Deadliest Avalanche: "White Friday", December 13, 1916

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The History Guy: History Deserves to Be Remembered

6 ай бұрын

On December 13, 1916 one of the deadliest avalanche in history occurred, and barely made the newspapers. The White Friday avalanches were a little remembered event of the little remembered, but uniquely horrible, Italian front in the Great War.
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This is original content based on research by The History Guy. Images in the Public Domain are carefully selected and provide illustration. As very few images of the actual event are available in the Public Domain, images of similar objects and events are used for illustration.
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Script by THG
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Пікірлер: 159

@HaraldHofer 6 ай бұрын

As an Austrian mountaineer I can guarantee you that we are very aware of the hardships the soldiers on both sides had to endure. Going out into the mountains for some days for backcountry skiing and sleeping a couple of nights in a snow hole with good food and friends can be very enjoyable today. But fighting the harsh conditions and enemies with poor rations and bad equipment must have been hellish...

@mikenixon2401 6 ай бұрын

Thank you for offering your personal knowledge.

@Chiller11 6 ай бұрын

I’m a retired Canadian mountaineer. The mountains are incredibly beautiful especially in winter but they can turn so deadly in an instant. They would be a horrible environment in which to fight a war.

@dayros2023 6 ай бұрын

I’ve been in those mountains, they’re some of the most beautiful places on earth, so sad to think of the young men that died there. May they rest in peace.

@michaelwerner1836 6 ай бұрын

Sabaton has a song about this incident, and the animated video was part of their global premier of their film The War to End All Wars, which we went to see at our local military museum the week of Remembrance/Armistice/Veteran's Day.

@m.l.tankesly2665 4 ай бұрын

Yes! That is where I first heard about White Friday via Sabaton's "Solider of Heaven". One of my favorite songs by them.

@cpnscarlet 6 ай бұрын

An absolute horror to even consider.

@decnet100 6 ай бұрын

Colleague of mine's grandfather was (I know this as he asked me to do a bit of ancestorial research) among the first to conquer the Peak of Marmolata in 1915/16 with Kaiserschützenregiment 3 (Innichen), received a medal for his fortitude in those attacks and got stationed there. He was working in alpine rescue before, as is his grandson, and certainly knew the risks; he had rescued several people (including of course Italians) from avalanches and quite similar conditions, as the local pre-war newspapers have it. He survived the war and later became a professional musician, good for him I'd say - nevertheless, the idea of these alpinists, knowing fully well what was going on and still condemned to sit there in worsening conditions to defend against guys they would in peacetime have risked their own lives to save in mountain expeditions, is what I have in mind about World War I.

@stevedietrich8936 6 ай бұрын

I've driven through the Dolomites, and they are some of the most scenic mountains on the planet. I can't imagine the hardships of fighting a war at this altitude and these temperatures.

@sinnedsinister 6 ай бұрын

Thank you again for covering a forgotten front of WWI. People seem to only remember the eastern and western fronts. Even most docuseries only seem to cover those 2 fronts, completely overlooking the alpine war.

@mikeneely6190 6 ай бұрын

Lawrence of Arabia?

@Surfbird11 6 ай бұрын

@@mikeneely6190Hence the word most.

@mariakelly90210 6 ай бұрын

This is extremely interesting. I had no idea this happened! Rest In Peace, everyone who died in the avalanche.

@beebop9808 6 ай бұрын

Crazy place to pick a fight. But then battles are fought for the sake of death......

@smileymalaise 6 ай бұрын

"White Wednesday" even has alliteration. It's very weird that they call it Friday.

@magpiefrogfrom2556 6 ай бұрын

Strange that today is Wednesday, December, 16th.

@Blaqjaqshellaq 6 ай бұрын

It was an eventful month. On December 6 a munitions ship exploded in Nova Scotia's Halifax Harbor, killing perhaps 2000 people and injuring another 9000. (Nobody knows how many people received cuts from flying window shards...)

@shed66215 6 ай бұрын

In the UK there was a feeling that men of the Mercantile Marine were not 'serving' as they weren't in uniform. This extended to them not being named on 'Street Shrines' which honoured those who were serving in the Army, Royal Navy and RFC/RAF and even later when the first memorials were unveiled as they only named those in the Mercantile Marine and those who had died up to that time. But, as with the Italian and Austrian troops, those at sea had to bear more than just the threat of mines and U-boats, as well as potential collisions at sea in order to get their ships & cargoes to the ports. It was as a result of the work and efforts of the men of the Mercantile Marine during WWI that King George V bestowed the title Merchant Navy in honour of that work.

