This video took about four months to make and wouldn't be possible without my supporters on Patreon. So I want to start by giving a huge thanks to them. If you'd like to chip in and support me check out www.patreon.com/rchapman. Video notes below: I designed 'we think with the blood of our nation' to be a memorable phrase that can help people identify fascism. That being said, it's not formulated like a formal definition and needs more nuances in order to stand as one, so I regret calling it a definition. The phrasing was meant to invoke a fanaticism behind a singular nationalist mass movement. Fascism does not tolerate other principles conflicting with its nationalism (something that distinguishes it from more moderate forms of nationalism that might be content, for example, existing in a democracy). Fascism's nationalism wants to impose itself on others. Other ways of thinking are obstacles to fascists that need to be removed. Political or economic systems like socialism or capitalism, as stated in the video, are only tolerated if they're believed to be helping the fascist cause. They're dropped, attacked or modified as needed. The 'we' in 'we think with the blood of our nation' means a collective of people thinking together as a political mass movement. Fascism has to be in the context of mass politics. It gains its power and legitimacy by inciting mass enthusiasms, making it a phenomenon of the modern era when political legitimacy was seen in terms of popular support. It's not something used to describe the rule of emperors or monarchs, who hold themselves to be sovereign - the highest political authority. Fascists leaders, by contrast, hold the nation to be more important than themselves. Everything they do, they do for the nation. They merely know and have the power to act in its interests. A tighter albeit more awkward re-rephasing might go something like 'We think together with the blood of our nation *and will tolerate nothing else*.' The phrase really just gets your foot in the door for understanding and identifying fascism, similar to how 'the abolition of private property' gets your foot in the door for understanding and identifying communism. Translating it into a formal definition would look something like: 'fascism is a political ideology that conceives ideal political life as being wholly governed by a singular conception of national consciousness.' You could also think of it as the rough right-wing equivalent to communism. Communists want to total political control over their state for a single conception of a socialist cause, just as fascists want total control over their state for a singular conception of a nationalist cause. I also think that Roger Griffin's definition is a good one, but again it's complex. If you want to remember Griffin's more easily, I think you can do fine reducing it down to the last part: 'populist ultra-nationalism.' To use that, you have to understand what populism is (I've made a video on it). More self-criticism: I simplified the conditions in Germany before Nazi rule down to hyperinflation and constraints from the Treaty of Versailles. There were about 16 years of turmoil between WWI and the Nazis coming into power and I wish I spent at least another sentence or two fleshing that context out. Hyperinflation was a factor behind the early success of the Nazi party and led Hitler to mount a failed coup in 1923, but it only lasted about two years. When Hitler came into power, he did it by riding a wave of despondency coming from another economic crisis: the Great Depression. The Treaty was still seen as a major villainous constraint on Germany at the time, but there was more emphasis on it being a national humiliation and military constraint than an economic constraint. The broad point is that economic conditions were quite bad (in all but a few years in the mid-late '20s), and Hitler (and many Germans) believed that Germany was being humiliated and needed to rise to its glorious potential. Fascism was their means of doing it. Some commenters also think I claimed that there have only been two fascist movements: interwar Italy and Germany. What I actually said is that they are the only two movements that have remotely uncontroversially earned the label (a point widely accepted among fascism scholars). You can make the case that other movements have been fascist. My point was that the fascism described in this video (which stuck close to our accepted scholarly understanding of it) should be the basis for identifying fascism elsewhere. Spain under Franco is the next 'fascism' people tend to pick, but that label tends to come from foreigners and not the Spanish themselves (at least from that time period). Most professional analysis I've seen rejects the label and argues that Franco's fascism was superficial. They claim he adopted fascist imagery and slogans to (successfully) get war support from Italy and Germany, and if you look at what he believed, his movement, his rule, then you'll see it wasn't fascist. More of a conservative military dictatorship. I plan on making a video on it at some point. I saw some people say Hitler wasn't a Catholic or take offense to the passing remark I made about his Catholicism. I think it's safe to say that he wasn't a Catholic in the traditional sense, but he was raised Catholic, claimed he believed in God (shown in the video), and also claimed to be a Catholic fairly late in his life. As he put it to his army adjutant Gerhard Engel in 1941: "I am now as before a Catholic and will always remain so" (from Engels' diary: 'At The Heart of the Reich'). I called it 'his Catholicism' and left it at that. One last thing: it seems a lot of people think 'National Socialism isn't Fascism,' which gets some basic things wrong and I think is a message being spread by other KZfaqrs. My response to that is in this video: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/Zs2WjMV20JzWco0.html - Ryan

“In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule.” ~Nietzche

This fusion of spirituality and nationality is likely why fascism is so hard for people to understand. It behaves more like a cult than a well-defined political ideology.

