Podcasts about first world war

In this episode, we explore the role of British Army Chaplains during the First World War, examining who they were, what duties they performed at the front, and how effective they were in the brutal conditions of the Great War. We also ask whether chaplains are commemorated on their own permanent memorial today.We then tackle a persistent myth of the First World War: were German machine-gunners really chained to their weapons, or was this story a product of wartime propaganda? Using historical evidence, we separate fact from fiction.Next, we investigate why certain sectors of the Western Front were far more heavily mined than others, looking at terrain, strategy, and the evolution of trench warfare. Finally, we discuss how war graves were photographed by the Imperial War Graves Commission during and immediately after the conflict, and whether these powerful images still survive in archival collections today.This episode delves into lesser-known aspects of the Western Front, combining military history, myth-busting, remembrance, and the legacy of the First World War.Long, Long, Trail website: British Army Chaplains Department.Book's on Army Chaplain's Department:“Muddling Through: The Organisation of British Army Chaplaincy in World War One” by Peter Howson (Helion 2013)“God On Our Side: The British Padre in World War One” by Michael Moynihan (Leo Cooper 1983)Books on Wargrave Photography:Photographing the Fallen: A Wargraves Photographer on the Western Front by Jeremy Gordon Smith (Pen & Sword 2017)Sign up for the free podcast newsletter here: Old Front Line Bulletin.You can order Old Front Line Merch via The Old Front Line Shop.Got a question about this episode or any others? Drop your question into the Old Front Line Discord Server or email the podcast.Send us a textSupport the show

Is the First World War slowly fading from public memory, or has our relationship with the Great War simply changed? In this episode, Are We Forgetting The First World War?, we explore how interest in WW1 has grown, shifted, and adapted over the last forty years, and what the future may hold.We begin in the 1980s, with the formation and growth of the Western Front Association, a turning point that helped revive serious public interest in the First World War. From there, we chart the expansion of family history research, as available records and personal archives encouraged millions to reconnect with relatives who served. We also reflect on the passing of the last surviving First World War veterans, a deeply symbolic moment that changed how the war is remembered and commemorated.The episode then examines the rise of battlefield tourism, local history projects, and public engagement that laid the foundations for the First World War Centenary (2014–2018), a period of unprecedented books, documentaries, exhibitions, podcasts, and community remembrance.But what happened after the centenary ended? We explore the unexpected “Covid bonus”, when lockdowns sparked a surge in WW1 podcasts, YouTube channels, online talks, and digital history projects, bringing the Great War to new audiences in new ways.Finally, we ask where we are today. Is interest in the First World War declining, fragmenting, or evolving? And crucially, what can historians, educators, content creators, and enthusiasts do to ensure the First World War is not forgotten?Sign up for the free podcast newsletter here: Old Front Line Bulletin.You can order Old Front Line Merch via The Old Front Line Shop.Got a question about this episode or any others? Drop your question into the Old Front Line Discord Server or email the podcast.Send us a textSupport the show

In the turbulent years following the conclusion of the First World War, a young Romanian law student named Corneliu Zelea Codreanu becomes utterly convinced that his nation is under threat by a Jewish-Communist conspiracy. Inspired by the success of the Italian fascists, Codreanu begins working to create a similar right-wing movement in his own country. Email me: perspectivesinhistorypod@gmail.com Podcast Website Follow me on Twitter Facebook Page Buy Some Used Books Bibliography Clark, Roland. Holy Legionary Youth: Fascist Activism in Interwar Romania. Cornell University Press, 2015 Codreanu, Cornelieu Zelea. For My Legionaries. Black House Publishing Ltd, 2015 Hitchins, Keith. A Concise History of Romania. Cambridge University Press, 2014 Ioanid, Radu. The Sword of the Archangel: Fascist Ideology in Romania. Columbia University Press, 1990 Iordachi, Constantin. The Fascist Faith of the Legion “Archangel Michael” in Romania, 1927-1941: Martyrdom and National Purification. Routledge, 2023 Kaplan, Robert D. Balkan Ghosts: A Journey Through History. Picador, 2005. Nagy-Talavera, Nicholas. The Green Shirts and the Others: A History of Fascism in Hungary and Romania. Hoover Institution Press, 1970.  Tiu, Ilarion. The Legionary Movement after Corneliu Codreanu. Columbia University Press, 2009 Sturdza, Michel. The Suicide of Europe: Memoirs of Prince Michel Sturdza, Former Foreign Minister of Rumania. Islands Publishers, 1968. Sima, Horia. The History of the Legionary Movement. The Legionary Press, 1995 Cover Image: Romanian prime minister Ion Antonescu and deputy prime minister Horia Sima at a demonstration memorializing Corneliu Zelea Codreanu, the late founder of the Iron Guard. (Bucharest, Romania. October, 1940.) Closing Theme: “Sfanta Tinerete Legionara,” (Hymn of the Legionary Youth) 

THE AMATEUR SPIES AND THE 1934 DINNER Colleague Charles Spicer. In December 1934, Ernest Tennant, a British banker deeply scarred by the loss of friends and family in the First World War, attended a pivotal dinner in Berlin with Adolf Hitler and Joachim von Ribbentrop. Tennant, along with fellow protagonist Philip Conwell-Evans, sought to prevent another continental war by fostering closer ties between British and German society through organizations like the Anglo-German Fellowship. Ribbentrop, an Anglophile who had lived in London, used these social connections to move decision-makers closer to the Nazi leadership, exploiting the fact that the British government initially viewed Hitler with disdain and had not engaged him diplomatically. The narrative introduces the Travelers Clubin London as a hub for these internationalists and intelligence figures, setting the stage for a story of amateur espionage aimed at civilizing a regime that would eventually launch a predatory war. NUMBER 1 1945 NUREMBERG PROSECUTION

THE 1936 OLYMPICS AND DIPLOMATIC GAMES Colleague Charles Spicer. During the 1936 Berlin Olympics, the Nazi regime launched a charm offensive, wining and dining officials like Vansittart, who returned to Londonalarmed yet somewhat placated by Hitler's apparent desire for peace. Ribbentrop, desperate for promotion, hosted lavish events but was viewed by British diplomats as an intellectual lightweight and socially insecure. In a significant diplomatic maneuver, the Anglo-German Fellowship circumvented Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin's refusal to meet Hitler by arranging for former Prime Minister David Lloyd George to visit the dictator. Lloyd George, a political titan and the man who had won the First World War, was seen as an ideal figure to build rapport and potentially civilize the German leadership. NUMBER 4 1945-46 KESSELRING ACCUSED

In this episode of the Western Front Association's Mentioned in Dispatches, acclaimed author Daniel Kraus discusses his novel Angel Down — a haunting, formally ambitious reimagining of the First World War told through a single, continuous sentence. The book explores themes of survival, selfishness, the supernatural and the staggering human cost of mechanised slaughter, immersing readers in the moral chaos of war. Published by Simon & Schuster

Can a film about the First World War work without trenches or battles? In this episode of Oh What a Lovely Podcast, Angus, Jessica and Chris discuss the 2025 film The Choral, which uses song, performance and collective experience to explore the impact of the First World War on a northern English community. We talk about what the film gets right, where it challenges expectations, and how it fits into wider portrayals of the war on screen.

