WW1: Not So Quiet On The Western Front!

Episode 132: Battles that Shaped the 20th Century

15 Jun 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Episode 131: The August Offensive: Gallipoli’s Last Great Hope

08 Jun 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In August, the Allies prepared for their largest offensive yet on the Gallipoli Peninsula. This was intended to be the decisive breakthrough that w...

Episode 130: Why the Allies Failed at Krithia — Gallipoli’s Fatal Mistake

01 Jun 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Four miles from the beaches of Gallipoli stood a small village called Krithia. Allied commanders believed it could be captured in a single day. Instea...

Episode 128: What Was It Really Like to Survive Gallipoli?

25 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 abo...

Episode 128: The Real Black Day of the German Army? | Soissons 1918

18 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Episode 127: From 1915 Newsreels to Mel Gibson - The Evolution of Gallipoli Movies

11 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Spencer is joined by Professor Mark Connelly, a renowned expert in military and cultural history, to explore the cinematic legacy of ...

Episode 126: Gallipoli 1915 - France's Forgotten Battle

04 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Episode 125: Gallipoli 1915: What Really Happened at Anzac Cove?

27 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 we...

Episode 124: Gallipoli 1915: The Brutal Landing at Helles

20 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In 1915, allied Forces tried to storm the beaches of Gallipoli and push in land through the heavily fortified ottoman positions. Instead, they faced d...

Episode 123: The Dardanelles Naval Assault: Catastrophe in a Single Day

13 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In 1915 the allies tried to force their way through one of the most heavily defended waterways in the world - what they found was a deadly combination...

Episode 122: The Fatal Plan Behind Gallipoli

06 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In 1915 Winston Churchill had a plan to end the war with a single blow: he called it a master stroke of strategy, history remembers it as a catastroph...

Episode 121: Myths of the French army

30 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode alongside regular guest James Taub, we delve into some of the most enduring myths surrounding the French Army in World War I. Why did...

Episode 120: From the Home Front to the Alps

23 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we turn the show over to you, our listeners. We delve into questions posed for the podcast and our fourth war site, the dugout, cover...

Episode 119: What Made Men Fight?

16 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Today we’re diving into courage and fear on the Western Front: what made men fight? What soldiers were frightened of, how they learned to function a...

Episode 118: The 5 Deadliest Allied Snipers of WWI

09 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we follow the Great War’s deadliest marksmen into action. What made an elite sniper and what effect did these individuals have on t...

Episode 117: The Battle that Created a Myth: The German Army at Ypres 1914

02 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, a continuation of our series exploring the story of the German Army on the Western Front, we look at the formation of the Western Fro...

Episode 116: The Battle Germany Had to Win: The Marne 1914

23 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, a continuation of our series exploring the story of the German Army on the Western Front, we look at the formation of the Western Fro...

Bonus Episode: The Wartime origins of words and phrases | Untitled History Podcast Episode: 1

19 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We really hope you enjoyed this episode, and if you did, it would mean a huge amount if you could head over to the Untitled History Podcast channel ri...

Episode 115: Germany’s 6-Week Gamble - 1914

16 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, part 2 of our Germany on the Western Front series, we take a detailed look at the famous Schlieffen Plan. What led to its creation? B...

Episode 114: How Germany Prepared for the Great War

09 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode the first in a new series from the ‘other side of the wire’ along with guest historian Professor Matthias Strohn, we begin a much ...

Episode 113: Flamethrowers in WW1: How Effective Were They?

01 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In 1915 the German Army introduced the world to the power of the flamethrower - but by 1916 the Allies had caught up with their own weapons. As the wa...

Episode 112: Flamethrowers in WW1: The Weapon That Shocked the Trenches

26 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In 1915, the German army began using a terrible new weapon in organized assaults. The flamethrower capable of clearing a trench in seconds, few weapon...

Episode 111: How Grenades Took Over the Trenches in WW1

19 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In the early months of the Great War, a hand grenade was almost an anachronism — a relic of fortress warfare associated with seventeenth-century “...

Episode 110: The Season Soldiers Feared Most: Winter in the Trenches

12 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this ‘seasonal’ episode,and one with particularly close links to current world events, we explore the story of winter life in the trenches. Fr...

Episode 109: Prostitution & VD on the Western Front

05 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Join us in 2026: ⁠https://battleguide.co.uk/nsq-tour-2026 In this week’s episode we delve into the often overlooked and murky world of prostituti...

