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[Spike Spiegel]

Official 'The Great War' Site
American Experience @ PBS.org

Free streaming @ PBS.org: Part One | Part Two | Part Three

YouTube Clips
Promo (0:31)
Full Trailer (2:12)

Clip: "Eugene Bullard at Verdun" (1:08)
Clip: "Edith Wharton in France" (1:03)
Clip: "The Battle of Henry Johnson" (1:03)
Clip: "Code Talkers" (1:00)

Profile: Woodrow Wilson (1:13)
Profile: Eugene Bullard (1:12)
Profile: Alice Paul (1:47)
Profile: Eddie Rickenbacker (1:41)
Profile: Ralph John (1:39)
Profile: George Creel (1:38)

Why We Made 'The Great War' (2:25)
'The Great War' Q&A with Creators and Historians (2:01)

Film Description

A nation comes of age.

Drawing on unpublished diaries, memoirs and letters, The Great War tells the rich and complex story of World War I through the voices of nurses, journalists, aviators and the American troops who came to be known as ”doughboys." The series explores the experiences of African-American and Latino soldiers, suffragists, Native American ”code talkers" and others whose participation in the war to ”make the world safe for democracy" has been largely forgotten. The Great War explores how a brilliant PR man bolstered support for the war in a country hesitant to put lives on the line for a foreign conflict; how President Woodrow Wilson steered the nation through years of neutrality, only to reluctantly lead America into the bloodiest conflict the world had ever seen, thereby transforming the United States into a dominant player on the international stage; and how the ardent patriotism and determination to support America's crusade for liberty abroad led to one of the most oppressive crackdowns on civil liberties at home in U.S. history. It is a story of heroism and sacrifice that would ultimately claim 15 million lives and profoundly change the world forever.

Reviews and Articles
From Syria to Black Lives Matter: 3 Ways WWI Still Shapes America (CNN)
How World War I Helped Women Win the Right to Vote (Time)
Review: 'The Great War', When America Took the World Stage (New York Times)
PBS Shows That WWI Is Not Just Dusty Old History (The Salt Lake Tribune)
In PBS Series, Experience America at the Time of The Great War (The Denver Post)
This Epic PBS Documentary Shows How Creepily Little Has Changed Since World War I (Mother Jones)
PBS Tackles World War I, Hoping the Stupidest Bloodbath Ever Might Help Smarten Us Up Now (The Huffington Post)
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Been really looking forward to this one. World War I is a conflict that was largely glossed over in my education until college, so I imagine there will be a great deal of territory covered here that I know little about. I suspect I'm not alone in that.

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[Spike Spiegel]

Reminder that the first episode airs tonight in about 90 minutes, should be available for streaming as well.

 

[Vincent Alexander]

I knew very little about World War I until Dan Carlin. Fascinating war. Wish I had TV to watch it.

 

[Spike Spiegel]

Starting now, I'll update with the streaming link once it becomes available.

 

[WedgeX]

Thanks for the heads up!

 

[frontovik]

I knew very little about World War I until Dan Carlin. Fascinating war. Wish I had TV to watch it.

Agreed, Dan Carlin's podcast series on it is superb..

Though personally I've always viewed WW1 as mainly a European war.. as it should be. Kinda intrigued to see what the American 'experience' is though.

 

[Spike Spiegel]

Part One is now available for streaming.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/great-war/#part01

 

[JohnsonUT]

Agreed, Dan Carlin's podcast series on it is superb..

Though personally I've always viewed WW1 as mainly a European war.. as it should be. Kinda intrigued to see what the American 'experience' is though.

I always knew in my head that America's role was limited. But, it wasn't until I listened to Carlin and felt how truly depressing and hopeless the war was year after year for the countries of Europe that I had a true respect for how limited our involvement truly was.

 

[ShadowSwordmaster]

Agreed, Dan Carlin's podcast series on it is superb..

Though personally I've always viewed WW1 as mainly a European war.. as it should be. Kinda intrigued to see what the American 'experience' is though.

I would say it was more of a war of empires. There was fighting in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa.

 

[Tovarisc]

For moment I thought this was related to great YouTube channel called The Great War: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheGreatWar

Description
'The Great War' shows you the history of the First World War in the four years from 1914 to 1918, exactly 100 years ago. Our host Indy takes you back week by week and shows you what was going on in the past. Learn more about the Allies and the Central Powers, emperors, Winston Churchill, Wilhelm II, soldiers, battles and of the life aside the battlefield. Subscribe to our channel to watch a new video every Monday, Thursday & Saturday!

Edit: They also did episodes on US joining the war https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XT8YfWzd_zQ & https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaqXy_-rh2A Expect specials etc. that feature America and Americans in WW1 now that America is part of WW1 from timeline perspective

 

[Heroman]

Really hope they talk black solider experience in the war, cause it probably the most interesting part of the American side of the war

 

[Subitai]

Watching now

 

[frontovik]

I would say it was more of a war of empires. There was fighting in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa.

War of empires is fitting. Though the non-European theaters were mere sideshows as the Entente seized Imperial Germany's colonial possessions with relatively minimal effort.

I always knew in my head that America's role was limited. But, it wasn't until I listened to Carlin and felt how truly depressing and hopeless the war was year after year for the countries of Europe that I had a true respect for how limited our involvement truly was.

Well said. Personally I feel a tad irritated when people make remarks that America "saved" Europe twice. That remark has some merit for World War Two, but America was merely being opportunistic in World War One as it waited for the European powers to wear themselves down,

US Major General Smedley Butler describes it best in "War is a Racket".

Take our own case. Until 1898 we didn't own a bit of territory outside the mainland of North America. At that time our national debt was a little more than $1,000,000,000. Then we became "internationally minded." We forgot, or shunted aside, the advice of the Father of our country. We forgot George Washington's warning about "entangling alliances." We went to war. We acquired outside territory. At the end of the World War period, as a direct result of our fiddling in international affairs, our national debt had jumped to over $25,000,000,000. Our total favorable trade balance during the twenty-five-year period was about $24,000,000,000. Therefore, on a purely bookkeeping basis, we ran a little behind year for year, and that foreign trade might well have been ours without the wars.

It would have been far cheaper (not to say safer) for the average American who pays the bills to stay out of foreign entanglements. For a very few this racket, like bootlegging and other underworld rackets, brings fancy profits, but the cost of operations is always transferred to the people -- who do not profit.

https://www.ratical.org/ratville/CAH/warisaracket.html#c1

 

[Head of Vengarl]

I knew very little about World War I until Dan Carlin. Fascinating war. Wish I had TV to watch it.

Speaking of him, I think he has a cameo in this show. Unless I'm thinking of something else.

 

[WedgeX]

Speaking of him, I think he has a cameo in this show. Unless I'm thinking of something else.

He was indeed on shortly ago.

 

[Spike Spiegel]

Reminder that Part Two airs and becomes available for streaming tonight in just under an hour.

 

[Spike Spiegel]

Streaming link for Part Two.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/great-war/#part02

 

[WedgeX]

Eugene Debs' role during the war has always fascinated me.

 

[Ovid]

I finished Part 1 about an hour ago.

Good stuff.

 

[Spike Spiegel]

Part Three is about to start.

EDIT: Streaming link for Part Three.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/great-war/#part03

 

[Deleted member 80556]

I've finished Part 1, this is very good if one wants to learn about the American perspective in the war.

I've also finally learned why Wilson is so hated now. I can't believe that he segregated again the african-american community at a federal level, saying they "weren't ready". Still, interesting to learn about the guy, and other things about the war.