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On the 7th of June 1917, during the First World War, the village of Messines, Belgium, was rocked to its core by a massive earthquake... or at least, that's what the German soldiers occupying the area thought it was. It was only when they saw the bodies of their comrades flung into the sky, which was burning orange with flames, that they suddenly realized this was no earthquake… this was a blast! One so huge it annihilated some 10,000 German soldiers, injured thousands more, and produced shockwaves felt as far away as France! But the most incredible part was that the explosion hadn't come from a bomb or artillery that rained down from above – it had originated from right under their feet. How on earth had something capable of an explosion of this magnitude gone completely undetected by so many men? The answer lay deep underground. This was where a specialist unit of Canadian, Australian, New Zealand and British tunnellers had worked tirelessly to set up one of the largest man-made explosions in all of human history. While the horrors of the trenches have been well documented, the story of these tunnellers isn't as widely known, though it's arguably even more harrowing. So, get ready, because I promise what you're about to learn about these amazing men will blow you away! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode of The Old Front Line, we explore how individual lives and institutions reveal the human realities of the First World War.We begin by asking why only three officers were Shot at Dawn during the war, and what this striking disparity tells us about military justice, discipline, and class within the British Army.We then turn to the work of the Australian Wounded and Missing Enquiry Bureau, examining how its innovative and compassionate approach - under the leadership of Vera Deakin - sought to uncover the fate of the missing and bring answers to grieving families.Next, we consider how the experience of war shaped the men who served in the First World War, and question whether their post-war identities and challenges were truly unique, or part of a broader historical pattern.Finally, we analyse the Battle of Manchester Hill in March 1918, assessing its significance and discussing the possible fate of Lieutenant Colonel Wilfrith Elstob VC, who commanded the defence during the German Spring Offensive.Shot at Dawn episode: Shot At Dawn - Old Front Line.Sign up for the free podcast newsletter here: Old Front Line Bulletin.You can order Old Front Line Merch via The Old Front Line Shop.Got a question about this episode or any others? Drop your question into the Old Front Line Discord Server or email the podcast.Send us a textSupport the show

Did the Christmas Truce - which saw a number of unofficial ceasefires between the combatants of the First World War, during the Christmas of 1914 - really occur, or was it a myth? What is the real story behind this legendary event? And, did German and British soldiers really play football across no-man's land? Join Dominic and Tom as they delve into the history behind one of the most famous and moving events of the First World War. _______ Hive. Know your power. Visit https://hivehome.com to find out more. _______ Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ https://nordvpn.com/restishistory It's risk-free with Nord's 30-day money-back guarantee ✅ _______ Join The Rest Is History Club: Unlock the full experience of the show – with exclusive bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access to every series and live show tickets, a members-only newsletter, discounted books from the show, and access to our private Discord chatroom. Sign up directly at therestishistory.com _______ For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to ⁠www.goalhanger.com⁠ _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Video Editor: Jack Meek Social Producer: Harry Balden Assistant Producer: Aaliyah Akude Producer: Tabby Syrett Senior Producer: Theo Young-Smith Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

During the mid-1930s, Germans opposed to Adolf Hitler had only a limited range of options available to them for resisting the Nazi regime. One of the most creative and successful challengers in this effort was Ernst Fraenkel, who as an attorney sought to use the law as a means of opposing Nazi oppression. In Legal Sabotage: Ernst Fraenkel in Hitler's Germany (Cambridge University Press, 2020), Douglas G. Morris describes the ways in which Frankel stood up to the Nazis and what understandings he drew from that experience. As a veteran of the First World War, Fraenkel survived the initial purge resulting from the implementation of measures designed to bar Jews from practicing law in the Third Reich. Though his legal practice suffered, Fraenkel persisted in defending people prosecuted by the Nazis, and enjoyed success in a number of cases. While the increased restrictions and growing reach of the police state ultimately forced Fraenkel to emigrate in 1938, his experiences as a lawyer played a major role in the development of the “dual state” theory of dictatorship, the only analysis of totalitarianism written from within Nazi Germany and the cornerstone of Fraenkel's contributions to the field of political science. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

During the mid-1930s, Germans opposed to Adolf Hitler had only a limited range of options available to them for resisting the Nazi regime. One of the most creative and successful challengers in this effort was Ernst Fraenkel, who as an attorney sought to use the law as a means of opposing Nazi oppression. In Legal Sabotage: Ernst Fraenkel in Hitler's Germany (Cambridge University Press, 2020), Douglas G. Morris describes the ways in which Frankel stood up to the Nazis and what understandings he drew from that experience. As a veteran of the First World War, Fraenkel survived the initial purge resulting from the implementation of measures designed to bar Jews from practicing law in the Third Reich. Though his legal practice suffered, Fraenkel persisted in defending people prosecuted by the Nazis, and enjoyed success in a number of cases. While the increased restrictions and growing reach of the police state ultimately forced Fraenkel to emigrate in 1938, his experiences as a lawyer played a major role in the development of the “dual state” theory of dictatorship, the only analysis of totalitarianism written from within Nazi Germany and the cornerstone of Fraenkel's contributions to the field of political science. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/german-studies

During the mid-1930s, Germans opposed to Adolf Hitler had only a limited range of options available to them for resisting the Nazi regime. One of the most creative and successful challengers in this effort was Ernst Fraenkel, who as an attorney sought to use the law as a means of opposing Nazi oppression. In Legal Sabotage: Ernst Fraenkel in Hitler's Germany (Cambridge University Press, 2020), Douglas G. Morris describes the ways in which Frankel stood up to the Nazis and what understandings he drew from that experience. As a veteran of the First World War, Fraenkel survived the initial purge resulting from the implementation of measures designed to bar Jews from practicing law in the Third Reich. Though his legal practice suffered, Fraenkel persisted in defending people prosecuted by the Nazis, and enjoyed success in a number of cases. While the increased restrictions and growing reach of the police state ultimately forced Fraenkel to emigrate in 1938, his experiences as a lawyer played a major role in the development of the “dual state” theory of dictatorship, the only analysis of totalitarianism written from within Nazi Germany and the cornerstone of Fraenkel's contributions to the field of political science. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/german-studies

