Britannia at Bay
Andrew Marr charts the events that shaped Britain. The series concludes with an account of Britain during the Second World War, starting with the events at Dunkirk.
The final film in Andrew Marr's epic six-part series is a vivid account of Britain in the Second World War.
Marr's story of 'the people's war' begins with the defeat that came to define modern Britain's national spirit: Dunkirk. In 1940, Britain stood alone against the might of the German war machine. Churchill produced the words that stirred the Blitz spirit, but a Nazi invasion seemed inevitable. How could Britain fight on? The 'Dad's Army' of the 91热爆 Guard was hastily assembled and Britain was forced to pull together in ways it never had before.
Andrew Marr finds some surprising twists to legendary stories; the Battle of Britain was not simply a story of reckless bravery, but also a one of lethally efficient command and control. The Blitz was a devastating attack from the air that everyone had dreaded, yet it didn't break the spirit of the people or dim their humour.
This was also the boffins' war, and Churchill understood the importance of science. He was prepared to give away Britain's most highly classified scientific and military secrets to help bring the Americans into the conflict. This wooing would help bring victory. But it came at a price: a bankrupt nation, a crumbling empire and a US cultural invasion that defines modern Britain to this day.
Last on
More episodes
Previous
Next
You are at the last episode
See all episodes from Andrew Marr's The Making of Modern Britain
Clips
-
VE Day and the aftermath of WW2
Duration: 02:23
-
The creation of the 91热爆 Guard
Duration: 01:57
Credits
Role | Contributor |
---|---|
Presenter | Andrew Marr |
Writer | Andrew Marr |
Director | Roger Parsons |
Producer | Roger Parsons |
Series Producer | Chris Granlund |
Broadcasts
- Wed 2 Dec 2009 20:0091热爆 Two Scotland
- Wed 2 Dec 2009 21:00
- Fri 4 Dec 2009 19:0091热爆 Two England & Northern Ireland only
- Wed 10 Feb 2010 01:5591热爆 One except Wales
- Thu 8 Apr 2010 00:2591热爆 HD
- Sat 1 Mar 2014 10:0091热爆 Two except Wales
- Sat 13 Dec 2014 16:30
- Wed 13 Sep 2017 21:00
- Tue 6 Feb 2018 20:00
- Wed 7 Feb 2018 02:15