In the second part in our examination of World War I, we focus on the experience of the war for ordinary people. The episode begins with a discussion of the life of soldiers, from the moment of mobilization in 1914 to the long days spent in the trenches in between battles. The second half of the episodes switches focus to the war behind the lines – i.e. the “Home-front,” showing how ordinary Germans, Britons and Frenchmen (among others) dealt with the hardships and consequences caused by the conflict. We end with a discussion of the optimism generated in the Central Powers in the spring of 1918, and the crushing defeats and collapses that followed in the late summer and fall.

Image: Baden Powell, “Are You in This?” Parliamentary Recruiting Committee, Poster No. 112 (London, 1915); courtesy of Imperial War Museum, London, UK.