When Roche stopped the Kaiser's forces cold, he was the lone survivor of his unit. The Germans shelled his position for most of the day, killing the rest of his unit. After the shelling stopped, he thought fast and gathered up as many rifles as he could, putting each one at different firing positions along the trench line. He ran from rifle to rifle, firing 1 or 2 shots from each one to make the Germans believe that their artillery barrage didn't work. Dude was a straight up BAMF!

Fun Fact : Albert Roche was the soldier that inspired Captain America.

Fun fact: the music was written by Tommy Johansson; Joakim and Pär co-wrote the lyrics. Can't shake the feeling that this soldier was the inspiration for Captain America, but they had to add the super power because no one would believe it 😂

The parallels between Roche and Audie Murphy are amazing. Both had terrible childhoods, were rejected as too small to be real soldiers, and went on to be fantastic Warriors. performing feats that defy belief. Even their tragic deaths are similar, Murphy dying in a plane crash and Roche dying after being hit by a car. Great reaction, keep rocking.

You can’t hear that intro without grinning and head banging at the same time.

I'm not really sure But. The part about "Being lone survivor at the trenches in Alsace" and "he halts the keisers advance" If the comments i've been seeing are correct he ran along the trench fireing all his comrades rifles. so the germans belived there to still be a force instead of one man. Edit: Spelling

The only thing I'll say is he deserved a lot higher grade than "Officer" for his legion of honor, especially for leopard crawling for six hours under fire over no man's land to reach his captain then a further four hours to return, I mean honestly that kind of action would've gotten him the medal of honor if he fought for the US

"Il a fait tout ça, et il n'a pas reçu le moindre galon de laine!" mots du Maréchal Foch lorsqu'il découvre stupéfait le dossier du soldat deuxième classe Albert Séverin Roche.

got this off the internet on the wikipedia Albert was born at Reauville in the Drôme in south-eastern France on the 5th of March 1895. He was the third son from a modest family of farmers. His father is Séverin Roche and his mother is Louis Savel[1]. First World War Initial Rejection In 1913, Albert was rejected by an assessment board of the French Army, because it considered him too puny to serve. This apparently delighted his father who stated, “We need arms to run the farm." In August 1914 Albert, however, wanted to fight and in opposition to his father took his bag and ran away. Albert reported in another district at the Allan training camp, which assigned him to the 30th Battalion of Chasseurs. His military training did not go well, he was badly assessed and not respected. His temper finally got the better of him and he walked off the camp, whereupon he was immediately caught and arrested for desertion. His defence on these charges was that he was not a deserter and that "Bad soldiers are sent up there, but I want to go where we fight.” Assigned to the Blue Devils Albert was assigned on 3 July 1915 to the 27th Battalion of Chasseurs Alpins, engaged in Aisne, in today's Hauts-de-France region, a northern region of France. This battalion was nicknamed the "blue devils" by the Germans.[2][3] Assault on a German block house Albert volunteered to destroy a German block house. Creeping up to the enemy's trenches, Albert noticed that the Germans were pressed against a stove in the block house for heat and threw a handful of grenades down the stove chimney. The position was neutralized with several deaths and the surrender of the survivors, believing that they had been attacked by a large force. Albert returned to his base with the captured machine guns and 8 prisoners. Sudel Trench In another instance, Albert found himself one day the only survivor of his position, a trench in Sudel in Alsace. He then used the weapons of his dead comrades, alternately firing them, making the enemy believe the resistance of the garrison was still resolute. The Germans eventually gave up this attack. Captured and Interrogated Albert volunteered regularly for reconnaissance missions, but on one occasion, he was captured with his wounded lieutenant. Isolated in a bunker during an interrogation, he managed to overwhelm and kill his interrogator, stealing his pistol. He returned to the French lines with 42 new prisoners while wearing his wounded lieutenant on his back.[4] Leopard crawl through no-man’s land During the battle of the Chemin des Dames, Albert’s captain was seriously wounded and fell between the lines. Albert crawled under fire for six hours to reach him, and then another four hours to finally hand him over to stretcher-bearers. Exhausted, he fell asleep in a guard hole, but was awakened by a patrol that mistook him for sleeping on duty. Abandoning a post under fire, was punishable by being shot within 24 hours. In spite of his denials, Albert had no witnesses and he was sent to a detention barracks to await execution. Albert wrote to his father: "In an hour I shall be shot, but I assure you that I am innocent. “ As Albert was taken in front of a firing squad, a messenger arrived interrupting them: Albert’s captain had just awoken from his coma and brought his favorable testimony.[5] End of hostilities By the end of World War One, Albert had been wounded nine times, and had personally captured 1,180 prisoners. At the end of the conflict, at 23, he was still a second class soldier. On November 27, 1918, on the balcony of the City Hall of Strasbourg, Albert was presented to General Foch in front of a huge crowd with these words: "Alsatians, I present to you your liberator Albert Roche. He is the first soldier of France! ". Shortly before, Foch had surprisingly discovered Albert's service record, exclaiming: "He has done all this, and he has no rank." Roche's story is told in comic book form in Monsieur Le Chien and L'Odieux Connard, Le Petit théâtre des opérations (Éditions Audie-Fluide Glacial, 2021) .[6] Roche is also the subject of the song The First Soldier by Swedish power metal band Sabaton, from their EP Heroes of the Great War, released on 20th January 2023. Honors Legion of Honor Albert was awarded the cross of the Legion of Honor from the commander of the Army of the Vosges, General de Maud'huy. He was also invited to dine with General Mangin. Officier de la Légion d'honneur. Officier de la Légion d'honneur. Médaille Militaire. Médaille Militaire. Croix du combattant volontaire. Croix du combattant volontaire. Croix de Guerre. Croix de Guerre. Albert also held twelve further citations, including four from the order of the Army. Tomb of the Unknown Soldier In 1920 he was one of 11 soldiers chosen to select the Unknown Soldier and with seven of his comrades, carried the coffin of the latter at the ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe. Ceremony of the choice of the unknown soldier destined to rest under the Arc de Triomphe; Underground citadel of Verdun. Reconstruction. Funeral of Lord French Albert was a member of the French delegation to London in 1925 with General Gouraud to attend the funeral of Field Marshall Lord French. He and five representatives of the Army were also invited to dine with King George V. Later life and death Albert returned home to Valréas in the Vaucluse where he worked modestly as a municipal labourer, marrying a woman from Colonzelle in the neighboring Drôme. They had two daughters, Magali and Marie-Pierre.[7] Albert eventually became a firefighter in the powder magazine of Sorgues. In April 1939, Albert was involved in an accident with a car on departing from a bus that took him to work. The car belonged to the former President of the Republic, Emile Loubet. He was transferred to the Sainte-Marthe hospital in Avignon, where he died on 14 April (at "five o'clock" according to his death certificate) at the age of 44. As the historian Pierre Miquel writes in La Grande Guerre day-to-day, Editions Pluriel writes: "This man had gone through four years of war, he had been wounded nine times, he had been close to death a thousand times, Almost unjustly shot as a mutineer. He had escaped all dangers, all accidents. [...] All of this to be killed twenty years later, on his way home, on the descent of the bus. " Honours Édouard Daladier, the politician and prime minister of France requested that full military honors be given to him at his funeral. In 1971, the municipality of Réauville erected a cenotaph to his memory in front of his family house. Originally buried in Sorgues, the body of Albert Roche was transferred on September 22, 1967 to the cemetery Saint-Véran d'Avignon, where it still lies (square 40, row north, grave 15). A stela in his memory was inaugurated in Réauville in 1971 by the Mayor of the time, Gabriel Jarniac.[8] In 2018 La Poste issues a stamp to the memory of Albert Roche[9]. In March 2019, an exhibition is dedicated to him at the Musée des troupes de montagne in Grenoble

