This episode is part 2 of our “1916” Sabaton History journey, and we’re excited for you to watch it even if it is quite a gut-wrenching topic. Kids should be allowed to be kids. What did you think of it? Let us know! We're listening. P.S. Don't forget, you can support Sabaton History on Patreon: www.patreon.com/sabatonhistory

When I was learning about the First World War in school I remember one of my class mates asking "Why would they go to war if they knew how bad it was?". Our teacher imediately responded "They didn't know. How could they know?" and proceeded to explain war censorship and propagranda. How letters sent home were screened and any content deemed antiwar or sensitive would result in the letter not being sent. I think its really important to remember that the offical story isn't always the truthful one, and that hindsight is a very powerful thing.

"And I called for my mother and she never came, though it wasn't my fault, and I wasn't to blame" Those have got to be the saddest lyrics to any song I have ever heard, especially in this context. Absolutely love the cover of the song!

My grandfather, who fought in WW2, enlisted at 17 by faking the birthdate in his papers. He told me he'd been often asked 'Was it scary at war?' 'I don't know,' he said. 'I was too young to realize that.' Maybe that's what got him through.

One thing that struck me is that the research team tried to find out as many names of the shown child soldiers they could find. So many soldiers, no matter their age, were left behind in the trenches to be forgotten, but this team wanted us to know their names. Hats off to you, Sabaton History team!

I volunteered for my countries' army when I was 19. Here you're also considered an adult at 18. I'm 33 now and I can tell you, back then I had no idea how the real world worked, nor was I mature as my old cocky self thought I was at 19. The army really humbled me in a matter of months and also made me grow. I can only imagine what the poor kids enlisting at 15 or 16, and survived, went through the rest of their lives.

It's hard to hear that many parents didn't get to know what had happened to their children because they enlisted with false names ... Also, it's hard to imagine what the boys thought when it became clear to them that the war isn't as glorious as they thought ... (it's hard for everyone, of course, but for kids ...) Great episode as always, of course, and I'm happy that the song was played on tour 😁❤

Reading about children faking names and ages to join the Great War only to find out it's not what they thought it would be is a haunting experience, that's why the story of All Quiet on the Western Front remains one of my top books (And films) of all time. Motorhead's/Sabaton's 1916 has one of the most chilling lines I will ever hear in the song, "Ready for history's pages."

Thank you to Sabaton and Sabaton History for covering this topic. I had a relative who died after enlisting underage in The Great War. My great great uncle Charlie Edward Jones, he joined up in April 1915. There are two versions I have heard of how he was enlisted. He either lied about his age to join, he was only 16. Or the recruiter bumped into him by chance and asked his age. When he said he was only 16 the recruiter said that he heard that one all time by people trying to not join in and then said he did not believe him and would sign him up anyway. Either way, he was enlisted into the 17th Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers. His older brother Ned (my great-grandfather) joined the army to keep an eye on him. He went to France in December 1915. He then fought and died in Mametz Wood on 10th July 1916, he was blown up by his own artillery. He has no known grave, he is remembered at Thiepval. His body is most likely still in the wood near the north end. His older brother Ned was then bayoneted through his shoulder, which nearly killed him. What happened next is unclear but my nana told me that when Ned got back to Wales he tried looking for the recruiter who enlisted Charlie, a man known as Sergeant Major Fox. Ned tried looking for him for the rest of his life trying to get revenge but never found him. Also when Ned was on leave recovering from the bayonet wound, he was at his stage probably suffering from Combat Stress/PTSD. It was while on this medical leave, a woman came up demanding to know why he wasn't doing his bit by joining the army. He explained that he was on medical leave. She did not believe him and presented him with a white feather of cowardice. He was absolutely shattered by this. On the somme roll of honour, they have Charlie listed under his Battalion's page, he is wrongly listed as being 19 at the age of his death, he was actually only 17. RIP Charlie Edward Jones

On the topic of smaller, more intimate shows: I saw Sabaton play with Amon Amarth in Thunder Bay, Canada around 2014. To this day, its the most memorable show ive ever been to. Having 2 power houses of metal playing in a bar to a couple hundred people, in a fairly remote part of Canada felt like an impossible dream

Great episode. Its hard enough imagining what the average soldier went through in that war, but to go through that as young as 12 is incomprehensible. Sabaton has always done well with making songs about the true costs of war, but this cover was especially powerful.

