The World At War 1973; History teaches us to learn from the mistakes of the past, recently, I was thinking how we have creeping oppression in the West, in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, we have politicians who haven't learned the lessons of the past, their behaviour, their acts of intolerance, their use of the State as a means of oppression eerily harks back to 1930's Germany

Dear All 

Few documentary television series stick out and remain deeply ingrained with you through-out your life. One such production was by Jeremy Issacs in 1973, when he put together an incredible team of researchers and decided to tackle and explain the most devastating period of history. That history was the greatest conflict ever fought of the modern era, it was the Second World War. After the team was assembled, the first task was to decide what should be covered as key events leading to the rise of the Nazis and the allies eventual victory. The universally acclaimed The World at War remains as a jewel of British broadcasting. 

Although all the laurels went to Jeremy Issacs, as the visionary producer, he was generous enough to mention one person repeatedly who along with Noble Frankland of the Imperial War Museum the 26 part series wouldn't be the same. She was one of our best researchers of this series, a driving force who worked tirelessly, her name is Sue McConachy. Sadly, Sue doesn't appear in the wiki page entry of series. I mention her because it was her skilled persistence that secured interviews with Hitler's secretary, Traudl Junge, and Himmler's adjutant, SS General Karl Wolff. When Sue passed away Jeremy  Issacs paid extensive tribute to her and her central importance in making the World at War, and how she shaped the incredibly series that it was to become, into a landmark piece of television history. 

Sue McConachy was one of the finest television researchers of our time. 

When you watch this series, you quickly see that The World at War, a British 26-episode documentary television series was a series in which the finest talents were brought together. Produced by Jeremy Isaacs, narrated by Laurence Olivier, who had perfect pitch gravitas and included the incredible music and theme composed by Carl Davis. To me this will always be the greatest ever documentary series in the history of television. Made in 1973, and chronicling the events of the Second World War. The sheer number of interviews of key players on both sides of the conflict was extraordinary. Among these were Sir Max Aitken, Joseph Lawton Collins, Mark Clark, Jock Colville, Karl Dönitz, James "Jimmy" Doolittle, Lawrence Durrell, Lord Eden of Avon, Mitsuo Fuchida, Adolf Galland, Minoru Genda, W. Averell Harriman, Sir Arthur Harris, Alger Hiss, Brian Horrocks, Traudl Junge, Toshikazu Kase, Curtis LeMay, Vera Lynn, Hasso von Manteuffel, Bill Mauldin, John J. McCloy, Lord Mountbatten of Burma, J. B. Priestley, Saburo Sakai, Albert Speer, James Stewart, Charles Sweeney, Paul Tibbets, Walter Warlimont, Takeo Yoshikawa, and historian Stephen Ambrose. 

This series was made at the right time in history. 

The World at War was commissioned by Thames Television in 1969. From, its first episode on TV, it was an instant hit, if ever there was a history series which should be compulsory viewing in schools, this series fills that criteria and more. As well as covering key elements of the War, priority was given to interviews with surviving aides and assistants which gives a richness to the overall production. You will hear about campaigns from senior figures but also from rank and file soldiers, sailors and airmen. The series talks about the cruelty, the harshness that people suffered under occupation, lessons about tyranny which would not be place being talked about today in various countries whose leaders are oppressing their own people. 

Finally, ever one can give you a recommendation for a movie, they can give you the same for a television series which takes their fancy. Few people can reel off a documentary series which they feel is a must see. Although the World at War aired in 1973, this is a series which stands the test of time. As it approaches its 50th anniversary in 2023, if you haven't watched it, then I urge you to do so. Such a series must be kept alive in the minds of people everywhere, there other series which are very good as well such as The Nazis: A Warning from History, well produced, well narrated, but The World at War is the Gold standard. I found the first episode available to watch on a youtube channel, so I put it at top of this post for you to watch later. Although this isn't a normal politics post, the world is in a dark place, we have oppression in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. In 1930's the Germans demonised the 'dirty jew', for political ends, in 2021, we have politicians demonising the 'dirty unvaxxed', moving towards a two tier society. This is why I urge you to watch the World at War, we have a version of history repeating itself, right now, today, all over the world. In the series, a woman said, she didn't noticed the oppression until it affected her family personally, well in 2021, oppression is affecting many families.      

Yours sincerely 

George Laird                                                                                                                                The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University