@glenmartin2437 6 ай бұрын

Thank you. My relatives are from northern Italy and the Austrian-Hungarian Empire. They fought in this White Hades. Two of my great grandfathers perished along with many others. We still have no idea where or what happened to some of these relatives. I have hiked in the Sierra Nevada's, the Unitas and Rocky Mountains above 6500 feet in white out blizzards. I have a good idea what my relatives went through. Thank you again for your video.

@Eric_Hutton.1980 6 ай бұрын

May they all Rest in Peace.

@frankgulla2335 6 ай бұрын

Thank you, THG. Once again, you have highlighted a forgotten piece of tragic history. 4000+ deadline and no one knew about it. What a War

@kurotsuki7427 6 ай бұрын

*sabaton music starts playing*

@keirangray902 6 ай бұрын

I won't be going home. I won't be going anywhere. I will guard this post forever...

@01cthompson 6 ай бұрын

That was my thought.

@kennethhigdon1159 6 ай бұрын

Here on the alpine slope, where I did my final stand, I shall remain Among the ice and snow that binds me to this mountain A force of nature too strong, sent from above Where spirits lead the way, the winds will never fade

@zobblewobble1770 6 ай бұрын

White Friday, I'll take the Stairway to Heaven I'm sky high, when I die I'll be immortal Forever, I never I won't return to Blood mountain, I am the Soldier of Heaven

@ZGundam83 6 ай бұрын

I saw the end war I watched the soldiers come and go But I kept my watch forever

@seangannon6081 6 ай бұрын

The mountain warfare in Italy was absolutely brutal.

@GordonFalt 6 ай бұрын

Hey History Guy. Can you do a video on the use of dogs by the Marines in battle during WW2. When reading some 50 year anniversary Marine Corps pamphlets from the early 90’s on WW2, there was quite a large section on how useful and heroic the battle dogs were at detecting Japanese and running messages through dense jungle between front lines and headquarters/artillery. I really need to know more!

@BatCaveOz 6 ай бұрын

☝

@BasicDrumming 6 ай бұрын

I appreciate you and thank you for making content.

@GRWINNER 6 ай бұрын

Thank you, Mr Lance! Fascinating and horrifying.

@mikenixon2401 6 ай бұрын

Thank you for this report. It always amazes me when taught military history the same narrativves are presented over and over. I suppose I simply have an appreciation for the forgotten. More than just the heroes contribute to battles. Worth remembering.

@us1fedvet 6 ай бұрын

Excellent episode

@djohnson9083 6 ай бұрын

Always like to hear stories about the Great War. Very interesting indeed. Another sad war.

@robertrichardson5285 6 ай бұрын

I remember reading about this in National Geographic a few years ago. Had never heard of this part of WWI before.

@grapeshot 6 ай бұрын

You have to actually use avalanches as a method of warfare. I remember reading a book a number of years ago about an avalanche the deadliest avalanche as far as fatalities here in the United States it swept the train off the tracks.

@Eric_Hutton.1980 6 ай бұрын

Interesting that it happened on a Wednesday and the 107th anniversary falls on a Wednesday.

@jcsgodmother 6 ай бұрын

Dec 13. I just spent much of the day commemorating the Battle of Fredericksburg on Dec 13, 1862. I laid a wreath at the National Cemetery and flowers at the Confederate Cemetery in the Fredericksburg Cemetery. It is interesting to learn about other events that took place on St. Lucy;s Day.

@Wil_Liam1 6 ай бұрын

Thank you ma'am.

@korbell1089 6 ай бұрын

With all the horrors of WW1 it's easy to see why an avalanche would be little remembered, especially when you consider that about the same time soldiers on the Eastern Front were fighting packs of wolves so large that the Germans and Russians ended up with a ceasefire so they could hunt them together!🐺😱

@shawnr771 6 ай бұрын

Interesting about the wolves. My uncle served as an observation plane pilot in Vietnam. He said part of his duty was to hunt tigers. Neither the US or Vietnamese soldiers would go into an area with active tigers.

