Search - The Road to Stalingrad on DVD

Not what you think.

Ulrich Belz | Michigan | 01/24/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"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.

"

Hitler's Desperate Attempt to Win the War in the East

Jeffrey T. Munson | Dixon, IL | 12/16/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"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."

Not about the Battle of Stalingrad.

B. Auten | Northern Ireland | 05/08/2005

(2 out of 5 stars)

"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."