NaN/100 votes#1 - The Ottoman Disaster - The Battle of Sarikamish - Week 23
Season 2 Episode 1 - Aired 1/1/2015
The Champagne offensive is still going on the Western Front without any side gaining a decisive advantage. In the Caucasus, Enver Pasha is showing how far he's willing to go to achieve his goals. Against his military advisors’ recommendations, he decides to send more and more troops to Sarikamish. Without supplies and with temperatures constantly below -20 degrees, thousands of Ottoman soldiers freeze to death before even reaching the frontline. When the Russians finally encircle the Ottoman troops, defeat is inevitable.
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NaN/100 votes#2 - In Dire Straits - Russia on Austro-Hungary's Doorstep - Week 24
Season 2 Episode 2 - Aired 1/8/2015
The Austro-Hungarian army resembles a better militia after six months into the war. The defeats against Serbia and Russia and still under siege in Galicia - the forces are in dire straits. Many casualties, especially among the officers, mean that an effective warfare is impossible. And all this while the Russians are close to entering the Hungarian plains. On another front, the Rtussians are winning the battle of Sarikamish which ends in a disaster for the Ottoman Empire. On the Western Front, each side still tries to gain a decisive advantage.
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NaN/100 votes#3 - Onwards! - The Western Front Of Early 1915 - Week 25
Season 2 Episode 3 - Aired 1/15/2015
French general Joseph Joffre is stuck in a dilemma: the Champagne offensive has been going on for weeks now - without any of the expected results. Should he dig in and tolerate the enemy on French soil? Or should his soldiers continue to run up against the impenetrable German defences? Meanwhile, South African troops attack German South West Africa and in London, Winston Churchill's plan for an invasion of the Dardanelles has been approved.
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NaN/100 votes#4 - Zeppelins Over England - New Inventions For The Modern War - Week 26
Season 2 Episode 4 - Aired 1/22/2015
For a decisive advantage on the Western Front, the military commanders of both sides are trying to use technological advances. And so this week, German Zeppelins are flying their first air raids on English towns. Winston Churchill is outlining his ideas for what would later become the tank. Meanwhile at the Western Front, the soldier Adolf Hitler is thinking about how this war is going to continue.
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NaN/100 votes#5 - All Or Nothing - Winter Offensive In The Carpathians - Week 27
Season 2 Episode 5 - Aired 1/29/2015
Konrad von Hötzendorf has to prevent the Russian army from entering the Hungarian plains. He starts a huge offensive in the Carpathian Mountains - in mid winter. He also wants to demonstrate his power to Italy and Romania who are considering entering the war for the Entente. Meanwhile, in the North Sea the first Battle of Dogger Bank takes place which leads to the sinking of the German ship SMS Blücher.
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NaN/100 votes#6 - Gas! - A New Horror On The Battlefield - Week 28
Season 2 Episode 6 - Aired 2/5/2015
After more than 6 months of stalemate, the German Empire is playing two new cards to gain a decisive advantage. On the Eastern Front, the Germans use gas on a huge scale for the first time. While the attack fails, the foundation for gas warfare is laid. At the same time Kaiser Wilhelm II agrees to unrestricted submarine warfare – any ship can be sank at any time.
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NaN/100 votes#7 - Stopping Russia - Hindenburg's Final Offensive? - Week 29
Season 2 Episode 7 - Aired 2/12/2015
This week, well over 1 million soldiers are on the advance everywhere in Europe. General Hindenburgs tries to beat the Russians once and for all at the Masurian Lakes. Austria-Hungary is fighting the Russians with German support in the Carpathian mountains and on the Western Front the Champagne offensive is still going.
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NaN/100 votes#8 - Hindenburg's Cunning Plan - A 2nd Tannenberg - Week 30
Season 2 Episode 8 - Aired 2/19/2015
After more than six months of war, the first big mutiny breaks out in Singapore. The endless battles in which big powers sacrifice thousands of soldiers are leading to an organised resistance for the first time. Indian troops refuse to board a ship because they don't want to fight other muslims in the Middle East. Meanwhile, Paul von Hindenburg encircles the Russians on the Eastern Front and they almost suffer a defeat as they did in Tannenberg 1914.