During the mid-1930s, Germans opposed to Adolf Hitler had only a limited range of options available to them for resisting the Nazi regime. One of the most creative and successful challengers in this effort was Ernst Fraenkel, who as an attorney sought to use the law as a means of opposing Nazi oppression. In Legal Sabotage: Ernst Fraenkel in Hitler's Germany (Cambridge University Press, 2020), Douglas G. Morris describes the ways in which Frankel stood up to the Nazis and what understandings he drew from that experience. As a veteran of the First World War, Fraenkel survived the initial purge resulting from the implementation of measures designed to bar Jews from practicing law in the Third Reich. Though his legal practice suffered, Fraenkel persisted in defending people prosecuted by the Nazis, and enjoyed success in a number of cases. While the increased restrictions and growing reach of the police state ultimately forced Fraenkel to emigrate in 1938, his experiences as a lawyer played a major role in the development of the “dual state” theory of dictatorship, the only analysis of totalitarianism written from within Nazi Germany and the cornerstone of Fraenkel's contributions to the field of political science. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/jewish-studies

During the mid-1930s, Germans opposed to Adolf Hitler had only a limited range of options available to them for resisting the Nazi regime. One of the most creative and successful challengers in this effort was Ernst Fraenkel, who as an attorney sought to use the law as a means of opposing Nazi oppression. In Legal Sabotage: Ernst Fraenkel in Hitler's Germany (Cambridge University Press, 2020), Douglas G. Morris describes the ways in which Frankel stood up to the Nazis and what understandings he drew from that experience. As a veteran of the First World War, Fraenkel survived the initial purge resulting from the implementation of measures designed to bar Jews from practicing law in the Third Reich. Though his legal practice suffered, Fraenkel persisted in defending people prosecuted by the Nazis, and enjoyed success in a number of cases. While the increased restrictions and growing reach of the police state ultimately forced Fraenkel to emigrate in 1938, his experiences as a lawyer played a major role in the development of the “dual state” theory of dictatorship, the only analysis of totalitarianism written from within Nazi Germany and the cornerstone of Fraenkel's contributions to the field of political science. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/intellectual-history

During the mid-1930s, Germans opposed to Adolf Hitler had only a limited range of options available to them for resisting the Nazi regime. One of the most creative and successful challengers in this effort was Ernst Fraenkel, who as an attorney sought to use the law as a means of opposing Nazi oppression. In Legal Sabotage: Ernst Fraenkel in Hitler's Germany (Cambridge University Press, 2020), Douglas G. Morris describes the ways in which Frankel stood up to the Nazis and what understandings he drew from that experience. As a veteran of the First World War, Fraenkel survived the initial purge resulting from the implementation of measures designed to bar Jews from practicing law in the Third Reich. Though his legal practice suffered, Fraenkel persisted in defending people prosecuted by the Nazis, and enjoyed success in a number of cases. While the increased restrictions and growing reach of the police state ultimately forced Fraenkel to emigrate in 1938, his experiences as a lawyer played a major role in the development of the “dual state” theory of dictatorship, the only analysis of totalitarianism written from within Nazi Germany and the cornerstone of Fraenkel's contributions to the field of political science. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/european-studies

During the mid-1930s, Germans opposed to Adolf Hitler had only a limited range of options available to them for resisting the Nazi regime. One of the most creative and successful challengers in this effort was Ernst Fraenkel, who as an attorney sought to use the law as a means of opposing Nazi oppression. In Legal Sabotage: Ernst Fraenkel in Hitler's Germany (Cambridge University Press, 2020), Douglas G. Morris describes the ways in which Frankel stood up to the Nazis and what understandings he drew from that experience. As a veteran of the First World War, Fraenkel survived the initial purge resulting from the implementation of measures designed to bar Jews from practicing law in the Third Reich. Though his legal practice suffered, Fraenkel persisted in defending people prosecuted by the Nazis, and enjoyed success in a number of cases. While the increased restrictions and growing reach of the police state ultimately forced Fraenkel to emigrate in 1938, his experiences as a lawyer played a major role in the development of the “dual state” theory of dictatorship, the only analysis of totalitarianism written from within Nazi Germany and the cornerstone of Fraenkel's contributions to the field of political science. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/law

During the mid-1930s, Germans opposed to Adolf Hitler had only a limited range of options available to them for resisting the Nazi regime. One of the most creative and successful challengers in this effort was Ernst Fraenkel, who as an attorney sought to use the law as a means of opposing Nazi oppression. In Legal Sabotage: Ernst Fraenkel in Hitler's Germany (Cambridge University Press, 2020), Douglas G. Morris describes the ways in which Frankel stood up to the Nazis and what understandings he drew from that experience. As a veteran of the First World War, Fraenkel survived the initial purge resulting from the implementation of measures designed to bar Jews from practicing law in the Third Reich. Though his legal practice suffered, Fraenkel persisted in defending people prosecuted by the Nazis, and enjoyed success in a number of cases. While the increased restrictions and growing reach of the police state ultimately forced Fraenkel to emigrate in 1938, his experiences as a lawyer played a major role in the development of the “dual state” theory of dictatorship, the only analysis of totalitarianism written from within Nazi Germany and the cornerstone of Fraenkel's contributions to the field of political science. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/law

During the mid-1930s, Germans opposed to Adolf Hitler had only a limited range of options available to them for resisting the Nazi regime. One of the most creative and successful challengers in this effort was Ernst Fraenkel, who as an attorney sought to use the law as a means of opposing Nazi oppression. In Legal Sabotage: Ernst Fraenkel in Hitler's Germany (Cambridge University Press, 2020), Douglas G. Morris describes the ways in which Frankel stood up to the Nazis and what understandings he drew from that experience. As a veteran of the First World War, Fraenkel survived the initial purge resulting from the implementation of measures designed to bar Jews from practicing law in the Third Reich. Though his legal practice suffered, Fraenkel persisted in defending people prosecuted by the Nazis, and enjoyed success in a number of cases. While the increased restrictions and growing reach of the police state ultimately forced Fraenkel to emigrate in 1938, his experiences as a lawyer played a major role in the development of the “dual state” theory of dictatorship, the only analysis of totalitarianism written from within Nazi Germany and the cornerstone of Fraenkel's contributions to the field of political science.

