SYMHC Classics: Battle of Amiens

Summary

Podcast Summary:

Stuff You Missed in History Class – SYMHC Classics: Battle of Amiens
Hosts: Tracy V. Wilson & Holly Fry
Release Date: August 8, 2026
Podcast Network: iHeartPodcasts

---

Episode Overview

This episode revisits the pivotal Battle of Amiens (August 8, 1918), marking its 108th anniversary. Hosts Tracy and Holly break down how this battle launched the “Hundred Days Offensive”—the Allies' final push that ended World War I. While the episode focuses mainly on the Western Front in Europe, it covers how the war reached a turning point due to shifting alliances, technological advances, morale collapse, and key military strategies, illustrating why Amiens is regarded as a decisive turning point in world history.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Stage: Build-Up to 1918

• Early War Context:
  • The war began in 1914 after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand (04:02–04:23).
  • Widespread involvement followed, dividing Europe into Allied and Central Powers (04:23–04:55).
• Nature of the Fighting:
  • A prolonged stalemate, with trench warfare causing immense casualties and suffering (04:55–05:26).
• Major 1917 Shifts:
  • Russian withdrawal after the February and Bolshevik Revolutions, freeing Germany to focus on the Western Front (05:26–06:19).
  • The US entered the war in April 1917, with troop presence growing from 14,000 in 1917 to over a million by July 1918 (06:38–07:07).

2. Germany’s Last Gamble: The Spring Offensive

• Germany’s Strategic Window:
  • With Russia out and US forces still ramping up, Germany aimed to strike before being outnumbered (07:37–08:12).
  • The Allies anticipated a major attack but not its exact location (08:12–08:28).
• Operation Michael (08:28–10:09):
  • Launched March 21, 1918, using surprise, gas, artillery, and air power.
  • Early German success but high casualties (over 240,000), with Allies suffering nearly 250,000 (10:09–10:43).
  • Quote: "Allies quickly realized the threat and united the Allied troops under the command of French General Ferdinand Foch." – Holly Fry (10:43)
• End of Offensive:
  • Climaxed with the Second Battle of the Marne; German retreat marked the offensive’s failure (11:12–11:37).

3. Allied Adaptation: Technological and Tactical Evolution

• End of Trench Stalemate:
  • Use of tanks, creeping barrages, aircraft, and intelligence for coordinated attacks (14:11–15:54).
• Battle of Hamel as a Test Case:
  • Led by Australian Lt. Gen. John Monash, who introduced integrated battlefield tactics and strict secrecy (16:42–17:50).
  • Early morning attack, full achievement of objectives in two hours (17:50).

4. The Battle of Amiens (August 8–11, 1918)

• Planning & Forces:
  • Absolute secrecy, use of fake radio/troop movements, night positioning (18:46–19:25).
  • Allies: 75,000 men, 500+ tanks, 2,000 aircraft; spearheaded by Australian and Canadian infantry (19:25).
  • Germany: Outnumbered, poorly fortified, under-resourced (19:45).
• Battle Events:
  • Surprise dawn attack at 4:20 am, rapid Allied advances—eight miles in three days, over 100 villages liberated, capture of a massive Krupp gun (20:15–20:49).
  • Allied leadership chose consolidation over risky further push when German resistance stiffened (20:49).
  • Quote: "Ludendorff called August 8th the Black Day of the German army." – Holly Fry (21:23)

5. Immediate Impact & Collapse of German Morale

• German Catastrophe & Despair:
  • Massive numbers of prisoners, breakdown in resistance, morale collapse (21:47).
  • The sense among German leaders that the war was irreversibly lost, launching the final Allied offensive (22:15–22:38).

