How Wars Begin (AJP Taylor, BBC, 1977) (540p)

How Wars Begin (AJP Taylor, BBC, 1977) (540p)

Six impromptu talks on the origins of war in modern times, delivered straight to camera without any notes by the late AJP Taylor.

1: From French Revolution to French Empire
In the first talk, made in 1977, AJP Taylor discusses a war of political creeds - with the monarchy on one side and democracy and nationalism on the other.



2. Two Contrasting Wars
AJP Taylor discusses the Crimean War and the war of national liberation in Italy.

3: Bismarck's Wars
AJP Taylor discusses Prussia's conflicts under Bismarck, including the Prusso-Austrian War in 1866 and the Franco-Prussian War in 1870.

4: The First World War
AJP Taylor presents his interpretation of the causes of the First World War, rejecting Fifties' theories attributing the outbreak of hostilities to German design.

5: The Second World War
AJP Taylor considers when World War II started and why. First shown on BBC One in August 1977.

6: The Cold War
AJP Taylor considers the origins of the Cold War, citing a history of mistrust between the US and Soviet Russia owing to religious differences, influence in the Middle East, land claims made at the end of the Second World War and the ideological divisions of communism.


First broadcast: July-August 1977
Duration: 30 minutes per episode