History That Doesn't Suck

Explore the intense emotional landscape of the German delegates during the Treaty of Versailles signing, illustrating their despair. Discover the geopolitical shifts post-World War I, with President Wilson's idealism clashing sharply against European leaders' punitive measures. Delve into the haunting tales of soldiers affected by mustard gas and the brewing political unrest. Uncover the fallout in the Middle East and reactions from major figures, revealing whether this peace truly laid to rest or sowed the seeds of future conflicts.

As World War I nears its end, the German delegation seeks an armistice with the Allied Powers. The negotiations are tough, with General Foch presenting difficult terms. The clock strikes 11 on November 11, 1918, and the guns fall silent. The episode explores the frustrations of sailors leading to mutiny, the start of the German Revolution, Woodrow Wilson's 14 points, and the heated negotiations for the armistice.

“If I can but reach that bridge,” thought Ichabod, “I am safe.”This is the story of schoolmaster Ichabod Crane and his ride home after an evening spent trying to woo Katrina Van Tassel at a party hosted by her father at their idyllic farm in rural New York. It’s a terrifying ride–perhaps as deadly as Ichabod’s pursuer is headless. For this third HTDS Halloween special, we “rewind” to one of the oldest ghost stories in American lore: Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”  Starting with a headless Germanic tale, we’ll hear some of the literary history behind the stories of headless riders on horseback; get a brief bio on this year’s featured author; and then … we’ll see if we can reach that covered bridge before it’s too late.____Connect with us on HTDSpodcast.com and go deep into episode bibliographies and book recommendations join discussions in our Facebook community get news and discounts from The HTDS Gazette  come see a live show get HTDS merch or become an HTDS premium member for bonus episodes and other perks. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Professor Greg Jackson sits down with legendary documentary filmmaker Ken Burns about his latest film The American Buffalo which has a two-part premiere in the US on PBS beginning Monday, Oct. 16, 2023.  Some refer to Ken Burns as a historian, but he would be quick to tell you that he considers himself a storyteller.His latest documentary The American Buffalo is a sort of biography of the American bison, or the buffalo as they are more commonly known. The fact is, we would only know of buffaloes from history books if it weren’t for a collective effort to save this species from the brink of extinction in the late 19th century. It’s a remarkable story of how conservationists and hunters alike pulled together to repair some of what had been pulled apart by unchecked slaughter and displacement of wildlife and indigenous peoples. HTDS listeners will recognize some of the historical context surrounding this tale from our episodes on the Indian Wars, the Transcontinental Railroad and Teddy Roosevelt.____Connect with us on HTDSpodcast.com and go deep into episode bibliographies and book recommendations join discussions in our Facebook community get news and discounts from The HTDS Gazette  come see a live show get HTDS merch or become an HTDS premium member for bonus episodes and other perks. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“All right, General. We’ll take it, or my name will head the list.”This is the story of Meuse-Argonne and the Americans’ continued struggles to take the Kriemhilde Line. Tennessean Alvin York hates war, yet he finds himself an unlikely hero when his youthful days of hunting turn him into a prisoner-taking sharpshooter as the US First Army presses forward against the Germans.But this isn’t a battle just for the First Army anymore. A stressed-out, breaking, Black Jack Pershing finally decides to go for the US Second Army and name generals to command each. He’ll oversee “only” the whole two-million-strong American Expeditionary Force. If he can keep his job, that is. French Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau is doing all he can to get the American fired. Nor is Black Jack doing any better at getting along with his usual French frenemy: Marshal Ferdinand Foch.Meanwhile, General Douglas MacArthur is traumatized–so many of his doughboys are slaughtered, why, he wonders, did God spare him? Elsewhere in the battle, Choctaw doughboys save the day as they use their native language to bypass eavesdropping Germans. Yet, for all of this, can the Americans break the Kriemhilde Line? We’ll find out.____Connect with us on HTDSpodcast.com and go deep into episode bibliographies and book recommendations join discussions in our Facebook community get news and discounts from The HTDS Gazette  come see a live show get HTDS merch or become an HTDS premium member for bonus episodes and other perks. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“Our own artillery is dropping a barrage directly on us. For heaven’s sake, stop it.”This is the story of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive’s beginnings.“Tout le monde à la bataille.” So says Ferdinand Foch as the Allies hit the Germans from several pressure points at once. For the Americans, that means fighting between the thick woods of the Argonne Forest and the deep waters of the Meuse River. The region is heavily guarded and a “natural fortress.” The attack will have a high cost – including injured Harlem Hellfighters and a wounded George Patton.But deep in the Argonne Forest, some 550 men have the misfortune of being the only force to succeed in pushing as deep as their demanding commander asks. They’re isolated, alone, and soon, surrounded by the Germans with no food, supplies, or reinforcements coming. Worse still, the rest of the US Army isn’t even sure where they are behind German lines. This is the harrowing tale of the Lost Battalion.____Connect with us on HTDSpodcast.com and go deep into episode bibliographies and book recommendations join discussions in our Facebook community get news and discounts from The HTDS Gazette  come see a live show get HTDS merch or become an HTDS premium member for bonus episodes and other perks. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The hosts discuss World War I, including causes, inventions, and social changes. They also mention behind-the-scenes stories, the last battle of the Great War, and ways to dive deeper into history.

