Dr. Kempshall, thank you for this AMA!

In The First World War in Computer Games, you introduce the very versatile term "authenticity lite" to describe what players really mean by "historical authenticity" and how they construct it (essentially a form of moderate authenticity). How did you develop this term?

I would also like to know if War Ephemera is open for outside contributions?

Hi! Sorry if this question is a bit left-field, but how far do you think it's desirable for computer games about WWI to be "accurate"/"realistic", and in which areas? Are there any things you think WWI games tend to do particularly well, or badly?

Thanks, and your research looks really cool!

How were Anglo-American relations impacted by the Easter Rising? Were there issues with Irish-American troops reluctant to fight to protect British imperialist interests?

Thanks for this AMA! I spent the past day rewatching some Star Wars movies so this is great timing.

Since a lot of the Star Wars universe was written after the original trilogy, how does the revisionism/retroactive storytelling change the way you talk about it historically if the universe wasn't written to be a universe? Did historical events between the original trilogy and the prequels shape the way the movies related to each other?

Hi Chris, thanks for doing this AMA! I'm curious what relationships between the western powers and the Russian Empire were like - were they generally cooperative/collaborative or were the Russians resentful of the more static western front?

Thanks for doing this! If your combination of research interests doesn't break Reddit I don't know what will...

A question inspired by my ingrained skepticism of star wars (and therefore veering into the territory of literary criticism so feel free to ignore it!): I've always been interested in the "historical" tensions of the star wars universe, which seemingly attempts to cram a "small' vision of history as the actions of a few great men into a galaxy sized setting. It's a view of history that doesn't hold water in our own world, and feels frankly silly in the context of what's supposed to be a galactic history. Is the star wars universe due a 'history from below' moment? Is historically literate sci-fi even possible?

Was the Canadian success at Vimy Ridge really a turning point in regard to how the larger Allied nations (and esepcially Great Britain) viewed Canada as a nation as if often portrayed in Canadian history books?

Hello first of all I am very glad you posted, I just finished Lawerence Rees' WW2 Behind Closed Doors and was looking for something similar for WW1.

Second of all, the idea of WW1 and WW2 being so closely linked that they might as well be considered one war with an interlude greatly appealed to me. What would your opinion be on the subject of calling them a European Civil War or a second 30 years war?

Thank you for this AMA Dr Kempshall! Love seeing you on twitter and big fan of your answers on the sub.

When it comes to pop media, especially video games but movies to, the First World War seems particularly popular. Likely just behind WWII (And maybe Vietnam). Which piece of media do you think really got it "Right", or nailed the feeling of the First World War the most?

Secondly, and this is vital, what is your favorite Star Wars thing? Game, show, movie, whatever.

Finally: Solidarity forever!

Since you mentioned Star Wars this seems to be the perfect opportunity for me to ask a quetion i've been pondering lately.

In the short aftermath of the battle of Endor with the emperor dead, it looks to me like the remnant of the empire are breaking apart and there would be much infighting before the New republic can move in and take over the sectors of the fractioned remnant.

What real life historical events would you consider apt comparisons that would give hints as to how things would turn? Would it be postcolonial Africa? China after the fall of the last emperor? the Fall of Rome? What pieces of history ought I in your opinion read that would give me the best understanding of the fall of the empire in Star Wars based on our own history?

Hello! Thanks for coming on to do an AMA with us.

A bit of a general question, but how far would you say that video games about the First World War have helped improve the public's understanding, especially in terms of challenging existing narratives in popular culture?

If you could wave your historian's wand and change one way or a particular aspect people commonly think about or approach the First World War, what would you want changed?

The First World War has always been fascinating to me since it was the war that effectively ended 4 continental empires; Russian Empire collapses in 1917, Germany's short lived Empire clutching it's prussian roots collapses alongside the Austro-hungarian Empire in 1918, and the Ottoman empire finally collapses in 1922. This set the stage for the emergence of several republics in central europe and the partitioning of the middle eastern Ottoman holdings between britain and france. The collapse of Russia effectively removed them from the war effort, and the United States joined late in the war to become one of the primary contributors to the allied alliance while russia undergoes it's internal unrest.

Century-old political entities vanish over the course of a few years, and new ones emerge under the allies guidence. 2 of the largest political entities on the continent effectively vanish, and suddenly the British empire, France, and the USA hold sway over the reorganization or creation of multiple governments, while also contending with one of their allies (russia) also toppling their imperial government and having years of instability and civil war follow.

