World At War: Red Star 5 of 5

[hazemvirus]

@orkneymist you talking as the russians won because they knew how to fight, in every battler they kill a german they lose 5-10 soldiers! they only won because they over numbered the germans

[anaplastic]

@hazemvirus

Wtf you are talking about? Excluding the catastrophic for Soviets first year of war, when they were unprepared, Axis lost MORE soldiers than Soviets. Yes, dickhead, 5 million Nazis and 1 million other Axis soldiers went to Walhalla on the Eastern Front, 90% of the total European Axis military dead. What Anglo-Saxons and Nazis have in common is that they both killed more civilians than military, shithead. Soviets were by FAAAAR the most humane nation at war in WW2.

[plopties]

heroic yes, but what choice did they have, stalin was gonna screw em if hitler didnt.

poor russian were copping it from there own leader long before hitler decided to get them. i wonder how far just how far hitler would of gotten if he didnt screw up.

[rudy8707]

@myersde91 It's called "Let's Go!" (v pyut), and sung by the outstanding Red Army Choir -- there are several versions of it on youtube. Regardless of your politics, there's some magnificent stuff from the Red Army choir, and this tune in my opinion is one of the best.

[spudnick3490]

God those Katushas give me chills!

[AbuseTeamRobot]

derp derp derp youtube comment politics

derp derp derp

[MrRisk98]

A Poem to my Son

This poem was written by a Russian father to his deceased son during the German invasion of the USSR in WWII. I originally heard it back in 1973, narrated by Lawrence Olivier on the excellent British documentary series, "World at War." Lawrence rendered it marvelously, but it is very moving on its own.

[raggedtraveler]

This documentary series is better than any Hollywood movie can ever hope to be on the subject. And this episode is the best of the bunch.

[RobGoth100]

20 million Russian lost with half of the number to be blamed on Stalin himself.

[bluezappy]

Perhaps the best episode of the entire series. Thanks for uploading.

[randy95023]

More Soviet soldiers and civilians died during the siege at Leningrad than the TOTAL war dead of the USA and Britain combined. All the allies were essential for Victory, but the USSR paid the most dearly in blood. Regardless of the "cold war", and even current politics let us NEVER forget the gallant Soviet allies that did so much in defeating Hitler and his evil Nazi followers.

[phlupple]

@randy95023 well said.

[ehunter2]

Its so heartwarming to see the Russians

making the world safe for another 50 years of Communism.

[trogTwisted]

Better to have a Little tryant with a big moustache, than a Big Tyrant with a Little Moustache. Now the US has a big Communist, With Big EARS.

[dannyv2468va2]

@trogTwisted Please keep that kind of crap out of here. Just go to a KKK site to hang out with your friends.

[trogTwisted]

@dannyv2468va2 WTF??? You can't call something that is incompentant, "Incompentent" if it is BLACK? Reverse racism is still racism and it your gig not mine! He is a communist and YOU are the one who felt the need to bring Race into it. I mentioned his Ears not the Color of his skin, Besides he is part white so they say So maybe it is his white half that is an incompetant Communist, BUT i dont assing anything to race,,, To bad you put so much stock in it!

[cchj768]

@trogTwisted He isn't a communist. Your poor and tiny American brain has been brainwashed by the likes of McCain and the retard Palin. Why did you mention Mr. Obama's ears anyway? They are irrelevant unless you are trying to imply that you think he is a bad president because he is black by not refering to his colour. Mr. Obama is a great leader and an excellent President.

[trogTwisted]

@cchj768 I mentioned Stalins moustache, Hitlers Moustache, and Barry Obama's ears. All 3 are prominant features of each persons face. Of the 3, Hitler and Stalin, were world leaders, while Obama is a clown in over his head. Obama may prove to be a worse President than GW Bush or even Jimmy Carter ( No easy feat!) By reducing and critism of Obama to "Racism" may be a clever tactic, BUT it cheapens the word. Be careful, if you lable too many people as racist, then Racism becomes acceptible!

