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Military history & warfare: videos Hacker News recommends
Military topics: World War II, Gulf War, air power, navies, submarines, weapons systems, nuclear weapons and testing, tactics, intelligence agencies, defense technology, aviation in war. Below: every video in this topic that at least three HN users linked with real commentary, in at least three different months (21 documentarys, 17 videos, 15 explainers), best-scored first, with the comments on each video page.
- 13 HN recommenders 12 months 2014–2025E Excelsior10000 · documentaryHN commenters repeatedly recommend it as a beautiful, approachable explanation of analog mechanical computation, and many have rewatched it.
- 11 HN recommenders 11 months 2018–2026P PeriscopeFilm · tutorialHN treats it as the classic demonstration of how analog mechanical computation works, especially the differential gear section.
- 4 HN recommenders 8 months 2019–2025S Sergio IQ · documentaryHN readers recommend it as a detailed, intelligent documentary about wartime technology that assumes viewers aren't stupid.
- 7 HN recommenders 8 months 2014–2023Recommended during Afghanistan withdrawal threads as a sobering look at why the transition to local forces was failing.
- 14 HN recommenders 8 months 2022–2024F fin_topsu · lectureAfter the 2022 invasion, commenters spread it widely as an eye-opening explanation of Russian mindset, corruption and propaganda, though a few doubt the presenter's rigor.
- 6 HN recommenders 6 months 2010–2026HN commenters call it a favorite introduction to Valley history and cite it whenever government and military funding of tech comes up.
- 8 HN recommenders 6 months 2020–2022HN commenters send people here for a detailed first-hand account from the pilot, and some say it changed their view on the sightings.
- 7 HN recommenders 6 months 2019–2022M Montemayor · documentaryHN recommends it for its information-dense maps and voice-over and for showing how commanders decide with limited information.
- 5 HN recommenders 5 months 2019–2024H HD Retro Trailers · videoHN commenters use it to point people to Threads, which they call the most harrowing depiction of nuclear war and say should be mandatory viewing.
- 5 HN recommenders 5 months 2008–2016HN recommends it as an eye-opening, once-secret history of where Silicon Valley came from, and cites it whenever the military roots of tech come up.
- 8 HN recommenders 5 months 2022–2025Pointed to as the clearest, evidence-based debunk of the Gimbal footage, and a model of how to analyze such claims.
- 3 HN recommenders 5 months 2019–2022HN commenters recommend it as a clear explanation of how disinformation campaigns work and where today's tactics came from.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2018–2024B Belfer Center · lectureHN recommends it as an entertaining, clear explanation of nuclear weapons basics from a policy expert.
- 3 HN recommenders 4 months 2021–2024D Dark Footage · explainerShared in hypersonic and missile threads as a compact, impressive overview of what Sprint achieved in the 1960s.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2018–2026S Stop Autonomous Weapons · videoHN invokes it as the standard reference whenever drone swarms, autonomous weapons or military AI come up in the news.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2014–2026HN recommends it as a funny but sobering overview of nuclear weapons safety failures.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2013–2017I Ingsoc75 · documentaryRecommended as a classic documentary on military training and the psychology of going to war.
- 5 HN recommenders 4 months 2021–2026D DUST · videoHN keeps citing it whenever drone swarms, autonomous weapons or AI warfare come up, as a believable depiction of where this leads.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2019–2022HN cites it for an insider's look at defense work and at how the military thinks about information operations and cyberspace.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2018–2023T The Quagmire · lectureStrongly recommended for its funny, human account of Los Alamos, which one commenter calls almost a stand-up act.
- 2 HN recommenders 3 months 2021–2026T The Operations Room · documentaryRecommended as a deeply researched, visual series that shows how overwhelming the coalition air campaign was.
