The presenter looks back at conflicts Britain was involved in during the second half of the 20th century, beginning with Operation Desert Storm in 1990, when 35 nations retaliated against the Iraqi occupation of Kuwait. Service personnel share their memories of one of the first wars to be televised live across the globe, and reflect on how many of the same armies would find themselves back in Iraq a decade later.

The civil war that raged after the break-up of Yugoslavia in 1992, as UN forces struggled to maintain order in the newly created nation of Bosnia under impossible circumstances. Testimony from peacekeeping soldiers, survivors and forensic scientists reveal the true horror of a war that has faded from public consciousness, and the helplessness they felt lacking the authority to act.