S5 E1 • Machinations In The British High Command

1918 starts with machinations in the British High Command since Prime Minister Lloyd George is holding back troops and generally would like to replace Sir Douglas Haig as commander.

Première diffusion : 4 janvier 2018

S5 E2 • Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points

In the first full week of 1918, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson outlines his points for peace. In the Caucasus, the increasing instability leads to daily skirmishes between the Armenians and Ottomans. Ludendorff continues planning for an upcoming German offensive whilst his countrymen negotiate peace terms with Russia.

Première diffusion : 11 janvier 2018

S5 E3 • Assassination Attempt on Lenin - Chaos in Romania

This week in Russia, Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin was almost killed by sharpshooters in Petrograd and the Constituent Assembly meets. Tensions rise as Russia issues an ultimatum to Romania, with an order for their King’s arrest. There are also machinations in Finland and some action on the Western Front.

Première diffusion : 18 janvier 2018

S5 E4 • Civil War in Finland and the Ukraine

This week in the Great War, two more wars start - the Finnish Civil War and the Ukrainian War of Independence. Meanwhile, David Lloyd George pulls some strings in France, even as Ludendorff settles on a target for Germany’s upcoming Spring Offensive.

Première diffusion : 25 janvier 2018

S5 E5 • Strikes and Mutiny

Public opinion is turning against the war for the Central Powers but not only that, mutinies are also happening more frequently. Winning the war will be a race against time for Ludendorff and Germany's allies. Within the month, the biggest German offensive of the war is to be unleashed.

Première diffusion : 1 février 2018

S5 E6 • Austro-Hungarian House of Cards

The situation for Austria-Hungary is dire, even after the success in Italy and the peace negotiations at Brest-Litovsk. Strikes and mutinies break out across the Empire and the emerging drive for ethnic self determination by the subjects of the Empire are worrying to the leaders of the Habsburg Empire.

Première diffusion : 8 février 2018

S5 E7 • No War, No Peace – Trotsky's Gamble

he negotiations between the Bolsheviks, the German High Command and Austria-Hungary reach a new low this week 100 years ago. Leon Trotsky is playing for time since the revolutions in Berlin and Vienna are only a matter of time in his opinion. At the same time, the Ukrainians are try to get German aid against the Bolsheviks against Ukrainian grain for the starving German population.

Première diffusion : 15 février 2018

S5 E8 • Operation Faustschlag - Germany Advances In The East Again

Germany has had enough with the stalling tactics by the Bolsheviks and is unleashing its military might on the Eastern Front again to show who is in charge. Within the first days of Operation Faustschlag, the German Army marches on Kiev and the Baltic region. At the same time, the plans for a German spring offensive in the West are getting more pronounced.

Première diffusion : 22 février 2018

S5 E9 • Ludendorff's Window Of Opportunity

German victory in the East, chaos in the British High Command, stable fronts in the Balkans and Italy, the US still not in full strength; German General Erich Ludendorff has a window of opportunity for his spring offensive and he intends to use it. Within the next weeks the German Army will launch their biggest offensive of WW1: Operation Michael.

Première diffusion : 1 mars 2018

S5 E10 • Peace In The East - The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

Germany and the Russian Bolshevik Government sign the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk ending hostilities on the Eastern Front. Previously Germany had resumed the war in the East to put pressure on the Bolsheviks to accept the dictated terms. The Western Front Caucasian theatre were far from peaceful though.

Première diffusion : 8 mars 2018

S5 E11 • Allied Unified Command On The Horizon

While Germany is occupying a territory from the Baltics to the Black Sea and planning it's huge spring offensive, the Allies are still trying to get behind the idea of a unified command.

Première diffusion : 15 mars 2018

S5 E12 • Kaiserschlacht - German Spring Offensive 1918

It was all or nothing for the German Army under General Erich Ludendorff now: They unleashed the biggest offensive of the entire war on the Western Front trying to split the British and French Armies, drive the British off the continent and capture Paris.