Episode 108: Myths of the Somme

22 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Join us in 2026: https://battleguide.co.uk/nsq-tour-2026 In this week’s episode we head to the Somme battlefields to explore a battle that even tod...

Episode 107: Myths of the Ypres Salient

15 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Join us on Tour in 2026: https://battleguide.co.uk/nsq-tour-2026 In this week’s episode we head to the Ypres Salients to explore an area that even...

Episode 106: The Evolution of Sniping in WW1

08 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this week’s episode we continue our look into the vital role of Snipers on the Western Front. From informal and disorganised beginnings, we explo...

Episode 105: The Rise of the Snipers in WW1: The War Within a War

01 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this week’s episode we begin a multi-part journey into the secretive and highly dangerous world of sniping in the Great War. From its ad-hoc earl...

Episode 104: The Hidden Battle for Hygiene in WW1

24 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In today’s episode, we discuss sanitation in the trenches: Why the trenches were so filthy, what that did to soldiers’ bodies and minds, and how a...

Episode 103: African Americans in WWI

17 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today we’re looking at African Americans at war in 1917-18 - nearly 400,000 thousand men in uniform, most assigned to hard, essential labor, a small...

Episode 102: The Deadliest U-Boat Skippers of WWI

10 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week we return to the oceans and consider the top U-Boat skippers of WW1. What made a skipper an ace? What tactics made them so lethal? And why w...

Episode 101: Front Lines at Night

03 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this week’s episode we return to the trenches to explore the often overlooked experiences of life in the frontlines at night. From trench raids t...

Episode 100: WWI’s forgotten Battles, Tank Fails & What We Got Wrong! – Our 100th Episode Special

27 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Not So Quiet hits triple digits! For Episode 100 we’re handing the wheel to you, the listeners, answering your questions and discussing many of the ...

Episode 99: When Sport Stopped for War – How WW1 Changed Football, Rugby & the Olympics

20 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we continue our exploration of the fascinating story of Sportsmen at War on the Western Front. From world champions to local legends, ...

Episode 98: From Playing Fields to Battlefields: Sportsmen in WWI

13 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this week’s episode we return to the frontlines to explore the fascinating and varied experiences of Professional Sportsmen in the Great War. Fro...

Episode 97: Forgotten Lessons: Why the BEF Wasn’t Ready for 1940

06 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this week’s episode, alongside guest historian Dr Rob Lyman, we will take a deep dive into the story of the British Army between 1918 and 1940, a...

Episode 96: The French Army of Africa in WWI

26 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode night we follow a road that runs from the Sahara to the Somme, tracing the story of the French Army of Africa as it marched from the o...

Episode 95: France’s Colonial Soldiers: Forgotten Stories of a Global Army

22 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

 In this episode, we return to the story of the French Army and examined the history of France's colonial troops, how they were raised, what made th...

Episode 94: The First Tank Attack in History: Flers–Courcelette, 15 September 1916

12 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dawn on the Somme, 15 September 1916. At 06:20, the whistles blew and men climbed from their trenches into the attack. But this morning, something els...

Episode 93: Tunnellers – The Battle Beneath Messines Ridge

08 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we take a literally deep dive, beneath the Western Front to return to an olf favourite, the story of Mining in the Great war, but this...

Episode 92: The Battle of the Memoirs: How WW1 Was Written (1918–39)

01 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we explore how early histories of the First World War were shaped. We’re marching into the Official Histories and Britain’s “Bat...

Episode 91: Pigeons at War!

25 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we take to the air once more, but this time on the trail of one of the unsung heroes of the great war - the carrier pigeon. Equally vi...

Episode 90: Elite Divisions

18 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we take a look at the formations of the British and Commonwealth forces who served on the Western Front and ask what made certain unit...

Episode 89: Trench Rats!

11 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we discuss one of the ever-present and universally hated aspects of life in the frontlines - Trench Rats. What were they? How common w...

Episode 88: Q-Ships - Deadly Duels

04 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

 This week we continue the fascinating story of Q ships and their role in the war at sea. By 1917, German U-Boat skippers were well aware of the dan...

Episode 87: Q-Ships - Deceive and Destroy

28 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In 1915, a strange new type of vessel emerged at sea—one that looked like a harmless fishing trawler or a weary merchantman, but concealed hidden gu...

Episode 86: UBoats - Hunting the Hunters 1917-1918

21 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In our final episode on the U-Boat we look at how the Allies struck back against the U-Boat menace. How did the Royal Navy turn the tide of the war an...

Episode 85: The U-Boat Crisis of 1917: Was Britain About to Collapse?

