Fismes and Fismette - House to House in the Great War

Fismes and Fismette - House to House in the Great War

Author: Mike Cunha December 18, 2023 Duration: 49:55

An early Christmas gift for the BFWWP community--the battle of Fismes in summer 1918. This was a Patreon release, so you'll hear the old scores used in the episode.

 

Following the German Friedensturm offensive in July 1918, the Allies struck back with a counteroffensive that shifted the momentum of the war in the Allies' favor. Through the rest of July the Germans retreated from their Marne salient, steadily pursued by the French and American forces.

 

When the Germans retreated behind the River Vesle, American troops encountered obstacles not common to the Great War battlefield: the town of Fismes and its sister village of Fismette. Both would have to be cleared of German troops for the advance to continue. 

 

August 1918 saw weeks of staggering violence as American Doughboys and German Frontkaempfer fought tooth and nail for the ruins of these towns. 

 

Interested in the 2024 Lost Battalion Tours' Meuse-Argonne battlefield tour? 

 

Email us: lostbattaliontours@gmail.com

 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at verdunpodcast@gmail.com. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 


Hosted by Mike Cunha, Battles of the First World War Podcast is a dedicated exploration of the Great War’s defining confrontations. Each episode focuses on a single battle, moving beyond dates and maps to examine the intricate decisions, tactical realities, and human experiences that shaped these events. Cunha’s approach is to unpack the how and why, piecing together the sequence of command choices, logistical challenges, and frontline conditions that led to each clash’s outcome. Within this framework, the podcast gives voice to the individuals-soldiers, nurses, officers, and civilians-whose personal stories are woven into the larger narrative of this titanic twentieth-century struggle. Listening feels less like a lecture and more like a detailed, respectful reconstruction, where the scale of history is measured in both grand strategy and individual courage. For anyone seeking to understand the First World War beyond the textbook summaries, this series offers a thorough and compelling audio journey into the battles that changed the world.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Battles of the First World War Podcast
Podcast Episodes
World War 1 - Coalition Warfare & Command Challenges [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:05
In this stand-alone episode we are going up over the battlefields and the fronts to take a 10,000 meter (that's 30,000ft) view of the Great War, specifically prosecuting that war through the framework of coalition warfar…
Lost Battalion Tours 2024 Tour & France-Belgium Trip Recap [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:28
A short recap of the recent six (6!) weeks spent in France and Belgium on the Old Front Line. Have you ever had an extraordinary and unforgettable day on a trip or vacation? This was extraordinary and unforgettable days…
Liny-devant-Dun - Thoughts on a German Cemetery [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:54
A short episode inspired by a visit to the German Soldatenfriedhof in Liny-devant-Dun, France. The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. Any questions, comments or concerns please…
Meuse Argonne - Assessment [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:23
A look at the United States' efforts in the First World War, the efforts of the American Expeditionary Force on the battlefield, and what the Doughboys showed and taught us. The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.c…
Tannenberg - Complete Destruction [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:17
This is a release of a former Patreon-only episode. Elements of the German 8th Army push to outflank and encircle the Russian 2nd Army, while outmaneuvered Russian soldiers fight desperately yet resolutely. The Russian 2…
AEF 2nd Corps, 27th & 30th Divisions with Historian Pat Gang [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:26:42
Historian Pat Gang comes on the podcast to discuss the AEF 2nd Corps, the 27th (New York National Guard) and 30th (Tennessee National Guard) Divisions. Pat's musings on football and history can be found here: https://www…
Ann Hood's "The Stolen Child:" A Short Review [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:43
A short review of Ann Hood's "The Stolen Child," a new book to be released in May 2024. Book link here: https://www.annhood.us/ Order it from your local bookstore so that you support your local businesses. The BFWWP is o…