Première diffusion : 22 mars 2018

S5 E13 • Backs To The Wall - All Eyes On Amiens

The German Operation Michael continues this week and after some uncertainty, the Germans put their eyes on Amiens. The city is a vital communications and transport hub for the Entente and so Ferdinand Foch decides to mount a defence in front of the city.

Première diffusion : 29 mars 2018

S5 E14 • Operation Michael Runs Out Of Breath

Two weeks after the initial success of the German Spring Offensive, Operation Michael looses pace and direction. The German supply situation is dire and when the troops find cattle and food behind the British positions, there is no way for them to ignore that. At the same time, orders for a new German offensive in Flanders are given and the Germans land additional troops in Finnland.

Première diffusion : 5 avril 2018

S5 E15 • The Battle of La Lys - Operation Georgette

A year after the US entry into the war, the German Spring Offensive 1918 continues with operations Archangel and Georgette. The Portuguese Expeditionary Corps has to pay the price while the British manage to orderly retreat.

Première diffusion : 12 avril 2018

S5 E16 • Knocking Out The Hejaz Railway

While the Germans are still advancing in Flanders (Operation Georgette), the other fronts are not always quiet. In Palestine, the British forces and the Arab Revolt are taking the initiative again. T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) and the Arab Revolt are attacking the vital Hejaz Railway, a major transport factor for the Ottoman Empire.

Première diffusion : 19 avril 2018

S5 E17 • The First Tank-on-Tank Battle in History - The Zeebrugge Raid

At Villers-Bretonneux, German and British tanks clash marking the first tank-on-tank battle in history. In the same week, the most successful flying ace of World War 1 is shot down over France: Manfred von Richthofen dies after scoring 80 victories. Meanwhile, the British Navy attempts to eliminate the German U-Boat threat with a daring raid on Zeebrugge and Ostende.

Première diffusion : 26 avril 2018

S5 E18 • Pershing Under Pressure - The End Of La Lys

Even though the German spring offensive is not able to gain any ground in Flanders, the allied casualties are mounting. This increases the pressure on John J. Pershing and the American troops in Europe to finally join the battle.

Première diffusion : 3 mai 2018

S5 E19 • The Ostende Raid - Peace of Bucharest

Even though the first raid on Ostende and the Raid on Zeebrugge were not entirely successful, the Royal Navy is still determined to block access to the German submarine ports in Belgium. And this week they attack Ostende again. Meanwhile, the Germans are planning their next offensives for late May 1918 even though ten percent of the Western Front army has become a casualty in the offensives this year alone.

Première diffusion : 10 mai 2018

S5 E20 • Rebellion

The summer of 1918 saw many ethnic and political groups within the warring empires to openly rebel. The Austro-Hungarian Army saw open mutiny every week, the Irish rebelled against the British, the situation in the newly annexed Eastern European territories that were now part of the German Empire was a powder keg. And in France civilians were sentenced to death for treason.

Première diffusion : 17 mai 2018

S5 E21 • Bombs Away - German Thirst For Caucasian Oil

In the 200th week of the war, the total nature of modern warfare is truly showing its face. The warring nations escalate their bombing campaigns and the German troops in the Caucasus are so thirsty for Caucasian oil, that they are considering to double cross their own allies.

Première diffusion : 24 mai 2018

S5 E22 • 50 Miles To Paris - Third Battle Of The Aisne

The French and British defenses during the German Spring Offensive 1918 were put to a real test when the Germans attacked. The carefully built defenses had to be abandoned and new lessons had to be learned.

Première diffusion : 31 mai 2018

S5 E23 • The Battle of Belleau Wood Begins

The German Army is still threatening Paris and the situation for the Allies looks dire. Reluctantly, General Pershing agrees to put some of the American troops into action at Belleau Wood and Château-Thierry.

Première diffusion : 7 juin 2018

S5 E24 • The French Counter Attack At Matz

The French have cracked the German radio code on the Western Front and use their advantage for a counterattack at Matz. The already hastily planed German attack during Operation Gneisenau is called off after just 4 days. Meanwhile Austria-Hungary plans another offensive in Italy and German and Ottoman forces fight each other in Georgia.