6. The Hundred Days Offensive and the End of WWI

• Assault on the Hindenburg Line:
  • The last major German defensive, breached after four days of artillery and heavy fighting (26:44–27:09).
• German Political Turmoil:
  • Realization of defeat, internal political shock, spread of war-weariness among civilian population (27:45).
  • Mutiny and collapse: military desertions, naval mutiny in late October/early November 1918 (28:32).
• Armistice and Aftermath:
  • Armistice signed Nov 11, 1918 at 5:00 am, war ended at 11:00 am. Canadian Corps liberated Mons, site of the war’s first and last shots (28:49).
  • Casualties:
    • French: 530,000; British/Empire: 400,000+; US: 127,000; German: 785,000 (368,000 prisoners) (29:21).
  • American arrival ensured a major power imbalance (29:50).
  • Quote on morale: "The idea took root...that the German army had been stabbed in the back by civilian leaders." – Tracy V. Wilson (30:08)

7. Legacy and the Path to World War II

• Stab-in-the-Back Myth:
  • Disseminated by Ludendorff and others, blaming civilian politicians and Jews—later used in Nazi propaganda (30:08–30:51).
• Treaty of Versailles Fallout:
  • Territorial losses, massive reparations, and crippling sanctions on Germany, fueling unrest and Hitler's rise (30:51–31:21).
  • Germany blocked from the League of Nations until 1926; loss of colonies and economic woes (31:21).
  • Pop culture note: Real Ludendorff inspired the fictional version in the film “Wonder Woman” (32:05).

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the importance of Amiens:
  "This was the start of the final 100 days offensive that finally ended it." – Holly Fry (22:15)

• On the ‘Black Day’ for Germany:
  "Ludendorff called August 8th the Black Day of the German army in the history of the war." – Holly Fry (21:23)

• On the legacy of the armistice:
  "But the false idea spread...that Germany had not been defeated. Instead, this idea took root...that the German army had been stabbed in the back by civilian leaders who negotiated and signed the armistice." – Tracy V. Wilson (30:08)

• Armistice and Treaty consequences:
  "The terms of the armistice and the Treaty of Versailles that ended the war also contributed to the run up to World War II." – Holly Fry (30:51)

---

Key Timestamps

• Pre-war context, alliances: 04:02–04:55
• Russia exits war: 05:26–06:19
• US enters war: 06:38–07:07
• Spring Offensive: 08:28–10:09
• Allied counterattack & use of technology: 14:11–17:50
• Battle of Amiens events: 18:46–21:23
• Collapse of German resistance and morale: 21:47–22:15
• Final German retreat and Allied advance: 26:44–27:45
• Signing of the armistice: 28:49–29:21
• Treaty and rise of Nazi propaganda: 30:08–31:21
• Pop culture reference ("Wonder Woman"): 32:05

---

Conclusion & Historical Impact

The Battle of Amiens shattered Germany’s hopes for a negotiated victory, began an unstoppable Allied advance, and exposed the exhaustion and collapse within the German army. The mythologizing of Germany’s defeat and the punitive peace terms had long-term repercussions, sowing seeds that would eventually lead to the rise of Nazism and World War II. The hosts connect historical events to their enduring legacy—and even pop-culture references—making complex events accessible and compelling.

---

For listeners who want a focused, clear explanation of why Amiens mattered—not just to the outcome of World War I, but to the course of the twentieth century—this episode is a can’t-miss classic.

Transcript

[Tracy V. Wilson]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[AT&T Advertiser]

Guaranteed Human the AT and T Guarantee is all about having your back with AT and T Internet air. Your home Internet is backed by the AT and T Guarantee. In the rare event of a network outage, you'll automatically get a credit for a full day of service. It's like waking up from a nap, the warm blanket resting on your shoulders. Visit att.com guaranty to learn more. When the connection matters, it has to be AT and T credit for Internet air downtime lasting 20 minutes or more. Restrictions and exclusions apply. See att.com guaranty for full details.

[Parent 1]

Dude, my kid loves Marvel's Spider man now.

[Parent 2]

No way.

[Parent 1]

How lingokids they have Spider man themed activities. It's completely safe. Like if someone took our comics and made them perfect for a 4 year old.

[Parent 2]

I still hang on to my old collection. Does it have Disney Moana too? My daughter is obsessed.

[Parent 1]

Disney Moana, Frozen, Zootopia. It's all in there.

[Parent 2]

I'm downloading this right now.

[Lingokids Advertiser]

Full of fun activities inspired by beloved stories from Disney and more. Lingokids is where little ones discover more about favorite characters. And maybe yours too.

[Parent 1]

Everything kids love, Download it for free.

