With the war in the East in a de facto armistice because of the revolution in Russia, we shift attention this week to the war in the West. Robert Nivelle, the new French commander in chief, has a plan for the latest “final” offensive to end the war at last, although the fate of this offensive will be the same as every previous “final” offensive.

Also, a Christmas bonus! Manfred von Richtofen, the Red Baron. What does the Red Baron have to do with Christmas? If you don’t already know, find out!

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Playlist:

Fanfare

Opening War Theme

Cello Sonata
Composed by Claude Debussy in 1915. Public domain.
Performed by David Requiro, cello, and Elizabeth DeMio, piano, and used pursuant to a Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 license. Source. 

“O Canada”
Composed by Calixa Lavallée in 1880. Public domain.
Performed by the United States Navy Band. Public domain recording. Source. 

Closing War Theme 

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Except when otherwise indicated, the contents of this podcast are © and ℗ 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 by Mark Painter, all rights reserved. Some music and sound effects used by arrangement with Pond 5.

The February Revolution rapidly led to remarkable new freedoms in Russia, historically a repressed nation. The new justice minister, Alexander Kerensky, boasted that overnight Russia had become the freest country in the world. But much remained to be done. The Provisional Government was basically self appointed. Russia needed a democratically elected government and a constitution laying out its powers and responsibilities.

If Russia had been at peace, it might have been the political space needed to work all this out. But Russia was at war, and the Provisional Government had to balance her obligations to her wartime allies against the war-weariness of the Russian people. They could not afford to alienate either.

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Playlist:

Fanfare

Opening War Theme

Pictures at an ExhibitionComposed by Modest Mussorgsky in 1874, arranged by Maurice Ravel. Public domain.
Performed by the Skidmore College Orchestra. Public domain recording. Source.

Closing War Theme

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Except when otherwise indicated, the contents of this podcast are © and ℗ 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 by Mark Painter, all rights reserved. Some music and sound effects used by arrangement with Pond 5.

 
The resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare by the Germans makes it more difficult than ever for Woodrow Wilson to resist the march to war. Once the Zimmerman Telegram is revealed, it becomes impossible, though the Russian Revolution now allows him to frame the conflict as democracy vs. autocracy, and Wilson declares that “the world must be made safe for democracy.”

(The title of this episode notwithstanding, please note that Wilson did not say it was America’s duty to make the world safe for democracy. He said it must be done, as in, it is the duty of all peoples.)

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Playlist:

Fanfare

Opening War Theme

“Rolling Thunder”
Composed by Henry Fillmore in 1916. Public domain.
Performed by the Ceremonial Brass of the United States Air Force Band. Public domain recording. Source.

La Reine de la Mer
Composed by John Philip Sousa in 1886. Public domain.
Performed by the United States Marine Band. Public domain recording. Source.

Closing War Theme

 

Except when otherwise indicated, the contents of this podcast are © and ℗ 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 by Mark Painter, all rights reserved. Some music and sound effects used by arrangement with Pond 5.

 
As the Russian Emperor shuttles about the countryside in the Imperial train, a Provisional Committee reluctantly takes charge in Petrograd. After all Russia’s senior military commanders agree that a change in leadership is required to win the war, the Emperor at last agrees to abdicate.

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Playlist:

Fanfare

Opening War Theme

Mlada
Composed by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov in 1890. Public domain.
Performed by the University of Chicago Orchestra, Barbara Schubert conducting, and used pursuant to a Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 license. Source.

Closing War Theme

 

Except when otherwise indicated, the contents of this podcast are © and ℗ 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 by Mark Painter, all rights reserved. Some music and sound effects used by arrangement with Pond 5.

 
Anger with the existing rule finally boils over in Petrograd as protesters pour into the streets to denounce the government, the war, and even the Imperial family.

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Playlist:

Fanfare

Opening War Theme

Symphony No. 5 in E minor
Composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1888. Public domain.
Public domain recording. Source.

Closing War Theme

 

Except when otherwise indicated, the contents of this podcast are © and ℗ 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 by Mark Painter, all rights reserved. Some music and sound effects used by arrangement with Pond 5.

 
When the Great War began, political parties in Russia, as in the other belligerent nations, pledged unity for the sake of the war effort. But the war went badly, the civilian economy suffered, and corruption and incompetence seemed to be the order of the day in the Russian government. The Imperial couple’s well-known but perplexing attachment to the peasant mystic Grigori Rasputin seemed only to be making matters worse, until at last political tensions reached the boiling point.

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Playlist:

Fanfare

Opening War Theme

Russian Easter Festival Overture
Composed by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov in 1888. Public domain.
Performed by The Czech National Symphony Orchestra. Public domain recording. Source.

Closing War Theme

 

Except when otherwise indicated, the contents of this podcast are © and ℗ 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 by Mark Painter, all rights reserved. Some music and sound effects used by arrangement with Pond 5.

 
The Mexican Revolution is winding down, and the prospects of a war between Mexico and the USA are diminishing, much to the disappointment of the German government. With a resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare planned for February 1, 1917, the German government devises a contingency plan to induce Mexico to declare war on the United States. Unfortunately for the German government, British Intelligence is monitoring their diplomatic communications.

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Playlist:

Fanfare

Opening War Theme

Piano Quartet No. 1 in G minor
Composed by Johannes Brahms in 1861. Public domain.
Performed by The Advent Chamber Orchestra, and used pursuant to a Creative Commons CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 license. Source.

Siegfried Idyll
Composed by Richard Wagner in 1869. Public domain.
Performed by Steve’s Bedroom Band, and used pursuant to a Creative Commons CC BY 3.0 license. Source.

Closing War Theme

 

Except when otherwise indicated, the contents of this podcast are © and ℗ 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 by Mark Painter, all rights reserved. Some music and sound effects used by arrangement with Pond 5.

 
Harvests have been getting smaller every year the war goes on. The harvest of 1916 was particularly bad. This episode looks at some of the consequences of the food shortages in Germany, including the decision to resume unrestricted submarine warfare.

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Playlist:

Fanfare

Opening War Theme

Piano Concerto No. 2 in B♭ minor
Composed by Johannes Brahms in 1881. Public domain.
Performed by The University of Chicago Orchestra, Edward Auer, soloist, and used pursuant to a Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 license. Source.

Closing War Theme

 

Except when otherwise indicated, the contents of this podcast are © and ℗ 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 by Mark Painter, all rights reserved. Some music and sound effects used by arrangement with Pond 5.

 
With the war continuing, and the death toll growing ever more horrifying, some groups made their own private attempts to bring about an end to the war.
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Playlist:

Fanfare

Opening War Theme

Serenade for Strings
Composed by Antonín Dvořák in 1875. Public domain.
Performed by the Advent Chamber Orchestra, and used pursuant to a Creative Commons CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 license. Source.

Closing War Theme

 

Except when otherwise indicated, the contents of this podcast are © and ℗ 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 by Mark Painter, all rights reserved. Some music and sound effects used by arrangement with Pond 5.