World War I Podcast

Edward Mandell House, better known as Colonel House, was a pivotal figure in American politics and diplomacy during World War I, serving as President Woodrow Wilson's closest advisor and confidant from 1913 to 1919. A wealthy Texan, House was a skilled political operator who shunned public office but wielded immense influence behind the scenes. His role during World War I was particularly significant in shaping U.S. foreign policy and Wilson's vision for peace. To discuss House, the World War I Podcast hosted Andrew Phillips, Curator at the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum in Staunton, VA.Part 2 of 2Listen to Part I.Learn more about the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum.Have a comment about this episode? Send us a text message! (Note: we can read texts, but we cannot respond.) Follow us: Twitter: @MacArthur1880 Amanda Williams on Twitter: @AEWilliamsClark Facebook/Instagram: @MacArthurMemorial www.macarthurmemorial.org

Edward Mandell House, better known as Colonel House, was a pivotal figure in American politics and diplomacy during World War I, serving as President Woodrow Wilson's closest advisor and confidant from 1913 to 1919. A wealthy Texan, House was a skilled political operator who shunned public office but wielded immense influence behind the scenes. His role during World War I was particularly significant in shaping U.S. foreign policy and Wilson's vision for peace. To discuss House, the World War I Podcast hosted Andrew Phillips, Curator at the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum in Staunton, VA.Part I of 2Learn more about the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum.Have a comment about this episode? Send us a text message! (Note: we can read texts, but we cannot respond.) Follow us: Twitter: @MacArthur1880 Amanda Williams on Twitter: @AEWilliamsClark Facebook/Instagram: @MacArthurMemorial www.macarthurmemorial.org

When the United States entered World War I in April 1917, all 48 states played a role in war mobilization and made unique contributions shaped by their histories, their politics, their natural resources and industries, and their military manpower. Previous episodes have explored the experiences of eastern, southern, and midwestern states. In this latest episode, we shift west to California, a state that provided approximately 112,000 soldiers and Marines while providing crucial support for the war effort on the home front. To learn more about California's experience of World War I, we sat down with Dr. Diane North, author of California at War: The State and the People During World War I.Have a comment about this episode? Send us a text message! (Note: we can read texts, but we cannot respond.) Follow us: Twitter: @MacArthur1880 Amanda Williams on Twitter: @AEWilliamsClark Facebook/Instagram: @MacArthurMemorial www.macarthurmemorial.org

John J. Pershing and Douglas MacArthur are both towering figures in American military history—Pershing as the commander of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) in World War I, and MacArthur as a key leader in World War II and the Korean War. In terms of age, they were separated by about 20 years, but they were both First Captains at West Point, both served as U.S. Army Chief of Staff, and both were absolutely devoted to the U.S. Army. Their interactions spanned decades, revealing a dynamic that oscillated between admiration, rivalry, and friction. World War I played a very key role in this complicated relationship. To discuss their interactions during WWI, the World War I Podcast hosted Jim Zobel, MacArthur Memorial Archivist.Have a comment about this episode? Send us a text message! (Note: we can read texts, but we cannot respond.) Follow us: Twitter: @MacArthur1880 Amanda Williams on Twitter: @AEWilliamsClark Facebook/Instagram: @MacArthurMemorial www.macarthurmemorial.org

There are 125 WWI recipients of the Medal of Honor. One of those recipients was Private Thomas Croft Neibaur of the 167th Infantry Regiment, 42nd “Rainbow” Division who received the award for heroism at the Cote de Chatillon in 1918. Neibaur was the first Mormon and the first soldier from Idaho to receive the Medal of Honor. His actions led General John J. Pershing to name him amongst the “Immortal Ten”  of World War I, and yet, in a tragic turn of events, in 1939 Neibaur returned his Medal of Honor. To discuss Neibaur's WWI service and life, the World War I Podcast hosted Sherman Fleek, author of Place the Headstones Where They Belong: Thomas Neibaur, WWI Soldier. Have a comment about this episode? Send us a text message! (Note: we can read texts, but we cannot respond.) Follow us: Twitter: @MacArthur1880 Amanda Williams on Twitter: @AEWilliamsClark Facebook/Instagram: @MacArthurMemorial www.macarthurmemorial.org

When the United States entered World War I in April 1917, all 48 states played a role in war mobilization and made unique contributions that reflected their histories, their politics, their natural resources and industries, and their military manpower. Kansas was a midwestern state that provided approximately 80,000 troops and, if not for his premature death, may also have provided its adopted son, “Fighting Fred” Funston, as the commander of the AEF instead of John J. Pershing. To discuss Kansas and World War I, the World War I Podcast hosted Blake Watson, author of Kansas and Kansans in World War I. Have a comment about this episode? Send us a text message! (Note: we can read texts, but we cannot respond.) Follow us: Twitter: @MacArthur1880 Amanda Williams on Twitter: @AEWilliamsClark Facebook/Instagram: @MacArthurMemorial www.macarthurmemorial.org