@geosqueezebox4016 6 ай бұрын

Amazing work. This was great History.

@texasdustfart 6 ай бұрын

Interesting content as always.

@nathanappleby5342 5 ай бұрын

This goes to prove that there are quite a number of times in military history where nature is deadlier than the battlefield. Good video!

@zeppelinmage 6 ай бұрын

White Friday, I'll take the Stairway to heaven I'm sky high, when I die I'll be immortal Forever, I never I won't return to Blood mountain, I am the Soldier of heaven

@lisahinton9682 5 ай бұрын

I had no idea of this. Thank you so much, THG.

@RetiredSailor60 6 ай бұрын

Wow! I'm late for class! 😮 Good morning History Guy and everyone watching

@dtaylor10chuckufarle 6 ай бұрын

I appreciate the depth and breadth of the research you do, HG. It's very obvious you're a historian. Bravo Zulu

@HM2SGT 6 ай бұрын

*Like there was a 'most miserable hell-on-Earth' competition with the trenches*

@ElValuador 6 ай бұрын

The Netflix documentary “Buried” is another fascinating avalanche story.

@Guangrui 6 ай бұрын

a somewhat similar story of cold being the worst killer, in northern Korea, November 1950 😢

@debbralehrman5957 6 ай бұрын

Wow I never heard of this. Thanks THG👍🏼👍🏼

@walkercustoms 6 ай бұрын

Thank you

@1977Yakko 6 ай бұрын

200K pounds of snow and ice. That's the equivalent of two modern aircraft carriers sliding down the mountain and crushing you.

@garthhanstine6875 6 ай бұрын

Tons

@affordablewebsiterescue 6 ай бұрын

Im going to push the itty, bitty, teenie, weenie thumbs up button that KZfaq has graced it's very hard working, diligent, revenue- earning creators with in their newest shaft to them. Thank you for your fascinating videos!

@TM-ev2tc 6 ай бұрын

If The Cap Fits You Join The Army Today. Sounds like Sound Advice. I like your sign.

@billguernsey6419 6 ай бұрын

Tom Fink mayor of anchorage loved his bow ties, just like I love your show.

@CJ-Foygelo 6 ай бұрын

Wow, that’s some story. Thanks.

@ukulelemikeleii 6 ай бұрын

Hemingway was wounded on the Italian front. The Austrians loaded up a mortar round with bits of clock springs and other small pieces of metal, about 200 of them ended up in Hemingway's legs. Nasty war, that.

@shawnr771 6 ай бұрын

Thank you for the lesson I knew nothing about.

@J.A.Smith2397 6 ай бұрын

Tks

@waltermeerschaert 6 ай бұрын

I found myself quite moved at the thought of the absolute horrors that we inflicted upon ourselves. The fact that we learned absolutely nothing from this is the most appalling thing. I yearn for a time, some day in the future, when we can live with each other without fear and never resort to violence upon our fellows in order to solve our disagreements. The vast majority of individuals today get by without violence in our person to person affairs, certainly we can do it as a society among societies.

@sharonbowers9929 5 ай бұрын

Incredible agony. 😢😢😢

@pacificostudios 6 ай бұрын

WWII had two major natural interruptions, both in 1944. Vesuvius erupted, and Typhoon Cobra mauled American ships in the South China Sea. They are interesting subjects.

@steveshoemaker6347 6 ай бұрын

lt is sad to me that man loves was so very much......Excellent White Death video....Thank THG🎀 👍 Old F-4 Phantom 2 Shoe🇺🇸

@davidrudd9846 6 ай бұрын

I read that Indian and Chinese forces have had a few clashes in the mountains along their border not long go

@TheHistoryGuyChannel 6 ай бұрын

They have. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/p61paptindCVj5c.htmlsi=uJrL-h0Tqyn2XVww

@constipatedinsincity4424 6 ай бұрын

Hey History Guy🤓 👋 do you remember watching Ultraman when you were a kid? Right now the original series is playing with Subtitles if you're interested I can send you a link 😉

@lisaboban 6 ай бұрын

Oooo!!! I loved Ultraman!

@constipatedinsincity4424 6 ай бұрын

@@lisaboban Great Minds Think Alike!

