Nazi Symbols - The Story Behind the Imagery
None of the images the Nazis used were created by them, rather they utilised a series of much older symbols from all over the world. Here is the story behind those controversial images.
Dr. Mark Felton is a well-known British historian, the author of 22 non-fiction books, including bestsellers 'Zero Night' and 'Castle of the Eagles', both currently being developed into movies in Hollywood. In addition to writing, Mark also appears regularly in television documentaries around the world, including on The History Channel, Netflix, National Geographic, Quest, American Heroes Channel and RMC Decouverte. His books have formed the background to several TV and radio documentaries. More information about Mark can be found at: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Fe...
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Disclaimer: All opinions and comments expressed in the 'Comments' section do not reflect the opinions of Mark Felton Productions. All opinions and comments should contribute to the dialogue. Mark Felton Productions does not condone written attacks, insults, racism, sexism, extremism, violence or otherwise questionable comments or material in the 'Comments' section, and reserves the right to delete any comment violating this rule or to block any poster from the channel.
Photos licensed under Wikimedia Creative Commons: Svdmolen; Manji; A. Savin; RootOfAllLight; Valdavia; Brycesteiner; greenacre8; Thespoondragon; Nick R.O. Henry; Richartz; Ssolberj; Ipankonin; Wolfmann
Theres a common joke in germany, it goes like "i didn't know my grampa was a electrician in the war, but i found his old helmet, it had two lightnings on the side"
@@Nat3_H1gg3rs what's up with you weirdo
@@Nat3_H1gg3rs Very american comment. Can almost smell the freedom and democracy from across the screen.
Never heard that one before but as far as WW2 Jokes go this is one of the better ones.
@@Nat3_H1gg3rs Ever heard of the American "SILVER SHIRTS" ?
WOW THATS SO FUNNY....NOT!!!!!!!!!
I read this recently, don't know who gets credit: "History is not there for you to like or dislike. It is there for you to learn from it. And if it offends you, even better. Because then you are less likely to repeat it. It's not yours to erase. It belongs to all of us."
Whoever it was, they certainly - sadly - do not work for the BBC.
Excellent statement that needs to be upheld by those who think deeper than the next 'soundbite.
@@geraint8989 Yes, the BBC's clumsy and unsubtle rewriting of British history is, it seems, alongside that of the British education 'system' and perhaps, we shall see, the likes of the National Trust.
@@snail415 Well put my friend. I agree with everything you said.
History, if read properly, is simply a repeat of mankinds ineptitude REGARDING reality.. over and over we "repeat" the deplorable nature of wealthy powerful men regulating and commanding the weaker (poorer) masses, regardless of how it may initially be founded as a nation.. the US is a prime example of this.. once corrupted, voting will never defeat 'power', because you have allowed the power, to steal your wealth.
As a German, this is very accurate and the pronunciation of german words is on point as far as non-native speakers are concerned. Informative, but concise and unbiased. Thank you
People are fast realising the truth about ww2. There is a mass awakening
@@StriatedSternum ?
@@StriatedSternum yeah wtf are you talking about?
@@crog316 99% chance it's antisemitism. nazi scum will never learn
@@StriatedSternum Am NOT pro-Nazi, but enough time has passed to look at our human history without bias. Was Hitler worse than Churchill? A lot of Indians don't think so. Oh: Who created nuclear weapons, and used them?
Talking about how they inherited and adopted existing symbols is important. My partner is Maltese and wears a Maltese cross, multiple people have literally asked why she’s wearing a nazi cross, it’s wild how little most people know about this topic.
Yes it is. I learned about this in Europa the last battle. That's such an eye opening documentary.
How would that be wild ? We don't learn in at school and this topic is pretty taboo anyway
iron cross was taken from belgium. maltese cross is used by firefighters.
@@TheLily97232 history isnt taboo
I wear an iron cross as a personal symbol of strength and unity, as well as standing for my heritage. It is a symbol that has been used for nearly a thousand years. It is NOT a "Nazi symbol"
This guy was born to narrate
And research
Narration is a small but important part of the value this channel IMHO. The historical research and material development is epic in its scope, quality and volume. Despite being a WW2 geek with 40 years of book bashing behind me I never watch or listen to one of Mark Feltons productions without being entertained, informed and impressed. I'm properly hooked!
and born to be wild !
Brits learn to narrate by age eight.
@@scockery Lovely compliment.
Now that's a topic I don't see many people talk about. Fortunately, we've got ol' Mark here to entertain us, as he always does.
@@BenjiBuilds726 It’s f...ing annoying. the algorithms, the people, or whatever it is that decides something goes against the arbitrary standards of social media isn’t intelligent enough to consider the context of what is being presented or why.
You misspelled 'educate.'
@@alitlweird @Facebook banned me for pictures of Olympic hero Jesse Owens.
Oh there are tons of great scholarly books on symbols
What about the occult influences going on in Germany and the rest of Europe long before the rise of National Socialism? Eugenics, pseudoscience and border sciences, various occult ideologies, antisemitism and the superiority of the Aryan roots out of India (Indo-European languages), etc, all had an impact on the NAZIs.
