The Great War is a 26-episode documentary series from 1964 on the First World War

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

. It was a co-production involving the resources of the Imperial War Museum

Imperial War Museum

Imperial War Museum is a British national museum organisation with branches at five locations in England, three of which are in London. The museum was founded during the First World War in 1917 and intended as a record of the war effort and sacrifice of Britain and her Empire...

, the British Broadcasting Corporation, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...

 and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Australian Broadcasting Corporation

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...

. The main narrator was Michael Redgrave

Michael Redgrave

Sir Michael Scudamore Redgrave, CBE was an English stage and film actor, director, manager and author.-Youth and education:...

, with additional readings by Marius Goring

Marius Goring

Marius Goring CBE was an English stage and cinema actor. He is most often remembered for the four films he did with Powell & Pressburger, particularly as Conductor 71 in A Matter of Life and Death and as Julian Craster in The Red Shoes...

, Ralph Richardson

Ralph Richardson

Sir Ralph David Richardson was an English actor, one of a group of theatrical knights of the mid-20th century who, though more closely associated with the stage, also appeared in several classic films....

, Cyril Luckham

Cyril Luckham

Cyril Luckham was a British film, television and theatre actor.Luckham played the White Guardian in the long running science fiction television series Doctor Who. He appeared in The Ribos Operation, the first serial in The Key to Time season, and Enlightenment...

, Sebastian Shaw

Sebastian Shaw (actor)

Sebastian Lewis Shaw was an English actor, director, novelist, playwright and poet. During his 65-year career, Shaw appeared in dozens of stage performances and more than 40 film and television productions....

, and Emlyn Williams

Emlyn Williams

George Emlyn Williams, CBE , known as Emlyn Williams, was a Welsh dramatist and actor.-Biography:He was born into a Welsh-speaking, working class family in Mostyn, Flintshire....

.

Each episode is approximately forty minutes long.

Episode listing

The episode titles are taken from quotations, the origins of which are shown in brackets. With few exceptions, successive blocks of episodes are devoted to each year of the war: episodes 1-6 to 1914, 7-10 to 1915, 11-14 to 1916, 15-19 to 1917, 20-23 and 26 to 1918.

1. "on the idle hill of summer..." (A. E. Housman
   A. E. Housman
   Alfred Edward Housman , usually known as A. E. Housman, was an English classical scholar and poet, best known to the general public for his cycle of poems A Shropshire Lad. Lyrical and almost epigrammatic in form, the poems were mostly written before 1900...
   
   )
   • Profiles of the five European powers engaged at war's start: German Empire
     German Empire
     The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
     
     , French Third Republic
     French Third Republic
     The French Third Republic was the republican government of France from 1870, when the Second French Empire collapsed due to the French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War, to 1940, when France was overrun by Nazi Germany during World War II, resulting in the German and Italian occupations of France...
     
     , United Kingdom
     United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
     The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
     
     , Russian Empire
     Russian Empire
     The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
     
     , and Austria-Hungary
     Austria-Hungary
     Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
     
     . The Balkan Wars
     Balkan Wars
     The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe in 1912 and 1913.By the early 20th century, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia, the countries of the Balkan League, had achieved their independence from the Ottoman Empire, but large parts of their ethnic...
     
      and the assassination of Franz Ferdinand.
2. "for such a stupid reason too..." (Queen Mary
   Mary of Teck
   Mary of Teck was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, as the wife of King-Emperor George V....
   
   )
   • Political consequences of the assassination: the July Crisis. Austrian pressure on Serbia
     Kingdom of Serbia
     The Kingdom of Serbia was created when Prince Milan Obrenović, ruler of the Principality of Serbia, was crowned King in 1882. The Principality of Serbia was ruled by the Karađorđevic dynasty from 1817 onwards . The Principality, suzerain to the Porte, had expelled all Ottoman troops by 1867, de...
     
     , involvement of Russia and Germany, the Schlieffen Plan
     Schlieffen Plan
     The Schlieffen Plan was the German General Staff's early 20th century overall strategic plan for victory in a possible future war in which the German Empire might find itself fighting on two fronts: France to the west and Russia to the east...
     
     , and diplomatic exchanges leading to the British declaration of war on Germany.
3. "we must hack our way through" (Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg)
   • The start of war in the West
     Western Front (World War I)
     Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
     
     . German invasion of Belgium
     Belgium
     Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
     
     , the Battle of Liège
     Battle of Liège
     The Battle of Liège was the opening engagement of the German invasion of Belgium, and the first battle of World War I. The attack on the city began on 5 August 1914 and lasted until the 16th when the last Belgian fort finally surrendered...
     
      and subsequent atrocities
     Rape of Belgium
     The Rape of Belgium is a wartime propaganda term describing the 1914 German invasion of Belgium. The term initially had a figurative meaning, referring to the violation of Belgian neutrality, but embellished reports of German atrocities soon gave it a literal significance...
     
