Battles of the First World War Podcast - TopPodcast.com

View Top 200 Chart

Back to Rankings Page

Battles of the First World War Podcast — History
Battles of the First World War Podcast

The Battles of the First World War Podcast tells the story of the Great War of 1914-1918. Telling the stories of the men and women who fought, died in, and survived the battles of the First World War connects our world to theirs and keeps their memory alive.

The BFWWP studies one battle at a time from World War I in narrative form, diving into the people, strategy, tactics, and events of each of these titanic clashes. How and why these battles unfolded and happened as they did is told through the voices of those who were there.

Narrative episodes go in-depth into the battles of WW1. Discussions, interviews, and book talks highlight other interesting events and people of the First World War. Follow now to hear and remember the stories.

Host: Mike Cunha, MA Military History

Questions, comments, concerns, or WW1 memes: verdunpodcast@gmail.com

Join the BFWWP community on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast

Support the BFWWP via PayPal: verdunpodcast@gmail.com Please review the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes! 🙂

Socials:
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/ww1podcast.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ww1battlepodcast/ FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast/ Website: http://www.firstworldwarpodcast.com/

Latest Episodes:

"An Unladylike Profession" by Chris Dubbs - American Women War Correspondents in WW1 Nov 09, 2025

Show notes

Educator and First World War enthusiast Kristin Stelfox comes on the podcast to discuss some of the first and pathbreaking American women war correspondents who covered the first years of the war.

New Ypres League: https://www.newypresleague.com/

"An Unladylike Profession" by Chris Dubbs - https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/an-unladylike-profession-american-women-war-correspondents-in-world-war-i/54181957/#isbn=1640126791

Edith Wharton's articles: https://modjourn.org/issue/bdr474765/

Mary Roberts Rinehart's "Kings, Queens and Pawns - An American Woman at the Front:" https://a.co/d/7jd6Bb8

Nellie Bly articles: https://nellieblyonline.net/1912-1915/

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 BlueSky at @WW1podcast.bsky.social:

https://bsky.app/profile/ww1podcast.bsky.social

and the BFWWP website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Email me directly at verdunpodcast@gmail.com with any questions, comments, or concerns.

Please review the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes! :)

"Loaned for the Summer" - A Discussion with Craig DeSteiguer Oct 29, 2025

Show notes

Writer Craig DeSteiguer joins us to tell the story of his grandfather John Horace Merriman, who was deeply affected by his First World War-era service.

"Death in the Trench"

Let me sing no whispers of war.

Let me tear my eyes, of all death…that lay.

Let me hold the hand of their last breath.

Let me pray their soul is gone….to home.

Let me sing no whispers of war.

For when I too shall come home,

To whispered songs no more…. of that war.

"Loaned to the Summer" - Where to buy:

https://a.co/d/iHhnW5I

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 BlueSky at @WW1podcast.bsky.social:

https://bsky.app/profile/ww1podcast.bsky.social

and the BFWWP website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Email me directly at verdunpodcast@gmail.com with any questions, comments, or concerns.

Please review the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes! :)

2026 Lost Battalion Tours Meuse-Argonne Pilgrimage Oct 22, 2025

Show notes

We have dates for the 2026 Meuse-Argonne Battlefield Pilgrimage!

The trip is from July 02 - 08, 2026.

This next visit will be one where we really plan to put boots on the ground: we will be walking in the paths of some individual Doughboys in 2026. This is a new feature of Lost Battalion Tours, and we're excited to share it with you!

A sample of the 2026 itinerary:

Day 2

- "Malancourt to Montfaucon:"

- 79th Division's first combat tour 26-30 SEP 1918

- In the footsteps of Major Harry Dravo Parkin

- Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery

- Guided visit

- Retreat ceremony at 1630

Day 4

- 42nd Div breaks the Kriemhilde Stellung: "…or a list of 5,000 casualties"

- Visits to La Tuilerie Farm Site, Musarde Farm, Côte de Chatillon

- In the footsteps of Medal of Honor recipient Private Thomas Neibauer

- Meuse-Argonne breakout, 2nd Division Race to the Meuse: "I am going across that river…"

- La Sartelle Farm, Villemontry Overlook, East bank at crossing site, Warmont/Belle Fontaine Farms

- In the footsteps of USMC Corporal Elton Mackin

Contact us at lostbattaliontours@gmail.com for pricing and other information. Come join us!

