Military & War

The army that defeated Napoleon and the French at Waterloo is often regarded as a quintessentially English force. But most of the soldiers under the Duke of Wellington’s command were not English. Through their own accounts, this compelling history documentary tells the stories of the Scots, Irish, Welsh, Dutch, and German troops who fought the battle and of the families who travelled with them.

Ep 1: Eyes of War
It was one of history’s bloodiest battles that changed the face of Europe forever.

Waterloo was one of the bloodiest and most decisive battles in history. The Irish-born Duke of Wellington engaged his army into what would be the last major pitched battle in history, with his countrymen and kilted Highlanders to the fore. This fascinating history documentary uses the testimony of the men who were there to tell the story of a battle where an estimated 50,000 died in 10 hours.

Ep 2: Last Stand at Waterloo
The conclusion of the Battle of Waterloo, with Wellington snatching victory from Napoleon.

With 200,000 men fighting over a small area of land, the Battle of Waterloo was an amazing, gory spectacle. This astonishing history documentary looks at the battle’s conclusion and the tactics of both Napoleon and Wellington that swung the skirmish in England’s favor. But the human cost is also explored, such as Elizabeth McMullen who heroically rescued her injured husband from the battlefield.

WWII was the ultimate conflict of the machine age, and the tank was its iconic symbol. The ‘tankies’ experienced much of the conflict from the fall of France to the deserts of Africa, D-Day to the final victory in Germany. This fascinating history documentary tells the story of six remarkable men from one armored unit: the Fifth Royal Tank Regiment, also known as the Filthy Fifth.

Episode 1: The Hell of War
The ‘tankies’ face brutal battle conditions in France and the North African desert.

British tank units were integral to victory during WWII. This remarkable history documentary follows the exploits of one extra ordinary regiment using rare footage and interviews with survivors. Their story starts at Dunkirk before moving to vicious fighting in North Africa. Just when this band of ‘tankies’ believe there’s a lull in the action, they must face the beaches of Normandy.

Episode 2: The Smell of Victory
The tank unit struggles against improved Nazi technology before making a breakthrough.

As WWII continues, the ‘tankies’ from the Fifth Royal Tank Regiment struggle with battle conditions in France. But as this stunning history documentary shows, they also faced superior German artillery. After months of attrition, the Fifth made a breakthrough and were soon heading towards German. But tragedy would strike during the war’s final days.

Using unique access to unseen German military archives, historian Peter Barton tells the story of the battle that, more than any other, has come to define the WWI experience: The Somme. Considered one of the deadliest battles in human history, in this enthralling history documentary, he walks the battlefield, explaining the failures that led to over 20,000 British deaths. Was the battle worth it?

Ep 1: First Day
Historian Peter Barton explores the events leading up to the first day of the offensive. The first day of the Somme offensive was notoriously bloody and brutal. Historian Peter Barton explores the events leading up to this devastating battle, in this compelling history documentary. He argues that it was not what British did badly but what their enemy did better that led to such huge causalities. What mistakes were made by both sides as the battle raged on?

Ep 2: Defense in Depth
Did the unwavering battle tactics of the British lead to more carnage at the Somme? During the Somme battle, Allied tactics which should have lasted days took months and resulted in yet more carnage. But why did this happen? In this engrossing history documentary, Peter Barton concentrates on the second phase of the battle, from the middle of July to the middle of September 1916. The British stuck to their initial plans, while the Germans were more flexible in approach.

Ep 3: End Game
Have the common perceptions about the bloody Battle of the Somme been incorrect? Is the accepted narrative surrounding the Battle of the Somme entirely accurate? Historian Peter Barton concludes his history of the battle by looking at the final months of the campaign, as this enlightening history documentary concludes. He argues that the Somme ended not in the winter of 1916, but in the spring of 1917. And he reaches the conclusion that there was no British victory.