Glad I found this channel. This was great. I’m going to need to watch it a few times. Thank you!!!

Excellent , I look forward to your other videos. Thank you.

It's becoming increasingly difficult to find high quality content on KZfaq these days... But this was gripping, well delivered, and informative. Thanks muchly

'The masses have never thirsted after truth. They turn aside from evidence that is not to their taste, preferring to deify error, if error seduce them Whoever can supply them with illusions is easily their master, who ever attempts to destroy their illusions easily their victim' -Gustave Lebon: 'The Crowd: a study of the popular mind' 1895

This is my second video from your channel. Very well done. Really happy with my subscription

I absolutely cannot believe that this is the first time I discovered your account. Holy cow. Thank you so much for the videos

Hey, someone actually from Germany here. Thank you for the video, this is a great and "wonderful" exploration of our dark history, and how easy, and dangerous it can be to slowly fall for these wicked ideas. We in Germany, of course, learn a lot about this in school, and for good reason. Yet having a video like this in English, reaching for the international community of people, for who this topic isn't the highest priority in history and sociology classes, is priceless. Again, thank you so very much for your work here.

thank god someone is actually explaining this word. i feel like it’s thrown around like an insult and no one actually knows it’s meaning or context. this is sooooo needed thank you!!

Well worth the 4 months. First time experiencing this page, KZfaqr and instant subscription like, and it's only because I've been going over my YT/patreon support budget that I have to wait until March to join your patreon. Very excited about getting to know you and your videos.

thanks for your efforts Ryan. I subscribed!

Ryan you have nailed it yet again with ONE SMALL FLAW. When you use the word "NATION" you are using it like an American as a synonym for "COUNTRY". In the context Mussolini and Europeans of the early 20th century used it it is actually more of a synonym for "NATIONALITY". I refers to "A PEOPLE" who identify as sharing a cultural/linguistic/ethnic heritage. It can expand to encompass the country and government but Italy and Germany had just gone through NATIONALIST struggles for unity the prior century working to unite the Italian and German Nations/People into one Nation-State. The cultural/linguistic/ethnic is what identifies the Nation. That is why Fascism so easily becomes a racist philosophy rather than an economic/class philosophy like Marxism. THANKS AGAIN FOR YOUR GREAT WORK! 😀

I've always used the term fascism to describe any ideology that promotes the annihilation of those who think differently. Now I see that intolerance is an attribute of fascism, but not its essence.

Such a great overview--glad I came across you.

This term has been tossed around very loosely in recent years; a detailed and historically accurate explanation of it is very good and it is appreciated. People now, especially on the far "left" of center, like to use this against their "enemies" on the far "right" of center. Whereas the far "right" of center like to leverage the term "communist" to the car "left". It's a horseshoe of labeling and insults that only further widen the division. So thank you for this, and I hope the pro-labelers will use this information as wisdom and not "misinformation".

I’m italian. First of all, great video, you summed up the italian situation pretty well (even though there are some aspects that should be described more thoroughly to give a truly comprehensive view of our situation but I understand that if it were to be done this video would have been 3 hours long). One thing that didn’t allow Italy to become a truly totalitarian fascist state is that, unlike germans who (because of the legacy of protestantism) could somewhat homogenously speak german, Italy (especially in the south) had very low rates of italian literacy, and the country was strongly divided culturally in many pockets of different languages and cultures. And that’s why a huge number of italians never really subscribed to the idea of “italian supremacy” because many of them didn’t even consider themselves italian and honestly didn’t even cared to consider themselves one (especially in the South). Fascists tried to “italianize” Italy but they didn’t really succeed because of scholastic dispertion, poverty and overall a lack of care by huge swats of the population, and they managed to rise to power only because said poor, illiterate people (because of their situation) didn’t participate at all in the political life. I’m going to tell you an anecdote to clear this thing. When Hitler came and visited Italy in the late 30s, he visited Naples (my city, third largest in Italy and the most important military port in the country). During the parade, in total silence, Hitler and Mussolini greeted from a car with the fascit salute. In the total silence a voice from a old man rang out, saying “ma ch stann facienn? Vern si afora chiove?” (In neapolitan: “what are they doing? They’re checking if it’s raining?”) which gives you a very good portray of how the poor people saw fascism as a whole, and they were too concerned with their poor situation. Great video, keep it up!

