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TV series

The Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century

Latest episode

S1 E8 · War Without End

About The Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century

The Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century is a documentary TV series that premiered on PBS on November 10, 1996. It has 1 season and 8 episodes so far and has ended. The latest episode, Season 1 Episode 8 "War Without End", aired on December 29, 1996.

The Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century is a 1996 documentary series that aired on PBS. It chronicles World War I over eight episodes. It was narrated by Dame Judi Dench in the UK and Salome Jens in the United States. The series won two Primetime Emmy Awards: one for Jeremy Irons for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance, the other for Outstanding Informational Series. In 1997, it was given a Peabody Award.

  • Documentary

Last updated

Episodes

8 episodes · 1 season

Season 1

1996 · 8 episodes · Last episode: 29 years ago

The Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century Season 1 release dates →
  1. E8

    8. War Without End

    Finale

    Examines the cost of the war and its continuing reverberations through the rest of the 20th century.

  2. E7

    7. Legacy

    Covers the continuing blockade on Germany as the Allies drew up the Treaty of Versailles, with considerable focus on Woodrow Wilson’s role in the Paris Peace Conference.

  3. E6

    6. Collapse

    Account of the sudden ending of World War One in 1918, tracing the various causes responsible for Germany's ultimate downfall, including a failed offensive, the Americans joining the Allied Forces and crumbling civilian morale. Archive footage reveals the momentous occasion when the guns fell silent on the 11th hour of November 11, and British and German troops shook hands.

  4. E5

    5. Mutiny

    Account of the despair which swept Europe in 1917, as World War One dragged on into its fourth year with no end in sight. While British doctors struggled to find an effective shell-shock treatment for patients, including poet Wilfred Owen, half of the French army mutinied and Russia was gripped by revolution.

  5. E4

    4. Slaughter

    The stories of the battles of Verdun, the Somme and Passchendaele, three of World War One's most bloody encounters, using newsreel footage taken at the scene during a time when film was on the verge of becoming a major influence on the public's perception of warfare

  6. E3

    3. What if... Total War

    An insight into the personal experiences of people caught up in World War One, with diaries and letters shedding light on the conflict. One million women left the home to work in Britain's munitions factories, while soldiers' families lived in dread of receiving a telegram or telephone call bearing bad news.

  7. E2

    2. Stalemate

    At the start of World War One it was predicted the fighting would be over in a matter of weeks, owing to technical advances in weaponry. But the reality proved entirely different as soldiers dug into the ground to escape artillery, trenches began to spread for miles and the Western Front developed.

  8. E1

    1. Explosion

    Instability in Europe is fueled by Germany's growing militarism, Kaiser Wilhelm II's obsession to match the British Royal Navy, and French and German war plans before the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria triggers combat.

Cast & crew

Created by Jay Winter and Blaine Baggett

  • René Auberjonois

    René Auberjonois

    Jean Jaures / Mustafa Kemal Ataturk (voice)

  • Helena Bonham Carter

    Helena Bonham Carter

    Vera Brittain (voice)

  • Leslie Caron

    Leslie Caron

    Czarina Aleksandra Romanov (voice)

  • Ralph Fiennes

    Ralph Fiennes

    Wilfred Owen (voice)

  • Malcolm McDowell

    Malcolm McDowell

    Czar Nicholas II / Charles Stockwell / Stephen Graham (voice)

  • Jürgen Prochnow

    Jürgen Prochnow

    Kaiser Wilhelm II (voice)

  • Natasha Richardson

    Natasha Richardson

    Vera Brittain

  • Michael York

    Michael York

    Robert Graves / Harold Owen (voice)

The Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century FAQ

Will there be new episodes of The Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century?

The Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century has ended, so no new episodes are scheduled. The final episode aired on December 29, 1996.

When did the latest episode of The Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century come out?

The most recent episode of The Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century, Season 1 Episode 8 "War Without End", aired on December 29, 1996.

How many seasons of The Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century are there?

The Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century has 1 season with 8 episodes in total.

When did The Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century first air?

The Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century first aired on PBS on November 10, 1996.

How do I get notified when new episodes of The Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century are released?

Download the Streambay app, follow The Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century, and you'll get a push notification the moment each new episode is released.

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