- 2 HN recommenders 3 months 2022–2024T The Team House · interviewHN recommends it as an in-depth look at the mechanics of intelligence work from a veteran who ran a nonproliferation operation.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2018–2024U UC Berkeley Events · lectureUsed in hiring and management debates as an analysis of fast evaluation, quick dismissal without stigma, and the cost of keeping underperformers.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2019–2022A Astronomy and Nature TV · documentaryHN commenters recommend the series for its in-depth, hands-on explanation of how V2 turbopumps and peroxide decomposition work.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2018–2023T The National WWII Museum · lectureHN recommends it for its comparison of tank factory efficiency and the Soviet approach of building cheap tanks with short lifespans.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2020–2025HN recommends it as a thorough, nuanced account of why the bombings happened and what led Japan to surrender.
- 2 HN recommenders 3 months 2021–2025N NathanielsCAD · tutorialHN points to it as an unusually clear teaching film on how celestial navigation works, and as an example of how good old military training material is.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2019–2024HN commenters recommend it as an excellent introduction to massive forging presses, especially in threads about gigacasting and large manufacturing machines.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2013–2025Plugged repeatedly in AI and drone threads as a concise statement of the dangers of automated weapons.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2017–2026T Texas Exes · talkRecommended in life-advice and motivation threads as worth watching in full, especially for its point about starting small by changing yourself.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2021–2025HN commenters bring it up as a good related watch in any thread about fallout, nuclear tests or detecting hidden events through indirect evidence.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2020–2025N Neil Halloran · documentaryHN cites it for a sense of the scale of WWII casualties by country and the long decline in violence.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2017–2020P Peter Klusman · documentaryHN commenters recommend it as a fascinating, Emmy-winning look at US chemical weapons stockpiles and their dangers.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2014–20246 66NOVA66 · comedy videoLinked in nearly every F-35 or procurement thread as the classic illustration of feature creep and design by stakeholder committee, including in software.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2021–20255 52 Living Ideas · lectureHN readers recommend it as the way to learn what Boyd actually meant by OODA, straight from a collaborator, rather than from the popularized loop diagram.
- 5 HN recommenders 3 months 2022T The Chieftain · commentaryPointed to as an authoritative answer, from a former Abrams commander and tank historian, to claims that tanks are obsolete.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2020–2025T Tod's Workshop · documentaryHN considers it the key experimental evidence on how effective longbows really were against armour.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2021–2026S Sandia National Labs · documentaryStrongly recommended in nuclear-accident and weapons-history threads as an excellent documentary on how nuclear weapons were made safe and secure.
- 1 HN recommenders 2 months 2011–2018B Bruno Leal · news clipHN cites it as the one dramatic real-world proof that a launch escape system works.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2022–2023P Perun · explainerRecommended as a long but insightful explanation of how corruption works inside institutions.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2022–2025Recommended as a clear overview of military logistics, often as a contrast with civilian infrastructure efforts.
- 3 HN recommenders 2 months 2020–2023M Military History Visualized · explainerCited as one of the best visualizations of how overwhelmingly dominant US industrial output was in the Pacific war.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2020–2022Recommended in submarine threads as the start of an access-rich series on life aboard a US fast attack sub.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2024–2025Recommended as a great example of early VR and pre-computer simulation.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2018–2025F Future of Life Institute · videoHN cites it whenever drone swarms or autonomous weapons come up, as a dramatized warning that now feels increasingly plausible.
