The First World War: The People’s Story

THE FIRST WORLD WAR: THE PEOPLE’S STORY draws on an extraordinary and little known archive of two hundred interviews with the last survivors from the battlefields and the home front, filmed over the past twenty-five years. Vivid and heart breaking accounts are told from the main theatres of war - such as Passchendaele and the Somme - as well as on the home front where families were devastated by the loss of loved ones. One of the most catastrophic wars in human history is seen and heard as never before, as emotional testimonies are combined with digitally restored WWI footage to tell the people's story.

Overview Credits Watch Reviews Seasons Images Videos Recommendations Similar

Created By

Status

Ended

Original Name

The First World War: The People’s Story

First Air Date

December 22, 2021

Last Air Date

December 22, 2021

Seasons

Episodes

Language

English

Production Companies

Networks

MagellanTV

S01E03

The Fight To The End

The Fight to The End tells the story of the terrible battles of 1917 and 1918 and how Britain and her Allies turned a looming defeat into victory. As recruitment levels fell conscription was introduced- one of them was Harry Patch who went onto live to the age of 111 and was the last British survivor of WW1. These were years when German U-Boats attempted to starve Britain into surrender and there were serious food shortages on the home front. We hear dramatic stories of the Battle of Passchendaele in 1917 - a battle fought in a quagmire of mud. In the Spring Offensive of 1918 the German army made huge advances and almost won the war. Some of our survivors were taken prisoner and worked as ‘slave labour’ in Germany. But, with the help of the United States, there was a final push to victory. The sacrifice involved in this total war changed the world forever.

View Episodes