The Russian German War

Rating:
Summary: A revealing look at the horror that was the Eastern Front
Review: One of the standard jokes on the television comedy "Hogan's Heroes" was that if Colonel Klink or Sgt. Schultz were not good, they would be sent to the Russian Front. As a result of the Iron Curtain descending upon the continent of Europe after World War II what we knew about the Eastern Front and the savage confrontation between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union was most informed speculation and supposition. This three-part documentary on "The Russian-German War" features captured German and Russian footage, most of which had never been seen in the West. This fascinating documentary gives us new insights into a clash that last almost four years and which saw an average of almost 18,000 people die EACH DAY.

"The Politics of Fear," the first episode in the series, looks at the uneasy alliance that existed between Hitler and Stalin after their division of Poland. Having conquered France, Hitler and his generals look towards the East, opening up a second front that would ultimately prove to be the undoing of Nazi Germany. "The Killing Ground" starts with the brutal winter of 1941, the worst in well over a century, and ends with the Russian army forcing back the Nazi invaders, despite horrific losses. Hitler ordered his troops to fight to the last man, refusing to allow them to retreat. However, his orders only resulted in entire Armies being lost. "Breakout to Berlin" starts with the defense of Stalingrad in 1943 and the successful race by the Soviet Army to beat the Americans, British and French forces to Berlin. When Stalin's men found the charred remains of Adolf Hitler, you can truly say the Russian-German War was finally over.

Admittedly, this documentary series will have little utility for history classes unless they are specifically studying World War II in its entire scope. The Allied war effort is almost tangential to the story being told her, which is the horrific death match between the two great evil ideologies of the 20th Century. "The Russian War" brings home the grim reality that 1 in 10 Russians died during this war. The opening sequence of "Enemy at the Gate" only hints at how great of a butcher's bill resulted from this part of the war. The narration for this series is provided by actor Douglas Rain, from a script by producer Jerry Lawton, with music by Rick Hyslop. This documentary will prove fascinating to any devout student of the Second World War. For the rest of us, we will simply always remember that there was nothing funny about being sent to the Russian Front; no matter which side you were on.

Rating:
Summary: A revealing look at the horror that was the Eastern Front
Review: One of the standard jokes on the television comedy "Hogan's Heroes" was that if Colonel Klink or Sgt. Schultz were not good, they would be sent to the Russian Front. As a result of the Iron Curtain descending upon the continent of Europe after World War II what we knew about the Eastern Front and the savage confrontation between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union was most informed speculation and supposition. This three-part documentary on "The Russian-German War" features captured German and Russian footage, most of which had never been seen in the West. This fascinating documentary gives us new insights into a clash that last almost four years and which saw an average of almost 18,000 people die EACH DAY.

"The Politics of Fear," the first episode in the series, looks at the uneasy alliance that existed between Hitler and Stalin after their division of Poland. Having conquered France, Hitler and his generals look towards the East, opening up a second front that would ultimately prove to be the undoing of Nazi Germany. "The Killing Ground" starts with the brutal winter of 1941, the worst in well over a century, and ends with the Russian army forcing back the Nazi invaders, despite horrific losses. Hitler ordered his troops to fight to the last man, refusing to allow them to retreat. However, his orders only resulted in entire Armies being lost. "Breakout to Berlin" starts with the defense of Stalingrad in 1943 and the successful race by the Soviet Army to beat the Americans, British and French forces to Berlin. When Stalin's men found the charred remains of Adolf Hitler, you can truly say the Russian-German War was finally over.

Admittedly, this documentary series will have little utility for history classes unless they are specifically studying World War II in its entire scope. The Allied war effort is almost tangential to the story being told her, which is the horrific death match between the two great evil ideologies of the 20th Century. "The Russian War" brings home the grim reality that 1 in 10 Russians died during this war. The opening sequence of "Enemy at the Gate" only hints at how great of a butcher's bill resulted from this part of the war. The narration for this series is provided by actor Douglas Rain, from a script by producer Jerry Lawton, with music by Rick Hyslop. This documentary will prove fascinating to any devout student of the Second World War. For the rest of us, we will simply always remember that there was nothing funny about being sent to the Russian Front; no matter which side you were on.

Rating:
Summary: Less than I hoped
Review: Perhaps this is more a case of high expectations than a poor product, but I was disappointed in this DVD. Let's start with the packaging; the case and sleeve art give the DVD a "home-made" look. Also, I thought this was a new documentary; on the contrary, it was originally produced in 1995. The narration is overly dramatic and the text adds nothing in the way of increased knowledge on the subject matter. The music is a distraction at best and annoying at worst. The one redeeming quality and why I did not rate it 1 star: there are MANY images and film clips that I have never seen in any other documentary covering the German/Russian conflict, and I have watched hundreds of hours on the subject. Overall, as a history lesson or for sheer entertainment value, I cannot recommend this product.