The Great War (1964): S01E05 – This Business May Last a Long Time

Introduction The Great War is a 26-episode BBC documentary series from 1964 on the First World War. The documentary was a co-production of the Imperial War Museum, the British Broadcasting Corporation, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and the Australian Broadcasting Commission. The narrator was Michael Redgrave, with readings by Marius Goring, Ralph Richardson, Cyril Luckham, Sebastian…

Andrew Marshall

11/08/2021

1–2 minutes

History, Military Documentary, World War One

Introduction

The Great War is a 26-episode BBC documentary series from 1964 on the First World War.

The documentary was a co-production of the Imperial War Museum, the British Broadcasting Corporation, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and the Australian Broadcasting Commission. The narrator was Michael Redgrave, with readings by Marius Goring, Ralph Richardson, Cyril Luckham, Sebastian Shaw, and Emlyn Williams.

Outline

The stabilisation of the fronts. The First Battle of the Marne, the Race to the Sea, the Siege of Antwerp and the First Battle of Ypres in the West; Austrian defeats in Serbia and in Galicia in the East. Reprisals against Germans in Britain, mass enlistment in the British Empire and Christmas at the front lines. Interviewees include Edward Spears, Stefan Westmann and Henry Williamson.

The Great War Series

You can find a full index and overview of The Great War here.

Production & Filming Details

Release Date: 27 June 1964.
Running time: 40 minutes.
Rating: Unknown.
Country: UK.
Language: English.