[cchj768]

@trogTwisted Are you a fucking retard? Nahh, this must be some joke. There can't be people like you who are that fucking spasticated.

[trogTwisted]

@cchj768 I was just thinking that you must be a troll, because no one could have their head that far up up his ass! What a clever thing! Have a black president, then when he sucks as bad as Obama, you can denounce anyone who says anything about it as a Rascist! You must be the real racist here. In Obama i see only a poor president, You must only see a black man who is a potential victim of Racism.

[cchj768]

@trogTwisted lol, I wasn't talking about racism in my previous comment you lunatic. Barack Obama is an excellent president and it is insulting to even mention people like Bush beside his name. It's not because he is black, but because he is inspiring, a great leader and intelligent.

[teslagod2003]

@ehunter2 well the world would have been a better place if there were no profiteers,corruption,taking advantage of the weak,pathetic manipulation and allowing crimes to grow...

but thanks to the other factors that help defeat the nazis,these sad things grew well and now devouring every human soul and heart...

[bahlye]

There can be no better feeling in a war than being alive at the end.

[the82spartans]

5*'s

[askjiir]

I cry for the Russians.

The Horror

[GOfilms01]

no matter how i try, i cannot, in my mind, picture 27 million bodies.

[marvesmarves]

LOL @ 5:53

[randy95023]

I doubt the Russians will ever trust the Germans again following their actions of WW2. Almost miraculously the USA is totally trusting and friendly with both Germany and Japan. After what my family suffered because of the Japanese I doubt that I will ever fully trust a Jap. When I was born in the 50's the war was still fresh in the minds of most Americans and I had several uncles seriously wounded by the Japanese. Luckily they all survived the war, but 3 suffered permanent disabilities.

[jinshiksung]

we have plenty of resource

build factory

what is problem

I do not understand there were poor

[cptoronto06]

I'm sorry to ask but what poem does Olivier recite around 6:20?

[instantlybent]

an incredible soviet achievement.

[vengefulnoob]

Actually the soviets invaded in 39. Barbarossa started in 41

[AndraFilm]

which, although successful, was managed horribly and resulted in horrendous losses for the Soviets. Then cooperating with the Nazis, the Soviets invaded and occupied Poland 1941-1942." Nothing against the people of the Soviet Union. They fought bravely and with great honor. But what if Hitler would have not started a war with the Soviet Union? What would have been the outcome of WWII with the Soviet Union as part of the Axis? Scary thought, but I do believe things worked out for the best.

[libmgsms]

(Soviet Union as part of the Axis) USSR was never part of the axis. USSR had a Non-Aggression Pact with NG but only after all the other countries which had one with NG signed it. Keep in mind that Stalin like a voice crying in the wilderness, for a decade tried to establish collective-security system through the League of Nations, Tried to make and alliance with UK and France in 1939. After it failed USSR made a NAP with NG.

[ImperialGuard9001]

Didnt stop Stalin from deporting milions of poles and execution of POWs by thousands

[7StoryMagnet]

your comment was accurate

but it was voted down because

people think Hitler was worse than Stalin.

He was NOT.

Hitler killed 10 million of his own AND foreigners combined.

Stlain killed 40 MILLION of his own AND foreigners combined.

[Jhoxi1972]

How, in the nine hells did you figure out Hitler was not "worse" than Stalin for only killing 10 mil compared to Stalin's 40 mil???!!

[7StoryMagnet]

stalin also put mao testung into power in china in 1949 (mao couldn't have done it without stalin)

and mao killed 60 million so....

if it weren't for stalin and his protege's POLICY OF MURDER

100 Million people would NOT have died

so, yes that is worse than killing 10 million people. apparently you need to finish grade school before we continue this discussion

[Jhoxi1972]

Be nice!...I finished grade school a long time ago but decided to redo grade Skuul in order to comprehend infantile remarks like yours.

