clive's - Rented List
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Experience the terrible final battle for Berlin in 1945 from the perspective of the attacking Red Army . and the positions of the shattered German forces who made a final desperate defence of the city. Taken from the hugely-popular television series 'Line Of Fire', this programme harnesses state-of-the-art computer technology to explore, explain and bring new perspectives to the last major battle of the War in Europe. It also features rare archive footage, specially treated recreations and authoritative comment by leading military historians from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. - Director:
- Not Available
- Cast:
- Not Available
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Using never-before-seen footage, this DVD, narrated by Brian Cox, tells a previously untold story. It recounts the history of the Second World War from a Japanese perspective, combining original colour film with letters and diaries written by Japanese people. It tells the story of a nation at war from the diverse perspectives of those who had lived through it, the leaders and the ordinary people, the oppressors and the victims, the guilty and the innocent. Until recently, it was believed that no colour film of Japan existed prior to 1945. However, specialist research has now unearthed a remarkable colour record from as early as the 1930s. Examples of these extraordinary scenes include Japanese troops in Manchuria, the visit of Prince Chichibu (Emperor Hirohito's brother) to Britain and his meeting with Adolf Hitler, Japanese aggression in China, unique colour film of the surprise attack on Pearl Harbour and the vibrant scenes of life on the Japanese home front. For eight years the Japanese fought what they believed was a necessarily Imperialistic war that became a fight to the death. 'Japan's War In Colour' shows how militarism took hold, describes why Japan felt compelled to launch an attack on America, explains what drove the Japanese resolve to resist the Allies for so lone and reveals how the intensely proud nation dealt with defeat. - Director:
- David Batty
- Cast:
- Brian Cox
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Discover why the last major German offensive of World War Two so nearly succeeded and how heroic defensive actions by American GIs thwarted their plans. Taken from the hugely-popular television series 'Line Of Fire', this programme harnesses state-of-the-art computer technology to explore, explain and bring new perspectives to one of the most vital battles of World War Two. It also features rare archive footage, specially treated recreations and authoritative comment by leading military historians from the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst.
About 'Line of Fire'
'Line of Fire' is history with a difference. For the first time, the great battlefields of war are presented in a unique animated environment, providing new insights into military history's most compelling events. Each powerful episode combines unrivalled graphics with atmospheric recreations to analyse every facet of famous battles from the medieval period to modern times.
- Introduction
- The Plan
- The American Army
- The Offensive
- Primary Objective
- Kampfgruppe Peiper
- The Race Against Time
- Conclusion- Director:
- Not Available
- Cast:
- Duncan Anderson, Aryck Nusbacher
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This is the incredibly powerful story of the Stalin years. It is based on rarely seen archival footage, contemporary diaries and documents and personal memoirs, as well as interviews with relatives and those people who survived the Gulag labour camps and World War II. It follows events from Stalin's rise to power, his association with Hitler and the Soviet involvement in the Second World War right through to his death. With an introduction by Nobel Peace Prize winner, diplomat and statesman Dr. Henry Kissinger, this is the incredibly powerful story of the Stalin years. It is based on rarely seen archival footage, contemporary diaries and documents and personal memoirs as well as interviews with relatives and those people who survived the Gulag labour camps and World War II.
Part 1
Part One begins with the death of Lenin and the power struggle that followed. Stalin's rise to power saw him launch an assault on the peasantry and his political rivals, as well as a disastrous purge of the Red Army. An alliance with Nazi Germany was soon to follow, yet would be quickly rendered meaningless as the Germans invaded the Soviet Union, leading to chaos and confusion as the Red Army fell back. Stalin, paralysed by the shock, retreated to his dacha. Minsk, Kiev and Smolensk fell. Stalin returned from hiding and signed the infamous Order 270, branding captured Soviet officers as traitors and committing their wives to forced labour. All too soon, the Wehrmacht would arrive at the gates of Moscow.