I always knew of the young teens pretending to be older and faking ID to join the Army. I read War Horse religiously and seeing the photos of the young in this video and with the lyrics showing over them knowing what happened during The Great War, it's emotional and really eye tearing. Specially the lyric "and I called for my mother and she never came, nor it wasn't my fault and I wasn't to blame" broke me. Since learning about 20th century warfare and events such as WW1 and WW2, I have always damned the old lie and any country that drilled it into the mind of the youth and the middle aged soldiery. 'Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori - it is sweet and right to die for your country,'

William Cody "Buffalo Bill" was an Army scout in the Plains Indian wars. He was age 12 when he met Wild Bill Hickok in southwest Missouri as his unit passed through the area. Back in that time period there were lots of orphans and kids on their own for various reasons. The Pony Express specifically wanted orphans around age 14. They wanted small riders so the horses wouldn't tire so quickly. Plus orphans didn't have parents to object to this super dangerous job.

"You'll be home before Christmas." Unfortunately, they don't say which Christmas.

Oh wow, it's going to be so cool to see Part 3 of "1916" , emotional as well for sure

Figured this would happen since the first lyric is "16 years old when I went to the war"

As an 14 year old myself (going 15 at august 28) i can't imagine how traumatizing war can be. Well as a young blood i saw war in news, animation, and movies, but just imagine being on that scene in war but you're 16 year old in ww1, that's what those poor boys and girls felt and witnessed.

I heard this song in Leeds. So among the first lucky enough to hear it. Joakim said in the beginning of the show he might mess up and admitted at the end he misspoke a lyric. I didn't even notice haha.

As a Serbian, i am very glad and thankful you mentioned Momčilo Gavrić. He was a true hero, whose story is truly heartbreaking. Amazing episode, hope to see yall in Serbia again soon!

I'm still gonna lobby for Sergeant Stubby to get the Sabaton Treatment! Not all heroes walk on two legs. Some of them run on FOUR! 🐕

I had seen this song live during The War To End All War Tour in Amsterdam in the Ziggo Dome. Everytime i hear the song i let some tears go but that time when i heard it for the first time live, i almost couldn't stop crying. Thats how heavily it hit me. THIS is one of the reasons why i love Sabaton, they let me feel how heavy war is with all their songs

Just boys. Shame they had to fight and give up their youths.

When is the Sabaton History video for Hellfighters coming out? It’s the only song on The War to End All Wars that doesn’t have a video yet.

Another fascinating and enlightening history lesson. It's so sad that so many young lives were cut short. So many in unmarked graves, such a waste. A literal crying shame. Thank you for your work on this.

Great episode and really heavy topic. But sadly history repeats itself. My grandfather was only 12 when he joined Yugoslav partisans in '41 and I have heard several stoys about kids (15,16 years old) joining Crotaian army in '91 during Croatian War of Independence. "Older men start wars, but younger men fight them. ”― Albert Einstein . Sometimes too young.

Why cant more people focus on the past to stop worse things in the present so many people are blinded by corruption and denial some dont even know what side their country was in ww1 or ww2😢 thanks for the things you guys do

I honestly want to thank sabaton and all the historians. That those who may easily be lost to time are remembered and revered. Fking love sabaton

WHERE'S HELLFIGHTERS from 369th Regiment? Im still waiting very longest episode from Sabaton History Channel about guys from the 369th Regiment.

Playing Warlords II on PC with my best bud when I was around 14 years old, so around 1993, as the strategy game loaded upon starting, there was always shown a meaningful quote relating to war, and of all of them, only one was really etched into my mind forever, likely for being so sad in nature, unlike the Sun Tzu tactical ones and such: "The belief in the possibility of a short decisive war appears to be one of the most ancient and dangerous of human illusions. Robert Wilson Lynd (from 1939). I'd also visited Normandy American Cemetery (the one seen in Saving Private Ryan), with close to 10k graves, when I was 12 years old, leaving me with visuals I remember like it was last summer instead of 31 years. It made it very real, reading hundreds of names and data. Going back there for the 80th D-Day next June, come hell or high water.