@hbwblacksmithing 6 ай бұрын

I do know there's a KZfaq channel where people go in some of the old tunnels and everything else like that that you can also look up and it's horrific

@timbush7850 6 ай бұрын

Could you do a video of the February 28 1910 Wellington Disaster?

@PaulRudd1941 6 ай бұрын

Troops on both sides eventually found it was much more effective to bombard the mountain side and cause an avalanche that would kill the enemy instead of using their artiliery for direct fire. To this day, the Canadian army also uses its 155mm howitzers to cause controlled avalanches in the rockies to protect the highways.

@dinascharnhorst6590 6 ай бұрын

How coincidental that another KZfaqr had posted a reel about this very incident just today!

@JD03ish 6 ай бұрын

Thank you for slowing down your narration as it’s much easier to understand now.

@larrybuzbee7344 6 ай бұрын

In 1974, I learned to rappel on the lower slopes of Marmolata as a US Army soldier. While there we visited the monument to the victims and learned the horrific story of the many battles there and visited some of the old fortifications. Oy!

@Maedhros0Bajar 6 ай бұрын

To be honest, I first heard about this from listening to Sabaton (and wanting to know what 'Soldier of Heaven' was about). Still weird to call it White Friday, while it was a Wednesday back in 1916

@vans822 6 ай бұрын

Please History guy, keep up with your Rumble uploads. KZfaq is less and less popular.

@ingridfong-daley5899 6 ай бұрын

What is that image from @9:45-10:40? It looks like a Norman Rockwell painting but of havoc rather than American 'good times'.

@Wil_Liam1 6 ай бұрын

Over 100 years ago,and the Remf haven't changed one bit...

@geoffreypiltz271 6 ай бұрын

Don't forget the WW1 Caucasus Campaign between Russia and Turkey was also fought in mountains.

@profoundpronoun4712 6 ай бұрын

Love ya ❤

@RogCBrand 6 ай бұрын

It really is odd that they would call it White Friday instead of White Wednesday. I couldn't find when the term was coined, but I notice that the first December 13, after the War ended, is a Friday. If that's when the first commemoration occurred, they simply took that day for the title? You'd think there'd be some explanation, somewhere.

@kraneiathedancingdryad6333 6 ай бұрын

Friday the 13th? That would fit 😳

@mommyjsj 6 ай бұрын

Could the term "Friday" be used as the "13th" because of the ominous omen they two words conger?

@jeffbangkok 6 ай бұрын

Good morning

@carywest9256 6 ай бұрын

What your texting about has nothing to do with an avalanche!

@bluecollar58 5 ай бұрын

Why would you climb a mountain to fight an enemy ??? Just wait at the bottom with a cup of tea until they have to come back down.

@steveclapper5424 6 ай бұрын

I feel traumatized listening to the story.

@am2dan 6 ай бұрын

I realize that I don't know much about the history of the Austtro-Hungarian Empire or Austria. I'll look in your past videos, but that might ba fertile ground for future episodes.

@riinak7212 2 ай бұрын

Does he keep quoting the ECMWF? That's a weather model; it doesn't say anything. Also, I highly recommend Erik Durschmied's books "The Weather Factor" and its older companion book "The Hinge Factor". Gripping reading and shows you how little things can have such an impact on our world.

@TheHistoryGuyChannel 2 ай бұрын

I quote a story on their webpage.

@xmaniac99 6 ай бұрын

Poor doggo used as counterweight to pull up a cannon

@bigsarge2085 6 ай бұрын

✌️

@janlindtner305 6 ай бұрын

👍👍👍

@3RTracing 5 ай бұрын

how many were lost in this avalanche?

@OhioDan 5 ай бұрын

He said around 2,000 on each side.

@mistymoonshine897 6 ай бұрын

wasn't Entente's failure to deliver to Italy the expected territorial gains that contributed to the rise of italian nationalism and eventual participation in WW on Axis side?

@danm936 6 ай бұрын

I don't know if that's true for Italy in ww1, but I know it was for Japan.

@scottabc72 6 ай бұрын

Italy did get significant territorial gains such as the Trentino region and Trieste port though not as much as they hoped and it was an excuse for the Fascists to take power. The problem for Italy was that territorial gains are much easier to secure in peace negotiations if they have been achieved through military force first and they largely failed to do that.