I'm only 5 minutes in and I'm already fascinated how Gustave Le Bon already completely comprehended something that's still so relevant today.

That was a very well put together piece thank you.

great video thank you i'm trying to educate myself this was really helpful

When I was in high school, we had the best pre-game pep rallies that filled us with school pride and unity. That made a huge impression on me. Decades later, I still think about being swept up by that energy. In that case it was used for good. But we also see how the usurpation of that energy can be used to inspire acts of madness and horror. Thought provoking video. Thank you.

I am astounded by your ability to keep such a long video and nuanced topic so structured and on point. The 40 minutes were not tiring, confusing or boring. Same goes for your video on Socialism - it's impressive really.

Thank you, Ryan, this was concise and compelling. Subscribed

Wow! You went from captivating to personal in a heartbeat. 😢

"There are many that do not know they are fascist but will when the time comes". Ernest Hemingway "For Whom the Bell Tolls". I always add to this; "Then it will be too late".

Very clear. Thank you! The context you provide is invaluable. ❤

You can’t really define fascism accurately without it’s roots. The word fascism comes from the syndicalist trade unions in the south of Italy which were called fascio, the party was originally the revolutionary fascio of international action, before dropping the internationalism. Also, the intellectual origins are French via the Cercle Proudhon which attempted to reconcile the mutualist economics of the anarchist Pierre-Joseph Proudhon with the integral nationalism of Charles Maurras. Part of this group was Georges Sorel, who Mussolini cited as his main inspiration and without there would be no fascism. This syndicalist root held into the fascist era as the syndicalists of Edmondo Rossoni were the single largest organisation with 3 times the membership of the fascist party itself. German national socialism was a weird mix of existentialism, the Völkisch movement, the ideas of Houston-Stewart Chamberlain and the conservative revolution. It was an economic lecture from Gottfried Feder that drew Hitler into the party, and before him it much more resembled something of an agrarian corporate state. Spanish falangism, Romanian legionarism, Brazilian integralism, Mexican Synarchism etc all had their own variants, but the key tennant was always philosophical idealism under a corporate state, this seems to be the only fixed dogma

This is perfect journalism. No bias, just good analysis of literature and world history.

Your definition of fascism goes a long way toward explaining why Italian fascism never really jelled. The people of Italy did not, at least in that era, think of themselves primarily as Italians. They thought of themselves as Romans, or Venetians, or Sicilians. The idea of Italian nationalism, of thinking with the blood of a single nation, did not come naturally to the majority of Italians. Their concept of blood and of nationality was much smaller in scope.

What a brilliant video. Thank you for this.

Brilliant just brilliant. I am mostly never interested in the events but what led to those events. What philosophy, what ideology, what mentality be it collective or individualistic. Thanks a lot. It was just brilliant.

You are by far the best creator on the academic side of KZfaq. Ive never seen anyone cover such topics with impartiality and this degree of depth. I hope you get the exposure you deserve!

Great Work. Your conclusions are thought provoking. "The Crowd" is next on my reading list. There is a lot to be learned here. Thanks Ryan!

Yes!!! Love it! We need more of this!

I just found your page. This is very well done. I have to share it with a few friends. Thanks.

I found this video quite compelling. The timeline of influence and action lends itself to the understanding of reason, or the why. Will definitely be checking out your other works and sharing with others to help dissect the world we live in presently.

Damnit Ryan, you ruined my picnic plans for today! Another great video as always. Thank you for all the effort put in these videos

On whether Fascism is left- or right- wing, I am well aware of the "hybrid" economic policies implemented, but at the end of the day it was still all based on HIERARCHY and a caste system where inequality is justified and essentialized. Furthermore, the Nazi party cracked down on labor unions and persecuted Socialists, even the Strasserite wing of their own Nazi party, and of course they rounded up Communists and put them into camps because they called Communism "Jewish"... so you can't really make the case that Fascism in practice is left-wing or Socialist, as far as I'm concerned.

