2025

Follow the epic saga of Napoleon's rise to power in one video: from his first success at Toulon as a young artillery captain, to his brilliant first campaigns in Italy, and his dramatic adventures across the sands of Egypt and Syria. In 1799 he seizes political power in the daring Brumaire Coup, before his legendary crossing of the Alps en route to the epic battlefield of Marengo.

In 1805, Napoleon is planning his move against the Third Coalition of Britain, Russia and Austria. He is determined to finally defeat Britain, and if he can manage to get the French army across the English Channel, his huge and experienced land forces would surely capture the island. Only the formidable British navy stands in his way. Britain has ‘ruled the waves’ for many years, but now faces the combined forces of France and her ally, Spain. Nevertheless, when the British fleet catches sight of their enemy off Cape Trafalgar, its commander, Admiral Nelson, will not hesitate to engage. Admiral Nelson is outnumbered, but he has a typically daring plan of attack. The fierce battle that follows will be etched in time - a fateful day for Nelson, but also one that will seal his status as a titan of naval history.

In the late eighteenth century, Britain has consolidated its global empire and now dominates North America. But in defeating her colonial rivals, she has also amassed huge national debts. To alleviate Britain’s financial woes, Parliament levies new taxes on its American colonies. But they have gravely miscalculated the response to ‘taxation without representation’. While some in the colonies remain loyal to their ‘motherland’, a growing number of settlers decry the measures and protest violently. American ties to the British Crown are weakening, enterprising attitudes are flourishing, and as tensions rise, a growing independent spirit will carry these patriots to the brink of war.

China is well known as one of the world’s largest and most powerful countries - a major player on the global stage, characterised by its distinctive culture and unyielding regime. Yet behind the China we see today lies a fascinating, complex and turbulent history - one that must be explored to truly understand the modern republic. We begin our series with the breakdown of a 250-year old imperial dynasty, revolutionary power struggles and a fleeting courtship with democracy. This is the rise of China.

In the wake of the Boston Tea Party, tensions between the American Colonies and British Government escalate rapidly. Desperate to reassert their authority, the British send troops to seize militia weapons in the town of Concord, Massachusetts. But the American rebels are ready for a fight. A violent showdown looms.

In 1925, a decade on from the downfall of its last emperor, China remains deeply divided. Its people are at the mercy of warlords and rival political factions. But a charismatic and ambitious Nationalist leader, Chiang Kai-shek, has a plan to unite the country by force. What follows is a decade of violence and turmoil, as Chiang’s Kuomintang Army takes on the warlords, then forces the Communists into an epic retreat, before facing a reckoning with foreign aggressors.

1792. The Age of Revolution has arrived in Europe! In France, the old order has been overthrown and the principles of liberty and equality are inspiring the people. But France's neighbours are alarmed by the French Revolution and concerned that these radical ideals will spread. Conflict is inevitable, and by 1792 France is at war with the kingdoms of Austria and Prussia. When these coalition forces march into France that summer, they feel confident of defeating a French army has been thrown into disarray by the revolution, with new, inexperienced officers and untested citizen recruits. But when the two sides face off at Valmy, the French must make a stand - the fate of their revolution hangs in the balance.

This is the story of how Allied codebreakers took on the most sophisticated encryption machine ever devised, and beat it - changing the course of WW2. Part 1 explores the origins of the Enigma codebreaking mission, and the establishment of UK intelligence operations at Bletchley Park.⁠

In 1937, after years of internal conflict, China is briefly united by a devastating war with Japan, which reaches a horrific climax in the cities of Shanghai and Nanking. As its own ‘War of Resistance’ rolls on, China then becomes a key player in the Second World War, joining the allied fight against the Japanese Imperial Army across Asia. Victory is finally earned, but it comes at a staggering cost to the nation. In the power vacuum that follows, the old rival factions - Communists and Nationalists - will continue their fight for leadership. Just months after China emerges from the wreckage of one global conflict, it is once again plunged into a bitter civil war.

As negotiations between Britain and its American Colonies give way to open violence, the British garrison at Boston finds itself besieged by Patriot militias. At Charlestown, these Patriots will take a stand against the advancing Redcoats, in what becomes known as the Battle of Bunker Hill. Across the Colonies, British power is waining, just as American confidence is growing. Now both sides must step up their preparations for all-out war.

Today, Christianity is the world's largest religion, but it was once the faith of just a few devoted followers. The story of its growth is one of the most astonishing in history. Our timeline and animated globe charts the spread of Christianity across the world, from the crucifixion of Christ to the present day, including all the major conversions, missions, conquests and schisms. Join us as we explore how a small, Judaic sect became the word's most popular religion over the course of 2,000 years.