     . French advances and retreats
     Battle of the Frontiers
     The Battle of the Frontiers was a series of battles fought along the eastern frontier of France and in southern Belgium shortly after the outbreak of World War I. The battles represented a collision between the military strategies of the French Plan XVII and the German Schlieffen Plan...
     
      in Alsace-Lorraine
     Alsace-Lorraine
     The Imperial Territory of Alsace-Lorraine was a territory created by the German Empire in 1871 after it annexed most of Alsace and the Moselle region of Lorraine following its victory in the Franco-Prussian War. The Alsatian part lay in the Rhine Valley on the west bank of the Rhine River and east...
     
      and the Ardennes
     Ardennes
     The Ardennes is a region of extensive forests, rolling hills and ridges formed within the Givetian Ardennes mountain range, primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, but stretching into France , and geologically into the Eifel...
     
     , the deployment of the British Expeditionary Force.
4. "our hats we doff to General Joffre
   Joseph Joffre
   Joseph Jacques Césaire Joffre OM was a French general during World War I. He is most known for regrouping the retreating allied armies to defeat the Germans at the strategically decisive First Battle of the Marne in 1914. His popularity led to his nickname Papa Joffre.-Biography:Joffre was born in...
   
   " (1914 jingle)
   • The events preceding the First Battle of the Marne
     First Battle of the Marne
     The Battle of the Marne was a First World War battle fought between 5 and 12 September 1914. It resulted in an Allied victory against the German Army under Chief of Staff Helmuth von Moltke the Younger. The battle effectively ended the month long German offensive that opened the war and had...
     
     . The fighting retreat
     Great Retreat
     The Great Retreat, also known as the Retreat from Mons, is the name given to the long, fighting retreat by Allied forces to the River Marne, on the Western Front early in World War I, after their holding action against the Imperial German Armies at the Battle of Mons on 23 August 1914...
     
      of BEF and the French in the West, Russian invasion of East Prussia and German counterattack at Tannenberg
     Battle of Tannenberg (1914)
     The Battle of Tannenberg was an engagement between the Russian Empire and the German Empire in the first days of World War I. It was fought by the Russian First and Second Armies against the German Eighth Army between 23 August and 30 August 1914. The battle resulted in the almost complete...
     
     . The Battle of Mons
     Battle of Mons
     The Battle of Mons was the first major action of the British Expeditionary Force in the First World War. It was a subsidiary action of the Battle of the Frontiers, in which the Allies clashed with Germany on the French borders. At Mons, the British army attempted to hold the line of the...
     
     , the First Battle of Guise, and preparations for the defense of Paris
     Paris
     Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
     
     .
5. "this business may last a long time" (Rudolf Binding
   Rudolf G. Binding
   Rudolf Georg Binding was a German writer.He was born in Basel, Switzerland and died in Starnberg. He studied medicine and law before joining the Hussars. On the outbreak of the First World War, Binding, who was forty-six years old, became commander of a squadron of dragoons...
   
   )
   • The stabilization of the fronts. The First Battle of the Marne, the Race to the Sea
     Race to the Sea
     The Race to the Sea is a name given to the period early in the First World War when the two sides were still engaged in mobile warfare on the Western Front. With the German advance stalled at the First Battle of the Marne, the opponents continually attempted to outflank each other through...
     
     , the Siege of Antwerp
     Siege of Antwerp
     The Siege of Antwerp was an engagement between the German and the Belgian armies during World War I. A small number of British and Austrian troops took part as well.-Strategic Context:...
     
     , and the First Battle of Ypres
     First Battle of Ypres
     The First Battle of Ypres, also called the First Battle of Flanders , was a First World War battle fought for the strategic town of Ypres in western Belgium...
     
      in the West; Austrian defeats in Serbia and in Galicia in the East
     Eastern Front (World War I)
     The Eastern Front was a theatre of war during World War I in Central and, primarily, Eastern Europe. The term is in contrast to the Western Front. Despite the geographical separation, the events in the two theatres strongly influenced each other...
     
     . Reprisals against Germans in Britain, mass enlistment in the British Empire
     British Empire
     The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
     
     , and Christmas
     Christmas
     Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
     
      at the front lines.
6. "so sleep easy in your beds" (Admiral Fisher)
   • The first months of war at sea. Naval supremacy of the Royal Navy
     Royal Navy
     The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
     
      and its vulnerabilities to mine
     Naval mine
     A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
     
      and submarine warfare
     Submarine warfare
     Naval warfare is divided into three operational areas: surface warfare, air warfare and underwater warfare. The latter may be subdivided into submarine warfare and anti-submarine warfare as well as mine warfare and mine countermeasures...
     
     . The seizure of German overseas colonies
     German colonial empire
     The German colonial empire was an overseas domain formed in the late 19th century as part of the German Empire. Short-lived colonial efforts by individual German states had occurred in preceding centuries, but Imperial Germany's colonial efforts began in 1884...
     
     , the Siege of Tsingtao, the raids of the Emden and the pursuit of von Spee
     Maximilian von Spee
     Vice Admiral Maximilian Reichsgraf von Spee was a German admiral. Although he was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, the counts von Spee belonged to the prominent families of the Rhenish nobility. He joined the Kaiserliche Marine in 1878. In 1887–88 he commanded the Kamerun ports, in German West...
     
     . The naval battles of Heligoland Bight, of Coronel
     Battle of Coronel
     The First World War naval Battle of Coronel took place on 1 November 1914 off the coast of central Chile near the city of Coronel. German Kaiserliche Marine forces led by Vice-Admiral Graf Maximilian von Spee met and defeated a Royal Navy squadron commanded by Rear-Admiral Sir Christopher...
     
     , of Falkland Islands and of Dogger Bank
     Battle of Dogger Bank (1915)
     The Battle of Dogger Bank was a naval battle fought near the Dogger Bank in the North Sea on 24 January 1915, during the First World War, between squadrons of the British Grand Fleet and the German High Seas Fleet....
     
     .
7. "we await the heavenly manna..." (Nikolai Yanushkevich
   Nikolai Yanushkevich
   Nikolai Yanushkevich served as Chief of Staff of the General Headquarters of the Imperial Russian Army from March 1914 to September 1915 during World War I.- Life :...
   
   , Russian General)
   • War in Europe in the first half of 1915. German success at Masurian Lakes
     Second Battle of the Masurian Lakes
     The Second Battle of the Masurian Lakes, also known as the Winter Battle of the Masurian Lakes, was the northern part of the Central Powers' offensive on the Eastern Front in the winter of 1915...
     
     , Russian victory in Przemyśl
     Siege of Przemysl
     The Siege of Przemyśl was one of the greatest sieges of the First World War, and a crushing defeat for Austria-Hungary. The investment of Przemyśl began on September 24, 1914 and was briefly suspended on October 11 due to an Austro-Hungarian offensive...
     
     , German relief counteroffensive, and Russian collapse due to severe shortage of materiel
     Materiel
     Materiel is a term used in English to refer to the equipment and supplies in military and commercial supply chain management....
     
     . German use of poison gas
     Poison gas in World War I
     The use of chemical weapons in World War I ranged from disabling chemicals, such as tear gas and the severe mustard gas, to lethal agents like phosgene and chlorine. This chemical warfare was a major component of the first global war and first total war of the 20th century. The killing capacity of...
     
      at Ypres
     Second Battle of Ypres
     The Second Battle of Ypres was the first time Germany used poison gas on a large scale on the Western Front in the First World War and the first time a former colonial force pushed back a major European power on European soil, which occurred in the battle of St...
     
     , British munitions shortage
     Shell Crisis of 1915
     The Shell Crisis of 1915 was a shortage of artillery shells on the front lines of World War I, which largely contributed to weakening public appreciation of government of the United Kingdom because it was widely perceived that the production of artillery shells for use by the British Army was...
     
     , and the role of wartime industrial production.
8. "why don't you come and help!" (Lloyd George
   David Lloyd George
   David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
   
   )
   • The effects of protracted war on civilian life of the major powers, with focus on Britain. The sinking of Lusitania
     Lusitania
     Lusitania or Hispania Lusitania was an ancient Roman province including approximately all of modern Portugal south of the Douro river and part of modern Spain . It was named after the Lusitani or Lusitanian people...
     
     , reprisals against foreign nationals. The founding of Lloyd George's Ministry of Munitions, employment of women in the war industry, resulting labor disputes.
9. "please God send us a victory..." (soldiers prayer)
   • "... but not in our sector." The Ottoman Empire
     Ottoman Empire
     The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
     
      joins the war on the side of the Central Powers
     Central Powers
     The Central Powers were one of the two warring factions in World War I , composed of the German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulgaria...
     
     . Armenian Genocide
     Armenian Genocide
     The Armenian Genocide—also known as the Armenian Holocaust, the Armenian Massacres and, by Armenians, as the Great Crime—refers to the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I...
     
      and Gallipoli Campaign.
10. "what are our Allies doing ?" (Russian General)
    • The war in the latter half of 1915, marked by successes of Central Powers
      Central Powers
      The Central Powers were one of the two warring factions in World War I , composed of the German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulgaria...
      
      . German and Austrian advance in the East, Russian withdrawal
      Great Retreat (Russian)
      The Great Retreat was a Russian retreat from Galicia and Poland during World War I.-Background:During this period, the buildup of forces generally favored the Central Powers. Four new German armies, the Eleventh, Twelfth, Army of the Niemen and Army Bug, were being formed up, dramatically shifting...
      
      . Italy
      Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
      The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...
      
       enters the war on the Allied
      Allies of World War I
      The Entente Powers were the countries at war with the Central Powers during World War I. The members of the Triple Entente were the United Kingdom, France, and the Russian Empire; Italy entered the war on their side in 1915...
      
       side, attacking Austria, and is stopped at the river Isonzo
      Battles of the Isonzo
      The Battles of the Isonzo were a series of 12 battles between the Austro-Hungarian and Italian armies in World War I. They were fought along the Soča River on the eastern sector of the Italian Front between June 1915 and November 1917...
      