Please tell me you haven't forgotten about the Hellfighters track and their story :)

So glad you decided to play it live, I saw it in Antwerp in May and it was amazing, thank you

Thank you for yet another incredibly interesting (and emotional) episode, can't wait for part 3

One correction:in the 19 century,it was not uncommon for working class childrens to start working at 10 years(sometime even younger) of age,expecially until 1850 or so when laws started to change.And they worked 10 or 12 hours on day in factories,mine or other jobs.Expecially cruel was the fate of childrens used to clean chimneys(if you want to truly understand how good we have it in most western countries in the present time,read how childrens were exploited for work in the 19 century in all of the western countries.Or how poor people were treated).

This song always makes me tear up. Such a great cover and this video was another great history episode.

I like this Song so much.

They joined to go on an adventure to foreign lands They have never seen before, but they went into a blazing hell that most will not return home from.

I was there in Frankfurt when you performed the Song. It was awsome. And yes, i cried. You made the perfect cover. Thank you for the Song, that you played it live, and that you have this channel.

War is a nightmare for grown men. I cannot imagine the trauma these children suffered, if they even survived. This was a hard one to watch, so thank you both for bringing some levity into a heavy subject.

You should take a look at the German Black Metal Project "Kanonenfieber". Maybe even give them a shoutout. He makes Songs based on reports and letters from WW1 soldiers. Its extremely good, especially for a new project and very haunting to listen to.

4:19 that part about teachers remids me of "all quiet on the western front", well, the whole song really does remind me of said movie, a bit more the 1979 version than the 2022 one

This is so sad 😢

Makes sense why the Boy Scout had ranks.

I just love Sabaton History!🤘As always, incredible life story combined with incredible music. 🎶 Thank you Sabaton and Indy 🥰

Glad to see you guys again. I will have to see if I can find the song. Got me interested.

Anyone else remember hearing about these child soldiers while watching The Great War?

👍👍loved it

Let's not forget about the centuries of Ship Boy's that the navies across the world implemented. Considering that some sailing warships were still used all the way through the second world war I'm sure these children at sea were subjected to the horrors of war and sinking ships.

Hope you guys are having fun on tour

One of my favorite anime is actually about a child soldier in WW1. Its called violet Evergarden. The show follows Violet, a 14 year old girl that fought in what is supposed to be WW1 and lost both of her arms and her commanding officer/father figure during the last battle. Not being told avout his MIA status, she's taken in by his friend, Lt. Colonel Hodgins and starts to work for his brand new postal company. To understand the majors final words "I Love You" she becomes a writer, helping people write letters for those they care about. Its a really breath taking show and the sight of her trying to strangle herself after coming to understand the depth of pain she caused during the war will haunt me for a long time. Violet: "Do I have any right after I killed so many people as a weapon? I must have prevented them from keeping promises of their own! Promises they made to loved ones of their own! Everything I’ve done so far has sparked a flame that is now burning me up."

One of your best Indy. Thank You.

This song just about makes me cry.

My grand-grand-grand father was 14 in 1914. As he was an orphan starving in his uncle and aunt farm because they didn't really care about him, he decided to lie about his age to go on the front to have food. He did the Battle of the Marne and was in one of the Taxi de la Marne. I didn't see the whole video yet, but another big part of those young guys was what we named back then in France "les apaches" basically thugs who had nothing to loose and was often chased by the police. Thank you for the video !

Next time you're on tour here in the States, Pär you should go skiing in Utah. Park City is the best place to go skiing. And you guys should visit the American Heritage Museum in Hudson, Massachusetts. They have lots of tanks, including the only fully refurbished and operational Panther tank in North America and an M1A1 Abrams. Plus you ride or drive some of the tanks outdoors.

Absolutely can't hear any verse of this song without having my eyes full of tears

Not sure this is the right niche but if someone's searching for hard core military historical content I recommend Schwerpunkt

You should do a great Scandinavian tour. Id probably go to all shows in my part of Norway.

I was at the Malmo show last show last year, I flew out from London. It was amazing, even though I couldn't understand any other banter as I can't speak Swedish. Has hoping to go to one of the shows this year but couldn't make it work logisically.