One of my old teachers had a Native American earring that had a swastika on it. It’s amazing how wide spread it is!
Japan has it at temples also. the nazis Bastardized that.
Mark, once again you have presented a fantastic overview of an important topic, in this case imagery and how here we see how they adopted it - thereby creating years of confusion when the original users of these images, particularly the swastika. And as you, I spent years in the Far East and SE Asia and frequently saw the symbol used to mark temples on maps and had occasion to see tourists remark erroneously that the Nazis had a foothold there during the war and had no idea of the origins of the symbol. Thanks again for another outstanding contribution to our history studies!
2:17 'Masterful marketing' is one way to put it, 75 years since the shop was forced to close but the advert still keeps rolling.
And wr still associate off brand products with it.
Mark Felton posts a video: well I’m going to pause everything else for the next 12 minutes and learn some history
Same! I paused my show just to watch it!
Mark Felton, Victor Davis Hanson, & The History Guy™️ are the holy trinity of historical entertainment. 💪🤩🏆
A guaranteed good history lesson that you will not get any college or university nowadays.
Too bad he didn't now the skull and bones is a stoic symbol meaning momento morì and I'm no historian
I hope he does a crossover with Indy Neidel and his team.
I wish my old History teachers had your videos. Informative and your voice is easy to listen to.
When I watch KZhead videos, I’m not sure who produced the videos when I first clicked them, but when I hear the introductory music from this channel, I always know it’s going to be a well researched and produced video!
If classes in school were like this, I'd have a PhD.
The internet is far more educating than several years in brick buildings. It's limitless and invaluable.
Writing a doing research, making thesis and defending it isn't that fun but it's required
Totally
It is...you just have to narrate it yourself. 🤷🏻♂️
Yep very well put together ol mr Felton is he always finds rare vids that I’ve personally never seen before
"the swastika... ...perhaps the most successfull logo in history" - Mark Felton
Which way is the energy question . Clockwise or counterclockwise determines positive or negative. Excellent video.
That would be the cross
@@RB-ye4ri Nope we (my culture) use both clockwise and counterclockwise both have positive meaning. For us it symbolizes thunder - hence thunder cross. Or sometimes we call it fire cross that symbolizes movement of fire. And it means protection against evil for us. Also we can add this to meaning: The sign of life, power and happiness. Brings blessing, energy, and well-being.
@@RB-ye4ri Nope, I'm from South Asia and you can find ancient texts carved into stones which are about 2000-2500years old which seems to have used both Swastikas during that time.
@@nikki.fikks2077 that's an interesting one when you do some research, like many old symbols it's steeped in pagan tradition, and origin has nothing to do with how it's used by people today.
You sound like that presenter on DW, nice clear voice with good German expressions. Well done 🙂👊👍
Very well put together and informative! I enjoyed watching.
Until WW2, school children in the USA used the stiff arm salute when reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.
In some countries it's still used
It was used long before the Nazi's. Romans for example.
@@kevin_1230 There's no archeological evidence the Romans created the gesture; with horns on Vikings, it's a belief expressed by artists.
It was called the Bellamy salute, after writer Francis Bellamy, original author of the pledge of allegiance.
Sure got my smart ass in trouble doing that in Ms Blunts English class. (She was also from Germany OOF)
It is time for KZhead to introduce the "like hit before play" category for this level of production. Another masterpiece!
@Bryans industrial 4th revolution english?
This gave me a stroke trying to read it
Thank you Doctor Felton! I absolutely love how you ALWAYS teach me something. After graduating college with a history degree that doesn’t usually happen!
You would love Europa the last battle documentary. It goes into this stuff in a lot of detail.
My second wife went to school with an Indian girl whose first name was Swastika. That’s when my wife learned the true origin of the Swastika.
The explanations we need. Too many people ignorant of symbols and where they come from.
That's the Left in the USA
@@funfact8660 And the Right.
@@concept5631 that's right
@@marcosbradanovic9100 Indeed.
@@concept5631 Just the left, the right are far more educated
Educators like Mark Felton are so important, since he fills in the significant but overlooked details that are so important but never told in schools. Keep up the great work, Mark!
Hope he covers more Eastern front. The east is where its at.
Some of them are pure fantasy, you can tell that because the comments are turned off so no-one can challenge them.
Thanks @Ceamy Sheev Palpatine truly insightful words
@卐 HitlerLoveϟϟ Anime 卐 Can you not read? I suggest you read what I wrote, properly.
'so important', I wouldn't go that far, to be honest, none of his videos present something I didn't already know. And one or two are questionable.
Great video. I recommend Norse specialist Dr. Jackson Crawford for illuminating the subject of the anachronistic projection of symbolic meanings such as "victory" onto characters of the runic alphabet, and helps us to identify that even the solar identification of the sieg rune was a post-medieval invention.
Mark, the consistent quality of your videos is astounding. Thank you very much for your work.
