The First World War

[Odie]

Everyone,

Just wanted to share a recommendation for a DVD series to everyone. It chronicles the First World War and it's titled the same (The First World War - The Complete series).

It's ten episodes that detail out what led up to the war and how it was ended. It's one of those series that I always enjoy watching. The Military Channel is running it now on Friday evenings, but you can get the DVD set for a good price at Amazon ($36.99) or at Borders bookstores.

As I've grown older, I've developed an interest in WW1 and this series is a good primer on it. To me, WW1 was always a bit of a mystery as the war that I grew up with was WW2 since my dad spent 4+ years in the Pacific. WW2 was a frame of reference that I had an immediate link to.

The DVD uses real film from the period almost exclusively to move the chapters along with the narration. Personal stories from the events of the time add to the personal experiences of what it was like.

It's worth the price of admission.

 

[PRB]

Same here, Odie, on my interest in WW-I growing over the past few years. I've been watching this series on the History Channel too...

 

[stiz]

i got this for christmas, i'm awed at just how much detail is in it, even has interviews with vets (was filmed in the 60s), the only way i can think of describing it is that its like World At War, but better

http://www.amazon.co.uk/World-War-Great-Complete-Disc/dp/B0000634BA

 

[Ken Stallings]

I believe that is the boxed DVD set for the series that's been airing for quite awhile on the History Channel. If so, it is indeed very first rate!

As time goes by, seemingly small discoveries point to the magnitude of that conflict. One of the latest was the revelation that soil samples from western Frace have a unique coloration at a depth of approximately 3 feet that neither the soil above or below shares.

The discoloration is from the steel of the artillery rounds and fragmentation dispersed during the war!

Ken

 

[Odie]

I believe that is the boxed DVD set for the series that's been airing for quite awhile on the History Channel. If so, it is indeed very first rate!

As time goes by, seemingly small discoveries point to the magnitude of that conflict. One of the latest was the revelation that soil samples from western Frace have a unique coloration at a depth of approximately 3 feet that neither the soil above or below shares.

The discoloration is from the steel of the artillery rounds and fragmentation dispersed during the war!

Ken

The DVD supports that, Ken! Before one offensive, just one of the sides (Allies, I think) let go with a 5-hour barrage of artillery in which 1 million shells were fired along a section of the front. Now if I broke this down correctly, that's about 3,333 shells per second landing on top of someone, somewhere!

Another stat that startled me was the sheer number of casualties that were acceptable to both sides. In one battle alone, 10,000 men were lost in a 4 hour span of time. They regrouped and then went at it agagain. Losses of an offensive were likely to be in the hundreds of thousands for mere inches of ground gained. It also goes into the global war that was raging in the Middle East and in Africa. Some amazing feats by the military of that day on both sides along with a lot of historical characters of that era (both military and civilian). Also covered is the U-Boat war in the Atlantic and the use of weapons new to both sides that had never been used before. Like, I said, it really opened up my view of what I called the "mystery war" due to my own lack of info on it.

One of the things that I hadn't known was that a lot of the leaders were related; cousins to be exact!

A follow-up 2 part series (by another film-maker) picks up at war's end and it is called Paris 1919 which detailed the terms of the armistice and the disposition of the debt and retribution on the warring powers. Alot of interesting info, but it's most the politics of that era. Quite fascinating and a view of the Great War that we never heard in school.

 

[wombat666]

A follow-up 2 part series (by another film-maker) picks up at war's end and it is called Paris 1919 which detailed the terms of the armistice and the disposition of the debt and retribution on the warring powers. Alot of interesting info, but it's most the politics of that era. Quite fascinating and a view of the Great War that we never heard in school.

That is very worthwhile viewing, and explains the seeds of WW.II so well.

 

[ericts]

WWI

When I was a child, my grandparents had a live-in farm-hand named Harry. He was a WWI veteran. Me and my cousins used to play with his old army stuff. He slept in the barn on their property. I asked my grandmother about this. She told me that he couldn't sleep in the house because he screamed at night when he was asleep. He never talked about it but his brother told us that his platoon was nearly wiped out. Harry was always very nice to, and patient with my cousins and me. He died in his sleep when I was about 8 years old.

 

[MaskRider]

Thanks for the head up!. I have become more interested over the years in WWI also.

Finally picked up a few books on the subject- not many, but enough to finally get an understanding of the whys and hows of the Great War. In many ways I think was worse than WWII.

An interesting side show of the war were the efforts by Germany to draw Mexico and Japan into the war against the USA- to keep the USA from entering the war in Europe itself. Many Americans of German decent here in the South West came to the USA via Mexico where they were originally part of this influx of Germans coming over to help Mexico invade the USA.

Like I said, I haven't read that amuch but I recommend:

World War I (S.L.A. Marshall
The Guns of August (Babara Tuchman)
The Zimmerman Telegram (Barbara Tuchman)
The First World War (Robin Prior and Trevor Wilson- Smithsonian History of Warfare Series)
West Point Atlas of the Great War

 

[Jagdflieger]

Good choice of books MR.

I particularly like Barbra Tuchman's "The Guns of August."

I just finished "The Marne, 1914," a recent publication that covers the build up to the war to some extent but mainly details the first month of the war much like Tuchman's book. Tuchman's book is the more readable of the two.

Another favortie is "The Face of War" by John Keegan. It's coverage of the Battle of the Somme is the best I've read.

 

[Odie]

Thanks for the head up!. I have become more interested over the years in WWI also.

Finally picked up a few books on the subject- not many, but enough to finally get an understanding of the whys and hows of the Great War. In many ways I think was worse than WWII.

An interesting side show of the war were the efforts by Germany to draw Mexico and Japan into the war against the USA- to keep the USA from entering the war in Europe itself. Many Americans of German decent here in the South West came to the USA via Mexico where they were originally part of this influx of Germans coming over to help Mexico invade the USA.

Like I said, I haven't read that amuch but I recommend:

World War I (S.L.A. Marshall
The Guns of August (Babara Tuchman)
The Zimmerman Telegram (Barbara Tuchman)
The First World War (Robin Prior and Trevor Wilson- Smithsonian History of Warfare Series)
West Point Atlas of the Great War

The First World War by Hew Strachan (Paperback - Apr. 26, 2005)

Check this one out as well. It's the book that the mini-series was based on. I'll have to chase down some the ones ya'll mentioned. Much appreciate the heads-up!

 

[MaskRider]

Just finished watching the first disk in the set. What can I say. It is simply wonderful. Enjoying it very much.

Thanks for posting about it!

 

[Ken Stallings]

When I was a child, my grandparents had a live-in farm-hand named Harry. He was a WWI veteran. Me and my cousins used to play with his old army stuff. He slept in the barn on their property. I asked my grandmother about this. She told me that he couldn't sleep in the house because he screamed at night when he was asleep. He never talked about it but his brother told us that his platoon was nearly wiped out. Harry was always very nice to, and patient with my cousins and me. He died in his sleep when I was about 8 years old.

Nothing brings it home in all its human magnitude as a personal story such as that.

To have to literally live one's life in a barn has a poignancy both powerful and compelling.

Ken

 

[lemonadedrinker]

Hi,
I'm just reading 'The White War' by Mark Thompson about the battles along the Isonzo River between the Italians and Austrians. The Italians lost about 700,000 men there during the course of the 4 years they were fighting and it humbles me to think of the suffering of the men there, fighting in almost unimaginable and impossible situations. If they failed to achieve a particular objective,which they very,very rarely could, perhaps 10% of the survivors would be shot by their officers.

A novel by Mark Helprin entitled ' A Soldier of The Great War' tells the life story of one man who, during the Great War, had fought along the Isonzo and was unable to come to terms with a 'normal' life after that. It's a wonderful read and very moving in places.

The outcome of the War along the Western Front would have been very different if those enemy troops tied up along the Isonzo had been free to wage War alongside the Germans, and yet the Italian soldiery there seem to have received very little recognition or sympathy regarding their bravery and suffering. If you find some photos of the Isonzo valley, you will perhaps see what I mean about 'impossible situations'

Andy.

 

[cajun100]

My dear wife has never forgiven me for taking her to Belleau Wood in France on our honeymoon. But of course every former Marine has to get there if they can. I've been a "student" of WWI since boyhood, when my Grandfather told me of his service and his time in France, etc.

I saved for years and finally took a year off to travel Europe alone in a camper (1976) and visited perhaps 50 battlefields, cemeteries, monuments, etc. and of course the Imperial War Museum in London. Going to those cemeteries all over France and Belgium will certainly give one a sober and reflective mood.

If any of you are really interested in pursuing WWI history more deeply or broadly, I will put up a reading list of books not typically popular today, but very worthwhile reading.