My question: How on earth did the allies organize, in such a short time, what was essentially the repair of a complete and utter collapse of the status quo in europe?

Was there panic? Was there an understanding of the gravitas of the historical implications of what was occuring and did this complicate post-war ally relations? Like i can't imagine that the european powers were very pleased that the USA came in at the end of the war and then effectively becomes one of the arbiters of europes fate as a result. Were the french and british diplomats (historically adversarial) constantly trying to advance their individual interests when establishing new republics, or trying to handicap the others attempted gains? How did the allies factor in the new Russian governement when considering what post-war europe looked like, and did they have doubts about it's efficacy or longevity, especially when france and britain were leaning into expanding their own empires. How did they interact with the many governments in exile, or help to establish the new republics governments?

I know this is a broad question, but i suppose it simplifies down to wondering where they even started from. Like who was the one to step-up and organize a cohesive allied "plan of attack"? Who made the decision to not merely restore the austro-hungarian empire, and why was germany not further partitioned between allies or into smaller republics despite it's history as a confederation making that a viable option? This honestly seems to me like a far more difficult undertaking than the war itself, as the politically unifying threat of the war was no longer there to align the aims of the allied powers. Like surely the Bolsheviks had opinions on what europe should look like that did not align with the french republic/empire.

Hi Chris, thank you so much for doing this AMA!

How accurate is the assessment that the Allied powers really did not like Wilson, especially concerning his idealism in international affairs? My profs have told me that they often sidelined him during the Paris Conference and that the passing of the League of Nations was nothing short of a miracle.

What do you think about the "white man mythic space" aspect I have seen discussed around memories of the first world war? Especially in computer games and other film media?

Thank you for the AMA Dr. As a fan of Star Wars, how do you think studying a fictional setting can help with understanding real military history or mechanics?

I've recently been fascinated (in an amateur way, since I don't even know where to look to begin reading more about this subject) in the different ways that Socialist parties reacted to the outbreak of war, conscription, war bonds, the war itself ect.

I've read that the majority of German and French Social Democrats conceived of their respective nations' war efforts as a defensive struggle, and therefore not a capitulation to imperialism, but did pro and anti-war leftists from the Allied (or between Allied and Central Power nations, if youre familiar) nations exchange communication about their inta-party debates, or seek to influence the others' decisions?

Thanks so much for the AMA!

Thanks for doing this AMA! I do have a question that I'm going to try and marry your two interests that you've posted here.

The influence of WW2 on Star Wars is hardly difficult to see, stormtroopers, dog fights in space, the influence of Nazi aesthetics on the Empire, etc... Is there any influence of the Great War that you detect in other pieces of modern media that is comparable?

Hey Chris thanks for doing this.

The Entente nowadays is remembered as a block, but I recently read something of the squabbels between the French and the British over the question of Syria and the Middle-East. Margaret Macmillan states that Lloyd George wanted to keep the French out of the Middle East(around page 384 in my 2003 print) and wanted to ditch Sykes-Picot, yet in the end he stuck to it, without really explaining why. Could you eloborate about how serious the ideas of British policymakers were to ditch Sykes-picot?

Does the framing/scope of study of the First World War as lasting specifically from July 28, 1914 to November 11, 1918 hold up among historians, or is there more of a push to look at the conflict in a wider scope (much like how the Second World War is getting viewed, especially with it starting in China in 1937 or arguably 1931)?

From my own niche much of the real fighting comes around 1917 to 1923, but if you look at a country like Greece it was basically more or less at war for over a decade.

One thing I've definitely noticed at least in Russian historiography is that the Revolutions and Civil War have sort of diminished in their world-historical scope and are fitting back in as parts of this larger conflict, where 30 or 40 years ago the Revolution (and here of course I mean the October one) would be a completely separate historic topic, and any mention of the First World War would be as background info or as a sideshow.

Thanks for the AMA!

For Star Wars, do you have any thoughts on Karen Traviss' controversial Republic Commando novels, her take on the Jedi being terrible generals, the slave (clone) army, and the retcons those stories suffered by the Clone Wars 3D show? (Primarily, the inhibitor chip)

And what is your favorite Star Wars and FWW video game? (excluding Valiant Hearts!)

I’m curious what was the relationship like between the various colonial troops during the war, how did they view one another? Also what was the relationship dynamic with regular non-colonial troops? Including segregated units like the Harlem hell-fighters

By the end of the war did Britain have a strong desire to get rid of the Kaiser, seeing as he was the cousin of the king, or did that not matter by the end of ww1?

Hi there!

So can I ask why do the armies in Star Wars fight as if the tactics haven’t advanced any further beyond the First World War i.e. massive blobs of troops just shooting at each other in the open. Geonosis being the perfect example in Episode 2. Was this a deliberate design choice or was it just they couldn’t be bothered to animate anything more complicated?

First off, it's great to see people expanding the narrative of WWI beyond only the British/US perspective!

Second off, and as my main question, what are some differences or similarities in how the war has been/is perceived through pop culture in British, American, French or other national circles? How have they changed over the past 100+ years?

Edit: What's your favorite Star Wars movie? Are there any books or video games from the Expanded Universe that you're particularly fond of?

I’m a history professor who has had a few well accepted scholarly books and articles published. I don’t want to do it anymore. I want to be a history consultant for Rockstar or another video game maker. How do I go about doing it? Could I get a meeting to propose ideas for their games?

Thank you for doing this AMA Dr Kempshall!

With the name Star Wars, it's perhaps unavoidable that the franchise is closely connected to conflict and strife. Certain elements of the Expanded Universe clearly draw upon concepts and theories of war in the modern world - thinking especially of Karen Traviss' Republic Commando series which touches upon the experience and the morality of guerrilla warfare, counterinsurgency and counter-terrorism, and also of Star Wars: The Essential Guide to Warfare (its depiction of the Orinda campaign wouldn't be out of place in a book on operational history).

To what extent do creators of Star Wars multimedia draw upon the academic study of war or professional military education to create a (relatively) realistic depiction of conflict in a galaxy far, far away? In particular, is there any overlap between portrayals of war in Star Wars and in your other area of expertise, the First World War?

Looking forward to your future Star Wars book!

What was the biggest wartime point of disagreement between Britain and France?

Thanks for doing this. I have a very personal and out there question. I’m trying to get a WW1 historical fiction book written. Super early stages still story boarding. The biggest problem I feel like I’m gonna face is writing dialogue that feels realistic and believable. What works should I read/knowledge should I know about how soldiers talked back then?

What board games do you recommend for understanding the Great War? We've been playing a lot of Versailles 1919 in our house but would love something new!

I heard some Scottish nationalists say that Scottish were treated as cannon fodder in both World Wars, particularly the First. What's your take on that? How fair is that assessment?

How did inter-allied friendships and enmities affect the 1918 military campaigns?

Hi Chris, thank you for doing this AMA!

I remember listening to Dan Carlin Hardcore history podcast about WW1 and he mentioned how british soldiers saw General Haig as a "Butcher". What did other allied generals think of him?

How historically accurate is the movie the Kings Man?

Hi! I know Lucas did not plan for the Luke+Vader thing until late in the planning of episode 5, but is anything known about when he came up with Luke+Leia? Were the clues some claim to see in episode 5 really clues about that or was things left deliberately vague because nothing was yet decided? Since they were not sure if Harrison Ford would be available for episode 6, was the plan to have Luke and Leia end up together instead otherwise?

Why was the treaty of Versailles not ratified in US congress and what did the US get with their separate peace with Germany?

Do you have any things in physical reality, Helmets, guns, pistols, bottles, etc that was used by like soldiers in the first workd war?

I heard somewhere that the pistol Luger was used as an inspiration for the Han Solo pistol

Are there any other weapons of the time adapted into the Star Wars world?

Chris! You were my favourite tutor at Sussex. Hope you're still enjoying the Lego. - Robin x

What were Jewish communities in Germany , England, america , Russia , and the Ottoman Empire reaction to the war. Did they fight with their countries , what was their impact?

When George Lucas compared the Ewoks to the Vietcong, Richard Nixon actually showed awareness of the parallel and argued it was an unfair comparison in one of his books. Why did Nixon feel that the Ewoks of all things warranted a sincere response from the former president, even as a few paragraphs in a book? Did Lucas ever comment on this response? Did Nixon have other thoughts about Star Wars and his role as partial inspiration for the Emperor?

On the same note, did any of the other politicians whose names were used in the prequels (Ronald Reagan, Newt Gingrich, Trent Lott, Chris Dodd) become aware that Lucas had named villainous aliens after them? (Before 2003 as per subreddit rules)

Hello

I know your interest is in computer games, but have you played any WW1 board games, and if so do you have any favourites? Paths of Glory is meant to be iconic for example.

