Chapter 1: Prelude to War (1870-1914) →

Interesting WWI Films & Podcasts

Films

• Ace of Aces. Directed by J. Walter Ruben, written by John Monk Saunders and H. W. Hanemann, performances by Richard Dix, Elizabeth Allan, and Ralph Bellamy. RKO Radio Pictures, 1933. OK, ok.ru/video/3232478530048

Follows a pacifist sculptor turned daring World War I fighter pilot, as he grapples with the moral dilemmas of war.

• All Quiet on the Western Front. Directed by Delbert Mann, written by Paul Monash and Erich Maria Remarque, performances by Richard Thomas, Ernest Borgnine, Donald Pleasence, Ian Holm, Patricia Neal, and Dai Bradley. CBS, 14 November 1979, YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5feOk71fJ8  

Harrowing portrayal of a young German soldier’s experiences and disillusionment with the brutal realities of World War I, emphasizing the futility of war and its devastating impact on humanity.

• Die Deutschmeister [The German Masters or The Vienna Regiment]. Directed by Ernst Marischka, written by, Ernst Marischka and Gustav Holm, performances Romy Schneider, Gunther Philipp, Paul Hörbiger, Wolfgang Lukschy. Erma-Filmproduktion GmbH, 1955. YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hy0dcV8Xz9I#:~:text=Film%20von%20Ernst%20Marischka%20nach%20seiner%20IdeeEine%20Schnulzen-Kom%C3%B6die%20mit. DailyMotion, https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x22esjg [German].

A lighthearted, musical romance set in 19th-century Vienna, following a young woman’s quest to reunite with her soldier love amidst the backdrop of the famed Deutschmeister [The German Masters or The Vienna Regiment] military band.

• Fall of Eagles.  Created by John Elliot, narrated by Michael Horden. BBC1, 15 March – 7 June 1974. YouTube, www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wo21LRTc1Uc&list=PLc6nRGBJOjtERqVfIpPck0_YdFWwWfgsT

BBC historical drama chronicling the decline and collapse of the Habsburg, Hohenzollern, and Romanov dynasties leading up to and during World War I.

• Hell on Earth [German: Niemandsland]. Directed by Victor Trivas, written by Leonhard Frank, performances by Ernst Busch, Vladimir Sokoloff, and Renée Stobrawa, 1931. Internet Archive, archive.org/details/HellOnEarth

Anti-war film that follows five soldiers from different nationalities who form an unlikely bond while trapped in a trench during World War I.

• Mountains on Fire [German: Berge in Flammen]. Directed by Karl Hartl and Luis Trenker, written by Luis Trenker and Karl Hartl, performances by Luis Trenker, Lissy Arna, Luigi Serventi, and Claus Clausen. Metropol-Filmverleih and Globus-Film, 1931. Dailymotion, www.dailymotion.com/video/x2ybvue

Dramatic war film set in the Alps during World War I, focusing on the friendship between an Austrian and an Italian soldier as they face the harsh realities of mountain warfare.

• My Four Years in Germany. Directed by William Nigh, written by Charles A. Logue and James W. Gerard, performance by Halbert Brown. First National Exhibitors’s Circuit, 1918. YouTube, www.youtube.com/watch?v=awQV9PXIDm8 [Silent film].

Silent propaganda film based on the experiences of U.S. Ambassador James W. Gerard, depicting the German Empire's militarism and diplomacy during World War I.

• Sergeant York. Directed by Howard Hawks, written by Harry Chandlee, Abem Finkel, John Huston, Howard E. Koch, Tom Skeyhill, and Alvin York, performances by Gary Cooper, Walter Brennan, and Joan Leslie. Warner Bros., 1941. Internet Archive, archive.org/details/sergeant-york-1941

Biographical war drama about the transformation of pacifist Alvin York into one of World War I's most decorated American soldiers.

• Tannenberg. Directed by Heinz Paul, written by Paul Oskar Höcker, Georg von Viebahn, and Heinz Paul, performances by Hans Stüwe, Käthe Haack, Jutta Sauer, and Hertha von Walther. UFA, 1932. YouTube, www.youtube.com/watch?v=8S_DqSzn0yg [German language].

Historical war drama that portrays the 1914 Battle of Tannenberg between German and Russian forces during World War I, emphasizing themes of nationalism and military strategy.

• The Empress. Directed by Katrin Gebbe and Florian Cossen, written by Katharina Eyssen, Bernd Lange, and Janna Maria Nandzik, performances by Devrim Lingnau and Philip Froissant. Netflix, 29 September – present (2024).

