What was the United States Coast Guard doing during World War I? We sat down Dr. William H. Thiesen, Atlantic Area Historian for the United States Coast Guard, to discuss the history of the Coast Guard and how World War I served as the first true test of the modern Coast Guard's military capability.

The USCG in WWI

By the end of 1916, the Allied and Central powers were exhausted and were facing serious political, economic and social problems.  For Russia, a country already struggling with the structural problems of autocracy, the troubles of 1916 led to revolution. To learn more about the timeline and particulars of the Russian Revolution, we had a conversation with Dr. Colleen Moore, Assistant Professor of History at James Madison University.

The Russian Revolution

Many small countries entered World War I with the hope of gaining some sort of advantage in the post-war period. Most of these countries did not contribute troops or any other substantial aid to the combatants. Siam is a notable exception. To learn more about Siam's participation in World War I, we spoke with Dr. Stefan Hell, author of the book Siam and World War I: An International History.

Siam and World War I

While radio and telephone were becoming more and more a part of the battlefield, these communication technologies also had weaknesses on the World War I battlefield.  A secure, reliable, low tech communication option was needed. Armies on both sides turned to Homing Pigeons to provide this vital link.  We sat down with Dr. Frank Blazich, Curator of Modern Military History at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of American History, to discuss the U.S. Army's pigeon service and how these birds contributed to the war effort.

The Pigeon Service

America’s path to World War I was complicated and involved some deep cultural shifts.  What changes drove the evolution from neutrality to war? What role did immigrant and minority groups play in this shift? And, did the American people go into this war naïve to the costs? To answer some of these questions, we sat down with Dr. Michael Nieberg to discuss his book The Path to War: How the First World War Created Modern America.

The Path to War

World War I taught a young Dwight D. Eisenhower some significant leadership lessons – just not on the battlefield. Eisenhower spent a good part of the war as the commander of Camp Colt in Gettysburg, PA. Camp Colt sat on part of the Gettysburg battlefield and was home to the U.S. Army’s fledgling tank school. From an initial lack of tanks to the Spanish Flu pandemic, Eisenhower proved himself a brilliant organizer and a capable leader in difficult times. In this latest episode, Daniel Vermilya, an NPS Park Ranger at the Eisenhower Farm in Gettysburg, discusses Camp Colt and Eisenhower's long association with the region.

Camp Colt

World War I had profound social and economic consequences.  American industry had typically relied upon European immigrant labor.  When the war disrupted immigration, American industry turned to other sources of labor and began recruiting African Americans.  Responding to these new economic opportunities, large numbers of African Americans began leaving the rural south for the urban north. In this latest episode, Dr. Steven Reich discusses the Great Migration in the context of World War I and explains its cultural legacy.

WWI and the Great Migration

Like the other Great Powers, Russia experienced a great deal of turmoil in the decades leading up to World War I.  Slow industrialization, military failure in the Russo-Japanese War, and mass social unrest were just some of the problems that were further compounded by weak leadership and a fragile political system.  In this latest episode, Dr. Colleen Moore describes this pre-war turmoil and outlines Russia's path into World War I.

Russia on the Eve of WWI

The Hapsburgs were a very old and distinguished noble family in Europe.  Members of the Hapsburg-Lorraine branch of the family ruled Austria-Hungary during World War I.  In this latest episode, Dr. Maura Hametz discusses the many tragedies and intrigues of these Hapsburgs and outlines the roles of Emperor Franz Josef I and his successor, Karl I, during World War I.

The Hapsburgs

Ferdinand Foch

Appointed Supreme Allied Commander during World War I, Ferdinand Foch is regarded as the architect of the 1918 victory. He is also recognized as one of the most original thinkers in the 20th century French military. In this episode, Dr. Michael Neiberg discusses Foch's unusual career path, outlines his World War I service, and highlights his unique understanding of the war.

World War I created many of the political, cultural, and economic fault lines of the world today.  Produced by the MacArthur Memorial, this podcast explores the causes, the major players, the battles, the technology, and the popular culture of World War I.

