WORLD WAR ONE & COMMEMORATION
2014 marks the centenary of the First World War and a programme of events that will commemorate the conflict. To mark 100 years since the outbreak of war the BBC has announced their plans for a unique and extensive season of television and radio programming which will span four years. In this section, we give an overview of the BBC output, nationally & locally; listing and giving clips from Radio & TV programmes from 2014 First World War broadcasts. In addition, we are attempting to capture the debate about how we should commemorate the centenary: see sections of blogs, pieces published by journalists online and in newsprint, filmed lectures and debates, links to websites and funding opportunities. Many of the 'history war' news pieces and blogs relate to the education minister, Michael Gove, publishing a piece about BlackAdder in The Daily Mail on 2nd January (see below). We would like to list more blogs and filmed lectures/debates, so do share with us. When you note ommisions, please send these via email with the missing links to: historyworks@gmail.com
BBC PLANS
National
The BBC season of 130 commissioned television programmes will be augmented by extensive regional and local radio programmes adding up to 2,500 hours of programming in total to begin in early 2014 and continue through to 2018, mirroring the timeframe of the conflict. Starting with Britain’s Great War, presented by Jeremy Paxman, the coverage will span all areas of the BBC from documentaries, drama, live event coverage, music, children's television to international services from around the world.
An online portal located at www.bbc.co.uk/ww1 will provide a central web-based location for audiences to access the breadth of television and radio that is programmed, as well as news, features and interactive online content.
The BBC are aiming to broaden knowledge, enliven familiar stories and illustrate many of the unknown and largely forgotten aspects of the First World War through original research and new content. The Wipers Times which aired in September offered an early insight into the innovative ways that the BBC will present the histories of the First World War. A review of The Wipers Times can be found here.
More information about the plans for national programming from Adrian Van Klaveren, World War One Centenary Controller, can be accessed in the following two blog posts:
Introducing the World War One Centenary on the BBC
BBC Mediapack: http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/ww1/
BBC World War One: Season Launch Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcdC_Bqmc2s&feature=youtu.be
Local and Regional Output
One of the ways in which the BBC plans to explore how the war had and still continues to have a significant impact on families, local communities and society is through their ‘World War One at Home’ programming. Each local radio station will develop and launch 20 quality stories about their locality and its connections to the war. Through examining the effect on gender roles, domestic life, schools, and conscientious objection amongst many other areas, the BBC will be able to show how the larger global narratives of the war are linked with the intricate and often untold stories of individuals and communities.
The programmes will also have the support of academic researchers funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). These will work with broadcast journalists to assist in researching and interpretating material for the regional output.
The programmes will be launched on February 24th 2014 and will have a digital location on the local stations’ websites. From that site audiences will be able to connect with the rest of the BBCs regional output where they will be permanently accessible and available for download. The central digital location for the World War One at Home output can be accessed via http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01pw4fx
More information about the ‘World War One at Home’ programming can be found in the following blogs written by Craig Henderson, Head of Programming for BBC English Regions. These can be foundvia the following links:
Revealing the World War One at Home project
Counting down to World War One at Home
Digital
To accompany their broadcast material the BBC have launched a new interactive learning guide entitled iWonder. The iWonder is accessible across a range of devices (including smartphones, tablets and desktop computers) and offers users the option to explore the BBC's content digitally. The BBC have launched iWonder interactive guides to support the World War One season and although the first iWonder content centres on the First World War, it will eventually provide content that covers all of the BBC’s factual and education genres.
The iWonder guide can be accessed here http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww1
More information about iWonder can be found via Executive Producer Tim Plyming's blog post, 'Introducing iWonder guides for the World War One season.' http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/aboutthebbc/posts/Introducing-the-BBCs-first-World-War-One-iWonder-guides
World War One newsletter
Find out about events, programme listings and new online material from the World War One season at the BBC wby signing up to their email newsletter http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/0/ww1/24437150.
BROADCAST MEDIA
Radio
Woman's Hour: Pansexuality; Sharon Rooney; WW1 Nurses' Campaign
BBC Radio 4, Monday 17 February 2014
A discussion about the campaign to get recognition for nurses who served in WW1.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03vd7cq
Woman's Hour: World War One: Changing Women's Lives
BBC Radio 4, Wednesday 05 February 2014.
Examining how the war shaped the lives of a generation of women.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03thdbh
The Great War of Words
BBC Radio 4, Tuesday 4 February 2014.
Michael Portillo explores the last battleground of World War One - the charred intellectual landscape left by generations of historians, politicians and cultural commentators.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03t873v
Thought for the Day
BBC Radio 4, Monday 13 January 2014
Responding to the debates between historians and politicians surrounding commemorating World War One, Canon Dr Alan Billings suggests that least we are alert now to the fact that there are many different ways of interpreting the Great War.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01pqwpl
The Now Show
BBC Radio 4's satirical weekly sketch show, Friday 10th January, 2014
Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis comment on Gove's concerns about BlackAdder and how history is taught in schools, and in this sketch wonder 'what if' we based our knowledge of historical conflicts on sit-coms...
IN is at 18.43 & OUT is at 20.34
Programme: http://bbc.in/1eyT8Bh
The Long, Long Trail
BBC Radio 4’s Archive on 4, 4th January 2014
Roy Hudd explores Charles Chilton's forgotten 1961 radio masterpiece which inspired the musical Oh What a Lovely War.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03nrn9m
World at One
BBC Radio 4, 3rd January 2014
Professor Gary Sheffield and Professor Richard Evans debate the nature of Britain's World War One enemy, imperial Germany.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03mg0pv
"I don't think teachers should be showing Blackadder in history lessons"
BBC Radio 4’s World at One clip, Friday 3rd January 2014
History professors Sir Richard Evans and Professor Gary Sheffield discuss portrayals of the First World War.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01p8591
Dominic Laurie sits in
Shelagh Fogarty, BBC Radio 5 Live, Friday 3rd January 2014
A discussion about the Education Secretary Michael Gove's statements that "left-wing" myths about the First World War by popular shows like Blackadder "belittle" Britain.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03mfg70
Michael Gove on teaching history
BBC Start The Week, 30th December 2013
Andrew Marr discusses the teaching of history with the Government's Education Secretary, Michael Gove. He's joined by Margaret MacMillan, Simon Schama and Tom Holland.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03mcmwx
Televison & Visual Media
Britain's Great War - 4. At the Eleventh Hour
BBC One, Monday 17 February 2014.
Series charting how the First World War affected Britain. Jeremy Paxman describes how the country came to the very brink of defeat in the last year of the war.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01npqws
Britain's Great War - 3. The Darkest Hour
BBC One, Monday 10 February 2014.
Series charting how the First World War affected Britain. How Germany's attempts to starve Britain into submission edged the nation closer to defeat than ever.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b03vc2rw/Britains_Great_War_The_Darkest_Hour/
Royal Cousins at War
BBC Two
A two-part series looks at the role played by the three monarchs,Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany and King George V of England, and their relationships with each other, in the outbreak of war, arguing that it is far greater than historians have traditionally believed.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01pw7nx
Planning War before 1914
Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sociences and Humanities, Thursday 06 February 2014.
A lecture by Margaret MacMillan (St Anthony's College, Oxford) about the thinking of the military and their critics in relation to the plans that were drawn up before the great powers went to war in 1914.
http://www.crassh.cam.ac.uk/events/25378
Britain's Great War - 2. The War Machine
BBC One, Monday 04 February 2014.
Series charting how the First World War affected Britain. With the country unprepared for war, the whole population is enlisted to turn Britain into a war machine.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b03ts1c1/Britains_Great_War_The_War_Machine/
Britain's Great War - 1. War Comes to Britain
BBC One, Monday 27 January 2014
Jeremy Paxman presents a four-part documentary charting how the First World War affected Great Britain, with this episode focusing on the war's early stages.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p01nprmc/Britains_Great_War_War_Comes_to_Britain/
Life on the front line: The diaries describing soldiers' lives during World War One
BBC One Breakfast, Tuesday 14th January 2014.
