War and Civilization

Synopsis

An eight-part chronicle of armed conflict from the beginning of recorded history to modern times, exploring the political and cultural motivations for---and consequences of---warfare.

First Air Date: 1998-08-02

Last Air Date: 1998-09-20

Number of Seasons: 1

Number of Episodes: 8

Networks: TLC

View Technical Specifications on IMDb

Top Cast

Walter Cronkite as Self - Narrator

Seasons

Season 1 (1998)

No overview available for this season.

Episodes:

Ep. 1: First Blood (1998-08-02)

A look at the origins of modern warfare, when ancient Greek soldiers marched in formations called phalanxes. Also: Alexander the Great's foray into Asia Minor in the 4th century B.C. Narrated by Walter Cronkite..
Ep. 2: Empires and Armies (1998-08-09)

The empires of ancient Rome and China, begun before the birth of Christ, which were hubs of cultural development despite being terribly violent. Also: fighting barbarians at their borders; and the legacies of these empires. Narrated by Walter Cronkite.
Ep. 3: Horse Warriors (1998-08-16)

A look at the impact that horses had on warfare, which enabled Attila the Hun and Genghis Khan to rule over vast territories. Also: building fortifications of stone; and the rise of the samurai in Japan. Narrated by Walter Cronkite.
Ep. 4: Gunpowder (1998-08-23)

"Gunpowder" forever changed the way wars were fought, both in an army's weapons and methods of defense. Also: arming ships with cannons; and the spread of European domination. Narrated by Walter Cronkite.
Ep. 5: Revolution (1998-08-30)

England gains a stronghold in America after the Seven Years' War in 1763, but is eventually challenged, and defeated, by a new nation. Also: revolution in France; and the rise of Napoleon. Narrated by Walter Cronkite.
Ep. 6: Blood and Iron (1998-09-06)

The Industrial Revolution creates more mechanized warfare, as trains and mass-produced weapons are tested in the Crimea and the American Civil War. Also: a united Germany; and war correspondents report from the front. Walter Cronkite narrates.
Ep. 7: War Machines (1998-09-13)

Included: America fulfills its "manifest destiny"; colonialism expands in Africa and India; and World War I spawns the tank and the airplane. Also: the Russo-Japanese War; and World War II rises from the ashes of its predecessor. Walter Cronkite narrates.
Ep. 8: The Price of War (1998-09-20)

"The Price of War" looks at the end of World War II and the atomic bomb, and the tension of the Cold War. Also: fighting communism in Korea and southeast Asia; and the fear of nuclear annihilation. Narrated by Walter Cronkite.