The Harlem Hellfighters of World War One

Dan Snow's History Hit

History Hit

History

4.7 • 12.9K Ratings

🗓️ 19 September 2021

⏱️ 26 minutes

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Summary

During World War One the 369th Infantry Regiment of the US Army gained a fearsome reputation. One of the most effective fighting units they spent more time in the frontline and suffered more casualties than any other American regiment. Given the nickname Men of Bronze by the French and the Hell-fighters by the Germans they were feared and respected in equal measure. The men of the 369th preferred, at the time, to be called the Black Rattlers and what set them apart from other units was that they were one of the first African-American regiments to serve with the American Expeditionary Forces. As African-Americans, these brave men were often denied the respect they deserved at home as America went through a period of intense racism and racial upheaval. In fact, it was only in August 2021 that the regiment was recognised for its extraordinary service when it was finally awarded the Congressional Gold Medal. Dan is joined by James Taub Public Program Specialist at The National WWI Museum and Memorial in Kansas to explore the history of the Harlem Hellfighters. They discuss the racism black soldiers experience in the US Army at the time, the experiences of the Hellfighters in Europe, their reputation as fearsome soldiers and the cultural impact they had in France.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, everyone, welcome to Downs Notes History.
0:02.4	In September 2021, it was announced that the Harlem Hellfights'
0:06.1	would be given a congressional gold medal by the US Congress.
0:11.2	Who were the Harlem Hellfights'?
0:13.0	They were an extraordinary group of men, an all black infantry unit who fought some of
0:18.4	the toughest engagements of the US in the First World War.
0:22.6	They served on the Western front taking part in the bloodiest ever American battle.
0:26.8	It's almost universally forgotten,
0:28.0	the Battle of the Murz Argon at the end of 1918,
0:31.2	and they were greatly celebrated when they came home to their native New York at the end of the war.
0:37.7	Joining me on this podcast talk about this extraordinary piece of history is James Tau.
0:41.9	He's the sort of specialist in the public program at one of my favorite museums in the world.
0:45.6	The World War I Museum in Kansas City, Missouri.
0:49.1	I cannot wait to get back out there when I'm allowed to travel.
0:52.1	See the gang and eat some barbecue, which is my Texan friends will never forgive me for saying this.
0:57.9	I think the best barbecue in the world.
1:01.4	Anyway, I digress.
1:03.1	James Tau came on to talk to me all about it.
1:04.8	If you wish to see programs about the First World War, we got some.
1:07.7	We got some, let me tell you, historyhit.tv.
1:10.2	It's my new digital history channel,
1:12.1	nominated for best specialist channel here in the UK,
	...

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