My favorite 99’s album was Czech Your Head! I love this thread
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The Czechs who gained control of the Trans-Siberian were former POWs liberated after Brest-Litovsk, but unable to find transport west. Most were held in camps in Siberia and along the frontier with modern Kazakhstan. Interestingly, some actually moved south to Tashkent and stayed, as did some German POWs. The Russians in 1914 did support Czechs and Slovaks who deserted or already lived in western Ukraine that joined with them to defeat A-H, and the Russians often claimed support for a new state of Czechoslovakia, but it did so somewhat reluctantly because the Russians also feared Polish aspirations. Generally, the POW-Czechs have been referred to as the “Czech Legion” by many scholars, but they were not the same as those Czechs/Slovaks recruited by Russia pre 1917. Some of the POWs might have made it west, but most didn’t and had to evacuate through China or Vladivostok.
Last summer I was in Slovakia meeting relatives and we had an interesting discussion about Czechs and Russians…no surprise, they really still dislike Russians! Which is kind of funny too because until my younger cousin arrived (she speaks English), we had to converse in Russian because I don’t know Slovak.
Ты говоришь по-русский? Отлично! Как дела?
Had two semesters of Russian and dated a girl from Belarus for a couple of years. Still retain a few words haha.
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Со мной все хорошо, спасибо. Да, я говорю по-русски, мне это нужно для моих исследований … девушка из Белоруссии? Поздравляем!
My research required Russian and Kazakh and now I’m learning Swedish for another project. My Russian is ok now, I’ve lost a bit because I rarely have reason to use it in Charlotte.
gs, thanks! My daughter - of Argentine heritage on her mother’s side of the family - surprised us and took Russian for a while. Even named one of the cats Koshka!
Really good to know that I’m not the only one aware of the Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War. Definitely not something you are taught in US History in high school.
If you teach the WWI class then I had you, loved it
Anyone know any good books about WWI? Seems there are plenty on WWII, but cannot seem to find many on WWI.
Thanks in advance!
You had it with me or Heather Perry, probably.
There are hundreds…seriously, but it depends on the topic. Mike Neiberg’s book is pretty good, if you’re just interested in the war, Barbara Tuchman’s “Guns of August” is still a classic (though dated)…I’ve been involved in a massive project called “Russia’s Great War and Revolutions,” (20+ books) and I co-edited a book with Dr. Shep McKinley called “North Carolina’s Experience During the First World War” (UTennessee press, 2018). And these are just some works I’ve been associated with recently…really does depend on what your interests are about the war, its origins, prosecution, legacy. There is, also, a lot of crap out there, but the centennial celebrations set the stage for a lot of new scholarship.
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Yup she had a really neat story. Belarus is still a Marxist dictatorship so jobs tough are to come by and she wanted to be a dentist so came over. She actually joined the military to get help with dental school. She had pictures from when she was a kid when she went to “Pioneer Camps” in the USSR. That stuff seems so distant sometimes but it’s really not and all shaped by WWI.
Gonna have to quit talking about her or I’ll start missing her haha.
One very important lesson too for those that don’t know, don’t assume someone speaking Russian is Russian. If they’re not there’s a good chance they have some issues with the Russians.
I have lots of friends there with similar stories…heck, just take a math class at UNC Charlotte and you’ll get either some former Soviet mathematician or one from China…
Belarus is a basket-case…don’t miss her too much, the current person in your life might not like it.
I’ve had both actually. I tell my students when we study WWI the three salutes joke you told us in class, it gets a good laugh out of them every time.
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I wish I had taken a WWI course… I had both WWII theater course with Dr. Morrill… Loved those.
@gsuncc / @49erAlumnus - have y’all listened to the Dan Carlin pod series on WWI as part of the Hardcore History series?.. As historians, I’d like to hear your thoughts on his presentation
Had Dr. McKinley as well, he’s a cool guy. Great teacher
Loved the history department, miss it a whole ton!
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My grandfather was in WWI. My dad was the youngest of six kids, and 18 years younger than his oldest sibling, so mathematically it is possible, although it hardly seems it. My grandfather passed away when I was about 16, and I wish I had known then that this would interest me one day. Never had a conversation with him about this.
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Ah, the salute joke…I also tell my favorite WW1 joke with Col. Olaf Svensson, the French flying ace…probably can’t tell that one in class.
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I’ve had others tell me about Carlin’s podcasts, but haven’t listened. Dan Morrill is a fine man, that last of Bonnie’s boys to retire. I miss hearing his laugh echo through the department’s halls.
Been racking my brain trying to recall text books from 40 years ago! Anyway, finally remembered that I read histories of both World Wars by B.H. Liddell Hart. Served in British Army during WWI.
I had a grandfather in WW1 too…was a pilot, shot down over France by a German, but survived obviously. I talked to him a bit about his experiences, but not as much as I should have. He passed when I was in college and just discovering my love of history and the war.