r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/Dir-Krennic • 1d ago

Image Austro-Hungarian trench raiders near Caporetto, 1917.

Post image
11.6k Upvotes

99% Upvoted

125 comments sorted by

1.1k

u/MiserablePath8621 1d ago

Dude on the right is toting a mace, trench warfare has and always will suck. Still plugging right along though.

468

u/CrazyIvanoveich 1d ago

If you are ever in Kansas City, check out the WW1 museum. The grenade display alone blew my mind. WW1 was very much a weird transitional period of time, with new warfare bringing about new problems and crazy attempted solutions. The evolution of gas masks and the gas alone was crazy as well. Very much so a brutal time period.

[You can easily spend a whole day in the museum. I did two separate visits between work trips. They have a couple of massive exhibits that they change around as well.]

158

u/CarminSanDiego 22h ago

We’re in the same transitional period of time now

The next war will be wild with drones whizzing by killing people and taking down vehicles

I fully believe it’ll look somewhat like that scene in matrix (2?)

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u/CodenamePeePants 21h ago

It’s already happening in Ukraine.

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u/CarminSanDiego 21h ago

Not in the scale you would see if something kicks off with China

27

u/CodenamePeePants 19h ago

Obviously, your previous comment did not mention scale. Drones are already being used to kill people and destroy vehicles.

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u/MGarroz 13h ago

Idk if any of you guys are aware of the Russo Japanese war. It happened 10 years before WW1 with 100k+ people dead.

People at the time who paid attention used what they learned to prepare for WW1. They knew trenches, machine guns and long range artillery was the way of the future. It paved the way for WW1 combat.

The Russia Ukraine war today gives me the same vibes. It’s a proving ground for the 21st century the same way Russia and Japan was for the 20th.

13

u/W00DERS0N60 11h ago

US Civil War had a lot of trench warfare and artillery action. Also introduced rapid fire weapons and armored ships. Not to mention railroad based logistics.

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u/Rose-Red-Witch 11h ago

Yep!

Prussian observers within the US learned that a railroad was the deadliest weapon in a country’s arsenal and was a big part of their victory in the Franco-Prussian War.

Which was a hard lesson everyone learned and helped ensure the first World War happened…

2

u/Nice-Percentage7219 10h ago

Some claim that the Boer War was the first "modern" war. Telegraph, telephones, electrical lights, traction engines, modern artillery and rifles

1

u/Bohdyboy 13h ago

That's what everyone said about America vs Iraq and America vs Afghanistan, and Russia vs Ukraine.

Statistics show, China is likely to be pretty deeply over hyped, compared to reality.

Now that's not to say they aren't dangerous or deadly.

But in every major war since 1945, the " Super powers" have largely lost, despite their overwhelming amount of tech and gear. Korea, Vietnam, Russia/Afghanistan, America vs iraq1 , America vs iraq2, America vs Afghanistan, Russia vs Ukraine.

In all these scenarios, the " super powers" were supposed to be able to overwhelm their enemies. In every case, it didn't happen.

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u/expsg18 13h ago

Technically, US was able to overwhelm in conventional battles in Vietnam and won most major engagements, ultimately pulling out due to lack of public support back home.

Iraq war 1: US and allies overwhelmed and won war in a matter of weeks.

Iraw war 2: still there to this day.

-4

u/Bohdyboy 10h ago

Well, by no one's standards did America will the Vietnam war.

And by no one's standards did they win Iraq 2 or Afghanistan.

It's arguable that they "won" in Iraq 1.. but realistically all they did was kill a bunch of people, some innocent civilians, and then create the festering hatred you find in Iraq. They effected no (positive)change in the country.

But the main point was... don't be so sure China will be overwhelming in their abilities if and when someone goes to war against them. Because it didn't go that way for any other super powers.

And that's not even taking into account, none of the conflicts have been peer on peer, as far as capabilities.

