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The Great War

In the early 1960s the BBC embarked on one of their most important and ambitious series ever. It was to be the definitive history of the First World War, complete in twenty-six 40-minute episodes. So successful were the BBC that they created one of the most highly acclaimed television documentary series ever - and an inspired account of the world-shattering events of 1914-1918 that remains totally unequalled to this day.

The Great War is narrated by Sir Michael Redgrave, and employs the voice skills of many other leading actors of the day including Sir Ralph Richardson and Marius Goring.

To tell its story, the series includes authentic archive footage and stunning photographic images gathered from 37 separate sources around the world. It also features interviews with many veterans of the war (most were still only in their 60s), as well as almost 150 separate extracts from diaries, letters & reports from the war.

Hugely successful and critically acclaimed around the world, The great war's style, content and high production values were later to inspire Jeremy Isaacs to create "The world at war".

Episode One

The Great War: On The Idle Hill Of Summer

In 1914, the world was on the brink of enormous change. Worried by increasing German militarism, the French and the British entered into the Entente Cordiale against Germany and her allies, splitting Europe into opposing sides. Two shots would ignite the powder keg.