Part 2
Part Two begins with the Germans at the gates of Moscow, as the winter closed in and starvation claimed thousands of lives in the besieged city of Leningrad. During the war in the occupied Soviet Union, many oppressed Soviet citizens welcomed Hitler, but their enthusiasm was shortlived as they discovered his plans. The Partisan resistance began without Stalin's support, but he would soon grow to accept the Partisans, providing them with supplies. As the Wehrmacht moved south toward the oil fields of the Caucasus, Stalin specifically prohibited any retreat on the battlefield on pain of death. The battle for Stalingrad would test that resolve.
Part 3
Part Three opens with 'the spring stalemate'. Soviet war production, now moved out of the reach of German bombers, had begun to increase dramatically. The Germans prepared to meet the Red Army on the plains of Kursk, in the greatest tank battle in the history of warfare. After a 900-day siege, the Soviets finally liberated Leningrad. The Red Army pushed westward and began to retake the territories that had been occupied by the Germans for so long. Once again, Stalin had plans for the people who suffered under the occupation.
Part 4
Part Four begins with Germany on the brink of defeat. As the Red Army approached Berlin, Hitler mobilised both young and old to defend the doomed city. Following the fall of Berlin and the death of his old enemy, Stalin turned once again to the control of his own people. As old age crept up on him, Stalin's obsessive paranoia continued and he further persecuted his people. With the threat of the atomic bomb blocking his plans for territorial expansion, the world entered the new era of the Cold War.- Director:
- Ilia Gootman
- Cast:
- Henry Kissinger, Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler
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"War of the Century: When Hitler Fought Stalin" reveals the true horrors of the war on the Eastern Front...
- Director:
- Laurence Rees
- Cast:
- Samuel West, John Erickson, Stephen Walsh
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Professor John Erickson, the award-winning author of "Road to Stalingrad" and "Road to Berlin", reassesses the titanic struggle between Hitler and Stalin on the Eastern Front. This volume covers the final phase of the war, as the mighty Red Army rolled back the tide of German conquests and surged on the gates of Berlin, the very heart of Nazi Germany. This video features rare archive footage from both Russian and German sources, informative graphics and maps, and incisive commentary and analysis by Professor John Erickson. - Director:
- Not Available
- Cast:
- John Erickson
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The infamous Japanese attack on the US naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii was one of the most significant events of World War II. Brilliantly planned and executed though it was, the attack bought the mighty USA into the war with disastrous consequences for the Axis powers. Meanwhile in Malaya, the Japanese Army was sweeping through the country towards the vital British base at Singapore. This episode, brand new, is from the land mark television series "Battlefield". Featuring fascinating archive footage from all over the world the programme includes a review of the political and military situation before the battle, portraits of leaders and commanders, an explanation of weapons and tactics and the story of the battle itself. Vivid graphics place the battle into the context of the war as a whole. - Director:
- Not Available
- Cast:
- Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin
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The battle for Okinawa claimed more lives than any US campaign against Japan in the Pacific war. Situated between the Ryukyu group of islands north of Formosa and the Japanese home islands, it was chosen as the final springboard for the invasion of Japan itself that was for so long felt vital to bring the war to an end. The Japanese, under Lieutenant General Ushijima, fought for every inch of ground and had constructed a formidable series of defensive lines against the US invasion force. The fighting on the island itself was some of the most savage of the war, while at sea at 700-plane Kamikaze raid sank several US destroyers. The Japanese could not resist the US invasion assault force forever though, and despite seeing their commander General Buckner killed in action, had won victory by June 1945. US casualties were estimated to be 49,000. More than 110,000 Japanese were killed and 7,000 taken prisoner. Within weeks, the atomic bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki had done their work, bringing the war to a sudden end. - Director:
- Not Available
- Cast:
- General Ushijima, Isamu Cho, General Buckner
