World War One Documentaries

Stream acclaimed WWI series that explore the people, events and pivotal moments that shaped the global conflict between the Allies and the Central Powers and that bring eyewitness accounts from those who experienced the Great War.

The Man Who Shot The Great War

The man who shot the great war

In 1915, a soldier from Belfast took his camera along as he joined World War I. His exploits were to have a dramatic outcome many years later. Revealing for the first time what has been described as the ‘photographic discovery of the century’, this fascinating world war one documentary uncovers the remarkable story of George Hackney. Many of his incredible images are seen for the first time.

I Was There: The Great War Interviews

In the early 1960s, the BBC interviewed 280 eyewitnesses of the First World War for the series, The Great War. Using never-before-seen footage from these interviews, this groundbreaking history documentary illuminates the poignant human experience of the war through the eyes of those who fought, lived through, and survived it.

100 Days to Victory

Watch 100 Days to Victory on BBC Select

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

Stream Winston Churchill's War on BBC Select

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?

WWI: The Final Hours

Watch WWI: The Final Hours on BBC Select

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.