Première diffusion : 14 juin 2018

S5 E25 • Second Battle of the Piave River

Even though Austro-Hungarian Field Marshal Svetozar Boroević von Bojna warns against, the Austro-Hungarian Army goes on the offensive in Italy again. In a two-pronged attack Borojevic and Conrad von Hötzendorf attack the Italian positions.

Première diffusion : 21 juin 2018

S5 E26 • The Run For The Baku Oil Fields

While the Ottoman Army of Islam is marching on Baku and the Caspian Sea, multiple other players are trying to stake their claim of the Baku oil fields.

Première diffusion : 28 juin 2018

S5 E27 • The First Modern Battle - The Battle of Hamel

The Battle of Hamel is considered as the first modern battle. Masterminded by Australian general John Monash, it included meticulous planning and integrated tanks, artillery, airplanes and infantry into one cohesive strategy.

Première diffusion : 5 juillet 2018

S5 E28 • The Gardeners Of Salonica Prepare A New Offensive

The Macedonian Front has been quite since the recapture of Monastir except for some minor battles like at Skra. But the five nation Army of the Orient wants to change that and is readying a new offensive.

Première diffusion : 12 juillet 2018

S5 E29 • 2nd Battle Of The Marne - Turning Point On The Western Front

The German Army launches an diversionary attack from the Rheims-Soisson salient and increases the pressure on Paris. But the Allies knew about the attack and for the first time, they effectively counter the German Stormtrooper tactics and even counter-attack along the line.

Première diffusion : 19 juillet 2018

S5 E30 • Ludendorff's Last Swing

All of Germany's recent offensives have been building up to Operation Hagen: An offensive in Flanders that was to divide the Allies and drive the British off the continent. But this week German High Command realizes that they don't have the manpower left to even start the offensive.

Première diffusion : 26 juillet 2018

S5 E31 • Four Years of War

As the war turns 4 years old, there is still no end in sight. From the Western Front to the Caucasus and the Middle East; in every theater the war is still raging on.

Première diffusion : 2 août 2018

S5 E32 • The Black Day Of The German Army - The Battle of Amiens

Ludendorff and his generals didn't think the Allies had it in them, but this week they attack with the might off several hundred tanks near Amiens, the Black Day of the German Army.

Première diffusion : 9 août 2018

S5 E33 • A Resounding Victory - German Morale Plummets

As the Battle of Amiens is coming to an end, the Germans are desperately trying to stem the Allied advance and fortify new positions. But morale is crumbling and German High Command is running out of time to find a new strategy. Meanwhile in Russia, the struggle between Bolsheviks and Social Revolutionaries reaches a violent climax, as assassins prey on Lenin's life. The Dunsterforce finally arrives in Baku to help defend the city from the Ottoman advance. But this is not the mighty British force the inhabitants had hoped for. Will Lenin survive? Does Ludendorff choose to abandon all the gains the German army made over the spring? And what about the attack on the Wookies? Find out this and more in the new episode of The Great War.

Première diffusion : 16 août 2018

S5 E34 • Over By Christmas? - Growing Allied Confidence

With the recent "Black Day of the German Army" and the success of the new strategy of Allied attacks along the Western Front and with the renewed offensives in Palestine, British Commander Sir Douglas Haig is confident the war can be won by the end of the year. Entente Generalissimo Ferdinand Foch is a bit more cautious but also thinks the war can be won by 1919.

Première diffusion : 23 août 2018

S5 E35 • The American First Army Gears Up - Germany Retreats

As the German Army withdraws along the Western Front, the Entente prepares for ever more offensives. This includes the newly founded American First Army which will have the task to attack the Germans in the Meuse-Argonnes area.

Première diffusion : 30 août 2018

S5 E36 • Red Terror in Soviet Russia

After an almost successful attempt on Lenin's live, the Tscheka under Felix Dzerzhinsky responds with a terror campaign to consolidate Soviet power through fear. At the same time, a supposed Allied plot is unveiled that would get Russia back into the war.