Terry Jackson of the Western Front Association discusses the significance of The National Archives making war diaries available online.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01pv77x
This Week
BBC 1, Thursday 9th January 2014
At 34:45 in the episode of politics on the sofa (with Andrew Neil and pundits Diane Abbot MP and Michael Portillo #SadManOnTrain) Dan Snow discusses whether dramatic reconstruction gets in the way of learning 'the facts' about history, and admits that he first learnt about World War One via the sit-com BlackAdder:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03pml84
Simon Mayo Drivetime
Wednesday 8th January 2014
At 1:19:40 you'll find a section where Dan Snow discusses World War One & the debates surrounding its commemoration.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03nhbzr
Newsnight
BBC 2, 6th January 2014
At 26:50 into the programme, Professor Margaret MacMillan and Professor Richard Evans debate whether we have a left-wing view of the First World War, directly challenging the education minister, Gove's opinions about BlackAdder and the teaching of history which he published in the Daily Mail earlier in the week (for text, see Journalism section below):
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03pdgs6
The WFA responds to the debate about how the Great War should be commemorated
Sky News, Monday 6th January 2014
Western Front Association Trustee Richard Hughes is interviewed on Sky News and contributes the WFA's perspective to the debate about Michael Gove's comments on the teaching and remembrance of the Great War.
Baldrick Calls Gove's Blackadder Remarks 'Silly'
Sky News, Monday 6th January 2014
Sir Tony Robinson criticises Michael Gove for suggesting the comedy teaches schoolchildren "left-wing myths" about World War One.
http://news.sky.com/story/1190526/baldrick-calls-goves-blackadder-remarks-silly
WW1 Cemetery At Heart Of Commemorations
Sky News, Sunday 5th January 2014
Video and supporting article detailing the news that the graveyard where the first and last British soldiers to be killed in the First World War are buried will be the focus of centenary memorial events.
http://news.sky.com/story/1190367/ww1-cemetery-at-heart-of-commemorations
Michael Gove and the 'left-wing myths of WW1'
Channel 4 News, Friday 3rd January 2014
Admiral Lord West and Professor Richard Evans discuss Michael Gove’s criticism that "Left Wing" World War One commemorations are "designed to belittle Britain and its leaders".
http://www.channel4.com/news/catch-up/display/playlistref/030114/clipid/030114_4ON_GOVENEW_03
LECTURES, PODCASTS AND DEBATES: FILMS AVAILABLE ONLINE
BBC World War One
BBC Radio podcasts from BBC National, Local, Regional and World Service Radio including documentaries exploring the causes, politics and impact of WW1 and its legacy.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/ww1
Paxman on World War One Podcast
History Extra, Thrusday 23 January 2014.
Jeremy Paxman discusses Britain in the First World War.
http://www.historyextra.com/podcast/paxman-world-war-one
How Europe went to War in 1914
Lecture by Professor Christopher Clark, held at the House of Literature (Litteraturhuset), Oslo. Saturday 23 November 2013.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1yJo-g5cH8&feature=youtube_gdata_player%20
Preventing another Great War: Lessons from 1914
Margaret MacMillan lecture, hosted by Brookings Institution, 7th November 2013.
Audio of MacMillan in conversation about modern conflict points and how world leaders must learn the lessons of 1914 and work together to build a more stable international order.
http://www.brookings.edu/events/2013/11/07-great-war-lessons-1914
First World War Commemoration, transcript from House of Commons Debate
Transcript form the House of Commons Debate, 7th November 2013, discussing the commemoration of the First World War.
Blood + Chocolate - The Web Stream
Pilot Theatre, Slung Low and York Theatre Royal production. Uploaded Thursday 17 October 2013.
The full performance of Blood + Chocolate as streamed on October 17th 2013, with optional captions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DgqP6TqHSo
July 1914 Crisis Lecture
Historian Vernon Bogdanor delivers a lecture entitled "Diplomacy: Sir Edward Grey and the Crisis of 1914" at the Legatum Institute in London, Thursday 26 September 2013.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b03mtlps/July_1914_Crisis_Lecture/
The Origins of World War I
Lecture by Professor Christopher Clark at the 'The First World War as a turning-point in the European history' conference in Doorn, on the 21st September 2013.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRIdt75wEnE
First World War: the hundred years view
A filmed panel discussion focussing on commemorating the First World War. Panellists include; Lesley Katon, Creative Director of Pagefield; Sir Hew Strachan, Chichele Professor of the History of War, University of Oxford; Paul Lay, Editor ofHistory Today; and Kevin Rooney, Head of Social Science & Deputy Head of Queen’s School Sixth Form, Bushey.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCBPbUH3mHM&list=PLUJGOCM8cUJk-aQ7wBBhuVscAUbAFy4nP&index=3
First World War: New Perspectives
University of Oxford Podcasts, 29 Oct 2012 - 18 July 2013.
A series of short introductory talks from experts in the field presenting new perspectives on the First World War.
http://podcasts.ox.ac.uk/series/first-world-war-new-perspectives
BLOGS
I Came Out Willingly To Serve My King & Country
Paul Reed for his Somme Battlefields blog, Sunday 16 February 2014.
A blog post offering an insight into the history of Eric Rupert Heaton, a soldier in World War One. It includes a teanscript of Heaton's last letter home before his death.
http://somme1916.wordpress.com/2013/02/26/i-came-out-willingly-to-serve-my-king-country/
Soldiers’ experiences of World War I in photographs
OUP Blog, Saturday 15 February 2014.
A selection of photographs taken from The Great War: A Combat History of the First World War by Peter Hart
WW1 - what a decent Secretary of State for Education would do
Michael Rosen, Thursday 06 February 2014.
This blog offers a criticism of Michael Gove's approach to commemorating World War One by presenting a new strategy. Rosen states that current digital platforms offer a unique opportunity to have an instant European-wide debate about the First World War.
http://michaelrosenblog.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/ww1-what-decent-secretary-of-state-for.html?spref=tw
Europeana 1914-1918 website relaunched!
Europeana blog, Wednesday 29 January 2014.
Blog post about the Europeana 1914-1918 online resource which now brings together resources from three major European projects each dealing with different types of First World War material.
http://blog.europeana.eu/2014/01/europeana-1914-1918-website-relaunched/
Jeremy Paxman: Britain’s Great War
Paul Reed, Monday 27 January 2014.
A blog post about the BBC's launch of Britain’s Great War, the criticism it has generated prior to broadcast, and the hope that it will generate interest and discussio namongst audiences.
http://ww1centenary.net/2014/01/27/jeremy-paxman-britains-great-war/
A First World War scheme of work – very early sketch of ideas
The Kenradical School of History, Sunday 26 January 2014.
A history teacher's blog post detailing a revised scheme of work focussed on the First World War.
From the office: Appealing against conscription
Who Do You Think You Are blog, Thursday 23 January 2014.
Sarah Williams, editor, responds to the The National Archives' release of 8,000 conscription appeal records.
http://www.whodoyouthinkyouaremagazine.com/blog/magazine-team/office-appealing-against-conscription
Thousands of conscription appeal records made available online by the UK National Archives
1914.org, Thursday 23 January 2014.
Post about the National Archives making the digitised records of over 8,000 individuals seeking exemption from conscription into the Army in Middlesex during the First World War available online.
Music Hall – not just a lovely war?
jimjepps for objectingtowar, Tuesday 21 January 2014.
A blog post examining the influence of the music hall during World War One.
http://objectingtowar.wordpress.com/2014/01/21/music-hall/
Storify: BBC iWonder Guides
Rob Lee @monkeyhelpr, Sunday 19 January 2014.
A curated timeline of the responses to the BBC's iWonder WW1 Guides found on Twitter.
http://storify.com/rjlee/bbc-iwonder-guides
War commemorations and politics: Lessons from the nineteenth century
Karine Varley for History and Policy, January 2014
An article examining the different purposes that politicians and historians have when engaging with historical narratives.
http://www.historyandpolicy.org/opinion/opinion_135.html
Dealing With the ‘Blackadder’ View of the First World War: The Need for an Inclusive, Bi-Partisan Centenary
Professor Gary Sheffield for RUSI Analysis, Monday 13 Jan 2014.