@dayros2023 6 ай бұрын

It’s a long subject but yes, Italy was promised several territories in exchange for joining the Entente in the pact of London. The promise wasn’t kept mostly due to US president Wilson meddling and this led to the so called Vittoria Mutilata concept in Italy. If you google Pact of London and Vittoria mutilata you can get more informations.

@dayros2023 6 ай бұрын

@@scottabc72 scottanc Italy did its part, joining the Entente, facing the Austro Hungarians and their German reinforcements and in the end after the Vittorio Veneto battle destroyed the Austro Hungarian Empire. Educate yourself: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Vittorio_Veneto

@grassnothing1631 6 ай бұрын

Avalanche

@stevenvicino8687 5 ай бұрын

How ironic to declare war on your fellow man only to die together when Mother Nature rises up against both of you.

@merlinwizard1000 6 ай бұрын

48th, 13 December 2023

@dcbluenose1873 6 ай бұрын

Gonna have to turn the Sabaton tune on after watching this

@honodle7219 6 ай бұрын

History shows again and again How nature points out the folly of men. ----- Blue Oyster Cult "Godzilla'

@ianpattison841 6 ай бұрын

Brilliant thanks for the episode

@bradbutcher3984 6 ай бұрын

How did soldiers drown in rain filled shell holes? I've learned about most things including this part of the great war, but this? I've never even heard this topic or scenario. Where they concussed and drowned because of where they fell? So many questions.

@bradbutcher3984 6 ай бұрын

Or were they found in a rain filled shell hole after?

@bradbutcher3984 6 ай бұрын

Maybe the concussion killed them and they were presumed drowned after no visual damage. I'm going through scenarios in my head.

@constipatedinsincity4424 6 ай бұрын

Back in the Saddle Again Naturally

@TheTrainChasingPoet1999 6 ай бұрын

WHITE FRIDAY I'LL TAKE THE STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN I'M SKY HIGH WHEN I DIE I'LL BE IMMORTAL FOREVER I NEVER I WON'T RETURN TO BLOOD MOUNTAIN I AM THE SOLDIER OF HEAVEN

@zobblewobble1770 6 ай бұрын

“White Friday, I'll take the Stairway to Heaven I'm sky high, when I die I'll be immortal Forever, I never I won't return to Blood mountain, I am the Soldier of Heaven!”

@bold810 6 ай бұрын

I still firmly believe "Free D-Cell battery Night" at the 1973 World series at Oakland Colosseum was really an unforced foul.

@thinman4648 6 ай бұрын

A metal band called Sabaton made a fantastic song on this event called Soldier Of Heaven

@jonmcgee6987 6 ай бұрын

I honestly think that Sabaton's song " Soldier of Heaven". That covers what happened is one of their better songs. Is the best one in The War to End All Wars album.

@cw4608 5 ай бұрын

Friday was easier for people to spell. ;)

@LAM_AUT_ECU 6 ай бұрын

It is inaccurate to say that battles had never been fought at such altitudes. The battle of Pichincha (1822) was fought 1000m or almost 3500ft higher; I am sure that many higher battles can be researched easily. The eastern front and the Winter War, both during WW2 probably had worse weather. Battles between India an Pakistan and India and China probably had a more disadvantageous confluence of height and cold though their scale is minuscule. What is unique to the alpine battles of WW1is scale, these battles were bigger by orders of magnitudes than any other ones fought at comparable conditions.

@TheHistoryGuyChannel 6 ай бұрын

I did not claim that these were the highest battles ever thought. That quotation is is saying that mountain tops had never previously been the front lines. Maintaining modern armies at these altitudes was unprecedented.

@ZIGSVIDS 6 ай бұрын

Yeah ,I was camping up there that night, you could hear the snow coming, I just grabbed a beer carton and rode it all the way down. Was chilly though !

$@jamesfracasse8178$

@jamesfracasse8178 6 ай бұрын

WOW a 107 year old guy is still around to tell the tail! 3:35

@b_uppy 6 ай бұрын

@@jamesfracasse8178 Think he'd need to be older than that, don't you???

$@jamesfracasse8178$

@jamesfracasse8178 6 ай бұрын

@@b_uppy 116 years old

@b_uppy 6 ай бұрын

@@jamesfracasse8178 And with a time machine as beer cartons needed to be invented in 1916...

$@jamesfracasse8178$

@jamesfracasse8178 6 ай бұрын