Watch The Century of Warfare

Name: The Century of Warfare
Genre: Military & War
Released: 1994-01-01
Cast: Robert Powell

1994
1 Season
8.2 (161)

The Century of Warfare is a documentary series that takes a comprehensive look at the major conflicts of the 20th century. Produced by Nugus/MartinProductions Ltd, the show features narration by British actor Robert Powell. The series spans from the Boer War at the turn of the century to the first Gulf War in 1991. The show covers both the major battles and the historical context of each conflict, offering insights into the political tensions and social forces that shaped the events.

Throughout the series, viewers get a sense of how warfare evolved over the course of the century. The show delves into the technological advancements that changed the nature of warfare, from the trenches of World War I to the nuclear weapons of the Cold War.

The Century of Warfare also offers profiles of the major military figures of the century. The show looks into the strategies and tactics of military leaders such as Winston Churchill, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Douglas MacArthur. These profiles add depth and perspective to the events being covered.

The show is also notable for its use of archival footage. The Century of Warfare draws on a wealth of material from newsreels, military archives, and personal collections to offer a vivid and immersive look at each conflict. The footage offers a glimpse into the lives of soldiers and civilians caught up in war, as well as the impact of warfare on the global stage.

One of the strengths of The Century of Warfare is its focus on the human cost of war. While the show covers the grand sweep of historical events, it never loses sight of the individuals caught up in these conflicts. The series highlights the bravery of soldiers, the suffering of civilians, and the devastation wrought by war.

The series is divided into 26 episodes, each covering a different conflict or period of warfare. The Boer War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War all receive their own episodes. However, the show also covers lesser-known conflicts such as the Chaco War between Bolivia and Paraguay and the Portuguese Colonial War in Africa.

In addition to its focus on conflict, The Century of Warfare also looks at the aftermath of war. The show examines the long-term impact of each conflict, from the lasting economic and political consequences of World War II to the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.

Overall, The Century of Warfare is an engrossing and informative documentary series. With its focus on historical context, military strategy, and human experience, the show offers a well-rounded look at the major conflicts of the 20th century. For anyone interested in the history of warfare or the broader context of global events, The Century of Warfare is an essential viewing experience.

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Seasons

25. War in the Middle East 1946 - 1989

January 1, 1994

Since 1945 the Middle East has never been free of conflict. While that between the Arabs and Israelis has dominated, many other wars have taken place. Given the strategic and economic importance of the region, UN and other international forces have often been hard put to contain the violence.This episode describes the course of the conflict between Arab and Jew, the rise of Islamic Fundamentalism, and the long war of attrition between Iran and Iraq.* The Saga of the Exodus * Suez 1956* PLO Terrorism* The Yom Kippur War 1973 * Bloody Beirut

24. Vietnam 1955 - 1989

January 1, 1994

Indo-China has witnessed conflict from the end of World War II until the present day. It was dominated by North Vietnam's twenty year struggle to impose its will on the non-communist South.This episode charts the American involvement in the Vietnam War, one that eventually ended in disillusionment and disaster, as well as Vietnam's subsequent overthrow of Pol Pot's brutal Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia.* The Tonkin Incident * US Bombing of North Vietnam* The Tet Offensive* Massacre at My Lai* The Killing Fields

21. The Iron Curtain - Cold War 1946 - 1989

January 1, 1994

Despite the enormous devastation and tragic loss of life during the Second World War, in the aftermath Europe still found itself divided into two armed camps. The wartime Allies soon fell out and worsening relations between East and West cast long shadows. In the wake of Russia's lowering of 'The Iron Curtain' came the Cold War and an unprecedented arms race.This programme charts the almost suicidal growth of strategic forces and nuclear arsenals in both the East and West, and the challenges these ?deterrents' were to pose to the leaders of the world's superpowers.* Judgement at Nuremberg * The Berlin Airlift* Cuban Missile Crisis * The Berlin Wall* Star Wars

19. The War at Sea 1939 - 1945

January 1, 1994

With the launching of Bismarck and Tirpitz, the battleship still seemed to dominate the oceans of the world. But within months its supremacy was being challenged in the North Atlantic by the U-Boat and in the Mediterranean by aircraft. As the naval war climaxed in the Pacific, the US Navy shattered the Japanese fleet in a series of massive carrier battles and strangled her trade with an unrelenting submarine campaign.This programme describes the strategy employed by the opposing Navies as they wrestled for dominance over the seas, and how the aircraft carrier and submarine took over from the battleship as the principal Naval weapon.* The Sinking of the Bismarck* The Battle of the Philippine Sea* The U-Boat Wolf Packs * Amphibious Landings