Traditionally, since 2019, we share the account of Henry Williamson of his experience of the Christmas Truce in the First World War. It concludes with a prayer that, we, divided and broken politically, can come together as the combatants did on the western front in 1914. Today, Lloyd reflects on that story and how we no longer see that same star rising. Armed Lutheran Radio is a listener-supported podcast. If you value the information and entertainment we provide, consider supporting the show by joining our membership site, The Reformation Gun Club! http://gunclub.armedlutheran.us Links of Interest Episode 388 – They Saw the Same Star Rising – https://www.armedlutheran.us/388-2/ Prayer of the Week Lord, we implore You to keep Your household the Church in continual godliness, that through Your protection she may be free from all adversities and devoutly given to serve You in good works; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen. Get in Touch Visit our Feedback Page - http://www.armedlutheran.us/feedback Please tell your friends about us, leave an iTunes review, and like us on Facebook Join our Facebook group - http://www.armedlutheran.us/facebook Subscribe to us and follow us on Youtube - http://www.armedlutheran.us/youtube Check Out More at our Website- http://www.armedlutheran.us Use these Links to Support Armed Lutheran Radio If you value the information and entertainment we provide, consider supporting the show by joining our membership site, or shopping at your favorite online stores using the links below. Check out the other Great Armed Lutheran Books - http://www.ArmedLutheran.us/Books Shop at Amazon* - http://www.armedlutheran.us/amazon Armed Citizens Legal Defense Network - https://www.armedcitizensnetwork.org Disclaimer The links above which are indicated with an asterisk (*) are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Please understand that I have experience with all of these items, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions I make if you decide to buy something. Please do not spend any money on these products unless you feel you need them or that they will help you. New Original Music by Reformer Keep Shooting, Keep Praying, We'll Talk to you Next time!

Long before Prohibition, long before speakeasies and Tommy guns, Pittsburgh's underworld was already taking shape—quietly, violently, and largely unseen.This episode traces the true origins of organized crime in Western Pennsylvania, beginning not with a Mafia family as we know it today, but with knives in an alley, whispered threats, and fear used as a business model. We open on October 28, 1892, when a brutal Sicilian knife duel erupts on a dusty Pittsburgh street—an encounter that nearly kills Salvatore “The Banana King” Catanzaro and sets the tone for everything that follows.From there, the story widens. We travel back to southern Italy and the Mezzogiorno to understand the conditions that shaped the men who would later carry old-world codes of silence, honor, and vengeance across the Atlantic. We follow Italian immigrants into the mills, mines, and boarding houses of Pittsburgh and its surrounding towns—places where law enforcement was distant, protection was unreliable, and fear became currency.At the center of this episode is the rise of the Black Hand. Through contemporaneous newspaper accounts, police reports, and court records, we reconstruct a chilling pattern of extortion, kidnappings, bombings, and assassinations that terrorized Italian communities from the early 1900s through the First World War. Letters marked with daggers and bloody handprints. Demands signed “La Mano Nera.” Victims who paid, victims who vanished, and victims who fought back.We follow real cases that gripped the city: the kidnapping of a Brooklyn child believed hidden in Pittsburgh, assassinations tied to refusal to pay tribute, mining towns paralyzed by fear, and bodies burned or dumped in the hills outside the city. We examine how authorities alternately dismissed, denied, and misunderstood what was happening—even as the violence escalated.Threaded through it all is Salvatore Catanzaro—a man remembered publicly as a successful fruit merchant, civic leader, and pillar of the Italian community, yet whispered about by historians as Pittsburgh's first Mafia boss. We explore his rise from Sicily to America, his near-fatal duel, his quiet accumulation of influence through legitimate business, and the mystery surrounding his true role in the city's early underworld. Was he a padrone who ruled through respect rather than blood? Or a myth retroactively shaped by later generations?By the episode's end, one thing is clear: the Black Hand did not disappear—it evolved. As Prohibition loomed, extortion gave way to bootlegging, and loose networks hardened into organized hierarchies. The foundations of the Pittsburgh Mafia were already in place, built on fear, silence, and survival.This is not a romanticized story. It's a reconstruction—grounded in primary sources—of how organized crime took root in a city better known for steel and smoke than secret societies. And it's the first chapter in a much longer, darker history still to come.

THE IDES OF APRIL A Christmas Assassination: The Death of Rasputin Christmas 1916. Russia is starving. The First World War is grinding the empire into dust. Faith, monarchy, and legitimacy are collapsing in real time. And inside a candlelit palace, a small group of aristocrats convinces itself that killing one man might still save the nation. In this stand-alone holiday episode of The Ides of April, we examine the assassination of Grigori Rasputin—a murder born of fear, myth, and desperation, carried out just days before Christmas, and destined to change nothing.

What happens when a world war collides with centuries of unresolved tension?In the final episode of our mini-series on the Irish Troubles,  Dr Thomas Leahy guides us from the outbreak of the First World War through to the conditions that ignited what we now call the Troubles. This is the turning point — where long-standing fears, loyalties, and political gambles harden into something far more dangerous.We explore how Home Rule was postponed by global conflict, why armed movements emerged on all sides, and how moments like the Easter Rising reshaped Irish and British politics forever. Along the way, we ask difficult questions: when does resistance become rebellion, and how do historical memories turn into modern conflict?This episode connects the dots between past and present, revealing how decisions made under pressure echoed across generations.

