This BBC-series tries to make the First World War come alive with movies, interviews with (very) elderly survivors and historians, and extracts from letters and memoirs. In total, there are 6 episodes. All aspects of war are covered, from the battlefield in the east and west, to the land, air and see-battles.
In this first episode called Catastrophe, the fact that more then 65 million men took arms is examined. They never could imagine the destructive power of the new weapons and defensive tactics that would be used during the 4 years of fighting (although the American Civil War was a prelude and a warning to that). This Great War cost more then 10 million men their lives and left 20 million emotionally and physically incapacitated. How was it possible that all these men cheered when they were asked to go to the front?