From Blitzkrieg to Barbarism – The War of Annihilation Against the Soviet Union (2011) [N/A]
Release Date:
January 1, 2011
Original Title:
Vom Blitzkrieg zur Barbarei - Der Vernichtungsfeldzug gegen die Sowjetunion
Alternate Titles:
Der barbarische Krieg im Osten. Vor 70 Jahren: Überfall auf die Sowjetunion
Production Companies:
Spiegel TV
Production Countries:
Germany
Ratings / Certifications:
N/A
Runtime: 100
The Barbaric War in the East
The documentary focuses on the German Wehrmacht’s invasion of Poland and the Soviet Union during World War II and its consequences for the German military. On June 22, 1941, “Operation Barbarossa” marked the start of a war of annihilation that claimed millions of lives. Hitler and his generals planned the destruction of the Soviet Union and its population. The Wehrmacht supported SS Einsatzgruppen in mass shootings and committed numerous war crimes. The anticipated quick victory failed to materialize due to a lack of reserves and alternative strategies, leading to the operation’s failure. Spiegel-TV author Nina Adler presents these events using previously unseen amateur footage from German soldiers and rare archival material from Russia. Expert interviews, including with military historian Rolf-Dieter Müller and authors Sönke Neitzel and Harald Welzer, round out the documentary and shed light on a war that forever changed the image of the Germans.