Bringemovies
← Browse TV Shows
China: The Making of a Nation
TITLE DETAILS

China: The Making of a Nation

2026-02-10 · 60 min / episode · ★ 8.0

Documentary

China: The Making of a Nation is the story of the painful transformation of the vast Qing Empire into the Chinese nation after the 1911 revolution. Spanning more than a century up to the Xi Jinping era, the story pits the two pivotal leaders of this transformation against each other: Chiang Kai-shek, leader of the Republic of China for 47 years, and Mao Zedong, who rose from ‘red bandit’ to master of the mainland in 1949. Sworn enemies, they fought a merciless battle: first military, then diplomatic, and finally, beyond their deaths, in the conflicting memories of the Taiwanese and the Chinese of the People's Republic. Beyond their fierce hatred, the two tyrants also had much in common: a certain vision of Chinese territory and the greatness of China, the desire to regain the country's sovereignty and the quest for a Chinese identity in a nation that also includes Tibetans, Uighurs, Mongols... and a certain ability to rewrite history.

Open detail page

Trailers are previews, not full movies.

No authorized playback source configured. Use the legal watch options below.

Production details

Creators
Anne Loussouarn
Production companies
O2B Films, ARTE
Countries
France
Status
Ended

Top Cast

Sarah-Jane SauvegrainSarah-Jane SauvegrainMain narrator (voice)
Thierry DebruneThierry DebruneNarrator (voice)
Marie-Ève DufresneMarie-Ève DufresneNarrator (voice)
Daniel LafourcadeDaniel LafourcadeNarrator (voice)
Jean-François PagèsJean-François PagèsNarrator (voice)
Benoît RivillonNarrator (voice)
Romain RougierNarrator (voice)

Title information and images are supplied by TMDb. Explore our discovery guide for advice on comparing metadata and legal viewing options.

Where to watch

Availability provided by JustWatch via TMDb. Offers can change. Provider links are listed on TMDb; full playback requires a separately authorized source.

Availability not listed for this country.

Seasons & episodes

Recommendations

American Experience
★ 6.5
American Experience1988Documentary

TV's most-watched history series brings to life the compelling stories from our past that inform our understanding of the world today.

The Circus
★ 6.5
The Circus2016Documentary

Come one, come all to The Circus. This real-time documentary series pulls back the curtain on the current political stories, revealing the intense, inspiring and infuriating stories behind the headlines. Key characters and events are presented in real time, as they are happening.

American Masters
★ 7.1
American Masters1986Documentary

American Masters is a PBS television series which produces biographies on enduring writers, musicians, visual and performing artists, dramatists, filmmakers, and others who have left an indelible impression on the cultural landscape of the United States.

Biography
★ 6.7
Biography1987Documentary

Biography is a documentary television series. It was originally a half-hour filmed series produced for CBS by David Wolper from 1961 to 1964 and hosted by Mike Wallace. The A&E Network later re-ran it and has produced new episodes since 1987. The older version featured historical figures such as Helen Keller and Mark Twain, or long-dead entertainment figures such as Will Rogers or John Barrymore. The A&E series has placed the emphasis on such people as Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Plácido Domingo, Freddie Mercury, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Eric Clapton, Pope John Paul II, Gene Tierney, Selena, Diego Rivera, Mao Zedong and Queen Elizabeth II, and fictional characters like The Phantom, Superman, Hamlet, Betty Boop, and Santa Claus. The program ended up profiling enough figures that in 1999, A&E spun it off into an entire network, The Biography Channel.

Top Gear
★ 8.0
Top Gear1978Documentary

Motoring programme featuring reviews of and reports about cars of all types.

The Story of Film: An Odyssey
★ 7.7
The Story of Film: An Odyssey2011Documentary

A worldwide guided tour of the greatest movies ever made and the story of international cinema through the history of cinematic innovation.

How Do They Do It?
★ 7.5
How Do They Do It?2006Documentary

An insider's look at the engineering and scientific miracles behind the things that form the modern world.

The Men Who Built America
★ 8.1
The Men Who Built America2012Documentary

Influential builders, dreamers and believers whose feats transformed the United States, a nation decaying from the inside after the Civil War, into the greatest economic and technological superpower the world had ever seen. The Men Who Built America is the story of a nation at the crossroads and of the people who catapulted it to prosperity.

The Seventies
★ 7.4
The Seventies2015Documentary

A documentary series focusing on the ongoing Vietnam War, the Watergate scandal, evolving music industry, the Iran Hostage Crisis, the sexual revolution, and the rise of foreign and domestic terrorism.

The American Revolution
★ 6.1
The American Revolution2025Documentary

The American Revolution was at once a war for independence, a war of conquest, a civil war, and a world war, fought by neighbors on American farms and between global powers an ocean or more away. It impacted millions from Vermont’s Green Mountains to the swamps of South Carolina, from Indian Country to the Iberian Peninsula. In defeating the British Empire and giving birth to a new nation, the American Revolution turned the world upside-down. Thirteen colonies on the Atlantic Coast united in rebellion, won their independence, and established a republic that still endures. The American Revolution will present the story of the men and women of the Revolutionary generation, their humanity in victory and defeat, and the crisis that they lived through.

