Britains Forgotten Wars with Tony Robinson

When Iraq invaded and occupied Kuwait in August 1990, the world reacted with condemnation. Operation Desert Storm was launched, and a war was waged by coalition forces from 35 nations across the world. This conflict became one of the first to be televised live across the globe but has faded from memory. This is the forgotten story of those who fought to drive Saddam Hussein's army back to Baghdad.

The wars in the former Yugoslavia during the last decade of the 20th century were driven by rising nationalism among ethnic groups As Yugoslavias central government weakened nationalist leaders fueled tensions leading to violent conflicts This ultimately resulted in the breakup of the country and brutal wars over independence

When new Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal in 1956, Britain and France were outraged. The two European powerhouses had been running this lucrative waterway for decades and were reluctant to give it up without a fight. In a clandestine plot, Britain and France planned an invasion to take back control of the canal. But once the UN intervened, they left empty handed.

In 1948 antiimperialist forces initiated a guerrilla war against British colonial rule in Malaya The conflict lasted over a decade Ultimately the British were forced to grant independence in August 1957 when Malaya became an independent member of the Commonwealth of Nations In September 1963 the independent state united with several British crown colonies to become Malaysia

After the Communist North Korean forces invaded the South, a battle for Cold War supremacy broke out in the far east. It was a harsh and brutal conflict that claimed over four million lives and inflicted incredible cruelty on the Korean people. As this insightful documentary reveals, the consequences of the conflict are still being felt in a divided Korea today.

In the 1950s Britain imposed harsh reforms in Kenya leading to widespread discontent This sparked the Mau Mau uprising a resistance movement by Kikuyu farmers seeking independence The rebellion was brutally suppressed but it accelerated Kenyas path to independence