"In this personal reflection, historian Gary Sheffield argues that it is not too late to disentangle the Centenary of the First World War from crude partisan politics."
http://www.rusi.org/analysis/commentary/ref:C52D3C5B606225/#.UtZcwvRdWSr
Shot at Dawn
George Campbell Gosling, Monday 13 January 2014.
This post examines a debate that features within one of the author's seminars: whether or not the government was right in 2006 to grant a blanket pardon to the 306 men ‘shot at dawn’ by the British Army.
http://gcgosling.wordpress.com/2014/01/13/shotatdawn/
The Complex Origins of the First World War
Sam Fowles for History Today, Monday 13 January 2014.
An article exploring why there is no single definitive cause for Europe’s collective decision to fight in 1914.
http://www.historytoday.com/blog/2014/01/complex-origins-first-world-war
Michael Gove, Tristram Hunt, the Labour Party & the First World War: a note
kmflett, Sunday January 12 2014
A blog post that both agrees with Tristram Hunt's criticism of Gove's view that the left didn't support the war. The post also acknowledges that Hunt failed to mention that a significant sections of the left it did not support the war.
Lions led by donkeys?
Clio et cetera, Saturday 11th January 2014.
This post looks at the recent debates about how the First world War should be commemorated from the perspective of a history teacher, identifying the important role schools play in determining the historical consciousness of the country.
http://clioetcetera.wordpress.com/2014/01/11/lions-led-by-donkeys/
WW1 Centenary: ANZACS – Remembering We Forget?
Paul Reed, Friday 10 January 2014
A response a published article on an Australian news website that claims the British government will not sufficiently commemorate the efforts of troops from Australia or New Zealand.
http://ww1centenary.net/2014/01/10/ww1-centenary-anzacs-remembering-we-forget/
Lions Led by Donkeys, Pageants made by Patriots
Jvieira for Historicalpageants.ac.uk, Thursday 9 January 2014.
An article addressing a concern that current debates surrounding commemoration don’t reflect or allow space to engage with the many complex ways in which people reacted to the war.
http://www.historicalpageants.ac.uk/blog/lions-led-by-donkeys/
A War of Conscience
History on the Dole blog, Monday 6 January 2014.
A blog post responding to Michael Gove’s comments documented in the Daily Mail.
http://historyonthedole.wordpress.com/2014/01/06/a-war-of-conscience/
Of historians and politicians
Jessica Meyer, Armsandthemedicalman blog, Monday 6 January 2014.
A blogpost exploring the comments made by Michael Gove about the commemorations of the First World War and how they neglect the personal narratives that display the range of complex reasons that men fought in the war.
http://armsandthemedicalman.wordpress.com/2014/01/06/of-historians-and-politicians/
WW1 Centenary: Blackadder A War Crime?
Paul Reed, Monday 6 January 2014.
This blogpost discusses the politicisation of debates surrounding the commemoration of the First World War (following Michael Gove's comments in the Daily Mail) and representations of the war in television and theatre.
http://ww1centenary.net/2014/01/06/ww1-centenary-blackadder-a-war-crime/
Britons prefer solemn centenary to marking Great War victory
British Future blog, Sunday 5 January 2014.
Blog post discussing results from the Do Mention The War report which looked at the public understanding of the First World War.
http://www.britishfuture.org/blog/britons-prefer-solemn-commemoration-to-marking-great-war-victory/
2014: Dawn of the Great War Centenary
Paul Reed, Saturday 4 January 2014.
This post anticipates the upcoming commemorative broadcast material and articulates a desire to see "genuinely" new content and ideas within these.
http://ww1centenary.net/2014/01/04/2014-dawn-of-the-great-war-centenary/
History National Curriculum: Gove on ‘Start the Week’
A response piece to the BBC's Start the Week programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4, Monday 30 December 2013, which discussed the history curriculum. Tuesday 31st December 2013.
http://www.guywoolnough.com/history-national-curriculum-gove-on-start-the-week/
Having fun with Hansard
Hatful of History blog, 24 November 2013.
A blog post about the author’s search for popular culture references in the Houses of Parliament. Baldrick fromBlack Adder hasbeen mentioned in both Houses of Parliament 17 times since 1990.
http://hatfulofhistory.wordpress.com/2013/11/24/having-fun-with-hansard/
Poppies and Remembrance Sunday: Multicultural and Multifaith Britain Joins In
Royal United Services Institute, Friday 8 November 2013.
Drawing on research from the thinktank British Future, the article identifies the importance of exploring the roles that commonwealth troops had during World War One.
http://www.rusi.org/analysis/commentary/ref:C527D0DA2105A6/#.Un-BP_m-1Th
Charity and the First World War
George Campbell Gosling, Saturday 14 September 2013 (Originally posted on the VAHS blog 29 April 2013).
A post that acknowledges the increasing recognition of charity and volunteer work that existed within the wider war effort.
http://gcgosling.wordpress.com/2013/09/14/charity-and-the-first-world-war/
Open Letter: How should we remember the First World War?
No Glory in War 1914-1918, written on Wednesday 14 August 2013.
An open letter declaring the collective's dissaproval and concern that the government's funding of the commemorations will neglect narratives that remember the human loss and suffering.
http://noglory.org/index.php/open-letter
REMEMBERING THE FIRST WORLD WAR
By Amy Ryall for the University of Sheffield’s History Matters blog. Tuesday August 6th 2013.
A blogpost which calls for greater understanding of the complex histories of the Great War.
http://www.historymatters.group.shef.ac.uk/remembering-world-war/
JOURNALISM
A number of critical and dissonant voices responded to announcements of Government and broadcasting plans for commemorating the First World War. These articles directly respond to proposed plans and also interrogate the areas, the tone and the ways that World War One is often remembered publicly.
University of Manchester letters from WW1 trenches go on show
BBC News, Tuesday 18 February 2014.
Wartime letters and drawings from university students serving at the front to their Professor have gone on show for the first time at the University of Manchester's John Rylands Library.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-26228228
One woman’s moving story of love, loss and happiness from the Great War
Yorkshire Post, Monday 17 February 2014.
An article detailing a story that forms part of the Wartime Hospital at Beckett Park project. This project features as part of this year’s Headingley LitFest and will also be included in a future publication.
Was Britain right to fight WW1? History Extra readers divided
History Extra, Monday 17 February 2014
A poll asking whether Britain was right to have gone to war in 1914 has revealed a split in opinion among History Extra readers.
http://www.historyextra.com/news/was-britain-right-fight-ww1-history-extra-readers-divided
WW1: Fenton First World War soldier John Buckley had 'half his head missing' as he lay injured at The Somme
The Sentinel, Monday 17 February 2014.
An article about Private Buckley, a former miner, who suffered a severe head injury at the Somme.
Distant voices of the Great War
Yorkshire Post, Friday 14 February 2014.
A video and accompanying article which looks at some of the University of Leeds' First World War collection.
Every family has first world war memories. These are mine
The Guardian, Friday 14 Feb 2014.
Polly Toynbee identifies The Great War as this year's crucible for national self-examination and explores her own family's First World War history.
With love from the frontline
ITV Calendar, Friday 14 Feb 2014.
An article about a letter that was unearthed as part of the University of Leeds' Legacies of War centenary research and public engagement project.
http://www.itv.com/news/calendar/2014-02-14/with-love-from-the-frontline/
Home front heritage revealed in new study of WWI Scotland
War History Online, Friday 14 February 2014.
An article about an extensive audit of hundreds of sites and structures of built heritage established for the defence of Scotland in the First World War.
How are theatres across the country commemorating the Great War?
What's On Stage, Wednesday 12 February 2014.
An article that lists World War One related theatrical productions within UK theatres in 2014.
Britain's War poets: the finest introduction to poetry
The Telegraph, Wednesday 12 February 2014.
An article that looks at the poetry written after the outbreak of World War One.
World War One: 10 interpretations of who started WW1
BBC News, Wednesday 12 February 2014.
