Today, heads of state throughout Europe are gathering to commemorate the centenary of Britain’s entry into World War I. On this day 100 years ago, Britain declared war on Germany following the German invasion of Belgium. There have been a number of memorial events throughout the spring and summer, and continuing on into the fall — including UT’s Harry Ransom Center exhibit, The World at War, 1914-1918. To coincide with the anniversary remembrances, the History Channel has produced a new, three-part miniseries — World Wars — featuring both archival photography and footage as well as dramatic reenactments. The program outlines the thirty-year period from 1914 to 1945, showing how the experiences of the first World War helped to shape the outlook and actions of the central figures of the conflict that followed, World War II.

Strauss Center Distinguished Scholar H.W. Brands, an acclaimed historian and Pulitzer-Prize finalist, features in the documentary. Joining him are a number of other prominent academics — Michael Beschloss, Adam Tooze, Douglas Brinkley, and Max Hastings, among others — and well-known political and military figures — Stanley McChrystal, Colin Powell, Donald Rumsfeld, John McCain, John Major, Dick Cheney, Mario Monti, and so on.

In the below clip, H.W. Brands discusses the negotiations at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919, following the conclusion of WWI: