The Dawn of the 20th Century ushered in a new era, one of global warfare on a scale never seen before. Gone were the days when conflict could be confined to a single set of enemies, or even to a single continent. Disastrous wars erupted between nations that crossed oceans and continents, embroiling the entire world in discord and devastation. Although the century did see periods of peace and prosperity, the world seemed to be constantly at war beginning with World War I (The War to End All Wars) in 1914, through the last years of the century (Desert Storm in the Arabian Gulf).
Now for the first time ever, Time Media Group and CBS News presents War in the 20th Century, a unique box set containing 18 DVD discs covering the vast scope of global conflict in the 20th Century, over 61 hours in all. Never before complied in a single volume, this exciting, informative box set gives you a front row seat to America and the world's greatest battles, in victory and defeat, glory and shame. These documentaries reveal the causes and consequences of each conflict with in-depth reporting, the finest of archival films in color and B/W, maps and graphics, veteran's interviews, and historian's comments and perspectives.
Not for the feint of heart, these documentaries unflinchingly tell it like it was, with combat footage, and reporting from the various fronts that trapped civilians and soldiers alike in the terrible events of War in the 20th Century!
Disc 1
THE WAR BEGINS
Summer at Sarajevo
When the Austrian Archduke Ferdinand is assassinated in Sarajevo, the world's hope for a new century of peace and progress die.
Clash of the Generals
The First World War begins.
Doomed Dynasties
A look at the royal families of Europe, whose plans and mistakes, along with the military and political leaders, would soon engulf Europe in war.
Atrocity 1914
The German Army sweeps into neutral Belgium, drawing Great Britain into a war it does not want. As the small British Expeditionary Force lands in Europe, the German leave a swath of destruction in their wake.
They Sank the Lusitania
On the seas there is a new weapon, the submarine. German U-Boats sink hundreds of ships, including the Lusitania, in an effort to blockade England. The new tactics of unrestricted submarine warfare add propaganda fuel to the fire of American public opinion.
Verdun, the Inferno
No one battle came to represent the fury and bloody attrition of World War I better than the siege of Verdun. Amid the explosions and mud, the French and German Armies fought each other to an impasse. Thousands died at Verdun, and in the end, little had changed.
Battle of Jutland
When the war began England claimed supremacy on the seas but the German Fleet challenged British control in the single great naval action of WWI, the battle of Jutland
The Trenches
The war sinks into a bloody stalemate, ushering in the era of trench warfare. New tools of war appear and are unleashed in useless efforts to break the deadlock; tanks, poison gas and airplanes all add to the mayhem.
D-Day at Gallipoli
In the East, the Ottoman Empire seems vulnerable to attack. In an effort to break the deadlock war open, the British commence a disastrous invasion of Turkish territory at Gallipoli.
Extra Features:
Great Events Before the War
1910 - King Edwards VII Dies
1911 - The South Pole Is Conquered
1912 - The Titanic Disaster
1913 - The Panama Canal
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Disc 2
THE LOSS OF INNOCENCE
America the Neutral
As Europe plunged into war, Americans were anxious to remain neutral. President Wilson vows to keep the U.S. at peace.
Wilson & War
The Germans are desperate to break England and launch unrestricted submarine warfare again. American ships are sunk. The tide of opinion in America turns against Germany and a reluctant America enters the war.
Revolution in Red
Although the Russian Army has fought bravely, the Czar has proven to be an ineffective military leader. After three years of fighting, a new german offensive breaks the front and Russia is plunged into revolution.
The Year of Lost Illusions
Europe has been mired in senseless slaughter for over two years. The strain of war on the British Empire has created social unrest, an anti-war movement and immense casualty lists. Still the war goes on for the troops trapped in the mud and brutality of the trenches.
Behind German Lines
Germany totters on the brink of collapse; the war and the British blockade are stretching her to the breaking point. The German High Command looks for a way to break the deadlock and strike hard in the East.
Over There
Isolationist at the beginning, America now joins the war on the Allied side. Doughboys pour into France as the American Expeditionary Force goes 'over there,' into the deadly quagmire of the Western Front.
Over Here
Against a backdrop of social unrest, America unites to support the war. As US Troops sail for war, the government commences unprecedented effort to regulate the economy as all facets of American industry and resources are organized to support the war effort.
Daredevils and Dog-Fighters
The era of modern warfare is unleashed, as airplanes become a military weapon. First used for reconnaissance, soon the sky is filled with dog-fighting airplanes.
The Promised Lands
As the Ottoman Empire crumbles in the East, the British attack its outposts in Arabia. A campaign involving the Arabs under the command of Lawrence of Arabia culminates in the conquest of Jerusalem.
Extra Features:
Up From the Trenches |
Disc 3
THE TIDE OF WAR TURNS
The Agony of Caporetto
On the Southern Front, Italy goes to war against Austria, waging a costly campaign in the frozen Alps as chaos and destruction of war spread throughout the region.
Tipperary & All That Jazz
Music was an integral part of World War I. The popular tunes of the day tried to put an upbeat perspective on life and helped relieve the tension and boredom of war in the trenches.
The Tide Turns
With the U.S. in the war, the tide turns in the Allies' favor as the last German offensive in the West sputters out. Behind the lines, the Allied Generals battle over command while the statesmen bicker over peace plans.
The Battle of the Argonne
The American Army undertakes its first offensive and tastes victory, but the bloody battle in the Argonne Forest is one, if the costliest in US history.
The Day The Guns Stopped Firing
The German War Machine is all but spent and her exhausted leaders seek peace with the Allies. the German leadership finally agrees to the Allied demands for unconditional surrender and the guns fall silent on November 11, 1918.
Wilson & Peace
With the war over, Allied leaders carving up the map of Europe. President Wilson's forward thinking fourteen points are ultimately rejected as America returns to its old isolationist ways.
Allies in Russia
The revolution in Russia has disturbed implications for the Allied powers. The troops they send to Russia endure the cold and inhospitable land until they are finally withdrawn, leaving Russia to the victorious Red Army.
Heritage of War
The end of the war sparks a wave of unrest throughout Europe. The peace in Europe is fragile and strife wracks much of the war torn land. In Italy, the fascists ascend to power under Mussolini. The harsh terms of the Treaty of versailles and the threat of Bolshevism together lead to the rise of the Nazi party in Germany. Their leader, Adolf Hitler, vows to avenge Germany's defeat.
Extra Features:
Post War Great Events
1920 - Prohibition
1920 - Sufferage
1921 - The Irish Free State
1922 - Mussolini Takes Over
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Disc 4
WORLD WAR II War in the Pacific
with WALTER CRONKITE
Part I
The Seeds of War
Walter Cronkite surveys the people, places and events that set the stage of World War II in Europe. In the Far East, Japan's plans for regional domination lead to a brutal invasion of China. In America, President Roosevelt tries to prepare the country for the coming storm.
The Pacific: War Begins
Walter Cronkite recounts the dark days of the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, including the destruction of US airpower in Asia at Clark Field, the fall of Singapore and the defeats at Bataan and Corregidor. Also covered is the daring Doolittle raid, the first strike of the war against the Japanese homeland.
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Disc 5
WORLD WAR II War in the Pacific
with WALTER CRONKITE
Part II
The War Against Japan
Witness historic military exploits from the Himalayas to the islands of the Central Pacific. Go along with the daring airmen that fly the "Hump" over the Himalayan Mountains., bringing vital supplies to a desperate China. Follow along with the Marines on the invasion of Tarawa, one of the bloodiest and brutal invasions of the war, where America learned the lessons of amphibious warfare the hard way. Walter Cronkite takes you along on the invasion of Okinawa as U.S. forces battle the raging typhoon and the Divine Wind of the Kamikaze suicide pilots. Finally, take a unique look at the Enola Gay that ushered in the atomic age and helped end World War II.
The Pacific Campaign
This volume documents the long and bloody campaign that took America from Midway to the blood-soaked beaches of Tarawa, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Climb aboard a B-29 and see how U.S. bombers took the war to Japan's homeland.
