November Wrap Up - World War I

Good morning, we are nearly done with World War I and World War II documentaries for November.  So today, I will do a wrap-up for the month.  I finished up The Great War in Numbers.  I was also glad to explore the Deep Sea Detective Series, although I think some of the episodes could have been done in December for Fun and Frivolous.  December will be documentaries that are fun and frivolous.  They may not fit in perfectly with the school curriculum but could be shown just for the fun of it.  These were the documentaries that were featured for November.

World War I
The Great War In Numbers - Episode 1 (44:46) Episode 2(45:13)  Episode 3 (44:58) Episode 4 (45:09) Episode 5 (45:03) Episode 6 (45:02)
World War I: The Numbers covers the sheer numbers involved in World War I.  The Imperial powers were not satisfied with the vast territories and wealth they acquired over decades.  So when in 1914, when the heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire was killed the world exploded.  This war would kill 18 million people.  This war would change world history.  *Recommended for a high school world history classroom.  Recommended for an independent study student.*

The First Tank Battle - YouTube  (44:11)
World War I was the first war where tanks were introduced in warfare.  It was the British that introduced the first tanks.  The British were determined to end the stalemate of trench water.  The Germans did not know what happen.  However, they caught up with lethal fire and then with their tanks.  How did the first tanks develop?  Would they put a stop to trench warfare?  This documentary explores the history of the tank and the greatest battles they participated in. *Recommended for a high school world history classroom.  Recommended for an independent study student who has an interest in military history.*

HMS Audacious - YouTube (50:05)
Today, deep sea divers are going to investigate the British battleship “HMS Audacious.”  It was declared unsinkable and went into battle during World War I.  She struck a mine and the men onboard her fought to keep her alive.  It was a secondary, mysterious explosion that sent her down to the bottom of the Irish Sea.  The wreck lies 14 miles off the tip of Ireland.  So what caused this second explosion that sent her to the bottom?   *Recommended for a history and science classroom.*

SS Armenian - YouTube (49:31)
The year is June 1915.  The SS Armenian is carrying 1400 mules for the battlefields of Europe.  A U-boat spots the ship and fires.  Twenty-nine Americans are killed and the mules are sent to the bottom of the sea.  Americans already outraged by the Lusitania sinking are made even angrier.  The sinking of this ship would cause a second international incident between Germany and the United States.  Now a team of divers plans to locate the wreck of the ship off Cornwall.  Will these divers be successful?  *Recommended for independent study students and for the history classroom.*

The Great War Tour - Episode 1 (45:27)  Episode 2 (48:55)  Episode 3 (51:24) Episode 4 (49:49)
Norm Christie, a military historian has traveled extensively through the western front of the Great War.  This series focuses on the Canadian soldiers that were killed during the Great War.  60,000 Canadians were killed during the Great War.  Christie looks at the impact of Canadian soldiers during the Great War.  He looks at the sacred sites, missing soldiers and other areas where the Canadians fought.  *Skip the first episode.  The other three episodes are excellent and should be shown in a Canadian history class.*

The Hidden Secrets of the Battle of Yrpes - YouTube (1:10:25)
Norm Christie examines the Battlefields of Ypres in the Lost Battlefield series.  He is exploring the story of the Canadian soldiers that were killed during World War I.  The Battle of Mount Sorrel and the Battle of Hill 70 would shape the Canadian Corps.  He explores the legacy of the Canadian Corps and its contributions to the Great War.  Christie travels to the battlefields of Yrpes to learn about the Canadian contributions to the Great War.  *Not recommended for a history class.*

The Kaiser's Pirates - YouTube (52:15)
The story of World War I piracy begins in the port of Kiel in Germany.  The ship was called the Wolf.  The SMS Wolf was engaging in piracy during World War I.  The Grandson of the captain of the ship has been doing research on the ship.  In 1916, a ship slipped out of the harbor and went on a voyage.  The ship was on an important mission for the Kaiser.  She was going to engage in piracy on the high seas during World War I.  *Recommended for a history class and for independent study students.*