European History

This program traces the history of Eastern Europe from the reign of Franz Josef to the rise of Hitler and the beginnings of the Second World War. Topics covered include the war for Macedonia pitting Bulgaria, Serbia, and Greece against the Turks; political manipulation of the Balkans by Russia, Austria, Britain, and France; domination of Serbia; the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand; the fall of czarist Russia; the Hungarian Revolution of 1918; rise of the Communist Party; birth of the Czechoslovakian Republic; the Treaty of Versailles; the rise of Marshal Pilsudski in Poland; formation of the United Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes; and the Munich Conference. (55 minutes)

This three-part series provides an in-depth look at the troubled history of a part of the world that has served as a linchpin and tinderbox for much of the 20th century. The programs use rare archival footage to trace events from 1900 to the fall of Communism and the rise of democracy. 3-part series, 55-59 minutes each.

Versailles, 1919: French banker Albert Kahn and his camera team are among the few photographers allowed inside the Hall of Mirrors for the treaty signing-an example of Kahn's uncanny talent for documenting change. This program focuses on Kahn's pictorial record of the war's aftermath and the challenges of securing a true peace across Europe. Zeppelin-borne aerial footage conveys the scope of the destruction, while grave-digging and burial scenes evoke the staggering numbers of combatants killed. Other events and subjects include the influx of foreign workers that filled France's labor void; the French occupation of the Rhineland; German breadlines and Paris dance-halls; and war monuments in London and Verdun. A BBC/Musee Albert-Kahn (Departement des Hauts-de-Seine-France) Co-production. (52 minutes)

A seven-part series that documents life and events across Western Europe during the period between the fall of the Roman Empire and the achievements of late medieval-or early Renaissance-culture. Magnificent to watch, the programs intercut art and artifacts with meticulously documented dramatic reenactments of life among ordinary men, in the monasteries, and at the courts. 7-part series, 31-43 minutes each.

This stunning four-part series uses living history to explore the Four Estates of the Middle Ages. Through brilliant reenactments and elaborate reconstructions, the environments and activities of monks, knights, peasants, and burghers come to life. Imbued with fresh, detailed historical perspective, Europe in the Middle Ages suggests a reinterpretation of the Dark Ages as a period of cultural revolution. Portions are in other languages with English subtitles. 4-part series, 53 minutes each.

Poverty, emigration, declining birth rates, and ethnic divisions weakened many European countries as the 20th century began. From France to the Balkans, leaders prescribed nationalism and military buildup as the only solutions. This program studies the continent's march to war as depicted in the photographic record commissioned by French banker Albert Kahn. Early color images and film footage explore a range of themes-including contrasts between urbanization and rural life in France, Germany, and Scandinavia; the decline of the Ottoman Empire and its impact in Bulgaria, Serbia, Greece, and Macedonia; and the grittiness of everyday life in Europe. Kahn's pacifism is also a topic. A BBC/Musee Albert-Kahn (Departement des Hauts-de-Seine-France) Co-production. (51 minutes)

Why was Islamic philosophy, once the epitome of Arab learning, eventually rejected by Muslims? And why, after assimilating it, did Europeans distance themselves from its formulators? This program seeks to understand the religious climate of the late Middle Ages, in which universities and madrassas became centers of power and models for evolving sociopolitical systems. The potentially heretical nature of philosophy is also analyzed-in Islamic lands the djinni of intellectuality was put back in the bottle, but in Christendom it escaped the control of those who used it, paving the way for Renaissance humanism. (Portions in French with English subtitles, 27 minutes)

Over the past decade, thousands of refugees and asylum-seekers from all over the world have paid with their lives in their attempts to find safety in Fortress Europe." Drawing on representative case studies, gripping archival footage, and interviews with policymakers, anti-policy activists, and others, this chilling three-part series scrutinizes Europe's stringent immigration regulations while exposing the severe measures used to enforce them. 3-part series, 60 minutes each."

This fascinating program examines the important figures of this period, their motivations for exploring new lands, and their tragedies and successes.

These pioneers include Prince Henry the Navigator of Portugal, who sponsored many voyages to Africa; Bartolomeu Dias, who discovered the southern cape of Africa; Christopher Columbus, who made four voyages to the Americas; Pedro Cabral, who claimed Brazil for Portugal; John Cabot, who set out to duplicate the journey of Columbus; Amerigo Vespucci, from whom America derives its name; Vasco da Gama, who opened a trade route to India; and Ferdinand Magellan, whose three-year journey took his ship and crew around the world, although he died without seeing the end of the journey.

The Enlightenment may not have left physical evidence behind like the pyramids of Egypt or the Coliseum of Rome, but it has left us an intellectual heritage which is unquestionable in its importance.

It started in England and reached its peak in America. The Industrial Revolution is a period of history that began in the early 18th century and has carried through our modern times.
Why it started in England is a fascinating question. It is one of many this informative video addresses. It is in Central England, even more specifically; and the textile industry which gives this period its start. It was an age when society went from traditional to modern, form agrarian to mechanized, from rural to urban, from simple to complex. Charles Dickens’ summed it up: "It was the best of times. It was the worst of times."

Scholars from Saint Anselm College and California Lutheran University provide a balanced and objective presentation of the facts surrounding this very important period of history. On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther, a Catholic priest, nailed to the door of Wittenberg Cathedral in Germany his 95 Theses attacking certain practices of the Roman Catholic Church. When he refused to recant and apologize, the church excommunicated him, and he went into hiding in fear for his life.

No period of history can boast of greater beauty than The Renaissance. This was the period, from approximately early 14th century to late 16th century, that gave us Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Shakespeare.

Racial tension has become a politically explosive and socially divisive threat to stability in the European Union. This program looks at the racism and xenophobia brought to the surface by a massive influx of foreign workers and job-seekers into Western Europe; it also describes the search for equitable solutions by moderate EU leaders and citizens. Islamophobia, religious fundamentalism, the radicalization of young Muslim men, and racism in football (or soccer) are all examined. With insight into modern Europe's cultural and political dynamics, the film presents commentary from Mahmud Al-Rashid of the Muslim Council of Britain, British National Party spokesperson Colin Smith, European Parliament president Josep Borrell, and everyday people on the street. (27 minutes)

When the Huns charged into the lands of the Goths and then, in the 5th century, into Europe, they started a new wave of terror and tribal relocation. This program tracks the displacement of the Visigoths to Spain and the Vandals to North Africa. Both succeeded in defeating proud and once-mighty Rome in its own capital-but who would stop the hordes of Attila as they raced onwards into the Frankish Kingdom? (52 minutes)