Since 2014, historian Indy Neidell has hosted weekly episodes of The Great War, a web series that recaps World War I by discussing in real time the events that happened 100 years ago. At the show’s current point, the United States has joined the war and its preparing to send its manpower to the Western Front. By the end of next year (spoiler alert), the war will reach its conclusion, and Neidell will have to find a new chapter of military history to narrate.
The most obvious subject for a Great War follow-up is World War II, which can provide six more years of content. Unsurprisingly, that’s the path Neidell plans to take, but his not going to go alone. Instead, he has recruited multiple experts from the YouTube community, who will join him to turn the World War II edition of The Great War into a massive collaboration.
Neidell explained his World War II concept in a video he posted to the TimeGhost channel, which he runs alongside Spartacus Olsson. Neidell and Olsson plan to produce their upcoming series through TimeGhost (the Great War channel is owned by Mediakraft.) So far, they have reached out to about a dozen channels, whose owners specialize in topics like historical weaponry and science. Those who agree to participate in the project will help cover the bloodiest conflict in human history by providing supplementary videos that will live next to Neidell’s weekly recaps of the European and Pacific theaters.
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So far, at least two creators have agreed to join Neidell’s ambitious collaboration. Forgotten Weapons will hone in on the historical armaments of War War II, while Real Engineering will spotlight the industrial advancements that drove war efforts around the globe. As the TimeGhost crew searches for more partners, it is also seeking funds: A Kickstarter page is now active and is nearing its goal of $29,401.
Should the money and the manpower come together, Neidell, Olsson, and co. will begin their World War II series on the 79th anniversary of its official star: September 1, 2018.
