Soviet T-34 tanks rolling through Moscow on their way to battle
Last week not only marked the 65th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, but also the defeat of the Nazi armies at the gates of Moscow. To mark this historic occasion, Russia Blog has posted two episodes produced in 1943 for Frank Capra's famous World War II documentary, Why We Fight, titled "The Battle for Russia".
People who know why World War II began will immediately notice at the start of these episodes that Capra omits any mention of the notorious Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, which in 1939 divided eastern Europe into Nazi and Soviet-occupied spheres of influence. Film critics will also notice that Capra relied extensively on Soviet director Sergei Eisenstein's films and Soviet propaganda footage for much of his material.
In spite of the film's soft peddling of Soviet complicity in the start of World War II, it did serve its purpose of reminding Americans of the tremendous sacrifices the Russian people were making to crush the Nazi regime. The introduction to the "Battle of Russia" also portrays facts about Russia's vast natural resources and strategic importance that still hold true today.
Click on the extended post to watch Part I and II of "The Battle of Russia".
Watch "The Battle of Russia: Parts I and II" here:
A wartime U.S. propaganda film released in late 1943 - it provides an excellent overview of the battle for Russia from June 1941 to mid-1943
Comments
Great films!
Posted by: Vladi | December 18, 2006 11:07 AM
"In spite of the film's soft peddling of Soviet complicity in the start of World War II"
As someone whose family comes from what used to be part of "free and democratic" Poland before 1939, I still don't understand for whose benefit people like you apologize for the Soviet conditions of the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact, because it is certainly not for ours. The fact that, aside from Transnistria, no major territorial disputes have arisen as a result of the Soviet side of the partitions (which determine the borders of Eastern Europe today) is a testament to the careful thought and consideration for the ethno-national-linguistic realities of the region put into the treaty by Molotov, Stalin and others.
Posted by: Vladimir S. | December 18, 2006 5:34 PM