More episodes of "The Wars of the USA":

Episode 2: "In the Name of Freedom" ➡️ https://kurz.zdf.de/kaBK/

Episode 3: "Oil, Power, Terror" ➡️ https://kurz.zdf.de/38H/

As a young nation, the USA liberated itself from British colonial rule, forcing unity through bloody conflict during the Civil War, and rose to global superpower status in World War I.

From the War of Independence emerged a nation that promised freedom and equality. During the Civil War, the USA nearly disintegrated. But the union held. United, they conquered the West and established themselves as a new military power in the 20th century.

00:00 Intro
01:02 War of Independence
09:46 Expansionist Settlement Policy
15:13 Civil War
20:37 Indian Wars
27:37 Colonial Power
38:32 World War I
44:50 Outro

A film by
Carsten Binsack
Karl Alexander Weck

Camera
Stefan Stechow
Ion Casado
René Dame

Editing
Oliver Szyza
Anne Tomat

Assistant Production
Anna-Maria Velhorn

Sound Mixing
Sound Synchronization

Graphics
Julia Goschke

Narrator
Tobias Meister

Producer
Marta Schroer

Producer
Thomas Schuhbauer

Production Manager
Jan Holtz

Production
Nele Koch (eco documentaries)
Paula Tennstedt (eco documentaries)
Sina Eckardt (ZDFinfo)

Archive
Architect of the Capitol
CriticalPast
Getty Images
Library of Congress
LionHeart FilmWorks
Mauritius Images
National Archives
Naval History and Heritage Command
Pond5
Shutterstock
Wide Awake Films

Some images were created using AI

Editorial Team
Annette Harlfinger (ZDFinfo)
Steffen Judzikowski (ZDFinfo)
Nikolas Hülbusch (ZDF Studios)
A production of
eco documentaries
In cooperation with
ZDF Studios

Commissioned by
ZDFinfo

Produced in an environmentally friendly way

© ZDF 2026

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