Really interesting source material and insightful history about the first Great War

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World war 1 podcast... That is what it is

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World War I Podcast

This podcast features an interview with Megan Good, the director of the J. Welles Henderson Archives and Library at the Independence Seaport Museum in Philadelphia.  The Independence Seaport Museum is currently the home of the U.S.S. Olympia – a vessel that served as Commodore George Dewey’s flagship during the Battle of Manila Bay in the Spanish American War.  By World War I the Olympia was no longer a match for the larger, faster ships born of the early 20th Century naval arms race, but she still had some important roles left to play.  Whether her mission was diplomacy, humanitarian aid, or peacekeeping, the Olympia was kept busy during the war.  Much beloved by the American public, after the war the Olympia would also be selected to carry the body of the Unknown Soldier of World War I back to the United States. In many respects, the Olympia has become a forgotten story of World War I.

The USS Olympia in World War I

On September 4, 1914, Kaiser Wilhelm II exulted: “It is the 35th day!”  The 35th day of the war had a very significant meaning to the German General Staff.  The Schlieffen Plan anticipated a victory over France within 35-40 days of combat.  This would allow Germany to avoid a damaging two front war and would leave the Germany army with plenty of time to turn and crush the Tsar’s newly mobilized forces in the East.  With the Allied armies in retreat and the French government abandoning Paris, on day 35 the Kaiser and his staff were confidently looking forward to the decisive battle that would end the war in the West. By day 40 however, far from menacing Paris or completing the envelopment of British and French forces, the German forces were in retreat.  In what was later referred to as the Miracle of the Marne, the beleaguered British and French forces pushed the German armies back – ultimately saving France and denying the German’s the quick victory they needed to win the war.  This 1st Battle of the Marne would prove a strategic victory for the Allies but would also usher in trench warfare and the deadly stalemate that would forever characterize the nature of World War I.

The Miracle on the Marne

Kaiser Wilhelm II

Kaiser Wilhelm II: Part One When the World War I ended, King George V of England wrote of his cousin Kaiser Wilhelm II: “…I look upon him as the greatest criminal known for having plunged the world into this ghastly war.” But who was Kaiser Wilhelm II?  Was he criminal bent on world domination? Or was he a bumbling fool in a picklehaub?  Throughout the war, Allied propaganda seemed to suggest either identity was a possibility.  Ironically, it wasn’t just his enemies who were confused about his identity. Throughout his life, the Kaiser also struggled to come to terms with his own identity.  As the grandson of Queen Victoria, the half English Kaiser was supposed to be the champion of Anglo-German unity.  Instead, he would spend a lifetime torn between the two identities.  To explain these contradictions, Kaiser Wilhelm II’s life will be examined over the course of two podcast episodes.  Part one will discuss his early life and years as emperor.

Kaiser Wilhelm II: Part One When the World War I ended, King George V of England wrote of his cousin Kaiser Wilhelm II: “…I look upon him as the greatest criminal known for having plunged the world into this ghastly war.” But who was Kaiser Wilhelm II? Was he criminal bent on world domination? Or was he a bumbling fool in a picklehaub? Throughout the war, Allied propaganda seemed to suggest either identity was a possibility. Ironically, it wasn’t just his enemies who were confused about his identity. Throughout his life, the Kaiser also struggled to come to terms with his own identity. As the grandson of Queen Victoria, the half English Kaiser was supposed to be the champion of Anglo-German unity. Instead, he would spend a lifetime torn between the two identities. To explain these contradictions, Kaiser Wilhelm II’s life will be examined over the course of two podcast episodes. Part one will discuss his early life and years as emperor.

Kaiser Wilhelm II: Part I

On January 16, 1917, a coded German dispatch was intercepted by British Naval Intelligence.  Over the next weeks, cryptographers in the innocuous sounding Room 40 began deciphering the message.  What they found was shocking.  Germany was proposing to bankroll Mexico in a war that would serve two purposes: 1. Keep the U.S. from aiding the Allies, 2. Allow Mexico to recover its lost territories of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona.  The message also asked Mexico to lure Japan, one of the Allied nations in World War I, into the alliance.  Desperate to add the fresh strength of neutral America to their cause, the British shared the telegram with the U.S. Government.  The public release of the Zimmerman Telegram convinced many Americans that neutrality had failed.  Few wanted war, but as Barbara Tuchman concluded in her study of the affair, the Zimmerman Telegram “killed the American illusion that we could go about our business happily separate from other nations.”