Discover the interconnectedness of peddling and factory work, the surprising origins of the Aloha shirt, and the key role Syrian workers played in major labor actions like the 1912 Bread and Roses strike in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Associate Professor of History at the University of California and author of "Unmentionables: Textiles, Garment Work, and the Syrian American Working Class" Dr. Stacy D. Fahrenthold discusses her work which offers a class-conscious history of the Syrian-American diaspora, a community of about half a million people in the 1910s, 1920s and 1930s. While the "peddler" is often the central figure and icon of this diaspora's economic history for over a century, Fahrenthold shifts the focus to the new immigrants who came to the U.S. and found work in the textile industries. The conversation explores the hidden role of Syrian-American garment workers, particularly young women, who produced goods like "kimonos", undergarments, stockings, and household textiles. 0:00 Introducing Unmentionables & Shifting the Icon from Peddler to Laborer0:40 Lawrence, Massachusetts: The Second Largest Arab-American Community1:48 Who Was The Syrian American Working Class?2:41 The Gap in Arab-American Diaspora History3:14 Textiles and Garment Work4:50 The Peddler: Icon vs Reality7:12 Labor Experience In The U.S. vs Greater Syria8:50 Skilled Silk Weavers and First-Time Proletarians10:14 Syrian Workers and Global Labor Movements11:27 The Bread and Roses Strike of 191215:09 Dynamite, Arrests and Militarization of the Syrian Neighborhood19:16 Scale of Syrian Immigration Compared to Other Groups22:14 The Majority of Textile Workers Were Women24:43 The Connection to the Silk Industry in Mount Lebanon27:28 A Look Inside a Syrian-American Garment Factory29:04 The Kimono: Branding and Orientalism31:50 The Effacement of Origins in the Marketplace35:36 Economic and Social Mobility For Syrian-American Families39:03 The Legacy of Syrian-American Textile Companies40:01 The Lebanese Origins of The Aloha Shirt43:14 Marghab Linen and Racial Stereotyping44:22 Geographic Dispersion of Syrian Communities47:09 Illicit Activity and Contraband in the Diaspora49:22 Recommended Readings In Arab-American History Stacy Fahrenthold is a historian of the modern Middle East specializing in labor migration; displacement/refugees; border studies; and diasporas within and from the region. Her new book "Unmentionables: Textiles, Garment Work, and the Syrian American Working Class" examines how Syrian, Lebanese, and Palestinian immigrant workers navigated processes of racialization, immigration restriction, and labor contestation in the textile industries of the Atlantic world. It recently received the Middle East Studies Association's 2025 Nikki Keddie Award for "outstanding scholarly work in religion, revolution, and/or society." Her award-winning first book, "Between the Ottomans and the Entente: The First World War in the Syrian and Lebanese Diaspora" examines the politics of Syrian and Lebanese migration to the Americas during the First World War, the fall of the Ottoman Empire, and the rise of European Mandates in the Middle East. Fahrenthold is Associate Editor of Mashriq & Mahjar: Journal of Middle Eastern and North African Migration Studies. Connect with Stacy D. Fahrenthold

In this special festive edition of Battle Lines, Roland Oliphant and Dominic Nicholls cut through the tinsel to tell a story that actually matters.In aid of, The Not Forgotten, a charity born out of the carnage of the First World War, they are joined by Hari Budha Magar, a Gurkha veteran who lost both his legs while serving in Afghanistan. From a remote village in Nepal to the battlefields of Afghanistan, Harry recounts the moment an IED changed his life and how he rebuilt it again.Join Roland, Dom and Hari for dark humour, blunt honesty and genuine inspiration.Read Jack Rear's profile of Hari Budha Magar: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/christmas-charity-appeal/2025/12/02/first-double-amputee-to-summit-everest/The Not Forgotten is one of The Telegraph's four Christmas charity appeal charities, the others are Motor Neurone Disease Association, Prostate Cancer Research and Canine Partners. You can donate by visiting telegraph.co.uk/appeal2025 or call 0151 317 5247.Producer: Peter ShevlinExecutive Producer: Louisa Wells► Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditorContact us with feedback or ideas:battlelines@telegraph.co.uk @venetiarainey@RolandOliphant Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We return to the subject of Forgotten Memoirs of the First World War and discuss The Years of Remembrance by Harold Maybury which was published in 1924. Maybury served in the ranks of the 2/4th Battalion South Lancashire Regiment in the 57th (2nd West Lancs) Division, on the Western Front in 1917 and 1918. We ask what the book tells us about the experience of the Great War and what value memoirs like these have to our understanding of the conflict.Book: The Years of Remembrance by Harold Maybury (Published by John Walker & Co., Ltd.,, Warrington, UK, 1924)Sign up for the free podcast newsletter here: Old Front Line Bulletin.You can order Old Front Line Merch via The Old Front Line Shop.Got a question about this episode or any others? Drop your question into the Old Front Line Discord Server or email the podcast.Send us a textSupport the show

Welfare Work Without Welfare: Women and Austerity in Interwar Bucharest (De Gruyter Oldenbourg, 2025) argues that women activists, wage workers, and homemakers in the Romanian capital Bucharest became de facto social workers in the interwar period through their "austerity welfare work". Revealing links and tensions between the performers of different types of underpaid or unpaid austerity welfare work, each empirical chapter focuses on a key domain: - knowledge production about social problems by "women welfare activist" (professional social workers, lay experts, left wing militants); - municipal-level social assistance policy, with emphasis on a pioneering generation of women local politicians in shaping welfare practices; - paid household work by underpaid servants; - unpaid household work by homemakers or precariously employed women in working class communities. The book offers a novel interpretation of state-society relations after the First World War, showing that unpaid labor and gender relations were crucial in responding to economic crisis in an Eastern European urban setting and beyond. At once a local and transnational history of women's work, Welfare Work Without Welfare contributes to the historicization of social reproduction work and to the rethinking of the history of welfare states. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Welfare Work Without Welfare: Women and Austerity in Interwar Bucharest (De Gruyter Oldenbourg, 2025) argues that women activists, wage workers, and homemakers in the Romanian capital Bucharest became de facto social workers in the interwar period through their "austerity welfare work". Revealing links and tensions between the performers of different types of underpaid or unpaid austerity welfare work, each empirical chapter focuses on a key domain: - knowledge production about social problems by "women welfare activist" (professional social workers, lay experts, left wing militants); - municipal-level social assistance policy, with emphasis on a pioneering generation of women local politicians in shaping welfare practices; - paid household work by underpaid servants; - unpaid household work by homemakers or precariously employed women in working class communities. The book offers a novel interpretation of state-society relations after the First World War, showing that unpaid labor and gender relations were crucial in responding to economic crisis in an Eastern European urban setting and beyond. At once a local and transnational history of women's work, Welfare Work Without Welfare contributes to the historicization of social reproduction work and to the rethinking of the history of welfare states. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

Welfare Work Without Welfare: Women and Austerity in Interwar Bucharest (De Gruyter Oldenbourg, 2025) argues that women activists, wage workers, and homemakers in the Romanian capital Bucharest became de facto social workers in the interwar period through their "austerity welfare work". Revealing links and tensions between the performers of different types of underpaid or unpaid austerity welfare work, each empirical chapter focuses on a key domain: - knowledge production about social problems by "women welfare activist" (professional social workers, lay experts, left wing militants); - municipal-level social assistance policy, with emphasis on a pioneering generation of women local politicians in shaping welfare practices; - paid household work by underpaid servants; - unpaid household work by homemakers or precariously employed women in working class communities. The book offers a novel interpretation of state-society relations after the First World War, showing that unpaid labor and gender relations were crucial in responding to economic crisis in an Eastern European urban setting and beyond. At once a local and transnational history of women's work, Welfare Work Without Welfare contributes to the historicization of social reproduction work and to the rethinking of the history of welfare states. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/gender-studies

