Hitler's Frozen Army
Scavenging a large wooded area in central Russia, a group of volunteers happen upon corroded gas masks, mangled tanks and artillery fragments. These are remnants from the Battle of Moscow - the largest battle in human history and one of the most significant military campaigns during World War II. Metal scraps uncovered from a distant past might provide a hint of the brutality and mass casualties that resulted from this battle, but "Hitler's Frozen Army" creates a living history that pulsates with tension and you-are-there realism.
This defining battle was part of Operation Typhoon, a plan birthed by Adolf Hitler to overtake Moscow and eventually conquer the Soviet Union. In the end, the Soviets were able to strike a massive blow to German forces by thwarting their attempts to capture their capital city. This victory was hard fought, and led to over a million casualties.
This "war of annihilation" was orchestrated by two of the most infamous dictators against one another: Hitler and Joseph Stalin. The stakes couldn't be higher, and both sides knew it would be a fight to the death under unforgiving circumstances.
Forced to dodge consistent air bombardments, navigate thickly dense brush, and contend with a vastly depleted arsenal, the Soviet soldiers were badly outmaneuvered in the early stages of the battle. Hundreds of thousands were killed or taken hostage by the enemy. By mid-October of 1941, their fortunes had changed considerably. Heavy rains made mud of the heavily forested battle region, slowing the forward progression of Soviet troops. Freezing temperatures further compromise their advancement. In fact, many members of Hitler's army did not perish by rifle fire or cannon blast, but by the unrelenting savagery of the weather.
The filmmakers rely on the testimonies of surviving witnesses, personal stories of soldiers who died in battle, and a series of historians who break down the steps that effectively snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.
Marked by expertly chosen archived footage and a scattering of convincing reenactments, "Hitler's Frozen Army" is a pulse-pounding portrait of what many consider to be the greatest battle in the history of global military conflict.
Directed by: Brian Rice
Its very saddening to see the respect and care shown by the two researchers towards the remains of this soldier and realize that it was much more than the poor man would have received at the time. Lives weren't worth much on the Eastern front, and lives of non-Germans weren't worth anything at all in Germany itself. They certainly didn't have any respect for the thousands upon thousands of deceased slave laborers and prisoners and war that died at German hands.
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I like how the personal interest story of two different individuals were portrayed against the backdrop of one of the most momentous event events in human history. It puts a human face on war. "A single death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic. When one dies, it is a tragedy. When a million die, it is a statistic." Joseph Stalin
Great documantary. Helped me with my homework and Ive learned alot from it!
Hitler's frozen army.
5 minutes in a microwave and they are ready to go.
The best concise(about 4 double sided pages) historical account of war that I have read is Major General Smedley Butler's War Is a Racket; written about 6 years prior to this battle. You can find it free doing a web search. Things haven't changed much in 83 years.
And after all that carnage and wasted lives and wasted material for someone's illusions of greatness(cough cough), would the world be all that different had Hitler won Moscow?
Get rid of the banksters who own the raw material properties or want more of them, as they do the war supplying companies and the media companies ...and such wars would not occur.
This was bone chilling. Great documentary with moving footage. I hate being cold.
Very disappointed that there is no mention of Guderian who would have attacked one of Leningrad, Moscow and Stalingrad as opposed to Hitler's idiotic three pronged attack.
I thought that this was a considered version of events, albeit concise. Nice that there was a human interest aspect to it as well. Not detailed enough, though, to engage the historian, but interesting nonetheless. Food for further research.
Nothing new here except a name. But it was a good reminder.
Don't we just love to gawk at the carnage and death of other human beings. Pass the popcorn.