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 BlueSky at @WW1podcast.bsky.social:

https://bsky.app/profile/ww1podcast.bsky.social

and the BFWWP website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Email me directly at verdunpodcast@gmail.com with any questions, comments, or concerns.

Please review the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes! :)

Aisne-Marne & Vesle Sector - SGT William Shemin Oct 15, 2025

Show notes

In the final days of the Aisne-Marne Offensive, American forces pursued the retreating Germans to the River Vesle in August 1918. During the battles for possession of the key village of Bazoches-sur-Vesle, an American son of Russian-Jewish immigrants would distinguish himself by looking out for his friends and soldiers.

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 BlueSky at @WW1podcast.bsky.social:

https://bsky.app/profile/ww1podcast.bsky.social

and the BFWWP website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Email me directly at verdunpodcast@gmail.com with any questions, comments, or concerns.

Please review the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes! :)

Angel Down: A Discussion with Daniel Kraus Oct 01, 2025

Show notes

NYT bestselling author Daniel Kraus comes on the podcast to talk about his novel set in the Meuse-Argonne battle "Angel Down."

From Simon & Schuster:

Private Cyril Bagger has managed to survive the unspeakable horrors of the Great War through his wits and deception, swindling fellow soldiers at every opportunity. But his survival instincts are put to the ultimate test when he and four other grunts are given a deadly mission: venture into the perilous No Man's Land to euthanize a wounded comrade.

What they find amid the ruined battlefield, however, is not a man in need of mercy but a fallen angel, seemingly struck down by artillery fire. This celestial being may hold the key to ending the brutal conflict, but only if the soldiers can suppress their individual desires and work together. As jealousy, greed, and paranoia take hold, the group is torn apart by their inner demons, threatening to turn their angelic encounter into a descent into hell.

Angel Down plunges you into the heart of World War I and weaves a polyphonic tale of survival, supernatural wonder, and moral conflict.

Where to buy "Angel Down" in the UK -

https://titanbooks.com/72777-angel-down/

Where to buy "Angel Down" in the US -

https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Angel-Down/Daniel-Kraus/9781668068458

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 BlueSky at @WW1podcast.bsky.social:

https://bsky.app/profile/ww1podcast.bsky.social

and the BFWWP website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Email me directly at verdunpodcast@gmail.com with any questions, comments, or concerns.

Please review the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes! :)

Montreal to Courcelette via Paardeberg, a Discussion with Michel Gravel Apr 13, 2025

Show notes

Historian Michel Gravel comes back on the podcast to discuss an incredibly interesting gentleman named John Stevenson Youngson.

Michel's works can be found here:

https://ysec.fr/?s=Michel+Gravel&post_type=product

Michel's GoFundMe for "La place Joseph Kaeble, VC, MM," in Neuville-Vitasse, France:

https://gofund.me/17574db1

Regarding Michel's medals: when he mentions his medal collections increase in value, it's not monetary value. Rather their value increases in that the medal group is complete and the story behind them is available.

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 BlueSky at @WW1podcast.bsky.social:

https://bsky.app/profile/ww1podcast.bsky.social

and the BFWWP website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Email me directly at verdunpodcast@gmail.com with any questions, comments, or concerns.

Please review the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes! :)

GEN Edmond Buat & the Heavy Artillery Reserve: A Discussion with Xavier Lewis Mar 19, 2025

Show notes

My good friend Xavier Lewis comes on the podcast to discuss his dissertation topic.

General Edmond Buat had an idea and devised a plan to defeat the German army on the Western front in World War I. A study of his diary, the notes he wrote and his later writings on German generals Ludendorff and Hindenburg, shows how his plan and the Réserve Générale de l'Artillerie Lourde (Heavy Artillery General Reserve, "RGAL") he created constitute an incipient form of operational art as well as the basis for the French Army's offensives in the summer of 1918.

Xavier's research considers how Buat's diary, his writings, and notes reveal his role in developing the plans for the 1918 offensives and how the RGAL was conceived as an instrument specially adapted for them. It also shows how those plans represented an important conceptual shift in operational thinking to find a new way to expel the German army from French territory. It focuses on the ideas behind the creation of the RGAL, not on the political, industrial and procurement aspects and seeks to plug a gap identified by historian Sir Michael Howard who complained that: "British military historians […] found it difficult to focus on an analysis of the operations themselves."

Do listen for a great conversation.

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 BlueSky at @WW1podcast.bsky.social:

https://bsky.app/profile/ww1podcast.bsky.social

and the BFWWP website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Email me directly at verdunpodcast@gmail.com with any questions, comments, or concerns.

