World War I Podcast

Dec 05 2024 130 ep. 28 mins 497
World War I Podcast artwork

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 a wide variety of topics related to World War I. 

  History  Education  Arts
RSS feed Share
Copy RSS


Subscribe on Podcast Addict


The French Army's Wine Ration

Dec 05 2024 33 mins  
As stalemate ensued on the Western Front in the fall of 1914, the French Army began providing a daily wine ration for its soldiers stationed there. As the war went on, the ration went from about ¼ litre to about a bottle per soldier, per day. Armies throughout history have relied on psychotropic drugs to strategically shape the behavior of those fighting, but in the case of World

Mississippi and World War I

Nov 15 2024 29 mins  
When the United States declared war in April 1917, the 48 states that made up the nation at that time played an important role in mobilization – both in terms of manpower and in terms of the home front. Every state made a contribution that reflected its own unique history, politics, natural resources, level of industrialization, and its national guard, volunteers, and draftees. F

Kiffin Rockwell and the Boys Who Remembered Lafayette

Oct 22 2024 40 mins  
Kiffin Rockwell believed that America owed France a debt for its support during the American Revolutionary War. He was 21 years old when World War I began, and he immediately sailed to France to volunteer to fight. He initially joined the French Foreign Legion, and then joined the Escadrille Americaine (later renamed the Lafayette Escadrille). He was credited with being the first A

Parker Hitt and American Cryptology in WWI

Sep 03 2024 35 mins  
Between 1914-1917, communications technology, and the way to secure or intercept this kind of traffic, progressed dramatically. When the United States entered WWI in April 1917, it had to quickly catch up in these areas. Remarkably, the Americans made considerable progress by 1918. This success was partly due to Parker Hitt, an innovative Army officer who designed modifications for

North Carolina and World War I

Aug 13 2024 20 mins  
When the United States declared war in April 1917, it was unprepared to actually fight a war in Europe. The regular army was small and American industry needed time to produce war materials on a massive scale. It also needed time to train and transport troops. States would play an important role in mobilization – both in terms of manpower and in terms of the resources and industr

Hitler's World War I Service

Jul 29 2024 17 mins  
Like many leaders during WWII, Adolf Hitler served in World War I. It was an important part of his identity, and, prior to his rise to power in Germany, he even went to court to defend his service record. His detractors claimed he was a “rear area hog.” They argued he had dodged service in the Austro-Hungarian army and then spent WWI in the German army in the relative safety of

Agent of the Iron Cross

Jun 20 2024 23 mins  
In 1918, German secret agent, Lothar Witzke, entered the United States via the southern border. His mission was to conduct a campaign of terror and sabotage. This included the destruction of American factories making war materials, the assassination of American officials, and fomenting racial unrest. To explore this little-known chapter in WWI history, the World War I Podcast hoste

Environmental Impact of World War I on North Sea Fishing

May 08 2024 21 mins  
The North Sea was one of the most relevant naval theatres of the war. It was also home to important fishing grounds. By 1914 a combination of technology, markets, and demand was leading to overfishing in the region. World War I reversed this, but it was a temporary respite. To discuss the short- and long-term impact of World War I on the North Sea, the World War I Podcast hosted Dr

World War I Poetry: Lost Voices and New Voices

Apr 04 2024 30 mins  
How does World War I poetry help us understand the complexity of the experience of the war? Why was poetry so important then? Why does the poetry of World War I continue to have such resonance? To answer these questions, the World War I Podcast hosted two subject matter experts: Dr. Connie Ruzich, Professor of English at Robert Morris University and editor of International Poetry o

The Trenches: Reality vs Movies

Mar 14 2024 29 mins  
When most people think of World War I on the Western Front, they probably think of trenches. Trench systems were present along most of the 475 miles from the English Channel to the Swiss Alps. It wasn’t just one straight continuous line, however. The system had many layers that supported the daily life and movement of millions of soldiers. If laid end to end, the trench systems w