5/5 THIS 2 PART DVD BEGINS WITH HITLER'S EARLY VICTORIES & ENDS AS STALINGRAD BEGINS TO GO BADLY
  by Heather L. Parisi (Pekin, IN USA)
IN A NUTSHELL: THIS IS NOT A VIDEO ABOUT THE BATTLE OF STALINGRAD

I noticed that many reviewers have stated with dissapointment that this is not about the "Battle of Stalingrad. That is true, as the documentary is actually two parts of a four part set. The first two parts 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 on this DVD. However, the series is incomplete without part 3 and 4 aptly titled, "The Road To Berlin".

Simply speaking, both parts of "The Road To Stalingrad" chronological highlight the German advances which historically terminated at Stalingrad in February of 1943. Another DVD, titled, "The Road To Berlin", presents [in 2 parts] the european theatre after Stalingrad, and naturally this half of the war ends in Berlin, in May of 1945.

BOTTOM LINE:

So basically, "The Road To Stalingrad" 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 some detailed accounts of the holocaust, as it applied specifically to the Soviet Union. These segments are graphic and you may need to skip them or discuss them first if children are to view them.

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.

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 Hitler's Desperate Attempt to Win the War in the East
  by Jeffrey T. Munson (Dixon, IL)
Despite the title being somewhat confusing, this is still a good dvd about the outbreak of World War II in Europe and some of the major conflicts of the early years of the war. Using actual footage, this dvd describes in great detail Hitler's annexation of Austria and the Sudetenland along with the invasion of Poland, which brought France and Great Britain into the war.

The German victory over France, which was accomplished in a mere six weeks, is described in great detail. The German army, outnumbered greatly by the French, still managed to defeat them in relatively short order due to superior equipment and tactics, while the French depended on their fabled Maginot Line to stop the Germans. It didn't.

As for the Russian front, the Germans and Russians signed a non-aggression pact in the summer of 1939. Stalin believed that the Germans would not attack, so he stopped fortifying his divisions and ignored the mounting evidence of the coming conflict. By the time he realized that the Germans were going to attack, it was too late; his divisions were routed by the on-rushing Germans. Within 2 weeks, the Germans had penetrated 300 kilometers across a 1,000 mile front. Millions of Russians were captured. Estimates ran as high as 4 million Russian casualties during the early stages of operation Barbarossa.

The Germans, however, faced obstacles of their own. Hoping for a quick victory, they failed to bring along any winter supplies. By the time the Russian winter had set in, many thousands of Germans had died of exposure, giving the Russians time to re-group and counterattack.

The footage on this dvd is remarkable. From the opening salvos in Poland to the gates of Stalingrad, the viewer gets a chance to see what the war in the East was truly like; barbaric, graphic, and ruthless on both sides. I recommend this dvd to anyone who has interest in the Russo/German theater of war. The images contained within are very graphic, and it captures the conduct of the campaign from the invasion to the turning point at Stalingrad.

2/5 Not about the Battle of Stalingrad.
  by B. Auten (Northern Ireland)
As indicated by another reviewer, this movie only tells of what happened before the battle of Stalingrad. If you are looking for a movie on the Battle itself, don't spend the cash on this one.

3/5 Not what you think.
  by Ulrich Belz (Michigan)
As the title implies, this is the story of the things that lead up to the battle of Stalingrad, not about the battle itself. It is a documentary which starts pre-WWII and tells the story about the events which lead up to the war on the German Eastern Front. Including Hitler's rise to power and the Soviet political situation at the time. Unfortunetly, the story ends as the battle begins. The story doesn't bring you through to the conclusion of the battle, as you would hope. Don't let the title fool you, as it did me.