You mentioned that teachers should more and more use sabaton songs in atleast history classes. Well As a Swedish person I can say that Sabaton has had such big influence, that they won the Swedish culture award and the people builder award. (The People builder award is bascially award for someone or a group who has worked hard and used much influence to popularize knowledge or science to most people) So much influence that Sabaton songs is now shown more and more in schools.

This song is an anthem! Hero theme! I like it, catchy as hell!

Thank you for doing a reaction to this song one of my favourite sabaton songs

Another song which shows: You gonna learn something new if you're listen to Sabaton. Just a great band.

It's interesting that Google trend was fairly no search- the time this song is released it explodes. ... amazing.

After I listened to this a few times it finally hit me that this sounds like it could be an intro to some history show or cartoon or something.

Great reaction! This song almost reminds me of a stadium anthem. Also, please react to Seven Pillar of Wisdom, super underrated Sabaton song but one of my favourites! It's about Lawrence of Arabia, one hell of a badass!

My toughts literally 5 min ago was that on Monday i'm gonna start training, and I'm determined on that too. And then you come and say the same thing in your video. Thanks dude! ❤🤘

Sabaton is AMAZING, seen them live twice in America. definitely top 5 live shows ive been to.

there just something about war HEROS that are special in modern times as we all know the HELLs of war even if we never expeince them to willing charge into that hellfire savs others and walk back out intact demands more awe and respect then nearly any other act.

The 12 minute Animated Video just dropped for this

There's something so very familiar with that Melody. I can swear that on that "From The South to Front to the Battlefield." I've heard it before.

What's sad is that he survived the War only to die hit by a car on his way to work. He died in 1939.

Gotta love when u react to it a day after its released

Look at me learning about new Sabaton songs from the reaction vids, lol. Another great one.

You should really do a reaction on the new animated story video that they did for this song. It puts a lot of the lyrics into better context.

This sounds like One more time - Highland😊

1m58 (5,2) of pure bravery !

amazing reaction for amazing song

Great video, Dave!

You should watch the animated history version of the song! It’s amazing!

6:40 I did this with my history professor in college, when doing online during lock down

Have fun and listen to the opening of Safety Dance with The First Soldier

Just woke up to new Sabaton, Let's Goooo

Sounds like hes talking abt all quiet on the western front

This is such a good song but now I just want to hear sabaton cover safety dance 😂

Captain America was just the american version of Albert Roche

Could you do more reactions to songs from Sabaton.

Sabaton never fails to inspire with their music. Am I right?

You should watch the music video that someone made on it it’s amazing ngl

Great vid, you should react to pillars of wisdom by sabaton

Unfortunately, this hero of France died tragically shortly before the start of WW2. I would like to think that is the reason France got demolished by Germany.

Sabaton the Metallica of Power Metal

Am I the only one who thinks that the lyric video looks like it was made in Garry's Mod?

Can you react to sabaton in to the fire it is my fav song

Can you do Dreamcatcher ‘reason’ ?

Love this song so much...But my weird brain can´t help but hear "The safety dance" in that chorous. Just WHY!?

The other video on this shows more people f his history.

You should react to reign of terror by sabaton, its one of their better songs imo

this song makes feel patrotic for a country i dont live in

Pas mal non? C'est français 😏

Getting alot of SAFTEY vibes from the intro

Хэтьфу! слов нет! Вы своими тряпками поддеритесь! Ваша демократия - да нет её!

I can't stop hearing Safety Dance 🤣 🤣 But this song is a banger!! You should watch the Yarnhub video that is released on Nota Bene KZfaq channel (a French history channel) That video is so damn good and shows how he alone faced German soldier by using his dead comrades weapons making the German think the trenches were full of guys and retreat.