When I see the German hats with skulls all I think of is... "Hans... Are we the baddies!?" 😂
I mean why Skulls though?
Seriously? Me too!
Pirates are fun
I got recommended this after seeing the Mitchell and Webb video.
8:10 I don't care if he is wearing the _totenkopf;_ Kaiser Wilhelm II still looks goofy and incompetent. It's like dressing Don Knotts up like Danny Trejo: just doesn't work.
Fun fact: the Thai greeting "sawadeeka" is the same root as swastika, wishing you prosperity
That's actally what Swas Tika means. Basically "Good Luck"
Btw Khap=male polite particle Ka= female polite particle 😃
How interesting. I love Thailand.
First time I encountered a swastika in Indian artwork I was quite shocked to say the least. Also, Nazi Germany's national anthem, "Deutschland Uber Alles", is based on an old Lutheran hymn. Our church would sing "Great Creator", a hymn to the exact same tune. Has anyone noticed the Confederate flag's resemblance to the Union Jack?
@@509Gman same as me ! Extremely laid back culture, nice people and really good food
Swastika also existed in Norse Mythology so idk how it "originated" in India. It originated simultaneously all over the world.
Well,Swastika originated in India. Maybe,you are talking about an another symbol which looks similar to Swastika just like Hakenkroit.
New Mexico State University has some very old buildings that date back before WWII. When I attended university there in the early 70s, a few of those old buildings had swastikas above their entrance. Their yearbook was also named the Swastika until the 70s. The name was then changed to the Phoenix, before they discontinued publication. My dad attended NMSU late 40s to early 50s. I have his yearbooks with the Swastika embazoned on the cover.
I learned more from Felton than I ever did in school
Is all your knowledge only based on ww2
For the last twenty years I agree. Before the communist woke era we had real history.
Soon the Marxists will cancel history. Sad but true
With age, comes wisdom and better choices
@@Mr_Fancypants Felton doesnt only talk about WW2 dude
The fact that all of this high quality entertainment and knowledge is provided to us all for free is a small reason why ‘living in the future’ is not entirely bad. Thank you, Mr. Felton!
hear, hear.
Most people don't use it to learn a single thing though
The fact that you think it's free is mind numbing.
The Swastika was a common motif in Victorian wallpaper as well. I've seen it in old houses in New Zealand. There is also a town in Ontario, Canada called Swastika and they have no intention of ever changing the name.
And as I am sure you know Mark, re: your reference to the ongoing use of a "death-head" symbol by the Royal Lancers, has a 264 year history in the British Army through the Rgmt's progenitors: the 17th/21st Lancers (since 1922); and 17th Lancers, raised in 1759. The 17th notable for its participation in the "Charge of the Light Brigade" - So well before even the earliest usages by the Prussian or German Empires you mentioned. But, you knew that ;)
at last ....i'm from india and i tried hard to explain to people that this has no racial meaning or in any way related to a particular race
Modi is definitely changing that
You can’t battle ignorance my friend.
most people have a knee-jerk reaction to the swastika which is a shame but i understand why.
The swastika does not originate from India. It was an ancient Aryan symbol, spread across the world by the migration of the Aryan peoples, who had their homeland in the steppes and Caucasus mountains. In other words, it originated in Europe, and was a symbol of phenotypically European people.
@@merus2164 go live in 19th century...still going on about an unproven theory
The first time I saw a swastika in a context other than the Nazi's was when I was a young kid. I saw a small Buddha statue with one on it's chest. I thought it was very strange as I had never seen swastika's outside of references to Nazis.
On Japanese maps the swastika indicates a Buddhist temple.
I've seen Petroglyphs of swastikas in the Mojave desert, along with other symbols and creatures
@@jonathanlong6987 📚 I thought those were old world war two era maps for German Tourists? 📚
Same
@@jonathanlong6987 Aren't they doing away with those?
crazy how he stole the Swastika symbol for evil..
I know right? Those wooden doors sure were effective though.
@@berniegurrs Almost as effective as the handle on the inside, and the dozen single body cremation ovens that were some how able to burn about two bodies a minute for 5 years straight nonstop while fighting a war on two fronts! Wow German engineering sure is impressive considering modern day ovens take about 4 hours to fully cremate a body.
@@mochabean4325 a child with a calculator > a liberal historian
soy boy
@@mochabean4325 what are you saying? It was impossible
Hi Mark. To say the Swastika is 'permanently' defamed is just wrong in my view. It's a matter of time and healing. Thank you very much for this fascinating short form documentary. I love your work.
“Um ... Hans ... Are we the baddies?” “Well if there’s one thing we’ve learned in the last thousand miles of retreat, it’s that Russian agriculture is in dire need of mechanization.”
I was looking for this comment :)
"But why skulls though?"
Beat me to it😆
Note: The Luftwaffe eagle was in flying position with swastika in its claws.
@@13thdukeofwybourne69 What about pirates?!?
Mark Felton, you possess one of the most attractive speaking voices on KZhead. That and the hypnotic, ominous music -and the meticulous research -lead to easy-to-absorb video snippets. You certainly deserve your success.