As nations gear up to mark 100 years since the start of World War One, academic argument still rages over which country was to blame for the conflict.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-26048324
Report shows lack of knowledge about World War One's global impact
University of Exeter, Wednesday 12 February 2014.
Research by the British Council in the UK and six other countries shows that knowledge of the conflict - which began 100 years ago - is largely limited to the fighting on the Western Front.
http://humanities.exeter.ac.uk/news/college/title_356369_en.html#.UvzC8vdrwxw.twitter
Legacies of the war that changed the world
Yorkshire Evening Post, Monday 10 February 2014.
Professor Alison Fell, who heads the University of Leeds’s Legacies of War project, looks at the impact the conflict had.
The 'German Tommy' who fought for Britain
The Telegraph, Sunday 09 February 2014.
An article about a soldier of German ancestry that hid his identity to serve with the British Army, ending up being decorated by the King.
The barrister killed in WW1 at the age of 68
The Telegraph, Sunday 09 February 2014.
An article about the changing of historical records that document thevoldest British battle casaulty of the First World War.
Top Gear host James May has told BBC bosses he now wants to front a new POETRY programme
The Daily Mail, Sunday 09 February 2014.
James May hopes to convince BBC bosses to make a special programme about the works of First World War poets.
Oh What a Lovely War: No agitprop play has had a better audience
The Telegraph, Friday 07 February 2014.
An article about Oh What a Lovely War ahead of its revival in London's West End.
Don't celebrate first world war, says minister in charge of centenary
Conservative Helen Grant says there should be no ‘dancing in the street’ during four years of commemorations
The Guardian, Friday 07 February 2014
War focus fuelling anti-German feeling
The Guardian, Friday 07 February 2014
Readers' letters detailing the effect of anti-German sentiment in British history teaching and the racism it generates.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/07/german-bashing-british-obsession-war
Minister says First World War victory should not be celebrated
The Telegraph, Thursday 06 February 2014.
Sports Minister Helen Grant has sparked controversy by saying Britain's victory in the First World War should not be celebrated even though she is tasked with marking the centenary.
Helen Dunmore: 'The First World War made us who we are’
The Telegraph, Monday 03 February 2014.
Helen Dunmore discusses her new novel The Lie, set in the aftermath of the First World War.
Diary from the Home Front: An extract from a unique First World War journal
The Daily Mail, Sunday 02 February 2014.
To mark the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War, a unique journal by well-to-do Kent housewife Ethel M Bilbrough is being published for the first time. In this exclusive extract she provides an insightful glimpse of civilian life during wartime.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/you/article-2548186/Diary-Home-Front.html
Oh, What a Lovely War: Why the battle still rages
The Telegraph, Saturday 01 February 2014
An article which examines the impact and legacy of Oh, What a Lovely War.
Ruhleben: the WW1 camp where gardening blossomed
The Telegraph, Saturday 01 February 2014.
An article offering context for an upcoming RHS exhibition which tells the story of Ruhleben, a First World War internment camp near Berlin where inmates were able to practice horticulture.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/10606906/Ruhleben-the-WW1-camp-where-gardening-blossomed.html
Germany, I apologise for this sickening avalanche of first world war worship
The Guardian, Thursday 30 January 2014
A Comment Is Free article about the problematic nature of British self-congratulation which comes at the expense of Germany's First World War involvement.
Gary Sheffield on First World War debate: 'A German victory would have been a disaster for Britain'
History Extra, Thursday 30 January 2014.
Gary Sheffield, Professor of War Studies at Wolverhampton University, contests Niall Ferguson's suggestion that Britain made a terrible mistake in taking up arms in 1914.
World War One: How did 12 million letters a week reach soldiers?
BBC News, Friday 31 January 2014
Ex-postman and former Home Secretary Alan Johnson writes about the war-time postage system.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-25934407
“Britain made mistake in joining WW1”: Twitter reacts to Niall Ferguson claim
History Extra, Thursday 30 January 2014.
Collated response from historians, journalists and members of the public on Twitter that discuss Niall Ferguson’s assertion that Britain should have stayed out of the First World War.
Niall Ferguson: “Britain should have stayed out of First World War”
History Extra, Thursday 30 January 2014.
A brief article providing details of Niall Ferguson's interview with BBC History Magazine.
Britain entering first world war was 'biggest error in modern history'
The Guardian, Thursday 30 January 2014.
Historian Niall Ferguson says Britain could have lived with German victory and should have stayed out of war
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/30/britain-first-world-war-biggest-error-niall-ferguson
Britain's Great War – TV review
The Guardian, Tuesday 28 January 2014.
A review of Britain's Great War which argues that Jeremy Paxman "offers a view of the first world war that has its insights but avoids important questions that need answering."
http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2014/jan/28/britains-great-war-jeremy-paxman-food-drink
Britain's Great War (BBC1), TV review: 'Memories from the home front humanise Paxman's war story'
The Independent, Tuesday 28 January 2014.
A review of BBC One's documentary Britain's Great War.
BBC's First World War series: 'Paxman defies my low expectations'
The Telegraph, Monday 27 January 2014.
Historian Nigel Jones says that Britain's Great War documentary isn't worried about offending Germany or appeasing 'conchies'.
Britain’s Great War, BBC One, review
The Telegraph, Monday 27 January 2014.
An articlereviewing BBC One's documentary about the Great War, Britain’s Great War, presented by Jeremy Paxman.
World War One's financial crisis - parallels with 2008
BBC News, Monday 27 January 2014
An article examining the similarities between the financial situation in 2008 and 1914.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-25882943
Left, Right, Left, Right. Halt! Call to keep politics out of WW1 anniversary
The Telegraph, Sunday 26 January 2014.
The government's special representative for the centenary, Andrew Murrison, has said the First World War centenary should not be a "Left-Right" issue.
Unseen First World War photographs show troops at play
The Telegraph, Sunday 26 January 2014.
The unseen diary of a First World War nurse shows servicemen dressing up, playing games and putting on theatre productions
Gove and junior minister split over how to teach history of first world war
The Guardian, Saturday 25 January 2014.
Education secretary Michael Gove finds colleagues such as Elizabeth Truss fail to share his view of the war.
Last Post to get modern treatment under WW1 centenary plans
The Telegraph, Thursday 23 January 2014.
A Government-backed scheme to mark the First World War centenary will see hundreds of modern arrangements of the Last Post performed, featuring instruments like bagpipes, guitars and steel drums.
Before the First World War: what can 1914 tell us about 2014?
The New Statesman, Thursday 23 January 2014.
An article by Professor Richard J. Evans which examines the parallels between 1914 and our own time.
http://www.newstatesman.com/2014/01/1914-to-2014
Who were the conscientious objectors of the first world war?
The Guardian, Thursday 23 January 2014.
Guardian Data has extracted details of 654 records from the National Archive to look at who conscientiously objected to the first world war and why.
http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2014/jan/23/who-conscientious-objectors-first-world-war
First world war: memories of the last survivors
The Guardian, Wednesday 22 January 2014
In a special project with four other Europa newspapers, The Guardian talked to some of the few who still recall those momentous events
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/22/first-world-war-memories-last-survivors
'Today's generation have it too easy': Paxo's praise for National Service: BBC presenter says conscription taught Britons the importance of duty
The Daily Mail, Tuesday 21 January 2014.
An article about Jeremy paxman's comments regarding national service.
Life on the Home Front: Extraordinary images depict women working in mills and factories during the First World War
The Daily Mail, Tuesday 21 January 2014
Photographs that show women manufacturing oil cakes, grain for food and deadly asbestos for fireproofing, taken by official Home Front photographer GP Lewis.
Lions and donkeys: Dan Snow's 10 myths about World War One debunked by No Glory
NoGlory, Monday 20 January 2014
A counter response to Dan Snow's 'Lions and donkeys: 10 big myths about World War One debunked' article.
Lions and donkeys: 10 big myths about World War One debunked
Dan Snow for BBC News, Monday 20 January 2014.
