*Notes* 1. At 14:01 IDT, 59 minutes before this video launched, the channel reached 50,000 subscribers. 2. Correction: Churchill was a Liberal MP during the war. 3. Clarification: as you might guess from the four Hebrew and Arabic surnames among the 15 dead of the ZMC, many of its personnel were in fact native-born Ottoman citizens who fled Palestine voluntarily. 4. Correction: Lord Kitchener's ship was sunk by a mine, not a torpedo.

Do you know where the mules came from? At the outbreak of WW1, the British Army had very few, if any, mules because of losses from previous conflicts like the Boer War. For this reason they had to import them from the United States. It's well-documented that the British government bought and exported tens of thousands of mules from Tennessee, North Carolina, Kentucky, Missouri, and other parts of the Southern USA. I am not sure if those mules were sent to the Western Front or elsewhere. These mule transports were done before US entry into the war. Middle Tennessee (Nashville and its surrounding counties) is one of the premier places in the world for equine breeding, and my town of Columbia bills itself as "Muletown USA." I think we would be enormously proud if our mules were part of this story.

It'll never cease to fascinate me how often Irish and Jewish history overlaps

This is the first main series video you’ve posted since I’ve started college, and without these videos I doubt I would be where I am. I’m now studying Jewish studies and it’s entirely thanks to the fascination you and these videos have instilled in me for the subject. I’ve never been happier than I am now and I want to truly thank you from the bottom of my heart. You changed my life and I’m sure you changed many others. If you ever find yourself in Boston, just know you have great friends at Brandeis.

My great-grandfather, Victor Perez from Thessaloniki, served (and got injured) in the Zion Mule Corps. Interesting video!

Just a few days I was riding my bike in tel aviv when I came across a street named "the fighters of Gallipoli". Given that it was right near Winston Churchill street that I just passed I assumed it was referring to the ANZAC troops, I honestly had no idea that were there any Jewish soldiers at Gallipoli.

Jamal Pasha is also hated in Lebanese history. He is remembered for his policies which helped cause a famine which left 1/3 to 1/2 of Mount Lebanon dead.

Fun (?) fact that this video reminded me of: a number of Australian Aboriginals fought for the Australian Imperial Force during WWI despite enlistment being barred for those "not substancially of European origin or descent" at the start of the war (in 1917 it was amended to accept "half-castes" due to troop shortages), either by passing as white or through the cooperation of the medical officers who were supposed to enforce the rule. Many fought in Palestine.

Hate to be "that guy" but Kitchener's ship struck a mine (a submarine laid mine, yes), not a torpedo (mines were no longer "torpedoes" this far along). I hadn't realized just how sensitive the British Army was to "foreign" volunteers early in the war (especially given how much they leaned on the dominions). Though I knew one of the "Lafayette" Pilots had been kicked out of the British Army before going pilot. By spring 1916, the Royal Flying Corps was offering Lieutenant's commissions after 30 days "trial" to volunteers for "aerial observer" (gunner in two-seater). And didn't notice when one of their "Canadian" truck drivers was a genuine American Bronco-Buster. Another "temporary gentleman" of note Claude Raines "I am shocked, SHOCKED!"

I had a family member who fought alongside the corps, as one of the few Catalina pilots in the middle eastern theatre, he was Christian but as a Jew I feel proud to call him an ancestor, even if I never met him (I did have an Aussie relative who worked as a nurse during the period though)

I would've never thought the Ghost and the Darkness guy would be my favorite and the smartest ww1 brit officer, what an adventurous life he had!

props on you for upping the citation quality, it doesnt go unnoticed

Even by your high standards, this is a great video! Telling an epic story with a collection of interesting personalities. And yet, my personal highlight was that little reminder of the participation of Jewish units in Polish national uprisings at 11:18.

Thanks for having me on 😊 Can't wait for the next one

Great to see Trumpeldor again! Such a fascinating, complex and overlooked historical character.