Première diffusion : 6 septembre 2018

S5 E37 • The Battle of Saint-Mihiel

The American First Army joins the fray on the Western Front with the Battle of Saint-Mihiel. All along the Western Front, the Allies are attacking or planning new attacks. The situation for the Germans looks dire even as the first war reparations from Russia arrive.

Première diffusion : 13 septembre 2018

S5 E38 • Allied Breakthroughs In Palestine And Macedonia

In a turbulent week of the First World War, the Allies break through at the Macedonian Front during the Battle of Vadar and in Palestine during the Battle for Palestine. At the same time, the Ottoman defeats the last defenders of Baku.

Première diffusion : 20 septembre 2018

S5 E39 • The Meuse-Argonne Offensive - Bulgarian Collapse

This week, the biggest American military operation in history kicks off with 1.2 million American soldiers trying to take the Krimhilde Stellung. At the same time the Army of the Orient advances into Bulgaria and the Ottoman 7th and 8th armies collapse in Palestine.

Première diffusion : 27 septembre 2018

S5 E40 • Germany's Reckoning - Bulgarian Armistice

While Bulgaria signs the Armistice of Salonika and effectively exits the war as the first of the Central Powers, the Hindenburg Line is broken on the Western Front. It dawns among the German leadership, that an armistice is necessary and in a desperate attempt to secure a more favourable position at the negotiations table, the Kaiser agrees to a "revolution from the top" that gives more political saying to the Reichstag.

Première diffusion : 4 octobre 2018

S5 E41 • The Hindenburg Line Breaks - The Lost Battalion Returns

The Hindenburg Line or Siegfriedstellung is the backbone of the German defenses on the Western Front and this week 100 years ago, the Allies break through during the Battle of St. Quentin Canal. At the same time, the political fallout within Germany continues and the Allied Army of the Orient continues its offensive on the Macedonian Front.

Première diffusion : 11 octobre 2018

S5 E42 • The Battle of the Selle - Ludendorff Resigns

As the Germans are retreating further and further during the Battle of the Selle, Erich Ludendorff – the German Quartermaster General, one half of Germany's military dictatorship and mastermind behind the last big German offensive in spring 1918 – resigns under pressure by the Kaiser and the Reichstag. The German upper class realizes that their days might be numbered if the war continues in the current form and Austria-Hungary's Emperor Karl has the same epiphany.

Première diffusion : 18 octobre 2018

S5 E43 • Italy Attacks - The Battle of Vittorio Veneto

After the Battle of the Piave, the Italian front had been relatively quiet and stable. But just as unrest and instablity spread through the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Italian Army and its allies attack along the whole front. From Monte Grappa and across the Piave, the Austro-Hungarians are caught off guard.

Première diffusion : 25 octobre 2018

S5 E44 • Austria-Hungary Deisintegrates - The Ottoman Empire Leaves the War I

The Ottoman Empire has been on the retreat in the Middle East since the renewed British offensive in September and now, as the allies are threatening the Turkish heartland and also Constantinople, the Ottoman Empire calls for an armistice. The Armistice of Mudros is signed as the remaining Central Powers also struggle to keep their Empires together.

Première diffusion : 1 novembre 2018

S5 E45 • Revolution in Germany - Armistice in Austria

Unrest within the German Empire is spreading, resentment against the war, the hunger and the elites is turning into revolutionary action and with a mutiny in Kiel the wheels begin to turn quickly. Austria signs an armistice, the Macedonian Front collapses, Romania might enter the war again and the new German political leaders send a delegation through the lines in France. Their goal: An Armistice.

Première diffusion : 8 novembre 2018

S5 E46 • Armistice - But Peace?

On November 11 1918, the German delegation and the Allies reach an agreement for an armistice. At the 11th hour the guns go silent and the First World War is over, well at least the guns go silent but is it a peace already? Germany is struggling with revolution and civil war at home, the break up of the Austro-Hungarian Empire causes a lot of chaos. And in Romania, the men are taking up arms again.

Première diffusion : 11 novembre 2018

S5 E47 • The Victors & The Vanquished - THE GREAT WAR Epilogue

Première diffusion : 15 novembre 2018