[Brilliant Advertiser]

A big part of parenting today is figuring out which technology will help your kid and which might hurt them, especially when it comes to learning. Brilliant is the online math tutor that's visual and interactive. Unlike other tools, it never hands your kid the answer. It helps them think for themselves with personalized support when they need it. It's helped millions of students excel in math, from fractions to calculus. Sign up [e-mail] tutor and get 20% off for back to school. That's brilliant.org tutor.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

You ever show up late to the game and your friend's already saved your seat, your drink, even a plate that's looking out, that's having your back. And that's exactly what ATT does with the ATT guarantee. They know staying connected matters, so they actually guarantee a network that comes through when it counts. AT&T has connectivity you can depend on, or they'll proactively make it right. Just like that friend who takes care of things before you even ask. AT&T connecting changes everything. Terms and conditions apply. Visit att.comguarantee for details. Happy Saturday. The Battle of amia started on August 8, 1918, or 108 years ago today. Our episode on that battle came out eight years ago on August 8, 2018 for its 100th anniversary.

[Holly Fry]

We are bringing it out today as a Saturday classic. Enjoy. Welcome to Stuff you missed in history class. A production of iHeartradio.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Hello and welcome to the podcast. I'm Tracy V. Wilson.

[Holly Fry]

And I'm Holly Fry.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

We are coming up on the hundredth anniversary of the Battle of Amiens, which started what came to be known as the Hundred Days Offensive. That was the Allies final push to win World War I. And this particular battle and the Hundred Days Offensive aren't really talked about as frequently as some of the other big moments in World War I. All of our other World War I related episodes are from much earlier in the war, a lot of the time, because it was the hundredth anniversary of that thing. So we're going to set the stage a little bit in this episode before we get to the battle itself, especially with how events that played out in 1917 led to all of this and how the Battle of Amiens ultimately led to the end of the war. Also, World War I was massive. There was a lot going on in other parts of the world during the time period that we're talking about. So we are really just focused on Europe here, particularly the Western Front, with the key players being the British Empire, France, the United States and Germany. It is much too large to also talk about all of the other battles going on in all of the other places with all of the other countries in 1917 and 1918.

[Holly Fry]

So World War I started, of course, in 1914. Although international tensions had been rising in Europe for years before this point, things shifted with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie. They were shot to death in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914 by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

The Archduke had been the heir to the throne of the Austro Hungarian Empire. The Empire suspected that the Serbian government was involved in the assassination. So Austria, Hungary declared war on Serbia, and soon much of Europe was involved in this conflict. Within two weeks, the Allies of Russia, Belgium, France and Great Britain had all sided with Serbia. Germany had sided with the Austro Hungarian Empire as part of what would be called the Central Powers. And more declarations of war followed from there.

[Holly Fry]

This quickly became a war of attrition, with the war on land in Europe being fought primarily along the Eastern and Western Fronts. Battles went on for months with millions of casualties and catastrophic effects for the civilian population, including famines and food shortages all over Europe. For most of it, the situation between the Allies and the Central Powers was essentially a stalemate. This was especially true along the Western Front, which ran from the English Channel to Switzerland, primarily through France.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Something started to shift at the end of 1917 though Russian involvement in the war had never been popular there, and the war had compounded ongoing economic problems and food shortages in Russia. The February revolution started on March 8th of 1917. It's called the February Revolution because Russia was still on the Julian calendar. So from the Russian point of view, that was February. The February Revolution started with strikes and riots, and it led to the abdication of Tsar Nicholas ii.

[Holly Fry]

Unrest continued after the February Revolution. The Bolshevik Revolution followed in November of 1917, and that was followed by the Russian Civil War. With all of this going on, Russian involvement in World War I effectively ended, and Russia signed an armistice with the Central Powers in December of 1917.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

A lot of the fighting along the Eastern Front at this point had been between Russia and Germany. So with Russia out of the picture, German forces were freed up to move to the Western Front instead. More than 40 divisions of German troops prepared to do exactly that after Russia withdrew from the war.

[Holly Fry]

The United States had also declared war on Germany in April of 1917. Although the US had avoided becoming directly involved in the war until that point, it had been providing supplies and other aid to the Allies for quite some time. So at first, the United States declaration of war didn't do much to shift the balance of power. But the US Committed troops to the war effort as well, and those troops started arriving in June of 1917 and entered combat that October.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

In terms of actual troops, the American presence in the war was pretty small. In 1917, that first arrival of troops was only 14,000 men. By July of 1918, though, there would be more than a million American troops in France alone. And unlike their counterparts who were already there, these American troops weren't necessarily experienced, but they were fresh. Most of the Allied troops who were already in Europe were exhausted after months or years of fighting.

