This EHL video is a compilation
of scenes from the epic 1949 Russian (USSR) film "Fall
of Berlin" (Padeniye Berlina). It is a rare and fascinating
opportunity to see the symbolic propaganda and nationalism
used by the Soviets during the bloodiest period of human history
as well as the absolute apex of the Soviet Union as (for the
brief time being) the dominant world power after Russia's
defeat of Nazi Germany. Different forms of propaganda have
been marked with captions throughout the film, such as the
emphasis in the first scene of the general happiness of the
USSR's people caused by the prosperity of Stalin's Communist
state (or so it was believed). The exaggerated portrayal of
Hitler in the film as an unstable madman drowning his own
people is fascinating, as is the depiction of Stalin as an
invincible hero praised by all his people of many different
races (the war scenes show Central Asian Mongols fighting
with Slavs). It is also intriguing that the Soviets had learned
nearly every detail of the end of WWII and the death of Adolf
Hitler with almost the same level of information of today
more than 50 years later.
If you speak Russian
and would like to help translate, please notify us immediately!
Neither I nor the European
Heritage Library support the Stalinist, Hoxhaist, Maoist,
or Marxist ideologies.
________________________________________
ABOUT
THE AUTHOR:
James Mayfield is a historian
and the Chairman of the European Heritage Library. I have
a Cum Laude BA in History with a Minor in Germanic Studies
(language and history), am presently working for my Masters
in History, and plan to immediately progress to my PhD Doctorate.
I have a special academic interest in Europe's diverse ethnic
identities, languages, and cultures, and the political struggles
of native European and immigrant minority identities. See
my staff entry for more information.
BIBLIOGRAPHY/SOURCES
USED:
Copyright for the film "Padeniye
Berlina" is expired.
Copyright ongoing since 2008-,
European Heritage Library®. www.euroheritage.net.
All Rights Reserved. The European Heritage Library is a non-profit academic
organization owned by
Chairman James Mayfield.
No email addresses or personal information is redistributed. No articles
or content on this site may be redistributed without approval or a
full citation and credit to the EHL as the original source.