Dan Snow highlights ten common misconceptions about the First World War.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-25776836
BBC launches new iWonder brand for digital content, starting with interactive World War One guides
The Next Web, Sunday 19 January 2014.
Article discussing the launch of the BBC's iWonder, an interatcive guide which the BBC hope will unlock the learning potential from its wide-ranging content. It launches with content about WW1.
Germany's youth wants to learn more about First World War
DW, Monday 20 January 2014.
An article exploring the growing interest amongst German schoolchildren to understand more about the First World War.
http://www.dw.de/germanys-youth-wants-to-learn-more-about-first-world-war/a-17373053
Secrets of Kent's WW1 German u-boat
The Telegraph, Monday 20 January 2014
Article about a recent investigation by experts for English Heritage into the hull of a First World War German submarine that washed up on the Kent coast more than 90 years ago.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/world-war-one/10531084/Secrets-of-Kents-WW1-German-u-boat.html
BBC iWonder brings digital World War I content online
Digital Spy, Sunday 19 January 2014.
Article about the BBC launching iWonder, a new digital service to accompany their centenary coverage of World War I with additional interactive content.
BBC stars explore Great War themes
Express and Star, Sunday 19 January 2014.
Broadcasters such as Gareth Malone, Dan Snow and Kate Adie are among the stars who will voice a series of BBC guides to aspects of the First World War.
http://www.expressandstar.com/news/uk-news/2014/01/19/bbc-stars-explore-great-war-themes/
Broadcasters such as Gareth Malone, Dan Snow and Kate Adie are among the stars who will voice a series of BBC guides to aspects of the First World War.
The real Eton Rifles: the heroism of public school boys in the First World War
New Statesman, Saturday 18 January 2014
An article acknowledgign that public school alumni fought bravely and suffered disproportionately heavy losses during the Great War.
http://www.newstatesman.com/2013/12/real-eton-rifles
WW1: Can we really know the Lost Generation?
BBC News, Friday 17 January 2014.
An article that argues that the faces and stories of the individuals who died in WW1 are needed, as well as the statistics providing to get a sense of the devastating effects the war had.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/24526419
Far far from Ypres: Soldiers' songs shine light on WW1 attitudes
BBC News Scotland, Friday 17 January 2014.
An article with comments from Scottish folk singer and producer Ian McCalman about the songs of World War 1 often speaking of disillusionment, bitterness, boredom and a very dark sense of humour.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-25653122
Steve Bell's If ... on Michael Gove's freedom, choice and learning by rote
Steve Bell cartoon in The Guardian, Thursday 16 January 2014.
WW1 dead and shell shock figures 'significantly underestimated'
The Telegraph, Thursday 16 January 2014.
"Two new pieces of research into the First World War claim that previous figures for the conflict's death toll and the numbers who suffered from shell shock have been vastly underestimated."
Teaching the first world war: what Europe's pupils learn about the conflict
The Guardian, Thursday 16 January 2014
An article that examines how The First World War is taught to children in different countries.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/16/teaching-first-world-war?CMP=twt_gu
Echoes of 1914: are today's conflicts a case of history repeating itself?
The Guardian, Thursday 16 January 2014
Historian Christopher Clark on drawing parallels with 1914
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/15/1914-conflicts-history-repeating-first-world-war
First world war: your photographs
The Guardian, Thursday 16 January 2014
The Guardian asked readers from the UK and Europe to share their letters, diaries and photographs of friends and relatives, who were involved in WWI.
First world war: the great instructor
The Guardian, Wednesday 15 January 2014.
Drawing parallels between today and the first world war provides nothing more helpful than another perspective
An article that suggests "drawing parallels between today and the first world war provides nothing more helpful than another perspective."
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jan/15/first-world-war-parallels
First world war: 15 legacies still with us today
The Guardian, Wednesday 15 January 2014
An article that looks at the legacy of the First World War in areas such as medicine, warfare, geopolitics and social relations.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/15/firstworldwar
Archduke Franz Ferdinand descendant: don't blame us for first world war
The Guardian, Wednesday 15 January 2014.
An article about Karl Habsburg-Lothringen's statement that the major powers were already prepared for war when Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/15/archduke-franz-ferdinand-first-world-war
Jeremy Paxman accuses Michael Gove of 'wilfully misquoting' historian
The Guardian, Wednesday 15 January 2014.
Newsnight presenter says education secretary's remarks about Professor Sir Richard Evans over first world war were unfair
http://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/jan/15/jeremy-paxman-michael-gove
First World War: love letters from the trenches
The Telegraph, Wednesday 15 January 2014
A new book gathers together intimate and fascinating correspondence to and from soldiers fighting in the First World War.
Broadcast Blackadder to provoke First World War discussion, historian argues
The Telegraph, Tuesday 14 January 2014.
Historian Kate wWilliams argues that he BBC should broadcast Blackadder Goes Forth as part of its First World War commemoration.
WW1 soldier diaries placed online by National Archives
BBC News, Tuesday 14 January 2014.
Diaries from British soldiers describing life on the frontline during World War One are being published online by the National Archives.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-25716569
Honoured: the WW1 pigeons who earned their wings
The Telegraph, Sunday 12 January 2014.
Article about a new exhibition that highlights the contribution made by messenger pigeons in both world wars, when they were credited with saving thousands of lives and altering the course of battles.
If only Tory attitudes to the first world war had shifted as Germany's have
The Guardian, Monday 13 January 2014
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jan/13/tories-first-world-war-michael-gove-germany
'Goveadder': the education secretary meets his fate in the trenches
David Mitchell for The Observer, Sunday 12 January 2014.
Mitchell's response to Gove's views about how the war should be commemorated. The article includes a satirical sketch based on Blackadder.
The first world war and Australia: oh, what a loopy debate
The Guardian, Friday 10 January 2014.
An article arguing that recent debates about the First World War are hindering a more nuanced understanding of history.
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jan/10/australia-first-world-war-anzac
The first world war centenary should be about shared understanding, not political point-scoring
Margaret MacMillan for The Guardian, , Friday 10 January 2014
MacMillan argues that recent comments from politicians (of both the left and right) have politicised commemorations of the First World War and in doing so neglect to explore the complexity of the past.
Christopher Pyne: curriculum must focus on Anzac Day and western history
The Guardian, Friday 10 January 2014.
After 100 years, Britain still at war over legacy of World War I
The Japan Times, Thursday 9 January 2014.
An article from The Japan Times examining the arguments about "patriotism, historical responsibility and the place of humor in teaching history" that have been covered in the British press.
Government accused of 'social engineering' over WW1 plans
The Telegraph, Thursday 9 January 2014.
An article focussing on recent criticism and accusations that the government will not sufficiently commemorate the efforts of troops from Australia or New Zealand.
British plan ANZAC whitewash
News.com.au. Thursday 9 January 2014.
An article accusing the British government of intending to downplay the contribution that servicemen from Australia and New Zealand made during World War One.
http://www.news.com.au/world/british-plan-anzac-whitewash/story-fndir2ev-1226797568086
The first casualty: truth
John Blake for TES magazine, Wednesday 8 January 2014
Imperialist injustice, incompetent commanders and the horrors of the trenches: these are the lessons of the First World War. But are they the whole story? John Blake argues that we must abandon our unthinking acceptance of such facts and teach the conflict as it really was.
http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storyCode=6373287
German historians have little time for Gove’s Blackadder jibes
The Conversation, Wednesday 8 January 2014
This artilcle provides a German perspective of the debates surrounding Michael Goves' comments and criticises the celebration of heroism.
http://theconversation.com/german-historians-have-little-time-for-goves-blackadder-jibes-21826
First World War: an imperial bloodbath that's a warning, not a noble cause
Seumas Milne for Comment is Free, The Guardian, Wednesday 8 January 2014.
A criticism of Michael Gove and Boris Johnson’s perspective on the war and how it should be commemorated.
Michael Gove's grand illusion over Oh What a Lovely War
Readers' letters, The Guardian. Tuesday 7 January 2014.
Letters responding to Michael Gove's comments about the representations of the war in television and film.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/07/michael-gove-oh-what-a-lovely-war
Blackadder – your country needs you
The Guardian, Monday 6 January 2014.