Its improved. Production was rather dull in the past.
If you like MF voice, videos, and WW2 history you will also enjoy "Soviet Storm WW2 in The East". IMO.
Sounding like Terence Stamp doesn't hurt,
I have been watching your videos and searched for a video on Swastika. I remembered that the most prominant private girls school in Sri Lanka has a swastika as part of the logo. The founder was a German woman in 1891. She found the School on Buddhist principals while she was in Sri Lanka working with a Buddhist missionary.
Although not a symbol, the term "Aryan" is from India. It means "nobleman". For some reason, Hitler equated "Aryan" with blond, blue-eyed people.
Probably 30 years ago, my mother was working with Vietnamese refugees in southern Calif. and one young boy was wearing a Swastika around his neck. A teacher immediately tried to discipline the boy. My mother had to point out that it was a Buddhist symbol and not what the teacher had thought. The teacher was stunned to learn that the swastika was adopted by the nazis and had other meanings long before the nazis came to power. I was in third grade when I heard this story and still remember it today.
Ukrainians are buddists alright
Teachers arent really qualified experts lol
Then your mother did not know that this symbol goes back to Ancient Babylon
What an idiot teacher.
I remember seeing the symbol in South Korea in 2002 when i was a Soldier stationed there thinking it was a German Symbol but later learned i was wrong lol :)
Most underated historical genius in world history, Mark Felton. Its high time the world embraces this fine gentleman.
He is way too neutral and informative, that's why he is underrated.
You guys know that a lot of his material is plagiarized, right?
@@Cyprian96 can you provide evidence of your claims?
@@Cyprian96 how so?
@@Cyprian96 What is he supposed to do, make his own history?
Finally some unbiased historically accurate information about an important part of human history. Thank you for treating your audience as adults and not letting personal opinions get in the way of conveying information
Very well put together.
All of his work is
The day when self employed youtubers beat the history channel at making historic content i'll... D'oh!!!
If it can't be made into a reality show, Today's History Channel won't cover anyone or anything except maybe a Kardashian.
Please, set the bar higher than than.
Speaking of, when I started watching this channel I could have swore that I recognized his voice and the intro music from a show that used to be on the history channel or something... but I guess not?? Tried finding it but couldn't. It would have been kind of an older show because whatever show I'm thinking of would have been from like 15-20 years ago. I swear I've heard the music at least on some history show...?
The History Channel went to crap long ago .Mark Felton , The History Guy,Plainly difficult, Dark Docs and Fascinating Horror are all pretty much while I’m still here at all.
@keith moore Very possible, I have no idea what show or channel it was on. I just remember watching a lot of ww2 stuff on the history channel so assumed it was that, but I watched the same stuff on other channels too so I'm not sure. Do you remember the name of the show? I just remember the very first video of his I watched I felt positive I had heard his voice and that music before.
The fact a US infantry division used the swastika as a badge truly blew my mind.
I have seen a picture of a Spad fighter, used by the AEF in WWI, were the pilot used the Swastika as a personal symbol on both sides of the fuselage. It might have been Frank Luke's Spad. He was from Arizona and it was a Navaho sign of "good luck". I welcome some expert advice, however, from the other viewers if it was indeed Luke's plane.
Lafayette squadron in WW1 also used it on their "bust of Sitting Bull" symbol.
Finland still used it on their air force planes until last year, they had used it since 1918
@@thevideojames35 and one of Baltic states air force too until Stalin ended their independence
@@thevideojames35 No, the Finnish air force dropped it for a blue and white rounder after WW2 was over. The swastika used by the Finnish army (was used by other parts of the armed forces) 1918-1945 was also mirror turned compared to the one used by the Germans. You can see it on the "Sotka" captured T-34 displayed at the Bovington tank museum.
Mark you have a very soothing voice even when it comes to sensitive political issues irrepressibly one would like to listen to, thanks for sharing.
Like you, I have lived in Asia, in Japan where the swastika, the manji, is used mainly in a Buddhist context, but I come from Austria where it is banned; I had to 'decondition' myself and now see it in a more neutral, archaic context as a powerful, symbol inand of itself that should be redeemed. (I really like this channel)
As sensitive as these topics are, I feel everyone knowing more information about such images and there origins would bring more benefit than outright banning them.
They're only sensitive because of the narrative that weak minded people keep furthering regardless of truth. Nobody approaches Soviet or Japanese history with the same attitude and caution. Gee I wonder why
@@FuelAirSparkTime idk about that persay, in countries like China that went through terrible things from Japan im sure there are still open wounds from there culture than Germany. And in places like Ukraine I'd say its more against soviet imagery than Germany.
Also keep in mind that many people that were directly hunted by Nazi's came to America and allied Europe for refuge, thus passing down the horrors...
@@jaredtrainor6860 yes, soviet is evil💪🇺🇦🔴⚫
@@jaredtrainor6860 you make no sense.