      . The Allied offensive in Champagne
      Second Battle of Champagne
      The Second Battle of Champagne was a French offensive against the invading German army beginning on 25 September 1915, part of World War I.-September 25 - October 6:...
      
       and Artois
      Third Battle of Artois
      The Third Battle of Artois was on the Western Front of World War I, is also known as the Loos-Artois Offensive, including the major British offensive, known as the Battle of Loos....
      
       falters. Serbia is overrun by German and Austrian troops with Bulgaria
      Kingdom of Bulgaria
      The Kingdom of Bulgaria was established as an independent state when the Principality of Bulgaria, an Ottoman vassal, officially proclaimed itself independent on October 5, 1908 . This move also formalised the annexation of the Ottoman province of Eastern Rumelia, which had been under the control...
      
       joining the war in this operation on the side of the Central Powers
      Central Powers
      The Central Powers were one of the two warring factions in World War I , composed of the German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulgaria...
      
      . Allied relief troops land in Salonika but are delayed by Greek internal politics, while Serb and Montenegrin
      Kingdom of Montenegro
      The Kingdom of Montenegro was a monarchy in southeastern Europe during the tumultuous years on the Balkan Peninsula leading up to and during World War I. Legally it was a constitutional monarchy, but absolutist in practice...
      
       forces and civilians flee through Albania
      Principality of Albania
      The Principality of Albania refers to the short-lived monarchy in Albania, headed by William, Prince of Albania and to the state after the First World War, until the abolition of the monarchy in 1925, when Albania was declared a republic.-Principality:The Principality was established on February...
      
       to Corfu
      Corfu
      Corfu is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the second largest of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the edge of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The island is part of the Corfu regional unit, and is administered as a single municipality. The...
      
      .
11. "hell cannot be so terrible" (a French soldier)
    • The Battle of Verdun
      Battle of Verdun
      The Battle of Verdun was one of the major battles during the First World War on the Western Front. It was fought between the German and French armies, from 21 February – 18 December 1916, on hilly terrain north of the city of Verdun-sur-Meuse in north-eastern France...
      
       through June 1916, with a brief look at the civilian life in France at the time.
12. "for Gawd's sake don't send me" (1916 song)
    • The British army in Picardy
      Picardy
      This article is about the historical French province. For other uses, see Picardy .Picardy is a historical province of France, in the north of France...
      
       in 1916. Recruitment and training of volunteers in Britain, deployment in France, logistics of supplying a million-strong force. The artillery
      Artillery
      Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
      
       barrage preceding the Allied joint offensive.
13. "the Devil is coming..." (German soldier)
    • The Battle of the Somme, with mentions of other concurrent Allied offensives: the Brusilov offensive
      Brusilov Offensive
      The Brusilov Offensive , also known as the June Advance, was the Russian Empire's greatest feat of arms during World War I, and among the most lethal battles in world history. Prof. Graydon A. Tunstall of the University of South Florida called the Brusilov Offensive of 1916 the worst crisis of...
      
       in Galicia, Romanian
      Kingdom of Romania
      The Kingdom of Romania was the Romanian state based on a form of parliamentary monarchy between 13 March 1881 and 30 December 1947, specified by the first three Constitutions of Romania...
      
       invasion of Transylvania
      Battle of Transylvania
      The Battle of Transylvania was the first major operation of the Romanian Campaign during World War I, beginning on 15 August 1916. It started as an attempt by the Romanian Army to seize the disputed province of Transylvania and potentially knock Austria-Hungary out of the war...
      
       and several battles
      Battles of the Isonzo
      The Battles of the Isonzo were a series of 12 battles between the Austro-Hungarian and Italian armies in World War I. They were fought along the Soča River on the eastern sector of the Italian Front between June 1915 and November 1917...
      
       in Italy. All sides suffer immense losses, Germany adopts a defensive posture, and Britain introduces tanks
      Tanks in World War I
      The development of tanks in World War I began as a solution to the stalemate which trench warfare had brought to the western front. The first prototype of the Mark I tank was tested for the British Army on September 8th 1915...
      
       for the first time.
14. "all this it is our duty to bear" (Lord Lansdowne
    Lord Lansdowne
    Lord Lansdowne may refer to:Before 1784*George Granville, 1st Baron Lansdowne After 1784*Marquess of Lansdowne...
    
    )
    • War weariness across Europe. In Britain, conscription, loss of shipping to German U-boats
      Atlantic U-boat Campaign (World War I)
      The Atlantic U-boat Campaign of World War I was the naval campaign fought by German U-boats in Atlantic waters, that is, the seas around the British Isles, the North Sea, and the coast of France. Initially directed against the British Grand Fleet, later it was extended to include action against...
      
      , Easter Rebellion in Dublin, the Battle of Jutland
      Battle of Jutland
      The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only...
      
      , and the death of Earl Kitchener. In Germany and Austria, loss of morale, construction of the Hindenburg Line
      Hindenburg Line
      The Hindenburg Line was a vast system of defences in northeastern France during World War I. It was constructed by the Germans during the winter of 1916–17. The line stretched from Lens to beyond Verdun...
      