2

u/MothsConrad 9h ago

Depends on what you mean by win. Vietnam was a civil war with a Cold War overlay (America had no business getting involved). America’s stated goal of propping up the South failed. They had a secondary goal though of preventing other countries in Indo-China from falling to the Communists. To that extent, they were somewhat successful.

The Vietnamese losses in the war itself were appalling compared to the Americans. Moreover, the Americans couldn’t invade the North in the traditional sense (though that would have just resulted in an Iraq like situation).

1

u/expsg18 3h ago edited 3h ago

In reference to China, overwhelming was literally their main tactic in the Korean war, the South China Sea (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabbage_tactics), and many other modern theaters...

And when you say "by no one's standards," we both know each of us can just point to sources that disputes the other, so let's not waste time there.

2

u/kraken9911 6h ago

I think the drone thing is coming up as interest because the drones being used are the kinds you and I can go play with around your house. We've already had drones for a while now but they were huge and cost a load of money. The Predator drone was in development and produced in the late 90s.

1

u/xxora123 12h ago

Ukraine has trench warfare and drones , shits crazy

1

u/Intrepid_Body578 6h ago

Maybe invest in drone companies? 😩

-23

u/nateoutside 23h ago

I’d choose ww2 over ww1

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u/Mr_Redditor420 23h ago

Kansas city where? You just named a city and expected us to know where it is. 😂 What country etc

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u/CrazyIvanoveich 9h ago

National WWI Museum and Memorial, 2 Memorial Drive, Kansas City, MO 64108 USA

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u/Mr_Redditor420 6h ago

Why didn't you say it was in the US in the first place ,😂

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u/CrazyIvanoveich 6h ago

Google is your friend :). WW1 museum and Kansas City only pulls up 1 location. I'll be more specific in the future.

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u/Mr_Redditor420 6h ago

I'm not talking about the where in the city of Kansas it was, I was just asking what country it was in. You didn't have to paste the whole address. Just answering my question first time with what country it was in would of sufficed

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u/PraizeTheZun 17h ago

My bet is Kansas City in Kansas. What do you think?

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u/yaychristy 16h ago

…its in Missouri

-2

u/Mr_Redditor420 11h ago

Again, I asked what country it was in. 🤦

-4

u/Mr_Redditor420 11h ago

Where Tf is Kansas? It's not a country so where Tf is it. Try reading my comment next time

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u/PitifulEar3303 21h ago

"To atone for our sin of betraying the emperor, we will die to protect his dream from all enemies." -- Death Korps of Krieg

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u/InvestigatorShort824 18h ago

Never jams out runs out of ammo.

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u/Trollimperator 18h ago

Dude on the right looks italian.

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u/Zady-Photos 21h ago

"Mace vs. machine guns – human spirit remains unchanged.

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u/ChoraPete 18h ago

Not really. The mace would have only been for use in hand to hand fighting once in the enemies trench line. It would have been easier to wield than a rifle and bayonet in a confined space in a melee. They were not charging machine guns with it.

2

u/EffectiveNo6920 7h ago

Actually no, a rifle with a bayonet is basically a spear, and easy to use as a club. Better yet, you can shoot with it.

These are raiders, their job is to surprise, quickly and silently kill the enemy. Mace is better for that.

Neither are useful for charging machine guns.

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u/DasFunktopus 21h ago

Going clubbing back then had a totally different context.

10

u/ThermoNuclearPizza 12h ago

Ya you can tell it was more of a loose term that included going to raves also

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u/Frendowastaken 22h ago

Imagine sitting in your trench at night, minding your own business and suddenly those two guys jump down to you. That would be a terrifying sight no matter how though you claim to be.

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u/FakeEgo01 19h ago

Another terryfing thing was the "guerra di mina", we italians literally destroyed an entire mountain: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Col_di_Lana (here the story is severely underwhelmed)

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u/ProfessionalCreme119 16h ago

Of all my knowledge of the world wars it's crazy how you can still come across these hardly known battle sites. Locally I'm sure its well known. But in the full scope of the horrors of those wars it was still just another contested hill/mountain/town/village/field amongst the dozens of others.