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 War I, the French demonstrated a unique ability to harness the transformative power of alcohol to physically and emotionally fortify French soldiers to benefit the war effort. To discuss the French Army's wine policy on the Western Front, the World War I Podcast hosted Dr. Adam Zientek, Associate Professor of History at UC Davis, and author of A Thirst for Wine and War: The Intoxication of French Soldiers on the Western Front. Have a comment about this episode? Send us a text message! (Note: we can read texts, but we cannot respond.) Follow us: Twitter: @MacArthur1880 Amanda Williams on Twitter: @AEWilliamsClark Facebook/Instagram: @MacArthurMemorial www.macarthurmemorial.org

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. For Mississippi in 1917, the memory of the American Civil War remained powerful. Against this backdrop, World War I was complicated, both politically and socially. At the same time however, Mississippi made major contributions to the war effort, and the period was ultimately a watershed for the state. To examine Mississippi's experience of World War I, the World War I Podcast hosted Tommy Lofton, Museum Director of the Mississippi Armed Forces Museum. Have a comment about this episode? Send us a text message! (Note: we can read texts, but we cannot respond.) Follow us: Twitter: @MacArthur1880 Amanda Williams on Twitter: @AEWilliamsClark Facebook/Instagram: @MacArthurMemorial www.macarthurmemorial.org

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 American in the Escadrille Americaine to shoot down an enemy plane. He flew dozens of patrols and saw frequent combat before being killed in action on September 23, 1916. To discuss Rockwell's life and legacy, the World War I Podcast hosted Mark Trapp, author of A Destiny of Undying Greatness: Kiffin Rockwell and the Boys Who Remembered Lafayette. Have a comment about this episode? Send us a text message! (Note: we can read texts, but we cannot respond.) Follow us: Twitter: @MacArthur1880 Amanda Williams on Twitter: @AEWilliamsClark Facebook/Instagram: @MacArthurMemorial www.macarthurmemorial.org

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 machine guns but truly excelled at cryptology and at bridging the divide between civilian industry and the Army. To discuss the contributions of Parker Hitt, the World War I Podcast hosted Betsy Rohaly Smoot, author of Parker Hitt: The Father of American Military Cryptology. Learn more about WWI radio intelligence and cryptology: World War I Radio Intelligence (ww1radiointel.com)Have a comment about this episode? Send us a text message! (Note: we can read texts, but we cannot respond.) Follow us: Twitter: @MacArthur1880 Amanda Williams on Twitter: @AEWilliamsClark Facebook/Instagram: @MacArthurMemorial www.macarthurmemorial.org

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 industry. The 48 states that made up the United States in 1917 were all able to contribute in unique ways, based on their demographics, industry, and natural resources. To discuss North Carolina and World War I, the World War I Podcast hosted Charles Knight, Curator of Military History for the North Carolina Museum of History. Have a comment about this episode? Send us a text message! (Note: we can read texts, but we cannot respond.) Follow us: Twitter: @MacArthur1880 Amanda Williams on Twitter: @AEWilliamsClark Facebook/Instagram: @MacArthurMemorial www.macarthurmemorial.org

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 his regimental HQ. Hitler won his court case, but what do we know about his war service? And, like the other future WWII leaders, how did the crucible of WWI shape him? To discuss Hitler's service in WWI, the World War I Podcast hosted Bob Carruthers, author of Private Hitler's War 1914-1918. Have a comment about this episode? Send us a text message! (Note: we can read texts, but we cannot respond.) Follow us: Twitter: @MacArthur1880 Amanda Williams on Twitter: @AEWilliamsClark Facebook/Instagram: @MacArthurMemorial www.macarthurmemorial.org

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 hosted Bill Mills, author of Agent of the Iron Cross: The Race to Capture German Saboteur-Assassin Lothar Witzke During World War I. Have a comment about this episode? Send us a text message! (Note: we can read texts, but we cannot respond.) The Family Histories PodcastJoin us and our guests as they reveal the fascinating lives of those in their family tree.Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifyFollow us: Twitter: @MacArthur1880 Amanda Williams on Twitter: @AEWilliamsClark Facebook/Instagram: @MacArthurMemorial www.macarthurmemorial.org