Extra Feature:
Action at Angaur in the Palau Islands
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Disc 6
WORLD WAR II War in the Pacific
with WALTER CRONKITE
Part III
The Pacific Perimeter
This volume is a chronicle of war waged on the fringes of the Pacific Theater. Walter Cronkite examines the war from the steamy jungles of New Guinea to the frozen Aleutian Islands. Also examined are U.S. coastal defenses, the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise and the internment of Japanese-American citizens, a troubling chapter of the war on the home front.
Homefront And Victory
Concluding this epic account of World War II in the Pacific, Walter Cronkite focuses on the final months of the conflict with Japan. Experience what life in America was like during wartime. See how America responded during the challenging, chaotic days from Pearl Harbor to VJ Day. Come aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay as Japan surrenders and witness the events that set the stage for the end of the war in the Pacific.
Extra Feature:
Two Down and One to Go |
Disc 7
WORLD WAR II War in Europe
with WALTER CRONKITE
Part I
Cronkite's War Years
From a convoy crossing the Atlantic, to a flight on a B-17 over Fortress Europe and onto the beaches of Normandy, Walter Cronkite offers a riveting account of life and death on the front lines in World War II.
The Seeds of War
Walter Cronkite surveys the people, places and events that set the stage of World War II in Europe. It began with the chaos that engulfs Germany after World War I and traces the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazis.
The German High Command
Walter Cronkite creates an unforgettable portrait of the rise and fall of the infamous inner circle of Nazi leaders, the German High Command. Witness the germans who tried to assassinate Hitler and end his era of madness.
Invasion: The Allies Attack
Walter Cronkite presents the chronicle of the two amphibious assaults that would change the course of World War II in Europe. The first assault was the Allied invasion of North Africa and the second assault on D-Day.
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Disc 8
WORLD WAR II War in Europe
with WALTER CRONKITE
Part II
Battleground Italy
Witness the rise of the Fascists and Benito Mussolini and their ignoble downfall as Walter Cronkite leads a wartime tour of Italy. Follow the Duce's first moves as an aggressor, through the disastrous defeats, the Allied invasions of Sicily and Italy and the brutal fighting.
Europe: The Allies Close In
Witness the crucial battles and follow along as the Allies race towards the heart of Germany. In Paris, the French resistance goes on the offensive. In the Netherlands, the largest airborne assault in military history throws the Germans on the defensive. Walter Cronkite presents an in-depth examination of the Battle of the Bulge and details the lucky break that carries the Americans over the bridge at Remagen.
The Scandinavian and Soviet Fronts
The pristine, snowy landscape of Scandinavia and Northern Europe was the scene of brutal, sub-zero combat. Walter Cronkite surveys the fighting in Scandinavia and also reviews the Russo-German non-aggression pact and Hitler's surprise attack on his former ally.
The Eastern Front
From the siege of Leningrad to the Battle of Stalingrad, the Eastern front was the scene of the most savage fighting of World War II as witnessed by the Nazi destruction of Warsaw and the almost suicidal convoys to Murmansk.
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Disc 9
WORLD WAR II War in Europe
with WALTER CRONKITE
Part III
Air War Over Europe
Walter Cronkite recounts the awesome campaign that took aim at the Third Reich from the skies. Join the daring low-level attack on the refineries of Ploesti. Climb aboard a B-17 for a bombing run over Germany. Fly through flak-filled skies and face German fighter pilots. View the secret aerial weapons that Germany used in its indiscriminate campaign of terror, the V-1 and V-2 rockets.
Europe: Wars Within A War
This chronicles the campaign that raged away from the major fronts of the war. Walter Cronkite covers the German led Russian units of "The Army of the Damned" and the barbaric civil war in Greece. Dramatic footage also captures the fall of Czechoslovakia, the relentless Axis assault on the Mediterranean island of Malta and the South Atlantic drama played out by the German pocket battleship Graf Spee.
Victory!