The Zimmerman Telegram

"Verdun After 100 Years: An Iconic or Exceptional Battle” In October 2016, the World War One Historical Association hosted a World War I Centennial Symposium at the MacArthur Memorial.  Dr. Paul Jankowski, the Ray Ginger Professor of History at Brandeis University and the author of Verdun: The Largest Battle of the Great War, presented on the topic “Verdun After 100 Years: An Iconic or Exceptional Battle.” Dr. Jankowski explored French and German perspectives of Verdun and compared the battle to the other great battles of the Western Front.  To learn more about the World War One Historical Association, visit https://ww1ha.org/.

"Verdun After 100 Years: An Iconic or Exceptional Battle” In October 2016, the World War One Historical Association hosted a World War I Centennial Symposium at the MacArthur Memorial. Dr. Paul Jankowski, the Ray Ginger Professor of History at Brandeis University and the author of Verdun: The Largest Battle of the Great War, presented on the topic “Verdun After 100 Years: An Iconic or Exceptional Battle.” Dr. Jankowski explored French and German perspectives of Verdun and compared the battle to the other great battles of the Western Front. To learn more about the World War One Historical Association, visit <a href="https://ww1ha.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://ww1ha.org/</a>.

Verdun After 100 Years: An Iconic or Exceptional Battle

In the final years of World War I, a deadly influenza pandemic killed about 3% of the world's population. The pandemic effected both the Allied and Central Powers, as well as neutral nations. Due to wartime censorship, belligerent nations made no public acknowledgement of the crisis. For neutral nations like Spain however, the pandemic was widely reported because there was no censorship in place. Accordingly, the pandemic became associated with Spain.   In this interview, Dr. Marble Sanders, Senior Historian of the U.S. Army Medical Department Office of Medical History, discusses the origins and spread of Spanish Flu and why it was more than just a tragic coda to World War I.

In the final years of World War I, a deadly influenza pandemic killed about 3% of the world's population. The pandemic effected both the Allied and Central Powers, as well as neutral nations. Due to wartime censorship, belligerent nations made no public acknowledgement of the crisis. For neutral nations like Spain however, the pandemic was widely reported because there was no censorship in place. Accordingly, the pandemic became associated with Spain. In this interview, Dr. Marble Sanders, Senior Historian of the U.S. Army Medical Department Office of Medical History, discusses the origins and spread of Spanish Flu and why it was more than just a tragic coda to World War I.

Spanish Flu

In April 2017, the MacArthur Memorial and the Hampton Roads Naval Museum hosted a World War I symposium.  Al Barnes, the Virginia National Guard Command Historian, gave a presentation entitled: "To Hell with the Kaiser: America Prepares for War."  This presentation focused on the formation and training of U.S. Army units during World War I.

America Prepares for War

Front

In October 2016, the World War One Historical Association hosted a World War I Centennial Symposium at the MacArthur Memorial.  Dr. Graydon Tunstall, a senior lecturer in history at the University of South Florida, presented on the topic: "Eastern Front 1916: Russian Victory to Revolution."  Dr. Tunstall explores the major Russian offensive at Lake Naroch, the Romanian campaign, as well as the Brusilov Offensive.  Through military failure and victory, Dr. Tunstall sets the stage for the Russian Revolution.  To learn more about the World War One Historical Association, visit https://ww1ha.org/.

In October 2016, the World War One Historical Association hosted a World War I Centennial Symposium at the MacArthur Memorial. Dr. Graydon Tunstall, a senior lecturer in history at the University of South Florida, presented on the topic: "Eastern Front 1916: Russian Victory to Revolution." Dr. Tunstall explores the major Russian offensive at Lake Naroch, the Romanian campaign, as well as the Brusilov Offensive. Through military failure and victory, Dr. Tunstall sets the stage for the Russian Revolution. To learn more about the World War One Historical Association, visit <a href="https://ww1ha.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://ww1ha.org/</a>.