Historical drama that follows the life of Empress Elisabeth of Austria, depicting her struggles with royal duty, love, and politics in the Habsburg court.

• Von Richthofen and Brown. Directed by Roger Corman, written by John Willaim Corrington and Joyce Corrington, performances by John Phillip Law, Don Stroud, Barry Primus, and Karen Huston. United Artists, 1971. YouTube, www.youtube.com/watch?v=HL2tDM928eU

World War I aviation drama that contrasts the legendary German flying ace Manfred von Richthofen and his British adversary Roy Brown, exploring themes of honor and rivalry.

• Westfront 1918. Directed by Georg Wilhelm Pabst, written by Ladislaus Vajda and Ernst Johannsen, performances by Fritz Kampers, Gustav Diessl, Hans-Joachim Moebis, and Claus Clausen. Nero-Film, 1930. OK, https://ok.ru/video/2069441022591 [German language].

Anti-war movie vividly portrays the horrors of trench warfare and the disillusionment of German soldiers as they face the futility of the conflict during WWI.

• Wilson. Directed by Henry King, written by Lamar Trotti, performances by Alexander Knox, Charles Coburn, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Thomas Mitchell, Ruth Nelson, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Vincent Price, William Eythe and Mary Anderson. 20th Century-Fox, 1944. YouTube, www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrewqPWTamU&t=1s

Biographical drama that chronicles the life and presidency of Woodrow Wilson, focusing on his leadership during World War I and the creation of the League of Nations.

Podcasts

Assassination of Franz Ferdinand 

• “Assassination of Franz Ferdinand, The.” Dan Snow’s History Hit, 28 June 2022, shows.acast.com/dansnowshistoryhit/episodes/the-assassination-of-franz-ferdinand [32 min]

• “The Murder of Franz Ferdinand: The Conspiracy (Part 2).” The Rest Is History, dcs-spotify.megaphone.fm/GLT2060941792.mp3?key=fb46502df3ed6185311c0253f48b3fb7&request_event_id=668200c3-1d26-4e46-b597-91a8219868f8&timetoken=1727113770_FF42ED5AD31AE680093AD4B33A468665 [53:14]

• “The Murder of Franz Ferdinand: The Crime (Part 4).” The Rest Is History, dcs-spotify.megaphone.fm/GLT1158335154.mp3?key=c0c10e45b1b6644ee47611c735128019&request_event_id=590e60f1-95a1-424e-9828-0cb08f4b6b52&timetoken=1727113837_807DF1589CBBAD7B30AEC7C30FC8E892 [57:35 min]

• “The Murder of Franz Ferdinand: The Killer (Part 1).” The Rest Is History, dcs-spotify.megaphone.fm/GLT8626991580.mp3?key=e66714c96d674d5cf4d2095be2c70753&request_event_id=8596846b-6f22-479b-a12f-82c284771c94&timetoken=1727113571_C91F5DFAB20949B5908657A7F3C10514 [1:03 min]

• “The Murder of Franz Ferdinand: The Victim (Part 3).” The Rest Is History, dcs-spotify.megaphone.fm/GLT9071060087.mp3?key=1eb1ac3e4fb4fe14d69e72589ddb5ef4&request_event_id=899c108b-c23a-483e-96e0-72371a9c7c59&timetoken=1727113788_346859A920DB3B0D8271D7B551843669 [55:03 min]

World War I Causes and Beginnings 

• “How WWI Began.” Dan Snow’s History Hit, 4 August 2021, shows.acast.com/dansnowshistoryhit/episodes/howwwibegan [46 min]

• “How WWI Started.” Dan Snow’s History Hit, 1 July 2024, shows.acast.com/dansnowshistoryhit/episodes/how-wwi-started [54 min]

World War I Involvement and Key Events 

• “Over There: America Enters WWI.” BackStory, 14 April 2017, audioboom.com/posts/7172385-over-there-america-enters-wwi [45 min]

• “World War I Preparedness, 1.” American History Tellers, content.production.cdn.art19.com/validation=1727192162,f38acf18-0760-548f-a605-9cfbdc27db0a,YW4ZQt_dVccsTHzuid4PxhsbWMA/episodes/a9d17377-e831-46fc-93e4-a32eb3679b3f/4d4b1c4709f49b3dafe8d77e8f6972c022dc3bb6b2635fc558251ca2b8e22fe229e4428097cb984661b2e6d9688e93f1f40735aed880df8c6b707a344c307bf1/AHT_S67EP1_WWI_Preparedness_FINAL.mp3 [45:28 min]

• “WWI: The Hundred Days Offensive.” BBC Witness History, 7 September 2018, www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3cswsfw [9 min]