You see...I also have a problem with numbers so it's very hard for me to figure out the "who was worse" thingy...was it Hitler with his 10 mil?....was it Stalin with his 40 Mil?...was it Mao Testicle, whatever, with his 60 mil?....or, was it the common thief who killed ONE man for his wallet? I can say who was the BEST at killing but not the worst....

[7StoryMagnet]

Mao Testicle?

That wouldn't even be funny if I were 13.

You must be about 9.

And yes, I would rather stop someone from killing 10, 20, or 50 million people rather than stop the person who murders ONE person.

In fact I WOULD MURDER ONE PERSON, if that person were a Hitler or a Stalin or a Mao

just to save the lives of all his victims

kiddo, In about 10 years, you might go to this place called College where you may take something called an ETHICS class. It will make sense to you then

[DaiJonesful]

@7StoryMagnet - No, apparently you need to learn what a moral compass is. To judge men of history by counting their victims is to totally misunderstand the subject. A great book for you to read is "parallel lives", by Alan Bullock. Your reasoning is warped, and no rational educated historian would give your view any credibility. You seem to think it is like a video game with a "high score". Which monster was worse is no platform for a credible analysis.

[DaiJonesful]

@7StoryMagnet - History deals with the relevant, and it is always studied in the confines of relativity. To a family living in London who had to pick their children's limbs out of the rubble, there is no greater monster than Hitler. To a mother who has had her children exterminated in Siberia, Stalin would seen alone in his evilness. It is all relative. To study it as a "numbers" exercise eliminates all its meaningfulness. Knowledge is useless without intelligent application.

[7StoryMagnet]

@DaiJonesful

I agree totally. And a German mother picking up her dead kids' limbs in the rubble of Dresden would see Churchill and Roosevelt as Monsters.

Then you could say...well you shouldn't have let Hitler take over your country. Then she could say, "then the versailly committee shouldn't have tried to starve germany"

and so on and so on and so on

that's why it's called ETHICS

us and them pick a side

is bullshit in my opinion tho

we went after hitler because of the THREAT

[ImperialGuard9001]

And what I say?!

[Troublesome2008]

Hitler caused the death of far more than just 10 million people. 27 million Russians died in WW2. 9 million Poles died. And don't dorget about all the Jews, the Gypsies and all the other people across Europe who died because Hitler wanted his Lebensraum...

[DaiJonesful]

@7StoryMagnet . Yeah, 10 million is fine. And there was me thinking they were both monsters. Thanks for putting me straight.

[VCVvideo]

lol

[redmunkee]

"But what if Hitler would have not started a war with the Soviet Union?"

Then the Soviet Union would have started the war with Hitler. Germany's access to resources and raw materials for the war machine was severely limited. There was a real need to invade other countries for them, otherwise they run the risk of depleting their industrial capacity and being invaded themselves.

[ImperialGuard9001]

Germanys acess to resources previous to 41 was at his best didnt you knew that German Tanks only run in West in 1940 because of Soviet Oil the Soviet trade a great huge of resources that made run the German War Machine

[redmunkee]

Again, relying on Stalin's good graces was not the best option for germany.

[libmgsms]

And American oil, dont forget that. YAHOO [American Corporations and Hitler] 3d link from the top: scribd. Also if UK and France formed an alliance with USSR in 1939, than NAP with NG to buy time for USSR would not have had been needed. Also if Poland allowed Passage to Red Army to help CZ in 1938, NG would have had fallen, for one: CZ had a good army and for two: NGs oil source back than was Romania, a foreign and to be cut off by the Red Army land. Read the link in your box.

[AndraFilm]

Both Hitler and Stalin were evil despicable cowards. They can be compared only as pure evil. Before this documentary, I did not quite understand the underlying reasons for the Cold War. But now I understand it better. The Nazis and Soviets had similar aspirations when it came to conquering. "Before 1942 and war with Germany, the Soviets invaded Finland to try and create a bufferzone around Leningrad (now St. Petersburg)

[libmgsms]

Cold War started after US objected to Germanys paying reparations to USSR while it, US, sent financial help to Germany. Soviets said fine than, you rebuild the Western Part and we will the Eastern one, plus other hostilities against USSR, caused USSR to setup the EECB as a buffer zone, was not fair to them, but look what the country went through in WWII, it had to look after itself. (The Nazis and Soviets had similar aspirations) Stalin did not support Trotsky's idea of a worldwide Revolution.