Thank you for making this video! You have a new subscribe.

670 thousand views are not nearly enough for the importance of this particular history lesson. What you have created here is extraordinary in it's comprehensive simplicity. Thank you.

The crowd mentality is an amazing phenomenon.in the early 70’s I attended a festival in golden gate park during a Hari Krishna celebration. The parade of practitioners danced and chanted while strolling down one of the roads in the park.i found myself dancing and chanting without realizing I had started following the mass of people. I noticed how it just took over my mind. Effortlessly.

This was an extraordinary essay that you put together. You should be a professor of history. ❤ Fascism, as you so eloquently described, is so far away separated from the truth of the human spirit. It has no compassion and empathy; it is grotesquely detached from the essence of humanity, to the extent that it has no sympathies whatsoever for human core values, including the brotherhood of humanity.

Great video, just now I got a chance to watch it. And I would assess that your analysis needs to be shared today as things even in USA 🇺🇸 are being so divisive and we could be running 🏃in the wrong direction. I’m on a personal quest to defeat authoritarian propaganda and I wrote two books 📕 and many articles dealing with that topic. Sometimes I feel like I am screaming into a void and that those who want to repeat these dark moments in history keep gaining traction. It’s very disturbing, because all the indicators are already out in the open - except that this time there is a conglomeration of propagandists factors muddying the process. I would love to continue this conversation.

In my experience, the word "fascist" and accusations of fascism are used to make audiences emotional and get scared of being controlled or oppressed by the government. Honestly the truth of the word and the ideology behind it is much more unsettling.

I do feel that you should mention Francoist spain as a semi-fascist nation, partially to pinpoint something which is not totally fascist (which does help outline the parts that create it) and partially to raise awareness of the fact that Spain did sorta go through over forty years of something beyond simple hardship under Francisco Franco, and not many people seem to know about it.

“Blood is thicker than water”, my mother continually reminded us, her children. It kept us “bound” to the need for her “approval”…. A problem for many people. It’s a good exercise to explore who YOU might need the “approval” of, and whether that desired ‘approval’ is a “healthy”, (AND THAT WORD CAN BE MISCONSTRUED THESE DAYS, EASILY) one, or not, for you, in your life.

Great content, well spoken, thank you .

Dude! You are so good at this. I started watching your videos to "learn a bit" but I think I'm now addicted. I can tell that you love talking about this stuff, and it's causing me to love learning about this stuff as a result. Thanks for the premium content, it is much appreciated!

I have watched every single video on your channel and just want to say your approach to teaching is refreshing. Often times these kinds of subject are taught in a sort of academic language that can be hard to follow or on the other end of the spectrum without depth or research (and often with some level of contemporary political colorization). I think you strike a perfect balance between these two method and I feel like I have learned a lot from your works. I joined Patreon for the first time just to support your channel, keep up the good work.

Simply awesome! Well done and kudos!

Italy had a late unification (1870s many had regional identities), had independent centers of power (the Papacy, the King). Some claim that Franco's Spain was not really Fascist but more a traditional authoritarianism. Demanded more quiet conformity than emotional loyalty.

This is a really great topic. I was curious about this and really appreciate your clarity.

Very well done and thought out. It's so easy to get caught up in the "crowd" and get convinced to do horrible things all while feeling righteous. Especially if you are already looking for acceptance or somewhere you can belong.

Absolutely fantastic, Ryan, thanks.

I would like to see TIK history and Ryan Chapman Discuss this Question with each other. I wonder if they could make an even more robust definition.

I'm only at 4:09 and I noticed others commented the same way I'm about to; The in depth exploration of why historic figures did what they did is something a lot of people lose out on. I also love the fact you explained in detail the philosophy that drove those people. I will definitely be subscribing and sharing! Thank you!

I'm so happy I happened upon this channel, this is absolutely fascinating. Thank you for all the reading and research you clearly put into this. It's so refreshing to see a smart, young person doing work like this.

Are you going to be putting your audio/videos on Spotify? I want my husband to watch/listen to this so we can discuss but he won't from KZfaq due to the data usage youtube takes while at work.

Where a fairly substantial number of people often meet .... watch! Almost guaranteed you will eventually witness smatterings of politics. I’ve seen this throughout my life. Thank you for the podcast & the interesting comments from viewers ❣️

"You will own nothing and be happy." -Klaus Schwab [WEF 2020]

This was excellent. I know I’ll be watching everything you make because of your level headedness and commitment to academic research. Thanks so much.

