Country after European country falls before the unstoppable German blitzkrieg.Country after European country falls before the unstoppable German blitzkrieg.Country after European country falls before the unstoppable German blitzkrieg.
Photos
Robert Powell
- Self - Narrator
- (voice)
Adolf Hitler
- Self
- (archive footage)
Wladyslaw Sikorski
- Self
- (archive footage)
Karl Dönitz
- Self
- (archive footage)
- (as Adm. Karl Doenitz)
Maurice Gamelin
- Self
- (archive footage)
Gustaf Mannerheim
- Self
- (archive footage)
Erich von Manstein
- Self
- (archive footage)
- (as Gen. Erich von Mannstein)
Winston Churchill
- Self
- (archive footage)
Philippe Pétain
- Self
- (archive footage)
Charles de Gaulle
- Self
- (archive footage)
Joseph Stalin
- Self
- (archive footage)
- (as Iosif Stalin)
Storyline
Featured review
Nobody Starts A War.
In 1939, after years of preparation and a bit of practice in Spain, Nazi Germany invaded Poland, ignoring a British and French ultimatum, which then precipitated World War II in Europe.
Germany did not start the war. Nobody ever starts a war. Why, the US doesn't even have a "War Department" anymore. It's now "The Department of Defense." Wars become inevitable when everyone is in a position to blame the other side for starting it.
In this case, as the program illustrates, Hitler did a fine job of redefining his invasion of Poland as a defensive act. He actually staged a Polish raid on a radio station across the German border. Hitler's troops were dressed in Polish uniforms and, though the film doesn't say so, some corpses were provided from a nearby penitentiary and were left to litter the field. The German citizens heard only the dramaturgical version, which happens when the state controls the media, and that was all it took to get the Blitzkrieg rolling. Of course, it doesn't have to be a raid on a radio station; it can be hidden weapons of mass destruction, the loss of a soccer game, or a threat that has no empirical basis at all. When properly deployed, they can all work.
The Poles were ill prepared for the Blitzkrieg, which means literally "lightning war." The German generals had read the British literature on tank tactics and instead of spreading their tanks all over the place in small numbers to support the infantry, they bulked them together as semi-independent strike forces, followed by mechanized infantry to do the mopping up. The Confederate cavalry did something similar in the American Civil War. It took the Yankees a few years to catch on.
In the event, light German tanks -- no better than the French and British tanks, and outnumbered -- were at first pitted against Polish cavalry on horseback, carrying lances. The German panzers struck first and were aided by German air superiority. The famous Stuka dive bomber was a sort of flying artillery. It was all very thought out and organized.
The Polish Army and Air Force was quickly disposed of, except for the many who took refuge in England, where they were able to contribute substantially to the Allied war effort as airmen and infantry. The final defeat of the Germans at Monte Cassino was at the hands of the Poles.
Not to go on about it, the Germans took Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Norway, and France. Basically, Hitler now ruled most of Europe.
It's a decent documentary, much of it in color, and it's honest. For those who wonder how wars begin, this is a good place to start.
Germany did not start the war. Nobody ever starts a war. Why, the US doesn't even have a "War Department" anymore. It's now "The Department of Defense." Wars become inevitable when everyone is in a position to blame the other side for starting it.
In this case, as the program illustrates, Hitler did a fine job of redefining his invasion of Poland as a defensive act. He actually staged a Polish raid on a radio station across the German border. Hitler's troops were dressed in Polish uniforms and, though the film doesn't say so, some corpses were provided from a nearby penitentiary and were left to litter the field. The German citizens heard only the dramaturgical version, which happens when the state controls the media, and that was all it took to get the Blitzkrieg rolling. Of course, it doesn't have to be a raid on a radio station; it can be hidden weapons of mass destruction, the loss of a soccer game, or a threat that has no empirical basis at all. When properly deployed, they can all work.
The Poles were ill prepared for the Blitzkrieg, which means literally "lightning war." The German generals had read the British literature on tank tactics and instead of spreading their tanks all over the place in small numbers to support the infantry, they bulked them together as semi-independent strike forces, followed by mechanized infantry to do the mopping up. The Confederate cavalry did something similar in the American Civil War. It took the Yankees a few years to catch on.
In the event, light German tanks -- no better than the French and British tanks, and outnumbered -- were at first pitted against Polish cavalry on horseback, carrying lances. The German panzers struck first and were aided by German air superiority. The famous Stuka dive bomber was a sort of flying artillery. It was all very thought out and organized.
The Polish Army and Air Force was quickly disposed of, except for the many who took refuge in England, where they were able to contribute substantially to the Allied war effort as airmen and infantry. The final defeat of the Germans at Monte Cassino was at the hands of the Poles.
Not to go on about it, the Germans took Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Norway, and France. Basically, Hitler now ruled most of Europe.
It's a decent documentary, much of it in color, and it's honest. For those who wonder how wars begin, this is a good place to start.
helpful•32
- rmax304823
- Jul 30, 2015
Details
- Runtime51 minutes
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