[redmunkee]

Stalin supports worldwide revolution, he doesn't agree with Trotsky's theory of permanent revolution.

[libmgsms]

Trotskys theory was worldwide revolution or Socialism in every country. Stalin was more of a one country Socialism kind of guy. There are many sources about it. One, but there are many others, link talking about it is in your box, just serach for (Worldwide revolution) What is a (permanent revolution) anyway? 1917 every year? Got a link I can look at?

[redmunkee]

All communist support worldwide revolution. Trotsky supports permanent revolution theory in which a revolution is perpetually spread from one country to the next. Stalin believes that once a revolution is successful, it should establish a strong socialist state that can support revolutionary movements in other countries.

[gcrav]

The theory of permanent revolution contends that socialist revolution can occur in peasant-based societies without a well-developed industrial working class. The theory of two stage revolution contends that development of a more advanced capitalist economy is prerequisite for a socialist revolution.

[mc0558]

When the Battle of Kursk was being planned several German generals tried to persuade Hitler not to attack anywhere on the Eastern Front in 1943 but stand on the defensive. But Hitler wanted Kursk for political reasons at home. It was an utter waste!

[THEJACKAL09]

"The Russians have learned a lot since 1941. They are no longer simple peasants with simple minds. They have learned the art of war from us."

- Colonel General Hermann Hoth, spoken to Field Marshal Erich von Manstein after the battle of Kursk.

[14kip]

wot a truly sad poem at the end. anyone know who its by?

[randy95023]

Kursk must have been quite a shock to the "master race"!! The bones of the "super men" are scattered from the outskirts of Moscow all the way back to Berlin. Talk was cheap in the 30's, but in April '45 Hitler stuck a well made German Pistol to his temple and blew his "brilliant" brain matter all over a sofa cover in a claustraphobic bunker!

[ANACONDA360]

@randy95023 I feel that being the so-called "master race" got the better of them. They didn't even expect the "untermenschen" Russians to bite back as they became "ubermenschen". Unlike the Germans; who seemed like the upper-class toff in comparison, the Russians could not replace what they lost, and were prepared to die if it would bring them ever closer to Berlin.

[Capitalist09]

@randy95023 most bones and blood spilled were of young recruits sent out in the front line to die. Hitler drafted kids under 18 when they grew desperate, as well as the elder. Considered them expendable. A lot of people think the dude had a body double off himself so that a photo could be taken. He probably shaved his mustache and escaped after sodomizing then shooting his bitch-ass-ho. Probably put on a soviet uniform or something.

[AristYdes]

The russians are toughest people of the world. They may not be soft-hearted, but theyre undestructible.

[numberstation]

Blimey,what a silly sausage you are!

[george211]

All three heavyweight titles are held by russians, so fuck you

[raysputin]

every russian marched in American bootsif it wasnt for american supplies and archangel staying open the russians would have been screwed. You can fight tanks if your guns wont get threw the armor. They are a tough defensive fighter, much like the Finnish people. People will fight for the homes.

[tranmere789]

The hard and painfull fact for worshippers of "Great Patriotic War" is that SU begun the ww2 as an axied power collaborating with Hitler, supporting him. Stalin's plan was simple, help Hitler to destroy democratic institutes including trade unions and eliminate armies. Then Stalin will game as "liberator". And what liberation - killing, raping, torturing, looting and destroying intelligentsia. All in all - replacing facism by another facism.