An article that explores whether satirising or criticising World War One denigrates ordinary British soldiers, in response to Michael Gove’s comments.
Michael Gove: He's not the Education Secretary, he's a very silly boy
Steve Richards for Independent Voices, Monday 6 January 2014.
An article examining Michael Gove’s comments about left-wing historians and how Gove's polemicising in turn generates criticism of his own views.
Martin Rowson on Michael Gove's First World War comments
Martin Rowson for Comment is Free, The Guardian. Sunday 5 January 2014.
Political cartoon.
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/cartoon/2014/jan/05/martin-rowson-cartoon-michael-gove
How radio — and the digital age — help us to remember the First World War
The Spectator, Saturday 4 January 2014.
An article providing an overview of broadcasters’ plans to commemorate the First World War and how they will help the public engage with the history in a range of ways and mediums.
http://www.spectator.co.uk/arts/radio/9104382/2014-an-anniversary-to-beat-all-anniversaries/
Dear Mr Gove: you paint a curious picture of your job
The Guardian, Tuesday 7 January 2014.
A criticism of Michael Gove’s comments about commemorating the war and his credentials as Education Secretary.
Richard J Evans: Michael Gove shows his ignorance of history – again
Professor Richard J Evans, Monday 6 January 2014.
Professor Richard Evans responds to the education secretary Michael Gove’s attack on First World War historians, stating that it is an improper way to conduct the debate he claims he wants to encourage.
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/jan/06/richard-evans-michael-gove-history-education?CMP=twt_gu
Mayor of London: the First World War "was overwhelmingly the result of German aggression" and "the Left can't bear to say so"
Centenary News, Monday 6 January 2014.
An article offering an overview of the recent comments made in print journalism about commemorating the First World War by Boris Johnson, Michael Gove and Tristram Hunt.
http://www.centenarynews.com/article?id=1340
Germany started the Great War, but the Left can’t bear to say so
Boris Johnson for The Telegraph, Monday 6 January 2014.
A political article responding to current debates surrounding the commemoration of the First World War, left wing ideologies and Tristram Hunt’s recent article in The Observer.
Sir Tony Robinson hits back at Michael Gove's First World War comments
The Guardian, Sunday 5 January 2014.
“Actor who played Baldrick says Gove is irresponsible for saying Blackadder is leftwing and paints war as 'misbegotten shambles'.”
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/05/tony-robinson-michael-gove-blackadder-first-world-war
British incompetence in World War One has been overestimated. It's politicians, not the military, who deserve censure
Nigel Farage for Independent Voices, The Independent, Sunday 5 January 2014.
Nigel Farage responds to current debates following Michael Gove’s comments about the commemorating of World War One.
Labour condemns Michael Gove's 'crass' comments on first world war
Toby Helm, Vanessa Thorpe and Philip Oltermann for The Observer, Saturday 4 January 2014.
An overview of the responses from Tristram Hunt and Margaret MacMillan following Michael Gove's criticism of left-wing academics and their interpretations of the war.
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/jan/04/labour-gove-first-world-war-comments
Michael Gove's intervention ignores the complexities of conflict
The Observer, Saturday 4 January 2014.
A response to Michael Gove’s comments that “leftwing academics [are] all too happy to feed the myths" displayed by Blackadder and The Monocled Mutineer.
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jan/04/gove-history-first-world-war
Michael Gove, using history for politicking is tawdry
Tristram Hunt MP for The Guardian, Saturday 4 January 2014.
The British left supported the 1914-18 conflict – which was far more complex in its origins than the education secretary's simplistic assertions admit
January 1914: suffragettes, blizzards, exploration – but no hint of war
The Guardian, Saturday 4 January 2014.
An article, with input from Margaret MacMillan, axploring the questions "did those people waking up on this day in January 100 years ago actually believe Britain was teetering on the brink of war? And what kind of world greeted them when they bade farewell to the old year?"
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/04/january-1914-no-hint-war
Michael Gove defends deaths of 37 million people as "just"
New Statesman, Friday 3 January 2014.
The Education Secretary has attacked "Left-wing academics" and Blackadder for suggesting that the First World War was nothing but a "misbegotten shambles".
http://www.newstatesman.com/media-mole/2014/01/michael-gove-defends-deaths-37-million-people-just
Cambridge history professor hits back at Michael Gove's 'ignorant attack'
Jonathan Brown for The Independent, Friday 3 January 2014
An article covering Professor Richard Evans' response to Michael Gove's criticism of him.
Michael Gove criticises 'Blackadder myths' about First World War
The Telegraph, Friday 3 January 2014.
“Left wing myths peddled by left wing historians and comedies like Blackadder belittle Britain and clear Germany of blame, Education Secretary Michael Gove said,”
Why does the Left insist on belittling true British heroes? MICHAEL GOVE asks damning question as the anniversary of the First World War approaches
Michael Gove for The Daily Mail, Thursday 2 January 2014.
This article, written by the Education Secretary Michael Gove, criticises academics such as Professor Richard Evans and television programmes such as Black Adder for their percieved left-wing criticisms of the war, and as a result denigrate Britain and its victory.
Will the First World War anniversary be a launchpad for new forms of militarism in 2014?
Matt Carr for NoGlory.org, Thursday 2 January 2014.
The author highlights the Prime Minister's comments about how the country should celebrate the war and sugegsts that we should be "wary of those who plan to turn the coming year into a launchpad for new forms of militarism, and present the centenary as a cause for celebration."
First world war centenary is a year to honour the dead but not to glorify
The Guardian, Wednesday 1 January 2014.
Michael Morpurgo remembers the stories of sacrifice and valour that inspired him to write the acclaimed War Horse
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/01/first-world-war-centenary-michael-morpurgo
Peter Brookes' Cartoon for The Times
Tuesday 31st December 2013
New coin designs for 2014 unveiled by The Royal Mint
BBC News, Tuesday 31 December 2013.
Coins marking the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the 100th anniversary of the start of World War One will enter circulation in 2014.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-25558632
Please help save our crumbling war memorials
The Telegraph, Sunday 10 November 2013
The article examines the War Memorials Trust's request for people to check the condition of local monuments and report any concerns.
The fuzzy nostalgia encouraged by Poppy Day facilitates the justification of war
The Irish Times, Saturday 9 November 2013.
The article explores what the "jingoism" that the poppy signifies and how that can hinder a deeper, more meaningful engagement with Ireland's relationship to the First World War.
Readers share their tales of the First World War
The Telegraph, Saturday 9 November 2013.
A selection of reader's stories submitted to The Telegraph following their request for readers to contact them with stories from their family and friends about the conflict.
This year, I will wear a poppy for the last time
Harry Leslie Smith for The Guardian's Comment is Free, Friday 8 November 2013.
This article examines the symbolism of the poppy and the author's reason to no longer wear it.
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/nov/08/poppy-last-time-remembrance-harry-leslie-smith?CMP=twt_gu
Hollande unites Allies and Germany in First World War commemorations
The Telegraph, Thursday 7 November 2013.
Article covering President Francois Hollande of France's invitation to all 72 countries involved in the Great War to take part in its annual Bastille Day military parade in July next year.
Judgement and understanding: Margaret MacMillan on the First World War
Jonathan Derbyshire for Prospect Magazine, Wednesday 6 November 2013.
Interview with Professor Margaret MacMillan.
WW1 centenary: cultural programme announced
The Telegraph, Monday 4 November 2014.
Article covering the four year cultural programme to commemorate the centenary of the First World War including the exhibitions, plays, performances and other announced events.
Quakers to stage 'White Feather Diaries', a series of national events to honour WWI's conscientious objectors
The Independent, Monday 04 November 2013.
The White Feather Diaries is a real-time social media storytelling project by the Quakers. It will explore the ideological positions, resistances and experiences of Quakers during the war.
Jeremy Paxman Slams Cameron's WWI Anniversary Remarks: Only A Moron Would Celebrate War
Huffington Post, Tuesday 8 October 2013.
