Battles of the First World War Podcast

A look at the American Air Service during the Meuse-Argonne offensive. The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast.    Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not...

From Dr. Williams' website: When W. E. B. Du Bois, believing in the possibility of full citizenship and democratic change, encouraged African Americans to "close ranks" and support the Allied cause in World War I, he made a decision that would haunt him for the rest of his life. Seeking both intellectual clarity and personal atonement, for more than two decades Du Bois attempted to write the defin...

Part 3 of the ongoing discussion looks at the French Army in 1914: its readiness for a potential conflict with Germany, its underlying preparation and strategy for war, and its performance in the battles that raged in the summer and autumn of that year.    Joining us for this discussion are:   Christina Holstein, author of several incredible guides to the Verdun battlefield, amongst other publishe...

In this episode we discuss the book "The Darkest Year: The British Army on the Western Front 1917" by Helion & Co Ltd, the 4th in a series of books looking at the development of the BEF on the Western Front throughout the First World War.   Joining us for this discussion are: Dr. Spencer Jones, Senior Lecturer in Armed Forces and War Studies at the University of Wolverhampton Dr. Michael LoCicero,...

A firsthand look at what it meant to attack and take an enemy position during WW1.   Many thanks to Alex Lyons for the inspiration for this episode. Thanks, man! Link to Henri Desagneaux's memoir:   https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22219805-a-french-soldier-s-war-diary-1914-1918 The BFWWP is now on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast.    Any questions, comments or...

Steven Girard, US Army veteran and veteran battlefield guide, comes back on the podcast to discuss the American Expeditionary Force's 2nd Division during the First World War.    Note: The 2nd Division was organized at Bourmont, France.    Villages & towns of note:   Landres-et-St. Georges   Imécourt   Mouzon   Koblenz, Germany   The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWor...

The story behind a famous photograph from the First World War of the men of 10th (Service) Battalion Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) in the Arras sector in 1917.   Chris Baker's article:    https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/10th-scottish-rifles-trench-raid-and-an-oft-used-photograph/   Many thanks to Chris for permission to use his article. The BFWWP is now on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Battleso...

This episode we are joined by the powerhouse team of Alex Churchill & Beth Moore to talk about the Great War Group that they created and run with their crack team. What a great conversation.    Join the Great War Group!   https://greatwargroup.com/   Check out Istoria Travel:   https://www.istoriatravel.org /   The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast.    A...

Randy Gaulke, WW1 historian and founder of Knee Deep in History Tours, returns to the podcast to talk about the state of the German Army in October 1918.    Join Randy at Knee Deep Into History: https://kneedeepintohistory.com/   Randy's bibliography:   Asprey, Robert B. The German High Command at War: Hindenburg and Ludendorff Conduct WW1.   Lengel, Edward G., Editor. A Companion to the Meuse-Arg...

Part 2 of the ongoing discussion looks at misconceptions about the French Army, and French personalities of the war we should know about but, for reasons, do not. We wrap up with some advice on visiting the French battlefields of the Great War: guide books, how to prepare, what to expect, etc.   This was another conversation that deeply impressed me with the breadth and depth of knowledge of the p...

LTG Hunter Liggett took command of the American Expeditionary Force's 1st Army in October of 1918. He had his work cut out for him–1st Army desperately needed reorganizing, refitting, and retraining.    Robert J. Laplander and I collaborated on creating an audiobook version of his book "Finding the Lost Battalion: Beyond the Rumors, Myths and Legends of America's Famous WW1 Epic" and here it final...

US Army National Guard officer and historian Jonathan Bratten comes on the podcast to discuss his book, "To the Last Man: A National Guard Regiment in the Great War, 1917-1919." The regiment discussed is the 103rd Infantry Regiment, a unit in the 26th "Yankee" Division.    Jonathan joins us to discuss the 103rd's engagements in the Meuse-Argonne in October 1918. Link to the book:   https://www.arm...

This was so much fun to host–with the help of Alex Lyons, a fantastic group of WW1 enthusiasts were gathered for what will be the first of a multi-part series of discussions of the French Army and the French experience during WW1.    France went to war in 1914 as a country of 40 million people. Its army went to war in 19th century uniforms of dark blue tunics and red trousers, calling up 8.5 milli...