UFOs, UAPs, flying cigars, extraordinary new technologies ... Are we not alone?Award-winning investigative journalist Ross Coulthart has been intrigued by UFOs since mysterious glowing lights were reported near New Zealand's Kaikoura mountains when he was a teenager. The 1978 sighting is just one of thousands since the 1940s, and yet research into UFOs is still seen as the realm of crackpots and conspiracy theorists.In 2020, however, after decades of denial, the US Department of Defence made the astonishing admission that strange aerial and underwater objects frequently reported and videoed by pilots and tracked by sensors are real, unexplained, and pose a genuine national security concern.Compelled to investigate, Coulthart has embarked on what's become the most confronting and challenging story of his career, speaking to witnesses, researchers, scientists, spies and defence and intelligence officials and insiders. What he has found suggests that the world is on the cusp of extraordinary technological breakthroughs and cultural revelations.Bizarre, sometimes mind-blowing and utterly fascinating, In Plain Sight tells a story that's largely escaped the radar of mainstream media coverage but has been there all along. Now it's time to observe what's in front of our eyes.BioMulti-award-winning investigative journalist with over three decades experience in newspapers and television, including reporting for The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper, ABC TV Four Corners, Nine Network Sunday program and 60 Minutes, Seven Network Sunday Night.Five times winner of Australia's national journalism prize – the Walkley Award – including the highest award, the Gold Walkley. Winner of a Logie, Australian TV's top prize (for best public affairs TV reporting), and winner of a New York Film Festival Gold Medal for international investigative journalism.Best-selling author of five books, including DEAD MAN RUNNING and ABOVE THE LAW (investigations into outlaw motorcyle gang organised crime co-authored with Duncan McNab), history investigations THE LOST DIGGERS & THE LOST TOMMIES (detailing the discovery of a lost cache of photographs of Australian and Allied soldiers from World War 1), and  a biography of Australia's First World War official historian, CHARLES BEAN - IF PEOPLE REALLY KNEW, that in 2015 won Australia's prestigious literature award, the Prime Minister's Literary Award (for Australian History).https://www.amazon.com/dp/1460759060/ https://www.pastliveshypnosis.co.uk/https://www.patreon.com/alienufopodcastMy book 'Verified Near Death Exeriences' https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DXKRGDFP Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Welfare Work Without Welfare: Women and Austerity in Interwar Bucharest (De Gruyter Oldenbourg, 2025) argues that women activists, wage workers, and homemakers in the Romanian capital Bucharest became de facto social workers in the interwar period through their "austerity welfare work". Revealing links and tensions between the performers of different types of underpaid or unpaid austerity welfare work, each empirical chapter focuses on a key domain: - knowledge production about social problems by "women welfare activist" (professional social workers, lay experts, left wing militants); - municipal-level social assistance policy, with emphasis on a pioneering generation of women local politicians in shaping welfare practices; - paid household work by underpaid servants; - unpaid household work by homemakers or precariously employed women in working class communities. The book offers a novel interpretation of state-society relations after the First World War, showing that unpaid labor and gender relations were crucial in responding to economic crisis in an Eastern European urban setting and beyond. At once a local and transnational history of women's work, Welfare Work Without Welfare contributes to the historicization of social reproduction work and to the rethinking of the history of welfare states. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How did centuries of history shape the Irish Troubles?In this second episode about the history of 'The Troubles' Dr Thomas Leahy traces the roots of the conflict from the 17th century to the eve of the First World War. From Cromwell and the plantations to rebellion, famine, and the fight for Home Rule, this episode reveals how power, religion, and identity became deeply entangled in Ireland.Rather than starting with violence, this conversation shows how division was built slowly — through laws, land, loyalty, and memory.You'll learn:Why religion became inseparable from politics in IrelandHow discrimination and land ownership shaped identityWhy events like the Great Famine still matter todayHow Ireland came close to civil war before WWIThis episode connects the dots and sets the stage for understanding the Troubles themselves.

Welfare Work Without Welfare: Women and Austerity in Interwar Bucharest (De Gruyter Oldenbourg, 2025) argues that women activists, wage workers, and homemakers in the Romanian capital Bucharest became de facto social workers in the interwar period through their "austerity welfare work". Revealing links and tensions between the performers of different types of underpaid or unpaid austerity welfare work, each empirical chapter focuses on a key domain: - knowledge production about social problems by "women welfare activist" (professional social workers, lay experts, left wing militants); - municipal-level social assistance policy, with emphasis on a pioneering generation of women local politicians in shaping welfare practices; - paid household work by underpaid servants; - unpaid household work by homemakers or precariously employed women in working class communities. The book offers a novel interpretation of state-society relations after the First World War, showing that unpaid labor and gender relations were crucial in responding to economic crisis in an Eastern European urban setting and beyond. At once a local and transnational history of women's work, Welfare Work Without Welfare contributes to the historicization of social reproduction work and to the rethinking of the history of welfare states. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/eastern-european-studies

In this episode, Sean and James explore how Europe’s fragile balance of power unraveled in 1914 — from rival alliances and Balkan tensions to the assassination in Sarajevo that sparked a global catastrophe. Join us as we discuss how in just six weeks, the Great Powers turned a regional crisis into the First World War.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The outbreak of the First World War shattered the established European art market. Amidst fighting, looting, confiscations, expropriation fears and political and economic upheaval, an integrated marketplace shaped by upper-class patrons broke down entirely. In its place, Maddalena Alvi argues, can be found the origins of a recognizably modern market of nationalized spheres driven by capitalist investment and speculation, yet open to wider social strata. Delving into auction records, memoirs, newspaper articles, financial and legal documents in six languages, Alvi explores these cultural and socio-economic developments across the British, French, and German markets, as well as trade spheres such as Russia and Scandinavia. 1914 marked the end of the European art market and cemented the connection between art and finance.  The European Art Market and the First World War: Art, Capital, and the Decline of the Collecting Class, 1910–1925 (Cambridge University Press, 2025) Maddalena Alvi holds a PhD in History from the University of Cambridge, an MSc in Economic and Social History from the University of Oxford, and an MLitt in Art History from the University of Glasgow. Priya S. Gandhi is a writer and strategist based in New York City. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

The outbreak of the First World War shattered the established European art market. Amidst fighting, looting, confiscations, expropriation fears and political and economic upheaval, an integrated marketplace shaped by upper-class patrons broke down entirely. In its place, Maddalena Alvi argues, can be found the origins of a recognizably modern market of nationalized spheres driven by capitalist investment and speculation, yet open to wider social strata. Delving into auction records, memoirs, newspaper articles, financial and legal documents in six languages, Alvi explores these cultural and socio-economic developments across the British, French, and German markets, as well as trade spheres such as Russia and Scandinavia. 1914 marked the end of the European art market and cemented the connection between art and finance.  The European Art Market and the First World War: Art, Capital, and the Decline of the Collecting Class, 1910–1925 (Cambridge University Press, 2025) Maddalena Alvi holds a PhD in History from the University of Cambridge, an MSc in Economic and Social History from the University of Oxford, and an MLitt in Art History from the University of Glasgow. Priya S. Gandhi is a writer and strategist based in New York City. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

The outbreak of the First World War shattered the established European art market. Amidst fighting, looting, confiscations, expropriation fears and political and economic upheaval, an integrated marketplace shaped by upper-class patrons broke down entirely. In its place, Maddalena Alvi argues, can be found the origins of a recognizably modern market of nationalized spheres driven by capitalist investment and speculation, yet open to wider social strata. Delving into auction records, memoirs, newspaper articles, financial and legal documents in six languages, Alvi explores these cultural and socio-economic developments across the British, French, and German markets, as well as trade spheres such as Russia and Scandinavia. 1914 marked the end of the European art market and cemented the connection between art and finance.  The European Art Market and the First World War: Art, Capital, and the Decline of the Collecting Class, 1910–1925 (Cambridge University Press, 2025) Maddalena Alvi holds a PhD in History from the University of Cambridge, an MSc in Economic and Social History from the University of Oxford, and an MLitt in Art History from the University of Glasgow. Priya S. Gandhi is a writer and strategist based in New York City. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/german-studies

The outbreak of the First World War shattered the established European art market. Amidst fighting, looting, confiscations, expropriation fears and political and economic upheaval, an integrated marketplace shaped by upper-class patrons broke down entirely. In its place, Maddalena Alvi argues, can be found the origins of a recognizably modern market of nationalized spheres driven by capitalist investment and speculation, yet open to wider social strata. Delving into auction records, memoirs, newspaper articles, financial and legal documents in six languages, Alvi explores these cultural and socio-economic developments across the British, French, and German markets, as well as trade spheres such as Russia and Scandinavia. 1914 marked the end of the European art market and cemented the connection between art and finance.  The European Art Market and the First World War: Art, Capital, and the Decline of the Collecting Class, 1910–1925 (Cambridge University Press, 2025) Maddalena Alvi holds a PhD in History from the University of Cambridge, an MSc in Economic and Social History from the University of Oxford, and an MLitt in Art History from the University of Glasgow. Priya S. Gandhi is a writer and strategist based in New York City. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/art

The outbreak of the First World War shattered the established European art market. Amidst fighting, looting, confiscations, expropriation fears and political and economic upheaval, an integrated marketplace shaped by upper-class patrons broke down entirely. In its place, Maddalena Alvi argues, can be found the origins of a recognizably modern market of nationalized spheres driven by capitalist investment and speculation, yet open to wider social strata. Delving into auction records, memoirs, newspaper articles, financial and legal documents in six languages, Alvi explores these cultural and socio-economic developments across the British, French, and German markets, as well as trade spheres such as Russia and Scandinavia. 1914 marked the end of the European art market and cemented the connection between art and finance.  The European Art Market and the First World War: Art, Capital, and the Decline of the Collecting Class, 1910–1925 (Cambridge University Press, 2025) Maddalena Alvi holds a PhD in History from the University of Cambridge, an MSc in Economic and Social History from the University of Oxford, and an MLitt in Art History from the University of Glasgow. Priya S. Gandhi is a writer and strategist based in New York City. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/european-studies

The outbreak of the First World War shattered the established European art market. Amidst fighting, looting, confiscations, expropriation fears and political and economic upheaval, an integrated marketplace shaped by upper-class patrons broke down entirely. In its place, Maddalena Alvi argues, can be found the origins of a recognizably modern market of nationalized spheres driven by capitalist investment and speculation, yet open to wider social strata. Delving into auction records, memoirs, newspaper articles, financial and legal documents in six languages, Alvi explores these cultural and socio-economic developments across the British, French, and German markets, as well as trade spheres such as Russia and Scandinavia. 1914 marked the end of the European art market and cemented the connection between art and finance.  The European Art Market and the First World War: Art, Capital, and the Decline of the Collecting Class, 1910–1925 (Cambridge University Press, 2025) Maddalena Alvi holds a PhD in History from the University of Cambridge, an MSc in Economic and Social History from the University of Oxford, and an MLitt in Art History from the University of Glasgow. Priya S. Gandhi is a writer and strategist based in New York City. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/french-studies

The outbreak of the First World War shattered the established European art market. Amidst fighting, looting, confiscations, expropriation fears and political and economic upheaval, an integrated marketplace shaped by upper-class patrons broke down entirely. In its place, Maddalena Alvi argues, can be found the origins of a recognizably modern market of nationalized spheres driven by capitalist investment and speculation, yet open to wider social strata. Delving into auction records, memoirs, newspaper articles, financial and legal documents in six languages, Alvi explores these cultural and socio-economic developments across the British, French, and German markets, as well as trade spheres such as Russia and Scandinavia. 1914 marked the end of the European art market and cemented the connection between art and finance.  The European Art Market and the First World War: Art, Capital, and the Decline of the Collecting Class, 1910–1925 (Cambridge University Press, 2025) Maddalena Alvi holds a PhD in History from the University of Cambridge, an MSc in Economic and Social History from the University of Oxford, and an MLitt in Art History from the University of Glasgow. Priya S. Gandhi is a writer and strategist based in New York City.

