Resources for University Students

The WFA are keen to encourage further study of the First World War, many members have undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in history. There are a number of degrees which focus solely on the First World War whilst there are also a number which include the conflict as part of a broader degree programme. The Western Front Association has a wealth of material that may prove useful to those studying the First World War at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. Universities Trustee Adam Prime has put together a small selection of this material:

‘The First World War has generated a lot of discussion; much ink has been spilt on the nature of the fighting on the Western Front in particular – though that is not to say that the fighting in the other theatres of the Great War are not interesting too, especially for this Indian Army historian. The WFA’s first president John Terraine was something of a trail blazer in his analysis of the fighting of First World War, notably his analysis of Sir Douglas Haig, BEF commander between 1915 and 1919. Many of Terraine’s talks and articles are available online, such as his piece on military leadership during the war which gives both a flavour of his analysis of the war on the Western Front and also how he battled with detractors such as author Alan Clark in the 1960s. One of those who built on Terraine’s work is our current President, Professor Gary Sheffield. I thoroughly recommend the President’s webinar on Terraine as a military historian. The webinar captures much of the historiographical debate that has raged over the First World War, an important matter for any student of the Great War to understand.

I enjoy our Mentioned in Despatches podcasts, as I can listen to them on the go, students may find these podcasts fit into their busy lives for the same reason. Now numbering over 350 episodes, a good number of these also cover the nature of the fighting on the Western Front. For example, Aimee Fox recently published a book on how the British army changed, adapted and learned during the First World War. Here Fox talks to our host Tom Thorpe about the British Army and innovation during the Great War. Fox’s research and that of other recent historians has greatly furthered our understanding of British Army as an institution between 1914 and 1918.

The Western Front features in the name of the association, it was the main front of the conflict where the British troops along with their imperial forces faced the main enemy, Germany. Yet, that is not to say other theatres are excluded from study. For example, this is one of many articles by Harry Fecitt which covers the fighting in East Africa. Similarly, Professor Ian Van Der Waag and Dr Tony Garcia looks at South African commander Jan Smuts. Whilst in this public lecture Vice-President Professor John Bourne takes a look at the ill-fated Gallipoli campaign against the Ottoman Empire and the validity of the strategy.

Not just other fronts, the association has much material concerning other armies, it is not solely concerned with the BEF. The British fought alongside the French on the Western Front. Amongst the material available on the French Army is Dr Tim Gale on French armour or Dr David Murphy looking at the 1917 Nivelle Offensive. In terms of the British Empire troops who fought beside the British in France and Flanders and played a sizeable role in other theatres, the Indian Army has received considerable attention in the last decade or so. You can read about the experience of Indian Army officer Amar Singh on the Western Front or hear Pratrap Chhetri discuss the Indian Labour Corps.

This is just a small vignette of what is available on the association’s website and YouTube channel. Of course membership brings with it access to our Searchable Magazine Archive and back catalogue, offering further avenues for students to explore in aid of their research. Having taught The First World War to at university level myself, I can say with confidence that the material available is both relevant and accessible and would certainly compliment a student’s reading lists and library searches.’

Adam Prime, Universities Trustee