Article about Jeremy Paxman's criticisms of David Cameron's comments about how teh country should commemorate the war.
Jeremy Paxman criticises Cameron on WW1 Commemoration Speech
BBC News, Tuesday 8 October 2013.
Jeremy Paxman has criticised the prime minister for comments he made about how Britain will mark the centenary of World War One.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24440923
We must “get out of the trenches” to understand the First World War
Historyextra, Friday 18th October 2013
An interview with David Reynolds in which he discusses the neccesity to take a broader view of the First World War "in order to properly examine how it shaped the 20th century."
http://www.historyextra.com/feature/we-must-“get-out-trenches”-understand-first-world-war
BBC unveils the star of its First World War anniversary coverage
The Independent, Wednesday 16 October 2013.
A 60-minute film, due to be screened on BBC2 in 2015, will centre on Rupert Murdoch’s father’s experience of the war.
WW1 beyond the mud and trenches: BBC’s plans for the centenary of World War One
The Telegraph, Sunday 13 October 2013.
An article outlining the BBC's plans to delivery a programme of commemorative broadcast material that will be extensive in subject and tone.
The First World War was far from futile
Gary Sheffield for The Guardian’s Comment is Free, Monday 17 June 2013.
An article critiquing the view that the war was entirely futile, which Sheffield feels it is commonly perceived as being.
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/jun/17/1914-18-not-futile-war
Communities Secretary Eric Pickles says 2014's £50m World War I commemorations must not turn into “anti-German festival”
The Independent, Monday 10 June 2013.
The article covers Eric Pickles and Maria Miller's comments about how the war should be commemorated throughout the four-year cultural programme of events.
How should we remember the First World War?
The Telegraph, Sunday 9 June 2013.
An article that suggest that the counbtry, when commemorating the war, should "draw on more complex, sometimes clashing emotions" to tell the broader,unconventional narratives of the war.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/10109434/How-should-we-remember-the-First-World-War.html
First World War centenary plans revealed
The Telegraph, Sunday 9 June 2013.
The Queen is due to attend and lead the nation in commemorating the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War at a service where she will be joined by other heads of state.
Historians complain Government's WW1 commemoration “focuses on British defeats”
The Telegraph, Sunday 5 May 2013.
An article that focusses on the criticisms surrounding the Government’s plans to mark the centenary of the First World War.
Do those who flaunt the poppy on their lapels know that they mock the war dead?
By Robert Fisk for Independent Voices, Saturday 5 November 2011.
An article examining the symbolism of the poppy. Fisk explores this through drawing on his own father's perspective as a veteran of the First World War.
UK PROJECTS & FUNDING LANDSCAPE
The following links provide a useful insight into some of the projects that are happening across the UK, as well as some of the online resources.
Funding bodies
Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS)
First World War Centenary gateway page
https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/first-world-war-centenary
'Thousands of pupils to visit First World War battlefields'
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/thousands-of-pupils-to-visit-first-world-war-battlefields
'Liverpool Cenotaph gets Grade I listed status'
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/liverpool-cenotaph-gets-grade-i-listed-status
Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF)
‘Understanding the First World War’
http://www.hlf.org.uk/HowToApply/whatwefund/FirstWorldWar/Pages/FirstWorldWar.aspx#.Unvwxvm-2So
‘Empire, Faith & War’
http://www.1914.org/news/empire-faith-war-major-project-on-sikhs-and-first-world-war-gets-go-ahead/
Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)
‘World War One at Home’
http://www.ahrc.ac.uk/News-and-Events/News/Pages/BBC-WW1-at-Home-project-researchers-announced-.aspx
AHRC & IWM PROJECT - WHOSE REMEMBRANCE?
‘Whose Remembrance?: Communities and the Experiences of the Peoples of Britain’s Former Empire During the Two World Wars’
http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections-research/research-programmes/whose-remembrance
“Whose Remembrance?” is super useful partnership project with IWM & academics funded by AHRC to demonstrate archives available that will broaden our understanding of conflict in the 20thcentury, specifically to focus on the experiences of the peoples of Britain’s former empire in the two world wars.
Therefore “Whose Remembrance?” recovers BAME histories and archives needed to be included in the mainstream narratives, and there are discussion papers and databases that you can access here, and These databases represent a work in progress. Please do send any further suggestions for items to be included to research@iwm.org.uk
- Whose Remembrance? Discussion Paper
- Published Research Database
- Literature Database
- Museum Projects Database
- Film and TV Database
Wales
Wales' commemoration plans for WWI unveiled by first minister
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-24692927
Framework Programme for the commemoration in Wales 2014–2018
http://www.walesremembers.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/19726-WW1-Brochure_E_WEB.pdf
'World War One: National Museum Wales to stage four years of events'
BBC News
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-24872596
Scotland
‘Scots World War I commemorations announced by Alex Salmond’
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-22642112
Drawing exhibit: http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/arts/visual-arts/wartime-drawings-to-be-displayed-at-scottish-gallery-1-3158694#.UmuNuUJQqBc.twitter
Northern Ireland
'Commemorating the First World War' CultureNortehrnIreland
http://www.culturenorthernireland.org/article/148/commemorating-the-first-world-war
'HMS Caroline "can be key WWI commemoration project" BBC News
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-24461229
England: London
First World War Commemoration: http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/visiting-the-city/archives-and-city-history/london-metropolitan-archives/the-collections/Pages/first-world-war-commemorations.aspxs
National Portrait Gallery WW1 Show: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-24655091
Florence Nightingale Museum: The Hospital in the Oatfield - The Art of Nursing in the First World War http://www.florence-nightingale.co.uk/
England: Regional
Sheffield: https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/libraries/archives-and-local-studies/research-guides/world-war-one.html
Bradford’s First World War Roll of Honour on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradfordww1/sets/
Bradford in the First World War Resources: http://www.bradford.gov.uk/bmdc/leisure_and_culture/library_and_information_services/local_and_family_history/First+World+War+Resources
Orford Museum, Sussex:http://www.1914.org/news/first-world-war-stories-wanted-for-suffolk-community-project/
'1914: When the World Changed Forever', York Castle Museum: http://www.yorkcastlemuseum.org.uk/Page/1914.aspx
RNLI exhibition in Cromer details WW1 rescues
http://www.itv.com/news/anglia/2014-01-16/rnli-exhibition-details-ww1-rescues/
University Projects
Leeds Stories of The Great War, University of Leeds: http://arts.leeds.ac.uk/legaciesofwar/
The Great War Archive, The University of Oxford http://www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/ww1lit/gwa/
Digitisation of photograph archive, Birmingham University: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-24568259
Professorial Public Lecture Series, Bath Spa University: http://www.bathspa.ac.uk/pls?utm_medium=email&utm_source=Bath+Spa+University&utm_campaign=3674835_PLS-2014-2&utm_content=PLS&dm_i=17FV,26RIR,9IZR80,7WY8Z,1
RESOURCES
Useful Resources for Research, Teaching & Learning
First World War Centenary programme of events & online resources
Imperial War Museum
Europeana 1914-1918
Explore stories, films and historical material about the First World War and contribute your own family history. Europeana 1914-1918 mixes resources from libraries and archives across the globe with memories and memorabilia from families throughout Europe.
http://www.europeana1914-1918.eu/en
British Library: World War One
Supported by over 500 historical sources from across Europe and in collaborationwith the Europeana 1914-1918 project, this resource examines key themes in the history of World War One. Explore a wealth of original source material, over 50 newly-commissioned articles written by historians, teachers' notes and more to discover how war affected people on different sides of the conflict.
http://www.bl.uk/world-war-one
British Pathé - The Definitive WW1 Collection
To commemorate the centenary of the First World War, British Pathé have launched their collection of WW1 films.
http://www.britishpathe.com/workspaces/page/ww1-the-definitive-collection
Adam Matthew Digital has uploaded 140,000 pages of rare First World War posters, cartoons, aerial leaflets, and government and military files, to a new digital portal titled Propaganda and Recruitment.