- 1 HN recommenders 2 months 2018–2023T TheCGBros · videoHN cites it in threads on military AI as a vivid depiction of where autonomous warfare could lead.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2013–2025A aConcernedHuman · videoUsed as a striking visualization of the sheer scale and rhythm of nuclear testing, and as a model for conveying scale with a counter.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2022–2025HN commenters recommend it as a practical explanation of microwave hazards and shielding, and of using microwave ovens safely without an enclosure.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2018–2023E Ewafa · videoHN commenters link it as the primary source for the phrase 'military-industrial complex' and urge people to hear the full speech rather than the soundbite.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2019–2025E Eureka · demoLinked as unusually clear real footage of ICBM reentries and impacts whenever missile tests or the Marshall Islands come up.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2023–2024Commenters point to it as a clear explanation of the different types of night vision and why analog image intensifiers behave differently from digital ones.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2022–2025T Tooth · videoCommenters bring it up in nuclear-fear and WWIII threads as an unnervingly realistic piece of fictional news coverage.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2021–2023P Premium Movies · videoIt is recommended in threads on the F-35 and defense procurement as a funny, mostly factual look at how requirements balloon, with some warnings about its accuracy.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2013–2022K KraftZeitung · talkRecommended as a fascinating and still relevant look at the physical footprint of government secrecy.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2010–2025G Greg Granito · videoMostly used as a joking or nostalgic reference in threads about nuclear war, AI and security exploits.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2020–2023T TheCGBros · videoCited as a vivid illustration of autonomous weapons and machines that keep running after their creators are gone.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2021–2022Cited in UFO threads as a short, first-hand pilot account worth hearing, even without papers or data.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2018–20248 8bitRicky · documentaryCited in nuclear-risk threads as evidence that Castro was ready to use nuclear weapons and accept the consequences.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2019–2024I InRangeTV · demoUsed in AK versus AR reliability debates to show that the AK's legendary mud-proof reputation is overstated.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2014–2020HN uses it as a visual reference for hand-built firearms and craft gunsmithing, especially in threads on 3D-printed and home-made guns.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2013–2022N Nuclear Vault · videoHN uses it as an example of Cold War fear and persuasion, with some defending the advice as sensible against blast debris and others mocking it.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2019–2023J Jean-Pierre PETIT · commentaryIt comes up in discussions of magnetohydrodynamic propulsion as a long explainer from an MHD specialist.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2021–2026T theworacle · demoHN cites it as striking evidence of long-standing kinetic interceptor and hover-control technology.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2018–2025C CS Consulting · videoLinked in drone and military AI threads as a chilling dramatization, though some find it alarmist.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2014–2021B BELAIR2000 · interviewHN cites it as an insider's critique of the F-35 whenever the program's problems come up.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2022–2023W Witness to War · interviewCited as a first-hand account of how intelligence agencies have placed stories in the press.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2021–2023HN points to it as the best accessible explanation of submarine ice breaking and sub controls.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2014–2025J JBVids000 · comedy videoHN mostly quotes it as a joke about the nuclear missile Harrods would sell, and one commenter praises the show as political education.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2019–2024I InRangeTV · demoCited in AR versus AK reliability debates as evidence that the AR-15 handles mud better than its reputation suggests.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2023–2025HN commenters use it as a source for Paine's continental-versus-maritime framework and her views on sanctions when discussing geopolitics.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2016–2023J jaglavaksoldier · demoHN commenters link it as the go-to example of what a carrier deck can handle and as an impressive flight feat.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2020–2026Cited as a fun, well-explained account of objects surviving nuclear blasts, relevant to Orion-style and spacecraft survivability discussions.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2017–2022Mostly quoted as a joke in nuclear war and doom threads, with one commenter praising Lehrer's satire.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2014–2015B BELAIR2000 · interviewPosted in F-35 threads as an insider's critique from a legendary aircraft designer.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2014–2016L Liberalism4Australia · news clipCited in discussions of how quiet diesel-electric submarines can evade detection by large navies.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2016–2024HN mentions it mostly in nuclear-weapons threads as a witty or darkly funny aside, rather than as a recommendation.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2018–2023A Audie Murphy American Legend · news clipCited as the classic real-world use of Morse code to smuggle out a message under duress.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2021–2026HN cites it in threads on military recruiting and obesity as an early warning from a senior general that still applies.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2023–2025Cited in discussions of cosmic rays and alien threats, especially the idea of sterilizing a planet from afar with an electron beam.
- cited 4× 0 months 2020–2023L liberalartist6 · comedy videoHN mostly uses it as a joke about secrecy or as an illustration of mutually assured destruction.
- cited 4× 0 months 2014–2020N NSSF—The Firearm Industry Trade Association · explainerCited as evidence that ammunition cooking off in a fire is much less dangerous than people assume.
- cited 20× 0 months 2010–2021S sunshinepress · news clipHN cites it as the key evidence of what Chelsea Manning leaked and as an example of civilian deaths in war, with some early commenters disputing how to read the footage.
