Battles of the First World War Podcast

My good friend Xavier Lewis comes on the podcast to discuss his dissertation topic.

 

General Edmond Buat had an idea and devised a plan to defeat the German army on the Western front in World War I. A study of his diary, the notes he wrote and his later writings on German generals Ludendorff  and Hindenburg, shows how his plan and the Réserve Générale de l’Artillerie Lourde (Heavy Artillery General Reserve, “RGAL”) he created constitute an incipient form of operational art as well as the basis for the French Army’s offensives in the summer of 1918.

 

Xavier’s research considers how Buat’s diary, his writings, and notes reveal his role in developing the plans for the 1918 offensives and how the RGAL was conceived as an instrument specially adapted for them. It also shows how those plans represented an important conceptual shift in operational thinking to find a new way to expel the German army from French territory. It focuses on the ideas behind the creation of the RGAL, not on the political, industrial and procurement aspects and seeks to plug a gap identified by historian Sir Michael Howard who complained that:  “British military historians […] found it difficult to focus on an analysis of the operations themselves.”

 

Do listen for a great conversation.

 

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 BlueSky at @WW1podcast.bsky.social:

 

https://bsky.app/profile/ww1podcast.bsky.social

 

and the BFWWP website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Email me directly at verdunpodcast@gmail.com with any questions, comments, or concerns. 

 

Please review the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes! 🙂

 

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Pete Owen, LTC USMC (Ret.) comes on the podcast to talk about his book “To the Limit of Endurance: A Battalion of Marines in the Great War.” 

 

From Texas A&M University Press:

 

“Scholars and historians offer several theories for the crippling losses suffered by the American Expeditionary Forces on the battlefields of World War I: inexperience, poor leadership, hasty expansion of duties, and others. But until now, most of these studies have focused at the division level or higher. 

 

Now, with To the Limit of Endurance, Peter F. Owen offers a tautly worded, historically rigorous, and intensely human survey of the agonizing burden shouldered by the Second Battalion of the Sixth Regiment of U.S. Marines from its formation in Quantico, Virginia, in 1917 until the cessation of hostilities in November of the following year. 

 

In places like Belleau Wood and Soissons, these young men, led by dedicated officers, died in staggering numbers—primarily because of the outmoded tactics they had learned. Owen shows how the battalion regrouped after these campaigns, however, and embarked on a period of intense retraining. By the time of the closing weeks of the war, the adjustments they had made allowed them to mold themselves into a coldly efficient military machine. 

 

Drawing on a treasure trove of surviving first-hand accounts, Owen expertly combines these individual observations with military records and archival sources to create a mosaic that provides not only a case study of how one organization grappled with transformation but also a tightly focused, ground-level view of the lives—and deaths—of these courageous American military men. The grueling, ultimately triumphant odyssey of the 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines will appeal to military historians, professional soldiers, and interested general readers.”

Where to buy “To the Limit of Endurance: A Battalion of Marines in the Great War” –

 

https://www.tamupress.com/book/9781623491567/to-the-limit-of-endurance/

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 BlueSky at @WW1podcast.bsky.social:

 

https://bsky.app/profile/ww1podcast.bsky.social

 

and the BFWWP website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Email me directly at verdunpodcast@gmail.com with any questions, comments, or concerns. 

 

Please review the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes! 🙂

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Tennessee State Park Rangers Nate Dodson and Tanner Wells come on the podcast to discuss the upcoming Great War Expo II at York State Park in Pall Mall, TN.

 

On April 5th, 2025, the second annual Great War Expo will be held at Sgt. Alvin C. York State Historic Park in Pall Mall, TN.  This is an educational event highlighting all things WW1 at the homesite of one of its more well known soldiers.  Experience informative lectures, participate in living history demonstrations, meet authors and vendors, and interact with organizations from across the nation that preserve and share WW1 history.

 

I was there last year, and it was a great time. You’re just steps away from Alvin York’s house, sharing WW1 history with other enthusiasts. What could be better?

 

So if you are nearby or can get up to Pall Mall, TN, you are in for a great experience. 