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. Ingo Heidbrink, Professor of History at Old Dominion University, a specialist in maritime history.  Have a comment about this episode? Send us a text message! (Note: we can read texts, but we cannot respond.)) Follow us: Twitter: @MacArthur1880 Amanda Williams on Twitter: @AEWilliamsClark Facebook/Instagram: @MacArthurMemorial www.macarthurmemorial.org

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 of the First World War: An Anthology of Lost Voices, and Dr. Jennifer Orth-Veillon, a professor at Georgia Tech - Metz and editor of Beyond Their Limits of Longing: Contemporary Writers and Veterans on the Lingering Stories of WWI. Follow us: Twitter: @MacArthur1880 Amanda Williams on Twitter: @AEWilliamsClark Facebook/Instagram: @MacArthurMemorial www.macarthurmemorial.org

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 would have stretched an estimated 35,000 miles. Trenches play a prominent role in most WWI movies. They are often depicted as sites of suffering, terror, and boredom. But what was day to day life really like in the trenches? How do the movies get this right or wrong? To explore this topic, the World War I Podcast welcomed Andrew Robertshaw, a historian, archaeologist, and a film advisor, to the podcast.  Follow us: Twitter: @MacArthur1880 Amanda Williams on Twitter: @AEWilliamsClark Facebook/Instagram: @MacArthurMemorial www.macarthurmemorial.org

Part IIIn early October 1918, several companies of the US 77th Division found themselves surrounded in the Argonne Forest during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive.  Led by Major Charles Whittlesey, the Lost Battalion, as it came to be known, survived a hellish six days. It's a story many are aware of – but like most such stories – it's likely that the popular version we are familiar with doesn't have the richness or nuance of what actually happened. To explore the story of the Lost Battalion, the World War I Podcast hosted Robert J. Laplander, author of Finding the Lost Battalion: Beyond the Rumors, Myths and Legend of America's WWI Epic.  Follow us: Twitter: @MacArthur1880 Amanda Williams on Twitter: @AEWilliamsClark Facebook/Instagram: @MacArthurMemorial www.macarthurmemorial.org

Part IIn early October 1918, several companies of the US 77th Division found themselves surrounded in the Argonne Forest during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive.  Led by Major Charles Whittlesey, the Lost Battalion, as it came to be known, survived a hellish six days. It's a story many are aware of – but like most such stories – it's likely that the popular version we are familiar with doesn't have the richness or nuance of what actually happened. To explore the story of the Lost Battalion, the World War I Podcast hosted Robert J. Laplander, author of Finding the Lost Battalion: Beyond the Rumors, Myths and Legend of America's WWI Epic.  Follow us: Twitter: @MacArthur1880 Amanda Williams on Twitter: @AEWilliamsClark Facebook/Instagram: @MacArthurMemorial www.macarthurmemorial.org

Between September 1814 and June 1815, against the backdrop of Napoleon's exile to Elba and his brief return, the Congress of Vienna worked out a new way to balance the power of the Great Powers and avoid future conflict. This system was called the Concert of Europe. It was supposed to keep the peace, and indeed, on the eve of World War I, many people in Europe were celebrating a century of relative peace on the continent – a golden age of European power and civilization. There had been regional conflicts in Europe and colonial wars, but nothing on the scale of the Napoleonic Wars. And yet, what started as a small regional conflict in 1914 spiraled quickly into world war. WWI was a war with a long fuse. Was the Congress of Vienna and the system it set up a long-term root cause of the war? Was a system designed to keep the peace the instrument that disrupted the peace? To discuss these questions, the World War I Podcast sat down with Professor Greg Jackson, creator, host, and head writer of the US history podcast, History That Doesn't Suck and star of the live tour THE UNLIKELY UNION.Tour Dates — History That Doesn't Suck (htdspodcast.com) Follow us: Twitter: @MacArthur1880 Amanda Williams on Twitter: @AEWilliamsClark Facebook/Instagram: @MacArthurMemorial www.macarthurmemorial.org

In 1914, as German forces quickly outmaneuvered Allied armies in the opening days of the war, there was some suspicion among the Allies that the circuses that had traveled around Europe in the years before the war – many of which were owned by German families or had German names – had helped prepare the German army by perfecting the art of rapid and efficient mobilization and transport. Even Americans – not yet involved in the war – suspected this to be the case and looked at circuses like the Ringling Brothers with suspicion. Was this true? Did armies prior to World War I study circus logistics? If so, how did they adapt this expertise?  To help explore this topic, the World War I hosted Matthew Fraas, Education Specialist at the U.S. Army Transportation Museum.US Army Transportation Corps Museum Home Page Follow us: Twitter: @MacArthur1880 Amanda Williams on Twitter: @AEWilliamsClark Facebook/Instagram: @MacArthurMemorial www.macarthurmemorial.org