I have my grandmother's siddur with her name and "Alexandria 1914" pencilled in the front. She and her family were refugeed from Rehovot to Alexandria at the outbreak of WWI as they were (Australian) British Citizens. She wrote about her experiences that year in a piece called "How I Spent My Fourteenth Year" which has been published in the Australian Jewish Historical Journal (I transcribed and footnoted it and have a pdf of it if anyone is interested).

When I saw it posted, I was as happy as a clam. Your knowledge of Jewish history deserves praise.

00:56 The secret treaty led to other events: The Sykes-Picot Agreement was a 1916 secret treaty between the United Kingdom and France, with assent from the Russian Empire and the Kingdom of Italy, to define their mutually agreed spheres of influence and control in an eventual partition of the Ottoman Empire. The Balfour Declaration was a public statement issued by the British government in 1917. Either way, it's never a good idea to lie in the public interest.

I always click immediately when i see a new Sam Aronow video!

I love how the video starts as a Oversimplified video.

During WW1 my great-great grandfather, Benjamin Yahalom, helped saved the town of Kfar-Saba from the Ottomans. Kfar-Saba was build on land owned by the French Jew Baron Hirsh. The Ottomans wanted to confiscate the land, owned by a citizen of an enemy state. Benjamin Yahalom used his German citizenship and connections to discourage them from doing so. A few years ago the city dedicated the Yahalom street in his memory, in the presence of his granddaughter, my grandmother.

This is cool af, but I'm geeking out about Patterson. The Ghost and the Darkness is one of my favorite movies.

6:20 Outstanding! The Old Britannia creator 🙂

can't wait for the Jewish Legion video. I do wonder if you will mention the Weitzmann-Faisal agreement as well as jews in the central power during ww1

0:42 Nice use of "Obession" by Alexander Lasarenko!

Oh yes, finally!

My Sephardic great-grandparents, Roberto and Clara Benardete, came from Canakkale, which is what the Turks called the Dardanelles. They left for the United States around the time of the first Balkan War.

I've been waiting for this one, thanks Sam! Greetings from NZ!

Great Video! I've always been interested in Jewish History but I hadn't had much knowledge about the ZMC of WWI. As an Israeli Jew we weren't really taught about it during school with most of the curriculum of WWI (if taught at all) regarding Jewish history being focused on the Nili group (of course being an important subject in its own right).

I hate to admit this but I watched this video on Patreon as well as here and it took me until the 15-16 minute mark on the YT watch-through to realize "zed mc" was short for Zion mule corps (Yay differences in English!)

There is a memoir concerning Gallipoli from the viewpoint of an American who was serving in the French Foreign Legion, Gunner Depew if I recall.

This is an excellent video, and maybe your best work. I also worry that this video won’t get as much attention as some others because the title may not grab as wide of an audience. Maybe try calling it “Zion Mule Corps: When the Jews fought the Ottomans”, or “The Jews who fought at Galipoli.” That may get this important video more views.

Again, Gavrilo Princip was not a 'Serbian nationalist', he called himself a 'Yugoslav nationalist', by which he meant, as he said, an anti-imperialist position of being against the rule of the Austro-Hungarian empire and for the freedom of all South Slavs. He constantly read Bakunin, Kropotkin and Chernishevsky, and said he often "dreamt of being an anarchist, and wrestling with the cops". His comrades from the (multi-ethnic, multi-confessional org) Young Bosnia identified as socialists, anarchists, and/or Yugoslav nationalists.

another great video! its nice to have something to watch during the weekend at home just before going back to the base. thank you sam!

I love your videos, and I especially appreciate your use of Holst's "Mars" in this one.

Love this! A little heads up about Vaiben Louis Solomon - he was the Premier of South Australia, not the Prime Minister (the title of Prime Minister is reserved for the federal leader of Australia, whereas the title of Premier refers to the leader of a state within Australia)

Music at the end gave me goosebumps!

You know shits going down when the Legend of Zelda music kicks in

1. congrats on 50K and great video 2. I remember you said that WWI saga would be spread out over 5-7? videos and I know you don't like setting expectations but I am curious about the order that they would be posted and what they'll focus on judging by the ending of this video the next one is gonna be about the Palestine campaign and I assume NILI but what will come after that?

A video about Nili would be good!

Listen my man, your edits got so good, t'was very entertaining to watch. Toda!

Great video 🔥

I think Churchill was a Liberal during WW1 no?

Realities are stronger than Lord Kitchener is a boss bit of speech.

I remember the evening I finally started reading "The Man Eaters of Tsavo" from a copy I picked up in a Nairobi book store. For some reason, I decided to start with the preface, which I normally never read. Suddenly my worlds collided! I learnt most of what Sam brings here in my Israeli high school history lessons, but for some reason the name Patterson (who has a street named after in Jerusalem) did not stick in my memory. The preface was all about his friendship with Jabotinsky and their project of creating the first modern Jewish military force. Drawing from my high school lessons, weren't there also infantry battalions? Were they recruited later in the war?

Correction: 13:23 Churchill was the liberal MP for Dundee at the time of WWI

Ottoman Officials: prohibit Jews from becoming Ottoman citizens Jews: join the British army instead Ottoman officials: shocked_pikachu_dot_jaypeg

You mention the Tsavo man-eaters. I've seen those lions. They're stuffed and mounted in the Field Museum in Chicago.

I see a Sam Aronow video, I watch

Ooooh! I think I know what's next! Great video. I don't know why I feel so hopeful after watching these videos. I guess because it has been such a tumultuous journey.

As always, the endings get me do hype for the next episode!

It's the video you told me about weeks ago. 🙂 Brilliant as usual

My family has generations of military. I enjoyed that.

wake up babe new sam aronow vid just dropped

I think you need to update your avatar. Just draw a moustache on it.

Thank you.

I recall learning in primary school about "Simpson & his donkey" and wonder now whether he was part of the ZMC???

This whole first 41 second paragraph is a meme rivaled only by "and now we need to acknowledge that Persia exists". Though a sorrowful one

Now we are getting to the good stuff,

When Galipolli was mentioned I heard Sabaton in my head.

Amazing

What about the survey from December?

Very interesting video, but I wish you would start doing more videos on pre-modern Jewish history again

Expecting authorities to see reason, ever, without the use of force and protest against said authorities Is pure and simple fantasy, nothing else.

THE John Henry Patterson?! I had no idea that he was actually an actor on the historical stage. I thought he killed those two lions and then fucked off into retirement. Wow what a life.

We are getting closer and closer to the present day. What will you do after you conclude this series?

I am appalled to hear of the ZMCs rebuff at ANZAC. Monash was proudly Jewish and Australia’s best General. This was very early in his career in the GW though

1:26 - is there a difference between a citizen and a national?

Thank you for pronouncing it as "zed".

Hi, Sam, Assyrian here! Why was the Zion Mule Corp at first called the “Assyrian Jewish Refugee Corp”? Is there any answer for why this name existed?

Heroes...

The Great War KZfaq channel fanboys eating well today.

7:33 - Yikes! 👀😂😂😂

could you do a joint episode about the jews of japan with he history of japan and maybe also the samaurai archieves podcast too.

The Franco-Russian alliance predated WW1.

Jabo❤

European militaries hadn't advanced since Napoleon? There had been many advances as shown during Crimean and Franco-Prussian Wars.

Drama music turns me off.

Its a shame the Irish dont return the sympathy.

God some of the military knowledge on show here is appalling

Why do you list Theodore Roosevelt as "Republican" President? I believe he was President of the entire USA.

Nice video, thanks for that! Gallipoli campaign is the biggest war for the Ottomans in terms of protecting homeland, and they did it. Most of the Seferad Jews who are expelled from Spain to Ottoman empire were aside by the Ottomans during this war. Jews are always welcomed in Big cities and in Palestine. But war against Britain forced Cemal Pasha to take measures too. Your video shows how zionist people changed their sides against Ottoman Empire. Centuries of security and prosperity of Jews in Ottoman Lands didn't help Zionists to fight against their protectors. What a pity.

Can’t believe I’ve finally caught up to the uploads. Feels good but sad that now I’ll have to wait🥲🥲