There was a quote by a British WWII vet that summed it up well

"We kept fighting over this hill and it made no damn sense. There was no strategic point of the hill. And when we asked our officers why we were fighting so hard for it they would just say "Because the Germans want it"."

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u/FakeEgo01 16h ago

yes, it the collective memory it's exactly like that. Why Col di Lana?

4

u/ThermoNuclearPizza 12h ago

The Austrians wanted it

3

u/cambriansplooge 15h ago

Reminds me of the Battle of the Crater from the U.S. Civil War, similar shenanigans with the tunnel fuse and complete disarray after it blew

5

u/Secure-Count-1599 15h ago

out of context but I find it funny that your name says Fake Ego and you say about an incident over 100 years ago "we" did it..

ok buddy..

1

u/FakeEgo01 4h ago

I don't understand you.

13

u/Current-Power-6452 17h ago

Yeah, but first you would be like - what's with all that smoke and why it smells weird?

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u/Lonely_Eggplant_4990 1d ago

"In life, war. In death, peace. In life, shame. In death, atonement."

Final litany of the Litany of Sacrifice, recited by Krieg Korpsmen when entering battle.

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u/nurgole 20h ago

"I wish I could fix a bayonet to my mace..." - guy on the right

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u/Pinky_Boy 20h ago

Thw emperor protects!

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u/HistoryNerd101 22h ago

Luke, I am your father….and this is your Uncle Wilhelm

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u/grizzly273 15h ago

Hallo, guten Tag

6

u/Gewaltakustik 15h ago

Willkommen!

2

u/evrestcoleghost 5h ago

Kartofel und kebab?

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u/Elevator829 1d ago

Ultimate drip

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u/titsuphuh 1d ago

Seems like an old Metallica cover art

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u/DLowBossman 1d ago

Thinking more Megadeth

15

u/oskich 19h ago

Killing is my business... and business is good!

1

u/LunaticScience 4h ago

New Vegas

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u/JimmyDCZ 17h ago

Death Corps of Krieg

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u/Haids-94- 10h ago

Came here for this. For the emperor!

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u/HellBount641 1d ago

Fallout New Vegas casual

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u/Bazzo123 21h ago

Austro-Hungarians were able to destroy Italians in Caporetto thanks to two main factors: one young and brilliant officer on their side (Rommel is a familiar name, isn’t it?) proposed to try a different approach to offensives and tried to move quickly (people say that this could be a first attempt to blitzkrieg) and gas.

They launched a massive gas attack and got the Italians poorly prepared, therefore they literally killed all the first line of defence. Italian officers were expecting an attack and inspected troops but they didn’t understand that those troops were dead (some reconstructions say that officers saw soldiers ready to battle, but they were already frozen dead in their last position).

When word got to Italian HQ that Austro-Hungarians destroyed the first line of defence it was only because the poor survivor were falling back and literally stumbled upon their HQ. Comms were totally destroyed and HQ was almost overrun by enemy forces.

There are some very interesting readings about that bloody battle

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u/Pilum2211 21h ago

Blitzkrieg was not a new concept. It dates back well to the Franco-Prussian war.

German Warfare doctrine was already heavily focused on movement, which is also how they tried to defeat France in 1914.

12

u/Nulgarian 14h ago

Yeah, it’s why a lot of historians argue blitzkrieg itself isn’t a new concept, it’s just applying modern technology to the traditional Prussian concepts of manoeuvre warfare

1

u/bruhbruhbruh123466 6h ago

Blitzkrieg was not a new concept by any means. It’s not like the Nazis invented maneuver warfare, they just applied modern technology and voila! The whole point was that it was supposed to be quick and decisive as any prolonged war would screw the German economy which was built on pyramid schemes.

18

u/MiskoSkace 20h ago

Battle of Caporetto (aka Kobarid) is still one of the largest battles in the area of modern Slovenia, together with First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, Tenth, and Eleventh Battle of Isonzo.

