WW1: Not So Quiet On The Western Fron...
Welcome to "Not So Quiet On The Western Front," the podcast that takes you beyond the trenches and dives deep into the untold stories and surprising truths of the First World War. Join us as we lift the lid on one of the most pivotal periods in human history, busting myths and unravelling the complexities of a conflict that shaped the course of the 20th century.
Host: Dan Hill & Dr. Spencer Jones
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Credits:
- Host: Dr. Spencer Jones & Dan Hill
- Production & Editing: Linus Klaßen
1
Episode 101: Front Lines at Night
In this week’s episode we return to the trenches to explore the often overlooked experiences of life in the frontlines at night. From trench raids to fatigue parties, wire placement to sleeping arrangements, we take a deep dive into the nocturnal world of the Western Front.
51 min
2
Episode 100: WWI’s forgotten Battles, Tank Fail...
Not So Quiet hits triple digits! For Episode 100 we’re handing the wheel to you, the listeners, answering your questions and discussing many of the thoughts you’ve shared with us via email, on 4th Wall, or via social media. We’ll trade stories, compare notes, and admit some of the things that we got wrong along the way.
52 min
3
Episode 99: When Sport Stopped for War – How WW...
In this episode we continue our exploration of the fascinating story of Sportsmen at War on the Western Front. From world champions to local legends, and across all combattant nations, all gave some, and of course, some gave all.
59 min
4
Episode 98: From Playing Fields to Battlefields...
In this week’s episode we return to the frontlines to explore the fascinating and varied experiences of Professional Sportsmen in the Great War. From Wimbledon Champions to cycling legends, we take a deep dive into how they payed their part on the western front.
52 min
5
Episode 97: Forgotten Lessons: Why the BEF Wasn...
In this week’s episode, alongside guest historian Dr Rob Lyman, we will take a deep dive into the story of the British Army between 1918 and 1940, and the remarkable, and in many ways tragic decline which led it from Victory to Defeat.
44 min
6
Episode 96: The French Army of Africa in WWI
In this episode night we follow a road that runs from the Sahara to the Somme, tracing the story of the French Army of Africa as it marched from the outposts of the empire and into the furnace of trench warfare. With the aid of French Army expert James Taub, we’ll examine the nature of this unique force, where it came from, how it was organised, and how it fought on the Western Front and beyond.
57 min
7
Episode 95: France’s Colonial Soldiers: Forgott...
In this episode, we return to the story of the French Army and examined the history of France's colonial troops, how they were raised, what made them unique, and they're often overlooked experiences within the wider French military. We're joined by special guest James Taub, French Army expert, who brings new insights into the role these men played and the controversial legacies that they sometimes left behind.
50 min
8
Episode 94: The First Tank Attack in History: F...
52 min
9
Episode 93: Tunnellers – The Battle Beneath Mes...
In this episode we take a literally deep dive, beneath the Western Front to return to an olf favourite, the story of Mining in the Great war, but this time with a specific focus on perhaps the most important tunnelling action anywhere on the Western Front – the battle of Messines.
49 min
10
Episode 92: The Battle of the Memoirs: How WW1 ...
In this episode we explore how early histories of the First World War were shaped. We’re marching into the Official Histories and Britain’s “Battle of the Memoirs,” where footnotes became artillery, reputations the high ground, and truth the most contested trench! We examine how controversies and mud slinging that shaped the way we understand the war on the western Front.
47 min
11
Episode 91: Pigeons at War!
In this episode we take to the air once more, but this time on the trail of one of the unsung heroes of the great war - the carrier pigeon. Equally vital for communication on the frontlines, maintaining unit cohesion in battle, or as a handy snack, we’ll explore their role and the stories of a few famous birds who took to the skies above the western front.
46 min
12
Episode 90: Elite Divisions
In this episode we take a look at the formations of the British and Commonwealth forces who served on the Western Front and ask what made certain units ‘Elite’ and how did their performance on the battlefield impact the wider war?
64 min
13
Episode 89: Trench Rats!
In this episode we discuss one of the ever-present and universally hated aspects of life in the frontlines - Trench Rats. What were they? How common were they? And how did the effect the lives of the men who had to live amongst them on the Western Front?
47 min
14
Episode 88: Q-Ships - Deadly Duels
This week we continue the fascinating story of Q ships and their role in the war at sea. By 1917, German U-Boat skippers were well aware of the dangers of Q ships, which forced Royal Navy commanders to take ever greater risks to try and destroy their quarry. We examined some of those incredible close range actions in this episode.
47 min
15
Episode 87: Q-Ships - Deceive and Destroy
This week we continue we the fascinating story of QShips and their role in the war at sea. By 1917 German U-Boat skippers were well aware of the dangers of QShips which forced Royal Navy commanders to take ever greater risks to try and destroy their quarry. We examine some of those incredible close range actions in this episode.
43 min
16
Episode 86: UBoats - Hunting the Hunters 1917-1918
In our final episode on the U-Boat we look at how the Allies struck back against the U-Boat menace. How did the Royal Navy turn the tide of the war and why did the U-Boat arm go from hunters to the hunted?
48 min
17
Episode 85: The U-Boat Crisis of 1917: Was Brit...
In this episode we continue our deep dive into the history of U-boats in the First World War with a focus on the Second Unrestricted campaign against Britain. Why did Germany risk everything on a renewed blockade in 1917 and how close did it come strangling Britain into submission?
45 min
18
Episode 84: UBoats - The War Beneath the Waves ...
At the outbreak of war in 1914, most still believed that the key sea battles would be fought above the waves. But beneath the surface, a revolution was beginning. Germany’s U-boats, small, cramped but lethal, would soon challenge the mighty Royal Navy and the rules of war itself. From prize law to the sinking of the Lusitania, this episode charts the U-boat’s rise - and the controversy it left in its wake.
50 min
19
Episode 83: French Tanks at War
This week, we dive into one of the Great War’s most remarkable transformations— the birth of the French tank arm.
62 min
20
Episode 82: French in WWI – Your Questions Answ...
In this episode, with the aid of regular guest and French Army expert James Taub, we delve your questions on France in WW1. What exactly is a French Colonial unit? What did the French think of the chauchat machine gun? And what did the British soldier think of his French counterpart? We discuss all this and more.
54 min
21
Episode 81: The Franz Ferdinand Assassination
In this episode, we unravel the story of the assassination that changed the world. On a summer morning in 1914, a teenage revolutionary fired two shots on a Sarajevo street - and set the world on fire. Who was Franz Ferdinand? Why did a group of young men risk everything to kill him? And how did a single wrong turn trigger a global catastrophe?
50 min
22
Episode 80: Pals Battalions
In this episode of Not So Quiet on the Western Front, we explore the rise and tragic fall of the Pals Battalions - units of friends, neighbours, and co-workers who marched to war together in 1914. Their story is one of camaraderie, sacrifice, and devastating loss on the killing fields of the Somme.
56 min
23
Episode 79: Life Behind the Lines
When we think of the Western Front, we think of the trenches of mud, gunfire, and death. But there was another side to the war - the quieter spaces just behind the lines. In this episode, we explore life in those rear areas - the routines, the rest, the brief moments of humanity - and some of the choices men made in the face of exhaustion and uncertainty.
61 min
24
Episode 78: French in 1918 - Part 2
In this episode we take our study of the French Army into the final, decisive Allied offensive of 1918. How did the French army finally weather the storm of the German spring offensives, and how did it turn the tide at the Second Battle of the Marne?
58 min
25
Episode 77: French in 1918 - Part 1
45 min