Concluding this epic account of World War II in Europe, Walter Cronkite focuses on the final months of the conflict. After the war, attend the trial of the century at Nuremberg, as the world sits in judgment of the leaders of Nazi Germany, the final chapter of this horrific struggle.
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Disc 10
KOREA
The Forgotten War
In June of 1950, the North Korean Army initiated a massive attack on its neighbor to the south, beginning a see-saw war that would engulf the entire Korean Peninsula. For the next three years, the United Nations and the Communists would wage a bloody and brutal war. Though the Korean conflict is often referred to as the "Forgotten War," those who fought and sacrificed for freedom will never forgot
| The First Forty Days |
Operation Killer |
| The Pusan Perimeter |
The Air War |
| The Inchon Landing & Recapturing Seoul |
Back To The 38th |
| On To The Yalu |
MacArthur is Dismissed |
| The Chosen Reservoir |
The First Ceasefire Talks |
| The Evacuation of Hungnam |
The Hill Fights |
| The United Nations in Retreat |
The Ceasefire and Aftermath |
Extras: World Events
The H-Bomb test (1952)
The Development Of The Polio Vaccine (1953)
The Conquest Of Mt. Everest (1953)
The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II (1953)
The McCarthy Era (1950-1954)
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Disc 11
VIETNAM WAR
with WALTER CRONKITE
Part I
The Seeds of Conflict
From the French defeat at Dien Bien Phu to the Gulf of Tonkin incident, this program chronicles America's growing entanglement in Vietnam. Watch as the United States becomes mired in an escalating war for the hearts and minds of the Vietnamese people.
America Takes Charge
The arrival of the first American ground troops is followed by a massive buildup of US forces as the war becomes Americanized. Meet the soldiers and commanders, witness battles, the growing protests at home and the aftermath of the massacre at My Lai.
Courage Under Fire
This program features remarkable combat footage from the first American offensive through the incursion into Cambodia. Witness the valor and bravery of the ground troops, the daring helicopter pilots and the nurses who fought to save the wounded. This is an unforgettable portrait of the soldiers who faced death on a daily basis.
The World of Charlie Company
Join the men of Charlie Company on a mission in Cambodia in 1970. It is memorable insight into the inner conflict of the soldiers' personal views set against the realities of jungle combat.
Extra Feature:
Combat Veteran Interviews
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Disc 12
VIETNAM WAR
with WALTER CRONKITE
Part II
The Elusive Enemy
Filmed mostly by the Viet Cong, take an inside look at the weapons and tactics of the elusive and resourceful enemy. You will see how American forces tried to counter their enemy with technology and with "tunnel rats" who hunted the Viet Cong in their own hideouts.
The Tet Offensive
By 1968, American commanders thought they could see the light at the end of the tunnel. Then came the enemies' searing Tet holiday offensive, the coordinated attack on more than one hundred cities throughout South Vietnam. This program captures the ferocity of the desperate struggle in the cities of Vietnam and the stunned reaction in America.
Dateline Saigon
This is a portrait of Saigon, the teeming and sordid wartime capitol of South Vietnam. Witness the fall of the North Vietnamese forces at the end of the war. Revisit Saigon, now renamed Ho Chi Minh City, ten years after the war and view the changes.
Fire From the Sky
This eye opening program is the story of the men and machines that dominated the air over Southeast Asia for ten years. Watch as the helicopter comes of age as a weapon and shares the sky with the screaming jet fighters. Follow a bombing mission over North Vietnam from pre-flight briefing all the way to the target.
Extra Feature:
Combat Veteran Interviews
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Disc 13
VIETNAM WAR
with WALTER CRONKITE
Part III
America Pulls Back
This is the war as it was fought during the last days of United States involvement in Vietnam. it is a shocking story of poor morale, drug use and innocent victims of a brutal war. America struggles for a way out, the so-called "peace with honor."
The End Of The Road
From the withdrawal of the last US combat troops and the return of American POWs, to the fall of Saigon, this is the final chapter in the Vietnam War. Walk the Ho Chi Minh trail and witness the final offensive against the South. As Saigon falls, you will watch the last tragic act in a long and divisive war.
Legacies
The war in Vietnam was one of America's longest and undeniably the most divisive conflicts in US history. Go with the veterans and people that lived through the conflict to revisit the places and memories of a distant but unforgotten war.
Extra Feature:
Combat Veteran Interviews
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Disc 14
DESERT TRIUMPH
Narrated by CBS Anchorman
DAN RATHER
THE COMPLETE STORY OF
OPERATION DESERT STORM
1990 - 1991
In 1990, aggression had a new name: Saddam Hussein. CBS News tells the story of Iraq's dastardly invasion of Kuwait and the build up of coalition forces in the Gulf region to oppose further iraqi moves. Watch the initial strikes against iraq and then ride along with the tanks of the coalition as they smash the Iraqis and liberate Kuwait. Final victory over Saddam Hussein's brutal aggression brings about the triumph in the desert.
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Disc 15
CRONKITE REMEMBERS
A REMARKABLE CENTURY
Part I
The Early Years
A nostalgic look back at Walter Cronkite's boyhood years, a time when America came of age through the ordeals of World War I and the Depression, when radio, automobiles, aviation, gangsters, and movies all became fixtures in American culture.
World War II
Fresh from the Depression, war once again engulfs the United States. Be an eyewitness to history as Walter Cronkite takes you to Omaha Beach, Bastogne and the Nuremberg War Crime Trials.
The Cold War
Amid the turmoil of the Cold War, Walter Cronkite rises to the top of his profession as the CBS national news anchor while covering such stories as the first atomic bomb test, the Red Scare and the Korean War. |
Disc 16
CRONKITE REMEMBERS
A REMARKABLE CENTURY
Part II
Television and Politics
As television penetrates almost every American household, it plays an increasing role in domestic politics. From the 1960 presidential debates to the shock of John F. Kennedy's assassination, television - and Walter Cronkite - are there to tell the story.
Vietnam and Civil Rights
Television brings Southern racial oppression and the Vietnam War home to America, helping spark radical changes throughout the country. Protests erupt from coast to coast as civil rights and opposition to the war dominate the country and the news.
Man on the Moon
As domestic strife rocks America, visionaries reach for the stars in a quest to land on the moon. From the fascinating manned flights around the planet to the final triumph of Neil Armstrong's moon walk, Walter Cronkite tells the story to an enthralled global audience.
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Disc 17
CRONKITE REMEMBERS
A REMARKABLE CENTURY
Part III
The 70's and a Walter Cronkite Career Recap
America suffers from the excesses of its leaders as President RIchard Nixon and Vice President Spiro Agnew are felled by scandals. As the United States tried to recover, oil shortages, creates long lines at the pumps while terrorists seize hostages in Iran. Then with the '80s, a new era of optimism comes to America.
Extra Feature:
A Remarkable Century
Time Line |
Disc 18
American Veterans of Foreign Wars Interviews
- Medal of Honor Recipient Robert Bush
U.S. Navy, G Company, 5th Regiment
1st U.S.M.C. Division, 2nd Battalion
- Author Kristi Negri
Author of "Proof Through the Night - a B-29 Pilot Captured in Japan"
Daughter of Ernest Picket, B-29 Pilot and POW
- Airborne Combat Veterans
Normandy: Robert Huerge, 82nd Airborne
Thomas Blakely, 82nd Airborne
Rollo Morris, 82nd Airborne
Holland: George Hash, 101st Airborne
Battle of the Bulge: William, 101st Airborne
- Prisoners of War
Omar McGuire, 21st Pursuit Squadron - Captured on Bataan
Walter Graham, 99 Infantry - Captured in the Battle of the Bulge
Bill Gunnip, 409th Signal Battalion - Captured on Bataan
Herb Henderson, 92nd Bomb Group - Shot down over Germany
Norm Swanson Civilian - Captured on Wake Island
Hal Cook, 405th Bomb Group - Shot down over Germany
Clarence Graham, 60th Coastal Artillery - Captured on Corrigedor
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