The Big Picture. New German Army

Description

This episode of the U.S. Army's The Big Picture television show spotlights the political, economic, and social background that brought about the creation of a military force for the free Bonn Republic of West Germany. The creation of this German Army was an important plank in the founding platform of the NATO nations as the addition of this force unified the stand of these nations against aggression. This video shows the American Army officers training the visiting leaders of "The New German Army," who then returned to Germany to teach these skills to their soldiers. The new army, which had no relation to the earlier "Wehrmacht," was established to serve as a home guard to protect free Germans from border violations from the East. Using vintage film from World War II with an appearance by West German Chancellor Dr. Konrad Adenauer, this video traces the German nation from the bitter depression days of the 1930s through the rise of the Nazi party to the infamous Blitzkrieg of September 31, 1939. The producers of this film from the National Archives and Records Administration pictorially summarize the forces that led to the ultimate downfall of Germany as a world power.

Runtime

30 min

Series

Subjects

Contributor

Geography

Genre

Date of Publication

[2011], c2008

Database

Films on Demand

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