Oliver Stone's Untold History of America

[Josephus]

So there's this new show on cable. Was interested in it except I find out the first episode sets out to show that it wasn't the USA involvement in WW2 that defeated Hitler but rather  the Soviet Army that did the brunt of the work.

And I'm like....yeah, I knew this in Grade 2. But maybe Americans don't know this. I'm not sure.

http://www.avclub.com/articles/oliver-stones-untold-history-of-the-united-states,88625/

Oliver Stone's Untold History Of The United States isn't quite that. For the most part—at least in the first episode, which focuses on World War II—it's just recounting stuff that history tomes that dig a little bit deeper than the official story would get into. Stone bases much of the first hour around the thought that the Nazis lost World War II not because of the American military launching an offensive in France, but because the Soviet army eventually exhausted and beat the German forces back. At that point, what the Americans and British pulled off at Normandy was important, but the course of the war was essentially set. The Germans had essentially defeated themselves, thanks to Hitler's hubris and Stalin's gutsy decision-making and, well, the Russian people's willingness to sacrifice itself out of its sheer refusal to give an inch. In this episode, Stone, who narrates, constantly praises the battles on the Eastern Front as the greatest ever fought, and when he's talking about them, it's not hard to agree.

[11B4V]

I dont see anything overly wrong with the bolded portion.

[merithyn]

I dont see anything overly wrong with the bolded portion.

I believe Jos' point is that it's not news.

[Valmy]

And I'm like....yeah, I knew this in Grade 2. But maybe Americans don't know this. I'm not sure.

Wow you had military history in Grade 2.  I certainly learned this in school but that does not mean everybody was paying attention in class

[Valmy]

I dont see anything overly wrong with the bolded portion.

I believe Jos' point is that it's not news.

Oliver Stone announces water is wet and shocks the world!

In this episode, Stone, who narrates, constantly praises the battles on the Eastern Front as the greatest ever fought, and when he's talking about them, it's not hard to agree.

I must say he has one sick opinion about what makes something great and praiseworthy.

[Josephus]

And I'm like....yeah, I knew this in Grade 2. But maybe Americans don't know this. I'm not sure.

Wow you had military history in Grade 2.  I certainly learned this in school but that does not mean everybody was paying attention in class

NO. I didn't say I learned it in school. My dad was a WW2 buff and I used to sit on his lap and watch The World At War series.

[11B4V]

I dont see anything overly wrong with the bolded portion.

I believe Jos' point is that it's not news.

Granted. Apparently it is to some. Did you read the comments in the link he posted?

[Josephus]

The comments are always the best thing in any Internet posting

[11B4V]

The comments are always the best thing in any Internet posting

Quite.

[merithyn]

I dont see anything overly wrong with the bolded portion.

I believe Jos' point is that it's not news.

Granted. Apparently it is to some. Did you read the comments in the link he posted?

I'd have to bother going to the link to do that.

It's not really news to me, but my degree is in History, so there was a certain amount of WWII history that I had to take. I could see it being a different viewpoint for a lot of people, though. Especially those who go to school where they teach that the planet is only 6000 years.

[Gups]

I dont see anything overly wrong with the bolded portion.

I believe Jos' point is that it's not news.

Granted. Apparently it is to some. Did you read the comments in the link he posted?

Only read some of them but they all seem to agree that the Soviets did all the heavy lifting.

[Malthus]

Seems like a strawman used to generate interest. The significance of the Soviets is hardly "untold".

[Razgovory]

Does it include shit about the Kennedy assassination?

[DGuller]

You can go too far the other way in giving credit for Soviets.  Yes, it was Soviet soldiers who were getting slaughtered, but they were taken to the slaughter by American trucks and rail cars.  If Soviets had to take care of their own secondary, but still very much critical, materiel needs, how much more trouble would they be in than they already were?

[Kleves]

Americans did the building, Soviets did the dying. Would have been a much tougher war without either.