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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 Aug 18, 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 140: Flers-Courcelette: The Somme's Tactical Turning Point?
Episode 140: Flers-Courcelette: The Somme's Tactical Turning Point? Aug 18, 2026 3643 In this episode we continue our exploration of the 1916 Battle of the Somme with a focus on a key crucial stage famed for the global debut of a new weapon - the tank - But the battle of Flers-Courcelette was not just the tanks, debut - tens of thousands of infantry played their part in what would become one of the greatest assaults of the battle. Join Our Community: ⁠https://not-so-quiet.com/⁠
Episode 139: Pozières: Australia's Bloodiest Battle of the Somme
Episode 139: Pozières: Australia's Bloodiest Battle of the Somme Aug 10, 2026 3454 The struggle for Pozieres would become one of the most infamous campaigns of the Battle of the Somme: some 23000 Australians would become casualties over six weeks fighting on a front barely three miles wide. The total casualties were comparable to Gallipoli and the outcome would be controversial. What happened at Pozieres and why did it degenerate into one of the bloodiest battles of the war for
Episode 138: Somme's Woodland: Mametz, Trônes, Delville & High Wood
Episode 138: Somme's Woodland: Mametz, Trônes, Delville & High Wood Aug 3, 2026 3475 There was no terrain on the Somme that soldiers feared more than woodland - a maze of broken stumps, fallen branches, and hidden barbed wire. In this episode we explore how and why the woods of the Somme became such a crucial part of the battle. Join Our Community: ⁠https://not-so-quiet.com/⁠ Use our code: Dugout and get one month free as a Captain. Support via Paypal:⁠ https://battleguide.co.uk/
Episode 137: Night Attack on the Somme: Bazentin Ridge 1916
Episode 137: Night Attack on the Somme: Bazentin Ridge 1916 Jul 27, 2026 3414 Just two weeks after the catastrophe of 1 July 1916, the British Army launched another major assault on the Somme - this time with dramatically different results. Attacking before dawn after silently assembling thousands of men in No Man's Land, they overran much of the German second position, captured thousands of prisoners, and briefly created what many believed was the best opportunity for a de
Episode 136: The Somme in the South - Forgotten Victory
Episode 136: The Somme in the South - Forgotten Victory Jul 20, 2026 3203 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
Bonus Episode: Reichs & Republics The Turnip Winter of 1916/17
Bonus Episode: Reichs & Republics The Turnip Winter of 1916/17 Jul 20, 2026 3729 What happens when an entire nation runs out of food? This is one of our favourite episodes from our sister podcast, Reichs and Republics: The German History Podcast, and we’d like to share it with you. In this episode Katja and Chris explore the brutal reality of the 'Turnip Winter' of 1916/17, when the German civilian population was forced to endure extreme hunger, freezing temperatures and a c
Episode 135: The Somme’s Northern Disaster
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
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?
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
Episode 132: Battles that Shaped the 20th Century Jun 15, 2026 3191 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
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
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

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