When World War I began, the famed historian, sociologist, and civil rights activist W.E.B. Du Bois was at the height of his influence. When the United States entered the war, he encouraged African Americans to “close ranks” and support the Allied cause. Tasked with writing a definitive history of the African American soldier in World War I, Du Bois ultimately came to be haunted by his support for the war. The manuscript for that project remains unpublished. To discuss Du Bois and World War I, the World War I Podcast hosted Dr. Chad L. Williams, author of The Wounded World: W.E.B. Du Bois and the First World War.  Follow us: Twitter: @MacArthur1880 Amanda Williams on Twitter: @AEWilliamsClark Facebook/Instagram: @MacArthurMemorial www.macarthurmemorial.org

In the winter of 1918, General John J. Pershing presented then Brigadier General Douglas MacArthur with his second Distinguished Service Cross. The award was for actions in France at the Côte de Châtillon between October 14-16, 1918. The citation ends with an interesting sentence: “On a field where courage was the rule, his courage was the dominant feature.” What happened there? What do we know about the circumstances behind this award? To answer these questions, MacArthur Memorial historians Amanda Williams and Jim Zobel sat down to discuss this WWI chapter in Douglas MacArthur's career. FormativeWhere the leaders of today are interviewed by leaders of tomorrow! Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify Follow us: Twitter: @MacArthur1880 Amanda Williams on Twitter: @AEWilliamsClark Facebook/Instagram: @MacArthurMemorial www.macarthurmemorial.org

In 1890, half of the US Government's budget was devoted to disability pensions for Civil War veterans. This enormous financial burden combined with medical advances led to a different approach when it came to the US Army's care of wounded soldiers in World War I. Far from the passive convalescent homes of previous wars, in World War I the US Army's commitment to rehabilitation would mark a new chapter in the care of the wounded. To share the story of these rehabilitation programs, the World War I Podcast hosted Dr. Sanders Marble of the Office of Medical History, US Army Medical Command.  Follow us: Twitter: @MacArthur1880 Amanda Williams on Twitter: @AEWilliamsClark Facebook/Instagram: @MacArthurMemorial www.macarthurmemorial.org

Between 1914-1916, Portugal walked a delicate line. While actively engaged in an undeclared war with Germany in Africa, Portugal was not a combatant in Europe, nor did it officially declare neutrality. It stayed out of the war, but it provided support in a variety of ways to Britain – its historical ally. Britain hoped to maintain this arrangement for the duration of the war. In contrast, the Portuguese government was anxious to join the war. In March 1916, it got its way. By 1917, the Portuguese Expeditionary Corps (CEP) was fighting in France. In the decades after WWI, the dominant trend in scholarship was to view the CEP as incapable and even cowardly. More recent scholarship provides a more balanced picture of the CEP. To further explore Portugal and the CEP in WWI the World War I Podcast hosted Dr. Jesse Pyles, an expert on the CEP. History Nerds UnitedLet's make history fun again! Come listen to interviews with award winning authors,...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify Follow us: Twitter: @MacArthur1880 Amanda Williams on Twitter: @AEWilliamsClark Facebook/Instagram: @MacArthurMemorial www.macarthurmemorial.org

When WWI began in 1914, Catholic priests were virtual pariahs in France. This was the result of a trend towards anti-clericalism that began with the French Revolution and continued in fits and starts into the 20th century. Prior to WWI, to further eliminate perceived privilege, France's Third Republic made priests eligible for military service. Ironically though, this attempt to erase them as a distinct social class provided French priests the opportunity to be seen as patriots. Tens of thousands of priests served in the French Army during WWI – alongside nearly 2/3's of France's male population. To explore this novel chapter in WWI history, the World War I podcast was joined by Dr. Anita Rasi May, author of Patriot Priests: French Catholic Clergy and National Identity in World War I.  Follow us: Twitter: @MacArthur1880 Amanda Williams on Twitter: @AEWilliamsClark Facebook/Instagram: @MacArthurMemorial www.macarthurmemorial.org

On Feb. 8, 2022, a local undertaker was digging a grave in the cemetery at Villers-sur-Fère, a small village in northeastern France near the Ourcq River, where the U.S. Army's 42d Infantry Division pushed back German forces in 1918. At about four feet down, the undertaker unearthed human bones. He didn't know it at the time, but he had found an American Doughboy. Michael G. Knapp, Director of Historical Services for the American Battle Monuments Commission, joined the World War I Podcast to discuss the identification process and what we know about this soldier.  The soldier will be buried with full military honors in the Oise-Aisne American Cemetery on June 7, 2023. Livestream link: Unknown U.S. WWI Soldier Burial Ceremony at Oise-Aisne American Cemetery, France - YouTube  Follow us: Twitter: @MacArthur1880 Amanda Williams on Twitter: @AEWilliamsClark Facebook/Instagram: @MacArthurMemorial www.macarthurmemorial.org