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This episode tells the tragic story of the 'bridge too far' and the ill-fated 'Operation Market Garden' - the Allied operation that was supposed to end World War Two in 1944. Montgomery's rather fanciful conclusion that Market Garden was '90% successful' was hardly supported by the facts. The operation was an unmitigated failure. This episode, brand new to video is from the land mark television series "Battlefield". Featuring fascinating archive footage from all over the world the programme includes a review of the political and military situation before the battle, portraits of leaders and commanders, an explanation of weapons and tactics and the story of the battle itself. Vivid graphics place the battle into the context of the war as a whole. - Director:
- Not Available
- Cast:
- Richard Holmes, Paul Woodadge, Gen. Montgomery
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The Home Guard and Britain's Citizen Army (1942)Britain's Home Front At War - Britain's Citizen Army
The Imperial War Museum Collection features rare and fascinating original films preserved in the Museum's archive. Many have never been released to the public before and are presented here, complete and uncut, for the very first time. These films are of great historical importance and are essential viewing for anyone interested in British military history. This two disc collection features over 30 different wartime films showing how Britons contributed to the defence of the nation, from joining the Home Guard through to contributing scrap items and 'Digging for Victory'. Much of the collection is devoted to rare films covering the formation and training of the Home Guard - or 'Dad's Army' as it was sometimes jokingly referred to. They include 'Citizen's Army', The Dawn Guard', 'Home Guard', 'Unarmed Combat', 'News From England', 'Platoon Assault on a House', 'Weapons and Equipment' and 'One Man, Two Jobs' and span the length of the war. Other services covered include barrage balloon squadrons in 'Squadron 992' and ARP Wardens in 'Post 23' and 'Night Watch', while Wartime stars like Tommy Trinder, Kathleen Harrison and Ronald Shiner are on hand to dish out invaluable advice on everything from scrap and salvage to eating right. There's also plenty of wartime public information films covering everything from the subject of cheese and growing your own vegetables to tackling incendiary bombs and mending and making do. Other films included here, such as 'Dangerous Comment' and 'You're Telling Me' convey the invaluable wartime message that 'careless talk costs lives'. Some films in the collection have more to do with boosting morale than practical advice to dispense. In 'Miss Grant Goes to the Door' two elderly sisters help outwit a German spy, while 'Men of the Lightship' recreates the brutal German attack on the East Dudgeon Lightship and The Frontline' celebrates life as usual in Dover as invasion looms... - Director:
- Donald Taylor
- Cast:
- Robert Newton, Bernard Miles, Frank Lawton
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Western Approaches (1944)The Raider / Battle for the Atlantic: Greyhound vs Wolfpack - Western Approaches
The merchant seamen who helped bring in vital supplies to a Britain under siege during World War Two performed one of the most daring and dangerous tasks of the war. The battle of the Atlantic was merciless, and the Merchant Navy lost more men than any of the British armed forces. In 1944, the Crown Film Unit set out to document the bravery of the merchant seamen and expose the harsh dangers faced by making 'Western Approaches'. Generally regarded as one of the best British documentaries of the war, the film uses merchant seamen to re-enact their roles for the cameras and was shot in colour - unlike many films of the same era. The storyline was both realistic and dramatic. Trying to run the gauntlet of U.Boat Wolf Packs on its way home from America to Britain, a merchant ship is torpedoed and sunk. The survivors take to a lifeboat and await rescue - unaware that the U-Boat which sank them is still lurking in the area, just waiting for the rescue boat to turn up... - Director:
- Pat Jackson
- Cast:
- Eric Fullerton, Duncan MacKenzie, W. Kerr
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The attack on Pearl Harbor was supposed to obviate the need for the grinding attritional battle that was the hallmark for the bloody fighting of Guadalcanal. The capture of this strategically crucial island in the Solomans, during which more than 25,000 Japanese lost their lives, was the key to the US victory in the Philippines which paved the way for the horrors of Hiroshima, Nagasaki and the ultimately the defeat of Japanese Empire. This episode, brand new to video is from the land mark television series 'Battlefield'. Featuring fascinating archive footage from all over the world the programme includes a review of the political and military situation before the battle, portraits of leaders and commanders, an explanation of weapons and tactics and the story of the battle itself. Vivid graphics place the battle into the context of the war as a whole. - Director:
- Not Available
- Cast:
- Various
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"The Battle of the Atlantic" details German U-boats' attempts to starve Britain into submission...
