This episode explores the twin revolutions that upended Russia in 1917 and reshaped the course of World War I. Sean and James trace the collapse of the Romanov dynasty, the rise and failures of the Provisional Government, and the growing power of the soviets amid military disaster and social unrest. They then examine how Lenin and the Bolsheviks overthrew the government in November and imposed a harsh new dictatorship backed by the CHEKA. The episode concludes with Russia’s exit from the war at Brest-Litovsk, a decision that carried enormous consequences for both the conflict and the future of Europe.

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James and Sean discuss the 2011 film War Horse, in which a young Englishman struggles to be reunited with his beloved horse, who has been sent to the Western Front and has experienced several trying experiences there.

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In this episode, Sean and James turn south and east to explore the lesser-known fronts of World War I in 1916 and 1917. From the brutal mountain battles along the Isonzo River and the Italian disaster at Caporetto to Romania’s ill-fated entry into the war and the stagnant Allied front at Salonika, the hosts trace how the war’s southern theaters shaped the fate of nations. They also examine the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, the Arab Revolt, and the British capture of Aqaba, Gaza, Jerusalem, and other key Middle Eastern sites. Together, these campaigns reveal how the Great War’s reach extended far beyond the trenches of France—and how they set the stage for the world that followed.

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