There is no more evocative phrase to emerge from World War II than Afrika Korps. The name conjures up a unique theater of war, a hauntingly beautiful empty quarter where armies could roam free, liberated from towns and hills, choke points and blocking positions, and especially those pesky civilians. It calls forth a war of near-absolute mobility, where tanks could operate very much like ships at sea, “sailing” where they wished, setting out on bold voyages hundreds of miles into the deep desert, then looping around the enemy flank and emerging like pirates of old to deal devastating blows to an unsuspecting foe. Finally, it implies a bold hero, in this case Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, a noble commander who fought the good fight, who hated Hitler and everything he stood for, and who couldn’t have been farther away from our stereotyped image of the Nazi fanatic. Everything about him attracts us — the manly poses, the out-of-central-casting good looks, even the goggles perched just so. Placing Rommel and his elite Afrika Korps to the fore allows us to view the desert war as a clean fight against a morally worthy opponent. It was war, yes, but almost uniquely in World War II, it was a “war without hate.”
It’s an attractive image all around, and it is unfortunate that practically all of it is false. The desert was hardly a haven of beauty or romance. It was a pain, and fighting in it was a nightmare for both sides. Far from letting the respective tank fleets roam free, the desert chained them irresistibly to their supply lines, and a single failed supply convoy or a lost column of trucks could stop an entire offensive dead in its tracks. Contrary to the alleged mobility of desert warfare, both sides would spend far more time in static defensive positions, often quite elaborate, then they would launching tank charges.
That leaves us with Rommel. Here, too, we should challenge the mythology. He was hardly apolitical. His entire career had been based on Hitler’s favor, and we might reasonably describe his attitude toward the Führer as worshipful. He was Hitler’s fair-haired boy, a young officer repeatedly promoted over more senior candidates. He was a media creation. Nazi propaganda painted him not only as a garden-variety hero, but as a model National Socialist and Aryan, a man who could overcome stronger enemies through the sheer force of his will. He was not merely a passive bystander to the hype; he was an active accomplice. He loved nothing better than having a camera crew along with him on campaign, and he would regularly order scenes to be reshot if his posture was insufficiently heroic or the lighting had not shown him to best advantage. As is often the case, his relationship to the media was both self-serving and self-destructive. During the years of victory, the German propaganda machine used him as an example to the nation. When things went sour, he became a diversion from the increasingly bad news on other fronts. Finally, when he was no longer useful for any purpose at all, the regime dropped him altogether and eventually killed him.
Robert Citino, “Drive to Nowhere: The Myth of the Afrika Korps, 1941-43″, The National WWII Museum, 2012. (Originally published in MHQ, Summer 2012).
March 2, 2020
QotD: The legend of Rommel and the Afrika Korps
February 9, 2020
Classics Summarized: The Aeneid
Overly Sarcastic Productions
Published 28 Jul 2015The epic conclusion that no-one asked for! Virgil steps up to the plate and finishes the trilogy that Homer never expected to be a trilogy.
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February 3, 2020
Classics Summarized: The Odyssey
Overly Sarcastic Productions
Published 3 Feb 2015Funny story. Exporting this monster was almost as difficult as getting back to Ithaca was for our intrepid hero, who — as viewers of The Iliad may note — has inexplicably lost his Solid Snake voice in this production.
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January 28, 2020
Classics Summarized: The Iliad
Overly Sarcastic Productions
Published 23 Jan 2015I’m baaaaaaaack!
This one took me a while. The reason why should be pretty obvious. Enjoy your adorable murderfest.
Troy may be a good movie (though I have my doubts) but it sure as hell isn’t the Iliad.
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January 25, 2020
Miscellaneous Myths: Tantalus
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Published 24 Jan 2020Tantalus! The number one dude known for his eternal punishment in Hades, perhaps second only to Sisyphus
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December 24, 2019
Holiday Tales: Christmas
Overly Sarcastic Productions
Published 25 Dec 2017Merry Christmas, all! In honor of this complex and multifaceted holiday, today let’s talk about some of the many and varied influences and major historical turning points that sculpted this holiday into what we know and love (or lose our minds at Starbucks over.)
