The Great War Podcast

A retrospective look at the battle of Jutland.

The battle of Jutland rages into the night.

A decade after Dreadnought revolutionized naval warfare, the battle fleets of Great Britain and Germany finally meet. EDIT: Since they were armoured cruisers, Arbuthnot was part of First Cruiser Squadron, not First 'Light' Cruiser as incorrectly stated. -Dan

The battle of Jutland begins on the afternoon of May 31st, 1916.

Reinhardt Scheer assumes command of the German battlefleet, and the war in the North Sea kicks into high gear.

Conrad sees red, and attempts to eliminate the Italians with a single blow. At Verdun, the French discover retaking Fort Douaumont will require a bit more planning.

Battered and bloodied, Austria-Hungary limps its way into 1916.

Russia under goes some rapid internal changes.

Desperate to capture the Meuse Heights, the German 5th Army extends operations onto the west bank of the Meuse. When things falter, both armies commit more men to "the Mincer".

The battle at Verdun began on February 21st, 1916. Nothing would ever be the same.

Falkenhayn begins laying the ground work for the coming battle at Verdun.

As 1916 beckons, both the Allies and Central Powers realize they're in for another bloody year.

In this episode we discuss the sinking of the Cunard liner Lusitania and what it meant for the first unrestricted U-boat campaign.

To contest the supremacy of the Allied fleets, Germany unleashes the first unrestricted U-Boat campaign in February, 1915. *Gahh when I say the Russians retreated 500 miles, I mean 500 kilometers of course.  -Dan SMS Blucher capsizing at the battle of Dogger Bank (January 1915).

An ambitious Anglo-French attack in Artois and Champagne is met with disaster. At the battles of Loos, the BEF makes use of chlorine gas for the first time.

Serbia is the latest victim of Falkenhayn's combined offensive. The Serbs refuse to surrender, opting to evacuate and continue the fight elsewhere.

On May 23rd, 1915 an energized but divided Italy enters the Great War. This episode examines why the Italians initially chose neutrality, only to declare war against their former allies.

A combined Austro-German offensive in May 1915 collapses the Polish Salient, forcing the Russians into a 4 month 310 mile retreat. The war on the Eastern Front is effectively over.

The Dardanelles campaign unravels as the Allies land on the Gallipoli peninsula.

With German efforts concentrated in the East, the Allies begin looking for alternative ways to break the deadlock, leading their focus to fall on the Dardanelles and Gallipoli peninsula.

This week we examine German strategy in 1915, and Falkenhayn's decision to unleash chlorine gas at the Ypres Salient.   40 Maps That Explain World War One (Trench map is #26)

Despite popular theory, the war does not end by Christmas. This week we are on the Western Front for the early goings of 1915.

Did Europe really cheer the outbreak of war?  An examination of the Western home fronts provides a glimpse into "the spirit of 1914".

A look at the larger world at war, and Graf Spee makes his voyage into the history books.

The final months of 1914 draw to a close on the Eastern Front. The Russians flex their military muscle, while the Austro-Hungarians suffer a defeat which helps doom their army.