      , and the death of Emperor Franz Joseph. In Russia, discontent bordering on revolution. A change of guard in Britain, Germany and France, favoring continuation of war.
15. "we are betrayed, sold, lost" (French soldier)
    • The Western Front in 1917 prior to the arrival of U.S. troops. German withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line, successful British-Dominion
      Dominion
      A dominion, often Dominion, refers to one of a group of autonomous polities that were nominally under British sovereignty, constituting the British Empire and British Commonwealth, beginning in the latter part of the 19th century. They have included Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Newfoundland,...
      
       diversion at Arras
      Battle of Arras (1917)
      The Battle of Arras was a British offensive during the First World War. From 9 April to 16 May 1917, British, Canadian, New Zealand, Newfoundland, and Australian troops attacked German trenches near the French city of Arras on the Western Front....
      
      , French failure in the Nivelle Offensive
      Nivelle offensive
      The Nivelle Offensive was a 1917 French attack on the Western Front in the First World War. Promised as the assault that would end the war within 48 hours, with casualties expected of around 10,000 men, it failed on both counts. It was a three-stage plan:...
      
      . Mutinies in the French Army
      French Army Mutinies (1917)
      The French Army Mutinies of 1917 took place amongst the French troops on the Western Front in Northern France. They started just after the conclusion of the disastrous Second Battle of the Aisne, the main action in the Nivelle Offensive, and involved, to various degrees, nearly half of the French...
      
       follow, but are successfully addressed by General Philippe Pétain
      Philippe Pétain
      Henri Philippe Benoni Omer Joseph Pétain , generally known as Philippe Pétain or Marshal Pétain , was a French general who reached the distinction of Marshal of France, and was later Chief of State of Vichy France , from 1940 to 1944...
      
      .
16. "right is more precious than peace" (President Wilson
    Woodrow Wilson
    Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
    
    )
    • United States
      United States
      The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
      
       enters the war. U.S. foreign policy in early 20th century. Non-interventionism
      Non-interventionism
      Nonintervention or non-interventionism is a foreign policy which holds that political rulers should avoid alliances with other nations, but still retain diplomacy, and avoid all wars not related to direct self-defense...
      
       at war's outset, swings of public opinion, industrial production favoring the Allies. Wilson's reelection
      United States presidential election, 1916
      The United States presidential election of 1916 took place while Europe was embroiled in World War I. Public sentiment in the still neutral United States leaned towards the British and French forces, due to the harsh treatment of civilians by the German Army, which had invaded and occupied large...
      
       and the declaration of war on Germany, prompted by the Zimmerman Telegram and unrestricted submarine warfare
      Unrestricted submarine warfare
      Unrestricted submarine warfare is a type of naval warfare in which submarines sink merchantmen without warning, as opposed to attacks per prize rules...
      
      . Preparations for war, conscription
      Selective Service Act of 1917
      The Selective Service Act or Selective Draft Act was passed by the Congress of the United States on May 18, 1917. It was envisioned in December 1916 and brought to President Woodrow Wilson's attention shortly after the break in relations with Germany in February 1917...
      
      , General Pershing's arrival in Europe.
17. "surely we have perished" (Wilfred Owen
    Wilfred Owen
    Wilfred Edward Salter Owen MC was an English poet and soldier, one of the leading poets of the First World War...
    
    )
    • British and Dominion offensives in Flanders
      Flanders
      Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
      
       in 1917, originating from the Ypres Salient
      Ypres Salient
      The Ypres Salient is the area around Ypres in Belgium which was the scene of some of the biggest battles in World War I.In military terms, a salient is a battlefield feature that projects into enemy territory. Therefore, the salient is surrounded by the enemy on three sides, making the troops...
      
      . The successful capture of Messines Ridge
      Battle of Messines
      The Battle of Messines was a battle of the Western front of the First World War. It began on 7 June 1917 when the British Second Army under the command of General Herbert Plumer launched an offensive near the village of Mesen in West Flanders, Belgium...
      
       is followed by a partial breach of German defenses at Passchendaele, with immense loss of life at both sides. Rainy weather sets in early and armies bog down in mud
      Mud
      Mud is a mixture of water and some combination of soil, silt, and clay. Ancient mud deposits harden over geological time to form sedimentary rock such as shale or mudstone . When geological deposits of mud are formed in estuaries the resultant layers are termed bay muds...
      
      .
18. "fat Rodzianko has sent me some nonsense" (Czar Nicholas II
    Nicholas II of Russia
    Nicholas II was the last Emperor of Russia, Grand Prince of Finland, and titular King of Poland. His official short title was Nicholas II, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias and he is known as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer by the Russian Orthodox Church.Nicholas II ruled from 1894 until...
    
    )
    • Russian revolutions of 1917. Overview of life in imperial Russia and of consequences of war. Food revolts lead to February Revolution
      February Revolution
      The February Revolution of 1917 was the first of two revolutions in Russia in 1917. Centered around the then capital Petrograd in March . Its immediate result was the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II, the end of the Romanov dynasty, and the end of the Russian Empire...
      