30 for 30
★ 7.6
30 for 302009Documentary

30 for 30 is the title for a series of documentary films airing on ESPN, its sister networks, and online highlighting interesting people and events in sports history. This currently includes four "volumes" of 30 episodes each, a 13-episode series under the ESPN Films Presents title in 2011–2012, and a series of 30 for 30 Shorts shown through the ESPN.com website. The series has also expanded to include Soccer Stories, which aired in advance of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and audio podcasts. This entry refers to the main Volumes of the series presented by ESPN

The Civil War
★ 8.0
The Civil War1990Documentary

A documentary on the American Civil War narrated by Ken Burns, covering the secession of the Confederacy to the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

The World According to Jeff Goldblum
★ 6.6
The World According to Jeff Goldblum2019Documentary

Through the prism of Jeff Goldblum's always inquisitive and highly entertaining mind, nothing is as it seems. Each episode is centered around something we all love — like sneakers or ice cream — as Jeff pulls the thread on these deceptively familiar objects and unravels a wonderful world of astonishing connections, fascinating science and history, amazing people, and a whole lot of surprising big ideas and insights.

Horizon
★ 7.5
Horizon1964Documentary

Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before.

World War II in Colour
★ 7.6
World War II in Colour2009Documentary

World War II In Colour is a 13-episode television documentary miniseries recounting the events of World War II narrated by Robert Powell. The show covers the Western Front, Eastern Front, and the Pacific War. It is on syndication in America on the Military Channel. This series is in full color, combining both original and colorized footage.

Legacy: The True Story of the LA Lakers
★ 8.1
Legacy: The True Story of the LA Lakers2022Documentary

This docuseries captures the remarkable rise and unprecedented success of one of the most dominant and iconic franchises in professional sports. Featuring exclusive access to the Buss Family and probing, revealing interviews with players, coaches, and front office execs, this series chronicles this extraordinary story from the inside – told only by the people who lived it.

The Sixties
★ 7.4
The Sixties2014Documentary

The space race, the cold war, "free love," civil rights and more: The decade of the 1960s shaped our history -- and changed the world. In collaboration with Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman and Mark Herzog, CNN explores perhaps the most transformative decade of the modern era in a 10-part documentary series and brings new insights into how those events shaped today.

Limitless with Chris Hemsworth
★ 8.0
Limitless with Chris Hemsworth2022Documentary

Chris is on a mission to live better for longer. With the help of top scientists, he takes on six epic challenges to test mind and body to the max.

Secrets of the Penguins
★ 7.6
Secrets of the Penguins2025Documentary

Over two extraordinary years, National Geographic Explorer Bertie Gregory discovered never-before-filmed secret traditions, surprising intelligence and close-knit societies of penguins. This astonishing series reveals they are more like us than we ever dreamed, from their powerful friendships to the courageous risk-takers using ingenuity and innovation in some of the world's most extreme places.

Natural World
★ 7.4
Natural World1983Documentary

Natural World is a nature documentary television series broadcast annually on BBC Two and regarded by the BBC as its flagship natural history brand. It is currently the longest-running series in its genre on British television, with more than 400 episodes broadcast since its inception in 1983. Natural World is produced by the BBC Natural History Unit in Bristol, but individual programmes can be in-house productions, collaborative productions with other broadcasters or films made and distributed by independent production companies and purchased by the BBC. Natural World programmes are often broadcast as PBS Nature episodes in the USA. Since 2008, most Natural World programmes have been shot and broadcast in high definition.

Similar titles

Expedition with Steve Backshall
★ 7.1
Expedition with Steve Backshall2019Documentary

The naturalist visits uncharted territory in pursuit of new discoveries. Steve Backshall takes on physical challenges, encounters extraordinary wildlife and meets remarkable people.

Kun Suomi muuttui - levottomat ajat 1961–1981
★ 9.0
Kun Suomi muuttui - levottomat ajat 1961–19812023Documentary

12 Years, 3 Months, 9 Days - The Chronicle Of The Third Reich
Not rated
12 Years, 3 Months, 9 Days - The Chronicle Of The Third Reich2006Documentary

About Adolf Hitler's time in Germany. On January 30, 1933, Adolf Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany and his tenure in power lasted for more than twelve years. It began with a standing ovation and ended after a world war in which 50 million people were killed.

Russia 1985-1999: TraumaZone
★ 8.6
Russia 1985-1999: TraumaZone2022Documentary

What it felt like to live through the collapse of communism and democracy. A series of films by Adam Curtis.

Chasing Flavor
★ 6.8
Chasing Flavor2024Documentary

Carla Hall travels around the world to track down the unexpected lineage and international origins of America's favorite dishes.

Samvidhaan: The Making of the Constitution of India
Not rated
Samvidhaan: The Making of the Constitution of India2014Documentary

How the constitution of the largest Democratic Republic in the world was created.