The rise of Islam is an astonishing tale of forgotten empires, mystics, medieval trade networks and bitter religious conflicts. Across 1400 years of history, discover how a new faith from the deserts of Arabia spread across the globe to Asia, Africa and Europe, and built a religion followed by 1.9 billion people today.

In 1949, after decades of revolution, invasion and civil war, Mao Zedong finally takes control of China. Chairman Mao proclaims it a 'People's Republic', but democracy is not on the agenda. Instead, he wields absolute power in an authoritarian government determined to rebuild China in line with his communist ideals. In the years that follow, his regime will oversee the expansion of China's influence and its transformation into a major player on the international stage. But in his attempts to revolutionise Chinese society, Mao will also unleash catastrophic violence and sow the seeds of humanitarian disaster.

In the darkest days of World War Two, the British Empire is the last major power fighting Nazi Germany. But German U-Boats scour the Atlantic and prey on Allied convoys bringing vital supplies to Britain. To stand any chance of fighting on, British codebreakers at Bletchley Park must crack the elusive Naval Enigma, and fast. Discover this remarkable true story of groundbreaking intelligence work, daring maritime raids and the genius of Alan Turing.

In the 1960s, China is back as a major world power - a nuclear-armed communist state, charting its own course. Chairman Mao makes his return to frontline politics, calling for permanent ‘Cultural Revolution’. The consequences for Chinese society will be far-reaching, transformative and traumatic. But Mao cannot live forever, and as his power fades in the following decade, those in his shadow fight for the right to lead China into the future.

In 1618, Europe stands on the cusp of the most destructive war in its history - a thirty-year-long cataclysm that will engulf the continent. Slaughter and rumours of cannibalism will haunt the land. War, starvation, and plague will decimate whole populations. What started as a regional religious dispute spirals into a widespread, total war. No one will be spared in a conflict that still casts a long shadow across European history to this day.

In the winter of 1775, Patriot forces invade Canada in an audacious attempt to seize Quebec. Then, they pummel the British garrison in Boston. Victory electrifies and emboldens the Patriot cause, and in the summer of 1776, the Declaration of Independence signals a new dawn for the former American colonies. But Britain will not let this treachery stand. It assembles the largest expeditionary force in its history to crush the rebels, and when the British armada arrives off New York, the conflict is poised to escalate to new heights.

In the aftermath of World War One, the global order is once again in a state of flux. Young nations like Italy and Japan are searching for prestige through foreign conquests. Germany, which has been hit hardest by the Great Depression and the World War One peace treaty, now looks to Adolf Hitler to rebuild the nation. World War One’s victors are dealing with their own political and economic crises, and have no appetite for further conflict. But as they fail to stem the tide of nationalism, militarism and foreign aggression across the globe, war is beginning to feel inevitable.

The conclusion to our Rise of China series follows the nation’s transformation into the superpower we see today. In the wake of Mao Zedong’s death, Deng Xiaoping takes control and attempts to forge a new path for the People’s Republic. His reforms promise a brave new future, as China opens up to the world, transforms its economy and improves the living standards of its people. But China’s transformation will only be allowed to go so far. When popular protests erupt in 1989, the Tiananmen Square massacre becomes a startling reminder of China’s authoritarian government - one that survives to the present day.

In 1801, Nelson sails to the Baltic under Admiral Sir Hyde Parker to break up the newly-formed ‘League of Armed Neutrality’. At Copenhagen, his objectives are simple: destroy the Danish fleet and threaten the city with bombardment. But as Nelson takes on the Danish navy under the guns of the enemy’s capital, the unfolding battle is far from straightforward. Formidable defences and heroic Danish sailors will push the British to the limit in a tense, explosive and bloody contest.

In 1935, the established powers are failing to stem a tide of militarism and extremism. Hitler wields unchecked power in Germany, using it to unravel the Versailles Treaty and enforce Nazi racial ideology. In China, Nationalist and Communist factions are under pressure to unite against the Japanese invasion before it’s too late. And in Africa, Mussolini looks to expand his new Italian empire through war in Ethiopia. Meanwhile, the economic stresses of the 1930s continue to drive political division across Europe. In 1936, the polarisation explodes into open violence in Spain, where a deadly Civil War breaks out. Facing these crises, will the global order unite, or will the world's most powerful nations continue on a path of self-interest and isolation?