Wow! The second of your videos I've watched. The first, on socialism, was very good. This one is extraordinary. Your definition of fascism on a level with Robert O. Paxton's. Thank you.

You are really getting us enlightened.

I don't normally get into much of this kind of content. I haven't seen many other videos to rate it against. All I know is this really got me thinking, kept me fully and aptly engaged, taught me a lot of things and gave me a new appreciation for that time period and scarily a lot of things that have taken place in our own current time period.

This is the best in depth explanation of fascism I’ve ever seen on KZfaq and you succeeded in giving me a phrase I can walk away with. Great work!

Thankyou for the long form information.

Thank you, that was very helpful

Found this video today and subscribed to your channel because of it. Excellent video on a delicate yet very important subject matter. A level of impartiality not seen often these days. Well done!

I understand you have to walk a tightrope with this topic, but there are several subtle distortions in the video that change how one would interpret the presented information. Most of them likely arose so as to keep it from being 8 hours long, but a subject this touchy deserves some deeper attention.

I'm glad to see you looking for clarity in the term fascism. It is very important, however when you're describing the problem of socialist pushing fascism over to liberalism and capitalism and "those that are sympathetic to Capitalism" over to socialism you inadvertently fall into the same problem you're looking to solve for the term fascist. That being the nebulous use of the word capitalist. I notice that since Marx popularized the term Capitalism as a pejorative to really describe British mercantilism or the existing cronyism that each European government was practicing during his writing. However the conservatives use Capitalism in a different way and the Austrian economists yet another and I find the word capitalist to be even more misunderstood and misused then the term fascist. Going back to Adam Smith and working forward the terms to describe the economics of trade and merchants is all over the place. The tree of socialism therefore bears collectivist fruit that show cases various types of central planning which is at the root of all these experiments that came from socialist political philosophy and why every iteration of socialism devolves to authoritarianism and worst case totalitarianism. The central planners cannot be challenged or the entire premise of that nation is undermined.

I have to say: your videos are incredibly clear. Thank you for working so diligently to do that.

I've never been so sure in a subscription. The video is well divided into easy to understand chapters while preserving the level of exactness and the use of the right terminology throughout, which is necessary for every serious topic. Cherry on top for me was the humble ending. Not buying into algorithm and asking for a subscription from viewers, only a simple "Thank you", radiating the confidence of someone worth learning from.

Hello Mr. Chapman This is probably my first ever comment on KZfaq. I just created this account to ask you a question. You said that fascism can be succinctly expressed in the phrase: “We think with the blood of the nation”. Like you have mentioned before, I do not wish to incorrectly label any ideas “fascist” on partisan grounds; however, I would wish if you could clarify one thing for me. Hindutva (or Hinduness) is an ideology (formed roughly around 1922) that is slowly gaining traction in India. It was coined by a politician/writer named Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. Hindutva was the so called collective Sorellian myth for uniting the masses during it’s formation. In fact, Savarkar himself found inspiration European Facism and there are parallels like palingenesis, mobilizations etc. One had to be under an ethnic group with a shared culture and land to have the Hindutva. Here the only valid “culture” included were those that belonged to Indic religions/heritage. Indian Muslims and Indian Christians (who have had their origins since 712CE and 1st century CE respectively) are not counted in this collective culture but rather as foreign, or un-Indian. Although, I couldn’t find Savarkar’s opinion on a collective language, many Hindutva proponents in practice wish to spread Hindi at the expense of other regional languages that have an extensive history of literature (many that are more extensive than Hindi). So in this sense, Hindutva has a broader ethnic component (of a people with shared land and culture) than it has a particular “blood” or “race” component. For the sake of categorization, would you call a movement that uses Hindutva as fascist? If not, what would it be? Maybe, you can read more about Hindutva before answering this question (as I may not have perfectly summarized it). But either way, I really loved your video on fascism. You’re commitment to truthfulness and honestly is really commendable. It’s really a breath of fresh air in the midst of political tribalism and partisan strawmanning. I really hope to hear from you or maybe even watch a video about Hindutva from you :). It would really make my day. Thanks once again! (and apologies in advance for any mistakes)

"To the surprise of no one, this video will get dark." I have very poor judgment in selecting movies for movie night in my first grade class. Ah well, too late to turn back now.

