Timing is everything in TV. You release a series at the right moment and it becomes a major hit. Release a great series at the wrong time and it eventually becomes a cult classic with its limited number of episodes repeated endlessly. After the success of The World At War, the Soviet Union wanted to tell more of its battles with Hitler and the Nazis. From the deep of their vaults, they found millions of feet of film to create The Unknown War. Burt Lancaster was hired to be the host and narrator. Twenty episodes were produced and offered to American TV stations that had scored high ratings with The World At War.
This is when timing failed.
When it first broadcast in late 1978, America was approaching the height of the Cold War with the Soviets. They were the enemy. The outcry from historians claiming this was more Soviet propaganda than education was heard loudly. Things would get nastier when the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. The documentary series vanished from the dial and didn’t have a chance of returning to American airwaves with a national impact. The Unknown War: WWII and the Epic Battles of the Russian Front brings together all the episodes without the fear of it being yanked from your DVD player.
“June 22, 1941″ starts the series off with the morning that Hitler ordered his trips across the Russian border. The German army goes straight for Moscow. The sieges of Moscow, Leningrad and Stalingrad are captured by Soviet camera crews. There’s also footage from the Nazi army. While part of the narrative is propaganda that plays up the party line, the footage is more than worth the experience. “The World’s Greatest Tank Battle” covers the Battle of Kursk. This massive armored conflict broke the back of the German army. The episode gives credit to Georgy Zhukov for coming up with the strategy that won Kursk for the Soviet. At once point the leaders of the Soviet Union wanted his contribution downplayed. The footage reveals how afterward, the land was covered in twisted metal and decaying corpses. This is not a G-rated look at war. The series doesn’t stick around after the final victories to focus on how after the Nazis. the Americans and Soviets became enemies.
The Unknown War: WWII and the Epic Battles of the Russian Front does give an insightful view of what things looked like on the Eastern front. The episodes have plenty of exciting battle footage that take you inside the gun shots and mortar rounds. The Nazi soldiers never look too happy on camera. This is why Col. Klink feared being transferred to the Russian Front on Hogan’s Heroes. The series is captivating. Burt Lancaster has a good enough touch in his voice to explain the images. This doesn’t completely play like a re-education film ordered by the communist party. Although you might want to read a more reliable book about Soviet history during World War II afterward. If you’ve already purchased The World At War, The Unknown War is a fine compliment. It does give a view of what happened on the other side on Europe while the Allies were preparing for D-Day. If this had been released today, it’d be a big hit on The Military Channel since Russia is no longer our enemy. Timing is everything in war and TV scheduling.
The Episodes
“June 22, 1941,” “The Battle for Moscow,” “The Siege of Leningrad,” “To the East,” “The Defense of Stalingrad,” “Survival at Stalingrad,” “The World’s Greatest Tank Battle,” “War in the Arctic,” “War in the Air,” “The Partisans,” “The Battle of the Seas,” “The Battle of Caucasus,” “Liberation of the Ukraine,” “The Liberation of Belorussia,” “The Balkans to Vienna,” “The Liberation of Poland,” “The Allies,” “The Battle of Berlin,” “The Last Battle of the Unknown War” and “A Soldier of the Unknown War”
The video is 1.33:1 full frame. The transfers are taken off the video masters. There’s an occasional video glitch, but nothing too distracting or annoying. The audio is mono English. Most of the sound is created in post along with Burt’s narration. The levels are fine although you might turn it down a notch to keep the bombs from destroying your woofer.
This short-lived series at least isn’t completely short-changed when it comes to extras. Up first is an Interview with Writer & Composer Rod McKuen. This 23-minute piece lets him explain the series. Turns out that an advertising firm picked up the series from the Soviets with the scheme to sell national advertising. The other featurette is Analysis By Professor Willard Sunderland (51:33). Here he picks apart the facts from the propaganda elements in two parts. Sunderland points out how the treaty between the Nazis and Soviets was a plan on how to divide up Eastern Europe. The Nazis grabbed their territory as invaders and the Soviets occupied their neighbors as protectors. This does a fine job of explaining the omissions.
The Unknown War: WWII and the Epic Battles of the Russian Front reveals the action on the other side of Europe. The Red Army fights back the Nazis over the course of 20 episodes. The series was made by the Soviet Union at the height of the Cold War, but shouldn’t be completely scoffed off as propaganda. The raw footage of World War II is essential viewing since it’s elements skipped by most U.S. History classes since it doesn’t involve the Americans until the end.
Shout! Factory presents The Unknown War: WWII and the Epic Battles of the Russian Front. Starring: Burt Lancaster. Boxset Contents: 20 Episodes on 5 DVDs. Released on DVD: May 24, 2011. Available at Amazon.com
