Battles Of The First World War Podcast

Assigned to the French 4th Army, the 369th, 371st, and 372nd Infantry Regiments of the A.E.F.’s 93rd Division (Provisional) fought well in the Champagne offensive of September 1918 that supported the American drive through the Meuse-Argonne. Once again, African Americans proved themselves able fighters, capable leaders, and patriots more than willing to serve their country.    The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast.    Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at verdunpodcast@gmail.com. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

In a wonderful way to help commemorate the 1st of July anniversary of the beginning of the Battle of the Somme, the BFWWP has received this great interview between Associate Professor Fiona Graham and Mr. Colin Winn of the Hawthorn Ridge Crater Association. Conducted last year, Associate Professor Graham and Mr. Winn take a tour of the massive crater at Beaumont-Hamel on the Somme battlefield to discuss the latest developments of the archeological dig there.    Due to the ongoing pandemic and its related closures, commemoration events for the 1st of July on the Somme in France are likely to be severely reduced or canceled. The 1st of July of course, is the first day of the Battle of the Somme and the day the Hawthorn Ridge mine was blown for the first time. To help broadcast this year’s commemoration efforts and continue to live up to the well-known phrase “Lest We Forget,” Ms. Graham and Mr. Winn have graciously provided the BFWWP with an interview conducted on site at the Hawthorn Ridge Crater. I am deeply

Listener discretion advised: This episode contains racial terms and themes that are considered highly offensive today. These terms and themes are being used here in the context of the First World War era.    Composed of African American National Guard units, volunteers and draftees, the 93rd Division (Provisional) was loaned to the French Army by an American Expeditionary Force that did not particularly care to have them.    These men faced danger and a struggle even before they faced the German enemy--that of the dangers of racist violence back home in the U.S. and discrimination on the Western Front.    WW1 Burial Cards project:   https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/welldone/american-wwi-burial-cards   The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast.    Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at

Hey Folks, this episode we have an interview with an up and coming voice in the Great War history community.    Nicole Chicarelli is the historian behind “The War Project” on Instagram, which can be found here:   https://www.instagram.com/thewarproject/   And her website is here:   http://www.warprojecthistorian.com/   Click on that follow button!    Nicole and I discuss how her passion for history began, her educational background, and her purpose behind The War Project. She is currently a Master of Arts Candidate in military history at American Military University, with a focus on war theory of the First World War.    The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast.    Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at verdunpodcast@gmail.com. Pl

The AEF 1st Army is forced to make an operational pause as it replaces devastated divisions with fresh ones.    From the Meuse, to France, Flanders, and other fronts in the World War, we take a look at the developing military, diplomatic, and political situations across the world in September and early October of 1918.    The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast.    Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at verdunpodcast@gmail.com. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

The American First Army’s 3rd Corps continue to push against the German lines along the eastern bank of the Meuse. German resistance is fierce, with artillery pounding the Doughboys from across the river.    The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast.    Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at verdunpodcast@gmail.com. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

A quick update on where things stand with the BFWWP. Bad news and good news. A call to hold the line now.  The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast.    Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at verdunpodcast@gmail.com. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

The story of the First World War in the Meuse-Argonne region of France cannot be told without talking about the Butte de Vauquois. So here, in an attempt to do a part-travelogue, part-history episode, I retell the story of this tortured and murdered hill. This scene of terrible mine warfare--where an ancient village and six meters of height were erased from the crest during the war--remains today a stark reminder of the brutal nature of the Great War.  The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at verdunpodcast@gmail.com. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

The BFWWP has to be put on pause until mid-May or end of May 2020, despite the great momentum we’ve been gaining recently. It’s for a good reason. Listen in and you’ll see why.   The BFWWP is now on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast.    Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com or the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at verdunpodcast@gmail.com. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the idea of visiting France, or felt it was something too foreign and too out of reach?    In this episode, I speak with Carol Kieffer and Randy Gaulke, two experienced residents and tourists of France. Carol, author of “Living and Working in France: Thriving through Understanding” and cross-cultural training coach, and Randy, seasoned tourist of the Meuse-Argonne region of France and battlefield tour leader, come on the show to strip away some of the misconceptions and misunderstandings many Americans may have about France and visiting it.    What follows is a nearly hour-long conversation where we discuss traveling through France, proper social etiquette, what to expect from French restaurants, shops, and supermarkets, how to prepare, and how to set yourself up to make the most of your experience. We even bring up squat toilets...really, it’s worth the listen.   Ultimate credit for the realization of this podcast goes to Mrs. Laurie Gaulke, whose connections created the con

The expected breakthrough after Montfaucon doesn’t happen. The 79th and 37th Divisions continue grinding their way north, facing ever-hardening German resistance.    Purchase Andrew Capets’ book “Good War, Great Men” here:   https://goodwargreatmen.com/313/   The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast.    Lost Battalion Tours Contact Information - Join Us on the Battlefield! Mike’s contact info: verdunpodcast@gmail.com Robert’s contact info: 308infantry@gmail.com Robert’s website: http://www.findingthelostbattalion.com/ Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at verdunpodcast@gmail.com. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

In this episode we have a very special guest: Ms. Lora Vogt, is the Curator of Education at the National World War I Museum and Memorial. Founded in 1926, the Museum holds the most comprehensive collection of Great War artifacts in the world and has been ranked one of the top 25 museums in the country. Under Ms. Vogt’s guidance, the Museum has consistently broken records for public program attendance, educational participations and developed internationally recognized curriculum and online exhibitions.   Ms. Vogt will give the BFWWP community a virtual tour of the National World War I Museum and Memorial and some of its exhibits. If you have never visited the National World War I Museum and Memorial and are on the fence about it for any reason, I am quite sure this episode will end any such doubts.    National WW1 Museum and Memorial Links:   https://www.theworldwar.org/   The Panthéon de la Guerre   https://www.theworldwar.org/explore/exhibitions/past-exhibitions/panth%C3%A9on-de-la-guerre   Museum Shop:  

Montfaucon, in the center of the American 1st Army’s attack front, is taken down by Doughboys of the 37th, 79th, and 4th Divisions.   The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast.    Lost Battalion Tours Contact Information - Join Us on the Battlefield! Mike’s contact info: verdunpodcast@gmail.com Robert’s contact info: 308infantry@gmail.com Robert’s website: http://www.findingthelostbattalion.com/ Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at verdunpodcast@gmail.com. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes.   

Hey Folks, Mr. Jeremy Bowles very graciously came on the podcast to share his tour experiences with Robert J Laplander with us. Jeremy is a WW1 historian and reenactor, and the journey he had in the Meuse-Argonne with Rob was so moving it simply needs to stand alone as its own mini-episode.    Listen to Jeremy’s story about being in the Meuse, and know that the goal of Lost Battalion Tours is to provide you with the same experience in August of 2020. So come join us!   Lost Battalion Tours   Mike’s contact info: verdunpodcast@gmail.com   Robert’s contact info: 308infantry@gmail.com   Robert’s website: http://www.findingthelostbattalion.com/ Jeremy closes his experiences with the poem “We Shall Keep the Faith” by Moina Michaels, which was the moving response to LTC John McCrae’s “In Flanders Fields:”   Oh! you who sleep in Flanders Fields, Sleep sweet - to rise anew! We caught the torch you threw And holding high, we keep the Faith With All who died. We cherish, too, the poppy red That grows on fields where

We’re taking a short break from the Meuse-Argonne narrative to listen to a different angle on a very famous event. It happens that the famous event occurred during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, so this ties in nicely with our current focus.    Most of us have heard of or know the story of Alvin York, the famous SGT York who took on dozens of Germans, killed several, and captured 132. He is one of the most famous--if not THE most famous--American soldiers to emerge from the Great War. However, on the fateful day of October 8, 1918, York was part of a squad with sixteen other men engaged in battle.    In this episode we’re going to have James Gregory talk to us about his upcoming article “The Other Sixteen,” which focuses on the other men who were with Alvin York that fateful day in the hills near Chatel-Chehery near the northern tip of the Argonne Forest.    James Gregory is pursuing a PhD at the University of Oklahoma. He is a noted author and historian of the Marine Corps and Second Division in World War I. H

JOIN US!!!   Lost Battalion Tours is a collaboration between WW1 author and historian Robert J. Laplander, and Mike Cunha, master of ceremonies of the Battles of the First World War podcast and battlefield explorer.    Our inaugural tour will be an 8-day trip to the Argonne region August 8-15, 2020. Those of you who have traveled with Robert in the Argonne before know this is no sight-seeing bus trip; this is down in the dirt, where it happened stuff! Now YOU can join us for a trip you won't soon forget!   You will stay IN the Argonne, at a small French hotel, as part of your Argonne immersion experience. You'll see all the important spots concerning the battle, including a first hand tour of the whole story of the Lost Battalion with the #1 LB guy in the world.    On top of that, each tour can be tailored to fit almost any special request visit by guests. And all of this for a one time, all inclusive price of just $1200.00 per single guest, or $1000.00 per guest in groups of two or more (this price does NOT

The 91st “Wild West” Division battles it out with the Germans through the Meuse Valley. With every village taken, German resistance stiffens sharply.    The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast.    Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at verdunpodcast@gmail.com. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

Following four days of heavy combat and poor leadership in the Meuse-Argonne, the 35th Santa Fe Division breaks down in battle.    The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast.    Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at verdunpodcast@gmail.com. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

The 28th “Keystone” Division (Pennsylvania) both slugs it out with the Germans in the Argonne Forest over Le Chène Tondu ridge, and pushes its way up the River Aire Valley through Montblainville and Apremont. The Germans fight hard for both Le Chène Tondu and Apremont, and the Pennsylvania Doughboys struggle to hold their hard-won gains.   The BFWWP is now on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast.    Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at verdunpodcast@gmail.com. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

The 77th Division continues its grind through the Argonne Forest in the last days of September 1918. Under orders to advance without regard to flanks, US Army MAJ Charles Whittlesey and his 1st Battalion, 308th Infantry Regiment find themselves cut off and surrounded on a hill named l’Homme Mort.    The BFWWP is now on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast.    Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at verdunpodcast@gmail.com. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes.