W.E.B. Du Bois and World War I
11/01/23 • 18 min
When World War I began, the famed historian, sociologist, and civil rights activist W.E.B. Du Bois was at the height of his influence. When the United States entered the war, he encouraged African Americans to “close ranks” and support the Allied cause. Tasked with writing a definitive history of the African American soldier in World War I, Du Bois ultimately came to be haunted by his support for the war. The manuscript for that project remains unpublished. To discuss Du Bois and World War I, the World War I Podcast hosted Dr. Chad L. Williams, author of The Wounded World: W.E.B. Du Bois and the First World War.
Follow us:
- Twitter: @MacArthur1880
- Amanda Williams on Twitter: @AEWilliamsClark
- Facebook/Instagram: @MacArthurMemorial
When World War I began, the famed historian, sociologist, and civil rights activist W.E.B. Du Bois was at the height of his influence. When the United States entered the war, he encouraged African Americans to “close ranks” and support the Allied cause. Tasked with writing a definitive history of the African American soldier in World War I, Du Bois ultimately came to be haunted by his support for the war. The manuscript for that project remains unpublished. To discuss Du Bois and World War I, the World War I Podcast hosted Dr. Chad L. Williams, author of The Wounded World: W.E.B. Du Bois and the First World War.
Follow us:
- Twitter: @MacArthur1880
- Amanda Williams on Twitter: @AEWilliamsClark
- Facebook/Instagram: @MacArthurMemorial
Previous Episode
Douglas MacArthur's 2nd Distinguished Service Cross and the Côte de Châtillon
In the winter of 1918, General John J. Pershing presented then Brigadier General Douglas MacArthur with his second Distinguished Service Cross. The award was for actions in France at the Côte de Châtillon between October 14-16, 1918. The citation ends with an interesting sentence: “On a field where courage was the rule, his courage was the dominant feature.” What happened there? What do we know about the circumstances behind this award? To answer these questions, MacArthur Memorial historians Amanda Williams and Jim Zobel sat down to discuss this WWI chapter in Douglas MacArthur's career.
Follow us:
- Twitter: @MacArthur1880
- Amanda Williams on Twitter: @AEWilliamsClark
- Facebook/Instagram: @MacArthurMemorial
Next Episode
Learning from the Circus: Transportation and Logistics in WWI
In 1914, as German forces quickly outmaneuvered Allied armies in the opening days of the war, there was some suspicion among the Allies that the circuses that had traveled around Europe in the years before the war – many of which were owned by German families or had German names – had helped prepare the German army by perfecting the art of rapid and efficient mobilization and transport. Even Americans – not yet involved in the war – suspected this to be the case and looked at circuses like the Ringling Brothers with suspicion. Was this true? Did armies prior to World War I study circus logistics? If so, how did they adapt this expertise? To help explore this topic, the World War I Podcast hosted Matthew Fraas, Education Specialist at the U.S. Army Transportation Museum.
US Army Transportation Corps Museum Home Page
Follow us:
- Twitter: @MacArthur1880
- Amanda Williams on Twitter: @AEWilliamsClark
- Facebook/Instagram: @MacArthurMemorial
If you like this episode you’ll love
Episode Comments
Generate a badge
Get a badge for your website that links back to this episode
<a href="https://goodpods.com/podcasts/world-war-i-podcast-117077/web-du-bois-and-world-war-i-35869937"> <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/goodpods-images-bucket/badges/generic-badge-1.svg" alt="listen to w.e.b. du bois and world war i on goodpods" style="width: 225px" /> </a>
Copy