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 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
2
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
3
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
4
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
5
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
6
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
7
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
8
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
9
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
10
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
11
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
12
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
13
Episode 77: French in 1918 - Part 1
45 min
14
Episode 76: French in 1917 - Part 2
In this week’s episode we explore the vital period following the French ‘mutinies’ of 1917 and look at how the Army recovered in the face of intense fighting all along the Western Front.
52 min
15
Episode 75: The Nivelle Offensive - French in 1917
This week we continue our study of the French Army in the First World War as we examined one of France's most controversial commanders, Robert Nivelle, and the April 1917 offensive that bears his name. What happened during the Noelle Offensive, and why did it lead to a mutiny in the French Army?
62 min
16
Episode 74: Lighter Than Air: Airships in the G...
In this episode, we continue our discussion of the Zeppelin campaign in the skies over Great Britain. How did Britain’s air defences adapt to the threat, and what was it like to intercept and engage a Zeppelin?
52 min
17
Episode 73: Lighter Than Air: Airships in the G...
In this episode, with the support of guest historian Ian Castle, we delve into the ever popular ‘lighter than air’ subject of Airships in the Great War. We look at their initial introduction onto the world stage, employment by the military, use as an offensive weapon of war and examine the impact they made both on the home and fighting fronts.
50 min
18
Episode 72: Göring's early life
In this week's episode we return to an old favourite - Air Power in the Great War. And with the help of Guest Historian Dr Victoria Taylor, we explore the life of the controversial German aviator Hermann Goering.
59 min
19
Episode 71: French on the Somme
In this week’s episode we return to a well-known battlefield, but look at it with an almost unknown perspective, as we explore the story of the French Army in the battle of the Somme.
51 min
20
Episode 70: Listener's Questions
This week we take one of our periodic dives into the many questions and comments you have shared with us in previous weeks and address everything from books and films to gallantry awards.
56 min
21
Episode 69: Verdun! Part 2
In this week’s episode we continue our exploration of perhaps the best known battle of the First World War - Verdun. From the initial German assault and descent into attritional warfare, this week we consider the latter stages of the battle, its overall impact and what it meant for the wider war on the Western Front.
54 min
22
Episode 68: Verdun! Part 1
In this episode we begin a deep dive into the defining battle of the First World War for the French Army - Verdun. How did it come about? What were its objectives and what actually happened in those opening phases?
45 min
23
Episode 67: Life of a French Soldier
In this episode we delve into the day to day life of a French soldier in WW1. How were French soldiers equipped and uniformed? How did they view the war? And what were the key differences between French soldiers and the soldiers from the English speaking world? We discuss all this and more.
57 min
24
Episode 66: Private Purchase
This week we delve into the strange world of privately purchased kit and equipment in the First World War. Why was there such a demand for private purchase items and what did the soldiers buy? Just how big was the private purchase industry? And did any of it make a difference? We discuss all this and more.
43 min
25
Episode 65: The French Army in 1915
In this podcast we continue our in depth look at the story of the French army on the western Front with a focus on the vital and extremely bloody actions in the second half of 1915.
45 min