Series 1
(1964)
Cast
as Narrator
as Douglas Haig (voice)
as Lloyd George (voice)
Episodes
On the Idle Hill of Summer... 9.0
May 30, 1964
In 1914, the world was on the brink of enormous change. Worried by increasing German militarism, the French and the Bri…
For Such a Stupid Reason Too... 10.0
June 6, 1964
The assassination of the Austro-Hungarian heir Archduke Franz Ferdinand in June 1914 led to a breakdown in internationa…
We Must Hack Our Way Through 9.0
June 13, 1964
Following the declaration of war, the German army began to carry out one of the most famous military plans in history. …
Our Hats We Doff to General Joffre 10.0
June 20, 1964
How the British army fought its first battle at the Belgian town of Mons. Despite initial success, the British infantry…
This Business May Last a Long Time 7.0
June 27, 1964
The Battle of the Marne in September 1914 ultimately proved to be a pivotal victory of the war for Allied Forces, but, …
So Sleep Easy in Your Beds 8.0
July 4, 1964
Attention turns to the battle of the sea. British confidence in the Royal Navy was to be shattered as it suffered defea…
We Await the Heavenly Manna... 7.0
July 11, 1964
In 1915, France and Britain struggle to keep up with the demand for shells and artillery, but Germany – the most modern…
Why Don't You Come and Help?! 5.0
July 18, 1964
As Minister of Munitions, David Loyd George was faced with a restricted industrial capability; Britain even imported ma…
Please God Send Us a Victory... 8.0
July 25, 1964
By Christmas 1914, the bloody impasse in the trench lines on the Western Front saw Lord Kitchener looking elsewhere for…
What Are Our Allies Doing? 8.0
August 1, 1964
1915 brings little progress for the Allies, but a huge German offensive at Gorlice-Tarnow forces the Russians to retrea…
Hell Cannot Be So Terrible 8.0
August 8, 1964
One of the bloodiest battles in history, the fighting at Verdun continues throughout the year 1916. French and German f…
For Gawd's Sake Don't Send Me 7.0
August 15, 1964
Following Lord Kitchener's appeal in 1916, the British Army was reinforced by over two million volunteers. Despite the …
The Devil is Coming... 8.0
August 22, 1964
The Battle of the Somme – which began in July 1916 and continued into February 19 – leaves 415,000 Brits in a muddy gra…
All This It Is Our Duty to Bear 10.0
August 29, 1964
Both sides make heroic bids for victory – but what will they have to show for it?
We Are Betrayed, Sold, Lost 7.0
September 5, 1964
The French Army is rallied for a great spring offensive – but mutiny looms when the plans fall foul of the Germans.
Right Is More Precious Than Peace 7.0
September 13, 1964
The future of the world is changed when America joins the conflict and the Communists come to power in Russia.
Surely We Have Perished 7.0
September 20, 1964
On the Western Front in 1917, the British fought alone for three-and-a-half months during one of the wettest summers Fl…
Fat Rodzianko Has Sent Me Some Nonsense 6.0
September 27, 1964
Russia's short-lived democracy is examined.
The Hell Where Youth and Laughter Go 7.0
October 4, 1964
This episode recounts the war's terrible effects; not just the scale of the loss of life, but also the toll it took upo…
Only War, Nothing but War 8.0
October 11, 1964
Exploring how modern ideas of states' responsibility for their citizens grew out of the horror of "total war".
It Was like the End of the World 8.0
October 18, 1964
The story of the German offensive of March 1918, a desperate gamble to grab victory at a stroke.
Damn Them, Are They Never Coming In? 5.0
October 25, 1964
As Allied troops fall back in confusion under a German counter-attack, they wait for the arrival of US reinforcements.
When Must the End Be? 7.0
November 1, 1964
On 17th July 1918, an Allied counter-attack marks the beginning of the end for Germany.
Allah Made Mesopotamia – and Added Flies 8.0
November 8, 1964
Stalemate on the Western Front saw Allied generals look for victory via an alternative route – the Middle East.
The Iron Thrones Are Falling 7.0
November 15, 1964
Its allies beaten, Germany faces defeat alone.
...And We Were Young 9.0
November 22, 1964
Relief spreads throgh the ranks on all sides as history's bloodiest conflict finally comes to an end. With the Armistic…