Absolutely incredible video. Your neutral, in-depth take backed up by solid literature and examples is extremely informative and refreshing. Instant sub.

I hope you believe me on how much gratitude I have for content like this. Made with such thoughtfulness and careful attention to detail to make it understandable. This one video taught me concepts that otherwise had been confusing or muddied through time/intentional misdirection/or through the regurgitation of misinformation perpetuated as fact. I'm really grateful for all the work and care you've clearly put forward to help other people understand such important pieces of our shared history. ❤️

Great content! Kudos.

Hope this is 100% your work & no one else’s papers (yeah 4mo..I saw). If so well done. Must be a philosophy major:)

This. Was. Incredible. I’ve had to listen to it 3 times just to digest the history and knowledge you put into this! BRAVO MAN!

Informative thank you for this video.

It would be interesting to hear how he categorizes General Franco's Spain and its Latin American influenced regimes which were arguably more successful and sustained entities in maintaining power.

This is truly educational. I love all the research put into this exceptional exploration of Fascism. Well done!

Ryan Chapman - Don't you DARE stop ever making your videos. They're wonderful.

I believe that this will be the video people will be watching under the sky full of rock trails with shell shocked faces and thinking we messed up great and there will be no point to return to, thanks man you spoiles my day🤐.

The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it. Albert Einstein

I'm a retired professor of psychological anthropology. I'm only up to about 2:30 in your video, but I'm deeply impressed by your analytical rigor, intellectual honesty and obvious desire to promote insight, critical thinking and reason well done! I would be among those who would quibble about the Nazi regime "being fascist," but by stating firmly that only two polities can non-controversially be considered "fascist" you have already gone far beyond the norms in truly attempting to understand the term and presumably use it judiciously. Having not watched the entire video yet, I don't know what you get into later on, but one comment I would offer (in case it isn't something you address). Fascism, and the Nazi movement which was largely influenced by it are two very specific examples of a broader type of socio-political order we can call totalitarianism. There are and have been various forms of totalitarianism, and while the term is legitimately restricted primarily to post-industrial era polities, similar sorts of despotic or autocratic regimes are quite prevalent throughout human history. Generally, when people make the error of calling their modern day counterparts or opponents "fascist" what they really should be saying if they wanted to accurately and precisely express their thoughts would be to call them autocrats or totalitarians or perhaps despots. Now if we can make advances in the misuse of the catch-all terms "Left" and "Right" on the political spectrum as well as "Liberal vs. Conservative" we are off to an intellectual revolution!

“Please take to heart the lesson of history and what happens when you vote on the basis of symbolism and rhetoric. It doesn’t matter how smart you are, unless you stop and think.” ~T. Sowell

Thank you for this insight.

Theory of Self-Relativity's factual-thinking is especially effective in individual battle against comforting crowd-misinformation.

"Blut und Boden", blood and soil was probably not what I would have thought of, so I'd like to thank Ryan Chapman for doing so because....well, he already said it. Will anyone remember? It's a start

Wow, what a well-thought-out, researched video. Well done! You took a difficult subject, defined it, explained it, and gave us a very useable definition.

Thank you for clarifying this to the masses.

Highlit texts underlining the threads and development of fascism. Well put together. I guess not doing visuals minimizes perpetuating trauma! Equality is not bound to its definition; its in the living!

Congratulations, Ryan, this is a great explanation. Thorough, well researched and far from the common oversimplifications and stereotypes. Thank you for your work.

Congrats! a fabulous work on an ideology, a word, that is so often and commonly used - and abused - mostly without any fundamental knowledge of it. Thanks a lot!

Your videos are absolutely incredible. Thank you.

I once asked an Ethiopian friend how Ethiopians felt about Mussolini and the Italian occupation. I fully expected her to condemn the take over but to my surprise she immediately exclaimed "Oh we loved the Italians! We never wanted them to leave!" Amazed I asked why. Her response was clear and beautifully simple. "Because they brought us new vegetables and spices." Never underestimate the power of food diplomacy.

This is such a great contribution to the educational part of youtube. Truly great work. I knew a lot of this, as I grew up in Germany and we discuss a lot of this in school but I also learned new things and bits, thank you so much!

During a time where we have absolute information at our fingertips…people still don’t understand and are illiterate. Great video!