The second of a two-episode look at the Commander-in-Chief of the AEF, GEN John J. Pershing, from the personal to the professional.   Robert J. Laplander and I collaborated on creating an audiobook version of his book " Finding the Lost Battalion: Beyond the Rumors, Myths and Legends of America's Famous WW1 Epic " and here it finally is.    The audio version of "Finding the Lost Battalion" comes t...

The first of a two-episode look at the Commander-in-Chief of the AEF, GEN John J. Pershing, from the personal to the professional.   Link to Roger Steward's upcoming book:    https://www.helion.co.uk/military-history-books/reclaiming-the-salient-resurrecting-the-great-war-battlegrounds-of-flanders-fields.php?sid=018fc7cc39777a571b22a1bf97452b9e   Robert J. Laplander and I collaborated on creating...

This episode doesn't have too much to do with the First World War, but it was really fun to do. My great friend Jake has been asking me to do this for a while, saying that the BFWWP community doesn't know enough about me personally. So, we got together and made it happen.    The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast.    Any questions, comments or concerns pl...

Great War historian and writer Alex Lyons joined me on an evening in the UK to let us into a very personal and ground-level account of a French soldier in the First World War: through the letters of his great-grandfather, Jules André Destrigneville.   Alex has been composing tweets of Jules' letters, cross-referenced against unit histories, orders, and other soldiers' accounts. He has also written...

Robert J. Laplander and I collaborated on creating an audiobook version of his book " Finding the Lost Battalion: Beyond the Rumors, Myths and Legends of America's Famous WW1 Epic " and here it finally is.    The audio version of "Finding the Lost Battalion" comes to you in podcast form, ready to download and provide nearly 36 hours of the retelling of America's WW1 epic of devastating modern batt...

After a day of mixed success, the 42d "Rainbow" Division fixes its sights on taking the Côte de Chátillon. The hill is yet another link in the German defensive line that must be broken in order to advance. Villages of note:   Sommerance   St. Georges   Landres-et-St. Georges The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast .    Any questions, comments or concerns p...

Join us for a great discussion with Blackmill Games' CEO Jos Hoebe on their latest WW1 video game,  "WW1 Italian Front: Isonzo."    Jos takes us through his creative process and the research that goes into the games he and his team create. He takes us back to what started his passion for history and where, and you'll be pleasantly surprised where that "where" is. The world is full of vibrant and c...

James Gregory comes back on the podcast to discuss his forthcoming book, "Unraveling the Myth of Sgt. Alvin York: The Other Sixteen."    Link to the book:    https://www.tamupress.com/book/9781648430756/unraveling-the-myth-of-sgt-alvin-york/#:~:text=In%20Unraveling%20the%20Myth%20of,the%20shadow%20of%20Sergeant%20York .   Order it from your local bookstore so that you support your local businesses...

A short review of Roger Steward's book "Studentenfriedhof to Soldatenfriedhof: A History of Langemark German Cemetery and Self-Guided Tour."   If you're visiting the Ypres area, please get in touch with Roger Steward of Ypres Battlefields Tours: Email: ypresbattlefieldtours@gmail.com FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/ypresbattlefieldtours.be Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ypresbattlefieldto...

October 14th, 1918, the AEF launched yet another attempt at smashing through the third German position in the Meuse, the Kriemhilde Stellung. The 42d and 5th Divisions would attempt a double envelopment while the 32d Division would once again attack the formidable Côte Dame Marie. Villages of note:   Romagne-sous-Montfaucon   Bantheville   Sommerance   St. Georges   Landres-et-St. Georges The BFWW...

University of Oklahoma PhD candidate James Gregory joins us on the podcast to discuss a forgotten front of the First World War: the US Marines' time in the trenches of the Toulon sector in early 1918.    Marine Corps History Journal:   https://muse.jhu.edu/journal/798   Through the Eyes of a Marine: The World War I Photographs of Sgt. Clarence H. Douglass By James Gregory:   https://www.lulu.com/s...

On October 12th, 1918, 1LT Sam Woodfill of 3rd Battalion, 60th Infantry, 5th Division, AEF, took matters into his own hands when his unit was pinned down by German fire outside Cunel, France.   Villages of note:   Cunel   The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast .    Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwa...