World War I Podcast

Very early in World War I, the public was made aware of a condition known as shell shock that was affecting a significant number of soldiers. From 1915-1918, the diagnosis of shell shock evolved, as medical professionals attempted to determine if the condition was physical, psychological, or moral (i.e. cowardice). In this interview, Dr. Marble Sanders, Senior Historian of the U.S. Army Medical Department Office of Medical History, discusses shell shock and how doctors tried to diagnose, treat, and even prevent shell shock during World War I.

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Chemical weapons were one of the great horrors of the World War I battlefield. While different types of gases were used throughout the war, Mustard Gas was the most prominent and most effective chemical weapon in use by 1917. In this interview, Dr. Marble Sanders, Senior Historian of the U.S. Army Medical Department Office of Medical History, provides an overview of Mustard Gas and discusses the U.S. Army’s efforts to counter this weapon.

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The Battle of Chateau Thierry (July 18, 1918) marked an important turning point in World War I. In this podcast, TRADOC Deputy Chief Historian Stephen C. McGeorge places the Battle of Chateau Thierry in the wider context of the war and discusses the cooperation between U.S. and French forces during the battle.

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In May 2018, the MacArthur Memorial hosted a World War I Symposium that focused on how the experience of World War I shaped many of America's World War II Leaders. Mike Miller, Emeritus head of the Marine Corps History Division, discussed the USMC and how Harry S. Truman’s service in the U.S. Army during World War I forever influenced his opinion of the USMC.

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In May 2018, the MacArthur Memorial hosted a World War I Symposium that focused on how the experience of World War I shaped many of America's World War II Leaders. Jeffery Kozak, Director of Library and Archives at the George C. Marshall Foundation, discussed George C. Marshall’s service in World War I and how this experience taught him to navigate coalition partnerships, value military preparedness, and to take troop morale seriously.

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In May 2018, the MacArthur Memorial hosted a World War I Symposium that focused on how the experience of World War I shaped many of America's World War II Leaders. James Zobel, the MacArthur Memorial archivist, explored Douglas MacArthur's service in World War I and how this experience played a role in everything from his reforms at West Point to his management of the Japanese surrender and to his philosophy during the Korean War.

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In May 2018, the MacArthur Memorial hosted a World War I Symposium that focused on how the experience of World War I shaped many of America’s World War II leaders. Dr. Keith Dickson, a professor at the Joint Forces Staff College, discussed Dwight D. Eisenhower’s World War I service and how it prepared him to understand the value and the psyche of the citizen soldier during World War II.

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In July 1918, Germany embarked on its final offensive of the war. This offensive called for a massive push across the old battlefields of the Champagne to the east and west of Reims in order to seize the rail center of Chalons sur Marne and cut off the French armies defending Paris and Verdun. French General Henri Gouraud's IV Army was responsible for the Allied defense of Reims. During this critical period, the 42nd "Rainbow" Division was under his command. As Chief of Staff of the 42nd Division, Douglas MacArthur took part in this battle and was cited for bravery by General Gouraud and Major General Charles Menoher, commander of the 42nd Division. The Champagne Defensive would prove to be a critical moment in World War I – as well as a turning point in the life of Douglas MacArthur.

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In August 1914, as decade-old diplomatic crises erupted into war on the European continent, a group of American citizens, in defiance of US President Woodrow Wilson’s declaration of neutrality, volunteered for French military service. Of those Americans who volunteered during neutrality, thirty-eight uniquely distinguished themselves not as ambulance drivers or Foreign Legionnaires, but as part of an all-American aero squadron flying for the French Air Service. Dubbed the Lafayette Escadrille, the formation of this all-American squadron in the French Air Service provided a foundation for a strategic alliance between the US and the Allied Powers, established a core of experienced pilots for the US Air Service upon its entry into the First World War, and developed a uniquely American flying culture and identity that continues to exist today.

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The Jolly Roger is the default symbol of pirates and piracy. During World War I however, some British submarine crews began flying the Jolly Roger to indicate a successful patrol. This was somewhat problematic because World War I was also a war of propaganda. British propaganda was trying to convince the world that Germany was the predator and that the British were the guardians of civilization. British submarines flying the pirate flag risked upsetting this narrative. Nevertheless, British submarines continued the practice. More than a hundred years later, the tradition continues and has been adopted by navies around the world.

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On October 8, 1918, during the Meuse Argonne Offensive, Alvin York led an attack on a German machine gun nest that neutralized more than 30 machine guns and killed at least 25 German soldiers. His efforts also resulted in the capture of 132 enemy soldiers. For these actions, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. Months later, this was upgraded to the Medal of Honor. The fact that he was a conscientious objector turned warrior made his story particularly compelling. He became an overnight sensation in the United States - a virtual personification of the American ideal of the farmer turned soldier.