When I was in 3rd grade I accidentally drew a swastika for my art project. I had no idea what it was but it looked cool to me until my teacher pulled me to the side and asked me why I had drawn it, I honestly had no idea what it meant until she told me that it was an inappropriate symbol. I found out later what it meant haha I’ll never forget that day
i did a similar thing but my teacher liked it lol
AWKWARD!
@@B6composer wtf?? She needs to chill
I drew it under a desk with permanent marker
same here a few didn't have a problem and alot didn't like it
Ahhh yes my favorite time in history.
They were stylish
Wow I'm Navajo I had this in the back of my head that the symbol had the meaning of peace, my dad told me the original meaning it had before the nazi and I was going to comment but Mark Felton covered it, thanks Mark (edit - This morning i got my covid 19 vaccine at the indian hospital and as soon as i walk in the the door theres a swastika in the middle of the native art piece. I don't have a tattoo on my head what i meant I was thinking about it in my mind to I did not know it's be misintepereted. I was surprised to see my input in the video showing he went above and beyond with his research, i was going to exactly comment what he says about it on that segment. My clans are towering house dad and bitter water people mom)
God bless you & your people. Such injustice growing from invasive interests all they had is taken, no integrity at all. In addition they abused children only to impress without any relevant content. Cowardice in chief sent his citizens into Russian winter, never told them that failure is inevitable, never ever explained economy, starving his nation, lying them about 🔚.
You should start wearing it as a symbol of your heritage
@@artd4823 are you talking about Stalin?
Shame. We should start teaching real history and not the sanitized, "good vs bad" version that leaves out nuance.
@Sasha Braus Leftist institutions like the ACLU have already gone to court to defend actual America Nazis and their 1st amendment right to free speech. They've gone to court to defend gun owners, too. And that's the difference between left and right. The right only defends its own greed and self-interest. Just like Trump.
Being Himmler's graphic artist had be a crazy job.
Working for Himmer in any way must have been tough. The man was a nutcase.
@@balabanasireti where’s a good place to get info about Himmler?
@@balabanasireti Good family man though.
Not necessarily! I think they could have been drawn to each other!
@@Zorro9129 Himmler was doing his niece 💀
Quickest 11 minutes i have experienced in a while! Great video.
It hasn’t been permanently stained. Soon is relative. This moment is a blink in history.
Fun fact; The swastika was still used by the Finnish Airforce until last year, when they quietly removed it from their flags.
That’s pretty gay, shame they removed it
@J Thorsson @Admiral Kipper It's still used during parades and in squadron flags.
@@anton2192 This was what I tried to look up, to me it seems like all swastikas were removed last year, might be wrong!
It's still being used on flags, they only switched the insignia of the Air Command Unit. The new ACU emblem looks nicer, but it has absolutely nothing to do with the disputed flags. In my opinion, the swastika on the flags is there to stay. If we were to suddenly change it, some people might come to the conclusion that after all, there was indeed something wrong with the use of that particular insignia (since they had to change it). The deranged phobia of swastikas only exists in a few countries and its meaning as a nazi symbol is insignificant for most of the world, like it should be.
@@admiralkipper4540 someone probably get salty on twitter so they removed it to prevent snowflakes from bitching
You have to hand it to them, these symbols are visually stirring.
My high school history teacher showed us some scenes from Triumph of the Will one day, and noted who tapped their feet to the music - not saying we were evil or anything, just susceptible to the pageantry. Yeah, I was one of them.
Very neat, and historically accurate piece. It’s unfortunate that the Nazi regime utilized such symbols that now have a negative connotation or view in the Western part of the world. Everyone here including Americans are yelling “ cancel culture” cancel culture”. Some out of ignorance for the history of the symbol, and some out of shear anger for what the German Nazis did in wwii and leading up to it.
There’s a lot you can hand to them They just did messed up things 🤷
yeah it visually stirs me to remember the terror my family experienced when those assholes entered their village in Poland, and the long oral tradition thats been passed down today of what they did to us.
@@misterguy9002 It's almost impressive how many things the Nazis ruined. Just think about it, Hitler even managed to ruin a name.
I heard that right hand salute was regular in "Achaemenid Empire" to respect the "King of the Kings" like Cyrus .
Listening Dr Felton during my night shift is a pleasure
5:00 “Party Eagle” sounds like a side character in a Dreamworks movie, hanging around with the penguins of Madagascar.
Angry Birds have a similar character
@@tuljan4419 "Angry Birds and the siege of Sevastopol"
@@cerealkiller7143 Lol !
I read that Hitler once stated that he chose the Swastika because he wanted the Party to have a symbol more powerful than the Soviet's Hammer and Sickle.
@@the4thindustrialrevolution225 exactly
@@the4thindustrialrevolution225 "Aryan" is more artificial as European.
And then the Nazis ruined the swastika for everyone.
And then the Nazis ruined the swastika for everyone.
@@dx1450 you're brainwashed.
The US also used a similar salute when reciting the pledge of allegiance, the "Bellamy Salute". This fell out of favor in the 40's, for obvious reasons
Even if nazism was criminal,their uniforms,signs,medals,decorations were so classy..