- cited 6× 0 months 2013–2017R RobUniv · news clipCited as a reference whenever threads turn to the NSA, drones, defense contractors or whistleblowers.
- cited 3× 0 months 2017–2023Linked in threads about the demon core and criticality accidents as a dramatic recreation.
- cited 3× 0 months 2020–2026E Empire Files · documentaryMentioned only in passing, cited as support for claims that US interventions were driven by resources and that Western war reporting is biased.
- cited 3× 0 months 2023–2025HN mentions it only in passing, as a reference for instrumented dummy warheads and implosion-test data in nuclear-testing threads.
- cited 4× 0 months 2022–2025P Perun · commentaryCited for the concept of vranyo and as an explanation of how corruption and cultures of lying cause failures.
- cited 3× 0 months 2019–2023C compelled2283 · interviewHN commenters cite it as primary-source evidence that the public was misled about the second Tonkin attack.
- cited 5× 0 months 2019–2024P People Over Politics · news clipHN cites it in Assange, Manning and press-freedom threads as evidence of alleged US war crimes, not as something to recommend.
- cited 3× 0 months 2011–2019D Don't Blink · videoHN links it as a reference for the history and distribution of nuclear tests, and occasionally as an example of audio data presentation.
- cited 6× 0 months 2018–2020Cited in surveillance and facial or gait recognition threads for tradecraft such as putting a pebble in the shoe.
- cited 4× 0 months 2017–2020Cited in threads about military influence on movies and American cultural exports.
- cited 3× 0 months 2019F Forgotten Weapons · explainerCited as an example of overly ambitious engineering, such as brittle caseless ammunition and heat-ejection problems.
- cited 11× 0 months 2013–2022F FreakyVidsDaily · news clipCited in surveillance threads as a concrete example of persistent wide-area aerial surveillance that already existed in 2013.
- cited 3× 0 months 2022–2024C CR0wm p · demoHN cites it as footage of what thruster-driven interceptors look like, including as a mundane comparison for odd-looking motion in UFO videos.
- cited 3× 0 months 2020–2021S Stop Schaliegas · news clipHN cites it as evidence that small underground nuclear devices were used to stop well fires and leaks.
- cited 4× 0 months 2017–2021A AviationWeek · news clipUsed as a concrete example of automation successfully saving an incapacitated pilot.
- cited 3× 0 months 2010–2026S Steve Packard · videoLinked in missile defense threads as a striking illustration of the Sprint's acceleration and its interception tests.
- cited 3× 0 months 2021–2026R Reuters · news clipCited as visual evidence when commenters compare energy scales, such as nuclear yields versus volcanoes or charged bodies.
- cited 3× 0 months 2021–2023A AiirSource Military · demoLinked as a vivid illustration of automated close-in defense when threads discuss drones and autonomous defense.
Showing the 100 best-scored of 113. Use search to find the rest.
Questions
What is the most recommended military history & warfare video on Hacker News?
Mechanical Computer (All Parts) - Basic Mechanisms In Fire Control Computers by Excelsior10000: HN commenters repeatedly recommend it as a beautiful, approachable explanation of analog mechanical computation, and many have rewatched it.
How is this military history & warfare list ranked?
By HackerTube's score: the number of distinct months in which an HN comment recommended the video, plus half a point for every month with a strong recommendation. One viral thread counts less than steady recommendations over years.
Where do the videos come from?
From every Hacker News comment between 2007 and 2026 that linked a YouTube video, labeled by an AI model as a recommendation, a citation, a joke or a criticism. The list is published by HackerTube under ODC-By 1.0; this edition adds indexable pages and the comment context.
Video list and Hacker News comment labels from HackerTube (prompted by @karpathy), released under ODC-By 1.0, built on the open-index/hacker-news archive. Hacker News data is provided by Y Combinator; comments remain the work of their authors. Video titles, channel names and thumbnails belong to their creators and are shown via YouTube. HackerTube Watch is an unofficial edition. Data export of 2026-10-31.