The outbreak of the First World War shattered the established European art market. Amidst fighting, looting, confiscations, expropriation fears and political and economic upheaval, an integrated marketplace shaped by upper-class patrons broke down entirely. In its place, Maddalena Alvi argues, can be found the origins of a recognizably modern market of nationalized spheres driven by capitalist investment and speculation, yet open to wider social strata. Delving into auction records, memoirs, newspaper articles, financial and legal documents in six languages, Alvi explores these cultural and socio-economic developments across the British, French, and German markets, as well as trade spheres such as Russia and Scandinavia. 1914 marked the end of the European art market and cemented the connection between art and finance.  The European Art Market and the First World War: Art, Capital, and the Decline of the Collecting Class, 1910–1925 (Cambridge University Press, 2025) Maddalena Alvi holds a PhD in History from the University of Cambridge, an MSc in Economic and Social History from the University of Oxford, and an MLitt in Art History from the University of Glasgow. Priya S. Gandhi is a writer and strategist based in New York City. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/finance

The outbreak of the First World War shattered the established European art market. Amidst fighting, looting, confiscations, expropriation fears and political and economic upheaval, an integrated marketplace shaped by upper-class patrons broke down entirely. In its place, Maddalena Alvi argues, can be found the origins of a recognizably modern market of nationalized spheres driven by capitalist investment and speculation, yet open to wider social strata. Delving into auction records, memoirs, newspaper articles, financial and legal documents in six languages, Alvi explores these cultural and socio-economic developments across the British, French, and German markets, as well as trade spheres such as Russia and Scandinavia. 1914 marked the end of the European art market and cemented the connection between art and finance.  The European Art Market and the First World War: Art, Capital, and the Decline of the Collecting Class, 1910–1925 (Cambridge University Press, 2025) Maddalena Alvi holds a PhD in History from the University of Cambridge, an MSc in Economic and Social History from the University of Oxford, and an MLitt in Art History from the University of Glasgow. Priya S. Gandhi is a writer and strategist based in New York City. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we delve into a lesser-known but essential aspect of First World War life: the use and organisation of latrines on the battlefield. Where did soldiers actually go to the toilet, how were these facilities constructed, and did men really need permission to use them?We then explore the history of the Military Police in WW1, from the Military Foot Police and Military Mounted Police to the Military Provost Staff Corps, looking at their varied roles — from traffic control and maintaining discipline to operating military prisons.Next, we examine the long-standing question of German trenches on the Western Front. Were they truly deeper, stronger and more permanent compared to Allied positions, and what does the archaeology and evidence show?Finally, we focus on the Boy Soldiers of the Great War — what happened when their real ages were uncovered, how the army dealt with them, and how to trace their stories in surviving military records.A wide-ranging episode exploring the daily life, policing, engineering and human stories of the Great War.Richard Van Emden's book: Boy Soldier's of the Great War (via Amazon).Main image: Military traffic control signal post at Blendecques, 6 May 1918. Note signboard pointing way to No. 7 General Hospital. (IWM Q8802)Sign up for the free podcast newsletter here: Old Front Line Bulletin.You can order Old Front Line Merch via The Old Front Line Shop.Got a question about this episode or any others? Drop your question into the Old Front Line Discord Server or email the podcast.Send us a textSupport the show

A moment in time that is not discussed but incredibly important, the Interwar Period, is a pivotal time in European History. In this episode we briefly discuss:The aftermath of WWI The treaty of VersaillesThe League of Nations and its ineffectivenessFinancial crises and how it leads to extremism Christian leaders who stood for & against the NazisSpanish Civil WarThe rise of doubt, secularism, and distrust in Christian leadershipThis all shaped how European culture influences the world today and how it has responded to the gospel of Christ. -----------SOURCES:https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/9/1/26?utmhttps://christianciv.com/blog/index.php/2015/10/22/real-nazis Thomas Kselman, Religion and Society in Modern France (1996 https://historyforatheists.com/2021/07/hitler-atheist-pagan-or-christian/1905 French Law, official government translation (Ministère de la Justice, France)Barry, The Catholic Encyclopedia, “War,” 1914 editionJowett, The Transfigured Church, 1915 H. G. Wells, The War That Will End War, appendix; also in Enrico Dal Covolo, La Chiesa e la Grande Guerra.Clifford, Christianity and the War, 1915Keegan, The First World War (1998); Arnold, History: A Very Short Introduction (2019); Gilbert, The Century (1997)Eichengreen, Golden Fetters (1992)Temin, Lessons from the Great Depression (1989)https://www.britannica.com/topic/League-of-Nations/Members-of-the-League-of-Nationshttps://cathedralofhope.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/The-Theological-Declaration-of-Barmen.pdfhttps://www.worldhistorythreads.com/p/religion-and-dictatorship-in-francoistSupport the showWant to serve or learn more? https://gemission.orgGive to Greater Europe Missionhttps://gemission.org/give/

In this kickoff to our new series on The Great War, James and Sean take a sweeping look at the state of Europe in 1914—just before the world changed forever. They explore the continent’s dominant empires, their military might, political tensions, and the fragile balance of power that had kept peace for nearly a century. From rising nationalism and colonial rivalries to the tangled web of alliances and Balkan unrest, this episode sets the stage for the regional conflict that mushroomed into the First World War.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Should we still read Kipling today? What family tragedy did Kipling face in the later half of his life? How did he fan the flames of jingoism during and after the First World War? William is reunited with Anita to discuss Rudyard Kipling's later life and legacy and to debate whether we should revere or despise him... Make someone an Empire Club Member this Christmas – unlock the full Empire experience with bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access to miniseries and live show tickets, exclusive book discounts, a members-only newsletter, and access to our private Discord chatroom. Just go to https://empirepod.supportingcast.fm/gifts And of course, you can still join for yourself any time at empirepoduk.com or on apple podcasts. Email: empire@goalhanger.com Instagram: @empirepoduk Blue Sky: @empirepoduk X: @empirepoduk Producer: Anouska Lewis Assistant Producer: Alfie Rowe Executive Producer: Dom Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How did naval aviation develop out of The First World War? Why was the Fairey Swordfish so good? What is the nickname of a Fairey Swordfish? Join James Holland and Al Murray for part 1 of this exploration of the Fairey Swordfish biplane torpedo bomber, and the brave crews of the Fleet Air Arm who achieved incredible victories in an 'obsolete' airframe. Start your free trial at ⁠patreon.com/wehaveways⁠ and unlock exclusive content and more. Enjoy livestreams, early access to podcast episodes, ad-free listening, bonus episodes, and a weekly newsletter packed with book deals and behind-the-scenes insights. Members also get priority access and discounts to live events. A Goalhanger Production Produced by James Regan Editors: Charlie Rodwell & Bruno Di Castri Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Social: @WeHaveWaysPod Email: wehaveways@goalhanger.com Membership Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode we discuss the importance of oral history and what it tells us about the experience of conflict and the culture of the British military in the Great War, and we contrast two interviews I did with veterans in the 1980s: Jack Aston who served with 12th Squadron Royal Flying Corps and Aubrey Rose who was with the Queen's Westminster Rifles at Ypres and the Somme. The image for this episode shows Aubrey Rose in 1914. Aubrey Rose's officer killed at Gommecourt was: Captain Hugh Fenwick Mott. Sign up for the free podcast newsletter here: Old Front Line Bulletin.You can order Old Front Line Merch via The Old Front Line Shop.Got a question about this episode or any others? Drop your question into the Old Front Line Discord Server or email the podcast.Send us a textSupport the show