On October 8, 1918, seventeen American soldiers of Company G, 2nd Battalion, 328th Infantry, 82nd Division flanked a German machine gun nest, surprising and capturing dozens of German soldiers. Acting Corporal Alvin York – a conscientious objector turned warrior – was credited with leading the squad and singlehandedly killing 20 Germans, knocking out 35 machine guns, and capturing 132. York later received the Medal of Honor for this action, and his exploits were forever immortalized in the 1941 movie Sergeant York, starring Gary Cooper. The World War I Podcast covered the story of York in an episode in 2017, but since then, there has been additional scholarship. What about the other sixteen members of the patrol? What role did they play in the action? Why is so little known about them? Is there more to the story? To answer these questions, the World War I Podcast welcomed James P. Gregory Jr. to the podcast. Gregory is a PhD candidate and the author of Unraveling the Myth of Sgt. York: The Other Sixteen.  Follow us: Twitter: @MacArthur1880 Amanda Williams on Twitter: @AEWilliamsClark Facebook/Instagram: @MacArthurMemorial www.macarthurmemorial.org

In F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby tells the novel's narrator about his World War I military service and a particularly heroic engagement in the Argonne Forest. He ends his story by explaining: “I was promoted to be a major, and every Allied government gave me a decoration – even Montenegro, little Montenegro down on the Adriatic Sea.” The decoration he displays is the Order of Prince Danilo I. Fitzgerald's description of the award might not be the most accurate, but it is a real order and members of the AEF did receive it.  To discuss the order and it's AEF recipients, the World War I Podcast talked with Dr. Frank Blazich, Military History Curator at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.  Dr. Blazich is an expert on the AEF recipients of the Order of Prince Danilo I and is also a contemporary recipient of the award.  Follow us: Twitter: @MacArthur1880 Amanda Williams on Twitter: @AEWilliamsClark Facebook/Instagram: @MacArthurMemorial www.macarthurmemorial.org

The Battle of Gallipoli was fought on the Gallipoli Peninsula from February 19, 1915 to January 9, 1916. The Entente Powers hoped to knock the Ottoman Empire out of the war by seizing control of the Dardanelles and then putting the capital city of Constantinople in the crosshairs. The goal was to break the stalemate on the Western Front, relieve pressure on Russia, and ensure access to the Black Sea. The operation was a brainchild of Winston Churchill and the landings on April 25, 1915, involved the use of ANZAC troops. After months of difficult fighting, the Allied troops were withdrawn in defeat. Despite this defeat, historians point to Gallipoli as a pivotal moment in the formation of a national consciousness in Australia and New Zealand. Similarly, the Ottoman victory had a profound impact on the formation of modern Turkey.  To examine the Battle of Gallipoli from the Ottoman and Turkish perspectives the World War I Podcast hosted Dr. Yucel Yanikdag, Professor of History at the University of Richmond and an expert on Turkey, the Ottoman Empire and World War I.  Follow us: Twitter: @MacArthur1880 Amanda Williams on Twitter: @AEWilliamsClark Facebook/Instagram: @MacArthurMemorial www.macarthurmemorial.org

When WWI broke out in 1914, women in eight states – mostly in the west – had the right to vote. Women in the other 40 states that made up the US at that time did not have the right to vote. America's involvement in the war spurred on many suffragists – who while not all united in their response to the war – viewed with hope President Woodrow Wilson's framing of America's involvement in World War I as a defense of democracy. They hoped such a commitment to democracy would encourage accountability at home – for how could you make the world safe for democracy with half the nation disenfranchised? As with the Preparedness movement and the war, Wilson's public position on women's suffrage evolved during his two terms. To discuss this evolution and Wilson's role in women's suffrage, the World War I Podcast hosted Andrew Phillips, curator of the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library in Staunton, VA. Follow us: Twitter: @MacArthur1880 Amanda Williams on Twitter: @AEWilliamsClark Facebook/Instagram: @MacArthurMemorial www.macarthurmemorial.org

The ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920 removed obstacles to American women exercising their right to vote, but it didn't happen without a fight - and the final stage of that fight took place against the backdrop of World War I.  Unlike their British counterparts who largely paused their activism during the war, some American suffragists redoubled their efforts during the war. To discuss American women and the fight for suffrage during World War I and its immediate aftermath, the World War I Podcast interviewed Tina Cassidy, author of Mr. President, How Long Must We Wait?: Alice Paul, Woodrow Wilson, and the Fight for the Right to Vote. Follow us: Twitter: @MacArthur1880 Amanda Williams on Twitter: @AEWilliamsClark Facebook/Instagram: @MacArthurMemorial www.macarthurmemorial.org

In 2022, US Army COL Charles Young was posthumously promoted to brigadier general – a rank he likely would have advanced to during World War I. In 1917 he was the highest ranking African American officer in the US Army. A veteran of the 1916 Mexican Expedition, his name even appeared on a list of the campaign's officers that GEN John J. Pershing recommended for future brigade command. Then, months into World War I, he was controversially sidelined after failing a medical exam. To discuss Young's career and why he was sidelined in World War I, the World War I Podcast hosted Dr. David Kilroy, author of For Race and Country: The Life and Career of Colonel Charles Young. Follow us: Twitter: @MacArthur1880 Amanda Williams on Twitter: @AEWilliamsClark Facebook/Instagram: @MacArthurMemorial www.macarthurmemorial.org

Part 3 of 3. Andrew Phillps, curator of the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library in Staunton, VA returns to the World War I Podcast to discuss Wilson and the aftermath of World War I as well as Wilson's legacy as a wartime president. This is the last interview in a series of discussions that examined Woodrow Wilson's presidency and World War I.Learn more about the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library: https://www.woodrowwilson.org/  Follow us: Twitter: @MacArthur1880 Amanda Williams on Twitter: @AEWilliamsClark Facebook/Instagram: @MacArthurMemorial www.macarthurmemorial.org

Part 2 of 3. Andrew Phillps, curator of the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library in Staunton, VA returns to the World War I Podcast to discuss Wilson's evolving response to World War I and his role as a wartime president.  This is the second of several interviews that examines Woodrow Wilson's presidency and World War I. Learn more about the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library: https://www.woodrowwilson.org/  Follow us: Twitter: @MacArthur1880 Amanda Williams on Twitter: @AEWilliamsClark Facebook/Instagram: @MacArthurMemorial www.macarthurmemorial.org

Part 1 of 3. Woodrow Wilson - the professor turned president and a very complicated figure in American history. He campaigned to be a domestic policy president and later in favor of neutrality but ended up a wartime president. WWI is a fascinating moment in the history and evolution of the American presidency, and Wilson is at the heart of that. To explore this topic,  we will be joined by Andrew Phillips, curator of the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library in Staunton, VA for a special three-part series. The first part of the series will trace the Wilson's meteoric rise – from his days as a professor to his political career and his vision of the role of the American president. Future podcasts will focus on Wilson during WWI, and then Wilson in the aftermath of WWI.Learn more about the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library: https://www.woodrowwilson.org/  Follow us: Twitter: @MacArthur1880 Amanda Williams on Twitter: @AEWilliamsClark Facebook/Instagram: @MacArthurMemorial www.macarthurmemorial.org

In 1899, Queen Victoria decided to send a small brass box containing chocolate to her soldiers fighting in the Boer War. Approximately 123,000 of these gifts were distributed. They were well received and are a fascinating part of material culture from that war. World War I would see a similar royal gift – but this gift would not be directly from the sovereign – it would be part of a campaign led by King George V's daughter, Princess Mary. To discuss Princess Mary's Christmas Gift, the World War I Podcast hosted Professor Peter Doyle, historian and author of For Every Sailor Afloat, Every Soldier at the Front: Princess Mary's Christmas Gift 1914.  Follow us: Twitter: @MacArthur1880 Amanda Williams on Twitter: @AEWilliamsClark Facebook/Instagram: @MacArthurMemorial www.macarthurmemorial.org

During WWI, efforts were made on all sides to provide servicemen with identity tags to assist with identifying remains. This helped in some cases, but given the nature of the battlefields, many bodies were never recovered or were not identifiable. These servicemen made the greatest ultimate sacrifice. They not only sacrificed their lives – they sacrificed their identity. They are the “unknowns.” After WWI, many families had to deal with not just the loss of a servicemember but the idea that they would likely never know the final resting place of their loved one. In response to this collective loss, some nations constructed tombs to honor the unknowns. America's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier stands in the Memorial Amphitheatre of Arlington National Cemetery. It overlooks Washington, D.C. and is guarded 24/7 by soldiers of The Old Guard, the US Army 3rd Infantry Regiment. To explore the WWI origins of this tomb, the World War I Podcast spoke with Gavin McIlvenna, Co-Founder and Past President of the Society of the Honor Guard, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (SHGTUS).  Follow us: Twitter: @MacArthur1880 Amanda Williams on Twitter: @AEWilliamsClark Facebook/Instagram: @MacArthurMemorial www.macarthurmemorial.org