Norsk attraksjon
Not rated
Norsk attraksjon2007Documentary

For hundrede år siden
Not rated
For hundrede år siden2018Documentary

Pioneers in Aviation
★ 10.0
Pioneers in Aviation2012Documentary

EMMY-nominated PBS documentary covering the history of American aviation, from the Wright Brothers to the very frontiers of space.

China Rises
★ 7.0
China Rises2006Documentary

Experience one of the most fascinating phenomena of our times - the rapid evolution of the world's most populous nation from a secluded land of mystery to an economic powerhouse welcoming the modern world. In this compelling four-part series, China Rises takes you inside this dynamic country - from jeep joyriding in the Gobi Desert to a factory floor in Zhejiang Province, from walking the red carpet at the Shanghai Film Festival to staging a pop concert at the Great Wall, from police rescuing abducted women to experts training astronauts, from celebrating Chinese Central Television's new state-of-the-art headquarters to transforming controversial Tiananmen Square into an Olympic beach volleyball court. The seismic changes happening in China today reflect a potent mixture of dreams and despair, with consequences that will shape the future of the entire planet.

L'Armée rouge
Not rated
L'Armée rouge1999Documentary

Communism: History of an Illusion
Not rated
Communism: History of an Illusion2006Documentary

It started with Lenin and ended with Gorbachev. In this three-part documentary we highlight the people and events that played key roles in the rise of a revolutionary idea and the fall of an empire. How was it possible that this idea could fascinate so many people, including hundreds of intellectuals? How did so many thousands of people put up with suppression, indignity and economic hardship and still remain true to the fundamental concepts of communism?

The True Story of Alexander the Great
★ 7.0
The True Story of Alexander the Great2005Documentary

Tutored by Aristotle, helpless witness to his father's assassination, and a brilliant, pioneering tactician, Alexander the Great had conquered the known world--and sealed his legacy as one of history's most remarkable rulers--by the age of 25. In the year 334 B.C., 20-year-old King Alexander of Macedonia decided to bring the farthest reaches of the world under one domain. Over the next 12 years, he led a grand army across more than 20,000 miles and eventually brought all of Asia under his control, only to perish from battle wounds at the age of 32. Incorporating dramatic onsite reenactments with high-end computer graphics and the expertise of renowned scholars, THE TRUE STORY OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT is a special presentation from THE HISTORY CHANNEL®, examining the life and career of this military genius, impassioned lover, and fearless leader.

The Zulu Wars
★ 7.0
The Zulu Wars2002Documentary

This series explores the facts and investigates the truth behind the British Redcoat Army's campaign in Zululand during 1879. The war was started by a country at the height of it's imperial powers and prosecuted by an army charged with the responsibility of implementing a policy known as Confederation - a proposal to unite various black and white factions in South Africa under British authority. Interviews, on-location footage and new geological surveys all help to reconstruct the conflicts and give insight into the tactics used in these epic battles.

Faith of the Century: A History of Communism
★ 8.5
Faith of the Century: A History of Communism1999Documentary

Communism spread to all of the continents of the word, lasting through four generations and over seven decades. Hundreds of millions of men and women were affected by this political system, one of the most unjust and bloodiest in history. Using newly discovered propaganda films and archival photos, these four episodes explore the mysteries of this totalitarian political machine that lured its share of important followers into the fold. Known as the red church, communism seduced its ardent followers like some earthly religion.

America From The Ground Up
Not rated
America From The Ground Up2014Documentary

America from the Ground Up was filmed on location at archaeological and historical sites throughout the U.S. and Canada. Join us in the search for clues to America's hidden history: from exploring the ruins of America's lost civilizations, to the settlement of the North American continent in the 19th Century.

The Legends of Paris: A Tale of the 19th Century Artistic Scene
★ 7.2
The Legends of Paris: A Tale of the 19th Century Artistic Scene2024Documentary

During the turbulent 19th century, a number of brilliant French artists developed the Romantic movement in Paris: writers Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas, George Sand, Honoré de Balzac and Charles Baudelaire, painter Eugène Delacroix and composer Hector Berlioz, among others, changed the way of looking at art and created enduring works that have inspired the world to this day.

Reggie In China
Not rated
Reggie In China2019Documentary

Reggie discovers contemporary China, diving deep into four megacities in search of the new generations transforming their future.

Arqueomanía
Not rated
Arqueomanía2018Documentary

조선일보 100년 민족과 함께한 펜의 역사
Not rated
조선일보 100년 민족과 함께한 펜의 역사2020Documentary

Your favorites

Recently viewed

Watch

Choose an authorized server.

Full video from an operator-configured authorized source. Official trailers use a separate player. If a server fails, retry or select another authorized server.

Legal watch options

Official trailer

Trailer preview only. Press Play to start.

Privacy choices

Favorites stay in your browser. Movie images load from TMDb. YouTube trailers contact YouTube only after you allow external media and choose a trailer. Advertising consent, if ads are enabled, is managed separately by the operator’s certified CMP.

Privacy policy

After allowing external media, choose the trailer button to load its player.