Oh to be able to sit in a classroom and listen to a history teacher like this! Someone who actually loves history and loves sharing it with others is a gift that we really need right now!
And doesn't twist it for their political narratives.
Well it makes sense that they wouldn’t show imagery or talk about it specifically in grade school because of how teens can be about that kind of stuff, but yeah you should be able to go to a university and learn about this.
history is not meant to be told this way
The official emblem of the Finnish Air Force was also a blue swastika, representing good luck. Hermann Göring, who was a fighter pilot in WWI, would have known about its use.
Yep, they chose it as their symbol after a Swedish pilot had gifted them his plane, and the plane had the good luck swastika symbol on it. And yes, Goering and other WWI pilots knew it well as it was used by several of them.
... and Göring was brother-in-law to the Swedish pilot Eric von Rosen.
@Alex K. It was also the Sign of the Finnish Armoured Division
@@eivindlunde7772 It was count Erik von Rosens lucky symbol. He was the one that gave the white side in the Finnish civil war their first plane.
Based
Finally someone points out the instances of the swastika in cultures other than Hindu! The only people that talk about its existence pre 1900s only talk about the Hindu and Buddhist instances. It was literally worn by the vast majority of vikings in battle because it was basically a charm of protection from Þórr
Good video. What about the Maltese Cross symbol though?
Mark Felton teaches more people history than most history teachers do in a lifetime?
Because he seems to think for himself , do his own research and discusses all history as OBJECTIVELY as is permitted on KZhead .
I used to teach history, or tried to, but the syllabus became so woke and shallow that I moved away from it. This was only 15 years ago, and I know it is even worse now.
Makes sense. Most of history now is leftist woke propaganda, at least in the US. If you non-US people run into Americans who are ignorant of your country that will probably be the reason.
@@shebbs1 it is practically beyond comprehension now. Absolutely brainwashing (hist teacher speaking)
This is very enlightening and informative. They don't even teach this in public schools. I remember, when I was a kid, seeing a book on airplanes of World War One with illustrations of planes from both sides. It showed that an American and a German fighter squadron had planes displaying the swastika. I think the German plane was part of Von Richtofen Flying Circus and the American was from Eddie Richenbacker Hat in the Ring squadron. I haven't seen that book in years.
If I didn't know any better, I'd say this guy is some kind of historian.
I think he kinda is, if I'm not mistaken.
Nah, he's a carpenter.
*Dr
Dude
Yeah, kinda PhD in history.
I grew up in CFB Borden Canada Ontario and in school we learned about war History and was asked to draw something interesting you've learned that week and I choose the swastika. Let's just say as a child in grade 3 or 4 drawing a swastika never went well for me as I never understood what I was doing wrong I wish I could have educated my fellow teachers about the origin of the symbol back in the early 90's
I can relate to that, same happened to me at 4th grade
Según leí hace años la cruz gamada que mira hacia la derecha es la esvástica, y la que mira a la izquierda, la utilizada normalmente por los budistas se llama sauvástica. Muy bueno el video.
In Serbia, term svastika litterarly means "wife's sister".
Damn, I was hoping you`d say Mother-in-law...
mother in law (wife mother) is "tašta" in serbian
@@-ENGEL- it is
@@-ENGEL- or "svekrva"
@@user-hp1cu9lc3l exactly
Gotta love that mark does not shy away from politically sensitive topics, and instead educates people about them
that used to be normal
Never forget.
If you treat them sensitive no ones gonna cancel you
It's sad that today videos like these are controversial.
@@greendalf123 You are quite literally watching a topic about them on KZhead; how much more normal do you want it to get?
Informative and interesting article. Thanks, l feel well informed. Xxx
Yeah when you really break it down, two lines crossed over with some extra bits, a damn bird, a skull and crossbones, sticking your arm out in the air, and two zig-zags are pretty easy for any human to have used throughout history, bit of a shame a certain notorious group used them most recently
Love how the narration is just at the steady pace and will spoken. Makes listening to the audio perfect while I type reports or I often listen in the car if I'm driving somewhere. Always great to do a deep dive into history with you Mark. Keep up the good work sir!
Yep. Just don't trust everything this man says. He's good at investigating historical facts. But if you also delve into WWII history, you find that Mark leaves out some inconvenient facts. I was surprised that he even mentioned the Katyn forest massacre, deviating from his usual stance of celebrating the Allies. Anything that makes the Allies look bad, he leaves out and circumvents the facts. For instance, for all Mark has said about the German defeat at Stalingrad, he never mentions that the German 6th was surrounded by at least 5 Soviet armies.
Am I in his will ?
I was a parole officer for a few years out of college and one night my partner and I were checking up on someone at their house, when we approached the door we noticed the entrance and sidewalk was covered in swastikas. He was convinced the guy was a neo nazi (which can get you a gang member designation within the corrections system) but coincidently Id seen a KZhead video a few weeks earlier talking about Diwali which frequently includes the use of swastikas, turns out the guy was Hindu, but to this day every time I see the swastika referenced outside or nazism I remember my partner being convinced this guy was a Nazi and almost being added to the gang list.
