WWII Remembered - A Complete History (DVD)

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Mistakes are never made twice in this world. It´s more like six of seven times before thinking changes and actions shift as a result. For some reason, nations continue to fight wars over land, religion, political beliefs and other intangibles. I don´t know how it sounds to state my favorite war to study and learn about has always been the Vietnam War, but in a close second place is World War II. If WWII is number one on your list, you may want to check out "WWII Remembered – A Complete History" from Mill Creek Entertainment.

How new a release this two-disc DVD set actually is might be debatable. The opening and closing titles for some episodes suggest it actually belongs to a documentary series titled "The History of World War II," released in 2003 by Brentwood Communications International. This may be an instance where ownership rights have changed hands, and the set has been touched up for a rerelease.

Newness and ownership aside, the documentary is a chronological, detailed look at what many consider our nation´s most devastating international conflict. Only the Civil War has had more written about it, and only the Vietnam War cost more financially. Yet World War II sticks out for many, perhaps because it started internationally with big names, and American involvement happened so rapidly in just a few hours on December 7, 1941.

I don´t think any other American conflict has had so many recognizable names, both on our side and against it. Benito Mussolini, Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt, George Patton, and Dwight D. Eisenhower all immediately come to mind. Images from WWII are also extremely prevalent, be it the Nazi flag´s swastika, an atomic bomb´s mushroom cloud, Uncle Sam´s famous "I Want You" posters, the USS Arizona burning and sinking after Japan´s attack on Pearl Harbor or Joe Rosenthal´s internationally famous image Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima. Every name and image associated with WWII tells a separate story, and this set´s task is to tell as many as possible.

For many, WWII was about family. The veterans who survived the war and are interviewed during the set would tell you their motivation was to support their military family, optimistic that one day they´d make it back to their personal family alive. The nations involved banded together on many different fronts, uniting as one for a larger cause. The Allies and the Axis Powers were less conventional but equally important families, led by individuals who battled in negotiations as soldiers battled on the ground, in the air and over the water. My grandfather fought in WWII, and lived to tell about it. In fact, he brought home a souvenir after Nazi Germany fell that is so unique most museums would put it under protective glass. To our family, it resembles his struggle, sacrifice and survival. To others, it´s likely nothing more than a horrific reminder.

And that´s this set´s primary strength. It doesn´t try to make you pass judgment on the conflict or those involved. It presents facts and real accounts, but rather than be just one sided, they´re pretty straight up and to the point. The way this set is executed could use some polishing, but the material that supports it is quite strong, direct and factual. There´s more than enough actual photography, newsreels, quotations and other relevant history to gnaw on, and I wouldn´t want it any other way. The documentary isn´t the most enthralling or entertaining I´ve ever seen, but because it addresses such a tragic yet important subject, I was paying close attention.

Right from the start in episode 1, the set gives us a timeline to work from. It´s about as simple as things can get in looking at such a massive, widespread international affair.

Year One – 1939-1940
September 1, 1939: Germany invades Poland
September 13, 1940: Italy invades Egypt

Year Two – 1940-1941
September 27, 1940: Japan joins the Axis
September 8, 1941: Germans enter Leningrad

Year Three – 1941-1942
September 19, 1941: Germans capture Kiev
September 22, 1942: Germans reach Stalingrad

Year Four – 1942-1943
September 26, 1942: Australia battles Japan
September 3, 1943: Allies land in Italy

Year Five – 1943-1944
September 10, 1943: Germans occupy Rome
September 1, 1944: Dieppe is liberated

Year Six – 1944-1945
September 3, 1944: Brussels is liberated
September 2, 1945: Japan´s formal surrender

The two-disc set is broken down into ten one-hour episodes. Below is a quick and dirty synopsis for each.

Episode 1: Pre-War Years
Beginning at World War I´s end, this first episode looks at the international transition time between the two conflicts, paying specific attention to the Great Depression, Germany´s frustration with the Treaty of Versailles, Hitler´s rise to power and America´s desire to remain an isolationist nation.

Episode 2: Attack on Great Britain
Begins with Italy and Germany uniting over frustration with WWI´s end, and hits on Churchill´s newfound relationship with FDR. Identifies August 8, 1940 as the date Germany´s massive air attack on Great Britain got underway. The first ten days saw Germany launch 26 major attacks and lose 697 planes, while Great Britain only lost 153 aircraft. Germany responds a few months later with night attacks, ultimately killing over 40,000 men, women and children, yet losing the greater struggle to seize London.

Episode 3: Pearl Harbor
December 7, 1941 is among the most tragic and vulnerable days in American history. This episode focuses on scholarly debate and theories about what really happened that day with American involvement. Some blame the Neutrality Act, and others believe that a dramatic event like Pearl Harbor needed to happen so the American people´s dominant reaction would be to get into the war. Also presents some interesting ideas on Japanese navy and air tactics, and their (mis)communication in executing the violence. More veteran accounts are here than any other episode.

Episode 4: March Into Russia
Extensively detailed look at Hitler´s famous march on Russia, told mostly by newsreels, actual footage and some written accounts. Never mind that this effort was pretty much unwinnable from the get go. The episode states that Hitler´s desire to expand his European dominance was critical because it proved that Nazi Germany wasn´t unstoppable, and that the conflict wasn´t simply limited to a Pacific theater. Exposes the viewer to some unique Nazi propaganda and motivational efforts.