Age of Tanks

A 4x 52’/43′ documentary series, written & directed by Florian Dedio & Barbara Necek & Anna Kwak-Sialelli

The history of the 20th century, as seen through its tanks.

The dawn of the 20th century was an age of enlightenment, of progress – and of peace. Telephones and telegraphs, cars, railways and ironclad ships connected people all across the world.

The possibility of war in Europe seemed like a thing from a distant past – it had been 30 years since armies had clashed here, at the heart of modern civilization – and to the average person, there was no indication that they ever would again.

But that world crumbled in the summer of 1914. War had come again – and more terrifying than ever before.

For beneath the veil of peace and progress, other forms of technology had evolved, more deadly than anything humanity had ever seen before.

By the end of that year, a million men lay dead. War had ground to a halt in Flanders blood-stained fields. Machine guns, barbed wire, trenches and artillery formed a gargantuan killing machine that devoured men by the thousands.

In its desperation, humanity turned to technology once more.

Inventors and engineers strove to find a way out – a way to victory, and, through victory, a way to end the killing. Of the many weapons conceived at that time, one stands out.

Over the course of the next century, it would stand like no other for dehumanized warfare and oppression, and yet would fascinate boys and men, and even star in big Hollywood movies.

The weapon? The tank.

In this series, we re-trace the history of what is perhaps the most iconic and terrifying weapon of the 20th century over the course of four episodes.

We discover what it was like to design, build, operate, and suffer from these war machines – by telling the stories of the people behind the tanks.

The History of tanks in four episodes:

Episode 1: Iron, Iron Everywhere

We discover the origins of tanks at the beginning of the 20th century and see as the first ones are built and used during World War I.

Episode 2: Blitzkrieg

After World War I, Germany and the Soviet Union band together to develop new tanks, only to face each other in an even bigger war: World War II.

Episode 3: A World in Chains

During the Cold War, tanks become the ultimate symbol and tool of oppression.

Episode 4: Twilight of the Tanks

With the collapse of the Eastern Bloc, tanks seem to have lost their purpose, until in 2014, a new tank arms race begins.

Creating a documentary about tanks that went beyond the mere technical and into the reality of what it was like to invent, build, fight and die in tanks was a unique challenge.

During the making of “Age of Tanks” I got to hear from many unique individuals, either in person or through the diaries and letters they left behind, and discovered so many stories I would never have thought possible before.

Written & Directed By: Florian Dedio, Barbara Necek, Anna Kwak-Sialelli

Creative Producer: Birgit Rasch, Olga Zatulkina

Produced By: Gunnar Dedio, Elodie Polo-Ackermann

Watch Age of Tanks on Netflix

Watch Panzer at ZDFinfo

Panzer at Presseportal

Age of Tanks at Lagardere Distribution