145: The July Days

Mark Podcast
Violence in the streets of Petrograd during the July Days.

Alexander Kerensky became Minister of War and set to work revitalizing the Russian Army and planning a new offensive against the Austrians.

But word of the new offensive did not sit well with socialists, and particularly with the Bolsheviks in the Petrograd Garrison, who rose up against the Provisional Government.

  • Listen now:


Playlist:

Fanfare

Opening War Theme

“Farewell of Slavianka”
Composed in 1912 by Vasily Ivanovich Agapkin. Public domain.
Performed by The United States Coast Guard Band. Public domain recording. Source.

Closing War Theme 


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.

144: All Power to the Soviets

Mark Podcast
Military veterans protesting the return of Lenin to Petrograd in April 1917. The bottom line advises Lenin to “go back to [Kaiser] Wilhelm.”

The question of war aims comes to the front and center when the liberal ministers of the Provisional Government repeatedly refuse to renounce Russian territorial claims and agree with the Petrograd Soviet on a “peace without annexations or indemnities.”

The resulting government shake-up brought socialists into the Provisional Government and made it a government of national unity like the ones in London and Paris…except for the Bolsheviks, who refuse to temper their criticisms.

  • Listen now:


Playlist:

Fanfare

Opening War Theme

Piano Sonata No. 3
Composed in 1917 by Sergei Prokofiev. Public domain.
Performed by Peter Bradley-Fulgoni, 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, 2019 by Mark Painter, all rights reserved. Some music and sound effects used by arrangement with Pond 5.

143: Disabling the Russian Colossus

Mark Podcast
The then-25-year-old Vladimir Lenin in an 1895 mug shot.

The Russian Provisional Government, under the watchful eye of the Petrograd Soviet, declared an amnesty for political prisoners.

Among the political exiles taking advantage of this amnesty to return to Russia were Leon Trotsky and Vladimir Lenin, with an assist from the Imperial German government.

  • Listen now:


Playlist:

Fanfare

Opening War Theme

Piano Trio No. 1
Composed in 1894 by Anton Arensky. Public domain.
Performed by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, 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, 2019 by Mark Painter, all rights reserved. Some music and sound effects used by arrangement with Pond 5.

142: Lafayette, We Are Here

Mark Podcast
US Major General John Pershing pays his respects at the tomb of the Marquis de Lafayette, July 4, 1917.

The USA entered the Great War in April 1917. The US has the military and industrial potential to be a decisive force, but it will take time to “ramp up” America’s army and war production.

Brazil also entered the war in 1917, and in Canada, the introduction of conscription led to a divisive general election.

  • Listen now:


Playlist:

Fanfare

Opening War Theme

“Hail, Columbia”
Composed in 1789 by Philip Phile. Public domain.
Performed by the United States Navy Band Ceremonial Band. Public domain recording. Source. 

Closing War Theme 


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.

141: The Cossacks Are Not Coming

Mark Podcast
1917 postcard depicting Austrian Emperor Karl I–or Charles I, if you like–taking his coronation oath to become King Károly IV/Charles IV of Hungary.

By 1917, many high-ranking German and Austrian government officials, including the new Austrian Emperor, had come to the conclusion that the Central Powers could not win and wanted to discuss peace terms.

Hindenburg and Ludendorff, however, insisted that victory was near and fought to remove defeatists from power in Germany and in Austria.

  • Listen now:


Playlist:

Fanfare

Opening War Theme

Wiener Blut
Composed by Johann Strauss Jr. in 1873. Public domain.
Public domain recording. Source. 

Tragic Overture
Composed by Johannes Brahms in 1880. Public domain.
Public domain recording. Source. 

Closing War Theme 


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.

140: The Hindenburg Line

Mark Podcast
Paul von Hindenburg (l.) and Erich Ludendorff (r.) in 1916.

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!

  • Listen now:


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 


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.

139: No Fight, No Loan

Mark Podcast
Joseph Stalin in 1915.

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.

  • Listen now:


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


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.

138: Make the World Safe for Democracy

Mark Podcast

New York Times headline on Tuesday, April 3, 1917.

 
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.)

Listen:

Download.

Transcript.

 

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.

137: The February Revolution

Mark Podcast

Depiction of Russian Emperor Nikolai II at the moment of his abdication.

 
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.

Listen:

Download.

Transcript.

 

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.

136: The Winter of Our Discontent

Mark Podcast

Women demonstrating during the February Revolution in Petrograd. (See comment below for translation.)

 
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.

Listen:

Download.

Transcript.

 

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.