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NaN/100 votes#9 - Prelude to Gallipoli - Naval Bombardement of the Dardanelles - Week 31
Season 2 Episode 9 - Aired 2/26/2015
To break up the stalemate and get a decisive advantage, France and Great Britain open up yet another theatre of war in the Dardanelles. The plan is to seize the strait and open eventually open up the Bosporus in order to ship supplies to the Eastern and Balkan front. And so begins the naval bombardment of ottoman forts as prelude to a big offensive which will we know to today as Gallipoli.
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NaN/100 votes#10 - Playing With Fire - The First Flame Thrower - Week 32
Season 2 Episode 10 - Aired 3/5/2015
Modern war already took place in the sky and under water but the waring nations also wanted to gain an advantage in the trenches. So this week, we see the first use of another merciless invention on the battlefield: the flame thrower. The battles on the Western Front, in the Carpathian's and near the Dardanelles continued nonetheless.
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NaN/100 votes#11 - The Battle of Neuve-Chapelle - Week 33
Season 2 Episode 11 - Aired 3/12/2015
The British Expeditionary Forces are starting their first major offensive since the beginning of trench warfare. Near Neuve-Chapelle they attack the Germans and try to "bite and hold" their position. This battle will be the blueprint for future British offensives. On the Balkan, Serbia is facing a different enemy: Typhus. The catastrophic sanitary conditions enable the disease to spread across the whole country.
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NaN/100 votes#12 - A Slice of The Pie - Splitting Up The Middle East - Week 34
Season 2 Episode 12 - Aired 3/19/2015
Even though the Entente offensive near Constantinople didn't really take off yet, the allied powers were already dreaming about splitting up the Ottoman Empire between themselves - and even promised territory to other nations. In the meantime, Austria-Hungary started its third offensive in the Carpathians to free the besieged army in Galicia.
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NaN/100 votes#13 - The Fall of Przemyśl - Changing Strategy On The Western Front - Week 35
Season 2 Episode 13 - Aired 3/26/2015
The generals at the Western Front are slowly starting to adapt to the modern war. The battle of Neuve-Chappelle will be a blueprint for future operations and further improvements are supposed to finally bring the decisive advantage. In the meantime, after 133 days, the fortress of Przemyśl capitulates - the longest siege of World War 1.
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NaN/100 votes#14 - Showdown In The Dardanelles - Bulgaria Flirts With The Central Powers - Week 36
Season 2 Episode 14 - Aired 4/2/2015
The Ottoman Navy is finally able to fend off the Russian and Royal Navies in the Dardanelles, Bulgaria is considering joining the Central Powers, Austria-Hungary is fighting off the Russians in Galicia and the German start a new offensive in the Baltics. All in one busy week of spring 1915.
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NaN/100 votes#15 - The Armenian Genocide - Week 37
Season 2 Episode 15 - Aired 4/9/2015
The leaders of the Ottoman Empire are looking for a scapegoat after their collosal defeat in the Caucasian Mountains a few month earlier. They start the systematic relocation and disarm Armenian troops among their ranks to end all calls for Armenian independence. Today's estimates place the death toll of the genocide up till 1.5 million men, women and children.
Director: N/A
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NaN/100 votes#16 - Russia Fails In The Mountains - Basra Falls - Week 38
Season 2 Episode 16 - Aired 4/16/2015
This week, generals on three different fronts show that they are not able to realise their mistakes. Basra falls to the British, the quick victory at the Dardanelles is getting more and more unlikely and the Russians are loosing their advantage in the Carpathians. But not the commanders have to pay the price for their mistakes, the soldiers have to.
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NaN/100 votes#17 - Gas On The Western Front - Baptism of Fire for Canada - Week 39
Season 2 Episode 17 - Aired 4/23/2015
fter experiments on the Eastern Front, the German Army is using poison gas for the first time on the Western Front. At the beginning of the 2nd Battle of Ypres, the wind blows in a favourable direction; the wide spread use of chlorine gas has a devastating effect on the French troops. Even the Germans are surprised by it. The incredible sacrifice of the Canadian troops make it possible to defend Hill 60 in the end.
