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WW1: Not So Quiet On The Western Front!

WW1: Not So Quiet On The Western Front!

Dan Hill and Dr. Spencer Jones 139 Episodes Jul 13, 2026

This podcast takes you beyond the trenches of the First World War, exploring untold stories and surprising truths. Hosts Dan Hill and Dr. Spencer Jones bust myths and unravel the complexities of a conflict that shaped the 20th century. The show is produced by Battle Guide, a UK-based military history organization.

Episodes

Episode 136: The Somme in the South - Forgotten Victory Jul 13, 2026 3022 When people think of the Somme, they think of failure: men cut down in no man's land; shattered battalions; and catastrophic losses. Yet along much of the southern part of the battlefield, this is not what happened at all. Here, British troops broke into the German defences, captured villages and advanced further than anywhere else on 1 July. For a few brief hours, it even seemed that the offensiv
Episode 135: The Somme’s Northern Disaster Jul 6, 2026 4321 At 7.30am on the morning of 1st July 1916, whistles blew along a front stretching more than twenty miles. Tens of thousands of British soldiers climbed from their trenches and began walking towards the German lines. By nightfall nearly 20,000 of them would be dead. It remains the bloodiest day in British military history. But that catastrophe was not evenly spread across the battlefield. Some sect
Episode 134: France's Elite Units Jun 29, 2026 3266 What turns a unit into an elite? Is it rigorous selection, a hard-earned reputation, or simply being thrown into the fiercest fighting and surviving? In today's episode, we search for the answer through the story of the Blue Devils of the Vosges. From the Chasseurs to the Corps Francs, we'll explore what the French considered to be their elite units of the First World War. Join Our Community
Episode 133: The Gallipoli Evacuation: A Forgotten Success Story? Jun 22, 2026 3806 For eight brutal months in 1915, every Allied plan at Gallipoli had failed. However, on the final night of the campaign, the Allies finally managed to pull off one perfectly executed operation and evacuate. This is the story of how a disastrous campaign came to an end with an almost flawless final action. The Caribou Trail — Steam:  https://store.steampowered.com/app/3065030/The_Caribou_Trail
Episode 132: Battles that Shaped the 20th Century Jun 15, 2026 3071 In this week’s episode and in a long overdue collaboration between Not So Quite on the Western Front and WW2 Both Sides of the Wire, four of us sit down to explore what we feel are the battles that, for one reason or another, shaped the course of the 20th century. Pre-order here: ⁠http://battleguide.co.uk/inferno Written by four historians, each bringing their own unique perspective, Inferno ex
Episode 131: The August Offensive: Gallipoli’s Last Great Hope Jun 8, 2026 4143 In August, the Allies prepared for their largest offensive yet on the Gallipoli Peninsula. This was intended to be the decisive breakthrough that would break the deadlock and end the stalemate once and for all. The plan involved a new landing, a night march and a dash for the heights. But how did the campaign's most imaginative plan become its most bitter failure? The Caribou Trail: https:
Episode 130: Why the Allies Failed at Krithia — Gallipoli’s Fatal Mistake Jun 1, 2026 3780 Four miles from the beaches of Gallipoli stood a small village called Krithia. Allied commanders believed it could be captured in a single day. Instead, thousands of British, French, Australian and New Zealand troops would die trying to reach it. Beneath the heights of Achi Baba, repeated assaults collapsed in gunfire, confusion and bloodshed, turning the southern tip of Gallipoli into a battlefi
Episode 129: What Was It Really Like to Survive Gallipoli? May 25, 2026 3559 Have you ever wondered what it was actually like to survive in the trenches of the Gallipoli Front in the First World War? Not the battles we read about in textbooks, but the heat, the flies, the constant shellfire, and only metres from the enemy. In this episode we ask, and answer those very questions. The Caribou Trail: https:/⁠⁠/store.steampowered.com/app/3065030/The_Caribou_Trail/⁠⁠ Gue
Episode 128: The Real Black Day of the German Army? | Soissons 1918 May 18, 2026 3846 In July 1918, the German spring offensives had reached their high watermark, and it was time for the French army to strike back. This is the story of the Battle of Soissons, the largest French tank attack of the entire First World War and a turning point for the Allied cause. Guest James Taub Socials: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-taub-670096103⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/taubhi
Episode 127: From 1915 Newsreels to Mel Gibson - The Evolution of Gallipoli Movies May 11, 2026 3644 In this episode, Spencer is joined by Professor Mark Connelly, a renowned expert in military and cultural history, to explore the cinematic legacy of the Gallipoli Campaign. From the earliest newsreels of 1915 to the monumental impact of Peter Weir’s 1981 masterpiece, we discuss how film has shaped and sometimes rewritten our visual and cultural understanding of the Great War. Guest: Professor
Episode 126: Gallipoli 1915 - France's Forgotten Battle May 4, 2026 3744 In 1915, France sent an army to Gallipoli. Few in the English speaking world know this, and few in France remember their efforts. In this episode, we recover the forgotten story of the French contribution to the campaign. The landing on the Asian shore and the colonial soldiers who held the right flank at Helles is for eight brutal months. NSQ Tour 2026: ⁠https://battleguide.co.uk/nsq-tour-2026⁠
Episode 125: Gallipoli 1915: What Really Happened at Anzac Cove? Apr 27, 2026 3820 In 1915, Anzac troops landed on the rugged coastline of Gallipoli in an attempt to break the Ottoman defences from the north. What they encountered were steep cliffs, chaos and devastating fire from concealed Turkish positions. This is the story of the Anzac landings. The Caribou Trail: https:/⁠/store.steampowered.com/app/3065030/The_Caribou_Trail/⁠ Guest Steve Chambers Books:⁠ https://www

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