Africa is sometimes referred to as a “sideshow” of World War I, but that label is misleading.  As with modern Europe, it is impossible to understand modern Africa without understanding it's experience of WWI.  The Cameroon Campaign of 1914-1916 was a campaign fought in West Africa that involved engagements on land as well as a successful amphibious operation. It lasted a mere 18 months, but it continues to have a significant impact today on Nigeria and Cameroon. To discuss the Cameroon Campaign, the World War I Podcast hosted Adeboye Tinubu, a PhD candidate at the University of Calgary and a specialist in the Cameroon Campaign and the Nigerian soldiers who fought in the campaign.  Follow us on: Twitter: @MacArthur1880 Facebook: @MacArthurMemorial Instagram: @MacArthurMemorial www.macarthurmemorial.org

At the turn of the 20th Century, many in the West were quite confident that they were living in the most civilized era in history. Progress had at last won out over barbarism – or so it seemed. Then the battlefields of World War I quickly proved a charnel house – challenging not just the belief in man's progress, but the limits of modern medicine. And yet, the horrors of the battlefield prompted a wave of medical innovations that form the basis of modern medicine today. To discuss this evolution in medicine, the World War I podcast interviewed Dr. Thomas Helling, a Professor of Surgery and head of General Surgery at the University of Mississippi in Jackson. He is an expert on military medicine, trauma and critical care, and the author of The Great War and the Birth of Modern Medicine. 

WWI saw a dramatic evolution in the technical collection of intelligence. From the start, SIGINT – the interception of communication signals – played a major role in the war.  As the war went on, it was clear that secure communications could mean the difference between victory or defeat. This led to the rise of code interceptors, code makers and code breakers. When the US Army arrived on the battlefields of France, it had to quickly find ways to encrypt its communications. One solution was to use Native American languages to transmit information. Today, many are familiar with the Navajo Code Talkers of WWII, but few know that Native Americans served as Code Talkers in WWI. To discuss the WWI Code Talkers, the WWI History Podcast hosted Dr. William C. Meadows, Professor of Sociology and Anthropology at Missouri State University and author of The First Code Talkers: Native American Communicators in World War I. 

America's path to World War I was complicated. Although committed to a nominal policy of neutrality for most of the war, the pre-war years for America involved an internal battle over the nation's future. Most could agree that America should have a more dynamic international role – but that meant different things to different people – and it wasn't just a debate between the traditional interests or political parties. Powerful progressive forces splintered over the nation's response to the war. To discuss America's entry into WWI in the context of this debate – the World War I Podcast sat down with Dr. Neil Lanctot, author of The Approaching Storm: Roosevelt, Wilson, Addams and Their Clash Over America's Future. 

Prior to World War I, most people regarded the National Guard as the militia, not as a valuable part of the nation's strategic reserve. The 1916 National Defense Act – a piece of legislation that a young officer named Douglas MacArthur helped the US Army lobby for – would lay the groundwork for National Guard units to be activated into Federal service. In 1917, as the United States prepared to fight in Europe, National Guard units across the country were activated into Federal service. Maine's 103rd Infantry Regiment was one of these units and it would see service in France as part of the 26th Division. Known as the “Yankee Division,” the 26th would see considerable combat in France during the war. To discuss the experience of the 103rd Infantry Regiment during World War I, the World War I Podcast interviewed Captain Jonathan Bratten, command historian of the Maine Army National Guard and author of To the Last Man: A National Guard Regiment in the Great War. If you'd like to read To the Last Man, a free download is available: https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Portals/7/combat-studies-institute/csi-books/to-the-last-man.pdf. You can also request a hard copy by emailing: usarmy.leavenworth.tradoc.mbx.armyu-aup-rp@army.mil 

The World War I Podcast is going on a brief hiatus for a month. During this short break though – feel free to keep sending in topic suggestions or if you're an author or publisher, keep sending those review copies. If you visit the Memorial's website, you can also fill out a suggestion form online. We can't cover everything and the volume of requests is high – but listeners play a really important role in helping us identify unique and interesting topics – and we enjoy hearing from you.Thanks for supporting the podcast. We will be back in June 2022!  

