5/5 ESSENTIALLY BEGINS WHERE THE ROAD TO STALINGRAD ENDS
  by Heather L. Parisi (Pekin, IN USA)
IN A NUTSHELL: THIS IS NOT A VIDEO ABOUT THE BATTLE OF BERLIN BUT RATHER HOW THE RUSSIAN ARMY GOT THERE!

I noticed that many reviewers have stated with dissapointment that the "ROAD TO STALINGRAD" DVD, the mate to this, "The Road to Berlin" was not about that famous battle in Russia.

That is also true of this DVD, which is actually the last 2- parts of the 4-part documentary that began with, "THE ROAD TO STALINGRAD". The first two parts [ROAD TO STALINGRAD] cover Hitler's victories beginning prior to the invasion of Poland and go on to include Operation Barbarossa [part 1] and end with the siege of Stalingrad [part 2]. Both part 1 and 2 are included in "THE ROAD TO STALINGRAD" DVD. However, the series is incomplete without part 3 and 4 aptly titled, "The Road To Berlin". Those 2 parts which make-up "THE ROAD TO BERLIN" are on this DVD.

In a nutshell, both parts of "The Road To Berlin" chronological highlight the German retreat which historically began at Stalingrad in February of 1943.

BOTTOM LINE:

So basically, "The Road To Berlin" is half of a documentary about the european war, with an emphasis on the battles between the Soviet Union and Germany. Put both of these documentaries together, and you have as concise and accurate a visual picture of this theatre of World War 2 as I have ever seen, with a very accurate account of the logistical details on both sides.

ALSO OF NOTE: NOT A DVD TO LET YOUNG CHILDREN SEE WITHOUT GUIDANCE

There are also some genuine scenes where actual war casualties occur, and this may be disturbing, though they are not overly graphic, and occur as apparent happenstance during certain battle footages.

NEVERTHELESS THIS IS A TERRIFIC DOCUMENTARY:

This series is reminiscent of "The World At War", though there is narrative without interviews. Like the World At War, the quality of the film and narrative are truly shocking, but unlike the World At War, much of what we see in this documentary has only recently been released since the demise of the Soviet Union. For this reason alone this is an incredible addition to anyone's film library that is interested in World War 2.

Again, this DVD is the last half, of a 4 part, 2 DVD set, which shows the war on the Eastern front from 1939-1945. The perspective from the Russian front is one that usually gets shortchanged, but not in this series.

ABOUT THE DVD:

This Columbia River Entertainment DVD is playable in ALL REGIONS. The transfer of these 60-70 year old films is absolutely miraculous and the audio is flawless.


4/5 Germany's Last Days
  by Jeffrey T. Munson (Dixon, IL)
This DVD chronicles Adolf Hitler and the last days of the Third Reich. It starts out with the battle of Stalingrad. In the summer of 1942, the Germans launched Operation Barbarossa; the invasion of Russia. Germany and Russia had signed a non-aggression pact earlier, but Germany, buoyed by her success in the West, turned on her former ally. Initially, the Germans moved relatively freely through the Russian countryside. The battles were fierce, but the Germans managed to keep the Russians on the run. The Germans, sensing an easy victory, took no winter gear with them. This omission proved to be a costly mistake.

The Germans managed to surround the Russian forces inside Stalingrad and they controlled virtually the entire city, but the Russians were able to counter-attack and soon the Germans were in full retreat. This battle marked the beginning of the end for Germany.

The losses suffered on both sides were horrific. Millions of Russians and thousands of Germans were killed during the war in the East.

This DVD uses actual footage taken during the fighting. Although the photos are a little grainy, they really tell the story of the war in the East and how brutal the fighting truly was. This is a very good DVD. The narration is helpful in understanding the battles, and each campaign from Stalingrad to the fall of Berlin is covered. One particular aspect I thought was covered especially well in this DVD was Hitler's refusal to let his Generals control the German Army. It is mentioned numerous times in the DVD how Hitler overruled his commanders, and how some became so upset with him that several of the Generals planned an assassination attempt against Hitler. Who knows what would have happened if Hitler would have simply let his leaders lead. I recommend this DVD. It has a lot of good information in it for people interested in the Russo-German battles of World War II.