14 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we continue our deep dive into the history of U-boats in the First World War with a focus on the Second Unrestricted campaign against ...

Episode 84: UBoats - The War Beneath the Waves 1914-1916

08 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

At the outbreak of war in 1914, most still believed that the key sea battles would be fought above the waves. But beneath the surface, a revolution wa...

Episode 83: French Tanks at War

30 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we dive into one of the Great War’s most remarkable transformations— the birth of the French tank arm. Link from James: https://foru...

Episode 82: French in WWI – Your Questions Answered

23 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, with the aid of regular guest and French Army expert James Taub, we delve your questions on France in WW1. What exactly is a French C...

Episode 81: The Franz Ferdinand Assassination

16 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we unravel the story of the assassination that changed the world. On a summer morning in 1914, a teenage revolutionary fired two shot...

Episode 80: Pals Battalions

09 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Not So Quiet on the Western Front, we explore the rise and tragic fall of the Pals Battalions - units of friends, neighbours, and c...

Episode 79: Life Behind the Lines

02 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When we think of the Western Front, we think of the trenches  of mud, gunfire, and death. But there was another side to the war - the quieter spaces ...

Episode 78: French in 1918 - Part 2

26 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we take our study of the French Army into the final, decisive Allied offensive of 1918. How did the French army finally weather the st...

Episode 77: French in 1918 - Part 1

19 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this week’s episode we follow the French Army as they emerge from the extremely trying year of 1917 into a year that would ultimately lead to Vic...

Episode 76: French in 1917 - Part 2

09 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this week’s episode we explore the vital period following the French ‘mutinies’ of 1917 and look at how the Army recovered in the face of int...

Episode 75: The Nivelle Offensive - French in 1917

02 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

 This week we continue our study of the French Army in the First World War as we examined one of France's most controversial commanders, Robert Nive...

Episode 74: Lighter Than Air: Airships in the Great War - Part 2

25 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we continue our discussion of the Zeppelin campaign in the skies over Great Britain. How did Britain’s air defences adapt to the th...

Episode 73: Lighter Than Air: Airships in the Great War - Part 1

18 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, with the support of guest historian Ian Castle, we delve into the ever popular ‘lighter than air’ subject of Airships in the Grea...

Episode 72: Göring's early life

11 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this week's episode we return to an old favourite - Air Power in the Great War. And with the help of Guest Historian Dr Victoria Taylor, we explore...

Episode 71: French on the Somme

04 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this week’s episode we return to a well-known battlefield, but look at it with an almost unknown perspective, as we explore the story of the Fren...

Episode 70: Listener's Questions

28 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week we take one of our periodic dives into the many questions and comments you have shared with us in previous weeks and address everything from...

Episode 69: Verdun! Part 2

21 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this week’s episode we continue our exploration of perhaps the best known battle of the First World War - Verdun. From the initial German assault...

Episode 68: Verdun! Part 1

14 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we begin a deep dive into the defining battle of the First World War for the French Army - Verdun. How did it come about? What were it...

Episode 67: Life of a French Soldier

07 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we delve into the day to day life of a French soldier in WW1. How were French soldiers equipped and uniformed? How did they view the w...

Episode 66: Private Purchase

28 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week we delve into the strange world of privately purchased kit and equipment in the First World War. Why was there such a demand for private pur...

Episode 65: The French Army in 1915

21 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this podcast, we continue our in-depth look at the story of the French army on the western Front with a focus on the vital and extremely bloody act...

Episode 64: France - From Ypres to Vimy Ridge!

14 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week we turn our focus with the French to the major and extremely bloody battles fought in late 1914 and the first half of 1915 on the Western Fr...

Episode 63: France & The First Battle of the Marne

07 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this week’s episode we continue our exploration of the story of the Poilu on the Western Front, with a focus on the crucial period from August to...

Episode 62: France - The National Response

31 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this week’s episode we continue our journey exploring the story of the French Army in the great war with a look at the outbreak of war, how the F...

Episode 61: France in 1914

24 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this week’s episode, alongside historian James Taub, we begin an exciting new mini-series a deep dive into the story of the French Army on the We...

Episode 60: Q&A and New Community

17 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this week's episode we look back and answer some of the excellent questions you have sent in recently and announce an exciting new addition to the ...

Episode 59: Myths Re-Examined Part 2

10 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we go back to an old favourite - First World War Myths. We look at some of the most enduring beliefs, where they came from, if there i...

Episode 58: More WW1 Myths!

03 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we go back to an old favourite - First World War Myths. We look at some of the most enduring beliefs, where they came from, if there i...