 

Link: https://tnstateparks.com/parks/event_details/sgt-alvin-c-york/#/?event=great-war-expo-ii

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 BlueSky at @WW1podcast.bsky.social:

 

https://bsky.app/profile/ww1podcast.bsky.social

 

and the BFWWP website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Email me directly at verdunpodcast@gmail.com with any questions, comments, or concerns. 

 

Please review the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes! 🙂

 

Check out this episode!

Part 6 of the ongoing discussion continues to look at the French Army in 1916, and this time we focus on events and developments outside of the Verdun battlefield. 

 

This episode will focus on the French Army’s experience in 1916 outside of the Verdun battlefield. 

 

Joining us for this discussion are:

 

• Bart Debeer, who co-wrote a Dutch-language Western Front Guide for Beginners with a friend

• Bryn Hammond, whose blog “Vingt Frong”  aims to “awaken interest in the French experience of the First World War in an English-speaking audience,” and author of the book “Cambrai 1917: The Myth of the First Great Tank Battle,”

• Jim Smithson, author of “A Taste of Success: The First Battle of the Scarpe. The Opening Phase of the Battle of Arras 9-14 April 1917” and two guide books on the Arras battlefields,

 

Do listen in for the few moments when four grown men struggle with a microphone. 😛

Great War Group: https://greatwargroup.com/

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 BlueSky at @WW1podcast.bsky.social and the BFWWP website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Email me directly at verdunpodcast@gmail.com with any questions, comments, or concerns. 

 

Please review the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes! 🙂

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Dr. Isherwood returns to the podcast to talk about his new book “The Battalion: Citizen Soldiers at War on the Western Front.” 

 

From Casemate Publishers:

 

“How did ordinary citizens become soldiers during the First World War, and how did they cope with the extraordinary challenges they confronted on the Western Front? These are questions Ian Isherwood seeks to answer in this absorbing and deeply researched study of the actions and experiences of an infantry battalion throughout the conflict. His work gives us a vivid impression of the reality of war for these volunteers and an insight into the motivation that kept them fighting.

 

The narrative traces the history of the 8th Battalion The Queen’s (Royal West Surrey Regiment), a Kitchener battalion raised in 1914. The letters, memoirs and diaries of the men of the battalion, in particular the correspondence of their commanding officer, reveal in fascinating detail what wartime life was like for this group of men. It includes vivid accounts of the major battles in which they were involved – Loos, the Somme, Passchendaele, the German Spring Offensive, and the final 100 Days campaign.

 

The battalion took heavy losses, yet those who survived continued to fight and took great pride in their service, an attitude that is at odds with much of the popular perception of the Great War. Ian Isherwood brings in the latest research on military thinking and learning, on emotional resilience, and cultural history to tell their story.”

Follow the First World War Letters of H.J.C. Peirs, a digital history project at Gettysburg College:

 

https://www.jackpeirs.org

Where to buy “The Battalion: Citizen Soldiers at War on the Western Front” –

 

https://www.casematepublishers.com/9781526774224/the-battalion/

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 BlueSky at @WW1podcast.bsky.social:

 

https://bsky.app/profile/ww1podcast.bsky.social

 

and the BFWWP website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Email me directly at verdunpodcast@gmail.com with any questions, comments, or concerns. 

 

Please review the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes! 🙂

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Before the First World War officially began, the killing was already underway. 

 

In the small French village of Joncherey, two men would meet for a brief but violent moment on August 2nd, 1914, the day before war was officially declared. The moment would turn them into eternal brothers, transformed by their explosive meeting. French Corporal Jules André Peugeot and German Lieutenant Albert Otto Walther Mayer would soon be the first military deaths of their nations. 

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 BlueSky at @WW1podcast.bsky.social:

 

https://bsky.app/profile/ww1podcast.bsky.social

 

and the BFWWP website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Email me directly at verdunpodcast@gmail.com with any questions, comments, or concerns. 

 

Please review the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes! 🙂

 

Check out this episode!

The group is back!

 

Part 5 of the ongoing discussion looks at the French Army in 1916, the first of a two- or three-part series on this crucial year of WW1. This episode will focus on the French Army’s experience in its most trying battlefield crucible: the Battle of Verdun.