[Holly Fry]

So in late 1917, with Russia out of the war and the United States ramping up to join it, Germany recognized that it had a limited window of opportunity. The German military was running out of everything, including people. But with a quick, decisive action, it might be able to force the Allies to negotiate for peace before so many American reinforcements arrived. Or failing that, Germany might be able to level the playing field, putting it on more equal footing with the Allies during negotiations later on. Rather than being at a clear disadvantage,

[Tracy V. Wilson]

the Allies also recognized that Germany had this one last opportunity to try to break out of the stalemate. So at the start of 1918, Allied leaders were confident that a major German attack was on the way, and soon. But they weren't really sure exactly when

[Holly Fry]

or where it came on the first day of spring, that was March 21, 1918, German forces attacked a stretch of the Western Front south of the French city of Arras. This was at a point where French and British forces met on the Western Front, and it was the weakest point along that line. Part of the German objective was to cut these two forces off from one another, and then, at least in theory, Germany could fight French and British forces separately, overcoming both of them.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

The German attack incorporated air strikes, a massive artillery bombardment and gas, including tear gas, chlorine and phosgene, in this attempt to break through the Allied line. And they were immediately successful. The morning they attacked was foggy and the Allies were caught by surprise. The British 3rd and 5th Armies were forced to retreat, and on March 21st alone, the British military saw 38,500 casualties. That included 21,000 soldiers taken prisoner. Germany was able to advance about four miles, or six and a half kilometers, reclaiming in one day all the ground that they had lost over the previous two years.

[Holly Fry]

This March 21 assault was the start of what came to be known as the Spring Offensive, or the Ludendorff Offensive. That was named after Quartermaster General Erich Ludendorff, who was leading the German military with Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg in Germany. It was called Kaiserschlacht, or Kaiser's Battle, and the first phase was codenamed Operation Michael because it covered some of the same territory as the Battle of the Somme in 1916. Sometimes it is also called the Second Battle of the Somme.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Operation Michael ended on April 5, and by that point, the German army had captured about 12,000 square miles of territory. That's about 31,000 square kilometers. This had come at a great cost, though, with about 240,000 casualties that the German army just had no good way to replace. Together, French and British forces, including those from Canada, Australia and other parts of the British Empire, had suffered nearly 250,000 casualties. Just to be clear, casualty numbers include everyone killed, wounded or captured.

[Holly Fry]

That initial goal of splitting the British and French troops didn't ultimately work out because Germany didn't have the manpower to really divide and fight against both armies. The Allies also quickly realized the threat and united the Allied troops under the command of French General Ferdinand Foch, to better coordinate their efforts. So rather than facing an army that was divided and left in chaos, Germany instead faced a force that was united under one command.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

The overall Spring offensive ended on July 15, 1918, with the Second Battle of the Marne. General Ludendorff tried to capture the city of Rheims, hoping to divide the French forces and set a stage for an assault on Flanders. But unlike on March 21, General Foch anticipated this attack. He and the Allies mounted a counterattack, and by July 18, German forces were retreating.

[Holly Fry]

Germany could not afford this loss, especially since American troops were now arriving in France at a rate of about 3, 300,000 per month. The 1918 flu pandemic was also sweeping across the globe at this point, including through all of the armies involved in the war. But the war was not over yet. Which brings us to Amiens, and we're first going to pause and have a sponsor break before we dig into that. Mom, are we there yet?

[Tracy V. Wilson]

10 more minutes. Only 10 minutes.

[Holly Fry]

Can you drive slower?

[Parent 1]

What's up with them today? Lingokids, that app we downloaded last week.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

They love it. The games. Oh, this funny baby bot character. Kids, we're almost there.

[Parent 2]

No.

[Lingokids Advertiser]

With more than 4,000 interactive games, songs and shows little ones can't get enough of, LingoKids is the number one entertainment platform for young kids.

[Parent 1]

Why didn't we download this sooner?

