Product Details

• Actors: Jerry Lawton
• Format: Box set, Closed-captioned, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Janson Video
• VHS Release Date: December 9, 1996
• Run Time: 141 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• ASIN: B00004REDU
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #58,097 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

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Editorial Reviews

Library Journal, October 15, 1997
"... well produced and scripted... an able narration combined with riveting footage and a powerful musical score makes this essential..."

Product Description
The Russian-German War is a rare look at one of the worst horror stories in the long infamous history of warfare. For decades the Cold War prevented us from looking closely at what really happened between the Russians and the Germans on the Eastern Front during World War II. More than a struggle between nations, it pitted maniacal tyrant against maniacal tyrant, evil ideology against evil ideology. The lives of tens of millions of human beings were consumed by its raging hatreds and appalling indignities. One in every ten Russians died. One in every four Poles died. Whole divisions of Italians, Rumanians, Hungarians disappeared with barely a trace. An average of 17,800 people died on every single day - and this, the war on the Russian German Front, lasted for 1,400 days. The series is narrated with chilling precision by actor Douglas Rain. The script, by producer Jerry Lawton, is dark and powerful. The music, by composer Rick Hyslop, captures every nuance of tragedy with discordant clarity. The series features captured German and Russian film footage, much of which has never been seen in the United States.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A revealing look at the horror that was the Eastern Front, January 27, 2002

By	Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

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.