Throughout history, war has had a profound impact on the natural environment. It is frequently linked with famine, pollution, and other ecological disruptions that lead to disease or plagues of pests. Often however, we tend to think of the environmental impact of a conflict as limited to the area of the actual battlefield. The Western Front battlefields of WWI seem like the perfect examples of ecological disaster – and yet – the damage to rivers, fields, and forests in these areas was not the only environmental impact of the war. Radiating from the European epicenter of the conflict and making it a truly global war, was a scramble by all the warring powers for the natural resources needed to power the war effort. To discuss the global environmental impact of WWI, the World War I Podcast hosted Dr. Tait Keller, Associate Professor and Chair of History at Rhodes College and an expert on how warfare and energy extraction evolved during WWI. 

When World War I began in Europe, American journalists rushed to cover the war. Most assumed they would cover the new war as they had covered other wars, but the scale, brutality, and duration of the war required a more diverse and comprehensive type of war coverage. As Europe fully mobilized and the boundaries between battlefield and homefront blurred, many editors sought to capture a more complete picture of the war by also exploring the war from a “woman's angle.” To discuss this “angle,” and the American women who covered the war,  the World War I Podcast hosted Chris Dubbs, author of An Unladylike Profession: American Women War Correspondents in World War I. 

The Tour de France is one of the greatest endurance competitions in the world. An annual multi-stage men's bicycle race, the Tour takes riders through France, and occasionally through neighboring countries. The competition began in 1903 and 2022 will see the 109th edition of the race. Only WWI and WWII have cancelled the competition. In the case of WWI, the Tour returned roughly seven months after the war ended. This 1919 Tour took place at a very interesting moment – as people in France grappled with the emotional, psychological, logistical, and political end of the war. To discuss the 1919 Tour de France and this particular moment in the aftermath of WWI, the World War I podcast hosted Adin Dobkin, author of Sprinting Through No Mans Land: Endurance, Tragedy, and Rebirth in the 1919 Tour de France.

When World War I began in Europe, American journalists rushed to cover the war. The decades prior to 1914 had been filled with colonial conflicts, revolutions and wars around the world. Many reporters assumed they would cover the new war in Europe as they had covered other wars. However, the scale, brutality, and duration of World War I forced journalists to rewrite the traditional rules of reporting and to find creative ways to access information about the war to try to keep the American public informed. To discuss the stories of these reporters and their coverage of World War I, the World War I Podcast hosted Chris Dubbs, a military historian and journalist, and the author of American Journalists in the Great War. 

During World War I, General John J. Pershing considered Douglas MacArthur his finest battlefield commander and George Marshall his finest staff officer. Pershing preferred Marshall to MacArthur but acknowledged that they were very different men. To Pershing, Marshall had a military mind, while MacArthur had a warrior mind. The military mind exists, according to Samuel P. Huntington, “in a world of grays.” In contrast, MacArthur's warrior mind was “one of blacks and whites and loud and clashing colors.”While both men would go on to have a very long, very consequential working relationship, some MacArthur biographers suggest that their World War I service sowed a seed of antagonism that had major consequences in the future. Is this true?? What happened between them in World War I?? To answer this question, Jim Zobel and Amanda Williams sat down to discuss the Marshall/MacArthur relationship during this period.

World War I had a profound effect on the French wine industry.  The Champagne wine region was a battleground for most of the war. In addition, the loss of markets, labor shortages and production problems presented huge challenges for the industry. Despite these challenges, wine was a growing part of French national identity.  It also played a daily role in the war. French soldiers received a daily wine ration because French military leaders and doctors considered wine a fortifying tool that increased combat effectiveness. To discuss France, wine, and World War I, the World War I Podcast recently hosted Walter Wolf III—a lawyer, military historian, and wine expert.

Today when most people think of the USMC in WWI, they think about Belleau Wood. They don't tend to think of the role Marines played in taking Blanc Mont in the Champagne sector in 1918. The French understood the importance of Blanc Mont, but World War I historians tend to devote just a sentence or a footnote to the battle. To discuss the story of the Marines at Blanc Mont, we sat down with Lieutenant Colonel Peter F. Owen, USMC (ret.) and Lieutenant Colonel John Swift, USMC (ret.), co-authors of the book A Hideous Price: The 4th Brigade at Blanc Mont 2-10 October 1918. 

When the US entered World War I, Douglas MacArthur was a major attached to the US Army General Staff. About 14 months later, he was a brigadier general. Prior to the war's conclusion in November 1918, he was on the verge of a promotion to major general. Wartime promotions in the National Army raised many career officers like MacArthur, George Marshall, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and George Patton several grades. After the war though, these officers typically reverted back to their pre-war rank in the Regular Army. MacArthur was an exception. He would spend the next several decades as a general officer. Jim Zobel and Amanda Williams of the MacArthur Memorial recently sat down together to discuss circumstances behind these World War I promotions - and whether or not they were warranted or influenced by family connections.