The Century of Warfare
Through the use of archived films and photos, major conflicts are chronicled from early WW1 (1914) through current day.
- 1993-1994
- 1 season
- A+E Networks
- Documentary, Action & Adventure
Through the use of archived films and photos, major conflicts are chronicled from early WW1 (1914) through current day.
Season 1 Episode Guide
26 Episodes 1993 - 1994
Episode 1
The Violent Century
Mon, Oct 18, 1993 52 mins
This first program looks at the background to the wars which have convulsed our planet, and technological advances which have transformed warfare. From the Boer War to the Gulf War From Cavalry to the main Battle Tank From Biplane Fighters to the Stealth Bomber From the Battleship to the Trident Submarine.
Episode 2
The World Goes to War (1900-1914)
Mon, Oct 25, 1993 50 mins
Shows factors pushing the world towards WWI.
Episode 3
Blood and Mud: Trench Warfare in the West 1914-18
Mon, Nov 1, 1993 50 mins
Actual footage of the opening stages of WWI showing the trench warfare.
Episode 4
War of the Eagles: Eastern Front 1914-18
Mon, Nov 8, 1993 50 mins
Why, after three countries go to war, the Russians drop out of the fighting when the Czar and his government is lost due to the Russian Revolution.
Episode 5
Battle Fleets and U-Boats (Naval Warfare 1914-1918)
Mon, Nov 15, 1993 52 mins
As the First World War began, the battleship ruled the waves, and the British Grand Fleet and German High Seas Fleet prepared for a mighty confrontation in the North Sea which could decide the course of the war. But when this came it was inconclusive, and soon the supremacy of the battleship itself was to be threatened. This programme shows how the mighty battlefleets clashed and how naval warfare was revolutionised by the success of new weapons such as the submarine. * The Dreadnought Revolution * Battlefleets clash at Jutland * Scourge of the U-Boat aces * Q-Ships and Convoys
Episode 6
Aces High (Air Warfare 1914-1918)
Mon, Nov 22, 1993 50 mins
See how the plane became a weapon, fly with the pioneers of military aviation, and relive the exploits of legendary pilots like the Red Baron.
Episode 7
War to End All War? (1918 and the Aftermath)
Mon, Nov 29, 1993 50 mins
The entry of the United States helped bring World War I to a close, but the harsh conditions of the Versailles Treaty paved the way for a greater conflict to come.
Episode 8
Enter the Dictators (1920-35)
Mon, Dec 6, 1993 50 mins
The years between the World Wars were marked by the rise of totalitarian states in Europe and a growing militancy in the Far East.
Episode 9
The War Clouds Gather: 1935-39
Mon, Dec 13, 1993 53 mins
Conflicts in China, Spain and Africa presaged the horrors to come, while Hitler cemented his power and prepared for his bloody campaign of aggression.
Episode 10
Blitzkrieg! 1939-40
Mon, Dec 20, 1993 53 mins
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
Episode 11
Britain Stands Alone: 1940-41
Mon, Dec 27, 1993 53 mins
The extraordinary heroism demonstrated by British citizens and soldiers and a vital lifeline from across the Atlantic kept England from falling into Nazi clutches.
Episode 12
Sand and Sea War: War in the Mediterranean 1941-44
Mon, Jan 3, 1994 53 mins
In and around the Mediterranean, Monty battled Rommel, American doughboys got their first real combat experience, and the Italian campaign gave the Allies a foothold in Europe.
Episode 13
Hitler Turns East: Eastern Front 1941-43
Mon, Jan 10, 1994 53 mins
Operation Barbarossa--the largest land invasion ever mounted--sent 3 million German troops and 3,300 tanks into the Soviet Union.
Episode 14
The Long Road Back: Eastern Front 1943-45
Mon, Jan 17, 1994 53 mins
Defeated at Stalingrad and denied entry to Moscow, the Wehrmacht embarked on a two-year delaying action as it retreated to Germany.
Episode 15
Normandy to the Rhine: Western Front 1944-45
Mon, Jan 24, 1994 53 mins
Follow the preparations for D-Day and the course of the war in Europe after the successful invasion.
Episode 16
The End in Europe: Eastern and Western Fronts 1945
Mon, Jan 31, 1994 53 mins
As 1945 dawned, Hitler's Third Reich was reeling from repeated hammerblows; Allied bombers were devastating German cities; the Red Army was poised to strike at Berlin; and the British and American armies were preparing to thrust across the Rhine and into the heart of Germany. This programme describes the death throes of Hitler's empire, and the massive task of rebuilding a shattered continent which faced the victors. * V-Bomb Blitz on London * The Battle for Berlin * Liberating the Concentration Camps * The Death of Hitler * Germany in Defeat
Episode 17
Japanese Blitzkrieg: The Pacific Theatre 1939-43
Mon, Feb 7, 1994 53 mins
Analyze the forces that drove Japan to war and relive the initial victories that gave the Imperial forces an air of invincibility.
Episode 18
Jungle and Ocean: Pacific Theatre 1943-45
Mon, Feb 14, 1994 53 mins
The American island-hopping campaign drove the Japanese from their Pacific strongholds, but it would take a weapon of a different order bring the war to an end.
Episode 19
The War at Sea: 1939-45
Mon, Feb 21, 1994 53 mins
This sweeping overview of World War II's naval engagements includes footage from Atlantic convoys, major Pacific battles and the amphibious landing at Normandy.
Episode 20
Air War: 1939-45
Mon, Feb 28, 1994 53 mins
Fly in a B-17 on a harrowing daylight bombing raid, see how British aviators staved off the Luftwaffe, and watch as carrier-based fighters battle Zeros in the skies over Midway.
Episode 21
Iron Curtain: The Cold War 1946-89
Mon, Mar 7, 1994 53 mins
Divided at the end of World War II, Europe was a potential flashpoint for 40 years as the superpowers maintained an uneasy peace built on deterrence.
Episode 22
Oriental Communism: China, Indo-China and Korea 1946-89
Mon, Mar 14, 1994 53 mins
From the withdrawal of the old Colonial powers to the conflict in Korea, instability, regional conflicts and the boiling over of Cold War tensions marked much of the 20th century in Asia.
Episode 23
Wars in Peace: 1945-89
Mon, Mar 21, 1994 53 mins
The perennial problems of civil war, terrorism and bilateral wars have taken on a new urgency in the years since the end of the Cold War, and the international community is struggling to deal with them.
Episode 24
Vietnam: 1955-89
Mon, Mar 28, 1994 53 mins
Vietnam- It was a war that proved might and money do not lead inevitably to victory, and harsh lessons forced American to rethink its role in the world.
Episode 25
War in the Middle East: 1946-89
Mon, Apr 4, 1994 53 mins
War in the Middle East - From Israel's continued battles to defend itself to inter-Arab squabbles and the role of oil, trace the many conflicts that have shaken this tumultuous region.
Episode 26
Gulf War and the Future
Mon, Apr 11, 1994 50 mins
Gulf War And The Future - The Allied victory over Iraq showcased a new generation of weapons and tactics, but evolving threats - particularly from Weapons of Mass Destruction - require a new approach to deterrence.