Joining us for this discussion are:

 

• Christina Holstein, author of several incredible guides to the Verdun battlefield, amongst other published works and articles,

• Alex Lyons, the man who spends his free time telling us the story of his Poilu great-grandfather on Twitter,

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 into social media? Email me directly at verdunpodcast@gmail.com. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

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This is a recording of our monthly talks on Patreon. Jake is a great friend of mine whom I’ve known for years, thanks to the podcast! 

 

Jake joined us to go on the 2024 Meuse-Argonne tour with Lost Battalion Tours, as well as a pilgrimage to where his dad fought during the Second World War. Dr. Clint Heacock, another great friend, joined us for Jake’s very moving day. 

 

Hope you enjoy this one.

Lost Battalion Tours: lostbattaliontours@gmail.com

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 into social media? Email me directly at verdunpodcast@gmail.com. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

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Author David Borys comes on the podcast to discuss his book “Punching Above Our Weight: The Canadian Military at War Since 1867,” which takes readers on a riveting exploration spanning one hundred and fifty years of Canadian forces.

 

“Punching Above Our Weight” is a photograph-rich history of 150 years of the Canadian military traces the evolution of the country’s armed forces from a small, underfunded, poorly trained militia to the modern, effective military it is today. From the Red River Resistance and the Boer War through the world wars to modern peacekeeping and the long war in Afghanistan, David A. Borys details the conflicts and operations that Canadian soldiers have served in. He highlights the key battles, among them Amiens, the Scheldt Estuary, and Operation Medusa; the significant people, including Louis Riel, Arthur Currie, and Guy Simonds; and the decisive moments, such as the passing of conscription in August 1917, Canada’s declaration of war in 1939, and the peacekeeping crises of the 1990s, that came to define the scope of Canada’s participation in international conflicts and cement its global reputation.

 

Borys also explores the challenges that the Canadian nation and its military have faced over those years, including major cultural and demographic shifts, a continual struggle for resources from generally disinterested governments, battlefield failures, and notorious and shocking scandals, along with ever-changing global threats. Punching Above Our Weight brings to light a new perspective on the Canadian military and its place in the world.

Where to buy “Punching Above Our Weight:” 

 

https://www.dundurn.com/books_/t22117/a9781459754126-punching-above-our-weight

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 into social media? Email me directly at verdunpodcast@gmail.com. Rate, review, and subscribe to the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts.

 

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From University Press of Kansas: “Serpents of War” is the memoir of Pennsylvanian Major Harry Dravo Parkin, is a rare account of World War I as seen from the perspective of a battalion commander. As a mid-level officer responsible for the lives and welfare of over a thousand men, Parkin conveys the stress of command at a time when one innocent blunder could cost an officer his combat assignment, brings the inferno of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive to life in terrifying, gory detail, and recounts being taken prisoner by the Imperial German Army—a rare experience among American soldiers in 1918. In addition, Parkin provides a detailed account of the 79th Division’s attack on Mountfaucon, a military action that remains controversial to this day. This is a book by a brave soldier, a recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross for his heroism on the battlefield, and a gifted writer.

 

“Serpents of War” is an abridged edition of a nearly 200,000-word World War I memoir that resides in Gettysburg College’s Musselman Library, enhanced by the contributions of two scholars of World War I and memory. Written in an unassuming but eloquent style, Parkin’s narrative seldom strains for effect. It possesses a strong sense of setting, a knack for capturing the chaos and strange exhilaration of battle, and a sharp eye for the interpersonal, social dynamics of military life—the personality clashes and simmering feuds, as well as the moments of comradeship and accord. “Serpents of War” is an absorbing memoir that holds the reader’s attention from beginning to end.

 

Dr. Trout’s Travels in Harry Parkin’s footsteps –

 

https://kansaspress.ku.edu/blog/2024/09/26/on-the-serpents-trail-following-the-footsteps-of-harry-dravo-parkin/

Where to buy “Serpents of War: An American Officer’s Story of World War I Combat and Captivity” –

 

https://kansaspress.ku.edu/9780700635054/serpents-of-war/

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 into social media? Email me directly at verdunpodcast@gmail.com. Rate, review, and subscribe to the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts.

 

Check out this episode!