EPISODE · Mar 31, 2026 · 56 MIN
Episode 3: The Turnip (and Crow) Winter of 1916/17
from Reichs & Republics | The German History Podcast · host Katja Hoyer & Dr. Christopher Dillon
In this episode, Katja and Chris explore the brutal reality of the 'Turnip Winter' of 1916/17, when the German civilian population was forced to endure extreme hunger, freezing temperatures and a collapsing food system. They explore how the British blockade, disastrous harvests and government mismanagement forced people to survive on animal fodder such as turnips (and crow). The episode reveals that food shortages weakened Germany not only physically, but also shattered morale, fuelled social tensions and played a decisive role in the country's eventual defeat in the First World War. Do you like our podcast? Then please leave us a review, it helps us a lot! Host: Katja Hoyer & Dr Christopher Dillon https://battleguide.co.uk/reichs-republics#host To comment and ask questions, please join our community: https://reichs-and-republics.com/supporters Support via Paypal: http://battleguide.co.uk/rr-paypal Merchandise and Shop: https://reichs-and-republics.com/collections/all Our WW1 Podcast: https://listen.not-so-quiet.com/ Our WW2 Podcast: https://listen.both-sides-of-the-wire.com Untitled History Podcast: http://listen.untitled-history.com/ Battle Guide YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@BattleGuideVT If you want to keep your finger on the pulse of what the team at Battle Guide have been getting up to, why not sign up to our monthly newsletter: https://battleguide.co.uk/newsletter Katjas socials: X (Twitter): https://x.com/hoyer_kat Substack: Zeitgeist https://www.katjahoyer.uk/ General Enquiries: [email protected] Credits: - Host: Katja Hoyer and Dr Christopher Dillon - Production: Linus Klaßen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What this episode covers
In this episode, Katja and Chris explore the brutal reality of the 'Turnip Winter' of 1916/17, when the German civilian population was forced to endure extreme hunger, freezing temperatures and a collapsing food system. They explore how the British blockade, disastrous harvests and government mismanagement forced people to survive on animal fodder such as turnips (and crow). The episode reveals that food shortages weakened Germany not only physically, but also shattered morale, fuelled social tensions and played a decisive role in the country's eventual defeat in the First World War. Do you like our podcast? Then please leave us a review, it helps us a lot! Host: Katja Hoyer & Dr Christopher Dillon https://battleguide.co.uk/reichs-republics#host To comment and ask questions, please join our community: https://reichs-and-republics.com/supporters Support via Paypal: http://battleguide.co.uk/rr-paypal Merchandise and Shop: https://reichs-and-republics.com/collections/all Our WW1 Podcast: https://listen.not-so-quiet.com/ Our WW2 Podcast: https://listen.both-sides-of-the-wire.com Untitled History Podcast: http://listen.untitled-history.com/ Battle Guide YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@BattleGuideVT If you want to keep your finger on the pulse of what the team at Battle Guide have been getting up to, why not sign up to our monthly newsletter: https://battleguide.co.uk/newsletter Katjas socials: X (Twitter): https://x.com/hoyer_kat Substack: Zeitgeist https://www.katjahoyer.uk/ General Enquiries: [email protected] Credits: - Host: Katja Hoyer and Dr Christopher Dillon - Production: Linus Klaßen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Episode 3: The Turnip (and Crow) Winter of 1916/17
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