A view of world history in 13 parts by JOHN ROBERTS 12: The Decline of the West In the first half of this century a stable world of optimism, sanity and progress seemed to go mad. Men lost faith in the civilisation of the West. Its old heartland, Europe, was wracked by wars (1914-18, 1939-45) and leadership passed to America. Russia became separated from it and hostile. Economic failure, the rolling up of colonial empires, fragmentation in the arts and new discoveries - both in science and in the new science of the mind, psychology - all added to the unease. And in the East,
Japan, first militarily, then economically, became a superpower. The title of OSWALD SPENGLER 'S book
The Decline of the West seemed to catch the mood of the times and it sold in millions. But is the day of the West really done?
Sound recordist DOUG MAWSON Film cameramen
JOHN ELSE and COLIN WALDECK Film editor STEPHEN EVANS Executive producer CHRISTOPHER MARTIN