Eastern Front 1916: Russian Victory to Revolution

When World War I ended, parts of the American Expeditionary Force were sent into Germany to serve as an occupation force.  The Occupation of Germany (1918-1923) would be regarded as the most successful U.S. military occupation in history until the Occupation of Japan after World War II.   In this podcast, Al Barnes, the Virginia National Guard Command Historian and author of the book In a Strange Land: The American Occupation of Germany, sat down with a member of the Memorial's staff to discuss the politics behind the occupation, fears of the "Germanization" of the U.S. Army, and some of the future American leaders who served in the occupation.  As with any occupation, fear, fraternization, and justice played out in unique ways.

When World War I ended, parts of the American Expeditionary Force were sent into Germany to serve as an occupation force. The Occupation of Germany (1918-1923) would be regarded as the most successful U.S. military occupation in history until the Occupation of Japan after World War II. In this podcast, Al Barnes, the Virginia National Guard Command Historian and author of the book In a Strange Land: The American Occupation of Germany, sat down with a member of the Memorial's staff to discuss the politics behind the occupation, fears of the "Germanization" of the U.S. Army, and some of the future American leaders who served in the occupation. As with any occupation, fear, fraternization, and justice played out in unique ways.

The Occupation of Germany

In February 1918, General John J. Pershing, commander of the American Expeditionary Force had only five divisions in France.  One of those divisions, the 42nd “Rainbow” Division, had just arrived and had not yet experienced trench warfare.  Along with the other American divisions, the 42nd was partnered with French units in order to learn to operate and survive at the front.  Under French tutelage, the men and officers of the 42nd Division absorbed the combat tactics and other common sense survival skills while serving in the Luneville Baccarat Sector between February and March 1918.  Typically a quiet sector, the arrival of the 42nd Division combined with the movement of German troops from the Eastern Front to the Western Front meant that the sector was soon alive with trench raids, poison gas, and shelling.  (32:47)

Into The Trenches: Luneville Baccarat Sector, Feb-March 1918

Dr. Edward Lengel, author of Never in Finer Company: The Men of the Great War's Lost Battalion, describes the exploits of American soldiers and Marines on the battlefields of 1918.

Doughboys and Marines of World War I

Stephen L. Harris

Author Stephen L. Harris visited the Memorial in October 2012 and gave a presentation on “The Fighting 69th” in World War I. As part of the New York National Guard, elements of the 69th Infantry Regiment have participated in five wars to date: the American Civil War, World War I, World War II, the Iraq War, and Afghanistan.  The regiment earned its nickname “The Fighting 69th” during the Civil War, and lived up to this nickname in World War I.  In 1917, the 69th Infantry was added to the 42nd “Rainbow” Division and renumbered the 165th Infantry Regiment.  The “Rainbow” Division was then sent to France as part of the American Expeditionary Force.  Col. Douglas MacArthur served as Chief of Staff of the “Rainbow” Division, and within the ranks of the 165th Infantry were legendary men like Father Francis Duffy, “Wild” Bill Donovan, and Joyce Kilmer.

The Fighting 69th in the Great War - A Lecture by Author Stephen L. Harris

From 1890-1914, Kaiser Wilhelm II struggled through a series of scandals and crises.  His gaffes on the international stage embarrassed his government and helped create the alliances that would be arrayed against Germany in 1914.  Due to these issues, even as he struggle for personal rule, his power within Germany was on the wane.  When World War I began, he assumed his role as Supreme Warlord, the leader of the German army.  The German general staff believed he could not “lead three soldiers over a gutter,” and therefore conspired to keep actual power out of his hands.  In the end, it did not matter.  In the first weeks of the war, the Kaiser suffered a nervous collapse.  As historian Miranda Carter points out, for the rest of the war, he was merely a “flimsy fig leaf” for a Germany ruled by a military dictatorship.  At the end of the war there were calls to officially blame him for the war through an international trial.  This would never materialize – instead he spent the next 22 years of his life in exile (23:16)

Kaiser WIlhelm II: Part II

Some of the great heroes of World War I were the “aces” – pilots who were credited with bringing down large numbers of enemy planes.  These dashing young pilots captured the imagination of the public and imbued the war with a sense of romanticism.  Their celebrity came from the fact that they fought a war of individual heroism in the blue skies – far from the anonymity of the muddy trenches.  In terms of casualty rates however, they were just as doomed as the troops in the trenches.One of the most legendary “aces” of the war was Germany’s Baron Manfred von Richthofen – a man more commonly known as “The Red Baron.”  Flying a plane painted bright red, Richthofen stood out to friend and foe alike.  Killed at the age of 25, he left behind a record of 80 kills.