I really wish I could have gone to the show in Mora, it being my home town and all even though I live in stockholm now, also I nearly choked on my food because I found it insanely funny that the first time Indie visited Mora was to ski in 1996 which means I would have been a teeny tiny baby in the area at the time xD

If yall want smaller shows, please come to Tupelo, Ms. We very rarely get any metal out here, plus uts close to a lot of civil war battlefields.

this song makes me tear up

They look so young it brings tears to my eyes if meet any of them in the afterlife big bear hug and lots of love love they need

21:32 in Denmark as well!

Its scary to think that I might be fighting in WWI

WW II Russia had a 6 yesr old " son of the regiment" After his family was killed and village burned he ended up getting picked up by Russian soldiers. He was at Stalingrad and all the way to Poland.

Intresting

2:47 the nineteen-teens? Rlly? 😭😂

This song reminds me of Willie McBride. Well done, boys.

Don´t tell my mother. but I am happy that I wasn´t in my young teenage years 1914 -1918 and I don´t live in one or the countries that fought in WWI. I joined the airforce youth organization at 15 and had never felt that much at home before in any oraganization. I can realy see how the company can turn in to a famly. Not that the one I got by birth was bad.

It hurts so much, hearing and seeing this. Children sacrificing themselves and beeing sacrificed for ~"glory in a quick war". Such a waste.

KZfaq? Why didn't you tell me there was a new upload TWO WEEKS AGO!?

i know it is a bit off topic but you are going to make an episode about Pasadena 1994 right ? right ???

Let me just say Thank You gentlemen while the song is definitely gut wrenching to hear your absolutely right kids deserve to be kids I also believe that you guys and Indy are absolutely teaching others myself included what was never really taught in or more so focused on about the stories from the western front🔥🔥🔥🔥💯💯💯

All the wars that have been in history are terrible of course young boys could could live for long time not all boys come back home this very sadly and hurt even now

No SABATON song is emotional, rock isn’t sa- EUGHGHGHGAAAAHHHHHHWWWW ;( -sniff- - inhumane noise- WAAAAA I regret making this comment but you get it

My dad was one of the ships cooks during WWI. He was 17.

I wonder if you'll do a video on how philosophy of the time also caused huge amounts death

I've never heard this song. It's amazing ❤❤❤ Awesome show guys 😃👍🇦🇺

...still waiting for a Hellfighters video.

I always thought one of the British Army requirement was to have a mustache???? In 1914 at the very least. I love your videos Indy, and love history.

Where is part one?

I mean hell it’s been like that forever sadly 😢. You shouldn’t nowadays and myself should be so grateful that we hadn’t go through nothing like that.

sabaton should do a song about the USS Archerfish

Jesus... the pictures. Fuck. Every country let these kids down. Fuck how much we devalue life while at the same time preaching about how life is sacred and pretending these wars are to "protect" some sort of a future. The great war was a nonsensical war that killed so many people for no damn reason. it's infuriating.

Kids in war??? Battle of Acosta Ñu.

Where is part 1

Children wanting to go to war was nothing new in WWI. In the American Civil war, it was common for young teens enlisting and lying about their age.

Am I the only one who finds it ironic they haven't done a Sabaton History for Hell Fighters.

im sure i speak for all sabaton fans when I say that I would be happy for them to perform songs in Swedish outside Sweden

Day 1 of asking for a song about john malcolm thorpe fleming churchill a.k.a mad/fighting jack Churchill

Where is Hellfighters? or Pasadena 1994?

Day two of asking for a song about john malcolm thorpe fleming churchill aka mad/fightin jack churchill

Pauvres enfants, ils étaient trop jeunes pour vivre ce genre de choses 😢 Mais c'était la guerre malheureusement.

The nazis enscripted the kids knowingly, in the Great War, the allies knowingly enlisted the kids.

would yall bring that stage to the USA one day pretty please

All quiet on the western front much?

If I'd be born 100 years earlier, I'd be 19 in 1914 😢 RIP to everyone ❤

Day three of asking for a song about John Malcolm Thorpe Fleming Churchill aka mad/fighting jack churchill

10th, 13 July 2023

The best part of Sweden joining NATO is that Sabaton is joining NATO. 🙂

cursed comment *INDY IS 55*