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Lingokids, everything kids love. Download it for free. Whether you're calling the wise women in your life, video calling your girlfriends across the country, or checking in on someone who always knows how to make you smile, staying connected matters those small conversations, shared laughs and quick hellos are what keep relationships strong, even when life gets busy. Some of the most life giving conversations start with just a phone call. That's why AT and T guarantees the network you can rely on so you can focus on the moments and people that matter most. That's the AT and T guarantee. AT and T connecting changes everything. Terms and conditions apply. Visit att.comguarantee for details.

[Brilliant Advertiser]

A big part of parenting today is figuring out which technology will help your kid and which might hurt them, especially when it comes to learning. That's why millions of families use Brilliant. Brilliant is the online math tutor that's visual and interactive. Unlike other tools, it never hands your kid the answer. It helps them actually understand math and think for themselves. On Brilliant, students get hands on with concepts until they make sense. And Brilliant sees their work, so when they get stuck, it knows how to help. It asks just the right questions to get them unstuck or gives visual cues by sketching on their screen. It helps students reason through every problem, step by step. Students can build stronger foundations or move ahead as fast as they want, from fractions all the way to calculus. Brilliant even helps them set goals and keeps them motivated so you don't have to. Brilliant was built by experts from MIT and Harvard and is trusted by millions of parents and teachers. Sign up [e-mail] tutor and get 20% off for back to school. That's brilliant.org tutor.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Guess who's back in the house? The old gays return for season two of Silver Linings, their hit podcast from iHeart's Ruby Studio in partnership with Veeve Healthcare. Just wait until you hear what hosts Robert Mc Bill and Jesse have in store this time around. They strut back down memory lane, navigating life, love, loss and everything that shaped them along the way. And as usual, someone just might break into song. From leather bars to bath houses, dance floors to drag brunch, nothing stays off limits. These are the kinds of insights that can only come from experience. So listen to your elders, honey, and discover the silver linings you can take with you all sass0 filter and decades of perspective from four friends proving that queer joy only gets better with age on the podcast that never gets old. Listen to Silver Linings, available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The spring offensive and the Allied counterattacks at the Second Battle of the Marne were a shift in how the war was being fought on the Western Front. For years, that had been defined by the trenches. Trenches had been used during battles in one way or another for centuries, and they continued to be a part of warfare after this point. But In World War I, they were a side effect of evolving military technologies, specifically machine guns and artillery. Trenches were a way for troops to gain some measure of protection from these devastating weapons, even though it meant that they couldn't really move once they were dug in.

[Holly Fry]

During those years of stalemate, an attack on the enemy's trench had usually combined a preliminary bombardment called a creeping barrage, with an advancing infantry. The barrage was supposed to lay down artillery just ahead of the soldiers advance, providing cover and clearing out the opposition.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

But a lot of the time this didn't work. Barrages got too far ahead of the troops, effectively serving as an advance warning for the opposite side. Or they tore up the terrain so much that the soldiers had trouble crossing to get to the enemy. Or barrages might move too slowly or fall short, and the advancing infantry were killed as a result. Regardless, though, armies wound up facing huge casualties in exchange for a few yards of territory, or none at all.

[Holly Fry]

By the spring and summer of 1918, though, World War I's opposing armies were starting to make better use of all the available military technology to effectively assault the other side's trench. Trenches and the Allies first truly Effective use of all that technology was at the Battle of Hummel, led by Australian Corps commander, Lieutenant General John Monash.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Monash planned the early morning attack in absolute secrecy. He added smoke shells to the creeping barrage to obscure the battlefield. He also used tanks, which had been introduced in 1916, to plow through the Germans barbed wire and fortifications and to deliver supplies from behind the infantry advance.

[Holly Fry]

18 aircraft were involved as well, including some older ones specifically chosen because their engines were loud enough to cover up the sound of the tanks. The planes dropped bombs and flares, providing covering fire, and reported back with information about the Germans positions. The plan also included faking troop movements and using dummy installations to further disguise what they were doing and sending messages back and forth by pigeon.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

This battle was an enormous success for the Allies. The Allied troops, including American and Australian forces, attacked early in the morning on July 4th. Within two hours they had obtained all of their objectives. This was really the first time that all of the available military technology had been put into use at once in such a coordinated way. It was so effective that all of the commanders of the British Expeditionary Force got a report about it, detailing what had gone so well after the battle was over.

