 2: Com promo code Jesse. 572 00:37:34,840 --> 00:37:35,359 Speaker 3: We'll be back.