Jungle War

PBS: UK PREMIERE Starts Tuesday 22 October at 8.40pm

How did the dense jungles of the Pacific, with their relentless heat, disease, and starvation, shape the fierce battles of World War II?

The series begins in World War II’s Pacific jungles, where Japan’s rapid advance shocks the world and the Allies struggle to counter what seems like an unstoppable force. By late 1942, victories in Guadalcanal and the island-hopping campaigns shifted the balance towards the Allies. The series then examines how jungle warfare tactics influenced post-war conflicts, including the Malayan Emergency, the First Indochina War, Konfrontasi, and the Vietnam War.

Discover how jungle warfare tactics evolved and how these fierce struggles set the stage for revolutionary changes in Cuba and Colombia.