Internally, China struggles to modernize and to resolve the conflict between democratization and one-man rule. Externally, the Chinese government seeks to enter the Great War, as a way of winning back German and Austrian concessions as well as earning a place as a peer of the Allies.

The Allies were reluctant at first, but manpower shortages encouraged their acceptance of Chinese assistance behind the lines. Then a U-boat attack killed hundreds of Chinese, giving China its own casus belli.

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Playlist:

Fanfare

Opening War Theme

Chinese Buddhist Ritual
Recorded by Les Cartes and used pursuant to a Creative Commons CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license. Source. 

Closing War Theme 

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Except when otherwise indicated, the contents of this podcast are © and ℗ 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 by Mark Painter, all rights reserved. Some music and sound effects used by arrangement with Pond 5.

In the old days of the Belle Époque, in Paris, Mata Hari made a name for herself for her alluring and risqué dances, as well as for her exotic (and often invented) life story.

When the Great War came, being a mysterious woman with an invented past and no obvious means of support no longer drew curiosity and admiration but suspicion and hostility. It might even draw a firing squad.

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Playlist:

Fanfare

Opening War Theme

Prelude from Carmen
Composed in 1875 by Georges Bizet. Public domain.
Public domain recording. Source. 

Carmen Suite No. 2
Composed in 1875 by Georges Bizet, adapted by Ernest Guiraud. Public domain.
Performed by Papalin, and used pursuant to a Creative Commons CC BY 3.0 license. Source.

Closing War Theme 

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Except when otherwise indicated, the contents of this podcast are © and ℗ 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 by Mark Painter, all rights reserved. Some music and sound effects used by arrangement with Pond 5.

It took the Italian Army eleven bloody offensives, and hundreds of thousands of casualties, but by mid-1917, they were halfway to Trieste and it looked as if the Austrian Army was collapsing.

Germany was forced to intervene. The result was the Battle of Caporetto, a humiliating defeat for Italy.

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• Transcript.

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Playlist:

Fanfare

Opening War Theme

Cello Sonata in E minor
Composed c. 1725 by Antonio Vivaldi. Public domain.
Performed by the Telemann Trio. 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, 2019 by Mark Painter, all rights reserved. Some music and sound effects used by arrangement with Pond 5.