133: We Win Ourselves to Death

This German poster calls on Germans to plant sunflowers and poppies for the oil they produce, in order to “serve the Fatherland.”

 
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.

Listen:

Download.

Transcript.

 


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.

132: Guerre à la guerre

The International Congress of Women at The Hague, 1915.

 
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.
Listen:

Download.

Transcript.

 


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.

131: This Wellsian Wonder

The Mark I, one of the first British tanks, at the Battle of the Somme.

 
The internal combustion engine led to the development of automobiles and airplanes. When the Great War began, the combatants strove to employ this new inventions on the battlefield.

Listen:

Download.

Transcript.

 


Playlist:

Fanfare

Opening War Theme

Terzetto
Composed by Gustav Holst in 1925. Public domain.
Performed by Steve’s Bedroom Band. 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.