[vengefulnoob]

the soviet union never supported hitler, the pact was only ever temporary. YES, the soviets did exact a terrible revenge on the germans, but you cannot compare hitler and stalin. Stalin was essentially a fascist (not a communist in any way at all, noone ever has been) mad and murderous, but Hitler aimed to exterminate the whole of the russian population. Stalin, for all his evils, did not and did not aim to systematically slaughter entire races of central europe when he invaded

[AristYdes]

Stalin made a pact with hitler because he knew he didnt have enough military strength to face germany. The conquered territories would serve as a barrier for further advance of germany.

[tranmere789]

Stalin made a pact coz he wanted to support Hitler. Hitler was Stalin's icebreaker. As Vladimir Bukowsky explain it: "He wanted that Hitler was the bad guy who destroys democracy in whole Europe. There will be no free trade unions, parlaments, armies. And then - Stalin will come as LIBERATOR".

That was Stalin's plan. Help Hitler - and then conquer the whole Europe.

[meocaott]

Stalin wanted to pitch Hitler against UK and France and invade Baltic countries. But quick fall of France was Stalin's worst nightmare and Soviet people had to suffer what Hitler did to the Poles. All because of Stalin's stupidity and hunger for power.

[tranmere789]

Sentimental bullshit. They didn't tell that many soviet citizens were not so happy about Red Army liberation. Today Russian authors confirm that the Russians who lived under German occupation were better off than those under Soviet rule. In the end, as Kirsch points out, the political and psychological blindness of the German leadership, combined with massive aid from America and England, were decisive for the defeat of Germany.

[alexander33345]

25 million people dying for their country against hitler, heroic defence of Stalingrad, heroic defense of Lenningrad, the fifth year plan improved their life expectancy, their production, from a midle age russia to an industrial SOVIET super power.

I BELIVE FACT TALK FOR THEMSELVES

[tranmere789]

Democracy unite against Fascism (including islamic facism) and Communism!

[RichardSwayne]

Communism, and Democracy unite against Fascism!

[askjiir]

Spectacular documentary, so sad i almost cried.

[woodswgb]

Anyone know what that march at the end of the clip is called?

[costyca1985]

"off we go"

[dodge96neon]

i was expecting anthony quinn to show up at the end when that russsian music played

[Ticonio]

the Western Europeans will fall at the end when the Arabs become MAYORITY!!!

[squelter]

I'm not going to argue the point, just going to say one thing I know for sure: the muslims will never, ever be a majority in Europe. They'll never even get past 25% of the total population.

[MalteseFalcon786]

The casualty figures quoted are seriously flawed. "50,000 dead" for just the northern pincer of the German attack? I don't think so! Total German casualties at Kursk, KIA, MIA, WIA, for both 9th Army and 4th Panzer Army, were about 57,000.

[alextubeta19]

I agree with your assessment. The World at War is a great series, but its dated. Bear in mind that is was made in the 1970's, during the Cold War. Accurate and precise information on the Russian front in World War II wasn't documented as clearly as today. Nevertheless, I regard this as the greatest series ever done on World War II; and one of the greatest documentary series ofall time.

[MalteseFalcon786]

You're right, of course. One of the most delightful things about living in the post-Glasnost era, to me, is the unearthing of previously classified Soviet documents especially as regards Russian casualties. Krivosheev's work is invaluable in this respect. Still, I wonder where that "50,000" figure came from. It sounds absurdly high even if it came from Soviet propaganda sources.

[alextubeta19]

Its also important to remember that the writers at the BBC were rather left wing, and were inclined to go along with Soviet figures as essentially being beyond dispute. As such, they probably took the Soviet figure of 50,000 as the coin of the realm. In fairness, this episode was probably one of the first times that the battle of Kursk received attention in the West; and as you know, it was the decisive battle of the European war. You wouldn't have heard that in the West in the 50's or 60's

[TroyaE117]

Great Russian marching song at 09.08.

[hoosierdaddy3277]

I saw Wheel of Fortune last night in my living room.

[maverick41218]

Haha! one of the best responses!

[AristYdes]

Thats not a comment, technically.