- Director:
- Not Available
- Cast:
- Bill Paterson
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Weimar was geographically and culturally the heart of Germany. It was the birthplace of the Weimar Republic, the republic established in 1919 to replace Germany's imperial government, and was also home to some of the greatest citizens of the German nation. But, while for many it was a heaven on Earth, for those imprisoned in the nearby Buchenwald Concentration Camp, one of the largest in Germany, it was a living hell. While Weimar may have been famous for illustrious men as Bach, Nietzsche and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the unspeakable cruelty and brutality of Buchenwald would make it infamous. This programme documents the events of Buchenwald 1937-42, where prisoners were savagely punished for the slightest infraction of the rules. Inmates would freeze in -20° temperatures, were worked to death and even the guard dogs enjoyed significantly better living conditions. The camp was originally built to house 8,000 inmates, but by the end of 1942 numbers had already exceeded 14,000! Never an extermination camp like Auschwitz, Buchenwald was a labour camp but it made every aspect of life within its fences a torture where mistreatment by the guards was not only encouraged, it was compulsory. - Director:
- Not Available
- Cast:
- Not Available
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The complete epic documentary series examining the origins and development of the Holocaust and Nazi Germany's attempt to destroy the European Jewish population.
The Liberation of Auschwitz (1986)Etched deeply into the pages of history, Auschwitz conjures up images of death, torture and unimaginable human suffering. At the time of release only 18 minutes of the footage contained within this film had been seen in the west; despite it being used as damning prosecution evidence at the Nuremburg Trials. Recorded from January to February 1945 by a Soviet film crew attached to the 1st Ukrainian Front, the programme tells the story of the liberation of the Auschwitz camp.
Dachau and Sachsenhausen (2005)
Whilst Hitler sought the answers to his 'Jewish problem', more and more centres of containment sprung up throughout Nazi occupied Europe. Two such camps were Dachau and Sachsenhausen, and although perhaps not such recognisable names as Auschwitz, they were no less crucial in the persecution and extermination of the European Jews.
Ghetto Theresienstadt (2006)
Between 1941 and 1945 the small fortress town of Theresienstadt in Czechoslovakia became a transit point to the death camps in the east for thousands of Czech, German, Austrian and Dutch Jews. All those deported to Theresienstadt were led to believe it was an 'end camp' from which they would travel no further. They were promised a comfortable and peaceful life in the 'Reich home for the aged' and were hoodwinked into signing over to the S.S. all of their properties and assets.
The Yellow Star: The Persecution of the Jews in Europe 1933-1945 (1981)
This Oscar nominated documentary serves not only as a remembrance but a lesson and a warning for the future. It follows the plight of Europe's Jews during the terrifying period from 1933 until the final defeat of the Third Reich in 1945. Never before had the world seen such contempt for human life on such a grand scale with the murder of an estimated 6 million Jews with countless others persecuted.
Ravensbruck and Buchenwald (2006)
Ravensbruck: Women from more than 20 countries were incarcerated between 1939 and 1945 in the Ravensbruck concentration camp in Germany. They were subjected to gross maltreatment, humiliation and some were tortured to death all in the name of the Third Reich. Buchenwald: After being established in the German town of Weimar in the summer of 1937, Buchenwald developed into one of the largest concentration camps in Germany, with approximately 250,000 inmates from some 35 different countries. More than 50,000 were to die during the reign of terror by torture, deliberate starvation and systematic culling.
Majdanek (1986)
This rare and stark documentary graphically portrays the methodical murder, starvation and torture of an estimated 2 million innocent victims and demonstrates the frightening efficiency of the German death camp. Also captured here on film are rare scenes from a Russian post-war tribunal, where survivors are seen giving evidence against captured SS officers and camp officials, this evidence was often to result in the conviction and execution of those standing accused.- Director:
- Irmgard von zur Mühlen
- Cast:
- Aleksandr Voronsov, Wolfgang Scheffler, Wolfgang Scheffler
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