The World At War

[Tazio]

I was watching this earlier on as it was on the History Channel.

 

Surely the greatest documentary series ever made. And could never be improved on as it was made when all of the people involved in the war were still alive.

 

Great archive footage, great interviews and masterful narration by Lawrence Olivier.

 

Even the theme music is instantly recognisable.

[Cade]

The only problem with WTAW is that it is very much told from the viewpoint of the victors, and in particular the Western Allies.

 

It is not an unbiased historical account.

 

It's very, very good and explores some very good avenues, but it's not quite perfect. The narration tends to lead the audience a wee bit too much.

[Tazio]

The only problem with WTAW is that it is very much told from the viewpoint of the victors, and in particular the Western Allies.

 

It is not an unbiased historical account.

 

It's very, very good and explores some very good avenues, but it's not quite perfect. The narration tends to lead the audience a wee bit too much.

 

I would argue that it was the first series about the war that actually gave the German soldiers a voice and humanised them.

[The Old Tolbooth]

I would argue that it was the first series about the war that actually gave the German soldiers a voice and humanised them.

 

And why not to be fair, most of the Germans were there not because they wanted to be, but because they were forced to be.

 

Sad days indeed Taz.

[Deek]

And why not to be fair, most of the Germans were there not because they wanted to be, but because they were forced to be.

 

Sad days indeed Taz.

 

Much the same as our troops John, only there because they were forced to, most would have rather stayed at home.

 

But in this case the politicians were right to fight the Germans. Could you imagine the world now if they had won.

[trotter]

That is indeed a top documentary - its like 40-something parts isn't it?

 

I love all the old war programmes, the whole thing fascinates me, in fact i'm going to Berlin in October to check some of the remnants of the end of WW2/Cold War etc.

[Boris]

A great documentary series.

 

I saw the one about the Battle of Britain the other week. Quite moving.

 

The first hand accounts of what it was like on the North Atlantic convoys in a later episode is also very good.

[Debtor]

And why not to be fair, most of the Germans were there not because they wanted to be, but because they were forced to be.

 

Sad days indeed Taz.

 

 

 

Not sure that is true.

They were under strong propaganda from 1933 and some would argue long before that. For many a disgraceful defeat in 1918 needed revenge and they happily went along with it. The higher generals are very much in the dock. They were in a position to understand the heart of the Nazi ideology and allowed it to succeed for a variety of reasons. Few of those reasons acceptable!

 

The book, 'The Nazis, a warning from history,' Laurence Rees, is worth a look here.

Also it shows that the majority of an educated wise people like the Germans were willing to follow the Nazi party and few indeed were either brave enough, or moral enough, to stand up and oppose it. They, as today, are always shouted down by the majority who look no further than the end of their nose!

 

'The World at War,' is an excellent series, one that will never be surpassed and I think it gives a very good opportunity to see the German viewpoint. The French one however is more interesting!

[The Old Tolbooth]

Much the same as our troops John, only there because they were forced to, most would have rather stayed at home.

 

But in this case the politicians were right to fight the Germans. Could you imagine the world now if they had won.

 

Yeah, Great Britain is in a much better state than Germany these days

[flecktimus]

Watched this great series when it first came out.Won loads of awards and as someone posted above, it did humanize the Germans.One of best episodes was Stalingrad where you couldn't help feeling sorry for both the ordinary Germans and Russians soldiers. As a generation we should be made to watch this series and relies how lucky we are.

 

Also just collected the full CD collection from the Daily Mail.

[Boris]

 

'The World at War,' is an excellent series, one that will never be surpassed and I think it gives a very good opportunity to see the German viewpoint. The French one however is more interesting!

 

 

A few years ago the BBC showed a mini series titled "War of the Century" which was a three part (iirc) documentary about the war relating to the Eastern Front. Very informative and very well made. Again, the eyewitness accounts are amazing.

[wibble]

Much the same as our troops John, only there because they were forced to, most would have rather stayed at home.

 

But in this case the politicians were right to fight the Germans. Could you imagine the world now if they had won.

 

There wouldn't be a ned culture and most of the nazis on here would love it.

[The Real Maroonblood]

Excellent series.

There was also a series called "The Ten Thousand Day War" about the Vietnam war narrated by Richard Basehart this was shown about 30 years ago. I found this a very good series as well.

Does anyone remember this?

[Denny Crane]

Yeah, Great Britain is in a much better state than Germany these days

 

Post-war (West) Germany was given a significant helping hand from three of the four allied nations (Marshall Plan, plus France bringing them on board as a major player in the European Coal and Steel treaty - later to be the EU) as they fully recognised what had happened after WWI when they kicked the Germans when they were down in the Versailles Treaty (reparations, disarmament, land stripping, etc).