Nobody tell Blue that this video is mostly historical.
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December 4, 2019
The Twelve Labors of Hercules – Rules Lawyering – Extra Mythology – #2
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Published 2 Dec 2019Hercules (or Herakles in the Greek) needs to finish the last five tasks on the list before he will have properly atoned for murdering his family, but it isn’t going to be so easy. The king, seeing that Hercules has completed the tasks declares that two of them are invalid since Hercules got outside help. And I guess that’s technically cheating? More sidequests abound and we meet a familiar face from an older Extra Mythology!
The flesh-eating horses might be the worst monsters we’ve had on Extra Mythology. Something about those eyes. D:
November 30, 2019
Miscellaneous Myths: Krishna
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Published 29 Nov 2019The man. The myth. The whole entire universe. It’s time to dive into Krishna’s youth and learn the backstory of everyone’s favorite blue dude!
Video requested by patron Antonio Juarez!
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November 19, 2019
Hercules – The Quest for Phat Loot! – Extra Mythology – #1
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Published 18 Nov 2019Hercules (or Herakles in the Greek) needed to atone for killing his entire family so the gods did what the gods do best and gave him a quest: serve his cousin for 12 years. Shouldn’t be too difficult. But his cousin was a terrible DM and created 10 impossible tasks for Hercules to complete. This first part covers the first five of the Herculian tasks (and some of the sick treasures Hercules uncovers along the way)
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November 5, 2019
Dragons – The Origin of Dragons – Extra Mythology
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Published 4 Nov 2019Check out MinuteEarth’s video on the biology of dragons! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3n1DC…
Dragons are one of the most popular creatures of myth and legend and for good reason! These guys are everywhere! Almost every culture has some form of dragon tale. From the wicked wyrms of western Europe, the benevolent Lung dragons of China, the feathered serpent Quetzalcoatl, to the Rainbow Serpent of Aboriginal myth, dragon like figures take on many different forms and roles. But how and why do these serpentine beasts and gods appear in so many different legends? Gather round the campfire and let’s chat!
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September 24, 2019
Samson and Delilah – Old Testament Mythology – Extra Mythology – #2
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Published on 23 Sep 2019After killing 1000 men, Samson runs into more trouble with the Philistines. Samson is a Judge, but he may not be the best judge of romantic partners… When Delilah betrays Samson for silver, all hope seems lost. But Samson has one last favor to ask.
September 11, 2019
Samson and Delilah – Old Testament Mythology – Extra Mythology – #1
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Published on 9 Sep 2019Join the Patreon community! http://bit.ly/EMPatreon
It was a time of trial for the tribes of Israel. They were no nation, but a loose confederation bound together by their divine covenants — which they had just broken. Amid this political and social chaos, a child was born, instructed by God to keep the Nazirite oath — stay away from alcohol, don’t eat unclean food, and don’t shave — and he would become a man of incredible strength.
Samson was on a mission from God to never drink alcohol, to not eat honey found in a lion’s carcass, and to not cut his hair ever. FORESHADOWING!
September 8, 2019
Miscellaneous Myths: Animal Brides
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Published on 6 Sep 2019Yes, it really is as weird as it sounds. Sorry!
This video (specifically the Inuit myth) was requested by patron Richard Frederick Schubert III!
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August 20, 2019
The Founding of Mexico – Aztec Myths – Extra Mythology
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Published on 19 Aug 2019Join the Patreon community! http://bit.ly/EMPatreon
Huitzilopochtli, god of bloody victory, had promised the Mexica people a city. Before they would eventually settle down at Tenochtitlan, they wandered from place to place, inadvertently causing destruction on the orders of the violent god.
From the comments:
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A procession leads a woman up the steps of a great pyramid. The woman is to be the queen of the Mexica, a new tribe of migrants that have come from a faraway place. However, no wedding will take place. The Mexica’s patron god, Huitzilopochtli, has other intentions.
August 14, 2019
Summer Stupidity: Hercules 2014 (Media Review!)
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Published on 13 Aug 2019“I’ve seen The Rock act before and he’s really fun and charismatic! Surely this movie starring him will be a Good Time!” I thought, foolishly.
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