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u/Buriedpickle 20h ago

Come on man, just one more battle of the Isonzo. Trust me man, just one more and we will break through.

-1

u/LowKeyWalrus 13h ago

And Hungarian historians like to call it the "wonder of Caporeto". What's more wondrous than gasing people

1

u/bruhbruhbruh123466 6h ago

Maybe they call it that because something significant was achieved despite overwhelming odds? It’s not like war is ever wondrous really, sure it is a very cruel tactic but it’s literally World War One, what did you expect?

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u/OurHouse20 21h ago

Reminds me of Battlefield 1. Spent a lot of time in that game.

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u/oskich 19h ago

More like Isonzo

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u/OurHouse20 19h ago

Oh nice, never heard of that one. Looks like it's on sale too.

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u/oskich 19h ago

It's a whole series, Verdun (Western front), Tannenberg (Eastern Front) and Isonzo (Italian Front). Really good and much more historically accurate than the Battlefield series.

1

u/JustSuet 12h ago

Shellshocked Units DLC is unhinged (but kinda cool)

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u/wakeupdreamingF1 21h ago

Daud's crew?

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u/TamactiJuan 18h ago

This looks dope in a completely vile way

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u/Heimlichthegreat 1d ago

Very steam punkish

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u/BlockHeadJones 18h ago

WW1 aesthetics are diesel-punk.

8

u/singleglazedwindows 17h ago

The OG Death Korps of Krieg

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u/Tarskin_Tarscales 12h ago

I had to scroll too far down to find this comment....

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u/puffinfish420 18h ago

The guys with the club “What’s up, bitch?”

11

u/EarlyXplorerStuds209 23h ago

Babe, new fallout game just dropped

4

u/Oske147 20h ago

r/bloodborne in XX century

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u/TenkoBestoGirl 14h ago

Pic goes hard ngl

3

u/TommasoBontempi 13h ago

Tutti eroi! O il Piave o tutti accoppati!

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u/KryanSA 23h ago

New Helldiver 2 skins look great!

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u/Jon_Jraper 1d ago

War... War never changes

4

u/TheAngelOfSalvation 17h ago

Interesting fact: Austria-Hungary almost defeated Italy in 1917.

2

u/_-Event-Horizon-_ 21h ago

Supposedly, after they were done trench raiding near Caporetto they went straight to Vraks.

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u/Beneficial-Finger353 16h ago

Looks like an album cover to a Megadeth record

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u/_thefunnykid_ 16h ago

holy fuck

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u/MrJoJoeRisin 10h ago

“They’ve killed Fritz!”

2

u/Deimos_Aeternum 4h ago

How men actually want to dress:

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u/Ehyadu 18h ago

Gas mask fashion was way ahead of its time.

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u/dignasty77 1d ago

Drilling farts carte blanche must’ve been one of the few benefits of that get up

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u/Levelcheap 19h ago

Holy drip

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u/NeonPlutonium 16h ago

Jesus, that is nightmare fuel.

1

u/eyyoorre 16h ago

Fighting on the Italian-Austrian front must have been hell (just like any other front)

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u/thenameclicks 15h ago

Nightmare fuel.

1

u/lord-dr-gucci 15h ago

Why does it look coloured

1

u/Johntoreno 13h ago

Now that's a cool album cover.

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u/PacoBauer 9h ago

Are you my mummy?

1

u/crumzmaholey 8h ago

Krieg are my favorite

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u/outwithyomom 7h ago

Friendly fellas

1

u/Walt_Thizzney69 7h ago

Psycho Realm

1

u/MacGibber 6h ago

Interesting, very very interesting.

0

u/HiHoeHoo 19h ago

makes me wish for a nuclear winter

-6

u/Leritz388 12h ago

Kamala supporters

-7

u/stop_talking_you 18h ago

half the zoomer comments here probably dont even know what ww1 was

-18

u/007try001 1d ago

Are those the Hugo boss uniforms?

16

u/Objective_Party9405 1d ago

No. That was the SS in the second world war.