GW16: The Third Ypres Campaign

Key Battles of American History

History

4.6 • 936 Ratings

🗓️ 25 March 2026

⏱️ 34 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this episode, Sean and James examine the brutal 1917 campaign at Third Ypres, better known as Passchendaele, which was one of the most infamous battles of World War I. They trace the strategic aims behind Haig’s offensive, the early success at Messines, and the grinding advance that followed as rain, mud, and relentless German defenses turned Flanders into a nightmare landscape. The hosts explore key moments from the campaign, including the devastating failures of August, the British Army’s methodical September attacks, and the final Canadian push that captured the ridge. They conclude with the immense human cost, the controversy surrounding Haig’s leadership, and the battle’s lasting place in the memory of both British and German soldiers.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Want to keep God's word with you wherever you go?
0:03.2	The King James Bible Study KJV app by Salem Media makes it easier to read, study, share, and pray daily with a timeless KJV translation.
0:10.8	Enjoy features like offline access, audio Bible listening, smart search, and tools to highlight bookmark and take notes, all designed to keep your Bible studies simple and organized.
0:18.9	Best of all, it's free to download in the Google Play Store.
0:21.7	Growing your faith every day.
0:23.1	Search for King James Bible Study, KJV, and download the app today.
0:36.7	War has played a key role in the history of the United States, from the nation's founding
0:40.9	right down to the present. War made the U.S. independent, kept it together, increased its size,
0:47.3	and established it as a global superpower. Understanding America's wars is essential for understanding
0:52.6	American history. Welcome to key battles of
0:55.6	American history, a podcast in which we discuss American history through the lens of the most
1:00.3	important battles of America's wars. Here is your host, James Early.
1:19.5	Hello and welcome back to the Great War, our 10,000-foot survey of the cataclysmic conflict that changed the world forever.
1:22.5	I'm your host, James Early, as always.
1:27.0	And as always, I am joined by my co-host and my good buddy, Sean McIrauire. In our last episode, Sean and I explored the twin revolutions that upended Russia in 1917
1:32.6	and reshape the course of World War I and, in fact, world history, not just the Great War.
1:39.2	We traced the collapse of the Romanov dynasty, the rise and failures of the provisional government,
1:44.8	and the growing power of the Soviets amid military disaster and social unrest. We then examined how Lenin and the
1:51.0	Bolsheviks overthrew the government in November and imposed a harsh new dictatorship backed by the
1:56.9	Cheka, which was the first and a long line of Soviet secret police agencies.
2:01.7	We concluded with Russia's exit from the war at Brestovsk, a decision that carried enormous
2:07.8	consequences for both the conflict and the future of Europe. And in this episode, we'll go back
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Key Battles of American History, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Key Battles of American History and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.