FAN MAIL: Community@timeghost.tv World War Two dives into the history of one of the most devastating wars in human history. Indy Neidell, Spartacus Olsson and their team of dedicated historians cover the events of World War Two week by week in realtime. Additionally, we take an in-depth look at the war against humanity, key figures in all camps, military hardware, impact on culture, military strategies and life at the home fronts or under occupation. Patreon: https://bit.ly/WW2_CH TimeGhost Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLfMmOriSyPbd5JhHpnj4Ng CREDITS A TimeGhost chronological documentary produced by OnLion Entertainment GmbH. Lead writer and host: Indy Neidell Produced and Directed by: Spartacus Olsson and Astrid Deinhard Executive Producers: Astrid Deinhard, Indy Neidell, Spartacus Olsson Creative Producer: Marek Kamiński Contains Archive material from Screenocean/Reuters.
Curated by: World War Two (1315 videos)
Why did French generals order troops to hold La Ferté at all costs during the Battle of France in 1940? Ouvrage La Ferté was a small Maginot Line fortress near Sedan, attacked by German forces in May 1940. By May 18, the fort was completely surrounded after German breakthroughs further north had already collapsed the French front. The garrison inside La Ferté, 107 men, was cut off, outgunned, and had no realistic chance of rescue. Their guns were knocked out, and a French counterattack failed. The defenders retreated underground and requested permission to surrender. But Alphonse Georges refused. He ordered the fort to be held “at all costs.” Why? Because the Maginot Line wasn’t just a defensive system, it was a symbol of French strength and national pride. Letting one of its forts fall was feared to be a psychological disaster. In reality, it made no strategic difference. German forces had already broken through and were advancing deep into France. On May 19, German assault engineers used explosives and smoke to penetrate the fort. The resulting fire and toxic fumes suffocated the entire garrison. So La Ferté wasn’t sacrificed for strategy — but for morale, symbolism, and a doctrine that no longer matched the reality of modern warfare. Join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TimeGhostHistory Or join the TimeGhost Army directly at: https://timeghost.tv/signup/ Check out our TimeGhost History YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/timeghost Between 2 Wars: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrG5J-K5AYAU1R-HeWSfY2D1jy_sEssNG Follow WW2 Day by Day on Instagram: @ww2_day_by_day Follow TimeGhost History on Instagram: @timeghosthistory Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TimeGhostHistory/ Source literature list: https://bit.ly/SourcesWW2 Archive footage: Screenocean/Reuters - https://www.screenocean.com A TimeGhost chronological documentary produced by OnLion Entertainment GmbH. #timeghost #timeghost #history #historical #history #worldwartwohistory #worldwartwo #ww2 #ww2history #historymatters #maps #cartography #camo