Some of the great heroes of World War I were the “aces” – pilots who were credited with bringing down large numbers of enemy planes. These dashing young pilots captured the imagination of the public and imbued the war with a sense of romanticism. Their celebrity came from the fact that they fought a war of individual heroism in the blue skies – far from the anonymity of the muddy trenches. In terms of casualty rates however, they were just as doomed as the troops in the trenches. One of the most legendary “aces” of the war was Germany’s Baron Manfred von Richthofen – a man more commonly known as “The Red Baron.” Flying a plane painted bright red, Richthofen stood out to friend and foe alike. Killed at the age of 25, he left behind a record of 80 kills.

The Red Baron

In this interview, Dr. Sanders Marble, Senior Historian of the U.S. Army Medical Department Office of Medical History, discusses how the U.S. Army worked with the medical community and the Red Cross to prepare for and confront the crisis of World War I.  Faced with new clinical practices and diagnoses, U.S. Army medical professionals worked hard to orchestrate treatment of the wounded.

In this interview, Dr. Sanders Marble, Senior Historian of the U.S. Army Medical Department Office of Medical History, discusses how the U.S. Army worked with the medical community and the Red Cross to prepare for and confront the crisis of World War I. Faced with new clinical practices and diagnoses, U.S. Army medical professionals worked hard to orchestrate treatment of the wounded.

US Army Medicine in World War I

The Battle of Chateau Thierry (July 18, 1918) marked an important turning point in World War I.  In this podcast, TRADOC Deputy Chief Historian Stephen C. McGeorge places the Battle of Chateau Thierry in the wider context of the war and discusses the cooperation between U.S. and French forces during the battle.

The Battle of Chateau Thierry

The 1915 Gallipoli Campaign was an imaginative operation that was supposed to end the stalemate of the Western Front.  It utilized a mix of troops mainly from Britain, France, Australia and New Zealand.  As these troops sailed towards Gallipoli, some considered themselves the luckiest young men in the war.  They believed they were not bound for the mud and filth of the trenches in Europe, but for the plains of ancient Troy.  Despite this enthusiasm however, Gallipoli proved a costly Allied failure. Allied troops suffered a quarter of a million casualties in 8 months.  The sacrifice of the ANZACs – the troops of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps – left a particularly deep impression on their respective nations. The Turkish defenders also endured appalling casualties.  And yet, many scholars argue that out of this crucible of sacrifice emerge the modern identities of Turkey, Australia and New Zealand.

Gallipoli: Crucible of Nations

The sinking of the passenger liner RMS Lusitania on May 7, 1915 was one of the great controversies of World War I.  Targeted by a German U-Boat as part of a campaign of unrestricted submarine warfare, the Lusitania was carrying 1,266 passengers and 696 crew members.  She was also carrying a substantial cargo of supplies for the Allies.  She sank in 18 minutes after being struck by a torpedo fired by U-20.  1,191 aboard lost their lives – including 128 Americans.  Although the United States remained neutral in the aftermath of the disaster, the sinking of the Lusitania helped move public opinion in favor of entering the war on side of the Allies in 1917.

RMS Lusitania

Arriving in Paris in 1919 for the Peace Conference, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson made it clear that he believed Italy entered World War I in a Machiavellian spirit of “cold-blooded calculation.”   Italy’s leaders disagreed – arguing that their participation in the war was about liberation and self-determination.  Regardless of the argument, like most of the combatants, Italy’s decision to go to war lay somewhere between practical and opportunistic.  A member of the Triple Alliance with Austria-Hungary and Germany when the war started, Italy renounced this alliance in 1915 and joined the Entente Powers on the battlefield.  Italy emerged as one of the victors in November 1918, but it’s complicated road to war, devastating casualties on the Italian front, and the disappointments of the Treaty of Versailles would lead the Italian’s to label the victory the “mutilated victory.”

Mutilated Victory: Italy in WWI

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