 

Granted the Adenaeur and Brandt administrations were savvy enough to take full advantage of all of this but the core reason of Germany being a financial power was the helping hand given by a majority of the allied powers after the surrender at WWII.

[Gigolo-Aunt]

TWAW is a brilliant series. I remember seeing a Noel Gallagher interview where he said his boz set is the only thing that has followed him from flat to flat since he left home.

 

Just finished watching the complete series of the early 70's TV program "Colditz" - again, very touching TV as you also develop a soft spot for some of the German army who were fighting also to keep the SS out of Colditz.

[Deevers]

Excellent documentary - but not a patch on the BBC series The Great War".

[Maple Leaf]

Excellent documentary - but not a patch on the BBC series The Great War".

 

I'm ploughing through all 26 episodes of "The Great War" right now on CDs. I'm up to episode 21. Highly informative and well worth the time spent. It was made in 1964, and has many interviews with WWI veterans from both sides, which bring in the personal impact on those who served.

 

It was a nightmare for everyone involved and I think it is almost impossible for people today to understand the horrors of the Western Front.

[Deevers]

I'm ploughing through all 26 episodes of "The Great War" right now on CDs. I'm up to episode 21. Highly informative and well worth the time spent. It was made in 1964, and has many interviews with WWI veterans from both sides, which bring in the personal impact on those who served.

 

It was a nightmare for everyone involved and I think it is almost impossible for people today to understand the horrors of the Western Front.

 

Yes, a series that was well ahead of it's time. The stories from the veterans are quite amazing.

 

I spent part of last October in France and Belgium and visited Newfoundland Park near Beumont Hamel. A real testiment to the losses incurred by the Newfoundlanders on July 1st 1916. An extremely tragic story in what was a day of dreadful carnage for the British Army.

 

Maybe visits to the Western Front should be manditory for todays youth.

[heartgarfunkel]

Excellent documentary - but not a patch on the BBC series The Great War".

 

Fabulous thread. Reminds one of why we're the Edinburgh Big Team;)

 

Seriously, The World at War is outrageously good. Balanced, extremely unbiased towards the Soviet Union (made in a hot period of the Cold War), supremely well written, edited and produced. The Dog's Golly Gollock's. And then think about the opening titles following the Thames TV bit - genuinely spine chilling. The burning images of the faces. I have been in a secondary school classroom and witnessed hard-nuts sharply intake breath and blink the eyes as the music and image of the face fades away, and the film and/or narration begins. Hollywood, CGI, and souped-up Corsa's can't do that.

 

However, 1964's 'The Great War' beats it in Deevers and my opinion. Okay, it's in Black and White:eek:, but by **** it's a masterpiece. The writing, the music, the images (by necessity quite a lot of reconstructed scenes from the early 20s), and the brutal, objective, honesty of the series meant that it was not repeated after an initial showing. It was far too anti-war a decade too early. Watch it and be amazed. The only two DVD boxed sets I'd dive back into a fire for, and it's the first one I'd save. Survivor's of McCrae's would have watched it in their late 60s.

[Tazio]

 

However, 1964's 'The Great War' beats it in Deevers and my opinion. Okay, it's in Black and White:eek:, but by **** it's a masterpiece. The writing, the music, the images (by necessity quite a lot of reconstructed scenes from the early 20s), and the brutal, objective, honesty of the series meant that it was not repeated after an initial showing. It was far too anti-war a decade too early. Watch it and be amazed. The only two DVD boxed sets I'd dive back into a fire for, and it's the first one I'd save. Survivor's of McCrae's would have watched it in their late 60s.

 

Christ I'm totally unaware of this series. Sounds fantastic. My proudest possessions are my Grandads medal from WWI.

[Debtor]

This link is worth a look.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwone/

[Debut 4]

Brilliant series, taped it years ago.

 

It was a bit of a mixed bag with the Germans. Some worshipped Hitler because he pulled Germany back up from it`s knees, some disagreed and some did`nt realise the full story of what Hitler was all about.

 

Many years ago my Dad worked beside a German who fought in the war. He was one who admitted he was initally seduced by Hitler but as the years went on and what he came to understand, he wanted out.

 

He got his chance. He was shot down on the coast of England and happily surrendered as he came ashore. After the war he settled in Scotland and never wanted to go back to Germany.

[Miller Jambo 60]

A few years ago the BBC showed a mini series titled "War of the Century" which was a three part (iirc) documentary about the war relating to the Eastern Front. Very informative and very well made. Again, the eyewitness accounts are amazing.

 

The Germans were bad news but like you said were forced to fight.

Battle of Britain was great and showed how Britain pulled together to defeat wee Hitler.