[Holly Fry]

The Battle of Amiens built off these same strategies that Monash had put into place at Hamel. The city of Amiens was a major junction for railroads and communications, and Germany had repeatedly tried to take it during the spring offensive. Germany had not succeeded, but it had stretched out its line in the attempt, creating a bulge that it didn't have the manpower to thoroughly defend.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

The Allies attack on the salient was, as before, planned in total secrecy before it started. They used fake radio transmissions and phony troop movements to disguise their activity during the day while putting the men into their real positions at night. The assault combined air support, artillery, tanks and infantry. In terms of numbers, The Allies had 75,000 men, more than 500 tanks and nearly 2,000 aircraft. The troops included British, Canadian, Australian and French infantry, tank brigades, British cavalry divisions, the Royal Air Force and American troops that were held in reserve.

[Holly Fry]

Australian and Canadian troops formed the spearhead of the infantry attack at Amiens. By this point, Australia's military had distinguished itself as part of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. That's Anzac in the Gallipoli campaign. And the Canadian units had developed a reputation as the British Empire's shock troops.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Germany was out. Everything in this battle, exact numbers are in dispute. It is difficult to track down precise numbers in a conflict like this. But they had a much smaller fighting force, with only about 530 guns and 370 aircraft. They had three lines of trenches, but these trenches weren't well fortified and the communication networks among them were really spotty. When the attack started at 4:20 in the morning on August 8, 1918, it came as a total surprise.

[Holly Fry]

Fighting at the Battle of Amiens went on for three days. By that point, the Allies had advanced eight miles. It's about 13 kilometers. They had liberated more than 100 towns and villages from the Germans. They'd also captured a 280 millimeter or 11 inch Krupp naval gun that had been used to shell amiens from about 25 kilometers or that's 16 miles away. This gun had been mounted on a railway carriage and the Australian 31st Battalion, 5th Division captured it by commandeering the carriage and driving it back into Allied territory.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

They're very proud of capturing this gun. I mean, it's not surprising that they were, but it comes up a lot in accounts of this day. After this hugely effective first day, the Allied advanced slowed over August 9th through 11th. The German forces started to regroup and offer a stronger resistance. And on the 11th, Sir Arthur Currie of the Canadian Corps convinced General Sir Henley Rawlinson of the British Fourth army that they should consolidate their gains instead of continuing to try to push ahead against increasingly tougher resistance.

[Holly Fry]

But before that decision, the battle had devastated the German Army. Ludendorff called August 8th the Black Day of the German army in the history of the war. He also said that it put the decline of that fighting power beyond all doubt. And in such a situation, as regards reserves, I had no hope of finding a strategic expedient whereby to turn the situation to our advantage.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

This wasn't just because of the tens of thousands of casualties that the German army saw that day. It was also that it revealed the terrifically terrible morale among the German troops. At least 12,000 of them were taken prisoner, with huge numbers of soldiers surrendering at once. There were even stories of whole groups of Germans surrendering to a single Allied soldier or surrendering even when they had the Allies in that particular spot.

[Holly Fry]

Vastly outnumbered altogether, this was the worst German defeat since the start of the war. Until this point, Allied leaders had thought the war would last at least until 1919. But this was the start of the final 100 days offensive that finally ended it. And we're going to talk more about that after we pause for a little sponsor break.

[Parent 1]

Dude, my kid loves Marvel's Spider man now.

[Parent 2]

No way.

[Parent 1]

How lingokids. They have Spider man themed activities. It's completely safe. Like if someone took our comics and made them perfect for a 4 year old.

[Parent 2]

I still hang on to my old collection. Does it have Disney Moana too? My daughter is obsessed.

[Parent 1]

Disney Moana, Frozen, Zootopia. It's all in there.

[Parent 2]

I'm downloading this right now.

[Lingokids Advertiser]

Full of fun activities inspired by beloved stories from Disney and more. Lingokids is where little ones discover more about favorite characters and maybe yours too.

[Parent 1]

Everything kids love, Download it for free.

