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Video: Prussia vs. Napoleonic France (Nazi Propaganda)
by James Mayfield (Chairman, European Heritage Library)

Print this Article •  About the Author  • Bibliography/Sources

This EHL video is a compilation of scenes from the epic 1945 German film "Kolberg". From 1804-1815, the First French Republic borne of the French Revolution was ruled by the awesome dictator Napoleon Bonaparte as the mighty First French Empire. In the greatest apex of French military history, the French nation conquered nearly all of Western Europe and was so feared that what was left of Europe set aside their differences -- even with the Muslim Ottomans -- to form seven continental coalitions to crush Napoleon's armies. The main powers opposing France were the Germans of Prussia and Austria, as well as the British and Russians. Prussia and Austria both barely escaped total annihilation, and ultimately it was a joint alliance between Prussia and England that forever crushed the French empire at Leipzig and Waterloo. In this film, the Germans of the Prussian Kingdom are facing total annexation. Most of Prussia was occupied, although very casually. The city of Kolberg, now part of Poland since WWII, was a historic site of a heroic popular resistance by Germans of Prussia to French invasion that included both soldiers and civilians refusing to accept foreign rule. This concept of total, collective committment to the interests of the state and nation via intense nationalism was called "Total War," and was espoused by famous Prussian military scholar Karl von Clausewitz.

In the last days of World War II, when the German empire was all but dissolved, Adolf Hitler and Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels ordered the creation of a multi-million dollar film to inspire the Germans to fight and die for the Reich at all costs (as occurred at Kolberg). It is interesting that at the same time as the German authorities called for all resources to be devoted to the war effort, millions of dollars were spent and thousands of men were drawn from the cities and even the front to produce this epic. In actual historical narrative, Kolberg's civilians did not successfully throw out the French occupying armies. The overall revolt, however, did occur.

Please note that my translation style (German to English) in this video is very liberal and condensed. Whole phrases and words have been left out. The reason for this is to reduce cluttering and simplify the viewer's experience.

Neither I nor the European Heritage Library support the Nazi ideology.

 

 
Subtitles do not seem to appear unless you go directly to our Youtube Video. CLICK HERE.

 

 

 

________________________________________

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:

The film "Kolberg," whose copyright is now expired.


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