World War One Documentaries
Horror In The East
During the First World War, POWs in Japan were treated remarkably well. What happened in the intervening years that led the nation to commit such inhumane atrocities in World War II? This series probes the Japanese belief at the time of racial superiority and the mentality that drove Kamikaze fighters.
WWI: The Final Hours
On 8 November 1918, an Englishman, a Frenchman, and a German secretly gathered in a train carriage near Paris. Their meeting would last for three days. The aim: to end four long years of brutal and deadly war.
This innovative history documentary uncovers the extraordinary events leading up to the World War I Armistice and explores how repercussions would ripple throughout the 20th century.
War's Secret Shame: Shell Shock
By the end of World War One, hundreds of thousands of servicemen were displaying symptoms with no obvious physical cause, including violent shaking, muteness and night terrors.
Using archive footage and interviews with combat veterans, this documentary delves into the story of one of the 20th century’s greatest mental health challenges, shell shock – also known as battle fatigue, combat stress and, more recently, PTSD – and asks why we are still unable to deal effectively with the trauma of war.
100 Days to Victory
It was the birth of modern warfare. In Spring 1918, the Germans launched a massive ‘shock and awe’ offensive to defeat the Allied forces. To survive, the Allies needed to coordinate and cooperate.
As this gripping history documentary on BBC Select reveals, this sudden need for a concerted defensive effort led to an Allied victory in World War I and changed the way that war was waged forever.
Winston Churchill's War
BBC Select explores the psyche of one of the most fascinating figures in history: Winston Churchill. The groundbreaking documentary unpicks the character of this great war leader who helped to defeat Hitler and the Nazis and kept the British public going during the darkest days of World War II. What’s revealed is a complex figure with many demons and flaws. But what made this great man tick?