Reel

"Neville Chamberlain tells the world he has sealed the peace at Munich. But the bombs soon fell on London, the Nazis advanced as they chose, and soon nearly all of Europe was lost. Then they attacked the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941--backed by 190 divisions and 5,500,000 men. This film covers the defense of Moscow; victory at Stalingrad; the 900 day siege of Leningrad; decisive tank battles at the Kursk bulge; the movement East to liberate Romania and Yugoslavia and to free Poland. Then the Normandy invasion of 1944, last victories in Berlin, and V-Day in Moscow, London, Paris, and New York." Victory, V-E Day. World War Two. Shot by 236 Soviet cameramen.

Soviet troops liberating Romania battle.

Yugoslavia (Belgrade) urban warfare battle.

Budapest, Hungary battle near the Elizabeth Bridge before it was destroyed by the Nazis. Urban warfare. Wounded soldiers.

Warsaw, Poland. War damage, buildings destroyed

Panning MS of concentration camp victims in a mass grave, bodies piled high & wide. MSs of Soviets releasing concentration camp prisoners in Poland (liberating the camps); Auschwitz.

Liberated Polish people parade through the streets. MSs of Soviet soldiers talking, sharing smokes.

D-Day Invasion, June 1944: landings at Normandy, some combat footage (including flamethrower).

Allied defeat at Ardennes Forest, December 1944 (the beginning of the Battle of the Bulge; no battle footage.) Soldiers in trenches, snow all around. Men try to weather the cold drinking hot coffee, stomping feet to keep warm, etc. Destroyed US weaponry like overturned tanks. CU of African American US soldier. Lines of American soldiers being whisked to POW camps.

October 1944 British troops landing in Greece: urban combat; prisoners are taken away; machine gun and mortar fire.