Episode 57: 24 Hours in the Xmas Truce

20 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this week’s episode we’ll return once more to a festive favourite, with a detailed look at the famous 1914 Xmas Truce. We’ll explore the time...

Episode 56: Machine Guns

13 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we’ll explore the fascinating, and brutal story of the machine gun on the western Front. We’ll look at its early deployment, evolu...

Episode 55: Trench Lingo Part 2

06 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this week’s episode we return to an old favourite to explore more of the famous ‘Trench Slang’ of the Western Front - how and when famous phr...

Episode 54: The Battle of Cambrai Part 2 - Success and Setbacks

29 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we continue our story of the Battle of Cambrai. What happened on its dramatic first day, and how did the battle progress? Find out mo...

Episode 53: The Battle of Cambrai Part 1 -First Mass Tank Attack

22 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this week’s episode we’ll take a deep dive into perhaps one of the most influential battles of the Great war on the Western Front - Cambrai. Fa...

Episode 52: 24 Hours In A Trench

14 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we’ll head into the frontlines and explore what a period of 24 hours in a trench looked like for the Average ‘tommy’ during the ...

Episode 51: Cavalry Part 2

08 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we continue our canter through the story of cavalry in the great war. From it’s impressive performance in the mobile warfare of 1914...

Episode 50: Q&A - 1 Year Anniversary

01 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, on our one-year anniversary, we again delve into some of the excellent questions that you have kindly sent us over the last year and ...

Episode 49: Cavalry

25 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we’ll explore the vital role played by Cavalry in the early role of the Great War. We’ll look at its purpose, training, employmen...

Episode 48: Mapping the Battlefields

18 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we’ll explore the much overlooked but vital process of mapping the trenches of the Western Front. How did it come about, just why wa...

Episode 47: Food In The Trenches

11 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Details of our associated ‘on the ground’ tour in France: https://battleguide.co.uk/nsq-tour In this episode we take a look at perhaps one of the ...

Episode 46: Ypres & Battlefield Tourism

04 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we discuss how and why the Belgian city of Ypres became a focal point for British remembrance in the years soon after the war. We’ll...

Episode 45: Listener's Questions

27 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Details of our associated ‘on the ground’ tour in France: https://battleguide.co.uk/nsq-tour In this (long overdue!) episode we answer some of the...

Episode 44: Germany at War

20 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Details of our associated ‘on the ground’ tour in France: https://battleguide.co.uk/nsq-tour In this episode along with guest historian Professor ...

Episode 43: Canadians at War Part 2

13 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Details of our associated ‘on the ground’ tour in France: https://battleguide.co.uk/nsq-tour In this episode, alongside guest historian Jesse Alex...

Episode 42: Canadians at War

06 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Details of our associated ‘on the ground’ tour in France: https://battleguide.co.uk/nsq-tour In this episode, alongside guest historian Jesse Alex...

Episode 41: What If?

30 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Details of our associated ‘on the ground’ tour in France: https://battleguide.co.uk/nsq-tour In this episode, we take a look at the ‘What if’...

Episode 40: Doughboys 8 - AEF: The Final Push

23 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Details of our associated ‘on the ground’ tour in France: https://battleguide.co.uk/nsq-tour In this episode we’ll round off our series on the ...

Episode 39: Doughboys 7 - Meuse Argonne Part 2

16 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Details of our associated ‘on the ground’ tour in France: https://battleguide.co.uk/nsq-tour In this episode we’ll continue our deep dive in the...

Episode 38: Doughboys 6 - Meuse Argonne

09 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Details of our associated ‘on the ground’ tour in France: https://battleguide.co.uk/nsq-tour In this episode we continue our study of the American...

Bonus Episode: WW2 - Both Sides of the Wire

02 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Exciting News! This week we’re delighted to be announcing the launch of a brand new podcast, ‘WW2: Both Sides of the Wire’ and in this episode w...

Episode 37: Doughboys 5 - St Mihiel

26 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Details of our associated ‘on the ground’ tour in France: https://battleguide.co.uk/nsq-tour In this episode we’ll turn our focus to eastwards t...

Episode 36: Doughboys 4 - The Rock of the Marne

19 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Details of our associated ‘on the ground’ tour in France: https://battleguide.co.uk/nsq-tour In this week’s episode we’ll explore the fascinat...

Episode 35: Doughboys 3 - Belleau Wood

12 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Details of our associated ‘on the ground’ tour in France: https://battleguide.co.uk/nsq-tour In this week’s episode we’ll explore possible one...