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"The World at War:" a brilliant historical documentary that set an impossibly high standard.

It's all there in those 26 remarkable hours. Every theater. Film footage from both sides. Interviews with victor and conquered. Diplomats, politicians, generals, foot soldiers, civilians: all have their say.
I've read more than a few books on WWII, but I honestly can say these hours have taught me more than all of them, combined. A Berlin burgermeister who staged two dead women (strangers to him), maintaining they were his wife and child, to gain sympathy from the Russians--- the contempt in his voice for the Russians was palpable. And the interviews with Albert Speer and other high ranking Nazis showed better than any account could how a man can speak about organizing and running a machine responsible for killing tens of millions of people and excuse himself, even though he had a principal role.
More Jews died in the War than did Germans. But the Russians and Chinese lost roughly 20 million, each; compare that to the less than 310,000 Americans. England also had relatively few deaths, though the devastation was immense. In fact, throughout the affected world, all participants with one sole exception were left in destitute circumstances. The USs industrial power and financial system vastly increased as did its world-wide political influence.
One of the greatest surprises, one that has forced me to alter a long-held belief, was the factual information presented to Truman which he used in deciding to drop the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Japanese people, politicians, and military leaders (remember, it was a martial society: the generals ruled over the political world) were very much against surrender before and after the bombs fell. You can hear this from the very mouths of the top Japanese military and political officials, including Hirohito's top aide.
Anyhow, this should be mandatory viewing for all high school students, throughout the world.


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Topic - "The World at War:" a brilliant historical documentary that set an impossibly high standard. - tinear 17:16:44 01/27/11 (24)

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