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In April 2017, the MacArthur Memorial and the Hampton Roads Naval Museum hosted a World War I symposium. Al Barnes, the Virginia National Guard Command Historian, gave a presentation entitled: "To Hell with the Kaiser: America Prepares for War." This presentation focused on the formation and training of U.S. Army units during World War I.

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In April 2017, the MacArthur Memorial and the Hampton Roads Naval Museum hosted a World War I symposium. Jim Zobel, the archivist of the MacArthur Memorial, gave a presentation entitled: "A Frontiersman in France: Douglas MacArthur and the Rainbow Division in World War I." This presentation outlined MacArthur's relationship with General John J. Pershing and highlighted MacArthur's battlefield exploits.

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In April 2017, the MacArthur Memorial and the Hampton Roads Naval Museum hosted a World War I symposium. Joe Judge, curator of the Hampton Roads Naval Museum, gave a presentation entitled: “For the Pressing Need of the Service: The Origins of Naval Station Norfolk.” This presentation focused on the establishment of Naval Station Norfolk and explored the ways in which World War I transformed the infrastructure and economy of Southeastern Virginia.

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In February 2017, we sat down with Al Barnes, the Virginia National Guard Command Historian and author of To Hell With the Kaiser, to discuss the many foreign-born doughboys that served in the U.S. Army during World War I. Barnes explained how these men joined the army, as well as the path most took to citizenship. He also outlined the various countries they came from and discussed how the army integrated these soldiers and responded to issues of race and language.

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In 1917, war mobilization plans included no black combat divisions. With only four black regiments in existence at the time, all the new African American volunteers and draftees presented the U.S. Army with a bit of a problem. Where did they fit in? Where could they go? Initially the Army began organizing these men into provisional, unarmed labor units. This was unacceptable to African American leaders who believed that a demonstration of patriotism and sacrifice on the battlefield would benefit the quest for civil rights. The concerns of these leaders reached the Secretary of War, Newton Baker. Baker ultimately ordered the creation of two black combat divisions. One of these was the 93rd Division. Against all odds, the combat regiments of the 93rd made it to France. Set aside for service and supply duty on arrival, in the spring of 1918 they were “loaned” to the French. Wearing French gear, carrying French weapons, and under French command, the men of the 93rd saw combat in most of the major sectors and campaigns of the war. In battle, they proved themselves capable and courageous.

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In February 1918, General John J. Pershing, commander of the American Expeditionary Force had only five divisions in France. One of those divisions, the 42nd “Rainbow” Division, had just arrived and had not yet experienced trench warfare. Along with the other American divisions, the 42nd was partnered with French units in order to learn to operate and survive at the front. Under French tutelage, the men and officers of the 42nd Division absorbed the combat tactics and other common sense survival skills while serving in the Luneville Baccarat Sector between February and March 1918. Typically a quiet sector, the arrival of the 42nd Division combined with the movement of German troops from the Eastern Front to the Western Front meant that the sector was soon alive with trench raids, poison gas, and shelling. (32:47)

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"Verdun After 100 Years: An Iconic or Exceptional Battle”
In October 2016, the World War One Historical Association hosted a World War I Centennial Symposium at the MacArthur Memorial. Dr. Paul Jankowski, the Ray Ginger Professor of History at Brandeis University and the author of Verdun: The Largest Battle of the Great War, presented on the topic “Verdun After 100 Years: An Iconic or Exceptional Battle.” Dr. Jankowski explored French and German perspectives of Verdun and compared the battle to the other great battles of the Western Front.
To learn more about the World War One Historical Association, visit https://ww1ha.org/.

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In October 2016, the World War One Historical Association hosted a World War I Centennial Symposium at the MacArthur Memorial. Dr. Graydon Tunstall, a senior lecturer in history at the University of South Florida, presented on the topic: "Eastern Front 1916: Russian Victory to Revolution." Dr. Tunstall explores the major Russian offensive at Lake Naroch, the Romanian campaign, as well as the Brusilov Offensive. Through military failure and victory, Dr. Tunstall sets the stage for the Russian Revolution.
To learn more about the World War One Historical Association, visit https://ww1ha.org/.

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In October 2016, the World War One Historical Association hosted a World War I Centennial Symposium at the MacArthur Memorial. Historian Paul Walsh examined American neutrality and the political difficulties faced by President Woodrow Wilson from 1914-1917. Keeping America out of war during that period grew increasingly difficult, and Walsh explains how public opinion gradually began to swing in favor of backing the Entente Powers. )
To learn more about the World War One Historical Association, visit https://ww1ha.org/.

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