History’s Turning Points
History’s Turning Points is a thirteen part series (here we have only 7) on decisive moments in world history. Each turning point in history has behind it a story and a set of principal characters whose dilemmas and conflicts form its dramatic core, and whose unique personalities influenced the outcome of events. How would the development of one of the world’s greatest civilizations, would the British have won Quebec in the eighteenth century without the tenacity and devotion to duty of General John Wolfe?
New facts, often from indigenous sources, have emerged to add to our understanding of these crucial events and these, together with the latest historical research and documented first-hand accounts, bring each turning point vividly to life. Exclusive dramatizations carried out at the actual sites of the events, History’s Turning Points provides a fascinating and intriguing new perspective on the significant moments that have changed the world.
The Battle of Actium
The Battle of Salamis
The Black Death
The Siege of Constantinople
Conquest of the Incas
The Battle For Canada
Thanks to @Yavanna here are the links to other three History’s Turning Points at Veoh.com: The Great Wall of China, Conquest of Spain and Russian Revolution.
The Zulus at War
Awesome!!! Please find the others!
Vlatko: I have to start my finals prep classes, and two young babies that always need my attention, but you keep adding more and more documentaries that I want to watch faster than I can watch them! What’s a busy family man to do?… that’s right! Take a nap and worry about it later. I still haven’t made it through all of the David Attenbourgh docs yet, but I’m chipping away at them one by one. :-)
Documentaries are not going anywhere Charles B. (except some). So… take your time. Cheers.
Vlatko: Are there any more of these “Turning Point” documentaries that you know of? These are great, and are a nice length to watch in the evening. Surely there are more turning points in history than just these seven! :-)
There are six more docs but for now only these seven are available.
The video Fahrenhype 9/11 would be a good addition.
Wow… I have always thought how crazy lucky the Spanish conquistadors were… and how naive the Inca were. A entire continent conquered in the 1500′s? Entire civilizations wiped out by disease – and then just a few hundred men take over an empire? Just tragic.
Looking at the genocide of the American peoples- one can’t help but think how contagious disease could once again destroy civilization. Why it hasn’t happened already in this age of biological weapons – who knows.
Good!
We are accustomed each others diseases V, that’s why. If we are to be wiped out by disease now it has to be a new disease arising from mutation, not from being brought in contact with another formerly geographically separated group of people.
Whilst these documentaries were interesting, I have to say I was very disapointed that they were largely based on the views of the victors re: “the victors always write the history”.
I was initially looking forward to watching them based on the fact that the overview stated that they had taken into account the views of the indiginous people…unfortunately this was limited to how western cultures translate the meanings of indiginous cultures in the same context as their own.
Very sad that this was not quite updated enough to include the more cutting edge research that has been carried out on the destruction of the native people and the effects that eurocentric philosophy and psychology has when it blames the victims.
For example, in order to play down their bloodthirsty murderous pasts, the conquistadors were seen as having superior weaponry and therefore able to conquer!
If we look at this in the context of the culture, warfare within the inca nation was not about killing and fighting, more about spiritual ritual.
Rulers were not seen as ‘in charge’ more ‘servants’ of the people. As the more aware members of society know, the culture of the government spreads through the people. The Incas lived in equal societies. (no need for war, or battle for leadership in the western context)
So basically, the conquistadors were not ‘lucky’ or ‘skilled’ just murderous heathens let loose among spiritual ‘children’.
Shame…could have been more sensitively done and then they might have been very powerful docs indeed!
V I think it is actually happening :) You should not forget about pandemics like AIDS hiv, SARS and flu.
Some other turning points … Britain colonizing India … formation of china some 2000 years back … India gaining freedom that sets off a chain of freedom for all the colonized countries (that’s a big turning point) … how can you neglect East if we are trying to find turning points of history
great! this is really nice to watch! :) I’m studying the history of greece now. :D
It’s a shame thateven after so many failed attempts, we continue to think that we westerners, being inherrantly shot thru with corrupt and irredeemably evil intentions, still seem to think that we can somehow tell a truthfull narrative regarding our dealings with the myriad indigenous societies we destroyed. Until we just admit our unsalvageably bad idea’s won’t work, step back from our positions of power, and simultaneously hand the reins over to those we have wronged and submit ourselves to their will that we may begin our lengthy penance to them, our half way, luke warm overtures toward “equality” will remain utterly worthless. We must turn over all our possessions to those we’ve wronged, and start over with US on the reservations, so we may learn humility by living in a 14th century type lifestyle, while letting them take over technical society, we canot right our wrongs.