A Higher Form of Killing - Diana Preston

Three pivotal events occurred in the spring/early summer of 1915 during the first year of World War I. In late April, German troops released poison gas over French and Canadian troops in the trenches at Ypres in the world's first poison gas attack; in early May 1915, a German submarine torpedoed the Cunard liner Lusitania killing 1,200 civilians; on May 31, a Zeppelin bombed London in the first ever “blitz.”
Diana Preston, BBC broadcaster, Oxford educated historian and author of A Higher Form of Killing, explores these incidents - all illegal under international law - and how they changed the nature of warfare forever. Presented in partnership with the English-Speaking Union, Kansas City Branch.
Recorded May 5, 2015 in J.C. Nichols Auditorium at the National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial.
For more information about the National WWI Museum and Memorial visit theworldwar.org

[@britwokay8577]

Thank you for posting these fine lectures. I've learned a lot from them.

[@alganhar1]

Trident is the name of the weapons system, not the Submarine. The vessel is the Vanguard Class.

[@Madronaxyz]

One quesitoner mentions balloon bombs. I looked it up on Wikipedia and these were first used in aggressive war in 1849 by the Austrians attacking Venice.

[@twh8418]

Aggressive War?

[@rosesprog1722]

The London treaty of 1831 guaranteed Belgian neutrality but the 1871 one only "recognized" Belgian neutrality only, the British lied when they said they went in because of Belgium, they went in because of a secret entente with France that no one knew about, not even the parliamentary ministers until two days before the war began when Sir Edward Grey finally admitted it. As a result half the British ministers threatened to resign in indignation but they were easily convinced to stay. At the beginning of the war the Lusitania was armed and used as a war ship for a time. Then, it was reverted to a passenger vessel but the Germans were probably not told about it but allowing passengers to board a ship carrying weapons was the real crime that caused this tragedy, and it was illegal, of course. Continued...

[@rosesprog1722]

Then, the Germans only went back to unrestricted sub warfare because the British had unilaterally decided that food could be seized as war material so by then, the German civilians were starving to death, therefore, they had the right to starve Britain as well. As to gas, The French army first used rifle grenades filled with tear gas against the Germans beginning in August 1914, but this proved ineffective. In the early months, the British also researched the weaponized use of tear gas agents and more toxic gasses including sulfur dioxide. However, it was the German gas warfare program that achieved the earliest success. As to the Bombing of London, that was wrong, civilians should always be protected.

[@jehl1963]

I can save everyone an hour of their time. While the presenter is highly credentialed, the presentation is wholly conventional. To sum it up into one sentance: "Germans in WWI were war criminals who are completely responsible for the use of weapons of mass destruction today. Briefer still -- Germans: BAD. British: (ambivalently) Good. Certainly not up the level of the other presentations at the same symposium. There you have it -- from Charles Masterman's desk at Wellington House, to her lips and your ears. As she mentions -- Sir John Fisher understood that the nature of war if you are in one is to win it. But she doesn't examine this idea at all. In many respect, her presentation reminds me of the old old legal aphorism that goes, "If you have the facts on your side, pound the facts. If you have the law on your side, pound the law. If you have neither on your side, pound the table." Submarine warfare by Germany is viewed as a war crime (The cause of death to the passengers on the Lusitania? Murder!). Unfortunately the fact is that the Lusitania was carrying ammunition -- so she adds the point that this cargo was "legal". The Germans were still war criminals for using submarine warfare. The fact that alone Great Britain had 80 submarines at the outbreak of the war to Germany's 48 is an inconvenient fact she ignores. Given the chance, what did she the British subs would be used for? The German use of Chlorine gas in 1915 is bad. The French use of either xylyl bromide (tear gas) in 1914 is ignored. Tear Gas in ample concentrations can kill, the same as chlorine. Is death by gas worse than death by having an artillery shell blow a limb off? She doesn't say. The third point she makes is the aerial attacks on London by the Germans is a war crime. I wonder if German observers during the Boer War learned anything from the destruction of the towns of Ventersburg and Louis Trichard? She doesn't say. As I said, she doesn't really provide any new insights beyond what you can get from 1918 news paper headlines.

[@jezalb2710]

Gosh. Your comment made me watch it.

[@spraylakkmagazine]

Thanks

[@davidsabillon5182]

Tirpitz beard looks absolutely ridiculous 😂

[@jehl1963]

Billy Gibbons and Dusty hill beg to defer

[@bkbmckee]

@@jehl1963 underrated comment right here! 🤣🤣

[@kensurrency2564]

33:25 “The coroner’s verdict on those killed was, ‘Willful murder by Germany’.”

[@jezalb2710]

Interesting.