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Britain's Great War: The darkest hour - guide & clips

Updated Saturday, 22 July 2017
How Germany's attempts to starve Britain into submission edged the nation close to defeat.

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Jeremy Paxman with war rations Jeremy Paxman tells the story of how Britain edged close to defeat in the worst conflict it had ever known.

Unearthing the wreck of a German U-boat in the Medway, he describes Germany's attempt to starve the country into submission—could the Win the War Cookbook save the day?

Hoarders are put on trial as newspapers expose how the rich dine out on lobsters in Mayfair. Fear of moral corruption prompts the government to police the nation's bedrooms. 

A full-length documentary film of fighting in the trenches breaks all box office records—but will it push a shocked British public into demanding peace at any price?

The Great War from the OU & the BBC

This episode was first broadcast on Monday February 10, 2014 on BBC One. For more information, and a link to watch again on the iPlayer where available, visit the BBC website.

 

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