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World War 1 is a bit of a gap in my knowledge, so I don't have the ability to ask any truly interesting questions. But I'm greatly enjoying reading through everyone else's! Thanks for the AMA.

Hello! Thank you for doing this AMA. I was actually a student of yours when you taught for a term at the University of Kent on the history of Blitzkrieg.

So question, if you could import one single Star Wars 'tank' to replace the tanks first used during WW1. Which 'tank' would it be?

As a "war specialist" what is your take on the criticism that historical research and storytelling overemphasizes war at the expense of all the other events and stories? And then, who are some of your own favorite layperson-accessible authors in any historical era or field?

Do you think that in 0 BBY Rebel Alliance High Command was right in holding off on sending their fleet and ground reinforcement to support the action on Scarif, and how would the war have changed if they more boldly committed to the assault and extraction?

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World War 1 and World War 2 hold arguably very different perceptions in the public mind, with WW1 sometimes called "the forgotten war". Why do you think that is, and do you think it has shaped how popular history views these wars in media such as games, movies, books, etc.

The description of your book on allied relations talks about relations between soldiers, in the brief synopsis on the page that you linked to.

Would you describe it as that? Or is it a discussion of coordination of strategic or operational or tactical plans? And I’m trying to understand if it’s a book about how the average soldiers of those forces interacted or if it’s a book about the communications between military units.

Hi Dr Kempshall, many thanks for your AMA!

Much of the popular narrative that surrounds the US involvement in the Great War, especially from a European perspective, seems to essentially be: “The Entente powers pretty much did the bulk of the work in defeating the Central Powers—the US didn’t do much, if anything, though their contribution was helpful, but not crucial, to eventual victory in 1918.” Was this the widespread European opinion from 1917 on and in the years after the war?

Favorite WW1 game?

Just a heads up to everyone as I keep answering questions that I'll probably take a pause for the night at 7pm my time to eat and... well... watch Liverpool v Leeds.

But I'll keep coming back to topics here in the coming days!

Did the French use their colonial troops as cannon fodder ?

No question but I want to thank you Dr. Kempshall very much for doing this AMA. It was a pleasure to read and I learned a lot of interesting things in a field that is far away from my focus studies, and especially the insight of the connections between Star Wars and FWW were amazing.

P.S.I really like your style of writing and answering questions

Hello Dr. Kempshall.

Was there panic amongst the Allies that Russia was essentially going through its death throes during the beginning of 1917? Did they try to support them in any way before the October Revolution finally kicked them out of the war?

Also, what is your favorite WWI movie? What are your thoughts on 1917?

How do the Alsace-Loraine view themselves (e.g. German, French, something else) at the start of WW I and how does that change over the course of the war?

Hi Dr. Kempshall,

What was the perspective of the other allied nations on Canada in the war and did it have any major shifts due to victories at Passchendale and Vimy Ridge?

I am so excited for your Star Wars books, one of the main reasons I love the prequels so much is because of the sheer potential that world had. The OT series was more like post apocalyptic/ civil war vibes to me. I haven’t read any of ur books yet, but now I will! So a question I’ve always been curious about: do you think the marriage between a Jedi and senator, especially one so publicly critical of the clone war would have ramifications. Would it have been positive or negative. Post the fall of the empire, do you think it would be beneficial for the new Jedi order to allow marriage or to resume a non marriage lifestyle (assuming that marriage was something the Jedi did not participate in pre empire, besides the continuation of species survival a la Mundi). It’s ok if there’s no answer to this silly question.

Hello there!

I'm not sure if this falls under your field per se, but what do you think we could have learned from the Spanish Flu pandemic to have been better prepared for the COVID-19 pandemic?

Were there any countries that were obligated to participate in the war and refused? Possibly being drawn into the war on the grounds of refusal and attacked that way?

you must be the Star Wars Historian MC Chris was talking about

Hows your day going?

What are your thoughts on the Crowe Memorandum? Do you agree with much of Crowe's analysis?

Hi Chris,

To touch on the old postmodern concept of a simulacrum, do you see this effect happening with historical video games?

Have we begun creating simulations that are at risk of wholly replacing the original?

Do you feel that, as a medium, video games are more capable of causing this than other media such as comics, movies, etc.?