      , the Czar abdicates. The Provisional Government
      Russian Provisional Government
      The Russian Provisional Government was the short-lived administrative body which sought to govern Russia immediately following the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II . On September 14, the State Duma of the Russian Empire was officially dissolved by the newly created Directorate, and the country was...
      
       continues the war, Germany helps Vladimir Lenin
      Vladimir Lenin
      Vladimir Ilyich Lenin was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and communist politician who led the October Revolution of 1917. As leader of the Bolsheviks, he headed the Soviet state during its initial years , as it fought to establish control of Russia in the Russian Civil War and worked to create a...
      
       return to Petrograd. Failure of Kerensky Offensive
      Kerensky Offensive
      The Kerensky Offensive was the last Russian offensive in World War I. It took place in July 1917.- Background :...
      
      , widespread desertions, October Revolution
      October Revolution
      The October Revolution , also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution , Red October, the October Uprising or the Bolshevik Revolution, was a political revolution and a part of the Russian Revolution of 1917...
      
      . Germany supports independence of Ukraine
      Ukrainian People's Republic
      The Ukrainian People's Republic or Ukrainian National Republic was a republic that was declared in part of the territory of modern Ukraine after the Russian Revolution, eventually headed by Symon Petliura.-Revolutionary Wave:...
      
       and Finland
      Finland
      Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
      
      , forces a punitive treaty
      Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
      The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was a peace treaty signed on March 3, 1918, mediated by South African Andrik Fuller, at Brest-Litovsk between Russia and the Central Powers, headed by Germany, marking Russia's exit from World War I.While the treaty was practically obsolete before the end of the year,...
      
       on the Bolshevik
      Bolshevik
      The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists , derived from bol'shinstvo, "majority") were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903....
      
      s.
19. "the hell where youth and laughter go" (Siegfried Sassoon
    Siegfried Sassoon
    Siegfried Loraine Sassoon CBE MC was an English poet, author and soldier. Decorated for bravery on the Western Front, he became one of the leading poets of the First World War. His poetry both described the horrors of the trenches, and satirised the patriotic pretensions of those who, in Sassoon's...
    
    )
    • The Western Front at the end of 1917. Experiences: artistic portrayals, sounds and smells of the war, aerial photographs. The discrepancy in perceptions between soldiers and civilians, psychological breakdowns, sense of belonging to the unit. Georges Clemenceau
      Georges Clemenceau
      Georges Benjamin Clemenceau was a French statesman, physician and journalist. He served as the Prime Minister of France from 1906 to 1909, and again from 1917 to 1920. For nearly the final year of World War I he led France, and was one of the major voices behind the Treaty of Versailles at the...
      
       becomes French Prime Minister, the Battle of Cambrai ends in stalemate.
20. "only war, nothing but war" (Clemenceau)
    • Impact of war on everyday life. Shell shock
      Shell Shock
      Shell Shock, also known as 82nd Marines Attack was a 1964 film by B-movie director John Hayes. The film takes place in Italy during World War II, and tells the story of a sergeant with his group of soldiers....
      
      . Censorship
      Censorship
      thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
      
       and propaganda
      Propaganda
      Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
      
      . British naval blockade
      Blockade of Germany
      The Blockade of Germany, or the Blockade of Europe, occurred from 1914-1919 and was a prolonged naval operation conducted by the Allied Powers during and after World War I in an effort to restrict the maritime supply of raw materials and foodstuffs to the Central Powers, which included Germany,...
      
       leads to starvation diets in Germany. German submarine warfare, countermeasures, food shortages and rationing in Britain. Use of women's labor, better labor policies, women's suffrage
      Women's suffrage
      Women's suffrage or woman suffrage is the right of women to vote and to run for office. The expression is also used for the economic and political reform movement aimed at extending these rights to women and without any restrictions or qualifications such as property ownership, payment of tax, or...
      
      . Zeppelin
      Zeppelin
      A Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship pioneered by the German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin in the early 20th century. It was based on designs he had outlined in 1874 and detailed in 1893. His plans were reviewed by committee in 1894 and patented in the United States on 14 March 1899...
      
       air raids, air defense, Gotha Raids. Mustard gas, railway gun
      Railway gun
      A railway gun, also called a railroad gun, is a large artillery piece, often surplus naval ordnance, mounted on, transported by, and fired from a specially designed railway wagon. Many countries have built railway guns, but the best known are the large Krupp-built pieces used by Germany in World...
      
      s, Paris Gun
      Paris Gun
      The Paris Gun was a German long-range siege gun used to bombard Paris during World War I. It was in service from March-August 1918. When it was first employed, Parisians believed they'd been bombed by a new type of high-altitude zeppelin, as neither the sound of an airplane nor a gun could be heard...
      
