| Developer: | Nugus/Martin Productions Ltd. |
| Starring: | Robert Powell |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Num Episodes: | 26 |
| Num Seasons: | 1 |
The Century of Warfare is a 26-part British TV documentary first released in 1993 and shown on A&E Television Networks. It was narrated by Robert Powell, and produced by Nugus/Martin Productions Ltd, and coincided with another Powell/Nugus-Martin project called Great Crimes and Trials.
The series endeavours to overview the entire century of world conflict from the turn or the century (1900) until the Gulf War in 1990/91. It covers every major conflict, as well as reviewing inter-war periods and military build-ups. It also examines lesser known theatres of major wars.
According to the official website, "An unparalleled collection of military and historical archives has been assembled from the USA, Japan, Britain, Germany, France, Italy and Russia, to contribute to this epic work."[1]
52 minutes each. For full episode contents and details refer to the official homepage.[2]
OTHER
The series received mixed reviews:
"The essential question, with a documentary this ambitious in scope, is whether it presents its material in both an understandable and an interesting manner, and The Century of Warfare comes out very well in both regards. Some of the material is highly complex...and the documentary does a very creditable job of presenting the facts and background information in a comprehensible manner. The Century of Warfare sets out on an ambitious program and lives up to its billing, offering an insightful and thorough look at the violent 20th century."[3]
"While it was certainly a monumental task to edit all of the footage together, that is all it is: a patchwork. Nothing new is offered: no tours of battlefields, or anything that would bring it to life. Naturally the film quality is poor due to its age, but images shown were clearly selected for their historical relevance to the narration, not their cinematography, and they are indeed excellent images."[4]
"Certainly, this is a fine introduction to a vast subject and does a sturdy job of describing and explicating on a certain level. But, some matters are oversimplified and ultimately the result is less than satisfactory. However, anyone who views parts of this documentary and then goes on to read more about the Holocaust, the politics of nuclear war and the misuses of power in the pursuit of political domination will count as a victory for the producers."[5]
"You will find few war stories...interesting in The Century of Warfare, an interminable series from the History Channel. A low-budget 1993 British production that relies on public domain footage, library music, and a monotonous British narrator with a soporific voice, this 26-episode series somehow manages to make one of the most inherently interesting subjects stunningly pedestrian and dull."[6]
The episode dealing with the events of 1943-45 (Episode 14) on the Balkan peninsula and the area of Yugoslavia may have several errors, namely Josip Broz Tito was not Serbian but rather born to Croatian and Slovenian parents, the Chetnik movement was not based in Croatia but in Serbia, and the flag colours depicting the partisans were incorrect.
The DVD Bonus Documentary, although credited as 1994, includes information up to the capture of Saddam Hussein in December 2003, as well as the Madrid train bombings of 11 March 2004. It was narrated by Gerrard McArthur, and unlike the rest of the series, used computer simulations to recreate battles.