How a massive television project redefined our understanding of the Second World War
In short: Produced over four years with a record-breaking budget, The World at War remains a definitive historical achievement. By prioritizing firsthand accounts from aides and soldiers over famous figures, the series captured the human reality of global conflict, setting a gold standard for documentary filmmaking that persists decades after its debut.
Commissioned by Thames Television in 1969, the series was born from producer Jeremy Isaacs' desire for total authenticity. He was motivated by the BBC's 1964 production, The Great War, which had strained relations with the Imperial War Museum due to its reliance on staged recreations. Isaacs secured funding after the government halved its advertising levy, mandating that savings be reinvested into quality programming. The resulting 26-episode series, narrated by Laurence Olivier, cost approximately £900,000—a record for British television at the time.
The production team gathered hundreds of hours of interviews, focusing on those who served in the shadows of power. One of the most challenging subjects to secure was Karl Wolff, Heinrich Himmler's adjutant, who provided a chilling account of witnessing a mass execution. While the series covered 15 major campaigns, it also dedicated significant time to the Holocaust and the civilian experience. Notably, the episode detailing the concentration camps was broadcast without commercial interruption, a rare decision for ITV at the time.
The sheer volume of unused footage led to the creation of eight additional documentaries, narrated by Eric Porter, which explored topics like the myths surrounding Hitler's death and life in Nazi Germany. In 2000, industry experts ranked the series 19th on a list of the 100 most significant British television programs, the highest position ever awarded to a documentary. Today, the series is preserved in restored formats, continuing to serve as a primary reference for the Second World War.
The legacy of the project extends beyond the screen. A 2007 book by Richard Holmes utilized the vast archive of interviews that never made it into the final edit, offering further insight from figures like Albert Speer and Traudl Junge. While some nations, such as South Africa in 1976, initially censored parts of the series, its global reach has been immense, with continuous broadcasts and home video releases ensuring its place in history.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: The World at War
- Also: Wikidata — The World at War · CC0
- Also: Wikidata — The World at War · CC0
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