As commanders from the great battles of WWII go head-to-head on the battlefield, they attempt to outwit and outfight each other with strategic moves in a game of skill, bluff and counterbluff. With the lives of thousands of men at risk, the generals' reputations hanging in the balance, the stakes are impossibly high and the pressure is on.
This exciting series for National Geographic adopts a fresh approach to the great battles of World War Two, examining them through the decisions, dilemmas and disasters of the generals on both sides of the conflict. We explore their moves and countermoves as they attempt to outwit and outfight each other.
Major battles in human history reconstructed by generals, weapons specialists and historians. From the Battle of Stalingrad to the desert war of El Alamein to the famous Battle of Midway: military strategists put themselves in the shoes of the commanders at the time in order to analyze their tactics. In addition, the experts also shed light on the personalities and special characters of the former adversaries. This is the only way to accurately understand key decisions and moves on the battlefield.
Each episode tells the story of a battle through the eyes of two opposing generals. Two modern day military specialists, often generals themselves, get inside the heads of their historical counterparts to unpick their strengths and weaknesses. A team of experts out in the field compare and contrast the hardware each general had at his disposal.
In a dramatic device, a war-time bunker becomes the setting for these epic conflicts. As the generals face off across the battle map the action comes alive in CGI: soldiers march across the table, tanks blast away at each other and planes fly overhead.
What is known about the equipment of the armies involved in the battle? How were the balance of power distributed, and what tactic ultimately brought the decisive advantage? The documentary series "Generals at War" examines what circumstances ultimately determined victory or defeat in major military conflicts.
The battles featured -- Singapore, El Alamein, Kursk, Stalingrad, Midway and The Bulge -- are key turning points in the progress of the war, and the generals featured include some of the most charismatic military leaders of all time: Rommel, Model, Montgomery, Chuikov, Yamashita and von Manstein.
The show was awarded the prize for Most Innovative Production at the 2010 History Makers Awards.

Windfall Films Production with Parthenon Entertainment for National Geographic Channel

1)  The Battle of El Alamein
Rommel vs. Montgomery - the super-aggressive Desert Fox vs. the wily commander of the Desert Rats. Two of the most charismatic generals of all time, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, the Desert Fox, and General Bernard Montgomery clash over a barren stretch of rocky desert in the Egyptian desert. Each is determined to outwit and outfight the other in a bloody battle of minds and men.
As they duel for North Africa and the oilfields of the Middle East, Rommel relies on Blitzkrieg tactics of speed, surprise and daring. Montgomery takes a different tack. He digs in for a defensive battle and puts his faith in planning, training and new equipment.
The outcome of their head to head turns Hitler's fortunes in North Africa and gives the British their first decisive win of the war.