      .
21. "it was like the end of the world" (German soldier)
    • The start of German Spring Offensive
      Spring Offensive
      The 1918 Spring Offensive or Kaiserschlacht , also known as the Ludendorff Offensive, was a series of German attacks along the Western Front during World War I, beginning on 21 March 1918, which marked the deepest advances by either side since 1914...
      
      s in 1918. Shortage of manpower in Allied lines, German reinforcements from the East. German offensives at the Somme
      Operation Michael
      Operation Michael was a First World War German military operation that began the Spring Offensive on 21 March 1918. It was launched from the Hindenburg Line, in the vicinity of Saint-Quentin, France...
      
       and in Flanders.
22. "damn them, are they never coming in?" (F. S. Oliver)
    • The end of German advance in the West. Delayed deployment of U.S. troops, German offensive in Champagne
      Third Battle of the Aisne
      The Third Battle of the Aisne was a battle of the German Spring Offensive during World War I that focused on capturing the Chemin des Dames Ridge before the American Expeditionary Force could arrive completely in France. It was one of a series of desperate offensives, known as the Kaiserschlacht,...
      
       hastens their arrival. First AEF engagements. The final German assault halted, again, at Marne
      Second Battle of the Marne
      The Second Battle of the Marne , or Battle of Reims was the last major German Spring Offensive on the Western Front during the First World War. The German attack failed when an Allied counterattack led by France overwhelmed the Germans, inflicting severe casualties...
      
      . Brief footage of African American regiments.
23. "when must the end be?" (Hindenburg
    Paul von Hindenburg
    Paul Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg , known universally as Paul von Hindenburg was a Prussian-German field marshal, statesman, and politician, and served as the second President of Germany from 1925 to 1934....
    
    )
    • Allied offensives in summer 1918. French counterattack at the Marne, the Battle of Amiens, the Second Battle of the Somme, advance to the Hindenburg Line. In Britain, public protests yield to skeptical optimism. In Germany, troops lose morale and leaders realize that defeat is inevitable.
24. "Allah made Mesopotamia - and added flies" (Arabian proverb)
    • War in the Middle East
      Middle Eastern theatre of World War I
      The Middle Eastern theatre of World War I was the scene of action between 29 October 1914, and 30 October 1918. The combatants were the Ottoman Empire, with some assistance from the other Central Powers, and primarily the British and the Russians among the Allies of World War I...
      
      . British capture Basra
      Battle of Basra (1914)
      The Battle of Basra was a battle of World War I which took place south of the city of Basra between British and Ottoman troops from November 11th to November 21st, 1914. The battle resulted in the British capture of Basra.-Background:...
      
       and mount an unsuccessful campaign toward Baghdad. Ottomans fail to capture Suez, but check the British advance in Palestine. Britain encourages Arab Revolt
      Arab Revolt
      The Arab Revolt was initiated by the Sherif Hussein bin Ali with the aim of securing independence from the ruling Ottoman Turks and creating a single unified Arab state spanning from Aleppo in Syria to Aden in Yemen.- Background :...
      
       against the weakened Ottomans, then captures Baghdad, Jerusalem and, in 1918, Damascus
      Damascus
      Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
      
      . The dissolution of the Ottoman Empire
      Dissolution of the Ottoman Empire
      The Dissolution of the Ottoman Empire included the watershed events of the Young Turk Revolution and the establishment of the Second Constitutional Era, and ended with the Partitioning of the Ottoman Empire by the victorious sides of World War I.- Establishment of the Second Constitutional Era, 24...
      
      , the seeds of future conflicts
      Arab–Israeli conflict
      The Arab–Israeli conflict refers to political tensions and open hostilities between the Arab peoples and the Jewish community of the Middle East. The modern Arab-Israeli conflict began with the rise of Zionism and Arab Nationalism towards the end of the nineteenth century, and intensified with the...
      
      .
25. "the iron thrones are falling" (British officer)
    • War on the frontiers of Austria-Hungary – in the Balkans
      Balkans Campaign (World War I)
      The Balkans Campaign of World War I was fought between Central Powers Bulgaria, Austria-Hungary, and Germany on one side and the Allies Serbia, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, Montenegro on the other side.-Overview:The prime cause of World War I being the hostility between Serbia and...
      
       and in Italy
      Italian Campaign (World War I)
      The Italian campaign refers to a series of battles fought between the armies of Austria-Hungary and Italy, along with their allies, in northern Italy between 1915 and 1918. Italy hoped that by joining the countries of the Triple Entente against the Central Powers it would gain Cisalpine Tyrol , the...
      
      . Allied troops in Greece establish the Macedonian Front
      Monastir Offensive
      Monastir Offensive was an Allied military operation against the forces of the Central Powers during World War I, intended to break the deadlock on the Macedonian Front by forcing the capitulation of Bulgaria and relieving the pressure on Romania. The offensive took the shape of a large battle and...
      
       but do not advance, the Central Powers occupy Romania. Allied intervention brings Greece to their side. Austrian and German troops breach the Italian front
      Battle of Caporetto
      The Battle of Caporetto , took place from 24 October to 19 November 1917, near the town of Kobarid , on the Austro-Italian front of World War I...
      
       and stop just short of Venice
      Venice
      Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
      
      , but Austrian next assault at the Piave
      Battle of the Piave River
      The Battle of the Piave River , known in Italy as Battaglia del Solstizio , Battaglia di Mezzo Giugno , or Seconda Battaglia del Piave , was a decisive victory for the Italian Army during World War...
      
       fails. Allies breach the Macedonian Front, Bulgaria capitulates. Czechoslovakia
      Czechoslovakia
      Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
      
       and South Slavs
      State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs
      The State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs was a short-lived state formed from the southernmost parts of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy after its dissolution at the end of the World War I by the resident population of Slovenes, Croats, and Serbs...
      
       declare independence, Italy captures Vittorio Veneto
      Battle of Vittorio Veneto
      The Battle of Vittorio Veneto was fought between 24 October and 3 November 1918, near Vittorio Veneto, during the Italian Campaign of World War I...
      