17. Oriental Blitzkrieg - Pacific Theatre 1939 - 1942

January 1, 1994

At 7:50 in the morning of Sunday, 7 December 1941, a wave of 214 aircraft appeared over the island of Hawaii. They were Japanese, and within two hours the heart had been torn out of the American Pacific Fleet. For the next six months Japanese forces were to rampage across the Far East and Pacific destroying the great colonial Empires of Britain, France, and the Netherlands which had dominated the area for centuries. This programme looks at the extraordinary speed with which the Japanese were able to humble the Western powers and the equally extraordinary swiftness with which the United States was able to recover and begin to fight back.* A Day of Infamy at Pearl Harbor* The Fall of Singapore * Clash of the Carrier Fleets* Showdown at Midway* The Marines on Guadalcanal

15. Normandy to the Rhine - Western Front 1942 - 1945

January 1, 1994

Even as Britain stood alone against Hitler in the summer of 1940, Winston Churchill knew that only by re-entering Continental Europe could the Axis powers ultimately be defeated. Once America had entered the war, the Allies could start to prepare for Operation Overlord, one of the most complex and risky military operations ever undertaken.This programme shows how D-Day was planned and executed and how the Allied forces were able to drive German forces back to their last major defence - the River Rhine.* Fortress Europe* D-Day* Breakout from Normandy * Paratroops at Arnhem * The Battle of the Bulge

10. Blitzkrieg! 1939 - 1940

January 1, 1994

The German invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939 finally dashed all hope that the conflict of 1914-18 had been the war to end all wars. Britain and France swiftly honoured their pledge to Poland and declared war on Germany, but then seemed as indecisive about how to defeat Hitler militarily as they had been to control him politically.This programme shows how the German Panzers and Stukas unleashed a new form of warfare which proved devastating, swiftly overrunning Norway, Denmark, France, and the Low Countries.* Cavalry versus Tanks* The Maginot Line* The Luftwaffe Triumphant* Panzers drive to the Channel

9. The War Clouds Gather 1935 - 1939

January 1, 1998

By the mid-1930s new and strident forces were on the march, putting increasing pressure on attempts to ensure that the world would not again be devastated by war. Hitler's Germany was rearming swiftly and threatening its neighbours; Italy and Japan had embarked on new foreign adventures. This programme looks at the tidal wave of violence and aggression which carried the world into another major conflagration.* Mussolini invades Abyssinia* Massacre at Nanking * The Bombing of Guernica * Rise of the Luftwaffe * The Rape of Czechoslovakia

8. Enter the Dictators 1920 - 1935

January 1, 1994

By the end of 1920, the world was beginning to settle down once more after the dreadful carnage of 1914-18 and its aftermath. The majority of states put their faith in the League of Nations, arms limitation agreements, and the redrawn map of Europe as the means of preventing any further conflict.This programme shows how early optimism was dashed by the economic collapse, and how new and sinister forces arose which would soon engulf the world again.* Stalin versus Trotsky * Mussolini and the March on Rome* The Nazis seize Power * Japan overruns Manchuria

7. War to End All War: 1918 and the Aftermath

January 1, 1994

By the beginning of 1918 the guns on the Western Front had been thundering for more than three years, yet victory for either side seemed as far off as ever. But in reality, the German High Command knew that it must win the war swiftly or perish under the sheer weight of American power which was flooding across to Europe.This programme shows how once the German Stormtroops had failed to achieve a swift breakthrough, their country collapsed into turmoil, and the world was faced with the problems of ensuring lasting peace.* Stormtroop Tactics* Breaking the Hindenburg Line* The Campaigns in the Middle East and Africa* Civil War in Russia * The Treaty of Versailles

6. Aces High - Air Warfare 1914 - 1918

January 1, 1994

When Europe went to war in 1914 the heavier-than-air flying machine had been invented for little more than a decade. Within four years agile fighters were dogfighting for supremacy over the frontlines, ground attack aircraft were supporting every offensive, and long-range bombers were attacking enemy cities.This programme looks at the types of aircraft which brought about this revolution, the men who flew them, and the tactics they used.* Zeppelins over London * Von Richthofen and his Flying Circus* Long-Range Bombers* The Development of the Aircraft Carrier

4. War of the Eagles - The Eastern Front 1914 - 1917

January 1, 1994

While the armies on the West Front were locked in the stalemate of trench warfare, Eastern Europe in the First World War saw a clash between three mighty empires - Germany, Russia and Austria-Hungary - which ranged across hundreds of miles and involved millions of men. Its numerous campaigns saw massive offensives and cataclysmic defeats.This programme describes this titanic struggle - the 'other side' of the First World War. It was a campaign which would eventually descend into the turmoil of the Russian revolution and the collapse of all three empires.* Disaster at Tannenberg * The Russian 'Steamroller'* The Bolsheviks seize Power* Mountain Warfare in Italy

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