War and Civilization

Season 1

1998 · 8 episodes · 6h 56m in all

Episodes

1. 

   1. First Blood

   2 Aug 1998 · 52 min

   A look at the origins of modern warfare, when ancient Greek soldiers marched in formations called phalanxes. Also: Alexander the Great's foray into Asia Minor in the 4th century B.C. Narrated by Walter Cronkite..

2. 

   2. Empires and Armies

   9 Aug 1998 · 52 min

   The empires of ancient Rome and China, begun before the birth of Christ, which were hubs of cultural development despite being terribly violent. Also: fighting barbarians at their borders; and the legacies of these empires. Narrated by Walter Cronkite.

3. 

   3. Horse Warriors

   16 Aug 1998 · 52 min

   A look at the impact that horses had on warfare, which enabled Attila the Hun and Genghis Khan to rule over vast territories. Also: building fortifications of stone; and the rise of the samurai in Japan. Narrated by Walter Cronkite.

4. 

   4. Gunpowder

   23 Aug 1998 · 52 min

   "Gunpowder" forever changed the way wars were fought, both in an army's weapons and methods of defense. Also: arming ships with cannons; and the spread of European domination. Narrated by Walter Cronkite.

5. 

   5. Revolution

   30 Aug 1998 · 52 min

   England gains a stronghold in America after the Seven Years' War in 1763, but is eventually challenged, and defeated, by a new nation. Also: revolution in France; and the rise of Napoleon. Narrated by Walter Cronkite.

6. 

   6. Blood and Iron

   6 Sept 1998 · 52 min

   The Industrial Revolution creates more mechanized warfare, as trains and mass-produced weapons are tested in the Crimea and the American Civil War. Also: a united Germany; and war correspondents report from the front. Walter Cronkite narrates.

7. 

   7. War Machines

   13 Sept 1998 · 52 min

   Included: America fulfills its "manifest destiny"; colonialism expands in Africa and India; and World War I spawns the tank and the airplane. Also: the Russo-Japanese War; and World War II rises from the ashes of its predecessor. Walter Cronkite narrates.

8. 

   8. The Price of War

   20 Sept 1998 · 52 min

   "The Price of War" looks at the end of World War II and the atomic bomb, and the tension of the Cold War. Also: fighting communism in Korea and southeast Asia; and the fear of nuclear annihilation. Narrated by Walter Cronkite.