Also used in Buddhism in Japan. Recently Google maps had all locations of temples marked with that symbol changed in Japan as not to offend all the children in adult bodies.
Well, chances are in America most people displaying swastikas are not Hindus.
Cryptonymicus what?
@@skylerlam1887 Chances are in America, most people displaying swastikas are not Hindu.
@@chadkingoffuckmountain970 I was so close to being the third person to re write that. Lol And yea, in American, more than likely it’s a neo nazi. Hindu guy caught a break. Respect educated police officers.
Well. This is a very sober response to the Mitchell and Webb skit where a Nazi looks at his hat and realizes he's on the side of "the baddies".
In how many countries is the "Salute" still used today? In México is normal part of ceremonies that require oaths to the country of any form, you even do it in school making oath to the flag and politicians do it when taking office.
"Hans, Did you ever notice that we have skulls on our hats?" "Ja" "Are we the baddies Hans?"
Nein....its just a social club.....cmon, march along Hans..
@@jamielacourse7578 can I come?
The skull by itself doesn't feel "evil" at all tbh
@@houstonhelicoptertours1006 thank you, if u look closely it’s on my chest. It’s only a social club sheeeesh
Definitely not...
Google's demonetization algorithm is going to short-circuit on this one
Music to my ears
Did Fox News tell you to think that? Sure looks like it. I personally am far more concerned about the use of the Nazi Odel Rune as the stage at CPAC just a few days ago. But Fox News doesn’t tell you about that, so you don’t know. And why would you know? Fox News tells you everyone else is fake news, and you believe and obey.
LOL! 😆
@@honeysucklecatBluAnon conspiracy theories at work for credulous liberals. It turns out the stage design was from a company ran and owned by Democrats. So either it was a deliberate attempt to smear CPAC or (more likely) a mistake.
^ this
Great presentation.
I am an avid consumer of Marks work - everything he does is outstanding- well researched, clear, unbiased and always easy to follow
Fascinating and informative video about how symbols can be used for centuries, but a short but important period of usage can change meaning. History is fascinating.
I’ll think it has a lot to do with the fact that those symbols were used in conjunction with the star of David and can be found all across the world with those two symbols right next to each other. In the occult, it is used for depicting harnessing your sex energy, and opening up your chakras
The fact that the Nazi swastika is angled while the “traditional” use of it is square is one of those subtle things that I think a lot of people missed for a long time. I remember my dad explaining to me that it was a “good luck” symbol for many cultures and not believing him. Of course, I was sixteen at the time and knew everything there was to know... ;-)
the swastika also known as a "senestrogyre" that being a symbol of a wheel or of the sun turning to the left , counter clockwise is a symbol of evil, as a "swastika" known as a destrogyre that being a symbol of a wheel or sun turning to the right, clockwise is a symbol of good. It is in fact an ancient symbol found in Asia and in American Indian that is ex - Asians tepees and other markings.
A lakeside hotel near me in Canada was named the Swastika Inn long before the Nazis used it. For obvious reasons they decided to go with a different marketing strategy after that.
You were 16 and didn't know that? Lol
@@deeem2628 And?
@@deeem2628 Believe it or not, I was 16 before the internet existed, so if I didn't have a book explaining it, learning it would have been difficult!
David Mitchell: Are we the baddies? Mark Felton: Well, actually...
March under the banner of a rat's anus instead.
😂😂😂😂 precious few will understand
That came to my mind too when I saw this title. I do ponder how the Nazis' whole asethetic feels so villainous, did it in it's time, and if so on purpose? Or have we just come to associate it with that from both WWII and pop culture with villains inspired by it (Star Wars most notably)?
Pirates are fun!
@@alexamerling79 Pirates are definitely baddies, they wouldn't claim any different. Doesn't make them any less fascinating or fun though.
Got to love how this BRIT forgot about The Bellamy salute!
And Battle of Cable street
"Hans, are we the baddies?"
My father's family was entirely German even though he was at least the third generation born in the US. I have a wooden shaving mirror passed down to me that has a swastika carved in the cover. It undoubtedly came from Germany at least 50 years before the birth of the Nazi party. Another very informative video.
@Hog If you check it out you will find that the swastika was used in widely separated cultures including in ancient India usually as a symbol of good fortune, I believe.
pray to CHRIST on what to do
??? It gives the detailed history of the swastika in this video.
@Hog No, I wouldn't do that since I know it predates the rise of the Nazi party and it's appropriation of the swastika. Besides it's a family heirloom and is packed in a box somewhere. I have no idea where it is.
My German grandfather joined the German Merchant Marine at 13 in 1914, when Hitler was coloring postcards. As such, he received the eloquent certificate and title "Nazi", which then was the sailor's term for one's first time crossing "the Line" (equator), complete with seaweed/wax stamp and signed by the ship's captain as well as King Neptune. A German aunt told me she remembers the word meaning simply "friend". Hitler's nazis were expert in corrupting words and symbols to their ends.