Please review the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes! :)

"To the Limit of Endurance: A Battalion of Marines in the Great War" A Discussion with Pete Owen, LTC USMC (Ret.) Mar 05, 2025

Show notes

Pete Owen, LTC USMC (Ret.) comes on the podcast to talk about his book "To the Limit of Endurance: A Battalion of Marines in the Great War."

From Texas A&M University Press:

"Scholars and historians offer several theories for the crippling losses suffered by the American Expeditionary Forces on the battlefields of World War I: inexperience, poor leadership, hasty expansion of duties, and others. But until now, most of these studies have focused at the division level or higher.

Now, with To the Limit of Endurance, Peter F. Owen offers a tautly worded, historically rigorous, and intensely human survey of the agonizing burden shouldered by the Second Battalion of the Sixth Regiment of U.S. Marines from its formation in Quantico, Virginia, in 1917 until the cessation of hostilities in November of the following year.

In places like Belleau Wood and Soissons, these young men, led by dedicated officers, died in staggering numbers—primarily because of the outmoded tactics they had learned. Owen shows how the battalion regrouped after these campaigns, however, and embarked on a period of intense retraining. By the time of the closing weeks of the war, the adjustments they had made allowed them to mold themselves into a coldly efficient military machine.

Drawing on a treasure trove of surviving first-hand accounts, Owen expertly combines these individual observations with military records and archival sources to create a mosaic that provides not only a case study of how one organization grappled with transformation but also a tightly focused, ground-level view of the lives—and deaths—of these courageous American military men. The grueling, ultimately triumphant odyssey of the 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines will appeal to military historians, professional soldiers, and interested general readers."

Where to buy "To the Limit of Endurance: A Battalion of Marines in the Great War" -

https://www.tamupress.com/book/9781623491567/to-the-limit-of-endurance/

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 BlueSky at @WW1podcast.bsky.social:

https://bsky.app/profile/ww1podcast.bsky.social

and the BFWWP website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Email me directly at verdunpodcast@gmail.com with any questions, comments, or concerns.

Please review the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes! :)

Great War Expo II at SGT Alvin C. York State Park in Tennessee Mar 01, 2025

Show notes

Tennessee State Park Rangers Nate Dodson and Tanner Wells come on the podcast to discuss the upcoming Great War Expo II at York State Park in Pall Mall, TN.

On April 5th, 2025, the second annual Great War Expo will be held at Sgt. Alvin C. York State Historic Park in Pall Mall, TN. This is an educational event highlighting all things WW1 at the homesite of one of its more well known soldiers. Experience informative lectures, participate in living history demonstrations, meet authors and vendors, and interact with organizations from across the nation that preserve and share WW1 history.

I was there last year, and it was a great time. You're just steps away from Alvin York's house, sharing WW1 history with other enthusiasts. What could be better?

So if you are nearby or can get up to Pall Mall, TN, you are in for a great experience.

Link: https://tnstateparks.com/parks/event_details/sgt-alvin-c-york/#/?event=great-war-expo-ii

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 BlueSky at @WW1podcast.bsky.social:

https://bsky.app/profile/ww1podcast.bsky.social

and the BFWWP website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Email me directly at verdunpodcast@gmail.com with any questions, comments, or concerns.

Please review the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes! :)

The French Army in the First World War, a Discussion: Pt 6 Feb 23, 2025

Show notes

Part 6 of the ongoing discussion continues to look at the French Army in 1916, and this time we focus on events and developments outside of the Verdun battlefield.

This episode will focus on the French Army's experience in 1916 outside of the Verdun battlefield.

Joining us for this discussion are:

Bart Debeer, who co-wrote a Dutch-language Western Front Guide for Beginners with a friend
Bryn Hammond, whose blog "Vingt Frong" aims to "awaken interest in the French experience of the First World War in an English-speaking audience," and author of the book "Cambrai 1917: The Myth of the First Great Tank Battle,"
Jim Smithson, author of "A Taste of Success: The First Battle of the Scarpe. The Opening Phase of the Battle of Arras 9-14 April 1917" and two guide books on the Arras battlefields,

Do listen in for the few moments when four grown men struggle with a microphone. :P

Great War Group: https://greatwargroup.com/

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 BlueSky at @WW1podcast.bsky.social and the BFWWP website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Email me directly at verdunpodcast@gmail.com with any questions, comments, or concerns.

Please review the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes! :)

Related Podcasts