“Something has happened to one of the boys.”This is the story of the Great War’s flyboys – particularly, Americans taking to the skies to fight for France.Long before the United States will enter the Great War, hundreds of American men head to Europe to fight for the French Republic. Some drive ambulances. Some fight in the French Foreign Legion. But come 1916, some begin to fly.In 1916, seven pilots (our “Flying Founders,” if you will) start an American squadron within France’s Aéronautique Militaire. Ultimately, 38 men will fly in this squad. They’ll shoot whiskey, have a pet lion cub named “Whiskey” (as well as a second named “Soda”), and risk it all, wielding machine guns amid the clouds. These are the men of the famous Lafayette Escadrille. They number among the 269 Americans who fly for France, collectively known as the Lafayette Flying Corps.It’s a romanticized fight. The Great War’s pilots are known as the “knights of the sky.” They’re the era’s heroes. Rockstars. But the death rate is steep. The heartbreak is real. That’s particularly true as the beloved son of a US President goes down in flames …____Connect with us on HTDSpodcast.com and go deep into episode bibliographies and book recommendations join discussions in our Facebook community get news and discounts from The HTDS Gazette  come see a live show get HTDS merch or become an HTDS premium member for bonus episodes and other perks. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“Is there any regulation which specifies that a Navy yeoman be a man?” This is the story of the United States in the Great War and the role of women in that changing world.Women of the Progressive Era are all about change. They’re fighting for several reforms — including their own right to vote — and as the United States enters the Great War, they’re ready to embrace new responsibilities and opportunities. Women are stepping into all sorts of new roles, be that on a factory floor or by taking on non-combat roles in the Navy or Marines. Tens of thousands are at the front as nurses, while hundreds of others are not far behind the lines carrying out the indispensable task of communion — these are the US Army’s bi-lingual, quick-acting, and cool-headed switchboard operators, better known as “Hello Girls.” From blood-soaked mobile hospitals to radium-filled “studios,” right down to musty office jobs, women play an indispensable part as the United States goes to war. But is the war changing the lives of American women? Or is the war just accelerating change already occurring? We’ll find out.____Connect with us on HTDSpodcast.com and go deep into episode bibliographies and book recommendations join discussions in our Facebook community get news and discounts from The HTDS Gazette  come see a live show get HTDS merch or become an HTDS premium member for bonus episodes and other perks. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“My men never retire. They go forward, or they die!”This is the story of the 15th New York, a.k.a, the 369th, or the Harlem Hellfighters.James “Big Jim” Europe is one of the most talented musicians in the world. His ragtime and early jazz sounds electrify New York City. That’s exactly why Colonel William “Big Bill” Hayward, who’s just been named commander of New York’s newly established Black regiment (the 15th) wants the young machine gun officer to step into his rightly earned celebrity status and lead the regimental band. Unofficially, Jim accepts, and his swinging sounds soon win more recruits.But nothing comes easy for the old 15th. Training in the South, they encounter Jim Crow hostility. Making it to France, they are despondent to find they’re designated for manual labor. But as Jim’s band rocks concert halls across France, they finally get a chance to go to the front as a part of the French military.These New Yorkers never lose an inch of ground. They win or they die, becoming heroes on both sides of the Atlantic and earning the Croix de Guerre for the entire unit. But it’s a tale of heroism that ends on a low note, as the men of the 15th find Jim Crow a tougher foe than the German Kaiser.____Connect with us on HTDSpodcast.com and go deep into episode bibliographies and book recommendations join discussions in our Facebook community get news and discounts from The HTDS Gazette  come see a live show get HTDS merch or become an HTDS premium member for bonus episodes and other perks. “The Clef Club March” by James Reese Europe. From the sound recording Paragon Ragtime Orchestra: Black Manhattan. New World Records #80611-2 (p) & © 2003 Anthology of Recorded Music, Inc. Used by permission. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices