ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, November 11, 1996 TAG: 9611120144
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG NYE KNIGHT-RIDDER/TRIBUNE
It has been called the first man-made catastrophe of the 20th century.
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the act that set off World War I, but there were dozens of other factors which contributed to the rising tensions that made the atmosphere ``ripe for war.''
And one thing is certain, ``the war to end all wars,'' did nothing of the kind. If anything, it served as a launching pad for many of the conflicts, bloodshed and social revolutions that were to follow long after the guns fell silent on the Western Front.
Many historians say that World War I and World War II were simply two parts of the same war.
The saga of that massive conflict has been masterfully captured in ``The Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century,'' a terrific new eight-part documentary from PBS that premiered Sunday night and runs through Wednesday. PBS is showing two parts of the documentary each night.
A co-production of the BBC and Los Angeles' KCET, this is the first in-depth look at the first World War in more than 30 years. Prior to this effort, the best documentary on the subject was CBS' ``World War I,'' which consisted of 26 half-hour shows and was aired in the early 1960s.
This new production not only concentrates on the battles, but chronicles many of the events that gradually led up to the conflict and then examines the aftermath of the war.
In all, it should be an enlightening and absorbing history lesson for generations to whom World War I is only a fuzzy footnote in some half-read history book.
``The Great War colored everything that came before and shadowed everything that followed,'' executive producer Blaine Baggett said. ``It was the defining moment of the modern age, and to understand today's world we must go back to 1914.''
Certainly those nations who plunged the world into war had no idea what they were in for. Both the Allies - mainly Britain, France and Russia - and the Central Powers - primarily Germany, Austria-Hungary and Turkey - figured it would all amount to no more than a few small skirmishes.
It turned out to be a kind of war none of them had never known. It was the first time that tanks, machine guns, airplanes, poison gas and other tools of modern warfare had been used. And the results were devastating.
With the use of an incredible amount of film footage, much of it not seen in years, vintage still shots, letters and diaries, the producers of ``The Great War'' have given us another sterling documentary that can takes its place along the likes of ``The Civil War,'' ``Baseball'' and the recent four-hour effort on Teddy Roosevelt.
Offering their voices to much of the moving commentary are Leslie Caron, Louis Gossett Jr., Jeremy Irons, Martin Landau, Malcom McDowell, Liam Neeson, Martin Jean, Jean Stapleton, Michael York and others. Salome Jens is the narrator.
Also worth mentioning are the groups that funded this project - the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Public Broadcasting System, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations.
Sunday night, the first two parts of the documentary covered the events leading up to the war, culminating in the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand in 1914, the war's early stalemate, and the advent of trench warfare and modern weapons.
Here is a preview of the remaining episodes:
Tonight at 9
Episode Three, ``Total War'': By 1915 the war has become a truly global conflict. Turks and Australians battle on the Turkish cliffs of Gallipoli. This segment chronicles several individual stories of average citizens who are affected by the war. A young German soldier, Adolph Hitler, notes the mass murder of Armenian civilians.
Episode Four, ``Slaughter'': Films clips and photos capture the horror and breadth of the blood-drenched battlefields. A million men die at the Battle of Verdun. Another million are sacrificed at The Somme. Now the war seems as if it would never end.
Tuesday at 9
Episode Five, ``Mutiny'': By 1917, men, armies and nations are near the breaking point. They have had enough. Half the French army refuses to take part in senseless attacks. The greatest uprising of all takes place - the Russian Revolution.
Episode Six, ``Collapse'': As 1918 begins, Germany begins to step up the offensive because Russia no longer offers opposition and the French are in a state of confusion. But manpower is dwindling so old men and young boys are pressed into service. But a new player - the United States - steps in to shift the balance of power and as President Woodrow Wilson says ``to make the world safe for democracy.''
Wednesday at 9
Episode Seven, ``Hatred and Hunger'': The Great War is one of history's worst disasters. Nine millions soldiers lay dead and millions of other are injured. Four empires have collapsed. Although the fighting eventually stops, the conflicts between nations does not end. The groundwork for the Cold War has been laid. Germany, starved into submission, will not forget its treatment and that will play a big part in launching an even more catastrophic war a generation later.
Episode Eight, ``War Without End'': In the aftermath of the broken hopes, broken families and broken lives, journalists and artists attempt to explain why it all happened. No one can come up with one concrete answer. They all know that the innocence of the late 19th century has vanished. The ``War to End All Wars'' was only the beginning.
LENGTH: Long : 103 linesby CNB