The Great War had taken the lives of nine million soldiers by the time it ended at 11am on 11th November 1918. Michael Palin discovers what happened during those final hours. Travelling to the battlefields in France and Belgium, Michael Palin visits the places where American, British, French, Canadian and German troops were fighting as the war came to an end. Over 11,000 casualties occurred during those final hours many after the Armistice had actually been signed. Palin tells the stories of the last soldiers of each nationality to be killed in the final minutes leading up to the 11 o*clock cease-fire. By the end of World War One there were just two areas of fighting left, both of them on the Western Front. All other countries Austria-Hungary, Turkey, Bulgaria had surrendered leaving Germany alone. Around Mons in Belgium, Britain*s General Haig knew the end was in sight and did not want a bloodbath and, as a consequence, the deaths were not excessive. Further south near Verdun it was a very different story. American generals were throwing men into action, with hundreds of deaths and several thousand casualties. Michael*s journey takes him from the battlefields of the Argonne where US troops were fighting, to the north of France and the area where one week before the Armistice the final battle took place. Here 2,000 British soldiers lost their lives by the banks of the Sambre-Oise Canal. And in Mons he visits the graves of British and Canadian soldiers who died during the last days.

Running Time: 50 mins

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