GW1: Europe in 1914

Key Battles of American History

History

4.7 • 861 Ratings

🗓️ 10 December 2025

⏱️ 64 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this kickoff to our new series on The Great War, James and Sean take a sweeping look at the state of Europe in 1914—just before the world changed forever. They explore the continent’s dominant empires, their military might, political tensions, and the fragile balance of power that had kept peace for nearly a century. From rising nationalism and colonial rivalries to the tangled web of alliances and Balkan unrest, this episode sets the stage for the regional conflict that mushroomed into the First World War.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	The holidays are here, and so is the perfect way to bless your loved ones.
0:05.2	The Crosswalk holiday gift guide has something for everyone on your list.
0:09.2	The team at Crosswalk has handpicked the best devotionals, picture books, middle grade fiction,
0:13.8	and adult fiction, so that you can spend less time buying and more time giving to those
0:18.3	who love most.
0:19.5	So step these stories into your stockings and celebrate the wonder of reading this Christmas.
0:24.8	On our gift guide, visit crosswalk.com forward slash gift guide today.
0:37.3	War has played a key role in the history of the United States, from the nation's founding
0:41.6	right down to the present. War made the U.S. independent, kept it together, increased its
0:47.2	size, and established it as a global superpower. Understanding America's wars is essential for
0:52.8	understanding American history.
0:59.8	Welcome to Key Battles of American History, a podcast in which we discuss American history through the lens of the most important battles of America's wars.
1:03.5	Here is your host, James Early.
1:18.0	Hello, and we're going to do. Hello and welcome to another brand new series, The Great War.
1:24.5	For this series, I'm once again joined by my good buddy, Sean McIver, who will be my co-host for the entire series.
1:30.2	For the next 24 weeks or so, Sean and I are going to present a 10,000-foot view of a war that changed the world in so many ways, but that is largely forgotten by much of the world, or at least
1:35.4	in the United States.
1:37.1	So, the Great War, also known as World War I, you may be wondering, why are we doing this?
1:43.7	You may be thinking, hey, James, didn't you already do a World War I podcast series called
1:48.7	Key Battles of World War I?
1:50.4	And the answer to that question is why, yes, I did.
1:53.5	But that was recorded over five years ago and also, of course, written over five years ago.
	...

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