The Trenches: Reality vs Movies
Listen now
Description
When most people think of World War I on the Western Front, they probably think of trenches. Trench systems were present along most of the 475 miles from the English Channel to the Swiss Alps. It wasn’t just one straight continuous line, however. The system had many layers that supported the daily life and movement of millions of soldiers. If laid end to end, the trench systems would have stretched an estimated 35,000 miles.  Trenches play a prominent role in most WWI movies. They are often depicted as sites of suffering, terror, and boredom. But what was day to day life really like in the trenches? How do the movies get this right or wrong? To explore this topic, the World War I Podcast welcomed Andrew Robertshaw, a historian, archaeologist, and a film advisor, to the podcast.  Follow us: Twitter: @MacArthur1880 Amanda Williams on Twitter: @AEWilliamsClark Facebook/Instagram: @MacArthurMemorial www.macarthurmemorial.org
More Episodes
Published 06/20/24
The North Sea was one of the most relevant naval theatres of the war. It was also home to important fishing grounds. By 1914 a combination of technology, markets, and demand was leading to overfishing in the region. World War I reversed this, but it was a temporary respite. To discuss the short-...
Published 05/08/24
How does World War I poetry help us understand the complexity of the experience of the war? Why was poetry so important then? Why does the poetry of World War I continue to have such resonance? To answer these questions, the World War I Podcast hosted two subject matter experts: Dr. Connie...
Published 04/04/24