The Great War — Season 1, Episode 11: Back for Christmas? - The Illusion of a Short War - Week 11

Episode synopsis

In the trenches on the Western Front and in the mud on the Eastern Front, hundreds of thousands of soldiers die and with them dies the illusion of a short war. After heavy casualties, the armies are adapting to a longer conflict and are looking for new recruits. To convince them to fight they are taking advantage of national minorities and their hope of equal rights and self-determination.

More episodes from Season 1

• E1The Outbreak of WWI - How Europe Spiraled Into the GREAT WAR - Week 1
• E2Germany in Two-Front War and the Schlieffen-Plan - Week 2
• E3To Arms! The Deployment of Troops - Week 3
• E4A New War with Old Generals – Carnage on the Western Front - Week 4
• E5The Rape of Belgium and the Battle of Tannenberg - Week 5
• E6Plans Are Doomed to Fail - The Battle of Galicia - Week 6
• E7Taxi to the Front – The First Battle of the Marne - Week 7
• E8Welcome to the Dirt – The Beginning of Trench Warfare - Week 8
• E9The Russian War Machine and the Race to the Sea - Week 9
• E10Dying in the Mud - Autumn Is Taking Its Toll - Week 10
• E12Learning From Napoleon – Russia, The Underestimated Enemy - Week 12
• E13A War to End All Wars - Home Front Propaganda - Week 13