Number 6: Hitler's moustache.
Charlie Chaplin?
I think it called a toothbrush mustache
@@trojanhorse5363 Your contribution is less than useless.
@@Ndlanding and yours is even less necessary. Nobody owes you anything online
@@andreweckert3369 Just send me the money.
It would be interesting to see how that symbol traveled so far across the world. Specifically, I'd be curious as to how it found route in the Americas.
Or people could behave just made them up.
It was spread by the Aryan people.. "Aryan" simply means people born in the age of Aries (star sign).. Another way of putting it can be observed in ancient Rome. The Romans called themselves "Sons of Mars" (Mars being the Latin name for Aries) so saying "Sons of Mars" is the same as saying "Aryans" which was what the Aryans called themselves based on their cultural/religious beliefs due to being born in the age of Aries.. Each age lasts around 2000 years, we are currently in between the age of Pisces and the age of Aquarius.
It is noteworthy that the Nazis depicted the swastika revolving anti clockwise and the one used in Eastern religions is revolving clockwise , the apparent motion of the sun across the sky , known as " deosil" or "sunward" , the "prosperous course" . The swastika in Eastern and Germanic religion is pre-eminently a solar symbol and , as the sun is the embodiment of cosmic right orderliness , so we see it as a symbol of the concept of Rta in Eastern tradition . Rta , again , is the principle of cosmic order . Therefore , it remains to be asked , did the Nazis deliberately invert the swastika , being fully cognisant of it's inner meaning and symbolism ?
In Poland, highlanders placed these "surprise stars" in poorly visible places on buildings, rocks and in the woods, it was claimed that the person who noticed them would be lucky.
It was a surprise in 1939 indeed. But not to my grandma that left Wolyn in 1938. Hehehe
If you spot one now you may become a conspiracy theorist.
@@JonatasAdoM Or you know you've stepped into suburbs of Bialystok.
@10 Hawell Hello, I’m curious about your use of the term “Highlanders”. Do the Polish have military soldiers called Highlanders, is the a term used to describe “people form the high lands of Poland”, or are you referring to British regimental Highlanders. Please educate me.
@@kiltman8018 Poland has a ethnic people group named "Górale" which literally means highlanders and we have too "21st Podhale Rifle Brigade"
“Our helmets have skulls on them, does that mean we are the baddies”?
Maybe they're the skulls of our enemies.
Might be the best skit by Mitchell and Webb...
I KNEW I would find one of these :-)
@@dnomyarnostaw Well I couldn’t help it😅
@@dnomyarnostaw So did I!
Thank you very much, for this informative presentation of Ww2 historical material 🤜🏻🤛🏻🕶👍🏻
The Totenkopf is also technically the Jolly Roger (bones instead of swords). It is also emblazed on the side of an American F14 Tomcat Squadron called the VF-84 Jolly Rogers.
The so called swastika is also an ancient Latvian pagan symbol known as Ugunskrusts (fire cross) that mostly symbolizes the protection against evil and holy/life energy. The nuances change depending on which way the symbol is facing. But due to obvious negative associations the symbol is almost always stylized to avoid confusion.
yes, this happens in India too now... to the point that hyper defensive Indians try and say "but our Swastika is different"... not realising it has been stylised or not in various ways throughout our history... facing all directions, and various angles etc.
@@anonymouslyopinionated656 Naxis never used the word swastika though. They always called it haukenkreuz or hooked cross, which was a symbol of the German church.
the swastika is not that hard to come up with in the first place, it is a very basic set of a few straight lines, not more. it was likely created fully independently many times in several different cultural over a long time span.
Paldias
the most ideologically toxic flags are the confederate flag, the nazi flag, and the trump flag, and all 3 are cut from the same cloth
The Finns also had the swastika as a positive symbol, it was used in the Finnish Air Force even after WW2.
Yes, Latvians too at the time!
To Finland it came from the first airplane donated to the Finnish Airforce by a rich Swedish noble. The coat of arms of that noble family had the swastka and the plane had the symbol on its wing if I remember correctly
Polish mountaineer division had it also as symbol, in spite being on Allied side. It was simply fashionable in that time.
Yes because the so called swastika is not actually a swastika. It's the haukenkreuz or a pagan symbol appropriated by a few chruches in the northern parts of Europe.
@@myfaceismyshield5963 Correct. Also Göring was romantically involved with the daughter of that family if I recal correctly.
Dear sir, this vid was quite interesting, but painfully short, and short on in depth information and detail...
The German eagle survives as coat of arms of Germany’s modern military and the left short side facing from the parteadier eagle was used for the first official falcon logo of the Atlanta Falcons professional football team which was used from the team’s inauguration season of 1966 to 2002 the year that I was born which switched over to the modern stylized team logo. During that time period the black falcon which could be seen on red helmets which carried over to the the black helmets which is the same for player uniforms both original and the team’s official “throwback” uniform and team merchandise.