The Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century

Total Seasons :1Total Episodes : 8

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 giv...

Episodes(8)

Explosion

1. Explosion

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.

Air Date : 1996-11-10

Stalemate

2. Stalemate

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.

Air Date : 1996-11-17

What if... Total War

3. What if... Total War

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.

Air Date : 1996-11-24

Slaughter

4. Slaughter

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

Air Date : 1996-12-01

Mutiny

5. Mutiny

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.

Air Date : 1996-12-08

Collapse

6. Collapse

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.

Air Date : 1996-12-15

Legacy

7. Legacy

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.

Air Date : 1996-12-22

War Without End