What was the relationship of the royalty of Europe and why couldn’t it have been prevented by a family meeting? What’s a good documentary that covers the royal families of Europe just prior and during WWI?

Probably I'm way too late, but I have a question I've been really curious about for a while.

Was Germany right that France would definitely enter the war if Germany went to war with Russia? If instead of the Schlieffenplan Germany had pursued war with Russia directly and attempted to keep France and Britain out entirely via diplomacy, would that have had a chance at success, or was French entry in support of Russia inevitable?

Why are there no clocks in Star Wars?

In your opinion what video game, vr system, or anything of the like, gives the best representation of what world war 1 would have been like? I'm specifically thinking of hearing artillery shells coming in, going over the top, etc. I know that Dan Carlin (with others of course) created a virtual reality system that represents world war 1 in this way, however, I have not been able to experience it. Anyway, what recommendations might you have to visually and auditorially experience world war 1?

How mandatory was fullfiling those agression defensive treatys?

Dear Dr Kempshall,

I appreciate your time, effort and views in this AMA.

My question for you: What are the WW1 stories which you wish were mainstream, but currently aren't? Could you elaborate on any example?

Thank you.

Thank you for doing this AMA.

I not sure if this falls in your expertise but what was the consensus among the allies in regards to the multi-ethnic structure of the Austro-Hungarian empire and its' possible collapse within? Were there any efforts to destabilise them from within by supporting the various non-german people inside the Empire? I know that particulary regarding the South Slavs it was a bit difficult because of the promises made to Italy.

Hi, thank you for your time for this AMA. I have a simple one: Whose fault, in your view, was WW1, seeing internet meme culture regarding Princip and Ferdinand diverges mostly from academic stance of pointing the "blame" over blank check at Germany.

How were Australians and Canadians treated differently by British troops and officers?

Hello, I'd like to ask what were the relations between Italy and the western allies considering that a few years back they were part of the Triple Alliance? Also thanks for doing this.

So is there any pary of WWI history you would wish to be in games more?

Thank you so much for doing this! It is so interesting to think about the portrayal of war in popular media and how it influences our culture. What do you think of accusations that video game franchises like Call of Duty are jingoistic propaganda?

I'm reading the Deluge by Adam Tooze and I'm really intrigued by the financing of the war of the Entente at the wall Street. It's an aspect that I have never thought about that could not be more crucial to the war effort. Have you had similar experiences during your research?

Given the various conflicts of interest/rivalries at the time France vs Germany, Russia vs Ottomans, Russia vs British, American vs Japan etc where would be the most likely "flashpoint" causing war (after the balkans)?

Which strategy computer games/computer game mods (eg great war for napoleon total war) best "simulate" ww1 for grand strategy?

Your areas of interest and career seem very interesting indeed!

I've read descriptions indicating the British, French and Germans "had bled their nations white" by 1918, when America sent reinforcements to the Allies. What if America hadn't entered the war? Would there eventually have been an "armistice by exhaustion," or a victory on one side or the other through attrition?

I think I missed the AMA, but on the off-chance you're still taking questions:

1. Have you seen any interesting stuff on using computer simulations of WWI to help teach or research WWI? Inspired both by the intersections of your research and my memories of two 1980s articles (from History and Theory and the Journal of Interdisciplinary History) that use either computer simulations or the metaphors for games as tools to either teach or research historical topics.

2. I and a few of my lefty friends have convinced ourselves that Star Wars is an anti-imperialist critique of the American Empire. Is there any reason to believe that Star Wars was intended as a critique of the US foreign policy, particularly vis a vis Vietnam?

What are some of your most concrete (I’m not sure if “favorite” is an appropriate term, but that’s what I mean) examples of “history is doomed to repeat itself”? Especially in the modern political environment - what are some of the greatest examples of history repeating itself between WWI to now?

How accurate was Blackadder's portrayal of trench life?

Legends or Disney

What do most people misunderstand about the Ruusan Reformation? How should it be taught?

Hello Dr. Kempshall!

Was the clone army a slave army? I haven't heard mention of pay or benefits anywhere, nor have I seen any real discussion on the topic. If so, it does seem to make the jedi and the Republic a lot darker than I previously thought.

I have always been curious about the contributions of the lesser known allies. What practical benefits did Brazil, China, and Siam bring to the allied cause? Were the allies close to bringing any other non-european nations into the alliance?

Hey, Chris! Do you happen to know about grants given to media/content creation projects? We are looking to fund our game's production!