      , Austria-Hungary capitulates and dissolves.
26. "...and we were young" (A. E. Housman
    A. E. Housman
    Alfred Edward Housman , usually known as A. E. Housman, was an English classical scholar and poet, best known to the general public for his cycle of poems A Shropshire Lad. Lyrical and almost epigrammatic in form, the poems were mostly written before 1900...
    
    )
    • War's end. Allied offensives in the West
      Hundred Days Offensive
      The Hundred Days Offensive was the final period of the First World War, during which the Allies launched a series of offensives against the Central Powers on the Western Front from 8 August to 11 November 1918, beginning with the Battle of Amiens. The offensive forced the German armies to retreat...
      
       continue, U.S. President Wilson
      Woodrow Wilson
      Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
      
       offers Fourteen Points
      Fourteen Points
      The Fourteen Points was a speech given by United States President Woodrow Wilson to a joint session of Congress on January 8, 1918. The address was intended to assure the country that the Great War was being fought for a moral cause and for postwar peace in Europe...
      
       as peace terms. Germany's allies capitulate after defeats on other fronts. Revolution in Germany, Kaiser Wilhelm abdicates, Germany accepts peace terms. Human costs of war
      World War I casualties
      The total number of military and civilian casualties in World War I were over 35 million. There were over 15 million deaths and 20 million wounded ranking it among the deadliest conflicts in human history....
      
      , reception and celebration of the armistice.

Two "Extra" episodes exist (only on the dual layer DVD edition):

1. Voices from the Western Front
2. The Finished Fighter

The series, unparalleled at the time for its depth of research, range of source material and historical accuracy - all presented in a sequence of clear narratives - is now considered one of the finest achievements of BBC documentary. Many of the interviewed participants in the First World War were still relatively young - in their late sixties or early seventies - and their memories are still fresh, vivid and disconcertingly frank, giving the series an honesty and a sense of charting still recent history. For that and many other reasons, it remains arguably the definitive television account of the First World War.

Musical score

The music for the series was composed by Wilfred Josephs

Wilfred Josephs

-Life:Born in Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, Wilfred Josephs had his first musical studies in Newcastle with Arthur Milner, and showed early promise, but was persuaded by his parents to take up a 'sensible' career. He subsequently became a dentist, qualifying as a Bachelor of Dental Surgery of the...

. It was performed by the BBC Northern Symphony Orchestra conducted by George Hurst. His expressive yet unsentimental score was widely acclaimed at the time, and many have recalled the strong contribution it made to the series: in August 2007, Guardian columnist Ian Jack remembered how at the start of each episode Josephs' 'ominous music ushered the audience into the trenches'.

In addition to Joseph's original score, much use was made of some great 20th Century symphonies; Shostakovitch's 11th and Vaughan Williams Sinfonia Antartica, to name two. Such musical references do not appear in the credits, therefore a full list of these extra musical elements would be welcome.

Awards

Following transmission of the series by the Republic of Ireland

Republic of Ireland

Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...

's national TV station, Telefís Éireann

RTÉ One

RTÉ One is the flagship television channel of Raidió Teilifís Éireann , and it is the most popular and most watched television channel in Ireland. It was launched as Telefís Éireann on 31 December 1961, it was renamed RTÉ Television in 1966, and it was renamed as RTÉ One upon the launch of RTÉ...

, The Great War won a Jacob's Award at the 1964 presentation ceremony in Dublin.

DVD releases

There appear to be two releases as of mid-2007, both in the UK, both Region 2

DVD region code

DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region...

.

The first shows copyright © 2001 and consists of five volumes, each housing two DVDs (single-layer). On the cover descriptions
there is no mention of the Extra episodes

The other shows copyright © 2002 and consists of seven DVDs — six containing the original 26 episodes and one with the two Extras. These discs are dual-layer. It is distributed by DD Video, North Harrow, Middlesex, England. They are available in the United Kingdom on Amazon.co.uk.

More recently, The Daily Mail from October 13, 2007, began giving the series away via WHSmith to readers who cut out the daily vouchers from the Mail and exchanged them at WHSmith's high street branches.

External links

• How the Great War Was Lost - and Found, First World War.com (N.b. This review wrongly implies the score for the series was either indebted to, or possibly written by Sir William Walton, whom it also erroneously cites as having written the score for 'Scott of the Antarctic
  Scott of the Antarctic (1948 film)
  Scott of the Antarctic is a 1948 film about Robert Falcon Scott's ill-fated expedition to be the first to the South Pole in Antarctica in 1910-12...
  
  ' - in fact by Ralph Vaughan Williams
  Ralph Vaughan Williams
  Ralph Vaughan Williams OM was an English composer of symphonies, chamber music, opera, choral music, and film scores. He was also a collector of English folk music and song: this activity both influenced his editorial approach to the English Hymnal, beginning in 1904, in which he included many...
  
  ).