The Rise of the Great Nations

In 2006, Chinese television aired a 12-part series on the rise of the world's great powers.  The series reviews how Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands, Britain, France, Germany, Japan, Russia and the Soviet Union, and the United States each rose to a position of global dominance and sought to draw lessons from the way they rose (and were eclipsed).  The series is in Chinese, now with English subtitles.   It is of interest not just because of the review of modern history it lays out but because of the lessons of history it sought to convey to its Chinese audience and the uniquely Chinese perspectives it reveals.  The series aired in prime time and had an audience of hundreds of millions.  Each episode is about 50 minutes, so the total time is 10 hours.

Here are the programs, with titles translated roughly into English.  The Youtube links are below.

1. 海洋时代：开篇与葡萄牙、西班牙 (Age of Seafaring: The Opening, Portugal and Spain)
2. 小国大业：荷兰 (A Small Nation with a Great Cause: the Netherlands)
3. 走向现代：英国 (Advancement Towards a Modern Age: Britain)
4. 工业先声：英国 (The Pioneer of Industrialisation: Britain)
5. 激情岁月：法国 (Years of Enthusiasm: France)
6. 帝国春秋：德国 (History of an Empire: Germany)
7. 百年维新：日本 (A Century of Reform: Japan)
8. 寻道图强：沙俄 (Seeking the Way to Strengthen the Nation: Tsarist Russia)
9. 风云新途：苏联 (An Unstable Situation and a New Path: Soviet Union)
10. 新国新梦：美国 (A New Nation and a New Dream: United States)
11. 危局新政：美国 (Crisis and the New Deal: United States)
12. 大道行思：结篇 (Thoughts on the Great Path: Conclusion)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9YB-qVofRI&list=PLqBgGIYamRV92d33GJODwWAHv9J_NNvd_

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIdKSHIp_Wk&list=PLqBgGIYamRV92d33GJODwWAHv9J_NNvd_&index=2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCO6gvxaHew&index=3&list=PLqBgGIYamRV92d33GJODwWAHv9J_NNvd_

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOL13QsJFKU&list=PLqBgGIYamRV92d33GJODwWAHv9J_NNvd_&index=4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRxQKFWCmt0&list=PLqBgGIYamRV92d33GJODwWAHv9J_NNvd_&index=5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jGJhRXcXsA&list=PLqBgGIYamRV92d33GJODwWAHv9J_NNvd_&index=6

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ml78HI8A3Zc&list=PLqBgGIYamRV92d33GJODwWAHv9J_NNvd_&index=7

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgTENpBb3wE&list=PLqBgGIYamRV92d33GJODwWAHv9J_NNvd_&index=8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMPmxBAV2rw&list=PLqBgGIYamRV92d33GJODwWAHv9J_NNvd_&index=9

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iV1NSf5Pfuw&index=10&list=PLqBgGIYamRV92d33GJODwWAHv9J_NNvd_

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7PiYCZU7KA&list=PLqBgGIYamRV92d33GJODwWAHv9J_NNvd_&index=11

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bE748g0n37k&index=12&list=PLqBgGIYamRV92d33GJODwWAHv9J_NNvd_