The Great War Begins

Using a giant sand map of Europe etched into the sands of Blackpool beach, Dan Snow shows us how the war began. His map reveals how the protagonist nations became enmeshed in the conflict as age-old treaties and loyalties forced Europe’s countries into confrontation.

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This film encapsulates the human stories at the heart of the outbreak of war.

Using a giant sand map of Europe etched into the sands of Blackpool beach, Dan Snow shows us how the war began. His map reveals how the protagonist nations became enmeshed in the conflict as age-old treaties and loyalties forced Europe’s countries into confrontation.

Historian and broadcaster Joe Crowley reveals how a famous author helped fuel the British Government’s propaganda machine through the operations of a clandestine agency that remained secret for decades after the war had ended. And he heads out to sea to tell the story of a have-a-go hero who took on a mighty German U-boat – and won.

Archaeologist Dr Cassie Newland descends into a network of tunnels dug beneath the now peaceful fields of the Western Front to discover the identity of one of the Great War’s forgotten soldiers

Ruth Goodman, a historian and historical re-enactor, finds out how Agatha Christie’s talent for mystery and bloodthirsty murder was born out of her wartime nursing work in the unlikely setting of Torquay.

Historian David Olusoga visits Folkestone and tells the story of how war brought created one of the world’s first cultural melting pots in this tranquil seaside town.

The BBC’s Security Correspondent Gordon Corera takes us down into the trenches to demonstrate how a small innovation in field signalling led to a revolution in wartime communication.

And veteran royal watcher Gyles Brandreth investigates the remarkable story of how the Great War touched the lives, and changed the name, of Britain’s royal family.