First World War Lectures/Presentations/Discussions on YouTube

[David Tattersfield]

In light of the enormous attention it has generated, one could be forgiven for thinking that there really isn't anything new to be said about the Battle of Cambrai in November 1917. However, there was more to Cambrai than just tanks, church bells and stormtroops. One such neglected element of the battle is communications.

For the most part, history has overlooked the signallers' war, which is somewhat surprising given the significant impact that communications had upon the fighting.

This talk, by Dr Brian Hall of Salford University, casts new light on the Battle of Cambrai by examining it through the lens of the British Army's communications system, arguing that Cambrai provided important lessons with which the British would develop a template for its communications practice in the 'war-winning battles' of the summer and autumn of 1918.

 

 

[Chris_Baker]

Extraordinary to see my talk on the Lys, "Six miles from victory" has now been viewed getting on for 20,000 times. The power of the internet!
 

[David Tattersfield]

On 22/12/2023 at 10:27, Chris_Baker said:

Extraordinary to see my talk on the Lys, "Six miles from victory" has now been viewed getting on for 20,000 times. The power of the internet!
 

Indeed !

What Chris is too modest to provide a link to was his truly excellent presentation about the Battle of the Lys in 1918. The clarity of the explanation and the illustrations were of the highest order and it was a pleasure to undertake the (light) editing to get this on the WFA's YouTube channel. One of the comments that viewers leave says it all: 

Quote

 

"Possibly the most fascinating, informative and entertaining WFA lecture that I’ve ever heard. Very well done indeed, Chris. More please?"

 

This presentation is currently 39th in the 'Hit Parade' (out of 380 videos) on the WFA's YouTube channel and deserves to have far more views. Having said that, however, only nine videos uploaded after Chris's 'Six Miles From Victory' have had more views, so as a relatively 'new' upload it's doing pretty well. 

Whilst some videos 'take off' in terms of views, unfortunately others do not - it's all down to the algorithms in YouTube.  

My thanks to Chris - and all other contributors - to these videos which I hope help bring the subject of the Great War to a much wider audience. 

Edited 23 December , 2023 by David Tattersfield

[David Tattersfield]

The Battle of Vimy Ridge is one of the most prominent events of the First World War in Canadian public memory, in the experience of British visitors to the Western Front, and for the local French community. In Germany, it is virtually unknown, despite the fact that tens of thousands of German troops fought and died to hold the ridge in conditions no less terrible than those of the Canadians and British.

The German experience at Vimy Ridge does not figure prominently in our public memory of the battle, but post-war German literature provides us a glimpse into the hellish experience of the men of the Gruppe Vimy in April 1917. Public historian Jesse Alexander will take us through the other side side of the hill, in the words of the men from Bavaria and Prussia - largely forgotten today - who were on the receiving end of one of the most famous battles of the war.

 

 

[David Tattersfield]

In 1917, British Prime Minister David Lloyd George ordered the Egyptian Expeditionary Force to capture Jerusalem by Christmas. This was, arguably, a diversion from the main focus of the war on the western front. He believed this would be a good 'Christmas Present' for the British people.

However, the route to Jerusalem was across the Sinai desert and blocked by the Ottoman defences at Gaza and Beersheba. The eventual Allied victory at the Battle of Beersheba, was a grave setback for the Ottoman Empire and led to the eventual defeat of the Central Powers in what was then Palestine.

This is the first part of two back to back presentations.

 

 

[David Tattersfield]

This is the second of two webinars looking at the war in Palestine. In this presentation, Robert Fleming picks up the story after the capture of Beersheba, and explores how Allenby skilfully mustered and mastered his resources to defeat the Ottoman Army at the Battle of Megiddo, and end the war in the Middle East.

 

 

[David Tattersfield]

This presentation by Prof David Stevenson reappraises the final stages of the First World War in Western Europe, analysing the factors that led Germany to seek an armistice and led the Allies and the United States to grant one.

Particular attention is given to the turn of the tide and to the sources of Allied superiority on the Western Front; and to the interaction of political and military considerations in shaping decision-making during the ceasefire negotiations of October-November 1918.

 

 

[David Tattersfield]

In March, April and then May 1918, the men of 21st Division were unfortunate to find themselves facing all three of the major German Spring Offensives. Losses were so severe that disbandment was contemplated. The Division recovered, however, and played its part in the 'Hundred Days' advance to victory in the summer and autumn of that year, fighting its last engagement - the capture of the village of Limont-Fontaine - on 7 November.

In this presentation, Dr Derek Clayton examines the 21st Division's role in 1918 in its defensive role in the Spring and it's later offensive actions in the summer and autumn.

 

 

[David Tattersfield]

William Heath Robinson remains one of Britain’s best-loved illustrators and has embedded himself into English vernacular, inspiring the phrase ‘it’s all a bit Heath Robinson’ to describe any precarious or unnecessarily complex contraption.

Combining a distinctive draughtsmanship with a curious and ingenious mind, the advent of the First World War inspired Heath Robinson to dream up a series of increasingly outlandish and bizarre military inventions with which the opposing armies would try to outwit each other. From the kaiser’s campaigning car or a suggestion for an armoured bayonet curler, to post-war ‘unbullying’ of beef, his cartoons are a fantastically absurd take on wartime technology and home-front life.

In this presentation, Luci Gosling tells us about Heath Robinson and gives us over 100 examples of his illustrations. The charm and eccentricity of his which were loved by the public.

 

[David Tattersfield]

From ship to shore to the skies, from wire to wireless, the communications element of the Gallipoli campaign was an essential component to success or failure. Command and control is often focussed upon through the study of the operational outcome of the campaign, yet equally important is the history of signalling at Gallipoli when viewed at the tactical level.

Numerous published sources are available to us to consider just what challenges faced signallers during the campaign. This presentation considers what went right, what went wrong how the men on the ground adapted to the climate and conditions of Gallipoli to ensure their messages got through.

 

 

[David Tattersfield]

 

In March 1915 the British government issued a ban on the exhumation and repatriation of soldiers back to the United Kingdom. Despite this some attempts were made by relatives to have their loved ones brought back 'home'.

Whilst military cemeteries were the most appropriate to commemorate the dead, when the project of military cemeteries was announced and the ban on repatriation was made permanent, the news created a lot of uproar in the UK.

Soon after the publication of the plans, certain newspapers ran campaigns to try to fight the decision made by the Imperial War Graves Commission and the issue of repatriation was brought up in Parliament. Many influential British figures became involved.

This presentation - at the WFA's 2023 AGM - by Prof Mark Connelly describes the controversy and the campaign to try to overturn the ban on the repatriation of British soldiers bodies after the First World War.