Introduction

A six-part documentary series about the First World War which uses recorded figures to outline the full extent of the conflict.

This series tells the complete story of World War I – from outbreak to conclusion – and the fragile peace that followed. The Great War was a conflict driven by quantity and numbers, fought by calculating generals for who no cost was too high. For the first time in history, everything was recorded in exacting detail and this documentary reveals the startling facts behind the staggering scale of the war to end all wars.

Outline of Episode 2

By the beginning of 1915 the horrific killing power of machine guns and artillery had taught all sides that the only way to survive was to find shelter and dig in. Nowhere was this illustrated more dramatically than at the Battle of Neuve Chapelle in March 1915, where a handful of German soldiers with machine guns held off a British force of 9,000 men. Eventually 25,000 miles of trenches would cut across Europe. With conventional weapons unable to provide a breakthrough, new technologies took the war into the sky and under the sea. Britain started the war with just …

The Great War in Numbers Series

• Episode 01: The March to War.
• Episode 02: Weapons of War.
• Episode 03: Descent in Hell.
• Episode 04: The Home Front.
• Episode 05: Total War.
• Episode 06: Endgame.

Production & Filming Details

• Narrator: John Heffernan.
• Released Date: 11 October 2017 (UK).
• Running time: 270 minutes (total running time).
• Country: UK.
• Language: English.

YouTube Link