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NaN/100 votes#18 - The Sea Turns Red - Landing At Gallipoli - Week 40
Season 2 Episode 18 - Aired 4/30/2015
Completely underestimating the Ottoman army at the Dardanelles, the British commanders decide to let the ANZACs take the Gallipoli peninsular as a gateway to the Bosporus and Constantinople. After the landing in ANZAC Cove and on Z Beach one thing comes clear though: Mustafa Kemal and his troops will fight for every inch of this piece of rock.
Director: N/A
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NaN/100 votes#19 - Sinking of the Lusitania - The Gorlice-Tarnów Offensive - Week 41
Season 2 Episode 19 - Aired 5/7/2015
Ignoring the warnings and cruising carelessly slow the RMS Lusitania is hit by a torpedo of the German U-Boat U20. Almost 2000 people die during the sinking of the Lusitania. At the same time the German and Austro-Hungarian army start a combined surprise offensive in the Carpathians. The Gorlice-Tarnów Offensive is a huge success for German commander August von Mackensen.
Director: N/A
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- NaN/100 votes
#20 - The German Phalanx Chases Russia - Week 42
Season 2 Episode 20 - Aired 5/14/2015
The 2nd Battle of Ypres is still going but no side can gain a decisive advantage. The main reason on the British side is a lack of artillery ammunition. Even the delivered shells are not working correctly. But even the German supply lines are stretched thin. At the same time German South-West Africa falls to South African troops under Louis Botha.
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NaN/100 votes#21 - The Battle of San River - Winston Churchill Gets Fired - Week 43
Season 2 Episode 21 - Aired 5/21/2015
The big success of the Gallipoli Campaign never came, thousands of soldiers died and so Winston Churchill is forced to resign. At the same time August von Mackensen is pushing back the Russians and forcing them to hide in Przemyśl fortress - the same fortress they just conquered from the Austro-Hungarians a few weeks earlier.
Director: N/A
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NaN/100 votes#22 - The New Alpine Front - Italy Joins World War 1 - Week 44
Season 2 Episode 22 - Aired 5/28/2015
After the defeats of Austria-Hungary against Russia, Italy is seeing her chance to grab disputed territories from them. Even though they are not prepared for a full scale war economically or militarily, the declare war against the Central Powers. So, just one month after the landing at Gallipoli, yet another front is opened in Europe. Meanwhile the Russians are still on the run from August von Mackensen and in Gallipoli the fighting stops to collect the dead.
Director: N/A
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NaN/100 votes#23 - Artillery in World War 1 - The Key To Success - Week 45
Season 2 Episode 23 - Aired 6/4/2015
When Przemysl falls for the 2nd time and when the British and ANZAC troops fail at Gallipoli again, one thing becomes clear: Artillery is the key for future battles. August von Mackensen had used it with great success at the Gorlice-Tarnow-Offensive and the French even diverted one million men to shell factories. Meanwhile German Zeppelins bombed London and the US sent submarines for aid.
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NaN/100 votes#24 - Rex Warneford Destroys A Zeppelin - Austria Digs Into the Mountains - Week 46
Season 2 Episode 24 - Aired 6/11/2015
Reginald Warneford is important to Britain's war effort. Not just because he shot down a German zeppelin, but because he is made a hero in times when heroes are needed. He receives a Victoria Cross soon after his victory because the commanders know about the average life span of pilots in World War 1. Meanwhile, the Austro-Hungarian army digs into the alpine rocks to fend of the Italian Attackers and Gallipoli continues to be a butchery without any progress.
Director: N/A
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NaN/100 votes#25 - Cavalry, Spies and Cossacks - Week 47
Season 2 Episode 25 - Aired 6/18/2015
The war seems like a romantic novel this week: In the East the Russians are saved by Cossack Cavalry while August von Mackensen's artillery is plowing through Galicia. In the meantime, the British discover a German spy ring in London and the French gain a few miles in the west.
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The Best Episodes of The Great War Season 2
Every episode of The Great War Season 2 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of The Great War Season 2!
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Genres:DocumentaryWar & Politics
Network:YouTube
Season 2 Ratings Summary
"The Ottoman Disaster - The Battle of Sarikamish - Week 23" is the best rated episode of "The Great War" season 2. It scored N/A/10 based on 0 votes. Directed by N/A and written by N/A, it aired on 1/1/2015. This episode is rated NaN points higher than the second-best, "In Dire Straits - Russia on Austro-Hungary's Doorstep - Week 24".