Old Front Line
WW1 Podcast with Paul Reed
Aftermath: The Myth of the Red Zone
At the end of the Great War, vast areas of France were left devastated by the fighting: this became the ‘Zone Rouge’ or the ‘Red Zone’. Reconstruction and recovery of ground brought that Red Zone to an end in the 1920s but stories of it circulated once more during the Great War Centenary. So what are the Myths of the Red Zone, and what are its truths?
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Locations Mentioned Connected with the Red Zone:
Main image taken by Olivier Saint-Hilaire.
6 Comments on “Aftermath: The Myth of the Red Zone”
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Very interesting…..keep up the good work!
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Thanks, Niall!
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A really excellent podcast Paul, which I thoroughly enjoyed, thank you. I’m always full of admiration for all those French/Belgian citizens who faced the complete destruction of their homes and villages, and despite the horror and despair they must have felt on seeing them for the first time, rolled up their sleeves, rebuilt and restored the area. Amazing people, tremendously hardworking, very brave.
You’re also correct about wildlife flourishing in military areas – in the UK there are many SSSIs in military areas, such as Castlemartin Tank Range in Pembrokeshire or Bovington for example.
Cheers
Phil
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An excellent debunking podcast. There are other instances of such myths accepted as fact, for example, the 60,000 dead of the first day of the Somme.
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Indeed!
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Another great podcast – Hearing the statistics brings home the enormity of it all.
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