Adam Matthew Digital
Wellcome Library's collection of First World War material
Primary source material from the Archives and Manuscripts Collection, relating to World War I.
http://wellcomelibrary.org/using-the-library/subject-guides/war/world-war-I/
BBC Schools: Knowledge & Learning (Primary)
A BBC World War One teaching resource for primary schools.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/0/ww1/25827997
BBC Schools: Knowledge & Learning (Secondary)
A BBC World War One teaching resource for secondary schools.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/0/ww1/25826265
Schooling and the Great War 1914-1919
An educational resource that site includes material collected from other websites and publications that examines the impact of the Great War on pupils, teachers and the schools they worked in.
http://www.ww1schools.com/introduction.html
British Libray's online First World War teaching resources
Explore a range of World War One teaching resources for use in the secondary school classroom, designed to help teachers get the most out of this website.
http://bl.uk/world-war-one/teaching-resources
Cymru 1914: The Welsh Experience of the War
Digitised primary resources relating to the First World War from the Libraries, Special Collections and Archives of Wales.
Inside the Great War
The Telegraph
This online resource, sponsored by Lord Ashcroft, offers insights and knowledge from the IWM (Imperial War Museums) and opinions from leading military historians.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/world-war-one/inside-first-world-war/
ONLINE & SOCIAL MEDIA
ONLINE - BLOGS, WEBSITES & DIGITAL PROJECTS
First World War Centenary (Imperial War Museum) homepage: http://www.iwm.org.uk/centenary
Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum): http://www.livesofthefirstworldwar.org/index.php
Podcasts (Imperial War Museum): http://www.1914.org/category/podcasts/
Operation War Diary
Operation War Diary brings together original First World War documents from The National Archives, the historical expertise of IWM and the power of the Zooniverse community.
http://www.operationwardiary.org
First world war: share your letters, photographs and stories
The Guardian
Crowdsourcing project asking readers to participate by uploading letters, diaries or photographs from any relatives or friends who were involved in the first world war.
https://witness.theguardian.com/assignment/52751e38e4b01fc33230d4aa?INTCMP=mic_231443
Quaker Diaries
An online Quaker storytelling project marking the centenary of World War One. It will follow in real-time the story of five Quakers in a blog and Twitter feed.
http://www.quaker.org.uk/news/white-feather-diaries
No More War
Peace Pledge Union
This website focusses on the Quaker and conscientious objector stance within the war years.
http://www.ppu.org.uk/nomorewar/
Conscientious Objectors Project
Peace Pledge Union
A website resource that documents the history of conscientious objection during the First World War.
http://www.ppu.org.uk/coproject/coww1a.html
No Glory in War 1914-1918
A partner website to the No Glory open letter. It identifies the importance of remembering the devastating impact of the war and provides links to articles that debate what it identifies as the celebratory commemoration of World War One.
Remember the World as well as the War
The British Council's report on the First World War presents findings from an international survey in seven countries (Egypt, France, Germany, India, Turkey, Russia and the UK) carried out by YouGov. It explores people's perceptions and knowledge about the First World War and highlights the truly global nature of the conflict and its lasting legacy. The report also identifies that international perceptions of the UK today are, in part, still influenced by Britain's role in the First World War.
http://www.britishcouncil.org/organisation/publications/remember-the-world
Do Mention the War
Report by British Future
This report, carried out by British Future by YouGov, draws on original research into what the public know and don’t know about the First World War, why they think next year’s centenary will matter and what they want it to be about.
http://www.britishfuture.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/BRF_Declaration-of-war-report_P2_Web-1.pdf
War Memorials Online
A website which uses crowdsourcing to chart war memorials and their current condition with the aim of conserving these for future generations.
http://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk
Great War Photos
This website is run by military historian and author Paul Reed.
The Rhyme of History: Lessons of the Great War
Margaret MacMillan
A digital essay in which the contemporary world is compared with the world of 1914.
http://www.brookings.edu/research/essays/2013/rhyme-of-history
Picturing the Great War
A First World War blog from the Mary Evans Picture Library.
http://maryevanspicturelibrary.typepad.com/ww1/
Social Media
Twitter is a useful resource for locating, accessing and sharing a range of material relating to the First World War. The following Twitter accounts often tweet relevant and interesting information.
Imperial War Museum WW1 Centenary
Lives of WW1
First World War Poetry Digital Archive, University of Oxford
'WW1 Centenary: Continuations and Beginnings' WW1 Open Educational Resource Project, University of York
Legacies of War project, University of Leeds
Centenary News
WW1 Conference 2014
Arthur's Letters: letters from Arthur Dease (1892 to 1920)
Matthew Ward
Jessica Meyer
Paul Reed
Rob Schaefer
Dr Amber Regis
YORK & WW1: PROJECTS & RADIO SERIES
SYNOPSIS: A SERIES THAT BRINGS TO LIFE THE HIDDEN STORIES OF WORLD WAR ONE BY VISITING THE REAL PEOPLE, BUSINESSES, SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS, AND NEIGHBOURHOODS OF YORK CITIZENS
FORMAT: ILLUSTRATED DOCUMENTARY FEATURES USING READINGS FROM LETTERS, DIARIES, NEWSPAPERS, WAR RECORDS, HOSPITAL AND MENTAL HEALTH CARE FACILITY RECORDS, ORAL HISTORY FRAGMENTS
STRUCTURE: 5 x 6 MINUTE FEATURES TO PLAY OUT AS A SERIES AND/OR AS 'STAND ALONE' FEATURES: USING A MEMBER OF THE BBC RADIO YORK TEAM AS PRESENTER/NARRATOR
STORIES: CONTRASTING FEATURES WILL TELL DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF HOW THE WAR WAS EXPERIENCED IN YORK, PAYING ATTENTION TO THE OFTEN NOW FORGOTTEN STORIES OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN, WORK AND PLAY, IMPRISONMENT AND CASUALTIES.
HISTORYWORKS PROJECT with DAFX, performed at York's Guildhall example: "To Fight Or Not To Fight"
In 1916 York was a centre for conscientious objector activists, Quakers at Bootham School and the Rowntree factories. Aflred Martlew was put on a trial in the Guildhall and subsequently pressganged to the front line in France where he was tied to a barbed wire fence, but still refused to fight. This story is told through Hansard, Newspaper Accounts, and Letters to the MP Arnold Rowntree. The drama pivots on the relationship between Alfred and his fiancée, Annie, and a body found drowned in the Ouse: listen to ‘To Fight Or Not To Fight’ on Audioboo
HISTORYWORKS APP HISTORY TRAIL COMMISSIONED BY YORK MUSEUMS TRUST
‘Experiencing The Great War: York in World War One’ is a walking tour around historic York which explores a series of locations within the ancient city walls and the stories they can tell us about York and the people who lived there during the Great War.
We usually think of the conflict as one that happened overseas, in the trenches of Flanders, but this trail will illustrate how the war had an impact on York and its citizens. Along the trail we will discover stories of war horses, Zeppelin air raids, wounded soldiers back from the front, enemy aliens, and conscientious objectors.
The stories on the trail are the result of intensive research into York’s First World War history by researchers at the University of York, representing a variety of academic disciplines, joining together materials drawn from archives, alongside insights from artefacts in York Castle Museum’s collection and York’s historic centre to tell the global story of The Great War from a local perspective.
The media team at Historyworks have worked closely with the curators at York Museums Trust and drawn on the expertise of the City Archaeologist, John Oxley. Producers at historyworks have recently reversioned the script and recorded with the BBC's Jonathan Cowap, who is the voice for the audio guide on the app version.
User guide
The tour will lead you around York’s historic cityscape, exploring some of its forgotten stories. At each stop along the trail, listen along to the audio narrative provided and see the photographic illustration to position you at the location, and to reveal historic and archaeological objects from the site. These can be accessed via a script, a podcast, or an app as following:
Resources
Please find the trail leaflet here which is free to download and print
App Link: http://www.historyofyork.org.uk/mobile/home.html(opens in new tab)
Click here to see App script as a text document
Podcast of trail
http://audioboo.fm/users/165936/playlists/3573-york-wwi-trail