[Brilliant Advertiser]

A big part of parenting today is figuring out which technology will help your kid and which might hurt them, especially when it comes to learning. That's why millions of families use Brilliant. Brilliant is the online math tutor that's visual and interactive. Unlike other tools, it never hands your kid the answer. It helps them actually understand math and think for themselves. On Brilliant, students get hands on with concepts until they make sense. And Brilliant sees their work, so when they get stuck, it knows how to help. It asks just the right questions to get them unstuck or gives visual cues by sketching on their screen. It helps students reason through every problem step by step. Students can build stronger foundations or move ahead as fast as they want, from fractions all the way to calculus. Brilliant even helps them set goals and keeps them motivated so you don't have to. Brilliant was built by experts from MIT and Harvard and is trusted by millions of parents and teachers. Sign up [e-mail] tutor and get 20% off for back to school. That's brilliant.org tutor guess who's back in the house?

[Tracy V. Wilson]

The old gays return for season two of Silver Linings, their hit podcast from iHeart's Ruby Studio in partnership with Veeve Healthcare. Just wait until you hear what hosts Robert McBill and Jesse have in store. This time around, they strut back down memory lane, navigating life, love, loss, and everything that shaped them along the way. And as usual, someone just might break into song. From leather bars to bath houses, dance floors to drag brunch, nothing stays off limits. These are the kinds of insights that can only come from experience. So listen to your elders, honey, and discover the silver linings you can take with you all Sass, zero filter and decades of perspective from four friends proving that queer joy only gets better with age. On the podcast that never gets old. Listen to Silver Linings, available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. So you're considering getting a home security system, but you want something that fits your space well. With ADT Blue, it's easy to customize a system that's right for you and set it up yourself. Just pick the kit and monitoring plan that makes sense for your home. Let's say you're worried about package theft so the ADT plus app can walk you through setting up a new doorbell camera kit once it's installed. ADT Pros can help you keep tabs on it 24, 7 or you can manage it yourself from the ADT app. There are no long term contracts, so you can change your monitoring plan whenever you want. The flexibility doesn't end there. You can add to your system as you need to with things like extra cameras or motion sensors. Some life decisions are hard, but thanks to ADT blue you can DIY trusted ADT Home Security in a snap. Head to ADT.comBLU to build your system today and to hear more about home protection and other grown up topics, check out new episodes of Grown up stuff on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. After the Battle of Amiens, both General Erich Ludendorff and Kaiser Wilhelm ii, the Emperor of Germany, agreed that there was no way for the German army to recover. Their goal became to avoid an outright surrender, and the German army continued to fight even as it fell back toward Germany, the Allied forces continued to press ahead in this final push to bring the war to an end.

[Holly Fry]

The last major objective to this end was the Hindenburg Line, which was Germany's last large scale fortification. The Hindenburg Line was a set of three well defended trenches that had been established in 1917. The Allies planned their assault on the Hindenburg Line for a full month before actually attacking its forward outposts near FA France on September 18, 1918.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

The Allied forces finally breached the Hindenburg Line on September 29 after four days of heavy fighting, including firing nearly a million artillery shells. And at that point Paul von Hindenburg and Erich Ludendorff told Kaiser Wilhelm that the war was lost. On October 1, at a meeting of representatives of all the major German political parties, Ludendorff and Hindenburg told the assembled group the reality of the situation. A lot of them were shocked to learn that things were going so badly for Germany. Germany requested peace negotiations on October 3rd.

[Holly Fry]

Ludendorff revised his opinion a little later in October, as Allied attacks slowed down to allow the supply lines to catch up to the troops advance. But by that point, word of the dire condition of the German military had spread through its civilian population. Like much of the rest of Europe, German civilians had faced extreme hardship during the war, including near starvation conditions thanks to an Allied blockade. In the face of such grim news the war just no longer had the support of the German people, especially once he heard the terms of the armistice which involved making Germany completely unable to renew hostilities. Ludendorff wanted to renew the fight, but on October 26th he was forced to resign.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

By this point there were rampant desertions going on all over the German military. A massive mutiny also swept through the navy in late October and early November over orders that they stage an attack on the Royal Navy in an attempt to derail the armistice negotiations.

[Holly Fry]

The armistice was finally signed on November 11, 1918 at 5:00am and the war ended at 11:00am that same day. The Canadian Corps also liberated the city of Mons, France that day, which was where the last shot of the war was fired. It was also the site of one of the war's earliest battles, and there's actually an episode about that battle in our archive. By this point, Kaiser Wilhelm II had been forced to abdicate and had gone into exile. And German Chancellor Friedrich Ebert had started to form a provisional government.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

During the last hundred days of the war, French forces saw 530,000 casualties. There were more than 400,000 casualties among the British troops, including the troops from the rest of the British Empire. That's not just from the UK. American forces saw 127,000 casualties and there were 785,000 casualties just among the Germans, with 368,000 taken prisoner.

[Holly Fry]

The German army was also very clearly defeated. After that initial rally in the spring offensive, the tide of the war had turned hard against it. And with millions of American troops on the ground in Europe, dramatically increasing the Allies numbers, there was just no way that Germany could have turned that around.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

But the false idea spread through the German military that Germany had not been defeated. Instead, this idea took root, didn't take root as though it came out of nowhere, like it was intentionally spread that the German army had been stabbed in the back by civilian leaders who negotiated and signed the armistice. According to this mindset, which was spread by Ludendorff and other high ranking officers intentionally, the officials who signed the armistice were traitors. Adolf Hitler would later brand them the November Criminals. This led to a whole conspiracy theory about a betrayal of the German military at the hands of Jews, which became part of Nazi propaganda in the years after the war.

[Holly Fry]

The terms of the armistice and the Treaty of Versailles that ended the war also contributed to the run up to World War II. Under that armistice, Germany had to surrender territory and war materials, including thousands of pieces of artillery, guns, trains, aircraft, battleships, submarines, destroyers and other naval vessels. Germany was also to surrender its prisoners of war immediately, but there were no reciprocal terms for the other nations to return German prisoners.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Under the Treaty of Versailles, Germany was prohibited from joining the League of Nations until 1926. The treaty also drew new borders that gave territory to Germany's neighbors, stripped Germany of its colonies, and required Germany to pay reparations that were economically disastrous. All of this ultimately contributed to Hitler's rise of power, which we talk about in our episode on the Night of the Long Knives. There's a really bummer place to end an episode. So if you were listening to this and you were like, this reminds me of Wonder Woman.

[Parent 2]

Yes,

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Obviously Ludendorff in Wonder Woman is a fictionalized version of this guy who we talked about in this show. Thanks so much for joining us on this Saturday. If you'd like to send us a note, our email address this is history [e-mail] and you can subscribe to the show on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.

[Parent 1]

Dude, my kid loves Marvel's Spider man now.

[Parent 2]

No way.

[Parent 1]

How lingokids they have Spider man themed activities. It's completely safe. Like if someone took our comics and made them perfect for a 4 year old.

[Parent 2]

I still hang on to my old collection. Does it have Disney Moana too? My daugh is obsessed.

[Parent 1]

Disney Moana, Frozen Zootopia. It's all in there.

[Parent 2]

I'm downloading this right now.

[Lingokids Advertiser]

Full of fun activities inspired by beloved stories from Disney and more. Lingokids is where little ones discover more about favorite characters and maybe yours too.

[Parent 1]

Everything kids love, Download it for free.

[Brilliant Advertiser]

For most kids, math class moves at the wrong pace. Some are way ahead of the class. Others need more help along the way. Brilliant is the online math tutor that's visual and interactive. It's helped millions of students excel in math. On Brilliant, students can build stronger foundations or move ahead as fast as they want. From fractions to calculus they'll get hands on, get tutoring that's personalized to them and see results in weeks. Sign up [e-mail] tutor and get 20% off. That's brilliant.org tutor.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

You ever show up late to the game and your friend's already saved your seat, your drink, even a plate that's looking out, that's having your back. And that's exactly what ATT does with the ATT guarantee they know staying connected matters, so they actually guarantee a network that comes through when it counts. AT&T has connectivity you can depend on, or they'll proactively make it right? Just like that friend who takes care of things before you even ask. AT&T connecting changes everything. Terms and conditions apply. Visit att.comguarantee for details.

[Holly Fry]

Hey, everybody. We are getting ready to go on a trip. We're not packed yet, but our brains definitely are because we have a trip to Baha Mar on the horizon, and it's kind of all I can think about. I'm so excited about the food. There are amazing restaurants and lounges there that I'm gonna sample everything I possibly can. I'm gonna gaze into the water, and mostly I am gonna watch the daily Flamingo parade, which might be the thing I'm most excited about. There's also an incredible spa, and I know Tracy's gonna be taking advantage of that. There is excited, and then there is Bahamar excited. Start planning at bahamar. Com.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.