Home > Documentary TV Show > The Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century

The Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century

1996

Seasons & Episodes

  • 1

EP1 Explosion Nov 10, 1996

Instability in Europe is fueled by Germany's growing militarism, Kaiser Wilhelm II's obsession to match the British Royal Navy, and French and German war plans before the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria triggers combat.

EP2 Stalemate Nov 17, 1996

At the start of World War One it was predicted the fighting would be over in a matter of weeks, owing to technical advances in weaponry. But the reality proved entirely different as soldiers dug into the ground to escape artillery, trenches began to spread for miles and the Western Front developed.

EP3 What if... Total War Nov 24, 1996

An insight into the personal experiences of people caught up in World War One, with diaries and letters shedding light on the conflict. One million women left the home to work in Britain's munitions factories, while soldiers' families lived in dread of receiving a telegram or telephone call bearing bad news.

EP4 Slaughter Dec 01, 1996

The stories of the battles of Verdun, the Somme and Passchendaele, three of World War One's most bloody encounters, using newsreel footage taken at the scene during a time when film was on the verge of becoming a major influence on the public's perception of warfare

EP5 Mutiny Dec 08, 1996

Account of the despair which swept Europe in 1917, as World War One dragged on into its fourth year with no end in sight. While British doctors struggled to find an effective shell-shock treatment for patients, including poet Wilfred Owen, half of the French army mutinied and Russia was gripped by revolution.

EP6 Collapse Dec 15, 1996

Account of the sudden ending of World War One in 1918, tracing the various causes responsible for Germany's ultimate downfall, including a failed offensive, the Americans joining the Allied Forces and crumbling civilian morale. Archive footage reveals the momentous occasion when the guns fell silent on the 11th hour of November 11, and British and German troops shook hands.

EP7 Legacy Dec 22, 1996

Covers the continuing blockade on Germany as the Allies drew up the Treaty of Versailles, with considerable focus on Woodrow Wilson’s role in the Paris Peace Conference.

EP8 War Without End Dec 29, 1996

Examines the cost of the war and its continuing reverberations through the rest of the 20th century.
8.3| 0h30m| en
Synopsis

The Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century is a 1996 documentary series that aired on PBS. It chronicles World War I over eight episodes. It was narrated by Dame Judi Dench in the UK and Salome Jens in the United States. The series won two Primetime Emmy Awards: one for Jeremy Irons for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance, the other for Outstanding Informational Series. In 1997, it was given a Peabody Award.

Director

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BBC

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Trailers & Clips

Reviews

Diagonaldi Very well executed
GamerTab That was an excellent one.
KnotStronger This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.
Portia Hilton Blistering performances.

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